 Ataraxia, 30x30 inches, oil on panel, ©Lynn Goldstein, $2600 Available for purchase Studies have shown that living with art makes you happier. How great is that? You benefit whether you are making your own art or whether you are enjoying someone else's creations. These positive results were not what I was looking for when I realized that I hadn't taken enough time out of my studio to see art in other settings. But I can tell you that I definitely felt the uplift when I went to the opening reception of the new exhibition: John Singer Sargent—Portraits in Charcoal at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC. To bring that joy to you, I have included some of my favorite pieces from that exhibition. See below:
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 Ongoing Ritual, 36x36 inches, oil on canvas, $3100 ©Lynn Goldstein Painting is like golf. Bear with me. This will make sense.
My father was an avid golfer. He played as often as he could and was always happy when he got time on the links. While gathered around the dinner table, we would always ask him how his day had been when he returned home after playing a round. I remember, with great love, the smile that would spread on his lips as he responded, “It was great, I think I have finally found it.”  Waving, 12x9 inches, pastel on paper, ©Lynn Goldstein more info here So, do you feel like you are living inside a sci-fi novel yet? Trust me, I am not making light. With the supermarket aisles devoid of canned goods, meats, produce, and TP, not to mention anti-bacterial gel and wipes, it feels pretty eery. That, coupled with all the news that is coming at us every day. I have been pretty anxious.
Music has always been my go-to when I feel upset. Putting on some music has helped me since I was a little girl and I listened to 45 rpm records of Walt Disney musical hits. (I KNOW! I am aging myself) Music has also been a constant while I am making my paintings. I have certain go-to music for my different moods. I also use music if I feel that the work is getting less lively and I want the art to project a lively, upbeat feeling . I bet you can figure out from the list below which music I use to bring more life to my art. Interestingly, I think that some of the art that I make has a musical rhythm in it.  The month of December was a trip... literally. My hubby and I visited the Galapagos Islands and Peru. I had expected to be wowed by the animals in the Galapagos, and was. That said, I was truly blown away by the stunning and breathtaking beauty of the Andes Mountains. I can't seem to get over the feeling of flying while having my feet firmly planted on the ground in the Cloud Forest.
Our experiences influence our art, and I suspect that my work will be changed by the experience in ways that I may not even realize yet. Stay tuned. To share the journey, I have compiled some of the most gorgeous or interesting things that we were able to see. Let me know which is your favorite in the comments below. Enjoy! One of the things that I love about living like an artist is being creative, but not simply in my art-making. I also love thinking creatively when it comes to the tools that I incorporate in my studio practice. Here's a video that shows 2 new tools that I recently discovered. One is used to help clean my brushes thoroughly and efficiently, and the other is used to apply paint in a new way. Check out the video below. Now that my solo exhibition is behind me, I can breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy a relatively calm interlude.
I was pleasantly surprised at the turn-out on a rainy Wednesday evening. Here's one of the reasons for my surprise: I was really happy when the Nationals won the 6th game of the World Series. After shouting with glee at the television on Tuesday evening, I realized that their win meant that the FINAL game of the World Series would be taking place during my reception. So, when I say that I was surprised at the turn-out, you may understand why! I am going to dispense with writing much more, and let the photographs tell you the story about the evening, which was an absolute delight. If the slideshow of the photos doesn't work, simply click on the arrow, or the thumbnail photos. Many thanks to my dear friend Mark Bare for taking these pics.  After returning from Italy last year, I knew that I wanted to squeeze every drop out of the experience possible by going back again. That said, I knew that there had to be some more things that I wanted to share with my students rather than simply repeating everything that we did last year.
After some research, I discovered that there was a contemporary outdoor sculpture park not far from where we were staying. The Chianti Sculpture Park is located between Pievasciata and Vagliagli, about 6 miles north of Siena and quite close to where we were staying. Each sculpture is site-specific and thought-provoking, following the ancient Italian tradition of sculpture made for a specific location outdoors. The park is the inspiration of Piero and Roslba Giadrossi and sits on about 17 acres of wooded property. Artists, representing 26 countries were invited and asked to propose their ideas for inclusion into the park. I knew this was a place I wanted to share with my students this year. Here are examples of some of my favorite pieces:  When traveling, one of my favorite things to do is to visit museums that house the work of artists from the specific countries that we are visiting. This is no easy task when on the go with my husband, aka Terrific Tax Attorney (TTA). TTA goes into these experiences looking as if he has swallowed a lemon whole. He breezes through each room to find the nearest bench so that he may sit and wait for me to finally finish looking at the work. As you can imagine, I move through what is shown in a more frantic manner. He looks so miserable that I don't want to torture him longer than necessary.
All that said, TTA joined me as we visited three museums during our last trip to Europe. He can be a good sport, and he even liked two of the three art venues. Let's keep it a secret that the work that inspired and moved me the most wasn't housed in the walls of the venerable museums, but in other places instead. Being immersed in the culture and history of the places that we visited inspired me in ways that I am sure will manifest in my art in the future, even if I don't know how that inspiration will show itself. Without further discussion, here are some examples of the most inspiring art that I saw: This is a tool that I have been using for years to help me make better art. Take a look at this video for tips on how to use this great tool yourself. Also, let me know in the comments below about tools you used to make your art better. It's always great to share ways to improve our art!  This is a new abstract pastel that illustrates "taking a chance" as I am fairly new to abstract work. Constructive Conversation, 12 x 9 inches, Pastel, © Lynn Goldstein, $575 June is a tough month for me. The anniversary of my father's death is June 3, with the emotional one-two punch of Father's Day following close behind. Dad died when I was 25 and he was way too young.  Here I am with Dad. If you are unsure, I'm on the left. It's safe to say that I think of my Dad everyday. I still miss him, but let's not dwell on that. Instead, I want to share some of my favorite words of advice from him. One of the best tidbits of wisdom that he imparted impacts me to this day in almost everything that I do. Hope you enjoy this short list. In a hurry? I saved the best for last:  There is NOTHING like dealing with the public. I think of this every time someone comes into my studio and says something extraordinarily unexpected. If we can't trust each other, who can we trust? This was uttered after I had lied to my parents (and was subsequently grounded for what seemed like the rest of my life). Needless to say, this stuck and I became scrupulously honest. It is natural to hurt when those we love are hurting. This was something my father said to me when I was about 13 years old. With this sentiment, he cemented my understanding of love, compassion, and empathy. Simple but amazing. I may be disappointed in something that you do, but I could never be ashamed of you. Hearing this helped me with my self-esteem in ways that telling me I was perfect (which he did NOT do) ever could. It helped me in my parenting too. You must make that decision, and I will support you no matter what you choose. I hear this when I am trying to decide which direction I should take. Even though he isn't around, I imagine his support. Incidentally, and importantly, he never discouraged me from studying art even though I am sure that he had concerns about how I would support myself. I am grateful for that every day. ... And... my absolute favorite: Don't ever worry about falling in love. You can fall in love in a minute. This may not sound like great advice at first blush. However, I have applied it to everything in life. My Dad knew that if you put yourself out there, you could meet the person of your dreams in a heartbeat. Same holds true for other opportunities. Good fortune is not likely to present itself if we don't take a chance. This is one of the reasons that I make sure that people see my art even when I am not sure what the response will be. Someone could fall in love with it in a minute and change their day (and mine). Any good words of advice from your dad? I'd love for you to share in the comments below. And Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there.  |
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