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The Red Lanterns of Tokyo

Tokyo Street work in progress
Work in progress: Under the fake cherry blossoms, 48 x 36 cm, mixed media on watercolor paper, ©2013 Julie Galante. Finished piece will be available as a reward for a Kickstarter backer at the $350 or $600 level.

This month I am working on developing the body of work I started during my February artist’s residency in Tokyo. As this body of work progreses, certain themes and images are becoming quite central. The red lanterns which advertise izakaya (pub-style restaurants) on Tokyo streets have become one of my favorite subjects. Visually they strongly appeal to me; symbolically they also do well at representing my experience of Tokyo – the lanterns’ job is to communicate something to passersby, but the specifics of their messages were always lost on me, the locationally-illiterate foreigner.

Another image that keeps coming back is the lone person on a Tokyo street. In such a heaving, massive, populated city as Tokyo, it amazed me every time I found myself alone somewhere, how often my camera captured only a single person in a street scene. The contrast between population density and physical/social isolation in the modern world is at its starkest in Tokyo.

This piece is one of several mixed-media works I have in progress. Towards the end of the week I hope to have my new studio set up for oil painting as well. It has been five months since I painted in oils; I’m looking forward to returning to it.

Apr 15, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave A Comment »

From Tokyo to Edinburgh

Sushi Plate mixed-media painting
Sushi Plate, 10 x 15 cm, mixed media on watercolor paper, ©2013 Julie Galante. Available as a reward for Kickstarter contributors at the $60 or $100 level.

Hello from Scotland! I am here amongst moving boxes in our new apartment (or ‘flat’ as the locals would have us believe it is called). My month in Tokyo feels like it was all a dream as I go through the process of settling into yet another new country. Despite the cold, sleet, and wind of the past few days, I’m already completely in love with this city. It seems to fit my aesthetic preferences perfectly (the whisky doesn’t hurt, either).

After having all of our belongings in storage for several months, I am happy to finally be reunited with my artwork. As I find my daily paintings and confirm their condition, I’m slowly re-listing them in my Etsy shop. It will be nice to be set up for business again, to be able to pay some attention to my collectors instead of my travel schedule. It has probably been 4 months since I put out a newsletter – better add that to the to-do list.

These days I am also continuing work on my series inspired by Tokyo. I’m having fun playing with ideas and images in my sketchbook and in small mixed-media pieces as I decide on a direction for the larger works. I enjoy having this daily connection to my time in Tokyo. I’m really hoping to return to Japan sometime soon. But first, I’m looking forward to getting to know Edinburgh a little better.

Mar 20, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave A Comment »

First art from Tokyo

Tokyo Night Study mixed media artwork
Tokyo Night Study, 15 x 15 cm, mixed media on watercolor paper, ©2013 Julie Galante. [SOLD]

Time is flying here in Tokyo – I can’t believe I’ve been in Japan for almost two weeks already. I’ve been splitting my time between exploring the city with my camera and working in the studio. Next week will be more intensive studio time as I prepare for my Open Studio on the 23rd. I have gotten a few mixed media pieces done so far, and today I finally found time to post them on my website.


Tokyo Street #1, 10 x 15 cm, mixed media on watercolor paper, ©2013 Julie Galante. [SOLD]

For those of you who contributed to my Kickstarter campaign, you can start thinking about choosing your rewards! You can browse the available mixed media awards for the $60 and $100 levels here. More works will be added as they are completed. Each artwork will go to the first contributor to contact me and reserve it. You can contact me via Kickstarter, email, Facebook, my contact form, however you prefer. When you contact me, please include a link to the piece that you choose.

Feb 13, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Tokyo: settling in to the art studio

the view from my Tokyo studio
The view out the window of my Tokyo studio.

Hello from Tokyo! I’m here on a month-long artist’s residency at 3331 Arts Chiyoda. I’m settling in, getting over my jet lag, and starting to get some ideas for the body of work that I’m going to produce here. I also stocked up on supplies at Sekaido, the 6-storey art supply mecca in Shinjuku. I’m still trying to figure out why their store mascot is Mona Lisa as a blow-up doll.

Tokyo studio
My studio space in Tokyo.

I’ve gone out several times with my camera to capture various parts of the city, but I’ve only just barely scratched the surface. The visual stimulation is endless. (You can see some of my photographs on my travel blog.) I’m constantly torn between spending time out exploring and being back in my lovely studio. I’m trying to fit a little of both into each day.

plum blossom study
A page from my sketchbook: plum blossoms study

Soon I’ll start sending out postcards and sketchbook pages to many of my wonderful Kickstarter backers. I’ll also start posting images of some of the original artwork that you will have to choose from as part of your rewards. Stay tuned!

Feb 06, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , | Comments Off

A taste of art in Edinburgh

Edinburgh drawing at the National Gallery

Where am I today? Apartment-hunting in Edinburgh. I’m also getting a first look at the amazing art offerings of this city. Like the free drawing classes at the National Gallery taught by Damian Callan. I haven’t had much time to make art this month with all the traveling I’m doing, so it was wonderful to be able to spend an afternoon doing some figure drawing.

Edinburgh Portrait Gallery

We also got a chance to see the BP Portrait Award exhibition at the recently-renovated Scottish National Portrait Gallery. I loved the chance to see these paintings in person, after having read about them and seeing their images online.

Next week I head to Japan to start my month-long artist’s residency at 3331 Arts Chiyoda. I am so excited for this opportunity. I don’t feel properly prepared – I’ve been so busy for the past couple months with our move from Munich to Edinburgh that I haven’t had time to learn as much Japanese as I wanted to, nor to do as much research as I had hoped. But it will still be an amazing experience, and I’ll figure things out as I go along.

Jan 29, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , | 2 Comments »

Mixed media: Chattanooga’s Walnut Street Bridge

Chattanooga Walnut Street Bridge art
Walnut Street Bridge in Chattanooga, 12 x 16 inches, watercolor and charcoal on paper, ©2013 Julie Galante. Original artwork available in my Etsy shop.

Happy new year and greetings from Chattanooga, Tennessee. I’ll be spending January in four countries on three continents – from here I go on to Germany, Scotland, and Japan. Finding time (and space) to make art is going to be challenging, but I’ll be doing it when I can. This week I’ve managed to add to my mixed-media Chattanooga series by commandeering my parents’ dining-room table.

I still have a couple more posts to do about my residency in Assisi – hopefully I’ll get to them soon. I’m also busy trying to get prepared for my upcoming residency in Tokyo. In December I ran a Kickstarter project to help fund this upcoming residency, which turned out to be a very positive experience. Many thanks to everyone who took part! I am looking forward to creating the artwork that you will receive as rewards.

Jan 07, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Comments Off

Assisi residency: winter wonderland

assisi art residency snow

I fell a bit behind on my blogging about my residency in Assisi, didn’t I? In my last post the exhibition had just gone up (the year-end exhibition including work by all the artists who had been on the residency program in 2012). The opening reception was well-attended and a lot of fun.

assisi art residency exhibition

These are my two pieces in the exhibition. Not the best photo, but the reflections of the iron grate door add a nice touch, I think.

assisi art exhibition gate

The location of the gallery space, right on the main square in Assisi, couldn’t have been better.

assisi art residency snow

Back at the residency (in the hills outside the city), we had a snowstorm a few days after the exhibition opened. The landscape was repainted in a completely new palette for my daily walks. Given how bad the road to the farmhouse is, there was some worry that we wouldn’t be able to drive in or out, but that ended up not being a problem.

a roaring fire in the oven in the studio

Sitting by the fire continued to be the perfect way to spend an evening.

Dec 30, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , | Comments Off

Assisi: sun and setting up the exhibition

a pastel landscape of the Umbrian countryside

I’ve been an artist in residence in at Arte Studio Ginestrelle in Umbria for almost a week now. The sun has come back, allowing for more long walks in the hills. In the studio I’ve been working on some pastel drawings of the city and surrounding landscape.

a sunny afternoon at Ginestrelle

Yesterday we went into the city of Assisi to help with the installation of the year-end exhibition which features work from all of the artists who have been at Ginestrelle this year.

the exhibition space

The exhibition space is lovely, right on the main square of Assisi.

Assisi

I also got a chance to wander around the town with some of the other artists and take more reference photos for future Asssisi-inspired artwork.

wine bar in Assisi

As evening approached, we enjoyed some aperitivi and stuzzichini at a couple different bars in Assisi before returning to the farmhouse for dinner.

Dec 02, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Comments Off

Rainy days at Arte Studio Ginestrelle

wine bottle drawings

The last couple days have been rather gray and rainy here in Assisi, offering us the perfect excuse to sit by the fire and drink grappa for several hours each evening. Days are spent in the studio making art. Yesterday I did a series of sketches with wine bottles, and some landscapes of the rolling hills outside. I also framed my two pieces for the exhibition.

the supermarket truck

Yesterday during breakfast an unfamiliar (to me, at least) vehicle pulled up outside the farmhouse. It turned out to be a traveling general store which comes once a week. The back of the truck opened up to reveal a surprisingly large variety of goods being peddled by a friendly old man. We’re not that far from the nearest store – maybe a 10-minute drive at the most – but why go to the store when the store comes to you?

supermarket truck

Our meals are prepared by Adria, the mother of the residency director. The food is mostly simple preparations of outstanding local ingredients: eggs and cheese from the farm up the road, herbs from the yard, bread delivered daily. Yesterday I walked into the kitchen to find the table covered with fresh lasagne noodles that she had just made (they’ll go into tonight’s dinner – I can’t wait!).

fresh lasagne noodles drying on the kitchen table

Last night we watched a DVD that will be part of next week’s exhibition: students from Idaho performing an interpretive dance about the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Many of the artists here at Ginestrelle have been inspired by the two famous saints (Francis and Clare) that are associated with this city.

Nerone and his sister

Nov 30, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | 4 Comments »

Fresh olive oil, art, and a full moon in Umbria

Work in progress - Assisi view

It’s day four of my artist’s residency in Umbria. I’m making progress on a couple of mixed-media pieces, which is good because they need to be finished for an art exhibition that opens Sunday in Assisi.

Working outside at Ginestrelle

In addition to working in the studio, I sat outside for a bit and drew the panorama around.

olives ready to be turned into oil

In the afternoon we took a little field trip to the local olive mill to watch oil being pressed.

overflowing olive oil

I wish I could have captured the smell of the place somehow. So delicious.

moon and clouds over Umbria

After dinner I went out for a moonlit walk with the other three artists who are here. We had hoped to spot some porcupines or deer or wild boar, but the only animal we came across was Nerone, the fat black cat. Back at the farmhouse, we sat around the fire drinking aged grappa and listening to the wind howl outside. I wonder at the lucky circumstances that brought me to this place.

 

Nov 28, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | 8 Comments »