#bevsbites #cakelady | Beverly Shipko, Artist

Hop On Over to One Martine Gallery

October 9, 2022 by Beverly

In case you missed the Food For Thought Exhibition Opening last week, please join us at One Martine Gallery for the White Plains #SeriousFunArtsFest Gallery Hop this Thursday, October 13th from 6 to 9 pm.

Food For Thought is featuring 29 of my paintings and prints through Thanksgiving Weekend (Sunday, November 27th), along with the delectable artwork of Nancy Cohen and rich still life photography by Andre Baranowski. Three of my vending machine paintings are showcased in this window display – of which I am very proud! (I can’t help myself…).

Gallery hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays 10 to 6pm, Sundays 12-5pm, Closed Mondays.

Oil & Acrylic Paintings by Beverly Shipko: *Icons of the Vending Chip World* (20 x 20 inches), *America’s Favorite Candies – Icons of the Vending Candy World* (10 x 20 inches) [left] and *Food Choices* (36 x 36 inches) [right]

I am very excited about this evening re-opening, which is easy to be now that I’ve seen the show.

Webmaster Laura says this is my best show yet (of course she’s a bit biased, but it’s fabulous to hear!). The spacious gallery has a contemporary Manhattan vibe. Plus the entire exhibit is beautifully designed by Walker Manzke, Director of One Martine Gallery. Thank you, Walker!

Invitation

Here’s is the official email invitation.

Plus Gallery Hop Night is FREE and includes a total of 3 gallery locations all within walking distance of each other, one of which is One Martine Gallery.

One Martine Gallery (located at 1 Martine Avenue), is a new gallery in downtown White Plains, New York, within walking distance of the White Plains train station. If you’re driving, see the parking directions at the bottom of this post.

In addition, the Gallery Hop is part of a much larger Serious Fun Arts Fest 5 Day event in White Plains running from October 12 to 16, sponsored by Arts Westchester and presented by Montefiore Einstein. Specifically, it includes everything from concerts to live mural painting, a public art walking tour to dancing in the streets. Click here for more information.

While the official Gallery Hop time is 6 to 9 pm, I will be there closer to 5:30pm to greet people coming directly from work.

Normal gallery hours are: Tuesdays through Saturdays 10 to 6pm, Sundays 12-5pm, Closed Mondays. Food For Thought runs through Thanksgiving weekend.

Parking and GPS Instructions

Since I got a lot of positive feedback from my previous parking instructions, I am repeating them again here.

One Martine Gallery (not to be confused with the apartment complex 1 Martine at City Square on your GPS device) is located on Martine Avenue, a one way street going south towards the White Plains train station.

The parking garage entrance is just past the gallery as Martine starts to curve to the right towards Bank Street. You can see Seward Johnson’s statue of an embracing couple right before the driveway. See below for a photo and parking instructions provided by the gallery.

Finally, if you pass the entrance, don’t panic! Simply keep going around the block and try again. I found the entrance easily the second time – and that was without this photo.

Call (914) 948-1284 if you have any questions, or email info@onemartinegallery.com.

Once you’re at the gallery, ask for directions to the concierge desk to validate your parking ticket for free parking.

Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional information.

I hope you can make it Thursday, October 13th for this fun event! We all need a lot more fun, don’t we?

Invitation to Food for Thought Opening October 6, 5:30-7:30pm

September 24, 2022 by Beverly

You are invited to the Opening Reception of a two woman show all about my favorite subject – food!

The exhibit features over 20 paintings and prints of my work, including my latest and largest vending paint, Food Choices.

Food for Thought opens on Thursday, October 6, 5:30-7:30pm, at One Martine Gallery (located at 1 Martine Avenue), a new gallery in White Plains, New York, within walking distance of the White Plains train station. If you’re driving, see the parking directions at the bottom of this post.

I like what is written in the official invitation below, “Food sustains our bodies as art sustains our soul.” So this is your big chance to get a lot of sustenance – not to mention a sugar fix! The show continues throughout October.

*Nine 6 x 6 Challenge Panel Paintings*,
mounted on black board (24 x 24 inches) with velcro,
by Beverly Shipko

I am exhibiting with Nancy Cohen, a talented painter who also shares my predilection for sweets. And if you want to see more of her work, go to Nancycohenstudio.com.

*Candies*, 20 x 20 inches, Oil on linen, by Nancy Cohen.

PARKING

One Martine Gallery (not to be confused with the apartment complex 1 Martine at City Square) is located on Martine Avenue, a one way street going south towards the White Plains train station.

The parking garage entrance is just past the gallery as Martine starts to curve to the right, with the Seward Johnson’s statue of an embracing couple right before the driveway. See below for parking instructions from the gallery.

Finally, if you pass the entrance, simply keep going around the block and try again. I found the entrance easily the second time – and that was without this photo.

Call (914) 948-1284 if you have any questions, or email info@onemartinegallery.com.

Once you’re at the gallery, ask for directions to the concierge desk validating all even attendees.

I look forward to seeing you on October 6th! For those of you who can’t make it, the show will be up at least until November 15th.

2018 Open Studio: You Are Invited!

March 13, 2018 by Beverly

When I came home from visiting Mom in Michigan, a big Vistaprint box awaited me on the kitchen table. I knew what was inside – my 2018 Open Studio postcard invitations. The excitement of opening the box was mixed with a teeny bit of apprehension. Will I like the postcard? Did I choose the right paintings? Are there any typos?

I am happy to report there that I like it, there no typos, and it’s ready for the big reveal. Drumroll please…

Choosing the paintings and deciding on placement for the postcard is more an art than a science, almost like hanging the Open Studio art show itself. I’ve had to reprint (and rehang!) on several occasions in the past.

How many images should be partially eaten sweets vs. whole ones, with and without wrappers and logos, in vending machines vs.on the kitchen? What geography should they come from? The Blueberry Crumble was baked right here in Ardsley by Riviera Bakehouse, while the macarons hail from the DelRey Shop in Antwerp, Belgium.

After selecting the visuals, it’s time to play with balance and placement on the card. For example, I was concerned about the darker vending background overwhelming the delicate tonalities of the macarons. This year there’s even a nod to two healthy snack options with Mr. Peanut and a stalk of broccoli.

What would you choose to satisfy your appetites – both artistic and gastronomic?

Come and decide for yourself the weekend of April 21st and 22nd, from 11am to 5pm. You’re all invited to 36 Sheldon Street, Ardsley, NY 10502. Please bring your friends and family, all ages – especially kids and grandkids who are willing to join in the fun of my Oreo Cookie Contest simply by eating Oreos. I name a painting after the best biter!

Of course, we’ll have a dessert reception to celebrate this milestone year: 2018 is the 25th Anniversary of the RiverArts© Studio Tour. RiverArts© Studio Tour 18 maps will be on hand so you can visit some of the other 80 artists who also will be participating. Or go to www.riverarts.org to print a tour map.

Please let me know if you have any questions or need any additional information. If not, it’s time to mark your calendar. I look forward to seeing you!

Day 19. Blueberry Pie

September 19, 2015 by Beverly

After yesterday’s Apple Cranberry Pie Server, I got a craving for more pie.

"Blueberry Pie" by Beverly Shipko, Oil on cradled wood panel, 5 x 7 inches

“Cherry Pie” by Beverly Shipko, Oil on cradled wood panel, 5 x 7 inches

Not just any pie, but a partially eaten with a proverbial bite taken out.

I liked the idea of cropping the composition and focusing on the most most visually captivating part of the pie. Cherry Pie is about the oozing goo that comes with eating a big piece. While I considered coming in even closer, it wasn’t clear the pie would be recognizable as pie, so I filed the concept away in my notebook for future Challenges.

The idea was to immortalize this old-fashioned lattice pie, from our favorite bakery, Rivierabake House in Ardsley. Riviera still weaves strips of crust together, unlike many commercial pies that are die-cut from a flat piece of dough. I forgot how difficult it is to paint pie crust with its woven dough and subtle colors. In many respects, Day 18’s Apple Cranberry Pie Server was easier to paint since it’s broken up by the contrasting metal spatula.

Over time, my pie paintings have transitioned from more traditional compositions (as far back as 2003) set against a larger neutral background to more focused perspectives. You can see the progression here. What approach appeals to you? It would be interesting to hear your thoughts.

“Cherry Pie” by Beverly Shipko, Oil on cradled wood panel, 5 x 7 inches

“Apple Cranberry Pie Server” by Beverly Shipko,
Oil on cradled wood panel, 6 x 6 inches

When I first saw Cherry Pie this morning after finishing it last night, I was pleasantly surprised and happy with this painting. Of course, I have to control the urge to keep fixing little details, but I am learning…

I am puzzled by one thing – and that’s digital photography . The two pie paintings from the Challenge look so much better in person than in photographs, as do many of my other paintings. This was confirmed by my daughter, Laura, who has a good eye and just came home yesterday for the weekend from Urbana, IL for a wedding.

I spent a lot of time trying to get the best image possible at various times of day, shooting at night, in the morning, with natural light, a natural spectrum lamp, incandescent light – and even a combination. Then I tried shooting these both with my iPhone and Nikon compact camera in various places – on an easel, the floor, in different rooms, and finally got the best shots I could against the Oreo Cookie brown walls of my studio. Maybe it’s time to take a digital photography course.

This whole experience shows that nothing replaces experiencing original artwork in person. Now that I’ve vented my frustration and feel better (thanks for listening!), I realize it’s time to move on.

Have a great day! See you tomorrow for Day 20.

Day 5 of 30 – M&M Cupcake

September 5, 2015 by Beverly

“Crumbs M&M Mini Cupcake”, by Beverly Shipko, Oil on cradled wood panel, 6 x 6 inches

I am particularly proud of this painting since I didn’t start applying paint until after 5pm, which is late for a composition this ambitious. I plunged ahead anyway.

The key was working with a detailed sketch, having relentless focus, and carefully applying the paint (there was no time to repaint anything!). It also helped to have lots of brushes on hand (to keep the colors from getting muddy, about 3 per color so I didn’t have to wash them every time I introduced a new color) and Q-tips ready to remove excess paint (usually artists use cloth or a palette knife to do this, but this panel is too small for that).

As you can see, I started by laying in the darks on a neutral beige acrylic underpainting to establish the structure of the picture, and to make sure the colors I mixed worked against the background (no time for remixing!). The beige was enough tone to allow the white frosting to pop and didn’t detract from the vibrant M&Ms.

This particular mini-cupcake is part of a 12-pack sold by Crumbs Bake Shop, with a delicious selection of many of their classic flavors. You can see hints of the plastic Crumbs container in the background, which is always a challenge (no pun intended). Day 5 was an exercise in chiaroscuro, each M&M requiring modeling like a ball to get the 3-D feeling.

Previously I had painted the whole tray in Bonnie’s Crumbs Bakeshop Mini-Pack, currently available at Cavalier Gallery in Greenwich, CT. While this painting is one of my all time favorites, I always thought a cupcake topped with M&Ms would make a good painting by itself, and decided to try it on wood, a very different painting experience vs. linen.

“Bonnie’s Crumbs Bakeshop Mini-Pack”, by Beverly Shipko, Oil on linen, 16 x 20 inches.

At first, I was oscillating back and forth about whether to include the transparent plastic container. While the painting would have worked either way, I left it in because the shadows gave the work life.

Tomorrow I’ll probably paint something with a more limited palette so I can take a break from this brush cleaning. I find myself wishing I had an assistant to help with the grunt work during the Challenge. Any volunteers?

See you tomorrow.

Team 2015

May 2, 2015 by Beverly

I want to take this opportunity to thank the people who helped make this year’s Open Studio a success. It really does take a village.

First, I’ll start with Bonnie, who helped with the preparation and gave up her entire weekend, after working as a full-time elementary special ed teacher all week.

Bonnie is always full of ideas and has been a sounding board during the entire creative process. As the food artist in the family, she (and Jay) volunteered to handle the dessert table.

Next, let me introduce you to Maritza, who is great at anticipating what needs to be done and keeps me on track. She also gave up her weekend to help out after working two jobs all week! I don’t know how she does it – and with a smile.

Here she is in action overseeing the Oreo Cookie Contest in the kitchen.

Now, we come to Jay, who makes it possible to pursue my artist career. This past week, Jay ran constant errands, moved furniture, hung paintings, cooked, and cleaned, among other things too numerous to mention. I am grateful to have him in my life.

A special shout-out to Joe Sablow of Artistic Services in White Plains, NY, for coming through with beautifully crafted custom-made frames that give my paintings a distinctive look, and received many compliments this year.

I can’t end this post without acknowledging my other daughter, Laura, who developed and manages this website from Urbana, IL while getting a graduate degree in Biophysics and Computational Biology. While she’s not a visible presence, she has been a major force behind the scenes.

Now you’ve met the team. Thank you for everything! I couldn’t do this without you. Most of all, thanks for your ongoing encouragement and support to pursue the dream.