Showing posts with label Award. Show all posts

23 March, 2012

Thanks To My Readers

Hot!

This is a special thanks to my readers for nominating the Colorist and Pastel Workshop for the recognition: 12 Art Blogs To Watch in 2012. The Colorist enjoyed this same appellation in 2010, and I am grateful for the kind thoughts that go into this.

Donna Zagotta.
Pastel Workshop.

27 January, 2011

Hottest Blogs for 2011 - Sonya Johnson

When you see the big molten-lava orb, then you know it's time for a Hottest Blog entry. This is where The Colorist points out the hottest artist's blog that you may not be reading yet. But should.

The Hottest Blogs for 2011 will also be noted one at a time, or maybe sometimes two at a time. Look for the molten orb periodically throughout the year.

Have you seen Sonya Johnson's blog, Sonya's Daily Art Journal? Her oils and pastels of the Durango, Colorado region are an instinctive and accurate fit for the four corners area, a high and arid region of the American Southwest. She observes this area effortlessly, and also has no problem with the estimable bigness of the desert and the mountains of her home. Sonya's blog is one to watch for 2011.

06 September, 2010

Sausalito - A Photo Report

A special welcome to my new readers from the Sausalito and Bay areas. The past four days at the famous Sausalito Art Festival have been both fun and rewarding for me. Thanks to the artist awards committee, the event staff and volunteers, and the patrons who come from far and wide to see this premier event. Fifteen original pastels are in new homes, and not a few new readers (my highest stats ever were reported for today) have found The Colorist.

22 February, 2010

Sunshine Award

The Sunshine Award has cast light into my studio and my blog. Mary Anne Cary sent the award, and I want to thank her again.

Alyson Stanfield, my favorite Art Biz Coach, posted about the Geography of being a local artist, and at the same time I had the urge to illuminate my local blog dogs in a new post. I have decided to give the Sunshine away to the bloggers from Washington State. Some I know in real life, and others just online. I am supposed to recognize twelve, but I couldn't stop there.

If you want to participate, see the outline at Mary Anne's blog.

More here.

Sorry if I forgot someone. Feel free to send me a comment and I will try to make amends as I do like to link to Washington artists.

01 January, 2010

New Years Welcome

Prairie Bush
5.25" x 12.75"
Pastel
Casey Klahn

Happy New Year! Just checking in, before I take a road trip to the Seattle area to pick up my art from the show. It was a great success, and I have been invited for tea to view one of my works in its new home. That will be fun, and the rewards of having sold a couple of works are greater when you are friends with your patrons. Thanks, Northwest University, for hosting the exhibition.

Thanks to those who voted, and everyone who participated in the Making a Mark awards. Just about all of the bloggers know that I took an honor for best picture of a place (I'll call that the landscape category). It turns out that I was runner up for best picture overall, which is also a humbling but welcome achievement - thanks to my voters.

What I like about this MAM award is that it was a vote by peers and by the public, rather than coming from an arts professional or an arts committee. I also like that it was a very broad based award, with a worldwide venue, and originating from London, where Katherine Tyrrell blogs. Woo Hoo! Got to love the internet, and I will say that my first thought when I was nominated was, "I'll never win this award!"

Okay, I am set to go on the road for a few days, and hope to post/read while on the trip. Be good, and if you want to read the best in blogging, my previous post could keep you busy for an hour or more with awesome art blogging.

fireworks_2154.gif picture by caseyklahn

gif by Michael Hogue

26 December, 2009

24 December, 2009

Another Christmas Hymn & Top Posts

As a teaser, I will let you know that The Top Ten Art Blog Posts for the year 2009 have been selected, and will be revealed next week. Last year, I posted the 2008 Top Posts before Christmas, and you can review those here.

Now, please enjoy another Christmas hymn.

06 October, 2009

Looking for the Why

The Portal
4.75" x 4.5"
Graphite
Scene at "Riva Ridge," Italy
Casey Klahn

Partly because I am blocked about writing the next essay on "How to Paint for the Prize," I want to bring you along on the search for content and the need for having ideas in your art. I am blocked by the overwhelming amount of information that I have about content in art. I could tell you my ideas in painting for my recent prize. But I'm getting tired of ringing my own bell. I could write an essay on the academic truths about what content means in art; how art content is different from form and subject. So dry.

I am not lacking inspiration on art ideas - far from it. I am uber-inspired by the things I read and see concerning the masters and what many good writers have to say about aesthetics and meaning in art. How can I get you, dear reader, to ignite your spark and paint your best for that next show?

Yesterday's post on drawing, with two simple quotes from Ingres and Picasso, is foundational to what I believe about my art. Drawing is an ascendant element in contemporary art. I am reading more essays about drawing, and as a result I am going to renew my drawing focus for my next one man show. Conceptualizing my River Series as drawing-based was a huge part of the success of that series. Remember, drawing isn't as much about the tools as it is about the ideas and approach to your work.

Here are some drawing links that will get your artist's heart beating faster, and challenge you to renew your faith in your ability to win the prize of the finest art you can make.

Drawing Masters: Ingres, Pierre-Paul Prud'hon, Rubens, Käthe Kollwitz, and Picasso.
Mary Adam - Drawing Criteria.
The Rebirth of Drawing.
David Jon Kassan - This is his best video of time lapse drawing because the others lose the technique.

Speaking of painting for the prize, you would do well to follow the work of Loriann Signori, whose art was recently recognized with a first place award at the national Shades of Pastel Biennial Exhibition in Maryland.

Deer "Cast" Drawing
14" x 12"
Charcoal, Conte and Compressed Charcoal
Casey Klahn

30 September, 2009

Commit

Commitment
My (Younger) Self and Friend Ryan in the Mountains

With your focus placed on what to paint for your award winning show, it is now appropriate to ask yourself if you have the commitment to make it happen. If you are going to win the prize, much time, pain and treasure will be poured into your efforts.

In my mountain climbing days, commitment was a tangible quality of some climbs. A given climb is described as "having commitment" if you ascend to a given point after which retreat becomes either undesirable or impossible. Going down is more difficult than going up to the summit. Or more deadly.

Having experienced this kind of palpable commitment in my past helps me in my artist's life now to commit to greater effort. Early wake ups. Late hours in the studio. Isolation. The amount of concentration required by your best efforts in the studio may leave you less focused on everyday life activities. Your friends may wonder where you've been. Conversations may be hard to carry on at first, and people may feel that your mind is "somewhere else."

Commitment means hard work. Commitment is also an attitude. Do you have the capacity to let your art live and flourish in you?

If you make the commitment, and you know what you're up against, then the prize awaits.

10 September, 2009

First Place Award

I am pleased to announce that I was awarded a First Place in the Drawing category at the Sausalito Art Festival. It was a big surprise, and I am grateful to the festival and the patrons who visited the event.

Coincidentally, Sheila Evans also received the First Place Award. I say coincidence because we are both from the Spokane area. What are the chances of two artists from the same area winning this, given that the Sausalito draws artists from throughout the US and even from overseas?

I did have this prize in mind when I painted for the festival, but I never imagined actually winning. I'll give you the lowdown on how to paint for an award in a future post.

29 May, 2009

Funniest Name of an Award Award

The Noblesse Oblige Award receives my funniest name of an award award. Nevertheless, it does contain some rather strict requirements, and so I am happy that Loriann Signori thought to elevate me to the level of this award. Thanks, Loriann.

The Noblesse Oblige Award is for the following accomplishments:

1.The blogger manifests exemplary attitude, respecting the nuances of different cultures and beliefs.
2. The blog inspires, strives to encourage and offer solutions.
3. There is a clear purpose at the blog and it is one that fosters a better understanding of social science, politics, economics, the arts, culture, science or belief.
4. The blog is refreshing and creative.
5. The bloggers promotes friendship and positive thinking.

The rules are as follows:

1. Create a post with a mention and a link to the blogger who presented the award to you.
2. Display the award conditions.
3. Write a short post about what your blog has thus far achieved.
4. The blogger must present the award to blogs in concurrence with the award conditions.
5. The blogger can display the award at any location on their blog.

I don't feel very nuanced, in general, but I do try to send out my light wherever I can.

I choose Victoria Ryan for this award.

22 December, 2008

18 August, 2008

Creativity

Kim Barker, of Australia, is a great one for memes and awards. She excels at this activity, having created the Top 101 Artist's Blogs list. I want to say thanks for adding me to her list with this award: The Creative Artist Award.

I, too, created an award, which is The Art Medal. Unlike the standard blog award, this meme is given out very, very sparingly, and without much link activity associated with it.

But, I am a fan of blog bling, and will pass this creativity award on. After me, I will ask my awardees to write something original about creativity. Say, 100 words in your own opinion on the subject of creativity. As I usually do, I'll contemplate whom to award, and get back to you soon.

My words on creativity:

It isn't easy to be creative as an artist. That may sound funny, but I hold creativity up as the chief mission of the artist, and in the land of two dimensional art it is hard to find new avenues for expression. You will find other artist's ideas compelling, and the classic artists were tremendous copiers. One thing I can say is interact, for heaven's sake, with the works you are interested in! What makes them attract you? What place do these works have in the broader art world? What can my work possibly add to the bigger corpus of the art world? Look out for triteness and the overdone content. On the other hand, take what is common and give it your signature.

Item of Interest:

See Alyson's post on Art Documentaries.

Through Alyson's ArtBizBlog, I found my way to: Rothko's Rooms.

01 August, 2008

Weblog Award

Presenting my choices for the Brilliante Weblog Award! Thanks to Pollocksthebollocks for the award.

Kudos to the following blogs that I have enjoyed reading lately:

Petra Voegtle
Tracy Helgeson
Deborah Paris
Lloyd Irving Bradbury
The Gang at Moleskine Exchange International, present party excluded
Adam Cope
Ann Nemcosky

12 July, 2008

For Everything There is a Season____

Frau Framing: Priceless. Dog is Free to New Owner.

A time to create,

A time to frame.

Right now, we're framing. My pace in the studio is down to a crawl. There is one large extra-full sheet work on the easel, and some plein air works in a notebook, and maybe a few odd paintings to do. Otherwise, the onus is on mien frau to get the art framed and ready for the Bellevue Arts Museum ArtsFair, which is July 25 - 27.

Foreground is the Mat Cutter on the Draftsman's Table; Background is the Wooden Folding Table and Shelving Closet.

Here is a peek at the framing room in the studio trailer. It occupies what would otherwise be the main bedroom, and is at the south end of the structure. I guess it is @ 14' x 10', and is outfitted with mainly two surplus furnishings. One is an oversize wooden folding table that we got when the venerable and famous REI on Capitol Hill in Seattle closed. It is set upon a home made wooden cot, which makes the working height ideal for veteran backs.

The other big item is a metal draftsman's table which was redundant at a friend's architecture office in Tacoma. It has a massive top surface, and features a power outlet on one leg. The lovely Lorie uses the folding table for organization, her laptop which is used for archiving data, and a cutting area for miscellaneous cuts. The drafting table gets the mat cutter and frame assembly tasks. The closet holds shelving from floor to ceiling.

the walls are one big pin cushion

Because the studio structure is a dedicated building, the walls are one big pin cushion for hanging framed art, and waiting-to-be-framed originals. Lorie claims that having the ready work hanging on the walls streamlines her tasks tremendously. In framing multiple works, everything revolves around efficiency. Of course, presentation and archivality are foundational.

We actually scored quite a few furniture items at the REI closing, and the opportunist in you may seek out large building surplus events to outfit your studio. I recently missed the closing of the old Spokane Art School and will forever wonder what cool furnishings I missed out on.

On another happy note, I am grateful to Pollocksthebollocks for the Brilliante Weblog Award (Premio 2008). I will tag some new awardees in due time. I am thinking of bloggers outside of the fine art circle for this, because I love to go exploring.

05 June, 2008

Olive Tree Grove

Italian Olive Grove
22" x 28"
Pastel on Diane Townsend Paper
Casey Klahn

Adam asked how one uses a photo reference and yet spins the artwork freely away from representation. I had to think about that. I won't post the photo, since it isn't mine and I use it by permission. And, besides, I make it a habit to not post photos of my subjects.

The departure point for a painting like this must be mostly in one's imagination. I am picturing specific artworks by artists that I admire, and in this case they are the numerous orchards that van Gogh painted, and a particularly intriguing Italian olive grove that Wolf Kahn painted where the scene is mostly obscured by thin layers of gray paint, as if in a fog.

I want to have my outcome be much more about the artist's works I remember, than about the photograph that I see. These artist's images reside in my soul and look for a way to find expression in my art. But, the photo inspired me by offering a basic composition of a group of trees with one in the foreground. And, for giving me some foliage to portray.

The recent Wolf Kahn Project here at The Colorist has had me doing some reductive type works, where I erase and rub pastels as a technique. And, it had me doing something I don't often do, which is portraying deciduous trees. You know I live in a state so overwhelmingly grown over with conifers that they are engraved on my brain.

An amazing amount of rule breaking and ignoring went along with doing this olive grove image. In fact, my mind was delivering these, "must do" messages at a rapid-fire rate, and I was deflecting them with my shield of abstraction every time!

"Justify that edge!" the voice would demand. "P-tchoo-wee," the shield deflects this comment with a ricochet.
"Balance the image! Heeeyy! Balance!"
"The horizon, man! Where is the horizon line?"
And, the granddaddy of them all: "Either get that focal point to the side or, or, for heaven's sake put something in the middle!!!"
So, of course, I left the middle entirely free of anything. No pigment, no elements - just paper.

That's how one processes a free form, abstracted landscape. I guess.

And also, I am pleased to be the BOSHart Blog Art Blog of the Day.

01 May, 2008

Arte y Pico

Arte y Pico Award

Thanks loads to my blogger friend, JAFABRIT, for this exciting and handsome award. Blogger bling is much appreciated, and I always enjoy being sent some kudos. Go here for the citation, and for the rules. When I award my five, they must read the rules and follow the meme. Or, some bad thing may happen, such as the lost opportunity for more readership!

I so much like the looks of this little statue that I may have to Photoshop it on a mantle and frame it for my new studio wall.

I award this meme to the following bloggers that exemplify:

"creativity, design, interesting material and also that contribute to the blogging community no matter what language."

Thanks again, Corrine.

23 April, 2008

Award

The Arte y Pica award has generated quite a buzz around the blogosphere. I'd like to thank Corrine, the JAFABRIT, for awarding this gem my way. I wish to recognize my fellows in this awarding, who are the following bloggers:

I have some kinks to iron out in my awarding of this bling thing going forward, and so the presentation announcement will be forthcoming. Please stand by.

THE COLORIST

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