It's The Little Things...(Small Wonders Opening, 6/8 @ ODAS!)

It's time we all acknowledged the truth: Things that are awesome, are made awesom-er when they are small.
To convince you of this Scientific Fact*, I present to you exhibits A through E:

Exhibit A: Candy

Good.**

BETTER. (Look- fun is in it's name)

Exhibit B: Octopi

Beautiful, and slightly terrifying 

Beautiful and SO WEE.
BETTER.

Exhibit C: Antipasto plates

Normal size: A delicious and savory way to begin a meal

Tiny Size: inedible, but completely adorable.
BETTER.

Exhibit C: Even things that are already small are better when they're smaller

You can hold it in your hands!

YOU CAN HOLD 30 OF THEM IN YOUR IN YOUR HANDS
WAY BETTER.

Exhibit D: Art

What a big and impressive piece of art!

Smaller, but SO MUCH BETTER!

The really great news is that if you are a fan of small art (and with all the above evidence you'd be foolish not to be) you'll have a chance to check out over 100 miniature (no larger than 12"x 12"x 12")  paintings, drawings, sculptures, even fiber art at Open Door's Small Wonders, opening this Saturday, June 8th, from 5p to 7p.

But wait! There's more!

Small Wonders is a collaborative exhibition featuring artists from Open Door Art Studio and Cincinnati’s Visionaries and Voices. The show will be up through July, but with Father's Day, Graduation gifts and Happy 'It's No Longer Ohio Winter!' celebrations coming up, these wonderful and affordable works of are will be flying off the walls. Plus our openings have great snacks. 

Please join us for this big night of small works!  

*disclaimer: not real science
**All pictures, except for the last one, belong to someone else and have been linked to where I found them.
They are used purely for fun and hilarity, not for profit.

Wallace Peck- Opening Tomorrow @ the Lindsay Gallery

It's not a secret that Wallace is an amazing artist, and a total rock star. The past year has been a big one for Wallace- he was chosen as an emerging artist for the 2012 Columbus Arts Fest, he was part of a three person show at Open Door, and he made lots of new friends.

because who wouldn't want to be friends with this smile?

2013 is also proving to be a big year for Wallace- He was featured in our second annual This Inspired That exhibition AND this week he opens his first ever solo show at a major Columbus Gallery. (!!!) We are all so proud of Wallace and can't wait to celebrate with him at the opening, this Friday, May 31 from 6pm to 9pm at the Lindsay Gallery.  

Come on out and meet the man, the myth, the legend, Mr. Wallace Peck himself.

Mother's Day is Coming- Are You Ready?

Ah, Mother's Day- The day to celebrate mother's, maternal bonds, the influence of motherhood in society, and all the ladies who've raised or help raise new humans into functional adults. It's the one day out of the year to show your mother (or mothering person) just how grateful you are for them, the one day on which we pause to say thank-you for everything they've done for us. It's also in two days, so if you haven't gotten an appropriately awesome gift for that awesome person, you'd better get moving. No pressure.

Whistler's Mother. Tell me this lady doesn't look like she deserves more than just a scented candle?

Good news! Just in time for this crazy important holiday, Open Door Art Studio is having a BIG SPRING FLING SALE, this Saturday, May 11 from 12pm to 5pm

"But Cat, are you sure I'll be able to find the right gift for my mother?

Yes. Yes I am.*

And to prove it, below are just a few of the literally hundreds of pieces of art we have for sale, any of which would make excellent Mother's Day Gifts:

Old School Vacuum, Rex Lynch

Okay, so everyone knows; don't get your mom/wife/significant other who cleans up your messes a tool with which to clean said messes. But an amazing, original watercolor drawing of an Old School Vacuum? Totally cool.

Splat, Marty Freireich 

Speaking of cleaning up messes, here's a Splat so beautiful your mother won't want to clean it up!**

And Baby Makes Three, Margaret Stromire

Don't have time to get a family portrait taken? No worries, get your mom a family portrait- With Elephants!

Linda Carter as Wonder Woman, Jenny DeBrier

Taking a messy, loud ball of emotions and impulses and transforming it into a functioning adult? If that's not a superpower I don't know what is. Celebrate your mother's inner Super Heroine with this lovely painting. 

Rosy Disposition, Linda Hoffman

Flowers are always a safe bet, but you know what doesn't last forever? Flowers. You know what does? Paintings of flowers. You tell me which one makes a better gift.

Cutie Koala, Carolyn Morgan

And if by some chance your mom doesn't like superheroes, flowers, non-objective paintings or elephants, there's no way she won't love a koala. They're scientifically proven to be the Outback's cutest animal***

So there you have it! Just a tiny sample of the amazing work we have available. Double plus bonus: Every work of art is one-of-a-kind (so no worries about a copy-cat sibling getting her the same thing) and directly benefits our artists and the studio.

Your mother would be proud.

*Full disclosure- I am not a mother, but I've been someone's kid for most of my life and feel like I've got a pretty good idea of what makes a successful Mother's Day gifting experience.

**(Which is good. Because it's a painting. And permanent.) 

***this is not real science. But it is true. 

Back in Time for Daffodils- It's the Open Door Exhibition Season!!

Greetings and Salutations! Happy Springtime! 

I love cocoa and holidays and big fuzzy sweaters as much as the next person, but around mid-February I hit my limit and start seriously considering hibernation as an alternative to Ohio winter.

This is a koala yawning. Your argument is invalid. 

Another late-winter bummer is the absence of exhibitions and openings in our gallery space. True, it's nice to give ourselves time to catch our breath and stock up on new art and ideas. True, it's usually too gross out for anyone to come out to a chilly, evening opening. Still- I missed seeing you guys!

Though things have been quiet around the ol' blog, we at Open Door have been busy as Christmas elves- plotting plots and scheming schemes- all in preparation for our SHINY! SPARKLY!
2013 EXHIBITION SEASON
here just in time for sunshine and violets and baby animals!

"But Cat! I can't wait! I've waited all winter and I need Visionary Art and I need it NOWZA!"

Well then, you're in luck because our first show of the season, This Inspired That, opens this Saturday, April 6th from 5pm to 7pm. 

"OMG YES!"

This Inspired That is a collaborative exhibit featuring Open Door Art Studio and artists from Creative Arts of Women (CAW). For this exhibit each CAW artist selected a piece of art made by an artist from Open Door that inspired them and then used that spark to create a companion piece. Both works are displayed side-by-side in this engaging and exciting exhibit.


Click here for more information about the show and to RSVP!
(If over 100 people RSVP by this Saturday I will attempt a cartwheel. In public. You know you want to see that)

Are You Afraid of the Art - Opening This Weekend!

That's right Boos and Ghouls, you have less than seven days (seven days!) until the Halloween event that will put the 'Art' back in "Heart-stopping,' the 'Ooo' in 'Spooky,' and the 'Wee!' back in 'Halloween'! Are You Afraid of the Art, opens this Saturday, Oct. 13th (eek!) from 5pm to 7pm, giving you plenty of time for tricks and/or treats after.

Are you Afraid of the Art will feature art work from Open Door artists, as well as artists from the Columbus arts community. The work ranges from scary to adorable and, in some cases, a most puzzling combination of the two. The opening will feature enough treats to make a dentist weep and costumes are highly encouraged. (For real. We will all be in costume and may deem you less than fun should you come in your regular clothes. Unless your regular clothes are some form of costume, in which case, rock on).

Of corpse, I don't want you to come ill prepared, so I thought I'd share a few of my frightful favorite pieces of art that feature the strange and spooky.

1. Caravaggio's Medusa

Yikes! Here's a lady I would not want to mess with (although I feel she and I could exchange hair-care tips) Carravaggio, the Italian Baroque painter, painted this image of the Gorgon queen in 1596 while living in Rome. Carravaggio, who is famous for being a bit of a hot head himself, had recently left Milan due to "certain quarrels". (Definitely more Tricks than Treats with this guy) Snakes to his awesome use of dark and light, Carravaggio had a large influence on the painters of his time, as well as today.

2. The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli

Don't you just hate it when you're trying to get to sleep and that big demon won't stop sitting on your chest? I know I do. Henry Fuseli, on the other hand, found it so inspiring he painted this image not once, but three different times. For a complete and truly bizarre interpretation, check out the image's wikipedia page. What can we learn from this piece- don't look a creepy-gift-horse in it's blank and bottomless eyes? Don't mess with Swiss Artists?  

 3. The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters  by Francisco Goya

This print is arguably the most famous of Goya's Los Caprichos series. Los Caprichos was a set of 80 prints in which Goya, a hard-core Enlightenment Fan, critiqued everything about the society in which he lived (sort of like an 18th century Steven Colbert). Goya's monsters are some of my favorites, as some of the scariest monsters to me exist in real life (example: clowns) 

 4. from The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch

Hieronymus Bosch's paintings are like a 'where's Waldo' of creepy little buggers. I don't even know where to start- the owls? The little gremlins? Awesome! I could look at this painting all day. Little is known about Bosch's life because he left no diaries or letters. Probably because he was too busy coming up with amazing beasties.

5. James Ensor's skeletons

Aw, look at these two guys- so happy! And that one has a hat! Everything's better with a hat (Don't believe me? Ask the internet). Although a 19th century painter, Ensor's bizarre paintings of skulls, carnival masks and puppets had a large influence on many of the 20th century surrealists.


Do you have a favorite piece of monster art? Perhaps you'll have a new one after this Saturday!

Are You Afraid of the Art
Saturday, October 10th

5pm to 7pm

See you there!

sources
wikipedia.com
my brain

my smart coworkers

Thanks Columbus!

A huge, huge thank you to everyone who stopped by the Wallace's booth this past Friday, Saturday or Sunday! Wallace sold a ton of work, but even more importantly had a great time. More than once he was heard to say things like "I really like this place!" and "I don't ever wanna leave".

If you missed him, or if you just want to say hi again, don't forget- this Saturday, June 9th from 5 to 7 is the opening reception for Figurative Language, featuring Wallace, John Emanuele and Charles Porter.

Holy Cow! Wallace Peck at the Columbus Arts Festival

Ah summer!
The trees are starting to fill out, flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, popsicles are in abundance-
Doesn't it just feel like there should be some awesome, three day long event where one could enjoy the arts scene in Columbus outside in the fresh air, perhaps take in the beauty of the Riverfront?

Good news!

You can do JUST THAT at the 2012 Columbus Arts Festival, June 1, 2 and 3!
(Huzzah!)

Does it get any better than this?

It totally does. This year, Open Door Artist, Wallace Peck was chosen by the festival to be featured as one of their emerging artists! We at Open Door are so proud of Wallace and can't wait for the rest of Columbus to get to know this amazing artist. Stop by booth M106 and say 'Hi!'

In the meantime, check out the wonderful episode of ArtZine made by WOSU's Cindy Gaillard highlighting Wallace.

Figurative Language!

Figurative Language is an exhibition of works created by three exemplary artists. Porter, Emanuele, and Peck each approach depicting the figure with a fresh perspective. Peck's concentric lines, Emanuele's bold colors and Porter's ethereal washes distinguish their work from one another. When displayed together the figures truly come to life.  

What:

Exhibition of figurative works made by Charles Porter, John Emanuele and Wallace Peck 

Where:

Open Door Art Studio

1050 Goodale Boulevard

Grandview, OH 43212

When:

Exhibit runs from June 9th until August 4th 

OPENING RECEPTION

Saturday, June 9th from 5pm until 7pm

Light hors d'oeuvres and beverages will be served in this unique and inspiring art setting.  

Why:

To celebrate and showcase an exciting show of three of Open Door's most prolific and accomplished artists working in a figurative style.  

Want to see a sneak peek?

Charles Porter, Birds and the Bees

John Emanuele, A New Breed

Wallace Peck, My Little Boy Green

the 'Petite Artiste' in 'Le Petite Gallerie'

ODAS artist, Beth, admireing the newly hung 'Petite Gallery.' Beth is not only a fantastic painter herself (she painted the small orange piece on the far left) she also has a great appreciation for other people's work.

"That's really something!"
-Beth

Pictures From 'the Other Side'

A huge thank-you to everyone who came to the opening of 'Art From the Other Side; Work From a Movement Without a Name'! Whether you were there physically or just in spirit, we appreciate the support. If you weren't able to come, no worries! The show will be up in the main branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library until Feb. 19.

(That's right, you can visit the library AND see some fantastic art- Who could ask for anything more?)

Brr! Open Door's Top 5 Ways to Stay Warm (inside and out)

1. Wear a hat; Growing up I heard over and over again- "Wear a hat! You lose 80% of your body heat through your head!" Now that I'm older, and have internet access, I know that this isnt' totally accurate. It is true, however, that the more warm things you wear the warmer you are, and really hats are just cool. Put a hat on anything and it's instantly better. Case in point:






2. Move around; Get that blood moving in whatever way says 'fun' to you. We here at Open Door are in favor of dance parties and flash mobs. Have a boring mid-winter office party coming up? Don't just stand around shivering and making small talk- liven it up with an impromptu lucho libre wrestling match! (I know a place you can get a good deal on some handmade masks)
   
   
   



3. Hot Cocoa; Not only is hot cocoa unspeakably delicious in nearly all it's forms, it's also good for you. In the 16th century, hot chocolate was used to treat liver disease. Which may sound silly, but even modern science (SCIENCE!) has found all sorts of real, good stuff in cocoa. Flavanoids, antioxidants, phenylethylamine are all found in hot chocolate and can help with artery health, digestion and even your mood.(1) Plus, it tastes awesome.
   





4. Share the love!(and the body heat); Sheep have the right idea. Standing close to other people helps to stay warm. One North Carolina study found that hugging actually triggers your brain to increase oxytocin (feel-good hormone) and decrease cortisol (stress hormone) and even lower blood pressure. (Again, SCIENCE.) Huddling up to strangers at the bus stop might get you a few stares, though, so stick with friends.
   
   
   
   
   



5. Support a cause you care about; This time of year we are innundated with ads and commercials telling us to buy! more! things! It's easy to get caught up in it all and even easier, for me, to get all scroogey and angry about. Take a break from the rampant consumerism and use your resources to buy from a nonprofit you care about. Your loved ones will end up a unique gift with a story behind it (other than 'I elbowed strangers in the face for this deal!'), you'll feel good knowing your money is going to someone who needs it, and gift giving will be an enjoyable experience again. Magical.
   
   

(1)info found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_chocolate . Note: I am not anything even close to a doctor or scientist. All recommendations made in this post are based on tastiness and the internet.

Boo! Fun Fall Things at Open Door

Greetings Columbus! Ohio! And beyond!

I don't know if you've noticed, but we're now halfway through October. How did this happen? I feel like it was, at most, two days ago that I was sitting outside, in the sun, thinking summery thoughts...(Of course, this could also be because it's Ohio, so two days ago it could've been sunny and summery)

As much as I love summer, though, I love fall. And so do many of the artists here at Open Door.

The most popular response to "What do you love about this time of year"?
COLOR!
No surprise, coming from a bunch of artists. Reds, oranges, and browns have been steadily creeping into sketchbooks, canvases, and sometimes, even yarn (like here in Marjorie's Fancy Fire Reef). ODAS artist, Tory, loves not only the colors of the leaves, but also the patterns they make on the ground. For some, watching the leaves change brings back other warm-fuzzy fall memories. Margaret remembers trips she used to take with her parents to Old Man's Cave to see the fall foilage as a really special time spent with family.

And of course, October means Halloween! Whether you're into tricks or treats, Open Door has some great artwork that can serve as trule unique Halloween decorations. Some prefer the gentler side of Halloween. Haystacks and hayrides are favorites, while several artists are looking to flex their creative muscle on some pumpkins. Some, however, are looking forward to both treats and tricks. Beth, whose calm abstracts might lead one to expect otherwise, is looking forward to "Ghosts! And Spooks!" while Rex loves watching scary movies this time of year.

Universally exciting is the chance to dress up. Whether trick-or-treating, handing out candy or going to a Halloween party, who doesn't love costumes? As you might expect from a group of creative types, there's a wide range of costume plans ranging from skeletons to scarecrows to Cher. Charles, seen here modeling one of his creations, is particularly excited to dress as one of his favorite luchadores. If you're still looking for a costume, Charles has dozens of masks for sale in the gallery, each one handmade and one of a kind.

Personally, I'm all about the treats. Candy corn, cider, pumpkin flavored everything, more candy corn, popcorn, cook-outs, (did I say candy corn?)- I love it all.

Last, but certainly not least, with fall comes all the preparations for our Grand Opening, November 12, from 3-7pm at our new location! We can't wait to see you all there!

For more information on the studio, and to see more amazing artwork, check out our site!

Open Door Takes Flight: An Exhibition at Wild Goose Creative

 What       An exhibition of flight-themed work created by the

               artists at Open Door Art Studio

When      Exhibiton on display August 2-31, 2011

               Reception August 18, 6-8 pm

Where    Wild Goose Creative

               2491 Summit Street, Columbus, OH 43202

               ph. 614.859.WILD (9453)

Who       Everyone is invited to partake in the festive  

               reception. Light refreshments will be provided and  

        several of the artists will be there to talk about    

        their artwork.