"Made of Stardust" Exploration of Self and Our Human Potential by Martha A. Wade

Opening Reception: Friday, Sept 19 from 6-10pm

Free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
On view through October 12, 2014.
RSVP on Facebook

ARTIST BIO
In her new body of work, Martha A. Wade creates a fantasy of humans made from stardust, who uplift our spirits by giving us a glimpse of what people can achieve at their highest potential.  Her tapestry of famous and everyday people suggest that common grounds exist, where everyone is empowered to fulfill their dreams. 

"We all have heroes and heathens in our lives, and most of us are both.  If you look closely into our eyes, you can see the same cluster of stars and particles that exist deep in space." - Martha Wade

"I See Forever In You", Watercolor by Martha A. Wade

Martha A. Wade is a self-taught artist from Chicago. The daughter of an artist, she has always carried a deep passion for art making.  Martha would watch her father paint from a young age, and longed for a canvas of her own.  She began to teach herself drawing by pausing cartoons on video and copying the image.  Today her paintings have a bold and vibrant style that explores mankind's potential on earth and throughout the universe.
Once fearful of the "starving artist" stereotype, Wade chose to attain her undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of Michigan rather than fine art in 2000.  After years of working in the financial services industry, her creative spark could no longer be squelched.  Martha had no choice but to make a change and go back to school in the arts.  She received her Masters of Art Management from Columbia College Chicago in 2008, where she learned the graphic design, web production, and video skills needed to begin her artistic career on her own.  Martha then built her own website, and started posting images of her work.  The love Wade's art received online through social media gave her the courage to show more work, and devote her life to painting nearly 5 years ago.  Martha Wade’s work can be found in private collections nationally in the United States as well as internationally in Scotland, Ireland, and Sweden.

Please contact Galleryna19@gmail.com for more information on any of the work available for sale.

ABOUT GALLERYNA19
Galleryna19 is the newest addition to the trendy Oak Park Art District, the stylishly minimalist gallery exhibits emerging, mid-career and established artists creating contemporary works on paper, paintings, and fine art photography. The mission of Galleryna19 is to bridge various artist communities and provide its artists greater exposure to new markets.

Galleryna19 recognizes the necessity to provide lowbrow and outsider artists, as well as street artists a platform.  In addition to the exhibition of art, the gallery plans to host annual fundraisers for local nonprofits and provide opportunities for youth to develop as artists.

Galleryna19
19 Harrison Street
Oak Park, IL 60304
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PAINTING ::: Sound Waves II

SOUND WAVES
24x24" Mixed Media, Acrylic on Birchwood 

by Martha A. Wade

PAINTING ::: The Flower Girl

FLOWER GIRL

20x14" Digital Art with Corel Painter, 2011

by Edaw Wade
Contact the artist: eugene.wade@gmail.com

ART ::: Fall Morning Light

There is hope in the rising of the sun.

Fall Morning Light

Hope Sun Rising Series

24x48" Acrylic on Birchwood, 2011

by Martha Wade

http://www.wadecreate.com/

ART ::: The Battle for Your Mind

MIND BATTLE
by Martha A. Wade
18x24" Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
variation of INNER STRUGGLES OF SELF
::: SOLD

The battle for your mind
is one fought with strength
The battle for your soul
in life can make or break
When the devils
and the demons
have you by the throat
Just remember
the angels
and the love
have your ever lasting soul.
Mind Battle
which side will you chose?

ART ::: Father and Son Hands by Edaw Wade

FATHER AND SON HANDS

by Edaw Wade

original oil on canvas 1977

fine art prints from $40

©2009 Custom Canvas Art Gallery.

LITTLE GENIUS

LITTLE GENIUS
16x20" acrylic on canvas, 2001
by Martha A. Wade
Canvas Print ::: $60
contact the artist at wade.create@yahoo.com to purchase a print

ABOUT THE ARTWORK ::: This painting is based on a photograph I took of my son trying to read on the couch when he was only one year old. I thought it was the cutest thing, ever. He was always a smart little boy, putting himself to sleep at a young age, and rarely crying as a baby. I loved the way he looked at the book, as if he could really read the page, his little lips moving as he scanned the pictures. I was so moved by this image that I wanted to create a painting from it. It has become a favorite painting of mine.

Art + Poetry ::: WOMAN POWER

Woman Power
by Martha Wade (@wadecreate)
60x60" Acrylic on Stretched Canvas, 2001
































ART + POETRY
Poem written by Niya Holland

Sometimes, we do all we can.
Sometimes, it isn't enough.
Sometimes, we fall short.
And sometimes, we want to give up.
But a woman's power is never-ending,
Ubiquitous and unwavering.
Witnessing a woman's power can give us all the strength
To brave the course
And wade through a sea of blue
To reach the flower at the end.

_____________________________________________

THE POWER OF A WOMAN
by Teresa Brouwer

Women are powerhouses. We can tackle just about anything. We work full-time while being pregnant and we still come home after an eight to ten hour work day and have dinner on the table, kids bathed and in bed by 7pm.

Women are creators. Without women, the human race wouldn’t exist.

Women are your best friends.
The strongest bond in this world is between two women who are the best of friends. Women will always be there for one another no matter what. We are caring, sensitive, and always available for our friends.

Women are honest. Women are honest with themselves and you can count on women to be honest with you about anything.

Women are self-sacrificing. They always put their needs second especially for their children, spouse, and family members. A mother will put aside a pair of shoes she has been dying to have so that way her child could have what h/she wants. A woman will put aside her career to start a family.

Women are smart. Women learn all trades of life from working, playing sports, cooking, cleaning, giving birth, raising children, to holding down a full-time job while taking care of a family.

Women are fighters. A woman’s experiences in life may bring her down, but then will bring her right back up again. She knows how to move forward and she knows how to fight for her life and her rights.

Women are strong, beautiful, and bold.

PAINTING ::: Inner Struggles of Self

INNER STRUGGLES OF SELF
Original 16x20" Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

by Martha A. Wade
Founder, Custom Canvas Art Gallery

ARTIST DESCRIPTION OF PAINTING:
I painted INNER STRUGGLES OF SELF during my first Art History class at the University of Michigan in 1998. Throughout the course, we discussed the significance of race in art and media. The discussions often made me think about my own background, and how my mixed-race background shapes my artwork. I didn't want to be categorized as "black art" or "main stream art" or feel limited to paint certain kinds of people. I always enjoyed living the best of both worlds, between the black and white family and friends. I don't want to choose to be one or the other, black or white.

I went home that afternoon and began painting feverishly, and didn't stop until I had created this painting. At the time, I didn't know what to call it or how to explain it. I suppose years of reflection have given me the knowledge to see myself more clearly through my work.

This painting is a representation of those inner struggles that occur within me when I think about being black or white. I painted the person in the middle in Grey, to symbolize the combination of both, and the colorful forces in the world and within us that try and influence our minds. From the people who tell me I am not black enough, or want to feel my hair, to those who come up to me speaking Spanish because they assume I am too - I accept them all.

I no longer get offended at the questions about my color and race - I use it as an opportunity to educate and remind them that I am a person first. I believe people are many things, and above all we are all ARTISTS who merely needs to be encouraged to come out and CREATE!

Read what My Daily Art Blog said about the artist, Martha Wade and her painting.

ART ::: I Value Me by Tye Johnson

I VALUE ME

by Tye Johnson

24x30" mixed media

art prints from $45

ART + POETRY
poem by @wadecreate

what is your value?
do you feel fine?
are you happy,
in your own skin?
aged like fine wine.

do you rejoice
in your mind,
despite trials and
strife?

and find the value
within yourself,
every single day
of your life.
i value me.

KENNEDY AND KING: from mural to canvas

We dare not forget that we are the heirs of that first revolution.
~ John F. Kennedy
We must combine the toughness of the serpent and the softness of the dove, a tough mind and a tender heart.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Photo of the artist Edaw Wade in front of his Kennedy & King mural painted in 1980. Edaw was a Fine Art and Mural Painting teacher for the City Colleges of Chicago for over 30 years. He was often commissioned to paint murals inside the halls of Malcolm X and Kennedy King College.

Custom Canvas Art member artist Edaw Wade works to bring his original mural and oil paintings to vibrant life on canvas. He scans the original painting, or uses a quality photograph to produce a canvas print that is often more vibrant and larger than the original! Find out more about C.C.ART Services on the website. View more of Edaw's mural paintings that can be seen on the streets and in the City Colleges of Chicago.

KENNEDY AND KING
by Edaw Wade
Digital Art, 2007
This artwork is part of original mural at Kennedy King College Chicago, commissioned and painted in 1980.

It began with a commissioned mural of our nations leaders Martin Luther King, Jr. and President Kennedy in 1980. The legacy lives on with digital art enhancements and Custom Canvas Art Gallery. Purchase a high quality canvas print in various sizes of this work.

Artist of the Month: JASON BARRE

August is the time when fall is fast approaching. A time when we can look forward to the vibrant colors soon to fall from the trees and fill our world.

MEET JASON BARRE
Its the perfect time of the year to introduce my new artist friend from historic Milford, Ohio - Jason Barre (aka Jabinya) one of the most vibrant painters I have met. As you can see from this post, his energy and talent shine through in his work.

Jason refers to himself as a lot of things. Among them a “free associator” and “random generator” referring to his ability to pluck energy from the stream to project it onto canvas.

Jason creates vibrant pieces of artwork that elevate the energy level in the room!

His paintings make you smile, freak, emote, and feel inspired to create something great.

The pieces are the definition of those terms. His use of brush strokes as an element in the art catches the eye and draws you in while provoking thoughts.

The most noticeable art pieces by Jason are his portraits. They are extremely emotive and expressive.

The vivid colors Barre uses on a persons face seem to perfectly capture one emotion and freeze it in time. The deep and detailed strokes of paintings like 'AWARE' and 'HEH' give each painting a sense of jumping out at you.

Jason says "Most often I try to capture the apex of emotional expression in my portraits. When feeling too constrained by form, I explore the feelings of color."

CUSTOM CANVAS ART
Jabinya is one of the first true visual artists that I met on Twitter, and I am honored to know him. Follow @Jabinya for heartfelt, kind, and twitpic progression of painting tweets!

Recently I invited Jason Barre to become the newest Member Artist of Custom Canvas Art. He accepted! Check back for info on how to buy Canvas Prints from this talented artist on our website.


ARTIST CONTACT
Visit website: Jabinya Studios - www.jabinya.com
Twitter: @Jabinya
Blog: Jabinya Blog

Art + Poetry: BIRD AND COLTRANE

BIRD AND COLTRANE
by Edaw Wade
Original 20x22" Oil on Canvas 1973
Canvas Prints ::: $55+

Charlie "Bird" Parker and John Coltrane
Jazz music legends.









ART + POETRY
by Stephanie Danforth

The sounds that they make
Are the sounds that we take
So when we give props
We need to set the record straight
The noise that they shared
Came from Rhythms & Blues
From a place so deep
It was sure to move you
With horns that could blast
Legacies that would stand
And blow you away with the music that would last
Great musicians of our time
Came correct in their prime
And the way we repay them
Is with these simple nursery rhymes?

TYE JOHNSON: Artist of the Month

C.C.ART JUNE ARTIST OF THE MONTH! Tye Johnson is teacher, and an inspiration to young girls around the world. With her I AM A PRETTY GIRL organization, she inspires and encourages youth to value themselves. I have been good friends with Tye for over 10 years. I am always impressed with her style and grace. Not to mention that she is one of THE FUNNIEST, most DOWN women you will ever meet! I remember when we were in AP English class together in high school 1993. Tye looked at one of my drawings and asked me "How do you shade like that?" I quickly taught her how to shade an object so it appears multi-dimensional; she was a natural.

By the end of that year we were both entering the school Art Contest. Tye's portfolio was so diverse and vast that SHE BEAT ME! I am so honored to have witnessed Tye grow into such a talented, eclectic mixed media artist. I recently extended an offer for her to join our team as a Custom Canvas Art ~ Member Artist ~ SHE ACCEPTS!

TYE JOHNSON ARTIST STATEMENT
"My passion lies in utilizing bold and majestic colors and creating different textures with paper, text, or anything I can find.

It is my belief that even in the most dismal of situations, whether we realize it or not, color shapes our world and enhances our sense of being.

Subsequently, the beauty of being human and fashioned after a loving God, allows us the ability to be 'creators,' entitling us to design and produce 'somethings' from nothing.

I have always been fascinated with people and their dreams ~ or lack thereof. It amazes me, self included, that so many people fail to realize the beauty and importance of their own existence.

We are the crayons, the paint... that color this world and we have the power to create the ultimate portrait that God has envisioned.

Yet, we often fall short because we have a tendency to mimick another's color, instead of embracing our own.

"Without a vision..." speaks to the hearts of those who fail to see the importance of self and their contribution to the whole.

When painting figures, I usually mask the eyes and sculpt beautiful, full lips because our visions are born when we speak them to existence. Scripture says that 'without a vision, the people perish.'

Through these paintings, I hope to awaken a sense of hope in the lives of those who are afraid to dream or who have buried the visions that the Creator has carefully and tenderly placed inside of each and every one of us."
- Tye

WANT MORE?
View Tye's Custom Canvas Art Gallery
Visit Website: www.tyejohnson.com for Makeup Aristry, Wedding Packages, and Artwork.

Tye's art will be available for purchase of canvas prints soon. Check www.customcanvasart.com for details.

Drawings of My Sweet Angels

Baby Kris
Baby Kris Jr. ~ the best son a mother could have.

He was always a good boy, going to bed on his own by age 2 with a quick "I'm tired" and crawl into the toddler bed. (Awwww)

Today, he walks his sister to school and does his chores everyday to make my life a little bit better.

I had him senior year in Undergrad at the University of Michigan. I was proud to walk across the stage with him in my arms. =)






Princess JJ
Jayden Simone, age 6 going on 16 ~ smart sassy beautiful little 6 year old mama, trying to do everything and know everything her brother does.

She has my eyes, and my sisters love of fashion and hair!

Jayden is shy and loud at the same time and utterly herself and into her full grown personality already. LOVE IT.

Enjoy your kids today, hug them and love them just as they are.




Before they grew up to become LITTLE MONSTERS!

My Work

Hello friends and clients, its your favorite silly dorky creative girl MARTY! As many of you know, Custom Canvas Art is my dream art company that I have always wanted to start. This company is also my thesis project for Graduate School at Columbia College Chicago, where I am getting my Masters of Art Management ~ Media Management.

I am working on the website from scratch myself, doing research on art programs for kids in Chicago, and printing new canvases for my growing number of clients. I should have our new website, complete with store and gallery ~ up and running by the end of June! Check back for updates!

On the Calender for May + June:
1. Create new comic strip sketches for @mbrowntheremix
2. Finish Myspace profile page design for @junmhoon
3. Twitter background fix for @DAlocksmithtips
4. Creating print, gallery wrap frame of "Little Genius" for @Megaton
5. Frame "Prayer" for best friend Deidra Avery Jackson.
6. New photograph to canvas print for Valerie Warner of her kids
7. Two new paintings in process for Terryn Murphy
8. Finish business plan research for thesis project
9. Research grant funding + get donations for new art program at CPS schools
10. Sleep + try to take a breath + hire an intern!

www.customcanvasart.com

Meet the Artist ~ Edaw Wade

My father, Eugene 'Edaw' Wade is the kind of man that you want to become. His uncompromising belief that we all have a purpose in life comes through in his extraordinary body of work.

His early oil paintings depict a world of love and struggle, in a depth and style this is unique only to those truly talented.

During his early years as an artist, Edaw spent much of his life painting on canvas with oil and acrylic. His murals grace the walls of many Chicago streets, to tell our story in a picture painting woven in history.


(Edaw with his bronze sculpture, 1973)

(Heritage mural, 1980)


(Edaw and his 'Working Hands' mural, 1990)


(Edaw at Kennedy King College working on Black History mural, 1999)

He is a true testament to how artists and adults can adapt with a new Digital age. At the age of 60, Edaw added Digital Painting to his creative repertoire. He fell in love with digital art creation, and discovered painting on a computer screen was just as exhilarating ... without the mess! With the right tools and software, a Wacom Drawing Tablet, Coral Painter, and Photoshop software he is part of the mastery of creation at Custom Canvas Art. Where artists can create art on all mediums ~ walls, doors, canvas, paper, and computers.

Ah, the beauty of technology!


(Digital art made from Kennedy King mural of Kennedy & King! 2007)

AND TODAY ...

(Marty and Edaw in studio with canvas printer, 2008)

Edaw Wade was a Teacher of Drawing, Mural, and Painting classes as a tenure professor with the City Colleges of Chicago for over 30 years. In 2006, he retired to a his dream home town in Zachary, Louisiana to work on his craft and continue teaching. Edaw's murals can be seen gracing the walls of Chicago streets, and depict the glory and struggle of American life. He holds a Master of Fine Art from Howard University.

(Rebel! Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr and Angela Davis, by Edaw Wade, Digital Art 2008)

See more of Edaw's work Custom Canvas Art Gallery: ARTWORK
To contact the artist email ::: eugene.wade@gmail.com

What I'm Working On

The Website
This month, I am putting the finishing touches on our official website. The new site is complete with Artist Gallery, Services List, Price Sheets, Online Store, and more! To the left is a screen shot of the new website design. Hope you like it! I chose a design that was simple and artistic in order to highlight the artwork and services. I also applied this design to the look and feel of our Blog. Much of the time it takes to create a website is spent initially deciding on the right design to portray the message of your business. With this design, we are telling the world that Custom Canvas Art is a small business who gives great attention to detail and strives to provide quality service. What does your site design say about you?

New Work
I am also working on getting print #2 of "Prayer" stretched and framed for a client. She purchased the largest size canvas print of 44"x36" and it looks amazing! You can check back on the website and blog for her testimonial, and photos of where she hung the painting in her home.

New Design Clients
I have two new web design clients that I will start working on during the beginning of May after our own official website launch. The first client is a Chicago DJ wanting a new music site. The second client wants me to create a personal web page for her.

Edaw is still working on an album cover art design for one of our MySpace friends. They asked for a superhero representation of themselves. Visit our MySpace Gallery page in the upcoming weeks to see this album cover.

Museum Exploration
In this new portion of the site, we will take a look at a new Museum or Gallery every week and highlight the exhibition artworks and key facts of the museum. This week, we take a look at the Seattle Art Museum, and the 'Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness: American Art from the Yale University Art Gallery' show. With more than 275 objects, the exhibition spans the period from the first European settlements to explorations of the far west and culminates in the World's Colombian Exposition in 1893. The exhibition runs from February 26–May 25, 2009 at the SAM Simonyi Special Exhibition Galleries. More to come on the blog this week!

INSIDE AN EGYPTIAN MOSQUE

INSIDE AN EGYPTIAN MOSQUE
by Marty Wade
20x26in. digital art
canvas prints