Did You Know?

Andy Brown, an English artist, stitched together 1000 used tea bags, to create a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.

Kees van Dongen: Pointing the Way to the Future

Kees van Dongen - The Woman in the Green Hat - 1910 - Oil on canvas - 73.51 cm × 92.3 cm - Private Collection (click photo for larger image)Dutch-born French painter and printmaker Kees van Dongen (1877-1968) was one of the leading Fauvists, particularly renowned for his stylized, sensuously rendered portrayals of women. Moving from Impressionism into Fauvism, Van Dongen’s candid, colorful portrait style became immensely fashionable by the end of WWI, and thereafter it remained his main focus. The figure of a glamorous woman with large eyes and red lips became his archetype.

In addition to portrait paintings, Van Dongen also produced lithographs and painted richly colored seascapes, as well as scenes of Paris in an assured, economical style. He absorbed all the styles that converged ni Paris in the early 1900s and made out of them something new. 

His approach to the female body as a sensuous surface, devoid of psychic depth, gave later painters, including Willem de Kooning, Tom Wesselmann, and Yves Klein permission to treat the female body as a metaphor for the painted canvas. In addition, van Dongen's path as a portraitist prefigures the interaction between art and commerce that would become central to art after the 1950s. Painting all that glitters with a mixture of appreciation and disdain, his cultivated irony paved the way for Andy Warhol.

Van Dongen has never received the critical acclaim afforded other Fauves, and whether or not he deserves it is still an open question. What is certain is that modern art would not be the same without him. His oeuvre sits squarely at the intersection between Fauvism and Expressionism and, as an artist, he took risks that pointed the way to the future.

Dr. Jill will be holding a single-session ONLINE class on Van Dongen on Friday, April 1st from 11am - 12pm. Click HERE to Register.

László Moholy-Nagy: An Equilibrium of Forms (1895-1946)

László Moholy-Nagy - Konstruktionen. Kestenermappe 6 (Constructions. Kestner Portfolio 6) - 1923 - Portfolio of six lithographs - composition: dimensions vary; sheet (each): 23 5/8 x 17 5/16" (60 x 44 cm) - Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New YorkHungarian-born painter László Moholy-Nagy (1895-1946) was also a photographer as well as a professor in the Bauhaus school. He was highly influenced by constructivism and was a strong advocate of the integration of technology and industry into the arts. 

Dr. Jill will be leading a single session ONLINE art history class examining his achievements on Wednesday, March 23rd, from 11am - 12pm. Cllick HERE for more information and to Register.

“Moholy-Nagy is arguably one of the greatest influences on post-war art education in the United States. A modernist and a restless experimentalist from the outset, the Hungarian-born artist was shaped by Dadism, Supermatism, Constructivism, and debates about photography. 

When Walter Gropius invited him to teach at the Bauhaus, in Dessau, Germany, he took over the school's crucial preliminary course, and gave it a more practical, experimental, and technological bent. He later delved into various fields, from commercial design to theater set design, and also made films and worked as a magazine art director.

But his greatest legacy was the version of Bauhaus teaching he brought to the United States, where he established the highly influential Institute of Design in Chicago.” (The ArtStory)

Moholy-Nagy's influence on modern art crosses several disciplines. He succeeded in instilling a modern aesthetic into modern design. Recent years have brought international attention to his achievements with several major museums organizing retrospectives that celebrate the impact of his work on American art.

Quote of the Day

"Artists are just children who refuse to put down their crayons." -  Al Hirschfeld

Dare To Try: Oil Painting Classes For All Levels

Jill Kiefer clad in her painting garb, working in her own studioThese fun painting workshops led by Jill Kiefer are designed for people who has always wanted to paint—but have been a bit too shy to give it a try! More advanced painters and returning students are also welcome.

Held at Cedar Lane Arts Center (CLAC) in Ossining, NY—we work in a large space with tons of natural lighting and a beautiful view. Parking is free and easy. The classes are small so everyone has plenty of working room. Painters are also allowed to leave their materials at CLAC, so you don’t have to schlep a lot of stuff back and forth each we.

We review the absolute basics, and new painters will learn every aspect of painting in traditional oils, including the proper use, cleanup, care, and disposal of your tools and materials. 

Discover how to look, see, and think like an artist. Each session will begin with a structured lesson and demonstration, followed by directed studio work--one on one. You will be encouraged to work at your own pace. 

There will also be two FREE optional open studio sessions following the structured classes. No prior art training is required. More experienced painters are also welcome. 

Please bring along some color images of what you might want to paint. If possible, bring along B&W Xerox copies of them, too. A $25 materials fee will be due at the first session unless you prefer to purchase your own materials. If you already have materials, there will be no fee. Wear your painting clothes and be prepared to have fun!

Space is limited so Register HERE as soon as possible.