Art opening tonight: "Luminosity"

I've been scrambling this week to get everything finished for the opening for my exhibit of new landscape paintings tonight here at the gallery, and I'm officially pooped. The good news is, the show looks great, andI can now take few hours to rest before we open up tonight. Come out and see us if you are coming downtown tonight or are doing the art walk. Here are the details for tonight's event:

"Luminosity" Art Exhibit at Jennifer Young Studio & Gallery

Richmond, VA's  Jennifer Young Studio & Gallery will feature new paintings of the luminous landscape by Jennifer Young.  The show opens on Friday October 5th, 2007, with a reception from 6 to 8:30PM. Opening night music provided by Russell Young. The exhibit continues through November 30th.   Jennifer Young Studio & Gallery is located at 16 East Main Street, two blocks east of the Jefferson Hotel. Click here to view a map and get directions from your location. For additional information please contact us!

Art for the bathroom

I have written about some of the pitfalls with hanging art on canvas in the bathroom before, but that doesn't mean you can't hang other forms of artwork. Here is my response to a recent email inquiry, which I hope will offer some additional clarification: Q: Could you please advise me what sort of artwork could I hang in my bathroom?  I would like to hang a painting or one of those photographs printed (screen-printed?) on canvas-type material (I am not too sure of the material).  Please advise.  Best regards, S.L.

A: Hi S.L.- Art for the bathroom has some challenges but it is certainly not an impossible dream. If the bathroom has a tub or shower I would stay away from hanging art on canvas or wood panel. Over time, the moisture from the bath or shower steam could cause the canvas stretchers or wood panels to expand and contract, warping the support.

I think artwork on paper, such as my giclee prints, is better suited for bathroom. Your best bet is to have the art framed professionally with mat, glass, and backing paper to seal the art in the framing. That will help to prevent moisture from getting in under the glass.

On the other hand, if you are talking about a half bath without tub or shower, I would think you could feel reasonably secure hanging most any type of art. You may also wish to ask the opinions of a professional picture framer or art conservator in your local area. I am not an art conservator, but offer my opinion based on my own experience with the materials. I hope this helps!

Caring for your paintings and prints

I recently had a client ask me if it was okay to hang an original oil painting in a master bathroom. Since this is a bathroom that would be used often for showering, I advised against it. It is best to avoid exposing oil paintings on canvas to extreme temperatures and extreme humidity. This is why museums store work in a climate controlled environment. While we all can't go around monitoring the minute temperature changes in our homes, we can still take some basic measures to ensure the artwork is properly cared for. Here are a few tips:

• Avoid hanging any work of art in direct sunlight for a prolonged period. Prints and works on paper risk fading, even when they are framed under protective UV glass. Oils can actually darken over time if exposed to strong sunlight for prolonged periods.
• Works on paper should always be hung under glass for protection. UV filtered glass is preferred. However, avoid touching the glass directly to the work of art, as glass may contain some acids and chemicals that are damaging to papers. Professional picture framers use acid-free matting or other materials as a buffer to raise the glass off of the surface of the artwork.
• As mentioned above, avoid extreme heat, extreme cold, and extreme humidity. All of these conditions can alter the condition of a work of art. Extreme temperature changes can cause painting supports to expand, contract, and warp. Oils on canvas can crack and chip if subjected to these constant insults.
• Carry oils on canvas by the frame, or the outer edge of the stretcher bars. Avoid looping your fingers under the stretcher bars so that they grip the painting between the canvas and the stretcher. This can loosen and stretch the painting away from the stretcher.
• Likewise, take care in leaning a canvas to anything, unless you are only letting the outer stretcher bar or frame touch the other object. Any thing leaning on the canvas itself can cause puckering and stretching of the canvas.
• It is a fine idea to lightly dust your painting from time to time with a clean soft cloth or brush. Dust with a dry cloth only; do not clean with any other substance (like water, solvents, etc.)
• In the unfortunate event that your painting is damaged in some way, contact a professional conservator in your area, as often repair and restoration is a viable option.

New Gallery Photos

I thought I'd post some photos of the new gallery space, which officialy opened last Friday night. We were swamped the entire night so I did not get ONE picture of the actual event! It turned out well--hectic but fun. We're both still recovering from total exhaustion, but at least we made it through "phase one". Phase two is still to come--moving my art studio part into the building. We hope to have that accomplished by mid January at the latest. Front room:

This is the wall to the right as you walk in the front door. The flowers on the table are from our new landlord!

This is the left wall of the same room--A great spot for the paintings in my mini collection:

This is a view of the right hand wall as you continue on into the middle room.

Here's a shot of the same wall looking back into the front room:

Here is the opposite wall in the second room. The picture to the far left is an original oil painting of Tuscany. The pictures to the right are canvas prints on the walls, and paper prints in the rack. People were amazed at the quality of the canvas prints, which looked so much like paintings that I had to tell them they were prints and not originals.

   

Heading out from the 2nd room and into the third room. This is where the band played opening night:

Rounding the corner into this third room, here is my wall of Key West paintings:

   

   I had these paintings framed differently from the usual gold because I felt like the solid gold was too formal for this subject matter. I like the linen liner and the platinum colored frame with the bamboo motif for these sunny Key West pieces.

   This last room will undergo some changes. The front two rooms with the hardwood floors will remain gallery space, but we'll use this area more for work space (to be determined), though we'll still hang some art here. Down that hallway is a fourth small room and a bathroom with a utility sink.

   Jennifer Young Studio & Gallery is located at 16 E. Main Street, Richmond, VA, 23219. Currently we are open from 6 to 9 p.m. during the First Fridays Art walks, and other times by appointment. Please call 804-254-1008 (1-877-DIAL-ART toll free) to visit the gallery or to inquire about the paintings you see on the website.