Moment of Beauty

That's such a beautiful photo of Kirsten Dunst - I can't remember where I found it, but the background reminds me of this shot from Twin Peaks:

Small watercolor

Another small watercolor I've done recently - this one of a wooden icon from a museum in Edinburgh.

A Pair

detail of Bruegel's, Procession to Calvary 1564 (full image here)

Landscape with Perseus and Andromeda: From the "Mythological Room" of the Imperial Villa at Boscotrecase, last decade of 1st century B.C.; Augustan, originally uploaded by Maulleigh.

The Constant Gatherer: Artist at Home feature

Our apartment is featured this weekend on the blog of my friend Katie Runnels -The Constant Gatherer. Katie is a fellow SCAD grad and artist. Thanks Katie!

untitled small watercolor study

made this a few days ago

And Still We Gather With Infinite Momentum

"And Still We Gather With Infinite Momentum 1", by Justin James King -available as a print at 20x200 - you can get an 8x10" print of this for just twenty bucks.

Roman mural paintings

Detail views from wall frescoes from a room in Livia's villa at Prima Porta- not far from Rome.

The room can now be seen in the museum at Palazzo Massimo in Rome. Photos from flickr user raggi di sole.

Thomas Cooper Gotch, The Child Enthroned, 1894

Thomas Cooper Gotch, The Child Enthroned, 1894, originally uploaded by Gatochy.

Music for your Studio; Vol. 33

I know I haven't been posting music for your studio as frequently as I once was, but when I come across something good I'll put it up. Today I'd recommend downloading two 2-song eps from the BEKO Digital Single Label: Moscow Olympics and Jamie Long. Both are made up of soft shoe-gaze tracks. Highly recommended.

Wishing

"Wishing", 3x3', Oil on Canvas
from "My Mother's Youth" by my good friend Tracy Row

Skeleton of a Butler

Skeleton of a Butler - mosaic from Pompeii. source.

Hunters in the Snow

Nicolai Howalt

Nicolai Howalt

Nicolai Howalt

Pieter Bruegel, The Hunters in the Snow, 1565, Oil on panel, 117 x 162 cm

Small "Kairos" Study

Small "Kairos" study (for Dana), ink and watercolor on paper, 8x10" - part of a small series of paper works for the visiting artists in my classes. I posted the one I made for Katie a week ago.

Wise words from Pompeii

photo source.

"Nothing can last forever. Once the sun has shone brighly, it sets in the ocean. The moon wanes after it is full. Thus the ferocity of love often becomes a gentle breeze."

~written in Latin verse on the wall of a house in Pompeii

Stig Poulsson chair

Made in a limited edition of 20-25 pieces for Stig Poulsson’s own gallery at Bredgade in Copenhagen via Private.

'Give Us Today Our Daily Terror'

My art appreciation students are writing interesting essays about Martijn Hendriks 'Give Us Today Our Daily Terror' -in which the artist edits out every bird from Hitchcock’s The Birds.





read an interview with the artist about the work here.

Thom Puckey - Cloud Airplane

Thom Puckey, "Cloud Airplane"
Location: Stadshagen, Zwolle, the Netherlands
Material: Carrara marble.
Length, bottom to top: 5 meters. Width: 4,5 meters.

Michael Brophy

Michael Brophy, Silence 2, oil/canvas 2009 via Moonriver.

Justin Beard

Justin Beard spoke with my class today - I really love his work. This work, called "Light Roller", was based on his experience of a beam of sunlight bouncing off of his paint roller while painting a small room at work:

The Lifted Brow Issue 6 Out Now

I just got my issue of the Lifted Brow from Australia. Issue No. 6, is a book and two CDs -the theme is that of an atlas of the world, newly observed by a huge list of artists and musicians. I have two ink-wash paintings in the book based on the so-called "battleship island" off the coast of Japan. Both paintings are reproduced as two-page spreads. Order now before they sell out.

Nathan Abels -two ink wash paintings of Hashima Island

Salon style

We reworked our dining room a couple of weeks ago and put up a lot of small pieces to replace some of the large works that are in my show at Rule gallery right now. Here are the labeled works:

Small Rodin Study

A small acrylic ink study of a Rodin sculpture that I painted this afternoon. I'm going to be doing a lot more small watercolor and ink works in the near future.

Bill Amundson's Christoph Heinrich portrait

My good friend Bill Amundson did the above portrait of Christoph Heinrich for this Sunday's Denver Post. Read the accompanying article here.

Examiner: Best art exhibition for February 2010: Nathan Abels at RULE Gallery

Read the article here.

Anthony Farfalla of Examiner dot com writes;

"Nathan Abels’ latest work depicts a solemn and dark figment of nature. The Denver painter's solo show, appropriately titled ‘Natural Causes,’ is a collection of ghostly paintings exploring various landscapes and their inhabitants. Each painting captures a moment of an on-going event that seems to play forward in the viewer’s mind. Intimate portrayals of wildlife and desperate cityscapes compile a beautiful showing.

Of the collection, the piece ‘Lost to Sight,’ seems to capture the talent and creativity of Abels’ work. The painting depicts a startling scene as a mountain lion approaches a young deer. Deep within the woods, the images is set in a fantastic night light, creating a dark sense of solitude.

The show runs through March at RULE Gallery (227 North Broadway, Denver). In conjunction with the exhibit, Nathan Abels has also curated a small group show including the work of Alan Kitchen, Mindy Bray, Eric Lo Presti, Alexander Binder, Jason Stopa, and Yoshitomo Saito."

Opening tonight: The Love Show

From the press release for the show orgaznized by my friend Dana Cain - event planner and art collector extraordinaire:

"More than just an art show, The Love Show is a multi-faceted celebration love, in all of its forms - from beautiful to brutal, heartfelt to hilarious - as translated through the Denver Art Community. Running February 12 - 28, it involves an invitational art exhibition, an open juried exhibition, and a series of events including a contest to "Win a Dream Date with Phil Bender," one of Colorado's most notoriously good-humored and best known artists.

The Invitational show, in which several of Colorado's leading art couples share their artwork, their love stories and vintage scrapbook photos with us, will feature:

• Reed Weimer and Chandler Romeo
• Sushe and Tracy Felix
• Wes Hempel and Jack Balas
• Monica and Tyler Aiello
• Louis Recchia and Zoa Ace

Opening Reception for The Love Show, Friday, Feb. 12th, 6 - 10 pm, will feature several "extras" for attendees:

• The first 100 people through the door will get a valentine card, signed by one of the participating artists.
• A special PDA Photo Booth will be offered by Anthony Camera for couples to have souvenir photos taken while they hug and kiss in front of The Love Show banner.
• At 9:00-ish, Phil Bender and his Dream Date will arrive at the Reception in a limo, greeted by a wall of photographers and flashing cameras.
• Mr. Bender will also be offering signed "Jeff Ball Glamour Shot" photos of himself to a few lucky fans.

Like a relationship, The Love Show will begin with a lot of fun. By the closing weekend, however, we'll be exploring "The Break Up," with an appropriate musical soundtrack and a tear-filled closing reception as the show is dismantled. Kleenex will be provided for the "Break-Up Reception" on Sunday, Feb. 28, 1 - 4 pm.

Mountain Lion in Oklahoma

This mountain lion was captured on Ryan Ritter’s trail camera near Atoka in southeastern Oklahoma- via Cryptomundo. See also, "Some Mystery Left" - a post I wrote about the mountain lion found in Chicago in 2008.

Space Project by Vincent Fournier

Brussels-based photographer Vincent Fournier’s ‘Space Project’ -found via viacomit.net.

Natural Causes pdf catalog

Natural Causes pdf Catalog (click to download pdf)

• The 20 page pdf catalog includes installation images, images of my work, and images of the works in the curated show. The curated group show is made up of site-specific work by Mindy Bray, paintings from New York artists Jason Stopa and Eric LoPresti, photographs by German photographer Alexander Binder, works on paper by Alan Kitchen, and new bronze work by Yoshitomo Saito.
• Also included is a curatorial statement by me, and an introductory essay by Christopher Reiger, and excerpts from the Denver Post article reviewing the curated show.

More catching up

photo from the collection of Nathan Abels

After a show is up a lot of artists get what they refer to as the "post-show depression". I've experienced the post-show blues from time to time but in general I feel pretty free - free to do whatever projects or processes I've been delaying because of the emphasis on whether or not it will go with the show. One of the things I've been wanting to do is make a blurb book of my personal collection of photographer's shadows (see above). I'm in the process of that right now and it will be a short, affordable soft-cover open-edition book in the near future.

Simulacra

Nathan Abels, “Without Haste, But Without Rest”, Acrylic and Oil on Panel, 24×36″, 2008

George Morland, "Before a Thunderstorm", 1791, Oil on canvas, 85 x 117 cm

see also:

Sanford Robinson Gifford, "Night on the Hudson River", 1870

Nathan Abels, "Pursuit", Acrylic and Oil on Panel, 24x36" 2008