I was at Cathie Bleck's opening last Thursday. She's a fantastic illustrator that is turning toward more un-commissioned work lately -- very beautiful and sensual large scale scratchboard pieces. She mainly uses animal and plant forms and has created a very personalized mythology from it. Everything is swirling and intertwined and somehow becomes simultaneously chaotic and calm. Seeing the originals is a treat. Since the image is scraped out of the surface, and sometimes painted back on top, they take on a sculptural quality that just can't be fully appreciated in reproduction.Cathie Bleck
"Elemental Stories"
April 25 – June 6
1133 Avenue of the Americas (43rd and 44th street)
She also has an art book out, Open Spaces which is well worth picking up – a nice simple design that lets the work speak for itself. It also shows lots of sketches, something I always enjoy seeing.