|
Expressions in Metal Pacific Grove Art Center, Fall 2008 THE PACIFIC GROVE ART CENTER presents Expressions in Metal: On exhibit will be members’ recent work in media that ranges from high-karat gold to found objects and reflecting the diversity of the group with everything from sculpture to fine jewelry, including tea pots, containers and flatware. Please join us at the Opening Reception Pacific Grove Art Center online at: PGArtCenter.org |
| The Monterey Bay Metal Arts Guild and the Collectors Gallery of the Oakland Museum of California present: |
| Metals in Motion |
| A showcase of unique work by over 50 outstanding jewelers and metal artists from Big Sur to Santa Cruz on display from March 2 – April 20, 2008 |
| Reception March 8, 2008, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.; preceded by artist talk from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m |
  |
| Treat yourself to a unique experience viewing the work of over 50 studio jewelers, metal artists and sculptors of the Monterey Bay Metal Arts Guild. Talented artists from Big Sur to Santa Cruz showcase their work in “Metals in Motion” at the Collectors Gallery of the Oakland Museum of California. The special exhibit and sale runs from March 2, 2008 through April 20, 2008. More than 100 handcrafted one-of-a-kind pieces of great diversity are on display. |
| Featured pieces imply movement either through kinetic mechanisms or imagery; artists let their imaginations come alive in high-karat gold, silver, steel, copper, or brass to realize their personal interpretation of the theme. Techniques range from traditional gold- and silver-smithing, forging, casting, enameling, to mokume gane which translates as “wood grain metal”– a Japanese metal lamination technique, mastered by only a few U.S. artists. The main focus of the show is art jewelry but visitors will also find an array of outstanding metal art objects and sculptures. |
| The Collectors Gallery of the Oakland Museum of California is located at 1000 Oak Street, in Oakland. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The opening reception is on March 8, 2008 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The reception will be preceded by an artist talk from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. during which nationally recognized members of the Monterey Bay Metal Arts Guild will discuss their work. |
| Admission is free. |
| About the Monterey Bay Metal Arts Guild: The MBMAG is a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging an environment of education, networking, and community interaction, as well as support and general camaraderie for artists working in metal. Its members include nationally recognized metal artists. |
| Further information: visit MBMAG.org or email: mim@mbmag.org |
| About the Collectors Gallery: The Collectors Gallery is operated by the Oakland Museum Women’s Board, a volunteer fundraising organization. The Women’s Board donates all profits from the gallery to the Art Acquisition fund of the Oakland Museum of California. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Friday, 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Saturday and Sunday, 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM. Further information: http://www.museumca.org/shop/gallery.html |
| Phone: 1- 510-834-2296 |
Self Portrait, Cynthia Rand-Thompson, 2007, acrylic on panel
Hey, guess what! I’m going to be in my first show!
There’s a new gallery space in Santa Cruz, and Tobin W Keller, our instructor has arranged for our painting class to have a show there! We’ll be exhibiting at the “Dead Cow Gallery” at the Tannery, the show will be up for the Santa Cruz First Friday Art Walk on the evening of August 3rd, and will remain up for the month of August.
Ours was a second semester painting class at Cabrillo College, in Aptos California. It was a great mix of people and styles and the show is going to be super. Really, there is a b-r-o-a-d stylistic spectrum.
Come down for the art walk and give us a look!
Main Squeeze, Cynthia Rand-Thompson, 2006, acrylic on paper, 22 x 21 inches
Such a week! Having finished “Main Squeeze” and having received a quite positive critique, we are on to figure painting. Oh the horror and the joy, jumping Jehosephats, does it get more intimidating than figure painting? Aw, really that’s just the 10 years away from painting squeaking.
Figure drawing is great–something I’d somehow forgotten to remember. Figure painting, will also be great, I have faith. How could the addition of copious amounts of gloopy paint and brushes to what is essentially figure drawing not be great. Things just keep getting better and better.
Main Squeeze was a high self-esteem moment. It was a wacky inspiration and my first crack at abstract painting. I dove deep into ye olde image bank and found a Chiquita Banana advertisement that a friend had given me whilst we were attending Immaculate Heart High School in the Movie Capital of the World-World-World.
Luckily, and by dumb luck alone, I’d organized the many random piles of clipped images, most of which are from the mid-1990’s, and finally gotten them into Doctor Marten’s large cardboard shoe boxes, not as style-y as my own cardboard boxes, but at least they are no longer loosely floating through time and space. I can obsess about the perfect box if there is ever a moment in which there is nothing more pressing to see to.
Well, all that dumb luck paid off, I found a luscious bust shot, with really quite a beautiful visage, but the focal point was below the neck, the way the shot was composed, and then there was a beautiful shot of green bananas, bunches and bunches of them. I wacked ‘em up, by which I mean I did my color copy and meticulously die-cut and collage thing with them. Wiggle this, crop that and voila, an abstract composition is born. I’ll get a picture here soon.
I was inspired by having had a very good friend from long ago get in touch with me, out of the blue–literally. Anyway, he reminded me of some things that used to delight me and which I had just not thought of for years. Bananas, for one. Go figure.
Funny how you just get into a groove and forget about whole sections of your life that used to be so important–yeah, I’m on about bananas again. I used to have quite a collection. It’s amazing, the sheer volume of banana ephemera out there, if you start looking. Of course, you won’t see much if you aren’t looking, goes without saying, but there you go, I’ve said it anyway.
The new art supplies-as-drugs-discovery of the week: Golden Heavy Body Acrylic paints kick ass (high color/low filler ratio and less value shift than with most other brands) also natural bristle brushes, while excellent with oils suck with acrylics. Blechh! Buy yourself a couple synthetic brushes, sweetheart and stop suffering.
One day I’ll tell you all about Pod Forms I and II and regale you with the fascinating story of how I learned that I am good enough.
Well alright, here we go! I’m going to start posting my art pieces and musing about art; my art; other people’s art, and what it all means… Soon. Probably a slow start, but watch out–once I get to goin’.
SF Moma on Twitter
