UGALLERY BLOG
April 2012
33 posts
Our artist this week is Maria Dimanshtein. Timing couldn’t be more perfect. She is having a show next week. If you like what she has to say and what she has to paint, stop by! She will be wearing one of her pieces. What does that mean? She told me, but I can’t say. It’s a secret. I guess you’ll have to stop by if you’re in the area.
If you’re not in the area, there’s no need to fret. Check out the work she has displayed with us. It’s equally as awesome. Let’s get started.
What’s your earliest art memory?
I remember doing the drawings with color pencils where the grass was a green stripe at the bottom and the sky was a blue stripe at the top of the sheet. I was big on drawing Pinocchio, so there would usually be a Pinocchio in the middle.
What inspires you?
I get my inspiration from paying close attention to what’s around me as well as my own feelings and emotions. I am inspired by my dreams: magical and mysterious places, environments and experiences.
What is your favorite piece from your UGallery portfolio?
“Thinking About Space 1” is currently my favorite piece. I think it’s really neat with many subtle colors in the background and a variety of colorful dots sprinkled overall. It has a weird mood.
What’s one word to describe your art?
Mysterious
What advice would you offer for other emerging artists?
Live a full and interesting life - stay curious. You have to have something to share with the world, something to say. If your life is rich, you will find not only inspiration, but also content for your artwork.
For fun, what’s your favorite city?
I am lucky. I happen to live in my favorite city – Chicago. My close seconds are San Francisco and New York.
Here’s the invite to Maria’s show. She made her invites by hand and spent a couple hours dipping 100 cards into “silver” water. Perfect for the theme. You can see and read more on her blog.
Going a week without new art is no fun. Every Thursday, we welcome a batch of new artists and artwork to our UGallery family. This series of blog posts highlights each week’s new artists, sharing a bit about their work and highlighting one of their pieces. Each week is so different from the next. It’s fascinating to see how the vibe changes depending on the artists.
Our new artists this week are Katherine Greene and Nathan Hager. Read on below to learn more about each of them and leave them a nice comment on their profile pages to welcome them to UGallery!
Katherine Greene. Sonoma, California
Katherine Greene’s artwork is energetic to say the least. On her canvases, spontaneity meets intuition for a dervish dance of color. For Katherine, blue is frantic, yellow is omnipresent, and green is glorious. Together, these colors spark timeless emotions and delve into unknowable spaces. Each layer builds on the next for a stunning performance of abstract art.
Nathan Hager. Isanti, Minnesota
As Nathan Hager says, “beauty needs no justification.” His art is a physical testament of this philosophy. He shows a passion for painting with controlled brushstrokes and playful reflections of light. With representational proclivities and impressionist flairs, Nathan Hager captures inspiration from the world around him in stunning ways.
We couldn’t resist. PINNING IS ADDICTIVE! Before UGallery is shipped off to Pinners Anonymous, we decided to give all our UGal pals a pinning project to tackle. Have fun with it. We can’t wait to see what you decide to pin.
If you need help getting started, check out my sample board! Designs I forgot about resurfaced in response to Royal Jarmon’s Positive Allergies II! Something as simple as a Pinterest board with 6 pins can show the power of art. For example, Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s alphabet is obscure, but fits so well with this painting. Can you imagine this painting hanging in Adolf Loos’s Villa Müller? Bold, I know. That is what I love about art. I can make daring connections without worrying about who agrees. So go ahead. Create a board. And pin away.
Rules and Regulations
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY to enter to win. Making a purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Void where prohibited by law.
Who may enter: Contest is open to all legal residents of the United States and the District of Columbia except those who reside in U.S. territories.
How to enter: One entry per person. Entries must be received by April 30 at no later than 2:59 PM EST. UGallery, LLC (the “Sponsor”) will not be responsible for lost, late, incomplete, stolen, illegible, or misdirected entries due to any reason.
Winnings: One winner will win the prize. Tallies will be counted on May 1, 2012.
Prize and odds of winning: The winner must supply an email address in order to receive the prize.
Claiming Prize: By accepting the prize, the winner consent’s to Sponsor’s use of their name, photograph, and/or likeness, address, voice, and statements made by or attributed to them in perpetuity, in any and all media now known or hereafter developed for all business purposes without additional compensation unless prohibited by law.
Limitation of liability: By entering, participants release and hold harmless Sponsor, its parent, subsidiary and affiliated companies, respective subsidiaries, directors, officers, employees and agents from any and al liability or any injuries, loss or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with this contest or acceptance or use of any prize won.
Greetings Art Lovers,
Don’t want to get your hands dirty? Try hanging this flower instead of planting one.
Carolyn Schlam’s “Sunflowers” explores the concept of illusion. Instead of creating an exact copy, Carolyn works to capture the flowers’ essence. Each petal is outlined with varying degrees of thickness. Some petals are lined with deep red while others are brushed with thin orange. Carolyn translates the flower’s strength with her sundry strokes.
If you lean towards powerful colors and icons of summer, this print is a great alternative to potting soil. Hanging a sunflower print ensures that color will shine on your wall far beyond gardening season.
Artfully yours,
Kurt
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If you search “ecofriendly” on UGallery, you’ll get Michele Morata. Michele creates sustainable art with high quality archival eco-friendly art mediums and water-based oils with no added chemicals. Her materials are LEED certified. If that doesn’t attest to her green art, what will?
The pigments are created with over 50% of post-industrial recycled content from quarries in Italy (so it’s the really good stuff). Michele said, “It’s the same stuff that the Romans used to create architectural masterpieces.” Below is the quarry in Carrara where the limestone and marble is found.
Since Michele’s “AH-HA” moment, she has not stopped pursuing green art:
“I recognized the power of art on an entirely different level years ago when my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I became more aware of the chemicals that we use on a daily basis as painters. I made the decision that I did not want to utilize all those chemicals in my artwork. I still spend extensive hours researching and experimenting with international eco-friendly materials. I believe this challenge is time well spent. It’s part of my life mission to create art that is healing, healthy, and hopeful. It’s my truth which I strive to live on a daily basis. Go Green!”
Hanging a piece of Michele’s art on your wall is not only environmentally safe, it’s artfully responsible. Peruse her “green” art and see for yourself!
On the last day of AAF, my UGal gave to me: Diana Delgado
Who are the AAF 12? They are the dozen artists joining us at the Affordable Art Fair 2012.
On the eleventh day leading up to AAF, my UGal gave to me: Alaina Sullivan
1. How long have you been in New York City? Just over a year.
2. Have you been in an art show before? I’ve been several smaller shows, but nothing of this magnitude nor in NYC, so I’m pretty pumped.
3. Have you shown at AAF in previous years? Nope, but I worked at it last year so it will be very cool to experience it from the other side.
4. Do you plan on attending AAF? Definitely — it’s a great way for a young artist to get inspired and see the other work being produced by fellow contemporaries.
5. How many pieces do you have going to the fair? Three sizable oil paintings — still have to figure out how to get them to Midtown!
6. What is one word to describe your art? Fluid.
7. What piece of art will be the hardest to part with if it is sold? Deep. It’s my newest and the second I’ve done in that dark palette because I find it so interesting. It also looks great in my apartment right now…
8. What’s your favorite NYC museum? The Guggenheim.
9. Do you have a favorite NYC restaurant?That’s an extremely difficult question to answer, especially for someone whose other foot is in the food industry, but I’ve had some really memorable meals at Blue Hill NYC, Marc Forgione, and Morimoto.
10. Upper East Side or Financial District? Harlem.
11. What’s your favorite NYC tourist destination? The High Line, or Union Square Greenmarket
12. Manhattan or Brooklyn? Tough call — I live in Manhattan, but love the Brooklyn vibe as well.
Browse the Affordable Art Fair 2012 collection and you can snag Alaina Sullivan’s water wonders before they are picked up at the fair.
Who are the AAF 12? They are the dozen artists joining us at the Affordable Art Fair 2012.
On the tenth day leading up to AAF, my UGal gave to me: Christine Soccio
1. Have you been to New York City? Yes, I received my BFA from The School of Visual Arts and I worked in NYC for several years after I graduated.
2. Have you been in an art show before? Yes, a couple of solo shows, a few group shows with the 14th Colony in Millerton NY and last years AAF.
3. Have you shown at AAF in previous years? Yes, last year and it was great!
4. Do you plan on attending AAF? Yes, Friday night, Saturday & Sunday afternoon. Love to go Wednesday too but we’ll see if I can find a sitter. ;)
5. How many pieces do you have going to the fair? Five or Six
6. What is one word to describe your art? Emotional
7. What piece of art will be the hardest to part with if it is sold? I would say “Rays”. I painted it on a trip last year and it has special memories.
8. What’s your favorite NYC museum? The MoMA
9. Do you have a favorite NYC restaurant? It changes frequently depending on my mood. Right now I’m on a tapas kick. There’ s a place on 7th ave in Chelsea that has an incomprehensible name that I really enjoyed on my last gallery crawl.
10. Upper East Side or Financial District? Upper East Side
11. What’s your favorite NYC tourist destination? The Met
12. Manhattan or Brooklyn? Manhattan feels more like home. Brooklyn is a wild unknown.
Browse the Affordable Art Fair 2012 collection and you can snag Christine Soccio’s awing abstracts before they are picked up at the fair.
Who are the AAF 12? They are the dozen artists joining us at the Affordable Art Fair 2012.
On the second day of AAF, my UGal gave to me: Harris Johnson
1. Have you been to New York City Yes.
2. Have you been in an art show before? Um, yes.
3. Have you shown at AAF in previous years? No, this is my first year but I’ve heard it’s more fun than the armory, which isn’t surprising.
4. Do you plan on attending AAF? If I can, yeah I’d like to go.
5. How many pieces do you have going to the fair? I think 6 paintings?… 7? I can’t remember.
6. What is one word to describe your art? Bizarre.
7. What piece of art will be the hardest to part with if it is sold? Fork and Socket
8. What’s your favorite NYC museum? The New Museum
9. Do you have a favorite NYC restaurant? No.
10. Upper East Side or Financial District? Neither.
11. What’s your favorite NYC tourist destination? Haha, Central Park. Unfortunately.
12. Manhattan or Brooklyn? Harlem
Lightbulb and Noose for Philip Guston
Browse the Affordable Art Fair 2012 collection and you can snag Harris Johnson’s bizarre paintings before they are picked up at the fair.
Who are the AAF 12? They are the dozen artists joining us at the Affordable Art Fair 2012.
On the first day of AAF, my UGal gave to me: Jessica JH Roller
1. Have you been to New York City? Yes, a few times.
2. Have you been in an art show before? I have been in many art festivals and gallery shows. In New York, my art was part of a juried show at SoHo 20 Gallery, a group show at Lana Santorelli Gallery and I was a part of a juried show plus represented by Hun Gallery at the New York International Art Fair. I also had a few painting in a pub in Brooklyn.
3. Have you shown at AAF in previous years? No.
4. Do you plan on attending AAF? No, I have my hands full right now with my 1 year old, but would LOVE to be able to come.
5. How many pieces do you have going to the fair? Ten pieces, mostly small, 12”x12” pieces. Those seem to sell really well because anyone can find a good spot for one of my small colorful paintings
6. What is one word to describe your art? Essential
7. What piece of art will be the hardest to part with if it is sold? “Owl with Colorful Feathers”. It was one of the first paintings I painted after my daughter was born (I think she was about 3 months) and I feel like the lines are so easy and free because I didn’t have the time to fuss or the capability with a baby under one arm…most of my paintings at that time had to be partially completed while I was nursing her! I love those paintings, those that were done without a lot of fuss because I hate that, spending too much time on minor details and getting all wrapped up in making it perfect and losing the purpose of capturing the essence of what I’m trying to express.
8. What’s your favorite NYC museum? MoMA, of course, my favorite thing in NYC.
9. Do you have a favorite NYC restaurant? I love the diners, you can’t get a better authentic experience than that. I do love to cook and love food but every time I have gone to NY I have not researched restaurants enough so I end up being a little disappointed when I think I am going somewhere I’ll really like. I always promise myself that I will research restaurants better before I go the next time because I know I would find some incredible stuff…
10. Upper East Side or Financial District? Upper East Side
11. What’s your favorite NYC tourist destination? MoMA—-I also love the transportation system, it’s so much different than anywhere else..it’s kind of mysterious. You go to Chicago or Toronto and it makes sense and it seems easy, but you go to NY and everything is so big and confusing whether you are taking a taxi or the subway, which makes you feel like you are on a different planet.
12. Manhattan or Brooklyn? I’m sure I’d be happier living in Brooklyn, but I’d rather visit Manhattan.
Nine Black Birds in a Pine Tree
Browse the Affordable Art Fair 2012 collection and you can snag Jessica JH Roller’s pop animals before they are picked up at the fair.
We are tackling a doozy of a topic today: abstract art! This sort of thing requires more than just table talk! We recruited Jenny Gray, UGallery’s abstract aficionado, to help us define this artistic style. We got right to the point…
Me: What is abstract art?
Jenny Gray: Non representational, not trying to clearly reproduce the true look of an object or scene. Even though you might recognize the object, the artist was adding or subtracting and not trying to truly represent what the eye sees.
Jenny Gray’s paintings are a perfect example of adding and subtracting. Check out her painting Test Strip above. Even though her abstractions have recognizable shapes, her paintings are more than meets the eye. What Jenny says reiterates what Pablo Picasso said, ”There is no abstract art. You must always start with something. Afterward you can remove all traces of reality.” So I asked Jenny and the team what they thought about Picasso’s definition.
Me: Do you agree with Pablo Picasso?
Jenny Gray: I agree that I usually start with something, it might be an emotion, a memory or a landscape. But I am not sure that is true for all artists and I don’t think you have to remove all traces of reality.
Samantha: Abstract art is really difficult to define. I agree with Picasso in the sense that every artist has to begin with something, and then abstract upon it. I think that constitutes part of the definition of abstract art.
Hmm…
Me: What are the important things to know about abstract art?
Jenny Gray: When looking at abstract art, go with your gut. Try to pick up on the emotions that you might feel from it. Trying to figure out “what it is” can be fun, but try to feel it, too. I like my paintings to keep giving more information the more you look at them. There are layers of marks and meaning.
No wonder abstract art is so popular. It’s like the gift that keeps on giving! And it takes a leap of courage and commitment to contemplate it. If you like abstract art, you are not alone:
Annie: I feel that abstract art is one of the most unique forms of art as it taps into an individual’s soul and can be transcribed in an infinite number of ways.
Stephen: Abstract art really allows the viewer’s imagination to be set free. Many abstract works can derive different meanings for each individual. It’s fun to view and discuss various works.
Maybe we should worry less about defining abstract art and just feel it! I’m going with Alex on the final “definition” of abstract art.
Alex:Drips, scribbles, strokes, spills, lines, blobs, splotches, shapes, expression, meditation, personal interpretation, and a few other things.
Noteworthy Abstract Artists:
Some more abstract art from UGallery:
Painting Collage #1 by Jenny Gray
Who are the AAF 12? They are the dozen artists joining us at the Affordable Art Fair 2012.
On the seventh day leading up to AAF, my UGal gave to me: Scott Bergey
1. Have you been to New York City? I have been to New York many times and I love it.
2. Have you been in an art show before? —-
3. Have you shown at AAF in previous years? I have never been in an art show like this one before so it is exciting.
4. Do you plan on attending AAF? I would love to come to the show but I have to work
5. How many pieces do you have going to the fair? —-
6. What is one word to describe your art? I would describe my work as tacky yet refined, ha ha
7. What piece of art will be the hardest to part with if it is sold? I think “Girls Gone Bad” will be the piece that I will miss the most.
8. What’s your favorite NYC museum? —-
9. Do you have a favorite NYC restaurant? —-
10. Upper East Side or Financial District? —-
11. What’s your favorite NYC tourist destination? The village is a great area.
12. Manhattan or Brooklyn? I like Manhattan.
Browse the Affordable Art Fair 2012 collection and you can snag Scott Bergey’s awesome art before they are picked up at the fair.
Greetings Art (and Dog) Lovers,
If your room is begging for a colorful companion, meet Jake. Jake is a saintly Labrador that bounds into puddles and ponds with wild abandon. He is also the inspiration for Iris Scott’s finger painting, Shakin’ Off the Blues.
On a trip to the John Day River, Iris Scott’s pooch leaped off their canoe and into the water for a leisurely swim. As Jake was exiting the river, Iris Scott captured the effortless and powerful shake of a dog drying off. For Iris Scott, the act of “shaking it off” can apply to emotional bumps and bruises as well as courageous doggie dunks.
Shakin’ Off the Blues is a product of Iris Scott’s love for her furry friend. The thick swirls of paint look as if Jake were dipped into cans of paint and placed next to the canvas while he shook off the color. Judging by this painting, a dog is truly an artist’s best friend.
Artfully yours,
Kurt
P.S. You can watch a video of Iris painting and Jake shaking here.
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Who are the AAF 12? They are the dozen artists joining us at the Affordable Art Fair 2012.
On the sixth day leading up to AAF, my UGal gave to me: Krispen Spencer
1. Have you been to New York City? I have been to New York City three times. I love the City.
2. Have you been in an art show before? I’ve been in more than 30 art shows.
3. Have you shown at AAF in previous years? I have not shown at AAF previously.
4. Do you plan on attending AAF? Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend AAF this year. I will be there in spirit.
5. How many pieces do you have going to the fair? I have five pieces going to the fair.
6. What is one word to describe your art? One word to describe my art would be sensuous.
7. What piece of art will be the hardest to part with if it is sold? It will be hard to part with all of the five pieces, but that’s always the case. If I had to choose, hmmmm, I guess Passageways or Emergence.
8. What’s your favorite NYC museum? MoMA
9. Do you have a favorite NYC restaurant? Sardi’s is my favorite restaurant in NYC, although I love a little deli that’s very close to there. Just can’t think of the name. (Yes, I know, typical tourist, but it’s just such fun).
10. Upper East Side or Financial District? —-
11. What’s your favorite NYC tourist destination? Favorite NYC destination is the MoMA.
12. Manhattan or Brooklyn? Manhattan over Brooklyn, although I like them both.
Browse the Affordable Art Fair 2012 collection and you can snag Krispen Spencer’s spills before they are picked up at the fair.
Who are the AAF 12? They are the dozen artists joining us at the Affordable Art Fair 2012.
On the fifth day leading up to AAF, my UGal gave to me: Philippe Jestin
1. Have you been to New York City? Yes, I lived for 4 years up in Westchester Co. and married in Manhattan.
2. Have you been in an art show before? I think so.
3. Have you shown at AAF in previous years? I was at AAF in 2005 with hang gallery and they had some of my work again there I believe in 2007.
4. Do you plan on attending AAF? No.
5. How many pieces do you have going to the fair? Seven, shipped this morning.
6. What is one word to describe your art? Sacre Bleu, that is two.
7. What piece of art will be the hardest to part with if it is sold? Not an issue anymore.
8. What’s your favorite NYC museum? The Whitney.
9. Do you have a favorite NYC restaurant? I had. It was Cafe Florent, it is no more I believe.
10. Upper East Side or Financial District? Neither.
11. What’s your favorite NYC tourist destination? None.
12. Manhattan or Brooklyn? Manhattan.
Browse the Affordable Art Fair 2012 collection and you can snag Philippe Jestin’s pop sculptures before they are picked up at the fair.
Who are the AAF 12? They are the dozen artists joining us at the Affordable Art Fair 2012.
On the fourth day leading up to AAF, my UGal gave to me: John Diehl
1. Have you been to New York City? It’s been a couple of years but I used to go quite often to view exhibits and museums. The art scene here in Boston and Western MA has occupied my time recently.
2. Have you been in an art show before? From solo shows to group shows and alternative spaces to museums I’ve done them all.
3. Have you shown at AAF in previous years? This will be my first time in the Affordable Art Fair.
4. Do you plan on attending AAF? I’m currently trying to clear my schedule so I can hopefully get at least one day down there.
5. How many pieces do you have going to the fair? I have 5 of my “Blurscape” oil paintings going.
6. What is one word to describe your art? Peace.
7. What piece of art will be the hardest to part with if it is sold? I create paintings for people to enjoy so none of them will be hard to part with. I learned early in my career that you can’t get too attach to work you’re going to sell. When I get overly attached to a painting I won’t offer it and it will then be entered into my private collection.
8. What’s your favorite NYC museum? MoMA - This museum is hard to beat when it comes to Van Gogh, Rothko, and Pollock.
9. Do you have a favorite NYC restaurant? I love pizza and NYC has many great pizza places so it’s hard to just pick one.
10. Upper East Side or Financial District? Upper East Side, it has so many great museums.
11. What’s your favorite NYC tourist destination? The MET as it has so much to see that you never fully see everything. It’s also great that it’s located right on Central Park.
12. Manhattan or Brooklyn? Manhattan
Browse the Affordable Art Fair 2012 collection and you can snag John Diehl’s peaceful blurscapes before they are picked up at the fair.
1. What is your favorite piece from your portfolio? Why?
I love all my paintings. However, if I were to choose one from this portfolio it would be “Vieja, 2011”. I particularly like this painting because the subject and her expression reminds me of my grandmother, and points towards the importance of “abuelas” in rural Mexico. My grandmother was a native Mexican, thus every summer my family would drive from Mexico City to Atlacomulco and spend time with her and her family.
In pueblos, older people, especially grandmothers, play a very important role in the family. Since they are the oldest in the family tree, they understand the customs of the town and they impart this knowledge through the innumerable stories they have accumulated during their long life. Also, they take care of the younger children while the parents work, thus becoming a second parent and making their role all the more valuable.
With this painting, I try to show the typical older woman from rural Mexico where money is scarce and work is hard. The woman’s face is the result of decades spent doing outdoors activities. She is wearing a royal blue “zarape” that is very simple and typical for the region. In addition, I chose the colors of the painting because of the qualities they represent: blue and gold for royalty; gray for knowledge and longevity; pink for femininity. Abuelas are the queens of the family in pueblos, thus her pink headband also doubles as her crown.
2. What inspires you?
My motivation for these works stems from my experience as a professional runner as well as my educational background in economics and finance. My work explores identity issues within the Mexican/Hispanic/Latino community in the US and Mexico. I attempt to represent these issues with portraits of individuals that represent different economic and social class stereotypes. My goal is to inform the viewer not only about the multifaceted “Mexican” but also about current economic and social topics that relate to “Mexicans”.
3. What does your art mean to you?
In this project, I use my art to express my belief that every person is unique. In many cases, labels are erroneous. There is not a single identity of “Mexican/Hispano/Latino,” in fact there is not even a single terminology to refer to people with ties to Mexico. Rather, there are many individuals who play a variety of roles, yet despite their individuality, they all share a common background full of rich cultural traditions. I use my paintings as my voice.
