CONTENTS:
Page One:
Djibril N'Doye Makes History
Adriano Colangelo Exhibits at Chakras
Page Two:
Abby Levine: Analyzing Freud
Manu Pagola's "Magic Eye" Pyrography
Sue Walters: "Pyrography Workbook"
Chuck Cordero's Peruvian Gourd
Salvatore Polistena's Studio Exhibit
Page Three:
Peni Powell Discovers a "Gibson Girl"
Burning on
Velvet
Maricha Oxley Exhibits near Sydney
Haroldo Ayres Announces New On-Line Group
Update on Cate McCauley
Kathy Jones: Uncommon Wedding Ceremonies
1862 Ball Hughes Wood Panel of Gen.
McClellan
Auctioned
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Mango Market |
Senegalese artist Djibril N'Doye has been
residing with his
wife Mary in California for some years now working as
an artist. His
specialties are drawing, pen&ink, and pyrography.
Since Djibril was introduced here in Pyrograffiti 26 back in November 2003 he has
participated in
some interesting projects and won quite a few awards,
including Best of
Category" (drawing) at the La Quinta Art Festival
held in March in
the desert art and resort oasis of La Quinta,
California. Following
his "Best of Show" award in this year's
12-day Pan African
Film and Arts Festival, Djibril will be the featured
artist in February
2006 for this event, which is held each year in Los
Angeles,
California.
Among other things he has been doing lately, Djibril
decided to
experiment with color--his piece Mango
Market (above) was
the serendipitous result.
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His Work Discovered by Ella Avery-Smothers
Prominent Los Angeles businesswoman Ella
Avery-Smothers began
collecting art once she and her husband successfully
established their
first franchise. She enjoyed going yearly to the Pan
African Film and Arts
Festival to find art that would bring her closer to
her African
heritage.
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Djibril N'Doye |
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Djibril N'Doye and Ella
Avery-Smothers,
November 2004 |
Since she first started collecting art, Ella has done
many things--like
expanding her business to eight successful franchises,
guest speaking
on television, carrying an Olympic torch through Los
Angeles, and since
her first meeting with Djibril, regularly adding to
her collection of
Djibril's art works.
Although Ella has spent many years in Los Angeles, she
grew up on the
east coast of the United States in rural southern
Virginia, where as a
young girl she attended a one-room schoolhouse. That
schoolhouse still
stands on property that belonged to her family and now
belongs to her.
Realizing the deep significance that little school
held both for her
personally and as a landmark in history, Ella decided
to renovate the
little structure and preserve it as a museum.
To launch her project, generate funds for it, and
record the little
schoolhouse for posterity, Ella commissioned Djibril
to do an
architectural rendering in pyrography and asked him to
visit the site
in person, which he did during the Thanksgiving
holiday weekend in
November 2004 to do his preliminary sketches.
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Schoolhouse |
The following, from the Virginia Historical Society,
is a compelling testament to a pivotal piece of
American history:
"St. Paul's Chapel School in Brunswick County,
Virginia, was
established by Tuskegee Institute and Julius Rosenwald
during the
Tuskegee Regime's 1916 Budget in Grandy, Virginia. It
is the only
one-room school of the thirteen Rosenwald schools
constructed in that
county.
Julius Rosenwald, an early partner in Sears,
Roebuck & Company, and
later its president, met with Booker T. Washington in
May 1911, and
soon afterwards, agreed to assist in the financing of
one-room
schoolhouses for children of former slaves. A total of
206 of these
schools were funded and St. Paul's was one of them.
Later, in 1917, the Rosenwald Fund was established to
improve the
education of Southern blacks by building more schools.
Rosenwald
specified the size and height of rooms, the placement
of desks and
blackboards, and even the paint colors. Large banks of
windows
characterize the so-called Rosenwald schools, of which
5,357 were built
in the South by the time of his death in 1932.
Rosenwald's personal financial contribution was
matched by state and
local government funds, from other foundations, and
from the local
Negro community itself."
On the 5th of February 2005, Djibril signed his completed work of Saint Paul's Chapel School for Ella. Attending the intimate unveiling ceremony in Los Angeles, California were their families and friends, as well as members of the press.
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St. Paul's Chapel
School,
interior |
On the weekend of the 6th and 7th of August 2005, the
little
schoolhouse and soon-to-be museum in Meredithville,
Virginia, was
opened to the public with much festivity and a summer
cookout. That
weekend the schoolhouse served as an art gallery of
Djibril's works for
all the approximately 200 visitors to see and enjoy.
For Ella, that weekend was a community event and a
class reunion full
of memories. In an interview, she remarked that they
had different
teachers during those years, and while some people
thought they would
lose continuity in their studies by changing teachers,
Ella felt that
with each new teacher the children learned new things
of value.
Djibril feels that while so many historical accounts
dwell on the
negative aspects, the trials and tribulations of
people, it is
comforting that this little schoolhouse serves as a
positive and an
inspiring part of African-American history.
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St. Paul's Chapel
School |
"Djibril's West African upbringing, his strength of character, and immense talent as an artist made him the perfect person to complete this project with the emotion, care, and sensitivity it deserves. His detailed rendering of the site depicts the building as it stands today surrounded by beautifully wise old trees and open spaces, which, to Djibril, represent the bright future of this place, that is now finally assured because of Ella's dedication and diligence."
On Thanksgiving Day 2005, with my daughter Juliet, I had the immense pleasure of meeting Ella Avery-Smothers and her family at her home near Leesburg, Virginia. On display in a very large room downstairs was her entire collection of Djibril's art works, including many original panels and a large number of his exquisite prints, with the single exception of the wood panel of the schoolhouse, which proudly resides in her handsome office on the main level. I have so enjoyed seeing art work in digital images on the internet, but, I have to say, it gave me goosebumps to see Djibril's works in person and up close. I have to confess to even touching a couple of them to experience the texture.
The Djibril N'Doye web site www.djibrilndoye.com.
Recommended reading that was Djibril's inspiration for
this project:
Up From Slavery--the autobiography of
the son of a slave
woman, Booker T. Washington (1856-1915), who was one
of America's great
educators and the founder of the Tuskegee Institute of
Alabama. The
book was originally published about 1900 and is still
available today.
The Djibril
N'Doye Salon in
the E-Museum of Pyrographic Art.
The November-December 2003 article--Djibril N'Doye: Reflecting on Traditions of
Senegal--Pyrograffiti 26, WOM.
The Sausalito Art Festival's Virtual Gallery
features recent works
by Djibril, including works with color.
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Deva do Outono (Autumn
Angel) |
Once more, the indefatigable Adriano Colangelo participated in a solo show this year. Knowing that he is passionate about using Hindu angels (called devas) in his works to represent the wonders and beauty of nature, I thought it was particularly apropos that Chakras would be the venue for his show.
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Chakras
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The exotic Chakras restaurant is described on their web page (in Portuguese) as "A vanguard venue where contemporary haute cuisine is mixed with various cultural activities: from music to exhibits of the plastic arts, lectures, cinema, and theater. Inviting and welcoming, Chakras offers a multisensory experience thanks to its sophistication of detail, the beauty of its colors, and harmony of forms. It is a true Temple of the senses." |
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A film taken on
the occasion of the
opening of Adriano's exhibit gives testimony to all of
the above
(except the haute cuisine, of course--too bad).
Chakras looked in
every way the perfect place to display art and enjoy a
wonderful
evening out.
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Deva do Fogo (Angel of
Fire) |
Adriano Colangelo's own website at www.adrianocolangelo.com.br.
The Adriano
Colangelo Salon in the E-Museum of Pyrographic
Art.
The May-June 2004 article--Adriano Colangelo: Applied
Art--Pyrograffiti 29, WOM.
The July-August 2002 article--Adriano Colangelo: Fantasy
Themes--Pyrograffiti 18, WOM.
The exotic Chakras restaurant, a vanguard venue mixing
contemporary
haute cuisine and cultural activities at www.chakras.co
m.br/brasil/index_brasil.htm
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2005, Kathleen M. Garvey Menéndez, all rights reserved.
