This week I continued painting. I researched the next GREAT woman artist on my list, Njideka Akunyli Crosby, a fascinating Nigerian American artist in her 30s who has already achieved great things with her amazing art. And finally, as I unearth my painting practice, I found out how to revive some brushes that have lost their shape, while adding new ones to my tool box. I am looking forward to getting the longest life possible out of my brushes as I move forward with my full time painting practice!
In the Studio
This week did 3 hours of figure painting, started a painting of a Venice Canal, and shipped a sold painting. I really did not feel right sending the painting without a frame, wired and ready to hang. I wanted them to open it up and be able to hang it up right away. Once I ordered the frame and put it together, I placed it around my own house to really get a feel for what I was providing View more views here. This process of starting to sell my paintings is revealing to me what kind of “selling” artist I want to be.
My figure painting session – first in 5 years – went really well. I started with a series of gesture drawings, and was reminded of how the scribbles of gesture can really capture the essence of the subject so brilliantly. For a great, great explanation of gesture drawings with exercises to try out, check out The Natural Way to Draw: A Working Plan for Art Study For the painting, I found myself thinking of Vuillard, because the sensibility of the pose of the model in an interior and the loose manner of rendering necessitated by the single sitting I would have access to, lent itself to that. Learn more about Vuillard in this fantastic youtube video: ArtStop | Édouard Vuillard
I began a painting of Venice, because I visited there recently, and am using it as a theme for the next few paintings. One of them will be donated to the American Section of the Lycée International near where I live – a worthy cause. I roughed in the canal, and am looking forward to progressing. I love the reflective surface of the water, winding its way around the buildings. The concept of a city on the water is potentially rich. Check back in next week for more on that.
GREAT Woman Artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby
Once again this week I explored a GREAT woman artist, alive and working today. I am taking a new one every week to prove to myself, and everyone else, that even though under-represented (Only 10% of the 500 top priced artists in 2017 were women – ridiculous!) there are GREAT women artists who are phenomenally successful. They ought to be made better known and more visible. This is me doing my part.
This week’s artist is Njideka Akunyili Crosby. She is a Nigerian American artist in her 30s. She has developed a very innovative style of collage and traditional painting on paper. Her work is inspired by the likes of Kerry James Marshall, Matisse, Vuillard and others. She creates domestic scenes, with or without the figure, on paper, using collage, photo acetone transfer, and Old Master painting techniques. Her imagery and technique is layered with meaning and reference to her Nigerian, American experience, bringing together personal and political content, especially the experience of belonging to two different cultures.
She draws from literature, and literary theory, quoting her favorite author as saying that representation in fiction is necessary for social existence. Something like that. Her top 2017 hammer price was $3,072,745 with an auction turnover of $10,643,670 – number 22 on the list of the top 500. Its very well worth learning more at the following links – truly fantastic to hear this Yale educated, Philadelphia School of Fine art trained, Nigerian-American artist who came here on a lottery green card, articulate her practice. I took the screen shots above from the interviews on youtube and a news article linked here: Njideka Akunyili Crosby Discusses COUNTERPARTS, her Front Room exhibition at the BMA, ARTIST DOSSIER: NJIDEKA AKUNYILI CROSBY, and Njideka Akunyili Crosby: In Conversation | Tate Talks
Next week, next on the list coming in at number 30 with a hammer price total of over $7,000,000 paid for her works at auction over 2017, with the most highly priced piece selling for over $1 million, is Cindy Sherman. I know and love her work already, and did a piece myself related to what she does. I look forward to getting to know her a bit better for next week.
Studio Tip: wrap a splayed brush in a paper towel or tissue paper and re-shape it
This week I also bought a number of brushes. I did some research to find out how best to take care of them, and how to revive a brush that has gotten neglected. I liked what this youtuber had to say: How to remove dried acrylic and oil paint from brushes
If you’ve read this far, be sure to send me a message and tell me what you think!
Utopia and Contemporary Art 