Wednesday, December 30, 2009

A Krampus for Dark Pop 2, NYC

"A Curious Shelter" by Amy Crehore 2009, 5"x7" (8 1/2" x 10 1/2" framed)
oil on linen
I did this little painting called "A Curious Shelter" for the Dark Pop 2.0 art show to be held in January at Last Rites Gallery, NYC. My monster looks somewhat like a version of Krampus to me. He comes to the girl's rescue, but who knows if he's good or bad. She's a bit vulnerable to say the least. Perhaps, instead of snow, I painted rain because that's what we have here in Oregon. It sort of reminds me of Edward Gorey a little bit. We all had to do a piece of "dark art" for the show and this is mine.
Please contact andrew@lastritesgallery.com for purchase.
Participating Artists Include:
AIKO (Aiko Nakagawa), Esao Andrews, John Cebollero, Joshua Clay, Molly Crabapple, Amy Crehore, Yoko d’Holbachie, Leslie Ditto, Mickey Edtinger, Mark Elliott, Eric Fortune, GAIA, Stella Im Hultberg, Sarah Joncas, Aya Kakeda, Ben Kehoe, Dan-ah Kim, Daniel Hyun Lim (Fawn Fruits), Danni Shinya Luo, David MacDowell, Mike Maxwell, Simone Maynard, Dennis McNett, Tara McPherson, Michael Page, Nathan Lee Pickett, Leslie Reppeteaux, Mijn Schatje, Tin, Dan Witz, Jaeran Won and more.
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 9th from 7-11pm
Last Rites Galley – 511 W. 33rd St. – 3rd Fl. – New York, NY – 10001 – 212.529.0666
www.lastritesgallery.com
Arrested Motion has some more images from the upcoming show.
The Art of Amy Crehore

Friday, December 25, 2009

Christmas Photos of the Past


The train set under the tree is a great tradition. How many of you had one? My friend Valerie in Barcelona sent me a terrific link to some old Christmas images -Papa Ted's Place: LINK. That's where I found these photos. The top photo was the Keen family tree in 1920 (image originally from www.shorpy.com). Click on these pictures to see all of the tiny details! The bottom photo is not politically correct, but it's fascinating. I remember going to NYC when I was young to visit my grandmother and seeing all of the fabulous Christmas displays. Of course, these photos are way before my time!
Merry Christmas everyone!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Family Tradition


Family Tradition
Originally uploaded by BigalDavies
Big Al's Christmas nut
on flickr.

Progress in Painting (Amy Crehore)

Detail of larger composition for a new painting by Amy Crehore
Happy Christmas Eve! I'll be spending this day - and the weeks to come - holed up in my studio working on my series of new paintings. I have recently experienced some breakthroughs with my art -more freedom in my application of paint, more texture. If you have been following me on twitter , you'll know that I mentioned that I like to apply oil paint thickly. I am using a combination of brush strokes to get an impression of nature, not unlike the French in the mid to late 1800s. However, mine is an intuitive approach (not plein-air) which draws upon my memories and feelings of hiking around the hills where I live and other experiences.
My new paintings also have figures interacting with each other (and with nature). While I am still making preliminary sketches and composing my imaginary figures first (detail of one shown above), the settings they inhabit are being constructed as I paint them. Sometimes the process feels as though I am writing a novel without words, in my own made-up language. I am having fun inventing new people and taking them in a new narrative direction. More freedom of style, yet it is all basically rooted in what came before (in my art). Colors, music, mood, interaction of figures.
I can't wait to show you, but the only way for me to really be creative and make significant progress is to shut myself off from the world and get lost in the activity. To paint for myself first. Now is the time to do this. I give thanks to all of the wonderful supporters of my art in 2009. May 2010 be filled with new art to share with you. I'll still be blogging everyday about things that I find interesting, and periodically sharing my progress with you.
The Art of Amy Crehore

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

94 Year Old Carmen Herrera's Art World Success

Todd Heisler/The New York Times
After six decades of painting, Ms. Carmen Herrera sold her first artwork five years ago, at age 89. She had exhibited her art over the years, but had never sold any of it. Since that first sale in 2004, collectors have pursued Ms. Herrera. Her paintings have now entered the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Hirshhorn Museum and the Tate Modern. She just accepted a lifetime achievement award from the director of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Read the rest of the article about this spunky 94 year old painter (written by Deborah Sontag):

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Don't Miss the Waterhouse Exhibit...

The Lady of Shallot, 1888, John William Waterhouse
It's a crime that this exhibit isn't coming to the U.S.A.! I think it was supposed to come here, but got cancelled. Anyhow, if you live near Montreal (or on the east coast), you should try to see this show (which is on view through Feb 7, 2010). It's the largest-ever retrospective of works by the great British artist John William Waterhouse (1849-1917). J. W. Waterhouse: Garden of Enchantment is the first large-scale monographic exhibition on Waterhouse’s work since 1978 and the first to feature his entire artistic career. This retrospective features eighty paintings and many drawings. Several of these works have not been exhibited since Waterhouse’s lifetime.
This guy is one of my all-time favorite artists. I saw his large painting, Ulysses and the Sirens, in a travelling show at the Portland Art Museum some years back and it blew me away. I saw some others at the Tate when I was much younger and living in England for a brief spell. I have a huge book on him published by Phaidon, but there is also a new catalog to accompany this exhibit. His handling of paint (very modern, French and thick), his ability to create naturalistic figures showing emotion and his classical compostions are unmatched. There is so much to be learned from studying his art. Plus, his paintings are gorgeous beyond belief. He could paint nature, landscapes, and figures interacting with each other like no one else. He made the myths both sexy and "real". He was born just as the Pre-raphaelites were first exhibiting their works. Here is a link to some images and a handful of videos with curator Peter Trippi: