Speaking about the Barnett Newman book and how it relates to life

I felt the need to share some thoughts about the Barnett Newman book and how litigious he was and how it relates to how artists try to make themselves be set apart from the others in the group. Enjoy.

New confessional videos from myself

It’s been quite some time since I have made any type of videos. But lately I have been feeling the pull to create a few videos of myself just talking about life experiences and how they relate to my world of art. Nothing better than just diving in and creating while you trust where it is coming from and what the intentions are. Enjoy

If you want, just click on it and it should open up in YouTube.

CARRY NO MORE

Carry No More

Crayola Colored Pencils on 28 Sheets of Joined Paper 

12-02-2025

When I began these Paintings on Paper, I began by making a large version of one of my paintings, just flattened out. Getting rid of dimension really freed up a lot of my imagination to create something different than I had made before. In time I began bringing landscape into the work, yet it too was quite flat. I don’t have much of an interest in illusioned depth, so the flatness of these is quite flavorful to my sensibility. The ideas just keep coming and I’ll keep sharing.

The size of these are constrained by the space I have available at the moment. In time these will become much larger.

Enjoy 

Shaped by Your Surrender

SHAPED BY YOUR SURRENDER 

Colored Pencil on 28 Sheets of Joined Paper 

01-08-2026

Lineage of Remembrance

LINEAGE OF REMEMBRANCE 

Colored Pencil on 28 Sheets of Joined Paper 

01-06-2026

 

Catching up….

Been focusing so much on working on creating new works on paper and forgot to keep this wonderful page updated. So much has been done since my last post. Here’s a smattering of new works that have been going on for a few years now. 

These are from my RIFFIN ON MATISSE series that I have been working on. The title comes from my enjoyment of the hand of Matisse and how he let his colors play on the plane. I used to be bothered by the way he wouldn’t color in all the lines, sometimes there was simply a dab of color in the area that we are led to understand is the entire color for a blouse. It took me a long time to realize that the dabs were a way of letting each color sing on its own, giving space between each color, allows them to be so much more bold in their action. Whereas when you butt colors directly to each other, the eye begins to see them as less vibrant. I had been doing that for years with my work, especially the work on paper. Only to realize later that by allowing the ground color to seep through, I was allowing the color of the art to shine brighter. Definitely a metaphysical experience going on there. One I’m sure Barnett Newman would have had fun with. Enjoy. As you can tell at the bottom of this post there is a much larger version included, I always enjoy making large work, but even in paper the larger work is more difficult to document and store for myself as my palace of art is constantly growing but my present space is consistently growing smaller with each new piece. Such a lovely problem to have.

RIFFIN ON MATISSE 1

12-15-2025

RIFFIN ON MATISSE 2

RIFFIN ON MATISSE 3

RIFFIN ON MATISSE  4

RIFFIN ON MATISSE 7

RIFFIN ON MATISSE 9

12-27-2025

Colored Pencil on 27 Sheets of Joined Paper 

Pat Steir Remembrance

Just learnt that Pat Steir passed away. I became a fan of her work many years ago. I think it was because of Chris Maybachs films ARTCITY. I had, at that time been in a mode of trying to get every piece of video on Brice Marden, as he was my favorite living artist. I found out about the Maybach films and eventually got it. From there it was learning about so many more artists, ones that I still mentally quote from all the times I have watched it. Her section was in there too, so I got to learn about her, at least from there. Soon after, thanks to our local library that had been known as the best in the country for many years, I was able to check out a few PS books and delve more into her work. When I decided to “remake” PAINTERS PAINTING, in my own way, she was one of the first people I reached out to for an interview. I remember that day so well as I had mistakenly added for an interview with Karen Wilkin the same day, two hours apart. Anyone that has done interviews knows that THAT is a bad idea. Well it’s funny how things work, she and I weren’t able to do our interview because she had a problem from leaving her personal book in a cab, and once that happened she was running around trying to stave off anything that might happen as a result. So I did get to spend some wonderful time in her studio, walking around and checking out the work to be, the smell of the turpentine and oil paint permeating the space. The size of such large paintings propped up on the wall, still glistening from the drying paint. Eventually her assistant says she’s not going to be able to make it. So I left with good conscience that I would return, but a part of me knew that wasn’t going to happen. Thankfully I did get to be in NYC for a few openings of different exhibitions of her paintings, that last one at Cheim And Read was quite spectacular imo. Especially the big rusted looking one. I think everyone in the room knew it was a nod to Richard Serra, and also done with the utmost of respect. Truly a fantastic painting. Thankfully at least I have this story to share. Better to share a nice ironic story aside from simply putting a picture up. She led a tremendous life and got to live it for a long time. Nothing to be saddened about here. It’s party time for Pat! 

Photo from Pace Prints