Dali On Display

When we asked artists to join us in celebrating Salvador Dali’s birthday by creating art inspired by the master’s persona or his Surrealist art, we didn’t quite know what to expect.  Such is the case when you center your show around an artist who made a living off the surprising, whimsical and unsettling side of life.  What finally made its way onto our walls is a diverse collection of ideas and interpretations of our theme.  Thank you to all of the talented artists who participated and made this all possible.  If you have not made the trek over to visit the show yet, you have till the end of June… see you soon. To purchase artwork visit our gallery shop here.

Opportunities For Learning

Last week, we had the privilege of working with a group of students from Opportunities For Learning Public Charter School.  The multiple branch charter, enrolled with students grades 7-12, offers an option for those students looking for an alternative to traditional schools.  It’s a mission we can get behind.

The artists who took our class were introduced to the Graphic Arts as they pushed themselves to design and paint a record album cover.  On Friday, the students spent an entire day here at the studio, painting and presenting their work.  We couldn’t be prouder of their growth over such a short span of time.

Planning Our Matryoshkas

We believe that a truly interesting work of art, starts with a plan.  Or a lot of plans, actually.  We don’t want to start painting something until we know exactly what it’s going to look like.  So early this week we’ve pinpointed our Matryoshka Doll themes and sketched out our ideas.  Take a look:

Oona focuses on classic movie stars

Ivy settles on “Rocky Horror Picture Show” characters

Maddee plans out her “Yellow Submarine” dolls

Stella colors in her “Greek Gods” doll plans

March and April and Camps, Oh My!

We have been working day and night to put together a great Spring Schedule with a little something for everyone. Take a look and see for yourself:

Classes:

Sewing:  Pajamas Wednesdays 3/6,  3/13,  3/20,  4/10
Watercolor:  Illustration Thursdays 3/7,  3/14,  3/21,  4/11
Collage:  Dada Books Fridays 3/8,  3/15,  3/22,  4/12
Drawing:  Contours Saturdays 3/16, 3/23, 4/6, 4/13

 

Workshops:

Silkscreen Printmaking with Michael Coleman Saturday,  3/23
Egg Decorating Saturday, 3/30
Adobe Photoshop 101 with Hrishikesh Hirway Saturday 4/13
Customize Your Blog with Hrishikesh Hirway Sunday 4/14

 

Camps:

Matroyshka Doll Camp  3/25 – 3/29
Skateboard Art Camp 4/1 – 4/5

Insanely Awesome Matryoshka Dolls

As we prepare for our Spring Camp, and seek a few ounces of internet inspiration, we’ve been sifting through hundreds of examples of Matryoshka Dolls.  Somewhere along the way, we ran across Irene Hwang, and our collective hearts skipped a beat. Her pop culture infused dolls are loaded with lovely details that deliver the goods to even the most ardent film, music, and art fans.  We are so keen on the dolls, we couldn’t help sharing a few:

Where the Wild Things Are

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bjork

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frida Kahlo

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wes Anderson Collection

 

 

Spring Camp Lineup

When planning for a week of camp, we most often ask ourselves, “What would we want to make… not just at 8, or 12, or 16, but now?”  What frequently follows is a mash-up of memories, internet-travels, and long sought after wishes.  This time around, after much consideration over what’s camp-week-worthy, and what’s super-awesome-camp-week-worthy, we have landed on our very first Spring Camp lineup:

Week 1: MATRYOSHKA DOLL CAMP

March 25 – 29

The nesting dolls that are so popular among Russians and artists alike, will be the focus of our first week of Spring Camp.  While designing and painting a set of five dolls, each camper will be pushed to think beyond the traditional dolls, and find interesting ways for the dolls to interact with each other.  The dolls could become members of a favorite band, or family portraits, or cartoon monsters… the sky’s the limit.  Throughout the process, campers will be instructed on painting techniques andwill be expected to take their art to a new level of detail and execution.  Book Here.

Week 2: SKATEBOARD ART CAMP

April 1 – 5

With the time, skill, and level of craftsmanship that goes into many skateboards, we believe they qualify as moving pieces of art.  And for a whole week of camp, we will delve into the culture and design elements that have held our attention for decades.  Each camper will be given one skateboard deck to work with and helped along the way with instruction on different styles, composition and painting.  At the end of the week, campers will walk away with a finished deck that can be hung as a masterpiece, or transformed into a personalized form of transportation.  Book Here.