Artist of the Day: Kevin Swallow

My artist of the day is Kevin Swallow, a stalwart, devoted, lunch-bucket kind of artist. He shows up every day and works. He works in the historic Cornelia Arts Building, in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago.

Here he is announcing a corporate commission.

Wrigley Building, Kevin Swallow artist, 2014

Work in Progress, How Many Miles to Babylon No. 7

Can't resist putting it up for all to see. Here's No. 7 in the series, How Many Miles to Babylon. To repeat the poem...the first six lines are from the old British nursery rhyme, the final five lines are mine, for what it's worth. This piece, like the others in the series, is 18"x24", oil wash, polyester thread, copper roofing nails, wood glue on unprimed cotton canvas.

How many miles to Babylon?
Three score and ten.
Can I get there by candle-light?
Yes, and back again.
If your heels are nimble and light,

You may get there by candle-light.

How many miles to the hanging gardens,
How many miles to the Babel tower,
How many miles between the two rivers,
How many miles from the Hydaspes,
How many miles to Enkidu and Gilgamesh wrested in clay?

How Many Miles to Babylon No. 7, c. Nancy Charak, artist, 2014

How Many Miles to Babylon No. 6, Work in Progress

Here's No. 6 in the series, 18"x24", oil wash, polyester thread, copper roofing nails on unprimed cotton canvas. No. 7 is in work.

How Many Miles to Babylon 06, c. Nancy Charak, artist, 2014

Stale Conjecture re Gardner Heist

h/t Art Law Report, FBI Claims to Have Confirmed Sightings. . .

"The FBI said today that the bureau has received “confirmed” sightings of the works of art stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990. Thieves dressed as police robbed the museum of thirteen major works of art on March 18, 1990, including works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Degas and Manet. Read carefully, however, the story is nothing new at all, just a retelling of last year’s “news” released around the anniversary of the theft and a raft of conjecture."

The FBI's report is talked about earlier.

Here's another view on this from the ARCA blog...

Vermeer, The Concert

Work in Progress: How Many Miles to Babylon 05

Here's No. 5 in the How Many Miles to Babylon series, on the table out on the balcony drying, or rather, curing. Oil paints don't dry, they cure. 18"x24", oil wash, polyester thread, copper roofing nails, wood glue on unprimed cotton canvas.

How Many Miles to Babylon 05, c. Nancy Charak, artist, 2014

Artist of the Day: Diane McGregor

My artist of the day, fellow southwesterner, minimalist, Diane McGregor has a new group exhibit,
"City Grid/Urban Patterns," at SMINK Fine Art in Dallas, entitled "City Grid/Urban Patterns." It opens Saturday, May 17th, with a reception from 5-8pm.

SILENT NIGHT 1, GRAPHITE ON PAPER, 6" X 6" (FRAMED 16.25" X 16"), Diane McGregor, artist

Work in Progress, How Many Miles to Babylon 04

Here's No. 4 in the How Many Miles to Babylon series. I can't wait to drive these up to Denver to Space Gallery. They are redolent of oil paint, turpentine and linseed oil. They're setting out on my balcony in the dry desert air to cure.

How Many Miles to Babylon 04, c. Nancy Charak artist, 2014

Work in Progress, How Many Miles to Babylon 03...

Another work in progress, How Many Miles to Babylon 03, 18"x24", oil wash, polyester thread, copper roofing nails, wood glue on unprimed cotton canvas. Saying this is a work in progress means that it's not finished, but is under serious consideration for being so, and that the photo work is askew because I didn't set up on a tripod.

Work in Progress, How Many Miles to Babylon 03, c. Nancy Charak, artist

The Paradox of Art as Work...

From today's New York Times...italics mine. The Paradox of Art as Work, by A. O. Scott...

"And artists themselves, outside of unionized industries like television and movies, are unlikely to perceive defending the value of what they do as an interest they hold in common. But it is not necessarily in their nature to be any more individualistic or competitive than anybody else, and they may have a lot to teach the rest of us about the meaning of work. If the supposedly self-involved members of the creative class can organize to assert some control over what they make — the magical stuff now routinely referred to as “content” — then maybe other residents of the beleaguered middle might be inspired by their examples.

"Inexpensive goods carry hidden costs, and those costs are frequently borne by exploited, underpaid workers. This is true of our clothes and our food, and it is no less true of those products we turn to for meaning, pleasure and diversion. We will no doubt continue to indulge all kinds of romantic conceits about artists: myths about the singularity of genius or the equal distribution of talent; clichés about flaky, privileged weirdos; inspiring tales of dreamers who persevered. But we also need to remember, with all the political consequences that this understanding entails, that they are just doing their jobs."

To which I will add, buy art from living artists such as me, because then I will help the economy by buying more art supplies to make more art, feed my dog, pay my rent, you know, by being a "maker."

Samwise Gamgee, the Art Dog. What's his breed? RESCUE!

Work in Progress, How Many Miles to Babylon Series

Work in progress, I'm calling this grouping the "How Many Miles to Babylon" series. They are 18"x24", oil wash, polyester thread, nylon mono-filament, copper roofing nails, wood glue on unprimed cotton canvas. Since they are work in progress, the images, while detailed, are roughly done without a tripod and thus are a wee bit skewed.

How many miles to Babylon?

Three score and ten.

Can I get there by candle-light?

Yes, and back again.

If your heels are nimble and light,

You may get there by candle-light.

How many miles to the hanging gardens, 

How many miles to the Babel tower,
How many miles between the two rivers,
How many miles from the Hydaspes, 

How many miles to Enkidu and Gilgamesh wrested in clay?

How Many Miles to Babylon 01, c. Nancy Charak, artist, 2014

How Many Miles to Babylon 02, c. Nancy Charak, artist, 2014