Artist #15: Jasper Johns

The first painting I saw by Jasper was the number 5 (pictured above), but I did not realize this right away. He used various shades of black and white and different directional brush strokes so the number is almost hidden in the painting. Other paintings I saw included letters and numbers disguised by the use of color and stroke. I really enjoy this idea, mostly because I love to incorporate letters into my own work but I never thought about numbers. He also paints the alphabet in a large grid, which is an extremely interesting piece (shown above).   

Artist #14: Elizabeth Murray

Elizabeth's work reminds me a bit of Al's because of the bright color choices and lack of heavy blending. Her works look almost like collages, with various shapes coming together in different directions to create a larger piece. They are layered so as not to create a solid piece which is interesting. I can not tell from her paintings what the individual objects are supposed to be but they each have a particular form and space in the overall finished product. The painting pictured here is very interesting to look at because there are so many individual pieces, and because the form is an irregular shape, it moves your eye around the entire piece and gives the viewer a lot to take in.

Artist #13: Al Held

Bright colors are heavily used in Al's work. There are a lot of line structures that move around in front and behind one another, creating this maze of line that gives the work a sense of depth and motion. Some paintings have various shapes as well, like triangles and circles. I like the color choices he used for his structures; they are very distinct from one another with almost no blending at all. He uses the shapes to create form and suggest a sense of space without needing to express what the objects actually are. The painting shown here exemplifies this idea of various shapes, each in a distinct color from one another to give them their own location in the painting and imply a sense of depth.

Artist #12: Alice Neel

The work by Alice consists mostly of portraits, sometimes including the whole body.  Some look almost monochromatic in their color scheme; they utilize many of the same colors in all different hues and tones. The faces are always serious, as if they are pondering something. The people are sitting in various positions, looking very relaxed or on the edge of a chair about to stand. I really enjoy her paintings because they are a mixture of realistic and a bit abstract. I love the colors in the picture shown here and also the way she suggests folds in their dresses by just using line. The girls themselves are adorable and I love the expressions on their faces.

Artist #11: Jim Nutt

The paintings I saw by Jim consisted of many abstracted faces, with our basic facial features replaced by various shapes like triangles and rounded hair. The eyes are not aligned and usually they are viewed from a slight angle. they seem simplistic in their technique; many different colors that are not blended together but rather appear in chunks. I think his work is interesting to view but I would not find any interest in painting faces in this manner. the one shown here exhibits the triangular grey nose and the rounded hair with an extremely tiny eye in the upper right side of the face, a very abstract and almost dog-like interpretation.

Arist #10: Anselm Kiefer

The first aspect I noticed in Anselm's work is his use of directional brush strokes that really enhance the paintings. The brush strokes help the viewer to decide what the actual objects in the painting are since they are more suggestive than actually outlined. His use of many small strokes come together to create a larger, very complex picture. The colors are more muted yet there are many in each painting. The blocks of color add contrast and really bring out the intensity in his work. I am in awe of his painting shown here. The detail is incredible, yet he creates the forms by using various blocks of color. The sense of depth makes you feel like you are actually walking through this structure.

Artist #9: Eric Fischl

The Travel of Romance, Scene 5

Eric's work really caught my eye because of the various settings he chose to place his subjects in.  Most of his paintings include a figure that is placed in a certain environment and somehow interacting with other human figures or objects. Some include water in the background, others in a bedroom or living space. The figures are painting in a very interesting manner with a lot of color variation in the skin tone. It seems like he is telling a story with his figures, giving us details about his or her life in some way. There is a lot to look at in each painting which makes it visually intriguing for the viewer. The painting to the right is one of my favorites by Eric. His use of the light source on the body gives it a sense of importance and makes you wonder why he is in such a position and where he is currently in his life.

Artist #8: Georgia O'Keeffe

I absolutely love Georgia's work. The flower paintings are truly beautiful. She uses pastel colors that come together, swirling around the canvas to create a lot of movement.There is a sense of depth to some of her works where she uses darker shadows to enhance a particular area.  I would love to paint like Georgia; everything is so cleanly done that it looks effortless. I really love the photo shown here. The colors seemingly move together and create this wonderful object that is not obviously painted. We can only suggest what it might be, and it pushes the viewer to make their own interpretation.

Artist #7: Alfred Leslie

"The Rabbit Says Yes"

What I like about Alfred's paintings are the blocks of color he uses to show contrast. Especially in the paintings of the human body, which are very realistic, he enhances them by using a different hue for various parts of the body. I see a lot of nudity in his paintings, portraying the people exactly as he sees them. I really enjoy his work, especially the painting to the right titled "The Rabbit Says Yes."  The painting has almost an airbrushed quality to it, something I would really love to accomplish in my own work. This is one of my favorite artists thus far in terms of technique and style. 

Artist #6: Ida Applebroog

The works I saw for Idea were very varied; some were more realistic than others, but most of them were painted with neutral colors like various tans and peach tones.  Many paintings of the human form were apparent with major abstractions to the face and body. Some even seem like pictures a child would draw without concern for the structure of the human body. Her faces are very intriguing because of their abstract qualities seem realistic even though the facial structure is not the same. The two paintings shown here exemplify the variation in her work. 

Artist #5: Odd Nerdrum

"The Dawn"

I was startled at first when I saw Odd's work. As opposed to the abstract, simplistic paintings I have seen so far,  these were extremely realistic and painted with precise detail. There is very little light color variation in his work;  it is mostly dark and abstruse. The figures are strewn about in different positions, while the paintings of strictly the face are very solemn and stern. I commend him for his extreme use of detail and precision, yet I find his work intense. I do not see myself painting like this in my future, but his brush strokes and technique are truly amazing. 

Artist #4: Phyllis Bramson

"A Dilly Dally with Pretty Sally"

The first painting I saw by Phyllis was "A Dilly Dally with Pretty Sally," and I thought it was a beautiful painting. The word "whimsical" comes to mind when I look at her work, a quality that I really admire. The scenes look like they depict a fairy tale or a place of innocence and magic. I really love the fact that there is not just one main focus in each work; there are small aspects throughout the painting that draw your eye around the entire canvas so as not to miss anything. They also exhibit an oriental feel from the various objects pictures and the way the figures look and dress.

Artist #3: Squeak Carnwath

I really enjoy the work by Squeak. The checkerboard pattern shows up repeatedly throughout her works, giving them a sense of unity to one another. I also love her use of lettering across the canvas in some of her works. I used to do a lot of lettering in my drawings, and seeing that aspect in her paintings is something I admire. Her paintings are all similar in the fact that they use a lot of basic shapes, just interpreted differently. They have a child-like sense to them; simplistic yet informative. The one pictured to the right I really admire for it's straightforward message delivered in a unique manner, with smaller quotes in the back and the bold colors to draw in attention. 

Artist #2: John Graham

The first thing I learned about John Graham is that his ego is enormous. He once quoted, "I think perhaps I am probably the best painter in the world."  I can imagine he gets criticized for this, but I think it is better to have an extreme amount of self-confidence than to have none at all. Especially in regards to my own work, I lack confidence in my ability and feel that I can learn from artists who fully believe in themselves and the greatness of their work. In regards to his style, a lot of his paintings include human figures (mostly women).  They are more abstract than realistic, and after reading a bit about him, I learned that he was interested in the area of psychology which makes sense from his work. Being interested in that field myself, I like to look at his paintings and try to see what he sees in them. 

Artist #1: Susan Rothenberg

The first recurrent theme I notice in Susan's work is the figure of the horse.  It is never painted in a lot of detail; rather, it is more of an outline. I see how she simplifies the concept of a horse by breaking it down into only the essential parts necessary to understand the painting. She does not deem it necessary to include all the details in her work yet it is still visually interesting. Even in her works that do not include horses, the object(s) are not painted in detail but instead suggest what the object itself actually is.  Her painting "Dominos-Hot" pictured here is one that I find exemplifies this idea. The objects are there, but it still may not be known what each one is. I admire that in her work.