Artist of the Week: Mickey Bond

Mickey’s Bio:

My paintings reflect my daily response to nature’s beauty, her dynamic forces and the mystery of creation. I work in two styles: abstract landscape paintings and mixed media abstracts. Though both derive from the same plein air experience, the landscapes evoke a sense of place and mood whereas the abstracts explore an essential aspect of nature such as the sea, sky and land.

My mixed media abstract series “Bottom of An Ancient Sea,” suggests sea life as it might have existed in a mythic, primordial state, when New Mexico was underwater perhaps. I’ve imagined a place of glittering light and motion where life forms are inchoate and elusive. I know that my imagery was deeply influenced by a swim last summer over coral encrusted rocks in Hawaii, where a sea turtle led the way. I’ve layered translucent handmade paper from Thailand and Japan featuring banana, mango and unryu (mulberry) fibers with casein, acrylic paint and acrylic mediums, to form diaphanous layers and passages where forms float and seem to sway.

An abstract expressionist, I prize mark making highly and allow my compositions to grow out of direct contact with my painting media. I do use brushes but mainly non-traditional such as scrapers, cloths, sponges, knives and primarily my hands. Painting outdoors, I think of nature as my collaborator deeply affecting me and the mediums I use, sometimes with surprising results. Last winter, I discovered by accident how to make ice crystal prints on the surface of clayboards. A technique known to watercolorists but new to me, learning how to capture these delicate patterns felt like a secret bestowed by nature. My current plein air series “Trees Listening for Winter” explores the use of translucent colored crystal prints as underpainting.

I was born in Israel to parents from Poland & Bulgaria and later raised in west suburban Boston. After attending Colgate University as an undergraduate , I spent some years in Ann Arbor where I received my MA in American Literature from the University of Michigan. I have lived in Santa Fe since 1994. In New Mexico, I am represented by Matrix Arts Santa Fe located at 429 Sandoval & Chroma Studios Gallery  600 1^st Street NW, Albuquerque. You may also see my work in Arizona at Straw House Gallery (520-869-8626), located in the historic Amado Territory Ranch, 3001 E. Frontage Road, Amado.

See more of Mickey’s work at http://www.mickeybond.com

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Herb Goldman Video

Herb Goldman is exclusively represented by Chroma Studios Gallery in Albuquerque, New Mexico

February Events

January is over, the sun has been out a few times and spring is on it’s way!(I can hope right?) Several events happening here at Chroma Studios this month. We hope to entice you out to our 1st Friday art opening or one of our many Intimate Concerts this month. We are also starting a series of AMP concerts this month! Looking forward to seeing you soon!

February Events:

Friday, February 5th, 6-10pm: First Friday Artscrawl This month’s show is “Peace and Love” and features the work of Cari Pier and Paula Manning-Lewis. Other gallery artists are also           showing work with this theme. Looking for that special Valentine’s Day gift? We have some incredible art and lots of fabulous jewelry for the one you love! Live music with the viola-guitar duo of Alicia Ultan & Tim Gaulden. ALSO, a show within a show this month at Chroma Studios Gallery! Justin Simenson, one of our favorite photographers is debuting a new series of photos & audio interviews called “Walls That Talk”. View the photographs while listening to the interviews.

Friday, February 12th, 7pm: Intimate Concert Series featuring Cowboy music with Steve Cormier. After a number of years off from playing such venues as The Kerrville Folk Festival Washington DC folkcenter and The Albuquerque Museum. Steve took to acting in film and television and teaching college history. Come see his return to singing. Tickets $8 in advance or $10 at the door.

Saturday, February 13th, 7pm: Intimate Concert Series featuring NYC Folk Rock with Laura Meyer on her cross country tour. “Elegant singing and playing.. a brilliant guitarist” Steve Traina WCSB Cleveland, “She made time stand still” Dan Berry , Hartford Advocate, “Delicious Gritty Guitars” David Byrne Pop Making Sense. Tickets $8 in advance or $10 at the door.

Thursday, February 18th, 7:30pm: Our first AMP Concert featuring Hungrytown. Musical duo Rebecca Hall and Ken Anderson.  Their deceptively simple compositions are rooted firmly in folk tradition; “in fact, Hungrytown’s music offers such an aura of authenticity–in titles and in tunes–it could be easily mistaken for original trad transcripts,”declares Lee Zimmerman of Performing Songwriter, and Rachel Nones of the Feminist Review raves “Hungrytown is American folk music at its zenith.”Early reviews of the CD have landed the group daily airplay on XM Radio’s “The Village,” and Hungrytown songs are beginning to appear on play lists across the country, including Boston’s WUMB, New York’s WFUV & Philadelphia’s WXPN. $15 suggested donation, reservations strongly encouraged!

Chroma Studios is now offering custom framing services to artists and customers. If you are an artist or have 5 or more pieces to be framed, you get a 25% discount off our already low wholesale prices.  We beat even the 50% off sales of other framers.

Aaron has opened up his teaching studio and is currently taking on new guitar students. Aaron has a music teaching license with the state of New Mexico and has been teaching guitar to kids and adults for over 15 years. For more information see HERE.

We have continued adding individual ARTIST PAGES to the Chroma web site, so far there are 18 pages completed with at least two pages going up every weekday. Shop for art on your computer, then come by the gallery to see it in person. You may also buy on line and have the art shipped to you wherever you happen to be. Chroma now represents over 50 artists, so there is a lot of great art to see. Chroma’s focus is on New Mexico artists and we are excited to show the diversity of New Mexico art available. New Pages completed since the last newsletter: Cari Pier, Justin Simenson, Tricia Simmons, Brian Vallo.

video interview with Rocco

This video was taken at our October First Friday opening by Rocco, a fitness expert that has recently moved to the Albuquerque area. I met him thru the local social networking site Duke City Fix and attended his Boot Camp training class last month. He has been featured as a personal trainer on the MTV show “Made” and is currently working on a reality show of his own for the MTV network.

Rocco at Chroma Studios and Gallery

Artist Interview: Terri Hansen

 

Red Tulips by Terri Hansen

Terri Hansen AKA Miss Mayhem

This is the first post in a series of interviews of the artists who work at Chroma Studios.  Terri Hansen has been at Chroma from the beginning. She started out in studio #9 but later moved in to studio #10 after realizing she needed more space. Terri is a southern gal and a sweetheart. She moved to Albuquerque from Atlanta, Georgia just over a year ago. Her work is just amazing and what truly amazes me is not only how quickly she finishes a painting, but how beautiful they all are!

1.Introduce yourself, your name, hometown, how long you’ve been an artist.

Terri Hansen aka Miss Mayhem from Atlanta Ga. I’ve been an artist for nearly 20 years now

2.What is your artistic medium?

Oil and Watercolor and a bit of color pencil work lately

3.What is your subject matter or style?

I do classical realism painting of old world renaissance style, my subject matter varies, but I do paint with high drama in mind. Never a quiet painting in my studio.

4.When did you know you were an artist?

I think I started out as more of a designer. I made elaborate costumes for kids around the block out of anything available at the time. From there I painted some apples and leaves on my Grandmother’s mailbox. It was a hit, so again, I went around the block, this time painting mailboxes. It touched off a feeling of being able to produce beauty in my own way, and wow, was that addictive.

5.Do you have a degree in art, are you self taught or a little of both?

I started out with a watercolor group, then another group of oil painters. I decided it was time to take my art to the next level, so I then studied under Chris DiDomizzio for five years at his formal art school in Atlanta. It was tough, he was a take no prisoners instructor, but boy did we learn.

6.Where is your art available for purchase or is your art available for purchase?

My art sells either on commission or out of my studio/ gallery on Central, Chroma Studios.

7.Who is your favorite artist and why?

Wow that’s a tough one…I have many, and each for a different reason. John Waterhouse, for his ability to produce thought provoking, beautiful scenes. John Singer Sargent for portraits that portray everything about the person he painted. Frank Benson for his dynamic color combinations. He could take white and make it into a color. But…….I made the trip to Amsterdam, Holland for Rembrandt’s 400th Birthday Celebration. Every known painting of his came in from all over the planet to showcase his brilliance in his city, Amsterdam. In the absolute execution of the art of painting, Rembrandt is in a class all his own, 400 years later. It was amazing, and therefore, he will always be one of my very favorite artists.

8.What made you decide to move in to Chroma Studios?

Chroma just seemed like the place for me, it was perfect for all of my needs, and still is!

9.What do you like about Chroma Studios?

I like the revolving door of people that come through here, my windows, and friends I’ve gotten to know from there. It’s a great place.