WORKSHOP WITH JUDE HARZER : The Expressive Portrait

ALL ARE INVITED!!!

I am excited, nervous and honored to be teaching a workshop "The Expressive Portrait" at the Franciscan Life Process !
Thank you to the very gracious Kathleen Bechtel for the invite!

I hope that you will join me! I can promise you great energy, attention, experience, stories and of course a glimpse into my process  that hopefully might benefit yours! Please feel free to share this link to my event!

Workshop date: Friday, March 27, 2015 at 9:00 AM - Sunday, March 29, 2015 at 3:00 PM (EDT)
Lowell, MI The Franciscan Life Process Center
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/jude-harzer-the-expressive-port

 

Workshop Schedule:

Daily 9:00 am -4:00 pm
Break: 12 - 12:30

Day 1: Introductions, Presentation, Materials and Painting Demonstration,  Establishing an Underpainting and Color Palette Selection to infer mood, Studio Time, Individual assistance to participants.

Day 2: Brief group morning critique (idea sharing), Demonstration, Studio Time, Individual Assistance, Effectively integrating mixed media and refining the overpainting.

Day 3: Morning discussion aimed toward resolving the expressive portrait, Studio time, Individual assistance, Concluding critique.

Please feel free to write with any questions prior to the workshop to ensure your comfort in feeling prepared.

 

Hope to hear from you and that you will join me!

 

 

 

 

 

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Photography As Reference and Inspiration

As a pre-teen, I taught myself how to draw the human face and figure by pouring over Seventeen Magazine advertisements featuring Christie Brinkley and Cheryl Tiegs and the apparel sections of the voluminous annual  Sears Christmas catalogue.  Basically, I used whatever visual references were available and trust me, there weren't many. On butcher's paper that I "borrowed" from my Mom's kitchen, I  made detailed and time consuming pencil studies of eyes, faces and torsos. Substrates were limited as well and so I carefully rolled out several feet of this clean white surface onto the crowded floor of a bedroom I shared with my two sisters and then would spend hours looking and copying without any regard for rules or technique. I just felt the need to draw people, particularly kids, and as I recall, my five siblings were not the most stationary subject matter . I made work and either discarded it or tucked it safely under my bed. I was more interested in learning and improving than sharing my art.

Since then of course, I have had the experience of drawing from life using a model . It is an invaluable resource that has enriched my work but it is not always convenient or affordable. So photographs are my "go to" for subject references, made even more accessible by the immediacy of digital photography and top notch editing programs. I encourage my students to use every resource possible but not to rely on any one of  them exclusively. They are simply" tools" that when paired with the experience, knowledge, skill and imagination of the artist, can strengthen and inform their work. There is no magical singular solution or "way." I only know what I feel works for me and that is what I share but always with the willingness to try alternate methods and new materials.

During the past two years I have been teaching basic Digital Photography and Photoshop editing at the high school level . I had no prior experience and had to learn along with my class.  It has significantly impacted my own way of "seeing" and has exposed me to the works of some masterful contemporary photographers who create imagery that seems as precious to me as the finest oil paintings on Belgian linen. These artists happen to all be women.  They capture the human form while telling some underlying and often thought provoking story, whether or not that was their intention. Intensely captivating children are featured as subject for a few of them. I am drawn to them. I hope that my paintings share a similar sensibility. So I thought I'd share the excellence of their work.

I was asked why I don't just make photos. Because when I paint, I am aware how much I love the process , the error  and the evidence of my very own fumbling marks when using pigment .


Here are a few of my favorite photographers:
1. Sally Mann

Sally Mann
b. 1951 Lexington, Va.
http://www.sallyman.com
 

 2.Francesca Woodman


Francesca Woodman
 b. 1958-1981 Denver, CO

www.heenan.net/woodman

 

3. Diana Arbus

Diane Arbus
b. 1923-1971 New York , NY
diane-arbus-photography.com
 

4. Loretta Lux

Loretta Lux
b. 1969 Dresden

http://www.lorettalux.de/

5. Deborah Parkin

Deborah Parkin

                                                              http://deborahparkin.com/

7. Tierney Gearon

Tierney Gearon
b.  1963 Atlanta, GA   

                                                          http://www.tierneygearon.com/

Aftermath

Storm Sandy unleashed her wrath here at the Jersey Shore. Her strength was underestimated and  the aftermath inconceivable. There are no words at the moment so all I can do is paint.Works in progress...

Strength and Wisdom: Knowing

Knowing: Zoe oil on canvas Jude Harzer 2012

Knowing: Savka: "dedicated and brave" inspired by photograph of artist Natalija Mijatovic 

Knowing series oil on canvas oil on canvaas 2012

It was Aristotle who said that knowing ourselves is the beginning of all wisdom. My current work continues to explore feminine strength and resiliency but also the knowing of self that results from life experience. One does not have to be aged to possess wisdom, although grace in maturity is often evidence that the individual has learned a thing or two about how to navigate this life . It requires mastery of mind, strength of spirit, flexibility and a whole lot of letting go. But curiously, children often exude this same inner fortitude and awareness. In youth , some have been challenged to tap into those internal reserves that protect and preserve them from moment to moment. They exhibit a quietness and composure that reminds us that they are witnessing , constantly observing and learning.... They see and know based on how they are made to feel and how they perceive the business of life and the reactions and patterns of behavior of their elders to it.So my new work will celebrate the seers and knowers, whatever the age, because in exploring them, I am reminded how very little I know about myself ...how fabulously  foolish and flawed. ...

Contrary to what some people may believe, creating  art is more about discipline, time and practice than it is about talent and inspiration. I have the privilege of having access to some amazing professors at the Savannah College of Art and Design who are guiding me as I desperately try to paint, learn and improve. It helps to borrow the eyes and minds of other artists as I complete my first full year of graduate school. The goal is to finish before I am 50. Hmmm....I am on track. Fingers crossed! Here is some of the work that I have produced during the past 3 weeks of summer study at SCAD.

The Copper Frog Studio and Gallery

I am so grateful and honored to have been invited to exhibit my work at The Copper Frog Studio and Gallery in Allentown, New Jersey. I am a 1981 graduate of the nearby Allentown High School, home of the Redbirds! It feels like coming home!

Owned and operated by the very talented and renowned visual artist Ericka, O'Rourke, the Copper Frog will open in September of 2012.

THE GRAND OPENING WEEKEND CELEBRATION

will coincide with the  Allentown Annual Fall Festival, 

October 13th & 14th 2012

9am-5pm Saturday and Sunday

The Copper Frog Studio & Gallery

42 South Main St

@ The Old Mill

Historic Allentown, NJ 08501

Please mark your calendars and join us to celebrate the revitalization of downtown Allentown and the opening of this quality art establishment. Visit the website for information regarding artists, purchases and events.
http://copperfroggallery.com/

June: The Gift of Ruins

June is here. Summer sun, creating in my studio in Savannah, daydreaming and designing my new life and wondering where it will lead...where I will live ...and how it will impact my work.
I am not fearful...well maybe just a little. I am excited by the potential and possibilities of it all.I am ridding of the guilt associated with letting go of my old life.

My niece shared this with me: “A friend took me to the most amazing place the other day. It’s called the Augusteum. Octavian Augustus built it to house his remains. When the barbarians came they trashed it along with everything else. The great Augustus, Rome’s first true great emperor...how could he have imagined that Rome, the whole world as far as he was concerned, would be in ruins. It’s one of the quietest, loneliest places in Rome. The city has grown up around it over the centuries. It feels like a precious wound, a heartbreak you won’t let go of because it hurts too good. We all want things to stay the same. Settle for living in misery because we’re afraid of change, of things crumbling to ruins. Then I looked at around to this place, at the chaos it has endured – the way it has been adapted, burned, pillaged and found a way to build itself back up again. And I was reassured, maybe my life hasn’t been so chaotic, it’s just the world that is, and the real trap is getting attached to any of it. Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation.” Elizabeth Gilbert

Ruin is a gift. June is here. Change will come.

Teri and Zoe

Everyone has a story . As I continue to explore my two painted series,  "On Top of My Head" and "Child's Play" ,I am looking to individuals who have powerful personal tales of pain and persistence from their childhood as subject matter. I want to know how these experiences shaped their life, impacted their relationships and influenced who they are at this moment . Although I am not at liberty to fully divulge their stories, the women whom I select to paint have emerged from horrors that are difficult to fathom and yet they have emerged with hope ,passion and formidable strength.

The following are recent works all in process. Teri and her grand daughter Zoe inspire me on many levels .It is a story of a young girl's struggle to maintain her spirit, sanity and safety in the face of unspeakable abuses . It is the tale of her efforts to protect her children and grandchild from the same...a true love story.

“We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit.”
― E.E. Cummings

You're Invited to Visit My New Website

Graduate school has created new connections, work and possibilities for major changes in my life.My return to Savannah is just months away. I am working on a  website that features my newest work created specifically for graduate projects. I invite you to view my art and share your thoughts.

With much gratitude,
Jude:)

http://www.judeharzer.com/

Moment of Truth  Jude Harzer Fine Art 2012 oil on aluminum plate

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Child's Play

Simplicity is necessary this year in order to focus on refining ideas and producing a finished body of work that I intend to exhibit. Child's Play, On Top of My Head and other series of paintings are becoming inextricably connected as a cohesive unit of thought and art. Graduate school has helped me to consider more thoughtfully what the heck I'm trying to do here and why:) I am confident in the value of my work. I have a lot more to say. So this year I will make it matter and share it.
During my short hiatus from school, I struggled with a few new images.I continue to paint my way to my dreams and remind myself daily that the joy, the inspiration, the promise and hope, are in the process. I am awake so as not to miss it.
Here are a few recent explorations...all related to the Child's Play concept.

Child's Play: Awake Jude Harzer Fine Art 2012

detail Child's Play: Awake Jude Harzer Fine Art 2012

Child's Play: Wisdom Jude Harzer Fine Art 2012

Child's Play: In My Arms Jude Harzer Fine Art 2012

Dolls and Child's Play: Recent Works

As always, my work is inspired by personal experiences, thoughts and emotions. When I paint and create, my mind is focused on my own reflections and responses to the happenings of life rather than the actual painting process and image making. I consistently say that I paint "who I am." Of course, like most individuals, there are many facets to my interests,personality and roles that I assume. Consequently the subject matter of my work varies and often the technique itself. But all of it is me...my marks, my images, my passions. I am both woman and child, mother, daughter, partner and friend.

I also work in a series format because my ideas regarding the same "theme" are abundant. A single image is often not an adequate representation of my concept and so multiple compositions allow me to explore and experiment.So featured here are recent works addressing two new series of works: the "Doll" series and "Child's Play."

Doll

Captured

The "Doll" images address the social and sexual well behaved female. I will elaborate on this in a future post. The "Child's Play" series , in essence, explores the value of play as an investigation of self and environment in youth. It also addresses the unique and sometimes deviant behaviors that are revealed in response to the imposed stresses and constraints of life . Children develop skills and define interests as a result of play.

Featured here is a glimpse of my initial attempts to explore these themes. There is more to come...I promise!

It's In the Journey

~ Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome. ~Arthur Ashe

Click here to see me and my art in Savannah, Ga.

I am an artist. I can't imagine being anything else. I see art everywhere. It took a lifetime for me to accept and embrace that I view and experience things in a way that is unique only to me. I am a painter of dreams..., my dreams. It has been a very strange, confusing, and yet very beautiful journey to arrive at this place. At nearly 48 years old, I am beginning to recognize and understand the person who I am, or rather who I wish to become. This journey through life, requires transformation.We are not meant to stand still or necessarily be comfortable or content.

Here at Savannah College of Art and Design, where I began my graduate studies in painting this summer, standing still was not an option and change has been demanded. The faculty expects it . My lifestyle and painting practice made it inevitable. A 5 week intensive quarter semester with a daily schedule from 5 am to midnight ,devoted primarily to art production and critique, did not allow for idleness, mentally or physically speaking.They call it "art boot camp" here. It is.... but the rigor and discipline were welcomed . I was made for this.

My life this past year has evolved in ways I never imagined. A new job, my youngest child graduated and  college bound, irreversibly altered personal relationships, and a host of other life happenings , ... all  necessitated that I evolve and grow...or not. There were long, dark  "moments" when I did not feel able. I resisted and nearly surrendered to a dangerous and paralyzing complacency and acceptance of a life to which I no longer belonged. Acceptance to graduate school was a long considered "reaction" and opportunity to redefine my life and reorient my path to where I wish to be. I don't know exactly where that is, but I know that moving forward is the way in which I'll arrive at that realization.


I even expected the torturous self reflection that this experience would evoke.Crying....there was a lot of crying...some from sadness, frustration, loneliness, relief and joy. Daily, life altering conversations with like minded creative spirits, exposure to art making and criticism that dramatically differs from my own, financial and personal sacrifices to "selfishly" be in this place, plagued my thoughts on a daily basis, amid an expectation to produce and perform. And still I know I needed to be here. As uncomfortable and challenging as it felt at times, I felt an urgent, disquieting pull to embrace this new phase in my life.I created this moment and this opportunity. I cannot waste it.

There is no place, however to which I can go, where I can hide from myself....not even in Savannah. It has a haunted, transient , unpredictable atmosphere. It feels right for me at this moment. Yesterday was a final critique. No one can possibly criticize me more than I evaluate and criticize myself.I realized through this process, how much I have to learn, how sincerely I have grown and how strong I am in mind, body and spirit.  I trust how I think . All the confusion and angst usually comes from resisting what I know to be certain. I know my heart. I know my passions. I know my many weaknesses and flaws. So finally, I am letting go. No promises...no expectations of anyone other than myself to assist in my journey but pure gratitude for the health, love, family and friendships that have guided me here... and hope, always great hope, that those who I love will have patience, empathy and compassion as I venture forward. I am so grateful and blessed. I wonder if I say it enough...if those I love, know it enough.

I'll make art that matters...to me and hopefully to others. I'm desperate to learn.I'll continue to share my graduate school experiences. I expect they will be interesting, to me anyway:) The posted images are a few of the works I created during the 5 week immersion. I think art is meant to be shared. It is who I am.
Some of my recent artistic transformation was inspired by the direction of two wildly talented and brilliant young professors: Gregory Eltringham and Natalija Mijatovic. It was an honor to work with them. They offered a rare level of intelligence, talent, and sensitivity that made me respect and value the artistic process and purpose. They made me want and expect more of myself. Here are links to their professional sites:
http://www.gregoryeltringham.com/

http://www.blazokovacevic.com/

Now I have a brief hiatus. As I prepare to send both my children off to college and ready for my own year of teaching, I must plan and learn to manage the demands of graduate school. I'm ready.No more wasting me:)
"Wherever you go, go with all your heart." ~Confucious
Enjoy!

No longer waiting for my real life to begin....this is it!
http://grooveshark.com/s/Waiting+For+My+Real+Life+To+Begin/1L

SPECIAL LOVE and THANKS to my room mate Jessica and my neighbors and friends, GAV and CHRIS who made me smile and who endured my quirkiness, stories and energy:) oxox

Click here to see me and my art in Savannah, Ga.

Inspiration From A Dear Friend ..."Stay With Me"

A beautiful friend, Christine Kysely, has the eye, the heart and the passion of a true artist. She compiles portfolios of images and words that reflect a wide range of themes. She draws from the beauty and thoughtfulness of other artists , encouraging her audience to consider them in a unique and attentive way. Her work is poetic, inspiring and always leaves me smiling. Christine has a magical way of reminding others of the abundance and beauty that surrounds them. The image above is from one of her recent compilations, "Stay With Me." One of the images stated, "Lack of Passion Is Fatal." Well said! May you be inspired by and live fully with love and passion throughout your days!           

From Christine Kyseley's album, "Stay With Me." artist unknown but utterly poetic and beautiful...

Carol Saylor at the Noyes Museum

My friend and colleague, Carol Saylor will have an exhibit at the beautiful Noyes Museum in Oceanville , NJ. Her blindness and deafness do not define who she is as a person or as an artist. Her one day hands on workshop offers a unique opportunity to spend the day with Carol to share her talent, humor and spirit.She is witty, honest and awe inspiring! Please join her. The registration form is available on the Noyes Museum website.

2011 Teachers' Workshop
Touch Beyond Sight
Presented by the artist Carol Saylor
http://www.carolsaylor.com/
Monday, March 21, 9am–2:30 pm,
$50 register online
5 professional development hours

An inclusive workshop designed to broaden the horizons of teachers and their students by enriching the experience of art through the use of touch, description and imagination. Originally conceived as artwork for the blind, this is art that is meant to be touched and can be used to expand the accessibility of art to underserved populations. An enjoyable workshop and a great opportunity to gather new ideas for expanding the curriculum try some creative art activities and meet other teachers. Light morning refreshments & lunch included.

733 Lily Lake Road, Oceanville, NJ, 08231
(609) 652-8848

Registration form
http://noyesmuseum.org/teachers_wksp.html

Wild Heart

“A prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages.” ~Tennessee Williams

Artistic Inspiration: Pamela Wilson

There are artists who inspire by their sheer genius, unique vision and talent. Pamela Wilson is one of those gifted artists. Read this recent article form the Ramshacle Review to gain a glimpse into the magical creations of this gifted painter. I am awed and inspired.
"Feathered Hopes and Intriguing Dreams"...

Antechamber of Regret

Pamela Wilson

http://ramshacklereview.blogspot.com/2010/09/feathered-hopes-and-intriguing-dreams.html.

Upcoming Exhibits

Art Connections 7
January 18-February 19, 2011
Montclair State University
George Segal Gallery
1 Normal Ave.
Montclair, NJ 07043

Juried exhibit
Accepted for display and sale:
"In A Boy's Dream"
24" x 24" oil on wood

montclair.edu/Arts/galleries/
Inspired by an image of my beautiful nephew, Brady Estelle.
For commissioned custom children's portraits , please contact me through my website or on Facebook.

The Red Shoes:My Struggle for Self Acceptance

"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation." ~Oscar Wilde, De Profundis, 1905


My recent series , "The Red Shoes" explores my struggle for self acceptance and my recent discovery of my strength as a woman and as an artist. For most of my life, I deliberately masked my femininity in an effort to seek invisibility. At nearly 47, the mask is off .

There is a power in owning one's femininity.I am writing about this subject in greater depth .The red shoes are purely symbolic and will be gifted immediately to my daughter who will be much more comfortable in wearing them. Feminine accoutrements are not my style although I appreciate them on others. I own two dresses and one set of heels ,all of which I could do without. Jeans and tees suit me fine. Again, the "red shoes" are symbolic for women being comfortable in their own skin. I was raised to believe vanity was a sin...physical beauty was superficial and yet as an artist I am consumed by the physical and the visual. Physical beauty is a gift that can be taken away at any moment, but it is a worthwhile gift all the same. It forces me to pause, as I would for a spectacular sunset, an autumnal tree aflame with warm colors or a child's face. I stop, awed with wonder and admiration because beauty is fleeting and that is why it is all the more precious.

However, with maturity,I have learned to value a more genuine beauty  that often lies beneath....beauty not so easily seen ,but deeper, richer and everlasting. The women and men that I love most, possess great passion, intelligence , kindness and a sense of purpose that make them truly beautiful.There is no denying however, in this world, that physical beauty,for it's own sake, is obsessively valued.Women especially ,I feel , become more attractive and sensual with age. They should be celebrated as such. I intend to celebrate them and explore in greater depth physical, spiritual and intellectual beauty and their inextricable connection to oneanother.

"To me the definition of true masculinity - and femininity, too - is being able to lay in your own skin comfortably. " ~Vincent D'Onofrio

We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others that in the end we become disguised to ourselves. ~François Duc de La Rochefoucauld

For Jane: Creating a Commission

My recent commission was thankfully well received! It was a gift for a friend, requested by her husband in celebration of their wedding anniversary. The text, numbers and motifs are symbolic elements that reflect Jane's life and the lives of those she loves most! The concept was inspired by my former "Fly" paintings that always feature a child, blowing a breath of inspiration.These works are about the value of love and care throughout our lives and the role they play on directing our path to self discovery . When inspired with love and compassion, we are gifted with the unwaivering belief that failure is not an option as we confidently pursue our dreams. It was a rewarding experience to successfully capture the very personal and intimate vision of someone elses life story. Jane cried. That was a beautiful and heartfelt compliment!

Happy Anniversary Jane!

Change

If I sat to write all of the ways in which my life has been "unfolding" and changing in the past several years, I could seriously create an interesting novel. After years of seeking comfort, prompted mostly by fear, insecurity and misunderstanding, I now crave change. I ache for it. Prepared or not, I realize that it is only through change, great or small, that I will become who I am meant to me.I can't accomplish that bound by the mental confines that I constructed in the past. Really what is the worst that can happen? Failure, poverty,abandonment, loneliness? These really are not options in my world:)  What if change means abundance, wealth, community, acceptance and love? I believe it does and will.
So, my path is slow, but steady . Perhaps I am idealistic, unrealistic, even crazy to surrender stability. I'm just embracing the unexpected and welcoming the previously uninvited. Have I been painting? Not much ...but I'm forever painting in my mind. I know that when I put brush to canvas...soon....very soon, I'm gonna' make magic. Life feels magical at this moment for no reason other than I am letting go of my own fears. One of my treasured friends always reminds me that pain, fear, failure becomes only as important as one makes it....it is the way in which you react to it and "hold it" that matters. I am holding my fears with gentleness and respect...they are certainly not gone... but I am ready to set them aside so that I can move, grow, and Fly.
I wish I could reveal  some greater purpose to which I aspire. Hmmm...I actually can't . Painting is it! My joy, my future, my objective... is to create art that is "authentic" and that matters to me. I think it will be meaningful to others as well. I want to share my heart and my work fearlessly. I'm not there yet. I have to be mindful of my present life and of those I love but they love me enough to know that change will do me good:)
So that's all I got. Perhaps not much to anyone other than myself but there is freedom in understanding and knowing myself and my weaknesses. For others, I may never be enough, give enough, produce enough, be smart or beautiful or talented enough.It matters more that I think I am "enough." Shhh.... although I think at times I'm "too much" for some:)
Hold your fears gently and dare to fly. Make it magical and meaningful! Welcome to Judy's world:)