Re-Appropriate Video

Check out this short video that David Shearer put together for the Re-Appropriate show at OBJCT Gallery. Very well done!

The show has been extended through February 27th, and I'll be there for the next Second Saturday Pomona Artwalk on February 13th, 7-10pm.

OBJCT Gallery
250 W. 2nd Street
Pomona, CA 91766

Re-Appropriate at OBJCT Gallery

I have several paintings in a show that opens at OBJCT Gallery in Pomona this Saturday. The title of the show is "Re-Appropriate," and here is how OBJCT Gallery owner David Shearer describes it:

OBJCT Gallery invites you to experience our latest exhibition addressing the intersection between art and design. The concept of reusing or recycling objects or readymades into art is not new; Marcel Duchamp introduced the idea of the readymade as a way to combat the notion of art, rendering objects useless from their original intention. The term appropriation refers to the idea of borrowing and re-using or reclaiming materials and found objects to create new, and in the case here, useful objects. What we are experiencing currently is a shift in why these materials are being used by artists and designers; contemplating materials as not just a way to represent a concept or idea but as a vehicle to reflect on issues that are larger and outside of the basic realm of art and design. Issues of sustainability and environmental consciousness are beginning to infiltrate these art/design elements with the intention of rendering “new” objects that are useful as well as appropriate in terms of social responsibility.

The show runs from January 9 through February 7, 2010, and the opening reception is Saturday, January 9th, from 7-10 pm.

OBJCT Gallery
250 W. 2nd Street
Pomona, CA 91766

Hope to see you there!

December Home Show

I've been in the studio the past few days, creating some new small paintings for a home show I'm doing in early December with four other artists. I'll be showing and selling my Frameable Art Cards, miniature paintings, and small paintings. The two paintings below are new and are each 6 x 6 inches, acrylic latex on canvas.







Prices start at $10 for cards, $20 for miniature paintings, and $40 for small paintings.

Here's the information for the show:

Saturday and Sunday, December 5th and 6th

11:00 am - 4:00 pm

6660 Maryland Drive
Los Angeles 90048
(between San Vicente and La Jolla)

Plenty of street parking available

Wine and munchies will be served

The other artists in the show are:

Dale Brown - www.dalebrownart.com
Assemblage dolls, sculptures and boxes.
Batya Dagan - www.batyadagan.com
Landscape, still life and portrait oil paintings.
Valerie Jean - www.valeriejean.biz
Mixed media collage consisting of glass and ceramic tiles, natural shells, gemstones, vintage jewelry, and acrylic paint applications.
Jackie Rosen - www.thefamilyjewelsshop.com
Unique hand made jewelry using Buddhist symbolism and repurposed vintage brooches from the early 1900's.

I hope you can stop by to see my latest work, especially the cards and miniatures, which are great for holiday gift-giving.

Rose Cafe Opening Reception

The opening reception for my solo show at The Rose Cafe in Venice is this Saturday, October 24th, from 3-4:30pm. I took some pictures of the show, and it looks great!






You must see it in person! Here are the details:

Cassandra Tondro
"Mad Scientist"
22 paintings from the "Haz Mat" and "Oops!" series

October 14 - November 29, 2009

The Rose Cafe
220 Rose Avenue
Venice, CA 90291
(parking in rear)

Opening reception on Saturday, October 24th, 3-4:30pm
(the restaurant closes promptly at 5:00)

For information about the work: Karen Black, curator, 310.399.4736

The artist will donate a portion of the proceeds to ARTconnectsLA.

Looking forward to seeing you this Saturday! Cookies, brownies, lemon bars, coffee and tea provided!

Rose Cafe Show

Genesis, 24 x 30 inches, acrylic latex on canvas

When was the last time you saw a show of my work in the Los Angeles area? Can't remember? My point exactly. I don't show here very often, which is why you must seize this opportunity and come to see my work at The Rose Cafe in Venice, sometime between October 14th and November 29th.

Cassandra Tondro
"Mad Scientist"
22 paintings from the "Haz Mat" and "Oops!" series

October 14 - November 29, 2009

The Rose Cafe
220 Rose Avenue
Venice, CA 90291
(parking in rear)

Please join the artist for an opening reception on

Saturday, October 24th, 3-4:30 pm
(the restaurant closes promptly at 5:00)

It’s a solo show! I am taking over the entire café and restaurant, and if you've been to The Rose Cafe, you know that it’s a big space.

I've named the show “Mad Scientist” because I think of myself as a mad scientist in my approach to art. Mad science is an exciting process of experimentation, observation and discovery – trial and error in the pursuit of happy accidents.

The 22 paintings in the show are from my “Haz Mat” and “Oops!” series, and represent a comprehensive overview of two years of recent work. They are all done in my current medium d'jour – acrylic latex paint – a.k.a. house paint. Why house paint? Because it's perfect for mad science, of course! House paint has unusual properties not found in other paints. The colors don’t blend easily, and tend to stay separate. It's thick, gooey, sticky and messy, and pours nicely. It's self leveling, and tends to settle on the canvas in odd ways. It's affected by temperature and humidity, and sometimes contracts or cracks while drying. All the interesting qualities a mad scientist could hope for!

You can see the paintings on my website, but understand that they are a lot more incredible in person, which is why you need to see them in person. Feel free to e-mail me with your questions and comments. I always love hearing from you!

If you're not in LA, come to LA! The show will be open Thanksgiving weekend.

Are we on? Great! I so look forward to seeing you at the opening reception on Saturday, October 24th.

As many of you know, I believe that everyone should have access to original art. Because I feel strongly about this, I am involved in starting ARTconnectsLA, an art donation program in LA that is modeled after The Art Connection in Boston. I have been sending work to Boston for years! Now I can donate here.

ARTconnectsLA is beginning to place art in social service agencies, and to support these initial efforts and to help fund future projects, I will be donating a percentage of the proceeds from this show to our cause. Please read more about the work we are doing on www.artconnectsla.org.

The Rose Cafe Solo Show

It's rare that I get to do a show in the Los Angeles area, let alone a solo show. But Angelenos, your chance to see my work is coming soon!



I will be doing a solo exhibition at The Rose Cafe in Venice, from mid-October through November 29th. The show features 22 paintings from my "Oops!" and "Haz Mat" series, and includes some of my large-scale work, including the piece below:


Unfolding, four panels, 48 x 96 inches, acrylic latex on canvas

This is a great opportunity to see what I've been working on the past two years. Stay tuned for information about a Rose Cafe "get-together!"

Pierre Paul Fall Show

Five of my paintings will be featured in the Pierre Paul Art Gallery fall show in Ann Arbor, Michigan, including the two recent "Haz Mat" paintings below:


Magnificence, 24 x 24 inches, acrylic latex on canvas



Reflections on Water, 36 x 12 inches, acrylic latex on canvas

This is my fourth show with Pierre Paul Art Gallery, and they always do a great job selecting and displaying the artwork.

The show opens on October 3rd, and runs through January 3rd, 2010. Pierre Paul will donate 10% of their sales during the show to local charities and nonprofit organizations, helping to make a difference in the community during the holidays.

E-vite

Here's the e-vite for the show at OBJCT::Gallery tonight:

OBJCT::Gallery

There's a new gallery that's opening this weekend for the Pomona Art Walk. Veronica Fernandez of Fine Art Advising Services in Santa Monica is curating the opening show, called "OBJCT::of my confection." She selected three of my paintings for the show, including the triptych shown below:


Camellias, 2008
triptych, 24 x 72 inches
acrylic latex on canvas

OBJCT::Gallery
250 West Second Street
Pomona, CA 91766
917.710.0083

Pomona Art Walk: Saturday, June 13th

Mt. St. Mary's College Show

Here's how my piece looks in the Mt. St. Mary's College "Insight/Inside LA" show.



It's a very large show, and they did a nice job hanging it. You can see the show through April 4th.

Insight/Inside LA Show

I'm delivering a painting to Mt. St. Mary's College today for a show titled Insight/Inside LA that opens on March 1st.


Shazaam, acrylic latex on canvas, 24" x 30"

Insight/Inside LA
March 1 - April 4, 2009
Mount St. Mary's College
12001 Chalon Road
Los Angeles, CA 90049-4361
310.954.4360

Opening reception, Sunday March 1 at 10:30 am.

Sketchbook Project

Here's the cover and the first few pages of my altered sketchbook for The Sketchbook Project at Art House in Atlanta. It was fun to do, and it turned out quite beautiful. Click on images to enlarge.

Alyson Stanfield

Alyson Stanfield came to the Translations Gallery opening last week, and included a picture of us together is her weekly newsletter.

If you're not familiar with Alyson, she's an art coach, and has recently written and published a book about art marketing titled I'd Rather Be in the Studio. She offers workshops and online classes, and is also available for individual consultations.

More on Translations Gallery Opening

Here's one more picture of the Translations Gallery opening that I . . . ahem . . . borrowed from Christina's blog. OK, I stole it. Sorry, Christina. Your pictures look better than mine! This is me and Christina Yocca in the gallery in front of our work, before the opening.



To see more pictures of the opening from Christina's point of view, check out her blog.

Absolute Arts Article

There's an article about my Translations Gallery show on the Absolute Arts website today, and also in their newsletter. It features my painting titled Shazaam:



Shazaam is 24" x 30", acrylic latex on canvas.

Translations Gallery Show

I just got back from Denver and the opening reception of my "Ordinary Alchemy" show with Christina Yocca at Translations Gallery. Here are some pictures of my work in the show and the reception:


















I'd never been to Denver before, and it was lovely. It snowed the week before, but we got lucky, and the weather was perfect. We had a drum circle playing live music outside, and the catered food was fabulous.



Many thanks to Judy Hagler and Kate Merkel of Translations Gallery for all their hard work in putting this show together. Everything looked beautiful, and I had a great time meeting everyone at the reception.

Ordinary Alchemy Show

Click on image to enlarge.



I got the invitations today for my show at Translations Gallery, and they look good! If you're in the Denver area, drop by the reception on May 9th, 5-8pm. I'll be there, along with my paintings.

Small Wonders at Pharmaka

Magma, 24" x 24", acrylic on canvas

One of my paintings will be in the "Small Wonders" show at Pharmaka Gallery December 8 - 22, 2007. The paintings in the show will be raffled off at an event on December 15th. For more details see the Pharmaka website.

Wet Paint Show

We had gorgeous summer weather for the Wet Paint show today. Roxbury Park was beautiful, and the artwork looked great there.









This was my setup, under a lovely elm tree. You can see several of my new pieces on the black display panels.



Thank you to everyone who came to see me, said nice things about my work, and kept me company for the duration of the show! It was great to see all of you.

Wet Paint Show

Mark your calendar! I'll be part of the "Wet Paint" show sponsored by the LACMA Art Museum Council, on Sunday, October 22nd, from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, at Roxbury Park in Beverly Hills. All of the participating artists will be working on their art in the park, thus the name, "Wet Paint." I think I'm going to bring work from my new "Decomposition" series to work on. I might do some stitching and stretching, or maybe some detail painting.

It should be fun! Hope to see you there.

LA Art Exchange Auction

I helped out today at the LA Art Exchange Auction. It was quite an experience. I had never been to a live auction before, and the pace of it was both exhilarating and exhausting. I was one of three "runners" collecting payment from buyers, and we were kept very busy. A lot of work sold, including one of my paintings, pictured above, and collectors went home happy with their new purchases. The auction was webcast through eBay's Live Auctions website, and there were even online bidders. Jonathan Holiday was the auctioneer, and he did an incredible job of keeping everyone's energy and enthusiasm up for four hours non-stop. The entire event was fascinating, and I'm so glad I had the opportunity be a part of it.

The Dot

Here are some pictures from "The Dot" show at The Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago. These were taken by Charles Gniech, the gallery director. "The Dot" features the paintings of three artists who use dots in their work, and one of them is me! I'd like to see this in person, but I don't know about going to Chicago in the middle of winter!

Primarily Red

Lyn Southworth and I staffed the I-5 Gallery today, as part of being in their "Primarily Red" show. The show looks really good, and I took a couple of pics for you to see. This first one shows one of my paintings, "Redscape," installed -- second from the left:



This is a better photo of "Redscape:"



Below is the piece that Lyn has in the show, titled "Red Lady." It's ink and bleach on cotton, meaning that the piece started out red and she worked backwards by bleaching away the light areas.



The show will be up through January 29th with a closing event on Sunday, January 29th from 3:30 - 6:00 pm. The I-5 Gallery is at The Brewery, in downtown Los Angeles.

Thank you, Mat Gleason, for showing us the hidden light switch!

Upcoming Shows

I've been getting work ready for two shows in Melbourne, Florida and Scottsdale, Arizona. These are the pieces going to LoPressionism Gallery in Melbourne for a three-person show titled "Explosion of Color:"





And eight pieces are going to LKG Contemporary in Scottsdale:









If you're in these cities, be sure to check out my work!