Santa Monica Festival Cans to Canvas Workshop

By on June 1, 2013 in shows

The “Cans to Canvas” latex paint reuse workshop at the Santa Monica Festival today was AMAZING! We had a line of people waiting to paint that snaked around the booth, and we ran out of canvases at 2:30. We went through 500 canvases in 3-1/2 hours! There was a lot more interest than we expected, and the art that people created with the leftover house paint was beautiful.

Here are some pictures of the booth and the finished paintings. Thank you to the Santa Monica Office of Sustainability and the Environment for sponsoring the workshop, the Santa Monica Household Hazardous Waste Center for providing the paint and for cleanup, all of the staff and volunteers from Community Arts Resources who made it happen, and my friends for their support and for taking pictures! It was an incredible day.

Santa Monica Festival 2013 Cassandra Tondro abstract art

Santa Monica Festival 2013 Cassandra Tondro artist

Santa Monica Festival 2013 Cassandra Tondro artist

Santa Monica Festival 2013 From Cans to Canvas workshop

Santa Monica Festival 2013 From Cans to Canvas workshop

Santa Monica Festival 2013 From Cans to Canvas latex paint reuse workshop

Santa Monica Festival 2013 From Cans to Canvas workshop

Santa Monica Festival 2013 From Cans to Canvas latex paint reuse workshop

Santa Monica Festival 2013 From Cans to Canvas latex paint reuse workshop

Santa Monica Festival 2013 From Cans to Canvas latex paint reuse workshop

Santa Monica Festival 2013 From Cans to Canvas latex paint reuse workshop

Santa Monica Festival 2013 From Cans to Canvas workshop art

Santa Monica Festival 2013 From Cans to Canvas workshop art

Santa Monica Festival 2013 From Cans to Canvas workshop art

Santa Monica Festival 2013 From Cans to Canvas workshop art

Santa Monica Festival 2013 From Cans to Canvas workshop art

Santa Monica Festival 2013 From Cans to Canvas workshop art

Santa Monica Festival 2013 From Cans to Canvas workshop art

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Caught by the Paparazzi

By on May 23, 2013 in shows

Cassandra Tondro leaving Brat Santa Monica

Darn! The paparazzi caught me leaving Brat in Santa Monica this afternoon, and plastered this picture all over the Internet. I was shopping for a special outfit for my workshop at the upcoming Santa Monica Festival on June 1st. Fortunately you can’t see it very well in the picture, and I still have a couple of surprises for you! Come to The Festival to see the outfit in person, and to create your own original work of art out of leftover house paint. And be sure to dress for the paparazzi!

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From Cans to Canvas Workshop

By on May 23, 2013 in shows

Santa Monica Festival 2013

Come and create your own latex painting on Saturday, June 1st at the 22nd Annual Santa Monica Festival. We provide the canvas and the paint, and you provide the creativity.

The Santa Monica Office of Sustainability has invited me to conduct a “Cans to Canvas” workshop, and we will be at the festival all day, from 11am – 6pm.

All of the paint was collected by the Santa Monica Household Hazardous Waste Facility, and it’s paint that people turned in to be disposed of. Let’s turn that unwanted paint into art!

It’s fun, it’s easy, it’s free, and you’ll go home with a 6″x6″ work of art for your walls. Children age six and up and adults are all welcome to join us to create an original painting.

22nd Annual Santa Monica Festival
Saturday, June 1st
11am – 6pm
Clover Park
2600 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica

Reeds abstract painting

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Possible Hotel Commission

By on May 14, 2013 in commission

Hotel Commission maquette

I recently submitted a proposal for artwork for the lobby of a local hotel, and created a 1/4-scale maquette. I didn’t have much information about the hotel — only that they want several large contemporary paintings, the walls and drapery are white, and the upholstery is purple. What do you think? Will I get the commission?

These three paintings are each 24 x 18 inches, and my proposed paintings are each 48 x 36 inches. Repurposed leftover housepaint on canvas.

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Tom Cat Prints

By on May 11, 2013 in tom cat prints

Tom Cat Prints Into Light

The five Tom Cat Prints are now available on the Prints page of my website, in sizes up to 24″ x 24″ and 24″ x 30″. Check it out.

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Rose Cafe Show

By on May 5, 2013 in shows

I just finished installing three paintings from my “Eat Your Fruits and Veggies” series at The Rose Cafe in Venice. This is the first time I’ve shown any of the paintings in this series, and they look so beautiful hung together.

Rose Cafe art show

Visit them at The Rose Cafe if you get a chance. They’re part of a group show that will be up for the next two months.

May 6 – July 7, 2013

The Rose Cafe
220 Rose Avenue
Venice, CA 90291
310.399.0711

open daily 7am-5pm, weekends 8am-5pm

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Vicki Welsh Hand-Dyed Fabrics

By on May 5, 2013 in blogs

Vicki Welsh used one of my paintings as inspiration for her most recent fabric color palette, which she calls “Thrive.”

Vicki Welsh color palette

Orchids 1 abstract painting

It’s a beautiful palette, and all of these hand-dyed fabrics are available for purchase from Vicki.

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More New Ecoprints

By on April 11, 2013 in ecoprint

I’ve been working on ecoprints, and I have some new ones to show you. These are all on 140 lb. cotton rag watercolor paper. They’re created by pressing leaves and flowers against the paper and steaming for two hours, then removing the plant material. The leaves and flowers leave their imprint on the paper. Sometimes I do some overprinting or additional painting with natural pigments and dyes, but most of the color comes from the flowers and leaves. What do you think?

Camellia flowers and elm leaves, 10 x 8 inches
Camellias ecoprint

Camellia flowers and elm leaves, 10 x 8 inches
Camellias ecoprint

Does anyone know what kind of tree this is? 13 x 10 inches
Tree ecoprint

Wisteria leaves and overprinting with juice from Oregon Grape berries, 13 x 10 inches
Wisteria ecoprint

Don’t know the tree on this one either, overprinting with juice from Oregon Grape berries, 8 x 6 inches
Tree leaves ecoprint

Orange tubular lily flowers and peach leaves, 7 x 5 inches
Lily ecoprint

Camellia flowers, ivy leaves and painting with juice from Oregon Grape berries, 10 x 8 inches
Camellia ecpprint

Camellia flowers and painting with juice from Oregon Grape berries, 11 x 8 inches
Camellia ecoprint

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New Flower Prints

By on April 8, 2013 in ecoprint

I’m experimenting with some new ecoprints. There are so many flowers in bloom right now, and I thought I would try printing with them. Here are two early results, ecoprinted on 140 lb. watercolor paper. These are coral tree flowers, azalea, yellow oxalis, and Indian Hawthorne.  The purple is the berries from Oregon grape plants. Next I’m going to try overprinting with some leaves.

Ecoprint flowers art

Ecoprint Oregon Grape abstract art

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Chocolate Paintings

By on March 27, 2013 in latex, process

Here are the first of the chocolate paintings — Chocolate Orange and Chocolate Mint. Chocolate Cherry met an unfortunate fate, but I’m working on reviving it.

I’m not sure if these two are done yet. The light green stripes in Chocolate Mint might be too much, and Chocolate Orange might need some further integration. What do you think?

Chocolate Orange abstract art

Chocolate Mint green art

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