BertaArt - Modern Mixed Media

Mixed Media painting classes can help you heal

Kathleen attended one of my mixed media painting classes and created this lovely work using personal items.

Encouraging art also includes allowing yourself to try your hand at modeling with clay, pot painting, and other activities. Think outside the box. Make something from odds and ends, such as a paper bag puppet, for example. Dabbling in art is also a fantastic stress reliever.  In fact, psychologists encourage a young child to draw in order to draw inferences coming from the little one's art and psychoanalyze them.

Drawing as well as painting may also be a good way for you to vent your pent-up emotions.  If you're encountering grief, persistent pains, or major life changes, consider art therapy. There's something really cool about creating a picture, photograph, or clay sculpture out of raw materials, specifically if you can dip straight into your soul and let your personality peek out. Words might not be sufficient to convey the real and mental hardship of people suffering from chronic pain. Folks usually feel more secure containing these unspeakable feelings within artwork.

Making art strengthens your sense of self and plays a role in feelings of normalcy. Plus it is relaxing. Creativity raises serotonin levels and lowers stress; it also improves blood pressure and heart rate. If you're working with a recent disease, art therapy can help create a new post-sickness identity. You could investigate how irritated, discouraged, and unhappy you are -- and explore the ways your life has improved.

A recent study shows that the right type of art in the hospital can accelerate a patient's recuperation. It could enhance a facility's identity. During the past several years, hospital leaders, doctors as well as patients have discovered that art inside the hospital environment can help patients deal with their health problems more effectively and perhaps go back to full functioning earlier. Healing art can be as basic as looking at pictures on the wall to help calm the worries of waiting for a procedure. Therefore, caregivers, volunteers and artists from all over the country are interested in bringing art to the bedside and to the whole healthcare environment.

Mixed media painting classes could make you really feel beautiful inside and out. Learning to paint and see as a painter does is a very unique experience. It is a different view from ones previous photographic perspective. Learning how to oil paint or acrylic and watercolor helps provide you with a greater understanding as to how great works in museums as well as galleries were made and all the time as well as effort involved. Perhaps you could have painted that artwork, but now you know all the attention and imagination that was put into making it. Many people who are looking for art therapy often have hidden feelings which they don't normally feel at ease talking about or may not even be aware of.  Art therapy is known to be one of the best approaches to help someone realize something regarding themselves.

The Benefits of Painting Classes

Pam attended one my painting classes, and in this work used an old photo of her mother holding her when she was a toddler. She created this lovely work of art by learning to be free to express her artistic ideas.
 
Besides creating art just for fun and relaxation, Los Angeles Painting Classes can also be a helpful therapeutic tool.  While conventional therapy and psychotherapy are beneficial, art therapy sets itself apart by using the creative process which allows for any person to use his imagination.  It is particularly good for children, as younger individuals are usually less capable and less comfortable expressing themselves via words.  Anybody--a teacher, a parent, a friend--can give art materials to a child, and the activity itself is going to be healing. A child feels good if he creates something he is pleased with.  Art therapy can also be used in conjunction with conventional therapy to find out about the child and his circumstances, like the illustration using the family drawing. In that circumstance the therapist is applying the drawing to better understand the youngster's notion of family.
 
A research study has shown that students who take arts courses generally have higher scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test compared to those who do not. The more arts programs a student takes, in most cases, the higher his/her SAT scores. That the arts, in fact, tend to improve students' verbal and numerical skills can be seen only as a bonus by those who by now value the arts for more cosmetic motives.
 
Knowing traditional art media is essential. While the process of creating art with a computer differs from drawing, painting or sculpting, mechanics as well as techniques stay the same.  Los Angeles Painting Classes prepares students to make their own unique art by way of their chosen medium.

Art is truly universal, which is among its most effective strengths.  It is the most effective way to connect across language and cultural obstacles. This causes it to be well suited for business and professional applications.   From billboards to magazine advertisements, television commercials to company logos, creativity, along with art, are just as much a component of advertising as slogans.  A person in Japan might be unable to read the word McDonald's but will quickly recognize the firm's Golden Arches. 

Interior designers can also effectively use art to bring life to living spaces.  The use of color and patterns in art can affect moods and create wonderful environments.   

 

A day of healing with SingularCity in San Gabriel Valley

Amber Chen, from Taiwan, was our SingularCity tour guide on this exciting and fun adventure that began with a tea tasting at Tea Station where we learned how tea is an essential part of Chinese culture as we sipped our choice of this soothing and refreshing beverage. 

I arrived at 1 p.m. at the Tea Station in San Gabriel Valley, home of one of the largest Chinese population in America. We were introduced to the the tradition of the tea ceremony.  They should have told me that the green tea had caffeine, since I have a sensitive stomach.  So an hour later, I detoxed.  Thank God for Amber's guidance to a nearby restaurant.  Too bad that one rude customer asked me if I was taking a bath.  Some people have no concept of why i was stuck in the bathroom a little bit longer.

 

Then we went to Shinsen Ginseng & Herbs, a traditional Chinese herb pharmacy to learn how practitioners have used herbs like ginseng for centuries to effectively treat and cure ailments. 

We met with Dr. Wang Yung, Chinese herbalist, and with the guidance of Pamela Wu, who was my interpreter for my healing session.  He recommended tree roots and natural elements to create a healthy drink to help balance my hormones.  

Our next stop was LH Foot Care for an authentic reflexology session that consists of a head-to-toe massage and acupressure treatment. Sitting in comfortable recliners, we enjoyed a one-hour treatment aimed at aligning our energy and relieving the stress of our busy singular lifestyle.   We received a massage from head to toe for $15/hr.  I agree with Kim at SingularCity, next time I will be back for a three hour massage.

 

With our appetite peaked, we sat down together for an authentic, multiple course Shanghai-style dinner at Mei-Long Village where we enjoyed their famous Soup Dumplings, an all-time favorite dimsum steamed in bamboo baskets; the Lion Head in Brown Sauce which combines savory stewed pork and cabbage; and other Chinese dishes such as Dry Sauteed String Bean and Bean Curd in Hot Garlic Sauce.  It was all so delicious, and my favorite dish was the tofu, which was fried and soft inside.  I loved having an array of dishes to taste from since there were fourteen of us sharing a great meal.

At the end of the day I felt great and loved the people I connected with from SingularCity.  Amber did a great job in organizing the event, and I hear she is majoring in Public Relations at USC.  This was her internship project. 

So I had some tea, detoxed, met with an herbalist and then a great dinner with SingularCity members.

 
Next I need an adventure....

Inside the Painter's Studio-review by Rene de Loffre

Mixed media on canvas by Rene de Loffre

I wanted to share with you this very interesting review by Rene de Loffre

A wag once said, “Inspiration is the act of drawing the chair up to
the writing table.”  Such an enlightened utterance might just as well
apply to the artist Joe Fig’s recent book, “Inside the Painter’s
Studio”.  Perhaps it was to discover whether inspiration was indeed
hard work that Fig devoted himself to visiting the studios of fifty
plus artists (most in the New York area) since 2002.  After all, could
there be any better way to learn the secrets behind visual creativity
than conducting voyeuristic visits of established artists? 

Visiting artists’ studios as a project is not new.  A good example of such an
endeavor can be seen in the 2004 book, “Inside the Studio,” the result
of a large compilation of studio visits to over 200 artists by the
Independent Curators International (ICI) that began in 1981.  Three of
the artists in Fig’s book -- Gregory Amenoff, Chuck Close and Fred
Tomaselli-- also appear in the ICI book.  Yet another recent
publication, “The Studio Reader--on the Space of Artists” from the
School of the Art Institute of Chicago has also picked up the gauntlet
on this subject. But each of these books has a different focus. Fig is
interested in the nuts and bolts of the studio life, ICI wants to know
each artist’s mental, emotional and historical thoughts, and the Art
Institute of Chicago is a collection of various topics on the studio
from the standpoint of artists as well as art historians, critics, and
curators.

To make the visit more than just a pass-through, Fig constructed a
small model of each studio visited; some even include a figure of the
artist at work. As he states, it was a continuation of a study he
undertook  “…on artistic process and the myth of the sacred studio
space…” Each model is meticulously constructed to the point that one
is often fooled into believing that the picture of the studio model
seen in the book is an actual photograph of the studio.

For Fig, it all started when he paid a visit to the studio of the
second-generation abstract expressionist Michael Goldberg in the same
studio space once used by Mark Rothko. It was a pivotal experience for
Fig who greatly regretted that he had failed to record his visit.  He
vowed that this would never happen again. Fig prepared his future
studio visits as if he were undertaking an expedition.  He established
no fewer than eighteen questions that he would ask each artist during
his visits. The questions have the artist reader in mind; providing a
quick fix for any self-imposed solitary confinement artists who don’t
get around to other artist’s studios.

The questions are generally quite specific such as, when do the
artists wake up and when do they actually start working? What do they
wear? Do they listen to music or the radio? How many paintings do they
work on at one time? What specific paint brands does the artist use?
How often do they clean their studios? How do they organize their
space and worktable? The last two questions, also rather specifi
were whether they had a motto or creed that they lived by and what
advice would they give to an artist just starting out.

The answers to these questions offer much insight. Most of the artists
have separate studios of adequate space and is not where they live.
Most of the artists, no surprise here, listen to music or the radio;
in fact four of them listen to NPR. Slightly more artists work on more
than one canvas at a time.

At least eight of the artists use Williamsburg paints, a highly
pigment-rich paint. And what fun to learn that the artist Inka
Essenhigh’s favorite color is one that I personally hold sacred in my
own paint box, Williamsburg’s Green Gold. The next most popular paint
(used by five artists) was Old Holland, another pigment-rich paint.

Probably the greatest insight was that, with the exception of two
artists, they go to work in the morning, work the entire day and
sometimes into the evening. In fact, four of the artists worked seven
days a week.  However, the two late risers, (like myself) Dana Schutz
and Amy Sillman, still ended up putting in just as many hours as all
of the early birds.  Because all the artists in the book are
represented by a gallery or two and have to meet show deadlines, it’s
not surprising to find them putting in long hours in their studios.

Most of the studios were meticulously or adequately neat and clean.
Only five studios fit into a messy category. Was it a coincidence that
our two night owls, Schutz and Sillman, were among these? Sillman said
to Fig, “…Because you were coming, I tidied up.” Schutz, on the other
hand, told him that, “…I feel bad when people come in because they
always get paint on themselves…”

The last two questions provide the reader much insight, none more than
for the working artist, if only as a reality check to live by in their
own studio.

GREGORY AMENOFF – “…I believe in the fraternity and sorority of
artists supporting each other and creating opportunities for each
other…don’t wait around for the dealers and the curators to come to
you.”

ROSS BLECHNER – “The ones that are going to persist are the ones who
are going to be artists, even if they are much less talented.”

CHUCK CLOSE – “Inspiration is for amateurs-the rest of us just show up
and get to work.”

ERIC FISCHL – “The art world senses where there is a hot spot…”
“…members of a peer group help each other; one gets a gallery, they
tell the gallery, ‘Oh, you got to check out so-and-so’s work’.”

JANE HAMMOND – “…If you keep yourself interested, you’re gonna keep
everyone else interested. Too many people are too lazy about that, I
think. I want it to continually change and unfold and surprise me
too.”

BILL JENSEN – “Artists made the idea of what heaven and hell looked
like. We have the same kind of job today.”

RYAN McGINNESS – “…to not worry about being an artist or trying to
make art, just kind of make whatever you have to make, and then build
a life around that.”

MALCOLM MORLEY – “…there’s no such thing as a ‘professional artist’.
There’s an artist who’s turned his endeavor into a vocation…”

STEVE MUMFORD – “…to be truthful to themselves. I think the worst
thing for an artist to do--ever--is to paint what they think other
people want them to paint or what the market wants them to paint.”

MATTHEW RITCHIE – “Quality control is really what you’re doing. You
know, you are looking at it, you are checking it out. Then you’re
going “Naa, not good enough…It needs x or y.”

JAMES SIENA – “Artists who emerge from the world of the unknowns into
the world of the known generally are first very well known among other
artists…so support your peers, don’t go knocking on William de
Kooning’s back door…He’s busy!”

JOAN SNYDER – “Just be in your studio and work and not be worried
about the art world.”

At the end of the book, Joe Fig interviews himself and gives this
advice  “…always be working.  You can’t just sit there staring at the
walls waiting for inspiration.  Creative thoughts come while you are
creating…”

Love this last quote, that is the message I needed to hear and my favorite acrylic colors are:
Burnt Umber and Quinacridone/Nickel Azo Gold by Golden.

Enjoying my newly fun-swayed patio!

I am excited to share the process of how my old patio became newly "fun-swayed" by decorator, Yvonne Beecham.  She has an amazing eye for detail, and I am grateful for her special touch, such as picking up plants, accessories, and even antique candle sticks on a budget.

I realize that it is best to let go and allow a professional to do the work, since they know their specialty.  I know about art and teaching and she knows how to bring a space to life.  I also love decorating, but when I don't know something, I am not afraid to ask for help.  I feel that has been a huge asset in my business and learning to trust my intuition.  

Here are Yvonne's thoughts on how the newly fun-swayed patio came together:

I removed the tablecloth and put a white bowl of fresh oranges on the table, along with a candle.  The chair pads were replaced.  I bought moss-covered hanging containers and filled them, along with the existing pots and some new pots with colorful flowers, and put glass candleholders on the ledge.         

A set of wooden Adirondack chairs and a small sofa hidden in the back of Clara's garden was moved close to the bistro table, making an inviting seating area.  The white stones in the cement area were replaced with Mexican beach pebbles, and the Papyrus plant was staked for a symmetrical look.  Some new accessories, along with existing ones were strategically placed on a side table.   

The second area had an antique green wicker sofa that was covered in a dusty white slipcover with blue and red pillows.  I moved it to another wall and removed the cover and added some Shabby Chic floral cushions for a lovely effect. Over it, I hung an ornate wall hanging I found treasure hunting and placed colorful pebbles around a set of three candles.  A wicker chair and a small wooden coffee table found elsewhere on her property completed the seating area.     I filled two colorful boxes with Pistachio nuts for the coffee table. 

A table from Clara's art studio was placed under her chandelier, and I decorated it with a pair of antique candle holders I acquired along with a silver dish.  I added a bench to make a dining area.  One of Clara's new paintings was hung over a green wicker table. A new plant in a terracotta pot was placed on the table, along with a glass container filled with lemons and a candle to pick up the color in the painting.  A large pot and tall new plant were placed by the sofa, on the ground. 

We worked on a budget and the cost including her fee was $500!
 

I am very pleased with the results, since now I get to truly enjoy my newly fun-swayed patio and I have a view of the pool.  I also enjoy teaching my students outside on the patio.  Last week I introduced them to drawing and they created beautiful drawings of the antique candle sticks.

 

This is now a lovely spot with the candles and an old pottery jug.
 

Cherished accessories get highlighted!

I love sitting outside watching the sunset, entertaining guests and having quiet dinners.

A day in the life of an artist on July 4th, 2010

I woke up from a lovely dream, I believe I was on a train in Europe, since I've been thinking about going to Tuscany....
Wrote my morning pages in my journal which is my dream or whatever I am feeling that moment.

Did some work online, then decided to make a fluffy feta omelet which was tasty.  I added a touch of Herbes de Provence which combines sweet French herbs and flowery lavender with Italian herbs and fennel, demonstrating the historical influence of the Romans.
I felt like I needed to disconnect from my computer, my busy thoughts and take myself to the beach.

So I headed to my favorite nursery in Malibu Gardens Nursery.

This is the first photo I took after entering the nursery:

My favorite area of this nursery is this swing which I always enjoy when I go there, the owner said she will not sell it which is smart, the place wouldn't be the same without it.

I was greeted by the roosters with love and affection, but I declined to be pecked at.  I noticed this lovely cat, later learned her name is Nutmeg, so appropriate for her.  It seemed like she started to like me and share some affection.  She needed love and also lunch was overdue, since she hadn't eaten in two days.  A kind young man Juan, who works there suggested we feed her, since she was hungry and also since she seemed to like me.  She was not into him, well I said perhaps she is being selective in the men that give her food and love.  LOL  I know I am learning my lessons just like her, but she seems to be smarter or just learns faster.

Nutmeg is being playful with me:
 


Time for her lunch:

The rooster was trying to get in the way of Nutmeg's lunch, but I made sure she was protected and Juan put the roosters in their cage to eat their lettuce.

Next I went to see the rabbits and pigeons.  This is the best nursery for plants, flowers and loving animals:
 

 

Check out these beautiful white pigeons and it was time for their meal as well.
 

 

Malibu Gardens Nursery:
 

 

Stopped at How's Market and picked up lemon bar, toffee crunch bar and a strawberry bar from the bakery.  Then proceeded to the Deli and was greeted by Alfredo, who was making eyes at me, gave me a taste of those delicious potato skins which were really yummy since they were crispy and still warm.  I ordered a veggie sandwich to go.  I tried to go to El Matador Beach which is my favorite beach, but it was crowded and no place to park and had no desire to park my car on the freeway.

Here is El Matador beach from my last trip there..
 

 
So I left and drove a little until I found a nice place facing the ocean....
 

 

I enjoyed my sandwich and with a few interruptions by those who needed to a take photo or two with their families.  Of course, one person asked me if I'd like a photo, but I declined, since I felt I was enough without a photo.  I wanted simply to enjoy the moment and keep the memories within.  I cried and realized that I had some letting go to do, felt so much better afterwards.  

I had a nice easy drive home with no traffic and felt a bit tired after I arrived home.

At 6:30 p.m. I took a nice nap and then was waiting for friends to join me to watch the fireworks from my balcony.  I used to have a great view, except a tree decided to grow and block some of our view.  CBS throws the best fire works shows, of course 
the finally was the best.

We shared an Acacia Pinot Noir, since the chardonnay was not acceptable to my palette and then came those delicious lemon bars and toffee crunch bars.  They made the perfect ending to an evening.

My friends left and I am alone once again and feeling good.  I realize that being alone on a holiday was perfect, since it allowed me time to let go and love my special time with me.  When the time is right I will connect with the right person who will be the one for me.

Commissioned art work: "Peace Love"

Commissioned Art Work:  Peace Love

Purpose:   Sister's birthday gift

Materials Provided:  Photo of the children, things she loves:  Rock N Roll, Ed Hardy, Peace Love Signs, flowers, red and create a feeling of vibrancy.

Size:  16 x 18

Comments:  My client loves her birthday gift.

Prom Night: Dinner/Dance for Carpenter Avenue School: May 22, 2010

 

Prom Night/Charity event for Carpenter Avenue School, Studio City

Carpenter Avenue School in Studio City recently held a fundraising "Prom Night" event for the parents.  My friend, Patti Carr, whose son is one of my art students, couldn't attend and gave me her tickets.  I'm not a parent, and don't own a prom dress, but that didn't stop me from accepting the invitation and donating one of my art creations. 
  
Since proms aren't exactly solo events, I invited a friend to join me.  I was hoping for a white limo to pull up in front of my house and whisk me to the ball in style but, instead I drove.

The famous question of the evening was:  "What grade are your kids in?"  I didn't feel like explaining that it wasn't part of my destiny.  My first husband was only interested in saving money and working, my second husband only cared about having fun, and my third husband already had grown children.  So, I would just say that I love children and enjoy teaching them how to create art.  Some of my students are amazing, as witnessed by the piece below, which was executed by a prolific 10 year old named Sam.      
 
The food, catered by Spark Woodfire Grill in Studio City, was delicious, and the DJ was playing great hits from the 80's.  I was in the mood to dance.  While my date was in agony on the sidelines, I gained energy by consuming six baby gelato cones from the Gelato Bar.   The "Prom King" took advantage of of the moment and whirled me across the dance floor, dropping me to the floor.  No problem.  He picked me back up as though I were light as a feather.  I felt like I was a teenager again, only it was 20 years later. 
 
At the Silent Auction, I bid on a trip to Tuscany, and I won!  That made my evening.  I have a year to take the trip to a lovely farm house, Il Mulinello, which has a river running behind it.  What a perfectly fun night!
 
When we came home, we watched a DVD of Billy Vera performing live.  Boy, he was hot in the 80's.  I guess we're all getting older, but who cares.  Life's about having fun at any age. 

 

 

Female Entrepreneur of the Month: Clara Berta

Entrepreneur of the Month: Clara Berta

by Amy Applebaum

Hey, everyone! Welcome! It’s Amy, and it’s that time of the month again where we acknowledge an extraordinary female entrepreneur for what she contributes to her community and the community around her. We think it’s important to acknowledge female entrepreneurs who make a difference. And that is why I am so excited to honor Ms. Clara Berta today… an incredible mixed media abstract artist. Read More... 

________________________________________________________________

"I am honored to be selected as Female Entrepreneur of the month by Amy Applebaum.  She is an amazing success coach and has made a huge difference in my life and business.  I have learned to create balance in my life; creating working hours, time for making art, exercise and fun.  By having structure in my business and personal life I am able to achieve my goals. Without it, it was impossible. I have learned to love myself, establish boundaries and communicate in healthier ways. For all of that I am grateful." -Clara Berta

Ladies Night In: Making art for Father's Day: June 9th 7-10 p.m.

Please check out my May newsletter:
please rsvp to attend.