Nicole+Helen |Nicole+Helen

April 10, 2013
by nicole_art
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Sunny Day Songs

I never thought I would say this but I have found the perfect song for these sunny days and it happens to have been grouped in the genre of reggae. I don’t particularly like reggae, no offense; I just never had an ear for it. This song from Major Lazer
however, works really nicely for me as it has a very chilled out sound and makes me imagine myself with a pina colada on the beach. I can see why I dig this tune knowing that these guys worked with Santigold and Nina Sky.

I will be listening to this tune and others while on my way to Mexico in a few days. You can find a list of some of my fa fa fa favorite songs here… If you have any suggestions I am all ears.

April 9, 2013
by nicole_art
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(IM) POSSIBILITIES TRAVELS TO PGCS

(IM)POSSIBILITIES

TRAVELS TO PGCS (MORRISTOWN, NJ)
APRIL 16, 2013 — MAY 16, 2013

Opening Reception:
Tuesday, April 16th
6 pm — 9 pm

PG Chambers School
15 Halko Drive
Cedar Knolls, NJ 07927

To attend, please RSVP:
ThunellM@chambersschool.org

Join SPH and PG Chambers School for the second reception of (IM)POSSIBILITIES Tuesday, April 16th from 6pm — 9pm at PGCS (Morristown, NJ). The exhibition will include work from mentoring artists Anthony Alvarez, Daniel Patrick Helmstetter, Darren Francis McManus, David Oquendo, Hannah Craft, Nicole Helen Brunner and Rebecca Pauline Jampol. PGCS students include Henry, Danielle, Sarah, Patrick, L.J., Justin, Summer, Kevin, Raffi, Olivia, Christian, Derek, Elise, and Owen.

About the SPH | PGCS Program:
In the fall of 2012, Solo(s) Project House [Newark, NJ], gallery and studio residence paired up with P.G. Chambers School [Cedar Knolls, NJ], a school for children with disabilities, to launch a pilot professional art making program. The gallery, Solo(s) Project House, is known primarily for it’s malleable “project space” and diverse facility offering affordable work space and housing over 20 artists in their downtown Newark space.

Working with P.G. Chambers School and the student body, SPH and seven selected professional artists conducted a series of hands on, art-making workshops with fourteen middle school students. Students were introduced to each mentor and their medium by referencing the mentoring artist’s current body of work and the historical significance of medium. Over four months and twelve sessions, the students and their assigned mentors worked together to produce pieces that will live as part of a traveling professional exhibition.

This program asks students with varied skills and challenges to step outside their comfort zones and “Make.” It is a program that reaches, asking the student to follow the lead of the artist, color outside the lines, and figuratively hold the hand of a professional. The pilot program will come to a close in March and end with a final cumulative exhibition at the SPH gallery. The exhibition will live from March 16, 2013- April 6, 2013 and will open with a reception Saturday, March 16th from 6 — 10 pm. The exhibition will then travel to P.G. Chambers School and will be on display from April 16 — May 16, 2013.

Documentary film makers and SPH residents, Pierre M. Coleman and Dubois Ashong, have followed the pilot program from the its beginning and will release a short film at the close of the program telling the story of the efforts of the participants and the work they produced.

solosprojecthouse.com
chambersschool.org

Solos Project House, 972 Broad St. , Newark, New Jersey 07102

April 8, 2013
by nicole_art
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Hiking the Palisades Cliffs

I have always been quite lucky to know the things that allow me to vent or express myself. I’ve found that hiking for me is very therapeutic even when the weather isn’t ideal, just getting outdoors helps clear away any cabin fever or clouded thoughts I might been plagued with. Now I am lucky enough to have three things that help, hiking, yoga and art.

I want to be a little bid more candid with you as it was a very tense week of choices and I haven’t been feeling great. I have realized that I need to get my head clear and back on track. But first I really need to figure out what I want.

So, my very good friend, Lisa and I went on a hike with my most wonderful animal companion ever, my dog Doodles. I know I have spoken about the Palisade’s Cliffs before but this time we explored further. Taking the Closter Dock Trail we made our way along the cliff’s edge and then down all the way to the Hudson River’s shore (Huyler’s Landing Trail). There are several ruins that liter the Palisades cliffs and you’d never know it while you sped up the PIP (Palisades Interstate Parkway). When I get a more solid list I will share them with you. Until then I hope you will enjoy these photos as a runner’s up prize.

I am on the left and Lisa on the right. The cute dog is Doodles aka The Doods or doods.

April 6, 2013
by nicole_art
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We’re going to Cabo!

While I was in college I never celebrated spring break so, I am doing it now (just a few weeks late). A few of my girlfriend’s and I have decided to take a break on the sunny beaches in Mexico. With 1 week to go we have started our countdown. I am really excited to share this vacation with my girlfriends and to get out of New Jersey for a little while. These photos just say it all.

April 5, 2013
by nicole_art
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My Visit to Ramapo College of New Jersey’s Art Galleries

After an appointment on Friday I stopped by a new exhibition at Ramapo College of New Jersey to show some support for my Ramapo peers. Below is the Press release for the exhibitions. Sadly, Stephen Keene was not painting the day I went to visit.

Exhibition About Originality Issues Opens at Ramapo College

Stephanie Syjuco, Tidal Wave Vase Cluster, 2011, archival Epson photo prints mounted on lasercut wood, hardware.

(MAHWAH, NJ – An art exhibition about originality issues “The C of O Show” opens at Ramapo College on March 27 in the Kresge Gallery on campus. There will be an opening reception on March 27 from 5 to 7 p.m. Artist and curators’ talks begin at 6 p.m. The exhibition continues through May 1.

“The C of O Show” has been co-curated by Director of the Art Galleries Sydney O. Jenkins and Art Galleries Documentation Assistant Hannah Craft.

This experimental exhibition includes renowned contemporary artists as well as works from the College’s Bukstein (Asian) and Rodman (Haitian) Collections. The title is taken from the historical term Cult of Originality which is associated with notions of individual artistic genius in the arts.

According to Jenkins: “Many leading artists today work collaboratively, or have their art enacted or fabricated by others. In counterpoint, we have selected pieces from our Bukstein Collection which reveal differences in particular Asian traditions of art making, with emphasis on issues of the artist’s hand in relation to historical concepts of originality and the artisan. We hope to link current contemporary art practices with these and other intriguing ideas, past and present.”

Exhibiting artists include: Barbara Bloom, the artists’ collaborative HANIMAL, Joshua Knoblick, Liza Lou, Israel Lund, Yoko Ono, Michael Rees, Stephanie Syjuco, Kehinde Wiley, and Hennessy Youngman.
This program is made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Co-Curator: http://hannahcraft.com/home.html

Presented in conjunction with the adjacent Kresge Gallery exhibition “The C of O Show” is Painting Performance Artist Exhibition at Ramapo College

(MAHWAH, NJ) – Artist Stephen Keene will present an exhibition and performance “The Steve Keene Show” at Ramapo College beginning with an opening on March 27 in the Pascal Gallery on campus. There will be an opening reception on March 27 from 5 to 7 p.m. with an artist’s talk at 6:30 p.m. The exhibition and performance continues on view through April 19. The artist will be working in the gallery for many of these days.

Keene produces multiple paintings on site and has been called “The Assembly-Line Picasso” by Time Magazine. His popular works sell for low prices and he makes as many as a hundred a day. For his painting performances at Ramapo College, Keene will incorporate Hudson Valley imagery and other subject matter from the region. Described as a “conceptual folk artist” he received a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University and an MFA from Yale University. His concept of art making grew out of his friendship with musicians, and he has worked with musical acts like Silver Jews, Pavement, The Apples in Stereo, Soul Coughing, Dave Matthews Band, Merzbow and The Victoria Lucas for music album covers, video sets, stage sets and promotional posters.

He has shown his work on site at The Moore College of Art in Philadelphia, Rice University in Houston, the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, Germany, the Santa Monica Museum of Art in Los Angeles, the Linden Center for Contemporary Art in Melbourne, Australia, the Gulf Coast Museum in Florida and the Czech Centre in London. Articles on the artist have appeared in the New York Times, Billboard, Time, the LA Times, and many other publications.

April 4, 2013
by nicole_art
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Introverts Anonymous

For anyone that has known me for a while, I am almost always a total introvert. Up until very recently I thought that I had a problem because I enjoyed being alone and wondered if because I wanted to be quiet that it meant something bad. Then I found this awesome diagram about introverts and my outlook has changed.

April 3, 2013
by nicole_art
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The Color Run

I have signed up for my first 5K race called The Color Run. I am going to be joined by several friends, which makes it all the more exciting. The premise is to start a 5K in clean white clothing and ending in bright colorful clothing. Sounds fun, right? We just one more thing we need a team name…

Um, Color Rainbow, Rainbow Runners, Color Me Runderful? Nope, no good…. Go Team Unicorn Farts!!! Um, wait, what? Yep, that is our team name. And yes, I am very strange, but extremely excited for this. Most know that I hate Unicorns, which stems from the glass menagerie. I tell people not to trust Unicorn lovers, but that is neither her nor there. We needed a team name, something with a vision. That vision was that Unicorns must fart rainbows, like colorful rainbows. Maybe? Well whatever just think our team shirts are going to look incredible. Just image them… go ahead. We will have them designed soon.

Image credit : The Color run website http://thecolorrun.com/
& http://photographyblog.dallasnews.com/2012/02/color-run.html/

April 2, 2013
by nicole_art
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Art: Not a Solo Project

Check out the article that PG Chambers School posted about the art program! Full article here…

Art: Not a Solo Project

27WednesdayMar 2013

Art: Not a Solo Project

Every other Friday at P.G. Chambers School, 14 talented middle school students, are finding their artistic voice, communicating their thoughts and feelings, and developing a strong bond with seven talented artists from Solo(s) Project House, a unique working art gallery, in Newark, NJ in a program titles Transition(s). The Transition(s) project is the first of its kind for P.G. Chambers School in the sense that we are pairing students with outside artists to collaborate on a single project. Students have been enjoying the project a great deal. Getting to know the artists on a personal level and learning about new art has had the students looking forward to their next art session.

The mediums that the artists are using are as varied as the artists themselves: Anthony has been working with Christian and Patrick on photography, using different various lighting and angles to transform a photo into a piece of art. Hannah has been working with Henry and Kevin on clay molding projects, exploring different textures and impressions that can be made using various tools and items. Daniel has been working with Raffi and Olivia on incorporating poetry and painting together, using words from the students and incorporating them into the artwork. Some of the other beautiful pieces used mediums such as murals, collages, and layered paintings.

While, many of the artists who participated in this program generally work individually on their own artwork, this program provided a unique experience of working with and mentoring others in a collaborative art process. PGCS students built personal relationships with the artists while exploring a particular art medium and the artists were able to learn about the students, their capabilities, and show the students a new way of expressing their artistic creativity. The result of every project has been a fusion of the artists and students respective artistic style coming together to create something new. Both the artists and the students have gained a new perspective on creativity and expressiveness.

“Working with professional artists”, comments Heather Gilliland, Assistant Principal, ‘has been enriching in so many ways for our students. In addition to learning about how texture, layers, light and shadows, tinting, and colors are used in creating a piece of art, they are also learning from individuals who are not special education teachers and therapists. This challenges the student’s abilities to understand, communicate, and relate to someone outside of their usual environment, and they are doing a great job.”

The project was initiated, when Rebecca Jampol, Director, Solo(s) House was introduced to PGCS through Ryan Ahern, MS, OTR. Working with the director of development, Andrea C. Quigley, art teacher, Marcie Schembre, classroom teachers Erin Natoli and Linda Cook, and the school’s assistant principal, Heather Gilliland, the group of artists have been coming into the school and working with our students for one hour every two weeks for the past six months.

The culmination of this project resulted with the first of two separate art shows at Solo(s) Project House in Newark on March 16th. This was a great opportunity for the students and artists to show off their work to members of the community who are able to view and even purchase the work. The name of the exhibit is (IM)POSSIBILITIES and it will show at Solo(s) until April 6, 2013. The exhibit will then travel to P.G. Chambers School for an opening reception on Tuesday, April 16, 2013. We invite all to attend the PGCS – Solo(s) Project House Exhibition. The project has been made possible by funding from Suzan Gordon, a long-time supporter of P.G. Chambers School.

For more details on the gallery and the PGCS exhibition, visit http://www.solosprojecthouse.com

April 1, 2013
by nicole_art
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Yoga Pose Challenge

Now that I am back at my yoga studio I am giving myself a weekly, monthly, yearly (not sure my timeline) yoga pose challenge.

When I seriously started my yoga practice in 2012, I attempted my first headstand, ever! Yes, I was 26 and have never done a handstand or a headstand! Can you believe that? Well, except for that one time I attempted a handstand and instead kneed myself in the face when I was 10(?). That was er, fun.

Fast forward 16 (?) years later to the first time I did a headstand in my yoga class. After I got into the vertical position, I instantly burst out in tears. I was a mess to say the least. A lot of things were falling apart and coming together. I cried the rest of the class, which thankfully wasn’t too much longer. At the time I was really glad the room was dark so that no one could see the rivers pouring from my eyes. The inversion, as they call it in yoga, for me was uncomfortable and strange. It felt like freedom because I am never in that position, ever. It purged me of something that I was holding in. I am really glad that happened, but I have still not come close to mastering the headstand!

Now that you have a little background, it’s time for the challenge… I still haven’t figured out the balance I need in order to do the headstand away from the wall. So, I have done a little research to help myself along. Check out these awesome reasons to do a headstand everyday! http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5501/10-Reasons-to-Do-a-Headstand-Every-Day.html

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/481

http://www.fitsugar.com/Strike-Yoga-Pose-Forearm-Headstand-1981517

Photo credit: Shutterstock

March 30, 2013
by nicole_art
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Spring Seed Planting

Now that Spring is gaining steam (hopefully no more snow!) I am gearing up to plant my seeds. I know I should have started sowing my seed in doors by now, but I think it will be fine. This year I have purchased Kale, Spinach, Arugula, and Brussels sprouts. Once my seeds get delivered you will get to see me planting step by step.

Image credit : http://rulestobehappy.tumblr.com/
& Google