Art Event Downtown Los Angeles

Clara Berta Fine Art

Salone di Galleria

An Italian-inspired evening of art, wine and celebration

with Clara Berta

Please join me for the first presentation of new art, inspired by my recent Italian adventure.

Sunday November 23^rd. 4-7 PM

650 South Spring Street # 1112, DTLA

Los Angeles, CA 90014

Hor d'oeuvres and refreshments will be served.

Please RSVP by Wednesday Nov. 19 to

 clara@bertaart.com 

Look forward to seeing you there!

Rare van Gogh painting and a Giacometti sculpture fetch millions

NEW YORK — A rare piece of artwork painted by Vincent van Gogh weeks before his death sold for $61.8 million Tuesday and a sculpture by Alberto Giacometti took in over $100 million at a sale kicking off New York City's fall art auctions of impressionist and modern art.

Van Gogh's 1890 painting, "Still Life, Vase With Daisies and Poppies," had expected to fetch between $30 million and $50 million at Sotheby's evening sale in Manhattan.

One of the founders of the Museum of Modern Art, A. Conger Goodyear, acquired it in 1928. It remained in the family for decades and was on permanent exhibition at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo for 30 years. The most recent owner bought it around 1990.

The auction record for a van Gogh is $82.5 million.

The big-ticket auction at Sotheby's brought in $101 million for Giacometti's "Chariot." The rare 1951 bronze sculpture features an elongated goddess-like figure perched atop a wheeled chariot. The price almost broke the $104.3 million record for the Swiss artist.

The 1951 piece, embellished with paint to enrich the textural quality of the bronze, has been in the same collection for over 40 years. Giacometti made six casts of the "Chariot" during his lifetime. The one sold Tuesday is one of only two painted examples. Another important sculpture sold at the auction was Amedeo Modigliani's "Tete." It fetched $70.7 million, just topping the previous auction record for the artist at $69 million. The deitylike elongated head was carved in 1911 and 1912 from a block of limestone scavenged from a Paris construction site. It had a presale estimate of $45 million. The auction house Bonhams, which is selling more than 700 items from the homes of Lauren Bacall, offered two Henry Moore sculptures from her collection on Tuesday.

"Maquette for Mother and Child: Arms" sold for $281,000, just over its pre-sale estimate high of $200,000, and "Working Model for Reclining Figure: Bone Skirt," sold for over $1 million, topping its presale estimate of $600,000 to $800,000.
The legendary actress' other artwork, jewelry and furniture will be offered for sale in March.

All prices included the buyer's premium.

The major fall sales continue Wednesday at Christie's. Among the highlights is a celebrated portrait of a Parisian actress by Edouard Manet. "Spring" has a presale estimate of $25 million to $35 million.

The Getty is revealed as the buyer of Manet's 'Spring'

A portion of the work 

"Spring"

Written by The AP

Friday, 07 November 2014 07:54

The J. Paul Getty Museum was revealed on Nov. 6 as the buyer that paid a record $65.1 million for Edouard Manet's "Spring," a celebrated portrait of a Parisian actress as an embodiment of the season.

The painting will join several other Manet works on display by the end of the year, the Los Angeles museum said.

"Spring" was auctioned Wednesday at Christie's in New York City. The price, which included Christie's commission, was well above the expected high price of $35 million.

It also nearly doubled the previous record of $33.2 million paid four years ago for "Self Portrait with a Palette," another work by the 19th century French artist.

The Getty's other Manet works include "Portrait of Madame Brunet," "The Rue Mosnier with Flags," "Bullfight" and "Portrait of Julien de la Rochenoire."

Painted in 1881, two years before Manet's death, "Spring" portrays actress Jeanne Demarsy in a flowered dress, bonnet and parasol. It was presented at the 1882 Paris Salon.

"Spring" was intended to be one of four paintings featuring Parisian women representing the seasons but Manet only completed "Spring" and "Autumn" before he died in 1883 at 51.

The painting had few owners and had been in the collection of an American family for more than a century.

Christie's did not identify the seller but said proceeds will benefit a private American foundation that supports environmental, public health and other causes.

Spring was the last of Manet's Salon paintings still in private hands, Getty Director Timothy Potts said in a statement.

"It is a work of extraordinary quality and beauty, epitomizing Manet's influential conception of modernity, and executed at the height of his artistic powers," Potts said.

                     
Art Portraits

Artist Michael Godard new release Theory of Mixology

Theory of Mixology

by

Michael Godard

Click Image above or

Go Here

Thomas Kinkade Gallery in Placerville is closing

After many years in business, the owner of the Kinkade Gallery that started it all for the Northern California artist is going to focus his attention to another business he has been developing.

Thomas Kinkade best known for his cottage art or Americana art that features bridges and cottages in Northern California passed away a few years ago while working on new release art.

See images here

Salvador Dali Portrait by Dan Twyman

The original painting is a 30" x 40" on stretched canvas and was

hand painted by Dan Twyman

Dan hand drew the image on the canvas with pencil and then hand painted 

colors with brush and acrylic paints.

You can order prints by clicking the image on the website here. 

If you have any questions for the artist

or would like to see other works by this artist, send an Email here.

Art Workshops in Los Angeles

For details about art classes in Los Angeles

Click Image

Call the art teacher direct:

(818) 692-0465

Marco Toro Art

Marco Toro is an artist and art teacher. Marco teaches in the UK and visits the USA on a regular

basis. Marco will be visiting the Village Gallery in Irvine and Laguna Beach in Oct 2014.

All works are original acrylic on canvas, hand painted by Marco Toro.

   

Ask how to own his works: 310-461-9480

Email any questions.

Art school Los Angeles

Learn from a Pro

Call today!

Next workshop is being held

Saturday, November 22nd 11-2 pm

___________________________________________

You can also read about Clara Berta here

Back to Dali blog main page

John Wayne by Andy Warhol

                                                                              

In 1986, the year before his death, Andy Warhol continued his appropriation of classic American icons and images with his "Cowboys and Indians" series, a portfolio of ten graphic screenprints representing traditional figures and figureheads of the American West. Here, Warhol intersperses recognizable portraits of well-known American "heroes"-- Teddy Roosevelt, Annie Oakley, General George Custer, and John Wayne, --with less familiar Native American images and motifs in his ironic commentary on Americans' collective mythologizing of the historic West. These works possess many of Warhol's stylistic hallmarks, such as his characteristic linear reiteration and his use of famous images resonant in the collective American consciousness.

John Wayne was born Marion Robert Morrison in Winterset, Iowa, in 1907.

When he was a boy, his family moved West settling in Lancaster, California and later Glendale, California where he would come to be known as Duke.  Marion’s dog, an Airedale, was named Duke, and soon the local Glendale firefighters started calling Marion Duke, too.  Duke’s academic and athletic success at Glendale High led to a football scholarship at the University of Southern California (USC).

A body surfing accident at Newport Beach cut short his promising athletic career, so the former tackle looked to studio work to help pay his tuition. In a film called The Big Trail, Marion Morrison became John Wayne, and the movie business – and the country – would never be the same.

John Wayne’s monumental film career spanned five decades.  He appeared in more than 175 films, more than a dozen directed by John Ford alone.  For an entire generation, he was Hollywood’s biggest and most durable box-office star. Incredibly versatile, Wayne starred in just about every genre Hollywood offered: war movies, romantic comedies, police dramas, histories. But it was the Western – the American cinema – where Wayne made his most lasting mark. He was nominated three times for the Academy Award, winning the Oscar for Best Actor in 1969 for True Grit. And his powerful performance in The Searchers has been singled out by filmmakers and actors alike as the greatest performance by an actor on film, ever.

In 1964, John Wayne was diagnosed with lung cancer and beat it, after a lung and several ribs were removed.  Fifteen years later he was again diagnosed with cancer — this time of the stomach – succumbing to the disease at age 72.  Posthumously, Wayne was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.  A year later, in 1980, President Jimmy Carter awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor.  Wayne is among only a handful of individuals who have received both the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.

To this day, Wayne appears in the Harris Poll’s annual listings of America’s favorite movie stars, ranking third in the most recent Poll.  He has never been out of the top ten since the Poll’s inception.

In his honor, the John Wayne Cancer Foundation (JWCF) , founded in 1985 by Wayne’s children, is an organization that brings courage, strength and grit to the fight against cancer. Since its founding, JWCF has supported awareness programs, education programs and support groups, and has also been committed to groundbreaking cancer research and education at the John Wayne Cancer Institute. The JWCF recently launched Team Duke, a fundraising effort for athletes of any level focused on a goal who want to fight cancer along the way.

2007 marks the 100th Anniversary of John Wayne’s Birth.  The year celebrates John Wayne’s incredible legacy as an international symbol and American icon.

Art Classes in Los Angeles

Award Winning Artist Clara Berta is now accepting new students for her upcoming classes!

Clara Berta

Successful artist and art instructor.

818-692-0465

Send message using form

Current news about this artist

Learn from a pro in a supportive environment.

Art for a good cause

Help kids in Kenya

Click image for more info

Abstract Art

Abstract

ab·stract art
noun
art that does not attempt to represent external, recognizable reality but seeks to achieve its 
effect using shapes, forms, colors, and textures.

Abstract art also known as mixed media art, has been around since the start. 
Splashes of color and primitive linework can be seen in works by some of the 
best known museum artists and when the work is organic and clean, it can 
provoke thoughts and emotions in a similar way to realistic or impressionistic art.

A good example of a successful abstract artist is Jackson Pollock who died at an 
early age due to a car accident, his memorial was held at the Museum of Modern Art. 
For an artist, being rememberd at MOMA is as good as it gets.

Today we find that interior design is relying more and more on abstract or mixed 
media because the client does not have to worry about images that might influence 
or affect viewers in a negative way.

Colors are now being researched to find what affect they have on humans. Blue as 
an example is said to be an inhibitor to hunger or "good for dieting"

An example of a successful Los Angeles abstract painter is 

Clara Berta who holds regular events, shows and  has work in a well known Los Angeles Art gallery.

See Clara's works here

The nice thing about abstract, you can drip, throw or brush your way to success! 

Visit Clara on Twitter

John Lennon’s first ever self portrait on sale for £3million

For many, John Lennon – along with Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr – is known for starting a musical revolution with the Beatles.

However, before the Beatles even began, Lennon studied at Liverpool College of Art along with the original Beatles bassist, Stuart Sutcliffe.

This rather unflattering self-portrait is set to sell for £3million at a London auction house.

The piece dates back to 1958, an important year for the then 18-year-old Lennon as it was this year his mother was killed in a car accident, he played with Paul McCartney and George Harrison for the first time and he met his first wife, Cynthia Lennon.

The painting is rather unflattering expressionist piece showing Lennon with a pot belly and male mammaries.

Louise Cooper, the owner-managing director of CooperOwen Music Media Auctions of London which is selling the piece, said: ‘This is a unique item and we are anticipating interest from Lennon and Beatles’ collectors around the world.’

Cooper described the work as similar to Sutcliffe’s artwork from the same period.

Stuart Sutcliffe later left the band during their first tour to Hamburg to enroll at the Hamburg College of Art, yet tragically died of a brain aneurysm aged 21 in 1962.

John Lennon 1969

Leon Black’s publishing firm Phaidon agrees to buy Artspace Marketplace

By Chris Witkowsky

Leon Black-owned Phaidon, a publisher of books and digital products in creative arts, has agreed to buy Artspace Marketplace (artspace.com), an online market for fine art collection. The acquisition increases Phaidon’s access to global art collectors.

Press Release

Phaidon, the world’s leading publisher and distributor of books and digital products in the creative arts, today announced a global partnership with Artspace Marketplace, Inc. (www.artspace.com), the leading online marketplace for discovering and collecting fine art. The acquisition establishes a global community for art enthusiasts and professionals, artists, collectors, non-profits, galleries, and cultural institutions. Artspace is being acquired by a Phaidon affiliate company.

By acquiring Artspace, Phaidon increases its direct access to global art collectors who are also consumers of its art and design books and multimedia products. Additionally, Artspace benefits from Phaidon’s global distribution and retail presence, sales organization, and relationships with artists and those in the design community.

“We are thrilled with the investment in Artspace. We look forward to enriching the experience of our audience and expanding our reach through new initiatives, including retail presence, product development, and the joint creation of original content,” said Keith Fox, CEO of Phaidon.

“We founded Artspace to bring more art into people’s lives and to help artists, galleries, cultural institutions, and non-profits reach a broader audience. Our mission is enhanced by Phaidon’s iconic brand, legacy of excellence, and international reach,” said Catherine Levene, Co-Founder and CEO of Artspace. “We look forward to building our future together.”

For more information, visit http://www.phaidon.com

ABOUT PHAIDON

Phaidon (www.phaidon.com) is the world’s leading publisher and distributor of books and digital products in the creative arts. Phaidon has offices in New York City, London, Berlin, Madrid, Milan, Paris, and Tokyo, with worldwide distribution. 
Phaidon’s beautiful, illustrated books are treasured worldwide for their outstanding content and award winning production. Today, Phaidon has over 1,500 titles in print, featuring the finest creative work from leading innovators in all areas of the arts, architecture, design, photography, cinema, travel, food and children’s books. Phaidon is owned by the family of Debra and Leon Black. Leon Black is the Chairman of private equity firm Apollo Global Management.

ABOUT ARTSPACE

Artspace is a leader in the digital marketplace for fine art. Its mission is to make it easy for consumers to discover and collect fine art from renowned artists, galleries, and cultural institutions worldwide.

Art Blog

The Night Café (French: Le Café de nuit) is an oil painting created by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh in September 1888 in Arles. Its title is inscribed lower right beneath the signature.

Self Portrait with Beret and Turned up collar

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn 15 July 1606– 4 October 1669) was a Dutch painter and etcher. He is generally considered one of the greatest painters and printmakers in European art and the most important in Dutch history. His contributions to art came in a period of great wealth and cultural achievement that historians call the Dutch Golden Age when Dutch Golden Age painting, although in many ways antithetical to the Baroque style that dominated Europe, was extremely prolific and innovative, and gave rise to important new genres in painting.

Impression Sunrise

Oscar-Claude Monet  14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a founder of French Impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting. The term "Impressionism" is derived from the title of his painting Impression, soleil levant (Impression, Sunrise), which was exhibited in 1874 in the first of the independent exhibitions mounted by Monet and his associates as an alternative to the Salon de Paris.

Art classes downtown los angeles supportive environment

Find out more about art classes with award winning artist Clara Berta, who conducts
workshops in her studio loft downtown Los Angeles.

Clara Berta is an award winning artist who places works in both commercial

and residential settings.

Find out more about Clara's workshops by sending an email or 

calling direct at:

 818-692-0465

Visit the Website Here

Kiera Knightley portrait Art

This is an original drawing with pencil acrylic pencil and acrylic paint

on paper. Hand worked by artist Dan Twyman

Click image to see available prints.

To promote your art here... Email me.

Cubans Get a Dose of Surrealism at Dali Exhibit

BY MARY MURRAY

HAVANA, CUBA -- Art appraiser Alex Rosenberg has spent decades hanging the forbidden fruit of Cuban art in New York galleries. This week, he opened the minds of Cuban art lovers by exhibiting a collection of the work of the surrealist painter Salvador Dali (1904-1989) in Havana. It is the first time a major collection of the Spanish-born surrealist has been shown on the island.

The exhibit is entitled “Memories of Surrealism” and opened at the National Museum of Fine Arts.

Viewers enjoying the "Memories of Surrealism" at the Museum of Fine Arts in Havana. The exhibit comprises major works by the late surrealist painter Salvador Dalí.

“It is a very important exhibition because it illustrates the flexibility that Dali had”, said Rosenberg, who selected 95 lithographs and etchings from five different periods that span 50 years from Dali’s portfolio. Rosenberg’s goal was to give “the people here the opportunities to see the range of Dali´s work”, a man he describes as a “genius” and “personal friend”.

In the catalogue distributed at this week’s opening, Rosenberg reminisces about one of their favorite New York haunts, the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis Hotel where he first met Dali and commissioned original pieces. Rosenberg also published over 150 editions of original Dali prints.

Many of the Dalis displayed in Havana come from Rosenberg’s personal collection. He is also the president of the Salvador Dali Research Center, sponsor of “Memories of Surrealism”.

Wilfredo Benitez, of Cuba’s Ludwig Foundation, an organization that promotes Cuban art, believes this exhibit is a milestone for Cubans drawn to Dali’s work, especially because few people can afford the luxury of visiting museums in other parts of the world.

Kentucky exchange student Naomi Williams plans to see the exhibit this weekend. “After all the terrible news this week from the Ukraine and Gaza, I need to experience something that reminds me there is beauty in the world.”

Paul Gauguin 1.7 Million at Auction

When Menzies Art Brands director Rod Menzies caught wind of the sale of a long lost Brett Whiteley painting in New York in May, he expected much more competition.

He was braced for a fight from collectors, institutions and auction houses to secure the 1968 work, Paul Gauguin on the Eve of His Attempted Suicide, Tahiti, which had been held in the US since its creation by Whiteley, one the most collectable of Australian artists on the current market.

READ FULL STORY HERE