Observations in Blue

The International Klein Blue (IKB) is a deep blue hue first mixed by the French artist Yves Klein.
International Klein Blue was developed by Klein as part of his search for colors which best represented the concepts he wished to convey as an artist.

Sylvia Poloto's uses a similar intense blue in Observations in Blue #1 and it is such a great color and piece to work with in your home or office.

Silvia Poloto, Observations in Blue #1, 2005
Mixed/canvas, 60x48 inches, $4,200

And what would go with this painting and the Yves Klein vibe? How about this sofa?

Design Within Reach Swan Sofa

This chandelier?

Limn Midnight Moon Chandelier

Some chairs?

Limn Shadow Chair in black - also comes in blue

Limn Tindari and Taormina chairs

And how about mixing something more traditional but still that great blue?

Pasta, Italy, and Art

Daniel Grant, Contemplation, 2007
Pigment Print, 20x20 inches, Edition 5/50, $800

This week Michael Bauer added 5 more pasta dishes to his Pasta Hall of Fame (read the Article on SFGate). And well, pasta makes one think of Italy and that leads to Artists Gallery artists who have captured Italy in their artwork. Here is a selection.

Daniel Grant, Discussion, 2007
Photo, 20 x 20 inches, Edition 1/50, $800

Daniel Grant, Perugian Perspective, 2007
Pigment Print, 20x20 inches, Edition 3/50, $800

Bruce Katz, Borgo, 2010
India Ink, pastel, 16 x 20 inches, $650

Bruce Katz, Piazza in the Marshes, 2010
India Ink, pastel, 16 x 17 inches, $650

Bruce Katz, Torre, 2010
India Ink, pastel, 19 x 15 inches, $650

Larry Lippold, Duomo Orvieto , 2010
Pastel, 24 x 18 inches, $2,100

Larry Lippold, Flower, 2007
Drawing , 42 x 30 inches, $2,750

Larry Lippold, Leaf, 2007
Drawing, 42 x 30 inches, $2,750

Jeannie O’Connor, Parked Gondola, 2010
Painted film over chalk pastel, 28 x 40 inches, $5,400





Need a vacation?

Let some of the Artists Gallery artists take you on a trip.

Robert Brokl, Angkor Wat III, 2006, Pastel/paper
52x40 inches, $3,800

Robert Brokl, Viet Nam I (Hue), 2006, Pastel/paper
52x40 inches, $3,800

Stephen Courtney, Chinese Wreath, 2005
Photography: Silver Gelatin, 25 x 21 inches
Edition 5/25, $750

Stephen Courtney, Shenyang, China, 2007
Photography: Silver Gelatin, 25 x 21 inches
Edition 3/15, $750



Jeannie O’Connor, Amber Palace, Jaipor, 2000
Giclee, 29x21 inches, $900



Jeannie O’Connor, Golden Gate, 2006
Pigment print on watercolor paper,
51x39 inches, $2,750

Mary Priest, Early Morning II, Varanasi, India, 2005
Photo, 18 x 23 inches, $450

Mary Priest, Early Morning III, Varanasi, India, 2005
Photo, 18 x 23 inches, $450

Inez Storer, Sir Poom, 2003
Oil, collage on canvas, 40x30 inches, $6,000

Robert Welsh, Brown Bridge, Suzhou, China, 1991
C-Print, 25 x 26 inches, Edition 4/25, $1,500

And maybe some decor changes to go with the artwork?

Kangji Cocktail Table, Council
Ann Getty House Collection Pagoda Chair
 Kravet Color Weaves Collection, Decade: Sable (made in India)

Look you didn't even need to leave home.

How do you see yourself?

The SFMOMA Artists Gallery is hosting a year-long artist’s project that is based on the tradition of portrait painting. Gallery artist Claire Pasquier started to think about this project when she lived in Paris. She saw people going about their busy lives and had the desire to connect with them.



 Over the course of this 2011, Pasquier will invite people to participate in her project using Facebook. Each person who participates will spend about 2 hours with her while she paints their portrait in the Gallery. Then in turn, the participants can invite their network to join and the project will grow exponentially.

All of the portraits will be exhibited in January 2012 at the SFMOMA Artists Gallery. It's not required to purchase the portrait once it's done, yet sales support the project and artist. The price is $350  however if a portrait is purchased before the show the price is $300, to thank you for bringing it back for the exhibition (a week before the show and during the show). 

Claire Pasquier's project is receiving growing attention.  She has been invited by the Oakland Museum to draw visitors for a special night: (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oaklandmuseumofcalifornia/5170512463/in/photostream/)
She has been asked to teach special sessions about self portraiture to 9th grade students for 2 months at the International School.(http://www.frenchamericansf.org). 

Make an appointment with Claire on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/SFMOMAportrait

Seeing is believing

Currently we have a selection of ceramic bottles from Paula Moran's Bottle Series. Hand thrown and depicting a selection of actual bottles, they transform the ordinary to the timeless. Plus with the prices at $20 for small bottles and $30 for larger bottles, a collection is affordable as well as timeless.

Paula says about the series:

The impulse to touch to “see” what is real drives my work. I feel drawn to Tromp-l’oeil because of this real/not real tension. Recreating objects that are familiar, literal, sometimes nostalgic, are used to tell stories. It is the object and its content that covey the specific message.

The bottle series took on a life of its own as I became obsessed with throwing more and more bottles. They became very figurative as they collected unglazed on my desk; tall ones, fat, ones, long necks, fat bottoms. I began to see them as gangs. I made up scenarios of who they were, what they were doing. They represent the struggle of fitting in, standing out, standing next to, difference, sameness and stillness.

Here are some of Moran's bottles paired up with a tromp-l'oeil painting by Kirstine Reiner (Dressed Up, 2007, Oil on panel, 20 x 16 inches, $3,500).

The eye is fooled!

Noir City

NOIR CITY 9 the 9th Annual Noir Film Festival returns to its usual majestic venue, the Castro Theatre, from January 21-30, 2011 with "Who’s Crazy Now?" a lineup of twenty-four tales of madness, ranging from the legendary—Oscar-winning performances by Ingrid Bergman (Gaslight) and Ronald Colman (A Double Life)—to obscure rarities, all presented as originally intended, in glorious 35mm celluloid, in a movie palace, before an appreciative audience.

And in honor of the opening night we have collected some artwork to celebrate.

Jeff Bellerose, Casting Shadows, 2006
Oil on panel, 26 x 42 inches, $5,400

Jeff Bellerose, Rise, 2008, Oil on canvas
20 x 26 inches, $3,000

Kelly Rae Daugherty, Woman in Black Dress, 2009
Photography, 11 x 9 inches, $300

Kelly Rae Daugherty, Ms. Brown's, 2004
Photography, 9 x 11 inches
$300

Jessica Dunne, Three Towers, 2003
Oil on linen, 53x78, $10,500

Jessica Dunne, Bingo, 1994
Monotype, 37x48, $4,500

Beryl Landau, Industrial Zone, 2007
Acrylic on canvas, 24x24, $2,500

Beryl Landau, Intersection, 2006
Acrylic on canvas, 24x24, $2,500

Beryl Landau, Local Icons, 2006
Acrylic on canvas, 24x24, $2,500

Rebecca Martinez, Behind the Red Curtain,
2006, Archival Pigment Print, 51x36
Edition 1/6, $3,200

Rebecca Martinez, Gold, 2006
Archival Pigment Print, 36x51
Edition 1/6, $3,200

Rebecca Martinez, Silver, 2006
Archival Pigment Print, 51x36
Edition 1/6, $3,200

Alan Ostreicher, 768-1, 2007
Toned silver print, 20x16
Edition 1/35, $350

Alan Ostreicher, 777-9, 2007
Toned silver print, 20x16
Edition 1/35, $350

Alan Ostreicher, Untitled 874-9, 2009
Digital C-print, 11 x 14 inches
Edition 1/8, $350

Wendy Schwartz, Petaluma Grain, 2010
Oil on canvas, 30 x 40 inches, $4,300

Toru Sugita, iPod, 2008
Etching aquatint, 32 x 24 inches
Edition 1/20, $1,100

Toru Sugita, Empty Street, 2007
Oil on canvas, 24 x 36 inches, $3,000

Toru Sugita, Curving Up Home, 2005
Etching aquatint, 13 x 17 inches
Edition 9/20, $375

Katherine Westerhout, Fox Stage, 1999
Inkjet pigment on rag paper, 50x60
Edition 1/3, $6,810

Toru Sugita, Untitled (Bernal Hill), 2006
Etching aquatint, 13 x 10 inches
Edition 2/25, $250

And of course this sofa is a must-have to complete your look.

Need more film options after the festival? Don't forget the film screenings at the SFMOMA.