Archive for March 5, 2014

Artist of the moment…….Blanche Lazzell

{ March 5, 2014 @ 3:35 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Blanche Lazzell was born in Maidsville, West Virginia in the year 1878. For her collegiate education Lazzell attended South Carolina Co-Educational Institute and  West Virginia University studying literature and fine arts. Lazzell was a painter and printmaker in the Japanese woodblock style. In addition to painting and printmaking Lazzell also worked with ceramics and even made rugs.

Price range information: Works range from $5,000 to $106,000 for a print at auction. Oils range from $20,000 to $125,000.

Lazzell also studied at the famed Art Student’s League of New York City where she studied with William Merritt Chase and Georgia O’Keefe.

Lazzell also moved to Paris, France and studied at the Academie Julien.

The artist was one of two artists from West Virginia to be given mural works for the Works Progress Administration.

Blanche Lazzell passed away in 1956.

What a talented artist who seems to have carved a great niche for herself in the medium of printmaking! I love the graphic design of works like the Windmill in the gallery. The works seems to have hidden imagery making the viewer very intrigued in the art.

D

Artist of the moment……..Street Artist Vhils

{ March 5, 2014 @ 1:05 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Street artist Vihls was born Alexandre Farto  in Lison, Portugal in the year 1987. Vhils creates very large works on damaged and weathered buildings using a chisel. Vhils works with the face and figure.

Vhils attended the School of Arts located in London during 2007 and 2008.

The artist jumped onto the international scene after a work of Vhils appeared in print next to legendary street artist Vhils. Banksy’s agent gave the artist space to sell his work alongside Banksy and Vhils career was off and running.

In this clip we view Vhils in action on a piece. What is great is that he also weather’s the building if he wants an older look.

I guess the artist is a sculptor? I had never seen anything like this art before. More reason to put Street Art shows in the major museums. Its a wonderful worldwide movement of very creative artisans!

Price range information: Sorry none available.

A brief documentary featuring works of the artist:

An artist who works in a similar graphic style is my favorite street artist, Swoon. But she doesn’t dig into the walls like Vhils!

D

Artist of the moment…….Stanley “Mouse” Miller

{ March 5, 2014 @ 12:38 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Stanley George Miller  is an American Icon when it comes to classic record designs. The artist got his start creating posters and album covers for the musicians of the 1960s. Stanley Mouse was born in Fresno, California in the year 1940.

The artist got the nickname “mouse” when he was in the 9th grade. Miller grew up in Detroit, Michigan honing his skills at the Detroit Society for Arts and Crafts.

An influential partner was Alton Kelly. Kelly and Mouse did several record covers together. Miller met Kelly upon moving to San Francisco in 1965. Kelly and Miller are given the credit for producing the iconic image of a skeleton with roses that serves as the logo for the band the Greatful Dead.

Two bands that Mouse worked with on many occasions were The Greatful Deal and Journey. 

In this clip a greater look into the life of Stanley Mouse Miller:

Here we view Mouse in action working on a portrait with current musician Valerie Orth:

Miller began his art career by running some very lucrative businesses. Miller was a master airbrush artist and made his own t shirts and helped to design and paint custom hot rod designs. Once again the use of the automobile in art! These businesses did awesome in California.

Mouse Miller is based out of California and continues to paint to this day!

What a great story! Its great to look back and study the t shirt  and airbrush artists of the 1950s and 1960s. Even Chuck Close falls into this category. I enjoy the stories on West Coast as many artists formed very profitable companies designing and making unique t-shits. Nowadays with the Internet these t shirts are taken for granted. At a time they were very artsy!

Price range information: Sorry none available.

We will be taking a closer look at other artists who worked in poster and record design in California such as the artist’s longtime business partner Alton Kelly.

D