...Ariel Elizabeth Churnin...

MFA Thesis Show: Spring 2009

2009-06-25T14:10:00.008-04:00

MFA Thesis Show: Below are images from the 2009 MFA Thesis Exhibition at the New York Studio School. The exhibition featured 14 sculptors and painters from around the world and the United States. In the final month leading to the show, the investigations of the past year coalesced into a single body of work. Derek O'Neill's talk on the Tibetan Wheel of Life inspired an investigation of mandalas and symbols which led me to the works of Joseph Campbell, Carl G. Jung and Sir James G. Frazer, and the art of ancient Indian, Himalayan and Native American cultures, to name a few.

The following are collages made with materials found in my studio: paper, wood, canvas, acrylic paint, oil paint, watercolor and gouache. Some are combined with needle and thread, others with glue and string. The final pieces (Triangle Piece, Portrait of a Man, Four Corners) are the most sculptural: they begin to incorporate the wooden backing that protrudes from the wall. The Self-Portrait with Bamboo is painted on sewn canvas scraps.

Memama’s Tapestry
20" x 15" watercolor on paper
September 2008

Life’s Cycles
26" x 20.5" watercolor and gouache on paper
March 2009

Sun Shape

32" x 26" acrylic and gouache on paper

April 2009

For William

10" x 10" oil on canvas

May 2009

Triangle Piece

11.5" x 10" acrylic on paper

April 2009

Portrait of a Man

10.5" x 10.5" pastel and acrylic on paper and wood

May 2009

Rose Bouquet
10" x 10" oil on canvas
April 2009

Bamboo out the Window

28" x 21" oil stick on canvas

April 2009

Drunken Collage

19" x 19" mixed media on canvas

April 2009

Four Corners

17" x 17" oil on canvas and wood

May 2009

Rose Mandala
27" x 23" oil and gouache on canvas and paper
April 2009

Pathétique
32" x 18" oil stick on canvas
April 2009

Mandala Study/ Union of Opposites
23" x 23" oil stick on paper
April 2009

Self Portrait with Bamboo
80" x 58" oil stick on canvas
May 2009

Tibetan Wheel of Life (blue)

32" x 24" acrylic on paper

March 2009

The following did not make it into the show although they relate to the other pieces.

Tibetan Wheel of Life (red)
29" x 22" watercolor, gouache and acrylic on paper
March 2009

Tibetan Wheel of Life
54" x 48" mixed media on paper
March 2009

Self Portrait

17" x 16" oil pastel and acrylic on paper

April 2009

Rose Atelier Painting

26" x 24" x 8" oil on sewn canvas

April 2009

Jazz & Samsara: Winter 2009

2009-06-25T09:02:00.006-04:00

In the first few months of 2009, I turned to nature, memory and music for inspiration. In March I attended a workshop which inspired a studies of the Tibetan Wheel of Life*. These bodies of work taught me to pursue my interests in whatever form they took. They also refreshed my love for collage and mixed media.

January to February 2009: In January, I took a drawing marathon with John Lees. He encouraged us to experiment with different materials, including ink wash, collage, watercolor and bleach. With John, I felt liberated to make whatever came to mind: I began with collages of my brothers and the Texas landscape; an unexpected visit to a jazz concert inspired a series of drawings and collages, which later merged with the animal imagery.

Close Your Eyes and It's Passed...
11" x 17" watercolor and ink on paper
January 2009

Goats and Brothers

11" x 17" watercolor and ink on paper

January 2009

Brothers & Pugsly the Cat

each 11" x 17" watercolor, ink, collage on paper

January 2009

Horses in Landscape

each 11" x 17" watercolor on paper

January 2009

Sketches of Jazz Musicians

each apx. 3" x 5" pencil on paper

January 2009

Jazz in Texas Landscape

11" x 17" watercolor collage on paper

January 2009

Deep Blues

8" x 10" mixed media collage on paper

January 2009

Jazz Collage Series

each 17" x 24" mixed media collage on paper

January 2009

Horse Jazz

11" x 17" watercolor on paper

January 2009

Emo Pictures

each 11" x 17" watercolor on paper

February 2009

Horse Jazz Lovers

29" x 17" acrylic on paper

February 2009

Large Jazz Collage

36" x 36" watercolor gouache on paper

February 2009

Horizontal Jazz

9" x 22" watercolor gouache collage on paper

February 2009

Life's Cycles

26" x 20.5" watercolor and gouache on paper

February 2009

This piece was inspired by Joseph Campbell's writings.

March 2009: Tibetan Wheel of Life

In March, I attended a workshop by Derek O'Neill in New York. He talked about many things but what stuck with me was his teachings on the Tibetan Wheel of Life. The Tibetan Wheel of Life* (samsara) is the chain of successive rebirths and deaths that comprise our existence. It is the dream that we create and are subject to, unless we attain the awareness that leads to liberation.

The innermost circle of the Wheel contains a pig, a rooster and a snake, representing respectively, the greed, ignorance and jealousy that keeps us trapped on the wheel. The next circle shows the two paths one can take: the light path to enlightenment or the dark path to further suffering.

The six sections of the next circle depict the six realms of existence which are subject to birth and death. Clockwise from top: the god realm (paradise until your time is up!), the demigods (who fight with the gods), the hungry ghosts (always hungry but mouths are size of pins), the hell realm (again, not permanent), the animal realm (not very fun), the human realm (suffering and little joy). The outermost circle shows the twelve causes or attachments that link us to the wheel. They include ignorance, emotions, desire, grasping and death.

I am grateful to have received these teachings from Derek and will continue to study them. The following works of art are interpretations of the Wheel, made with acrylic paint and mixed media collage on paper.

Tibetan Wheel of Life (red)

29" x 22" watercolor, gouache and acrylic on paper

March 2009

Tibetan Wheel of Life (blue)

32" x 24" acrylic on paper

March 2009

Large Wheel of Life 1

54" x 48" acrylic on paper

March 2009

Large Wheel of Life 1 (detail)

Here you can see the inner circle with the pig (greed), snake (jealousy) and rooster (ignorance), the next circle showing the two paths (light and dark), surrounded by the six realms of existence (gods, demigods, hungry ghosts, hell, animals and humans). Each realm contains a Buddha who holds the key to escaping that particular realm. Recall that even the god and hell realms are impermanent.

Large Wheel of Life 2
54" x 48" acrylic on paper
March 2009

Large Wheel of Life 3
54" x 48" acrylic and pastel on paper
March 2009

*You can look up more about the Tibetan Wheel of Life online:
Himalayan Art
Buddha.net Interactive Tour
Wikipedia (with links at bottom)

Geometric Symbology: Fall 2008

2009-06-24T12:38:00.010-04:00

September 2008 began my second year of the New York Studio School MFA program. After summer of making art in relative freedom, I felt pressure to create a solid and serious body of work. Although the MFA show was over six months away, anxiety often clouded my mind. For example, I wondered how I could focus on a single subject when my tendency is to make multiple bodies of work that relate on a grander scale. The lesson that I learned during MFA 2 year was self trust: finding the courage to pursue what feels right, even if it means taking a different path than expected. Here is a sampling of works created during the first half of the year.

Transcriptions for the Fall 2008 Benefit: The Four Elements
Every year the New York Studio School has a benefit auction and dinner which raises scholarship money. Graham Nickson, the dean, selects a theme for the year and students make transcriptions (a personalized version of a copy) of works of art related to this theme. This year's theme was the four elements. I selected paintings that I saw at the Metropolitan Museum of Art: two by Nicolas Poussin, a French painter who studied in Italy, one by Eugene Delacroix and one by El Greco. The first Poussin transcription was given to Sean Scully as a gift from the school and the second disappeared from the benefit!

Transcription of Nicolas Poussin's

Summer: Ruth and Boaz (1660-1664)

9" x 12" oil on wood

October 2008

Transcription of Nicolas Poussin's

Landscape with a Calm (1650-51)

9" x 12" oil on wood

October 2008

Transcription of Eugene Delacroix's

Abduction of Rebecca (1846)

9" x 12" oil on wood

October 2008

Transcription of El Greco's View of Toledo (1597)

14" x 9" oil on wood

October 2008

Four Horses: Watercolors

While painting the transcriptions, I made little watercolors from drawings of my mother's horses. The large oil-paint versions did not turn out as well as the small watercolors. Bigger isn't always better!

Two Horses

10" x 14" watercolor on cardboard

October 2008

One Horse

10" x 14" watercolor on cardboard

October 2008

Diamond Eating

10" x 14" watercolor on cardboard

October 2008

Visit from the Vet

10" x 14" oil on wood

October 2008

Geometry: One obstacle of the MFA 2 program is the desire to find a unique subject matter for the show. Only later did I realize that trying so hard for something special can blind you from making what you like to make. In the beginning, I used other people's images for inspiration, placing characters from my grandmother Katherine Kilgore's tapestries into Nicolas Poussin's landscapes. Katherine made a weaving of my brothers and I dancing under a tree to the music of a lute player. I wore stag antlers, Joel wore a wolf mask and Ian was a baby jester. The paintings of the series begin depicting a stag and wolf holding a bundled baby and became increasingly geometric.

Stag, Wolf and Child

apx. 30" x 20" acrylic on wood

November 2008

Stag and Wolf Octagon
apx. 40" x 40" acrylic on wood
November 2008

Octagon Study
20" x 30" charcoal on paper
October 2008

Triangle Dream: In October I had a dream of two triangles, representing the male and female touching at an apex. The male triangle is normally pointing upwards but in the dream I felt that the purple upwards-pointing triangle represented myself and the light blue downwards triangle was the male energy. Curious. The dream prompted a study of geometric symbology, sacred geometry and platonic solids. Two triangles united forms the Star of David. At that time in my life, the male and female energies were not ready to make the union of opposites. So I painted my feelings about relationships using triangle imagery.

Triangle Study
16" x 12" acrylic on canvas
October 2008

Coupling 1 and Coupling 2
16" x 12" each, acrylic on canvas
November 2008

Coupling 3
10" x 18 acrylic on canvas
November 2008

Anger and Jealousy

12" x 12" each, acrylic on canvas

November 2008

Inner Space

14" x 14" acrylic on canvas

November 2008

Triangle Ghost

12" x 12" acrylic on canvas

November 2008

Little Blue

5" x 5" acrylic on canvas

November 2008

Interaction

14" x 14" oil and acrylic on canvas

November 2008

Jews Can't Paint (inspired by David Cohen's talk on RB Kitaj)

16" x 12" acrylic collage on canvas

November 2008

For Jose

9" x 12" acrylic on canvas

November 2008

Space

8" x 10" acrylic on canvas

November 2008

Touching

8" x 5" acrylic on canvas

November 2008

Diamond Collage

84" x 60" acrylic and canvas collage

November 2008

Octagon

apx. 40" x 40" sewn canvas

November 2008

Platonic Solids

1. Tetrahedron (4 sides)

2. Octahedron (8 sides)

3. Icosahedron (20 sides)

dimensions vary, oil on canvas, pillow stuffing, thread

November 2008

Platonic Solids Installation at December Final Critique

Giant Star Installation

apx. 15' x 15'

acrylic on paper

October - December 2008

Hawaii 08 Large Watercolors

2008-08-20T04:21:00.004-04:00

These are the larger watercolors I made in Hawaii. They are from life as well as from drawings and memory. Be sure to look at these as well as the watercolors done from life at the beach (on the following page)!

Sunset and Palms 1
9" x 12" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Sunset and Palms 2
9" x 12" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Sunset and Palms 3
0" x 12" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Big Island Landscape
9" x 12" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Kona Sunset
4" x 11" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Kids Play, Dad Swims
9" x 12" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Brigitte Watches, Twins Play
9" x 12" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Ian Reads
9" x 12" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Dad and Brigitte Reading
9" x 12" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Twins Tussling
9" x 12" watercolor on paper
August 2008

The Kite Man
9" x 12" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Twins Watercoloring
10" x 15" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Fantasy Baseball Rules!
10" x 15" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Brigitte, Ian and the Twins
10" x 15" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Ian Reading Conan
15" x 10" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Arthur and Douglas at Dinner
10" x 15" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Ian and Arthur at Dinner
15" x 10" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Ian in the Car
15" x 10" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Ian Churnin
15" x 10" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Hawaii 08 Beach Watercolors

2008-08-20T03:40:00.004-04:00

In addition to drawing in my sketchbook, I made many watercolors while in Hawaii. Although I made the majority of watercolors while on the beach, I also painted from sketches made earlier in the day, using notes and memory to guide my color choices.

These are the beach ones!

Man at Beach

5" x 8.5" watercolor on paper

August 2008

Surfer Boy
5" x 8.5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Beach Brothers
5" x 8.5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Ship at Sea
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Football Shots
5" x 8.5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Man in PolkaDot Trunks
6" x 4" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Girl with Red Flower
6" x 4" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Reading Couple
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Big Island Landscape with Road
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Big Island Sky
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Surfer Couples
5" x 8.5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Lets Play Catch
5" x 8.5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Old Men Talking about the Rockefellers
5" x 8.5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

The Kite Man with Shark Kite
8.5" x 5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Surfer Boy and Girlfriend
5" x 8.5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Twins
8.5" x 5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Sea Turtle
5" x 8.5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Kona Sunset
5" x 8.5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Ian, Arthur and Douglas Dig a Hole
5" x 8.5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Dad
5" x 8.5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Kid Eating a Papaya
8.5" x 5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Surfer Boys
5" x 8.5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Sea Ray at Night
5" x 8.5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Island Fish
5" x 8.5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

The Milky Way, Venus, Scorpio and the North Star
5" x 8.5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Surfer Boy, Surfer Girl
8.5" x 5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Surfer Boy, Yellow Board
8.5" x 5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Surf Talk
8.5" x 5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Beach Goers
5" x 8.5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Towards the Water
8.5" x 5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Musicians
5" x 8.5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Hawaii 08: Drawings

2008-08-20T02:40:00.007-04:00

After Brazil, I went to Hawaii for a week with my family. We went to the Big Island, which was mostly barren on the side where we staid. I did a lot of drawings while on the beach and in the car. It was a challenge to capture the color of the sky, landscape and people with pencil and eraser.

Dad, Arthur and Douglas at Breakfast

12" x 9" pencil on paper

August 2008

Palm Trees and Turtle
9" x 12" pencil on paper
August 2008

Big Island Landscape 1
9" x 12" pencil on paper
August 2008

Big Island Landscape 2
9" x 12" pencil on paper
August 2008

Ian and Arthur at the Italian Restaurant
9" x 12" pencil on paper
August 2008

Ian, King of Cups
12" x 9" pencil on paper
August 2008

Palms and Face
12" x 9" pencil on paper
August 2008

Skyskape with Color Notes
9" x 12" pencil on paper
August 2008

Collecting Shells and Spotting Fish
12" x 9" pencil on paper
August 2008

Family at the Beach
9" x 12" pencil on paper
August 2008

Ian and Arthur's Alien
12" x 9" pencil on paper
August 2008

Ian at the Beach
12" x 9" pencil on paper
August 2008

Big Island Landscape 3
9" x 12" pencil on paper
August 2008

Sunset Studies 1
12" x 9" pencil on paper
August 2008

Sunset Studies 2
12" x 9" pencil on paper
August 2008

Ian Reading Conan
12" x 9" pencil on paper
August 2008

Sunset Studies 3
12" x 9" pencil on paper
August 2008

Douglas, Arthur, Ari and Ian
12" x 9" pencil on paper
August 2008

Douglas and Arthur
3" x 5" pencil on paper
August 2008

On the Way to Dinner
12" x 9" pencil on paper
August 2008

Sunset Studies 4
12" x 9" pencil on paper
August 2008

Big Island Landscape 4
12" x 9" pencil on paper
August 2008

Big Island Landscape 5
9" x 12" pencil on paper
August 2008

Sunset Studies 5
9" x 12" pencil on paper
August 2008

Sunset Studies 6
9" x 12" pencil on paper
August 2008

Sunset Studies 7
9" x 12" pencil on paper
August 2008

Arthur, Douglas and Ian at Breakfast
12" x 9" pencil on paper
August 2008

Joel Plays MLB Game in San Francisco
9" x 12" pencil on paper
August 2008

Brazil 2008: Praia Branca

2008-08-19T19:46:00.005-04:00

This summer I went to Brazil with my friend Evandro. My first night there, we went with his sister Paula to Praia Branca, a beautiful beach a few hours outside of Sao Paolo, where my friend lives. Here are some watercolors and drawings of the beach.

Watercolors

Praia Branca Yellow Bathingsuit

4" x 6" watercolor on paper

July 2008

Praia Branca Sailboat

4" x 6" watercolor on paper

July 2008

Children on the Beach
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
July 2008

Praia Lovers
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
July 2008

Praia Branca Sailboat
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
July 2008

Praia Branca Purple Tides
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
July 2008

Moonrise 1

6" x 4" watercolor on paper

July 2008

Moonrise 2
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
July 2008

Moonrise 3
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
July 2008

Midnight Walkers 1
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
July 2008

Midnight Walkers 2

4" x 6" watercolor on paper

July 2008

Evandro Painting
6" x 9" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Praia Fishermen
5" x 8.5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Praia Fisherman and Net
5" x 8.5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Remember the Moon
5" x 8.5" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Drawings from Praia Branca

Praia Branca 1

9" x 12" pencil on paper

July 2008

Praia Branca 2
12" x 9" pencil on paper
July 2008

Praia Branca 3
9" x 12" pencil on paper
July 2008

Praia Branca Fisherman
12" x 9" pencil on paper
July 2008

Fisherman and Boat

9" x 12" pencil on paper
July 2008

Praia Branca 4
9" x 12" pencil on paper
July 2008

Praia Branca Rock-Sitters
9" x 12" pencil on paper
July 2008

Wika and Allan
9" x 12" pencil on paper
July 2008

Praia Branca 5
9" x 12" pencil on paper
July 2008

Brazil 2008: Sao Paolo

2008-08-19T18:57:00.005-04:00

After I returned from Brazil, I made some drawings and watercolors based on memories and small sketches. These works are mostly from my time at Evandro's father's house, with little dogs, in the forest.

Drawings from Sketches and Memory

Evandro and Dog

12" x 9" pencil on paper

August 2008

Ari and Dog
12" x 9" pencil on paper
August 2008

Evandro on Stairs with Dog
12" x 9" pencil on paper
August 2008

Ari and Jungle Dog
12" x 9" pencil on paper
August 2008

Ari and Two Small Dogs
12" x 9" pencil on paper
August 2008

Sao Paolo Watercolors from Drawings and Memory

Casa dos Cachorros

6" x 9" watercolor on paper
August 2008

House in the Forest

9" x 12" watercolor on paper

August 2008

Dog Dreams 1

12" x 9" watercolor on paper

August 2008

Dog Dreams 2
12" x 9" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Dog Dreams 3

12" x 9" watercolor on paper

August 2008

Ari and Orange Dog

15" x 10" watercolor on paper

August 2008

Evandro and his Dog
15" x 10" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Evandro on the Stairs with Dog

15" x 10" watercolor on paper

August 2008

Ari and Red Dog
15" x 10" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Ari and White Dog

15" x 10" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Brazil 2008: Salvador

2008-08-17T14:35:00.011-04:00

Shortly after arriving in Brazil, I traveled North to Salvador, where I stayed for a week with a new friend, Moni. Moni and her friends are the best tour-guides a foreigner could ask for (um beijo por tudos meos amigos in salvador!). Despite language barriers, we had many adventures together: we visited beautiful beaches, toured the old city, listened to music, ate good food, and danced the samba and forro' late into the night. While in Salvador I mostly made pen and pencil studies in my sketchbook, I did get a good watercolor session in at a local beach.

Drawings

Boat Sketches

9" x 12" pencil on paper

July 2008

View of Salvador
9" x 12" pencil on paper
July 2008

Clouds over Itaparica
9" x 12" pencil on paper
July 2008

Itaparica Palms
9" x 12" pencil on paper
July 2008

Bay of Itaparica
9" x 12" pencil on paper
July 2008

Drying Boats, Salvador
9" x 12" pencil on paper
July 2008

Men, Dogs and Boats
9" x 12" pencil on paper
July 2008

Towards Salvador Bay
9" x 12" pencil on paper
July 2008

Men and Dogs
9" x 12" pencil on paper
July 2008

Moni
12" x 9" pencil on paper
July 2008

Macio
9" x 12" pencil on paper
July 2008

Watercolors

Uma Barca
6" x 9" watercolor on paper
July 2008

Caipirinhas e Caipiroskas!

6" x 9" watercolor on paper

July 2008

Luis qui Vende as Bebidas

6" x 9" watercolor on paper
July 2008

Musicistas
6" x 9" watercolor on paper
July 2008

Toca a Violina

6" x 9" watercolor on paper

July 2008

Bebe Agua de Coco

9" x 6" watercolor on paper

July 2008

Salvador Surfer

9" x 6" watercolor on paper

July 2008

Acaraje'
9" x 6" watercolor on paper
August 2008

Paintings Spring 2008

2008-05-13T16:36:00.000-04:00

This past winter and spring, I focused on still-life paintings of roses and lucky bamboo, and transcribing the work of Antonio Pollaiuolo, a fifteenth century Florentine painter. Paradoxically, by narrowing my subject matter, I had more freedom to explore color, space and composition in my paintings. I often painted my still-life set ups using the palettes and color structures of great artists such as Henri Matisse, Pierre Bonnard, Wassily Kandinsky, and the artist(s) who painted the haunting Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii. In a similar vein, I used Pollaiuolo's engraving Battle of the Nude Men (1465) as a structure upon which I experimented with color, such as that of Matisse's Dance (1909) and Joie de Vivre (1906).

In addition to the still-life and transcription paintings, I made a small series of watercolors from my home in San Francisco. I hope to continue painting with watercolors, a wonderful medium for travelers!

San Francisco Watercolors December 2007

Ian by the Fireplace
10" x 10" watercolor on paper
December 2007

Joel by the Fireplace
10" x 10" watercolor on paper
December 2007

San Francisco Sunset
5" x 12" watercolor on paper
December 2007

Rose Series
February-April 2008
A bouquet of birthday roses sent from my father inspired this series.

Self Portrait with Roses
12" x 9" oil on canvas
February 2008

Roses in the Garden
Inspired by Pierre Bonnard's Young Women in the Garden (1921-23, 1941-46)
12" x 9" oil on canvas
February 2008

Pompeiian Roses
Inspired by Villa of the Mysteries, Pompeii (c.50-60 B.C.E.)
9" x 12" oil on canvas
February 2008

Roses Europa
Inspired by Pierre Bonnard's The Abduction of Europa (1919)
12" x 12" oil paint on canvas
February 2008

Palm Roses
Inspired by Pierre Bonnard's The Palm (1926)
9" x 12" oil on canvas
February 2008

Drunken Roses
8" x 8" oil on canvas
March 2008

Roses
12" x 9" oil on canvas
March 2008

Bamboo Series March-May 2008
The idea to paint lucky bamboo against a patterned background came from a dream I had in February or March. In the dream, I was painting the space between the lucky bamboo and the patterned cloth on the wall behind it. With the help of my savvy friend Carol Silverman, I procured some lucky bamboo and began to paint it, alongside the dried roses, against a patterned back-drop.

Baby Bamboo
5" x 5" oil on canvas
March 2008

Bamboo and Roses 1
10" x 8" oil on canvas
March 2008

Bamboo and Roses 2
24" x 24" oil on canvas
March 2008

Bamboo and Roses 3
40" x 30" oil on canvas
April 2008

Bamboo and Roses 4
48" x 48" oil on canvas
April 2008

Bamboo and Roses 5
40" x 48" oil on canvas
April-May 2008

Pollaiuolo Series February-May 2008
Attempts to combine Antonio Pollaiuolo's Battle of Naked Men (1465)
with Henri Matisse's Le Joie de Vivre (1906)

Pollaiuolo 1
9" x 12" oil on canvas
February 2008

Pollaiuolo 2
9" x 12" oil on board
February 2008

Pollaiuolo 3
9" x 12" oil on canvas
March 2008

Pollaiuolo 5
Inspired by Willem De Kooning's Excavation (1950)
10" x 14" oil paint on canvas
March 2008

Pollaiuolo 6
30" x 40" oil and pastel on canvas
April 2008

Pollaiuolo 7
30" x 40" oil on canvas
April 2008

Other Works (just for fun)

Stanley 1
10" x 14" oil on canvas
April 2008

Stanley 2
10" x 8" oil on canvas
April 2008

Collage 1
30" x 40" paper, acrylic, polymer medium
April 2008

Collage 2
40" x 30" paper, acrylic, polymer medium
April 2008

Paintings: Spring 2008

2008-05-13T14:39:00.011-04:00

MFA Independent Work: Fall 2007

2008-01-09T17:36:00.000-05:00

In addition to our daily model painting sessions, the MFA students in Graham's atelier are expected to create and develop a body of independent work. Inspired by my summer watercolor series in Italy and Hawaii, I decided to make watercolor paintings of the New York sky and landscape. I also found inspiration in my friends (and their pets) who painted alongside me in the studio.

Watercolor Series from Staten Island Ferry
October 2007

View from Staten Island
3" x 5" watercolor on paper
October 2007

View from Staten Island Ferry: Bridge
3" x 5" watercolor on paper
October 2007

View from Staten Island Ferry: Clouds
3" x 5" watercolor on paper
October 2007

Watercolor Series from MacDougal Alley
November 2007

MacDougal Alley: Purple and Yellow Sky
9.5" x 12.5" watercolor on paper
November 2007

MacDougal Alley: Vertical Sky
9.5" x 12.5" watercolor on paper
November 2007

MacDougal Alley: Orange and Blue Sky
9.5" x 12.5" watercolor on paper
November 2007

MacDougal Alley: Purple and Orange Sky
9.5" x 12.5" watercolor on paper
November 2007

MacDougal Alley: Purple Clouds, Yellow Sky
9.5" x 12.5" watercolor on paper
November 2007

View from MacDougal Alley
5" x 7" watercolor on paper
October 2007

View from MacDougal Alley: Italianate Building
5" x 7" watercolor on paper
November 2007

Oil Series of MacDougal Alley
December 2007
In our midterm critique, John Dubrow commented on the disparity between my watercolors and oil paintings. Whereas my watercolors contained vibrant and clear colors, my oil paintings were rather muddy. After a semester of struggle, I was finally able to transfer some of that clarity of my watercolors into my oil paintings.

MacDougal at Night: Yellow Windows
12" x 9" oil on canvas
October 2007

MacDougal at Night: Orange Building
12" x 9" oil on canvas
October 2007

MacDougal During Day (beyond roof)
10" x 10" oil on canvas
December 2007

MacDougal during Day
10" x 8" oil on canvas
December 2007

Sunset MacDougal Alley
6" x 6" oil on canvas
December 2007

Sunset MacDougal Alley
6" x 8" oil on canvas
December 2007

MacDougal Alley at Dusk
6" x 12" oil on linen
December 2007

Night Sky MacDougal Alley
8" x 14" oil on canvas
December 2007

In the Studio Series
October - November 2007

Frita
5" x 5" oil on canvas
October 2007

Sam Stretching Canvas
12" x 12" oil on canvas
October 2007

Sam Priming Canvas
12" x 12" oil on canvas
October 2007

Will Crouching
10" x 8" oil on canvas
November 2007

Will Painting I
10" x 8" oil on canvas
November 2007

Will Painting II
10" x 8" oil on canvas
November 2007

Will Painting III
12" x 12" oil on canvas
November 2007

Self Portrait (feeling face)
24" x 18 pencil on paper
December 2007

MFA Atelier Work: Fall 2007

2008-01-09T14:44:00.001-05:00

This fall, I began my Masters of Fine Arts at the New York Studio School. Although I studied at this school last year as a Certificate Student (2006-2007), I have found that the MFA program is considerably more challenging. Since enrolling at NYSS, my drawing and painting skills have developed considerably, thanks to my wonderful teachers and mentors. The following works are from my fall semester in Graham Nickson's Atelier. This post contains several of my atelier (studio) paintings as well as works for the Annual Benefit Dinner.

Atelier Work

In the beginning of the semester, we worked on small, quick paintings with varying limited palettes in order to familiarize ourselves with color, oil paint and the plastic language of painting. Towards the end of the semester, painted on an increased scale for longer periods of time.

First Painting in Atelier
24" x 24" oil on canvas
September 2007

Elad and Sharie
20" x 16" oil on canvas
September 2007

Elad Interior
16" x 14" oil on canvas
October 2007

Elad
12" x 12" oil on canvas
October 2007

Torso
12" x 9" oil on canvas
October 2007

Sharie
12" x 9" oil on canvas
October 2007

Large paintings: Bathroom Series

Two Women in the Bathroom
72" x 56" oil on canvas
November 2007

Encounter in the Bathroom (Shown in Progress)
60" x 72" oil on canvas
December 2007

Encounter in the Bathroom (Shown in Progress)
60" x 72" oil on canvas
December 2007

Encounter in the Bathroom
60" x 72" oil on canvas
December 2007

Final Critique in December with John Dubrow

Transcriptions for the 2007 NYSS Annual Benefit Dinner

Every year the New York Studio School hosts a benefit dinner in order to raise money for the students. Artists donate works to sell in silent and live auctions and students make small and large-scale transcriptions to sell, based on a predetermined theme. This year's theme was "The Door in Art."

In addition to painting several small transcriptions, my classmates and I made three monumental transcriptions based on Diego Velasquez's Las Hilanderas (The Spinners) and Las Meninas, and Tintoretto's Removal of the Body of St. Mark, which would later be hung in the large ballroom of the Benefit Dinner.

My Transcriptions: Ducio, Lamidi, Matisse & Tintoretto

Meeting on the Road to Erasmus (after Duccio)
9" x 12" oil on canvas
October 2007

Procession at the Palace of Ooni
(after Lamidi's Idena Gatehouse, Africa)
12" x 9" acrylic on canvas
October 2007

Lover on the Balcony (after Matisse's Interior at Nice)
12" x 9" oil on canvas
October 2007

Removal of the Body of St. Mark (after Tintoretto)
12" x 9" oil on canvas
October 2007

Group Transcriptions: Velasquez and Tintoretto

Will and Hiro speak about the Las Hilanderas transcription

Ari, Will, Hadley and Hiro in front of Las Hilanderas

The finished piece

Will, Hiro and Sam (not pictured) work on a transcription of
Tintoretto's Removal of the Body of St. Mark

Hiro, Sam and Will

Giz and Leo work on Velasquez's Las Meninas

Las Meninas transcription, after Velasquez

Removal of the Body of St. Mark, after Tintoretto

Will, Sam and Hiro (in the dark) in front of their transcription.

Las Hilanderas at the Benefit Dinner

Will and I at the benefit. It's finally over!!

Drawing Marathon: Fall 2007

2008-01-09T13:24:00.000-05:00

This fall, I participated in Gregory Botts and Eve Ascheim's Drawing Marathon at the New York Studio School. During the first week with Gregory Botts, we drew exclusively from the figure and constructed set-ups, whereas the second week with Eve Ascheim, we took a more conceptual approach, using collage, geometry and combined perspectives in our drawings.

1. Gregory Botts Drawing Marathon (week 1)

Standing Nude 1
36" x 24" compressed charcoal on paper
September 2007

Standing Nude 2
36" x 24" charcoal on paper
September 2007

Standing Nude 3 (Oceana)
36" x 24" charcoal on paper
September 2007

Standing Nude 4 (Oceana with Crown)
36" x 24" charcoal on paper
September 2007

Gesture Drawing (the Stretch)
24" x 36" vine charcoal on newsprint
September 2007

Standing Nude 5
36" x 24" charcoal on paper
September 2007

Standing Nude 6
36" x 24" charcoal on paper
September 2007

At the end of the week with Gregory Botts, we worked on a large piece, combining two separate poses into a single composition. To make it interesting, Gregory created large props such as skulls, flowers and clouds out of foam-core. It was a challenge to create a believable space using two models who were never in the studio at the same time!

Large Figure Composition: Skull and Clouds
apx. 9' x 4' compressed charcoal on paper
September 2007

2. Eve Ascheim Drawing Marathon (week 2)

My Influences
18" x 24" charcoal on newsprint
September 2007

A Collection of Shapes and Things
18" x 24" charcoal on paper
September 2007

Collage 1: African Mask
12" x 18" photocopied patterns on paper
September 2007

Collage 2: Wormhole
18" x 24" photocopied images, charcoal on paper
September 2007

Perspective Drawing
24" x 18" charcoal on paper
September 2007

Perspective Drawing 2
24" x 18" charcoal on paper
September 2007

Perspective Drawing 3
12" x 12" charcoal on paper
September 2007

Perspective Drawing 4
12" x 12" charcoal on paper
September 2007

Our final assignment for Eve Ascheim's Marathon was a conceptual piece. I decided to research hypercubes and drawing in the fourth dimension. There are many artists who devote their entire careers to drawing the fourth dimension. Although the idea is intriguing, I'm not sure it is a direction I'll be pursuing...

Thoughts on Hypercubes and the 4th Dimension
18" x 24" ink on paper
September 2007

Hypercube City
24" x 36" ink and charcoal on paper
September 2007

Painting the Hypercubes Requires Concentration

At the end of the week, we had a show for our Drawing Marathon in the Lobby and the front window of our school. My figure drawing got a view of West 8th Street--or rather, West 8th Street got a view of my figure drawing!

Hawaii Watercolor Series 2007

2008-01-05T16:41:00.000-05:00

After Italy, I went to Hawaii for a week with my family. Fresh from painting Italian dawns for a solid week, I felt ready to take on the Maui seascape with my watercolors and paper. In a strange twist of fate, my suitcase containing my watercolors was misplaced by the airlines, leaving me with only the colors on my disposable palette. As the week progressed, I ran out of blue, then green, then red...you get the picture. By the end of the week, I was painting in pure yellow!

A side note: Enclosed are two watercolors by my brothers Arthur and Douglas. It was fascinating to see how differently each used the watercolors to represent the view from our hotel window. I think they each did a great job. What do you think?

View from Maui
10" x 14" watercolor on paper
8.5.2007

Douglas
7" x 5" watercolor on paper
8.5.2007

View of Maui
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
8.6.2007

View from Hotel
7" x 5" watercolor on paper
8.6.2007

Douglas Churnin
View from Hotel
5" x 7" watercolor on paper
8.6.2007

Arthur Churnin
View from Hotel
5" x 7" watercolor on paper
8.6.2007

View from Lahaina
10" x 14" watercolor on paper
8.7.2007

View from Lahaina: Clouds over Horizon
10" x 14" watercolor on paper
8.7.2007

View from Lahaina: Sailboat and Clouds
10" x 14" watercolor on paper
8.7.2007

View from Big Beach
10" x 14" watercolor on paper
8.8.2007

View from Big Beach
10" x 14" watercolor on paper
8.8.2007

Sailboats, Maui
5" x 14" watercolor on paper
8.9.2007

Kai Kenani
5" x 14" watercolor on paper
8.9.2007

Sailboat: View of Maui
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
8.9.2007

Joel Entering Water
14" x 10" watercolor on paper
8.9.2007

Two Sailboats
6.5" x 9.5" watercolor on paper
8.10.2007

Maui
10" x 14" watercolor on paper
8.10.2007

Coastline with Storm
6.5" x 9.5" watercolor on paper
8.10.2007

Yellow Maui
10" x 14" watercolor on paper
8.11.2007

Yellow Sailboat and Beach Bums
10" x 14" watercolor on paper
8.11.2007

Italy Watercolor Series 2007

2008-01-05T14:21:00.000-05:00

After the NYSS Drawing Marathon in Orvieto, I spent a week in a small house outside of Todi, Italy. Every morning I painted the sunrise, along with my friend and professor. As watercolor is a new medium for me, as is waking up at 4am, and I hadn't painted from nature in over a year, it is needless to say that I struggled during the process of painting these sunrises. I felt like a child when I painted the first sunrise; clumsily, freely and unaware of my materials. By the end of the week, however, I was able to create miniature compositions with bold, clear color choices. The dates below the pieces demonstrate the progress (I hope!) that I made during the week. Enjoy!

Domenica (Sunday)

Todi in Darkness before Sunrise
10" x 14" watercolor on paper
7.22.2007

Todi Before Sunrise
10" x 14" watercolor on paper
7.22.2007

Before Sunrise over Todi
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
7.22.2007

Red Egg-Yolk Sun
10" x 14" watercolor on paper
7.22.2007

Yellow Egg-Yolk Sun
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
7.22.2007

Todi Domenica Sera, alle Otto (Sunday Evening, 8pm)
7.5" x 11" watercolor on paper
7.22.2007

Lunedi (Monday)

Todi alle quattro e mezzo della mattina (4:30am)
7.5" x 11" watercolor on paper
7.23.2007

Todi prima dell'alba
10" x 14" watercolor on paper
7.23.2007

Todi prima dell'alba (with red dots)
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
7.23.2007

Todi cerca l'alba: Un cielo grandissimo!
(Todi near dawn: a grand sky!)
10" x 14" watercolor on paper
7.23.2007

L'alba di Todi
10" x 14" watercolor on paper
7.23.2007

Martedi (Tuesday)

Purple Todi before Sunrise
8" x 8" watercolor on paper
7.24.2007

Todi, Pale Sky Before Sunrise
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
7.24.2007

Todi Tuesday before Sunrise
10" x 14" watercolor on paper
7.24.2007

Todi Sunrise in Red Sky
10" x 14" watercolor on paper
7.24.2007

Todi Tuesday Afternoon
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
7.24.2007

Mercoledi (Wednesday)

Todi before Sunrise
10" x 14" watercolor on paper
7.25.2007

Rainbow Sky before Sunrise
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
7.25.2007

Dark Todi, Rainbow Sky before Sunrise
8" x 8" watercolor on paper
7.25.2007

Todi Sun Peeking over Mountains
4" x 8" watercolor on paper
7.25.2007

Todi Sunrise on a Clear Day
4" x 8" watercolor on paper

7.25.2007

Todi Sunset
(alternative titles: Todi as toad, Todi as pizza)
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
7.25.2007

Giovedi (Thursday)

Todi Flying Clouds before Sunset
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
7.26.2007

Todi Purple Clouds before Sunrise (panoramic)
4.5" x 14" watercolor on paper
7.26.2007

Todi Red Sunrise (panoramic)
4.5" x 14" watercolor on paper
7.26.2007

Todi White Sunrise
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
7.26.2007

Venerdi (Friday)

Todi Purple Mountains before Sunrise
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
7.27.2007

Todi Before Sunrise (panoramic)
4.5" x 14" watercolor on paper
7.27.2007

Todi Orange Sunrise (panoramic)
4.5" x 14" watercolor on paper
7.27.2007

Todi Red Sunrise Surprise
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
7.27.2007

L'ultima notte a Todi: La Luna
(The last night in Todi: The moon)
10" x 14" watercolor on paper
7.27.2007

La Luna e gli Arboli
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
7.27.2007

Sabato (Saturday)

Todi Morning Mist
4" x 6" watercolor on paper
7.28.2007

Finally...some oil pastel drawings

Orvieto Landscape
8" x 11" oil pastel on paper

Orvieto Haystacks
8" x 11" oil pastel on paper

Todi Still Life with Fruit and Flowers
11" x 8" oil pastel on paper

Todi Dawn
8" x 11" oil pastel on paper

Italy Photos I: Summer 2007

2007-08-26T23:03:00.000-04:00

I usually don't publish photos on my website but I can't resist showing the beautiful shots I took while in Italy this summer during the New York Studio School 's Orvieto Drawing Marathon in Orvieto, Italy. Be sure check out some of the art that I did there on my previous post.

It's hard to paint or photograph Italy without dipping into the sentimental. I tried to resist the romantic but you be the judge. Please click on the images to enlarge.

un buon cappuccino

old lady selling drinks and gelato
orvieto, italy

orvieto duomo: where we drew from signorelli

mr. alex nolan in the piazza del duomo

view of countryside, orvieto

sunlit farm, umbria

arezzo

morandi's studio, bologna

bologna buildings

santo stefano, bologna

green trash cans, red trucks, bologna

bologna shades of red

arches, florence

shutters, florence

requisite ponte vecchio shot

il duomo, giottos' bell-tower,
piazza della signoria, florence
(okay i know this is a touristy shot
but it's still beautiful you must admit)

i fiori

flower lady, orvieto (the world's oldest hippie?)

due donne vecchie...
i wonder what they are talking about?

during the weekend i took a walk around orvieto,
which is a fortified city on a hill. here are two views of orvieto from below:

beautiful, rotund haystacks

a medieval castle (now a hotel), outside of Orvieto.
On our first night, Darcy and I heard an Italian cover band play the
Chilli Peppers from what we think was the castle

archway to assisi

darcy, kat and i in assisi

sara, me and kat in padua

lion in spoleto

spoleto

orvieto classico: the finest wine in town

evening light in montefalco

un buon'espresso

Italy Photos II: Summer 2007

2007-08-26T22:40:00.000-04:00

The second half of my Italy photos come from after the drawing marathon. I spent a week in Todi, and several days trapesing around Tuscany, Rome, Naples and Pompeii. Finally, I came home.

fruit stand in orvieto

zucchini flowers: good in pasta

pecorino romano: il mio formaggio preferito!

sunrise over todi

asa painting the landscape, todi

the little car i drove!!

saying goodbye to asa

todi at dusk

campari con spremuta

ravioli fatti da mano

insalata di caprese

tortellini al pesto e pomodoro

agnello con rosemarino, aglio e olio d'oliva

prosciutto e melone

sunflower and bumble-bee

giant sunflower!

saying goodbye to poppy

arch of titus

roman forum: flippin awesome

drinking from fountain

italian horse (cavallo)

villa of the mysteries, pompeii

Pompeiian Wall Paintings

le scave di pompeii

beautiful naples

"una bella pizza napoletana"
pizza marinara at da michele-
the best pizza joint in naples,
the city of the best pizza on earth

home at last!
buck and mocha seem to remember me

Orvieto Drawing Series 2007

2007-08-22T12:40:00.000-04:00

This summer, I participated in the New York Studio School 's two week drawing marathon in Orvieto, Italy. It was an amazing experience...our days alternated between drawing from Signorelli's frescoes at the Orvieto Duomo and drawing from the models in an Orvieto gym, and taking day-trips throughout Italy to draw from great works of art.

Some of the highlights included (here we go): Piero della Francesca's 'Legend of the True Cross' in Arezzo, 'Resurrection' in San Sepolcro and 'Madonna del Parto' in Monterchi, the Morandi Museum in Bologna, Giotto's frescoes in Padua and Assisi, Masaccio and Uccello in Florence, Fra Filippo Lippi in Spoleto and Benozzo Gozzoli's Life of St. Francis in Montefalco.

Overall, it was a wonderful trip. But the most amazing aspect of it was studying and spending time with Graham Nickson, dean of the New York Studio School. In addition to being a great artist and generous teacher, he is also an excellent chef! I hope you enjoy the artwork and the photographs.

-Ariel

Artwork:

Reclining Nude
36" x 36" vine charcoal on paper, july 2007

Small Standing Nude
12" x 18" vine charcoal on paper, july 2007

Large Standing Nude
3.5' x 7' vine charcoal on paper, july 2007

Drawing from Luca Signorelli's fresco in the Orvieto
18" x 12" pencil on paper, july 2007

Drawing from Luca Signorelli fresco, Orvieto
6" x 12" pencil on paper

Drawing from Giotto fresco, Scrovegni Chapel, Padua
6" x 12" pencil on paper, July 2007

Drawing from Giotto, Scrovegni Chapel, Padua
6" x 12" pencil on paper, july 2007

Drawing from Giotto, Scrovegni Chapel, Padua
6" x 12" pencil on paper, july 2007

Gettin' Dirty with my friend Will in Orvieto

Two Nudes
3.5' x 7.5' vine charcoal on paper, july 2007

Detail: Two Nudes
3.5' x 7.5' vine charcoal on paper, july 2007

Detail: Two Nudes
3.5' x 7.5' vine charcoal on paper, july 2007

Detail: Two Nudes
3.5' x 7.5' vine charcoal on paper, july 2007

FINALLY: The Large Transcription
The last day of the marathon, we split into two groups, each making a large transcription of a Lucca Signorelli fresco. The group I was in did "Heaven," and the other group did "Hell." Unfortunately, we had to destroy the piece, as it was too large to take back to the United States. Hopefully the following photos will give you an idea of the experience. Enjoy!

Ian, Bettina and Kat work on their sections

Alison begins work on the top half

We began with a grid: it helps when you are
working large from a small drawing

My section: our group began by dividing the fresco into sections
but later we all pretty much worked the whole piece

The (semi) finished piece: 32 feet across and 12.5 feet tall!

Left-hand side of the transcription

Middle section of transcription

Right-hand side of transcription

Detail

Will works on the "Hell" transcription

I got really dirty!

Kat overwhelmed with relief: we're done!

New York: Spring 2007

2007-06-29T15:36:00.000-04:00

Here are some images of my most recent work: from the spring of 2007. Unfortunately, I spilled tea on my computer, so I am missing a lot of images of my best pieces. So we will have to make do with the images I had managed to back up on my computer before my lamentable incident. Enjoy!

I. Drawings
In the spring I started going to more drawing classes, studying with Bruce Gagnier, Ophrah Shemesh, Stanley Lewis, Nick Lamia and Ron Milewicz. I also took a drawing marathon with Graham Nickson.

Crouching Model
12" x 9" pencil on paper

Stretching Model
9" x 12" pencil on paper

Elad and Chair
(from Graham Nickson's Marathon)
6' x 6' pencil, charcoal and acrylic on paper

Elad Playing Mandolin
(From Graham Nickson's Marathon)
5' x 8' charcoal and acrylic on paper

Drawing
12" x 9" charcoal pencil on paper

After Leger's Les Acrobates
9" x 12" charcoal pencil on paper

New York I: Fall 2006

2007-06-28T18:19:00.000-04:00

Hey there, it's been forever since I've posted on my website, but here it goes. This past year I've been studying drawing and painting at the New York Studio School in New York. The school is truly a unique place, which emphasizes long hours in the studio, working from the model and learning from a tradition of master artists. In the fall I am beginning my MFA at the Studio School and am truly excited about it. The next few posts feature some of the work that I've done in the past year. Enjoy!

I. Drawings from Fall 2006 -
Many of these oil pastel drawings are from a drawing marathon I took with Carole Robb. Every day for two weeks we made plein-air oil pastel drawings at the Chelsea Market.

Chelsea Businessmen
9" x 11" oil pastel on masonite

Chelsea Hallway
11" x 16" oil pastel on masonite

Chelsea Hallway II
11" x 16" oil pastel on paper

Fruit Vendor
9" x 12" oil pastel on masonite

Life Model
12" x 9" oil pastel on paper

Morning News
11" x 16" oil pastel on masonite

Stanley in Chelsea
18" x 12" oil pastel on masonite

Chelsea Market
5' x 6' (apx) oil stick on paper

II. Paintings from Fall 2006
In the fall of 2006 I studied in Carole Robb's atelier. I painted from life and photographs, concentrating on self-portraiture, family portraiture and the life and works of the late painter Arshile Gorky.

Ari and Model
24" x 24" oil paint on canvas

Double Portrait
24" x 18" oil paint on canvas

Gorky
9" x 11" oil paint on linen

Gorky II
9" x 12" oil paint on canvas

Gorky III
9" x 12" oil paint on canvas

Gorky IV
10" x 10" oil paint on canvas

James
12" x 16" oil paint on canvas

Mother and Daughter
12" x 9" oil paint on canvas

Group
24" x 16" oil paint on canvas

Art Opening: Jan 2007

2007-01-30T15:04:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who came to the opening of my first solo show! The show is up until the end of February, so stop by if you get a chance.

Ariel Elizabeth Churnin: Painting New York

January 21 - February 28

Patio Lounge
179 5th Avenue (btw. Lincoln & Berkeley or Degraw & Sackett)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 11217 718-857-3477

~

In case you missed the opening, here are some shots!

Josh, Me, John and Metta

Anna, Ian, Nick, Chris-mo and I

Anna and Ian

Ilya, Michelle and Dan

Willie Dutch, resident DJ

The brick walls look nice with the paintings, don't they?
The guy's thinking: whoa man I gotta go!

An overhead shot of the bar, courtesy of my
six-foot-something friend Joshua Bridge.
Look at Richard, everybody!

Josh and Kat look happy!

Hey there John!

Natti drinks the house special: Chambard Royale

I explain something to Josh. He seems dubious. Matt grins.

Richard and Dan

Josh and I

Dan and Matt

Okay, here it is: the NATTI FINALE

The end. Check out my show!!

Solo Show in Brooklyn: Jan 2007

2007-01-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who came to my first ever group show in New York! In a few weeks, I am going to have a solo show at the Patio Lounge in Brooklyn. Hope you can make it!

ARIEL CHURNIN -- PAINTINGS
January 21 - February 28

Opening Reception:
Thursday, January 25
7pm-11pm

*drink specials: sangria pitchers & chambard royale
(champagne topped with chambord raspberry liquour)

*dj begins at 10pm

*sign up for the patio lounge mailing list for prizes & info on events

*bring friends!

Patio Lounge
179 5th Avenue
(btw. Lincoln & Berkeley or Degraw & Sackett)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 11217
718-857-3477

______________________________________________________

Here are some installation shots & pictures of the paintings that will be featured in my first show!

Images of the Patio Lounge:

Sharon and Metta help hang my big piece

"Young Gorky"

"Chelsea Businessmen"

"Model and I"

"Family Portrait"

"Nude Collage"

"Double Portrait" and "Mother and Daughter"

"Cheri 1" and "Cheri 2"

"Gorky Collage 2" and "Beckmann"

"James" and "Gorky Collage"

"Black and White"

"Morning News" and "Chelsea Hallway"

Gorky Wall 1

Gorky Wall 2

Gorky Wall 3

View from the back of the bar

View from the front door

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First Group Show: Dec 2006

2006-12-06T13:53:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone.

I am participating in my first group show!

"The Square Show" - work on 10" x 10" sheets of archival paper.

November 28 - December 28, 2006

Opening reception and silent auction

Thursday, December 7th 6-8pm

Ceres Gallery (www.ceresgallery.org) is a co-operative womens gallery, located at 547 W 27th St, 2nd floor, in Chelsea. I joined it late this summer and hope to be part of them for a long time. There will also be a group show next summer which I plan to participate in as well. I hope that this is a start of more good things to come.

-Ariel

San Francisco: July 2006

2006-09-13T01:41:00.000-04:00

The summer before I moved to New York, I spent time with my family in San Francisco. I brought my sketchbook with me wherever I went. Some of my favorite drawings are of my mother's horses. My mother has been riding horses for over twenty years. Every weekend she drives an hour to the farm where she rides and feeds them. I don't get to go riding very often, but when I do, I always draw the horses after we finish a long ride. I love sketching their muscular haunches, their powerful legs and the curve of their elegant backs.

Horses 1
Ink on Paper, 7.5" x 5.5"
July 2006

Horses 2 (Little Joe and Diamond)
Ink on Paper, 3.5" x 5.5"
July 2006

Horses 3 (Logan, Amanda and Diamond)
Ink on Paper, 3.5" x 5.5"
July 2006

I also sketched my grandmother's studio. My grandmother, Katherine Kilgore, was a weaver and a painter. Although she passed away when I was only ten, I think of her often as paint and draw.

Memomma's Studio
Ink on Paper, 7.5" x 5.5"
July 2006

Later that summer, I went to the zoo with my dad and brothers. It was a lot of fun! My brothers and I have been to the zoo hundreds (maybe thousands) of times but it never gets old. Especially if you bring your sketchbook.

Baby Giraffe, Guenter's Dik Dik, Ostrich and Gorilla
Ink on Paper, 7.5" x 5.5"
July 2006

Feeding Hour!
Ink on Paper, 7.5" x 5.5"
July 2006

Albino Kangaroo, Polar Bear, Aggressive Cassowary
Ink on Paper, 7.5" x 5.5"
July 2006

While my brother Joel and I were sitting in front of the Aggressive Cassowary, we met a kid named Nicholas. He was anything but shy and proceeded to name ten different sports he'd like to play. He also wanted me to spell words for him, such as "cat" and "brothers and sisters." And then he wandered away. A few days later I was drawing my in my brother's room when our cat Pugsly came in. Nicholas' spelling lesson was a perfect addition to my sketches that day.

Brothers and Sisters, Cat
Ink on Paper, 7.5" x 5.5"
July 2006