Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Art Scam Alert!

Beware of this asswipe trying to rip off artists:

From: Barbara Flower -- barbaraflower1327@gmail.com

Hello,

          My Name is Barbara Flower from (FLORIDA). I actually observed my Husband has been viewing your website on my laptop and i guess he likes your pieces of works. I'm also impressed and amazed to have seen your various works too,  You are doing a Great job. I would like to Purchase Two of your ORIGINAL ARTWORKS AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN YOUR STUDIO AT MOMENT, as a surprise to my Husband on our Wedding Anniversary. Also, let me know if you accept CHECK as mode of Payment.

Thanks and best regards

Barbara.

Monday, January 27, 2025

Lori Nilands Round and the art of observing colors

The most difficult of all subjects in the world of fine arts is the subject of running waters and the effect they have on light, and on rocks, and on air, etc.. 

And yet, there's nothing like a master artist flexing their art superpowers and delivering exceptional work.  Lori Niland Rounds does that and more in "Colors of the Creek II."

She notes:

Colors on the Creek II is an encaustic monotype that I created after viewing the colorful waterlilies of  downtown Frederick’s Carroll Creek Linear Park. I composed a ‘birds-eye’ perspective to capture the vibrant colors of the lilies and lily pads as well as the movement of the water.  I balanced the use of negative space and translucent encaustic paint on Kozo paper to bring this piece to life. Kozo is a type of Japanese printmaking paper made from the bark of the mulberry tree. It is a versatile and unique printmaking paper that contains visible mulberry fibers that enhance the illusion of water flowing through Carroll Creek.

Behold "Colors of the Creek II" by Lori Niland Rounds, an Encaustic Monotype, c.2019, 33x10 inches.  It will exhibited at Pyramid Atlantic Arts Center as part of the Women Artists of the DMV survey show.


Lori-Rounds-EncausticMonotype-ColorsOfTheCreek-II-2019-33x10

"Colors of the Creek II"
by Lori Niland Rounds
Encaustic Monotype c.2019, 33x10 inches


Saturday, January 25, 2025

Nicolet College's 38th Annual Northern National - Call for Art

Entry Deadline: 3/13/25

Entry Fee (Northern National Art Competition): $35.00

Work Sample Requirements:  Images | Minimum: 1, Maximum: 2

Apply here: https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=14756

The 38th Northern National Art Competition will be held in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, from June 12 - July 26, 2025, at the Nicolet College Art Gallery. Began in 1987, this show is a cooperative venture between Nicolet College Arts & Enrichment and the Northern Arts Council (NAC). The Northern National Art Competition strives to showcase a cross section of contemporary art in a variety of two-dimensional mediums. Each year, hundreds of artists nationwide submit work to be considered for inclusion in this exhibition, and the art is always both visually exciting and intellectually stimulating. 

More than $8,500 in prize money will be awarded, including three $1,000 Awards of Excellence. Awards are based upon the actual artwork. 

  • This renowned national juried competition is open to all US resident artists 18 years or older.
  • Each artist may submit images of recent, original, artwork in any medium, including photography, fiber, and mixed media.
  • All artwork MUST be 2D and hangable. (Maximum Depth 6")
  • There is no theme.
  • The $35 entry fee entitles the artist to submit one or two pieces for consideration. (one image per artwork). Images must accurately represent the work entered.
  • Must be original work; no reproductions of artwork will be accepted.
  • Artists selected as finalists will have their work exhibited (and available for purchase if desired) at the Nicolet College Art Gallery until Saturday, July 26.
  • Entries may be hand delivered on Tuesday, May 20 9am-2pm or by appointment.
  • Shipped work must arrive at the Nicolet College Art Gallery by Monday, May 19. Must include pre-paid return shipping label. Additional shipping details will be sent with your acceptance notice.
  • Selected art must remain for the entire exhibition and awards will be distributed after the close of the show. All proceeds of sales are assigned to the artist.
  • All artists are responsible for ensuring their subject matter does not include any copyright infringements. The artist waives Nicolet College and NAC of all legal responsibilities if an artist is challenged by another party for copyright infringement.
  • All artists must disclose if Artificial Intelligence has been used in any way for the creation of the artwork.
  • By entering work in this exhibition, the artist gives Nicolet College and NAC the right to use images for digital and print promotional purposes.
  • Artists Statements will be displayed in conjunction with this exhibit alongside the artwork.
  • Any artwork submitted and awarded in previous year's competition is ineligible.
  • Single panel artwork is expected. Diptych will be considered and nothing with more than 3 panels as a Triptych.
  • No maximum size for LxW. We kindly ask if you do have a piece with a dimension larger than 5' to reach out to us in advance of entry.

Artists, their friends, and families are encouraged to join us at our opening reception on Thursday, June 12. The opening reception is a remarkable evening in celebration of the artists whose work has been chosen for the exhibition. The public is also able to purchase tickets to this event, which includes hors d’oeuvres and refreshments. Attendees get the first peek at one of the premiere art shows in Northern Wisconsin and then join this year's judge as she shares her remarks on the curation of this prestigious national show. The intimate judge’s talk proves as wonderful as the art itself and leaves you with a deeper appreciation of the show. 

The Northern National Art Competition prides itself on providing an accomplished judge and this year is no exception.  The exhibit becomes a reflection of the lens with which the judge has placed their mark.

This year they welcome Jaleesa Johnston. She is an interdisciplinary artist, educator and curator, currently living and working in the Pacific Northwest. She holds a BA from Vassar College, an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and an MA from the University of Bergen in Norway. Her interdisciplinary art practice explores the ruptured space between the subjectivity and objectivity of the Black female body. She has been the recipient of the AICAD Post-Graduate Teaching Fellowship, Centrum’s Emerging Artist Residency, Open Signal’s New Media Fellowship, Performance Works NW Alembic Artist Residency and an Artist Trust Fellowship Award. Jaleesa also works as Curatorial Coordinator in the Curatorial Department at the Portland Art Museum, where she initiated and curates an ongoing exhibition series titled Conductions: Black Imaginings. Her curatorial interests and research include the residual imprint of ephemeral works in institutional spaces, with a focus on Black performance work.

Friday, January 24, 2025

Happy 10th Anniversary!

To Artists & Makers in Rockville, who will celebrate 10 years this coming March 7th!  Art galleries are labors of love and often run by the skin of the teeth of the owners! 10 year anniversary for art spaces is like 100 years for any other business!


Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Meredith Morris and the art of political art

One of rarest talents in art is to be able to float around different corners of the sensory scene that is everyday living and use the skills of being an artist to observe, create, and deliver a work of art that makes an impactful statement.

Art with political footprints is one of the more difficult and abused genres of the visual arts empire; it can quickly fall into heavy, Soviet-style fascist dogma, or even worse (in the eyes of some - not me) into illustration.

Then there's that astonishing moment when a work of fine art catches not only a moment in history (think of Goya's Third of May 1808), but fills your brain with reactive thoughts and senses, and suddently, places you there, alongside the subject of the work.

Meredith Morris has done that and more with the below masterpiece - she notes about it:

When I went into the streets in 2017 to protest the first election of Donald Trump I had already started a series of paintings inspired by his dehumanizing rhetoric that I named No Labels. This painting, Long Time Coming was an image I took from that day of a black man wrapped in the American flag marching in a sea of mostly white women. The image was powerful and stuck with me making me reflect on the promise of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s that I experienced growing up in segregated Georgia as a white girl. The Civil Rights fight made a lasting impression on me and my own family history played a roll there but that’s another story. Long Time Coming is a line in a song by Sam Cooke entitled A Change is Gonna Come.  I purposefully made the background abstract and chaotic to reflect the current political and social situation. However, there are some trees showing through that I leave to the viewer to interpret. This is a painting that asks questions of humanity regarding justice and equality and how long a people should have to wait for those things.

Behold "Long Time Coming" by Meredith Morris, oil in canvas, 2020, 40x30 inches.

Long Time Coming by Meredith Morris for the 2025 Women of the DMV survey show
Long Time Coming by Meredith Morris
Oil in canvas, 2020, 40x30 inches

Monday, January 20, 2025

This person takes the cake

By now I am getting close to 4,000 emails from female artists who want to be considered and reviewed for the Women Artists of the DMV survey show coming to six Greater DC art venues in September.

99.999% of the emails and interchanges are friendly and professional - there are these others of course - but generally speaking, everything is pretty normal and professional and cool.

Then there's this particular artist... let's calll her Ethel, or Bertha, or Antonia...

She is a talented artist, and sort of in that category that is not what the dealers of art as a commodity would call a blue chip artist, but certainly not an emerging artist either. She has exhibited mostly in the Greater DC area, and is not (as far as I know) ever been represented by any DC area art gallery or elsewhere for that matter.

I selected one of her works for the show, and she was very happy to be invited.

Then it went south.

Ethel sends me an email asking how many pieces would I like for the show; not the only artist who has asked this. I answer that it is only one work per artist, as I'm trying to fit as many worthy artists as possible into the survey show.

She responds by letting me know that she feels that her work and she as an artist have enough "impact" (her words) that she feels that she "merits" (her words) having one work in each of the six venues.

I let a day go to let that sink in.

In the intervening day, she pumps out three more emails on the issue, and asks for my phone to talk to me.

The next morning, another email requests a studio visit so that I can pick up the six works if that "would make me happier."

I decline, and repeat to her that only one work per artist, no exceptions.

"There are always exceptions" she notes in her response.

I go for the jugular then and send her a note asking her: "In your opinion then, which other artist or artists from the accepted list (so far) should have more than one work in the show? Any besides you who should also have six?"

There are some power hitters in this list; and naturally she goes radio silent.

She'll have one work in the show - venue to be decided.

Saturday, January 18, 2025

Ronnie Offen can see those colors

In my immensely well-informed and humble opinion (cough... cough...), one of the hardest things to depict in art are scenes of every day life.  It takes immense skill and patience, and a rare ability to "see" what is there and even maybe what others cannot see.

In art school one of my professors - either Alden Mason or Jacob Lawrence - used to tell the story of how Manet was once painting outdoors at a park and looking and depicting a water scene.  A man approached him, observed the painting, looked at the scene, looked back at the painting and commented to Manet, "I don't see all those colors there," he said, pointing to the water and trees.  Manet, looked at him and responded, "Dont' you wish you did monsieur..."

Ronnie Offen can do that and do it brilliantly!

Behold "Two By Two", c. 2015, Pastel on pumiced gator board, 20 x 16  (25 x 21 framed) by Ronnie Offen, who would have seen those colors that Manet saw. The work will be exhibited at the spectacular setting of the Galleries at Strathmore Mansion in Rockville!

"Two By Two" by Ronnie Offen at Women Artists of the DMV citywide survey show
"Two By Two" by Ronnie Offen
c. 2015, Pastel on pumiced gator board, 20 x 16  (25 x 21 framed)