oranje

A place for notes about whatever

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These are the latest paintings from my studio.

I’ll put up some more information on them later, in a new gallery.

New work These are the latest paintings from my studio. I'll put up some more information on them later, in a new gallery.

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Gabe Felice at ModernFormations

I love Gabe Felice’s work. He has a nice sense of color and the paintings are simply charming. The exhibit at ModernFormation’s is filled with his paintings, a feast for the eyes.

But beyond the immediate eye appeal is a sense of journey, with paths and odd markers embedded into the bodies of his figures. These interpretive maps seem to dance between reality and perception and purpose.

While the body of the show has been created on canvas, there are several pieces that use other substrates. It’s an interesting challenge, since the novelty of the substrate can at times become to central in the theme. Mr. Felice, however, overcomes this with his exuberance. I get the impression that he would consider any unmoving surface the perfect target for his brush!

Make sure to preview the show in the below thumbnails. With ModernFormation’s extended scheduling, you’ll have another opportunity to view the work on Friday, August 1. There is an Unblurred for first Friday this month, but you may have to sift through Penn Avenue Art Initiative’s Facebook page for a glimpse of what is happening on the avenue. Garfield Night Market, Most Wanted Fine Art, and of course, ModernFormations all have events planned.

  ModernFormations Open First Friday, August 1 Through August 15

FAKE: New Psyence by Gabe Felice I love Gabe Felice's work. He has a nice sense of color and the paintings are simply charming.

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The exhibit of figurative drawing at Spinning Plates is pretty intense. The artists are well matched, in theme and in medium. The works are consistently produced in dense blacks on white surfaces. Just by dint of the media, the works are imbued with intense impact.

Richard Clraraval

When I stopped in to see the exhibit, I was really taken with these small drawings of Richard Claraval’s. These drawings represent his planning process for an upcoming exhibit.

Tim Fabian

I would have liked to get a better image of the above drawing by Tim Fabian. I’ve been following his posts of his figure drawing for awhile, and it has been interesting watching the permutations of his figurative drawings evolve. I’ve seen them included in other exhibits, but this is the first time I’ve seen several assembled in the same place. They have a dynamic action, and a freely expressed gesture, that is open to interpretation.

Marc Snyder

Marc Snyder’s drawings for this exhibit are strong, and violent. Decapitated torsos are threatened by elaborate shadows; limbs and skin have been separated from the body. In all, a disquieting presentation that will take some time to read.

Stephen Tuomala

I’ve seen several of Stephen Tuomala’s drawings in previous exhibits. But I loved the way that they are suspended in front of the windows that wall the gallery. The book pages looked like they were on fire, even on the cloudy day that I visited. It brought an entirely different dimension to the large scale drawings. Especially with the  pentimenti of the construction casting shadows through the work.

There’s a special music and dance performance on Saturday, July 26. It would be the perfect time to catch some good music and cool art. details

Contemporary Figurative Drawing Spinning Plates Gallery 5821 Baum Blvd, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15206 Tues, Wed, Thurs, 7 to 10 PM. Fri and Sat 4 to 7 PM.

more exhibit images in the gallery.

Contemporary Figurative Drawing at Spinning Plates The exhibit of figurative drawing at Spinning Plates is pretty intense. The artists are well matched, in theme and in medium.

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Opening on July 11

Opening on July 11

Untitled (Copper series) Oil on canvas 24″ x 24″

Untitled (Copper series) Oil on canvas 24″ x 30″

Join me at the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council this Friday, where the above works will be on display.

Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council 810 Penn Avenue, 7th floor fünf: Celebrating Five Years of Art on the Walls Featuring many of the artists that have participated in the Art on the Walls exhibition program

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As always, Unblurred was an excellent night. And it’s becoming such an active, community event. I love the addition of the Garfield Night Market. It’s a great combination of artisan and street foods, and a perfect way to wind down after visiting the galleries.

Image Box Eastern Standard: A Time Exhibition 14 local artists displaying clocks and other time-based mediums. Curated by Joe Mruk Great show, with some really fun clocks! There are images in the gallery at the end of this post, but this one was totally my favorite. I could have taken pictures of all of them, really. Such a nice idea for an exhibit, too.

Maggie Negrete Elemental Flame

MOST WANTED FINE ART Pittsburgh Society of Artists presents SMALL WORKS Jason Sauer, Juror

With a plethora of works, it was really hard to stay focused. Nice show, HUGE variety of works, considering that all of them were small format. There were a few encaustic works in the exhibit, a process that I find fascinating. There were a few familiar names, but the gallery was so packed, I’m sure there were some nice works that I missed. I particularly like the work by Martha Hopkins Skarlinski (pictured below), an encaustic and mixed media piece.

PSA, founded in 1965, is one of several artist-centric guilds that operate in Pittsburgh and the surrounding region. Coming up in July, another guild takes over the walls at Most Wanted. Associated Artists will be mounting a group exhibit at the Waterfront location, opening this coming Saturday.

Martha Hopkins Skarlinski Prelude

IN THE MWFA BASEMENT Stuff N Such Society DS Kinsel Know News is Good News From the show description:

A shrine dedicated to the dying newspaper industry built by D.S Kinsel. The audience is invited to enter the sanctum of information and immerse themselves in a fading mode of information exchange through consumption of print.

So, with that in mind; I don’t really know what to say. I have been blogging about the local art scene for several years now. I’ve continued to blog, even if somewhat sporadically, because there is so little support from local publications for emerging visual arts venues. There is at least one paper in town that only reviews exhibits in the non profit galleries. This policy really undermines the vibrant local scene, imho.

As a blogger, I am a little on the fence on this issue. Professional writers do have a certain cache because they have a value that is accepted associated with their work. They have the time to dedicate to running down facts and editing their work. On the other hand, I don’t have anybody looking over my shoulder. I think that there is value in both, but I think that the physical press is entirely to dependent on commerce to be as objective as they could be.

July’s Unblurred is scheduled to take place over two days, and those lovely people at the Penn Ave Arts Initiative have released a schedule. I am planning to make it up to Penn Ave, how about you?

Unblurred in June As always, Unblurred was an excellent night. And it's becoming such an active, community event. I love the addition of the…

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TRAF 2014

Yep, I was late to the party. Super late. The Three Rivers Arts Festival closed on Sunday, June 15. I was heading downtown when I found out.

This work was included in the Juried Visual Arts Exhibit.I did go to the opening, which filled up really quickly. I did look through the exhibit, and it was a really strong show. I had intended to come back to get a more undistracted viewing, but I missed…

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Stephen Tuomala, Death Masked

Stephen Tuomala’s exhibit of a new body of work, Death Masked,>/em> opened during May’s Unblurred. I’ve seen Mr Tuomala’s work in several exhibits, and this is a real departure, from his use of color to his substrate.

It is a discordant exhibit, with it’s light and pretty colors and violent subtext. Continuity remains in Tuomala’s interest in the body, but with a twist. All of the images pay homage to Lucha libre, the masked wrestlers so popular in Mexican culture. The pastel watercolors tones remind me a bit of Dia de Los Muertas, with the spooky confections of flower-embellished skulls.

Mr Tuomala has assembled a gallery of just masks across one wall of the back room, fascinating the visitors during the opening reception. The individual works had enough narrative cues to present an interpretative path. But the majority of the exhibit is centered around targets, with human silhouettes wearing masks and colorful bullseyes covering their torsos. The bullseyes themselves are filled with small figures in a myriad of poses and gestures.

Yes, the Death Masked exhibit is still ongoing. You can see Mr. Tuomala’s exhibit through June 20 at ModernFormations. Stop by for this coming Unblurred.

Stephen Tuomala, Death Masked: ModernFormations Gallery Stephen Tuomala's exhibit of a new body of work, Death Masked,>/em> opened during May's Unblurred. I've seen Mr Tuomala's work in…

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Garfield Night Market

It was a really great Unblurred this month, even with the evening on the chill side. Lots of really good work up in the galleries, and the return of the Garfield Night Market. Personal recommendation for nibbles at the Night Market: Tacos from Chicken Latino. It’s the splash of lime that gives it extra deliciousness.

I do travel on my stomach. But it really is worth mentioning. On to the art!

I’ve never seen a full exhibit mounted at Fieldwork before. Sometimes it has art displayed in the windows. But for the May Unblurred there was an exhibit from CSA PGH. The show was really amazing. Small, because the space wouldn’t really allow for large works. But tightly curated and well-produced. If I’m reading correctly, the show extends through June, so I may be able to get additional information at the next Unblurred. There are several images from the exhibit in the gallery.

CSA PGH is a unique take on support for artists. It’s modeled after the community supported agriculture programs that deliver locally grown produce to its members, but they’re delivering culture. It has a strong core membership of local makers, all practicing professionals. It’s like black-box art, you don’t know what you’re going to get when you purchase a share. Whatever is in season!

DS Kinsel, Topographic 5

Great exhibit at MWFA this past month. Very good pairing of DS Kinsel’s topographical explorations and Richard Jackley’s pigment and surface experiments. The colors were beautiful, and the works had an intriguing surface inticracy.

Tilley Hawk,Motile Trinity

I really enjoyed Tilley Hawk’s exhibit at Mr. Roboto, too. Given the presence of animal bones and distressed wood, I was surprised that the work didn’t feel ominous, but instead felt peaceful. I can’t pinpoint what gave me that interpretation of the work. Even the lighting should have played up a sense of danger.

This is so late out of the box, with June’s Unblurred less than a week away. I’ve been a little distracted this month, and could just kick myself. It was such an awesome Unblurred. I’m sure Hune’s edition will be pretty fantastic, too.

May Unblurred It was a really great Unblurred this month, even with the evening on the chill side. Lots of really good work up in the galleries, and the return of the…

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New work

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Larryville utility box Spotted this on 44th and Butler.

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New mural up in Lawrenceville I was heading home from work today and happened by this new mural. It was created by Jeremy Raymer, and depicts Stephen Foster.

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Baron Batch (left) and Kurt Shaw (right) Live painting and finished painting at Shaw Galleries

I’m sure it wasn’t intentional, but there were three venues during the Gallery Crawl that featured live art production during the Gallery Crawl. “interiorActive” had an assembly of artists at Wood Street Galleries, and there was a special CD release party at 937 Liberty Ave that featured a team of artists collaborating on a piece.

Shaw Galleries also had a painting demonstration. In the above images, Baron Batch is at his easel (left) and posing with Kurt Shaw and the finished painting (right). This is an intimate space, but Baron Batch transported a mini-studio to the gallery. He invited questions from the spectators, flinging responses over his shoulder. He has a very vigorous working style; you could hear his implements on the canvas as he worked.

TK Mundok at 937 Liberty, 2nd fl

I stopped by 937 Liberty Ave. for Bricolage’s “immersive experience”, but the sign up sheet was already filled! Ah well, my loss. Next time, I’ll get there early enough. Upstairs was the The Orange Experience. The exhibit was a collaborative between Sound Elevator and a group of local artists; Tk Mundok (left) was among them. Lovely work! I enjoyed the exhibit quite a bit. There was a nice variety of work, and orange is my favorite color. The gallery at the end of the post has several images from the exhibit.

A couple other events were fun to check out. The Trust Education Center played host to a city-wide show of student work. It’s always nice to see the efforts of young artists. The Night Market was back after a winter hiatus. Always good to see, I love the downtown and Garfield versions of this event. There are images from both of these events in the gallery.

There were a couple of other shows that I’ll come back with sometime in the next week or so. For those of you that are keeping track, Unblurred is coming up this Friday. Rain or shine, I’ll be there!

April Downtown Gallery Crawl I'm sure it wasn't intentional, but there were three venues during the Gallery Crawl that featured live art production during the Gallery Crawl.

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Art All Night has been in the same place for the last few years; two blocks from my house. So, there’s no excuse for me to not rouse myself and head over to soak up some ART.

The building is practically under the George Washington Crossing bridge, about 100′ away from the shore of the Allegheny River. Sounds perfect until yo.u realize there’s no immediate parking. Our little block was packed with cars all night! We had a steady stream of traffic all day during drop-off and all night as people came and went to see the show or listen to music. Or both. The building is part of what used to be a steel mill. It’s huge, which is great because the crowds the event draws is pretty spectacular.

Since this is an open-hang, the work spans the range from amateur to practiced artist. It’s also hung very quickly, with intake ending at 2pm and the event beginning at 5pm. The only delineations made are between adult content and everything else. So, the show is mounted by filling the boards as it arrives. You’re apt to see a drawing by a middle-school student sharing space with a veteran artist.

It’s fun to wander around, looking for familiar work, finding some work that is pretty spectacular, or something that was submitted by one of your neighbors. Which is exactly what happened last night. What was also surprising was that the quality of the work was actually pretty good, and so many local, practicing artists participate.

There were lots of opportunities for hands-on activities for everyone. One that I liked was a series of windows mounted on stands. You were invited to write all over them, and when they got to covered up, a volunteer came through and cleared the window.  There were a couple of pop-tents and canopies that the kids were wandering through. I’m sure they had fun, but it was obviously too small for me!

The volunteers did an amazing job, putting this event together. All of the work was clearly labeled, which is a monumental task in itself! Getting the show installed must have been pretty wild. I know that the screens go up over a couple of days, and will take as long to come down. All of those that helped out are just the best art brigade! Congratulations to all of you on yet another successful edition of Art All Night.

The below gallery contains descriptions, in case you want to hear more!

Art All Night 2014 Art All Night has been in the same place for the last few years; two blocks from my house.

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Structure at ModernFormations

Where have the last two weeks gone? I had said I would continue with posts about April’s Unblurred and here it is, days before Structures closes! It’s such a terrific show, too.

I spoke to Ron Copeland at the opening, and he told me that this particular group of artists have shown together several times. Maybe that’s why the show is so tight. In this edition, all of the members seem to be working with habitats in some form or other. So, with a diverse base of mediums, the artists have brought their own concepts to the exploration of abodes.

Megan Herwig | Uninhabited Lands

I really liked these assemblages of Megan Herwig (pictures above). Very clean, but with a nice amount of detail. They’re sort of a DIY plan for some theoretical space. Also, Megan Shalonis has a piece in this exhibit too, along with her show at Mr. Roboto, just up the street.

It is short notice, but ModernFormations has regular gallery hours on Thursday. The gallery opens at 7pm, and this will be your last chance to see the exhibit.

Structure at ModernFormations Where have the last two weeks gone? I had said I would continue with posts about…

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Irina Koukhanova | The Lookout

Irina Kouhanova’s Panoptic Landscape presents as a boldly graphic exhibit at first blush. The prints are stark in black, red and grey, the cast tiles are starkly simple, and the sculptures are strong punctuations.

The imagery pays tribute to solitary, wild hybrid man-bird figures. In some, the indication of man-made structures dominates. But there is a dystopian theme that runs through the landscapes and figures that populate it.

I like this singular approach to the discipline of printing. Ms. Kouhanova produced prints that were a combination of a couple of blocks, with variations in color and sequence.

Several sculptural works are included in the exhibit, many of which are fully integrated and free-standing. These incorporated multiple materials, with painted wood supporting smal cast bronzes. The imagery was consistent with the graphic themes in the prints.

Irina Kouhanova | Pomegranate I

There is one piece in the exhibit that really resonated with me. Pomegranate I is small, at about 16″ in height (with the base, it’s 22″). It has delicate patinas in green and red with bronze softly shimmering through. The light play along its twined and curved surfaces is restless and liquid, catching in the seeds of the pomegranate halves. It got in behind my eyes and pulled my stomach though my throat. It brought to mind all those things that I had conquered and the rest that remain.

Panoptic Landscape is a very strong show, and I would highly recommend taking a trip to BoxHeart to see it. The exhibit is open through May 16.

2014 Artist of the Year: Irina Kouhanova Panoptic Landscape (Exhibit images) On exhibit from March 18th through May 16th, 2014 BoxHeart Gallery

Irina Koukhanova: Panoptic Landscape Irina Kouhanova's Panoptic Landscape presents as a boldly graphic exhibit at first blush. The prints are stark in black, red and grey, the cast tiles are starkly simple, and the sculptures are strong punctuations.

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Early morning in the Strip

Early morning in the Strip

It was an early morning for me. Which I am sure is laughably late for most of the world.

But this is the first thing I saw when I got off the bus. What ever has been going on in the Strip to warrant this proliferation of dangling sneakers?

It was a beautiful day for this little jaunt, too. I got there early enough that it wasn’t toocrowded. Honestly, though, it’s hard to leave without…

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Works in progress

Just back from the studio. While I was there, I thought I should shoot these two. Currently in progress; we’ll see where they end up.

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