Take a Peek Beneath the Layers

This time of year is always sizzling with the start of the new “art season” — shows and openings around every corner.

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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Tags: Beneath the layers, BrassWorks on Grove, Collage, Montclair, Rachel Leibman

Fashion’s Night Out

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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Tags: Claire Rosen, Fashion's Night Out, fashionistas, Neiman Marcus in Short Hills, Patricia Bell

Holiday Happenings

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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Tags: 40 under 4, Elisa Contemporary Art, GAS Gallery and Studio, holiday shows, NY, Riverdale

Hello Stranger!

I’ve been bad.

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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Tags: Black Friday Sale, Elissa Contemporary Art, GAS Gallery, Nancy Jean Home, SOMA Studio Tour, Studio Montclair, Yvette Lucas

Pierro Downtown at Stony’s!

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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Tags: Greg Leshe, Lisa Pressman, Nancy Heins-Glaser, Pierro Downtown, Pierro Gallery of South Orange, Raleigh Ceasar, RC Fine Art, Russell Christian, Sarah Petruziello, Stony's, Stuart Tyson, The Patch, Visual Alchemy

Pulp Facts

A "pulp confection" Hush Redux was created with the scraps from my project titled "Hush" during my Print and Papermaking Fellowship at the Brodsy Center

Please come out to see me this Sunday, March 21st, as I participate in a fascinating exhibition — Pulp!

Artist and curator Rachel Leibman has pulled together an impressive group of artists for this Arts Guild New Jersey show. The theme is paper and you will be amazed by the way these artists have stretched the boundries of this medium. Printmaking, painting and scultpure are just a few of the examples I glimpsed while I was dropping off my three works. Here’s a bit of what Rachel has to say in her curatorial statement:

… for most visual artists, paper still retains the same importance it always had. Artists produce their art to be seen on a gallery wall, hung from a ceiling or displayed in a home. It is meant to be seen in “real life.” Works of art lose much of their immediacy, resonance and intimacy when viewed on a computer screen. Along with canvas, paper is a mainstay to the visual artist.

— Rachel Leibman, curator

I think I’m most excited about the company I’ll be in: Tom Nussbaum, Susan Lisbin, Deborah Ugoretz, Mona Brody, Marion Held, Daniel Seidman, Pamela Guenter-Duffus, Keely McCool, Catherine LeCleire, Rodriguez Calero, Rocco Scary, Pam Cooper, Beatrice Coron, and Rolla Herman.

It’s sure to be a wonderful show. Come!

Pulp Artworks Made of Paper

March 19 — April 16, 2010

Reception, Sunday March 21, 1 — 4 PM

Arts Guild New Jersey, 1670 Irving Street, Rahway, NJ, 731-381-7511

Click Here to Leave a Comment!

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Tags: Arts Guild New Jersey, Artworks Made of Paper, Beatrice Coron, Brodsy Center, Deborah Ugoretz, Keely McCool, Marion Held, Mona Brody, Pam Cooper, Print and Papermaking Fellowship, Pulp, Rocco Scary, Rodriguez Calero, Rolla Herman, Susan Lisbin, Tom Nussbaum

An Amazing, Inspiring Event!

Think ©2009

I was delighted to be asked by the New Jersey Center Visual Arts Center to do six special paintings for their Blank Canvas event that was held earlier this month.

The NJVAC’s annual fundraiser is known for it’s high caliber artists, who regularly donate works to for this incredible silent auction. This year was no exception. You can take a look at some of the pieces that were available, on the Art Center’s Flickr page.

Enrich ©2009

Amaze ©2009

Create ©2009

Inspire ©2009

Imagine ©200

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Tags: Blank Canvas, New Jersey Center Visual Arts Center, NJVAC

Unnatural Selections & Exquisite Corpses

This is what happens when I neglect my blog — I end up waiting until the last minute to post about all my upcoming events, ending up with a pretty long list. This is no exception.

I guess it’s a formula;

Many shows in future
+ busy getting ready for shows in fututre
(subtotal) too busy to blog
+ wanting to tell the world about all the cool events
(total) really long list of events.
(If that didn’t make any sense, it would explain why I am an artist and not an accountant.)

Please join me for a wine and cheese reception this Saturday at Furbish Home in Millburn, NJ for:

Unnatural Selections
Artwork of Nancy Tobin
November 14, 6:30 – 8:30pm
Show runs from Nov 14 – Dec 7, 2009
Store hours: Mon – Fri: 10am – 6pm, Sat: 10am – 5pm
315C Millburn Ave, Millburn, NJ 973.761.0311
info@furbishhome.com
There will be paintings & prints to fit every budget!

The Exquisite Corpse: Paul Robeson Galleries 30th Anniversary Exhibition
30 collaborative works by 92 New Jersey New York and Pennsylvanian artists
The artist reception for this show will be on Thursday, November 19th from
5pm to 7pm.

I was so excited to be invited to participate in this project! I’ve played this game since I was young, and have always enjoyed the outcome.

If you’re not familiar with the term, Exquisite Corpse, here’s what Wikipedia has to say:

The technique was invented by Surrealists and is similar to an old parlour game called Consequences in which players write in turn on a sheet of paper, fold it to conceal part of the writing, and then pass it to the next player for a further contribution. Surrealism principal founder André Breton reported that it started in fun, but became playful and eventually enriching. Breton said the diversion started about 1925, but Pierre Reverdy wrote that it started much earlier, at least before 1918.

In a variant now known as picture consequences, instead of sentences, portions of a person were drawn.

Later the game was adapted to drawing and collage, producing a result similar to children’s books in which the pages were cut into thirds, the top third pages showing the head of a person or animal, the middle third the torso, and the bottom third the legs, with children having the ability to “mix and match” by turning pages. (However, the game has been played with the usual orientation of foldings and four or more people, and there have been examples with the game played with only two people and the paper being folded lengthwise and widthwise, resulting in quarters.)^[4] It has also been played by mailing a drawing or collage — in progressive stages of completion — to the players, and this variation is known as “exquisite corpse by airmail”, apparently regardless of whether the game travels by airmail or not.

The name is derived from a phrase that resulted when Surrealists first played the game, “Le cadavre exquis boira le vin nouveau.” (“The exquisite corpse will drink the new wine.”)

The finished “corpses” will be a surprise to everyone, artists and guests alike. Come and see the unfolding!

The exhibition will be on display from November 19, 2009 to April 8, 2010.
Paul Robeson Galleries 30th Anniversary Celebration: The Exquisite Corpse
Artists Reception
Thursday, November 19th, 5pm-7pm
Admittance: FREE
Refreshments provided

Your Holiday Gift Shopping Begins Here!

Along with finishing up a studio full of paintings this fall, I’ve also been busy creating some “tiny treasures”; my Art by the Inch, necklaces, rings, earrings — and for the man in your life … Cufflinks!

Here’s where you can find ‘em:

16th Annual Crafts at The Baird
Pierro Gallery of South Orange

Wed, Dec 2, 7pm – 9pm
Preview Sale! Meet the Artist & Opening Reception:
$5 admission for first picks, tasty treats & festive times.

Shop is open daily from12pm – 8pm
Dec 3 – Dec 6, & admission is free

Winter Festival @ South Mountain Elementary School

Sat, Dec 5, 11am – 3pm
admission is free

Art Shop @ Aferro Gallery
73 Market St, Newark, NJ

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Tags: 16th Annual Crafts at The Baird, Aferro, Art Shop, Exquisite Corpse, Furbish Home, Millburn, Paul Robeson Galleries, Pierro Gallery of South Orange, Unnnatural Selections, Winter Festival

ArtPrize Update: I Like Carol Coletta!

Going to Grand Rapids last week got me even more excited about ArtPrize.

I had a chance to visit with Jane Lovett the owner of Peaches Bed and Breakfast, where I’ll be showing “just as many paintings as I can tastefully fit” into her lovely dining room. It was good to see the space; take some measurements and shoot some photos of the room. Great to meet Jane, too. She’s very enthusiastic about the event and I feel confident she’ll do all she can to help make the event a success. I’ll be sharing “Peaches” with eight other artists (more on this in the next ArtPrize post).

It’s hard to be back in New Jersey — away from where it’s all happening. So I’ve been searching the internet to keep up to date on news and to find out if any events are planned yet. I really want to connect with many of the artists that will be there for the event and to reconnect with the city I use to call home. (Winning the prize would be swell, too.)

I found this little clip on YouTube. I thought it was a great explanation of ArtPrize and it also introduced me to Carol Coletta — she rocks! She’s the president and CEO of CEOs for Cities and host and producer of the nationally syndicated public radio show Smart City. I haven’t heard the show, but the web site describes it as “an in-depth look at urban life, the people, places, ideas and trends shaping cities”.

I like cities. I like urban development. I like Carol Coletta.

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Tags: ArtPrize, Carol Coletta, CEOs for Cities, Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Michigan, Jane Lovett, Peaches Bed and Breakfast, Smart City, YouTube

ArtPrize Article: Me on the Front Page!

Never thought I'd be the same article with Rick DeVos!

After moving from my hometown of Grand Rapids Mich., I’ve finally made it to the front page of the Grand Rapids Press! (OK, OK it’s really the front page of the Entertainment Section — but gosh, still exciting.)

I spoke with Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk — Arts Writer at the Press — last week, about ArtPrize, my experience with securing a venue, and my view from the outside, looking in.

It’s a fun article — Mr. Kaczmarczyk likens the whole affair with securing a date for the prom — which makes me start worrying … what will I wear!

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Tags: ArtPrize, Grand Rapids Michigan, Grand Rapids Press, Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk, Peaches Bed and Breakfast, Rick DeVos