The past is re-imagined by NJ collage artist.

Hope you’re all enjoying your holiday season so far!  This is the perfect time for my next guest artist blogger, as much of her work revolves around holiday/winter related themes and nostalgia for good times past!  Let me introduce you to NJ collage artist JoAnn Telemdschinow as she shares her work and it’s inspiration….

“Snow Princess”  (c)JoAnn Telemdschinow

My name is JoAnn Telemdschinow and I’m the founder of Imagined Past. I’ve always loved and been fascinated by art, but I haven’t always been sure how I should express it. While I have a background in art history, I have not studied painting or drawing. On an impulse, I started playing with collage, and found I liked it very much. In 2014, I started learning Photoshop Elements. Since then, through magazine articles and online tutorials, I’ve been developing my skills and exploring how to create different effects.

What inspires my collages? Perhaps the most obvious influence is the art and architecture of the past, medieval times, eighteenth and nineteenth century painting, as well as Chinese and Japanese art. I can happily spend hours in a museum! I also love to travel. I recently went to Paris and took photographs of beautiful old streets and buildings, some of which I’ve turned into collages. I’m interested in languages and scripts, both ancient and modern.

JoAnn Telemdschinow in Paris

A collage may originate from an image that captures my attention, or from an idea that I want to express. I often utilize vintage art to build my pieces., although I also use my own photographs. I am also fond of incorporating old texts, such as handwriting, book pages, or advertising, into the composition. I try to use texts that relate to the subject of the piece, either through content or cultural origin. Textures play an important role in my collages as well…old paper, distressed surfaces.

“I Loved You” (c)JoAnn Telemdschinow

What am I trying to convey to the viewer? Well, I myself am deeply moved by beauty so I try to make my compositions visually beautiful. Beyond that, I attempt to express a feeling or atmosphere. My pictures (like myself) tend to be reflective and nostalgic. I also sometimes imply a bit of a narrative, as in I Loved You with its forlorn woman and titular inscription.

I’ve displayed my work in a number of area venues, such as The Gallery at the South Brunswick Municipal building and Inspire Art Gallery & Studio in Dunellen. Recently, I’ve also been honored to receive awards from the New Jersey State Bar Foundation (Chair’s Merit Award, Annual Juried Art Show) and the New Brunswick Free Public Library (Third Place-Adult, 2019 Visual Arts Contest and Exhibition).

“French Roses”  (c)JoAnn Telemdschinow

What do I have planned for the future? I would like to explore photography further and use more of my own photos in my collages. I’m working to promote my artwork through social media and my website.  And I’ll be exhibiting in more shows in the upcoming year. I enjoy meeting and talking to people at shows…perhaps I’ll get to meet you at one soon!

https://imaginedpast.weeblysite.com

facebook.com/Imagined-Past-116908833053318

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/imaginedpast/

http://joanntel.imagekind.com

www.etsy.com/shop/imaginedpast

email: jtelem70@gmail.com      cell: 848-264-2605

Worldly Art; German TV debut, Naked Exhibit & more!

It’s great not only to be able to connect with local artists but with creatives from other states and countries as well!  I’m sure many of you out there, with the ease of social media and the internet, have been viewing artistic works of all types from across the globe now more than ever, and for those of you that create your own, you’ve probably been enjoying sharing your work with the world as well!  Even though keeping up with online sites and content can be exhausting it is also so helpful when trying to launch or expand a career, especially a visual one like fine art and design. So I’m happy to share this news with you about some US & European projects I’ve been involved with….

“Naked In New Hope” poster

“Naked in New Hope”,
Group exhibition at Sidetracks Gallery, 10 Stockton Ave., New Hope, PA, 215.862.4586
Opening reception Saturday., Sept. 12, 2015, 6pm-9pm. Free event.
I have 2 x-ray pieces in this show.  Show runs thru Oct. 31, 2015.

Guardian Of The Elements, mixed media (c)Lauren Curtis

“EarthAirFireWater: elements/sacraments‏” , group show at Nails in the Wall Gallery, 17 Oak Ave., St. Luke’s Church, Metuchen, NJ.
Opening reception Sat. Sept. 19,  2pm-5pm. Show runs through Dec. 2015.
I have a mixed media piece in this show.

I’ll also be vending at many NJ free outdoor art fests…next one will be Sunday Sept. 20th, Highland Park, NJ Arts in the Park fest, Raritan Ave., 10am-4pm.

XRAYted Book 2 (c)July2015 OTHER COOL ART NEWS… Thanks to the magic of self-publishing I’ve just completed my 4th art book; this one features original x-ray based, mixed media pieces! Full color, glossy 20 pg. 8″x8″ hard cover signed books, just $35 + s/h. Here’s a preview (see pic above)…Paypal accepted.  To order email me at forestwalker333@hotmail.com And finally the big news!  I made my European TV debut last month and was featured on a German entertainment/cultural show!!  They filmed at my home and other local places…was a very unique experience.  Here’s where you can check it out..of course my crazy nails were the focus but my art is shows as well!  https://vimeo.com/133715051 Even if you don’t speak German you’ll get the gist…

European TV debut & other exciting art news!

HAPPY 4th OF JULY WEEKEND to all of you in the US & happy weekend to those elsewhere!!  Holidays…and often weekends in general…are a time to celebrate but this time I have even more reason to do so as I have some exciting news… I’ll be on TV again!! Recently I was contacted by a German TV show producer to be in an up-coming episode of their well-known cultural entertainment show that airs in Germany & other parts of Europe! We filmed all day a few weeks ago & I’m now waiting for the show to air (hopefully this month!). The episode features my long, “living sculpture” nails as well as my artwork & I’m so excited for this great opportunity! I’ll post more details as I get them as well as any links there may be to view the episode…stay tuned!!

Lauren By Forrest

And more exciting art news & events; “FOTOGRAPHIA” Photography exhibition at Gallery U, 439 South Ave W in Westfield. (908) 232-1895. Opening reception Friday., July 3, 2015, 6pm-8pm. Free event. I have the digital photograph below in this show.  Show runs thru July 31, 2015 & features photography from many talented area artists.

Nola Gothic Church (c)Lauren Curtis

New Fine Art Commissions Creating special, commissioned artwork for collectors is really enjoyable especially when the images bring back fond memories of their favorite places to hang out & sometimes they even found love there too! Such is the case for the gone-but-not-forgotten Melody Bar that was in New Brunswick, NJ! This was a regular hangout of mine so it’s been so much fun creating several original pen & ink with watercolor commissions for others who found this place special.  If you have a place you’d like immortalized thru art, contact me for commission info.!

Melody Bar Art (c)2015 Lauren Curtis

And, being it’s officially Summer….It’s T-SHIRT time again!!  You can wear my art on 100% pre-shrunk cotton T’s! Many unique designs on black, white or gray shirts, $20-$35 each +s/h depending on size & color.  All sizes from kids to XXL!  Contact me for details & to order.  Paypal accepted!  forestwalker333@hotmail.com

T-shirt/card design Flyer

NJ Isn’t Boring, Ireland Art Exhibition & more

Spring is almost upon us, even though the NJ weather doesn’t always agree, but wherever you are I hope you’ll take a minute to read about these exciting art events and if you are in the area, please visit these exhibitions & enjoy the art of spring!

Carnival, NJ June2011

New Jersey Isn’t Boring!
Group Show at Arts Guild New Jersey
1670 Irving St.,  Rahway, NJ
Opening reception Sun. March 22, 1pm-4pm. 
See what makes NJ so unique and definitely NOT boring!  Artwork of all types from many local artists. Show runs thru April 16, 2015.
I have two digital photos  in this show.

Ireland; Blarney Castle (c)Lauren Curtis

Savor the Arts; Ireland Exhibition, Group Exhibit, Middlletown Arts Center
36 Church St., Middletown, NJ
Opening Reception, Fri. March 20, 7pm-9pm.
Join this artistic celebration of Irish culture!  Show runs thru April 18, 2015
I have the above photo in this exhibit.

Reminisce (c)2013, watercolor and collage

Revelation/Revolution
Group art exhibition at Nails in the Wall Gallery, St. Luke’s Church, 17 Oak Ave., Metuchen NJ.  I have 2 paintings in this current exhibit that will be up until May 31, 2015.  Visit this eclectic, spiritual gallery to view work from local, national and international artists!

“Necropolis”, digital photo collage (c)Lauren Curtis

Spirit of the Human Family
Group Exhibition at the Linda Grandis Blatt Gallery, Temple B’nai Or, 60 Overlook Rd., Morristown, NJ.  Spiritual and artistic views on the meaning of family, this show runs thru April 10, 2015.  I have 3 pieces in this exhibition.

Jauntie; an oddly beautiful new zine

JAUNTIE: Not your typical fashion zine;  culture & style both classic & oddly beautiful!

Hopefully some of you remember that I used to have a monthly feature in the online zine LNGnails.com.  Well, things change and after a long run,  that site is no more but one of the former producers & friends have started a better, brand-new on line magazine called JAUNTIE!  Based out of the UK, this publication/blog not only focuses on the classic beauty and fashion themes and trends but also strives for something different!  Unique styles, creative fashion, art and culture are just some of the topics you’ll find in JAUNTIE and I was honored to be asked to write a monthly column about my own artwork and original style (including my real, 18+ inch fingernails!).

Me & my nails

With all the focus on Hollywood trends,  UNreal reality shows and anorexic models it’s refreshing to see a zine that goes beyond these stereotypes and pushes the limit!  So I hope you’ll check out my Halloween post this month in JAUNTIE:
http://jauntie.com/masks-mystery/

Please give it some LIKES and leave some COMMENTS on the website!  Thanks for reading and I’ll have an Autumn-themed art feature in next month’s issue!

Happy Reading,

Lauren

Meet The Great Electric Traveling Theatre

When music and art combine, especially across the seas,  great things happen…this is the 4th collaboration I’ve had with UK musician Mark Sheppard where I create artwork to fit with his original electronic musical composition; this time he selected a NYC photograph I shot for the cover of his latest album and I wanted to share info about it with you in his words:

I was experimenting with vintage electronica, very much influenced by Kraftwerk. This first release ended up stylistically and sonically as a homage to this great pioneering Electronica band. The tracks themselves were culled from around ten ideas for a proposed project with Xenia Beliayeva which didn’t come to fruition, hence the strange track labeling (X-3, X-4, X-5, X-7). The tracks were built up using vintage synth emulations of Moogs, Jupiter 8 and Oberheims from  Arturia (French Synth Company) and sat around gathering dust for a couple of years. I went through all ten tracks and molded the four on the EP into a more Kraftwerky feel. The remainder were either dumped or are being used in other projects – like for example X-1 which Donna Gardier (Sting, Westlife, Tinchy Strider) has worked up into a dance tour de force!

I finally found some royalty-free samples of Germanic phrases to complete the vibe and hey presto….’X’ was born! The first release from ‘The Great Electric Traveling Theatre’.

Mark Sheppard
the Offering

www.theoffering.co.uk

For samples and to order:<a href=”http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/x-ep/id548111972?uo=4” target=”itunes_store”><img src=”http://r.mzstatic.com/images/web/linkmaker/badge_itunes-lrg.gif” alt=”X – EP – The Great Electric Travelling Theatre” style=”border: 0;”/></a>

New day for a new art-site

OK, so I do have several different websites for different artistic and networking purposes, as many of you most likely do but I was dismayed to learn recently that one of my main fine art sites was no more because the hosting service folded and didn’t give it’s artists any warning!

I had just updated it too…I posted the link in a blog and when I went to check to make sure the link worked, low and behold…no site!  I emailed the hosting service and got a form email saying they had went under and were sorry to say none of the sites were saved…so “POOF”..all my work gone in 60 seconds (to use a movie title for emphasis).

Now I do have a paid for domain name, this blog, facebook, LinkedIn, etc. etc. but I needed another free artsite hosting service ASAP so after much research I decided on weebly.com and so far so good!
And now, with no further ado…here’s the BRAND NEW SITE:

http://laurencurtisart.weebly.com

YAY!  It’s up and running…new painting, photography and digital collages along with an up-to-date resume, artist statements and exhibition listings!  There’s also a contact page and links to this blog, my FB & LinkedIn pages.  So hope you’ll give it a look-see and enjoy…and if you love what you see…you can own a piece of my work too!  I have pieces to fit every budget & Paypal is accepted.  🙂

Thanks for checking it out!

35mm B&W photo shot along one of the many canals in Amsterdam.

Jersey June Art Events; Fun & Free!

It’s hard to believe Summer is almost officially here but feels like Nature has kicked it in already in NJ.  And that also means the fun, free outdoor art fests begin as well as some exciting gallery exhibits and here are the ones I’m involved with this June…hope you can join me!

Two Artist Show at Artisanal Tattoo, Somerville, NJ featuring the travel photography of Lauren Curtis and digital drawings of Ingrid Hansen

TWO ARTIST SHOW AT ARTISANAL TATTOO STUDIO
I hope you’ll join me & Ingrid for our eclectic exhibit featuring my photographs of “cities of the dead” from across the globe (New Orleans, Prague, Pompeii & more!), and Ingrid’s creative digital drawings which capture the imagination.  Snacks & beverages (alcoholic & non) served, feel free to BYOB as well; bring friends to this FREE EVENT, 6/16/12, 8-11:30pm, 26 Davenport St., Somerville, NJ.  This exhibit will be up for a month after the opening party.

I’ll also be showing/selling artwork, original t-shirts & greeting cards & more at these FREE outdoor art fests:

EAST BRUNSWICK NJ’S ANNUAL JURIED OUTDOOR ART FEST
For the last few years I’ve participated in this family friendly art event..& even won a 1st prize last year!  So I hope you’ll join me on SAT. JUNE 9 (raindate the 10th) 10am-4pm at The Municipal Pond on Ryders Ln. in E. Brunswick again this year to see fine arts & crafts from local artists.  Beautiful outdoor setting around the pond…

METUCHEN JUNEBUG ART FESTS
Friday nights in Metuchen, NJ are transformed into a town-wide art fest with original art & fine crafts from local artists, food, music & more!  I’ll be vending on Fri. June 22 & 29, 6-10pm.  I’ll also have photographs exhibited in To Be Continued Bookshop for this event. Just walk down Main Street & it’s side streets for an art-filled night! 

Hope to see you at these events and thanks for reading,
~Lauren
http://www.LaurenCurtisArt.com(commercial & fine art)
http://www.laurencurtisart.mosaicglobe.com(fine art, photography, art updates)
http://www.laurencurtis.imagekind.com(cards, T-shirts, photography, illustration)
http://www.facebook.com/LaurenCurtisArtTalonArt(Facebook Fan Page)

 

A Witch’s Italian Adventure

As some of you know, I LOVE to travel and I try to take at least one trip a year to a new place.  As an artist I get a lot of inspiration and new photographs.  As a Wiccan, I enjoy learning about the mythology of a place and seeing ancient structures and classical art. This past November my friend and I journeyed to Italy…yes, we were two modern Witches visiting the Holy City, Rome and it’s surroundings including a trip to Naples and Pompeii.  Talk about the old meeting the new!!
We were surrounded by ancient structures built almost 2000 years ago yet still looming powerfully today.   There were amazing structures representing two millennium everywhere we turned!  We traveled far below the earth’s surface to the surreal catacombs of Rome that would make a perfect setting (and have) for role-playing video games and fantasy novels.  Seeing the walls pocked with tombs, along with the altar rooms, really made me feel like I was in another world.  The ancient ruins of Pompeii still displayed the colors and glorious past even after the monster volcano froze this city in time.  And amongst these ruins, people from 2011 roamed them like time had frozen.  The Pagan temples still stand in all their columned glory!

I shot over 400 photographs, both 35mm and digital, color and black and white, and am currently working on them for future exhibits (and hopefully print sales).  As someone who is completely fascinated by times past, this was an amazing trip filled with artistic inspiration!  And why did I mention that my traveling buddy and I are Witches (Eclectic Wiccans to be exact)?  Well, because I was booted from the Sistine Chapel!!  OK, it probably had nothing to do with the fact that I was all in black, gothic clothing, or that I have 17+ inch fingernails on both hands and long, black hair & goth-style make-up (although it was greatly toned down for this visit to Vatican City…and I showed no flesh as advised by the tour guides), but had more to do with the fact that I tried to snap a photo of their “money-maker” Michelangelo ceiling; this despite the fact that we were allowed, nay encouraged!, to take tons of pictures everywhere else in the museum and other chapels…and in one room two guards even helped me excavate my digital memory card from its tough, plastic encasing and then proceeded to pose with me!  Plus I was accused by the ornery “Sistine section guard” of taking many photos of the famed ceiling when I shot one with NO flash then turned off my camera.  He was having none of it and shuffled me out of the dark, crowded, eerily silent room.  Well, I still got to see the room and still have my blurred photo as proof I was there.  The hypocritical thing was every other room in the museum sported a gift shop with tacky mugs and puzzles of what???  Yes, the Michelangelo ceiling image!!!  Guess they don’t want anyone else making money off their “big attraction”!  Luckily I got some amazing shots of the ornately carved and painted other rooms throughout the Vatican Museum as well as the gilded and marble statues, jewels, etc. that lined every wall.

Aside from this and an incident with the evil bus ticket Gestapo, our trip was amazing. I took photos from every angle of the Coliseum,  saw Trevi Fountain lit up at night with tons of people throwing in coins and making wishes,  saw intricate and columned war memorials, the ancient Pantheon with it’s domed roof, and walked around down-town Rome enjoying the carved buildings from many eras…and especially enjoying the amazing wine and food (gelato…YUM!).  Judging from the three areas I visited, Italy is truly a country that embraces both the old and the new, ancient myths and culture as well as the modern life-style.  Most of the people were very friendly and accommodating to tourists and made us feel welcome.  In particular the gentleman who owned the little pastry shop down the street from the hotel.  We went there for our daily fix of incredible treats and he gave us surprise, free samples every time!  I think I miss you most of all, Pastry Man!

So, for all of you with adventurous spirits and a love of travel, I highly recommend a visit to Italy where you can experience a multitude of time periods all in one location!   Safe travels, All!

~Lauren
Note: If you’d like to see more Italy photos and are interested in ordering signed prints, please contact me for details.

Grazie!  😉

http://www.LaurenCurtisArt.com(commercial & fine art)
http://www.laurencurtisart.mosaicglobe.com(fine art, photography, art updates)
http://www.laurencurtis.imagekind.com(cards, T-shirts, photography, illustration)
http://www.facebook.com/LaurenCurtisArtTalonArt(Facebook Fan Page)

Happy 2012! Thanks for reading!

I just want to wish all of you a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous and Positive New Year and thank you so much for reading, commenting, liking and sharing my blogs…and a special thanks to all you guest bloggers for your interesting articles and photos.  I look forward to sharing more artwork,  stories, info and guest posts with you in the new year!  And, I’m excited to report, that according to my WordPress stats;

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 6,200 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 5 trips to carry that many people.

WOW!!  Awesome!  There were visitors from across the US & the globe and I hope to reach even more creative people in 2012.

Have a great, creative, inspired new year…coming next, my adventures in Italy!

Ciao!

~Lauren
http://www.LaurenCurtisArt.com(commercial & fine art)
http://www.laurencurtisart.mosaicglobe.com(fine art, photography, art updates)
http://www.laurencurtis.imagekind.com(cards, T-shirts, photography, illustration)
http://www.facebook.com/LaurenCurtisArtTalonArt(Facebook Fan Page)