Zatista The premier source for original art online

image of William Second Gallery seen in USA Today: Richard Drew / AP

Before you hire just any artist to paint a portrait of your beloved schnauzers, you might want to consider the artwork’s potential impact on your future estate. That’s right, dog art is fetching (hey-yo!) big bucks these days, so think about hiring an artist who’s really going to capture Scrappy or Muffin’s essence – for your kid’s and grandkid’s sake.

Image: William Second Gallery dogpainting.com

Two such pieces by William Henry Hamilton Trood (1860-1899), “Dejeuner” and “Hounds in a Kennel”, sold for $194,500 and $212,500, respectively at a recent auction. Granted, the auction was the only one of its kind, specifically limited to the dog art market. The event is held each year after the Westminster Dog Show, so they’ve certainly pegged their demographic.

Image: William Secord Gallery dogpainting.com

In all seriousness, if you missed the show and want to take in some lovely dog art you’ve got a few options I can think of right away. The first is right at your finger tips – Zatista artist Leah McCloskey offers pet portraits by commission:

Pet Portraits by Commission, Leah McCloskey on Zatista.com

Next, Zatista artist and animal lover Georganna Lenssen also has some stellar canine portraits available:

Spotted Dog by Georganna Lenssen on Zatista.com

Finally, the next time you’re in New York, make your way to the William Secord Gallery in Manhattan. It’s the only gallery in U.S. devoted entirely to the subject, so you’re guaranteed to get a lot of bang for your bark. Er, buck.

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New Beginning 1 by Konnie Kim on zatista.com

Now that that the holidays are over and the season of making good on resolutions has begun, here are ten ways to bring more art into your life in 2012:

1.  Visit a museum or gallery – Museums and galleries are perfect spots for artistic inspiration and a low cost or even free way to spend an afternoon.

2.  Attend a lecture – Lectures are often intellectually stimulating no matter what the subject is, be it an artist’s talk or art historical exposé.

Abandon by Laura Carter on zatista.com

3.  Take a class or workshop – Most communities offer a wide variety of classes and workshops. If you’ve wanted to try your hand at creating some of your own art or crafts, this is the perfect way to start.

4.  Volunteer at a cultural institute or community center – Volunteers at museums and cultural centers are usually given free passes to events and shows. This is a great opportunity for a wide exposure to all types of art while helping to keep these institutions strong.

Tall Grasses - Blue by Michelle Han on zatista.com

5.  Check out some of the many wonderful art zines and artists blogs online – The internet is full of art blogs and zines, and most offer an unflinching view on the art community around the globe.

6.  Rent a movie about an artist’s life – There are many documentaries and biopics about artists out there.  Spend an evening and get to know your favorite.

Eucalyptus by Mary Lea Bradley on zatista.com

7.  Set aside daily time to create something (anything) and don’t forget to have fun – It only takes a few minutes each day to create something unique. Remember, practice makes perfect!

8.  Fill your coffee table with oversized art books – Go to your local bookstore and browse the bargain section. You can often find art books at a fraction of the original price.

Theater Crowd, King Street by Jacquelyn Sloane Siklos on zatista.com

9.  Take a walk with full attention to your surroundings – Both the city and the country are full of examples of artistic forms, natural and manmade, very much like a museum on the go.

10.  Last but not least, buy original art from Zatista.com – Zatista is the Internet’s premiere source for original art. With new additions added weekly, there is something for every taste.  Enjoy!

Brian Sylvester is a guest blogger on WallSpin, and an artist on Zatista.

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SVAC Historical Marker on kvabbottsartblog.blogspot.com

Located in Manchester, Vermont and nestled at the foot of the very majestic Mount Equinox, The Southern Vermont Arts Center is one of New England’s premier destinations for the arts.

Mount Equinox on the SVAC Campus Image by Brian Sylvester

Founded in the early 1920’s, the Center’s goal was to give local artists an opportunity to exhibit their works and served as a gathering point for community education and outreach, but quickly attracted attention and support beyond the immediate vicinity. What began as an idea among a few friends in 1922 has since flourished into a lasting institution.

View of the Yester House on svac.org

In the early days, up and coming artists such as Luigi Lucioni, Ogden Minton Pleissner, Dean Fausett, and Norman Rockwell all exhibited at the Center and later became world renowned. The great American artist, Grandma Moses, even held her 100th birthday celebration at SVAC in 1960, and at that time, Life Magazine commemorated the event.

SVAC Campus Map on svac.org

Today, the SVAC’s sprawling 100-acre campus is home to numerous galleries, education classrooms, a 400 seat performance hall, and a beautiful landscape featuring sculpture gardens, and hiking trails. The Center is open year round and offers plenty of activities for all ages, provides the setting for private events, and continues to expand its programs.

Outdoor Sculpture Garden at SVAC Image by Brian Sylvester

SVAC exhibits art from both its permanent collection and its ever-expanding pool of contributing Vermont artists, as well as from prominent artists all across the United States and the world, through its series of group and solo shows. The end result is a unique blend of exceptional work on view in what might at first seem like an unlikely location.

The Elizabeth de C. Wilson Museum on svac.org

Manchester, Vermont is just a short 200 miles from Manhattan, New York, though it may seem worlds away, and has become best known as a popular vacation spot. Visiting art enthusiasts and collectors who return regularly to SVAC know there is much more to the area than its natural beauty.

Brian Sylvester is a guest blogger on WallSpin, and an artist on Zatista.

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If you missed our post about this last year, here’s your second chance. The Sketchbook Project – a group art project in which anyone from anywhere in the world can participate. Artist or otherwise, you and someone you know can be part of this project. To receive a sketchbook, pay $25, choose a theme from a list of 30 intriguing possibilities including: In Fifty Years, Fears and Tears, Treehouse, Heroes and Villains, or opt for the project to choose a theme for you.

Sketchbook by Duncan Reid

Sign up by October 31, 2011, and postmark your completed sketchbook by January 31, 2012. Tour begins April 2012 and will stop in Brooklyn, Chicago, Portland, OR, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, Portland, ME, Toronto, Vancouver, Atlanta, Austin, London, and Melbourne.

Sketchbook by Ken McCarthy

Creator of the project, Art House Co-op says, “Thousands of sketchbooks will be exhibited at galleries and museums as they make their way on tour across the country. After the tour, all sketchbooks will enter into the permanent collection of The Brooklyn Art Library, where they will be barcoded and available for the public to view. For an additional $20, your completed sketchbook can be professionally scanned and uploaded to the official Sketchbook Project virtual archive. Visitors from anywhere around the world will be able to explore your work online.

Sketchbook by Kate Castelli

Once a sketchbook is barcoded, authors and artists can track how many times it’s pulled it from the shelf, on tour and in the library, so you can stay connected with your sketchbook. How cool is that?

If you did this last year, tell us all about it. If you’re doing it this year, we want to know. Happy doodling!

skowheganart.org

It’s that time of year again – at least in my neck of the woods – when artists descend upon quiet hamlets to make the most of the summer months ahead. Take a look and you’ll be surprised, odds are there’s an artist residency program near you.

A studio space at the Penland Resident Artist Program | Image: Penland.org

If you’re an artist, you probably already know about these types of programs. For the uninitiated, it’s a pretty simple arrangement. Basically, artists apply for grants which allow them to escape their normal zones of creation and get a little change of scene. They strike out for schools and farms and even warehouses in previously unexplored cities, supplies in tow. Here, they can live and work on their art for a time, expenses paid by the program.

The Chinati Foundation's Artist Residency Program | Chinati.org

Three of the more well-known residencies are in Maine, North Carolina and Texas. I’m seriously not just tooting my home state’s horn – Maine’s Skowhegan residency is pretty high up there with the best of them.

If you’re not an artist, it’s well worth your time to make a trip out of heading to Skowhegan, or Asheville, or Marfa to take in a little nature and soak up some culture. Conveniently, these three locales couldn’t be more different.

"Shin Pond Maine" by Thurston Howes on Zatista.com

Skowhegan isn’t real close to much, other than scenic natural splendor. Combine that with some art and you have yourself one heck of a vacation.

"Appalachian Trail" by Nicholas Bell on Zatista.com

Penland is only about an hour from Asheville, North Carolina’s outdoor recreation destination. Plan to stay there and make a day trip to Penland’s gallery. On Tuesdays and Thursdays a campus tour is available, just be sure to make your reservations in advance.

"Something New" by Jeremy McKane on Zatista.com

And Marfa, well… Marfa’s in a league of its own. Aside from the grandiose Texas countryside, the area boasts an incredibly high concentration of artists and writers these days. You can scarcely throw a bottle cap without hitting one (not that you’d want to, unless they asked you to for a video art piece they’re making). Hotelier Liz Lambert recently opened up the Thunderbird Hotel here, so you can even get some bohemian accommodations nearby.

Try one or all three this summer – any is guaranteed to be worth the gas money.