Student Art Sale

There is nothing better than a student art sale to keep all faith in art. The annual Glassell Student Art Sale is an attestation to the fact. As usual, I go browsing and find life in its raw flavor. I totally enjoyed myself and realized my smile didn't fade off until I got into the car and had to deal with traffic. The art sale attracted a sizable crowd from what I saw and that exposure sure did the students good. It always helps when the traffic to see your art is not your sole responsibility. Yee haw Glassell!

Mixed Media, Ceramics, Jewelry and more! Let the photos talk:)

And these are pictures from the lower level with more experienced artists..

FYI: The Glassell Art School is one of the two schools at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

$124 Million

Thats how much the paintings stolen from Paris's Musee d'Art Moderne are worth! This is the largest art heist I have heard of in my lifetime and it still seems surreal. Last Thursday, the staff discovered that the paintings were missing just before opening the museum...really! They have state-of-the-art alarm systems in place and three night wardens and someone just walks in there, selects what they want to take and walks away?!!!? Gives pause to a lot of beliefs doesn't it?

Paintings stolen:

Dove with Green Peas - Pablo Picasso /1911-12
Woman with a Fan, Lunia Czechowska - Amedeo Modigliani/1919
Olive Tree near Estaque - Georges Braque/1906
Pastoral - Henri Matisee/1905
Still Life with Candlestick - Fernand Leger/1922

Moment of silence....for the museum not the paintings. I have a feeling these paintings will be taken very good care of wherever they are but the Musee d'Art Moderne will need serious cleansing to get its credibility back.

Drip Coffee

Inversion Coffee House has been a discovery for me this weekend! Attached in the hip to the the Art League Houston, this coffee house is the most uncommon I have ever visited. If you visit, you will be staring. The art installations in the house are so capturing, its hard not to go...aaaah but oooohhhh!! I know I must sound like a child visiting the toy emporium but I cannot stop myself from sharing this. There is a wall inside that is covered with David Scott Lindsey's paintings from ceiling to almost the floor(as my very enthusiastic friend is pointing out).

And the window! The window has the remnants of a huge tunnel that artists Dan Havel and Dean Ruck constructed with wood from two old bungalows that were on the site years ago. This tunnel ran through the Art League building before spilling into the garden outside. No space is meant to be just space. There are moss grown sculptures in the garden that give you company in case your loneliness isn't voluntary. And of course the place has a subtle sense of humor that catches even the laziest eye.

Overall, my Drip Coffee(the first on their menu) was way more than just coffee.........my coffee, my legs folded to my chin on the chair in the garden, the cool breeze on a scathing hot day, all the while knowing I was surrounded by artists who created all of it just for me, perfect:)

Smell much!

Who would have thought that I would have soaps on my mind for anything other than a wash:) Art is in the soaps for me today! See what I mean! Some of them look delicious enough to eat...at least I would if someone didn't stop me:)

Metropolis Soap Co. is one that not only has an amazing collection of flavors but interesting packaging as well. I am a big time admirer of beautiful covers and this one does not disappoint. One other on that list for me is Sandisolis who is currently working on a 'Monkey Farts' soap!!! I can't wait!

Now, check out the vegan bath bomb ala carte at the Bomb Shop!

And the Bungalow Bath And Body. - I have never seen smoothie looking soaps or ones that have a coconut lime flavor! Or the raspberry waffle cone ones at Vintage Soap Shoppe ! Or the ruby grapefruit bomb cupcake at Candie's Beauty Shop. I think just laying in my bath and surrounding myself with all these lovely soaps will calm me more than real food...hmmmmm....

And my post is never complete without mentioning a local favorite Cammie's Handmade Soaps.

I can only imagine how long a bath can take............

????

Should artists, especially the up and coming ones, sell their skills for a lower price until such time when they become known? I was approached by a design house to make commercial art for them. I have no problem doing that. I dont have any grand ideas of my art selling to the richest russian patron for 70 times its cost price(wink, wink Mr.Rothko). But, it seems like there is a certain kind of art that is in demand and that is what the house expects me to churn out. Mind you, I am not opposed to making repetitive art but is my original work in danger of getting picked up by someone who has no more inclination than to match it with their sofa?
Maybe so. I also have a sunny side to me that looks at this as an opportunity and will make use of it to not only produce what is in demand but add my unique signature to the work. This is a first for me and hence the discussion.
trala!

Thads

So there is this lovely, old town shop in 'Old Town Spring', TX that has a unique charisma to it. Thads has married art and decor so well, it sings to your soul the minute you enter the shop. I want to call it quaint but that almost makes it sound old grandmotherish and this is no where near there.

I am amazed by the owners' eye for the art collection on display. Even the soaps are arranged with so much care, its hard not to capture them:) But thats the thing about this place, I cannot talk about just a single thing in Thads without describing everything surrounding it. The blue room vignette that had me thinking if I was in design heaven, the owls that followed me everywhere I went or the splash of eclectic that hits you hard in the face as soon as you step in!

See what I mean!

Udomsak Krisanamis

Udomsak Krisanamis entered my life with a bang....well, as much bang as a book can make. I am an ardent student of technique in expressionistic works. During one of my journeys through off beat books, I came across this very strong creator that had me in awe!

The man uses acrylic and noodle on canvas or newsprint! And believes in artistic deconstruction as much as we believe the sky to be blue. He destroys all the parts of letters on newsprint except the 'o's. Imagine blackening out all the letters except the circles,ovals and ellipses on a piece of newspaper with a felt pen. Now add separate colors to the backgroud and foreground. Try it at home. It creates a magnificent effect!!

The newspaper became part of his texture as he was trying to learn english! Being an immigrant to the US from Bangkok, his work is a direct result of real life needs. I am astounded by the amount of patience it takes to black out all but the 'o' shapes in canvases as big as his and make strips of that newspaper and then use those strips to create his paintings. There are a million ways to assess his paintings, many say they see cityscapes, some draw parallels to emptiness and some others see golf balls:). Its all good! That right there is what expressionism does to you. It gives you a chance to think about art in ways most suitable to you.

I just think it is his way of interpreting the news!!!!!!

My First Saturday

You know how we walk through art festivals and fairs and collect artists' cards like a ritual but dont really give it a second look later? Not so here. There is something to be said about the exposure an artist gets in local art markets. One such is the First Saturday Arts Market that happens in the Heights on the first saturday of every month in Houston.
Today was my first saturday there. I researched the artists online before but nothing prepared me for the openness of some of the people there. I met seasoned artists and new ones and all of them appealed to my sensibilities.

Jen of Color Fly Studio has a refreshing take on good old cutting and pasting. Remember collage art? Well, this is a rather beautiful genre of collage. And her blog design rocks!

And then there is Kiki Neumann of Mother's Old Fencepost who, as it happens is one of the most accomplished artists that I had the opportunity to meet. Besides being an environmentally friendly artist, she has also designed 6 artists studios in Houston!! Of course, I bought her work! She collects pieces of used wood and refurbishes them into amazing works of practical art!

I am pleasantly surprised that my personal style is not invasive enough to affect positive appreciation of other styles and works of art. It seems like everyday there are artists trying to make a unique segway and David is one such artist. He is showing his work at the Wind Water Gallery( the location of the market is in the parking lot of Wind Water). This is his first time ever showing his work, I think the first of many, many showings.

 Today I peel another layer and strive towards reaching out to the various markets that bring out the hopefuls, the been-heres and Mexican Coffee....strong and decadent.