Category Archives: Art

ARTIST LINDA LANGERAK INTRO’S ME TO SUPER WONDER GALLERY, TORONTO

What an unexpected pleasure to receive a last-minute invitation to join contemporary artist Linda Langerak last night at the super cool Super Wonder Gallery at 876 Bloor St West, Toronto. The gallery was hosting a show inspired by Rorschach, featuring multiple local artists’ work incorporating the Rorschach inkblot concept and Linda was one of the participating artists (below) with three distinct pieces on show. lankyratcreations.com What an explosion of colour! I was blown away by the number of pieces cleverly curated by Daniel Anaka, also an artist himself…and very cuddly, too! (see below)

Photo courtesy Linda Langerak

Below are a few of my fave works that really stood out, and I encourage you all to drop in to see the show yourself – Rorschach runs until Friday Nov. 27th. I must admit there were two pieces that really resonated with me….what do you think of these?

Relianece by Freya Kazemi

Bull Painting 1 by Thelia Shelton. Photo courtesy Linda Langerak

I ran into artist Kris Hamilton who has recently moved to Toronto to pursue her painting career and I loved the two pieces she showed me here..Linda intro’d me to several of her fellow artists whose work also hung on the walls -here’s the handsome and talented Paul Dolgov….And below, here’s the fabulous Gaya Kairos….Meet Michelle Dinelle (below) all colour coordinated with her art…And here’s the super suave Ricardo Silva…So come take a virtual walk thru the gallery with me and enjoy more stunning works…

I caught Linda snapping away, capturing some of her friends’ works….Big THANK YOU to gallery owners Christian Aldo (artist & event booking) and Kevin Bushman (operations/bookings) for hosting such a grand event and supporting local Canadian artists. Super Wonder Gallery is also available for event bookings (live entertainment shows, corporate events, private parties) and is fully licensed so check out their website for details. www.superwondergallery.com

I WON! LUMAS GALLERIES IN YORKVILLE (TORONTO) PRESENTS A $50 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO THEIR FIRST MONTHLY DRAW WINNER….ME!

One of the most fun galleries to visit in Toronto is the LUMAS GALLERIES located in the space that was previously the Four Season’s Hotel in Yorkville (159 Yorkville Ave). They carry some of the coolest photographic art ranging from giant wall-size digital photos down to miniature size framed photos suitable for the tiniest of loft spaces. Photographers featured include legends such as Damien Hirst, Man Ray and Edward Steichen whose portrait of silent movie queen Gloria Swanson (below) has been a part of my own art collection since the late 70’s, as well as architectural, landscape and figurative photographers like Erich Lessing, Sven Fennema, Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Daniel Reiter …and many others.I received a call from the gallery last week congratulating me on winning a $50 gift certificate in their first monthly draw, so today I went to collect my prize from the lovely Yoli, art consultant and gallery goddess (below left)Thank you so much to Lumas for my prize, I will be back a little later to choose something pretty as a Christmas gift to myself! I also met Gallery Director, Claire, who kindly allowed me to interview her and Yoli so I could share the story of the Lumas Galleries with you…

I encourage you to drop in and say hello to Yoli & Claire, and spend some time viewing the ever-changing artwork on their walls displayed in various themed rooms so you can see how cool your home would look with a Lumas photo on your own walls (below are a few examples).

Check out their global website: www.Lumas.com

AWARD-WINNING ARTIST BRUCE K. LAWES LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE WITH GREAT PRINT GIVE-AWAY

Congratulations to Bruce K. Lawes who has just launched a gorgeous new website via the US-based Fine Art Studio Online (FASO), artists’ web template company. http://bklawesart.com/

I’ve worked with Bruce over the past 2 years and have witnessed his portfolio expand with commissioned portraits of beloved horses, commemorative Civil War scenes and historic re-imagining, canvases capturing African endangered species, stunning fall and winter landscapes….but this little cowgirl is always pulled towards his horses – the shaggy mustangs, the fancy dressage steeds, and the craggy rugged western range themes.

I asked Bruce to share his experience using FASO to launch his new website with my readers as I know there are a lot of painters and sculptors out there whose own sites need a serious upgrade in order to compete in the highly volatile art markets around the world, and here is what he said…..

Your new site looks absolutely stunning, Bruce – can you tell me about FASO and how easy it was to use/upload (as a non-tech person)? I’m very pleased with the new website as I feel it’s easy to navigate and shows the art in my portfolio very well, and it offers e-commerce for my prints. FASO is dedicated to artists’ websites and truly assists the artist to showcase an exceptional representation of their work with ease and at a very reasonable price. The initial setup is a long process of uploading image after image, however, the individual process is made so easy to upload and place in each collection. If you have any problems FASO’s superb customer service techs are not only prompt, knowledgeable and courteous, they are available almost 24/7!How important is it for artists to have a site that looks current and “responsive” (readable on smartphones & tablets as well as computers) and offers interactive elements like sales and newsletters? For any artist, their website is paramount to their success. The ability to carry around your portfolio on your cell phone is invaluable. I’ve had many situations in casual settings where an opportunity to show potential collectors/buyers your work presents itself and out comes the cell phone. You never know who may be interested at any time. For those who know my work, the ability the website has to send out my monthly newsletter allows me to share my journey with my collectors on a more personal level. In fact, if you sign up to receive my e-newsletter “Bruce’s Monthly Palette”, you could be eligible to win a Limited Edition print of your choice valued at US$195.00. Each month, I will randomly pick a name from the list of subscribers and that lucky person will receive a print as a special thank you for joining my online gallery. Below are just a few of the Limited Edition prints from which you may choose.Since uploading all the pictures and text content, how much more can you do with your new site than before? The new site not only allows me to do all that I’ve already mentioned but also the ability to merge with my Facebook and other social media networks plus enter monthly FASO art contests where winners are introduced to FASO’s email list of over 50,000 art enthusiasts! Overall I could not be happier.

As Bruce says, FASO is a great website creation & promotional service for artists of any level and having worked with Bruce on his new website, I, too, can recommend their ease of use and their patient, caring customer service (great for non-techies like myself). So if you’re an artist looking to create a more competitive sexy site, you MUST visit http://faso.com/

And don’t forget to visit Bruce’s website and sign up for his monthly e-newsletter…you could be the next WINNER of a Limited Edition print. FYI: Bruce does not share your contact info with 3rd parties.

http://bklawesart.com/

ORT TORONTO GALA CELEBRATES ONGOING INT’L EDUCATION WORK + HONOURS CONTRIBUTIONS TO ART WORLD

Last night, ORT Toronto hosted its annual fundraising gala “Unfinished Business of the 20th Century – Restitution of Looted Art” at the Design Exchange in Toronto with a dinner and dessert reception plus a silent art auction. Thanks to my friend and PR colleague, Danielle Iversen who publicized the gala, I was invited to attend and help celebrate this year’s Honourees including Paul E. Bain (pictured below) partner at Dickinson Wright LLP, who was honoured for his work protecting artists’ rights and his dedication to several not-for-profit art organizations.…as well as Honourees for the ORT Recognition Award – Janis & Kenny Finkelstein, for their many years of dedication and support to the organization (below).Then the evening’s MC, Michael B. Miller (below) introduced the Keynote Speaker for this year’s gala…..….Donald S. Burris, one of the men behind the “Woman in Gold” case where a Nazi-appropriated Gustav Klimt masterpiece was returned to its rightful owner decades after the theft. Mr. Burris is a senior partner in the L.A. firm Burris, Schoenberg & Walden LLP, and he spoke about that case (recently told in the Helen Mirren/Ryan Reynolds feature film “The Woman in Gold”) and his pursuit of other art works stolen by the Nazis in World War II. Talk about a fascinating presentation and what a riveting brush with history I experienced.

Mr. Burris spoke at great length about the numerous trials, the international legal wrangling and ultimate triumph that brought the Klimt portrait of Ms. Altmann’s aunt back to the family, as well as comments regarding the other recent movie “The Monuments Men” which sadly did not tell the full true story of the Allies’ attempt to rescue and protect the greatest artworks in Europe’s private Jewish family collections.

Although the speech was a sobering reminder to all what happened seven+ decades ago, the evening was full of promise and positive celebrations for ORT Toronto which is an arm of World ORT, founded in 1880, the largest non-denominational, non-governmental organization providing “Education for Life” each year to over 300,000 disadvantaged students in 60 countries. The name is an acronym based on its original Russian name. Through its International Cooperation programs, ORT supports non-sectarian economic and social development in under-developed parts of the world, with vocational training and the provision of technical assistance. ORT operates a global network of schools, colleges, training centres and programmes in Africa, Asia-Pacific, the CIS and Baltic States, Israel, Latin America, North America and Western Europe. ORT schools are highly regarded and are open to all children regardless of religious backgrounds. http://www.ort-toronto.org/

ORT Executive Director, Lindy Meshwork says: “In these challenging times, we believe the key to a better world lies in education. Since 1880 ORT has been providing the necessary skills and training to succeed, providing hope and the opportunity for a brighter future for students around the world.”

Exec. Dir. Lindy Meshwork with event publicist Danielle

The evening also featured a delicious buffet dinner with a dessert reception after the awards presentations. There was a silent auction featuring artworks by renowned painters & photographers to help raise funds for ORT Toronto. Here are some candid photos of the guests, honourees and VIPs …and mazel tov to all for a fantastic night!

Harry & Esther Goodman enjoyed the festivities

Danielle (left) joined my table for dinner and schmoozing with Rochelle Covent (right)

Mr. Burris was enthusiastically congratulated on his speech

I ran into media colleague Georgina Bencsik at the buffet

More media enjoying the dinner incl. Jody Glaser (above R) with his wife Katherine

L-R: Philip Strathy, Danielle, Sam Wales & Michael Miller

A successful fundraiser & awards gala = good reason to kick up their heels!

Harry, Danielle & Sam kick up their heels

ABOUT THE EVENT:

GALA MASTER OF CEREMONIES: Michael B. Miller, Partner, Dickinson Wright, LLP

HONOURARY CO-CHAIRS: Carrie Katz + Ellen Miller
TRIBUTE COMMITTEE: Madeline Avedon, Rose Baum, Jeanne Beker, Joyce Chapnick, Justice Sandra Chapnik, Hedy Frisch, Edie Glazer, Julianna Greenspan, Marlene Hait,
Elise Kalles, Barbara Kingstone, Michelle Maderer, Laura Walsh & Israel Mida, Tom Mihalik,, Aviva Morgenstern, Harriet Morton, Marlene & Martin Rochwerg, Irene Reingold, Mary Richmond, Serafima Roll, Dorothy Cohen Shoichet, Elise Sieradzki, Justice Gertrude Speigel, Bella Tal, Sam Wales, Florence Weinstock, Liora Yakubowicz

ORT Canada – Charitable Number: 118834910 RR0001

Co- Presidents: Carrie Katz, Jacob Kincler & Arthur Silber

ORT Toronto

President: Janis Finkelstein, Past President: Florence Weinstock

Executive Director: Lindy Meshwork

Director of Admin: Roni Maderer

Sponsored by BMO, Tom Mihalik: Tom’s Place and Janis & Kenny Finkelstein

LUMAS GALLERY OPENS IN OLD FOUR SEASONS HOTEL LOCATION, YORKVILLE.

How exciting – the Lumas Limited Edition Gallery has just opened in Yorkville (Toronto) in the ground floor retail space created in the condos taking over the old Four Seasons Hotel lot at the corner of Avenue Rd and Yorkville Ave. The internationally acclaimed gallery offers stunning photographs of curated works by the world’s leading artists (over 200 artists are represented) and the Toronto location has just opened. With nearly 40 galleries located in cities such as Berlin, London, Paris, New York and now Toronto, local condo and homeowners can add renowned works to their walls in large or small format photos. Come walk through the showrooms with me…. You must visit in person to get the full effect of this incredible Damien Hirst piece (below)…it’s 3D and jumps out from the wall. So scary…so beautiful. My photo does not do it justice.

The Vogue Collection features popular photographs by the magazine’s top photographic artists……and some of the display rooms look like condo showrooms, set with fabulous on-trend furniture, lighting and wall colours.

There are numerous “miniatures” (below) suitable for smaller condos or apartments, and very affordable, too.

I recommend you drop in soon, spend some time strolling thru the rooms and chatting with the gallery/store associates who can recommend pieces that will fit your home and your wallet. Lumas Limited Edition Gallery, 159 Yorkville Ave, Toronto T: 416-928-9200 www.lumas.com

ZEBUU HOME DECOR STORE OFFERS UNIQUE ACCESSORIES IN GALLERY-LIKE SETTING

When I visited Toronto’s Bloordale neighbourhood yesterday to celebrate the opening of the Dead Dog Records store, I walked past an intriguing store offering unique and incredibly beautiful home decor and art that I just could not resist…so I went inside.

Zebuu, located at 1265 Bloor St West just east of Lansdowne, presents its wares much like a curated gallery – collections of bird carvings from Brazilian artisans in lots of lovely colours grouped together like little birdies on a power line…delicately carved wooden angels flew across the entrance wall, and groups of wooden heads marched across the shelves live Easter Island moai come to life!

Co-owner Craig Williamson explained that he and his partner, Geraldo Valerio, import their home decor, room accents and textiles mainly from Brazil, Turkey and India, all handcrafted by skilled artisans. Check out the stunning copperware from Turkey and the beautifully decorated shears and scissors from Mumbai, India, below.

So many cute little treasures for the wee ones’ rooms as well as the big people…I wanted to play with these hand-carved beasties….…and what kitchen or family room wouldn’t benefit from the addition of these fine home accents? Don’t the wooden spoons look like art (above), displayed the way Craig has hung them on the wall? Each is made by hand from native Brazilian hardwoods, ensuring a one-of-a-kind look and feel.

If you’re more into Canadiana, have no fear…Zebuu has lots of lovely goodies for the true blue Canucks, too. The new website, www.zebuu.com, is still being populated with photos and product information, but you can call them on 647-748-1265 or email: info@zebuu.com Zebuu is a welcome oasis of art, home decor and giftware amongst a row of unremarkable but friendly neighbourhood cafes, convenience stores and thrift shops. You will feel welcome and at home so drop in and say hello to Craig and Geraldo, and do tell them I sent you.

URBAN GALLERY HOSTS OFFICIAL LAUNCH FOR “DON’T BE AFRAID OF COLOUR” BY NANCY-JANE PRICE

Tonight marked the official launch for local artist NANCY-JANE PRICE‘s latest painting series “Don’t Be Afraid of Colour” at URBAN GALLERY, 400 Queen St East, Toronto www.urbangallery.ca

Nancy-Jane’s first passionate encounter with colour occurred while she was still in kindergarten. She was to fill in a single pane of a stained glass window design on a piece of brown paper. She chose the most beautiful shade of magenta her young eyes had ever seen, carefully filling in the space. But when the teacher noticed that Nancy-Jane hadn’t started at the bottom, she was summarily removed from painting duties. That memory runs deep. She continued her love affair with colour in public school and colour has stayed with her ever since, mostly through dress and home decoration. Five years ago, after various art classes focused on traditional drawing and painting, she decided to “loosen up” her style, and signed up for an ongoing studio class where she concentrates on non-objective painting in acrylics with an emphasis on intuitive sense of colour. Artist statement: Colour, space, juxtaposition, design; the mystery in the way it works, the joy of being alive…

Here’s Nancy-Jane (below left) with KJ Mullins, Publisher of www.Newz4U.netAnd here’s artist Linda Langerak (below left) with Wayne Abell of UrbanSource Catering, and KJ Mullins

Visit www.Facebook.com/UrbanGallery to take a virtual walk thru the gallery (video)

DON’T BE AFRAID OF COLOUR

Paintings by Nancy-Jane Price. Show runs until Sat. September 26, 2015

CALL FOR ENTRIES: URBAN GALLERY TO HOST EQUINE PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW DURING NEXT YEAR’S “CONTACT PHOTO FESTIVAL”.

My friends down at URBAN GALLERY (400 Queen St East, Toronto) are putting out a “call for submissions” for next year’s Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival (May 2016) so they’re looking for professional or semi-pro photographers and emerging photographic artists to submit photos of horses, ponies, donkeys, mules…even zebras!…for next year’s city-wide festival.Deadline is Sept. 30th so hurry up and email Calvin at Urban Gallery (urbangalleryart1@gmail.com) for fest info and eligibility. Am sure you can do better than my efforts (below)…LOL

MORE EXCITING POP-ART….THIS TIME BY TORONTO’S OWN STEPHEN TRICANICO

Another fabulous artist’s reception at Urban Gallery tonight – the launch of their August show “Left Brain, Right Brain” by 24yr old Toronto abstract expressionist/pop artist Stephen Tricanico (below)

Stephen spent the last year allowing himself to have a heightened focus on waking up and creating every day which resulted in the works shown in this new exhibition.

Artist statement: With the pop works, I was trying to create a visual reinterpretation of plays on words and poetry, having pieces based on thoughts I once had. The abstracts result from wanting to do something based on a feeling, allowing the work to satisfy my left and right brain, and hopefully the viewers as well.

The growing crowd of art aficionados that filled the gallery seemed to agree – these were exciting and provocative works. Congrats to Urban Gallery for introducing this talented artist.

I met up with two of the charming gallery assistants from the Andy Warhol exhibit at Revolver Gallery’s Bloor St pop-up (see previous blog story). Meet Valeria (below L) and Lily (below R) who came out to see Stephen’s work.

Below, the fabulous Paddy Reagan (left) enjoyed schmoozing with Urban Source Catering’s Wayne Abell (right)

And the oh so sassy ladies below are KJ Mullins, Publisher of Newz4U.net (left) and Urban’s own gallery goddess Kaspara Albertsen (right)

Even “her Maj” put in an appearance….“you want fries with that, Liz?”

There were lots more cutie pies…..

…and I really liked Stephen’s abstracts, esp. this real dope piece!

Stephen’s show “Left Brain, Right Brain” runs until August 29th and you can check out more details on Urban Gallery’s website: www.urbangallery.ca

Gallery hours:
Noon to 5pm Monday through Saturday
Noon to 8pm Thursdays
Closed Sundays & Holidays
Viewings outside gallery hours by appointment

ANDY WARHOL: REVISITED

It was Saturday afternoon of this long weekend…I was bored, wandering around Yorkville just window shopping and bemoaning the fact that I had no “play money” (it’s rent weekend, big phone & internet bills to pay…blast it) I then suddenly remembered…Warhol! Yes, there’s a pop-up gallery that’s taken over the old Guess boutique space on Bloor St just west of Bay, featuring paintings and prints from the most prolific and important artist of the 60’s and 70’s…Andy Warhol.Most people have seen his “Marilyn Monroe” series at least one time or another and yes, she’s there in all her glory, but there are also many other brilliantly coloured works of art featuring political leaders, royalty and society mavens, as well as his advertising images, paintings of Hollywood divas and cartoon characters…all are represented in the space, thanks to Ron Rivlin’s Revolver Gallery.

One jaw-dropping image that stopped me in my tracks almost as soon as I walked in was a painting I was not familiar with…Red Lenin (below). This bright red image looms large over one section of the gallery and I felt pulled right in to his eyes – quite hypnotic.Next to Lenin is this gorgeous Alexander the Great painting (below) which I was also unfamiliar with.

Then there were the socialites, the men who made million$ and spent million$, who supported Andy with commissions and entertained him at chi-chi soirees and Club 54 (below). I surprised myself by recognizing many of the names…then realized how damned old I am that I actually remember who these guys were!!

I had forgotten Andy’s “wild west” series that included Geronimo, Col. Custer, Sitting Bull and “The Duke” who took centre spot on this wall (below). The portrait of Teddy Roosevelt, tho, looked disturbingly like Robin Williams in Night at the Museum but I soon realized just how important an artist Warhol was, considering major movie stars still fashion their on-screen characterizations after his work.

Muhammad Ali was there, as were Judy Garland and Ronald Reagan…even Uncle Sam and the Wicked Witch of the West are on display….

But for me, the piece de resistance had to be the giant Mickey Mouse portrait….although I’m not a big Disney fan, I had purchased a museum quality print of Warhol’s Mickey back in the early 80’s. There was something very endearing and magical about it and the original didn’t disappoint, with some sparklies in the background paint and his big silly smile -I fell in love all over again with my own Mickey.

As you can see (above), Mickey was in great company surrounded by Aunt Jemima, Howdy Doody and Andy himself!

All hail Her Maj!

Blue Mao...part of a series of Mao Andy painted in various bright colours. Very provocative at the time.

Blue Mao…part of a series of Mao that Andy painted in various bright colours. Very provocative at the time.

The Revolver Gallery at 77 Bloor St West, Toronto, will showcase these incredible works of art until December 31st, with general admission tickets $10 (Seniors $8, Students and Youth $5) and VIP passes for $30 (lots of perks and return visits incl.). If you love art or simply have a soul(!), you MUST go visit in person.

And a big thank you to Korbin and his crew of knowledgeable art interns who guided me thru the exhibit.

Great gift shop with tons of cool souvenirs

And here’s my very own Warhol poster, purchased during the 1982 Hamburg, Germany, exhibition. He’s freshly dusted off and awaiting a re-hang; now if only I could find some space on my walls….

For more info on ANDY WARHOL’s work and life, please visit: www.artsy.net/artist/andy-warhol