Reading, Writing, and Railroad Street

Fairport, New York, a glorious Saturday afternoon on the Erie Canal

We arrived in Fairport, in time for an art opening, just off the Erie Canal on Railroad Street.

I have been thinking that the art gallery as a business concept is going to need some revival, and maybe we will see what can be accomplished here, in our own vicinity.

 

A profound impression had been made for us when we were at The Clark last week in western, Massachusetts. Just a wonderful new building and a great collection of artwork to see, and later when we were about to leave, I stepped into the museum bookstore. I looked through the new arrivals.

I was pleased to see that there was a new book called: "Finding A  Likeness" written by Nicholson Baker.  Now, I have read a few of his books, but I was surprised to see this one in an art museum bookstore, so I picked up a copy.  The subtitle of the book is revealing: "How I Got Somewhat Better At Art", and this new volume introduced me to a new theme in his writing - that of delving into the nuts and bolts of creating satisfying art from the basics of drawing people ( and also trees and clouds! ) using a variety of media and techniques.  

Nicholson Baker's new literature on fine art

Now, I should give my readers a bit of the back story, in that the Baker family has long been a supporter of the arts.  Nicholson's parents met in the Parson's School of Design, New York City ( where I was a guest lecturer - though I didn't know them then ). Nicholson's uncle,  David Baker was lawyer and patron of mine in New York City.  David Baker bought a number of my early artworks which gave me more confidence that I could emerge as an artist in THE BIG APPLE.  Then, when we moved upstate to Rochester, New York,  so I could teach at R.I.T., Nicholson Baker's dad was one of the first people I met in our new town. Nicholson's mom also was a friend and she had worked in New York City as a fabric designer for Ginny Eckelberry ( another family friend ).  Small World!

Back to Nicholson's book, "Finding A Likeness" - this was such fun to read and also catch up on the latest avenues one can take as a student of drawing and painting.  The story he tells reveals many details about materials that an artist can use, and there are multiple samples of how a drawing can evolve, also how one can catch the nuance of an individual face.  Having the motivation also to finish a drawing to your satisfaction is also a theme in this new book.  Even our Rochester Art Supply store gets a favorable mention in a section about pastels!

Railroad Street Artworks, is now open

I have been thinking a lot about teaching art myself and having identified myself as a Professor in the field of Fine Art I wonder how I would prepare my students for what they must face in our new economy.  Here in our town of Fairport we have a new art cooperative that might show some promise.  The gallery has just opened and they had a good crowd - with many new faces and a large selection of mostly small scale artworks for you to enjoy - and maybe even purchase!

Opening Day for Railroad Street Artworks

On a table there was a layout of  artworks that you could bid on - like a silent auction, and I wondered how long the bidding would last before a work found a buyer.  Many attractive pieces to choose from!

Make an offer for your favorite work and support the arts!

I am sure to put this gallery on my list of places to visit, and I wish them well on their endeavors!  Always  stimulating to see new works by a whole new crowd!

Photo print by Nikki Bittner

Many fine works in the opening show including this photo print by Nikki Bittner.  This looks like it was made on a day like today!  So clear and beautiful!  Now, I wonder how Nikki  got such sharp edges on everything in this print...she must have some new technique at hand!  Come and see for yourself!

 

The Clark

 

Looking off towards Acadia National Park, in Maine

Reluctant to leave this beautiful coast, we cast off from Maine, and make the big drive to western Massachusetts to go and see The Clark. We took in the sites including a boat yard at Castine and a walk along the point ( see above ) in Brooklin ( in Maine, not Brooklyn in NYC ).The fresh air was marvelous!

I had not seen The Clark in over ten years, so I was surprised when we drove in to Williamstown in western Massachusetts and parked our car to walk into the entrance.  The entire museum building has changed!

A new building greeted us and I must say that they had a brilliant idea to make-over this famous collection!  They now have a stunning reflective pool outdoors with space to sit and enjoy your lunch and inside there are spacious galleries in which to view their collections.  We didn't have time to see it all!

Winslow Homer , oil on canvas at The Clark

In the museum there is always a nice surprise right around the next corner.  The artwork is carefully selected to educate and inform the viewer....( I was surprised also that the gallery with Winslow Homer and George Inness - didn't have better lighting! ).  Some of Homer's most famous paintings are on view and I had a special interest in looking over the paintings of George Inness.  Here is a painting by George Inness at The Clark, followed by a painting by Inness that I own.

George Inness at The Clark

George Inness oil painting (in the Alan Singer collection)

The Clark has a wonderful permanent collection that goes back to Renaissance and like a textbook leads us through a short history lesson of mainly European art.  There was so much to see we didn't have time to see the exhibitions of glass borrowed from the museum in Corning, or the other temporary shows.

Sandro Botticelli at The Clark

"Virgin and Child with St. John the Baptist"

There are marvelous paintings of the past to see at The Clark, and the Botticelli above is one of the most eye-catching.This is a history lesson as well as a refresher course in painting and I found myself looking at every little detail.  This is necessary especially if one is attracted to the smaller scale compositions like the Goya painting called "Autumn" you see below:

"Autumn" by Goya

In the time we had spent at The Clark I felt refreshed and we went through the more recent compositions of the French artists which seems to be the heart of the permanent collection.  Drawn to the work of Degas and Renoir there is much to take in.  I was completely captivated by Renoir's portraits, especially the face of the young lady below ( you could almost read her mind...).

Portrait by Renoir

Renoir's Self Portrait

I am sure that we will have to come back to this museum, because we have only seen a fraction of what they have on exhibit.  I know this part of western Massachusetts has a lot to offer in the arts: music, dance and the visual arts...plus the beauty of the Berkshires!  We stepped out in the back to have a bite to eat and took in the view with their great reflecting pool and a comfortable chair for each of us.  Then it was time to get back behind the wheel and find our way home!

Taking a break and enjoying the view at The Clark, Williamstown, Massachusetts

Down East

 

Panorama view from the summit of Mount Battie, Camden, Maine

My wife Anna and I share a love for the coast; especially in Maine and we wanted to visit the state to see the sites and take in some museums along the way.

The ride through New York and Massachusetts had fog and downpours of rain - so we didn't stop for long.  But we lucked out coming into Maine, the clouds parted and we took a rest,  then found a lovely cabin near the Camden harbor.

Fitz Henry Lane, oil painting with a view of Camden Hills

For years I have had the poster above hanging in my house of a painting by Fitz Henry Lane of the Camden Harbor and the hills beyond.  The summit of Mount Battie which you see in this painting is the highest point in the area and gives you the best views up and down the coast.  So we took the auto route to the top and had a wonderful panorama, which I highly recommend!

A bit further along in our trip on Route 1, we  decided to stop at Rockland to go into The Farnsworth Museum.  They have some classic seascapes like the painting above, but they also have contemporary art like this painting by Alex Katz that you see below:

Alex Katz "Sunset ll", 2008, oil on linen

Now in his 90s, Alex Katz is still working and he has a studio a little further up the coast in Lincolnville.

His  art looked strong and was staged  near a sculpture by Robert Indiana that spoke of the Pop culture that I grew up with.

LOVE by Robert Indiana

At The Farnsworth, they also featured an artist that I was not familiar with and her work was very interesting. Take a look at the paintings of Lynne Drexler ( 1928-1999 ).  She was overlooked during her years making artwork, and I can't remember ever seeing her name associated with other abstract artists from the mid-20th century. Here are a couple of standouts that were donated to the Farnsworth:

Lynne Drexler, oil on linen, 1965

Lynne Drexler, oil on linen

I was glad to see these paintings by Lynne Drexler, and I wonder why it took so long for her artwork to gain some recognition.  Many artists have their home in Maine, but I did not know that Louise Nevelson started out in Rockland before moving to New York City and establishing her international reputation. The Farnsworth Museum had a wonderful selection of her artwork including sculptures and paintings, many of which were new to me.

Portrait of Louise Nevelson

Nevelson Sculpture on view at The Farnsworth

Many of the Louise Nevelson sculptures on view I had seen before in New York City, including a very tall piece that is related to a large scale work she presented at the Museum of Modern Art ( MOMA ).

Louise Nevelson

The Farnsworth Museum also has a collection of works dedicated to the Wyeth family of artists, many of which were donated to the museum.  I remember that when I was making a painting on Mohegan Island off the coast of Maine,  I walked past a house owned by Jamie Wyeth, though he was not present .

N.C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth, and Jamie Wyeth are represented in the museum and most of these paintings

explore various aspects of realism.

I was vey pleased to come across another realist painting by Rockwell Kent which you see below:

Painting by Rockwell Kent

Rockwell Kent prepared us for some of the scenes we would see along the coast, and we were looking forward to that.  We left Rockland and stopped in to see the Penobscot Marine Museum and found that collection which consists of paintings by artists like James Buttersworth of the mid 1800s, and many ship models made in the past.  We had a great time singing along with sea chanteys in a collection that they had at this Marine Museum.  We were in Searsport, where they built and launched many of the schooners that hauled great quantities of granite that came from quarries that dot the land.  This was industry in the past that helped build the cities we now know.

Searsport was a ship building capitol!

In my next post to "The Visual ArtWorker" I plan to write about our visit to The Clark, in western Massachusetts on our way back to the Rochester area.  All too brief, but we LOVED our time away!

 

Nature Walk

 

Lumiere presents "Common/Ground"

The work of Jim Mott and Adam Smith 

thru September 27th, 2024

We have been going to see gallery shows and recently we feel a renewed energy from the creative community.

This month there are two new exhibitions that might stimulate your imagination and take you on a nature walk. One show is at Lumiere,  which is around the back at 100 College Avenue in Rochester.  "Common/Ground"  features the work by two close friends - Jim Mott who is a painter, and Adam Smith who is a photographer. They share a love of being outdoors, and they both exhibit a knowledge of and an engagement with our landscape.

Jim Mott  paintings at Lumiere

I have been following the progress of Jim Mott over the years, and I first wrote about his itinerant artist project back in 2002 for American Artist Magazine.  The editor at that time was Stephen Doherty who was himself a plain air painter, and he was interested in Jim's project.  Jim's style - a form of realism captures the time of day in clear color and composition.  He often paints outdoors on modest size panels which are featured in this present show.

Adam Smith and Jim have known each other for years.  Adam's photos have a dynamic which in the photo below is implied by a movement forward of the image.  Other compositions have a classic serenity.

Adam Smith photos are part of "Common/Ground"

Adam Smith at Lumiere, 100 College Avene, Rochester, NY

We are lucky to have so many gifted visual artists in our  area, and I urge you to go out and see what they have to offer.  Just  yesterday, we were at the opening of a show that is also devoted to nature, seen from a different perspective.  Gloria Betlem is the artist and the show is being presented in an exhibition space called the Williams Gallery in the First Unitarian Church of Rochester.

What makes this show unique is the attention to detail for an unlikely subject - and that is - portrayals of  lichens in each new composition.  Gloria said that she is interested in abstraction,  and she found this subject  for her recent series of pastel drawings when she was out on a hike in Florida.  She writes in her artist statement that she has been on the lookout for these beauties growing on trees, rocks, or on any surface they choose to live.

"Happy Rappi", pastel by Gloria Betlem in the Williams Gallery

The work that Gloria Betlem has created for this exhibition is a six - year long survey of different species of lichens which she see as her muse!  This  is a blend of art and science, and something that also requires great skill and tenacity to bring across as  a work of art.  She has a way of engaging the eye in each stroke of color from her pastels and  you will want to know more about how she finds such interesting subjects!

Gloria Betlem's pastels at First Unitarian Church, Rochester, NY

 

Renewal

 

Lydia Boddie-Rice

at Joy Gallery, 498 1/2  West Main Street, Rochester, New York

Today, I write about "Renewal" as a stage in the life of an artist.  To renew oneself, is to spend time getting back to the basics, to feel more like oneself inside and out.  Part of this life as an artist is to be able to spend time in the studio creating new paintings and also be able to go out to galleries and look at what others have produced.  Our community, here in upstate New York, has great creative drive and there seems to be renewed energy since the pandemic, which finds a voice in recent exhibitions that have opened this week.

I am impressed by the artworks I found at the Joy Gallery on West Main Street in Rochester ( call for information at 585 436-5230 ).  Created by Lydia Boddie-Rice, in a solo exhibition she calls: " Rising on the Wind", one finds unique paintings and collage on view.  We parked outside and opened a door to a whole new experience of art that implied movement and character.  The motion considered by the artist is one of soaring into the sky, and many of the artworks on view  conform to the shape of a kite, but that's not all!

Lydia Boddie-Rice really understands her subject and I am reminded of the statement written  by Maya Angelou, "And Still I Rise".  Lydia's art is about uplifting the human spirit, and it is more than plain portraiture.  Somehow we engage in seeing into the personality of the people she portrays - starting with self-portraiture in her painting "Heliotrope 1".  She is at the center of our attention with her face in the middle of a giant sunflower.

Lydia Boddie-Rice in "Heliotrope 1" at Joy Gallery

In another self-portrait she is at work at two stages in life - one, as a youngster with a paintbrush riding the waves, and then as the older and wiser woman she has become.

Self Portriat , 2023

Many of the artworks in this show start out as collage, and she is also working with water based oil paints giving a different look to the original paintings.  She also makes prints of many of the works she creates and offers these for sale at the gallery as well.  In one of the kites she features my colleague, Luvon Sheppard , and she calls this work "Sanctuary".

"Sanctuary" by Lydia Boddie-Rice

The artist Lydia Boddie-Rice is well tuned to the efforts that artists must make to engage an audience and her online presences is well orchestrated, so take a look at her page on Instagram, or her website at:

boddieworkscreations.com

https://www.boddieworkscreations.com › ab                       

                                                                

Lydia Boddie-Rice at Joy Gallery,,  498 1/2 West Main Street,  Rochester, N.Y.

Art Book

My new book " Wheelhouse" published by ArtVoices Books this month

Check it out!

Here is the cover my new art book, and I want to let you know that it is worth the work to put this volume together for my interested collectors and followers!  We hope you will enjoy the stories that are told inside along with over a hundred different works of art - paintings and works on paper and many new prints that I make in my studio.  Yes, there is a wide range of artwork here, and it follows my development as a fine artist which has gone through some real evolutions!

Even this book has evolved through paperback editions and now here is the new hardback which you can find on line for sale  at Amazon!  My new book traces the changes in my work from representational compositions like the one on the cover which I call "Summer Harbor", to  recent pieces like the one below which I call "Back Bay"

"Back Bay" , Transfer print on Fabriano paper

Earlier, in the 1980s my work took on an active kind of abstraction, influenced by expressionist artists, and I really got deeply involved in a kind of spontaneous composition, using wax and tempera ( they kind of repel one another!  ).  I thought of composition as a way of defining movement - like looking at a modern dance group and how they use the space they inhabit...   These early abstractions are reviewed in the new book - "WheelHouse" by Bill Zimmer who was a New York Times art critic that I met when I was living in The Big Apple.

"The Desert Comes Alive At Night", 1984, oil on linen by Alan Singer

I was lucky to have found a large studio on Union Street in Brooklyn.  I was on the ground floor of a building owned by the painter, Kendall Shaw who was also teaching in Manhattan.  In my world at the time there was a lot of interest in abstraction, and Ken Shaw did a kind of painting that used systems and a process of  building compositions out of little squares of color, which I found very interesting.

Now,  forty years later I find  a real connection to those paintings, and I put some of my energy into realizing new compositions that build on that experience, along with a new sense of where art and mathematics establish a visual dialog.  In my new book two writers - Anne Coon, and Rebecca Rafferty expand on this idea.  They contribute fine essays to my book and I am grateful to them for their insight!

"Blue Lake" , 2005, oil on linen in two parts, by Alan Singer

I think. of all the changes happening in the art world and beyond and we really are in a different scene today, especially after the Covid pandemic.  I still am engaged in my art and I look forward to showing new work when chances arrive, and I am really excited about having a new book to share, so take a look if you have an inclination!

 My new drawings and prints are included in this edition and the book is dedicated to my family, without whose support this would  be a really different experience!  Also the book is dedicated to the memory of the artist and printmaker Keith Howard who came to live with us in Rochester in the late 1990s,  and whose work as a writer and practitioner will indicate some radical shifts in the use of materials and techniques for his art form.

A work in progress - oil on panel and not featured in my new book!

Many of my new works have bright color and an underlying grid system.  I began to use visual cues from the efforts I make on my computer to understand how a composition can be developed using  geometry and  including concepts such as the formation of cellular automata on the two-dimensional plane of my canvas or board.  I am really excited about the possibilities!  This new work above really glows...

Finally, I did move my studio from the Hungerford Building in Rochester to a new cottage in Fairport where we now set up our home.  I get to do prints and paintings and look forward to new showings of  all this energy and attention!

"Tropicalia" , a transfer print made in 2016

Page 85 in my new book - WheelHouse

 

Join the Print Club

 

The Print Club of Rochester

Annual Member Exhibition

at University Gallery, R.I.T.

Really nice turnout for the Artist's Reception on Saturday, June 29th in the University Gallery,  when I stopped in to see this show.  If you haven't been there, the University Gallery is at the Vignelli Center in Booth Building on the campus of Rochester Institute of "Technology.  There was a rare opportunity to buy prints from the Club's archive which goes way back, just as the members celebrate the 93rd anniversary.  A person can become a member - you don't have to be a working artist to do that, just someone who has a curiosity and willingness to support an arts organization.

Printmakers practice their form of art in many ways, and it goes way beyond the traditional woodcut, engraving or etching.  If you look at the selection of prints in this year's show, and take the time to read the labels, you will see that there are many kinds of prints in this show even one that requires a Lightbox ( see below ).  Denise Anderson wins a Juror's Award for her piece called "Wandering Amongst the Stars".

Denise Anderson's "Wandering Amongst The Stars"

Each year the Print Club mounts the Member's Exhibition, and this year the University Gallery hosted the show with wonderful light and open space.  A guest can really make some comparisons among the artwork on view now through July 20th.  You might even get a chance to speak with one of the artists whose work you might be interested in.  Here is Nick Ruth with his photogravure featuring the back of a signpost on the "Thruway".  This is a new method of making prints for Nick, and why not explore new avenues!  This print won a Juror's Choice award.

Nick Ruth and his photogravure "Thruway"

With so many methods of making a print, it takes some practice to create an image and then even make a small edition for people who may want to collect your artwork.  The nice thing about buying a print is that it usually is a lot less expensive than a painting or a sculpture, but it can truly represent the artist's  vision in a graphic sense.  If you become a member of the Print Club each year you can count on  getting a commissioned print as part of the reward for supporting this  organization.   I saw a print from Dan Welden in this show, and reading the label I see that he donated the work to the Print Club.

Print by Dan Welden as a donation to The Print Club

Out near Sag Harbor on Long Island, Dan Welden has been making prints for many years, in fact the first time I met him ( more than 40 years ago ) he was helping my father, Arthur Singer, to make a series of etchings of birds which were shown in galleries in New York City.  Below you will see one of the etchings that Dan Welden printed for my father all those years ago.  This is a traditional line etching made in a limited edition.  This print was Not in the show at R.I.T.,, but I include it here because this work was influential  for me because I later became a printmaker myself after seeing how the process unfolds.

Arthur Singer's Harpy Eagle printed by Dan Welden circa 1975

Some of the prints included in the Print Club show are actually mixed media where the printed piece is only part of the work.  I am thinking about the big work by Pamela Drix with its colorful fabric collage as well as other pieces in the exhibition that employ a variety of techniques.

Art by Pamela Drix

Print by Alan Singer

My own print in this exhibition I call "Tanager".  Tanager is a colorful bird and the wonderful thing about this print is that I use a kind of mathematical equation to arrive at the rendering of this creature.  This print is unique - I don't often make editions of my images, so this is one-of-a-kind.  I have been in practice as a printmaker for many years and have made probably a thousand images by now.

And in fact I was a teacher at Rochester Institute of Technology for more than 32 years and one class I enjoyed teaching was printmaking!

Print Exchange allows members to share with each other

I think there is something for everyone in this show and take the time to go out and  see the University Gallery at  R.I.T. , it is a wonderful space with excellent art on view now!