A good year for still life.

A Short Journey- an exhibition of paintings

at Bethany Lutheran College by William Bukowski. (ending March 30, 2010)

As I looked at my work over the years, I decided

to hang three still lifes that I still own, in a horizontal arrangement. These were all done in a fairly short period of time after my first sabbatical. The year was 1988 and I was coming off of a great trip with Pete beginning in Rome and ending in London. I tightened up the edges, put some high contrast lighting and added some kid drawings, some toys and some shiny objects.

Jeff decided to make an appearance in the top still life as the masked hero, Zorro.

Faces at 30 year show.

A Short Journey, Paintings by William Bukowski at the Ylvisaker Fine Arts Center, on the campus of Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minnesota on display through March.

One wall of my show is reserved for portraits of the family. The cluster is hung salon style with works from 1977-2004. I had to leave many paintings out of the show.

There is one painting in the show that is not mine- but it is of me. Jenna painted me on a four by four foot canvas.

A Short Journey- 30 Year Show at Bethany

On February 25th, there was an opening reception for the show: A Short Journey. The exhibition is at the Ylvisaker Fine Arts Center on the campus of Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minnesota.

The phrase "a short journey" represents one's life and career and the paintings in this show cover more than the 3o year teaching career of Bethany Professor Bill Bukowski.

Foot in the Door at MIA

The Minneapolis Institute of Art has their "Foot in the Door" show currently on display. Any artist in the state of Minnesota could bring artwork to show as long as it was within one foot square or cubic . There is quite a bit of diversity in the exhibition.

I had most of my new work in the show at Hopkins Center for the Arts, so I decided to enter the painting I had given Sherri of Goldie.

The paintings is oil on linen and shows the little cocker spaniel begging with one foot up on the couch. It marks just over a year since Goldie died- March 9, 2009. Now she is remembered in the Minneapolis Institute of Art until June 13, 2010

Bukowski at Hopkins

Bukowski paintings will be at the Hopkins Center for the Arts until February 21.

The space is pretty dramatic with the glass walls and plenty of natural light. If one just drives through the city of Hopkins, you can't help but to see the exhibition right from your car. The best part is to walk along the wall on the inside and see a large part of the Sibley Park series. One reward of doing a show like this, is to see random people walking along very slowly looking at every painting.

They are actually looking......

Hopkins Center Exhibition Opening

Garden Paintings by William Bukowski

Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins, Minnesota.

Last night was the opening of this show in Hopkins. There were 3 other artists showing new work and a play going on in the theater, so there were a lot of interested viewers.

I called the show, "The Search for Paradise" because of the show in Waseca. The paradise metaphor works for these painting because it is a garden that is not easily identifiable with a specific place and there are no people in it to define fashion or time period. I like how the show is visible from the street and during the day has some beautiful natural light. If you are in the area, check it out. The show runs until February 21, 2010.

Show coming up at Hopkins Center for the Arts.

Hopkins Center for the Arts will be showing my garden paintings coming up next week in Hopkins, Minnesota. I am getting everything ready.

It is always interesting to see a the paintings together. I decided to call the show" the Search for Paradise". I think it gives it kind of a Romantic notion like the European desire to fine an earthly paradise. The Sibley series has evolved to more of a metaphor for the desire for heaven. Heaven probably isn't Sibley Park in Mankato for most people, but it is art after all, and an interpretation.