Artists I adore

In our life there is a single color, as on an artist's palette, which provides the meaning of life and art. It is the color of love. -- Chagall

Artists I love.

"Every good painter paints what he is."

Jackson Pollock

Where do I start with something that means so much to me?

 My favorite artist of all time?

 Well there are a few... no there are many. There is no way I could limit myself to one artist.  I wish I could. 

First is Deborah Butterfield- I remember going to San Francisco and seeing an exhibit of horses by her.  They were huge and made out of many different types of material (steel, recycled materials, paint).  They were life size and majestic to look at.  Some of the horses were standing and some laying down, their presence was awesome.

Another artist that I totally love is Viola Frey.  She was a ceramacist and did clay representations of people: the colors rich and they were full of detail about her subjects – they had a kind of homey/country quality.  I liked that about them. 

 Imaginary Landscape
watercolor on watercolor paper
2009

When I was a kid I remember having a paper folder with the art of Peter Max on it.  I loved, loved, loved the colors.  That whole 60’s thing with the kaleidoscope of colors. When I found a book of his art, I would salivate Iooking at the images.  I love Wayne Thiebaud.  His colorful, irreverent paintings of food:  the deserts, the cakes, the colors I want to eat them, touch them.  I even love the landscapes he did of the Sacramento delta.  When flying up to Sacramento if you look out the window as you approach the airport you can see what he was painting, the grid of the pastoral landscape.  It’s beyond beautiful when he adds the richness of his palette of colors.

I love pop art.  I love the bright colors.  I like all the thinking that goes into irreverent interpretations of everyday things.

I love Claes Oldenburgs giant French fries. 

Recently I discovered Emil Nolde’s watercolors.  When I look at them they make me hungry to make art, the colors are so vivid and rich that I want to watercolor. 

Another artist I discovered is Ruth Asawa.  I saw an article about her work in Art Forum.  She crochets these billowy, ethereal shapes that can hang from the ceiling.

One lady I don’t want to forget is Louise Nevelson.  I just love her monochromatic sculptures and fur eyelashes.  Oh, that reminds me I also love Judy Chicago and Georgia O’Keefe.

Is there a thread of commonality about these very favorite choices?  Art is so subjective and personal.  Each of these artists cause my heart beat a little faster and evokes an emotional connection in me.   I feel like I can relate to the work.

Work I can connect to is easier for me to introduce to children. The children sense my love for the artist and are open to creating their own interpretation of the artists work. 

It’s true that as teachers when we share our passions the children connect in a stronger way.

These artists share one thing –  me - I love them.