This past year was one for the record books; I have a partner who is considered high-risk if he catches Covid-19, so we’ve had to be about as careful as it’s possible to be. Which means we’re coming up on a year of barely leaving the house.
I have not visited my art studio much, but I brought home my more portable easel and my supplies and set to work on a few large-scale pieces. Here they are:
It’s a beautiful late-winter day, and I’m very happy to say that four of my pieces are now available for viewing and for sale at The Social Cafe , until further notice. Thanks John!
I was sorry to learn that Manfred May has died. (Read his obituary here).
This is one of his pieces; it almost directly inspired the name of my website. Manfred lived a few blocks away from me, in the incredibly interesting house that he designed – see below (he was an architect).
I didn’t know Manfred well, but I had several fascinating conversations with him after I stumbled across his property while out on a walk.
Finding his architectural manifesto, To Build the Compact Green City: Manifesto and Call to Re-think Architecture and City Planning, deepened my interest in his creative and civic philosophy and I’ve started to build a website to share more about his theories, his art, and his buildings.
If anybody local has information or stories about Manfred, please contact me.
Here’s my most recent work; a portrait of my friend, Michael:
I finished this piece at the end of May and submitted it to an art show at Mansfield Outdoor Centre in June, where it was voted People’s Choice winner. I’m very pleased with how the painting turned out, and flattered that my fellow festival-goers liked it as well.
Since May I’ve been absent from my studio quite a bit. There was a lot of travelling in June, and again in July (including a trip to Vancouver), so I haven’t been keen to start any projects. I think I need to spend some time looking for inspiration. This painting rattled around in the back of my head for about 5 months before it started to come through into real life; I’m hoping to incubate some more ideas during the heat of the summer.
This is a portrait of my friend, Michael, whom I managed to photograph in a quiet moment last fall. He looked so regal that he reminded me of a saint in a stained-glass window. Since he’s a stained-glass artist himself, it seemed like the photo was screaming to be made into a painting with a stained-glass theme.
This is my most recent finished piece, which I was thrilled to exhibit at the Novah Gallery for International Women’s Day:
