A Very Cool Artist I Just Recently Discovered - Wifredo Lam 1902-1982

The Museum of Modern Art in New York City is exhibiting a major retrospective of Wifredo Lam's work called Wifredo Lam: When I Don't Sleep, I Dream 

The Jungle 1943

The Jungle is probably Lam's most famous work. It depicts figures that are part human, part animal and part plant in a sugarcane field. It is a statement about colonization and Afro-Cuban culture.

Wifredo Lam was born in Cuba and is known for his large scale paintings that blended modern aesthetics with Afro Cuban imagery, focusing on themes of social justice, spirituality and rebirth. Santerìa, a Cuban/African religion was a reoccurring theme. His heritage was a combination of Chinese, Spanish and African.

Untitled, 1938

In 1923 Lam left Cuba to study painting in Spain. Fifteen years later he moved to Paris with a letter of introduction to Pablo Picasso. Through Picasso he met other artists in Paris and his work began to move toward a more modern style, incorporating elements of Cubism and Surrealism.

"With regard to life, modern painting is a revolutionary activity... 
We need it in order to transform the world into a more humane place where mankind can live in liberty... We must accept these things with passion. It means that we must live imaginatively."

Zambezia, Zambezia 1950

Lam created the oil painting Zambezia, Zambezia in oil as a part of the Surrealist art movement.  The subject is part human and part mythical creature. One of the things I like about it is the combination of geometric and more organic lines. This piece is part of the Guggenheim collection in New York City.

The onset of World War II forced Lam to leave Paris in 1941 and returned to Cuba. At this point he further embraced his Cuban roots and included more flora and colors of Cuba as well as more symbolism from Santerìa. 

The Eternal Present (1944)

Lam painted The Eternal Present as a comment on the racial inequality and political corruption he found still in Cuba.

Wifredo Lam and Picasso, 1966

The MOMA exhibition features over 150 pieces and will run through March 28, 2026,

Why Make Art During Difficult Times

Did you know that Vincent van Gogh created "Starry Night" while hospitalized at a mental institution?

These are difficult times that sometimes make us want to get back in bed and pull the covers up over our heads. Now, like during COVID and 9/11 makes many of us ask the question "What's the point in making art when the world is turned upside down?"

Creating art is not only a distraction and hobby but is also a way to process, understand and transcend difficult experiences. 

Recent studies show that making art creates new neural pathways. It re-wires our brains. Neuroscientists describe creating as a "bottom up" approach to healing and engaging sensory, motor and emotional systems. It helps with problem solving, pattern recognition and emotional regulation. (In other words it helps to make me less cranky.)

Picasso created "Guernica" in 1937 as an anti-war statement in response to the bombing of the Basque Country town in northern Spain by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.

The research is clear, art-making during difficult times...

• reduces stress hormones

• helps with emotional processing

• creates shared understanding

• often breaks social isolation

• takes internalized chaos and externalizes it into something tangible

• interrupts cycles of worry and anxiety

• transforms feelings of being a victim into being active in ones own healing and growth.

Frida Kahlo created the Two Fridas painting in 1939, shortly after her divorce from Diego Rivera. It shows the two sides of her personality. One is her broken hearted self in a traditional Tehuana costume. The other Frida represents her modern, independent self.

So why are you just sitting there? Get up and go create something. I am working on a new piece about the Explorer Archetype. It's keeping me from watching the news and hopefully is re-wiring those new pathways.

Novels about Artists and Art

 There actually are quite a number of novels about art. There are the very popular ones like Girl with a Pearl Earring and The da Vinci Code. But I've been wanting to read some lesser known novels that have had good reviews.

 Here are some I have on my "To Read" list, in no particular order.

A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline  is a 2017 historical novel that fictionalizes the life of Christina Olson, the woman who inspired Andrew Wyeth's 1948 painting "Christina's World."

Seek My Face by John Updike is a 2002 novel that looks at the American art scene in the second half of the 20th century. The story unfolds over a single day in the spring of 2001 and is structured as an interview between a young journalist and an elderly, famous painter.

The Unknown Masterpiece is a short story by Honoré de Balzac. It was first published in 1831. It is set in 17th century Paris and revolves around three painters, exporing artistic creation and the relationship between art and life.

Girl Reading is a novel by Katie Ward that explores the lives of seven different women throughout history. Each of the vignettes is inspired by a real or imagined portrait of a woman reading., spanning from 1333 to 2060.

The Muralist by B.A. Shapiro is a historical novel that weaves art, politics and a family mystery in pre WWII New York City. The story alternates between 1939-1940 and Alizé Benoit, an American artist working for the Works Progress Administration (WPA), and her great niece Danielle Abrams in the present day.

Claude and Camille is a historical novel that chronicles the relationship between Monet and his first wife. It focuses on the 19th century Paris art scene and group who would later for the impressionist movement.

The Matisse Stories, a collection of three stories was published in 1993. The stories are not just about paintings, they use Matisse's art  to explore the characters' lives.

Sacré Bleu takes place in 19th century Paris. There seem to be quite a number of novels written about the early impressionists. It combines art history, mystery and the supernatural and focuses on the "Sacre Bleu paint that seems to be a supernatural source of inspiration and madness for many artists.

Lisette's List, Susan Vreeland historical novel takes place in France during WWII. It revolves around Lisette, a Parisian woman, who moves with her husband André from Paris to Provence. The theme of the story is about awakening to the power of art and the beauty of provincial life.

Life Studies is another book that looks good by Susan Vreeland. It is a collection of 8 historical stories about the creation of art and the lives of people who either make the art or are touched by it.

So these are the top ten on my reading list. I hope you are inspired. The question now is which one should I read first? Think I will dive in with Vreeland's short stories.

Still Singing. Still Creating. Still Protesting.

At the beginning of chapter one in Rollo May's classic book The Courage to Create, May asks...

"Shall we, as we feel our foundations shaking, withdraw in anxiety and panic?"

Once again 50 years later we are feeling our world turn upside down. Last month as I sat cutting paper up for my latest collage, I was asking myself why bother making art? I decided to get on a plane to the U.S. and march in a protest. As I marched with thousands of other baby boomers I thought we know how to do this. We have done this before. We are meant for these times.

The highlight of that protest was the presence of Joan Baez. She is 84 years old, still marching and still sharing her gifts in song. What an inspiration.

Since coming home I have been searching for what artists and writers are saying about creating during difficult times. I have started a collection of their thoughts to inspire me when the world feels like too much. Hope they inspire you as well.

Toni Morrison: "This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. That is how civilizations heal."

Vincent Van Gogh: "Art is to console those who are broken by life."

A collective of artists: "When people in power try to remove our humanity and our dignity, art and music provide a raison d'être. The simple act of making music in difficult times becomes an act of defiance and self-determination."

Dorthea Tanning, painter: "Art has always been the raft onto which we climb to save our sanity."

Shane Koyczan: "If your heart is broken, make art with the pieces."

Willie Nelson: "I think most art comes out of poverty and hard times."

Are you finding it difficult to create during these dark times?

Selfies: a celebration of a modern-day obsession

Nearly 500 female and female identifying photographers responded to the open call for this exhibit at the Royal Photographic Society.

Selfies as an obsession these days is certainly an understatement. As a photographer I rarely took a self portrait and still rarely take a selfie unless texting friends a picture of my new haircut.

Some of the 50 self-portraits in this exhibit are pretty straight forward some have been manipulated and are more complex. I find nearly all of them interesting. A link to the complete 50 follows my favorites, I posted here.

Do I Sit Well

Dee Robinson

Robinson won second prize for Best Black and White - Peoples' Choice. So simple but so elegant.

Garden Lockdown Selfie

Wendy G. Davies

I love taking photos that are reflections. This selfie in a wine glass is so clever. Going to have to think about how she took it from such a distance without with camera showing. 

Pandemic Ghost

Nina Stangle

Self, 2022

Julie Derbyshire

I often cut up my paintings and re-arrange them as a collage. On my To Do list, cut up a portrait.

Torn Apart

Helena Jones

At first I thought this torn self portrait was framed. Then when I looked closer I saw that it was a selfie screenshot taken on her computer. 

See more of the show here ... https://rps.org/groups/women-in-photography/selfies-gallery/

Farmers Markets

 I have traveled a lot and there is one thing I always love to do no matter where I am - visit a farmers market.

Farmers Markets are so universal across generations and cultures. If you are in a large city like Paris or New York City, are in a small rural village or beach town, you can always find a farmers market to visit. It's such a familiar experience...

vendors displaying their goods

locals picking out produce for dinner

neighbors greeting neighbors

Many artists have painted farmers markets. I have often photographed them but have yet to paint one. It's on my paintings to do list.

Here are some farmers market paintings to inspire you. What is your creative version?

Henry Charles Bryant (1835-1915)

English

19th Century

Barbara Jaskiewicz

Polish

1957

Obès Faustin

Haitian

Okearts African Exhibitions

Armando Romanelli

Brazilian

Tom Hill (1829-1908)

American

Leora Wenger

American

Zana Bihiku

Carol Boudreau

George Rodrigue

Renaato Guttuso

Personal Symbols

Gather together a page of symbols that have personal meaning to you. They can be based on your heritage, where you live, symbols that just keep reappearing in your art or symbols you are strongly drawn to. Try googling "symbols" to see what attracts your attention.

I made 20 boxes on a piece of paper and lined them up in a grid, measuring them out like I did in Exercise #1. I like symbols and have been collecting them for years, so I knew there would be a lot.

I photographed the squares and printed out several copies of the blank template.

I then started drawing symbols into their individual squares or I printed them out from online or magazines and cut and paste them into the squares. Every time I see a symbol that resonates with me I add it to a square. If I feel stuck on a painting, I will pull out my pages of symbols and see if anything calls to me.

What symbols call to you?

Painting To Rain

Wassily Kandinsky, Landscape with Rain, 1913

A couple of weeks ago I was talking to my friend Evan about painting to music. He said he likes to paint to meditation music. I regularly meditate to music but have not listened to that music while painting.

One of my favorites is an album with only one song that is 55 minutes long. It is music to the rain...

I wonder while listening if I would be tempted to paint rain. I love this abstract piece by Kandinsky. What would your painting of rain look like?

Here are a few more artists' take on rain...

Edward Munch, Karl Johan in the Rain, 1891

Krishna Protects Gopis from the Rain, 18th century

J. M. W. Turner, Rain, Steam and Speed

Vincent van Gogh, Rain, 1889

Edgar Degas, Jockeys in the Rain, 1886

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, The Umbrellas, 1881-86

A Bridge

 

Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge, Claude Monet 1899

Our second exercise is to create an image of a bridge. You can draw it, paint it, collage it, whatever you want. It can be drawn to look like it is made out of steel, wood, or even a swinging rope bridge. You decide.

Monet's bridge over the water lilies is probably the most well known bridge in the world. A bridge is a wonderful subject. It also can be painted as a metaphor. For example, where are you leaving from? What are you leaving behind? Where and what are you going towards?

Are there any obstacles on the bridge that might make crossing it more difficult. Are you on the bridge or look at it from afar? Are other people on the bridge? What's underneath it? Do you have a history with this bridge?

Here are some more artist paintings of bridges to inspire you...

Path of Gold, Jonas Lie, 1914

Booklyn Bridge, NYC Angela Wakefield

Langlois Bridge at Arles, Vincent van Gogh, 1888

I am beginning a mixed media piece of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. It has much history and meaning to me. I have photographed it many many times - on days with clear skies and a view to Alcatraz and on days where the fog has rolled in and you can barely see the car in front of you.

What bridge calls to you? Is it a bridge you know well, made of steel and wood or an imagined bridge?

Late Bloomers

"A late bloomer is right on time."

Clarissa Pinkola Estés

I was curious about other older men and women who started to paint later in life. I was a professional photographer for over 30 years but it wasn't until I moved to Mexico that I began to take abstract painting classes. My painting intensified during the pandemic and now I paint most every day.

Lines of Sight - Carmen Herrera

I recently discovered the abstract minimalist painter Carmen Herrera. One article I read said she could be the poster child for late bloomers.

Herrera was born in Cuba where she studied architecture in Havana. In 1948 she moved to Paris with her husband and then to New York. Although she had many abstract expressionist friends like Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock, her work remained largely unknown. Several art historians suggest this is because she was both a woman and a Cuban. 

She continued to create work which was stashed away in her studio until her first small show at El Museo del Barrio in 1998. She did not sell her first painting until age 89. Herrera died in 2022 at age 106 but not before finally achieving international recognition.

On those days I think I might be too old to paint, I remember Carmen Herrera and others like Sally Gabori, Harriet Powers and Hilma af Klimt. More galleries are beginning to show older women's work. Artsy.net recently wrote an article headlined "Why Old Women Have Replaced Young Men as the Art World's Darlings."

The time has come for us "late bloomers."

I will be posting about more older artists. You can find them under the Late Bloomers label to the right.

Do You Listen to Music While You Paint?

 

Almost all of my artist friends say they listen to music while they paint. I never have. I kind of like the silence of painting in my garden. However I am just beginning to try it to see how it changes my experience and paintings.

Here are two playlists I have gathered...

Quiet Painting Music

Paint the Sky with Stars - Enya

Always on My Mind - Willie Nelson

Queen of the Slipstream - Van Morrison

A Whiter Shade of Pale - Procol Harum

Halleluja - K.D. Lang

Change the World - Eric Clapton

Crazy Mama - J.J. Cale

Gin and Juice - Andra Day

Perfect - Ed Sheehan

We Will Meet Once Again - Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli

What's Going On - Marvin Gaye

Who Will Comfort Me - Melody Gardot

Feeling Good - Nina Simone

Amazing - One Eskimo

You Send M - Rod Stewart

Sister Moon - Sting

Give Me One Reason - Tracy Chapman

I Only Have Eyes for You - The Flamingos

Seasons of Love - Rent

Painting For Energy

Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison

Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars

Cry to Me - Solomon Burke

Feeling Alright - Joe Crocker

Hand It Over - Kew' Mo'

Sing About It - The Wood Brothers

Climb Up On My Music - Rodriguez

Lovely Day - Bill Withers

Build Me Up Buttercup - The Foundations

Go Crazy - LeslieOdom, Jr.

Your Mama Don't Dance - Loggins and Messina

Yes We Can Can - The Pointer Sisters

Dangerous Mood - B.B. King

Be OK - Ingrid Michaelson

Koop Island Blues - Koop featuring Ane Brun

Love Is Like A Heat Wave - Martha Reeves

The Girl Is Mine - Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney

Dance With Me Tonight - Olly Murs

Every Breath You Take - The Police

We Will Rock You - Queen

Who Do You Love - Candye Kane

Shake Rattle and Roll - Joe Turner

I am working on two more lists - Classical Music and Latin Music. Watch for them soon.