Fine Arts Federation Show Photos + Tucasa Women's History Month Show Closes

The Fine Arts Federation Membership Show is an annual event at the Betsy Leuke Creative Arts Center Gallery in Burbank, CA. It usually features close to 60 artists. My entry was a drawing from 2001 that had never been shown before. There's always a lot of pottery in this exhibit because the center has an active pottery studio in the back. The gallery itself is beautiful. The show closed March 22nd.

This event celebrated the renaming of the center in honor of
the late Burbank arts supporter, Betsy Leuke.

Partial view of the beautiful, large gallery.

My work on the left.

Title: "Chega de Saudade" ("No More Blues"), a favorite Jobim samba.

Personal favorite: lovely hand-painted bowl.

Another view. I can't find the artist's name!

Several ceramic pieces, including a prize-winner.

Title: "Empty Vessels"

Tucasa celebrated National Women's History Month with an art exhibit featuring women artists. It opened March 2nd with "An Art & Music Night" at Sabor y Cultura in Los Angeles, CA. I had five mounted digital prints from my "Songbook" series in this show, which just closed on April 30th. Sabor y Cultura, known as a "coffeehouse with flavor and culture," is a charming venue that offers tasty light meals and evening entertainment in addition to its rotating art shows.

Art Auction at The Loft at Liz's

Hosted by writer Genie Davis, The Loft at Liz's presents a silent auction and raffle featuring dozens of art works donated by prominent Los Angeles area artists to raise funds for long-term medical care for chronic tick-borne disease affecting her daughter, Nicole, and two-year-old grandson, Aaron.

In addition to raising funds, spirits will be raised with a meal of Italian food, wine, and seasonal desserts, plus live music. I won't be able to attend, so I hope you'll enjoy some pasta for me!

The art auction is also available for bid online through Tuesday December 5th!

Contributing artists include: Zadik Zadikian, Kaloust Guedel, Zachary Aaronson,  Kate Carvellas, Chuka Susan Chesney, Robert Costanza, L. Aviva Diamond, Tom Dunn, Cynthia Friedlob, Leonard Greco, Karrie Ross, Tracy Weiss, Phil Santos, Skye Amber Sweet, Robyn Alatorre,  Michael Giancristiano, Rouzanna Berberian, Gary Brewer, Julian Hernandez, Gary Pawler, Bleep, and many more.

"Artie Shaw" Prismacolor drawing, matted and framed in black, 8-1.2"x12" Opening bid: $125. Buy it now: $200!

"Artie Shaw" Prismacolor drawing, matted and framed in black, 8-1.2"x12" Opening bid: $125. Buy it now: $200!

"Artie Shaw" Prismacolor drawing, matted and framed in black, 8-1.2"x12"

Opening bid: $125. Buy it now: $200!

Auction + EXPO Contemporary + Brewery Art Walk

Lots of news! ~ Young mother, Nicole Saari, is the daughter of writer Genie Davis, whose work you might have read on the popular arts blog, Diversions L.A. Nicole has late stage Lyme Disease and requires expensive treatment not covered by insurance. Many local artists have donated work to live and online auctions to help raise funds. Take a look here where you'll find my 8-1/2"x12" matted and framed drawing entitled, "Artie Shaw," (above) available for only $125! That's far below retail or what you'd pay at Art Walk. Free delivery in the L.A. area, mailing anywhere at cost. You can help Nicole, plus enjoy owning an original drawing by me! Thank you.

"Artie Shaw" © 2013 Cynthia Friedlob
8-1/2"x12" matted and framed in black

If you've been following my art adventures for the last several years, you know that I was one of a dozen L.A. artists who were invited to be the first in the U.S. to create art on wine barrels for the BOTART International collection. If you'd like to know the story, click here to see photos and read my blog post about making "Tipitina," my painted wine barrel which is third from the front in the photo below. The barrel is painted with confetti shapes and black lines representing the streets of New Orleans, and has Mardi Gras beads on top! About fifteen barrels from the now large collection were on display last weekend at the EXPO Contemporary art show presented by Fabrik Magazine at The Reef in downtown L.A. Tickets are available here. These festive barrels are not for sale, but they are great fun to see, and they are always shown with plenty of art that is available for purchase.

"Tipitina" - confetti shapes, black stripes (representing the
streets of New Orleans), and Mardi Gras beads on the top!

And, finally, don't miss the Brewery Art Walk coming up on the 29th and 30th of April! Yes, the world’s largest art community is once again opening over 100 of its studios to the public

Located northeast of downtown Los Angeles, off the 5 Freeway’s Main Street exit, The Brewery sits on 16 acres packed with creative energy. During Artwalk, you can look forward to talking with the artists about their work, sampling the tasty fare of the many food trucks, and enjoying a beer garden hosted by our very own Barbara’s restaurant, all in an exciting, engaging environment.

The artists of The Brewery are known to be on the leading edge of the Los Angeles art scene. This is THE go-to art event in Los Angeles, so join us at The Brewery, where art lives!

I'm back at the location of my very first Brewery studio at 642 Moulton, E31. Map is below and you'll get a color-coded map when you arrrive. There's free parking on the surrounding streets and in the adjacent UPS lot, but please be there by noon to make sure you can find a spot.

642 Moulton, E31

"Cut/Paste" Reception at Art Share L.A.

I'm so pleased to have been invited to be a part of the "Cut/Paste" small group show at Art Share LA in the heart of the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles. I enjoyed seeing all of the work and thought it was all beautifully installed (thanks, volunteers!). Thanks to the committee members who selected the artists and thanks to Executive Director Cheyanne Sauter for putting together such a great show!

The colorful building!

The show is up through the 27th. Gallery is open
Wednesday - Sunday from noon to six. Stop by!

The first five pieces on the wall are my drawings (created with
Prismacolor pens and/or color pencils).

With artist Yvonne Beatty, Art Share L.A. Executive Director
Cheyanne Sauter, and artist Andre Miripolsky.

Cool art by another artist, this one in the companion show,
"Rock. Paper. Scissors," in the gallery.

Cool art by another artist in "Cut/Paste."

Nice size crowd came to the event.

Me with artist Andre Miripolsky.

Artist Yvonne Beatty and I are in front of my drawing, "Baroque."

With my partner, John Semper Jr., in front of "Baroque." The smaller
drawing is entitled, "Artie Shaw." Both are done in Prismacolor pens.

"Summer Samba" Drawing

It's going to take more work to get a good photo of this drawing entitled, "Summer Samba." It's another fairly large piece done with colored pencils and the delicate colors are hard to capture. Making them dark enough to register also makes the paper look gray, which it isn't. And even with the grayish paper, all the colors don't show up. Ah, the challenges! -- But I like the cheerful feeling and musical composition.

Spirit Series: Rain, Moon, Mountain

Maybe because I grew up in the West I have an affinity for Native American art, especially the geometric shapes and the bright colors. The Spirit Series drawings reflect that appreciation. Here are three examples, all made with Prismacolor markers:

Spirit Series: Rain

14" x 11" custom matted & framed
Not currently available for sale

Spirit Series: Moon

approx. 9" x 12" watercolor paper
$250.00 unframed, free shipping U.S. only

Spirit Series: Mountain

approx. 9" x 12" watercolor paper
$250.00 unframed, free shipping U.S. only

Dance

Sometimes the simplicity of drawing with pen and ink is so appealing to me. Lovely blank paper offering endless possibilities. Straightforward expression of emotion with the pen. In this piece I wanted to capture the feeling of a dancer's movement and the rhythm of the music that inspired the dance. I like the energy of this one-of-a-kind pen and ink drawing.

13-1/2"x16-1/2" custom matted & framed in black
$350.00 free shipping, U. S. only

Orchestra

There's nothing like the experience of hearing live music and, for me, nothing quite as moving and powerful as a live, full orchestra. The textures and layers of instruments can completely envelop and transport an audience. I tried to convey that mysterious, beautiful complexity in this original, one-of-a-kind pen and ink drawing.

13-1/2"x16-1/2" custom matted & framed in black
$350.00 free shipping, U.S. only

No Zen

Sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century, a Japanese artist named Sengai Gibon created an ink on paper work of art called simply "Circle, Triangle, Square." His drawing (one of each of the three shapes) is very popular and is reproduced frequently in books and posters. Author David Rosand has stated that "...the image has given rise to many explanations of the 'meaning' of its components, ranging from heaven, man and earth to three forms of Buddhism, but the image transcends specific symbols."

I think that the image resonates with us because these the three basic shapes are so familiar to everyone, no matter what our background or cultural heritage. My drawing playfully turns the tables on those familiar, comfortable shapes by letting them run wild. Clearly not a reflection of what we usually consider "zen." And yet, perhaps...

13-1/2"x16-1/2" custom matted & framed in black
$350.00 free shipping, U.S. only

Map

Wouldn’t it be nice if life had a map? Clearly laid out roads, dangerous areas marked so that they could be avoided, pleasant detours identified. Sometimes that sounds very appealing.

Instead what we live with is total immersion in uncharted territory. The whole place seems to be covered in a dense fog that conceals plenty of obstacles and there are no roads at all.

Using the familiar circle/triangle/square symbols, this original, one-of-a-kind pen and ink drawing reflects the way we usually navigate through our world, thinking that we’re being logical, but really just leaping from one thing to another, grasping at the things that make us comfortable. Absurd!

How I yearn for a map.

13-1/2"x16-1/2" custom matted & framed in black
$350.00 free shipping, U.S. only

Mondrian

It would take far more space than I have available here to expound on the significance of Piet Mondrian to pure abstract art. I adore his rigid forms, his limited color palette, his almost clinical approach to abstraction. But while creating this tribute (yes, this drawing is a tribute to him, odd though that may seem) I speculated about what he might have thought had he lived another sixty years or so and how that would have affected his art. How would he have reacted to what computers can do now, or the explosion of the media, or scientific discoveries about the essence of matter and space? In this original, one-of-a-kind pen and ink drawing I eliminated all color and broke up the grid he preferred. What would he think if he were here now?

13-1/2"x16-1/2" custom matted & framed in black
$350 free shipping, U.S. only

Zero Seven One Five

The title of this piece refers to the date it was completed. Made in the spirit of my piece entitled, “No Zen," the familiar circle/triangle/square elements seem almost frantic in their crowded, overlapping state and offer no comfort or even respite. Yet, right in the middle of the chaos, there are solid forms that are like rocks. Are we tempted to cling to them, or maneuver around them, or maybe pass right through them?

13-1/2"x16-1/2" custom matted & framed in black
$350.00 free shipping, U.S. only

Static

There could be a double meaning to the title. The angled, crisscrossing, jagged lines that seem to crackle and crash into each other can clearly represent the annoying noise we call static, that irritating, humming, buzzing that no one I’ve ever encountered appreciates. But also in common usage, static can mean still, unmoving, unchanging, often with a negative connotation. How peculiar that a word can refer to a lively yet grating sound at the same time that it means something stationary and immovable and, perhaps by inference, quiet.

Maybe there’s a triple meaning to this title. Think of that shock of static electricity that we’ve all experienced on a dry day. That’s a very energetic charge. Or – yet another meaning – consider the slang use of the word which means angry criticism or obstruction.

I confess that I prefer the term as it’s defined in physics: “Of or relating to bodies at rest or forces that balance each other.” This original, one-of-a-kind pen and ink drawing represents those forces that balance each other. Movement and stillness in harmony.
 
13-1/2x16-1/2" custom matted & framed in black
$350.00 free shipping, U.S. only

Baroque

After years of being a jazz afficionado, somehow I got completely hooked on classical music. I'd always enjoyed it, but for ages it became the only thing I was interested in hearing. A little JS Bach, a touch of Vivaldi, a bit of Handel and I was quite content. Baroque music has been defined as "structured but lively" and that's what I wanted to depict in this original, one-of-a-kind, pen and ink with colored pencil drawing.

17" x 21" custom matted & framed in black
$800.00 free shipping, U.S. only
SOLD

Jazz

This drawing was made (rather obsessively, I confess) with pen and ink and colored pencils. Music has always played a significant role in my life and, for a very long time, jazz was my favorite type of music. I was attracted to the structured flexibility of the form, the opportunity to improvise and stretch beyond conventional boundaries. I suppose it should be no surprise that this musical interest would be reflected occasionally in my artwork!

19" x 19" custom matted & framed in black
(image size approx. 10-1/2")
$800.00 free shipping, U.S. only