Thursday, September 29, 2011

Celebrate the creative spirit with art, food, music, and more!

Chalk It Up is a free, family-friendly creative event sponsored by Art Pace. San Antonio's premier artists transform city sidewalks into colorful works of art.

SASIC needs your help to complete a super-sized street mural. Sign up to represent our school today!

Students and Teachers who would like to participate in this event, please sign up with Mrs.Martinez.

This annual community event is an opportunity for locals and tourists alike to appreciate and participate in our city's creative resources.

Date: Saturday, October 8, 2011                                                               
Time: 10:00am-4:00pm

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Happy Birthday, Caravaggio!

(born September 28, 1573 - died July 18, 1610)


Caravaggio was an Italian painter whose revolutionary technique of tenebrism, or dramatic, selective illumination of form out of deep shadow, became a hallmark of Baroque painting. Scorning the traditional idealized interpretation of religious subjects, he took his models from the streets and painted them realistically. His three paintings of St. Matthew ( 1597–1602) caused a sensation and were followed by such masterpieces as The Supper at Emmaus (1596–98) and Death of the Virgin (1601–03).
The Inspiration of Saint Matthew, 1602
Oil on canvas, Contarelli Chapel, Church of San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome

Supper at Emmaus, c. 1600-01
Oil on canvas, National Gallery, London


The Death of the Virgin, 1605-06
Oil on canvas; Louvre






Tuesday, September 27, 2011






"Art is everywhere, except it has to pass through a creative mind."
 - Louise Nevelson, 1899-1988, United States (born: Russia)

Monday, September 26, 2011

Sketching in SAMA's Galleries

San Antonio Museum of Art
200 W. Jones Ave.
San Antonio, TX 78215
Phone: 210/978-8100  
Venue Description
Originally built in 1884 as the Lone Star Brewery, the San Antonio Museum of Art is one of the most impressive art museums in Texas. Its permanent collection contains Asian Art, European and American paintings, and antiquities from the Greek and Roman era. The Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Latin American Art presents the museum’s extenisve collections of pre-Columbian art, Latin American Folk art, Spanish Colonial art, and Contemporary Latin American art.

Map Directions

Wednesday, September 21, 2011



"There is no abstract art. You must always start with something.  Afterward you can remove all traces of reality."

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

The First Modern Engineer

Filippo Brunelleschi

Born in Florence in 1377, Brunelleschi, like his peers Ghiberti and Donatello, was apprenticed to a goldsmith, Benincasa Lotti. They worked amidst the slums of the Santa Croce quarter. It was there that young Brunelleschi learned the skills of mounting, engraving and embossing. He also studied the science of motion, using wheels, gears, cogs and weights.

Brunelleschi's most important achievement in mathematics came around 1415 when he rediscovered the principles of linear perspective using mirrors. He understood that there should be a single vanishing point to which all parallel lines in a plane, other than the plane of the canvas, converge. Also important was his understanding of scale, and he correctly computed the relation between the actual length of an object and its length in the picture depending on its distance behind the plane of the canvas. Using these mathematical principles, he drew various scenes of Florence with correct perspective. These perspective drawings by Brunelleschi have since been lost but a "Trinity" fresco by Masaccio still exists which uses Brunelleschi's mathematical principles.

Brunelleschi has yet more claims to fame. In 1421 he became the first person to acquire an industrial patent. It gave him a three-year monopoly on the manufacture of a barge with hoisting gear which was used to carry marble from the Carrara quarries to the gates of Florence, sailing upstream on the Arno. Finally we should mention the fact, in the tradition of ancient Greek architects, that he made stage sets for shows and festivals.
He was buried in the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore but it was only in 1972 that his tomb was discovered having been lost for hundreds of years.




Sunday, September 18, 2011

Happy Birthday, Mark di Suvero!

Mark di Suvero
(born: September 18, 1933)

One of the foremost 20th century American abstract sculptors involved in monumental works, Mark Di Suvero is known for his gigantic sculptures constructed primarily from industrial I-beams. Born in China and trained at the California School of Fine Arts, he began by making three dimensional junk art from scraps, before constructing his 1966 LA Peace Tower. During the early 1970s, he stayed in Europe, where he started constructing his monumental outdoor abstract sculpture for which he is now best known.
One of the most prolific American sculptors, Di Suvero is responsible for a huge amount of public art throughout America, his best known works include Storm Angel (1973-4, Square Chabas, Chalon-sur-Saone); and Arikidea (1977, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis Sculpture Garden).

The Calling, 1982, Bluff Park, Milwaukee

Luck's Prime, 2008
steel, rope, aluminum, rubber, wood

al di la, 2008
steel, stainless steel


Thursday, September 15, 2011

"Art addresses itself to the mind, and not to the eyes.  It has always been considered in this way by primitive peoples, and they are right. Art is a language, instrument of knowledge, instrument of communication. " 

Wednesday, September 14, 2011


25th Annual
HECHO A MANO
 MADE BY HAND

A FINE ARTS & CRAFTS MARKET
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES


1.  Original, handcrafted items (including artistic photography) are eligible. Artwork must be Hecho A Mano/Made By Hand by the participating artist. All artwork displayed must be for sale.


2. Artists must submit five (5) samples of the work they would like to sell as printed copies, in JPEG format on CD or e-mailed to chris@guadalupeculturalarts.org. Artwork will be juried based on skills and craftsmanship, as well as marketing success for this event.


3. All completed and signed application forms are due by 5 pm on Friday, October 14, 2011. Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted. Invitations accepting or letters declining participation will be sent by Friday, October 28, 2011.


4. The artwork will be installed in the Guadalupe Gallery. Space will be determined by the curator and assigned according to marketing and inventory needs.The Guadalupe has the sole and final decision on the location of all artists in the market.


5. A 35% commission will be charged on all sales. Cash, checks, MasterCard, Visa, and American Express credit cards are accepted for all purchases.


6. Delivery date will be specified when the artist receives a contract.


7. Artists are encouraged to be present during all or a portion of the event. Although all precautions will be taken against theft, the Guadalupe is not responsible for stolen items. Security will be present throughout the event.


8. All artwork on display must be for sale. Buyers will take all items with them at the time of purchase.


9. All unsold artwork will be inventoried at the end of the event.
All remaining inventory MUST be removed at the close of the event, post inventory. Artwork will NOT be stored for participating artists.


10. Checks will be mailed to artists within 30 days of sale.
No monies will be issued before this date. Arrangements can be made to pick up checks.

GUADALUPE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER
1300 Guadalupe St. • San Antonio, TX 78207
210.271.3151 • Fax 210.271.3480
www.guadalupeculturalarts.org

Hecho A Mano is open to all US artists and craftspersons. To maintain the high quality of traditional and contemporary art and crafts a panel of jurors selects the artists to participate in Hecho A Mano.
¡Gracias!

Download Hecho A Mano Application Form : hecho_pg2Fidnal2011

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Legendary Master Scratchboard artist . . .

Norman Gaddini was a well-known and respected professional artist from Sonoma County, California. Acknowledged as a Sonoma County (California) living treasure, he was vital and active, even at 96 years young, until his passing on June 1, 2007. Besides being a prolific artist whose extraordinary skill and technique was consistently evolving, he grew breathtaking fuchsias, was an active member of several organizations, and worked for hours maintaining his extensive garden every day.

What is so extraordinary about his art? Norman worked in several media: watercolor, acrylics, pen and ink, and scratchboard. But, it was his “scratching” that brought him the most recognition. It started in 1975 when Norman was the first artist to add full color to black scratchboard. Nowadays, his work graces collections around the world.


Meadow Scence (18"x 24" colored scratchboard)

Sunset over the Ocean (24" x 18" colored scratchboard)

“Diekmann’s General Store, Tomales”
(24" x 18" black and white scratchboard)


Thursday, September 8, 2011

Loteria: Images of Our Culture - Imagenes De Nuestra Cultura. New paintings by David Blancas

 

Loteria: Images of Our Culture - Imagenes De Nuestra Cultura.

New paintings by David Blancas

Presented by Centro Cultural Aztlan at Centro Cultural Aztlan

Lotería, the Mexican game of chance, provides the format for a bicultural exploration of the Mexican-American identity. This series of 54 new paintings based on the popular game from Mexico will take the viewer on a journey that delves into social, political, and cultural iconography from the US and Mexico.

Descending from several generations of musicians, Blancas chose a different path from that of music. Born in May of 1973 in Nueva Rosita, Coahuila in Mexico, he started drawing and painting at an early age. After graduating high school in 1991, he began studying fine art at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He achieved recognition in several regional and national art competitions. In 1997, he placed first in the national art competition “El Arte Que Nos Mueve” sponsored by the Chrysler Corporation. In 2001, Blancas was again the first place winner of the same award held to commemorate National Hispanic Heritage Month. He established Pintura Artwork Company in the summer 2002; a studio and art gallery that produces private as well as community based art projects.
He currently resides in San Antonio, where he lists painting, portraiture and mural work to his credits.

Opening reception: 
September 9, 2011
6pm - 9pm 

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Duct Tape Drawings


The works of Joe Girandola attract our attention to minute details often overlooked in the corrupt rush of modern society. Though classically trained as a stone carver in Italy, Girandola has veered away from the media concentrating on three-dimensional drawings and paintings using a variety of materials. One medium of choice is Duct Tape. Invented originally to weatherproof military ammunition boxes, the tape’s color was characteristically Army green. With the rise and abundant use of Central Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) units, the matte gray color and universal name of Duct Tape was introduced. The drawings on this site reflect the ingenuity and creative force behind the thrill of victory and the pursuit of innovation and invention against difficult odds. The stark portraits in varying colors of tape are prevalent in Girandola’s works as he investigates a number of societal problems that are routinely covered up in our quick fix society.


Another Day in LA (Duct Tape on Canvas)

Duct Tape on Canvas, Arnot Art Museum Exhibition

Horse Sense (Duct Tape on Canvas)


Monday, September 5, 2011

Julian Beever

Julian Beever, a contemporary artist, has created anamorphic pavement drawings for over twenty years.  These pavement drawings have included both renderings of old masters and plenty of original inventive pieces of work.


The following are a few of his pavement drawings:
The portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, Oxford Street, London, 1999

Times Square in Times Square

Spiderman to the rescue

Meeting Mr. Frog

Self-Portrait of the artist with Liquid Refreshment

Saturday, September 3, 2011

"All art is an individual's expression of a culture. Cultures differ, so art looks different."
              - Henry Glasssie, 1941, Author, The Spirit of Folklore

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Happy Birthday, Yasuo Kuniyoshi!

Yasuo Kuniyoshi
(born September 1, 1893 - died May 14, 1953)


Japanese-American painter, born at Okayama. He emigrated to the USA in 1906 and studied first in Los Angeles and then, after moving to New York in 1910, at several art schools, notably the Art Students League, 1916–20. His work shows evidence of his Oriental origins only in a very vague way. In the 1920s and early 1930s he painted in a slightly whimsical manner, often with pastoral imagery, but in the 1930s (at which time he began to achieve serious recognition) his style became more sensuous; his pictures of moody women are indebted to those of his friend Pascin. His later work showed a deepening social and political conscience, expressed in harsher colouring and sometimes disquieting imagery. During the Second World War he designed posters against Japan, but since the 1960s there has been a growing interest in his work there. From 1933 until his death Kuniyoshi taught at the Art Students League.



Strong Woman and Child, 1925