Read the press release!

The G-Train Salon presents Texture Gardens

September 25 – on extended view through October 19, 2009

All aboard the G-Train Salon, a roving, conversation-based exhibition series that collaborates with public and private locales in Brooklyn and Queens, encouraging audiences to communicate with the artist behind the artwork.

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View images of the Texture Garden project from conception to opening night!

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Read the press release

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Read all about the artist, the artwork, and the installation, in this final salon interview published on the G-Train Salon curatorial team’s blog site:-

http://gtrainsalon.blogspot.com/2009/10/texture-gardens-closing-salon.html

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Following the closing of Crane Street Studios in Long Island City, Queens’ legendary “5 Pointz” building, Carla has packed up her art and crossed the Pulaski Bridge to a new and improved space in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

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Brooklyn Art Studios is about 3 blocks from the Greenpoint Ave G train stop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. There are about professional 30 artists working in a variety of media.

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The Brooklyn Art Studio artists will host their first Open Studios event on Friday November 6, 6-9pm, and Saturday, November 7, from 1-6pm. Visit the Brooklyn Art Studios blog for more information about the artists and events: http://brooklynartstudiosnyc.blogspot.com/

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You can also follow Brooklyn Art Studios on Twitter for regular updates! http://twitter.com/bklynartstudios

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Enjoy a virtual tour of Carla’s Greenpoint studio with this Flickr slide show!

Urban Impressionism: NYC Study II, was selected for Transpositions, a five venue exhibition in LIC on view from May 28 – July 31, by juror Judith Tolnick Champa, who is a member of the international association of contemporary art curators, Art Table, and was the Director, Fine Arts Center Galleries at the University of Rhode Island.

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Read the press release: http://www.licartists.org/documents/pr-transpositions.pdf

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Urban Impressionism: NYC Study II will be on view in the Henry DeFord III Gallery at CitiGroup, Jackson Avenue + 44th Drive, LIC.

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Press reception: Thurs May 28, 3:30-7pm at Henry DeFord III Gallery at CitiGroup
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Opening reception: May 30 6-8pm at the other four venues.
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Viewing hours for all venues: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.

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There will be a lunch time artist talk with several of the participating artists on Wednesday, July 22nd, 1-2pm.
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Henry DeFord III Gallery at CITI
One Court Square
44 Drive at Jackson Avenue
Long Island City, Queens, NY
(Court Square Subway)

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The exhibition was featured in Ins and Outs Long Island City Magazine. View the video clip documentary below…

The winner of a free original work of art by Carla E. Reyes is…

Ada Nieves!

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Ada was selected at random from the participants of the art survey I created, and will be the recipient of a custom work of art in the subject matter, theme, and color scheme of her choice; my signature style of painted mixed media collage.

You can learn a bit about Ada by visiting her website: http://www.adanieves.com. She is quite a creative lady herself!

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Thanks to everyone who participated in my art survey back in May 2009. It has taken a while to compile all the responses I gathered from various websites including Facebook, Twitter, and my WordPress blog…Participants were male and female, ranging in age from early twenties to seventies, artists and non-artists, working in a range of occupations. The responses were interesting, enlightening, and in some cases unexpected. I wanted to share the results in an effort to help clear up misconceptions about art appreciation and art buying and contribute to the cause of making art more accessible to everyone!

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80% of participants own at least one original work of art (not mass produced). Half of these art owners were given art as a gift or inherited it from family; the other half purchased the work themselves. Of those who purchased the work, the majority bought the art directly from an artist, most often in an art fair or outdoor art market. Many also purchased work while traveling; from a local artist working in a traditional medium of the area being visited – as a souvenir with cultural significance. One fifth of the art buyers report shopping for art at commercial art galleries. A small fraction of those interviewed consider themselves “art collectors.” The types of art owned by the respondents range from paintings, to limited edition prints, to ceramics, needlework, masks to sculptures.

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Those who don’t own original art say that the price range is the biggest factor. Lack of space to display work was a close second. Surprisingly, framing decisions came up often as a hindrance to buying original paintings – people find it difficult, inconvenient and costly to get work framed, and don’t seem to think that a work can stand alone on a wall without a frame. They expressed that a more reasonable price range and availability of smaller works would make original art buying more accessible. Many also expressed a lack of “art knowledge” makes them feel unworthy of investing in original art.

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Half of respondents say they visit a major museum at least once a month. One fifth say they visit art galleries regularly. The top museum visited was, by far, MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) in NYC (the majority of respondents live in the Northeastern USA). Other museums mentioned were the Brooklyn Museum, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. A few mentioned art fairs and many said they visit more museums when traveling to other cities, than their own. For those who report not visiting museums or galleries, they say that having more spare time and/or closer proximity to arts institutions would be encouraging. Many expressed that gallery environments tend to be “snobby” or unwelcoming, and the “pressure to buy” discourages them from visiting.

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When asked about my work, respondents found the Miscommunications Series of mixed media collages the most compelling, with the Urban Impressionism Series and Zen Gardens a close second. The Microbes Series was also voted high.

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Above: Miscommunications Study, 2008, acrylic + mixed media collage on canvas board with hand painted wood frame, 5in x 7in, (c) Carla E. Reyes, Sold/Private Collection

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(The least favorite were the UPC paintings, which were painted as a special commission for someone with a more graphic, minimalist aesthetic. The flower gardens were also mentioned as less compelling than most of the other work by people who say they don’t care for floral themes and motifs in general.)

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I was pleased to find that the majority of participants owned original art regardless of their background or involvement with the art world, and found value in it on a personal level. I was also thrilled to hear that so many purchased work directly from artists and expressed an interest in supporting the arts. It is understandable that price is an issue with regard to art buying, but I wonder what is considered a “reasonable price range”? In a day and age where it is common to own a mobile phone that costs $500, what is considered expensive? I am sad to hear that galleries still create an unwelcoming atmosphere for potential art buyers, and I hope that people can ignore this attitude, be brave, and just march in and appreciate the work whether they plan to buy or not. The only way to learn about art is to visit galleries and museums and see what is out there! And you don’t have to be an art historian to respond to something so universally human! Everyone’s personal response to art is valid and shouldn’t be discouraged!

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As a result of this survey I will be offering more services to my potential collectors. As I mentioned, I was surprised to find how much of an issue framing is, and how much people appreciated my works that are pre-framed or utilize decorative frames as part of the art. I will be partnering with my dad – a great carpenter and all around craftsman, to create frames for future works, and as a custom service for anyone buying an existing piece. I am also happy to assist with hanging and placement, as well as providing written materials and references that inspired the work.

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For the past two years my work has been  represented by Raandesk Gallery of Art, NYC; an innovative, emerging, art dealer that combines virtual exhibitions with live events and shows at a variety of venues in addition to a gallery space. After June 30, 2009 I have chosen to fly solo and represent my own work for personal reasons, but will still be involved with the gallery by participating in their Raandesk Kids! Art workshops (be sure to sign the kids up for my fall collage workshop!) and their ART2GIFT group show in the pre-holiday season (small works under $500). For those of you who joined their mailing lists and groups I encourage you to stay connected, as they have the same mission as I do – to make art accessible! That being said, since I will not be obligated to pay commission to a gallery, I can afford to sell my art at a more reasonable retail price, so I hope you will revisit my available works which are all online at http://www.carlacrafts.etsy.com. Etsy allows for credit card/PayPal transactions and is free to create an account. If there are works you like but you’d like to pay in installments, I am happy to extend a payment plan. I am also available to work with you on a custom commissioned work of art in a wide variety of media and subject matter!

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You can follow my updates on Twitter @craftsy (my username), join my Facebook fan page: Carla E. Reyes – Painter + Mixed Media Artist, view my work at http://www.carlaereyes.com, and read about my work on my wordpress blog: http://carlaereyes.wordpress.com/.

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Thanks again to all the survey participants and for your love and support of art!

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Best,

Carla

The microbe series examines the basic elements of life and existence through visual interpretations of microscopic organisms and cells. These textural paintings are created in large scale – monumentalizing the unobserved and unseen. They reinforce the dichotomy of existence – all living things are at once minuscule and ephemeral in the grand scheme of the universe, while essential and substantial elements with their own unique function and purpose. The images are derived from microscopic photography where florescent dyes were used to delineate the life forms, creating richly chromatic abstract designs and patterns. On a purely aesthetic level, these images were chosen by the artist in an endeavor to move toward brighter, more saturated color schemes and depart from her usual more “earthy” palette.

Carla created the first in the Microbes series live at Tompkins Square Park’s Howl Festival – 2007 Art Around the Park annual event in NYC  and Microbes II at the 2009 event!

View slideshow from 2009 Art Around the Park, NYC

KEW GARDENS KIDS ART IN THE PARK!

A Free Event!

Kids of all ages are invited to Kew Gardens Cinemas Park for a fun filled day of mural painting, arts and crafts, and creative activities. The main attraction will be a large-scale group mural open to kids of all ages throughout the day to paint whatever they envision! Kids can also create individual masterpieces at the arts + crafts table with NYC artist, Randall Barquero, known for his innovative mixed-media art including realistic cutout portraits created from discarded Metro cards. Local Kew Gardens award winning children’s book author and illustrator, David Ezra Stein, will do a reading and interactive drawing session with the kiddies, and have all his treasured tales available for purchase. Kids can also have their faces painted in the image of his characters by Kew Gardens community member, Miriam Kessler. Queens artist Nancy Rakoczy will lead an eco friendly art installation teaching kids and adults to crochet strips of plastic bags, bottles and containers into “Dancing Ribbons,” promoting the idea that throwaways can be used to enhance the environment. She will also do a reading of her illustrated poem “Snake’s Loose,” from Tales with Tails, and will have the book on hand for those who would like to take the tales home with them. Courtesy of a New York State Grant sponsored by Friends of Maple Grove Cemetery, Kew Gardens own Linda’s Organic Kitchen and Market will host a “Healthy Vegan Food Prep Workshop”. Linda will be making bicycle powered smoothies and healthy snacks with the kids to keep the young, budding artists refreshed.

This free event is made possible by the Kew Gardens Council for Recreation and the Arts, Inc., and is supported by a NY State grant from Senator Shirley Huntley. Kew Gardens Kids Art in the Park was conceived by local artist Carla E. Reyes, who also designed and helped to organize the Kew Gardens Cinemas Park movie themed mural created by a group of local artists, currently on view in the park.

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View photos from the event!

Carla is donating art for two great charity events, check them out + get involved!

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Global Kids HRAP Int’l Happy Hour
Wednesday, May 6, 7-10pm
Sidebar
15th Street + Irving Place
http://www.globalkids.org/?id=139

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Foster Pride
Fundraising Auction and Reception
Sunday, June 7th – time TBA
Artwork on view and available for purchase through June 13th.
http://www.fosterpride.org/donate.shtml#d1

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Hi friends, fans and art enthusiasts!

I was hoping you could help me learn more about you and your relationship with art! If you could take a few moments to read the following questions and answer honestly, it would be a great help to me in giving back to the art community in new and better ways!

If you respond by May 15th, you will be eligible for a free postcard size (4×6) custom work of art in my signature style! You can respond via comment box below or email me directly at: art@carlaereyes.com Please include your name and email address with your response.

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Thanks for your time and participation!

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1. Do you own any original (not mass produced) works of art?

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2. If yes, what is it, and why? (Type/media, size, subject matter, cost, gift or purchase, what does it mean to you/why were you drawn to it)

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3. If you don’t own any original art, what are 3 reasons why not- in order of importance? (too expensive, no interest, don’t understand art, etc…)

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4. For those who like art, but have never purchased works of art, what would make you consider doing so? (price range, custom commission, smaller size, more personal connection, etc?)

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5. How often do you visit museums or galleries and which ones?

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6. If none, or not often- why not? What would make it more appealing?

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7. Please choose 1-3 works by Carla E. Reyes that you like best, and explain why? (Visit http://www.carlaereyes.com for more examples)

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8. Please choose 1-3 works by Carla E. Reyes that you like LEAST, and explain why? (Visit http://www.carlaereyes.com for more examples)

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Thanks again!

Best,
Carla

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And the winner is…

Carla’s unique collages and textural paintings use materials from Mother Nature herself including leaves, branches, dried flowers and more! Low VOC, water based paints and natural plasters are combined to create earthy palettes and sensuous surfaces!

To view and purchase more available works visit:

Raandesk Gallery of Art

carlacrafts gallery at Etsy.com