Areté

A Youtube presentation of the thinkarete.com manifesto accompanied by the Zero 7 remix of "Crosses" by José González from the album The Garden.

New Work, Monterey Cypress Trees

Point Lobos Path With Steps © 2012 Katherine Kean
oil on linen  18 x 14 in.

This is a new oil in a series inspired by the coastal path through Monterey Cypress Trees at Point Lobos, California. Some earlier studies that this developed from can be found here.

Helsinki Complaints Choir

Finnish artists Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen collected the pet peeves and angst-ridden pleas of people in Helsinki and then composed this choral work around the list of complaints. Music composed by Esko Grundström.



This was fun and it's interesting to see how the compaints in Helsinki compare with our own. There are also complaints choirs for Birmingham, St. Petersburg, Hamburg, and Poikkilaakso. There's a website just for Complaint Choirs of the World and there you can vote for your favorite one.

More Cover Art: Planet Lightworker

My painting, "Autumn's Veil" is the featured artwork on the cover of Planet Lightworker this month. Planet Lightworker is an online magazine that offers cutting edge spiritual articles.

Cover Art: Art of Well Being

One of my paintings is featured on the cover of the Art of WellBeing journal.

The Art of WellBeing is both a holistic journal and a website. It is a complementary resource for many holistic healthcare choices offered by practitioners in the North Carolina vicinity. It is distributed quarterly, containing articles and advertising from practitioners, businesses and services which provide awareness and support for the health and well-being of North Carolina communities.

Surprisingly Accurate "Street View"

I love using Google Maps. I basically have no sense of direction but I'm good with visuals so I like that I can get a satellite view to help me find where I'm going. I noticed that now the maps have a little orange man and if you click on "street view" it takes you to a street level point of view of that spot.

What really impressed me was the accuracy of the street view-there really was an orange man right there on the street!

How do they do it?

Wandering Water: Ballona Network Art Auction

Wandering Water Katherine Kean

This is the painting I'm donating for the Ballona Network Art Auction.

This painting is 8 x 8", oil on canvas.

A preview showing more of the artwork donated, including paintings, tiles, photography and jewelry, is available on their website.

Save the Date: Ballona Network Art Auction, Raffle, & Dinner

Ballona Network invites you to a unique chance to support Ballona and acquire art by top local artists.

Free Public Art Preview 2 - 5 pm
Silent Auction, Raffle & Dinner
Sunday September 9, 2007 6 - 9pm
at:
Culver Events Center
11934 West Washington Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90066

To make your reservation and to preview art go to:

BallonaNetwork.org

Art works include sculpture, painting, photography, mixed media, ceramics, prints, and digital art. Many contributing artists participated in an extensive tour of the Ballona Watershed in April from Franklin Canyon to the Ballona Wetlands. They are donating their work in support of a Ballona Watershed greenway vision.

An integral part of this green vision is engaging both the public and elected officials in the challenge of creating an urban network of green trails, streams, and natural places - from the Santa Monica Mountains and the Los Angeles River to the Baldwin Hills, Ballona Creek and Wetlands, and Santa Monica Bay, while conserving, cleaning, and restoring our water.

All contributions are tax-deductible.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS

Ciya

Lucy Blake-Elahi

Lois Jean Brower

Maximilian Buschman

Michael Caroff

Christophe Cassidy

Sharon Commins

Preston Craig

Betsy Damon

Judith Davies

Nancie Doughty

June Edmonds

Lori Escalera

Bruria Finkel

Rudy Gardea

Carole Garland

Dona Geib

Barbara Golbin

Linda Gonzales

James Gordon Evert

Holly Hofmann

Channa Horwitz

Lee Jordan

Jake Kauffman

Katherine Kean

Joey Krebs

Francis Longmire

Jean Lowe

Ken Marsh

Sandra Mueller

Margaret Nielsen

Angela Maria Ortiz

Miquel Osuna

Mary-Suzanne Peters

Sheila Pinkel

Robin Roy

Ruth San Pietro

Craig Shoenbaum

Larry Shapiro

Elizabeth Sloan

Carol Steinberg

Marina Tidwell

Joseph "Joe" Veltri

Margaret Walter

Pat Warner

Roslyn Wilkins

Contact & questions:

jeanette@SaveBallona.org

310-721-3512

Bring Your Sunglasses: Dan Flavin at LACMA

I tried to see the Dan Flavin retrospective at LACMA today (the last day, I believe), but had to leave because it triggered the beginning of a migraine. Luckily I was okay again after a few minutes away from the fluorescent lights...

I had a great time at the Olafur Eliasson a couple of years ago and suffered no bad effects.

Here's an article about the affects on others.

Trip East: Edward Hopper

I just returned from a trip to Boston and Cape Cod and was lucky enough to get to see the Edward Hopper Retrospective at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Luckily the MFA is open seven days a week. For me it was the only time I've had the chance to see a collection of Hopper works all at one time. It was good to see the development of the theme that he is so known for, the night and evening compositions peering into and through interior spaces, with figures often presented as an isolated element, the secondary cool warms and warm cool colors, along with his landscapes and quite a few watercolors of complex compositions of converging diagonals, verticles, and horizontals, many of local Victorian houses. I also found interesting a journal with thumbnail sketches and photographs of paintings alongside notes and descriptions of the work. This online version is interactive.

If you took all the pigments in the color spectrum and mixed them together, what color would they make?

I have been expecting a delivery of art supplies, so I was not surprised to find a small box from Dick Blick at the gate. I opened it to find a tube of oil paint inside, Torrit Grey, which I do not recall ordering. Then I saw that it is labeled "Always Complimentary Not for Sale". Thinking that my order must have been screwed up I checked the website and learned that the Gamblin company distributes this paint every year and that it is made up of the pigment that gets caught in their Torit filter system during the manufacturing process. Instead of throwing the pigment away they recycle it and make paint from it and give it away free to artists. The full explanation, including details on the Torrit Grey Painting Competition, can be found at the Gamblin website.

Drawing Charcoal Recipe

While looking up information about pigment properties, history, and recipes, (this brought about by Cassandra Tondro's post concerning paint as a potentially limited resource) I came across the following recipe for Vine Charcoal:

Materials:
twigs, woody vines, or dowels-- untreated wood, at least 2 years of growth, at least 1/4 to 3/8 inch in diameter, extra heavy aluminum foil, fireplace, barbecue pit, ceramics kiln, or other means of heating.

Nearly any kind of wood will make charcoal. IMPORTANT: Do not use treated lumber because of toxic fumes emitted during the roasting process. Twigs may be of any diameter, but very thin twigs would be too weak for drawing. Lumber scraps may be ripped to one-fourth inch squares or larger. The wood will shrink as it turns into charcoal. Cut the twigs to the desired length (five to seven inches is good). Cut off forked joints, and peel away all the bark. If the twigs are cut from fresh, living tissue, they should be allowed to dry for a few days before going on to the next step.

Wrap several dry sticks tightly in extra heavy aluminum foil so that no air may infiltrate the package. Air entering the package would reduce the sticks to ash rather than charcoal. If the aluminum comes in contact with open flame a hole could be burnt through the foil, spoiling the charcoal; so you might wrap a second layer of foil tightly around the package for security. (But don't overdo it; each layer of foil reduces the amount of heat reaching the wood.) Experiment first with five or six sticks per bundle. If the bundle contains more sticks, higher heat and longer roasting time will be required to completely carbonize the wood. Soft wood species, such as pine and cedar, will require less roasting time than hardwood species (such as birch, ash, oak, walnut).

Place the package in the coals of a fireplace or a barbecue pit. It may take several hours (or overnight) in the coals for the sticks to carbonize and then cool down. Do not open the package until it has cooled enough to be handled comfortably. You must be willing to experiment beyond the first attempt. Too much heat will melt the foil. Insufficient heat will produce brands; you should get consistently good results after a few experiments. Charcoal can also be made in a ceramics kiln, which should be vented outdoors. If you use a ceramics kiln, experiment cautiously with temperatures above 300 degrees Celsius (572 degrees Fahrenheit). Hotter temperatures cause rapid carbonization and are hard to control.

This charcoal can be used as is for drawing implements, or you could grind it up in a mortar and pestle to make vine black pigment for ink or paint.

I found this recipe on http://www.jcsparks.com/painted/pigment-chem.htmlwho found it in Pigments Through the Ages. I also noticed that the instructions call for a heating source that vents to the outdoors.

Now I know what to do with all the extra grape vines on some cold winter night!

Yay!

It's raining!

Kinetic Sculpture of Theo Jansen

“The walls between art and engineering exist only in our minds.” - Theo Jansen




Theo Jansen-The merging of art and engineering

strandbeest

Women In Art

Brought to my attention by Debra, thanks!

A Walk in the Ballona Wetlands: Ballona Creek, Ballona Network

I had the pleasure yesterday of walking with a group of people, mostly artists, through parts of the Ballona Wetlands. The purpose of our walk was to become informed and inspired to perhaps create artwork for the 2nd Annual Ballona Network Art Auction.

Lucy Blake-Elahi, Jeanette Vosburg, and Rex Frankel (local wetland expert) were there to lead a close up view of the water, plants and birds in the wetlands by Titmouse Park down in Playa del Rey.



I am excited by the idea /proposal/hope of connecting open spaces, wildlife habitat, parks and neighborhoods via walking, biking and non-road public transit such as the potential Ballona Creek greenway to connect from the ocean to Griffith Park and Franklin Canyon Parks. See Connecting California.org

New Easel

I finally got a new easel.

My old easel had been getting on my nerves for some time. I'd had it for ages and although sturdy enough it was difficult to adjust the height and one of the front casters wheels had a tendency to fall out.

I decided that a quality that I must have in a new easel is a crank to raise and lower the height of the canvas easily. Without this I end up trying to raise and lower myself, often ending up in odd positions. As I started shopping I found plenty of easels that have cranks.



Although beautiful, the problem with many of them is that the adjustment results in the entire mast raising, so unless you have good ceiling height in the studio you won't be able to lift the canvas without the top of the mast hitting the ceiling. I also wanted something that didn't require training to figure out how to assemble. I visited lots of local art stores to see various easels and a few had demonstration easels that didn't function because they weren't put together correctly. The location of the crank is important to me too. Some easel manufacturers put the crank off to the side or in the back. I don't want to have to leave my spot to make a small adjustment.

I finally selected the one pictured below, had it delivered, and put it together without too much difficulty. So far, it works like a dream.



The canvas holder shelf raises and lowers while the mast remains stable and the crank is right on the front. Also, as you can see, the surface can also be tilted forward, as well as back.

Update: I've been happily using this easle for the past three or four years and it's been wonderful. The one thing to watch out for is to be sure and set the brake properly. Once or twice I neglected to do that only to have it slip, causing the easel to start lowering on it's own, gaining speed as it goes. That would be okay, except for the crank turning bumping my leg each time it turns, all the way down.

On a fun note, raising the easel makes a wonderful gear cranking sound. If you're a fan of Lost, the sound might make you start looking around for the smoke monster.

Commission: Sunflowers

This is a small (12" x 9")recently completed, commissioned painting, about to be delivered.

Samuel Bak in The Lucid Dreamer

Under the Trees

Sanctuary

One of the artists included in The Lucid Dreamer is Samuel Bak. The work presented in the book is titled Parable and it depicts a man seated within and between the halves of a large golden pear, which is itself wedged between the buildings of an old city. He is also holding a pear which he is peeling. He has a series of new work along a similar vein called Fruit of Knowledge.

More of his work can be found here.

The Lucid Dreamer

I've recently started reading this book, The Lucid Dreamer, A Waking Guide for the Traveler Between Worlds, by Malcolm Godwin. Perhaps one of the things I appreciate the most are the illustrations, ranging from the little known to Surrealist paintings and diagrams showing brain activity.

Brush Cleaning with Safflower Oil

I am not a big believer in cleaning brushes. It has always seemed to me to be a colossal waste of time. My solution over the years has been to wipe off excess paint with a rag or paper towel and simply leave the brushes soaking in solvent, usually an inch or so of odorless mineral spirits in a tin can. Recently I've switched from using mineral spirits to using safflower oil-the very kind found in the grocery store. Much of the oil paint I use includes a little bit of it anyway so I know it isn't going to have an adverse effect. I've found that it is more pleasant to use, there are fewer fumes in the studio, the brushes stay softer, and I don't worry about getting any on my skin.

Closing Fun April 21st

We've decided to have an INFORMAL party, 5pm until 7pm, to close our exhibit at TAG. Come on by for a last look before the work comes down and is sent off to new homes.

TAG's new website is up and running now. Have a look!

TAG Reception

The reception at TAG, for Lightfall, Interstate 80, and Bridal Suite, was Saturday, April 7th. It was great to see so many people come by and wonderful to meet new people. Thanks to everyone for attending.

For a review, complete with photos, go to the ATM: Art, Tiles, and Mosaics blog.

This exhibit runs through Saturday, April 21st. There will be an informal closing reception on the last Saturday at 5pm.

The God Code: Gregg Braden

THE GOD CODE

Call to Artists

2007 CALIFORNIA OPEN EXHIBITION

DEADLINE: JULY 10, 2007

Juried Fine Art Exhibition. Juror: PETER FRANK, Curator of the Riverside Art Museum, art critic for Angeleno magazine & L.A. Weekly. $1000 cash awards. Open to all artists over the age of 18, working in fine art media, who can hand deliver artwork. 2-D and 3-D. 2-D max. 48"h x 36"w. Sculpture max. 30 lbs. $30/3 images (slides or CD-R), $5/each additional, 6 max. Exhibition: August 14- Sept. 1, 2007. Insurance. 15% commission on sales. For Prospectus, send SASE to TAG Gallery, 2903 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90404, 310-829-9556 or go to www.TAGtheartistsgallery.com

Another Exhibit: Lightfall

This exhibit at TAG Gallery, opens March 27th and runs through April 21st. The reception for the artists will be on Saturday, April 7th, from 5-8pm. I will be exhibiting along with two other artists; Anne M. Bray and Carol Kleinman.

TAG is located at 2903 Santa Monica Blvd. (at Yale) in Santa Monica. Regular gallery hours are Tuesday to Saturday 11am -5pm.

The Top Drawer Opening Atrium Gallery in the Brewery Art Colony

It has been difficult to find the time to update while I am getting ready for another exhibit. The Top Drawer opening, March 3rd, at the SCWCA Atrium Gallery (A5) in the Brewery Art Colony was fun and we had a great turnout. We actually ended up staying open until about 10pm! Thank you everyone for coming. The time went very fast. We were pleased to be included adjacent to this LA Times article, The Next Big Thing.

Fluffettes from left to right: Diane Destiny, Cindy Rinne,

Linda Carlson, Rose Hughes, Cynthia Friedlob, Yvonne Beatty.

"Top Drawer" continues through March 31st, with a closing reception and the artists' stories about their work. Open Saturdays from 12-4pm at the SCWCA Atrium Gallery at the Brewery Art Colony, 2100 N. Main Street #A5, Los Angeles, CA 90031.

"Top Drawer" Opening Will Last Longer

The opening reception of "Top Drawer" has been extended, at least another hour or two and up until 10 p.m. It will be held at the SCWCA Atrium Gallery at The Brewery, 2100 North Main Street, #A-5, Los Angeles, CA 90031. The exhibit includes some of the artists’ best work in a variety of media. Show dates: March 3 through March 31, 2007. Closing, with artists’ talks: March 31 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Law of Attraction for World Peace

The Law of Attraction for World Peace conference call with James Twyman and James Authur Ray on Wednesday February 28th can be listened to here.

Top Drawer

SCWCA Atrium Gallery
at the Brewery Art Colony
2100 N. Main Street #A5
Los Angeles, CA 90031

The Secret Movie

The Secret Movie is back on Google Video. Here's the direct link. My experience is that they don't stay online for more than a few days.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: THE LADIES’ FLUFF & FOLD SOCIETY PULLS OUT ITS FINEST ART

A group of seven talented and feisty women artists who have exhibited extensively in Southern California and across the nation will present their artwork in their first show together in the SCWCA Atrium Gallery at The Brewery, 2100 North Main Street, #A-5, Los Angeles, CA 90031. The exhibit is entitled, “Top Drawer,” and includes some of the artists’best work in a variety of media. Show dates: March 3 through March 31, 2007.
Opening Reception: March 3 from 3 to 6 p.m. Closing, with artists’ talks: March 31 from 1 to 3 p.m. Participating artists: Yvonne Beatty, Linda Carlson, Diane Destiny, Cynthia Friedlob, Rose Hughes, Katherine Kean, Cindy Rinne.

LOS ANGELES –February 4, 2007 –This year, in honor of a number of important events that took place in the women’s art movement during the 1970s, many galleries and museums across the country will be featuring artwork created by women. The Los Angeles scene will be particularly active from February through June, with numerous gallery shows and historically significant exhibits at the Municipal Art Gallery and at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. But one unique, small gallery plans to join the celebration with the inaugural group show created by The Ladies’ Fluff & Fold Society. The show’s title, “Top Drawer,” refers to the top drawer of just about any woman’s bedroom dresser, the place where she keeps her very finest personal possessions. In this case, those fine possessions are favorite works of art by the seven talented Society members, Yvonne Beatty, Linda Carlson, Diane Destiny, Cynthia Friedlob, Rose Hughes, Katherine Kean and Cindy Rinne.
The Society’s artists, affectionately known within the group as “Fluffettes,” obviously have a sense of humor, but they also have extensive art exhibition credits. Members have shown their award-winning work all over the Southern California region and throughout the nation. In addition, several of the women have substantial teaching experience in their chosen media. Those media are also quite varied: sculpture, fabric art, quilting, painting, drawing, mixed media assemblages, collage, hand-colored photography and installation pieces have been created by the artists in this diverse group.

But “The Ladies’ Fluff & Fold Society?” How did they get together and where did they come up with that unusual name? It all began with each artist’s membership and active participation in the Southern California Women’s Caucus for Art, the well-respected local chapter of the Women's Caucus for Art, the leading national organization for women actively engaged in the visual arts professions and an affiliate of the College Art Association.
One afternoon last year, the women spent an enjoyable and busy few hours sitting around a table in the SCWCA office, stuffing envelopes in support of a gallery project designed to celebrate Southern California women artists. Conversation had turned to the topic of how frequently women have gathered in small groups that had been relegated to such mundane tasks and how often those mundane tasks were what kept the larger efforts of the community running smoothly. One member commented that the efficient, assembly-line system they were using for envelope stuffing was similar to folding laundry. This amusing analogy prompted the group to come up with an appropriate name for itself. As a lighthearted tribute to those many truly useful and often politically significant women’s societies throughout history, “The Ladies’ Fluff & Fold Society” was born.
For a group of working artists, an art show was the next logical step. The newly dubbed SCWCA Atrium Gallery at The Brewery in downtown Los Angeles was the perfect venue, so the group approached the SCWCA Board with a proposal for an exhibition. The Board enthusiastically approved their idea and preparations began for a show that would occur at the height of the 2007 activities devoted to art by women.
The Ladies’ Fluff & Fold Society was named with a tip of the hat to the traditional women’s helpful groups, but this modern gathering will up-date that tradition with a collaborative show that’s a tribute to today’s women artists and all that they have to offer the contemporary art world.
Works in the varied media favored by Society members will be on display at the SCWCA Atrium Gallery, The Brewery, 2100 North Main Street, #A-5, Los Angeles, CA, 90031, during the entire month of March. The public is invited to enjoy the opening reception on Saturday, March 3, from 3 to 6 p.m. and the closing on Saturday, March 31, from 1 to 3 p.m., which will feature brief comments from the artists about their work. The gallery also will be open on each of the interim Saturdays in March from 12 to 4 p.m. and by appointment. Please contact TopDrawer@SCWCA.org for further information.
# # #
About Southern California Women's Caucus for Art
The Southern California Women's Caucus for Art (SCWCA) is one of 33 chapters of the Women's Caucus for Art, the leading national organization for women actively engaged in the visual arts professions and an affiliated society of the College Art Association. Founded in 1976, SCWCA is dedicated to the cultural, aesthetic, and economic value of art by women. It offers programs, workshops, exhibitions, and recognition opportunities to women arts professionals in Southern California.


Media Contacts:
Cynthia Friedlob
Rose Hughes
TopDrawer@scwca.org

DON'T MISS YOUR LAST CHANCE

DON'T MISS YOUR LAST CHANCE to view the
35th Annual National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper.

Eighty-five works of art that explore the theme BORDERS in a variety of media were selected by juror Jim Morphesis.
The exhibition includes wonderful examples of two-dimensional and three-dimensional works as well as artists’ books. It is colorful, thought provoking and fun! Most works are for sale and prices start at $250; the majority of works are under $1,000. Purchases directly benefit the Brand Library, enhancing our programming, collections and exhibitions through the support of the Associates of Brand Library.

ADD A UNIQUE WORK OF ART TO YOUR COLLECTION AND SUPPORT THE BRAND LIBRARY TODAY!

Exhibition closes Friday, January 19th at 5 p.m.


Admission is FREE.


Brand Library & Art Center
Associates of Brand Library / Glendale Public Library
1601 West Mountain Street
Glendale, CA 91201
818-548-2051
Tue & Thu 1-9 pm / Wed 1-6 pm / Fri & Sat 1-5 pm

www.brandlibrary.org

Have we seen the fnords?

Robert Anton Wilson.

http://robertantonwilson.blogspot.com/2007/01/raw-essence.html

23-skidoo-raw

Fantastic Machine Fake

This often comes in the email with the following text:

Fantastic Machine (Sound On)

This incredible machine was built as a collaborative effort between the Robert M. Trammell Music Conservatory and the Sharon Wick School of Engineering at the University of Iowa. Amazingly, 97% of the machines components came from John Deere Industries and Irrigation Equipment of Bancroft Iowa, yes farm equipment!

It took the team a combined 13,029 hours of set-up, alignment, calibration, and tuning before filming this video but as you can see it was WELL worth the effort. It is now on display in the Matthew Gerhard Alumni Hall at the University and is already slated to be donated to the Smithsonian.

Not farm equipment at all, but still fun to watch.



The responsible company is Animusic.