My friend Derek Gores, voted one of the 40 most important artists of the New Contemporary Movement, is coming to Think Space in Los Angeles on March 12! Mark your calendar! Its an absolute MUST for anyone who is able to drive, Metro Link, taxi, bike, run, walk, hop, skip, or crawl to the gallery to see and/or buy his art!

Here is a sample of his work:

Here is the information:

in case you missed it, here is an interview we did on {Maison Classique} in 2009.

Make arrangements! You can't miss his work!

Keiko Tanabe, an award-winning watercolor artist and California local, is doing an amazing series of San Diego landscapes- one hundred of them to be exact! She has titled it the "San Diego 100". She just posted No. 85. Its been pretty exciting to follow the landscapes she chooses....from daily life landscapes of traffic and residential streets, to the more quintessential San Diego locations such as Balboa Park (one of my favorite places! Spanish Baroque Revivial architecure everwhere you look!), the Del Mar Fairgrounds and Coronado. My favorite medium is admittingly not watercolor....but I really, truly admire the quality and overall style of Keiko's watercolors. She is my favorite contemporary watercolorist....and, whats even better- she is a genuine person who deeply loves what she does. Also, she is selling the originals! I am a fan of "real" art....it just has more soul. It doesnt have to cost a million dollars, but it has to speak to you. That's what art is all about. Check out her San Diego 100....you won't be sorry! Ten of my personal favorites.....

To see more of Keiko Tanabe's work, or to contact the artist directly, go to any of these galleries or contact her here.

Today, I bring to you a very special and exclusive treat- an interview with fine artist Derek Gores. It has been a great pleasure getting to know Derek Gores over the course of this year. Not only is his work absolutely gorgeous, but he is also down to earth and generous in spirit,  (a winning combination for an artist, if you ask me). He is one of my favorite contemporary artists for his masterful ripped paper collages. While Gores is best known for his collage works, his sketch and abstract works are equally wonderful. As an interior designer, I see his collage portraits as a modern option to a traditional posed oil or acrylic painting. A portrait done by Derek Gores is so personal, even the bits of paper and their colors and words are selected based on the commissioning patron. Can ripped paper on canvas be more intimate or expressive when details such as these are considered? I think not. His ability to both arrange and clearly portray recognizable images of his patrons through collage is truly a gift. Some of my favorites:

 

 

 

 

A Little Background:

 

Derek Gores was born in New York in 1971. He attended the Rhode Island School of Design and graduated with a BFA in 1993.  He has been a successful artist for fifteen years and his client list surely reflects that. He has worked with Lenny Kravitz, U2, Van Halen, Kings of Leon, Madonna, Lucasfilm, ESPN, the National Football League, cult brands Harley Davidson and Adidas as well as many others. His most recent honor was being featured at the Manifest Hope exhibit in Washington, DC, prior to President Obama's Inauguration. The exhibit was juried by Spike Lee and fellow artist Shepard Fairey, where one of Derek's pieces fetched $35,000.

Derek currently takes commissions for both private and commercial clients. He lives in Melbourne, Florida with his wife Jamie and their three daughters. To contact Derek Gores, scroll to the end of this post for his information. Now, on to the interview...

 

July 2009 Interview:

Janelle Steinberg: Derek, I am so thrilled that we can finally get around to doing this interview. I know you’ve been very busy with work and revamping your website. What's new at Derek Gores.com?

Derek Gores: Just some general updates, more examples of work, current shows. You can see everything at www.derekgores.com

 

Janelle Steinberg: That’s great- I can't wait to see more of your work. What's your process when approaching a new piece?

 

Derek Gores: Sometimes I start from nowhere, and enjoy digging around, building on the canvas until something interesting starts showing up. Other times I have an idea for months and finally launch in furiously. Still other times, I start with the recycling-- gathering up magazines and parts I can re-use. Sifting through the inspiration always conjures up some magic.

 

Janelle Steinberg: The creative process in art and design is both curious and magical. Is there anywhere you turn for inspiration? What inspires you as an artist?

 

Derek Gores: My favorite subject is the figure. I trust and CRAVE randomness and intuition. I like my pictures to barely come together in the brain with teasing little details. Sort of like how the mind can't help but wander, even when trying to focus on one thing. In the collages, some of the little bits I use are deliberate, but in most I'm trusting randomness to help build an end result more interesting than I could have planned. One friend calls it a 'Zen Narrative.' I like that all the elements react with any history the viewer brings to the table.

 

 

Janelle Steinberg: Yes, I agree. Perception is one of the most magnificent aspects of art. What do you think is the appeal in your art?

 

Derek Gores: People say they like seeing classic subjects treated in a new way. Others mention that they continue to see new things (in my art). I like that. I hope it’s celebratory and playful.

Making art and viewing art is being a kid again. Exploring and being open enough to be led by the senses.  I like re-awakening people to art. I find many people had the art squashed out of them, usually in their early teens. Usually caused by preconceptions, peers, and being surrounded by TV and photos.  The definition of 'accuracy' becomes limited.  I like pursuing an ‘accurate’, or at lest compelling, depiction of a feeling or a sensation, or an experience. I sometimes get to see people have a child-like response to my collages, and I LOVE that. Art just may have the potential to cut through a life's worth of walls and numbness of the senses. Victory!  And then, there's that person who falls in love with a piece enough to take it home so they can have that feeling every day.

 

 

Janelle Steinberg: I'm one of those people! I have told you many times to consider me a patron in waiting. I'm waiting for that perfect wall in my house (or, rather, to build the perfect wall in my house)! In all seriousness, that's very profound. I think your sentiments resonate with many people, especially art lovers. Speaking of, who are some of your favorite artists?

 

Derek Gores: My biggest figurative influence is Egon Schiele, from early 1900's Austria. The raw intimacy is still alive 100 years later. Other classics: George Inness' dreamy late landscapes, Max Ernst's surreal collages made from catalog pages, Klimt's romanticism, and the 1920's cartoonist Rube Goldberg's nonsensical inventions. Newer favorites: Cliffton Chandler's relief sculptures, Jeff "Cynic" Noble's graffiti art, and Audrey Kawasaki's transparent beauties. I'd like to show with her some time.

 

 

Janelle Steinberg: What an intriguing cross-section. I like that. An artist's influences and inspirations is always something that I find interesting. Second to that is what an artist was like as a child. What about you? Did you have a favorite medium or genre as a child?

 

Derek Gores: Good old pencil. Sitting on the edge of my bed drawing Star Wars characters, and making up my own.

 

Janelle Steinberg: Is that how you snagged work with Lucasfilm?! I'm kidding. Do a lot of your commissions come from commercial interests, or private patrons?

 

Derek Gores: I take private commissions as time allows. Here's what people love: When I create a collage portrait for a person, not only do I capture their likeness, but the little ripped pieces of paper I use are custom also: favorite foods, places traveled, schools, family photos. I can recycle all those old goodies into the piece. I take a lot of corporate commissions, too. I enjoy the challenge of taking an intangible feeling or message and building visual metaphors that make an emotional connection.

 

 

Janelle Steinberg: I LOVE that custom element to your collage work- the little bits of paper! I never knew that! Honestly, that's more fantastic and impressive than I can conjure words for at the moment. Wow. Your work can truly hold intimate and personal value well beyond the "custom commission" aspect. I'm sold. Where do I sign?! Where else can people connect with you and see your art?

 

Derek Gores: I have a few shows coming up. I have a one man exhibition, "TORN", at the 321 Agency in Melbourne, Florida opening July 24, 2009 (link + info below). My art is also at SLOW Gallery in Melbourne, FL and I have a group show at Parlor Gallery in Asbury Park, NJ starting on August 22, 2009 (all links + info below). Soon I'll be scouting galleries in Miami, California, NYC and elsewhere. I also have my website and blog, as well as a Twitter and a FaceBook fan page (links below).

 

 

Janelle Steinberg: I know you are a family man, too. How does your family inspire you? What about other non-art inspirations?

 

Derek Gores: Teaching my kids to make music without instruments, how my wife makes people laugh, Twizzlers, side roads, back roads, woods, trails, inclusiveness, Springsteen, Mom n' Pop shops where you can see the owner, slate walkways, guitar solos... Contact Derek Gores: Derek Gores Fine Art & Design derek@derekgores.com 321) 258-2119 (Eastern Standard Time) Twitter:http://twitter.com/Mr_Gores_Artist FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Derek-Gores/54788087483 321 Agency (show starts July 24, 2009) 1010 E New Haven Ave Melbourne, FL 32901 "TORN" http://www.321agency.com/torn/ SLOW Gallery 1905 Municipal Lane Melbourne, FL 32901 Parlor Gallery (Show starts August 22, 2009) 717 Cookman Ave Asbury Park, NJ http://www.parlor-gallery.com/

I've had the pleasure of being in contact with Lisa Ferraro at DailyPainters.com. They are friendly and unpretentious, something greatly appreciated when dealing with the "Art world". This site is fun because the featured works rotate daily, so the gallery-style site is continually fresh and exciting. At DailyPainters, you can find some truly great art, in a range of styles, from artists that produce quality work.

When I peruse this site, I get the feeling that I'm discovering something special. A lot of the prices are very reasonable. If you are a collector that collects on instinct (which, I hope you are!), you will appreciate DailyPainters. "Instinctual" art collections not only make you happiest, they also add a layer of "you" to your home- and when "you" are woven into your home, that is a design quality that is not only important, but also irreplaceable.

My favorites from today's page at DailyPainters (be sure to click on the artist's name to visit their link):

 

Jorney Home II by Keiko Tanabe

 

Abstract No. 780708 by Pol Ledent

 

One Minute Gesture Pose Series XXIX.6 by Gretchen Kelly

Please see this for the back-story to this post. To see No. 1, go here.

No. 2: Wall Sconces

Lamps are things you can change out on a whim. Wall mounted sconces are harder, and more expensive, to install. Once installed, you can get them changed out relatively easily. Make the initial investment to get sconces installed. Choose your wall sconces and their location wisely and just go for it. Put them on dimmers. And put them up asap!

The light quality from sconces is great. I am a fan of interior lighting not coming from above. Of course wall washers and spotlights have their place- but the lighting that makes one feel cozy and look beautiful comes from indirect sources- wall mounted fixtures and lamps. Also, overhead lighting really clutters up the ceiling plane and can make a residential space look commercial. Other than the kitchen and select areas in the bathroom, forgo the overhead recessed lighting.

Great places for wall sconces include the foyer, flanking art or a large mirror in any room, flanking or installed on a media build-out or built-in, placed high on the walls in hallways, flanking the bed as task lights for reading, flanking the vanity mirror in the bathroom, and picture lights placed above your art. A guideline for the size of a picture light is half the size of the art, placed at the center line of the piece, above the frame. If lighting a really large piece of art, recessed fixtures are the solution. If lighting a really, really important piece or collection of art that is museum quality- I, as a designer, would consult a specialty lighting designer for proper fixtures so as not to damage the art overtime (I recommend you do this if this sounds like your situation).

Start with one set of swing arm sconces in the bedroom and one set of sconces in a main living area. Add them to hallways and other rooms as you can. Have art lights installed over your most important and favorite art, then add them to each piece as you acquire and grow your collection.

(Wall sconce is from Circa Lighting, picture light photo is from a site I can't find again on the internet. If this isy our photo, let me know so I can give proper credit and link to you.)

I've wanted this poster ever since I spied it way back when. I think 2009 may be the year I actually get around to hanging it on my wall. I can't decide if I want tan, orange or light blue.

For all you designers out there, isnt this the perfect mantra to keep around the studio?!

Buy this tan one from this Etsy shop site.