Friday night, Shoshana, Alden and DoN attended the opening of Homework/Research at Smile Gallery.  Kathryn Pannepacker has already completed one enormous mural at the intersection of Belmont and Girard Avenues but it “only” represents the carpets and rugs of 43 countries. So, Jane Golden of the Mural Arts Program has found her another site at Broad and Lehigh to add to her collection of world textile design; Pannepacker will begin production of the mural in early September, her show at Smile Gallery on 22nd Street represents the research into styles and textures to be incorporated into the painting. Kathryn is primarily known as a weaver and fiber artist, who better to develop an educational mural commemorating the ethnic styles of such commonplace yet essential household art?  The texture paintings, wax and felt medallions and design examples represent research Pannepacker has gleaned in her world travels, filling the space with color, light, imagination and history.  A tour de force! 

Texture/Technique Study # 5, acrylic paint and marker on wood by K. Pannepacker.

Texture/Technique Study # 2, acrylic paint and marker on wood by K. Pannepacker.

Wax Medallion Study # 3, by K. Pannepacker.

Textile designs from Tahiti and Uzbek/Lakai by K. Pannepacker.

Samoan Islands textile study (tapa cloth), acrylic paint and marker on wood by K. Pannepacker.

Art party for Kathryn Pannepacker @ Smile.

All photos by DoNBrewerMultimedia Photography. 

Anders Hansen watercolor.

Quattro Amici + exhibit at Off The Wall @ Dirty Franks.

Karl Olsen mixed media (DoN LoVeS the reflection of the beer signs on the glass).

Karl Olsen, Susan Stromquist and Mike Guinn at the Quattro Amici + opening party @ Dirty Franks’ Off the Wall Gallery.

Sarah Olsen with Anders Hansen @ Dirty Franks.

All photos by DoNBrewerMultimedia Photography. 

Curator Tara Caton at The Leonard Pearlstein Gallery.

Artist Scott Pellnat with his adorable little girl explaining his sculpture which looks like it’s made of cast iron but is really “off the shelf” plastic parts.  ”Why create your own figures when you can buy a Barbie?”

Each section of Pellnat’s sculpture is rearrangeable so you can customize the surprisingly light pieces of surrealist art to suit your mood.

Jedediah Morfit explaining his bas-relief sculpture; working in common, forgotten, traditional genres (museums are full of them) Morfit re-fashions the method into new and vital art.

Detail from Jedediah Morfit’s “The Price of Doing Business“. 

Anne Canfield’s “The Mermaid and the Tiger Meet Halfway“, oil on linen.

John Karpinski is attracted to the paradox of comics and how they say a lot with so little. Through comics adults can regain time from their childhood; John’s childhood favorite comics were Daredevil # 158 and What If? # 15.

All photos by DoNBrewerMultimedia Photography.  

NTPE4 means NewsToday Print Exchange 4.  Newstoday, which now is simply QBN.com , is a website where artists, designers and web coders network on-line.  For the last four years someone organizes a print exchange with the first 20 people who sign up - the idea is to send 19 prints to other artists and they each send you one resulting in a collection of twenty artworks by some truly talented artists and designers from around the country.  DoN has started receiving prints in the mail and it feels like Christmas in July; DoN will run a special edition of DoNArTNeWs featuring images of the works from NYC, Denver, Anaheim, Phoenix, OFallon, Il.,Brooklyn, Tampa, Portland, Or., Woodland Hills, Milwaukee…and of course, Philadelphia.

With all the art clubs in Philly, wouldn’t it be cool to so the same here?  Let DoN know what you think.  So far I’ve heard from Anthe - maybe we could do a drawing exchange. 

Last Sunday afternoon Shoshka, Alden Cole and DoN attended The Model Artist Show at The Plastic Club featureing art by artists/models with 71 artworks by Philly’s favorite models.  Without the models there would be no life study at Fleisher, PSC, Plastic Club, UArts…

The models spend a lot of time with artists and obviously are exposed to trends, techniques, methods and procedures allowing them to develop their own singular styles, many of the models have their own fine art degrees.  The Model Artist Show is superb with a wide variety of media from painting to prints to sculpture - now we know what they’re thinking about while they pose for hours on end.

Artist/Model Susan Stromquist won 2nd prize for No. 18 Folded Figure 1.

Artist/Model Veronica Meekins. 

DoN has drawn or painted Veronica many times and even used a print of her for NTPE1 (more about NTPE later).

Mixed media by Jym Paris; the use of fabric and mixed media is unique and exciting.

DoN told Paris he’s stealing his idea (good artists copy, great artists steal - Picasso).

Model/Artist Pam Cole.

Pam instigated the idea of multiple models at The Plastic Club which has become a popular motif for the artists - very challenging. 

Artist/Model Susan Wierzbicki with her “Water Your Garden” acrylic painting.

Artist/Model Heidi Sterling’s “The Island“, oil on panel.

Alden Cole LoVeD Sterling’s series of wildly abstract paintings; this image is one of five of the spectacular paintings.

Artist/Model Hannah Holby’s ”Fisherman - T Rex“, oil on print.  DoN LoVeS dinosaurs!!!

Artist/Model Hannah Taylor’s ”Leelo“, oil on canvas.  Is this super-pop or what!?!

Artist/Model Rob Willis‘ “Quiver“, mixed media.

Charcoal drawings by Rob Willis.

Rob Willis (with nephew) won first prize for his full body of work at The Plastic Club’s The Model Artist Show.

The exhibit is on display in the Camac Street gallery through August 24th - go see it!