“Homage to Andy” By Ellen Sall

Andy Warhol greatly redefined art and pop culture with his work.  Although he died many years ago, his influence can still be felt everywhere.  (FYI: Go to http://warholize.me to “Warholize” your own pictures). The “15 Minutes of Fame” expression that Warhol coined ironically cannot be applied to his own fame and notoriety.  Whether you love him or hate him, the minutes of fame that Warhol’s life and body of work have had and will have is infinite.

On the 25th anniversary of Warhol’s death (February 4, 2012), the Da Vinci Art Alliance premiered “Warholized (The Silver Show)” to commemorate, celebrate, and honor his life and work.  The multi-media exhibition, which will be on display until February 26th, features artwork by 36 different artists that was inspired by and pays homage to Warhol.  If you are unable to attend this exhibit before it closes and/or want a keepsake from the exhibit, you can purchase the memorial catalogue Da Vinci Art Alliance Warholized: The Silver Show on Amazon.  The memorial catalogue, which was edited by Debra Miller, contains all of the work from the show.

The Da Vinci Art Alliance held a panel discussion on the day of the opening with a Superstar from the Warhol Circle (Ultra Violet), staff from the Warhol Museum (Rick Armstrong), and members of the Warhola Family (James and Madalen Warhola).  Although I was unable to attend the panel discussion, I was excited to be in the same room as these people once I did arrive at the Da Vinci Art Alliance later that night — despite the fact that I had no idea what they looked like.  Just knowing that some of the strangers walking around the gallery space knew Warhol on such a personal level was cool enough for me.

Although the artwork at “Warholized (The Silver Show)” varied a lot in style, I could definitely see Warhol’s influence in every piece and I enjoyed the wide range of interpretations.  Below, are pictures of some of my favorite pieces of artwork:

My favorite two paintings of the night, “Cleaner #13” and “Lighters #4,” were painted by Peter Seidel.   Both paintings pay homage to Warhol’s love of painting iconic consumer products.  Seidel’s bright colors, sharp yet blurred lines, and  smart use of geometric shapes also are very reminiscent of Warhol’s work.

Warhol’s artistic career began to build momentum when his shoe advertisement ink drawings became popular.  Emina Beho’s colorful painting, “Everything is Footwear,” definitely pays homage to Warhol’s early beginnings and the repetitive screen printing style that he was most known for.

Regina Barthmaier’s “MRI Self Portrait” and “MRI Self Portrait #2” really plays off of Warhol’s vibrant repetitive silk screen prints of himself and famous celebrities and the fact that Andy Warhol was a major hypochondriac.  I think that Warhol would’ve definitely created an interesting and perhaps narcissistic statement if he had screen-printed pictures of his own brain.  Can you imagine what the public would’ve thought if he did that?

Carol Wisker’s “Echoes” was really beautiful and fun to look at.  I liked the psychedelic and repetitive mirrored imagery.

This show will be closing on Sunday, February 26th.  Hurry and go see it before it’s too late!

Written and photographed by Cassandra Hoo: Contributing Writer, SideArts 

[Side Arts Affiliate Marketing Disclosure]

Apostrophe empowers people to make elegant websites for themselves or their businesses.

Apostrophe integrates with services you already use, saving you time. Apostrophe provides a robust blogging platform for you to use to create dynamic content. The same goes for events, and media. You can even group together related blog posts, events, images, slideshows, and videos on any page.

With Apostrophe, the whole system is point and click. Can you imagine browsing your website, seeing a typo, and just fixing it? With Apostrophe it’s right there, on the page. Apostrophe lets everyone build their own websites.

Choose between several different professionally designed themes, to give your website a unique feel. If you’re adventurous, try out our advanced CSS editor to create your own theme.

Create your new website today at apostrophenow.com.

Discounted technology classes are available for Side Arts users!
P’unk Avenue also offers classes to get you started. Check out www.punkave.stagehq.com for more information. Use code SIDEARTS at checkout for $10 off each class.

Discounted classes include: creating a website for artists and makers, creating a website for small businesses, and learn how to make a custom Apostrophe theme using CSS.

Class Fee:
$50 General public
$40 with Side Arts discount (use code SIDEARTS at checkout)

Jedediah Morfit, Toil, 2012, urethane plastic, paint, nails and wood

Circumstantial Assembly, A Fiber Philadelphia 2012 Exhibition of CFEVA Career Development Program Fellows and Alumni: Mark Khaisman, Jill Bell, Susan Benarcik, Jed Morfit, Ana B. Hernandez, Daniel Kornrumpf, and Binod Shrestha

Students, get the best service, selection and price: shop at BLICK!

[Affiliate Disclosure]

Labyrinth at St. Thomas Church, Whitemarsh, PA

For reasons now forgotten, a few weeks ago I was looking up labyrinths on the internet and found to my surprise there was a large one installed practically “in my own backyard”, on the grounds of St. Thomas’ Church in Whitemarsh, PA.  It is a replica of a labyrinth that is inlaid in the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France. It is speculated that the medieval labyrinth may have provided a path for prayerful walking but from what I gather, this is not conclusive. Today, however, walking a labyrinth is put forth as a meditative exercise. You follow the same path into the center as it twists and turns and follow the same path out. There are no dead ends or branches. The process is said to quiet the mind.

Today, feeling cooped up, a little irritable, and in need of a walk despite the gloomy, drizzly day, I took myself over to St. Thomas’ and located the labyrinth on the grounds.  Walking at a regular pace, I made my way in.  I found I was just the slightest bit off balance when it came to the switch-back turns, which made me focus on the walk. I think that because of that focus my head was cleared of the cobwebs I had brought in with me. I became aware of the reflections of surrounding trees in the puddles on the ground, the abstract patterns made by horse chestnuts and oak leaves strewn across the path, and the sounds of birds and distant traffic.

I got home and began to get to work in the studio. I made a small collage but I spent most of the time preparing for new projects by writing an art supply shopping list, collecting materials I already had, and building stretcher frames.  Do I think the labyrinth walk helped me focus on getting that preparatory phase going?  Very possibly. Was it enjoyable and calming and did it provide a little exercise, balance training, and fresh air? Definitely. Will I do it again? Yes, I will.

I took two amazing jewelry making workshops last week at Beadworks, which is my absolute favorite jewelry bead and supply store in the Tri-state area.  One of my first jobs as a teenager was working at a bead store, so I have a pretty good idea of what qualities define a bead store as a hit or miss.  Beadworks has a lot of wonderful things going for it: great atmosphere, a large and beautiful selection of high quality beads (it’s overwhelming at times), fun classes, frequent special deals, and stellar customer service.  All of the people who work there are friendly, accommodating, resourceful, have a good artistic eye, and an impressive knowledge of every type of gemstone on this planet.  Whenever I need a second opinion on a design choice, I know that I can call on them for advice.  I consider this place a home away from home and a great hang out spot that can get my creative juices flowing.  The only negative thing about this place is what it does to my bank account.

The excitement that I felt during the days leading up to Gina Apuzzo’s herringbone stitch bead weaving earring workshop and Morgan Jamison’s wire wrapped ring workshop was through the roof.  So when the day of the herringbone stitch workshop finally arrived, it felt like Christmas.  Since I didn’t have that much prior experience in off-loom bead weaving, I had a hunch that Gina’s class was going to be challenging.  For the first twenty minutes of class, I cursed under my breath a couple of times (sorry!), grunted, and whined a bit as I initially tried to get the first major tubular herringbone stitch accomplished without it looking like a complete mess.  Thankfully, Gina explained all of the directions really well and was patient during each of my frustrating screw-ups.  Once I got the hang of it, the stitch became super easy.

The earring design that Gina created for the class was so funky, fashionable, and glamorous.  I’m so happy that I was able to recreate her design as she intended it. I wore the earrings for the first time on Valentine’s Day and they were definitely a show stopper.

When all of my classmates reconvened at the back table with pretty stone beads in hand, Morgan allowed us to choose gold-plated wire, silver-plated wire, or copper wire for our rings.  After we made our choices, Morgan passed around a ring mandrel and had us each size and shape our rings accordingly.  Morgan then taught us several methods on how to attach our beads onto our rings and encouraged us to improvise and work with the shape of each of our individual beads.  Given the creativity and freedom that we were all allowed, each of our rings were unique and beautiful in their own way.

Since I am a perfectionist and overly critical of my own work, I painstakingly worked on my ring long after my other classmates had left.  I’m glad that I took the extra time to make calculated decisions, because my ring ended up looking a lot more polished than I thought it would have turned out.

Beadworks is holding a beading social event on February 22nd.  People who attend the event will have the option to learn how to make a pair of earrings for $15 or a bracelet for $30.  Refreshments and merriment will be provided.   Please also view their class schedule to find a class that is convenient and right for you.  For general information about Beadworks, please visit their website.

Written and photographed by Cassandra Hoo: Contributing Writer, SideArts 

Fried Lotus Root Chips on a Ceramic Sculpture by Brittany Sundheim

I unfortunately got out of work pretty late during February’s First Friday.  So by the time my friend, April, and I were able to get down to Old City, the majority of the galleries that we wanted to see were already closed or in the process of cleaning up for the night.   Lonely artwork behind the glass of dark and desolate galleries, empty bottles of wine, and broken cracker leftovers without cheese and hummus accompaniments made me feel disappointed.  Lesson learned?  Don’t be too fashionably late on First Friday.

Luckily, one of my favorite galleries, The Clay Studio, was still in full swing.  So in full swing in fact, that I worried that I might accidentally break something.  Thankfully, I managed to gracefully enjoy the artwork without damaging it.  The Clay Studio always has some serious eye candy on display and their current selection of artwork did not disappoint.

All of my favorite ceramic pieces at The Clay Studio told a story.  My favorite piece of the night was called, “The Complicated Process.”  It was a mangled and distorted heart with a flower emerging from the top.  The intricate detail of the heart’s arteries and the web of veins that was exposed from the stretched out cardiac muscle and fascia was breathtaking.  My other favorite of the night was entitled, “Wascally Wabbit.”  The poor and tiny wascally wabbit is seen poking its head into the barrel of a gun.  The piece made me chuckle with delight when I first laid eyes upon it.  I really enjoyed how dynamic the piece felt; it was like an animated cartoon frame frozen in time.

After April and I left The Clay Studio, we headed over to the South Street District to attend the grand opening of her friend/former UArts classmate’s brand new art space, Lotus Root Art Gallery. The gallery is located inside of The Massage Arts Center of Philadelphia’s tranquil lobby.  The gallery was one of the few that stayed open later than eight or nine o’clock, so we were able to take a nice casual stroll through one of my favorite neighborhoods, Queen’s Village, without feeling too rushed.

Lotus Root Art Gallery’s exhibition, “Microcosm,” featured porcelain ceramic sculptures by Brittany Sundheim and ink and pen drawings by Olivia Thornton.  The whimsical undulating lines and forms created by both the ceramic 3-D sculptures and 2-D drawings really complimented each other beautifully.

I was quite impressed by Brittany’s level of skill and artistry.  Although I haven’t worked with clay since middle school and high school, I know how hard it is to create hollow openings without having the entire piece implode.  The negative spaces in Brittany’s work are as beautiful as the positive spaces.  Every hole and facet is so calculated, precise, and meaningful.

I had a chance to interview Brittany and ask her questions about the core of her artistic statement.  Her hand built and hand carved ceramic sculptures, which look like microscopic sea creatures and coral reef-like structures, are meant to inspire the viewer to learn and comprehend new things about themselves and the world around them.

“My work tends to be inspired by the ocean, because it’s about the connections that are made throughout the world.  I believe that we were derived from the sea.  If you look at our evolution, that’s where we are from.  Our earliest ancestors were from the sea.  If you go from the sea and move on from that, you’ll find that you’ll understand things that you didn’t understand before.  The unknown for me is what I find the most important and I hope that my work helps people develop a better understanding of what they didn’t know before.”

“Microcosm” will be on display until the end of the month at the Lotus Root Art Gallery.  You have about two more weeks to get the opportunity to look at Brittany and Olivia’s work and learn something new about yourself, the past, and the world around you.

Written by Cassandra Hoo: Contributing Writer, SideArts 

Photomontage Invitation copyright 2012 by Suzanne Comer

Photomontage Promise copyright 2012 by Suzanne Comer

Gallery hours are:
Monday – Thursday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

Community Arts Center, 414 Plush Mill Road, Wallingford, PA
610-566-1713 http://www.communityartscenter.org/

The Backyard Monotype by M. Pia De Girolamo ©2012

If you’ve seen my posts on my Facebook artist page you’ll know I’ve recently been working on monotypes. A few years ago I learned printmaking techniques from instructor Christine Stoughton at the Main Line Art Center, Haverford, PA.  Being a painter, I gravitated toward the monotype or monoprint as it is also sometimes called, because it combined what is essentially painting with printmaking technique and aesthetic.

Several years ago before I learned the technique, I bought a large monotype and in talking to the gallery owner about how it was made I had trouble visualizing the process.  It was a print but it was marked “1/1″ meaning there was only one and it was not part of an edition (a limited run of multiple prints made using a wood- or linocut block or etching plate.) But if that was the case, how was it a print and not a painting? The image had not been incised but rather painted on a plexiglass plate, applied to paper and run through a hand-cranked roller press.

If I once had trouble picturing the process, you might too so I thought I’d walk you through and show some photographs of the basic steps.  Because I am working in my home studio and do not own a manual printing press I am using a burnishing tool (the back of a flat wooden spoon).   If you have an Art Center nearby you can often pay a small fee for open studio time using their full-size press.

Mixing the inks

Using Akua (non-toxic, soy-based) inks from Rostow and Jung, I use a palette knife, paintbrush and/or roller to apply the ink to a plexiglass plate (buy at art supply store or ask Home Depot to cut to size). I have found that mixing a little release agent into the paint helps the inks transfer more easily when home printing. I also use blending agent when brushing on paint to blend strokes.

Applying the ink

Inked plate with scraped off negative spaces

I may scrape off ink in areas to allow the white of the paper to show through and be part of the composition.  Using other scraping “tools” like sponges, brushes, pieces of netting, etc. will create textured effects.

A key point to remember is that what you paint on the plate will be reversed when you print! Even when working in a very abstract and spontaneous way there may be a consistent pattern in which you apply your paint that is satisfying to you. If you don’t take this into account, you will be surprised, pleasantly or unpleasantly as the case may be, by the resulting composition of your piece. The print-making process can thus reveal an aspect of your practice previously unknown to you.

Plate inkside down on paper

 Flipped inked plate and paper

After painting and scraping, I very carefully place the plate ink side down on special printing paper (I got a good deal from Utrecht; BFK Rives and Arches make excellent papers), press down, then carefully flip over the plate and paper together.

With strong downward pressure, I begin to burnish the back of the paper with the flat of the spoon and sometimes use a pin press (like a very heavy rolling pin) to get maximal transference of ink to paper. I lift up the corners to peek and rub some more until satisfied with the result.  I can repeat the process by re-inking the same other plates and layering on color if I choose, or stop there.  If there is enough ink on the plate I might be able to eke out one more print called a “ghost”, due to its delicate, ephemeral look.

Plate with re-inked areas at the bottom

Unforeseen results occur as the ink gets “squished” onto the paper. It takes time and practice to be able to control the transfer of ink. The print can turn out too light if there’s not enough ink, or “blobby” in areas of too much ink. Here I have added more ink to the plate and then I re-printed. I did this several times with this print. The finished monotype is at the start of the blog post. It helps to start with easy compositions and smaller papers before attempting more complex subjects and larger sizes.

A great printmaking resource: Rostow and Jungs website http://www.waterbasedinks.com/

Susan Webster, Prawns, mixed media, Bluestone Fine Art Gallery

February First Friday was a cold night, I took the 17 bus to Old City and met my photographer friend, Jeff Stroud, to do the monthly art gallery crawl.  I arrived early so I went to F.A.N. Gallery and got to chat with Al Gury, then I met Jeff and his friend at the new Center for Art in Wood (formerly the Wood Turning Center on Vine Street) in the old gym on 3rd Street filled with fantastic art made from wood.  Wexler Gallery has Picasso lithographs on the first floor and Pentimenti Gallery has STATIONS OF THE CUBE, a solo exhibition of mixed media works & installation by Steven Baris, and BUILT FUTURES, a solo show of works on paper & sculptures by Kim Beck.  Continuing up Third Street passing under the Benjamin Franklin Bridge near The Painted Bride on the corner of Vine Street is Bluestone Fine Art Gallery, my friends were surprised there was a gallery pushing the boundaries of the arts district farther north on Third.

Bluestone Fine Art Gallery smartly mixes art with furniture, setting tableau’s of aspirational interiors with adventurous art. Bold, bright color was just the jolt our cold art crawl crew needed and we hung out a long time with gallery owner Pam Regan‘s good husband who was gallery sitting.  The spacious gallery features paintings, fine art photography, drawings, objet d’art, fine furniture and jewelry.  Susan Webster‘s summery paintings are warm reminders of sunny days with friends, food and relaxation even though her palette is bright and rich with deep color. Britt Miller‘s paintings arrived the morning of First Friday and were finessed into the mix, Britt Miller is a Philadelphia artist that Pam discovered through DrinkPhilly.

Bluestone Fine Art Gallery
301 N 3rd St
A-1
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(856) 979-7588

DoN Brewer, Contributing Writer, Side Arts  Philadelphia Art Blog
Photographs by DoN Brewer

See more pictures on Side Arts FaceBook page.

[Affiliate Marketing Disclosure]

Are you still performing at local venues hoping to get discovered? Do you have a fan following but no effective way to disseminate your product? Are the industry gatekeepers preventing you from being famous? Many talented artists answer yes to some or all of these questions. The IndustryPage.Com (“TIP”) is the solution to these and many others the artistic community is facing.

Conceive to help talented people find a more effective way to promote their artistic endeavors, TIP is a FREE website established to educate and empower artists on how to Promote, Protect, Package, Distribute and Profit from their artistic creations.

The site, currently in its Beta Phase is ready for you to utilize and take your career to the next level. Dubbed the “LinkedIn” for Artists, TIP provides every imaginable resource to help artists gain exposure and profit from their work. TIP is the next juggernaut Social Commerce site to hit the web and its resources will benefit novice to expert level users. Resources include Contract Review, Live Broadcasting, Venue Listings, Digital Distribution w/ Intra-site Piggy Bank, some of the best and Social Networking tools for artist just to name a few. If you’re looking to take the reins and control your destiny check out The Industry Page to find the resources to help your dreams become reality!

For more information, questions contact: admin.theindustrypage@gmail.com.