EWR and Creative License brings "Artist Musings: Who is that Person in the Mirror?"

Detail of a painting in progress...

       "Inside the Mirror, Looking out"

Artist Musings 

   ...Looking in the mirror is an interesting activity...alternatively at times: scary, illuminating, lonely, or peaceful. Sometimes we see ourselves looking back, sometimes a younger or older version of ourselves. It could even be a stranger... 

   At times, we see a novel, a short story or poem...even an off-kilter limerick could fit the moment in time. 

   Mirrors sometimes reflect what we want to see, sometimes quite the opposite. 

        Always, though, it is only a fragmentary and flipped version of ourselves

               at a moment in time. 

   What would our image in the mirror look like if we could see a composite of what the world sees when it looks at us? 

              Therein lies the mystery. 

                           -EWRARTIST 

                      © Elaine Weiner-Reed

As I create (painting, sculpture, writing), I often lose track of the fact that everything I make is a part of me, my autobiography. All of it is and will always be/become 'pieces and parts' of the whole: from the inside, OUT. Our truest view in the mirror, if you will...

I am definitely a work in progress, an evolution of a theme, a packet of potential, a convergence of all that I think, dream, say, create, do, and refrain from doing.

So, as I keep pushing, discovering, and believing, I need to remember that I am a woman and a mother and a work in progress... I must remember that I can recreate myself and my reflection with another stroke of the brush, another splash of color, another smile, kindness or laugh. The mirror is in my own hands.

What do I and what do you want your ultimate reflection and story to convey?... Let us matter and make a difference together, shall we?

        Artfully yours,

            Elaine (www.weiner-reed.com)

    ....stay tuned for the next glimpse in my mirror 

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From NYC Gallery to Art Museum Show: "Primal Scream" by Elaine Weiner-Reed (EWR) - April to July 2015

From Gallery to Museum... 

                        "Reality often begins with dreams that are built upon 

                        foundations of dedication and hard work." - EWR

                                                         *****************

   Elaine Weiner-Reed is pleased to announce that her mixed media painting entitled "Primal Scream" has been curated into an art exhibit at the Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Art. 

   The International Contemporary Masters Art Exhibition runs from April 15th to July 3rd (2015).

   There will be an exclusive VIP reception on Saturday, April 11th. 

         (Contact the Museum directly regarding invitations and attendance.)

                                      

                                      Elaine Weiner-Reed - "Primal Scream" - Mixed Media 

                                        (Framed Dimensions: 41 inches H x 29 inches W)

                                                      Price available upon request.

                                                       Hope to see you there...

Musings from the art studio of Elaine Weiner-Reed: Looking Forward, Looking Back Part II

The 360-Degree Check-Up

Artists need to self-analyze continuously, asking themselves:

• Why do I make art?
• What are my motivations?
• What are my inspirations?
• What is my message, content?
• What sets my work off from others?
• Where do I see myself and my art - within society, within the art spectrum?
• Where do I want to take my art?
• Am I doing what I need to do to get where I want to be...and do I have time to do it?

As we contemplate ourselves and our art and make those conscious decisions and determinations, we must continue creating. 

 For example: I started working on iPad creations when I cannot get to the studio... It may or may not lead to something else, but I am still creating!


This Artist's Cycle-of-Life: 
    So, about 2 years ago now, I found myself painting figures again... 

   It felt like "coming home."  It seems to be a cycle with me that once I have quasi-mastered a new medium after working with it for three or more years, I begin painting the figure. 

   I started my art life drawing figures - usually ladies - at 4 or 6 years old. Since then, with sculpture, then watercolors, then acrylics and mixed media...I eventually find myself coming back to the human form, figures. 

Do you have something like that in your art? 

...something personal, 

a favorite theme or subject matter? 

If so, do not ignore it!

In acrylics, I moved or evolved from these non-objective, mixed media abstract expressionist works (circa 2013)...

          ...to these abstract expressionist figurative paintings in 2014.

Who knows where I will move from here... 

It is a journey that is uniquely mine. 

My current series focuses on relationships

and the influences of my past, my own unique history.

   

 What we must remember is this:
     We must never limit ourselves. (There are enough people out there who will try to limit us, so we must remain positive and never give up on our dreams.) It is up to each artist to determine our own timeline for our progression and achievements. The sky is the limit and the journey is as important as the paintings that result from it.

                                  Now: Let's get back to creating!!
                      Our world needs this art legacy we are making....

 

                                                              Yours in Art,

                                                                     Elaine

EWR - Me and My Art: Looking Forward, Looking Back - Part I

Looking Forward, Looking Back - Part I

      This is the name I have chosen for this next series of ElaineWeinerArt Blog articles. They are about me looking back over the last 12 to 36 months of my life...as it relates to my art.  I invite you to walk with me into the first chapter...

     If you know me, you know how much I value relationships. That is the overarching theme of my work, especially my figurative paintings. In them, I play with lost-and-found figures, edges, connections, and line.  And I make and show layers - layers of color, layers of complexity... within and outside of the figure.

     During these past 36 months, people have walked into and out of my life and my world...for various reasons. And I have walked out of some lives and entered others, as well. The cycle of life at work...choices and fate.

     If you have your parents still in your life, cherish them as much as you are able. If you now find yourself without one or both of them, treasure them and their memories in your hearts. I have lost both of my parents within this 3-year time frame and it is an often lonely and painful...and strange...time of life.

So, how does that loss figure into my painting, you ask? ...

     It figures prominently and loudly in works like "Primal Scream" and "Ancestral Whispers III" ...

Elaine Weiner-Reed - Primal Scream - 24 x 36 inches

Elaine Weiner-Reed - Ancestral Whispers III - 24 x 36 inches

     It figures more subtly and quietly in works like "Spectral Lines III."

Elaine Weiner-Reed - Spectral Lines III - 16 x 24 inches

   In these works, I explore and examine the pain, joy, memories, and connections within relationships. Through my painting process, I cry and laugh and contemplate and remember. I paint with all that I am and all that I have to give.

To move forward, we always have to understand and know 

where we came from 

and how we got to any given place in time.  

   So, please join me as I take things forward from where I am, one wonderful art-filled step at a time, living life in gratefulness and out loud!

                                 Yours in Art,

                                     Elaine

If you want to see more of my art, follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

Stay connected:

https://twitter.com/ElaineWeinerArt
https://www.facebook.com/WeinerReed (Artist Elaine Weiner-Reed)
http://instagram.com/ewrartist

Artists and Thoughts on Authenticity

Art is personal.

The important thing as an Artist is to be true to oneself, our own story, and our vision.

 

Elaine Weiner-Reed (EWr) - Self Portrait XIII - Mixed Media (24" x 30")

My motto: "Art is an Action Word."

My promise to myself: To never decrease my time and focus on my Art.

   As Artists, we need to follow our own path at our own pace and in our own way. There are many art books, instructors, and art out there - both good, bad, and you-name-it.... Viewing other artists' work is a good thing. I have my favorite artists and generally find a new artist every year whose work intrigues me...or doesn't. As with any field, art reference, learning, and research is important: visiting galleries, reading journals, etc.  It opens our world to more possibilities. While "copying art" may sometimes be good for art students learning a craft or a technique, what truly makes a work of art stand out and take our breath away and what separates some professional Artists from others is the authenticity and evolution of their entire body of work.

We have to remember as Artists that WE are what is unique to the art and creation equation. 

The materials and brushes we use are mass-produced. 

   So, in the months and years ahead, I will continue to create from the heart and give my art all that I have. I owe it to myself...and I believe that my art legacy depends on it. Each day, I will continue to live my life, push my own limits, learn something new, laugh, and defy my own boundaries. Every day that I can paint is a very good day!

                                                                                      Yours in Art,

                                                                                             Elaine

                                                                                      Elaine Weiner-Reed (EWr)

Being an Artist Means Making Time to Create Art

Because I have heard it so many times over the last 20 years, I wanted to give a message of encouragement and a challenge to some people.

We are what we choose to become, what we decide we want and need to be. We are individuals with responsibilities and challenges and lives. People depend on us.

I offer this in the hope that it is what you need to hear, what you need to motivate you to create your art. You know who you are...

Over the years and as recently as last week, people have told me that they want to do more art, but note that they are too busy. They ask me how I 'find' the time to do my art. I tell them simply: "I make the time." So, to all who say they want to "be an artist," please stop only talking about it and DO something about it... today and every day forward.

"Art is an action word." 

That is my quote, my trademark credo and my recommendation.

  - In the late 1990's, I co-piloted a 2-person plane for 45 seconds as we flew over Mont St. Victoire in Aix-en-Provence (France). 

  - I worked 2 days with a team on a dinosaur dig in the Bad Lands of Montana. 

  - I lived in France and went to school for a year in college and have returned more than 6 times since. 

  - I have a full-time day job.

  - I can draw figures and landscapes on an Etch-A-Sketch.
  - I have a home, family, friends, and a full life.
  - And... I am a full-time, working artist with a fine arts business.

      Art is my vocation, so I do it.  I make the time...every day. To me: Art is an action word!

     Your decision is yours and yours alone to make: decide and make the time to work and become the artist you say you want to be... starting today. It takes action and commitment. It is hard work...but it is very satisfying.... 

   The decision is a very personal one and involves sacrifice. Decide if it is for you...and then don't turn back!

    Yours in Art,

        Elaine 

Elaine Weiner-Reed (EWr): New York Exhibit - January 2014

Elaine Weiner-Reed (EWr)

Featured Artist

 "Awakening" 

  International Contemporary Exhibition

New  Century Artists Gallery

530 West 25th Street, Suite 406,
New York, NY 10001
Tell: 212-367-7072
Curated by Basha Maryanska

Elaine Weiner-Reed (EWr) - "Red, Black, and Blond"

 ________________________________

Weiner-Reed is Artslant Featured Artist at FIAC Expo Paris

Check out one of my breakthrough '3D' paintings - Elaine Weiner-Reed (EWr) 

          Featured at FIAC, Paris! 

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FIRST IMPRESSIONS: CROWD CONTROL Christina Catherine Martinez jumps a few hurdles to get into FIAC Bureaucracy is as much a part of France’s mythic national character as wine, cheese, or chicness itself. I began my month long stay in the City of Light (a light which, I’ve noticed, emanates mainly from the Eiffel Tower, twinkling dreamily through the upper-floor windows of those who merely want to sleep at night) prepared to dismantle these clichés with encounters and anecdotes testifying to their opposite. Unfortunately, the difficulty with which I finally breached the perimeter of the 40th edition of the FIAC art fair doesn’t seem to surprise anyone. During the afternoon press preview on Wednesday, after being herded through a maze of crowd control barriers, I ascended the steps of that remarkable Beaux-Arts paragon, the Grand Palais, and presented my credentials to the uniformed fonctionnaire at the check-in booth. "C’est une drôle carte de presse," she said, turning the card over in her hand before informing me that it is not, in fact, a real press pass. #whattheFIAC indeed... ...Read more...  PRIX MARCEL DUCHAMP: FAVOURITES AND OUTSIDERS James Thompson summarizes this year's nominees As a corollary to FIAC the Prix Marcel Duchamp has had some pretty impressive winners in its time and is, as with all of these types of prizes, a great way for an artist to get some recognition, funding and actual cash. Not as old as the Swiss Art Awards, as prestigious as a Gold or Silver Lion, or as lucrative as some of the big private awards, it is still sufficient to spur on the career of any artist, not least in that it comes with a well funded exhibition at the Pompidou, and allows you to join a roll of previous winners that includes the likes of Thomas Hirschhorn and Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster. This year the prize remains true to form, despite its international panel of judges, in that it historically favours Paris-based artists, with three of the four artists having their practice in the city. There has also been a tendency, perhaps in keeping somewhat with its namesake, for the prize to go to someone with a sculptural/installation-based practice, and again we see three of the four artists working in something we could call this format. Finally, remaining true to its remit, and, as hasn't always been the case, this year's is a relatively youthful selection... ...Read more... Sylvie Bonnot; Courtesy UN-SPACED, at SLICK Paris. Laurent Cammal; Courtesy of Galerie Binôme, Paris, at SLICK. Humans Since 1982; Courtesy of Lebenson Gallery, Paris, at Cutlog. Dan Miller; Courtesy Creative Growth, Oakland, at Cutlog.  Subscribe | Contact Us | Website If you no longer wish to receive ArtSlant emails, please unsubscribe ArtSlant, Inc., 8721 Santa Monica Blvd #843, Los Angeles, CA 90069, USA

Art is a Many Splendored Thing & So Are Dragons

Art is personal. It comes in many moods and can touch on any subject or subject matter from political realities to imaginary worlds or dreams. It can be serious, deep, light-hearted, pretty, amusing, gruesome, gritty, colorful, stark, and just about any other adjective you could think of... It can focus on anything, anyone, anytime, and be in any format, media, or style. 

The possibilities are as endless as they are exciting. No two visions are the same.  At different times throughout our creative periods, we artists embark on different projects and themes for different reasons. 

Knowing my work, can you believe I have drawn over 50 dragons? It all started back in 1992 when one nephew asked me to draw him a dragon. I told him that I had never drawn a dragon, and he said those magical words: You can do it, Aunt Elaine. And in that moment, as my heart swelled, I knew I could do it... And so I drew my first dragon that day and made a young boy very happy. His faith in me was a priceless gift I never could repay. 

Before long, I couldn't stop drawing dragons, naming them, and giving them personalities. Well, actually, they defined themselves as my sketches evolved. No one can fully control a dragon, after all!

Please meet three of my dragons from a coloring book I created called "Imagine This I - A Dragon Coloring Book" (copyright 1992; Weiner-Reed)

Enjoy! 

   And remember...inspiration is right in front of us, next to us, inside us...just waiting to be released!

               Happy creating!

                      Yours in Art,

                           Elaine