# 55 - The Journey and "Going Home at 5"

                                                           "Going Home at 5"

 
                                                            "Going Home at 5" (detail)

Fellow Art Lovers:

My Gosh, I’ve talked so much about pushing my painting style to greater freedom and greater expression. That is, making progress in my journey of transmitting emotion. If this sounds like a broken record, the best thing I can do is make sure that the record is at least short.

Okay, the painting you see here, ”Going Home at 5,” came about by chance. The place was at 8^th and Spring Garden Streets, just a block from my studio. Here, I saw a mother, her daughter and a baby in the baby carriage, and they appealed to me because the mom seemed to be one of those people who face life with courage. For me, this strength has a special kind of beauty, a certain urban beauty. (By the way, there is a actually a sheet-metal sign with the numeral 5 there, but I have no idea what it means.)   

My job was to show her and her children in their context, and get a feeling for them across to you, the viewer. There’s one major component in getting this emotion across to the viewer: I have to feel this myself, in addition to the painting skill and a whole bunch of questions like deciding what elements to use and placing each one of them in the right place. 

And, of course, my hope is that each time I undertake this kind of painting, it should be more and more successful each time I take up my brushes and palette knife. 

The painting should show that I’ve taken a few more steps in my journey of transmitting emotion to you by representing this beauty and emotion.

You be the judge, and if you have the time, you can tell me if you’ve been touched by this work.

Thanks for listening.

Best,

Bill

#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

# 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.

#26: "Morning Prayer" - Not talkin' much, but still workin.'

My Fellow Art Lovers:

First of all, I want to say I'm sorry about my silence for quite a while. I don't know how may of you wait anxiously for my next image or word (That's my form of humor.), but I want to tell you I've been involved in a few personal things that kept me from my work, and I've also been involved in a project that I don't want to talk about now, but it will be great if the planets are lined up in the right order.

Okay, let's get back to real art. The title of the painting I want to show you today is "Morning Prayer." I completed it just a while ago, but it has been on my mind for more than a year. You recall that I did a series of paintings about Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and the Lubovitch community there. Well, while I was there I observed morning prayers and study in a small synagogue. One morning, around 5:30, I was walking out of the synagogue, and I noticed a man in the window across the street praying. He appeared totally unaware of the world around him. I was struck by what I took to be his devotion and dedication, and I was struck by the beauty of the scene.

Over the next year, I tried several times to paint that scene from a series of photographs I took. But it never worked. Then, just a while ago, I decided I would try one more time. This time, I used a larger canvas that gave me more room to render the scene without feeling crowded. From the first brush stroke, the painting just felt right. Each brush stroke became more and more powerful, and my confidence and - I hope - the quality of my painting just seemed to increase.

One portion seemed to give me a little bit of trouble - the facade of his building. I wanted the surface to carry the complexity I remembered, but at the same time, the colors I mixed in did not seem to work. What you see above in the photos does not really represent well what's on the canvas, I have to admit. But I want to share it with you.

I'd like to share one more thought with you. During 915 Artists last open studios event, several people expressed an interest in several of the Crown Heights series. I told them, as I'm now telling you, that I am not selling any of them for the time being. I really want to exhibit the entire series together, so that they can be seen as a unit. I will let you know when this takes place.

As always, I want to thank the people who visited my studio May 1 and 2. It was great seeing you and having the opportunity to talk with you.

Thanks for your interest and support.

Best,

William Kosman

#24: Please Stop Me!

Fellow Art Lovers:

It's really something when you need to paint to feel good. Guilty. The other day, while making preparations for my departure, I was feeling a little blue. What did I need to do? You guessed it. I needed to paint.

So, I decided to begin one more of the paintings for my Brooklyn series. This is a work in progress. I think it needs some more work, and no title comes to mind.

But I want to tell you that painting it was a pleasure. I felt very free, and I think I'm starting to capture the subject's expression. He is, as you might guess, a fish monger, and he's one of those merchants who is a pillar of his community, and he seems like a very nice person.

And that might explain why I painted with pleasure and a good measure of confidence. He sent out good vibes, which I picked up. So, even thought a good bit of time has passed, I still felt involved in the painting.

Anyway, thanks for putting up with my obsession, but isn't that he way painters are supposed to be.

Thanks for listening.

Best,

William Kosman

#23: Really Big Challenges from Brooklyn

"Prayer 2"

"Prayer 2" (Detail)

"Prayer 2" (Detail)

"Did you hear . . ? "

"Did you hear . . ?" (Detail)

"Did you hear . . ?" (Detail)

"Red Tights"

"Red Tights" (Detail)

"Red Tights" (Detail)

Fellow Art Lovers:

At the outset, I want to apologize for my long silence. In fact, there are several reasons. First of all, I know that a true artist is devoted to his art above all, but I had some personal things going on. This is not the place for it, but I want you to know that these personal events were of the most positive nature. The second reason is that I've taken on some big challenges, and when I say big, I mean big.

Please look at the three paintings above. Two of the paintings - "Prayer 2" and "Did you hear . . ?" - are physically big. Compared with "Red Tights," which is 24 by 30 inches, the other two are a little larger than four foot by four foot. I wanted to throw myself into very large format, and I chose the series on Crown Heights, Brooklyn, for the change to bigger works.

I can tell you that working in such a large format is more complicated than just painting bigger. I learned that I had to change my way of thinking; I learned that a different set of rules take over. And I learned that I cannot simply boost the size from a smaller work to a larger work, as I initially tried with "Prayer 2."

And there are other things going on. I believe that I am achieving more and more freedom in my colors, brushstroke and in the ways I render objects and figures. For some reason, I believe that the very large format loosened up my work. You simply have to move more, and the act of swinging that brush around made me feel very free. Also, at least for me, when working on such a large format, there is little danger of getting fussy about achieving realistic details, which is certainly not one of my goals. I like painting that looks like painting. Seeing full brush strokes and free shapes of color give me pleasure. And I hope that they also give you - the viewer - the same pleasure. And, as far as color is concerned, the large format makes me feel freer to work in more colors.

Another thing that has been influencing me is time. I've been working on this series about Brooklyn for quite a while, for one reason or another, one reason being my dislocated finger. I see more and more proof that the farther away I am in time from my first impressions, the further away I can feel from some paintings. Of course this is true. The ideas, the impressions, the memories, the emotions are further in the past and are less real to me.

All except for the factor of emotion. Like any painter or individual, I have emotional responses to what I see, what I sketch and what I photograph. And, in so many cases, that emotion lives on in some cases with a certain intensity. Take, for example, the largest fiture in "Did you hear . . ?" I was impressed by the folds in the material of her swinging skirt. I wanted a great deal to try to get that feeling across, not the detail but the feeling. I'll bet I could wait a year and still painting that material in a convincing manner. Another example is the little girl in "Red Tights." I got such a positive feeling from seeing the mother and daughter together.

Of course, some artists work in formats exceeding four by four feet, which might even be small by some standards. But now, when I attack a larger format, I hope that my work is more successful, that is, gets the emotions across to you, the viewer, in a freer and more convincing way.

By the way, you may not hear from me for a while. For me, summers mean France, and I don't know if I'll be able to make new blog postings from there this year.

As always, I love hearing your ideas.

Thanks for listening.

Best,

William Kosman

#22: Visit My Studio May 2-3, and More Details from Brooklyn

"Red Tights"

"Red Tights" (detail)

"RedTights" (detail)

"Discussion"

"Discussion" (detail)

"Discussion" (detail)

"Brooklyn Street Scene"

Fellow Art Lovers:

First of all, I want to invite all of you to visit my studio (#407) and the studios of other artists at 915 Spring Garden St.(at Percy St., near 9th St.), Philadelphia, PA 19123, from noon to 5 pm, on Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3. More than 40 artists in our building will be opening their studios and will be ready to talk with you about their work. In particular, I will really enjoy talking with you about my work, hearing your ideas and explaining what I have been trying to achieve in a more personal setting.

Among the paintings you will be able to see are these paintings of the Lubavitch Community in Brooklyn, and I hope to have produced more of this series by the time the Open Studios Event arrives in two weeks.

These paintings have been a new kind of experience for me. Yes, I consistently try to develop my style and perfect each painting I do as an individual work. But there is something more. There is the desire to represent a community, to show some of the individuals and the groups, and give hints about how they interact.

For example, in "Red Tights" I wanted to show the enthusiasm, cuteness and pure joy of the little girl with her mother. As in any painting, I place the figures where they attract the viewer's attention and where they fit into the scene. There is the choice of the colors, bright and lively, because it was a beautiful day and the sun was shining, and it was striking the way the light came through the trees, and how the light coming from the back threw the shadows forward. I will be working on this some more this coming week.

But in addition, there is the detail. Yes, the overall composition is important, but the smallest detail, the smallest change in the brush stroke, its width and its direction, the texture and the color of each space, can change the expression of the people and the mood they transmit.

And there is something very strange, very reassuring about painting and people. When the painting, or any detail in it, is wrong, you know it. And when it's right, when it clicks, you know it even more. The feeling of achievement, of having done something decent, crosses you like a wave.

Frankly, I believe I did capture something in the little girl.

In "Discussion," I was struck both by the ordinariness and the beauty of the scene. Two people - two men in this case - stop to chat on a street corner. Common, but yet so reassuring. The act of communication is so important. And with the sun catching them and throwing their shadows to one side, I found the scene engaging.

"Brooklyn Street Scene" was started just a few days ago. I think it is interesting. Girls who attend the Beth Rivkah school in Crown Heights wear long, purple skirts. Here we see two walking away from us, and two whispering to each other at the side of the sidewalk. Here, I'm trying to capture the movement of the girls as they walk, and just the right gesture of the other girls talking. Again, a very ordinary scene, but very engaging. Again, it was winter, with warm coats and trees bare of leaves, but it was sunny and the sky was cloudless.

I hope to complete the painting within two weeks. It's a big painting, four feet by four feet, but the size of the canvas may actually speed my work, because I feel a great deal of freedom working on that scale.

Remember, you can get closer to any painting by simply clicking on the painting. And then using back to return to the normal size.

As always, I'd love to hear your ideas.

Thanks for listing.

Best,

William Kosman