Poinsettia!

Lots of thick juicy palette knife work here. This is a sample of the type of painting we will be doing in the Advanced/Intermediate Acrylic Painting class on Tuesday nights a the Y Arts Studio. Registration is currently underway; classes begin the week of January 3. Visit www.ymcaofgreatersyracuse.org for more details.

Advanced/Intermediate Painting Class

Our Winter Session at the Y Arts Studio will include an Advanced/Intermediate Acrylic Painting Class. This class is for students who have some experience with acrylic paint. We will be using techniques including glazing and palette knife painting as well as working with textures and dramatic lighting.
The class is scheduled for Tuesday nights, 7:00p.m. - 9:00 p.m. We are registering now for the Winter classes which begin the week of January 3.

For my students who are finishing the Still Life....

Most of you are nearly done with your paintings and I am very pleased with the artwork. As you are finishing the still life, you can refer to the photos. If you need to take another photo, let me know. The still life is still in the studio and can be set up very quickly.
Remember to concentrate on your focal point; other areas should have less detail; and try to create a sense of foreground, middleground and background. Highlights on the glass objects and on the pitcher should not be stark white, but white, mixed with a bit of the color of the object.
Each of the glass objects cast a lovely colored shadow on the white pitcher (that's why I chose it for the still life!)and everyone did a beautiful job of capturing that.
All in all I think everyone made great progress and I hope you will consider joining the Advanced/Intermediate Painting Class.

Frozen River accepted in SCA Regional Exhibit

My mixed media piece, Frozen River was accepted into the Stanley Center for the Arts Regional Exhibit in Utica. The reception is tomorrow, Tuesday Nov. 30, 5:00pm - 6:30pm, but I will be teaching my painting class. So if you are at the reception, have a glass of wine and a couple of cookies for me.

New artwork on website

I have added a few recent paintings to my website.

Queen of the Slip Jig

Just finished this painting in time for the Still Life class which I am teaching on Tuesday nights at the Y Arts Studio. The title is a play on Van Morrison's "Queen of the Slip Stream". In this piece, a well worn pair of Irish dance shoes,a crown and a few medals propped up next to an old concertina tell of a long, but satisfying day at the Feis.

Winter's Arrival

It snowed yesterday (Halloween) and again today for a bit. I am not usually a fan of the cold weather but I did think briefly of skiing. Here's painting I did a few years ago to herald the arrival of winter.

Acrylics: Painting the Still Life

Still life painting usually puts one in mind of flowers and vases, or fruit and wine bottles...not that those are bad things. But still life painting can be so much more. The correct pairing of objects, with a treatment that enhances those objects can create a composition that is as contemporary in feel as the subject matter it represents. The application of paint in IPOD was done entirely with a palette knife. The resulting textures and the highlights they catch and the shadows they cast become important visual parts of the painting. They also invite us to touch the artwork, something we seldom do with a finished painting. Running our fingers across the ridges of paint becomes part of the appreciation.


"Painting the Still Life" begins next week at the Y Arts Studio at the East Area Family YMCA, in Fayetteville. There are still a few openings in the Tuesday night 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm class and the Wednesday morning class 9:30 am - 11:30 am. Cost is $68. for YMCA Members; $78. for Non-members. All art supplies are included; no need to bring anything but yourselves to class! Registration for these classes will close on Thursday Nov. 4, so if you are interested it is best to register before then.
Hours: Monday - Friday 5:30 am - 10:00 pm; Saturday 5:30 am - 9:00 pm; Sunday 8:00 am - 7:00 pm.

New Gift Shop

Bella Regalo, a new gift shop in Liverpool is carrying some of my art-to-wear (scarves and bags) and a few of my paintings and prints. They are located at 309 Vine St., across from The Retreat. You can call 453-4030 for hours.The Grand Opening is scheduled for Saturday November 6.
Pictured is one of my prints "Avant Dejeuner".

Closed For the Season

Just sold this one on Monday. "Closed For the Season", Camp Iroquois on the last day of camp.

Painting the Still Life

Registration for our Fall 2 Session at the Y Arts Studio began this week. I am scheduled to teach two sections of Acrylic Painting: Painting the Still Life, Tuesday nights from 7:00 - 9:00 for Adults and Teens and on Wednesday mornings 9:30 - 11:30 for Adults. The Fall 2 Session begins on November 4.

All arts programming is open to YMCA Members and Non-members and all art supplies are included in the fee; no need to bring anything but yourself to class!
You can register for classes at the Y in Fayetteville, 200 Towne Drive, during these hours: Monday - Friday 5:30 am - 10:00 pm, Saturdays 5:30 am - 9:00 pm or Sundays 8:00 am - 7:00 pm. Register soon, some classes fill quickly.

Fall Art Shows

I have an exhibit of semi-abstract art at the May Memorial Art Gallery till September 28. Most of the pieces are torn paper collage with accents of watercolor, colored pencil and metallic paint. Not too much going on otherwise for Fall Art Shows for me; made a few changes in the showcase at Crouse Hospital, one new painting and a few scarves in Fall colors.
Reception today for the Associated Artists show, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm at the Manlius Library. Free and open to the public.

Honorable Mention for Frozen River

This mixed media piece just won an Honorable Mention in the Associated Artists Members Show. The title is Frozen River and it is a combination of watercolor, colored pencil and paper fibers.

YMCA Employee Art Show

The YMCA Employee Art Show goes up today at the East Area Family YMCA 200 Towne Drive Fayetteville. The show will be on display till October 30. Here's one of my entries, an acrylic painting just finished this week.

Fall Classes

Our Fall Session at the Y Arts Studio begins on September 13. I am scheduled to teach two sections of Introduction to Acrylic Painting, Tuesday nights from 7:00 - 9:00 for Adults and Teens and on Wednesday mornings 9:30 - 11:30 for Adults. I will also be teaching a Drawing class for kids called Illustration, with a Twist (each class starts with an art game)on Monday nights from 4:15 - 5:15 for ages 6 - 8 and 5:30 - 6:30 for kids ages 9 - 12.
All arts programming is open to YMCA Members and Non-members and all art supplies are included in the fee; no need to bring anything but yourself to class!
You can register for classes at the Y in Fayetteville, 200 Towne Drive, during these hours: Monday - Friday 5:30 am - 10:00 pm, Saturdays 5:30 am - 9:00 pm or Sundays 8:00 am - 7:00 pm. Register soon, some classes fill quickly.

Pictured above, Arrangement in Orange and Blue, acrylic painting.

Two Piantings chosen for Healing Muse Volume 10

I just found out this week that these two paintings will be published in The Healing Muse, Volume 10. The Muse is a literary and visual journal published each year by SUNY Upstate Medical Center for Bioethics and Humanities.

New Show at Soule Library

I have a new show opening at Soule Library on July 1. A collection of landscapes, urban scenes and some mixed media pieces.
Soule Library is located at 101 Springfield Rd. Dewitt (right near Lemoyne College).

Thoughts on Art and Healing

The Healing Arts. The Art of Healing. It’s strange how often we see these words grouped together, but seldom consider Art as healing. And yet as artists we know instinctively how therapeutic it is to create. How good it feels to take pencil to paper, or to lay one color next to another, or to carve, mold and shape. To knead the clay, to smell the paint, to feel the weight of the brush in hand. Sometimes even a new box of crayons can make us giddy with delight. So we plunge headlong into our latest artistic endeavor, considering line, shape, space, color, composition, proportion and perspective. And as we work through these issues, the bigger issues of life, love, relationships, families, religion, and death, will at various times enter into the picture. Through the act of creating art, either resolution or acceptance is achieved.

Summer Shows

This is where I will be showing my work this summer:

Baltimore Woods Nature Center Art Gallery, Marcellus ends July 1

Soule Library, Syracuse July 1 - August 1

Crouse Hospital Spiritual Wing, Syracuse June 7 - August 1

“Along the River’s Edge” Thousand Island Art Center,
Clayton July 8 - Labor Day

The Gift Shop at Thousand Island Arts Center, Clayton May - December

New show (in a very different setting)

Well, I currently have a show in a location totally different from anywhere I have shown before: Crouse Hospital, in Syracuse. I have three paintings, a couple of prints and an assortment of scarves and small velvet embossed bags in a 52" x 52" showcase in a busy corridor near the Spiritual Center at the hospital. They actually have several showcases featuring artwork by area area school children, so showing art is not a new thing for the hospital. They are in fact promoting the connection between healing and the arts; a good thing and I applaud any effort in that direction.
Here is one of the images from the show, the Veterans Day Parade.

Landscape Painting Class

I am teaching a 3 day Landscape Painting Workshop for Adults and Teens at Camp Iroquois.
Advance registration is required for this class; you can register at the East Area Family YMCA Member Services desk, Mondays - Fridays 5:30 am - 10:00 pm, Saturdays 5:30 am - 9:00 pm or Sundays 8:00 am - 7:00 pm.
All supplies are included and classes are open to YMCA Members and Non-Members. The fee is a reasonable $49 Members; $59 Non-Members. For more information read the description below from our YMCA Program Guide.

Outdoor Landscape Painting

3-Day Workshop

(Teen & Adult) 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday – Thursday July 13, 14 and 15

Learn the essentials of landscape painting at scenic Camp Iroquois in Manlius,
where woodland trails, rustic cabins and boats resting along the waterfront are all waiting to become part of your masterpiece. Each session will begin with an instructor demonstration.
After learning basic techniques beginners will be ready to paint subject matter. More experienced painters will be given time to work independently. Each participant will receive plenty of guidance from the instructor and each day will include some basic drawing instruction.
All supplies are included; participants are asked to dress for the outdoors. A shelter is provided in case of inclement weather. Meet in parking lot of Camp Iroquois.

2 more shows coming up

I have two more shows coming up, both in July. There will be a mixture of Landscapes, Urban Scenes and Still Life at the Soule Library and a mixture of smaller pieces and wearable art (scarves and bags) in a showcase at Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital. Both located in Syracuse. Pictured above are an assortment of embossed velvet scarves.

Judging student artwork today

Well it was a pleasure to be included as one of the judges for the Reeds Jewelry Student Art Show. This was Reeds first attempt at organizing an art show and I must say that it went very well. Although only two schools were represented, (Christian Brothers Academy and Fayetteville-Manlius) there was a nice variety of artwork to choose from. My two compatriots from the Y Arts Studio, Kat Kane and Dawn Hartigan were the other judges.
The opening reception was pleasantly crowded with student artists, proud parents and art teachers all munching on punch and cookies and looking at artwork. A very nice end to a busy day.

Landscapes Exhibit at Baltimore Woods Nature Center in Marcellus

I have an exhibit of landscape paintings, collages and artists books on display at the Baltimore Woods Nature Center Gallery. The exhibit will run through the months of May and June. The pieces in this show represent two different ways of viewing the land: the pastels and acrylic paintings are done in a traditional impressionist manner; the collages and books are interpreted as pieces of land, sky and water layered on top of and around each other, each piece part of an integral whole.

The Baltimore Woods Nature Center is located at 4007 Bishop Hill Rd. in Marcellus. Hours are: M - 9:00 am - 4:00 pm and Sat. 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.

I will be teaching a class in Pastels at the East Area Family YMCA Arts Studio in Fayetteville, NY, beginning the week of April 26. The class runs for 6 weeks and will be offered at two times, Tuesday nights from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm and Wednesday mornings from 9:30 am - 11:30 am.
Registration is currently underway for this class and space is limited to 10 people.
All Arts programming is open to YMCA Member and Non-members.
Art supplies are included in class fee. $65. YMCA Members and $75. for Non-Members.

Pastel painting is a beautiful technique that can be easily learned. Using a variety of soft and hard pastels we will learn to create texture and depth in lush vibrant colors. Students will have the opportunity to experiment with the pastels on several kinds of textured paper. Each class will begin with some basic drawing instruction and discussion of composition and principles of design.

For more information call the Y Arts Studio at 315 637-2025 x 216.

The "before" picture

Here is the pastel in the unfinished stage from Wednesday April 7.

Finishing the pastel

This is for my pastel class at the Y. We had our last class for this session on Wednesday April 7 and I promised I would finish the picture, so here it is.

When we left class on Wednesday a few areas needed to be completed and others altered so that color temperatures were all in coordination. The lower right hand corner was still in the under-painted stages, the boat needed some work and vegetation needed to be added around the boat.

In the finished piece I have added vegetation, de-emphasized the oars, by making them the same color as the boat and warmed up the color of the boat a bit by adding a touch of orange. The water has been brightened up by adding a few strokes of a brighter and blue-er blue to balance the blue of the boat.
I am not sure yet if this is totally finished; it needs to sit for a few days and then I will look at it again with a fresh eye so to speak and perhaps make more changes.

Finishing the pastel

Another Applebaum website is up and running. This one belongs to my son Ben who will be graduating this Spring from RIT with a degree in Advertising Photography. Take a look at his stuff and pass it on to all your friends...... especially those who are looking for a photographer.

www.benapplebaumphotography.com

Healing Muse Reading March 20 at Delavan Gallery

Join the authors and artists of the Healing Muse as they discuss their work and contribute to the ongoing dialogue on health practices in our community, on March 20, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm at the Delavan Gallery, 501 West Fayette St., Syracuse.
The Healing Muse is a collection of stories, essays, poetry and visual art from all perspectives of health care.
For more info check out the link......"www.upstate.edu/bioethics/thehealingmuse/

I will be teaching a class in Pastels at the East Area Family YMCA Arts Studio in Fayetteville, NY, beginning the week of March 1. The class runs for 6 weeks and will be offered at two times, Tuesday nights from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm and Wednesday mornings from 9:30 am - 11:30 am.
All art supplies are included in class fee. $65. YMCA Members and $75. for Non-Members.

Pastel painting is a beautiful technique that can be easily learned. Using a variety of soft and hard pastels we will learn to create texture and depth in lush vibrant colors. Students will have the opportunity to experiment with the pastels on several kinds of textured paper. Each class will begin with some basic drawing instruction and discussion of composition and principles of design.

For more information call the Y Arts Studio at 315 637-2025 x 216.

Current Exhibit At May Memorial Art Gallery

My current exhibit at May Memorial's Art Gallery closes on January 29. The gallery is located at 3800 East Genesse St. in Syracuse.
Hours are noon till 4pm Monday through Friday, but it is always best to call ahead 446-9201, to make sure that there is someone there to let you into the gallery. Also the rooms gets used for various functions, meetings etc..... so, a word to the wise.....call ahead.