My Students at the ASLD, part 2

Click here to see the images in a larger size. Here are paintings by Elke, Young Hee, Claudia, Milissa, Patty, and Matt.

My Students Show at the ASLD

My classes at the Art Students League of Denver focus on helping each artist find his or her own voice. Together, we explore how to make artistic statements as strongly and as clearly as possible. This process may be different for each artist. 

Click here to see the first group of artists. Included are paintings by Tina, Phyllis, Katharine and Terry.

Until May 16th, some of my students have a show in the Student Wing Gallery on the second floor of the Art Students League. Each individual image in this blog is copyrighted by the artist who painted it.

Arno Motulsky and Color Vision

On April 29th, I read an interview article in the NYT about genetics pioneer, Arno Motulsky. He is currently doing research in color blindness, and has discovered that 50% of males with normal vision have the amino acid alanine in the red pigment in their retinal cones, the other 50% have the amino acid serine at the same site. Read the article here.

The implications for artists seem interesting. Years ago, the philosopher, Ludwig Wittgenstein, asked the question, here paraphrased: How do I know that when you see red, and when I see red, we are seeing the same color?

This research answers that question by saying that, no, we don't see the same color, or at least, males with "normal" color vision don't see the same color, due to their genetic makeup. 

Many artists have assumed that people "see" through a sociological and cultural lens, e.g. how viewers interpret perspective, and that much of seeing is a learned process. Those who have their vision restored after a life-time of blindness need to re-learn how to negotiate their environment based on their new visual information. But we had thought that those with normal vision objectively would see the same color. I'm not sure what we can do with this new information, but it certainly kicks away our previous assumptions, and may create a new challenge for artists.

Congressional legislation to weaken US copyright law

I've just received an e-mail from a fellow teacher at the Art Students League of Denver, Tom Stevens warning of proposed legislation now before the US congress to weaken the copyright protection. 

 It's difficult to imagine how much the current protection artists have for their creations would be weakened by this legislation.

Here is Tom's email:

"There is a measure before the U.S. Congress which would greatly weaken the copyright law. The legislation is intended to address a problem surrounding orphan works ... these are works which have no clear owner. The legislation will relax user restrictions and penalties for any violations. What this means is that all artists and photographers will need to take an active roll in protecting their work. Read More Here.

I would suggest that you write or e-mail your congressman (if you are in the U.S.). If you don't know who that is, here is where to find out. You would then need to go here, and send your congressman  an e-mail."

If after reading this, you feel as strongly as I do about this matter, please write today.

Professional Photography of Paintings

A few days ago, I had posted an image of this new painting, with an photo taken in the studio with my cell phone - a great tool for recording an auto-accident, but totally inadequate for reproducing paintings. No matter how much I fiddled with it in photoshop. the resulting picture was a distant cry from my painting, looking more like a night view than the sunset image sitting on my easel. My cell phone image appears at the top of this post.

After carting my paintings off to Paul Gillis, a wonderful painter, but also a professional photographer specializing in reproducing artists' work, Paul's results were ready in a few days. How poor my photo and computer efforts had been.

 The second image above is Paul's photo of my work, a close to faithful representation.

Juror for the Louisville Fine Art Show 2008

This year, I have been invited to be juror for The 23rd Annual National Fine Art Show, sponsored by the Louisville Art Association. The show will be held August 30 to September 7, 2008, in the Louisville Center for the Arts, 801 Grant Street, Louisville CO, 80027. The cash prizes to be awarded total $3000.

Prospectus for this show.

Or contact: Louisville Art Association, C/O Donna Flebbe, 2391 Lavender Hill Lane, Lafayette, CO 80026.

June 2, 2008 is the deadline for receipt of the entries, so get moving. Judging from the quality of the images in last year's catalogue, this should be a very good show.

Benefit the Museum of Contemporary Art / Denver

Several limbs have been trimmed from this tree on the north side of the large lake in Washington Park, Denver, since I photographed it and painted this painting, "Mothertree". I loved the horizontal- ity of the tree, the way it beckoned  for one to climb into its branches, to become engulfed. Some of that feeling has been diminished by the hacking, but my tree still is the opposite of that one quality of tree-ness, verticality.

"Mothertree" is painted in oil on canvas, is 30" X 78", and is available for viewing and purchase in the development office of the Museum of Contemporary Art/Denver. Please contact Scott Anderson at 303-298-7554. 100% of the proceeds will benefit MCA/D.