STUDIO NEWS 11.26

Back in the Studio

After a busy summer of exhibitions, I'm happy to be back in the studio, working on a commissioned painting and finding time to consider what's next.

The past few months have been rewarding, with opportunities to share different bodies of work, reconnect with friends and collectors, and have some interesting conversations about art. I thought I'd share a few highlights, along with some of the books and ideas that have been occupying my thoughts lately.

A Summer of Exhibitions

Reception: CONDITIONS, Vail Public Library

Summer began with a group exhibition at Gel Z Gallery | Minturn, Colorado. It’s always a pleasure to share work in our local arts community and connect with people who bring different perspectives to what they see.

Followed by concurrent exhibitions in September.

Conditions | Vail Public Library – In September, I presented Conditions, a solo exhibition of abstract paintings exploring light, atmosphere, movement, and the forces that shape our natural environment.

These paintings are less about describing a particular landscape than about capturing something experienced or sensed within it.

Vail Valley Fine Art Show | Colorado Mountain College – My work is currently included in the Vail Valley Fine Art Show at CMC in Edwards. This exhibition features three pieces from my representational work: Indy Vision, Wynwood 27th St., and Weight of the Flag, a triptych.

The exhibition remains on view through December 18.

Read John LaConte’s Vail Daily feature about the two exhibitions.

What I am reading now

Ninth Street Women — Mary Gabriel – I'm revisiting this remarkable account of five women who helped shape Abstract Expressionism: Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler. With the current Krasner and Pollock: Past Continuous exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, it seems an especially appropriate time to return to their stories and contributions.

Secret Knowledge — David Hockney – Hockney’s theories about mirrors, lenses, and painting techniques remain debated, but they offer some intriguing questions to explore with my portraiture students at Colorado Mountain College.

Accelerando — Charles Stross – Published in 2005, this science-fiction novel imagines a world transformed by accelerating technological change and artificial intelligence. Reading it more than two decades after publication, I'm struck by how relevant many of its ideas feel today, especially as we confront AI's growing influence on our lives and creative work.

Thank you for following

All this reading, along with my recent exhibitions, has me thinking about the relationship between realism and abstraction, and what each lets me express. It's a conversation I keep having with myself in the studio.Thank you for following along and for your continued interest in my work.

Warmly,

Jami

JAMI NIX RAHN