St. Mary Magdalen Chapel in Camarillo Captured By Local Artist in Oil Painting

St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Camarillo by Linda DarkLinda Dark of Camarillo has admired the St. Mary Magdalen Chapel for years, so she decided to put oil paint to canvas in this rendition. The cornerstone for the Chapel was laid on July 1, 1913 and the Chapel was dedicated on July 4, 1914. The Chapel is named after Adolfo Camarillo's oldest sister, Magdalena. The church is located in Old Town Camarillo at 2532 Ventura Boulevard.

Learn more about the church at www.smmcam.org.

Also check out this rendition of El Tecolote Cafe in Camarillo by Linda.

Art Exhibit Celebrating Beauty in American Life at CLU Thousand Oaks 5/30 to 9/11

"Age of Exploration #4 (The Preservation of Beauty)," an acrylic on canvas by Roni Feldman

An exhibit celebrating beauty in American life will run from May 30 through Sept. 11 in the William Rolland Gallery of Fine Art at California Lutheran University.

An opening reception for “The Beautiful: Contemporary Art Featuring America” will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 7.

Referencing the patriotic song “America the Beautiful” in its title, the exhibit offers glimpses of subjects both ordinary and monumental, from dramatic landscapes and “amber waves of grain” to cityscapes and the everyday pleasures people allow themselves. The mix of Americana reflects the country’s diversity, including many ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds.

The exhibit features the work of installation artist Chris Christion of Claremont, landscape photographer Terry Evans of Chicago, painter Sonya Fe of Los Angeles, figurative painter Roni Feldman of Los Angeles, landscape photographer Frank Gohlke of Arizona, painter Amanda Joseph of Ohio, photographer Scott McFarland of Toronto, photographer Catherine Opie of Los Angeles, painter Sandra Mendelsohn Rubin of Boonville, painter, photographer and sculptor Nicolas Shake of Los Angeles, painter Seth Tane of Oregon, painter Christopher Ulrich of Los Angeles, photographer, painter and collage artist Jessica Wimbley of Claremont and painter Christine Wu of Los Angeles.

Art is on loan from Gallery Luisotti, Garboushian Gallery, LA Louver, La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Regen Projects, Western Project and Zg Gallery.

Rachel T. Schmid is the curator. University Advancement and the Ann Peppers Foundation Arts Education Series are sponsoring the free exhibit and reception.

The gallery is located in William Rolland Stadium at 160 Overton Court on the Thousand Oaks campus. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call 805-493-3697, email rollandgallery@callutheran.edu or visit www.callutheran.edu/rolland.

Artist Explores Modern Womanhood at Buenaventura Gallery in Downtown Ventura

"No Women Allowed" by Gwenlyn Norton
Buenaventura Art Association will exhibit recent works by Gwenlyn Norton in a solo show, Counterpoised — One Woman’s Perspective, from June 17-July 12 at the Buenaventura Gallery in downtown Ventura.

“The artworks depict the fractured roles of the contemporary woman and how we may be poised to redefine and ease those fractures,” said Norton, who has expressed herself in many media over a 50-year art career, often about women’s issues.

This exhibition will include eight or more creations by the Oak View artist in oil paints and mixed media on canvases 3 by 4 feet to 4 feet square, plus some associated poetry, that she said represent her reflections on the 20th and 21st-century woman. Their titles include “American Burqa,” “Ageism,” “No Women Allowed,” and “Letter to Granddaughter.”

Norton’s vividly painted pieces often incorporate wood, modeling paste, paper and gel. She will be present to talk about her art and her artistic process at an opening reception 5-7 p.m. June 21 at the gallery. Among the adjectives she uses to describe her work are “bold, dramatic, twisted, distorted, unnerving, exploratory” and “asymmetrical.”

In addition to oils, Norton works in pencil, pastels, acrylics, cold glass, and in mixed media that include textures from sawdust to cheesecloth layered into her paintings.

Examples of Norton’s artistry in a range of media and subjects can be viewed online at www.gwenlynsgallery.com.

Her solo exhibition will be on view at the Buenaventura Gallery, 700 E. Santa Clara St., open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturday.

For more about the show or the Buenaventura Art Association, a nonprofit artists cooperative celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, visit www.buenaventuragallery.org or phone 648-1235 during gallery hours.

Abraham Lincoln Exhibit at Reagan Library Includes Special Piece by Kazuhiro Tsuji

The Abraham Lincoln exhibit at the Reagan Library June 1 to September 30, 2013 had a jaw-dropping, larger than life Portrait of Abraham Lincoln on display. The piece is the work of Los Angeles based special effects makeup artist and sculptor, Kazuhiro Tsuji.

Photo of Abraham Lincoln piece, courtesy of artist Kazuhiro Tsuji

Originally, from Kyoto, Japan, Kazu has worked with famed makeup artist Dick Smith (Amadeus, The Exorcist, The Godfather) and began his craft in the U.S. in 1996 on "Men In Black." He won a BAFTA award for “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” and has received Oscar nominations for “Click” and “Norbit.”

In 2007 Kazuhiro Tsuji started KTS Effects in Burbank. His hyper realistic technique, learned while he was in the film industry, renders portraits that emit a profound sense of soul and emotion to viewers.

I was in awe when I saw Kazu's work up close at the Reagan Library, as I stopped and looked at the piece from various angles. It was almost eerie looking at Lincoln as it seemed he was looking back at me. I asked Kazu some questions about his work:

How did you create the Lincoln piece and what is it made out of?

Portrait of Abraham Lincoln was created over 10 weeks, beginning in November 2012 and was completed on January 17th. Lincoln was sculpted in clay and a mold was created. It is composed of silicone, resin, cotton fabric, wood and human hair. The silicone skin was painted, hair was punched one by one, eyes were created and assembled together.

Why did you create this particular Lincoln piece?

After creating my first piece modeled afer Dick Smith ten years ago, I decided my next piece would be Abraham Lincoln. I focused on my career as a special effects makeup artists for many years, then recently the timing worked out to start this piece as fine art piece.  I respect him as one amazing human being and I think he has an amazing face as artistic subject.  

How are you able to create such life-like work?

It takes a lot of work and study of the subject through every step of the process. I try to put life intomy work to make it real, from the inside out, not just a superficial duplication of an image.  I pour in my respect, love and admiration for my subject into my work.

To learn more about Kazu's work, visit his website at kazustudios.com.

Photo of Kazuhiro Tsuji while working on Abraham Lincoln. (Photo courtesy of the artist)