In the BAG

Last Saturday I attended the opening reception of Collaborations at the Brooklyn Artists Gym.  The exhibition focused on works created jointly by two or more artists. BAG is a fascinating place. It is is Gowanus, a very urban part of Brooklyn, surrounded by industrial and commercial buildings. There is a growing subculture of artists to be found there too.

BAG is many things. In addition to the gallery space, there are also studios for artists. And of course, many photo ops in the studio space as well...

Work Table Surface

There were nine collaborative projects exhibited in the show. The art was very varied...mixed media, installation art, collage, quilting, photography and book art. It shouldn't have all blended together but it really did.

Two of my collaborations were part of the show: Self Contained, my project with Vivian Bonder and Stephanie McAtee, and Winds of Change, my collaboration with Roxanne Evans Stout.

All of the pieces were displayed on the same shelf and people seemed genuinely excited to be able to touch the art and flip through the pages of the books.

During the exhibition, all the artists in attendance got a chance to say a few words about their projects and how they came to be. Listening to all the stories was the best part of the night for me. My collaborations were the only ones in the exhibition created by artists who had never met. People seemed fascinated by that and asked a lot of questions - such as how we had come to connect, how did the mailings work, and how was it possible to trust people that had never met with your artwork. That last questions really got me thinking about the beauty of our community, as the thought to distrust Roxanne, Viv and Steph had never once crossed my mind.

In all, the exhibition has been a wonderful experience and it was great to be able to share these collaborative artworks with a new audience. Collaborations closes February 6th, so any locals who might want to see the show should hop on the subway quickly. And don't forget to 'step lively and watch the closing doors.'

Master Class 8: M&M's

Welcome to the 5th edition of The Pulse -- The State of the Art -- a survey in words and pictures of the online artist community. The Pulse is a collaborative project that aims to introduce you to new artists, help you get to know familiar faces even more, and allow you access into the creative hearts and minds of a very talented crew of individuals. More than 130 artists have answered a series of questions which make up The Pulse. Their responses will be presented in a series of online posts which will run every Sunday.

Style File and Techniques & Tools were the first two projects posted and links to all 23 posts can be found on the sidebar of my blog. The third project, Master Class, continues now...

Participants were asked : 'If you could take a class from one artist from anytime in history, including the present, who would it be and why?'

(Images and links have been added by The Altered Page)

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Erin Perry chose Claude Monet, adding that "Of course I love his work, but the real draw would be getting to spend time at Giverny, dining in the gorgeous yellow dining room...

(Photos by Ariane Cauderlier)

 staying in one of the lovely upstairs bedrooms...

 finding my way to the ultra blue kitchen every morning for a bowl of latter...

 and then wandering the beautiful gardens for inspiration...

 before settling down for class with the master."

Trudi Sissons remembers: "I always go back to a moment now several years ago in New York, when I came upon Claude Monet's Water Lilies (1914-26) oil on three canvas panels, for a total overall measurement of 6 1/2 feet by almost 42 feet long.

 I was paralyzed first by the scale and continue to be dumbfounded by how he achieved them - both the blend of sky, reflection, light and water and the grandness of the scale. I would want to go back in time to Giverny to observe him as he created these masterpieces.

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Angela Cartwright chose Michelangelo. "Maybe a sketch class...and then I would go watch him paint the Sistine Chapel for a few days."

William J. Charlebois also chose Michelangelo, adding that "he was both a sculptor and a painter. 

I think it is utterly amazing what he was able to carve out of stone. I would love to be able to do that."

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Marcia Beckett said "I would love to watch Henri Matisse paint and see how his art develops. I adore his wild colors and expressive patterns, especially in his interior and still life paintings."

Donna Louise Rodgers also selected Matisse "because he never gave up and invented new ways to express himself even when his sight failed him, and because he loved 'doing' people and he understood implicitly the use of line and colour. "

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AnTonia Griva chose Amedeo Modigliani "cause you can see in his works a pure sensitivity that floods out the figures in his paintings. I would like to have that too in my paintings."

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Judy Wise "would ask Marcia Myers how she got those beautiful fresco-like surfaces with acrylic paint. She has passed away now and all her techniques are lost."

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Holly Dean said "rather than taking a class, I would choose to spend time with British artist Dave McKean. I would love to watch him create, share his thoughts and see how inspiration evolved into his darkly intriguing imagery.

His art is a combination of painting, sculpture, photography and text, using hand and digital processes. It suggests a strong sense of story, while often projecting a dark sense of humour and not a small amount of cleverness.

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Next 'Master Class' will be held on Sunday, February 5th.

Save the Dates: Part 1

2012 is turning into a very busy year for me, with so many exciting adventures waiting to unfold. As of now, I will be giving workshops in three different venues...

The Ink Pad in New York, NY on March 31st

Mixed Media Dossier - Class full. Thank you!
Waiting list started

CREATE Mixed Media Reteat in Somerset, NJ on July 18th-22nd

I will be teaching 3 workshops at the inaugural CREATE event in New Jersey. Details of my workshops and the entire event will be posted on the CREATE website during the first week of February and registration will begin in mid-February. Here is a preview:

A Box of Dreams on July 18th

Mixed Media Dossier on July 19th

Text Tiles on July 19th

I will also be vending at the CREATE Artists' Faire July 20th

Art is You in Stamford, CT on October 4th-9th

I will be teaching at Art is You (workshop dates to be announced) and vending at The Art Trunk on October 6th. Information and registration will go live in February on the Art is You website. Until then, have a look at the amazing group of faculty already lined up.

Stay tuned for another post, Save the Dates: Part 2, which will include a list of my live events throughout the United States and Canada that will be held from March through May to celebrate the release of my book. I just may be coming to a neighborhood near you!

Master Class 7: A Material World

Welcome to the 5th edition of The Pulse -- The State of the Art -- a survey in words and pictures of the online artist community. The Pulse is a collaborative project that aims to introduce you to new artists, help you get to know familiar faces even more, and allow you access into the creative hearts and minds of a very talented crew of individuals. More than 130 artists have answered a series of questions which make up The Pulse. Their responses will be presented in a series of online posts which will run every Sunday.

Style File and Techniques & Tools were the first two projects posted and links to all 23 posts can be found on the sidebar of my blog. The third project, Master Class, continues now...

Participants were asked : 'If you could take a class from one artist from anytime in history, including the present, who would it be and why?'

(Images and links have been added by The Altered Page)
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A number of the selections included artists whose best-known work was driven by materials, whether paper, metal, clay, or wood.

Anne Bagby said "If I could have one artist come to my studio and bring his "stuff", it would be Fred Otnes. His work is unique, exciting, layered and complex. I would love to see him collage and talk about it. Or maybe go to his studio and see all his "stuff". Texture, neutrals, nuance. He is the best!"

Sally Turlington believes "that Fred Otnes is an old master of collage painting. His work embodies many of the aspects I aspire to with my work - arranging unrelated objects and oddments in happy, lucky juxtaposition of control and chance resulting in confident designs layered in mystery and fun. His are the ultimate."

Susan Madden shares a quote by Otnes: 'I could live with raw umber and black for the rest of my life. It has infinite possibilities, gradations, subtleties -- it has tonal variations that are very beautiful.' Susan adds "This resonates with me and keeps me at peace with some of my favorite color choices. Make a note of this: People who like dark colors are not necessarily dark and depressed."


The book: Fred Otnes Collage Paintings

See my previous blog post about the work of Fred Otnes here.
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Jane Royal chose Gerald Brommer. "He has such an amazing way of combining paint and collage elements.

His work is both realistic and otherwordly; full of imagination and unique style."

The book: Collage Techniques: A Guide for Artists and Illustrators
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Paula Art selected John Chamberlain "because he is my hero. He managed to what he wanted and have a stockade of supplies and do it his way and he made it!"

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Sharon Read would "take a lesson from Sebastian Blackie. I would love to learn how to process hand dug clay, know more about the stains he uses, build a kiln from newspaper...

 and see up close and personal his relationship with the environment."

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Deb Eck picked Lee Bontecou "because I am just fascinated by her work and by her courage and ability to keep working long after she rejected the praise and definition of her work by the art establishment.

I would hope some of that spirit and certainty that I feel in her work would be magically transmitted to me! Just to see the inside of her studio would be a miracle."

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Jeanie Thorn selected Louise Nevelson. She was an amazing artist who was way ahead of her time.

Eileen Bellomo "enjoys assemblages and found art, so learning from Louise Nevelson would have been a dream."

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Next 'Master Class' will be held on Sunday, January 29th.