New Bern ArtWorks participated in a "Bone-making Event" on Saturday, March 24, 2012. One Million Bones is a social action arts installation designed to raise awareness of genocides and atrocities going on around the world. The main focus is on making people aware of what's happening in Sudan, the Congo and Burma, and providing an opportunity for them to take action in response.

The Road to Washington is the next step in the One Million Bones journey to the National Mall installation in 2013. There will be simultaneous installations of 2500 bones in all fifty state capitals in April of 2012. Over 125,000 bones will be laid down to symbolize our shared human connection to those all over the world.

_ Exhibition Locations:
October, 2011 - December, 2011 Craven Arts Council, New Bern, NC
FedEx Global Education Center, UNC Chapel Hill, NC
September, 2012 - December, 2012 Hofstra University Museum, Hempstead, NY

As a sculptor, I have always believed that art has the power to touch viewers on a profound emotional level and become a force for improving human rights. In response to the unspeakable genocide that is happening in Darfur, I have created a sculptural exhibition titled “Toward Greater Awareness.” These works initiate a dialogue with the viewer about the physical and psychological scars left on mankind by a culture of violence and brutality. It engages viewers, and invites contemplative exploration of this troubling issue.

During the Summer of 2010, I partnered with the Save Darfur Coalition (now United to End Genocide) to present this exhibit at venues around the country. I feel that this exhibition delivers two very important messages. The first is about raising awareness and ending genocide, but it also speaks to the power of art in advocating for social justice.

What is "Vino and Picasso" you might ask? Let us paint you a picture!

An unforgettable event filled with friends, fun, and fabulous art. Bring your own bottle of wine (or beverage of choice and snack if preferred) and we will supply the rest! Your canvas, paints, paintbrushes, and corkscrew will be waiting as the featured artist helps you create the events chosen painting.

No experience in painting? No problem, you will follow along with our featured artist who will give you stroke-by-stroke instructions on how to paint your chosen art piece. At the end of the evening, you go home with your handmade masterpiece…along with lots of great memories to share!

Our paintings are suitable for the first-time painter or for more experienced artists.

Have a GIRLS" NIGHT OUT, A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION, A DATE NIGHT WITH YOUR SWEETHEART AND FRIENDS.  The price is $45.00 a person with a minimum of 8 people.  Contact party coordinator Ann Jones for additional information or to book a party. Email: ann@newbernartworks.com

I received an interesting call last week from the folks at the Carolina Chamber Music Festival. They are doing an event in New Bern in conjunction with the Craven Arts Council called Debussy After Work Thursday, September 15. They will have three musicians (a harpist, a flutist and a viola player) playing the three movements of Debussy's Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp. They then invited three visual artists to each create a painting based on one of the movements. I was pleased to be asked to be one of the artists. I chose the final movement to inspire my piece.

Here is the painting that I mentioned in an earlier post about Debussy. It was presented Thursday night to the accompaniment of musicians with the Carolina Chamber Music Festival.

I collaged the score of the movement on the canvas first, then collaged and painting the three instruments and painted a portrait of Debussy in transparent colors over that.

Fiber art has been around since the beginning of our existence on this planet.

It incorporates weaving of grasses and animal and plant fibers to make baskets

and clothing and blankets. Textiles have been used to adorn our bodies and

homes for thousands of years. The origins of fiber art quilts or tapestries begin

with the humble bed quilt, created with many pieces of leftover bits of fabric.

All the pieces are sewn together, layered with some form of batting, then a backing

fabric, and quilted by hand or machine through all 3 layers.

 

In the 1970ʼs, traditional patchwork quilters began experimenting with other

techniques and imagery to make pieces meant to be enjoyed as a wall hangings.

This form of quilting has evolved and grown tremendously in the past 40+ years,

to become a true fiber art medium.

When I learned how to make my first 9 patch bed quilt back 1998, I quickly

decided that I wanted to make fiber art, and I have been exploring that medium

ever since. Why do I prefer fiber over any other medium? Two words: texture

and color. Exciting textures and vibrant colors are possible with fiber that just

beg to be touched. I enjoy working with landscapes and cityscapes, botanical

subjects, and free form abstracts. I often dye my own fabric, and do all my own

quilting patterns- no computer embroidery for me! My process often starts with a

photograph of something beautiful, with lots of color and texture. I make a

pattern and fuse the pieces together. Often I will add paint for added depth and

realism. Lastly, I will plan and execute the stitching, which further enhances the

texture. The result is an exciting blend of fabric, thread, paint that creates a fiber

art tapestry.

One of the principal genres (subject types) of Western art. Essentially, the subject matter of a still life painting is anything that does not move or is dead. A still life includes all kinds of man-made or natural objects, cut flowers, fruit, vegetables, fish, wine, etc.) or manufactured items (books, vases, glasses, bottles, and so on).

With origins in the Middle Ages and Ancient Greek/Roman art, still life paintings give the artist more leeway in the arrangement of design elements within a composition than do paintings of other types of subjects such as landscape or portraiture.

Traditionally, some of the objects in a still life were likely to have selected for their symbolic meaning, but this symbolism eludes most modern-day visitors. Some modern still life breaks the two-dimensional barrier and employs three-dimensional mixed media, and uses found objects.

In the last three decades of the 20th century, and in the early years of the 21st century still life has expanded beyond the boundary of a frame. Especially with the computer age, and the rise of computer art and digital art the nature and definition of still life has changed. Some mixed media still life work employing found objects, photography, video and sound, and even spilling out from ceiling to floor, filling an entire room in a gallery. Computer-generated graphics have expanded the techniques available to still life artists.

Encaustic painting, also known as hot wax painting, was developed by the ancient Greek shipbuilders, who used hot wax to fill the cracks in their ships. Soon pigment (color) was added and this led to painting on the surface of the waxed hull: an art form was born.

To prepare the encaustic medium, beeswax is melted, a hardening and stabilizing agent is added, and the mixture is then filtered and cooled for later use. When the painting process begins the mixture is melted and pigments are added. Special brushes or metal tools are used to paint and manipulate the encaustic wax onto a surface­­ (usually prepared wood, though canvas and other materials are often used). The wax cools quickly so the painting process is done quickly. Once a layer is applied, a torch or heat gun it used to reheat the wax bonding one layer to another. Other materials such as paper, buttons, leaves, or twigs can be encased into the surface to create a collage effect. Some paintings may have many layers.

If you have once said, “I could paint that”… who would pay that significant amount of money for something that does not relate to anything? You might think that abstract art is less interesting because you do not know what the artist is trying to show in his or her artwork. Abstract art is the most freely formed type of artwork an artist can create. 

This type of art is meant to grab your attention and pull an emotional response from within you. So what grabs your attention when seeing a particular piece of abstract art? Abstract Art, in most circumstances, is filled with colors of all sorts that are meant to turn heads. This characteristic, along with others such as the paintings texture and other elements, are what make this form of art one of the more popular styles today. The creativity involved with abstract art bring a new imagination that some viewers didn't know existed within them. This art is from the heart and soul, instead of what you see is what you get. Abstract Art is more than just a thoughtless mess put on a canvas.

The beauty of non-representational art is that we can create the story within the painting. We can ask ourselves, "Why do these colors interact with each other?" or "What does this symbolize?".... and with those questions our imagination brings about answers.

Webster defines painting as "to produce in lines and colors on a surface by applying pigments". Most colored pencil artists refer to their work as a painting because of the application of color washes as well as the color layers that are applied. These washes are not wet as with conventional forms of paint like oil or watercolor but are used in much the same way.

While colored pencils were once considered to be primarily for kids, throughout the years they have been steadily gaining respect amongst artists, galleries, and collectors. Artists are exploring the creative potential of this art-making medium, while art collectors and enthusiasts are marvelling at their output!

Unlike mixing paints that fully combine together, colored pencil layers and mixes of color remain separate and visually mix together. Colors can be easily blended together in endless combinations to create even more shades, tints and hues. One of the unique qualities of this medium is that you are often times able to still see the various colors separately when you look close enough. You can basically draw anything with colored pencils that you would be able to depict with paint. Colored pencil art can easily rival paintings in luminosity and depth of color! Colored pencils can be used to create artwork in a variety of styles, such as photorealism, abstraction, whimsical, and composite (combination of styles).

Colored pencils come in three categories: Wax-Based, Oil Based and Water-Soluble. Wax-Based pencils are dry and the most common colored pencil. The leads are soft and thick or hard and thin. The pigment is bound together with vegetable oil. Water-soluble are the common watercolor pencils. An emulsifier is added to the binder, and the pigment can be liquefied and used like watercolor. They can be sharpened to a fine point to allow for exquisite detail.

In the late 1970’s, after years of testing, light fastness standards were written for oils, watercolors, acrylics, and alkyds. Since then, paints suitable for fine artwork (IE: will not fade over time) are marked with Light fastness symbols I and II, providing artists the option of choosing materials that have been stringently tested for light fastness. In the early 1990’s, with the founding of the Colored Pencil Society of America, CPSA, and the increasing use of colored pencil for creating fine art, it became necessary to have a standard of light fastness for this medium. Today the light fastness standard has been achieved.