#33 - The Emotional Content

"A Man and his Dog"

"From the Window I"

"From the WindowII"

Fellow Art Lovers:

I’ve been talking quite a bit about the emotional impact of paintings, and of course this is very important. Well, I want to show you what I’ve been doing, and let you be the judges.

One recent painting is very important for me. It’s a commission of a man and his dog, and I want to tell you that I put an awful lot into the painting, in terms of thought, care, my own emotion, and the time I spent actually painting. I wanted to show the man and his dog in his home environment, in this case his porch, and at the same time, reflect the emotion that he feels for his dog. Well, the man likes the painting and accepted it.

This is an accomplishment for me. In writing about my painting, I can say I think I accomplished this and that, and I tried this and that, and I’m pleased with this and that. But the only judge who’s valid is the viewer. Now, I’m asking you for your input.

One note of caution: I’m realizing more and more that looking at photos of paintings on line, even though you can double the size by clicking on the image, is not like looking at the painting itself. Of course the image is smaller, but in addition, the colors lack the subtle nature they have on the canvas. But showing you the image here will give you an idea.

In addition to this commission, I’ve been working constantly on urban scenes. I’m showing you just two paintings of Philadelphia, which I painted from windows of the building where my studio is. For those of you who have looked out the windows of my studio, you will be able to see that one painting is from my studio, and the other is a window on my floor, but near the elevator.

These paintings bring up several things I’d like to share with you. One of them is that I’m putting a lot more thought into the actual techniques I use in painting; that is, the consistency of the paint, how I load my brush, the pressure of the brush on the canvas, those kind of technical questions. But at the same time, I remain an intuitive painter. That is to say, when my hand takes over in moving the brush, I accept it and let my hand control the result. My feeling is that if the gesture comes from my heart, it has to be right.

But at the same time, I keep thinking about a word one of my teachers, Jean-Marie Creuseau of Fresnes, France, used to constantly repeat: “Simplify, simplify.” He meant, what is simple and direct has greater power. Therefore, the simpler of the two paintings has more impact for me.

Right now, I’m working on another series of urban scenes. What I do is to work on perhaps two or three paintings at the same time. I’ll show these to you when they’re ready.

If you’d like to come to my studio and look at the works in person, please email me at: billkosman@gmail.com

I’d also like to mention that I’m in a position to accept more commissions for portraits, with or without pets, and I’m planning to do more versions of one of the two urban scenes you see here, one version four feet by four feet.

Thanks for your time and your support.

Sincerely,

William Kosman

#32 - My Evolution

"915 Street Scene"

"Platform"

"Parked Car"

"Skyline"

Fellow Art Lovers:

Very important, I want to thank all of you who visited my studio during the Dec. 10-11, 2011, Open Studios Sales Event. I hope you enjoyed and learned from the event. For me, it was a very good event for several reasons. One factor was sales; yes, those who purchased paintings showed in a material way that they appreciate my art. Of course, this is good. But in all sincerity, the monetary side is less important than the validation a sale represents for me.

And here I want to tell you, the comments many of you made in the conversations in my studio showed me that I'm at an important point in my art. There is an evolution under way; it is natural, and in some ways I'm not sure how much influence I have in guiding it. But in other ways, there are important decisions to be made.

My Normandy landscapes, which I paint with a palette knife, have been recognized as having an emotional impact; something in the application of the paint communicates the love I feel for the trees and fields and beaches and skies of Normandy.

Now, my urban scenes and people are impacting viewers in the same way. The Inquirer art critic, Victoria Donohoe, was extremely perceptive when she wrote, in a review of my show at the Society Hill Synagogue: "Like a primitive artist, Kosman seeks to infuse a sense of personal intimacy into everything he does." One couple, I'm sure, felt this when they spent some time closely examining maybe a half dozen of my urban scenes and finally purchased "Street Scene" (Blog # 30), which I renamed "Carriage Girl."

Here I want to mention that these street scenes showing people facing life are important to me. Yes, I do think of the human situations they are facing, and I ask myself how I can get an idea across to the viewer, maybe just in a facial expression, a way of standing, the juxtaposition of several persons, or some motion. I'm not trying to be corny, but for me, this is an important part of my art.

And then there is the issue of the freedom of the style. One woman seemed struck by urban scenes done with a palette knife in a small format and asked her companion - successfully- to purchase a trio of them. These three pieces were similar to the three shown above (Platform, Parked Car and Skyline.) Another woman, who exhibited some solid art knowledge, said that the simple, forceful urban scenes like these had a impact on her.

The other day, I painted the urban scene "915 Street Scene," which is actually on the street just below my studio's eastern windows. Frankly, I felt I got my groove. I worked with brushes, and something clicked, and the paint went on, fast and furious.

Now, the questions arise: Was I in charge? Or was this a natural evolution of everything that came before?

I know what I will do: Use the creative energy without getting stalled in questioning it. And you will see the results.

If you have some opinions or input or guidance, I would treasure hearing it.

Finally, fellow art lovers, thank you for your support of my art and of my ideas.

Sincerely,

William Kosman

# 30, Crown Heights, Brooklyn, paintings at Society Hill Synagogue, Philadelphia

Watch Me Jump

Conversation

Break of Day

Fellow Art Lovers:

Yes, the series of paintings I did of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, will be exhibited together. Starting Nov. 4, 2011, all seven paintings – along with a smaller painting of a Hasidic wedding in Toronto, Canada, and a landscape from Normandy, France – will be shown at the Society Hill Synagogue (418 Spruce St., Philadelphia, 19106) until Nov. 29, 2011.

That means, the people who have visited my studio and wanted to make purchases of the paintings in the series can now make individual purchases of the paintings. In addition to the paintings, I am making giclee reproductions also available. And, you should know that a good part of the purchase prices will go to the synagogue.

So, we can turn to some of the basic questions. Like, why did I want to do the paintings in the first place. I’ve thought about this a lot.

Of course, I’m a painter, so you can think of me as you would a hammer. For a hammer, everything looks like a nail. For a painter, everything looks like a painting.

It’s just that, on one particular visit to Crown Heights, everything looked beautiful: The people facing life with smiles, the human scenes, the devotion, the sincerity, the neighborhoods, the streets with the winter sun filtering through the trees, the crisp air of winter, all of it.

I’ve been visiting Crown Heights for a long time. I have relatives who are part of the Lubavitch community there. As always, members of that community and others were wonderful to me and my family , and during this visit , which was about two years ago, they were especially warm, helpful and supportive.

The paintings took months to complete. Surprisingly, the largest paintings (Two of them are about four feet by four feet.) may have taken even less time than some of the smaller ones. I think it’s always the same: If I feel at peace and I am not thinking about the complications of life, I work very fast, especially if I love the subject matter I am painting. I’m sure this is the same for most artists. Some paintings, like “Break of Day” and “The Fishmonger,” almost painted themselves, because they seemed so natural.

I believe I can say with only some measure of exaggeration that a painting can be compared to a child. Like with a child, you work, you give advice and you try to guide in the right way. Under the best of circumstances, at some point the painting – or the child – finds its own way, and you can feel a lot of positive vibes as the painting takes over. Some times, the early life is troubled, and you try to fix problems and repair mistakes, but – once off the path – it’s very hard to pull the work to a strong, positive conclusion. I think you get the idea.

When the Society Hill Synagogue expressed interest in my work, I was thrilled. I want to thank Rabbi Avi Winokur, Executive Director Betty van de Rijn, and the synagogue’s arts curator, Fran Gallun, for their support. Fran’s role included planning all the way to actually rolling up her sleeves to help hang the paintings.

For those of you who want to view the exhibit, you should know that the synagogue is open on weekdays from 9 am to 4 pm and on weekends from 9 am to 12 noon, but you may have to telephone the synagogue at 215-922-6590 to enter. The synagogue’s website is www.societyhillsynagogue.org

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at billkosman@gmail.com or at 215-280-9580.

I hope you are able to visit the exhibit.

Thanks for your time.

Best,

William Kosman

# 30 - Faces - Studies in Human Emotion

"Street Scene"

"Lounge Singer"

Fellow Art Lovers:

Over the several years that I’ve written this blog, you’ve seen a lot of my paintings of people and – of course – human faces. I know that it goes without saying, largely because it’s the subject matter of so much art, including painting, photography and sculpture, but the human face is the richest subject any artist can attempt to represent. The reasons have been written about and talked about for centuries, and here I’m not making any kind of great discovery. The human faces is not only an object of beauty, in beauty’s largest sense, but it’s also an object of so much emotion, tension, pleasure, variety, character, discovery, complexity, and so much more. Do you believe you can see a person’s entire life in his or her face?

The few times I’ve really succeeded in capturing just a bit of that complexity and emotion and character, I’ve walked on clouds for a few days. The very act of feeling success, from the very beginning, is exhilarating – every brush stroke feels right, every touch moves you closer to that moment, every phase of the painting gives you a feeling of power. A painter’s high. When you feel you’re failing, my gosh you really feel you are failing. But, when you discover the misconception you’re allowed yourself to follow, when you can see your mistakes and fix them, maybe that’s an even higher high.

The entire face is important, but I believe that the greatest subtleties are expressed by the eyes and the mouth. In these cases, just a few dabs of paint, just a thicker or thinner line, just a shade that’s slightly off – all of these things can have such an impact in expressing what the viewer feels.

Why am I going on about this stuff?

Because I’m going to rededicate myself to the human face, to portraits. In the coming months, I’m going to paint as many people and their faces as humanly possible. Sure, I will accept commissions. But I will also beg people to sit or stand or lean for me. To be painted and to be photographed. Yes, painting the real person is best, but sometimes photography can really make the whole enterprise not only easier but also possible and better.

And when I say I want to paint people, I’m talking about all kinds of people – all ages, genders, from all groups of every type. It’s the character and emotion that I’m looking for.

Above, I’m showing you two paintings that I’m working on. I’d love to get your input on these paintings. And, if you’re able to come into my studio during Philadelphia Open Studio Tours, during the weekend of Oct. 15 and 16, from noon to 5 pm, I’d love to tell you the stories behind the paintings, and I hope I can show you the completed paintings.

Thank you for your time, and I hope to see you at Studio # 407, 915 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123.

Sincerely,

William Kosman

#29: New Rap Video "These Walls" - Content and Financing

"These Walls" - Assembled paintings used in the rap video
"What Now?" - Painting awarded through drawing to major contributors.

Fellow Art Lovers:

My first rap video, “Head Held High,” which has been on YouTube for several months now, has had some success. It’s not the number of views, now well past 400, even though I see some celebrities and popular singers racking up huge numbers of views very fast. What is really important to me is the content of the comments from viewers. It just seems that “Head Held High” struck a chord for many people; they were touched by the story; and they were impressed by the artistry of the video itself.

Well, as you may know, I’m now working on a second rap video. This one is called “These Walls,” and it tells the story of an old man who has made himself a prisoner in his own home, because of his fear of guns on the street in his Philadelphia neighborhood. Why rap video no. 2? Yes, I was influenced by the reception of “Head Held High.” But also, the reasons for fighting gun violence remain just as valid, and I felt that dramatizing the life of an elderly man was interesting. And of course, I see a rap video as a good tool for me, because I’m able to tell a story and also use my paintings, which I try to make as dramatic as possible.

In order to find the resources to complete this rap video, I am using the website www.kickstarter.com, which is a fantastic tool for people with cultural or artistic projects. What www.kickstarter.com does is allow people with valid projects to post them on a recognized site and give reasons why contributors should help finance the projects. And believe me, a lot of valid projects are funded, and in this way, the cultural mix the world is able enjoy and learn from is enriched.

So, on www.kickstarter.com, I am giving what I hope are valid reasons, so interested people will help finance my project. To give just a little more information, I’m trying to raise $3,000 to pay for the video production and the marketing of “These Walls.” You can learn more about what I’m trying to do by going to www.kickstarter.com. I’m attaching a link directly to my project in this blog entry.

But I’d like to give one note of caution. Many of you have been true supporters of my work, through your comments and encouragement, your attendance at my shows and open-studios events, and sometimes through your purchases of my work. In this way, I feel you’ve already played an important role. And for this reason, I don’t want any of you to feel any obligation to make a contribution through www.kickstarter.com. You’ve already done your part. Just keep making your perceptive comments, and keep coming to my events.

There will certainly be more opportunities to offer input and come to events. I promise. How? Because I have a lot more ideas in the back of my mind. And I’m counting on you to keep me on the straight and narrow, artistically speaking.

For your information, as you see on this blog posting, I’m showing you the paintings that will be used in “These Walls,” which are above this text. And following this text is the entire text of “These Walls.”

Also, I’m adding a link to “Head Held High,” on YouTube.

As always, please let me know what you think, and let me know if you’d like to visit my studio to see the paintings in person or look at any of my other paintings.

Thanks, as always, for your support. And wish me luck.

Sincerely,

William Kosman

-0-

These Walls ©

By William Kosman

These walls, they don’t talk to me any more,

They used to ring with the sounds of life,

Our little world was new, and every day was bright,

The miracle when the boys were born, oh man, I knew it was right.

Your kid’s got a fever, and you spend the night,

Then with the coming of day, and the kid’s okay.

Life was squeezin’ us in that little place, but we had love there.

I want those days back, long gone past,

Gimme my life back,

Lemme start again,

I wanna feel the pride,

I wanna walk in the sun.

These walls, they don’t talk to me any more,

They’re just there, darin’ me to go out,

Gotta break outta here, gotta get through that door,

But I don’t know how, even knowin’ there’s more,

How can I do it, banging with my firsts?

How can I do it? Oh man, I’m losing my wits.

‘Cause I made this place,

My own little prison space.

Oh, gimme my street back,

Lemme stand up tall,

Lemme walk in the sun,

Lemme fear no gun.

These walls, they’re talkin’ new sounds now,

I’m hearin’ those punks, and the screamin’ cars,

I’m hearin’ the sirens of the cops, and the fireworks in the night,

The street’s dead now, and the life’s gone outta it.

We got new masters now, there’s no denying it,

They came, they saw, and they conquered,

They hooked, they sold, and they made folks bonkered.

Oh, gimme my street back,

Lemme stand up tall,

Lemme walk in the sun,

Lemme fear no gun.

These walls, they don’t talk to me any more,

They don’t talk any more, not like the days gone past,

I wanna see my neighbors, I wanna see the kids in the street,

I wanna get the smiles and hellos, from the folks I meet,

I don’t wanna be thinkin’, today I might die.

I’m so tired, oh God, don’t want that good-bye,

Oh, gimme my street back,

Lemme stand up tall,

Lemme walk in the sun,

Lemme fear no gun.

Oh, somewday I’m gonna walk down my street,

Gonna march with my neighbors, with the kids in the street,

We’re gonna cheer and sing, with all the folks we meet,

We’re gonna stand up tall,

We’re gonna walk in the sun,

We’re gonna fear no gun.

Today I’m lookin’ out my window,

And I know it’s up to me.

Today I’m lookin’ out my window,

And I know what’s gotta be.

Take me, shoot me, I don’t care,

I want my street back,

I want my life back.

I’m gonna show those punks,

Oh, you can’t do this to me, man.

Spread the word,

We gotta be heard.

Lemme stand up tall,

Lemme walk in the sun,

Lemme fear no gun.

-0-

Links:

http://www.kickstarter.com/e/re12d/projects/2027891027/these-walls-a-rap-video-against-gun-violence-with

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZXQgFA8nuk

BlogTheseW

"Head Held High" rap Video with Paintings on YouTube

Fellow Art Lovers:

It seems to happen just about every day. I open The Philadelphia Inquirer or watch the local news on television in the evening, and I see a story about an innocent person, a bystander or someone in the wrong place at the wrong time, getting shot and often killed with a gun. Sure, this is a tragedy for the victims, their families and their entire circles of friends and other people who loved them.

But it doesn’t have to happen. Whatever the causes – accidents, mistakes, moments of rage, gang warfare, the commission of a crime, and all of the other possible reasons –the shootings should not happen. An innocent life is lost, the miracle of a human life is destroyed.

Maybe if we focus more attention on this tragedy and open more eyes to the pain it causes, more people will work on solutions.

That is what I am trying to do with my rap video “Head Held High.” (Use the Link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZXQgFA8nuk - I provided or enter William Kosman in the YouTube search line.)

I spend time in numerous Philadelphia neighborhoods while painting neighborhood scenes, sketching or taking photographs for paintings. Everywhere I go, people are friendly, helpful and respectful. They’re just folks trying to build lives for themselves and their families.

When we see a news item about a shooting, we turn the page of the newspaper or switch off the TV. Then, for many of us, our thoughts return to our own lives and concerns. But when violent death strikes any family, it stays with every member. Always. In great pain.

How did this video come to be? I was painting in one neighborhood, the scene you see above with the father and daughter, the bus and the train overpass. Then the idea came to me: Why not use my paintings to get an idea across? Artists have been doing this since they’ve been painting. And then more and more ideas just started coming to me. The text, which is imagined and does not refer to any real event. The paintings. (Except one painting, the one you see with the young couple and the baby carriage, you’ve seen before on my blog. That painting just seemed to fit in and illustrate an important idea. ) And most important, the idea of using a video with the text, my paintings and the music,and then using YouTube.

One note of deep appreciation. Jurgita Cenkute is a truly accomplished artist, and she did a wonderful job on “Head Held High.” Her video footage of the street scenes, her shots of my paintings, and – most important - her ability to form separate elements into unified work that I believe is clear and direct– she was just a true artist and great collaborator. You can see her work at www.photojurgita.com.

If you like the video and/or this blog, please share them with friends. If you have any questions, please e-mail me through this blog.

As always, thanks for your interest in my work and your support.

Best,

William Kosman

Head Held High ©

By William Kosman

Man, I got it made, on top o’ the world,

‘Cause I’m talkin’ the talk, but ain’t no way I’ll do the walk,

‘Cause it’s a pack o’ lies.

Paid my dues, they can’t abuse.

Man, got it all, head held high.

Sure’s a load o’ hogwash. But I don’t care.

Got my gals, they keep me goin’, in the sweet zone,

Got my Babe, Babe and me, we got it fine,

Then a wonderful day, outta the blue, something miracle comes along,

Little Sarah, that’s her name, she filled our hearts, just filled ‘em fine.

I know, I know, it sure, ain’t easy. Got the rent, got the bills,

Got the end-o’-the-month finance chills, livin’ our life day to day,

But I got it all, talkin’ the talk, ain’t no way I’m gonna do the walk,

Churning out the stuff at the hogwash shop,

But I know, got it all, head held high.

I know, I know what I got, got my ladies,

Got my Babe, and got my little girl,

The place ain’t no castle, I’ll tell ya that,

But comin’ home, got a rush o’ warmth,

Cozy little place, we’re so warm, and we’re so cool,

I know I got it made, struttin’ my stuff,

Man, I got it all, head held high.

Got it all, struttin’ our stuff, me an’ Sarah,

Feelin’ that hot little hand, Sarah’s little hand in mine,

Showin’ off my little girl, You got a smile for Daddy?

Bright eyes smilin’ at me, Man, my heart’s feelin’ full.

Got my ladies, got it made, head held high.

What’s up now? Sounds like firecrackers.

What’s up man, this ain’t the Fourth?

Then I look down, at my little girl, at my Little Sarah,

Red, man, I see red blood, and I’m fallin’ off the face of the Earth,

And I’m thinkin’, my little girl, just a few people, just a few cars.

And she’s saying, “Daddy, I’m hurtin’ down there.”

And I’m cryin’, ”My little girl.” I’m cryin’, “My little girl.”

Nothin’s goin’ good. There’s sirens, and there’s cops,

The ambulance drivers, they’re lookin’ away, it hurts to say.

Oh, God, it ain’t fair. Just one shot, and she’s gone.

It ain’t fair. Oh, God, roll this camera back, take this back.

Sleepin’ a lot less, drinkin’ a lot more,

Why’d they have to take her, my little darlin’?

But gotta keep goin’, that’s just the way,

Gotta talk that talk, oh hell, I jus’ can’t say,

Gotta keep goin’, head held high.

But, I know, somewhere in there, I got a knife,

Man, it hurts so much, it twists so much,

And, oh man, I’m feelin’, my heart’s gonna die.

New Shows on Return from France

Fellow Art Lovers:

I am back from France with a lot to tell you.

First of all, I want to apologize for my silence for so long. I was in France for almost three months, and I guess I should have kept in touch, but my time spent in France was - most important - wonderful, and also very useful. Yes, there were all of the pleasures of family, friends, fun and food. Just as a side note, I want to tell you that the more time I spend in France, the more artists I meet. This past summer was great from that point of view. I believe that artists can be very supportive of each others' efforts. Here in Philadelphia, I'm constantly struck by the fact that painters help each other with really useful input and concrete advice about technical questions and new opportunities. My experience is the same in Normandy, where I've exchanged tips with a growing number of artists. In addition, the one larger city near Saint Aubnin-sur-Mer, where we spend summers, is Caen. And there I have been meeting more and more gallery owners. When one gallery owner told me galleries have a hard time getting people to visit galleries in his neck of the woods, I suggested "First Friday," and he hit the roof.

Now Painting. Because I did spent a lot of time painting, and I produced quite a lot of work. I don't know if I have ever shared this with you, but when I'm in the middle of a field, or on the side of a road, and I'm painting, frankly, I feel very good. If my painting is going well, I feel a rush of positive hormones, and each stroke of my palette knife feels better than the last.

This past summer, I did a lot of small paintings, many of them only 5 inches by 7 inches. This is a great exercise, because the painting either works right away, or you know that you can't fix it. But there is nothing like painting a very large canvas, at least for me. The first two paintings you see above are pretty large, maybe about 2-1/2 feet by 3 feet. On a highway near Saint Aubin, actually between two villages by the names of Tailleville and Reviers, there is a row of trees between a wheat field and another field, where I believe the farmer grew lettuce. I have driven past that row of trees many, many times, and one day I got an idea on how I wanted to paint it. I wanted to show the trees in full sunlight during the day, and also in the very early morning, just when the day breaks.

This summer was special for a strange reason. I have never seen so many bright, red poppies, which are called "coquelicots" in French. They just seemed to be everywhere, along the sides of roads, bordering fields of wheat and other crops and actually growing within the stands of crops. And, in some cases, there were actually entire fields filled with the bright, red flowers. Well, I painted a lot of them, frankly because they are just inherently beautiful. If you look at the field of "coquelicots" in the second to last painting above, you should know that I had a strange experience while painting it. And, exceptionally, I broke one of my most important rules, that is, to always paint at the site of my work. But this time, while was painting in a field, about 25 or so cows started gathering at the edge of a field maybe only 50 feet from me. As I painted, they actually seemed to be watching me, and then they started shuffling around and mooing more and more loudly. When they seemed to be pushing against the single wire that kept them in their field, I had images of a herd of cows pushing toward me. Well, you are now listening to someone who was not willing to endure danger for his art. I gathered up my stuff and got out of there.

One important thing happened while I was painting. It happens when I feel free and at peace with myself and I have no negative thoughts in my mind. Sometimes I felt this power while I painted. Each stroke of the palette knife just felt right, and I felt more and more confident and pleased with what I was doing. I those cases, I just followed my heart and waited to see what my instincts or artistic power or whatever it was produced.

Now the good news. Because of what I produced, I am having two parallel shows here in Philadelphia. I think that the people who invited me to exhibit at these venues are wonderful for giving me these opportunities. One show officially starts tomorrow, Friday Sept. 24, at the Show of Hands gallery, at 1006 Pine St, here in Philadelphia. This show is entitled "The Lights of Normandy," and the two paintings of the line of trees will be featured. There is going to be a reception this Sunday, Sept. 26, from 3 pm to 5 pm. This show will run until Nov. 7. If you have any questions, you can call the gallery at 215-592-4010.

The other show is at the Alliance Francaise of Philadelphia, at 1420 Walnut St., in Philadelphia, of course. This show is entitled "La Saison des Coquelicots," and it will feature numerous paintings, of course including those above, of the bright, red poppies. This show starts Oct. 1, a Friday, and a reception will be held at 5 pm on that day. You can get more information from www.afphila.com or 215-735-5283.

One more note. I will be participating in Philadelphia Open Studio Tours on Oct. 9 and 10. This is going to be important for me. I am planning a special event on the 9th, the Saturday, at my studio, which is studio # 407, at 915 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia 19123. I don't want to talk about it any more for now, but I will let you know what it is before the event, in case you want to stop by, which I sincerely hope many of you can, if you are interested.

Thanks for listening to me, and thanks for your continued interest and support.

Sincerely,

William Kosman