Category Archives: art in restaurants

#ootd, angels, art, art exhibition, art in restaurants, encaustic, horseshoes, Karen Tashkovski, restaurant, Tashionista

Where in the World

Image September 14, 2019 Karen Tashkovski 2 Comments

70220829_3060592533967702_7672198804963065856_o — C by Bloomingdales cashmere cardigan, Warner Bros. Hogwarts T-shirt, BCBGMaxAzria skirt, Marc Jacobs boots

Where am I? I am back at work at Chittenango Middle School, teaching 8th grade Studio in Art, Art-8, and helping fifty kids a day with homework in two study halls. My outfit of the day (#ootd) pictures have been hit or miss. Not sure whether or not to resume taking them. Katy C. and I have been so busy prepping lessons and organizing stuff – I only have a few pictures to share (even though we’ve been back at it for two weeks now).

69879644_3062572137103075_8771463055507718144_n — Talitha Collection silk top, BCBGMaxAzria silk velvet pants, BCBGeneration velvet booties

Meanwhile, my artwork is going places. I am exhibiting encaustic baseball paintings and horseshoe paintings during the month of September 2019 at Half Moon Bakery & Bistro (6500 East Seneca Turnpike, Jamesville, NY 13078).

And last night I delivered six encaustic angel paintings from the Futura series to a new restaurant called 317 (317 Montgomery Street, Syracuse, New York) before heading to the Italian Festival, which is taking place in front of City Hall this weekend. These paintings will be up in a group pairing along with other artists’ work (indefinitely, as of now). 317 provides an incredibly intimate dining experience right in the heart of downtown Syracuse adjacent to the Onondaga Historical Association.

Finally, my twelve Japanese-inspired fan encaustic paintings are still available for sale at Kasai Ramen (218 Walton Street, Syracuse, NY 13202) until September 16, 2019.

P.S. I started designing bracelets! I’ll be ready to launch that experience very soon – stay tuned! The jewelry thing is my current passion and focus artistically. The universe has been doing a great job of taking care of everything else. Thank you, universe! Life is good! <3

Aqua Cashmere cardigan, BCBGMaxAzria T-shirt, Rag & Bone patent leather skirt, Marc Jacobs booties

abstract, art, art for sale, art in restaurants, assemblage, found object, Karen Tashkovski

Sensu Meets Natsu

Image June 5, 2019 Karen Tashkovski Leave a comment

My encaustic paintings are currently on display at Kasai Ramen! They are part of a group show curated by Jamie Santos.

The group show is titled Natsu.

There will be an artist reception on Thursday, June 13, 2019 from 6 – 10 pm. Hope to see you there! Here is the link to the Facebook invite – facebook.com/events/66304848748843

These twelve paintings are from my Sensu series of encaustics, created last month ($250 each). They are 8″ x 8″ encaustic & collage pieces. On the back of each painting, I have instructions on how to care for these paintings. <3

Care Instructions for Encaustic Pieces –

Over time, dust and other particles in the air will collect on the surface of the painting and make a film that will look dull. Regular buffing in the first three months will help to keep the surface shiny and will bring out translucency in layers that are not currently visible. After three months, the surface of the encaustic painting will stabilize and won’t attract dust as readily. Any time the painting starts to look dull, it can be buffed with a very soft rag to increase the transparency and shine of the surface. Light dusting of the piece is all that is needed in the form of maintenance.

To make sure your piece lasts a long time, it should not be hung where it will experience below freezing temperatures or in direct sunlight coming through a window. Be aware of placing your piece near a powerful light bulb or any kind of lighting that produces a lot of heat (Christmas lights). Don’t leave your piece in a car on a hot day or near a fireplace. As long as your piece is kept in your house at a comfortable temperature, it should stay in perfect condition.

Because the wax is soft, it could be damaged if dropped or if a sharp or hard object is scraped over the surface. Fingerprints will also damage the surface over time, as the acid on our hands will etch itself into the wax. A quick wipe of the surface after everyone touches it will prevent this from happening.

If you ever need to pack or move, or ship your encaustic painting, make sure you wrap it in a piece of paper with a smooth surface before wrapping it in bubble wrap or anything that has a texture that could damage the surface.

Encaustic painting is very archival, resistant to moisture, fading from light exposure or yellowing from acid. In fact, encaustic painting is the most archival form of known painting. Your painting has the potential to last for hundreds of years if well cared for. I trust you will enjoy it!

abstract, art, art exhibition, art for sale, art in restaurants, encaustic, found object, Karen Tashkovski, mixed media, painting

Sensu

Image May 16, 2019 Karen Tashkovski 1 Comment

Karen Tashkovski, “Ichi”, 2019, 8″ x 8″, encaustic & collage, $250

Karen Tashkovski, “Fuji”, 2019, 8″ x 8″, encaustic & collage, $250

Karen Tashkovski, “Ramen”, 2019, 8″ x 8″, encaustic & collage, $250

I am delighted to announce I have just completed a new series of encaustic & collage paintings! Yesssssss! They are fans – sensu in Japanese. I was inspired by a call-for-Japanese-inspired-art for a group show, which will be curated by Jamie Santos at Kasai Ramen scheduled for next month.

Karen Tashkovski, “Shibori”, 2019, 8″ x 8″, encaustic & collage, $250

Karen Tashkovski, “Obi”, 2019, 8″ x 8″, encaustic & collage, $250

I love Japanese art! I’ve introduced my students to it with many different lessons through the years, the most recent of which happened to be utilizing the fan as motif. This was both inspiration and motivation for me to finally purchase some gesso boards, pull out the beeswax and immerse myself in the full sensation of creation.

Karen Tashkovski, “MIA”, 2019, 8″ x 8″, encaustic & collage, $250

Karen Tashkovski, “Geisha”, 2019, 8″ x 8″, encaustic & collage, $250

I love how each one of these new pieces is unique – I added elements of origami, kintsugi, and shibari, as well as nods to the specific landscape, sport, and artists (Yayoi Kusama, the Japanese artist who is known for her dot paintings) of the country.

Karen Tashkovski, “Sumo”, 2019, 8″ x 8″, encaustic & collage, $250

Karen Tashkovski, “Yen”, 2019, 8″ x 8″, encaustic & collage, $250

The very best part of creating art is relaxing into the process – allowing the inspiration to come rather than forcing decision making. It transports to an other-worldly place where the art becomes the most important thing, where nothing else matters except oneself and the process. The experience is pure joy; utter bliss. I highly recommend it. <3

Karen Tashkovski, “Shibari”, 2019, 8″ x 8″, encaustic & collage, $250

Karen Tashkovski, “Yayoi”, 2019, 8″ x 8″, encaustic & collage, $250

Karen Tashkovski, “Sensu”, 2019, 8″ x 8″, encaustic & collage, $250

art, art exhibition, art for sale, art in restaurants, found object, Karen Tashkovski, painting

Sweet Alley

Image March 30, 2019 Karen Tashkovski Leave a comment

Tony Thompson’s closing reception was last night. He’d been showing his artwork at Kasai Ramen, 218 Walton Street, Syracuse, New York 13203 for two months. I decided to go and it was the first time I’d been to this location in twenty-six years! OMG. It used to be Sweet Baba’s, the very first place I exhibited my own art. I was the house artist for a while – I don’t remember how long, but it was the place where I sold my first painting, which led to a commission. Fond memories.

The restaurant itself is a work of art. It was built in the alley between two buildings. The Walton Street entrance boasts a cozy bar area and some seating. There are three staircases, one a spiral, that lead to a lower level filled with the ambiance of brick walls, dark lighting and the dance of kitchen staff preparing asian fusion meals to perfection.

“Kasai Ramen is a 100 seat, two level restaurant. Its menu features traditional Ramen and Izakaya dishes with a Salt City attitude. Featuring superior service and exceptional quality food in an electric fast paced atmosphere Kasai is the restaurant to dine at in Armory Square. Come enjoy an order of Pork Gyoza, Shrimp Steam Buns, Shoyu Ramen and a Whole Roasted Duck!”

Thompson is a Syracuse bred artist currently living in Utica, New York. He exhibits regionally and is part of the graffiti/tattoo stable of artists led by my friend Jamie Santos. These thirty somethings have commandeered the art scene here with many cool-themed pop-up shows and curated group restaurant gigs under their young hipster belts.

The work here is cohesive. Thompson uses found object canvases – discarded windows, old cabinets and wood scraps. His work is a narrative of the inner workings of his mind. Portraits that bring to mind a Basquiat quality with competent, confident line quality that belies his mostly self-taught status. The other imagery appears like a nightmare jutxaposed with sweet child-like innocence. My favorite pieces are the glass ones. They are a fun marriage of old and new, the window allowing the viewer to, sort of, see into the artist’s engagingly energetic mind.

Next up for the restaurant is a show by Jamie and beyond that, a curated Japanese-themed one that I may be a part of. I am immersed in Japanese art and culture right now with four of my classes using Hokusai and other wood block print references, so it may be up my alley. (Get it? Because Kasai Ramen is built in an alley….)

Find Tony Thompson on Facebook.

art, art exhibition, art for sale, art in restaurants, Karen Tashkovski, mixed media, painting

The Beauty Within

Image June 3, 2018 Karen Tashkovski Leave a comment

The year was 1996: the bartenders at Empire Brewing Company on Walton Street in Armory Square/downtown Syracuse, New York used to slip me handfuls of coasters all the time. I used them as collage material in my oil & collage paintings. I’m not a beer (or any alcoholic beverage) drinker but still – I was a bit of a barfly back in the day. I really love that place!

Well, they opened a farm brewery on Route 13 in Cazenovia, New York a while back. It is a magnificent venue in every way – you must make your pilgrimage if you haven’t done so already. It is the power of Empire times infinity! I was there this evening for Kara Daviau’s art reception.

Delicious food and drink specials, of course, and – who knew? a spectacular basement tasting/barrel room with brick walls and the most splendid ambiance for an art exhibition. Kara’s work is a perfect match for this space.

Her new series is titled Keep Me Where the Light Is. Kara is continuing her journey of discovering abandoned places and summoning them to life with music. She captures the essences of the forgotten beauty while listening to specific tunes, adding sheet music as collage before tackling the canvases with vibrant acrylic hues.

Her new mantra is expand. She is voraciously seeking new places to show and sell her artwork, (which includes merchandise – magnets, notecards, T-shirts and other accessories – you can find these and more at Wildflowers Armory in Armory Square).

As of very recently, her paintings have been accepted in juried exhibitions at galleries in New York City and in Connecticut and Maryland with the opportunity for solo exhibitions in all locations on the horizon. I asked her if she would seek abandoned spaces in these areas to create new work that resonates with people who live there. Not yet was her response.

She is at a crossroads, both personally and professionally. Her focus is on healing and with that a strong urge to self reflect via self-portraiture may be the next leg in her journey. She’d added a mini self-portrait to the lower corner of one of these paintings then wiped it out, as if to say she wasn’t quite ready for that leap…yet.

I trust that Kara will visualize the success she deserves with any step she takes on her path to get there. She is a beautiful person both inside and out. I love the trailblazing spirit that guides her choices – such an incredibly talented artist and a wonderful role model for both her own children and her students. <3

Kara Daviau’s art studio is located at the Delavan Center (Studio 249), 509 W. Fayette Street, Syracuse, New York. For more information about this work and more, contact her at KLDAV@HOTMAIL.COM.

art, art for sale, art in restaurants, Karen Tashkovski, photography

Newbie

Image April 23, 2018 Karen Tashkovski Leave a comment

Photographer Laura Thorne is new in town. The former Tampa, Florida resident is having her first art exhibition at Dolce Vita World Bistro, 907 East Genesee Street, Syracuse, New York. The show will be up until May 19, 2018.

See more of Laura’s photographs on her website www.laurathornephotography.com.

Here is the information from the Facebook page:

Dolce Vita presents… PerspectiVe Changes Everything, a showcase of some of Laura Thorne’s most unique and compelling photography from around the world and in Syracuse.

Donate to Believe in Syracuse by May 18th to enter a drawing to win a framed 11 x 14 print. For each dollar donated to the Creativity Crates Project fund you will receive one wanted. IE $5 = 5 chances to win.
https://mailchi.mp/192c738f9f9f/enter-to-win-an-11-x-14-framed-print-by-laura-thorne-of-absolute-revolution-gallery

abstract, art education, art exhibition, art for sale, art gallery, art in restaurants, Karen Tashkovski, painting

The Spirit Beckons

Image April 16, 2018 Karen Tashkovski 2 Comments

Sandra Sabene and Laura Stisser have united in art for an exhibition at the Roji Tea Lounge in Syracuse, New York. The artwork will be on display through May 2018. Tonight was the reception, which included a demonstration of meditative painting by Sabene and a musical performance by Zoe Mullan-Stout and Blake Propst.

Sabene spins her canvas on a mobile contraption-style easel her husband had built for her. It was pretty cool and reminded me of a similar process I am using with my 5th graders – their paper canvas-based sculptures are propped on banding wheels in order to look at and paint them from all sides.

During her presentation, the artist’s hand, holding a two-inch flat brush, danced across the canvas to the beat of music, dipping that paintbrush in a succession of primary colors, working intuitively and discarding brushes along the way. She would grab another and another in an attempt to prevent the inevitable muddiness that can occur using this process, as she had mentioned prior to her start. She lets go of pain, hurt, and the past and focuses on the now. In the present moment, her hand guides her emotional healing sparking the flow of spirituality and inner peace.

Sabene teaches this method in her studio gallery, the Liverpool Art Center, located near Onondaga Lake Parkway in Liverpool, New York. For more information on Sandra Sabene and her style visit www.artbysandra.com.

Both artists create non-representational work. Both connect to their inner spirit as they work. Laura Stisser’s work looks to use a marbleizing technique. She is evolving as an artist (she is a Sabene disciple) while also selling Young Essential Oils in her spare time, as well as making a living as a professional actor! Connect with Laura Stisser at www.laurastisserart.com.

The show is titled “A Soul on Fire…is the most powerful force on earth”. The Roji Tea Lounge is located at 108 East Washington Street #2, Syracuse, New York. Visit www.rojitealounge.com for information such as their latest menu and hours of operation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqJesktztEE

abstract, angels, art, art exhibition, art for sale, art in restaurants, encaustic, found object, hearts, Karen Tashkovski, mixed media, painting

111

Image November 30, 2017 Karen Tashkovski 3 Comments

Thirteen paintings from my angel series “Futura” are currently on display at the Half Moon Bakery & Bistro in Jamesville, New York! Bobbi Petrocci and I pulled the switch-a-roo – she took down the CBA Hope for the Bereaved exhibit and installed my show by lining up these encaustics to look like ethereal soldiers hovering from above to love and protect the foodie patrons at this wonderful café.

The paintings are $111 each. If you want one, just let proprietor Debbe Titus know. She can contact me and I will meet you there. You will get to take one (or more) home for Christmas! They really do work best in multiples! They are small: 8″ x 10″ paintings on masonite mounted on 11″ x 14″ chalkboard.

It is always such a thrill to exhibit here. I have a fondness for a captive audience – people who do not ordinarily go to art shows, so we bring the art to them. Making the invisible visible is what it’s about. The show will be up during the month of December 2017.

abstract, art, art education, art exhibition, art for sale, art gallery, art in restaurants, ceramics, classroom, Karen Tashkovski, products

Dish Babies

Image November 18, 2017 Karen Tashkovski 1 Comment

Gratitude is in abundance in November. It is in the air we are breathing here in Syracuse, New York The cold air that is making its journey across the ocean as I write this, which may actually bring with it a snow day or at least a two-hour delay on Monday (according to my meteorologist friend), is actually clearing our sinuses of the allergens from last season with every breath we take.

We are grateful for the freedom from headaches and nausea associated with said allergies, lol. By we I mean specifically me, but I assure you, there are many who share the same sentiments.

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, we (again me, lol) are all more keen to bring conscious awareness to our love and appreciation for our lives – our families and the pets we love, our friendships both near and far, and all of the things we love (yes! like art!).

I hosted a dinner party last night along with my friend Bobbi Rock Petrocci – Friendsgiving 2017, our 3rd annual and the biggest to date with thirty people dining together in the private room at Grover’s Table in Fayetteville, New York. It was a blessed evening. I just feel so overwhelmed with gratitude and love for these amazing people.

Last week, I met Bobbi at the Half Moon Bakery & Bistro in Jamesville, New York to assist her in installing her latest exhibition of Christian Brothers Academy student artwork. I did very little. She is an epic installer, equipped with level, hammer, tiny nails and the perfect plan to display these very special diminutive plates. I just provided the oh-that-looks-so-goods, and was the first to make a purchase.

They were made by CBA art club students in grades 7 – 12 for the purpose of fundraising for Hope for the Bereaved, a grief counseling group. These dishes are infused with color and spiritual messages, and/or delicate imagery meant to allow the flow of positive energy to encompass the viewer and subsequent owner. They are priced at $10 each. You put your money in a jar on the counter and write your name on the accompanying master grid to secure the one you want. A butterfly sticker is then placed under the purchased piece until November 30, 2017 when the show comes down and all the artwork are released to their respective new owners/homes.

These dishes epitomize kindness, the idea that we help each other heal; that children are just as capable as adults are to feel, express and share the positive vibe of love. Each piece is unique. I am sure that you will find one that speaks to you.

And while there, give thanks to amazing proprietor Debbe Titus who has been busily creating, crafting and baking pies to sell for Thanksgiving, as well as offering daily specials of breakfast and lunch – soups, salads and sandwiches that are very, very yummy – and of course, desserts like half moon cookies and pumpkin bread, cupcakes and all things deliciously amazing! So grateful! <3

abstract, art, art exhibition, art for sale, art in restaurants, Karen Tashkovski, painting, watercolor

Friendship & Art

Image April 29, 2017 Karen Tashkovski Leave a comment

IMG_20170429_131408_509 — Coach baseball cap, Halston Heritage dress, Karl Lagerfeld Paris boots

The closing reception for Art & Baseball, my watercolor show at Half Moon Bakery & Bistro, was sooooo much fun! The baseball cupcakes were so cute, and delicious too. I had a lemon one – yum!

I have such an amazing support system of love from my immediate family. My sister Kathy and my mom were there and my dad stopped in after a long morning of tilling his vegetable garden. My friend Penny was doing the same at her place in Sylvan Beach before coming! I have the best friends and I know how fortunate I am to have them in my life.

Proprietor Debbe Titus said exactly that – “you have the best friends supporting you”.

After the reception and take down, my friend Kim and I drove over to her hair salon, Kimberly’s Salon at 2520 James Street in Eastwood (Syracuse, New York). We hung the paintings there. So that is the answer to the questions, when and where is your next show? They will be up indefinitely and are available for sale in a cash & carry. I will just replace them with more art.

Kimberly’s Salon hours of operation are as follows: Tuesdays & Thursdays 11:00 am – 6 pm, Wednesdays & Fridays 9:00 am – 6:00 pm, and Saturdays 9:00 am – 2:00 pm. Call (315) 463-2735 for more information.

I do have the very best friends a girl could ever ask for. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Today was such an amazing day in my universe.

	Karen Tashkovski on Teaching Bergeron
	Gina Thomas on Teaching Bergeron
	Karen Tashkovski on 44
	Gina Thomas on 44
	Karen Tashkovski on Vince’s Gourmet Still Li…

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