Artist Wall • Past
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Vine 3 © Susan Searway-Fertig
Vine 8 © Susan Searway-Fertig |
A Grapevine's Persona
a new digital art series by Susan Searway-Fertig
November 10-December 23, 2017
Receptions:
November 10 • 5–8pm
December 8 • 5–9pm
My process for creating A Grapevine’s Persona – Digital Art Series is similar to the way I create my figurative Persona series only instead of using drawing, paintings, or watercolors as a basis I am using photography. A Grapevine’s Persona series is dedicated to my husband who loves and introduced me to wines and going wine tasting. As we travel around vineyards I always have my camera close at hand, literally. I shoot anything and everything to find a composition. Yet I mostly concentrate my work on nature.
The most wonderful thing about working with nature as your subject matter is that it is ever changing. Artist Robert Bateman states it best, “Everything in nature has its own personality.” You can never capture or see the same composition twice. There are always little nuances of change. When you take photographs or observe wildlife they almost never stay in that “perfect” composition you envision. Therefore you have to do a lot of improvisation and creativity to get the composition you desire.
I use Illustrator or Photoshop to create my digital composition silhouettes by hand on the computer adjusting each point, line, and curve to create the shapes that form grapes, vines, and leaves that are intertwined and frozen in time. Once I am happy with the silhouettes and the negative shapes that the black background creates I transfer the silhouettes into Photoshop. In Photoshop I then take my photographs and use a photomontage technique for the interior space of the digital silhouettes. This process can result in having up to and over 150 layers of grapes, vines, and leaves within each digital composition. Once I am happy with the photomontage process I sometimes choose to play around with the colors, levels, effects, etc. to express my thoughts for each composition. I then print out my composition most recently on dye infused metal.
Each of my digital compositions are numbered in a limited series per size.
Tiny Chickens
Curator: Beatrice Kelly-Andrews
August 11-September 9, 2017
Receptions: August 11 + September 8 • 5–8pm
The Tiny Chickens exhibition is a group exhibition featuring small scale artworks in various mediums of, or inspired by, chickens.
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| Cityscape © Licita Fernández, 30" x 24" |
Color, Whimsy, Mystery
Licita Fernández
May 5–June 3, 2017
Reception: May 12 • 5–8pm
Licita Fernández identified herself as an artist as far back as she can remember (Licita would have a scrapbook of art she did from the time she could first hold a pencil to third grade). The current exhibit includes a selection of acrylic paintings on canvas that date from 2012 in addition to digital prints she created on my iPad using the app ArtStudio. The paintings are very colorful with whimsical subject matter; the prints are more abstract, many are more painterly. www.licitafernandezgallery.com
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Signs of Hope
April 14–29, 2017
Reception: April 14 • 5–8pm
Today’s new political reality has spawned a movement unlike anything we’ve seen since Nixon and the Vietnam War. Millions marched across America and around the world the day after the Inauguration, and hopefully this exciting engagement with the political system will continue.
Folks have gotten off their couches and into the streets, carrying signs of all kinds representing their own point of view about a myriad of issues. The works being displayed in this exhibition are all current protest signs! They will fill the walls of the multipurpose room and the hallways on the lower level, along with all of our outdoor spaces in the rear. And the center of the MP Room will be devoted to a free sign-making workshop.
AWD’s Signs of Hope workshops
April 14, 5-8pm:
RESIST fabric printing by Tansy Brooks of the Crucible
more info
PAMPHLETS OF POSSIBILITY by the Studio 64 artists
more info
ON-SITE SIGN MAKING by United Marin Rising
April 14, 5-8pm
Enjoy great live music by gypsy jazz group Barrio Manouche, a few speakers from local organizations, food, and libations.
This is an event you definitely don’t want to miss!
Special thanks to the MILL VALLEY COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK for their awesome support of the Signs of Hope community exhibition. Their mission: MVCAN is dedicated to keeping American democracy alive. Launched immediately after the election by a few caring citizens, they are now 500 member strong.
Website: mvcan.org
Twitter: @MillValleyCAN
Facebook: facebook.com/groups/mvcan
Collection of Signs from United Marin Rising
United Marin Rising engages Marin residents through education and action, toward justice and equity. The signs collected for the exhibition were made by about 20 different Marin artist activists. Many of these signs were made between 2002 to 2008. Now, we are making a new wave of “resistance art”!
United Marin Rising is hosting a “Community Welcome Meeting & Sign & Banner Making Party" on April 23 @ 240 Channing Way, San Rafael. Call 415.721.7241 for details. Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MarinRising
See upcoming events & sign-up to volunteer at www.unitedmarinrising.org
415.721.7241
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MarinRising
Webpage: www.unitedmarinrising.org
Tansy Brooks' Story
The days following the 2016 election were distressing for many. I was trying to come up with some response to all my gloom, a way to get up and move forward, and the word and concept of Resist seemed to help. When dyieng fabric (or other materials), one uses a resist to keep the dye from sticking, from sinking in. I do not want the hopelessness and divisiveness I have felt to sink in - to me, or to my community. I want to preserve what lies underneath, the reasons I am here and the things I can bring to the world. I made a banner for myself, and I thought other people might want to try a version themselves.
Idea: What do you bring to the world? What do you want to encourage, preserve, or bring about? What about you will not fade away?
Community Project: We’ll have squares of cloth in different colors, and some resist and ways to apply it. Choose a color of cloth, decorate it, and we’ll add black or remove color (whichever suits you), leaving your image to show through. We will put together all your beautiful creations in a quilt, representing the resilience of our community, our neighborhood, our world.
PAMPHLETS OF POSSIBILITY
Thank you for participating in this letter journaling project. You have received this Pamphlet of Possibility from a friend who believes that you are interested in carrying on this chain of connection. If for some reason you are not interested in participating please return the pamphlet to the last sender.
The concept is very simple. The “starter” of this pamphlet has set a theme and created one page. Your job is to add another page with a drawing, a collage, a poem, some prose, a favorite saying or anything that inspires you and relates to the theme of the pamphlet. Once you have completed and signed your page please add your name to the list as well as the date and the city and country you are from. The next and final step is to mail the
Pamphlet to a friend you think will be interested in continuing the chain. We would love these Pamphlets to travel the world so if you have foreign friends all the better.
The pamphlet is made up of 5 folded sheets of paper. The front page has instructions and the last page has the list where participants will sign, which leaves 16 pages to cover. You don’t have to go in the order of the book. Pick a background you like and make it your page. Be creative and have fun!
When you are done send the Pamphlet off to a friend.
If you finish the last available page in the book please mail the finished book to:
Studio 64 Marin
64 Louise Street
San Rafael, CA 94901
Before you mail the book please post photos and any comments to this facebook page: www.pampletsofpossiblity/facebook.com
Thank you for participating! There will be a final showing of the books next January and they will be returned to the "starters".