Gallery 54 Artist Offers FREE "lessons"

Gallery 54 artist, Tom Dwyer, whose medium for his art is photography, has launched a free online program designed to help people interested in photography learn about it while enjoying it. The new program, called f-8 insights delivers Tips, Trick & Techniques by email directly to subscribers' inboxes, a new one every seven days.

Tips, Tricks & Techniques are presented as short easy to digest snippets on subjects ranging from  "Building a foundation" for your photography, to the value of an "l-bracket" for your camera, to "Visualizing your image," and much more.

A sampling of f-8 insights subjects may be viewed and you can subscribe to this free program at: Introduction to f-8 insights–Tips, Tricks & Techniques.

While most subjects are currently discussed in brief articles that take only a few minutes to peruse,  Tom will soon introduce videos in order to more effectively demonstrate subjects that benefit from this format.

Tom Dwyer

Tom is an award winning photographer recognized as an effective nature photography workshop leader who conducts workshops not only in Central New York but in the Adirondacks, the Fingerlakes, and more recently in national parks.

He has recently become the organizer of a Meetup Group that can be found at f-8photoclasses.com.

Tom has often been called upon to judge photography competitions at local camera clubs, photo expositions such as the CanAn Photo Expo in Buffalo and the annual contest at the Great New York State Fair.

He will be a featured speaker at the SWMCCC (Southwest Michigan Consolidated Camera Club) Summer Photography Weekend July 26-28 at Hope College in Holland, MI presenting on three subjects, Seeing with the eyes of an artist, Photography in our backyards, and a hands-on experience of night photography in downtown Holland.

Examples of Tom's artful photography may be viewed and is available for purchase at Gallery 54.
Click here for more information about Tom's upcoming workshops 

"A form of escape" – July First Friday's featured artist

The art of abstract artist Donna Atwood is unlike what most people think of when they encounter the word “abstract.” Beginning July 5, with the opening reception for her month-long show as Gallery 54's featured artist for July, visitors will be entertained and even amused by the whimsey of her art.

Artist Donna Atwood

The open reception is part of the Skaneateles July First Friday, from 5 to 8 pm.

The next day, July 6, Atwood will share how she creates her art during a three hour demonstration from 1 and 3 pm at the Gallery. Visitors to the gallery will get see a unique painting technique that involves putting textures into the watercolor background and then going into the now abstract background and finding the images of animals

Even though Atwood was a science education major in college her interest in creating art, which began as a child, continued to flourish. It wasn't until 2012 that she started practicing watercolor, she says describing her artwork as abstract impression. While she creates her share of surreal landscapes her preference, as the Gallery 54 show will demonstrate is for paintings of animals.

“I decided to create surreal animals and found many different ones lurking in patterns,” she notes. As she describes her work, the backgrounds start out as abstract colors and shapes, but “by manipulating shapes in to eyes, ears and a noses,” she can get the viewer to see” what she sees . . . “the face and body of a creature.”

Atwood is particularly fond of finding animals that are endangered or under represented in artwork generally. Many people, she notes, relate to specific creatures or what she calls “spirit animals.” She likes that viewers of her paintings relate to her whimsical version of “their animal” and that the colors or faces in her paintings make them smile.

“Keeping the background of a painting as untouched as possible allows the animal to grow from it,” she says, adding, “I want to express the presence of the animal, not highlight every hair or whisker.”

Atwood's work has received awards at the New York State Fair and well as numerous local art exhibits. A resident of Sempronius, NY she has had artwork shown at the Cortland Public Library, the Dryden Community Cafe and the Gilded Lily gallery in Connecticut. Following her show at Gallery 54 she will have an exhibit at the Cortland Guthrie Hospital, from September through November and currently has work displayed at the Tully Artworks Gallery.

Light refreshments will be served, accompanied by the music of guitarist/singer Jane Zell.

Gallery 54 is open 10 am to 5 pm Sunday through Wednesday and 10 am to 8 pm Thursday through Saturday.

Gallery 54 Features Mitzie Testani & Her Curious & Playful Art

 June 7 is a good day to mark on your calendar so you won't miss the opening of the month of June-long show at Gallery 54, “Traveler, Gouache and Watercolor Paintings by Mitzie Testani” featuring the playful and colorful painting of award winning Syracuse artist.

     

Artist Mitzie Testani, photo by Derek Pfohl 

After just a quick glance at her work you won't find it difficult to believe that her interest began on childhood camping trips in Colorado, or that her desire to teach her son, Alec, the alphabet provided the foundation that helped her to incorporate illustration into her graphic design career.

      When Alec was young, Mitzie would draw pictures and words, pasting them on the wall for the two of them to talk about. Her artwork is curious, playful, colorful and full of nature. She's quick to point out that it can become “somewhat opinionated” when she adds lettering and makes it “kid friendly.”

      Those pictures and words pasted on the wall evolved into painting during nap-time and taking illustration classes online. Mitzie loves the escape she finds in her art and notes it has given her an outlet to process whatever may be going on in her life. “When I'm making a painting,” she says, “I start with research and thinking through sketching and lettering.”

     

Her projects, she notes, allow her to travel vicariously and to see things she would not have seen otherwise, had she not gotten up early to paint. Her exhibit at Gallery 54 will feature new work, specifically wine trail maps for Keuka, Seneca, and Cayuga lakes. She will have both prints and original paintings available for purchase along with original paintings of icons featured on her maps.

      As a graphic designer at Corso's Cookies, some of her illustrations are used in cookie designs as well as packaging. Mitzie earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Tyler School of Art at Temple University.

      Her art has been exhibited at the PATF Snow Show at the Marriott, Syracuse Co-Works Space, the SUM Art shows in Syracuse, the Tech Garden in Syracuse and at the Natur-Tyme Gallery in Dewitt, NY. She has also had solo exhibits at the Maxwell Memorial Library in Camillus, NY. Mitzie also has work in the permanent collections at the US National Library of Medicine and at the Herskovits Library of African Studies at Northwestern University in Chicago.

      The opening reception will be held from 5 to 8 pm, June 7 at Gallery 54, 54 East Genesee St, Skaneateles, NY.

  Meet Mitzie and enjoy the “Blue Harp” music of Chris Molloy.

Artwork featured from Cuba to Syracuse

Cuban born Richell Castellon Ferriera, took his first steps as an artist teaching himself to draw at an early age and participating in local art competitions in his hometown of Cienfuegos, Cuba. At roughly the same time raku potter Dona Flaherty was discovering her interest in all things artful, here in Central New York. Beginning May 3, both will be featured guest artists at Gallery 54 here.

The depths of his paintings along with the way the light transforms the shapes in each piece makes Richell's work special. There's an sense of energy and life to his cityscapes that's crafted through the highlights of his brushstrokes. There's also a recognizable ease to the way he represents the scenery in his paintings.

Flaherty began creating her raku pieces just over 20 years ago and see the process as a natural progression of her life-long interest in the arts and in creating and building with her hands. “I became interested in raku

because of the unique designs and patterns the process creates,” she says. It, too, was sort of a natural extension of her experience with figure drawing, an interest she has been able to merge in the creation of truly delightful sculptural raku pieces.  

Dona Flaherty Raku incorporating
her figure drawing

“I enjoy the drama and unpredictability of raku,” she said recently adding, “I also enjoy fitting and moulding my figure drawings to the shapes of the vessels I'm able to create.”

In recent years Dona has begun incorporating and adorning figures with vintage jewelry. It allows her to enjoy the contrast between the refinement of the jewelry and the roughness of the raku process.

As self-taught artists, both artists should provide plenty of inspiration to aspiring artists, young and not-so-young alike.

Dona Flaherty Raku, incorporating her figure drawing

Their work will be displayed throughout the month of May beginning May 3 with an opening reception from 5 to 8 pm.

In addition, Richell will demonstrate how he creates his impressionistic paintings between noon and 3 pm on Saturday, May 4.

Skaneateles' own Anyela's Vineyards will be on hand for wine tastings during the Friday evening reception. Musical entertainment will be provided by the popular guitarist and singer Jane Zell.

Gallery 54 is an artist owned gallery of upscale art and fine craft. It is open Sunday through Thursday fro 10 am to 5 pm and Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm.

Gallery 54 Adds a Glaze to Winterfest

Thousands of people are expected to visit Skaneateles for the 2019 edition of the Skaneateles Winterfest and they are going to find the doors of local businesses wide open and the invitations WRIT LARGE.

Gallery 54 ice sculpture from Winterfest past

One good example will be Gallery 54. The art and fine craft retail business operated by local artists is directly across the street from the Skaneateles Library in the heart of the village. Its local artists will be even more welcoming than usual (if that's even possible) with a selection of its unique, often one-of-a-kind art and fine craft items discounted 20 percent.

Sallie Thompson pottery awaiting glazing.

As if that's not enough, local pottery artist Sallie Thompson will be demonstrating the various steps she employs to glaze her popular pottery. Thompson's demonstration is schedule for 1 to 3 pm, Saturday,

Sallie Thompson Pottery after being glazed.

January 26. Thompson will be demonstrating techniques for decorating of green ware (pieces that haven't gone in the kiln yet). The decorating of green ware will be on terra cotta clay. She will also demonstrated the glazing of bisque ware (pieces that have been bisque fired). This glazing will be on stoneware. Visitors to Gallery 54 will be able to see materials and the techniques she uses.

Another interesting feature of the Skaneateles Winterfest is always the many ice sculptures that decorate the village. No one knows what to expect until the sculptures, sponsored by individual Skaneateles businesses, appear on the sidewalks for the opening of the annual festival.

Gallery 54 is an upscale gallery of art and fine craft located at 54 E. Genesee Street in Skaneateles. It is open from 10 a.m to 5 p.m. daily.

Skaneateles Artist Demonstrates How She Creates Beauty from Broken Ceramics

Skaneateles Artist Demonstrates How

She Creates Beauty from Broken Ceramics

Perhaps it's her gift of being an artist that allows noted Skaneateles ceramicist Terry Askey-Cole to see the potential for a special beauty to be created from the remains of ceramic pieces that either didn't measure up to her expectations out of her kiln or were otherwise broken in production. Either way, Terry sees new life in broken pieces or shards . . . a vision she will demonstrate November 2 from 5 to 8 pm at Gallery 54.

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Her artistic bent isn't new. “My mother would paint over my childhood drawings on my bedroom walls to give me fresh surfaces to draw and paint on, she recalled recently.” With a fine arts degree from University of Akron and a career as a graphic designer and illustrator she credits her lifelong interest in art for her initial motivation to create a mosaic as the centerpiece of the kitchen she and husband Larry were remodeling in there Skaneateles home in the late 1990s.

Terry had collected ceramics and studied under the late Central New York ceramic artist Lauren Richie for several years at that point. Her kitchen remodeling seemed a natural opportunity to put her education, her passion and the bags and boxes of ceramic shards she had collected to good use. A new interest in the creation of ceramic mosaics was born.

When Gallery 54 was first opened in July of 2009 she immediately began showcasing her work in ceramics and mosaics. “I love creating something from nothing,” she says adding, “and hopefully something that will survive me.”

Besides getting to see how Terry creates her beautiful mosaics, visitors to Gallery 54 will enjoy seeing (and maybe even purchasing) mosaic creations that typically incorporate elements of a ceramic pot, a garden motif and the lake her home overlooks. Her demonstration will cover the process and techniques she has developed through years of experience as a mosaic artist.

As is the tradition at Gallery 54, the evening will also offer visitors light refreshments along with music by Jane Zell.

Gallery 54 is situated at 54 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles.

Regular gallery hours are 10 am to 5 pm Sunday through Thursday and 10 am to 6 pm Friday and Saturday.

The gallery also offers an online store at www.Gallery54CNY.net

Right before our eyes

BLUE & GOLD

"I've driven by this spot a hundred times and never seen that before." How many times have we all said something like that?

I know I've said it . . .more times than I can count. It was with this thought in mind that it recently occurred to me that one of the reasons I enjoy landscape photography so much is that I see things I never took note of before. Of course that may not include the new building going up somewhere or the house that's been torn down on a route I drive regularly, but that's another story.

AUTUMN TEXTURES

I'm pleased to say that today, thanks to my photography I see that collection of river rocks framing an autumn reflection or the textures of a dead tree at the edge of a marsh. Or, I notice the single leaf floating in a little eddy in a local stream, or the contrast of the corn stalks against the summer sky. I could go on, but I think you get the picture (no pun intended).

FROSTED LEAVES

All this thinking (something I'm not necessarily noted for) resulted recently in a desire to exhibit some images of subjects I believe many, if not most, of us walk past and don't really see. Such an exhibit, Right Before Our Eyes is currently on display at Gallery 54. I hope you'll take a moment to stop by and let us know what you think