If the video didn't work go here and then down to two versions of the PECO display.

It's Friday and I have not posted any paintings all week although I am back to work.  I am using lots more paint after seeing the Van Gogh show and it takes a long time for these paintings to dry, so I have not been able to scan them in.  Meanwhile I submitted a 30 second video for Peco's Crown Lights display which runs every Friday night.  Not sure if it made it into this Month's group of light shows and have not been able to catch any Friday this month and will not be able to see tonight's lights either, so if you are in Philly look up and see what's showing.  Let me know what you think about the whole thing.  I really love getting your comments.  Here is my entry.

If this video doesn't work go here and then to PECO May.  You will see two versions of the video.

I finally got to see the Van Gogh show at the Philadelphia Museum on Saturday.  Too late to recommend others see it, but not too late to share my impressions and hopefully get yours.

My first impression was that standing in line like cattle for close to 45 minutes is not only tiring but demeaning in a way.  Is that the best way to deal with these big shows?  Could we not be parading around the Museum in a line looking at art instead of being confined to a small space with nothing to do but stare at the back of somebody's head?

By the time I finally got into the gallery my legs were ready for a sit-down.  The space was crowded and my first thought was that I should leave.  What was the use of standing so far away that I could not see the art work?  I got a grip on myself and soldiered on, popping in front of people every now and then to get up close to the paintings which definitely demanded an intimate view.  Even the title of the show suggests that.  As usual there were more people standing in front of paintings that were described in the recorded information supplied by the earphones, so that left much of the art  minimally obscured.  I opted not to listen to the recording as I was there to see and did not want to be distracted.  It is always possible to read about the artist at another time but the physical presence of the art is what I was there for.

And what a presence it is!  How did Van Gogh do it?  Up close, the distance one would assume would be needed to actually paint the work, he could not possibly see the whole work and it is obvious that the whole work was constantly on his mind as the brushstrokes are all orchestrated to design patterns that make the whole composition sing.  Did he have extremely long brushes?  He obviously constantly moved back and forth from near to far as he worked, but still I was amazed at the way the paintings came together from a distance and were so unrecognizable, though fascinating, up close.

 It is no wonder he always needed money, as he must have used entire tubes of paint for each painting. The thickness of the paint and the constant motion the brush strokes display are almost like tapestry, albeit an impossible weave.  I have seen Van Gogh's work many times over the years and yet this show was still a revelation.  One of the haystack paintings brought me to tears.  There was something about the color that was simply sublime.

I only wish it would be possible to see these superb works in a less crowded setting.  I also wish the show did not end in the shop with all the shirts and ashtrays bearing reproductions of the artwork.  I understand the desire to own some part of the art, but it doesn't work.  It is the experience that matters not the cheap imitation you bring home which can only be a reminder of the inability to reproduce magic.

Grape Hyacynths

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

When I was growing up I lived on a farm.  In order to get to my friend's house I had to cross through cow grazing meadows.  This was somewhat hazardous as I had to watch out for cow "paddies" on the way and was never sure how friendly those great beasts were.  One day in early spring I was on my way for a visit when suddenly I saw at least an acre of Grape Hyacynths spreading before me.  The cow paddies had turned into a glorious show of indigo.  Like Wordsworth and his dafodils I will never forget that experience and often summon it up when "in vacant or in pensive mood" to bring joy to my spirit.

$125.00

WAITING

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas

On the one rainy day last week I painted this station in Gdansk, Poland for the virtual paintout for April using Google maps.  I am making some progress with weeding and should be back painting on a more regular schedule soon.

$125.00

Heart Throb

30" x 30"

gicle print

archival ink on archival paper

I have not been posting for the past week or so, as I have been busy weeding and planting my garden.  I am about half way through and unless it rains a lot, which would be a good thing for the garden, I won't be painting until I am finished.  While I rest in between battling with weeds, I have designed some new pieces in pure color.  This is the first, titled Heart Throb.  It was inspired by the way light comes through the newly opening leaves in the early evening in spring. Spring for me always brings out a restless desire to be a part of nature in some way.  I guess the closest I can get is to dig in the earth or find some order in a set of colors.

$400.00

Weepping cherry and Veronica

WEEPING CHERRY AND VERONICA

nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas

This year's Weeping Cheery was especially beautiful.  It came out early and has remained because of the cold weather.  Now the petals are drifting gently down into the garden with every breeze.  The wild Veronica is gracing the lawn in all its glory as well.  There is one beautiful flower after another in the untreated lawn when it is allowed to grow to several inches in the spring.  

SOLD

DAFFODILS

DAFFODIL

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

Daffodils with all their pristine beauty say "spring".  

After reading Wordsworth's simple but elegant poem once again I realize how art and nature can intertwine and etch our psyche.  The poem reminds us of how nature can be a solice even when we are "on the couch in pensive mood" and it echoes in our mind when we see daffodils dancing o'er the hills reminding us of the power of poetry.

DAFFODILS
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
and twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretched in never-ending line
along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
in such a jocund company:
I gazed - and gazed - but little thought
what wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Weeping Cherry (again)

for those of you who were not able to see the video I am trying again.  Let me know if it works.

Many years ago I planted a weeping cherry in the center of my garden that blooms around the time of my mother's birthday on April 15th.  I have painted this tree over and over again from different angles and at different times of the day.  I am always in a frenzy to capture the tree as the light changes and the weather does not cooperate and before the petals fall to the ground and I have to wait one more year to get another chance.  I am never satisfied with these paintings.  Here is a video of most of them.  They are not necessarily in the order painted but the last three were painted in the last two years in my studio.  These lack the spontaneous brush strokes of earlier years but begin to capture some of the magic of this time of year for me.

(Click on the small square at the far right of the video to view in full size and then the ESC key to exit.)

Weeping Cherry

Many years ago I planted a weeping cherry in the center of my garden that blooms around the time of my mother's birthday on April 15th.  I have painted this tree over and over again from different angles and at different times of the day.  I am always in a frenzy to capture the tree as the light changes and the weather does not cooperate and before the petals fall to the ground and I have to wait one more year to get another chance.  I am never satisfied with these paintings.  Here is a video of most of them.  They are not necessarily in the order painted but the last three were painted in the last two years in my studio.  These lack the spontaneous brush strokes of earlier years but begin to capture some of the magic of this time of year for me.

(Click on the small square at the far right of the video to view in full size and then the ESC key to exit.)

WORM'S EYE VIEW

WORM'S EYE VIEW

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas board

Good morning.  I have not been posting lately as I have been getting started in my garden and trying to clean out my house from it's winter doldrums.  Since spring is rolling in faster than I would like, I hope to get outside and paint this week.  

I find spring is such a thrilling time of the year, I really don't know what to do first.  All the crocuses I planted sprang up suddenly one day last week, the forsythia is out and the trees are starting to get that rosy hue that lasts such a short time but is so very beautiful.  The weeds are also thriving and some must be removed before they go to seed and weeding becomes a battle as the seeds are projected into your eyes as you pull them out, and of course all over the garden. 

The view in this painting is where I will be for the next few days and weeks, down on the ground smelling nature come alive again and reveling in the renewal of life, with Bay somewhere near by and Jake pretending he doesn't care not far off.

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

Oil on canvas board

This month the virtual paintout traveled to Russia and the beautiful city of Saint Petersburg.  I really enjoyed scooting around there with Google maps.  The city has so many fabulous buildings and is a bustling metropolis.  Finally settled here on the Palace Embankment.  I'm not sure what building this is as, of course, most identifying words are in Cyrillic, so if you recognise this building let me know.

$125.00

Mill Creek Park

MILL CREEK PARK

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

The second area on the Lower Merion Conservancy Watch list is "streams and structures".  This painting is from the lovely West Mill Creek Park where you can take your dog and let it run freely while you sit by the water and watch  the quiet ripples of the stream.  It is a fine piece of nature maintained by our township for your enjoyment.

There is trouble in paradise however as storm run off from resident's homes is poluting the stream.  You can do something about this however and at the same time create a little oasis on your own property by planting a rain garden.

This is from the Nature Conservancy's web site:

So what are rain gardens exactly? These shallow depres- sions, shaped like wide-rimmed soup bowls, are filled with rich compost and planted with native plants that tolerate flooding during rain events. The property’s stormwater, instead of pouring down the driveway and into the street, collects in the basin and slowly seeps into groundwater after the rain is over. No standing water persists. Native plants are used because they are best suited to this region’s climate and their value to butterflies, pollinators and birds alike far exceeds that of non-native plants.

Installing a rain garden is hugely important method of addressing the stormwater issue on a very important piece of land: your property.

Proceeds from the sale of this painting will go to the conservancy:

$125.00

BALA AVENUE

BALA AVENUE

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas board

This painting looks in the window of Pescatore, one of the restaurants opposite the Bala Theatre. Part of the decorations on the theatre are reflected in the window.  "The Bala Theatre, called the Egyptian Theatre when it was built in 1927 is the only surviving "exotic" themed movie palace in the area."

The Lower Merion Conservancy recently put out its 2012 Watch List for our area.  Number one on the list is Bala Avenue which does not have any historic preservation in place.  I am going to visit and paint on all the sites on the list eventually.  I will contribute the proceeds of any painting sales as a result of this project to the Conservancy.

$125.00

SHADES OF WINTER

SHADES OF WINTER

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas board

Spring may be on its way but we still have the browns and grays of winter as the backdrop for the brave spring flowering bulbs.  These colors can be quite lovely as the sun lights up last year's fragile blooms.  This Oak Leaf Hydrangea has a beauty all its own as it creates a kind of natural lace in the late afternoon sun.

SOLD

CACTUS AND LACE

CACTUS AND LACE

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas board

Here is the final version of Cactus and Lace.  I was able to get rid of most of the charcoal lines and even things out a bit.  I got this lace while visiting Amsterdam.  I made the curtains and have been enjoying them for at least 20 years.  I think part of that enjoyment is remembering that I had the guts to buy all the lace and the tenacity to make the curtains.  Now I would prefer staying home and taking a walk in the neighborhood, or painting the way the light comes through this Amsterdam lace.

LACE LIGHT

LACE LIGHT

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas board

This is the window directly in front of my computer.  The sun creates a different shadow all morning as it moves across the sky.  This is the first really early morning composition when the light is still pink.

Cactus and Lace

CACTUS AND LACE

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

In this painting I used a new kind of charcoal to sketch in the scene and it turned out to be a big mistake, as the charcoal is too dark and mixed with the paint.  So now that the whole thing is dry I will have to paint it over again.  The theme of the painting is the way light is filtered through lace and even some cactus leaves and the intrusion of the charcoal outline is really intrusive.  I didn't realize how bad it was until I saw it up close on the computer as I scanned it in for the blog.  You will be seeing a better version of this in a few days.  It is something of an exercise in simultaneous contrast and with lines around the shapes that simply is lost.

ELBA

ELBA 

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas board

This month the Virtual Paintout traveled to Elba and I traveled along to see what Napoleon's exile might have been like.  It is a beautiful island that certainly cannot have been much of a punishment for Napoleon. This blurb from Wikipedia gives some idea of what he was up to while he was there "During the months Napoleon stayed on the island, he carried out a series of economic and social reforms to improve the quality of life, partly to pass the time and partly out of a genuine concern for the well-being of the islanders." 

Who would have thought!

DRIVING IN THE FOG

DRIVING IN THE FOG

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas

An ordinary drive takes on an air of mystery in the fog.  Not being able to see everything seems to infuse what can be seen with a certain romantic intensity.

CROCUSES 2012

CROCUSES 2012

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

About 2 weeks ago, on a warm day, I was strolling in the neighborhood and spotted several lawns on Birch Avenue covered with Crocuses.  They are the first flowers I have seen this year and they were alive with bees!  It is too early for Crocuses really and since then it has been cold and they are all closed, but seeing the bees is perhaps a sign that the bee population is coming back with gusto.  Let's hope so.  These were fully open as you can see, welcoming the bees.  The pollen was spilling out all over the petals.

Spring has officially begun!

TURTLE EYES

TURTLE EYE

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

In the afternoon the sun lights up this whimsical wooden turtle and his buddy the tiger.  They never fail to make me smile.  Made in Indonesia, these fellows bring the spirit of some local craftsman from half way around the world to me everyday.  Now days it is easy and inexpensive to purchase art and craft work of all kinds made by people from all over the world.  This is not the kind of work bought for investment or in order to show you are up on the latest art movement.  It is simply fun to look at and a way to get a small part of another culture into your life.

crocus 2

WHITE ACCENTS

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas

Here is another view of Manyunk from the Cynwyd Heritage Trail.  Since I am spending so much time peering into the windows of the houses there, I thought it would be a good idea to find out more about Manyunk.  Here is a link to its quite interesting history in Wikipedia.  

Some of the highlights are that Manyunk has the first canal begun in the United States.  It was once called Flat Rock because of the very large rock near the bridge.  The name Manyunk, however, comes from the Lenape word for river "Manaiung", or place to drink.  The Lenape seem prescient as Manyunk probably has the most bars and restaurants in the area.

SPACES

Spaces

Nancy Herman 

8" x 6"

oil on canvas board

As you come into 30th Street Station on the train from New York, just before you get to the station, there is this space.  Nothing is there except for the shadow, the trash can and a pile of trash.  But there are hints of other places.  The car is just beginning to cross the bridge, the space under the bridge is leading somewhere, and there are just a glimpse of Philadelphia sky scrapers in the distance.  The tracks in the foreground are headed home.  It is a space pregnant with possibilities.

$125.00

Windows in Manyunk

Windows in Manyunk

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

This painting was made from a photo taken at the bottom of the Cynwyd trail facing Manyunk.  I have an oldish small digital camera and yet it is able to capture the sun inside the window of a building several miles away.  I am not a great photographer but the camera is a mighty instrument these days.  It was set on automatic, not even zooming in.  If someone were in that factory window not wishing to be observed, they would be out of luck and I would have a painting that looked like a Hopper wannabe.

$125.00

EMPTY SHOP REFLECTIONS

EMPTY SHOP REFLECTIONS

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on canvas board

The interior of an empty store is a lonely place.  Someones' dreams are dashed and the bare walls and hollow spaces seem to echo with old voices.  Here the reflections of cars parked for still thriving stores, mix with the empty arches of this abandoned space in Suburban Square.  

$125.00

UMBERS AND OCHRES ON THE ROAD

UMBERS AND OCHRES ON THE ROAD

Nancy Herman

6" x 8"

oil on  canvas board

From the train window on the way home from New York I spotted this combination of trucks passing in the late afternoon sun just as we were pulling into 30th Street Station.  It seems almost anything can look warm and inviting in that particular light... or maybe I was influenced by that special feeling of contentment you get when you have successfully negotiated a trip and you reach your home station.

$125.00

SOLD

FLOWER SHOP IN SOHO

Last weekend I was in New York visiting my daughter and while wandering around Soho, before meeting her for dinner, I came across this outdoor flower shop with each tulip individually wrapped against the stormy night and all the flowers encased in filmy paper.  It seemed such a tender scene I wanted to catch it in paint.  Backing up to take a snap shot I ran into this sign.

Now I could only imagine a hoard of painters complete with berets and easels being banned from the spot by an irate shop owner who wanted to keep all the beauty for his customers.  Here in flagrant disobedience is my painting.

FLOWER SHOP IN SOHO

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas board

$125.00

FARMER'S MARKET

FARMER'S MARKET

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas board

The Ardmore Farmer's Market is always a place to see lots of interesting colors and shapes.  I sometimes wonder what the Amish think of all the mainliners rushing around buying things as fast as they can, dressed in expensive clothes and shoes and carrying pocketbooks decorated with designer names.

$125.00

BEFORE THE DEMOLITION

BEFORE THE DEMOLITION

Nancy Herman

8" x 6"

oil on canvas board

Back home in Merion on Latches Lane there is a lot going on.  The Barnes Foundation is closed, its Paul Cret designed building's future unknown.   Episcopal Academy is gone and St. Joseph's University has taken over. They are well on their way to having a large baseball field completed where young students used to romp, and this stately old home, the largest property on the Lane, is being demolished. 

My feelings about all this run very deep as I have been here for 40 years.  This home's demise is sad, but actually the fact that someone would spend the money to tear it down and build a new, apparently even larger home is  a positive thing for our street.  Hopefully the plans for the new home will be green, using all of today's technology to ensure it will be energy efficient.  This would be some justification for what would seem to be a waste.  The beautiful stone will be used in other projects and people have been removing parts of the house for weeks to use for new jobs.  Here is how it looks today.  The gaping holes in all the windows and doors feel like the vacant eyes of ghosts to me.