Showing posts with label ARTWORK SAGA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ARTWORK SAGA. Show all posts

Friday, June 13, 2014

ARTWORK SAGA 21:

"THE WALL"


"The Wall" has, from left to right, top to bottom:
     Marilyn Monroe
     Patsy Cline
     George Michael
     James Dean
     Rock Hudson
     Billie Holiday
     Andrea Bocelli
     Elizabeth Taylor
     River Phoenix
     Jake Gyllenhaal
     Liza Minnelli
     Judy Garland
     Heath Ledger
     "Night of the Living Dead"
     Barbra Streisand

Sunday, June 1, 2014

ARTWORK SAGA 20:

"ART WALL"
JOHN BOA
Internet

I first bought the collage of Jake Gyllenhaal. Then I began getting more and more pieces of John Boa of New York City. Finally, I made a whole wall of his art.

Can you name them all?


Thursday, April 24, 2014

ARTWORK SAGA 19:

WOODEN ELEPHANT
DON VOTH
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

This is a piece I made in woodworking class in the First Grade. I was 7. My mother kept it all these years. After she died I brought it to Delaware.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

ARTWORK SAGA 18:

ART GLASS VASE
MICHAEL BOYTON
Washington, D.C.

I got this beautiful vase at "The American Hand," an American arts-crafts store in Georgetown, D.C.

Sunday, March 30, 2014

ARTWORK SAGA 17:

Another RAYMOND PETERSEN Painting!
CENTRAL AVENUE STREET BRIDGE
Albuquerque, New Mexico

I have been fascinated by this 2009 painting for years. I finally bought it!


It's enormous: 53 x 48 inches! I hung it between the two windows in the living room.


The actual Bridge

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

ARTWORK SAGA 16:

RAYMOND PETERSEN PAINTINGS
Milton, DE

"My paintings are acrylics on wood panels. I am fascinated by organic form and color. My subjects are mostly plants, especially trees. In doing my art, I find that other organic forms, frequently suggestive of animals and people, subliminally appear in the paintings. I call this emergence of form, as others have, biomorphic art - literally “life-form” art." 

Ray is a dear, old friend. Since retirement four years ago, he has painted in acrylics. He was a botany professor at Howard University for many years. Thus his painting tend to reflect plants.

My first painting of his:
WINTER ROSE HIPS, CORAL SEA
"The vermillion rose hips of the multiflora rose in the field across the street from my studio in Milton, Delaware, are presented here like sea urchin eggs dispersed in a tropical sea."



This painting, though I loved it, I gave to Bill Murphy for his drab living room. He loves it. It's quite large:

ARROWLEAF - EARLY MORNING LIGHT
"Sunlight passes through the diaphanous expanding leaf blades of the arrowleaf plant. These are growing in the swamp across the street from my studio in Milton, Delaware."

This last painting I got at his art fair. I just couldn't resist:
SMARTWEED SUMMER

"Smartweed is a plant of late summer into the fall. This work is of smartweed and light along the Rio Grande River south of Albuquerque, New Mexico."

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

ARTWORK SAGA 15:

SMARTWEED SUMMER
Ray Petersen
Milton, DE
2011

I saw this painting on Ray's wall and fell in love with it.

When I saw it in person, I liked it even better. I bought it at the Milton Art League Outdoor Show in August.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

ARTWORK SAGA 14:

BUTTERFLIES
San Juan, Puerto Rico
1978

I was on vacation when I came across this place called "The Butterfly People." It was in an old house with a high courtyard filled with preserved butterflies. I was transfixed.


You could order a selection in any size and configuration. I called Ed and had him measure the space above the living room fireplace. While selecting the butterflies, I asked for an addition of a red one to the selection I had already picked out. "Oh, No," was the reaction. "That's a South American butterfly. You can't mix them with the African ones you've already picked!"

I got a wonderful, hermetically sealed 27" x 43" display.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

ARTWORK SAGA 13:

AN UNUSUAL POT
Washington, D.C.
1971

This ceramic I bought at the American Hand in Georgetown, D.C. I was (and still am) intrigued by its unusualness. The artist's signage is CT.


It's what's called slabwork.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

ARTWORK SAGA 12:

SON OF THE SUN
Santa Fe, New Mexico
2009

Sheldon ? is a favorite artist of Steve and Ray's from New Mexico. He's Navaho. He's won best artist at the Indian Market in Santa Fe for both sculpture and painting—unheard of.

At the Indian Market I discovered this marvelous sculpture.

I had to have it. It depicts one of the ancient, fantasy ancestors of the Navaho.

Friday, December 6, 2013

ARTWORK SAGA 11:

INCA WOODEN BOX
Machu Picchu, Peru
1980

Ed and I got this 4" x 6" box while we were touring Machu Picchu.

It has a silver-edged top around a piece of ancient Inca cloth!

Saturday, October 19, 2013

ARTWORK SAGA 10:

ANTELOPE JAR
Washington, D.C.
1969

This delightful 10" pot is by Adrian Saxe, a famous California artist.

Sunday, October 13, 2013

ARTWORK SAGA 9:

ART GLASS BY DOMINIC LABINO
Washington, D.C.
1968-9

Two pieces from "The American Hand." A 4" vase.

Dominic Labino was one of the international leaders in the revival of art glass. His glass created a sensation.

Another 4 inch vase -iridescent:



I was lucky to acquire such very nice objects.

Yet another 4" vase:

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

ARTWORK SAGA 8:

THREE CERAMICS BY BACERRA
Washington, D.C.
1967-9

My friends, Ken and Bill, started a ceramics store called "The American Hand" in Georgetown, D.C. I , in fact, designed the store. What fun!

Ralph Bacerra was one of the stars of American ceramics! He hailed from Los Angeles. I was lucky to acquire three pieces by him.

A beautiful, 19" large bowl. This is remarkable due to its incised portions and beautiful coloring. This my most valuable piece. Exacerbated by the fact that he's no longer with us.

A 8" covered pot.

Another covered pot 12".

Saturday, September 14, 2013

ARTWORK SAGA 7:

EGYPTIAN AMULET
Rehoboth Beach, DE.
1983

This amulet was given to me by Ed. His father was in Egypt on assignment with the CIA when a friend gave him several ORIGINAL, ANCIENT pieces. They have been authenticated by a museum as during the time of the Egyptian dynasties!
The "EYE OF HORUS" is a powerful symbol of protection. This symbol was often used in jewelry to ensure the safety and health of the bearer and provide wisdom and prosperity.

The "PEACOCK" is a symbol of immortality because the ancients believed the peacock ha flesh that did not decay after death.

"HORUS" is the falcon god. It served many functions, most notably being the god of the Sky, god of War and god of Protection.

Monday, September 2, 2013

ARTWORK SAGA 6:

FIREPLACE IMPLEMENTS SCULPTURE
Rehoboth Beach, DE.
2000

I saw this sculpture as a winning entry in the Rehoboth Art League Crafts Show. I flipped over it instantly.
It stands 3 feet high and contains a brush, poker and tongs.

It just so happened it was done by an artist friend: Lee Badger!, a blacksmith from West Virginia. Later, I commissioned him to do the fireplace screen. When I moved from Rehoboth Beach to Milton I brought the sculpture with me, but I left the fireplace screen as it was a perfect fit for that opening.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

ARTWORK SAGA 5:

AFGAN RUG
Florence, Italy
1982


       I bought this rug at an auction in Florence when I was living there in the summer of ’82. I stumbled across an estate sale in an old palazzo and out of curiosity went in. I was amazed at the fine articles they had. It was like going back to the 18th Century. I was gazing around when I stumbled on a beautiful 9’ X 11’± Oriental rug in great reds and blacks 

      that would go great in my dining room at home (which was painted red but had too small a rug under the table). 

      The rug was to go to auction in two days. Well, I went every day trying to learn enough Italian to bid so I wouldn’t make a huge mistake. (Italian numbers are quite complicated as they add each group of numbers into a long string of phrases.) So, armed with my Italian dictionary and great hope, I arrived at the hour of the rug bidding. When ‘my’ rug came up for bid, my heart started to pound. The numbers began to get very long, very complicated, very quickly. Finally there were two of us that seemed to be left wanting the rug. I didn’t want to go over $1000US so I was listening, bidding and trying to translate at the same time. When I thought it was still in the acceptable range, an old Italian woman raised the bid; I raised mine. Two more rounds and it became mine at unmilionenovamilaquattromillequattrocento (1,094,400 Lira or $684US). I carried it three blocks home, placed it in the center of my Florentine apartment and voila— perfection. 
 

      I shipped it to Washington via boat that took three months! I though for certain it was lost. Finally, both Ed and I marveled how perfect it was under Grandmother Cooke’s table in the dining room. I placed it first in the dining room of my Rehoboth Beach home and now my Milton home, still under Grandmother’s table.




Wednesday, June 26, 2013

ARTWORK SAGA 4:

PETER MAX PRINT
Milton, DE.
2001

Soon after the 9/11 disaster, I saw this signed print on eBay. I immediately bid on it and finally won.

signed: UNITED WE STAND, MAX 2001.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

ARTWORK SAGA 3:

RAY PETERSEN PAINTING
Milton, DE.
2009

The instant I saw this painting I knew Io had to have it.  My friend Ray had just restarted his art avocation. He had been a botany professor at Howard University. So, his insight into plant design is remarkable.
ROSE HIPS: The Coral Sea

The painting has inspired me so I painted my walls with branches to resemble the twigs in the painting!

Saturday, April 20, 2013

ARTWORK SAGA 2:

KINETIC LIGHT BOX SCULPTURE
Washington, D.C.
1969

Hanging in my living room is a most speculator piece of art.


One-of-a-kind: It was shown at the Kinetic Light Show at the Whitney Museum in NYC about 1966. I bought it in 1969 at a Washington gallery, instead of a used car that I needed. But it just blew me away. Still does.
The depth goes to infinity: top, back, bottom and both sides. The rotating cylinders give 1500 color combinations an hour.
 When off, it becomes a mirror!