I've long wanted to explore encaustic painting, and finally got my chance during a great workshop offered by Lisa Sweo Eul. I produced two pieces on 5"x 5" cradled wood panels: Life's Posy and Carried Away.
I spent April visiting Portugal for the first time, seeing and tasting why so many friends rave about the country. I'll mention only two visual highlights here. The Belem district of Lisbon has many famous sites, but my favorite was not in guidebooks because it's so new. The Museum of Contemporary Art opened in October 2023 in the massive Cultural Center of Belem, built in 1992 for Portugal's term hosting the Presidency of the EU. The museum hosts a huge collection of 20th-century art, with room for large exhibits of current art. It's a must-see.
The city of Aviero, 160 miles north of Lisbon, is most famous for its network of canals and canal boats. I was most taken by its public artwork. Here are two examples of the creativity visible throughout the central area.
This Friday 29 March (6-7:30pm), the Leonor R. Fuller Gallery in Olympia WA (in the Minnaert Center for the Arts, 2011 Mottman Rd. SW) will host an opening reception for its annual Juror's Invitational show. Artists who won awards in last fall's juried show will present more of their work in this well-designed gallery. I'll be presenting a new body of work, paintings using oil and cold wax. This medium provides rich, matte, textured surfaces to enjoy. The show runs through April 26, open M-F 12-6pm.
After my vision stabilized from January's cataract surgeries, I focused entirely on planning, painting, and documenting new work. Among them, two large (48"x 60") pieces: Aqua Dream 1 and Aqua Dream 2. The tilted backgrounds are acrylic, the biomorphic figures are in oil. These figures have messages to convey!
In addition to biomorphism, I've continued working in my rectilinear vein, Influenced by Russian Suprematism and International Constructivism. These movements continue to speak strongly to me. See Turning (acrylic on canvas) and Dynamo (oil on canvas), each 48"x 36".
These paintings (along with 20 others) will become part of the rental program managed by Ryan James Fine Arts in Kirkland WA. After they hang in a client's offices for the rest of the year, they'll be available for purchase.