UMBRATORIUM

Last weekend, actually the one before that, was the second open studio event in Charlotte Street Foundation’s Biannual Open Studios event.

I love the excitement building up to these events; you start seeing you fellow artists more and more as the day gets closer.

The event went great for Umbratorium. I met a lot of great people, sold almost all of the pieces I prepared for the event, and shared my work with friends and strangers alike.

I found out the other day that my studio had received the most votes for “favorite visual artist studio” at event, Yeay!

Thank you, all, so much for visiting and being awesome supporters of art.

Setting up

Ice intallations

Photogravure

I have been contemplating on and collecting materials for a series of installations.  Not knowing when or where I would realize this concept, I have been keeping the items in boxes, and ideas in my sketch books until their time comes.  Last weekend, in the studio, I decided to start taking them out and giving them a story.  It is very exciting to be working on this. And now this piece is on the wall of my studio, and I love it! I don’t know if I would keep this idea for the blue headphones, but for now, they can float on the surface with imaginary  - or collective - vibrations of a time passed, awakening the dormant sounds captured in their memory.

I am so happy to share with you all that Umbratorium has received an Inspiration Grant from Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City.

see it here

I am granted $500 for the purchase of a brand new, high performance projector. I have been holding back on some of the projects that I had in mind for a while now. With this development however I will be able to proceed. I just cannot wait!

Thank you Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City for your support!

Charlotte Street Foundation Open Studios weekend was just great. I was inspired by the work fellow artists put out, and felt thrilled to be a part of such creativity. 

As much as I appreciated all the interest Umbratorium received, I have to admit that (hoping to not offend anybody who visited) the highlight of the event was Maya & Luka’s visit (I apologize to both of them if I misspelled their names). Maya & Luka came to check out the studio with their parents, and were very much interested in what my old-fashioned overhead projector had to offer. They are so creative and perceptive that they started experimenting right on the spot, which was simply a thrill for me!

Here are Maya & Luka during their studio visit:

They experimented with variety of materials. And Maya created a beautiful piece of work using some of the dry plants I have been saving for a project. It turned out, the little petals were waiting for Maya to come over and give them a new life on the projector.

Here’s the beautiful work by Maya:

I don’t need to say a word about the beauty this image exudes. The leaves take the form of a hummingbird, a dolphin, or a brush stroke of a sumi-o artist…depending on the imagination of the looker.  Thank you Maya for your beautiful contribution to Umbratorium.

I want to thank Maya, Luka, and their parents along with everyone else who visited my studio during open studios weekend.  You’re always welcome to drop by.  Keep on inventing shadows!

hugs,

nihan

Working on a concept.  I tried the idea with a basic shape, and loved it!

Yesterday was a specially good day at Umbratorium.  Paul, Mary and I (no, my name is not Peter) got together to do some concept shots and little experimentation in the studio.

I am not going to reveal the details of the idea so as not to spoil the fun for later.  But, I had more inspiration than I thought I would get out of a test shot.  I guess, I managed to squeeze in some shots for myself, as well.

I am going through them; until editing is done, here are a couple moments from yesterday:

I cannot believe it has already been a month since I got the keys to my new space.  I went there for a few times for cleaning and took a few things with me, but that’s all.  When did I get so busy? I absolutely cannot keep up. 

The other day, finally, I took my desk there.  Jon (in the pic) helped me put it together.  But I had to go back the next day to tidy up. There is still so much stuff to move.

I was dreaming about spending the whole Saturday in the studio, but just agreed to cover the upcoming jazz festival. Argh!

Hopefully next week I will be able to spend as much time as I want there…I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

I have been meaning to write about Ayhan Gunaydin’s “Close Encounters” series for a very long time, now.  The reason I couldn’t get around to it was that I tried to find the words that would be able to (even remotely) express how I feel about them.

He published the “encounters” on March 13, 2010.  It wouldn’t be an exaggeration if I say that they took my breath away as soon as I saw them.  I wasn’t actively practicing my projection art back then, but I guess, it was brewing in my subconscious and the series hit a sensitive spot deep in there.

This series is not just shadows on the street. There is quietening poetry.  They flare up the imagination with playful notes and movement.  The light source has a direction and turns into a spotlight for the headliner; maybe they are a child’s daydreams.  Light, subject, and action transcend original motive; shadows create a life of their own.

I found a convergence the other day.  I will post it soon.  Meanwhile check out more of Ayhan

I haven’t been keeping up with posting the “lab results” but  there’s been so much happening.

I have a lot to share for so much production took place in the last few weeks.  One good news that I am thrilled to share is that I am granted a visual arts studio residency from Charlotte Street Foundation Urban Spaces Studio Residency program. 

Yesterday, I attended the orientation meeting where I got a chance to meet with other artists and see my new studio.  I am very excited to set it up and start working. Umbratorium will move to its new work space this week.

One new personal project I came up with is to make a visual documentation of the process. How the studio is started and, hopefully, where it will be in one year from now.

There is so much potential, I cannot sit still.  It was also my birthday yesterday, so thank you, CHF  for the awesome birthday present!