Ronald Sloan's Situation.........

Ronald Sloan has been obsessively painting his private world for over forty years. An examination of this almost intact, and vast body of work, exposes an alternate reality painted in a masterful and unique style. The human figure, deconstructed and then reconstructed into skeletal form, often exists in a world of fear, pain, trauma and sexual abuse. Geometric figures, grids, boxes, far off center lines, and numbers appear hand in hand with quasi human figures struggling to make sense of an unsettling world. The disturbing themes share the canvas with recurring symbols of comfort. The mathematical elements, along with tropical vegetation, and an extraordinary talent for laying down paint in a seductive manner give you a reprieve, allowing you to catch your breath, and gather courage to look once more.

Each painting is a mini drama, audience not required. Ronald Sloan paints his world to survive yet one more day in it. On the canvas, survival often depends upon being both mute and deaf. Mother is portrayed with her mouth covered, unable to speak out about the untenable life she leads. In one painting, words warn, "Do not HEAR the Forest Burning." The inclusion of explanatory text offers precious access to this curious reality. In response to questions about the nature or purpose of his work, Ronald simply states, "I paint."

Eddie Wood's Clay Creations....

The serpent never looked so beguiling, nor the apple so appealing. The figures of Christ in the tomb and on the cross elicit an immediate response. These are works beyond the ordinary. The artist, Eddie Wood, age 43, is a very talented man, yet he only started making his sculptures in Louisiana, a year ago. He loves patina so after the clay base is completed and hardened, he adds many layers of paint and touches of gold leaf to his work. Besides these exciting mixed media creations, he also paints seascapes with a very sophisticated eye. This is an artist to watch!

An Abundance of A. Huber.....new show

Germany's Alexandra Huber has not forgotten her childhood, nor has she turned her back on freely using lines and color that explode off the page, leaving boundaries behind. Her playful works, reminiscent of Dubuffet and Basquiat, deal with relationships and inner feelings, without the screening of the superego. She challenges the viewer to examine themselves as they consider her works. What is in your Suitcase of Intentions? And in this economy, what surprise does you Shopping Bag to Go contain? The highly saturated Poet's Eye nudges us to fantasize what processes flow through the mind of someone so gifted and unique, while trying not to get lost in the deeply saturated colors.

This comprehensive show of over 50 works runs from March 1st through June 1st at the gallery in Connecticut, and much of the art is on-line at Beverly Kaye Gallery

This is a private space, open at your convenience. Huber's work ranges from 6" x6" pieces to works which are 25" x 19", as are the three artworks pictured above. Don't miss this very exciting show!

These images are courtesy of Hans Seidenabel, Munich.

"To The Marrow," a deep look inside

This collage by Kathy Carvellas started out as "Spinal Tap", but work progresses and changes along the way and the final piece, along with it's new title are now complete. In the artist's words, "I just finished the first of the three pieces I've been working on. "To the Marrow" is all about the deep connection between the mind and the body. Between our deepest memories and the tiniest cells in our bodies. No matter how aware or unaware we may be of those connections, they effect us each and everyday. For better or worse. Thank God we have the capacity to tap into these connections and receive healing and release in the places we need them!!" Many artist's are able to achieve healing through their work, and we are the benefactors of their labor.

Lori Field, self-taught art with a fine art feel

Lori Field's work is smart, seductive and beautiful. A combination of drawing, collage, bee's wax and encaustic materials transforms intelligent thought into alluring art. Lori's images are bits of human elements morphed with flora and fauna, with exotic results.
To quote the artist, "Animals lack self-consciousness or artifice, so the animal-like figures provide a means for emotive personification, characterizing or exhibiting human motives and foibles. The external traits of the animal/human figures suggest internal ones. As my shape-shifting creatures morph, are they 'becoming-animal' or 'becoming-human'? Which transformation would leave them better off? These human/animal archetypes - a cast of recurring characters - create intuitive narratives that explore themes of loss, rebirth, identity, denial, alienation, loneliness......and human vulnerability." See, I told you she was smart! The above examples are courtesy of the artist.

Discovered on the streets of DC.......

As my son and I were leaving a Georgetown restaurant in 1995, a blaze of color caught our eyes. To see Matt Sesow's paintings is to share in a bit of his reality. A landing airplane hit and severed his left arm at the age of eight, forcing him to become right handed. The physical and emotional pain of the trauma has left a clear mark on Matt's work. In 1994, at the age of 28, he began painting. His titles, such as "Painting by Remembers", "Lost Luggage", "Alone in Death", and "Sucker Punch", are more than subtle hints of the turmoil he has experienced. He views painting as a way to communicate his emotions and experiences in an immediate and powerful manner. He talks of "punching" the paint on his surface, and the turbulence it creates grabs at the viewer, never quite letting go. Bold backgrounds, angry and averted orange eyes, or friendly blue ones, heavily outlined figures not able to stay within the confines of the canvas, are all hallmarks of his style. Nowadays Matt's interest is in painting day to day life and and commenting on the news, which he does with considerable charm and wit. Three early pieces illustrating this blog, are now available for sale through http://www.artbrut.com

Little Buddy, Picking Daisies, and Turndown (Almsman)

"Rooms of His Mind"

Step into the rooms of his mind. Roger Hines is an amazingly talented assemblage artist, whose pieces reflect myriad's of hours reflecting, searching out elements, constructing, and creating  intricate works of art. They are breathtakingly beautiful, and have been collected worldwide. The price range for works by this New York artist is from $4500 to $20,000. They speak for themselves!