All posts by Karen Tashkovski

Karen Tashkovski is an artist and teacher from Syracuse, NY. She is a graduate of Syracuse University (BFA-Fashion Design & Studio Arts, MS-Art Education)

art, art exhibition, art for sale, art gallery, ceramics, jewelry, Karen Tashkovski, painting

Au Naturel

Image January 11, 2019 Karen Tashkovski Leave a comment

Today in Syracuse, New York, the weather took a nosedive into frigid dead-of-winter temps, but inside the Edgewood Gallery, ( 216 Tecumseh Road, Syracuse, New York, 13224) the landscape is vibrant, warm and creatively cozy.

Proprietor Cheryl Chappell has curated “Nature of Things”, a delightful show of oil paintings, ceramics and jewelry, which will be on exhibit and for sale now through February 22, 2019. The art reception was tonight with two of the four artists in attendance.

Rob Glisson‘s landscapes in oils are the stars of this show – several of them sported red sold stickers within the first hour of the opening. He starts the work as plein-air pieces then takes them into the studio to re-envision them as fantasy worlds contemplating shadows while paying attention to color, volume and depth. He concentrates on creating worlds that tell a story inviting the viewer to lose themselves within the frames. I am a huge fan of his work and it is such a pleasure to see so many pieces hanging salon style alongside the lovely cow-dominated oil paintings of fellow artist Adriana Meiss.

Jan Navales pinch-hit for Dana Stenson tonight, offering visitors information and guidance in selecting for purchase some of the silversmith’s latest creations.

Karen Jean Smith‘s ceramics have the look of carved wooden objects. These tromp l’oeil pieces are thrown then hand carved. She adds the knots and other textures using an intuitive style. Her work evolved into these thrice-fired amazing creations via an interest in representing nature, specifically water chestnuts, which led her to focus on representing wood. Some of the pieces are kiln-fired and others are wood-fired. They are painstakingly glazed using a watercolor technique. They are really so, so cool. I just love this series! She also sold a few pieces at this opening. 🙂

These artworks are surprisingly affordable. A lot of them smaller pieces, to add to your art collection or to start one, which is a great New Year’s resolution – I will start my art collection this year! I will support local artists! Oh, yes. That has a nice ring to it. Seems like the natural thing to do. ❤

art, art education, fashion, Karen Tashkovski

2018 Fashion Finale

Image December 25, 2018 Karen Tashkovski Leave a comment

IMG_20181203_094105_468 — Rebecca Taylor top, French Connection skirt, Calvin Klein booties

IMG_20181205_093818_170 — Talitha top, Banana Republic pants, Nine West booties

IMG_20181206_083710_436 — Saks Fifth Avenue sweater, BCBGMaxAzria skirt, Eliffete tights, Marc Jacobs booties

Here are my #ootd pics from December 2018. A few new pieces are in the mix, like the lace tights and my first Milly top. OMG, I love stretch silk, which is a silk blend with a bit of spandex in it. You can tell that I am a huge fan of silk, cashmere and leather.

I wear two smocks while painting and using Mod Podge, which is my new go-to instead of using Plaster of Paris for sculpture. I’m doing a form of papier mache instead and it is amazing. Can’t wait to share my donut project!

IMG_20181210_092442_806 — Aqua Cashmere cardigan, Trina Turk skirt, BCBGeneration booties

IMG_20181211_090936_630 — Rachel Zoe dress, Calvin Klein booties

IMG_20181212_084739_183 — BCBGMaxAzria dress, Karl Lagerfeld Paris boots

The other big project is…Artist Books! My Studio in Art students are creating these very cool books using sports equipment, lunch boxes, ceramic bowls and musical instruments. They will be done by the end of the semester. Then we will start watercolor!

IMG_20181217_084057_076 — Trina Turk dress, Marc Jacobs booties

IMG_20181219_084310_859 — C by Bloomindales cardigan, BCBGMaxAzria dress, Nine West boots

IMG_20181220_093019_057 — Milly top, BCBGMaxAzria pants, Marc Jacobs booties

I will eventually clean off the back counter and prepare for new students in February. Art – 8 only meets every other day for one semester. I am able to do about three or four projects in that time – a drawing, a painting, a sculpture and a clay project or some combination of those things. Right now we are finishing up sculptures in the five classes and drawing in the other two.

IMG_20181221_090457_600 — C by Bloomingdales cardigan, BCBGMaxAzria top and leggings, Ugg boots

I did not get any clothes for Christmas, lol. Or did I? Santa was good to me. I know him! (I really do!) ❤

IMG_20181212_215415_789 — Rachel Zoe dress, Coach clutch

IMG_20181224_175520_286 — BCBGMaxAzria top, pants, and belt, Nine West boots

art, art education, art exhibition, art gallery, art resources, classroom, education, illustration, Karen Tashkovski, photography

Who’s Greek Now?

Image December 21, 2018 Karen Tashkovski 2 Comments

I decided to infuse the 8th grade Medusa drawing project with real people. I was driving to work a few weeks ago and the idea just came to me, lol, but would the teachers at Chittenango Middle School go for it?

On the half day, I sent out an email then I ran around taking pictures of those who were receptive to being immortalized as Medusa. The principals were even on board, which was so, totally, awesome!

Students selected from the faces and added the snake hair and Greek pattern border. We watched excerpts from 1981 and 2012 Clash of the Titans while using Sharpies and colored pencils. Here are the results. They used 16″ x 20″ white heavyweight tagboard and Prismacolor colored pencils.

I have two classes working on a new batch on brown Kraft paper. It is such a fun project. So many possibilities with regard to color schemes and composition. So incredibly satisfying!

This artwork is currently on display in the hallway outside of my classroom at Chittenango Middle School in Chittenango, New York. It will be up for a while, at least until the end of the semester at the end of January. I will display some of them at the school fair in May too.

fashion, Karen Tashkovski

Best in Silk

Image December 2, 2018 Karen Tashkovski Leave a comment

IMG_20181026_084317_662 — Trina Turk silk top, French Connection leather skirt, Nine West boots

Here are my #ootd pictures from November 2018. The black cropped leg BCBGMaxAzria pants go with everything! I ended up getting a second pair because they are so spectacular. Not sure why they were not made in other colors. I love silk as well, and silk velvet is soooo amazing! I’m sure my dry cleaner loves that I wear it too, lol.

IMG_20181024_085146_681 — Cinq a Sept silk dress, Via Spiga tights, Sorel boots

I was able to incorporate my Wonder Woman boots (above) in this one! They are Sorel – I think I paid one third of the retail asking price for them, maybe less!

IMG_20181030_092402_769 — Ulla Johnson silk dress, Calvin Klein booties

IMG_20181106_104418_965 — Kobi Halperin top, BCBGMaxAzria leggings, Calvin Klein booties

It is fun keeping track of fashion because I can see what combinations I have done with separates – what items go with what, and as a result, I can assess what one new thing I may bring into the mix that will serve me best. The morning I put this look together (above), I was, like, how do these two things match? – that is so cool! That Kobi Halperin top is embroidered cotton – very wonderful texture in person. There is a version of it in all white hiding somewhere in the universe for me to find.

IMG_20181107_083302_924 — Rebecca Taylor silk top, BCBGMaxAzria silk-velvet pants, Joie sandals

Rebecca Taylor has a new concept right now where you can pay a monthly fee and rent up to four garments at a time to wear until you want to give them back and then get more. I have my eye on a few pieces from her holiday collection right now. Go to www.rebeccataylor.com for more information.

IMG_20181029_085146_773 — BCBGMaxAzria sweater and skirt, Nine West booties

IMG_20181101_093844_782 — Rebecca Taylor silk dress, Marc Jacobs booties

IMG_20181108_091103_644 — Trina Turk silk-spandex top, BCBGMaxAzria pants, Marc Jacobs booties

This top (above) is from 1999! It is my first Trina Turk, the reason I fell in love with her work! Mine is a size Medium, which is a bit large for me now but I still love it and wear it often.

IMG_20181109_092333_251 — Free People cardigan and leather skirt, JCrew T-shirt, Marc Jacobs boots

IMG_20181115_131157_805 — Akemi + Kim for Anthropologie dress, Via Spiga tights, Calvin Klein booties

IMG_20181116_183022_886 — BCBGMaxAzria silk dress, Calvin Klein booties

This BCBGMaxAzria gown (above) was my outfit for my annual Friendsgiving dinner. About twenty-five of us dined together at Delmonico’s Italian Steakhouse. It had been hanging in my closet for two years and so, I was very psyched to have an opportunity to wear it. I sewed bra cups into the lining because the bodice neckline made it difficult to find undergarments that worked. Easy-peasy!

IMG_20181119_085244_117 — Cinq a Sept silk top, BCBGMaxAzria pants, BCBGeneration booties

IMG_20181120_205817_928 — Rachel Zoe silk top, BCBGMaxAzria pants, Calvin Klein booties

Here I am wearing Rachel Zoe (above) at my friend Tracey’s pre-Thanksgiving house party. I have this top in black too.

IMG_20181126_091312_445 — C by Bloomingdale’s cardigan, Rachel Zoe silk dress, Via Spiga tights, Calvin Klein booties

IMG_20181127_195934_656 — BCBGMaxAzria dress and tank top, Nine West boots

IMG_20181128_084550_331 — Free People cardigan, Alice + Olivia silk-velvet top, BCBGMaxAzria leggings, Calvin Klein booties

I found this Alice + Olivia silk-velvet halter top on a final sale on saksoff5th.com. I think it was $40? Something like that! It is my new favorite thing. I paired it with those black cropped pants seen in every other pic, lol, for a trip to the movies last night.

IMG_20181129_104248_768 — Trina Turk silk top, BCBGMaxAzria silk-velvet pants, Marc Jacobs booties

What will I wear next? Stay tuned….

IMG_20181130_091915_385 — BCBGMaxAzria top, sweater, jacket and pants, Marc Jacobs booties

art education, art exhibition, art gallery, illustration, Karen Tashkovski, school library

The Kindness of Peace

Image December 1, 2018 Karen Tashkovski 2 Comments

Kindness Matters was the subject of this year’s Lions Club sponsored Peace Poster contest. My Studio in Art class students spent about six weeks working on their illustrations.

Emily’s poster won the local and regional competition. It is on its way to the state competition next and if she wins at the international level – well, that would be a huge win for all of us: $5,000 for her and twelve years of poster-making and working closely with the beautiful people/lions who make up the committee that will culminate in an enormous sense of pride and victory for our small community in Chittenango, New York.

The Chittenango Lions threw us a classroom pizza party and awarded monetary gifts and plaques for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place picks. The rest of the students were all unanimously honored with honorable mentions. Their work was spectacular.

These peace posters will be on display during December 2018 in the Community Room at the Sullivan Library, 101 Falls Blvd., Chittenango, New York 13037. Visit their website for hours of operation.

art for sale, art gallery, holiday, Karen Tashkovski

Eye Candy

Image November 12, 2018 Karen Tashkovski Leave a comment

Hercules Candies has a new location at 720 W. Manlius Street, East Syracuse, New York 13057. (315) 463-4339 www.herculescandy.com. It is next door to Eye Studio and together, along with Guest House, they are offering a weekend holiday sale.

Hercules Candies will have door prizes, tours of the candy factory and free samples. They will be making candy canes by hand!

You can view the kitchen from a large glass window. It is such a wonderful place, expanded tenfold from the little house on a back street in the village. It is truly an experience to shop here – locally made mom and pop shop, like something out of yesteryear.

Their open house will be Saturday, November 17th and Saturday, November 24th, 2018 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Eye Studio and Guest House will be open Saturday, November 17th from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm and Sunday, November 18th from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm. It is a Pre-Holiday arts and crafts sale with David McDonald as the featured artist.

classroom, education, Karen Tashkovski

Educational Center at Green Lakes!

Image November 4, 2018 Karen Tashkovski Leave a comment

The Educational Center at Green Lakes is now up and running! Wow – it has taken something like a year to rebuild the boat house and transform it into this amazing space. It is really beautiful. And it has Stickley furniture!

There is a lot of history here. Information on the meromictic lakes, the story behind the purchase of the land – and its stunning World War II connection. Yes – there was a POW camp on-site. It was near the golf course by the east entrance to the park. German soldiers created many of the trails and farmed the land!

This education center is chock-full of information. There is a large map of the park on the center island. A bunch of interactive displays can be found in pull-out drawers. There’s an outdoor classroom too. They offer classes that are aligned with New York State standards and they welcome all age groups (and not just science students).

To set up a school field trip, contact Katie Mulvihill at katie.mulvihill@parks.ny.gov or call (315) 492-1756. Green Lakes State Park is located at 7900 Green Lakes Road, Fayetteville, New York 13066-3385.

	Karen Tashkovski on Who’s Greek Now?
	mattalexander6107 on Who’s Greek Now?
	Karen Tashkovski on The Kindness of Peace
	Judith Hand on The Kindness of Peace
	Karen Tashkovski on Summer Fashion

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Visual Artist