Know when to fold ‘em

I think i’m not alone in being eagerly influenced by either artists I admire: a new palette, a system of markmaking, a boldness in materials. But the more I paint, the more I realize that what feels like “me” is saturated color, organic flow, and a pleasing balance. Last month I worked on a new 4x5 canvas that was light, colorful, full of unconnected shapes that I hope would feel playful and energetic. I shared it and felt good about it- but the longer it hung in the gallery the more unhappy with it I became. It just didn’t bring me joy.

Another thing I know is that all artists revise, edit rework, repaint, or throw away. In this case I took it up to the studio and just reworked it completely. Here’s the before and after:

I’d love to know what you think!

Three women walk into a Zoom meeting…

Being a painter is a lonely profession by its very nature: painting during the last two years of pandemic isolation posed specific challenges, but also opportunities. Thanks to Instagram, Zoom, YouTube, and the human need for others, a new gallery has been formed during these weird times.

 It started when I reached out to some artists I had been following on Instagram whose styles and output were similar to mine: large scale, bold, painterly abstracts ( as Picasso said, “Good artists borrow, great artists steal.”)  COVID isolation, a closed home gallery and cancelled art shows meant a dearth of conversation about not only technique but making a living as a painter, marketing, and all those exchanges that we used to take for granted.

So I contacted some painters whose work I admired  as well as an art writer, to see if they wanted to meet on Zoom and talk. They did, and the monthly confabs were a great way to make virtual friends and peers.

Then one of the group, Susan Washington (www.susanwashingtonfineart.com) had an idea.

Susan, who has a background in the New York fashion industry lived and worked as a collage artist and painter in the Poconos.  She had hosted a now-retired online gallery called NITRO and in the Spring of 2021 when she relocated to Baltimore, thought it might be worth reviving an online space in order to move into gallery aggregators like Artsy. She contacted another member of the group, Lori Mirabelli (www.lorimirabelli.com) based in Toronto, who had a lot of experience in online and brick-and-mortar galleries, to sound out the idea. Lori contacted me, and we started to work on the new Nitro Gallery.

We all bring different skills to the table: I’m a communications professional; Susan is widely networked; and Lori is an expert in online marketing.  But most of all we share an entrepreneurial spirit, we move fast, and are generous with expertise and support.

 The brick and mortar Nitro Gallery will be based in part of Susan’s Baltimore industrial building and open to the public by appointment, with a real opening planned for the end of the month. Our work will be featured extensively on www.nitrogallery.com.   Check it out!