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

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!

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
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.

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

"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, which viewers have sustantiated, is that it opens the painting and allows the eye to continue beyond the surface of the painting, turning the corners, so to speak.  For me, it is also fun to see how part of the image wraps around the canvas, giving a clue to the surface imagery when a only a small part of the painting is viewed from the side.

"Shell 2" ©2010 Marian Osher, mixed-media acrylic painting, 6" x 6"

Since my painting style usually includes textured paint and mixed media, any corner seams are well covered, creating an uninterrupted transition from surface to the four sides of the canvas edge.

1.  Art can stimulate creativity and creative problem solving, strengthening and developing right brain activity (visual, spatial, spontaneity), creating a more complementary balance for the left brain (verbal, controlled feelings, structured).

2. Art can enhance hand/eye coordination. One of my adult private students, an anesthesiologist, used to say that she wished all of the surgeons she worked with would study art, that she felt it helped to improve her hand/eye coordination.

3. Art promotes tolerance for different approaches to problem solving. Students should learn that there are many viable approaches to solving an artistic problem. There are infinite approaches to the same subject matter, using different viewpoints and media. It is valuable to learn that there are many valid solutions to the same problem.

4. Art history celebrates the artistic contributions and achievements of diverse races and cultures, promoting appreciation and understanding.

5. Students can learn that making art is about process and not only about product. There is trial and error in art, and experimentation.  Learning to enjoy the process of artistic exploration can carry over to the processes of exploring science and creative writing.

6. Art education develops visual awareness and promotes appreciation of the natural world.

7. Art provides a constructive and positive vehicle for students to express their emotions and feelings. My students have often commented that spending time doing artwork “recharges their batteries” and actually improves their concentration for other school work.

8. Developing art and creative skills builds the student’s self-confidence, carrying over into other academic work.

Every career path can benefit from expanding creative ability, hand-eye coordination, and developing patience and appreciation for process. In all stages of life, people can benefit from the ability to connect with their feelings and emotions in a creative and positive way.  Visual awareness not only enhances the quality of life, it also raises awareness of the importance of preserving the beauty and viability of the natural environment.

Your comments would be appreciated.

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, auxiliary engine failure before flying into a blizzard, and many other “turbulent” experiences escalated my fear.

In early September 2001, there was a terrible thunderstorm when my airplane was about to land at BWI, Baltimore.  The airport radar was struck by lightning and the airplane couldn’t land. The storm seemed endless, with lots of lightning. The airplane bounced around in terrible turbulence for an hour and a half.  I thought it was going to be the end, and was very scary.  When the airplane finally landed at National Airport in DC with plans to refuel and fly back to BWI.  I said, “No way, I am off of this plane.” I took the subway home to Rockville and had a neighbor pick me up.

Four days later, my husband and I took a vacation trip to Holland for a week. The flight to Amsterdam was so uneventful that I began to feel less fearful and more relaxed.  After a delightful vacation, we flew home on September 11, 2001.  When the pilot announced that east coast airports were closed due to weather problems, I believed him and was relieved that we would avoid another frightening weather flying experience. We learned the truth after we landed in Halifax, Canada, instead of in Philadelphia. The Canadians took wonderful care of us in Halifax until we were able to return to the US on Friday Sept. 14.

That was my last flight for three years.  I even took a train to Colorado to avoid flying.  But when my son moved to Montana and my daughter moved to San Francisco, I knew that I had to start flying again and it was time to face my fear.

On my first flight, I sat next to a big burly smoke jumper who jumped into forest fires from helicopters, but was afraid of flying in large commercial airplanes.  On my next flight, my seatmate was a therapist, a father of two young children, who expressed his fears about flying after 9/11. I thought this was ironic, but realized that I was certainly not alone with this fear.

My Helpful “Tools”

I have developed several “tools” to help me to deal with my fear. I know that I could not control the outcome of the flight, but I can work on my fears and my attitude about flying. It doesn’t help me to remember that most airplanes don’t crash and that I am safer in an airplane than in a car.  But one helpful “tool” that I do use is when I board the airplane I make eye contact with the pilot, co-pilot or steward and greet them with a friendly smile and a hello. In my head I say to myself “and he/she doesn’t want to die either, so he/she will do the best job that they can to get us to our destinations safely.” Then I go to my seat. I say a silent serenity prayer and ask for my fear to be taken away. I never pray about the outcome. When I land I always say “Earth!” out loud.

The other “tool” in my airplane fear-fighter quiver relates directly to my connection with nature, visual awareness and my art.  I always book a window seat.  I am fascinated by the view of the clouds and the earth from the airplane.  Flying across the country during different seasons means that I get to see all kinds of textures, colors and shapes from an airplane. I get so involved with what I see that I forget to be afraid.

Share Your Experience and “Tools”

I hope that “Fearless Flying” will offer viewers an opportunity to explore fears and feelings about flying, to share them with others, and to acquire some useful tools for facing and overcoming other fears. You can help too, by responding with your comments on this blog about how you feel about flying and what helps you to feel more comfortable about flying.  You will be helping others by sharing your experiences. Thank you in advance for your help with this worthwhile project.

"Airescape 7", ©2010 Marian Osher

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.

Like yoga and other methods of meditation, music can have a thought-clearing effect. It keeps me in the present moment, so I am not “gerbeling” in my head and battling the distractions of other non-art problems or “things I have to do”. With music, I feel lighter and more at one with my art.

The physical aspect occurs when my body starts to pick up the flow, movement and energy of the music. Like dancing, my hands and arms move more freely. I find that I am moving around as I paint or draw, using my whole body. When I am really letting go, I don’t have to think about what colors to use, I just feel them and paint!

When I teach art, I allow my students to bring their IPODs so they can listen to the music that they prefer. The music relaxes them and helps them to focus on their artwork. There is less talking and more artwork accomplished. The IPODs do not interfere with instruction and guidance.

I remember absolute silence in drawing classes in college. Sometimes I was able to let go and sometimes I felt very self-conscious about my art work. Allowing students to listen to music of their choice if they wish, helps to lessen performance anxiety.

I personally haven’t used an IPOD. I like the physical space and freedom of  CD’s, the radio, or internet radio. I have a large collection of CD’s. It’s as much fun for me to visit a store that sells used CD’s as it is to be in a used book store. I also play music on the internet. I have discovered pandora.com and grooveshark.com, thanks to some of my students.  When I sketch or paint outside, the rustling of the trees, the crash of the waves and the songs of the birds are “music to my art”.