Happy November. No significant storms in the northeast this year. The fruits of Irene and Sandy are in the fire wood piles. Thus begins my gratitude for this year. My vision is 20/15 in both eyes and I only need over the counter readers for tiny print and details. Dr. Modi in Poughkeepsie gave me the gift of renewed sight with cataract surgery one year ago. .
Orange Physical therapists in Middletown have worked hard to improve my pained neck and back from a car/truck accident I was in in New York City. Much improved - not perfect. The truck that hit my car was large. Grateful to Progressive insurance for doing their job.
Always looking for work. Grateful to get through a difficult year. My plans are set for painting botanicals, landscapes, asian ink and brush art and Ketubah commissions. i will be teaching gouache painting techniques of nature science subjects at NYBG in January.
List of memorable teachers and mentors:
Miss Reiser kindergarten - let me paint for the first time on an easel!
Mrs. Norton 6th grade - took my class to Chinatown where I fell in love with Asian art while singing every song from the Sound of Music.
Mrs. Lubell JHS 113: 7th - 9th taught me to read and write with passion.
Ms Rita Lee 9th year special art class-
Showed me the difference between commercial art and fine art and how the two were historically the same. Took me to the Hip Bagel in Greenwich Village and I became an artist for life.
Dr. Parrino English teacher JHS 113 - be the best at whatever I wanted to be.
Dr. Starr social studies Art & Design - homework was artwork.
Mr. Bigeleisen - typography and graphic design
Mr. Eliscu - sculpture
Mr. Eric Marcus - car rides & math
At FIT Mr. Jacobs taught me how to draw, Fay Lewis how to mix colors and Lillian Weiss how to paint "A"paintings and still get a "D" for dating some one she didn't like.
Joy Christov - my role model of a
Professional woman at Macy's and Avon.
Leo Schein - my textile design & professional art mentor to 1/64 of an inch.
Nat Kaz - how to be a fine artist for real,
Art Students League instructor, mentor and rented my first apartment studio on West 73rd St from him.
Barry Friedman -
Introduced me to fine decorative arts
Paintings and objects des arts, marketing and resales. Flea markets, galleries and auctions.
Spiritual Masters: Sri Chinmoy, creative yoga,
Paramhansa Hariharananda Giri meditation kriya yoga the real deal
Botanical Art teachers: Kevin Nicolay, Eleanor Wunderlich and Anne Ophelia Dowden.
Japanese sumi-e sensei- Koho Yamamoto
Chinese master artist - Guo Liang Jui
Dogu Choegyal Rimpoche - Tibetan master artist
HH Dalai Lama- meditation workshop
Chinese language teacher- Jinyu Yang
Hebrew instructors - Rabbi Richard Kirsch, scribes: Rabbi Vinas and Neal Yerman.
Jewish meditation: Rabbi Goldie Milgram, Mindy Ribner and Shefa Gold.
Feminist and literary mentor Tama Starr
Manicure guru: Andy Warhol
Botanical watercolor "Stock"
Mattiathola Purple © Roberta Rosenthal 10/30/13
Asian brush painting "Peacock and leaf hopper", ink and watercolor
© Roberta Rosenthal 10/30/13
Wedding Ketubah ink watercolor
and gouache for Josh and Rachel Aronson © Roberta Rosenthal 10/18/13
"Wallkill River", ink and watercolor
on rice paper for recommission as 3'x4' oil on canvas. © Rosenthal 10/30/13
My faithful student, Lorraine Devore
who inspires me, pushes the envelope and often surprises me with awesome paintings.
I could not do all of this without a lifetime of teachers and mentors.
Gratitude for all of you past and present. And to all unmentioned you are not forgotten.
