DoNArTNeWs

DoN opened his studio to the public again this year with hundreds of other Philly artists participating in Philadelphia Open Studio Tours.  Visitors signed the giant “Hello My Name Is…” sign that he received as part of Newstoday Print Exchange 4.  DoN’s MoM, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and friends stopped by to view recent drawings, paintings and prints.  POST is a great way to meet other artists and make new friends as well as sell some art.  Thanks so much to good friends Shoshana and Alden with their help and support; it’s a lot of work.  KaTy the ArT DoG and her pal Doofie, the St. Bernard/Chihuahua mix greeted visitors with wagging tails and lots of slobber.  This year the tour started West of Broad Street so DoN didn’t get to visit friends such as Paul DuSold or Betsy and Burnell but DoN’s MoM did and is still talking about how Nora the Piano Playing Cat plinked out a tune for her - thanks Nora!  Panoramic shot of DoN’s Nude Room.

East of Broad Street was super-exciting with dumpster diver Alden Cole’s spectacular display of drawings, paintings, luminaries and found object constructions.  Alden has returned to his painting roots and is producing interesting compositions packed with metaphors, narrative and deeply personal spiritual art works.  Obviously it’s too much to see all the studios in one wekend but I’m sure if you contact Alden he would be more than happy to allow you to explore four floors of art.Panoramic shot of Alden Cole’s kitchen gallery.  Cole is having an exhibition at Smile Gallery in November. 

Robert Stauffer in his quirky alley gallery @ 7th & Federal.  Stauffer’s mixed media, paintings and photos were super-fun especially viewed in one of Philly’s famous narrow alleyways.

Dr. Doris Peltzman with friend Reta Sweeney at Morris Street Studios deep in South Philly.  Peltzman is having a one woman show at the prestigious Carspecken Scott Gallery in Wilmington as well as a group show at Artist’s House. You go girl!!!  Doris is truly gifted and dedicated to producing work that stretches her limits with brilliant coloration, bold brushwork and subtle compositions.

Painting master, Francis Tucker, also at Morris Street Studio displayed just a few of his masterworks and demonstrated his proficiency at framing.  Tucker was DoN’s first painting mentor back in the day when UArts was still PCA and still teaches emerging artists skills involving materials and technique.

Artist Arthur Ostroff, also of Morris Street Studios, explained to DoN his plans for a one man show which has turned into a retrospective of his lifes work.  The exhibit, Arthur Ostroff Then and Now, will be at Montgomery County Community College West Campus Art Gallery, November 1 through December 19, 2008.

Mixed media collage by Art Ostroff.

Painting by Charles Cushing and sculpture by Carol Cole @ 915 Spring Garden art studios.

Frances Galante’s studio was humming with activity and filled with masterful landscapes and still iife paintings. DoN asked Galante about including architecture in her works, “I like to include architecture because it shows the human element and gives scale to painting.”  This past summer Frances painted at Monhegan Island off the coast of Maine at an artist’s colony.

Frances Galante’s Sailboat on the Delaware.

Ana B. Hernandez’ flamenco inspired hanging sculpture.  Ana tells DoN her work, “… attempts to capture the movement and energy as a visual vocabulary of the skirt of the dancer.”

Ana B. Hernandez @ 915 Spring Garden.

Wendy Wolf has a system of layering paint and then scraping away bits to reveal the layers, she then saves the bits in little boxes as a separate art object.  Wolf is also a jeweler producing beautiful necklaces and bracelets, she says, “…life is charmed.”  An MFA graduate of Tyler Art School, Wolf has been at 915 Spring Garden for more than two years.

The left over bits from a Wendy Wolf painting displayed in clear plastic boxes.

Peter Cunicelli’s studio @ 915 Spring Garden.  Each piece is handmade from slabs of clay allowing Peter to create space-age style ceramics perfect for contemporary interiors; Peter is working on producing multiples so he can offer table wares in his unique style.  Cunicelli was included in this summer’s Art of the State exhibit in Harrisburg. Congrats!

Brooke Hine’s studio displayed her ubiquitous organic ceramics; always interesting, delicate and absorbing sculptures in a style all her own.  Hine recently curated a fabulous show at the Center for Emerging Visual Artists and was also included in the Art of the State show in Harrisburg.  DoN LoVeS Brooke!!!

LoVe

DoN All photos by DoNBrewerMultimedia.

CFEVA Introduction 2012
Blick Art Materials

Members of the Breckenridge and Wagner families at the unveilng of the Historical Marker at the Philadelphia Sketch Club, the oldest art club in America.  The Breckenridge family donated an important painting of the family matriarch to the Philadelphia Sketch Club that was found folded up in the bottom of a trunk.  The painting has been meticulously restored by the prestigious Newman Gallery and is on display in the meeting room. 

Photographer Lee Muslin @ Photography 2008.

The photography show @ PSC is always great but DoN was struck by the homogeneous nature of the show, all the works seemed to be about the same size and color pallette allowing more work to be exhibited but DoN prefers larger imagery permitting a more encompassing experience.

Visitors checking out the Photography 2008 show @ PSC which ran through 10/26/2008.

A collaborative exhibit by Michael Sweeney and Danielle Thierry @ Da Vinci Art Alliance.

Mike Sweeney’s ”Conscious/Subconscious” @ Da Vinci Art Alliance.  At first glance the image appears to be a sculpture but it’s actually a mixed media installation with Sweeney swathed in white sitting in a cardboard apse. Sweeney tells DoN, “The tree represents the subconscious and the figure the conscious.”  The show ran through 10/26.

Mike Sweeney @ The Da Vinci Art Alliance.

Art Party @ Da Vinci Art Alliance.

DoN LoVeS this piece by Mike Sweeney, “Lichen 2” an 8″ x 10″ photo.  DoN recalled the photo from Mike’s show @ Smile but did not get to write about it then or for his last DoNArTNeWsLetter; the photo of green moss is perfectly complemented by the appropriate mat color and lustrous gold frame.  Sweeney’s show @ Da Vinci was a wonderful combo of paintings, photography and mixed media, hopefully we’ll see more of this talented artist in the near future.  Stripping away the extraneous put against nature Sweeney allows us to see the stark contrast of our own minds. 

Artist Jon Laidacker in his studio.   Sunday, 10/19 @ 2:00 the new mural by Laidacker was dedicated at 17th & Snyder called Behold, the Open Door based on Raphael’s School of Athens.  Shoshka, Alden and DoN visited Jon & Andra in his studio @ 915 Spring Garden while taking a break from Charles Cushing’s Tango after-party during the POST/East weekend.  Jon includes characters from the neighborhood in the massive works and works closely with the community to produce appropriate imagery with history and style.  DoN will post a report on the dedication ceremony soon.

 That’s Jon Laidacker in the upper left working on a mural - WoW! 

Artist Brett Taylor died at age 40 in 1983 but left behind an extraordinary collection of paintings incorporating abstraction, representationalism and writing which feel so fresh and new they could have been produced yesterday.  Taylor’s family and friends are assuring he will never be forgotten by presenting exhibitions like the one currently on view at The Plastic Club.  DoN felt so honored to work in the upstairs studio surrounded by the stunningly original works which seem so prescient and contemporary, it felt as if everyone in the workshop were trying to improve their game just to compete with the masterful artworks on display.

Brett Taylor @ The Plastic Club

Brett Taylor @ The Plastic Club

DoN is co-chair of the Absolutely Abstract show November 7 - 30, 2008,  at the Philadelphia Sketch Club, prospectus’ have been mailed, you can download one here. DoN designed the art card with the help of committee chair Deb Riccardi and PSC’s Barbara Murray.

The Enclaves is a cool art space that’s been tapping into the talent pool of DaVinci Art Alliance members.  Debra Leigh Scott contacted David Foss of DaVinci to inquire about art that would portray a new spirituality perspective and was offered thirty or more portfolios to puruse.  Debra visited Girard DiFalco’s studio and chose a mystically groovy collection of pop-art ecclesiastical paintings imbued with symbolism, saturated with rich color and contemporary, almost futuristic, images of religious icons.  Paired with Sallie Ann Glassman’s dreamscapes, with scary narratives of running in your sleep naked and deep south impressionism, the show is nervy and hard edged.  DoN likes the Enclaves, the parties are always cool, the locale is colorful and imaginative and Debra really works hard to promote the artists.  DoN says drive like a bat out of hell out to Penrose Ave., parking is easy and secure and the warm daylight of the gallery is perfect for viewing the colorful spooky creations, Halloween is coming.

Girard Di Falco @ The Enclaves.  Photo DaVinci Art Alliance newsletter. 

Muralist, David Guinn recently completed dual murals at 47th and Baltimore Ave. in West Philly. The twin tableau’s depict a vibrant, emerging neighborhood populated with hard-working Philadelphians, charming craftsman style architecture, diverse business’ and warm family life. Quinn captures the vibe of the ‘hood including many of the personalities with strong mark-making, assured coloration and thoughtful consideration of the context of his assignment. Quinn’s mural does not ghetto-ize the empty lot, formally a movie theater, it brings real art with references to Breugel, Hockney, and Rockwell to the street accomplishing a daunting task of satisfying many opinions and staying true to his art.  DoN videotaped the ceremony and hopes to have a clip online soon.

David Quinn’s mural @ 47th & Baltimore.

Detail of mural by David Guinn.

David Guinn @ the dedication to his dual murals.  All David Quinn mural photos by Alden Cole. 

Go to DoN’s YouTube page, DoNNieBeat, to see a short video clip of the evening.  It was really a fun night in West Philly; Shoshana and DoN dressed up and mingled with the crowd of artists while video projectors displayed examples of many of the POST artists works, an efficient way to honor the artists in the prestigious art museum.Last weekend was the West of Broad Street Philadelphia Open Studio Tours, DoN exhibited new drawings, photographs, paintings and video with a special display of NTPE 1 & 4 prints.  NTPE = Newstoday Print Exchange.  Newstoday, now QBN.com is a website dedicated to mostly multimedia and graphic designers who exchange ideas, chat and help each other.  The Friday Photoshop Battles are hysterical.  For NTPE, artists and designers send a print to people on a list and each then sends one to you. DoN participated in the first event and the most recent, fourth, exchange.  NTPE is a wonderful experiment in trust, commitment, ingenuity and style with each artist doing their best to impress even the most jaded fellow designer.