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He Said. She said:
TSA Connections & Bob Bird Paintings
at the Bath House Cultural Center

Stories by Kathy Dello Stritto + JR Compton ( below )
Photographs by JR Compton

Jerry Field - Tornado - steel, in the
TSA Connections show

Bob Bird - Sponge Bob Sticky Paint - oil on canvas

As Patricia Meadows said in her Juror's Statement, "....I like art that is well thought out and well executed." I agree. The TSA Connections 2003 show is very much to my liking.

There seem to be two themes in this show — wind blown matter and elegant simplicity. My favorite pieces are Teri Stone's Santa Ana, the wind sculpted piece of perhaps a red tin roof, and Jerry Freid's Tornado, another piece of wind blown metal and stalks of grass.

Daniel Zock - Untitled Study, wood and paint

In the elegant simplicity category I found Daniel Zoch's serene Untitled Study and Sonia King's quiet Afterthought. I was delighted to see a simple Gisela-Heidi Strunck, with tufts of colored strings against wood, making a nice textural pattern.

Also notable in this show are Diana Chase's colorful fountain of glass, Chakra Totem and Tanya Lauderdale's hidden face in limestone.

In addition to the great TSA show in the main gallery, there is a wonderful exhibit of Bob Bird's colorful geometric paintings. They remind me of the 60s, but JR pointed out that they are painted in current colors. They are well crafted and witty. What more could you want? I love A Game of Chance, Flower From Brazil, Sponge Bob Sticky Paint, and the darkly lined Third Charm.

Additional Comments by JR Compton

I'd hoped to make a cover story of this annual show but was disappointed in its uneven quality, though there's certainly enough outstanding work for an amazing, though far less crowded, exhibition.

Walking through the show while the crowd was still thin, my first photo choice was Jerry Field's superb, simple and allusive Tornado (above), which I see as twisting trees and a blowing barn.

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T.Stone - Santa Anna, Texas - pressed steel

I was startled to see T.Stone's bright, elegant piece that still reminds me of flames and more than a few of us at the opening of Winged Victory. No doubt it's one of the two or three best pieces in this show.

I was surprised, because it was also (very appropriately) on the Fire wall at the recent Elements show there, and the Bath House usually prohibits exhibiting work in its shows more than once.

See more of Terri Stone's work on her DARts Member Page.

Jerry Dodd - Saucer Attack steel and paint (detail)

As the crowd swelled toward the awards ceremony, watching people watch the art was especially fun. Above, painter and University of Dallas. art professor Jurgen Strunck ponders Jerry Dodd's colorful, fun, floating steel piece. At top right, a tiny green piece of James Crowe's lofty kinetic sculpture extends into the photograph.

See more of James Crowe's work on his DARts Member page.

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Bob Bird - Flower from Brazil, 2002 - oil on canvas

I was there for the sculpture — by far my favorite medium, and for a long time, I overlooked Bob Bird's colorful pattern paintings.

Gradually, however, I began to appreciate them, especially his Flower from Brazil (above), in which the gently curving, yet flat pastel, post-O'Keefe flower shapes seem dimensionally held back from the in-your-face splatter of sharply delineated petals.

Diana Chase - Chakra Totem, glass and ceramic

Another piece I warm to later was Diana Chase's exotic, (originally, I thought, too) multi-colorful, translucent glass flower. Luckily, I photographed it — because I've usually liked her work.

As I studied the image, I grew more and more fond of its careful construction, unified, organic shapes — especially its dense blue and green forms and the transparent spikes — although the vertical, color banding still seem too much.

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DARts Editor JR Compton to teach Introduction to Digital Photography at DallasDarkroom 6:30 to 9:30 Monday evenings September 15 through October 20. It costs $285.

Whether you are just begining or a seasoned photographer, this class is for you. Learn digital photography from the ground up from a long-time practitioner of the medium (since 1991).

Six class meetings will cover the PROs and CONs of digital cameras vs film; uploading images from the camera to the computer; using gizmos and cables, manipulating images to print or use on the Internet; improving your chances of a great photograph; and answering and questions you have.

The class will include assignments, student projects and group discussions of work.

A laptop or portable computer would be very helpful (but not strictly required).

Students must have a digital camera, an e-mail account, software and cables for uploading images from camera to computer. (Bring those to the second class, if you're not sure how.)

For more information visit these links:

The Class Outline for this introductory class

JR's personal site with links to his Digital Photo pages,

DallasDarikroom's site for info and a registration form,

JR's Resume : Photo History : Exhibitions list,

The recent EatArt story about his camera, or

JR's DARts Member page

JR would be happy to entertain any questions.

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Blue Plate Special Seeks Blue Plate Art

Creative Arts Center of Dallas, the venerable East Dallas art school for adults, seeks donations of blue plate themed art for its Blue Plate Special art auction Saturday, September 20. The benefit auction will raise funds for much needed building improvements and expanded classes.

This year, for the first time, donated works will be judged — by Cheryl and Kevin Vogel of Valley House Gallery. Cash prizes of $500 and $1,000 will be awarded to winners in both amateur and professional categories.

Advance tickets are $40 per person through the Creative Arts Center or $50 per person at the door. Ticket prices include dinner; a cash bar will be available.

Join Andrea Rosenberg, Pamela Nelson, Bobbe Gentry, Melissa de Carlo, Rebecca Boatman, Marian Hirsch, and more than 40 other artists who have donated work. Some of that art is on the CAC Website Events Page.

Art will be accepted until September 15.

For more information, E-mail CAC's Blue Plate Special auction chair Phillissa Russell at philtx@sbcglobal.net