Today local artist Larry Stevens graced us with his presence and his knowledge of the art world. This was a very successful and informative seminar, and we look forward to having Mr. Stevens return for other events.

Mr. Stevens and a very intersted group of attendees.

Larry Stevens spoke for two hours on preparing yourself for the real world as an artist. This included networking yourself, speaking about your art work, promoting yourself, and marketing yourself to galleries and other venues.

If you have any suggestions for artist talks or if you would like to lead a dicussion forum pertaining to a specific topic, please let us know, and we would be happy to have you come in.

We’ve got a LOT of clearance stuff here that really does need to go.

Everything has been drastically reduced for your shopping pleasure!

All sizes of Regal Canvas Frames- 9×12, 11×14, 16×20, and 18×24
These are great for framing 3/4″ canvases. They are a beautiful dark wood that will really add elegance to your work.

All sizes of Essex Canvas Frames- 9×12, 11×14, 16×20 and 18×24.
This is a natural wood frame that has very clean cut lines.

Ambrosia Print Racks- These are at a close out price of $41.97!!!
These are HUGE wood print racks that hold a lot! If you are thinking of having a rack like this in ArtScape, this is a great time to buy them!

Selected colors of Holbien Designer Gouache

Blank cards from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This is just a small taste of what we have. There are also canvases, architecture supplies, and just general art supplies that are nice and cheap!

Beth Ann Wilson has a very definite style that I’m kind of on the fence about. However, I love her subject matter.

“Studio”
Oils
16×20

Again it is mundane still lifes, not in the techniques or painting style but of the content itself. I really feel like if you went into her room or studio that this is EXACTLY the kind of mess that you’d see.

Viao
Oils
12×16

I think that the style that I’m so iffy on works very well with the subject matter. Aside for feeling like I’m looking directly at her own environment, I get the feeling of dirty, crazy chaos that is almost expected of an artists environment.

Mirrorland
Oils
11×14

However, like I mentioned before her brush strokes and aggressive painting really help emphiasize the crazy mess that clutters up ones space.

Green and Purple Still Life
Oils 6×9

Antenna
Oils
14×18

What also just really tickles me about these still lifes are the lack of the pretty pink flowers and the normal ornamental items that seem to populate this genre of painting. These are paintings of her room, they could be paintings of my room, or a corner of my room where I throw everything until I decide I can’t live with the mess any longer. These are the items in our everyday lives that we look at and don’t even think of twice.
Clutter on a desk is now a celebration of disorganization and the items themselves, not the mess that you’ve been promising yourself you’d clean up.
This could be anybody’s room, hidden secret or general life, and coupled with her style really drives the point home of glorious mess.

For those of you who haven’t been in the store lately, Gallery 17 is our in store gallery for local Baltimore artists.

Currently we are accepting wall hanging submissions for April, and 3-D work for the rest of this month, and maybe into April. Below you will find the submission form. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

Remember that although we are not your typical gallery space that over 600 people come through these doors every week and a LOT of people look at the work hanging in the gallery space. So, although you may not think of it, if your work gets accepted you will get quite a bit of exposure.

And by the way work has sold out of the gallery… Amanda Achey sold a small but beautiful oil painting for $300! why not give it a shot.

Click the image below to see our submission form.

Yes, artists, we need you.  I am looking for a few good people to help in the store, and if you are looking for some extra income, we can help each other.

There are a few things that I am looking for in an applicant so please pay attention-

1.  Visual arts background.  In college for arts, or, preferably, finished with school.  There are many instances where customers don’t know what they need, and you have to be able to figure out what that is.  You will also need to be able to show customers techniques and mediums, so be able to give 5 minute art lessons on almost everything.

2.  Retail experience.  You’ve used a cash register, handed cash, and have had the experience of selling something to someone.  (Please note that this is different from waitstaff.)

3.  Flexible schedule.

4.  Customer Service skills.  You will be working with the public, so you need to have a good attitude.

5.  Corporate experience.  This is not necessary but recommended.  This is a corporate business and it would help if you had worked with one before.

 So, now that you know what I’m looking for, come in and see us.  If you have any questions please call us (410) 727-7004.  I will not be answering questions on employment through the blog, it’s just not personal enough, so if you leave a comment for this, please note that it won’t be answered.

If you’ve forgotten where we are, here’s a reminder!

Utrecht Art Supply in Baltimore 229 West Chase Street, Baltimore, MD. 21201

For those of you who are sick of sitting on your butts in your apartment on Thursday nights, or need to get out and away from your roommates, your dog or spouse- Mark Whistler has the answer for you!

Mark Whistler Gallery is now offering Life Drawing classes! And if you don’t have too much pocket money don’t fret, it’s only $15 (cash or check)!!

The evening studio starts at 6:00pm and goes to 8:00pm. This gives people plenty of time to drive home, get your supplies and head out for some good drawing fun. If you found you have forgotten something, don’t worry we are open until 6:30, so you can get what you need for the class.

But really, this is definately a great opportunity to bone up on one of those essentials of being an artist. And for those of you, who, like me, get into a funk every once in a while of not producing anything, you can go and this way at least you are still drawing something.

Take Advantage!!!

While looking at a lot of Baltimore artists’ work, you can begin to see trends and fads within the arts community, and sometimes it’s good to get a breath of fresh air, and see what other people around the country are doing.

Lauri Lynnxe Murphy is an artist out of Colorado and works with cast urethane or polyester resin to create wall hanging sculptures and installations.  They are whimsical and bright, but still very organic in shape.  They remind me of candies, but her scale is much larger.

Candy Ass
2005

Archipelago
2005

Terrain
2005

Hoochie
2006

I have a special place in my heart for installation work and these are very interesting to me in the continuous variations of shape and form. They almost seem like they could be weeds or crystals growing on a wall, or a mold, but a pretty mold. Which is an intersting juxaposition of something that no one likes, yet her work is visually bright and cheery.

When Lauri first emailed me her link to her web site and I saw these, I immediately thought of two different artists. And although I haven’t spoken to her about it, I think it would be funny if atleast one of these were an influence on her work.

Artist #1- Roxy Paine. Roxy has been in numerous magazines and articles as of late since he just installed “Conjoined” in New York. But his work that has alwasys intregued me has been his automatic sculpture maker.

SCUMAK

SCUMAK Detail

These bulbus shapes are exactly what I thought of when I saw Lauri’s work.

Artist #2- Kaiser Suidan
Kaiser is a Detroit artist who is well known for his ceramic and glass wall installations, and he was the second artist that I thought of.

Laurie’s work is fairly begnin, it doesn’t strike me as having much emotion in them, it doesn’t scream out a message, or try to get someone thinking on a different level, and I can respect that. It is art for arts sake.

Sometimes a work of art can be so horrible it’s beautiful. Horrible in the sense of it’s emotional impact on the viewer. Ryan emgE definately works through emotions and transfers them fantasticaly into illustrations and drawings.

Me visiting Keri, my sister, in the hospital, she was 19, I was 9.

I love and I hate this drawing. I hate it because of the anguish and pain that just stabs you in the heart the moment you look at it. The use of color is overwhelmingly effective and raw. This is one of the most powerful drawings I have ever seen, and I don’t think anyone needs to know the context in which it was made to sympathize with the emotions it gives off. I love it because I hate it.

Stampede
19″x24″

This image is more subtle and calm. But it still reminds me of a worn down feeling, like stress. The elephants, in my mind, are small but heavy duty issues trampling down the figure. Though the figure still stands strong and is rigid, I still can feel the heaviness of it all.

not yet, but already
19″x24″

Again definately more subtle than “Me visiting Keri”, but with all of the movement of tiny little winged amphibious looking animals it makes my skin crawl in a percieved tactile sense. I imagine the figure is standing there as quietly as possible in this awkward position, trying not to move or disturb the commotion around it. Almost as if the threat of a worse creepy feeling would ensue. (flash back to “Fear Factor” and all of the gross stunts that people had to do with tons of insects, ugh.)
It makes my stomach turn.

I know that people would ask “so you don’t like the drawings?” but that’s not true. I really do like these. I think that because the affect that they have on me is so strong that whether the emotion is good or bad is irrelevant. Merely the ability of the work to evoke such a strong response is my basis of rating. I could sit there and cry for hours at “Me visiting Keri” and still hang it in my apartment.
It’s all about what moves you.

The next couple of weeks are going to be a frenzy of Demos here in the store. Most of you are already aware of what is to come, but just in case–

Sunday, March 9th - Mat Cutting with Logan Graphic - get 20% off all Mat Cutters!

Sunday, March 16th - Make your own Egg Tempera - get 20% off glass mullers!

Sunday, March 23rd - EASTER!! (we will be closed.)

Sunday, March 30th - After Schooling Seminar, with local artist Larry Stevens.

All demos run from 1pm-3pm. To register or sign up for one leave your name, email, and which demo yo would like to attend under “Comments” and you will be added to an email list reminding you that you’ve signed up.