Press

                    LIFVENDAHL IN SAUSALITO

Solo Show

Francesca Gallery

August 2 - August 31, 2010

52 Princess St., Sausalito, CA

Curated by Francasca Tapia, A.A.S, Pratt Institute

The paintings on display this month at Francesca Gallery are the creations of California artist Mark Lifvendahl. Completely unencumbered by the restrictions and rules of formal art instruction, Lifvendahl freely expresses himself without inhibition and develops his own techniques in painting. Lifvendahl creates what he feels. As a self-taught artist he offers to the world paintings which uplift, cheer, invigorate and inspire. Two different styles are represented this month at Gallery Francesca. Both techniques were created by the artist. The first is a dynamic form of action painting in which acrylic paint is rapidly splashed on to the canvas. The resulting works take the form of bright, splashy, fantastical flowers. In some cases the flowers have a realistic, translucent quality. The backgrounds are often paint which has been pulled and blended across the canvas. The second style uses a poured paint technique in which paint is carefully poured on to the canvas with great control. In some cases the paint is manipulated into images which remind the viewer of animals, flowers or human organs. This technique requires a meticulously clean and careful work environment as any wayward fibers can easily embed into the paint. The resulting works have a flawless sheen surface. The drying time on these works can take 7 – 10 days. Lifvendahl lives and paints at his home and studio in the Russian River Valley of California. The show entitled “Plucked” will hang from August 2 through August 31, 2010. There will be a reception open to the public on Friday, August 20 from 6 until 10PM . Show currated by Francesca Tapia, A.A.S Pratt Institute.

From The Petaluma Post, May 2010

New Shows, New Artists, and May 22nd Reception at Riverfront Art Gallery, Petaluma

Artists celebrate the natural world with two new featured shows at Riverfront Art Gallery, 132 Petaluma Blvd. North in Petaluma. The Late Spring show opens Tuesday, May 18 and continues through Sunday, July 11, 2010. The opening reception, with featured artists and other gallery artists in attendance, is Saturday, May 22, from 6 to 9 p.m.

Mark Lifvendahl presents floral paintings in his featured show, In Full Bloom. His lively and highly colorful paintings evoke bundles of blooms in abstract fashion. As Mark notes, “I started doing completely abstract works. Over time, the flowers started to appear.” He adds that his work is “mostly about pleasing color and form that is meant to uplift and inspire.” Mark also cites Pop Art and Abstract Expressionism as influences on his work: “There are similarities in my works and the works of Pollock at Warhol. I use a lot of splatter and I am drawn to bright colors.”

Spring Flowers 1, sold

Gallery hours are Tuesday–Thursday and Sunday, 10:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday,
10:30 a.m.–8:00 p.m. For more information call 707-775-4ART or visit www.riverfrontartgallery.com.

From The West County Gazette, April, 2010

COLORFUL Show at Dimensions Galleria, Petaluma

The paintings of Sonoma County Artists Mark Lifvendahl and Mylette Welch will be showcased thru May 30 at Dimensions Galleria as part of the Spring show entitled “Beyond The Garden Wall.”
Mark Lifvendahl is a long-time resident of Sonoma County where he lives and paints. His large, splashy floral paintings are created with acrylic paint on canvas and have a fantastical, realistic quality to them. The rapid application of paint lends to a translucent, glassy quality. It’s color, color, color which motivates this artist and his works.
Lifvendahl has exhibited throughout California. His works were showcased in Dimensions Galleria Fall show and are also currently in group shows at the Riverfront Gallery in Petaluma and at the Artist Xchange in San Francisco.
Longtime Sonoma County artist Mylette Welch is best known for her fanciful but individualistic dog portraits. Her humorous and nostalgic paintings depict childhood memories, dreams and everyday encounters.

Mark Lifvendahl, Winter Flowers 1, 2'x3' Acrylic on Canvas

Press Release

FEATURED ARTIST: MARK LIFVENDAHL
By
Sharon Feissel

"In Full Bloom"

Abstracts.....that marvelously creative and diverse
category of artistic expression is where California
artist, Mark Lifvendahl, places his works.

Mark had no long exposure to art training, did no
experimenting with landscapes or portraits. He
simply picked up a paint brush and began applying
colors to canvases in forms that are of his own
imagining. What is astonishing is that Mark has
only been painting for three years and yet has
reached a level of artistry that already has people
collecting multiple pieces of his work.

“ I started out doing completely abstract works.
Over time the flowers began to appear. The first
year, I developed a lot of the layering techniques
you see in the background of some of the flower
paintings. Backgrounds are often cracked or
blended, streaked or dragged paint.”

Mark appreciates Abstract Expressionism and Pop
Art. Those, he says, are what paved the way for
what he is doing. “I would not say that I am directly
influenced by any artist, but there are similarities
between my works and the works of Pollock and Warhol.
I use a lot of splatter, and I am drawn to bright color."
Mark is also influenced by the bright simple colors and forms
of Dale Chihuly's glass.

Abstracts are often suspected of representing some
obscured meaning or concept. Mark disclaims any
such basis. “My works are mostly about pleasing
color and form. The colors and flowers are meant to
uplift and inspire. I can't say there is any kind of
deeper meaning.”

Mark specifically points out Spring Flowers 1 as an
example of the power of color to affect ambiance.
“This painting is all about bold happy, bright,
uplifting color. The colors are meant to please, but
so are the flowers. They have a bursting, exploding
quality, and some of them are realistic. I hope this
work has a bold, immediate impact on people who see
it. I think this piece really brightens up
any room it is in.”

Certainly form, line, color, and texture are mainstays
of abstract art--the very elements that dominate in
Mark's whimsical, vibrant, high-energy pieces. As
Kandinsky pointed out, color has strong emotional
value, inviting the viewer's personal emotional
engagement in a way that is seldom possible with
reality-based works. This emotional tone scale is
where Mark's works fall.

Another tie-in Mark's work has with abstract tradition is
that, whether titled or not, images often can be open to
the viewer's interpretation. What do you see? Flowers?
A family portrait? One-eyed aliens? People in the park?
Lollipops? The possibility of seeing any piece from
different perspectives gives it a continuous freshness,
vitality, and spontaneity that delight both the eye and
the mind.

Come see "In Full Bloom" and be prepared to be
delighted.

sold

Press Release, April, 2010

Mark Lifvendahl
Showcased at Dimensions Galleria, Petaluma

The paintings of Sonoma County Artist Mark Lifvendahl will be showcased thru May 30 at
Dimensions Galleria as part of the Spring show entitled "Beyond The Gallery Wall."

More than 13 original new works by painter Mark Lifvendahl will be included in the show along with paintings
by Mylette Welch. Lifvendahl is a long-time resident of Sonoma County where he lives and paints.
His large, splashy floral paintings are created with acrylic paint on canvas and his unique style and original
method of paint application along with the large scale of his works makes these works and this artist hard to
ignore.

Although these floral paintings are considered abstract works, the flowers have a fantastical, realistic quality
to them. The rapid application of paint lends to a translucent, glassy quality. Occasional drips and spattering
of paint remind the viewer of pollen, vigor, motion and abundant life, like a flower just reaching full bloom.
Generous quantity of paint applied in multiple layers give the works a 3 dimensional quality and the
unabashed use of bold color make the florals burst off the canvas, pleasing the viewer instantly
even from across the gallery. The artist has a successful form and style all his own, but it is
color, color, color which motivate this artist and his works.

Lifvendahl is an accomplished abstract painter who has exhibited throughout the United States.
His works were showcased in Dimensions Galleria Fall show and are also currently in group shows at the
Riverfront Gallery in Petaluma and at the Artist Xchange in San Francisco.

Dimensions Galleria opened in July of 2009 and is located in the center of historic downtown Petaluma
at 115 Petaluma Blvd North. The gallery is a joint venture between artist Jerrie Jerne and
property owners Will and Jackie Mendoza. Julieanne Anderson, this show curator, is also a key player
in the business. Mendoza, a contractor, invested tremendous expense to create this large,
immaculate gallery including walnut floors, built-in cabinetry, and gallery lighting. The result is a
world-class gallery for fine art which thrusts Petaluma and the North Bay area on to the international art stage.

The current show "Beyond the Gallery Wall" opened on Friday, March 19 to a packed house and will run
through May 30, 2010. Gallery hours are Fridays and Saturdays Noon to 8PM and Wednesdays,
Thursdays and Sundays Noon to 6PM.

Lifvendahl's studio in Guerneville is open by appointment and his works can be viewed at
www.lifvendahl.net

Winter Flowers 4, 3'x2' sold

ARTISTRY INSIGHTS

THE EXPLORATORY APPROACHES OF MARK LIFVENDAHL

By Sharon Fiesel

Completely unencumbered by the restrictions and rules of formal art
instruction. Expresses himself freely, without inhibition in his
painting. Develops his own techniques and approaches which give his
work delightful uniqueness. An astonishing talent, full of energy and
spontaneity. All of these phrases accurately describe Mark Lifvendahl
and his work.

Mark creates what he feels. As a self-taught artist he offers to the
world paintings which uplift, cheer, amuse, and inspire. It is that
purpose which lies behind his color choices: strong, primary colors;
bright, energizing colors; just plain happy colors. The colors light up a
room, yet they are not glossy. This is on purpose, “so,” Mark says,
“the paintings will absorb light, taking it into themselves and adding
it to their own energy, rather than reflecting it away to be lost.”

Mark's overall approach is to explore, test, and try...to discover.
Due to his deep appreciation of what spontaneity and risk-taking add to
his work, he has developed a number of ways of putting ideas on canvas.
Those ideas are the subject of this article.

Let's start with what Mark calls a dynamic form of action painting. “I
rapidly splash quick-drying acrylic paints onto the canvas. Rather
than the usual controlled brush stroke, a splashy burst of paint hits
the canvas and each time dashes a little surprise into the image.”
This technique has led to several successful gallery shows.

Most recently, Mark pursues a new technique, one that also involves
pouring the paint, but again with more risk-taking required.
This creative process involves lifting the sides and
corners of the unstreched canvas to guide the paint along
the canvas resulting in yet another style of abstract flowers.

Another style uses a technique in which paint is carefully poured onto
the canvas with great control. This must be done meticulously if the
forms are to remain crisp and clean. Drying time on works such as
July 4, #2 and April 10, can be 7 to 10 days. The resulting images are
often very whimsical and open to viewer interpretation.

At this point, you may be wondering whether Mark actually owns a paint brush.
Yes, he does. That has been verified!

What does Mark produce with brush in hand? Pieces that are not far from
his other work, yet still are different from them. "Yellow" was done
by brush, but, true to his approach, it was done with very rapid
strokes. The stylized Good Dog series is also brush work.

Yellow, 16"x20" sold

There is no question that Mark Lifvendahl has become an accomplished
stylist of form and color and has become an artist of note.
The only question is: what marvelous approach, what new discovery will
he devise next and what colorful, vitalizing, flow of form will dazzle
us as a result? Mark moves fast. We'd better keep our eyes open

Riverfront Art Gallery Newsletter

GUEST ARTIST

MARK LIFVENDAHL

Mark is an accomplished abstract painter whose work has been shown in
numerous galleries. Mark's original technique of paint application
results in works described as “bright, splashy, translucent, glass-like,
and crystalline.” As Mark expresses it, “I am aware of the positive
affect color can have and am inspired by it. For me, line and form
follow after color, and I am interested in creating a symmetry of color, shape
and form.” Mark works in various styles, all the way from textural,
almost single-color pieces to vibrant, multi-color works. In the
current show Mark will exhibit his colorful new works.

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