Up There

This is a beautiful documentary about painting advertisements on the side of buildings.

UP THERE from The Ritual Project on Vimeo.

I am ashamed to admit that I had no idea this was an art still practiced. Watch the whole thing... ••••

O Morro

Sequestered within the city of Rio de Janeiro, two men are giving the poor, compact community of Santa Marta a radiant makeover. Jeroen Koolhaas and Dre Urhahn originally came to the favelas of Brazil in 2005 to film a documentary about hip hop for MTV, but after MTV left, they decided to stay. Soon after, the Dutch duo known simply as Haas&Hahn began Favela Painting, an organization dedicated to bringing “outrageous works of art to unexpected places.” And if you think they’re doing this on their own accord, they aren’t. Local youths are employed as an integral part of their various projects.

Below is an illustration of what they hope “O Morro” will look like if they can raise enough funds to finish the project.

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Mmm... Mondrian.

I found these "Modern Art" placemats for Vienna's Mumok Museum of Modern Art on If It's Hip It's Here and thought they were a pretty tasty piece of design. ••••

Venice comes to Boston

Over the weekend, I finally made it over to see the MFA’s current exhibition, “Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese: Rivals in Renaissance Venice.” Three of the four Crew members (sorry, Colvin) studied and lived together in Venice about 5 years ago, and while we were there we spent a large portion of our time visiting churches and palazzos throughout the city, seeing the incredible works of these three artists in situ. Since then, I’ve seen a Titian here, a Tintoretto there— but I never imagined I would have another opportunity to recreate my Venice experience to this degree. By partnering together with the Louvre, the MFA was able to amass 56 grandiose canvases for this show, transporting you back in time to this pivotal period in Renaissance Venice.

These guys could PAINT. The show is organized thematically, so you can compare and contrast works by all three artists, side by side, as they tackle the same subject matter: the Last Supper and other devotional works, portraiture, the bella donna, and so on. The three men were rivals who competed for patrons, but also great admirers of one another’s work, and the final room is a touching testament to how greatly they influenced one another throughout their careers.

There is also a fascinating portion of the exhibit where the underpainting of a large-scale Tintoretto is examined, revealing that a nativity scene actually had been reinvented from the scraps of a Crucifixion. Talk about doing a 180...

The show is WELL worth seeing for lovers of Renaissance painting. Read more about the exhibit on Boston.com, and the New York Times— both give glowing reviews.

Surgical Mask'erpeices

A an outbreak of Swine Flu is no excuse not to be creative. Enjoy these creative examples from Mexico.

I was hoping for at least one pig snout in the mix. Too soon?

Via the Telegraph ••••

Manet Pantone Painting

"A reproduction of Édouard Manet's 'Bar at the Folies Bergere' made entirely of old Pantone chips.
Over 5,000 unused chips were painstakingly colour matched and and stuck down over four long nights, and acted as centre piece for a boozey party in our design studio."


via timfraserbrown••••

Body Paint

Look Again! These are amazing trompel'oeil paintings applied directly to the feet. The images were featured in an article about what we are doing to our feet and how we walk in New York Magazine. Look at that Stiletto!••••

Street Art

Oddwall.com is a site dedicated to that art found on city streets. The photographers take pictures of everything from graffitied walls and painted buildings to heaps of 'junk' and political propaganda. They all share a common theme of challenging the idea of what art is and where it can be found. I've always been a huge fan of graffiti (when it is tastefully done), and I love the idea of seeing it in a modern art museum one day. ••••

Step Right Up and win a Commissioned Painting!

Absent-mindedly flipping through Vogue magazine, I came across an interesting ad campaign by Mastercard. A very small white envelope was attached to a blank page. It was sealed with a mock wax seal, and contained a small note card informing me that I had not won the price of a unique commissioned Julian Schnabel portrait. I hadn't won, but I was still very impressed with both the available prize and the (expensive) Marketing campaign.

As it turns out, Mastercard is giving away a few "priceless" awards: the portrait, a one-week, multi continent culinary experience with a chef, and an elaborate trip abroad. The cooking and the trip are pretty typical, but I love that a commissioned portrait is a prize. I don't think since the 18th century has a painting been such a noted prize, and I can't see why not.

By the way, Julian Schnabel is an American artist, born in Brooklyn in 1951, but now lives in Texas. He was first recognized as major painting force after his first solo show at the Mary Boone Gallery in 1979. In the 1980s, he had become a major figure in the Neo-expressionism movement. He is now famous for "plate paintings"—large-scale paintings set on broken ceramic plates. ••••

Boston Exhibits: Pepper and Robert Klein Galleries

Nearly hidden away amongst some of Boston's loveliest shopping destinations are two of my favorite gallery spaces: the Pepper Gallery and the Robert Klein Gallery, both located on the fourth floor of 38 Newbury Street. This month, they are host to two terrific shows. Above is the work of BU professor and beyond talented painter Harold Reddicliffe, whose meticulous compositions of everyday objects are hung in the Pepper Gallery until May 3rd. His color choices and rendering are completely spot-on. Overheard at the opening– "I just want to lick it." Which sounds odd, sure, but if you have the opportunity to check out the show I think you will agree: these paintings are decidedly tasty.

And right across the way in the Robert Klein gallery, you can find the photographs of Larry Fink (up until June 2nd). His work really captures the drama sometimes found within everyday moments. Above: Pat Sabatine's Eighth Birthday Party. Below: George Plimpston, Jared Paul Stern, and Cameron Richardson, Elain's, NYC.

I love Entomology (?)

In the seventeenth century, many scientists believed that butterflies spontaneously generated from warm mud. It was through art and illustration that many of these original theories were proven wrong. Maria Sibylla Merian, born in 1647 by German florists, was a painter and nature enthusiast. She was one of the first to capture the metamorphosis of the caterpillar to butterfly on the canvas. Eventually, she taught her daughters her craft and they became some of the most remarkable naturalists of their generation.Their work is displayed at a new show, Maria Sibylla Merian & Daughters: Woman of Art and Science in the Rembrandt House in Amsterdam. Not going to Holland anytime soon, the show will be at the Getty House in L.A. in June.

Custom Interior Wall Painting

Who's up for a little shameless self-promotion?! I am. ;)

For the past few years I have been doing free-hand custom interior wall painting for homes all around the Bay Area. I specialize in nurseries and children's rooms, but no space is off limits. I've painted kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, and even laundry rooms. This weekend I had my first San Francisco client - little Baby Celine in Potrero Hill! After meeting with the family and seeing the space we discussed our ideas and came up with this graphic tree image. The family had already done a wonderful job decorating her room and the painting just added the perfect finishing touch.
Unfortunately, my website is still a work in progress, but visit www.meghancolvin.com for more information.

Picasso Smichasso

Don’t lie, you have always wanted to create your own Picasso masterpiece. “But wait,” you say, “I have no artistic talent to begin with!” Don’t worry. You can become Picasso himself on this website, MrPicassoHead.com. Once you are finished with your masterpiece, it will be uploaded to the Picasso online gallery. You can thank me later.

Michael Kennedy Costa: 30 Drawings

If you are in the Boston area this weekend, stop by Bridge Antiques and Fine Art to see the work of Michael Kennedy Costa, a fellow BU alum and a great talent. Mike is currently living in Brooklyn and has been working on a series of drawings which will be on display from March 14-17 at Bridge Antiques on Charles Street. The show is curated by a good friend of mine, Vlad Smolkin, and the reception is Friday from 7-9. I haven't had the chance to see Mike's work since our college days, so I've really been looking foward to finding out what he's been up to— this should be a fantastic show.

Klimt in NYC

On my last trip to New York City, I had the chance to visit the Neue Gallerie's exhibition of the work of Gustave Klimt. The New York Times gave it a less than glowing review, but if you are a fan of Klimt's work and have no plans to travel to Austria anytime soon I would definitely recommend seeing this show. Yes, the museum is small, and yes, this restraint forces the curator to be creative with the space in a way that the NYT labels "rambling." But the review also points out that this show has "something for everyone," and on this count it delivers. Seen above is a room featuring a reproduction of Klimt's Beethoven frieze. Below are one of many expressive drawings in the exhibit (my favorite feature of the show), and the Neue Gallerie's prized portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, which sold for a record-setting $135 million dollars. Oh, and a Klimt poster every design student will recognize from their Meggs text.
This show will be up until June 30th at the Neue Gallerie, 1048 5th Avenue, at 86th street, within close walking distance of the Met. Worth a visit!

Reinventing Color: 1950 to Today

I am feeling a little bummed that I don't live in on East Coast anymore. I think it mandatory for any designer or artist to see the show Color Chart Reinventing Color:1950 to Today at the Museum of Modern Art in New York (March 2-May 12). The show is a celebration of artists using color as chance, in a system, or as a readymade source. A few of my personal favorite artists in this exhibition are Ellsworth Kelly, Jim Dine, Frank Stella, and Jaspser Johns. Someone go see this and report back to me!

David Rathman makes me care about sports paintings.

Rathman recently did some billboard artwork for an Undefeated/Dunk collab which prompted me to do some research. His charming watercolors are very considered in color and composition. The way he pays tribute to the Dunk is, in typical Nike fashion, classic. Known for his oil depictions of the Old West, his new work is more sports-centric. With an upcoming show at Clementine Gallery, NYC, I hope to see his work in person. Check out some of his other work through Clementine.

Chelsea James

I am not sure how I came across Chelsea James' portfolio, but I am in love with her work. Her still lifes are so subtle and breathtaking. I thought for sure she must have studied at Boston University's College of Fine Art because her technique is so classic and wellll very 'BU'.

These paintings make me want to be back in painting class...mixing colors for hours, studying the highlights and shadows, the smell of linseed oil masking the air. Then having your dreams crushed when the professor rips it apart in critique. Good thing I became a graphic designer.