Peter Diaferia to Give Critique on Artwork of SAA Members

Peter Diaferia, will give SAA members who bring in artwork for review, an individual critique on works presented. 

The critique will be held this Sunday, June 30, from 2-4:30 PM, at the Girl Scout House, 31 Wayside Lane, Scarsdale, NY, just South of Scarsdale High School off White Plains Road (Rt. 22). 

Refreshments will be served.

If you are a leisure painter who paints for relaxation, change of pace, or fun, or you are a serious painter, who paints for commissions, to grow as an artist, or for the challenge, an artist always benefits from a critique of his work by an experienced professional.

Peter Diaferia, past President of SAA, current Board member, graduate of Cooper Union, former designer, animator, watercolor artist, teacher, AND Emmy award judge for 14 years,  is very well-qualified to give advice on painting technique, accuracy, perspective, and overall artistic impact.

Our “Artist of the Month” in December, Peter is the consummate professional who is as prolific a painter today, as when he worked in his business.  For him, critiques are “second-nature” and **can help an artist see what may elude him while painting or observing a work-in-progress.

Come to this event, bring the artwork you have struggled with or feel is “not quite right”, and Peter will provide enormous insight into the artistic process and help you to achieve the results you want.

Jill Krutick - Artist of the Month

Jill Krutick

This month, our featured talent is Jill Krutick, an investment analyst turned artist.  

 

 Be sure to attend Ms. Krutick's OPEN STUDIO TOUR this week-end.  The Tour is from Noon on, with reception at the times listed below

When:  Friday May 10, Saturday, May 11, and Sunday May 12

Times:  4:00 PM until 7:00 PM   

 Location:  32 Tisdale Road, Scarsdale, NY

There is life after Wall Street.  Jill S. Krutick, a top ranked investment analyst and media executive, has transitioned to a world that has no boundaries –  Art.  

Ms. Krutick, 50, a Roslyn, New York native has reinvented herself, and has become a rising star in the world of art.  

Having built her first career as an investment analyst studying and advising entertainment and leisure companies, while raising two children, Ms. Krutick is now focused on creating value on the canvas.

Influenced by a love of art masters both old and new, - Van Gogh, Monet and Gerhardt Richter, Ms. Krutick has developed an oeuvre of work that is both abstract and imaginative.  

“An exploration of my works should reveal as much about a viewer’s emotional state as it does mine. The oil painting may be abstract or it may be representational, but what makes the painting come to life is the interplay of light, colors, textures, shapes and spaces,” Ms. Krutick suggests.

An exhibition of Ms. Krutick’s work will be available at her studio located at 32 Tisdale Road, Scarsdale, New York during the weekend of May 10^th.  Dozens of art works will be on view. 

Since turning her full time attention to art, Ms. Krutick has had numerous solo and group art shows. 

Recently, Ms. Krutick was selected to exhibit her works at a gallery housed in the SOHO-based offices of Splashlight, a leading producer of fashion photography and e-commerce content.  Among Splashlight’s top clients are ALDO, Ann Taylor + LOFT, Bloomingdales, Jockey, Macy's and Nordstrom.  

Splashlight’s North Hall Gallery has presented many award winning artists and photographers, such as Peter Ruprecht, Storm Thorgerson and Eric Demarchelier.   Ms. Krutick was nominated by the management team to have a solo exhibition. 

She was chosen by Artsicle, a leading online art website that encourages emerging artists, as a “Trending Artist” -- based on the number of artworks users have “favorited”.  In addition, she was selected by the offices of Partner’s International and A.T. Kearney -- two well-recognized consulting firms -- to have several of her works in residence. Prior to becoming a professional artist, Ms. Krutick spent more than 20 years in the investment and corporate world, primarily as an investment analyst focusing on entertainment and leisure companies.   

During that period, Ms. Krutick’s was a ranked analyst for seven years in the prestigious Institutional Investor’s All Star Analyst Team as well as being ranked the top entertainment analyst by Fortune magazine. 

Ms. Krutick was a senior corporate development executive at Warner Music during its public company cycle.  Currently, she sits on the boards of The Art Students League of New York and the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Recorded Arts & Sciences.  Ms. Krutick earned her B.S. degree at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and her M.B.A. degree at New York University’s Stern School of Business. 

Ms. Krutick’s crystal ball is much clearer these days – with no constraints but her imagination.

For more information about Ms. Krutick, see www.jskartstudio.com

    Yumi Iwamura 

Scarsdale Art Association's "Artist of the Month"

Yumi Iwamura, a fine artist and member of the Scarsdale Art Association, recently completed a month-long solo exhibit of her work at the Scarsdale Library.  She was selected to be the association's featured "Artist of the Month".  An account of her life and her art appears below.

 My Life and My Art

My Life

I have loved art since I was a six-year old growing up in Japan, drawing people in a small note book.  At age twelve, a birthday gift of oil paints, sealed my love of painting, and of art.

Longing to study art, and paint people, I settled for still life painting lessons, on Sunday afternoons, from a neighborhood artist.  Continuing with art during my marriage, when raising my children in Australia, however, my art had to take a back seat.  

In the early 80’s the family moved to New York, and upon my arrival here, I joined the Scarsdale Art Association, and have been a member ever since.

After a four-year study of figure painting at SUNY Purchase, I had my first solo show at The Leahey Gallery in Scarsdale.  That year, 1988, was the Year of the Dragon, -my birth year.  It was then that, I decided to have a solo show in every Dragon Year, (every 12 years), - and I did. This most recent show at the Scarsdale Library was my third solo show.

My Art

Born and raised in Japan, my art is very personal and unique in its expression.  It is a blend of East and West, - both subtle and bold at the same time.  

I love the interplay of light and shadow:  the sun’s rays that make leaves transparent and apples vibrant. or shadows that reveal subtle hues in skin tones.   This waltz of nature and human form inspires me and keeps me at my canvas.

Composition too is important, and challenging in my work.  Deciding what to include, or eliminate, makes the difference between an ordinary painting, and one that sings with color, movement and poetry.  When I paint, I see beauty in every object; try to be at one with it, and to enhance this beauty on the canvas.

A famous Japanese artist, Yuhki Ogura, active until age 94 said;  “Artists bring out their inner selves on canvas, therefore their works are their self portraits”.  By showing my work, I reveal myself.   If my paintings give comfort and joy to viewers, I am at peace, and very, very happy.

Art continues to be an evolving piece of my soul, and I feel fortunate to know that I can continue to paint and be a part of the art community, however small my role, for as long as I live.

.

SCARSDALE ART ASSOCIATION OFFERS EXCITING JOURNAL WORKSHOP

Sunday November 11, 2012, from 1-4 PM

On Sunday, Nov. 11, from 1-4, the Scarsdale Art Association will hold another Journal Workshop  at the Leahey Gallery of the Girls Scout House in Scarsdale.

The program will be  multi layered, with several elements aimed at challenging artists to use their talents in new and
exciting ways.

The members' Fall Art Show will adorn the walls of the Leahey Gallery. The theme:  "Food, Glorious Food"  which will include oils, watercolors, graphics and sculpture. Prizes will be awarded.

During the Journal Workshop, members will be invited to share journals they have created since the last workshop in July. Expanding the concept beyond travel, two presenters will demonstrate how artists can use art journals to enhance their work, to explore thinking prior to starting a painting as well
as for experimenting with colors, objects and form for use in later works.

As with all Scarsdale Art Association events, the public is invited, there will be refreshments, and there
is no charge.

The Girl Scout House is located in Scarsdale, just south of Scarsdale High School, on Wayside Lane, 2/10 of a mile west of Route 22 on the right.

Meet the presenters:
     
Janet Patterson, retired textile designer and winner of numerous awards for her oils and watercolors. Janet will show her watercolor sketch books as a means of explaining how she works out color and composition prior to beginning a painting.  Here is Janet Patterson in her studio.

 Phil Wallace, artist, illustrator and cartoonist. Phil will demonstrate some fun and easy-to-master ways of placing figures in paintings. He observes that "painting figures can be a challenge to those whose work does not normally include people, yet oftentimes, a landscape can take on additional meaning with one or two figures in it".

Here is Phil at his French easel, painting "en plein air".

Do You See What I See?

Perception, seeing, and the subconscious mind

by Phil Wallace, Member blogger


With so many images bombarding our senses each day, what do we really see?  How much do we skip over, relying on images in our subconscious to complete the perception?  A good artist trains the mind to see beyond what others see.  For example:

Question:  "What color is the sky?"

Answer:  "On a clear day, it's blue."

Observation:  "Ah yes, but isn't the blue overhead deeper than the blue on the horizon? Doesn't the blue seem to fade in the distance?  Isn't a hint of pink creeping in?"

Suddenly, we realize that the clear blue sky we paint must have a considerable range of color.  When we paint, a landscape plein air, we try to concentrate on such things even though the subconscious says to us "hurry along, we know this part."  We resist the subconscious and sure enough, we see shapes and shadows. colors and values that at first escaped us.  The same is true of painting still life or portraits, or even in some cases, abstracts.

Still, we tend to fall back on that subconscious memory bank.  Our job:  to keep that memory bank as fresh and accurate as we can.  We do this by concentrating on the art of looking, and really SEEING  what we're looking at.


Phil Wallace

Phil Wallace is an artist and author, as well as a retired filmmaker and advertising executive.  He paints landscapes, still life, and portraiture in oil and watercolor.  He is also a cartoonist.

Scarsdale Art Association’s Annual Outdoor Show and Sale is upon us!

"Scarsdale Visions" be SAA artist Miriam Schulman

Our Outdoor Show and Sale is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, September 8th and 9th from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm at Chase Park in Scarsdale. The rain date is Sept 29th and 30th.

With this newsletter you will find the registration form needed to participate. Fill out the form, and send it, along with your payment to the address indicated on the form.
We only have space for 42 artists in the park; therefore, it would be wise to register as soon
as possible, since our membership far exceeds 42 artists.

This year’s show, chaired by professional artist, and art-marketing-maven Miriam Schulman,
promises to be a fun and exciting event. Colorful flyers and postcards have been specially
designed by her daughter Talia, (Honor Art Student at Scarsdale High), and copy was written by
Phil Wallace. Flyers will be posted all over Westchester, and postcards will be sent out to
friends and family. Nancy Abbe has graciously donated one of her beautiful paintings for raffle,
and we are planning coloring-book activities, face-painting and balloons to add to the festive
atmosphere of our sale.

Fun notwithstanding, we are serious about selling our art, and a strong showing of artist participation
in this park event, lets Westchester County, and everyone else know about the
talent and skill in Scarsdale Art, which, hopefully will translate into solid sales for each of us.
So sign up, dress-up your art in its “Sunday best”, and program your artist’s minds for success
and sales!

And by the way, did I mention that we will have extensive NYC and County newspaper and
online publicity coverage for our event? This is created by former advertising executive Phil
Wallace and his able Communications Committee. Scarsdale Art is on the move! Sign up and move with us!