Bee Gallery

Don’t miss your chance to see these great artist this month. We are open from 11am to 2pm every day except Monday.

August we have dog portriats by Clair Hartman, new abstracts by Melissa Finelli, Gothic fetish photos and Egyptian body painted ladies by Neal Rue, prints of hardcore punk album covers by Craig Holloway. Recent portriats by John Kester, two paintings I did for my May NYHC4LIFE art show and two punk flyer design prints by SIMKO. some of this art has never been seen in Jacksonville.

In the studio you will see three paintings of Coney Island that I am working on. I took the photos of Coney Island in 2007 before the renovation and my beautiful model was Anna.

Clair Hartman’s Bio

This Wilmington, NC artist grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and is a graduate of the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. In early 2008 artist Clair made a decision to do a painting-a-day. Her new book “Yesterday’s Painting” is a look back at a collection of 52 of the artist’s favorite paintings from this period.

Clair’s works and articles about her have appeared in numerous publications. She is represented in a number of galleries, and in the private collections and both nationally and internationally.

She has recently released two new books. The first, titled, “The Downtown Dog Project,” showcases her paintings of one hundred dogs painted in one hundred days; a series of candid portraits of dogs who visited her booth at the Wilmington, NC Farmer’s Market during the summer of 2009. The second, “Yesterdays Painting”, is a presentation of fifty-two of her favorite selections from a year long effort to do a “painting-a-day.”

For more info on Clair Hartmann or her upcoming book visit http://hartmanndesign.net/paintings

Craig Holloway’s Bio

Craig Holloway has recently become one of the most prolific illustrators of hardcore album covers, posters and flyers. He has created illustrations for Agnostic Front, Murphy’s Law, Vietnam, Scarhead, Madball, Suicidal Tendencies, Regan Youth, and many more bands. His super villain comic book style has a dark, morbid twist.

Craig Holloway is originally from Detroit, Michigan. He grew up watching Saturday afternoon monster matinees hosted by a guy named Sir Graves Ghastly. Craig was inspired by the fan art Ghastly received on the show. Craig loved monsters and horror films so much he would spend all his time drawing them.

He got a BA in Liberal Arts from Wayne State University-Detroit and after graduation, he moved to California and got a job storyboarding commercials. Craig moved to Kyle, Texas just outside of Austin in 2005 where he currently lives.

Craig got involved with album artwork by accident. His wife kept telling him to start a MySpace page. He was against it, thinking it would be a waste of time. But after seeing the pages of his favorite bands, he created his page. Soon he was contacted by Beast of H8 Inc. to do a flyer for their upcoming show at CBGBs in late 2006. That snowballed into other projects that eventually led Craig to cross paths with Roger from Agnostic Front who contacted him to design the Warriors album cover.

Neal Rue’s Bio Gothic/Fetish Photography

Neal Rue studied fine art photography at Ohio University in the late 70’s.  His photography is heavily influenced by Robert Maplethorpe, Diane Arbus, Ralph Eugene Meatyard, and Larry Clark.

When pressed to declare a premise for his photography as a junior at OU, Neal declared that his images were Offensive Art – you might not like them, but you would have problems forgetting them.  Images were intentionally created to unnerve the viewer during that period.

During a photographic strategy seminar in 1999, it became evident to Mr. Rue, that his true artistic calling was closely related to his college images.  Chance encounters with the Tampa Goth/Fetish scene resulted in images of extraordinarily alternative models in outrageous outfits and situations.  Many of the models are heavily adorned with body art, and that has become a trademark in Neal’s photography.

The one shift from Offensive Art of the 70’s and today’s images, is that Mr. Rue’s current images show highly unconventional models in an appealing light.  No matter how outrageous the model, costumes, body art, or situations, the beauty and dignity of the model are clearly evident in his images.

Since 2003, Mr. Rue has also worked extensively with body-painter Pashur House.  This collaboration has resulted in many well-known and well-published images.  Images from the Dark Spiral and Visions of Egypt series are from their latest projects.

Neal Rue’s images have been displayed in museums and galleries throughout the United States and Europe, and he is highly regarded as one to the top Gothic/Fetish photographers in the genre worldwide.

John Kester’s bio

John is a local photographer and graphic designer. His focus is on portraits.

http://johnkester.me/

Melissa B Finelli’s Bio

Known for her incredibly strong color and composition. Melissa grew up with her family in Pittsburgh. A place seeped in the arts that boldly cross boundaries, mixing film/ theatre/ dance/ music/ ancient/ modern/ real/ surreal. Melissa has always been drawn to the arts and has worked in writing, voice, sculpture, glass, textiles and painting.

She has a huge capacity of amazement, contemplation and appreciation of beauty in any state of manifestation. Melissa loves to work abstractly to have the freedom to create an energy that is all its own.

Melissa is a Volunteer for the Artistic Realization Technologies (A.R.T.) program allows children and adults with the most severe physical challenges to create works of art via the use of “surrogate hands.” At The Arc Jacksonville, all the artists are from the Medically Fragile Program and are wheelchair bound with significant physical, and in some cases, mental disabilities.

Brenda Kato’s Bio

Web designer by day, fine artist by night.

Brenda Kato is a no-bull hardcore punk chick. She grew up in Avondale and earned her BFA from Ringling School of Art and Design. “Art is something that you have to learn about to fully appreciate,” Kato advises. “It’s like wine.”

She creates at a breakneck pace and operates in many fields of expression at once. In addition to corporate web/graphic design, she works in acrylic paint, scratchboard batik and watercolor markers. Her latest series is about Coney Island before the remodel and cubist portraits.

What transpires from Kato’s hodgepodge of highbrow and lowbrow cultural touchstones–she mentions Shepard Fairey as “who I want to be when I grow up” while extolling the virtues of Salvador Dali and Juxtapoz Magazine–is a striking sense of pop urban surrealism.

San Franciscan designer Ember Lee said of Kato, “Her greatest success is her ability to master both worlds. Few artists are able to live in the ordered working world while maintaining their artistic pursuits.”

Bee Gallery is a partnership between artist Melissa B Finelli and Brenda Kato and part of the Off The Grid Project.

info@beegalleryjax.com

The Bee Gallery August exhibition will feature work by painter and author Clair Hartmann. This Wilmington, NC artist grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and is a graduate of the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. In early 2008 artist Clair made a decision to do a painting-a-day. Her new book “Yesterday’s Painting” is a look back at a collection of 52 of the artist’s favorite paintings from this period. Meet Clair during Art Walk for a book signing 5PM to 9PM at Chamblin’s Uptown – New, Used, and Rare Books & Café.
Clair’s works and articles about her have appeared in numerous publications. She is represented in a number of galleries, and in the private collections and both nationally and internationally.

She has recently released two new books. The first, titled, “The Downtown Dog Project,” showcases her paintings of one hundred dogs painted in one hundred days; a series of candid portraits of dogs who visited her booth at the Wilmington, NC Farmer’s Market during the summer of 2009. The second, “Yesterdays Painting”, is a presentation of fifty-two of her favorite selections from a year long effort to do a “painting-a-day.”

Stop by the Bee Gallery during Art Walk to see Clair’s paintings and adopt a pet! Springfield Animal Care and Rescue Club (SACARC) will have animals available for adoption. If you cannot adopt a pet, pick up information on SACARC and find out about Dog Days in The Park 2010.

These are from last Wednesday. Enjoy!

Bee Gallery had a FABULOUS night tonight at Art Walk! If you didn’t come down, you
missed a treat. Thank you Theatre St. Augustine!! (around 200 people stopped by!)

Although I don’t have pictures to show you of the evening right now (somebody send me some!!) I do have after all our renovations pictures. We received rave reviews from our visitors, DVI personnel and Ms. Heather Sams, consultant extraordinaire.

The July exhibition will feature work by Paul Ramey.

Meet Paul as he performs with the cast members of the Theatre Saint Augustine at the Bee Gallery for July Art Walk. The Theatre of Saint Augustine brings some of the best of classical and contemporary performances to the area. Be ready for some drama, comedy and music.

Paul focuses primarily on his musical creations, most recently having written, performed and recorded a goth/rock opera called “Veil & Subdue” (recently released for sale as a 2-CD + libretto package: www.veilandsubdue.com). Paul also is a founding member of the St. Augustine-based theater company, “Theatre Saint Augustine”, and has performed onstage, composed a full-length original music soundtrack for one of its productions (“The Snow Queen”), and is the theater company’s resident graphic designer as well.

We also have done a lot more to the space – walls and floor are painted and a divider between the studio and gallery spaces is up!  Come see all the exciting things we have going on this month!

We’ve been busy at cleaning up the gallery with new paint and ripping out the old carpet. We’re still deciding what to do about the floor because of the carpet glue.

Stop by frequently – you never know what we’ll be up to next!

July Art Walk – 7/7/2010

The July exhibition will feature work by Paul Ramey. Kentucky native Paul Ramey is a graphic designer/artist, writer, actor and musician who has called Jacksonville, Florida, his home for the past four years. Though specializing in pen-and-ink artwork (examples of which have even been presented as a gift to Princess Anne of Great Britain), Paul also explores acrylics, and is drawn to vivid colors and surrealistic themes.

Meet Paul as he performs with the cast members of the Theatre Saint Augustine at the Bee Gallery for July Art Walk. The Theatre of Saint Augustine brings some of the best of classical and contemporary performances to the area. Be ready for some drama, comedy and music.

And don’t forget the raffle for one of Melissa’s paintings!

In keeping with the Let’s Dance theme of Art Walk this month, we are having a dancer model for a figure drawing session at the Bee Gallery at the Landing. $10 model fee for anyone who wants to join!

We are getting the doors painted at the Gallery – woohoo! We are also in discussions with the Off The Grid Consultant, Heather Sams of HAS Art Solutions, LLC, about the gallery appearance.

Also, we  will possibly have a live clothed model for a drawing “class” on Art Walk night, June 2nd. The model will be a dancer, in keeping with this month’s theme “Let’s Dance.”

Things just keep getting better!

Sorry the gallery has been having quirky hours – all of us had lots going on that was previously scheduled, and it all happened to occur in the last 2-3 weeks.

We will definitely have regular hours at the Landing starting Wednesday of next week (May 26th), so please stop by for a visit.

And don’t forget our Raffle on June 2nd’s Art Walk @ 8:00 p.m.!