"A Voice" (study)

6 x 8"

oil on panel
sold

Jean-Michel Basquiat is probably the most recognized Neo-Expressionism artist of the 20th Century, born in Brooklyn, NY in 1960, his father was Haitian-American, his mother was Puerto Rican.  I would describe him as brilliant (he could read and write at the age of 4, fluent in French, English and Spanish at age 11) self-sufficient (at 15, he ran away from home, living in a park in New York City for a week, later supporting himself by selling paintings on postcards and T-shirts) creative (became a well-known graffiti artist under the pseudonym SAMO) musical (formed a rock band Gray and played all over New York) all before he found fame in the elite art world at the age of 20.  

Basquiat then rolled with the famous - David Bowie, Madonna, Julian Schnabel and collaborated with Andy Warhol - was on the cover of magazines - his paintings were selling for as much as $50,000 - all the while loosing his grip with a heroin addiction.  After his good friend, Warhol died in 1987, he sank into a more isolated existence and died of a herion overdose at the age of 27.

It's tragic, I know.  The man had a lot to say and express about race, love, beauty, culture, pain, success, snobbery (I could go on).  

One of my top-10 favorite movies is Basquiat - Jean-Michel played brilliantly by Jeffrey Wright, directed by Julian Schnabel who knew Jean-Michel well, David Bowie as Warhol - man, it is a great movie.  Watch it.

A big thank-you to my good friend for the reference photo - two young, African-American men soaking in Basquiat's Untitled (Cadmium), in the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.

"Black and Blue"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

For many, I hope you are home safe and sound and ready for snowmageddon - I was hoping we'd have a little of that here in Atlanta.  

My work days were interrupted by my 19-year-old furnace dying, fortunately it was replaced yesterday - so now we're broke but warm and happy.  So the painting goes back on to recover from that.

I could go on and on about Andy Warhol, but most people know how brilliant, odd, prolific he was.  One of my very favorite movies is Basquiat - the late, great David Bowie portraying Warhol.  Great flick to stream in this wintery weekend.

"Fashionistas"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

Two sharply dressed women I spotted in the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.

Please click here for a larger view.

"Wallflower"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

This painting was taken literally from my photograph - her sweater really did match the blue in the Warhol painting. So I had the choice of changing that, which would seem to make more sense, only I remember the moment I saw her in front of this painting - thinking she could very well have been part of the piece. And it added some fun.

This painting will be included in 16 Patton's upcoming show Small Works: Little Gems, opening November 22nd. Please click here for a larger view.

Other stuff to mention ........ if you haven't looked at the 83 different cow paintings and drawings on my blog Different Strokes From Different Folks, you're missing out. There are some incredible pieces - kudos to the artists who participated.

Also ...... I'm outtahere for a couple of days for marathon picture taking in our nation's capitol. I must be feeling patriotic these days. Happy trails and I'll be back this weekend.

"Same Hair, Different Day"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

It could be her in a previous life. Did we have the same hair? A woman relating to the awesome portrait 'The Blue Mandarin Coat', by Joseph DeCamp, which hangs in the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.

Please click here for a larger view.

Another Kind of Auction

8 x 10"
oil on masonite

I did want to show you this new piece that I am donating to a fund-raising event, the High Museum's Wine and Art Auction coming up next month. The sculpture featured in this painting is the ten-foot-long "Tiber", on loan from the Louvre and currently on display at the High Museum, here in Atlanta. At night, it is quite breathtaking to view, with the strong lighting defining the ripples and shadows and details.

For more information on the auction, click here.

"Enormous"

6 x 6"

oil on masonite

sold

Continuing on with the alphabet, E is for Enormous - specifically the ten-foot-long sculpture "Tiber", the river god accompanied by Romulus and Remus, the twin founders of Rome. This colossal piece is currently on view at Atlanta's High Museum of Art, borrowed from the Louvre.

"Sketch Artist" (revised)

8 x 10"

oil on masonite

sold

I did make some changes, if you refer back to my posting a few days ago. I took out the sliver of a figure to the left and warmed up the wall behind the young lady. I've enjoyed working on this piece. It satisfies the part of me that wants to be looser.

"Sketch Artist"

8 x 10"

oil on masonite

I truly enjoyed working on this piece - mostly because it gave me the opportunity to focus on the young girl and surround her with color and light. Just a nice, quiet scene where you can barely hear a pin drop, when museum visitors were invited to sit down and sketch.

Finished. (maybe)

I went ahead and finished the undone - perhaps you can better judge with this image. I'm stumped whether it's a success or not. No doubt I need to walk away and get a fresh look at it tomorrow. Obsessing can lead to either throwing it across the backyard or nit-picking. Anyways...... have a pleasant evening. I think I need some good old fashioned escapism from the news - an hour of American Idol should do the trick.