A Parisienne Cafe

CAFE 2
acrylic on paper
14" x 10"
$525-

Who wouldn't like to be sitting at a Cafe in Paris, perhaps on the Champs Elysees, Paris' most famous boulevard, by the Arc de Triomphe, having an expresso while watching the Paris parade go by? My elegant lady here, comes from another era, when women dressed regardless of where they were going, because you never knew who you were going to see, or more importantly, who was going to see you. The etched glass behind her and the small tables and wicker chairs tell you definitively that you are in Paris.

This painting happily pairs with CAFE 1 (three entries earlier) and together will add Parisienne charm to any room.

In A Red, Red Room

RED WALL
monotype
11" x 14"

This piece was the product of an off press printmaking technique. I drew out the design beforehand and used my drawing as a template to paint the whole image, in printmaking ink, directly onto the plexiglass plate. When this was done, I let it dry completely. In the meantime, I soaked a sheet of paper in water. I placed the paper over the painted plate and put the whole sandwich between two sheets of plywood.

Now it was time for me to put on the music and get on my feet---on top of the print and wood! I danced and rocked out for a while until I felt sure the print had transfered. It took a number of tries to get it to work right, but finally I was able to pull this lively, one of a kind print.

This piece is obviously part of my Chair Series and this charming interior is found nowhere but in my imagination and on this monotype print.

Just a reminder for those of you in the New York area, this weekend is your last chance to see the BWAC show, HOT! I have three pieces on display, look for my panel on the second floor, that are landscapes from New Mexico. This may be the last time this work is seen as it was damaged when there was fire in the building right before the show opened. When I get the work back, I'll be better able to ascertain if the damage is reparable. Meanwhile, this may be their last presentation ever. The show is Saturday & Sunday, 12-6PM, at the Beard Street Pier in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

Cafe Sitting

Sitting in a cafe and wiling away the hours, is a skill most Americans don't have but has been practiced by Europeans for ages. This, of course, makes us all the more interested. How do they have time to take from their everyday lives to just sit and watch the passing parade? When would a New Yorker ever fit that in between running for the subway and getting to the gym? So I portrayed my fascination in a pair of paintings, the first of which is here, Cafe 1, watercolor, 14"h x 10"w, $525-.

My lady friend is deep in thought as she sips her glass of wine in a Paris cafe. Her elegant apparel tells us she is from a different time when women dressed for their afternoon outings, prepared to be seen by the world.

Spanish Street Scenes

One of the great features of walking Las Ramblas in Barcelona are the street performers. More often than not, their performance is their costume and their presence---they make an artform out of living statuary. The costumes and make up may be charming or outrageous. They stand stock still until you make a monetary deposit and then the character comes to life, striking a pose with the generous tourist.

While I always try to introduce a new work of art here, my photography has been my artform for the last several days.

After spending all night and part of a day to get here, we received the hospitality of our good friend, Rene, and, in absentia, his lovely wife, Sylvia. Having their well located home as our base of operations has made getting around this personable city even easier.

Strolling down Las Ramblas, the main walking thoroughfare, you pass fabulous and decorative architecture like this. Las Ramblas is lined with cafes, flower and pet markets, as well as a food marketplace where the displays are feasts in themselves.You find art everywhere you look in Barcelona, in the achitecture and on the architecture. A work of art that is filled with works of art everywhere.