In This Issue…
• Editor’s Perspective: CALLING OUT TO COLLECTORS — The Black Aesthetic Exhibition is extended to January 17, 2015 — Abstract Expressionist Master Painters from 1930 to 1961 – B2 Fine Art Gallery/Studios, Tacoma, Washington
• Jenne Glover – Apollo Diva – giclee prints on archival water color paper — limited edition: 100 , 24″ x 12″, signed and numbered — $185.00
• Betty Murchison: Figurative Expressionist Painter
Editor’s Perspective: CALLING OUT TO COLLECTORS — The Black Aesthetic Exhibition – Abstract Expressionist Master Painters from 1930 to 1961 is extended to January 17, 2015
I don’t believe in coincidences, but sometimes great things seem to happen by chance or good timing. Just recently the B2 Fine Art Gallery/Studios contacted me. The gallery has assembled a phenomenal show of a group of African-American master visual artists from 1930 to 1961. Some are better known than others, but all are exceptionally accomplished.
The gallery is selling original art works by the following artists:
Romare Bearden
Paul Dusenbury
Humbert Howard
Richard Mayhew
Milt Simons
Thelma Johnson Streat
For more information contact Gary Boone at garyb2finearts.com or call him at 253-238-5065. Let him know you read about the exhibition in Voicing Art.
Click image below to take a look at the exhibition.
Peace and Blessings!
Apollo Diva
24″ x 12″
giclee print
edition: 100
archival watercolor paper
signed and numbered
$185.00
Betty Murchison: Figurative Expressionist Painter
Betty Murchison is a soft spoken mother of six, who lights up when she’s talking about her art work. I’ve been friends with Christy and Betty, two of her daughters for many years, but I had no idea how relevant this elder is in the art community.
She grew up in Chicago and always loved art, museums, and books. As a child, she didn’t know any artists or anything about art, but she loved to draw and she never thought someday she’d be in a studio painting. Her journey as a painter began when she enrolled in classes offered at Lipmann’s Art Store which was located in Silver Spring, Maryland. Working in a small studio above the store she began developing her painting skills and working with live models.
Over the years, she continued taking art classes and in 1975 she earned a B.S. at D.C. Teacher’s College and in 1978 she completed a graduate arts program at Trinity College. Joining the D.C. Arts Association was the beginning of her quest to establish an art career. There she met Lois Mailou Jones and Delilah Pierce; and she began finding exhibition opportunities.
Still Life 46″x56″ acrylic on canvas
Working in acrylic, she uses dark and muted colors and describes her style as figurative expressionistic. She wants her art to express passion and emotion and she wants her collectors to feel a connection to her work. Her subjects are usually about females because she knows them best, and most of her work explores the dynamics between women and girls. Her most popular theme is on images of sisters and because people can relate to them so well they always sell.
She describes her earlier works as gestural and spontaneous. Newer works are more fully figurative, less gestural and have smoother and more even brushstrokes and color. She believes her paintings connect with people because they are stories about relationships, family members, friends, and people we encounter in our lives.
Friends Forever 32″x42″ acrylic on canvas
Most of the time when beginning a new piece Betty starts with nothing in mind except to cover the canvas. After mounting a piece of canvas on to a studio wall, she applies a semi-transparent wash on the unprimed side because it absorbs the paint. As she applies the wash, she studies the canvas flipping it around to see if she sees a figure emerging that she can use to build her story. Once she finds something that intrigues her, the work can begin. She likes working really large like 60″ x 60″ and then if she needs to she’ll edit the canvas down.
Her artistic breakthrough happened at the Foundry Gallery in 1989 when all her pieces sold in her second solo show and she was written up in the Washington Post. This exhibition really boosted her confidence and she began feeling her work was being accepted.
In the 1980’s, Tim Davis began representing Betty and in 1997 they opened The International Visions Gallery. The gallery exhibited many African-American and international artists and after a 17 year run the galley closed its doors in June 2014.
Mother and Child 2 34″x42″ acrylic on canvas
Super critical of her work, she will rework a piece until it finally “feels right” to her. Most of the time she has at least three pieces in progress which gives her the flexibility to work through and solve the artwork as she goes along.
For many years she worked in a group studio and there she felt like she was living, breathing, and talking about art all the time. She misses the camaraderie now that she is working from a studio in her home.
Group Exhibition 24″x18″ acrylic on canvas
This past July, the Smithsonian Anacostia Museum arranged a visit to her studio with 28 guests who questioned her about her artwork and processes. She likes getting feedback on her art work to understand what the viewer is seeing, because sometimes the feedback suggests she’s failing in her message
Over the years, Betty has exhibited her work in solo, group and juried shows in Washington, DC; New York City, New York; Chicago, Illinois; Atlanta, Georgia; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and in Maryland, and Virginia. Her most recent exhibition was a retrospective of her art work at the International Visions Gallery in March and April 2014.
Let’s Go Home 38″x50″ acrylic on canvas
Betty’s art work is in the collections of the Smithsonian Institute’s Anacostia Museum; the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities; HBO in New York City; the City of Rockville, Municipal Office, Rockville, Maryland; numerous law firms in Chicago; and in many private collections throughout the United States. Currently, her large works are selling at $12,000 and medium size works are selling for $4,000.
Betty is the recipient of several awards including the Maryland Annual Governor’s Leadership in Aging Visual Arts Award, and a Fellowship from the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
Me and Honey 48″x40″ acrylic on canvas
Her biggest professional challenge is deciding whether the art needs to be framed or do they stand on their own? Also, working with large canvases becomes an issue when she has to transport or ship the work.
Her advice to aspiring young artists is to do the work. She feels it’s important to keep in contact with other artists, embrace all disciplines, and to learn as much as possible about their craft. She suggests they look at colors and shapes in nature and elsewhere, and to explore local, national, and international art. She thinks it’s imperative to believe that all of the experiences you have stored inside of you will emerge to create wonderful art.
For more information, visit her website at www.BettyMurchisonArt.com or email her at BettyMurchison@gmail.com.
