October 2016 – Ornamento

POST Tour 2016: Jim Brossy

By: ornamento.blog October 27, 2016October 30, 2016

Art, Studio TourArt, Jim Brossy2 Comments

Last weekend was the East-of-Broad-Street portion of the Philadelphia Open Studio Tours or POST for short. It’s lots of fun to visit artists’ studios, have a look around, and learn about the work they do. My first stop was Jim Brossy’s studio in Northern Liberties. It’s a cavernous space and it has to be because Jim works very large. His multi-dimensional works exhibit an eerie storybook quality.

“The painting is not a representation of life, but a real thing, an object in a real space, that can be experienced as a picture. The integration of tar, cement, wax, latex, steel and other “non- art” materials along with traditional art materials, eliminates boundaries creating new form. ”

Jim’s work pulls the viewer in and elicits an emotional response. It is difficult to look away He refers to his work as “Crackpot Realism.” Read about Jim and see more of his work here.

Next Week: E.C. Bradley

Count Down to Clayathon!

By: ornamento.blog October 24, 2016October 6, 2017

ArtLeave a Comment

Trinkets and Some Bowls to Hold Them

By: ornamento.blog October 20, 2016October 9, 2016

Art, beads, Beads, Ceramics, earthenware clay, Polymer Clay, potteryArt, Beads, Clay, inspiration, polymerLeave a Comment

It’s not like I don’t already have enough beads, but having access to a pottery studio, glazes and a bead tree has made new beads magically appear in my workshop. The items you see below are pendants and a couple of bead comes.

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Here are some beads in their greenware state and decorated state after bisque firing and prior to glaze firing.

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And if bead making was not enough, I been making little trinket bowls to hold rings and other small treasures.

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I am having fun with different glazes and textures, and finishes.

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And I have also been having fun making components for the Into the Forest collaborative polymer clay project.

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Color Wheels

By: ornamento.blog October 13, 2016October 9, 2016

Art, Community Art Groups, Fleisher Art Memorial, South Philadelphia, South PhillyArt, ColorWheels art van, creativity, Fleisher Art Memorial, Gelli prints3 Comments

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I volunteered to help in the ColorWheels mobile community art program run by the Fleisher Art Memorial and participated in my first program on Saturday outside the Donatucci branch of the Philadelphia Free Library. After helping to set up the ColorWheels tent, I and other volunteers helped the neighborhood kids make Gelli prints using leaves we found on the sidewalk and supplies from the ColorWheels art van. It was a lot of fun and the kids jumped right in picking out paint and leaves, and turning out prints that twe hung up to dry for them.

We ended up closing a little early because it started raining. Still, it was a great way to spend a Saturday.

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Rainy Day in New York City

By: ornamento.blog October 6, 2016October 1, 2016

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I don’t mind walking in the rain as long as it’s not too cold and windy. The rain seems to make a city quieter and slow it down a bit. The trees glaze over with moss and even the newspapers blowing in the street settle down as they turn to mush on the sidewalk. Dogs go about their walks a little more seriously when it’s raining and don’t feel the need to smell every bush and trash can on the route. A gentle rain can make a romantic walk through Central Park even more romantic.