Introduction

Blogspot’s Eclectic Virtual Art Gallery is located online at undertheumbrellasea.blogspot.com.  The gallery is operated by Linda Delgado, a fledgling art enthusiast who has collected pieces of art from different mediums in the form of photography, digital art, laser graphics, sculpture, and painting. 

Exhibition Introduction

Exhibition

Under The Umbrella Sea

Artists

• Tiffany Bozic
• David Burdeny
• Daniella Jones
• Christian Riese Lassen
• Larry Lehman
• Jeanette Lindblad
• John W. Megahan
• Hiroko Reaney
• Mary Michael Shelley
• Martin Waugh

        The sea and sea life have an array of possibilities for many artists, and the works on display are those that express all aspects of and pertaining to the sea.  They come from a number of artists who use different mediums to portray their creative vision of the sea.  Many of the pieces focus on water, however, there are a number of components in which the ocean is comprised of, and therefore I have chosen to present those other elements.  I have selected these artists to broaden the observers perception to give the opportunity to contemplate and discover a variety of forms that the sea and sea life has to offer.

White Chalk

Artist: Tiffany Bozic

Title: White Chalk

Media: Painting - Acrylic on Maple Panel

Dimensions: 35” x 45”

Date: 2010

Tiffany Bozic was inspired by nature at an early age.  Her work digs into a profound and imaginative outlet of the world and nature.  She finds her art to be a therapeutic process in which she can find a way to connect with life and find sense in the world around her.  From November 2006 to 2007 she was a participant in the California Academy of Sciences Artist in Residence Program.  Her work has been shown in galleries all over the U.S. and Europe, and has been published in various magazines including the cover of Coast Magazine.

“The pieces are about the shared intimate feelings that many people feel that they are not able to articulate to one another.”  - Tiffany Bozic

This piece of art is one of fifteen from another art exhibit.  Here she uses examples from nature to help her express progressively involved emotions which elaborate her own symbolic language.  This work is a little reminder that we are nature, linked to everything.

The White Chalk painting illustrates crayfish falling from a cluster of other marina objects, such as sea shells, sand dollars and starfish.  All are depicted just above an endless sea.  I chose this piece to convey how the artist used softer and muted colors to depict the articles in the painting.  Bozic uses her artwork to express her emotions that she otherwise wouldn't be able to verbalize, as a result, I feel this work is expressing a subdued emotion for the viewer to recognize and grasp.

Snorkeler

Artist: David Burdeny

Title: Snorkeler (After Misrach)

Media: Photograph, Archival Pigment Print

Dimensions: 45” x 55”, 32” x 40”, 21” x 24”, 13” x 16”

Date: 2011

David Burdeny became interested in photography at the tender age of 12 when he began to photograph landscapes of the prairie in Canada.  Essentially self taught, he deliberately shoots near dark and in inadequate lighting, using particularly long exposures to observe what the eye normally cannot.  David has a Masters in Architecture and a degree in interior design.  He has numerous exhibitions, been published in various magazines and received many awards for his work in photography.  

"Traverse" is David Burdeny's newest collection of photographs focusing on the areas of the Pacific region. Varied in subject matter, the range reminds us of past works from his early series, "Ancora," and the celebrated "Shorelines" series, of the encompassing architectural imagery of 2009-2011, and Burdeny's ultimate and signature theme, the ocean.

 – Jennifer Kostuik Gallery

This work demonstrates Burdeny’s sharp skill when working with natural light.  He recently introduced people into his photographs, which is shown in his “Snorkeler” piece.  According to Burdeny, including people in his photos involve a bit of a narrative, but mostly form and light are key ingredients to his art.

Burdeny’s “Snorkeler” is the only piece in my exhibition that involves a person.  Though small in comparison to the entire photograph, the snorkeler is a vital feature of the product.  A person is necessary for the title of the piece, which this photo validates attractively with a sole snorkeler at a beach in Maui, Hawaii.  I find the snorkeler, swimming in the ocean, illustrates how we as land animals, can dive into another environment, one that endures under another umbrella of existence.  Snorkeling allows people to see into that environment, where a world of animals can live in such a different atmosphere, with its own aquatic flavor and beauty.

Sea Horse

Artist: Daniella Jones

Title: Seahorse

Media: Canvas Print

Dimensions: 5” x 7”

Date: 2007

Daniella Jones work has been shown in many exhibitions and galleries.  She has been creating artworks for over 20 years now and is an award winning Australian artist. She likes to focus her work on Australian wildlife and has found a particular interest in using soft pastels.

"What a wonderful piece of artwork! The eyes, so expressive, WOW! Extremely happy"  
  - Judy, New South Wales, Australia (satisfied customer)

Daniella resides in the tropical rainforests of Far North Queensland, Australia and has the Great Barrier Reef at hands reach.  The natural environment provides for the necessary inspiration for her artwork, such as the “Seahorse” seen above.

The “Seahorse” print demonstrates an example of an animal that resides below the sea.  This piece was originally created using pastels.  I chose this work because the seahorse is poised upright, yet appears almost diagonal the way it’s depicted on the canvas, making it symmetrical and pleasing to the eye.  I also enjoy how the artist uses deeper blues to accent the ocean in which the seahorse floats.  The blues then transition into black, which conveys the deep ocean to where the eye cannot see.

Hawaiian Night

Artist: Christian Riese Lassen

Title: Hawaiian Night

Media: Painting, Lassengraph AP 50 CRL 100 SN 100

Dimensions: 24x18

Date: 10/10/06

Christian Riese Lassen is another self taught artist who grew up in the Hawaiian island of Maui.  Unsurprisingly, he found the ocean and nature to be a natural influence to his work.  He has been recognized in magazines, television and film, such as 20/20 and The Travel Channel.  His artwork is internationally renowned and collected.

“As one of the world's most renowned marine artists, Christian Riese Lassen's visionary images emanate a light that touches some deep chord within us all. The mastery of detail, the richness of subject matter, even the surprising magical points of view are somehow secondary to the incredible intimacy that this contemporary master is able to achieve. Christian's worldwide popularity is due to his uncanny ability to awaken in each of us a positive awareness of ourselves and to restore the hope that we can indeed contribute to the healing of our home.”       – artbrokerage.com

“Hawaiian Night” is a painting that is now available through the medium Lassengraph.  With the beautiful backdrop of Hawaii as Lassen’s main influence, this depiction of a typical night in Hawaii illustrates Hawaii’s main features, the ocean shore, palm trees, and beauty.

This gorgeous artwork conveys the beauty that is found above the sea.  .  I selected this piece because I truly enjoyed the charm the artist maintained in his artwork.  Many are familiar with the bright and sunny pictures that come to mind when one thinks of the Hawaiian Islands.  However, this painting flaunts the Hawaiian beauty that is noticed less often, the beauty of the evening sky.  The brightness of the moon illuminates the lapping ocean against the sandy beach, and the stillness of the palm trees.  The sky is dotted with distant yet bright stars.  Here, splendor can be captured by the jewels of the sky, which highlight the beauty of the sea.

Ocean Sunset

Artist: Larry Lehman

Title: Ocean Sunset

Media: Digital Art

Dimensions: 3000 x 22500 image (full-resolution)

Date: 1/2/09

Larry Lehman currently resides in Sunland, California.  His creations are available through his art site online.  The site is dedicated in memory of his sister who passed away from cancer recently and where 100 percent of the proceeds are donated to help fight and cure cancer.

“Ocean sunset was drawn in Microsoft Paint using the mouse as a pencil and my right-hand instead of my left.”

     – Larry Lehman

The artwork was done on a basic computer program which required the use of his non-dominant hand to operate the mouse.  It is a landscape creation of the sun setting in the background of a lively sea.

This piece was chosen because “Ocean Sunset” was created using a more menial type of program, Microsoft Paint.  That in itself is what makes it the piece so intriguing.  The artist creatively portrays rolling waves of the ocean against a backdrop of the sun setting.  Lehman had to meticulously draw the animated colors of a waving sea, along with the reflection of the setting sun on the ocean.  Though Microsoft Paint is a very simple artistic tool, this artist created a piece that is much more involved and complex, portraying a great talent to a man who uses different mediums to create his work.