ECHOES extended @ The Frame Maker

A few posts ago, I wrote about how happy I was with the show ECHOES now at The Frame Maker here in San Diego. I connected and assisted two artists, glass artist Lea de Wit and photographer Maire Scharpegge, create a very successful show.

So successful we've extended ECHOES through April 21st, when we begin preparing for our next show. So if you haven't seen this show yet, here's a picture, and you can scroll down to the past few posts for more. Because of the materials involved (glass and stainless steel) and their unique reflective properties, you should see this show in person.



Both artists have been gracious enough to replace the works we've already sold, so that the show is as robust as at the beginning, even though today there is a piece out on approval. I also want to add that as a mentor in the business-of-art department, I am especially proud of these two for their efforts and follow-through!

(So go visit them online:
glass artist Lea de Wit
photographer Maire Scharpegge)

Business of art mentoring scholarship for SDSU art students

I'm really excited about a new program I've developed with Sandi Cottrell of ArtWalk this year to mentor a SDSU art department student through the process of preparing, presenting and promoting a show of his or her work at ArtWalk as the launch and springboard of his or her business as a professional artist.

I'll write more about details later, today I want to share this pic of our first scholarship winner, Jessica Siemans. Taken last night with her purchase-award piece "Face" in the SDSU art galleries last night after the awards ceremony, this picture only shows a fraction of Jessica's energy and enthusiasm for her work.

It was really a pleasure to meet Jessica and feel the energy and excitement of all the artists present, student and faculty both. Definitely look for more posts about this project through April 25 & 26, the weekend of ArtWalk 2009--I'm really looking forward to the whole process and excitement of an artist getting response to their work and results for their efforts. I'll probably put up links to a new site blog specifically about this project as part of my new Art & Artist Services project with The Frame Maker.

Paintings by Franco Colavecchia

doublehead
Originally uploaded by Franco Colavecchia

I have been reveling in the work of my friend and mentor at NCSA Franco Colavecchia, who has a remarkable body of work assembled on Flickr.

Fortunately for us, Franco began teaching once a year at UCSD shortly after Heather and I moved to San Diego, so we've been able to stay in somewhat regular touch.

This summer is a special treat, because I'll be organizing a show of Franco's work, original paintings and original scenic renderings both, here in San Diego at The Frame Maker.

More on that later, go check out Franco on Flickr.

Not so fast, somebody needs something painted.

Humorously, not long after my last post, I got two different custom painting/faux finishing jobs, one larger (a new office), one smaller (a 6'x 6' painting that needs repaired/ refurbished).

Funny how that works.

Its not like I wasn't utilizing all those skills at The Frame Maker. I'm just posting some details on the Design blog there about some of the custom finishes we created last year for some specific projects, projects I had forgotten about until sorting pictures this past weekend.

The first custom finish post is about a painted wood grain finish I did for a client in a hurry when their first choice moulding was out of stock for far longer than the time frame when they needed them.



In this picture, the corner sample at the back is the goal: a clear finish over a lightly stained softwood with a simple tight grain, kind of a chestnut color. In this profile, we couldn't get that finish in time. What we could get was the same profile in a very dark chocolate-mahogany color ("espresso"). The moulding lengths in the foreground are actually a painted and glazed finish over what began as an almost black translucent wood finish.

The client wasn't just thrilled with the match of the painted faux finish, but with the on time delivery and installation of her framed pieces. The out-of-stock problem which started out of our control ended up providing us with the opportunity to deliver a clutch solution and an absolutely premium level of customer service.

Since that was part of my consulting spec at the time, I'm very pleased with this particular job to this day.

Current faux finish and mural work?

I've had more than a few inquiries from friends asking what I've got going for faux finish and mural projects right now, and the right answer is not one I've ever admitted before.

Right now? None.

I don't have an active contract right now to paint anything for anyone.

Fortunately, this isn't the same concern for me right now it could be otherwise. In the too-rare instance of me practicing what I preach, diversification has allowed me to remain relatively unstressed by economy, media gloom & panicked peers.

Rather, many of the business and marketing skills I had developed over the years to grow my mural and faux-painting business are now much in demand as everyone's business (and outlook) contracts to some degree.

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know I've been heavily involved in someone else's business for over a year now at The Frame Maker. I link to their website here because it is my most developed example of helping a business both 1) strengthen its bond with existing clients and 2)actually gain new clients in a shrinking marketplace driven by uncertainty and fear.

Designed and built by my company from scratch, The Frame Maker site and blogs (always featured on the left panel of this blog) help deliver real value to existing clients looking for info and examples and potential clients looking for the best custom picture framer in town.

These new web design and marketing consulting services will be fully documented and presented on their own at some point in the near future, but for the next few months you'll be able to find updates, links and testimonials here as I prepare to officially launch the "Artist Services" part of my "Art & Artist Services" tagline.

Stay tuned.

California glass artist Lea de Wit

As I said before, I'm very pleased with work we did together on the current show "Echoes" at The Frame Maker, and I'm putting up some pictures here today of the feature wall I helped contemporary California glass artist Lea de Wit bring to life in our showroom.

Inspired by the fluidity of Maire Scharpegge's 120" abstract water photograph at the other end of the gallery, we designed a custom wall installation for 14 of Lea's smaller vessels themed around water colors.



Here, Lea is laying out the pieces in front of the location. You can see we built a structural frame into the existing conference room window opening, which we then covered in plywood to support this and future art installations.

Next we made "section view" place holders for the different pieces and created a template for the mounting of pieces once wall was completed.



We mocked up the arrangement with the brown paper templates on fomecore on the floor, and then tacked the fomecore to the wall when we went to install. Lea commissioned clear acrylic shelves to mount into our reengineered wall, and her blown glass plates and bowls are secured with museum wax. We also painted a white panel behind installation to maximize the play of color, reflection and shadow of the pieces in the final installation.



In these last photos you can see interesting details of acrylic shelf installation and the lighting/ reflection/ shadow interplay of the wall.

ECHOES @ The Frame Maker

Among my other recent activities, I have helped two terrific artists prepare a show of their work at The Frame Maker. I met Lea and Maire at separate times in 2008 and introduced them with the idea of doing a collaborative show where their work would sort of riff off each other like a pair of musicians.

A week after opening the show in a whirlwind after returning from holiday in Cabo San Lucas and living with the installation "Echoes", I have to say I'm very pleased with the work we did inhabiting The Frame Maker showroom with these pieces and their arrangements.

Here is the online version of our printed postcard for the show.



This show couldn't have happened without Pete @ Moebius Color and Eric @ Level One Art Installation not to mention Steve Atlas (owner of The Frame Maker) who helped finance and install a significant lighting upgrade to our showroom for "Echoes".

Good work, everyone!

More Pirate Mural Pics & Details

Here is a much better photo of the central detail of my backyard pirate mural installation here in San Diego.

The pirate landing party was composed first on the panels covering the roll-up door, and these panels were painted separately in my studio. You can see the panels, attaching hardware, and some awfully fun painting in the next two enlargements.





I was inspired on this project not only by my clients Ron and Mary but also by my friend Helen Ward, whose illustrations for the book "Pirateology" fueled the project and whose design illustrations for "Into The Woods" helped set my high standards.

Pirate Mural Pictures

I'm jumping back to an older custom mural project that I never fully prepared for portfolio viewing at the request of woodworker Del Cover. The theme is pirates, and this series of pictures shows the beginning outdoor space, a design sketch and a few finished photos, including details of the mural image itself as well as the faux rock and wood grain treatments used as a surround.

The "raw" space for the mural, showing the clients' extensive collection of pirate memorabilia.


The final approved design sketch for pirate mural and surround.


Overview of finished mural and faux painted surround.


Detail of pirate landing party.


Detail of faux painted rock and wood grain surround for pirate mural.