I don’t mean to hibernate in winter.  I’m not a bear, or even a groundhog.   But when it goes on and on with no hope of ending, I find myself staying pretty close to home, especially in the city which requires walking and walking and walking and not just running from one’s front door to the car.

Nonetheless, this being New York, even in hibernation mode I can’t avoid art.  My own, of course, since I’m in the studio every day (it’s half a block from my apartment), but other people’s as well.  So here’s what I’ve seen and liked lately.

Like Honey is the Sleep of the Just, by Julia Garcia

The BFA Visual and Critical Studies Department at SVA (which teaches multiple art disciplines grounded in art criticism and philosophy) recently hung a show called “Points of Experience”, curated by Isabel Taube.  I walked past it several times before realizing that I was enjoying it and should pay more attention.

As in Childhood We Live Sweeping Close to the Sky, by Julia Garcia

Julia Garcia’s paintings attracted me because of their color palettes and paint application.  I am a sucker for color.  I think it’s my favorite aspect of art.

Then around the corner I ran into Kyle Lefkowitz’s work: a huge sculptural open book full of crazy pages hanging on the wall.

Unrequited: Love Me Like an Open Book, Slam Me Like a Door, by Kyle Lefkowitz

I have done some printmaking and bookmaking while at SVA, and this work reminded me of Esther K. Smith’s “Combo of Crazy Papers” from her excellent book, How to Make Books from Potter Craft.

Esther K. Smith’s example of a Crazy Papers Book

I can’t believe it’s my last semester at SVA, and I haven’t even tried to make a Crazy Papers book!

As for my own work, the urge to paint flowers has not left me, although I am also working on a 25 foot mural (too soon to show).  These paintings are probably not finished, but they’re getting there.  And then I’ll paint some more.  It has been a joy to return to oil paint after a semester drawing and cutting paper.  Not surprisingly, I still have all the same painting faults I used to: not enough value contrast, painting too fast, getting discouraged.  But thanks to Gamblin Galkyd medium, at least I can paint on my flowers every day.

Flowers, painted left-handed, 12″ x 12″

Flowers, painted right-handed, 12″ x 12″

I hope the flowers make you feel just a hint of Spring coming.