cjh abstracts newsletter, issue 4

Issue 4
November 8, 2009

Abstract Expressionism: Hans Hofmann

Hans Hofmann (1880-1966) was a German painter and teacher who settled in the U.S. in 1931. He was a friend of Matisse and Picasso in Paris before WWI. In 1915 he opened an art school in Munich and in 1933 another in New York which powerfully influenced the development of contemporary U.S. painting. His work was representational in the Expressionist tradition until the early 1940s when he began to develop an exuberant abstract style.

Hofmann was known for the “Push and Pull” technique. “Developing [this technique] Hofmann proved that the illusion of space, depth, and even movement on a canvas could be created abstractly using color and shape, rather than representational forms.”

Make your own Hoffman “Push and Pull” puzzle!

Featured Artist: Lou Majors, Asheville, NC

Lou Majors is another gem I found on craigslist. Honestly, I found his posting bizarre, but there was also something intriguing about it. I contacted him and asked, “Having any luck?” I sure wasn’t at the time. That started a back and forth communication that has lasted for about a year. I follow him on Facebook. He has a very positive outlook on life, and lives it to the fullest every day. He is very interesting, to say the least.

Lou graduated from the University of Georgia with a BBA in Marketing/Advertising. He began painting in 1987, with two years of painting with nothing but black paint and newsprint, to become comfortable with brush strokes. In 1990 – 1992 he sold art on the streets of Atlanta. He has had 60 showings, five murals, and has painted 5 cars! He participated in a 1992 show in Soho (The Mayor’s Show Paris at The Sorbonne), and has participated in shows around the country and around the world.

I have tried, in vain, to get some stills from Lou for this newsletter. Being the independent and creative spirit he is, he instead prefers to convey his work through video snippets on YouTube.

Other work:

Outdoor Sculpture, Atlanta, 1992

You can find out more about Lou’s life philosophy on his blog.

What I’ve Been Up to Lately:

Not as much as I would like. I am a little tired of using “do-overs” and my only two new canvases are a small one and a very large 48 x 48. I have already planned some ideas for the 48 x 48 and it will be on commission, but the client will not be able to purchase it until after Christmas, in installments, so I prefer to wait. I certainly don’t want it to get messed up in the garage.

Additionally, for some reason, I just haven’t had the urge to paint. That is what I usually get – a pressing need that must be met. It’s not that I have to wait for that feeling to paint, but the process is less gratifying if I am trying to “force it.” I have done one painting in the last couple of months and it was more to express emotion than for the outcome, which is what I strive to achieve these days anyway – I must continue to try to focus on the process.

Some Things to Play Around With:

Art Pad

Mr. Picasso Head (You can even email it when it’s done.)

Poem of the Month:

Visage of Dreams

it’s a place you’ve seen in endless photographs
dark reds and amber sky
a mile across “as the crow flies”
pale dust moon and smoky incense cliffs
visitors huddled with cameras in caverns
and vast overlooks without end
you have to experience it for yourself to know.
the native lands
sorrowful cries and strength
handmade dreamcatchers
colorful beads
proud heritage
i’ve never seen such humble beauty
nor felt the presence of God like this.

(About the Grand Canyon)
cjh
October 2007