Episode 9: Exile on Main Street (Challenge)

From Bravo: "China and Simon take the remaining artists out of their comfort zone, to a quaint town in the Hudson Valley. The artists wander the streets, meet the locals and seek inspiration from a slower-paced lifestyle. They are instructed to create an undated version of Americana using only materials sourced from the town."
-To put it plainly: The artists had to pick out a stranger from a small town and do a unique portrait of the person based on what the artist learned about their subject on the spot.

[See the full recap and extras on the Bravo site here]

Our Challenge:  Pick a person, any person.  Do their portrait.  Show us your work and tell us about it! 
Submissions (1-2 images of your work and a brief description) due to lindseysmo(at)gmail(dot)com by Monday!  Have fun with this one, guys!

Episode 8: Sell Out

From Bravo: "Simon takes the artists on a field trip through the streets of New York City. After turning a corner, a row of empty tables and easels is revealed –- one for each artist. In the ultimate battle of commerce vs. "high art," the artists will work in teams to create a minimum of one piece of art that they must sell to the public, but that is also worthy of presenting in a gallery show the following day. The winner of the challenge will receive a cash prize in addition to keeping the money they earned selling their work."  Check out all the deets here.

So...

Here's the thing for last week (Episode 8):  I really couldn't think of a way to adapt this challenge for us home participators.  Also, participation overall has fizzled.  One person submitted to the car challenge and offered to not be showcased here if no one else submitted.  I've also been dealing with some personal/health whatnots of my own and I'm less than enthusiastic about this season.  I think the timing is just way off for me (and everyone, it seems).  I'm certainly not quitting on you guys and I'll post a challenge for tonight's episode (promise).  And if you guys are still in and want to create something, then I'll absolutely post it here.  If not?  I'm in no position to judge you.

Cheers,

~Lindsey

Episode 7: La Dolce Arte (Challenge)

From Bravo: "The artists must utilize one automobile component from a Fiat 500 and transform it into a piece of art. From utilizing the engine block, being inspired by the facade, or even using the leather seating as a canvas, the contestants have total artistic freedom."

[See the full recap and extras on the Bravo site here]


Our Challenge: Clearly, we all don't have access to Fiat 500 car parts.  Or any car parts for that matter.  So we're going to have to adapt this a little:  Make a sculptural piece inspired by a car or any part of a car.  That's it!  Get creative with this one!  And have fun!


Remember, submissions (1 -2 images and a small blurb about your work) are due Monday to lindseysmo(at)gmail(dot)com.

Episode 6: Street Dealers (Works)

You guys, I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get this posted.  I've had the plague for about a month.  And with exception of the last few days, I spent the previous week-and-a-half doped up on Children's Benadryl and in bed.  I nearly missed Thanksgiving.  Anyway... on to the artwork!

Artist: Becky Cochrane

"This is a photo I took at the Houston Arboretum in April 2008. During times of stress or frustration, I seek out places like this one. When my mind races with all the things I wish I could change, I come back to this mantra, so I put it on the wall--but only in the photo. I'm not subversive enough to ever tag someone else's property. If I did, though, I'd sign it with a ram symbol because I embrace my Aries nature."

"Welcome Home"

Artist: Kathryn Read
"The Bible study for this week is to focus on the purposes of our lives.  I believe one of the main purposes of my life is raising my kids.  Since the artists on "Work of Art" were paired up to work on a large public piece of "street art", I decided to go literal. I paired up with my neighbor girls who helped me make a chalk art drawing to welcome home my son from college."

Artist: Brad Dumm

"I went to the Palm Springs Gay Pride Parade during the first weekend in Nov. and had a great time. This drag queen was so funny! I took lots of pictures of her. For this challenge I took one of those funny pictures and photoshopped it onto a gate door in my back yard. I like the way it came out..."

 

 

Untitled for now

 Artist: Lindsey Smolensky

"Okay, so this is just the raw sketch for the street art piece I'm doing.  I haven't finished because I've been sick for what seems like forever.  I barely had the will to shower, let alone paint.  So imagine this image on a painted "brick wall" and colored in... just for now until it's finished and then I'll post the final product.  Thanks for understanding."

Episode 6: Street Dealers (Challenge)

From Bravo: "The remaining artists are challenged to leave their mark on New York with a work that embodies the subversion of street art."

[See the full recap and extras on the Bravo site here]

Our challenge: Obviously I don't expect you all to go out in the dark of night and tag a 40ft wall.  SO: create a work of art that embodies the subversion of street art.  Use a giant canvas, use plywood, use a piece of paper (the images will all be the same size on the website).  Just make sure it screams "Street art!"

As always, submissions (one or two images and a blurb about your work) are due to lindseysmo(at)gmail(dot)com by 11:00AM Monday.  Personally, I'm so stoked about this one I could just burst... or something...

Have fun, you guys!  I can't wait to see everyone's works!

Episode 5: Ripped from the Headlines (Works)

Title: The Polarizing Nature of Celebrity Outing
Mixed media on 8x10-inch stretched canvas

Artist: Becky Cochrane
" I drew words from newspaper articles and ads to illustrate contentious issues around the public's near-obsessive speculation about celebrities' sexual orientation. These words surround closet doors which, when opened, reveal an article about yet another couple thrust into the limelight and the "Are they? Aren't they?" publicity that surrounds them."

"Contentment"

Artist: Kathryn Read
" My Bible verse for this week was from Hebrews 13:5, speaking of contentment. The headlines of late have been about "The Occupiers" protest movement. I wanted to point out that those on both sides of the issue seem to me to be in the wrong...we should be content with whatever our position in life, not being selfish in what we've been given, and not begrudging others what they have."




*More works to come!*

Episode 5: Ripped from the Headlines (Challenge)

From Bravo: "The artists must rummage through bins of newspapers to find a headline that strikes a cord with them and are then challenged to create a piece of art that illustrates the story they selected."

[See the full recap and extras on the Bravo site here]

Our Challenge: Find a headline from any newspaper that strikes a cord with you and create a piece of art illustrating the story you select.  Additionally you need to find a way to incorporate some of the newspaper itself into the work.

Remember, submissions (one or two images of your final piece and a small blurb about your work) are due Monday by 11:00am to lindseysmo(at)gmail(dot)com.