ARTIST RUTH BROPHY'S AUSTRIA IN CALIFORNIA BLOG

Ah, frustration!

2012-01-16T18:40:00.000-08:00

After taking December of for family, friends and fun, I'm starting the new year completely at a loss. It seems as if I have forgotten how to paint and how to listen to inner voices/intuition. This is perhaps what Writer's Block feels like.
At any rate, I need to GET OVER IT!

Andy says, MAKE MORE ART . .

I've spent weeks on this baby. Aargh!

I started this painting nearly a year ago and have been adding/subtracting to it . Is it getting better. Who knows?

Barely Begun

A start, but now what?

Pink Cross

Not titled, as yet. Not finished?

I try to keep Andy's wise remark in mind, but it's hard...

A QUOTE TO LIVE BY

2012-01-15T17:21:00.000-08:00

"There are so many dreams beyond your night, and so much sunshine beyond your grey walls, but you can't see it because you stay at home. There is so much sky above your roof. Is your door so old that it won't open, or are you staying at home because you're afraid of catching a chill?"

This quote by the famous French singer and cultural icon Francoise Hardy has been part of my life for many years. I post it on my desk every time a decision waits to be made. I'm basically shy and timid but this helps me jump into the unknown.

Here are a few pictures of Hardy as she looked when she was young, and now. I've always liked her style . .

Hardy is an iconic figure in fashion, music and style.
She is married to the singer and movie actor Jacques Dutronc.

Hardy is mentioned in a poem by Bob Dylan "Some other kinds of songs" which he wrote on the cover of his album Another Side of Bob Dylan, released in 1964. Hardy's style influences Nicolas Ghesquière, head of the couture house, Balenciaga.

Hardy's song, "Ce Petit Coeur", was featured in the Gilmore Girls episode, "French Twist."

Her song "Ma Jeunesse Fout Le Camp" was also played in the television series La Femme Nikita's third season episode "Beyond The Pale" when Nikita pulls out an old record and plays the song.

In the award-winning Greek film "Attenberg", her song "Tous les garçons et les filles" is played and sung by the two main characters in a lament of adolescent longing and loneliness.

Listen to her sing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHkm-ELeDsk

[edit

Small pleasures: Lemons

2011-12-31T18:16:00.000-08:00

Kennst Du das Land wo die Zitronen blühen
Or:
Do you know the land where the lemon trees bloom . .

Growing up in Central Europe, this was a very familiar phrase, conjuring up romantic images of sunny climates and exotic locales. It is part of the cultural heritage of the region.

For years, people from the colder, grayer parts of Europe have been drawn to the mediterranean countries. In fact, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, no upper class education was complete without a tour of classical sites.

(These days, people still travel to warmer places, but often much more far-flung)

That is why I was delighted to find a lemon tree growing in the front yard of my little place in the San Francisco Bay area.
It has gorgeous blooms and produces an abundance of mild, flavorful fruit.

What a pleasure to the senses and an evocation of history !!!

My lemon tree

- Here is a beautiful video of the Italian landscape, set to the lovely music of Johann Strauss (Zitronenwalzer):

http://youtu.be/Vu_hYkwzHDE

- Goethe's poem "Kennst du das Land wo die Zitronen bluehn?" from his "Wilhelm Meister" attracted the interest of many other composers. Beethoven, Wolf, Schubert, Schumann, and Liszt each wrote songs to the original German text and, in French translation, the poem formed the fulcrum for Ambroise Thomas' opera "Mignon".

- The full text of Goethe's poem is here, both in English and German:

http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=6461

- For all you Classical junkies, here are three song versions
Hugo Wolf:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMe22tHvG4c
Schumann:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsPIC-at7-U&feature=related
Schubert:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X9-Qd7JA9w

. . . Enjoy our land where the lemon trees bloom .

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-15T13:29:00.000-08:00

Union Square

ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE QUOTES

2011-12-10T10:41:00.001-08:00

There are so many dreams beyond our nights, and so much sunshine beyond our gray walls.
But we can't see it when we stay at home.
There is so much sky above our roof.
Is the door so old that it won't open, or are we at home because we're afraid of catching a chill?

(Francoise Hardy)

Wabi Sabi

2011-12-05T17:44:00.001-08:00

I like the idea of Wabi Sabi, of imperfection, unfinished things, full of promises and mystery:
HERE IS THE 'OFFICIAL' DESCRIPTION:Pared down to its barest essence, wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature, of accepting the natural cycle of growth, decay, and death. It's simple, slow, and uncluttered-and it reveres authenticity above all. Wabi-sabi is flea markets, not warehouse stores; aged wood, not Pergo; rice paper, not glass. It celebrates cracks and crevices and all the other marks that time, weather, and loving use leave behind. It reminds us that we are all but transient beings on this planet-that our bodies as well as the material world around us are in the process of returning to the dust from which we came. Through wabi-sabi, we learn to embrace liver spots, rust, and frayed edges, and the march of time they represent.

Wabi-sabi is underplayed and modest, the kind of quiet, undeclared beauty that waits patiently to be discovered. It's a fragmentary glimpse: the branch representing the entire tree, shoji screens filtering the sun, the moon 90 percent obscured behind a ribbon of cloud. It's a richly mellow beauty that's striking but not obvious, that you can imagine having around you for a long, long time-Katherine Hepburn versus Marilyn Monroe. For the Japanese, it's the difference between kirei-merely "pretty"-and omoshiroi, the interestingness that kicks something into the realm of beautiful. (Omoshiroi literally means "white faced," but its meanings range from fascinating to fantastic.) It's the peace found in a moss garden, the musty smell of geraniums, the astringent taste of powdered green tea.

My favorite Japanese phrase for describing wabi-sabi is "natsukashii furusato," or an old memory of my hometown. (This is a prevalent mind-set in Japan these days, as
people born in major urban areas such as Tokyo and Osaka wax nostalgic over grandparents' country houses that perhaps never were. They can even "rent" grandparents who live in prototypical country houses and spend the weekend there.)

Daisetz T. Suzuki, who was one of Japan's foremost English-speaking authorities on Zen Buddhism and one of the first scholars to interpret Japanese culture for Westerners, described wabi-sabi as "an active aesthetical appreciation of poverty." He was referring to poverty not as we in the West interpret (and fear) it but in the more romantic sense of removing the huge weight of material concerns from our lives. "Wabi is to be satisfied with a little hut, a room of two or three tatami mats, like the log cabin of Thoreau," he wrote, "and with a dish of vegetables picked in the neighboring fields, and perhaps to be listening to the pattering of a gentle spring rainfall."

In Japan, there is a marked difference between a Thoreau-like wabibito (wabi person), who is free in his heart, and a makoto no hinjin, a more Dickensian character whose poor circumstances make him desperate and pitiful. The ability to make do with less is revered; I heard someone refer to a wabibito as a person who could make something complete out of eight parts when most of us would use ten. For us in the West, this might mean choosing a smaller house or a smaller car, or-just as a means of getting started-refusing to supersize our fries.

The words wabi and sabi were not always linked, although they've been together for such a long time that many people (including D. T. Suzuki) use them interchangeably. One tea teacher I talked with begged me not to use the phrase wabi-sabi because she believes the marriage dilutes their separate identities; a tea master in Kyoto laughed and said they're thrown together because it sounds catchy, kind of like Ping-Pong. In fact, the two words do have distinct meanings, although most people don't fully agree on what they might be.

Wabi stems from the root wa, which refers to harmony, peace, tranquillity, and balance. Generally speaking, wabi had the original meaning of sad, desolate, and lonely, but poetically it has come to mean simple, unmaterialistic, humble by choice, and in tune with nature. Someone who is perfectly herself and never craves to be anything else would be described as wabi. Sixteenth-century tea master Jo-o described a wabi tea man as someone who feels no dissatisfaction even though he owns no Chinese utensils with which to conduct tea. A common phrase used in conjunction with wabi is "the joy of the little monk in his wind-torn robe." A wabi person epitomizes Zen, which is to say, he or she is content with very little; free from greed, indolence, and anger; and understands the wisdom of rocks and grasshoppers.

A story . . and some pictures

2011-11-13T18:06:00.001-08:00

THE STUDIO WORKSHOP
I'm a visual artis, a painter, printmaker and maker of 3 dimensional objects (at times).
Even as a child I used drawing to deal with and understand the world. In my family I was known as THE ARTIST.

And so I studied art in college and became a so-called Fine Artist - although sidetracked at times by the demands of family and of earning a living.

Art is still the dominant force in my life today.

Over the years, awareness of art history, knowledge of classical and contemporary painting and reading critical essays have eroded my ability to look at my art unselfconsciously.

Now when I pick up a brush or pencil, all of the great masters are looking over my shoulder. I consider how Schiele drew the human figure, how far removed my brushstrokes are from Van Gogh's genius, how fresh and divinely beautiful Matisse's canvasses look even today.
They are all there with me in the studio: Turner, Beckmann, Derain, Nolde, Picasso, Stuart Davis, many more.

Slowly they fade away as I begin work on my painting. But later self-doubt returns. How would David Hockney have handled this subject? Didn't Alice Neel have more insight and wasn't Borofski or Warhol more inventive?

Looking at art magazines doesn't help at all. So many approaches , SO MANY ARTISTS! !!

Why is my work not included? Doesn't it have any validity at all?

Yet I know that I cannot change my style any more than I can change my handwriting. I will grow and transform but will always be myself.

One can see that being an artist can be a life riddled with insecurities.

But one day something happened that may have changed my point of view:
Some time ago I was one of a group of women who met once a month for mutual support and exchange of ideas. One day we were teaching ourselves to make decorative patterns on paper, using acrylic paint and wheat paste. Pots of bright paint stood on tables covered with drop cloths. We dipped our brushes in carmine red, ochre, magenta, ultramarine, lemon yellow and cores green pigment.We had to work quickly to cover our sheets. We used combs, stiff brushes, forks, cardboard and other found objects to draw patterns.

We worked furiously for 2 hours or more. I was painting sheet after sheet without looking at the finished pieces.

Then it was time to stop, to clean brushes, to fold up unused paper and to put away our tools.

I walked to the area in the studio where we had spread our handiwork. There were dozens of painted sheets. Some of us had covered large areas , while others concentrated on smaller ones. Some used bold strokes, some work was feathery and delicate. Many had used muted colors. It was a splendid display!
There were dots, circles, squares, spirals and squiggles, all combining in an infinity of pattern and color.

Three sheets caught my eye. I liked them so much better than all of the other pieces on display. I liked the clear colors and the distinctive patterns.
I wished that I had created them . . Suddenly I felt as if struck by a bolt of lightening!

These WERE my pieces!

I had made them . . and I liked them.

That day I received a gift.

For a moment I had been able to step outside of myself, to still the critical voices and to see my work with an unjaundiced eye.

Now I'm able to be appreciative as well as critical of my art. I can be honestly delighted if a piece is successfully finished.

After all, I trust my taste in ART.

At least, most of the time . .

On The Street - in San Francisco

2011-04-16T20:41:00.000-07:00

On a recent warm and sunny morning I spent some time on a bench at the Ferry Building (on the bay in San Francisco), sipping Blue Bottle coffee and admiring the passers by.

Now and then I snapped a picture with my iPhone, trying to capture the scene, a bit like the incomparable Bill Cunningham in NYC.

Here are some of the results; if the pics are less than stellar, consider the source...

MY WEBSITE

Looking down while walking, and finding art

2011-03-18T16:13:00.000-07:00

Generally it's much better to look at the world around us and delight in what we see. But sometimes one can find art in unexpected places.

I saw this homage to a loved one on a Berkeley sidewalk:

And here is interesting calligraphy by the utility company:

More calligraphy:

And of course there is the famous sidewalk in Hollywood:

THERE IS MORE TO LIFE . .

2011-03-06T14:17:00.000-08:00

I spent a tranquil Saturday afternoon in the Napa Valley, with Chris and friends. We lunched in St. Helena and spent some time browsing boutiques and galleries.

On the main street there is a lovely shop called FLATS (http://www.flatsnapavalley.com/), which has great shoes and accessories.
Cool website, too - check it out!

One wall of the loft-like space features 3 large paintings, black type on white background. It's a quote from Gandhi. I tried to re-create it, because you, dear Reader, might like it, too:

Milan this week

2011-02-25T08:10:00.000-08:00

From THE SARTORIALIST

On the street in NYC

2011-02-17T09:54:00.000-08:00

It's fashion week in New York - too bad we can't all have front row seats to see the latest from Marc Jacobs et al! However, we can see what people in New york (and in other cities) are wearing by visiting The Sartorialist.

It's fun to see the interesting and creative way people are interpreting fashion. Very inspiring! Here's a recent picture:

We love LA . . . we loove it!!!

2010-12-20T19:50:00.000-08:00

Back from a whirlwind trip to West Hollywood and environs.
So much fun!
What an interesting place: A cool mix of architecture , signs, shops, people. Randy Newman's song says it all.
Anyway, here are a few of my touristy pics:

Here I am, dancing in front of Graumann's Chinese Theatre, with my son Chris.
more...

We ogled the traces of the stars

We saw the famous sign

At the Hollywood Bowl, an interesting, impressive structure, with an illustrious history

The historic Pantages Theater

It's easy to see that why there is a lively art scene in LA. Lots of stimulating sights and room to spread out, which translates into cheaper studio space. There wasn't time to see LACMA or any of the other museums, but I'm looking forward to another visit.

Japanese wood cuts

2010-12-14T21:05:00.000-08:00

View of Mt Tam; a wood cut by Tom Killion

Today I visited a show at the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco: 'the Japanese print in the era of Impressionism', documenting the influence of Japanese wood cuts on 19th century European artists.

The Legion of Honor (in good weather...!)

Hiroshige and Henri Riviere

More about this show . .

A carver's work station

A gorgeous show and very informative. Many, many world famous prints and many that were new to me. A video showed the process of carving and printing the different blocks.

I especially liked the many small sketch books, that showed the artists preparing for larger projects or simply telling stories. Books, hand printed of course, were very popular during the Edo period.

After seeing the show I stepped outside. It was a beautiful, misty day, high up on this promontory overlooking the Pacific. The world looked like a Japanese wood cut...

Back inside, I made another tour of the show. I noticed that there were many women artists making Japanese style wood cuts, in California,, early in the 20th century. I sneaked a (forbidden) picture of a print by Bertha Lum.

In the museum gift shop I found a gorgeous book by a contemporary California printmaker

Bertha Lum print

TAMALPAIS WALKING, by Tom Killion and Gary Snyder

Learning to sell

2010-12-13T18:49:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I participated in a "Last Minute Gift Sale', here in Rossmoor. Most of the craft studios, the jewelry shop, wood shop and pottery shop were open to visitors and showed interesting and reasonably priced items.

Here I am in the art studio, with a browser. I displayed cards ($3), prints of my work on water color paper ($10) and 8x8" plaques, ready to hang ($29).

Unfortunately there was very little foot traffic. I believe that only about 10 visitors came to the studio. And of course high traffic is the key to success in this game.

But nevertheless it was a very worthwhile experience. Among other things, I learned which of the items attracted second glances and how to better display the work.

Later this week I'm off to a quick trip to LA. Yea!

Here are a few of the more popular images:

Available as a card, print or plaque

Giving thanks . .

2010-11-29T20:29:00.000-08:00

On these beautiful fall days there is so much to be thankful for: colorful trees, hills and mountains, grapes, apple cider, even a little frost on the pumpkin.

But most of all, I'm thankful for my family and all of my friends who have encouraged me and me and made such lovely comments about my work ( much of it undeserved, but appreciated ).

THANK YOU, DEAR FRIENDS!

The house where I was born

2010-10-30T23:38:00.000-07:00

It stands five stories high, on a busy street in a midsize town in Austria. Its windows look out on the Danube and the lovely, green mountains that lie to the north.
For most of its existence it has been a hotel. It was a hotel when my grandfather bought it, after a long career as a builder in Vienna. He thought it might be a good place in which to retire. Eventually my parents took over the management of the hotel. I grew up within its three feet thick walls.
At night, lying in bed, I looked up at the elegantly vaulted ceiling and imagined the previous occupants of the space. In the 19th century a grand ballroom took up the entire floor and I almost could see the lights, the dancers in their finery and hear the strains of waltzes by Lanner or Strauss.

Linz and the Danube, circa 1825

Even in the 18th and 17th centuries the building functioned as an inn, as a place to shelter weary travellers. In those times it was tucked behind the walls that circled the city in an effort to keep out marauders and other enemies.
Mozart walked the cobbled streets of the neighborhood and composed a symphony ( the 'Linz", in 1783 ) in a house just three blocks away. Johannes Kepler, the famous astronomer, devised his third Law of the Heavens here in 1629. According to local legend, while walking along the bank of the river, watching freight and barrels being unloaded from the ships lined up in the harbor.
Before it became an inn, in the Middle Ages, the house was said to have been a monastery. Sometimes as a child I thought of monks floating through the hallways, with hoods pulled low over their faces and ghostly voices rising in song.
Long before that, Roman soldiers built fortifications here, to guard their garrisons against the germanic tribes to the north. My father found a Roman coin in the cellar and the beginning of a tunnel that once led under the river to the far shore.
People have lived on this spot, in this place, since prehistoric times.
Walking the cobbled streets around the house, it is not hard to imagine oneself back in the 17th or 18th century. Most of the buildings date back to that time and the beautiful Medieval or Renaissance facades have been lovingly preserved. Some of the buildings that had been destroyed by bombs during the Second World War were completely rebuilt to reflect their former glory.
The Danube flows by on its way to the Black Sea. At times shrouded by fog, at times providing summertime entertainment for generations and generations of children growing up along its shore, and at times wreaking devastation by overflowing its banks.
Life goes on.
Now the hotel rooms have been turned into apartments. And in the place where once my parents ran a thriving restaurant and wine bar, a pizza restaurant is advertising its specials.
Somewhere in the bowels of City Hall there is a very large book. It contains a written record, from the Middle Ages forward, of all the people who were stewards of this house and of all the houses around it. My name, along with the names of other members of my family is in this book.
I am part of history, forever linked to the house where I was born.

Linz in 1660 (the hotel is behind the town wall)

Late summer bounty

2010-10-30T23:24:00.000-07:00

at the Farmer's market

Traces of the ancients in Suburbia

2010-10-30T23:15:00.000-07:00

We live so much in the present that it is good to be reminded of who has gone before us. This stone was used to grind acorns. It is within walking distance of my home.

I came across this marker and the beautiful stone circle commemorating the Tatcan people while walking the dog. A very special place!

getting ready to paint

2010-10-19T11:23:00.000-07:00

I'm making drawings in preparation of a portrait.
Here are a few:

PICTURING CALIFORNIA

2010-10-16T20:42:00.000-07:00

The title of a juried exhibition at The Kevin Milligan Gallery in Danville (East Bay area of San Francisco). The juror, Philip Linhares, Chief Curator of the Oakland Museum of California, asked for interpretation or impression of the culture, people, politics, or landscape of California. I feel fortunate to have been one of the lucky people whose work is in the show. Now, if only someone falls in love with it and HAS TO HAVE IT!!

The gallery

Freeways!

My contribution, THE BRIDGE, an ink painting on rice paper

Another, very impressive piece

A love song to coffee

2010-10-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

At the Mint Plaza in San Francisco

Blue Bottle coffee in San Francisco

Roasters of probably the best coffee outside of Vienna (where coffee was first introduced to Europe and the Western world.)

Read all about it here

I love a good cup of coffee and this is surely the best in the area, on the West Coast or on both coasts? Plus a delightful, hip place to have breakfast.

Blue Bottle Coffee Company exudes the passion that is the founder’s exuberance for the perfect cup.

Mysterious equipment

Mmmmmm!!!

The space

Thinking of origins...

2010-10-04T16:33:00.000-07:00

I recently came across the Wikipedia listing for Linz, where I was born, on the banks of the Danube. Right there, within a few blocks of my home, are two major culture centers and my former art school.

The new art museum, Lentos, houses work by Schiele, Kokoshka and Klimt. As a student at the school, I visited their paintings many times in their former, smaller home.

And then there is Ars Electronica, the Center for Electronic Arts.

The spectacular structure, like its neighbor, lights up the riverbank with its illuminated facade. The Ars Electronica Festival of art, technology, and society, founded in 1978 to underscore the emerging digital revolution, puts Linz on the contemporary map. The new art museum “Museum of the Future” contains 32,000 square feet of exhibition space, plus another 11,000 square feet for research and development. Visitors can check out exhibits such as “New Views of Humankind,” which explores biotechnology, robotics, brain imaging, and the future of design, and they can also consult an archive of every Ars Electronica Festival.

So two of my passions, painting and electronic arts, have a home in my old neighborhood. I wonder how much that environment has influenced me.

On the other hand, Linz is also known as one of the cities where Adolf Hitler lived and studied. I certainly don't feel any affinity with him or any other right wing groups.
There goes that theory . .

Flying the (Poodle) flag

2010-10-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

It was poodle day in Carmel. Dino and family joined the fun and watched owners and pets parading and later on, romping at the beach. There were some very creative adaptations of the traditional poodle cut:

Everyone was down to earth and being just dogs at Carmel beach

What to do with old brushes

2010-10-03T18:58:00.000-07:00

Just nail them to the wall . .
(Everything looks better in multiples)

Don't Tell

2010-09-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

Dino seems to like my new piece . .

a trip to Saratoga

2010-09-29T08:09:00.000-07:00

My friend Gayle and I decided to check out the art scene in Saratoga and perhaps do a bit of marketing. I had never visited this sweet, little town near San Jose, at the foot of the Santa Cruz mountains. It is a bedroom community for Silicon Valley and therefore pretty wealthy.

The Saratoga Art and Wine Festival, a street fair, was in full swing. And there were many booths offering wine tasting from various nearby vineyards. There were not many booths offering fine art. Jewelry, yes, but very few paintings.

We were left to wonder where serious art patrons in the area made their selections. We did not see a professional art gallery.

I did not know that Hakone Gardens is located there. I'm hoping to spend time there very soon. It's the oldest Japanese estate in the Western hemisphere. 18 acres of beautiful gardens, zen, tea, bamboo and so forth. Here is a commentary from the site:
"While the gardens reflect the soul of nature, buildings reflect the soul of man and how it interacts with those things in nature. The buildings of Hakone take you back to the Edo period of historic Japan at the height of the Shogun era. If you use a bit of imagination, you just might hear those sandaled feet shifting the gravel of the walkways as the Shogun strolls along the paths of his sanctuary"

on a walk today

2010-09-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

art is everywhere . . and everyone is an artist.

against all odds . .

2010-09-21T16:23:00.000-07:00

. . . I'm keeping on painting. Hard not to, when ideas keep popping up.

For instance, here is a nearly blank canvas. It's an odd shape, 48x24". I have divided it in half, as you can see. I already have a title for it: DOUBLE DINO. I hope it will be a double portrait of my pup. Of course, it may turn out to be something entirely different. Sometimes those canvasses have a life of their own. We'll see.

I kind of like it as is. Very minimalist. What do you think?

Here is another painting, done last week. This one is difficult to photograph. The dark, blue/black area has a matte background and glossy swirls. It's called 'TELL' (of course). 24x24" on a deep board.

Being an artist means getting used to disappointments

2010-09-15T19:18:00.000-07:00

Today I took 8 recent works to the Valley Art Gallery in Walnut Creek. It's a good non-profit gallery that shows a variety of work.
Unfortunately they did not care for any of my NEW paintings (abstract or figurative), monotypes or ink drawings.
They still have one monotype that I brought in early this year.

It is very difficult to know why they like one piece and not the other.

Here is a link to the gallery, run by very nice, competent and hard-working women

http://www:valleyartgallery.org

In the studio now

2010-09-12T13:29:00.000-07:00

'We dance through life, she said' and 'She left early'

End of summer joys

2010-09-12T13:21:00.000-07:00

Just a few more days of 85 degree weather and cloudless blue skies; perfect
for a lovely swim.

Summer doesn't last forever, even here in paradise on the Bay.

A LONELY BUSINESS

2010-08-31T14:38:00.000-07:00

I have several paintings and monotypes at the Blackhawk Gallery in Danville. It's a non-profit, artist-run gallery; therefore I have been 'gallery-sitting' for a few hours at a time. Is it the location (An upscale mall), the quality of the work. or the general malaise of the times? Hardly anyone even stops by to look, much less to buy...

TOO MANY COLORS? TOO BRIGHT?

2010-08-31T12:29:00.000-07:00

I'm working to get it right. But i can never get it muted enough for most viewers.

(BTW, see the post of August 18 to track the evolution of the painting)

A visit to Eugene O'Neill's home

2010-08-27T09:06:00.000-07:00

Tao House is a charmed place, high above the valley floor. O'Neill and his wife Carlotta built it to escape the crowds and to give him time and space to write. I loved the red doors (for good fortune) and blue ceilings.

It is a National historic site and well worth a visit.

Eugene and Carlotta loved their dog, Bleemie, a Dalmatian.

When he died, they gave him this memorial. He also has his own last will and testament.

more here: National Park Service

55 OR OVER (Another project..)

2010-08-18T16:12:00.000-07:00

My friend Gayle reminded me that I may include her portrait in this series.
(However, she doesn't look old enough...!)

My Summer Studio

2010-08-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

Concert in the park

2010-08-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

Mmmm . . Latin dance music, one of my faves! Impossible to sit still...

Summer mornings in the East Bay

2010-08-13T07:29:00.000-07:00

High fog and dry ground, perfect poodle weather.

another project

2010-08-13T07:16:00.000-07:00

to add to several, all waiting to be completed. This one is part of a series of portraits, entitled 55 OR OVER.

inside of flyer

2010-08-11T16:40:00.000-07:00

sell, SELL . . outside of flyer

2010-08-11T16:35:00.000-07:00

Fine Art For You

2010-08-11T08:48:00.000-07:00

http://www.29dollarart.com

more birds on my art

2010-08-10T20:56:00.000-07:00

The newest crop of mourning doves, twins this time, flew out of the nest at 2 PM today.

Final version?

2010-08-05T08:46:00.000-07:00

Maybe, maybe not . .

Today's work, some good, some not so much

2010-08-03T19:53:00.000-07:00

You be the judge.

The image below is of a small canvas (16x20"), that I set aside tonight. In the clear light of morning I will be able to tell if more work needs to be done.

The second image (right) is a detail from a large triptych.

I have had no end of struggles with it and the ultimate solution - a way to balance all the bits and pieces - has so far eluded me. It is a very complicated undertaking, combining collage with abstract and figurative elements. The question is, why struggle at all?

Does the world need another painting?

What a crazy business, if you can call it that . .

Nature triumphs over art

2010-07-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

These past weeks I've been working on a triptych, outdoors, in the atrium of my condo. The work is large and my atrium is a perfect place for painting: good light, a fairly large space and an easily cleaned floor. But a pair of mourning doves decided to raise a chick here, which stopped any work for several weeks.

It was fascinating to watch the process, from birth to maturity within a week or two. The parents were incredibly conscientious and solicitous, right until the chick was safely airborne. There were even grooming and flying lessons.

Above and left - the nest atop a painted screen and the hatchling in my paint box

The work, so far:

much more to be done . .

See more of my work on Flickr

Chinatown

2010-05-12T18:19:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from a stroll through Chinatown. What a feast for the eyes. Lots of colorful tchotchkes and evidence of a culture living side by side with all the touristy gawkers.

I visited my favorite store, the Peking Bazaar. A cavernous place, it has a circular walkway to the second floor, where you enter a quiet world of calligraphy and landscapes, inks, seals and brushes.

After a delightful period of trying out several brushes, I bought a roll of rice paper for my friend David in Minneapolis and an ink block and a tiny brush for myself.

Chinese ink paintings

2010-05-11T11:09:00.000-07:00

Lately I've become interested in working with ink on rice paper again. I'm heading to Chinatown tomorrow to purchase more supplies.

no show

2010-05-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, the show was cancelled just days before the opening.

But that's life, I guess.

I have a 'pop-up show at Orinda Books this month. And a larger exhibit starting in June at the Boundary Oaks Country club in Walnut Creek.

There is new art on my web site - be sure to check it out: Very Fine Art

SOLO SHOW IN LAFAYETTE

2010-03-08T11:17:00.000-08:00

It's been ages since I posted anything - a long, dark winter!

But here's some news:

PALETTE PLEASERS

A SOLO SHOW AT DESIGN WITIN REACH IN LAFAYETTE

OPENING PARTY

Saturday, March 20, 1-4pm

DWR Lafayette Studio

973 Moraga Road

Lafayette, CA 94549

Phone: 925.962.0733

Colorful cocktails and tasty nibbles will be served.

Show continues through 4/17/10

Y'all come!

Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight

2009-10-15T20:34:00.001-07:00

I just saw a documentary film about this great artist and designer on the Sundance channel. For many years he has been a driving force in the world of design. He has changed how we see the world around us and how artists interpret it. The film shows his intelligence, gentleness and humanity but most of all his incredible creativity. He is also a dedicated teacher.

Some years ago I was fortunate to attend a week long workshop with Milton at the School of Visual Art in NYC. The workshop was similar to a boot camp. We attended class during the day and received our assignments at the end of class. We were expected to bring in finished work the next morning. We didn't sleep much! At the end of the week we were treated to a 12 course dinner in Chinatown. An unforgettable week.

I still have a signed poster.

GOOD VIBES

2009-09-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

Art business News included my work and a bio in a story on emerging artists.

An artist's life is usually filled with disappointments and rejection, so a bit of positive feedback is so wonderful and encouraging.

Here is the link to the article:

http://artbusinessnews.com/2009/04/27/emerging-artists-34/

OPEN STUDIO TIME!

2009-09-05T17:34:00.000-07:00

The Lamorinda Artists Alliance 2009 Open Studios, a self-guided tour of art studios in Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda, is scheduled for Oct. 16-17, 11 am to 4 pm. Art fans have an opportunity to revel in the finest of Lamorinda’s fine arts as three dozen of the community’s best sculptors, painters, jewelers, glassmakers, photographers and ceramicists display and sell their work at 16 sites. Here are a few highlights.

A map showing all 16 LAA Open Studios locations is available at the Moraga Gallery, the Lafayette Gallery, or at www.openstudiolaa.info.

Gayle Muehring and I will be showing at her house at 147 Rudgear Drive in Walnut Creek, CA 94596.

NEW!!

2009-07-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

Free art

Choose one of my images, from either of my sites and I will send you a large format PDF, ready for printing.

Just send me an email and indicate which of my paintings or prints you would like to reproduce.

A proviso: These images are for personal use only. No large format files may be available for selected

Here are the addresses of my sites:

http://www.veryfineart.com/

and

my Mac site

Christopher Brown

2009-07-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

Click on the title and view a wonderful interview with one of the foremost painters in the San Francisco Bay area. Enjoy!!!

DOWN SIZING

2009-07-15T12:56:00.000-07:00

This week, thanks to my friend Tesia Blackburn, I attended a 3 hour workshop by Sonya Paz, the successful Bay Area artist. She has a beautiful shop/atelier in the charming town of Campbell.

Take a look at Sonya's space and her colorful art.

Among many thoughts I took away from her talk is a renewed determination to make small, very affordable art. Here is an original painting, 5x5" in a 10x12 mat.

I hope to make a series of them, in time for this fall's Lamorinda Open Studios and art walk. I had planned to participate in an art fair but that will have to wait until next year.

AGNES MARTIN SPEAKS ABOUT HER PAINTING

2009-07-15T12:49:00.000-07:00

Click on the heading to watch this video on UTube; much to learn here about the artistic process.

She is such a purist!

Hockney's Drawing in a printing machine

2009-06-08T16:58:00.000-07:00

Here are two of his images, created on a computer and printed on an inkjet printer.

Art on the iPhone

2009-06-08T16:30:00.000-07:00

After reading that David Hockney (my hero!) is creating pictures on his iPhone, I naturally had to try it, too. On the right is a photo of one of his creations.

His iPhone even has its own little easel!!

He has also 'painted' many images on his computer and is exhibiting them at a London venue. The show is entitled 'Drawing in a printing machine'. I wish I could see it. He is always open-minded and innovative:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1175521/iHockney-Artist-David-uses-Apple-phone-paint-mini-masterpieces.html

Above left is my first attempt to paint on the iPhone. I have to remember that less is more!!!

Always learning from the master . .

What, water color?

2009-06-07T17:10:00.000-07:00

Unbelievable, how time flies. My last post was in March!

What did I do during all those weeks?

I created 35 different images on 8x8" boards; most of them are color inkjet on canvas and then mounted on boards and often hand embellished.

See http://www.veryfineart.com/square1.html

They are very affordable, only $29.

This last week I've been returning to watercolor. It's been at least 15 years since I worked in this medium and I am completely out of practice. And of course my expectations and point of view has changed. I'm not interested in traditional watercolor techniques and would like the paintings to reflect my unique style. Not easy!

Here is the pitiful result:

I hope to get better, with practice. If so, I will post the images here.

On top, just for fun, is a digital image. Photoshop is a blast!

Another great Warhol quote

2009-03-28T21:25:00.000-07:00

'I am a deeply superficial person.'

Read "The philosophy of Andy Warhol". Funny, outrageous and insightful.

Today's quote

2009-03-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

An artist is someone who produces things that people don't need to have but that (s)he-for some reason-thinks it would be a good idea to give them. Andy Warhol

8x8" PRINTS - MOUNTED ON BOARD, ONLY $48 EACH!

2009-03-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

Now all of my work is super-affordable! I have made prints of many of my paintings, monotypes and watercolors and mounted them on 3/4" thick cradled board which requires no framing. They feature a cradled birch wood frame mounted flush to the panel. All are 8x8" and are protected with a coat of UV protective varnish. Many are hand embellished; all are ready to hang.

Here you can see 6 samples. Many more images are available. Just ask!!

I hope to sell them from my website as soon as I can set up a shopping cart. In the mean time, just email me at rubro@earthlink.net. Remember, only $48!

(plus tax and shipping, if applicable)

the shrinking canvas

2009-03-16T08:37:00.000-07:00

Wow! March is half way over, the SF show is down and I'm nearly over my post-exhibit slump.

I'm still working but on much, much smaller canvasses. In a way, this is much harder to do. When one works on a big canvas, all the large muscles come into play. The whole body gets into the act, not just the hand.

PICTURES FROM AN EXHIBITION

2009-02-07T06:58:00.000-08:00

Here are a few images from last Thursday's opening party at the Canessa gallery in San Francisco. More later, but it seems everyone had a splendid time. The art looked good, too!

The Hanging Judge, and more

2009-02-04T10:59:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday we shlepped our paintings to the gallery. It was judgment day. Tesia Blackburn, our appointed curator, did a fab job of deciding on placement and choices, all within an hour and a half.

I think everyone felt that their work was well placed. Our helpers, sons, friends, mates, climbed ladders, wielded hammers and gave moral support. Here's a pic of the group with the judge (in black, natch) and prior to hanging.

I videoed some of it and after some editing will post it.

So everything was cool until Monday when one of my pieces fell off a brick wall. And one of the artists had a health scare and may face surgery.

Opening party tomorrow!

Double bubble, toil and trouble

2009-01-15T21:37:00.000-08:00

Fire burn and cauldron bubble . .

THAT"S OUR SHOW!

It's nearly curtain time - the show will go up in about 2 weeks and there is trouble afoot:

The three principals are not speaking to one another; There are disagreements about what and how to hang the art.

Misunderstandings abound; feelings are hurt; people feel put upon and personalities clash.

The gallery owner is having temperamental outburst of epic proportions about the most trivial events.

Nothing out of the ordinary, it seems . . it's all part of the art biz.

In fact, another art show is about to open. One hopes!

Keep your fingers crossed (Or, as they say in Austria: Hold your thumbs! It's FAR more effective)

More news soon . .

Making murals

2008-12-21T19:29:00.000-08:00

It's been a few years since I last was in Vienna. But lately I keep remembering a brief visit to Schoenbrunn, the summer palace of the Habsburgs in Vienna.

Specifically a walk through a few small rooms whose walls were decorated in the most wondrous way.

They were painted in the 18th century by J W Bergl, an artist from Bohemia.

Here are a few pictures - but words nor pictures can describe the full impact of being in a room which has lush images from floor to ceiling, not one inch left without an image. What opulence and luxury, and yet one could imagine the royal children playing in those rooms.

I can't find a picture of my favorite room which had a jungle theme and was densely painted.

Most of these images are from The Muralist, a beautiful and informative website created by San Francisco muralist Lynne Rutter.

I've never made a real mural but how great it would be to have an entire room as a canvas!!!!

My War

2008-12-21T16:23:00.000-08:00

I've created a video from some paintings and drawings about my experience as a child in Austria during the Second World War; also available as a hard cover book and a DVD:

Society of Three

2008-12-21T15:48:00.000-08:00

The show in February, scheduled to open at The Canessa Gallery in San Francisco, is coming ever nearer. Most of the art has been created by the artists and curated by our coach, Tesia Blackburn. We, the 3 participants in the show, are known as 'Society of Three'.

All of us are abstract or semi-abstract painters. The title of the show is 'Line/Color/Shape. We have a logo, email and print announcements, news releases and flyers, a website, small posters, booklets of our work (for sale) and a street sign. We have done all we could think of to generate interest in the media. Now we will be concentrating on hanging the show. And of course the Vernissage/Opening on February 5, 2009.

Here is a picture of 'Society of Three': Gayle Muehring, Diane Goldstein and me.

I love my iPhone!

2008-09-01T17:39:00.001-07:00

I've had it for a year now and it's my constant companion - like carrying a little computer at all times. News, email, maps and a phone, too. It takes great pictures of my work and anything else that happens . .

What an elegant, ingenious invention.

It seems only yesterday that I struggled with my provider, Winternet, to establish an account for email. They were not user friendly, everything had to be done in code. took me 2 days. Hardly anyone had heard of the World Wide Web. My friend Carolyn and I felt like pioneers - we kept in touch through email but didn't know anyone else who was online, except some kids.

Oh, if only other parts of our lives were that innovative. Like transportation, for instance.

I'm looking forward to doing a combination of computer prints and monoprints this fall. Another way to use technology.

Stephen Fry

2008-08-27T12:21:00.000-07:00

Stephen Fry, the renaissance man (Author, actor, wildlife crusader and so much more) wrote a comment on my other blog! I feel deeply honored and terribly pleased. Thank you, Stephen!

Check out his comments

See his website

marching to Canessa

2008-08-27T11:28:00.000-07:00

Canessa is the name of the gallery in San Francisco where I will be having a show next February. I have been working to produce paintings and am also doing some of the PR for the show. Above is a preliminary copy of the press release.

Click on the image to read it.

http://www.veryfineart/canessa

An inspiration

2008-07-15T21:30:00.000-07:00

I love this pot. It is Czech, of course. I tried to buy it on eBay, but I was outbid.

update on art marketing program (The Practicum)

2008-07-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

My resume is done, and so is my statement (or nearly). Still have revisions on my bio. Tesia, my coach has spent hours vetting these documents.

I have yet to do a budget and art pricing.

I've defined my target audience, as best as I can determine right now.

I'm working on an announcement for our three person show in February, at the CANESSA gallery in San Francisco. The gallery is right near the 'pyramid', in North Beach.

The group ( Gayle M., Diane G. and I) and Tesia are meeting every Thursday, either online or in her studio.

In addition, we three participants in the program are also meeting to discuss division of labor and other issues dealing with the show. PR is going to be a HUGE effort.

I've started a couple of new paintings and am struggling with an existing, sort of figurative, one.

I like to work on more than one at a time. It's freeing.

And on Monday I'm helping Diane with Photoshop, meet with her and Gayle and go to printmaking at 5PM, where I'm going to make a couple of monotypes without using black, red or flesh tones.

An art show opening

2008-06-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

A huge crush, as usual with these large juried shows. We played 'Where's Waldo?' to find my piece. I talked to several friends and we congratulated each other on our good fortune to have been included in the show.

Local Voice

2008-06-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

Today is the Opening of this show at the Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek.

I'll let you know how my piece looks.

Here are some PR shots. I'll bring my camera.

A show at the Palace of the Legion of Honor

2008-06-25T20:27:00.000-07:00

I made a trip to the city today to see a new exhibit, a show by four Women Impressionists. A wonderful, groundbreaking show.

The 4 artists are: Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassat, Eva Gonzales and Marie Bracqemond.

Here is a link to the museum's website:

There are images and much information about the lives of these talented and remarkable women, who in their lifetime did not get the recognition they deserved.

This is the only museum in the United States which is showing this exhibit.

A Sunday meeting

2008-06-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

I had a great meeting with Tesia, my marketing coach. She vetted my resume, artist's statement and bio for the umpteenth time. It's going to be very effective, a tool to my goal of earning good money and/or become famous. We also made a decision to pursue a two-fold path:

I'll be Ruth Kolman Brophy for my figurative work. My alter ego, RKBrophy is the abstract artist. What fun!!!

Until the next meeting, on July 1, I will design a postcard for one of these personas.

Now I'm off to printmaking class.

working artist

2008-06-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

This is a blog about process: The process of creating art and also the process of marketing it.

I am enrolled in THE PRACTICUM, an art marketing program developed by Tesia Blackburn.

I will report here on what I am learning. If I do everything right, I will be successful. i.e. selling my work.

Maybe even be famous!

Watch what happens!