Monday, June 30, 2025

My Favorite Lion

 

I found this painting hanging in one of the hallways at the Fine Arts Building in Chicago.  I have always loved those fabulous lions who stand guard in front of the Art Institute of Chicago so I was drawn to this wonderful painting.  The artist is Don Yang and it turns out that he teaches art from his studio in the Fine Arts Building.  

Yang was born in Seoul Korea but came to the United States in his teens.  After 7 years in the U.S. Army, he pursued his dream of becoming a full time artist.  

He has many wonderful paintings on his website.  

Monday, June 23, 2025

The Rock

 

We are stepping to the world of surrealism with this painting called "The Rock" by Peter Blume (1906-1992).  Blume was born in Smorgon, Russian Empire, now Belarus.  He emigrated to the U.S. with his family in 1912.  He studied art in New York City.  This painting is a difficult one to interpret but it is thought to point to the devastation and reconstruction after WWII.  The painting was commissioned by Edgar Kaufman for Fallingwater, the Frank Lloyd Wright designed home in Pennsylvania.  It took several years to complete and in the end was too large for the home so it never hung there.

It's an interesting painting to look at with all that destruction going on.  Or, is some rebuilding happening too?

Monday, June 16, 2025

The Crowd

 


This week's featured artist is Edward Middleditch (1923-1987).  This painting is called "Crowd, Earls Court" and it is part of the collection at the Tate Britain  in London.  

Middleditch was born in Chelmsford, Essex and after serving in the army during WWII, he attended classes at the Royal College of Art.  His early works tended to use a lot of water and reflective scenes but later in is career, his work took on a more abstract nature with repeating patterns present.  

This painting caught my eye because it seemed to mimic rush hour traffic at many tube stations in London.  

Monday, June 9, 2025

The Rebel

 

This painting is called The Rebel (Elizabeth Ruskin) and was painted by Lew Davis (1910-1979).  

Davis was born in Jerome Arizona but left Arizona when he was 17 to study art in New York City.  He became adept at painting human figures and often depicted women laboring in oppressive conditions.  

The Phoenix Art Museum describes the painting this way:

"This painting features one of his fellow students, Elizabeth Ruskin.  Although she stares directly at the viewer with an unsettling intensity, we know very little about her story except that she was a student in one of his classes.  That  she was attractied to Davis is suggested by the two apples on the plate on the floor that allude to Adam's temptation of Eve."

I love seeing this painting whenever it is on display at the museum.  


Monday, June 2, 2025

Painting Nature

 


This week's featured artist is someone local.  Frank Gonzales was born in Mesa Arizona and raised in Tempe Arizona and his interest in art began early in life.  He was encouraged to apply for a scholarship which he received.  He graduated from the Laguna College of Art & Design.  

His stay in California turned into 6 years and then in New York for another 6 years before returning to his roots in Arizona. 

His signature "raindrops of color" is something I recognize right away.  This painting was featured in an exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden but I've seen his work in other locations as well.  I did a post about that exhibit at the garden on my Phoenix Daily Photo blog.