DAM Contemporaries Auction

May 31, 2009 | Filed Under Art | Leave a Comment 

Another worthy auction; this time the parameters imposed were the size, no larger than 7″ x 7″.
I visited the museum last week with a friend and stopped in front of two modest Gustave Baumann prints. I thought about those two images as I started to work. His work is lovely and expertly made; the influence of his work here was only the permission to do a simple portrait of a wallflower plant I had recently planted. The image is a bit of a wallflower itself but I like the simplicity of the single object in the frame. Lastly it will get a coat of encaustic to give it a nice object quality.

Denver Art Museum, Dam Contemporaries

Alzheimer’s Association auction

May 3, 2009 | Filed Under Art | Leave a Comment 

Every spring the Alzheimer’s Association hosts Memories in the Making, a well organized event to raise awareness and money for the cause. One aspect of the evening is a silent auction of paintings on palettes created by local artists. I’ve noticed a trend in fundraising to give the artist something to paint on; a box, a bird house or in this, case, a palette. It seems like a good idea rather than asking for a framed piece of existing art (which can become costly if you contribute to a couple fundraisers a year). Sometimes, though, it’s hard to not create something that looks sort of crafty given the surfaces.

The really nice part of the event is the art on display ( and for sale) by those with different levels of dementia that have taken advantage of the art programs that are offered through the organization. The work is by far more interesting and beautiful than what us ‘professionals’ offer up. A woman who volunteers with the group related a story from the event a couple years ago; she was chatting with a man who was standing in front of a painting of a boat. He was admiring the technique that the artist had used to capture the qualities of the subject and also remarked that he once owned a boat like that. She knew, though he was unaware, that he was the artist.

It’s a great organization and event, impossible to sit through without being moved to tears, and I’m happy to contribute this year.