A New Medium

"Pineapple" by Drina Fried

It's always good to be trying new things. This post subject comes courtesy of HAA artist Drina Fried.

Last Sunday, February 22, Debra MacDonald, National Marketing and Sales Manager of Chroma, gave a demonstration of interactive acrylics to a packed house (literally) in HAA artist Sharon Menary's studio. The workshop was free and artists turned out in numbers.

Historically, oils take an eternity to dry but can be blended to perfection. Acrylics are tough to blend but dry in an instant, sometimes too quickly. Interactive acrylics intend to give you the best of both worlds. They mimic the look of oil paint. Their finish is smooth and non-plastic. They provide the artist flexibility to blend and re-blend, while maintaining the faster drying nature of acrylic paint. 

To learn more about this product and others, visit this direct link: Atelier Interactive / Products / Chroma

Chroma is an international manufacturer and supplier of artists' oil paints and mediums, artist's acrylic paints and mediums, artists' hyper gouache, educational acrylic paints, art students' acrylic paints and paints, and mediums for decorative art.

They have offices in the UK, the US, and Australia. You can find out more or stock up at their website: www.chromaonline.com

Perception vs. Reality

I spend my days dealing with, shaping, and influencing these two things—for brands, for organizations, for myself. You have the way things are and the way things appear to be. There's what people think. Then there's what we'd like them to think. There's what people see. Then there's what we want them to see. Simple. Right? Hope everybody's still with me.

Well, when it comes to art, especially art right here in the Las Vegas Valley, especially, especially in Henderson, there's no greater need for clarification. And more than simply defining things clearly, it seems there is a need to push ourselves perhaps to and beyond the point of being challenged; maybe even to the point of being a little (or a lot) uncomfortable.

Normally, I'm totally onboard with the articles I see being written about the local art scene, its growth, resurgence, proliferation, or complete lack thereof. Today I read an article, however, that got me going in a completely different way. Initially, I took offense. The first three paragraphs were unflattering and mildly condescending in their tone, suggesting that the subject matter portrayed in many pieces rendered locally is flimsy, shallow, and less-than-fit for inspired conversation. There was a subtle allusion to the work being superficial and elementary.

Then, somehow the article redeemed itself by not being totally unflattering. It seemed almost pitifully empathetic to the plight of the local artist. In the end, I didn't get upset because, while I may have said it differently, much of what was being said is exactly right.

The perception within local art organizations is one thing. That of the public on the outside looking in is altogether different, much like what a painter intends when painting is often a far cry from what passes through the mind of the viewer. The perception of our art community is that it is small, quaint, safe, and trailing edge. The reality of it is, in many ways, pretty close to the perception. But it can be changed and it will.

I took these allegations personally and to heart. My instinct was to come to the immediate defense of all of my fellow artists, for whom I take time out to write, applaud, and support here.

The reality is, there is an overwhelming amount of artistic talent between us but often it is not promoted, displayed, or showcased properly. Or, in an effort to represent each of us fairly, we represent all of us unjustly. But, honestly, to the author's credit, I wholeheartedly agree that more of the same is not going to get us the results we need to see, now or even when there's a drastic economic turnaround.

So, after suppressing my initial wave of outrage, I could appreciate the article for its candor and the unintentional back-handed methodology within it that lit a spark within me. I know the author's intentions were as good as my own and she is in fact much more advocate or ally of the art community than she is adversary. Please click on the link and read it in its entirety.

Juried fine art show includes work from local art groups - Las Vegas Sun

Also, know that new positions have been created on the HAA board and old ones have been filled by other standing board members and even a few new ones. There will be a General Meeting on the 22nd of March to discuss the state of the local art scene and the role we play within it. Within the next few days, I will proudly post and announce the names of winners from the juried City Lights show at the Liberace Museum and congratulate all who participated and went home with honors.

Art may not be flying off the shelves or walls, as it were, right now but someday it will again. While it's relatively quiet, let's take stock and collectively work on our perception to create a more beautiful and bountiful reality.

Plaza Gallery Hosts February Third Thursday Reception

This Thursday, February 19th, is Third Thursday in Henderson. In true fashion, Gary and Susanne Reese, owners of Plaza Gallery, invite you all to an opening reception featuring The Art of Sonya Young. Three pieces, "Westbound," "Heart Song," and "Sea Goddess," shown above.

Artist Sonya Young welcomes you to view her work at the opening of her solo exhibition. Her watercolors are described by some as "reminiscent of Orphism artist Sonia Delaunay, mixing complementary colors with designs bridging cubism and abstract expressionism."

The reception will take place from 5:00 pm till 9:00 and Sonya's work will be on exhibit through March 15th. Plaza Gallery is located at 223 S. Water St., Suite B in Henderson, NV, across from the Events Plaza downtown.

See more of Sonya's work at her site: artbysonyayoung.com

See more from Plaza Gallery at theirs: plazagallery.net

HAA Artist Charme Curtin's Exhibit Makes LV Sun

Charme Curtin's show, "Art: The Song in Your Heart," went on display this week at the Henderson Multigenerational Center Gallery and will remain in place until March 13th.

There will be a reception at 7:00 pm on February 18th, open to the public.

Her inspiration? Cowboys, the West, and her love of both. According to an article in Thursday's Las Vegas Sun, it was art and her children that originally drew her to Henderson four years ago. Meet her and learn more firsthand at Wednesday night's reception.

The Henderson Multigenerational Center is located at 250 S. Green Valley Parkway.

Check out her show there and see more of Charme's work here: My Work - Work by Charme'

To read the entire article from the Sun, click here: Western artist drawn to Henderson - Las Vegas Sun

Watercolor Workshops. Current, Upcoming, and Ongoing.

Stephen Quiller's "Pulsating Night Sky"

Joan McKasson's "In the Country"

Bill Fravel's "Mahalo Kaui"

This week, renowned watercolor artist Stephen Quiller of Creede, Colorado is giving a week long workshop, courtesy of the Nevada Watercolor Society.

Please don't get upset because you're just now hearing about it and it's already underway. By the time the news got to us, the course was already full. That's good news for everyone but the latecomers.

But there's more good news. NVWS will be sponsoring another watercolor workshop featuring renowned artist Joan McKasson. This one won't be taking place until early September, so you've got plenty of time to sign up and get your brushes ready.

If you're interested in the Joan McKasson workshop, it will be taking place from Thursday, September 10th through Sunday, September 13th. The cost for enrollment is $200 for NVWS members and $225 for non-members. Payment may be made in the form of a check made out and sent to Nevada Watercolor Society, PO Box 27224, Las Vegas, NV 89126.

The workshop will be held at the Spanish Oaks Clubhouse on Sahara, near Palace Station, and HAA Events Coordinator Sharon Menary is the point of contact. Email her here: sharonmenary@yahoo.com

Lastly, highly-decorated and newly transplanted watercolor artist Bill Fravel will be teaching classes at Henderson's Desert Art Supply on Thursday mornings, starting on February 19th. Classes will run from 10:00 am until 12:00 pm or, as some like to call it, noon.

This particular Desert Art Supply is located at 2750 Green Valley Parkway and Sunset in Henderson. There is a materials list most of whose contents can be purchased at either of the two Desert Art Supply locations (Charleston Ave and Eastern or Green Valley and Sunset). For this list and additional information, email the artist at billfravel@aol.com

Each of these talented artist/instructor's work may be viewed at their sites, respectively, listed below.

Stephen Quiller: quillergallery.com

Joan McKasson: joanmckasson.com

Bill Fravel: billfravel.com

Sold!!!

"No Deposit, No Return" by Sharon Menary.

"Dance 'till Dawn" by Sharon Menary.

Menary in a recent photo taken by fellow HAA artist and photographer Nicky Watts.

In troubling economic times, people still have an appreciation for the finer things. Want proof? HAA artist Sharon Menary's painting "No Deposit, No Return" recently sold after hanging for only one day at Henderson City Hall.

In her recent Life's Journey of the Traveling Artists solo exhibition at the Henderson Multigenerational Center, a second painting "Dance 'till Dawn" had been eyed by a past client. She'd noted, if the piece hadn't sold by the time the exhibition was over, she would buy it. Recently Sharon received an email acknowledging the purchase.

Congratulations, Sharon. If you're selling work and you're an active HAA member, let us know and we'll make some noise about it.

The Art of Collaboration

What does a European-style bakery have to do with a blog page dedicated to creativity? Nothing. At least at first glance that's how it may appear. Upon closer inspection you'll find there are actually quite a few similarities.

First, this site is about art. Baking in and of itself is an art. Criterion number one satisfied, and Chef Flemming (hands and treats featured above) takes it to the next level.

Second, the wife of the esteemed pastry chef was at one time a successful mural artist who used to have her own local business. Then the economy tanked and, it would seem, their bakery business was established as much out of necessity as desire. Still, she has a fundamental understanding and appreciation of what it takes to be an artist and a commercial artist, no less. 

Third, Chef Flemming's Bake Shop is one of several businesses in the downtown Henderson, NV area doing all that they can to survive the tough economy. This is territory all too familiar to artists in Henderson and, likely, artists everywhere.

So, in the spirit of there being strength in numbers and applying the logic that trying to build a community is a lot easier together than it is working separately or alone, I am compelled to not talk about painting, photography, watercolors, silkscreening, lithography, or pen and ink in this post and, instead, invite everyone who enjoys sweets and lives nearby to do your part to support local business. In between creating something beautiful and figuring out a way to sell it or make yourself more marketable, consider heading over to the bake shop and buying a treat.

Why should you? Why should any of us? The answer is simple. In a normal economy, artists may starve. In the current economy, if Henderson starves, Henderson artists will definitely starve. One local business doing really well will do a lot more for a community than a whole lot of businesses doing really poorly, even if we're strictly talking morale. And, of course, the goal is to have as many local businesses as possible generating revenue, staying in the black, and keeping their doors open.

One by one, gallery by gallery, show by show, shoot by shoot, stroke by stroke, article by article, each of us is doing what we can to keep this community alive. More than that, we're actually trying to help it flourish even as every imaginable economic indicator would have us believe growth at times like these is simply an impossibility.

Let's stay positive and continue to help out and do right by one another. It's the only way.

Chef Flemming's Bake Shop is located at 7 Water Street in downtown Henderson. To revisit an earlier post about the bakery, click on this link: Creative Henderson: Starving Artists, Starve No More.

To read the article in the Las Vegas Sun featuring Chef Flemming's Bake Shop and a second Water Street District business that inspired this post, click on this one: New Water Street businesses hope to weather economic tides - Las Vegas Sun

Cosmetics Go Creative.

Photos by Nicky Watts. Pictured (from top to bottom): Tania Salazar, Delight Schwartz, Ashley Valley, and Sharon Menary.

On the right, here, HAA member and photographer Nicky Watts.

On Tuesday evening, January 27th, HAA members Nicky Watts and Sharon Menary participated in a fantastic Valentine's Day photo shoot for Mary Kay Cosmetics clients, new and old.

Nicky served as photographer and Sharon was one of the many cleansed, moisturized, made over, and photgraphed that evening. Mary Kay Cosmetics consultant Karen Bindner and a few fellow consultants were the hosts of the event.

The collaboration and the evening on the whole were an overwhelming success. According to Watts, the photos turned out beautifully and she attributes this to the fact that she had great talent to work with behind the scenes and in front of the camera. All of the women who participated "truly are gorgeous and they made [her] job easy."

Above are several of the finished head shots and a couple of images detailing the night's events.

The event and shoot took place at Findlay Cadillac in Henderson.

See more photos from the evening and read a more detailed synopsis on Nicky Watts' blog page: The Adventure of Nicky Watts

New Exhibit at Henderson City Hall

A new collection of work from Henderson Art Association artists is now hanging at Henderson City Hall.

Work was submitted and installed on Thursday, January 29th and will remain up for viewing and for sale through the summer.

City Hall is located at 240 Water Street in downtown Henderson, NV. Be sure to check it out.

Pictured above with their work: Andrew Maioli, Sharon Menary, Dotty Fenner, Nicky Watts, and Yoko Konopik.

For inquiries about membership to the HAA, visit the membership page here: www.artistsinhenderson.com/membership.htm

Who Made the Blog Today? Colin Pringle

Born in Port Huron, Michigan, HAA member and artist Colin Pringle creates images that speak easily for themselves. But the man himself has a few things to say about his work.

"Art is the sum total of accumulated knowledge of man as expressed in any audio, visual, or physical form. I have devoted a lifetime to the pursuit of beauty—not just natural beauty, but those things generally considered not beautiful. Whether I have succeeded, I leave to the judgment of history and mankind. All I know is that I would consider myself to have succeeded if my epitaph were to read 'He saw beauty, kindness, and sensitivity in all things.'"

Colin has pursued his craft at over a half dozen renowned colleges, universities, and art institutes, including Art Center School in Los Angeles, California Institute of Fine Arts in San Fernando, and the University of Heidelburg in Heidelburg, Germany.
He has shown work in countless solo exhibitions and several pieces of his are held in an impressive set of private collections, including those of Kevin Costner, Marilyn Monroe, Liberace, President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy, President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan, and the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

See more of Colin Pringle's work here: PaintingsDirect Presents Colin Pringle

Calling All Artists. Upcoming City Light's Gallery Show at the Liberace Museum. Submit Your Work.

The Liberace Museum (a local favorite) is hosting yet another show to support the ever-emerging Henderson art community. Recently, the museum's cast members and volunteers have been kind enough to open their doors to the Henderson Art Association and Nevada Watercolor Society.

This time, it's City Lights Gallery whose first juried fine art show will be hosted in the coveted and sparkling Liberace Museum Showroom.

A formal call for entries has been put out to artists from the Henderson Art Association, Boulder City Art Guild, Nevada Watercolor Society, and Vegas Artists Guild. If you are interested in participating, please bring your work to the Liberace Museum on February 16th, between the hours of 10:00 am and 12:00 noon. Please be prompt and respect the schedules of others. Time is our most precious commodity.

Artists may submit up to three pieces. The first entry costs fifteen dollars. Ten dollars for each entry after that, again, up to three. Fees will go toward City Lights Gallery's planned $1200 renovation.

There will be a free reception open to the public in the Liberace Museum Showroom from 6:00 to 8:00 pm on February 17th, although donations are kindly accepted. The reception includes a partial tour of the museum. Pianist Dehner Franks will be tickling the Liberace grand piano ivories and there will be a ribbon ceremony for winners in two categories (photography and painting, which includes mixed media) at 7:00 pm that evening. The show will remain hanging until February 27th.

City Lights is a non-profit gallery located at 3 Army Street in downtown Henderson. Visit their website at www.citylightsart.com.

The Liberace Museum is located at 1775 E. Tropicana Ave in Las Vegas. Visit their website at www.liberace.org.

Visit this link directly on the museum's site to see other wonderful upcoming events in addition to this one: www.liberace.org/liberace_events.

Lastly, read the recent article announcing this call for entries in the Las Vegas Sun here: Entries sought for art show - Las Vegas Sun

Who Made the Blog Today? Andrew Maioli

Andrew Maioli was born and raised in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. After earning degrees in chemistry (B.S. UMass/Boston 1994; Ph.D. Brandeis University 1999), he worked for a small biotech company in Worcester, MA for nearly 6 years, before moving to southern Nevada in 2004.

In his early youth, Andrew studied art and painted with his grandmother, an artist as well. However, he took a nearly 20 year hiatus until he moved to Nevada. Shortly after that move, Andrew returned to art. Painting in acrylic, Andrew uses a series of dry-brushing and washes to create luminous landscapes, seascapes, still lifes, and pet portraits. Some of his creations have a photorealistic quality, while others lean towards the abstract. His collectors reside in the northeast and southwest.

Andrew is currently a member of the Henderson Art Association and, since October 2006, has served as HAA Gallery Director. You can see more of his work at Gallery-A.org

Who Made the Blog Today? KC Knight

HAA member K.C. Knight says she loves creating portraits of people and pets. She admits that before her best friend Teri Starr talked her into taking an art class in August of 2005, her familiarity with a paintbrush had been limited to painting walls.

Colin Pringle was the instructor. Acrylics were the medium. The end result was a newfound love of painting. Since that time, her love of portraiture has kept her pretty busy. She finds joy in the one-of-a-kind nature of commissions and, in between them, enjoys experimenting with different subjects.

K.C. goes on to say that membership in the HAA is educating her in the art world. She also displays at City Lights Art Gallery in Henderson and at fineartamerica.com/artwork/tag/kc+knight.

Upcoming Ceramic Workshops. Mark Your Calendars.

Ceramic artist Conner Burns in his studio in Natchez, Mississippi.

Ceramic artist Ellen Shankin at Pottery West 2008.

Soda-fired fan stoneware by ceramic artist Linda Whitehair.

As the new year takes hold of us or the other way around, we are taking it upon ourselves to give much advance notice for any and all things creative going on in the area. People need to plan so they can be present. So, here we go.

Pottery West is pleased to be hosting workshops in 2009. Here is a partial list of incoming ceramic artists and the dates of their workshops:

Demonstration Workshops:

Conner Burns: February 7th and 8th

Nick Joerling: March 7th and 8th

Hands-On Workshops:

Linda Whitehair: February 21st

Tom Coleman and Matt Long with a Soda Firing: April 4th-6th

Tom Coleman: June 8th-15th

Sam Chung: July 10th-12th

Ellen Shankin: July 24th-26th

To see the full list of artists, dates, and details, visit http://potterywest.com/a/?cat=3

Contact Amy Kline at Pottery West to register.

Call 702.987.3023 or email at potterywest@cox.net

Pottery West is located at 5026 N. Pioneer Way, Las Vegas, NV 89149.

Visit the website http://potterywest.com/ for directions.

Life Starts at the Spring.

I officially met artist and Henderson Art Association affiliate member Ozzy Villate at the last HAA meeting. I say "officially"  because we'd seen each other in passing before and nodded but it was that evening that we really met one another. I sat back and watched as he literally unfurled his plan for a mural that had just been approved by the city, then carefully took the fifteen or so board members and committee chairpersons—myself included—through it.

During his presentation, I actually stood to his right and helped him hold the two-dimensional scaled, vibrant, full-color rendering of the mural as he explained in vivid detail his vision and inspiration.

Then, when he was finished, I took the floor and presented to this same audience my vision for the HAA, itself. Visually, mine was a less colorful display but, I'd argue, equally passionate. Neither one of us is big on public speaking and we made that clear up front. We each broke the ice with a self-deprecating comment or two, then moved on with our respective agendas. Two different approaches about two disparate subjects. Oddly enough, we both finished to deliberate head nodding and a round of applause. The people in the room could see what we saw and I guess that's as much as any artist could ever ask.

That was the first HAA board meeting I'd ever been invited to and the first one I'd ever attended. That meeting inspired a lot things. For starters, it inspired this website and a deeper hope and belief that the downtown Henderson Water Street District will someday turn around. And we're all hopeful that this day will come soon.

Well, the next board meeting is this Wednesday and, I'd say, there's been a bit of progress for many of us since the last. This site has seen over 1100 hits. Many existing artists have been featured in cyberspace. New members have come onboard. PR Committe Chair Nicky Watts, who also shared her vision for the HAA with the board that evening, was recently featured in the Las Vegas Sun for her recycled paper project (see Older Posts). Now, lo and behold, an article of Ozzy's mural coming to fruition is breaking in the Las Vegas Sun this very day.

The article does a good job of explaining Ozzy's vision although little can do it justice like hearing it from the mural artist himself. Within it, there are rainbows, airplanes, a small mountain range, and elements from the periodic table. All of this has meaning. In the center, there is a fountain from which pours a body of water that grounds the entire piece.

The fountain is central visually and metaphorically. The rainbow gets a lot of love but, for me, coming to life on an aptly named Water Street, it is indeed the water that is symbolic. Its pale and dark blue ripples undulate rhythmically, almost mathematically, giving movement and representing the ebbs and flows of tides for the characters (seen and unseen) in the mural world but maybe even more for all of us artists and the community. It is a source of revitalization and replenishment. How incredibly fitting.

Thank you, Ozzy, for your dedication and your vision. We look forward to seeing it and drawing from it in its true form someday soon.

Read the full article from the Las Vegas Sun here:

Mural to spruce up Water Street's Rainbow Club Casino - Las Vegas Sun

Who Made the Blog Today? Susanne Forestieri

Las Vegas portrait and figurative artist Susanne Forestieri applies her expressive, impressionistic style to a broad range of genres—showgirls, dancers, New York City street scenes, and family portraits, to name a few. One of her favorite subjects—children playing dress-up—inspired a series of small paintings for which she was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship in 1996. As one of the few so honored, a record of her work is in the Smithsonian Museum of American Art.

In 2003, the Las Vegas Art Museum gave her her first retrospective exhibition. Over the past few years, her work has been featured in Artist's Magazine, Southwest Art, International Artist magazine, and Las Vegas Home and Design. Her achievements and accolades are many.

In addition to teaching drawing part-time at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), she writes a bi-weekly art review column for the Las Vegas Weekly. Follow this link (Las Vegas Weekly: From Santa Fe, with love) to read her December 31st column, titled "From Santa Fe, with love," featuring a quartet of printmakers, each putting their modern spin on a printmaking tradition.

See more of her work at either of these two sites:

www.susanneforestieri.com or www.artistsregister.com/artists/nv26

Contact her at sforestieri@hotmail.com

Really Good Paper Goes Around More Than Once

Artist Nicky Watts (left) casting CEO of Aspen Communications, Toni Thornburn, for her recycled paper project. Photo courtesy of Heather Cory.

Think of all the paper in our lives. It's everywhere. Newspapers. Magazines. Circulars. Books. Holiday wrapping paper. We print, write, draw on, and discard it with abandon. Paper consumes us as much as we consume it. Then we toss it to the side like, well, like yesterday's news.

Well one local photographer and artist is doing right by her paper and turning it into art. Nicky Watts is casting and molding recycled paper art and then shooting the finished product to be sold as premium pieces of art.

As a fitting and optimistic close to this turbulent year, Watts' latest artistic and environmentally-conscious venture has been featured in the December 31st issue of the Las Vegas Sun. Read the article and watch the accompanying video "Getting Plastered" here. Then check out a couple of earlier posts detailing Watts' other pursuits.

Reusing for art's sake (the article) - Las Vegas Sun

Getting Plastered (the video) - Las Vegas Sun

Creative Henderson: Who Made the Blog Today? Nicky Watts

Creative Henderson: All That Glimmers.