New Gallery: Grand Opening of The Avenue Art Gallery and Photography Studio in Urbandale Iowa

by Dena Tollefson

Had a great time at the Grand Opening of The Avenue Art Gallery and Photography Studio yesterday. Thankfully the snow that hit northern Iowa stayed away.  I did a painting demonstration of my unique Daubism technique. Gallerist Jill Kelley has a beautiful gallery in a wonderful location. Artist friends Nina Vetrova Robinson and Paul Monska are also represented at the gallery. I am so delighted my sorority sister Janelle Jacobs Siders was able to attend!


Dena Tollefson Painting demonstration- this is the first layer of oil paint over an acrylic underpainting.



Gallerist Jill Kelley at the Grand Opening



New Corn Series Painting: "The Seduction of Sampson"

by Dena Tollefson
http://www.denatollefson.com/

Here is my latest Corn Series painting: "The Seduction of Sampson"

"The Seduction of Sampson" 30"x40" Oil on Canvas copyright 2010 Dena Tollefson

It's dark, warm and damp in the field... There Sampson waits amongst the tall, ragged grasses, awaiting Delilah. In one quick moment, Sampson's lock of shorn hair dangles precariously, representing his loss of strength after Delilah, disguised as butter, makes her move.

Mindy Eilers named that Painting

by Dena Tollefson

Thank you so much to Mary, Janelle, Nina, Troutbirder, Paul, Tammy, Mindy & Celia for the great painting name suggestions here, by email, and on Facebook! It was hard to narrow it down.

Mindy Eilers has has come up with the perfect name- "Covenant". It really captures the essence.

Thank you again for everyone's fantastic suggestions!
Have a great evening
Dena

"Covenant" 30" x 24" Acrylic on Canvas copyright 2010 Dena Tollefson

Help me name this painting!

by Dena Tollefson

Untitled copyright 2010 Dena Tollefson 30"x24"acrylic on canvas

Please help me name this painting! I just finished this abstract and need the right title.   I am excited to hear your ideas! I'll be checking here and on my Facebook page Dena Tollefson Art to see what you come up with... Please put your name ideas in the comment section below.

Take care
Dena

Sneak Peek: U of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Tollefson Abstracts Exhibit

by Dena Tollefson

Here's a sneak peek of one of my 12 paintings in the upcoming University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinic's Gallery One exhibit, sponsored by Project Art.

"The Last Week" 28 x 22 Acrylic on Canvas copyright 2009 Dena Tollefson

The painting above is entitled "The Last Week".  This painting is about the last week of Jesus' life and his disciple Peter's decision of whether he would acknowledge Christ of deny following him. On the left corner of the painting is the jail, Golgotha with the 3 crosses in on the right. The fractured bird crowing in the center reflects his final decision and eventual regret for his betrayal. This painting is one of two studies in blue.

This exhibit runs Oct 18, 2010 until Jan 21, 2011 at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics 200 Hawkins Drive 8023 John Colloton Pavilion Iowa. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact John Hansen, Visual Arts Coordinator Phone 319 353 6417. Visit the Project Art website http://www.uihealthcare.com/depts/projectart 

I hope you can make it to the exhibit!

New Corn Series painting: Marie Antoinette: "Let Them Eat Corn"

by Dena Tollefson

Here is my latest Corn Series painting - and a step-by-step of what it looked like in process. This blog posting is a continuation of my June 15, 2010 post entitled Painting Demonstration: Corn at the Window: Marie Antoinette (Let Them Eat Corn).


Underpainting  for "Marie Antoinette: Let Them Eat Corn" copyright 2010  Dena Tollefson Oil on Canvas 40"x30"

I had set this painting aside until August to concentrate on a commissioned painting. Got a great ear of corn from Knights's farm, put the spotlight on in the studio, and got to work. Here's the photo of the next step with the fields started and the kernels developing...

Painting in Process at my easel "Marie Antoinette: Let Them Eat Corn" copyright 2010 Dena Tollefson Oil on Canvas 40"x30"

The final steps to complete this corn painting were to restate the light around Marie and the window, and add details of the stalks of corn up closest to the window. I reglazed the distant sky at the horizon with a combination of titantium white and a bit of cad yellow. Also worked on the reflected light hitting the kernels on Marie's side opposite the window. I added cad orange highlights in her corn silk hair. Below is the completed painting.


Completed painting: "Marie Antoinette: Let Them Eat Corn" copyright 2010 Dena Tollefson Oil on Canvas 40"x30"



Goya's Disasters of War Exhibit at Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

by Dena Tollefson
http://www.denatollefson.com/

I attended a really neat lecture on Goya's Disasters of War copper plate etching prints at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art  this past Thursday.
The speaker was Phil Lasansky, son of artist Mauricio Lasansky, who with his wife Lori, own over 300 Goya prints. It was interesting to hear his insight contrasting his father's style, whose small  print editions allow focus on individual work with hand coloring or other special details,  with  Goya's, where multiple identical prints were made with each larger print run, intending to bring the work to the masses.

Francisco Goya was a court painter during the war and these prints were a record of his reaction to the horrors of the Peninsula War between France and Spain in the years 1807-1814- he kept this graphic and grisly body of work quiet- perhaps to not conflict with his role as court painter to royalty. He made this war record of 80 different images with copper plates- 7 print editions were made after his death. The Lasanskys own several sets, prints on loan to the museum are a complete 7th edition print (second best print - after the 1st edition- the original copper plates were faced with steel in a process to make the plates better able to withstand the rigors of the printing press).

 I was very impressed with Phil's in-depth working knowledge of printmaking process and his focus and dedication to collecting.  Click here to learn more about Goya's Disasters of War etchings on loan to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art- the exhibit runs until December 12th, 2010.

Thank you Carl and Mary Koehler History Center- Corn County Exhibit!

by Dena Tollefson
http://www.denatollefson.com/

Here are photos of the Carl and Mary Koehler History Center Corn County Exhibit where 6 of my Corn Series corn paintings are displayed now through May 2011. I attended the opening day Saturday, Aug 23rd.  It is a great exhibit- colorful, well-curated and very informative. Melanie Alexander did an outstanding job- the lighting and signage are expecially nice. Check it out!

North view of the Corn County exhibit, oil painting"Corn II" by Dena Tollefson on right hand wall

Dena Tollefson with corn paintings L-R "Corn I", "Rapunzel", and "Corn III: Attraction"

Here is some prehistoric corn they found buried in the ground

South side of the exhibit with early 1900s plow

The History Center did a great job with signage 

Exhibit west side

The exhibit covers prehistoric corn up through modern day uses/inspirations for corn

the exhibit includes interactive elements

Left: "Self Portrait in Corn", oil on canvas, right: "Corn IV" by Dena Tollefson

History Center

615 First Ave SE

Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401

phone 319-362-1501

http://www.historycenter.org/

Tollefson Corn paintings in "Corn County" at the History Center

by Dena Tollefson
http://www.denatollefson.com/

I am delighted to have my paintings be part of the upcoming exhibit "Corn County" at the  Carl & Mary Koehler History Center in Cedar Rapids! I met with Executive Director Melanie Alexander today and dropped off 6 Corn paintings including Self Portrait in Corn, Corn IV, and Rapunzel. The exhibit runs August 28, 2010 through May 2011. I hope you can come out to the History Center (615 First Avenue SE Cedar Rapids, Iowa) and check it out! The exhibit features corn's history and all of its forms and inspirations. Click here to learn more about the Corn County exhibit

"Corn IV" 36"x24" Oil on Canvas copyright 2008 Dena Tollefson

More Buzzzzzzz

"Bumblebee John" on easel in studio 6"x4" Oil on Canvas

Copyright 2010 Dena Tollefson

by Dena Tollefson
http://www.denatollefson.com/

My mother loved the little bumblebee from my easel shown on my July 24 2010 post - she named it Bumblebee Edgar after my grandfather, Edgar Gnewuch. I am giving it to her and my father as a gift- made a few others and continued them past the underpainting stage over to the final daubism stage. The thick oil paint will need to dry for at least 4 weeks before these bees can be signed, framed and sold. I am excited as people are wanting them off the easel. Am having to fight the temptation to frame them early- don't want to have the paint adhere to the frame if they are not sufficiently dry.  Shown here is Bumblebee John from the new Bumblebee series. I like how each little guy has his own personality.