Art Matters in the Gazette, and the Gallery Talk

Topher Forhecz, staff writer for the Gazette, wrote an extensive and inciteful article about the ART MATTERS retrospective show that I would like to share with you. I always enjoy reading the Gazette, and particularly appreciate that it’s editors support all areas of the arts with meaningful and interesting coverage.  Please click on the link below to read the article online.
http://www.gazette.net/stories/01192011/entemon150212_32536.php

I have also posted a few photos taken at the art talk before the reception.

Marian Osher shares experiences that shaped her art. Photo by Erica Osher

Marian Osher discusses noise pollution. Photo by Steven Raphael.

The talk was well attended. Photo by Steven Raphael

Women’s Nature at Ceres Gallery, NYC

I exhibited an abstract painting “Thunder” in Women’s Nature, a group show at the Ceres Gallery in NYC this January 4-29, 2011.  The Ceres artists and other artists contributed work that explored nature as seen through the eyes of women, and the relationship that women have with nature. I felt that the show was beautifully hung in the intimate space of the smaller affiliate gallery of Ceres.

"Thunder" mixed media acrylic painting 36" x 12" ©2011 Marian Osher

On my way to the gallery to see the show last week, I was fascinated by the “snow car sculptures” created when mother nature chose to put on her own show!

Make an Adjustable Cropper/Slider/Viewer

I often suggest that students view their subject matter through a simple viewer to isolate composition options. To make an adjustable viewer, use an exacto knife to cut out a 2″ x 2″ window in the center of a 6″ square piece of mat board.  I like this size because it is large enough to hold comfortably and the window is small enough to look through at a comfortable distance from the subject.

To make the window adjustable, cut a vertical piece of mat board 6″ long by 2.5″ wide to use as a slider. Place a rubber band over the window and the slider.  Then you can adjust the slider to change the proportions of the opening.

ART MATTERS Exhibition in Rockville, Maryland

ART MATTERS
a selection of eco-spiritual paintings and prints by
Marian Osher

Exhibition Dates:  January 9 – February 6, 2011

Artist’s Reception and Talk:
Sunday, January 23, 2011   11:30 am – 1:00 pm

Location:  Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville
100 Welsh Park Drive, Rockville, MD 20850
Phone: 301-762-7666

Hours:  Monday thru Friday, 10 am – 4 pm    Sundays, 11 am – 12 pm
Located in the Entrance Corridor, Fellowship Hall, Founder’s Hall and Lobby.
Ask in the office to have the lights turned on.

What does a painting inspired by the John Lennon Imagine Memorial have in common with an abstract aerial landscape and a mandala?  Marian Osher finds inspiration for her artwork from a diverse range of internal and external sources.  ART MATTERS includes new artwork and a retrospective selection of paintings and prints created over a 10 year period to combat fear, promote connection and mindfulness, and raise awareness of the importance of living in harmony with the environment.

“Over the last decade, my art has allowed me to share the insights and realizations that have changed me as a person,” says Marian Osher. “I hope that the viewer will find connections between this exhibition and their own life-shaping experiences.” Marian Osher

ART MATTERS celebrates the artist’s continuing commitment to creating eco-spiritual art. “Fearless Flying,” a solo exhibition created by the artist to combat her fear of flying, was shown in New York and in Washington, DC in 2010.  “Seen Unseen,” March 2010, NY, synthesized her fascination with the urban world of NYC and her experiences as an eco artist.  Osher’s 2007, 2008 and 2009 solo shows in Washington, DC and NY focused on environmental issues and mindfulness.  Multiple volunteer experiences in Montana for the Buffalo Field Campaign inspired artwork to raise awareness of the plight of the Yellowstone Buffalo.  In 2007, Environmental Defense selected Osher’s artwork for the cover of their Pocket Seafood Selector, that helps consumers to make environmentally sound seafood choices.  Previous solo shows have explored spirituality and universal connections between diverse cultures and the natural world.

Montgomery Life Magazine – Artists Among Us

I wanted to share this feature article written by Pamela Schipper, Managing Editor of Montgomery Life Magazine.  This is a delightful and flavorful color magazine, chock full of interesting diversions and resources in Montgomery County, historic soundbites, and interviews with artists, musicians, chefs and MC County folks.  I guess it makes me think of texture, the variety of “textures” of Montgomery County.

So I was really excited and of course a bit nervous about being interviewed and photographed as the featured artist for the January/February issue.  I have to say that Pam Schipper is an excellent and insightful interviewer who put readily put me at ease.  The interview was actually fun.  The photographer came to my studio a few days later.  As a person who takes a lot of pictures with my trusty digital camera, it is much easier for me to be behind the camera than in front of it.  I think there are others who share this feeling.  However, again, I was pleasantly surprised by the naturalness of her approach.  Pretty soon after she arrived I felt like I was being visited by a friend and was almost not aware of the camera.

Click on the link below to view the article. I hope that you will check out the rest of magazine on paper, either by subscribing or picking one up from your Montgomery County Library.  You might find that Montgomery County has a lot of special surprises that you might not be aware of.

ArtistAmongUs_0111 Marian Osher

A Frame Alternative

"Shell 1" ©2010 Marian Osher, mixed-media acrylic painting, 6" x 6"

Painting on deep gallery-wrapped canvases gives me the opportunity to continue the painting on the edges of the canvas.  One obvious benefit is that it cuts the framing cost to zero.  Another benefit,

Art is NOT a Minor Subject!

It always amazes me when I hear the study of art in public education referred to as “a minor subject”. In a time of budget cutting, the arts are the first to feel the ax and often are the last priority in recovery. Science, English, foreign languages and math are considered major subjects.  Perhaps that is because the broad-based benefits of art education are not understood or are overlooked. So I am going to take advantage of this blog to point out some of the far reaching benefits of art education.

Fearless Flying! Comes to Washington, DC

Airescape 1, ©2010 Marian Osher

If you missed seeing Fearless Flying! in New York City at the Ceres Gallery, you can see some of the paintings at
The Henry L. Stimson Center, 1111 19th Street, NW, 12th Floor, Washington, DC 20036 (Metro Red Line Farrugut North)

June 8 – September 16, 2010
Open: Monday through Friday 9 to 5 pm

"Airescape 8", ©2010 Marian Osher

Photos from July 7 Reception and Talk

My in-flight fascination with the textures and abstractions of the earth and clouds has inspired me to create mixed-media paintings and wall hangings that also help combat my fear of flying.

Where My Fear of Flying Came From

My fear of flying developed during several flights to Colorado. Electrical problems, fuel leaking out of an airline before take-off,

Buffalo Field Campaign 2011 Calendar

The Buffalo Field Campaign is excited to announce the release of the first ever calendar focused exclusively on America’s only continuously wild population of bison.  Wild Bison 2011 is a spectacular celebration of the beautiful bison. The calendar was compiled and produced by Buffalo Field Campaign, and features photographs submitted by our supporters or shot by BFC volunteers. Each month offers a seasonal perspective on wild bison in and around the Yellowstone Ecosystem and highlights their natural history.

Wild Bison 2011 combines superb photos, artwork, facts, stories, and poems to convey the spirit of wild bison.

These beautiful calendars cost $15.00 (including shipping) and are available on BFC’s merchandise page or by sending a check to:

Buffalo Field Campaign
P.O. Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758

The calendars can also be ordered from the website of The Buffalo Field Campaign. http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org

Please email Mike Mease for information on retail purchase or distributing calendars in your community. mease@wildrockies.org

I am honored to have two pieces of my art work included in this calendar.  I hope that you will consider buying these calendars for gifts for others and for yourself or making a donation to the Buffalo Field Campaign.  BFC is the only group working in the field every day
in defense of the last wild buffalo population in the U.S. Your support will help to preserve the Yellowstone Buffalo.

Music to My Art

I feel that music and art are both about motion and emotion combined. While I create art in my studio, I listen to a wide range of music, including  rock,  jazz, bluegrass, country, soul, Native American and world music. I tune in to the rhythms and “vibrations” of a wide range of music to enhance the “letting go process” that leads me to feel intuitive color choices. Part of the letting go effect is mental and part is physical.