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Arts on Main

Community Arts Center in Gloucester, Virginia

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AiR Mail from Poe Dismuke + Sam Woolcott

Artist in Residence sculptor, Poe Dismuke, with his wife, painter Sam Woolcott, will be rescheduling their time in Gloucester for after the pandemic. While the SAM-POE Gallery in Bisbee, Arizona, stays closed, Poe has been collecting dead flies from the window sill and drawing them. He shared this photo of his work space in the window at the gallery.


The Artist in Residence (AiR) program in sponsored in part by the Cook Foundation. To learn more about the AiR program click here. 

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: AiR, AiR Mail, artist in residence, Poe Dismuke, Sam Woolcott

Meet the Artist: Ryan Lytle

Opening on July 22nd, our new exhibit, “Animalia”, will feature the work of 3-dimensional artists Ryan Lytle and Katherine Maloney. This week we’ll introduce you to the work of Ryan Lytle and give you a peek into his studio.

“Whether it is pets, in nature, films and cartoons, mythology, I have always been drawn to animals. As a kid I had an extensive stuffed animal collection. These fascinations of animal archetypes, images and myths have resurfaced as visual vocabulary in my work.”

“My works are primarily created through the process of needle felting. There is a comfort that is embedded in the nostalgic material. Needle felting is done by compressing raw wool with a barbed needle into a form. Every area is stabbed hundreds of times with a single needle until the desired density is formed.  This medium allows me to sculpt works within a surreal space that is both disarming and inviting.”

“Although I mostly work with wool and felting, I also experiment with other materials. Typically, I am drawn to fiber-based techniques, but recently I’ve been working with 3D printing as well. I have been learning how 3D printing operates so that I could incorporate the process into my 3D design courses at CNU. Currently, I have converted about half of my studio over to producing face shield visors for hospitals. The university has been very supportive and generous with their equipment and materials.”

“Aside from the printing, my studio has been busy with finishing up work for a show projected for June at the PFAC. It is a lot of rabbits, and I’ve been creating an eight-foot moon rug with a rug tufting machine. It should turn out to be one of my more ambitious projects to date.”

“For the show at Arts on Main I am planning to show some of my more experimental pieces and I am excited to see how they work together alongside Katherine Maloney’s work.”

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Animal, Animal Sculpture, art exhibition, arts on main, felt art, Felted Animals, Ryan Lytle, sculpture

10 Art+ Craft Projects for Kids to Beat Summer Boredom

Summer is upon us! We’ve scoured Pinterest for TEN art/craft projects that can be done at home with a few, easy-to-find supplies and/or simple substitutions. Grab the kids, cover the table with some newspaper and let them go wild! Click the images to be directed to the projects.

1. Painted Paper Plate Flowers

2. Boats at Sea Recycled At

3. Popsicle Resist Art

4. Ferocious Beings Paper Project

5. Cardboard Zoo Animals

Image by Aaron Dyer

6. Thumbprint Bugs

7. Nature Names

8. Painted Treasure Rocks

9. Bubble Painting

10. Paper Plate Donut

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Kids art, Kids Art Craft Projects

Remembering Christo

Christo at The Floating Piers, June 2016
Photo: Wolfgang Volz

On May 31st, the artist known as Christo, passed away at the age of 84, leaving behind him a legacy of work that brought joy and beauty to millions of people across the globe for over fifty years. 

Christo was born Christo Vladimirov Javacheff, on June 13, 1935 in Gabrovo, Bulgaria to a Bulgarian Industrialist family. He met his wife and creative partner, Jeanne-Claude (June 13, 1935 – November 18, 2009), in Paris, in March of 1958, they were married in October that year. It would be three years before Christo and Jean-Claude would complete their first collaboration and large-scale work, Stacked Oil Barrels and Dockside Packages, Cologne Harbor, 1961. Rolls of paper, oil barrels, tarpaulin and rope. Duration: two weeks.

Stacked Oil Barrels and Dockside Packages, Cologne Harbor, 1961 
Photo: Stefan Wewerka  
© 1961 Christo
 

Christo and Jeanne-Claude would come to be known for their larger than life, temporary, environmental installations often transforming mundane landscapes into dreamscapes.

Valley Curtain

In 1972, a bold, orange, 200,200 square foot woven nylon curtain was draped between two mountain slopes in Colorado. The installation,called Valley Curtain, remained for twenty-eight hours before a gale made removal necessary.

Christo  
Valley Curtain (Project for Colorado) 
Collage 1971  
Pencil, fabric, wax crayon, topographic map and tape  
28 x 22″ (71 x 56 cm)  
Photo: André Grossmann  
© 1971 Christo
  
Christo and Jeanne-Claude  
Valley Curtain, Rifle, Colorado, 1970-72 
Photo: Wolfgang Volz  
© 1972 Christo
 

Surrounded Islands

In 1983, off the coast of Miami, eleven islands in the Biscayne Bay were surrounded by 6.5 million square feet of luminous, pink woven, polypropylene fabric. The installation, called Surrounded Islands, was attended to, day and night, by 120 monitors in inflatable boats for two weeks while the public viewed the work from air, water and land.

Christo  
Surrounded Islands (Project for Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami, Florida) 
Drawing 1982 in two parts  
Pencil, charcoal, pastel, wax crayon, enamel paint, aerial photograph and fabric sample  
15 x 96″ and 42 x 96″ (38 x 244 cm and 106.6 x 244 cm)  
Photo: Wolfgang Volz  
© 1982 Christo  
Ref. # 36 
Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Surrounded Islands, Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami, Florida, 1980-83
Photo: Wolfgang Volz
© 1983 Christo 

The Umbrellas

In 1991, brilliant blue and canary yellow fabric umbrellas popped up in a valley in Japan and a valley in California, reflecting on the similarities and differences of two cultures. The installation, called The Umbrellas,  consisted of 3,100 umbrellas, each 19’ 8” tall and 28’ 5” in diameter, was on view in each country, simultaneously, for 28 days before being disassembled and recycled.

Christo  
The Umbrellas (Project for Japan and Western USA) 
Collage 1987 in two parts  
Pencil, charcoal, wax crayon, pastel, fabric and map  
12 x 30 1/2″ and 26 1/4 x 30 1/2″ (30.5 x 77.5 cm and 66.7 x 77.5 cm)  
Photo: Wolfgang Volz  
© 1987 Christo  
Ref. # 25
 
Christo and Jeanne-Claude  
The Umbrellas, Japan-USA, 1984-91 
Photo: Wolfgang Volz  
© 1991 Christo 
Christo  
The Umbrellas (Joint Project for Japan and USA) 
Collage 1988 in two parts  
Pencil, fabric, charcoal, pastel, wax crayon, enamel paint and topographic map  
26 1/4 x 30 1/2″ and 26 1/4 x 12″ (66.7 x 77.5 cm and 66.7 x 30.5 cm)  
Photo: Christian Baur  
© 1988 Christo  
Ref. # 104 
Christo and Jeanne-Claude  
The Umbrellas, Japan-USA, 1984-91 
Photo: Wolfgang Volz  
© 1991 Christo 

The Floating Piers

From June 18 to July 3, 2016 thousands of people walked on the waters of Italy’s Lake Iseo. The Floating Piers, Christo’s most recent installation, consisted of 220,000 interlocking, polyethylene cubes covered in 100,000 square miles of shimmering yellow fabric.

Christo  
The Floating Piers (Project for Lake Iseo, Italy) 
Drawing 2015 in two parts  
Pencil, charcoal, wax crayon, pastel, enamel paint, topographic map, cut-out photographs by Wolfgang Volz and fabric sample  
15 x 96″ and 42 x 96″ (38 x 244 cm and 106.6 x 244 cm)  
Photo: André Grossmann  
© 2015 Christo  
Ref. # 6-2015 

Works in Progress

Christo’s current works in progress are The Mastaba, the only permanent installation ever designed by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, and L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, the latter of which is set to begin installation in Paris in 2021. According to a statement made by his office, “Christo and Jeanne-Claude have always made clear that their artworks in progress be continued after their deaths. Per Christo’s wishes, ‘L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped’ in Paris, France, is still on track for September 18 – October 3, 2021.” However it made no mention of a timeline for The Mastaba. 

Christo  
The Mastaba (Project for United Arab Emirates) 
Drawing 2009 in two parts  
Pencil, charcoal, wax crayon, pastel, technical data and map  
15 x 65″ and 42 x 65″ (38 x 165 cm and 106.6 x 165 cm)  
Photo: Wolfgang Volz  
© 2009 Christo  
Ref. # 5-2009 
Christo  
L’Arc de Triumph, Wrapped (Project for Paris) 
Collage 2018  
Pencil, wax crayon and aerial photograph on paper  
14 3/4 x 10 3/8″ (37.5 x 26.4 cm)  
Photo: André Grossmann  
© 2018 Christo  

“Christo lived his life to the fullest,” the statement went on to say, “not only dreaming up what seemed impossible but realizing it. Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s artwork brought people together in shared experiences across the globe, and their work lives on in our hearts and memories.”

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Christo, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Environmental Art, Installation Art

Creating & Keeping a Perpetual Journal

Written & photographed by Saraya Cheney, Assistant Director – Programs & Marketing

Before the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, many of us have already decided on our resolutions for the upcoming year. For 2020, I decided that I wanted to spend more time noticing the small shifts in the natural world, taking things in at a slower pace and try to create something, anything, at least once a week. While scrolling through my Instagram feed, I saw a post from one of my favorite Virginia artists, suggesting that the start of the year was a great time to begin a “perpetual journal”. I’d seen her post about these journals in the past, was mildly intrigued, but never really looked into it any further. After reading her lengthy post, I realized that this style of journaling ticked off all of my “resolution boxes” while leaving a lot of room for my own creativity and need for flexibility. I didn’t know at the time that this journal would become a meditative practice and provide connection to a wider online community during the time of COVID-19.


Entry in my Perpetual Journal from the week of May 21st – 27th: Love-In-A-Mist flower that is blooming in my garden and a Five-Lined Skink I saw sunning itself on the porch. Done in pen & ink.

What is a Perpetual Journal?

A perpetual journal, in very basic terms, is a type of journal that goes on until all of the pages are filled.

How is this type of Perpetual Journal different?

This style of journal was conceived of by botanical artist, Lara Call Gastinger and involves documenting the natural world, through all seasons and over many years, in whichever medium feels best to you.

Entries in my Perpetual Journal from the week of April 23 – 29, 2020: Lyreleaf Sage and blueberries on the bush. Done in pen & ink.

How to set up a Perpetual Journal:

STEP ONE

Buy, or make, a blank journal. It should be small enough for you to be able to carry it with you. I personally enjoy square shaped journals and am loyal to a particular brand that makes beautiful 5″ x 5″ hardbound sketchbooks. Whatever size feels comfortable enough for you to carry along will make this practice all the more successful.

STEP TWO

Break the journal down into 52 spreads (from January 1-7 through December 24-31) so that each two-page spread corresponds to one week. For example: January 1-7 would take up two pages, then January 8-14 would take up the next two pages and so on.

*You can start with the calendar year, but there’s no perfect time to start! Here are some other suggestions on when to start your journal: First Day of Summer (June 20th), an anniversary or your birthday

Entries in my Perpetual Journal from the week of May 7 – 13, 2020: Strawberry bloom from the garden, a frond from an unidentified shrub and a wild strawberry. Done in pen & ink.

STEP THREE

Draw, paint or write a nature observation. Be sure to include the year! I’ve decided to create my entire journal in pen & ink because that is the medium I work in the most but you can work in whatever medium you’d like, even mixing media. Just make sure that your journal is suitable for the medium you choose.

STEP FOUR

Return each year to add more observations until your journal is full!


Entry in my Perpetual Journal from April 2 – 8, 2020: Bluebird feather and Miller Moth. Done in pen & ink.

There are no hard and fast rules dictating what should be included in your perpetual journal once you’ve set it up. A spread will have observations from multiple years. Weeks, or months, may be “missed” when life gets hectic. You can spend minutes or hours on your entries, it’s entirely up to you. This is for your observation, enjoyment, connection and growth!

If you are on social media, and would like to connect with others who participate in sharing their perpetual journals online, use the hashtag #lgperpetual journal. There is a large community of incredibly friendly artists and observers who enjoy the natural world and connecting with one another virtually!

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: botanical art, Drawing ideas, Drawing projects, journaling, mixed media, nature journal, perpetual journal

6 Mysteries From Art History

Ghostly women, potential murder plots, and hidden images… we’ve chosen six of the most mysterious works from art history for you to explore!

Young Hare, Albrecht Dürer

Young Hare, Albrecht Dürer, Watercolor, 9.9″ x 8.9″, Albertina, Vienna, Austria

Albrecht Dürer was a 16th Century “Jack-of-All-Trades” and master of many. Skilled in painting, various forms of printmaking, and drawing, Dürer created a number of technically challenging works that boggle the minds of contemporary art critics even today. Dürer created his works in a time of much political and religious turmoil, Martin Luther’s 95 Theses sparked a reformation and Suleiman the Magnificent was on Europe’s doorstep. Yet, Dürer’s works exude a beautiful stillness, or otherworldliness, while still speaking to the historical context of the time.

His painting, Young Hare, completed in 1502 is one of his most beloved works. It has been much discussed due to its simplicity, subject and one detail that many even fail to notice, until pointed out…the mysterious details hidden in the hare’s right eye. Are those white brush strokes the artist’s studio windows as so many suggest? And what of the darker figure just to the right of the white strokes?

Detail of Young Hare

If you enjoyed Albrecht Dürer’s Young Hare, and are curious about other works, you might enjoy this article.


La Primavera, Sandro Botticelli

La Primavera, Sandro Botticelli, Tempera on Wooden Panel, 80″ x 124″, Uffizi Gallery

Painted around 1480, Sandro Botticelli’s La Primavera (Spring) is his second most popular piece, after Birth of Venus, which he would create a few years later. While La Primavera‘s origin story is murky, it was believed to have been commissioned by Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de’ Medici, a member of one of Florence, Italy’s wealthiest families, as a wedding gift for his wife.

The work centers around Venus, beneath a blind-folded Cupid. To the far left, Mercury uses his caduceus to disperse gathering clouds while the Three Graces dance to his right. On the Far right, Zephyr uses his breath to transform Chloris into Flora, bringing about the birth of spring. The lush scene conjured by Botticelli’s brush is adorned by *”at least 138 identified”, and accurately portrayed, plant species. Though art historians have been able to identify many of the mythological figures represented in the piece, the true meaning behind the painting remains a mystery.

*According to Le Gallerie Degli Uffizi in Florence, Italy, where the work is on permanent display

Detail of the flowers from La Primavera

If you enjoyed the painting, you might enjoy visiting the Gallery Degli Uffizi website to experience their “Factories of Stories” series based on La Primavera. These fictional pieces allow you to experience the work in a whole new way.


Arnolfini Portrait, Jan van Eyck

Arnolfini Portrait, Jan van Eyck, Oil on Oak Panel, 32.4″ x 23.6″, National Gallery, London

The Arnolfini Portrait, painted by Flemish artist Jan van Eyck in 1434, is another painting rich in symbolism and detail but where the intended meaning is a mystery. At first glance, it appears to be a fairly straightforward depiction of a wealthy husband and his expectant wife. Upon closer inspection, we are left with more questions than answers as we soon find that what we thought to be an expectant wife is a woman holding a heavily-draped dress. Is this painting merely a display of family wealth? A portrait to mark the occasion of entering into a marriage contract? Or something more?

While much of the symbolism in this portrait can be compared to other common symbols used in art at the time, such as the oranges for fertility and the rosary beads for piety, we are left to wonder how they all fit together. However, even if we know the common symbolism of the day, interpretations will remain mysteries without written records. Here’s one art history major, turned comedian’s take on the portrait.

Left: Detail of rosary and mirror in which two other figures entering the room can be seen. Scenes of The Passion of Christ surround the mirror.
Right: Detail of oranges

For a crash-course on the Arnolfini Portrait, watch this video. For a lengthier lecture (1+ hour) on the piece, watch this video.


 Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selve aka “The Ambassadors”, Hans Holbein the Younger

 Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selve aka “The Ambassadors”, Hans Holbein the Younger, Oil on Oak, 81″ x 82.5″, National Gallery, London

The Ambassadors was painted in 1533, amidst the tumultuous political landscape of Henry VIII’s England. Hans Holbein the Younger’s works earned him a place in the controversial Tudor King’s court around 1535, as he would complete the famous Portrait of Henry VIII in 1536 or 1537.

While The Ambassadors is another painting rich with religious and political symbolism, the most mysterious portion of the painting is the cream-colored “smudge” that sits in the center of the lower portion of the panel. At first glance, it appears to be a mistake but when looked at from an acute angle, this “smudge” becomes a fully-formed human skull. Known as anamorphic art, this technique was not unknown at the time but it was not widely incorporated either. Many art historians have commented on Holbein’s intended meaning, most settling on the idea that it serves as a memento mori, a constant reminder that we all grapple with the fragility of our own humanity.

Find out what the National Gallery in London has to share about The Ambassadors here.


The Night Watch, Rembrandt van Rijn

Militia Company of District II Under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq aka The Shooting Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch commonly referred to as “The Night Watch“, Rembrandt van Rijn, Oil on Canvas, 11′ 11″ x 14′ 4”, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Arguably one of the most famous paintings in the world, Rembrandt’s Dutch Golden Age masterpiece, commonly referred to as “The Night Watch”, was completed in 1642. Rembrandt was well-known when he was alive, regarded as one of Holland’s greatest artists, and was at the height of his career when he was commissioned to paint “The Night Watch”, yet, he died penniless in 1669, and was buried in an unmarked grave. Is it possible that this piece unveiled a murder plot that lead to Rembrandt’s downfall?

Detail of Rembrandt peeking over a guard’s shoulder

The Old Guitarist, Pablo Picasso

The Old Guitarist, Pablo Picasso, Oil on Panel, 48.4″ x 32.5″, The Art Institute of Chicago

Completed during Pablo Picasso’s “Blue Period”, The Old Guitarist is one of his most popular works from that period. While the meaning behind the work itself is not much of a mystery, what physically lays behind the painting was until the Art Institute of Chicago took x-rays and performed technical examinations of the piece. What prompted the examination? The visible outline of a “ghostly woman” found just above the neck of the Guitarist. It wasn’t unusual for artists, especially Picasso, to reuse the canvases of failed paintings but what was it about the woman that made him want to change his subject? Why didn’t he, or couldn’t he, remove her completely? Who was she? Again, we’re left with more questions than answers.

If you look closely, you can see the woman’s face just above the Guitarist’s ear.
X-Ray examinations from the Art Institute of Chicago revealed several figures in the underpainting of Picasso’s Old Guitarist, including another woman and child and two bulls.

To explore more of Picasso’s Blue Period and The Old Guitarist you can read this article.


If you enjoyed this post you might like to explore more odd details hidden inside of famous paintings in this article by the BBC.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Art History, Botticelli, Dürer, Holbein, Picasso, Rembrandt, van Eyck

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❤ Valentine's Day is tomorrow...How do you plan ❤ Valentine's Day is tomorrow...How do you plan to show your love?! Here are two more ways to say "I Love You" with gifts created by our gallery artists:

Ceramic Sunflower Plate created by Stacey Posner ($40)

Lampwork Glass and Sterling Silver Necklace by Grace Llewellyn Designs ($325)

Whether it's a grand gesture or a small token, let your loved ones know you care. One can never say "I Love You" enough. Happy Valentine's Day!

Shop the full "14 Ways to Say I Love You" Collection at the link in our bio.
❤ Three days to go...Say "I Love You" with this ❤ Three days to go...Say "I Love You" with this artfully crafted Rising Heart sculpture ($300) by Patrick Andrews. This piece is currently on display as part of our Metal + Glass - Shaped by Fire exhibit, open through February 27th.

To purchase this piece, or others in our curated "14 Ways to Say I Love You" Valentine's Day Collection, follow the link in our bio.
❤ 4 days...Say "I Love You" with a different kin ❤ 4 days...Say "I Love You" with a different kind of "rock"...we think this Stone-Meld Crystal Sculpture ($250) by Bill Casto is particularly striking!

To purchase this piece, or others from our curated "14 Ways to Say I Love You" Valentine's Day Collection, follow this link or the one in our profile: https://gloucesterarts.org/product/stone-meld-crystal-sculpture/
UPDATE: CANCELLED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER Join us UPDATE: CANCELLED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER Join us this Friday, from 9am - Noon, for Open Studio as we work with a live model! Artists/students working in any medium are welcome and an $8 fee will be collected from each attendee to cover the model's sitting fees.
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