Last word of the year

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Red Sneakers

December 2020 | West Hartford, CT | no. 2

John Coltrane, A Love Supreme, listen here

Dear Friends,

As I sit here on the last day of this extraordinary year I'm thinking about something John Coltrane said - "one positive thought produces millions of positive vibrations."

This year upended all that we know and have come to expect. It was marked by the loss for many of jobs, homes and loved ones, unrest and division in this country, and the cry for justice, fairness and support. It also showed us the remarkable human spirit at work, the importance of community, and I like to believe it helped to rekindle our generosity, compassion and love for one another. And I think it taught us all the depth of gratitude.

I feel tremendously grateful for the silver linings that followed the losses in my life this year and for the awareness and reminder to appreciate every little moment.

Let's begin this new year with positive vibrations. And with Coltrane rambling around in my head, I send to all a love supreme!

Here's to bright moments in 2021!

Happy New Year!

xo Janice

What Got Me Through the Year...

Music

In late March Bob Dylan released the single, Murder Most Foul, a 17 minute long song about the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Immediately, it became an anthem for me during the quarantine and I played it repeatedly, day after day, for hours. Something about its undulating rhythms and lyrics that roll call musicians and pop culture references had an alluring and hypnotic effect upon me. It was an absolute balm during the most uncertain early days of the pandemic. listen here

Words

Mary Oliver's poems have always buoyed and inspired me just when I've needed them. I revisited the writings in this book of essays and in particular the essay that inspired a call to action and my return to the studio. The essay, Of Power and Time, hit me the way so many of Oliver's words do - its message direct, powerful and absolute. The closing line of the essay struck me with such force and moved me to action.

"The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave it neither power nor time."

Images

Albert York (1928-2009)

Paintings and Drawings

Sept. 16 - Oct. 20, 2020

I missed many exhibitions this past year but there was one that I had on my calendar from the moment it was announced. Davis & Langdale, the venerable gallery that has represented the artist's work since 1962, presented an exhibition of twelve of York's paintings at the townhouse of Meredith Ward Fine Art. Often considered a painter's painter, York was a reclusive artist who created only a few paintings a year, often scrapping down the surfaces over and again before realizing the final painting. It was such a treat to stand before this artist's intimate, poetic, and mysterious works again and to view several paintings that I'd never seen before.

You can view more information about Albert York and the exhibition here

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Images:

(above) Albert York, Geranium in Blue Pot with Fallen Leaf and Bird, 1982, oil on wood panel, 17 3/4 x 16 5/8 inches

(top right) Janice La Motta, Untitled, oil on Yupo paper, 26 x 20 inches

(middle right) Janice La Motta, Untitled, oil on Yupo paper, 26 x 20 inches

(bottom right) Janice La Motta, Totem, oil on Yupo paper, 52 x 20 inches

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The Studio

Taking a new studio this fall has been a saving grace, allowing me the time and space to give full attention to my work. It's been a very productive past few months pursuing new ideas and directions. My work has always tended to be intimate in size but it's been exciting to see the work move to a larger scale and I can feel this inclination growing. Here are some images of recent work. More images can be viewed on my website at janicelamotta.com. All works are available for sale. Please direct inquiries to jlamotta27@gmail.com.

Janice La Motta | janicelamotta.com | jlamotta27@gmail.com