Artomatic 2015:

One of my favorite things at Artomatic this year was Raymond Baccari's music instruments. I find myself thinking about them regularly. Raymond totally redefined music for me in one installation. I have always wanted to be able to play an instrument but after trying violin as a kid my confidence hasn't been very high in that department! Now I know which instrument I really want to play! Matilda was fun for all ages. I met a family through our mutual love of her unique sounds. I highly suggest checking out the videos Raymond has posted on facebook (click his name above for the link) to hear them. 

I love Yelena Rodina's whimsical cities. I wish there was an interactive exhibit where we could walk around 3D versions of her creative and imaginative surreal buildings. Her use of color is soothing while still being striking. 

Artomatic Frederick is Back this Spring!

I'll post more information about Artomatic Frederick when I have it!

Artomatic 2015:

My apologies for the delay, I was out of town with no internet but now I have returned.

My mom and I made some silk art at Diane Tuckman's space. It was something I had never done before, and super fun!

Continuing our colorful adventure, Liliane Blom's artwork was next. I remember her work from Artomatic Frederick. It's always nice to see familiar artists, especially when they have new pieces or techniques they are working with!
 

Jennifer Droblyen is always an artist I enjoy seeing at Artomatic. We even own a piece of her work. She runs a silent auction during Artomatic, so check it out next time you see her show! Her message about the environmental impact of pollutants, and the importance of bees and jellyfish is not only beautiful but informative as well.


I really enjoyed seeing Thalia Doukas's work. It's hard to tell in the photo, but her winter scene is made up of different cuts of paper. Her skill and attention to detail is beautiful!


Michele Morgan's work continues my colorful day at Artomatic. I found the pieces displayed to be easily relatable with vibrant colors and scenes that made me feel relaxed.

Artomatic 2015 Artwork, Post One:

The first piece of art I saw upon entering Artomatic was Die Antwoord by Michelle Lauren. As a Die Antwoord fan and someone who has seen them in concert multiple times, I was excited to start my Artomatic day off with this piece of Yolandi and Ninja!


To the left of this piece is the controversial "The Last Buffet" in which Lori Ulmer-Hanson has depicted Brad Pitt as Jesus with disciples such as Van Gogh, Einstein, Nelson Mandela, Elvis, John Lennon and even The Pope. I'm going to go ahead and give this piece credit for the dream I had about Brad Pitt later that night. The post-it notes surrounding the piece showed everything from support to outrage, everything a piece of art like this should invoke. I appreciate the take on The Last Supper and chose to see it as a commentary on today's society. I don't know where the post-it notes came from, but what an interesting alternative to a book!

I found Karyne Messina's glass sculptures to be not only beautiful, but soothing to look at. Check out her site for more info and a great gallery of photos of her work!

Moshe Yagho's intricate wood sculptures hardly seem believable. The attention to detail and the tiny pieces that go into the work show a level of skill and dedication to the medium that can sometimes be hard to find. I bet Moshe has no problem completing puzzles!


Davide Prete, an Italian native, hails from my alma mater, Corcoran College of Art and Design and had not only beautiful sculptures on display, but also intricate jewelry. Molto bello!

Artomatic 2015:

I spent most of Artomatic 2015 out of town getting my yoga teaching certification but I managed to catch it the very last day! I spent over 4 hours trying to capture as much artwork as possible to share here. Artomatic is a relatively short event running around 4-6 weeks total (with months of planning before hand!) so being able to capture so many amazing pieces to share has always been on my to do list once Artomatic starts. Normally I try to post during the event to help promote not only the event but the artists as well. Hopefully having my posts coming after the event this time will help viewers become more interested in the process of the next event from beginning to end! I saw some familiar artists (and friends!), some with wonderful pieces I had the pleasure of blogging about previously, and some with new work I was very excited to see! With everything from quick sketches that really tell a story, to hand made musical instruments, Artomatic is an amazing event and I hope to take part in the next one!


My involvement in Artomatic: I had the amazing opportunity to spend over 65 hours at Artomatic@Frederick in 2011 and then to be one of the small team of people who ran Artomatic@Frederick in 2013, spending over 300 hours there from start to finish. I also ran Artomatic DC's Zombie Prom in 2012 and I showed my own art at each event. It was a life changing experience for me so I love to share the experience of Artomatic with others! 

About Artomatic: Taking place (this year, as the location changes) in Hyattsville, Maryland, Artomatic describes itself via the Artomatic.org site as: “Artomatic is a non-profit, volunteer-run 501(c)3 orginaztion that organizes and hosts a large arts festival occurring every 12-18 months in the DC metropolitan area, usually in a commercial location slated for demolition. The event is unjuried (first-come-first-served) and showcases creative work in visual art, music, film, performance, and fashion. The 2012 Artomatic attracted about 1700 artists and performers and over 70, 000 visitors. We also license other events in other locations, such as Artomatic@Frederick, held in Frederick, MD, and are currently expanding and building out licensing program statewide and internationally. Artomatic’s mission is to create community, build audience and expand economic development by transforming available space into a playground for artistic expression. Artomatic is guided by a volunteer Board of Directors and is funded in part by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, an agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. See more about the volunteer teams that make Artomatic possible.” as well as saying, 

“Emerging and established artists present their work side by side and have the chance to work and learn from one another. The diversity of artwork and performances attract the proudest range of people, providing a forum to build institutional connections. Artists, organizations and visitors come together and illustrate the energy, vitality and strength of the arts to impact the community.” 

Time for some artwork! 

Artomatic 2015:

The Art Blog is back! I'll be posting about Artomatic 2015 over the next few weeks. It is no longer running as of this past weekend, so I hope these posts help you connect with some wonderful artists or just get you interested in seeing or participating in the next Artomatic! -Claire

Artomatic Artwork, Part Nine:

Gregory Ferrand's work is really interesting. I'm not sure if it is a comment about social media or not, but what I love about art most of all is that it is up to your own interpretation. I enjoy the smoothness of Gregory's work as well.

Getting ready for the Fourth of July? This piece by Jonathan S. Woods is says a lot about how American's celebrate the fourth as consumers. At least, that's how I like to look at it!

Livingston Rodgers piece entitled 'Sea Dunes' is really beautiful. I feel like I am looking out a door way on the shore, ready to step out onto the sand. The texture is phenomenal.

Lisa D's description of her work is really revealing. I really respect an artist who is willing to put it all out there and share where their inspiration comes from. Also, I love owls!

Eluzid's artspace at Artomatic was beautiful. The room was welcoming and looked like you were in the waiting room of a five star spa. I couldn't take a photo that properly captured the atmosphere with my phone but I'd like to share Eluzid's description and a close up of some of the beautiful textured paper that was illuminated in his space.

Seemen Hashem's collages are warm and inviting with their cool color palette and familiar pieces. The surreal quality to the work is lovely. I really like the backgrounds.

Barbara Hance's jewelry is gorgeous. I found it hard to take photos of most of the jewelry makers at Artomatic due to glare on the glass, but hopefully you can see the detail in her work!

Pat Goslee's artwork shares the same cool color palette as Seemeen Hashem's. I found it soothing to look at even with all of the detail that is going on. It reminds me of the body painting I have seen in Burningman photos.