Bobby Lee today
In the style of Maxfield Parrish
‘The’ illustrator of his time. Pinancle of 1920s glam. Known for his famous ‘Parrish Blue’
Combination of watery brush work, collage, digital
Today is the day
“Surrender
I, Robert E. Lee of Lexington, Virginia do solemn, in the presence of Almighty God, that I will henceforth faithfully support, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, the Union of the States thereafter, and that I will, in like manner, abide by and faithful support all laws and proclamations which have been made during the existing rebellion with reference to the emancipation of slaves, so help me God.” –— REL 1865
“Boom” —REL 2021
and the horse he didn’t ride in on (this dude never set foot in Charlottesville, nor id ‘Stonewall’ or any of ‘em)
Cool story - my poster on Hulu
A movie/series (?) is being shot right now in the area and my poster will be in a scene in the background. So, I was contacted by Hulu for permission and the tiniest of payments to license it for this one use. I feel sure it will be on the wall of some dreadful ethics-free pharmaceuticals executive or something, perhaps a K street lobbyist or a Pay for Play coin operated congresscritter.
Oil stick painting, on paper from 1992(ish)
Around this time I made an enormous (for me - 6’x4’ composed of 2’x2’ sqare canvases) red painting on the oil well fires during one of those George Bush wars. No photo of it easily accessible. So there’s this. It was a smoky ember quality that seems sadly appropriate as we approach fire season.
Copyright Barbara Shenefield. OK?
Ransomware attacks
are everywhere and I get ransomware fishing emails through this account regularly yet Squarespace cannot be bothered to filter them out. I supoose there is a chance this website will go away? Or moved to a new URL, stay tuned. Squarespace used to be a great platform until it was sold, of course, cashed in; and now it’s rent-seeking penny pinching and all the rest that Silicon Valley and Wall Street are about. Sorry for the rant. It wasn’t the best week, for democracy for most of us.
Expressive
Unusually expressive statuary, unusually prominent, too, for a federal building in DC (Federal Trade Commission). Love the symbolism here. Perhaps a 2021 version would have The Common Man wrestling a spaceship back to earth?
(My photo, besides it is in LOC and eff off to the ransomware trolls any change to my blog triggers)
On the boards
Maymont is a gilded age estate in Richmond, on the bluffs of the James River. The Italian Gardens are lovely though some features have no weathered the eras too well. In my research I learned 1. there were peacocks roaming the property when the Dooleys owned it, and 2. there are 300+ species of rosa and though I would love to accurately depict the actual species found at Maymont, that’s a bit beyond me.
Recent home portraits
It is an honor to make a home portrait for a family. It’s my favorite thing to do.
Cville Arts, gallery in Charlottesville
Thankfully, and with a lot of help, our cooperative seems to have weathered COVID19. It was pretty touch and go there for a moment, for several long moments. It is so good to have folks back in the store, locals and visitors. It’s always interesting to chat with people who are passing through the area, or students/residents moving in or moving on. This organization is really a bit of a marvel; that a group of artists and craftspeople work together in ways that benefit each other and it’s lasted 25 (?) years, too, through economic downturns, right wing kook riots, weather extremes, pandemic - what next? We’re resilient!
Through a yellowed lens
This has a seventies yellowed film feel to it. Remember visiting The Byrd in the early seventies, remember the red interior and the organ - both of which are amazing
An honor for my work to be in your home
Thanks for sending me pix of the posters - it’s always interesting and really an honor to see them relocated in folks’ homes
Public Education all the way baby
Publicly funded schools all the way through bachelor’s degree. Anti-elite to the core!
Overcoming Climate Anxiety
Exposure to despairing images defeats us. Let’s have a vision of the future.
Make your life more meaningful and engage in this fight. It’s what has me fired up and fighting for my children’s future, and that’s not a slogan, that’s what I live most days.
Turn that despair into fury and into action.
Exhibit at McGuffey Art Center is up and opens today
Part of the A Better Future series
How about being kinder to our children. A $3600 check will help. This new administration off to a good start.
History is my thing, somewhat
I would prefer to read a biography of someone I thought admirable, but Harry Byrd is not really known to me and is key to understanding my adopted state of Virginia, so here goes.
Byrd was before my time, died about when I was born. Would I ever read a biography of a similar character within my own memory, say, Newt Gingrich? Ew. No. But Byrd is so often the answer to “why is (…random oddity/shameful thing in Virginia…)?” Byrd was an extension of the Virginia aristocracy. Though he wasn’t born into opulence, he did descend from the most connected families in Virginia and he was all about protecting the status quo. Some elements regarded him as a man of the utmost probity, the epitome of the Virginia Gentleman - rural and rich - can’t really call him a snob as he was not educated nor cultured as that word implies but still he was totally snobby and segregationist - basically an obstructionist of any change that sounded like federalism or social progress. Or that spent money. Parsimonious is a charitable word for this most uncharitable Scrooge. He had a pathological fear of the future and saw bankruptcy and ruin around every corner. Another mean stingy conservative but one who set the tone for much of what we live with today, including the Robert E Lee statue in the state Capitol in Richmond that was quietly removed early this year. I could not help but wonder when the last page reveals Byrd died of a brain tumor if that physical infirmity in some way contributed to his constant refrain of impending doom especially if money was to be spent.
Though Byrd perpetuated a lot of undemocratic and indeed oligarchic structures in Virginia, he didn’t invent them, that’s for sure. They were long established by the time he was born in 1887. And he wasn’t all bad? Was actually a progressive (relative term) early in his career, modernized roads and bureaucratic procedures (while simultaneously building a patronage network) and was not as bad as, say George Wallace or Strom Thurmond. Yay.
Having recently read books about the New Deal and other histories of the USA in roughly that era, this book helped fill in some details and told it in an engaging way. I would have never thought I would sit down and read a biography of Harry Byrd in just a few sittings, but the pandemic sets us a lot of free time plus this is well done. The book is a well told tale. I have tried to read some political history books before, particularly Katznelson’s ‘Fear Itself’ but I could not. Political science freaks me out. There’s so much meanness. I remain on the lookout for that FDR biography that’s not a bazillion pages.
Last night as I put the book down I attempted to contact the author with my thanks but sadly he passed away, only last month.
Let There Be Light, 2020
Grateful! for our government
Broadly, government has provided so much to me personally including an excellent state university education, and recently has come to rescue my microbusiness with a PPP loan and via my main gallery, CARES Act loans that will at least keep the lights on there until spring. Retail of all kinds is hurting, and a good deal of my posters are in the category of travel related gifts. No need to explain to anyone how that sector is ailing.
And more props to our local government which has found the money to temporarily shelter the many folks who are living on the streets during this COVID crisis which shows no sign of abating, indeed is getting worse. Though the art festivals were all cancelled and sales are down massively, these grants and the $150/wk that I get through unemployment surely helps us pay our extortionate health insurance bill, maintain our home and support our college aged son, and in turn contribute to our community by supporting local agriculture, restaurants and businesses. It is not fashionable to be anything but critical of the hand that feeds and yes there is a lot to be concerned about as far as how our governments conduct themselves, supposedly on our behalf, but we are all supported in so many often not obvious ways.
