Laraine Armenti

student of painting

Magnolias — The End

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As the magnolia tree finished blooming, a month of painting its flowers came to an end. My mind’s ear keeps replaying The Doors singing “This is the end, my beautiful friend, the end.” The guitar and Jim Morrison’s deadly serious voice conjures up 1968: the American war in Viet Nam broadcast on a black and white tv in the background of a brightly lit wall-to-wall carpeted American suburban … [Read more...]

Magnolia

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I have recently come across the painter Tad Spurgeon’s inspiring and extensive website. It is chock full of his oil paintings, elegant writing about the creative process, experiments with materials, and historic research. He connects making art to contemporary life with philosophical patience and humor. It’s been a genuine pleasure encountering his musings, knowledge, and artwork throughout the … [Read more...]

Magnolia Sketches

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I felt dazed for a long time after seeing the movie ‘Crumb’ in 1996. First because the portrait of Robert Crumb’s family was so disturbing. Another documentary, ‘The Confessions of Robert Crumb’ by the BBC, presented a more normal set of family portraits. Second because I envied his obsessive approach to drawing. He drew whatever he saw around him, thought about from memory, or interpreted from … [Read more...]