Weatherwise is an app for iphone and android that gives users a unique way to interact and view the current and forecasted weather. Local Wisdom, the app’s creator, wanted to build their themes by focusing on local artist talent to display the weather in an experience unlike any other before. They asked Sean Martorana to be one of the first to help develop the process and create a custom theme for Weatherwise.

Sean’s approach was a little bit different than the other very technically designed themes. “I wanted to go in a different direction than the the existing (and very well done) computer-generated themes.” Weatherwise’s original themes include a 8bit RPG inspired theme, a robot in a garden, and personas that change according to the weather. “I took a more hand-painted approach with my theme. I literally painted each element separately, cut out the elements, and reassembled them in different ways based on the different atmospheres.”

Even when the weather is not that nice outside, it still can look good on your phone. You can download the theme for free here: http://weatherwiseapp.com/ and then cruise and install the themes through the app itself.

See Sean create this theme in the time-lapse video below.

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]

TIP will connect the stars of tomorrow with consumers, and industry professionals in Music, Dance ,Fashion, Film, Literary, and Print Mediums.

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.

Artists: join Side Arts today to promote your artwork, access the artist opportunity listings where you can find places to show and sell your artwork, and connect with other creatives locally.

Join with a free account or upgrade to premium for as little as one month, you may cancel and renew at any time.

Create an artist account on Side Arts so others can see the amazing artwork and crafts you have created. Then take the next step: selling and showing your artwork and crafts in the marketplace. Upgrade your artist account on Side Arts today for just $4.99 per month to access our artist opportunities listings and have new local opportunities emailed to you daily, weekly, or monthly, promote your artwork on the site, add more images to your profile, and much more!

The more you participate on the site, the higher your ranking on Philly’s top artist leaderboard.

Here’s some other ideas to help you sell more:

• Make sure all the required fields on your profile are complete.
• Add at least three images to your profile.
• Include a link to your Side Arts profile in your email signature.
• Include a link to your Side Arts profile on your website and social network accounts.
• Post an announcement on the Side Arts blog about where you will be selling or showing next.
• Use the Side Arts blog as a forum and get feedback about your latest project.
• Upgrade to premium to start applying to local opportunities to sell and show your art, to find jobs, and more.
• Keep a list of all your customer’s names and email addresses, send them an email once a month to let them know where you are selling next (remember to give them an opt out option).

Learn more about the premium features at: http://philly.sidearts.com/subscription/. Upgrade by joining with a premium account or logging in to your pre-existing account and select the manage your membership option.

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

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

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.

THIS FRIDAY, October 7th, Drink Philly is yet again supporting local artistic talent, local brewers and local restaurants for First Friday! Come enjoy food and beer tastings and check out some great local art and music.

Featured Artists:
Heather Marley
Sean Martorana
Richard Tenaglia

This month, The Farmers’ Cabinet will be serving mini Bavarian pretzel bites with a pear mustard, accompanied by their very own home brew, Grisette.
ABSOLUTELY NO COVER CHARGE. (Valid ID is required, only 21+ will be admitted.)
The event goes from 5-9 PM on Friday, October 7, and you may come and go as you please.

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

10-hour, outdoor, live visual art competition with a backdrop of musical performances and DJs!!

AUGUST 27th from 12pm-10pm

Back for the 2nd round!! The Battle of the Canvas is a live painting competition that encourages the involvement of emerging and professional visual artists to paint under a theme that will promote social change through artistic images. In addition to fusing diverse artists with different skill levels together, appreciating visual arts out of galleries and museums is our goal since this free event will allow the public to connect with and interact with artists as they paint.

Where is it?? – The Artists Piazza | 2nd and Germantown Ave. 12pm-10pm | Free |Kids Corner