"Red Vines"

Yes, I've been busy. And I hope to catch up with reporting my recent art activities in the coming week. This is another new painting, "Red Vines", continuing my exploration of hidden, or obscured images.

"Forbidden Bridge"

My newest painting - "Forbidden Bridge", a 40" X 30" acrylic on canvas, © 2009 Sandra Kaplan.

Artbabble

Not often do I begin my day with such an exciting discovery.

From an article in The New York Times this morning, I  learned that the Indianapolis Museum of Art has just launched a new website to link the world to videos about art - from the Museum of Modern Art, Art21, and numerous other museum and library sources. It's called  artbabble. Few other sites reward frequent visits so educationally and entertainingly.

It's  great looking , very clean and well designed, easy to navigate, and extremely dangerous to your time. Once there, I found so much to capture my interest, time disappeared. Luckily, a phone call forced reality back upon me, and I escaped to my studio.

Most of the videos are in high definition.

Check this out today!

5280 Magazine

Just thought you might like to see the mention  DYAO's  "Painted Violin Project"  received from 5280 Magazine.

Trash

Remember the cliche about "one man's trash" being another's "treasure"?

Once I began to save appealing chocolate wrappers and make collages of them,  I realized that I was looking at all household packaging with a different eye. Perhaps I would need that background for my next piece, or "what a strange re-purposing of that word" - Perhaps I could restore its meaning in a collage, or use irony to further obliterate the meaning of the word. Advertising words  started  jumping out at me at strangely inappropriate  times. "light", "green", "crush", "dove", etc.

I take daily walks with my dog, Elgee. Occasionally, I spy lenses from a broken flashlight, or a series of cardboard dots that say "HA", which I put in my pocket for future use. I pass on the many cigarette packs, wondering why smokers seem more prone to toss their trash on the ground that purchasers of premium chocolate, whose wrappers I never find. I can't  make art out of cigarette wrappings.

I spent some time with another artist who does collages, trading material. I began to feel a bit uncomfortable about using something I hadn't found or purchased for another use. Something that hadn't come from my home or hunger or need seemed strangely inauthentic. There is a different connection to my own trash, which now mostly goes to the studio before being offered to a dumpster. I'm becoming a diarist through the detritus of daily life.

Images have always been easier than words for me, but now the two seem to be forming a meaningful relationship.

Another Santa Fe Painting, "Chillies"

"Chillies" is a  32" X 32" oil on canvas, painted after a recent trip to Santa Fe.

Painting Santa Fe Color Workshop

 “Alfred Morang House”, above, painted in Santa Fe

A Plein Air Painting Retreat with Sandra Kaplan

Spend five nights and four June days at the spectacular Don Gaspar Inn in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This award-winning Bed and Breakfast, a short walk to Santa Fe’s historic Plaza, will be home for the nights of June 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18, 2009.
Sandra Kaplan will provide a small group of artists personalized guidance and attention in a workshop that will include critiques and discussions, in addition to four days of painting. Special attention will be paid to the remarkable quality of light and color in New Mexico.
We will visit the Acequia Madre, the oldest irrigation ditch in the US, and several galleries and museums. Hidden private gardens and Chimayo are possibilities.
This workshop is limited to about 10 participants. Non-participants are welcome on a space available basis.

Media: watercolor, acrylic, oil, mixed

Ability Level: sociable artists looking for new challenges

Workshop Details:

Lodging at the Don Gaspar Inn the nights of June 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 with breakfast each morning
Four day Plein Air workshop with  lunch
Taxes are included, but gratuities are not

Fees and payment schedule:

Workshop & private room / bath may be shared: $1100

A non-refundable $300 deposit is due by April 10, 2009

A $50 discount will be given to those sending in deposits by March 30, 2009

The fee balance is due by May 15, 2009

Contact Information and Inquiries:

Sandra Kaplan

sankapl@yahoo.com

Other information about the Don Gaspar Inn may be found at by clicking here.