Historical subject matter meets the contemporary art of texting! These meticulously painted works are the most recent work of Denver based painter Shawn Huckins. I’ve written about Shawn a couple of times over the past ten years, and he just keeps getting better and better! Here is part of Shawn’s bio:

“In his most notable series to date, ‘The American Revolution Revolution’ and ‘The American ___tier,’ Huckins satirizes social media, asking whether the devolution of language in the face of technological advancement weakens our ability to empathize and connect to one another in a meaningful way. By layering early American portraiture and landscape with text taken directly from the internet, Huckins confronts the priorities of our society in comparison to simpler times. What would George Washington post on Facebook? How would Lewis and Clark communicate their progress westward via Twitter?”

And I can’t help but wonder, where would they have charged their phones? I bet Sacagawea would have helped with that too. Anyway, Shawn has a show opening this Thursday, October 3rd, at Galerie Bessières in France {west of Paris}. Now, if you’re not in Paris at the moment, you can also see his work at the Tucson Museum of Art beginning October 19th, and at the Pulse Art Fair in Miami starting on December 5th. Yep, he’s busy.

Large-scale acrylic paintings. PAINTINGS. Okay, there is no way I possess this kind of patience, but thankfully Austin based painter Sarah C. Ferguson does. Here is part of her beautiful artist statement that explains her love of both color and geometric perfection:

“… Color exploration is pure freedom for me. To follow any particular system would create barriers within my process, and I would lose interest. I remain utterly in awe of the power of color, and I admire those who pursue its study formally.

Geometric shapes are equally influential in my work, but they serve as a psychological opposite. While my exploration of color invites freedom, geometry invites control. The two components balance one another perfectly, harmonizing my creative process. I have a methodic ritual that I follow each and every time. While my process is regimented and seemingly straightforward, the end result of each painting is always a bit different than expected.

In a poetic sense, my artistic process is reflective of life’s pattern, an invitation to both the sublime and the applied.”

Poetic, indeed. As you can see from the first image above {aka proof that these are actually paintings}, Sarah has a show, titled “Cynosures”, at Wally Workman Gallery in Austin Texas until September 29th, 2019.

“Sometimes the king is a woman” … YES. That’s the title of the first painting in this post, and I could not love it more. This is the most recent work of American painter Amy Sherald and if you’re in New York, I know what you’re doing tonight! Amy’s latest show opens TONIGHT, September 10th / 6pm, at Hauser & Wirth. I  have loved Amy’s work for years, and have written about her several times {including having her on the podcast, and oh yes, when she painted the official portrait of Michelle Obama}, and she just keeps getting more amazing. Case in point, here’s why she does what she does:

“I look at America’s heart — people, landscapes, and cityscapes — and I see it as an opportunity to add to an American art narrative… I paint because I am looking for versions of  myself in art history and in the world.”—Amy Sherald

The show runs until October 26th, 2019. GO!

{Bio photo by Melanie Dunea}

An art show AND an art challenge all rolled into one? Yep! California based artist Clare Szydlowski Odom stepped up to that challenge by creating 50 artworks in 50 days. I’ve written about Clare’s 2D silkscreens before, but these lovely, beautifully composed houses bring a whole new dimension to her work {see what I did there?}. Not only is there actual folded dimension, but she’s also constantly on the look out for even more than that:

“For the past three years I have been photographing the shadows in my suburban neighborhood in Burlingame where my husband and I rent an in-law unit. This Spring, we adopted a baby boy and on our walks I have continued this practice. The forms of these shadows are visually intriguing, but more interesting to me is the simultaneous sense of presence and absence they project, appearing at once substantial and insubstantial. I am also drawn to the way they mark the passage of time shifting across lawns, sidewalks and on the sides of houses. These shadows have become ghosts of my desires to own a home, to be able to freeze the precious moments of my son’s babyhood and to make the passing of time feel more substantial, something I can hold on to. Collecting these shadows has become a practice in understanding these desires, but also appreciating where I am in the present moment.”

Collecting shadows… sigh… beautiful. Clare’s shadow-covered houses are currently floating on the wall at the Sanchez Art Center in Pacifica,CA as part of their annual 50/50 Show. The show, featuring 50 pieces by over 60 artists*, runs until September 22, 2019. *Art math… that’s over 3000 pieces!

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Tape artist. That’s how California based artist Cheryl Sorg describes herself… and, clearly, it’s accurate. I’ve written about Cheryl before {2016}, I quoted her daughter on the first page of my book, “Your Inner Critic Is A Big Jerk”, and I’ve been watching over the years as she’s taken her work out of her home studio, to street corners around the world, and onto gorgeous gallery walls. Enter “To Reach The Clouds”. Her latest show, at The Hill Street Country Club*, is filled with shiny tape rainbows, upside-down raindrops that dance on the wall {watch the video above}, and beautiful installations made with her latest favorite material… dichroic film. You can see all of this work in person, and you can even buy your own “Portal of Hope” to stick wherever a little hope, love, and color is needed. The show runs until September 24th, 2019. Go.

*Linksoul at 530 S. Coast Hwy., Oceanside, CA

Aaaaaand I’ve been transported to the desert… ok, except for that lovely mountain lake, but I had to include it! This is the vibrant work of California based painter Ariel Lee. These gouache on paper pieces (!?) are currently part of a two-person show (with ceramicist Maria Paz) at Hey There Projects in Joshua Tree, CA. The show, titled ‘Further Than I Can See’, runs until September 13, 2019.

I don’t usually suffer from FOMO, but I definitely wish I could see this show in New York! Summer Mixer, at Joshua Liner Gallery, features the work of some of my favorite artists… from Arno Beck‘s typewriter landscapes, Jen Stark‘s dizzying pieces, the gorgeous abstracts of Kathryn Macnaughton, and Mark Wagner‘s cut up cash to the colorful sculptures of Stephen Ormandy, Terri Loewenthal‘s vibrant photographs, and – of course – brand new funny and fantastic text paintings by Wayne White. WHAT? How can I possibly be missing this!? If you, however, happen to be in New York, you don’t have to miss it. Summer Mixer runs until August 23, 2019.

These are not your older sister’s hand-me-downs, but they aren’t new. This ongoing series, titled “Second Hand”,  is the work of Ukrainian artist Zhanna Kadyrova. Here is the description from her site:

“… the concept of ‘second hand’, we are talking about buildings that have passed from one owner to another. Objects that formally resemble clothing are lined with original tiles from the walls of a building or enterprise. Tiled ornaments transferred identical to their placement on the walls.”

Beautiful! psst… the top most image (taken by Paolo Ferrarini for Cool Hunting), made with repurposed tiles from a Venetian hotel, is currently showing at the Venice Biennale in the Central Pavilion until November 2019.

Yep, you always have to look a little closer when enjoying the work of American painter Amy Bennett… what seems like a lovely, quiet, small town scene often has a little something extra going on, just begging the viewer to build a narrative in their own minds. Honestly, as a lover of mysteries, I kind of wish each of her paintings came with an in-depth ’20/20′ episode so I could really get to the bottom of things. Her latest solo show opens TODAY, July 11 from 6-8pm at Miles McEnery Gallery {520 West 21st Street, NYC} and runs until August 16, 2019.

I absolutely love the mixed media work of Nigerian born, LA based artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby … and I really, really love where this 2016 piece is hanging right now. “Wedding Souvenirs” {acrylic, colored pencil, collage, and commemorative fabric on paper}, is currently part of a beautiful and important show at the Smithsonian…

“I Am… Contemporary Women Artists of Africa” [opened] at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art on June 20, 2019. Featuring works by 27 of Africa’s leading modern and contemporary artists, all of whom are women, this exhibition highlights the vital contributions of women to numerous issues, including the environment, identity, politics, race, sexuality, social activism, faith and more. Taking its name from the 1970s feminist anthem, “I Am Woman,” this exhibition updates and broadens perspectives on women making art. The exhibition continues through July 5, 2020.

*When the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C., conducted a collections assessment five years ago, it revealed that only 11% of named artists in the museum’s permanent collection were women. Since then the museum has doubled the number of women artists in its collection and is addressing this deficit head on by increasing the representation of women not only through acquisitions but exhibitions, publications, programs and professional advancement.

Amen. Let’s hope every institution – in every discipline all over the world – does the same. It is way past due.