I thought you would like seeing the recording of my Jersey City Art and Studio Tour – A Stroll Through the Hood. Let me take you on a virtual stroll with some narrative and paintings in context.
Nathalie Kalbach – JCAST 2020 from Nathalie Kalbach on Vimeo.
It was a lot of fun putting it together- although making it work for 8 minutes was a tough one as you know – I am not good in keeping myself short LOL. Let me know what you think – I would love to hear from you!
“Till the Curtain Comes Down” is another painting on canvas inspired by my Strolls through the Hood in Jersey City . I love this beautiful brick building from 1887.
I used spray paint, acrylic paint, gouache, collage, wax bars, and markers. The house was built by a descendant of one of the oldest Dutch familes of Jersey City, Wilhelm Brinkerhoff. He was a state senator who died in 1931. After his death, the building was a christian mission with a radio station on the roof.
It has a bit of a Rapunzel Tower feel for me as the building is a little bit overgrown by plants and even though someone lives here it seems to be mysterious. I picked up some piano player roll paper and the first thing that happened was I saw the wording “till the curtain comes down” and that my friends is how the title was born ….I mean …it was just meant to be .
Till the Curtain comes down is looking for a new home. You can find it here. The canvas measures 10×10″.
WOW! This is truly amazing work!!! LOVE IT!
“Dressed to the 9s” is a new painting I made using spray paint, acrylic paint, gouache, collage, markers, pastels, and oil pastels on canvas.
I was inspired by my Strolls through the Hood in Jersey City for this mixed media painting, and specifically a charming historic firehouse and line of elegant row houses in my neighborhood. I love seeing the firemen of Ladder 9 taking the trucks out once in a while and cleaning them – there is something really fascinating for me about American Firetrucks :)
I used some long treasured vintage player piano paper- I always waited for the perfect piece to use it for and when I was thinking of this street scene I knew I had to use it as part of the collage elements.
Dressed to the 9s measures 10×10″ and is available in the store. It would love to find a new home. found a wonderful home in Wisconsin!
“All Fur Coat and No Knickers” is new painting made with spray paint, acrylic paint, gouache, collage, and markers on canvas.
I was inspired by my Strolls through the Hood in Jersey City for this mixed media painting, and specifically a building that was used to cold store fur coats in the summer months for the people in the neighborhood (glad that’s not needed anymore).
Nowadays there is a restaurant in the building but the story intrigued so I researched a bit. I found that a 1932 issue of The Jewish Standard featured an advertisement for a company called Kriegel Furriers offering “cold fur storage” at the address, with a storage rate of 1% of the value of each item with a minimum charge of $2. Those were different times for sure.
The painting is available in my store and would love to find a new home.
what fun who’da thunk it?! a place to store ur furs ladida! love the title and ur yummy pallette! the presence of the car a little wonky in my book, but luckily it does blend in nicely ? thnx for sharing! ???(funny fur story… my ex was wearing his mum’s full length?! raccoon?! (sigh, poor animales! but i do eat them so can’t get tooo indignant ?) when he and his 3 bros plus dad rolled their open jeep in river… it was thanksgiving (we the sensible.were waiting at home.for them) so what did they think?! (re depth/strength of water….) the coat survived! tho i wouldn’t want.to smell it at the time… wet racoon, yum! ?
“Where is Tiffany” is another Mixed Media painting inspired by my Strolls through the Hood in Jersey City.
The magnificently dilapidated St. John’s Church was once a showpiece of the community and diocese, lavishly decorated with Tiffany stained glass, Italian marble, and numerous decorations of the highest craft, the church was decommissioned in the 1990’s, stripped of it’s decoration, and left to disrepair and ruin.
The church played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement of the 60s under Reverend Castle and was especially important for the Black Community in our city.
Castle was a a social activist and also actor, you might have seen him in movies like Philadelphia and other movies directed by his cousin Jonathan Demme.
One of the crowning features of the church, the Tiffany windows, were auctioned off long ago and have strangely found their way to a historical museum in Chicago. I am still doing some research on the history of the church and I would love to find out more about the time during the Civil Rights Movement in the 60s …just the fact that there is not a lot of information easily to get shows how important it is to make sure the history is not forgotten.
This original painting was made with spray paint, acrylic paint, gouache, collage, and markers on a 10×10” canvas. It is available here.
“A Piece of Pie” was inspired by my Strolls through the Hood in Jersey City, and specifically an abandoned warehouse building in my hood.
The building looks like a piece of pie when you look at the satellite view. The history of this building is unbeknownst to me, although real estate records indicate that it is sold every few years for not too much money. Someone gets a piece of gentrification pie when that happens.
I used spray paint, acrylic paint, gouache, collage, and markers on the 10×10” canvas.
The building is for sure an interesting landmark and I really would love to know more about the history of this building. It would make an amazing art and community center as well.
“A Piece of Pie” is available in my store and I would love to give this painting a new home.
I love the building paintings that you have been doing! I love the whole look, but look at a smaller part and try to figure out how you do it. The colors are wonderful and refreshing.
Another gorgeous one Nat!
I need more wall space.
In my neighborhood is a row of four beautiful Dutch Queen Anne style houses.
They were built around 1889 by Garret van Horne who was a descendent of one of the first Dutch families in the city.
They reflect houses you can find in Amsterdam. I love these houses and the beautiful old park that is right next to it.
The background is created with collage elements and I used spray paint, acrylic paint, gouache, collage, and markers on this 10×10” canvas.
Going Dutch is available for sale and would love to have a new home :)
Another painting with the gorgeous mural in my neighborhood “We Shall Overcome”
I added some texture to this one by adding heavy buddy paint through my Signal Stencil – some added actual texture.
Painting a motif on different substrates has been a lot of fun – I love to explore different backgrounds and changing things up.
We shall Overcome is available in my store and looking for a new loving home.
I love this mural in in my neighborhood by case case_maclaim – We shall Overcome. I walk by this mural quite often and especially during this time of pandemic it has resonated with me a lot.
It is also a reminder of all the things that are broken and still need to be overcome …I still have hope.
This artwork is created on an 8”x8” canvas board using spray paint, acrylic paint, gouache, and markers.
It is available in my store and I would love to give it a new home !
Comments (2)
Susu Ko
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Hi! Ich finde es super, wie du dich für die Geschichte deiner neuen Nachbarschaft interessierst! Und dein “kleines” Art Journal – ich wünschte, wir könnten hier auch an solche Schätze rankommen! Bis bald und alles Gute!
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nathalie-kalbach
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Ganz lieben Dank Susu! Liebe Grüße!
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