HELEN SMAGORINSKY'S PAINTING "LAST BOAT THROUGH FOR THE SEASON"

The above painting is an example of Helen Smagorinsky's contemporary folk painting. The painting alludes to Brockport as a "community of the imagination," with the Erie Canal, several classic  buildings grouped together by the artist to represent Brockport's Victorian village's downtown, Hartwell Hall of the College at Brockport (which was founded in 1835), an apple grower's barn (to allude to Brockport's rural roots), and references to Brockport's past history (as represented by the antique car). Helen Smagorinsky is one of the five artists covered in the DVD "LIFE IN AN AMERICAN VILLAGE: ART, SELF-ACTUALIZATION, AND COMMUNITY" who live in the Brockport area.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

DIANNE HICKERSON, WATERCOLOR ARTIST

Dianne Hickerson is a nationally acclaimed watercolor artist. The painting shown here, TEA AND ROSES, is one example of Dianne's work. In the film "Dianne Hickerson" in the third volume of this four-volume (four-disk) DVD "LIFE IN AN AMERICAN VILLAGE: ART, SELF-ACTUALIZATION, AND COMMUNITY," Dianne discusses her work: how she became a watercolor artist, how her art has evolved, and her life as an artist in a village in upstate New York.  In a second film  ("Dianne Hickerson's Watercolors: A Slideshow"), on this same volume, a selection of Dianne's watercolors are also presented. Stephen Doherty, the publisher of the magazine WATERCOLOR ART, discusses the beginnings of watercolor art in England and the United States.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Tim McCreight, Metalsmith, Instructor of PMC Technique

Tim Mc Creight, an expert in metalsmithing, has published a number of books on various aspects of metalsmithing, including JEWELRY: FUNDAMENTALS OF METALSMITHING, COLOR ON METAL: 50 ARTISTS SHARE INSIGHTS AND TECHNIQUES, and PMC DECADE: THE FIRST TEN YEARS OF PRECIOUS METAL CLAY. In the DVD "LIFE IN AN AMERICAN VILLAGE: ART, SELF-ACTUALIZATION, AND COMMUNITY," Tim provides an overview of the rise of the precious metal clay technique in jewelry making in America. This overview provides viewers of this DVD with context for the work of Alicia Fink, a jeweler who is one of the five artists featured in this DVD set. Tim is also the publisher of Brynmorgen Press.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

LIFE IN AN AMERICAN VILLAGE: ART, SELF-ACTUALIZATION, AND COMMUNITY

The first title in this series is LIFE IN AN AMERICAN VILLAGE: ART, SELF-ACTUALIZATION, AND COMMUNITY, released in 2008. This DVD set (4 disks, 15 films, totaling approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes) looks at the lives of five artists living in the Brockport area: a sculptor, a contemporary folk painter, a watercolor artist, a jeweler, and an art activist.