The last several months have been busy with the preparation for my art exhibition entitled “Double Vision” that features my art work along with sculpture by my dear friend Eugenie Spirito. Two women, two artists, two friends ready to merge vision while keeping an eye on the uniqueness of our separate talents. This would be worthwhile work. A fun, daring and exciting match. We were right.

The show explores an interpretation of the human form at the core of its subject matter. The juxtaposition of my drawings, paintings and prints up against Eugenie’s organic shapes of carved and sculpted subjects invites the viewer to face the sensuous and bold honesty that classically trained artists have examined for centuries. Okay, a lot of naked bodies, standing, sitting, thinking, entwined, and alone. Tushies and breasts, and backs and thighs. The stuff that art is made of. * You can look at the work for technical accuracy or be viscerally inspired. We hope for all and nothing: just enjoy the vibe.

Preparing for “Double Vision” was scary, exciting and a great exercise. And a lot of fun. For one thing, I barely thought about anything except the task at hand: making art for the show, reviewing my archives for possible selections that would be appropriate for the show, and then designing the show—in this sense a tremendous exercise since as a gallery owner I had only considered the art of others.

Now, for myself, I tried to stay objective, not an easy task when you are compiling your own show. And while I never like to think about whether the public will embrace my work or not, as the show neared I found myself asking that question. Worse than that, I considered whether the work held up to past shows, and the work of my fellow students. HELLO THE BUTTERFLIES— let out of the net and into my gut. They fluttered and jumbled, they invaded my meditation. Soon my mood darkened as my confidence waned just weeks before opening. I tried not to go “there” and kept my focus on the work. Just draw, design the show, paint, print, frame, contact your contacts, repeat, repeat. Don’t think, just do. Don’t compare, just do the work. All at once the butterflies freed and my outlook lifted.

AS my mentor and teacher George Small said to me, “A lot of a show is about the work you are currently producing.” Apparently the message sunk in all fall as I diligently drew life drawings with an eye that seemed to more scrupulously then ever study composition, narrative, line and mood. And while I didn’t consciously place pressure on myself to “perform” in preparation for the show (because I like to stay in the “flow”) at the end of each work session I did consider if I had raised the proverbial “bar” in the execution of  my work. I wondered if I had pushed hard enough.  I finished a piece and asked myself if that was a piece for the show. Did it show growth? Was it provocative? Did it exhibit qualities that demonstrate serious study? Would it move the viewer? Did I love it enough to show it? The answers substantiate my final selection. Of course there’s more back home in the drawers, but what the show ultimately came down to is—what it is!

Perhaps more importantly than what is in the show is what is in me: a new found confidence in my skills as an artist. This confidence frees me up to stay loose or to be more exact, or both, both of which informs style. But the manner in which I execute, loose, tight, or both, usually depends on the subject matter, the lighting, the context. In any event, if I choose to follow the exacting rigors of draftsmanship, one of the basic requirements for serious art students and absolute if you believe in the fundamentals of the classically trained, I will work like a dog to do so. And what’s fun about that is now that I have learned (and will continue to learn) the rules, I can break them—knowledgably. Whoopee! It feels like balance, or a harmonizing note that frees and forms simultaneously. Most gratefully I still turn to my “master” teachers from whom I continually learn, in and outside the classroom, and hopefully I will always be willing to uncover a more deep rooted expressiveness that will inform the work.

"Red Chair Series"

Meanwhile, once December 4^th arrived there was no more time to invent excuses, feel bad, or lose weight!!! Show time— please enjoy the pix and here’s a little insight into some of the work:

*And more: “Man With Tie” a narrative piece that evokes a mysterious guy who seems to peer at the viewer from the shadows. Or “Man In Jacket” a true study in fabric drawing, and a regular guy who fashions a wrinkly blazer while absorbed in thought.  The “Red Chair” iris print series one guest described as the “Warholian-Schiele” of the show. Also, the three piece mixed media three dimensional collage that explores the exploitation of the female form in media.  Oh, and a green pumpkin, a dog with a jewel toned turban, and a girl with a green skirt.