From the Monday NIght Gypsy Jazz Jam
Nirit (Michael Loftus’ wife) has inadvertently let Max take over. Michael took this picture and then later doctored it.
Self-Portrait
I have been working on a series of self portraits. Six of them. All of them different. I am making them for my children. Six of them. All of them different. One thing about a self portrait, I’ve discovered, is that no two are, nor can be, the same. Some are ugly (and I can … Read more
Give Yourself Away
Douglas L. Fros sayst: After receiving an honorary degree from MICA in 2001, Marcella Louis Brenner, {90+ year old widow of abstract expressionist Morris Louis ; she understood what the life of an artist was like) spoke to a hall full of students and faculty. Her remarks ended with the following salute: “I honor you, … Read more
Why Is Art Important?
Art is important because people make it important. People make it important because something powerful happens with Art. It turns out that Art makes people important and important people use Art to magnify their importance. One good example is Napoleon. The Arc de Triomphe and numerous major paintings (see sidebar illustration) by major artists of … Read more
A Question of Perception
Me and Bertha the Bass I’m a painter / printmaker. And I’m a musician (Upright Bass and Guitar). There are similarities between the two disciplines. (stop me if you’ve heard this) I’m self-taught as a musician. I’ve had a few lessons and valuable they were too. But I don’t read music; when I want to … Read more
Amsterdam / New Painting Start
Got back from Amsterdam last week. Our yearly vacation. It was Gayla’s birthday. Very good trip. And of course it got my juices going for making a painting. Coincidentally when I got home I found in a neighbor’s trash a new 50 x 85cm (approximately) untouched prepared linen canvas. The perfect size for a self-portrait. … Read more
Fact vs. Fantasy
I intend to reach for a set of facts that are beyond literal, perhaps even beyond the sensory.
Electric or Acoustic:
I play bass. Upright bass. Of necessity the music I play is (relatively) simple. The acoustic upright bass is hard to play, so the NPS (Notes Per Second) is relatively low. People who play electric bass, however, can play many more NPS. The electric bass almost demands more notes than the acoustic bass. The music … Read more
Multiples
They look different when they are all together.
Perceptual Painting
my painting is beginning to look a bit more abstract. Hopefully more essential. Certainly more simple.
