We are in our second spring here and the house and garden are firmly ours. There's been the typical settling in and tweaking, furniture moving (and moving again), repainting some rooms whose first color didn't work, adding and taking away this and that. Most importantly, we have artwork given or otherwise acquired especially by us for this house from some of our dearest friends, along with new work from me. And the garden is filling out exuberantly. God willing, we'll have many more years here to add to the story.
Here's a selection of recently acquired artwork currently hanging on our walls.
My recent painting, one in a series with the linear shape of our house as the point of departure. This one is called. "House: Garden." Pretty inventive title, eh? 18" x 30", acrylic on board.
This is "Carpel" by brilliant friend and fellow Hillsboroughan Robbin Gourley. The impressive gorgeousness of this photograph (48" x 32") has transformed the dining room, if not the whole house. You can see for yourself why. I even repainted in dark gray the large mantelpiece in the dining room to provide a response to the dramatic tones of this sublime piece.
A centerpiece of the whole house is "Swimming Pool" by another brilliant friend (all my friends are brilliant, aren't yours?) and renowned photographer Elizabeth Matheson. I first saw a monumental print of this luminous image at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke years ago. My print is 24" x 24," smaller than the Nasher one, but it has a big voice.
The fabulous, and I believe untitled piece, above is one of a series of copper and calligraphic pieces made by my mad genius (aka brilliant) friend Roger Haile a few years ago. He knew I had lusted after it long ago and for my recent birthday, much to my jawdropping and all unawares self, gave it to me, all wrapped up! It's copper, enamel, and ink, 24" x 24."
Finally, here is a stunning drawing by our (brilliant) science-publisher-turned-artist-at- age-83 friend and Hillsboroughan Neil Patterson. The title is "Octo," celebrating his now 88 years. 24" x24."
*Garden later. I have run out of space, so next time I will share this artist's garden with you. It's come a long way since you saw it last.
Finally, a shot of my studio with work in progress, another in the house series, on easel. For context.
More to come!
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