Artist Spotlight: Diane Rudnick Mann's "Waiting"

Diane Rudnick Mann, Waiting for Attention, Pastel, 22.5 x 21"

Everyone is waiting for something; that something can be as simple as finding the right pair of shoes or the best haircut, others, on a deeper level, are waiting for love or power. Diane Rudnick Mann’s newest series of work entitled Waiting is composed of pastel paintings about the art of patience, though not what one would think at first glance.

Diane Rudnick Mann, Waiting for Thread, Pastel, 44.5 x 33" (detail)

Questioning the sense of waiting can become an exploration of frailty, transience and often humor. The objects Mann uses are the minutiae of every day life, things that are everywhere, but often overlooked. On closer inspection, these still life paintings are literally of still, silent objects in time, waiting to evoke questions and emotion. Regardless of the perfection of realism in her work, just painting a bowl of fruit has become meaningless to her unless one piece is damaged or strangely unusual. It is the presence of imperfection that has inspired Mann.

Diane Rudnick Mann, Please Keep Us Together, Pastel, 26 x 30"

The viewer, after a glance, will no longer notice just the color or style in her paintings but start to wonder what about this empty chair? Or the empty glass bowls or a doll staring into space? What is the story? Waiting aims to stimulate the senses in a quiet way, showcasing people or objects waiting to be found, used again and loved.

Diane Rudnick Mann, Red Waiting for Canvas, Pastel, 16 x 14.5"

Artist Panel: Saturday, December 10, 3pm

Artist Spotlight: Joan Wynn's "Reflections"

Joan Wynn, Shattered View, Digital metal print, 18.5 x 28"

Joan Wynn’s current exhibition entitled Reflections encompasses a dual exploration: one of how the artist perceives the present and another of how she gathers found objects with their own past and repurposes them with new vitality and meaning.

Joan Wynn, Aged and Appealing, Wood, acrylic, 59 x 19 x 1"

As a photographer, Wynn is drawn to images of reflections that merge surroundings into a single abstract moment. These photographs engage the viewer in, bringing their perspective to what place, moment, or feeling the image evokes.

Joan Wynn, Sunset, Digital acrylic print, 8 x 12"

A hallmark of Wynn’s photographs is the painterly quality they share, her compositions reflecting a flow of colors and forms. Her fog-shrouded images recall the greys and whites in the photographic work of Alexey Titarenko. Aaron Siskind, whose unique images cross the boundaries of photography and painting, also influence her photographs.

Joan Wynn, LA, Digital acrylic print, 8 x 12"

Wynn’s sculpture mirrors her interest in patterns, reflecting the traditions of found object art. This new body of work continues to survey her attraction to sculpture that revitalizes overlooked and discarded materials. The art of Louise Bourgeois and the early works of David Smith first drew her to the use of castoff materials. In her sculpture, these unexpected materials include rusted steel, aged or fire-blackened wood, stones, and seedpods from the natural world. As with her photography, Wynn’s sculptures echo her intense attraction to patterns and the forms they create.

Joan Wynn, Defended I, Rusted nails, satin steel, 17 x 10 x 10"

This exhibition’s dual nature allows Reflections to be fertile ground for Wynn to cultivate and present works of perception, pattern and time.

Opening Reception: Saturday, December 3, 5-8pm
Artist Panel: Saturday, December 10, 3pm

Current Exhibition: Anne M Bray, Diane Rudnick Mann, Joan Wynn

November 22 – December 17, 2016

Opening Reception: Saturday, December 3,  5-8pm

Artist Panel: Saturday, December 10, 3pm

Anne M Bray – Fashion Rainbow

Anne M Bray, Lupita, Digital print on paper, 21 x 17"

Diane Rudnick Mann - Waiting

Diane Rudnick Mann, Waiting, Pastel, 45 x 34"

Joan Wynn - Reflections

Joan Wynn, Guarding and Receiving, Liquid amber pods, satin steel, 13 x 7 x 6"

Artist Spotlight: Elizabeth Szymczak's "Transition"

Elizabeth Szymczak, Letting Go, Oil on canvas, 30 x 40"

TAG Gallery presents Transition, a collection of oil paintings on canvas by Elizabeth Szymczak that explore surrealistic figural compositions full of emotional narrative.

Elizabeth Szymczak, Mercy, Oil on canvas, 30 x 40"

The art of dance has always been an inspiration for Szymczak, it’s influence bleeding over into this body of work and inspiring many of her figural compositions. The artist uses images from past performances and choreography for referential material by re-staging scenes her studio with models. Using this method as a starting point, Szymczak pushes further, integrating her own unique imagery into the painting, transforming the work from something representational into the realm of personal fantasy. Szymczak explores this notion visually as well, utilizing butterflies to symbolize transformation, or doves as visual signifiers of peace. 

Elizabeth Szymczak, Transition, Oil on canvas, 40 x 40"

The content of this collection goes beyond the athleticism and appreciation of dance. Szymczak uses figures to convey vague emotional narratives that the viewer can connect to. The subject matter comes from personal experiences where the artist has had to overcome a personal struggle or trial, something common of the human experience. 

Elizabeth Szymczak, Avoidance, Oil on canvas, 30 x 40"

According to Szymczak, the human experience is not black and white and is contains many grey areas. As such, Transition also delves into the concept of duality. Using light and dark paints to show contrast, Szymczak’s canvases detail scenes of internal struggle as all human beings battle with the balance of dark and light in their own lives. This exhibition offers us a chance to take a moment for self-reflection in a busy world where we often forget to take in the larger picture.

Elizabeth Szymczak, Pathways, Oil on canvas, 30 x 40"

Artist Spotlight: Carol Kleinman's "The Secret Life of Windows"

Carol Kleinman, New York, New York, Single exposure on canvas, 24 x 36"

TAG Gallery is proud to present The Secret Life of Windows, an exhibition of new photographs of reflections on windows by Carol Kleinman. The reflections, captured in Paris, Amsterdam and New York, are printed on canvas, blurring the line between photography and painting.

Carol Kleinman, Sunglasses on the Seine, Single exposure on canvas, 20 x 25"

In the tradition of many great French photographers, she is an “flâneuse” (stroller). She will walk for hours and not take a single photograph. Kleinman feels she’s on a visual treasure hunt. “I’ll spot a complex reflection on a window, get captivated, and start capturing images. Reflections seduce me by their interplay of fantasy and reality, the symphony of layer upon layer of life... all of it merging and culminating in the very personal moment when I click the shutter of my camera!”

Carol Kleinman, Dreaming of Summer, Amsterdam, Single exposure on canvas, 22 x 22"

A great deal of the impact of Kleinman’s work stems from the fact that the images actually existed at a specific time and place; they are not creations or manipulations. Kleinman says that were she to “Photoshop” and combine images, that impact would be lost. What you see is what she saw. Her work reveals the tension between abstraction and reality and creates a launching pad from which the viewer can go on a journey and explore deeper personal emotions.

Carol Kleinman, Paris Pages #2, Single exposure on canvas, 22 x 22"

Meet Carol and the other exhibiting artists at TAG this Saturday, Nov 12, 3 pm

Artist Spotlight: Katie Crown's "Audiences"

Katie Crown, Silent Majority, Oil on canvas, 36 x 48"

TAG Gallery’s exhibition of paintings and drawings by Katie Crown comes just in time for the election countdown. Crown has been experimenting with the theme of audiences – of individuals engulfed within a group. Crowds in her colorful paintings and in her black-and-white drawings return the art viewer’s gaze. These are works of the people and for the people, but also commentary about alienation. As Crown worked on audience paintings recently, she contemplated the categorizing of voters who will decide in November about our future. “People get labeled by group,” she noted, “What does an ‘undecided’ person look like, anyway? What about a group of them?”

Katie Crown, Undecided, Oil on canvas, 36 x 48"

Everyone has been part of audiences. Viewing Crown’s audiences brings that shared experience to mind. Being part of an audience seems to give people carte blanche to behave any way they choose. At the gallery, though, there’s no need to silence your cell phone and refrain from talking. 

Katie Crown, Respect Their Elders, Pencil and Charcoal, 46 x 32"

Is the individual diminished by becoming subsumed in a group or strengthened by unity with others? Crown’s work explores this visually with the challenge of creating exciting compositions built on faces and clothes of various people in her audiences. Her focus on audiences previously took the form of ceramic sculptures and then film-noir inspired black-and-white paintings. Her current show dazzles with colorful individual fashion choices trellised onto the gridded structure of heads in rows. Crown says, “I love working with patterns,” and the joy of that beams through the tight-knit compositions.

Katie Crown, Standing Room Only, Oil on canvas, 36 x 48"

Katie's work will be on view at TAG through November 19.
Gallery events include:
Opening Reception: Saturday, November 5, 5-8pm
Meet the Artist: Saturday, Nov 12, 3 pm

Artist Spotlight: Lorraine Bubar

Lorraine Bubar, Late, Papercut, 19 x 23"

Lorraine Bubar’s newest body of intricate papercut work is titled Under Water. Bubar has always been fascinated with the ebb and flow of water and the subsequent creation of abstract patterns that break up the images beneath its surface. 

Lorraine Bubar, Heron Heaven, Papercut, 30 x 30"

Bubar’s work is influenced by her love of Japanese woodblock prints and traditional folk art from a variety of countries around the world. She takes a contemporary, painterly approach to the heritage of paper cutting, using colored papers that primarily originate from Nepal and Japan. Her technique, utilizing an X-acto knife, creates an intricate, often symmetrical lacework while the subsequent layering and texture of the papers produces depth. The best way to appreciate this powerful imagery is to observe it up close and be awed by the detail in her handwork.

Lorraine Bubar, Changing Directions, Papercut, 30 x 30"

Under Water finds Bubar implementing koi fish as central figures in her visual narrative. Traditionally, koi symbolize a commanding and vibrant life force, as demonstrated by their ability to swim against currents and even travel upstream. Bubar uses this ideology of perseverance, good fortune, success, prosperity, longevity, and courage as the underlying common theme that ties her graphic narrative together.

Lorraine Bubar, Heron Hazard, Papercut, 30 x 30"

In a time when people are feeling submerged “under water” with the pressures of daily life and a increasingly mechanized and monotonous environment, Bubar continues to create pieces that intentionally highlight the handmade nature of her work, connecting to a historical heritage that crosses the boundaries of craft and fine art. The images are powerful yet relaxing, swirling with movement and aesthetically pleasing colors. While her subject matter lives below the water’s surface, Under Water aims to lift our spirits, to incite the same perseverance and resolve in the viewer as the koi themselves.

Lorraine's work will be on view at TAG through November 19.
Gallery events include:
Halloween Festivities: Saturday, October 29, 5-8pm
Opening Reception: Saturday, November 5, 5-8pm
Meet the Artist: Saturday, Nov 12, 3 pm

Current Exhibition: Lorraine Bubar, Katie Crown, Carol Kleinman, Elizabeth Szymczak

October 25th - November 19th, 2016

Opening Reception: Saturday, November 5th, 5-8PM

Artist Panel: Saturday, November 12th, 2016, 3pm

Lorraine Bubar – Underwater

Lorraine Bubar, On the Surface, Papercut, 22x31"

Katie Crown – Audiences

Katie Crown, Voir Dire, Oil on canvas, 48 x 60"

Carol Kleinman – The Secret Life of Windows

Carol Kleinman, Paris - Quartet, Single exposure image on canvas, 11 x 30"

Elizabeth Szymczak - Transition

Elizabeth Szymczak, May the Force Be With You, Oil on canvas, 24 x 36"

Current Exhibition: Sally Jacobs, Ernie Marjoram, Jane Peterson

September 27th – October 22nd, 2016

Opening Reception: Saturday, October 1st, 5-8PM

Artist Panel: Saturday, October 8th, 3pm


Sally Jacobs – Larger than Life

Sally Jacobs, Bok Choy, Watercolor, 27 x 29"

In her latest exhibit of watercolor paintings and graphite drawings Sally Jacobs, a long time Miracle Mile resident, was inspired by the rich arrays of produce and flora found in Los Angeles’ farmers markets. Jacobs zooms in, portraying flowers, vegetables, and fruit with dramatic precision. She  transforms a vegetable we choose for nourishment or a flower for decoration by aiming higher, rendering the unique structure eye-catching and explicit, causing the viewer to catch their breath in wonder.

Jacobs uses watercolor or pencil in a unique, graduated way, masterfully capturing the minutest details of her subjects’ anatomy while staying true to the whole. She delves deep into a plant’s structure to reveal striking patterns and colors that seize one’s attention and imagination.

Jacobs is a contemporary botanical artist who has exhibited in numerous juried shows in New York and San Francisco, and at museums in New York, Minneapolis and Phoenix. She was an award winner at the Brand 37 Works on Paper exhibit and is one of the artists included in Todays Botanical Artists, a publication of well-regarded nature artists.

Ernie Marjoram – Homage to Trees

Ernie Marjoram, Backlit, Oil, 36 x 48"

As a Los Angeles artist, Ernie Marjoram lives in the city and sometimes finds himself stressed and anxious while stuck in freeway traffic. On a recent visit to the local San Bernardino Mountains Marjoram seemed to feel better, physically and emotionally when surrounded by trees. With this new series of paintings the artist has attempted to capture that feeling and bring it back to the city. “At least now I am surrounded by paintings of trees!” the artist said with a smile.

Marjoram’s art reflects his interest in representational painting techniques but upon closer inspection the images also utilize elements of abstraction. Working on canvas with traditional brushes, Marjoram also uses unconventional tools such as sea sponges, rags, string and rope to create subtle textures and random forms. Unusual angles and close cropping further enhance the sense of abstraction in some of the compositions. Working from his own photos, Marjoram moved his easel from the studio into his backyard to be able to paint in unfiltered natural light and fresh air.

“The process of creating these paintings was an enjoyable yet challenging experience. I am still exploring how to render tree forms in the futile attempt to capture the beauty of nature.”

Jane Peterson – Welcome Earthlings

Jane Peterson, Landing, Mixed media sculpture, 25 x 38 x 4.5"

Jane Peterson’s new work continues to explore the spectrum of human emotion with particular attention to anxiety, passion, fear, as well as elements of humor. Cartoon-like characters make their way through Peterson’s fanciful compositions, ranging from otherworldly creatures to abstracted human forms. Her hybrid travelers exist in an environment not entirely foreign to that of her viewers; they wander between reality and the subconscious, taking on personalities that are decidedly familiar, yet eerie.

For her limited edition digital pieces, Peterson always starts with drawing. The digital process and its potential to surpass and exceed the speed of thought continually amaze Peterson. Any digital mark she makes can be instantly changed, duplicated, or eliminated. In addition to digital paintings, this current body of work includes drawings on birch panels with wax/oil crayon, ink, and graphite. The wax surface is polished with a soft cloth, to create a satin finish. The surfaces of her sculptures are treated in the same way, on ceramic, wood, and metal supports.

Current Exhibition: Pam Douglas, Andrea Kichaven, Shelley Lazarus

August 30 – September 24, 2016

Opening Reception: Saturday, September 10, 5-8PM

Artist Panel: Saturday, September 17, 3pm


Pam Douglas – Rhythms

Pam Douglas, The Pulse of Our Times, Mixed media on canvas, 31 x 77"

Pam Douglas’ newest exhibition, “Rhythms” began in a doctor’s office where she lay hooked up to an electrocardiogram – an EKG machine. As she watched the lines form on the scrolling paper, Douglas was fascinated with the cadences, the peaks and rests that described her heart. Those series of rhythms inspired this newest series of paintings.

As Douglas explored, she asked, “What’s happening in the world that makes the heart clench?” She thought about the fear and hostility in our current political and social landscapes. Those anxieties bred mixed-media works utilizing newspaper headlines intertwined with the EKG lines. She also asked, “What helps the heart release?” The answer led to a monochromatic landscape constructed from an EKG that flat-lines into light.

Douglas’ palette of materials increased as these layers of meaning called for tougher mediums – rope, string, sand, as well as newsprint and paint. Representational elements – hands and birds – joined with abstractions.

Exploring this series further, Douglas’ subjects extended far beyond heartbeats. Waves of sound make similar rhythms, as do phases of nature. From heartbeats to sound waves, our lives are measured in pulses of energy. We sense universal tempos in the timing of our days.

Andrea Kichaven – Waves

Andrea Kichaven, Imagine, Acrylic on surfboard, 72 x 18 x 9"

In her exhibition entitled “Waves,” Southern California-based artist, Andrea Kichaven, takes a simple Californian staple, a leisurely stroll on beach, and transmutes the concept into something tangible by way of recycling worn out surfboards. Not only have these surfboards earned thousands of dollars for charities, they have earned the attention of many collectors.

“Surfboard art” is a departure for Kichaven in more ways than one. Abandoning her usual colorful and geometric compositions, Kichaven quite literally “rides the waves” with this body of work, letting the ocean tides and her imagination whisk her away to new heights and even greater depths. Even with the medium change, one will always be able to identify a Kichaven artwork by “how it makes one smile.”

Kichaven has painted on many sizes and surfaces, yet none have excited her more than this current obsession. Keeping with ecological and environmental thinking, Kichaven repurposes the surfboard as her own personal canvas, navigating the curves and grooves with her brush strokes, activating the space of an object whose function was previously exhausted. The boards cease to be surfboards the minute they are painted. They become a different shaped surface on which the artist can paint. The result is a body of work with as much variety as the waves themselves.

Shelley Lazarus – H20 COLOR

Shelley Lazarus, Gossip, Watercolor, 16 x 12.5"

Shelley Lazarus’ new works go back to her days in Brooklyn spending wonderful sun filled afternoons on the beaches of Coney Island and Brighton Beach. Today she has traded in her Atlantic Ocean times for the Pacific Ocean in Ventura, CA.

Watercolor has always been her medium of choice from the time she started traveling the globe with her husband. "Find a bench and pull out your very portable gear and get lost in the splendor of seeing your colors shimmering on the white page depicting your newest vista." Her paintings are noted for the vibrant colors that she works with. Shelley has never been a purist watercolor artist and will incorporate new ways to use her watercolors. Today she works in all forms of watercolors including mediums, photo papers and the infamous Yupa, besides finding new ways to use the many watercolor papers available today.

Shelley is a founding member of TAG and has been on its board since its inception, serving as president in 2000. She has been teaching watercolor to adults at the Brentwood Art Center for twenty-three years and is a signature member of many art related organizations including the Watercolor Honor Society. The proceeds of her shows go to the Robert David Lazarus Rehabilitation Unit at Cedar-Sinai Hospital in memory of her son Robert.

2016 California Open Selections -- Paintings, part 4

Enjoy some selections from the 2016 TAG California Open Exhibition, which runs August 10-26.
Artists' Reception and Awards Ceremony: Saturday, August 13, 5 - 8 pm

Chuka Susan Chesney, Coffee with Jesus, Watercolor, pen and ink, 18" x 24" 

Charles Karp, Degas' Little Dancer, Oil on canvas, 48" x 26" 

Christo Linquata, Death of Christo, Acrylic on unstretched canvas, 72" x 96" 

Robert Nelson, Deliquescence, Graphite, white pencil and acrylic on shaped wood panel, 24" x 24"

Carolin Peters, Soil, Oil on Canvas, 30" x 24" 

Teresa Shea, Spaceman, Oil on canvas, 36" x 29"

Judy Sklar, Seated Woman With Dog, Watercolor on Paper, 24" x 18" 

Fred Tieken, Uno in Love, Acrylic & found object on canvas, 24" x 20" 

Jodi Weitzman, Want Some?, Oil on Canvas, 30" x 24"

2016 California Open Selections -- Paintings, part 3

Enjoy some selections from the 2016 TAG California Open Exhibition, which runs August 10-26.
Artists' Reception and Awards Ceremony: Saturday, August 13, 5 - 8 pm

David Alvarado, Rivi, Oil on linen, 24" x 18"

Donna Bates, The Threat in a Blue Hoodie 02, Oil and Acrylic on Linen, 36" x 24"

Kathryn Donatelli, Portrait of a Stylist, Oil on canvas, 18" x 14"

Ja'Rie Gray, Blackface: Anthony Port, Oil on Canvas, 5" x 5"

Misty Hawkins, Resolution, Oil on linen, 28" x 28"

Charles Karp, Machiavelli's Daughter, Oil on panel, 24" x 18"

Ellen Levine, Old World, New World, Oil and paper 20" x 24"

Christina Ramos, Going to California, Acrylic on Canvas, 36" x 24"