Dora Patin

As I noted earlier this week, this March, we will return to our 17th year in a row (less the year of the attack of the Covidian monster) to the Affordable Art Fair in New York City, we're bringing in a whole new group of artists from the DMV, most of whom I first met via their artwork when I juried the 2022 Paint the Town event in the pretty area of downtown Kensington, Maryland.

Let me repeat myself: jurying any art show always exposes the juror to new talent, and when I juried this show, as 2022 Paint the Town I often do, I selected some of my fave artists to bring to NYC for an art fair.  In my mind we wanted to "curate" a booth for the fair that showcased realist work at its best. Booth curation is a somewhat subjective process (pun intended).

And one of my prizewinners (in fact the Best in Show winner!) Dora Patin is coming to NYC with us in booth D-10 at the fair!

I think that Patin is a painting prodigy.  She has only been painting for a handful of years, and yet her trompe l'oeil paintings are breathtaking in their ability to fool the eye. She's yet another great testimony to the teaching skills of Glen Kessler at The Compass Atelier.

Note the facility in delivering one of the hardest subjects to fool the eye: paper. 

In this new series focusing on cards, Patin flexes her painting skills to deliver superb work that not only fools the eye, but also subtly reminds us that it is a painting.  These are opposite goals on the horizon of an artist as he/she commences a new work, and yet, in these works she accomplishes both of them easily. This is sooooo hard to do, and yet she accomplishes it with deceptive ease.

The Optimist by Dora Patin
c. 2023, 5x7 inches, oil on panel

Monarch by Dora Patin
5x7 inches - Oil on Panel c. 2023 

Luck or Skill? by Dora Patin
c. 2023, 12x12 inches, oil on panel

Patin's works will be in booth D-10 at the Affordable Art Fair New York City, March 22-26 in Chelsea.

New work by Dora Patin

The below new works by the gifted Dora Patin are the last of her series on playing cards as she embarks on a new painting mission!

Double Venus
12x16 oil on panel 2023 by Dora Patin

Seeds of Success
8x10 oil on panel 2023 by Dora Patin

Luck or Skill?
10 x 10 oil on panel 2023 by Dora Patin

Double Mars
11 x 14 oil on panel by Dora Patin

Affordable Art Fair NYC - Day One

Left the DMV at 4AM and made great time though I-95 all the way to the tunnel, which took over an hour to cross!

Cory Oberndorfer setting up in booth D15 at the Affordable Art Fair NYC 2024 Spring

And then the work of Suzanne Yurdin went up!

Abstract paintings by Suzanne Yurdin at the Affordable Art Fair NYC Spring 2024

And then the amazing prodigy that is Dora Patin went up!

Trompe l'oeil paintings by Dora Patin at the Affordable Art Fair NYC Spring 2024

The "Oberndorfer Wall" in booth D15!

The fair opened at 5PM for VIPs and the press, and the opening night crowds were huge as usual. We sold about 20 of my small Bisque drawings, Oberdorfer had a last minute sale and we also sold the below painting by Dora Patin.

More tomorrow!

New from Dora Patin for the Affordable Art Fair NYC

We'll be in booth C1 at the coming Affordable Art Fair in Chelsea this September 20-24 - drop me an email if you'd like some complimentary passes.  There will be work by Steve Wanna, Christina Helowicz, Seth Fairweather, Dora Patin, Ally Morgan, Jennifer Barlow, Lian Sever, and others.

Double Mars, Oil on panel, 11x14" by Dora Patin

The 2022 Paint the Town Award Winners!

It was my distinct and unique honor to serve as the 2022 Paint the Town juror for the Montgomery Art Association, which together with the town of Kensington, Maryland stages this annual visual art exhibition and competition each year in beautiful Kensington, just outside of the District.

This was a very difficult show to juror - both the open exhibition at the Kensington Armory and the plein air competition which took place yesterday all over this beautiful Maryland town outside nearby Washington, DC.  Below are the award winners selected by me - congratulations to all of them... it was a really difficult competition!

Let me repeat myself: as all great shows are, this was an immensely difficult show to judge, which is a good thing! The quality of entries was uniformly superior in almost every category, and the difference between first, second, third, and even some honorable mentions was minimal. The Portrait category in particular was tough to judge as there were so many really outstanding entries. And I was especially surprised by the Kensington category – there was not a single bad entry! As always, I am honored to be able to judge and comment on work of my fellow artists.

Kensington Category

1st Place & Best in Show (Bertha Clum Award): Historia Est Magistra Vitae by Dora Patin

Historia Est Magistra Vitae by Dora Patin

2nd Place: The Hard Work by Paula Zeller

3rd Place: Early Morning on the MARC by Barbara Mandel

Honorable Mentions: Light Remains by Virginia Browning; At the Station by Susan Fitch Brown; Cedar Lane, 3 am by David Sommers

Landscape Category

1st Place: Golden Cloud by Sarah Clayton Davis

Golden Cloud by Sarah Clayton Davis

2nd Place: Vaison La Romaine, France by Mary Vinograd

3rd Place: Water Meadows, Woodfield Road by Benita Kane Jaro

Honorable Mentions: Time Out by Margaret Ingram; Winter by Rajendra KC; Isle of Capri by Deborah Pollack; Tempest by Ting Rao; The House Before the Storm by My-Linh Rouil; Nature's Sculpture by Yik Chek Phan

Portrait Category

1st Place: I Will Conquer by Isabella Martire

I Will Conquer by Isabella Martire

2nd Place: You Are Gone and That Scares Me by Ally Morgan

3rd Place: Summer Morning by Ting Rao

Honorable Mentions: Glow by Jennifer Lynn Beaudet; Gaby Is Musing by Nan Dawkins; Playing the Blues by Karen Merkin; Weathered by Ellen Yahuda; Stock Up Time by Vicky Zhou

Still Life Category

1st Place: Veri Peri Macaron by Jennifer Barlow

Veri Peri Macaron by Jennifer Barlow

2nd Place: A Bear Necessity by Amanda Coelho

3rd Place: Waiting for Wings by Christina Webber

Honorable Mentions: Chatty Onions by Nan Dawkins; Roses Ride by Jack Hammond

Abstract Category

1st Place: Metamorphosis by Sandra Pérez-Ramos

Metamorphosis by Sandra Pérez-Ramos

2nd Place: Rhapsody of a Hug by Martina Sestakova

3rd Place: Crows by Nancy Randa

Honorable Mentions: Composition 29 by Mari Craig; Coastal Dreams by Rosemary Fallon; Happy Wave by Raya Salman; Exploration by Jenny Wilson

Sculpture Category

1st place: Patchwork of Promise by Peijisan Art

Patchwork of Promise by Peijisan Art

2nd Place: A Much Needed Break by Samantha Hecox

3rd Place: Ice Bucket by Nadia Hewchuck

Honorable Mention: Fort! by Anastasia Walsh

Photography Category

1st Place: The Gymnast by Arindam Dasgupta

The Gymnast by Arindam Dasgupta

2nd Place: Warbler House by Julie Steinberg

3rd Place: Snow Day by Regina Boston

Plein Air Competition

1st place: Saturday Market by Vicky Zhou

Saturday Market by Vicky Zhou

2nd place: OK Morning! by Robert Pearlman

3rd place: Water Fountain by Carrie Adler

Honorable mentions: Professor by Holly Buehler; Outdoor Seating, Kensington by Garine Magary

Student Invitational

Winner: The Bearer by Elielle Kayomb

The Bearer by Elielle Kayomb

2nd Place: Hammer Brooch by Nadia Hewchuck

3rd Place: A Gazelle in the Water by Stephanie Fernandez

On the way to NYC & Day One of the AAFNYC

4:30 AM: The van has been packed the day before, and it's ready for Steve Wanna to add his work as we head out to pick up Christina Helowicz in Pasadena. 

5:30 AM: Arrive at Pasadena, pick up Christina and head to New York. 

10:00ish AM: Arrival in Chelsea and check in at the Metropolitan Pavilion.  We get Doris Day parking by the side door, and unload, as our booth is really close to that door. Seth Fairweather is already there and his work is already hung.  I depart to check in to the Jane Hotel and drop luggage before heading back, dropping the van at the parking garage, where it will be until Friday at 6PM and then go inside the Pavilion to help with the hanging and preparation of the booth for tonight's VIP Preview. 

Steve Wanna setting up booth C1 at the Affordable Art Fair NYC

3:30PMish: The booth is pretty much done and hung with the work of Seth Fairweather,  Steve Wanna, Christina Helowicz,  Dora Patin,  Amanda Coelho,  Ally Morgan,  Jennifer Kahn Barlow,  Susan La Mont and mine. We head out to our respective hotels to clean up, be back by 5ish and be ready for the opening reception. 

Line outside the Metropolitan Pavilion waiting for the VIP Preview opening
of the Affordable Art Fair in New York 

 Preview Night of the 2023 Affordable Art Fair

A few minutes into the opening, a DMV area collector emails me in response to me sending him Dora Patin's new spectacular trompe l'oeil paintings, as he has begun collecting Patin during the previous fair; he says "I want the Cheshire cat."

Sometimes a Fair opening is so crowded that it actually begins to interfere with the visitors ability to actually see the artwork... my Bisque Graphite drawings move briskly.

9:00PM: It's been a long day and we're all exhausted as we head to our various hotels... the first day of the Affordable Art Fair New York City is done.

Day four of the Affordable Art Fair NYC

Here's what unusual: the fair has been very well attended - lots of people, yet sales have been somewhat slow -- my drawings on Bisque have been flying off the wall - but they're a very low price point.  Today Seth Fairweather had a decent sale of three of his very cool wall sculptures, but also faced dealing with a nice lady who wanted a huge discount on several of his colored glass pieces - we eventually refused the offer, which essentially wanted a third off!

Art collectors admire Seth Fairweather's work at the AAFNYC Fall 2023

Christina Helowicz "eye" sculptures have also been selling well, but again they're very low priced at around $300 each or so.

Eye sculpture by Christina Helowicz at the 2023 Fall AAFNYC

The works of Dora Patin continue to get a lot of attention - this gifted painter is clearly a superbly talented painter, and her trompe l'oeils are amazing to say the least. So far one has sold.

Double Venus by Dora Patin

Susan Lamont's wonderful oils have made their debut in this fair - a lesson learned is that perhaps in the future the larger works may have more impact.

Pershing Square Crossing by Susan La Mont

The wake effect

If you read this blog regularly, then you know what I mean when I talk about an art fair's "wake effect."  If you don't, then read all about it here.

And the wake effect just resulted in another sale for the immensely talented prodigy named Dora Patin as "New Journey" is heading to a private collection in Philadelphia after a Philly collector discovered Patin's work at the Affordable Art Fair NYC last week.

My advice: Buy Patin now!

Upcoming fairs in 2024

Next March I'll be at the Affordable Art Fair in Chelsea, New York City - we'll be featuring the works of Cory Oberndorfer, Christina Helowicz, Suzanne Yurdin, Dora Patin... and yours truly!

And after that we'll be at the Affordable Art Fair Austin in Texas! First one ever there!, with works by Jon Linton, Seth Fairweather, Kathleen Hope, Jodi Walsh and me!

A tromp l'oeil memento mori - "The Other Side" 5x7" by Dora Patin

Drop me a note if you'd like some complimentary tickets to either of those art fairs.

Day two of the Affordable Art Fair New York

The VIP Preview opening last night was pretty packed - there was a snafu with the beer delivery (not the fault of the AAF staff), but...

The second day was also pretty well attended.

Some decent press so far:

• 6sqft 
• Artnet News 
• Hyperallergic
• TimeOut New York
• Made in Italy Press & News
• La Voce Di New York
• • New York Latin Culture Magazine 
  • Piercing Ken
  • Hyperallergic
  • The PR Net 
  • GothamToGo
  • 
    

Seth Fairweather at the Affordable Art Fair NY Fall

Jennifer Kahn Barlow at the Affordable Art Fair NY Fall

Dora Patin at the Affordable Art Fair NY Fall

Steve Wanna at the Affordable Art Fair NY Fall

Ally Morgan at the Affordable Art Fair NY Fall

Amanda Coehlo at the Affordable Art Fair NY Fall

Lian Sever at the Affordable Art Fair NY Fall

Pershing Square - One of Susan La Mont's paintings
at the Affordable Art Fair NY Fall

Three of Florencio Lennox Campello's works at the Affordable Art Fair NY Fall

Alida Anderson Art Projects' booth at the Affordable Art Fair New York

Dora Patin at the Affordable Art Fair

 

Affordable Art Fair NYC Spring 2024 - Day Two

Throughout the day the crowds have been fantastic - the aisles are packed!

In the early afternoon, we delivered the above Dora Patin private commission! It was delivered to a happy collector... and the crowds remained large throughout the day and evening! A lot of those Bisque drawings continued to fly off the wall!

"Sleep is the cousin of death" staying in New York

Ice broken in day two at the Affordable Art Fair New York City as "Sleep is the cousin of death" is gonna stay in NYC!

Also This Dora Patin trompe l'oeil is not coming back! Staying in a private collection in Connecticut! Sold at the Affordable Art Fair New York City!

Christina Helowicz at the Affordable Art Fair New York

The below new work by the gifted Christina Helowicz will be available at the Affordable Art Fair New York, which opens on September 20th at the Met Pavillion on 18th Street in Chelsea; we're in booth C1.

The gallery will also showcase work by Steve Wanna,  Jennifer Barlow, Amanda Coelho, Ally Morgan, Susan La Mont, Dora Patin and Lian Siever!

“That’s business, baby!”
Mixed media, 3x3 inches by Christina Helowicz