moni hill paints

Two Coats of Paint

2011-03-15T05:35:00.000-07:00

Ladylike

2010-10-11T11:02:00.000-07:00

Ladylike opened this weekend at Satellite Gallery in downtown Asheville. It's an exibhit of 12 women artists that explores the dark side of female relationships. The show is at the same time sweet like cotton candy and harsh like tar. It was a visual feast.

painting by Julie Armbruster

detail of painting by Ursula Gullow

detail of work by Kreh Mellick

detail of big pillow sculptures by Alli Good

Recent paintings

2010-09-23T17:18:00.000-07:00

I picked up these paintings from a gallery where I had a solo exhibition. The show was called Spilling Over. After hearing the news of the oil spill all summer, I wanted my paintings to spill over with simplicity and a joyful quiet (same thing?). I continued some of the paintings on the walls of the galleries so that they literally "spilled over."

80"x36"

42"x42"

32"x26"

32"x28"

An old favorite

2010-09-11T11:33:00.000-07:00

Sean Scully has an exhibtion of paintings and photographs hanging in Scotland. Thank goodness for the World Wide Web, so we can take a look....

I like his big paintings better than the small ones. Go big.

Maya Lin on a rainy day

2010-09-11T11:12:00.000-07:00

Today the sun is hiding and it's time to catch up on inside tasks like the pile of magazine clippings.

I'm so glad to use this opportunity to see what Maya Lin is up to. Her sculptures at the Telluride Gallery moved me to laughter because I'm so delighted with the way she experiments with topography and everyday objects....

Recycled glass-

Corugated cardboard and adhesive -

Yellow pages -

And, just for kicks, here's Eleven Minute Line, a land sculpture that is 1600 feet long and 12 feet high in Sweden -

Spilling Over

2010-09-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from a recent art opening of an exhibition I titled Spilling Over.

This past summer, I was fortunate enough to go to the beach twice. The ocean offers us humans a chance to rejuvenate, find perspective, celebrate family, slow down and have fun. For those reasons and more, people flock to the beach during summer vacations. This past summer, however, the news reports were full of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. News of this catastrophe was difficult to hear. My heart ached for those people and creatures whose lives and livlihoods depend on the ocean.

This art show was my attempt to honor beauty and the joy in the face of ugliness and tragedy of the oil mess. Some of the paintings, spill over the edge of the canvas onto the walls.

see the little drippings?

The flowers and birds extend down to the wall.

Speaking of David Hockney....

2010-08-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

I found these images after a conversation with an artist friend today about David Hockney - she likes his older portraits and I am crazy about his newer landscapes. They give new meaning to "color field" painting. I can't help but be reminded of Van Gogh in these pieces... an amped up Van Gogh. Who thought that possible?

Pink Dog Creative

2010-06-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

New studios coming to Asheville's River Arts District.

Randy Shull and Hedy Fisher are transforming an old warehouse into a colorful and lively studio space for artists. Who won't be inspired walking into this building?

Life imitating art

2010-05-25T13:16:00.000-07:00

A month, or so, ago I began putting these white poppies into my paintings.

Then look what appeared in the garden this week. No kidding.

trompe l'oeil

2010-05-11T08:59:00.001-07:00

This is street art at its best. I got these images from 76 Unbelievable Street and Wall Art Illusions.

Trompe l'oeil means to trick the eye into perceiving 3 dimensions where there are really only 2! The power of paint....

Rockin Sculptures

2010-05-07T12:46:00.001-07:00

This artist, David Ellis, brings music and art together in a great way. A little bit of epoxy resin and some old records....

Green Graffiti

2010-05-04T08:09:00.000-07:00

By now it's become clear that I am an admirer of street art. Even more so when it's eco-friendly like this moss art!

Go ahead and try...

2010-05-03T13:23:00.000-07:00

When I purchased the Abstract Expressionist stamps at the post office the other week, the clerk and I got into a two-second discussion on art. He pointed to the Barnett Newman image and said, "well, I can do that." I told him to "go for it." Yes, he probably could pull off some look-alike. But then what?

People say that sort of thing often about work. I admit that my work would be fairly easy to copy. But, I dare someone to get the wood, get the paint, make the space and time, find the inspiration, dig up the courage, and sit down and do the work. Chances are if someone goes through all that trouble, they have a strong creative voice of their own that won't let them copy another's work for very long.

So, go ahead and try to copy this painting by Barnett Newman....

Moni Hill Minis

2010-04-30T04:45:00.001-07:00

My space at Atelier 24 Lexington (Asheville, NC) has been updated. This is the place for "moni hill minis." My favorite of these small paintings become the basis for my bigger paintings. And those bigger paintings can be found at Gallery Minerva.

I've found this way of working - by doing many smaller paintings on reclaimed wood - allows me to experiment and play around with ideas. Then, when I find an idea that works for me, I use it on a bigger canvas/panel. That gives me an idea for a future blog entry - to show an example of a small painting that gave birth to a bigger painting.

For, now enjoy these shots of my updated space...

Stripes splattered with birds

2010-04-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

Here are my recent vertical stripe paintings pre-Gene Davis discovery.

Nothing new under the sun

2010-04-28T17:02:00.000-07:00

I just completed two paintings with vertical stripes (I'll post photos tomorrow) - then today I made a fabulous discovery of a painter who is known for her vertical stripe paintings - Gene Davis. He was a member of a group of abstract painters in Washington DC in the 1960s known as the Washington Color School. Another fabulous discovery.

Here is a painting of mine from my Beethoven show last September...

And now for Gene Davis' work...

Now that's what I'm talking about! Vibrant colors and bold stripes.

As promised

2010-04-22T10:48:00.001-07:00

Here is the result of my playing around with the following passage out of A Single Shard:
This is a description of the vase that the apprentice (named Tree-ear) would make if he were allowed... "The gentle curves of the vase, its mysterious green color. The sharp angles of teh plum twigs, their blackness stark amid the airy white blossoms. The work of a human, the work of nature; clay from the earth, a branch from the sky. A kind of peace spread through Tree-ear, body and mind, as if while he looked at the vase and its branch, nothing could ever go wrong in the world."

Celedon Pottery

2010-04-20T09:34:00.000-07:00

I'm reading a book along with my 9 year old daughter - A Single Shard - it's a story about a boy in 12th Century Korea who is an apprentice to a potter. There is a passage in the book that describes the boy's wish to create a prunus vase. The imagery was beautiful to me and inspired me to do some research.

These are examples of Celedon Pottery. I love the green so much that I must run now to my studio and get to work with my paints.

Tomorrow I'll post a photo of some paintings I've done as a result of this inspiration!

Who calls this pretty little thing a weed?

2010-04-20T08:45:00.001-07:00

I met Eric Abernathy at my show in Asheboro, NC. I am drawn to how he uses color in his photography. Here are few photos from his Dandelion series. Eric does the overlooked and often-trampled dandelion justice.

Public Art - Sign of Life

2010-04-19T05:57:00.000-07:00

I recently travelled to Asheboro, North Carolina for an opening exhibit of my art at Circa Gallery. After hanging the show, I had time to stroll through the center of town. I found public art sculptures and a green space and performance pavillion. I also found a great exhibit of portraits of the people and places of Asheboro by Les Caison III at the local arts guild.

Then, I learned that two years ago, the town lifted its dry ordinance. Around the same time that alcohol became legal, an art gallery opened in the center of town. Now, the people of Asheboro are clearly grateful and happy to attend an art opening - glass of wine in hand - in their hometown.

Here is the public art that told me that Asheboro is concerned with beauty and community... and isn't that a fine place to be?

A bug on a wall...

A fountain with sculptures make a great place to sit...

I didn't get a photo of the ampitheater and green space. But, I did get a shot of the street art that was parked right next to the area. The tree made a great frame...

Art History Poster

2010-04-15T13:21:00.000-07:00

Very clever.

A tourist in my hometown - Cincinnati, Ohio

2010-04-11T15:22:00.000-07:00

On a recent trip to visit the "folks," I was able to take in some sights. I was very impressed by the public art and many blossiming trees and flowers.

Kara Walker exhibit at the Cincinnati Art Museum

Sculpture outside the Art Museum in Mt. Adams

Purple People Eater Bridge - gives a good view of river and the 471 Bridge

sticker art

colorful entrance to Sawyer Point - flying pigs

Speaking of Joan

2010-04-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

Joan Mitchell has long influenced my own painting. The way she boldly moves color around on the canvas is truly courageous and inspiring.

Have you seen the new stamps?

2010-04-08T10:51:00.001-07:00

Have these been out for awhile? I just noticed them and promptly bought a few sheets. That Joan Mitchell one is my favorite.

Undergrowth With Two Figures

2010-04-07T18:34:00.001-07:00

I just returned from a visit to my hometown, Cincinnati - and thankfully I had time to visit the Art Museum while there. It had been a long time since my last visit to the museum. And what do you know? Hanging unassumingly on the wall was a Van Gogh. Thank you!

Courage

2010-03-29T19:11:00.000-07:00

I recently saw that Winston Churchill quotation about "try try again" or something. I wanted to find the exact words, and in my Google-quest, I found a gazillion great things he said. I especially like this one:

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak;

courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

How 'bout that. Very taoist. Very good. Thanks. Here's a new painting...

Tao Te Ching, Chapter 72

2010-03-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

Try to teach and you will confuse your family.

Give them nothing to learn and they will learn everything.

An unexpected visual gift

2010-03-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

I think the reason I am intrigued by street art is that, if done right, it can add an element of surprise to something that has become, over time, boring or common. That's also why I love little stone sculptures that hikers leave behind in streams and creeks. The following are some great examples of unexpected visual gifts in nature....

Wabi Sabi

2010-03-24T09:55:00.001-07:00

Allow imperfections and impermanence - and all of life contains the seeds of beauty and harmony.

Inspiration for the day

2010-03-23T10:08:00.000-07:00

This blog is truly my "clearinghouse" for things that inspire me. I found these Japanese woodcut images today and am drawn to them. These may be some of the same images that inspired Van Gogh. I really like the perspective in these along with the muted, yet bold palette.

Beetle Colors

2010-03-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

I had an idea this morning - to do a set of paintings based on the colors of VW Bugs. In my research I came upon this image. For all of its distractions, the internet sure can be useful.

Vincent's bedroom gets restored

2010-03-17T08:38:00.001-07:00

As I may have mentioned before in this blog, I'm crazy about Van Gogh's painting of his bedroom in Arles. I'm even in the process of curating a show based on this painting (more on that as the plan progresses). I just heard that the painting is getting a facelift - and we can follow it at this this blog of the Van Gogh Museum. A week ago, the painting was deframed...

Ohhhhh, what I would give to push that into my bedroom in Asheville!

Drop a stroke

2010-03-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

As a swim coach, it's my goal to help swimmers get more by doing less - to teach them the power of efficiency. When practicing the breaststroke, we do an exercise called, drop a stroke, that challenges the swimmers to do one less stroke each time they do a length of the pool.

As a painter, I'm greatly influenced by Chinese Brush Painting, which also emphasizes doing more with fewer strokes. The Chinese brush painter has mastered the art of expressing and representing an object in as few brush strokes as necessary.

For some reason, this efficiency is appealing to me - in swimming; in painting; in life. In a culture where we hurry from task to task, I'm moved by those with the courage to do less. I'm also reminded of one of my favorite Chinese proverbs:

We have very little time, we must move very slowly.

Color otaku

2010-03-13T18:13:00.001-08:00

I just listened to Seth Godin's book, Purple Cow, while painting in the studio. He introduced me to a term I just love. It's a Japanese word that refers to people with obsessive interests - Otaku. A person can have a cooking otaku or a gardening otaku.

So, I started to wonder about what kind of otaku I am/have. I'd say I have a color otaku. It explains my giddiness at painting a room a great color, or my deep down satisfaction at finding the right color combinations in my own work, or my inability to hang a painting on a dingy white wall. I love the concept - it implies an engagement with life. And that's fun.

This book is one of my favorites and now I understand why (though I let someone borrow it and forget who that was). I guess it's time to buy a new copy because it always provides my otaku with a satisfying fix.

The Golden Rectangle

2010-03-10T15:38:00.000-08:00

I need to ask my math teacher husband to explain what's really going on here. My artist eye/mind senses it's something important...

Reminds me of my "swoopty line."

New Favorite

2010-03-10T06:36:00.000-08:00

I just discovered the work of Peter Halley. I like what he's doing with geometry and color. As always, I appreciate big paintings in public spaces, like this one at the Dallas Airport...

Show at Mary Boone Gallery....

A show is hung - almost

2010-03-05T10:38:00.001-08:00

Sara Ledonne at Asheville Community Theater has done an amazing job hanging this show. Talk about professional. All that's left is details (which I'm so not good at). Here are a couple shots....

Marc Quinn - "Iris"

2010-03-04T16:51:00.000-08:00

Wow. This show hung last Fall at Mary Boone Gallery. I'd love to have seen it with my own irises!

A drop of golden sun

2010-03-04T12:32:00.000-08:00

I love this photo for a few of reasons.

It is of my niece who lives in Nicaragua, who I happen to think is quite cute.
It looks like it was taken with a low-tech camera. I love it.
It has been grey and white here for so long, that seeing a bit of sun gives me hope!

Thanks goes out to .....

2010-03-04T10:16:00.001-08:00

On the side of this painting is a quotation by Thoreau:

Our life is frittered away by detail... Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.

I'm not sure I've been heeding his sage advice. It seems like life pulls me (and all of us) in so many directions. As a work-from-home-mom, I definitely get caught up in all the details.
Focusing on my painting helps me stay grounded and centered.

And what a busy couple of weeks for me and my paintings - in a good way with lots of good people.

Began a relationship with a gallery on Biltmore in the heat of downtown Asheville - Gallery Minerva. Anna & Mary Collins definitely know what they are doing. Can I call them "brilliant?"
Hung a show at Asehville Community Theater with the help of one of the best curators ever. Big thanks to Sara Ledonne!
Took down a show at the Asheville Area Arts Council. Sarah Meyers' work ethic and great sense of humor made that a piece of cake for me.
Named artist of the month at the shop of the Asheville Art Museum. Hillary and Lindsey couldn't be more fun to work with.
Began another relationship with Wild Oats & Billy Goats in Decatur, Georgia. The owners, Weatherly and Hugh couldn't be more energetic, enthusiastic and inspiring.
Changed things around at Atelier 24 Lexington - they now just have mini-paintings. It's called the Moni Hill Mini Wall. Gabrielle is another one whose energy is contageous.

Big huge thanks to everyone.

The power of hanging a big painting

2010-02-27T06:41:00.000-08:00

This home uses its walls for modern art. It's fun for me to see Sean Scully (on left) and Helen Frankenthaler (on right) in action - at work - in someone's beautiful home.

Architecural Digest, October 2009

Pick a fight

2010-02-26T05:24:00.000-08:00

Twyla Tharp's book, The Creative Habit - Learn it and Use it for Life is one of the best books on creativity/art I've ever read. Her persistent and courageous approach to life and art is motivating. She presents her ideas in each chapter and follows them with several exercises. One exercise that has stuck with me is ....

Pick a Fight

Too much planning implies you've got it all under control. That's boring, unrealistic, and dangerous. It lulls you into a complacency that removes one of the artist's most valuable conditions: being pissed. Art is competitive with yourself, with the past, with the future. It is a special war zone where first you make the rules, and then you test the consequences.

Creativity is an act of defiance. You're challenging the status quo. You're questioning accepted truths and principles. You're asking three universal questions that mock conventional wisdom:

1. Why do I have to obey the rules?

2. Why can't I be different?

3. Why can't I do it my way?

She goes on to suggest.... When you set up to work, pick a fight with your rituals.... When you get down to work, pick a fight with your first impluse that day. Do the opposite of what your brain is telling you to do.

___________________________________________

Some of the most brilliant artists picked fights with conventions and rules of their time.

Can growth happen without a fight?

In praise of simplicity

2010-02-25T12:27:00.000-08:00

Local (Asheville, NC) encaustic painter, Tif McDonald's style is refreshingly clean and simple.
Simpler is better.

Evolution of a painter

2010-02-25T12:06:00.000-08:00

I've been drawn to Los Angeles-based painter, Laura Owens (born 1970, Euclid, OH) for a long time. She continues to paint and explore her many inspirations. Here are a few examples from most recent (2009) to older (199?).

Boy with Pipe and Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear

2010-02-24T10:16:00.000-08:00

Picasso.... that blue!

and Van Gogh..... the evocative expression & story aside, would you take a look at that the orange-red-green combo. Thank you.

80" x 36," Let Your Dreams Take Flight

2010-02-23T13:25:00.000-08:00

A big painting for the show I'm going to hang next week at Asheville Community Theater's Gallery.

Zingers

2010-02-18T11:15:00.000-08:00

A zinger is defined: a sudden shock, revelation, or turn of events.

I think there is much power in a well-placed zinger. I first discovered they had a name when a friend and I were gushing over the quilts of Gee's Bend. Now, I look for subtle ways to include zingers in my work. I think of zingers as my gift to the viewer - a chance to make their heart race or ask questions.

Gee's Bend Quilt zinger....

A zinger I like to use is the upsidedown bird....

The Swoopty Line

2010-02-17T07:05:00.000-08:00

It's all coming together. Ever since I started painting curvy lines, I find my eye noticing different pieces of life and reflecting on the movement of life. And now I made up a word for the part of a journey where time stands still and we surrender to the momentum and power of life -the swoopty line.

For example:

A while back, I was looking at surf photos (my brother and sister are both surfers) and was drawn to the shape of the opening from the inside of the tube.....

I've never been inside a wave like that, but I can imagine that there is a moment there where time stands still and you feel your oneness with life as you are engulfed by the power of the water.

Then, I found that same shape and line appearing in my recent paintings of paper airplanes....

I started painting paper airplanes because I love the simplicity and innocent joy that they represent. Their short journeys through the air make children jump for joy. And the loopty loops (making the swoopty line) they do in the sky before they crash into the ground are a part of the fun.

Then, while watching the freestyle skiing event in the Olympics, I realized that what I love most about that event is when they do that back flip, land, and keep going. That moment of suspension gets me. Again, I've never flipped through the air with skis attached to my feet - but the power and the surrender and the magic of that feat amazes me. What line are they drawing in the sky? The swoopty line.

Don't we all, throughout the course of our lives, experience the swoopty line? Many times it's not something we've planned, but we find ourselves suspended with no choice but to trust.

Three Rules of Work

2010-02-16T06:08:00.001-08:00

Out of clutter find simplicity;
from discord find harmony;
in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.
-Albert Einsten

The journey of a thousand miles...

2010-02-16T06:01:00.000-08:00

...begins with the first step. Lao Tzu

36x80, acrylic on hollow core door

Grant Hamilton's Polaroids

2010-02-15T11:48:00.000-08:00

Grant Hamilton has done it. He uses his polaroid camera to find "beauty in the mundane." These make me crazy...

An big nod to Donald Judd

2010-02-11T16:53:00.001-08:00

Just because....

Everything's amazing and nobody's happy

2010-02-11T11:53:00.000-08:00

Thanks, Louis CK - a great/funny reminder..... (click back there on the underlined words for his clip on Conan)

Before birds and poppies

2010-02-10T08:39:00.000-08:00

A glance back at my work pre-birds & poppies....

Rachel Whiteread Sculptures

2010-02-09T13:02:00.000-08:00

Why have I not heard of her until now?

Where do the birds come from?

2010-02-09T12:36:00.000-08:00

Often, I'm asked how I got started painting birds. Honestly, I don't know for sure, but I have a hunch it began with my admiration of St. Francis. I was raised Catholic - as a child I attended Church and a little Catholic elementary school (St. Clare). It was there that I first learned of St. Francis- the saint who can be found in gardens throughout the world. I was drawn to him because he was a free spirit who renounced his upper-class life and set out to heal/help the sick/poor. I also thought it was pretty cool that he could talk to animals. When I had my first child, I named her after him and pronounced him the patron Saint of our family. Here's a drawing of him delivering his message to a crowd of birds.

I like to think that the birds of St. Francis find their way to my paintings to bless the work and to remind me of all that St. Francis preached.

From her book of poems titled "Thirst"

2010-02-06T05:14:00.000-08:00

Praying, by Mary Oliver

It doesn't have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don't try
to make them elaborate, this isn't
a contest but the doorway
into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.

the bird's message

2010-02-03T11:30:00.001-08:00

A new painting....

Tree Cow

2010-02-02T13:35:00.001-08:00

I look forward to seeing this exposed root that is part of my daily walk in the woods.

Pierre Bonnard inspired moment

2010-02-02T08:43:00.000-08:00

It's snowy outside. My kids are home from school. One of them is not feeling well and wants a bath. Usually, bathing is done at night in our home. But, today is an exception. A bath in the daytime allowed me to see the scene in a new way.

It was that blue-green of the water and the gentle line that caught my eye thanks to the contrasting peachy-orange skin and tiles. And for a moment, thanks to the light of day and the chance to sit for a spell in the bathroom, I had a sense of what Bonnard felt when he watched his woman bathing - peace and quiet in the midst of a concert of colors.

Getting ready for Journeys

2010-01-30T06:05:00.000-08:00

I've officially started painting for a show that opens in March. I've been thinking about it and prepping for it for months. I'm calling the show "Journeys" - a reflection of the twists, turns, and intersections our lives take and make.

Years ago, I was visually drawn to an image of a Taoist "magic" diagram and now I'm allowing that flowing and twisty line into my paintings. No more rulers or straight lines. Here is the image that has been in my mind for years from the book, The Tao of Physics -

Universally Pleasing

2010-01-27T11:30:00.000-08:00

I read Malcolm Gladwell's article The Ketchup Conundrum last night. It got me thinking.... the reason that Heinz can't be beat is that it satisfies all the categories of taste - bitter, sweet, salty, sour and savory (aka "umami"). Can a painting be similarly all-together universally satisfying? I think so. Color and design have a lot to do with it. I know what it takes for one of my paintings to satisfy me - I need complimentary colors, I need a black & white or neutral somewhere to ground me, I need a surprise, and I need it to be thoughtfully and lovingly put together (that would be the "umami" aspect). But I'm still not sure if a painting (or any piece of art for that matter) can be univerally pleasing. This maybe a question that I grapple with for the rest of my life.

Color and Geometry

2010-01-25T17:38:00.001-08:00

Sarah Morris....
and Matthew Rich....

... have it mastered on the canvas. Geesh.

In need of inspiration & sun

2010-01-25T12:05:00.000-08:00

My younger brother, Joel, can provide both.

He lives on a mountain (in a tent) overlooking Honolulu. His life revolves around his passions - surfing and music. He keeps it simple. And that simplicity inspires me - the color of it, the rhythm of it, the feel of it.

Thanks Joel.

Going in a new direction

2010-01-22T13:12:00.000-08:00

Where are the squares and stripes? Here a couple of new paintings - intersecting paths and possiblities. These will be part of a show that opens in March called "Journeys."

Gerhard Richter's Toilet Paper for Dana Schultz's Sneeze

2010-01-21T19:11:00.000-08:00

Gerhard to Dana, "here let me help you with that."

Sweet Tweet by Tim Hawkinson

2010-01-21T09:49:00.001-08:00

I like this...

alot.

Exceptions to the "rule"

2010-01-21T08:07:00.000-08:00

You can either be cool or do good work. - Constance Humphries (artist, teacher, web designer and friend)

Without trying to be cool, these guys did good work...

A reminder from Joe Strummer

2010-01-19T17:14:00.000-08:00

Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not. There is nothing more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not. The world is full of eductated derelicts. Persistence and Determination alone are Omnipotent. - Joe Strummer

Beauty is in the mind of the beholder

2010-01-18T13:16:00.000-08:00

When I think of art, I think of beauty. Beauty is the mystery of life. It is not in the eye, it is in the mind. In our minds, there is an awareness of perfection. - Agnes Martin (1912-2004)

Urs Fischer Installations

2010-01-15T12:33:00.000-08:00

Wow...
Making a mandorla, after blasting through the wall....

Two new paintings

2010-01-14T10:43:00.000-08:00

I've long been interested in mandorlas and change diagrams - where the lines are curved, and intersections give rise to opportunites. Finally this interest of mine is making its way into my paintings.

Andy Goldsworthy playing with pebbles

2010-01-14T08:40:00.000-08:00

A light morning snow

2010-01-12T09:36:00.001-08:00

The snow whites-out the canvas of clutter and makes way for simple compositions. Nature's minimalism.

Charley Harper

2010-01-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

I've returned to my studio and am looking for inspiration. Charley Harper always gets my creative juices going. How can this not?

James Turrell

2010-01-11T05:59:00.000-08:00

James Turrell's Live Oak Meeting House. I think I'd like to spend this Monday morning here!

In the Middle of the Ocean

2010-01-10T14:13:00.000-08:00

Ran Ortner won Art Prize (http://www.artprize.org/) for this painting. I've always loved seascapes and this one takes the cake. I would love to put it in my living room... I'd clear out all the furniture, lie on the floor and look at it for hours.

Quilts of Gee's Bend & Sean Scully

2010-01-09T12:07:00.000-08:00

The similarities between the paintings of Sean Scully (a living painter whose work is in most major museums) and the quilts made by the women from an isolated rural town in Alabama are striking. Universal geometry?

Organizing old images

2010-01-08T13:03:00.000-08:00

I have been putting this off for years.... the photoshopping and organizing of all the photos of my art work. I've hired people to do this for me in the past only to feel just as confused and unorganized as before. So, I just buckled myself in front of the computer and did it myself. Now I know what is what and where it is. It was fun looking through my old paintings. Here are a few of my favorites....

This is one of the first photos of my work... before I knew any of the two functions that I do know about Photoshop.

The next two are from my "Asian" period. I think I'll revisit that.

My drug of choice

2010-01-07T18:30:00.001-08:00

A great pairing - art and wine

2010-01-07T12:28:00.000-08:00

I just hung some paintings at the new Asheville Wine Studio (on Charlotte Street). It's a beautiful space with great wine, and a very passionate and very knowledgable owner (Jessica).

digital macro

2010-01-05T11:58:00.001-08:00

I'm not a photographer. Though I love to capture things that catch my eye. And cameras are good for that. So, I have a little digital camera - and I just stumbled across the function that helps me do something that I really love to do - focus in on a little thing. Voila...

2010-01-04T15:10:00.000-08:00

I'm honored to be included with this great group of Asheville artists.

2010-01-04T12:25:00.000-08:00

I look forward to hanging my paintings with these other fine Asheville Artists. Opening reception is this Friday, January 8th, 5 - 8 pm.

2010-01-03T14:40:00.000-08:00

Painting for charity auction

2010-01-02T17:56:00.000-08:00

90" x 28," Acrylic on Wood, Follow Your Bliss

www.opendoorsasheville.org

Using my new little photo light box

2010-01-01T16:02:00.000-08:00

I'm experimenting with ways of photographing my little block paintings. This has always been my big challenge - photographing my work in a professional manner. So, I purchased a little light box thing and this is the result. The color looks a bit diluted... perhaps I need to fool around with the lighting.

Contemplating a dive

2009-12-31T16:57:00.000-08:00

I just came across this photo. I love the solitary figure standing apart/above and surrounded by blues and greens of water.

What is he thinking?

Asheville Art Museum Gift Shop

2009-12-31T05:21:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Hillary Frye for brilliantly displaying my work at the museum's gift shop. I'm so grateful for those with vision who make my work look so good.

2009 Re-cap

2009-12-30T17:59:00.000-08:00

A new year is upon us. I didn't blog very much this year. I'm resovled to do better in twenty-ten! Before we toast to the new year, I'd like to take a look back and fill in the blanks......

2009 was a big year for me, artistically:

I celebrated Beethoven's Ninth Symphony on 09-09-09 with an art show and a musical performance (with help from Milt Crotts and Eric Wall).

Here are some pictures of opening night....

I also participated in several art festivals (and won best in show at a festival at Lake Norman) and have a new and expanding list of great galleries who represent my work. And, now that I'm dedicated to figuring out this blogging thing, I'll post the galleries and new work in a timely fashion. I'll toast to that.

Happy New Year!

http://lexingtonbazaar.blogspot.com/

2009-05-21T17:05:00.000-07:00

I'll be at the Lexington Bizarre Bazaar on Saturday, May 24th 11:00 -4:00.
Live music, cool art, great food.

A tourist in my hometown, Asheville, North Carolina

2009-05-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

I like the decision to leave this little patch of red bricks.

Here I like the patterns and the contrasting blues and oranges.

A day at my friend's house near the Nantahala River

2009-05-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

I am by no means a trained photographer. I know nothing of shutter speed and aperture and all that stuff. But, I love how photography allows me to capture things that catch my eye.

When photographing, I enjoy finding either interesting subjects; interesting perspectives (usually highlighting negative space); contrasting patterns and lines; and shadows and light.

Here is a fun perspective of my daughter on a tree swing....

This one is all about the lines and the light.

And here we have an intersting subject matter (Santa Claus cut-out) and way cool meshing of light and shadows on the double paned window.

Holga Hill

2009-04-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

My Holga arrived yesterday. Last night I actually read the directions. Ask anyone who knows me- I never read directions. I am befuddled by my attraction to this camera and to lomography. But I'm going with it. I'm excited that I'm going to be able to do multiple exposures with this camera - I'll be able to experiment with layers and contrast, much like I do in my painting.

2009-04-23T16:42:00.000-07:00

I found these little pieces of bark on my walk today. What caught my eye was the collision of growth on it - the hairy mossy stuff vs. the flaky-fungusy stuff.

2009-04-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

Finding Inspiration on Wall Street, Asheville, NC

constantly, I scan my surroundings
for contrasting patterns and interesting
arrangements of shapes.

love the light turquoise blotch.....

circle and rectangles.....

rectangles and square patch.....

2009-04-08T16:26:00.000-07:00

I spent most of today helping this cute little guy find his people. I was secretly hoping he would join our family. But after hanging signs, calling the humane society, knocking on doors, and a visit to the vet, we found his owner! So, "goodbye Bill!" It was a sweet 6 hours!

2009-04-08T12:58:00.001-07:00

Here is Early Girl before the "spif" job. Oh, I had to put some paint on the walls before hanging the paintings. I feel like the wall is an extension of the painting. Thankfully the owners, Julie and John were willing to change things up a bit.

before....

after.....

other side of the restaurant...

Love the blue with the yellow. Nice job, Julie & John!

Big painting hanging at Early Girl.

Such a fun space with great food. Definitely an Asheville treasure!

So grateful to be a part of it.

Moni Hill Paints

2009-04-08T12:49:00.000-07:00

Moni Hill paints. This blog is proof.
Mostly photos of fresh paintings.
Or photos of stuff in my world that inspires my paintings.