Category: Art

  • Jim Dennis Photography Studio Holiday Art Silent Auction Party – Sunday December 18, 2016

    Jim Dennis invites you to his Annual Holiday Sales at Jim Dennis Photography
    Jim Dennis invites you to his Annual Holiday Sales at Jim Dennis Photography
    Jim Dennis studied under Ruth Bernard, the master of light and shades

    As a young boy Jim Dennis was discovered by Ruth Bernard, the world famous photography who belonged to a young group of photographers that included Ansel Adams and Edward Weston.  He had the good fortune of training with her at a young age.  The way he uses shadows and light is reminiscent of these masters.

    Come visit the gallery, shop for wonderful gifts of classic art and join up with other Art Collectors and Jim Dennis admirers for a celebration of the Holiday Season and the Beaux Arts.

    When:  Sunday December 18, 2016 from 2PM - 8PM
    
    Where: Jim Dennis Photography Studio and Gallery
           4300 Horton St, Emeryville, CA 94608
           (510) 595-8634
    
    www.jimdennisphotography.com

    Jim Dennis is a world renowned Bay Area Photographer whose work has spanned over thirty years, with exhibits ?at a variety of artful venues across the nation including: ?Kodak Gallery, New York, New York,? Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, Illinois?, The Oakland Museum, Oakland, California. ?Jim Dennis, a native of San Francisco recognized at an early age that he was visually oriented and ?was excited to discover that he could capture on film, elements that provoked thought and stirred emotion.

    Jim Dennis Interview with an historic overview of many of his art pieces.

    Jim Dennis loves music and enjoys to portray musicians.  He has an amazing collection of photos of classic musicians, including Miles Davis, Lou Rawls, Pete Escovedo, Sarah Vaughn, Sheila E. and many more.  He has photos of famous politicians and famous people including Willie Brown Jr., Barbara Lee, Dalai Lama, Princess Christina and too many to mention.

    Stanley Jordan, Rolando Morales, Ranie Smith and Lloyd Gregory
    Stanley Jordan, Rolando Morales, Ranie Smith and Lloyd Gregory

    As a young staff photographer with Eastman Kodak, Dennis photographed people and places across the world:?the Taj Mahal in India; life in Morocco; cultural portraits in Turkey. He also photographed the Indy 500 and Grand Prix Races, a cattle round-up in Wyoming and the Ringling Bros. Circus, Barnum, and Bailey Circus. His personal extensive travels have provided him with opportunities to capture exciting photographic images in such places as Haiti, Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii, France, Italy, Britain, the Bahamas, Brazil, Costa Rica and the Ivory Coast.

    Jim Dennis’ technical skills in photography were honed at Eastman Kodak where he collaborated with engineers ?developing state-of-the-art photographic equipment and products. He regularly attends professional development seminars and workshops to stay abreast of new developments in the photography world and has taught technical skills in photography to students at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco. Additionally, he studied with the famed San Francisco photographer Ruth Bernhard in developing his creative skills.

    In addition to his personal clients, present corporate clients include: Pacific Bell, Pacific Gas and Electric, American Airlines, San Francisco Redevelopment Agency, East Bay AIDS Foundation, San Francisco Foundation, City and County of San Francisco, San Francisco Unified School District, City of Oakland, Oakland Unified School District, Walter Katz Foundation, World Savings Bank, KTVU-Channel 2, Highland Hospital and the Port of Oakland.

    Come visit the gallery, shop for wonderful gifts of classic art and join up with other Art Collectors and Jim Dennis admirers for a celebration of the Holiday Season and the Beaux Arts.

    When:  Sunday December 18, 2016 from 2PM - 8PM
    
    Where: Jim Dennis Photography Studio and Gallery
           4300 Horton St, Emeryville, CA 94608
           (510) 595-8634
    
    www.jimdennisphotography.com
  • Berthe Morisot, amazing impressionist painter.

    Berthe Morisot, The Cradle as exhibited at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.
    Berthe Morisot, The Cradle as exhibited at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.

    Berthe Morisot was one of three daughters of the Prefect of Bourges. Her grandfather was the influential Rococo painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard. Berthe Morisot was born January 14, 1841, in Bourges, France.Berthe and her sister Edna were given art lessons.

    Berthe and Edma Morisot traveled to Paris to study and copy works by the Old Masters at the Louvre Museum in the late 1850s under Joseph Guichard. They also studied with landscape painter Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot to learn how to paint outdoor scenes. Berthe Morisot worked with Corot for several years. In 1864, Berthe Morisot exhibited for the first time in the highly esteemed Salon de Paris. Sponsored by the government, and judged by , the Salon was the official, annual exhibition of the Académie des beaux-arts in Paris.

    Berthe Morisot and her friendship with Edouard Manet

    You know she is great if Edouard Manet admired her painting. Berthe befriended Edouard Manet from 1868 and the two influenced each other’s work.

    Manet's famous Painting "Repose" shows us what Berthe looked like.
    Manet’s famous Painting “Repose” shows us what Berthe looked like.

    In the 1870s Berthe who had developed a friendship with Degas and Bazille, agreed to be in the first independent show of Impressionist paintings, which included works by Degas, Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, and Alfred Sisley. Edouard Manet continued to display his works at the official Salon.

    In 1874, she married Eugene Manet, Edouard’s younger brother. Manet was the middle of the three sons of Adolphe Manet, an official at the French Ministry of Justice. He was born in Paris, 22 months after his more famous older brother Édouard in January 1832, and 16 months before his younger brother Gustave in March 1835. He was named after his mother Eugénie-Désirée (née Fournier).  Eugéne served in the French Army, and then studied law, but did not follow his father into a legal career. He travelled to Italy with Édouard in 1853 to study Old Master paintings in Florence, Venice, and Rome. Eugene painted as well but devoted most of his life in support of his more talented wife, Berthe.

    She participated in the Impressionist exhibitions every year except 1877, when she was pregnant with her daughter.  She passed away on March 2, 1895 at the age of 54 from a case of pneumonia.

     

  • Mill Valley Artist, Sudha Irwin’s art to wear pieces are enchanting.

    Mill Valley Artists Sudha Irwin creates timeless pieces of art to wear.
    Mill Valley Artist Sudha Irwin creates timeless pieces of art to wear.

    Sudha Irwin has chosen metal arts as her medium of expression for inspirations she derives from the natural world that surrounds her in Mill Valley, California and from her travels around the world. She has been working in silver, gold, and precious and semiprecious stones for over a decade.   Sudha has travelled the world and written about natural beauty as a journalist for major magazines.  After raising her kids, she now raises our standards for grace and beauty.   Her timeless objects and art to wear will surely turn into heirlooms.  Enjoy your visit www.sudhairwin.com

  • Dec. 3rd, Joyce Gordon Gallery holds special X-mas Family and Professional Portrait Event with Jim Dennis, Photographers for the Stars

    Pete Escovedo Family Portrait by Jim Dennis
    Pete Escovedo Family Portrait by Jim Dennis

    Question: What does Pete Escovedo, the Dalai Lama, Joyce Gordon and you have in common?
    Answer: A portrait by Jim Dennis.

    Well, you will if you attend the Saturday, December 3rd Joyce Gordon Gallery opportunity to have your professional portrait taken by the internationally renown artist Jim Dennis. This summer, Jim Dennis celebrated his illustrious 50th anniversary of his photography career. Joyce Gordon asked him then to offer portraits to her loyal art fans at a stark discount. There was so much demand for this special treat that Joyce Gordon and Jim Dennis decided to select Saturday, December 3rd to offer this special Holiday Treat to you, again.

    Go have your portrait taken by Jim Dennis and enjoy the current Joyce Gordon Gallery show.

    Right now the Joyce Gordon Gallery presents “The Art of Aziz Diagne” a collection of Theissoise paintings and multimedia works by Senegal born artist, Aziz Diagne.

    the-art-of-aziz-diagne
    the-art-of-aziz-diagne

    Theissoise, reversed painting on glass, is a process that involves applying color to the glass in the exact reverse process involved when painting on any other surface. The process is a detailed and a painstaking method as each color is applied separately. Brushes and various other tools are used to give continuity, contrast and texture to the finished work. Rich in symbolism, the artist’s work captures the spirit and ambiance of the universal experience. Aziz Diagne is a multi-media artist from Senegal, West Africa. He grew up in the city of Thies, amid the traditional art forms of his homeland. These art forms include rock carving, ceramic and wood sculpture, murals, tapestry, and Thiesoise (reverse painting on glass). Aziz, a self-taught painter, through his unique and dynamic talents, quickly established himself as one of the premiere contemporary glass painters. Before coming to the United States, Aziz studied in Dakar and Thies, Senegal. He then pursued art for several years in neighboring countries Mauritania and Morocco. Aziz traveled extensively throughout Africa, Europe, and South America, absorbing the art and cultures of diverse environments. These experiences have greatly enhanced the artist’s seemingly limitless repertoire and creative energy.

    About the Gallery

    Joyce Gordon has long been hailed as the heart of Oakland’s vibrant arts community. Ms. Gordon is all about making art accessible to everyone, from the New York collector flying in for a $25,000 piece to the curious teenager peeking in the front door.  Some of those artists participated in Gordon’s inaugural exhibition in 2003, a star-studded event with actor Robert Redford, a longtime friend of Gordon’s, kicking off the festivities. Since then, the gallery has been the scene of international photo competitions and exhibits by emerging local artists, book signings, poetry readings, music and film events. There’s been a tribute to Michelle Obama, giant trampoline sculptures that took up the whole gallery floor and a look back at the Occupy movement. Join us in celebrating art, portraits, and kick in the holiday season in style.  Create a long term memory you and your loved ones will cherish for many years to come.

    Joyce Gordon Gallery, 406 Fourteenth St. Downtown Oakland, CA 94612