East of Eden

Quick note on 'East of Eden" at the L.A. Municipal Gallery in Hollywood. This is not so much an exhibition as a three-day art fair, and last night's gala opening was like a happening party. Each of the 14 participating galleries presented a selection of their artists representing the art scene east of downtown. I was especially mesmorized by the work of Robert Horvath, whose glossy, glowing paintings of biomorphic shapes and radiant light I have previously admired at Bert Green Fine Art. I also enjoyed the breezy abstractions of Elana Kundell, presented by Gallery Revisited. Her brushstrokes seem fresh, spontaneous and untethered, as if they are floating just in front of the panels on which she paints.


Robert Horvath, "o.o.y.l", oil on panel


Elana Kundell, "Dissolution No. 9", oil on panel

There was an interesting lounge area set up out on the terrace, with a big glowing fluorescent telescopic kind of opti-gadget that was too crowded to examine at close range, regrettably. Many visitors were happily drumming a groovy beat on the musically engineered furniture, and a stylish young woman was serving absinthe in test tubes (poured through an elaborate stainless steel apparatus). The green fairy is incredibly sweet, it turns out -- it was something like drinking a licorice Altoid, not that I should find anything to object to in that.

"East of Eden continues through today, September 21, 2008. Participating galleries include La Luz de Jesus, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Black Maria, drkrm Gallery, Gallery Revisited, Ghetto Gloss, Junc Gallery, Materials & Applications, Metro Gallery, Thinkspace, Bert Green Fine Art, Acuna Hansen, David Patton, Farmlab and De Soto.

Recent work at Bergamot Station

This new watercolor and two other recent paintings (Dazzled and Allure, shown in a previous post) are in a group show at Bergamot Station Arts Complex in Santa Monica...

(NOTE: I have removed the gallery name and contact info some time after this event, since they no longer show my work)


Remember, watercolor, 2008, 20 x 15 in.

Dazzled

This small watercolor is just off the drawing board...



Dazzled, watercolor, 2008, 10 x 7 in.

These ten-striped june beetles were out in force each night during our recent stay in the eastern Sierras (south of Carson City, NV). I told the two who posed for me that I would make them famous -- and they bought it !

August art update

I'm just back in the studio again after a very peaceful desert roadtrip with the family to western NV and the Sierras. A few new watercolors are fresh off the drawing board, and still more are in process. The model for this first painting was a rowdy luna moth very generously given to me by local artist Lynn Hanson when we visited her beautiful studio on the Venice Art Walk (thanks!).


Mixer, 2008, watercolor, 25 x 18 in.

This mantis was also very kindly donated to the arts by a local science teacher
(Thanks, Mr. A!)


Allure, 2008, watercolor, 7 x 10 in.

More new paintings are in process, and new images will be posted soon.

In other news, my work was featured in the Aug 2008 issue of Bootleg Magazine:



You can read the interview here, if you're truly curious...

Many thanks for looking in!

Recent work

Some new watercolors just off the block...


Prop, 2008, watercolor, 10 x 7 in.


Fly, 2008, watercolor, 10 x 7 in.


This, 2008, watercolor, 18 x 14 in.

I'm working on a larger piece involving the same luna moth as in Fly. More images coming soon...

Venice Artwalk & Auction: Sunday, May 18

One of my recent watercolor paintings will be included in the Venice Artwalk silent auction, which includes over 400 artworks donated to this fundraiser by Los Angeles-area and Venice Art Walk artists. The artwalk allows you to explore over 60 different artist studios in the area -- some of these are truly amazing spaces. The silent auction is open to the public, while artwalk studio tour tickets are $50 per person. This is a great opportunity to start or add to an art collection, as these donated works can sell for less than normal gallery prices. And all proceeds benefit the Venice Family Clinic, which provides free healthcare to low-income, uninsured, and homeless patients.

What: Venice Art Walk & Auction
When: Sunday, May 18, 2008, 11 am - 5 pm
Where: 1010 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA

You can find a map here.

More information at at www.paulpitsker.com

My contribution:


Steamed, 2008, watercolor, 10 x 7 in.

Many thanks for your interest!

Thanks to some last minute additions (made possible by many hours of heroic driving by a generous friend), the show that opens tonight at Left Coast Galleries in Studio City, CA will include a number of my paintings never before shown in L.A.


Chill, 2008, watercolor, 25 x 18 in.



Gripping, 2007, watercolor, 20 x 15 in.



Message, 2007, watercolor, 10 x 7 in.



Drink, 2008, watercolor, 20 x 15 in.


Left Coast Galleries
12324 Ventura Boulevard
Studio City, CA 91604
818-760-7010

When: April 24 - May 29, 2008
Hours: Mon - Sat 11 - 6, Sun 12 - 6

Reception: Thursday, April 24, 2008, 6 - 9 pm.

More images and news of other upcoming events can be found at www.paulpitsker.com

Many thanks for your interest and support!

April art news

Hey, my painting in the current 2nd City show ("California Visual Artists") is on the cover of this week's Long Beach District Weekly...


Sucker [detail], on the cover of the Long Beach District Weekly, Vol. 1 Issue 52

That show runs through April 10. I am also in a group show called Spirits of Los Angeles at Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood (and at the Los Angeles International Airport), that runs through April 20.

Meanwhile, if you're curious what's on the drawing board, I am almost done with this skipper...


Up [unfinished], watercolor, 2008, 7 x 10 in.

And just last week, I finally finished this tall glass of water...


Drink, watercolor, 2008, 20 x 15 in.

I will be showing a selection of new work at Left Coast Gallery in Studio City, opening April 24, reception 6 - 9 pm.

What else is new?

I am again participating in Incognito, the semi-annual exhibition and art sale fundraiser at the Santa Monica Museum of Art on May 3 at 7 pm. It's $100 to get in, but it's a crazy fun event, with art by a wide variety of artists, some established, some emerging and some more or less unknown. All the work is the same size, displayed anonymously and all bargain-priced at $300. The work literally flies off the walls -- it's total mayhem, as you can see in this video from the 2007 event. (Sue and I are briefly visible in the lower mid-left at around 11 - 12 seconds -- I'm the tall one with the black hat...) Anyway, just to give the 3 - 4 readers of this blog an angle, here are the pieces I am contributing to this show...

Numb, watercolor, 2008, 6 x 8 in.

Look, watercolor, 2008, 8 x 6 in.

The subject in Look and Up is a small, speedy type of butterfly called a skipper. I’ve been wanting to paint one for a while, but they are fast and hard to get close to. But finally just one flew in the open door of my studio a few months ago and landed on a toothbrush (makeshift watercolor scrubbing tool) that was lying there. Hard to beat a volunteer (or is it?)...

That freezing drip

Okay, I know this is like the second ice bug I've coughed up in so many months, but I'm still trying to capture that perfect faux-Romantic chill. (Sometimes you need to do a few passes on an idea to realize the first take was fine.) I'm posting this one now just to share my amazement at how alarming a watercolor can look in the first few days and still come out okay in the end, not that I'm there yet. Meaning only it may not be finished yet, but you get the idea...


Some time around day 2...


Some time around day 10...

I will get there eventually.

I haven't been getting out much lately, though I did enjoy this show at Richard Heller. Also, Yun Bai's porn flowers at the newly relocated Art Murmur Gallery are pretty cool and creepy.

The L.A. Weekly Annual Biennial at Track 16, which closed yesterday, was worth seeing too (sorry if you missed it)... It was a satisfyingly broad survey of L.A. painters, and the opening party last month was a rave. I can't remember the last time I saw someone painting from a nude model while running on a treadmill, mixing drinks and babbling incoherently into a microphone to live ambient music. This was better than art school -- way cheaper too, and without all that clove cigarette smoke.

Have a great weekend!

Happy (belated) New Year

Thanks everyone for helping to make 2007 such a whirlwind success, and please have a happy, healthy and entomologically fulfilling new year. Stay tuned for new art events coming in 2008...


Chill, 2008, watercolor, 25 x 18 in.

This painting (above), which I just finished last week, will be shown... well, somewhere real soon. This couldn't be vaguer I know, but last minute complications are still being ironed out.  It happens that this is the 60th watercolor I've completed since I began doing this work less than three years ago.  This count includes a few restarts, which of course is how one makes changes in watercolor.  You can see all 60 paintings on one page here, if you are curious.

Bigger news... Spirits of Los Angeles opened this afternoon at the Los Angeles Municipal Gallery at Barnsdall Art Park on Hollywood Blvd. The turnout was fabulous, and the live music definitely added to the festive atmosphere. I enjoyed meeting curator Raoul De la Sota finally, along with many of the other artists in the show (having been too ill to attend the pre-party last weekend). This show has been over two years in the planning, and includes three of my "pre-insect" oil paintings, on display at Barnsdall through April 20, plus two more at the Los Angeles International Airport. I will be speaking about my work at the gallery on Friday, Feb 1 at 7:30 pm.


Waiting, 2002, oil on canvas, 40 x 24 in.
One of my "old" paintings currently at the Los Angeles
Municipal Gallery in Hollywood.

In other news, my work will be featured in the inaugural issue of Studio Visit Magazine, which is published by Open Studios Press (Boston, MA) and will be distributed nationwide in February 2008.

More information at www.studiovisitmagazine.com.


Side, 2006, watercolor, 10 x 7 in. One of my
two paintings featured in Studio Visit Magazine.

What else is new? I am honored to be the featured guest artist currently on ProjectInSECT.com, an education/outreach/artist site devoted to increasing public awareness and understanding of insects through creative education, live painting demonstrations and exhibitions. Check out artist and Project InSECT co-founder Jessa Huebing-Reitinger's lovingly painted leaf footed bug, for starters.