Finding an Edge with Color...

Both of these paintings are studies for a larger painting that I have been working on for a couple of weeks (5th color layout). As you know I am not subtle with color.

I am following Karl Zipser suggestion and have set up two easels in my little studio and positioned my palette in the middle. I am always working on more then one painting at a time but usually not looking at them at the same time. Karl suggest that I may find the answer to one painting while working on another.

Guess Who...

This is Vincent (with both ears) my daily painting buddy.

Drawing and Photography...

Those of us who hope to be involved with Drawing week in Scottsdale would be interested in this post on the Making a Mark blog.

There is a little bit of a buzz in New York on the pending visit by Javotte Boutillier a very talented French Photographer.

There are no bad paintings....

It is like struggling to find your voice and often it take a couple, if not more, attempts to begin to make sense. But the more you say what ever it is that's stuck in your brain, the easier it becomes and the clearer the message. This week I did a bulls rush, and just painted every moment that I had. Staying away from most distractions (had to watch the Suns). It was a very good week.

Young Boys (c) 1994 -Bob Martin

Taking up Plumbing...

I had some work done this past week on my water softener and eventually had to have the unit replaced. The plumber seemed to be extraordinarily happy. What he was doing required skill, he needed to be and was committed to being excellent. He had pride in the job he was doing. Artwork!!

A public "be safe and stay in touch" to our friend LJ, who heads off to create art in a new city.

Paula Rego Dog Women

There is sometime very organic about Paula Rego's Dog Women It reminds me of Peter Cox,and others who paint visions of a primal human being. Unfortunately for me, I had never thought about posing a model like this.

Keeping things simple...

I've been working hard on finding a balance between abstract and detail. At times I need to be rescued from myself. I will keep making my work more complicated then it needs to be and then I am disappointed. When I leave the studio for lunch, someone should just come in take what ever is on my easel, frame it and hide it from me. It would help if they paid for too, but I would settle for the painting being hidden for a while.

Conti drawing Bob Martin 1994 (c)

"Means to an End" & "Cause and Eff...

My Mother would always say "there are no promises and no guarantees". She got the saying from someplace, but I think she was referring to not Knowing anything about how life will turn out, you just have to go about your business as if it was the most important moment in your life, and it is until another moment show up. I am doing everything I can to become a great, meaningful, purposeful, and consistent Artist, not so that my paintings will sell someday at Sotheby's for $95 Million I think it's more about trying to say something about myself and my view of what going on around me, a visual representation of my thoughts. I'm reminded of John Mayer's lyrics "Maybe I'll tangle in the power lines And it might be over in a second's time But I'll gladly go down in a flame If the flame's what it takes to remember my name" . Sure hope it doesn't come to that. One thought is that I doubt that Picasso believed that "Dora Maar With Cat", was going to be worth this much and he had a high opinion of himself.

What's fun is to reread is "How To Be Creative" by Hugh Macleod, funny and true.

Picasso Dora Marr

Art & Perception-A Challenge to Artists...

In one Karl Zipser recent post he discuses the difficulty that artist face and wonders why with all the money being spent on art that artist still seem to have a hell of a time. I don’t think I will ever understand why things go the way that they do, but there are three questions that Zipser suggest that he/we ask ourselves every day.

• Do I wake up before sunrise to put my best into my art while most people are still sleeping?
• Do I paint as though my very existence depended on it?
• And if not, why not?

And now for something different. Long time ago I worked for a department store and I got to meet H. ( I don’t remember the first name) Sondheim, Stephen’s dad, who was a coat/suit manufacturer and all of us were very proud of Stephen. Most of us had never met him, but didn’t seem to matter. “West Side Story” had just become a huge hit. For some silly reason I’ve always felt like I had some exclusive ownership of “Somewhere”, as if I was among a very small group of people on the planet who knew about this song. On the “Sing Me Back Home” Album by the New Orleans Social Club there is a version of “Somewhere” which is perfectly placed.

Distractions...

I got into a wonderful conversation with my painting buddy's about distractions, stuff that challenges our commitment to paint and to create art. Especially living were we live. Its like always a holiday or vacation feeling. Another reason to give our selves a break. Rembrandt did not have to rush home to see the Sopranos.