(Long Island, N.Y.) Before the traditional exodus to the Hamptons for the 4th of July Holiday weekend, Manhattanites enjoyed a night of Soprano Opera Star Cristina Fontanelli serenading many musical toons including Cole Porter’s “Swonderful”. Ms. Fontanelli returned to Feinstein’s at Loews Regency once again charming her audience with a big voice and a personalized style. Fontanelli is known to perform “With a Song in My Heart,” “I Feel a Song Coming On,” “The Italian Street Song,” “Wicked Woman (Mala Femmena),” “La Vie en Rose,” “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina,” and other opera, Broadway, and Cabaret favorites.
Born and raised in Brooklyn New York, Cristina was smitten with show business after first seeing the classic David O’Selznick production “Gone With the Wind.” She graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and also attended the Juilliard School in New York.
During our interview Cristina expressed, “This is my fourth appearance at Feinstein’s and it’s so much fun, I love doing this because I can do and sing whatever I want and speak to the audience and Feinsteins has a history of such great stars that have appeared in this room.”
The New York Times recently praised Ms. Fontanelli’s performance as having “technical ease” and “flaunting bravura”, but perhaps this quote taken from a recent review best sums up the artistry of this versatile soprano – she is a “show stopper”.
To learn more please visit http://www.cristinafontanelli.com
On July 3rd I attended a Debut Solo show of Artist Thomas Cardone at Arthur T. Kalaher Fine Art Gallery on Jobs Lane in Southampton.
Connie Foley shows her art work at Chrysallis Art Gallery
Thomas Cardone was born in Bayside, New York in 1964. After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from New York Institute of Technology, he was recruited by Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. There he trained as a Background Painter in a studio experiencing a renaissance and boasting the best talent from around the world. Under the tutelage of this gifted array of artists, Cardone became Head of the Background Painting Department and then Art Director. He has contributed to 14 feature length animated films including Beauty and the Beast and Pocahontas. His Art Direction can be seen in the the Emperor’s New Groove, Robots, Ice Age: The Meltdown, Horton Hears a Who and Rio (2011).
During his time at Disney, Cardone studied the masterful work of his predecessors. Background paintings are designed to be clear in their staging; elements of composition, color, value and saturation are orchestrated to direct your attention to the intended subject. Mr. Cardone also studied the work of great American Illustrators such as N.C Wyeth and Dean Cornwell who mastered these principles and whose bold, direct works became the foundation for his own approach. His art work endeavors to capture the fleeting effects of light and shadow on landscapes. His work is inspired by Artists John Singer Sargent, William Merritt Chase and Fredrick Mulhaupt.
Mr. Cardone recently returned to New York in 2002 to join 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios and is currently dividing his time between Roslyn and Amagansett. He has a deep appreciation for the East End of Long Island where you will find him painting year-round.
Artist Mary Ann Lucas shows her art at the Chrysallis Art Gallery
Later I was invited to a Cocktail Reception at Chrysalis Gallery located at 2 Main Street, Southampton. The event featured an opening reception of Celebrating Nature, a group show featuring artists, Connie Foley, Larry Johnston, Richard Denisiewicz and Maryann Lucas.
I had a chance to chat with Artist Laurence Johnston who has shown at the gallery for many years. Laurence Johnston’s formal art education began right after high school at the State University of New York at Buffalo, attending on a Regents scholarship he continued at SUNY Farmingdale graduating with an Associates degree in Advertising Art and Design. He then attended Southampton College on an art scholarship, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1978.
Larry worked for Grumman Aerospace Corporation (now Northrop Grumman) for 28 years, including 9 years as an illustrator for the Corporate Training department. After the plant was closed and the work transferred out of state, he was faced with the dilemma of relocating or changing vocations. Larry’s passion was to paint full time so, when the opportunity came he went with his heart and chose art instead.
In 1994 Larry and a group of friends opened an art gallery in Bellport, New York. Living on Long Island and having owned three small sailboats, the coastal landscape was a natural choice of subject matter and his work immediately began to attract a following. A timely and favorable review in the New York Times caught the attention of the owner of Chrysalis Gallery in Southampton, New York, where he has been represented since 1995. He has also been represented by The Hearle Gallery in Chatham on Cape Cod since 2005.
Mr. Johnston continually seeks to refine his skills and has attended workshops with locally and nationally recognized artists including Charles Sovek, David Curtis and several with Don Demers. Larry is an Artist Member of the American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA) and the Salmagundi Club of New York.
Inspired by Monet, Ms. Foley adores painting fields of flowers and Artist Maryann Lucas who now lives in Sag Harbor paints the shore and mothers that she expresses are the “Real Lifeguards.”
Richard Denisiewicz is a local artist living and painting on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He was born in Connecticut and attended the School of Visual Arts in New York where he received his bachelors of Fine Arts Degree in 1985. Richard has worked as a freelance artist ever since.
His extensive portfolio features original art for C.D. covers; editorial and science fiction illustrations; as well as numerous portraits and still lives. He has also been commissioned to produce works for some of the most ardent art collectors, including some celebrities.
“A cast shadow, the playful spill of light over a simple object, that certain look in the eyes of a portrait subject. Working in oils and occasionally watercolor, I strive to combine lush brushstrokes, dramatic light and color to capture those subtle yet magnificent moments,” expresses Mr. Denisiewicz through his technique in art.
