The Holiday Walk and Party at Ten Women Gallery.

 Kathy Holquin Black in her Santa hat at the sales desk at our holiday party.

 Isabelle Bryant with our newest member, artist Karyn Raz.

 A customer admires an art glass lamp shade by Susan Haskell.

 Kathy Leonardo and her band made the Holiday Walk into a party on Friday night.

Kathy and her band sang a holiday song about Christmas in Santa Monica.

We celebrated our first anniversary on Montana Ave at the Holiday Walk last Friday evening. Lots of old friends and customers came to the party - some were visiting our new location for the first time. Several old customers from Abbott Kinney came to tell us how beautiful they thought the new gallery looked. The street was thronged with visitors for the Montana Ave Holiday Walk. Some were just looking for a glass of wine and a snack but many were holiday shopping and our sales desk was busy from 5 to 10 pm. Our holiday window with all the beautiful handmade ornaments by Ten Women artists was a big draw. We sold quite a few ornaments at the party and over the weekend.
At around 8pm Kathy Leonardo and her band arrived and got everyone into the holiday spirit with their festive costumes and Christmas songs.

 2012 Holiday Window designed by Kathy Holquin Black featuring our artists' handmade ornaments.

 A selection of handmade ornaments for sale at the gallery.

More holiday ornaments by Ten Women artists.

Kathy spent all day Saturday designing our Holiday window. The center piece is an angel with feather wings and a floating silk organza dress. The angel's face is a framed photographic artwork by Fae Horowitz. In front of the angel hang beautiful handmade ornaments by our Ten Women artists. 

Each artist has created ornaments in her own style and medium. Susan Haskell's glass ornaments are a perennial favorite and Kathy Holquin Black and Betsy Weston also make lovely glass ornaments. Linda Fenster specializes in hand painted decorations, including her fun Frida Kahlo ornament and Mannig Gurekian has added gold and silver leaf to her delicately painted pieces. Caroline Vidal has made porcelain ringing bells, each with a different sound and pitch. Outi Harma has also made some pretty ceramic ornaments. Bibi Davidson's painted faces will make you smile and Anthea Brown has papier mache ornaments featuring linoblock prints of animals and birds. Peggy McKeever and Cola Smith-Adabachi add wire art and ethnic textile stars and balls to our collection. Karen Saviskas's gourd ornaments are a big hit with our customers as are Phyllis Kalionzes and Joann Libolt's whimsical pieces, all of which will be on sale until Christmas Eve. New ones will be added weekly.
I think we have something for everyone!

Join us at Ten Women for the Montana Ave Holiday Walk.

Group Holiday Window

Linda Fenster's Window at Ten Women

Linda Fenster is our featured artists at Ten Women Gallery for the first two weeks of November. Her colorful bead work and smashing mosaics are very popular with Ten Women customers. She is especially well known for her peace signs and beaded telephones which are both fun and functional. A fabulous addition to Linda's window is her mosaic flying pig which is getting a lot of attention from passersby on Montana Ave.

 Linda's amazing flying pig, can be seen from November 1st to 15th in the window at Ten Women

 See Linda's window then come inside and enjoy the beautiful art from all the talented artists in our gallery.

Halloween At Ten Women Gallery.

We had hundreds of children in the gallery for trick-or-treat this Halloween. There was a steady stream or witches, fairies, elephants, cows, dogs, Mary Poppins, Dr Spock, Spacemen and little mermaids. Ten women artists Kara Taub, Susan Haskell, Mannig Gurekian, Linda Fenster and Anthea Brown were on hand to give out the candy. Kara as a kindly witch and Linda in her Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night Halloween costume, complete with a very realistic blackbird on her shoulder. The stream of children never ceased and  Susan had to run out for four more big bags of candy to meet the rush. It was a lot of fun but by quarter of six we were completely out of candy and were forced to give out black plastic spiders and balloons, to the relief of many of the parents. Next year we will be ready for the onslaught!

Witches, ghosts and ghouls get on your broomsticks and fly over to Ten Women Gallery for the Montana Ave Halloween celebration on October 31st. We will be giving out candy between 3pm and 7pm for all kids who are wearing costumes. Adults with or without costumes are also welcome. We have a wonderful selection of masks for sale in our window. They are hand-painted and decorated by Ten Women artists and can be worn at masquerade parties throughout the year.
Come in and see our the Day of the Dead art, including paintings by Bibi Davidson and Isabelle Bryer and photographic art by Fae Horowitz and Ronna Schary. We have glass pumpkins by Susan Haskell and for your Thanksgiving celebrations beautiful ceramics, glass and gourds by Kathy Holquin-Black, Betsy Weston, Joann  Libolt, Caroline Vidal, Linda Fenster and Karen Saviskas. Rebecca has created potted planets with Day of the Dead themes to use as decoration or give as gifts. 

See you there!

Mosaics and Beaded Functional Art by Linda Fenster

Linda Fenster is the one and only mosaic artist at Ten Women Montana.  Her fantastic work is attractive, talked about, collected and desired by many who want unique and high quality art in and around their home.  It's clearly functional art that has a purpose, not to mention it's uniqueness and high quality construction. Those of her pieces that are displayed outside bring that special touch of creativeness to the owners property which let guests know that they take pride in their home.

Linda was born in Cape Town, South Africa, a vibrantly colorful place which could explain some of her playful personality.  Linda has been doing art since a very young age.  She mostly dabbled in painting and drawing but since arriving in California in 1977, she ventured into hand painted furniture, murals, creating art with school kids and working with abused kids.  She believes that art heals and is drawn to working with the children.

Ever since Linda encountered Gaudi's mosaics in Barcelona, she was driven to teach herself mosaics to include in her reportoire of skills.  Some of her most collectable pieces are her beaded functional phones, mirrors, frames and tables all collaged with beads, found objects and charms.

Linda's father was a manufacturing jeweler and diamond merchant originally from Berlin, Germany.  He was her biggest influence, admiring his eye for color, design and detail.

Linda's work has been in several galleries and has been bought by collectors and notable celebrities such as Diana Ross, Forrest Whitaker, Stacey Keach, Michael Richards, Lou Adler, Roseanne Barr, to name just a few.

Linda thinks of herself as a tinkerer, a collector, a devotee of the bead and plate smasher.  She loves to create art for all to enjoy.

A large, colorful mosaic vase to use indoors or out.

A mosaic wooden box to keep a multitude of treasures

One of my favorites, as I collect birds and would love to have this anywhere in my home

Duck, duck, whose got the duck!

A lovely hand painted heart plaque, mosaic mirror (that's me foolishly trying to take the photo)  and painted heart box....

Linda's famous beaded collaged functional phones.  What fun!

Linda's ever famous beaded Peace Signs for those Flower Power children from the 60-70's and peace loving folk nowadays

Linda's new creations attract a distinctive new audience.  I just love the romantic wall hanging mosaic delight where a small plant,  or, use your imagination, can be displayed in a halfed tea cup.  How unique!  I love it!

Don't underestimate the power of the animal...  Her mosaic dogs (top shelf) is sort after by so many.  It's hard to keep them stocked.  If interested, just ask if one is not available in her space.  Orders can be taken...

 

 

 Linda is truly an amazing artist and person.  She always brings humor, realness, and joy to everything she does and we are blessed to have her happy person as part of the Ten Women team of artists.

Artography by Fae Horowitz

What is Artography you ask?  Well, Fae Horowitz, one of Ten Women's unique and long time artists can tell you best as that is what she has developed as a personal signature for her photographs.

Fae is a native New Yorker and a self-taught artist/photographer who developed her unique style when she moved to Southern California over 20 years ago.  She uses oils, pastels, pencil and her computer to push the envelope of conventional photography, creating images and environments almost unrecognizable as photographs.

Fae is inspired by her travels and delights in accentuating the obvious - the things we take for granted and therefore don't really see.

Showing a quirky sense of humor

 

Fae lives and works in Santa Monica and her work has been showing at Ten Women Gallery for many years.  However, you can also see her wonderful Artography at Topanga Canyon Gallery and at special art shows throughout the year.

Fae's space showing an assortment of her creatively manipulated photographs

 

The photos that follow were photographed behind a sleeve of plastic but you can still see the wonderfulness of the scenes.  Her prints are matted and protected in these sleeves of plastic when purchased.

This photo of a dilapidated house draws the viewer to want to see more and go inside.

This stunning photo makes me feel like the flowers are actually dancers on a stage

Fae has a knack for seeing the obviousness of  a scene...elements that are juxtaposed to make a complete statement

Who couldn't be mesmerized by this incredible sunset.  It makes you want to sit, ponder and delight in the wonderment of the world.

This, according to Fae, is a view from her studio...lucky gal!

This is one of my personal favorites.  The aging of the roses reminds me of how quickly life passes.

The beautiful textures of the leaves displayed in this photo were captured perfectly

This intriguing and peaceful scene reminds me that I need to take more walks in nature and sit on a bench and just be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So simple yet so deliciously focused on the color, texture and shapes.

My amateur photos have not given these professional works of art justice which is why, if you appreciate the unique and creative expertise of a master photographer, you must stop by the gallery to see Fae's handsome photographic display for yourself.

Hope to see you soon.

Going Natural - Art by Mannig Gurekian

It all began in Asolo, Italy.  I was so lucky to be born in a hilltop house overlooking a landscape like one in Giorgione's paintings.  Besides the natural and historical beauty that surrounded me, I was also influenced by the magazines that our family's architectural  studio received, and by modern art.  The colorful designs of the Eames, Matisse's paintings, Calder's mobiles gave me an excitement that is hard to explain and that I tried to relive drawing and building objects.

One of my favorite activities in the fall was hiking alone in the hills and gathering branches, berries and flowers to take home and display.  I still love gathering "things" and now they end up in assemblages where fragments from nature and from recycled objects coexist peacefully and dynamically.

I studied architecture in Venice Italy, graphic design at UCLA and art at the Santa Monica School of Art, Design and Architecture.  I work as a graphic artist and an art instructor.  Art continues to be my passion.

These are Mannig Gurekian's own words describing her beginnings in life and art.  Mannig, truly a gifted artist, brings a unique quality and influence to the gallery's arena with her material from nature and  brilliant style.  Her mobiles are delicate and sensual and often approached with curiosity to confirm what one is actually looking at.  Most people, seeing Mannig's art for the first time, are amazed that someone could create such original designs from natural organic objects.  Ahhh...It then makes perfect sense once the viewer puts it together.  An artist does not need much more than what God and earth's abundance have provided.  It takes a playful creativeness to come up with art such as Mannig's.

Here's a sampling of her organic designs...

Mannig's little piece of real estate at Ten Women

Mobile made from bark and other natural materials

Fun and colorful necklaces made from pods and painted to add texture and wonderful colors disguising the focal pieces' origin

A Wonderful display of several mobiles with beads and wire added to the design

A playful creature made, again from all natural elements

A unique design abstract Mobile

Two of Mannig's original paintings.  She brings the natural quality to everything she creates.

 Mannig has been with the gallery for many years starting with us on Abbot Kinney in
 Venice.  All her gallery sisters embrace her unique style and appreciate her contribution to the graphic designs used in our advertising and announcements.