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Poem and art: Right Turn into Dusk

Monday, April 23, 2012

 

“Right Turn into Dusk” by Ekaterina Smirnova
Watercolor on rough Arches paper, 2 sheets
40″ x 52″, 3.2012

“Right Turn into Dusk” 

[by S. David]

Rain fog falling
Darkness a litany
Approaching
Either magic
Or madness
No moon seen
But the season
Swings
Driving
Windshield
Wipers
Hypnotic
Headlights
Scatter light
Have I set
The scene well
Have I
And there was
A turn on
The highway
Coming up
The overhead
Lights had as
Much halo as
Shed light on
The road as
I took the turn
Samhain they say
Is when the Veil
Between Worlds
Is weakest paved
Road became dirt
Electric lights
Disappeared
The engine
Sputtered

 

Read more about the poet: www.theskaldicsoul.com

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Affordable Art Fair NYC (AAF) spring 2012

Monday, April 23, 2012

"Quiet Autumn" watercolor on paper, 90"x52" by Ekaterina Smirnova

Spring AAF NYC always offers more in my opinion then the autumn one. The policy of the show is that you can not show the same artists twice a year. This year spring show was a success. The private preview had attracted a lot of guests, the line to get to the show was at least 30 minutes wait.

Last year I was presented at the AAF by The Art Students League of NY, I sold few works and got many contacts, but the most wonderful thing happened to me then is that I met a gallery that now represents me as an artist. Villa del Arte is a Spain  based gallery, that takes part in many art fairs around the world, while having an actual gallery in the center of Barcelona. I had a pleasure having my works shown at San Francisco Fine Art Fair, ArtHamptons International Fine Art Fair, Art London, Los Angeles Art Fair already, and this year I had my works at the Affordable Art Fair NYC again. Experienced exhibiters of Villa del Arte were very successful in AAF once again, many works were sold, including some of mine, which positioned then on the top 3 selling galleries. Congratulations Villa del Arte!

I was very excited to find out that some of my friends were also a part of the AAF this year, Charlotte Knox and Norbert Waysberg had presented their impressive watercolor works. Bellow are some of the works that I liked from the show.












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Painting Miami Sunsets

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Every time I have a chance to be in Miami, one of my favorite activities is looking at the sunsets, they are so beautiful, so different and full of color. I would like to share with you the beauty I find in them. For one week I will be painting everyday sunsets, film them and post to my Youtube channel. Would it be rain, clouds or clear sky, I will paint what I see.

I am painting on a block of watercolor paper Arches, 140 lb, cold press. It is sealed on the sides so my paper stays stretched and flat when it dries. I put an acid-free masking tape around the border before starting to paint, and remove it after the paper is dry, this way I get a nice looking border. I use a Windsor and Newton watercolor paint, in the tubes (it is easier to work with the soft paint, rather then the hard, that comes in the little pans). When you select the brushes, it is better to get the more professional kind, not the cheapest, because you will have some bristles fall off in the middle of your painting, and it is hard to get them out.
Please, ask me questions if you have any.

Enjoy the show of nature with me.

Day 1. March 28, 2012

Day 2. March 29, 2012

Day 3. March 30, 2012

Day 4. March 31, 2012

Day 5. April 1, 2012

Day 6. April 2, 2012

Day 7.

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New life of “Driving Through the Rain 2″

Thursday, March 22, 2012

"Driving Thriugh the Rain 2" Watercolor on rough paper 90" x 52", 3.2012

While working on the series of work “Rainy Way”, I have painted my large ”Driving Through the Rain 2″ 90″H x 52″W, but it was not as successful work. I didn’t quite know how to make it better and decided to put it aside for a few month. When I recently pulled it out from my storage, I looked at it with a fresh look and though that I still don’t know what to do with it. My decision was to try a different technique. There was a risk of making it worse, but working with watercolor always has this risk (working with oil, lets say, allows you to fix the work by painting over it, which is not quite possible in watercolors).

What was so different in my technique this time? The way of application of paint. My intent was to make a visual effect of rain by stretching the drips of water. If I splatter on the paper directly ahead of me then I get just dots, even if my brush would contain a lot of water then you would see some drips that would not get too far down. So I had to figure out how to make the drips go much more straight and longer. The solution was to splash paint from very close distance from the paper and while applying the color stretch my hand down for about 1-2 feet. This also meant that for such tall work I had to position myself high up if I would want to have my drips start from the very top, so I had to stand on my tall studio stool for most of the time. One more problem was my ability to produce strictly perpendicular to the ground strokes, it was really hard! Making the drips straight was not a problem, but when one out of five would go on diagonal and visually distort the image, was an issue. If this happened I had to remove it with my napkin and start over.

Over all, it was a good experiment and helped my to focus on the control of my strokes and brought my work to a different higher level in my opinion.

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Wide Open National Juried Art Show, Brooklyn Waterfront Artist Coalition (BWAC) 2012

Monday, March 19, 2012

This year The  Brooklyn Waterfront Artist Coalition (BWAC) held it’s 3rd show “Wide Open” – National Juried Art Show open for non-members. “BWAC, (pronounced bee-wack) is a 501.c.3 non-profit corporation. Organized in 1978 by 16 artists looking for a place to exhibit, BWAC has grown to become Brooklyn’s largest artist-run organization with over 400 members. For 30 years, BWAC has been exhibiting the artwork of local Brooklyn artists. Three annual mega-exhibits and outdoor sculpture show present a wide variety of contemporary visual arts from the traditional to the experiemental cutting edge.

BWAC’s 25,000 square foot gallery is in a Civil War-era warehouse on the Red Hook waterfront. The vista of New York Harbor, spanning the Statue of Liberty to the Verrazano Bridge is one of the best in the city. Our 18,000 annual visitors also enjoy the nearby restaurants, bars, IKEA and Fairway Market. With every medium and style of artwork represented, as well as the UnPlugged in Red Hook free weekly music performances and Saturday afternoon Screening Room programs, the shows are as spectacular as the setting.”

I have taken a part in this show last year, where I exhibited my watercolor “Eastbourne Pier“, and was so impressed with the quality of the works that were presented at the show. I decided that I must apply for this year as well. Not many galleries in NY give you a chance to exhibit very large works, so I took this opportunity to present my largest piece “The Arrival of a Train” 104″x90″, 6.2011.  This year 134 works were selected by eminent juror Charlotta Kotik, Curator Emerita of Contemporary Art at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. There were 14 awards for every media given to the best artists. And to my very big surprise I was also awarded as the Best in Show!

During the opening reception I had met many artists and had a chance discuss about their works. I put together this little gallery of some of the wonderful works. But I strongly suggest to see this show with your own eyes. The show is running till April 1, 2012.

Where: 499 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook,
Brooklyn, 11231
www.bwac.org

Thank you BWAC for supporting artists and making a mind blowing show!

Ekaterina Smirnova

Hayley Blanck

Valerie Huhn

Sylvia Schwartz

Craig Cheply

Katsy Johnson

Laura Pawson

Nicholas Schleif

Bruce Braithwaite

Audrey Frank Anastasi

Felipe Ortiz

Dayna Thacker

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Armory NY 2012: Works on paper

Monday, March 19, 2012

The second week of March was an important art week for New York. Many international art shows were held throughout the city, but the biggest of them all was the Armory Art Show 2012. My friends and I went to see this show and spent about 5 hours walking around the two pears, 94 and 92, where a lot of famous galleries displayed their best work. We started with the Contemporary Show and moved to the Modern. It was an absolute pleasure to see a lot of works on paper, which is my big interest, since I work on paper myself. So I decided to make the show review from the point of view works on paper: paintings, prints and drawings.

To my very big surprise Andrew Edlin Gallery, New York, has exhibited Soviet TASS Propaganda posters, called Kukryniksy, that I know about from my childhood and never even hoped to see them in person. Amazing experience. I have purchased a catalog from the show that just ended, sadly I have missed it, but I am very happy that this gallery took an effort to put this wonderful collection together! To read more about the show visit this link www.edlingallery.com

Note: To enlarge photos, select them.

Pavel Sokolov-skalia

Leonardo Drew, "Number 8P, 9P" 2012. 28"x18"

Toyin Odutola, Ball-pen drawing, one of the set of five

Doug and Mike Starn "Structure of Thought 15" 2001 - 2012. Epson K3 Ultrachrome inkjet print on cotton rag with Gumpi papers with varnish 108"x120"

Chuck Close

Kim Mccarty

May Stevens

Paul Jenkins

John Currin

James Nares

Polly Apfelbaum

Eric Fischl

Edward Ruscha

Dawn Clementis

Chan Kok Hooi

Robert Motherwell

 

 

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American Watercolor Society 2012

Thursday, February 23, 2012

"Driving Through the Rain"

2012 American Watercolor Society Annual Exhibition:
I am really excited to be excepted for the AWS show this year! I will be showing “Driving Through the Rain” painting.Some of the strongest watercolor paintings in America make a wonderful show that is annually held at the Salmagundi Club

Where: Salmagundi Club
47 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10003
www.salmagundi.org

When: April 3 – 22, 2012

Opening reception: Tuesday, April 3, 6 – 8 p.m.

Presentations
TBA

About The American Watercolor Society: The American Watercolor Society is a nonprofit membership organization that began in 1866 to promote the art of watercolor painting in America. Each year the Society holds a juried exhibition of watercolors from artists throughout the world. Read more about the American Watercolor Society.

About The Salmagundi Club: The Salmagundi Club, originating in 1871 as a sketch class in Johnathan Scott Hartley’s studio. It was cited in 1957 for its architectural distinction by the Society of Architectural Historians and the Municipal Art Society. Following a tradition of 137 years, the Salmagundi Club continues to serve as a center for fine artists from New York and around the country-providing exhibitions of paintings, sculpture and photography, conducting art classes and painting demonstrations and art auctions throughout the year. Read more about the Salmagundi Club.

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Lithograph prints

Thursday, February 23, 2012
"Rainy Way 2" litho

"Rainy Way 2" litho

As some you may know, I have been doing printmaking for about 6 years. During this period I have produced a number of etchings and silkscreens that are commonly exhibited. I love printmaking, it is a fascinating but yet complicated process that requires your full attention and knowledge of the media. The Art Students League of NY (ASL), where I use the printmaking studio, has in my opinion one of the strongest groups of printmaking artists in New York. Many of them are my friends and I am really happy for their success in the art world.

Last year I also started studying LITHOGRAPHY. I think litho process even more sophisticated then etching, it is also a longer process. I try my best to understand it and to get used to it. Now I am working on a set of prints in the style of my watercolor series “Rainy Way”.  Yesterday was a great day in the studio for me, as I was able to print a set of wonderful prints of my new litho. I am so happy about it as I was not sure if the most delicate part (the atmospheric air) will print at all. A lot depends on what materials you use to paint and how do you etch. I used Litho Crayon 2 and Windsor & Newton brown ink. The image you see is a print on japanese rice paper.

On the picture bellow I photographed the hand operated press on which my aluminum litho plate with the image is positioned and ready to print. ASL is very well equipped for the different styles of fine prints, including lithography.

Litho Studio

Litho studio

If you would like to see my litho prints in person or even own one please visit the Salmagundi Club, where three of my litho prints are now exhibiting and will be auctioned at the Spring Auction. To read the details and participate at the auction visit this link: www.liveauctioneers.com and auction details.

See more of my printmaking works: www.katapostrophe.com/etchings

Read more about: etchings and lithography on Wiki

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100 Days: Day 100

Friday, February 10, 2012

"Bacchus" watercolor on Khadi paper, 46" x 30" II.2012

 

“Bacchus”
watercolor on Khadi paper
46″ x 30″ (22″ x 30″ each part)
II.2012

 

The same as any other day was my 100th day of my project, except that I had my great friend Aziz, poet from Uzbekistan, over at my studio. Thanks to Skype, which made this possible. And I thought that I should invite you too to my studio and find the way of how to have a group video conversation. I could do a little watercolor demo… Hmmm, maybe this will be my next project?

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100 Days: Day 99

Thursday, February 9, 2012

 

Studio 99During my 100 Days project I have made a few sketches of my  paintings, prior to starting working on the large papers. I did not make sketches as much before. Selecting my subjects, framing them, deciding on the color or techniques was an important  stage, but it did not include making sketches. Now I am doing sketching more often and many of these works are coming out quite successful and helping me with my larger work. I am hoping that in a year I will have a collection of little works, painted on remains  of paper left over from my paper rolls.

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