FADING AWAY

FADING AWAY

Nancy Herman

12" x 9"

oil on canvas board

On a trip to New York on the train I caught this old house on my camera as we sat in Amtrak comfort whizzing by.  I will add it to my "From the Train" series.  You can see the series by going to my web site www.nancyherman.com, then to "paintings" and then to "From the Train".

What is it about properties that are falling apart that is so fascinating?  Certainly for me part of the interest is in speculating about what is happening inside...are people still living there or has it been taken over by rodents and insects?  What is the ladder doing on the roof?  I also am fascinated by what happens over time to structures once lovingly made by humans.  How long will it take for nature to completely destroy this structure?  As the paint peels and weathers, the doors fall away, vines climb in and out of the windows and graffiti does its own climbing, the house does in its way become more and more beautiful, reassembling an abstract painting.

It will be in an upcoming show sponsored by WOMEN'S CAUCUS FOR THE ARTS titled INSIDE OUT, IF I can find it.  If you happen to know of its whereabouts let me know pronto.

HOPE

HOPE

Nancy Herman

oil on gesso panel

9" x 12"

It takes courage to go to school past your buddies who have dropped out and through a disintegrating neighborhood.  This is a kind of courage not rewarded with medals.  If only those who could finance schools had that kind of courage, the trip would be more worthwhile.

City Summer

Google maps provide a very interesting glimpse of the world.  You can sit in front of your computer wherever you are and cruise along streets far away or around the corner.  These scenes are not happening in real time but were taken presumably by a car with a camera but it could as easily be a drone.  They are videos frozen in time.  The people will always be caught mid step where they are.  The buildings will always be standing on that street corner.  We have been capturing things forever as humans from the time man carved an image in a shell 540,000  years ago.  But Google maps is a new wrinkle.  You can go almost anywhere in the world where there is a public road and ride down it in the comfort of your home.  This is a strange and wonderful thing.
I am looking for scenes of Philadelphia for a project.  I am really not going to go out with my paint and easel or even my camera to the wilds of the city in this weather.
What to do?  In the comfort of my studio I cruise the streets.  I came across this scene in North Philadelphia that says something to me about living in the city in the summer. I not only was able to find what I was looking for but it was nice and warm there.

          

CITY SUMMER

Nancy Herman

12" x 9"

oil on hard board

$200.00