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Open Studios in Mt. Ranier and Mid City

November 17, 2010

my studio clean - new encaustcs and monoprints

Whooey, GessoHead’s got a lot of catching up to do! Who knew a blog could make me feel so guilty and slothful? I have scheduled today to wipe out the backlog in one sweel foop. We start here.

clean studio take 2

clean studio - "time of war" series

First, our twice-yearly open studios last weekend in Mt. Ranier. We had a nice crowd all day, it was a spectacular sunny day, and I managed to get a couple of pictures of my spit-shined studio for the historical record. This appalling level of cleanliness is a once-in-a-hundred-years event, like a volcanic eruption, so it bears documentation. Then the people started coming and I forgot about the camera. So here you go.

ambience

My coverage of the MidCity Artists open studios the previous weekend is much more comprehensive. As I’ve written before, MidCity Artists is an ever-expanding cohort of artists who live and/or work in an ever-mutating area of the city that covers DuPont Circle, 14th Street, Logan Circle and Shaw. They open their studios twice a year, as well as put on shows in venues around the mid-city area. It’s a great example of smart art marketing, for which my good bud Sondra Arkin deserves a major measure of credit.

George Smith-Shomari's studio

more ambience

This time I wanted to make sure that, in addition to the old stalwarts, I popped in on a couple of artists whose studios I had not previously visited. The first was George Smith-Shomari, whose Westminster Ave. studio is right next door to my friend Chuck Baxter’s. George is a print-maker and painter. He was trained by some of the most prominent African American printmakers, including Lois Jones and James Wells and his technique is clean and impeccable. Whether in arresting black and white or rich, clear colors, the work has an Afro-centric sensibility and a wonderful sense of life. I’m delighted that I wandered in.

Chez Baxter

Photographer Colin Winterbottom

Of course, I popped next door to Chuck’s, which is chock jam full of crazy new work. One day I’m going to give in to my desires and take home the crying baby doll surrounded by stuffed gloves and puffs of tulle – as soon as I can figure out a way to get it by Mr. Weiss. I have lusted after that thing since I first saw it a couple of years ago. I did take home a lumpy lamp/vessel woven out of Christmas lights. I plugged it in for my own open studio, where it leant the appropriate festive air.

Regina Miele's studio

former Va. Governor spotted on 14th Street.

Also new to me was the studio of Regina Miele, up a scary staircase on 14th Street. Her oils on canvas and charcoal drawings use old master techniques to achieve effects of heightened reality. I was particularly drawn to the large bird’s eye-view cityscapes empty of people. They are a bit reminiscent of Hopper and, at their best, achieve that kind of mystery.

Dave Peterson and fans

Joren Lindholm and painting

After Miele, I hit the 14th Street studios of Tom Drymon, Dave Peterson, Joren Lindholm and Naomi Kim. On the sidewalk in front of their place, engaged in apparently deep conversation, I spotted the former governor of Virginia, Mark Warner, there to see some art. Gotta say, he looked like he belonged there. Can you even remotely imagine being Governor of Virginia? Anyway, Tom is starting on a new project that involved painting on enlarged photographs and it looks really intriguing. More to come, I hope. I also like Joren's new paintings. There's a narrative hovering there just beyond visibility.Many of Dave's whimsical prints feature an eccentric collection of animals who exhibit very human pretensions and insecurities. They never fail to make me laugh.

Joan Belmar at Arkin Studio

The day ended, at least for me, near Dupont Circle, with Sondra Arkin and Groover Cleveland. At Sondra’s, I hooked up with my old friend, the artist Kathy Keler and her main squeeze, Jose. Kathy had a studio on 14th Street way before it reached respectability, much less trendiness. She moved to Tucson a couple of years ago and was back for Mom’s 90th birthday. We love love love the big new encaustics Sondra has made for her show at Black Rock in December. Scale is important (this coming from someone whose recent work is 8” square) and the 4-foot squares barely contain the blasts of color and texture. The work has presence.

Groover Cleveland, Kathy Keler and Jose

Just before they rolled up the sidewalk, we made it to Groover’s. He continues to create graphically punchy variations on the theme of fear of the other. Groover had a first career as an illustrator of magazine stories. He has a highly-developed instinct for how to portray a story in one memorable image. It’s a very special talent.

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