In proper spirit, I’m joining fellow collage-obsessed artist Rachel Leibman in presenting almost 60 works that explore the art of collage and worlds created within the layers: Beneath the Layers. The show is hanging in the BrassWorks Gallery — a place that’s built quite a reputation in the Montclair area for hanging great shows and throwing great receptions!

I was delighted that Rachel asked me to do this show with her. Not only do we share a love for collage, but we both seem to create works that open worlds within worlds; the larger image is made up from minute details that beg you to take a closer look.

I love the way our works play off each other!

Don’t miss the reception on Friday, Sept. 23, 6-9pm at BrassWorks, 105 Grove Street, Montclair, NJ.

If you can’t make it to the opening, stop by from 9-5 Monday thru Friday — or give me a holler and I’ll meet you there!

Thank you Rachel Leibman for the fabulous photos!

Beneath the Layers

Sept 23 – Dec. 31, 2011
BrassWorks
105 Grove Street
Montclair, NJ

Reception: Friday, Sept. 23, 6-9pm

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See the New II

All the fashionistas were out in full regalia for the third annual fashion extravaganza that is Fashion’s Night Out.

As part of its festivities, Neiman Marcus in Short Hills, NJ, has started the tradition of inviting art collector (and ultra-stylish) Patricia Bell to curate a show. Last year she hung a selection from drool worthy photos from Claire Rosen — awesome!

This year, Pat dug into her vast collection to dress the walls appropriately for the occasion and (happily) choose two of my new works — “See the New II” and “See the New III.” The gala was Sept. 8, but the works are still up. Put on your best shoes and get up to the top floor to see the collection before it disappears!

See the New III

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Sweet Times Three — Sweet Life I, II & III ©2010

Tis the merriest (and busiest) time of the year! Come visit me as I unveil many new works at 2 of my favorite galleries!

Stop by Elisa Contemporary Art on December 12th, from 1 – 3pm in — beautiful Riverdale, New York — as I host an informal Meet the Artist event. I’ll have many new paintings to see in this 40 Under 4 exhibit! The gallery will be filled with incredible and affordable artwork from artists from around the world. The exhibit will run through January 16th with special Holiday Hours.

Elisa Contemporary Art
5622 Mosholu Avenue
Riverdale, New York 10471

Waiting Pool III ©2010

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I haven’t written.

I’ve hardly even visited, except for the times I’ve quickly peeked in, been disgusted with myself for the lapse in posts, and quickly scurried away with my tail between my legs.

Not this time. This time I’m sticking to my seat until I’ve pressed the “Publish” button.

I’ve been busy and have all sorts of news to talk about. (Who wouldn’t after a half-a-year?) I’ve got so much and I don’t want to bore you,  so here’s a quick rundown of the things I’m doing or have done since the last blog post. Hopefully I will continue down this road to righteousness.

• That SOMA Studio Tour was great. Nice to see everyone and to have a clean studio for a day or two.
• I started a new business — Nancy Jean Home! Featuring work from my alter ego, my new shop on Etsy offers “Good Old-Fashioned Artwork for your Modern Home.”
  Come by this weekend for my big Black Friday Sale — every painting in the shop will be 20% off! Just add coupon code: BLACKFRIDAY2010 when you check out.
• I’m now Co-Coordinator of Communications on Studio Montclair’s Board. Working alongside the multi-talented photographer Yvette Lucas.
• If you haven’t checked out SMI lately — you’re in for a treat — there have been many exciting changes to the organization, including two gorgeous new galleries. Catch up on all the latest news by checking out their brand-new Web site, designed by Yours Truly. (See? I have been busy!)
• We went camping in Michigan.
• I painted … a lot.
• I’m going to be in a show in Riverdale, N.Y. at Elisa Contemporary Art. The show starts Nov. 26 and runs through Jan. 12, 2011.
• I’m also going to be in GAS Gallery’s Holiday show — I’ll fill in more details soon.
• I’m having my annual BOGO Sale in my Etsy Print Shop for Black Friday weekend. Buy any print, same size, with your choice of image for FREE!
• I’m discontinuing my jewelry line. (Too darn busy.) So prices on jewelry in my shop are hot, hot, HOT! Check ‘em out!
• I updated my Web site with new work.

OK, now that we’re all caught up, I’ll close with some images of new work!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sweet Life I ©2010, 16 x 16

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I’m opening my doors and you’re invited!

Yours Truly at last year's open studio! photo by Micha Hamilton

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Rio, one of the six paintings I'll have at Stony's.

I was pleased when Raleigh Ceasar contacted me to be part of the new venture for the Pierro Gallery of South Orange — Pierro Downtown!

Raleigh has joined forces with the enormously talented Susan Napack to put together this tasty mix of dainty delights, featuring small works by Lisa Pressman, Susan Napack, Russell Christian, Sarah Petruziello, Greg Leshe and Stuart Tyson.

I hope you’ll stop by. Come hungry!

Stony's: Serving Up the Best in Food and Art! Photos-The Patch & Nancy Heins-Glaser

Burgers, Fries and Art!

Drop by the Pierro Gallery for this valuable coupon!

Until June 13, there is a special offer for all visitors to Pierro Gallery to pick up a coupon for 10% off at Stony’s. The gallery is open 1-4 Fri-Sun. Visual Alchemy – 8 African American Artists Explore the Spirit of Visual Narrative is up through June 6, followed by an exhibit of Gallery Committee alumni.

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A Gem Among Her Jewels

Ms. Bell has not gone unnoticed; The Star-Ledger ran an article recently (“South Orange Art Collector’s Home is a Visual Feast“), and Park Place Magazine’s newest issue ran a multi-page article about Ms Bell: “The Art of the Party.”

Both are  wonderful pieces, highlighting her warm hospitality and keen eye for art. With a grateful heart and a  glow of pride, I’m delighted to say that Patricia cites me in both articles as an “artist to watch.”

Here’s a passage from the Star-Ledger’s piece: “Bell also lists the mixed media work of Nancy Tobin, a local contemporary visual artist among her favorites. New Jersey artists Claire Rosen, Willie Cole, Margaret Murphy and Lisa Pressman are also present here.”

And here’s an excerpt from the Park Place article:

Favorite NJ Artists to Watch

“I love new things, and always find a spot for the pieces I love,” says Pat Bell. “When I’m surrounded by all this wonderful work, it’s like living with the souls of the artists.”

Each month, as fresh—and sometimes massively large artwork—arrives at her home, Gabrielle Pulls, Bell’s housekeeper of 17 years, equips herself with an electric drill, a level, and a keen eye. As pieces leave the home, they often are loaned or contributed to non-profit organizations, such as the South Orange Performing Arts Center.

“I’m fortunate to live in this state because we have so many wonderful artists,” says Bell. “I like what’s in my backyard.” To keep au courant with the local art scene, get acquainted with some of her favorites:

Willie Cole, Mine Hill, multi-dimensional
(williecole.com)
Tom Nussbaum, Montclair, sculptor
(tomnussbaum.com)
Claire Rosen, Montclair, photographer
(clairerosenphotography.com)
Margaret Murphy, Jersey City, painter (margaret-murphy.com)
Lisa Pressman, West Orange, painter
(lisapressman.net)
Marcia Kure, Princeton, painter/collage artist
(marciakure.com)
Wayne Roth, Mountain Lakes, digital artist/photographer (2face.com)
Nancy Tobin, Maplewood, collage painter (nancytobin.com)
Dan Fenelon, Madison, painter
(wavedog.com)
Jordan Eagles, Short Hills, painter/installationist (jordaneagles.com)

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Children of Lir, by Lori Field    Photo courtesy of the artist and Claire Oliver Gallery

I was delighted to interview Lori Field for my latest West of Chelsea installment for the New York Times Local!

I talked with her about her new gallery in Chelsea (Claire Oliver), her background as a textile designer and illustrator, what inspires her creations, and her “Secret Drawer.”

Stop by and read for yourself how this New Jersey artist traversed the Hudson and wound up on the inside, looking out.

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Fifiteen scans — put together in Photoshop & ready to meld

What would I do without my scanner? I’d either be thousands of dollars poorer or have much crappier images of my work!

I’ve gone around and around on this one: how to get crystal-clear images of my art. It’s a concern for many visual artists and one that isn’t that easy to solve if your work is over 8 by 10 inches.

Here are a few options:

•  Get the work professionally photographed. I still have my doubts about the sharpness of detail you can get with a regular camera, so if you’re going to the expense of having a professional, I would make sure that they will be using a large-format camera. I really don’t have much idea how much this will cost you, but I do know that the cost will go down considerably if you have enough work to hire them out for a half day or a day.

•  Photograph it yourself. Yes, I know it can be done; God knows I’ve tried. But my results are worse than bad. There’s this whole “focus” thing, and then there’s the “shutter speed” thing, and I won’t even mention the “aperture.” All of these terms make me weep with the pain of the photographically inept. So until the time when I can figure all that stuff out, I’m skipping this one.

•  Take your work in to get scans made. This is by far my favorite solution! Many places that do large-format digital printing will also do large-format scanning. For about $100, you can get a high-resolution scan at full size. From there, you can use your image to make posters, enter juried shows, print greeting cards or anything else that you can think of! The price isn’t bad if you consider that even if your painting has sold, you still have the image — which you should own — to do all sorts of things with.

•  Put the painting on your home scanner. As much as I love taking my work into get scanned, $100 a pop starts adding up when you produce 2o to 40 paintings a year — OUCH! So  like many other artists I know, I put the painting on the scanner, and scan it myself. It works great! The resolution is super sharp, and the lighting and color is usually pretty good. Of course, this is all MUCH easier if your work is 8 by 10 inches or smaller — most of my work is not. So I place the painting down, and proceed to take scans of it in pieces.

I’m left with a handful of fairly large files that I need to reconstruct within Photoshop. I don’t know if I would suggest doing this if you’re uncomfortable with image-editing software. It takes some time, and it’s not an exact science. But you can save a ton of money and get really pretty great results.

Above is an image of all of the files put together, before I went in and merged them. As you can see, it isn’t seamless. That’s where some comfort with image-editing is important. I actually enjoy the reconstruction. The part I find tedious is the scanning, but putting the pieces back together is a little like working on a jigsaw puzzle.

Below is the finished image of Kansas, a 30″-by-30″ mixed-media painting on panel I completed recently. I also included an image of Oz. Both were named by my Wizard of Oz-obsessed daughter, who walked into my studio, pointed to the almost-finished paintings and announced,  “That’s Kansas, and that’s Oz.” I thought she was spot on.

Kansas. All the pieces back together again!

Oz!

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