Tucson. November, 2006

My friend Miles runs Tucson's Conrad Wilde Gallery. On a day when I was in his "shop" to buy one of his encaustic works, he showed me the "backstage." And there was this large SEE. Appropriate for an art gallery, no?

First Saturday, Tucson. March, 2011

It’s no accident that I feel my soul open up whenever I visit Tucson. The sky. The sun. The warmth (I usually visit during cold New England winters back home.) And the fact that my generous hosts Simon and David are artists, given to creative thinking, provocative conversation. And given to great company with a group of friends similarly inclined. Fortunately a recent visit coincided with Tucson’s First Saturday, a monthy event during which many galleries hold opening receptions for newly installed shows. Like this one at the Conrad Wilde Gallery on 6th Street, its Sixth Annual Encaustic Invitational. Attended both by enthusiastic investors and by participating and interested artists, this and other nearby openings remind me of Tucson itself: easy, comfortable, warm, hospitable, welcoming, enlightening. All this, good art...and refreshments, too.

Tucson. November, 2006

Though oil is the most common medium in which to blend pigment, wax can also be used, resulting in a technique called encaustic. My friend Miles is a recognized leader in this field, teaching classes and workshops on encaustic, selling equipment and related products. Here's a work of his on the left, seen during an exhibit at his Tucson gallery, the Conrad-Wilde.

Tucson. March, 2011

It’s no accident that I feel my soul open up whenever I visit Tucson. The sky. The sun. The warmth (I usually visit during cold New England winters back home.) And the fact that my generous hosts Simon and David are artists, given to creative thinking, provocative conversation. And given to great company with a group of friends similarly inclined. Fortunately a recent visit coincided with Tucson’s First Saturday, a monthy event during which many galleries hold opening receptions for newly installed shows. Like this one at the Conrad Wilde Gallery on 6th Street, its Sixth Annual Encaustic Invitational. Attended both by enthusiastic investors and by participating and interested artists, this and other nearby openings remind me of Tucson itself: easy, comfortable, warm, hospitable, welcoming, enlightening. All this, good art...and refreshments, too.