Monday, January 27, 2014

Billowing Clouds Go By and By

Billowing Clouds Go By and By Katherine Kean contemporary original oil
Billowing Clouds Go By and By ©2014 Katherine Kean
oil on linen 16 x 20 inches
"Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky." Rabindranath Tagore

This is one of the paintings that I'm planing to take to the Palm Springs Fine Art Fair in February. If you're in the area and you'd like to come to the Fair and see it in person let me know. Email me, or sign up for my newsletter..


Monday, January 20, 2014

Palm Springs Fine Art Fair 2014


I'm pleased to once again be participating in the Palm Springs Fine Art Fair, which takes place President's Day weekend at the convention center in Palm Springs, CA. Full details below. I can send a limited number of complimentary passes to newsletter subscribers. Please sign up here.

IZEN MILLER GALLERY
Booth 210
PALM SPRINGS FINE ART FAIR
Palm Springs Convention Center, 277 N Avenida Caballeros, Palm Springs, CA 92262

V.I.P. Opening Preview Party
Thursday, Feb 13, 7 - 9:30 PM
             
Friday, February 14, 11 AM - 8 PM  
 Saturday, February 15, 11 AM - 8 PM 
 Sunday, Feb 16, 11 AM - 6 PM

Monday, January 13, 2014

Standing in the Sky

Scotland Sketch 3 2014 Katherine Kean
graphite on paper

"Look at your feet. You are standing in the sky. When we think of the sky, we tend to look up, but the sky actually begins at the earth." - Diane Ackerman

I drew this from a photograph taken in Scotland on a day when the clouds rushed in fast and dark and rained on us a little bit and then almost as quickly were gone. I'm glad I took a picture. This sky lasted only moments. but took my breath away while it lasted.

Monday, January 06, 2014

Can Artwork Keep You Awake at Night?

When I first heard the quote by Donald Hess, "I only buy paintings that keep me awake at night." I wondered, what does he mean by that? My inner class clown quipped, (inwardly) "Does he own a collection of James Turrell or Dan Flavin light paintings?" While it is true that there are many Turrell's in the Hess Collection, the paintings that Hess is referring to are the ones he has seen and then after seeing them is woken up in the middle of the night able to "clearly see the piece of art in front of my eyes" To me this suggests a strong sense of connection.

What in a painting would wake you up in the middle of the night?

Robert Motherwell Elegy to the Spanish Republic

Diane Marsh Rage, Rage Against the Dying of the Light

Would it be bold shapes, contrast or color, a composition loaded with internal tension? A compelling or inspiring message?

Or maybe, a painting that needs solving? As an artist these do keep me awake at night, but that's a different subject. In this case I'm thinking of paintings that seem to contain riddles or point to something...other, beyond language, and that perhaps the clues are contained in the artwork if only one could decode them.

Anselm Kiefer Am Anfang, 2002

The other kind of painting that I imagine keeps one awake is one that is very beautiful. Those that make me want to get up and turn on the light and see it again. To sit before it, maybe with a glass of something, while I stay awake and look.

What about you? Has an artwork ever kept you awake at night?

Bolton Hall Museum Gift Shop

The Bolton Hall Museum Gift Shop   is a great place to do your holiday shopping! Carrying a wide range of unique items, all are created l...