CROATIA

CROATIA

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

Off to Croatia with Virtual Paintout this month.  This is the way I like to travel, sitting at home in front of my computer, watching the world go by.  I wandered around in Croatia for a while and settled on this image which is the way I imagine I would feel if I lived there.

$125.00

CURTAIN SHADOW

CURTAIN SHADOW

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

The simple chair spindle takes on an elegant air when its shadow falls on the curtain.  Shadows take on a life of their own on curved surfaces.  There is often something exciting happening behind the main event.

$125.00

WATERMELONS

WATERMELONS

Nancy Herman

oil on canvas board

6" x 8"

I like the way this watermelon seems to be jumping out of the bucket ready to quench a thirsty passerby with its red juicy sweetness.

SOLD

TRACKS - Shoe

Nancy Herman

oil on stretched canvas

6' x 8"

How much more complicated the soles of our shoes are compared to the simple beauty of our feet.  Imagine an alien coming accross this track in the sand.  What sort of a creature would he conjure up?

$125.00

TRACKS - HUMAN

TRACKS - HUMAN

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on streteched canvas

Humans leave their tracks everywhere but here on the beach their footprints are simple.  It would be better for the earth as a whole if they had stayed that way.

$125.00

Tracks - Sea Gull

TRACKS- Sea Gull

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvs board

If you are feeling that your life has no signifigance, consider this:  everytime you do or say anything your actions create a ripple in the fabric of the Universe.  We leave our tracks.  

I am taking a little detour from my examination of shadows and looking at tracks in the sand.  I believe this one was made by a sea gull.  This looks black and white in reproduction but it is actually created with many shades of brown, grey and white.  Sand is actually quite colorfull close up.

$125.00

THE RED DOOR

THE RED DOOR

9" x 12"

oil on canvas board

Nancy Herman

The shadows create a lively pattern on this very red door in Brooklyn.

Who lives at 349 and why did they paint their door red?

FENCE AND SHADOW DANCE

FENCE AND SHADOW DANCE

Nancy Herman

9" x 12"

oil on canvas board

This fence, dancing in and out of the light, catches my eye as I sit in my daughter's Brooklyn backyard.  Architectural shadows pierce the picture plane in striking ways, darting here and there uniting shapes in ever changing patterns. 

Upstairs, Brooklyn

UPSTAIRS, BROOKLYN

Nancy Herman

9" x 12"

oil on canvas board

Two weeks ago Friday a new member of the Herman clan arrived.  I was in Brooklyn for a week to help out my daughter, and in the glow of the successful delivery and the new life, everything seemed especially compelling - even the fire escape.  My oldest grandson and his new bride live behind the window upstairs from the new arrival, making this an especially meaningful painting for me.  

SHADE

SHADE

Nancy Herman

9" x 12"

oil on canvas board

A window shade can keep the sun out or gently modulate the light.

Can we, in our way, be like a shade, shut out the energy of life around us or let it be filtered through our conciousness and gently fall around us with loving words and actions?

$250.00

This Friday and every Friday this month my video PULSE will be featured on the Crown Lights display as part of the Art in the Air project sponsored by Breadbaord on the PECO building.  Look up and check it out. Here is a link to the small version.  It is only 30 seconds.

SHADOW ON SHADOW

SHADOW ON SHADOW

Nancy Herman

oil on canvas board

9" x 12"

In Plato's analogy of the cave the prisoners only looked at the shadows of life and called what they saw "reality".  He wanted to show that the role of the philosopher was to turn and look at life in all its complexity and bring that back to the shadow gazers.  

Suppose instead  I were to look at only the shadows and bring that to those who are viewing life in all its complexity?  Is there something to be gained by only peering at the shadows?

Thoughts are the shadows of our feelings - always darker, emptier and simpler.
Friedrich Nietzsche

PEPPERS

PEPPERS

Nancy Herman

oil on canvas board

9" x 12"

The voluptuous pepper kisses the side of the aqua bucket while it rests patiently, along with its fellows, waiting for an eager customer or a painter's brush.  Up close and personal at the outdoor market.

$250.00

SQUASH

SQUASH

Nancy Herman

oil on canvas board

6" x 8"

The sunny squash nestles sexily into its oh so round green bucket as a basket recedes into the background.  A lot of visual excitement in this outdoor market.

SOLD

CITY CORNERS

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

Back from my vacation and all set for a new focus for my paintings.  I want to move into small spaces and try and capture their power.  Around the corner, across the street, up in the air and into the crevices there are expressions of life in small glimpses.  Here is my first stab at this idea.  I like the way things line up even though they are all separate buildings.

$125.00

BROOKLYN VICTORIAN #2

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

Although most Victorian homes were painted in earth tones, because of the era's interest in nature, there are a group of homes in San Francisco that are painted in shades of pink and purple.  They are called "Painted Ladies".  In parts of Brooklyn this tradition is exuberantly embraced as in this Ditmas Park beauty.

$125.00

Brooklyn Victorian

Brooklyn Victorian

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

This lovely old Victorian house is only one of the many in Ditmus Park which is part of Flatbush in Brooklyn.  The Ditmas Park Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.  I am collecting paintings of Brooklyn for a show I will be part of there in September.

I love round rooms.  How nice to be almost surrounded by windows!

$125.00

         COLEUS AND PETUNIAS

Nancy Herman

6" x 8

oil on canvas board

Ordinary plants that one sees everyday lining the streets of suburbia or gracing the corporate corridors take on a new vitality when they are unexpectedly paired.  These very prolific dark purple petunias together with sun loving coleus are really perking up my garden this year.

$125.00

CLEOME AND LARKSPUR

Nancy Herman

oil on canvas board

9" x 12"

Today's painting is the one that had me bogged down for so long.  All the intricacies of the Cleome taught me several lessons that I should have learned by this time.  One is not to tackle such a complicated subject in such a small space.  Two, use a separate brush for each color - I am naturally rather parsimonious but the various shades of pink and purple in these petals had me constantly washing my brush and interrupted the flow.   I am off to purchase many brushes of my preferred size.  Three, mix a new batch of colors every day.  The difference between paint that is freshly mixed and a pile that sits for even one day is the difference between happy sailing in a light breeze and sitting in a row boat without an oar.
I was dimly aware of all these things for some time, but it was only after suffering through this painting that simply would not move along that I vowed to act on this awareness.  Nice to know that I am not too old to learn something, even if I am a very slow learner.
I like one of the nicknames for this flower, Grandfather's whiskers.  It could as easily be called Grandmother's whiskers I might add.  The many, many seed pods carried on its long "hairs" makes it a constant uninvited guest in all parts of the garden.

$300.00

I have been bogged down in one painting for the past week.  Don't know why but I couldn't get my brush around it happily.  I finally finished it today and will post when it is dry.  Meanwhile here is some news about a show I am in at the Graver's Lane Gallery.  Hope you can make it.
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs003/1104954455098/archive/1110445809200.html 

Here is a link to REAL ART AT REAL PRICES a wonderful blog from
Sheila Vaughan a painter in England.  I have admired her art work for quite a while.  She keeps trying new things and always has something interesting to say about what she is doing.  As a result we have an internet friendship, though we have never met in person.  In her latest project she is painting a portrait of "60 Women Who Know Something About Me".  You can check out the whole project from the link.  I have sent you the one that I am pretty sure is me.  How grand to be included in such an interesting project by such an accomplished artist who is so many miles away. The internet brings people together because of real interests and enthusiasms in a way that has never been possible before.

NORTH PHILADELPHIA STATION

Nancy Herman

oil on canvas board

8" x 6"

From the Amtrac train window North Philadelphia Station looks as if it is closed for good and I have never been on a train to New York that stopped there.  Upon checking the Amtrak schedule I see you can board twice a day, but there is only one coach seat available for all the dates I checked and that is at 5:57 in the morning.  Coming from New York you can get off there 3 times a day but again only one seat available.  Seems Amtrak doesn't want to stop there.  Checking further I see on Wikipedia that there are around  389 people a year who use the station so I can see why they don't want to stop as a routine, but the schedule would seem to make that inevitable.
Just one of the mysteries of train travel I suppose.
When I was in my early teens I went to New York on the train several times and since we lived in the country my parents picked me up at North Philadelphia Station since it was the closest to our farm.  I remember it as being a very scary place, especially at night, as it was pretty run down, there was hardly anyone who got off the train even then, and it was very poorly lit.  It was refurbished in 1999 and looks like so many places that have been fixed in time, if not fixed for living... like a ghost.  It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

"This just in -  someone was shot near North Philly Station just after noon today.  Maybe it is just as well there is limited access to this spot."

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20120705_1_dead_in_shooting_near_North_Philly_train_station.html

$125.00

KITCHEN LIGHT

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

Every morning when I come into my kitchen I am greeted by the particular light pattern of the day.  I get a kick out of this display.  This particular day began with a very cheery arrangement of sun lighting up the cabinets and my sensibilities.

$125.00

Sold

MERION SPRING

Nancy Herman

6" x 8

oil on canvas board

This painting of a lovely property in Merion was created from a neighbor's photo in order to celebrate another neighbor who is moving.  I hope the new residents of this property care as much about gardening.  It is such a joy to see flowers blooming all summer long.  Without knowing who lives in the home where a beautiful garden is kept, you have a warm feeling about the inhabitants.  

SOLD

Riga, Latvia

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

This month the Virtual paintout went to Latvia.  I found this roof top in Riga that was appealing in all its redness.  I wanted to concentrate on the texture of the paint with an emphasis on using several colors in one area.  There were a lot of interesting town squares in Riga with little cafes in the center having outdoor seating.  I wonder how that is now days with all the smelly cars going by.  Our cars allow us to travel around anywhere we want to go with great speed and convenience and then ruin the places we want to visit.

$125.00

SOLD

RAILROAD SHADOWS

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

I am not a fan of traveling, preferring the comfort of home over the lure of exotic places.  I do, however, like a good train trip.  There is something about the whole experience that takes me on a ride that has nothing to do with where I am going.  It is so old fashioned and comforting. Getting into a well appointed seat next to a quiet stranger who minds his or her own business, sitting back and watching the scenery pass by suits me very well.
Trains are really safe too.  I once was on a train on the way to San Francisco that derailed.  I was asleep in my cozy berth and didn't even wake up until I heard the noise of the conductors outside my window and realized we were not moving.  In a few minutes we were off again into the night.
I especially like the look of the old factory buildings that are on the trip from Philadelphia to New York.  They always get my imagination stirred and I plan to paint as many as possible sooner or later.  Here are some shapes and shadows from the tracks near 30th Street Station.


$125.00

Yesterday I took the afternoon off from painting and visited the Graver's Lane Gallery in Chestnut Hill where my old friend Bruce Hoffman is the new Director.  Bruce is the former director of the Snyderman Works Gallery and is one of the people responsible for all the enthusiasm Philadelphia has for craft in Philadelphia.  He was the co-artistic director of Fiber Philadelphia and the curatorial consultant for Outside/Inside the Box, one of the wonderful shows that were a part of that festival of fiber events in the spring of this year.

The Graver's Lane Gallery is a sparkling jewel along this busy, interesting  area of Germantown Avenue and will soon be getting larger as they expand into the space next door.  They have beautiful art of all sorts.  You can see that Bruce's keen eye is at work there.  I brought some small paintings with a summer theme to add to the collection.  Do stop in and see what's going on.  It is worth the trip.

This area of the city is a fun place to visit with lots of great contemporary stores and restaurants.  It has the feel of a small upscale resort town for some reason with lots of busy shoppers and interesting looking stores...and you can pick up a healthy dinner right accross the street at the Weaver's Way Co op !

LARKSPUR 2012

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on cavas board

June is the time when summer really takes over with blooms everywhere and even some vegetables ready for harvest.  I have been eating lettuce from my garden for weeks and some tomatoes will be ready before the month is over.  These are the "salad" days of the year, when all is green and innocent.  Not a hint of the ravages that extreme heat and dryness can bring this year, with rain coming along just in time.  June is really  "bustin out all over".   For me the Larkspur sing nature's song of renewal every year.


$125.00

Peony 2012

Nancy Herman

oil on canvas board

9" x 12"

The Peony is a very complicated flower with a lot going on that at first doesn't make visual sense.  Only after several hours painting this one did I see the order in all the shades of white.
"The peony is named after Paeon (also spelled Paean), a student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. Asclepius became jealous of his pupil; Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower."
Wikipedia
The Greeks seem to have had a lot of fun imagining what their Gods were doing and deciding what and why to name their favorite things.


The image of this painting is slightly cut off on the right side as it doesn't fit in my scanner perfectly.


$300.00

Runner on the River

Nancy Herman

16" x 20"

oil on stretched canvas

On the third day of the Art in the Open event I got there very early in the morning to be sure I would have enough time to finish a painting.  This time I made sure to position myself in the shade for the whole day as the day before, when painting 30th Street Station, I ended up in the sun at noon and had to leave before I wanted to.
This time I wanted to catch the simple joy of being outside along a great expanse of open space that the river provides. City dwellers come from the cavern of tall buildings into the glory of this sun filled open space.  Here is my version of that experience, as a runner and biker move through one of the large bridge supports onto the open path.

The opening for the show of work completed on these days will be next Thursday the 14th of June at the Independence Seaport Museum from 6:00 to 8:00.  Most of the artists will be there with their work. Come along and join the fun.

30th Street Station

Nancy Herman

16" x 20"

Oil on stretched canvas

A couple of weeks ago I was down by the river painting for the Art in the Open event for 3 days.  There were all kinds of wonderful creations made on the banks of the Schuylkill that weekend.  There will be an exhibit of some of the art created then at the Independence Seaport Museum starting on June 15th. This painting was created on the first two days.  It is of 30th Street Station as seen from the banks of the river.  It is larger than my usual painting for Postcards from Merion and it was nice to be able to use larger brushes and take more time to develop the painting.  People were very friendly and everyone seemed to be enjoying the art and the sunshine on these perfect May days.  If you are interested in purchasing this work email me or get in touch with Megan at the Seaport Museum.

JERUSALEM - OLD CITY

Nancy Herman

9" x 12"

oil on canvas board

This month the Virtual Paintout went to Jerusalem and I went along for the ride.  This is one of the most visually interesting places we have gone.  I could have painted dozens of places, but finally settled on this scene from the Old City.  After traveling for what seemed like miles in the dark tunnel created by the old buildings, with all kinds of colorful merchandise on display, I came upon this sunlight exit and the end of my journey.

$200.00

Alium and Butterfly

Nancy Herman

9" x 12"

oil on canvas

Still trying to get the hang of using more paint, I happened upon this smallish butterfly on one of my beautiful Allium and couldn't help but try to capture it on canvas.
My grandfather had a collection of butterflys carefully pinned to velvet and a net ready to catch others.  At the time I was both fascinated and repulsed by the beautiful display.   Now I wonder how that gentle man could have wanted to kill these lovely creatures.  It was all the fad in those days.  We are such a product of our time, whether we know it or not.  Not sure what kind this one is.  It might be a black swallow tail.  Anyone know?

$200.00

FOR-GET-ME-NOTS

Nancy Herman

9" x 12"

oil on canvas board

This spring the garden has been glorious.  Everything is blooming its heart out and the aromas are intoxicating.  For-Get-Me-Nots have, unbidden, taken over large parts of what was once my formal garden.  I don't mind a bit as they have been blooming for weeks and even as they fade have a certain elegance.

This from Wikipedia:


In a German legend, God named all the plants when a tiny unnamed one cried out, "Forget-me-not, O Lord!" God replied, "That shall be your name."

In 15th-century Germany, it was supposed that the wearers of the flower would not be forgotten by their lovers. Legend has it that in medieval times, a knight and his lady were walking along the side of a river. He picked a posy of flowers, but because of the weight of his armour he fell into the river. As he was drowning he threw the posy to his loved one and shouted "Forget-me-not." It was often worn by ladies as a sign of faithfulness and enduring love.

$200.00

Today, tomorrow and Sunday I will be on the banks of the Skhuylkill painting all day.  I will be there with 21 other artists who are participating in Art in the Open.  They are creating all kinds of interesting work.  Come on down and celebrate this beautiful weather and watch as the art work imerges.  I would love to see some familiar faces.