Praeterita

"Rebirth", oil on canvas, 36" x 24" Lisa Purdy is a painter and sculptor living in Denver, Colorado. I recently had the opportunity to visit and talk with her in her studio, which is in a lively area of galleries and studios just south of downtown Denver. Me: Your studio is in the Santa Fe Arts District of Denver. For non-Denver residents, can you tell us about the area? Lisa: The Art District on Santa Fe is a collection of shops, art studios, galleries and creative endeavors along Santa Fe and Kalamath streets in Denver.  The District has a membership fee that helps promote the area and specific businesses within it.  On the first Friday of every month, large groups of people flock to the area to view art, attend special events and enjoy an evening of dining out. Me: When did you acquire your studio? Lisa: I acquired my studio in June of 2009 in the Bolt Factory building.  As may seem obvious, the building sold every kind of bolt imaginable until a decade ago....

Here is a blind contour drawing, done for the most part by drawing without looking at the page, in an airport lounge while waiting to board our plane. Thoughts on Denver: attractive city, nice combination of newer and older buildings, a vibrant art community, ranging from museums built by international architecture stars to a district with lots of artists studios and galleries, light rail and shuttle buses everywhere in contrast to many other US cities, decent food options, and of course a view of the immense Rockies in the distance whenever there's a gap between the buildings. In the coming weeks I'll be posting interviews with two artists from Denver, and also writing about some profoundly good art that I saw.   Subscribe to Praeterita in a reader

I'll be in Denver, Colorado, for the next few days, and hope to post a few things about artists and galleries that I see while I'm here. In the meanwhile, here's a clip of a singer who will forever be associated with the Mile High City (that's where he got his name from, isn't it?):   Subscribe to Praeterita in a reader