Photos of Blab Show

Here are some photos of the room at the Blab show. You can see my paintings lined up on one wall. Unfortunately, the photographer was having a bit too much fun and we did not get any shots of the crowd (it was packed) or of any of the other wonderful people I talked to (including other Blab artists like Greg Clarke). Maybe next time!

Little Girl Giant

If you haven't already, you have to see the Little Girl Giant on YouTube . An amazing piece of sculpture! An awesome marionette with soul.

Blab Show Sell-out

"Mini-Monkey #1" copyright 2006 Amy Crehore (for Blab Show)

I'm back from the Blab Show and it was fun! I handed out cards to everyone and met tons of new people and renewed old friendships, too. I chatted with Monte Beauchamp, Mark Frauenfelder, Greg Clarke and Thomas Han. I will post some pictures as soon as my "photographer" sends them to me.

Halfway into the show, Gary Pressman (the director of CoproNason Gallery) came up to my wall of paintings and dramatically put a red sticker on every single one of my pieces. Apparently, someone came in and bought them all. I heard it was an older mystery man in a suit. The goal was to have lots of people buy the work. Instead, however, one person snatched them up in a shark attack.

The Art of Amy Crehore

Blab Show

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Destination: Santa Monica, California

Today, I leave for California, so I will not be posting again until Monday. I should have some photos and news about the Blab! Show opening when I get back. If you can make it to the show on Saturday, Sept. 23 from 8-11:30pm at CoproNason Gallery, Santa Monica, CA, please come up and say hello and get a signed Monkey Love Postcard from me. If you can't come to the show, check it out online (8 new paintings by me). Contact information is on the

Blab!Show website.

Also, check out the "Women with Issues" Show at M Modern Gallery online, opening Sept. 23rd as well! I have one new painting in that show.

Thanks for your support and interest in my art!

The Art of Amy Crehore

Mysterious Balthus Painting

Mysterious painter, mysterious painting! The above painting by Balthus called "Sleeping Nude" or "Nu Assoupi" 1980, 79" x 59", as seen in the book written by his son, Stanislas Klossowski de Rola (Abrams 1996), happens to be in a collection in a skyscraper lobby in NYC but no one is allowed to get close to it. Read Marshall Sponder's story about this painting on artNYC .

Anyone who has read about Balthus has come across this telegram which Balthus wrote to the art critic John Russell right before his Tate Gallery retrospective in London in 1968.
"No biographical details. Bathus is a painter of whom nothing is known. Now let us look at the pictures. Regards. B"

Bathus was reclusive and silent for years. In the years before his death, however, Balthus opened up to the press and we know a lot more about him. Biographys were written and art books were published.

It is some consolation that we get to see this painting reproduced in a book even if we cannot get close to it in real life. What a tease! It's one of my very favorites.

Monkey Love For Sale

"The Strummer" copyright 2006 Amy Crehore (Blab Show)

This new Monkey Love painting, which is currently showing in the Blab Show, is called "The Strummer". It is only 8 3/4" square and painted on a linen panel (unlike my others in the series which are 12" square, oils on stretched linen).

Ever since I created the "Creature" painting for Mark Frauenfelder of boingboing, I have been trying to insert a bit of music into my images. This seems to add something to the ambience.
In my new Blues Gals series, I have added a banjo and a guitar and the titles are either real or made up blues song titles. Having a vintage instrument collection (guitar family) at home certainly helps inspire me as does the fact that I played music myself for many years.

The Blab Show (see all 8 of my new paintings here)
BoingBoing ("Roaming Tomcat Rag" painting)
The Art of Amy Crehore (my website gallery and store)
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California Fun

Sketch for Mini-Monkey#3 by Amy Crehore 2006

Here's another sketch I did for one of my 8 new Blab Show paintings.

I will head down to Santa Monica later this week for the show next Saturday, Sept. 23, 2006 at Bergamot Station, CoproNason Gallery. I am looking forward to it.

Fred Stonehouse and Ryan Heshka are both artists that I admire and they have many paintings in the show as well. Monte Beauchamp has a good eye for choosing great artists to be in "Blab!" .

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Morton Bartlett's Boys

More great images from the book, "Family Found- The Lifetime Obsession of Morton Bartlett" by Marion Harris.

He only created a few boys and they are thought to be "self-portraits". Each figure is about about 26 or 27 inches.

I love their toothless expressions of pure glee.

Early Review of Blab! Art

"Black Snake Wiggle Blues" copyright 2006 Amy Crehore (for Blab Show)

Marshall Sponder over at artNYC has already started to review the online Blab! Show.
You can read up on what he has to say about my art and also read the entire press release for the show.

Mini-Monkeys

"Mini-Monkey #4" copyright 2006 Amy Crehore (for Blab Show)

The 2nd Blab Show is finally online!! This image is one of the mini-monkeys that I did for the show. Check out my 8 paintings, 6 new Monkey Love works and 2 Blues Gals. The opening will be held at CoproNason Gallery, Santa Monica, CA on Sept. 23, 2006 - 8-11:30 pm (show continues through Oct. 21, 2006). Images, sizes and sales info on-

Blab! Show

I will also have a painting in the M Modern Gallery "Women With Issues" Show (A Tribute to Valley of the Dolls) opening the same day as the Blab! Show in Palm Springs, CA.

M Modern Gallery

Check their website in the days to come for a preview of that show. I will show a painting called, "Metaphysical Sunburn"- 3 women in a pool.

See my website for other Monkey Love works (they originated with last year's Blab Show) and my Little Pierrots. I have limited edition, signed giclee prints in my website store. Contact me to be on my e-mailing list. amy@amycrehore.com

The Art of Amy Crehore

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Update: Blab!

"The Charmer"copyright Amy Crehore 2005 (new postcard)

Sketch for one of my new Blab Show paintings,

"Mini-monkey #2"(copyright 2006 Amy Crehore)

I heard that "Blab! 17" will not be ready by showtime, Sept. 23, 2006.
So, there will be no booksigning. However, I will be at the show handing out free, signed Monkey Love Postcards with a popular image from last year's show, "The Charmer"(above). You can still order your copy of "Blab! 17" from Amazon or Fantagraphics.
Blab Show

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Sneak Preview

"Roaming Tomcat Rag" copyright 2006 Amy Crehore

Here is a sneak preview of one of the eight paintings that I created for the Blab! Show.

All eight will be available for viewing this week on the Blab! Show website.

Blab! Show

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Morton Bartlett's Sculpted Family

Morton Bartlett 1932

I've been meaning to write about Morton Bartlett for a while now. Little-known while alive, except for an article in "Yankee Magazine" circa 1962, Morton Barlett was a reclusive Boston bachelor who made meticulously detailed, half-size, painted plaster figures of mostly teenage girls and a few boys. He also created and sewed outfits for each one and then documented his creations in realistic settings by taking B&W photos of them. The unique thing about his art was that these figures expressed complex emotions in their faces and gestures.

Marion Harris bought the 15 sculptures (carefully wrapped in newspapers) and 200 photographs which were found after his death in 1992 at the age of 83. She later published a book on this "folk" artist entitled "Family Found, The Lifetime Obsession of Morton Bartlett". This book is one of my favorite things and contains dozens of photos in color and B&W as well as 5 essays on the importance of this American artist.

The book can be purchased by writing to Marion Harris
She is an art and antiques dealer located in NYC.

More links can be found for this wonderful artist by googling "Morton Bartlett". There have been quite a few different articles written speculating about his motivation for his art...some assigning him a Lolita complex.

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A Little Update

The news is, for those who have been watching, that the Blab Show will not be online until next week. The paintings were supposed to go up this week, but apparently they are still working on the website. I'm as anxious as everyone else to see all of the paintings!! I will be the first to announce it as soon as I hear from the man, Monte.

And...I am waiting to hear what is up with the M Modern Show as well. I have not heard from them. I also completed a painting for their show which opens the same day as the Blab Show- Sept. 23, 2006. (Valley of the Dolls Show)

Joe Coleman, Visionary Artist

Hank Williams, copyright Joe Coleman

Go read the excellent new review by Marshall Sponder of the Joe Coleman exhibit at

Art NYC

Joe Coleman is having a retrospective at the Jack Tilton Gallery in NYC. It opened last night.

Sounds like an exciting event. One for the art history books.

I love my copy of "Original Sin, The Visionary Art of Joe Coleman" by Heck Editions, 1997.

Joe Coleman is a wild man on canvas. It takes enormous perseverance to paint like that, with the tiniest detail. I can relate to it's narrative quality and craftsmanship and, also, to Joe's tremendous imagination. The subjects he picks are interesting and historic, like Henry Darger, Hank Williams, John Brown, etc. I wish I could have been at this opening. Joe was one of the original "Blab!" artists.

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Diary Page

DeChirico
Brooks

I just noticed that I haven't posted anything since last Friday. While everyone else was having their Labor Day cookouts, I was working away on a painting for the M Modern Gallery Show called "Women with Issues"- images inspired by the movie "Valley of the Dolls". It opens the same day as the Blab Show, Sept. 23, 2006.

I finished the painting today (3 female figures) and took slides. It's a "metaphysical" scene with a modern slant. (See Pittura Metaphysica ) They like the modern look out in Palm Springs where the gallery is located... from the late 40's on.

It's been really hot here in Oregon. I wish the heat would let up, since I don't have air conditioning in the studio.

I'm looking forward to going down to Santa Monica, CA again in two weeks for the Blab Show. It will be a nice change of scene. I am going to take a break from painting for the next couple of weeks. There is plenty more to do to get ready for the two shows. At least the artwork is done!

The Blab Show is supposed to be online this week! I keep on checking: www.blabshow.com

Josephine Baker, Muse

Okay, a friend of mine asked me to post more pictures of Ms. Baker and I am happy to comply.

She was the model for many posters and ads of the period. Her black helmet hair and her rubber limbs inspired zillions of wonderful art deco images. For more history and images go here:

Josephine Baker

They are currently having a show of rare photographs of Ms. Baker at the

New York Public Library for the Performing Arts

Here's another good site for photos of Ziegfeld Follies. There you will find Josephine Baker and Louise Brooks, two of my favorite muses. (Thanks to www.meathaus.com)

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