Current and Upcoming Exhibits

Rulon Art Gallery and Studio
1428 Kings Highway, Swedesboro, NJ 08085
(856)-241-0368
Gallery hours: Thurs.-Sun.
http://www.rulon-art-studio-and-gallery.com/Contact.html

AENJ Members' Art Exhibit!
James Howe Gallery in the Vaughn Eames Hall of Kean University in Union, NJ.
The exhibit will be on display from June 9th through July 10th
Closing reception:
July 10th from 4:30 - 6:30 pm
http://www.kean.edu/~finearts/galleries/

Sweet Simplicity
Jude Harzer solo exhibit
The Bank
20 N. Main St.
Allentown, NJ

This collection of recent small works, can be viewed during business hours.All art is available for purchase.This exhibit is made possible by the Allentown Art Guild in Allentown, NJ.
http://www.allentownartguild.org/about.html

School of Visual Arts
New York City
Open Studio Exhibition: Thursday, August 6 from 6-9pm
141 West 21 Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10011 Tel: 212-592-2188

Trenton Artists Workshop Association Members Show
"Dreaming"exhibit
August 14 through September 4,2009.
Opening reception:Friday, August 14 from 6- 9 pm.
Gallery 125
125 South Warren St.
Trenton, NJ 08608
609.989.9119
http://www.gallery125.com

Jude Harzer's works on display
Asbury Park Yoga and Dance
703 Mattison Ave.
Asbury Park, NJ

Jude's Solo Exhibition:Serendipity

Serendipity

Works In Process:A Return To Color

I met with an artist friend yesterday who has become an unexpected source of inspiration and somewhat of a professional "coach." It does help to bounce ideas off other artists who you value and trust and who know you personally. It helps if they can physically see your work as much gets lost in photographs,... mine anyway. Artists tend to work in isolation but occasionaly it helps me to input from a fellow artist. When my daughter left for college, I lost her critical eye. She helped me immensely when I couldn't find direction or when I was struggling with a composition. And she was tough and vocal in her critiques,which I greatly appreciated. I wasn't looking for flowery compliments,only assistance so that I could improve....Anyway, I am uncluttering my head and my discussion yesterday confirmed that I need to focus more than ever and "just do it." You have to love those Nike guys:) So right now I am rapidly transferring new ideas onto canvas. This is effective in documenting the general concepts so that I can later return to refine them.I actually have an abundance of images swirling in my mind,waiting to be manifested...but some of the older work still needs to be completed and there is value in further developing them. Here are some of the numerous images,hastily painted for the sake of peace of mind. So I'm off to a good start for 2009, I actually have a plan and deadlines in January for projects, one of which I vowed to fulfill based on a handshake:)It is my integrity that is on the line, personally and artistically. Yikes! No more procrastination...

Progress:Discipline+Focus=A Happier Me!

"One-half of life is luck; the other half is discipline — and that's the important half, for without discipline you wouldn't know what to do with luck."
— Carl Zuckmayer: Was a German dramatist
I know that I am lucky,although it took until I was 40ish to realize the value of being disciplined to translate that "luck" into something more meaningful.I believe that I am happiest when I am productive, creating art. I think it is funny when people express concern and encourage me to relax or to rest.I live for those quiet, uninterrupted moments when I am painting.
I actually want to "work" more and have only devoted several hours a week to my art since September. Hmmm...so I assure those nearest and dearest to me, that I will try to rest my mind but certainly not my schedule.I aim to simplify and focus. Discipline is key ...and somehow I always manage to notice the beauty in the world around me, I am surrounded by it...but when I am working, I realize the beauty within myself.It's all good.

So here is 15 minutes more on my self portrait( about an hour in all) and progress on my Simple Dreams painting. I am also returning to COLOR! 2009 will be colorful...I am sure of it.

Art Connections: "Women in the Sun" at Grounds For Sculpture

While gallery sitting at Ellarslie mansion one
Sunday afternoon, I had the pleasure of meeting a soft spoken woman, delicate in stature, named Jody Kendall. We had a brief conversation about the exhibited work and quickly discovered that we shared a unique connection and obviously, a passion for art. Also we had both created works entitled, "Fly". Jody's was a 3-dimensional metal mesh torso with wings and mine, a series of paintings each featuring a child, blowing a "breath of inspiration." Somehow even our art, seemed related in concept and spirit.

Jody, a fellow member of TAWA and an artist herself, volunteers as a docent at the Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ. She generously invited me to visit and offered to personally escort me about the magical 35 acre sculpture gardens. I accepted and had the opportunity to see her on August 27th. Both the weather and the tour were perfect! Jody's knowledge about the sculptors and their work, was astounding. She is agifted storyteller. She spoke of each artist as though they were a dear friend with words that were poetic and meaningful.

If you haven't had the opportunity to visit GFS, you are in for a treat. GFS was "founded in 1992 on the site of the former New Jersey State Fairgrounds by J. Seward Johnson to promote an understanding of and appreciation for contemporary sculpture for all people." The landscape is breathtaking and the art work superb. Each season offers a unique visual experience of this sculptural wonderland. Visitors are encouraged to touch many of the pieces with respect and care.

As I ran my hand along the surface of many of the works, feeling the smoothness of stone or the warmth of cast bronze, heated by the radiant sun, I thought of Carol Saylor. As a blind artist, she relies on the sense of touch, to create and experience her world and her art. She would love it here. I think she would particularly appreciate Leonda Finke's two cast bronzes, Standing Figure and Seated Figure from her "Women in the Sun Series". The surface texture is sensual, almost crude, but there is strength and raw feminity within these figures. Jody explained that Leonda Finke's "women" were symbolic of gratitude. Looking upward, "posed in self reflection",their faces bask in sunlight, greeting a new day, a new season, giving thanks. Simply beautiful!

There was an abundance of art to which I would like to refer but the joy really comes from

discovering the work on your own. The art is monumental, rich and diverse. The stories behind the career of many of these sculptors, seem to have been inspired by personal epiphanic moments that led them to choose the creation of art as their life's "work." For most artists, there is no other option. It is an expression of who and what they are. For me, it is no longer an option, It is an incredible blessing for which I am grateful. I am thankful for those who guided me toward this path.

Jody introduced me to several people throughout the day at GFS as an artist who

believes that we can all "fly." I sincerely do believe that! I hope that everyone has the opportunity to discover what makes them soar. To Jody, a genuine "thank you" and wishes always for self growth, healing and liberation! May we all fly!

New Works Inspired by Robert Christian

Robert inspires me everyday. Mostly because of his humor,warmth and his selection of names by which he addresses me: Llama, Joey, and Bra have been replaced in recent weeks by "J-money". He is a funny kid. I love his spirit and his confidence.

Robert and Christina are fortunate to have grown up at the Jersey shore. Not only do they live here, they have enjoyed and embraced their environment. Robert' s passion for fishing, boating and more recently, diving and spearfishing, are fascinating to me. Some of my recent works are in celebration of my son and his continual effort to find his own unique voice.

I intend to paint a series which include fish. The above image is entitled,"Hooked." It will soon be available to purchase as a print. Currently Robert works at Casino Fishing Pier in Seaside Heights, NJ. Click on the above images to see where he spends his days.

Fixation

This painting is entitled,"Fixation." Once again my model is my daughter, Christina. Her beauty is very unique. At only 18, she simultaneously exudes a youthful innocence and sensual maturity. I am able to paint her as a young woman or as a child and so she continues to inspire my work.

I focused upon color and pattern in this oil painting. Perhaps you can notice the influence of Gustav Klimt. It is still a work "in process" but I am becoming more confident in my handling of the brush and of my palette.

I actually like this piece. I believe it offers a glimpse of my capabilities as an artist. Patience, practice and discipline...

Still Life with Teapot

I love to paint, draw and sculpt. I enjoy the process offered by each of these disciplines but do not have the patience required to be a sculptor. I am awed by subtractive sculptural methods. There is less room for error when a rigid material such as marble is the medium of choice. Donatello, Michelangelo, Bernini, Rodin, and Daniel Chester French were gifted and patient men. Painting is more immediate and is best suited to my ardent nature.

There is something very rewarding in the creation of a simple and traditional still life.Within every object, there lies a beauty that not everyone can see. An artist can enliven the

inanimate by showcasing its volume, form, color and "spirit." But for myself as an artist,the process of observing ,conceiving and manipulating pigment on a surface, despite the subject or end result, is what I love best about painting. There is a stillness and quiet during the

entire process that makes everything else seem to disappear. My recent still life paintings are about reflection-actual physical reflection of light and color and about reflection of one's thoughts and 'true' self amid the silence.

How Long Have I Been Sleeping?

These images are details of a larger composition, entitled, How Long Have I Been Sleeping?
It is another work "in process" and a significant transitional piece for me. It reveals a marriage of everything that I love about art and painting in particular: color, the human portrait
as subject matter, texture, pattern and symbolism. My daughter, Christina and Lillianna, the beautiful daughter of painter, Joseph Breza and his wife Emily, from Santa Fe, New Mexico,
served as models for this piece.

The title makes reference to the fact that I abandoned my painting for nearly 20 years. My "awakening" has made me more passionate and aware of the beauty that surrounds me, that is within me, that inspires me to want to paint every possible moment. Someone once
told me that even when I am not physically painting, I am still creating with my eyes and in my mind. At nearly 45, I have truly "awakened".
Only those who have awakened know that they were sleeping. -Jim Paredes