IT'S HAPPENING THIS WEEK >>>

I would like to take this opportunity to personally invite my readers to see if I can walk the walk. You already know I talk the talk.

Seven of my paintings will be included in a show called Azul at B2 Fine Art Gallery, which opens Thursday night. Also in the show are Judy Hintz Cox, Leonardo Lanzolo, William Quinn, Susana Rodriguez and Franciso Salgado.

Cox and Quinn are the only other artists in the show whose work I am familiar with. I reviewed Cox's work in the companion shows Hot Fusion (July 2011) and Cold Fusion (December 2011). In those reviews I praised her use of "pure painterly energy" and wrote: "The tenuous balance of open and closed spaces and the excitement of a variety of transparencies, drawing, dense layering and texture within closed shapes is very exciting."

I reviewed Quinn's work in a couple of shows at the now defunct Mavi Contemporary back in 2010. Not well known to Tacomans at the time, Quinn was well respected in Europe, where he had lived and worked for a number of years. In my review of his August 2010 show at Mavi I wrote: "His paintings are abstract with vaguely figurative organic shapes in starkly contrasting colors floating on or seen through open space (backgrounds mostly white or black with other color tents). His balance of shapes in space is dramatic, and his gestural surface markings range from the most delicate to the most bombastic, with intermingling of flat, opaque shapes, lovely transparencies and lines made by drawing into the wet paint to reveal other colors that have been painted over. I see a lot of Robert Motherwell influence in these paintings, especially the ones that use strong black and white contrasts, and hints of Juan Miro."

"HALF MOON”: Oil and encaustic by Judy Hintz Cox

Although I don't know what to expect from the other artists, previously seen works by Cox and Quinn indicate that it will probably be a show of mostly abstract art. But certainly not all abstract. The B2 website pictures a three-dimensional piece by Salgado that looks intriguing. It is a very sensual figure all in blue. I look forward to seeing more or his work and more works by Cox and Quinn, and to see for the first time the art of Lanzolo, Rodriguez and Salgado.

The word "Azul" means "blue" in Spanish and Portugese, and blue is the theme of the show - whether the color blue or blues music or blue as a mood, or however the individual artists may choose to interpret it.

I will review the show for the Jan. 24 issue of the Weekly Volcano, with a disclaimer acknowledging my participation.

Personally, I am honored to be included. I retired from painting a few years ago, got rid of all my painting supplies and quit showing my work publically. The last show I had was at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle in the summer of 2009.

I not only gave away all my painting supplies and quit showing in galleries, I replaced the paint-splattered walls and floors in my studio. To get rid of some of the 150 or so paintings that were stacked all over my house, I held a two-day studio sale this fall. B2 owners Gary and Deborah Boone, came to the sale, bought a few paintings and invited me to be in this show. Thank you, Gary and Deborah.

The opening and artist reception is Thursday, Jan. 17 from 5-9 p.m. The show runs through March 2.

B2 FINE ART GALLERY, 711 SAINT HELENS AVE., TACOMA

LINK: Alec Clayton reviewed "Greek & Roman Mythology" exhibition at Tacoma Community College