Featured Artwork: Holly Keogh presented by The Bennett Prize

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Friday Virtual Gallery Walk for August 13, 2021

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Silk and Steel: French Fashion, Women and WWI

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Fine Art Today

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August 12, 2021

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Color lithograph by Theophile Steinlen of French Women Mourning, 2020.23.1d, museum collection

When the first World War exploded in the late summer of 1914, armies took the field in bright uniforms and navies steamed to sea flying the colors of their nations. For the ensuing years of global war until the peace treaty was signed on June 28, 1919, most history has centered on battles, leaders and empires.

Throughout this time, a largely unrepresented population in the histories were women in countries involved in the war. Women worked in war industries like agriculture, nursing and transport, while engaged in the fight for voting rights, equal pay and respect. In France, recent scholarship has shown that the survival of women’s fashion also played an important role in keeping up morale, maintaining ties with allies and even helping the war-time economies.

“Silk and Steel: French Fashion, Women and WWI” features original dresses, coats, capes, hats, shoes and accessories from period French designers including Madeleine Vionnet, House of Worth and Hermès. From the evolution of the war-time silhouette, the influence of military uniforms and post-war emancipation, this exhibition provides a new chapter of the history of the war at the Museum and Memorial. Presented by PNC Bank, “Silk and Steel” will run through September 6, 2021 in the Wylie Gallery of The National WWI Museum and Memorial (Kansas City).

Black silk satin and tulle evening dress designed by Madeleine, Paris. The Preservation Society of Newport County, RI

French Army artillery officer's wool dolman style short jacket, 1914 — French Army artillery officer’s wool dolman style short jacket, 1914 theme Military Uniform influence, 2014.22.1

Unknown maker, Lion Head Shell Art, c. 1918, brass shell casing, 8 3/4 x 3 1/2 x 4 3/4 in., National WWI Museum and Memorial, Kansas City

Petit point French evening bag with beaded metal frame and chain link strap Missouri Historic Costume and Textile Collection University of Missouri 2018.17.9_01 U of M

Illustration of women at work — Theme Women at Work AM-W-22_1920.1.259, Museum collection

“The war effort had an all-encompassing impact on societies, but the role of women is often overlooked,” says Dr. Matthew Naylor, President and CEO of the National WWI Museum and Memorial. “Through the lens of French fashion, this exhibition exposes us to the many ways that women were full and equal participants in the Great War. It is an engaging examination – and the collection that will be displayed is truly remarkable.”

To learn more, visit theworldwar.org.

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Up for Grabs: Online Art Auction to Benefit Museum

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Fine Art Today

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August 9, 2021

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Art Auction > “Untitled (Near Fillmore)” by Gail Pidduck, 2020, Oil on board, 32 x 32 inches. — “Untitled (Near Fillmore)” by Gail Pidduck, 2020, Oil on board, 32 x 32 inches

Twenty-one works of art by local artists will soon be up for grabs during the Santa Paula Art Museum’s online Fine Art Auction Fundraiser. Online bidding will open Monday, August 16, 2021, and will close Sunday, August 29, 2021, at 4:00 p.m. PDT.

More from the Museum:

The Museum’s annual Fine Art Auction is the nonprofit’s biggest fundraiser each year. All proceeds raised from the event will benefit the Santa Paula Art Museum and the thousands of children, families, and adults that the Museum serves through its educational programs every year.

Bid online for your chance to take home artworks by historical artists like Jessie Arms Botke, Cornelis Botke and Douglas Shively, and contemporary pieces by some of this region’s most popular artists: Linda Brown, Norman Kirk, Sherry Loehr, Susan Petty, Gail Pidduck, Anette Power, and more. Individuals must preregister to bid online at www.bidsquare.com/auction-house/santa-paula-art-museum.

Art lovers can also purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win one of two paintings by historic Santa Paula artist Jessie Arms Botke. Raffle tickets start at $50.00. Raffle tickets can be purchased online at www.santapaulaartmuseum.org/raffle. All of the auction items can be previewed in person during the Museum’s regular business hours.

Art Auction: “Untitled (Ventura Beach)” by Jessie Arms Botke, Watercolor on paper, 8.5 x 12 inches. — “Untitled (Ventura Beach)” by Jessie Arms Botke, Watercolor on paper, 8.5 x 12 inches

The Santa Paula Art Museum is a tax-exempt, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. All proceeds from the online auction will support the Museum’s many educational programs including its free ArtSPARK school tour program, monthly Free Family Days, free Young Artist Program, free online resources for local schools, and more.

More details are at santapaulaartmuseum.org.

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Contemporary Marine Art on View

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Fine Art Today

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August 8, 2021

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Marine art oil paintings — David Curtis, RSMA, ROI, "Morning Light, Crinan Shipyard, Argyll," oil, 50 x 76 cm

On View: First International Digital Exhibition of Contemporary Marine Art

Hosted by the American Society of Marine Artists, through June 30, 2022
Website for more details: https://americansocietyofmarineartists.com/International/

This global exhibition represents marine art selected by the American Society of Marine Artists; the Australian Society of Marine Artists; the Canadian Society of Marine Artists; the French Association des Peintres Officiels de la Marine; and the UK’s Royal Society of Marine Artists.

Selected works from the Fellows of the American Society of Marine Artists:

Seascape paintings — June Carey, Fellow Emeritus – MacKerricher State Park, Mendocino County, CA – Oil on linen -24 H x 48 L

Artist Statement: “This is a scene of MacKerricher State Park in Mendocino County, CA. It was a favorite place for my late husband and ASMA Fellow, Dave Thimgan, to photograph great wave action for his paintings while he did research on the historical lumber trade which took place in and around this location. Through the mist in the distance on the right is a bridge that was part of an old lumber road. Dave is standing on it, while surveying the area with his telephoto lens.”

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Artist Statement: Skipjacks, bugeyes, schooners and sloops dredging for oysters were a common sight on winter days on Chesapeake Bay until recent decades. The Bay was so fruitful that large schooners from Delaware and New York would also work the oyster beds.

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Marine art oil paintings of boats — William Muller, Fellow Emeritus – Albany, 1900 – Oil on canvas – 24 H x 36 L

Artist Statement: The Day Line steamer Albany makes a morning departure from her namesake city, at the start of her day’s run down to Manhattan on a June morning in 1900. She is about to pass through the opened Broadway swing bridge. The new State Capitol Building sits atop the Albany hill and the big night boat Adirondack lays at her wharf, in the far-right background, after having arrived from New York City earlier in the morning.

Artist Statement: Ever since my schoolboy days in Derby, England, I’ve had a fascination for maps of the world and the spread of the British Empire around the globe. Having an opportunity to paint the celebrated clipper ship, Dashing Wave, I felt the fabled port of Hong Kong with its intriguing colorful local craft and surrounding island peaks would be the perfect setting. In this scene the clipper rides at anchor while a Chinese junk, with its familiar fully battened sails, prepares to leave.

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Marine art oil paintings of boat at sea — Christopher Blossom, Fellow – Schooner Monitor off Eastern Point – Oil on Linen – 22 x 36 in.

Artist Statement: The Schooner Monitor shoulders the swell aside as she reaches along with the rhythmic heave and rush of the sea alongside. It’s morning as several men on deck overhaul some of their gear. Perhaps the others are grabbing a bite to eat below after the long night. With a full load and a fair wind they made good time the past few days, but it’s always too long when homeward bound. Off the Starboard bow is Eastern Point. With this breeze it won’t take long to be clear, and from there the harbor opens before them and it is only a short run up to Gloucester and home.

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Contemporary sculptures — Kent Ullberg, Fellow – Interdependency – bronze – 33″ x 18″ x 11″

Artist Statement: As an art student I became fascinated with the famous Italian renaissance painting ” Vertumnus” by Arcimboldo, a portrait of emperor Rudolf II, created from all forms of vegetables and fruits. In this sculpture I use the same approach to celebrate the interdependency of marine life in an ecosystem at the Texas coast. 46 different species, from microscopic plankton to mammals, come together to create the sculpture of a tarpon (a species itself dependent on several ecosystems). This is also a symbol for interdependency in all nature, where we play a part.

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Catching Color Nuances – in Pastel

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Fine Art Today

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August 8, 2021

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Pastel floral painting by Vera Kavura

In Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine, pastel artist Vera Kavura can be found painting her favorite subject: flowers, which she describes as “natural, beautiful, and diverse.”

Kavura began drawing as a child and over the years experimented with different techniques until, in 2016, she discovered painting with pastels. “The pastel medium allows me to work quickly and catch all the color nuances,” she says. “A single photo cannot reflect the shine of a flower’s petals; by painting a bouquet with pastel, I’m able to catch changes in the light and shadows, and even the movement of the petals.”

Vera Kavura is on the faculty of Pastel Live, where you can watch her demo!

Her approach to painting flowers is to start right away with color, versus sketching. She then adds details as she paints, a process that allows her to “be constantly in unity with nature.”

Coming this August, Kavura will be leading a painting demonstration during Pastel Live, the global, virtual art conference that includes live chats, happy hours, group discussions with today’s experts, and so much more.

Pastel Live takes place August 19-21, with a Beginner’s Day on August 18. (Book your early bird discount here by August 15 and save up to $300 off the full rate.)

Pastel Floral Paintings by Vera Kavura:

Pastel floral painting by Vera Kavura

Floral still life painting by Vera Kavura

Kavura tells us her process begins with the selection of flowers, which she carefully chooses based on their form and color. She paints from a live bouquet using natural light.

“My flowers seem to be very realistic but it is the pastel, the form, and the color, which allows me to create the character and spirit of the flowers,” she says. “To make smile a viewer and feel a sweet mood – this is my mission in the drawing, by means of flashing the real miracle of nature – flowers.”

Connect with Vera Kavura at Pastel Live and through:
Website | Instagram | Facebook

> Visit EricRhoads.com to learn about more opportunities for artists and art collectors, including retreats, international art trips, art conventions, and more.

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Elevating the Works of American Women Artists

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Fine Art Today

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August 8, 2021

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American Women Artists - Angela Mia De la Vega "Bridge of Brotherhood" Clay for Bronze, 53" x 62" x 24" — Angela Mia De la Vega "Bridge of Brotherhood" Clay for Bronze, 53" x 62" x 24"

“Lifting the Sky: Elevating the Works of American Women Artists” continues through August 21, 2021. This online juried show will feature 155 paintings and sculptures by members of American Women Artists (AWA).

“The caliber of work included in this show is astonishing and we are pleased to share it with the public,” said the organizers.

More than 2,200 entries were received from 675 artists, and the resulting exhibition features 155 paintings and sculptures by artists living across the U.S. and Canada.

Colored pencil still life — Megan Seiter
“Dolores”
Colored Pencil, 20″ x 26″

American Women Artists - Nancy Bass "At the Museum" (after Mel Bochner) Oil, 36" x 36" — Nancy Bass
“At the Museum” (after Mel Bochner)
Oil, 36″ x 36″

American Women Artists - Carmen Drake, "Rusty Enamel and Violets," 18 x 30 in. — Carmen Drake, “Rusty Enamel and Violets,” 18 x 30 in.

American Women Artists - Holly Bedrosian "The Influencer" Colored Pencil, 27.5" x 19.5" — Holly Bedrosian
“The Influencer”
Colored Pencil, 27.5″ x 19.5″

AWA will host a number of virtual events throughout the run of the show, including a painting demonstration with Associate with Distinction Member Valerie Collymore, studio tour with Master-Signature Member Angela Mia De la Vega, and more.

Juror Mary Williams, owner of Mary Williams Fine Arts, Boulder, CO, shared her thoughts: “I’ve judged a lot of shows and hosted many in my gallery and this is one of the strongest shows I’ve seen in my career.”

Works in the show are for sale. Event details and images of all exhibited works will be posted on the AWA website: www.americanwomenartists.org.

AWA has offered encouragement to female artists since it emerged from the Women Artists & the West exhibition series mounted by the Tucson Museum of Art (TMA) between 1991 and 1994. Since then, AWA has expanded beyond the Western genre to embrace representational and abstract artists from all regions of the U.S. and Canada.

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New Documentary: Guardians of Art

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Fine Art Today

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August 7, 2021

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George L. Stout - Monuments Men — George L. Stout

The new 81-minute documentary Stout Hearted: George Stout and the Guardians of Art tells the story of George L. Stout (1897–1978), an art student from Winterset, Iowa, who led the Monuments Men during World War II.

This now-famous military unit was tasked with retrieving stolen art from the Nazis.

The film goes on to explore Stout’s pioneering efforts in art conservation, which elevated that discipline into a modern science.

Many of his innovations are used today to preserve masterworks from deterioration.

Today, the U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield continues the work of Stout and the Monuments Men by protecting cultural heritage globally.

The film was directed by Kevin Kelley and produced by Marie Wilkes for New Mile Media Arts and is distributed by Heritage Broadcasting Service.

For details, visit newmilemediaarts.org, heritagetac.org, and uscbs.org.

Below, watch a video related to the film and the Monuments Men:

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Cross-Cultural Encounters

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Fine Art Today

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August 7, 2021

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On View: “George Catlin on Indigenous Land”
The Heard Museum (Phoenix, Arizona)
heard.org
through Summer 2022

Painting of North American Indians — GEORGE CATLIN (1796–1872), “North American Indians” (Plate 1 in the North American Indian Portfolio), 1844, hand-colored lithograph on paper, 17 1/2 x 13 in., Heard Museum, gift of Laura and Arch Brown

The Heard Museum’s current exhibition, “George Catlin on Indigenous Land,” features selections from an 1844 portfolio of 25 hand-colored lithographic plates, donated recently by the collectors Laura and Arch Brown.

A self-trained artist who had practiced law for two years, George Catlin made five trips through the West between 1830 and 1836, producing the single largest pre-photographic record of its indigenous peoples. Ultimately, he painted more than 300 portraits of people from nearly 40 tribes, as well as 175 landscapes and many scenes depicting customs and daily life.

Catlin was respectful of the people who posed for him, though he never shared the profits he made while exhibiting and publishing his “Indian Gallery” throughout the U.S. and Europe. In fact, he repeatedly faced financial hardships, including a jail term for indebtedness in London, where these particular lithographs were printed.

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A Long Island Couple’s Art Collection Turning Point

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Fine Art Today

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August 6, 2021

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ADAM MILLER (b. 1979), "Taming Leviathan," 2014, oil on canvas, 40 x 36 in.

Featured Art Collection > Mike and Liz Delesia live in a sun-filled house in suburban Long Island. “Our art collection is modest,” Mike explains, “but it does give us a certain feeling of accomplishment. It truly warms our home and enriches our family life.”

Mike and Liz Delesia

Mike says that his parents lacked the resources to expose their family to any art forms, so it was not until 2008 that he and Liz made their first serious acquisition at a benefit auction — a print by Clifford Bailey titled “The Hornets.” Since then, the couple have assembled a collection that includes works by Michael Carson, Nova Czarnecki, Dana Hawk, Andrea Kowch, Shana Levenson, Adam Miller, Yana Movchan, Kadir Nelson, Kevin Sartin, Margo Selski, Armando Valero, and Pamela Wilson.

Most of these purchases have been made from RJD Gallery in Bridgehampton, which is located 65 miles east of the Delesias’ home. Meeting the gallery’s principal, Richard Demato, marked a key “turning point” in their collecting adventure, Mike says, though a few works have been acquired directly from the artists. The Delesias now consider Andrea Kowch a friend and they correspond regularly with Shana Levenson. Mike notes, “I cherish every opportunity we have to meet the artists represented in our collection.”

He continues, “In the very short time I have been collecting, I am concerned to observe ‘a rush to produce.’ Talent and meticulousness are important to me; in some cases, it appears that artists are expediting their works through the process, for one reason or another.” Though this does not pertain to the works hanging at the Delesias’ home, it is nonetheless a situation that everyone involved should be concerned about.

On a brighter note, Mike adds: “I still find myself staring at the artworks with all of the wonder I felt when we first hung them on the walls.” Surely no artist could ask for more.

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