Alex is an architect who also devotes plenty of time to watercolor, and is one of the leaders of the
Hispacuarela site, a very nice forum with a lot of talented artists. He paints in his own style that often depicts landscapes, seascapes, and cityscapes of Argentina and South America. I particularly like his tendency to highlight the abstract component in many of these compositions.
Alex posted a series of plein air pieces on Hispacuarela over a year ago, and I instantly fell in love with this landscape, La Escondida. Wouldn't you know it, he sent it to me (with another painting!) and I've finally gotten around to framing it. I don't usually get too excited over plein air work, but this is a notable exception, an absolute gem. The image is 13 x 20 cm.
Bill Moore's raw and candid scenes of the myriad characters inhabiting the barrio, combined with a dazzling shorthand prose style makes his
Bogota Painter one of
the blogs for art-loving hipsters. Yes, this is the guy you've been hearing about! Ranging from the bizarre to the sublime, his subject matter is getting wilder and more diverse all the time. Some of my favorites have been his unique self portraits.
Chink Chank Chunk arrrived in the mail not long after visiting Bill in LA last fall.
A Moore classic, full of quirk and smirk. Now a prized possession, and it got the same treatment: 8-ply museum mat, Nielsen molding. The image is 16 x 18 cm.
Both of these gentlemen are great artists and fascinating people. I've had the chance to hang out with Bill a couple of times, and hope to meet Alex one of these days. A huge thanks to both for your generosity and friendship!
There was an excellent turnout today at the reception for the 2008 Mid-Atlantic Regional Watercolor Exhibition at Strathmore Mansion in Bethesda. I saw a lot of friends and met some artists I have only known by name or reputation. Strathmore is a wonderful venue, and the 100 paintings are hung in several rooms on two floors. Thanks to the Baltimore Watercolor Society and the Board of Directors of Strathmore for putting on such a fine show.
