Jay Rolfe: More no coincidences ... my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

Don't you just love the future Jay Rolfe is projecting for himself? I do!

This is another example of "there are no coincidences" from my artistic life. I wrote in my post on Feb 16, 2007 of the influence one of Ellsworth Kelly's paintings had on me. It freed me to create my unique artistic idea of Three Dimensional Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings (3DSSC). As you might imagine, there are some technical difficulties in stretching canvas on shaped stretcher frames. In May last year I got the idea of trying to talk about some of those issues with Ellsworth Kelly who had been doing shaped canvases for over 50 years.

I got the feeling on a Thursday last June that I it was about time I went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I'm a member and I go a number of times a year, and I hadn't visited in several months. It was time for me to go to the 20th Century and Contemporary wing and feel the beauty and peace I get when I soak in the paintings of Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Picasso, Matisse, Mondrian, Duchamp, Newman, Kelly, Pollock, and others. Also the Brancusi sculptures. I always look forward to going.

The next morning, Friday, June 23, 2006, I had a strong sense that I should go to the Museum that morning. After a leisurely breakfast with my wife Randy Rolfe (http://www.randyrolfe.com/) we chatted for a while. Suddenly I felt a strong urge to leave for the Museum. I said to Randy, "Excuse me. I'm sorry, but I have a very strong urge to go to the Museum now. I don't know what's going on, but I think I should go. Can we finish this later?" Of course she agreed and I left.

When I arrived at the Museum I picked up the daily events list and glanced at it. I noticed that there was an ongoing special exhibit of Ellsworth Kelly paintings done in Paris and New York in the late 1940's and early 1950's in two galleries. What a coincidence for Jay Rolfe who wanted to meet Ellsworth Kelly and talk about shaped canvases! I guess I hadn't read my member newsletter carefully enough, because I wasn't aware of it. Anyway, I headed for it, stopping at the Impressionist galleries on the way to see some of my favorite paintings.

I finally got to the Kelly galleries was admiring the Kelly paintings, including one of his first shaped canvases, when I realized that Ellsworth Kelly and Museum Director Anne d'Harnoncourt were in the same gallery! I'm kind of shy, but I did work up the courage to speak to Mr. Kelly. He was very gracious, friendly, and engaging. I told him of the influence his "Blue Green Curve" (1972) had on me, and he told me about his first shaped painting. Anne d'Harnoncourt was also quite gracious. They were only in the gallery for a few minutes, and I was there at the exact right time. Coincidence? I don't think so.

That was another step on the journey of Jay Rolfe From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You can see some expressions of my unique artistic idea on my website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Jay Rolfe: There are no coincidences ... my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

Don't you just love the future Jay Rolfe is projecting for himself? I do!

There are no coincidences. I'm sure you've heard that. Maybe you think it's true, maybe you don't. I believe it!

Last Wednesday, Feb 21, I wrote a post about notoriety and included the advice I got from Peter Max about notoriety. As I was adding a link to his website, I discovered he would be at a local gallery three days later, on Saturday night. I wrote about that in my post yesterday. Why did I choose to blog about Peter Max on Wednesday? Well, there are no coincidences. It must have been so I would discover his local gallery exhibit and opening reception. I'm really glad my subconscious, or the Universal Power, or God created that coincidence for me.

And I'll tell you about an even more dramatic example in a future post.

That's the latest step on the journey of Jay Rolfe From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You can see some expressions of my unique artistic idea on my website at www.3dssc.com.

Jay Rolfe: Peter Max exhibition ... my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

Don't you just love the future Jay Rolfe is projecting for himself? I do!

Last night I went to the opening reception for Peter Max at the Wentworth Gallery in King of Prussia PA. My wife Randy Rolfe (http://www.randyrolfe.com/) and I were planning dinner and a movie with another couple. When I learned on Wednesday (see my blog for Wed. 2/21) of the Peter Max exhibit, I wanted to go. I contacted the other couple and told them I wanted to still go to dinner but go to the Peter Max exhibit instead of the movie. The wife knew of Peter Max as a girlfriend of hers has an original Max painting. Her husband wasn't familiar. Since her husband is a car buff (drives a fast Lotus Esprit) and is a former accomplished amateur racer, she told him Peter Max was to art as Mario Andretti to car racing. He was on board immediately. Our local paper, the Daily Local News, referred to Max as "World famous artist Peter Max."

Peter was very gracious with everyone. Those who bought paintings got not only their painting, but at no extra charge a personalized drawing with their name and his signature on the back, a large book about Peter Max autographed and personalized, and a photo with Peter taken by his own photographer.

I love Max' brilliant, clear colors and great shapes. I still like the "Cosmic Runner" from the '60's. Also the hearts (no mystery there, see my "Two Hearts Together" which I made - see a video of me making it http://www.3dssc.com/index.html - just before Valentine's Day last year, http://www.3dssc.com/hearts_p.htm), the island scenes, and the large vase of flowers in a huge size which was my personal favorite! My friend's favorite was the only painting without the bright colors, the "Winter" of the Four Seasons which was in blue and green pastels. Randy Rolfe's favorite was the island scene, "Better World." All beautiful paintings! I congratulated Peter Max on a great show, and I'm sure he knew it was.

That's the latest step on my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You can see some expressions of my unique artistic idea on my website at www.3dssc.com.

Jay Rolfe: Art Forum ... my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

Don't you just love the future Jay Rolfe is projecting for himself? I do!

Last night, Thursday Feb 22, I went with my lovely and supportive wife Randy Rolfe (http://www.randyrolfe.com/) to the first of a monthly series of discussions by artists called Art Forum at The Arts Scene, the successor to the Holland Art House, in West Chester PA, run by contemporary art lover Ben Gall. http://www.theartsscene.org/ There's great food and drink at the Menta Cafe inside The Arts Scene, cheerfully dispensed by the "Dutch Masters," what I call the ladies who run it who are originally from Holland, and one of whom paints copies of Vermeer paintings. There were about a dozen artists with widely varying styles, as well as other guests, and we had a lively discussion. I now wish I'd thought to note the names of all the artists so I could credit them all. Jeff Schaller (http://www.pinkcowstudio.com/), Laura Barton (http://www.laurabarton.com/), and Antonio Puri (http://antoniopuri.com/) are the ones I knew or was familiar with. I really wish I had gotten info from the others. If you check out the websites of these three, you'll see how different they all are. I'm looking forward to next month.

That's the latest step on Jay Rolfe's journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You can see some expressions of my unique artistic idea on my website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Jay Rolfe: Celebration ... my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

Don't you just love the future Jay Rolfe is projecting for himself? I do!

This has been a day of celebration! It started last night when we got a late call from our son who was overjoyed that his beautiful wife had just given birth to their first child! Mother and baby are doing great. By the time we called various relatives, it was past midnight, so early this morning. We celebrated by popping the cork and toasting our new grandson and his devoted, loving and excited parents with a bottle of Mumm Napa Brut champagne (extremely dry yet with a fruity taste and tiny bubbles).

We spent much of the afternoon today visiting the cute little fellow and his happy parents who were so excited they weren't tired even after little sleep. I love seeing the large, finely formed hands and feet of newborns. It's amazing! He has a cute face and a full head of hair. (Oops, I sound like a proud granddad, which I am! Although I feel way too young to be a granddad. But I guess I'd better stop raving about my grandson.)

Celebration, like beautiful art, is an important part of life, and I'm in celebration mode. So today celebration is part of Jay Rolfe's journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You can see some expressions of my unique artistic idea on my website at www.3dssc.com.

Jay Rolfe: Notoriety ... my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

Don't you just love the future Jay Rolfe is projecting for himself? I do!

Seeing all those rap and hip-hop musicians on the Sucker Free Edition of MTV Cribs the other day reminded me of the advice I got from artist Peter Max.

I was driving and listening to the classic rock station on the radio when I heard an ad for an artist's reception that evening for Peter Max at a gallery in King of Prussia PA. That's nearby, so I decided to go. Peter Max has a distinctive style which was the rage on vinyl record album covers in the 1960's. He calls it "Cosmic '60's" style. The exhibition was great. Lots of great paintings. And they were selling like hotcakes. Peter Max was very kind to everyone. For those who bought paintings, he would write a personal message on the back and sign it. You can see some of his works and learn more about Peter Max on his website. http://www.petermax.com/

I took the opportunity to ask Peter Max for advice on marketing for a beginning artist. I'll never forget what he said. "Get some notoriety early on." Notoriety! I hadn't and wouldn't have thought of that.

Most of the rap and hip-hop musicians on Cribs had notoriety down. They had built their careers on it! Then I realized I have a good example of notoriety just 3 miles down the road in Bam Margera. From pro skateboarder to skateboards and clothes, to Jackass, to his own TV show Viva La Bam, to indoor skate park, record label, Bam's Unholy Union, animated cartoon, radio show and more. He's a 27 year old conglomerate built on skateboarding skill and notoriety. Learn more on his website. http://www.bamargera.com/ And as a car buff, I love his dark blue Lamborghini Murcielago roadster. It's beautiful! His winter ride, the black S55 AMG Mercedes is cool too.

Notoriety everywhere and I still haven't gotten any. Being notorious would be a whole new thing for me, a new skill so to speak. The closest to notoriety I've gotten lately is that my wife Randy Rolfe (www.randyrolfe.com/) and I went out for a drink to celebrate Mardi Gras last night and we were in the same bar, Doc Magrogan's (http://www.docmagrogans.com/), as Bam. I didn't see him do anything funny, in fact I didn't see him at all. We saw his new wife Missy (Congratulations, Missy!) walk by our table. No notoriety for me there.

Thank you Peter Max for the great advice! If I can get some notoriety it will be one more step on Jay Rolfe's journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You can see some expressions of my unique artistic idea on my website at www.3dssc.com.

Jay Rolfe: "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" ... my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

Don't you just love the future Jay Rolfe is projecting for himself? I do!

The last huge painting I finished is called "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" by Jay Rolfe. Of course, Elton John or Bernie Taupin should buy it. I don't have a photo of it yet, because its so large. It's almost 17 feet long, nearly 5 feet tall, and 3 1/2 inches deep, the thickness of the paving bricks on my patio. I need to figure a way to hang it so that my photographer, Michelle Snyder of Bella Photography in Downingtown PA, can photograph it. http://www.bellaphotographystudio.net/ Michelle has even featured 7 of my paintings on her website, click on Commercial, then click on Paintings.

To get an idea of what "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" looks like, please go to my website, www.3dssc.com and click on Freedom and then on "Yellow Brick Road" or "Road to Paradise." Both are variations on the same theme. "Yellow Brick Road" by Jay Rolfe is rectangular, 8 feet high, 4 feet wide, and 3 1/2 inches deep. http://www.3dssc.com/ybr_p.htm

"Road to Paradise" by Jay Rolfe is diagonal and so takes up more wall space. It's 9 1/2 feet high, almost 7 feet wide, and 3 1/2 inches deep. http://www.3dssc.com/parad_p.htm

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is my longest painting yet, and I'm told it looks amazing. I'm glad others like it, because I love it. It's another expression of my unique artistic idea on Jay Rolfe's journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You can see other expressions of my unique artistic idea at www.3dssc.com.

Jay Rolfe: "Show Me The Money" ... my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

Don't you just love the future I'm projecting for myself?

Yesterday I watched reruns of Cribs on MTV2. It's fun to see other people's fancy houses. The most fantastic and elegant house shown, in my opinion, was Russell Simmons and Kimora Lee Simmons' house. What a beautiful and spacious place!

Another nice house, and the one most relevant to my art was owned by some of the Hot Boys of Cash Money Records. They use a $ as the symbol for their company. You can see it on their website. http://www.cashmoney-records.com/ They had a small $, about 12 to 18 inches long, as a tiny rug on the floor. They also had a clear $ about 2 feet high in the center of the fountain in their pool.

One of my huge three dimensional shaped stretched canvas paintings he is in the shape of a $. It's called "Show Me The Money." It's 8 feet high, 4 1/2 feet wide, and 8 1/2 inches deep. And the Hot Boys had some walls to display it proudly and prominently. You can see all my website www.3dssc.com by clicking the freedom label. Or click on this link. http://www.3dssc.com/money_p.htm I wonder, can the Hot Boys of Cash Money Records afford it? It should be a tax deductible business expense, so I guess so.

"Show Me The Money" by Jay Rolfe is another expression of my unique artistic idea on my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. See other expressions of my unique artistic idea at www.3dssc.com.

Jay Rolfe: "Power of the Universe (Monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey)" ... my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

Don't you just love the future Jay Rolfe is projecting for himself? I do!

For those of you who read my last post and clicked on the link, you may have noticed my painting called "Power of the Universe (Monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey)." Arthur C. Clarke wrote the book 2001: A Space Odyssey and Stanley Kubrick made the movie from it.
In 2010: The Year We Make Contact, the movie based on Clarke's book 2010: Odyssey Two, the proportions of the monolith are revealed. They are, one squared by two squared by three squared. So I was able to create a correctly proportioned monolith in three dimensions that is 8 feet tall. It's also glossy like the monolith in the movies.

I think that sci-fi aficionados would love it. Perhaps Arthur C. Clarke would like to have it. Or maybe Tom Hanks, although I'm not sure he's into sci-fi. You can see my huge three dimensional painting "Power of the Universe (Monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey)" on my website at www.3dssc.com by clicking on the Universe tab and then on the name or photo of "Power of the Universe."

I create huge paintings of things that stand for something in our culture. Many of my paintings are things that I've related to since I was a child. I think this one was suggested to me by my wife Randy Rolfe. Other paintings are just fun. Some, like my Adam and Eve series, are the type of subject that many serious artists undertake.

"Power of the Universe (Monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey)" by Jay Rolfe is another expression of my unique artistic idea on my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso.

Jay Rolfe: Photo

Photo of Jay Rolfe.

Jay Rolfe: New Painting ... Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

Don't you just love the future Jay Rolfe is projecting for himself? I do!

I'm excited that I just finished creating a new painting. It's a prototype for one of my huge paintings. (All my paintings are huge.) It's "only" 5 feet square. I'm planning a painting that is 10 feet square, and I wanted to see how it would work out in a smaller size and with pre-stretched canvases. (I make custom three dimensional stretcher frameworks for all my paintings.) I rarely create prototypes, but the huge painting I'm planning will take a couple of months to complete. So proving the concept seemed like a good thing to do. Plus, I get to keep the prototype. I'm glad, because I think the prototype is awesome!

My new painting is called "Black Hole (prototype)". Here is a quick and dirty photo of it. It's made up of five canvases bolted together. The center canvas, the black hole, is recessed, giving the painting three dimensions. (All my paintings have three dimensions.)

"Black Hole" will join my other paintings in my Universe category. You can see the others on my website. Click on www.3dssc.com and then the word Universe. When I created my 10 1/2 foot long rocket called "The Right Stuff," I had Tom Hanks in mind. I understand he collects space and rocket themed paintings, and of course he starred in the movie Apollo 13. Maybe he would also be interested in the final version of "Black Hole." Jay Rolfe would love Tom Hanks to collect his paintings.

"Black Hole (prototype)" by Jay Rolfe is the latest expression of my unique artistic idea on my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You can see the results of Jay Rolfe’s unique artistic idea at www.3dssc.com.

Jay Rolfe: First Step ... From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

Ellsworth Kelly had a great influence on my art. Not only do I like his clear bright colors, I like the simple or minimalist design of his canvases. But what influenced me most was the shape of his canvases.

I went to a number of museums years ago. Somehow I developed the attitude that I'd seen that, been there, done that. I've totally changed my idea about that. Now I go several times a year to my favorite museums and feel energized and alive in the presence of my favorite paintings. Anyway, I hadn't seen an Ellsworth Kelly shaped canvas in many years.

October 13, 2003, was one of those days that changed my life. I was in Los Angeles with my wife Randy Rolfe visiting our daughter. She took us to the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art (LA MOCA). It was quite a day. We parked the car and walked past the brand new, Frank Gehry designed Walt Disney Concert Hall. Its titanium skin gleamed in the bright sunlight. It was dramatic and beautiful, and scheduled to open the next day.

Inside LA MOCA we saw an exhibit of Frank Gehry architectural models. It was amazing. Then we looked at the contemporary paintings. We were enjoying paintings by Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Morris Louis, James Rosenquist, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Franz Kline, and others.

When we entered one gallery, I got very excited. My wife and daughter thought there was something wrong with me. I felt like I was about to jump out of my skin. It was an Ellsworth Kelly shaped canvas that grabbed my attention. Not one of his basically rectangular canvases with a curved side, but a very dramatic triangle on its side like an arrowhead. I was thinking, "I don't have to paint rectangles! Jay, you don't have to paint rectangles!" My wife and daughter didn't understand why I was so excited, but they knew that all artists are a little nuts so it was okay. Here's a photo of my and my wife standing next to that painting which is called Blue Green Curve.

Ellsworth Kelly's Blue Green Curve was painted in 1972. For an image in LA MOCA's permanent collection, click on this link. http://www.moca.org/museum/pc_artwork_detail.php?acsnum=85.57&keywords=Ellsworth%20Kelly&

That was the first step to my unique artistic idea on my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You can see the results of Jay Rolfe’s unique artistic idea at www.3dssc.com.

By the way, don’t you just love the future Jay Rolfe is projecting for himself? I do!