Holiday Projects

Photo Framing for Gifts and Decor

With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, wouldn’t it be nice to stay home, stay healthy and create unique presents for the entire family.  Stocking stuffers are always a favorite thing to create and this year you have tons of options.  Emphasis on family and the ties they represent is a great place to start.  Group gatherings, reunions last summer, parties for anyone…those are the photos that make our memories.

Why not create thoughtful stocking stuffer surprises with those photos?  One very quick way to present them is to use some of the fabulous decorative papers available from leading manufacturers such as Strathmore. Coordinated looks and textures can be used to create borders around any photo and add a personal and unique touch to the scene.  One option is to use a double layer of decorative paper around an image.  A thin strip of the bottom color is allowed to show with a wide border on top.  Metallic papers work very well for the bottom narrow band of color.  Textured, unusual papers look great for the wider border.  With the addition of a substantial backing material, this becomes a real keepsake.  When wrapped and tied with a colorful ribbon, the gift takes on even more meaning.

Matting and framing can definitely make a huge difference in the appearance of any art item.  If you are an artist, giving one of your art items is a thoughtful and appreciated gift.  Consider giving it with a mat and simple frame – making it a completely ready-to-hang present.  You do not need expensive mat cutting equipment to create mats, although any mat cutter does speed things up and make it a bit easier.  You can cut a straight-edged mat with a simple stencil knife or other cutter.  Take your time, be careful with your cutting and the result will be lovely.  Try to avoid overcuts at the corners and use a good, heavy straightedge to cut the window—like Artool’s Cuttingrail.

Small décor items such as holiday tree photo decorations can also be created easily.  Use wallet size or cropped photos with small decorative paper surrounds and hang them on the tree, from the mantle, in windows, etc.  These small photo projects also make great package wrap additions when tied to the bow—a little something special.

Collections of small framed items hung together make great impact in décor.  For the holidays, you might want to hang a grouping of special holiday images, perhaps from recycled holiday greeting cards or collected seasonal items.  Related theme items look great in matching frames, in groups and hung in unexpected places.  One such place might be close to a quiet seating area above an accent table, low and near people as they are seated.  Again, these small images, often presented in groups, make nice gifts, too.

Another way to present art items and photos is the standby photo frame.  Art/crafts supply stores offer a wide range of such presentation items.  Decorative borders, simple to elegant, make photos and small original art look especially nice for gift giving.

Visit the art/crafts materials dealer near you to get lots of ideas.  You’ll find simple frames and mats that can be embellished any way you like.  Let this year be the year your creative processes flourish! 

Art Events

Lighting of the Copper Beech Tree – Portland Museum of Art, OR – Dec. 4, 5-7 p.m.  Celebrate the holiday season with singing, dancing and art-making, inspired by David C. Driskell’s African art collection.   Create art with a big tree motif to be displayed throughout the holiday season; and your hand-colored prints will look like Byzantine mosaic.  The grand finale will be a beautiful candlelit walk outside to the Copper Beech Tree lighting ceremony.  All children must be accompanied by an adult.  Free.  http://www.portlandmuseum.org/events/special.php.

Holiday Caroling – National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. – Dec. 12, 13, 19 and 20 at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m.  Caroling in the seasonally decorated West Building Rotunda is a favorite at the Gallery.  Guest choirs lead afternoon sing-along caroling.  Singers and listeners of all ages are welcome.

Art Partners Holiday Party – High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA – Dec. 17 at 7 p.m.  This year’s annual party will be held in the Atlanta Holiday House, a spectacular 22,000 square-foot French Normandy mansion.  Enjoy fine food, live jazz, wine tasting and a tour of this amazing home.  RSVP by Dec. 11 to 404.733.4521 or email artpartners@woodruffcenter.org.

Also, the Family Program “Hands on for the Holidays” will be held Dec. 26-31 from 1-4 p.m. in the Greene Family Education Center.  Drop-in studio projects will explore Leonardo da Vinci’s creative process and imagination.  No registration required.  Free with museum admission and for members.

Kwanzaa Family Day - Baltimore Museum of Art, MD – Dec. 20, 1-5 p.m.  Enjoy the BMA’s yearly Kwanzaa celebration with hands-on art-making activities, catch a special family performance and learn about the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Free.  Other “Celebration of Light” programs include Krafty Kaleidoscopes on Dec. 6, Paper Lanterns on Dec. 13 and Family Tour:  Lights, Canvas, Action! on Dec. 27.  www.artbma.org/calendar/families.html.

A Little Art History

Modern Art - 1880 to Present

For many people, the mere mention of Modern Art brings up a barrage of questions.  What exactly is Modern Art?  Into what time frame does it fit in the chronological history of art?  Which art movements might be considered Modern?  What were/are some of the most prominent “schools” of Modern Art?  Who are some of the most important artists who created works of art that are classified as Modern?  Many art disciplines were involved in the creation of Modern Art, but painting is most directly associated with it.

What is Modern Art?  Modern is defined as “of the present or recent times.”  While any point in the history of art would—at that time—be considered “modern,” the understanding is that modern indicates new, fresh, innovative and things brought about by technology.  Surely in Van Gogh’s day his work was considered modern.  But the time frame of the classification of Modern Art starts around 1880 and continues through the present. 

Within the classification of Modern, many other “movements” occurred.  German artists were the first to simplify design and approach, speed up the processes of art and create what started works that followed Impressionism.  Divided by decades, 1880 to 1890 saw several “schools” established.  Some of the period were Neo-Impressionism (more detailed and formal than Impressionism), Post-Impressionism (artists revolted against Impressionism in style and approach), Symbolism (representing subjects by use of symbols or using symbolic meanings) and Tonalism (chiefly manifested in landscapes executed with soft painterly application and muted color harmonies)—just to name a few.

The next decade (1890-1900) saw the emergence of Expressionism and Fauvism.  Expressionism is a type of abstract painting in which the artist’s feelings are recorded.  There is less form but intense color, and these works are often full of emotion.  Fauvism is one of the two “steps” that led directly to Abstraction.  The school began in France and was wrought with distortion and full of color.  The second contributor was Cubism, where forms were edgy, angular and often puzzle-like.

1900 to 1910 is the era when Art Nouveau broke onto the scene, Cubism continued and the Ashcan School was begun.  Art Nouveau is defined as a way of thinking about modern society and new production methods. It was an attempt to redefine the meaning and nature of art. From that time on, it was the duty of art not to overlook any everyday object, no matter how utilitarian it might be.  In Cubist artworks, objects are broken up, analyzed, and re-assembled in an abstracted form. Instead of depicting objects from one viewpoint, the artist depicts the subject from a multitude of viewpoints to represent the subject in a greater context.  The Ashcan School was actually a group of artists who painted realist works of common scenes of daily life in poorer, working-class neighborhoods.

From 1910 to 1920 there was an explosion of styles and branches from previous schools.  Of the new forms, Formism (with rigorous and rigid adherence to shapes) and Purism (which admired the beauty and clarity of machines and emphasized the geometric simplicity of the subject) are two of the most influential.   These two forms of art are closely related, although Formism originated in France and Purism in Spain.

1920 to 1930 saw American Scene Painting gain strong recognition.  During this decade, Art Deco, Constructivism (which is still a popular art expression), Surrealism and Precisionism became popular.  Art Deco is known to most of us because it represents a style and elegance that most people enjoy.  Constructivism says what it is:  constructions of materials that are both freestanding and wall works.  Wood, glass and metal are used to create non-representational objects that often are geometric in form.  Precisionism painting is sharply defined, with geometric forms and flat planes.  It was not an organized society but rather a group of artists who shared a common approach to creativity.

1930 started the decade of WWII. The Industrial Revolution and the mechanization of the world, added to the trauma of war, helped to create Concrete Art (Concretism)—an abstractionist/futurist art form that was free from any symbolic association with reality, with lines and colors that were “concrete” by themselves.  Breaking away from all order and rule seemed to free the artist’s creative spirit.  Regionalism was a purely American movement, also known as American Scene Painting, and it began during the Great Depression in the 1930's.  It was created in resistance to the avant-garde European styles.  The scenes in these works were mostly of Midwestern life and nostalgic in nature.

The decades from 1940 to 1970 ushered in the advent of Abstract Expressionism, which is still popular and practiced by many artists. This combines the abstraction of form with the emotional connection (Expressionism) of the artist.  Hard-edged paintings, Photorealism and Psychedelic Art all became popular with painters of this time.  Op Art, done primarily in the 1960’s and 70’s, used mathematically calculated placement of simple forms and colors.  Minimalism of the 1960’s strips subjects down to their barest forms and shapes. 

As you can see, Modern Art refers to a period of time and a frame of mind, not a specific style or movement.  Some painters that are directly recognized with specific movements within the Modern Art period include:  Expressionist—Wassily Kandinsky;  Fauvist—Henry Matisse;  Impressionist—Vincent Van Gogh, Mary Cassatt and Claude Monet; Formist—Henryk Gotlib; Cubist—Pablo Picasso; Surrealist—Salvador Dali; Abstract Expressionist—Jackson Pollock, Helen Frankenthaler, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko and Jasper Johns; and Abstractionist/Modernist/Expressionist—Georgia O’Keeffe.

The Artist’s Marketplace

Iwata-Medea - New Airbrush Holder

Iwata-Medea has introduced the new AH 250 Airbrush Holder that will accommodate two airbrushes.  Additional features include a filter/regulator holder as well as a heavy duty clamp with a wide opening for mounting on thick tables.  The AH 250 is easy to assemble as well as convenient and stable.  See your retailer and visit www.iwata-medea.com.

Artool – New Airbrush Templates

Artool has announced the availability of three new freehand airbrush templates.  The Nano Series, designed by Dennis Mathewson, includes three sets of Polynesian designs: Island FX, Kanji Motto and Tikiville.  At the size of a business card (four separate templates when tabs are snipped), these templates can render the ultimate in Polynesian and Tiki FX images on the smallest of projects.

Artool’s new Bubble FX templates, also designed by Dennis Mathewson, are true organic shapes created from authentic bubbles that you can use to create amazing underwater backgrounds or a myriad of other natural effects.  These are sold as a set and included as a bonus is the 90-minute Bubble FX Airbrush Master Class DVD by Dennis, where he guides you through everything you will need to create your own outrageous bubble scene.

The new Splatter FX templates, designed by Gerald Mendez, allow you to easily create natural and dramatic splatter effects, as well as add endless color transitions to your artwork.  These are solvent proof and sold as a set of three 10” x 8” stencils:  Hi Impact, Xtreme and Multi Splatter.  See your retailer and visit www.artoolproducts.com.

Art Applications

New Ways to Use Your Original Art

With the holiday season here and the ever-present need to be creative with funds, this might be a good time to investigate new ways to use your original artworks.  Those new directions might make unique gifts or new products that you can market.  With a few twists of purpose, some materials can be used in new ways, offering you a wider range of possibilities.  Following are a few ideas that you might want to pursue.

The old idea of cards has been updated big time!  Strathmore has created greeting card packages (cards and coordinated envelopes) made from new and very green components.  New fibers include such materials as sugar cane, bamboo, hemp and 30% or 100% post-consumer recycled paper, most in both white and cream.  Artists can now use their original images with a computer to design avant-garde creations on a small scale.  These could be holiday cards or small likenesses of your works suitable for framing.  With the attention being paid to going green, these would be great gifts for the eco conscious friend or to impact sales of your new “line.”  Vellum envelopes and overlays are available and make the package even more enticing.  Cards suitable for all media are available and come in many textures. 

One of the newer ideas is to create and swap artist trading cards.  Small cuts (2.5 x 3.5) of a large variety of surfaces make it possible for all media to participate in such trading.  Bristol, watercolor paper, illustration board, linen and textured surfaces and even canvas trading cards are available.  Additionally, there are small frame cards to give your creations that totally “finished” look.  Collectors might want to consider the clear plastic sleeves, too.

For unusual applications, try using a product that is not usually considered for the fine artist.  Transfer paper, used throughout the tattoo industry, can be used to transfer images much like the old fashioned decals.  Soak the paper backing and the image releases onto decorative items.  With some oven heat setting of the images they become permanent for glassware and non-porous surfaces.  Imagine the jewelry, fashion accessories and stemware you could create with your original images.  Look for this transfer paper at tattoo suppliers and visit at www.strathmoreartist.com for more ideas on specialty artist’s papers and image transfer sheets.

Image transferring can be done on fabric for textile applications, collage or assemblage.  Artists are experimenting with heat transfers by applying them as collage elements in their works on canvas.  Both inkjet and laser color copies can be used with heat transfer papers and here, again, Strathmore is a leader in such innovative products.  This type of transfer is especially good for designs on tote bags and T-shirts.  These sheets can easily transfer your original images with a common iron—no specialty equipment needed.

So with the idea of new green materials and techniques for image transfers, we’ve explored some new possibilities that might be of interest to you.  These are easy ways to add new dimension to your creative adventures.  Try some new techniques and see if you can put your personal twists on them to make your images perhaps more sellable and sought after.

Competitions

The Figure Now – Feb. 5-26 – The Fontbonne University Fine Arts Gallery in St. Louis, MO, has issued a call to all emerging and established artists residing in the U.S. and Canada for this international juried exhibition, which reconsiders traditional and contemporary approaches to the figure.  Acceptable media include drawing, painting, sculpture, mixed media and photography.  Awards total $1,750.  SASE to:  Fontbonne University Fine Arts Gallery, 6800 Wydown Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63105; (314) 719-3580; www.fontbonne.edu/gallery.  Deadline:  Jan. 6.

7^th Annual Embracing Our Differences – April 2010 (Island Park, Sarasota, FL) and May 2010 (So. Sarasota County) – Artists, photographers, professionals, amateurs, teachers and students of all ages are invited to submit artworks that demonstrate in a positive way that diversity enriches our lives.  In addition to artistic excellence in reflection of the theme, artwork will be evaluated on how effectively it will read outdoors when enlarged to billboard size, as the exhibit features 39 outdoor billboard size images. Two Best in Show Awards (Adult/Student) and People’s Choice Award of $1,000 each. Prospectus: www.embracingourdifferences.org. Deadline:  Jan. 9.

National Gallery Internship Applications – The 2010-2011 call for applications for National Gallery of Art internships is now available on the Gallery’s Web site.  Offered are three different internships, each having different projects, eligibility requirements and terms:  Graduate Internships; Summer Internships; and Volunteer Internships, Research Assistantships and Apprenticeships.  Call 202.842.6257 or visit www.nga.gov/education/interned.htm.  The deadline for application packets is January 14.

Airbrush

Tips on Tips

The condition of the airbrush tip is of critical importance in achieving optimal quality of spray.  The paint tip is but one part of the spray regulator that is also comprised of the air cap and the head, which attaches the spray regulator to the body of the airbrush.  If the tip is damaged or out of sync, the airbrush will not produce the round spray that is expected.  (Note that some airbrush manufacturers have different names for the spray regulator, e.g., head assembly or nozzle.)

The paint tip is available in sizes from 1mm to about 6mm.  The larger sizes accommodate thicker paints and heavier volumes.  A long, tapered needle matching the size of the paint tip controls the volume of paint that’s sprayed.  When the needle is completely forward, the paint flow is shut off.  As the needle is drawn back from the tip (with the trigger), paint is released to flow.  Most airbrush manufacturers have multiple spray regulator/needle combinations to accommodate different types and viscosities of materials for spraying.

Spray regulators are manufactured from various metals, from brass to steel alloy.  Steel airbrushes are the most durable and their needles are less likely to bend.

The spray regulator and its components can be damaged in several ways.  If the regulator is over tightened into the airbrush body it can break off.  An easy way to damage the paint tip is by jamming the needle into it during the cleaning process.  This will split the tip and, in turn, destroy the roundness of the spray.  Another common way to damage the spray regulator is by dropping the brush, which results in a bent air cap and will also affect the shape of the spray. 

Always use caution to prevent damage to the spray regulator by heeding common practices:  Keep it clean by using a stiff brush to wash the air cap.  Also, the spray regulator can be removed completely and soaked in a cleaning agent.  Replace it with a snug seal, but do not over-tighten it. And always hang the airbrush up securely so that it doesn’t accidentally drop onto the floor.

ArtPourri

NEA News – The U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate have approved an increase in NEA funding for 2010. The budget was set at $167.5 million, an increase of $12.5 million from last year.

Photographer Recognized – The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum has named legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz the guest of honor at its 2010 Women of Distinction Series event on March 6 at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in Santa Fe, NM.  She was selected in recognition of her 40 years of iconic work that makes her arguably the most renowned living artist in the photographic medium.

Winter Hours Announced – Dia:  Beacon (Beacon, NY)—an almost 300,000 sq. ft. contemporary art museum with a permanent renowned collection of art from the 1960’s to the present—is lit almost entirely by natural light via skylights.  Therefore, it changes public hours to coincide with seasonal changes in daylight.  Winter hours are 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Friday - Monday through April 12.

Auction News – Sotheby’s recent evening sale of contemporary art brought an outstanding total of $134.4 million, far above pre-sale expectations and with all but two lots finding buyers.  Andy Warhol’s monumental masterpiece, 200 One Dollar Bills (1962), brought a remarkable $43.7 million, soaring past the pre-sale estimate of $8/12 million.  New auction records were established for Alice Neel, Jean Dubuffet, Juan Munoz, Germaine Richier, Willem de Kooning, Bruce Nauman and Jackson Pollock.  At Christie’s Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale, a total of $65.6 million was realized with top lots from Edgar Degas (Danseuses, 1896, $10.7 million), Auguste Rodin and Claude Monet.

Christmas Stamp Issued – The 2009 Christmas stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service bears the image of a rare piece of art:  Madonna and Sleeping Child by Italian artist Sassoferrato.  The issuance of the stamp coincides with the 400^th anniversary of the birth of the artist in 1609.  The original painting is currently in the collection of the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA, which is open to the public as part of the California State Park System.

Holiday Tradition Continues – The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, continues a long-standing holiday tradition with the annual presentation of its Christmas tree, a favorite of New Yorkers and visitors from around the world.  A vivid 18^th-century Neapolitan Nativity scene—embellished with a profuse array of diminutive, lifelike attendant figures and silk-robed angels hovering above—will adorn the candlelit spruce.  Recorded music and lighting ceremonies will add to the enjoyment of the holiday display.  Medieval Sculpture Hall, through Jan. 6.

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Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 20 No. 2 — December 2009