Misty Ridgeline, oil on brushed aluminum, 27″ x 27″ $2500
I am thrilled to announce that “Misty Ridgelines,” was selected to be a semi-finalist for the international, contemporary art show, “ArtBox Project World 1.0”! This international group exhibition opens January 4th – March 31st, 2021 in The ArtBox’s Zurich Gallery. The painting will also be shown digitally on Artsy.net all year!
If you want to hear more about my art shows, get the jump on purchasing new works, or learn more about my inspirations, please sign up to receive my blog below!
Elevation Dream, oil on white aluminum panel, 39″ x 51″, $6900
Moving to the Mountains
Taking stock is a common activity among humans in the beginning of the New Year. I have several friends who have flocked to their “happy place” in the past year. Many of them are moving to the mountains! They decided to make a permanent move to enjoy the positive influences on a continual basis. Mountains, oceans, lakes, rivers, streams: these are the things that nurture my soul and one of the reasons I feel compelled to paint them.
The contemporary mountain oil painting, “Elevation Dream,” depicts the Park City side of the Wasatch Back. It is a view that I am lucky enough to wake up to each morning and watch the sun set over each evening. It is constantly changing and always inspiring.
Please take a moment to subscribe to my blog, (below), for new works, show updates, inspirations and my heroes. Wishing you all a very Happy, Healthy and Joyful New Year in your “happy place”!
Spirits Sandy Hook Memorial, acrylic spray paint on steel, 39″ x 51″.
December 14th, 2012 was the day of the tragic shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. There were twenty-six victims, most of them young children. Much has changed in this tragic year and peoples focus is elsewhere. This is a gentle reminder in this season of giving, to donate what you can to charities that are important to you.
Wishing you a joyful season of giving, and a healthy and happy New Year!
We have all had a year in 2020; fear, change, adaptations, working from home, teaching our children from home, and the overwhelming loss of loved ones. This year has taught me not to take anything for granted and that life is short and precious.
Spending more time at home has led us to re-learn how to enjoy our surroundings, and focus on nurturing ourselves with healthy exercise, eating nutritious food and by creating comfort in our homes.
What better way to enhance one’s space than with art that speaks to the soul? I am not insensitive to the rising unemployment numbers and industries that were hit hard by the pandemic. There are many ways to find art that will fit any budget but some of my favorites are the artists actual websites and web-stores. I have found several on Instagram, or gone to the artists website through Instagram.
Art for Everyone!
Many artists offer prints and with some mediums, like photography, you can get original works in limited editions quite reasonably. Most prices are negotiable too, especially if you hope to purchase more than one piece.
These are the two Logan Hicks limited edition photos I purchased this spring.
Artist Logan Hicks
If you love New York City as I do, check out artist Logan Hicks on line store. He has just done a new release of his New York City photos taken during the pandemic. The print quality is beautiful. My images have some reflection from the glass that covers the prints that I framed but I wanted to post them to entice you to his shop. They come securely packaged in a very timely delivery, unframed and signed. Thanks Logan!
Photographer Jordan Rosen
My friend photographer Jordan Rosen travels the world and most recently did an excursion to Iceland. Rosen’s photographic journal, on Instagram, follows four amazing cyclists from east to west across that beautiful country. (Click on his highlight for the video).You can purchase lots of his beautiful images from his website by clicking this link. His work has inspired several of my own paintings, two of which you see below. Thanks Jordan for giving me permission to use your photos for my painting inspirations!
Misty Ridgeline, oil on brushed aluminum, 27″ x 27″ $2500
Dreamscape, oil on aluminum panel, 51″ x 39″, $6900.
The Summit Gallery-Snowflake Sale!
The Summit Gallery, which represents me here in Park City, Utah, is having a “Snowflake Sale”, offering 15% off my original mountain oil painting, “Spring Thaw”, seen below among others in the gallery. They have many of my works so stop by to see them in person if you are in town! The Summit staff is happy to make covid safe visits with the pieces of your choosing to your space, with no charge for this service!
Spring Thaw, oil on a brushed aluminum panel, 39″ x 39″, Sale price – $4500!
Check out my website too for one-of-a-kind gifts to give to friends and family or keep for yourselves! Whether you’re gifting in-person or from a distance, all my works arrive ready-to-hang. Don’t be afraid to reach out and enquire!
Upcoming Shows/New Works
Summit Gallery-Featured Artist! January 28th- February 3rd, 2021.
Safe Passage, oil on brushed aluminum, 27″ x 51″, $4100
I am the featured artist at the Summit Gallery during Sundance 2021! Creating a painting in the gallery with an audience is something I am not entirely comfortable doing. I will however, give it a shot. Elenor Roosevelt that said, “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face”. I can only hope seeing my process helps my audience have a deeper understanding of my work and how “mistakes” are part of the evolution of the painting!
Sharing
Please remember to follow me on Instagram and share everything you like with your followers!
Twisted Web, oil on brushed aluminum, 19″ x 15″, $975
The season of giving has begun! As we ramp up for these strange Covid holidays I hope you are able to gather with loved ones and enjoy time together in a safe way.
Today is Live PC/ Give PC Day where we honor and support all the non-profit organizations in our beloved Park City. “Parkites” are blessed with a beautiful place to live and are a generous bunch! Now is your chance to add to your collection or purchase this special gift for a loved one! Click here and let the auction begin! All proceeds from this sale go to the Kimball Arts Center!
My work always looks better in person! It is difficult to capture the reflective quality of the metal on which I paint in a two dimensional photo. View the actual painting at the Kimball Arts Center from now through November 24th, 2020! Go in person and check out all the art for auction!
The UMOCA Gala, “Brave New World” is sold out! Here is your on line, covid safe opportunity to purchase Contemporary Fine Art! Register and bid now! Remember, my donation to the cause, “Frost” is available here, but only until tomorrow night! If your walls are full, please consider a monetary donation today!
My favorite time of year is the time when the seasons change. Autumn is a particular favorite. Hiking amongst the tall trees, covered with golden hued leaves that reach for the crisp, blue autumn sky brings great joy to my heart.
Frost, oil on brushed aluminum panel, 19″ x 15″ Buy now price of $1500!
Support the Arts!
The UMOCA Gala, “Brave New World” is Saturday, October 24th, 2020! Masks and social distancing are required at this event and it is limited to 60 guests. The “At Home Option” for those unable to attend and this fabulous on line auction both support the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art!
I am donating “Frost”, for the auction that will go live on October 24th. For a $1500 donation to UMOCA , you can have this abstract original contemporary oil painting right now! Contact me at mcloughlinstudio@gmail.com. Preview in person October 15th-24th, 2020 at the museum. Come see the amazing new shows Prima Materia from Gary Vlasic and Colour Maisch and Growing Rocks by Brad Evan Taylor. Read the review of Brad’s show here.
Dreamscape, oil on aluminum panel, 51″ x 39″, price upon request.
Otherworldly is a good way to describe Iceland because the topography seems to stack every imaginable geographic category on this small, Nordic island country. “Dreamscape”, depicts Fjords covered by mist with the sharp edges of the mountains breaking through the atmosphere. The mountain in the foreground slices the composition into a yin and yang of sorts. The cliff edge seems to plummet to “Middle Earth”. Many thanks to Jordanrosenphotography for his inspiring photos of this magical land. Check out Jordan’s instagram account for his most recent adventure in Iceland!
Come and see my contemporary landscape oil paintings at the Summit Gallery, 675 Main Street in Park City, Utah!
September is bittersweet. Summer is winding down, the weather is crisp and clear and the days become very short. I find myself tired as soon as it becomes dark outside, which is natural I suppose. This painting pretty much sums up how I am feeling these days, a dramatic sky over a peaceful sea. I don’t feel like doing very much and am emotionally participating in life’s daily dramas.
Misty Ridgeline, oil on brushed aluminum, 27″ x 27″ $2500
Iceland has a brutal, changeable environment. The drama of the ridge lines, cliffs, sudden changes in weather and temperature are all extremes that make it an exceptional landscape to capture in my work. I am exploring painting mist and fog in this Iceland inspired, contemporary landscape oil painting. I started Misty Ridgeline with the silhouette of the shadows of the mountain. My idea of leaving the silver exposed seemed too simple and cartoonish. Filling in the oyster colored sky, I pulled the color in an abstract manner over the darker, dried paint. This creates movement as it flows over the steep mountainside.
See my contemporary landscape oil paintings at the Summit Gallery, 675 Main Street in Park City, Utah!
Seeking safe passage is something that we are all concerned about these days. I for one was getting really antsy. I decided to take a road trip to Jackson, Wyoming to look for a second gallery to represent my work and pop in to Yellowstone National Park.
Yellowstone is a short drive from Jackson and I had never been there. I love visiting our National Parks and Forests. They always provide amazing inspiration and renew my spirit. Expecting to see regional visitors, I was shocked to see license plates ranged from Alaska to New Jersey and every state in between. I am happy to report that almost everyone wore masks in town and we seem to have dodged the covid bullet, thankfully.
Seeking Safe Passage
This painting, (above), stretches out in front of the viewer. I have always loved watching cloud shadows, drifting over the mountains. It is super relaxing for me, similar to watching the actual clouds drift across the sky. Adding a dark cloud shadow in the foreground of this piece adds a bit of drama. It creates a threshold for the viewer to move beyond, pushing toward the distant mountains on the horizon and creates space in the piece.
Painting on Metal
Painting on metal is a challenge to photograph since you don’t see the reflection of light in my work in a still pic. Come and see my paintings in person atThe Summit Gallery! 675 Main Street, Park City, Utah. It is just down the hill from LL Bean;)
Upcoming Shows
Artexpo New York 2020, w/Art Up Close, Pier 94, 55th Street & 12th Avenue, New York, N.Y., April 22-25, 2021
The Artbox Project, Barcelona 1.0, Art Metropole Europe, Barcelona, Spain, May, 2021.
The Monaco Yacht Show, w/Art Up Close, Monte Carlo, Monaco, September 22-25, 2021
Fire on the Mountain, oil on brushed aluminum, 27″ x 27″, $2500
Fire on the Mountain
Lightning strikes, fireworks and campers are often the source of wildfires in the spring and summer in Utah. Helicopters whirl through the sky with what seems like a drop of water compared to the raging fires below. Fascinating to watch and scary if you get too close, these fires spread rapidly with the fierce winds of the Utah afternoon. Our fearless fire-fighters risk life and limb to keep us safe. Thank you to all who serve, I am so grateful.
I wanted to do a few summer landscapes and when I witnessed these fires it pulled me into the fray. This scene took place just over Guardsman’s Pass in the Wasatch Mountain Range, on the way to Midway. Thankfully, it was extinguished in a couple of days.
You can see this original oil painting now at The Summit Gallery, 675 Main Street, Park City, Utah! Stop by and take a peak if you are in town!
Up Coming Shows
All of my shows in the United States have been cancelled or postponed until next year. Happily, I will be represented in the shows listed below in Europe! They seem to have a better handle than the US on handling the corona virus. However, I won’t be attending them this year. Stay safe and well!
The Swiss Art Expo, Zurich, Switzerland, August 20-24, 2020
The Monaco Yacht Show, Art Up Close, Monte Carlo, Monaco, Sept. 23-26, 2020
The Artbox Project, Barcelona 1.0, Barcelona, Spain, October 15th – 19th, 2020
Art Expo New York 2020, w/Art Up Close, Pier 94, NY, NY, April 22-25, 2021
“I’ll be right in the next room…which was never close enough after a nightmare”. More…
The Outsider
I have been watching this really creepy series on HBO GO called The Outsider. It is based on a book by Stephen King, who more often than not taps into my worst nightmares. It is so disturbing that I go around with all the lights on after an episode and double check that all the shades are down and all the doors are locked. I even got out the cross pendant my mom gave me and wore it to bed one night, just a little added protection….Ha! However, I can not seem to stop watching the series.
I often wonder why we are drawn to such things but it must be human nature, curiosity or the need to know why we sometimes feel the willies for no apparent reason. Some call it spider sense, others a gut feeling but it is our sixth sense. Mr. King has made a fortune delving into the darkness so there must be something to it.
Abstract Expressionism
The abstract expressionist were all about, “making art that while abstract was also expressive or emotional in its effect. They were inspired by the surrealist idea that art should come from the unconscious mind”. (ref. Tate.org.uk).
This abstract painting definitely came from my subconscious mind. As a kid, I lived in a very old house, (for America anyway), well over 200 years old. My mom looked up the deeds and gave up her quest after the handwriting in the town’s documents became illegible. There were many strange occurrences in the house but I will leave that for another time. It fueled my imagination, hence the nightmares. Leaving a light on in the next room always did seem to help. In this piece you are looking through the scary darkness, the horizontal drips feel like a barrier to the safety of the light beyond the shadows.
Red Truck, (in progress), 27 x 33, oil on brushed aluminum, $3100
Trucks hold a special place in my memory and heart. When I was growing up, my grandfather had his own business as an electrician. My dad occasionally would need to borrow Gramp’s big, yellow pick-up truck and if I was lucky, I got to go along for the ride. Inside the cab of the truck, there were always wintergreen and butter-rum Lifesavers candies and Chiclets gum. When I got a little older, I was allowed to ride in the back of the truck behind the cab. It was great fun bouncing around back there, hanging on to the bar or sitting on the wheel well getting my hair all tangled from the wind.
I took a trip down to Moab recently and took some photos for inspiration. In this time of Covid, with the world turned upside down, I wanted to convey a sense of peace, calm and a bit of nostalgia. Instead of painting the F150 that was heading toward me when I took the shot, I decided to paint one from a long ago memory of a truck my dad bought when I was a kid. It was just like the one pictured in my painting. His truck was dark blue and an antique when he bought it. I remember the floor had a big hole in it and you could see the ground rushing by as we rode along. I don’t think it ran well as he sold it shortly thereafter to a neighbor. It mostly sat in his yard, the grass growing up around it. I always thought it was and amazing piece of engineering and design.
I am always up for looking at art. I love going to galleries, museums, shows and art fairs just to see what is new, get ideas, & marvel at the talent out there. Lately with the Covid quarantine, I started following a few artists on Instagram, enjoying Isolation Art School in particular. Although I love art, I don’t have an art collection really. My home is filled with my own art mostly, I have a few favorite paintings that I can’t seem to part with, a few older paintings for posterity to remind myself of my progression but haven’t really collected anything, until now.
Sean Kelly Gallery, NYC
I started listening to this amazing pod cast called Collect Wisely by Sean Kelly. His gallery is on the corner of 36th Street and 10th Avenue, just down the block from our apartment. Apparently it has been there for decades, but had not been one I frequented in Chelsea. Anyway, you can click this link to hear the first episode with collector J. Tomilson Hill. I have been making my way through the episodes and am fascinated that most collectors start when they are young with simple, affordable pieces. Although my youth is but a faded memory, I decided to start my collection just the same.
Logan Hicks is an artist I follow on IG. He does murals, paintings and photography that I always find beautiful. I also love the history and stories he recounts in his posts about the places that inspire him. Recently, he has been roaming the streets of New York City at night and taking some amazing photographs. I love New York and it was so hard to choose but I managed to pick two, one of the Apollo Theater in Harlem and the second of Coney Island, both taken at night. So these are the first pieces in my collection. Click the links and tell me what you think. They are limited edition photos. He has a marvelous shop, Work Horse Visuals, which I hope to replicate one day when I get my act together. Ha!
I am very pleased to announce that I have joined the Board of Directors at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, (UMOCA). I have been helping out the past year or so with some of their programs, Art Fit, the Covid Ask and attending regular development meetings. I am very impressed with the UMOCA staff and especially with the new director, Laura Aldred Hurtado, she is a power house of talent with a clear vision for UMOCA. Next year is the 90th anniversary of the museum and Ms. Hurtado will most certainly put this museum on the map with a nod to past successes and a preview of what is to come in the future!
It has been challenging to plan events with the Covid restrictions in place in Salt Lake City but we have come up with a few fun ideas I think you will enjoy! Please click the link for Date Night at the Museum, that will be held on three Saturdays in June, the 13th, 20th and 27th. Only $200 per couple!
Since the museum has been closed, the current exhibitions can be virtually seen on the website. They also set up live interviews with two of the artists currently on display in the galleries. You can view the recorded versions, the first is Devin Harclerode’s interview about her show “Boundaries” for an insightful view into her works. The second will be posted to the site shortly, stay tuned!
Please mark your calendars and save the date for the UMOCA Gala, scheduled for October 24th, 2020! This event will also be Covid safe, with only 60 tickets available for a fantastic evening. More details to come soon.
Lastly, if you would like to volunteer to help, please let me know! Be the change you hope to see in the world and stay safe!
Through the Storm, oil on brushed aluminum panel, 51 x 63 $10,500
The series of events of late are surreal for me and there are a lot of heartfelt emotions to comprehend, process and absorb. When titling this painting, I wanted to capture the essence of the storm and relate it to my own feelings of unrest, vulnerability and injustice. Dylan has always been a favorite of mine and this song plays in my head as I think about all that is happening now.
Shelter from the Storm
‘Twas in another lifetime, one of toil and blood When blackness was a virtue the road was full of mud I came in from the wilderness, a creature void of form Come in, she said I’ll give ya shelter from the storm. And if I pass this way again, you can rest assured I’ll always do my best for her, on that I give my word In a world of steel-eyed death, and men who are fighting to be warm Come in, she said I’ll give ya shelter from the storm. Not a word was spoke between us, there was little risk involved Everything up to that point had been left unresolved Try imagining a place where it’s always safe and warm Come in, she said I’ll give ya shelter from the storm. I was burned out from exhaustion, buried in the hail Poisoned in the bushes an’ blown out on the trail Hunted like a crocodile, ravaged in the corn Come in, she said I’ll give ya shelter from the storm. Suddenly I turned around and she was standin’ there With silver bracelets on her wrists and flowers in her hair She walked up to me so gracefully and took my crown of thorns Come in, she said I’ll give ya shelter from the storm. Now there’s a wall between us, somethin’ there’s been lost I took too much for granted, I got my signals crossed Just to think that it all began on an uneventful morn Come in, she said I’ll give ya shelter from the storm. Well, the deputy walks on hard nails and the preacher rides a mount But nothing really matters much, it’s doom alone that counts And the one-eyed undertaker, he blows a futile horn Come in, she said I’ll give ya shelter from the storm. I’ve heard newborn babies wailin’ like a mournin’ dove And old men with broken teeth stranded without love Do I understand your question, man, is it hopeless and forlorn Come in, she said I’ll give ya shelter from the storm. In a little hilltop village, they gambled for my clothes I bargained for salvation and she gave me a lethal dose I offered up my innocence I got repaid with scorn Come in, she said I’ll give ya shelter from the storm. Well, I’m livin’ in a foreign country but I’m bound to cross the line Beauty walks a razor’s edge, someday I’ll make it mine If I could only turn back the clock to when God and her were born Come in, she said I’ll give ya shelter from the storm”
I am generally a very open person. My family is always amazed at the intimate details complete strangers share with me about their lives. Some amazing opportunities have come my way just by happenstance, or fate as you will, from being open.
One summer afternoon in 2014, shortly after I had moved back to NYC, I found myself on an LIRR platform, trying to figure out which platform was for trains going into NYC and which were going out to the end of Long Island. There was no one around to ask, the ticket window was closed. An unusual looking man, dressed in cargo shorts, a tee shirt and a ball cap that said, “JERK” across the front walked onto the platform, (I later discovered the street artist, “Incarcerated Jerkface” hence the cap). He had a twinkle in his eye, a waxed handlebar mustache, tattoos everywhere and was carrying some canvas bags. I decided to ask him if I was in the right place. He answered in an Irish brogue that indeed I was on the platform heading to NYC. We started talking and he told me that he was heading to Bushwick, Brooklyn to work on a mural for The Bushwick Collective, and showed me all the cans of spray paint in his bags. Solus was my personal introduction to Street Art. His visual social commentary is concise and on target and his playful sense of humor draws you into his world and makes you want to see what else he has to say. That chance meeting opened my eyes to all the street art around me and I was hooked.
Lauren’s Rose, 38″ x 48″,Acrylic on recycled, distressed board, $6000,
I wanted to work with spray paint and on a larger scale. The street is a gritty place so I used that influence by spray painting on old construction board, then using markers and oil crayons for more definition. I worked in the stairwell in my building which was being renovated so there was lots of construction there at the time. Certainly not ideal but super exciting. I was kicked out of the stairwell by the construction dude and that was the end of spray painting until I moved to the Bay area near San Francisco. I converted the garage of that place into my outdoor studio. I started small and found I liked thinking about the directional light that I could create within each piece. More fun.On
“Shady Stars”, 21″ x 21″, acrylic spray paint on steel, Sold
“Tropical Red”, 21″x 21″ acrylic spray paint on steel, Sold
“Aqua Shots”, 21″x 21″, acrylic spray paint on steel, Sold
Once I got the feel of it, I wanted to work bigger so found some steel at Home Depot and did a series of large flowers, experimenting with different techniques. I like layering the colors in a veil, masking the edges and experimenting with different nozzles to get different effects.
Big Red, acrylic on steel, 39″ x 51″, $6000
Finished and framed it brightens up an otherwise white apartment in my beloved NYC.
Big Red, $6000, Tidal Pools, $1700 in a NYC apartment.
Summer Storm/Summer Storm Shadow $900 each, &Big Red, $6000, in a NYC apartment.
Big Red was juried into the Artbox Project’s gallery at Art Basel Miami. My friend went to check out my art and make sure everything was looking good for me. I was digitally represented in this show which is wonderfully vibrant on the screen.
Delphinium, in a room.
“Delphinium”, acrylic spray paint on steel, 51″x 39″, $6000
Delphinium, (above), can be hung vertically or horizontally. A lot of time when I am working on a composition, I flip the panel around to make sure it is balance, especially in more abstract works. Carmen, (below), has layers of color to create luminosity and vibrance.
Carmen, acrylic on steel, 39″ x 51″,$6000
Carmen and me at the Stricoff Gallery during Armory Show Week in 2018.
Violet Iris was sold to a collector who loves everything Iris.
Violet Iris in the Miami Spectrum Art Show, 2016.
Violet Iris, acrylic spray paint on steel, 39″ x 51″, Sold
I really liked the vibrant brights but wanted something a bit softer in dessert colors to sell in the high desert of Park City, Utah. I made Metamorphosis and Spiraling Fauna as companion pieces. The former is a large orchid like flower and the latter a compilation of smaller shapes weaving through one another.
“Metamorphosis”, acrylic spray paint on steel, 39″ x 51″, $6000
Metamophosis in the Artbox Gallery booth at the Spectrum Miami show, 2016.
“Metamorphosis” $7000, in a Park City boudoir.
Spiraling Fauna, 2015, 39 x 51, oil on steel, Sold
“Spiraling Flora” in a Deer Valley home.
So now what? Well, since the weather has finally warmed up, I am back in my well ventilated semi-outdoor studio thinking about what to do next. I used an underpainting that was spray painted for my most recent piece, “Pestilence” and am working on a few more sub-paintings for a few more city scapes. I follow artist Douglas Schneider in social media as I really enjoy his perspective and works. He is a master at abstracting parts of his paintings while still having nostalgic, figurative elements as well.
As I stay safely at home in Park City, abiding by the social distancing guidelines, my heart goes out to everyone effected by this pandemic, but particularly those in the epicenter of disease in our country, New York City.
I wanted to channel my emotions and put them into a painting and this is the result. The underpainting is done with acrylic spray paints, some grid panels I found and a stencil that I designed and made. The achitectural structure of the metal grid contrasts with an organic, spidery, floral overlay which represent the virus infiltrating the city. The cityscape is taken from some photos I took from the 45th floor, overlooking the Hudson River on the west side of Manhattan. I interpreted the disease as an alluring, ghostly siren making her way into the city, tempting citizens to their fate. She brings with her the disease, suspended in the air around her. I have left some of the underpainting showing though in the streets and buildings representing the viruses infectious, rapid spread. Hope is the message on the building, hoping people will stay home and safe and curb this ravaging beast.
One of the things I love about Urban Art are the characters that become part of the artists signature style. There is something about these playful images in particular that touches a nostalgic chord in me. Watching cartoons on Saturday mornings, walking down to Denure’s shop in town to read the comic books, (then buy one or two for good measure), and reading the Sunday funnies are very fond memories of my youth.
Betty Boop has always been a favorite. Check out one of her early flicks, “The Old Man of the Mountain”. One of the things that catapulted her to fame was the longing of folks during the Depression to harken back to a happier time. Another was that she was pre-National Legion of Decency and the early flicks were quite racy. You can’t talk about Betty and not mention the famous Cab Calloway song, “Minnie the Moocher”.
Trent Call
This mural by Trent Call is in the pedestrian tunnel under Bonanza Blvd. on the rail trail in Park City, Utah. The characters remind me of the Betty Boop era (one of the characters has a striking resemblance to her), and could easily have been in one of her movies. I like that the artist has these wonderfully nostalgic characters enjoying many of the fun things that Park City has to offer: hiking, biking, skiing, drinking coffee and spirits and also illustrates some of the crossover of the local industry: making movies, roasting coffee and cocoa beans, distilling spirits, brewing beer and mining.
When you are looking for something fun to do in isolation, take a bike ride on the rail trail and check out this spectacular Street Art! It is in the second tunnel as you ride up the hill towards Main Street!
Does anyone remember the advertising campaign, “Keep America Beautiful“? It began in 1970, the one with the crying Native American. Well who knew that 50 years later I would remember that? Ha! The quote at the end is still relevant today, “People start pollution, people can stop it”! This is a story about the power of one.
Preservation
The health of the planet is near and dear to my heart. Since a lot of the snow has melted, a tremendous amount of garbage has appeared in our neighborhood and along the roadside, highways and especially the intersections. I have been going out with a bag and gloves on my walks and picking up trash until my bag is full and returning home. It doesn’t take long to fill the bag.
Community
I reached out to the managing director in my community to see if she could help to organize a clean up. She came up with the idea of doing it on Earth Day and provided garbage bags, gloves, water and bug spray! About 25 families came to help, (with proper social distancing of course)! We started with our own neighborhoods and felt so empowered after completing the local task that we continued out of the neighborhood to a major intersection and roadway and cleaned that up too! I really believe in the phrase, “Be the change you want to see,” and it was great to inspire other like minded people to help clean up some of the trash around here!
Lend a Hand
Park City, Utah is super windy. You can set your watch to 11:45 when it starts blowing every day. One of the things we realized is that much of the trash we were picking up had been blown out of the receptacles at the 7/11 across the street and out of the construction dumpsters that were missing their covers at the sites around the neighborhood. These are easy things to address. Bigger issues are getting people to dispose of their trash or recycle it or better yet, not have trash in the first place. Reusable water bottles, not buying pre-packaged goods, getting your meat at the butcher counter instead of the refrigerated case, every little bit helps. According to the EPA, only 9.1% of plastic material generated in the U.S. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) stream was recycled in 2015. Another 15.5% was combusted for energy, while 75.4% was sent to landfills. The Park City Recycling Center is asking for donations when you drop off cardboard as they have to pay to have it recycled as well. Now that everyone is staying at home and ordering what they need to be shipped, there will be even more cardboard out there.
It is a bit depressing and overwhelming for sure but if each one of us tries a little bit harder to reduce their trash and pick up what you see when you can, it will go a long way to reviving America to be beautiful! The power of one is not to be underestimated.
Snæfellsjökull National Park, Snæfellsbær, Western Iceland, Iceland
Grundarfjarðarbær, Western Iceland, Iceland
Helgafellssveit, Western Iceland, Iceland
Reykjavík, Iceland
Tungubakkar, Reykjavík, Iceland
Eya- og Miklaholtshreppur, Western Iceland
Touring Iceland, on the way to Snaefellsjokull National Park
The photos above are some that I took last year while traveling in Iceland. We were going to see Sanefellsjokul, a volcano that we actually braved cold and wind to climb. Pretty cool hike. I like these photos particularly because it is spring, snow still on the mountains, nothing green coming up from the ground just yet and no one around. It seems so long ago, so much has changed. I wonder how the residence are doing in this isolated land? I have a book of Andrew Wyeth’s paintings and these photos remind me of some of his works.
What is the attraction?
I have contemplated the attraction to my road paintings, is it the road itself that suggests a journey? Is it a metaphor for the journey we all explore called life? Perhaps it isn’t the road at all but the open skies portrayed in several of my paintings? Check out my Journeys portfolio and let me know what draws you to this type of painting, or what repels you. What is your favorite? I had a man come into the gallery in February and we were discussing the vehicles in my painting, Sidewinder, (below). He didn’t like them at all and thought it would be a much stronger painting with just the road winding through the mountains. I asked a few of the other folks in the gallery at the time if they liked or did not like the vehicles, which they did. What do you think?
Sidewinder, oil on brushed aluminum, 39″ x 39″, $5300
Sharing
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Most of us have a little more time on our hands this week as we all stay safely at home, hopefully curtailing the spread of the virus. The world will emerge a different place after we move past this pandemic. It will be a defining moment and eventually fade into history.
Donate
In an effort to hold on to something dear, I am donating funds to help UMOCA, (Utah’s Museum of Contemporary Art in Salt Lake City), to help them bridge the fiscal gap that so many businesses, non-profit or otherwise, are struggling to fill. I know many of you have been laid off, had your hours cut and are worried about the future. We are all in this together and things will turn around. For those of you in a position to give, I urge you to help. You can donate now by clicking the link above.
Gratitude
My heart goes out to those who lost their battle with the virus, and the families who loved them as well as the health care workers who are risking everything to do their jobs. I am so grateful. Many thanks to each and every one of you. Stay safe and well.
I am always intrigued by the way other artists create and manipulate the same flat space that I do. I am often blown away by these creatives and in order to effect my own progression, it is important to experiment and try new things!
Underpainting
I started this painting last summer, in my outdoor studio. It is acrylic spray paint on a white aluminum panel. Even though I wear a mask, the molecules of paint seem to go everywhere and coat everything so doing it in my indoor, not greatly ventilated studio is out of the question. I did a series of spray painted canvases and panels a few years ago when I got really into Street Art and it was super fun. Stencils are one of the tools of a street artist so I made this big floral stencil, figuring it might anchor a series. At the very least, I wanted it to be mine. Other elements are grids that I sprayed through to create the texture and just spraying directly on to the canvas. It is fun to experiment!
Cityscape
I am planning on morphing this into a cityscape, maybe with something to honor this, the year of the woman. We shall see. It is really scary to have something you really like and then want to take it to the next level. I suppose I will just get over myself as I know how I did the first bit anyway. Still scary though…
