A Spectrum of Color: Kristin Gibson

Last Friday was featured artist Kristin Gibson's painting demo and open house!

It was my first time to watch Kristin at work and I was just one of a captive audience gathered to witness her artistic genius. I own one of Kristin's paintings and it is one of my most cherished pieces of art! Her unique and vibrant paintings can bring everyday objects to life and make an onion an object of inspiration and awe. Now I truly understand what she means when she says "Truth is, I paint the way I cook - not afraid to mix a little of this, with a little of that."

I am truly sorry if you missed her demo but luckily I do have a few pictures to share with you!






































The finished painting "Spectrum of Vegetables" at Spectrum!












Nancy Noel May, our resident scarf tying expert, also did a scarf tying demo with the gorgeous new silk scarves Kristin brought in. Come in anytime and we will show you endless ways to transform any outfit with one of Kristin's stunning silk scarves (which by the way are hand-washable, perfect for all year round, fit easily in any purse and are absolute necessities for all vacations!)
They were all so beautiful, I couldn't make up my mind, so I just decided to wear all of them!


Come in this month to see the special collection of her new work in all sizes and price ranges. You can check out her work on our website.

At Spectrum it is our mission to make life more beautiful, and Kristin is a major contributor in achieving our goal. We are so lucky to have Kristin as a friend and fellow artist.

Thanks Kristin!

-Taylor

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Our latest newsletter

Ben Keys, 2nd Friday Open House and more news from Spectrum Art & Jewelry

http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/email/newsletter/1411096299

Ben Keys, Found at Sea

Beaded Bliss compliments of Starsong

Nancy has made some STUNNING new Starsong jewelry
so I decided to take a break from work and play dress up this week!
I picked a few favorites to show you.

Every Starsong creation is hand-crafted, by Star Sosa and Nancy Noel May, right here at Spectrum Art & Jewelry. They travel the world to hand-select the exotic gems, pearls, art glass, silver , gold and vermeil that are blended together in their one-of-a-kind designs! They are also the perfect Christmas gift! Looking for a certain color or style that you can't find? That's not a problem. We will make whatever your heart desires!

Here's a closer look at the necklaces:

Peridot and Pyrite knotted necklace
(In a variety of colors and gemstones)


White freshwater pearls
Gray Pearls
Peacock pearls
(3 necklaces can be worn separate
or together as pictured above)


White freshwater pearls
with quartz and SS Bail

Gold Fill Chain with pearls
and multicolor gemstones

Turquoise and SS Beads


Multicolored pearls


Aquamarine and
multicolor pearls
(Can be worn multiple ways,
two ways pictured above)

-Taylor

Sweet Tooth

Cherry Cheesecake

Gallery artist and associate, Jane Faudree, has been cooking up some delectable new work. For those of you who haven't seen her new series of tasty treats get ready, they will tempt your taste buds. Luckily you can enjoy their deliciousness without the calories!

Chocolate Delirium

When I asked Jane what inspired her to paint this new series I was intrigued by her response.

Jane said, "When I was small my mother used to bake a cake almost every week, especially on Saturdays. Not only would she baked sumptuous cakes, but she would decorate them beautifully. My sister and I were always sure to have a masterpiece for our birthdays. My sister, Jewelle, was born on the fourth of July and mother went wild with red, white and blue decorations. She was amazing with all types of desserts. So in honor of my special mother, I have started a series of dessert paintings including decorated cakes. The first cake painting is in honor of us girls over 39, aptly titled "Thirty nine and Holding"."

Thirty-nine and Holding

These sweet paintings are all 6x6 inches; perfect for a grouping on a kitchen back-splash!

See more work by Jane Faudree

-Taylor

The Google Art Project

As a lover of art and travel I hope to visit most of my favorite works of art in person but with my one to two vacations a year it feels like it just isn't happening fast enough! So maybe you love art too, but you can't make it to Amsterdam right now to see Van Gogh's Self Portrait, what do you do? When I need my art fix but I can't get where I want to be I use Art Project by Google!

What is the Google Art Project? It is a website that allows you to explore museums from around the world (like the Tate, MoMA, Uffizi, the Met and more!), discover and view hundreds of artworks, and even create and share your own collection of masterpieces you find and love.

It's very simple, just select a museum from the homepage and then either choose ‘Explore the museum’ or ‘View Artwork’. Once you are in the main site use the drop-down menus or the side info bar to navigate between artworks and museums.

At the bottom right of the page there is a 'Create an Artwork Collection' button that allows you to compile a collection of your favorite works of art and share them online.

Art that is scattered all over the world is now at your fingertips! As a lover of art and museums I know that nothing can replace the experience of standing in front of a masterpiece but for the time being this is a pretty great substitute. I even re-tour museums and art I have visited in the past. When I was in Florence the Uffizi wouldn't let me take home Botticelli's Birth of Venus but this way I get to see it whenever I want!










http://www.googleartproject.com/

Taylor

Nancy Touching The World, One Painting at a Time

Imagine my surprise when contacted by a gentleman from London who was interested in two of my French paintings. His wife loves Marseille and he thought they would make a special gift for her. I asked how he found us and he said he googled – “artist, paintings, Marseille” and after viewing hundreds of paintings chose mine as his favorites.

You never know who you are going to touch through your website, the world has become accessible to anyone with a computer and an email account. I was thrilled to have my first international sale, hopefully there will be more on the horizon.

Paint on,

Nancy Noel May

Fisherman of Marseille, 8x10, A-C

Fish Monger - Marseille, 8x10, A-C

Commisson Paintings

A customer came into the gallery recently looking for paintings to go in her beach house at Topsail.
She saw a painting I had done called "Walking the Dog".

She asked if I would do a similar painting from a photo she had of her husband walking their two dogs (Willie & Dickens) at Topsail. We decided on a size and she emailed me the photo to use as reference material.

Below is the finished painting!

Commissions can be a nice way to memorialize an event or a special time and place. Most of the painters at Spectrum Art & Jewelry are happy to discuss commissions. Just ask us how to get started.

You may be wondering what the customers response was to the painting?
Well here it is...
"I gave my husband the painting you did of him walking WIllie and Dickens and I just had to share with you the reaction he had when he saw. He was quiet for a moment, then he teared up and then said "this is the best gift anyone has ever given me." Those were his actual words! Don't you just love it when your art moves someone?"

Paint on,

Nancy Noel May!

Nancy's Plein Air Painting Adventure

I am thrilled that Mike Rooney and Ben Keys have joined our family of artists at Spectrum Art & Jewelry, and I mean that sincerely when I say "family" - it is rare to find a working environment as supportive as Spectrum.

Last week my husband, Russ and I were on vacation at Wrightsville Beach and I invited Mike and Ben to come join me in some plein air painting. We had a wonderful day - painting on the sound side of Banks Channel in the morning, going out for a delicious lunch at Baja K-38 (love their fish tacos!) and an afternoon painting a cute yellow cottage at Sprunt and Lumina.

Each artist sees something different and our afternoon session had us all painting the same cottage - but from different angles and viewpoints. There was an old Cadillac in the driveway and Mike and Ben loved adding it to their composition. I decided to do a close-up color blocking of the cottage - Ben said it reminded him of a Hopper - loved that comparison!

Last month Kristin Gibson, Ann Hair, Phil Meade and I went to Carolina Beach to paint from the north end's new boat ramp and park. It's great to get outside, have the fellowship and critique of other artists and change your surroundings. You see things in a totally new way. I normally paint in my studio, and braving the elements (especially this heat) is at times hard...but always rewarding.

After lunch with Mike and Ben I was thinking about going up for a nap...but the guys convinced me to join them for an afternoon painting session. Glad I did, I was happy with the results and Mike told me I passed the plein air test and could paint with him anytime...thanks Mike!

It was so much fun to spend time with Mike and Ben and get to know them better, I've added two new dear friends - and you can never have too many of them.

If you want to experience plein air painting at its' finest...join us October 12th & 13th for
"Loose and Colorful Plein Air Painting with Mike Rooney"

contact me at the gallery for more information
nancy@spectrumartandjewelry.com

Paint on,
Nancy Noel May

Below are photographs of each artist and their plein air paintings from the day. It is so interesting to see how different each artists painting of the cottage turned out!

Nancy Noel May

Morning plein air painting
across Banks Channel

Afternoon plein air painting
of Sprunt Cottage

Ben Keys

Morning plein air painting
at Hanover Seaside Club

Afternoon plein air painting
of Sprunt Cottage

Mike Rooney

Morning plein air painting
at Wrighstville beach

Afternoon plein air painting
of Sprunt Cottage

Taylor

Kristin Gibson's Story Behind the Painting

I love art, I always have.
I can spend hours in galleries and museums
looking in awe and wondering
what the artist was thinking and what inspired them.
I decided to start asking our artists at Spectrum
if they would share a few of their stories.
Here is what Kristin Gibson had to share...

Cezanne's Coutryside II
©Kristin Gibson
36X36
Linen
$1600

Cezanne's Birthday

©Kristin Gibson
16x20
$450

“For me, Cezanne has always been a favorite painter to study. Last summer I had the opportunity to see "Cezanne and American Modernism" at The Baltimore Museum of Art. A look at how Cezanne transformed American art alongside the work of 34 American artists who demonstrate the vital impact Cezanne had on modernism from 1907-1930 in the US.

That exhibition, in conjunction with an invite by Nancy Noel May at Spectrum to create small works inspired by locales outside the US, led up to painting a small study and then this 36x36 on linen. I have taken the perspective of painting a landscape Cezanne was immersed in, saw through his eyes, but in my style and color palette. As with my still life paintings, I focus on the play of shape and color with expressive thick brush work. I enjoy the white of the road and buildings that lead one through the composition.

As a further ode to Cezanne, on his birth date of January 19 this year I composed a still life with a nod to works I saw at the museum show. Take a look at the suggestion of landscape through the window. The blue band of color and green shapes of mountains is my "Cezanne's Countryside II" simplified! Thank you for your interest in my work. I hope you enjoy both of these paintings, and I invite you to see them in person at Spectrum.”

-Kristin Gibson

Taylor

State of the Art/Art of the State Exhibit at Cameron Art Museum

State of the Art/Art of the State

EXHIBITION RUNS:

May 8 – October 30, 2011

Spectrum Art & Jewelry artists
Anne Cunningham, Jane Faudree, Ann Hair, Kristin Gibson, Nancy Noel-May & Phil Meade

are part of this exciting exhibition of contemporary NC artists.

Curated by CAM and top curators from

Tate Modern, London

Guggenheim, NYC

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
and

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Be sure to see this exhibit of Artists from all over North Carolina.
It has a wonderful variety of art forms and styles so everyone will get the chance to discover new artists and experience the many flavors of our state.

Visit CAM in Wilmington, NC
www.cameronartmuseum.com

Visit Spectrum Art & Jewelry to see more work by these artists

www.spectrumartandjewelry.com

Meet the Artists ~ Rick & Valerie Beck

Glass artists, Rick & Valerie Beck recently visited Spectrum Gallery where they are our featured artists for July. It was such a great opportunity to get to know them better and to learn more about the intricacies of their glass art. I've known them for many years and have visited their home studio in the North Carolina mountains, near Penland. It is such a privilege to represent their work.






"When meeting the Becks I saw two people who were as bonded as their glass. They are kindred spirits in creation and life. Their love of nature and animals become elements reflected in their unique designs. One great example is this painted vessel showing their dog Milo in a field of cows (he just loves cows for some reason)." Kathleen Gray



Valerie hand paints these motifs onto the glass when it is a small form on the blow pipe. She uses a specialized vitreous enamel which is no longer available. The glass blank is then encased in more clear glass and blown and manipulated into its final form. I am simplifying the process, but it is anything but simple. There are multiple layers of paint which must be "cooked" each time before more paint or glass is added. She also has to understand the way a piece will grow when it is stretched. Some colors absorb the heat and move at a different rates than others.

Her vivid color palette is one thing that makes Valerie's painted vessels so appealing. They take on a totally different color quality than your average blown glass objects. She can add colors that are not readily available in glass and she can control their interaction with the stroke of a brush. Her motifs are naive and charming with a nod to pop art.

Valerie just informed us that due to its lead content, this type of enamel is no longer manufactured and that other products simply do not perform in the same way. What that means is this is the final collection of the Beck's painted vessels. Once these are gone, there will be no more. Can you say "collector's piece"? She is earnestly working to develop a new direction and I'm sure it will be fascinating.


Rick Beck is a master glass artist with degrees from Hastings College and Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. After the Beck's both completed graduate school, they went on to art residencies at the Appalachian Center for Crafts and the Penland School of Crafts. In addition Rick has taught at the Pilchuck Glass School. His sculpted, cast and carved creations are in museum collections such as the Mint Museum in Charlotte and he represented by some of the top glass galleries in the country.

Rick is intrigued with contrasts; small objects depicted in monumental scale, sturdy tools created in fragile glass, deceptively simple forms and rich colors challenge the eye and the mind. Among his inspirations are Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani. Their influence can be seen in his figurative forms.

Once again, the process of creating these sculptures is much more complicated that they appear. He sculpts an original in clay and then builds a plaster mold around it. Once the mold is completed, he scoops out the clay original and fills the mold with chunks of recycled glass. This is then slump cast into the form. The final edit comes when he breaks out his grinding tools to refine and shape and modify the casting. Chemistry comes into play when the glass alloys or veils with lines that can form between the original chunks. The serendipitous aspects of working with hot glass combine with the intentional carving away of excess glass until he reveals the artwork within.

The density of the sculpture affects the color of these luminous creations. I think that one of the main reasons we are all so attracted to glass is its many personalities between opaque and translucent, shiny and textured, and all the myriad of colors.

Stop by the gallery to see the collection or visit our website. Spectrum Art & Jewelry