A Painting of Someday

Philadelphia area artist, Katee Boyle is this week's guest blogger for our Artist as Collector Series.

Abstract Swirls

Water color on paper

18 x 24"

©2013Jag Deshpande

collection of Katee Boyle

I have been graced with a painting titled Abstract Swirls by Jag Deshpande.  This framed watercolor on paper hangs in my house situated between two windows that face East

and welcomes the morning sun before the rest of my home sees the light of day.

Each day starts with passing by this painting and not one day has gone by where I

have not stopped, even for the briefest of moments, to be thankful for it's beauty. To me, this piece of art is delicate and dreamy and strong and powerful in one full swoop.

Somedays, the transparent yet vivid marks from this water color serve as a gentle light that is guided by a map of thoughts. It is a sense of direction that reminds me a story of the past, a

guide for a road to travel in the future.

Somedays, the gentle movement of the artist's strokes creates a calming dance in my soul before the frantic morning activity of my children has me spinning off balance.

Somedays, the paint swirling in delicate circles creates a sound that breathes life on to the surface of the paper; marks moving gently across my wall, a full orchestra of uncluttered

vibrations.

Somedays, I simply stand back and enjoy the beauty of it's colors and the spectrum of strokes from the artists tools. For me, it is stopping to smell the roses.

I don't expect to ever know the artist's perspective on what he painted and why and quite frankly, I have never thought that important about art. I am of the opinion that it is not my business,

nor anyone else's why an artist creates. If a piece of art commands just one reaction, it is beauty, it has meaning. I read a comment that Jag wrote about his work and it really made my smile,

"I have been enjoying abstract for the last few years. It is very easy for common folks to find faults in realistic painting, not so with abstract. They just don't say anything".

Jag's work is alive, non-discriminately waiting for the viewer to discover what it means to them.

Katee Boyle is an artist, illustrator and co- founder of BizziGirls, a Social Marketing organization in Southern Chester County that supports local causes and businesses. 

The Bunny in the Basement

Stalking
Acrylic, pastel on canvas
44" x 30"
©NanciHersh
photo by Joe Solem Photograph

I've been away from home for a while and when I come back I realize that I left my rabbit in the basement without food or water the whole time. Fearing what I would find, I race down the steps and look all around.  Relieved, I see my rabbit- a little worse for wear, but alive.  It seems my bunny in the basement foraged for food and water and somehow survived- despite my neglect.

I wake up in the middle of the night and realize that it wasn't the first time I had this dream, or a very similar version of it. I decided I better write it down but don't want to turn on the light. So I wrote it in the dark. completely.

and as I am writing I am thinking what could it mean?  I did have a pet bunny (a few) and my most recent, Thunder, did live in my basement, which in this house, is where one of my studios is.

But then I had my aha! moment.  I haven't been down there in a while. My studio. I've been busy teaching, volunteering for this and that, and lots of other family stuff. 

I have been working on some new paintings- upstairs, but downstairs is really my main work space. Where I draw, work on my sculptures out of wire and handmade paper, experiment, and have my etching press. 

It's like my laboratory-away from it all.

and I miss being there.  According to dream interpretation.com- A basement represents your deep unconscious mind and instinct, and rabbits- "To see a rabbit in your dream signifies luck, magical power, and success."

Any dream is open to interpretation, but I think this means I need to "feed" my creativity, no matter how busy I get. Make the time.

We need to pay attention to not only what/who we are responsible for, but what takes care of us; we need to trust our instinct and pay attention to what is important to us, to who we are.

Have you fed your bunny in the basement?

Thoughtful Energy on Her Walls

• Canadian artist, Kati Bujna is this week's guest blogger for our Artist as Collector Series.

  

  Centropolis IV
  acrylic on canvas
  24" x 30"
  ©2012RobStock
  Collection of Kati Bujna

  I met Rob Stock at the Haliburton School of The Arts (HSTA) last September, 2012, where we were classmates.  Drawn to Rob’s easy-going and articulate nature,  I soon came to learn more about and admire Rob through the course of our art classes together. His thoughtful approach to his work left an incredibly rich etching on my soul. 

  During figure drawing class he used bold, thick, angular strokes where mine were softer and more fluid. During painting exercises, his palette held a select few colors while mine had many. Rob’s work takes command of my eyes, mind and heart. He makes me ponder, think, and ask questions. 

  As the viewer, I like that process - a lot.

  I purchased this painting from Rob. It is part of his Centropolis Series. Simply, it makes me feel lightening bolts. I am energized by the thought-provoking concept that Rob depicts through his bold execution of acrylic paint to make his marks.  I am reminded each time I walk past it that we are responsible for our relationship to the planet we live on, to each other, and that there are consequences to our choices.  I like that it makes me think and feel at the same time. 

  The painting's impression engages my mind each time I look at it. With this painting, Rob’s thoughtful energy lives in my home.  

  Based in Ontario, Canada, Kati Bujna is a painter and photographer. The upcoming “Synapses” art exhibition and sale presented by Kati Bujna Fine Art Studio, runs from June 21-23, 2013 at the CEI Main Gallery and will highlight the works of Rob Stock and Kati Bujna’s tree and urban imagery using multi-media. 

  
  

  
  

Where We Left Off

All Hung Up was a partial tour of Beneath the Surface, my exhibition at the Siegel JCC ArtSpace in Wilmington, DE, up through May 9, 2013.  Here are some more images to wet your appetite. (pun intended, sorry!)

Where we left off...
photos by Dain Simons

 Suspension is the large work on paper on the far end of the wall shown above, using graphite with accents of pastel,  I captured the shadows of my hanging net sculptures over spray painted stencils.

Suspension, 2012
Acrylic, spray paint, graphite, pastel on paper
48" x 96"
©2013NanciHersh
photo by Dain Simons

Here are more images of the work as we continue over to the facing wall.

Beneath the Surface at the Siegel JCC ArtSpace
Photo by Dain Simons 

From far left above, starting with Fishing.            and far right above- Beneath the Surface

                                                                         Be Still My Heart- sculpture of

                                                                         wire, paper pulp, encaustic and collage.

Fishing, 2012
Acrylic on canvas
30" x 40"
(Now!) Private Collection
©2012NanciHersh
photo by Dain Simons

moving along to this newest pair in the exhibition- the title of each are from lines from Derek Wolcott's poem Love After Love.

Give Back Your Heart, 2013
Acrylic, collage, spray paint on canvas
16" x 20"
©2013NanciHersh
photo by Dain Simons Photography

To the Stranger that has Loved You, 2013
Acrylic, spray paint on canvas
16" x 20"
©2013NanciHersh
photo by Dain Simons Photography

with Frenzy between them!

Frenzy, 2012
Acrylic, spray paint on canvas
30" x 40"
©2013NanciHersh
photo by Dain Simons Photography

There you have it... private tours and studio visits are welcome.
For more info contact me at nancihersh@gmail.com

Which is your favorite?

Clue to the Past - Artist as Collector

Emily Artinian is this week's guest blogger for our Artist as Collector Series.

©William Campbell, 

pencil on paper, 21” x 40”

date unknown, c. 1955

This pencil drawing is of my grandparents (left) with my father as a young man (third from left). They’re hard at work behind the counter of the corner grocery they owned and ran for 20+ years in the Lansdowne section of Philadelphia, PA,  on Plumstead Avenue, in what was then a predominantly Armenian neighborhood. 

The drawing is signed by one William Campbell, who I believe is this fellow: http://tinyurl.com/cycwrfc. 

I have never tracked that down for sure – I would love through this blog series to find out more. 

I was born after the store closed and so have no personal memories of it.  I also did not know my grandparents very well, and for both reasons this drawing is priceless to me. I especially love the chunky, clunky phone, and the brand names on the shelves that have faded into time past: RINSO, MONTCO, DUZ – sitting alongside some that haven’t: TIDE and SPAM. 

The relationship between him and my grandparents is a mystery, but I like to think this may have been a commission for a young artist, and I like the way that reverberates with this grocery store eventually evolving into a space for art.

For years, this hung by my father’s desk in the real estate company he owned in western Chester County, PA, and now it hangs at Street Road, the art space my husband and I founded two years ago.

 I like to think of these businesses as a kind of chain;  an evolution of one family business, shape shifting over time – meat and eggs, a two-bed two-bath, an oil painting... The focus may change but there are many constants, especially the way in which a business is a social nexus and an endless creative possibility. 

Emily Artinian, based in Wilmington, DE and Chicago, Illinois  makes artist’s books and text based art, primarily exploring literature and storytelling. She is the co-founder and Director of Street Road in Western Chester County, PA, and was until recently a Senior Lecturer at Chelsea College of Art and Design in London where she headed the Contextual Studies / Theory programme for the college's 400+ Foundation students. 

On the Same Remarkable Spiritual Journey- Artist as Collector

Artist Deborah Johnson is this week's guest blogger for our Artist as Collector Series.

Tangeri Dreaming
©2013KrisVermeer

I was happy to be able to share this piece from my collection.  I traded one of my small raku sculptures for this small print by Kris Vermeer. Writing this post gave me time to re-examine why it is so important to me and placed in such a prominent spot in my home. 

I usually sit on the sofa for a few minutes in the morning while I wait for the coffee maker to do its thing and contemplate this piece which is directly across the room.  

Kris Vermeer is a friend I often showed with in Seattle.  Her work is very spiritual and often incorporates imagery from surviving works of First Peoples.  Kris uses many methods to communicate her love of ancient cultures.  She works primarily with glass and steel, but she is also a very accomplished printmaker. This print is one of my favorites.  I feel it speaks to the heart of her work.

I love the warmth and richness of color, the slight shine of the ink against the matt paper, and of course the imagery which seems to move against the background…these are reasons enough to appreciate this piece, but the reasons go a little deeper.  I feel Kris Vermeer’s combination of ancient imagery with contemporary means of mark making allows her work to transcend time and place. 

When I look at Tingari Dreaming it reminds me that we are all connected as humans on a fragile planet, we are on the same remarkable spiritual journey, no matter where we are located in space and time.

Deborah Johnson is adept in fiber, glass, clay, and paint. Her work is meant as a meditation on the beauty and fragility of our world. Techniques and processes which take years to master honor something about what it means to be human and are as integral to her work as the content. Currently, she lives and works in Delaware. 

All Hung Up- Part 1

Midway through my exhibition at the Siegel JCC ArtSpace in Wilmington, Delaware, I thought I would post installation shots for all of you who live out of town or weren't able to make the show- yet. It is up through May 9, 2013.

Statement and Bait, 2013
Acrylic, graphite, spray paint, collage on paper
60" x 42"
©2013NanciHersh
photo by Dain Simon 

Entering the space from the lobby, the exhibition begins with this sign and large drawing on your left. 

My statement above reads:

Koi are a symbol of perseverance and strength of purpose.

My work is an ongoing exploration of what sustains us when adversity challenges us,

what moves us forward and binds us to the past and, what we find and keep and what

we leave behind. Akin to love and loss, images and materials swim together, drift, snag

and cast shadows shifting above and below the surface.

Seemingly unexpected connections emerge to reveal the fragility, beauty and grace of

our lives.

After Bait, you come to this corner...

(l) Deep Blue with Red, acrylic on Canvas, 36" x 48",
Koi #6, acrylic on board, 16" x 16"
Hanging by a Thread, Wire, pulp, encaustic, collage, 54" x 10" x 10"
Kaleidoscope, Acrylic on canvas, 42' x 54"
photo by Dain Simon 

And the exhibition continues down the wall.

photo by Dain Simon 

After Kaleidoscope are two new small 10" x 10" canvases.

All that Is, 2013
Oil, acrylic on canvas with wrapped and painted edges
10" x 10"
©2013NanciHersh
photo by Dain Simon 

All that Is II, 2013
Oil, acrylic on canvas with wrapped and painted edges
10" x 10"
©2013NanciHersh
photo by Dain Simon 

There is more down the line which I will post another day.  

oh- and when you visit the gallery- be sure and sign the guest book I created for the show.

photo by Dain Simon 

Thanks for stopping by!