Sand Painter Artist Joe Mangrum

I became aware of Joe Mangrum's Sand Paintings few years ago when living in downtown Chicago. A friend mentioned that the building across from mine was having a special art event. The flyer about it caught my attention- vivid, vibrant colored mandala like forms done with sand on the ground. So, I went to see it. His imagery, the colors used, and the material vibrated deep in me, and brought me in direct contact with other viewers as the work seemed to inspire us to converse with one another . He considers his sand paintings as "spontaneous creations" and "vibrant catalyst in social interactions". When asked about his paintings, he states "are visual rebellions of the urban grid" (jonmangrum.com)

 

 Below is a link to a video that shows him in action. Enjoy it!

https://vimeo.com/joemangrum/doemuseumpainting4

National Geographic's Best Photo Shots

Check this link to see some of National Geographic's Best Photo Shots

Clinton Berry. National Geographic

http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/marvel-at-some-of-nat-geos-best-photos-from-2015_56785c65e4b06fa6887e3049?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063

Sebastian, the Cat

"Sebastian & Trevor". Watercolor on Paper (c) 2015

 This is my latest commissioned illustration on Sebastian, the cat and of my colleague Carol Hamilton. It was really fun to work on it. Thank you Carol!

MY 2016 WAL CALENDAR READY TO FILL YOUR HOME WITH COLOR AND SPIRITUAL ENERGY

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My 2016 Wall Calendar is ready for purchase.

This time I will take you into a journey of vibrant colors and imagery, honoring the Diaguita Indians- indigenous peoples of Argentina with my oil painitng series "Memories of a Long Gone Past".

Follow the link below to view it and to view the 2016 Poster Calendar, the 2016 Spanish Wall Calendar, and a 2016 Postcard.

https://www.createphotocalendars.com/Store/Wall+Calendar+2016-1691905581

CORNELIA ART BUILDING- WHERE ART WORKS! OPEN STUDIOS EVENT Nov. 20th & 21st, 2015

From the series "Not Quite There Yet"

Join me and many other artists on this LAST open studios event of the year at the Cornelia Art Building.

Friday Nov. 20th 6pm-10pm
Saturday Nov. 21st 12pm-6pm

It promises to be a highly visually gratifying experience and full of intense colorful creative energy everywhere!

CORNELIA ARTISTS BUILDING "Where Art Works"

OPEN STUDIOS- FALL 2015

-I will be showing work in November event-

October 2nd, 2015- 

6pm -10pm

November 20 & 21st, 2015- 

2pm - 6pm

Lost in the Fifties- Another Time, Another Place Video.

You certainly will love it!

http://safeshare.tv/w/FEDEwZHZXu

MANDALA WORKSHOP- JULY 10TH

A mandala is a circular symbol representing wholeness, completeness, and unity. 
Throughout history, the mandala appears as the integrating symbol of self. 
In Tibetan Buddhism it is created as an artistic aid for meditation; the mandala becomes 
a visualization tool to advance practitioners towards a state of well-being and wisdom.


In this 90 minutes class, you will tap into your own symbolic language to create a mandala

drawing. You will learn how to use your own mandala to tap into your own energy as well as that of your ancestors and draw them on paper with markers.


Date: Friday, July 10th

Time: 6:30pm - 8pm

Location: Pilsen Outpost

1958 w 21st St

Chciago IL 60608

Fee: $35 - includes all materials

Questions? Contact Pilsen Outpost at 773.492.2412

Colored Chickens

Colored Chickens
Oil on Canvas
11" x 14"
(c)2015
$650

"Colored Chickens" is part of "Memories on Canvas" series.
I was about six or seven years old when my father came home with a surprise for me- a shoe box with six alive colored chickens. Their colors were bright red, green, yellow, blue, fuchsia, and purple. My imagination got immediately stimulated. I was beside myself in joy and excitement.
I could play with them & and feed them during the day but they needed to be back in the shoe box by night to be placed in a warm environment. In our case the warm environment was the oven. The shoe box was placed in the oven middle rack, oven door open and surrounded by few wool blankets.
The chickens did not last more than several weeks. Slowly all of them died. It was a sad moment for me.
My father then constructed a cross with some left over wood he had in his carpentry studio, digged a whole on a small lot on the corner of the large house patio. Together we buried the chickens on the show box as the casket.