I saw the most remarkable show Sunday in Los Angeles: James Turrell's retrospective at LACMA. There has been a lot written about this, including a New York Times cover article the same day, but all I can write about is my own reaction. Entering St. Elmo's Breath I felt like I was walking into death. The room had no walls: the light was gray and suffused, with a shimmering white light at the end of the room. Figures disappeared into the light. I am, admittedly, emotionally vulnerable, thinking immediately of my mother and Dan, so I started weeping and couldn't stop. but what Turrell has done is truly visionary, a way to shake up our way of being in the world. Other installations open at the Guggenheimm in NYC next week. The Los Angeles show runs through April.
Adding resin-magic!
I’ve been having a great time experimenting with resin coatings for my ink and acrylic work. I started with birch boards as a base, which is recommended, but I’ve had success with both board and tightly stretched canvas. What I love is the way it makes colors pop! It certainly adds to the production of a piece in terms of time and technique, but it’s worth it. I use ArtResin, which is odorless and easy to mix up, though you DO have to heed the directions and wear shoes and gloves (sigh). I use a heat gun rather than a gas torch to run over the surface to remove bubbles, and seems to work. I’ve also had bad experiences using blue painter’s tape on the sides, to keep small droplets from forming and hardening. Instead I go over the drips with gloved hands to get rid of them, then sand off the dried remainder with a circular sander. I still alternate between work with resin and paintings on raw canvas- tension between warmth that draws you in and a cool barrier through which to
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