I am happily back at work in the studio. An auto mechanic is happy working in the garage, a carpenter in the woodshop, a gardener in the garden, and an artist desires more than anything to be in the studio. Over the last few months, many ideas about the painting have bounced around in my head while I was busy with other tasks, including preparations … Continue reading From Jazz to Fragonard
“Art, after all, rarely emerges from committees.” This bit of wisdom comes from the opening paragraph of the section, “Fears About Others” in Bayles & Orland’s always spot-on book for artists, Art & Fear. In a discussion about artists and “others” who include the critics, the public, family, friends, teachers, the lady down the street, and too often ourselves, Bayles & Orland go on to … Continue reading Art and Risk – the Dynamic Duo
“Summer was past and the day was past.Sombre clouds in the west were massed.” Robert Frost’s poignant poem, “Bereft” includes these lines, and they came to mind today, although in this case: “Winter was past and the cold was past. Fluffy clouds in the west were massed.” Spring has come, and with it the flowers of the season, the budding branches, the greening grass, the … Continue reading A Wild and Precious Life
In his fine old book, The Art Spirit, subtitled “Notes, Articles, Fragments of Letters and Talks to Students, Bearing on the Concept and Technique of Picture Making, the Study of Art Generally, and on Appreciation,” (first published in 1930), Robert Henri, my favorite writer and teacher when it comes to art, has a couple of things to say about houses. Houses are on my mind … Continue reading Houses, Boxes, and Art
“Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting, experience treacherous, judgement difficult.” — Hippocrates (460-400 B.C.) As the King of Siam once sang, “It’s a puzzlement!” I’ve worked my way through “puzzlements” in the past, but this one is so close to my heart that I’ve had more difficulty. I’m a born entrepreneur. Over the years, I have started and run several businesses. When other kids … Continue reading Life Is Short, Art Long
“Take the A Train” The Colors of Jazz Collection ©2021, Molly Larson Cook 28″ x 22″ Acrylic on canvas $600 “Water runs down hill concisely. There is no quibbling about it. It does not have to run up hill in order to be entertaining…. The soul of a person may reveal its mysteries through direct expression, simple speech, simple gesture, simple painting, just as … Continue reading Be the Brook – Concise, Simple, Clear, Running Down Hill
Jazz is the only music in which the same note can be played night after night but differently each time. – Ornette Coleman Voila! One of my favorite graphics, one I’ve used more than once – The Cartographer’s Heart. This is a genuine cartographic representation of our currently not-too-happy planet, devised by one Johannes Kepler, a more or less contemporary of Columbus. Not one of my own designs. … Continue reading New Path to the Waterfall
Hot House Colors of Jazz Collection ©2020, Molly Larson Cook Acrylic on canvas 30″ x 24″ My county in Oregon has been cleared for a “soft” re-opening, Phase I as the governors and medical experts call it, as we begin the shift out of lockdown for COVID-19. I’m not sure yet how this will pan out, and it might be too early, but a … Continue reading It’s Going to Take Some Time This Time
The move into the new studio is nearly complete. It’s all I might have hoped for as a place to work on the art. The north light is exceptional and much to be desired. Friends tell me I was lucky to find this space and I agree. The view of the old County Courthouse and its clock tower among big old trees is inspiring in … Continue reading Back at Work!
Alley art in my new town… Lots of art and artists in this place! Time flies when you’re making a major move, and it’s now been a month since I last posted here. But the move from Mexico up the Pacific coast to Oregon has gone well, all things considered, and I’ll be unpacking my art supplies and tools soon in my first dedicated … Continue reading You Don’t Have to Sing, You Don’t Have to Dance…
Art and Tulips 