Iris portrait by Alan Singer in watercolor , June 2022
Our jet plane landed safely after the quickest, smoothest flight from San Francisco and then we came into Newark, New Jersey on the way to our last stop closer to home in Rochester, New York. The flight was PACKED and so was the airport in New Jersey. But we had quality time with our family in Oakland, and now we are back on home turf. Amazing how much our garden has changed over our short trip to California!
I got right down to work the day after painting portraits of the iris flowers in our garden on the most glorious days due to cool weather temperatures and lots of sunshine. At first I was a bit rusty but I did work up some fine watercolors that I am satisfied with.
This violet iris presents a problem because the paints I use aren't as vibrant as the flowers in front of me! There are cool blue violets here and warm red violets in these flowers which can create the sense of dimension that is a challenge to articulate. So, I give it a chance and make three or four good ones I can keep.
Kerina Mangiaracina at JOY GALLERY
West Main Street, Rochester, New York
After my painting session at home I travel to downtown Rochester to find the Joy Gallery on West Main Street. My colleague, Luvon Sheppard has opened his gallery for a showing by Kerina Mangiaracina. She was one of our students a few years back at Rochester Institute of Technology and we are proud of the fact that she has many new works on display in this solo show.
Kerina calls her show "Connections" and this is her print at Joy Gallery - see it this weekend!
Kerina had studied figure drawing with me back at R.I.T. but there are few figures in her new work and in fact most of the large scale paintings have an abstract quality that hits you first and some have a rigorous geometry which I later found out relates to the grid of city blocks in New York City. There are works which have a set of whirling circles she calls: ""Dirty Dishes". Paintings on canvas express a great deal of energy and vitality, while the title takes a cue from the ever present duties of being a parent who has to clean up after the kids.
"Dirty Dishes", oil on canvas
Ms. Mangiaracina writes an artist statement that gives the viewer her perspective on how art and life can co-exist, especially when you would like to be painting or printmaking but you have to take care of the kids and be able to pay the rent. In her show she has a big broom and a pile of dishes on the floor as an installation that comments on the fragility of common household items and the fragile state of affairs that can accompany the life of an artist.
Installation by Karina Magiaracina
at
JOY GALLERY
498 West Main Street, Rochester, New York
You will enjoy the variety of artworks she has produced, and they make you think a while about the symbols she employs and the various materials she uses to get your reaction. Go take a look for yourself and see what you think!
