Basil King did all of his Illuminations the summer of 2021. He and his wife Martha had moved into a little apartment on the third floor of their daughter’s house in Jersey City while their home was being renovated … Continue reading
Category Archives: Art I Like
Basil King reads from The Cafe Review
… Recently, I visited Basil and Martha King at their beautiful home in Brooklyn. Baz has been sketching faces in charcoal—I really enjoy the adventure of looking at them. Not long ago, he was featured in The Cafe Review, a … Continue reading
Magpie Photos by David Cale
… David Cale moved to NYC the same year I did, 1979. I became aware of him a few years ago when I saw his one man show at the Public, We’re Only Alive for a Short Amount of Time, … Continue reading
On Being Human, Illustrations by Gérard DuBois
… Not too long ago I saw a drawing that reminded me of Laocoön, the Trojan priest, who was devoured by serpents sent by Athena. The goddess wanted to shut him up because when that big wooden horse appeared … Continue reading
Home Again
… September 30 When I get off the L Train at First Avenue, I usually take the Avenue A exit which is closer to home, but I had to stop at the post office and CVS so I got off … Continue reading
Reading for LiVE MAG! #19 at the Jefferson Market Library, May 7, 2023
… Jeff Wright and Lori Ortiz have curated another LiVE MAG!, one of the consistently best art literary magazines around. I love LiVE MAG! You can catch its flavor in the Vimeo below. Enjoy. Check out LiVE MAG! … Continue reading
March Drawings by Akram
Since the beginning of March, the first thing Akram does when he wakes up is to reach for his sketchbook and pens and with the first sip of coffee—First thought, best thought—he begins. Here are a few of his morning … Continue reading
“Bird of Paradise, Bird of Destruction” by Neddi Heller
I have been enjoying the work of Neddi Heller for many years. There is always something there. Her painting, “Bird of Paradise, Bird of Destruction,” is twenty years old. It was recently shown, for the first time, in a show. … Continue reading
With Susan Bee: Apocalypse Paintings
I’ve been wanting to have Susan Bee on the blog. Her upcoming show at A.I.R. Gallery was perfect timing. On Tuesday, I visited her Brooklyn studio to see her latest paintings, adventures in color and imagination via, at this … Continue reading
On Sketches by Matisse
When I was eighteen, I saw a film of Matisse sketching his grandson. He did sketch after sketch, each time simpler. The portrait never became abstract, it simply became a face with fewer and fewer lines needed to give … Continue reading
Arup Datta, Some Drawings from August 2022 – February 2023
… The year 2022 contained a lot of strife, illness and death, not only in the world around, but in my own life as well. One of the good constant things that I came to rely on were the drawings … Continue reading
The irrepressible Kristine Byrne
I met Kristine Byrne years ago on Facebook. When she was in New York, she visited Akram and me in our apartment, and we had a good time talking and eating some Mexican takeout. She lives in Ireland, has a … Continue reading