Monthly Archives: September 2015

Cathedral

Marilyn MacGregor, Philadelphia

Marilyn MacGregor, Philly artist and designer, has created a special limited edition print in honor of Pope Francis’s visit to Philadelphia, with sales to benefit the hungry and homeless. Her series Philadelphia: Famous Sites & Famous Places, a fresh new take on well-known landmarks and neighborhoods in Philadelphia, combines her original, on-site sketches with appealing colors and crisp design.  The series is readily available as cards and prints in stores around the city as well as from her Friday merchant cart at Reading Terminal Market.

This signed limited print, in an edition of 50, honors Pope Francis’s work on behalf of the poor and needy and the environment, and will benefit Philadelphia’s hungry and homeless through the Francis Fund. This offer is made independently and was not commissioned by any agency.

 “I don’t believe one needs to be a Catholic or a churchgoer to understand that this Pope is using his voice and his position in an important way in a time of great need. This is my artist’s way of supporting him and his work with my work.”

The print, in Marilyn’s loose contemporary style, shows Philadelphia’s Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul and has a commemorative message for the Pope’s historic visit. See details at http://www.macgregor-art.com/benefit-prints-for-good-causes.html

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Autumn

Autumn Invitational, Off the Wall Gallery

2015 Autumn Invitational (New Work From Our Award-Winning, Top Selling Artists) Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Frank’s

Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Franks, 13th and Pine Streets, Philly. September through November 13th, 2015. Artist Reception Thursday, October 1st, 2015, 7:00 – 10:00pm

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Being

Sylvia Castellanos, Pope Francis

How My Portrait of Pope Francis Came Into Being by Sylvia Castellanos

It all began when Pope Francis’ plan to visit Philadelphia in 2015 made me  decide to paint him. This straightforward plan set off a chain of decision-making which I wish to chronicle here, particularly for the benefit of non-artists. Contrary to what people assume, painters are not necessarily handed a pre-packaged solution. The reality is far  more complex and time-consuming than that, and what develops sometimes surprises even the artist.

Catching the sitter’s likeness is only the beginning of a good picture. To be a quality portraitist, an artist must have many instincts in common with novelists and playwrights and, like them, focus on developing the personality.  If possible, too, he should also try to present his subject in  an ideal dramatic moment. In other words, he should catch  the subject in a pose that is somehow compelling to the viewer  in addition to conveying the person’s essence. 

I have done a great deal of painting of public figures from the present and the past, necessarily relying on photographs. There are people I have never painted because I’ve never found the right photographs—it is that important. More often, I find  one picture possessing some of the elements I seek, but the remainder must come from other sources.  I have developed a lot of practice in creating complex jigsaw puzzles as a result. 

I began by  considering the qualities I associated with Pope Francis. Charisma, a joyous smile, and extraordinary warmth toward people made my list. I started looking at  photographs with no particular design in mind.   

I found myself coming back to the picture on the left,  ideal in many ways. It  catches that great big smile full of joy and love, and the upraised hand is  greeting every one of us. This is a perfect example of the sort of compelling dramatic moment I just talked about.  I knew, though, this picture involved problems and so I’d keep looking.  And yet, after a while I’d be drawn back to it  again. Here was the problem—in what setting would he be waving at people? The background in the photograph clearly had to be discarded. What would I use in its place?

It’s not as simple as it sounds. My first thought was having him in a motorcade waving at the crowds, something closely associated with him. But look what happens when I try this:  He’s got his back to the crowd—no good!

Then I thought of using a church as a backdrop, which seemed reasonable.

The impression, unfortunately, was  that he’s in a big empty building waving at…an imaginary friend? Back to the drawing board.

Sometimes things that seem “meant to be” are identified only when well into the process. I am not sure when it came to me…a balcony!  This addressed all my concerns—the question  was settled. And I knew instantly which it would be—the iconic ceremonial balcony in St. Peter’s where popes address the crowds.

I was happy to find a very high resolution picture of the façade of St. Peter’s which,  enlarged, permitted me to see all the details of the balcony area. I noted the stone construction, the glass doors with thin white drapery, and the heavy  burgundy drapes outside the glass doors. I would need this visual  information.

Further research produced a few more photographs, including those of Easter Sunday celebrations, of which these are a sample.

The minute I saw them, I knew Easter would be my setting. I loved  using this most joyous occasion on the Christian calendar  as my theme, incorporating the gorgeous flowers and the beaming smile on  the Pope’s face. The photos permitted me to pick up on other details, such as the large  burgundy banner  draped over the front of the balcony, which I knew I would use. The main elements were now in place.

So that is what I began with—a figure detached from its original background  and a few pictures for a proposed setting  taken from angles I could not use.

That was okay, though, because I was about to recreate St. Peter’s at home.  After half an hour working with clay, cardboard, masking tape and a cutting tool, I had my own St. Peter’s balcony. Using the photograph of the façade of the building,  I printed out the wall at the back of the balcony, greatly enlarged (this, incidentally, is why I had been so happy to find a very high resolution photograph). I taped it to the vertical piece of cardboard behind my balcony and I was set.

And I had a pope, too.  Really.  That is the pope. 

I proceeded to take photographs from every conceivable angle for an important reason. The only drawback of the pose I had chosen was it was fully facing front, which is very static. The Pope had to be surrounded  with elements at an angle to give the composition more life. Out of the dozen images I took   from all perspectives, I chose the corner where the side and the front of the balcony meet, feeling this presented good artistic possibilities.

In real life, of course, when events take place the balcony is packed with people, and cameramen station themselves around that particular corner of the balcony. This raises   a consideration that I dealt with several times—historical accuracy vs. compositional logic.  A trade-off is inevitable, and the artist has   to make a choice on a case-by-case basis. Even I, a huge stickler for historical accuracy, accept this. Thus at the  St. Peter’s Basilica of Philadelphia, where we control access, all superfluous people have been vanished, leaving the Pope to make an intimate connection with us, the viewers of the picture.

So with the decision having been made, a little Photoshop magic pasted the real Pope into the shot. It’s starting to take shape now, right? ( I know you doubted).

I know in general terms what the balcony and the back wall are going to look like, but it’s   time to have something more detailed. Now I take out paper, pencil and rulers, and I do a perspective drawing of the relevant elements. All portraitists should have at least basic knowledge of perspective drawing, which provides the answer to every question he can have about where the lines are supposed to go.

Finally, I had to make a choice about the flowers.  As of 2015, Pope Francis has officiated over two Easter ceremonies. One year the colorful flowers in the pictures I showed earlier decorated the balcony, while the other year white roses (left) were chosen. So I could have my pick.  As gorgeous as these roses were, I reluctantly  decided against them.

I knew in advance the colors in the composition lacked variety.  There was the beige-grey color of the stone, the maroon of the textiles, and surfaces that were basically white—that was it. Moreover, there were lots and lots of square inches covered with white when one took in both the Pope’s garment and the drapery that covers much of the background.  I knew   I would need to handle each with different hues to avoid monotony. Was I going to have a third white element to add to the problem?  Not if I could help it. Out went the beautiful white roses in favor of the (also attractive) orchids/lilies that brought tones of fucshia and pink into the mix. And thank god for the green of the foliage, too.

I had one more horticultural task. I emailed the   flowers   to  an amateur gardener.  What are they? I asked. Either Dendrobium Orchids  or  Bugle Lilies, my friend wrote back. I printed out some pictures of both varieties of flower to use when time came to create from thin air  the floral arrangement

Only at  this point was I  finished. Oh, wait —there was  unfinished business. I still had to paint the portrait.  It only felt  like I was finished.

The weeks that followed took my work from a large piece of fabric covered with brown underpainting  to a completed painting, a process I don’t have the space to chronicle. Clearly, achieving the likeness was critical, for a portrait which does not look like the sitter is worthless.  Some important elements remained to be worked out as I went along. And yet, arguably the most important decisions were made before a single drop of paint was applied to canvas. 

Creating art is a complex process,  and the appearance of a picture does not just  fall into place by itself. Many factors  go into the design, and ways must often be found to simulate individual elements. The ultimate irony is that the more natural the result looks, probably the more thought went into it.

Sylvia Castellanos, Pope Francis Portrait of Pope Francis, oil on canvas, Sylvia Castellanos

Written by Sylvia Castellanos

“Artist Sylvia Castellanos, who emigrated to the United States from her native Cuba as a child, has executed hundreds of portraits and figurative works of everyone from Washington dignitaries to Central American campesinos.While her portraiture covers a broad range of subject matter and moods, its  emphasis is consistently on capturing the individual’s spirit in a nuanced, sensitive way.

After earning a graduate degree from Princeton University, she moved to Washington, D.C. in the early seventies. For the remainder of the decade she combined holding a prestigious position in the Senate with doing commissioned portraits for clients prominent on Capitol Hill.” – Sylvia Castellanos

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Baker Industries

Baker Industries

Art and Artisan Fair at Baker Industries, Call For Entries, Malvern PA

Baker Industries | 184 Pennsylvania Avenue, Malvern, PA 19355 www.bakerindustries.org 

Call For Entries Art and Artisan Fair at Baker Industries October 24 – 25, 2015

A juried event benefiting Baker Industries, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit work rehabilitation program serving adults with intellectual and physical disabilities, recovering substance abusers, individuals on parole or probation, and the homeless.

Our Impact: While Baker Industries works to directly impact the quality of life of its program participants, the results are much more far-reaching: recidivism rates are reduced, welfare rolls are lowered, and taxpayer rolls are increased.

Our Bottom Line: Baker Industries accepts no government funding.  Our administrative costs are 8.6% of our operating expenses.  70% of revenue comes from payment of the jobs we do for our customers.  The balance is provided by individuals and organizations willing to make charitable contributions to our operating costs.

  • Deadline for Entries: September 18, 2015
  • Event Dates: October 24, 2015, 5PM – 9PM (Cocktail reception, $35/person) October 25, 2015, 11AM – 4PM (Admission, $5/person)
  • Event Location: Baker Industries’ Warehouse 184 Pennsylvania Avenue Malvern, PA 19355
  • Entry Details: Send 3-4 images representative of what you will bring to the event with a $5 entry fee. Label JPEG images only as follows: image#_firstname_lastname.jpg. Include your name, contact information, and website. Images will not be reviewed without payment. Go to our online store at www.bakerindustries.org to pay.
  • Commission Fees: 70% to artist, 30% to Baker Industries Mail To: beth@bakerindustries.org
  • Contact Information: Beth Tiewater beth@bakerindustries.org 610-296-9795
  • Website: www.bakerindustries.org
  • Jurors: Jurors will be state juried members of the Haverford Guild of Craftsmen, a chapter of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen. www.haverfordguild.org
  • 25-40 quality artists and crafters will be chosen.
  • All entries must be handmade by the entrant, original, and free of copyright infringement. No class or workshop art; no copies or likenesses of other work. 
  • All work must be for sale. 
  • All money will be collected by Baker Industries. Artists and artisans will receive payment within two weeks of the event. 
  • All items must be labeled and numbered; a list of items, with description if necessary, is required.
  • Painters chosen are asked to provide at least 10 paintings. Please provide racks, if possible.
  • Crafters will receive the area of a six-foot table. All items may not always be displayed together.
  • Fine artists may sell note cards and no more than 20 matted pieces (they will not be hung)
  • Hanging items more than 25 pounds and larger than 4 feet must be identified in submission
  • Artists and crafters are asked to attend the opening reception on October 24, 2015.
  •  Baker Industries is not responsible for loss or damage to any art or property brought to the event. The art or property is not insured while at Baker Industries. 
  • If you have a booth set-up and would like to use it, please indicate this on the entry form. Baker Industries | 184 Pennsylvania Avenue, Malvern, PA 19355 | www.bakerindustries.com
  • Baker Industries’ Art and Artisan Fair Entry Form Submissions Checklist
  • Completed Entry Form
  • $5 Entry Fee
  • Files or slides emailed to beth@bakerindustries.org or Photos or CD mailed to Baker Industries, 184 Pennsylvania Avenue, Malvern, PA 19355

 

THIS JUST IN!
There will be a $500 prize to a participating artist at this year’s Art and Artisan Fair! Get your entries in ASAP!!!

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Absolutely

Absolutely Abstract 2015

Absolutely Abstract 2015, The Philadelphia Sketch Club

The Philadelphia Sketch Club‘s Annual Absolutely Abstract Exhibition is like wandering through a magic garden of random events captured in slow motion time. Time is elemental to the wide selection of contemporary abstract art filling the historic gallery. It’s so weird because The Philadelphia Sketch Club is the oldest artist’s club in America and the abstract show is about exploring the time when abstract art was considered radical.

The collection of artworks range from action paintings, deep impressionist landscapes, nature photography and more. There is a lot of art in the show, every effort was made to make it fit. At dinner tonight my host was cranky about overly edited art shows and whether it’s better to display salon style or not. It would be really fun to edit the show to a top 40 but there is great pleasure in the sensual overload of an abundance of art.

Absolutely Abstract 2015Absolutely Abstract 2015, The Philadelphia Sketch Club, Michael Cooper, Fertility Figure Gone Wild, wood, clay and paint

Fertility Figure Gone Wild manages to find an alternate reality space in a room full of enthusiast competition for attention. The piece is interactive and modulates the space around it with depth of force field, developing a conversation with the viewer. Dream-like states flow while scanning and gazing, the temporal information flows like time in a multiverse.

The space does feel like a time capsule with reflections on the past and illumination of the future in color and marks, architecture and history. Connecting with deep primal image recognition and stories seem to flow through the room like a stream of consciousness. Abstraction is all around, our peripheral vision is abstract shapes and marks that communicates information to the consciousness. Absolutely.

Absolutely Abstract 2015Absolutely Abstract 2015, The Philadelphia Sketch Club

2015 Absolutely Abstract Open Juried Exhibition through September 19, 2015. 235 South Camac Street, The Avenue of the Artists, Philadelphia, PA, 19107. Hours: Wednesday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday 1:00 – 5:00pm

Written and photographed by DoN Brewer

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