Another sneak preview at Bela Dubby

A quiet Saturday afternoon at the bela dubby art gallery let me get close to the paintings of Paul Sydorenko. The first thing I noticed was the smaller paintings hanging on the right side of the room. The paint was consistent and definitive as an illustrative depiction of dependency. The dark painted outlines of the storybook scenes had two small animal characters repeating in each panel. The placement of these characters in a home environment seemed to symbolize various human circumstances. The set of illustrated adventures read easily from left to right completing itself as a successful series of real life struggles and accomplishments. As a new spectator to Paul’s paintings you may feel like you are trying very hard to figure out the story of to the two fuzzy animals on each panel. When painting with symbolic subject matter a purpose must be established quickly enough to draw a viewer in for more exploration. Paul does this well with a minimalist approach placing elements in each scene.

Another way Paul establishes purpose is to use controlled color and pattern. These details are placed in another series of paintings located away from the series mentioned earlier. In a larger set of works, Paul used rectilinear blocks of solid color acting as backdrops behind the subject matter. Perhaps it is to symbolize certain stages of the story or to isolate areas of the canvas to depict mood and feeling. In each of the these larger scaled paintings, the color palette remained similar in tone and tint which worked well to introduce a good understanding of a color’s chromatic intensity. The large series displayed a separate set of details that were not present in the series I mentioned earlier. Circle patterns, animal and machine symbolism and layered painting techniques to build an exciting surface were the most important. The heavy lines of the foreground subject matter made the viewer examine focal elements carefully. The story became more apparent as you viewed each large painting. The paint layers with subtle transparencies allowed many more stories to creep to the surface. Why the animal and machine imagery? Why is there dependency present? Why use circle patterns? Back and forth my mind went with the “what” and “why” of this subject matter. This battle in my mind is what made Paul’s work so intriguing.

I am more curious about the artist after viewing the works. The thought process behind Paul’s color scheme and subject matter would be enough to energize any room. So if you are looking to purchase a great conversation piece, I would look into a painting by Paul Sydorenko.

More about the artist and his technique

Bela Dubby

Bela what? Bellllla...Dubby. Dubby? Yes, Bela Dubby. I said the name on my cell phone at least 10 times as I told my friends where I was hanging out one Friday night. I would explain the name but then you would have no reason to visit this new joint in Lakewood. Well, actually there are several reasons to visit. A gallery for one. Every month there will new artists showcasing work there.

Ok, not sold yet? How about coffee? Everyone needs coffee for chatting and admiration of the artwork that hangs on the walls right? You can sit down in the various stylish areas of the room, surrounded by art and people. Each table begs for chess, Magic the Gathering, Euchre, or Poker. But...it's smoke free. Yes, I know, coffee - no cigarettes? Are you nuts? It's a better combo than coffee and doughnuts! Well, think of it this way, it is to protect the artwork.

Personally what I like about Bela Dubby, other than it's a gallery - is the way it's lighted. It is brighter than most coffee houses which brings better energy. It is a nice atmosphere for communication. Are you tired of yelling in smokey filled bars as you nod your head to questions you can't hear? Oops..."Did you just nod yes to loving the Steelers?" Yuk! Avoid dating pitfalls and take your sweetie to Bela Dubby. Have a drink. Look into each other's eyes. Laugh a little and most importantly...you can listen to what is being said to you. Bela Dubby provides a great start or end to any date.


More reasons...?

Ok -
How about Imported Beer? MMMM...Beer. How can you call going to a noisy bar after work unwinding - especially after a long day? People bump into you, they're drunk, rude, -not fun. Bela Dubby greets you with warm smiles, remembers your name better than Cheers and houses sexy looking people of all shapes, sizes, and colors.

Did I cover everything? Oh yeah, music. You request the music. Talk to John or Jill and they will hook you up with a mound of music selections. I haven't heard anything yet that felt out of place flowing from their speakers.

They do have snacks like cookies and muffins so you won't starve. And you just gotta get a t-shirt so people can stare at your chest. Well, only if you're into that sort of thing. But it will definitely get people asking you what the name means as they try to sound out the l's and b's in Bela Dubby.

Know your ABC's. Art, Beer, and Coffee. Stop in and claim a seat at Bela Dubby's. You won't be able to resist this hot little spot that adds a little more visual design and good taste to the famous bar town of Lakewood, OH.

Written by: Quovada Bass