Celebrate the Arts...the MUSD students in action

As promised earlier, the video went live on YouTube after it was uploaded and processed.  I don't understand all the steps and widgets involved once they have the video, but it went into a queue with others that took a while to get it processed.  Hint, if you watch it in YouTube you will get a high definition option where you can really see the details.

The event was fun.  MUSD and Monrovia is blessed with some really talented youths.  They will only get better.

Complete and updated Celebrate the Arts set is up on flickr now.

A little artistic diversion for a Saturday night

Saturday 7/30 was one of the Monrovia Association of Fine Arts' Art Walks. As part of the infotainment fellow artist member Heather Shaw and I teamed up for a painting swap-a-thon. A Swap-a-thon is a team painting where we take turns adding layers upon layers of paint to a canvas until we come to a final painting. The process takes a couple of hours and is fun for us as artists as well as entertaining and educational for those watching us on the sidewalk as we do our painting.

We don't work from a picture or a scene in the street. It is purely an exercise in painting from imagination. The final painting is always a surprise to us as one never knows what twists will take place when the swap takes place. Eventually you hit the zone where you are putting in final details and you are done.

Day is done...fine tuning with CS5 from RAW Files

For reasons unclear this set of images keep drawing me back to work them differently for different reasons. Maybe its because it was a colorful sunset, something generally lacking here in So Cal unless we have a raging fire somewhere, or because the location has special meaning to me. Not sure, but I keep reworking.

Today I took one of the bracketed exposures and used nearly all the tools available in CS5 "Photography" section to adjust and fine tune exposure, color, hue, lens correction etc to get to this image "Day is Done".

Tonight, July 31st is the second of the Monrovia Association of Fine Arts Summer Art Walks and it is dedicated to photographers. I'll be there in the Paint n Play Studio and Art Gallery from 7-10PM. IF you see me and are in the mood for a little tipple, just ask as there is a private reception that I can invite anyone I want into at the back of the gallery. The Paint N Play Studio and Gallery is located at 418 S Myrtle Avenue, Monrovia CA. (This is the shameless self promotion portion of this post).

One Step closer to the Autochrome look.

I hate to say it, but if they still made the Autochrome plates I'd be first in line to a) buy them and b) buy a large format camera so I could use them. The more I research them the more I fall in love with the impressionistic renditions of the subject they produced. Amazing that even war torn France in WWI yielded stunning images for its day.

So I am torn with how to shoot, I don't want a whole lot of modern references in the images to keep that old timey look and feel. Part of me says run out and shoot the new and give it the same treatment. The debate will range internal for a bit as the next few days are pretty with stuff.

How I got to this image for those of you wanting the technical details.

First I opened a stock image I had from Bodie CA shot a couple of summers ago. I duplicated the image and closed the original. (Never work from an original unless you want to risk accidentally saving a manipulation and losing it forever).

Next create a duplicate layer. Go to adjustments, saturation and reduce the saturation on that layer by about 1/2.

While in that layer you will visit the "Filters" section a few times.

First go to Artistic and chose "paint daubs".

Second go to Artistic and chose "film grain" and chose a medium sized grain.

Third go to "Brush strokes" and chose "Ink Outline" and chose a smallish brush stroke.

Go to blending tool and scroll through options to get to "lighten". Adjust opacity and voila a pretty close rendition of an Autochrome is ready for sharing and printing.

BTW...shameless self promotion. If you don't have anything to do Saturday evening August 29, pop in to see me in Old Town Monrovia for the Monrovia Association of Fine Arts final Art Walk of the summer. Details on LA Metblogs.

giving is good

Sometimes its just good to share your art and give it to someone who will appreciate it.  You can get the full story on metblogs.  The short version is East Valley Community Health Center, a local non-profit in the area reached out to the Monrovia Association of Fine Arts to see if they could get some art on their walls.  They did, two from me, including this one shot in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  

My appeal to any artists here who'd like to add some art to the walls of the East Valley Community Health Center contact Mila Arroyo, Public Policy Director at 626-919-4333 ext221.

I'm just a little jazzed....I got front window

I'm jazzed, it wasn't by some grand design I got front window...but I did and I'm not complaining. The location is totally accidental and placement was alphabetical order. Pays to be a "Z" sometimes doesn't it? (Thats me on the far right, 2nd from the top - an abandoned rail car).

The show I'm in is the take all comers, worldwide pool of contributors for the "Snap to Grid" show at the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art in the DTLA Arts District. Tonight was the opening reception for the show that will run through the end of the month. I put up a short post this morning on LA Metblogs. Cool show if you want to see the many directions people are exploring with digital art I highly recommend stopping in. Its free and there is cheap parking right around the corner so you don't have to tip-toe through bums to get to the show.

Snap to Grid runs now through November 1, 2008

Just a little reminder the Monrovia Association of Fine Arts is holding its 45th Annual Celebrate the Arts event in the Monrovia Community Center. It is located just off Myrtle at 118 W Palm Avenue in Monrovia's historic Old Town section.

Also, Saturday night is a new facet to the Celebrate the Arts. We are having a Reception and handing out out some awards to some great people in town who contribute to the arts here. First is the "Renaissance Award" going to Kathie Reece who owns the Aztec Hotel and has supported MAFA over the years including donating her lobby and two street front stores in the hotel for Gallery space featuring MAFA artists. Also James Farmer a MHS is getting an award for his 38 years of teach art and inspiring artists.

The reception has a donation of $25 per person, which is tax deductible as MAFA is a 501(c) non-profit. With that you get to see the art while nibbling away at goodies and sipping wine (do tip the wine-tenders as they are donating their services and wares). You'll get some music, meet some artists and a chance to bid on some reserved pieces of art in a silent auction donated by artists for this event.

Oh yeah, come see me too - I'm the feature artist at this years event. Not sure what it gets me other than some publicity, but free is still better than a kick in the pants. Hope to see you!

MAFA Celebrate the Arts Press Release

I'll only put up press releases here that a)involve me and b) will be shameless self promotion.  Since I am the "featured artist" at the coming Celebrate the Arts show with MAFA and mentioned all over the place in the press release this one will qualify.

The Monrovia Association of Fine Arts, formerly known as the Monrovia Arts Festival Association presents the 45th Annual CELEBRATE THE ARTS, a weekend festival of Fine Arts on October 11th and 12th, 2008; 10:00am – 6:00pm Saturday and Sunday at a new location; the Monrovia Community Center, 119 W. Palm Avenue in Monrovia (right across the street from the old location at Library Park which is currently closed for construction). This event promises to provide fun and entertainment for the whole family and anyone interested in all aspects of the arts. Local oil painters, photographers, sculptors and watercolor artists from Monrovia and surrounding communities bring their artwork to share and display during a two-day festival sure to delight families and children alike.

This year’s Featured Artist is landscape and nature photographer, Frank Zgonc, a MAFA Executive Board Member and past president of the Monrovia Association of Fine Arts who has been diligently working to promote the arts in the local community of Monrovia and surrounding areas for many years. Frank Zgonc is a photographer who prefers to consider his art as painting with the tools created for personal digital computers and yet presenting his work in a medium more reflective of traditional watercolor images. His process of printing photographic images on wet watercolor paper produces impressionistic images that enhance the communication of his philosophy, embodies emotions and provides the viewer with a sense of place; “Life is about exploring, art is telling the world what we found”, he states.The watercolor photography is only one area he explores. The digital art in particular has been a significant focus for him in the last year. With this technical skill, Frank intends to go more surreal and impressionistic in the future, obtaining some of his inspiration from his travels in Europe where Frank Zgonc is a listed artist at the Saatchi Gallery in London. Frank Zgonc has continued to expand his exploration of artistic mediums in the technical realm by producing a valuable source of community and pertinent artistic information expressed through his blog: http://frazgomeanders.blogspot.com and he is also a writer with the Metroblogging team where one may follow his escapades at http://la.metblogs.com/author/frazgo. Enjoy a visit to Frank Zgonc’s website at www.mindscapewatercolorphotography.com

Additionally, some of the artists exhibiting work at the Monrovia Community Center and or providing demonstrations include some of the following well-known and continuing supporters of the Monrovia Association of Fine Arts: Photographers Doug Gordon, Stephen Coleman, John Houseman and Ginger Van Hook. A variety of watercolor artists include, Betty Glass, Horst Albers, Setsuko Okubo, and Elaine G. Smith. Oil Painters include Roz Newson and Luke Van Hook. Glass artists Christina Hughes, as well as others will be displayed as well as acrylic artist George Schopeck, collage artist Millie Havens, and ceramist Sal Perez.  New artists coming on board are yet to be announced and the event is rallying the whole community to come out to Monrovia Community Center to CELEBRATE THE ARTS!

Monrovia Association of Fine Arts is a nonprofit (501c) corporation with a mission to promote the arts in the local communities. The mission statement is “To enhance the lives of those within our community through interaction with the arts and to increase the opportunities for our children through art education.” Local art is featured in a variety of MAFA supported venues such as the PAINT N PLAY FINE ARTS GALLERY located at (418 South Myrtle Avenue, Monrovia), FOCUS ONE FINE ARTS GALLERY (404 East Huntington Drive, Monrovia), THE AZTEC ART GALLERY (305 West Foothill Blvd., Monrovia), as well as the latest gallery to have joined the art milieu, Route 66 Art Gallery located at 301 W. Foothill Blvd., beside the Aztec Hotel in Monrovia. Art is also displayed on the walls of the popular gourmet sandwich and coffee shop (under new management) at THE MONROVIA COFFEE COMPANY (425 Myrtle Avenue, Monrovia), as well as the very young up and coming artists venue: KIDSART located at (128 East Lemon, Monrovia). California Wine and Cheese, located at 115 W. Foothill Blvd is another special artist venue  and A number of supporting vendors who continue to create an inviting and nurturing environment for the artists and their arts exist all over the Monrovia community.

There you go.  Shameless self-promotion at its best.  I look pretty good in print.  Now come enjoy the show, visit with me and buy something!

Icons and stuff

Nothing screams LA or So Cal in general quite like the Palm Tree. Miami tries to use it, but they keep having hurricanes blow them away.

I have a love hate relationship with them. They do bring drama to a skyline. They do symbolize the old Hollywood of myth and romanticism. Unfortunately when a frond decides to fall they can do some serious damage when they hit something. Rats love them for nesting at the top. They make great torches when a bottle rocket hits them igniting all the dried stuff.

As always this was shot RAW, 3 bracketed frames. Photomatix was used for the HDR file generation and tone mapping. The final wash for the unnatural saturation of the old cibachrome stuff was done with the help of Virtual Photographer.

Am in full prep mode. Processing images then printing. Soon is framing and matting time...ugga.

Don't forget, mark your calenders for the Monrovia Association of Fine Arts Celebrate the Arts on October 11 & 12. At the community center across from the Library Park in Old Town Monrovia on Palm Avenue. I'll have a lot of what you have seen the last few weeks at the show.

An image a day...and catch ups

I must be insane, but that is the goal. One image a day until MAFA's Celebrate the Art's October 11 & 12. Between that show and Kathie Reece's request I bring more into the new Aztec Gallery and fill a wall I have my work cut out.

Shoot more, at least 3X just set aside a morning or evening to do just that. I hear they turned the San Gabriel River on again so maybe I'll meander down there.

Vanity, insanity there is a fine line but I really want to pull together some strong new images along the Orton theme I have been exploring the last few months. Since I am the featured artist for this years show I really want to have the biggest impact at the show yet.

The first two are new images shot the other day. Interesting things that caught my eye either through repetition of shapes or sweeping curves and brilliant contrasts. The last is an old favorite from a trip to the Easter Sierra's a few years ago. I think I'd like to do that one again soon.

Quite the honor tossed my way!

I got the call the other day. The Monrovia Art Festival Assoc (soon to be officially renamed Monrovia Association of Fine Arts) has named me "Featured Artist" at this year's Celebrate the Arts to be held October 11 & 12 2008 here in Monrovia.

President Bill Beebe gave me the news, told me I earned it for all the work I put into the organization as well as the consistent quality of my images. His parting words..."Go forth and produce some great new things".

Well, I think the Orton series I just kick started today may be the trick. I'm totally digging the effects being recreated in the digital realm. Virtual Photographer helps recreate the soul of the old silver based media it was originally done in.

This image is my most favorite so far. I have a lot to go back and do. Duh...I have no idea why I never dug into it more. Enjoy, more to come. I have an "Orton" set running on Flickr so enjoy the set at it grows. Drop me a note on what you like or dislike and why. I like feedback. Honest.

Artists are flakes...well most are

Bare Cupboards, Bodie CA

I can't say all my peers are flakes but enough are. To my delight one of my fellow artists flaked and forgot about the show tomorrow and is not going to show up. I got the call this morning asking if I had enough to fill one wall. YES!!!

Now I have a chance to expand on the Arrested Decay series I started in Bodie and the HDR stuff I have been running amouk with for a while. Following the path of greated curiosity is what keeps one going. Having a tub of stuff stored helps when you get the change to do a bigger show.

Here is the additional items I will be showing at the Focus One Gallery. Installation is tomorrow morning. The whole group will up until the end of the year. The entire collection can be viewed during their regular business hours. The list:

Bare Cupboard, Bodie, Digital Photography

Silent Crib, Digital Photography

Colonial Oven, Digital Watercolor Photography

Old Faithful, HDR Photography

Siene Sunset, HDR Photography

Chapel of St John the Evangelist, Tower of London, HDR Photography

Tromp L'oiel Aeroplane, HDR Photography

I bought Art....

Yeah, I know its a fine line between collecting and stalking. A friend of mine here at MAFA is also an incredible painter. Rick Kess has worked for disney studios as an illustrator for years, and more recently as a modeler for other film companies. Great guy. Great wit. Please forgive the crappy camera phone photo, but you get the gist of it all...tiki, olives and martini's total ode to the 1960's cocktail hour!

Anyway...after a few glasses of a really nice siraz my check book was adequately loosened, as was my better half, and I partook in the auction with the Monrovia Art Festival Association.

I am now a proud owner of a totally classic and witt Rick Kess Original...not a giclee'...but the honest to gawd original. The painting is roughly 18 X 24, acrylic on canvas and titled "Courrier and Olives". It will grace my studio walls 10 months out of the year...the other 2 it will grace my mantle. I think it is even cooler than "Last Supper" which I still lust over.

Now if I can scrape together the cash for a Coop original I'd be in total heaven, not that his significant other Rutz (and college buddy) hasn't already fixed me up with a few goodies already over the years, I may just be complete.

That said, the MAFA "Acknowledge the Arts" was a roaring success and certainly raised some funds to help the group further art education and appreciation in the community.

By the Way..did I tell you I am the "featured artist" for the July 28th Art Walk in Monrovia this year. Details to follow as I find out what it all entails.

Too nice to be real

While many panic at the thought of us having a "red flag" as it means high fire danger and if you are in a designated neighborhood parking is restricted so that emergency crews can get in to put out fires.

For me it means I get a beautiful warm day. Today is such a day....nice breeze, brilliant sun and its now debate time whether I should do my gardening or go up somewhere and shoot. Stay tuned, if I get out shooting I'll get the results posted later today.

It's been busy around here. I debuted my "Abandoned Church, Paris" at the Paint-n-Play Gallery reception on Friday night. Nicely received...but that doesn't always translate into a sale. Will have to watch, wait and see what happens.

Don't forget that this Saturday is the Monrovia Art Festival Association's "Acknowledge the Arts" event at the local tennis club. I blogged it a few weeks ago.... http://frazgomeanders.blogspot.com/2007/04/blog-post.html

Enjoy the flags this morning at the gas station...all nicely back lit against a crisp sky....I'll be outside one way or another today to enjoy it! Took it with my Che-ez Snap while filling up this morning.

Into action, support the Arts!!!

Giving to the community is what keeps us all thriving. The Monrovia Art Festival Association has a simple mission to bring art and art education to the community. "MAFA" as it is known locally does just that. I do my share within the organization when I can and that includes donating pieces for their use when it is fund raising time.

May 12, 2007 is the next MAFA event : Acknowledge the Arts. In this event MAFA recognizes and awards a local individual or business that supports our mission. In this case its Chris Owens of the Focus One Credit Union here in Monrovia who donates their entire lobby for MAFA Artists to show their work.

The particulars: Ticket price purchased in advance is $25 per person or $40 per person with guest. Cost is $30 per person if purchased at the door. The ticket cost provides for admission and refreshments. Please forward your check to: The Monrovia Arts Festival Association, Post Office Box 92, Monrovia, CA 91017. The Monrovia Arts Festival Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization so that means your ticket costs are tax deductible and you get a nice evening with great food and lots of good wine. You may request tickets to be held at the door. And an invitation (click for a full size copy).
The piece I will be donating this year is "English Rose in Blossom". Straight forward photograph and will be on display at the Focus One Gallery later this week until the night of the auction.

Enjoy the song and video too. I found this on a blog I check in on by a local photographer "Citifarmer" , that is quite lively...may well have to be my summer theme song. It's by Tim Armstrong of Rancid fame, the cd "Into Action" is due to be released 5/22

Action.