Christel Assante by Alexandra Dailey

 

Thanksgiving is here; a day full of football, family, and of course, food.  Having this particular holiday on the brain I am compelled to delve into food art, a medium that I have never had the guts to play around with aside from carving rudimentary pictures into the crust of pies.  I believe at one time or another we’ve all seen edible sculptures made out of watermelons, cantaloupes, and honeydew melons. These items are commonly used because they provide a durable carving material, but artist Christel Assante prefers to work with a more delicate food item when creating art. She carves gorgeous, detailed, and delicate scenes into egg shells.  Assante uses a most fragile material that also happens to be quite a bit smaller than any melon; she predominately uses quail and goose eggs for her custom pieces. Concentration, deliberate action, and great care are all required in order to execute her designs.  When one looks upon Assante’s work it is easy to recognize the elements of control and discipline within the artwork itself—every line, cut, and mark serves a purpose, there is nothing superfluous.  Christel Assante devotes much time and effort into her work, just like many of us devote hours to perfecting our “food art” that we display on Thanksgiving. Both Assante and the rest of us enjoy food art, it’s just that one type is merely to be enjoyed with our artistic eyes, and the other is meant for hungry eyes and bellies.  Make sure to thank your family’s “food artist” for their hard work today, and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Article Contributed by Alexandra Dailey.  To read more articles by Alexandra, visit her blog at http://alexdailey.wordpress.com.

To read more articles, presented by Contemporary Art Gallery Online, visit us at www.contemporaryartgalleryonline.com.

Welcome New Artist Yvette Tipton

Artpiece: 

“The Break Up”
Acrylic
24”  x  48”

 

About the Artist:

Yvette Tipton

Yvette was born and raised in San Francisco, California.  Yvette began drawing and sculpting at the age of 5.  Yvette has continued to create art all through her life.  Yvette has completed mural projects as well as displayed her art in the San Francisco Art Museum.  Yvette has been a part of several group exhibitions as well as sols shows.

 

To view more of Yvette’s work and the work of all our fine artists, visit us at www.contemporaryartgalleryonline.com.   Also check out our monthly art competitions.

 

Pattern People by Jayme Catalano

   Heart Ikat by Pattern People

Tribal Stripe by Pattern People

Succulents by Pattern People

The surface designers behind Pattern People are generous with their on-trend, often whimsical creations: they offer free, limited use downloads of their specially created patterns. Available in both vectorized Illustrator and tile-able jpeg formats, the possibilities are endless. Visit their website to download the free patterns.

 

Article Contributed by Jayme Catalano of Canary Public Relations.  To read more articles by Jayme, visit her website at http://canarypublicrelations.com.

To read more articles, presented by Contemporary Art Gallery Online, visit us at www.contemporaryartgalleryonline.com.

Welcome Our New Artist Cecil Lee

 

 

Artpiece: 

“Being Together”
12” x  16”
Photographic Art
Gallery wrapped canvas on 1.5” stretch bar
Limited Edition Giclee #1 of 35,
Signed and numbered

 

About the Artist:

Cecil Lee:
Cecil is semi-retired and has recently begun his new career as an Artist.

 

Personal Statement:

“I strongly embrace the concept of altering ones preconceived ideas of art and life in order to discover what is NEW.”

 

To view more of Cecil’s work and the work of all our fine artists, visit us at www.contemporaryartgalleryonline.com.   Also check out our monthly art competitions.

 

Check Out Shelley Wheeler and her Spectacular Art!

Art Piece: 
“A Stroll in the Park”
Pastels on Colored Canvas
12” x  12”
 

About the Artist:

Shelley Wheeler
Shelley is a professional sculptor and artist. 
 

Shelley’s Personal Statement:

“When you are an artist, all you can think about is art. I am either creating some kind of art work, or I am thinking about creating my next piece of art.” 
 

To view more of Shelley’s work and the work of all our fine artists, visit us at www.contemporaryartgalleryonline.com.   Also check out our monthly art competitions.

RH Alexander by Jayme Catalano

 

 

 

Stillness in Movement

RH Alexander creates images as disparate as Buddhist monks in Tibet, Occupy protestors in San Francisco, still life studies, and stunning California landscapes. With a Ph.D in psychology as well as intensive training in newspaper journalism, he brings a deeply analytical and technical eye to his work. He says, “Photographs capture stillness in movement-a gift that allows us to stop time and deeply enter the visual world. But great photographs also capture movement in stillness. Within the image, one can sense something about to happen, something coming to life or passing away.” The images below are from his California Landscape series. You can view more from this series and others on his website.

Article Submitted by Jayme Catalano, of Canary Public Relations.  To read more by Jayme, visit her blog at http://canarypublicrelations.wordpress.com. 

Visit www.contemporaryartgalleryonline.com and read additional blogs by our other talented writers and view the wonderful works of our artists. 

 

Images Shown:

Image One - Dawn, near Mono Lake by RH Alexander Photography

Image Two - Last Sunset by RH Alexander Photography

Image Three - Sunset over San Francisco by RH Alexander Photography

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check Out Zave Nelson and his Art!

 

 



Art Piece: 
“Midnight Dreaming”
Marker and Colored Pencil
25” x  19”

About the Artist:

Zave Nelson:
Zave was born in Atlanta, Georgia.  He never met his mother.  As a child Zave was a problem child, and stayed in trouble.  Zave was introduced to art and in his words “art changed his outlook on life and has brought him closer to God.  He now looks upon his life and talents as a gift, for which he is very thankful.

Artist Comment About the Piece:

“I couldn’t sleep for days.  This piece was able to help me gain peace with in myself.  It made me feel as if I could just fly away while leaving all my worries behind.”
 

To view more of Zave’s work and the work of all our fine artists, visit us at www.contemporaryartgalleryonline.com.   Also check out our monthly art competitions.

A Photo Hunt

A Photo Hunt

This assignment can be done one of two ways. The 1st being that you look at the below list and go out with your digital camera and photograph as many of the items listed below in one image. I do not want to give you a brief definition of what all of the items in the list mean; I rather leave it up to your own definitions. What I am hoping that this will do is give you some direction. You might even go out and shoot if not hundreds thousands of images, Just to find one or two that really work. That is ok; photography sometimes is a number game. What I find out with this assignment is that the more of the items check off on the list the stronger the composition.

The other way this assignment can be done is by going online to websites that display well known photographers. Try to stick with people that have extensive list of exhibition or that are in field as a professional photographer. You can even go to the library and look at a lot of different photographic books. I would suggest the library 1st only because so many people publish online but so few are “Real Photographers”. If you can get a publishing company to publish your work, you must be doing something right. See what images you’re attracted to. See what photographers you like. Then go through the list pulling the images that you are attracted to and see how many of the items on the list you can check off.

Either way you are exercising your sight, which is really important to becoming a good photographer. I find that so many photographers start out photographing with their new camera, but have no direction. They tend to not be sure of what they want to photograph. I even had students that tell me that they live in a boring place with nothing to really photograph. I laugh because these students live in Miami FL, and they don’t see it. Please post your best findings here so that I can see them too. Make sure to tell us which items on the list you were able to check off with that image. Most of all just have

Article Submitted by:  Robert Davlia, Professor of Photography

To read more articles by our bloggers and view the many images of our artists, visit us at www.contemporaryartgalleryonline.com

Holiday Gift Giving by Alxandra Dailey

The holidays are fast approaching, and I believe that I am safe in saying that many of you (myself, the poor college graduate included) have tight budgets for gift purchasing.   Not to worry or be stressed though my fellow creative and artistic friends!   You can make amazing, thoughtful gifts for those in your life with very little cash. I have one word for you – repurpose.   We all have random items floating around our homes, things that have served their purpose long ago, are broken, or are in poor condition as they stand.   I don’t know what objects any of you may have but find them and imagine their potential. For example, I’m using old drawings and cards to create fun and unique gift tags for my family. I’m also using vintage beads and cabochons to make earrings.   I may even compose some scrap art pieces for people who like original work. All of these projects do require a few household supplies such as glue, scissors, maybe tape, and modge-podge if you have some.   Other than those items, the rest can be spotted by your creative eye and taste.   Use old magazines, books, broken or out-of-date jewelry, photographs, paper labels, old clothing—use whatever you have and what speaks to you!   The holidays are about showing our loved ones that we care, and how better to do so than with something made with your own hands?   So rather than picking up a little store bought gift or gift card, make something from the heart that has a little bit of you glued together in the pieces.   After all, we bestow our love into that which we create.

Article submitted by Alexandra Dailey

To read additional articles written by Alexandra, visit http://alexdailey.wordpress.com or contemporaryatygalleryonline.com

Meet Artist Edwardo Setien

About the Art:

“DNA Chains #1”

Oil on Canvas

23” x  18”

Black Frame included

$800.00

About the Artist:

Edwardo Setien currently lives in Miami Beach, Florida.  He has been a professional artist for over twenty years and has had more than 100 exhibitions.  He has received numerous art awards and accolades.  Edwardo is a high selling artist, having sold over 200 pieces of artwork.  Edwardo’s most recent themes include the interpretation of the human DNA cells, and chains destruction due to illnesses like cancer.

To view more of Pete’s work and the work of all our fine artists, visit us at www.contemporaryartgalleryonline.com.   Also check out our monthly art competitions.

Mysterious Stability By Jayme Catalano

Mysterious Stability

Chilean artist Santiago Salvador paints images of tiny, anonymous people often arranged in patterns reminiscent of traditional South American weaving. “I think of my paintings and drawings as constructions. I include recognizable elements in them and others that are not, creating a composition in a way loses a narrative logic, but maintains in itself a friendly and mysterious stability. I think that painting and illustrations are a gateway to the recognizable, the intimate and the ambiguous that surround us.”

Article Submitted by:  Jayme Catalano

Canary Public Relations

To read more articles by Jayme Catalano, visit her blog at http://canarypublicrelations.wordpress.com

To read more articles by our bloggers and view the many images of our artists, visit us at www.contemporaryartgalleryonline.com

Meet Artist Michael Tolleson

About the Art:

Size:  18" x 24"  
Medium:  Acrylic  
Created:  2012

About the Artist:

Michael’s art travels between two paths; one more realistic and the other more abstract and soul based. Michael usually begins by observing and reviewing a photo of a place, person, building, sky or a landscape.  The photo acts as a tool to isolate whatever interests him, and in the process, the ordinary will reveal something extraordinary about its place in Michael’s world.  These images provide the “bones” of his work.  Michael absorbs the feeling of the image and what develops on the canvas is that feeling on adrenaline.  Michael’s paintings capture the essence of that moment.  To learn more about Michael and view the rest of his collection, visit us at www.contemporaryartgalleryonline.com.

Also check out our monthly art competitions, blogs and radio shows.

Five Tips to Becoming a Better Photographer - Part Five

Five Tips to Becoming a Better Photographer  -  Part Five

By:  Robert Davila
Professor of Photography

 

Hello again, and Happy Friday!  Today we continue with another tool, which will assist you in becoming the photographer you always wanted to be.

 Jpeg Vs. RAW

What is the big difference between these two files?  Does it even mater if I use one over the other?  While the image may look similar the editing possibilities is limited when using the Jpeg file.  If you are using images for reference, than a Jpeg might just do the job.  However If you want to be able to change your exposure your white balance or even get rid of some spots, RAW is the way to go.  However for the most part you must remember that you might need to download some software to read your cameras RAW file.  This could be found on line or it may even come with your camera.  Once you have finish you’re editing and want to print it, you might have to convert to Jpeg. 

Keep in mind that every time you open close or edit a Jpeg you are losing pixels.  This is done to help the file from becoming larger than it needs to be. 

I hope that these couples of tips were helpful and hope to hear about your success.  If you have any questions about using your camera or have a subject in the area of photography in which you would like to know more about, drop me a line.   I have done everything from running a darkroom lab to working with digital photography.      

Thank you for following.    Have a great weekend and take some photographs.

To ask questions about your camera or photography, email them to cago.blog@gmail.com. 

Opening My Sketch Book

I recently decided to reopen my college sketchbook and start drawing again. Skipping past my old attempts at quick still-lifes and object drawings, I began to draw female figures with swooping contour lines and attention to the details of toes and such. Like writing, drawing for me is rewarding yet draining. You pour all you have out onto the paper, and after such a purging you feel empty and exhausted. But the glorious feeling of having created something glistens, overshadowing the burnt out emotion that lingers within. My style is a combination of light, sketchy drawings and highly detailed ones—putting two seemingly opposite approaches together on the page can be challenging while also yielding happy results. Today I was perusing the internet and I came across a drawing called “Two Women Sketch” by Erin Payne. The piece depicts two female figures in a quick sketch that utilizes both light and dark strokes of a conte crayon. The drawing is whimsical yet determined in composition. The figures strike their poses and hold them as statues would, but their bodies look as if they could be blown away by a slight breeze. Payne created a juxtaposition of hard and soft, stable and unstable, permanent and fleeting—these combinations are compelling to look upon because of their extreme differences, differences that Payne was able to capture in an eye-pleasing manner. Strong and fragile are two angles that I try to convey with my drawings like Erin Payne so successfully does in her piece “Two Women Sketch”.  I attempt what Payne has accomplished within the pages of my sketchbook. I understand the concept, but to deliver upon that concept is another step that I hope to achieve one day.

Article Submitted by Alexandra Dailey

To read more articles written by Alexandra, visit her blog at http://alexdailey.wordpress.com.

 

To view the piece refereced, click on the link attached.  http://www.erinpayneart.com/large-multi-view/single/91015-0-/Paper.html#.UJlVLMXLTzo

CAGO Welcomes New Artist Member Alvaro Garcia Ordonez

About the Art:
Seeding (Dipthych)
Mixed media
24"  x  24"  each  set of 2
$3,800.00

About the Artist:
Alvaro García Ordoñez the son of a carpenter and a teacher was born in the town of La Peña, Cundinamarca province, Colombia.

He studied at the Art School in the National University of Colombia in Bogotá. After graduating he earned a scholarship that took him to Sweden, Germany, Switzerland and France.

Alvaro is a notable  Colombian sculptor and painter.

Alvaro currently lives in the United States with a residence as Aliens of Extraordinary Ability and where he is making an ample cultural and societal contribution through his art.

Visit ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com and view Alvaro's art collection.  It is absolutely amazing! 

The Carrier and the Color

Fiber artist Peter Gentenaar creates three-dimensional, organic sculptures out of two-dimensional paper. He starts by beating the paper pulp for very long time, creates a single sheet of paper from the pulp, and reinforces it with thin ribs of bamboo. The paper shrinks up to 40% during the drying process, putting incredible force on the non-shrinking bamboo reinforcements. The tension creates the beautiful, curling shapes that are then suspended in air. Gentenaar says of his work, “The simplicity of the material, which is the carrier, the color, the texture and the form, all together, make working with it wonderful and direct.” The sculptures pictured below were exhibited at the Festival of Saint-Riquier in France.

For more on Peter Gentenaar, click here. For more on the Saint-Riquier Somme-Bay Festival, click here.

 

Article Submitted by Jayme Catalano, owner of Canary Public Relations

To read more articles written by Jayme Catalano visit her blog at http://canarypublicrelations.wordpress.com

 

CAGO Welcomes New Artist Member Tara Francoise

About the Artwork:

Green Globe
14" x 14"
Gel Pens & Chalk on Paper
Unframed and Unmatted
$125.00

 About the Artist:

Tara Francosie is from Portland, Oregon but everyone there calls her Tara, so we will as well.  Tara is new to the art world but her drawings are full of vibrant colors.  Her images can be described as delicate, intricate and full of life and dimension.

 The Artist’s Statement:

“All my art is done with gel pen and chalk on paper.  A very simple approach but the results are intriguing and original.   This is my recovery without my art I would be lost to a world of Darkness.  I want to share it with the world.”

Francoise Moisan, but everyone calls her Tara is new to the art world.  Her images are bright, vibrant, intriguing and full of life and dimension.    Her drawings are completed with gel pens and chalk.  Visit us at Contemporary Art Gallery Online and view Tara’s collection of work.  You will be enthralled as we were. 

Five Tips to becoming a Better Photographer - Part Four

Five Tips to Becoming a Better Photographer  -  Part Four

By:  Robert Davila

Professor of Photography

 

Hello again, and Happy Friday!  Today we continue with another tool, which will assist you in becoming the photographer you always wanted to be.

 

What is White Balance?

If you search through your setting you can than find an option for Custom White Balance.  For the most part your camera has several white balances setting that it can choose from.   These setting can be used for different lighting scenarios.  When you have your camera on Auto White Balance, your camera is evaluating the light and deciding for you, which one is the best for the situation.  It will choose from option like cloudy, fluorescent, tungsten and etc.  However the custom white balance will allow you to be more precise.  The process on setting the white balance may be slightly different for each manufacturer, it is best to read your manual for more details on that.  This tool will make sure that your whites are truly white.  However for more creative use of this tool you might want to photograph the same images using different white balance setting to see how the different color cast changes your interpretation of the image.

Next week, I will discuss Tip Number Five.    Have a great weekend and take some photographs.

To ask questions about your camera or photography, email them to cago.blog@gmail.com. 

Photography:  The New Contemporary Art Form

Photography, in my opinion, has become the contemporary art of the people.  Photography is easily accessible for the majority of viewers, and therefore can be appreciated by most because if we haven’t seen that scene exactly we’ve at least seen something similar.  Photography is also a readily accessible form of art because anyone with an iPhone, iPad, digital camera, or picture-snapping flip phone can capture a moment, blow it up, print it, frame it, and sell it if they should so choose. Today anyone can be a photographer, and I don’t believe one has to take a dozen photography classes in order to achieve this.  One merely needs to have an artistic eye; an eye that notices the beauty in the mundane, or the simplicity in the complex.  Oddly enough, I would call myself an amateur photographer.  My pictures may not be gallery or museum worthy, but they represent the beauty I find within the world. I believe anyone can be a photographer, and I would encourage anyone with the necessary equipment to test their artistic eye. Look through the camera’s viewfinder and see what you can see.  Find the beauty that many overlook and capture it in all its glory.  As photographers; our success is based on how the picture speaks to us and what it means to us, not by the recognition others might give. I challenge you to look and capture what speaks to you.

Article submitted by:  Alexandra Dailey

You can read more articles written by Alexandra, by visiting her blog at http://alexdailey.wordpress.com