The parks are beautiful in the sunshine and when it isn’t raining everyone makes sure they get out! Here we are, walking along; we turn a corner and there, across the water, is a Henry Moore sculpture! One of our favorite mystery writers, Barbara Vine, wrote about the Portobello Market, so naturally we had to… Continue reading The Streets of London; May 28, 2013
Author: Helen
Impressions, London; May 28, 2013
Charles Dickens Museum – excellent. The kitchen and scullery gave a clue about the hard life of those who could not hire someone else to do the work. Although Dickens was considered a champion for working class people and women, he apparently had a double standard when it came to his wife, who bore him… Continue reading Impressions, London; May 28, 2013
Adventures in London; May 24, 2013
Extrapolated from my drawing notebook: We spent seven hours at the Victoria and Albert Museum and did not see even half of what they have on display! I focused on the areas most related to my current studies: European art, particularly painting, drawing, and sculpture. They have a stunning collection of sculpture: Rodin, medieval wood carvings,… Continue reading Adventures in London; May 24, 2013
Thoughts on Florence
Florence. It has taken me all summer just to start writing about it. I was there for three weeks, immersed in a summer art program at California State University. It was wonderful, intense, gratifying, overwhelming, exciting, and exhausting. I felt exposed, vulnerable, honored, and affirmed. I did not do my best work. I learned a… Continue reading Thoughts on Florence
Death of Venus; Technical Aspects
Death of Venus; a Description The basswood figure is 24” long from fingertips to toes, on a 15” x 27” mahogany base. It is a partially articulated marionette, without strings, to represent the control others are exerting on the woman’s body. The basswood was stained and then varnished with satin polyurethane. To make the hair… Continue reading Death of Venus; Technical Aspects
Death of Venus, the story behind the image.
Death of Venus; the Impetus The barbaric laws being passed to control the bodies of women, much as the bodies of slaves were controlled in our earlier history, have compelled me to create this carving. There is a movement in the United States to strip women of their independence and return them to the days of annual… Continue reading Death of Venus, the story behind the image.
Death of Venus, in progress.
New Developments
So many things are happening all at once! Perhaps the biggest news is my acceptance to the California State University summer program, Drawing and Painting in Florence, Italy. For three weeks I will be totally immersed in some of the best art ever created, surrounded by artists, making my own art, and eating Italian food!!! Just thinking… Continue reading New Developments
Anatomy
I absolutely love the anatomy class I am taking at CSULB with Peter Zokosky! Not only is he knowledgable and a superb teacher, but he is having us construct a sixteen-inch, three-dimensional model of the skeleton and then we will apply all the muscles to it. It is amazing how one’s understanding of form increases with the… Continue reading Anatomy
End of a Tale
The cactus painting saga is complete, although the process continued to be fraught with challenges. Apparently, over the holidays the garden is open to visitors on Tuesdays. Not knowing this, I arrived ready to paint for hours, only to be warned by the gardener to expect several thousand visitors! Naturally I left before the onslaught.… Continue reading End of a Tale