ALLEN BRAMHALL

Mi casa is blessed to house two lovely artworks by Allen Bramhall. Allen is not just a visual artist but someone close to my heart: a poet who has supported poetry as a former publisher (30 books!), critic, supporter of others' poetry presses and books, and author of intelligent and wise poems. He is a "poet who innocently turned to painting," and I'm glad he did!

BEATRICE WOOD

We've long lived with a Beatrice Wood bowl; we've admired her pottery for years. But when we visited her Ojai, CA home, we ended up taking home one of her sketches. It's moving, partly because of its inscription--both the title "Frightened of her dreams" and the fragility of the handwriting. She was 104 years old when she inscribed/made the sketch. If I live that long, I hope not to be fearful and fragile but always be in a celebratory mood for each additional day. But what do I/we know? Life is fragile...

("Frightened of her dreams")

(Detail)

DANIEL DOUKE

We've lived for decades with the works of superrealist artist Daniel Douke and the works remain fresh as ever! His "boxes" are so realistic that you could be nose to that thing on his painting that looks like masking tape, or a fold on the cardboard, and you honestly would say that is the real thing instead of (raised) paint on canvas. Interestingly, he once visited our home to look at these early works and he observed he would find it difficult to do them again as his body (hands) have aged out of the steadiness required to paint several of the superrealist details. So here are 3 of our 4 paintings -- which are always, by the way, endangered by movers as they keep thinking they're boxes for objects instead of the actual objects being packed:

Some links:
http://www.beartmagazine.com/exhibition-los-angeles-daniel-douke-at-peter-mendenhall-gallery/

https://www.nevadaart.org/exhib…/daniel-douke-extraordinary/

BRIAN LUCAS

Brian Lucas is a poet as well as a visual artist. I met him through poetry but have enjoyed living with his works for years!

CRISTINA QUERRER & ROXANNE SWENTZELL

This post features two artists whose works we enjoy in the house: Cristina Querrer and Roxanne Swentzell. I group them together because there is a set-up where Cristina's drawing is always next to one of Roxanne's bronzes -- I like the play between the two. 

We are also blessed with another sculpture by Roxanne--

and lovely small paintings by Cristina--

Cristina Querrer, by the way, is also a poet with a lovely chapbook, The Art of Exporting, from dancing girl press & studio (2011). Here's a review I wrote on it.

MOB, REANNE ESTRADA, ELIZA BARRIOS and JENIFER WOFFORD

I’m pleased to share that I live with the works of Reanne “Immaculata” Estrada, Eliza “Neneng” Barrios, and Jenifer “Baby” Wofford through their brilliant Mail Order Brides/M.O.B. project. Since they were photographed in a bathroom, I put their photos in a bathroom ☺ (just a half-bath so the works won’t be damaged by shower/bath steam). 

I’m also blessed to live with some of their works as individual artists. Like Jenifer’s fabulous Nurse and Bangka series as well as her drawing-sculpture involving whiteout against black paper and Eliza’s gilded half-erased suitcase… I delight in smart artists and these three are sharp as well as visually compelling.

ARVIN FLORES

I discovered Arvin Flores when one of his works was exhibited at some SF Manila Town gallery (you can tell my memory is failing me again when I can't quite pinpoint the venue) where Theo Gonzalves and Meritage Press were launching his fabulous book, STAGE PRESENCE. I took Arvin's work home and have delighted in living with it since.