new work by audrey kawasaki

audrey kawasaki is one of my favorite contemporary artists. her soft attention to color & form juxtaposed with heavy black outlines, use of the wood painting surface, and creative figurative elements make her work visually arresting to me.

here are some of her new works. these are interesting because they show a definite van gogh inspiration.

you can find out more here.

artist of the week :: irina & silviu szekely

surrealism!

collage!

scale confusion!

change of space!

more!

friday wisdom.

friday wisdom.

i needed something profound with which to send off my semester students.

visit from sari

local portrait artist and all-around awesome lady sari gaby came to do a workshop for my drawing 1 class yesterday. as always, it was informative, fun, and inspiring for my students and myself. if you are interested in finding out more about sari or her workshops, contact me or check out her website.

here are some pictures of the workshop, as well as the most recent works of my junior student hannah as well as the display board with work on it from all my current classes. 

great stuff happening in the art room right now.

2011-12 rochester-finger lakes student art show

this year's poster for the annual rochester-finger lakes student art exhibition held at RIT features the work of one of my students - lainey chippero. pretty awesome stuff.

if you are interested in seeing more great high school work from the region, join us for the opening reception or any time during the run of the show.

friday wisdom

ap art reunion wisdom.

friday wisdom

artist of the week :: guy denning

check out the painting of british artist guy denning.

i think he describes his work (and the process of painting) the best:
I think that painting is a focusing; a process of exaggeration and editing of a suggestion of reality. I can start with a skeleton, like a foundation illustration, perhaps taken from a life study or a photograph and then I start to manipulate that framework. All the time I am hoping for accidents with the paint as the accidents are usually the source of greatest productivity. Perhaps the accidents of paint give me a similar perspective as the viewer to the finished painting: the surprise at something fresh or something that is not immediately understood in its construction. This aspect of painting is like, perhaps, finding the uncontrolled intention. 
I know when it’s right or, at least, tending towards right but I don’t know how to do it. If I knew how to do it, that there was a predetermined and guaranteed method, then it wouldn’t be the challenge that forces me to paint continually. 

check out his: 
website
drawing-a-day blog
writing blog

thanks to amy bonner for the heads up on this great artist

artist of the week :: carne griffiths

carne griffiths' paintings and illustrations are energetic and controlled all at once.

he drips and controls ink washes and applies marks with pen and pencil - all creating atmospheric portraits full of emotion - specifically strength and poise. the women he paints are typically juxtaposed with natural elements (leaves, feathers, tree branches, etc), showing woman's communion and connection with nature.

check out more about him and his art here.

(thanks to brienna wirley for the heads up on this great artist)

thanksgiving wisdom

i'm convinced... i have the best job in the world.

theres honestly no better way to end the work day than 2 hours with a group of 16 dedicated, talented, and caring young artists. its been a very focused work week this week, and i felt that friday afternoon needed to be documented.

here are in-progress pictures of their first AP Drawing concentration works. 

i love my job.

friday wisdom

friday wisdom

studio in art :: reference for sculpture

here are images of the 3 artists we are referencing for our new sculpture project, as well as an image of my exemplar.
look below each picture for more links on each artist.

frank gehry
wikipedia
new york times
artcyclopedia

frank stella
wikipedia
artcyclopedia
artnet (works for sale)

pablo picasso
wikipedia
abc gallery
artcyclopedia

my example

artist of the week :: david fullarton

this guy is awesome! wonderful use of multiple surfaces - grid paper, lined paper, and all types of old and unique papers cut up, combined, and text hand-drawn to create wonderful, whimsical works of art.

find out more here.
check out his amazing moleskin sketchbook works here.
or just check out his flickr photostream here.

friday wisdom :: RIP steve jobs