THE RED WHEELBARROW

THE RED WHEELBARROW

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

I like to stroll in Bala Cynwyd because of all the wonderful old houses with their many tales ready to be painted.  This little red wheelbarrow is waiting for the imagination of some child to carry - what?  What will this girl or boy dream up to tote around the yard in that semi dream that only childhood make-believe produces.

I can't resist changing William Carlos William's lovely poem THE RED WHEEL BARROW to fit this painting.

So much depends

upon

a red wheel 

barrow

bathed in sun

beside the white

columns

Don't miss this animated version of the original poem on youtube.  I didn't realize when I spotted that wheelbarrow that I was not the only one who found red wheelbarrows resonant with more than their carrying potential.

$150.00

VILNIUS, LITHUANIA

VILNIUS, LITHUANIA

Nancy Herman

9" x 12"

oil on canvas board

$350.00

SOLD

The virtual paintout traveled to Vilnius, Lithuania this month.  I put myself down in the oldest part of town because my father-in-law originally came from the countryside right outside of, what was then, Vilna.  He went to school in the town so I imagined him on these streets.  Once when asked if he would like to go back and visit the old country he said, "Are you nuts"?. 

I can see why when I travel along these streets and see a magnificent church around almost every turn.  I imagine Charlie as a young Jew, who was frightened by pograms, gazing from one of these narrow streets at one of these churches and experiencing nothing but anger.  It is ironic that when he came to America he ended up on the south side of Chicago and forever after spoke with an irish brogue.  He came to this country when he was 11, not speaking a word of English, with very little money, eventually working in the stock yards while going to medical school, graduating when he was 27.  He was a tough guy, a man of few words, who was forever grateful to be an American.

Charlie

FIRST SIGN OF SPRING 2013

FIRST SIGN OF SPRING 2013

Nancy Herman

6' x 8"

oil on canvas board

Every year since I began this blog I have painted at least one crocus composition.  I am always thrilled to see the crocus covering the banks of the stream in Merion Park.  This year I caught the light just as the crocus were in the sun and shading their background.  They are perfectly beautiful, pure flowers with their pale violet petals and their yellow and orange centers.  It is almost as if they represent a great sigh of nature as winter gradually passes.

$150.00

FIRST SIGN OF SPRING 2012

SPRING STREAM 2011

FIRST SIGN OF SPRING 2012

CROCUS 2010

DOOR KNOCKER

DOOR KNOCKER

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

This door knocker seems to be saying, "I dare you to use me".  A wonderful mixed message found on 6th Avenue in Brooklyn's Park slope.  Who lives there, I wonder, a fortune teller, sorceress, or little old lady with a good sense of humor?

$150.00

MORNING AFTER SNOW II

Nancy Herman

6' x 8"

oil on canvas board

I love the morning after a snow storm when no footprints, except the bird's and the squirrel's, mar the pure rounded sculpture the snow creates.  This Sunday morning in Brooklyn no one has even opened the door to see what's out there.

In Merion it is a different story altogether.  This older work painted outside contains a bit more of the wild beauty of nature the morning after a snow storm.

MORNING AFTER SNOW

Morning After Snow II

$150.00  SOLD

NEIGHBORS

NEIGHBORS

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

We share our small place on earth with a very few people.  The sun shines on us at almost the same angle day after day but how much do we really know about our neighbors?  

If your neighborhood is threatened in any way, it is possible to find out some important things about your neighbors.  Do they bury their head in the sand. Do they embrace the enemy, or do they join with you to appose the threat?  If you have a party do they show up with something home made to eat,  a bottle of wine or  Entenmann's Donuts.  If either one of you do something that could be construed as unneighborly - play music too loud late at night, have a dog that barks a lot early on Sunday morning, or a cat that eats your birds, can you speak to your neighbor about it without coming to blows?  All the most basic human interactions begin between neighbors. 

In this painting there is a small separation between houses.  Is this a composition in white, gray and siena, or a meditation on that separation? 

$150.00

The Blues About the News

THE BLUES ABOUT THE NEWS

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

Will the morning newspaper go the way of 78 records, glass milk jars, Hoola Hoops, the Twist, the old Penn Station, Wannamakers, Lil Abner, analogue TV and so many more things that once seemed a part of "life" and now are gone?  In spite of the fact that newspapers consume a lot of trees and they can't be as up to the minute as the internet, I do hope they will remain.  There is something about holding the paper in your hands with all the wealth of information that it contains that makes the world feel civilized to me.  In one package there is information about so many diverse aspects of life and opinions from jouralists I come to know, for better or worse.  

Reading one or two papers for many years is like having a group of friends who really get around and love sharing their experiences with you everyday.  Can that experience be better on line?  I don't think so, but reading the paper takes time.  Do we want to spend time dedicated to finding out what's going on, or are we content with a sound bite here and there?  What do you think? Are newspapers worth saving?

$150.00

ELLIE IN THE COFFEE SHOP

ELLIE IN THE COFFEE SHOP

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

A snowy day in Brooklyn found me having coffee with my daughter, Ellie, and her new baby, Olive (she doesn't drink coffee yet so was sound asleep) in the Sweet Wolf's Cafe.  Having paintings at the Townhouse Coffee House was such a big success, I decided to find out if I could show here as well.  I met the owner and will have paintings there in June.  This is the first painting done especially for the occasion.

I was very pleased to sell 5 paintings, including 2 larger ones from the Merion coffee house and will be back there in the fall.  It is great to know that people will buy paintings without having anyone giving them a pitch, just because they like them.

The Coffee House has really made a comeback lately as people sit around for hours working on their computers.  They are not in the office or at home alone.  There is at least the illusion of company and good hot coffee and pastries always at the ready.  There were actually people talking to each other as well.

I remember very well 50 years or so ago going to the newly revised version of the coffee house at that time and hearing Phil Oakes sing for the first time.  When somebody takes out a guitar in one of these new places we will have come full circle.

SOLD

ROMANCE WITHOUT WORDS

In honor of Valentine's Day, if a little late, this is my latest music video, an animation of Romance Without Words by Gabriel Faure.  Even though in the process of animating this piece I have listened to it hundreds of times I still love it.  The transference from Flash to .mov was not perfect but I am moving on for the time being.

Be sure to click on the small square at the bottom of the image to see it full screen for maximum pleasure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvhwIMCWSYQ

VALPARAISO COLOR

VALPARAISO COLOR

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

It was so sunny and warm in Valparaiso I stayed a few days thanks to Google maps.  I cought this young woman helping to keep these cheery, colorful houses clean.  I really love the color of that drain pipe but the raspberry building with the dark red windows is also delicious. Thank you Virtual Paintout for taking me on vacation without the hassle of leaving the house.

$150.00

WHITE CURTAINS

WHITE CURTAINS

Nancy Herman

6 x 8"

oil on canvas board

"White is the color of Fresh milk and snow. It contains all the wavelengths of visible light without absorption, has maximum brightness, and does not have any hue. It is the opposite of black.

According to surveys in Europe and the United States, white is the color most often associated with innocence, perfection, the good, honesty, cleanliness, the beginning, the new, neutrality, lightness, and exactitude."

Wikipedia

This is a painting of the sheer and linen curtains that create a soothing light in my bedroom.

$150.00

MURAL IN VALPARAISO, CHILI

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

This month the Virtual Paintout went to Valparaiso, Chili.  I found a lot of possible paintings along the roads and narrow lanes of this old city.  There seemed to be many murals in the more humble parts of town and this one in particular caught my eye.  Painted over a stone wall this woman is floating towards a more perfect world.  The lines created by the mortar between the stones seem to be helping her along.  I am impressed with the human need to make images wherever they are.  We tell stories, even in our dreams, and paint images of hope on our crumbling walls.

$150.00

WELL AT THE BARNES FOUNDATION

WELL AT THE BARNES FOUNDATION

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

From the window in front of my desk, where I sit as I type this, I see this structure in front of the Barnes Foundation, the real, original Barnes Foundation.  I have always wondered what it was, and today, because I wanted to say something about the painting in this blog, I found out from one of the members of the "Friends of the Barnes".  Here is what she had to say.

"This well was purchased by Albert Barnes in Port-Manech, a fishing village in Brittany, France.  He vacationed and wrote there.  His beloved dog and infamous communicator was from the town.  If I remember correctly, Barnes really wanted to bring this back to Merion and he purchased a new well for the town in exchange".

SOLD

JAKE

JAKE

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

When we first got Jake from a shelter with his buddy Bay we thought he was a mixed breed of some sort but one day I came accross a picture of a dog that looked exactly like he does and it turns out he is a Korean mountain dog  or Jindo.  The Jindo is the 53rd national treasure of Korea noted for their loyalty and intelligence.

Bay is a shy Chocolate Lab but they make a wonderful pair who are a constant delight.  They are devoted to each other, but have entirely different personalities.  Maybe you can tell from this painting of Bay how they differ.

MORNING SUN AND BAY

                                                    TOGETHER

Graffiti by the Tracks

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

 On the train to New York enjoying the old factory buildings along the way.  Here is one with some graffitti that blends in rather nicely with the old worn colors.  There are some others in this series of railroad paintings in the links below.

$150.00

http://www.nancyherman.com/nancyherman.com/Winter_Paintings.html#13

http://www.nancyherman.com/nancyherman.com/Winter_Paintings.html#15

http://www.nancyherman.com/nancyherman.com/summer_paintings.html#19

http://www.nancyherman.com/nancyherman.com/summer_paintings.html#20

http://www.nancyherman.com/nancyherman.com/summer_paintings.html#21

PINK CLOUD AND BRANCH

PINK CLOUD AND BRANCH

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

There is an ominous grey purple under this pink cloud.  Like so much in life that appears sweet and inocent on the surface there is a dark side waiting in the wings.  In this case it's just a little rain.

RAIN AN DFOG ON THE ROAD

RAIN AND FOG ON THE ROAD

Nancy Herman

6" x 8'

oil on canvas board

On the highway again on a fog filled, rainy day.  The gentle greys created by fog are interesting to paint.  Each different surface has its own very subtle shade.

$150.00

Paintings from the Cynwyd Trail

Windows

Just 5 days left to see Paintings from the Cyndwyd Trail at the Townhall Coffee Co.  This painting was sold and carried off to Washington but has been replaced by another.  Drop in and have a steaming cup of coffee or hot chocolate and see what Bill Ternay and I have created from our experience of the trail.  Click link for particulars.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XtEhZ24ob0&list=UU0kTuj7G2coHnSXm8-pg-4g&index=4

DRIVING IN THE FOG

DRIVING IN THE FOG

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

This composition in many greys and yellow was challenging.  What kept me going was that I increasingly felt that I was in a mysterious place in the rainy fog suspended in the moment two cars pass.

$150.00

PINK CLOUDS

PINK CLOUDS

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

Woke up one day last week to pink clouds floating past my bedroom window.  I'm not a fan of pink but this was a real delight.

$125.00

DORM FIRE ESCAPE

DORM FIRE ESCAPE

Nancy herman

6' x 8"

oil on canvas board

The warm sun lit stone with the cool greys of the fire escape and the blue shadows of the window frames chant a winter poem to ordinary things.  A small vignette from St. Joe's campus.

$150.00

PLANT SHADOWS

Plant Shadows

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

All winter long the indoor plants help keep my spirit alive as they bravely live on through the dry air and low light. 

$150.00

Chopin Prelude

While I'm waiting for a painting to dry I thought I would post my latest translation of music to color.  I chose this Chopin Prelude because it is short, fairly slow (so I can hear all the notes) and dissonant.  I want to see if the dissonance I hear actually looks dissonant when translated to color.  This is a very sombre peice with several key changes.  Very often there are two notes adjacent to each other.  The colors make me uncomfortable.  What do you think? Check it out one minute and 56 sconds.

http://www.youtube.com/user/illuminata?feature=guide

Birds on Manhole Cover

Birds on Manhole Cover

Nancy Herman

oil on canvas board

6" x 8"

“a third of the nation's 800 bird species are endangered, threatened or in significant decline.” This report highlights how climate change will further imperil bird species already under stress from habitat loss, invasive species and other environmental threats."  The State of the Birds: 2010 Report on Climate Change.  Birds are also hit by planes, fly into tall glass buildings and are victims of oil spills.

One of these birds from a manhole cover in Japan seems to be howling in distress at the death of this beautiful little bird while the other seems to be checking for life signs.

I am honored to be featured on the ARTROOM today. This is a great blog that features interviews with artists by Taryn Day. This month she is featuring other bloggers.

http://www.theartroomonline.net/2013/01/nancy-herman.html

SHADE SHADOW

SHADE SHADOW

Nancy Herman

oil on canvas board

6" x 8"

In the winter I follow the sun around my house to see what compositions it will create.  In the afternoon it favors this shade and its pull.  I like the way the whites in this composition make a nice counterpoint to the shadow play.

$150.00