Howard Russell Butler and Me

August 1, 2017 ~ Anne M Bray ~ 2 Comments

HRB-and-AMB — A very satisfying moment on my Facebook Profile (with the clutter blurred).
I see a lot of synergy between my “I-10W x 110” and Howard Russell Butler’s Eclipse painting.

Howard Russell Butler is my Great Great Uncle. I never met him, but he is a huge influence on my art.

[I wish I could add images of the two paintings mentioned below but I can’t find them]
I grew up with this painting. It still hangs in my mom’s living room, many houses later.
This is one of my favorites, it hangs in the family cottage on Martha’s Vineyard.
[Will add whenever I do].

My great uncle (his son) gave me this pastel in the early 80s

Butler_Howard-Russell_DesertLandscape_Pastel_6x9in — Howard Russell Butler, Desert Landscape [not officially titled, not dated], Pastel on paper, 6×9″

With it, came the story of Howard Russell Butler taking the train from New York to Santa Barbara and sketching live from the train window. The story goes that he would work from the sky down, filling in the foreground details when good ones appeared.

I tried this method from a car. It did not go well, I got car sick.
The chalk pastel was awfully messy as well.

Bray_AnneM_I-5-CA_1982_Pastel_11x14in — Anne M Bray, I-5, CA, 1982, Pastel on paper, 11×14″

It just so happens I’m accompanying a friend on a road trip up I-5 in one week.
I had already been thinking about the possibility of doing some sketching, since I won’t be driving (unless he gets a migraine). My Instagram @annembray will tell what transpires!

This post inspired by:
1) a Facebook post by a friend showing some solar eclipse art
2) remembering seeing HRB’s eclipse painting the same visit that my great uncle gifted me the Desert Landscape pastel
3) finding an article via Google about a current exhibit of HRB’s eclipse paintings!
4) the Daily Post’s weekly Photo Challenge, this week’s challenge is Satisfaction

Under and Overpasses

July 11, 2017July 18, 2017 ~ Anne M Bray ~ 1 Comment

“Bridge” is this week’s Daily Post’s weekly Photo Challenge.
I was working on titles for my current show at TAG and realized I couldn’t pinpoint exactly where in the grand confluence of the 60W x 101 x 5 x 10 this image fell.

I shot video. It was a rare evening when I got through it in one minute.

Is it the 10W? Not sure.

Time to try Google Street View:
No help. It kept jumping me onto the 10 at the critical point.
Maybe therein lay my answer?

I gave up and titled it “60W“.

The exhibition, #mycommute, is at
TAG Gallery, 5458 Wilshire Blvd, LA, CA 90036
7/11 – 8/5, 2017
Opening Reception: Saturday, 7/15, 5-8pm
Artist Panel: Saturday, 8/5, 4pm
Closing Reception: Saturday, 8/5, 6-9pm

Happy 4th!

July 4, 2017July 9, 2017 ~ Anne M Bray ~ Leave a comment

Yesterday, I was doing a massive edit of 313+ #dailytruck images… In order to create the above wall hanging for my upcoming art exhibition at TAG Gallery.

During the process I came across a multitude of “Red, White, and Blue” compositions.
Here are two especially patriotic trucks [click to see bigger]:

They are the same truck on different days [April 5, 2016 // May 23, 2016],
captured in almost exactly the same location!
I can’t seem to stop my truck obsession, but repeat trucks? Yikes.

The exhibition, #mycommute, is at
TAG Gallery, 5458 Wilshire Blvd, LA, CA 90036
7/11 – 8/5, 2017
Opening Reception: Saturday, 7/15, 5-8pm
Artist Panel: Saturday, 8/5, 3pm

Passing Through

June 24, 2017 ~ Anne M Bray ~ 3 Comments

Selections from the #mybeautifulcommute series, digital watercolors (Waterlogues) made from iPhone captures. Most easily seen on my Tumblr here.
The location is a segment of my westbound commute home, where CA60 passes under I-5 northbound, the 101, I-5 southbound, I-10 eastbound, then unites with I-10.
At 7pm, it usually isn’t too terrible until the merge with the westbound I-10, just east of downtown LA. The forms of the overpasses zoom by in the blink of an eye, and every day it’s different.