Again, we cannot emphasize enough how devoted, obsessed, and thrilled we are by our process. It never gets old.

A note from Bixa on Ninth Street Women

// I finally finished Ninth Street Women: Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler: Five Painters and the Movement That Changed Modern Art by Mary Gabriel. This book has been on my mind for a few years, recommended by several friends and artists. I finally had the time this June to sit down and bathe in the stories of these legendary woman – some of whom I never heard of before. Though Dan studied painting at Tyler School of Art, I spent my college years spilling over engineering texts while studying Materials Engineering at Purdue University. I was immersed in the world of stuff and the relationship between how a material behaves and how it is processed. It’s not that unlike painting, really, or working with plant dyes and textiles. But there is still a missing link between myself and the histories of artists that came before me. I wanted a deeper understanding of art in general.

As I read Ninth Street Women filled my heart with electricity. I was initially excited to learn more details of Helen Frankenthaler, whose soak stain paintings inspired legitimacy and power in our dyeing practice years ago. A light bloomed in my chest when I read about her uncovering the soak stain process (~500 pages into the text), and ignoring initial criticisms of her work (including from her annoying ex boyfriend and ‘renowned’ art critic Clem Greenberg). She doubled down and thank god, she continued to make work through the end of her life. You can find an amazing archive of her work on the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation website.

I had never heard of Grace Hartigan or Joan Mitchell before, and barely knew the works of Lee Krasner and Elaine de Kooning. Each woman has an incredible story of entering, navigating, and succeeding in the art world despite a widespread belief that women could not be real artists, and that abstract expressionism was not real art.

While I adored reading about the trials and victories of each woman, I must give flowers to Lee Krasner, the painter I perceived as the true hero of the text. For nearly a decade Krasner sidelined her own art career to promote her husband, Jackson Pollock, as American artists were finally gaining international recognition. Though Lee maintained her own artistic practice, rumors often circulated that she gave up painting to work as her husband’s publicist (It’s quite possible Tammy Wynette wrote Stand by Your Man about Lee Krasner). In fact, Lee was a devoted artist and processed the emotional turmoil of care-taking and promoting Pollock – an infamous drunk – through prolific painting and collaging. In 2024, the Kasmin Gallery curated an incredible retrospective featuring Lee Krasner’s work throughout this decade she shared with Jackson Pollock. The context of her life at this time makes her work – which offers a generous mirror to her internal world – even more emotionally evocative. Seeing the images on my computer screen I am nearly moved to tears, and determined to see her works in person whenever possible.

Though Kranser was not quite released from the position of caretaker after Pollock’s death (she still controlled his estate and the sale of his paintings), she was finally free to pursue her own art career in 1956, and again – thank god. The world needs her work. I need it and I didn’t know I needed it. In fact, I needed all of Ninth Street Woman – the work and story of a five women devoted to expressing life through art, at whatever cost. I recall a quote from Louis Armstrong that Gabriel shares in the text – Brother, if you don’t get it, there’s no way I can tell you.

Path Finder, 24×36” Indigo, Madder and Weld on Linen

Thank you to Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Helen Frankenthaler, and Joan Mitchell for their relentless devotion. And thank you to Mary Gabriel for telling their stories.

In Ninth Street Women, each painter has a moment when she realizes she needs to make large paintings. To complete this book and immediately begin a project working on the largest paintings we’ve ever made is a gorgeous synchronicity that affirms we are on the right path. As we lock down the dates, we’ll be sure to let you know when & where you can find our show in Philadelphia this fall.

Fall Show Schedule

We’re attending three weddings this fall, so our Fall schedule is lighter than the Spring. Find us at the following shows through the end of the Summer into late Fall:

August 29-31 – Long’s Park Art Festival in Lancaster, PA

September 27-28: Armonk Outdoor Art Show in Armonk, NY

October 11-12: Bruce Museum Art Festival in Greenwich, CT

October 18-19: Brookdale Park in Bloomfield, NJ

See you there!

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A Note on Commissions + Shipping

Several folks have asked us if we could recreate a painting in a particular color scheme or in a particular size. Barring some constraints: yes, we would love to create a piece to harmonize your space. If you are located within 100 miles of Philadelphia, we can deliver and install your painting once it is complete. We are able to pack and ship our paintings. If you are interested in a commission, or having a piece shipped to your home, please contact us directly at studio@thoughtforms.art or by responding to this email.

Summer Halo, 69×42” indigo, weld, and madder on linen (Commission)

Closing Goodbyes

Taking a moment to offer our hearts to those who have lost loved ones and companions this year. I lost my grandmother Mary Asunta in the spring. She was a fierce spirit with a sharp mind and a deep appreciation for beauty. Born in Avon by the Sea, she could tell you which way the wind was blowing across the ocean simply by standing out in the street of her shoreside home (she’d laugh at herself for becoming a crazy old lady – something I aspire to be). My beautiful grandmother was 91 years old when she passed in her beloved home in Spring Lake, New Jersey, surrounded by her children. At the time I was dog-sitting for a family I’ve known for several years. Their dog, Bo, was a companion to me during my time of grieving. Bo passed away in June. Over the years he often came with me to the dye house, and his sweet presence made its mark on our work. We extend to hearts to anyone in any cycle of grief, however new or old the loss may be.