ROMI CORTIER’S BLOG

Cleaning. Friend or Enemy

Breaking & Entering

Pink Water Hose

Artist:KellyReemsten 

While wandering through galleries at a recent exhibition in the Bergamot Station in Santa Monica, I discovered a single painting in a group show at Skidmore Contemporary Art, that highly intrigued me. It was of a headless female figure in a black and white striped dress holding a pipe wrench… possibly vintage, possibly new. The work appeared again in a recent email promoting an exhibition at the Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard California… so I decided to do some research and learn more about the work to understand why it fascinated me. Turns out the artist is Kelly Reemsten, who initially studied fashion design in the fine arts  department of Central Michigan University and CSU Longbeach.

Reemsten notes in a recent interview: This work  refers to how a woman views herself vs. how she’s perceived outwardly by others. It is also about the role of a modern woman. What is expected of her and how she rarely lives up to all of the expectations. She may be a pretty picture, but totally destroyed on the inside. 

‘I’m a woman’  the early 60’s song sung by Peggy Lee, surely must have reflected society’s expectations of  women during that time period. Judging by the amount of women who go under the knife every year to achieve outward perfection, it appears little has changed. The recent 10 hour surgery that Heidi Montag undertook at age 23, tells us just how high the bar has been raised… to be flawlessly perfect is the only way to be acceptable. That is why I found the recent film ‘NINE’ to be so enjoyable (I know, it was panned by the critics) but it allowed women to be sexy at any age by owning their sexuality and sensuality.  Dame  Judy Dench in a bustier at age 76, singing Folies Bergere ,was remarkable to me. Has she had work done… maybe, maybe not. But she’s comfortable in her own skin, and that’s what makes her so enjoyable to watch. This is where wisdom comes in… and Kelly Reemsten’s paintings tackle women’s perceptions of themselves and the absurd expectations that are placed on them. 

Learn more about Kelly’s work at: www.kellyreemsten.com

Photo: Romi Cortier

The Artist Studio Open House, which coincided with the Palm Springs Modernism Week, was a resounding success. Over 100 people came through the home during the 2 day event, soaking up the spectacular mountain views, learning about what it takes to renovate and create a mid century gem such as this, while also enjoying original art work that was either created for the home or inspired by moments of play in the pool.

Visiting from as far away as Toronto, Chicago, Minneapolis, Houston and Seattle, guests learned about the home as a furnished vacation rental, while others considered  the home as a possible investment. Frequent bookings make the home nearly impossible to show to potential buyers, therefore, the home is not listed on the MLS. However, realtor Lisa Casey with Greater Palm Springs Realty is available to answer questions in the event of a serious enquiry. She can be reached at 760.641.8772.

Book this home for your vacation rental  at: 

http://www.vacationpalmsprings.com/home_detail.php?home_name=midcentury-home-life

I will be hosting an ‘Artist Studio’ open house at my home in Palm Springs during the Palm Springs Modernism Week. My home, a renovated ‘Alexander’ built in 1958, is also a furnished vacation rental represented by Vacation Palm Springs. This open house is an opportunity to view both the home itself, as well as my original artwork which is for sale – starting for as little as $125. Some of the pieces were custom made for this home, while other works were created from photos taken at the home.  Their will be over 40 original works of art available for sale. 

February 13th & 14th, 11:00 am – 4:00pm

Pool and Cabana

    

Kitchen

Red Marilyn

Red Ball #3

Spider Mum Installation

 

 

 

 

Mary Hart from Entertainment Tonight was in the salon today to see her stylist Arrick Anderson, and took note of this wall mural that I’d painted on our reception room wall when we first opened nine years ago. It was the first time that she’d really ’seen’ it, and was completely moved by it. Interestingly, another person in the salon today had the same experience, so it got me thinking that it might be nice to share it with a larger audience…  

This was Nelson Mandella’s Inauguration Speech in 1994, however, the author is believed to be Marianne Williamson from A Course in Miracles.  Enjoy!!

Here’s a great documentary for any architecture geeks like myself. I loved this film when I saw it in Palm Springs, and immensely enjoyed chatting with the film maker Eric Briker. It was so moving, that I plan to see it again this week while it’s in Los Angeles.  Hope to see you there!!

A recent article that I wrote about wigs has been featured on todays RealSelf.com Blog, as part of Octobers Breast Cancer Awareness campaign. The article gives readers an in depth look at wig options while going through chemotherapy. 

 http://www.realself.com/blog/Breast-cancer-awareness-wig-guide

Mac, Retna, "Gracias a la Vida", 2009, Spray Paint, Acrylic on Canvas, 11 X 11 feet

Mac, a photorealist with spray paint, and Retna, a traditional brush artist who creates abstract embellishments and calligraphic fonts, have teamed up for a widely anticipated first time gallery show at the Robert Berman Gallery. Having created over 20 murals around the globe, this show will feature both individual works prior to their meeting, as well as current large scale collaborative pieces such as the one shown above.  This retrospective will run through October 17, 2009.

Robert Berman Gallery, [Gallery C2 + D5] Bergamot Station Art Center, 2525 Michigan Avenue, Santa Monica Ca. 90404

www.robertbermangallery.com

Wayne Thiebaud, Two Paint Cans, 1987, Oil on Paper, mounted on board

Over 120 works of the celebrated artist Wayne Thiebaud will be on display at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. I previously posted about this exhibit after seeing it at the Palm Springs Museum of Art earlier this year. This is a spectacular exhibit that is easy on the eyes, and engaging for art lovers at all levels. Don’t miss it! 

Opening Event Saturday October 3, 2009 7-9 pm. Runs through January 31, 2010.

www.pmcaonline.org

Design and Sketches by Lorena Sarbu

Sharon Lawrence - 2009 Emmy Arrivals

Every wonder what it takes to prepare for a trip to the Emmy’s? Here’s an insiders peak at the process of creating Miss Lawrence’s look for her walk down the red carpet.

Dress maker Lorena Sarbu, Located in Beverly Hills, conceptualized the dress and created these sketches for Sharon. With the sketch’s complete and the look agreed upon, the dress was then made from muslin to assure a proper fit. Once approved, the next stage was to begin construction of the dress with the chosen fabric, a gorgeous navy blue satin, which required additional fittings upon completion. Both the matte and shiny side of the fabric was used to create the contrasting details that set off Sharon’s figure. As her hair dresser, I also used this illustration to decide on the best silhouette for her hair, as well as the proper tone of her hair color. Blowing out her naturally wavy locks to create more structure, I added height to the top while tucking the sides back, to strengthen the elongation of the overall look. KTLA commented that Miss Lawrence was one of the best dressed on this years Emmy Red Carpet.. I have to agree.

We’re Dying To Meet You, Original, 26 X 29, $16,000

Where Spirits Dwell, Original, 14 X 20, $9,000

The Dearest Departed, Original, 16 X 20, $7,000

Singing Busts, Original, 13 X 17, $6,000

All Artwork by SHAG, Images courtesy Disney, Copyright Disney

While at Disneyland today I noticed a huge line of diverse folks, from gay guys to goth girls, outside one of the stores on Main Street. Turns out the artist SHAG was inside signing all forms of artwork that he’d created for the store. The original works that I’ve shown above are just a drop in the bucket of the items he’s created for the store. There are also giclee’s, serigraphs, boxed pin sets, ear hats, coasters, vinyl creatures, post card sets, bracelets, shirts, to name a few. It’s very exciting to see SHAG cross over into another genre, partnering with Disney on the theme of the Haunted Mansion.  I’ve known of his work  primarily from galleries in Palm Springs, which feature his mid-century inspired images.  Having just made some SHAG purchases in Palm Springs, I resisted the urge to add anything else to my collection.

To view the full catalogue online copy and paste this link into your browser: http://www.register123.com/event/profile/web/index.cfm?PKwebID=0×1451421605