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Saturday, January 30, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Andrew Wyeth 'The Trammel' 1985
Image is from Antiques Roadshow. The man purchased the painting at $75,000. Appraiser estimate was $450,000. The trammel is a type of hook that suspends pots over flames retrofitted here as a hat rack. The hat here is fur and the appraiser noted the difficulty of using watercolor to capture the texture of fur. Wyeth died in January, 2009, so who knows how high it will go before being acquired by a museum.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Under The Jacaranda Tree 1903
R. Godfrey Rivers, the artist, is shown with his future wife having tea in the Brisbane Botanic Garden. Planted in 1864, it had to be the first jacaranda grown in Australia. It was destroyed by a cyclone in 1979. I saw the work for myself during my college years.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Pat Wolf Watercolor Artist
Pat Wolf was my watercolor artist at Shawnee Mission West High School. She summered in Taos then and now she has retired there. I always admired the intense color of her watercolors. I own of her cactus studies.Thursday, January 14, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Henri Matisse 'Icarus'
I saw this painting in 1985 with my brother in Paris and hd to frame the poster in an uniframe.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Pollock 'Blue Poles
Jackson Pollock's 'Blue Poles' was Australia's most controversial acquisition at the National Gallery of Australia. Purchased with the funds of a national government program in 1973 at the cost of over $2,000,000. At the time the purchase was the world record for a twentieth century artist. Some might say the purchase was to create a perception Australia was a player in the worldwide art community. Instead it made an impression as one of Australia's biggest political blunders.
The National Goverest was crucified in the press and ironically in the nation's polls. The purchase WAS not a reflection of the typical. average Australian bloke. Many historians believe the opposition Labour Party was able to make the purchase a reflection of the elitist national party. The hysteria over its purchase was so profound I recall the debate as an eight year old amongst my for the most part farmers and blue collar relatives and family aussie "blokes." The Labour Party came to power in 1973 with 'Blue Poles' hanging around the National party's neck. Ironically, 'Blue Poles is now declared one of Pollock's most influentional works without the benefit of the controversy.
One Kansas City note, Pollock trained under Thomas Hart Benton in California earlier in his career.
Magnum Opus, Bonner Springs, KS
My friend Jill opened Magnum Opus in Bonner Springs over six years ago. Like me, she's dedicated to the promotion of local and regional artists and craftsmen.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
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