In my painting "New York Stories" it’s five minutes to midnight. Waiting for 2022 to move into 2023 like the hands of a clock spinning into the next hour, figures move around the iconic Grand Central clock like foxes huddling beneath a tree in Andō Hiroshige's "New Year's Eve Foxfires at the Changing Tree, Ōji"
It’s raining this New Year’s Eve in Santa Monica. I’m listening to a recording of a 10,000-member choir in Japan singing “Ode to Joy” in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Enthusiasm for Beethoven is particularly strong in Japan. Every year in December, singers gather in a concert hall in Osaka to sing the final chorus from Beethoven's Ninth.
Gregg Chadwick
Passing View of Shohei Bridge
30"x24" oil on linen 1990
Again, my thoughts trace a circuit from this moment back to an earlier New Year in Japan as 1989 rolled into 1990. I was in Tokyo following the spirit and artworks of Ando Hiroshige. That winter in Japan, I clutched a large volume by Henry D. Smith II and Amy G. Poster on Hiroshige’s One Hundred Famous Views of Edo and trekked on rail, foot and car across the historic core of what was Edo era Tokyo. Sponsored by the Nippon Seiyu-Kai's 30th Anniversary Award, I endeavored to create a series of new paintings inspired by Hiroshige’s woodcuts. Time, place, memory, mystery and lore all mixed in my artworks.
Utagawa Hiroshige (Ando) (Japanese, 1797-1858)
New Year’s Eve Foxfires at the Changing Tree, Oji
( No. 118 from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo)
9th month of 1857 Woodblock print
Brooklyn Museum
Today @nortonsimon posted a photo of one of the most mysterious images from Hiroshige's One Hundred Famous Views of Edo. Alison Baldassano from the Brooklyn Museum wrote about this artwork, "People aren’t the only beings who gather together for special celebrations on the night before a new year dawns. In this woodblock print by Hiroshige, foxes come together on New Year’s Eve to receive directions for the upcoming year and emit ghostly flames, the size of which helps predict the next year’s crop…. And, as the foxes could say in the morning, 明けましておめでとうございます (akemashite omedetou gozaimasu) or #HappyNewYear!"
Today we celebrate the birthday of opera composer Giacomo Puccini, born #onthisday in 1858. Known for "La Boheme", "Tosca", "Madama Butterfly", and "Turandot", Puccini's operas continue to inspire. I painted this small oil on panel painting of Puccini for a solo exhibition of opera inspired artworks at the Central City Opera in the summer of 2019. That year and also in 2007, I created a series of paintings that were commissioned by the @ccityopera to be used as keynote images for each of their productions during the summer season. It was a marvelous project to work on and I loved spending time in Colorado with the entire Central City team. Great music and great camaraderie! Thank you Central City Opera!
President Zelensky received a standing ovation before he began his speech to Congress. “Slava Ukraini!” Glory to Ukraine! members of Congress shouted out. “Heroyam Slava!”
Glory to heroes! he responded.
President Zelensky concluded his address by unfurling a battle flag given to him by soldiers on the front line in Bakhmut, Ukraine and then gifted the flag to the United States.
“This flag is a symbol of our victory...We stand, we fight, and we will win because we are united. Ukraine, America, and the entire free world."
"To cast a vote in the United States is an act of faith and hope... That faith in our system is the foundation of American democracy. If the faith is broken, so is our democracy. Donald Trump broke that faith. He lost the 2020 election and knew it." -Chair @BennieGThompson
Numerous state and federal courts evaluated and rejected the Trump campaign’s claims of voter fraud, including judges appointed by Trump himself.
Many of these courts issued scathing opinions criticizing the lack of evidence that President Trump and his allies advanced. pic.twitter.com/WhCl16Vh83
still one of the most chilling moments. Hutchinson: the crowd is calling for Pence to be effing hung. Meadows: "You heard [Trump]. He doesn't want to do anything. He thinks Pence deserves it."
.@RepLizCheney: “No man who would behave that way at that moment in time can ever serve in any position of authority in our nation again. [Trump] is unfit for any office." pic.twitter.com/Qw2j7mcz5s
Patti Smith visits the Morning Joe program to discuss "A Book of Days," which collects a calendar year of images and words. Patti discusses how the pandemic brought her to Instagram and how being on Instagram helped lead to her book.
It was great to be at the White House to celebrate the Respect for Marriage Act being signed into law by @POTUS! I’m happy that the hard work and long hours of bipartisan negotiation have finally paid off for the millions of loving same-sex & interracial couples across America. pic.twitter.com/BrnxtnYAxw
Who woulda thought the gayest party I’ve ever been to was at the White House? Thank you @POTUS for signing the Respect for Marriage Act! #LoveIsLove 🏳️🌈 pic.twitter.com/EA1rdoAxXt
The Respect for Marriage Act is now the law of the land. I was honored to watch as @POTUS honored the fundamental right of Americans to marry the person they love. It means people like my child will have the same rights as everyone else.💖 pic.twitter.com/4HNclCg2DZ
Created by CineClark who writes: "Part 2B of a 12-part 8mm film series on Los Angeles, I found this 8mm gem in a thrift store. I have digitized it and, using the narration sheet that came folded up in the case, narrated this film. I did not change, omit or edit any words from the original narration in order to preserve the integrity of the original film. To skip my intro, jump to the :55 second mark.
* I was struggling on using the possessive or not in the title. Though it is known today in its current location as Angels Flight, I decided to use the apostrophe as it is shown on the wheelhouse sign at the 1:44 mark of this film.
OTD in 1964, John Coltrane and his band recorded "A Love Supreme" in a single session at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Englewood Cliffs NJ. Here with producer Bob Thiele, saxophonist Archie Shepp (who played on an alternate take that day), and pianist McCoy Tyner. #jazzpic.twitter.com/3DofCDGaxY
Bass – Jimmy Garrison
Composed By, Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane
Drums – Elvin Jones
Piano – McCoy Tyner
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Producer – Bob Thiele
Recorded: December 9th, 1964
A1 Part I - Acknowledgement 0:00
A2 Part II - Resolution 7:48
B Part III - Pursuance / Part IV - Psalm 15:14
Join Gregg Chadwick and over 20 other artists for Art At The Airport’s Open Studios & Holiday Art Sale December 10th, 4-7 pm. Come and enjoy food, drinks, performances by pianist Paul Cornish and the Santa Monica Folklorico Ballet, purchase handmade, artisanal goods by Market Exchange vendor collective and participate in a winter ornament workshop conducted by artist Marcus Kuiland-Nazario. Free to all, please register in advance: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/holiday-open-studios-tickets-454587231647 . Art At The Airport is made possible by Art of Recovery, an initiative of Santa Monica Cultural Affairs, santamonica.gov/arts/artofrecovery. To learn about upcoming Art At The Airport events, visit: https://www.artattheairport.org/. Free to all, please register in advance: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/holiday-open-studios-tickets-454587231647 . . .
Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd? Yup! It's called the Jergins Tunnel and it opened in 1928 and closed to the public in 1967. The tunnel ran under Ocean Blvd. and provided access to the Pike and beach, via the Jergins Trust building at 100 E. Ocean Boulevard. pic.twitter.com/m4z7ZqZB2A
Featuring over 20 professional artists opening their studio doors and offering a rare glimpse into their practices, and the opportunity to buy work directly from the artists themselves. Come and enjoy food, drinks, a performance by pianist Paul Cornish and the Santa Monica Folklorico Ballet, purchase handmade, artisanal goods by Market Exchange vendor collective and participate in a winter ornament workshop conducted by artist Marcus Kuiland-Nazario.
Free to all, please register in advance. Feel free to invite friends and family.
From SAAM: "Get to know the historic figures behind Bisa Butler’s monumental quilt “Don’t Tread on Me, God Damn, Let’s Go! — The Harlem Hellfighters” with Nora Atkinson, the Fleur and Charles Bresler Curator-in-Charge for SAAM’s Renwick Gallery. Learn about the Harlem Hellfighters, who served in the 369th Infantry Regiment during World War I, view archival footage of the troop in action, and discover the artistry Butler uses to pay homage to the soldiers.
This video is part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's ongoing series American Art Moments. Join a SAAM expert and go beyond the artwork label to discover the untold stories and rich connections represented in some of the museum's most iconic artworks."
One in a series of fascinating videos from the National Gallery in London that describe the restoration of artworks in their collection. As a painter, I have learned about and experimented with numerous techniques in various media, especially oil paint. It is quite instructive to learn from skilled conservators about the process involved in the creation and conservation of Constable's paintings. In this video, Restorer Paul Ackroyd shows the effects of removing the discoloured 80-year-old varnish from 'The Hay Wain', including some of the painting's small details which have been made clearer during the process.
The National Gallery in London houses the national collection of paintings in the Western European tradition from the 13th to the 19th centuries. The museum is free of charge and open 361 days per year, daily between 10.00 am - 6.00 pm and on Fridays between 10.00 am - 9.00 pm.
Happy December! Love this new video and discussion of the role of light in Fra Filippo Lippi's Annunciation in the collection of the National Gallery in London. Anna Murray and Harriet O’Neill find hope in the darkness.
"Our selection of paintings for December’s ‘Picture of the month’ vote was inspired by our interest in how artists have used and depicted light, particularly as a narrative device. With the clocks changing and the nights drawing in, we become more alert to the physical and symbolic qualities of light. It is a universal symbol of hope, associated with the beginning of a new day, the turning of seasons, and renewal. In many faiths, light plays ceremonial and symbolic roles.
In the Christian art tradition, light alludes to the promise and presence of Christ. ‘The Annunciation’ radiates a sense of peace, and the connection to light might seem obscure at first. Set in a loggia (a room with open sides) which extends out into a lush green garden, we observe two figures, one seated and the other kneeling. As we look more closely, we notice we are witness to a divine act. Fra Filippo Lippi shows us the very moment when the Archangel Gabriel appears to Mary, telling her she is to conceive a son, Jesus Christ, through the Holy Ghost.
Painted in egg tempera in the early 1450s, the striking application of gold leaf is used to symbolise divine light and render the invisible, visible. Lippi uses luminous planes of shining gold and rays of light to animate the story unfolding in front of us. He plays with the interaction between light and surface to draw our attention to delightful narrative details.
When you are next in the Gallery, you may be struck by the halos – shining discs of gold – illuminating the profiles of Mary and Angel Gabriel, identifying them as divine. Swathes of golden cloth and the trim of Mary’s robe surround her in a pool of glorious light and transform her simple chair into a throne. The gold on Gabriel’s feathers glisten, bestowing him with majesty.
If you are online, you can zoom in to discover dots and dustings of gold that spiral and radiate around the small dove representing the Holy Spirit. They also encircle and extend from the hand of God, and in the beams of divine light from Mary’s womb. These moving and connecting rays are celestial, they are everywhere and nowhere, carrying the word and action of God.
We can imagine the panel, probably one of a pair, gleaming in the study of Piero de’ Medici, a member of the ruling family of Florence at the time of its commission. Possibly located above a door, ‘The Annunciation’ would have been surrounded by 12 ceramic roundels depicting the signs of the Zodiac. The Feast of the Annunciation, falling on 25 March, was the first day, or New Year’s Day, of the Florentine calendar year; a day often associated with renewal and looking forward."
Fra Filippo Lippi, The Annunciation, about 1450-3
The National Gallery in London houses the national collection of paintings in the Western European tradition from the 13th to the 19th centuries. The museum is free of charge and open 361 days per year, daily between 10.00 am - 6.00 pm and on Fridays between 10.00 am - 9.00 pm.
In case you missed it yesterday: Barack Obama in Georgia to get out the vote for Reverend Warnock and send him back to the U.S. Senate.https://t.co/znP0rTsHXN
