Flora and Fauna with Robert Kushner

Thanks to Emily Y for this week's write up on Robert Kushner's Visiting Artist Residency at Oxbow March 21 - 29:

This week, Robert Kushner has expanded Oxbow students’ knowledge on botanical art and art

itself during his ten day residency. Just finishing the two­ week research project, Project­X,

students were introduced to Kushner by a couple of sticks, jars of ink and flowers. They learned

how to sharpen sticks into fountain pens in order to observationally paint flowers on thin

Japanese paper. Kushner draws a lot of his inspiration from traditional Japanese art and his

interest in the natural world. His work is nationally acclaimed as the catalyst for the Pattern and

Decoration movement where his natural elements are placed in abstract and geometric

atmospheres which ultimately contributes to both a decorative and modernist style. His visit

ended with a large­scaled accumulation of the flowers on a big slab of wood to create the effect

of a dream garden. Preparing for Spring Break, Oxbow students are enjoying the sunny Napa

days and are finally finishing up big research papers and projects in their Humanities classes.

After Spring Break, the Oxbow School will readily enter its conquest into Final Projects!

Bob and CJ wish OS34 a happy Spring Break.