Art & Soul Productions
  • Home
  • What's New!
    • a new Blog!
    • The Venetian Casino
    • Octavia E. Butler Mural
    • Robin Paul Memorial Mural
    • Desert Scene Gerden Mural
    • Altadena Arts Magnet Dance Room Murals
    • Altadena Arts Magnet Library Murals
    • Tiger Eyes! for Legacy High School!
    • Kokopelli's Magical Mystical Gateway
    • Alisal School District Mural
    • Wall of Honor Mural
    • 'Wall of Honor: First Responders' Mural
    • Community Kitchen's Parrots and Roses
    • Ochoa Hawks!
    • Hey Cardinals!
    • Period-Inspired Arts and Crafts Style Mural Frieze
    • Graphic-Murals for IMPAK
    • Cirque du Antiques! Pasadena Antiques Warehouse Mural
    • Tiki Hut and Woody Mural
    • Architectural trompe l'oeil mural-friezes
    • Geodesic Dome for the Studio!
    • Laurence Linkus: In Memoriam
  • Residential Murals
    • Wall Murals & Friezes
    • Ceiling Murals & Domes
    • Trompe l'Oeil Painting
    • Children's Rooms & Nurseries
  • Commercial Murals
    • Hospitality: Bars & Restaurants
    • Nightclubs & Casinos >
      • Glam Slam and Paisley Park
      • The Venetian Casino
    • Signs, Totems & Super-Graphics
  • Public Murals
    • Theatrical and Entertainment Murals
    • Liturgical Murals
    • Community and School Murals >
      • Octavia E. Butler Mural
      • Altadena Arts Magnet Dance Room Murals
      • Altadena Arts Magnet Library Murals
      • Alisal School District Mural
      • Pasadena Antique Warehouse Mural
      • Tiger Eyes! for Legacy High School!
      • Wall of Honor Mural
      • 'Wall of Honor: First Responders' Mural
      • Marshall High School...
      • Ocelot Territory! Mascot mural-frieze
  • Easel Paintings
    • Landscapes
    • Mindscapes >
      • The Continuum
      • Quantum Foam series
      • Pipe Series
      • Vessel Series
  • About...
    • About the Studio >
      • Geodesic Dome for the Studio!
    • About the Artist
    • About the Clients
    • Affiliates & Associates
  • Contact
  • Blog

Murals On The Street: Shepard Fairey!

3/27/2023

0 Comments

 
I many times come across some really nice murals (or hand painted signs) out there that I want to share with you!
This one was sent to me by one of my nieces!


"I thought I'd share one of my favorite murals with you-
- (in Costa Mesa)"  Love
-Kate 💖
Picture
Here are a few articles about the mural and the artist:
Picture
SHEPARD FAIREY PAINTS HIS FIRST-EVER OC MURAL
ON BAKER BLOCK APARTMENTS IN COSTA MESA

by  CYNTHIA REBOLLEDO 
OCTOBER 13, 2017​

​     If you’ve driven down the 55 freeway in Costa Mesa recently you may have seen a mural with a portrait of a young woman at it’s center with the words, “Welcome” at Baker and Pullman streets, on the back of the new Baker Block luxury apartments.
     “Welcome Home” is a 7,000 square-foot mural recently completed (2017) by street artist Shepard Fairey. “The local community, the rebel surf-skate culture and the idea of peace and our need to take care of our environment all inspired me for this piece,” says Shepard Fairey. “But in choosing a theme I considered these things as well as what would have the greatest impact from afar since this was such a great opportunity to have a massive platform. I wanted people driving down the freeway to be able to clearly pick up its message and maybe be inspired, too…The mural represents inclusion, welcoming, community, peace and harmony.”
This is Fairey’s first public mural in Orange County, with a team of three assistants, they were able to complete the mural in six days using 460 cans of spray paint and hand painting the motifs using stenciling.
Picture
Left: Shepard Fairey - Obey Face 3 Series 2. 1996. Screen print on paper / Right: Shepard Fairey - Obey Icon, 1996. Lithograph. Courtesy of the Artist
Picture
A Simple Guide to Shepard Fairey, Obey and his Artwork  May 01, 2018

Picture
A Brief Background of Shepard Fairey
     Shepard Fairey’s​ professional art career began when he attended Idyllwild Arts Academy in Palm Springs, CA and graduating to the Rhode Island School of Design from 1988-1992. It was at this time he found an interest in graffiti, street art and primarily sticker art. What started as a somewhat political somewhat snarky design utilizing a photo of wrestler Andre The Giant, really gave birth to a branding machine that later transformed into the OBEY brand.
     Over the years Shepard Fairey has transformed into one of the most well-known muralist /street artists in the world. His signature propaganda inspired design posters, murals stickers and clothing has continually combined social activism with the OBEY brand even before it was a commercial enterprise. The irony of the brand; “Obey”, is that Shepard has changed the meaning behind the word (at least where the brand and his work is concerned) to support more rebellious acts such as questioning how the world works rather than submitting or obeying what society tells us to think or do.
     Known for “controversial” posters such as 2008 red, white, and blue Obama poster or 2017 of what seems to be an ethnic woman also in red, white, and blue calling out xenophobia. Fairey is not afraid to use his art to display concerns about today’s social and political climate.
Picture
     Shepard Fairey’s latest mural (as of 4/19/2018) ‘American Dreamers’ is a collaboration with Vhils,​ a Portuguese graffiti and street artist. This piece of street art is located on Mack Sennett Studios in Los Angeles and directs attention to people who come to the United States to fulfil the American dream but end up being denied those opportunities of citizenship mainly due to where they immigrated from.
     Whether it is discrimination or racism, economics or politics, immigrants must fight through these obstacles and work twice as hard than American born citizens to be taken seriously. The mural reflects generations of immigrants wanting to make a better life for themselves that they can no longer have in their home country.
Picture
     Shepard Fairey’s gallery art is included in Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., and Albert Museum in London. Starting in 2007, Fairey has had his art conveyed in exhibitions in places such as New York, Denmark, and Portugal to name a few. Fairey has won awards such as Member and Contributor to the LACMA Graphic Arts Council, Muslim Public Affairs Council, Voices of Courage Media Award, and Art Wynwood Tony Goldman Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award. Recent awards were given in 2017, which indicates that Fairey is not retired and still as relevant today as ever.
​
Where To Find Shepard Fairey’s Work
     While Obey (the brand) was originally considered a more subversive brand only found in skate shops and alternative retail establishments, today it is carried in major retailers around the world. As with Obey brand, today you can see Shepard Fairey’s work in almost any major city, ranging from stickers posted by loyal followers to large commissioned mural works.  By far the biggest concentration of Shepard Fairey’s work is in Los Angeles, California where he lives and works. 


Read/See more here:
Picture
How Punk Influenced Shepard Fairey - Formative Years of Obey Giant in Michigan

Shepard Fairey documentary
‘Obey Giant’
https://obeygiant.com/watch-obey-giant-hulu/
​
"Thanx, Kate!
I really like Shepard Fairey’s work too!

In fact I did a mural a few years ago,
of Octavia E. Butler,
which was heavily ‘influenced’ by Mr. Fairey’s work.
Here’s the link to that project" -RQ

http://www.artandsoulproductions.com/octavia-e-butler-mural1.html
Picture
0 Comments

Fun with Paint!: BRADLEY HART / Bubble Wrap Artist

2/28/2023

0 Comments

 
Here’s a cool YouTube video my friend Lois sent to me…
​Artist Transforms Bubble Wrap
Into An Impressionist Painting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeFzpshBwwk
Picture
Using syringes, artist Bradley Hart injects Bubble Wrap with acrylic paint to create pixelated works of art.
Bradley transforms this everyday material into beautiful, meticulously crafted paintings.
Picture
The bare bubbles in the bubble wrap reference dots or pixels, echoing various movements in art history and other media, including pointillism, screen-printing, TVs and LCD monitors. The process of injecting paint into bubble wrap directly references pixilation.
Picture
“At every level of my studio practice I recycle as a function of the work. I recycle the syringes; the dried paint in the mixing jar and collect the drips of paint on the bubble wrap and the drop sheet.” -Bradley Hart
Picture
“My work is an album of memories made by injecting bubble wrap with paint to create pixilated photorealistic pictures. The pictures are copies of both snap shots of important people captured by me or given to me and maintained as a part of my own personal photograph collection, as well as powerful images obtained from other sources.”  -Bradley Hart
Picture
Bubble wrap, his “canvas”, ,,,, is a material invented in 1957. It was originally intended as three-dimensional wallpaper, before becoming protective wrapping material. Hart, … transforms the plastic traditionally used to wrap, protect and cover artworks into the material surface of his paintings.* 
Picture
The round bubbles represent “pixels” and this relates directly to our age of digital photography. Hart draws on digital photos for subject matter, usually portraits reminiscent of works by Andy Warhol and Chuck Close. While the bubbles symbolize pixels in our contemporary minds, the paint-filled bubbles also harken back to Seurat and display an unusual and unique form of post-modern pointillism.*

Picture
Picture

See more of Bradley Hart’s work here:
https://www.instagram.com/bradleyhartnyc/

and
https://www.bradleyhart.ca/Artist.asp?ArtistID=37166&Akey=5BDJN8BK&ajx=1#!Group1_Pf162935

Artist’s Statement
https://www.bradleyhart.ca/Artist.asp?ArtistID=37166&Akey=5BDJN8BK&ajx=1#!asset49636


All images © Bradley Hart. FolioLink © Kodexio ™ 2022
Picture

Roberto's Fascinating Two-Cents:
“I have used bubble wrap, and other industrial materials,
as painting tools to make textures
and as a contact-print technique
​in several of my ‘Mindscape’ ​​paintings...​
        …and even on a mural project for a school library mural
​ with a ’Sunday in the Park’ theme. The bubble wrap was a great way to reproduce Georges Seurat’s pointillist painting technique. Here’s a
link to that project with a slide show of how it was done.” Altadena Arts Magnet Library Murals-RQ
_____________________

​
​
Picture
Visit our homepage for the top stories of the day: https://www.insider.com




​
0 Comments

Tracy Lee Stum:  Muralist / 3D Street & Chalk Artist

2/27/2023

0 Comments

 
“I first met Tracy when I had the privilege of working with her on her Venetian Casino ceiling-murals project. 
​You can see more of that project 
Here.
​What an amazing talent!” -RQ
Picture
Tracy Lee Stum is an American artist best known for her 3D street paintings and her chalk and pastel drawings.
Stum holds the Guinness record for the world’s largest
​chalk painting by an individual: a version of
Leonardo Da Vinci’s ‘Last Supper’
that was 35 feet long and 18 feet high.
Picture
As it turns out, Leonardo’s famous mural is only about a century older than the art of street painting itself.
This public art form can be traced back to 16th century Italy when traveling artists known as “Madonnari” chalked
​Madonna and Child pictures on church and cathedral pavements for holy festivals.

​
Picture
    Tracy taught herself to draw as a child, and went on to earn a bachelor's degree at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia.
She then continued her studies in naturalism at the
Florence Academy of Art in Italy.
A gregarious graffiti lover, Tracy began street painting
in 1998, and is considered by peers
as one of the finest street painters today.
Picture
    Her international team-building skills have been utilized in developing street painting festivals in China, Mexico, India, Russia, and throughout the United States.
Tracy has also had the privilege and honor to serve
as the US State Department's 2012 cultural ambassador.

In 2013 Tracy stepped into management as she
curated the first annual DO/AC 3D Chalk Festival in
Atlantic City, New Jersey, showcasing 14 renowned international 3D street art & chalk artists.

Ms. Stum has also toured Tajikistan and India creating
3D street paintings and teaching workshops
at distinguished universities and art colleges
to promote education, awareness,
​and positive cross-cultural communication.
Picture
The artwork Tracy creates is made to be played in and 
 this is the foundation for her creation of her interactive
3D Museum... 
an experience like no other...
where people of all ages can step through the looking glass and revive their sense of wonder.
​​

Tracy explaines:      “Today, artists have a wide range of tools to achieve what’s called contemporary anamorphic art, a designed method or technology used to create the illusion of 3D on 2D surfaces. It’s a method of drawing founded on the geometry of perspective, often using photography or computer programs as tools to achieve the final chalk-and-paint illusion.”

With every stroke of brush or strike of chalk,
Tracy transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Her journey from aspiring artist to award winning
master of her craft has culminated in the creation of 
an interactive 3D Museum that takes you into impossible and magical worlds that stretch the imagination.
Picture
“Tilt A Tracy Lee Stum Museum”
will take you on a journey filled with delight, laughter and awe. You’ll step into unbelievable life-size murals for an unforgettable
art experience.
The purest expression of her love for art and imagination.

and now…
​

 www.tiltpv.com
in
Puerto Vallarta!

(You Go, Gurl!!)
0 Comments

Panoramic Surrealism: The Enchanted Domain

2/13/2023

2 Comments

 
Rene' Magritte 
the public artist, who played with the perception
of space and framing...
and who always sought to create paintings that
explored and expanded reality.
Picture
Picture
"The Knokke Casino, a seafront casino in West Flanders, Belgium is the unlikely home to some of the most expansive artwork in Europe; displaying works by Keith Haring, Paul Delvaux, and René Magritte. The largest casino in Belgium, the Knokke casino was the first of four designed by architect Léon Stynen. Though severely damaged during World War II, the renovation allowed Belgian surrealist master René Magritte the opportunity to create a massive mural, spanning 360 degrees of event space. The mural, "The Enchanted Domain", was finished in 1953 and comprises eight panels that plunge their viewers into a fever-dream of surrealist joy."
​

"From Picasso to Haring:
Striking Artist Murals Around the World"
 
​
By: Tori Campbell

Picture
​Panoramic Surrealism: 
The Enchanted Domain at SFMOMA

by Alex Zivkovic, June 2018
​
     In 1953, in a Belgian seaside resort, a team of five artists painted a 233-foot-long 360 degree mural full of leaves shaped like birds, inverted mermaids, and women who merge with the sky behind them. Referencing eight oil paintings painted by René Magritte, the artists worked diligently with projectors and paint to complete the artist’s vision.
Picture
​     But the artist himself was not among the painters. Magritte, the Surrealist from whom these wild, imaginative creations sprang, never touched the work during the five or six weeks it took to complete. He simply visited the casino, with his wife and dog every few days to check in. Yet it is his vision on the wall, in a mural that is, to this day, a prominent Surrealist attraction in Knokke.
Picture
​     Over the course of his career, Magritte aspired to create work for the public. Through his work as a painter, illustrator, and commercial artist, his art had a “public” presence in the poetry publications he illustrated or perfume advertisements he designed. It was not until the 1950s, when Magritte began receiving commissions for theaters, museums, casinos, and other buildings, that he was able to produce art at a grand, immersive scale.
Picture
​     Mural commissions allowed him to envision the ideas from his canvases at larger-than-life scale, imprinting them on the walls and ceilings of buildings around Belgium, his home country. In this, the largest such commission,
     Magritte imagined a panorama showing one continuous environment: a magical place called The Enchanted Domain.

from: 
Panoramic Surrealism: 
         The Enchanted Domain at SFMOMA

         by Alex Zivkovic, June 2018
​
Picture
​Mural-Panel Images
​from Matteson Art

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

​       Five of the eight oil paintings that served as the models for this series will be (were) on display at SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) as part of a re-examination of how this immersive space resonates with other images developed throughout his career.
​     By focusing on his works of the Forties, Fifties and Sixties, René Magritte: The Fifth Season draws attention to the set of Surrealist symbols Magritte perfected and used again and again. Nowhere is this focus more apparent than in the landscape of Surreal creations in The Enchanted Domain which includes all of the artist’s most popular motifs in one newly-imagined universe.

     Magritte believed that the canvas models he provided were sufficient to realize his vision and as such they merit their own consideration. These small oil canvases, painted at 1:6 ⅓ scale reveal the precise texture of the painter’s hand, manifest his imagination, and allow us to examine the attention he gives to each figure up close.
​
 “That the paintings are not being kept together has caused a good deal of debate among art experts here and abroad. Many believe that the paintings should not be separated.
​The seller, an unidentified American businessman, bought the suite purely as an investment.”
​

​       While researching this exhibition, Associate Curator Caitlin Haskell had the pleasure of seeing the mural in situ. But no one has seen the original oil paintings together in over 20 years; they were always owned as a group, first by Nellens and his family, and then by a series of private collectors. In 1998, the set was broken up and sold as individual works. Ever since they have resided separately.
     SFMOMA is (was) fortunate to be presenting several panels together, allowing us to approximate the feeling of a continuous mural. As a 360-degree artwork, the mural itself of course, can never be seen all at once. But these models, which are hung on a curved surface, give us at least a glimpse, as if looking directly into the world that would wrap around our field of vision.
     This gallery presentation will be (was) one of several immersive exhibition rooms in René Magritte: The Fifth Season which will showcase other series of works and an interactive, interpretive space as well. This mode of presentation is true to Magritte the public artist, who played with the perception of space and framing in his canvases, and who always sought to create paintings that explored and expanded reality.
​
Picture
"The Treachery of Images "1928-29 By Rene Magritte,

​"This all reminds me of my "Pipe" Series!
Check it out!
" -RQ
​

Related:

Magritte at the SFMOMA:
Enigma, Conundrum, Paradox

A review by Bill Carmel, MFA


"The Ignorant Fairy”, 16 m wide
1957 Palais de Beaux Arts, Charleroi, Belgium



IN THE ART ROOM:
​THE MAGRITTE PROJECT, ONE

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2013
Picture
2 Comments

Banksy in Ukraine: #fckptn

2/3/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
Banksy in Ukraine:
Seven new works appear
in war-torn sites

Picture
     The British street artist Banksy has confirmed to The Art Newspaper he has created seven murals in various locations in Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv, the suburb of Irpin and the town of Borodyanka—among the places hardest hit by Russian bombardments.
     Speculation had been mounting that the anonymous artist was in the war-torn country after three works were spotted last week. One mural depicts a man said to resemble the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, being thrown to the floor during a judo match with a young boy—Putin holds a black belt in the sport.
     Another work shows two children using a metal tank trap
​as a seesaw, while a third mural, painted within the ruins of a bombed building, is of a gymnast doing a handstand.
Picture
Picture
Banksy has now confirmed these as well as a further four works. They include a woman in her dressing gown, hair in curlers, wearing a gas mask and wielding a fire extinguisher;
Picture
Picture
a bearded man taking a bath; and another piece in which Banksy appears to have incorporated existing graffiti of a penis... turning it into a nuclear warhead loaded onto
​the back of an armored truck.
Picture
     Borodyanka, a town around 54km northwest of Kyiv, was besieged by Russian forces early on in the invasion and subjected to aerial bombardment. It was recaptured in April, and Ukrainian investigators subsequently found dozens of mass graves where the bodies of civilians, who had been tortured and killed, had been buried. There have also been calls for investigations into alleged Russian war crimes in Irpin and neighbouring Bucha.
Picture
     The new works are Banksy’s first public murals in more than a year, though this is not the first time his work has been associated with Ukraine.
     In March, a print of one of his most famous anti-war pieces, CND Soldiers, was sold at auction, raising $106,505 for a children’s hospital in Kyiv. The original mural first appeared outside the Houses of Parliament in London in 2003, during protests against the war in Iraq.
Picture
http://www.banksy.co.uk/

"I’ve made 50 of these screenprints
(below)
​with all proceeds going to our friends in Ukraine."
-Banksey
​
Visit
​ banksy.legacyofwarfoundation.com
Picture
REGISTRATION CLOSED
"We are currently sifting through the registered entries
and will notify successful applicants shortly.
Thank you for your support.

The site received over 1 million requests
(and 3,500 hostile attacks from Russian IP addresses),
​so we would appreciate your patience at this time."
-Banksy
​

Picture

ABOUT THE CHARITY
Legacy of War Foundation is an international charity providing support to civilians affected by conflict.
We aim to start conversations, build collaborations and support communities.

You can help us in our work – wherever you are. We strongly believe that the smallest act can create change.

Our head office is based in the UK.
​Charity no. 1174792.
​

Related:
​

WORLD:
A new Banksy mural adorns a destroyed building in Ukraine
November 12, 202210:56 AM ET

ASHLEY AHN

​
Picture
​Another New Banksy in Ukraine
​


CNN:
Banksy confirms seven new murals in Ukraine. 
​
Published 14th November 2022
0 Comments

Faux Finishes, Part B: Isabel O'Neil Studio

1/30/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
​ISABEL O’NEIL
Isabel O’Neil (1908-1981) was an acclaimed authority in the field of decorative arts. A New York-based conservator, teacher, and inventor of painted finishes, she was often called upon to restore painted finishes on antique furnishings. She found great inspiration in the techniques and materials used by European craftsmen. 
 
Isabel’s early curiosity in replicating Old-World craftsmanship led her to study at Skidmore College and Yale University, where she researched the historic origins of the painted finish. Then she traveled to Europe to observe the working methods of skilled craftsmen. Upon returning to her New York studio, she replicated the historical European methods she studied and introduced modern materials to her process.
 
Isabel dedicated her life to teaching and perpetuating the Art of the Painted Finish. Throughout her teaching career, she accumulated a body of historical information, contemporary resources, and innovative procedures. Using 20th Century materials, she formulated new methods of achieving faux and fantasy finishes to simulate precious materials including marble, rare wood marquetry, tortoise shell, ivory, shagreen, lapis lazuli, and malachite.
 
The publication of her 1971 book, The Art of the Painted Finish for Furniture & Decoration, gave her further acclaim as an authority in painted finishes. Featuring more than one hundred and fifty finishes, it remains the standard for the most comprehensively-written reference and instructional guide on the subject.
 
Her Studio 
Admirers of Isabel’s work persuaded her to teach and in 1955 she founded her eponymous studio workshop. In Europe she discovered the method of instruction she used as a model for her school: the guild system of the Renaissance. In this system, novice students learn through apprenticing under master craftsmen. Skilled apprentices, in turn, instruct new students. This method of teaching and adherence to the recommended curriculum ensures that every student has the same training and each student understands and maintains the exacting standards of the Studio.
 
Since its inception, the Isabel O’Neil Studio has grown into an internationally-recognized art school, with works exhibited at The Museum of the City of New York and a curated collection featured at Tiffany & Co. Today the Studio remains true to its founder’s vision, and includes a cadre of Studio-trained instructors who are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards and traditional methods of the Art of the Painted Finish. The eagerness of students to continue in this craft has encouraged the development of additional finishes and workshops to teach the process.

Her Mission
Isabel O’Neil opened her Studio in 1955. A visionary teacher, conservator, and inventor in the field of decorative arts, once called, “the grande dame of American painted finishes,” by House & Garden magazine, she inspired many students to dedicate themselves to the continued teaching and preservation of the art and craft of the painted finish. 
 
Today master artisan-teachers at the Isabel O’Neil Studio carry on the legacy of Isabel by guiding students through a traditional journeyman guild system that encourages creative innovation. 
 
The curriculum, taught in person in New York City, is an exploration of painting techniques that build upon students’ skills and creativity as they acquire the confidence to execute finishes of the highest historical and contemporary quality on furniture and objects. The Studio is more than a school; many who have completed the program remain connected to the community it fosters, often returning to teach.

Picture
0 Comments

A Purple Party… and a Princely Mural!

1/16/2023

0 Comments

 
Murals On The Street!
"Many times I come across some really nice mural, or a hand painted sign out there that I want to share with you!
This one is from my dear friends Daniel and Lois who were back home in Minnesota last May and they sent me this great photo of the street party and unveiling of Hiero Veiga’s ​new mural of TAKAPrince Rogers Nelson-(TAFKAPrince!)" -RQ
​
Picture
​Mural by 33-year-old Hiero Veiga, a Florida street painter known for the rendering on the exterior wall
of Miami’s Museum of Graffiti.
Organizers say the $500,000 Minneapolis project
​has been in the works for seven years.​

​June 3 2022
Purple party: Prince fans celebrate mural completion in downtown Mpls
By Tony Kiene
     On the same day that the Queen of England celebrated her Platinum Jubilee in London, Minneapolis honored its very own monarch: His Royal Badness, Prince Rogers Nelson. A 100-foot-tall mural of our favorite son, painted by internationally renowned artist Hiero Veiga, now looks out over the city’s entertainment district and the legendary music club that Prince established as an international landmark almost 40 years ago.
     Last night’s event, billed as the “Purple Block Party,” saw throngs of people descend on First Avenue North, including many Prince fans from out of state and around the world, here for this weekend’s Celebration 2022 at Paisley Park.
     A little after 9 pm, the dynamic duo behind the mural, also known as the “Crown Our Prince” project, graced the stage for the first time. With the blessings of Prince himself, it was Sharon Smith-Akinsanya, CEO of the Rae Mackenzie Group, and public art expert Joan Vorderbruggen, that conquered a multitude of roadblocks to successfully carry out this seven-year project “across the finish line.”
     Things became a little emotional when they introduced two of Prince’s sisters, Norrine and Tyka Nelson, each of whom spoke to the crowd.
     Tyka mentioned some of the many ways downtown has been important to their family through the years, recounting how she and Prince would often catch the #19 bus over North, and then, with transfers in hand, make a pit stop at Shinders bookstore on Hennepin Ave. before continuing on to their destination.
     Norrine Nelson spoke to the crowd, promising not to cry. She closed by telling those gathered to honor her older brother, “Thank you for loving him. He loved you.”
     Smith-Akinsanya and Vorderbruggen then returned, and after acknowledging the major sponsors, additional contributors, and the three photographers whose images served as the basis for the mural, further hyped up an already electric crowd, before introducing artist Hiero Veiga, 
     The unassuming and soft-spoken muralist did not address the audience, but no doubt felt its love and appreciation as he embraced Vorderbruggen and Smith-Akinsanya.
     Finally, as the opening chords of “Purple Rain” reverberated through the nearby streets and skies above Minneapolis, Veiga’s masterpiece was doused in brilliant light, officially dedicating the mural and fulfilling the promise to 'make Minneapolis shine purple.'
     DJ Mickey Breeze closed out the night with a more adventurous set the second time around consisting of a couple of classic Prince B-sides, including “Violet the Organ Grinder,” in which Prince repeatedly declares, “I’ll die, but I won’t go away.” That certainly rings true to all his fans. And though he didn’t end with it, Breeze’s inclusion of “It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night,” recorded live in Paris on the 1986 Parade Tour, proved to be the perfect depiction of the night’s festivities.
Hiero Veiga
a Florida street painter known for the rendering on
the exterior wall of Miami’s Museum of Graffiti. 
​Bio 
“I am obsessed with the practice of my craft.” 
Hiero Veiga grew up in the small boxing town of Brockton, MA
and has been spray painting since he was 12 years old.
With over 21 years of experience, Hiero has evolved from writing graffiti to curating hyper-realistic pieces ranging from portraits, natural scenery, and psychedelic art.

Hiero’s unique perspective and experience of light and color is reflected in his distinctive compositions. His current personal work style involves abstract backgrounds and kaleidoscopic designs with Groucho glasses, chattering teeth,
and rubber ducks.

Hiero has participated in countless mural festivals and collaborated with numerous artists in his community. His most prominent works were done in participation with Pow Wow! Mural Festivals, including a mural displayed in the 
Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Hiero is based in Florida, but you can find his work in the streets, businesses, and galleries across the United States, Jamaica, and Canada.
If you are interested in working with Hiero,
please fill out the contact form or directly send an email.

© 2022 HIERO VEIGA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Picture
​Article By Tony Kiene
Tony Kiene’s experience in the Twin Cities nonprofit and entertainment industries includes work with Minneapolis Urban League, Penumbra Theatre, Hallie Q. Brown, and Pepé Music.
He welcomes reader responses to
​ 
tkiene@spokesman-recorder.com.
​
​Related Stories:
​
Artist Hiero Veiga now painting Prince mural in downtown Mpls

Honoring Prince: community reactions to new street sign and mural
​

Picture
​“This all reminds me...
​ of the work Christina Rosenthal and I did
for Prince’s nightclub ’Glam-Slam’ in L.A.
​ and at his Paisley Park Studios in MN.
           Here’s a link to that project…" 
 
-RQ


​Glam Slam and Paisley Park Studios

Picture
www.ChristinaRosenthalFineArt.com
0 Comments

Murals in LA Lift the Voices of Iranian Protesters

1/2/2023

2 Comments

 
Picture
Mural by Katrine Karimpour (photo Matt Stromberg/Hyperallergic)
Picture
Article by Matt Stromberg 
​December 14, 2022
Murals by Iranian-American artists across the city are inescapable reminders of the regime’s ongoing brutality.
Drive north on Main Street through Los Angeles’s fashion district and a striking new mural is visible just past Interstate 10. Against a backdrop of green, white, and red — the colors of the Iranian flag — the faces of 13 women who have lost their lives at the hands of the Iranian regime are depicted in stark black and white. Below them, their names, and others, are written on the palms of outstretched hands. Most of them were killed during the recent protests in response to the September death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, who was detained by Iran’s morality police for not wearing her hijab correctly and died in custody. “Women, Life, Freedom,” the originally Kurdish slogan that has become a rallying cry for the protests, is written in English and Farsi.

The mural is the work of Katrine Karimpour,​ who was approached by her friend Mojgan of Mona_E_Arts with a concept for the mural and a connection to the owners of the building at 1605 S. Main Street. Karimpour created the image on her iPad and it was then printed on two large panels of weather-resistant paper and hung on the building’s southern facade on November 27. The mural is just one example of Iranian-American artists in Los Angeles showing solidarity with the protesters in Iran.

For Karimpour, it is also a way to express a connection with family, despite the tumult of revolution and emigration. Her late grandfather and mother fled Iran just before the 1979 Revolution. “When it started, they said they would come to the US for a week til it died down,” but they ended up staying,” she told Hyperallergic. “[The regime] took all my family’s belongings, everything my grandfather had worked for, everything he owned.” She says her grandfather wrote poetry; however, she couldn’t read it, since she was never taught Farsi. 
“Doing this, I thought about my baba the whole time,” Karimpour said of her work on the mural.

About 10 miles northwest of Karimpour’s mural, a nearly three-story-tall image of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini graces a wall in Fame Yard on Melrose, a hotspot for street art. Her hair, colored green, white, and red, spills out from her hijab, while the chains covering her head break apart.
Picture
Mural by ​Cloe Hakakian​​ and Todd Goodman
(photo by and courtesy Impermanent Art)


Cloe Hakakian
https://www.instagram.com/cloehakakian/

https://beyondsquarefootage.com/beyondsquarefootage/2020/5/14/cleopatra-by-cloe-hakakian

Todd Goodman
https://todd-goodman-art.myshopify.com/
​

“I used to stay away from everything political, but this is personal for me. This is not political, it’s about basic human rights,” artist Cloe Hakakian, who created the mural with Todd Goodman, told Hyperallergic. ​Hakakian was born in the US to parents who had emigrated shortly before the revolution, “Otherwise I could have easily been one of those girls,” she said, referring to those killed in the recent demonstrations, 
who are in the hundreds.

​
Iran has already executed two people involved in the protests, with 25 others facing the death penalty, according to the Guardian. On Monday, Majidreza Rahnavard was publicly hanged from a crane in the city of Mashhad. He was accused of killing two members of the Basij militia. Last week, Mohsen Shekari was executed after he was convicted of “waging war against God” by a revolutionary court. He had been accused of blocking a street and injuring a militia member. Today, the United Nations announced its decision to remove Iran from its Commission on the Status of Women, thanks in part to campaigning by activists in the diaspora.

Since the mural went up in early October, Hakakian has shifted gears, connecting artists with building owners willing to offer up their walls for murals in support of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement through her​ “Murals for Freedom” website. The site lists murals across the globe, in San Diego; Washington, DC; London; Paris; Berlin; and Sydney, Australia. “Not all the artists are Iranian,” she notes. “It’s inspiring a lot of people outside of the community.”
​
Picture
Mural by Rashin Kheiriyeh (courtesy Farhang Foundation)
Further West, in Santa Monica, the side of an office building now bears Rashin Kheiriyeh’s mural of a woman’s silhouetted head in profile, her hair rendered in sinuous, turquoise Persian calligraphy. Kheiriyeh created the mural before the death of Amini for a mural competition sponsored by the Farhang Foundation, a nonprofit that supports Iranian art and culture. After Amini’s death, Kheiriyeh posted an image of the mural to social media and added the slogan “Women, Life, Freedom.”

According to Alireza Ardekani, executive director of the Farhang Foundation, the group has other murals planned in Los Angeles in support of the movement, but has run up against a troubling issue with one artist selected for a mural at 1031 South Grand Avenue in Downtown LA. “The artist just informed me he’s under surveillance in Iran and being threatened. I offered to have the art anonymous, but his work is quite iconic,” Ardekani told Hyperallergic. “Murals are big in Iran. Before the uprising, artists had learned how to dance around red lines and go under the radar. Now they’re cracking down.”

Through these public artworks, artists in the Iranian diaspora are able to speak to — and amplify — those whose voices are being stifled.

“Culturally I felt very in the middle. This was something that could feel so personal to me, but this isn’t about just me. It’s about all the women who are fighting for their future and future generations,” Karimpour said. ​“What art can do is amplify those who are not being heard. We are their echoes.”
​
by Matt Stromberg December 14, 2022
https://hyperallergic.com/



​Murals for Freedom
https://www.muralsforfreedom.org/
https://www.muralsforfreedom.org/gallery

Murals for Freedom aims to amplify the silenced voices in Iran through art. All over the world, artists have painted murals commemorating the victims of the Islamic Republic of Iran's brutal regime. This project is about promoting freedom and spreading awareness. 

Get Involved
There are multiple ways to get involved!
Email muralsforfreedom@gmail.com to:

▪ Paint a mural.
▪ Offer a wall as a canvas.
▪ Volunteer.
▪ Inquire 

Submit a Mural!
If you have painted a mural and would like to submit it to the website, please fill out this form.

​
Picture
Mural by Rashin Kheiriyeh
​Related
  • Artists Worldwide Demand Freedom for Iranian Women   September 28, 2022
  • Iranian Activists Stage “Die-In” at Met Museu   December 5, 2022
  • Artists Stage Mahsa Amini Protest at New York’s Guggenheim Museum ​    October 24, 2022




2 Comments

Murals On The Street! Avenue 50 Studio/Gallery

12/19/2022

0 Comments

 
​Many times when I'm out, I come across some really nice murals or hand painted signs out there that I want to share with you! So that is what this post is all about.
​
Picture
So the other day I was out and about, and I saw this wild mural on the wall over at Avenue 50 Studio and Gallery. 

Avenue 50 Studio, Inc.
131 No. Avenue 50
Los Angeles, CA  90042
323/258-1435

www.avenue50studio.org
​
They were between exhibitions so I didn’t bother them,
but I later wrote and inquired about their mural.
​
​Here was their response:
     "Hello Roberto...
     That mural was painted, maybe around 2015, by 'Defer' with help from Juan Carlos Munoz Hernandez.  
     Juan Carlos is in the same crew that Defer is part of. 
     Juan had it painted for the exhibit he was in. It was all volunteer painted. They were so good to us."

Picture
Defer / Alex Kizu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVC6K-uuZDk&t=56s
​"As a founding member of the respected crews K2S, STN & KGB, Alex “DEFER” Kizu (b. 1975) has been an integral part of the Los Angeles street art scene since the mid-1980s.
He is well known for his expertise in rendering beautifully complex letter-forms.
Alex Kizu’s work stems from his culture and connection to graffiti and the urban landscape, representing a profound artistic language which distorts the lines between street art and fine art. Kizu, aka Defer, was one of the pioneer members of the first generation of Los Angeles graffiti writers, and he has distilled the hand-style developed since his youth into abstract pieces that incorporate not only typographic but also cultural motifs, and complex patterning.
Kizu’s paintings are highly detailed examinations of line and color – frenetic structures that flow organically with multi-layered abstractions creating a borderless visual depth and complexity.
Interviews and work by Kizu have been included in a number of esteemed compendiums of graffiti art – a testament to Alex Kizu’s artistic stature in the realm of Los Angeles street art.

Whether it’s the LA-centric graffiti book,
 “Graffiti LA” by Steve Grody,
or the national scope covered in the recently released
 “The History of American Graffiti” by Roger Gastman and Caleb Neelon,
Kizu’s influence on the visual language found in the
City of Angels cannot be overlooked."

-Fabien Castanier Gallery

https://www.castaniergallery.com/
Picture
View Original Artworks and Prints by 'Defer'
Picture
"DEFER’s typographic work is viewed as lyrical and beautiful. Also known as a 'handstyle', this specific expression speaks to the credibility of the original graffiti crews in Los Angeles and now bridges to a larger audience.
Currently Defer creates paintings that incorporate Japanese images with his handstyle resulting in exquisite art." 
​
- Brandy Shea Sweeney 

https://www.1xrun.com/artists/defer/
____________________
​


JUAN CARLOS MUÑOZ HERNANDEZ
American Sculptor and Painter
Picture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cf9MwHq-EM

​Born in 1969, Juan Carlos Muñoz Hernandez was raised in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles where he was exposed to art at an early age, in the form of graffiti art and aerosol based mural paintings.
After being commissioned for his first public mural, his career progressed with further commissions and he was eventually selected, through a rigorous interview process,
by world-renowned sculptor Robert Graham to join the Museum of Contemporary Art’s “Torso Project” in 1992.

Muñoz Hernandez continues to work at the esteemed
Robert Graham Studio today, and has worked on several internationally acclaimed public works including
the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial in Washington D.C.,
Duke Ellington in New York, Charlie Parker in Kansas City,
and Our Lady of Angels Cathedral doors in Los Angeles, California. 

Muñoz Hernandez’s works range in materials from acrylic, ink, pigment on paper, wood, and canvas, to multi-dimensional cast and fabricated bronze, with patina and powder-coat. 
His work has been included in numerous museum and gallery shows over the past twenty years such as
The Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art,
The Pasadena Museum of California Art
PMCA, OTIS Ben Maltz Gallery,
and The Lancaster Museum of Art and History (MOAH). 
His work was also included in
The Getty Graffiti Black Book in 2013,
which featured the work of more than 150 of LA’s most influential graffiti artists, and was inspired by 16th century manuscripts held by the Getty Research Institute
called “Liber Amicorum” or “Book of Friends.” 
The Getty Graffiti Black Book was on display at
the El Segundo Museum of Art (ESMoA). 
In 2018, he held his first solo show at
Simard Bilodeau Contemporary.

Picture
‘Espiritu Del Color’, by Muñoz Hernandez 18 x 18 x 1/64 in ; 45.72 x 45.72 x .04 cm Velvet Archival paper 25 limited addition prints
Picture
‘Light Sound and Water #5’, by Muñoz Hernandez Stainless Steel, 11” x 6” x 22” Series : 2021
0 Comments

Sayak Mitra: Muralist, Painter, Digital Artist.

12/5/2022

0 Comments

 
Here’s a guy to keep an eye on!
Picture
Sayak says about his work:
“My main subject matter involves cultural nuance, political issues and social incidents, which are employed to establish discourse on the relationship between simple human emotions – love, happiness, agony –
​through the language of abstraction."
Picture
‘Onlooker’ Inkjet print on Vinyl. Chader Haat, Kolkata. 2015
"Investigating human values in present time, I take ordinary mundane objects, scenes, symbols & characters, and introduce them as symbols of something much deeper.”
Picture
“The multidisciplinary nature of my work
is inspired by fugacious exploration of human existence
​with an unrestricted palette."

Picture
"Using representational elements in union
with repetitious forms,

I emphasize the pleasures of eternal entanglements."

Picture
"I take from the world around me – whether it be semiotics
or journalistic materials like newspaper, magazine photos
or television news.

It could be something as banal as driving signs,
fashionable textile patterns,
or any significant infographic I find on my mobile app."

Picture
"The complex union of incoherent images, vivid colors and layered application designed with both digital tools and paint brush, invite us to communicate.”
0 Comments

“The Mural Artist’s Handbook” by Morgan Bricca

11/7/2022

0 Comments

 
Here is another one of my favorite books from my library:

“The Mural Artist’s Handbook”
by Morgan Bricca
Picture

Are you ready to try your hand at painting a mural?
Have you wondered how to find clients who will pay you to paint?
In Morgan's handbook you will learn how to b
uild an art business
that is sustainable and fun!  


• Find clients
• Develop a site-specific design
• Select the right materials
• Block in a mural


"Morgan has done a great job of showing how she has created
a thriving business from her passion for painting murals!

 She gives excellent advise on the ins and outs of working by commission and maintaining your own creative vision at the same time." -Roberto
Picture
I particularly like her
“Nature is Home”
Native Bird Murals
series

Picture
Morgan has painted fifteen flower and bird murals
throughout Ilha das Flores in the Azores, Portugal
in the summer of 2017.

These murals were mainly hand painted on public buildings and ruins, most near the main town of Santa Cruz,
a town of about 900 residents.

(Read about her adventures with this project HERE !)
Picture
Picture
Picture

​In addition to sharing her mural painting expertise
and talent through her “Handbook”
Morgan has an excellent
​ BLOG
on her website

https://muralartistshandbook.com/blog/


...and a fantastic PODCAST!
“If These Walls Could Talk”
  promoting the art of mural making and exploring
best practices for creating successful mural projects!
-Great Job Morgan-
(Check it Out!)

https://muralartistshandbook.com/podcast/

Also

Sign up for her monthly
Newsletter
and receive her latest news and updates
delivered directly to your inbox.

"I really enjoy following this generous and talented Muralista as she shares her creativity and vision for a better world
through mural painting!" -Roberto
​
0 Comments

Ian Roberts and the Search for Beauty

10/31/2022

0 Comments

 
Are you into landscape painting?
I know I am!

So here’s a link to some of my landscape paintings
​and drawings.
Picture
’Stunt Road Up Two Miles’ Roberto Quintana, Acrylics on Canvas


​Ian Roberts
is into landscape painting too!

Sign up for his Weekly newsletter
and FANTASTIC Video tutorials.


Picture

Ian Roberts has been painting for over 40 years.
He attended the New School of Art and
​the Ontario College of Art in Toronto.

He also studied figure painting in Florence, Italy.
He now teaches plein air painting in the U.S. through his school 'Atelier Saint-Luc',
named after the patron saint of painters,
​in Los Angeles, California.
​

Picture
​Each week Ian shares a 5-7 minutes video on some aspect
of composition and how it plays a foundational role
in our painting.
"This Guy really knows his stuff!
(and He shares all the Tricks of the Trade.)
I’ve been following Ian for many years now and I always learn something new from him!" -RQ

​
Picture
​He also has an excellent Video series:
“The Search for Beauty”
One artist’s journey to understand beauty

https://thesearchforbeauty.com/videos/


Picture
Plus…
He has written TWO of my favorite books in my library!!




“Mastering Composition”
Techniques and principles
to dramatically improve
​your painting
​

by Ian Roberts
​

(40 minute video included)

Picture
AND…


“Creative Authenticity”
16 Principles to Clarify and Deepen Your Artistic Vision
​
by Ian Roberts






​If all that's not enough!
​​He has also produced several other videos:
​

Mastering Composition from Photos:
​Light & Shadow
,

Mastering Composition from Photos: Landscape Painting
​

 Mastering Composition,

 Plein Air Painting, 

Design,

Color, 




0 Comments

Bombing Science and Fuse Awr

10/24/2022

0 Comments

 
Here's an interview of Fuse Awr
(from the 'Bombing Science' Blog)
Awr is a Los Angeles graffiti artist 
who began painting
​in the 1980s, before relocating 
to Colorado in the 1990s.
INTERVIEW: FUSE AWR MSK
https://www.bombingscience.com/interview-fuse-awr-msk/
Picture
"Native Son (This Saint Flyod)” 2016, aerosol on stucco, El Mac and Fuse Awr.
This mural is a collaboration with El Mac.
​​

Picture


Bombing Science ​is a web site
all about Graffiti Art!

     Bombing Science has been a great source for graffiti pictures since 1998 and a complete online graffiti supplies store.
     They are the official retailer and distributor for some of the most popular graffiti products such as: Molotow premium paint, DANG, Ironlak, Flame Paint, Krink markers and many more.
     They pride themselves on supporting graffiti artists from around the world, giving them exposure in their graffiti blog and supplying them with the finest tools.


​
Check out their Graffiti Photo Library…

Picture


​​And...  they have Links to 60 different graffiti street art walking tours ​around the world!
Picture

Plus a good Tutorial for beginners…
Picture
    1. Intro
    "Graffiti techniques and tricks have grown tremendously over the years, and from its underground roots on the gritty streets, they’ve been past on and developed through word of mouth for years. But here at Bombing Science, we want to share our experience and knowledge of graffiti with you. We came up with some in depth analysis and some of the fundamentals of the graff game in this graffiti tutorial, all to help you master the craft. Nothing can bring you those super sharp outlines and flawless colour schemes quite like going out there and getting your hands messy. We explore the theory and some tips (literally) behind the essentials of graffiti. You’ll learn how to paint a graffiti piece from start to finish.
    We start off breaking down the basics of graffiti tools, from can control to cap selection, these are the essentials that everything else will be based on. Once that’s wrapped up, we jump into letter structure, the foundation of any graff piece,  from tags to burners. Once letter structure is established, style is then explored creating a sense of originality to a piece or throwie. From there we delve into the intricacies of the trade,  from extensions to cut backs, we cover them all so you can get a feel for when to use what, and why. Finally we jump into little tricks that often go overlooked but can come in handy in a big way."
  • 2. Can Control
  • 3. Letter Structure and Style
  • 4. Colour Theory and Fills
  • 5. Extra Doodads
  • 6. Backgrounds and Forcefields
  • 7. Tricks of the Trade
  (I especially like Mr. Ferocious’s techniques for extending the last bit of paint in the can or the trays when your on-site! -RQ)


And they also have...
​

a forum​,​
https://www.bombingscience.com/graffitiforum/

and a shop!
https://shop.bombingscience.com/

Including FREE​ stuff!
https://shop.bombingscience.com/free-graffiti-supplies

They also have a great Blog...
with more Interviews, Reviews of supplies, featured artists, and videos!

https://www.bombingscience.com/

Check it out!
​Peace and Love -RQ



0 Comments

John Singer Sargent's Murals at the Boston Public Library

10/3/2022

0 Comments

 
Here's a good follow up to the earlier post I did on 
​
Edwin Austin Abbey's murals:
Picture
John Singer Sargent’s mural cycle 
'Triumph of Religion'


"Check out these lectures sponsored by
​the Boston Public Library!"

The Sargent Lecture Series:
New Interpretations of Sargent’s Murals
at Boston Public Library

 

John Singer Sargent’s mural cycle at the Central Library
in Copley Square, spanned twenty-nine years of the prolific artist’s career between 1890 and 1919.
A century after a public controversy around Sargent’s 1919 installation reached a peak in 1922, Boston Public Library gathered a group of conservators, historians, curators, and authors in May 2022 to revisit this significant project in Sargent’s life and to offer new interpretations
​of the murals.
The talks make connections across local and international collections and resources to promote the further study and discussion of Sargent’s library works.


Picture
New Interpretations of Sargent’s Masterwork at Boston Public Library
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbXGHv4_e9I
​

May 9, 2022  Meghan Weeks

      Join BPL’s Curator of Interpretation for a virtual exploration of John Singer Sargent’s Triumph of Religion mural cycle at the Boston Public Library.
​      This introductory lecture will examine the evolution of the project over three decades between 1890 and 1919, and offer fresh insights into the visual study of these masterful murals on public display.
​

Picture
Reflections on the Restoration
of John Sargent's Murals at the
​Boston Public Library

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj0F0x2jzr8&t=8s


May 10, 2022  Gianfranco Pocobene and Kate Smith

      In 2003-2004, the Straus Center for Conservation undertook the comprehensive conservation and restoration of the Sargent murals which also included in depth technical analysis of the artist's painting techniques.
      This talk focuses on some of the more complex treatment issues that conservators faced during the fifteen-month project.
​
Picture
Sourcing the Madonna of Sorrows: Painting, Sculpture and Sargent’s Spanish Photographs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfMej2a_cw0
​

Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Chloe Sharpe introduced by Richard Ormond


      Sargent’s Madonna of Sorrows, installed in 1916, was the culmination of over twenty years of research into Spanish religious iconography for the Boston Library murals.
      The painter’s fascination with the spiritual power and rich materiality of Spanish art led him to amass a significant collection of photographs of sculptures, which has only recently been rediscovered in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
      This lecture explores the significance of these and other sources for interpreting the murals’ meanings.


Picture

​More images of Sargent's mural panels at Boston Public Library are available at Digital Commonwealth.

and more videos!


The Uncanny Sargent: The View from Conservation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS52Nxdj2kI


Lecture: Richard Ormond on John Singer Sargent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOuD5oZZQf8&t=7s



​

0 Comments

El Mac / Miles MacGregor : Muralist / Artist

9/26/2022

2 Comments

 
O.K., so here’s another amazing Muralist and Artist out there that I’ld like to share with you all:
https://elmac.net/
Picture
"Ánimo Sin Fronteras" (Spirit Without Borders), 2014, aerosol
Painted in downtown El Paso, Texas.
​This mural represents resilience and strength,
and complements the fighting spirit
of the classic boxing mural next to it.
The figure is based on a man named Melchor Flores,
who has been fighting to get answers and justice
for his son who was picked up and disappeared by police
​in Nuevo León in 2009.
In honor of all those who fight for justice.
​
​
Picture
"Abuelita of Presidio" 2018, aerosol on metal
Mural located on the US-Mexico border and commissioned
by the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs.
A binational gesture of goodwill painted on a ten-story high water tank in the remote border community of Presidio, Texas, facing its southern neighbor Ojinaga, Chihuahua, and bearing the likeness of a humble local resident named Linda.
​


Picture
"Native Son (This Saint Flyod)” 2016, aerosol on stucco
Commissioned for The Manitou Art Center (The MAC)
in Manitou Springs, Colorado.
The mural is a collaboration with FUSE AWR,
a Los Angeles graffiti veteran artist
who began painting in the 1980s before relocating
​to Colorado in the 1990s.

The mural depicts legendary and reclusive local artist
Floyd Tunson (born 1947), who had a retrospective at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center a couple years before
EL MAC's exhibition there in 2015.
Tunson is a Colorado native who has been creating art in his Manitou Springs studio for over 30 years.

"It was a pleasure getting to know him, and I would consider him one of the most inspiring and interesting people I've met.
​I recognize in him a deep love for creation, experimentation, and a certain shared philosophy that art and life are inseparable." -
​EL MAC
​

Picture
"El Regalo Mágico” 2016, aerosol enamel & ceramic tile on brick
 Located in the East Harlem section of New York City
in collaboration with Celso González and Roberto Biaggi
of CERO Design, Puerto Rico.
The title of the mural,
"El Regalo Mágico / The Magic Gift"
refers to the gift of inspiration.
The figure is based on respected Nuyorican author
Nicholasa Mohr, who lives nearby, and is known for being one of the first widely published Latina authors
in the United States.

Cero's part, the geometric infinity pattern that forms a halo around the figure, is composed entirely of tile mosaic.
The mural is located in "El Barrio", East Harlem,
on the side of a large elementary school
at 111th Street and Lexington Avenue.

The mural was created as part of a public arts project
called MonumentArt, curated by Celso Gonzalez.

​

Picture
"Our Lady of Aalborg" 2013, aerosol
Painted in Aalborg, Denmark
while there for a solo show at Galerie Wolfsen.
The mural is across the street from the maternity ward of Aalborg University Hospital,
so an iconic symbol of motherly love
seemed appropriate for this location. 
​


Picture
"Tower of Songs" 2017, aerosol and acrylic on brick
A massive tribute to Leonard Cohen
commissioned by the City of Montreal and MU
​in cooperation with the Cohen family.



Paintings:  Aerosol/Indoors
https://elmac.net/aerosol-indoors
Picture


​
​
​ 19 Videos​! about El Mac / https://elmac.net/videos-
Picture
El Mac, Retna and Kofie were commissioned to create a mural for the Manifest Equality Event
held in Hollywood, California in March, 2010.

The mural was painted over three weeks after completion without notice or warning
​by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences!

​
About EL MAC (Miles MacGregor):
    An internationally renowned artist born and based in Los Angeles. He began painting both smaller indoor works as well as public murals and graffiti in Phoenix in the mid 1990s, and since that time has developed his unique visual aesthetic and rendering style which utilizes repeating contour patterns. His work draws on influences from classical European art, social realism, symbolism and devotional art, as well as the Chicano and Mexican culture he grew up around. He is best known for his meticulous paintings and large-scale murals exploring feminine beauty and honoring ordinary, overlooked, or marginalized people. He has been commissioned to paint all over the world, for museums, universities and other cultural institutions, including the Groeninge Museum (Belgium), San José Museum of Art (California), Northeastern University (Boston), University of California (San Diego), QAGoMA (Brisbane), Fondazione PRADA (Italy), and the Mexican secretariat of Foreign Affairs, as well as murals in Belgium, Cambodia, Cuba, Denmark, England, Germany, Ireland, Morocco, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and Viet Nam. For over twenty years he has aimed "to uplift and inspire through careful, perfectionist renderings of both the sublime and the humble".

​
All images copyright MAC ART LLC ©MMXXII
2 Comments

JOHN PUGH / Narrative Illusionism

8/29/2022

1 Comment

 
Picture
"Pool of Thought"
John Pugh, Trompe L'oeil Artist,
American Muralist, Optical Illusion Painter, has created
​more than 200 murals and is considered to be
the leading proponent, authority, and practitioner of
​Narrative Illusionism.

​
Picture
JOHN has been creating murals since the late 1970s.
He attended California State University Chico,
receiving his BA in 1983 and the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2003. He has received numerous public and private commissions in the United States, Taiwan, and New Zealand.
John lives in Santa Cruz, California.
​Visit www.illusion-art.com
Picture
    John Pugh's murals appear in more than 30 cities throughout the country, including San Francisco, Miami, Honolulu, and Anchorage.
Pugh's work has been featured in publications worldwide, including Time magazine, Artweek, Art Business News,
the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times,
​and the San Francisco Examiner.

​

"Okay, So here is another great book for the library!":
Picture
“The Murals of John Pugh: Beyond Trompe l'Oeil”
                by Kevin Bruce

    A full-color collection of master trompe l'oeil muralist John Pugh's art, alongside detailed analysis - from conception to unveiling - with an emphasis on how his work relates to and enhances its setting. Includes more than 40 full-color photos of the murals depicting architectural, natural, and pictorial settings.
    This full-color collection showcases Pugh's most famous pieces, discusses how he revitalized the trompe l'oeil ("trick of the eye") genre into a vital mode of artistic expression, and illuminates the artist's creative process from sketch to finished mural.
Picture
"River of Mercy"
Picture
      “For more than three decades, world-renowned trompe l’oeil artist John Pugh has engaged and captivated the public with large-scale mural projects in spaces across the world, including San Francisco, Miami, and New York, as well as Taiwan, Mexico, and New Zealand. His “trick of the eye” murals cleverly fool the viewer into seeing a modern facade’s broken wall revealing Greek columns or a woman reading in a cafe. But Pugh’s paintings also capture the imagination and engage the mind. Within a framework of artfully rendered illusionary space, he orchestrates layers of historical, social, and mythical commentary that challenge the viewer to find deeper levels of meaning.
     With a body of work now exceeding 200 murals, Pugh has been instrumental in revitalizing the trompe l’oeil genre, turning it into a legitimate and vital mode of artistic expression that is both aesthetically and intellectually challenging.
     In Pugh’s own words:
 ‘It can link people together, stimulate a sense of pride within the community, and introduce the viewer to new ideas and perspectives.' ”     
     -Kevin Bruce, (Author of The Murals of John Pugh: Beyond Trompe L’oeil, 2006) is a native Californian born in San Francisco in 1941. He is currently engaged as an art historian and author with a focus on chronicling the contemporary mural. He resides with his wife and fellow mural archivist, Pauline, in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Berkeley, California.
​

Picture
'Light Walk"
1 Comment

Michael Carter / pendulum painting

8/22/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
‘Solstice’ 2017 48x34, Acrylic on Canvas by Michael Carter
Michael Carter, b. 1975, Cambridge, MA, lives and works in Los Angeles, CA, he received a MFA from Claremont Graduate University.
​
His work is an investigation into metaphysical theories of art and the cultural history of science, philosophy, and religion.
Picture
Recent exhibitions include:
Seasons, Los Angeles, CA; ​Hansell Art Gallery of the Philosophical Research Society, Los Angeles, CA;
​JOAN, Los Angeles, CA; Nicodim Gallery, Los Angeles, CA and Bucharest, RO; Laband Gallery at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA; the Art Gallery at Glendale Community College, Glendale, CA; Machine Project, Los Angeles, CA; Steve Turner, Los Angeles, CA; and Roberts Projects, Culver City, CA.
Picture
‘Making Space’ -Glendale Community College, December 4, 2017
 ‘Making Space’, sited off an elevated footbridge connecting the Science and Humanities buildings on the campus of Glendale Community College, is a practical investigation into the possibility of universals today. What are the conditions that connect us in the human experience? Gravity is one such condition—an ever-present force that intimately effects our lives yet also is responsible for shaping planets, forming solar systems, and structuring our galaxy. The pendulum is a highly sensitive instrument that facilitates a personal collaboration with this cosmic-scale phenomena. The pendulum series is an encouragement to question a mechanistic understanding of reality and recall to our awareness the infinitely receding and never-crossed boundary of the unknowable.
Picture
​​'Out of Discord Comes the Most Beautiful Harmony'
Philosophical Research Society
October 10, 2018

'Out of Discord Comes the Most Beautiful Harmony' is the simultaneous creation of a cosmic mandala by a monumental-sized 'pendulagraph' and a healing sound-bath by quartz-crystal singing bowls. Together with artist and metaphysician Michael Carter and sound-bowl practitioner Kristin Palombo, the audience will contribute their vibrational presence in seeking to harmonize the impersonal, cosmic law of gravitation and the felt experience of pure sound vibration. 'Out of Discord Comes the Most Beautiful Harmony' proposes the possibility of unifying the grand opposites of our shared reality: finite and infinite; subjectivity and objectivity; form and emptiness; masculine and feminine; cosmic and terrestrial; law and chaos. In this unified field, our consciousness can travel into altered states of being, opening the doors to new conditions of mental and spiritual experience.
Out of Discord Comes the Most Beautiful Harmony
Philosophical Research Society, October 10, 2018



Picture
“MICHAEL CARTER: THE SPIRITUAL IN ART"
March 18, 2021
"EMS visited the studio in February 2021 and produced this
17 minute short film. I discuss the origins of my work with the pendulum, Thought-Forms and Theosophy, my performances at the Philosophical Research Society and Nicodim Gallery
, and preview new work." -
Michael Carter

Watch “MICHAEL CARTER: THE SPIRITUAL IN ART”
0 Comments

UNIVERSITY AND PARK AVENUE MURAL PROJECT

8/15/2022

0 Comments

 
The Riverside Art Museum
(RAM)


Riverside’s Eastside community has a rich history of diverse residents coming together to make their neighborhoods spaces where families can gather, connect, and feel safe. The Riverside Art Museum proudly  supports an artist-in-residence program with Juan Navarro who works with residents and non-profit organizations to beautify and transform spaces throughout the Riverside Eastside.
Picture

During October 2021’s Artswalk, Juan Navarro, the lead artist on the University and Park Avenue Mural Project, took over RAM’s Instagram, live, with all the participating artists: Adrian Boyer, John Cuevas, C. Matthew Luther, Robin Luther, and Daniel Toledo to celebrate this new community mural project located at the gateway to the Eastside, at Arci’s Candy at 2870 University Avenue.
​
​
Picture
Take a ride with Juan Navarro through Eastside Riverside
​to see the University and Park Avenue mural!

0 Comments

Fun with Paint! / Pour-Painting

7/11/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
I recently had a visit from a good friend of mine from up-state New York, and he reminded me about a pour-painting project his fiance' worked on during her collage years. I looked up the YouTube video and there she was! Pouring her little heart out.
Nice job, Rita!
Picture
If you think this looks like fun...
Here are a few great blog-sites for some cool
​Pour-Painting techniques and materials:


Jerrys Artarama
Picture
Acrylic Pouring Painting Art – 3 Acrylic Pouring Techniques & Supplies

​Fluid Painting Blog:
Picture
acrylic-pour-techniques

​Ken Bromley Art Supplies
Picture
9 Basic and Advanced Acrylic Pouring Techniques 

​Olga Soby
Picture
Pouring TIPS! Gorgeous VIOLET + TURQUOISE + GOLD ~ Acrylic Pouring
0 Comments

Edwin Austin Abbey: American mural painter

6/27/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture


Edwin Austin Abbey (1888)
by John Singer Sargent


​
     Edwin Austin Abbey was an American muralist, illustrator, and painter. 
​
(April 1, 1852- August 1, 1911)
     He flourished at the beginning of what is now referred to as the "golden age" of illustration, and is best known for his drawings and paintings of Shakespearean and Victorian subjects. 
       He completed a series of murals for the Boston Public Library in the 1890s. In 1908–09  Abbey began an ambitious program of murals and other artworks for the newly completed Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. These included allegorical medallion murals representing Science, Art, Justice, and Religion for the dome of the Rotunda: four large lunette murals beneath the dome, and multiple works for the House and Senate Chambers. For the Senate chamber he finished only one painting, 'Von Steuben Training the American Soldiers at Valley Forge', and he was working on the 'Reading of the Declaration of Independence' mural in early 1911, when his health began to fail.
​        Studio assistant William Simmonds continued work on the mural with little supervision from Abbey, and with small contributions by 
John Singer Sargent. (from: Wikipedia)

Picture
Lunette and medallion murals (1908-11)
Pennsylvania State Capitol Rotunda.
Left to right: The Spirit of Vulcan, Science, 
The Spirit of Religious Liberty, Art, 
The Spirit of Light.
Picture

​
Picture
Apotheosis of Pennsylvania (1908–11)
House Chamber, Pennsylvania State Capitol.
Picture
More over here at the GurneyJourney...

​Part 1: E.A. Abbey, "Greatest living illustrator"
    http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2013/06/part-1-ea-abbey-greatest-living.html


0 Comments

Unfaded Pageant: Edwin Austin Abbey's Shakespearean Subjects

5/30/2022

2 Comments

 
“Here’s another of my favorite books from my library”…
​

Picture

"Unfaded Pageant: Edwin Austin Abbey's
Shakespearean Subjects"

by Lucy Oakley
Wallach Art Gallery, 1994
8 1/2 x 11", 104 pp.
88 illus., 9 in color

ISBN 1-884919-00-6, Paper
​

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/wallach/publications/
Unfaded-Pageant.html

​
This excellent catalogue features 75 items.
Extensive note section for the five sections in this catalogue. A mighty reference. Includes a useful chronology and the following essays:
Abbey and Shakespeare;
Illustrations for the Comedies;
Paintings Exhibited at the Royal Academy;
Costume Designs for Henry Irving"s Richard II;
Illustrations for the Tragedies and Histories.
​
​Chronicles the history of the artist's Shakespearean work, which influenced late Victorian stage productions, and examines his interpretations in the context of late Victorian attitudes towards the plays and the wider context of English art. Contains numerous b&w and color illustrations spanning the range of Abbey's Shakespearean art, including sketches, book and magazine illustrations, costume designs, and oil paintings and studies.
​Distributed by the U. of Washington Press.
Picture
King Lear, Act I, Scene I (1898)
Edwin Austin Abbey
Picture

​
Picture

​

"The Queen in Hamlet" 1897
​ Edwin Austin Abbey


See more over here...
​

The American Artist Who Loved Everything British: Edwin Austin Abbey’s Shakespeare Paintings
https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/abbeys-shakespeare-paintings/



2 Comments

Miles Toland: Surrealist / Muralist

5/16/2022

0 Comments

 
Here is a FANTASTIC artist and muralist
that I’ve been keeping an eye on.

Especially check out his murals at
the ‘Beatles Ashram”

    https://www.milestoland.com/beatlesashram

Miles has a solo show going on right now
in Denver, Colorado!
Picture
Miles Toland’s surreal paintings capture the mysterious
places we visit between sleeping and waking.

He invites the viewer into this liminal space by blending familiar elements of our objective world
with ethereal textures and geometric patterns.
The mandalas... suggest the subjects’ energy
extending beyond their physical bodies
and into the realm of spirit. 

Miles approaches his art as a practice
of bringing resistance into resonance,

honoring the beauty in decay,
​ and finding wisdom in nature’s forms.
Picture
A SOLO EXHIBITION
BY

MILES TOLAND
At
RYAN JOSEPH GALLERY
- ​
in Colorado -
https://www.ryanjosephgallery.com/

'THE FAMILIAR UNKNOWN'
14 MAY - 8 JUNE 2022

This being his first solo exhibition in Denver,
Miles has been tirelessly creating magic
in his studio for this special occasion.

Opening reception will be Saturday, May 14th , 5 - 11pm.
Miles will be present for the opening reception,
​ and hosting an Artist Talk. 

​
    https://www.milestoland.com/selectedworks    
Picture
0 Comments

Laura Wilder, Print Maker: Fundraiser for Ukraine

5/9/2022

4 Comments

 
Laura Wilder’s ‘Fundraiser for Ukraine’, a worthy cause if there ever was one. Donations will go toward the Ukrainian relief effort at the International Rescue Committee (rescue.org). Your purchase will help send vital supplies to displaced Ukrainian children and families!
This special print is available now through May 15.

  Laura makes beautiful prints and here is an opportunity to have one  AND to make a difference! 

Art really Can save lives!!
​

        https://laurawilder.com/proddetail.php?prod=UkraineRelief

 
https://mailchi.mp/37e8757cdf89/almost-30000-raised?e=b9c1873b75

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajahLOgJSsY&t=4s
Picture
A message from Laura Wilder:

Hi there friends...
Our fundraiser ended in the wee hours this morning, with amazing results. In a little over three weeks, we received 593 orders,
for 748 prints! 

…making a grand total of $33,330 to help folks impacted
by the war in Ukraine!

We are so grateful to every one of you who helped us with this urgent mission! We’re mailing the check today!


https://mailchi.mp/71756779bfde/almost-30000-raised-9019217?e=b9c1873b75

_________________________



“WOW, that's  FANTASTIC! 
The entire ‘Staff’ here at Art & Soul Productions is going WILD!
WooHoo!!

Congratulations on such an amazing response! You and Bob are really going the extra mile and showing us all what it means to follow your dream… and thereby make a difference, and a real contribution, to creating a better world for everyone! “ -Roberto 




4 Comments
    Picture

       ...to Roberto's Blog!

      "Duit-On-Mon-Dai"
     
        Roberto has been pestering the ‘Marketing’ staff here at Art and Soul for some time now to get together with ‘Research and Development’ to come up with a fun way for him to share all the great work out there of all the many other talented muralists and artists he's been "influenced by" over the years. ‘Sales’ was totally against the idea! ("How could that possibly improve the bottom-line?!"). ‘Marketing’ remains split, as usual ("We need more data"). ‘R&D’ thought it might be a fun way to "show off a little", and to showcase all those great ideas they keep finding out there on the internet. ‘HR’ said it might be a good way to keep 'The Crew' distracted ("Since they are all so bored since Covid hit, and Roberto is spending more and more time in his studio working on all those silly little easel paintings").
    'The Crew' said: ’'Sure, We've got nothing else going on …but only if we get to share stuff about technique, materials, and equipment." ‘Receivables’ said: "It obviously won’t make more work for us, so why not!". 'Legal' said: "No Way! You are NOT going to reveal where you steal all your ideas from!" (Although Roberto values their legal advice, He rarely listen’s  to their hysterics anyway). So... here we are! Welcome to Roberto’s new blog:
     
     "Duit-On-Mon-Dai"
    ​
         "As the title implies, I will post once a week (on Monday, more or less). Feel free to leave a family friendly comment. Dialogue and praise is encouraged. Creativity, passion and wonder should be expected. Politics and personal grievances hopefully kept to private emails. And please… no Whining! and no sales pitches either (you can make your own damn blog for that).
       I expect to start becoming a little more savvy with all this social media stuff, but for now ‘Bookmark’ my website and check back every once in a while. I hope you will find it interesting. Don’t be too persnickety over my whimsical spelling and creative punctuations either, my
    Editorial Department is not what it used to be… I am seriously understaffed these days."   
     Peace and Love...
    ​     -Roberto Quintana, WFA

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022

    Categories

    All
    Artists / Muralists
    Books / Videos / Blogs / Pods
    Color / Light / Perception
    Events / History / Genre
    On The Street
    Rabbit-Holes / Misc. / Philosophy-Lies
    Tools / Technique / Drawing / Painting

    RSS Feed

Permission Statement: The contents of this web site are protected under copyright and other intellectual property laws. All images and text on this web site are copyright 1980-2021 Roberto Quintana dba Art & Soul Productions and/or their respective owners. All of the artwork on this web site has been hand-painted and/or designed by Roberto Quintana, one of his talented associates, or provided by an affiliate or a client. No portion of this web site may be reproduced, duplicated, copied, sold, resold, or otherwise exploited without the express written consent of Roberto Quintana. Any artwork on this web site that resembles your wonderful and precious artwork is purely accidental, and a huge coincidence, really. Oh, and any representation or likeness to anyone famous, living or otherwise, is most likely also an accident. Every effort has been made to give credit where it is due to clients, associates, and affiliates. If I have left you out please contact the studio, let's get this straightened out right away! Students and teachers may quote images or text for their non-commercial school activities. You also have my permission to quote images or text on your non-commercial blog, website, or Facebook page as long as you notify me by e-mail, give credit on your site, and provide a link back to this web site. For use of text or images in traditional, or non-traditional print media, or for commercial licensing rights, please e-mail the studio for permissions.