Blogging the Arts.

Exhibitions: What It Do... (Part One)

By cobwebsandstrange on 11/13/09 4:26pm
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In western culture there’s a specific notion that most expect to physically encounter when venturing off to see art. Imagining any venue that possesses untold cultural treasures tacked up on walls or encased in glass, folks would describe the scene in varying terms using words like “gallery,” “exhibit” or “display.” People’s notions concerning art and how its displayed has been engrained in them from school field trips or forced visits accompanying parents to see that one Picasso painting. And while there are only scant signs of change, change has still come to museums and galleries.

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Spookify Your Studio (Or Anything Else) with Art

By sarajean on 10/30/09 3:11am
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Halloween is only a day away, but there is still plenty of time to get decked out to celebrate. My own neighbors are just now hanging decorations to delight the trick-or-treaters we’ll be getting (of course, we’ve had our house decorated since the end of September, but that’s another story!). Here are a few quick ways to spookify your pad for your Halloween party, trick-or-treaters, or your own enjoyment.

Enlarge a scary piece of art you’ve done. Or, blow up an image of Frankenstein, a ghost, whatever. Hang it somewhere prominent. If you prefer, splatter it with some red paint or fake blood—take out your rage and make something new all at once!

Drape spider webs over everything. These are super cheap and super easy to come by. Make a few of your own spiders with construction paper, origami or clay, or simply buy some cheap spider rings to add.

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10 Great Social Network Sites for Artists

By Niki Fears on 10/28/09 11:47pm
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..Although our creative, right brained nature tends to dominate, that does not mean that we can not still be rather business savvy when it comes to networking and promoting our talents and art work. Social media is evolving to feature an array of specialized communities specifically designed for the needs of artists, art buyers and collectors, and students who are spreading their artistic wings. Even if you already have an existing web site, listing your profile on various art community sites and linking back to your own web site is also a great way to gain more exposure and draw more traffic to your existing site.

To help you in this quest of self promotion and to connect with other like minded individuals in the art world, here are 10 great community sites for artists that you will not want to miss:

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Eric Saeter

By lafeeverte on 10/13/09 10:27am
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I actually started writing about Eric Saeter yesterday but, gave up in disgust because its just not fair how some people have everything. And when I mean everything, I mean talent. Loads of it. Eric SaeterEric SaeterHe's pretty dang easy on the eyes, too... being the model that he is when he is not painting, photographing, sculpting clay, melting precious metals and making the most.... sincere jewlery you ever laid eyes on.

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Frank Kozik: An Artist in a Different Kitchen

By cobwebsandstrange on 10/7/09 9:10pm
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Moving beyond expectations, Frank Kozik sidled his way into the toy industry after becoming one of the lumpen masses functioning under the banner of ‘low brow’ art.

“I always collected toys,” Kozik says in an interview from Babylon Falling. Travelling to Japan for leisure as well as to display his work in 2 dimensional formats, the artist found himself amidst the burgeoning vinyl toy market.  After realizing what his Japanese connections were interested in was making toys as well as recognizable, digestible characters, Kozik knew he wanted in.  The results of the artist’s latest work are displayed and consumable at the Rotofugi Gallery (1953-55 W. Chicago Ave.) with affixed price tags ranging from 5 dollars to upwards of five-hundred.

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Describing Dissemination

By cobwebsandstrange on 10/7/09 2:45pm
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The problem with genius in any medium is dissemination. Over the past three years, I’ve been privy to three separate Picasso exhibits in three distinct portions of the US. And while each one must have had a specific focus, I can’t recall any of them. The recollection of each though is stamped in me with a feeling, a sense of time and place. And to a certain extent, that’s what we should take away from a purposeful human creation whether it’s visual, musical or emotional.

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The Confluence of Art and Charity

By cobwebsandstrange on 10/1/09 3:44pm
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Rallying around a cause and working to solve it has long been a part of the arts community. The better known attempts included festivals like Live Aid, Farm Aid, George Harrison’s Concert for Bangledesh or Sally Struthers attempting to feed the children with donations (and yes, All in the Family is in fact art). One can even search the New York Times for instances dating back to the ‘20s of artists selling their work to help others. Today in Chicago, though, there are still those working for the betterment of society.

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October is Right Brainers Rule Month

By sarajean on 9/30/09 9:19am
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Are you tired of people asking you to be “more down to earth”? Do you cringe every time you realize you’ve left a paintbrush in your utensil drawer, or you left the house with a pencil behind your ear again? If you’re tired of having to leave your “zone” because of phone interruptions or mindless conversations with people who don’t “get it,” you are not alone, Right-Brain Thinker.

You are not alone—and you should be proud!

The world would be a dull place without right-brain thinkers. Without sculpture or poetry, paintings or movies, where would we be? Still picking gnats out of one another’s fur, likely. Right brain thinkers are pioneers, innovators—the people who come up with new ways to make the world a better place each and every day.

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Enter the Best of WetCanvas Art Competition

By sarajean on 9/30/09 9:01am
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WetCanvas forums are a favorite of many artists and often host challenges and contests to showcase individual art. If you’re interested in having your work featured as the “Best of WetCanvas,” don’t miss the chance to enter the Best of WetCanvas Art Competition! Landscape, still life and portrait paintings are all accepted until the deadline, October 31.

Prizes include the prestigious title above plus a grand prize of $1,000, $100 plus ArtistsNetwork.TV subscriptions for the first place winners in each category, $100 gift card for NorthLightShop.com for second place winners in each category, and a one-year subscription to an art magazine for all third place winners. Each winner will also receive a certificate commemorating their achievement.

A Jury of Your Peers

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Brandon Mcconnell: Spray Paint Art

By lisala on 9/18/09 8:22pm
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I've never seen anything quite like this. It's art using cans of spray paint, sometimes two at a time, and various objects like paper, or spray paint cans, or the lids of cooking pots to create stunning paintings. This particular video is by Brandon Mcconnell, but the Space Painting site has lots of videos by Brandon Mcconell and other artists, as well as instructions and supplies for trying it out yourself. Don't underestimate this video; watch it all the way through. These are artists with talent and some sophisticated techniques