So just to elaborate a bit on what is new, you can check out weekly or bi-weekly blurbs about what is going on with Teal.  This is a cool little widget that shows up on the home page.  For example, Second Saturday is this weekend, don’t miss it!  Very exciting.

Did you know that if you click on the Teal Art Gallery Logo, it re-directs you to the Home Page?

This is actually the case for most websites incase you didn’t know.

What happens when you subscribe to the Blog?

This seems like it would be really simple, but many people I have talked to aren’t really sure.  People who subscribe to many blogs might have a Blog Reader (kind of a personalized newspaper).  An easy example of a blog reader is Google Reader.  You can subscribe to your favorite writers, newspapers, experts, or anything else.  The RSS button that usually looks like a dot with two curved radio waves coming out.  This is a very fun feature to read about everything you are interested in.

Definitely something you need to check out is the new Artist Page layout.  Very informative.  If you click on the thumbnails (little pictures) , it shows you almost all of the art I have for each of the artists.  Before, it only showed a sample.  Also, if you click on the next thumbnail, you are brought to a gorgeous slideshow.

I hope that you enjoy this new look.

Mona Fraiman is a charismatic Argentinean singer and painter who will be gracing the Teal Art Gallery with her vocal and painting talents.  Mona embodies a cubist style with her personal additions of texture.  Her pieces range from New Orleans Jazz Fest memories to still-lifes at home.  Come meet her and learn about her art.

Paul Morris is one of the foremost sculptural ceramicists and has been featured in industry related magazines.  You can see why!  His structure is something most ceramicists would die for and his glazes are out of this world.  His finishes range from planned almost tribal accuracy to spontaneous dripping.

Definitely a show you will not want to miss.  The show runs from August 7th through September 6th.

Art groups have always been one of my favorite ways to enjoy art.   Working in groups inspires creativity, diversity and camaraderie.  I will never cease to be amazed by the diversity of the results of an art group assignment.  Hopefully this admiration of the ideas and creativity will inspire some people to come to my art group that I will be hosting on Sundays (starting this Sunday, July 11th).

This first class will focus on three dimensional objects.  One of the most successful methods of creating three dimensional objects is called chiaroscuro.  Originating in the Renaissance, chiaroscuro basically is the practice of making three dimensional shapes by using gradients of light to dark.  This adds volume to shapes and can be achieved through smooth gradients, stippling, crosshatching or color variation.

This first class will explore the practice and variations of chiaroscuro that will challenge both beginner and advanced artists.  The classes will cost $40 per person for the five week session. Some materials will be included.  Each class will be about two hours and will expand upon the previous week.  All classes will be held at the idyllic Cup in the Corner, inside Alpine Earth Center, in Silverthorne at 4:30 pm.  Please register or ask questions by calling Stephanie at Teal Art Gallery at 970-453-4020, emailing her at contact@tealartgallery.com or calling the Cup in the Corner at 970-468-4959.

I look forward to a productive and fun summer full of Sunday afternoons.

Art Classes – Silverthorne, Breckenridge

1- Mark-making: Designing your style. June 6th, 4:30

Teal will be hosting three series of art classes primarily at the Cup in the Corner in Silverthorne.  On Sunday evenings, a group of art devotees will get together to learn about art, practice, and have fun.  The first one will be at the Cup in the Corner inside of Alpine Earth Center

Mona Fraiman – Saturday, August 7

First Colin Thurmond, with a Masters in Classical Guitar from the University of Denver and an aspiring PhD candidate, will be playing two concerts here at the gallery (Jan. 8th at 8:00 pm, Jan. 9th at 7:30 pm).  It is an honor to host an artist that is so accomplished in his field.  His music ranges from his own contemporary compositions to the classics of the guitar greats such as Brouwer, Berkeley, Legnani and Turina.

Join Teal Art Gallery for an evening of beautiful and interesting guitar.

Secondly, on January 16th at 6:00 pm, Teal Art Gallery will be hosting its first Fashion Show!  Sky Sadler (a private designer), Goods Boutique, Valleygirl Boutique, and Big City Blues will all have the latest in women’s fashion. Fabulous food and wine will be served and additional entertainment will include dancing and commentary by MC Jeffrey Bergeron from our very own Summit Sunrise.

This will be a really fun event that will raise money for the Breckenridge Arts District.  I hope that everyone decides to come and support art!  The Breckenridge Arts District is a place for everyone of any level or interest in art to go participate and have fun.  The workshops vary from ceramics to watercolor to printmaking and are taught by great artists from all over the country.

Colin Thurmond plays on Friday, Jan. 8th at 8:00pm and Saturday, Jan. 9th at 7:30pm.

The concerts are free.

Fashion Show is on Saturday, Jan. 16 at 6:00 pm.  Tickets are on sale now for $50 or VIP $75 dollars.

Call or email Stephanie to reserve a seat or buy a ticket.

Phone – 970 453 4020; Email – contact@tealartgallery.com

Teal Art Gallery is one year old.  I struggled through this year just like virtually everyone I know, but if you are reading this, you made it.  I will be hosting my ‘One’ year anniversary not just as a celebration for myself, but for everyone who persevered, and is still here. Congratulations for not giving up!  It’s not failure until you stop trying.

One thing that has been truly amazing this year is the demonstration of community here in Summit County.  This year, I feel that with hardship, businesses, groups, friends and family have breached barriers, and have worked together more than ever. SIBA (Summit Independence Business Alliance), the Breckenridge and Summit Chambers, Second Saturdays and the Friends of the Breckenridge Arts District have all brought people together to help each other and themselves.  I am truly impressed, and this warm-fuzzy cooperation is exactly how I think one should feel around the holiday season.

The ‘one’ themed art show is a good time to rethink what one really means.  Is it a time to refocus on what makes us happy, or time to focus on our efforts of making our community a whole?  Either way, each of us, as individuals, have to celebrate our lives as we have made them.  I think that doing this at the ‘One’ party might just be the way to do it.

Come celebrate December 12th from 6-9 pm, at the Teal Art Gallery.

Happy Anniversary!

Composition is what really ties a piece together, and for me, can separate the good art from the bad.  Composition really means the putting together of all of your elements in the most effective way; element defining its own space and the relationship to the rest of the painting.  The elements are those that we have discussed in these past five blogs, line, shape, depth, distance, color, and texture.  These five elements with the sixth element, composition, create the elements of design which I utilize in my everyday marketing, designs and art.

For this class we worked on putting together colors, textures, lines and shapes to create compositions.   We found these elements in magazines and then put them together and discussed how the compositions were or weren’t working.  We all started with pieces that were approximately eight by eleven inches (8×11).  Then we cut and ripped to make smaller and smaller compositions.

What makes a composition and what doesn’t were things we tried to apply to each collage.  Does the eye move successfully around the whole page?  Do the elements of design play an integral role in this process?  The most interesting part is looking to apply compositional rules to abstract pieces.   The result is that people are able to look at any kind of art, and be able to relate to something unfamiliar.

Looking at unfamiliar art through eyes that are familiar with the rules and ideas of the elements of design, is really when a person can cease to rely on what is familiar or popular with others, and observe art for themselves.  This is what I hope that this class has achieved.  Until next time,

Texture becomes an often ignored subject because it is  difficult to understand how and where it is used, and what is its importance.  Using texture has several main elements of importance.  Texture creates focal points, helps tie in parts of the art piece, creates contrast and interest, and makes things more tactile and real to the audience.  All of these can be used to make art more interesting and diverse.

Texture usually is medium specific, though when these rules are broken, some amazing bits or creativity are born.   The texture created by the materials naturally, like the scratchy, linear quality of calligraphy pens fits certain subject matters and textures.  On the opposite end of the spectrum, watercolor paint can be as soft and watery as the name implies.  These textures are the characteristics of the medium.  As a personal favor to me, please make the subject of your painting relate to your medium.

There are two meanings for texture in art and they can be used to mean the same thing.  The portrayal of texture is one side of texture.  This is the drawing or painting of bricks or leaves that have an inherent texture.  The other meaning is the physical use of mediums that develop a three dimensional texture of the piece of work.  Both of these definitions can be as subtle or dramatic as you can imagine.  They don’t just mean rough and dramatic, smooth and subtle is as much a texture.

Texture, like everything else, goes in and out of fashion.  This is something to keep in mind when making art.  You could want a really impressionist plein air piece,  but if you give it a smoother Vermeer texture, it’s going to lose some of its impressionistic character.  Mixing these intentions change the meaning of the piece and its context.

Though texture can be difficult to learn to incorporate, it can be part of truly diversifying styles and points of view.  Really working with different media, in different styles can be the only way to learn to use texture effectively.  Mistakes are going to happen as with every new thing you try, but I find that in art mistakes are the only way to really step out of your comfort zone and create something amazing.  Nothing helps creativity like a brave mistake.