January 2012

The January 2012 exhibition of Now. Here. This. features Kara Smith, an artist living and working in Brooklyn, NY. Kara’s work as a painter is deeply influenced by her routes via subway or on foot, which are dictated by employment, appointments, social calls and the regular daily activities of an artist in New York City. The familiarity of imagery in her drawings and paintings echo a universal glance toward the past, but never create a nostalgic longing. Her fictional moments seem to hang in mid-air and transform her realistic urban landscape into tender moments of uncertainty. Kara physically charts her personal geographic routes on homemade maps, with each point representing a stop she has made, her studio, or her home. Just as the Situationists left their entire “dérive” experiences up to chance, Kara allows the paths between points on her map to be viable authentic experiences and chance moments that trigger a creative act. Kara’s work for Now. Here.This. is a chart of her mental landscape as influenced by her surroundings.

Artist Bio

Kara Smith is a Brooklyn-based artist, designer and educator. Exploring mostly painting and collage, her work seeks to capture the significance of moments ordinarily overlooked. Drawing from dreams, memories, personal anecdotes, archetypal symbols and myths, she composes worlds, whether real or imagined, that evoke a faint sense of familiarity.

Kara is presently enrolled in the Masters of Art Education Program at Brooklyn College. She teaches art classes at Who’s on First? Children’s Enrichment Program, the The Co-op School, as well as private classes. She also makes terrariums and holds terrarium making workshops for both children and adults. Before pursing arts education, Kara worked as a dresser at the Metropolitan Opera, was a freelance art director and prop stylist, and arts administrator at galleries in Boston, Los Angeles and New York.

January 1

Magic Basket Sighting. Location: Brooklyn, Carroll St Bridge. West Side. Winter.

Untitled (Magic Basket), 2011, 16″x12″, acrylic, pencil, chalk on canvas

January 3

Imagined Apples. Location: Brooklyn, Prospect Park. Nethermead.

Imagined Apples, 2012, 8 ½”x 11″, collage and pencil sketch

January 5

We moved to Kensington in June of 2011. I knew I was in the right place when I discovered that we were sharing the neighborhood with this list of surreal characters. They are real, and each time I see one of them, I am fascinated that we are all living together, going about our business. Location: Brooklyn, Kensington.

People in our Neighborhood, 2012, 8 ½”x 11″ A list with my good ol’ typewriter.

January 8

At home with Bison (catman, pronounced bee-sahn), putting some time in map making. I can easily imagine having worked as a cartographer in a past life. I enjoy getting lost in the process, seeing the details emerge as if I were the observer, tracking the steps I’ve taken.

Location: Brooklyn, Kensington, Albemarle Road

The Map, 2012, approximately 5′ x 5′, Ink and pencil on kraft paper

January 10

Thankful for color. Location: Brooklyn, Kensington, Kermit Pl.

Thankful for color, 2012, 8 ½”x 11″, Ink and pencil sketch

January 11

The Quest of the Orange Square . Location: Brooklyn, 4th Ave and 6th.

The Quest of the Orange Square, 2012, 4½” x 10½” Ink, chalk, pencil sketch on photo

January 12

Spent the afternoon at home building terrariums. As I spun this one around before confirming it finished, I realized that the more interesting view was from the other side. Perspective changes everything.

Location: Brooklyn, Kensington, Albemarle Road.

Detail from Three’s Company, 2012, Terrarium with moss, rocks, figures

January 13

In September of 2010, a small tornado touched down in Brooklyn. A friend who lives in Park Slope told of looking out her second story window and finding a chair lodged in the tree. The story stuck with me, and this past year I completed a painting inspired by the tale. Location: Brooklyn, Park Slope, President St between 6th and 7th Ave.

The Day Aaniin was Born, 2011, 24″ x 36″ Acrylic, charcoal, graphite on canvas.

January 14

Studio Time. Workin’ on the deep, dark ocean. Location: Brooklyn, Dumbo, Jay Street.

(Untitled) Ledge Light, In Progress……

January 15

A cross section of work at my studio. Location: Brooklyn, Dumbo, Jay Street.

Studio Location Shot

January 16

To watch the garbage train rumble through the station is to know that you are up late. Late enough that the city figures no one they want to impress is standing on the platform. But this time was different. This train had a follower bopping along for the ride. Location: Manhattan, Columbus Circle, 59th St Station

Garbage Train, A Re-Creation, 2012, 8″ x 10″, Pencil on photo

January 18

All in a day’s work;

Today’s post begins to detail the progress of a new painting from the point where I stretch the canvas to completion. It’s always exciting to get to the point where things start to take shape and I can start to explore the personality of the subject.

Location: Brooklyn, Gowanus, 3rd Ave and 3rd St.

Untitled (The Coignet building) In progress….

January 20

As Brian and I were driving down Jay Street towards DUMBO one day, we stopped at a light. I glanced up and managed to snap a quick picture of this wayward cluster of balloons before we drove off.

Location: Downtown Brooklyn, Jay Street at Schemerhorn Street

Jay Street, 2010, 14″ x 11″ Mixed media on canvas

January 22

Growing up in the woods, my brother and I would collect snow from our yard, pour a bunch of maple syrup over it, and eat it like some sort of slushie dream. I’m not about to do that in our little Brooklyn garden, so I tried this instead.

Location: Brooklyn, Kensington, Albemarle Road.

Snowcolor Study, 2012, Food Coloring, Snow, Sunday Afternoon

January 24

Continuing work on my portrait of the Coignet Stone Company Building. This is the second in a series exploring the survival of singular structures left behind. These landscape portraits will spotlight buildings, which through their uniqueness, express the isolation of their current surroundings. The dynamic of their antiquated existence in present locales is a reminder of a bygone era.

Location: Brooklyn, Gowanus, 3rd Ave and 3rd St.

Untitled (The Coignet building) In progress….

January 26

I have to thank my friend, Oliver for this special discovery. The reflection of the corner stoplight shines it’s way across the playground, upon a steel door in Underwood Park. Eerie and surprising.

Location: Brooklyn, Clinton Hill, Underwood park, Lafayette between Waverly and Washington

January 28

It was a cold, rainy, winter day outside the Park Slope Armory YMCA, Henry had an umbrella, I had a camera. It was the impetus for this painting below.

Location: Brooklyn, Park Slope, 15th St between 7th and 8th Ave