Margaret Walker, African American poet

Margaret Walker (1915-1998) was a highly accomplished woman. She was at college student at the young age of 15 when she begin writing poetry. In 1936 she joined the Federal Writers’ Project in Chicago, befriending Richard Wright. BA from Northwestern 1935, MA and Ph D U of Iowa 1945. Her dissertation was published as a novel, Jubilee 1966.

margaret walker portrait conte
Dr. Margaret Walker, Conte pencil, 32 x 50 cm/ 12.5 x 19.5″ on gray pastel paper

Walker was the first African American poet to receive the Yale Younger Poets Prize, penning For My People 1942. She published This Is My Century: New and Collected Poems , October Journey and Prophets for a New Day .

In 1949 she joined the faculty at Jackson State College. She returned to the University of Iowa for her doctoral studies and received a PhD in 1965. In 1968 Walker founded the Institute for the Study of the History, Life, and Culture of Black People at Jackson State College.

As what became the Margaret Walker Center, she organized the 1971 National Evaluative Conference on Black Studies and the 1973 Phillis Wheatley Poetry Festival.

In 1979 she published On Being Female, Black, and Free, a collection of personal essays, and Richard Wright: Daemonic Genius.

Lonely Woman II

I happened upon a street corner in Valencia where the idea of this painting occured to me. I modified the scene, chose my own lighting and color scheme and modified the architecture, and then placed the figure.

This is another in my series of Edward Hopper inspired pieces. I was born in the town where he was born and lived, Nyack, NY (1882-1967). His wife Josephine Nivison was also an artist. She contributed to his work as a model and as an artist.

Lonely Woman
Lonely Woman II 81 x 65 cm, 32″ x 26″ acylics on canvas

More drawings from my little notebook

Young Woman Smiling, 13.8 c 8.5 cm, 4.5 inches by 5.5, inches, ink

I always carry a small notebook with me. If I am sitting around and see something or someone interesting, I give it a go.  Here are some recent ones.  

 

 

Young Woman, ink, 13.8 c 8.5 cm, 4.5 inches by 5.5, inches, ink, 13.8 c 8.5 cm, 4.5 inches by 5.5, inches, ink
Young Woman, ink, 13.8 c 8.5 cm, 4.5 inches by 5.5, inches, ink, 13.8 c 8.5 cm, 4.5 inches by 5.5, inches, ink

Man Gazing, 13.8 c 8.5 cm, 4.5 inches by 5.5, inches, ink, 13.8 c 8.5 cm, 4.5 inches by 5.5, inches, ink
Man Gazing, 13.8 c 8.5 cm, 4.5 inches by 5.5, inches, ink, 13.8 c 8.5 cm, 4.5 inches by 5.5, inches, ink

Young Woman Smiling, 13.8 c 8.5 cm, 4.5 inches by 5.5, inches, ink
Young Woman Smiling, 13.8 c 8.5 cm, 4.5 inches by 5.5, inches, ink

 

These miniatures are just $50 each.  Prints too.

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Paula Modersohn-Becker

 

Paula Modersohn-Becker (1876-1907) is best known as one of first women to paint female nudes.   A German painter and very important early expressionist, She is credited for the introduction of modern painting and used tempera almost exclusively.

In a brief career, cut short by an embolism at the age of 31, she created a number of groundbreaking images of great intensity. She is becoming recognized as the first female painter to paint female nudes. Using bold forays into subject matter and chromatic color choices, she and fellow-artists Picasso and Matisse introduced the world to modernism at the start of the twentieth century.

Self Portrait Paula Modersohn-Becker
Self Portrait Paula Modersohn-Becker

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Two Brown Bass Fiddles at the Palau

Two Brown Fiddles

Two Brown Bass Fiddles at the Palau

This started life as a drawing at Palau de la Musica.  I enlarged the original, a tiny 2 x 4″ and put it on the canvas board, then painted in with acrylics.  See also Two Fiddles at the Palau, a version of this based on the very same drawing.

 

Two Brown Fiddles
Two Brown Fiddles at the Palau, acrylics on canvas board, 40 x 50 cm, 16 x 20″

 

Contrabass at Palau de la Musica
Contrabass at Palau de la Musica, the pen and ink done on site

 

 

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