[de]LUX ART INSTITUTE
In October of 2004, my cousin Paula and I stepped into the Paul Kopeikin Gallery on Wilshire Blvd. and saw a magnificent large painting of an angelic-looking blonde female clothed in a beautifully rendered dress of greens and flowers painted in the style of the Renaissance masters. It was at that time that we "discovered" the artist Julie Heffernan. My cousin was more enthusiastic about Julie's painting at the time than I was (my taste in art veered more towards the abstract, weird, and contemporary). But, I admired the artist's amazing painting skills!
Occasionally Paula, who lives in New York, would ask me if I could find out (via computer - my cousin doesn't do computers) if Julie Heffernan was showing in the NY area. To make a long story shorter, Paula became obsessed with Julie's art, and I had gone onto other things. Fast forward 2 1/2 years. I was checking the Night and Day section of our paper recently to see if a local gallery I was interested in was listed among the chosen few. It was not. However, on that very page, my eyes caught an artist's name that I would normally associate with showing only in LA or NYC. It was none other than Julie Heffernan! AND... she was showing at the LUX Art Institute in Encinitas - a place I had heard about but never been, yet!
Julie Heffernan - Self Portrait with Men in Hats,
oil on canvas, 2007 Courtesy PPOW Gallery
OMG!! Do I dare call my cousin Paula and tell her WHO is showing here?? Would she have a heart attack? Unfortunately, she and her family are struggling financially, and a flight out here to see the show would only add more $$ to their 6-figure debt. But I did tell Paula, and, as upset as she was, wanted me to "claw" all Heffernan literature, postcards, ("oh and if there is a catalog of the show, please please please?!" ) when I go to LUX. Not wasting any time, I phoned LUX for directions (I sort of knew the general vicinity) and was a bit surprised when they told me it was behind a Kindercare - HA! I could see the wee ones skipping uphill behind their facility to get some culture at LUX!
If you read LUX's mission statement below, you see the words - "make art more accessible - see the artistic process firsthand - internationally recognized artists." I like that! So, I decided to go on a Friday afternoon to see this artistic process firsthand by the artist my cousin would KILL to see again, let alone to watch her paint (please email me your donations to transport my cousin out here).
I was captivated by LUX, the building looks like something out of the pages of dwell magazine. I COULD live in it - EASILY - for those of you not familiar with dwell, the building is very minimally modernistic. It was designed by Renzo Zecchetto (oh how I love those Italians, they KNOW how to design). Nestled into a hillside, it is one of only a few "green" buildings in SD county. WOW!! As I approached the gallery and resident artist "studio," I noticed a beautifully draped section of the gallery. Some of the sheer white curtain was pulled back so you could view the artist creating a new work. And lo and behold, there was Julie Heffernan, with a few brushes in her hand, busily sketching onto a large canvas. I could smell the oil paint so strongly, an odor I never get to smell (I paint with innocent acrylics). The radio was stationed on talk radio, a folding chair, a table full of paint tubes, the usual studio accoutrements!
I could watch her paint for hours on end. I find that a very relaxing sport. It was also very interesting to see how Julie approached the painting, what areas she was outlining, some figures that were quick, rough-draft "sketches" only to be worked on in detail at a later time. I quickly went closer and started speaking to her, asking her about her art, telling her of my first account with her art, then snagged an autographed postcard souvenir for my cousin, and just as I put away the card, a lady working at LUX came into the gallery/studio and politely told me NOT to speak to the artist, as they are there to work, and not to be disturbed. Fine!
I then walked around the mostly large self-portrait paintings and was in awe of them. They were wonderfully technically painted, very detailed and so chock full of images, the more you look at the painting, the more hidden things you see.It is painting at it's finest...I am ending this post here and urging everyone to go to LUX. It is a rare opportunity to see an artist of this caliber here in SD and if you go before April 19th you can see her working on her painting-another rare opportunity! Now I see why cousin Paula is in awe of Julie Heffernan's paintings! They are DE-LUX!
Julie Heffernan In Studio
April 3 - 19, 2008
On Exhibit
April 4 - May. 31, 2008
Hours: Thursday & Friday 1-5 pm
Saturday 11-5 pm
1550 S. El Camino Real
Encinitas, CA 92024
About Lux
Mission Statement:
Lux Art Institute is redefining the museum experience to make art more accessible and personally meaningful. At Lux, you don’t just see finished works of art; you see the artistic process firsthand, engaging with internationally recognized artists in a working studio environment.
As part of this mission, Lux works to:
• Support artists in the development of new projects through a residency program, and share their discoveries with scholars, art patrons and a regional and national audience.
• Educate and engage the community to foster an appreciation of the living artist and creative process.
• Exhibit finished works from Lux residencies alongside the artist’s other works and those of others who have influenced them.
• Develop relationships with similar institutions to produce publications that interpret the work created in the residency program.
Comments
Dear Maura,
I was delighted to read your posting. I am planning to link it to my A+Art Blog this month which saves me the trouble of writing all about this artist who is so impressive. I attended the opening and met her at that time and she seemed charming.
I thought hard about going to see her at work, but didn't want to interrupt her. But now I see that just standing and watching could be an education. I thought it would sort of be like watching paint dry, but you made it sound magical. I guess you could wait until she took a break and then have a word with her but not if the Lux police are watching!
with kindest regards and respect.
Patricia Frischer
www.SDVAN.net
Posted by: Patricia, San Diego | avril 11, 2008 08:58 PM