Peripheral Vision

"PERIPHERAL VISION," a solo show of my abstract acrylic paintings, opens at the Alfred Van Loen Gallery at the South Huntington Library in South Huntington, NY, on February, 9, 2008, and will run through March 6. The Opening Reception is from 2:00-4:00 p.m. and the show will be curated by Deborah Katz.

Hoopla - 48" x 60"

STATEMENT: My paintings are energetic, active if not frenetic, and complex. I feel they reflect the complexity and mutability of personal consciousness, as well as the impermanence of what we call “objective” reality. My work exhibits order within chaos, much as we experience a certain order within all the complexity and disorder of both civilization and the natural world.

In my paintings I prefer the ambiguity, freedom and musicality of abstraction. My work is as chaotic as waves breaking on a beach or a swelling cloudscape impinging on a changing horizon. Reality is relative, not fixed. What we call “reality” does not exist in any absolute sense, but only in increments of change. I see the nuances of my subjective reality not in subtle tones, but in patches of bright, swirling color. For me the act of painting is a dance; it connects me to elemental and primordial forces underpinning my life experience. Each time you view one of my paintings, you are likely to see something different, just as in the changing paradigms of the human condition.

As a child I was a “tomboy” and chose active encounter with nature as the platform for my expression of wonder and joy. As active as I was, a quiet part of me savored any kind of visual phenomenon. As an adult I still delight in encounter with nature and love to photograph and write about the beauty I find there. But I also choose to express through form, movement, gesture and color, my own internal reality. This is my way of staying in touch with the wonder of childhood. I feel fortunate that my life has been marked by what I consider to be a profound awe and joy of being.

Oceano - 40" x 40"

Thanks for reading a long post and for sharing this with me. I'll try to take some photos at the show and post them! Since you can't come to the show, please visit http://www.lyndalehmann.com/ to see more of my art!

Cosmos - 36" x 30"

Blogging Mentor Award

Much to my surprise, and a delightful one it was, I've just received this "Blogging Mentor" Award from Mary Ann at "Maryannaville." It was given to her by Sue of "Blogging Sueblimely" http://www.sueblimely.com/ . Mary Ann in turn, gave it to me, Kim at "Laketrees" http://laketrees.blogspot.com/ , Carol at "My View of IT" http://carolsplaceforpeace.blogspot.com/ , and Colin at "Life" http://grottynosh.wordpress.com/ .

Here is the link to Mary Ann's post, which explains it better than I can. http://maryannaville.blogspot.com/2008/01/january-is-national-mentoring-month-in.html

Mary Ann, Sue, Kim, Carol and Colin, I still haven't learned to embed names of sites with their URLs, so you'll have to bear with me on that (probably for a few years by the time I get around to biting the bullet to learn HTML, he he...) I did the best I could, for now!

And I will in turn, pass the award again to Kim of "Laketrees," who really does make the Blogosphere a brighter, more friendly place, to Max at "Max" http://maxcouti.blogspot.com/ for being so willing to share and communicate about ideas, creatively and without judgement, and to Ellen at "Positive Communication" http://marcomblog.web-log.nl/marcom_blog/ , for doing her part to bring attention to issues that matter. And I'm giving it to Anna at "My Only Photo" http://myonlyphoto.blogspot.com/ for always being considerate and supportive and nice. Mary Ann, I'm sending it back to YOU too, because you also do that, and because I just plain LIKE you! But ALL of you are mentors to me, in one way or another!

My love and thanks to you for being part of my online community, and bringing your part of the world closer to my doorstep. Blessings on ya!

My Upcoming Show

Now is a good time to mention that my solo painting show is just two weeks away. I'm still going with getting ready for it, so if you don't see me, you'll know why. I'll be back as soon as I'm finished with all my tasks, so don't think I've forgotten my Blogging Buddies!

Snowflake, Lace, Kale

I started to balance my checkbook tonight, and somehow ended up blogging about this fine botanical specimen, instead. I told you: I'm addicted to blogging! (And to photography, of course...)

This magnificent ornamental kale reflects the wonderful organization of nature, and the idea of fractals, more specifically: the idea of the forms of the parts refecting the form of the whole, and vice versa. It's amazing how each cell of a plant or animal "knows" how to differentiate itself, knows what it "wants to be," in a sense. And it certainly is a visual treat, as well! Image and text c Lynda Lehmann.

You can purchase this image matted at my www.lyndalehmann.com site. My signature will be on the mat, not directly on the print. Or you can purchase it at my Imagekind gallery--plain, matted, or framed. The link is on my home page. For poster prints, you can try my Artist Rising Gallery, also listed on my home page.

She Sees No More

I took this image on a walk at a local estate. I was attracted to this pedestal in the shadows, with the expressionless face and unseeing eyes highlighted as if for emphasis, by the lack of moss or rust-colored stain in this area. The vines hanging from the top and their shadows, add a grotesque or Gothic touch, and to me, bring in the idea of longing and loss.

Is this face etched in stone in memory of a lost loved one? Is it a statement on mortality? Or on hopes of immortality? Is she a princess turned to stone by some mythic curse as punishment for her vanity? Or is she merely a pretty face, a superimposed decorative element in a lavish environment? Of course, you may draw your own interpretation! Image c Lynda Lehmann.

Printed in Canon archival inks on pro photo paper, 8 x 10 inches. Matted to 11 x 14 inches and sealed in an archival plastic sleeve to protect it until you choose a standard-size frame. My signature will appear on the mat, not on the print. Please feel free to ask about other sizes. You can view more of my art at www.lyndalehmann.com.

Enchanted Forest

Of course this is not a forest at all. It is, rather, a hardy ornamental kale struggling to embrace the sunshine and endure through cold winter days. Although this week has been relatively mild, last week's temperatures in the Northeast USA were formidable!

When I saw this kale bursting with life, exploding its violet tones into the afternoon light, I had to look at it close up. That's when I saw magic in it, and had to shoot it on my way to the car, even though we were pressed for time and on our way to visit my mother-in-law.

Looking at this image in Photoshop later on, I saw a bizarre yet beautiful landscape there, a full forest of exotic foliage in alluring tones of green, auburn and violet. So I HAD to work on it and post it, to share it with you.

I haven't been making the rounds these past few days, but I hope to do that tomorrow. I hope everyone is having a happy and creative weekend!

The Warmth of Nostalgia

The cozy, sunlit interior of this car at an Arizona auto show, made me miss bygone days when news was about who, on the block, had purchased a new (or classic) car, not about how many mass murders had taken place that morning. Were things really more simple when we were children, or does nostalgia color our memories?

"Nostalgia" is available at http://www.lyndalehmann.com/ as a matted print, or you can buy it at Imagekind, plain, matted, or matted and framed. http://LyndaLehmann.imagekind.com/

Join the Peace Train!

I've joined the Peace Train over at Carol's Place for Peace: http://carolsplaceforpeace.blogspot.com/2008/01/bloggers-for-peace.html.

If you're interested, read her post about it and sign up! We all have the power of the written word. Let's use it in the name of peace-building whenever we can!

Plum and Chrome

Well, here I am blogging again, instead of working on my paintings! I've been eager to work on my new series of car shots. So here's another one that I took last week when we were visiting family in Arizona, and we happened to take in an auto show.


A shiny hot-rod with plum-colored paint and impeccably polished chrome, was irresistible as a subject for abstraction. I hope you enjoy it. You can see where my interest in cars lies!


"Plum and Chrome" is available at www.lyndalehmann.com. Please feel free to ask about available sizes. My signature will not appear on your print as on this website, but the mat will be hand signed. Or you can purchase it matted and framed at Imagekind! Image c Lynda Lehmann.

Rhythm in Blues

I've been working hard to get ready for a solo show of my new acrylic paintings. The Opening is on February 9. So I've had to write a new bio and artist's statement, design and order post cards, paint the sides of all my gallery-wrapped canvases, and more. Since I'm not in the habit of signing my work--it seems arbitrary to do so, but I guess it has to be done for marketing purposes--I've had to take my paintings down from the walls and sign them all, as well. And I still have some left that need to be wired. After all this I have to address post cards. I doubt I'll use the entire 1000, lol, which was the smallest print run available!

"Rhythm in Blues" is a bright geometric abstract in red, white, and blues, 30 x 40 inches on gallery-wrapped canvas. It's lively and rhythmic, with a musical feel. (I know it doesn't look very good against the green of my page...!) In case you just happen to be looking to purchase a painting today, it's available at http://www.lyndalehmann.com/. Or shall I say it WILL be available, after my show. Image c Lynda Lehmann.

For All You Auto Buffs

An impeccable Studebaker with wonderfully reflective polished chrome, seen at a classic car cruise-night in Scottsdale, Arizona. Note the forms of palms and people reflected in the metal and paint. Image c 2007 Lynda Lehmann. Please check back for more hot-rod and classic auto shots to come!

This series, including "Impeccable," will soon be available as matted prints for purchase at http://www.lyndalehmann.com/ . Prints will also be available--plain, matted or framed--at my Imagekind and Artist Rising Galleries. You can find the links to all my sites at the above-mentioned site.

The Colors of Bark

I had no time to blog tonight, but I couldn't help myself. When I find 20 minutes or half an hour and start to work up an image, I have to see it through. So I'm addicted to photography, Photoshop, and blogging, all at once. Many times it gets in the way of my painting, which I'm trying to keep as my first priority. Especially as I have that show coming up.


This is the bark of a palm. I found it to be such a textural treat, and full of colors and character as well, that I had to post it! I love the sunlight playing on it, making it glow and come alive for the eye! If you look closely, you can see the blue, orange, and purple tones. I'm truly coming to believe that some of the most stunning and magnificent scenes are to found in very small things, or portions of those things. And nature is the thing I like the most!


Do you find beauty in this image, or am I just blinded by the (sun) light?


If you want to see more of my photography, or my paintings, please visit www.lyndalehmann.com. My other sites are listed there. Thanks for stopping by!

Scrub, Brush, and Boulders

No, I'm not referring to a scrub-brush. I took this shot of the scrub, brush and boulders at Pinnacle Peak in sunny Arizona, where we spent last week with my family, for the holidays. Strangely, it was unseasonably cold. One year we seemed to have brought a monsoon with us, and this year, it seems we brought a cold snap. It was only about 30 degrees each morning, and the super dry Arizona air made it feel colder, I thought.

It always amazes me how our Earth pours forth all its bounty and diversity, in so many ways. So many climates and terrains, each with its own unique set of flora and fauna. Before my first trip to Arizona about ten years ago, I anticipated only a desolation of sand and gravel in the desert, punctuated by the occasional Saguaro cactus, seen early in my life in the same cowboy movies that you might have enjoyed when you were a child.

Nothing could be further from the truth. From the winding, groping Palo Verde tree to the pungent Mesquite, to all sorts of scrub grasses and sizes and shapes of cacti, to the havalena (wild pig) munching quietly in the wash and hungry wild ponies stomping the grass inside the wire fence of the Salt River Reservation, there is much to see. Gigantic and imposing rock monuments seem to call forth a spiritual energy and connection to the Earth that Native Americans feel so deeply. Snow covered mountain peaks gleam in the distance, at the same time that delicate flowering bushes release their pollen and fragrance everywhere. Glossy-crowned palms imported from California and Florida, and fruit-laden lemon, orange, and grapefruit trees, shimmer in the golden sunlight.


Check out the colors in this Prickly Pear cactus. I have only adjsted the contrast and exposure in this shot, but I haven't added or saturated the color. All these hues were there, glistening like a rainbow in the afternoon light.




Here are some guys who are taking turns scaling a huge rock. Glad it wasn't me up there--all the guide lines and gear in the world couldn't get me to scale that boulder! I love to explore nature and all kinds of landscapes, but heights send me over the edge (the pun is accidental).




And this is The King of the Hill. Presumably...



And here's The Lone Stranger walking in Tonto National Forest. Actually, it's our daughter, but I kind of liked this for a title, LOL...





And here are the Four Peaks again, seen from the desert and covered in snow. I have to admit I like seeing snow from a distance whenever possible. Especially as it's now bitter cold in the northeast USA.

And finally, a scene right out of "Bonanza," which was one of my favorite shows when I was in the fourth grade....




Thanks for sharing my little photo tour of some of my favorite places in the scenic state of Arizona. Being out there with family, I had no opportunity to post and comment last week. But I want to thank all my fellow bloggers for sharing their interests, knowledge, and passions with me over the past few months, and for visiting this blog.


I have a solo show of paintings coming up in a month, and I still have a lot to do to get ready for it. So if you don't see me posting or making the rounds as much, don't think I've disappeared or forgotten you. I'll be here as time permits, and I'll be back full-throttle in a few weeks. Happy New Year to all of you, and thanks for making my world a warmer and more interesting place!


All photos and text c Lynda Lehmann. All rights reserved. Please visit me at www.lyndalehmann.com if you want to see more of my work!