The main event on the cake was a Lioness head which symbolizes Jennifer’s resilience and sheer beauty and to transform it into a girly motif, Ana added eyelashes and a 5-strand glamorous Swarovski collar.

The actual sign of Leo resembles the letters “J” and “L”, so it is even more fitting with the singer’s own name! What are the chances?

The Lioness was sculpted out of Buttercream , Royal, Fondant and Fudge Icing. It was made to serve up to 35 guests. The color scheme was Ivory and final touches were made with 23-karat gold trim finished with a single delicate Red Rose.

Jennifer Lopez's Birthday Cake by Ana Paz

CONTACT:

www.anapazcakes.com

305-471-5850 (Tues-Sat)

by appointment

Norma Kamali Swimwear 2011 by Tomas Loewy, www.coolpoolevents.com

Norma Kamali Swimwear 2011 by Tomas Loewy, www.coolpoolevents.com

Norma Kamali Swimwear 2011 by Tomas Loewy, www.coolpoolevents.com

Norma Kamali Swimwear 2011 by Tomas Loewy, www.coolpoolevents.com

L Space Swimwear 2011 by Tomas Loewy, www.coolpoolevents.com

L Space Swimwear 2011 by Tomas Loewy, www.coolpoolevents.com

L Space Swimwear 2011 by Tomas Loewy, www.coolpoolevents.com

L Space Swimwear 2011 by Tomas Loewy, www.coolpoolevents.com

L Space Swimwear 2011 by Tomas Loewy, www.coolpoolevents.com

A Che Swimwear by Tomas Loewy, www.coolpoolevents.com

A Che Swimwear by Tomas Loewy, www.coolpoolevents.com

A Che Swimwear by Tomas Loewy, www.coolpoolevents.com

A Che Swimwear by Tomas Loewy, www.coolpoolevents.com

A Che Swimwear by Tomas Loewy, www.coolpoolevents.com

Floyd is a pioneer in the Motion Art movement; he is the only artist of his kind who creates art with rock bands. The final product is a revolution on canvas fueled by the music’s energy and Floyd’s art.

The innovative artist who paints on canvas while Rock music or Live Rock Bands are playing simultaneously. He paints to their beats or rhythm and uses his paintbrush as his instrument. What is left is a wet canvas full of paint and energy.

WATCH HIS VIDEO PAINTING LIVE ON CANVAS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s417linNWI4&feature=youtu.be

He has had several collective exhibitions, including Ivan Galindo Art Estudio ( 2011), Artrageous Gallery at Merrick Park ( 2011), Solo Art Miami Art Fair (2010), Austrian Cultural Forum in New York City (2010), Wynwood Exhibition Center (2010), GAB Studio Gallery in Wynwood (2010), Bakehouse Complex (2010), MIA Art Fair with Aldo Castillo Gallery at the Miami Beach Convention Center (2010), New Times Broward Artopia event (2009) and Art within Art (2009), CIFO (Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation 2009), Alliance Francaise (2009), Sunflour Gallery in Weston (2009), 777 Studio Gallery in Coral Gables (2009), The Levi’s Store (2009), St. Thomas University (2009), Chialma Gallery (2009), Edna Hibel Gallery in West Palm Beach (2009), Excelsior Gallery (2008), the Art Festival at the Rotary Doral Club (2006 & 2007), Art Nemesis Gallery (2006, 2007), Art & Artists Gallery (2006), and Miami Central Art MAC (2006).

Floyd’s personal exhibitions include the Victor Hotel for Art Basel week (2009), Mokali at the Shops at Merrick Park (2008), Trendy Jendy Boutique (2008), I.D. Art Supply Gallery (2008), Elemental Gallery (2008),  Expo Mujer (2008), Renee Gallery (Nov 2007), The Marriott Renaissance Arts Hotel (New Orleans August 2007) and Rebel (Miami, November 2006).

He has collaborated with non-profit foundations such as La Ventana de los Cielos, American Developing Smiles, Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, ONE Campaign to end Poverty, Family Builders, Florida Breast Cancer Foundation and Stand Up.

In February 2011, Floyd recorded an a Art video with music from Edesio Alejandro, a Cuban musician nominated for both the Latin and American Grammy for producing the documentary: 100 Sones Cubanos. It was recorded at Ivan Galindo Art Studio in Miami and produced and recorded by Good Brothers.

Floyd was invited to exhibit his work in New York City at a charity gala event with participants including Victoria Secret models, championship NASCAR winners and elite fashion designers at Gloria Cressler’s Austrian Forum Cultural Event.

In June 2010, he was selected to create the background scenery for the popular play “Se Infiel y No Mires Con Quien” at the Gusman Theater in the University of Miami. The play has been running for more than 20 years and has beenexperienced by more than 15 million people.

During January 2010, Floyd was invited by Aldo Castillo Gallery (Chicago) to perform and exhibit at the MIA (Miami International Art) Art Fair at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The motion art piece was later used as part of an installation exhibited during the fair.

During 2009′s Art Basel Week, Floyd was invited by Hardy Hill of Bravo Channel’s show, Miami Social to perform and exhibit at the Victor Hotels relaunch of the Zen Garden. Also during Art Basel Week he performed at Elaine Lancaster’s iMuse Exhibition, Icon Miami’s Art Exhibit at Santos, fundraising event for Stand Up For Kids to benefit homeless youth, and exhibit and performance at Art Within Art. During all of his performances that week he was accompanied by the electronic/percussion band Digital Factory.

He has been interviewed and featured in Selecta Magazine, The Miami Herald, South Miami Town & Center Magazine, Revista Mujer, Carteles, Wynwood Art Magazine, Decir del Agua, Vision Iberoamerica, Hispanic Target Magazine, Target Style Magazine, Doral News, El Venezolano, America Hoy, Irreversible Magazine, Casa & Estilo, America Hoy, Conexiones, Road Rage Magazine and The New Times.

His paintings have been used as scenery in a number of plays including the Annual Festival of Monologues where his art was selected to represent the festival as the poster. He has been interviewed by Alexis Valdes in Esta Noche Tu Night (Mega TV) with a live performance and by Carlos Otero in Pelliscame Que Estoy Soñando (America TV) where he painted live with Grammy Award winning artist, Cabas.

WATCH HIS VIDEO PAINTING ON LIVE MODELS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQChUa-Keek&feature=youtu.be

CONTACT: www.artbyfloyd.com

EMAIL: floyd@artbyfloyd.com

If you would like to showcase your Biography on Miami Art Blog and have a personal interview about you, feel free to send us an email and we will try to get your story published here. Please send inquiries to info@miamiartblog.com.

The power of symbols is universal! Art History has taught the world that certain symbols throughout history have been associated with religion, intellectual societies and burial rituals from one civilization to another. Meet  Stephen Gamson an artist whose work is being an “interpreter of symbols.” Whether using two-dimensional graphic shapes to describe figures, making the @ symbol with different hue combinations or making three-dimensional sculptures that depict human forms in primary colors, a viewer is usually intrigued by their meaning. The question is–what do these abstract, every day shapes mean? What really is the artist’s intent?

Well, the artist feels his work is a “version of modern-day hieroglyphics and that symbols supersede spoken language. They are there to communicate, educate and entertain us.”

Stephen Gamson, thinks that Art is like a love affair. I share my ideas with the world hoping people will  embrace them.  Gamson also believes that artists should be  confident and believe in what they do.

At 17, inspired by a mentor, the artist began collecting art work on a shoe-string budget. Over the years, he amassed a collection comprised of Alexander Calder, Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg and many other contemporary masters.

He studied Business Management and Public Relations as an undergraduate, however, he could not deny his passion for being involved in the art world. While seeking even higher learning at Harvard, he studied Art History. Gamson is fully armed with credentials of an artist, an art collector and art dealer. Furthermore, he has relationships with museum curators, directors, and art collectors throughout the world. Apprenticing under other artists, he developed his own artistic style.

(Stephen Gamson in his studio at Jade Ocean)

After living and working in the arts community in Miami for the past sixteen years, Gamson finds pleasure in giving back to the community. His involvement and support with numerous charities has become an integral part of his art career as he donates both work and time to worthwhile causes. Stephen Gamson is the official artist for Miami’s 115^th Birthday on July 24, 2011.

I asked the Artist to take me back to his childhood and recall his earliest memories pertaining to art. He told me about an art teacher named Roz Brown, who encouraged him by noting his natural ability to work with shapes and colors.  Also, the artist added that at a young age he could “identify with puzzles” and if viewers really look at Stephen Gamson’s work, they will see that the vastness of his pieces are comprised of high-chroma hues which are like puzzles and these fields of colors are either painted on canvas or are comprised of masonite cut-outs which he arranges into whimsical compositions.

Gamson says, “His art is for people to enjoy and interpret based on their own experiences, therefore there is no incorrect interpretation of his work. He feels grateful to be able to share his gift with the world by uplifting people and giving them positive energy.”

Having visited over 40 countries and identifying a common denominator based on universally understood signage incorporating symbols became the catalyst for his unique style.

The artist has worked with Café Bustelo, Select Vodka, and The Monaco Grand Prix. Some of his well-known collectors include Russell Simmons, Sean Kingston, Justin Bieber, Olivia-Newton John, DJ Irie, The Mayor of Saratoga Springs in New York, The Intercontinental Hotel in Miami, Bacardi, Roger Watters of Pink Floyd, The City of Miami’s Art Collection, Lamborghini, and Prince Albert II of Monaco.

He has been featured in The Miami Herald, Art Basel Miami Beach Magazine, SoFi Magazine, Haute Living Magazine and others. I believe he is Miami’s artist of the future as we seem to go back in time when viewing his work.

LATEST NEWS

Gamson has been commissioned to paint a Gulfstream Jet for a private Miami collector.

He will be traveling to Italy next month to scope out the location for his show opening in 2012 in Capri.  Stephen will also be working on a photography project incorporating his symbols while there.

His coffee table book will be sold at Epicure Market and other outlets very soon!

On July 7, he will be hosting an Art Workshop with children at the Headquarters of the American Cancer Society.

The artist designed the artwork for the Bacardi Cup 2011.

Stephen has also created a special print of his work to raise funds for The Humane Society of Greater Miami, please visit www.roccoandlucy.com to purchase a print for this worthy cause!

He also contributed artwork for Olivia Newton-John’s charity http://www.pinkandbluefortwo.com/ which emphasizes Breast and Prostate Cancer screening for couples.

Coming soon:  Stephen will be launching an E-commerce Website which showcases a range of Gamson collectibles.

GALLERIES

(a sample of galleries which represent the artist)

Frank Pictures Gallery in Los Angeles,

Seth Jason Beitler in Wynwood, Miami,

H.W. Gallery in Naples, Florida.

The White Wall Gallery, Orlando.

CONTACT

Website:

www.gamsonart.com

Facebook Fan Page:

www.facebook.com/gamson

Studio: studio@gamsonart.com

Phone: 1-877-542-6766

The artist is available to discuss projects and commissions.

–Cecilia Paz

Tous, the fine jeweller known primarily for its iconic teddy bear, has added some ”beary irresistible” collections to its jewelry line.  Initially founded in 1920 in Manresa, Spain, and with corporate offices in Barcelona as well, it began as a family business and still continues to remain so.  Currently, it is run by Salvador Tous, (son of its founder) and his wife, Rosa Tous, along with their four daughters. The teddy bear continues to be their core business, which first came to be when Rosa Tous saw a bear inside a shop window and was suddenly inspired with the idea to create a stylized bear out of gold.  This small idea has grown into a huge success!

What was once just mainly a small gold teddy bear has now developed into an extensive fine jewelry line.  Tous has also introduced a wide range of accessories, inclusive of watches, handbags, scarves, perfumes, eyeglasses, textiles and small leather goods.

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a cocktail reception at their new location inside the Dadeland Mall in Miami, Florida. It was a fabulous party celebrating the store’s grand opening, as well as providing guests with a close-up look at some of these beautiful new collections.

Among these are the “Loto” collection, “Ganesh” which creates the famous teddy bear into colorful morroccan inspired pieces including pendants and bracelets made out of sterling silver, and the “Manolo Blahnik for Tous”collection, which features the Spanish shoe designer’s famous “Campari” shoe.

At the cocktail reception, I had the pleasure of meeting some of the local managers for the Florida stores.  I was able to interview the business director, Cristina Campello, of the Aventura store here in Aventura, Florida.  Specifically, I wanted to know what she feels sets Tous apart from other jewelry lines.  In her own words, Tous is a fresh and fashionable concept in jewelry and is commonly referred to as the affordable luxury.  The brand has become most well-known for its iconic teddy bear design that has been around for the last 25 years.

Tous has affordable designs starting at just $75.”

As far as their hottest selling piece, the teddy bear in its various representations still continues to be at the core of their best-seller list.  Some of the hottest of these collections are the ”Bubble Bears” pendants , which come in sterling silver,18K gold, pink sapphires and diamonds, blue sapphires and diamonds, and white or black diamonds.  Among her favorites are the “Loto” and “Ganesh” collections, which happen to be my personal favorites as well.

Just as exciting as the new collections at Tous is the new face that will be representing them.  Jennifer Lopez is the fresh face for Spring/Summer. Salvador Tous recently stated “Jennifer is not just an amazingly beautiful woman, but also a talented actress, musician and dancer, sharing with us strong family values, as we are a family owned business.”  We are confident that Jennifer Lopez will be a great spokesperson, as she is genuine and openly charismatic, a great illustration of our brand.” Jennifer has also been recognized as a fashion icon, where she can always be spotted wearing the hottest designs and latest trends.  Designers love when she’s seen wearing their creations.  In my own opinion, Jennifer will obviously bring so much to the line on so many different levels….she is right in the center of the beauty, music and fashion worlds, and is a true artist in every sense of the word.  Plus, just like me, she has a passion for fashion!

And of course, Jennifer loves Tous’ jewelry designs, particularly fond of the diamond Bubble Bear pendant she wore during her photoshoot for the Spring campaign.

As she said “all girls love diamonds”,

and who can argue with that!

Tous has earned a reputation in fashion circles of jewelry comparable to the esteemed “Loewe”  in the fine leather goods category, purveyors to The Royal Family.  Tous themselves had also begun to provide jewelry to the Spanish Royals as early as the 1920′s.  Currently, they have over 400 stores in 45 different countries.  Locally, you can find Tous at the Miami International Mall, Dadeland Mall, and Aventura.  You can also view the collections on their website at www.tous.com. In my own eyes, Tous has some “beary irresistible” pieces that you simply can’t “bear” to be without!

Written by Kristina Eljaiek

On June 4, 2011, The Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce held its 89^th Dinner Gala Honors. This year’s recipients were Mayor Matti Herrera Bower, Dr. Barth Green, Bill Johnson and Brett Ratner.

More than 1200 of the Beach’s business professionals and prominent community members attended like Ana Navarro, Gene Prescott, Michael Capponi, Channel 7 News Anchor, Richard Lemus, Miami Housewife, Alexia Echevarria and countless others who came out to support our Magic City.

(Richard Lemus, MaryJo Shore, Tyler Sminkey)

“The attire was called for Black and White as a throwback to the B &W

TV days of Miami Beach in the 50s and 60s.”

(The Eden Roc)

The Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce honored Mayor Matti Herrera Bower with a Lifetime Achievement Award; Bill Johnson, Port of Miami Director was awarded the Excellence in Tourism Award; Dr. Barth A. Green was awarded the Distinguished Service Award, Co-founder of Project Medishare which set up makeshift hospitals in Haiti right after the earthquake through the University of Miami;  and Brett Ratner, Mega-movie director was awarded via video the Hi-Tides Outstanding Achievement Award. The award for Ratner is in its inaugural year and is presented to an outstanding local business professional who has had a major impact into the greater economy. Some of Brett Ratner’s films include Rush Hour 2 & 3 , X-Men: The Last Stand, The Family Man and Red Dragon. These movies have had major financial success grossing over one and a half billion dollars worldwide.

(Stanley, Ana Navarro, Gene Prescott)

The theme of the evening was a throwback to the 50s and 60s era of the slapstick comedy of Jackie Gleason whose impersonator gave a nice touch to motivate the crowd for the setting. Marilyn Monroe also made her appearance reminding us once again of the film, “The Seven Year Itch” and that white halter dress which globally represents her. It was quite charming to see the MBCC piped and draped in thick black velour to even mask the staircase which normally leads to the second level. Guests were treated to cocktails and the appetizers were served buffet-style and bountiful. Eggplant, garbanzos, colorful peppers, potato salad (with apples), parmesan toast, cheese, grapes, sliced eggs, and even tiny pork rinds lined the table.

Two huge paellas (a latin dish featuring many ingredients such as yellow rice and seafood) decorated the scene, while a cigar roller showed off his Cuban tradition. It was very interesting to watch. As the silent auction went on, they had items such as an autographed basketball by Shaquille O’Neal and a painting of Jackie Gleason painted in black and white.

(David Siguaw and Michael Capponi)

About four large video screens flashed photos of Miami’s luxury resorts from the 50s and 60s like the Eden Roc and the Fontainebleau. The pictures were provided by Myrna and Seth Bramson and set the tone for the enormous room we were in. Also, along the walls were projections of cityscapes to evoke more glamour of the time period. The centerpieces of the tables were old-fashioned director’s cameras with a cute little light that reminded the guests they were still in yesteryear!

(Brett Ratner via Video accepting his Award and being comical standing up in white boxer shorts and adding his grandparents in the mix! It was funny!)

ABOUT THE MIAMI BEACH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce was formed in 1921 to promote the economic well-being of Miami Beach’s citizens, to improve the quality of life for the entire community, and to communicate the view of the business community on major issues of public policy.

For more information on the MBCC: www.miamibeachchamber.com

Twitter: @MiamiBeachBiz

Facebook: Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce

(From L to R: Jenny Wilensky Zalkin, creator of event; Jilian Sanz, National Fashion Director of Haute Living Magazine; Andres Franco and his lovely wife, Jennifer Heegard of Jeje Consulting & P.R.)

The fashion fundraiser benefiting the Lupus Foundation of America, S.E. Florida Chapter was held on Thursday, May 19, 2011. The event was created by Jenny Wilensky Zalkin whose mother sadly passed away from the disease last year. Jenny founded www.istylie.com.It is a wardrobe and styling service where they review and highlight your personal style, wardrobe and shopping needs. Lyon and Lyon and Blade Restaurant from the Fontainebleau Hotel catered the event for the VIP areas and opulent leather home furnishings by Carriage House Furniture Design, www.desede.ch and Fava Design Group, www.favadesigngroup.com.

As guests were treated to goodie-bags from scents by Jo Malone, everyone else was excited by the not-so-expected fact that the runway models have Lupus themselves. Designers featured were Alice + Olivia and Trina Turk. They so gaily strutted their “stuff” down the runway withsuch exuberant smiles and confident attitude that the disease was nowhere to be found.

(Willard Shepard from NBC6 emceed the event, pictured with Yevgeny Senkevich)

Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease which causes inflammation of various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood and kidneys. The immune system loses its ability to tell the difference between foreign substances and its own cells and tissues. For more information about Lupus, please visit: www.lupusfl.org

My own cousin and good friend have Lupus and were both diagnosed as children. It is rewarding to see so many guests attended for a great cause!

(One of three bright and bold, Fashion-themed paintings adorned one of the VIP areas)

Guests were given $25 Gift Cards by one of the featured sponsors, Gilt City and the highlight of the evening was when Grammy Award Winning Drummer, Rees Bridges of the band Dirty Vegas made the place shake, rattle and roll! Other key sponsors were Ocean Drive Magazine and Haute Living magazine.

(And raffled away was this Ultra-Luxe chair designed by Adriana Hoyos)

For more information, please visit: www.adrianahoyos.com

(Janelle Cedeno, one of the organizers of the event from the Lupus Foundation)

(Jenny Wilensky Zalkin and Jilian Sanz)

(Lucia Gonzalez from Adriana Hoyos and me, Cecilia Paz)

(Kristina Eljaiek, Willard Shepard, & Valerie Rodriguez)

MIAMI, FL (May 3, 2011) – On Thursday, April 28, 2011, the Bass Museum of Art, along with a select group of the city’s leading arts patrons and philanthropists, hosted its annual fundraiser, “A Night at the Museum,” attracting more than 500 guests with “An Invitation to LOOK/Selections from the Permanent Collection of the Bass Museum of Art.”

(Nick D’Annunzio, Tara Solomon and Dr. Leonard Tachmes)

(Christina Getty-Maerks, & George Lindemann)

“This year’s fundraiser was a great success,” said George Lindemann, President and Director of the Board  of the Bass Museum of Art. “We had an impressive showing of not only our board and current members, but new faces as well, who enjoyed each other’s company, the energetic scene as well as our current collection. I very much look forward to building off of this incredible momentum with the new wave of supporters.”

(Christina Getty-Maercks and Nikki Simkins)

(Miguel and Joyce Paredes)

(Christina Getty-Maercks, Louis Aguirre, & Jonathan Breenes)

VIP guests including Chairwoman Christina Getty-Maercks andhusband Arin Maercks; Executive Director and Chief Curator Silvia Karman Cubiña; Deco Drive’s Louis Aguirre; board member, hotelier and art collector Cricket Taplin and husband Martin; board member and art collector Hugh Bush; interior designer Sam Robin; photographer Iran Issa Khan; board member Sarah Harrelson and husband Austin; private art dealer and board member Cathy Vedovi; Gallery Diet’s Nina Johnson, art dealer Kevin Bruk; art collectors Adam Sender and wife Lenore; hotelier Jonathan Breene and wife Criselda,; Bass Museum architect Chad Oppenheim; social fixture and restaurateur Fabian Basabe and designers Laura Buccellati and Ema Koja, Dr. Leonard Tachmes.

(Laura Buccellati and Jillian Jacobson)

(Alison Zhuk and Carolina Cejas)

(Silvia Cubina and George Lindemann)

(DJ Michelle Leshem)

Artist and Blogger, Cecilia Paz’s take on the Bass Exhibit called fittingly, “LOOK”:

(Marcellus Coffermans, “The Holy Family with an Angel”)

Marcellus Cofferman’s Holy Family is a formal composition with a central axis which anchors the viewers eyes right to the center of the painting. It is Mannerist in style with the elongated child representing Christ. The gaze of the male on the left is looking towards the left and the top of the figure on the right further keeps on fixated on the unassuming Virgin Mary on the vertical axis of the “invisible cross” that is the layout to this painting. If I had to analyze this painting further researching it even more, it could maybe be surmised that it was a premonition of what would happen to the Christ child in the end (he would hang on a cross to die for the sins of man.)

The religious paintings in the first room I was led into had Blue walls. Most of the work in that room was from the 1500′s and the Tryptich in particular (directly above), was breathtaking! “The Crucifixion’s” painter,  Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem , Dutch, Oil on Panel, c. 1530. 1562-1638, depicts the donors and several religious portions in the altarpiece that exhibit sorrow as Christ’s mother is swooning overwrought with unbearable pain, grief as Christ and his followers hang slowly dying as they are suffocating having been nailed to a cross, human desire by the closed doors of the peace showing the fall of Man with Adam and Eve being morally deviant, mercy  is depicted by the pouring of vinegar in Christ’s wounds and lament by his followers as they cannot intervene with the inevitable. Van Haarlem was Mannerist in his style of painting. This meant the figures are carefully drawn and painted in contorted poses to enhance the sophistication of his patrons who were the French court. The purpose of the exhibit was to have folks “look” closely at portions of the detail of the art.

(Gyula Benczur, “Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette with family at Versailles”)

To dissect this painting, one can probably write a book on its formal and complex composition and then its historical context. Its visual weight is to the lower right making it asymmetrical. Facial expressions on the full figures are that of terror as the soldiers are piercing through their quarter’s doors. It is pointless to fight them and it is evident on Louis XVI’s face. He is defeated and angry. Marie Antoinette is terrified as her family is in jeopardy and is uncertain about what is about to happen. This is a case of extreme suspense as if this were a still from a movie. The painting is maybe 6’ x 8’ and a truly historical ominous moment.

(Painted by Master of the Borghese, c.1490-1500)

(To the left we see a detail of the Virgin to appreciate the whole premise of the exhibit. We as viewers really get to LOOK at the work in the highly detailed Renaissance art by viewing this gigantic detailed printout of Mary’s face.)

In the red room I was  pleasantly introduced to a Tondo, which is a round panel made popular in Florence by Botticelli and was to be placed in a bedroom. It may have been a wedding gift and religious in nature. Painted by Master of the Borghese, c.1490-1500, the blonde Madonna is worshiping her plump son who has his finger to her mouth meaning the “Word of God.” The delicate face of the Madonna depicts her sensibilities. John the Baptist holds a Banderole (a banner) which alludes to the future sacrifice of Christ’s life. The seashore in the background refers to Mary’s title as the “star of the sea.”

(Yevgeny Senkevich and Artist/Blogger, Cecilia Paz)

Next, I entered the Yellow Room which was a small room exhibiting painterly or loose-brush strokes with mainly kitchen still-life. They are impressionists describing genre every day scenes of food and flowers.  Included in this group was a dazzling, Eduoard Manet, “the father of Impressionism”,  is known to have created  78 such works on his own which comprised of  twenty-percent of his work. One such work was  formally composed by Josef Schuster, 1927, “Kitchen Still Life”(not pictured.) The quail in the foreground leads us into the composition by the only pure spot of red on the pheasant’s head. Then we move to the meandering lines on the body moving on to the feathers which act like arrows pointing to the cauliflower further moving our eyes  to the reflection of the window (not depicted) on the jar in a counter-clockwise motion to the left of the composition. Lastly our eyes are directed to the dull colors of the horizontal stonework on the kitchen counter.

(The Gray Room)

(Early Renaissance work by Botticelli and Ghirlandaio)

As I made my way from the Yellow room to the Gray room, I had a moment to rest my eyes and focus on the serenity of the following work which was Italian and Dutch along with others. A long corridor  with dim lighting led me to see a large painting about 10′ high in which Domenico Ghirlandaio and Sandro Botticelli collaborated. Sandro Botticelli’s workshop is attributed to assist in the creation of this painting.

In the High Renaissance (1500′s or so), colors where brighter and more contrasting in comparison to that of pure tempera painting. In some of the works present at the exhibit, I noticed something new and that was that tempera and Oil were used by Ghirlandaio and Botticelli on their collaboration, “The Coronation of the Virgin with the Saints.” It was interesting to see both materials used in one painting, however, Oil is always the more luxurious and lustrous of both painting mediums.

In this painting Ghirlandaio shows us his regular disposition of calm figures. Botticelli’s faces usually had more expression and emotion to them, however, much more detailed research would have to be done to be sure who painted which portion of this enormous work of art.

There were works by Rembrandt, although small, huge in significance. “King David”, by Rembrandt was no bigger than the standard 8 x 10″ size we are used to today. Two etchings in particular were incredibly detailed by the Dutch painter and one’s detail was blown-up to show just how detailed those postcard-size artworks really were. The artist made etchings to make a living, since there were no printers at the time.

(Gray room with the Dutch work on the Left side in this photo)

The large painting which dominated the wallspace was painted by someone Flemish after Anthony Van Dyck , c. 1650 and was about 10 x 12′ high. It was an enormous portrait typical of Dutch painting using what I would call “flat contrast” to depict work such as this. A lot of Burnt Umber, Black, White and Cadmium Red Light or their equivalents dominated the color palettes.

(The Entry to the Green room  which was fabulous and had major portraits!)

Once in this final room which was the Green room, I quickly came upon its introduction which was Japonisme:  a word meaning how Japan influenced Art of the West, especially French Impressionist painters. There were a few Seascapes and Landscapes by artists whose names I have been unfamiliar with, but nevertheless, were influenced just like the rest of the Impressionists by the 1860′s Japanese wood block prints called, Ukiyo-e. The French were inspired to create flat areas of intense colors using Lavenders to describe cliffs and countrysides and even Cadmium Red Light and variations of its orange tones to keep their new-found form of fleeting abstraction alive, just like the seas and billowing grasslands they were painting. These handful of works (not depicted) were c. 1895.

(Benjamin West, “Anne, Countess of Northampton with Daughter, Elizabeth”)

This painting by American History Painter, Benjamin West, was the surprise of the evening for me! It first looks like Raphael’s, “Madonna of the Meadows”, 1505-1506, Oil tempera on Wood, but it was made much later by West in 1762 and is Baroque in manner. He is depicting a pyramidal composition which is equally balanced. The luxurious fabric lets the viewer know her social status. The countess’ thighs look too big for her anatomy, but artists were dictated by the tastes of their patrons and so this is reminiscent of Da Vinci’s, “Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist, c.1495, and may have been a special request by Countess Anne.

The Bass Museum traces its roots back to 1963, when John and Johanna Bass donated their collection to the City of Miami Beach. Through the years, the gift has made great art accessible to thousands of visitors, and “An Invitation to LOOK/Selections from the Permanent Collection of the Bass Museum of Art” provides the opportunity for arts enthusiasts and casual fans to browse of a unique collection of Renaissance and Baroque art.