Category Archives: Drawings

DoN LoVeS drawing.

Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne

Lois Schlachter, @ Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne, 2011

Steve Iwanczuk @ Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne, 2011. That’s Steve reflected in the drawing on the right.

Lois & Steve have collaborated as the co-chairs of the Philadelphia Sketch Club’s Exhibition Committee for years, lately Lois is focused on her own art career, continuing to volunteer but now making new art, showing in galleries and entering competitions. Schlachter has had the unique experience of viewing virtually thousands of artworks submitted to the venerable art club’s competitions and exhibitions and now is creating her own memorable art, fractured planes, vibrant color, dreamy narratives like a mix of Charles Dumuth and Takashi Murakami. Steve Iwanczuk teaches graphic design but his drawings are surreal and photographs technically exact, in this show he shows three sides of his persona, each piece strange and deep.

Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne, 2011.

Mina Smith-Segal Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne, 2011.

Deborah Ann S. Horsting @ Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne, 2011.

Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne – Gift Shop! Many of the artists brought prints, cards and posters to sell, Art Space‘s lay-out is multi-purpose and really fun to wander through. Art Space is a major component in the art vibe of Lansdowne, many of the locals came out to the show, the support of the neighbors is so important if art is the force communities use to stay vibrant and relevant.

Dorothy Roschen @ Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne, 2011.

Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne, 2011.

John Schmeichen @ Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne, 2011.

Karen McDonnell & Anthony Cortosi @ Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne. Karen & Anthony are collaborative by nature, often taking on responsibilities others don’t want to do ensuring art events can jump off. The duo work together on their art, drawing and cutting stencils, spray-painting and decorating their canvasses until layers of memes, myths and memories are mashed-up like a DJ Shadow mix.

Rich Harrington @ Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne, 2011.

Volunteering is a good way to make friends, learn new things, experience different ideas and stretch social skills; sometimes it feels really good, sometimes it’s hard work but in the end people working towards a common goal, solving problems, creating opportunities, being selfless and inclusive is an art form unto itself. Thank you so much to the Philadelphia Sketch Club and Art Space, DoN LoVeS seeing his work flanking Lois Schlachter and Steve Iwanczuk‘s art, to be included in their company is an honor. Not all the volunteers are represented in this blog post many other artists are in the expansive show, take the drive out to Lansdowne to see the show, support the volunteers and the view of the city on the drive back is spectacular, a fine reward.

Photos by DoN.

VIII – 2011 MFA Thesis Exhibition, University of Delaware Department of Art @ Crane Arts Center

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Rebekah Wilhelm, VIII – 2011 MFA Thesis Exhibition, University of Delaware Department of Art @ Crane Arts Center.

Rebekah Wilhelm, Untitled, detail

Rebekah Wilhelm, Untitled, VIII – 2011 MFA Thesis Exhibition, University of Delaware Department of Art @ Crane Arts Center in Fishtown.

Rebekah Wilhelm‘s most excellent print display @ UD Crane is filled with information, tightly packed into clever, spare prints like an art lesson on less is more. The prints of swirling words explains how viewers interact with vision, her chain link fence prints are confounding and restrictive and the reams of paper spread in a long swipe across the floor is provocative yet simple and easy. Wilhelm already has plans to go to work teaching at the University of Delaware and is considering studio space in Philly. DoN chatted with UD Crane curator Anthony Vega, he highlighted how there was more focus on craft and skill in traditional media and no video this year. C. Grant Cox, III includes multimedia and mechanics in his sculpture but there was a noticeable absence of flat screens and projections in the gallery.

Tara Russell, VIII – 2011 MFA Thesis Exhibition, University of Delaware Department of Art @ Crane Arts Center.

Jacob Smiley, VIII – 2011 MFA Thesis Exhibition, University of Delaware Department of Art @ Crane Arts Center.

Tia Santana, VIII – 2011 MFA Thesis Exhibition, University of Delaware Department of Art @ Crane Arts Center. Tia Santana’s performance/installation anchored the lower gallery by the stairs with the artist studiously braiding what looked a lot like hair into long dreads. Dressed in white, Santana focused on expanding the mound of braids, weaving memes like “roots”, “identity” and “work” into a fascinating presentation of a simulacra-like archetype that a week later is still vibrant in DoN‘s mind.

Daniel Jackson, VIII – 2011 MFA Thesis Exhibition, University of Delaware Department of Art @ Crane Arts Center. Check out Jackson’s web site for a good look at his work, his paintings exhibit not just vibrancy and virtuosity but thoughtful content, decorative panache and strong painting science. The glossy panels thick with layers of saturated color and ancient technique are mashed up with a contemporary sense of irony; Jackson’s paintings illustrate Vega’s observation of skill being penultimate.

Congratulations to Matt Giel for his desirable photographs, Leontien Rotteveel’s beatific objet trouve-like sculpture/installation and the entire class of UD 2011 for a refreshing look at the endurance of art. The gallery is University of Delaware‘s outpost away from school, offering students a really cool space to show their work, creating an aspirational vibe and a real clarity of vision of who artists can be after college.

Photos by DoN.

Elaine M. Erne, “Mr. Bunny Misses His Friends” and Leah Reynolds, “Bee Life” @ Nexus Foundation for Today’s Art

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Elaine M. Erne, “Mr. Bunny Misses His Friends” @ Nexus Foundation for Today’s Art

Mr. Bunny Gets Screwed, graphite on paper, 90 x 60″. Elaine Erne lost her toy bunnies with return instructions throughout Philly and May 12th many people returned what they found to the Nexus Foundation for Today’s Art, the Crane Arts Center in Fishtown. If you returned a bunny you could exchange it for a numbered print and the bunny is hung on the wall, if you want to keep the bunny you found it cost you five bucks. Elaine told DoN Mr. Bunny Misses His Friends causes the finder to decide whether to return the lost toy and participate in an interactive experience or just keep it and live with your conscience. Many participants exchanged their finds for a signed, numbered print and took pictures of themselves with the installation and the artist. Erne’s installation is anchored by two of her heroically scaled drawings facing each other across the room allowing the viewer to take in the scope of the drawing then move in close and feel the energy it took to complete the masterful drawings.

Elaine M. Erne, “Mr. Bunny Misses His Friends” @ Nexus Foundation for Today’s Art.

Elaine M. Erne finding one of her numbered prints to match the returned lost bunny at “Mr. Bunny Misses His Friends” @ Nexus Foundation for Today’s Art. Erne’s interactive idea showcases her image making skill and innovative public interaction and social networking, adding a layer of sophistication, thoughtfulness, liven-ess and fun to Elaine’s art.

Elaine M. Erne, “Mr. Bunny Misses His Friends” and Leah Reynolds, “Bee Life” @ Nexus Foundation for Today’s Art.

The two artists share the space with Leah Reynolds Bee Hive themed installation cross pollinating Elaine Erne’s toys in peril with exquisite corpse-like dynamism. Leah Reynolds told DoN she based her show on the lives of bee’s and the symbolism surrounding them from hives to queens to hair-dos – Super-Kawaii! Reynolds’ photography is off the chain with dynamic hair portraits interspersed with interstitial abstracts, the environment enlivened by the whimsical paper sculptures and swathes of lace like being in a magical dream.

Leah Reynolds, “Bee Life” @ Nexus Foundation for Today’s Art. Queen for A Day, the hanging fabric forms the shape of a cartoon-ish crown, an homage to the creepy early TV show which made home-making the pinnacle of being an American woman.

Leah Reynolds, “Bee Life” @ Nexus Foundation for Today’s Art.

Photos by DoN.

www.Philly.SideArts.com Philly Aids Thrift Art Auction

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Before DoN met Todd Hestand of www.Philly.SideArts.com @ a Corzo Center for the Creative Economy event, he had already been posting blogs on the popular free artist’s website with it’s cool blog, great writing by local artists and educators, bio/portfolio pages for artists and Philly social networking. Linking to the Philly.SideArts.com web site drives web traffic to DoNArTNeWs, posting a blurb on the site stimulates interest in all types of social, art, education, business and opportunities. The catalog of artists who post their bios and art images on Philly.SideArts.com includes great painters like Arthur Ostroff and Karl Olsen, fine art photographers like Angelo Benedetto and digital artists like Lee Muslin, their database is superb.

Philly.SideArts.com has launched a grand new venture offering artists enhanced services such as art opportunities and expanded portfolio space at a really reasonable price, the same free site is still available and they are expanding to other cities with the same business model. The possibilities of connecting artists, galleries, collectors, educators and business people in an easy to use, immersive design experience is really cool. Imagine? The Philly art scene is a model for other cities.

Art-trepreneur, Todd Hestand of Philly.SideArts.com gave away extended free memberships to artists whose business cards were pulled from a bag. Jed, you left too early!

To celebrate the launch of the new site, Todd Hestand hosted a party at the Dark Horse Pub near Head House Square with a silent auction benefiting Philly Aids Thrift, so many artists offered donations that many had to be turned away, yet, there are still several fine art pieces available at the on-line auction including DoN‘s “light being (Joey Ramone)“. All the proceeds go to Philly Aids Thrift, please bid, there is some really cool art for a great cause. The party drew a crowd of artists, friends and the art-erati such as Da Vinci Art Alliance’s Lilliana Didovic, artist/entrepreneur Jed Williams, the master Arthur Ostroff and Art in City Hall’s Guru, Tu Huynh – Todd did a terrific job explaining the benefits and services for the new and improved site and really mixed it up with the crowd. Visit the Philly.SideArts site to see how vibrant, inspiring and diverse the Philly art scene really is and follow the progress of a thoughtful, intuitive idea to help artists connect in a meaningful way.

The silent auction sponsored by Philly.SideArts benefiting Philly Aids Thrift.

The Philly.SideArts.com easy to use homepage. Join!

DoNArTNeWs – How to Overcome Creative Block? Go To The Plastic Club

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DoNArTNeWs began as an e-mail newsletter to a list of Philadelphia artists as suggested in the book “I’d Rather Be In The Studio“. The big idea is to make an art date with yourself, visit a gallery or museum, talk to people, learn new things and gradually the block will lift and the fear of a blank canvas or page will fade to tolerable levels. The book was originally suggested by friends, a group of guys (fellow artists) interested in improving their visibility in the art work through social networking. The newsletter is a great idea but labor intensive so DoNArTNeWs gradually evolved into this blog – a review of art dates DoN (my third party voice) makes with himself, quickly Photoshopped and posted (along with constant insertions of shameless self-promotion), even though the small art alliance has drifted apart (one guy is re-covering from a torn rotator cuff, another has a neurological problem currently under control and the third is experiencing arthritis – sheesh!). Since 2008 DoNArTNeWs has become a source of good art news in Philly. So, when DoN‘s voice became quieted due to the bodily invasion of an alien virus combined with long time chronic illness and the subsequent space-time morphing from a combination of OTC cold meds and biological disease modifying drugs, DoN is re-discovering the purpose of DoNArTNeWs and why the world around him has turned into a Philip K. Dick novel? Disaster porn, fever dreams, waking up in a different universe with each dose of medicine has transmogrified into lack of productivity and a deep well of discontent to climb out of.

Underground Man, Apollo, & Meditation, Tom L. Torosian @ The Plastic Club through April 2011.

DoN realizes artists have come to rely on this blog for information, links and resources and is making every effort to regain his footing in the shifting art landscape and find his voice again. DoN has received many well wishes but a recent comment on Facebook thanking him for a mention in this blog sparked some energy to keep pushing on. Sunday DoN visited the Plastic Club which is filled with art, enthusiasm and creative spirit; the main floor is a boldly abstract expressionist solo show by Philadelphia painter, Tom L. Torosian, the upstairs studio is a group show of moving model studies with some spectacular drawings and mixed media and the Downstairs Gallery is a group member show including Leroy Forney, Charles Kelly, Yeoun Lee, Bill Myers and Sibylle-Maria Pfaffenbichler. Torosian’s reception wasn’t until the evening so most of us gravitated downstairs with a lovely lunch spread out by Plastic Club president Bob Jackson who obviously is in love with the club’s professional grade range. Sitting and talking, munching ham sandwiches with a group of friends about art and culture in an historic space is a healing exercise in itself.

Relationships & Reflection, Tom L Torosian – Art is Happening Again @ The Plastic Club.

Conjunction and Three Boats, Tom L. Torosian @ The Plastic Club. Torosian’s bold neo-expressionist paintings ferment in his mind then explode from his hand onto the canvas, the expansive show of abstractions energizes and activates the gallery with a clear vision of how art can make one man happy with his life.

Sibylle-Maria Pfaffenbichler in the Moving Model Workshop show – a group show of drawings composed while the model slowly changes poses over time. The practice helps Sibylle infuse action into her paintings of dancers which have earned her acclaim and awards. Pfaffenbichler has a group of paintings in the Downstairs Gallery and won 3rd place for the Philadelphia Sketch Club‘s Small Oils exhibit; DoN saw a preview of the Small Oils show before jurying at the invitation of PSC president Bill Patterson and Sibylle-Maria Pfaffenbichler’s fancy dancers stood apart from the hundreds of excellent contenders for the show, it was no surprise to DoN she won a prize.

Moving Model @ The Plastic Club.

Charles “Chick” Kelly @ The Plastic Club’s Downstairs Gallery.

Charles “Chick” Kelly with his paintings in the Downstairs Gallery @ The Plastic Club. What a gentleman? Chick’s self deprecating wit and fearless paintings of himself reveal an authenticity and genuineness of character.

Yeoun Lee @ The Plastic Club Downstairs Gallery.

Bill Myers @ The Plastic Club’s Downstairs Gallery. Myers clever surrealistic Photoshop collages are deceivingly simple, the piece on the left is a collage of a graffiti photo with the heart bear layered in and “everyone bleeds now” text extracted from a clandestine shot of someone’s T-shirt design when combined morph into a love story with bleeding hearts, memes and symbols resonating like an orchestra of tin cans in a bag.