Worth the Wait

 I actually chose a later date for my knee replacement surgery so I could attend the last two last weekends' gallery openings, and I'm glad I did. 

As I've stated previously, I am not an art expert. When I majored in art in community college a million years ago, the art scene and the art were much different than they are today, or at least they have evolved from what I had access to back then.

Visiting Gallery openings and blogging about my responses to the art is part of my self education. Trying to analyze what pleases me helps me self analyze my own art.

On Thursday evening, I attended the opening reception of "Out of the Black,"an exhibition highlighting new paintings by two Tulsa artists.

First the Joseph Gierek gallery is located on a very cool corner in the Medowgold district of Tulsa and on the iconic Route 66.

On that corner, you'll see Buck  Atom's Cosmic Curios, a mural that includes the Golden Driller and the Medowgold sign, as well as other Tulsa icons. Decopolis, a Tulsa Art Deco museum is situated on the opposite corner. 

When I walked into the gallery, a large triptych by mural painter, Marcia Myers, whose large-scale color field abstractions emulate the traditional fresco painting techiques of ancient Rome immediately caught my eye.

. She used layers of marble dust and acrylic, but the effect seemed almost waxy to me and I really had to exert self control to keep from touching it.

Thomas Conrad displayed a series of beautiful koi based on inspiration of the koi at the Gathering Place.

Michelle Firment Reid displayed multimedia abstracts from her "Free Woman Series."

This blog is getting long and I am sitting in the hospital  recovering from knee surgery, so I'm just including images of pieces I found intriguing. 

I liked this one because it is of Cherry Street!

Once you know that, it makes perfect sense, but it's intriguing even without knowing.

This painting by Tammy Kushner reminded me of an encaustic painting but it isn't. I love the light. I recently acquired a book on how to achieve the look of encaustic without the hot wax. Maybe she used some of those techniques or figured it out herself.

These paintings by Darren Dirksen, are beautiful, and his handmade frames are beautiful and intriguing.

This multimedia piece  "Africa " by Larrt Hefner, really caught my attention. It is just very pleasing to the eye, and it pulls the viewer in. I looked at it a long time, trying to figure out why I liked so much.

I am really trying to capture the names of the works and artists, but sometimes I fail. I am really sorry. I will try to do better.

Please excuse formatting weirdness thar I can't seem to fix on my phone.

Gallery Hopping Last Weekend

First I want to state that I am not an expert in galleries or contemporary art. That's why I'm attending gallery openings and writing about them on this blog. I'm learning so much!

Last weekend I attended two openings.  The first was at the Doran Gallery on Peoria.  MOMENTUM OF COLOR AND FORM: A Group Show Featuring Abstract and Non-Objective Artwork.

Multimedia ruled this contemporary show, making up at least half, if not more of the paintings. I was interested to see both gel plate, resin, cold wax and encaustic works, as well as those using fabric and thread and acrylic, and college.   The offerings today are so much different than they were when I was an art student a million years ago, but what fun!

These works by Brad Ellis are made up of encaustic and collage on board. I have to admit that I had to look up "encaustic," but now I'm hooked and must try it. I also really like the surrounding college covered with translucent color. 

When I first saw "Funhouse" by Sarah Sullivan Sherrod from a distance, I thought it was a mounted and framed quilt, but it is much more. Although the base consists of handwoven fabric sewn together, the design is created using what looks like machine embroidery, accented by acrylic paint. Fascinating.

As a Frieda Kahlo groupie, I loved this sculpture.

Sammy Peters' "Isolation: resounding independence," a textured multi-media oil and Mixed Media piece can keep the viewer engrossed for quite a while. It just pulls you into its multiple levels.

"Fly Catcher" by Dennis Johnson was one of my favorites with it's bright, clean colors in an abstract-geometric style.

I'll probably have to go back and visit this show again. It's my self-education program, and learning was never so fun!

The second show I attended was "Amused Bemused," by Tara Booth, held at the TAC Gallery on East Reconciliation Way.

Besides attending the show, just being downtown on First Friday was a treat!

All kinds of vendors, artists, musicians and protestors make First Friday in Tulsa a must-attend event.

 n

The subject of this show is digestion in the female body and her medium is ceramics. This show has been exhibited nationally and internationally. 

So now it's time to don my student hat again and see what Tulsa offers this weekend. Maybe I'll see you there!