Category — Art and Design

Take a look at the work of Penny Feuerstein, an artist whose work has been featured in Chicago Magazine. The following statement comes from Penny’s professional site where you can see the rest of her great work.

“Nature occurs in bits and pieces…interacting and integrating to create infinite possibilities and opportunities within a single moment. Conceptually the computer mirrors the mind, working in a continuous flux where the only constant is constant change….

…. I scan objects from the analog world into my computer—rocks, branches, scarves, blankets, my photos, drawings, and paintings. These, in turn, become my digital ‘paintbrushes’ as I use the computer to replicate, generate, and integrate. As I move between the analog and digital worlds, I feel a centripetal force accelerating and intertwining with my life.”

“The computer mirrors my desire to visualize the subconscious layering and re-layering of my own mind. …..

…. How does analog talk to digital? The bit give voice to the atom? I often compare the generation of digital DNA to our biological DNA, which is the essence of life itself. And I become the messenger moving between these worlds.”

“Using the approach of generative art, I create a new image from the original “DNA” source of a primary image, and then replicate it as many times as the artwork needs….

…. From one section of digital DNA I generated an infinite amount of new information – layers of images created by changing the transparency and size of the selection.”

To learn more about Penny’s Artwork or if you’d like to purchase one of the works seen here please contact Penny at penny@pennyfeuerstein.com

Today on a whim and in an effort to find a bowl of delicious soup (not made by Campbell’s) I stumbled into Lill Street Art Center armed only with my camera phone. This wasn’t my first time at Lill Street but it was the first time I took the opportunity really interact with the entire space which is made up of three floors of creative  mojo. Needless to say that my search for a bowl of soup turned into a shopping excursion and has even prompted me to sign up for a sculpture class starting in the spring.

Located on the corner of Montrose and Ravenswood in Chicago this neighborhood favorite has become quite the hub of art and design. Offering classes in ceramics, textiles, printmaking, jewelry design, painting and drawing this is a great place to learn how to craft beautiful objects that will leave lasting impressions. Classes range anywhere from $160 for first timers to $365 for more advanced courses. This is also a great location to introduce your children to hands on art and social interaction outside of a traditional school setting. Most Kidstreet classes are under$100 for a 5 week session and there are even classes for parents and children to work together to create a final art piece.

One of the best parts of Lill Street is First Slice cafe’ and not just because of the scrumptious creamy tomato soup and grilled cheese combo. First Slice is a Non-Profit cafe’ whose goal is to feed more than just your appetite but feed your soul.  Money earned from First Slice goes to help feed hundreds of men, women and children throughout the community. Chef Mary Ellen Diaz knows firsthand about the power of food. Diaz loves food for its ability to create connections and memories. She also values nutrition, as well as the importance of comfort food and local organics. This is evident in the cafe’s menu and is extremely clear in the 70’s Style Side Dishes which you can purchase as an individual or family size.

The Gallery store is filled with amazingly crafted artwork ranging in price and size. Most of the work comes out of the Lill Street classes but there are also many local artists and craftsmen featured on a rotating basis. If you’re looking for a unique gift to give to someone special this year than Lill Street is the perfect shop. This neighborhood gem is doing what I love most about community; creating a center for social interaction and promoting the importance of art education to people of all ages.

For more information or to sign up for classes please visit the Lill Street Website here

Are you an artist looking to get exposure in Chicago? Do you have great skills and amazing work?

A renegade Art Show will be happening sometime in the next month and right now the group putting it on are looking for great artists to show their work.They are looking for Art of all kinds from photography to crafts and sculpture and paintings.

Submit images and descriptions of your work and any other inquires to ekatz21@gmail.com

I am happy to say that after three weeks of very hard work and at least two sleepless nights we created a unique dining space that shows the true creativity of an interior designers mind. The Harrington College of Design team, Megan Klock, Kevin Scott, Tomas Alvarez and myself really wowed the design industry at this years Dining by Design event to benefit DIFFA. (Design Industry Foundation Fighting AIDS) The design concept really came from the image seen on the back wall of Roy Lichtenstein’s Drowning Girl. We extracted the idea of the waves and translated them into the wall panels which we repeated to give depth. From there we were lucky enough to borrow the table and chairs from the Vallcucine showroom located on the first floor of the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. W saw the chairs and were really lucky that they had them availiable for use in the space. Also, my good friends over at Speakers and Events-R-Us allowed us to use the blue spot lights that really painted our space with color.

The flooring came from an architectural glass suppy company and are actually repurposed 1′x1′ samples mixed with white porceline tile we purchased at Lowes. One of my favorite details is the place setting which was mostly purchased at World Market and Ikea. The plates are actually two of the same style laying next to one another to create a wave shape. The napkin is a simple white cotton with a blue ribbon placed over the top. The glasses are three shades of blue and although they are petite they really work as a low glass giving the print in the background the attention. The lights that are on the table are actually drinking glasses that have shot glasses inside of them that house blue and white LEDs we found in the camping section at Home Depot.

Overall I think the process went rather smoothly and I’m looking forward to what next years team brings to the table.  If I had to give any advice to a team considering being apart of Dining By Design I would say nail down the concept from the beginning and elect a project manager who will responsibly hand out tasks, listen to opinions and make the necessary decisions in order to see the design to completion. My favorite comment of the event came from an older designer who compared the space to one of Valentino’s gowns featured in his documentary The Last Emperor. Not exactly what we were going for but I’ll take it. To see more images of the space check out Klick_It’s Photostream on Flickr.

What do you think of the design? Leave a comment below.

Art and Technology collide in this hysterical story of perseverance and quest for the truth. In this documentary we walk through the ordeal of trying to authenticate a piece of art bought at a thrift store. The star of the movie, Teri Horton a 73 year old former long-haul truck driver from California spends nearly 25 years carting around her find to art dealers and experts who all tell her shes crazy. It wasn’t until she hired an art fraud expert with CSI technologies that she found the answer she was looking for. This movie is a great example of what is and isn’t acceptable in the high end world of art. Luckily for Teri Horton her $5 thrift store find could end up being woth more that 10 million dollars. A must watch for anyone in the art and design world.

“Lavender Mist” by Jackson Pollock

Teri Horton’s Pollock