I love Ojai! What a beautiful loving community that is abundant with friendliness, spirituality and creativity.
Janis has opened her door for my artwork and gifts to be available for the 2009 Ojai Studio Art Detour. The Studio Detour is a collection of over 50 artists at 28 different locations in Ojai. The Ojai Studio Art Tour is simultaneous. Please visit Janis Art Garden Gallery & Workshop,October 10th-11th from 10am-5pm with an Artist Reception on October 10th from 6pm-9pm at STUDIO 201 #109 N. Blanch Street, Downtown Ojai.
You may be wondering, what is the difference between the Tour & Detour?
For some reason or another, artists that live in Ojai & are not part of the “Studio Art Tour”, have come together & created a free “Studio Detour”. Being new to Ojai, the jury process is long and limited to become part of the “Studio Tour” for this year. I gratefully support all artists on all tours and am very excited to share my artwork and collection of gifts from my online cafepress/freemanart gift shop with the community.
Saint John’s Health Center Artwall is a unique way of bringing art into a healing environment at the Howard Keck Diagnostic and Treatment Center. A large 17 foot tall digital wall made up of 16 50-inch” monitors, has rotating exhibitions of local artists.
“Art carries a therapeutic message that can greatly enhance the healing environment,” said Marla Koosed, Saint John’s Art Program curator. “Instead of presenting art in a traditional manner, we want to engage visitors in a sensory experience that evokes a soothing, therapeutic setting.”
And now featured on their home page for the “Spirit of Place” exhibit, is “Alice Hopping”, Chinese brush painting. Alice, short for “Alice in Wonderland”, which is the truth, born several years ago on the inspirational Malibu private ranch that inspires the painted pond series, became a special character of the menagerie of animals. For some, they think she is a horse, a dog, etc…but she is a donkey & filled with lots of spirit.
The newborns are always so much fun to study and paint. Also included in the exhibit is “Myth” sleeping, my little Mythy Myth(dog), who mythsteriously disappeared into the desert only to live up to his name.
A digital image from my first video “The Spirit of Art” taken at Point Dume Beach Malibu of my footprint in the sand, sandwiched between the footprint of wind in the sand is sandwiched between the brush paintings on the Media Wall. This image reflects our connection and freedom with the earth, our vulnerability of life, essence and preciousness of time and the magnificent art of God.
Wow… lots of color, emotion, personal expression with a wide range of subject matter & techniques awaits you. That is just a glimpse of what I noticed when dropping off my artworks & the artists were still streaming in with art. This is going to be a very exciting show. The exhibit is unjuried with each member exhibiting up to 3 pieces…I thought it was juried, so I brought in a diverse range of pieces “Summer Chill” which I painted for the exhibit, “Time Out” a digital print & “Hot Tin Roof” a large spiritual painting. Hope to see you there & if you can’t make it for the reception, the exhibit runs til September 2nd.
While your in Ojai, you must visit Janis Hansen, owner of the amazing Art Garden Gallery. Her passion for the arts thrives with an intriguing collection of works from talented local artists & craftsman. On exhibit is my first Ojai plein air oil painting on board from “Meditation Mount”.
Also at Art Garden Gallery, Ojai are several of my Buddha with nature spiritual digital photographs.
What a wonderful surprise to open the mail and receive a card commending me for my contribution of Art in the Antelope Valley from Los Angeles County 5th District Supervisor Mike Antonovich and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
Although it is a great honor to be commended, it was only possible by the group effort of many people involved. I would like to take this opportunity to share this commencement and thank all of the participating artists, AV College Art Gallery staff, AV Press and volunteers who have contributed and assisted in bringing outstanding art exhibitions to enrich the Antelope Valley Community.
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!!!
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”.
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.
Posted 2 years, 11 months ago at 1:08 am. 1 comment
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.
Posted 2 years, 12 months ago at 12:35 am. Add a comment
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.
“Brisk Moment” 48″ x 48″ mixed media on canvas
“Wailing Wall” 36″ x 52″ mixed media on canvas.
