My New Gallery-Terra Firma (lisa)

Lauren and I are starting a new Blog practice, that celebrates and highlights our solo Art Careers and solo Art Paths. When I was in town last week for the ARTcart and for Take 5: ARTbreak Day 2011 in one of meetings, we acknowledged that  the organizational and fundraising aspects of Take 5: ARTbreak Day 2011 was taking an enormous and excessive toll on both our voluntary energy and time. And we needed to create a balance. Through our three year Art is Moving collaboration we have discovered there has been two keys in its success The first is open communication and the second being the constant need to reevaluated and transform, what is working and what is not.
Also, we both found that it is interesting in most artistic collaborations, the unified relationship is only revealed. In this series we hope to reveal that  fostering the parts (Lauren and I) is equally as important as the whole (Art is Moving).

With all that being said. Here is one part of my half.

My New Gallery: Terra Firma

Thursday I delivered nine paintings-look at the light My painting "Maya" the red and gold one is illuminated!

Last week, was also piviotial in my painting career. I was really excited to sign a new contract with the San Francisco Bay Area Gallery, Terra Firma. There is three locations in Northern California: Sonoma, the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley, and their latest gallery in San Rafael

Currently, my paintings are exhibiting in San Rafael, Terra Firma location. I am really jazzed about this opportunity!!!  I love the Art in this gallery!  I feel my works have perfect companions, the amazing and very powerful Shona Sculptors and the phenomenal Ethiopian painter, Wosene Kosrof.  

I have a feeling my work will be flying out of there into collectors homes!

My black and white painting, below Wosene's and adjacent to a Shona Sculpture

This amazing gallery just opened in the last month and has a great vibe. The seemly small space is expansive with a loft and it has floor to ceiling windows, which emits some extraordinary light!!

Please stop by and say hi to Danielle, Terra Firma's  San Rafael's Gallery Director and my work! As well as say Ciao to Lori Austin, who is the Executive Gallery Director of all three of the Terra Firma's Galleries in NorCal! 

As always!!! Thank you Danielle for your continuous support of my ART!! -lisa

Artists supporting artists. Thanks Robert Bean!

Lisa and I are so amazed at the positive feedback and encouragement we are receiving from everyone.  Take 5:  Art Break Day is developing into an unbelievable project and we just can't wait until September 2nd.  We always like to shine a light on anyone and everyone that supports art and today's artist.  We would like to introduce you again to Robert Bean.  We interviewed Robert about his artwork and process just a little over a year ago.  We were interested in his reasons for being a sponsor for Take 5:  Art Break Day.  He was kind enough to answer a few questions for us.  Thanks Robert!

1.  Why did you decide to make a donation to Take 5:  Art Break Day?

These days you hear a lot about funding for the arts being slashed on every level. It's hard to get away from it. So when I see a project like Take 5: Art Break Day come along, where artists take matters into their own hands and work to keep the arts not only alive, but living, breathing, and interacting with the public at large, I want to help in whatever way I can. On top of that, we are a society that is in a constant state of motion, bombarded with information from every corner. I like the idea of offering people a chance to step away from it for a minute and just create, to output instead of input. I think a lot of people forget the joy in sitting down and drawing like they did when they were kids. I like that Take 5: Art Break Day gives people an opportunity to rekindle that joy.

2.  What is the benefit of having art making in a public space?

I think there are lots of benefits to making art in a public place, but the one that I always come back to is that if a few people are doing it, others will see it, and realize it's ok to do the exact same thing. Good or bad, people often need acceptance from peers before they step out of their normal routines, and seeing people already doing something in public is a quick way to put them at ease.

3.  Give us 5 words that describe you as an artist.

Storyteller, Investigator, Blender, Student and Educator

Summer Learning Day gives kids lessons in fun - SF Chronicle

We had a blast yesterday at the kickoff for Summer Learning at the Civic Center in San Francisco. We had a wonderful conversation with Jill Tucker of The San Francisco Chronicle about the power of art and what happens when someone gets the opportunity to create art.  We were so happy to see Jill's article in the Chronicle this morning shining some light on the subject. Thanks Jill for bringing attention to such an important topic!

Third-grader Elaine Ma sat at a shady table in San Francisco's Civic Center Plaza dipping a paintbrush in pink, gold and green paint. "I'm painting a house," she said as she brushed a gold swoosh on the paper. "This is magical grass."

All around her some 800 children spent the first official day of summer hula hooping, playing board games, experimenting with bubbles and baking soda, hanging out in a bookmobile, drawing pictures, making bedazzled princess crowns and riding ponies.  This, said organizers of the city's Summer Learning Day at the plaza, is what summer is supposed to be about: playing, thinking, creating, and ultimately learning outside the classroom in active, fun ways.

That's not the experience for too many children, particularly low-income kids, who spend their 10 or so weeks of summer vacation doing nothing, said Sheryl Davis, director of Mo' Magic, which helped organize Tuesday's event. Without structured activities that stretch their minds, they "tend to gain weight and fall behind," she said. "They lose the summer. They come back to school two months behind."

Researchers call it the summer brain drain. It affects all children, but especially those who don't actively fight it. Overall, most students forget two months worth of math over the summer. But low-income students also lose two to three months worth of reading skills.  As a result, the achievement gap between white, Asian and wealthy students and their Hispanic, black and low-income peers, each summer increasingly widens. On Tuesday, most of the students at Civic Center Plaza were participants in nonprofit and city-sponsored summer camps and programs although some families stumbled upon the event and joined the fun, too.

There didn't appear to be a single child at the event who, given a choice, would have picked a couch over the petting zoo, art project or bouncy houses. Students who take part in summer enrichment activities, ranging from science camp, sports, family trips to museums or other programs, can boost their achievement levels, according to the National Summer Learning Association, which supported Tuesday's Summer Learning Day activities across the nation.


And the students tend to avoid packing on the pounds as well, more likely avoiding the obesity epidemic plaguing the country's youth.  In San Francisco, hundreds of primarily low-income children participate in nonprofit and city-sponsored summer programs, many featuring academic components. Those types of community programs can be critical to preventing summer learning loss, according to a study released this month by the nonprofit Rand Corp.


"They are often less expensive than school district staff, and they offer enrichment opportunities that are often similar to those experienced by middle-income youth during the summer - such as kayaking or chess, for example - that encourage students to enroll and attend, both of which are critical to program effectiveness," said Catherine Augustine, a senior policy researcher at Rand, in a statement.


At Civic Center Plaza, with her paper filled with a pink and gold house with magical grass, Elaine appeared to plugging that drain in her brain. Her paintbrush and imagination were running wild. A green stick-figure man appeared on the paper. He had just arrived home, she explained.  Lisa Rasmussen, who had set up her Art Cart for the event, listened to Elaine's story line and smiled. "When children have art, they just swim in it," Rasmussen said. "They just thrive."

E-mail Jill Tucker at jtucker@sfchronicle.com
Link to article:  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2011%2F06%2F22%2FBAUI1K0RD1.DTL

ARTcart @ Summer Learning,City Hall in San Francisco

June 21, 2011
Bright and early tomorrow morning, I will be flying up from LA. Lauren, I, and the ARTcart will be faciltiating the free art making process at the 2nd Annual Summer Learning Kickoff at the Civic Center Plaza, in front of city Hall. Last year we had a blast and met some amazing and creative youth.

I wonder if Sarah will be there, the amazing little girl that wrote us a very heartfelt thank you note, that Lauren and I treasured.

Also, the ARTcart will be at another youth event on 6/28/11 at Crissy Field in San Francisco.
Thank you! Mo Magic for sponsoring the ARTcart!

And in between those two ART cart gigs Lauren and I will be organizing,meeting folks, sourcing out sponsorship, and procuring volunteers for Take 5: ARTbreak 2011. This stellar event is less the 75 days away.
It is going to be a creative week!

I am an Artist: Ingrid E. Albrecht, Illinois

I am in awe of Ingrid's work as I am in awe when I stand in front of a ancient cave painting. I feel connected to history, the earth, and the unknown. What feelings does Ingrid's work inspire in you?

Why are you an artist?
I am an artist because I MUST be an artist. For me this is a wonderful way to express what is passionate to my being. My Grandmother was a self taught artist and I was introduced to pastel painting at the young age of four. My parents encouraged me to become a nurse, but I soon switched my major in college to teaching. This teaching career would allow me the opportunity to travel, live and work in foreign countries and thereby give me the foundation for my life today.

Talk about your connection with rock writing (Art) and how it has influenced you as an artist.
I am very fortunate to have studied to become an educator for my first career. This career allowed me to travel and to live in Central and South America where I became very fond of the native cultures. I became aware of past cultures in these countries and explored ruins that thrived during their time on earth. When I returned to the US I saw the destruction of the ancient petroglyphs and pictographs that were a part of Three Rivers Petroglyph site in New Mexico and Canyon de Chelly in Arizona. This destruction spurred me on to educate the public about these “endangered species”. I was a new graduate from the American Academy of art and was trying to find a way to depict these images in a way that would be works of art, but would also educate the public. I went through many trials and errors with the processes I use to create these pieces, and this constant “pushing” myself to create better paintings has helped me to become a better artist. By focusing on the rock writing of the world, I have been very fortunate to travel for research to Africa, Australia, China, Hawaii and other parts of our country. Seeing these sites and experiencing the feelings I have had on location have helped me a great deal in expressing myself in my most recent works.

Describe your process for making an artwork.
My process for creating a painting begins with the inspiration I feel for what I want to say and express in paint. I must be inspired to create and capture the emotion I feel is important in my work. Along with the elements of design: line, shape, color, texture, and direction, I add EMOTION. It is our duty as an artist to add that emotional element to our paintings, something of ourselves that we feel about the subject, has to be seen by the viewer, otherwise the work is a boring copy.

After I study the subject I wish to create in paint, I work out a value sketch and play with the shapes and values, arranging them in an exciting format that will translate well in a painting. Then I choose what medium I wish to use: watercolor, acrylic, or mixed media. Many times the subject dictates what medium should be used. I then begin lightly sketching on paper or canvas, placing the shapes from my sketch onto the surface I have chosen. I then begin painting, immersing myself into the process, sometimes successful and sometimes not. Solving painting problems keeps one “sharp”!

What is the role of memory in work?
MEMORY is a very important ingredient in creating. I always encourage my students to paint from their own memories, sketches, or photos, because they have been INVOLVED with the subject. Our memories contribute to the emotion that can be felt in a work of art...whether they are the memories of the artist that helped to create the work of art, or that the art triggered memories in the spectator to make that connection between them and the art.

One quick story about memory: Back in the late ‘70’s I flew out to Reno, NV around the holidays and went skiing up in Lake Tahoe. What was constant rain in Reno was constant snow in Lake Tahoe. All flights were cancelled and we all chipped in and hired a car to drive us through the mountains to Lake Tahoe. The next morning the sun was out and there was 2 feet of powder on the ground. I took my camera and went walking early in the morning to take in the sparkling splendor of the fresh powder. There was a little foot bridge covered with snow and I went to take my first picture. Nothing happened because the camera batteries were DEAD. I went back to the ski shop to purchase new batteries and none were to be had. Disappointed, I went back to the sight where I wanted to take the picture, and so really looked at that beautiful scene with the fresh powder that sparkled like tiny diamonds in the early morning light on the little foot bridge railing. As I soaked in the beauty of the sight, I closed my eyes and burned that image into my mind’s eye. I might add that this all happened BEFORE I decided to go to art school. Today, I can sit down and paint that scene as I remember it. Because I was involved with that scene I am able to remember what I saw and HOW I FELT when I saw that scene.

What is your philosophy as an Arts Educator?
As an ARTS EDUCATOR, I believe it is my duty to educate my students about the basic fundamentals of art, enough so, that they have these tools in their back pocket. After they understand these tools and then learn HOW to express themselves in paint and develop their own painting style and a cohesive body of work, I then give them opportunities to exhibit their work and learn about the marketing of art. So many times students learn how to paint but do not have a CLUE HOW TO MARKET their work.

What is the value of ART in our society?
ART is extremely valuable in our society. It is distressing to me to learn that due to lack of funding in our schools, the art and music programs are cut. Many students need art in their lives to develop their self-expression. Not all students are great in math, science, English, etc. and art offers those students a chance to shine and build their self-esteem, sharing their emotions and feelings.

ART in our society is extremely valuable in that it is an outlet for those that need to express with words, dance, or on a two or three dimensional surface. It is their way of communication to the world and a sharing of what is meaningful to them. We need this balance in our world with its political uprisings, unrest, sadness and distresses. Art is an escape for those who are the creators and for those who are the spectators.

Where do you see yourself as an artist in 5 years?
In five years I would like to lesson my teaching load and concentrate more on studio time. I would like to have an international show and a museum show exhibiting my work around the global rock writing. At the present time, my teaching responsibilities consume my time, and at the same time, I realize that I have become a better artist because of my teaching. By pushing my students to become “their personal best”, I have improved my skills. I would like to have an occasional workshop, but to let go of the weekly classes.

What are your ultimate goals as an artist?
My ultimate goals as an artist are to be recognized worldwide by my work with the ancient rock writing, with museum shows and exhibitions in those countries where I have done research, all of the time educating the public about these fragile images. This also includes my desire to create that next BEST PAINTING EVER, which is always the next painting.

What does art mean to you?
To put it best, and this is definitely HOW I feel, I must quote Seth Godin: “Art is what we call...the thing an artist does. It’s not the medium or the oil or the price or whether it hangs on a wall or that you eat it. What matters, what makes it art, is that the person who made it overcame the resistance, ignored the voice of doubt, and made something worth making, something risky, something human. Art is not in the eye of the beholder. It’s in the soul of the artist.”

More on Ingrid:
ingridsoriginals.com/

I am an Artist: Keith Skaggs, Illinois

A big thanks to Keith from Illinois for taking the time to answer some questions for us. Tell us what you think of Keith's work!

Why do you use the medium that you use?
I have difficulty conforming to what a finished work should be. The work that I have clung to the longest is watercolor pencil. I use it because it is easy to control. It has the saturation of color that watercolor lacks. I can slowly build and blend colors like watercolor. I can leave the piece I am working on for an hour or a day and come right back to where I left off.

What inspires your work?
A challenge. My challenge is to find value. To find worth.

What role does color and movement play in your work?
Movement is more important than color. The underlying structure of lights and darks is what is important. The final work must be cropped in a way that allows the viewer to take in the image a certain way. There must be places for the eyes to rest as well as directional images that allow the views to move within the piece. Every element must work off of the other pieces to allow for a successful outcome. The color of images is similar to movement because they must always work off of each other. If the color in a piece is working it isn't noticeable. Color is a subtle quality. It really is not so much the color but the lightness or darkness of the depth of the color that is important.

What is the value of ART in our society?
Many deem art as frivolous. A hobby. If you ask artists they find that the art of making seamed to chose them. They have no choice but to make the art they do. It is a way of life to the artists. They would be lost without it. To the rest? Unfortunately, without art I believe that others would find other interest to occupy there time. The role of the artist is it make his (or her) voice. To put forth his (or her) argument. To state their case. To persistently put the work out into the world.

Where do you see yourself as an artist in 5 years?
I will continue to reward myself as long as I can continue to keep my basic needs met.

Check out these links for more of Keith:

http://www.wrex.com
http://rtist.com/Skaggs
http://theelementrockford.ning.com/video/keiths-picture-show
http://viscom78.deviantart.com/gallery/

Response: Light Experiments in Creativity-#13

Experiment in Creativity#13 is a very simple and very concise exercise, for some reason that I cannot explain, it took me way to long just do it.

Night Sketch             

Was it to simple? I am consumed with something else like Art is Moving's Take 5: ARTbreak 2011. Yes!

But, why the aversion and why the procrastination to this simple exercise?
I have to say I do feel a little stagnate these days. Although, I am really excited to be moving my paintings to a larger Gallery in the next week. Which will open many doors. Also, Take 5: ARTbreak 2011 although very rewarding has been a total challenge, as we are learning and doing things that we have never done before. I must say things are moving, I just feel they are not moving fast enough. And of course there is the ever looming money issue. As my paintings have not sold for a couple months and Lauren and I are virtually volunteering for this vision called Take 5: ARTbreak 2011. Hmm, maybe financial stress might be one of the factors for resistance. No complaints, just trying to figure this stagnation out.

Just do it:

morning sketch

For this Experiment in Creativity, I just had to make myself do something. So, one night I just started sketching. Since childhood I have always been an avid sketcher, but over the years that has seemed to stop. So, I decided to reactivate my inner sketcher and dive into an examination of my weird looking feet. After, I got bored with my feet, I decided that in the morning I would sketch while I was having my morning Joe.
The next morning, I did a quick gestural drawing of my kitty Paulo. Then  I let these two images sit for about a week. Why, I do not know. Tonight, I made my self write this post.

Reflection
To compare and contrast the two sketches, my night foot is much more complex and has more depth and my morning cat is much more ethereal and light.
For me this has been a really strange Experiment in Creativity filled with a tinge of apathy and many questions about my lack of...
So, I guess my Light Experiment in Creativity was not so light and sometimes you just have to make your self do it! And consistently, although arduous it usually shifts you a bit and you tend to see things in different way or hopefully you become unstuck and start tapping into your creative flow again.

Onward!! Now it is my turn to think of the next Experiment in Creativity! -lisa

I Madonnari @ The Mission in Santa Barbara, CA

Last weekend, Don and I ventured to Santa Barbara and look what we stumbled upon! We had just finished a mediocre late lunch at the Mexican Catina, Carilitos and we decided to explore a bit and go to the The Old Mission. As we approached the Mission there were all these large white tents and it seemed like the festival was ending. We wondered what had gone on?  When we entered the Mission's court yard, I yelped a  WOW! By fate we had stumbled into a field of amazing creativity and transformation!!
We asked one of the artists what this was and she said it was the I Madonnari Festival. Each square is sponsored by a company or local merchant and all the artist volunteer their time for the greater good.


On their Blog it says that the I Madonnari, or street painters, transform the Mission plaza using pastels on pavement to create 150 vibrant and colorful, large scale images. We are proud to be the first to bring this romantic festival to the western hemisphere from our sister festival in Grazie di Curtatone, Italy. The festival benefits the Children's Creative Project, a nonprofit arts education program of the Santa Barbara County Education Office. The Project serves 50,000 children in more than 100 schools with visual and performing arts workshops and performances throughout Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Festival hours are 10-6 daily. Admission is free.


Wow! what an amazing chalk festival. The I Madonnari Festival is annual event held on Memorial Day weekend. It is a super creative way of fundraising for our starving youth arts education system, an amazing community ARTreach event, with stellar beauty,and lots of fun!
 I loved watching the artist's sitting within their creations.
Check out the I Madonnari Festival  next year if you can!  
Below is what I saw and captured in this aesthetic wonderland.

Madonnari @ The Mission in Santa Barbara, CA, a set on Flickr.

quintessential quotes-Kim Blair

The pursuit of art on a regular basis may be the key to healing our minds and bodies. 

(Kim Blair)