SARDINIA #2

SARDINIA #2

Nancy Herman

oil on canvas board

9" x 12"

I am still wandering in Sardinia and found this, to me, very interesting spot where I invite you to travel for a few minutes.  Here is the link to the google map spot.  Imagine living here.  One appears to be at the top of a hill or even a mountain.  The road seems to stop after your house.  Opposite your house is some sort of a memorial space where some cherished relatives are buried(?) (Just move the scene around to see all sides).  If you travel down the road ( click on the arrow and keep traveling) you will see one beautiful view after another but you will also notice that there are no houses for what seems like miles and miles.  So there you are at the top of a mountain with your memorial park and a beautiful view in a pink villa miles from other people.... mmmmmm.  There must be a story here.

Sardinia

SARDINIA

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas board

This month the virtual paint out is visiting Sardinia.  I spent many hours traveling the rolling hills of this country using google maps.  The country side is quite beautiful and the towns are full of colorful buildings like these in Soleminis Provence, Caglieri.  This spot reminded me of the stark cityscapes of de Chirico. 

$125.00

POOL REFLECTIONS

POOL REFLECTIONS

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas board

We are having a few more summer days before autumn really sets in.  The beginning of the school year and the slowly turning leaves give us time to get ready for the bare cold days ahead.  But for now these pool reflections and the boisterous shrimp plant are a visual delight.

$125.00

IN THE FOG AGAIN

IN THE FOG AGAIN

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas

We have been having so many weather changes lately that the fog is rolling in more often than before it seems.  There is something about fog that seems to slow things down and invite quiet contemplation.  

I am trying a new technique here.  Not drawing before painting, just right in with lots of paint.  Takes a long time to dry which is why I have not posted earlier.

$125.00

WEDDING DRESS AT THE CLEANERS

WEDDING DRESS AT THE CLEANERS

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas

I think I have seen more wedding dresses in the windows of cleaning establishments in small towns than on brides.  This one in Narberth caught my eye as some departing customers were reflected in the window.

$125.00

LIFEGUARDS

LIFEGUARDS

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas

Growing up going to the shore every summer I was a little in love with one life guard after another.  That athletic, tanned, manhood keeping everyone safe from the 'undertoad' got my rapt attention every time.  Finally, when I was 16, I was invited to the Life Guard's Ball by one of these God's of the beach.

I thought that experience, which was more of a wrestling match than a ball, had cured me of this fascination forever.  However, while thinking about this painting, I realized I actually married a swimmer who was at one time a Life Guard. 

$125.00

ARE YOU COMING?

ARE YOU COMING?

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas

Going along with the painting as narrative, this painting is actually quite a long story.  Although I am against the artist or anybody else telling people what paintings are 'about,' I will tell you what I think this one is about just as an example of what goes on in one painter's head when they are at work.

I was first drawn to the neon sign and the odd colors reflected on this old cobblestone street in Philadelphia.  I stopped to take a few pictures of it on my way to meet friends for dinner.

                                                            Photo

When I got home and began looking over what I had to work with, I realized the photos were much too big and complicated to do on such a small scale so I had to decide what the painting was to be about and how to compose some portion of the photos.  I wanted to include the bicycles because of the shapes and the environmental meaning of bicycles but no matter how I arranged the composition it just didn't make a story that I cared about.   Then I noticed one of the shots included my mate waiting impatiently on the other side of the street, and suddenly I knew what the painting was about and how to compose it.

The triangle that is created between the waiting person, the person he is looking at (me) and the neon sign is the composition.  It is perfect because that is the narrative of the painting.
There is always tension between wanting to be a part of the life around you and wanting to create art from that experience, and here is a picture of that conflict.  Art is an escape from and a refuge from life, but life is what art is about so you can't be taking pictures when you have friends to meet for dinner...or can you?

To purchase this painting
Click this link for Daily Paintworks auction
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Buy/Auction/16125http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Buy/Auction/16125

SUNDAY ART SERMON

The sun is out finally and I feel like pontificating so here is my Sunday Art Sermon.                                    

A painting is always a story that the artist is telling the viewer.  The story begins, "once upon a time I was here and saw this.  I thought it was so interesting or beautiful or meaningful that I spent time trying to bring it to life in paint".  If it is an abstract painting it is still the same message because as the artist is painting away he or she comes to a point and says, "Here, this is the story I want to tell" and stops. They may be saying something like, "The way the blue meets the slightly orangish purple and doesn't impose itself too harshly upon the eye is so ravishing that nothing else could possibly add to the story."
There is often more to the story than the first impression and when there are many layers of meaning the painting resonates in ways that can't be said in words, that's why it is a painting instead of a short story...and yet art critics spend much time putting into words what has been said more eloquently in paint.
However, sometimes these words are more eloguent than the paintings themselves as art critics are extremely inventive. Since people are in general much more comfortable reading an explanation of a painting than actually experiencing the art work, I think this explains why some quite unremarkable art becomes very popular for a time.  Critics and gallery owners presented with the job of explaining art work that doesn't really contain anything, come up with some creative narratives about it.  People who prefer to read something concrete rather than look at the art work get the story from the writer, then "see" that story in the art work.  Eventually this art work is 'seen' for what it really is as the story doesn't hold up without the words to prop it up.
For me the old maxim "Seeing is believing" when appreciating art is the holy grail.  And even "I don't know anything about art, but I know what I like" has merit.  At least this speaker is trusting his or her own judgement about what they see rather than someone else's story about it.

Everybody In

Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air ~  Ralph Waldo Emerson


After the quiet sparkling morning on the beach,  the day is filled with the carnival of colorful umbrellas and the chairs of the day revelers. The edge of the sea seems to bring out a universal joy in human beings as if they feel at home at last.


$125.00

SUN AND SHADOWS IN NEW ORLEANS

SUN AND SHADOWS IN NEW ORLEANS

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas

Off to New Orleans for a brief excursion via Google maps for the Virtual Paint out, I was drawn to these colorful shadows on Bourbon Street.

  

If this scene seems a bit cheery, considering all the hardship that New Orleans has suffered in the past several years, it isn't that I don't appreciate that sadness.  I have to admit to looking for the sunny side of life if possible when I paint.  I figure if I'm going to spend several hours painting something I might as well experience pleasure in imagining or remembering the scene depicted.  Painting for me is a way to spend a few hours in solitary pursuit of a pleasant memory and trying to bring that experience to others.  The one exception to that in recent years was my painting of the nursery school in Saito Japan .  It was very hard to paint this as the city was completely destroyed in the tsunami.

$125.00

KOHR BROTHERS

KOHR BROTHERS

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas board

What a treat, a trip to the boardwalk topped off by a delicious cone of frozen custard.  I don't think I will ever be too old to get a kick out of that. Going for a walk "on the boards" as my grandparents would say was the "icing on the cake" of the shore experience. The smell of salt air, mixed with cotton candy and pop corn still summons up waves of nostalgia for the days when I was one of those kids filled with awe, waiting to grab the brass ring.

$125.00

EYE TO EYE WITH A SEAGULL

EYE TO EYE WITH A SEAGULL

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

One day at the beach in the very early morning I stood watching the birds for quite a while.  I saw one seagull who seemed actually to be crashing into the waves the way many of us do when first jumping into the ocean.  It finally flew away but it was very heavy with water at first and flew low for a while, I guess until it dried off a bit.  Then it soared off. I found this very amusing. I never thought about the possibility that birds might actually play in the ocean..but why not?   Suddenly I found there were some eyes on me. Another seagull was standing very near looking straight at me, as if to say, "What's so funny".

$125.00

Plugs

Newest painting not quite dry, but my stars must be lined up in a favorable pattern this week as there is another unsolicited plug for my blog appearing today on line.

http://ardmore.patch.com/

LAST TO LEAVE

LAST TO LEAVE

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas board

This is the time of day to sit on the beach, after the crowds have dissappeared and the sun is low and golden.

This subject reminds me of the postcards I used to send from the seashore.  How rarely I get or send a postcard anymore.  Part of the reason I named my blog "Postcards from Merion" was because I always loved getting and sending postcards.  The idea of a little colored card sailing out through so many hands to reach a friend seemed so wonderful to me as a child ...and still does.  I only hope we keep using the mail so no more post offices have to close.

$125.00

Following the Light

I just "stumbled" upon this article about my work.  It is well written and extremely flattering so naturally I love it.  Not sure why the author didn't let me know about it so I could circulate it when it came out but I sure do appreciate the kind words.

http://emptyeasel.com/2011/03/23/nancy-herman-following-the-light/

WHITES

WHITES

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas board

Every summer when I was growing up we went to the seashore to my grandparents house across from the bay in Ocean City for a month or so.  Various combinations of aunts, uncles and cousins sat on the big, wide porch for hours.  It was on the second floor of the house looking over at the bay.   When the awning was up and we could see the sky my grandfather would comment on the weather.  Such gems as, "If there is enough blue in the sky to make a pair of pants for a Dutchman it will clear."  

When the awning was down the adults would comment on the people who lived across the street and the boats that went by.  Sometimes my grandmother would play Go Fish with me, but otherwise it was an adult world.  The most exciting thing that happened was if I was allowed to put the awning up or down.  There was generally a calm controlled feeling to these lazy days for me.  Who knows what was going on in the hearts of the adults assembled there, with all of their passions held carefully in check in order to preserve the required decorum for the oldest generation.

$125.00

RISING SUN

RISING SUN

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

The best time to swim in the ocean is in the very early morning when the sun is just rising out of the water.  It feels as if you are swimming in liquid sunshine. What a way to start the day!

$125.00

SOLD

AFTER THE STORM

AFTER THE STORM

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas

ocean city vacation 2011:

It really is an ecstatic experience to walk on the beach in the very early morning and watch the sun come up.  So much untouched space with nothing but the birds and the sea creatures and that great rolling ocean.  It reminds me of this stanza from Byron's poem, memorized in high school.

Roll on, thou deep and dark blue Ocean – roll!
Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain;
Man marks the earth with ruin – his control
Stops with the shore; -- upon the watery plain
The wrecks are all thy deed, not does remain
A shadow of man’s ravage, save his own,
When for a moment, like a drop of rain,
He sinks into thy depths with bubbling groan,
Without a grave, unknell’d, uncoffin’d, and unknown.








SOLD
$125.00

ONE WAY

ONE WAY

Nancy Herman

oil on canvas board

8" x 6"

This painting is from a photo taken by Luke Herrine.  I was drawn to it because of the contrast between the three light sources.  The traffic lights, the sky and the very small moon.

Sungolds

SUNGOLDS

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas

The sweetest tomato you'll ever have, the Sungold, not only tastes delicious but, as they ripen on the vine, look like jewels, selected for their carefully modulated color.

SOLD

Sunset at the Beach House

SUNSET AT THE BEACH HOUSE

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas

Stroll down the boardwalk in the last painting at dusk and turn to your right and this light display is yours.  One of the great joys of any seaside retreat is the big open sky.

BEACH HOUSE

BEACH HOUSE

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas board

A short walk down some wooden boards to a quiet bay with nothing but sailboats in the distance.  A dip in the shallow sea before breakfast in the flickering morning sun and a  swim from the beach accross the street on the other side of the island in the sunset...ah summer in this very quiet part of East Hampton, what could be more idylic?

A Quiet Spot

While waiting for paintings to dry, here is a painting from last year at this time.

A lovely spot at the Appleford Estate.

Butterfly Bush and Bee Balm

BUTTERFLY BUSH AND BEE BALM

Nancy Herman

12" x 9"

oil on canvas board

Summer is in its full glory in my garden at the moment.  Unfortunately it is so hot that it is hard to really enjoy it.  Luckily I can still paint in my air conditioned studio and enjoy the colors and textures at a remove from the actual garden, which is steaming and full of insects who are out for blood.

Nature is beautiful and treacherous.  The human race has gone overboard to surpress and control nature for our own pleasure and safety.  We do whatever we can to change things to suit ourselves without suffient reflection about what the chain reaction of these changes will mean to ourselves and other creatures in the long run.  As a result there is very often not a 'long run' for many species and it may be our own survival will go the way of so many other forms of life.

In the meantime we have art and music to feed our spirit when nature is too harsh and we want to sit back and pretend all is well.

$200.00

Framed or not

Unframed $200.00 Framed $250.00

Farm Borders

FARM BORDERS

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

While painting this I got to thinking about Robert Frost's poem MENDING WALL that contains the phrase, "good fences make good neighbors".  In the poem Frost is pondering whether that old proverb is indeed true and wondering what good it does to rebuild the stone wall between he and his neighbor every year.  

While searching for an attractive version of the poem on line, I found this article about how, in fact, good fences do actually make people more comfortable with their differences.  Very interesting.  

See Dailypaintworks auction

OLD BARN

OLD BARN

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas board

This beautiful old barn was the last property I visited  in the PAINT IN THE GARDEN series sponsored by the Wayne art center.  It is very near the center of Wayne yet when you are there it feels as if you are in the deep country.

$125.00

LETTUCE

LETTUCE

Nancy Herman

8"x 6"

oil on canvas board

I would like to sing the praises of growing lettuce.  I have been having a big salad for lunch every day for 3 months from my small garden of lettuce.  I think this is "Red Gem" ( I threw away the seed packet), which is not only delicious but beautiful.  If you haven't tried growing these tasty treats, give it a whirl.   All lettuce is easy to grow - plant it in the shade in this weather.  It doesn't like the heat.  I still have some that is quite tasty however as it is shaded by some large squash plants.  Lettuce from the garden is much more tender than what comes from the super market.  The varieties needed to withstand packing and long sessions waiting for customers are not what you can plant in your home garden and the difference is delicious.

There was a festive wedding in the family the week before last, so I was not in the studio. Thus no paintings this week.

But I have not been idle this week and will be posting paintings next week again. 

In the meantime here is something to take your mind off the heat.  In the middle of last winter I would never have thought I would look back on that cold with a certain bit of nostalgia but I was wrong.

Remember?

WINTER

HOLLYHOCKS #2

HOLLYHOCKS #2

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas

These Hollyhocks look almost completely black until the sun comes around to the west and seeps through in the dappled shade.  Then they turn a rich shade of red wine.  The garden is an ever changing marvel of lighting effects for the patient eye.

$125.00 

HOLLYHOCK #1

HOLLYHOCK #1

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas board

Hollyhocks or Alcea are very old plants.  The remains of them have been found in the Neanderthal caves of Shanidar in Iran.  This unusual one popped up in my wild flower garden.  Perhaps it is a lovely gift from some ancient corner of Asia.

$125.00

ROUNDUP

Some second thoughts about Roundup.