This summer at the Bay Breeze Art Gallery . . .

Monet, Van Gogh, Cezanne and Klimt as Teaching Partners

The paintings in an exhibit which opened today March 4th, at the Smurfit Stone Library in Bathurst are the result of two sessions of "Painting Like the Masters", a course given by Adrienne Elfner-Hazen, B.F.A., at the Bay Breeze Art Gallery in Bathurst.  The artists taking part in this study were Rita May Gates, Sherley Kenny, Priscilla Laffoley, Laura Lavoie and Rosita Sprohge.

Here you will see how the Impressionist Painters defied the traditionalist painters to create a new order of painting.  They painted every day life, peasants working in the fields or attending to animals in the pastures.  They also developed a new style of painting, concentrating on broken brush strokes allowing underlying color to come through.  This was a rebellion against the tradition of blending all brush strokes to achieve a form of realism not unlike photography.  This is very evident in the works of Monet, and Van Gogh.

Artists like Cezanne, broke up their paintings into simplified shapes that were often geometric in design.  Cezanne, one of the Impressionists, often painted Mont St. Victorie in France.  Rita May Gates and Sherley Kenny have successfully re-created Cezanne's work in this manner.  

Although Gustav Klimt was not an impressionist he was an Austrian artist from the same time period who brought symbolism into the forefront in his exquisite paintings.  Klimt loved painting women both in portraits and in larger concepts such as the "Three Stages of a Woman's Life".  He used gold and silver in special gilding techniques so there is often a lot of shimmer and dazzle in his works.  In April of this year a new movie, "Women in Gold" will be released staring Helen Mirren based on the golden painting of Adele Bauch-Bauer.  This painting has been reproduced here by Sherley Kenny.

We also have some paintings here, that are totally the creation of the artists themselves but where they have used the learned techniques of the masters to achieve translation of their ideas onto canvas.  The show will be on for the month of March and possibly the month of April as well.

Hazards in Art Rooms and Studios

I want to focus on the danger of solvents used to clean up brushes, skin and work areas of oil paint.  Turpentine, White spirits and even Odorless Solvents are very dangerous.  Here is the scientific reasoning for this:  "Anything that dries (most notably paint), or anything you use to "cut" the paint does so by off-gassing some sort of solvent. For water colours, this will mostly be water (harmless) but some of the paint will also come off as a vapor. For oils, the reason they take so long to dry is that the molecules are generally much larger. The general rule for things you ingest into your body is that like compounds stay together. So anything that is water soluble (water colours) will likely be flushed from your system quite quickly. Oils on the other hand, will tend to go into the fat stored in your body. It  gets locked up there, but if you were to lose weight, it can cause all of these toxins to become released at once. The other problem with oil based products is that over time you can build up more and more in your fat stores, eventually getting to toxic levels. I have no idea about the metals that may be present  in both types of paints, but from what I have read they tend to get locked up in fat stores as well.

 

Generally everything that is in the air will eventually get stuck onto the surface of something (wall, dust, etc). If it is some place like the floor, then it can repeatedly get kicked up (and thus inhaled). As to ventllation, this will help, but would need to be (1) very close to where you are working (2) blowing material outside. If you simply have a fan, you don't really get rid of anything, just mix it up better, and in some cases it can make things worse."

 

Other ways to clean, are to use Turpenoid Natural, Baby Oil and Murphy's Oil Wood Cleaner.  None of these products are toxic and a good alternative.

I am back to my Bay Breeze Blogger site!

After a period of absence from this blog I am back with information to artists and the public on various subjects of interest and importance.

I have very recently launched a new website www.nbartverntures.ca and this blog will be shown there as well.  The new site will keep the public updated on classes, art materials, special events and a gallery of my own personal work.  Classes and art materials are located at the Bay Breeze Art Gallery located in La Promenade, 82 Douglas Avenue, Bathurst, N.B.  E2A 7S6.  Our gallery telephone number is 506-548-6937. Please stay posted and add me as a blog to follow!  Cheers,  Adrienne 506-548-2160

Plein Air Water-Color Course with Martha Robinson

Martha Robinson is coming back to Bathurst to teach a week long course in Plein Air water-color on location at some of the Chaleur Region's most enchanting spots.  The course will take place from Aug. 13th to 17th and is open to any non-beginner water-colorists.  The course cost will be $250 for the full 5 days and $60 per day as selected by the artist if they simply want to come for one day or more or to specific locations.  To register please contact Adrienne at 506-548-2160 or at aelfner@rogers.com.  Registration and payment must be completed by August 10th. 

Thank you and I hope you will consider this wonderful opportunity to paint Chaleur at it's best!

June Art Workshop Weekends at the Bay Breeze Art Gallery

New Art Classes at the Bay Breeze Art Gallery                                                                      

Birch in Fall - Water Colour

Water Colour Weekend - June 9th and 10th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This is a course for beginners to the wonderful medium of water and paint.  You will learn the basic terms, materials, and techniques to successfully work in this manner.  Water colour is a medium that is easily transportable from outside to indoors with minimum effort.  A great way to enjoy your holidays no matter where you may be.  Cost is $120
Materials are available at the gallery.

Opera - Acrylic, and collage on tissue paper



Sea Grass - Acrylic, sand and gesso

 Acrylic Weekend - June 23rd and 24th, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

This is a course for people who would like to explore the medium of acrylic paint while reaching outside the box, to use acrylic mediums now used in modern contemporary art making with such additives as glass, sand, gesso, and collage.  This course will allow you to be totally creative and we will not be copying greeting cards, or paintings of other artists.  Cost of course is $120 for the weekend.  Materials are available for sale at the galllery.

 

To register call the Bay Breeze Art Gallery at 506-546-6937 or

Adrienne Elfner-Hazen at 506-548-2160.



Art Classes at the Bay Breeze Art Gallery

Art Classes are up and running again at the Bay Breeze Art Gallery!

We have a lot more interest for the contemporary acrylic painting classes which are based on the principles taught by American Artist Robert Burridge. This is an upbeat class with music to get you moving! Here we break a lot of the rules previously set out in traditional approaches to art making. Want to varnish a water-colour? Why not! Want to drip, splatter, throw and paint with your fingers? Yes, you may! Energy and freedom are the key of achieving great success and enjoyment in creating your own unique style of art.

The next session of these classes may be in the form of 3 or 4 day workshops in the Spring.

Besides this we are offering, Formal Drawing classes on Wednesday nights and Intermediate

Water-colours on Tuesday mornings. In the Water-colour class we are experimenting with some new and adventurous techniques as well, such as working with syringes and needles to spray the water-colour on our paper randomly to create unique effects.

My Little Kids and Big Kids art classes did not go this session due to low registration but I am keeping my hand in Children's art by teaching a fun class with grade 3's at a local school.

Stay tuned for further announcements!