Archive for the 'Art shows, art galleries, etc' Category
On Monday I wended my way north to Oakland, my old stomping grounds, to hang a new show at Creative Framing & Gallery. I’ve known owner Heather Piazza for a few years now, first through the Frank Bette Center in Alameda, and then through Four Oceans Press, an independent print and publishing company. So I was delighted when she asked if I’d like to have a solo show at her shop. Yes, please!
Here are the boxes of prints, ready to be unloaded and hung.
Hanging is not always easy. Heather says “Darn painting; why won’t it hang straight?”
I thought I had brought too much work, but there are lots of interesting nooks and walls, and I just barely had enough. Here’s one corner:
And a space near the front window. I can count nine brand new pieces in this photo, and overall, there are 13 new prints and paintings. I’ve been busy!
I am obviously very pleased with the way the show looks.
Tales of a Traveler
August 2 - August 29, 2010
Creative Framing & Gallery
5015 Woodminster Lane, Oakland CA [see map]
Reception: Saturday, August 28, 2010
6:00 - 8:00pm
Please come to the reception! We’d be delighted to see you.
August 07 2010 | Art shows, art galleries, etc and Painting and Printmaking | No Comments »
Sarah-Hope had a busy day a couple of weeks ago, flying back and forth to San Diego to pick up her nephew, who was shuttling from one set of grandparents to another. My job was to drop her off at one airport (San Jose) and pick her up at the other (Oakland), which left me to my own devices for a hefty part of the day.
After visits to my old Peet’s store on Lakeshore Ave and to Walden Pond Books, my favorite bookstore in Oakland, and to Creative Framing and Gallery, where I’ll have a show this summer, I decided to visit the newly-renovated Oakland Museum of California.
Wow.
Just wow.
The Oakland Museum of California (or OMCA, which is much easier to type) was built in the 1960s, a classic cast-concrete box of that era. True, it included hanging gardens and intriguing open spaces, and was often mentioned in architectural literature as a perfect example of its style, but the galleries were previously dark, dreary, and often dead-ended into strange little cul-de-sacs. The exhibits also showed their age, the labels incomplete or damaged, the lighting inadequate, the taxidermed animals a bit tattered. (The museum has three sections: art, history, and natural history.)
Now? It is gorgeous. It is amazing. It is worth spending an entire day visiting. And that’s even without the natural history section, which is still under renovation.
I visited the California History section first, and was met with a stunning variety of Native American baskets, tools, and gear, all clearly labeled, explained, and set in context. This segued into a section on the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors and missionaries, and then into life on the Spanish missions. Each transition made sense, and what used to be those dark cul-de-sacs now contain small interesting asides, such as how artists traveling with the European explorers recorded the people and animals they encountered. Thus the museum leads you through California’s history, with good content, excellent physical materials, and spaces to stop and learn more on one’s own –with real books (and not just monographs from OMCA), and comfortable chairs (appropriate to the period, no less, so the 60s section features bean bag chairs, while the turn of the century has mission-style furnishings): so much more, and more appropriate, than the usual museum computer kiosk that’s merely a nod towards depth.
I was so excited! This was great! And then I was so stressed: I only had two hours on the meter, and time was running out. On to the art galleries.
And again: wow wow wow wow.
They are light. Airy. Open. No more dingy little dead-end alleys, but clear paths between styles, and eras, and subject matter. You can see connections between artists, and their work, and their predecessors, and their successors. And one of the things I liked best was that the extensive and excellent OMCA collection of photography not only had its own area in the galleries, but was also interspersed with other art, again giving context and depth to the experience. And again, reading areas, with books, and comfy chairs, and good light.
So go, go soon, go often. I (almost) wish I still lived in Oakland, just so I could be a regular visitor. You will not be disappointed.
Hip hip hooray, Oakland Museum of California! Well done!
June 29 2010 | Art shows, art galleries, etc and Illustration | 1 Comment »
I time-traveled this past weekend, back to 16th century Scotland, as I participated in my first-ever Renaissance Festival as a vendor (in fact my first-ever festival of any sort).
In some ways it was a good fit: a lot of my prints relate to that period. I displayed prints from the Camino de Santiago, my set of fairy tale prints, and prints from my new series on saints. So the subject matter was dead-on.
In other ways, it was not such a good fit. My displays are too modern, even with fabric draping the metal display grids. And my observation is that the vendors who did best were those who serve to self-perpetuate a Renaissance festival, such as swordsmiths and people selling period costumes.
Most importantly, it was a great learning experience. Things I learned include how much work it takes to travel and set up a tent (a LOT, even if it’s local and I can go home at night); how much gear and art I can fit in my van, and how to pack it most effectively; how to set up my display on uneven ground (bungee cords to the rescue). I already have a different display idea in my head, should I do this festival again. And by getting ready for this event, I also got ready for the two or three I have scheduled for the fall: clear bags, mats, and backing boards are all on hand in good supply; I can now accept credit cards; I have plenty of prints framed and ready to hang. Now I can concentrate on new images I have queued in my head.
So on to Open Studios! And in the meantime, here are some images of this weekend’s Scottish Renaissance Festival.
The archery field was right next to my tent. This man knows what he is doing; many did not. Be very afraid.
Ladies go shopping, wine goblets in hand.
The best dragon costume, ever.
A juggler entertains the crowd.
Ladies strolling by.
A lady and her owl.
A pony walks past vendors’ tents.
Mary, Queen of Scots passes by with her retinue.
The Loch Lomond highland games were going on at the same time. Here are photos of burly men in kilts, throwing heavy objects.
Next year, you should all come.
June 21 2010 | Art shows, art galleries, etc and Printmaking | 1 Comment »
Ta-da! Another show of my prints is now officially up and running. Composed primarily of my Fairy Tales series, this show is at the Santa Cruz County Government Center, on Ocean Street here in beautiful sunny Santa Cruz. The show will remain up through August 19.
This time I am not alone; I share the building’s hallways with four other artists. And I must say, it’s a really interesting mix of really good work. Besides my linoleum block prints, there is metalwork and jewelry by Carol Webb; an excellent series of paintings about voting by Myra Eastman; moody pastels of houses and seacoast by Jan McGeorge; and lively abstract paintings by Dana Lee Weigand.
Here’s my wall of prints:
I also put up my three prints about violence against women by the entrance to the building:
Here’s the official listing!
And a general view of the main hallway:
On a personal note, I am quite fond of the County Government Center, because it’s where Sarah-Hope and I got married two years ago. Everyone we encountered was incredibly helpful, enthusiastic, supportive and generous. So I am quite pleased to have my work there, and hope I can give some pleasure back to the people who helped make our wedding day special.
First Friday
The exhibit at the Government Center is part of First Friday Santa Cruz. So please come join us on Friday, June 4, 5 - 8pm, at 701 Ocean Street. Meet the artists, enjoy the art, and sip some wine. It will be fun!
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Exhibits at the Government Center are sponsored by the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County. Be sure to thank them!
June 01 2010 | Art shows, art galleries, etc and Printmaking | No Comments »
I’ve mentioned my new solo show at the Simpkins Swim Center here in Santa Cruz, and it occurred to me that people often don’t know what goes in to putting up an art show. So while I was hanging the show I took some pictures, and will now walk my gentle readers through the process.
Well before you get to the venue, you have to finish the art work, mat it, frame it, and attach the hanging wire. Even before all that, you have to prepare your publicity: press release, hi-res photo, and (possibly) postcards. If you’re lucky, the venue or organization where you’re hanging the work will take care of sending this out to the press. If not, you have to research the local newspapers, radio, tv, and any other possible press. If you print postcards, you have to take care of sending them out to your mailing list. There are also, usually, wall tags: name of work, year, medium, and price. And I always put my name and website on each wall tag; it might seem redundant, but the person looking at your work might not have the time to search out your information. It’s all about making it easy!
Presumably you’ve checked out the venue ahead of time, and know what kind of hanging system they have in place. I always bring my handy tote bag o’ tools to any hanging. In it: measuring tape, level, hammer, extra hanging wire, wire cutters, fishing line, utility knife, razor blades, screwdrivers, glass cleaner, plexiglass cleaner, paper towels, plexi wipes, pens, pencils, and sticky stuff for securing the art to the wall.
Here I’ve brought my prints in to the swim center, and have stacked them against the wall. Cathy, the exhibit coordinator, has put out a ladder for me to use. (I had brought my own stepstool, just in case.)
I unwrap my prints and line them up in their proper order, and spaced out approximately as I want them to hang.
The swim center has one of my favorite kinds of hanging systems. There is a bar affixed to the wall, with hooks that slide along the bar and snap into place. The hooks have cables dangling from them, with an easily adjustable hook for the art. Sweet!
The good thing about hanging a series of related prints is that they are all in the same size frames. When framing them, I make sure to measure the hanging wire to always hit the same spot on the back. Once I decide how high they’ll hang, I can measure all the hooks in one fell swoop.
Making progress!
After the prints are all hung and leveled, I go through and clean off fingerprints. And cat hair; always cat hair.
And voila! All done. The walls’ finish is too rough to hang individual labels; there is a framed sign at one end with my statement, bio, and price list. Total time elapsed for the actual hanging: 2 hours. This was fast and smooth. I’ve hung shows where the process takes 4 or 5 hours.
Here is the Simpkins Swim Center, so you’ll recognize it when you come to see the show:
It’s at 979 17th Avenue, Santa Cruz, and my work will be there through May 30.
April 03 2010 | Art shows, art galleries, etc | 1 Comment »
Here’s the postcard image for my show that opens Friday:
This is the exciting part where it all comes together. I just delivered all the framed prints and artist’s statement this morning, after a busy weekend of re-matting, polishing, and generally cleaning them up. The postcards have been delayed, but are on their way and should be here mid-week. I’ve posted a notice on Facebook, and am getting some RSVPs. My email is written, text and html, and goes out to my list today or tomorrow. Sarah-Hope gave me a haircut over the weekend, and I’ve picked out my outfit. I think I’m ready!
I carved a new print in the series especially for this show, and printed copies are hung up drying in the studio. I’ll scan one as soon as it’s dry; I’m pleased with the way it came out. Now I ask myself: should I go ahead and do even more? Or go back to what I was working on before this show came up? Probably both!
collateral
on exhibit at Michael Angelo Gallery, 111-a River St., Santa Cruz for the month of December
Opening reception Friday, December 4, 6:00pm - 8:30pm
November 30 2009 | Art shows, art galleries, etc and Printmaking | No Comments »
The big news this week: I’ll be having a solo show this December at a gallery here in Santa Cruz! I’ll be showing my Camino prints at Michael Angelo Gallery, with the opening reception part of the December First Friday art tour. Woohoo! I’m very excited. Now to polish up the frames and glazing and whip together my statement, resume, image for publicity, and all that good stuff that goes with a show. I’ll keep you posted on specific dates and times.
There is another opening –reception, really– that takes place first. This Saturday (November 14) I’ll be hosting a reception at the Lakeview branch of the Oakland Public Library, where my prints and paintings are on view through the end of November. The reception is between 2 and 4pm at the library, at 550 El Embarcadero. Please note that this is NOT The Embarcadero down by Jack London Square. This is the little street that runs across the north end of Lake Merritt, near Gold’s Gym. I will talk about my experience blogging about art, and of course there will be snacks. Please join me there.
November 12 2009 | Art shows, art galleries, etc | No Comments »
Baseball analogies seem appropriate this time of year, and these past few weeks have felt a bit like a pennant race as I scrambled to set up for Open Studios and then tested my stamina by getting through two full weekends of visitors.
Now we’re into the next round, and a new show is in the batter’s box. On Sunday, I took down my Open Studio. On Monday, I put up a new exhibit just around the corner at the Seabright Storefront Gallery. It’s just what the name implies: the bay windows of a storefront have been converted into a mini-gallery. When I went by last week to scope it out, I had the happy realization that I could hang several pieces that have been in deep storage. They are too big to frame, being about 6 feet tall and 3 or 4 feet wide, on Fabriano watercolor paper that I bought in huge rolls. Most venues don’t like to hang bare paper, and I concur; too much traffic and too little protection. But this was perfect!
Here is the window gallery with my installation:
The large work on the left is called “Worlds Without End”, from 2006, and the one on the right is called “Palm Trees”, from 2005. Both are ink and acrylic on watercolor paper. I rounded them out with one other ink and acrylic painting (”Feather”, not visible in this photo) and several sets of prints: a couple of Camino prints, the fairy tale series, the Blake proverbs, and the set of prints about violence against women.
Here I am, looking pleased with myself after setting it up.
The Seabright Storefront Gallery is located at 533 Seabright Avenue in Santa Cruz, and my work will be up through the end of November.
I once read a quote by Georgia O’Keeffe to the effect that an artist should always have enough work on hand to hang six shows. I’m trying to meet that standard, but it’s hard to do. Even the small window gallery took 16 pieces! On deck is a solo show at the Lakeview Branch of the Oakland Public Library, which I’ll be hanging in two weeks.
World Series, anyone?
October 20 2009 | Art shows, art galleries, etc | 1 Comment »
These past couple of months I’ve been completely tied up getting ready for Open Studios, so my latest strategy is incorporating my walks into my chores. Today’s walk was a pleasure, hardly a chore, so I’ll include it as blogworthy.
This is the second weekend of Santa Cruz County’s Open Studios, and covers all the artists whose studios are south of the Santa Cruz yacht harbor. I live just north of the harbor, so took the opportunity to walk to the studios closest to my house: those at the 17th Avenue studio complex.
I walked down to the harbor, and skirted the end of the berths. I first noticed the boat in the foreground because it’s an old Chris Craft, and reminds me of the one we had when I was growing up. The name is the best part: “Crisis Every Hour II” — which implies an ultimate crisis for boat #1.
It seems to be my task to explore the train tracks around Santa Cruz; they do provide the most direct route to a lot of places!
Some interesting graffitti along the tracks.
Here is the 17th Avenue studio complex, a mix of old warehouses, quonset huts, shacks, and still-working garages. It’s a popular destination, since 17 artists there were participating. Another incentive to walk; parking can be problematic.
Among the artists whose work I particularly enjoyed at 17th Ave. are Donna Bourne’s landscapes, Michael Mote’s paintings of waves, Marvin Plummer’s fabulous animal drawings, Jean Sheckler Beebe’s mixed-media images, and Michele Indiana Anderson’s abstract paintings. Most are doing the encore weekend on October 17 & 18, as am I, so do come out to look at some good art!
Even apart from the art, it’s an interesting place. An old rusty truck:
An arty auto juxtaposition:
October 10 2009 | Art shows, art galleries, etc and Walks and hikes | No Comments »
Whew! I have just run an Art Marathon, and it feels good. This past weekend was the first weekend of my first-ever Open Studio in Santa Cruz, and I have to say I had NO idea.
Which is to say I had some: Sarah-Hope and I had driven around to many studios in previous years, and bought art, and enjoyed seeing a lot of fabulous work. And we had noticed crowds, but being in the crowd is much different than having the crowd descend.
But back to the basics. Here are some photos of my setup.
First, an overview of the tent.
Matted prints in bins:
A card rack, holding mini linocuts and commercially printed cards with images of my prints; then snacks, more matted prints, and the guestbook and business card table:
Inside the garage, prints, paintings, and (out of sight) my press with a description of my process:
Note the lovely fabric behind the prints, covering the ugly metal grids; courtesy of the fabulous Sarah-Hope’s sewing talents.
These are from Sunday, after a wall panel had blown over in the wind on Saturday, dinging a bunch of frames and forcing us to reconfigure the setup. Originally I had two walls of folding panels outside under the tent, where they are more obviously visible, and the bins of matted prints in the garage with the press and working display. But after the wind incident, the panels got moved inside, and the prints, oddly less volatile, moved outside. Either way, I was pleased with the setup. This was the first time I’ve mixed all my prints, all different series, with paintings and other work. I have an oeuvre!
I’ve participated in Open Studios in both Oakland and San Francisco, and even before the weekend, I’d already told people that the Santa Cruz version is far and away the best, both in terms of organization and in terms of support for the artists involved. Now I have to add also best in terms of the attendees. The crowd was much larger than in either Oaktown or SF, and the people were friendlier, more interested in the work, asked better questions, and in general were much more fun. I was exhausted, but had a great time. Now a week off to celebrate Sarah-Hope’s birthday, and on to the next weekend of Open Studios! Please come by if you can!
****
Next Open Studio:
Saturday and Sunday, October 17 & 18
11am - 6pm each day
816 Hanover St., Santa Cruz (see map)
Sponsored by the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County
October 06 2009 | Art shows, art galleries, etc | 1 Comment »
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