J. Jordan Bruns

The missus and I went to beautiful Glen Echo today to check out a couple of new shows, including J. Jordan Bruns solo, which according to the news release:

The Popcorn Gallery is proud to present Playing with Reality: 15 Years at Glen Echo Park a solo exhibition by Glen Echo Park Resident Artist J. Jordan Bruns. Bruns has been creating a wide range of paintings in the Stone Tower Studio since joining the Park 15 years ago. He is known for his large-scale abstractions depicting themes of order vs. chaos. This retrospective show celebrates his range as an artist, featuring a stunning collection of paintings with varying degrees of realism. From portraits and landscapes that evoke mood and personality to still life paintings that border on "trompe l'oeil" realism, utilizing expert oil painting techniques, demonstrating the breadth of his artistic output.

This series of acrylic wash painting was executed when Bruns lived in Japan for a few years and explored that nation's artistic ancestry - both in media and subject

.

Detail of Bruns spectacular brush mastery from one of the above Japanese washes. I think that Bruns' Japanese period works speak for their own - they tell the tale of a brush master absorbing the Japanese scenery with the facility of a seasoned brush painter; they are nonetheless fresh and contemporary - this is a rare marriage indeed.

But it is Bruns immensely fresh series of studio portraits which (in my opion) dominate the show, not only for the facility with which Bruns delivers the brushy color application to define the subject with immense freshness and skill, but also by the unintended juxtapositioning that they deliver to the show when paired with the Japanese paintings - it is as if two master artists decided to hold a two person show: One a master color-wash painter, the other a master of the color scale.  And it works!

This is a terrific example of an artist's artists show - it allows Bruns to flex his formidable painting skills in two opposite directions and showcase his mastery over both!

The show runs through April 30th and there will be a Virtual Artist Talk: Thursday, April 27, 7 pm (Zoom) --  Join Zoom Meeting at the link here.

Irina Lawton and Clara Young Kim at MEG

MULTIPLE EXPOSURES GALLERY

presents 

"INTERNAL LANDSCAPE"

a New Member Exhibition featuring artists
 Irina Lawton and Clara Young Kim

 

Exhibition Dates
 April 25 - May 21, 2023

Opening Reception & Artist Talk
April 29, 2023  2 - 4 pm

The Exhibition INTERNAL LANDSCAPE, a new fine art photography exhibition at Multiple Exposures Gallery (MEG), introduces Irina Lawton and Clara Young Kim, MEG's two newest members. Accomplished fine art photographers, each has a keen eye and an affinity for conveying connections between the natural world and our inner selves. Though very different in style, the duo's 23 images in INTERNAL LANDSCAPE explore these connections and bear witness to the beauty to be found in the space between inner experiences and the landscapes of the natural world.  INTERNAL LANDSCAPE is on display at Multiple Exposures Gallery from April 25 - May 21, 2023. An opening reception and artist talk will be held on Saturday, April 29, from 2pm-4pm (artist talk at 3pm). Multiple Exposures Galley is located in the Torpedo Factory Art Center, #312, in Alexandria, Virginia.

The Artists Irina Lawton Irina Lawton is a visual artist living and working in the DC Metro area. Born in Latvia and educated in Moscow, Irina’s work reflects a wide range of influences and artistic styles. Her interests include the psychological intensity of portraiture, the sensibility and pictorial aesthetics of the turn of the 20th century, and the complex political and social consequences of change in post-communist Russia. Irina’s photography across these diverse areas of interest is linked in style and method by use of multiple layers of meaning to convey a complex narrative in a single frame. Clara Young Kim Through her photography, Clara Young Kim enjoys creating and sharing moments that strike a chord in viewer's souls. Born in Seoul, Korea, Clara began her study of music at age 4 and majored in voice at Yongsei University. Today, this musical background plays a strong role in Clara's way of capturing images and moments. She believes the elements of an image, including the colors, lines, shapes, brightness, and contrast, each contain their own notes and beats. When they work together in harmony, a beautiful image and work of art results.

Copyright Law and Public Performance

WALA/GMU “Copyright Law and Public Performance" Online Fireside Chat and Legal Clinic

Tuesday, April 18, 2023
2pm

Discover what to consider when publicly performing your own work or the work of others. Explore the life cycle of a work, from creation to licensing and earning royalties. 

When do I need a license, and how can I get one? 

How do I get paid when others use my work? 

What constitutes infringement? 

… And more! 

Join the Student Advocates from the George Mason Arts & Entertainment Advocacy Clinic for a conversation with producers from Mason’s Green Machine. Event co-sponsored by Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts. 

The event will be held over Zoom on Tuesday, April 18th, from 2:00 to 3:30 EDT. Participants will be sent a Zoom link in advance of the meeting. 

Please send questions about performing works publicly in advance when registering on Eventbrite, or to legalservices@waladc.org. 

Sharing your questions in advance will help the Clinic cater to the live audience and better prepare for an active discussion. Register here.

DWIGHTMESS Opening coming up

D W I G H T MESS is looking forward to the arrival this week of their first Swekt & Drang Artist Resident, Max Huffman!

Max will be inking there at the compound in addition to conducting fellowship with area artists & cartoonists over the course of his stay.

Max is a cartoonist & illustrator based in Carrboro, NC.

Join them on Friday, April 21st from 7-8:30pm for a One-Night Exhibition of Max's work completed during his residency + Artist Talk! Free Admission!

Stay with them from 8:30-10pm for a Special Dinner in honor of the artist!

$15 for a Carnivore or Vegan/Gluten-Free home-cooked meal -- Space is limited, Get your ticket now !!

https://dwightmess.bigcartel.com/product/swekt-drang-registration

DWIGHTMESS

Cartooning & Comic Arts

805 Silver Spring Ave.

Silver Spring, MD 20912

[entrance on Ripley Street]

Art scam

I often alert readers to art scammers, those nasty trolls that prey on the good will of artists eager to make a sale. 

As soon as I out them, I often get an email or two from people who were about the ship the work to the scammer – “He paid me with an international money order” or “He paid me with several credit cards” – so how does the scam work. 

First and foremost, be suspicious of any email that comes out of the blue offering to buy your artwork (without any specificity to “what artwork”) and offering to pay for all shipping (usually overseas). Ask for a phone number to talk to the person – the scammer will usually avoid this and stop communicating. If you’ve been taken and received an international check and taken it to your bank, wait for the check to clear – not just with your bank, but also with the foreign bank where the check is drawn – that’s the usual part that bites back with fakes. 

With credit cards, call the issuing bank and express your concerns; if the emailer offers to send you several credit cards and have you run them until one clears… well then, red alert! 

Visit http://www.artscams.com for more details and info: Be aware! 

A guerrilla technique for saving money on framing costs

There are some steps that artists can take to reduce significantly the cost of framing. I will try to list the most common mistakes, how to avoid them, and more importantly, how to get your artwork framed for a lot less than taking it to a framing shop to get it framed.

Read the whole article here.

Talking To Amanda Coelho

The Chronicles of Piercing Ken was in attendance at the Spring 2023 edition of the Affordable Art Fair in New York and he stopped by the Alida Anderson Art Projects booth and talked to artist Amanda Coelho about her work.  Shot by site founder Ken Pierce with the Canon Powershot! See it here.