Category Archives: Plastic Art

Art made from plastic.

The Games We Played Remade – Dumpster Divers @ Historic Smithville Mansion

Ellen Benson

Ellen Benson, “Snow Day“, mixed media.

The Dumpster Divers “The Games We Played Remade” @ The Historic Smithville Mansion inhabiting the game rooms (the pool room & bowling alley) of the 1875 estate is a melange of mixed media, metaphors, memories and wishes.  Alden Cole‘s Chinese Checkers is delightfully addictive, Ellen Benson‘s mixed media works are displayed with room to breath and absorb, Burnell Yow! squishes Barbie heads with badminton rackets – Super Fun!

 

Burnell Yow!

 

Burnell Yow! @ “The Games We Played Remade” in The Historic Smithville Mansion.

 

Games Remade

 

The bowling alley of the historic space is a perfect venue for the show; The Games We Played Remade is exhibiting some of Philly & SJs best mixed media, green artists in a quirky theme seemlessly matched with a truly beautiful space (there’s a rose garden and a Moose head in the card room) is definitely worth the short drive on Route 38.

In Your Dreams – Art in City Hall

In Your Dreams

In Your Dreams
June 11 – September 11, 2009
50 Philadelphia artists showcase work related to dreams.  Juried by the Art In City Hall Exhibitions Committee. 2nd and 4th floors, NE corner.  Art in City Hall has been offering public art shows for more than 20 years, displaying work in large display cases, the ongoing exhibition is usually theme-based with the current show focused on dream imagery juried by a panel of professional artists.  The exhibition features drawing (Justin Duerr is the bomb), fantastical jewelry by Christine Alaniz, photography by Morris Klein and Julia Blaukopf, paintings by Patricia Burns and Anne Caramanico, sculptures by Brujo De La Mancha, mixed media and books.  The strength of the show is the acceptance of many forms of art to visualize and share such deeply personal experiences.

Display case two clockwise: DoN Brewer, Shell Game, scanner/Photoshop collage, Brujo De La Mancha, mixed media painting and sculptures, Kathryn Johnston, Saturation, mixed media collage.

In Your Dreams

Alex Cohen.  This painting seems to tell an entire dream story with a beginning, middle and end.

In Your Dreams

Angela Washko, “Imposter”, oil on canvas – the large painting highlights confusing imagery of bunnies confronting a slipper demonstrating the duality of dreams where friendly subjects take on menacing behaviors.

In Your Dreams

 Tanya Dodd, The Right Track, photography and mixed media.  Not all dreams are strange, some are dreams of escape and finding the route to happiness, security and freedom.

In Your Dreams

 Artist Tanya Dodd recently had a solo show at The African American Museum.

In Your Dreams

DoN Brewer with Morris Klein’s digital photograph “Daydreaming“, DoN Brewer‘s digital photo “light being (Edward Hopper)” and DoN Brewer’s digital photo”hole” @ Art in City Hall, Philadelphia.  Photo by Les Howard.

Philadelphia City Hall is a spectacular venue for art with every detail of the building designed to the max – sculpture, painting, wood, marble, gold – it is an honor to have art displayed in such a great historic space; a dream come true.

97th Annual Members Medal Show @ The Plastic Club

medal

Alden Cole‘s “Lucy in the Sky“, marker. DoN sees this drawing as the work of one of Philadelphia’s master artists; the combination of illustration, foreshortening, coloration, line quality, relevance and sensitivity to the subject, immortalizing the model. Then DoN realizes it’s marker pens on paper, the same as used in graffiti, popping energy and vibration, ancient and future knowledge, high and low art all vibrating from a single moment in space and time, into the gallery space. Absorbing the power of the messages being transmitted through Cole’s art is like time-tripping through art history in an instant. When you walk up the steps into the studio gallery, this is where the eye is drawn first.

med

Lois Schlachter,Clown Fish“, acrylic. Super flat, futuristic, meticulous trips into the swirly world of Lois’ paintings is like a glimpse into a dream of the best amusement park ride you even went on, the kind that’s so fast and so thrilling that you can’t scream because it’s so much fun.
medal

Marie Davis Samohod, “Ionic Table“, acylic, Naomi Rubin, “The Beauty of the Land”, watercolor.

medal

Alan J. Klawans, Mike Guinn & Bob Jackson @ the Plastic Club’s 97th Annual Members Medal Show. Without people like these men it just doesn’t happen; the exhibition is so strong, the display so expertly installed and the experience design so inclusive, warm and inviting that it feels natural and accessible but tremendous amounts of work go into such a huge installation, these guys deserve credit for bringing out the best and making it happen. The art movement is Philadelphia is strong and determined, DoN LoVes it when people proudly tell which Philadelphia art school they went to and how organizations like the Plastic Club fill the void of the commaraderie of attending a school of art.

medal

DoN Brewer, “Thanksgiving“, digital photo, Jeanne Coryell, “Mandala“, watercolor and Alice Meyer-Wallace, “Vrikis And Glads“, oil.

medal

The Plastic Club’s 97th Annual Members Medal Exhibition award winners: Katherine Stanek, The Plastic Club Gold Medal, Jake Smith, The Plastic Club Silver Medal, John Benigno, The Zeigler Prize, Ben Wilson, The Dorothy Invernizzi Guinn Memorial Prize.

Wolves & Deer

Wolves & Deer in art around town over the past year.

deer

Nexus Gallery @ Crane Art Center

 

wolf

Rik Viola @ Philadelphia Sketch Club

 

deer

Darla Jackson @ CFEVA.

 

wolf

Scott Pelnat @ CFEVA event.

 

deer

Jack Kelly @ Scott Pellnat’s Art House.

 

wolf

Karen Davis @ TwentyTwo Gallery.

Betsy & Burnell’s Art House @ Salon des Amis

Betsy Alexander and Burnell Yow! of Ravenswing Studio are art collectors, their home is filled with beautiful objects of all kinds and even had a recent story about their eclectic decorating style in the Philadelphia Inquirer. The duo have recreated their art house at Salon des Amis in Malvern, asking all of their friends who have contributed to their collection to show new work in the gallery. Sunday was beautiful weather and a large gathering of their friends arrived at the gallery to find the space filled with work by more than 40 artists.

 

salon des amis

Luminary artist, Alden Cole @ Art House in Salon des Amis.

salon des amis

Linda Lou Horn @ Salon des Amis for the Art House opening in Malvern.

salon des amis

Eileen Feigenbaum,The Blue Lady”, oil on canvas.

DoN Brewer, “light being (Rick Selvin)”, digital photograph.

salon des amis

The art crowd for Betsy Alexander and Burnell Yow!’s Art House @ Salon des Amis in Malvern.

Thank you Betsy and Burnell, it’s already nice just being friends with you both but when you do something so special like this art show it re-enforces the bond even more. Salon des Amis means House of Friends – so apropos!

LoVe

DoN