Installation by artist, Summer Yates

No words needed!

A Very Fun and Young First Friday!

First Friday in May brought all of the local young people into the gallery.  Britt Miller's works are on exhibit, along with an installation by Summer Yates.  It was a fun evening mingling with a much younger crowd than the gallery usually attracts. 

Artist Francine Kohn

Francine Kohn started exhibiting with Bluestone a few months back.  Her works arrived from California at a very busy time for the gallery.  As a result, I haven't had time to really introduce you to her works.  I'm including jpegs below, but her works need to be experienced in person.  The colors are vibrant and the brush strokes amazing.  One needs to take time and absorb Kohn's work.  Every time I take the time to look; I discover something new. 


Catalyst of Chords
Acrylic on Canvas
22x28
Francine Kohn
2500



Magic
Acrylic on Canvas
22x28
Francine Kohn
2000

 

Recovery 2
Acrylic on Canvas
11x14
Francine Kohn
200



Revelation
Acrylic on Canvas
24x20
Francine Kohn
2000

 

Untitled
Acrylic on Canvas
20x24
Francine Kohn
200

In Lisa Call's Words

Sharing my Experiences and Exhibit Photos from Relationships at Bluestone Fine Art Gallery

by Lisa Call on April 18, 2012

in Art Exhibits

Relationships at Bluestone Fine Art Gallery
Structures #115 with Structures #59 in the background

The Gallery was Gorgeous

These photos don’t do the exhibit justice. My gallerist, Pam, did an amazing job hanging the exhibit. When I walked in the door for the artist reception, I was speechless – my work has never looked so good. I can’t express my gratitude enough for all that Pam has done for me. Thank you thank you!

So – on to the show – this first set of photos walks you around the gallery to see most of the 65-70 textile paintings I had on exhibit.

Structures #55 in the center, to the left the big wall of art (Structures and Markings series), and in the back and right you can see some of the Home series.

Home #50 and Structures #114

Work from the Stillness series on the left and Home #26 on the right

The back of the gallery where Pam works with her assistant Jeanine
Structures #131, Markings #9, Markings #22

Markings #9, Markings #22, Structures #132

Several pieces from the Dream series.

Home #13 and 12×12″ textile paintings from the Home series by the back door.

Home #50 and Structures #114 (this photo was taken after my workshop completed – hence the tables in the gallery.)

Display in the cabinet – the smaller pieces are the Line series and the larger pieces are Structures.

A row of 12×12″ Structures textile paintings mounted on canvas near the big wall of art.

The Artist Reception

On March 31 the gallery held an artist reception, which I attended.

The event was held in conjunction with a bus tour that was part of Fiber Philadelphia 2012 the joint SAQA and SDA Conference.

Over 300 people came through the gallery that day and it was a treat to reconnect with old friends (some from high school and elementary school) and meet many new friends.

It was crowded most of the day and I wasn’t able to talk with everyone that came by – sorry about that! I wasn’t expecting such a crowd.

I do have to say that everyone I talked with was fabulous and very supportive and encouraging. Thank you for all of your kind words.

It was an incredible experience and one I won’t soon forget.

The reception

Successful Show

In addition to being the most beautifully hung show I’ve had, this was the most successful show I’ve had in terms of sales. A total of 15 pieces sold during the exhibit, from the small 3×3″ artworks mounted on 5×5″ canvas to larger free hanging textile paintings.

Philadelphia is certainly a fiber friendly town but I also appreciate all of you that came from out of town to support my art. Sometimes fiber is viewed as a huge draw for crowds but a slow seller, you all proved that to be untrue.

The exhibit is now down, although the gallery still has a selection of my work hanging in the gallery so please do stop by and check them out if you are in Philadelphia. There are still 6 of the smallest textile paintings for sale for only $55 (the ones in the cabinet) and I’ll share those photos soon so if you’d like to purchase one through the gallery you will be able to.

It’s now time to move on to the next exhibit, which opens on May 3rd in Denver – 2 weeks from today – yikes! Watch this space for details.

Additional Photos

You can see the complete set of photos from the exhibit on my smugmug account here: Relationships at Bluestone


Pam, the fabulous gallerist, and Me

My daughter and Me
I took her to New York City for 5 days for her sweet 16 birthday celebration after the show

Relationships - Connection and Barriers / Lines by Lisa Call

Lines #36
Textile Painting
3 x 3
$55

Lines #37
Textile Painting
3 x 3
$55

Lines #38
Textile Painting
3 x 3
$55

Lines #39
Textile Painting
3 x 3
$55

Lines #40
Textile Painting
3 x 3
$44

Lines #41
Textile Painting
3 x 3
$55

Lines #42
Textile Painting
3 x 3
$55

Structures #43
Textile Painting

Lines # 44
Textile Painting
3 x 3
$55

Lines #45
Textile Painting
3 x 3
$55

Lines #46
Textile Painting
3 x 3
$55

Lines #47
Textile Painting
3 x 3
$55

My abstract textile paintings are informed by many elements: my love of the colors and geological forms of the southwest, repetition, pattern, and an attraction to human-made structures for containment such as fences and stone walls. 

I work in series, exploring themes of interest in depth.  Color is of primary importance and is combined, intuitively, in unexpected ways, employing a unique palette of cotton fabrics I hand dye.

I am drawn to textiles by the tactile nature of the medium and intrigued by the flexibility of woven fabric in contrast to its underlying rigid grid construction.  I manipulate sections of preconstructed color, verses applying pigment in small brush strokes, to create a composition.  Individual elements are freehand cut and placed onto a flannel-covered studio wall, where I work improvisationally, designing, constructing and refining the lines and shapes in the piece.  Extensive stitching on the surface adds rich texture to the finished work.

Relationships - Connection and Barriers / Stillness by Lisa Call

Stillness Jungle #4
Textile Painting
3 x 3
$55

Stillness Jungle #11
Textile Painting
8 x 8
$225

Stillness Jungle #12
Textile Painting
3 x 3
$55

Stillness Sea #4
Textile Painting
6 x 6
$190



Stillness Sea #5
Textile Painting
3 x 3
$55



Stillness Sea #8
Textile Painting
6 x 6
$190

Stillness Sea #9
Textile Painting
3 x 3
$55

In January of 2011 I attended fabulous yoga retreat in Costa Rica.  My intention was to slow down and just Be. Not Do. Through this stillness came a deep appreciation for the landscape, energy and colors of the country.
Focusing on simplicity, I created the Stillness series in an attempt to capture the pure essence of the experience.
To honor the decelerated pace of the amazing week, the textile paintings in this series are hand stitched.

Relationships - Connection and Barriers / Markings by Lisa Call

Markings #12
Textile Painting
44 x 32
$4500

Markings #14
Textile Painting
35 x 37
$4200

Markings #15
Textile Painting
43 x 43
$6000

Markings #22
Textile Painting
58 x 49
$9000

Markings #28
Textile Painting
21 x 21
$1400

I began drawing in 2005 and was quickly fascinated with cross hatching.  I dispensed with drawing objects and became obsessed with drawing pages of closely spaced parallel lines in abstract patterns.  I love the quality of the hand drawn line and wanted to capture the beauty of basic marking making in my textile paintings.  The Markings series is a result of that investigation.

The series refers to the comfort humans derive from repetition.  We are soothed by the well known patterns that result from duplication: telephone poles in a line, a grouping of trees in a forest, our unchanging daily routines. The artwork also raises the question of how we handle the unforeseen, a break in the pattern.  Disruption is often inevitable, no longer making it unexpected but part of the pattern itself.