Very Nice

I've talked a little about some of the very nice work that is part of the Society of Illustrators' permanent collection, and which rotates on the second floor. I also mentioned last week that I realized I need to bring my camera with me to photograph these pieces before they rotate out. Case in point, N.C. Wyeth's "Black Arrow" cover was up and gone in less than a month. I was so sad to miss photographing it.

L: The actual painting is taller, with more landscape above and below and a title box painted into the image. Much better color, too.

Of course, my camera is on its last legs, and I'm going to send it in for a repair this week (known issue). Plus, lighting is not great and some of these pieces are a bit dark. Nevertheless, allow me to clue you in on what's hanging right now, as part of a show on the legacy of Harvey Dunn, student to the legendary Howard Pyle and who in turn taught other legendary Golden Age illustrators. Wyeth was not his student; he was however Dunn's Best Man at his wedding! These then are the images I'm currently ogling during drawing sessions, which I attended again this week (I ogle paintings, not women. At least I try). So rather than another week of naked people, I'll show you what some Good Artists do, which I think about when I'm stuck sometimes.

Dunn, here mostly monochrome and very brushy, but nevertheless with a concrete solidity.

The Rockwell I've mentioned, which hangs above the bar permanently. I eat pretzels and salted peanuts as I stare at this one each time I'm there.

Dean Cornwell was another of Dunn's students. This impressive piece is so wonderfully environmental that I can't imagine that he didn't photograph the actual location. If he made much of it up, I think I'd just weep like a colicky baby. If you've ever been to NYC and been to the Warwick Hotel's Murals on 54 restaurant, those murals are his.

Mead Schaeffer was a close friend of Rockwell's and classmate of Cornwell in Dunn's atelier. This piece is rather dark, but exemplifies some compositional techniques that have only in the past few months finally clicked in my head. There is a second Schaeffer on display, of a totally different genre, but the picture came out shaky. Hopefully it's still up next time I'm there. I also need more detail shots, but as I said, my camera was giving me fits.

Most of the black-and-white work is behind very glaring glass, but this nice little piece by Frank Godwin is a great example. He shared a studio for awhile with James Montgomery Flagg, he of the Uncle Sam "I Want You" painting. A fantastic pen-and-ink artist, primarily, his obscurity only shows that the lack of credit given to pen-and-ink artists is long-standing.

I've been spending a lot of time at the Society these past few months, relative to just about any place else, so don't be surprised that a few posts happen to involve things going on there. In fact, another couple of SI-related posts (albeit on a totally different topic) are soon to follow. Hope they're still interesting to you, even if they don't feature naked people.

There are two purposes to this week's post: 1.)to make fellow illustrators jealous who don't live out here and 2.)to perhaps introduce some of you to these fantastic Golden Age illustrators, all of whom are completely under appreciated in the Pantheon of the Arts, compared to folks like...oh, who can I get in trouble for calling out this week....how about Jasper Johns, considered by many highly placed critics (and at least one of my old professors) to be the greatest living American painter. I can't make this stuff up.