YouTube Video of Buddha Nature Photography with music by Suzanne Teng

Spirit of Art, Buddha in Nature on youtube.com

“Agave Silver Mist © 2009″ Digital Photographs on canvas 30″x 120″

I made the plunge and have my first video of my artwork on youtube.com. With the advice from friends I dove into the iMovie program on my new iMac and made my first montage of my latest series of digital photography set to one of my favorite song’s, the beautiful music of Suzanne Teng’s Mystic Journey, “Suling”.  You can visit her website to sample more music and purchase CDs.  I will have it available as a screen saver, so email me if you’re interested. Enjoy!!!

Valerie Freeman at Los Angeles Public Library, Pacific Palisades Branch

“Aloe Fan Trio” © 2009, Photographs

March 14th - April 26th, 2009

Reception Saturday, March 14th, 3pm-5pm.

I will be exhibiting a variety of mixed media artworks at the Los Angeles Public Library, Pacific Palisades Branch. .  The exhibition is open to the public during library hours.

On exhibit will be a glimpse of several different series created over the past decade.  experimenting with various plein air painting and photograph mediums; inspired by nature and life experiences.  The artworks are created in a very free expressionistic style.  The exhibit will include several of Chinese Brush paintings of animals that are warm-ups to my more evolved pond paintings.  The intent of the brush paintings is to capture animals in five or less brush strokes, giving every stroke meaning.  This expands the belief, “less is more”.

This technique has transcended into my impressionistic/expressionistic pond painting series by creating large minimal abstract paintings on canvas.

“Brisk Moment”  48″ x 48″ mixed media on canvas

Coming from a Photo-realistic painting background since the age of 14 years old, I’ve simplified my approach and painting techniques; with the exception of a recent painting commission of the “Wailing Wall”, where the client requested the detail and character of every stone.  A large hand painted embellished print on canvas of this amazing painting will also be on exhibit.

“Wailing Wall”  36″ x 52″  mixed media on canvas.

Included in the exhibition will be prints of my new series of experimental digital photography where I weave images of spirituality and nature.  These artworks are a reflection of the transition in my art that combines spirituality with artistry and I feel I “finally got it”.  Reinforced by the quote Bhagavan Krishna, “He who perceives me everywhere, and beholds everything in me, never loses sight of me, nor do I ever lose sight of him.”  For me, in this quote “me” is “God”.

“Glow”, Limited Edition print © 2009

A Long Island, NY transplant, I earned my BFA from Pratt Institute and am a recipient of several prestigious awards and commissions including the Municipal Arts Society of NYC and Ford Foundation, I’ve lavishly sailed the seven seas teaching Art on the luxurious Crystal Cruises.  Being Gallery Director and Curator in the Antelope Valley for the past several years; I recently curated an exhibit art by local artist George Kalmar at the Antelope Valley College Art Gallery.  I balance my career as an artist with private and corporate painting commissions, teaching, decorative painting/murals and faux finishes, curating, printmaking and marketing her Fine Art.  Please visit my new Freemanart retail store for  products with my artwork on them.

I’m beginning a new series of private group art classes for youths and adults.  The classes are Chinese Brush Painting, All media & Catalyst for Spiritual & Emotional Healing.

The Chinese Brush Paintings will be held in the Palisades on Thursday afternoons from 3:30-4:30 beginning March 19th for $20/person.

On April 16th from 4-5pm, I will teach a free class at the Pacific Palisades Public Library, “An introduction to Chinese Brush Painting”.  The class is for youths and adults and will be limited to 20 participants.  Anyone interested in classes in painting and mixed media can contact me at 310 200-3027 or email val@freemanart.com or visit her website at www.freemanart.com.

Ms. Freeman curates “Lines & Contours” Artist George Kalmar at AV College Art Gallery

Looking thru Mr. Kalmar’s Art, photo by Lyle Trusty

George Kalmar’s “Lines & Contours” exhibition at AV College Art Gallery, opens February 9th and runs til March 6th.  The opening reception is Weds. evening at 7pm, Feb. 18th.

I fell in love with the Artist’s work when I first saw his orange 8′ tube simply suspended across a wooden wall.  To my surprise it  was a piece of PVC tubing.  Then I saw his beautiful walnut and aluminum wall sculptures and knew we had a great opportunity to share his genuine artistry at the AV College Art Gallery.

Because of the delicate nature of the artworks, I was faced with several challenges.  Appropriate wall color to offset the pure white pieces, loading the truck with Mr. Kalmar’s heavy and protruding mixed media pieces and installing them in the gallery.   All of which was a labor of love and a huge success.

Mr. Kalmar’s artworks are clean, well crafted, sophisticated while being experimental and whimsical with various natural and man made materials.  I chose a diversity of his works that span over a decade of series.  Mr. Kalmar shows his work internationally including the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art and locally at the Brewery & Artcore.  It was a true pleasure to curate and even more so, to bring to the community of the Antelope Valley.

Wailing Wall Painting Art Commission

I received the painting commission of the Wailing Wall via a craigslist.com add. My client emailed me an image with the instructions “to capture all of the detail, warm up the Wall and to paint it on a 30″x40″ canvas”. After cropping the initial image, it was by far the most challenging commission I’ve ever completed; do to the complexity and repetition of the design. It was mind boggling to keep track of where I was and the subject matter was very different to what I prefer to paint.

I love perspective, depth of field and creating an escape within the image. The Walling Wall image lacked what drives me to paint. So, I could only stand to work on it 2 hours at a time. Slowly but surely I was close to completion. But during the dreaded painting process, I had a very different appreciation for the Wailing Wall. After studying and capturing the detail and proportion of every rock and cranny, I felt a great feeling of sorrow in the Wailing Wall. This sorrow transferred into a feeling of hope for all of the sorrow and hope to finish the commission.

The client was quite pleased with the finished painting and decided to hang it in his Encino California Temple, rather than in his home. I felt honored by his decision.

I have reproduced this painting on a 38″x50″ canvas which is hand embellished and it is quite impressive. If you are interested in purchasing a 30″x40″ or 38″x50″, please contact me.

EcoSystems at AV College Art Gallery

“EcoSystems”, an exhibition at the AV College Art Gallery opened on November 12th. It is the Friends of the Gallery Annual exhibition. We received a large diversified collection of pieces ranging in all media and sizes. It was a bit challenging for Gallery Director, Christine Mugnoloto and myself to arrange the diversity within the theme, but I think we did a fabulous job.

The reception was well received also, a full house with excellent live guitar music.

Artists Geoffrey Levitt, Marcia Abate and Warren Scherich in front of Edwin Vasquez’s assemblage.

My “Time Out” Digital photograph created a dialogue with the guests.

Ojai Valley Museum and Festival

October 18th was a day of celebration for the cultural City of Ojai.

When I visited Ojai in September, I was inspired when I turned a corner and captured the tallest palms blazing up into the bluest sky with the Mission style building bathing in glorious sunlight. 
Without a camera on hand, I did a small ink drawing to capture the composition. Upon further wandering, I learned the building is the Ojai Valley Museum and they were having a Juried competion of art related to Ojai. 
And so, I whipped out this painting and sent it off to the Museum and I got into the exhibit!  Thanks for attending Ruthie!!

 Sandy Wolk’s impressive sculpture “Held within the Nest” received 2nd place. 

Artist Marilyn Noad received 1st Place with “Time and the River” mixed media on canvas.

This little Indian added to the festive street performance dance.

And, 11 year old, Gabrielle sang and played 4 songs on her guitar, including “The answer is blowing in the Wind”,  poignant for our current times…

Mural on Wall Fountain, After & Before

After, Hand painted mural on exterior stucco fountain in Pacific Palisades Highlands, California.

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Before 

This unfinished fountain was a focal point in a courtyard visible through French doors from the dining room table.I used decorative motifs from the Getty Villa as a resource for the design.  I suggested tumbled marble tile, placed on a diagonal (the marble happened, but not the diagonal); overall, the effect is quite beautiful!

Natasha Timares Paintings at Antelope Valley College Art Gallery

“Passion to Paint” Oil Paintings by Natasha Timares

Oct 1-31st 2008 at the Antelope Valley College Art Gallery

Natasha with her husband and children
Natasha Timares artist reception at the Antelope Valley College Art Gallery was a huge success. There was an informative and personal dialogue between the artist and the attendees which included AVC students, faculty, family, friends, fellow artists and art enthusiasts. It was wonderful to see her support fly in as far from Alabama.

Fellow artist Anne Trusty introduced me to Natasha and her incredible collection. Selecting the works from Natasha’s large private collection was quite challenging. She paints on a large scale and the college gallery has limited space. I primarily chose figurative and landscape paintings where she let the paint dance with a sparkle of light from her lush rich palette and the subject matter had an inner dialogue with the viewer. I was looking for more than a beautiful painting.

It was amazing, that even after we loaded the truck for her exhibit, I went back into her house and you would never know we removed any paintings. Her walls were still covered with her beautiful rich collection.

Glenn Vilppu Reception, AV College Art Gallery

September 3rd from 7:15 to 8:15 at the Antelope Valley College Art Gallery, Glenn Vilppu gave an outstanding lecture/discussion about his life as an artist and teacher. In his 70’s and still learning, he read a quote that brought tears to his eyes about the continuous passion of learning to draw.

Always with sketch book in hand and pens in his pocket drawing and recording his daily visions are a way of life to him. The crowd at the reception was patient and enthusiastic to capture every word of wisdom Glenn spoke. The AV Press wrote a wonderful feature story about the exhibit which includes a photo of I guess what they thought was my best side butt, I don’t think so…

A special thanks to Susee Orlando, AV College Art Gallery Assistant for creating a fabulous display of refreshments and photographing the evening event. It was also a special delight to see so many students, faculty, local and regional artists and friends come out for the evening, including The City of Lancaster Art Museum staff and new curator Nicholas West.