Connecticut Abstract Painter and Mixed Media Artist C. Dianne Zweig Introduces Art Schmooze Blog

Blogging About Art Matters at Art Schmooze

For many years I have been blogging about antiques and collectibles. I now introduce a new blog, titled "Art Schmooze" devoted to Contemporary Mixed Media and Abstract Painting. You will find timely posts of interest to those intersted in the psychology of creativity, art process, elements of design, art tools and materials, art inspiration, art workshops and classes, special art events, book reviews, art matters online and more. Followers of this blog are welcome to visit me at http://www.cdiannezweig.com/blog-native/ and share in the discussions. Feel free to say hello.


C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of I Antique Online an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café. To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link: C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com Dianne is a member of: The American Society of Journalists and Authors The Society of Professional Journalists

Street Chic Art & Fashion June 4th, 2015 Bodytalk Boutique

Street Chic Art & Fashion June 4th, 2015

Bodytalk Boutique

Channel your inner whimsy and join us for an evening of quirky, edgy, spontaneous original art along with a playful and stylish summer collection of contemporary fashion. 

Opening Wine & Cheese Reception   

at Bodytalk Boutique

Thursday, June 4, 2015

5:30-8:00 PM

Featuring original abstract Mixed Media, Surreal paintings, assemblage art, woodcuts, found object art.

Bill Healy 

DAVID Holzman

C.DIANNE Zweig

Artwork will be on exhibit at Bodytalk June 4 through June 20th, 2015  

STREET CHIC IS  TOTALLY COOL !  What do Bill Healy, David Holzman and C. Dianne Zweig have in common? They are three area artists who are bringing their offbeat art to Bodytalk Boutique for a sizzling summer show  which features an evening of quirky, edgy, spontaneous original art along with a playful and stylish summer collection of contemporary fashion. This exciting and off the wall  indoor and outdoor event takes place at Bodytalk Boutique, 21 East Main St., Avon 860-678-7855 on 

on June 4th, 2015, 5:30-8:00.

Bodytalk Boutique has just celebrated 30 years of  featuring fashion forward apparel and is pleased to showcase three unique artists who work very differently but yet share a common passion for offbeat style, bold color and spontaniety. C. Dianne Zweig, who  organized this Street Chic art show, is an Avon artist specializing in Abstract Mixed Media inspired by Mid Century designs. She has a full time studio (9B) at The Farmington Valley Arts Center in Avon, CT.  Bill Healy, a lover of pop

culture and nostalgia  is widely known for his Metal Men robots created out of vintage advertising tins and old metal appliance parts. His robots can be found in many museum collections. Bill is also a oainter cranking out  bold figurative graffiti style paintings which remind you of a combo of Folk Art and Outsider Art. David Holzman, an art educator at Simbury Public Schools and Central Connecticut State University leaves the real world each day to escape into his home art studio where he creates paintings described as surreal and suggestive of spontaneous expression. His carved wood reliefs and paintings are edgy,quirky and exciting.  

Street art is thought of as art created in public places. True to the objective of involving the community in the art experience, Bodytalk is planning some outdoor art experiences such as a giant mural which visitors will be encouraged to paint, draw and add their marks to. There will also be other artsy surprises, music and refreshments.-- 

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of I Antique Online an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café. To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link: C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com Dianne is a member of: The American Society of Journalists and Authors The Society of Professional Journalists

Creating Painted Papers For Mixed Media Collage Using Cheap Brushes And Old Coated Postcards

Funky Ways To Apply Paint When Making Painted Papers For Mixed Media Collage

On on a roll, making painted papers for my Mixed media collages. Recently I moved around the supplies and materials in my art studio to bring my tools and paints in closer range when I'm have a delightful art frenzy.

Painting Papers

I thought it might be useful to describe more about how I work, sharing some of  my art making process with you. What follows is a discussion about some ways to apply paint when you are creating your own painted papers.

Vary Your Brush Stokes When Painting Mixed Media Papers For Collage



When you are making painted papers, you will want to vary your brush strokes and mark making strategies to  allow your painted papers to show depth, interest and layers of paint. To begin with I am very lazy, and do not like washing brushes.

More Freedom With Cheap Paint Brushes

I do however keep on hand some cheap brushes that I buy in Job Lot (discount store) for adding dry brush strokes onto the paper. The nastier the brushes get, the better they work because they  create funky and unpredicatble strokes. If I do want more of a wash look on the papers, I simply wet these same brushes and apply the paint causually, sometimes placing a dry piece of paper on top of the wet painted paper. I'm not concerned about caring for these brushes in the same way as I would pamper my brushes that can cost  $25.00  or more.

Applying Paint With Folded Coated Postcards

_
 .
Back to the way I like to work. When I get coated postcards in the mail anouncing an art show or exhibit, I save these cards to use at a later time when I am painting papers.   I fold the postcard  several times and dip into paint and  swipe the card across the paper. I also work on several different painted papers at the same time. Sometimes I add marks first to the paper and cover portions with paint and other times I scribble over dried paint with a Sharpie pen.
I may use paint brushes, swiped cards or a putty knife to apply paint. I let the paint mingle from one sheet of paper to another and encourage strange color combinations at times.

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of I Antique Online an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café. To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link: C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com Dianne is a member of: The American Society of Journalists and Authors The Society of Professional Journalists

Mixed Media Collage: Building On Layers To Create A Successful Well Composed Piece

The Joy Of Tearing Up Painted Papers In Mixed Media Collage

In the mixed media collage world, many of us paint our own papers and then tear those papers up  to create our collaged work. Yesterday while in my art studio, I was thinking about how much fun it is to paint the papers and how grueling it can be to form those papers into a cohesive, exciting and well composed  piece of artwork. Of course the beauty in this method of working is that you add layer upon layer onto your support, essentially starting over again and again.

In Mixed Media Collage: Don't Fall In Love With Your First Layer

During my first layer yesterday I was in soft cream colors, only to leave the studio with an incomplete piece that ended with shades of aquamarine and dark blues.  When I return today to rework my collage, I maybe in an entirely different palette. One thing is for sure, never fall in love with your first layer. And if there are papers that you really are keen on, don't use them in the early phases of your piece, because if you work like most of us, these pieces will eventually become buried with newer layers.

Loosening Up To The Creative Frenzy Phase Of Mixed Media Collages

I also have noticed  that I work in predictble  phases when collaging mixed media pieces. I start off careful and deliberate and by the late afternoon, my frustration level is converted into a wonderful "I don't care about this piece anymore" so whatever happens can happen. This realization that I may have just "ruined" the piece is followed by a wonderful creative frenzy which is loose, experimental and daring. At this stage, surprises appear, color combination I wasn't planning emerge and the mixed media collage starts saying "look at me, I'm developing into something engaging".

Readers are welcome toleave a comment and tell us about your experiences.

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of I Antique Online an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café. To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link: C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com Dianne is a member of: The American Society of Journalists and Authors The Society of Professional Journalists

Painting Papers With Folded Glossy Postcards For Mixed Media Collages

 Postcards folded up and used to paint with.

Making A Good Mess In My Art Studio

Finally after all these years, my dream came true, I have a lovely art studio. I can make a mess and leave  things in place undisturbed from one day to the next.  Yesterday after storm Sandy, I returned to my studio and let loose with making painted papers for mixed media collages on paper.




Painting Old Book Pages Or Drawing Paper

I like to paint with old glossy promotional postcards that come in the mail. I fold them up and use them to swipe paint across my paper.  I love this method because  at the end of a painting session I do not have brushes to clean. I am for anything that does not require  too much cleaning.

  Painted papers that will be ripped and reassembled into collages.

Often I use the pages out of an old book to paint over. Yesterday, I actually worked with drawing paper. I am curious to see today how drawing paper will tear and paste instead of my usual old book pages.

 Painted papers were reassembled in this collage.

Art Inspired By 1950s Designs

My work  is inspired by Mid Century palettes and designs.  Abstract design from the 1950s are  especially pleasing to me. Yesterday I was in a mustard gold, grey, orange palette. I then fulled around with some greens to see if I could introduce yet a touch of another color.  The completed artwork shown to the left is being framed as I write and was from torn painted papers with a little different palette (brighter  yellow and turquoise accents).

This week I added a toned down gold.Frankly I think I was more into the 60s than 50s.  this week. My how storm Sandy muddied my brain. We shall see what happens today.

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home

Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of I Antique Online an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café. To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link: C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com Dianne is a member of: The American Society of Journalists and Authors The Society of Professional Journalists