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.

Episode 4: Back to School (Works)

Child's piece serving as inspiration: "Flowers" by Jared Kim, found here.

"Porcelain"
Graphite, pen, ink, acrylic, & water color on 140lb water color paper.

 Artist: Lindsey Smolensky
"The moment I saw Jared's piece I knew I wanted to use it.  I instantly fell in love with his color palette and his playful, less traditional depiction of a still life.  I'm not typically one to enjoy still life paintings, but this one I love.  Instead of a literal translation, I went with a porcelain face instead of a porcelain vase (with my own spin on it) and a more abstract use of florals.  Additionally, I really wanted to stick with (and honor) Jared's color palette."

Child's piece serving as inspiration: "For Mommy" by Kathryn's daughter, Brooke Read

"Love"

 Artist: Kathryn Read
"Even though I do art projects with elementary school kids, I chose to do something a little more personal and use a piece of artwork that my daughter Brooke had given me many years ago for Mother's Day. The piece is quite abstract and reminds me of blowing wind, flowing water, and flowing lava. I tried to think of those things as I was painting with the same color pallet she had used. The heart was a nod to the love shared between child and parent, with the thought in mind of the verse for this week: --And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.--Colossians 3:14."

Child's piece serving as inspiration: A collaborative piece by two 1st grade classes (tackling a concentric circle mosaic inspired by Russian abstract painter Wassily Kandinsky) found over at Studio-Kids: A Place for Kids and Art.

"The Kids Are All Right"
Acrylics and bottle caps on twelve 2x2-in canvases mounted on one 8x10-in
canvas

 Artist: Becky Cochrane
"This is the newest addition to my Bottle Caps and Friends pop art series. I think that we're born innately creative. Children's creativity is encouraged and rewarded, often until they reach a certain age, when they're directed to more 'practical' pursuits. I think if creativity continued to be nurtured into adulthood, we'd be more fulfilled as individuals and as societies."

Child's piece serving as inspiration: Artwork from an Easter Seals 2012 calendar.  You can purchase the calendar HERE.  Proceeds will help Easter Seals provide support to children and adults living with autism and other disabilities and the families who love them.

 Artist: Brad Dumm
"I found this art, done by a child of a sun with sunglasses and painted hands as the sun rays. It was used for an Easter Seals 2012 Calendar. I took the concept and used my Photoshop skills to create my own version of the Easter Seals art."

 

Episode 4: Back to School (Challenge)

From Bravo: "In the spirit of youthful imagination, the artists are challenged to create a piece of art inspired by the original artwork of the child they are paired with."

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

Our Challenge: Find an original piece of artwork created by a child.  If you have kids in your life, get something from them, or you can Google image search "children's artwork" for a plethora of images.  And Rhonda came up with an excellent idea of using Methodist Hospital greeting cards, all created by child patients.  Make sure that whatever children's artwork you choose, you're able to site your source and give credit to the kid's work.  I will not post your piece if you cannot credit the child's piece.

Once you have your child's artwork to serve as inspiration, create a work of art that is inspired by and compliments your child's masterpiece.  Submit a photo of the child's artwork as well as one or two images of your final piece (and a small blurb about it) to lindseysmo(at)gmail(dot)com by 11:00am Monday.

I'm really excited about this one and I hope all of you are, too!  Have fun!

Sidenote:

I know last week was a rough one for a lot of us, and I hope everyone gets past their sicknesses and stresses much sooner than later.  I just want to say that if any of you do decide that you'd like to make a POP art piece or if anyone new would like to come in and rock out any of the previous challenges:  Go for it!  Feel free to submit any of the previous weeks' works to me any time.  I'll be sure to update the site with the new material.  I don't want anyone to feel discouraged from submitting works after the fact.  That being said, have fun watching the show tonight and I can't wait for this week's challenge!

XO,
~Lindsey

Episode 3: Make it Pop (Works)

"The Created vs. The Creator"

 Artist: Kathryn Read
"This week I combined the styles of Pop Art artists Andy Warhol, Jim Dine, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Indiana, and Wayne Thiebaud.  The scripture passage focus in my Bible Study group for this week was Psalm 139. With this week's Work of Art challenge, I tried to make the statement that "Pop Culture" places the focus of life on the people and things that are CREATED... entertainment, celebs, food, money, even nature and our own bodies, instead of focusing on the CREATOR...GOD."

"The Three R Movement"

 Artist: Lindsey Smolensky
"One of the biggest movements going on in popular culture today is "going green."  More and more people are getting passionate about reducing/reusing/recycling.  People are being encouraged every day to find innovative ways to reuse materials instead of creating more waste.  And in the process of doing so, many of these people are finding that they have a real passion for it.  This illustration is my commentary on that growing passion for preserving our planet."

"Before and After"
Mixed media on 8x10-inch stretched canvas

 Artist: Becky Cochrane
"There are events or moments in our lives which we recognize as "before and after" points. As a girl, I really did want to teach the world to sing and live in perfect harmony, and Coke gave my generation one of our first points of visibility in the advertising world with that song.

As part of my Bottle Caps pop art series, I show that most American icon, the Coca Cola logo, as a cluster of balloons floating away against the sky. What replaces them in my life is a different visual: white balloons released at AIDS memorial services and funerals. These five white balloons are goodbyes to my friends Steve R, Jeff C, John M, Tim R, and Pete M."