Art Reflection – Caillebotte French Impressionist, Gustave Caillebotte, offered this gift of perspective in 1876. With the eye of an artist, he takes a rather ordinary scene, crops it and with a complex application of one-point perspective and neutral colors, gives us a masterpiece. As an Impressionist he painted en plen air and filled this work with bright sunlight and tinted shadows. …

Art Reflection – Hagen Kelly Simpson Hagen, a current American artist, seems to have captured diversity and the gospel in simplified figures and bold colors here. I love the implications of both. Can you find yourself in this abstracted and lovely mass of humanity? Where would you like to link arms and stand in triumphant oneness facing whatever is next?  …

Art Reflection – Troye Edward Troye (1808-1874) was a Swiss American artist. As many artists before him, he made his living from portrait commissions.  In Troye’s case however the commissions were for portraits of thoroughbred racehorses paid for by their owners. And in many cases like this one the portraits included the African American jockeys, handlers, trainers, the black horsemen …

Art Reflection – Krasner Lee Krasner (1908-1984) was a prominent member of the nonrepresentational art movement that transformed New York City into a major center of contemporary art after World War II. Her abstract works grace museums around the world. Unfortunately, she is not familiar to many as Lee Krasner but as Jackson Pollack’s wife. Living under his reputation is …

Art Reflection – Schubert Erno Schubert (1903-1960) was a Hungarian painter of still lifes. His abstract compositions and his use of color are notable aspects of his work. His palettes hold much variety and a light-infused quality. He makes an ordinary scene look anything but ordinary. Still Life with Philodendron appears to have been painted much later than 1960. It brings …

Art Reflection – Milpurrurru Gurrupdu is a large bark painting done by esteemed Australian Aboriginal artist, George Milpurrurru (1934-1998). George Milpurrurru lived in the Central Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. He came from a large family of artists and learned to use the dots, dashes and interesting palettes of this art tradition from his family. This crowded composition …

Art Reflection – Hilma of Klint Hilma of Klint (1862-1944) was a Swedish artist and spiritual seeker who was well before her time. She fought the common discrimination against female artists and pioneered abstract art before other better known artists including Kandinsky and Mondrian. She painted this work as a young artist. In it she seems to be working out …

Art Reflection – Van Gogh Vincent van Gogh painted Olive Trees with Yellow Sky and Sun during his year in the asylum at Saint-Remy-de-Provence. He completed nearly 150 paintings in that year as he tried to renew his spirit in attention to God’s creation. This is a van Gogh signature piece with his use of yellow and thick impasto. His extensive palette …

Art Reflection – Howe Oscar Howe (1915-1983) was a Yanktonai Dakota. He was educated at the Pierre Indian School, the Santa Fe Indian School and the Fort Sill Indian Art Center. He worked in casein and tempera. He was a strong influence in contemporary Native American Art. Sioux Seed Player is a work of magnificent creativity. Here we seem to see …

Art Reflection – Jones Lois Mailou Jones (1905-1988) was an acclaimed art educator and artist of the 20th century. She received her training at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts and other important institutions but faced discrimination for her gender and race. She worked in textiles  influenced by the Harlem Renaissance Movement and African and Haitian design …