Aftermath

Storm Sandy unleashed her wrath here at the Jersey Shore. Her strength was underestimated and  the aftermath inconceivable. There are no words at the moment so all I can do is paint.Works in progress...

Awake and Dreaming

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." Anais Nin

"Awake and Dreaming " oil and mixed media on recycled wood Jude Harzer Fine Art

detail     "Awake and Dreaming"

I began this painting while in New York City at the School of Visual Arts in the summer of 2009. That was a wonderful and life altering experience for me, having returned to school at nearly 46 years of age to devote my efforts exclusively to my art. The program lasted only 5 weeks, but it was an intensive period of time during which I immersed myself in my thoughts and my painting. When I returned home, I was very aware of the changes that had occurred around and within me. Imagine how noticeable the transformation would be if you hadn't seen a small child for a year! The changes would be monumental and immediately apparent! Mine were undeniably huge! The greatest challenge was in determining how to reconnect and assimilate back into my daily life where the people I most loved, existed and thrived. One of my best friends advised me to paint my way to where I wished to be.This was invaluable advice but not always easy to follow because the realization was that where I am going, those I love might not care to follow. I have struggled these past few years to remain sensitive to the idea that they didn't expect or invite these changes.I even surrendered myself to the notion of "staying put", convincing myself that my "selfishness" and restlessness could be remedied by altering my thoughts and perceptions...Hmmm...I failed at that endeavor!

Because, move forward I must.....We are designed for change and growth, however difficult it might be.This summer I will once again have time to fully dedicate to my art as I begin  graduate school .I am approaching this experience with more confidence and receptivity to change. During the past two years, I have grown bolder, braver,kinder and more patient. I have become a BELIEVER and  I am certain my work will reflect who and what I am...an artist:) Change is good!
"
All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another. " ~Anatole France

For You: Wrapped in Warmth and Wishes.

Wrapped in Warmth and Wishes...in process oil on canvas...24" x 36"109814

 

In Process: Finding Self

Wild Heart

“A prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages.” ~Tennessee Williams

Women Painting Women

Tracey Harris

"Folding Doilies"

"Women Painting Women" explores "how contemporary women painters are handling women as subjects. The blog was founded by Sadie Valeri, with co-founders Alia El-Bermani and Diane Feissel."

Enjoy the wealth of beautiful imagery and talent of these female painters.

Tell Me A Story: "I Don't Really Want To Be The Queen"

And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

The "Tell Me A Story" series is an ongoing group of images inspired by my daughter Christina, who when she was little would insist that I repeatedly tell her stories. She was fascinated with stories about my childhood, her childhood and about the lives of those she loved. After years of hearing my tales, complete with exaggeration , altered details and added fictional embellishments to save myself from the monotony, it became difficult to distinguish between reality and the imaginary.These paintings have a more illustrative and narrative quality than my typical works and are wrought with symbolism. Dandelion dreams, buttercups,a marriage of interior and exterior, are symbolic elements that support the elusive nature of this visual tale. Every component of my paintings, every stroke, sequence of numbers and letters...matters...or does it? Tell me your story....my paintings reveal mine.

Red Shoes series: "Masked" in Process

The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are. You trade in your reality for a role. You give up your ability to feel, and in exchange, put on a mask. ~ Jim Morrison
"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us 'universe', a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty." Einstein.....This is among my favorite quotes. Lately, during a time of tremendous transition, I have begun to reread words that I have found meaningful and inspirational. I am reminded of how self-"delusion" confines and confuses.

The Red Shoes:My Struggle for Self Acceptance

"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation." ~Oscar Wilde, De Profundis, 1905


My recent series , "The Red Shoes" explores my struggle for self acceptance and my recent discovery of my strength as a woman and as an artist. For most of my life, I deliberately masked my femininity in an effort to seek invisibility. At nearly 47, the mask is off .

There is a power in owning one's femininity.I am writing about this subject in greater depth .The red shoes are purely symbolic and will be gifted immediately to my daughter who will be much more comfortable in wearing them. Feminine accoutrements are not my style although I appreciate them on others. I own two dresses and one set of heels ,all of which I could do without. Jeans and tees suit me fine. Again, the "red shoes" are symbolic for women being comfortable in their own skin. I was raised to believe vanity was a sin...physical beauty was superficial and yet as an artist I am consumed by the physical and the visual. Physical beauty is a gift that can be taken away at any moment, but it is a worthwhile gift all the same. It forces me to pause, as I would for a spectacular sunset, an autumnal tree aflame with warm colors or a child's face. I stop, awed with wonder and admiration because beauty is fleeting and that is why it is all the more precious.

However, with maturity,I have learned to value a more genuine beauty  that often lies beneath....beauty not so easily seen ,but deeper, richer and everlasting. The women and men that I love most, possess great passion, intelligence , kindness and a sense of purpose that make them truly beautiful.There is no denying however, in this world, that physical beauty,for it's own sake, is obsessively valued.Women especially ,I feel , become more attractive and sensual with age. They should be celebrated as such. I intend to celebrate them and explore in greater depth physical, spiritual and intellectual beauty and their inextricable connection to oneanother.

"To me the definition of true masculinity - and femininity, too - is being able to lay in your own skin comfortably. " ~Vincent D'Onofrio

We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others that in the end we become disguised to ourselves. ~François Duc de La Rochefoucauld

Believe In Your Dreams

“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”Shel Silverstein

Imagine if from the time we were little, we were encouraged to fearlessly and passionately follow our dreams! I think that pure magic and love would happen! Dream huge!

Painting :Enjoying the Process

Besides an abundance of ideas regarding subject matter, I actually am interested in my technique and palette. In an effort to paint more fluidly, I am working on 1' x 1' gessoed cardboard and have limited my palette to Prussian blue, titanium white, burnt sienna and dark cadmium red. It is amazing the range that can be achieved in value and hue.

This idea was prompted by receiving an image from friend and fellow artist, Andrew Werth, who created a beautiful and "quiet" painting of his wife Karen. He told me that he was influenced by Edward Hopper and I really studied the stillness that he suggested in this work. I also was advised this summer at the school of Visual Arts in NYC to look at some figurative work by other artists such as Lucien Freud and John Currin, in particular.John was a fellow classmate at Carnegie Mellon in 1981-1982. I recall his skill. It served him well. He is among the top 100 artists in the world:) I won't comment on his subject matter. You can check it out for yourself... but his talent is undeniable.It does help once in awhile, to step outside of yourself, to escape your own thoughts in an effort to learn and develop further. Looking to those who have achieved great success, can be very instructive and inspiring.

So today I painted and am still painting and making progress. It has flowed freely without any intention of creating a finished piece. These are the days that I am reminded of how much I love the smell, feel and process of working with oils. It is the ultimate form of meditation.

"I intend to paint myself to death." L.Freud "  Painting til death ,sounds like a beautiful demise. J.Vereb

Hooray for snow days:) Shhhhhhhhhhhhh! I think we might have another snow day tomorrow. 2 consecutive days of painting ! My words cannot adequately convey my rapture. I might cry:) Just joshin.' Hey Pork Chop,.... if you're out there, this geeky artist girl is about to make magic!

Wildflower Underpainting: In Process

Day # 3 I'm uncertain how to proceed and not "feeling" a resolution. I 'll work on another piece. I gave this an hour of time and "effort" and think it best to work on some other smaller works in process This is about 3' x 7' and although my intention was to use an array of materials, I'm working exclusively with oils and charcoal. I tend to be reactive and rushed when I paint. I'm trying to be more thoughtful about my work... well for the moment anyway and anyone who knows me, knows that might change in an hour or so:)
Day # 2. Not much headway made or time invested this evening, but I decided I'm gonna paint like I mean it. As I was teaching today, one of my students made what she believed to be a grave error...as grave as one could be for a Kindergartner:). As I showed her how she might resolve this unexpected mishap and to think how it might actually enhance her work, I thought about my own paintings. There really are no such things as mistakes...There are only opportunities to learn and challenge ourselves to be more creative and innovative. There is nothing else I'd rather be doing at this moment. I painted. My children hung out in my studio as I did. It doesn't get much better than that.

As with most of my work, I rarely do preliminary sketches. I usually have a vague idea of where I am headed. I like that the paintings evolve and that the end result often masks layers of my initial marks that don't even resemble what is seen by the observer. I did have a more defined concept for this piece but then I picked up charcoal and that distracted and redirected my thoughts about how I will proceed. I am certain many aspects of this painting will be revised,marked and masked.Here is day #1. I'm just glad to have painted:)

They Were Here

In Process: Day # 1

The images of a devastated and heartbroken Haiti ,flood the internet. They are unavoidable. One image in particular struck me as ironically ,very beautiful. Amid the destruction, a large tent city was erected by the survivors made from salvaged blankets, sheets and fabric. It provided shelter from the sun. It was centralized,organized and evidence of a living community....evidence that despite the worst, life continues and so must the effort to sustain it.The photograph was an aerial view and the suspended fabric of this makeshift roof looked like a hand sewn quilt of colored textile patches. Where there is life, there is beauty.
Tonight I began two images. The larger one with the child, surrounded by pink, is inspired, in part by that fabric tent city. The pinks, reds and blues, in contrast to the grey of the debris, reminded me of wildflowers, blossoming alongside an urban highway...beauty where and when you least expect it.
Lives senselessly lost, are dreams lost.The images, the media coverage, the art, the global outcry acknowledge that these lives mattered...they were here.
I Was Here

Precious Patterns

Painted on unstretched canvas, this image explores several of my most valued sources of inspiration: children's portraiture, pattern and color. Master illustrator, fine artist,photographer and film maker,George Pratt, generously allowed me to use an image of his beautiful daughter as a resource for this painting. I am interested in textile design and the integration of other materials and processes with traditional oil painting. The preciousness of painting with oils,is reduced by the free flowing canvas and the use of embroidery floss and waxed linen to join and embellish this work.I wanted to create something more intimate and accessible.
One objective was to abstract pattern so that it appears visually authentic although no attention was given to the "rational" use of light and dark, shadows, contours or space. The lower patterns are disconnected from the upper portrait, aside for the use of a common palette. I like that these two compositions can be viewed as independent and solid works. They are aesthetically strong when separate, but more pleasing and complimentary presented together:)
I am anxious to finish the stitching after the paint is varnished. Another image of little Miss Mary is in the works!

Quiet

For those who have yet to notice, most of my paintings are autobiographical in nature. There is almost always some underlying reference to my childhood or to the stories and the people who inspire me most.I am an "emotional" and empathetic painter... a believer in love. However, sometimes the inspiration does not come or I am too exhausted to create from my heart.To avoid frustration, I paint from observation.Creation of these "traditional" images, relies on skill rather than spirit.It is actually meditative when my hand, eyes and mind are synchronized. Time seems suspended and my thoughts are quieted.So tonight was a peaceful night as I worked on a still life that I began and tucked away last May.In process, this image is my attempt to refocus and breathe.oil study: natural patterns for "field" paintings

And the musical inspiration for the evening, was Southern Rock!Very meditative and traditional in a dancing,moving,foot stomping kind of way:)My mind may have been "quiet", but body and soul are always on the go:)
Green Grass and High Tides
Don't Misunderstand Me
Crazy Love
Whipping Post
Seven Bridges Road

Wildflowers...growin' and flyin'

My Wildflower series is taking shape:) Most of it remains in my thoughts. My "vision" of a painting, emerges from my "daydreaming" of which I do quite a bit:)I rely on my thoughts and some visual references such as photographs,as create. There is rarely concept work beforehand...no preliminary color studies or sketches. I rework the painting as needed. I prefer this process because my "errors", are actually experimentations and evidence of changes in my thoughts throughout the painting process.The end result reveals the "texture" and marks of my decisions. The richness of the surface, the underlying colors and scratches,cannot be easily reproduced.

However, while creating the "Wildflower" series, I have deviated from my usual process. These works warrant exploration (somewhere other than in my mind.) So I am painting small concepts, and other images,in hopes of successfully marrying my figures with highly textured, stylized fields. An interested observer, asked me via email, the scale of the flowers in the work on the door. Here is an image to gauge proportions...and of course there is an updated image of my daughter who posed for these paintings.

Enjoy!

Progress

Tonight I devoted time to furthering the layers on some of my paintings.Initially I execute a fairly evolved underpainting. Often it is to give form to my ideas but I neglect to revisit these works. I imagine them all as potentially satisfactory by my own standards but know that to attain that, I need to invest time and effort. I know I will.

View My Album!

I am home at the Jersey shore, safe and sound. It is beautiful,quiet and green:)
I loved being in NYC but the experience has made me very aware of the abundance of my life at home.
Here are just some of my images from my time at the School of Visual Arts in NYC and the culminating exhibit. Click on the link below to view my album. I have posted one of my favorite images of my beautiful model Aurelia who has inspired some of my recent works. Thank you to her lovely parents, Jen and Francis, who escorted her to the exhibit:)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=30327&id=1483745280&l=7f53b323a7

Current and Upcoming Exhibits

Rulon Art Gallery and Studio
1428 Kings Highway, Swedesboro, NJ 08085
(856)-241-0368
Gallery hours: Thurs.-Sun.
http://www.rulon-art-studio-and-gallery.com/Contact.html

AENJ Members' Art Exhibit!
James Howe Gallery in the Vaughn Eames Hall of Kean University in Union, NJ.
The exhibit will be on display from June 9th through July 10th
Closing reception:
July 10th from 4:30 - 6:30 pm
http://www.kean.edu/~finearts/galleries/

Sweet Simplicity
Jude Harzer solo exhibit
The Bank
20 N. Main St.
Allentown, NJ

This collection of recent small works, can be viewed during business hours.All art is available for purchase.This exhibit is made possible by the Allentown Art Guild in Allentown, NJ.
http://www.allentownartguild.org/about.html

School of Visual Arts
New York City
Open Studio Exhibition: Thursday, August 6 from 6-9pm
141 West 21 Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10011 Tel: 212-592-2188

Trenton Artists Workshop Association Members Show
"Dreaming"exhibit
August 14 through September 4,2009.
Opening reception:Friday, August 14 from 6- 9 pm.
Gallery 125
125 South Warren St.
Trenton, NJ 08608
609.989.9119
http://www.gallery125.com

Jude Harzer's works on display
Asbury Park Yoga and Dance
703 Mattison Ave.
Asbury Park, NJ

Summer Respite!

The beauty of teaching for me is getting to share what I love most with little people that I adore. But it would be dishonest and almost ridiculous NOT to state the obvious: I live for summer break! It is an artist's dream job!Every sniffling nose,upchuck on my carpet,whimper,whine,occasional pee,sigh of boredom,line cutters and tattle talers:)all of whom I love,are embraced and "endured" more patiently throughout the school year,because of the ever present promise of summer break! Then I have a block of time in which to create, paint,blog, but never be bored. I am trying to quickly finish some paintings for an upcoming exhibit. The beauty is in the details. Have we really been out of school for a week already?

To view my images on Facebook, click here.http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=13942&id=1483745280&l=ae2e112aef
I had an awesome slumber party last night. I celebrated my recent commission!Extra crunchy peanut butter for Kona and me!


And these guys rock! Hello to George, Brent and John and their very fortunate students!
http://www.illustrationacademy.com/new/index.html