DON’T MISS THIS ARTIST AT OPEN STUDIOS !

Charles Spillar — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 07:15:23 +0000

Full of It by Art Toones

Award winning artist Art Toones is opening her studios this weekend as part of the TPAC Open Studios Tour this Saturday 11/15 and Sunday 11/16. There are over 167 artists this year opening their studios to the public.

On Thursday, November 12, I attended the Open Studios exhibition at Gallery 801 Main St. put on by the Tucson Pima Arts Council. Art professor, Alfred Quiroz, of the University of Arizona was chosen as judge to pick the “best of show.” Art Toones , ceramic creation was selected for first place and receives a check for $500. Out of all the great art at this exhibition this piece really stood out as exceptional.

The winning ceramic sculpture titled ” Beneath” is the creation of professional Tucson artist Art Toones. I was so impressed with her work I immediately called her and received information for this article and recommend art patrons to visit her at her studio called Reality Check Studios. Her location and that of the other artists participating this weekend can be seen at at: http://www.tucsonopenstudios.com/ost/ost-online-program-2009.pdf

Ceramic Sculpture BENEATH by Art Toones

Side view Ceramic Sculpture BENEATH by Art Toones

ArtToones started her career many years ago doing paintings through college and graduate school and got involved in figurative sculpture working on her MFA thesis. The cohesive element in her work has not been the medium but the “narrative” and the narrative has dictated the medium. She consistently works in series thinking of each piece as a chapter in a book.

After moving from the East coast to Tucson her new series dictated sculpture and she is now working in porcelain paper clay and bronze. Some of her new pieces include both mediums in the same work of art. She told me “ I only have a vague idea as I begin each piece and the story evolves as I work.” Her latest creations have been influenced from her reading Alice in Wonderland and 1984 again. The children in her narrative sculptures she thinks of as Hummels with attitudes and for some unexplained reason she stated the pieces need a nest as evidenced in Beneath.

Ceramic Sculpture Egghead in the Company of the Muse by Art Toones

Egghead in the Company of the Muse (close view) by Art Toones

A professional artist for over 40 years, her unusual narrative type art has received many awards and museum exhibitions. Her “Narrative Sculpture” will be on exhibition at the Las Cruces Museum of Art, Las Cruces, New Mexico, Sept-November 2010. To see more of her work online please visit her web site: http;//www.arttoones.com

The fastest way to find the studio of Art Toones is to put the address 2871 N. Lone Dove Trail, Tucson, AZ 85749 in Google maps with your address and you will get precise instructions. Isn’t the internet amazing?

FEATURED ARTIST: Photographer, Karen A. Dombrowski-Sobel

Charles Spillar — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:48:02 +0000

From the moment she saw a print developing in a tray years ago she was entranced with the magic of photography. She learned early on to handle a negative in the darkroom and make it speak from her soul. Ever since that moment, she has followed her passion with her camera.

Karen’s award winning work certainly speaks for itself. Her vision seems to always come from somewhere inside herself as each of her subjects speak through her, revealing some meaning of itself and herself in the finished photograph.

She says the process of selecting the precise second to expose the film comes through a meditative process where her intuition takes over and light, form and feeling are transposed through her camera and herself. Her spiritual insight has given her an eye for the unusual from the ordinary. By viewing the images below you will SEE the unique professionalism she has achieved.

Slide 1 of 20.
First Day at Nursery School
Source: Karen Dombrowski-Sobel Photo

For more examples of her photography visit her web site at: http://www.kadsphoto.com and view the many subjects she has captured. Everyday she is creating something new following her passion. The sensitive Portraits, unusual Textured Photographs and her Nude photos on her web page clearly demonstrate her uniqueness and sensitivity to her subjects.

Karen is presently focused on photographing trees and plants for an upcoming book titled: Visualizing a Greener Planet. She senses the urgency to show how important and beautiful trees are to our existence. She feels man’s effort to fulfill the desire for bigger homes and buildings, has been obliterating our natural growth. She hopes this new work will help create an intimate relationship with nature that the viewer can feel.

The photographer and her husband moved to Tucson from their former home in New York City a few years ago. The life changing 9/11 tragedies had a major effect on their lives since her husband was working on Wall Street as a stock trader a short distance from the World Trade Center collapse. He experienced first hand the horror of something that most of us can only imagine. In a few short minutes both their lives were changed forever.

It is obvious to anyone viewing Karen’s work the sensitivity coming through her images and the abundant love she has for her subjects. The Flux Gallery (2960 N. Swan Road, Suite 136) at Plaza Palomino and Arts Marketplace (40 W Broadway Blvd) are presently exhibiting her work.

Artistic Tucson » award winning

DON’T MISS THIS ARTIST AT OPEN STUDIOS !

FEATURED ARTIST: Photographer, Karen A. Dombrowski-Sobel