Blogmaster's Best of Salon, 2012

Your blogmaster took some time to reappreciate the dozens of works created during the 2012 Salons, and then undertook the very difficult task of selecting the "best of".  And you should feel free to follow the Salon Retrospective Gallery link and make your own choices.  Meanwhile, here with my comments are the Blogmaster's Honorable Mentions and Best of Salon, 2012.  Enjoy!


by Eileen:

My Right Foot

Eileen spent most of 2012 gritting her teeth so as to draw from the right side of her brain.  Thus producing among other things this rendering of her right foot that is deserving of honorable mention.   However, I've always enjoyed Eileen's use of color as in the lively painting below.  Eileen went back to painting when Salon shifted to its new location — with Glen and Eileen hosting.  This work is based on a large painting that hangs in their living room, and Eileen's love of that painting comes ringing through in this little charmer.

My House in the Middle

by Marge:

Garden

Marge is a first-rate drawer and all around great artist.  I glance sidelong as she creates her works, endeavoring to learn things from her when she isn't watching... Shhhh!  Honorable mention goes to this little drawing she whipped up.  It completely captures the joy of being outdoors when Summer is still fresh and not oppressive.  But while she excels at the simple, her ability to create complex and engaging works is very inspiring to me.  There is so much to look at and ponder and enjoy in the marvelous multidimensional work below.  A trained critic might have more to say about it — but I don't know what that could be.

Gossip

by Jacqueline:

Save the Window

Jacqueline had a busy year with a lot of distractions, so her painting time often got redirected into more practical matters.  She frequently commented it was difficult for her to think of something to paint.  Fortunately, she was inspired on at least a few occasions and so we have these two works to re-present.  She was not enthused by this rustic front porch scene but I disagree, I very much like the play of light and texture in this work... as cropped here.  But she is definitely fond of her outstanding Op Art tribute to the 60's shown below.  She enjoyed painting it as much as you will enjoy enjoying this groovy work!

Happy 2nd Salonniversary

by Molly:

Don't Rock the Boat

Choosing Molly's works was easy...  I love how she perfectly captured the alert expression that any dog lover would recognize.  So genuine.  But there is no doubt that her best work this year was this moving tribute to a longtime family friend who had just passed away after a long fight with a terrible disease.  Knowing the story behind the painting, I'm often overcome with emotion when I look at this simple and eloquent work.

Naomi

by Glen:

Who's Leading Whom?

Glen spent most of the 2012 Salons making fairly elaborate drawings, many of which he then colorized.  Or not, as was the case with this animated drawing that always amuses me.  In my choice for his Best Of, however, Glen created a work where the linear element is subordinated and the main emphases are on shape and the analogous color scheme.  After you take in the piece as a whole, the color and some of the shapes (not to mention the title) furnish a clue as to which minor holiday inspired this interesting tonal painting.  Can you guess?

 
 

Faceless Valentines

by Steve:

Life Passing By

Steve was on a real tear in December, cranking out a number of fantastic paintings.  As you can see in the Salon Retrospective Gallery.  I had a tough time choosing which of his works to showcase here.  I do love dogs so I had to give this street scene from earlier in the year an honorable mention... because that pooch is adorable.  But I really love this Best Of.  Well designed, well colored, well crafted, I am enchanted by the warmth of this simple, evocative landscape.

Choices

by David:

Moroccan Berber

I didn't make much progress on my 2012 pledge to explore the realm of non-representational paintings.  Did some Still Lifes and laterly was trying to place emphasis on Landscapes.  But in the end I did more Portraits than anything else.  For Honorable Mention, this painting of a Berber because many people commented on it during the year.  For Best Of, I picked my painting of the horrible Jan Brewer because I thought it verged on the abstract (as does she) and because the harsh lighting and her garish make-up made rendering it a fun challenge.  My only regret is, I gave her fewer wrinkles than she really has.   P.S. there's a "best of" posting on the Painterly Thoughts blog as well...  check it out!

Hag, Nag, Scag or Slag?

Salon Showcase 2012-W50

A blustery rainy day here in Chicago, but no complaints seeing as you don't have to shovel rain!  Were the clouds sad that today marked the last Salon of 2012—who knows?  But we do know this blog will be on hiatus until sometime in January while Painterly Thoughts will post every Saturday throughout.  Until next Salon, Happy Holidays and please enjoy today's mix of seasonal delights and travel scenes...


by Eileen:

Ugly Christmas Sweaters

by Molly:

Edith

by Glen:

Merry Gilchristmas

by Steve:

Faux Self-portrait

by David:

Bluffs

Salon Showcase 2012-W49

Many of the Salon members grew up thinking of December 7th as "a day that will live in infamy".  But this week it was the occasion of the 500th International Viewer visit to our blog.  Very exciting and pleasing... as were the array of holiday decorations on display at our host location!  Please enjoy today's art works and, if you have a spare minute, pay a visit to the Painterly Thoughts blog (handy link at right).  Finally, we'll jump the gun by a day and close with Happy Hanukkah!


by Eileen:

Villages & Ornaments

by Marge:

Owl

by Jacqueline:

Owl Series III & Card Series I-III

by Glen:

Pea Soup

by Steve:

Choices

by David:

Study of Loch Eilt Shoreline

Salon Showcase 2012-W48

The Spirit of Christmas wafted through Salon today, inspiring two artists to paint holiday cards and calling out to another to join in on the theme.  Plus a landscape and a portrait to round out today's mix.  Enjoy!


by Eileen:

Let it Snow

by Jacqueline:

Owl Series I & II

by Glen:

Ho-Ho-Andy

by Steve:

Expression I

by David:

Happy Sequoia in the Mist

Salon Showcase 2012-W46

Owing to a "technical difficulty" we didn't have Eileen's painting on display last week.  (Sadly, the difficulty was we simply forgot to photograph it.  Seems that the routine in our new location hasn't quite gelled.)  The omission is more poignantly ironic in light of last week being the 2nd anniversary of our blog's debut.  Hurray for two years of sharing art with you our viewers.  Thank you for stopping by!

Eileen will thus enjoy the top and bottom spots this blog so you can enjoy her two most recent paintings — along with what the rest of the troop did today.  Finally, no Salon next week... and we wish you all much merriment and a hearty feast on Thanksgiving Day.

We'll return here on December 1st and in the interim there will be Painterly Thoughts posted on November 24th.  Happy Thanksgiving!


by Eileen:

Hail the Dutch

by Jacqueline:

End of an Era?

by Marge:

No Show

by Glen:

Souper Duper Andy

by Steve:

Androgynous Study

by David:

De- & Re-  jected

by Eileen:

Julian Ate Here

Salon Showcase 2012-W45

Talk about smilestones, this week saw our 4,000th blog view overall plus we're very close to our 500th international viewing and our first visit from the 50th foreign country.  It will be exciting to see which nation that turns out to be.  While we await that, we had our second session at our new Malibu quarters, where we produced these works.  Enjoy!

(p.s. due to technical difficulty, Eileen's painting will appear in next week's blog. Our apologies to her fan base.)


by Marge:
 

The Whisper

by Jacqueline:

9:10

by Molly:

One Is the Loneliest Number

by Glen:

Andy's Hmm Hmm Good

by Steve:

Enjoy It While You Can

by David:

Morocco Blue Door

Salon Showcase 2012-W44

The Salon blog returns after a brief hiatus, having today painted at our new Malibu location and with this week marking our first international blog visitor from Tunisia.  (This is probably the only time in history that all of those nouns will appear together in a single sentence.  Makes you think, right?)  So absorb that and then move on to enjoy these works from today.  Be sure to check back next week, and consider paying a visit to our sister blog (Painterly Thoughts) too!


by Eileen:

My House in the Middle

by Marge:

Conversation

by Glen:

Cooking with Andy

by Steve:

Relaxin'

by David:

Red-crowned Crane

Showcase 2012-W42

First things first, a belated thank you — شكرا — to our first visitor from Saudi Arabia last week.  That brings the international roster up to 48 countries.  Second, this posting marks the final regular weekly blog post here, as weekly posts shift over to the Painterly Thoughts blog.  (Both blogs have a link to one another.)  Of course, we'll still post here on those Saturdays when the Salon meets.

And speaking of meets, that brings us to the third thing.  Going forward, the Salon should be re-christened the Salon deMalibu.  Should but won't; it's taken a lot of effort to build up the brand as it is!  Glen and Eileen are taking over the hosting role at their swanky pad in the Malibu East tower— which is not in California (aw) but nevertheless on a beach (ah).  You can expect the S deW and PT blogs to post an hour or so later on Salon days, thus allowing the blogmaster time for travel back to the Winchester lair.

Now that you're all caught up, catch your breath and then enjoy this synchronized art we made today on the topic of Things that Scare Us.  Plus, check out another new painting from today on the Painterly Thoughts blog.  Boo!


by Eileen:

December 1, 1958

by Marge:

Things Left to be Answered

by Jacqueline:

Return of the Wisbed Tree

by Glen:

Poltergeist, as Seen on TV

by David:

Bat Boy on the Loose!