Learn how to become inspired and discover the basics of art journaling in this six-hour class. Explore mixed-media techniques using collaging and creating colorful backgrounds with acrylic paint and other media. Delve into this stress-relieving art form and create the first basic, beautiful pages in a visual journal.
Learn more about this class and register here!
I hope to see you there!
A couple weeks ago I went to the Whitney for it’s open plan exhibition featuring Lucy Dodd. I stumbled across this exhibition through the Whitney’s Instagram feed and decided to take a short trip to the museum and have a late work start.
It was located on the fifth floor which stretches out without any walls in between and offers some amazing views.
I loved the shapes of the canvases, reminding of sails.
Lucy used fermented walnuts, kombucha scoby, hematite, yerba mate, and pigments which she all collected while traveling to paint on raw canvas.
The big canvases were painted on the terrace of the Whitney and the progress photo of this work was what I had seen on Instagram and made me investigate what was going on :) You can spot and see the grid of the underlaying tiles of the terrace on the canvases. Dodd seems to use this method of creating a grid this way a lot.
I loved the scale of the work and the movement visible in it.
It makes me want to work big.
Her use of different natural materials and the texture and marks they leave is also very intriguing. I enjoyed this exhibition and learning about Lucy Dodd’s work- she is now definitely on my radar. A well worth trip to the museum, I am so glad I discovered this on social media.
Hi Sue – a dog marrow bone- wow :) I wanna know what you did with it :) Thanks for visiting – hope you have a wonderful day! Nat
A couple weeks ago my friends and I took a day off to visit our friend Adam Cvijanovic in his studio in Brooklyn, New York.
Adam is a noted painter working mostly large-scale, often on tyvek with flashe paint (vinyl-based professional grade of matte permanent colors). He calls these tyvek paintings wallpapers or portable murals. Adam dropped out of high school when he was 17 because he wanted to be an artist and cut himself off a Plan B or the possibility to do anything else but art. His work has been on view amongst many other places at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, MI, Blindarte Contemporary in Naples, Italy , Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA, Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai, China; Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow, Russia, The Royal Academy of Arts, London, England. He has been an adjunct professor of the Rhode Island School of Design. Adam is represented by Postmasters Gallery in New York.
Pretty impressive and something to tell someone who says to you “you have to go to art school to be an artist”.
I have seen Adam’s work at galleries and I couldn’t wait to see his working space and spend some time with him while he was working. His studio is located in the Brooklyn Navy Yard offering quite some cool views from different spots of the building.
Adam is telling stories with his fascinating, fractured, layered and detailed work. He often adds 3-D elements like painted wood panels and oil painted acrylic panels on top. The perspective in his artwork changes constantly making the viewer linger for a long time to get a grab of the subject matter and the narrative behind it.
He often cuts up his artwork, fracturing it or using elements of it as collage objects in other work.
He also works small – like here – in oil on canvas.
Here is an acrylic panel painted with oil paint.
I loved Adam’s studio – the light was amazing and it was like a treasure box – full of creative chaos but only to us visitors, he pretty much knows where everything is located in his studio.
He was working on a new piece, auditioning fragments and adhering it to differently painted backgrounds. The detail work of his paintings is just insane, and he sources images for his ideas from photographs and movies and puts them together in his paintings into new images- reflecting something known but also non existing.
It was such a great experience to see him work and change things, audition those changes and then start over again, with sometimes just tiny little adjustments. I hope I will get to see the finished piece soon!
This visit also made me interested in trying out to paint on tyvek – I can see the advantages AND – canvas is super expensive here in the States- so large scale has just become a bit more into reach for me …unless…I put my small studio into account ;)
This was a super inspiring studio stroll, I hope you enjoyed it too and I hope this is the beginning of a new series. Thank you Adam for letting us peek into your studio!!!
Thank you so much for the tour of Adam’s studio.He is a masterful painter. I knew him as a child when he roamed about Boston painting old brick buildings and used his tee shirt as a paint rag.
Please give him my best wishes. He knew me as Arno.
Hi, I like your review of Adam’s work process and his studio. If you have a chance self my regards to Adam. I am his uncle from Canada.
Hi Branko – how fun! i just passed it on to him and Julia!!!
I have looked at these photos three time Nat…. thank you so much for sharing. Sooooooooooooooooo interesting. I HOPE you DO go BIG with the tyvek – for sure. What a wonderful experience it must have been to be there in his studio – wow. Even hubby was totally awed by your photos. What a HUGE TREAT. XXj.
Natalie
I hear about tyvek all the time but not how to locate it or prep it for painting. The stuff I see builders use has the name boldly printed on it so it would need to be coated so the word tyvek does not bleed through. A subject for your next video hummmmm.
So interesting! Thanks for the tour and insight into his work.
This was great! Thanks Nat for the tour. Looking forward to more in this new series.
So glad you enjoyed it Jane!
Disclaimer: This post includes artwork with abstract or not so abstract nudity – it is not called Sodom and Gomorrah – it is called ART . If you have a problem with art, all I can say ” so sorry for you!” . Don’t email me to complain, don’t visit my blog anymore because I might post things like this again and, farewell!
For a couple weeks now Picasso Sculpture is on view at MoMA (until February 7th, 2016). It is AMAZING! I have been there four times and I really hope I can sneak in a fifth time. The work shown was created between 1902 and 1964. Every time I go, I am entranced by something else. The scope of Picasso’s work and the range of materials he used in his sculptures is just mind-blowing.
– Guitar, Paris, 1924. Painted sheet metal, painted tin box, and iron wire. –
– Violin and Bottle on a Table, Paris 1915 –
– Violin Paris 1915 – Painted sheet metal and iron wire.
All those sculptures make me feel as if Picasso Paintings came alive in a 3D installation – so brilliant!
Bust of a Woman, Boisgeloup 1931 . Plaster.
Head of a Woman, Boisgeloup 1932. Plaster
Head of a Warrior, Boisgeloup 1933 . Plaster, metal and wood.
This somehow made me think of a cartoon and smile- there is so much fun and joy and many puns in Picasso’s sculptures.
The Orator, 1933-34, Plaster, stone, and metal dowel
Head of a Woman. Paris 1929-30. Iron, sheet metal, spring and metal colanders.
Again this and the one below made me think of a Bugs Bunny Cartoon . Loving it!
Woman in the Garden, Paris 1929-30. Welded and pained iron.
left: Woman Carrying a Vessel, 1935. Painted pieces of wood, objects, and nails in a cement and wood base.
right: Figure, Mougins, 1938. Painted wood, nails, and screws with string, wire, paintbrush fragments, and push bell hardware on an unfired clay and wood base.
These were probably my favorites in the exhibition. I love the colors, and the materials and how they were put together – and look at the back of the figure!
Again these made me smile. You can almost see how someone who is so creative can never stop playing and transforming anything close by.
Goat. Paris, 1943 – Torn Paper
Death’s Head, Paris, 1943 . Torn and scratched paper.
Head of a Dog, Paris 1943, Torn and burnt napkin
Pregnant Woman, Vallauris, 1950. Plaster with metal armature, wood, ceramic vessel, and pottery jars.
Little Owl, Vallauris, 1951-52. Painted Bronze
Crane, Vallauris, 1951-52. Painted Bronze
Goat Skull and Bottle, Vallauris, 1951. Painted Bronze
Cock, Boisgeloup, 1932, Bronze
She-Goat, Vallauris, 1950, Bronze
Woman with a Baby Carriage, Vallauris, 1950-54 . Bronze
The Bathers – two times I was there, I saw a group of kids. They loved loved loved this – they recognized the faces and arms right away and they were totally entranced by the installation.
The Bathers: Man with Folded Hands ; Fountain Man; Woman with Outstretched Arms – Cannes 1956 – Wood
Baboon and Young, Vallauris, 1951, Bronze
Come on …this makes me laugh – this is awesome!!!! a car as the monkey head? I will never be able to look at a toy car again and not think of this!
Bull, Cannes 1958 – Block board, palm frond, and various other tree branches, eyebolt, nails and screws, with drips of alkyd and pencil markings.
Maquette for Richard J. Daley Center Sculpture, 1964. Simulated and oxidized welded steel
Woman with Hat,Cannes 1961. Painted sheet metal
Head of a Woman, Mougins, 1962. Painted sheet metal and iron wire.
Little Horse, Vallauris, 1961. Painted metal with wheels.
Sylvette, Vallauris 1954. Painted sheet metal.
What struck me the most was really how Picasso constantly changed his medium, his style and just totally indulged into the next and explored it, made it new and exciting! Looking at all the different work I felt super inspired and couldn’t wait to go home into my studio. Furthermore, I told people I took to the exhibition that this is exhibition feels like a therapy – it makes you happy and smile and just leaving in a very good mood. Yes- not the most art criticy en vogue thing to say, but you know…I think Pablo would have approved ;)
If you are anywhere near NYC and can make it before February 7th, 2016 to MoMA – RUN! Do it – don’t wait!
Hope you enjoyed the little art stroll!
Wow! What a great show! Thanks for sharing all the details. I feel like I’ve been there. Love those first few….1915. Amazing. What a visionary. Love your enthusiasm for Picasso – thanks for taking us along.
Michelle, you would love to go- come and go with me before it closes :)
I take you in! My treat!
Thank you for the guided tour. It was fun to walk through with you and your ideas! That is the best part of art – sharing and evolving. Also, I won’t be able to look at my grandson’s cars without laughing now. Fun stroll.
I am glad you enjoyed it Mary! I agree sharing and evolving is the best part- how fortunate we are to live in a time like this where the internet can bring us all together and make it possible to share.
Thank you for the fascinating visit to the exhibition. I recently saw an exhibit of Picassco’s lithographs and block prints that was also fabulous. What a rich original imaginative body of work. I feel I have much more to learn about his work. Thanks Nat!
thank you Jane, glad you liked it. I wish I could have seen the exhibition you saw, that sounds so interesting!
I love love love this post. Your descriptions, photos, discussion right on spot. I could not agree more. I love the car face too. I kept looking at it before I read your comments. Just like your walks through the hood. I love reading your thoughts. Also loved your disclaimers! So glad to follow you and attend jump start. I am always smiling, learning and inspired. I am leaving this post with a big smile.
so glad to have you Denise! Happy I made you smile! huge hugs,Nat
❤️????
right back at you, Marsha!
Pregnant Woman and Woman with a Carriage jumped out at me for some reason and NO I am not planning to have another baby.
Thanks for posting these delightful photos!
fun, right? I love those too. Thanks for coming by Sue!
Thank you for sharing. Very fun and interesting.
Glad you enjoyed it Mary!
Sign up for my Mixed Media “Printmaking” Class December 13, Workshop at Pratt School of Continuing and Professional Studies, Manhattan Campus, NYC, USA – it is going to be heaps of fun!
Registration is open here or better yet call 855.551.7727 at Pratt to registrate. I hope to see you there!!!
Interested in calendar…I live in Colorado. Email to you didn’t work.
A couple of weeks ago I was invited to attend an event by Winsor & Newton for the launch of their new Pigment Marker. Since all colorful new art supplies attract me like shiny objects the magpie – I was super excited to go with my friend Kim.
The event took place at the Society of Illustrators in NYC. Several wonderful and well known illustrators were showcased with their work using the new Pigment Markers and even did some life drawing. Will Broome did these adorable figures.
The images below by Thomas Cian were my favorite – I love the collage like effect he draw – sooo cool!
I also loved these by Katie Rodgers – the colors and the beautiful little specks that add some texture <3 – she uses sometimes glitter or gesso or other media on top of the Pigment Marker or Watercolor when she illustrates.
I loved that we were able to play with the new Pigment Markers. Here is Kim giving them a try. She and I totally loved the white and clear blender Pigment Marker which give a huge possibility while drawing – creating nice tints and blending colors together. The talent around us was amazing … you could definitely tell who was there for the food and drinks and who was there for playing and seeing some beautiful illustrations ;)
Mara Louise Cespon did the one below- gorgeous color and swwooooonnnnn, so inspiring – and I think above (I apologize if not)
I will show you soon how I played a bit with my new sets of Pigment Markers even though they are not acrylics (psshhhh don’t tell anyone ;) ) – they are wonderful especially on more glossy paper – think of awesome possibilities with coloring stamped images!
It was a fun, colorful and sparking event!
Just a reminder that I am teaching a really fun Mixed Media Collage Class in NYC at Pratt Institute at the Manhattan Campus on October 18. Anyone can join – just call 855.551.7727 and register for PMFA507!
I would love to see you there if you are in the area!!!
Just a reminder that I am teaching an Art Journaling 101 Class in NYC at Pratt Institute at the Manhattan Campus this coming sunday. Anyone can join – just call 855.551.7727 and register for PMFA506! You more or less only have to bring a book or watercolor paper and some brushes – all else will be provided!
I would love to see you there if you are in the area!!!
Finally, months after the Whitney Museum reopened, my friend Karen and I went to see the permanent collection and kind of breezed through the whole building to get an overview. The good thing is when you live so close you can do that as you can come back again :)
One of the things that I noticed right away was the framing of the artwork at Whitney.
(Florine Stettheimer, Sun, 1931)
I have taken several classes with Corey d’Augustine at MoMA and as an art conservator one of the things that are very dear to Corey’s heart is the topic of the frames of artworks. He made me aware of the fact that museums in the past often times have just discarded or destroyed the frames that artist had made or picked. The reason was that museums wanted to fit the frames to the museum’s aesthetics or whatever was hip at the time of the exhibition. The frame above on the painting by Florine Stettheimer was designed by herself and she had it specially fabricated.
(Marsden Hartley, Forms Abstracted, 1913 – Frame painted by artist)
With lot’s of passion Corey would elaborate in his classes, why he thinks this was and is such a sin and while I kind of understood what he meant, I fully became appreciative of the frame “problem” when I went to the Whitney museum. It just dawned on me when I was looking at the first couple paintings in the collection. I was totally AWARE that the frames were not overpowering the artwork, they were part of the artwork or made the artwork WHOLE. And there I tipped my imaginative hat to Corey thinking “thanks man, – I got it!”
Paul Cadmus created the frame for his painting Sailors and Floosies (1938) and continued the graffiti depicted in the painting onto the frame. What a shame it would be if that frame would have gotten destroyed!
Apparently the Whitney Museum wasn’t happy with the wrong frames that some paintings lived in and they had a framer built 20 new frames for paintings that were ill-fitted in their frames. In the linked article, the framer talks about the detective work on how to find out how the frames have looked like back in the days. What an interesting work and topic.
Of course there was other work that highly inspired my at this visit at the Whitney Museum:
Alfonso Ossorio, Number 14 – 1953 . Ossorio developed a wax resist technique in the late 1940s to create layered abstract paintings. He would first draw using melted wax and then use water-pigments or ink on top which would be resisted by the waxed parts. He then scraped away pats of the hardened wax and repeat the process multiple time. While I have used different resist techniques- I never thought of repeating the process over and over …on my “play-list” now :)
Al Held – Untitled – Oil, ink and printed paper collage on Life magazine . Can you tell why this intrigued me? I almost ran to the case and I might have elbowed my way through as it looked so much like an art journal to me. Love this!
This is an gigantic piece by Mark Bradford – Bread and Circuses, 2007- Found paper, metal foil, acrylic, and string on canvas. It looks like a map – amazing. Bradford builds up a composition with layers of paper—often fragments of posters or ephemera salvaged from the street—that he soaks in water and combines with string, tape, and scraps of copy and magazine paper. He then sands down the collaged strata, and repeats the process in several layers.
Of course there was way more inspiring art work – but this is for a different visit – there is only so much input you can handle when you visit a museum. I leave you with some wonderful views that are revealed when stepping onto each of the floors’ balconies of the Whitney Museum:
Waving over to Jersey City!
Watertower and roof gardens – <3
Around the Highline.
That was a fine visit – totally enjoyed the time there with Karen and cannot wait to come back many more times.
What do you think about the frames? Does this make you see frames in a new light?
Hope you enjoyed this art stroll too!
I see what you’re saying about the frames and it is especially evident on Sailors and Floosies! I must say that I’ve often thought that the ornate gold frames take away from the paintings that I’ve seen in political offices.
I know- those super crazy ornate gold frames that have nothing to do with the painting itself either
Thanks so much for sharing this Nathalie! I am definitely going to put The Whitney on my ‘To Do’ list the next time I’m in NYC. I had no idea about the history behind the frames but I find it fascinating and will always look at them in a different way in the future. As always, love the photos you share of the beautiful views too!
Thank you Cindy, happy you enjoyed it!
Totally get the frame thing through your observations. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you liked it Maura!
That 7th photo down from the top really catches my eye!!!
Most unusual item used was a dog marrow bone (with the marrow eaten out already and washed of course).
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