Visit to CB1 Gallery–Ardeshir Tabrizi

Paintings and Notes. Work by Ardeshir Tabrizi. The art did not stand out for me. The paintings/drawing are well executed. I do enjoy seeing good drawing skills and art with a lot of patterning. I write about it here because I got to take home a dandy 16 page booklet. It has been sitting on my desk for weeks.

Ardeshir Tabrizi, cover of booklet.

The booklet could also be called a catalog. This week, art coach Alyson B. Stanfield shared a blog post encouraging artists to make catalogs of their work periodically. Read about it here.
 

Should artists share their sketch books in a gallery setting? Ardeshir Tabrizi not only framed some of the pages of his sketchbook, he also printed them in the booklet that was given away to interested patrons of the gallery.

I question if the sketchbook is a "sketch" once it is brought into the gallery. It brings up for me public vs. private domain of art production. Is a sketch for the eyes of the artist and/or fabricators only, or are they also relegated to the gallery setting as: Art? I have no answer to this question. Below are some pictures of the booklet.

Ardeshir Tabrizi

Ardeshir Tabrizi

I like the raw feeling of the sketch pages. I was fortunate enough to be invited to the backroom of this gallery to see other works by this artist. The backroom work was better, I thought. I was and am grateful for the peek behind the scene at CB1 Gallery.

Please consider posting your ideas about:

Do sketches belong in galleries?
Have you considered making a catalog of your own work?

In The Moment–A recent Show at Beacon Arts Building

While I had every intention of seeing this show earlier and posting before it came down, that was not to be. Instead I share pictures of work that I enjoyed. I would describe the work as: playful, colorful and energetic.

 In the Moment A solo painting show of work by resident artist Deborah Lambert:

Resident Artist exhibition: In the Moment, recent, large abstract paintings by BAB Resident Artist Deborah Lambert. Lambert writes about the paintings: "The abstract paintings [speak clearly to the process of painting] as they exist in the moment and engage viewers with bold color, sweeping gestures and rigorous marks. The dynamism of the work reconnects viewers with their oft electronically overloaded sense of observation and asks them to engage with the work on a deeper level."

Deborah Lambert

Deborah Lambert. Detail.

Deborah Lambert, Detail.

Deborah Lambert

 This is the moment I stopped and really wanted to take a closer look at Deborah's work. She showed her paintings alongside her encaustic paintings.

Deborah Lambert, Encaustic.

Deborah Lambert, detail of hanging mechanism.

Deborah Lambert, detail of hanging mechanism.

Deborah Lambert, detail of encaustic splatter.

Deborah Lambert, Encaustic.

Deborah Lambert, detail of hanging mechanism.

Deborah Lambert, detail of bottom.

Deborah Lambert.

Deborah Lambert.

Deborah Lambert, detail.

Deborah Lambert, Gallery View.

A Few Philosophy Words Related to Art Production

Simulacra–copy of a copy of a copy, reality or not, whether the first version is real or not is unimportant.

Suzanne Gibbs, 2007. Pear. I made this image using a picture of a print of a pear from a magazine and a greeting card with a water color image of a pear. I made it into my version of a pear as a diptych.

Self-Portraits–a study of a personal relationship to the larger cultural structure into which one was born.

Suzanne Gibbs, 1989. Acrylic. 24 x 18.

"I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best."

Frida Kahlo

  Frida Kahlo - Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird (1940)

Human activity–constructed through: culture, ritual, repetition, conventions, relationships, stories, food, experience, and emotions.

Suzanne Gibbs, 2008. Watercolor resist on Paper.

Suzanne Gibbs, 2008. Watercolor resist on Paper. This one is not the same.

Semiotics - study of signs and the way they produce meaning.

• socially semiotics become systems of organization
• similar words: Icon, Index, Symbol
• interestingly, these sigh systems are arbitrarily constructed–or are they–and usually determined by opposition

Suzanne Gibbs, 2010. Chair.

Suzanne Gibbs, 2005. Santa.

Suzanne Gibbs, 2006. Scuba.

 Simulacra and Semiotics–new words to me one short year ago, but I was using the concepts in my art production non-the-less.

Artists Working With and About Food

I have been working with food for a little while and a funny thing has happened. I keep running across artists that are doing works referencing food or using food. Below are two examples. Including my own.

Henry Hargreaves is a photographer. He makes tech look-alike products out of Foam Core and deep fries them. As a friend said to me today, "Fried Apples."

Henry Hargreaves

I first saw this image on Two Coats of Paint. Instant noodles as sculpture.

  ANN CATHRIN NOVEMBER HØIBO, Untitled #06, 2012, bronze cast of instant noodles, 4 x 3 ¾ x 1 ¼ inches.

 

I consider myself a painter.

Suzanne Gibbs, 2008. Red Hot Chili Pepper. Acrylic on canvas board.

 But is this a painting?

Suzanne Gibbs, 2012. Noodles. Noodles, gesso, string, canvas on canvas.

 Share a food art image.

FREE Art - LIKE on Facebook

Last night my kids and husband drove to Panda Express at 9PM to receive their FREE serving of orange chicken The chicken was FREE because they hit LIKE on Facebook. They tell me the place was full and that there was a line. It was a party and people were proud to show their coupon to each other in line.

Suzanne Gibbs, 2008. Self Portrait. Acrylic on Paper.

Can an art show work like this? Rent a space, hang a show, invite guests via Facebook and agree that all the artists will give away small 4x4 inch art pieces to the first 150 visitors. The rest of the art would be for viewing and for sale.

My husband said we would need to serve food. I say why not pot luck or have a nearby food truck.

In this Social Media world it seems that more and more people want to connect in person with others that have similar interests. I'd try this with a group of 15 or so artists would you?

Map Art

So, here it is. I have moved a lot in my life. Too much actually. Over 37 homes. Never for sad reasons. I want to reimagine the places. Google Earth is helpful.

Suzanne Utaski Gibbs, 118, 20 x 20, Acrylic and Oil on Canvas, 2011

Suzanne Utaski Gibbs, 3488, 20 x 20, Acrylic and Oil on Canvas, 2011

Suzanne Utaski Gibbs, 194, 20 x 20, Acrylic and Oil on Canvas, 2011

The titles are the house number. No country, no state, no city, no street. I know where I have been. No place, some place.

Art for Sale - Half an MFA, Update

Three paintings have left my studio and many are available and ready to travel to new places. Just as I announced last week, the sale is short and deep.

Capture 8

Capture 9

Capture10

Capture 11

Capture 12

Capture 13

Capture 14

Capture 15

Capture 16

For one week  – May 27 - June 2, 2012 my work is available at a name your price discount (plus packing and shipping).

Suggested prices are at least:
$25 for small items 10 x 10 or smaller
$50 for medium items 24 x 24 or smaller
$75 or more for larger items over 24 inches in any dimension.

Please contact me for purchasing any of the items shown in the studio shots in this blog page. It would be really wonderful to see my art move into homes and businesses where it will be enjoyed and cared for.

I can also provide better close-up shots of any of the work, just ask. Thanks, I look forward to serving you. Suzanne

suzanneugibbs@gmail.com

Woman With A Mandolin

I painted for 7 hours straight with a live Costumed Model in a workshop taught by Karen Lynn Ingalls recently. Karen’s blog is: http://karenlynningalls.blogspot.com. This workshop was my first ever chance to paint with a live model. 

I loved hearing the other people scrapping paint or chatting quietly. I enjoyed the workout of trying to get everything down that I could see and feel in a pre-determined time frame. I knew I had to capture the energy and the calmness of the pose during the class because it would all go away when class ended. Woman with a Mandolin represents 3 solid hours of the workshop, painting non-stop capturing everything I could, including adding some of what wasn't even there. I suppose this is a bit how plein air painters feel as well – capture it or else, you don’t. I started by representing colors the way they were but then, I didn’t. The model didn't seem to mind her blue hair when she saw herself. The canvas size is 24 x 48.  

Our model was Lindalou, she and her husband, Michael Ryge, are singer/songwriters - playing folk/Americana music. They've got a website, where you can also listen to downloads of their music, at http://www.lindalouandmichael.net/ They often play around Calistoga, CA and are definitely local favorites.

Fish

Finally, the dinner one might eat after a day on the water in a boat with a sombrero on after a nap under a palm tree, or not it is just a picture of a fish to hang on your wall.

Palm Tree

This is the tree one might choose to take a nap under after a day on the boat or in the water.

Sombrero

The hat one might need to be outside on a boat all day.

Boat

Finished a long time ago and yet I am still drawn to the innocence and joy of being on the water behind this piece. I will show the other 4 of this series today. I am considering putting these up for sale at the co-op gallery soon.

The Yellow Road

As many of you know, I have been painting canvases for a very long time. How long, well 29 years ago I picked up my first canvas, brush and acrylic paint. My inspiration was the work of Georgia O'Keeffe - she was even still alive back then! Her close-up abstract work of nature absolutely mesmerized me - still does. My first painting ever was of a sea shell I picked up in Nantucket and then rendered it close-up in red, orange and yellow. The painting no longer exists, but my passion has held strong.

After the Sea Shell painting I started doing a series of paintings that were directly related to the fact that I was learning to drive. I did The Yellow Road then and another piece that was the view of a road in a rear-view mirror. This month at The Artist of the Valley Gallery I have chosen to show my "older work" the 7 pieces I have on display were all completed over 5 years ago.

Heart Painting

Sold a  HEART painting over the weekend, muted lavender, white, pink and gold - forgot to photograph it first. Oops. Anyway it is out there and someone is enjoying it, thank you buyer.