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.

Bill Myers, Leroy Forney & Chick Kelly @ The Plastic Club Downstairs Gallery.

Photos by DoN.