Life to Life

In Relationship

The above painting, Home Sweet Home, was painted about 5 years ago in recognition of the serious planetary conditions we are facing.  I was always surprised at the lack of reaction that people had in seeing this image.  Was it disaster fatigue?

Cosmic Being, shows a human being who has the point of view of Life. As Life, we are one with the universe and the ecological system of the earth. What happens to Earth and what happens to human beings has a direct impact on all of  us. We are not isolated beings. Everything is in relationship.

We are in danger of destroying our earthly home and ourselves as a species. If we wake up to the fact that we are not just isolated individuals living off the resources of the earth, but that we are in relationship to each other and to the planet, then we have a new basis of understanding. In order to find a  solution that is holistic and doesn't just fit the crisis of the day, we have to reach beyond political and ideological solutions, and see the psychological conditioning which creates our delusion of separation.

Everyday we are presented with countless images and ideas.  We are overwhelmed with motivational messages.  I don't feel that we have too much time to get this right, we have to act in an effective way.  We can't just entertain each other with idealistic slogans. 

As an artist I am well aware of the power and limitations of images. When you look at these two images are you more motivated by one than the other?  Do these images speak to you?  Should we keep making images or is there something more important to be done? 

Microcosm at CSMA

Lost in Thought

oil on layered paper with photograph

Arthur Whitman curated the show Microcosm, which is now on display at CSMA  in Ithaca, NY. The following describes the show:

The idea of the picture as microcosm or abstract landscape is one that has a rich history and a strong purchase within contemporary art. Consider Persian miniatures or the maps and fine art prints - particularly landscapes, cityscapes - of the Western tradition.  Think of the intimate and detailed modern art of Paul Klee: passageways that pull the viewer in, spaces that allude to the complexity of the real world without mimicking it.  The artwork as its own nature, its own world.

Open Studio

Join us for an Open Studio exhibit (and SALE!)

  January 24,25,26

Friday, Saturday and Sunday

1-6

 32 Elm Street, Trumansburg

Stop by our cozy studio in Trumansburg for a view 

of over 30 stone poems, photographs and paintings.

We'd love to see you!

Rasa Spa

Join us for a gathering at Rasa Spa on 

Thursday, October 4, from 5-7. 

The Map is Not the Territory

Kim's paintings, which  have decorated the walls of the spa all summer are about to be replaced by a new show of Fernando's work.  We would love to see you and share some wine and cheese.  Enjoy the art work, oil paintings on constructed paper, and get a feeling for the space and activities at Rasa Spa. 

Rasa Spa is located at 310 Taughannock Blvd. in Ithaca.

Home Green Home Installation

Here is a picture of the installation that we did at Home Green Home, in Ithaca, on Gallery Night.  The little pieces of paper have environmental quotes on them.  I've listed them for you below. The installation was only up for the evening, but paintings, photographs and stone poems are still in the store.  Hope you will visit!

We could have saved the Earth but we were too damned cheap.                                                                      Kurt Vonnegut


A primary function of art and thought is to liberate the individual from the tyranny of his culture in the environmental sense and to permit him to stand beyond it in an autonomy of perception and judgment.
                                    Beverly Sills

A very Faustian choice is upon us: whether to accept our corrosive and risky behavior as the unavoidable price of population and economic growth, or to take stock of ourselves and search for a new environmental ethic.
                                            E. O. Wilson


For 200 years we’ve been conquering Nature.  Now we’re beating it to death. 

                   Tom McMillan


There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not for man’s greed. 
                     Gandhi


Time and space - time to be alone, space to move about - these may well become the great scarcities of tomorrow. 
                         Edwin Way Teale


Soon silence will have passed into legend.  Man has turned his back on silence.  Day after day he invents machines and devices that increase noise and distract humanity from the essence of life, contemplation, meditation... tooting, howling, screeching, booming, crashing, whistling, grinding, and trilling bolster his ego.  His anxiety subsides.  His inhuman void spreads monstrously like a gray vegetation.                                                                     Jean Arp


How long can men thrive between walls of brick, walking on asphalt pavements, breathing the fumes of coal and of oil, growing, working, dying, with hardly a thought of wind, and sky, and fields of grain, seeing only machine-made beauty, the mineral-like quality of life? 
                                                       Charles A. Lindbergh


It appears to be a law that you cannot have a deep sympathy with both man and nature.                             Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854 

     
We’re finally going to get the bill for the Industrial Age.  If the projections are right, it’s going to be a big one:  the ecological collapse of the planet.
                                                                    Jeremy Rifkin


Man has been endowed with reason, with the power to create, so that he can add to what he’s been given.  But up to now he hasn’t been a creator, only a destroyer.  Forests keep disappearing, rivers dry up, wild life’s become extinct, the climate’s ruined and the land grows poorer and uglier every day. 
                                                 Anton Chekhov


A human being is part of the whole, called by us “Universe,” a part limited in time and space.  He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest 
- a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.  This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.  Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole [of] nature in its beauty. 
                                       Albert Eintein


Western society has accepted as unquestionable a technological imperative that is quite as arbitrary as the most primitive taboo:  not merely the duty to foster invention and constantly to create technological novelties, but equally the duty to surrender to these novelties unconditionally, just because they are offered, without respect to their human consequences. 
                                   Lewis Mumford


It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment. 
                              Ansel Adams


To people who think of themselves as God’s houseguests, American enterprise must seem arrogant beyond belief.  Or stupid.  A nation of amnesiacs, proceeding as if there were no other day but today.  Assuming the land could also forget what had been done to it.
 
                               Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Dreams


All in favor of conserving gasoline, please raise your right foot.             
                                                      Author Unknown


As we watch the sun go down, evening after evening, through the smog across the poisoned waters of our native earth, we must ask ourselves seriously whether we really wish some future universal historian on another planet to say about us:  “With all their genius and with all their skill, they ran out of foresight and air and food and water and ideas,” or, “They went on playing politics until their world collapsed around them.”
                                             U Thant


We must not be forced to explore the universe in search of a new home because we have made the Earth inhospitable, even uninhabitable.  For if we do not solve the environmental and related social problems that beset us on Earth - pollution, toxic contamination, resource depletion, prejudice, poverty, hunger - those problems will surely accompany us to other worlds.    
Donald G. Kaufman and Cecilia M. Franz, Biosphere 2000

 
Oh Beautiful for smoggy skies, insecticided grain,
For strip-mined mountain’s majesty above the asphalt plain.
America, America, man sheds his waste on thee,
And hides the pines with billboard signs, from sea to oily sea.
                                                                         George Carlin


There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew. 
     
             Marshall McLuhan


At every turn, when humanity is asked the question, 'Do you want temporary economic gain or long-term environmental loss, which one do you prefer,' we invariably choose the money.
                                Ethan Hawke



The old Lakota was wise.  He knew that man’s heart away from nature becomes hard; he knew that lack of respect for growing, living things soon led to lack of respect for humans too. 
                              Chief Luther Standing Bear

Our environmental problems originate in the hubris of imagining ourselves as the central nervous system or the brain of nature.  We’re not the brain, we are a cancer on nature. 
                                       Dave Foreman


I conceive that the land belongs to a vast family of which many are dead, few are living, and countless numbers are still unborn. 
                 Author Unknown


Economic advance is not the same thing as human progress.                                                        John Clapham

 

Sunflowers

Last summer there were beautiful sunflowers in my garden and I got the urge to paint them. Painting outside and from life was quite a challenge and I ended up painting two pictures in the more manageable environment of my studio. Fernando has just framed 3 out of the 4 paintings for me and now they look very finished and ready to present.

Our Lady of Sweeping Grace

Let me introduce you to "Our Lady of Sweeping Grace."

She has been in the works for a long time, but it was only this week that elements that have been laying around the studio for years finally came together to give final form to her holiness. I am referring specially to the little broom and the two smaller assemblages at the right and left of her fossil feet that Kim Schrag made in 1995 and that she gave me (maybe 5 years ago) to incorporate into a stone poem of my choosing.
Kim participated in the placement of her two elements into the general design of Our Lady, so this piece can be rightfully called a collaboration between us.

Enjoy, and let us know if you want to take a closer look.

BTW, these are the materials that went into the piece: stone from Taughannock creek, found metal, drift wood, fossils from Cayuga lake, and raw silk, in a lined cherry shadowbox

Invitation to Natural Abstractions

 

“Natural Abstractions”

 

Fernando Llosa:  Oil paintings, Prints from Sumi ink paintings, and StonePoems

 

David Harper: Wood and mixed media sculpture

 

Carol Ackles: Ceramic bead jewelry

 

Edgewood Gallery

216 Tecumseh Rd.

Syracuse, NY 13224

 

315-445-8111

edgewoodartandframe.com

 

Opening reception Friday June 29, 6:00-8:00 PM

Exhibit dates: June 29 – Sept. 7 2012

 

Gallery hours: Tues. – Fri. 9:30 – 6:00, Sat. 10:00 – 2:00

The gallery will be closed the week of July 10 - 14

Exciting news!  My show, Inside Itself, was just featured on Non-Duality America.

Ithacamade in May

Stone Poem to an Engaging Couple

Check out what's new at Ithacamade. Gallery night is coming up on Friday.  You can see this stone poem by Fernando.

TCPL Exhibit on Homelessness

Fernando and Kim are participating in this exhibit, 
which starts on Saturday, March 10.  
The opening reception will be on Thursday, April 5 from 5-8pm.

LIBRARY LAUNCHES NEW EXHIBIT ON HOMELESSNESS AND THE INDIGENT

Fragile-Handle with Care, Artwork by Kim Schrag

ITHACA—The Tompkins County Public Library will unveil its latest art and poetry exhibit, “Perspectives on Homelessness and the Indigent” Saturday, March 10.

On display throughout the Library, this enlightening exhibit is curated by artist and arts educator Benn Nadelman and features the work of 41 visual artists and poets, representing a vast range of sociopolitical, demographic and aesthetic perspectives.   Featured exhibitors include creative professionals, those administering to the indigent and members of the indigent community. 

The exhibit will be on display through May 24 and will be highlighted during an opening reception and public forum “The Homeless and Indigent:  Causes, Effects and Solutions,” Thursday, April 5 from 5:00 to 8:00 PM in the Library’s BorgWarner Community Room.

The forum will be moderated by Anne Rhodes and includes panelists:  City of Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick, John Ward, director of Homeless Services for the American Red Cross of Ithaca and Tompkins County, Jungle resident Joe Lotito, Veteran’s Sanctuary Coordinator Jennifer Pacanowski and Tompkins County Poet Laureate Gail Holst-Warhaft.

Following the panel discussion, Liberian Native Jackie Sayegh-Birch will read her original poetry. 

Some pieces featured in the exhibit are available for purchase by contacting the artists directly.  Proceeds from the sale of some pieces may be donated by the artists to charitable organizations serving the indigent.

The exhibit will also be featured during Downtown Ithaca’s Gallery Night from 5:00 to 8:00 PM on Friday, April 6.

For additional information, contact TCPL Exhibit Coordinator Sally Grubb at (607) 272-4557  extension 232 or sgrubb@tcpl.org, or curator Benn Tedrus Feshbach Nadelman at (607) 220-9144 or BennNadelman@me.com.

The Book

If you would like a small copy of the Inside Itself exhibit, the exhibition book has been printed and is for sale.  There are images of the 8 paintings and texts that were in the CAP ArtSpace exhibit in December, plus an essay by Fernando and an introduction by Kim.  The books are $35 and can be purchased by sending us an e-mail. You can also purchase directly from Lulu, the printer.  The link is on the side of the blog.
If you did see the show this is a more relaxed way to spend time with the images and ideas, and if you didn't get to the show, well here it is!
Thanks for your purchase.  It does help to cover some studio costs.

Open Studio in January

Now that the holidays are over, and we all have a little more room to breathe, we hope you will think about stopping by.  Kim won't be back to work at TC3 until later in the month.  Fernando has hung over 30 stone poems, and many are new.  There are some interesting portraits, which is a new development in this long running series of stone assemblages. unboundart

The house is full of artwork, so stop by for tea, and a little creative boost!

While on a Walk

While On A Walk

The Gallery View

click on the image to get a larger view

This is the view of the Community Arts Partnership, ArtSpace, in Center Ithaca, on the Ithaca Commons, where Kim's show Inside Itself , is now on display. The opening was well attended, especially since it was Gallery Night in Ithaca, and there were a lot of people downtown for all of the exhibits. We enjoyed seeing so many people and many of them really seemed to appreciate the show. If you haven't gone yet, the work will be up through December 22. We are waiting for the first Lulu books that we ordered to arrive and if you have interest in seeing the paintings and reading the text that goes with them, the book may be of interest to you. Let us know.

You can now see the images and texts on the Embracing Life blog. Not a substitute for the real paintings! but good if you can't get to Ithaca.

CAP ArtSpace

There Is No Separation

The opening reception for Kim's show:
Inside Itself,
is on
December 2, 5-8 pm.
Gallery Night in Ithaca
at
The Cap ArtSpace, 171 The Commons

The show will be run from Dec. 2-22.

Come see the 8 new paintings that have been created in the last year.

The New Aristocracy

Click on the image to read the text if it is too small.

A little satirical piece in support of the 99%.

Elemental

Rebecca Godin has curated another show for CSMA in Ithaca.
Elemental: Fire, Water, Air & Earth.
Opening Gallery Night in Ithaca, November 5, from 5-8pm.
Hope to see you there!

Elemental
Community School of Music and Arts
330 E. Martin Luther King/State Street
Ithaca, NY
November 4th - November 24th, 2011

New Blog, Embracing Life

We are starting another blog, Unbound Art, Embracing Life, which expresses how we see the interface between the human mind and life. We will continue to let you know about our current activities and new work, on this site. If you are interested in the content, inspirations, and motivations behind the work, you might want to check out the new blog which will include visual art and writing.
Please comment on anything that touches you and hitting the subscription button on either blog will allow you to get new postings when they happen.
Kim and Fernando

Stone Poems and Coffee

Stone Poem to Joy

Stone Poem to an Engaging Couple

We are the Earth, We are Life

Stone Poem to a Silent Child

Could I offer you a little stone poem with your coffee?

This is the last week for Fernando's show at Gimme Coffee! in Trumansburg. There are some unique pieces (portraits), as well as the dancing figures that everyone loves.
Hope to see you in Trumansburg!

Kim and Fernando

The Whole Messy Busyness

I love this composite that Fernando took of my studio. (click on the image to see a larger version) Yes, maybe I am a little embarrassed by the disorder, but that is the reality of the studio. The picture captures some new paintings that I have been working on at the end of the summer. The Sunflowers finally came into bloom and I was able to work with them in the garden for a while, but then I finally moved them into the studio, where it is easier to paint for extended periods of time. I noticed the bugs came in too and I had to be mindful of the limited time I had before they devoured the leaves. It was also interesting to notice the gradual, but steady wilting and drying of the leaves and petals. Nature is always moving on.

Fernando at Gimme!

Balancing Act

Fernando has a nice little show at Gimme, in Trumansburg, with some new work and some favorites from recent shows. The exhibit will be up through September.

Balancing Act, was commissioned by our neighbor, Jean Taylor. It's not in the show at Gimme, but a beautiful example of a family portrait in stone.

Garden Studio

There is No Separation

It has been a long time since I have drawn or painted from actual subject matter, but this summer I couldn't stay out of the garden. This garden certainly has its own mind and I haven't always been resigned to what it has produced. My expectations were that after a few years of building the soil I would have beautiful vegetables and flowers, more than we needed to eat and enjoy. However, with Black Walnut trees all around the yard and dry soil conditions (even when watering daily) my efforts weren't matching my expectations. At the Farmer's Market I would see the beautiful produce the farmers were selling and feel a little defeated. But this spring, after the sweet blue Forget-Me-Not's took over a quarter of the garden, I decided that whatever happened this year was fine. I like being out there. A stillness takes over, and I just watch the birds and insects, listen to the sounds, and notice what has decided to grow with or without my help. It is a reminder that Life is in charge.

Thank goodness, because it is certainly more complex and beautiful than my small imagination.

As you can see in the photos, I started drawing on board in the garden. Right away I knew it was going to be a challenge. Setting up the easel, gathering all of the supplies, dealing with the blinding sun and trying to avoid sunburn were all issues I had to solve. I really didn't know where I was going with this piece, but after the drawing, I came back to the studio and took Fernando's suggestion to put in the figure. I see this as an extension of the Inside Itself series that I was working on in the last show.

Fernando Llosa at the Corners Gallery

Stone Poem to a Summer Day on Cayuga Lake

What You Are Looking For Is Where You Are Looking From
print from a sumi-ink painting on glass

The studio has been overtaken in recent weeks with the production of stone poems and there are two new beautiful stone assemblages in this show. Fernando is also, for the first time, showing three prints from the sumi-ink glass plates, in a large scale format that really allows the viewer to enter into the details and space of the images. The gallery will also display a portfolio of 60 smaller prints, from the sumi-ink glass plates. Looking through the portfolio is great way to see the scope of this project that Fernando has been working on for over 7 years.

The show will be up until August 31.
Kim and Fernando

Gallery Night tonight

Fernando has just put up an exhibit of Stone Poems at Multifaceted Minerals, 218 The Commons, in Ithaca. The opening is tonight, during Gallery Night. The work fits right into the focus of the store. Hope to see you there tonight!

Inside Itself

The Great Unfolding


Inside Itself II


Inside Itself I


Who's Looking?

Falling Away

Accumulation

Self-Centered

The opening for the show Inside Itself, was this last weekend, at Unbound Art Studio in our home in Trumansburg. Thanks to everyone who came and the weather for being so beautiful that we could sit out back and talk around the picnic table. If you didn't see the show and would like to, give us a call, the work is still up and we will turn the lights on for you.
Kim and Fernando

Open Studio

Inside Itself

A Year of Painting
by Kim Schrag

Please join us for the first public showing of 8 new oil paintings.
Friday, June 17, 5-8
Saturday, June 18, 1-5

Unbound Art Studio
32 Elm Street, Trumansburg, NY

Some of the paintings have been posted throughout the blog recently, and I am excited to see them all up on the wall together. They are quite large, 36x48", oil on board. Hope to see you at the opening!
Kim

Color On/Color Off

Should I focus your attention on the beautiful spring flowers in the garden in front of our house, or the new painting I recently completed on the porch? I wonder if this is the way perception works....



Although we have been a little tired of all the rain, it has produced beautiful blossoms. This weekend, I finally decided that there was little chance of another frost and have moved most of the plants onto the porch. We have been putting paintings on the front porch easel to lure visitors to the studio. Stop by if you are in the neighborhood.

For a better view of the paintings on the porch, visit our other blog, Embracing Life .

Who's Looking?

Who's looking?