Brown Artworks (our family art company) has recently partnered with Katie's Quilts and Artisans Gallery to show our art and start teaching art classes through the gallery. We are very excited and we have a large variety of classes coming up in the next few months. The first class up is a beginning drawing class and there will be a meet and greet this coming Saturday, March 4th, at the gallery to talk about this class, our other classes, our work, and any other questions that may come up! My mother and I will be teaching the first class and it looks to be very exciting! I hope everyone that is able will come out and see what we have to offer! This is a wonderful gallery located at the Chico Mall. It has an outside entrance close to Dick's Sporting Goods, on the right side of the mall entrance as you walk in. A link to the page about the classes is here: http://www.katiesquiltschico.com/services.html - This gallery also has a large number of our works of art. So if you are a fan of our art, come by and take a look as well! We look forward to talking with all of you who are able to come!

The Simplicity of Light and Shadow

"Oakland Estuary 22"

DSLR Nikon 5200, February, 2017

Edited with Adobe Lightroom

By Jesse Brown

A long time ago when I was in college studying art history and the Baroque period of art, I fell in love with the idea of teneberism and the way the artists of that era used light and shadow to add emotion to their work. High degrees of contrast often evoke strong feelings of emotion and drama, which brings people closer to a work of art and creates a stronger connection much of the time. This can be achieved in many ways and styles. Depending on the subject and composition, the effect can be very powerful. The above photo I chose to use for this particular entry fits well for me because I like how dark the water appears in contrast to the bright figures. The morning sun creates great lighting that is easy to work with and has a great feel to it for photography. I read an article once that you have to wake up early to catch the morning light and get the best shots of the day. I think that is true because of what I say in the title. Light and shadow are very special in the morning and bring a feeling that draws viewers in. Once you understand how light and dark work together with your subject matter and composition, finding successful photos will be so much easier. Also, if you are taking photos on a special occasion, find that early morning spot for your photos with a nice background, and you will not be disappointed. within an hour or so after the sun rises is still good enough in many cases to get that good lighting. I really enjoy this in summer. 

The photo above has a few things that are working for it. The lighting, as I described before. The long format emphasizes the long lines of the composition. The various layers of the landscape that mirror the format of the long photo also work to create a repetition of flow within the photo. Of course, my favorite part of this photo is the deep blue of the water creating the contrast with the rowers. Teneberism was a term used more for painting, but the concept has served me well in making much of my art. Take a read through art history and look for it, particularly for some of the paintings by Carvaggio. I think you will see some good ideas for making your own art and shooting your own photos.

Photography from Alameda, CA

Color Photograph, DSLR Nikon 5200, edited with Adobe Lightroom,

February 11, 2017

"At Sunrise"

one of the things that I have tried to deal with and explore is this balance between working insane amounts of hours and still finding ways to express myself in art. Photography has been a big help. I have to say, the speed with which I can turn out 30+ edited photos is extremely appealing compared to the painstaking pace of creating drawings and paintings. However, these processes of painting, drawing, and photography are so far apart that it is not really a fair comparison. However, given that I can satisfy some of my creativity by exploring this relatively new process of photography, it is extremely gratifying that I can at least get something done that satisfies some of my artistic vision.

I set out this morning at 7:30 am to capture some of the sights with the morning sunrise. Morning light is the best and provides for some of the most dramatic compositions. It also gave me a chance to explore what my camera is able to do. I really enjoyed the opportunity to do this. By 8:45 am I was back at my home and starting to edit some of my best photos from the morning. After a break for a meeting and some more editing, I was done with my editing for the day by 11:30 am. I had 33 new pieces I was relatively happy with and I felt I accomplished a lot.

This simple process of going out and exploring my artistic vision and experimenting with my artistic materials was a simple pleasure that I have been wanting to incorporate into my routine for awhile. Also, with some new art classes that I will be teaching on the horizon, I really wanted to get more active in the artistic side of the business instead of the business side of the business! It was a successful day, in my opinion.

I am trying to stay close to home and explore more of what is around me to express much of my artistic vision. Afterall, artists represent their environment and what is around them. It is the best place to start for me. I am proud to say this day's output is all local ideas and imagery, edited to what I wanted to express in each image. I am trying to build upon several ongoing series that I have already begun. Be sure to look for the next show in our online gallery. It will be going up soon. I will have some of my new series represented there. Thanks for stopping by and reading about the latest adventure in my artistic journey!

~Jesse Brown

A New Series of Photographs Focusing on Martial Arts

As many of my friends and those who follow me know, I am a practitioner, fan, and follower of martial arts. I am working on a new series in photography that will portray the martial arts in a very artistic manner. The first three of this series are posted on Brown Artworks' Facebook page. I am truly excited about this for a few reasons. The first reason is that it is a completely new series that I have yet to explore in photography. Anytime I am able to start a visual exploration of a topic it becomes an artistic adventure, which is so fun for me. Art is about discovery and expression and I enjoy that part of it more than anything else. The article I wrote that accompanies the first three images can be found here: http://thewayofthewarrioralamedakenpokarate.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-building-of-foundations-in-kenpo.html  - so take a read when you can. Another reason I am really excited to work on this series is I get to collaborate with my wife, Gina, and my friend, Brandon Hubbard, of Brandon Hubbard Kenpo Karate. Brandon is a very talented martial artist and a friend of mine who also teaches and trains in the same art as me. I am excited to see the results of our work as it unfolds this year. Gina is very talented behind the camera and she will be shooting the photos when I am in front of the camera. That brings me to the third reason I am excited about the project. I will get to be the subject of some of the work. Even though I am in front of the camera instead of behind it, I find it is easy to work with Gina in combining our ideas and points of view to make some great results.

Art, like martial arts, is a journey. The journey excites me and makes me want to work more at what I do. I find that it is important to have enthusiasm for what you do, because without that, where do you find your motivation to push forward in the endeavor? Surrounding yourself with good ideas, good people, and lots of adventure in an experience makes for a great time and great memories to share with others. In this case, the memories can be shared with the art that is created.

The other hope is that the series will connect with people. I want that to happen and to have other people take something away from the experience that I had in creating the new work. Work like this is kind of specific in that the subject gravitates towards those who are interested in the martial arts or that type of experience and/or culture. However, I hope that the work will be unique enough and artistic enough that it will appeal to those who may not have prior experience in the martial arts, but they may gain an interest from the story that it tells.

Art tells a story. Now, that story may look a little different for each person taking in the work, but there is always a story. There is a story behind that golden belt in the picture above. What does it represent? Why is it hanging there? Why only a belt? What importance does the color have? Why is it tied instead of just being loose? There is a story. I like to leave part of the story for interpretation by each viewer. In addition to the story, I want something to be aesthetically pleasing that you can hang in a livingroom or a bedroom also. It will be my goal, our goal, to create a story that shares something with the viewer.

Please stay tuned and look for the series to continue. Once again, thanks for taking the time to read. I always appreciate the participation.

-Jesse

Jewelry by Gisella Williams and Ada Lee

Nov. 11 Jewelry Sale from 10-4

2241 St. George Ln. #1, Chico, CA

Earrings by Gisella Williams

Necklaces by Ada Lee

Earrings by Gisella Williams

Jewelry making is one of those tasks that takes great attention to detail and personal commitment in creating interesting and pleasing designs. We are fortunate to have a wonderful artist in our family that can do that. Gisella Williams will be at the shop on Friday, November 11 from 10-4 to make her jewelry and sell work! I encourage anyone who is interested in buying a gift for someone for the holidays, or maybe they want to dress up some with a new pair of earrings or a necklace, to come by and see what we have. The jewelry is handmade and personally designed by our artists! The prices are affordable to being with, but there is a 10% discount on Friday also! Come take advantage of it and take in the art show that is up! There is lots more to buy as well if you are interested in other things like cards, paintings, purses, and more and they are all handmade! 

Brown Artworks November 11 Sale

Greetings family, friends, and fans of art. I want to just take a moment to talk about the first of our Friday sales during this holiday season that is coming up. This week, November 11, 2016 features 10% off already low prices on our jewelry that is handmade by us. We are excited to share this with you and share our work with you!

It has been a dream of ours to bring art, affordable art, to everyone. This is one of the opening steps in that process. We believe in making art for everyone. We want you to be able to feel like when you enter our shop that you are entering more than just a studio or a store, but a family space and you are our guest. So, please, make yourself feel at home with us!

We will be open Friday, from 10-4 and we look forward to sharing that time with you! Please see the attached map here to help guide you to our wonderful location! Have a wonderful day and come see us Friday!

~Jesse Brown~

Portraits of the Sea: A Preview

Portraits of the Sea: A Preview

I am so excited to be writing this new blog entry today. We have some very exciting news! We are holding our inaugural opening as a business and our first featured event is called "Portraits of the Sea." We will be posting the online gallery, Gallery of the East Bay, on November 5, the same day as our opening in Chico, California. Our family is so exciting to be able to bring our art to share with family, friends, and community in an effort to bring art to as many people as possible. An underlying theme of what we do is make "art for everyone." I have believed, and our family believes, that art is an experience that should be shared each day in a variety of ways, and we want to bring this passion and enthusiasm to our viewers, customers, fans, and whoever else wants to engage in some sort of artistic experience, whether it is viewing art, buying art, discussing art, and any other activity with art.

We are a family of artists that has shared our art with each other our entire lives, so we are looking forward to bring that to our communities, which is Chico and the general Bay Area. We are split between both communities and call both communities home.

We have a variety of experiences happening on November 5th to celebrate this first show. First, it will be a display of our online show. Each month or two, we will rotate our show and our theme and feature new work and an opening. November 5th is the first one. People in Chico will be able to experience the work first hand, of course, since it will be featured there. However, since it will also be featured online, it can be experienced by people anywhere in California, the US, or around the world. We are excited about this and look forward to expanding our audience for art. Of course we encourage people to interact and engage with us (the artists), in person in Chico this November 5th, and online via the comments section.

In addition to that, we will have multiple raffles going on November 5th for those that show up in person. It will be exciting and a chance to win some free art creations from us! Details of the raffle and the prizes will be available at the site, 2241 Saint George Lane #1, in Chico, CA. The gallery and shop will be open from 12-6 pm that day.

In an effort to expand the art experience for everyone and make it family oriented, we will have art activities set up for kids to participate in! We want to make art a fun experience across the board for everyone, so we will have things for the kids to do when you show up!

Of course, if you see something you really like, all the art will be up for sale, but more than just what is featured in the show. Art from all members of the family will be there. All of us will be on hand to talk about art, the show, and what is coming up in the near future.

This show has been a dream come true for us. We have been working towards this and waiting for this to happen for some time now. The piece featured above is by Esther Brown and she will have a variety of pieces featured that relate to her experience with the sea. You can see and explore her unique vision of life and the ocean and how they relate to each other for her. This will be featured both online here and at the site in Chico. 

If you have any questions, please contact us. You can contact us through the comments here, on our Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/Brown-Artworks-392872914096718/ - and our website - http://www.brownartworks.com/ - and our gmail - brownartworks@gmail.com. Below is a flyer for the event itself, in case you have not seen it yet. We are really excited to host this event and share our art experiences with you! Thanks for reading and come visit us on November 5th!

-Jesse Brown, Artist and Partner of Brown Artworks