Saturday, December 12, 2015

TAG Interviews Cynthia Alexander

ATTITUDE is Cynthia Alexander's current show at TAG on view through December 19th.
Cynthia Alexander, Attitude Adjustment, Mixed media on paper, 36.25 x 28.25"
We asked her a few questions.

Have you always lived in Southern California?
No - I didn’t come to Southern CA until I married an Angeleno in 1988.

Where did you grow up? Do you feel that your early environment had an influence on your artistic development?
I grew up in Connecticut, in a New York suburb. From an early age, I was exposed to the great art institutions in New York City - one of my earliest memories is of a visit to the Egyptian wing of the Met. I was enthralled by the quiet mystery of it all, and continued to be drawn to the art of the Middle East and Asia. Later on, travel in those parts of the world deepened that interest and appreciation.

When did you first realize you were an artist (or have the courage to identify yourself as an artist)?
Two different questions! I think I first realized I was an artist in my teens; the courage to identify myself as an artist came much, much later, in the last 10 years or so.

Have any of your travels influenced the direction your art work has taken? If so, in what way?
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to travel extensively in Asia, including places such as Iran and Afghanistan which are no longer easily accessible to travelers. These experiences - and in particular, exposure to the art and architecture of Islamic cultures - have affected me deeply as an artist. Unlike the Western artistic traditions, where there is a great emphasis on realism, the Islamic and Eastern traditions emphasize form and color first and foremost. This inspires me.

What were the unique challenges for you in undertaking this series?
I am first and foremost a figurative artist, with a fascination with the human body - as landscape, as abstract form, as conveyer of emotion. In this series, I challenged myself to be less literal and more abstract, more playful and personal. Early on, I decide to call the series ATTITUDE, as a constant reminder to myself of what I was going for.
Cynthia Alexander, Diva, Mixed media on paper, 34.75 x 50.25"
Do you work from life, or some other point of reference?
I typically work with models or from photographs. In this show, I worked with one model exclusively over a period of months, which was a great experience. Besides having an extremely long thin body, she is smart and feisty and has a great sense of humor - a killer combination for producing this series!

Have you learned any new techniques this year? 
In working on this series, I wanted to avoid the urge to over-explain myself on the page and keep things loose. To support that process, I used collage as a jumping off point for each image, “repurposing” old work as a ground for the new pieces. The serendipity of this technique challenged me to work outside the box and embrace the unexpected. Plus it was fun!
Cynthia Alexander, Changed My Mind, Mixed media on paper, 36.25 x 28.25"
How do you know when a work is finished?
One of the great, enduring questions in art-making! In this series, I worked on multiple pieces simultaneously, and kept them all visible to me as a I worked. I went back to most over and over again, sometimes just for minor tweaks and sometimes for major transformations, up to the last day I could take them to the framer. I’m not sure that any piece is ever really finished; at a certain point, though, I’m satisfied that I’ve done all I can do.

How do you like people to view your work—from across the room, or close up?
For this series, definitely close up. I want the viewer to engage with my process - see the torn paper, the layering, the erasures, the gesso white-outs. I want to invite the viewer to discover something unexpected with a closer look.

What would you like your viewers to take away from their encounter with your artwork?
I hope that each viewer takes away something different - that I have left enough ambiguity in each piece for the viewer to engage personally and find something new. This doesn’t have to be something big - just something they didn’t know before they walked into the gallery. I intended the women in this show to be strong, sassy and unapologetic; I hope that viewers get that too.

What is it like getting ready for an exhibition - are there any special considerations that you have to deal with?
Perhaps because I also have literary background, titling my shows and the pieces in them is always important to me. I had a great time coming up with titles for this show. Titles like “Are You Kidding Me?” and “Are You Finished Yet?” allowed me to access the inner bratty teenager that lurks inside us all.
Cynthia Alexander, Are You Kidding Me?, Mixed media on paper, 36.25 x 28.25"
What is the biggest challenge that you face as an artist?
Keeping it loose. Taking myself seriously.

Where do you see your journey as an artist going from here?
Doing this show was really a watershed moment for me - a significant move off the path of my past work, and the beginning of a larger exploration of new techniques and materials, subject matter, and my own habits and attitudes as a woman and an artist. I’m looking forward to getting back to work.

Cynthia will be joining Linda Sue Price and Elsie Dye Sims in an Artists' Talk moderated by gallery director Rakeem Cunningham today, 1pm at TAG.

Friday, December 4, 2015

Art Story: It's Not All About You

Linda Sue Price, It's Not All About You, Neon, 20 x 20 x 10"
Linda Sue Price’s current exhibit at TAG features phrases as in ‘Change is the Only Constant.’ The inspiration for the show came from a memorial celebrating the life of a fellow neon artist—Kunio Ohashi. One of the attendees shared a story about their friend and neighbor. Kunio was soft spoken with a wry sense of humor. They had dogs and were neglectful about picking up after their dogs. One day Kunio knocks on their front door. When they answered he handed them a piece of origami. When it was opened, the message inside said, ’Too much shit.’ Everyone in the audience laughed. It was so Kunio. Price thought about doing a piece in his honor with the saying, Kunio says Too Much Shit but decided it would take too much to explain but it did lead her to explore other words of wisdom.

See this and other works by Linda at TAG through December 19th.

Artists' Reception: Saturday, December 5, 5-8pm
Artist Talk: Saturday, December 12th, 1 p.m.

Read an interview with Linda on We Choose Art

Monday, November 23, 2015

Fine Lines: Cynthia Alexander, Linda Sue Price, Elsie Dye Sims

Tues. November 24th - Sat. December 19th, 2015

Reception: Saturday, December 5, 5-8pm
Artist Talk: Saturday, December 12th, 1 p.m.

Cynthia Alexander
ATTITUDE
Cynthia Alexander, She Has An Attitude, Mixed Media, 32.25 x 26.25"
“A strong man can handle a strong woman. A weak man will say she has an attitude.”

Cynthia Alexander’s latest series of work – ATTITUDE – reflects her own attitude as an artist at this point in her career. Alexander acknowledged it was time to stop making art to please others and begin to suit herself. In the studio, she challenged herself to discard old habits and allow a new voice to emerge.

While Alexander remains a figurative artist, her new body of work introduces a greater sense of play; it’s freer, more arbitrary and abstract. Using collage as a jumping off point into the unknown, Alexander explores themes of randomness and serendipity in her latest pieces. With a constant wrestling between the figurative and the abstract, the recognizable and the random, she challenges her audience to find and navigate their own way through each piece.

As Alexander worked on this series, the woman she was painting became an alter ego -- direct, opinionated, sprawling, and hard to contain in the confines of the page. From splashes of red to figures with bold strokes, this exhibition is a chance to let that voice speak.

Linda Sue Price
Change is the Only Constant
Linda Sue Price, Change Is The Only Constant, Neon tubes, texture paint, wood, pulsing transformers, 20 x 20 x 10"
Linda Sue Price’s latest body of work incorporates common phrases and abstract neon shapes to facilitate a dialogue, creating unexpected relationships between the two. Price first absorbs the words then instinctually reacts to them, concentrating on repetitive gestures that reflect the commonality of the words found in each phrase. These mixed media neon sculptures use free-form bent abstract shapes to convey their message. While the circular pieces were inspired by the idea of a medallion—a button to be worn as a reminder – works such as One Side of the Story, The Other Side of the Story, Sweet and Sour—Don’t Suffer for A**holes and It’s A Small World represent Price’s personal responses to witnessed events.

Price draws upon her interest in how people make sense of the world. Seeing change as the only constant, her work combines the physical transformation of the medium (the bending of neon tubes) with the challenges of the imagery (the curving, abstract forms). The process that connects these relationships represents the mental process Price is interested in, a visual manifestation of a system of thought. While inspired by artists Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, Laddie John Dill and Judy Chicago, Price also is influenced by elements of historic neon signs, abstract expressionism, pop art and graphic design.

Elsie Dye Sims
Pure Joy
Elsie Dye Sims, Sea Dhalia, Woodcut, 17 x 17"

Elsie Dye Sims’ upcoming exhibition at TAG Gallery, entitled Pure Joy, incorporates drawings and large-scale woodcuts that reflect the flora of the Southern California coastline. Sims notes the truth she uncovers in Albert Einstein’s quote “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” For her, nature is a constant inspiration, that illuminates each of her exquisitely detailed pieces.

When speaking about her work, Sims says, “California’s sage and wildflowers persevere in the most adverse conditions, growing out of the windswept, sun scorched bluffs. My bold, gestural woodcuts show the strength in these delicate flowers; twisted and blown, yet blooming.” Pure Joy illustrates Sims’ desire to more deeply ascertain just how our coastal landscape endures."

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Saturday Spectrum: Yellow Green [Guest Post by Anne M Bray]

Time for a new color, Yellow Green.
I've made a "How To Link" page, if you've wanted to join in but were confused by the process.


Saturday, October 31, 2015

Saturday Spectrum: Black [Guest Post by Anne M Bray]

Happy Halloween! Go pick up some treats tonight at TAG. The gallery will be open until 8pm.

Link up your "BLACK" images here.




Friday, October 30, 2015

FAR/NEAR: The Solace of Beautiful Places [Guest Post by Carole Garland]

FAR/NEAR is a landscape series of oil paintings, a departure from my previous shows of Los Angeles urbanscapes at TAG Gallery.
Carole Garland, The Oak Grove, Oil on canvas, 36 x 48" 
I thought it might be a bit lame to show landscape paintings, but I figured I already had a couple of good large paintings of the local Santa Monica Mountains, I have a history of painting on site en plein air at the local beaches and canyons, and why not?
 I've always loved the great outdoors. I find peace, tranquility and a sense of higher purpose in nature.
Carole Garland, The Receding Tide, Oil on canvas, 48 x 60"
After my visit to Patagonia in South America and my travels through Tierra del Fuego and the Chilean Fjords I figured I'd go even lamer and paint from my travels. The archipelago is breathtaking: small, remote islands spreading out forever off the coast of Chile, then glimpses of glaciers in the distance, mountains and stormy skies with endless changeable moods.
Carole Garland, Perito Moreno Glacier, Oil on canvas, 30 x 40"
The two paintings, Archipelago and Perito Moreno Glacier, were an attempt to recall the feelings of that place, the remoteness and isolation, and to explore the solace of empty places.

I started both paintings using rags rather than brushes. I rubbed thin layers of paint on the canvas with the idea of creating transparent layers of color, both seen and unseen.
Carole Garland, The Archipelago, Oil on canvas, 30 x 40"
Carole is having an Artist Reception on Saturday, November 7, 5-8pm
She will also be part of an Artists' Talk at TAG Saturday, November 14, 3pm.

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Coming Exhibition: Carole Garland, Carol Kleinman, Ernie Marjoram

Tues. October 27th - Sat. November 21st, 2015

Opening Reception: Saturday, November 7th, 5-8 p.m.

Artist Talk: Saturday, November 14th, 3 p.m.


Carol Garland
FAR/NEAR
Carole Garland, The Archipelago, Oil on canvas, 30 x 40"
In her most recent series of land and seascapes, entitled FAR/NEAR, painter Carole Garland poetically portrays the solace found in the world’s most majestic places. From the lonesome glaciers of the Chilean archipelago, to the languor of the broad Mississippi, and the intimate woodlands of the Santa Monica Mountains, Garland beautifully captures the sentiment felt within the wilderness of locations around the globe.

Whether urban or rural, land or sea, a strong sense of atmosphere, mood, and emotion resonate through Garland’s work. As these images are a depiction of her explorations, Garland concurrently experiments with new painting methods, utilizing a palette knife to achieve impasto and layering techniques to create transparency. Playing between thick and thin application, Garland allows the paint to flow across her canvases, creating abstract forms that morph into recognizable shapes found within the far and near.

Carol Kleinman
Once Upon a Mannequin...

Carol Kleinman, Watching Them Watching Us, Single exposure photograph on canvas, 23 x 20"
Once Upon A Mannequin… explores the intersection of fantasy and reality through a series of unique photographs of reflections on store windows. With these single exposures taken in Paris, New York and L.A., Carol Kleinman examines the "lives" of mannequins, transforming inanimate objects into dynamic creatures that challenge our imagination. Do they have the capacity to think, to dream? Are we watching them… or are they watching us?

Kleinman’s work, printed on canvas, reveals realities most people do not normally notice. She says “A great deal of the impact of my work stems from the fact that my images actually existed at a specific time and place and are not creations or manipulations. Nothing I do is set up or manufactured. My goal is to offer these slices of life as a catalyst from which the viewer can go on a journey and hopefully explore deeper personal emotions.”

Ernie Marjoram
Structures
Ernie Marjoram, Bayou, Oil on canvas, 36 x 48"
Los Angeles artist Ernie Marjoram presents recent paintings of architectural subjects in an exhibition October 27th to November 21st. In cinematic compositions of sharp lines and large shapes, Marjoram seeks to document his personal vision of the ways human beings modify their environment in order to physically survive and spiritually prosper. Subject matter ranges from mysterious megalithic structures on the isolated plains of Ireland to the grand cathedrals of worship in Europe.

Influenced by the artist Edward Hopper, Ernie seeks the real and the true in depicting the built environment using dark earthy tones or bright vibrant hues to evoke emotional themes of desolation, decay, and danger, or elegance, sophistication, and grandeur. Dramatic lighting and shadow are used to further enhance the mood and allow the viewer to provide their own narrative content.

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Saturday Spectrum: Wisteria [Guest Post by Anne M Bray]

You know the drill: Add links to your WISTERIA hued art here.





Saturday, October 17, 2015

Saturday Spectrum: Dandelion Yellow [Guest Post by Anne M Bray]

Any dandelions still growing in your lawn?

DANDELION YELLOW is this week's color inspiration.




Saturday, October 10, 2015

Saturday Spectrum: Copper [Guest Post by Anne M Bray]

This week's color is COPPER, one of Crayola's older metallic colors.

Do you have an image with copper in it, or a piece made from copper?
Link and tell!




Friday, October 9, 2015

Artist Spotlight: Donn Delson

Donn Delson, Celestial Motion, Giclee Archival Print, Limited Edition of 15, 40x40"
My show is about stillness and motion.
Some of the images reflect the quiet stillness of a distant galaxy, or deserted desert road.
Donn Delson, Running in Tandem, Giclee Archival Print, Limited Edition of 15, 22x50"
Donn Delson, Daydreaming, Alumininum Archival Print, Limited Edition of 15, 26x38"
Some reflect the kinetic energy of motion captured in a moving car, or a rock, inexplicably traveling across a barren, cracked desert floor.
Donn Delson, Night at the Racetrack, Giclee Archival Print, Limited Edition of 15, 34x26 
There is an interesting symmetry I find between the two. While on the one hand, I'm drawn to visuals that, in an overstimulated world, evoke a sense of timelessness and tranquility, and give the viewer's eye a chance to rest for a few moments, undisturbed. I'm also drawn to the energy of motion, how it enters and leaves a space, and the relationship between the static, and dynamic elements in that space, in the moment, and over time. I don't find these to be mutually exclusive, but rather complementary, along a continuum.
Donn Delson, Storm Troopers, Giclee Archival Print, Limited Edition of 15, 34x46"
Donn's exibition Stillness/Motion, will be on view at TAG  through Saturday October 24th.

Want to know how he created some of these images?
Attend the Artist Talk on Saturday, October 17th, 3pm
or leave Donn a question here in the comments.

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Artist Spotlight: Della Rollé's "Laughter Heals Life" Step By Step

Della Rolle, Laughter Heals Life, Stainless steel, 28.5 x 12.5 x 12.5"
I have always loved sculpting the human form. Bronze, terra cotta, acrylic, wood and stainless steel all create beautiful surfaces on the figure. I am enjoying laser cut metals and wood for some of my figures more recently. On Laughter Heals Life, the words welded into the figure are: Laughter Heals Life (on the front of the piece) and Life is Uncertain so Eat Dessert First (on the back).

Here is how I made this piece:
I first drew the figure, and then sculpted the figure in floral foam.
Next I selected the sayings, the font, and the laser cut letters for my sculpture.
Then I started the welding process where every letter had to be carefully molded over the floral foam before welding.
Then I had the welding marks removed by coating the piece in stainless steel with a finish process called electro polishing.
I completed the piece by mounting it on a beautiful rotating marble base. 
The surfaces and contours of the piece reflect light and the words on the piece will hopefully make you smile!

This piece can be currently seen in Della's exhibition at TAG Gallery through October 24.  
There is an Artists Reception on Saturday, October 3 from 5-8 pm, 
and an Artists Talk on Saturday, October 17 at 3 pm.

Have any questions for Della?
Leave them here in the comments.

Friday, October 2, 2015

Saturday Spectrum: Wild Blue Yonder [Guest Post by Anne M Bray]

What the heck is THIS color? That wasn't in MY Crayola box in the sixties!
It kinda looks like the old Steel Blue, if that's any help.

With a name like that, perhaps it will entice you landscape artists to link.

WILD BLUE YONDER!

Go shoot a photo, hunt for art, create something new with WILD BLUE YONDER.
Link and tell!






Current Group Loft Exhibition: GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS!

The TAG artists were asked to submit work that went with the title "Girls, Girls, Girls".
Here is how TAG's loft now looks:
[click on image to see bigger] 
It's the first time that the loft space has been hung with a cohesive theme.
Come see it in person through October 24.

Artists' Reception tomorrow, Saturday October 3, 5-8pm

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Coming Exhibition: Donn Delson, Fielden Harper, Della Rollé

Tues. September 29th - Sat. October 24th, 2015

Opening Reception: Saturday, October 3rd, 5-8 p.m.
Artist Talk: Saturday, October 17th, 3 p.m.

Donn Delson
Stillness/Motion
Donn Delson, Night at the Racetrack, Giclee archival pigment print, 24 x 16"
Cracks, birthed and cemented in a tapestry of parched earth. Celestial skycaps, sentinels of the night. Windswept dunes, sculpted and groomed. All are participants in Donn Delson’s visual study of stillness and motion in Death Valley and the Mojave Desert.
Delson is an image collector. He believes that successful photographs compel in the viewer, an unanticipated curiosity or emotion. “In this study, I was drawn to the negative space, muted tones, and unexpected vistas arrayed before me in desert and sky.” A self-taught photographer for more than 50 years, Delson concentrates primarily on landscape, nature, and abstract photography. His work often appears more illustrative than photographic.

“The layered complexity of his work is masked in simple tranquility...” 
Angela Romeo, CollidingWorldsTV

Fielden Harper
Renewal

Fielden Harper, And the Beat Goes On, Oil on canvas, 36 x 30"
In her most recent body of work, artist Fielden Harper explores the concepts of renewal and growth, both personally and environmentally. As we experience our most severe drought to date, Southern California residents have begun to see a change in the landscape they once knew. Although transformed by the new conditions, Harper’s work symbolizes the continued beauty that can be found in adapting to our changing surroundings, reminding us that every challenge we encounter is an opportunity for growth.
With change comes a new start, new ways of observation, and a new mindful awareness of our environment. For Harper, the bound palm trees illustrated with sun washed colors represent not only the changing landscape, but also the changes within. While the bound palm is a sign that construction is in the works, it is often the final touch in the process of progress and renewal. The fronds are tied together to prevent injury when the trees are being transported and to keep the young buds moist. The streamlined shape also insures that there will be less wind resistance to stress the shallow roots until they are well established. When the root begins to receive nourishment, the bonds are broken so the branches can spread and the tree can begin to grow.

Della Rollé
Surfaces

Della Rolle, Laughter Heals Life, Stainless steel, 28.5 x 12.5 x 12.5"
The sculptures in Della RollĂ©'s current exhibition, Surfaces, represent her continued experimentation with modern techniques and interlaces them with traditional bronzes. Terra cotta, stainless steel, and wood are but a few of the surfaces RollĂ© tackles and molds in this body of work. 
Words have power for Rollé. Often times the verbal becomes the visual while the surfaces deploy embedded messages with whimsical twists, portraying her love for the various shapes and sizes of the human body. Rollé's sculptures blend carnal indulgences with wit, but also invite the viewer to smile and think. Form and floridity become one. It is just not the material that makes the artwork, but the material surface itself is the artwork.

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Saturday Spectrum: Red [Guest Post by Anne M Bray]

It's RED Week.
That's Red.
Not Cadmium Red, Cherry Red, or Tomato Red.

Red.
As Crayola decrees it.
RED!

Go shoot a photo, hunt for art, create something new with RED.
Link and tell!





Saturday, September 19, 2015

Saturday Spectrum: Sea Green [Guest Post by Anne M Bray]


SEA GREEN!

Go shoot a photo, hunt for art, create something new with SEA GREEN.
Link and tell!








Wednesday, September 16, 2015

The Art of Transcendence [Guest Post by Pam Douglas]

Ten years ago I prepared to die. I was to have life-threatening spine fusion surgery followed by weeks in intensive care followed by three months in pain unable to walk or drive. In that time, I took my hands off the steering wheel of my career and everything others expected of me. The experience led me to contemplate the fragile line between life and what lies beyond.
Pam Douglas, Spirit Moved Upon the Waters, Acrylic on wood, 48 x 30", 2006
My art saved me. On days when I could hardly stand, I propped myself at my painting table, so immersed in the painting before me that my physical disabilities became background noise. The work itself often dealt with transparencies at a time when reality itself was not solid. I also worked with circles, the symbol of universal continuity. The form is a nod to Zen painters who focus on the symbolism of the circle. In fact I revisited my earlier studies in ancient Asian art and philosophy, and those ideas continue to influence my thinking.
Pam Douglas, MessagesAcrylic stain on raw linen, 20 x 20", 2007
Pam Douglas, The Kite Flyer, Mixed media on raw linen, 50 x 16", 2009
Those musings about the circle of life and death occupied my creative output for a decade … until my current series. Now the veil seems to have lifted as I’ve realized I’m going to live. My new paintings are full of joy. The image of a grinning Buddha juggling galaxies in my exhibit conveys where this journey has brought me: to a kind of transcendence that is not about life or death but our unity with the cosmos.
Pam Douglas, Juggling Galaxies, Acrylic on paper with Hubble photos, 54 x 30"
The focus of all my art work is transcendence. That aspiration can be seen in abstract paintings on silk in the last few years, and expressions of the power of earth’s energies – water, fire and air – in the exhibits from 2011-2014.
Pam Douglas, Water BlessingAcrylic on raw linen, 32 x 19", 2011
Pam Douglas, The Eternal BeginningAcrylic on raw linen diptych, each 14 x 52" 2012
Pam Douglas, A Fragile Space, Inks and acrylic on raw silk, 36 x 33" 2013
Pam Douglas, OriginMixed media with string on raw silk, 52 x 58", 2014
My current show, “Galaxies,” at TAG Gallery in Santa Monica (through Sept 26th) blends figures with NASA photos taken by the Hubble Telescope. Through these 11 new paintings, I hope viewers are inspired to feel a personal and direct connection with the stars.

The nature of the artistic process itself invites this sort of exploration, because every act of creation ventures into the unknown, bringing into form something that hadn’t existed before. Artists inhabit that source as they work, and the most impactful works usually arise from that artistic transcendence.

More than 2,500 years ago in ancient China, the philosopher Lao Tzu wrote:
"The wise man looks into space and he knows there are no limited dimensions."
We are all stardust, inseparable from the universe. That perception can inform the way we live each day, choosing whether to dwell in temporary difficulties or feel the awe and power of unlimited dimensions.
Pam Douglas, WowPencil and acrylic on rice paper with Hubble photo, 36 x 26”, 2015
Pam will be part of an Artists' Talk at TAG this Saturday, September 19, 3pm.
She will have copies of her out of print book, "Back to Life: A Journey of Transformation Through Back Surgery" on hand for sale.







Saturday, September 12, 2015

Saturday Spectrum: Inside the Crayola Box [Guest Post by Anne M Bray]

Remember that new Crayola smell? The pristine box of 64 colors with the sharpener in back that always ate your crayons? Good news, my friends. They still smell the same! And now, there is an even bigger box with 96 colors! Maybe they have changed some of the color names and maybe even switched out some of the colors. We will have 96 weeks to find out!
Yes, I hied myself to Rite-Aid today and bought the jumbo assortment, to utilize for choosing the Saturday Spectrum color of the week.
A "very scientific" comparison with another box revealed:

Random color placement!

I'm starting our Crayola colored adventure with:
OLIVE GREEN!

Go shoot a photo, hunt for art, create something new with OLIVE GREEN.
Link and tell!







Saturday, September 5, 2015

Spectrum Saturday: AMBER [Guest Post by Anne M Bray]

Hi everyone, it's Spectrum Saturday time!

Last week, we contemplated the color honey and there were a few link-ups (thank you Val and Lorraine for adding your OWN links -- I did all the others). I'm highlighting Lorraine's piece because it's SO PERFECT for the theme AND the original is on view at TAG until September 26th.
Lorraine Bubar, Endagered, Papercut, 25.5 x 21.5"
Our color this week is AMBER.
Do you have any amber-colored art hidden away in your archives?
Or did you capture a beautiful amber sunset on your photo-creating device?
If you Instagrammed it, you can link it!

Here's another thing to consider:
Honey, Amber -- is there any difference?
Link and tell!




Wednesday, September 2, 2015

TAG Interviews Lorraine Bubar

Lorraine Bubar, No Stopping, Papercut, 37 x 24", 2015
What does the title "Not Home" mean to you:
My current show is called "Not Home." One thing I really appreciate about being in TAG Gallery is that I can show new work every year and the deadline for an upcoming show motivates me. I start working and after a few pieces, an idea begins to formulate in my mind about a theme I would like to concentrate on. I love to think of every possible way to examine that theme. In this instance, I was ruminating over the concept of "home" and what that means to me, but I was thinking about it in terms of security, comfort, family, and the quality of life living in a city. I was taking it for granted that the physical home exists for me and then thinking about all of the emotions that fill that physical space. But so many news stories bombarded me during this time period that began to influence what I wanted to express. Many of my past pieces, including the flora and fauna of different natural environments, do address the issue of conservation, but I do not often get very political in my work. Included in this recent body of work, I wanted to express my sadness, despair, and frustration over the fact that so many people and species around the world are experiencing loss of home, whether it is due to an earthquake in Nepal or attributing climate change, pesticides, or deforesting for the loss of homes for animals and insects. Driving around Los Angeles, it is impossible not to notice the increase in tent cities. The news is filled with stories of the migration of people who walk miles and spend their life savings to escape to what they hope will be a better life, only to find more insecurity and grief. The security of home is nothing to take for granted.
Lorraine Bubar, Heart in Nepal, Papercut, 33.5 x 23.5"
Tell a little about your process:
All of the color in my work is from the papers that I find. Most of them come from countries that I have loved traveling in, including Thailand, Nepal, and Japan. I complete a drawing and lay my drawing on top of the first colored paper and, using an x-acto knife, I cut through the drawing and that paper, cutting away all of the negative space. Everything left, which is essentially my drawing, is connected to the outside border so that it creates a very intricate piece of lacework. I then lay that on top of the next color and cut away more. I continue layering colors from the back until I am satisfied with the combinations of colors, the contrast of colors, and how the subject matter is drawn out from the background values. I end up using about 8-10 different layers of paper which create the depth and texture in each piece.
Lorraine Bubar, Bubbles, Papercut, 40 x 22"

Most Frequently asked question: How long do these take you to do? I love the process so I do not keep track of the time. Many of these pieces are symmetrical. That means that I create 1/2 of the composition and lay it on a folded piece of colored paper. I cut through both sides and when I am done, I open it up. This aspect really drives me to work very hard. When I finish that step I can open it up to reveal the overall composition. There are aspects of the way that I work that I drives me so that I lose myself in the process and do not keep track of the time.
Lorraine Bubar, Not Home, Papercut, 30 x 39"
Why did you start to do papercuts?
For many years I used watercolors. I would cut stencils to airbrush in the backgrounds, blending colors very evenly, and then paint everything else with brushes. So I was already using an x-acto knife very carefully to cut the stencils and not cut through the watercolor paper. Then I decided to cut through the paper. I had a realization one day that numerous cultures around the world create papercuts, including Mexico, China, and Eastern Europe. With my unique papercutting style, I am continuing the tradition of papercutting with a more painterly approach. I love being part of this artistic heritage that crosses the boundaries of culture, art, and craft.
Lorraine Bubar, Going Up, Papercut, 38 x 26"
Lorraine Bubar, Butterflies, Papercut

Lorraine's work can be viewed at TAG until September 26.
Meet Lorraine at her Artist's Reception on Saturday, September 12, 5-8pm

Do you have a question for Lorraine?
Add it to the comments below and we'll have her answer it at the Artists' Panel discussion on Saturday, September 19, 3pm