Category Archives: art studio

Naked to the Bone

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This exciting solo exhibit features many of my newest abstract figurative paintings. Like all of my artwork, it explores the blur between reality and the imagined, depicting emotions and feelings.

The title Naked to the Bone is particularly apt because it comes from one of my favorite poems by Pacific Northwest poet Theodore Roethke, much celebrated in the 1950s and 1960s. The poem “Open House” expresses the emotion of having your innermost feelings on show – I think it has particular relevance for this special exhibition:

“My secrets cry aloud…I’m naked to the bone”

d”Art Center Norfolk, VA Solo Exhibition

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Am selecting pieces from the studio for my upcoming solo exhibit at d’Art Center, Norfolk, Virginia July 1 – 25, 2021. This painting, “A Pulse Beyond 13,” 12×12 inches, may make the cut. I particularly like the way the black color dances around the square and strengthens the figure, making a powerful and compelling statement against the lush background. It epitomizes the rich relationship between ourselves and our surroundings, often at odds, yet inevitably part of one another.

d”Art Center Norfolk, VA Solo Exhibition

Harris

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The studio in winter, with good light streaming in from window doors, makes a happy place to be as wild and crazy, bold and risky, unexpected and original as any artist could desire. Neatness does not count! The important thing is to try something new. Trust oneself.

Sara

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Sara, painting on canvas 48″x36″ by Washington, DC artist Leslie M. Nolan

This is the first painting of 2021 completed in the studio. The January chill in the air mandates bundlng up in painted layers of silk, flannel, wool, and down quilting. Perhaps that explains the choice of white and icy blue in Sara, above. The rust-red helps to impart a warmer feel to this free-wheeling painting. I think we should all be celebrating the move into a new year promising hope and change. Fingers crossed!

In the studio

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Washington, DC Artist Leslie M. Nolan in her Virginia Studio

There’s something about September in the studio. With the door open to the woods outside, the air feels different. Like the coming of fall. Full of hope and refreshing cool breezes. One of my favorite collectors left the studio yesterday with a captivating large artwork for a new space. As always, I’m humbled when collectors knock on my door for more. And, I’m on fire to do more…

American Psychologist Association

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I Went, Not Looking Back, 36×36 painting on canvas by Washington, DC artist Leslie M. Nolan

I’m so honored to have my enigmatic painting on the cover of the September 2020 issue of American Psychologist Journal. Now in the custody of one of my collectors, this painting has always been one of my favorites. I like the color, the movement, and the ambiguity. I feel yellow always conveys hopeful and positive emotions

The title comes from a poem by Theodore Roethke, a Pacific Northwest poet much beloved during my undergraduate years. Both poem and painting exude a sense of loss as well as moving on into the future. The image imagines a confidence and purpose as the figure continues on the journey. More on this in a future post.

Happy fall to all of you.

New Artwork – New Exhibit

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img_20200520_140116595This is a small sample of my solo Divergent Impulses at Calloway Fine Art & Consulting in Washington, DC, available online through June 5.  All new and exciting figurative work out of my imagination. Most of the 15 paintings featured in the show are 36×48 canvases. I think they make any room in the home or office more interesting.

Check out:

https://callowayart.com/divergent-impulses

 

Divergent Images @callowayart.com

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Dave48x36acrylic_on_canvas

Dave, 48×36 painting on canvas by Washington, DC artist Leslie Nolan

My solo exhibit at Calloway Fine Art & Consulting is now available online for viewing and for purchasing:

http://callowayart.com/divergent-impulses

You’ll find 15 artworks as well as a video featuring a visit with me behind the scenes in my studio.