While these works began an exercise in setting limits (given my love of colour) I became involved in the relationship between the the two colours and how they drove my sense of composition rather that deciding on the direction of the composition first–the movement of the paint and the merging of the tonalities dictated what direction to go in. They have an “in the moment” feel and yet are detailed and nuanced at the same time.

View the complete Black & White Panel Series to see for yourself.

three hours on the meaning of a box

metaphorical

literal

virtual

nonsense

present your musings on video by Friday

Stretch your mind, stretch your boundaries but not over the age of 30.…..too late.…need latte now.….

pay bills.….focus on boxes later.……

2012 has just arrived and with it came the usual articles and media discussions on the “best” of 2011 etc. One interesting radio piece (on CBC Radio Q) had an in depth discussion of culture in general and how nothing is new anymore. We are in a cultural rut, so to speak, where nothing original is being created anymore—just a rehashing of old ideas, fashions, music, art –you name it, it has already been thought of and/or done.

One of the most original, inventive eras that the human race has ever experienced is right under our nose/staring us in the face and that is the technological revolution that we are caught up in and we are right in the thick of it. We don’t even yet know or can predict what the full implications of these advances will mean but it has already changed the realms of the social, political and economic on a global scale. It has affected our personal and public lives and changed the way we relate to each other and ourselves. If that is not original I don’t know what is…it is so seismic in scope and predominates everything, that it is no surprise that other aspects of popular culture fade into the background.

Art has always reflected the social, political and economic times of its making and we are seeing the integration and reflection of this technology revolution in digital media, traditional media, photography etc. Just look at the course calendar from OCAD (Ontario College of Art & Design) to see the changes. Incremental shifts in style, culture, music are significant and tell a story but one has to step back from it to recognize the seismic shifts underlying it. Ironicially, the very “rehashing” of old ideas is a necessary process and requires that very originality and inventiveness that created it in the first place. Identifying that kernel of authenticity and viewing it in a different light that makes it relevant to a new audience is vital.

Challenging myself in my studio practice with new techniques, media and ideas is a priority for myself this new year. Sometimes being in a rut simply means a fallow period where significant changes need to be absorbed and considered before the next new art movement, fashion icon appears—and it will certainly appear. But first, get me that latte.…

I have been focusing on my black and white panels this week–out of the fourteen panels I started with I feel I have seven good ones that are now completed.  I have been working on a few groupings with different approaches–one set of three have been poured and manipulated while another grouping has been done in palette knife.  The next grouping grew out of the  idea of scraping back to gain texture and interest in the tonality ranges and will hopefully been done this week…

Since today is Claude Monet’s birthday I thought this was the perfect quote to start the day. I read it last week in a weekly newsletter sent out by  Robert Genn which is always informative. It reminds all of us involved in artistic endeavours that art must come from the soul and even Monet had his tough moments.  This painting is one of my daughter’s favourites (it is so hard to choose just one!)

I leave you with another relevant quote from Mozart that complements this line of thought: “Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.”

Two abstract/impressionistic paintingsof the prairies emerged within a week of each other this Fall.  Along with “Sunset Into Night” which was posted in my last blog entry, I also completed “Canola Gold” (40″ x 60″ Acrylic on Canvas) the same week.

The memory of the colour of the spring/summer canola against the clear blue prairie sky was in my mind as the painting took shape.  To see the entire Home Series “Neither Here Nor There” you can view my Home Series Gallery and my Installation Gallery.

— I worked on my cement pad and poured my paints as the squirrels looked at me and the leaves fell down. I completed a forest installation on one aspect of the series last year which was very satisfying. Now I am focusing on the impressionistic idea of prairie

This new painting is 40″ x 60″ and titled “From Sunset Into Night”.

The Yonge Lawrence BIA is promoting Artwalk 2011 where local businesses are partnered with a local artist and their work is displayed for approximately two weeks leading up to the NTGA Fine Art Show.  People can vote for their favorite window through the Young Lawrence BIA website.  Papermarche is displaying my birch series until the end of October.

Birch series at Papermarche

I am excited to be participating in a salon-style show entitled “Insominia” at the Redhead Gallery at 401 Richmond St W. for Nuit Blanche.  Look out for a painting entitled “Whirlwinds of my Mind”, a black & white acrylic painting in the show.  There is a glimpse of it below on the right side just behind the “ball of yarn” chair (the long narrow painting).

401 Richmond has one of the most vibrant art communities in the city with many other activities going on tonight as part of Nuit Blanche.  Not to mention that it is a very cool building –it is a restored century-old tin factory.  It is filled with artist studios, galleries and arts based groups throughout the building.  I will be checking out the winter installation at Gallery 44, Open Studio which will open its doors to its printmaking studio space, as well as the Wynick/Tuck Gallery to mention a few.…

I will also be checking out Queen St West at Dufferin where the Gladstone Hotel and the Drake Hotel will be having installations throughout their building.  Look out for Redhead gallery’s Sam Mogelonsky’s installation at the Gladstone’s “Fly By Night” show in the art bar.  There will also be independent exhibits throughout the galleries in the area.  I will also be dropping by the south tower at RBC (Front & Bay) to visit my friend Sonya who is in a “mystery” installation that has something to do with ice cream I am told.

I will be tweeting my impressions of Nuit Blanche throughout the evening so follow me on Twitter @erlichshar. Ice cream here I come.…

It was an odd week in many ways, reminding me of how vulnerable and transient we are in the scheme of life and how we need to value the ties of friendship in an increasingly fearful and complex world. Gratitude is a word that came to mind a lot this week. I found out that a fellow artist and mentor who I had lost touch with in the last few years passed away in early February.

The same week I found out about Linda, my Dreamscape series was mentioned in a Customer of the Week blog on my hosting service http://blog.bluefur.com/2011/09/04/bluefur-customer-of-the-week-sharon-erlichman/ which was gratifying and somehow strangely appropriate. I tried to find a link to her website or any one of her images but strangely could not find very much on the web which I found disappointing. I finally found a picture of Linda with some of her paintings.

Linda Knox was the catalyst who encouraged my tentative steps back into art and I will be forever grateful for her guidance. The Dreamscape series of paintings began with her and I have continued to trust in the intuitive process as I paint and pursue other mediums. Inspiration or emotion that comes to a piece of artwork does not come from technical expertise alone and the viewer instinctively knows that when they are viewing art—whether it be a painting, a sculpture or a photograph. I would suggest that is what differentiates a Van Gogh from a Bateman. Linda had both in spades –her work was intuitive, abstract and experimental and came from her heart and soul.

I was privileged to have had the opportunity to study and work with her. Next time I am walking on the Bruce Trail in Owen Sound I will be thinking of her.   I will also leave you with a painting from my Dreamscape series that honours her memory—I call it Emergence. Thanks again Linda, and I hope you are walking somewhere down your Knox Trail and painting in your dream studio with your loved ones.

This time around the I took the opportunity to do something different with the outdoor art.  The red/yellow abstract has the writing “Confine yourself to the present” by Marcus Aurelius, a Roman Emperor.  The second yellow/blue abstract painting has the words by Albert Einstein “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”  Some admirable sentiments but I needed to counterbalance the quotes with some semblance of cynicism no matter how slight.  I found a quote by Susan Sontag that did the job admirably.  I collaged pieces of the Susan Sontag quote onto the wood as one of the last stages of the painting before varathening it.

I have always been drawn to quotations as inspiration but the tendency can veer dangerously and quickly into sugary and saccharine–so I took the second mural as a mild rebuke to the first.  Susan Sontag sums it up beautifully as usual:  “The taste for quotations (and for the juxtaposition of incongruous quotations) is a Surrealist taste.”   Sometimes a surrealist sensibility just gets you through the day…

To see how the murals progressed through the summer and for more close ups/pics on the progress just check out my earlier blog entries.  Now it’s time to head out to Home Depot for more wood!