Art, the saving grace

Amy Myers runs an art program at the Living Museum Art Center at Harbor House in San Pedro California, where 250 people live with debilitating mental challenges. Some  of the residents are creating very appealing art, which can be purchased through this program. All of the money goes to the artists, and both they and their creations are so very worthy. Do stop in to see then if you are ever in the area.

Here are two works by Susan Gibins, a Geisha painting and one called Police Violence. Watts Tower is lovingly done by Osbourn Turner.

Oodles of doodles.......

As it succinctly says on his website," Ian Pyper creates drawings; he induces visions. Pyper uses marker, watercolor and paper, like a caveman used burnt wood, spit and a hard rock wall, to show us clearly what he sees." This entirely self-taught and outsider artist from the UK wows his audience with a cacophony of color and line, dots and doodles, and wins an ever larger audience each time. Paper saturated with watercolor and ink mesmerize the eye and spirit alike. I like!

Auction of Outsider Art, Folk Art and more.....

Do you crave seeing great Outsider, Artbrut, and Folk Art, all under one roof? Well, Steve and Amy Slotin are presenting one of their amazing Folk Art Auctions on March 28th in Buford, GA. Their catalogue is on-line and this couple are very well respected in the art and auction community. They also put out a feast which they simply call breakfast, before the fun begins. I see face jugs galore, furniture, carvings and really interesting paintings from well know collections. Take a look for yourselves, and enjoy! Well worth the trip!

Outsider Art shown at German Fair

Here is a view of the Alexandra Huber paintings hanging at the Artfair in Karlsruhe in Germany last week. Despite the shaky economy, her work sold very well, an encouraging sign!

Are we blue? Our world is too! Outsider Art

We are not the only ones feeling blue these uncertain days. The earth that we live on, that supports us in every way, is also blue. Alexandra Huber's "Man on a Blue World", my title, not hers, is a wonderful depiction of the state we are in. Her smalls (6" x 6") capture our daily thoughts, musings and dreams in a charming childlike way, filled with adult sensibility. Think Dubuffet, Basquiat. Alexandra just returned from the famous Artfair in Karlsruhe, Germany, and in her words, " it was very successful, despite the crisis." Click on the title and see many more of these little gems. $450

"Magic Place"......New Huber images soon

Although her German agent decided to withdraw from the Outsider Art Fair, he faithfully delivered to me a cache of new and very exciting works of art by Alexandra Huber. New York fans of this exciting artist will not be disappointed with the variety of work selected. The art is being photographed and will be posted soon on the web site http://www.artbrut.com which is the address for Beverly Kaye Gallery. Two larger mixed media pieces, and ten of the 6"x 6" smalls will be added to the extensive portfolio of Huber works represented here. Alexandra remains one of Europe's top self-taught artists, and I will post her latest shows and catalogues when the new works are ready to go public. This little gem, called "Magic Place" is a great example of what is to follow.

Moroccan storyteller and artist

The stark, compelling images of Algerian, Moroccan,  and American artist, Fethi Megelli, are are cross between dreamlike folk tales and political pronouncements. This talented and highly trained artist creates works which wrap them selves around your brain.
In this intriguing piece called "Other Realities" two mesmerizing images are printed on the same piece of arches paper. Each powerful in their own right, together they are magic. From a private collection, 17" x 12", $500

Self-taught art, Acoma Pueblo pottery

Lucy Lewis was a matriarchal Pueblo Indian artist, whose works are in museums across the nation. She lived and worked in Acoma Pueblo and brought new interest to old designs such as the lightening jar and the bear heartline. Her pottery was graceful and much admired, and all her daughters, as well as her son Andrew, became potters in their own right. Nieces followed along in the family tradition and some of the finest and thinnest walled pieces bear the Lewis name. Click on the title and you will see more of this collection, which I hand picked in the 1980's to 1990's, during memorable visits with the family. Dolores and Emma Lewis were gracious hosts and thanks to them I was able to meet Lucy and watch her painstakingly decorate some of her final pots.