When A Rising Tide Floats All Hopes

"On Board with Houston" by John Ross Palmer

"In crucial things, unity. In important things, diversity. In all things, generosity." 
-- President George H.W. Bush  
(June 12, 1924 - November 30, 2018)

Artist John Ross Palmer is a fifth generation Texan and a native Houstonian. As a means to help him heal after seeing the devastation to his hometown that was caused by Hurricane Harvey, Palmer created "On Board with Houston". Watching the relief efforts, Palmer was most captivated by the men, women, children and pets that had to be rescued from the horrifically high flood waters by boats. A veritable armada of mostly privately owned boats used to save neighbors and fellow citizens.

The painting features seven interlocked boats symbolizing the coordination, communication, teamwork and generosity of first responders who came, not only from Houston, but from all across the United States. "On Board with Houston" paints a positive and uplifting message about the power of communities coming together to help each other. These combined efforts have led to the rebuilding of a stronger Houston since Hurricane Harvey.

Starting in 2017, Palmer has worked closely with the George H. W. Bush Foundation to create artwork for the 20th Anniversary of President Bush's library in College Station, TX. In the wake of the storm, Palmer met with the former President at his summer home on Walker's Point to share the painting. He loved it! President Bush and Palmer hatched an idea to sell prints of the painting to raise funds for the Points of Light Foundation's Hurricane Harvey relief effort, including the Foundation's plans for a long-term volunteer program throughout Houston. 

To honor the former President and also add another inspirational element to the painting, Palmer infused small white dots amidst the letters of "Houston", representing the 41st President of the Untied States' Thousand Points of Light initiative and its ongoing efforts to support and encourage volunteerism. The painting was signed by both President George H. W. Bush and Artist John Ross Palmer on Thursday, August 31, 2017 in Kennebunkport, Maine.

We purchased this print and so can you. "On Board with Houston" prints are created, packaged and shipped from Houston, TX.

John Ross Palmer Art
713.861.6726
http://www.johnpalmerart.com/





    

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The blue trees: Dr. Seuss and Brothers Grimm mash-up

This is a blue tree. Rather, this tree is blue. I painted this with biologically-safe, water-based ultramarine mineral pigments. I wouldn't normally go around slapping pigments on trees, but this was a special installation from performance artist and sculptor Konstantin Dimopoulos and I was a volunteer. 
 
The Blue Trees is part of an ongoing series he's creating, and in the case of Houston it's meant to draw attention to the millions of lovely trees we lost to Hurricane Ike and the drought. On a grander scale, it's also meant to call attention to the perils of deforestation. 

They said they had more than 100 volunteers over the three days of painting, but if I were guessing I'd say closer to 200 folks showed up to be part of this social installation. This is the scene upon arrival. Note the (blurry) bluebonnet in the foreground - our national - er, state - flower. 

Dimopoulos himself was overseeing the painting. He's an interesting character. Born in Egypt, he has a Greek name, spent many years in New Zealand and now lives in Australia. And his accent is all Aussie. He's charming, well-spoken and visionary. And wears a lot of blue.

Here is Konstantin, being interviewed by one of the affiliates. No, they didn't plan out that kneeling choreography...

The horseshoe of crepe myrtles stands stoically, peaceful and unmoving in the center of a hub of traffic. The blue adds a layer of odd tranquility, with the final effect feeling like a collaboration between Dr. Seuss and the Brothers Grimm. 

Houston loves art, and I love Houston for supporting projects like this one!
  

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For the love of art: Wade Wilson Art is awash in color

Houston is a city where you can get up-close and personal with some exceptional art created by brilliant talent from all over the world. 

Consider the gallery of Wade Wilson. He has a keen eye for talent, and especially for artists who are adept at large-scale works filled with rich layering, texture and dimension. Any opening there is a guaranteed hit, because there will always be a piece or five which speak to you. Oh, and the people who attend the events are also colorful and engaging.

Recently we checked out a multi-artist show, and this gallery continues to feature serious artistic merit.

Houstonian Justin Garcia is a master of mixing oil, acrylic and compound texture. Standing close to his canvases, you see bubbling and crackling on the surface. It's just so yummy. His philosophy is that 'art is the doorway to discovering the answers that lie behind our innate curiosity.'

Hans de Bruijn, a conceptual expressionist, was trained at the Royal Arts Academy in The Hague. He does wonders with juxtaposed positive and negative images, with layers upon layers of paint. I found his work to be playfully abstract yet architectural, and his brushstrokes lush and seductive. 

Thomas Glass loves the art of collage, and reminds me a little of Picasso plus Miro plus Cezanne. His works are huge riots of color, with plenty of little surprises to keep you absorbed in studying his work.
 

Houston boasts dozens of art galleries in its thriving art community. Get out and put yourself in the middle of it - you'll be glad you did. Pin It Now!

Monet to the left of me, Weiwei to the right

art. is.

I can't think of anyone who would take exception to the statement that Houston, Texas is a huge city for the arts. Both visual and performing. Even after five years of calling Houston home, what I can't get over is the accessibility and rich abundance of art from all ages. In the past few days, I have had the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of my favorite specimens from art history at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and also current work from more than 60 galleries at the second annual Texas Contemporary Art Fair. 

The MFAH has it all - nearly 60,000 pieces in its collection - and admission is free on Thursdays. Parking is free, to boot. All you need is the desire to experience a world-class museum, and even a tiny bit of appreciation for priceless art and artefacts. 

My neighbor and I went together, and since she studied art as well, we had an awesome time checking out and discussing paintings from different periods in time. It was like being in school again, but without the pressure. By the time we were leaving there, I found myself agreeing to dig out my paints and canvases and do some painting sessions at her place. 

Just a few of the highlights: Botticelli, Van Rijn, Gainsborough, Monet, Van Gogh, Courbet, Cezanne, Picasso, Rodin and of course Matisse.

Contrast these classics to the contemporary art on display at the Contemporary Art Fair, and you've moved to creative use of media, often disturbing imagery, a representation of artists who are clearly going through a lot of anguish, and a little experimentation with substances other than paint (I guess they did that back then, too). 

I didn't know most of the artists' names (except Weiwei), but the art was startling and wonderful. 

This is what makes Houston so interesting - having the historic context, as well as a vibrant practicing art scene. Everywhere we go, we run into at least one artist. Sometimes dozens. And we love it. 

If life is indeed a canvas, let's throw a lot of paint on it - with love and purpose. And keep creating. 

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The world in your backyard: Menil Collection turns 25

Anyone who found themselves on the grounds of the Menil Collection in Houston last Saturday met with good fortune in the form of a truly enjoyable celebration of the collection's 25th birthday. 

The catalyst for this astonishing, world-class and masterfully curated art collection actually occurred back in 1931 in France, with the marriage of John de Menil to Dominique Schlumberger. 

France's loss of these residents during WWII was Houston's gain, as the de Menils quickly steeped themselves in Houston's then-nascent art and architecture scene. The landmark building housing the main part of the family's collection was built by Dominique after her husband's passing. 

To me, and probably many thousands of others, this building is not only inspirational from the exterior in its harmoniously rooted connection with its park-like surrounding, but also the interior with daring proportions and almost startling white space and acoustics show reverence for (and deference to) the art and artifacts it houses. 

On this particular day in a series of events celebrating the collection's 25th birthday, we loved the family-friendly setting...

...the exciting live jazz musicians...

...the dancers sweltering in the heat...

 ...and time with my honey!    

Thanks to ongoing generosity of corporations and individuals, the Menil Collection is free, the event was free, and no passport is required to access amazing culture from around the globe. 

How much do we love living in Houston? 


 

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Everyone loves a parade, but art cars are special

Peeling out: Mayor Parker is in the blue shirt

As we say ad nauseam, Houston is a vastly underrated city. This tends to be perpetuated by national media, and for some odd reason our citizens don't seem to provide a sufficiently vocal or eloquent riposte to such unfounded parries. 

On the other hand, we somehow can whip out some in-yo-face rebuttals of the VISUAL sort. Like the Art Car Parade. 

It's the largest of its kind, the only one of its kind, and, well, just plain WEIRD. 

We love it, we love Houston for it, and we are proud that it makes its serpentine path through our neighborhood each May.

Need I say more?

Big mouth!

This year, the grand parade celebrated its 25th anniversary. It's about human-powered and motorized vehicles with whimsical, artistic, political, educational and even racy themes. It's about all forms of expression and connection.

This man was a fit, smiling senior

One of the original art cars!

'Vanadu'

The Orange Show float (curator of the parade)

A sock monkey car is a must

For us, the fun of it was being able to hang out with friends, and host three friends who have never seen the Art Car parade. They LOVED it. So did the other 300,000 spectators and like 20,000 dogs. As they say, everyone loves a parade. We're happy to host and we are a one-block walk from one of the best vantage points!

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Byzantium, Picasso and Magritte

Having set aside a quick hour on a recent Wednesday, I decided to take advantage of a world-class collection only two miles from the house. The Menil Collection was founded by immigrants who left France for Houston during WW II. The de Menils collected everything from prehistoric artifacts to modern day masterpieces.

What I love, apart from the fact that this museum is free, is that you can enjoy the amazing architecture of the space as the perfect background for priceless works. Where else can you park at no cost, wander in, and get up close and personal with works from Picasso and Magritte? I saw Le chant des sirenes, for example. Tres cool.

The bonus was checking out the special exhibit, 'Imprinting the Divine' - a collection of 13th to 18th century Byzantine iconic paintings. As an artist, I'm fascinated by the discipline of art from that time, and how the artists at that time didn't quite grasp perspective or vanishing points. But that doesn't matter - these pieces were pretty amazing and told many stories. 

If you're in Houston and can sneak away just for an hour, it's worth checking out the Menil - especially if you haven't seen it in a while. Don't wait too long - the Byzantine exhibit runs through March 18.

On the grounds of the Menil, near a popular picnic spot

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