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One day seven years ago I found myself saying.. I can't live where I want to -- I can't go where I want to go -- I can't do what I want to -- I can't even say what I want to... I decided I was a very stupid fool not to at least paint as I wanted to.  Georgia O'Keeffe, 1923 quote from site of the National Museum of Women in the Arts photo at right "Hitching a Ride to Abiquiu" also see artist page :  Georgia O'Keeffe

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Many of the great transformations that defined the emerging modern identity of the United States would find reflection.. in George Inness' art. ... But none of these tumultuous changes in American social life would be so profound as would another, even larger quandary, which roils the country to this day.  As an artist, Inness began to grapple with the question of how to reconcile theology with science. ... His art is an acute affirmation of secularism, which does not mean an abandonment of profound spirituality. from art review by Christopher Knight, LA Times Feb 20, 2004  ...George Inness and the Visionary Landscape - by Adrienne Baxter Bell

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The inspiration for my abstract oil paintings has always been Nature. After living in Hawaii for 11 years, I recently moved to northern New Mexico, where the intense light and open spaces of the high desert have completely transformed my work.  Here, the subtle shifts of the changing seasons have given me a new awareness of the flow of time and the delicate rhythms of nature. .... The slow, meditative process of building up many layers of oil paint allows me to create very soft gradations of color, carefully rendered forms and a smooth, silky surface. To me, this refined approach emphasizes the exquisite beauty and tranquility of the desert.  Diane McGregor paintings: left: Labyrinth - oil on canvas 1995 48" x 48"; right: Wind Totem 2003 12 x 12 in 30 x 30 cm quotes and images from dianemcgregor.com

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.. "Secret Waters"

.. "Luna"

When I see something beyond the ordinary, my heart takes flight and I want to create an image of what inspired me. It can be a color in the sky, the curve of someone's face or sparkles on the water. Ariana Richards .....[Southwest Art, September 2002] After high school, Richards enrolled in Skidmore College's University Without Walls program so she could continue her acting career and her study of art.  "The program allowed me to earn credits both on the Saratoga Springs, New York, campus and while on location for movies," she explains. "Art history became a favorite subject in college because I was able to spend time studying artists from the past, such as Monet and Sargent." A strong advocate for the environment, Richards believes that art can deepen one's relationship with the natural world. "I want to share the magic and beauty of the natural world," she writes in her artist's statement. "If I could, I would take each viewer along to my favorite places along the seacoast or in the mountains. I hope to offer a gateway to secret places of nature."....[American Artist magazine, April 2003] ........ paintings from Gallery Ariana ...related books: Claude Monet: Life and Art  //  John Singer Sargent: Portraits of the 1890s

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Alexandra Nechita has said to her viewers upon questioning: "I want you to look into my paintings and not just look at them."  "I don't want to merely show a desk, or a table as a table: I want you to know how I feel about these things."  This is Alexandra's deeply felt desire to communicate that special way of seeing and feeling that is within her and which manifests itself on her canvases. What she is telling us is that there are many ways of seeing and that these do not have to remain hidden.  She takes it upon herself to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary; again, taking the banal and elevating it to the level of poetry. It was Jean Cocteau who first stated, "All art is plastic poetry." from article: "Learning to see" by Tony Clark on Alexandra Nechita site

.. .. ..her book: Outside the Lines

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My work explores psychological states and the process of extracting these states from their subterranean territory. This transportation often results in half-written messages and abrupt transitions; the passage remains visible on the surface of the paintings.   Amy Bouse.....[statement from postpicasso.com] "Wrong" - oil painting by Amy Bouse - available from Guild.com: artist page

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Marianne Kolb grew up in an isolated farming village in Switzerland. ... In 1987, Marianne received an old easel and a decrepit box of paints and brushes. Inspired by the serendipity and magic of this gift, she turned her talents to painting. Kolb often changes media and scale. She will paint for months, then focus on printmaking, and change back again. She will abandon her traditional tools for a while to use only stick and ink. She will work tightly and meticulously then freely and gesturally.  Regardless of what method or technique Kolb employs, her vision remains consistent. This vision, the artist recognizes, emerges from her formative experiences in a physically and mentally isolated landscape.  Images evolve from wandering daydreams into snapshots of stories, part personal fairy tale, part real-life tale of survival. Kolb draws attention to the forces beneath the apparent, forces generated by an array of intense basic human experiences such as dread, isolation, fear, love, hope, humor, and intimacy.   painting: Emanation No. 24, 2002 - Mixed media on canvas profile, portrait and artwork from HANG gallery site: artist page

*related pages:**dreamwork..........early life .......the shadow self

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I paint my own reality. The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to  and I paint always what passes through my head without any consideration.   Frida Kahlo**(1907 - 1954) *********photo, 1941 >

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[At age 13 or 14] I did not like her work. I found it ugly and grotesque. But something intrigued me, and the more I learned, the more I started to appreciate her work. There was a lot of passion and depth. Some people see only pain, but I also see irony and humor. I think what draws me to her is what Diego [Rivera] saw in her. She was a fighter. Many things could have diminished her spirit, like the accident or Diego's infidelities. But she wasn't crushed by anything.***[thebookla.com/summer, 2000] ~ ~ For me, the most important thing is that she decided not to be a victim. A lot of people see the paintings and the cliches - Frida sufrida, the victim, the martyr. She was a woman who had a lot of pain in her life, but that didn't stop her from having this wonderful love affair with life. She didn't stay in bed and let herself fall apart. She picked herself up with a lot of dignity. She always made the best of every situation, and I refuse to see someone who does that as a victim.***[Hispanic Magazine,  Oct 2002 - posted on hayekheaven.net]   ***Salma Hayek - about her inspirations to produce and star in "Frida"

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*books: Frida: A Biography by Hayden Herrera ***The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait

*videos: Portrait of an Artist - Frida Kahlo [vhs, 1983]  /  Frida (2002) [dvd] Salma Hayek, dir.: Julie Taymor

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Voices : The Work of Joni Mitchell - by G. Hebert The first publication on the paintings and drawings of singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell. Her art is vast and varied: large abstract canvases, intimate landscapes relating to her lyrics, sketches from the 1960s and 1970s, and portraits in oils.  Produced with the collaboration of Joni Mitchell, this superbly produced hardcover limited edition contains original writings and more than 50 color illustrations of her work. [Amazon.com summary]

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It is our nasty 20th century materialism that makes us feel, what is the use of writing, painting, etc. unless one has an audience or gets paid for it. If you read the letters of the painter Van Gogh, you will see what his creative impulse was.  It was just this: he loved something, the sky, say. He wanted to show human beings how beautiful the sky was. So he painted it for them. And that was all there was to it.                       writer Brenda Ueland related book : Masterpieces from the Van Gogh Museum

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cover art for an issue  of Weird Tales [1935]   by Margaret Brundage

Margaret Brundage

"Once in a while, I would have a friend pose for me. But... mostly it was out of my head.
And, for the male figures, I would pick my husband to pose for a while. But to hire models,
no, I'm afraid I didn't. ... Now, I knew anatomy... I taught it for a couple of years, so that
I really knew my anatomy."

Margaret Brundage   [interview by R. Alain Everts, 1973]

[images and quote from Weird Tales site]

  books:

Pulp Art : Original Paintings by Robert Lesser, Roger Reed [Margaret Brundage is one of the artists featured]

Pulp Culture : The Art of Fiction Magazines Deluxe Limited Edition of 350 by Frank M. Robinson, Lawrence Davidson

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"To do our job as artists well, we need to be outspoken,
meticulously honest and authentically emotional."   Aviva Gold

*book: Painting from the Source : Awakening the Artist's Soul by Aviva Gold

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Many of the modern painters had a less intimate understanding of their materials and less understanding of how to get the most from them and how to make sure they would last. But in a way I think these questions about familiarity with painting materials may be becoming moot because painting is such an unfashionable art now.  Many contemporary artists want to explore completely new media -- video, installation, sound and light, and so forth. Some artists, like James Turrell, are using light instead of pigment. He's making works of art that change color as the sky changes color. And there are artists using the colors that are available digitally on computer screens.  Computer art still hasn't taken off yet, though. I don't think anyone's really found a way to use that medium to its proper potential so far. But it's quite likely that someone will, and that new things will happen to color as a result.  Artists have always wanted to push at the edge of what's possible. And if you want to do that, almost by necessity you're going to be using materials and techniques that haven't been tried and tested yet: you're going to be taking risks. That's something art always needs to do.  from Atlantic Magazine interview: theatlantic.com Philip Ball: The Science of the Palette  image: cover of book: Bright Earth: Art and the Invention of Color by Philip Ball

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In fact, as a young French woman, Michelle Cassou searched unsuccessfully for the right
art school and was even advised to give up painting. Luckily, at the age of nineteen,
she discovered The Free Expression School in Paris for children ages five to fourteen and
wept with delight.

Forsaking traditional art school, Michelle simply painted with the children for three and a half years,
basking in their freedom and lack of judgment. As a result, she unlocked her own creative potential.

Today, her collection of paintings is breathtaking and she continues to paint prolifically. When she
moved to America, she opened The Painting Experience workshops where she offers the richness
of uncensored expression to all participants.

Had Michelle not listened to her attraction for painting and surmounted the obstacles in her path,
including academics telling her to quit, she would have forsaken her true work and her inner self.

from book: Gail McMeekin, M.S.W. The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women

books by Michelle Cassou:*
*
Life, Paint and Passion : Reclaiming the Magic of Spontaneous Expression****Point Zero: Creativity Without Limits

photo from Michele Cassou site****<<< also see quotes by Michele Cassou about her books on  nurturing talent: page 2

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"I wanted to expand the definition of beauty to include the process of aging -- to be able to make it the total person rather than just the surface. I embarked upon a quest to meet women 70 years and older, who were living their life creatively and contributing to society. Being an artist, I decided I would do it by painting their portraits, and asking them, "what makes life worthwhile?'  And 'what is it like to be older?'  I realized that painting the lines and wrinkles added character and beauty to their faces. There was so much wisdom in their eyes and in their spirits that shone through the paintings." I now feel very fortunate to be an older person. I am part of a continuum, and it's quite beautiful to be here."     Alice Matzkin      [Oprah.com, 5.2.01]     her site: Matzkin Studio

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Drawing is sort of therapy for me. I draw in between film shooting sessions, I draw while flying on airplanes, and sometimes when I have days off.  I especially love to create something together with other people. Jane Seymour [from interview on russiajournal.com]   watercolor copied from Jane Seymour official site

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On Art and Cancer  by Mildred Jarrow Riley I use the technology of the computer to create images which reflect my soul and its world view after cancer. For me, I feel very connected to the artwork using this medium. The computer is simply a more sophisticated paint brush allowing me to accurately express the emotional concepts and visions which occur to my artist's inner-eye. Though I have painted and sculpted for more than fifty years, the production of art using the computer is the most complex and rewarding medium I have attempted, far more difficult than my painting using conventional art materials.      [excerpt from article on her site]

 
related page:  digital imaging
 

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Imaginarium 156-piece Art Set with Wood Case

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Modern Art: Revolution and Painting $6,000.00  /  544 pages  /  Size (open book): 40 x 28 inch 265 reproducitons of the most famous masterpieces painted in 19th and 20th century Printed in a special 5 colour printing process Leatherbound cover on finest noble wood artwork in book includes: Octave  Pierre Alechinsky, 1983  /   Femme a l'ombrelle  Claude Monet, 1886  text and images from book site

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The Art of Maurice Sendak: 1980 to Present by Tony Kushner Picking up where Selma Lanes's earlier, landmark monograph, The Art of Maurice Sendak, left off, this new book traces Sendak's life and work from 1980 to the present, representing two decades filled with projects inside and outside the children's book arena.  This strikingly designed volume is overflowing with hundreds of wonderful Sendak illustrations: sketches and final art for opera, ballet, and theater productions, as well as children's books, adult book jackets, posters, and CD covers.  An extended essay by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner, a friend of the artist, provides an intimate view of Sendak. With an insider's perspective, Kushner not only gives us a chronological overview of Sendak's work, but also allows us to see him as an accomplished author and artist redefining his legacy, and as a man coming to terms with himself.   [Amazon.com] 350 illustrations, 250 in full color, 224 pages           Tony Kushner is also author of Angels in America

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