james’ blog

Hey everyone;

When you ask people what type of painter I am  you will likely get a variety of responses… from Abstract expressionist to pop artist to mixed media, to not quite sure…lol…  I have always fought not to have labels in my life,  but I guess if I had to fit myself inside  a box or pick a category it would be abstract impressionist.  Its  relatively a newly coined term… I went to wikipedia and here is what I found:

Abstract Impressionism is a type of abstract painting (not to be confused with Abstract Expressionism, a similar but different movement) where small brushstrokes build and structure large paintings. Small brushstrokes exhibit control of large areas, expressing the artist’s emotion and focus on inner energy, and sometimes contemplation, creating expressive, lyrical and thoughtful qualities in the paintings. The brushstrokes are similar to those of Impressionists such as Monet and Post-Impressionists such as van Gogh and Seurat, only tending toward Abstract Expressionism. While in the action painting style of Abstract Expressionism brushstrokes were often large and bold and paint was applied in a rapid outpouring of emotion and energy, the Abstract Impressionist’s short and intense brushstrokes or non-traditional application of paints and textures is done slowly and with purpose, using the passage of time as an asset and a technique. Milton Resnick, Sam Francis, Richard Pousette-Dart, and Philip Guston were notable Abstract Impressionist painters during the 1950s. Paul Jackson Pollock (January 28, 1912 – August 11, 1956), known as Jackson Pollock, was a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement, and Canadian artist Jean-Paul Riopelle helped introduce Abstract Impressionism to Paris in the 1950s.

Elaine de Kooning coined the term “Abstract Impressionism”^[1] and it was soon used by critic Louis Finkelstein in an attempt to distinguish for Philip Guston the difference between the two forms.^[2] The primary difference is in approach. The similarity between the two forms, however, is in the final outcome – what is acceptable as a finished piece.

Lawrence Alloway curated an exhibition of the same name in 1958 and included, among others, Bernard Cohen, Harold Cohen, Sam Francis, Patrick Heron, Nicolas de Staël. A contemporary heir to the Abstract Impressionist form is William Duvall, whose Eco-Abstract paintings are done outdoors.

Great to know that I am in some amazing company…..lol… Have a great week everyone… talk to you soon

…….peace

…………………..james…

“Secret Combination” 48 x 60, oil on canvas

Some say a painter can expect to produce around 1000 pieces of art during their lifetime… Picasso was said to have well over 3500 pieces at his time of death. .. Sieglinde and I have lost count but we think its a little over 500…  For me I have always wanted to have a significant body of work… as the artist changes so does their style… and the body of work is the best way to tell a story of the journey, ….the ups the downs…. the truth,  and the triumphs.    For me the most exciting part is the energy I feel right before I finish one and then the anticipation of starting another one… This is all part of the artistic process,  but one of my main objectives in building a body of work is staying active in the studio and creating as much as I can on a regular basis.. I try to paint everyday and if not  able I am usually sketching  in my sketchbook.

Below are pics of a small portion of our body of work on show at the VIP booth at Reggae in the Desert and our gallery , Matters of Abstraction, studio 7

have a great week everyone… talk to you soon

……..peace

……………….james

VIP booth at the Las Vegas, Reggae in the Desert

Matters of Abstraction, Studio 7

Hey everyone…. hope you had a great week… my big painting is coming along nicely… I thought I was going to  be done with it already but we keep adding things… pretty sure it will be done this week and ready for viewing… I am excited to have it seen as it is completely different than my regular abstracts… Someone asked me the other day when do I know a painting is completed?….Usually  the signing of a painting signifies its completion for me…. some of them may leave the studio only to be worked on later… I have a few around the house that are unsigned and waiting for the next drops of paint or glue or material.. the one unique thing I can tell you is that I have two dedicated brushes that I use to sign paintings with… and thats all they are used for…they are stored in a drawer so they don’t get used with the regular work brushes… so when I bring out the brushes to sign with… their are done……

peace…

……………..james

Hey everyone….

…..its been a pretty productive week in the studio….I am guessing about another week or so and I will be able to release my new work… its over 10 ft. wide!.. crazy… I was up early and was able to capture this little guy enjoying his breakfast.. nothing like springtime in Vegas… hard to believe its over 75 degrees here and there is 3 ft of snow on the east coast…. give me Vegas anyday….  As always… sign up for our weekly blog…join the tribe!… ride with us on our artistic journey…

………..peace

………………….james