One Ear Society

The Blog of the One Ear Society

one-ear-head

Friday, March 26, 2010

Peacock Process


Peacock on parade...
Artist and Marketing Director Debra Cortese of Arts at St Johns stops by to view Artist, Fred Hunt's Peacock painting progress. The word was out that Fred got the go ahead to create the first Coconut Grove Peacock which he is painting on location at Windish-Hunt Fine Art Gallery. There have already been many curious visitors checking on this colorful community project.
The peacocks arrived via freight and was destined for another artist who is enroute to Barbados and found herself overbooked! The sponsor visiting realized progress was non-existent and a unanimous decision between gallerist Anna Maria Windisch-Hunt, Heather Bettner, project promoter and two sponsors agreed to let Fred begin. The other artists will work on a different peacock upon her return to the Grove.
Needless to say, with the naked peacock sitting for a week and a half, Fred was inspired. Once he heard he had the go ahead he was painting within 20 minutes!

photo is day 2 check back as new pictures are uploaded.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Peacock Soiree

Commissioner Sarnoff with some of the artists who will be doing peacocks

Heather Bettner, AnnaMaria Windisch-Hunt with Ed Perlaz sponsor, Fred Hunt and Deborah Starbuck
Just finished the 1st Saturday Art Stroll in Coconut Grove with a new exhibit and already another major event in the gallery. These events are wonderful exposure for the artists exhibiting in the Windisch-Hunt Fine Art Gallery. It brings in more and more art lovers, and in this case sponsors of the "CoconutgrovePeacockTour". It was well attended and the work to put it together did not fall on my shoulders. I just let them have the gallery. The entire enterprise is that, of Heather Bettner of Coconut Grove. When all is said and done it benefits our community via the tourist influx and then of course the trickle down effect to the merchants/restaurants of Coconut Grove. We owe Heather a great deal of gratitude in undertakeing this venture. We also owe a hugh gratitude to the New York Times for printing the story on Aug. 27, 2008 and bringing world wide attention to our own folly.


Pop Artist Ed King with his sponsor

Camille DePhillips who handles the PR and media

Deborah Starbuck and her Peacock shades

Barefoot Winery

Garland leading AnnaMaria Windisch-Hunt

Eleganza Strings Serenading us all evening

Jerry Wade with Peacock pin

Antoinette Baldwin not to be outdone strutting her stuff


Friday, March 12, 2010

The Gift

This is a small moment of the dance Monica Craun created for Fred Hunt's Birthday it premiered during the "Homage a la femme and the artists who love them" March 6, 2010

Thursday, March 11, 2010

One of our own


This was taken right out of the MiamiSocial.com As a matter of fact I did a little boasting about our artist Linda Apriletti in 2009 "Success Story". Enjoy Linda and her work during the
Opening Reception for Everglades En Plein Air
Sunday, March 14 from 2 to 4 p.m.

A new exhibition entitled The Everglades En Plein Air featuring the paintings of Linda Apriletti will be on display through March 31. The works in this exhibition were painted outside in the open air in the southern section of Everglades National Park and explore the various ecosystems within the Everglades, including the pinelands, saw grass marshes, cypress prairies, coastal prairies, mangrove transition zones and shallow lakes. Apriletti, a native of Miami Springs, is an acclaimed artist and outdoorswoman who draws upon her time outdoors to provide the inspiration for her landscape paintings.
Ernest Coe Visitor Center Gallery

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

mile stone for Fred Hunt

Mile stones mark important dates. After you reach the wonderful age of 80, then each additional year becomes a milestone. This gift had to be memorable. A lovely French visitor to our gallery suggested a corp de ballet, what a charming idea, but where would I find a troup of dancers on their toes in white tutus? I found Monica Craun an interpretive dancer and new addition to Coconut Groves hip artistic community. I commissioned her to create a dance (video coming) dedicated to Fred and to to be performed during our art opening. She choose perfectly AWAHAK, is Egyptian L to R Norah Silva, Andrea, PJ Mills, Renee Falsetto, Galleriest AnnaMaria Windisch-Hunt, Juror Annette Rawlings, Robert Veil, Ruth Karp, Cathrine Anderson and Karen Deilke just a few of the artists in our juried exhibition " The Homage a la femme and the artists who love them.
Photos taken by Michael Marko and if you log onto his Coconutgrovetoday a blog. See more photos plus the Grovehouse Artists, 1st Sataturday Artstroll openings. To view these photos enlarged click on them and see Fred Hunt's appreciation of his gift.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Our Juror Annette Rawlings

Most jurors are artists who have reached a certain standing in the art field - many start out with Art History. Annette Rawlings started out studying Art History and Fine Art and has a degree in both. She also studied abroad in Germany, Italy, Spain and Mexico
Her experience encompass Art Restoration, Art History, Painting, Glass in Murano, and Tempra Fresco, Grinding Pigments and Painting in Perugia Italy, Jewelry Making, Eutruscan pottery, Mexico fiber, Ceramic, and she has worked on a Pre-Columbian dig. These were not workshops they were extended studies lasting up to one year. These were all master studies.
So from our perspective we can see that her qualifications have been earned. Currently she is the director of the Andrews Art Museum and curator for the Whatmore Art Museum in Andrews North Carolina she also writes a art column. She makes her home in Virgina, four hours from N Y City and two hours from Washington DC, so she has access to the very latest exhibitions that the big cities offer.
Steeped in The Renaissance technique, "I hand stretch Belgium linen secured with copper tacks then I use rabbit skin clue which I make to seal the linen. I also make my own colors." The image above is Annette Rawlings.
There is a sense of worth that is attached to being seen by someone who is knowledgeable and influential. It gives the artist confirmation of their abilities. Some artists do not enter certain shows based on who the juror is. It is not unusual gauge the exhibition by the juror.
Opening night more photos coming

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

follow the juror's comments

transition art going out and coming in
The call to artist for "Homage a la femme and the artist who love them" was fairly specific. We were looking for large works, by not just women artists but by our male counterparts also. We never said it had to be figurative, but as any call there were some questions so we sent out a facebook announcement clarifying we were looking to showcase the artists strongest work and the feminine side of the male artists.
Today is jury day we got in quite a number of works; some brought in just one. Many asked me what I thought. Well thankfully, I am not the juror and as such was glad to state the fact. Several artists' work were not accepted by the juror.
Here are some of the comments I was privy to, with the jurors permission I share.
"Good Turn out" ..... "nice variety" .... "lot of good work" ...
To be more specific, as The Juror went about the room some of her musings were about the fact that the work should relate even though an artist does a lot of different work, for a group show it should be consistent - if one is framed in the group then they all should be. One artist's work was inconsistent and it was not chosen for the show. Similarly, pieces were disqualified for being framed poorly. These points should be taken into consideration when you come to see this show. What did the artists, who are in the show, do right?
One submission was poorly executed, lots of artists use spray paint in this day and age but your not suppose to see it. ( Murakami is such a nit picker he has 16 layers and between each he sands. Mr. Murakami first became famous in the 1990s for a theory he called Superflat). One of the artists presenting also attempted it but unsuccessfully. You won't see that work. What you will see is the work that was selected. Also, at the Jurors suggestion painted two walls black.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

TRAGIC

roadside show
I have a story for every day that I sit here in the gallery. This one is tragic on so many levels. Gentleman comes in and he asks me if I buy art and of course no, I try to sell it. He has some paintings he wants me to see. This is exciting you never know what will pop up. I've had works here by now deceased Tony Scornavacca who in his time was considered a Picasso in this area. The work presented to me was being divested by a friend. The small paintings I re-framed and he had another which was magnificent a drawing on paper, unfortunately it was foxed so badly I would not allow it into the gallery for fear of the fungal spores would fly around and infect other works of art in the gallery. His had been lovingly stored on a boat in the Keys.
A foxed Tony Scornavacca
This new situation is even more tragic. The person in question reached the sun only to be burned. Could have been an attorney, now disbarred perhaps a Dr. no longer licensed. He still has his wardrobe and beautiful leather shoes. At one point if I had identified him by this exterior, I would have said he could purchase anything his heart desires in the gallery. Now he is somewhat disheveled no longer interested in maintaining his appearance. Instead he shows me two paintings and a large sketch on newsprint. He wants my opinion. I've assessed the situation, he is not the first homeless to come in and show me work. I look at the work and it does not speak to me. One piece is badly scratched, the other a amateur attempt at a nude, very stiff, the third is the badly water stained newsprint. I see some elements that are familiar. He has admitted that he is not the artist. He wants a valuation and possible submission to the incoming exhibition. "Hommage a la femme" Look at the signature and I know the artist , she has recently moved from our community and put them in the dumpster on Gifford Lane.
He came in again, this morning after leaning on a trash container and presenting me with a crude drawing which I watched him execute through the window. There were elements that flowed natural and pleasing and then the critical parts they were horrid. I guess if you can't do anything else do art, it works for some but not for him.