The natural fashion family

Meet Tangelo, Clementine's Italian cousin. Like his lighter petite relation, the big T is sporting foliage on a contrasting violet background. Just another organic study from a studious artist working every day I can. G.A. easeing towards the easel.

Reaching back

I believe as an "artist in training" there are times that the assimilation of learning hasn't quite caught up with the dexterity of production. Our hearts and minds know how it should look (be rendered) but for some reason our hands (judgement) can't quite bridge the gap and it can be both frustrating and painfull. As I go through those slumps I recollect earlier works and see somehow that "not knowing all the rules" makes it easier to make art. Perhaps I got a good work (or something good about it) but is was more like luck or a good day as where, hopefully with this rigerous training, I will aquire the skills to have a repeatable regiment that allows me to produce more accurately more often. Since I have been working on longer span projects, I leave you with a gentle little half day pose done last month in studio. G.A. preparing for another weekend marathon of art making.

1st thing's first

Despite the challenging week (and involuntary tour of 3 NYPDs) I managed to take in 3 exhibitions and some after class work this week. I found a new sketch group, that meet in the evenings, of which I hope to be able to share some of that work at a later date. Otherwise I had 3 attempts at outdoors work. One was the afternoon after the portrait session in which I spent (sun burn allowing time) painting a church only to have a Harlem resident park less that a foot from my face... totally blocking my view to enable me to finish the work... perhaps it was my frustration that got the best of me? I tried again that evening at another local without luck... the light had faded. This morning my 7 am session became a failure when 10 minutes into the painting again I was parked in front of despite the signs that read "Do not park. Keep Driveway clear." Yes friends I specifically picked this spot because of the signs but in my frustration, I dropped my water only to discover, in haste to catch the light, I had not brought backup! G.A.- wasting a georgous day as I paint indoors stearing clear of the... people that just don't care!!!

Survival and silver linings

So what is worse than getting caught in the rain without an umbrella? Being lost in a part of NYC (that you have never been) for hours, as you are ducking into doorways to dodge the 50 -70 MPH gusts of wind carrying umbrellas (scaffolding, road cones, garbage, small children...) ripped from the clutches of tourists and the weak the same day you learn your wallet is missing. Yes I am a Survivor of Soho (S.O.S.)AND the storm from hell! What is the silver lining? Well all those beautifull umbrellas lining the streets I found this morning in my (desperate) stroll through Harlem to look for my wallet -post aftermath. G.A.- seeing some serious sattire... somewhere???

inspiration vacation

Greetings Art Enthusiasts,

I am returning from a week off of daily intensive studies via the studio with little to share of a visual nature... sorry but my self portraits and "secret squirel projects" are off limits to this blog. Still I did a work (often more than one) every day as not to be too far away from studies as a good artist should! I blame that on the record snowfall (more accumulated in one day that that of record breaking status, over 100 years ago) that began 10 days ago. I will say that I had a lot of inspiring experiences this week which I must pass on through my motto: "variety is the spice of life"

Most people vacation in the exotic dream worlds of the netherlands (cancun, paris, egypt... you know who you are!) but I learned long ago that if you can't find happiness in your own backyard, as an artist you will have a short shelf life. With that in mind I took a 10 day vacation with minimalism in mind. I sought out that which I have never experienced before... a new route I have never traveled (deeper into harlem by almost 100 streets) , a new color of paint I have never tried (king's blue) , a new substrate to paint on( gessoboard) , a new kind of cheese I have never tasted (honey goat) , a new bread I have never made (jalepeno to name just one of many) , a new museum I have never been into (American history) , a new piece of fruit I have never painted- with that I leave you not a terribly successfull study but an honest attempt of "Clementine." Enjoy!- G.A. back to the easel.