Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Dan Marino

Dan Marino - Art school litho circa 1983 by Campello
"Dan Marino"
1983 limited edition lithograph 4x4 inches

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Opportunity for Photographers

The Sony World Photography Awards are organized annually by World Photography Organization and sponsored by Sony. 

The Sony World Photography Awards features four competitions: 

1. Professional competition

2. Open competition

3. Youth competition

4. Student competition

No Entry Fee. 

Details here.

Monday, November 23, 2020

The Macha


The Macha c. 2019 Original charcoal and conte on unfired Bisque by F. Lennox Campello
The Macha
c. 2019 Original charcoal and conte on unfired Bisque

"The Macha" is an original charcoal and conte drawing on unfired broken Bisque - the plate is curved and sticks out about 1 inch from the wall once hung -- It is signed and dated in pencil recto and titled, signed and dated in marker recto on the verso. Again... the work hangs on the wall and projects about 1 inch off the wall, so it's a bit three-dimensional... 

The Macha is the Celtic Goddess who is the protector of women and children.

Saturday, November 21, 2020

Feet wet

 Sometimes people ask me why I'm always drawing mostly women... like the Carlos Gardel song says: "Si soy así ¿qué voy a hacer? pa' mí la vida tiene forma de mujer..."

"Feet wet (soon to be feet dry): Cuba loses another daughter" by F. Lennox Campello
"Feet wet (soon to be feet dry): Cuba loses another daughter" Charcoal and conte on paper 1990s In a private collection in Boston

This is "Feet wet (soon to be feet dry): Cuba loses another daughter" circa late 1990s, done after President Clinton imposed the "feet dry/feet wet" policy which condemned to jail thousands of Cubans trying to escape from Castro's Workers' Paradise and who were caught "feet wet" and returned to the prison island. It is in a private collection in Boston. 18x24 inches, charcoal on paper.

Friday, November 20, 2020

The Johnson Twins

 

The Johnson Twins - USS Saratoga Port Visit Taranto, Italy, 1976 - by  PO3 Lenny Campello
The Johnson Twins - USS Saratoga Port Visit Taranto, Italy, 1976
By F. Lennox Campello

Thursday, November 19, 2020

The Lilith Creating Darkness

 

The Lilith Creating Darkness by F. Lennox Campello c. 2009

The Lilith Creating Darkness
2009 by F. Lennox Campello

Thursday, November 12, 2020

Isla Torturada

"Isla Torturada" Hand-colored monoprint with embedded pins 5x7 inches
"Isla Torturada"
Hand-colored monoprint with embedded pins
5x7 inches

 

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Isla del Ciervo Herido

 

Cuba - Isla Golpeada - 1980 F. Lennox Campello
Isla Golpeada
Hand-colored monoprint, c. 1980 by F. Lennox Campello
(Verse by Jose Marti)

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

A sailor and his date

A Sailor and his date - a 1986 vintage US Navy cartoon by F. Lennox Campello

A Sailor and his date

1986 vintage US Navy cartoon by F. Lennox Campello

 

Monday, November 09, 2020

You think that's hard?

 When I was in the Navy I did dozens of illustrations for newspapers (such as The Stars & Stripes), and sketches of his shipmates and other US Navy sailors in ports in the US and European ports.  Most of these drawings and paintings were given away to his shipmates, but I also kept many of them - this one has been in storage for over 40 years and was recently found!

A funny 1983 US Navy cartoon by F. Lennox Campello


Sunday, November 08, 2020

Congrats to President-elect Biden

And so the Orange one appears to have lost... maybe another casualty of the Covidian monster!

I sincerely hope that President-elect Biden can handle the Presidency and this doesn't turn out to be a case of elder abuse, as sometimes Joe seems to be a bit out of it.  

I pray for him and wish him the best of luck - I didn't vote for you, but now that you're about to become President, I will support and respect you and hope that you're not being used as a stooge by the DNC to set up your VP.

I gotta bad feeling about this - keep your eyes peeled Dr. Biden! Protect your husband!

God Bless you Mr. Prez, and God Bless the USA!

Saint Ninian Preaching to the Picts

St. Ninian Preaching to the Picts 1995 Charcoal by F. Lennox Campello
St. Ninian Preaching to the Picts
1995 Charcoal by F. Lennox Campello 

Saturday, November 07, 2020

When Marines go wild

US Navy and USMC funny cartoon by F. Lennox Campello, circa 1983
All I said... by F. Lennox Campello, circa 1983

Friday, November 06, 2020

The Sonoma Ballet Conservatory Drawings

These are some of the drawings that I did as a fundraiser for the Sonoma Ballet Conservatory in early 1993 - there were almost a couple of hundred of them! I exhibited about 30 of them at the Chevrier's Presidio Gallery in Sonoma, and they all sold out on opening night!

I used some of these in 1994 or 1995 to apply for a studio at the Torpedo Factory.

I was rejected, and one of the reasons given for the rejection was that the drawings were "clearly copies of Degas' works." 

I was furious that someone's lack of art history knowledge had disqualified my application, but later I realized that whoever that erroneous and anonymous juror had also taught me an unintended lesson: there are some subjects in art (in this case ballerinas) that are so imprinted into the collective mind as coming from a particular artist (in this case Degas), that the subject has been signed off into eternity as not to be re-done by anyone else!

That was a harsh lesson to learn, but a very valuable one! 
























Thursday, November 05, 2020

Portrait of John Lennon

This portrait of John Lennon is from an assignment at the UW School of Art - circa 1980. The assignment was to incorporate a complex pattern (his shirt) into an otherwise plain line drawing. It has been for years in the collection of my lawyer.

Portrait of John Lennon by F. Lennox Campello from an assignment at the UW School of Art - circa 1980.
Portrait of John Lennon by F. Lennox Campello - circa 1980 


Wednesday, November 04, 2020

The Gunny

A 1975 sketch from observing a USMC Gunny conducting counseling on some drunk Navy sailors from USS Saratoga.

The Gunny conducting squid training - 1975 sketch by F. Lennox Campello
The Gunny conducting squid training outside the Texas bar in Naples
1975 sketch by F. Lennox Campello

Tuesday, November 03, 2020

My grandfather

My paternal grandfather - a Galician immigrant to Cuba. Together with his brother he started out as a ditch digger in Guantanamo at the beginning of the last century, sleeping in the woods and saving money to eventually buy a cow, and then they began to sell milk while they alternated working as ditch diggers in the growing city, which was one of the first in all the Americas with underground sewers. 

By 1959 he owned a large estate and provided milk for most of the region around Guantanamo. By 1961 the Socialists of the Castro Revolution had shown their true cards and declared themselves Communists and confiscated all of his assets. Within two years there were milk shortages all over the island and they remain to this day.

This is what we Americans of Cuban ancestry mean when we say that "we've seen that movie and know how it ends..."

Monday, November 02, 2020

Calls for Entry: HoCo Open

 All Howard County artists are invited to participate in HoCo Open 2021, HCAC’s annual, non-juried exhibit showcasing local artists. In lieu of a one-day drop-off, entries will be accepted online beginning November 5th on a first-come basis, one entry per artist, until 100 submissions have been received. The drop-off dates for the exhibit are December 17 & 18. Accepted artists will be provided with instructions for scheduling a specific time to drop off their artwork at the Center for the Arts.

HoCo Open will be on display from January 9 – February 20, 2021. For the full prospectus and to apply, visit their website.

Sunday, November 01, 2020

Now Open: Artist Applications for the 2021 Festival

Let's go back to normal in 2021! Apply for the annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival.

Now in its 30th year, the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival has a long-standing reputation for showcasing high quality, hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind artwork in a dynamic outdoor setting. The Festival provides an opportunity to engage directly with exceptional artists, as juried in by leading art practitioners and artists in the visual arts field, that meet a high level of artistic standards. This unique open-air event is presented in Reston Town Center and attracts affluent patrons and knowledgeable collectors from the Washington, DC metropolitan region and beyond. 

This year, the 2021 Festival will implement new health and safety adaptations for the care and consideration of all. 

Artist applications are accepted through ZAPPlication through December 27, 2020

Saturday, October 31, 2020

2021 Susan Beech Mid-Career Grant

 Art Jewelry Forum (AJF) is pleased to announce the 2021 Susan Beech Mid-Career Artist Grant opportunity for mid-career artists.  The purpose of this grant, established by San Francisco-based jewelry collector Susan Beech, is to recognize a mid-career artist who has made a substantial contribution to the field and to provide resources to develop and implement a significant jewelry-related project that the artist would not otherwise have the ability to undertake.

The 2021 Susan Beech Mid-Career Artist Grant is open to makers between the ages of 35 and 55 at the time of the proposal deadline, and must have an active and ongoing record of activity in the field. 

The proposed project should be about jewelry, loosely defined. There must be a specific outcome to the project, and it must be completed within a two-year time frame. Examples could include (but are not limited to) creation of a new body of work; a book, catalog, or other publication; research and development (including travel study); performance art involving jewelry; or an educational/social initiative involving jewelry. A proposed budget must be included as part of the proposal. 

A proposal that was previously submitted may be submitted again.

The grant recipient will receive a cash grant of $20,000, to be paid over the two years in which the project will be implemented.

Grant proposals must include:

  • A biography of the artist 
  • A project proposal outlining the project, including an explanation of how the grant will help support the artist’s work and career and enhance the field  
  • A detailed budget 
  • A project proposal portfolio of five - ten images that support/define/clarify the project proposal 

The jury of distinguished professionals for this grant cycle will be: grant founder and collector Susan Beech (United States); internationally recognized maker and educator, Daniel Kruger (Germany); and curator of jewelry at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Emily Stoehrer (United States). 

The deadline to apply is midnight, MST (Denver, CO, USA), on January 10, 2021. More information and complete guidelines can be found at www.artjewelryforum.org.