"Green and Tangerine on Red" by Mark Rothko

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

The fourth of 4 Rothko paintings in the Rothko Room viewed by Jay Rolfe at the Phillips Collection is "Green and Tangerine on Red" painted in 1956. The others were painted in 1953, 1954, and 1957. This one is on the left wall from the door, opposite "Green and Maroon." This photo is also a little blurred, a result of no flash and a handheld camera in a dimly lit room. In fact, with the poor lighting, it's amazing the photos came out as well as they did.

The point of the Rothko room is to provide an environment so the viewer can have an experience viewing them. The Rothko room suceeds in the eyes of artist Jay Rolfe. The paintings are such an overwhelming presence in the room that one can't ignore them, and one can have the intimate experience the artist and the gallery intended.

This post completes the 4 Mark Rothko paintings of the Rothko room at the Phillips Collection in Washington DC. The other 3 were posted the past 3 days.

"Ochre and Red on Red" by Mark Rothko

Today Jay Rolfe posts the third of 4 paintings from the Rothko room of the Phillips Collection in Washington DC. "Ochre and Red on Red" was painted in 1954 and was displayed on the near end wall of the room. The colors were quite dramatic. It was quite an experience sitting on the bench, the only furniture, in the middle of the small room only a few feet from the large painting, and experiencing it. It's today's photo of the day.

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Mark Rothko "Green and Maroon"

Artist Jay Rolfe viewed all 4 of Mark Rothko's paintings in the Rothko room of the Phillips Collection. The one featured in yesterday's post, "Orange and Red on Red," was at the far end of the room from the entrance. This one, "Green and Maroon," was on the right hand wall. The photo is a little blurry, due to no flash permitted and handheld camera only, as you can see by comparing with yesterday's post.

"Green and Maroon" painted in 1953 is the first of these 4 painted by Rothko. Here is today's photo of the day, Rothko's "Green and Maroon."

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Mark Rothko "Orange and Red on Red"

Jay Rolfe was impressed with the Rothko room at the Phillips Collection in Washington DC. It was a small, poorly lit room with 4 large Rothko paintings, one on each wall. The idea was a place to contemplate the paintings. Rothko said he painted large pictures to be "intimate," so the viewer would feel like he was in it rather than outside the experience. Rothko said he was expressing basic human emotions, and that the "people who weep before my pictures are having the same religious experience I had when I painted them."

Today's photo is one of the 4 large Rothko paintings in the Rothko room, "Orange and Red on Red." It does really seem to require large size and an in person viewing experience to appreciate it. It was painted in 1957.

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Piet Mondrian "Painting No. 9"

Piet Mondrian is one of Jay Rolfe's favorite modern painters. His signature paintings of a white square, rectangle, or diamond set off with some black lines and small blocks of color in one or more of red, yellow, and blue (the primary colors) are simplicity itself. The Mondrian at the Phillips Collection in Washington DC has more black lines than most, but still fits the signature style. It was painted from 1939-1942 and is titled "Painting No. 9."

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Henri Matisse "Interior With Egyptian Curtain"

The second Matisse painting at the Phillips Collection that artist Jay Rolfe saw recently is the 1948 painting "Interior With Egyptian Curtain." It's also a large painting, as is the painting of yesterday's post "Studio, Quai St. Michel," and again features an interior and an outdoor landscape seen through a window. "Interior With Egyptian Curtain" is remarkable because it was painted in 1948, a time late in Matisse's life when he was sickly and did little artistically besides cut-outs. It's today's photo of the day.

Artist Jay Rolfe has a special appreciation of legendary painter Henri Matisse because he gave up law to pursue art as did Jay Rolfe.

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Henri Matisse "Studio, Quai St. Michel"

Artist Jay Rolfe viewed Henri Matisse's 1916 painting "Studio, Quai St. Michel" at the Phillips Collection in Washington DC recently. It contains a recurrent theme, a window which reveals the outside. This was mentioned in Monday's post (4/21/08) of Pierre Bonnard's "The Open Window," along with the use of a variety of colorful patterns. Another familiar element of "Studio, Quai St. Michel" is the reclining nude. This is a quite large canvas, and very impressive when seen in person. It is today's photo of the day.

Artist Jay Rolfe has a special appreciation of Henri Matisse as well as Pierre Bonnard, both the legendary painters mentioned in today's post, because both gave up law to pursue art as did Jay Rolfe.

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Georges Braque "The Shower"

Artist Jay Rolfe has seen a lot of Georges Braque paintings. MoMA has quite a few from his cubist period and shortly after. "The Shower" which is in the Phillips Collection in Washington DC was painted in 1952. Rolfe doesn't recall seeing a painting from this late in his career. And it's clearly recognizable as a landscape. It's the photo of the day.

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Georges Braque "The Round Table"

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Georges Braque, along with Pablo Picasso, started and starred in Cubism in the late oughts and early teens of the 20th century. "The Round Table" painted in 1929 is definitely post-cubism. It's an attractive painting with a flat picture plane and cubist influences. This painting is at the Phillips Collection in Washington DC.

Pierre Bonnard "The Open Window"

Another painting by Pierre Bonnard in the Phillips Collection in Washington DC that artist Jay Rolfe liked is "The Open Window" painted in 1921. It is as much an interior as a landscape, so it wasn't included with the three large landscapes. It is a subject Henri Matisse often painted, an open window and the inside and outside of it. It also has many patterns in the interior in the style of Matisse. The color palette is a little different from Matisse. Still, it's a beautiful painting, and our photo of the day for today.

Artist Jay Rolfe has a special respect for Pierre Bonnard because Bonnard, like Jay Rolfe, Henri Matisse, Wassily Kandinsky, and Paul Cezanne, gave up law to pursue art.

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Pierre Bonnard "The Terrace"

Pierre Bonnard was a famous painter (from the post-imprerssionist era) who gave up law to pursue art, just like Henri Matisse, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Cezanne, and Jay Rolfe.

The third of the large Pierre Bonnard landscapes that artist Jay Rolfe saw at the Phillips Collection in Washington DC last weekend is "The Terrace" painted in 1918. It's a beautiful painting when seen in person. The photo of the day is "The Terrace" by Bonnard.

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Rolling sculpture

The most unusual piece of rolling sculpture artist Jay Rolfe saw this morning at the weekly car nut get together was a fly yellow Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina. A barchetta is an open car without a top, not the top down, but there is no top. So nice weather is required. The 550 Barchetta Pininfarina is a limited edition Ferrari, only 448 were made for the world, and is basically a Ferrari 550 Maranello with the top taken off and nice farings behind the head rests. It's a beautiful car, and the yellow stitching on the black leather interior really set that off nicely.

Today's photo is of the limited edition Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina. This car led the drive through the countryside after the meeting at the coffee shop parking lot.

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Pierre Bonnard "The Palm"

Artist Jay Rolfe posts the second of the three large landscapes by Pierre Bonnard he liked at the Phillips Collection in Washington DC. It is titled "The Palm" and was painted in 1926. Bonnard was a post-impressionist painter who gave up law to pursue art, just like Jay Rolfe, Henri Matisse, Wassily Kandinsky, and Paul Cezanne.

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Pierre Bonnard "The Riviera"

One of the revelations of the Phillips Collection for artist Jay Rolfe was the three large Pierre Bonnard landscapes. Rolfe was familiar with smallish interior scenes, sometimes with people, that Bonnard painted in almost pastel colors. Bonnard's large, lavish landscapes were a revelation. Rolfe found them beautiful. Jay Rolfe has a special feeling for Pierre Bonnard as he, like Rolfe, Matisse, Cezanne, and Kandinsky, is one of those artists who gave up law to pursue art.

Today's photo of the day is Bonnard's "The Riviera" painted in 1923. In person, the canvas is large and the colors are beautiful.

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Van Gogh "House at Auvers"

The past two posts have been two of the three Van Gogh paintings artist Jay Rolfe viewed at the Phillips Collection recently. The third Van Gogh at the Phillips Collection is an attractive landscape, "House at Auvers," painted in 1890. The variety of Van Gogh paintings is impressive. The Phillips is such a rich collection of paintings. Jay Rolfe is looking forward to going again.

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Van Gogh "The Road Menders"

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Artist Jay Rolfe thinks the three Van Gogh paintings in the Phillips Collection are quite different from each other. They are all on the large side. I believe this is the largest. "The Road Menders was painted in 1889, and is dramatic when seen in person.

Van Gogh "Entrance to the Public Gardens in Arles"

The Phillips Collection has three outstanding Van Gogh paintings, according to artist Jay Rolfe. Perhaps the best known is "Entrance to the Public Gardens in Arles" painted by Vincent Van Gogh in 1888. Rolfe almost missed seeing it, as it was in the same room as Renoir's "Luncheon of the Boating Party" which is much larger. It is an impressive work by Van Gogh.

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Monet "Road to Vetheuil"

The Phillips Collection is incredibly rich according to artist Jay Rolfe. It was the first museum of modern art, opening in 1921, just 8 years after the famous Armory Show of 1913 in NYC which introduced modern art to the US. Ironically, Duncan Phillips wrote a scathing review of the Armory Show, with nothing good to say and pointed insults to specific artists he later collected. It took him all of 5 years to change his mind and begin collecting modern art.

The photo of the day is one of Jay Rolfe's many favorites from the collection, Claude Monet's 1879 painting "Road to Vetheuil." It's a beautiful landscape full of light and shadow.

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Renoir's "Luncheon of the Boating Party"

Yesterday artist Jay Rolfe went to the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC. The signature painting of the collection, acquired in 1923, is Pierre-Auguste Renoir's "Luncheon of the Boating Party." It was painted by Renoir in 1880-1881. It was painted at the Restaurant Fournaise in Chatou, and includes Renoir's fiance and future wife Aline Charigot in the front left. In the front right is Gustave Caillebotte the painter. Most of the other sitters have been identified as friends of Renoir. For a full history and even an identification of all the people in the painting, click on this link to the Phillips Collection website. http://www.phillipscollection.org/html/lbp.html

The painting is very large for an impressionist painting, almost six feet wide and over four feet high. The colors are rich and vibrant. Jay Rolfe has seen many reproductions of this painting, but none do it justice - in person the painting is magnificant!

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Cross "Femme Nue"

Artist Jay Rolfe particularly appreciated the unusual colors and beauty of this "Nude" by Henri-Edmond Cross, a French painter, whose 1895-1896 painting used large daubs of color even larger than used by the pointillists such as Georges Seurat and Paul Signac. This painting can be seen at the Baltimore Museum of Art.

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Boots

Last Wednesday April 2, 2008, artist Jay Rolfe posted Vincent Van Gogh's "A Pair of Boots" from the Baltimore Museum of Art on this blog. On Saturday, artist Jay Rolfe noticed a similar pair of boots and photographed them. Here's that photo, and a smaller repeat of Van Gogh's 1887 painting.

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Jackson Pollack "Water Birds"

Artist Jay Rolfe recently saw this 1943 Jackson Pollack painting titled "Water Birds" at the Baltimore Museum of Art. This was several years before Pollack's famous "drip paintings." But you can see where he was headed.

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Ileana Sonnabend and "Rabbit" by Jeff Koons

Artist Jay Rolfe recently viewed a sculpture lent by Ileana Sonnabend and Michael Sonnabend to the Baltimore Museum of Art. It's "Rabbit" by Jeff Koons made in 1986. It's made of stainless steel and portrays a balloon rabbit.

Last week it was reported that as a result of Ileana Sonnabend's recent death her children sold off part of her art collection to pay estate taxes. They got $600,000,000 (yes, six hundred million dollars) for the part they sold of her art collection which in total is valued at over $1,000,000,000 (yes, that's over one billion dollars). She was a renown dealer who kept some of the best for herself.

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Claude Monet's "Charing Cross Bridge"

Today's photo is one artist Jay Rolfe recently viewed at the Baltimore Museum of Art. It's by Claude Monet and is titled "Charing Cross Bridge"or "Reflections on the Thames" painted in 1901-1904. Monet painted a series of paintings of this and other bridges and the effects of sun and fog on them in London.

The Baltimore Museum of Art is charming. There is a great collection of several thousand year old mosaics from Antioch, as well as a great Modern collection, and some strong paintings from other eras.

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Adam and Eve "In The Garden Of Eden" by Jay Rolfe

Artist Jay Rolfe has a series of Adam and Eve paintings in 3DSSC (3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas). On Wednesday he went to a lecture, part of the Penn Humanities Forum on Origins at the University of Pennsylvania, about the Adam and Eve story by Elaine Pagels, a biblical scholar and professor of religion at Princeton University. She told us the Adam and Eve story was first written down about 1000 BCE, and was extant orally for centuries before that. No wonder it's such a powerful creation story for the cultures it's been a part of for thousands of years.

The photo of the day is one of artist Jay Rolfe's Adam and Eve series of 3DSSC paintings, this one called "In The Garden Of Eden."

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Matisse "Reclining Nude I" Sculpture

Henri Matisse created this small sculpture titled "Reclining Nude I" which artist Jay Rolfe saw on a recent visit to the Baltimore Museum of Art, at the same time he painted "The Blue Nude" in 1907. See the March 17, 2008 post on this blog for a photo of "The Blue Nude." The Baltimore Museum of Art really is a gem!

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Van Gogh "A Pair of Boots"

The photo of the day is a painting from the Baltimore Museum of Art which artist Jay Rolfe saw on a recent visit. It's by Vincent Van Gogh, painted in 1887, and titled "A Pair of Boots." It's a subject and style different from what we usually associate with Van Gogh.

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Assembling 3DSSC Stretcher Framework

Today's photo is of artist Jay Rolfe yesterday assembling another stretcher framework for one of his 3DSSC (3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas) paintings. Oops. It's too much of a butt shot. So here's a second photo for today.

This is the latest step of artist Jay Rolfe on his Journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You may view some of Jay Rolfe's signature style, his innovative 3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas paintings, on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.