Yellow Butterfly by Donalee Nelson
Collage
Most of us are familiar with
collage as an art-form. After all it’s been around for thousands of years.
Artists Braque and Picasso began making collages at the turn of the twentieth
century and generated a resurgence so collage became more popular. In the
course of assembling disparate elements to make a singular piece of artwork
Picasso and Braque experimented with abstraction through the use of collage. In
the fifties and sixties Robert Rauschenberg took the art form to a new level
with his assemblages that incorporated new and different elements. I have
always loved making collages and enjoy using fabric, old magazines and
newspapers as well as interesting papers. The collage above is an example of
one of my favorite forms as it incorporates torn bits of paper, glue, paint and
gel medium to give the work a glow that is reminiscent of stained glass.
Highlights
The Bowers Museum in Santa Ana,
California is hosting Popol Vuh: The
Watercolors of Diego Rivera through May 29, 2016. The well-known
Mexican muralist did a series of watercolors in 1931 to illustrate the sacred
history of the Quiche-Mayan people. This
is the first time the 17 paintings have been shown in the United States. What a
special treat! No one will want to miss this so go to www.bowers.org for all the pertinent information.
Where
you can see my artwork
My artwork
is available at Rons. For
further information call the shop at 805.489.4747. Rons
is located at 850 W. Grand in Grover Beach a few blocks from the train station,
a golf course and the beautiful Pacific Ocean. For more information go to Rons website at www.ronsingroverbeach.com or find
him on facebook.
Not To
Be Missed –Museum Exhibits
An interesting exhibit is open
at the Norton Simon in Pasadena and ends the first week of January. A Revolution of the Palette: The First
Synthetic Blues and their Impact on French Artists runs through January
4. With the discovery of different blue paint colors, specifically Prussian
Blue, artists had a new palette to work with and this changed en plein air
painting enormously. On view are works by such artists as Corot and Caillebotte
to help illustrate this revolution. Continuing on until February 15 is Indoor/Outdoor: Vuillard’s “Landscapes
and Interiors”. The artist had an interest in pattern. The museum owns 2
large paintings and a complete set 14 lithographs done in the manner of
Japanese block prints. .More information is available at www.nortonsimon.org so be sure to take a
look.
The Armand Hammer Foundation has loaned some amazing
Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings to the Santa Barbara Museum of
Art for an ongoing exhibit. Degas to
Chagall: Important Loans from the Armand Hammer Foundation supplements
the museum’s already wonderful collection of these works. Artists also included
in this exhibit are Bonnard, Corot, Renoir, Pissaro and Morisot. Check on line
at www.sbmuseart.org/ for more details.
Between Life and Death: Robert
Motherwell’s Elegies in Bay Area Collections is at San Francisco’s de Young through March 6, 2016. Motherwell was one of
the pioneers of abstract expressionism and he produced over 250 works for his
seminal series Elegies to the Spanish
Republic, 13 of which are shown in this exhibit. The museum’s website, www.deyoung.famsf.org
will have all pertinent information. The de Young prides itself in making its
exhibits accessible and has instituted a plan for people who are unable to come
to the museum whether for medical reasons, distance or finances. They have two
robots that will take visitors on a tour via the internet. Rebecca Bradley is
the Accessibility Curator. You can email her office at access@famsf.org if this great idea is of
interest.
Intimate Impressionism from the
National Gallery of Art is about to end. It runs through January 10 at the Seattle Art
Museum. This beautiful exhibit features works by Renoir, Manet, Monet, Cezanne,
Bonnard and Degas so catch it if you can. Go to www.seattleartmuseum.org
to obtain more information.
Coming up at the Clyfford Still Museum in Denver,
Colorado, is Spotlight I: Newly Discovered
Early Works. This small exhibit which runs from January 15 – May 15,
2016 is the first in a series to examine the artist’s early works. This exhibit
focuses on two of his earliest, one dating from 1920. Both shed light on the
evolution of his style. Check out www.clyffordstillmuseum.org for all the
details.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art opens a new exhibit on
February 24. Reflecting Class in the Age
of Rembrandt and Vermeer runs through May 29, 2016. This exhibit of 17th
Century paintings highlights the differences between various socio-economic
groups. The museum’s website at www.nelson-atkins.org will
provide more information.
Two exhibits featuring Van Gogh open in February at The Chicago
Arts Institute. Van Gogh’s Bedrooms
premiers February 14, 2016 and ends May 10, 2016. The artist painted three
versions of his bedroom in Arles and they are presented together for the first
time in North America. All versions are uniquely distinct. Van Gogh was well
into his twenties when he decided to become an artist and had already lived in
16 cities and had gone through 5 professions unsuccessfully. As a companion
exhibit Van Gogh: In Search Of
opens a couple of days later and travels through photographs to the many cities
and places he went to during his career as an artist. He never found the
permanent home he sought and remained a wanderer until his death. More details
are at www.artic.edu for this fascinating
exhibit.
The Detroit Institute of Art
is currently featuring 30 Americans. The exhibit, which
runs through January 18, 2016, is comprised of the works of contemporary art by
African-American Artists. It is a dynamic showcase. If you are planning to be in
town then be sure to check www.dia.org for all
the information.
Opening on February 6, 2016, Frank Stella Prints : A Retrospective
will be at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. The exhibit follows his over
fifty year career as a printmaker and features over 100 prints by the artist.
To get more information on the show which ends May 15, 2016, go to www.mmoca.org where you will also find information
on the revised and expanded second edition of The Prints of Frank Stella : A Catalogue Raisonne, 1967 – 1982.
Your last chance to see Elaine de Kooning: Portraits, is
coming up shortly. Its current run at the National Portrait Gallery in
Washington D.C. ends January 10, 2016. The artist is known for her portraits of
men, just as her husband, Willem, was known for his paintings of women. Both
were part of the abstract expressionist movement. Her portraits include such
diverse subjects as President Kennedy, Allen Ginsberg and Merc Cunningham. She
sought to capture that specific feature or persona that made the person
instantly recognizable. A sample of these images at www.nationalportraitgallery.org
will give you a taste of her work.
The Metropolitan Museum
received an exciting gift of 57 works by contemporary African-American artists from the South. The donation consists of 20
quilts, 10 pieces by Thornton Dial and includes paintings, drawings and works
of mixed media by Lonnie Holley, Nellie Mae Rowe and others. An exhibit is
planned for 2016. Check out www.metmuseum.org
for more information.
Picasso Sculpture is currently at the Museum of
Modern Art until February 7, 2016. The exhibit concentrates on his three
dimensional work. Unlike painting in which he was thoroughly trained, sculpture
was more personal to him and it was in this medium that he freely experimented
not only with form but with material. Picasso was self-taught as a sculptor and
he kept many of his creations for himself. MoMA’s website at www.moma.org will fill you in.
On July 1 the Guggenheim Museum
in New York reopened its Kandinsky
gallery. The gallery traces the artist from his early beginnings in
Munich to his return to his native Moscow, through his Bauhaus period and
finally to Paris. Check out www.guggenheimmuseum.org for more information as the
exhibit goes through Spring.
The New Whitney opened in the
Spring of last year. Frank Stella: A Retrospective
opened in October 2015 and is up through February 7, 2016. The show features
approximately 120 works covering the career of one of the most important
contemporary artists of our time from the ‘50s through his current works. Can’t
wait for the Stuart Davis exhibit, In
Full Swing, to open in June. Check www.whitney.org
for all the details.
The Museum of Fine Arts Boston
will host Visiting Masterpieces:
Pairing Picasso which opens February 13 and will run through June 26, 2016. The
exhibit includes paintings and sculptures on loan from private collectors and
other museums and looks at his exploration of form at different stages in his
career. The museum’s website, www.mfa.org
will provide more information.
Alexander Calder : Performing Sculpture runs
through April 3, 2016 at the Tate Modern in London. Marcel Duchamp coined the
term mobile to describe Calder’s kinetic sculpture. It is said that Calder
added the fourth dimension to sculpture by adding movement and this exhibit
which brings Calder’s works together from around the world showcases the
artist’s collaborative projects in film, theatre, music and dance. This is a
special and amazing exhibit! You can make plans by going to www.tate.org.uk
for more information.
Simply
the Best:
The best place to find books on
the arts, Arcana, is a very
special book store located in the Helms Bakery complex in Los Angeles…its wonderful!
I have known owner Lee Kaplan for decades and his selection of books is as superb
as his taste is impeccable. Arcana: Books
on the Arts is at 8675 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232.
For information go to http://www.arcanabooks.com or call 310.458.1499.
Michiko Jewelry Design is an
incredible jewelry store in downtown Seal Beach, CA, featuring excellent one-of-a-kind
gifts. The shop owner and artist, Carol Matsumoto, custom designs beautiful
pieces. Michiko is at 228
Main Street. Call 563.431.3237 for more information or check www.michikojewelrydesign.com
Places
to go, People to meet
The 14th Annual Cambria Art and Wine Festival takes
place over the long weekend of January 29-31. The opening event on Friday night
is “Art, Wine and All That Jazz” and is the kickoff party for a weekend of
shopping, eating and wine tasting. The charming village of Cambria hosts over
forty wineries, local artists and some amazing restaurants in this annual
event. Sunday is reserved for the Artist Faire. Besides live music, artists
demonstrations and silent auctions, the town is just south of Hearst Castle and
the coast is home to Elephant Seals so there is something for everyone. Be sure
to go to www.cambriaartwine.org for
information and to get tickets early for this popular event
The Art
of Living Well
I recently read a quote made by Henri Matisse that
went something like the following…never
ruin a good painting with the truth. Have a truly beautiful and creative New Year and practice the art of living
well.
Hearts and Flowers by Donalee Nelson
Take care and Happy Valentine’s Day!
