Pastoral Journey with Katy Reeve-Weesner

"Giverny", Watercoulor by KATY REEVE-WEESNER
IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED

Hello All.

It is not often that one comes across a talent as exceptional and mesmerizing as Katy Reeve-Weesner's. Nor, is it an everyday occurrence, in the painting world, to languish in the quaint and pastoral English countryside that one sees in Katy Reeve-Weesner's lovely watercolours. That is, unless you are Katy Reeve-Weesner.

Yet, that is exactly what I felt as I stepped into Gallery 21 where her "Journeys in Watercolour" (Paintings) exhibit was running 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. daily. Although I knew that I was in Spanish Village Art Center located at 1770 Village Place, San Diego, California, I, nevertheless, found myself standing in the English countryside gazing at hillside villages and the black faces of fluffy sheep meandering there.

I felt transported, as if I had stepped through a time warp onto a winding country road in the Yorkshire moors, and I easily believed that I had always been there! This English born artist who now lives in San Diego, California and specializes in watercolours of English and European countrysides, had magically transported me to a land of fairy tales and "Little Bo Peep". What a lovely sorceress is Katy Reeve-Weesner...come disguised as a painter of "Journeys".

Another amazing thing about Katy is her avid dedication to sketching. It is, in her opinion, the key part, and one of the most important elements, in the creation of her paintings. Year after year, Katy fills sketchbook after sketchbook with drawings and notes from her travels. I have to admit that I was truly amazed and thrilled by the six or seven sketchbooks that were on display in a glass case during the show. Page after page of countryside scenes, Parisian cafes, people and animals beckoned the visitor through the glass. The sketches, (really, complete renderings) accompanied by flowing script, fairly tumbled from the pages and could easily stand alone as art. Katy told me that this year alone, she has already filled two sketchbooks and is working on a third! (All, by the way, filled within a three-week period). This year her sketching covers scenes in Savannah, Charleston and England. Wow! Those fingers are certainly not sitting idle. Sketching is a form of poetry all its own. And, Katy Reeve-Weesner is as poetic as they come.


"Poetry" that caught my eye at this exhibition included small miniatures where the scene flowed out of the frame of the painting and overlapped the mat board. As with "Boscastle", a 12" x 14" painting in which seagulls circle a harbor nestled in a hillside village. The gulls actually fly out of the painting onto the surrounding mat board, giving another dimension to the composition. Another piece that I admired was "Castleton", a painting depicting a lovely rural village with narrow streets and a black cat slowly traversing its course, all surrounded by rolling hills. "San Toma" gave me a glimpse of the canals of Venice where two gondolas carried passengers along the quay, and "Burnmoor Sheep" portrayed sheep in a meadow above a country village. My favorite of all in the show was, "Long Lane Sheep", (my Little Bo Peep transport) set in the Yorkshire countryside where black faced sheep mill about on a winding road, that runs through an English village reminiscent of Katy's childhood.

At the gallery, Katy explained to me that she started very young in her studies. Her great-uncle, and mentor, took her on many plein air outings with their sketchbooks well in hand. Drawing was adamant, the key to successful painting. It was everything. Later, she attended art college for five years and is a graduate of London's Central School of Art. Katy says, "it was an intense submersion", where once again drawing was adamant. Well, Katy, after meeting you and seeing your show, I'd say "mission accomplished"! As for the great-uncle ... You done him proud, Katy.



"Long Lane Sheep", Watercoulor by KATY REEVE-WEESNER
IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED

Katy Reeve-Weesner, the English-born artist, lives in San Diego, California and can be contacted through her website: www.katyreeveweesner.com.


Written and posted by Cassandra Shepard, Studio 32
text and content copyrighted, 2010, all rights reserved

"The REAL Life of Mannequins" revealed at Gallery 21

"Mannequins", digital art by JANINE FREE and GUY MAYENOBE

Hello All.

A new and innovative digital art exhibit has arrived at Gallery 21 in Spanish Village Art Center located in beautiful Balboa Park. It is dubbed "The REAL Life of Mannequins". The show is being "revealed" by Janine Free and Guy Mayenobe as "a digital art exhibit on metal and paper" from September 29 - October 11, 2010. The exhibit will be open daily from 11:00 to 4:00 p.m. at 1770 Village Place, San Diego, California 92101. Opening Reception is Friday, October 1, 2010 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. featuring music by the jazz band, "Endangered Speciez". Janine and Guy, ever the enthusiasts, are also throwing a Closing Reception on Sunday, October 10, 2010 from 11:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Of the show, Janine says, "that she and Guy have two radically different ways of unveiling mannequins". And, why not? We've all heard, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". Why not then, perception? Janine Free is capturing reflections that look digitally manipulated, but are not, and Guy Mayenobe creates images that look real but are fabricated". Now, I tell you, that notion alone has "captured" my attention, not to mention the images that Janine kindly e-mailed me for the show's poster bill. Grab your "glad rags", "free your minds" and "surrey on down" to "The REAL Life of Mannequins", folks! I promise you won't be bored!

On the contrary, Janine Free and Guy Mayenobe are absolutely set on "expanding your horizons" and "blowing your minds"! And, here you thought mannequins were just inanimate plastic with no REAL life of their own. Well, trust Janine and Guy to "unveil" the (shhhh-hhh) truth about mannequins!


"Olive Oil", by french artist, GUY MAYENOBE
IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED


I'm back from the "REAL Life of Mannequins" opening reception, and what an experience! The art was fantastic, the music mellow and the banquet bountiful with an atmosphere reminiscent of "nights in Parisian parlors where art, wine and colorful conversation flowed into the wee hours of the dawn", or at least what I imagine it was like back then. Guests mingled and moved about the exhibit, some awed and silent, some verbally animated, but all wearing huge smiles and sparkling eyes. One simply couldn't help but smile and express wonder in this amazing show.


Well, it appears that the "truth about mannequins" is, perhaps, that there is no one "truth" which describes the mannequins that appear in this unique exhibition. True to Janine's description, she and Guy do have a totally different perception as they reveal their subjects and, therefore, an expression each their own.

Janine Free's mastery of her subject matter is based on reflected imagery and the play of light off of surfaces and glass. Everything that is seen in her photographs is actually in the scene she originally shoots. There are no "embellishments or digital additions" in Janine's images. Carefully and creatively manipulated, the many layers of images that one perceives in her photos have been exaggerated or diminished, moved forward or into the background to create the effect that she wants one to see. Janine takes only one photograph in her process, and then skillfully creates an image that gives the viewer the impression that she has superimposed several photos over top of each other. Oh, how "not so"! Clever girl, that Janine.

Guy Mayenobe enhances and transforms inanimate plastic or wooden mannequins into human like forms by blending eyes and lips from "real people" into the digital images. Sometimes the subjects looked like mannequins with human eyes and lips. Other times, when I thought the mannequin was a real person with implemented lips, it was just the opposite. The resulting photographs were mesmerizing and mind bending. I felt a kind of "hypnosis" when I stood looking at Guy's images, slightly disorientated and unable to pull my vision away from the eyes of the figures. I got a feeling of drifting, being "drawn in" to the photographs, and then of suddenly regaining awareness and shaking myself to return to a sense of reality. I kept expecting the mannequins to actually speak. Simply, mesmerizing, Guy!

I have always found it intriguing to listen to the conversations of visitors at any art exhibition. This exhibition was no different. At one point, as I sipped my glass of white wine, one visitor asked me if I knew which of the crowd were the artists. I answered, smilingly, and pointed out Janine and Guy as they spoke with the guests. They were both, winningly, humble and soft spoken enjoying their interaction with the visitors as much as the guests enjoyed meeting them. The guest that I was speaking with expressed, "I would have expected a much younger woman as the photographer, given the subject matter in the photographs". I quickly retorted, without hesitation, "Ahh, but, they are French you see",(including Guy in the description). "Their minds and spirits are forever young and fashionable"! The visitor smiled broadly, and said, "Oh, that's how they do it". I sighed a joi(full), "Yes"! We both smiled even wider, if that was possible, and turned to admire "Olive Oil" as she gazed back with a "revealing eye"!

Hold that thought...pose...thought! You know what I mean. Ever see a mannequin that wasn't posing? I guarantee Janine Free and Guy Mayenobe haven't. Strike a pose and "Vogue...Vogue...Vogue"!


Written and posted by Cassandra Shepard, Studio 32
text and content copyrighted, 2010, all rights reserved

East County Art Association "Brushes" into Gallery 21

"Dances with Eagles", original oil painting, by MIKE WATSON
IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED

Hello All.

If ever you've had a "brush" with art, or just wanted to pick up a brush and try your hand at painting, the East County Art Association is the organization for you. The association is hosting its 2nd annual show, a "Juried Member Appreciation" exhibition at Gallery 21 from September 9 - 13, 2010. The exhibit is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to all visitors to Spanish Village Art Center and Balboa Park.

This year's show was juried by Drew Bandish, a San Diego artist and educator who currently paints in watercolor and pastel. Drew earned his Bachelor of Arts in Painting and Printmaking at San Diego State University, and since 1987 has offered art classes in Adult Education and Community College continuing education programs. Of himself, Drew says," I especially enjoy the process of watercolor painting...creating exciting personal color by mingling watercolor paints on the page.

Let's see now. Who are the "artists" that make up the East County Art Association? In 1976, a small group of artists met to form an organization with goals to promote friendship and fine art appreciation in all visual media. Since then, they have become a nonprofit organization in 1986 and have grown to become one of the largest and most active visual arts organizations in the East County of San Diego.

The East County Art Association boasts over sixty plus members and meets on the second Monday of each month at Rancho San Diego Library. The public is invited to attend and consider membership. A diversified membership, the East County Art Association welcomes all media and levels of accomplishment which includes talented beginners as well as professionally accomplished artists. Claire Peck is current President of East County Art Association.

The 2nd Annual Juried Member Appreciation Show of the East County Art Association certainly has a wide variety of artists and media. Media entries range from pencil to pastel to acrylic, watercolor and oils. The age range of the members is from youth to a "whopping" 90 years old! In fact, one of the most amazing and revered artists in the group is 90 years old, Phebe Burnham! Phebe took 1st Place this year for her pastel drawing of "Assistant Band Leader", showing a young girl in her "bandleader" garb. That just goes to show that you are never too old to "strut your stuff"! Huh, Phebe? "You go, Girl"!!

As much as I was charmed by Phebe's 1st Place winner, I was, nonetheless, completely captured by her pastel of "Swan Lake - Here I Come", a captivating portrait of a precocious "pre-prima" ballerina, bedecked in lacy chiffon with a strand of pearls (obviously her mother's) pinned in a ring around her head, gazing at her image in the mirror. On her left wrist is a bracelet of pearls to match the "crown" of pearls in her hair. The image that one sees of the young girl is from behind poised in front of the mirror.

Immediately, I surmise that she is playing "dress up", and think, "Ah, how lovely".
But, it is the expression on her face in the mirror that stops me in my tracks. The precocious minx is very much aware of who she is and where she is going. (Hence, Phebe's title of Swan Lake - Here I Come). Standing behind Phebe's little swan is a doting mother (shown in reflection) who undoubtedly supports her daughter's dream. But, it is the child's own "vision" of affirmation and recognition, clearly portrayed in her expression, that enraptures. Looking at her, I have no doubt that some very fortunate ballet company will one day boast of this little swan's miraculous performance on the grand stage. Now, folks, I ask you, "How about that for "emotional evocation" in a painting by a 90 year old master"? I think Phebe is "Fierce", don't you?

Not to go unsaluted are the other Award Winners of this year's exhibition. They are 2nd Place Winner, Claire Peck for her watercolor, "Scoutin' Scouts", and 3rd Place Winner, Mike Watson for his oil painting, "Dances with Eagles".

Honorable Mention went to Pat Yeakey for, Seaworld Pals", mixed media, L.J. Crowe for "The Hunter", eggshell mixed media, Gale Vavva for, "A Way Out", mixed media and Elsimae Cleeton for "Arizona Storm", watercolor.

Although, he did not win an award this year, I was particularly taken with a work by Jorge Leon. His acrylic abstract, "De Projundis", meaning deeply profound, was a wonderful contrast to the realism of the other paintings in the show. A perfect mixture of bright colors and white space, this painting lured and held my attention for a long time. I have always found in my own painting that if I can turn the canvas in any direction, and find no "void" (space without meaning, movement or place), then the artwork is complete and successful. "De Projundis" gave me that sense of balance and completeness expertly rendered, and I would like to commend Jorge for its birth.

And, the praise would not be complete without a salute to Spanish Village's very own Dr. Jenny Ferrone, of studio 37, for her participation in this year's show. Jenny had two paintings accepted in the exhibition, "The Pond" at Lake Murray and "Sunflowers", both oils. "Way to go, Jenny"!

Congratulations to you all, and see you next year. In the meantime, "Brush On"!


IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED

The East County Art Association may be contacted at P.O. Box 148, El Cajon, California 92022. Or, look up their webpage:http://www.eastcountyartassociation.net.


Written and posted by Cassandra Shepard, Studio 32
text and content copyrighted, 2010, all rights reserved

Now Showing: Yumi's "Symphony of Light"

"Symphony of Light", by artist YUMI
IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED

Hello All,

Yumi returns to Gallery 21, in Spanish Village Art Center located in beautiful Balboa Park, for her annual exhibit. The show runs from August 18 - August 30, 2010, at 1770 Village Place and is open from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.

Already familiar with Yumi's beautiful paintings, which consummately reflect an inner part of her being and an eternal spiritual awareness, my attention is drawn immediately by the title of her new exhibit, "Symphony of Light". Taking into account her Japanese heritage and the title of this new show, I assumed there might be some connection between Yumi's new exhibit and a recent showing of the "landscape" kimono of Itchiku Kubota (also entitled "Symphony of Light") at the Timken Gallery and San Diego Museum of Art. Clearly, one should never "assume" anything about "Yumi" for her vision is, uniquely, her own.

Born in Tokyo, Japan, Yumi studied under Ukai Uchiyama, Japan's master watercolorist. While she was a student at KEIO University, Yumi illustrated children's magazines and books. After graduating with a BFA, she studied at the Academy of Arts College in San Francisco, California. Her creative and artistic credits in the U.S. span a period of years from 1985, (when she moved from Holland to San Diego, California), to 2010 and her current exhibit.

Included among these credits are a video, "The Colors of Yumi"; paintings on the cover of SEIKEI KAISHI magazine, (1994-1996); 2005, a Tokyo exhibition, "Light, Tokyo-Holland-San Diego"; awarded the Key to the city of La Mesa for her outstanding teaching contributions; 2006, wrote for ARIKA magazine in Japan; completed Public Art for the City of La Mesa and SDSU Business District; 2009, featured in "Light House magazine, Japan"; 2010, "Symphony of Light" exhibition at Gallery 21.

There, now. That is the expected, the obvious image one might have of Yumi. That is the "Yumi" on paper. What I want to share with you all is the true "essence" of Yumi. That special "something" about her. There is an integral "spiritual" quality that surrounds Yumi. One cannot be long in her presence without sensing it. Her aura exudes it, her smile confirms it and her paintings evoke it. I give to you the word that I think best describes it... "Light".

And so I come to the true nature and impetus behind Yumi's creation. Perhaps, the key to the titling of her latest exhibition is "Light"... Light, actual or subliminal. Light of day or night, light seen or imagined. Light that evokes emotion or the silence of reflection... reflection of the color spectrum or the soul. Light that nurtures and sustains. An awakening to and movement "Toward the Light". This is a recurring theme in all of Yumi's work. Her past three exhibitions have all dealt with this subject matter. "Light", "Night and Day" and "Toward the Light". All of which have brought her to the current exhibit, "Symphony of Light". Of her exhibition, Yumi says, "If you find the LIGHT from my painting to uplift your spirit, I would be happy and content".

I step into Gallery 21 and the sound of a ukulele softly strumming "Somewhere over the Rainbow", by Israel Kamakawiwo greets me. As I move among the paintings, I am made aware of the importance of light in all of Yumi's compositions. Central to the exhibit is her "Symphony of Light", a golden painting depicting a string trio of violin, cello and guitar accompanied by a pianist, and watched over by an angel of Light floating high above them all.

Moving through the exhibit, I am keenly aware of the many ways light plays a part in Yumi's vision. Light as seen in "Morning Light on the Prado", or in "Backstage 2", a lovely painting that captures an actress, beautifully coiffed with her hair piled high on her head, looking out of a window at the street scene below. Similarly intriguing is "Music Break" depicting a guitarist perched on a stool, where rays of warm golden light pour through a window, and an over sized cat lounges in the glow on a window seat. Circling back to the front of the gallery, I encounter a painting entitled, "White Swans". Looking at this mystic swirl of white and yellow light that surrounds three white swans, juxtaposed by aqua and blue-green shadows, I am captured by the movement and luminosity created by Yumi's brushstrokes and minimal use of color.

Yumi says, "The art exhibition, "Symphony of Light" is dedicated to my parents and Zazuko for their Love and Wisdom". Not a surprising sentiment coming from such a rare soul. At one point during my visit, I overheard Yumi explain to another visitor that, "My paintings are like my children...when a customer comes and asks to see my old paintings, I get very emotional". All in all, I would say a visit to "Symphony of Light" is an emotional one. It is a "tale told by a beautiful spirit, full of light and movement".

Standing in front of the painting, "Symphony of Light", one can view a quotation mounted on the wall. It goes, "Like the sound of river, Symphony fills the air with the sound of legato and staccato, blessed by the light of heaven".

I will leave you with those thoughts. (FADE TO: The dark of day as the brilliance of moonlight rises). Ask Yumi. She has a secret of Light to share with you.

"White Swans", by artist YUMI
IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED

Yumi Climenson lives in La Mesa, California and is an accomplished oil painter. She may be contacted at yumiart@juno.com or through her website: www.yumi-art.com.



Written and posted by Cassandra Shepard, Studio 32
text and content copyrighted 2010, all rights reserved

Travel "To the End of the Earth" with Steve Gould, photographer

"Five Penquins" by STEVE GOULD, photographer
IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED

Hello All,

Step into Gallery 21 in Spanish Village Art Center this week, and be "transported to another world". A world of "blue ice and mystically rugged frozen terrain" not seen or experienced by many. A world surrounded by magnificent snow-capped mountains, fathomless "azul" ocean depths defined by towering islands of ice and home to some of nature's most mystifying and captivating stoic creatures.

Enter the world captured by photographer, Steve Gould on his trek... "To the End of the Earth".

A sense of quiet beauty surrounds you as you step into the gallery of this fierce and frozen world. The soft melodious notes of "Pastorale" by Tingstad and Rumbel, a perfect mixture of woodwinds and guitar, mesmerize as you wander through the exhibit. There is an immediate hush that falls over spectators, interspersed by spontaneous intakes of breath, as they become engrossed in the beauty of this Antarctic landscape and its inhabitants. Hold your breath and squint your eyes, and you're almost there. Ahh, do you feel the temperature change?

As one meanders through the gallery, moving almost as in a dream, it becomes apparent that Steve Gould has done a spectacular job of transporting us to this region which includes the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island and Antarctica. Temperatures in these treacherous regions range from the low 40 degrees (in the Falkland Islands) to the high 30's or just below freezing on South Georgia Island. In Antarctica temperatures can drop from freezing to 30 degrees lower in a matter of minutes, and [weather] is often characterized by high winds and fierce snow storms. Fortunately, this did not occur during the expedition.

From December 30, 2009 through January 24, 2010, Steve and his wife, Mary traveled with 94 other "adventurers" and the staff of the Cheeseman's Ecology Safaris, in order to witness and photograph the migratory breeding cycles of some of the world's most amazing and beloved wildlife. Freezing temperatures and harsh circumstances notwithstanding, the expedition visited five of the Falkland Islands for 3 days. With expectations high, the "adventurers" then cruised on to South Georgia Island, staying for 6 exhilarating days with a final (and much anticipated) destination of West Antarctica where they stayed for 7 days.

Of his show, Steve says, "In this exhibition, I share with you some of the amazing sights. I hope they convey many of the emotions I felt during these amazing 26 days".

Steve has more than accomplished what he hoped to do with this fantastic collection of photographs. On South Georgia Island, there is a magnificent array of King penguins standing and mingling with fur seals on beaches and nesting plains. Fur seals lounge, recline and nap in various positions for the spectators' delight. Comical and intriguing Adelie, Gentoo and Chinstrap penuins gather in Antarctica. Humpback whales raise their flukes to the sun in Antarctic Cierva Cove, Antarctica. The "blue icebergs" of Devil's Island hypnotize and hold viewers in thrall with their color and abstract form. The fierce and relentless terrain evokes awe and commands respect.

Of all the wondrous images in the exhibit, the ones of the King penguin are my all time favorites. Steve has more than successfully captured the true magnificence of these stoic and beautiful creatures. Among my favorites are the photographs showing King penguins standing, feeding, nesting and marching across the penguin "highways" that they travel. What is it about the majestic penguin that fascinates and so captivates our imagination and admiration?

There is a quotation on the left wall of the gallery, as you move to the upper level, that describes this fascination perfectly. The quotation goes, "All the world loves a penguin: I think it is because in many respects they are like ourselves... Had we but half their physical courage, none could stand against us...so full of curiosity that they have no room for fear". (Quotation by Apsley Cherry-Garrard, "The Worst Journey in the World") (The Scott Expedition)

"Kings on the March" by STEVE GOULD, photographer
IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED

One can truly appreciate Steve's naturalistic approach to photographing his subjects in their environmental surroundings. There seems to be a purity to his capture of the elements and wildlife in actuality, without any projection of ego or contrivance to the image. The viewer sees King penguins, Adelies and others doing what penguins, naturally, do. The titling of his photographs also reflects this clarity as in "Five Kings" and "Kings on the March". [No artifice. Just...Penguins.]

In contrast, "Whiskers", a photograph of a fur seal, is amusing because it looks as if the seal actually knew his picture was being taken, and so posed for the photo. Is there such a thing as "seal serendipity"? Another magnificent shot, "Salisbury Plain, South Georgia Island", depicts a mind boggling 130,000 King penguins and baby chicks, interspersed with a few fur seals, stretching for miles over a panorama which ends in the snowy mountain backdrop of South Georgia Island. Can you imagine trying to find your own baby chick in that number of penguins? What natural instinct, and then some!

The contrast and juxtapositions of the wildlife to its habitat are particularly awe-inspiring in Steve's photographs. In his, "Tortured Rock", which depicts a shear massive "crag" of weatherhewn rock plummeting to a beach at Fortuna Bay, South Georgia Island, King penguins and fur seals wait, perhaps, for the weather to change. The massiveness of the cliff makes a dramatic contrast to the King penguin whose size is not meager. The impressive "Kings" are dwarfed by the wall of rock rising into the air.

Other impressive works, include "Iceberg Window" in the Devil Island, and "Devil Island Iceberg", Devil Island, Antarctica. These two lovely photographs led me to ask Steve, "Why are icebergs blue"? A trip to the exhibition is certainly worth attaining that information from Steve. (Though, he may wish I hadn't prompted you to ask.)

With so many intriguing images to view at "To the End of the Earth", you may find yourself forgetting that question and coming up with a plethora of your own. This show surely boasts "azul waters, blue icebergs and 130,000 reasons" (penguins, that is) to visit Steve Gould at Gallery 21 located in Spanish Village Art Center and beautiful Balboa Park. The show runs from August 4 - August 16, 2010, and is open from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily.

"Devil Island Iceberg" by STEVE GOULD, photographer
IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED

Steve Gould is a diversified and accomplished photographer and may also be contacted at his website: Steve Gould Photography [www.stevegouldphotography.com]. This impressive exhibition had write ups this month in the La Jolla Light, San Diego Magazine and Performances Magazine.

Thank you, Steve, for taking us "To The End of the Earth" where an astounding cycle of nature continues every year! How fortunate for us to have seen this miracle, "looking through an Iceberg Window and the eyes of Steve Gould"!



Written and posted by Cassandra Shepard, Studio 32
text and content copyrighted 2010, all rights reserved