stone from delphi

What happens when the best of the best collaborate? Something truly extraordinary is achieved…a unison passion for the classical past is embraced and reborn…

Actaeon

For her latest project, plein air artist Wendy Artin created 16 original watercolor paintings for Arion Press‘s ninety-sixth publication, Stone from Delphi, a collection of poems with classical themes by Seamus Heaney, selected and presented by Helen Vendler. The watercolors, realized especially for this book and printed at actual size, were inspired by Greek and Roman statues whose subjects appear in Heaney’s writings. The paintings for Stone from Delphi will be on display from November 12th till January 30th at the gallery of Arion Press, 1802 Hays Street, The Presidio, San Francisco, telephone: 415-668-2542.

Hercules and Antaeus

Maenad

Temple of Asclepius

Aeneas and Anchises

Eurydice and Orpheus

Original watercolor paintings by Wendy Artin for Stone from Delphi

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five hundred posts!

Today is my 500th post! Hooray! Thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to join me on this personal journey…knowing you are out there, on the other side of this computer, makes the whole adventure worth while…being able to share with you my first visit to High Point Market or the wonder of NYC and the Architectural Digest Home Design Show, is truly a dream come true…too many pinch me moments to count! I hope you continue down this path with me…it just wouldn’t be the same without you…

To celebrate, I thought I’d post a few memorable photos from a thoughtful eye…when I look at these images, I’m taken back to a moment in time when I remember thinking to myself, it doesn’t get much better than that…

The Parthenon Friezes ~ watercolor on paper by Wendy Artin

The Oly Showroom ~ High Point Market, Spring 2012

DIFFA Dining by Design, March 2012

The Verellen Showroom ~ High Point Market, Spring 2012

The Breakers and Rosecliff, Newport, RI

photography by danielle boudrot for a thoughtful eye

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the british museum ~ the parthenon friezes

Come with me to the British Museum…let us experience the artistry and wonder of the Parthenon Friezes…from sculpture to watercolor, the transformation is mesmerizing…

“The Parthenon Friezes enjoy a room of their own in the British Museum. These fifth century marble reliefs are arranged along the walls in a linear sequence that surrounds the visitor. A skylight distributes even light over the horses, their riders and all the actors in the great procession as it makes its way around the room. Everywhere are stamping legs, creaking wheels, snorts, and bellows – a maelstrom of activity straining to break out of the few inches of marble into which it has been compressed. But an uncanny quiet is present in the room. Action coexists with stillness, clamor with silence.” ~ Alexander Purves, October 2011

“In their original locations on the Parthenon, these reliefs would have been shielded from the brilliant Greek sun – tucked up in the shadows high above our heads and illuminated only by indirect light from below – sunlight reflected up off the marble floor. In the British Museum, however, a gentle London light drifts down, washing over the contours of the white Pentelic marble. Artin has been able to capture the effect of this light using water to soften the shadows and grade the darks. But as opposed to sculpture, the watercolors have a luminosity of their own, the reflection of light off the paper itself. No matter how dense the wash, this radiance is never lost.” ~ Alexander Purves, October 2011

above ~ Parthenon Cape and Skirt, 40 1/2″ high by 66 1/4″ wide, watercolor on cotton Khandi paper by Wendy Artin

above ~ Torso Solo, 30″ high by 18 1/4″ wide, watercolor on cotton Khandi paper by Wendy Artin

above ~ Bellowing Bull, 40 1/2″ high by 51 1/4″ wide, watercolor on Khandi paper by Wendy Artin

photos from the history blog, Alain Rezette, Heritage Key and me

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wendy artin ~ the parthenon friezes

Last Friday night, 11/4/11, I attended the opening reception of Wendy Artin‘s new exhibition titled The Parthenon Friezes…this is her eighth solo show at Gurari Collections of Boston and certainly one the most profound I have ever experienced…with a pure passion for her ancient subject, she pours her heart and soul into each and every brush stroke…sharing more than her expert touch, she opens our eyes to a deeper beauty…

THE PARTHENON FRIEZES ~ WENDY ARTIN

“Wendy Artin’s November exhibition entitled THE PARTHENON FRIEZES, at Gurari Collections, is a demonstration of patience, endurance, visual insight and painting mastery. Galleried at the British Museum, the Parthenon sculptures enjoy world renown for their representational beauty, conflict of a storied past, and their sheer magnitude of sculptural presence. This new series of large monochromatic watercolor paintings are life-size in scale so as to best evoke the splendor of this ancient parade.” ~ press release

Gurari Collections
460 Harrison Avenue, South End of Boston
November 4 – November 28, 2011

“Wendy Artin’s Parthenon Friezes are meditations on works of art that have haunted her for many years. She is an artist of consummate skill, working in a medium over which she has complete control. However this skill never calls attention to itself. It is always used in service to the original sculptures. In these paintings she has been able to demonstrate the sensitivity and precision of her observations, but more significant – even miraculous – she has been able to convey the depth of her feeling – her wonder, her admiration, and her love for these ancient marbles.” ~ Alexander Purves, Yale School of Architecture, October 2011 (above ~ Wendy Artin and Alexander Purves at the opening reception)

“For years I have been dreaming of painting them. I wanted to spend a long time staring at them, drawing them, getting lost in the cracks and relief, understanding the rhythmic movement of the heads, the bodies, the legs.” ~ Wendy Artin

“Our first response to these extraordinary paintings is to enjoy the cinematic rhythm of the legs, the draperies, the bodies – the power of the overall composition. However we are well repaid if we take the time to let our eyes graze slowly over the surface of the watercolor – to watch the artist pull the forms from the paper. Her brush has caressed every contour. Our eyes follow her hand as it guides the water over the rag paper leaving some spots dry, drenching others – always alive, always becoming. Working back from the white of the paper, applying water and pigment, deepening the darks, she is excavating shadows much as a sculptor carves into a block of marble to reveal form.” ~ Alexander Purves, October 2011

photos by me, 11/4/11

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“dare alla luce” ~ wendy artin

above, photo from Vanity Fair, September 2001

“dare alla luce” ~ “to give to the light”

A vivid memory from 2010, that I’m certain will stay with me a lifetime, was meeting plein air artist Wendy Artin…her paintings and her kindness live deep within my heart…I want to say thank you Wendy, for creating such timeless beauty…I have a richer and fuller understanding of your subjects having lived them through your eyes…to experience your art is to see light and texture in a brand new way…for me, your work is always a new discovery and a treasured gift for my soul…thank you

Wishing you and your family a very happy new year…may 2011 be filled with new adventures and always filled with beauty

below, photo from Gourmet, Rome Edition, March 2003

quotes from Wendy Artin, Arts and Minds, documentary film by Julie Kucaj of Bravo Television, Canada 2002

“She’s very unusual because she does not sketch her subject first, she watches what the light creates in her composition, and she paints that effect, in other words she doesn’t even paint the figure, she paints the effect of the light on the figure…so sometimes it’s just one or two strokes of the brush, it almost looks like calligraphy, those quick quick studies…so that when you look at the drawing after it’s finished, you not only see what she was after, but the whole thing comes alive again, as though she were doing it right before your very eyes…it’s absolutely masterful” ~ Adele Chatfield-Taylor, American Academy in Rome

below, Laura Arms Locked, 2004, watercolor on Rives BFK, 8″ x 13″

“My models are just phenomenal, they work with me, and they put on these certain performances in the studio that are endlessly inspiring…” ~ Wendy Artin

below, Tamara Touching her Toes, 2002, watercolor on Rives BFK paper, 12″ x 7″

“They’re hard for me to do…it’s hard for me to get a page that’s satisfying…but that’s what the challenge is…that’s the beauty of it” ~ Wendy Artin

below, Tamara Reveuse, 2009, watercolor on Rives BFK paper, 23 x 20 cm

“She’s a perfect illustration of the undying value of the classical value. The work that Wendy does can look familiar at first glance because you’ve seen other drawings like it, other paintings like it, but the minute you really look at it, you realize that this is brand new and in a sense I find that very exciting and more contemporary than almost anything I’ve seen because she’s finding something in a traditional subject that has never been seen before.” ~ Adele Chatfield-Taylor, American Academy in Rome

below, Laura Wind, 2009, watercolor on Rives BFK paper, 20 x 34 cm

below, Piera, 2005, watercolor on Rives BFK paper, 10″ x 11″

below, Tamara on her Side with Foot in Hand, watercolor on Fabiano Ingres paper, 12′ x 9″

below, Laura in a Quick Stretch, 2004, watercolor on Fabriano Ingres paper, 7″ x 11″

paintings by Wendy Artin

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pierre passebon and wendy artin ~ galerie du passage

above, Wendy Artin, close up of Parasol Pine Panorama, 2008, watercolor on cotton Khadi paper, overall size is 76 x 30 cm

Sometimes life hands you a wonderful coincidence. You don’t question it or try to understand it but just accept it as a special gift. I was fortunate enough to experience a wonderful coincidence in an email exchange with Wendy Artin. Over the weekend, I posted about meeting her at the Gurari Collections group show and she mentioned how pleased she was to be on the same page as Jacques and Pierre. Without knowing their connection, I had posted about Jacques Grange and Pierre Passebon earlier in the week! The wonderful coincidence is that Wendy is one of the highly acclaimed artists at Pierre Passebon’s Galerie du Passage in Paris! In her email to me this morning, she writes about Pierre ~ “his gallery is called Galerie du Passage…it is the most beautiful gallery in the most beautiful covered passage in Paris, the passage Vero-Dodat. It is truly an exquisite place, and I am always thrilled to show there! I have been showing with him since 1996. What an amazing coincidence that we ended up on the same page!” ~ A truly special gift!

The Wendy Artin paintings in today’s post are from her 2009 show at Galerie du Passage, Paris

HADRIEN : 11/18/2009 to 12/23/2009

below, Wendy Artin, Atinous, 2009, watercolor on cotton Khadi paper, 56 x 76 cm

I’m also including some information about Galerie du Passage along with some photos from past exhibitions. Fascinating!

In 1991, Pierre Passebon opened the Galerie du Passage in the one of the most attractive covered arcades in Paris, the Galerie Vero-Dodat, where the neoclassical decor dates back to 1826. At the Galerie du Passage, furniture and objects of the 20th Century are displayed on two floors, arranged in unusual combinations. Pierre Passebon animates his gallery with temporary exhibitions of art and design, where artists of the 20th and 21st century renew their ties with the great tradition of craftwork.

Galerie du Passage, Pierre Passebon20/26 Galerie Véro Dodat, Paris FR, 75001

above, text from vista art and design

Fetish, by Louboutin and Lynch, Monday, August 16th, 2010

Christian Louboutin and David Lynch have locked heads and created a show, Fetish, which opened in Paris at Pierre Passebon’s Galerie du Passage. The exhibition shows five limited edition pairs of shoes by Louboutin alongside five signed photographs of the shoes by Lynch.

above, photo and text from egelnick and webb

Pol Quadens fantômes de meubles – Galerie du Passage, Paris

from 09/10/09 to 10/10/09

Exhibition of exclusive design furniture in Corian© and wood

A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY : from 09/29/2010 to 10/23/2010

YUL BRYNNER

A group of school kids surprised Pierre Passebon by showing up at the Galerie du Passage wearing masks made with the Kathy image from the YUL book. They loved the show and loved seeing the actual image on the wall.

above, photo and text from yul brynner: a photographic journey

Private opening at Galerie du Passage in Paris, France

Row 1: Antoine Arnault, Victoria Brynner, Delphine Arnault, Thomas Lenthal, VB, Victoire de Castellane; Row 2: Christian Louboutin, VB, Valentino, Mario Testino, VB, Karl Lagerfeld, VB, Doris Brynner; Row 3: VB, Princess Silvia D’Arenberg, Antoine Arnault, Princess Marie Chantal of Greece, Doris Brynner, Prince Pavlos of Greece

above, photo and text from yul brynner: a photographic journey

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gurari collections ~ meeting wendy artin

photos by danielle boudrot, 10/29/10

Last night was the opening reception for nine by six, a group show of plein air artists at Gurari Collections in Boston. It was a wonderful evening filled with art, wine, food, old friends and new friends. My favorite story comes from a conversation I had with Wendy Artin and Joe McKendry. I was most fortunate to be near their laughter and they graciously welcomed me into their circle. We started talking about the creative process and how art, music, and sports relate to one another. After some discussion, we discovered the connective threads to be daily practice, repetition and dedication. Wendy then shared with us a story about a master Japanese painter (i’ll do my best to recreate it for you!) ~ The artist was commissioned by a wealthy man to paint a masterpiece and was given a year to do so. When the time came to show the wealthy man the painting, the artist took out a piece of paper and painted the subject on the spot. The wealthy man was furious! The master painter was outraged at the wealthy man’s reaction! The artist then walked over to a cabinet, opened the door, and thousands of the same painting fell to the floor! ~ The story speaks so perfectly to the time, study and practice that goes into creating a work of art. I couldn’t help but think of Wendy’s paintings and the time it takes her to perfect a single brush stroke.

The first photo (above) is of an older man greeting Wendy. I was so moved by their hands that I decided to crop the image to illuminate this gesture. For me, it captures the essence of Wendy the person and Wendy the artist. All evening, she was giving and thoughtful to those who know her and to those of us just getting to know her.

above, Wendy Artin, Temple of Saturn

above and below, Wendy Artin, close ups of Temple of Saturn

above and below, Wendy Artin

above, Russ Gerard ~ owner of Gurari Collections

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nine by six

“This inert marble is so filled with light, with life, with memory, that we are made to forget that, in the end, these are just stains on a piece of paper made by the strokes of a brush. We are stunned by the beauty of the image.” ~ Alexander Purves writing about Wendy Artin’s show Columns, September 2009

above, Wendy Artin ~ Roman Forum, watercolor on cotton Khadi paper

The opening reception for nine by six is tonight at Gurari Collections in Boston’s South End. The group show features six plein air artists whose paths have crossed over the years. Each artist is showing nine works, hence nine by six. Wendy Artin is one of the six showing tonight and I couldn’t be more excited to meet her! I hope to have some great stories (and photos) to share with you tomorrow. Included in today’s post are some images from Wendy’s website, similar to the pieces in the show. If you would like to learn more about the artists and the personal stories behind nine by six, please go to Gurari Collections

above, Wendy Artin, Haut-Les-Mains, watercolor on cotton Khadi paper

–  N I N E  B Y  S I X –

An Exhibition of Nine Paintings by Six Artists

Stephen Harby, Alexander Purves, Buzz Yudell,

Wendy Artin, Tina Beebe, Jeremiah Eck

October 29 – November 28 , 2010

Opening receptions

Friday, October 29, 2010 from 6:00 – 9:00 pm

Friday, November 5, from 6:00 – 9:00 pm

Gurari Collections, 460 Harrison Avenue, Boston Massachusetts 02118

Tel: 617.367.9800 email: gerard@gurari.com

above, Wendy Artin ~ Cabbage, watercolor on cotton Khadi paper

paintings are from Wendy Artin‘s website

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wendy artin

The first time a Wendy Artin painting took my breath away was in November of 2000. The show titled “Aphrodite” at Gurari Collections in Boston, was a masterful collection of Roman architecture, figures and statues. With what seems like effortless brush strokes, she captures the essence of Rome and it’s timeless beauty. From the textured paper to her brilliant interpretation of light and shadow…it is the perfect marriage of classic and modern. Genius! If you go to her website, Wendy Artin, there is a wonderful video about her life in Rome (a documentary film by Julie Kucaj of Bravo).

“Loose yet delicate landscapes were a liberating challenge, and the trees, domes and walls of Rome endlessly absorbing. With sepia watercolor evaporating in the dazzling Roman sun I tried to perfect the puddle, as masses of parasol pines (Villa Borghese 1995) or as shadows on the statues of the Piazza Navona, my models (Neptunes 1994, 1995). I painted these statues over and over, discovering the beauty of a wet ghost image beneath a crisp wash, how to bleed one edge of the puddle into volume, the way it is to have a brush totally loaded or almost dry, the happy accident of an incidental drop.” ~ Wendy Artin

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