BertaArt http://modernmixedmedia.com Modern Mixed Media posterous.com Tue, 15 May 2012 07:00:00 -0700 Television Producer Picks Up Paintbrush http://modernmixedmedia.com/television-producer-picks-up-paintbrush-77012 http://modernmixedmedia.com/television-producer-picks-up-paintbrush-77012

Interview with Ruth Golden

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Ruth Golden, a Television Producer by day, and an artist by night, first became aware of The Berta Art Academy when she went looking for a mixed media art class closer to home. After reading the description of the course, she was ready to attend her first art class...

"I was drawn to the studio the moment I walked in to it," Ruth explains. "It’s filled with art to inspire and just has a comfortable feeling. I never considered not going back and I continue to enjoy my Saturdays at the Academy tremendously. The three hours just fly by as I become consumed in the process and sharing ideas with Clara and the other art students. It is a safe place to be yourself, and the rest of the world just disappears."

While Ruth hasn't taken an art class with another art teacher to compare teaching styles, she's quite happy working with Clara Berta on Saturday mornings. She likes the fact that the classes offer a supportive atmosphere with plenty of "play" time. But what she really enjoys is the interaction between Clara and the other art students, interaction that she says is "inspiring and encouraging".

Today, we sat down to talk with Ruth about what art has come to mean to her…

 

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Berta Art Academy: How do you perceive art?

Ruth: Until I began taking a class, art was foreign to me. I did not understand the nuances people saw or derive much meaning from art other than liking the way it looked.

When I started creating art, I found myself talking about each piece’s evolution and seeing how each stroke and line could change the whole feel of the painting and just feeling where I wanted to create more light or dark in the piece, or include a specific shape or marking.

My discovery of painting is very new still and it has definitely reduced my stress and has truly brought joy into my life. A new path that I never even knew existed is now open to me.

Berta Art Academy: What inspires your art?

Ruth: Everything has been inspiring me.

Generally ideas, phrases, and painting titles pop into my head and then I create them. I also see shapes in a lot of things and use that to build on; especially in my work with the dried acrylic.

Nature is a large influence on me, too. I enjoy walking my dog and looking at the colors and intricacies of the large variety of flowers in my neighborhood, and the many shapes I see when viewing living objects like birds, flowers and fish.

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Berta Art Academy: Can you give an example of a piece of art you created, and where the inspiration came from?

Ruth: I have a category in my online gallery called "DeskArt". This all started when I was cleaning my palate of the dried acrylic and pulled off a piece that looked like a fish. It is on the canvas exactly as I pulled it.

Because I had so many random pieces as well, I decided to build a coral reef on a relatively small canvas. When I stood it up, it occurred to me that this would be a great way to get some art into a small space and that the dried acrylic was a great material to use in my work.

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Berta Art Academy: What is your creative process like?

Ruth: So far I’ve been lucky that I have a million ideas floating around in my head, and I have six pages of scribbled ideas in a notebook.

I work sitting on my couch, using the coffee table as my easel with a bin of paints and other supplies next to it. I tend to have multiple projects going at once… I start one project and while its drying, I go on to the next. Much like in class, I really just go with whatever is foremost on my mind.

Berta Art Academy: What do you like most about mixed media art?

Ruth: I love the freedom of just painting, as I do not draw well at all.

The collage aspect adds great texture and interest to the pieces. I’m also somewhat of a messy worker and this medium is very forgiving of that as it allows mistakes to be turned into “happy accidents”.

Berta Art Academy: What is your favorite art tool to use?

Ruth: I don’t think I have a favorite yet, although using the matte medium to help correct mistakes has saved me on many occasions.

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Berta Art Academy: What is your favorite surface to create with?

Ruth: So far I’ve done most of my work on canvas, which I do enjoy. In class, Clara had us do some monoprints, which I love!

Berta Art Academy: Have you developed an artistic style yet?

Ruth: I am calling my style "Primitive Pop".

I have a strong inner child that is coming out and I use a lot of bright colors. I enjoy having them mix together on the canvas so the backgrounds aren’t solid colored. I’ve developed it just through letting go and lots of experimenting.

Berta Art Academy: If someone were considering taking an art class, what advice would you offer to make the experience a positive one?

Ruth: I would advise a new art student to go into class with no expectations and to lose all self-consciousness. I’ve been taught there is no right or wrong way to create art and I am choosing to believe it.

To learn more about Ruth Golden's art, check out her site, The Gallery of Truth.

 

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/460650/ClaraPainting_smaller_cropped.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3tk2BcliWGlP Clara Berta BertaArt Clara Berta Tue, 20 Mar 2012 23:59:00 -0700 Printmakers http://modernmixedmedia.com/printmakers-49054 http://modernmixedmedia.com/printmakers-49054

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Lorraine Kushynski created this lovely personal monotype in our printmaking class using a photo of her daughters.

Joan Hodgkiss is a Suffolk-based printmaker and artist. Her etchings are largely derived from imagery of coastal landscapes, still life and natural history. Using traditional techniques Joan creates contemporary etchings. Subtle differences in the hand-colouring and hand-printing process make each print unique. These limited editions, signed prints give one a chance to own original art or make an ideal fine art gift. All of Joan’s current artwork is showcased in the gallery section. This website also contains details on etching techniques and background information on the artist herself.

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Etching is an intaglio technique dating back to the sixteenth century in which acids are used to produce an incised art image on a metal printing plate. First a copper or zinc plate is covered in acid-resistant wax known as a ground. The artist draws through this ground, exposing the meal. The plate is then immersed in acid, which eats into the plate. Varying the exposure can create different intensities of line. Ink is then applied to the plate and the excess removed. Finally prints are made by passing the plate and paper through a press with great pressure to transfer the ink from the sunken lines. Artists such as Rembrandt, Renoir, Picasso, Degas, Toulouse Lautrec, and Whistler have all produced etchings.

All of Joan's prints are original in that each one is a hand-coloured and hand-printed impression of an original design. Joan generally produces 150 such impressions, called an edition, from each of her designs. Each is unique and each is signed and numbered. Thus the 13th print of an edition of 150 will be numbered 13/150 at the bottom left hand side of the image.

Prints produced in this way should not be confused with mass produced art prints or giclees, which, although often signed by the artist and sold as a limited edition are all identical copies and should never be sold as original prints. Genuine etchings will always have an indentation in the paper left by the edges of the plate.

Irving Amen, born 1918 in New York City is known as a master printmaker. He has produced thousands of woodcuts, etchings, lithographs and silk-screen prints. He also creates using oil and acrylic as well as some sculpture. Irving Amen had a studio in New York City for many years but moved to Boca Raton, Florida in the 1990s, where he is still producing his art. He is represented in many major art galleries and museums of the world including the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of American History in Washington, DC.

Many of Amen's works have a Jewish theme. One masterpiece is his set of twelve windows at Congregation Agudas Achim in Columbus, Ohio depicting the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Much of Amen's work depicts women and children and music themes. Chess, Venice and Don Quixote are the subjects of other works. Amen also taught classes in sculpture and printmaking at such schools as the Pratt Institute (1961) and at University of Notre Dame (1962). In 1974, Amen illustrated the classic, Gilgamesh, for the Limited Editions Club with nine 3-color woodcuts and 7 part-page black and white woodcuts and linocuts. 

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/460650/ClaraPainting_smaller_cropped.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3tk2BcliWGlP Clara Berta BertaArt Clara Berta Fri, 09 Mar 2012 10:41:00 -0800 Introduction to Printmaking http://modernmixedmedia.com/introduction-to-printmaking http://modernmixedmedia.com/introduction-to-printmaking

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Printmaking is an art form in which ink or other materials are transferred from a matrix to a material like paper, fabric, wood, or stone. A wide variety of techniques can be used in printmaking, and this art is one of the oldest in the world. Some noted people in the field of printmaking throughout history include Hiroshige, Dürer, Hokusai, and Currier and Ives.

The matrix used for printmaking is classically a block of material such as wood, rubber, or metal. In relief printing, the matrix is carved away to create a raised image, which prints in reverse. Intaglio printing involves incision of the matrix, while planographic techniques like lithography use specially treated flat plates, with the ink adhering in some areas and not in others. The use of stencils and screen printing tools is also a form of printmaking.

Classically printmaking is used for visual art, not the reproduction of text. The matrix is the original artwork and the prints or impressions are copies in the technical sense, but they are often treated as original works of art. Rather than being copies of existing works in other mediums, like photographs of paintings, impressions are actually individual works of art created with the use of the tool. Printmakers may also customize each impression, as in the case of hand-colored engravings, which really are unique works of art because they cannot be produced through duplication.

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Although many prints are produced in black and white, they can be made in any color, and multicolored printmaking techniques can also be seen, ranging from simple split fountains in which broad swathes of the matrix are inked with different colors to painstaking planographic techniques in which the plate is painted by hand and then used to make an impression. Historically, impressions were used to distribute works of art and information. In the modern day, this technique is primarily treated as an art form, with some people classifying it in the fine arts while others classify it in crafts. Even historically, prints were often objects of great beauty and value, with people distinguishing between works of art and practical prints utilized to convey basic information.

Although many prints are produced in black and white, they can be made in any color, and multicolored printmaking techniques can also be seen, ranging from simple split fountains in which broad swathes of the matrix are inked with different colors to painstaking planographic techniques in which the plate is painted by hand and then used to make an impression. These reproductions are often referred to simply as prints. Traditional printmaking processes such as lithography had drawbacks. Color reproduction was often imprecise, and prints had to be produced en masse, meaning artists had to buy them in bulk and find a way to safely store the unsold copies.

Many people study printmaking techniques in art school, and printmaking courses are also available as general community education classes at art centers and community colleges. Most art supply stores carry equipment used in printmaking along with printmaking supplies including blocks for carving, inks, rollers, and more advanced tools such as presses for use in screen printing.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/460650/ClaraPainting_smaller_cropped.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3tk2BcliWGlP Clara Berta BertaArt Clara Berta Fri, 02 Mar 2012 17:04:00 -0800 Aspiring Artist Finds Refuge in Mixed Media http://modernmixedmedia.com/aspiring-artist-finds-refuge-in-mixed-media http://modernmixedmedia.com/aspiring-artist-finds-refuge-in-mixed-media
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I was approached by a freelance writer for a feature story on EmptyEasel.com, but when I checked her out, I discovered that she was a mixed media artist, too… and though she has a very different style, I thought it would be fun to do a little Q&A with her, myself.

  

Alyice Edrich has always been a creative soul, dabbling in various crafts and trying to find her way in the art world hasn't always been easy. She would see so many wonderful, talented artists… artists she is simply in awe of, and she would wonder, "What could I possibly offer the world compared to these masters?"

 

Her self-doubt caused her to keep her desire—her craving to create—a secret. Sure, she'd create a few trinkets here and there over the years, and she loved to sit down with her children (when they were smaller) and craft together, but the idea of attempting to make something that would sell, let alone something she would willingly share with the world, that was another story entirely.

 

But after moving to South Dakota, the long winters and the quiet of the land took their hold on her and she developed a serious case of depression. Without a creative outlet (as they were now renting and her children were "too grown" to create with her) the depression simply lingered. It got so bad, that her husband feared for her… that's when he told her that she had to start creating again.

 

"We may be renting, but you can still create," he told her. "And the children may not want to craft with you anymore, but there's no reason you can't do it by yourself."

 

Of course, "by herself" wasn't something she wanted to hear. She felt too alone, too isolated, as it was. But she decided to listen to her husband and give it a try and what she discovered was that creating something with her hands again made her feel alive again, concentrating on the task at hand made the isolation disappear, and the final outcome—whether it was good or bad—made her smile.

 

The more she began creating with her hands, the more she wanted to share what she created with others, but not knowing anyone in the local area made it hard to share, let alone get constructive feedback, so she turned the 'net where she met a woman who told her to start an art blog, and start posting her art online.

 

"Even if you're the only person who reads your blog," the woman told her, "the act of sharing your art will free you, challenge you, and encourage you. It will give the confidence you need to keep on creating."

 

It's now been four years since Alyice started that journey and she's so grateful for her husband's insistence that she pick up a paintbrush… mainly because it opened up a whole new world to her and allowed her to meet some amazing artists, and partly because the act of creating something heals her soul in a way writing, cooking, or other tasks can't.

 

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Today, Alyice creates what she likes to call contemporary folk art, or mixed media art. "It's rudimentary compared to the artists I admire," says Alyice, "but it makes me happy."

 

Alyice will try anything once, but what she's found is that she really enjoys taking old bottles, tin cans, molding paste, and acrylic paints and creating art jars. For her, they are functional art at its best and a great way to de-stress, calm anxiety, and simply "be in the moment". And it's a great way to enjoy the guilty pleasure of watching her favorite, mind-numbing sitcoms.

 

You can learn more about Alyice and her art at alyiceedrich.blogspot.com or alyiceedrich.net

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/460650/ClaraPainting_smaller_cropped.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3tk2BcliWGlP Clara Berta BertaArt Clara Berta Sun, 18 Dec 2011 20:02:00 -0800 Mixed media painting class http://modernmixedmedia.com/87320766 http://modernmixedmedia.com/87320766

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Taken with picplz.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/460650/ClaraPainting_smaller_cropped.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3tk2BcliWGlP Clara Berta BertaArt Clara Berta Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:12:35 -0800 Mixed media meets Glass Artist: Steven Lenchner http://modernmixedmedia.com/mixed-media-meets-glass-artist-steven-lenchne http://modernmixedmedia.com/mixed-media-meets-glass-artist-steven-lenchne

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I come from a theatrical design background and tend to think in terms of color and light. As a theater person, I have always loved to collaborate!  Whenever I am creating glass, I become completely present and think only of the intended creation. In this case, I had the opportunity to work with Clara Berta. I love Clara’s color sense and her use of texture and the way she build up layers of color and texture. When I am painting with glass, I also build up layers and texture. I was so delighted when Clara showed me a painting she had yet to complete and immediately knew that I wanted to do a glass overlay to her painting. Working with Clara this way was like we were finishing each other sentences; the finished painting was the culmination of our mutual intent.  I hope you enjoy what we have created together.

Thank you Clara for the opportunity to create with you!  

Open Mind - By Steven Lenchner and Clara Berta

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/460650/ClaraPainting_smaller_cropped.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3tk2BcliWGlP Clara Berta BertaArt Clara Berta Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:08:57 -0700 "The healing power of art and play" http://modernmixedmedia.com/the-healing-power-of-art-and-play http://modernmixedmedia.com/the-healing-power-of-art-and-play

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by Catherine DeMonte, LMFT is a Marriage Family Child therapist

Play and art therapy are forms of psychotherapy that help children source their feelings in a nonthreatening (and possibly non-VERBAL) way.  I do a lot more sandtray therapy than any other form of play therapy and I imagine that a lot of why that is so is due to the fact that as soon as children enter my office they see two walls full of miniatures and two sand trays at the perfect height for playing in.  Children are told they can take anything off the shelf, that nothing is off limits.  It is so incredible to see them look the collection over quickly, then remove items from the shelf and create “scenes” or “stories” in the sand. In terms of choosing objects, they seem to know exactly what they are looking for.  The sand boxes are painted blue on the inside and bottom so that when the sand is pushed away it can look like “water”.  Although I don’t interrupt what they do, what they pick, where they put it in the tray, and what they do with them (bury figures, have them “fight”,  gather a mama animal with her babies, etc.) it is all healing and cathartic for the child.  And interestingly, it doesn’t matter what a child is referred to therapy for, this tool can be healing in their process. So regardless of why a child is being seen: whether grief work, phobias, regression, abandonment issues, or whatever, sandtray therapy is an effective tool.  And whether or not the child ever addressees the issue verbally or not doesn’t seem to matter as far as their healing goes.  I once had a boy who began to have a school phobia and refused to go anymore.  He never brought it up with me, only silently played with me placing army men in the trays week after week, enacting battle after battle.  Although possibly politically incorrect, army men will engender feelings of protection and value.  Apparently it worked because not long after he began his sessions in play therapy, he was able to return to school.   Whatever was “warring” inside of himself, he had resolved it on his own.  Another older boy began to wet his bed, well after being toilet-trained.  There was no medical reason for it and so he came to see me.  The topic never came up but his issue too was resolved in a relatively short time.  Unlike adult therapy where insight and awareness is key if change is to take place, child therapy relies more on internalized healing.  A child in therapy doesn’t sit on the couch for months talking with the therapist.  Nor is the therapy hour an hour of talking AT the child.   Rather it is an hour of interacting with the child in a way that helps him or her understand themselves  better and feel more at peace in the world. 

The combination of the toys in the room along with an alliance with a therapist, an adult well versed in helping a child attain their best self in an environment of non-judgment is a powerful, supportive and loving way in which a child can explore whatever it is they are dealing with.  It is very rare for a child not to want to come, as it just feels good to get the non-intrusive yet completely attentive presence of a an adult who really listens.  It is almost magical how powerful it is, yet this also says so much about a child’s deep knowing of him/herself – in that by choosing the figures they do, the archetypes if you will, and playing with them they resolve the inner struggles or hurts that they carry.  If we adults can jump back and get out of their way and honor a child’s play (which is their work) it is miraculous to see the depth of their wisdom and what amazing good comes from it.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/460650/ClaraPainting_smaller_cropped.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3tk2BcliWGlP Clara Berta BertaArt Clara Berta Tue, 23 Aug 2011 14:38:30 -0700 Los Angeles Painting Classes – Learn How To Paint With Charcoal http://modernmixedmedia.com/los-angeles-painting-classes-learn-how-to-pai http://modernmixedmedia.com/los-angeles-painting-classes-learn-how-to-pai

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Do you want to enroll in Los Angeles painting classes? Would you like to discover how to paint in charcoal? Do you want to find out how to do portraits? Do you wish to paint your family portrait in charcoal once you are used to the methods? It appears that you are decided to master painting in charcoal.  This is great! Now, you need to find painting classes Los Angeles that will fit your schedule within your local community.  But before you start your research, this article will provide you the basic information on charcoal painting. 

Charcoal is a drawing medium made from vine and willow that’s been charred for use as a crayon. When the charred material is made into a powder, it has very poor paint pigment qualities. The crayon quality of charcoal is lightweight and makes deep, soft, rich gray-black shade. It works well for shading by smudging. It’s versatile, capable of producing fine lines and rich elements of tone. The medium on it’s own can be useful for sketching and drawing. Utilizing charcoal as a painting medium together with acrylics brings another distinctive dimension to the work of the artist. Many painters make use of charcoals in their paintings on canvas to sketch out the figures of the painting, and other times to feature some marks on top of the brushstrokes to add visual interest to the completed work. Listed below are step by step regarding how to paint using charcoal.

Sketch your composition out lightly on the watercolor paper. Work with the acrylic paint as the wash by blending water with the paint. Squirt the watercolor paper with a light spray of water. Keep the paint thin so that the charcoal can be drawn over the painting. Use the charcoal to draw over and into the paint, slowly increasing definition and contrast. Continue to work back and forth between paint and charcoal. The objective of utilizing both mediums together is to produce both line and color simultaneously. Spray the watercolor with a light mist spray and let it dry; this will likely create a granular texture. Come back with the charcoal to continue rendering details. Put highlights and render with the side of the charcoal to make dark shadows. Take the side of the charcoal and press down on the paper making wide soft dark areas for shadows. Doing the job back and forth between the darkest and brightest areas will build contrast and interest.

In order to paint and draw a better portrait or other image, it would be good for you to train holding a charcoal pencil by drawing lines over a blank piece of paper. Experiment by shading using the pencil, and also noting the differences between the harder and softer charcoal when sketching. Do these exercises as frequently as you can in order to perfect the lines you want.

Now, you already know more info on painting in charcoal. In order to make life simpler, pick an art program that is available in your local community.  

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/460650/ClaraPainting_smaller_cropped.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3tk2BcliWGlP Clara Berta BertaArt Clara Berta Sun, 14 Aug 2011 10:06:28 -0700 Aspects of Mixed Media http://modernmixedmedia.com/aspects-of-mixed-media http://modernmixedmedia.com/aspects-of-mixed-media

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Nature by Dori in our mixed media painting class.  The concept of mixed media has been utilized for hundreds of years. There are two aspects to mixed media. One has to do with advertising and the multiple ways of presenting information. This can be using methods such as radio, television or billboards together. The other has to do with art. This second mixed media, or assemblage, concerns works of art that are put together using different media for a composition such as collage, photography or painting made from whatever the artist chooses to use.

A mixed media collage implies two separate art techniques. First there is the art of collage, which is defined by the free online dictionary as an artistic composition of materials and objects pasted over a surface, often with unifying lines and color. Mixed media adds to the overall concept of working with one or more types of painting in addition to the process of attaching collage elements. Elements can include photographs, colored paper, ticket stubs, magazine articles and advertisements. Even with all this visual information, a mixed media collage can still effectively convey a strong image and message.

A real fun, and obvious, form of mixed media art is assemblage. Assemblage is a form of art that is three dimensional and composed of putting together objects that are found. Assemblage really takes mixed media art to a new level. Instead of using the traditional mixed media objects, it branches out to include anything that an artist uses to create their piece of art. It can range from common, everyday items to unusual things that you wonder where the artist even managed to find them. This form of mixed media art is fun for anyone to try, from young to old, you yourself or with a group.

In a world today where "going green" and recycling is highly promoted, and even encouraged and taught in the schools, using items in art that no longer can be used in a traditional manner has become very popular. It is another form of recycling. Some artists have become very popular and talented in this field of art. Regardless of your preference of artistic styles, it is not unusual for there to be a mix of different media. Check out the mixed media art the next time you are in an art gallery, some will be obvious, but look closely at the different canvases, some will unexpectedly be mixed media art.

Even though the term multimedia art is applied to mixed media it is not the same. Multimedia art incorporates the use of differing areas like music, dance or interactions with the person viewing the display. Mixed media provides the artist with diversity both with the use of material and with what is represented by the work. The visitor to the gallery or museum can interact with an installation or simply view. Mixed media art using fiber combines fiber along with paint, dye, thread and ink among the media. The United Nations has declared 2009 the year of natural fiber, encouraging the use of fiber in art.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/460650/ClaraPainting_smaller_cropped.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3tk2BcliWGlP Clara Berta BertaArt Clara Berta Thu, 11 Aug 2011 12:36:00 -0700 Discover The Types Of Painting Classes in Los Angeles http://modernmixedmedia.com/discover-the-types-of-painting-classes-in-los http://modernmixedmedia.com/discover-the-types-of-painting-classes-in-los

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Do you want to enroll yourself in painting classes Los Angeles? Have you been secretly having the very idea of learning how to paint? If you love the artistry of painting and wish you could learn to paint well, then you’re well on your way. The first step of any venture begins with having the passion to do something. The next step is to act on that desire. If you really like to learn about painting, there are individuals who are willing to help you to achieve your dream. Can be as easy to do is a bit of research by using the internet as your guide.  Find an art school or perhaps college art class near your home. Painting classes in Los Angeles has to be inexpensive.  Begin shopping around for the finest establishment which fits your budget.  In the meantime, here are a few types of painting classes that you might be interested in.

Watercolor painting is an excellent way for beginner artists to start in the realm of painting. You don’t need too much equipment and also watercolor paints are generally a lot less expensive than oils. The process of making a watercolor painting also is relatively quick, which is part of the appeal for new artists who want to see outcomes quickly. While painting with watercolors is pretty easy, there are several guidelines to keep in mind which will help your artwork stand out. Make a few test paintings just before to work on something much more substantial. Watercolor paint is extremely finicky and it takes a while to find out how to get your desired color intensity. Practice holding the brush in different ways and manipulating it to get different brush strokes. When you think you have the hang of it you may want to try your very first official painting.

Oil pastels are actually art tools that look like crayons, but they’re oil-based instead of wax-based. They permit you to blend colors more freely, but they also do not dry or fix entirely to paper; so they can be more hard to protect. Nevertheless, you can make use of pastels to make very colorful artwork. All you need to do is understand the techniques. Take an oil pastel drawing course in your art school or local community university. These types of courses can provide you with the most complete instruction on oil pastel method. The courses must teach you mixing and scraping techniques at least. Once you learn exactly how to work with oil pastels, you can practice every technique on your own.

Portrait painting is a struggle for any artist, especially a beginning artist. When learning how to do portraits, an artist must train himself to paint what exactly he sees and to do that by looking at his subject objectively. The best way to learn how to paint a portrait is by painting a portrait, then painting another and another until you turn into a skilled portrait artist.

Now that you’ve been informed in three types of painting classes Los Angeles, it’s up to you to decide which type of painting classes you believe will interest you.  Don’t forget, you are not limited to three Los Angeles painting classes stated above; you can actually select various other painting classes.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/460650/ClaraPainting_smaller_cropped.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3tk2BcliWGlP Clara Berta BertaArt Clara Berta Wed, 03 Aug 2011 23:02:34 -0700 Different Forms of Mixed Media Art http://modernmixedmedia.com/different-forms-of-mixed-media-art http://modernmixedmedia.com/different-forms-of-mixed-media-art

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The idea of mixed media was used for centuries. There are two facets to mixed media. Even with all of this visual info, a mixed media collage can still successfully communicate a solid image and message.

A true enjoyable, and obvious, form of mixed media art is assemblage. Assemblage is actually a form of art that is 3D and consists of assembling things that are found. Assemblage truly takes mixed media art to a new level. Instead of utilizing the conventional mixed media objects, it branches out to involve whatever an artist uses to create their artwork. It can cover anything from common, everyday things to unusual things that you wonder where the artist even managed to locate them. This type of mixed media art is fun for any person to try, from young to old, you yourself or with a group.

In a world these days where "going green" and recycling is extremely promoted, and even encouraged and trained in the schools, utilizing items in art that no longer can be used in a conventional manner has grown to be very popular. It is another form of recycling. A few artists became very popular and talented in this field of art. Regardless of your choice of artistic styles, it isn't unusual for there to be a combination of various media. Check out the mixed media art the next time you're in an art gallery, some will be obvious, but pay attention to the various canvases, most unexpectedly be mixed media art.

Although the term multimedia art is applied to mixed media, it isn't identical. Multimedia art incorporates the use of different aspects like music, dance or interactions with the individual looking at the display. Mixed media gives the artist with diversity both with using material and with what is represented by the work. The visitor to the gallery or museum can interact with an installation or just view. Mixed media art using fiber combines fiber together with paint, dye, thread and ink among the media. The United Nations has announced 2009 the year of natural fiber, promoting the use of fiber in artwork.

Use of mixed media was a major trend in the evolution of early twentieth century art. According to art history scholars like Clement Greenberg, cubist collage first began to be employed by painters such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque around 1911. Picasso made his very first mixed media piece, "Still Life with Chair Caning," in 1912. This bold work incorporated oil, oil cloth, and paste paper to imitate chair caning on the canvas. Breaking away from hundreds of years of painting traditions, artists were now depicting objects three-dimensionally from different sides and points of view.

Collage art means the process of cutting and sticking paper, ribbons, pictures, buttons or some other things to make a work of art. A collage may be created on canvas, paper or even wood. Collage artists may also combine painting and drawing techniques to make a mixed media artwork. Installation art is another type of mixed media art which incorporates the environment and at times viewer participation. 

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/460650/ClaraPainting_smaller_cropped.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3tk2BcliWGlP Clara Berta BertaArt Clara Berta Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:44:19 -0700 Discover Different Types Painting Classes Los Angeles http://modernmixedmedia.com/discover-different-types-painting-classes-los http://modernmixedmedia.com/discover-different-types-painting-classes-los

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Do you want to enroll yourself in painting classes Los Angeles? Have you been secretly harboring the idea of learning how to paint? If you enjoy the artistry of painting and wish that you could learn how to paint well, then you are well on your way. The first step of any venture starts with having the desire to do something. The next step is to act on that desire. If you really want to learn about painting, there are people who are ready and willing to help you fulfill your dream. All you have to do is a little research by using the internet as your guide.  Find an art school or college art class in your local area. Paint classes Los Angeles should be inexpensive.  Start shopping around for the best establishment that fits your budget.  In the meantime, listed below are different types of painting classes that you might be interested in.

Watercolor painting is a great way for amateur artists to get started in the world of painting. You don't need an excessive amount of equipment and watercolor paints are generally a lot less expensive than oils. The process of making a watercolor painting can also is relatively quick, which is part of the appeal for new artists who want to see results quickly. While painting with watercolors is relatively easy, there are some guidelines to keep in mind that will help your artwork come to life. Make a few test paintings before getting to work on something more substantial. Watercolor paint is very finicky and it takes a while to figure out how to get your desired color intensity. Practice holding the brush in different ways and manipulating it to get different brush strokes. When you think you have the hang of it you may want to try your first official painting.

Oil pastels are art tools that look like crayons, but they are oil-based instead of wax-based. They allow you to blend colors more freely, but they also don't dry or fix completely to paper; so they can be more difficult to protect. Even so, you can use pastels to make very colorful art. All you need to do is learn the techniques. Take an oil pastel drawing course through your art school or local community college. These courses can give you the most complete instruction on oil pastel technique. The courses should teach you blending and scraping techniques at least. Once you know how to work with oil pastels, you can practice each technique on your own.

Portrait painting is a difficult task for any artist, especially a beginning artist. When learning how to do portraits, an artist must train himself to paint exactly what he sees and to do that by looking at his subject objectively. The best way to learn to how to paint a portrait is by painting a portrait, then painting another and another until you become a skilled portrait artist.

Now, that you’ve been educated in three different types of painting classes Los Angeles.  It is up to decide, which type of painting classes you feel will interest you.  Remember, you are not limited to three classes stated above you can select other painting class.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/460650/ClaraPainting_smaller_cropped.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3tk2BcliWGlP Clara Berta BertaArt Clara Berta Mon, 18 Jul 2011 21:03:00 -0700 Inspired by Hannelore Baron http://modernmixedmedia.com/inspired-by-hannelore-baron http://modernmixedmedia.com/inspired-by-hannelore-baron

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Hannelore Baron was an artist whose work has become known for the highly personal, book-sized, abstract collages and box constructions that she began exhibiting in the late 1960s. Born in Saarbrücken, Germany, on June 8, 1926, she and her family fled persecution in Nazi Germany in 1938 and relocated to the Riverdale, Bronx area of New York City. Without a formal art education, her interest grew and was nourished through a variety of art classes at adult education and community centers.

At age 40, in the mid 1960s, Baron combined her knowledge of a variety of art making techniques (watercolor, drawing and printmaking) and began making her first collages. Baron embarked on an uncharted voyage into collage as a method of containing her search for human connection. Her mysterious and intriguing works of ink, paper and fabric are eloquent testimonials to the common heritage of humanity. Plunging deep into an expression of the common roots by means of personal suffering, she developed a cohesive language through the weaving of texture, shape and symbol. Her transcendent communication expresses the reassurance of the continuum of nature’s cycles reflected by the injection of new life to old fabrics.

Hannelore Baron works reveal the path by which an artist’s self-discovery transcends into universal expression. Working in the form of two-dimensional collage and box assemblage, Baron explored the archeology of the soul. In the early 1970s, Baron established a studio and devoted her time and energy completely to her artwork. Although her compositions are completely abstract, she considered them to be both personal and political statements. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s her work garnered critical acclaim, along with gallery and museum exhibitions in the United States, Europe and Japan.

Her work is marked by the gravity, discretion and understated wit of a survivor. She had a special feeling for paper, for the weight of communication it can bear and the weight of history that settles so easily on its edges and surfaces. She described herself a pacifist and wanted her quietly intense work to convince others of the need to listen. She used letters as symbols of memory and birds as symbols of vulnerability and the need for song. She had numerous solo shows in New York and was a participant in ''Jewish Themes - Contemporary Artists II'' at the Jewish Museum. Although the diminutive collages and doll-size assemblages by Hannelore Baron clearly belong to the 20th Century, it's impossible to link them to a specific decade. Hannelore Baron died of cancer at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center on April 28, 1987. She was 61 years old.

In 1995, her work was the subject of a one-person exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. In 2001 her work was the subject of a traveling exhibition curated by Ingrid Schaffner and organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. Her works can be found in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, and Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Real strangers to time's steady progression, these haunting works are timeless in a profoundly untraditional sense. 

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/460650/ClaraPainting_smaller_cropped.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3tk2BcliWGlP Clara Berta BertaArt Clara Berta Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:39:44 -0700 The Distinction Between Multimedia Art And Mixed Media Art http://modernmixedmedia.com/the-distinction-between-multimedia-art-and-mi http://modernmixedmedia.com/the-distinction-between-multimedia-art-and-mi

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There's an essential difference between "mixed media" artworks and "multimedia art". Mixed media does refer to a piece of visual art that mixes various traditionally unique visual art media. For instance, a work on canvas that mixes fresh paint, ink, and also collage could well be called a "mixed media" work and not a work of "multimedia art." The term multimedia art implies a broader scope than mixed media, mixing visual art with non-visual components like recorded sound, for instance or with aspects of the other arts like literature, drama, dance, motion graphics, music, or interactivity.

When creating a photographed or painted work by using mixed media, it is very important pick the layers carefully and allow enough drying time between the layers so that the final work is going to have integrity. If numerous media are employed, it's incredibly important to select a strong base where the different layers are imposed. A phrase sometimes used in relationship to mixed media is, "Fat over lean." Put simply: "never start with oil paints. Plan to make them the final layer."

Use home items or excess craft items from previous projects to create mixed media jewelry. Mix glass, stones, gems, metals as well as beads for a custom-made bracelet or necklace. Vary the hues and sizes to add more dimension as well as texture to the piece. Try out various combinations. As soon as you have chosen your elements, string them with each other in a random way. Utilizing such things as doilies and pieces of drapes or table linens, add edge and embelleshment for more flair. A mixed media sculpture can be as detailed or simple as you want. This makes it suitable for children. Have kids form animal shapes from crumpled newspaper and cover the shapes with paste. Or help children form chicken wire into animal forms then cover up the wire with newspapers and paper-mache glue. Paint the art forms and add beads or marbles for details such as eyes and noses. Utilize cotton balls or an old coat's lining for fur. You can also use coloured toothpaste, which will solidify and bring texture to the piece.

There's absolutely no restriction to the amount, groups, or type of things that can be created to a collage. Utilize the right adhesive to secure the things into place. Individuals who are just learning how to accomplish mixed media believe that it is the easiest to group together identical objects. Watch for an artistic flow through the piece that carries your eye from one area to another. There is no correct answer to creating a mixed media collage or mixed media project.

A lot of effects may be accomplished by making use of mixed media. Found objects may be used in conjunction with conventional artist media, like paints and graphite, to convey a meaning in the daily life. In this manner, many different aspects of art become more flexible than with traditional artist media. Mixed media art is an artistic trend that mixes elements of numerous disciplines, such as sculpture, portrait-drawing and digital art, in a single piece of artwork. The environmental or "green" movement has been growing in popularity for several years and is likely to continue rising later on, therefore a mixed media art project centered on environmentalism would be ideal for earth-conscious artists.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/460650/ClaraPainting_smaller_cropped.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3tk2BcliWGlP Clara Berta BertaArt Clara Berta Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:25:00 -0700 Treat Yourself Using Mixed Media Art http://modernmixedmedia.com/treat-yourself-using-mixed-media-artists-13223 http://modernmixedmedia.com/treat-yourself-using-mixed-media-artists-13223

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 Jennie created mixed media on wood panel in our painting class.

It's a type of therapy that is commonly used among the psychologically ill, physically ill, and abuse victims. Art therapists work by combining concepts that are generally employed in psychology as well as art to be able to help patients cope with the traumatic events which they manage, as well as the triggers which they face in everyday life. There are a variety of different advantages of art therapy.

Art therapy has proven to help you develop your social skills using art work. It involves letting you express yourself with different kinds of art materials like, clay and paints. Art care has proved to help you create visual representations of your emotions. Numerous benefits can be produced from art therapy. It could increase your self-awareness and help you develop your social skills. Art treatment could assist you to acquire problem solving strategies and creative thinking.

There are many folks with severe physical disorders who reap the benefits of art therapy. People who find themselves paralyzed, for example, may make use of art therapy. Cancer patients are also known to make use of art therapy to relieve stress and, ultimately, feel much better regarding themselves. Prior experience or skills in art-creating aren't required to take part in art therapy, which is about self-exploration and recovery through finding out how to find the metaphorical, visual as well as verbal interactions contained in your artwork.

A lot of people are under the impression that you will need to see an art therapist in order to benefit from this kind of therapy. Art therapy is something you can do on your personal time. Any time that you're feeling very stressed and want to release some of your body's stress or frustration out, why not take out a sheet of paper and some colored pencils? All that you need to do is draw the first thing that one thinks of. It is likely that you might learn a bit about yourself by doing this. You will also probably feel a lot of peace and a sense of accomplishment.

Mixed Media Artists can show you how to heal yourself. The benefits of art therapy activities have shown to help folks learn how to express their feelings. Art therapy can allow you to come to terms with your feelings by determining and working through rage, bitterness along with other feelings. This is particularly helpful during or after a traumatic incident or illness. In this way it could restore or refresh your spirit. It is possible to use art-making as a means of self-discovery. You can de-stress and re-engage with life experiences in a creative and revitalizing way. It isn't about making good art. Using imaginative expression and an array of art materials, observing and experiencing the art, it's possible to be guided through its creation and reviewing in a secure and non-judgmental atmosphere.

 

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/460650/ClaraPainting_smaller_cropped.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3tk2BcliWGlP Clara Berta BertaArt Clara Berta Tue, 07 Jun 2011 20:32:10 -0700 Printmaking Artists http://modernmixedmedia.com/printmaking-artists http://modernmixedmedia.com/printmaking-artists

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David Smith-Harrison was born in Salt Lake City, Utah where he has spent the greater part of his life. In 1977 he was awarded a Utah State Sterling Scholarship, before going on to be educated at the South Glamorgan Institute, Cardiff, Wales in 1983 and the University of Utah, Salt Lake City in 1984.

His highly original printmaking, which blends traces of Renaissance style architecture with vividly rendered natural objects, relies on his fascination for drawing. “Drawing is of central importance to me,” he says, “it is a tool for developing my powers of observation and memory.”

The delicate process of printmaking carries a greater element of surprise. Smith-Harrison enjoys this slightly unpredictable delivery of his ideas. He says “I am attracted to the infinite possibilities of impressing ink onto paper and I find the unique textural characteristics of prints to be stimulating, seductive, and full of subtlety and nuance.” It is a time-consuming technique inherited from the great engravers of the Renaissance, a period which particularly fascinates Smith-Harrison. He stresses that his interest in past artistic tradition is as important to him as his interaction with current life.

Smith-Harrison’s high artistic standing has ensured wide exhibition of his work. He has presented numerous solo and group exhibitions across California. His work was also exhibited at the Evergreen Graphic Art Association, Taipei Cultural Centre, Taiwan in 1993.

In addition, Smith-Harrison has participated in many juried exhibitions. Among these are the Ashland University Printmaking Invitational Exhibition, Ohio, at which he displayed work in 1999; National Printmaking, College of New Jersey, Trenton in 1997, Tokyo International Mini-Print Triennal 95, Japan; 65th National Print Exhibition, Society of American Graphic Artists, Federal Plaza, New York in 1993 and US-UK Print Connection, Barbican Centre in London in 1989.

William Stolpin was born and raised in Flint. He went to Garfield elementary, Emerson Junior High and old Northern High School, where he is currently a Distinguished Alumni with his picture on the wall at the new High School. He graduated from Northern in 1960, and went directly to GMI. He graduated with my BME in 1965. While he was in Junior High, he was making linoleum block Christmas cards. One card in particular had 7 blocks and about 15 colors. He realized, at that time, that he had a knack for printmaking, and have been making images ever since.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/460650/ClaraPainting_smaller_cropped.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3tk2BcliWGlP Clara Berta BertaArt Clara Berta Tue, 24 May 2011 11:47:16 -0700 How art can be Healing http://modernmixedmedia.com/how-art-can-be-healing-1 http://modernmixedmedia.com/how-art-can-be-healing-1

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It was believed that art and healing are joined together to become one. For many, healing art is a spiritual path, a transformational process, a way of being, and the power of the creative process of art as a healing force. Making art frees the body's healing mechanisms to heal. It unites body, mind, and spirit. In art and healing, no interpretation or therapy is necessary. The creative process is the healer. The field of art therapy and the field of expressive arts also use art in healing. It is believed that art and healing will heal you, others, the community and the earth. It is something you do. Art is an act to heal the spirit.

Scientific studies tell that art heals by changing a person's physiology and attitude. The body's physiology changes from one of stress to one of deep relaxation, from one of fear to one of creativity and inspiration. Art put a person in a different brain wave pattern; art affect a person's autonomic nervous system, their hormonal balance and their brain neurotransmitters. Art affect every cell in the body instantly to create a healing physiology that changes the immune system and blood flow to all the organs. Art also change a person's perceptions of their world. They change attitude, emotional state, and pain perception. They create hope and positivity and they help people cope with difficulties. They transform a person's outlook and way of being in the world.

Today it is recognized by neurophysiologists that art, prayer, and healing all come from the same source in the body. They are all associated with similar brain wave patterns. Mind and body changes and they are deeply connected in feeling and meaning. Art, prayer, and healing all take into the inner world, the world of imagery and emotion, of visions and feelings. This journey inward into what was used to be called the spirit or soul and is now called the mind is deeply healing. For healing comes from within, one’s own healing resources are freed to allow the immune system to operate optimally and that is always how it heals. This is the contemporary version of freeing the healing energies and is now recognized to be crucial to healing.

An abstract or landscape can, in effect, transport a person to a different location other than, say, a doctor's office. And some believe that color has a direct effect on certain "energy lines" of the body to heal specific ailments. But when it comes to art, is it really healing in nature or does simply just provide a calming and soothing environment for the mind. Art really heal your illnesses. Whether it's the teachings of ancient healing practices or the soothing effects of color and techniques, art can provide a healing of the mind. With all the unwanted side effects of medications, one must turn to art as a healing power.

The artwork distracts the patients, forcing them to think about something else other than the pain they may be experiencing in therapy. And with all the illnesses going around throughout the world today, people have to surround themselves with beauty. Art provides an interesting topic for conversation and gets patients' minds off their injuries for a few minutes. It's a good way to connect with patients. Art in itself provides healing; it is believed that the atmosphere and bright colors that art adds to one’s space stimulates the patients' overall sense of well-being and hopefulness.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/460650/ClaraPainting_smaller_cropped.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3tk2BcliWGlP Clara Berta BertaArt Clara Berta Wed, 18 May 2011 18:04:00 -0700 How painting lessons can help a person http://modernmixedmedia.com/how-painting-lessons-can-help-a-person http://modernmixedmedia.com/how-painting-lessons-can-help-a-person

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Heading out for painting lessons can change your entire identity. You might possibly start to see the world in a really different light from all others as you're able to get and alter some form of beauty in a canvass or paper. Paint enables you to produce artwork in a new way. To actually find out ways to make the most of what paints have to offer, you can take painting programs at a number of locations.

Painting lessons are truly good for an individual. Numerous folks are in fear of those who can paint as well as sketch. They feel that other people make it look so simple and they almost certainly are only genuinely creative. They want to have a go, but do not grasp how to begin the ball rolling. Many people are persistent and therefore are not content with anything they could create. Others wade straight in, taking pleasure in every single moment, with very good results.

Art introduces the brain to various cognitive abilities that help us unravel complex problems. Art triggers the creative part of our brain - the part that actually works without having words and could only convey itself non-verbally. Art, in notion and with the creative techniques, activates the imaginative and ingenious aspect, the spatial and intuitive area of our brain. Art jumps over the process of linear as well as reasonable thinking. It teaches the mind to shift into thinking diversely, of broaching old problems in new methods. This is really what can make art extremely important. It rewards the mind by teaching it to think outside the box. It could aid individuals recognize ideas with greater ease. It assists children in acquiring much better grades. In the real world, the artistic sides of the brain helps engineers solve problems. It guides individuals to make solutions. Art will be the property of fine artists; it is also the merchandise of engineers, technicians and computer designers. Art, in lots of various ways, aids individuals to make the world a much better place.

Additionally, problem-solving abilities, which are important in today’s world, are readily available through stimulating art projects - assignments that need to produce numbers of novel ideas after which to make a number of choices to finish them. Such exercises demand a number of crucial cognitive skills. Several of the most regularly accepted rewards which visual arts education gives are improved self-esteem, problem-solving skills, expression and creativity, enhanced graphic discrimination abilities, self-discipline and accountability, enthusiasm to learn, satisfaction through productivity, cultural and traditional understanding, power to make conceptual judgments, and much better educational performance. Art therapy can also help individuals with their interpersonal abilities. The benefits of art therapy in these kinds of circumstances can really encourage individuals that are withdrawn or shy, or who, for some reason or another, have a hard time operating inside social circumstances.

Painting lessons can really help a person. Essentially, the advantages can be extremely wide. It can improve lives by helping people enhance their psychological, emotional, and physical states. It may raise the standard of living for many people, and it is worth taking into consideration if it can help you in some way or another. Once again, maybe it is simply the act of executing creative expression with others, or perhaps it’s looking for professional help with a certified art therapist. In both case, the benefits allow it to be really worth exploring being a catalyst for healing.

 

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/460650/ClaraPainting_smaller_cropped.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3tk2BcliWGlP Clara Berta BertaArt Clara Berta Wed, 11 May 2011 12:20:00 -0700 Three Home Runs for Rutberg Fine Arts http://modernmixedmedia.com/three-home-runs-for-rutberg-fine-arts http://modernmixedmedia.com/three-home-runs-for-rutberg-fine-arts

"Three Home Runs For Rutberg"
by Rene de Loffre    I    May 9, 2011

Some Assembly Required: Assemblage & Collage
Through May 31

I was not planning to review another Jack Rutberg show so soon, but he continues to organize exhibitions well worth writing about. The first word that came to mind when I recently entered his Gallery was “smorgasbord,” since the works of nearly forty artists are displayed. In fact, the experience was somewhat akin to going through a museum, at least, a de facto one.

All of the artists are recognized names, some iconic (Marca-Relli, Man Ray, Motherwell, Nevelson), while some are from the Gallery’s stable (Graham, Witkins). The show’s connecting sinew is that almost all of the works are collages. However, that does not mean that this many artists see collage the same way, quite the contrary, and that’s what’s so much fun about this show.  Fortunately, as a result of Rutberg’s ability to hang a show (an art in itself), such a diversity of collages co-exists exuberantly without visual casualties.

Near the front entrance Rutberg hangs a stunning 1982 Conrad Marca-Relli collage of burlap, various other fabrics, and newspaper cuttings titled “The Sunday Caller.” In spite of its fading (which actually helps since most of the colors are shades of brown), it’s as powerful today as it must have been when first created. The impact of the composition becomes clear when you step away from the collage and realize that it could easily have been a painting.

Also near the entrance hangs a splendidly made 1970 collage that could easily be taken as an actual hard-edge painting on raw linen fabric (I admit, I was fooled) by Stanley Boxer, made up of asymmetrical stripes climbing a narrow, tall, vertical canvas.

When I first bumped into Edward Kienholz’s “Back Seat Dodge ‘38” at LACMA in the early ‘60’s, I understood that abstract expressionism had died. Such an experience guaranteed curiosity about the Kienholz works in the show. The first, a 1977 small television (created with Nancy Reddin Kienholz) as a jerry can with a set of bunny ear antennas and a counter behind the screen ticking out seconds, did not surprise me. But the second piece did: a 1956 not overly refined construction piece assembled from scrap wood, a twisted saw blade, and some popsicle sticks sitting on a typical abstract expressionistically treated background. I had never seen the pre- Dodge -’38 side of this artist, I didn’t even know it existed; imagine, a Kienholz when he wasn’t, well, Kienholz.

But this Kienholz surprise was nothing compared to a large 1993 piece constructed of separate tiles forming a single image in the center area by Jose Luis Cuevas and entitled “La Carta.”  As a long-time fan of Cuevas, I’ve never encountered anything but drawings or prints, and neither has Rutberg or anyone else I know. It’s a beautiful piece that displays his unique style, just as impressive as his works on paper.

Halfway through the gallery one encounters more gems such as Mark Toby’s 1974-5 mixed media palette. What artist has not at some time glanced at their painting palette and thought it looked better than the painting on the easel.

There’s also a small collage by Hannelore Baron, one of the most accomplished artists in this media; her works are consistently strong, sensitive, and brilliantly composed. In spite of Baron’s amazing work, Hans Burkhard’s small 1992 untitled collage stole the show. The piece consisted of two small, side-by-side, tilted off the vertical, detailed packed rectangles floating in a minimal environment that displays immense visual power in such a diminutive work.

Towards the end of the Gallery hangs Huguette Caland’s 1997 untitled painting that consists of two long, thin, separate canvases placed side by side. That it unintentionally brings to mind the 9/11 twin towers well before the event is a bit unsettling. Viewed up close, Caland’s brilliant treatment of surfaces becomes apparent.

Finally, it would be impossible to miss spotting a good size 2007 collage (pencil, acrylic, oil, gold leaf, vellum) by Tom Wudl, the person who single-handedly showed me what it meant to be an artist. Entitled “Henry Flower AKA Leopold Bloom in Nighttown,” the collage juxtaposes Andrea Mantegna’s Saint Sebastian, at least from the neck down, to include every single arrow in the corpus, along with elements from the artist’s own imaginative iconographical lexicon. Wudl is all about the phantasmagorical creations of puns, parodies, allusions, and stream-of- consciousness. In this particular image, the clubs, eyes, breasts, lips, and chapeau make sense only because of the title. Leopold Bloom, the protagonist of James Joyce’s Ulysses who uses the pseudonym of Henry Flower, is accompanying Stephen Daedalus to a Dublin brothel. Like his Laurel and Hardy series, Wudl’s exacting representations and abundance of surrealistic detail make it difficult to know where the line between tongue-in-cheek and gravitas lies. Having had the good fortune to work with the artist for a two-year span, I can safely say that Wudl is a study in polarities: transparently obvious at one level yet opaquely mysterious on another, and I highly suspect that’s exactly where he wants the viewers who enter his Universe.

Try not to miss seeing Jack Rutberg’s exhibit before its closure after May 31.

click here for article online

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Conrad Marca-Relli
The Sunday Caller, 1982
28 X 34 Inches
Kienholz

Edward Kienholz & Nancy Reddin Kienholz
The Billionaire Deluxe, 1977
11 X 15 1/8 X 14 Inches
Cuevas

Jose Luis Cuevas
La Carta, 1993
28 X 44 1/8 Inches
Tobey

Mark Tobey  
Untitled, 1974-1975
12 1/2 X 16 Inches

Burkhardt

Hans Burkhardt
Untitled, 1992
12 X 17 3/8 Inches
Wudl

Tom Wudl
Henry Flower AKA Leopold Bloom In Nighttown, 2007
75 1/4 X 50 3/4 Inches
JACK RUTBERG FINE ARTS
357 N La Brea Ave                   Los Angeles, CA 90036
Tel. 323-938-5222             www.jackrutbergfinearts.com

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/460650/ClaraPainting_smaller_cropped.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3tk2BcliWGlP Clara Berta BertaArt Clara Berta Fri, 06 May 2011 11:58:00 -0700 Art is Life is Art http://modernmixedmedia.com/art-is-life-is-art http://modernmixedmedia.com/art-is-life-is-art
"Art is Life is Art"
by Doug Pearsall, collage & installation artist
Collage
Art is life. Life is art. That theme expressed my feelings about a breakthrough I had in 2004, after being inspired by a lecture series I attended at the Norton Simon. I've been interested in paper and collage since my undergraduate years when I worked with disguarded cardboard containers because they were materials I could salvage for free.  I choose collage as my medium of choice because it allows me to get results and feedback quickly, so growth and refinement happens rapidly. I also choose collage because what the Dada artists inspired me to realize is that physical objects of everyday life contain stories, they echo where we are and who we are.  Our art speaks about both those topics whether by conscious design or happenstance.

I've studied art formally and I graduated with a BA in Art Studio from the University of California, Santa Barbara, however I also attended several other academic institutions here in California, including a brief but significant period in Northern California where I had to opportunity to work with some ceramic artists from the Funk Movement. Although my interests are diverse, I'm currently working on a collage series that I call protoglyph because some of the designs remind me of formative pictographic writings. 

My ideas come from many sources but my collage work specifically speaks to my personal aesthetics, especially with regard to Folk Arts. Having spent some time abroad I've been exposed to the fine arts & crafts of numerous cultures and I always enjoy the often simple beauty of handcrafted design work. I desire to bring that mindset-of handcrafted folk art, into the conceptual format of what I'm doing currently.

The collages I create utilize exotic papers that have rich textural surfaces and I incorporate that texture into the format of the work, so that even if shallow each piece has depth & density. The design motif I use is basically geometric, but the lines themselves actually symbolize the breakup of space & time into segments, then the interaction of the negative space creates design dynamics that I find fascinating.

All the black/white collages I have available are approx 20" x 30" and the materials are paper on foam core.

Additionally I work in performance art and video.

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