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CalligraphyWriting as ArtHand calligraphy and scribing are alive and well despite the fact that computers are used more and more to create perfect decorative script. There is still no replacement for the elegance and impact of handwritten invitations, announcements and other important communications and one reason is their inherent imperfections. It is these slight variances that make hand calligraphy so appealing and proves the document truly handwritten. In the next few paragraphs we’ll explore the history and continuing importance of hand-scribed papers. The history of calligraphy began with pictorial images instead of a written language. Cave paintings are our window into the life of early man, giving us a glimpse of lives through images of hunts, battles, rulers and the like. Ancient Egypt, as early as 3500 B.C., had begun to develop a written language of symbols known as hieroglyphics for which they are so well known. These symbols were incised inside tombs or painted with brushes across papyrus paper. A few thousand years later, around 1000 B.C., the Phoenicians went a step further and developed what is believed to be one of the first alphabets and writing systems. Luckily, the Phoenicians were seafaring and they readily passed along their new talents to every seaport through which they passed. They most likely influenced the Greeks, who later developed their own form of writing that by 850 B.C. the Romans had adapted to suit the Latin language. Monks of long ago amended the accepted styles of writing for the day to condense them into smaller spaces because paper was a rare commodity. This style of writing could be considered the onset of today’s calligraphy because they took a standing style and changed it to suit their need. One look at a calligraphy instruction booklet will show you that there are dozens of styles that you can learn to replicate. The materials used can include inks, liquid watercolor, paints and stains. The tools can be very similar to those used in the 12th century, quill pens, or they can be sophisticated, refillable pens with interchangeable points. Chisel-tipped, pre-inked pens in a variety of colors make calligraphy an instant grab-and-go craft. When all you need is paper, pen and a bit of space, you have the perfect formula for unlimited creativity. Contemporary calligraphers use any material necessary to achieve their personal style and appeal. Watercolor is used not only as a scripting material but for augmentation of the finished lettering. Decorative, unique and personal alphabets are the real draw into handwritten and lettered correspondence. The inks used include a wide range of colors, opacities and shimmers. Metallic inks give specialty lettering a real flair. There is nothing more personal and elegant than a hand-scribed announcement. Calligraphy groups and organizations abound across the U.S. and Europe because of the special nature of the craft. Personal style, presentation and content give the non-lettering public a chance to see the drama and excitement of hand-created documents and decorations. The art of papermaking, book binding and paper decoration fall into the same type of exhibit and often dovetail for a more interesting and stimulating presentation. Calligraphy exhibits occur infrequently across the U.S. and Europe as well as other countries (but see below). If you are traveling and are interested in the craft, the Internet is the best way to locate shows and exhibits. If you are a calligrapher, consider joining or starting a group of fellows to challenge your creativity and offer you a chance for interaction. ExhibitionBrush and Ink: The Chinese Art of Writing is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City through January 21. In China, calligraphy is regarded as the quintessential visual art, ranking above painting as the most important vehicle for individual expression. Featuring more than 70 works, this installation traces the 1,600 year history of brush writing from its genesis as a fine art through successive peaks of individual innovation to its recent transformation from a universal mark of scholarly status into a form of abstract art.
Art Competitions—The 10th Annual International Exhibition of the International Society of Acrylic Painters will be held May 5-June 16 at the San Luis Obispo Art Center (CA). It’s open to artists 18 years and older, with $6,000 in cash and manufacturer merchandise awards. Juror: Michiel Daniel. Deadline: February 1. —The Alexander Rutsch 2007 Award and Solo Exhibition for Painting will be held May 11-June 23 at the Pelham Art Center, Pelham, NY. U. S. based artists 19 years of age and older are eligible. There is a cash award of $5,000. Visit www.alexanderrutsch.com to learn more about this painter, sculptor, philosopher, musician, singer and poet. For a prospectus, contact Rutschaward@pelhamartcenter.org or call 914.738.2525. Deadline: February 2. —The AAA National Traffic Safety Poster & Public Service Announcement Contest for 2007 calls on kids in kindergarten through high school to illustrate posters on the following themes: “Pedestrian and Child Passenger Safety” for grades K-2; “Getting to School Safely” for grades 3-5; “How to Be a Good Passenger” for grades 6-8; and “Safe Teen Driving” for grades 9-12. H.S. students have the option of creating an audiovisual public service announcement. The contest is open to any student enrolled in school or affiliated with a national organization, such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. For info call 516.873.2364; 315.797.6121 or 607.432.4512; or visit www.AAA.com/safety and click on “Poster Contest” under Safety Programs. Deadline: February 9. —Pastels USA 2007 will take place at the Sacramento (CA) Fine Arts Center from May 8 – June 2. This 21st Annual International Open Exhibition will feature dry pastel only and provide over $10,000 in awards. Juror of Awards: Doug Dawson. For a prospectus, see www.pswc.ws or send a SASE to PSWC “Pastels USA,” c/o Maria Sylvester, P.O. Box 9236, Auburn, CA 95604. Slide Deadline: March 3. —The Portrait Society of America will present the 9th Annual “The Art of the Portrait” International Portrait Competition from May 3-6 in Washington, D.C. It is open to all artists and both slides and digital format entries are acceptable. All work must be of original design and concept, created independently and completed in the last three years. All media is accepted and encouraged, both 2- and 3-dimensional. The competition is held in conjunction with the annual conference, and the top selected finalists must be registered for the conference and in attendance with their original portraits to win. For a prospectus/information, visit www.portraitsociety.org/conference/competition.htm. Deadline: March 9.
Matting & FramingPreserving Family HistoryEvery family has treasures in the form of collections, trinkets, photos and clothing that are important to their heritage. Many times these items become lost or damaged because they are not cared for properly. One way to get double delight from them is to put the items in frames and on the walls of your home to be enjoyed every day. Rather than stored away out of sight, wouldn’t it be better to be able to see and appreciate these items on a daily basis? Collections such as military memorabilia, sports ribbons and medallions, coins, political buttons or fishing lures, for example, are very easy to organize and display in shadowboxes. Virtually any item can be framed, allowing for its enjoyment by family and friends. Once you have located a shadowbox with sufficient depth, attachment of the items becomes the major hurdle. Sewing the items rather than gluing is preferred by framing professionals because no deterioration of the item occurs with sewing. Gluing, on the other hand, can cause discoloration, may become brittle with age and could fail, allowing the item to dislodge. Select a rigid backing. (Acid-free materials will insure long life.) This can be penetrated if sewing is your chosen mounting method. Creating pilot holes with a piercing tool such as a common push pin will help the process greatly. It is often wise to glue the glass to the frame with silicone adhesive in order to hold it firmly in place. Future cleaning and maintenance will be easier if the glass is attached well rather than braced in place by side panels along the inside of the frame. But lining the frame is very important to the finished look of any shadowbox. In order for the backing and the frame interior to match, it is recommended that you line the frame with the same material upon which the item(s) are mounted. This insures a continuation of color and texture around the entire presentation; and there is no break in continuity between the backing and the area of the frame that is visible when viewed. Glue the side panels into place so that they do not come loose over time. Close up the frame after being sure there is no lint or debris on the items or backing. Set the frame with the glass glued in place and the side panels attached over the mounted item(s). Check again for lint and then turn the entire package over and affix the backing with brads or staples. A dust cover will further help prevent dust from entering the frame. ATG tape is a great way to put the cover in place. Attach a hanging wire and you are ready to begin enjoying your family treasures. Shadowboxes can be challenging but are worth the effort.
Art EventsSchedules sometimes change, so please confirm events in advance. Gallery Talk “Walead Beshty on Albers and Moholy-Nagy: From the Bauhaus to the New World.” Join artist Walead Beshty for this special look at the Albers and Moholy-Nagy exhibition. The talk precedes a 7:30 p.m. live performance by Text of Light, presented by the Albers and Moholy-Nagy exhibition. Free with museum admission. Register at public_programs@whitney.org. 1-800-WHITNEY. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The New York Ceramics Fair This is New York’s first major show and sale of ceramics, glass and enamels, featuring at least 50 prominent English, European and American galleries/dealers of museum quality antique and contemporary ceramics. Visit www.caskeylees.com/ceramics. The San Francisco Fine
Print Fair 2007 Eighteen select fine art dealers from the U.S. and Canada will exhibit and offer for sale fine prints ranging from old masters to contemporary. Sponsored by the International Fine Print Dealers Assn., the fair is free and open to the public. Call 415.472.7021. Sugarloaf Craft Festival View the works of 350 fine artists and craft designers at this juried show, watch demos and enjoy entertainment. Visit www.sugarloafcrafts.com/.
Decorative PaintingTechniques for Decorative PaintingLearning decorative painting techniques can be a great help in a number of creative areas. Interior design and crafts projects often benefit from an unusual method of coloration as do walls, original fabric works, and home decorative projects, just to name a few. Because of the current craze for color and textures, there has never been a better time to do some decorative painting experimentation. The materials used to create decorative finishes vary from free found materials to high-cost specialty brushes, but most can be created with very little cost as long as you are willing to do some testing and trial and error exercises. You might want to assemble these items: soft cloths; newspaper plus a heavier Kraft-type paper; brushes of all sizes (but not quality art brushes because some of the techniques are brutal on them); color shapers; texturizing materials such as long grasses, pine needles, stiff twine, etc., tied tightly into bundles; plastic pot scrubbers or heavily textured pads (normally thought of as kitchen and bath cleaning tools); and perhaps a rubber paint sculpting tool or a rubber faux finishing tool – virtually anything that looks like it might be helpful in the creation of manipulated paint surfaces. Initial exercises can begin with the understanding of what it takes to “anchor” a faux finish. For walls and wood, it is always wise to create a base upon which to work. This base is usually a coat of paint that works to seal the absorbency of the surface. This seal allows a longer open time for surface manipulation once the color coat is added. For practice, paint some mat board scraps (at least 11 x 14) or scraps of lumber with a base coat. When the base coat is dry, you are ready to start your decorative finish. If you work on a dry base coat with a wet top coat, that is called wet on dry. This is the most frequent method for creating a huge variety of surface textures. The wet layer is easy to change. All you have to do is press a chunk of crumpled paper into the wet surface and you create texture that is very appealing. Or use any other of many readily available materials to create a variety of surface textures, each one more appealing than the last. Soft cloths can be used to pick up paint (called ragging off) in soft, cloudlike shapes that can be controlled by the amount of cloth that contacts the wet surface. Crisp paper leaves a crunchier look, often a way to mimic marble. The simple action of pouncing (gently dabbing) a dry brush into a wet surface creates a very dramatic and elegant finish. When done well it can resemble leather or elephant hide. While some of the techniques described above might give the look of faux stone, there are literally dozens of ways to manipulate a wet surface. Wood grains can be created by dragging an old, abused paint brush over the wet paint. Lifting and lowering the bristles can help create a widening and thinning grain look that is very useful in home décor. Flogging with found materials is one of the most entertaining of the faux finish methods. It is nothing more than slapping a wet surface with a bundle of long, slender grasses or pine needles tightly bundled to make a “broom” tool. Different directions and degrees of pressure while slapping the surface will yield a great crackled, striped, linear design. When paint is added to a dry surface with a tool it can create a very immediate and super decorative surface. Sponges do this very well. Clumps of heavily textured cloth are excellent tools, too. Fully charged brushes slapped against a dry wall or item can create huge splatters of paint that can be enhanced with additional layers of color for the look of old mission or villa walls. Specialty faux finishing hand tools include a rubber rib that can create several designs. The tool is usually square with differently shaped edges, each used to create grooves, stripes, lines, grain and more. This type of tool is used to work in large areas with repetitive designs. It can also be used to create unique patterns that come out of experimentation with the tool and different freshly painted surfaces. Smooth wood or walls work best because the soft rubber edges must be scribed through the wet surface paint to make the designs. Color shapers can be used to scribe patterns, too. Antiquing a surface can be very easily done. Once a base coat is dry, you can use a wash (diluted pigment – often acrylic paints thinned with water to a mixture of 50/50) to give dimension and character to any textures or relief designs. Brush the fluid paint over the texture and then immediately wipe off excess. The new color will remain in the recesses, giving an aged look. Dark or light tones of wash can be used to create this appearance. Plastic pot scrubbers apply tiny spotty patterns that are great for age spotting or shimmering metallic additions. Dragging is a technique that creates a striation appearance. It can be done with a long bristled brush specially designed for this purpose or you can create your own dragging tool by altering a brush you already have. Cut away bristles in small sections, ending with a brush that has very long bristles alternated with missing bristles. Drag the long bristles over a wet application of paint to create a “striped” look. No matter which texture or faux finish you are seeking, there are several ways to achieve the look. Try some of these ideas and you will soon see how flexible the techniques can be. You’ll enjoy creating new looks for your home—or in your paintings.
The Artist’s MarketplaceNew Light Box from ArtographThe new Animation Light Box from Artograph is an ideal work center for animation and cartooning projects. Constructed of durable stainless steel, this light box offers a comfortably slanted 16” x 18” surface for convenient viewing and tracing. The revolving 14” diameter surface is flush-mounted for a completely unobstructed work surface. Accurate 90-degree edges offer a precise reference for measuring and attaching T-squares. Brilliant illumination offers a bright viewing window that is free of annoying hot spots or shadows. The revolving work surface can be fitted with either of the two enclosed peg bars—the industry standard Acme peg bar or the round peg bar for mounting common 3-hole punched copy paper. A non-slip foot pad is included. An Animation Disc is also available separately as a convenient way to convert any light box into an animation work center. See your retailer and visit www.artograph.com. New Book on DrawingIn Classical Drawing Atelier, A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Studio Practice, author Juliette Aristides uses the works of Old Masters and today’s most respected realist artists to demonstrate and teach the principles of realist drawing and painting, taking students step-by-step through the learning curve yet allowing them to work at their own pace. Unique and inspiring, this is a serious art course for serious art students. Watson-Guptill, 160 pages, hardcover. In the Spotlight: Graphic Chemical & Ink Co., Villa Park, ILGraphic Chemical & Ink Co. is a world leader in the fine art field of printmaking. They manufacture their own time-tested inks for etching, litho and relief printing, as well as sell silk screen inks, papers, tools, chemistry, plates and supplies for all printmaking needs. A new addition to GCI’s fantastic range of products is Caligo’s latest entry into the market—the Caligo Safe Wash Relief Inks, specifically engineered for printmaking. Like the intaglio inks, these are oil-based inks with all of the advantages of an oil base, but they wash up with soap and water. There is a great color range numbering 15, and all inks are very lightfast. See Graphic Chemical & Ink’s Printmakingblog at www.printmakersmaterials.blogspot.com/ and visit their new and improved web site at www.graphicchemical.com.
Art MovementsThe Ashcan SchoolImagine an art critic helping to give recognition to a painting movement based completely upon the artists’ choices of subject matter. That is what happened in the early twentieth century when a revolutionary group of realist painters chose as their material the everyday life of New York. The painters took the ordinary elements of alleys, tenements and slum dwellers and filled canvases with their simplicity and reality. A critic disliked the material so much that he dubbed the work of these eight artists the “Ashcan School.” Artists included in the Ashcan School were Arthur B. Davies, Robert Henri, George Luks, William Glackens, John Sloan, Everett Shinn, Maurice Prendergast and Ernest Lawson (known as The Eight). Others considered in the Ashcan School include Alfred Maurer, George Wesley Bellows, Edward Hopper and Guy Pene Du Bois. This group was very diverse in style and technique, but their focus on urban scenes—particularly those exposing the shabbier aspects of city life—drew them together. Their rebellion against academic art led several of this group to play key roles in organizing the Armory show in 1913. This was an iconoclastic exhibit which led to the founding of the Society of Independent Artists (1917). Conservative in style, the Ashcan paintings were revolutionary in content. Gone were the stoic portraiture that had before been accepted by both critics and the public. Also absent were the landscape paintings of the nineteenth century. The Ashcan artists focused on a totally urban vitality. Their intention was not to flaunt the depictions, but to bring an awareness and reality to painting. Having begun their painting careers as newspaper illustrators, four of the painters’ works displayed their earthy, basic images as if using images to tell stories. These works captured spontaneous moments in everyday life and included such titles as The Wrestlers, The Shoppers, and The Hairdressers’ Window. Gritty and new, this group was also known as the New York Realists and was called by other critics “the apostles of ugliness.” Robert Henri was an influential teacher who admired the unpretentious realism of artists. He helped influence his colleagues and is given credit for the formation of the realists’ Ashcan group. Although the movement ended soon after it was named, it did influence painting in America. In the 1920’s and 1930’s, following the decade of great change in America, scene painting often showed less than idealistic subject matter. Just as the Ashcan School had done, these painters of everyday life met with criticism and were thought rebels because they shied away from the more acceptable images popular at the time.
AirbrushAir Quick Tips/Notes—Simplistic and New for Its Time – The American Dadaist painter Man Ray developed a series of paintings in the early 20th century between 1917 and 1919. These were the first airbrushed fine art paintings to be shown in a gallery and were called aerographs. In today’s standards, they would be considered extremely simplistic, since they consisted of images developed by airbrushing around found objects such as tools, paper clips, paper cutouts, etc., that were used simply as stencils. When airbrushed around, repeated images—both opaque and transparent—were created that lent themselves to the look of cubism. It is said that Man Ray was primarily interested in producing paintings with a high gloss, machine-like finish. Because the paint was airbrushed onto the surface, there were no brushstrokes in the artwork—which imparted an industrial appearance. Man Ray was introduced to the airbrush while working in an ad agency in New York City. An excellent collection of his works is held by the Art Institute of Chicago and, even when viewed today, their simplicity is astounding. —Rough Paper = Texture – There are many textured papers available today. The two used most often in airbrushing are smooth or hot press paper and slightly toothed cold press paper. But airbrush artists can work on any type of paper, from crepe to heavily textured watercolor paper and from pastel to tracing paper. Keep in mind that airbrush spray mimics the texture of the paper in the appearance of the artwork; and the heavier the texture, the more apparent that texture is in the end product. Therefore, when selecting a heavily textured paper such as 300 lb. watercolor paper, be sure you wish to incorporate the resultant appearance as part of the rendering. Interesting effects can be achieved on heavily textured paper by spraying the paint at various angles so that the color hits only certain parts, e.g., the high parts and not the valleys. Experiment with different papers and see how you can manipulate the surface to add to the uniqueness of your artwork. —Inks, Dyes and Liquefied Watercolors – The airbrush will spray virtually any paint or color that exists, but in many instances, the paint must be thinned for spraying. In the case of inks, dyes and liquefied watercolors, they come naturally in a fluid consistency compatible with spraying. However, the term liquefied watercolor is a misnomer. These are not natural watercolors because there is no pigment used; they are actually dyes similar to ink that are normally fugitive and susceptible to ultraviolet rays and fading. On the other hand, inks—although of the same liquid consistency—are available colorfast and waterproof. For a beginner, the easiest materials to use when learning techniques are inks, dyes and liquefied watercolors. With these, the airbrusher need not be concerned with thinning formulas or clogging the airbrush, since these materials are the thinnest colors available and rarely clog the airbrush. —A Stiff, Flat Brush – A handy tool to have in the studio for airbrush maintenance is a stiff, flat brush, e.g., a No. 4 flat bristle. This inexpensive paintbrush is well suited for cleaning the airbrush because it enables you to get into the nooks and crannies of the color cup or the slot in which the needle gets dirty or the air cap and tip to eliminate dried paint and clogs. A small round brush is also handy when using a bottom feed airbrush where paint may dry in the siphon intake or a side feed airbrush where paint may need to be removed from the color cup intake. Note that a paintbrush is a preferred tool for these cleaning purposes. Some artists make the mistake of using a cotton swab to clean the color cup, which can deposit cotton fibers during the cleaning process that may contribute to clogging of the airbrush.
ArtPourriNEA News — NEA Chairman Dan Gioia has received unanimous confirmation from the Senate for his reappointment as leader of the NEA, marking the beginning of his second four-year term. Gioia is an internationally acclaimed and award-winning poet. — The U.S. Senate has also confirmed the appointment of six new members nominated by President Bush to serve on the National Council on the Arts, the advisory body of the NEA. – The NEA has announced that it will award $19.4 million to fund 848 grants in its first major grant announcement of fiscal year 2007. Recipients of funding for Access to Artistic Excellence grants (including design, folk and traditional arts, media arts, museums, visual arts and more) will include nonprofit national, regional, state and local organizations across the country. Painting Recovered — A painting by Francisco de Goya y Lucientes has been recovered after being stolen recently enroute from the Toledo Museum of Art to the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. Originally scheduled to be included in the exhibition Spanish Painting from El Greco to Picasso: Time, Truth and History, the treasured painting Children with a Cart (1778) will be returned to the Toledo Museum, where it is part of the permanent collection. Winner Announced — Tate Britain has announced that German-born artist Tomma Abts won the Turner Prize 2006. Abts is the first woman painter to win since the Prize was founded 22 years ago. Getty News — An agreement has been reached between the Minister of Culture for the Hellenic Republic and the J. Paul Getty Museum for the return of two objects in the collection of the Getty—a gold funerary wreath and a statue of a kore (ancient Greek statue of a young woman). – The Board of Trustees has announced that James N. Wood has been named to serve as president and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust. An internationally recognized arts leader, Wood was previously director and president of the Art Institute of Chicago. Auction News — At Sotheby’s sale of Books & Manuscripts, a rare document by Michelangelo Buonarroti in reference to an important commission for a church in Rome has sold for $576,000. At the sale of American Paintings, Edward Hopper’s Hotel Window sold for $25.9 million, smashing the previous auction record for the artist, while Norman Rockwell’s Breaking Home Ties set a new gold standard for the artist at $15.4 million. – At Christie’s the record for a post-war work was broken when de Kooning’s Untitled XXV sold for over $27 million. In January, the last Peaceable Kingdom painted by Edward Hicks will lead the Americana sales. Reconstruction Accomplished — After three years of research, anthropologists at Italy’s Chieti University have reconstructed a fingerprint of Leonardo da Vinci. This may help attribute disputed paintings or manuscripts and provide other pertinent information. Milestones — Robert Volpe, a painter, sculptor and New York police detective, has died at the age of 63. Volpe was renowned as the “art cop” who was assigned full time to investigate stolen or forged artwork as well as fraud and vandalism in museums. — Rosie Lee Tompkins, internationally recognized quilter, has died in CA at age 70. Although her works hang in major museums and have appeared in major art publications with rave reviews by critics, Tompkins chose to remain “anonymous” behind the scenes.
Exhibitions: Houston, TX – The Museum of Fine Arts – The Modern West: American Landscapes, 1890 – 1950 features approximately 110 paintings, watercolors and photographs by artists including Remington, O’Keeffe, Weston, Benton, Ansel Adams, Pollock and more. The exhibition addresses the strong, mystical attraction the region holds, while providing a meaningful context for the West’s influence on American modernism and the essential role of artists in shaping our views of it. Through Jan. 28. Travels to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in March. Washington, DC – National Gallery of Art – Strokes of Genius: Rembrandt’s Prints and Drawings features about 190 prints and drawings from its own extensive collection, combined with select loans from American private collections. The exhibition is especially rich in outstanding impressions of Rembrandt’s finest etchings, including multiple impressions of the same print to show his distinctive approach. Through March 18. New York, NY – Guggenheim Museum – Spanish Painting From El Greco to Picasso—Time, Truth and History brings together for the first time works by the great Spanish masters of the 16th through the 20th centuries: Velazquez, Murillo, de Goya, Gris, Dali, Miro and many others, as well as El Greco and Picasso. This exhibition is broken into 15 distinct sections, each based on a theme running through the past five centuries of Spanish culture that highlights affinities between the art of the old masters and that of the modern era. Through March 28.
Happy New Year!!
Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 17 No. 3 — January 2007 |
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