ART SHOW IN AUGUST AND FREE ART RAFFLE!! SIGN UP NOW!

Brown Family Artworks, featuring work by Esther Brown, Gisella Williams, Jesse Brown, and Liliana Navarro, will be showing at James and the Giant Cupcake in Oakland, CA. This is our second show with them. We are excited to be showing our work there. Like last year, we are having a raffle. In order to be entered in this year's raffle, here is what you have to do:

 

1. Send an email to brownartworks@gmail.com

2. In the email, tell us that you want to subscribe to the email newsletter we are starting to put out next month.

3. After you do the first two things, you are automatically entered into the raffle. There is no need to buy a ticket, you just have to email and subscribe to the email newsletter.

 

All the information is in the flyer posted here, but let me go over a little bit of it. We will be having a meet and greet on Saturday, August 17, from 12-2 pm. Some of us will be there to meet people and talk about our work. Of course, James and the Giant Cupcake will be serving food as they usually do at that time - and it is quite outstanding food they have there, so that is even more reason to come! Lastly, we will be doing the raffle at that time.

 

Something to note about the raffle, we are encouraging people to enter, no matter where they live. The work will be delivered to the location, even if they live out of town or out of state or out of the country. So, please enter the raffle! We are excited to share this event with you. An online version of the show will go up after we install the show in Oakland. So, please stay tuned if you will not be in town. You can still see everything when you are not in town!

 

So, come by, support the show, and sign up for the raffle! Once again, email us at brownartworks@gmail.com - your name gets entered after you email us and sign up for the email newsletter. Thanks for reading and supporting us!!

 

Jesse Brown

August 13, 2013 Art Exhibition for Brown Family Artworks

 

So, we are doing our second show at James and the Giant Cupcake in Oakland, CA. We would like to thank them for inviting us back to show there. We are excited to be showing some new work for this year. Liliana Navarro, Gina's sister, will be exhibiting her work for the first time in the US, so this will be her debut! I will be displaying my series of photos from Panama. I am very excited about this because Panama is an exciting country with so much to share with the world. I am also excited to incorporate images from there into my artistic perspective. Please stay tuned for a preview here on my blog.

 

In addition to this, we will be having a Meet and Greet on Saturday, August 17, from 12-2. The address is posted on the image of the flyer. If you have any questions, please feel free to email or call me about what to expect. Also, I am excited to announce there will be a raffle! Last year we had a raffle and drew the name at the opening. We will draw the name at the Meet and Greet on August 17. Details about the raffle with be forthcoming very shortly. The prize for the raffle will be one of our framed works of art! So, if you are interested to get some new art for your home, be sure to participate!

 

You could say that this show is the kick-off for an exciting second half of our year for art. We have many big plans between now and Christmas, this show just being the first of many exhibitions and events for selling our work. Our format for this show will feature no less than four of our family members and their creative directions, with artist biographies and artist statements. In addition to selling our work, we like to talk about what the meaning of our work is for us and how it reflects the world around us.

 

I have to add this in about this show. Eurydice and Caleigh, the owners of James and the Giant Cupcake, they really have a first rate business that is fun and friendly and they have the best cupcakes I have ever tasted. If you want to try some good cupcakes and have a fun place to have a coffee and hang out, in addition to seeing some spectacular art, be sure to go by and try their cupcakes and see our new work!!

 

Stay tuned, because there is a lot more blogging coming up. We have a lot of work going on and we are excited to share it with everyone. Once again, thanks for reading!!

 

Jesse



A New Work in the Trading Card Series

 

 

So, this is a new piece that I completed recently. This summer has been very busy. We are preparing many different things at Brown Family Artworks. Right now, we have a show that goes up August 13, 2013 in Oakland, CA. I will post the flyer soon. (Gina is working on it as I write this blog!) I am excited to show some new work. The gallery in Coos Bay continues to do well. We are selling a lot of exciting work there, but we are trying to constantly produce and keep up with the demands of having multiple events. It looks like this fall will have us ramping up for our first Christmas push for art work. My hope is that we will attend at least one or two holiday art festivals, along with having our work up in Coos Bay.

 

This image you see posted here is a new piece in my trading card series. I really love this format for many reasons. It is small and invites the viewer in to have a personal dialogue with the piece. I can go into deep detail on a small scale and show texture, line, and stroke marks of my tools. I mat and frame my work in a comparatively big format so the image is isolated and does not compete with anything in its immediate surroundings. This one, however, is not yet framed. However, I have to say, I become a little frustrated with the slowness of my production because of two reasons. I have this insane attention to detail that takes time to complete, along with multiple tasks in production that take away time from my actual painting and drawing. Having said that, they all go together. I cannot separate these tasks out like that. They all go together if one is to be successful in getting their art out there.

 

So, enjoy this piece and keep looking for the following posts coming soon. I have several more posts that should be going out in the next day or so. Thanks for reading and be sure to come see our show!!

 

Jesse



New Work in Progress

I know it has been awhile since I last posted, but it has been a busy year. This piece is once of many that I am working on at the moment. It is only half complete. I will fill it in more soon. I am preparing for a show coming up on August 13, 2013. It will be in Oakland. Keep reading for details that are coming soon about when we will hang, where, and how long it will go for. I am very excited about my new work and I hope people enjoy it as well. This particular piece is 6" x 6." It is not very big, but I like the small format because it forces a viewer to get close to the work and have a personal relationship with it instead of being overwhelmed, like on a 10' wide painting. Please leave a comment if you find it interesting.  I will try to post the finished piece soon. Thanks for reading!

Jesse

Art Inspired by Panama!

Copyrights belong to Jesse Brown, the author of this blog. If interested in this or any other images, please write Jesse Brown at brownartworks@gmail.com

 

 

We are currently finishing our trip to Panama, where I have focused on photography for my art medium at the moment. This medium affords me the ability to be fast and efficient with recording my ideas as I visit places and see new things. I do not have the time to sit and draw and paint with the schedule that we have been keeping. One of the things that artists have to learn is how to adapt and work within their range and experience so that they can convey their ideas. I will elaborate on my ideas from here that I have initially recorded through the use of photography, but a flow of ideas does not stop with simply one type of expression. It is merely the beginning of a process that takes as long as it needs to express itself.

 

 

 

Panama has allowed me to explore a variety of ideas. The image above is one of many taken from Panama Viejo. I have seen this place before, but not with the eye of trying to record it with an artistic point of view. With this particular experience, I was able to record many perspectives. I have not done a great deal of journal writing yet, but I will be focusing on that as I work with this experience. Cezanne did a lot of work with respect to his experience in Fiji. Hemingway let his experience in Spain influence him. Every artist is influenced by their environment. So it goes with me and my travels.

 

 

 

One of the first things that I do is try to line up my composition in such a way that it becomes visually interesting for the viewer. I also choose subjects that usually draw a viewer in. I focused a great deal on windows, doors, openings, and light and dark in this particular area in Panama Viejo. The  ruins lend themselves to that type of subject. Why so? Well, let's just look at windows and doors for a moment. Windows and doors represent points of view, opportunities, and reminders of the past, present, and future. Combine that with composition and lighting, as well as the context of 500 year old ruins, and you have some images that truly bring the viewer to contemplate a variety of ideas.

 

 

 

Please take a moment to reflect and enjoy the image above. More will follow soon. Thanks for reading!!

 

Jesse 

Interview with Don Carter, Gallery Owner Coos Bay, OR: Art for the People

 

 

Don Carter is a gallery owner and artist who operates out of Coos Bay, OR. I recently have had the pleasure of meeting Don and working with him in setting up art work in his gallery. Immediately, I am able to confirm what I felt through all of our phone conversations; he (and his family) are there for the people. Whether they are customers or artists, he works to help them find what they are looking for in his gallery.

 

As we were setting up our display in his new store, Don was keenly aware of each individual in the store and trying to help all of them in turn as we were setting up. He is a people person and takes great pride in what he is creating in Coos Bay with The Fellowship. Following is an interview with him to help give background to this unique creation that features a Grand Opening on Saturday, March 23rd.

 

 

 



Jesse Brown: What got you started in the gallery business originally?

 

Don Carter: We have wanted an art gallery in our store for years, Recently we've had several miraculous events that have brought this about


 

 Jesse Brown: You have a unique format with a gallery, bookstore, and a coffee shop. What is your final vision for your place? Where did it come from?

 

Don Carter: The business just naturally grew out of what we like. Who wouldn't want to read a good book while drinking your favorite coffee surrounded by beautiful art?


 

 

Jesse Brown: I understand you are an artist as well. How is it working with a group of artists in comparison to just trying to produce art yourself? How does it compare with owning your own business?

 

Don Carter: Most artists understand the business of art and know that gallery's are necessary for the survival of the art community


 

Jesse Brown: How important are the views of the customers in the whole art equation? For example, do you feel the view/customer should influence the art? Can the market drive the content of an artist's subject?

 

Don Carter: Really good original art influences public opinion the customers respond to what is presented, For the most part artists create what they love and try to influence public opinion. The market follows closely behind this.


 

   

Jesse Brown: How hard is it to satisfy such a diverse group of artists? What's the key?

 

Don Carter: Sharing our store is the main thing, We're not just trying to make a living we are trying to help each artist with their business.


 

 

Jesse Brown: Are you able to pick a favorite piece in your gallery so far? If so, which one? If not, why so?

 

Don Carter: That would be impossible, We have way too much to have a favorite.


 

 

Jesse Brown: What are you looking forward to the most with this new gallery?

 

 

Don Carter: Having time to paint and teach art to kids


 

Jesse Brown: I read a recent piece on an art blog about how art is about life. How does your gallery reflect that? Do you think your artists represent that in any specific way?

 

Don Carter: Art is a momentary slice of your life, a small picture of a moment, Art can only reflect the images that reside in our hearts. Each artist strives to touch your heart with their work. We want to display the best art that we can find to accomplish this.


 

Jesse Brown: Do you have anything you want to add that you hope readers will take away from this interview?

 

Don Carter: Simply that we are just average people that love art and we want nothing more than to share it with you. If your an artist who needs more exposure please contact us, If you can't even draw a stick figure we need you too, please come in and help support the artists.

Thank you.


 

 

 

Please stay tuned for more on The Fellowship and the art that I (and my family) have set up there, along with many other events and artists that reside there! 

Art Work for the Ocean

This is another work by my mother, and I would have to say that this is my favorite piece that she has done in this style. One of the things that she has concentrated on is doing themes that would sell well along the ocean. One of our favorite vacation spots for our family is the ocean at Fort Bragg, CA. So, sea life is a common theme for her work. I love the colors of this image on the stark, black background. The finishing coat she used was a matte finish, but even then it is quite glossy. This particular rock is a sizable one and can easily be used as a paper weight on a desk, or a show-piece on a shelf. This does not fall into the category of Meditation Rock because it is too big to easily be held and is a little unwieldly. Meditation rocks are intimate and small and can be maneuvered easily with the fingers.

This rock is on sale for $40 at The Fellowship. It was part of that massive 192-piece shipment we took to Oregon last weekend. There will be a grand opening for the Gallery in about 3 weeks. If anyone is going to be in that area, please check it out!

Please stay tuned for more pieces that I will blog about. Give comments and feedback if you have time. I will be posting some photos of the gallery soon. I wanted to talk about some of the great new art first, before I got to the gallery. This weekend I will have an interview with the gallery owner and I will post that interview here. Thanks for all of your support!

Jesse