Artist Date: Boston Museum of Fine Arts… 27.5.2014

Our annual Memorial Day visit to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts was a mix of disappointment, frustration and an unexpected surprise.

Most of the disappointment stems from the "American Gestures: Abstract Expressionism" exhibit. The show was described on the BMFA's website as featuring: "Drawings, prints, paintings, and sculpture from the late 1940s to the '70's by Willem de Kooning, Robert Motherwell, David Smith, Mark Tobey, Alfred Leslie, Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, and a number of others. Many of these works are relatively recent acquisitions, some shown here for the first time." What they didn't mention is that the majority of the exhibit consists of prints and that it only takes up one small room.

Still, if you are in the area and have some interest, the exhibit can be found in room 335 in the Art of the Americas wing until June 1, 2014.

The frustration is associated with the museum’s continued lack of information regarding where certain special exhibits can be found. Yes, the information is located on their website, but how many visitors remember to write this down before they head out? And once inside the museum, directions and information are scarce, even within the Sharf Visitor Center.

For example, yesterday was the last day for their “Boston Loves Impressionism” exhibit. Knowing the popularity of Impressionism, one would think that this should be relatively easy to find, correct? Nope. The exhibit was tucked away in the Torf Gallery, room 184 - we hunted down a guard to determine the location.

The exhibit was described as the first crowdsourcing exhibit at the BMFA by the Boston Globe staff. The general public was invited to vote for their favorite Impressionist paintings, the top three were:

Vincent Van Gogh’s “Houses at Auvers,” 

Claude Monet’s “Water Lilies"

Edgar Degas’s “Little-Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer"

The BIG surprise was that the BMFA had four paintings by (or attributed to) Caravaggio! The exhibit "Visiting Masterpieces: Caravaggio and Connoisseurship" is a wonderful opportunity to view four paintings that have "never been seen in Boston" (according to the museum's website) and they are exquisite! ANY opportunity to see one of these masterworks up close is a rare treat.

Caravaggio, "Maffeo Barberini"

Caravaggio, "Fra Antonio Martelli, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Malta"

Caravaggio, "Saint Francis in Meditation"

Caravaggio, "Fortune Teller" 

The Caravaggio's can be found in the Lee Gallery, Gallery 154, until June 15, 2014.

The "Picture of the Day" has to go to my all-time BMFA favorite: "The Painter's Honeymoon" by Lord Frederic Leighton:

It appears it may finally have a permanent home in room 252 :)

Jenn White

White Rooster Studios

The Anatomy of an I Ching Painting… 22.5.2014

The question I am asked the most when people view my paintings is: How did you do that? So, in answer to the question, here is a quick step-by-step view of the process:

I generally prepare anywhere from 4-10 pieces of watercolor paper in advance by cutting the 22x30 sheets in half and adding the black border:

Then, I decide what design I will use to anchor the painting. In this case, I am using a Celtic Knot that I have modified:

I decided to add a line across the top of the knot and goofed up (this happens frequently), the line ended up through one of the rings that I had planned to give the illusion of going through, see close-up:

As a result, I modified the line and added another vertical line to “hide” the mistake; I have also blocked in the hexagram:

A quick note about how the hexagrams are chosen: All are selected at random, however, now that the I Ching Project has reached the 60% completion mark, it is important that the status of all of the paintings are updated on the project spreadsheet so I know which hexagrams have NOT been worked on yet. I had to “pick” this hexagram a minimum of three times in order to hit on one that I hadn’t started yet.

Please note another goof (this was not my best day): There is an additional line at the top of the hexagram:

The next step is adding the biomorphic design, these are created by using a set a stencils. Elements of the stencils are used repeatedly to create the design.

 Please note the attempt to incorporate the mistake at the top of the hexagram into the design:

 The completed biomorphic design:   

Beginning to fill in the design:

Another view: I actually like the way that this view looks :)

The design is taking shape:

The completed biomorphic design, this process usually takes a couple of hours:

The Chinese character for this hexagram has been added:

  

The final steps are the ink wash. There are usually 3-4 layers that have been added to complete the effect,  each is gradually darker than the other. The India ink is applied with organic sponges and additional spattering is created using a sponge brush and toothbrushes.

Full view of the final painting: #12 Stagnation:

Jenn White

White Rooster Studios

UPDATE: Upcoming Shows and Events… 9.5.2014

REMINDER: I will be participating upcoming shows:

·         The Greater Haverhill Arts Association’s Annual Art Exhibit at the Buttonwoods Museum on 240 Water Street in Haverhill, MA.

o   NOTICE - Change of Date for the GHAA Annual Exhibit Artist Reception:

The new date is Saturday, May 17^th, from 3:00 pm -5:00 pm.

o   The exhibit will be open from May 10^th to May 25^th.

o   The Buttonwoods Museum is open Tuesday – Sunday from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm.

·         The Arts Institute Group of the Merrimack Valley (AIGMV) will host their annual “Art in the Orchard Show” June 7^th and 8^th. The theme this year is: “Through the Years”. The show will be held at Mann’s Orchard at 27 Pleasant Valley Street, Methuen, MA.

o   The exhibit will be open:

§  Saturday, June 7^th, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm

§  Sunday, June 8^th, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm

·         The Wilmington Council for the Arts 34^th Annual Art Exhibition. The exhibition will be held at the Wilmington Arts Center at 219 Middlesex Avenue (Route 62) in Wilmington, MA.

o   Artist reception will be: Friday, June 20^th from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

o   The exhibit will be open:

§  Saturday, June 21^st from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

§  Sunday, June 22^nd from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

I will also be participating in the following events with the Woburn Guild of Artists:

·         WGA will participate in the 2^nd Annual Salisbury Art Stroll on Saturday, May 17^th, from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. The Art Stroll will begin at the Old Eastern Marsh Trail. It can be accessed from Route 1 South in Salisbury, take a right onto Friedendels Street, right before the bridge going into Newburyport.

o   PLEASE NOTE: Due to the new date/time for the GHAA Artist Reception, I will only be at the Salisbury Art Stroll from 10:00 am – 2:30 pm.

o   This is a rain or shine event.

·         WGA will participate in Arts Fest Beverly on June 14^th. WGA will be set-up outside of St. Mary’s Church at 253 Cabot Street from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Additional information will be added soon.

Jenn White

White Rooster Studios