In New York: Sotheby's Contemporary Art Auction

Sotheby's and the other auction houses are the hidden gems of the art world in New York. There are always several days of exhibition prior to each auction. The exhibitions are free to the public and allow close viewing in an intimate setting of amazing pieces of art, many of which will be held in private collections and never publicly seen again. A contemporary art auction was held earlier in November which led to the highest grosses (319 million)for a single contemporary art auction in Sotheby's history. There were so many incredible artworks by some of my favorite artists, a few of which are pictured below (along with final sale price).


Jeff Koons - Hanging Heart: while not at all my style nor my favorite, this artwork is worth mentioning for two reasons. First, it is 9 feet tall, weighs 3500 pounds, and is painted with layers and layers of pink paint to create a mirror-like surface. Second, it sold for $23,561,000 (yes, 23+ million) making it the most expensive artwork by a living artist ever sold at auction!


Jean-Michel Basquiat - Electric Chair: sold for $11,801,000


Jean-Michel Basquiat - Elaine: sold for $2,393,000


Jean-Michel Basquiat - Elaine: detail
(can you tell that I love this artist?)


Robert Motherwell - Mexican Night: sold for $1,026,600


Andy Warhol - Hector and Andromache: sold for $690,000 (a bargain compared to the others!)


Mark Rothko - untitled: sold for $7,881,000


Robert Rauschenberg - Primo Calle/Roci Venezuela: sold for $2,617,000


Cy Twombly - untitled: $5,081,000

Mixed Media: roughcast page 9

I am continuing to work on Roughcast, my double-bound, mixed media book. This is the first page I have completed for the left side of the book. Please see my previous post for a fuller description of the book and the completed right side. As always, please click on all photos for greater detail.



Fragments from the page:

Photography: Mexico - text

The graphics and text used on the building advertisements all over Mexico were very distinct: bold, bright, colorful, and often peeling! As much of my artwork uses text as a secondary component, I derived so much inspiration from these signs. Photos of a few of my favorites are below.

Photography: Mexico - doors and windows

Back to the blog! My recent trip to Mexico was filled with endless amounts of visual inspiration. Among my favorite aspects of art in general are layers, textures, patina and aged materials. Needless to say, Mexico is filled with examples of all of these things...altered by nature. Over the next few weeks I will be posting photographs from this trip, all of which highlight different aspects of the beauty of Mexico and it's culture...and all of which will find their way into my art! First -- the doors and windows of Mexico. Click on your favorites because the larger images really allow you to better see the beauty of the colors and depth of the textures.

Photography: time out

It is time for a journey! I will be travelling for the next two weeks and will have limited access to a computer. I will post again when I return on Monday 11/26 with fresh eyes and filled with new inspiration. Thank you to everyone who has visited my blog and left such supportive comments. I look forward to seeing you again soon!

Spotlight: Bridgette Guerzon Mills

Bridgette Guerzon Mills is a mixed media artist who lives in the Pacific Northwest. Her work can be seen on her blog Contemplating the Moon. For me, her paintings evoke a feeling of contentment and serenity. Repeated images of birds, nests, trees, and reeds highlight the beauty of nature and celebrate the rhythm of life. Her work is filled with movement and texture. Bridgette's use of type written statements echos the sentiment expressed in her visuals and speaks to my love of text. Some examples -- "my heart is like wax, melted", "the ocean within" and "I sleep and dream of cradling warmth". She uses multiple media to create her works of art, many as small as 4" x 4". I can attest to the fact that her paintings are even more amazing in person as I am the happy owner of "sigh", the first painting pictured below. Earlier posts in her blog highlight some of her incredible visual journals as well. Bridgette's blog is a daily read for me. Stop by. It is well worth the trip!

Mixed Media: field notes journal

Fragments: part two

As noted in a previous post, I love to search mixed media work for small details and discover the layers that are so often present. Hunting through my own pieces has led me to the following "fragments"