Artomatic Wrap-Up

The last few days at Artomatic was filled with music.  Charles King performed on Thursday night, the crowd dancing to every song.  It was a pleasure to hear his upbeat music. His sound Caribbean cornucopia of blended sound, was uplifting and encouraged audience participation through call and response.


Charles King is known in Columbia as "El Palenquero fino." He is a creator and pioneer of champeta, the popular Afro-Caribbean rhythm that combines urban sounds and lively rhythms from East Africa. Champeta, "the people's cry of freedom" is a combination of rock, reggae, rap,soca, and calypso that exploded on the scene in Cartagena de Indias thirty years ago.  Charles King embodies the beat and living free philosophy.  Champeta has been adopted by Calle13, the wailers, and even Shakira.


It was hard to take a picture of the performance, because of the lighting and too many people in the way of a good shot. The best I could do is this poster. I got a free CD! (yay!) Charles King gave a great performance, but he wasn't the only one turning it out during the last days of Artomatic.

Asia

Thursday night was filled with wows and wonders. As I'm walking down the hall on the 3rd floor,  I pass by this model, she's dressed in a long red dress, complete with long black gloves.  I stop to talk to Asia, who was preparing for the the fashion show at Artomatic.  She had two young fabulous girls who also were working the hall runway.  All three took time to pose for me.  They are truly beautiful girls. Models in the making!

Tanaye & Damoiyona

 It was also the last Beer &Wine tasting, people crowded in, to get their taste on.  Those who stayed until the end benefited, we poured larger amounts in the cups. We also opened a chili pepper wine called "Kiss the Devil", it smelled and tasted like that's exactly what you were doing when you drank it. Went down like vinegar, burned like hot sauce. This is wine! made in Virginia, that figures.


I also met a group of nice people, one girl a dancer, was there at the tasting with her two friends.  We chatted and they got a few beers on the house.  They visited my space on the 3rd floor, signed my book.  We hung out for a view,then I was on my way.  Alone again, naturally.


Friday night proved to be another jam session, with bands performing every 30-45minutes on the 7th and 10th floors.  One band that I caught, The Charm Offensive, had a girl playing bass that reminded me of Lisa Loeb, a funky kind of retro sixties style with thick rimmed glasses fashionable during that period.  Complete with bangs and the ends of her shoulder length hair flipped up.  To top it off, she was barefoot! The band had a surfer meets retro rock style. 

Also playing that night was another group called Swag Funk, they jammed old school style, playing Parliament, Kool and the Gang, Prince, Herbie Hancock.  These guys got down! They jammed for about 45minutes. Their raw sound was great! they covered old school classics that people knew from the music alone! even if they didn't sing the words. I enjoyed watching and listening to them.


Outside, were the guys called Dance Afire! they are a unique theatrical fire dance performing company based in the D.C. area that uses fire sticks.  They were twirling, flipping and rolling around with the ends of the poles on fire.  They performed stunts, with good music to aide in their delivery. I was amazed at how well they manipulated the poles during their performance.  It was interesting to see. You could feel the heat from the flame as they whirled by. Hot!  


Also, this was the night that I dressed up and collaborated with an artist neighbor Andrea Collins who is a performance, writing, socially engaged artist her work  "Pussy Riot" is a petition and performance for a cause.  Women in Russia are imprisoned because they performed a dance at a church with masks on to punk rock music.  Her space is set up like a church environment. Participants are told about the cause, shown the video, and are asked to put on one of many colored dresses and brightly colored scull caps with the eyes, nose &  mouth cut out, so it can be pulled down over the face. There is also a "guitar hero" style guitar to play, one likes.

Pussy Riot Performance

I had three other people perform with me.  They were passing by and decided to rock out for the cause.  The next participants were two girls who decided to perform.  I have pictures of their performance, since mine were taken by someone else, I don't have them yet. The dance begins with a bow, and then you just rock out. What a release!  Don't really care for dress up, but I had on my union jack Doc Martens and this snug fitted dress, along with my bright pink homemade ski mask... Maybe its a good thing there are no pictures! Its starting to sound scary! But these pictures of the two girls will do.

Rockin Out!

Saturday rocked big time! Closing night at Artomatic had the eclectic lounge groove of Avi Wisnia His band played a Bossa Nova, Latin Lounge groove that had you dancing.  He performed "Aqua de Beber" - Water to Drink from Sergio Mendes.  If you haven't checked them out, either both Avi and Sergio won't disappoint. Definitely expands the listening palette, and is an easy introduction to World Beat Music style.  Putumayo also has different styles of music from various countries complied on one CD. Avi also sang a few other songs  and a couple in Spanish, no doubt! I am now a fan! Avi is delightful and fun guy, his three man band travels across the country, playing their music. A music profile of his band will be forthcoming.  I really enjoyed listening to him play/sing.


Avi Wisnia's debut album SOMETHING NEW is available now.  www.AVIWISNIA.com


They also will be performing Sunday, Aug 12, 8pm & 10pm at Twinz Jazz 1344 U Street N.W. Washington, D.C. Like them on Facebook.


Saturday I decided to work with Stage Crew helping out with the bands for the last night at Artomatic.   I got to play the role of a "yes" girl, standing outside the rooms that the bands (Avi Wisnia & Tracy Hamlins' band) were to leave their instruments in, getting water and chairs for the musicians.  I got to talk to one guy who had been playing trumpet since 9th grade. He also play saxophone and tambourine.  It was something new to do, since I had never performed that duty as a stage crew person.  I also helped set up lights with the Stage Crew Manager Mary Diaz.  She received a jacket with all the volunteers and board members signatures on it for work with Artomatic.  I even put my Jane Hancock on it on the back of the left sleeve.  For my last assignment, I was the staff who escorted Tracy Hamlin and her singers to the stage.  Of course I got to talk with her, if only briefly, while escorting her to and from the ladies room.  She's performed with Pieces of a Dream and with such greats as Chaka Khan, and Sister Sledge in Paris.  Tracy was very nice and can sing her butt off!  It was a pleasure to have met and talked with her.  She also has a fan page on Facebook.  Tracy performed after Avi and his band.  I got to watch the performance. Tracy performed songs from her new CD Seasons, and performed a few songs by Chaka Khan and Bill Withers, Aretha Franklin. She had plenty of fans and supporters in the audience. Everyone was rockin and jammin to her.  Girlfriend gave a great performance, she turned it out big time! that's the way to go out! Artomatic rocked!


After this stellar performance it was time to call it a night.  Artomatic was fun, and I had a great time meeting new people and seeing way more art than I ever thought possible. This was a good experience and I recommend it to anyone who has thought about participating. Its definitely worth it.  Made a lot of new friends and heard a lot of great music, volunteered my time,and enjoyed every minute of it.  


Just because Artomatic has ended, doesn't mean my artist profiles have ended.  Stay tuned for my upcoming profile on Photographer/Fine Artist Christine krizsa and Part II of Listen without Prejudice-Lady J CD review in the next few days.  There was so much happening that this post will be devoted to artomatic. Don't want to overload your brain!

Check you next time, same blog time, same blog channel!

Music, Clay and the Monster Mash-up

Featuring
Listening without Prejudice PT I
Music Profile
Artist Spotlight
Clay Gyrls Are Easy, The Update
Monster Mash


Its been a few days since my last post, things have been busy, but I want to share what I've been doing that has kept me away.  I went to a listening parting for an up and coming rapper named Lady J.  We met during one of the Professional Development Workshops.  Her and her Manager Daryl attended a music workshop a few weeks ago.  Both are driven and passionate about their goals, we talked and I found out more about them and their musical aspirations.  The"Self Control" EP release party was in Adams Morgan at the Crown Hookah 2409 18th Street NW. It started at 7pm,$10 at the door. Her video and EP will drop on June 18, 2012. We were late as I underestimated my travelling time. But things hadn't started, so it wasn't a big deal.


I took my daughter-in-law Faith with me, it was time to share the wonderfulness of other artistic personalities with someone else.The atmosphere was high energy and full of the enthusiasm of friends and family who came out to support Lady J in her endeavors. We didn't know anyone other than the artist, so Faith being with me was a good thing, I had someone to talk to, and laugh with. Besides, the only other person there that could possibly be in my age range was Lady J's mom. I try to keep an open mind with art and music and listen to a wide range of things.  Having a son that is in his twenties also keeps me informed as to who is out there and doing what.  Being old school as far as rap,  coming up with the lyrical stylings of  Rakim, Guru, KRS-One and others, a person can be judgemental as far as today's rap artist. So to be fair, I'm having my own listening party with a new school rap artist and an old school rap artist.  We are going to listen to Lady J's EP and I will compile my notes with their opinions for a review of her work.  For now, I will focus on the experience of attending this event.

The Hookah bar was small, long in length with a flat screen TV mounted on the back wall.  The walls were yellow brick with splashes of color by paintings or fabric.  Couches engulfed you when you sat on them, sinking you far lower to the floor, making it hard to get up, had small rectangular tables in front of them. The refreshments were provided by the artist, since it was apparent that a lot of her friends were between the ages of 18-23, so no alcohol, but a hookah did come out later in the evening. Meeting mom was interesting all by itself.  Mom - the Proud (she has reason to be), was oh so queen like.  She held her hand out to me in a majestic way, like her hand was meant to be kissed by all who approached her, I shook it like a regular handshake, no disrespect. She was very nice and excited for her daughter's success. Her brother was also there with mom.   

Cory and friend

We met a young guy named Corey who describes himself as a shuffler, skateboarder, smoker & drinker. He had on a shirt with LED lights that went up and down like the volume bars on an equalizer. He showed us his moves on the dance floor and I wondered how anybody would dance with him moving all over the place like that. We watched a few of the other guys get up and do what I call the old square dancing move, which was to kick their feet out to side while holding their belt buckles and yelling "Yee Haw!" They made it seem like a sporting event. Other dance moves in group form were done which looked more like dance moves extreme, they need a stage to do all that! Even Faith thought it was too much, and she can move pretty good herself.

A. DOT?

The DJ was a little late in arriving, but when she got there, she immediately pumped up the volume and began playing some dance music.  Cool! I'm a dance-hed anyway, so the music was sounding good and people responded by getting up and dancing. Faith danced in her seat, not wanting to get up and shake her groove thang.  I bopped my head and sang along with whatever song was playing and watched people doing dances that definitely require more energy than I was willing to put out. They weren't dancing, they were doing aerobics! The genre switched to a more alternative rock feel, which was cool with me too. Sounded like Fall Out Boy or someone along those lines. I know with today's music media and technology that towing around crates full of albums and turntables is a thing of the past, but it bothers me that anyone can learn a computer program, get a laptop and the mini fake me out turntables and be a DJ.  Some don't even know who to mix the music, they just jump from one track to another. Not saying this particular DJ did this, but I expect my listening experience to be well mixed and a smooth transition from one song to the next.


Then the listening of the EP began. Lady J was introduced by Multiple Man, a local rapper and friend of hers.  Each song was played and people were allowed to give their opinion of the song.  I took notes of the opinions and listened without prejudice to her music.  I noticed the vibe everyone had when her music played, people seemed to groove to it.  She also gave away free signed copies of her CD, which I have. The party was going to last into the wee hours of the morning, but metro stops running at midnight, so around 10 or so we decided to leave.That's about the time the hookah came out, and the fun kicked up a notch. I thanked Lady J and Daryl for the invitation to their event. It was fun and interesting to be a part of.  Thanks Faith for hanging with me. The full EP review to come.


MUSIC PROFILE: KontacVision-Viz Da Vox

KontacVision (^_^) \/,, is a gentleman that is capturing audiences with an originality seldom seen in this day and age. There are very few male vocalists in this industry that have the ability to keep your attention with such deep, heart-felt songs about city life, love, respect, the failed system of society, and the state of the world today, tomorrow, and beyond. 

"Music becomes an extension of myself.... when I write, or sing, I feel like I AM the world! and the people, places, and things resonate around me. An escape, if you will, but I have only begun to scratch the surface. I continue to reinvent my directions, but for fear of getting lost in my own abyss of creations....I pause, take a minute to get my head together, then I'm back at it...I invite anyone, and everyone to enjoy the sounds & 'Visionz' - http://www.stickam.com/vizdavox - live music web cam creations.- Much love to the people and thank you, from the bottom of my heart, and the essence of my soul."

Performing at such legendary venues like Bohemian Caverns, 930 club, Black Cat, Old Town Theater, even a Frat party at Princeton University, Viz has been able to share his music with a large fan base, as well as build momentum for his LIVE web cast and also has shared over 100,000 ringtones with his family, friends and fans all over the world.

Now, in similar fashion, Viz hosts two standing events open to the public: Purple Poetry Wednesday and Culture Thursdays in Washington, DC at RAS Restaurant and Lounge, 4809 Georgia Avenue, NW, DC 20011 with a LIVE Band, open mic showcase for all the new, up-and-coming artists in the city. 

"I know the music in my soul will guide me to my horizons, and when I get there, I will show love to all those who showed love to me, and even to those who have not. That is the only way we will survive as a people. Respect for humanity through the music we create must be maintained."

For more about this artist, please check out the following sites:

---

http://www.stickam.com/vizdavox

http://www.myxertones.com/kontactones

http://www.facebook.com/vizdavox

Upcoming Music Events


Charles King, Artomatic Special Event Saturday, June 23, 2012 7pm FREE




ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

 Tonyel Stewart, is an artist who creates by incorporating newspaper headings and clippings into an intricate and detailed wood burned scene. His imagery is stunning as it jumps off of the wood panel background. The mixing in of the newspaper separates the natural toned images from the grain of the wood. These pieces are captivating and is reminiscent of the 70's civil rights area.  


Mr. Stewart is a southern gentlemen who speaks volumes through these elaborate wood burned pieces.  Relatively large, it is easy to see his process and his images feel as though they are speaking through the wood.

 His work is located at Artomatic, 4th floor, space 342.


Last week to see all the great art and experience events. Artomatic closes June 23, 2012.

Clay Gyrls are Easy - The Update

In a previous post, I talked about the ease in which clay gyrls are made.  Well, I've got one that's proving to not be so easy.  With her head tilting back, I am faced with the issue of the hair being too heavy on the head an causing her to tip backwards. Working with clay, can be a matter of working with patience. The neck has to be a little stiffer, and the hair can't be too long or thick that it pulls the head back.  Manipulation of clay then becomes like cutting and pasting elements together with a clay slip, aware that the drying process is happening which can make it difficult to make changes once the clay becomes leather hard. Her hair doesn't whip the way I would like it, but it does stick out like a porcupine. When she's done I will post another picture. Her hair is different than the photo in the last post. Right now, she's covered in plastic awaiting my return.  Can't let her sit for days on end, like the StoneWomyn. New stone and some additional tools are coming to pound out more lovelies.

Art and Fun

Featuring -

WCADC at Artomatic
Artist Profile
Spotlight on Art
Clay Gyrls Are Easy


It's been a busy week, working on my clay gyrls, preparing for WCA-DC's panel and running the professional development program at Artomatic. I managed to go to a discussion about "What is The Burning Man at Black Rock about". This was an overview of what burning man is and what to expect if you decide to go.  The tickets for this year are already sold out, with a beginning tier price of $240, I wasn't disappointed about not going.  Its out in the Nevada desert, and for one week its transformed into a town. Its hot (not humid) and dusty out there with port-a-potties and little to no shower facilities.  A yearly participant said "after the first few days, you'll get a layer of dust on you and bathing wont matter." Yeah right! Funk is not an attractive pheromone. Men might be able to get away with it, but if your a female on her cycle, not bathing and menses don't mix, not for a day or three or five. That's a smell no one wants up their nose. I would have to rent an RV, need my own bathroom, don't do public bathrooms too well as it is.  Guess I wont be going to Burning Man anytime soon, got too many issues about sharing bathrooms with funky people I don't know. I slipped out of that event and went to the Jaleo cooking demo two floors down.  The chef made vegetable and chicken paella it was really good, especially with my beer. Got a recipe card too. Not that I plan to use it, a kitchenista I'm not, just want to get in, cook and get out as quickly as possible. 

Now that I've totally fucked your head up, lets move on to other exciting things happening in the world.


WCA-DC at Artomatic


Women's Caucus of Art, DC Chapter,(WCA-DC) held a panel discussion this past Saturday at Artomatic in the Renwick Gallery. We had a wonderful panel of artists; CM Judge, Hiro, Cherie Redlinger, Cindy Renteria, Lynda Smith-Bugge, Bonnie MacAllister, and of course yours truly.  I led the panel discussion, and was really surprised at the great turnout.  I also led a tour afterwards where WCA-DC members participating in Artomatic, got to show off their work and answer questions. 


Afterwards, a few of us went to Freddies Beach Bar, had a few drinks and of course food. It was open, airy and full of dance music, with cute little umbrellas and little plastic animals that came in the frozen margaritas  I drank. I now have a plastic mini safari with colorful animals, the ultimate piece is the mermaid.  Tried fried pickles for the first time, and had a wonderful conversation with CM Judge. Freddies was all decked out with Gay Pride flags and decorations.  The atmosphere was great, the people friendly, food and drink reasonably priced. Saw a drag queen or two, and we had the best time. Plan to go back soon. Thanks to our waitress, a cute little goth style chick. She took care of us, making the experience even better.  Love good service. 


Artist Profile


Eileen Williams work is powerful and stunning.  I became familiar with her work while installing at Artomatic.  Everyday, I would stop to look at her work, wondering who was this person, that created such intriguing pieces.  I finally met Eileen at Meet the Artist Night. We had a wonderful conversation about her work.  I'm really excited to profile her. If you can, see Eileens' work at Artomatic, 3rd floor, space 189.

Eileen Williams

As an artist my goal is to create art that evokes conversation, stimulates the imagination and engages one to feel something. The love for fabrics inspires me the most. From the yards of toile, to contemporary fibers, to whimsical textiles, fabric is the paint on my paint brush with many colors to choice from. When I decided to start creating fabric wall art in the series, “Celebration Of Women Through Faces In Fabric”, something happened. As I completed more pieces in this series, incorporating one or more faces into the design, a sense that these were faces of women became clear, some with a story to tell about the various facets of their lives. Also, I started to notice similarities between women and fabric. The idea evolved, women are like fabric in that fabric comes in all colors and textures, from many different cultures. Through some of my pieces I also want to bring to the for front what women have accomplished through their integrity, purpose, strength and inner beauty. You could ask, why the combination of women, fabric and art? When I can combine my passion for art, with ideas that are close to my heart, I feel that I have not only created an art piece but a compelling motif.

Spotlight on Art

Melissa Badenhop

This weeks spotlight is on Melissa Badenhop. Her work is located on the 8th floor, space 120.  Her paintings are spectacular.  she has a wash style background that flows into the image, or the image comes out of the background.  Either way, the pieces are beautifully executed. Looks as if she painted on a wood panel, allowing the grain to show through. 

 Each piece has its own story. The muted colors accentuate the image in the painting. Giving feeling and emotion to the piece.  Keeping the background simple also amplifies the emotion in the piece.  Melissa has several different pieces in her space, using the same styles. They are really great.  

***Join me at Touchstone Gallery - June 15 6;30-8:30 for an Encore party: Poetry, Blues, and Art! Events include Poet Susan Griffin Hill, blues guitarist David Cole, and art performance by Shelley Lowenstein! (featured in my blog) Don't miss it!


Clay Gyrls Are Easy

Yes, I said it! they are easy! This is the new gyrl, the other one is being hollowed out, so that it can dry completely.  I know she has strong features, but she's a strong woman.  Not too happy with how the hair is coming out and I plan to change it before all is said and done.  Such a forgiving soul, she will allow me to tweak her until I'm satisfied.  Unlike my stone womyn, my clay gyrls, bend and cater to my needs, which is the way I like instant gratification. I will soften her features once I get everything where it needs to be. Her head is tilted back, with her chin up.  Her hair should flip forward and around and down. Its not doing that now, but it will. Another wild hair child in the making! I'm also going to expand the base and add the area where the clavicle and neck line meet, extending into the shoulders which will be implied. Both my new clay gyrls are larger than than some of my other pieces.  Its time to scale up slightly, working small is wonderful, no doubt, but clay pieces can be manipulated better on a bigger scale. Plus, they can whip their hair back and forth! The larger they are makes it easier for them to let it whip! when I'm done. 


I didn't always work small, but space and storage is an issue.  Life size armatures require more space than several paintings stacked against the wall.  Clay pieces can vary in size as long as they can sit on my shelf.  My stone has a size limit, only because it requires more ventilation for dust and the larger the size, the heavier the stone. A heavy stone lifter, I'm not. Alabaster and soapstone are too soft to leave outside, I would need to protect them from the elements. Before you say "why don't you cover it up and leave it outside" it has to sit on something other than the ground. Besides, my womyn don't need to be outside all times of the day and night.  That's no way to run a harem! They need to be where I can see them, until they find a new home. Frederick Hart and Rodin have women with hair that appears to move.  I am fascinated with how hey achieve this. I can get a better understanding with Rodin, he used clay, plaster as well as marble and bronze. Frederick Hart worked in clay also, but casted in bronze or clear resin with several embedded images, a technique that he patented. So the hair is not easy to decipher.  I have enough clay for maybe one or two more pieces.  After the clay is gone, they will be fired.  This is Phoenix clay, so I'm looking forward to firing them in the gas kiln and getting that baked stone look. Next post, will have an updated picture of my clay gyrl here.  So come back to see how she's changed.




Thanks for reading my blog. Talk to you next time, same blog time, same blog channel!

Art Gone Wild!

Featuring-
Gallery Talk
Artist Profiles
Art Spotlight
The New Gyrl


Gallery Talk
Friday, I went to the Touchstone Gallery Opening for several artists.  Despite the rain, which thought it would keep me in the house by having a  down pour session just as I'm ready to walk out the door.  Finally, it stopped long enough for me to quickly walk to the bus stop before starting again.  Once out, it wasn't bad, as long as you weren't on the orange line going to New Carrollton.  A tree fell and service was discontinued briefly. The rain wasn't a deterrent for most people, the gallery had a nice turn out.  Upon entering, I saw a striking painting and right away  I knew it was Leslie Nolans' work. The striking red-orange and the strokes of the black and white paint that create the sitting figure also exude movement. You can feel the deepness of the introspect the figure is in. The title "Dissed" is self explanatory. This figure is dwelling in this emotion. Sometimes a painful place, and you can feel it. The heat of the anger, the feeling of defeat all come out with the drips and strokes in her work. Leslie wasn't there, maybe she exhibits on a continuous basis.  She only has one piece there, but that's all she needs.  If there were more, the opening would have been totally about her. To see more of her work, go to Touchstonegallery.com and click on Artists, find her name and click on it.

Dissed

The Gallery opening featured two artist which are profiled in my next section. Besides the great work at the Gallery, the people there were just as interesting.  I met a gentleman named William, he's an older guy who's partner passed away from cancer not too long ago.  He is a friend of WCA-DC member/artist and friend of mine, Marilyn Banner. William is full of life and vitality, he is enchanting, flirty and simply a wonderful man to talk to and get to know.  Instantly, I fell in love with his personality, his hands and arms which were veined with splotches of red/pink and peach. His skin, perfectly wrinkled in all the right places, a sculptors dream. Creating portraits are not my thing and even though I focus on the female form, there are "parts" of the male body that are intriguing to me.  To do these "parts" as studies are a change of pace regarding subject matter.  William has his own red wine, which I tasted and he read me the poem written by his friend on the bottle. He also sang a lovely song at the bar, with several listeners around. He invited me to his place in Connecticut and yes, I plan to go. He is the life of the party, and is full of conversation and laughter. Standing in front of Leslie's painting only adds to his vibrancy. We laughed and talked for quite a while, the rain steadily coming down outside was pale in comparison to sunny atmosphere inside the Gallery. 

William

There were other interesting people there too, like the bartenders who apparently volunteer or get paid minimal to be there. One young lady told me she was unemployed and needed to find cheap great jewelry.  We chatted about places and spaces out there that would cater to her needs. Wow! didn't know there was that much to say and debate about on this topic.  Another lady who was there with black pointy shoes, (looked totally uncomfortable!) and a black and grey sweater style dress. Her hair looked like it just went poof! when it met the humidity. Her lipstick worn off, she indulged in libations liberally and wondered around the gallery chatting with various people. We finally talked, and through her sloshy words, she came off as being somewhat of a art appreciator with hopes of crossing the line to into artistdom, but not quite finding an opening to cross. She talked of taking classes which gave her knowledge about art, but she couldn't divulge any of it, it was a secret. Every time she spoke, she leaned in, exhaling her wine scented breath like a dragon.  I found her hilariously fake but fun all at the same time. Maybe when she's inhaled less wine, we might have a decent conversation. I watched her walk and periodically sit (to rest those pointy toes!) throughout the small gallery.  She was an interesting case for a psychologist. 

The Opening was fun, a good time had by all.  Two artists at Touchstone are featured in the next segment, Susan Feller, former WCA-DC member, and Shelley Lowenstein, their work is on display now.

ARTIST PROFILES

SUSAN FELLER, Holding Patterns

Susan Feller, her work focuses on people, especially those in a transitional state of waiting. Her thoughts went from the elderly, with whom she has worked trying to help them establish the best mobility their bodies will allow. Many are mixed media images of hands...in waiting.  The layered effect she creates in her work, makes her images intriguing and almost sad in some respects.  One can image why this person is holding their hands the way they are, some hands tell the story of their lives past, and showing the current condition reflecting the state of their lives.

Susan's work really speaks to the human condition. How we are often in holding patterns at some point and time in our lives.  The images are captivating and definitely worth seeing.

Susan Feller

SHELLEY LOWENSTEIN, Rail Ways

Shelley's work Rail Ways highlights people in transition. They are waiting, lost in conversation, listening to music or reading a book, sitting, passing time, daydreaming. She merges her passion for traveling and her fascination for people watching. She captures people in a moment, in a familiar gesture, alone in a crowd and on the go. Similar to Susan's work in theme, Shelly's work focuses more about people in public places, who are  units unto themselves waiting to go to the next place.

I found her work to be interesting in that as a people watcher, I can see why she is chose to paint in train stations spanning the globe.  Her style creates an atmosphere that the viewer can relate to in some way. Everyone's in their own world, each person operating separately but as a unit in the vastness of the station.  She also focuses on how we as people often ignore the human condition in our rush to get to where ever we are going. Often people don't want to get involved in helping a person in need.  In a few of her paintings she addresses this issue and the title/description on the wall tells a brief story of the scene.  Shelley uses bright colors to attract the eye, capturing the people some in detail, some as a blur. Her work is exceptionally easy to view and understand.

See and read the stories behind Shelley's work at the Touchstone Gallery. 

Shelley Lowenstein

There are other artists works at the Touchstone Gallery, Located at 901 New York Ave, WDC. Gallery hours: Wed-Fri 11-6, Sat-sun 12-5. Chinatown 7th Street exit.


This exhibit runs May 30-July 1, 2012


















Artist Spotlight


These artists are Artomatic Artists. Sean Hennessey's work is  intriguing.  He lights his work from the back and its 2-D/3-D feel makes the pieces seem like they are jumping out at you. If you get a chance to go to Artomatic, stop and see his work. He is located on 9th floor, space 141.



Each piece is a clear resin with embedded images and designs. They are in a light box frame. These pieces are worth seeing in person.
























Seemen Hashem work is also 2-D/3-D style work is layered and has a light hearted feeling to it.  I really liked how each piece has been created within a frame and is multi layered with mixed media elements. The use of possible found objects, the incorporation of painted elements in the background creates an usual but interesting piece. His work is located on the 3rd floor, space 180.


The New Gyrl


There's a new chick in my world.  She's a clay piece, not a figure, but a bust of sorts (just a head). Clay pieces are my instant gratification womyn.  They are quick and easy compared to the stone.  As forgiving as clay is, there still is a time limit to work on clay before it gets too dry. This new chick is based on a an idea of creating a possible 2-d/3-d style piece. It's not meant to hang on the wall, but more emphasis is put on the face and the hair is pinched and wild! The clay is called Phoenix, which is a high fire clay. This means it can be put in a gas kiln and fired at a higher temperature than other clays.  Firing in a gas kiln also gives the clay a stone like texture with a hint of brown. All without glazing. As the clay becomes leather hard, I will begin to hollow it out, and create a bottom part to close it off.  The new chick is still being worked on, just started her Saturday. She may not be fired for a while, cause I like to make one trip to get things fired. Her name will come to me at some point.  Unlike the stone chicks, clay chicks don't cause the same level of frustration and the need to be hurled across the floor. Perhaps clay gyrls are easy so they are a little less passionate in their creation, often changing frequently before the final image emerges. This one explores the wildness of the hair, a pouting lip that needs to pout more,a younger fuller face strained with life.  The struggle between artist and medium doesn't really exist, the cracking, breaking and drying pose as a time marker for when she will be done with me. My frustrations are about symmetry and facial expression with this piece. The feel of the clay, its soft pliable texture moves easily from one place to another, it bends and folds, squishes and pulls smoothing out like plastic skin. The finger touches sensually to create the lines, with minimal tool use, which is often lost in stone carving. 

Who knows what her name will be, or her finished look. Still have a lot of work to do on her. A name may come to me when I'm stroking her wild hair, or semi-flat face. We shall see. Hope you enjoyed the post. Will talk you to death again soon with more art, artist, and artwork! Same blog time, same blog channel!