June 17, 2016 In appreciation, art, color, craftsmanship, fine art, inspiration, painting By Patricia Saxton

Tim Cantor: Amazing

Tim Cantor is ridiculously talented. (I’m pretty sure if you look up the word “amazing” in the dictionary, his picture would be there.) With a brand new exhibit (on both coasts) and a beautifully produced 333-page hard cover coffee-table book showcasing his extraordinary art and poignant writings, he’s a shining star and rightly so. (Oh, and did I mention that one of his paintings inspired an original dress design? I don’t recall who designed the dress – apologies! – but did have fun seeing it.)

Last night I had the opportunity to meet Tim and his incredibly sweet, gracious wife, Amy, at the opening of his show in SOHO at the AFA Gallery. Props to my friend Roxanne for the introduction, and thanks to the weather for making it a perfect evening to stroll through the city. Then, of course, was the phenomenal art, admired with a glass of champagne in hand.

And, there was a dragon! A marvelous dragon, and another point of connection between two artists finding a few moments amidst the flurry of an opening reception to chat about how our minds work and how we don’t really go to many art shows and never wanted to be influenced by other artists so kind of kept our heads down, eyes on the canvas, brushes ready for the whichever inspiration would win out over another. (I don’t think you realize missing other people “getting” that sort of thing until you stop working long enough to rub shoulders.)

Tim, though, unlike myself, has made his fine art into a hugely successful full-time endeavor – and with his mastery, it would be a crime if he didn’t.

His demeanor is gentle and genuine, and his work – even if you didn’t know that he’s considered an artistic “rock star”, or that his art was introduced into the permanent art collection of the White House at age 15, or that his paintings hang in numerous celebrities’ homes (Robert DeNiro, Robert Redford, for example), have been exhibited around the globe and garnered wildly impressive media recognition – is truly exceptional. Seeing his surreal pieces in living color in the relatively intimate, high-ceilinged well-lit space of AFA was a delight.

The exhibit is up all summer at 54 Greene Street New York, NY 10013. Details here.

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All art created in oils, © Tim Cantor. See more of Tim’s work at timcantor.com.

 

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February 7, 2013 In art, inspiration, painting By Patricia Saxton

Finding the Sky

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I distinctly remember the first time I fell for the sky. I’d admired it before ~ you know, its multi-colored sunsets, fun-shaped clouds, and dreaming up into the soft blueness of it all. But some years back on a trip to Kenya, I fell over-the-top crazy in love.

The vastness, the magnificence, the stunning glory! What a sense of freedom, of breath, of grandness and possibility under that enormous African sky. Scrumptious! I fell pretty hard, and never recovered. Then I fell a second time, in Arizona, and there was no turning back.

Living near the ocean most of my life, I’ve had ample opportunity for drinking in “big sky ” ~ but while that too is endless and beguiling, I guess it’s true that there’s nothing like your first love; or the feeling you’ve been kissed by the sky.

When I’m out and about here in my own neck of the woods, I see buildings and lawns and cars and kids and dogs and trees. The sky is almost an afterthought. It’s just “there” ~ like the stars are there ~ up there, out there, steadfast and constant, serving a purpose without asking much in return. No pomp or circumstance, no royal carpet inviting your senses to wander in its wide open spaces, no obvious offering of lofty shelves for stacking your dreams.

But now and then I remember to look up while I’m walking, smile upwards when sun shines, gaze upwards when the moon glows, and then I realize it’s the same sky I fell in love with before.

For sure, East Coast heavens share different colors and express different moods than African ones, but it’s all one sky; it never left ~ I just have to look harder to find it. And when I do, I breathe a little more deeply, I feel a little less encumbered, and remind myself to look up more often.

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{All paintings oil on canvas / Patricia Saxton}

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August 11, 2012 In art, color, creativity, life and the universe, painting, travel, work and play By Patricia Saxton

Kenya Inspired

Me, Relaxing

Thought I’d share a few paintings that came out of my Kenyan experience several years back. More haunt my mind and lurk in my paintbrushes, but there are so many paintings to paint and so little time…

Kenyan Landscape / 5’X7′ / © Patricia Saxton

Flower Lady / 4’X4′ / © Patricia Saxton

Kenyan Plains / 9X12″ / © Patricia Saxton

And here’s me, capturing great shots. Looking younger too. Ah… Hakuna Matata.

Me, Captivated

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