Join 3rd Street Gallery for First Fridayfrom 5-9 for their 2nd Annual Community Exhibit. 98 Philadelphia Area Artists will display over 200 works of art.

Second Sunday Artists Reception on February 12th from 1 – 3pm. (Snow Date is Sunday Feb. 26)
The show closes on Sunday February 26.
Regular gallery hours are Wednesday – Sunday from 12 – 5pm.

The following artists will be featured at the gallery throughout the month of February:

Susan Abrasiabian
Charles Adams
Carol Albrecht
Chuck Angeline
Lori F. Banks
Jeffrey Belpanno
Sarah R. Bloom
Madelyn Bradley
Jeanne Bustard
Rocky Canonica
Patty Castner
Melvin A. Chappell
Brian P. Clarke
Constance Cone
Chris Cox
Adam Crawford
William Cromar
A.M. Crum
Diane DeAngelis
Robin Debreceni
Susan DiPronio
Megan Driscoll
Marlene B. Dubin
Mo Ganey
Rhonda Garland
B. Gesshel
Maureen Glassman
Barbara Glickman
Sheila Grabarsky
Catherine Gringos
Ignacio Guajardo-Unanue
Stephen Haigh
Linda Lou Horn
Gralin Hughes Jr.
Hilary Hutchison
Ryan Jackson
Gary Forrest Johnson Jr.
Aaron Kalinay
Naomi Knecht
Brittany J. Koch
Renee Kumar
Pelagia Kyriazi
Maryann Laverty
Lisa Lawinski
Deborah Leavy
Yeoun Lee
Adam Levine
Nancy Lloyd
Jennifer Long
Donna D. Lovely
Dennis P. Macedo
Carissa Marinelli
Helen Lee Meyers
Arlene Gale Milgram
Rodney Miller
Debrorah Mix
Susan Moloney
Lee Muslin
Rochelle Myers
Bill Myers
Nancy Neill
Benjamin Nelson
Scott Nichols
Alfred Ortega
Arthur B. Ostroff
Martha Parrish Bush
Donna Payton
Virginia Powell
Linda Ramsey
Roy Reinard
Heather C. Riccardi
Lauren Rinaldi
Lucy Roehm
Dorothy Roschen
Ellen Sall
Lois Schlachter
John Schmiechen
Aaron Schnittman
Josh C. Sears
David Segals
Joshua Sessoms
Rex Sexton
Keith Shively
Craig Shofed
Simone Spicer
Harry Stainrook
Donald Stevenson
Rose Marie Strippoli
Kim Tieger
Judy Tobie
Anthony Tsirantonakis
John Turner
Erin Vaganos
Carol Vandewall-Baca
Rik Viola
Susan Wallack
Jon Weary
Jullian Weizenfeld
Patricia Wilson-Schmid
Ewa Zeller

3rd Street Gallery is a-not-for profit cooperative of professional artists, established in 1972. The membership of men and women work together as a network of support and encouragement to help foster individual artistic achievement and growth.

For more information about the gallery visit http://3rdstreetgallery.com/ or visit them on Facebook

Join Center City Restoration in the premier First Friday opening of their new studio space at 142 N. 2nd St. They are excited to present the works of local artists, Vasil Anastasav and Lauren Rinaldi. Their doors will be open to the public for the first time on Friday, February 3rd from 6-9pm.

Committed to preserving the historical beauty of Downtown Philadelphia, Center City Restoration specializes in Historic property restoration and remodeling in the Center City district of Philadelphia. Their strengths lie in project management, meeting a deadline and a seamless project that highlights your homes existing properties. Center City Restoration’s top priority is customer satisfaction and their business plan relies on satisfied customer referrals.

For more information visit their website:
http://www.centercityrestoration.com/ | Facebook | Twitter

A little background on the artists:

Vasil Anastasav was born in Europe in family of artists. Graduated from the College of Fine Arts, Sofia, Bulgaria with a Bachelor of Art and Majored in Mural Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts, Sofia, Bulgaria. He has 25 years of experience in fresco and seco mural painting, mosaic, stained glass, icons, logos, architectural restoration, decorative painting, trompe l’oeil, interior finishes and Fine Art. He currently lives and works in Philadelphia.

For more information visit his website:
http://www.vaart.xbuild.com/#

Lauren Rinaldi is a Brooklyn born artist who has lived in Lancaster County, PA, has a BFA in painting from Tyler School of Art, and also studied at Temple University, Rome. The works on display, once described as seductively repugnant, tell intricate and personal stories exploring the meanings of encountering the unexpected through her engaging and vibrant paintings. She uses her own body and experiences to talk about issues of identity, self-exploration, gender, and very literally, the form and function of the human body. A Philadelphia resident, she lives in the Fishtown section of the city with her husband and son.

For more information visit her website:
http://laurenrinaldi.tumblr.com/paintings | Facebook | Twitter

If you would like to schedule a time to see the show please call Center City Restoration at 215.313.9301 or send an email to info@centercityrestoration.com

One of my Christmas presents this year was a Japanese fountain pen. You can see it in the attached photo . There are two cranes on it. The word for crane in Japanese is “tsuru”-don’t ask me how I remember this. I learned the word sometime in childhood and it got stuck in the folds of my brain somewhere. I think it’s because it’s fun to say. There is also the iconic Mt. Fuji, and at the bottom of the pen, a glistening blue stream, hinting perhaps at the flow of writing that is to issue forth from the golden nib.

It is a “fine writing instrument”, a Lexus of pens so to speak. I took it out for a test drive on some really nice thick paper in one of those leather-bound notebooks and indeed it worked beautifully. Well-balanced, it is a nice size for my hand. The ink flows easily; the line is a little thicker than I would have chosen for myself but it is “juicy” and that’s fun too.

Just before the holidays I was browsing in a used bookstore and found a copy of Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, which is a creativity jump-starter and aid for blocked artists.  I had skimmed it a couple of years ago and found it interesting but never felt the need to do any of the exercises.  Not that I was blocked creatively now, but just before and after Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s getting into the studio can get a little tricky so I figured I’d pick and choose and try some of the exercises. Since I like writing and find it also helps me clarify direction in the studio, I decided to start Cameron’s recommended  “morning pages”. Every morning you pour forth three pages about anything and everything, being as honest as possible with all your hopes, fears, plans, ideas etc.

The morning pages function as a sort of meditation or even prayer, if you will.  You are supposed to write these pages out in long hand as opposed to on the computer. My guess is it’s because it mimics that act of mark-making in painting, and therefore is probably connected to firing up the area of the brain that executes that task.

Initially, I put the “The Japanese Pen” aside as it was the kind of pen one reserves for greeting cards or lovely leather-bound notebooks and not for writing on the cheapo paper I was calligraphically regurgitating onto every morning. Moreover, the notebook I was using was one of my sons’ old school notebooks from last year that still had lots of paper in it. Cameron says to go out and treat yourself to a beautiful notebook for this purpose but I figured it was better to use what was at hand rather than procrastinate ‘til I went out to hunt for a special one.

Then I realized that not using the pen was like that tendency not to use “the good dishes”, reserving them for the company that comes every blue moon. We used our “good dishes” every day so why shouldn’t I use “the good pen”?!  So I did and am now happily “wasting ink” every morning. I notice my hand and arm aren’t getting writer’s cramp and the ideas are flowing. I may not have followed Julia’s advice to get a special notebook but at least I am using a special pen!!

Wanted: Serious Artists Who Want to Make Money

You are serious about your art. Are you ready to get serious about your art business?

 Register Now

Dear Artist,

Painter Eric Armusik, The Main Line Art Center and Artist Career Training have a common goal – to add more value to your life as a working artist. We hope to meet you  at one or more of these scheduled events, to help you make a better living making art:

Eleven Tips for Success as a Professional Fine Artist:

You may be a hobbyist who wants to make art a second career. Perhaps you are already a part-time or full-time emerging artist. Maybe you are in mid-career and want to refresh your business. Success is possible for you. And you can do it at your own pace. These eleven tips have been used and proven to work by an international online artist community of artists.

Friday, March 2^nd, 2012 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Main Line Art Center • 746 Panmure Road • Haverford, PA

Members* $15.00

Guests $25.00

Make Art & Make Money: Creative Art Marketing for Fine Artists

Saturday, March 3^rd & Sunday, March 4^th, 2012 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m
Main Line Art Center • 746 Panmure Road • Haverford, PA

Members* $325.

Guests $395.

* Member Rate for artists registered in an A.C.T. 12 month program, or members of The Main Line Art Center.

Avoiding the business side of art is like driving down unknown country roads in the dark without headlights: you don’t know what your destination looks like. You might end up down the wrong road, or worse yet, run out of gas. If you want to attract more collectors, gallery dealers and museum curators, you must know how to market your art. It doesn’t have to be hard, boring or expensive. You just need a system and you have to use it consistently.

Imagine having a reliable vehicle for marketing your art, with high beams to focus on the best way to save you time, money and energy. Learn to navigate the seven stages in the journey. You will leave this class with a marketing map that will help you drive your business so that you have a better year than ever. Then all you have to do is steer. BTW, Bring your favorite art materials – art making is part of the weekend.

You’re a productive artist. You’ve worked hard to create a body of signature work and you have the time, money and energy to market it. You will benefit whether you are a part-time or full time artist who is emerging, mid-career, or established, and you want to make money from your art.

Join Aletta de Wal, Artist Advisor & Art Marketing Strategist for Artist Career Training and Artist-Entrepreneur Eric Armusik for a creative, hands-on workshop to help you have more fun and make more money from your art.

______________________________________________________________________________

Aletta de Wal, Artist Advisor & Art Marketing Strategist
Author of the forthcoming book “My Real Job is Being an Artist: What YouShould Know Before You Quit Your Day Job (or Get One)”Aletta de Wal inspires fine artists to make a better living making art in any economy. Aletta makes art marketing easier and the business of art simpler to help working artists increase their income and create more time to make art and still have a life.

Bottom-line: No drivel here ~ just friendly, focused information to let you get back to making art.

Eric Armusik, Romantic Painter / Artist EmpowermentEric Armusik is part Romantic painter and innovative marketer.  His maverick approach to promotion and sales only pales to his technical ability as an artist.  His success internationally has been solely through his own efforts and he empowers artists to do the same.

Bottom-line: Claim your greatness. There is never a reason for someone  to limit or define your success.

Penn Treaty Park is a cornerstone in the Fishtown Community of Philadelphia. They host music every Wednesday in the summer, fireworks on major events and keep the park clean for everyone to enjoy. It’s our time to give back to the park we love to walk to and enjoy the breeze off of the Delaware River.

A percentage of every sale goes to Penn Treaty Park,
please help us support them with many Side Arts Artists on January 7, 2012!

Learn More About The Slingluff Gallery Here

And For More About Penn Treaty Park Visit penntreatypark.org

while taking a morning walk along South Street, I met two plein air artists, David Ohlerking and Chris Chappell. I wish I took a bit more clips but I didn’t want to distract them while they were working.

it was very interesting to watch how they were painting. it seemed like they were placing the oil paint on the canvas with their brushes and mostly leaving the paint where it is. sometimes they would slightly shift the paint or redistribute it on the canvas. they don’t seem to “paint” as we usually would with a paint brush. instead, they’d thoughtfully lay the paint on the surface and distribute it when they saw fit.

visit their official websites at: davidohlerking.com and chrischappellart.com

For the month of December Sean Martorana will have brand new ink drawings on display at Cafe Estelle. Above is a film of Sean painting the windows for the opening reception this Friday 6:00 – 9:00.

Lauren Rinaldi will be showing work in two shows that open this Friday December 2:

Drink Philly’s First Friday event -

Drink Philly is supporting local artistic talent, local beverages and local restaurants for First Friday! Come enjoy food and beer tastings and check out some great local art and music.

This month, Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse is bringing mac n’ cheese, cheesesteak spring rolls, and Cav’s pulled chicken sliders, and they’ll be pairing it with Victory Brewing Company’s Headwaters Pale Ale and Prima Pils beer.

ABSOLUTELY NO COVER CHARGE. (Valid ID is required, only 21+ will be admitted.)

The event goes from 5-9 PM and you may come and go as you please.  RSVP here

The address is:
239 Chestnut Street (3rd & Chestnut)
Second Floor, Unit B
Philadelphia, PA 19106

And Highwire Gallery’s annual show “Art For The Urban Collector”

Opening reception Friday, 6-9PM

2040 Frankford Ave

Philadelphia, PA 19125