Closing Reception  of the Preview Exhibit at the Art Ark Gallery in San Jose Mar 30th, 2016   Closing Reception Friday, April 1st 6 pm to 9 pm Dear Susan This Friday is your final chance to view our preview exhibit at San Jose's charming Art Ark Gallery.  Stop by preview of some of the great art and personally meet some of the artists who will participate in this year's Silicon Valley Open Studios. About the Exhibition: Visit the Art Ark Gallery to view sample works of more than 30 artists who will participate in Silicon Valley Open Studios during the first three weekend in May. Each artist is displaying several pieces of original art so you will be able to see more than 400 pieces of great art. Closinging Reception Join Us for the Closing Reception on Friday, April 1st from 6-9 pm Also, enjoy the live music of Didier Bouvet,www.didierbouvet.com Location: Art Ark Gallery, 1035 S. 6th St. San Jose, CA 95112 Get a map here Here's a great chance to meet these artists personally and discuss their work and techniques. The participating artists are innovative and emerging on the scene with fresh new ideas and wonderful new works to share. This Preview exhibit is an opportunity to see some of their diverse and creative art and meet some of the most active and talented artists under one roof from Silicon Valley Open Studios 2016 at the Art Ark Gallery. You can see samples of some of the outstanding artwork being presented at the 2016 edition of Silicon Valley Open Studios and you can begin planning the ones you wish to visit during the May event. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Silicon Valley studio and we've assembled a collection of some of the best bay area artists to present their finest artwork. Silicon Valley Open Studios | info@svos.org | www.svos.org P.O. Box 111000, Campbell, CA 95011-1000 STAY CONNECTED:

Celebrando la Hermosura de la Vida_Celebrating the Beauty of Life

The Sun Gallery will host an exhibition Celebrating the Beauty of Life from October 15th to November 7th, 2015.This exhibition will feature works centering around the theme Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), focusing on works that capture beauty, vibrancy and celebration in memory of those who have passed on. Dia de los Muertos originates from Mexico, but is celebrated in many parts of the world. Many works that are inspired by this holiday include strong vibrant color, skeletons, flowers and crosses.

An artist reception will be planned for Saturday, October 31st 2015 from 2 pm to 6 pm with food, music, and dance performances. Authentic Mexican style food will be served. It is a fundraiser and each person pays only $5 for the lunch.

http://www.sungallery.org/    

Sun Gallery is supported in part by the City of Hayward 

Gallery hours 11-5 pm Thursday- Sunday

Address: 1015 E Street

Hayward., CA 94541510.581.4050

email: sungallery@comcast.net

Sun Gallery has Transformations 2: Upcycled and Recycled with 6 of Susan's artworks

This is a great gallery for innovative work and for support of artists locally. Many people have heard of this Hayward, California gallery because the publicity was extensive for the last show of  Troubled Waters, Drought  and Change.

Here are the details with the postcard images on the front and the information about shen and where for the show.

The first image on the postcard is Susan's Eclipse

Sun Gallery_Troubled Water_Drought and Change

Yesterday on Saturday, we had a wonderful reception at Sun Gallery in Hayward. The show is about the 4th year of the drought in California  and will run on to May 30, 2015. The Sun Gallery is at 1505 E Street, Hayward. The hours are Thursday through Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm.

The friends who came to see the show  were delighted to meet each other and to have a wonderful experience with the art


The article in the Examiner was very positive about how much meaning and visual importance was in the show
.http://www.examiner.com/article/troubled-waters-drought-and-change-art-show-opens-at-sun-gallery-hayward.

Hope you can get to see it.

Daring to Defy the Medium_Collage

This is special to be accepted into the National Association of Women Artists online exhibition called Defying the Medium__What is Collage?

My collage of Ikebana Sensei will be displayed from today, March 20, 2015 through June 20, 2015 on:

ww.nawa.org

This is a study of a man deeply  contemplating  what and where a lily should be placed in his arrangement. He is a Sensei which means teacher in Japanese. He is a special ranking of a teacher as he has studied and been recognized by the master teacher of a school of ikebana which is the oldest school, Ikenobo. This school has been around for over 200 years in Japan. Now many students from many countries study ikebana.

My art is created on canvas and has very small pieces of paper torn from magazines which are glued onto the canvas to create Ikebana Sensei.

17th International Collage Exhibition and Exchange

An artist, Dale Copeland, has established an international show in New Zealand of collages from all artists who participate by sending a collection of about 13 collages. Some artists send more and some less, but all must be a small size.  All of the pieces need to be 8" X 10" or smaller. Each artist will have a piece offered for sale on the Vitual Tart website. To see last year's collection, view The 16th International Collage Exhibition & Exchange

Each artist will have one part collage on the month-long exhibition on the Virtual TART site during April and then permanently on the web at the above link.  Nothing for this year yet. It will be posted on April, 2015.

Also one of each artist's pieces will be then donated to an art institution somewhjere in the world. Yet to be decided. In 2013, I had a collage donated to the Puke Ariki museum in New Plymouth, New Zealand.

After April and after the museum donation, each artist receives a collection of about 12 collages from the participants. These are sent by mail.

Here are just 2 of the 12 pieces I plan to mail to New Zealand.. The first collage is How A Man Can Win A Woman's Heart. The second collage is: The Sweet Voiced Bird. Both have hand-made paper that I did in a workshop in Honolulu, January 31. The color on the paper is colored pulp embedded into the handmade paper.

Travel Destinations_submitted by Vertical Response

From a newsletter I just published through Vertical Response.
The link to my website is not active as it is resubmitted from original post.

Painting with Pulp workshop in Honolulu Museum' s Spalding House

High up in the foothills of Honolulu is a beautful space for art classes and a gallery. Yesterday I spent all day with creative teachers, Liz Train and Allison Roscoe. We made paper and adding colored pulp to the hand-made paper.
Here are some pictures of the beauty of the land and museum.

I had an interesting and creative experience. When I brought my work home,I added collage and pen. Here are some pieces.

Mapping the Face

This is fascinating to learn how we recognize faces. We don't recognize someone by memorizing his features like his eyes, nose and mouth.

With a great demo Artist/Teacher, Gary Faigin takes 2 different people and switches the feathers of the one on another's face. We still recognize this young man as we are aware of the SHAPES ON THE FACE not the eyes, nose and mouth. Maybe his mom might see the detail changes. Still we see his face.

It is great to watch this online workshop from Craftsy to learn the techniques of drawing or painting a likeness. Thank you Gary Faigin.

Mixing up Mixed Media with my Personal Photos and Collage

This quick lesson in applying photographs onto canvas sheets. You need a pad of canvas sheets like the one pictured,  Non-Porous Digital Ground, and images on your computer of your original photographs, and collage materials.

When you start, you can paint and apply thin pieces of collage onto the canvas. Then carefully apply the Digital Ground going vertically and waiting until dry before applying a second coat going horizontally. When absolutely dry, then insert into the printer making sure you do not have the printer "flip" or "rotate" the position away from where you want your image.

When the image is printed you can further enhance my collage or paint.

See the link for my new works.Here

The following pictures tell the story.

New Zealand Museum accepts a collage, GIRL TALK

The 15th Annual Collage Exhibition and Sale has collages accepted into the 

Puke Ariki Museum in New Plymouth, New Zealand.

My collage was done on a canvas sheet and then overprinted with a photograph.Then small pieces of paper are collaged over the images. Fitting the canvas sheet into the printer is easier than one might think. It gives a digitized look to the collage.

The Virtual Tart Website

It's been way too long!

I have been battling sciatica and knee problems so the blog has been neglected. I do think I have help with the pain, so my post today will be about a collage.

 I was invited to contribute to an art auction at the Dallas Museum of Biblical Art. This has to be a small piece (8' X 8") which reflects a Christmas theme. This museum also houses some fabulous art like Chagall. It showcases art of the Jewish tradition as well as the Christian. I was honored to be invited to contribute.

The small collage is called, "Shepherds in Awe."

My new collages will be seen on the "Figurative" part of my website.http://www.ashleyfinearts.com

Sensei of Ikenobo

The workshop I attended last week had a most challenging feature which was collage (torn pieces of paper from magazines) to depict a figure. I chose to do a figure of an ikebana demonstration I attended a month ago. He was standing in front of large windows which made him have back-lit lighting.

He is known as a teacher of the Ikenobo school of ikebana. He is also an artist with his pottery which has been featured on the tv program called "Spark". I will probably use the image to advertise the Ikebana International Flower Show in Golden Gate Park next March.

Portrait of Mattie

Rebecca Osgood is a talented person with pastels. She does wonderful portraits and she graciously allowed two of us to a semi-private series of lessons on pastel. Pastel's are chalk-like, and I have had no real experience using them. Also portraits are new. So learning two new techniques at once was challenging.

Yesterday, Rebecca had her daughter, Mattie, sit for us. I did a colorful version of a portrait of Mattie which Mattie said she really loved. Anyway, we'll see if I continue with pastels.Often I use them to highlight on watercolor.It's always good to be learning new things.

New work on Angel Inn and Shangrila

The two recent works are of places that have a special interest to me. The one is of Shangrila, the former residence of Doris Duke, who was an American heiress who built a magnificent home on Oahu. She decorated the house completely in Islamic art. She was not a Muslim, but was an art collector. The house has many courtyards and fountains which are typical of the Islamic art. The house is now open to the public for tours.

The next painting is of a restaurant that friends have enjoyed in North Yorkshire. It is called The Angel Inn. What was confusing is that I started to paint another Angel Inn when I discovered it wasn't THE Angel Inn. Come to find out there are many Angel Inn's, especially in England. I plan to gift this to the friends as they gifted us with something special. She is a quilter and made us a very handsome quilt.  Now off to the framer's place.

PAL reception with SCVWS

These postcards tell about a wine and art reception held at Pacific
Art League this Friday, July 6 from 5:30-8pm. I have two paintings in the two different galleries. Upstairs is the show by the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society called, "Think Big, Paint Small".

In the Main Gallery downstairs is the Pacific Art League member Show. Come and enjoy a light dinner of chicken wings, and deviled eggs and lemon bars. The theme for the reception (upstairs) was one of a "picnic". I hope you can make it!

Pacific Art League is at 668 Ramona Street, Palo Alto, CA

California Landscapes and Landmarks

It has been over a year, but there was an image that haunted me when I visited the Hearst Castle in the Cambria area. I love the look of back lit paintings. I have one that is chosen for the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society show at the Pacific Art League in Palo Alto from July 2-July 30. It is called "The Entrance of Hakone".  The address is 668 Ramona Street and the reception is July 6, 2012 from 5:30-8:00pm. This show is upstairs at the PAL gallery. I have another painting showing downstairs as well with the member show for Pacific Art League.

The one I finished today is of a beautiful gate at Hearst Castle which is roped off away from the public. I was fortunate to get a clear photograph of it.  It is the Hearst Window. I haven't framed it yet but will probably keep for showing in the SCVWS Member Show.

Many Hands Build a Bridge

I have completed another assemblage which is in honor of the 75th birthday of the Golden
Gate Bridge. Did you know that the GG Bridge is considered the 2nd man-made wonder of the world right after the Chunnel which joins England and France? We all love taking people who visit us in the Bay Area to see the Golden Gate Bridge. It's beauty and the engineering are marvelous.

I read The Golden Gate Bridge, by James Barter,which talks about the many people who helped build it. We honor the engineer who was the head of the project, Joseph Strauss, but his original idea was considered ugly by the public. He chose another engineer, Clifford Paine, who designed the bridge as we know it today. Also consulting architects, Irving F. Morrow and his wife, Gertrude, joined Paine on the project and contributed the art deco style of the towers.

The Arts of the Covenant will exhibit "Bridges and Connections" at the annual Menlo Park art fair on July 21 and July 22 which will be at the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church. My assemblage, "Many Hands Build a Bridge" will be on display for the weekend.

Paintings of Hakone

This painting "Feeding Time" was shown at the Pacific Art League the first weekend of  May for Open Studios. It was purchased and more paintings of Hakone are to follow.  I am also submitting paintings  to a show called "Think Big, Paint Small." I am enjoying painting on yupo that is translucent. It enables me to collage with colors behind the painting instead of collage on top. The Open Studios for two weekends were very successful and I hope to show more work at other venues.

Pacific Art League-Open Studios, May 5-May 6, 2012

Saturday and Sunday this weekend there will be 7 artists showing their work and having a sale at Pacific Art League, 668 Ramona Street, Palo Alto. Please come for a art-filled experience with a reception and plenty of ambiance in Palo Alto. .