July at the Artists Hand Gallery

It's our birthday month at the Artists Hand, and we'll be quite the happening place. This month we'll be featuring the paintings of Bill Perry, in his beautiful exhibit "Colors of Light." The show will be up from July 2 to August 2, with an opening reception on July 12 (see below). There will also be musical performances on Fridays, another reading from the Keystone Repertory Theater, and the Downtown Indiana Taste & Tour. Late in July, the annual Arts Camp will make its way to the Artists Hand.

7/5, 6-8pm: Brad Yoder, acoustic singer-songwriter, performs at the gallery

7/12,  6-8pm: The Artists Hand Gallery birthday celebration!

                    Opening Reception for "Colors of Light" by Bill Perry

                    Music from Ernie Hawkins, internationally renowned blues guitarist

7/17, 7-8pm: Keystone Repertory Theater Dramatic Reading

7/18, 5-8:30pm: Al Craige perfoms at the Artists Hand during the Downtown Indiana Taste & Tour

7/19, 6-8pm: Brandon Galm performs at the gallery

7/22-7/26: Arts Camp

Stop into the gallery some time and see what all the buzz is about!

Jonelle Summerfield

Jonelle graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2001 with a Bachelor's of Science in Interior Design. Although she has no formal art education her mother was her art teacher. She had exposed Jonelle to art since childhood, and then in high school Jonelle took a drawing class for extra credit and discovered that she actually enjoyed producing art. After she graduated from college her mother taught her how to paint with oils. Her mother had taken a lot of workshops with Pittsburgh area artists, yet she also had not studied art formally. Jonelle had worked for eight years as a kitchen designer and is now a full time artist. "I paint in the realistic style partly for the challenge of it, partly because I want to capture moments, days, and events that will perhaps never occur again."

The Princess
Oil painting
$175.00

Cream Puff
Oil painting
$150.00

The art world is saturated with oil painters, each vying to be bigger and better than all who came before. In this sea of large, attention grabbing paintings, Jonelle's work stands out in a different way. Her paintings are not only precisely executed, but also very petite in comparison to some of the other work in our gallery. The two paintings featured here only measure about 6x8 inches. Achieving Jonelle's level of realism in such a humble space is quite a feat. By choosing a small canvas, an artist can connect with an individual viewer on a more intimate level. With her charming subject matter and selectively muted colors, Jonelle produces an elegantly understated, pleasant moment in each of her pieces.

As always, visit the Artists Hand Gallery to see Jonelle's work in person, as well as the work of over 60 other local artists. While you're at it, why not enjoy an iced coffee or another tasty drink from our espresso bar?

Ernie Hawkins to Perform for Our Birthday Celebration!

The Artists Hand has the distinct pleasure of welcoming internationally renowned blues guitarist and multi-talented musician, Ernie Hawkins, to perform at the gallery for a very special occasion...It's our first birthday!
Ernie Hawkins was born and raised in Pittsburgh and has been playing blues and ragtime since he was a teenager, learning to play the guitar, mandolin, and banjo. Since those early days Ernie has performed around the world, and alongside blues greats, Son House, Mance Lipscomb, and Fred McDowell, to name a few. He has released 7 CDs and a slew of instructional DVDs, and has graciously brought his teaching skills to many guitar camps.
Ernie specializes in Piedmont blues, which is characterized by the distinct Piedmont fingerpicking style.

Check out the video below for just a sampling of what Ernie will have in store for us all: 

For more information about Ernie Hawkins, visit his official website.

First Anniversary of the Artists Hand Gallery and Espresso Bar

Featuring the opening of Bill Perry's Colors of Light exhibition, music by Ernie Hawkins, and more to come!

Friday, July 12, 2013

6-8 p.m.

@ the Artists Hand

Ron Juliette and Larry Turton

Ron Juliette has been photographing in and around Indiana County for more than forty years. His eye is drawn to simple forms in the chaos of nature. His works are fully resolved in the camera and rarely cropped from the image he sees through the lens. He draws his inspiration from the everyday, the mundane, the detritus of man. Ron has taught photography at the university level for more than thirty years.

Torso
Framed photo
$210.00

It's amazing how photography can catapult an everyday sight into a work of art, allowing us to see mundane objects with new eyes. Ron's Torso is an excellent example of how an object can be transformed by it's presentation, through decisions such as lighting, composition, and cropping. Even more impressive is the fact that Ron creates these images as he is shooting, with minimal help from photo-editing software. This is quite an unconventional choice in this digital age of imagery, and the lack of crop allows his images to be of higher resolution. This means that your print of Ron's work will be of only the sharpest quality.

Larry Turton is a Professor Emeritus of Speech-Language Pathology and an amateur photographer. His first lens reflex camera was purchased in 1975 and pictures became a hobby and a part of his identity. However, until he retired in January 2001, photography was only a hobby; now it's an avocation. He's expressed himself in this invigorated effort by focusing on teaching others how to enjoy this wonderful endeavor. By nature, he is a storyteller and his pictures reflect his interest in people, especially children, and their activities, their environments. He is not interested in technically beautiful pictures, (read: Ansel Adams); but what shapes all of us. Every good picture has a story inherent in it; all good stories should evoke a picture.

Kicker Rock
Photography, digital print
$250.00

Larry's work in the gallery is very nature-oriented, featuring scenes from the Galapagos Islands, as well as images of animals. His work is straightfoward, capturing the essence of the natural wonder of a scene, without unnecessary distractions. Simplicity is a sometimes overlooked compositional choice in photography, but when translating a complex landscape into a 2-dimensional image, it is a valuable skill to be able to edit and simplify. Along with his framed prints, you can also check out some cards that are printed with his images here in the gallery.

Possible Photography Club at the Gallery

Interested in sharing your photography, or participating in a critique with these experienced photographers? Interested in learning how to become a better photographer? Let us know! We are considering putting together a photographers' "club" here at the gallery. If you are interested in participating, or want to know more information, e-mail contact@theartistshandgallery.com

And as always, stop in to see Ron and Larry's work, and the work of over 60 local artists, Tuesdays through Saturdays, at the the Artists Hand.

Ronald Moretti

Born and raised in Indiana, Ronald has been woodworking about nine or ten years now. He is constantly trying to learn new techniques and skills. The whole idea of taking rough lumber and transforming it into a functional and pleasing piece of furniture has always been appealing to him. He tries to pay attention to detail and grain pattern as he assembles the piece so that each part flows into the next. For Ronald there is as much satisfaction with the designing and building as there is with the finished product.
Most of Ronald's inspiration comes from Arts and Craft or Shaker design furniture. He finds the simple elegance of Shaker furniture to be calming.

Red Elm Burl
Natural Edge
$160.00

Cherry Fruit Bowl
Wood Turning
$90.00

Perhaps the most interesting feature about Ronald's work, especially Red Elm Burl, is his organic approach to the material. The choice of wood is as important as the concept and design, and in fact plays a huge role in the development of the piece. While many artists may try to manipulate their materials beyond recognition, Ronald allows nature to somewhat dictate his next move. It's true that artists of any media could learn something from this attitude, and create wonderful work that utilizes the natural potential of the materials.

Stop in to see Ron's work, and the work of over 60 local artists, Tuesdays through Saturdays, at the Artists Hand.