Art Reflection – Van Gogh Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) was a Dutch artist and Post-Impressionist. He made over 2100 pieces in his career, which measured just over a decade, including 860 paintings. He was troubled, misunderstood and rejected in his own time. His art is bold, colorful, dramatic, driven, impulsive, expressive and recognizable. His use of thick paint called impasto and …

Art Reflection – Asawa Ruth Asawa (1926-2013) was born in California and interred at the Rohwer War Relocation Center in Arkansas during World War II. Her story is filled with resiliency and grace. Here is her quote about her family’s internment: “I hold no hostilities for what happened; I blame no one. Sometimes good comes through adversity. I would not …

Art Reflection – Picasso Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) is an artist of countless accolades and proclamations, and Guernica could be his best-known work. It seems right to offer this work again. On April 26, 1937, the Nazis bombed the town of Guernica in the Basque Country of Northern Spain to prop up their side of the Spanish Civil War. Picasso painted …

Art Reflection – Anderson Walter Inglis Anderson (1903-1956) was a painter and writer who focused on the Mississippi Coast and Horn Island. He was educated at the Parsons Institute of Design in New York City and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He created with pencil and watercolor, taking us with him on his frequent solitary times away from …

Art Reflection – El Greco Domenikos Theotolopoulos, El Greco (1541-1614), was a Spanish painter of Greek descent. He signed his works as The Greek to maintain this heritage. El Greco made art that startled viewers of his day as he moved from the flat and static style of the icon to dynamic compositions with depth and expression. His works, including this piece, …

Art Reflection – Thomas Alma Woodsey Thomas (1891-1976) was born in Georgia and lived and worked in Washington, D.C. She was an art teacher and artist who became known as a major painter of the 20th Century. Her works are part of the collections of major museums and one piece was hung in the White House during the Obama Administration. Her …

Art Reflection – Woodward In honor of Women’s History Month, I would like to share an image from Laura Woodward (1834-1926). Laura was born in Mount Hope, New York, and began her career in New York. She painted in our eastern states; was a member of the Hudson River School; and became known for her delicate renderings. She sought out …

Art Reflection – Sosa Fran Sosa is a contemporary artist from Argentina. He often, reminiscent of Van Gogh, works with oil and palette knife to create the impasto effect here. He is captivated by “scapes” – land, sea and city – and paints in Impressionism and Expressionism. Last Light, exhibited in Paris, exemplifies his work and is in addition a color …

Art Reflection – Basquiat Jean-Michel Basquiat was born in Brooklyn in 1960. He was a gifted child learning to read and write by age four. His childhood included times of tragedy and chaos, such as when he was hit by a car and when his mother was institutionalized for the remainder of her life. His challenging relationship with his father …

Art Reflection – Marshall Kerry James Marshall (1955 – ) was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and moved to the Watts neighborhood of L.A. just before the riots. He went to the Otis College of Art and Design there and became a renowned artist and professor now based in Chicago. His accolades include being named one of Time magazine’s most influential …