Ted Arnold- Objects of Desire

McGowan Fine Art announces the opening of “Objects of Desire" featuring the paintings of Ted Arnold. The show will run from December 1-January 2, with an artist’s reception on December 4 from 5 to 7 PM.

Ted Arnold is a Dartmouth educated painter from Maine by way of California. The West Coast landscape still informs his still lifes and mise en scénes with strong light and vibrant colors, but his subject matter of china, teacups and other prosaic kitchen utensils are the stuff of more universal appeal. He also harnesses these bright colors to portray festive family gatherings and street scenes.

Arnold’s studio has shelves full of teacups, platter, urns, and richly decorated fabrics that he uses as models for the densely painted canvases. “I don’t think of my teacup paintings as simply stillifes” says Arnold, “but as conversations.” Each painting requires a careful balance of colors and shapes with a composition formed from his collection of china and fabric. Some cups- because of their unusual color or seductive shape- star in many of the paintings. Patterns of china emerge to create families- similar yet distinct like a reunion of cousins and siblings. Elegant bleeding blue china stars throughout the show as a counterpoint to the homely orange daisy teacup or green Fiesta ware plate. “The cups and pots and creamers are from many lands and of many persuasions like people in our cities,” says the artist.

Arnold also looks for the relationships- or conversations- between people. In “Billy’s Dinner” he has taken a very thin slice of home life- a family dinner. This painting is almost twelve feet long and broken into three sections. The length of the painting allows the story to unfold in time as you walk the length of it- a narrative in real time. People and the detritus of a meal are scattered across the surface. There are dark figures receding into the background, wine glasses and plates glint from the glowing candles. A hand holds up a glass to toast the figure across the room. Each person and table setting is truly having a conversation of color and form.

The reception takes place the evening of Midnight Merriment in Concord. The Main Street will be closed to traffic from Pleasant to Centre. Caroling and hay rides will be taking place on Main Street to celebrate the start of the Holiday Season. For more information visit mainstreetconcord.com.

Bridal Registry- At an Art Gallery?

Are you about to be married and dread the process of taking yourself and your future spouse to a giant chain department store to register for china and crystal? Have you waited to find the perfect mate- and in the meantime filled your home with all of the essential furnishings? Or do you aspire to have an art collection of your own now that you are settling down?

In the past I have been asked if we do bridal registries at McGowan Fine Art- and the answer is a resounding yes! It is a great way to start or add to your collection, and the process is easy.

If you are familiar with the gallery, just come in and I will create a list of artwork that you like. I can help you to choose a variety to give people a broad selection of price ranges. I will create a webpage with your selections on it which can be sent as a link to people making registry requests.

If you are not familiar with the gallery I would recommend making an appointment so that we can give you a complete tour of the gallery and our extensive collection of art. We can then create a list or webpage of the items you would like.

If people have purchased a piece of artwork that is not appropriate, we make it easy to return if done in a reasonable amount of time Another option is for people to purchase gift certificates which can then be be used to purchase a piece of art.

Sandy Wadlington Caran d'Ache Demonstration

Many people showed up to see the Sandy Wadlington Caran d'Ache demonstration. Some people wanted to simply watch, others were here to participate, but all had fun.

It was fascinating to watch Sandy work. As you might guess, she starts off quite loosely and then begins to build up the contrasts- always mindful to leave the lights just as you would with watercolor. Closer inspection of some of the more finished pieces revealed that she doesn't use as much detail as many think. She gives the illusion of detail coupled with the beautiful surface texture that water mediums have. Spots, puddles and pools build up to create leaves, fields and ocean.

People picked up a few tips and then looked at her paintings anew- with the knowledge of how they were made.

There were many thanks from participants and requests for more events like this. I heard and I will try!

Burlington Art Hop

My friendly art escort, Mark Waskow- one of the Art Hop's organizers. We enjoyed some lively discussion regarding our different approaches to art collecting.

I had the pleasure of being this year's jurist for the Burlington Art Hop in Vermont. The event does not take place until the weekend of September 11 & 12, but I had to do the jurying before hand. Even though all pieces entered are included, there is a selection for the jurist's show and awards for first, second and third place for paintings and for sculptures.

The Art Hop is run by SEABA- the South End Arts and Business Association. I was very interested in what they were doing to create a relationship between Commerce and the Arts as I serve on the board of Concord Main Street and Concord's Creative Economy Task Force. I had an opportunity to meet Carlos Haase, their dynamic director who makes sure the events happens without a hitch. It is a big event that attracts 40,000!

I have been to Burlington Vermont many times over the years but I did not know about the South End. It is a fun mix of antique stores, bakeries, used book shops, artists, light industrial and more. It is a place I plan to visit again. I can personally recommend Myers Bagels for breakfast & Fresh Market for lunch. I had a tuna on baguette although the cold sweet potato salad looked really good. (I am on the hunt for the best tuna salad on the East Coast.) I was simply too full for even a cookie from Harvest Bakery, but they looked liked they serve a mean sandwich too.

The art work was wildly varied- both in skill level and content. But it is hard to not be caught up in the exuberance of the event and the variety of art to see in one walkable area. It sounds like a real happening. If you are in the area I highly recommend a visit. I regret that I was so caught up in the activity of judging that I neglected taking photos of the outdoor sculpture. These run the gamut from monumental keys, to interactive drumming posts and a shrine to outdated appliances swathed in burrs- don't let your dog get too close!

A Few More Images

Melissa Miller and Jane Ryan painting at the Wentworth Coolidge Historic Site.

Plein Aire Painting Weekend

Today is the first day of the Plein Aire Painting weekend and lots of artists have showed up. Some are taking advantage of the beautiful view of the water and have set up next to the iconic anchor.



But many more have sought shade on such a beautiful day. This is Barbara Carr painting a view of the Wentworth Coolidge Mansion looking towards Little Harbor.




This is the painting that Jeannette Steele is working on.







Hannah Phelps and Linda Spaanenburg are set up underneath a tree also.

Dewitt Hardy ensconced himself right on the anchor!

Deb Claffey painted a closeup of a shrub on the property- reminiscent of her studio work.

Placing a New Sculpture

I purchased a sculpture from Lotus Lien a few months ago and finally placed it. Placement of sculpture in a garden can be trickier than placing it in your home. The backdrop is constantly changing.

I always think of what my favorite garden writer, Henry Mitchell, said about sculpture in the garden- "It is not a team player." It can easily dominate the planting or even worse- it looks like gilding the lily. Sometimes too much is just too much.


I had a spot in mind but it quickly became apparent how wrong it was. There was no mystery to the placement. It just looked plonked down and didn't relate to any of the plants around it. So I looked for a spot where there was low growing plants. It also seemed to fare better with smaller leaved plants- so that the large orbs contrasted with their delicacy.

This is the sculpture's final spot. It is a little hidden behind a spirea so that you have to sneak up on the sculpture. Its large round forms in shades of gray and terracotta provide relief from all the green and flowers without overwhelming them. It makes me smile every time I see it.

For those who might be wondering- this sculpture cannot stay out year round. It will be moved inside once the weather drops to freezing.