Today's Top Artists At Addison Restaurant

Thursday, March 31 was a night to remember!

Recently named "Today's Top Artists" by Art Business News Magazine, Asencio, Michael Flohr, and Christopher M. invited their favorite collectors at Exclusive Collections Gallery to celebrate with them in an unbelievable culinary adventure at The Grand Del Mar's Addison Restaurant.

Ingredients:

- Today's nationally ranked artists Asencio, Flohr, and Christopher M.

- Relais & Chateaux Grand Chef William Bradley

- Wine director Jesse Rodriguez, former head sommelier of French Laundry

- 10 opulent courses and hand-selected wine pairings

- 5 Stars

- 5 Diamonds

- 24 never-before-seen original oil paintings

Directions:

Combine ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Enjoy at your leisure.

Christopher M. - newly added to the short list of artists to achieve this honorable recognition of "Today's Top Artist"- unveiled several original oil paintings inspired by Bradley, Rodriguez, and Addison's culinary team.  His fine art originals such as "Chef Bradley's Creation", "Masters in Harmony", and "Five Star" were the result of a personal tour of Addison's kitchen and a behind-the-scenes view of the five-star culinary discipline.

New achievements were not reserved just for the artists.

William Bradley, Executive Chef of Addison, is proud to be named one of Relais & Chateaux's Grand Chefs, joining the ranks of Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, and many others throughout the world.  Of his work, Bradley says, “I’m driven not by trends, but by purity of flavor. I’m very rooted in tradition and have a huge respect for the past and Mother Nature” (Off the Easel Magazine).

Will Costello, Addison Restaurant's General Manager and gracious host for the evening stated, “It was a pleasure to showcase Addison’s cuisine and service in a masterfully designed Gallery setting. This would be an event I would love to see happen more often.”

EC Gallery heartily agrees; indeed, every beautiful evening should combine the finest in food, wine, and fine art.

Asencio's "Allegro"

"It's about the essence," explained Henry Asencio of his newly unveiled production entitled "Mistral". Indeed, the painting captures the ephemeral quality of a fleeting moment in time, as the guests at his show, "Allegro", witnessed firsthand.

The night of August twenty-seventh at Fashion Valley’s Exclusive Collections Gallery featured the performing talents of painter Henry Asencio with flamenco guitarist David Maldonado. Widely known for his contemporary figures, the guests meandered through the gallery to enjoy his works on display and meet the artist in person. The festivities spilled outside into the warm summer evening for the live event, and in three captivating fifteen-minute intervals, Asencio brought a new work of art into the world.

The artist’s brushstrokes rose and fell with the rhythmic dexterity of a flamenco dancer. I could not help but imagine myself in his place: staring at a blank canvas in the middle of an expectant crowd, hoping to pull a white rabbit out of a black top hat, or at least that artistic equivalent. Surely, so many people are only a distraction to creating fine art.

However, as time went on and the form of a beautiful girl began to materialize next to its living counterpart, I began to sense a connection between the artist and his enraptured audience. Henry Asencio drew encouragement from his onlookers and thrived on their hushed murmurs. We all felt invested in his work, and took the moment to heart. I had a poignant realization that this painting was a direct product of not only the model, but all of its surroundings. A collective gasp from the surrounding onlookers confirmed my feeling as an unruly gust of summer wind attempted to send the canvas to the floor and add its own touch to the newly finished painting. Luckily, the gallery co-owner, Ruth-Ann Thorn, leaped upon the stage to intervene.

Interludes between these performing sessions found Asencio deep in conversation with his guests. He would stand next to a piece, paint still smudged on his hands, and point out the greater intricacies of his work. He invited everyone to stand as close as possible, to really examine their details. I listened as he pointed to the background of a painting, comparing the color to that of a plum; not just the purplish mauve of a plum, but its covering of dust that must be wiped off, the shiny skin underneath, and that juicy first bite. He stepped back and said, “And so I was inspired by a plum,” then he laughed as he focused on the figure in the foreground, “and a woman.”

Henry Asencio’s show that night made me reexamine my relationship to art. It reminded me that fine art does not begin as an antique, its artist honored in posthumous fame. For those who proudly walked away with a new painting from the “Allegro” show also walked away with a story, a memory of their night, and a personal relationship with the artist. Asencio’s paintings capture the dynamic, fleeting quality of time. In this way, he reminds us that we must actively capture our own moments, and take pleasure in the present. Feeling truly privileged to have witnesses the creation of a painting in front of my very eyes, I can say that I have done just that.

Seaport Village Grand Opening and Mini Show is a Success!

November 6, 7th, & 8th we celebrated our annual miniature show and our official grand opening event at our 3rd and newest location, Seaport Village! Collectors started coming in as the show started on Friday evening to see our new location and the highly anticipated new "mini's" by Flohr, Asencio, Christopher M. and Steve Barton, just to name a few. We exhibited the largest body of Flohr and Asencio originals anywhere in the country. Guest were treated to live music, champagne and wine and a host of their favorite artists for them to meet and have conversations with. Collectors repeatedly commented on how beautiful the gallery looked and had an amazing evening (we had several of our collectors come two night's in a row)! The art was selling, converstion was flowing, and opinions of new releases were being shared. Based on the fact that several people stayed in the gallery past closing time, I'm guessing everyone was having a great time.

If you were one of our guest that weekend, thank you for making it a memorable Grand Opening. If you were unable to attend, sorry we missed you, however we look forward to having you drop by even if just to say Hello!

–Amando Cardenas

Gallery Director, Seaport Village Gallery

The 2nd ANNUAL Miniatures Show!

Exclusive Collections hosted their highly attended second annual
miniature show November 8th, 2008. There were eight artists in
attendance and over 110 originals works were created in a small
format for the event.

The artist appearances were by, Steve Barton, Michael Flohr,
Christopher M., Joe Metcalf, Michael Summers, Daniel Thedell,
Steven Quartly and John Webster. In addition, artists Asencio,
Walfrido Garcia, Royo, Samir Sammon and Dale Terbush each
created a body of fantastic small works for collector's consideration.

The magical evening was filled with such amazing talent that
collectors were having a difficult time deciding what art to collect
and many left with more than one original painting! Owner James
Thorn introduced each artist in attendance and gave all an
opportunity to expound on the inspiration behind the body of
work they had created for the show. For many collectors, this
was the pinnacle of the evening. Patrons of Exclusive Collections
have enjoyed many wonderful and exciting openings over the
years. This event offered the opportunity to meet these talents
first hand, collect these great artist's works, and experience
"the art of living with fine art."

Exclusive Collections' Million-Dollar Night

San Diego Magazine's The Good Life: An Evening of luxury...Last week, Exclusive Collections Gallery participated in an open house at a multi-million dollar estate in Rancho Santa Fe where we rubbed elbows with some of San Diego's most affluent people. Exclusive Collections had the honor of coloring the decor of the mansion by providing paintings and sculptures. Artists Steve Barton, Christopher M., and Michael Flohr were present to present live demonstrations of their work. Their paintings along with Henry Asencio and Royo paintings as well as Tuan sculptures also contributed to the artistic aura of the estate.

Click here for additional coverage of the event brought to you by Kiwi Audio Visuals

Here are some picture excerpts of the grand event. Enjoy!

Henry Asencio's work graces a sitting area in the house. From left: "Inspiration," "Red Door," "Haven"



Royo's "Andaluza" overlooks singers belting songs of love.








Christopher M. (top), Steve Barton (center), and Michael Flohr (bottom) discuss their artwork with potential collectors.
Michael Flohr (top) and Christopher M. (bottom) work hard their stations while potential collectors admire their work.

Tale of two Christophers. Artist Christopher M. (left) strikes a pose with Exclusive Collections' consultant Christopher Cummings (right).

Exclusive Collections consultant Aline Spellmeier discusses one of Steve Barton's paintings with a potential collector.

(From left) Exclusive Collections' consultants Bert Dutcher and Richard Hickle, Exclusive Collections Gallery co-owners Ruth-Ann and James Thorn are all smiles at the grand event.

Art Buyers Beware...

Art buyers beware. Here is another reason to work with a reputable art dealer.

In a July 16, 2008 New York Times report, they investigate the dealings of a Michigan-based gallery Park West who make about half of the $300 million annual revenue through sales aboard cruise ships at sea. Several customers have discovered that after purchasing a piece or pieces of art at sea, they return home to discover that the art they bought was immensely overpriced on the cruise. Some of the art were also sold at a discounted price with no sales tax.

Although Park West states that all sales are final, after many consumers' persistent demands, they recently awarded those collectors a refund of their money, which prompts further investigation.

Let this be a message to travelling art collectors: be aware of the signs that point toward an unreputable art dealer. Selling art at a discounted rate is a clear sign that you should proceed with caution. Definitely do your research because you would not want to pay a large sum for an "original" only to discover that the piece you purchased is not an original, and is worth far less than what you paid.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/16/arts/design/16crui.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&en&ex=1216872000

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On a happier note, one of Exclusive Collection's Henry Asencio pieces "Quiescence" makes a cameo in an NBC San Diego report featuring the River View Medical Dentist Spa, the first all women's medical-dental spa located in Santee.

"Quiescene" by Asencio, who is known for his portraits of the natural beauty and form of women, is an appropriate choice of artwork for the spa. See if you can spot this work of art in the video clip:

http://video.nbcsandiego.com/player/?id=276560