WHAT IS WORK FOR AN ARTIST?

When I was a young art student at the Museum School in the 70's, I was moping down the hall one day, depression blaring from my every cell. I admit it was because I could not get my latest obsession du jour to do the horizontal mambo with me, but my mentor and friend John Thompson, Dean of Students, was unaware of that.

Dean Thompson assumed rather that I was troubled by a dip in my creative output. He took me into his office and said, "Jonathan, when others are lying in the park watching the clouds go by, they are goofing off. When you do it, you are working! Remember that every artist needs fanny time as much as hand time." Those words, exactly.

In this dark December, the first after the death of my wife, I look at my studio, devoid of new work for a month or so, and remember John Thompson's words. I know I am still in process on both the DEAD SUZANNE and the new MASTURBATION paintings. I'll post some sketches I've just completed when I shoot them.

DAYS GO BY...NO STUDIO TIME

I've been doing so much of the business chores of art, that it has been too long since I was in the studio. When I knew I wanted to be an artist, what I didn't know was that one day I would be buried in inventories on excel while rebuilding a website, and social networking in a world of web2.0

I have more DEAD SUZANNE paintings to do...they are in my head. I am starting to the huge malaise that builds as days go by without painting.

The "new" profile picture is one of me in my studio around 1985 or so. It was at 1255 Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The oil painting behind me is called Up First near the Queensborough, and I hope to find it in storage. It was one of a large body for work called VIEWS FROM A YELLOW CAB. Somebody wants to buy a print. I don't remember selling it; 1985 is so far from these days of excel inventories and digital archiving of my work.

At least the new website is up!!