The Little Things

I’m proud to announce that I’ll be representing Valentina Loffredo—a photographer born in Italy and based in Hong Kong—as an artist agent! Her graphic, minimalist photos are pure eye candy. Exciting features to come; for now, check out Val’s Instagram! Galleries that are interested in partnering with us, contact me. And don’t forget; I represent Chicago painter Sheila Arora too!

A sample of Valentina Loffredo's photography, courtesy of her Instagram.

It’s a great time of year to be in this city: Chicago Museum Week begins today (tip: the Adler Planetarium has one of the best views of the skyline), Open House Chicago is this weekend (here’s one of the sites I visited last year), and Chicago Ideas Week begins on Monday. And as announced in this post, I’ve been invited to speak at the next 20x2 Chicago! That’s next Saturday, October 22, 6pm, at Quenchers Saloon.

And if you’re not following me on Twitter, these past couple weeks you’ve missed out on random tweets going viral and another installment of my main pastime, making screenshots of whenever celebrities engage with me.

Star Collecting: An Interview with Sheila Arora

Me at Sunday’s “What Matters” panel: “[…] I’m an awkward weirdo.”

Paul Klein, moderator/art critic: “You hide it well! You’re not awkward at all. You’re just weird.”

Thank you so much to those who attended, to Paul and Startup Art Fair for inviting me to be a part of it, and to all the amazing artists I met for being you!

Sheila Arora, Flower Healer, acrylic on paper, 18x24 in.

On the subject of amazing artists, I interviewed painter Sheila Arora, whom I represent! Here are her own words, unfiltered and free-flowing like her art:

Jenny Lam: Introduce yourself!

Sheila Arora: Hi Jenny, thanks for talking with me! I’m an artist living in Chicago. I have always been drawing and painting. I used to do traditional work including figure, still life, and portrait. I started the abstract acrylic painting a few years ago, and I found it was a great fit with my style. I love using color and exploring marks. My current work is expressive, free, and a total explosion of joy on the canvas.

Sheila Arora, May I have a piece of cake please,
acrylic on paper, 18x24 in.

JL: Could you describe your work (both your abstract paintings as well as your portraits) and the process that goes into it?

SA: My paintings are bold. I use a lot of color and marks to keep the pieces active. I have a busy mind, and that is reflected in my work. I’m also a risk-taker when I paint, so I’ll go for anything and everything. I’m always pushing my work in new directions.

Sheila Arora, I tried to say thank you in a million ways,
acrylic on paper, 18x24 in.

My process is very intuitive. I lean into the intuition and trust that what I’m feeling is where the painting wants to go. I generally work on a series of pieces that will consist of 15-30 paintings. The overall series is an idea of what I want to capture. For example, I am currently working on a series of paintings called Expressions. These pieces are all about exploring freedom of the line, being looser with the paint, and letting go.

Sheila Arora, My room is messy but you're still invited,
acrylic on paper, 18x24 in.

The portraits are a really fun combination of the abstract and realistic work. I used to do lots of figure drawing from the model, so I have a really good grasp of the face. I start with a reference photo to understand placement of features and lighting, and then I add the abstract component to make the piece totally crazy. I have two portrait series: Crazy Portraits and Princess Warriors. I started adding some writing to the Princess Warrior series to bring the characters to life.

Sheila Arora, Fallen Angel, acrylic on paper, 9x12 in.
[Update: SOLD!]

Sheila Arora, Story Weaver, acrylic on paper, 9x12 in.
[Update: SOLD!]

JL: As someone who’s also both an artist and a writer, I love that some of your paintings are accompanied by your writing. What a wonderful way to combine two art forms. Could you also explain your process for that? Do you come up with the painting or story/poem first? Also, how did you get into creative writing?

SA: I love to write. I have a crazy imagination, so creative writing has always been a natural fit for me. I recently started combining the two art forms. I started writing a set of stories based on my small abstract painting series. I would pick a painting and use that as a starting point for the story. I let the painting give me the ideas, and then I would write a short piece from my imagination. I wrote about everything from a rainbow tornado to a buffalo cave! I wrote 30 of these short stories, and each one was totally different and fun.

[Continue reading more after the jump.]

Love Letters: An Artist Studio Visit with Sheila Arora

Conducted a studio visit at represented artist / actual ray of sunshine Sheila Arora’s apartment in Chicago’s Loop (look at that view!) and sold a painting to architect (and fellow Columbia University alum) Chyanne Husar! Thank you for your support, Chyanne! And thanks to Sheila for letting us into your home and your mind!

Sheila Arora in her apartment showing us her favorite piece she painted.

More behind-the-scenes photos below. Step into Sheila’s world!

(As announced in this post, Sheila—who was a part of my latest interactive exhibition, LEXICON—has entrusted me with the honor of being her artist agent and representative, and I couldn’t be more pleased.)

Sheila keeps her place downtown “barebones” and “in neutrals,” an amusing contrast to her art, which is as bold, colorful, confident, and imaginative as she is.

The Princeton graduate is nothing if not prolific; most of her pieces in her current collection were created within the past year and a half! It’s incredible how she can sustain so much creative energy; she has a corporate job out in the suburbs, so she only has a few hours every night to paint. And she does.

We shared great conversations on how art can set the tone for your home. What colors do you want to wake up to? What emotions do you want to live with?

Sold! Sheila Arora's painting that Chyanne Husar purchased.

Chyanne ultimately chose a fun and vibrant work on paper that she knew would make her happy.

Sold! Sheila Arora, Untitled, acrylic on paper.

If any galleries would like to showcase Sheila’s work, let me know! You can view Sheila’s portfolio on her site.

Also, in case you didn’t see the edit I made to the previous post, I’ve been featured on Asians Doing Everything! Thank you! (That’s two features in two days, the other being Women of Wednesday, author Olivia Cole’s interview series with women of color!)

And my birthday’s tomorrow! (If you follow me on social media, you might’ve seen my nostalgic look back on a past celebration.) Want to give me a present? Give yourself one and buy art!

Princess Warrior

I am so happy to announce that I’ll be representing Sheila Arora—one of my LEXICON artists—as an artist agent! (Yes, artist, independent curator, writer, artist agent, mad scientist… I’m a woman of many graphic t-shirts hats.) Sheila’s paintings are an explosion of creativity and color and I couldn’t be more proud to rep them and their creator.

Sheila Arora, Circle Tribe, acrylic on canvas.

Get excited for an interview with Sheila, spotlights on her work, and more!

Speaking of LEXICON, the page (mentioned in the previous post) comparing your written Post-it notes with the artists’ original statements is forthcoming!

(And a reminder to follow Artists on the Lam on social media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr.)

OMG TGIF MDW sifc btw etc

Sixty Inches From Center did a feature on Exquisite Corpse’s closing reception. Thanks, Lindsey Anderson! (Check out the press page for more… press.)

It’s yet another beautiful fall day, and thus a perfect start to a big weekend for art; the annual Bridgeport Art Walk begins this evening at 6pm and runs through Sunday:

One of the walk’s stops is the buzzed-about MDW Fair, which showcases over 50 exhibitors comprised of artist-run spaces, small not-for-profits, emerging galleries, collectives, and independent curators. Founded in the Spring, the fair is currently in its second iteration and is not to be missed; this, folks, is the future—and the pure now—of Chicago art. This is the rise of the alternative and underground. I like what Paul Klein had to say about it: “MDW sets a high bar about what an art fair should be—an art experience where the exhibitors present art they believe in to an audience that wants to be welcomed, inspired, challenged, and cajoled.” (Edit: Paul just added a paragraph on Occupy Wall Street, and it’s worthy of a standing ovation.) MDW’s Vernissage is tonight 8–11pm, and continues Saturday and Sunday 12–6pm.

Of course, you can’t mention “Bridgeport” and “art” without including the Zhou B Art Center; in the heart of it all, the art center comprises 5 floors of open artist studios and galleries. At 4Art Gallery, you can view Spiritus Saltus and Opposition from Exquisite Corpse. Visit tonight 6–10pm (there will be cider!), and/or Saturday 12–6pm and Sunday 12–5pm. Admission is free.

Here’s a map of the art walk. (Some distances more walkable than others…) (Which is why it might be perfectly acceptable to just stroll around 4Art with a mug of cider in hand.) (Just sayin’.)

Roundup

Exquisite Corpse updates: shiny new menu page for the show (click on the thumbnails), more performance photos on Flickr, a new video clip of said performance, and new images at the exhibition photos page.

Photo by Andrew Roddewig, 2011.

Check out the updated virtual gallery, the new electronic abode of Spiritus Saltus—the exquisite corpse by Melbourne artists Adriane Strampp, Irene Wellm, and Kirsten Perry spotlighted in posts 1 2 and 3—and Opposition by Boston artist Gideon Ansell and Amsterdam artist Mark Pol. I will be writing more about these two works, so stay tuned. In the meantime, feel free to ask me any questions you may have about them.

You can also view Spiritus Saltus and Opposition in person at 4Art Gallery, located in the internationally renowned Zhou B Art Center. The next monthly 3^rd Friday opening reception is October 21, 6–10pm, and the annual Bridgeport Art Walk is Friday, October 21, 6–10pm; Saturday, October 22, 12–6pm; and Sunday, October 23, 12–6pm. 4Art’s regular gallery hours are Tuesday–Saturday, 10am–6pm.

And, completely unrelated to any of the above, it’s been a while since my last Sixty Inches From Center contribution, but my art scene documentarian self has risen from the ashes. Risen sixty inches from the ground.*

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*my height†

†unfortunately