Drew Burnham at Bau-xi Gallery

Bau-xi Gallery is located across the street from the AGO in Toronto and we checked it out with visiting there. The current exhibit were works by Canadian artist Drew Burnham, all large wilderness,  landscapes. Generally, I like landscapes - what's not to like? However, they can be boring and empty, lacking interest or spice.  Drew's works were not lacking anything - vivid in color and contrast, fluid in composition - exciting kinetic lines of wild scenes. They had an almost hallucinogenic feel, staring at them it felt like someone had slipped you some magic mushrooms. Trippy leaves, deep flowing shadows and psychedelic colors vibrate the eye, reminding one of Henri Rousseau's "The Dream". Beautiful works that make you want to hike inside them along with Alice in Wonderland.

White Walls Group Exhibition, "New Territory"

The "New Territory" show included artists Akira Beard, Mark Warren Jacques, Robert Burden, Henry Gunderson, and Cheryl Molnar. I really enjoyed the works of two of them...

Akira Beard's works were mainly portrait based  sketchbook pages, refreshing in their gritty rawness. 

Mostly famous faces, some had political commentary and  loose smears of paint and graphite embellishments. 

Cheryl Molnar's arresting works took collage to another level, using scraps of toned and found paper she re-created landscapes and other scenes.. literally painting with paper.

The colors were brilliant and the overall geometrics of the pieces combined into wonderful painterly images.


White Walls Gallery -http://www.whitewallssf.com/shows/new-territory/

Bay Area Townie: The Photography of Peter Tonningsen

Second In a Series on Bay Area Artists:

Inspired by the "This Town" Exhibit at Eclectix Gallery, Thru August 16th

Peter Tonningsen is a fine art photographer, living in the SF Bay Area. His work runs truly eclectic - historical documenting, street portraits, scientific archiving of postmortem birds, to found art collections from the shorelines of the San Francisco Bay. The one common thread through-out all his works is his impeccable technical skill and luscious printing, beautiful statements on the past and current world we inhabit. From a look at his mother's dressing table and it's daily decor, to desolate naval stations, to street punk rockers and abandoned buildings, he captures the moods and feelings with graceful artistry.

In his "Flotsam & Jetsam" series; things that were discarded, left-behind or washed ashore become discovered anew. A rubber ducky, an old jar or a lost glove- poetic symbols of our culture arranged in hauntingly beautiful, specimen-like presentations. A fun and unique approach to re-cycling our memories and appreciating our histories.

See the "Flotsam & Jetsam" series and four of his street portraits in the "This Town" exhibits, thru August 16th, 2009 at Eclectix Gallery.

"This Town", Images of Northern California, Art Exhibit

Our Northern California: People, Places & Things
If you are looking for some great images of the local area and something "hometown" to do over your vacation, this show is for you. Stunning art of the cities, people, cultures and landscapes that inhabit our diverse Northern California environs. Featuring works by more than 25, known and unknown, local artists with photography, painting, sculpture, mixed media and drawing. Not your typical exhibit of tourist landscapes! Images of costumed San Franciscans, sleek sky scrapers, Oakland Hell's Angels, cool coffee shops, the majestic Golden Gate, thirsty deserts, happenin' neighborhood scenes, and even the Bay's landfill -- all compose an exciting, beautiful and eclectic look at our local world.
Artists: Don Albonico, Joanne Corbaley, Alicia DeBrincat, Maria DeRoy, Paul Graf, Joe Hayama, John Howard, Aaron Johnson, Larry Jones, Eric Joyner, Joanna Katz, Boris Koodrin, Sonia Melnikova-Raich, Patrushka, Crystal Morey, Chuck Mitchell, Fletcher Oakes, Christopher Peterson, Kurtis Rykovich, Andrew Jay Schlussel, John Seabury, Laurie Search, Strephon Taylor, Cynthia Tom, Peter Tonningsen, Katherine Westerhout
Exhibit Dates: July 3rd- Aug.16th, Opening Reception: July 3rd, 7-10 pm, Live Music by "Eclair de Lune"
Voted “Best Gallery” in the Bay Area by SF Chronicle’s ‘Best of the BayList’
Eclectix Gallery, 10082 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito, CA 94530
For Hours and More - Please go to: http://www.eclectix.com