Category Archives: Art

Pool time in Palm springs

Pink Striped Towel, Photo Romi Cortier
Pink Striped Towel, Photo Romi Cortier

 

Towel in Water, Photo Romi Cortier
Towel in Water, Photo Romi Cortier

 

Orange Striped Towel, Photo Romi Cortier
Orange Striped Towel, Photo Romi Cortier

 

Pool Float in Pool, Photo Romi Cortier
Pool Float in Pool, Photo Romi Cortier

 

Pink Ball in Water, Photo Romi Cortier
Pink Ball in Water, Photo Romi Cortier

Pool time in Palm Springs is my favorite time of year. If you’ve ever spent a summer in Palm Springs, then you know how hot it gets. I have a home there and nothing feels better then jumping in the pool when the temperature hits 115. Splash. Submerge. That big ahhh as my body temperature drops. Every thought squeezed from my mind. Relaxation at its finest.

I’ll never forget the moment I was floating in the water, looked at the towel hanging over the edge of the pool and thought, hey there’s a painting there.  I got out, snatched my camera, waded back in, and spent the next few hours photographing the towel, the ball, the pool toys, the shadows from the palm trees.  I was lost in the artists zone of making art.  Each weekend it became my obsession as  my collection of photos grew. I came to view my simple back yard as a total work of art. The stainless steel fence, the agave plants, the palm trees, the colored river rock, they all held a story that needed to be told. Was is it sun stroke, or was there really that much beauty in the simplest of details.

The Palm Spring nights take on an equal amount of beauty from the pool. Looking up at the stars and the moon, feeling the warm breeze, enjoying the nothingness of it all, yet feeling so content. Wondering how many eyes have looked at those same stars over the years, seeing what I’m seeing. It’s no surprise so many of us dash to the desert for the weekends. To decompress. To reconnect. To feel the pulse of nature and find our own pulse again. This is the less celebrated side of life in the desert, but for me, it’s what keeps me coming back.

Tulip Paintings

Lavender Tulips, Gouache on Paper, by Romi Cortier
Lavender Tulips, Gouache on Paper, by Romi Cortier, Sold

Here’s my most recent series of paintings: Tulips, works on paper. They’re freer and more spontaneous than my oil paintings on canvas.

I started by photographing a large glass vase full of tulips in my art studio, then, a few months later, worked to reinterpret the images with Gouache on paper. Gouache is a water based paint that is thicker than traditional water color paint. Apparently, before graphic design went digital with the rest of the world, gouache was the medium of choice. This medium allows the user to create  rich saturated colors that dry very quickly, especially when compared to oil on canvas.  Even though I’d used gouache paint in my design classes at UCLA,  I’d never really considered using it as a professional medium until I saw the work of Richard Diebenkorn at the Palm Springs Art Museum last fall. (Richard Diebenkorn: The Berkeley Years, 1953 – 1966) His moody saturated images really spoke to me, so I dug out my old tubes of gouache paint, bought a few new colors and went to work.  The above painting, Lavender Tulips,  is the third work in my progression of Tulip Paintings and is currently being framed.  Below you’ll see Orange Tulips, the first in the series, and Purple Tulips (which has already sold).  Additional inspiration came from the vintage print works of Francoise Gilot.

Orange Tulips, Gouache on Paper, by Romi Cortier
Orange Tulips, Gouache on Paper, by Romi Cortier
Purple Tulips, Gouache on Paper, by Romi Cortier, Sold
Purple Tulips, Gouache on Paper, by Romi Cortier, Sold

Below is a Flipagram (cool iphone/ipad App) that will let you tell any story in 15 seconds. In my Flipagram, I show you the evolution of Lavender Tulips from start to finish.

 

Portraits of the Fallen Memorial at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum

PORTRAITS of the FALLEN MEMORIAL, Photo Romi Cortier
PORTRAITS of the FALLEN MEMORIAL, Photo Romi Cortier
Romi Cortier at Portraits of the Fallen Memorial, Photo Curator Sherry Moore
Romi Cortier at Portraits of the Fallen Memorial, Photo Curator Sherry Moore
PORTRAITS of the FALLEN MEMORIAL, Photo Romi Cortier
PORTRAITS of the FALLEN MEMORIAL, Photo Romi Cortier
PORTRAITS of the FALLEN MEMORIAL, Photo Romi Cortier
PORTRAITS of the FALLEN MEMORIAL, Left to Right: Louis J. Langlais-Artist Seda Baghdasarian, Andrew R. Tobin-Artist Allise Pelham, Tyler N. Holtz – Artist Dennis Carrie, Carlo F. Eugenio-Artist Elizabeth McGhee, Christoper G. Singer-Artist T. Berg Kvitky
PORTRAITS of the FALLEN MEMORIAL, Photo Romi Cortier
PORTRAITS of the FALLEN MEMORIAL, Left to Right: Jose Casanova-Artist Elizabeth B. Tucker, Christopher G. Nason-Artist Romi Cortier, Justin W. Pollard-Artist Kent Twitchell, Michael A. DiRamondo-Artist Christina Ramos

PORTRAITS of the FALLEN MEMORIAL at the Richard Nixon Library  and Museum closes this Sunday July 6th.

Three years ago curator Sherry Moore contacted me to participate in this amazing project to commemorate and remember our fallen soldiers from the Iraq  or Afghanistan War.  This project is near and dear to Sherry’s heart, as she too is a veteran. There are 158 portraits of the California fallen completed to date, with an ultimate goal to depict each of the over 6,500 fallen U.S. heroes.  This exhibit demonstrates the importance of serving our country, but is also a reminder of the sacrifices of our fallen heroes and the impact their service has had upon their families and communities.

My contribution to this memorial project was the portrait of Christopher G. Nason, bottom photo, second from the left. My research indicated that Mr. Nason had a tremendous affect on those he came in contact with, leaving them with a big smile. Therefore, I chose brightly colored stars for his background, to imbue his patriotism with his lively spirit. I also used gold leaf on the sides of the 5×5 painting to create a little extra glow around him.

I myself am from a long line of military personnel, however, I knew the military experience wasn’t for me. Both my birth father and step father served in the military, and I have a nephew currently serving as an officer, as well as a nephew-in-law serving.  Therefore, giving back in this very small yet personal way by painting Christopher G. Nason, was the very least that I could do. Having suffered a tremendous loss myself this year, brings home to me the very painful reality of losing anyone we love, whether it be a parent,  a child or a significant other… loss is loss. I wish I’d started my blog sooner to get the word out during the beginning of this very  important and touching exhibit. However, If you aren’t able to see it before it closes, I’m confident there will be other opportunities to view it here in southern California.

www.PortraitsoftheFallenMemorial.org or on Facebook

 

The Evolution of Artist Alberto Murillo

Alaberto Murillo, 'Nassau, 50 x 40, (private collection)
Alaberto Murillo, ‘Nassau, 50 x 40, Acrylic/Resin on Board (private collection)
Alberto Murillo, 'Taormina', 50 x 40, Acrylic/Resin on Board
Alberto Murillo, ‘Taormina’, 50 x 40, Acrylic/Resin on Board, Image courtesy JoAnne Artman Gallery
Alberto Murillo, 'Chanel No. 5', 30x40, Acrylic/Resin on Board
Alberto Murillo, ‘Chanel No. 5’, 30×40, Acrylic/Resin on Board, Image Courtesy JoAnne Artman Gallery

It’s been very exciting to observe the Evolution of Artist Alberto Murillo during the last couple of years. I fist became of aware of his work at the JoAnne Artman Gallery in Laguna Beach. I’d wandered into her gallery after  having lunch with a friend, and she greeted us with such enthusiasm.  New to the neighborhood in 2008, her gallery is part of ‘Gallery Row’ at 326 North Coast Highway. She gladly gave us a tour and began educating us about her roster of artists.

At that time, Alberto’s work was very horizontal, or vertical depending on how you hung it, with thin lines of acrylic/resin on board. I thought it was unique, but it didn’t resonate with me. Cut to a gallery opening a year later with pieces like ‘Nassau‘ and ‘Taormina‘ and I was very intrigued. Murillo explained that he’d observed the resin on the floor after creating the vertical pieces and loved how the colors over lapped and melded together. He refers to this as his ‘Therapy Series‘ that helped pull him out of a very dark place.  The latest twist to his work is sandblasting away part of the resin to create an image, such as ‘Chanel No. 5′. Matte against shiny. It’s absolutely stunning in person. If it’s good enough for the Givenchy Family in NYC, then it’s good enough for me… adding it to my ‘must have’ list.

 

Italian Futurism at the Guggenheim Museum

Tulio Crali, Before the Parachute Opens, 1939, Courtesy Guggenheim Museum
Tulio Crali, Before the Parachute Opens, 1939, Photo courtesy Guggenheim Museum
Ivo Pannaggi, Speeding Train, 1922, Photo courtesy Guggenheim Museum
Ivo Pannaggi, Speeding Train, 1922, Photo courtesy Guggenheim Museum
Benedetta Cappa Marinetti, Speeding Motorboat, 1923-24, Photo courtesy Guggenheim Museum
Benedetta Cappa Marinetti, Speeding Motorboat, 1923-24, Photo courtesy Guggenheim Museum

This spring I attended the Italian Futurism exhibit at the GuggenheimMuseum in New York. I’d read about the exhibit in October 2013, and added it to my ‘must do’ list, even if that meant sofa surfing at a friends apartment. Fortunately, that wasn’t necessary. As I understand it, this exhibit is the first survey of this period in the United States, which makes it ground breaking in and of itself.  The easiest way to describe this movement would be to call it  Italian Art Deco, however, the Italian Futurism period dates from 1909 – 1944 and includes other elements. “Their style evolved from fractured elements in the 1910’s  to a mechanical language in the 20’s, and then to aerial imagery in the 30’s”.

I’ve chosen the images above because like Art Deco, there was a fascination and celebration of speed, including planes, trains and automobiles. The image of the train above is more cubist in nature, which was the basis for Art Deco. Before the Parachute Opens was one of my favorite paintings in the entire exhibit. Large in scale, it was the first time I’d seen a painting from this perspective and seemed to exemplify what the exhibit was about. No photography was allowed beyond the signage in the lobby, therefore, I’ve used these images from the Guggenheim web site.

Exhibit closes September 1, 2014