
Not sisters, but not not sisters.
Not sisters, but not not sisters.
After —well, I don’t like to think how long — I’ve finally had enough time to pick up enough steam on the Pine Curtain Project to start writing about East Texas history again. I haven’t had to start from scratch because I’ve been collecting bits along the way, but it still kind of feels like it.
My story of focus these days is my grandfather’s story, or rather my great-grandfather, Charlie’s. Among other things, he managed a speakeasy during prohibition, and made and sold moonshine. This is a tough one, because the speakeasy, a place called The Green Lantern, is long gone and left no trace! My grandfather remembers enough about it to roughly sketch the story, and there’s a brief mention of it in an Oral History document at the History Center. But that’s it! A head-scratcher for sure.
Anyway, because of the sparse info, I’m having get really, really detailed into my research. Which is fun, even if it is slower than I’d like.
Lately I’ve been digging into the Diboll Free Press archives. Nothing notable about the Lantern so far, but what it does have is a treasure trove of community gossip columns. These will take me a while to get through because I want to read every word! (And not just because the Free Press publisher was a Durham and covered the family like royalty, haha!)
Anyway:
Calling out a man who used up all the community blood!
Feasting on catfish!
What happened in Burke?! I must know.
Anyway, hopefully I will be able to update on the Pine Curtain Project more often. It hasn’t gone away, and there certainly are still plenty of stories out there to tell.
Paint, repaint, recolor, revise…lots of work for this little piece, but worth it to get as close as possible to what I see in my mind.
Like night flowers and moon gardens, sometimes what is special and unique is already there, just doing what its meant to do for those who are meant to see it. In other words, maybe there really are no late bloomers, just those who shine in different ways.
A good thing about hoarding up art supplies for so many years is that by now I usually have what I need without having to out and buy new things. I’ve been experimenting more with my lesser-used pastels, and how to combine them with gouache to create a certain look. It’s a very messy process and still not quite right, to my eyes. But getting there.
Each year, I make a Christmas project based on the family cats.
This year, Bonnie and Beans were painted on a zipper pouch!
I used Golden acrylic paints mixed with Golden fabric medium (GAC 900). I haven’t heat cured it yet, but would probably only spot clean it, and only if absolutely necessary, anyway.
My day job takes me out on the road, and many times those roads lead to really good art. And, when I’m not traveling, local roads lead me to great art, as well.
I chronicled my favorite general local finds of the year over on my company’s blog, but felt that some of the art I saw deserved its own post here.
So, without further ado and in no particular order, my favorite artworks in 2022! Some are totally new to me, and some are new works by artists I was already familiar with. All are very special! The list focuses on exhibitions as a whole unless a specific work is indicated.
Wadlington uses my favorite color palette (hot neons against cool and dark colors) and a subject matter that I can relate to. I could almost hear the crickets chirping and bug zapper going when I looked at these paintings. That’s how much they transported me back to a summer night in the country! I also loved how she incorporated animal companions into almost every painting.
I’ve seen Jeffrey Gibson’s work three times in three different states: at the 2019 Whitney Biennial in NYC, at the Blanton in Austin and now at Site Santa Fe. If there’s an exhibit of Gibson’s work that I can reasonably get to, I try my best. I love how his work spans such diverse media and genre to tell the many stories of his life and culture, and specifically how his bead and textile work adds such depth and tactile presentation, bringing his work to life even further.
This single-subject portrait’s spare background enhances the shirt detail and the expression on the cowboy’s face. In its gallery, it is a large piece that anchors a room of smaller artwork, tying the viewing experience together without overpowering it.
This exhibition showed a dreamy take on often mundane scenes that are familiar on the surface, but with an uncanny presentation that is just a little out of the ordinary.
We saw this exhibition on our first trip to Abilene, the “Storybook Capital of America.” And Christie’s work was a prime example of what the best storybooks do — not just for children, but for all ages. He is an author as well, but his illustrations can easily stand alone in conveying the many triumphs, challenges, stories and legacies across our common humanity and histories. While his illustrations are “for” children, he finds a way to convey the beauty of a story or scene without losing the gravitas of the subject.
I’ve been following Jasmine Zelaya’s work for a while, and was thrilled when my neighborhood shopping center, NorthPark, installed a mural with her art. But I was really excited to learn that she had a solo show at Art League Houston when we were going to be there. Seeing her paintings in person was really special, and I also enjoyed how she displayed the small ceramics that she had created.
Houston, known for its vibrant and innovative art scene, has dug even deeper (pun intended!) and turned an underground cistern into a beautiful public art piece. The space is striking on its own. Its many columns, water reflections and echoing walls give it the feel of a meditation room. Artists are invited to use the unique space to showcase their work to the public in Art in the Cistern installations that greatly enhance an already interesting landmark. There are many places we encounter that are special, but very few that are one-in-a-million. The Cistern in Houston is one-in-a-million. (And if you’re a bit of a claustrophobe like I am, I can say that it doesn’t feel confining at all. It is also ADA compliant and comfortable for most, with six-foot pathways, small group entry and sturdy guardrails.)
Fort Smith, Arkansas is a public art town, with murals on almost every side surface — and some silos — all throughout its downtown. “Rainbow Embassy,” by Spanish artist Okuda San Miguel is a multidimensional piece, its vibrant stripes and colors splashing not just one wall, but many walls, the roof and the porch, and extending to an equally colorful accessory building. “Rainbow Embassy” is installed in the middle of a residential neighborhood just outside of downtown. Set among the homes, cars and yard ephemera of the surrounding blocks, it both enhances the neighborhood and serves as a bright, unassuming statement piece that all can enjoy.
We saw this roadside piece while driving out of Marfa, headed toward Alpine. Marfa is known for its “Giant” reputation — the movie was filmed in and around the town. This piece gives homage to the legacy. If you drive past, be sure to pull over and step out or roll down your window to experience the audio component.
If you’ve read this far, you can probably see commonalities in the art that stands out to me. Work by artist Billy Hassell is no exception. I first learned about him from a museum in Beaumont that I follow, and was disappointed that I couldn’t get there in time to see his exhibition. So, I was extremely happy to see that he was exhibiting work in Irving soon after. In this particular piece, I liked the colors and the delicate butterflies against the strong bison. The way that the animals are grouped seem peaceful, and goodness knows we can all use as much of that as we can get.
I happened upon Smoke the Moon on Canyon Road on a cold, rainy afternoon in late August. As a Texan, cold and rainy in late August was a new concept for me, and I have to say I didn’t hate it. The Canyon Road experience itself was really special, and Nancy Friedland’s paintings were my favorite of the day. I love how she communicates so much using mainly shadows and light as the focal point. And the way these pieces glow! As an artist myself, it always amazes me how (more experienced artists) can evoke such realistic-looking light using only paint.
This group show at the Amon Carter in Fort Worth just blew me away. There were so many interesting pieces and interesting interpretations not only of the artist’s perspective and experiences, but also on the medium of photography. There were so many standouts, but these pieces by Sarah Sense and Wendy Red Star have been very memorable to me. I love how Sense weaves paper to make her finished pieces, and Red Star’s collages are so vibrant.
I saw a lot of art in 2022! This list is just the standouts in a year of standouts. Any time we travel for work or fun, I factor in some time checking out the local art scene. Art communities say so much about a place, especially in the case of smaller and regional museums, independent galleries and community arts centers. Through the artists they serve and elevate, viewers can learn local history, values and other details that make a place special, as communicated through artists’ perspectives.
As the opportunity for art adventures has stabilized, I would like to revive my art tour programs in some capacity in 2023. Not sure yet what that looks like or when! But please drop me a line if this is something you’d be interest in learning more about. (kcocustserv (at) gmail).
As I have mentioned, I have a business that publishes travel books and produces custom travel programs and content. This means I travel a LOT. What constitutes a lot? 91 towns in 2022! Our books focus on small towns, so while we see plenty of cities, we are especially fond of what you can find if you leave the interstate. Here are my favorite photos from a year on the road!
If you like what you see, you might like our books! If you’re a business and would like to learn more about our corporate services, get in touch. Otherwise, just enjoy and be inspired.
You’ll notice these photos are much better than the ones you usually see on here. That’s because my husband took them! No particular order to these beyond the date. Just quirky destinations that that stood out to me.
We plan a few big trips a year in pursuit of our books. In 2023, we will be doing a trip up the Texas coast, from Port Isabel to Port Arthur as well as spending time photographing around the Texas Frontier regions – North Central Texas and the Panhandle. I’m sure there will be other trips along the way — the best ones are often instances where we just get in the car and go!