MoMA : 2026-07

Finally made it to the MoMA in NYC thanks to some time between LaGuardia flights. It was great to see and a nice walk from the hotel. Similar to my other posts, I've included some images of things that caught my eye. There may or my not be specific comments. Above is a shot of the front of MoMA - a little different than many museums as it's another building in a row of buildings. Unlike a standalone museum, you could almost walk right buy. There was a line, but it moved pretty quickly. It was a security line. I don't think I waited at all to buy a ticket.

L: TOMMA ABTS, Uphe, 2011, acrylic and oil on canvas.

C: MARWAN, The Cross, 1966, oil on canvas.

R: ROBERT MOTHERWELL, Personage, with Yellow Ochre & White, 1947, oil on canvas.

Comments: I liked the simplicity and size of Uphe. it had its own wall in the MoMA which I thought was appropriate. I think the colors really spoke to me, too. The Cross was a face-rendering study for me (of sorts). The boldness and colors of Personage struck me and I'm always impressed when you find out a painting like this is almost 80 years old.

L: PHILIP GUSTON, Edge of Town, 1969, oil on canvas.

R: JOSEPH STELLA, First Light, c. 1928, oil on canvas.

Comments: I took a shot of Edge of Town mainly because I keep seeing Guston's work but also because it's starting to grow on me. First Light - to me - is simplistic elegance. He nailed it.

L: YOKO ONO, Sky Machine, 1961/66, stainless steel.

C: FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT, Broadacre City, 1934-35, painted wood, cardboard & paper.

R: MAX ERNST, Bird-Head, 1934-35, bronze.

Comments: I took the picture of Sky Machine because it's an Ono. When's the last time you've seen a work by Yoko Ono? Broadacre City - it's a Wright and he's impressive. The Ernst is similar to Guston. I keep seeing his work and it keeps growing on me.

L: EDWARD HOPPER, Gas, 1940, oil on canvas.

R: PIET MONDRIAN, Tableau no. 2 / Composition no. V, 1914, oil on canvas.

Comments: I took the Hopper shot because it's Hopper. Of course he did Nighthawks, but his use of contrast and light is always worth noting. This Mondrian was a must-take since I'd never seen this style or colors in his work.

L: CLYFFORD STILL, 1951-T No. 3, 1951, oil on canvas.

C: MARK ROTHKO, No. 37/No. 19 (Slate Blue and Brown on Plum), 1958, oil on canvas.

R: Robert Rauschenberg, Canyon, 1959.

Comments: I'd seen Still's work before and something about it always gets my attention. It would be cool to be the "first" with a certain look/style. The Rothko is captured because he would also be one I consider a "first". I think he captures feelings well and his color blends are always spot on. I do not particularly appreciate his titles, but I'm a title miser. The Rauschenberg is here just to remind us that art is in the eye of the beholder. He's famous for his "combines", which arguably are combines of junk. He knows that but was 'pushing the limits'. One of his most famous pieces was Erased de Kooning Drawing, which I saw in SFMOMA and isn't for sale but estimates are in the tens of millions.

L: PABLO PICASSO, The Kitchen, Paris, November 1948, oil on canvas.

R: JACKSON POLLOCK, Landscape with Steer, c. 1936–37 Lithograph

Comments: I snapped both of these because I thought them somewhat atypical for the artists. Maybe no so much with The Kitchen, but I'd certainly say so for the Pollock. That's caveated with atypical of what he's known for.

L: PABLO PICASSO, Woman Dressing Her Hair, June 1940, oil on canvas.

C: MARK ROTHKO, Slow Swirl at the Edge of the Sea, 1944, oil on canvas.

R: SLAVADOR DALI, The Little Theater, 1934, wood and glass, painted.

Comments: I liked this Picasso because it seems to be 'between' his realistic figures and his cubist figures - sort of rounded or softened cubes. The Rothko is what I would call atypical for his work so I wanted to capture it. The Dali? It's a Dali and might have been the only one they have.

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Okay...the next two are "finally saw them" paintings - and they were right next to each other! What a cool moment! I've made them a bit larger in format because of the impact they had on me...

EDWARD HOPPER, House by the Railroad, 1925, oil on canvas.

Comments: So, while Gas (shown earlier) is iconic in its own right, this painting takes the cake for me. It's such classic Hopper. It's simplicity is not simple. The details he uses and the contrasting light are perfectly applied. That said, art is in the eye of the beholder, right? This might not capture your interest at all.

ANDREW WYETH, Christina's World, 1948, tempura on panel

Comments: I can't add significant comments. I was just happy to see it in person.

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R: UMBERTO BOCCIONI, Dynamism of a Soccer Player, 1913, oil on canvas.

C: GUSTAV KLIMT, Hope, II, 1907-08, oil, gold and platinum on canvas.

L: PABLO PICASSO, Bather, 1908-09, oil on canvas.

Comments: I thought the colors and motion of Boccioni's piece were very well done - great title for this work, too. Pretty great painting for 1913. Boccioni only made it to 33 years of age. I could have added the Klimt to "finally saw" but it wasn't particularly on my agenda. Nonetheless, seeing a Klimt is great and it's cool to see a painting so similar to The Kiss without being aware of it. I think I took a picture of the Picasso because it seemed to show a little more emotion that some of his cubist work and it seemed like another transition piece.

L: GUSTAV KLIMT, The Park, 1910 or earlier, oil on canvas.

R: PABLO PICASSO, Three Musicians, summer 1921, oil on canvas.

Comments: Another Klimt and a great surprise. I thought this was an excellent painting - primarily how he minimized the space seen through the trees. Just a hint in the lower corner to allow the painting to take form. Great concept. The Three Musicians was a 'must take' for a couple of reasons. First, I'd say it's famous and I've been lucky enough to see it. Second, I saw the other in Philadelphia just eight months prior. Both were painted in the summer of 1921 and exemplify the Synthetic Cubist style.

VINCENT VAN GOGH, The Olive Trees Saint Rémy, June-July 1889 Oil on canvas.

Comments: Just to the right of this painting was The Starry Night and was surrounded by people. I had seen it - it was great to see again - but I thought this painting was just as impressive but surprisingly unappreciated by the crowds. Van Gogh painted at least 15 versions of olive trees. he was fascinated by their movement and ever change color and shape. He was, by the way, living in an asylum at the time of this painting...but at his own request.

The ticket - of course. If you're in the area, the MoMA is a must see!

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Sliders : 2026-07

Sliders

27 July 2026

Acrylic on hardboard

24 x 18 in (61 x 45.7 cm)

FOR SALE

I had a painting which I made for a call-for-art but realized I misinterpreted the theme. That turned out quite alright since it wasn't very good. I didn't even post it, but you can see it in the gif below. I wanted to practice some trees by making them more abstract and with less detail. I think the end result is much better than what was on the hardboard. The title is pretty simple on the surface - cows on a rather steep hill (with the potential to slide) and can be made into future sliders. However, the sliding idea came from the original painting which was "Greaser" - for a nice landing. I think Sliders is a great title.

This gif shows the transformation - quite a different end result. The painting sat for over a month because that call-for-art had passed and I was working on other things. When I got back to using the surface, it was a couple of days.

This is the frame currently holding Sliders. I made this frame about two years prior to this. The gold trim was primarily a test to see if I could add a trim. I think it works as it pairs with the field, but like all my frames, they're easily removed.

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Friends - Family - Flying : 2026-07

I had some days off which were aligned with a planned get-together of some friends in Oshkosh. Fortunately, another friend let me use his A36 so I could fly direct. Yeah, it's a lot of flying for a short visit but that's not a good reason to miss seeing people I hadn't seen in years. People that are important to me. It ended up being a fantastic trip! Saw the friends, saw Oshkosh (only my second time) during America's 250th year, met my brother on the return flight and played my first pickleball. Even the temperatures were great in Wisconsin.

The group of us in front of a well-painted F-15. I repeated the picture (above right)

because it was the only picture I took the entire weekend. That's pretty lame.

A guy in the picture filmed the 250 fireworks in DC and it's on YouTube.

On the flight out, I stopped at Arthur N. Neu Airport in Carroll, Iowa. I didn't take any pictures, but there was an A-7 on display (above left), the weather was really great - overcast and in high 60s. There were even some Air Tractors flying around. I landed in KFLD in Fond du Lac for the stay which was much simpler than landing KOSH. On the way back, I dropped into Eppley Field (KOMA) in Omaha. I had a great lunch with my brother even though the heat was quite miserable. I'm so glad I went instead of taking the lazy road of not travelling to visit.

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Dilata

Dilata

19 July 2026

Acrylic on canvas

18 x 24 in (45.7 x 61 cm)

FOR SALE

The figure becomes one with the landscape. I was starting to paint something abstract in vertical orientation vs a horizontal. However, the initial lines I painted and the red/gray areas started to appear as a horizon and somewhat eerie sky respectively. So I turned it on it's side and added the clouds. The clouds are done with loose strokes which was on purpose. I planned the figure to be the same - looser strokes - but it seemed to work out as is. The grass and flowers are a little surreal...the figure seems to be on or in the grass. I liked that question remaining. The question of her condition remains as well. Is she enjoying the day and resting? Is she in need of help? We're not sure.

This is the frame currently holding Dilata. It is made from Nebraska farm wood and taken from Slider. I think the colors match well with the distant terrain. This frame doesn't have 45 degree miters. I wanted to try a simple box. Like almost all of my painting/frame combinations, this can be easily removed and/or changed.

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Vestige : 2026-07

Vestige

08 July 2026

Acrylic on canvas

16 x 20 in (40.6 x 50.8 cm)

The landscape isn't remembered as much as the light.

FOR SALE

I wanted to work on the lighting in a landscape while also keeping the detail to a minimum. I like how this one turned out but I still struggle with getting a super bright glow. But that is the fun of painting... I can just keep trying as long as my hands work. I thank God my hands work. The title is straight forward. Vestige is a trace, mark, or visible sign left behind by something that has disappeared, vanished, or is in the process of fading away. The tagline about really resonates with me. The colors and clouds we get on a daily basis are simple incredible.

This is the frame currently holding Vestige - I made it with Radiata or Monterey pine.

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Croptop : 2026-07

Croptop

07 July 2026

Acrylic on canvas

20 x 16 in (50.8 x 40.6 cm)

FOR SALE

This was painted with nothing in mind. It started very abstract (a brush cleaning canvas to be honest) as you can see in the gif below. I saw a tower or a thrown of sorts emerge and went with it. I liked it but though a couple of crows enjoying some food on high would add some life. They're happy more crows haven't yet arrived and one of them is even in the feeder. The title comes from some crops being up high - or on top.

A gif moving us along - a couple of days have passed. You get the abstract start and a tower-only view.

This is the frame currently holding Croptop - I made it with Radiata or Monterey pine.

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