Michelle Lee

Kathryn Ryan - Artist

Are you currently represented by a gallery?

Yes I am currently represented by Tim Olsen Gallery in Sydney, since 2006, and by Flinders Lane Gallery in Melbourne since 2000.

What are you currently working on?

I am about to have a solo exhibition at Tim Olsen Gallery, so I have just completed all the work for this show. In this exhibition I have worked on a new series of large oil paintings inspired by the Scottish Highlands, Glencoe region in the snow. It is the first time I have attempted to paint landscapes in snow and also the first time I have diverged from painting the Australian landscape. Painting snow landscapes was a bit daunting at first and required some trial & error and change in the painting techniques that I have been used to. So currently I am in the pre exhibition phase of having the paintings photographed/ organising the invitations/ mailing list/artist statement, advertising and publicity with the gallery.

Once the exhibition opens, I will be starting another body of work for my next solo show in Melbourne in 11 months time.

Did the place where you grew up have an influence?

Absolutely. I grew up on a dairy farm in Western Victoria, constantly surrounded by the landscape. Huge skies, vast space and distances, directly affected by the changing seasons and weather conditions. Farm life, repetition and ritual, isolation, the space and light of always being surrounded by nature has had an enduring effect on me as a person and how I approach my artwork and its subject matter.

What can you tell us about your planning and making process for making art, and has that altered over the years?

In more recent years, my approach to my studio practice has become fairly structured. I have always been methodical in my approach, however in earlier years, there was probably a lot more searching and investigation of processes and ideas and exploring concerns. Over time, my ideas and knowledge of my painting process has been refined and focused on more concise ways of working.

I am always looking, thinking and photographing. I tend to work in a yearly cycle for my solo exhibitions, which means I usually focus on work for one exhibition at a time. This body of work may contain 12 – 20 paintings, depending on size, and will take most of the year to complete. I like to spend time brewing the ideas for this work in the beginning, often sifting back through my library of relevant photos, to consolidate ideas.

I work out the feel/concerns/ objectives of the work first, then decide on the imagery for the paintings and work out sizes & scale of the work, usually to fit the particular gallery space. So a lot is worked out before hand, the overall feel of the exhibition…. then it is a matter of organising my time and  planning the workload for the year in time for the exhibition.

Working towards an exhibition, is it a daunting task?

It is a very big task, but no longer daunting. I work on one solo exhibition each year, so I am usually planning my workload in a 12 month cycle. I usually spend time in the beginning working out how I see the paintings for the upcoming show. Once I have arrived at a ‘theme’ or visual idea/feel for the paintings I want to do, then I set about planning out the size and amount of paintings in relation to the gallery size. I then usually plan out my workload spread out over the year or time frame I have to complete the work, ie I may work on 5 paintings in a 3 month period. So really there is a lot of planning in the beginning, then it is just get on with the work!

Tell us about your connection to your subject matter, way of working, concepts etc

For some time now, I have been referencing the landscapes of Western Victoria. I decided it was crucial for me to go back to my source/ my personal background, of growing up on a dairy farm, to paint about something I knew so well. How it felt to be living on the land, surrounded by all that space and changing light and weather conditions. It was something I had an intimate personal knowledge of and connection to. Even though I am now living it the city, I feel my farm upbringing is instilled strongly in my memory source and with my family still on our farm, I have regular visits back there.

I am always photographing, carrying my camera everywhere, recording ideas and what I see, building a library of reference photos to draw upon. In the past I used to do more studies and exploring of ideas and processes on paper before I worked on large canvases. However, in recent years I tend to work only on my big canvases, straight to finished works for exhibition. This is mostly due to time constraints, I don’t seem to have the time to just ‘play’ or experiment in the studio, but I am also not sure I always want to anyway. I find when I work solely on big pieces for exhibitions, you are forced to resolve issues, technical and ideas, so that the painting works out, there is not a lot of room for error. This can be a pressure, but also a good pressure to bring out the best results.

Do you keep an Art Journal or Visual Diary of some kind?

Yes I have always kept an art journal since my first day at art school, so that is going back 26 years now! I have kept them all, and often refer  back to previous ones . Initially they were full of sketches and ideas and articles or pictures that had inspired me. Over the years they became more analytical, writing about the concerns in my work and investigating various themes. In recent years, they are more a practical diary of my studio days…listing what paintings I work on each day, their progress, sometimes which colours I mix, and planning my workload.

Is motivation to work an issue for you and how do you overcome it?

I do at times struggle with staying motivated. Often this is after working on a large body of work, and I am most likely very drained and tired. I am a big believer in taking breaks from the studio when possible. For many years, I worked without breaks, but now I try and schedule a break in after each exhibition to recharge before the next onslaught of yearly work on an exhibition. For the times that come up during the year when I feel less motivated, often it is a matter of needing a day off and do something different, or watch some art docos and browse through art books or art magazines, often to see how other artists work in their studios.

Tell us about your studio environment (too big, too small, enough storage or not, the light, the position, how you found it etc)?

I have had many studios over the years, from garages, spare rooms, stables, to open warehouses. My current studio is the best I have had. It is my own private space in an old building in the heart of the city. It is large with several windows of indirect light and a much needed sink. I have an area for painting, a desk/clean area and a large work table area. It could probably do with more storage area and natural light, but really it is a great space in the middle of the city. It is very quiet and private; I lock myself away there all day apart from my morning coffee in the bustling laneways below and sometimes out for lunch.

From your early beginnings at art school to now, how have things altered for you?

In the beginning there was a lot more struggle with the work, both with ideas and technically in exploring different ways of working. A lot of soul searching went into the concerns behind and in the work…. This has now given way to a more assured feeling of knowledge of both what I am trying to achieve in my work and also technically how I go about achieving it.

There was more isolation in the beginning, leaving art school, looking for studios, trying to find a gallery and entering art prizes. Not knowing a lot of artists in a new city, not being part of any ‘art scene’… It seemed a long way away to be an exhibiting artist, let alone painting full-time.

So a lot has changed, but it has been over a 24 year period of working in the studio… it took a long time for anything significant to happen. The first 14 years out of art school were very slow in terms of exhibiting or selling work. However, when it did start to fall in to place, it happened quickly and escalated at a good pace. Since then, I have had solo shows most years and have sold everything I do, which enabled me to paint fulltime.

What is your working routine? Do you listen to music while you work, or stay up late for instance?

I tend to work Mon-Fri business hours. Painting fulltime, I find it is crucial to have a structure and routine in place to help keep me motivated and also to monitor my energy levels. I find if I work back too late it only leaves me with less energy and exhausted the next day to paint. So I find it is better to leave the studio about 6pm or so… home to eat and rest for the next day!

After a morning coffee in a nearby cafe, I am upstairs to my own locked away studio. I tend to start painting almost immediately. After changing into my paint clothes, a quick check of emails, I make a quick decision on which painting to work on for the day… quick decisions on what needs to be done to the painting that day… then it is just painting time. Mostly I play music on my I-Pod speakers… depending on my mood what type of music, sometimes I just want it quiet. The odd cup of tea while I am working.. but I try and stay at the easel until I have achieved what I set out to do for the day.

Did you intend to become a professional artist?

Yes , from my late teen years I knew I was driven and inspired to be an artist. My intention was to strive to be an exhibiting artist. Although it was a long road to be represented by a commercial gallery, I always believed it would happen and that I just had to work hard and concentrate on making the best work I could and developing it to a higher standard.

Was there a point where you decided : Ok I can live off my art?

Yes. My 2003 solo exhibition had sold out and with the prices having gradually increased I took the plunge to live fulltime off my artwork. Prior to this I had already reduced my part time working hours, with the sales of my art work supplementing my income. My previous shows in the last few years had all sold out, so I felt more confident to take the risk. I hoped that by being able to give all my time to my studio practice I would also be able to produce more work and give it all my full attention and energy.

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Compiled and edited by Steve Gray © 2009+

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Matthew Rose - Artist

Matthew Rose is in Paris France and is represented by

Janet Miller (Soma Art Gallery), Cape May, NJ;  - Keep Calm Gallery, London, UK; - Orange Dot Gallery, London, UK.

An active web person here are his web addresses

http://matthewrosestudio.net/

http://abookaboutdeath.blogspot.com/

http://matthewrosestudio.blogspot.com/

Matthew With Second Hand Clock Paris France.

Interests you have other than art you feel are important to mention?

I am an art and culture writer – The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, theartblog.org, entrée magazine, Art & Antiques magazine among many others; I’ve also written a black comic novel, PLAN B. And I occasionally write music.  My song, I HAVE A CAR, is currently on YouTube (arranged and performed by Hens Breet, Monosopace).

HOW TO FALL IN LOVE FOREVER, 2009. Collage on canvas, 50 x 50 cm.

What are the main medium/s you work in…

Collage, text, unusual objects. I slap paint around too.

BREATHLESS, 2010. Collage on canvas, 50 x 50 cm.

Artist’s statement…

I mainly spell with scissors. My installations, massive 1000-piece wall-to-wall displays of individual collage works attempt to reinvent the process of reading. The all-over exhibitions such as Planting Cut Flowers, Spelling With Scissors, The Whole Truth and Confessions – bring together the immense visual and textural vocabulary I find about me in what several critics cited as a “dadaist exploration of sense and nonsense.” While another critic added, my “works are secrets wrapped in riddles that are visually exhaustive and often French-fried.”  These installations and individual works are my theory of everything…a handbook for the 21st century.

I’ve launched a brand of surrealism and touches upon text works, needlepoints, altered objects, silkscreen and glicée prints and books. My next exhibition, Scared But Fresh, takes place at Orange Dot Gallery, London, from October 6 thru October 31. And the project I launched in early 2009, the ongoing global exhibition, A Book About Death, is in the collections of MoMA New York and LACMA. My prints, PAINTINGS, are on permanent exhibition at The Boca Raton Museum of Fine Art, Boca Raton, Florida

How do you describe your work?

My work is often described as surreal, dada, strange, funny, expensive.

Does your work have social, political, cultural and or personal messages?

My works concern the end of the world, which as one might imagine, includes all of the above. I’m mainly interested in consciousness and its aesthetic, ethical and moral dimensions, but also its innate abilities and weaknesses.

Je n’aime que toi, poster, 2009. Photo: Danielle Voirin

What are you currently working on?

For the last few weeks I’ve produced two series for Keep Calm Gallery’s ORIGINALS series.  Small collage works (9 x 12 inches).  One is called: A Strange Meeting and the other America.  I’ve also completed some larger collage works like Breathless and How To Fall In Love Forever and Null-Null You Can’t See (50 x 50 cm square on canvas) concern the impossibility of remembering everything that’s ever happened.

Spelling With Scissors, 2006, Installation, Capsule Gallery, Denver, Colorado.

What did your prices start off at?

I sold my first piece for $50; the last piece was sold for $5000. I’m relatively inexpensive considering today’s market.

A Book About Death, 2009, Installation,
Emily Harvey Foundation Gallery, New York City, NY .

How many artworks do you work on at the same time?

About a dozen at once, but sometimes more.

A Perfect Friend, 2003. Giclée print (after collage, from the book, A Perfect Friend).
76 x 56 cm. Edition: 3.

Do you have difficulties getting into galleries?

More and more galleries approach me to exhibit with them, but I find myself saying no to galleries that do not have a strong vision or worse, don’t even attempt to engage me or my work on an intellectual level. Communication is key to any collaboration with a dealer and if I find they are dishonest, lie, and/or don’t make an effort to get to know me, I’ll say no. I’m always working – 24 hours a day – and I expect dealers to be at least aware of this.  Better if they too are working like me.

What fascinates you?

The streets, walls, decay and printed paper blowing in the wind. People who drop things as they walk; radio programs from the 1940s.

One word or statement to describe your current works?

How everything and nothing often seem to be the same thing.

Why are you an artist?

I like the hours. Every since I studied semiotics at Brown University, I’ve taken advantage of my obsession with the visual in a larger more formal way as a way to organize and make sense out of my impossible life.

Is there any one thing that has given you a big buzz in your art career so far?

Several things, actually – books, publications, major purchases – but the launch of the global project, A Book About Death in New York at the Emily Harvey Foundation Gallery marked a distinct change in my orientation towards the world, art and art making.  See: http://abookaboutdeath.blogspot.com/.  In addition, the inclusion of my work in MASTERS: COLLAGE, a large book recently published by Sterling Publishing/Lark Books has generated enormous interest in my work.

I’ve won an extremely big award at the MUFI stamp art museum in Mexico for my stamp art sheet Rubens Rounding Third.  Taking first prize and a large cash award enabled me to print up 1000 large format stamp sheets and, after signing and numbering the works, put them onto Keep Calm Gallery where we’ve been very successful in creating a buzz and finding an interesting market of stamp art folks, baseball fans and art collectors interested in this very sexually provocative work.  Winning the prize was a complete shock to me (and my father) but … I was pleased the folks down in Mexico liked it enough to give it top honors in the global competition.

Was there a big turning point in your art journey that caused you to think that “it’s all worthwhile”, or “oh yeah I get it…”?

I’ve always worked in collage and paint, but meeting (and writing about) Ray Johnson had a distinct effect on my work.  I “got” my own work. It made sense to me; I understood that making art was a highly focused way of thinking.  A kind of aesthetic breathing.

What caused you to choose the medium you currently work in?

I realized that with collage I could steal bits of the universe and make them my own; each tear or cut of a piece of paper became my signature.  The combinations, often surreal, became not just my way of seeing the world but seeing the world.  Plus, I’m very good with scissors and glue. And I’m able to work my vision rapidly, and this speed enables me to work more coherently with the incoherence of my own consciousness.  It’s truer, in a way.

You know you are successful in Visual Arts when…

People you’ve never met come over to your house and buy your art work for whatever price you say.  Or they try to steal little pieces of paper I’ve scribbled on.

Creative streaks do they come in waves for you?

I often make work in series of a dozen, 50, or 100 works at a time.  Once I sit down with a stack of paper or old magazines, I work like a  machine (with heart) until all the paper is consumed.  It’s more like a tornado than a tsunami (wave).  Then I sweep up and start again.

How important is the clarity of concept to you, prior to starting an artwork?

I don’t worry about clarity.  I trust myself. The whole point of making art is to see how I think; the process of making something is the process of thinking, reading, writing and understanding.

How important do you think craftsmanship is to artistic creation?

Craft is in the end, subjective.  Poorly crafted work is now a craft in-itself.  But you can tell what is conscious and what is not; editing is more important, in my opinion, than craft alone.

Does the sale of your work support you?

Now yes.  I sell my prints at Keep Calm Gallery in London, and collage works with a number of galleries as well as directly to collectors (even over the internet).  People e mail me all the time and come to visit my studio here in Paris to see and purchase my work.

Do you have much contact with other artists?

Through the global project, A Book About Death, and its subsequent restagings around the world, I’ve come in contact with artists in about 100 countries – about 2000 artists in the last year and a half.

Any upcoming or completely new projects you want to talk about?

As part of the recent book publication of MASTERS: COLLAGE (Sterling Publishing/Lark Books; 2010), Randel Plowman has organized a massive exhibition at Northern Kentucky University of the artists’ works.  I’m very happy to participate in the show that opens August 23 and runs thru September, 2010.

My solo show, SCARED BUT FRESH, at London’s Orange Dot Gallery is scheduled to open on October 6, 2010. My first one person exhibition in London.  I am preparing several prints for this show, including a hand pulled silkscreen print (edition: 100) of You-Me, with Michel Hosszù, and a large edition of my enormous collage work, Les Affaires; the latter will be a giclée print produced here in Paris through Burning Boy Press (http://burningboypress.blogspot.com/)

Working towards an exhibition, is it a daunting task?

Well, I’ve hung several exhibitions with more than 1000 pieces, so yes, it is daunting and time consuming – roughly three to four days to hang the entire exhibition – but almost as much a part of the works as making them in the first place.

Can you name a favourite artist or three… and why?

Ray Johnson, Jasper Johns and all the surrealists.  Not only did I gain a real understanding of materials and execution from both Johnson and Johns, but also a way to think about my work.  Clearly a sense of reading and writing impregnates my work, and these artists, as well as the surrealists, guided me by freeing me from classical perspective.

What about the role of titles with your work, some hate them others revel in them, what about you?

Titles are very important to me, regardless if I end up changing them over time. There is a distinct literary quality to my work and titles tend to indicate a direction to take in unpacking the visual puzzles. I’ve often taken long walks in the streets of Paris to find the right title for a piece; and those titles sometimes come from an overheard conversation, like “Les Affaires” which I plucked from two people discussing either business or their attire. Many titles are in German or in a kind of clipped English, because, for me words are images in and of themselves.  I just simply have to open myself up to this dimension of language to grasp the phrases that literally pour out of the sky.  Then once home, the titles and visual texts, are fused and cut and glued and applied in some way to the works, another aspect of the collage medium.

What is the most unexpected response you’ve received from a viewer of your work?

Early on my career, I showed a series of seven collage works combining Chinese-English flash cards at a friend’s apartment on Lafayette Street.  It was a large group show of sorts, and my friend Russell Steinert who was then working at Leo Castelli managed to co-opt a narrow wooden shelf, I believe from a Richard Serra installation.  The works, aligned on a wall, were simple word/image plays.  A card of a chicken and an an eye yielded : UNTITLED COCK EYE.  Well, that evening some intrepid art critic scribbled on the wall next to my works: C’est pas l’art! Ouch! It was curious that this was in French, and Russell said to me afterwards: Congratulations, Matthew, you had the best response to any of the works all night. From then on, I knew what I was doing was correct in each and every way.

Have you had much connection post sale with purchasers of your works?

Yes, collectors come back again and again and want to see new works, revisit older pieces I’ve sold them and discuss how I’m working.  It’s extremely rewarding because a sale isn’t just a monetary connection but one that’s both intellectual and social.  I’m grateful for those collectors who really have something to say and to teach me about what my work and methods mean to them. It’s a true gift.

Name a book or books, which may have inspired your work as an artist?

The art bio books like those about Pollock, de Kooning and Cornell (Utopia Parkway) are among those I’m always referencing.  But also criticism of all sorts interests me.  Some films like How To Draw A Bunny I’ve seen five - six times.  That film brought Ray Johnson’s work to a greater audience.  I think I learned how to remove surfaces from my work by thinking about these artists’ methods.  Sandpaper, knives, water, steel wool allowed me to scrape; subtraction rather than addition, is often a key way of working.

If someone says to you “Oh your work is decorative and lacks any meaning…” your response would be…?

Well, honey, then I guess it should be more expensive.

Some say a measure of an artwork is the ability for it to hold a persons attention or cause the viewer to come back after an initial glance and become captivated by the work, is that so for your works or an intention of yours?

I rarely find that people are bored by my work, and I think this is because I live full on in an aesthetic frame of mind.  I am intensely visual and creating things for me is a way to see what they look like. I believe that process is for others part of what they experience in my work. The eye reads the various passages – often again and again – and the mind consumes again and again if the pieces are successful. By looking at the piece, I’m trying to create a situation where the viewer “makes” the work and hears its strange song by singing it himself.

What is one thing you need to have in your studio before you work?

My mind. But a piece of paper and my No. 2 Big Ticonderoga pencil helps.

What or how do you respond to the term “Starving Artist”?

I actually get that a lot from people who don’t know me, hate my politics and hate my work without ever having experienced it. I don’t mind it.  If I weren’t starving, I don’t think I’d have much reason to make art.

E: MATTHEW.ROSE.PARIS@GMAIL.COM

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Annie Taylor - Artist

Annie Taylor is currently represented by  Courcoux & Courcoux in Stockbridge, UK and has been making art full time for the last 5 years. Her web details are here…

http://www.annie-taylor.com - http://creativerollercoaster.blogspot.com

Annie in the studio © Annie Taylor 2010+

What are the main medium/s you work in…
I work in oil on canvas, mostly large format 1 metre +, although I am trying to control this urge! Smaller paintings definitely get more house room.

Artist’s statement…
I have been passionate about the natural world since I was very small. My work is about that passion: not just the silence, the peace, the nurture for the spirit that the countryside can provide, but also its opposite face which can be harsh, threatening and wild.

Patterns in different landscapes have also intrigued me and guided my work, from the gentle, rolling patchwork downs and fields of Dorset in England, to the rugged, harsh mountains of the countryside where I live in France, these patterns have helped me to find my painter’s ‘voice’.

Red Mountain, oil on canvas 60 x 76 © Annie Taylor 2010+

What are you currently working on?
I am working on a series of paintings looking at mountain summits. I have lived surrounded by mountains for the last three years and it is only now that I am beginning to find what I want to say about them.

How important is art for you?
Art has always been essential and central to my life and since becoming a full time professional artist I find that painting is actually vital to my daily existence.

Le Canigou, 100 x 100, oil on canvas © Annie Taylor 2010+

What did you do before or during becoming an artist?
I started painting when I lived in America for three years. Together with a friend, I opened a studio and art gallery on the North Shore of Long Island. The studio enabled me to study and work alongside established professional painters. When I returned to the UK with a daughter to raise, the financial pressure was on and so the brushes had to be put aside. I started a PR and event management company in London and specialised in film, theatre and television representing clients at the Cannes Film Festival for a number of years.

In 1990 I moved out of London, back to my roots in the West of England and started producing large outdoor festivals.

Finally, when daughter Beth went off to Art School, I was really envious! The temptation to get back to painting was overwhelming and in 2003 I took the decision to work at it full time. Initially I studied with Dorset artist Clare Shepherd, receiving a grant from Arts Matrix to work with her in a mentoring scheme. I have now been working full time as a painter since 2005 and have exhibited in one woman and group shows in London and the South West of England.

Giant’s Head, Oil on canvas 102 x 76 © Annie Taylor 2010+

Is there any one thing, which has given you a big buzz in your art career so far?
My first exhibition was a three woman show in a gallery near Bath and to my amazement I sold 9 canvasses, all for pretty good prices. Invitations from other galleries followed. Since that time I get a huge buzz from the letters and emails I get from people who buy my work and contact me to tell me how much they are enjoying it.

Did the place where you grew up have an influence?
I grew up in the countryside in the south west of England, a place surrounded by woods and fields where my childhood was spent building tree houses and splashing about in streams. Even now I find I am most at peace outside and trees in particular continue to hold a very special place in my heart, they feature in a lot of my work.

Blithe Spirit, Oil on Canvas, 90 x 60 © Annie Taylor 2010+

Was there a big turning point in your art journey that caused you to think that “it’s all worthwhile”, or “oh yeah I get it…”?

Actually, I think if you aspire to be a really good artist I wonder whether you ever really arrive at that point? I think it is a never-ending journey. I suppose there have been a number of paintings along the way that I call my ‘gateway’ pieces where I have found something that seemed to move me on, but I am always hoping the next painting will be the ‘really good one’ and I hope I will always feel that way!

Has your work changed much since your early efforts?
Yes my work has changed a great deal – that is inevitable if you are painting nearly every day. The work has a much more confident feel to it now and I am ready to hold my head up among my peers. I know I exhibited far too early in London when I was offered a solo show right at the start and I do hope people who saw it then will come back for a second look now I have moved on so much.

Morning on Breeze Hill, oil on canvas 102 x 76 © Annie Taylor 2010+

Does the “creative process” happen easily for you?
No, not always and I suspect there are very few artists for whom it does. But I discipline myself to get into the studio every day, no matter how I am feeling and if necessary I will spend days just drawing until something occurs.

How important do you think craftsmanship is to artistic creation?
I think it is very important. It saddens me every time I see young artists who feel that sensational art is all that is necessary. I can’t help feeling they are missing out on one of life’s huge pleasures – perfecting and honing a skill, training the eye, knowing that you are getting better and better as time goes by.

Meditation, 100 x 75 © Annie Taylor 2010+

Working towards an exhibition, is it a daunting task?
No I love it. I really work well if I have a deadline or a goal in sight.

Some say the lifespan of many “artists”, post educationally, is about five years, any thoughts on that?
Rubbish! I could cite many examples among the artists hall of fame, but frankly if I thought that was the case, why would I be driven to work at getting better?

Edge of the Downs, 102 x 76 © Annie Taylor 2010+

Tell us about getting caught in a creative “slump” and how you got out of it?
I did have a really bad few months last year. I simply could not get inspired and everything I tried seemed to fail dismally. I just kept at it, drawing, re-working old canvasses, returning to familiar subjects to see if I could find a new approach, but above all I kept up with other artist friends and arranged to meet two of them on a monthly basis for a joint studio session. We looked at the work of different artists and at each other’s work, painted together and went out sketching. Then I tried a number of new approaches to how I was working and that gave me the impetus to get out of the slump.

Do you go into any contemporary art prizes, if so why?
I am just beginning to look at this area. I feel ready to put my work forward for competition now and I think that selection for a recognised show should be part of the marketing mix which will hopefully lead to opening more gallery doors.

Technology (websites and social networking sites to name a few) has become an important marketing tool for many industries and individuals, what are your thoughts from a “You Inc” perspective and your art sensibility.

The internet is obviously an essential marketing tool these days and huge numbers of artists now have websites, facebook pages, blogs, etc., I have had my website from the start 5 years ago and have largely used it as an instant ‘portfolio’ of my work and I have also managed to sell a few paintings via the site as well. However, there are issues around the easy infringement of copyright that are beginning to concern me more now.

Do you work from life, or from photographs or from imagination or some other method?
I work from life and imagination. I may start a landscape en plein aire, but prefer to take it back to the studio to allow my imagination to come into play as I am not particularly interested in photo realism. As I am exploring the use of glazing I often work on several canvasses at the same time in the studio.

How do you establish your art work prices?

I’ve written two blogs on this very subject and have had some interesting contributions from fellow artists: http://creativerollercoaster.blogspot.com

Tough and resilient, soft and fragile?

Nature has these opposite qualities, which, as I have said, is what attracts me to trying to capture that in my work. It is what has driven me to paint, but it is no good just stacking up finished canvasses in the studio, they have to be sold. The art marketplace is vastly over subscribed which means that trying to make any sort of impact requires dedication and persistence. I have had to be tough and resilient in my life, but this career as an artist is different in one important respect, it exposes the soft and fragile side of me: every time I show my work I am vulnerable. Exhibiting exposes your soul and puts the ego at risk - it is like dancing in public in the nude!

All Annies works are Copyright 2010+

Tony Curran - Artist

Tony Curran is an Australian Contemporary Visual Artist  who has a website, a blog www.tonycurran.com.au www.tonycurran.blogspot.com and a long list of credits to his name, from a Bachelor of Science to a Masters of Art (Drawing). Tony specializes in “neuro-aesthetics”, stereoscopy, visual design and psychoacoustic research.

Does your work have social, political, cultural and or personal messages?
My work has a philosophical message about the fine line separating the personal world and the “real” world

What are you currently working on…
I’m currently working on a project titled Aural Dynamics for an residency at Fraser Studios in Chippendale. It involves inviting the public to my studio and modelling their left ear for me while I draw it. I’m hoping to reach 300 ears by the end of my residency in August. These ears will hopefully be on exhibition after that.

I am offering a free ear portrait after the show to anyone who sits for AuralDynamics. People can contact me on my website to arrange a time.

Why are you an artist?
I was finishing up my Psychology degree at Macquarie University and studying Perception Psychology at the time. I began to draw certain concepts in perception theory and this started to take on a wider role of the intricate layers of image making and reading from the realistic to the abstract. Now I’m working quite cross-disciplinary and the spectrum from abstract to realistic is intuitively blurry.

How important is art for you?
Art is my profession and everyone needs a profession. Art also tells us people are trying to improve, whether it is to improve the world by making beautiful objects or even just improving their own ability or craftsmanship. Art gives me focus and self expression, but it can be addictive.

Your art education was…?
I completed my Masters of Art (Drawing) from the College of Fine Arts in Sydney. There I studied anatomy, life drawing, animation, sound design and really expanded my practice immensely. In my last semester I was awarded a travelling scholarship to participate in a residency in Edinburgh with Richard Goodwin’s Porosity Studio and the British Council. There were a bunch of other students from all kinds of disciplines including Fine Art, Architecture, Design, and Landscape Architecture, Photo-media, and New Media.

Was your education helpful, or a hindrance?
Definitely helpful. It pushed me in all kinds of directions and really showed me there is always a way to make the work, which is in your head.

Is there any one thing, which has given you a big buzz in your art career so far?
Finishing my degree and seeing my work as a Finalist in the Mosman Art Prize a few weeks later was a big rush.

You know you are successful in Visual Arts when…
When you have a visual art.

Do you get creative glimpses of urges happening and how do you work with these?
These happen all the time and unfortunately I can’t develop all the creative ideas. I try to write them down or blog about them as much as possible but sometimes I just have to let them go and think about what I’m working on now. They’re often powerful and make me want to can everything else.

Do you have a personal description of “Art”?
Art is something you develop over a long period of time. The art can be traced through the works you make but is not a painting per se. Art lives within the art object but is not the object.

Do you get to other artists exhibitions, openings etc?
I try but I find it difficult to maintain my own ideas and thoughts when I do. It’s best for my artistic development to stay away from other art exhibitions unless they are a friend of mine.

Working towards an exhibition, is it a daunting task?
Yes and no. Working toward an exhibition tells you, you have a lot of work ahead of you but the end of the show tells you, you can slack off for a little while and recover.  In some cases a long recovery is warranted

Some say the lifespan of many “artists” post educationally is about five years, any thoughts on that?
A rolling stone gathers no moss. I wonder if it’s the same in another profession. I finished my Psych degree in a cohort of hundreds but I wonder how many of those have fallen into a similar lifespan. I’ve always thought any career you choose is going to be a hard one – that’s life. After Uni you start at the lowest rung of the industry and try and make sense of whatever life you’ve chosen. With art it might even be easier because secretly everyone wants to be creative but not everyone has a secret wish they were more into finance. Maybe that’s just me.

Do you keep an Art Journal or Visual Diary of some kind?
I initially set up my blog to do this but I never find the time to use it in that way. Also I discovered my blog gets a small audience, so I decided to develop it with the audience in mind. I kind of have a visual diary but I usually have about 5 going at one time. They are all different sizes and I work on them based on where they are in my proximity and how easily I can carry them around at the time.

What happens to works, which “don’t work out”?
They hang around my house gathering dust.

Do you aim to break the rules of basic composition, layout etc or do you ignore the “rules” and just create?
I have a very intuitive process at the beginning and if I don’t like the work I determine whether its compositional or not and look through all the rules. At this stage it can always be edited or remade. Sometimes I love what I’m painting so much and it turns out it’s because I’ve broken a rule.

About significant moments in your life, the sort of things that changed things for you forever… perhaps altered your Art… Who how why what and where…?
The suicide of a relative was the kick up my ass to go out and make the most of my life and do what I wanted to do. The suicide of a different relative was a kick in the heart for me which killed me artistically for a bit but then ultimately defined my practice around levels of awareness as measured through sensation and sanity.

Is your Art, “Art for art sake…” or a matter of “Art for commercial viability?”
Both, I think Art can be pushed around in lots of directions from the commercial world most of those directions are probably destructive. It is the role of the artist to fine a good middle ground between artistic integrity and commercial viability because if you can develop it like that, then your art will be better than it ever was.

How has your mind-set changed from struggling to find your own style to solidifying what you are doing today?
Makes me less impressionable with other artists’ work but it also makes me able to appreciate good work when I see it. Once you have your own art practice you are happy with then you can become an audience of other art practices and not a student or critic so much.

Was there a point where you decided: OK I can live off of my art?
In 2006 I had a dream where I took off to Barcelona with no money and drew things and sold them like a busker to get food etc. When I woke up I went to work in a very crappy retail job and decided screw this: Somehow it will work.

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Compiled and edited by Steve Gray © 2009+

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John McLaughlin - Artist

John McLaughlin Painter, you can check out his website at www.drawinghermit.com

John is currently listed with online galleries: Busacca Fine Art Gallery, San Francisco The Brigham Galleries, Nantucket Ma. and The Robert Kidd Gallery, Birmingham Mi.

What fascinates you? I always have been fascinated by the way sunlight strikes objects. Both indoors and out. How quickly it moves and changes. The different colours of light from the early morning until late evening right before sunset. I am enthralled by the different emotional response it evokes. I can watch the sunlight like most people watch TV. I guess I’m easily entertained.

Your art education was…? None. I am a completely self taught artist. I’m not proud of this, it’s just I never had any desire to take art classes. I don’t know how art can be taught. All one could do is give support and supply materials, otherwise it would just be to encourage someone to be themselves.

What or who inspires your art? I get my inspiration most from nature. I love hiking and observing all the flowers and trees. What we do best here in Michigan is grow things so we have an abundance of trees and plant life. I also am inspired by other artists work that I see in museums, books, magazines and on-line art sites. I learn from and study many artists but some of my favourites are Matisse, Twombly, Doig, Klee, DeKooning.

Creative streaks do they come in waves for you? Creative streaks do come in waves for me. Although I make my small drawing/collages everyday, my larger work can take longer time periods between applications. Suddenly I get this creative flow and energy, then go at three or four canvases at a time for hours. Four or five hours seems to go by like twenty minutes. When I am done I feel completely exhausted, like I’ve just run a marathon or something. It sometimes takes a day to recover. Working like this from my subconscious, I often don’t remember making parts of my paintings.

How important do you think craftsmanship is to artistic creation? I think craftsmanship is needed only to the extent of what the artist has to “say”. If stick figures suffice for the meaning you want to convey, then that’s all it takes. If your portrait needs to look like a Rembrandt then you must do a little more practice drawing.

Do you have much contact with other artists? I have almost no contact with other artists. I have a severe hearing loss so I spend much time alone. Hence the web name drawing hermit.

Some say the lifespan of many “artists” post educationally is about five years, any thoughts on that? I don’t know who came up with that but it’s totally wrong. Artists can make good art for 1 year or 100 years. Some masterpieces where made when an artist was 20 and some at 90. We’re all different.

If you could have any piece of artwork in your personal collection, what would it be and why? I would take “The Window” by Henri Matisse. And this so happens to be at the Detroit Institute of Arts so every few months I go to visit it and regain inspiration. The incredible thing about this piece is that it is technically “wrong” in every way—color, perspective, composition, the furniture is even missing some pieces. But this masterpiece works perfectly.

All artists seem to have struggles, tell us about any you have had. I struggled the most with finally getting my work “out there” for people to see. Being a self taught artist I lacked the confidence until a friend of mine finally convinced me to quit throwing work away and start submitting it to shows. I’m better now.

What happens to works that “don’t work out”? Many of the works that don’t work out go to the trash bin. But I believe I do learn something from each piece I do. I’m by far my own toughest critic.

Do you aim to break the rules of basic composition, layout etc or do you ignore the “rules” and just create? I often try to break the traditional rules of composition. I don’t know if it can be done successfully. I believe I ignore most of the rules—I don’t think I even know most of them.

Musical influences, Okay this is about Visual Arts but most artists have favourite music they enjoy while working or just in general what about you? I love free form jazz. It makes my mind think differently. I often listen to this while I’m working although after, I never remember hearing any of it.

What can you say about your work that might not be evident to the viewer? I would say (or hope) my work needs to be studied over a period of time, long looking. Because the drawings and marks are small my work doesn’t photograph very well. They are better appreciated in person, up close.

Do you have a challenge knowing when a work is finished? I have a constant challenge knowing when work is finished. Sometimes even before I send out a sold painting I am adding marks. I often see sold work years later that I wish I could change. It’s just the nature of the way I work.

What about the role of titles with your work, some hate them others revel in them, what about you? I don’t like titles but I use them for identification, it gets too confusing otherwise. Some of my titles refer to the art work while others have nothing to do with it. The name just pops into my head. It’s funny that some people will have a whole different idea about a work of mine than what I do but that’s ok, I would never tell them differently.

What is the most unexpected response you’ve received from a viewer of your work? The best compliment I ever got about my work was overhearing a woman at an exhibit say about one of my pieces, “I really like this painting but I don’t know why”. I thought that was perfect.

Have you had much connection post sale with purchasers of your works? I sell a lot of work each week to gain more recognition and the response from my collectors is incredible. To correspond with people all over the world like this makes it all worthwhile.

Name a book or books, which may have inspired your work as an artist? “Art and Fear” by Ted Orland and David Bayles is required reading for any beginning artist.

Some say a measure of an artwork is the ability for it to hold a persons attention or cause the viewer to come back after an initial glance and become captivated by the work, is that so for your works or an intention of yours? This is absolutely so with my work. If not then I have failed. The longer you live with my work the more you will like it.

Is the making of art all it was “cracked up to be”? I think art and artist are the most misunderstood subject of our time. I really wouldn’t wish it upon anyone. Almost everything is going against you right from the beginning. From rejection to no income to criticism to being overly sensitive, when do the good times come? Artists have to do what we do, it’s who we are. I have a theory as to why many artists succumb to drugs, alcohol, etc. It’s because the sensitive antenna is always on—it’s great for creative making but there is no way to turn it off. This harmfully helps to turn it off awhile. To the general public the last thing we need is misunderstood art and strange acting artists.

Sociable and out there, or withdrawn or intense? Sociably withdrawn, shy and definetly out there would describe me quite well. I can’t help it.

Our Artists love to see comments on their interviews, so feel free to add comments in… Note they are moderated and so may take a little while before they are seen on the site.

Want to see more Artist Interviews the day they are posted? Subscribe and we automatically send you the latest post via email, it’s easy… click here to subscribe.

Compiled and edited by Steve Gray © 2009+

Follow me on twitter! http://twitter.com/stevegray58

Check out our other Art Site http://artstuff.net.au Loaded with creativity boosters, professional development strategies, investing/collecting art and activities for Artists and Students…

Contemporary Visual Artist Interviews

How many Contemporary Visual Artist Interviews have there been to date… Heaps! With more to come thanks.. but for now here are some to check out.

Teachers and students, remember there are worksheets you can use with each of these and other interviews on the site check out some here. If you make some of your own please, send me a copy so I can share them here.

Beth Nicholas

Kelly Feil

Stefan Gevers

Kendall Nordin

Sophia Hewson

Leisa Rich

Amanda Boekhout

Paul Lorenz

Chris Sedgwick

Peter Tudhope

Pete Nawara

Ursula Theinert

Connie Noyes

Dan Wollmering

Kerrie Warren

Werner Theinert

Peter Biram

Margaret Zox Brown

Annie Taylor

Tony Curran

John Mc Laughlin

Beth Nicholas - Artist in Residence

Beth Nicholas is working in an Artist In Residents position in England and is allowing us to get an inside view of the role, and her part in it. I thinks it’s a great chance for us to all learn more about ways artists can interact with various communities and in this case a secondary school environment. lets look into whats, taking place. Oh and do you have a question for beth? add it in the comments section at the end of the article so she, I we can respond… perhaps with some encouragement she will add more info over time in other posts, both on her blog and here in other articles.

www.beth-nicholas.blogspot.com

www.beth-nicholas.com

Beth, where is the residency based?
Wycombe Abbey School - High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire is a private all girls boarding school is considered to be one of the best schools in England.

How did they select you?
To be honest I’m not entirely sure, I think it was a mixture of things. I really like interviews, because I like people and when I met the deputy head she and I immediately got on and I did something I have never done before… I sang in my interview! When asked what my teaching style was I sang “make ‘em laugh, make ‘em laugh do do doo do do dooo do do”- I think that clinched it with her!

With Frances the head of the art department I had found the garment that has been the inspiration for this years work a few days before the interview and cleaned it up. I had also been given a book on the Japanese aesthetic Wabi-Sabi. I think showing her this garment, which was basically disintegrating in front of our eyes and having the concept to talk to her about was a really good thing. I had the very beginning of something and it was something unconventional and exciting. I think one of the things, which might also have pushed her buttons was the idea of the girls being encouraged to find the beauty in something rotting.

However I do know one of the other candidates called the girls “brats”… Not a good idea at an interview for a school!

What is expected of you in this role?
I am expected to be involved with six lessons a week lasting 1hr 20 mins. I have four different groups of girls working with me through my own scheme of work and two classes where I go in under another teacher and encourage and inspire the girls on their own work. I also have a four hour workshop on a Sunday. However saying that at the moment I am “off timetable” so that I can prepare for the exhibition. My studio is supposed to be open to the girls to come and talk to me if they need to. The final part of the job is the exhibition of my own work and the pieces produced by the girls I’ve worked with during the year.

What sort of guidelines do you have to adhere to?
I don’t really have guidelines. The school hasn’t had an artist in residence for years and when they had one before it was worked in a completely different way - The artist had the studio and to pay for it they worked part time as an art department technician. So it’s a learning curve for both of us.

How did you apply for it?
I found the advert for it on a teaching website called TES, there was a long online form to fill out - being a dyslexic it was exactly the kind of thing I dread.

What sort of hours do you have to put in and what’s the reality! (Usually I hear it’s much more than they ask…)
Well, yes, if you counted up all the lesson time as well as the weekend workshop it would work out at 12 hours. However I think its important for the work I do with the girls that I give them examples at nearly every stage, and having gone through a variety of different textiles techniques with them they needed examples to understand how the technique worked.

I take a long time designing the scheme of work, finding links to my own stuff and images of other artists- mainly because these girls are so bright they absorb everything extremely quickly and I don’t want them to get bored, so it has to be an exciting and challenging project. The other thing I find a nightmare is popping into the department to pick up art materials or use some equipment, I ALWAYS get stopped! Especially by the 6th form whom I have got to know pretty well, and their work is exciting and they are fun to bounce ideas around with so I end up staying for ages giving advice even on the days I’m supposed to be in the studio. So it is much more, but also I am a procrastinator so any distractions and I’m up for it!

At the end of the residency do you have one exhibition or…
Part of my remuneration is an exhibition at the end of the year of my work and the work I have done with the girls. At the moment it is due to run for a week but there is talk of it staying up till the end of the academic year.

What are some of the surprises you have encountered along the way?
I think probably the artist I am becoming is the biggest surprise for me. Working now the way I do - exploring what self-expression means to me and the work I am producing is so far removed from anything I have done in the past.

The girls have also been a surprise; it has been such a pleasure learning to teach. Being the Artist in Residence means I’m not really a teacher - the girls have a chance to get to know me on a bit of a different level and it challenges their perceptions of an artist. They are excited and interested in what I do, which is lovely. I think sometimes students at schools forget the teachers around them are people too…

Apparently they have extended the term of the residency, tell us about what it might mean…
I’ve been very lucky here and loved it for many reasons, the space, the freedom and the free food! What will be a change next year is my lesson time will double, it’s been a bit of a struggle financially surviving on the stipend and more teaching will definitely help, although it will hinder the time I have in the studio, however the other good thing is there will be another exhibition at the end of next year and I have to produce the work for it, so there is a deadline and a goal.

Your website shows beautiful scarves how does that fit… is it “bread and butter” income to feed a starving artist or???
My degree was in textile design with a very strong commercial aspect to the course. When I graduated I produced the two ranges of scarves, which I loved but the roll hemming by hand I hated! I sold a commission and exhibited in a couple of galleries with them but basically earned enough to eat maybe half a packet of crisps a week. Selling myself has never been a strong point for me and when I was offered work in the television industry I jumped at the chance, content at the time to leave behind the pain of the sell.

As an emerging artist getting a “gig” like a residency must be a huge bonus…
It’s fantastic! Teaching these girls has been extremely rewarding, seeing them getting inspired. But also having the time as well for my own practice and not having to worry about the bills is such a weight off my shoulders. With the exhibition I have access to all the parents of the girls and so a wide and diverse database of people in interesting industries.

How would you describe your work?
My work has changed so much this year, at the moment I would describe it as deeply personal self-expression, my subject matter is myself and my inspiration the rotten garment.

Tell us about how things may have changed for you from before the residency to after, influences motivation etc…
I’ve changed immensely as a person, I had a really tough year in 2009 and escaping to Buckinghamshire, to the school gave me space to rebuild what was left of me, my work has helped me do that.

My work has also changed hugely, it’s deeper now, more personal, it flows from me more readily, sometimes I feel like I haven’t even been involved in the making of it. Before everything was a struggle, racking my brain for the next idea, rather than accepting the ebbs and the flows and perhaps understanding the fact my brain isn’t working that day and I should take some time off!

Initially I would have called myself a textiles artist but for me that was extremely limiting, it boxed me in when all I really want and wanted to do was let everything out in whatever way I saw fit at the time, so I went from textiles to canvas. I don’t think I will ever not work in textiles but thinking outside that box gives me the freedom I want.

Influences and motivation wise, hmmm… motivationally I don’t have a choice anymore, if I haven’t worked for a while something will pop into my head at some point and I can’t sleep till I have started to work on the idea. I get a panicky knot in my stomach and an itch in my feet. Influences? I am influenced all the time, I read quite a lot and this sparks me off, an example of this was “The Artists Way” by Julia Cameron, her morning pages (three pages of long hand every morning of a stream of consciousness) influenced me to produce the “Letters to my past, my present and my future” series which spurred “Letters in landscapes”. So I guess I’m influenced by myself, things around me and my reactions as well as my initial studies, I constantly return to them to find new paths.

Your works on the blog feature a lot of figures, has this always been the case?
Figure/life drawing has never really shown itself in my work before now, I’ve taken life drawing classes, but the work is different, its self-portraiture really. When I actually put the garment on the work became about me, my empathy with it and exploring that relationship, so I haven’t really had a choice, the work is extremely personal and has become very cathartic.

Where to from here with your work?
To be honest I’m not entirely sure, my work seems to progress pretty organically meaning the next phase is always a little bit of a surprise. However I generally look back to my initial studies to spur me on to the next stage, which is why I like to have a big store of drawings and I always work in mixed media with those, just having a play with the media I suppose. I really enjoy progressing and working this way, because it keeps the work fresh and surprising, especially with using different media as much as possible.

However I have a little suspicion the “Letters to my past, my present and my future” need to find a way to sit within the “Lost and alone” pieces, it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while, but haven’t yet found the right piece.

For me I agree an artist’s job is “Learning to work on your work” which is a phrase from Art and Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland and for me that is my constant goal.

Our Artists love to see comments on their interviews, so feel free to add comments in… Note they are moderated and so may take a little while before they are seen on the site.

Want to see more Artist Interviews the day they are posted? Subscribe and we automatically send you the latest post via email, it’s easy… click here to subscribe.

Compiled and edited by Steve Gray © 2009+

Follow me on twitter! http://twitter.com/stevegray58

Check out our other Art Site http://artstuff.net.au Loaded with creativity boosters, professional development strategies, investing/collecting art and activities for Artists and Students…

Kelly Feil - Artist

Kelly Feil is a West Australian Photographic Artist and I spotted her and had a chat about her work while she was exhibiting as part of Art Melbourne In April 2010. She has a web presence at http://www.labyrinthart.com.au

Kelly has been involved in photography for over 10 years. She was fascinated by the dark room at a young age and marvelled at the image appearing on the page as the chemicals reacted with the paper. These days she works in a very different dark room and creates her images with digital manipulation.

Her surroundings have always been of interest to her and are often featured in her work. Influenced by the Surrealists and the more recent work of Australia’s own Jeffrey Smart. Kelly’s work varies from semi real to the very surreal or somewhat magical. It is this surreal sense she wants to portray to the world. For the audience to take a little piece of magic into their reality.

Kelly’s photography has won awards over the years and continues to be widely acclaimed. In 2009 she earned her Master of Photography ribbon through the Australian Institute of Professional Photography. One of her prints received a Gold Award in the Australian Professional Photographer of the Year Awards, this is one of the highest honours a print can achieve at a national level.

Who or what fascinates you?
Salvador Dali

How did you get into art?
I’ve been interested in photography since I studied it in high school. I worked in the photographic field for 10 years but always pushed for more than the everyday print. In pushing for something different I experimented with my style and started producing art pieces. It wasn’t until about 6 months ago that I decided to test the waters and make the transition to the art field.

Was your education helpful, or a hindrance?
It was helpful. I think any information is helpful, if u decide to take the positives from any education or seminar you will always learn something.

Was art a “thing” that was encouraged in your family?
My family have always been encouraging and supportive. I am the only art buff in my family and whilst they wonder where it comes from, they have always been supportive and I wouldn’t be where I am without them.

Has your work changed much since your early efforts? (e.g. as a student).
Absolutely, as I have matured so has my work. There is always so much of me in my work so when I am influenced my things so is my work.

Do you get to other artists exhibitions, openings etc?
As much as I can. I think its important to be aware of what is around you.

Do you have much contact with other artists?
Again as much as I can. I believe that’s how you learn and I never want to stop learning. I am a member of the AIPP and I attend as many events as I can.

Working towards an exhibition, is it a daunting task?
Of course it is. Other than the fact there is so much to organise, you are putting your heart and soul on a wall for people to fall in love with. There is nothing more daunting!

Some say the lifespan of many “artists” post educationally is about five years, any thoughts on that? I think no matter what industry you are in, you should never stop learning and you should never stop marketing and selling. If you never give up I believe you can go on as long as you want.

Do you keep an Art Journal or Visual Diary of some kind?
Yes and it goes with me to most places. You never know when you might be inspired with ideas.

Do you have a challenge knowing when a work is finished?
No, I think every piece speaks to you and relates to you. You know in your gut when it will go too far.

What about the role of titles with your work, some hate them others revel in them, what about you?
I hate titling my work because I like the audience to take from it what they feel. I don’t like to guide the audience to think, I want them to think for themselves.

Have you won any awards?
Yes, I enter the Australian Professional Photographic Awards every year. In 2009 I received a gold award for on of my prints which aided in my receiving my masters.

Our Artists love to see comments on their interviews, so feel free to add comments in… Note they are moderated and so may take a little while before they are seen on the site.

Want to see more Artist Interviews the day they are posted? Subscribe and we automatically send you the latest post via email, it’s easy… click here to subscribe.

Compiled and edited by Steve Gray © 2009+

Follow me on twitter! http://twitter.com/stevegray58

Check out our other Art Site http://artstuff.net.au

Stefan Gevers - Artist

Stefan Gevers is from Newport, Melbourne, Australia and is represented by one of my favourite galleries, Anita Traverso Gallery in Richmond, Melbourne.

How long have you been making art?
Since I was 17 after deciding I would enjoy making art more the working in a Laboratory.

Interests you have other than art you feel are important to mention?
I have an interest in Botanic Art and it’s history.

What are the main medium/s you work in…
I work with Acrylic on canvas and watercolour on paper. In my sculptures I do use Felt, thread and leather.

How do you describe your work?
While there is a sense of lingering melancholy in my images, their graphic nature reflects a particular artistic practice. The landscapes have been abstracted, rendered in flat solid blocks in a limited and muted range of colours. The landscape has been stripped back to bare essentials in a process of abstraction which is close to screen-printing or contemporary stencil art.

Does your work have social, political, cultural and or personal messages?
I would like the viewers to realise the beauty of the Australian landscape. The history it comes with and the care it needs.

What are you currently working on:
An Exhibition “Forgotten Places” which opens May the 5^th at Anita Traverso Gallery in Richmond Victoria. It’s a selection of acrylics on canvas and works on watercolour.

What fascinates you?
The power of nature.

Artist Statement for the exhibition:
“Forgotten Places”. May 2010, Anita Traverso Gallery

There is something about abandoned places, which is very intriguing.

A place that was once a centre piece in a few people’s lives, is now all but forgotten.

Those places are left in silence, surrounded by a sense of stillness that makes us reflect on our selves. Depicting moments in time, present and past, taking us on a journey of silhouettes and horizons of the Australian landscape.

These abstracted landscapes are the results of many road trips, scanning the fields searching for Forgotten Places. Capturing the essential elements of a visual and spiritual experience, eliminating unnecessary details.

The absence of Human presence intensifies the stillness and abandonment.

Why are you an artist?
I Ask my self that at stages! I think people should really follow their instinct and try to do in their life what they would love to do. Something, which keeps you happy and throws challenges at you, in my case it’s Visual Arts.

How did you get into art?
I got really bored with studying Science when I was 17 years of Age and started doodling to fill up time. I noticed I did okay and decided I would have more satisfaction at School of Arts.

How important is art for you?
Without it, life wouldn’t be as meaningful.

Your art education was…?
The best change I ever made. I loved every bit of it. It changed my life from being a withdrawn teenager into a person who started to discover things in life.

The craziest thing you did at art school was…
I always felt I was the only one not crazy at Art School!

Was your education helpful, or a hindrance?
It was helpful but only the beginning of what was to come. In terms of skills the school wasn’t spending much time developing that. You had to work out by your self outside school. In terms of creativity it was excellent though.

Have you always been interested in art?
No, but I did always loved to work with my hands. At the age of 17 I became interested and never looked back since.

What is your earliest memory of art?
Going to the Dali Museum in Spain and thinking what is all this weird stuff about!

Do you remember your first painting or artwork?
Yes, It was a portrait of Jim Morrison, The Doors. Taken from one of their Albums.

Did the place where you grew up have an influence?
I grew up in a small town in The Dutch country side. We were always outside playing in the Forest or fields. I used to show a lot of interest in nature and as a young boy would get up at 4am to record bird songs and photographing them. I still love nature which is one biggest source of inspiration for my Art.

Was there a big turning point in your art journey that caused you to think that “it’s all worthwhile”, or “oh yeah I get it…”?
After I finished the Jim Morrison portrait I remember having this absolutely clear feeling of which direction to take my life and from that moment having the energy, dedication and drive to make Art.

What caused you to choose the medium you currently work in?
I work in 3D as well as 2 D. Sometimes they go together but usually I need to focus on either one. At the moment it’s painting on canvas.

What can you tell us about your planning and making process for making art, and has that altered over the years?
Usually new work stems from the previous show. I will schedule road trips and plan the months ahead to get the new show together. The paintings are time consuming these day’s as apposed to my earlier years.

Does the “creative process” happen easily for you?
I have no trouble in setting a specific time to create and work on Art. I don’t wait for ideas to come to me and believe I need to be actively searching for them.

Creative streaks do they come in waves for you?
They come when I plan them and otherwise I record ideas whenever they come to mind.

Do you get creative glimpses of urges happening and how do you work with these?
I keep sketch books and surround myself in the studio with ideas. Write on the wall, collect colours, etc.. It feels a bit like a personal library.

How important is the clarity of concept to you, prior to starting an artwork?
I would like to know what my goal, direction is before starting, but are not afraid to take a side road here or there. My paintings and sculptures are very structured and planned but the water colours are free and loose.

How important do you think craftsmanship is to artistic creation?
Very important. “ what ever you do, do it well”. When people by your art and pay a lot of money for it and expect it to last, you need to make sure you have done the best you can for every piece you make..

Do you have much contact with other artists?
Not on a daily basis. I am part of the “thelittlestforum” which is great for artist working from home, to share information. But really it is pretty solitary most of the times.

Some say the lifespan of many “artists” post educationally is about five years, any thoughts on that?
I am not sure about Post Educational but from 30 students starting School of Arts in my year, only 5 finished. I think it is important to keep challenging yourself and dive into projects, which are interesting. Keeping balance in life, between Art, family and work is important not to burn out.

What has been a turning point in your career thus far and why?
I think my turning point came in 1998, when working in Holland. My work started to sell and I felt I was doing something I absolutely loved. I started to look more seriously about making it my career.

If you could have any piece of artwork in your personal collection, what would it be and why?
One of Eduardo Chilida’s works. He has always been a great inspiration.

Can you name a favourite artist or three… and why?
Eduardo Chilida, he changed my direction into Art. I started working with Felt after seeing shows in Spain.

What sort of depth or meaning is there behind the work you do?
I am not trying to change the world with my work but I do hope to create more appreciation for the landscape we live in.

Do you hope the viewer will “get” what you are trying to communicate or do you feel compelled to spell it out to them?
I try to use my Titles so the viewer will be guided in a certain direction. The Artist talks I do explain my work in more detail.

What discourages you from doing art?
Seeing people spending money on copied digital art while they should be spending money on Emerging artists.

Is motivation to work an issue for you and how do you overcome it?
Motivation has never been an issue. I have to many ideas and the problem is which one to take on and do well.

Your first show at a “gallery” you thought was of value, how was the whole thing for you?
Every show is of value as it adds up everything’s you worked on so hard. It’s the best time to analyse and start planning ahead for the new work.

The business or marketing side of Art can be a challenge to some, what are your thoughts?
It’s necessary and it’s the reason why I am being represented by a Gallery.

What is the most unexpected response you’ve received from a viewer of your work?
My children come up with good ones, like “ why do you always paint?” Can I help you?, which I usually allow and then spending the next hour retouching. They are very honest.

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Kendall Nordin - Artist

Kendall Nordin is a Washington DC based Contemporary Artist who recently had an exhibition at ARS upstairs @ the Napier (the Napier Hotel in Fitzroy). I recently caught up with Kendall for a quick chat.

Why did you choose this venue?
I did my masters at RMIT with some of the folks who began the ARS Upstairs @ the Napier so it seemed a natural place to apply for a show.  When I heard about the space and saw images, I thought it would work well with my work– a space that has been repurposed.  I hadn’t seen it in person before I arrived to get ready for the exhibition and it was a very pleasant surprise.  The pressed tin along the wall and some of the ceiling textures work very well with some of the textures in the paper pieces I make.  And the big windows really allow the pieces to change with the day.  It’s a beautiful, quirky, and large space.  And I couldn’t be happier with how my art sits in it.

Why these works?
These works represent the major pieces I’ve been working on for the last year and a half to two years.  Though the approaches are different, it has been a pleasure to see them finally hanging all together and commenting on each other, reflecting some common ideas and spinning off on their own tacks.

What’s your methodology/philosophy with this show?
In my work I am chasing after the circumstances of being human—the topography of skin, the accidents of our origins and evolution, our ability to symbolize and find meaning, play, the desire for relationship, the fact of dissolution, and the constant of the unknown.

Because of this my art involves a lot of incidental pieces—created moments of randomness that then get built upon—or layers and layers of meaning that might be obfuscated—or multiples that are completely different but arranged in a way to suggest connection.  I use paper, ink, watercolor, thread, cutting, sewing, drawing, pouring, ball bearings, letting things do what they do and reacting with attention to spontaneity, precariousness, organic form, and transparency. Some pieces disappear entirely from certain angles and only reappear when the angle of view changes or the available light moves.

My forms are all raw data, it is up to the viewers to come up with narratives.  I want people to find something familiar, something plausibly organic, in my work but a something that is not quite comfortable nor completely recognizable.  The result, I hope, is a shift in the quality of attention that someone brings to the space.  People approach my work and get drawn into the small details, the subtle shifts in tone and walk away with slower, quieter eyes.

You’re in the USA? then how come Melbourne?
I came to Melbourne to do my MFA in 2005 for many reasons– and couldn’t have anticipated what a good fit it was for me as cities go.  The sheer quantity of art and music being produced and shown on a daily basis here is stunning– and a wonderful experience coming from a place like Washington DC where we have a lot of beautiful big museums with important historical art but not a great deal of local galleries who are showing Contemporary Art– particularly non-commercial spaces.  I had never heard of an “Artist Run Space” until I arrived here.  They simply don’t exist in the model back home.  Beyond the amount of work that’s out to be seen, there is work that really challenges me and engages with the International art scene– which is where I’d really like to be located rather than chasing after the US/New York art scene.  I’m not so interested in that world.  So Melbourne feels like a productive place, a place where boundaries can be pushed and dialogue is readily had.

Your history is interesting tell us a little…
I’m a bit all over the place with my “history”.  I’ve played music, tour managed a band, helped produce documentary film, worked in a 4 star restaurant, lobbied for Low Power FM Radio, taught preschool, written/performed/published/taught poetry, studied Religion.  I’ve lived in DC, Portland Oregon, Costa Rica, Glasgow, Nanjing, Melbourne and did a long residency in Tallinn, Estonia this past summer.  In terms of art making I really started with a focus on photography, then did some drawing, then painting, now this– whatever it is you might call it.  Usually I call it “installation work with paper”.  I think I use different modes of making things in order to do really different things.

How about your method of working?
Sometimes a material grabs me, sometimes I just have an idea that needs to get worked out, sometimes I let a pen and paper react to what’s around me.  I think like all artists I get stimulation from a lot of different avenues and its a matter of following up on those impulses, pushing them to where they need to be and then seeing how that might fit or not.  I have pieces that are ongoing, which will take many years to complete.  I have a list of pieces that I keep for when I have some serious funding to make big ambitious work.  And then there are the pieces, which just seem to appear and I put my head down, I work at it, and they often surprise me at the end.

What’s next?
The week after the show comes down I’ll be doing a Skype “Studio-to-Studio conversation from 16 hours in the future” from my studio in Melbourne to the big annual open studios event at my building in DC.  It’s going to be part performance, part serious conversation about making art, the difference between DC and Melbourne, and what art is anyway.  After that I’m looking forward to making some new work.  Seeing this body of work hang together makes me have some good sense of where I might go from here and where I might decide to pick up and go in a different direction.  My colleague here, Hannah Bertram, and I will be doing a 24-hour drawing project (the 6th one we’ve done) in May.  It looks like there might be a 22 piece all girl rock orchestra PANIC might get a show while I’m here as well.  That’s all before June.

Sophia Hewson - Artist

Sophia Hewson from Melbourne is an up and coming artist in the Melbourne scene, here is her website sophiahewson.com and interview… Feel free to comment on the work, interview and or Artist.

Are you currently represented by a gallery?
Yes, Lindberg Gallery in Melbourne. They are great. Last year they let me paint the entire gallery space black.

What are the main medium/s you work in…
Oil paint with resin on either board or canvas.

African migrant

Oil and resin on board

108 cm  x  76 cm

What are you currently working on?
I’m working towards a joint show this September at Lindberg Gallery with artist Mia Salsjo. I’lI be doing some paintings and some sculptural work. I’m feeling very free at the moment within my practice. I hope the paintings in September will relay this sense. It’s a sense that began around the time I started the dolphin painting (There should be a book written on Italian men).

Why are you an artist?
It seems to me artists need to get something out of themselves, I suppose they call it expression, but I don’t think it’s as pleasant a process as that, perhaps it is like that quote, a kind of exorcism. I think also for me there is a need to try and get down to the core of things, and there is a freedom I associate with being an artist or at least the possibility of a freedom.

There should be a book written on Italian men

Oil and resin on board

140 cm  x  180 cm

Your art education was…? I studied an undergraduate and an Honours Degree at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne, it was a very conceptual school. There are so many ways to approach understanding your own work, this was the focus of the degree, it could be disorienting, but the teachers at the VCA are remarkable, they’re artists too and they were lateral minded, they were very receptive and talented.

What is your earliest memory of art?
My earliest memory of anything actually is drawing with coloured chalk on the pavement down at Lorne, I was about 3.

The Armour

Oil and resin on board

133 cm  x  133 cm

How important is the clarity of concept to you, prior to starting an artwork?
For me There is an incomplete concept present before a painting, which develops during the process of making the work (photo-shoot, painting etc). It develops further after I have finished the work (when I can step back and gain a more detached understanding). So I think the concept of a work gathers momentum as it materialises, it changes and develops throughout this process. But also each painting is different, some do just seem to appear out of nowhere, and others are mulling, completed and understood in my head for a year before I make them.

How important do you think craftsmanship is to artistic creation?
Despite my own use of a refined technique I don’t think craftsmanship is necessarily important at all, it can be a beautiful way to lure someone into the conceptual space of a work, but there are many other ways to do this. I just saw Miroslaw Balka’s “How it is” instillation at the Tate. It was a huge elevated metal box, well ‘box’… it was bigger than a warehouse, and pitch black inside, approaching it and eventually venturing inside was like death and birth all at once, like an alien contact, absolutely overwhelming, and those sensations had little to do with craftsmanship.

Tailed emperor

Oil and resin on board

58 cm  x  52 cm

Some say the lifespan of many “artists” post education is about five years, any thoughts on that?
The only people as broke as artist are poets, and artist work hard, most of my peers work long days 3 or 4 times a week in arbitrary jobs, with every skerrick of the rest of their time spent in the studio. Doing well in the first 5 years out of study for an artist is breaking even. What recognition there is, is dealt out in bursts, never evenly distributed. So its unlikely you’ll get anyone but yourself to assure you that you should be doing this. A lot of good artists are dealing with frequent rejection.

In my language. There are no rules. There is no need to know, anything.

Oil and resin on board

109 cm  x  140 cm

If you could have any piece of artwork in your personal collection, what would it be and why? It would be a Van Gogh, and then I would sell it and buy a house, and a studio. I would make my work uninterrupted.

Hero and Leander

Oil and resin on board

105 cm  x  138 cm

What is the most unexpected response you’ve received from a viewer of your work? Its very diverse, some people are very unaffected, some people cry, a few have admitted to arousal, once a work was destroyed. I like the tears best, I could always have more tears.

Goodnight Atala

Oil and resin on canvas

216 cm  x  216cm

Are there times of the day when you prefer to do your work?
I need to have an uninterrupted 10 hours of day light. That’s best but once I’ve started an arm or a leg I have to finish it before the paint dries, so I often end up in the evenings with a torch in one hand. I can angle a torch so that it wont give off a reflection.

Before Atala was born I was her

Oil and resin on board

185 cm   x  99 cm

How many artworks do you produce in a year?
I make about 6 large works. So that’s about 2 months a painting, but really a lot of that 2 months is spent conceiving an idea, doing a photo shoot for the painting, editing, writing applications and artist statements, documenting my work etc.

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Compiled and edited by Steve Gray © 2009+

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Leisa Rich - Artist

Imagine an Artist making art for 35 years with a fine range of qualifications, a seemingly ebullient personality and a fascinating portfolio of works, and you have Leisa Rich from Atlanta, Georgia. A fibre Artist with a blog and a website. www.monaleisa.com www.richmade.etsy.com http://monaleisa.posterous.com

I read Leisa’s responses with deep interest, clearly a highly motivated Artist and a person who seems to have had many challenges and yet “bounces back” with ease. I feel sure there will be many people in awe of her tenacity as an Artist… It has taken a lot of work to edit this interview to keep it at a reasonable length, as Leisa had so much great value to add!

I hope the reader gets just some of Leisa’s energy, angst, brutal honesty, passion etc… I certainly felt she had so much to share. Thanks Leisa

Steve Gray

So Leisa, can you give us an overview of where your art is coming from or what it’s about?
I feel an increasing lack of control inherent to living life today.

Social issues of global uncertainty, unsettling politics, medical challenges, environmental woes, the insistent ways in which human interaction is being forced to morph due to technology, lack of human connection on a personal face-to-face level, and the accelerated, frenetic pace of a humanity trying to deal with the fallout of it all informs my recent work.

In addition, there is also my more personal interest in the on-going dialogue of the relationship (or often, lack thereof) between craft and art; society is finally recognizing fibers as a valid art form…how can I leave a foot in the traditional world of fiber art I love so well and also embrace and access the general mainstream art worlds’ love affair with expression through painting?

In an effort to create the arena for such dialogue and give it a voice of expression, as well as continue in my tradition as a fiber artist, I am creating Neo-surrealist, stitched, narrative “paintings” as well as 3 dimensional pieces – often in installation format and that utilize recycled media- that hint at or actually create, an alternate reality. In addition, I am seeking a tactile and visual way to control and shape outcome.

What are you currently working on?
A massive, viewer interactive, constructed and stitched alter- reality installation.

Why are you an artist?
Compelled by tactile experiences while in the hospital for deafness as a child.

How did you get into art?
I got mono (glandular fever) while on a piano scholarship at prestigious Interlochen Center for the Arts private boarding school and had to drop my minor-dance for a semester, due to the illness. A friend said “Take weaving, man…it’s an easy “A”. Three days into it I was absolutely hooked on fiber and switched my major to art, much to my parents’ dismay.

How important is art for you?
It is the air I breathe, the calm in the storm, the thing that keeps me sane. And, even beyond that.

What is it about Visual Art you find compelling?
Art is perpetual change that I can control, tactile stimulation that gives me goosebumps, complete adoration- it never finds fault with me- and I can send a message out into the world and have it received.

Your art education was…?
Three degrees. A Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Michigan, then a Bachelor of Education in Art and finally, at the ripe old age of 47, I got my Master of Fine Arts degree.

The craziest thing you did at art school was…
I stayed in a destructive relationship throughout my first undergraduate degree with a brilliant and disturbed painter (who presently owns a prominent NYC gallery!) thus affecting the quality of my experience at that time. The stupidity of the young…

Was your education helpful, or a hindrance?
Hmmm…most of it was a waste of time, but there were components of my MFA that were very, very helpful. I think I appreciated and gleaned far more as an older, wiser art student. I took everything really seriously and worked very hard.

What did you do before or during becoming an artist?
What didn’t I do! I was a store mannequin; a warm-up dancer for a disco band; a lingerie salesperson; a pizza parlor waitress; a fashion model; sold silver polish; babysat; was a fashion designer for an exclusive, international fashion design company; designed hats and clothes for t.v. shows; owned a wearable art business; sold everything I owned and travelled the world with my husband and first daughter for a year; was (and still am) an art teacher to ages 3-88 years of age; did census-taking; became a Mom- twice; overcame deafness and a paralysing major car accident and reconstructive back surgery, conquered foot and knee surgery; have taken care of a dying Dad and am now helping out an aging Mom and raising the last remaining child at home.

Was art a “thing” that was encouraged in your family?
Not by my parents, but my sister and brother-in-law were excellent artists and art professor.

Did the place where you grew up have an influence?
Yes. I grew up in Canada, full of natural beauty, peacefulness and little crime or threat. Nature inspires a great deal of my work.

Was there a big turning point in your art journey that caused you to think that “it’s all worthwhile”, or “oh yeah I get it…”?
Hmmmmm, I am still waiting for the big turning point. I have always gotten it, but my work has not got the recognition and sales I would really like. But, it is always worth it because I have no choice. This is what I was meant to do and I love every moment in the studio or watching as my students have their own AHA! Moments.

What caused you to choose the medium you currently work in?
My mother used to make Barbie doll dresses for me and bring them to the hospital so I could play with them and dress my barbie. I loved the satins, silks, the tactile. I absolutely love texture and touch…and we are sorely lacking in touch in these technological days.

Has your work changed much since your early efforts?
Yes and NO! Concepts change, technical skills improve, but my work STILL has that push/pull dichotomy of intriguing and attracting the viewer, while at the same time repelling them.

You know you are successful in Visual Arts when…
You feel good listening to others verbally screw your piece and take what you want from the critique, but still know who you are. Thick skin is very important.

Creative streaks do they come in waves for you?
Mostly riding the Big Kahuna…but when there are external stresses in my life, it takes a huge toll on my work. Recently, my husband lost his job and I didn’t make anything for several weeks. That has never, ever happened before. Usually, it is one or two days. I can’t stand going longer than that without putting my hand to it!

Do you get creative glimpses of urges happening and how do you work with these?
My creative urges are 24/7, 365 days a year. I need to clone myself.

How important is the clarity of concept to you, prior to starting an artwork?
Very, very, very.

Do you have a personal description of “Art”?
That would take volumes and more time than I presently have to discuss! We’d have to get into a debate about fibers’ place in the art world, and then that would lead to the never-ending Craft vs Art debate, and then I would start espousing all of my negative feelings about the hierarchy of painting and how they think they are the Kings….

Do you have much contact with other artists?
I try. I am the state representative for the Surface Design Association and am on the Board of Directors for a new fiber arts center we are opening up this year in Atlanta and I have some artist friends.

Working towards an exhibition, is it a daunting task?
Not if you time it well, stay focussed, work hard, and never, ever leave anything to the last minute. I am a highly organized, prolific artist. The Martha Stewart of the art world. Everything is labelled in my studio and storage.

Some say the lifespan of many “artists” post educationally is about five years, any thoughts on that?
Holy shit! Are you kidding me?! I just graduated in 2007 with my MFA, am almost 50 and am just getting started! Throw that question out!

What sort of research and or reference material do you do for current works and has that changed over time?
Some things deserve lots of research, others very little. It depends on the project. I access the internet a lot…don’t go to see any art books at my local library because A) they have too many Dead White Guys and B) I have a better, more comprehensive selection of my own books. I read art books voraciously and collect them prodigiously.

Do you hope the viewer will “get” what you are trying to communicate or do you feel compelled to spell it out to them?
First rule of grad art school…never give them everything.

What can you say about your work that might not be evident to the viewer?
Time is NOT on my side. I don’t slap dash some paint on a canvas and call it a day. Most of my pieces START at 400 hours each.

What can you tell us about your creative development process?
Idea comes into head, sit down and start making it. Hang it up, put it on the floor, look at it, attack it and change it, look at it over and over again, repeat several times until you know…just instinctively KNOW…it is done.

Art is about entertainment, experiment, inventiveness or shock for you?
Personal vision and human expression. An invitation to look differently and experience. Titillation. Provocative thinking. If I see one more bowl of fruit I will scream….

About significant moments in your life, the sort of things that changed things for you forever… perhaps altered your Art…
Who how why what and where…? Some intimate things can’t be fully discussed at this level. I do know that my physical challenges and growing up in Canada, and my shock at the human condition are all significant. Having kids and not having enough time for myself is significant. Doing something for 35 years and not being recognized is significant. Hanging out in my Dad’s electrical shop with the other “guys”- the plumbers, pipe fitters, etc. with shops in the same complex- was significant. At one time, female genital mutilation et al was highly significant. Babies being dumped alive after birth in dumpsters was significant. The way a leaf curves to catch the light is significant. It’s a life and it informs every single art piece.

If you stopped doing art right now would you miss it?
I would die.

Is motivation to work an issue for you and how do you overcome it?
Never. I am always motivated (except for after the shock of my husbands’ job loss).

Your first “decent” gallery representation, how did it come about?
I still don’t have any. No one has accepted my work.

Is your art, “art for art sake…” or a matter of “art for commercial viability?”
Well! Ain’t that a loaded gun! Both. I do it because I have to, but it sure would be nice to pay some bills because of it.

If you have been working as an artist for a while, how do you feel about earlier works that are in people’s collections / ownership?
Actually, I think I have a pretty awesome life’s work record. Some of my pieces from 20 years ago are similar to things I see now that are garnering attention and sales.

Some say a measure of an artwork is the ability for it to hold a persons attention or cause the viewer to come back after an initial glance and become captivated by the work, is that so for your works or an intention of yours?
It is totally important to me. I want to suck the viewer in to my story…and lately, to contribute to that story, physically.

People around you (family friends etc.) what would they say about the way you work, the moods you have, your life as an artist etc?
That’s another loaded gun! My father used to say, “Why can’t you paint some pretty pictures and make money?” That says it all.

What or how do you respond to the term “Starving Artist”?
Another loaded gun. I try to be positive about it, but my life stays on the Starving Artist side, despite all of my good attempts to make it otherwise.

Which is more important to you, the subject of your work, or the way it is executed?
Subject. I want to connect with an artwork. I was moved to tears once by a piece done on a piece of cardboard…

How important is society, culture and or history to your work?
It is all crucial. The most important thing an artist can be is educated, enlightened and informed.

Have you won any awards?
Yes, actually this is one area I have been quite successful in.

The problem with the art scene today is…
It is incestuous.

Have you ever made an artistic pilgrimage? If so, where did you go and why?
I sold everything I owned, travelled around the world and looked at all sorts of art along the way.

How did you go about marketing your art?
Website, blog, twitter, demos, teach, mailing list, occasional magazine ads, give-aways, charitable donations and more.

How many artworks do you produce in a year?
Dozens of significant pieces.

How often do you work in the studio?
Every, single day.

Do you ever question being an artist?
All of the time. I feel tremendous guilt for taking so much time and money away from my retirement with my husband and from my family….

How do you cope with any low points?
Feel depressed, shake myself off and move on.

How long do our works they usually take to complete?
400-600 or more hours of work. The one I am presently working on will take a year.

How did you approach your first gallery?
Doing everything that I was taught to do. The approach, the portfolio of images, etc. I did what everyone suggested. Still no gallery will take me…and here in Atlanta, it’s all about the “who-you-know” so fat chance of getting noticed here.

Do you think art school nurtured you or somehow crushed you?
Both. I had a lot of diva professors with their own favorite students and agenda.

How did you manage to survive financially at the beginning of your art career?
Working, always working…while pregnant, while a Mom, always working.

How do you establish your art work prices?
A formula and then forge the formula because I know no one is going to pay that. Right now I get about 50 cents an hour.

Can you respond to this quote “Anyone who is half assed about art should get out.” (Janet Fish).
Yep. I know what she is saying. Unfortunately…it seems a lot of half-assers and ass-kissers make it. I know one.

What was life like for you as you were growing up?
Lower, middle class, good Canadian family. Parents who never understood where in the world their two artistic daughters emerged from.

How did your first solo show go?
Awesome.

Did you have any idea about how the art world worked in the beginning?
Certainly not. I was full of optimism and enthusiasm! I still have the enthusiasm but not the optimism. Especially in these tough economic times.

How do you continue to grow, or is this not important?
Always and it is always important. I see a lot of artists become successful doing one form of art and they stay with that forever because the money is good. I have a love/hate relationship with that view….

Did you have an inspirational teacher, and how did that affect you?
No, I actually had teachers who were always against me. It was important to me to rise above their negativity and find my voice and believe in myself.

Here are a bunch of statements you can respond to any way you want. Go for the first thing that comes into your mind, or not…

Sociable and out there, or withdrawn or intense? Sociable WHEN out there, withdrawn in the studio.

Tough and resilient, soft and fragile? Tough on the outside, a total jellyfish inside.

Small and intimate or large and bold? Large and bold.

Security or insecurity? Insecurity.

Feel the art and hear the image… Feel. Literally.

The world is… a bitch. Awesome. A dichotomy.

Delicate and subtle, strong and bold? Strong and bold.

Intellect or careless casual connections… Intellect.

Critics are important because? People love to listen to negativity!!!!

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Compiled and edited by Steve Gray © 2009+

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Amanda Boekhout - Artist

Amanda Boekhout is a Florida Artist from Tallahasee who has been painting for about 12 years and has had many art forms enter her life. Her website is www.elliottelephant.com and also check out her blog at www.chantspectacular.blogspot.com

Interests you have other than art you feel are important to mention?
I love to sew and design clothes, I love to sing and make music, I enjoy collaborative endeavours, and I love to garden and hike whenever possible.  The beach is my favorite.

What are the main medium/s you work in…
I have been working in oil paint for the longest amount of time but I am definitely a mixed media artist.

Does your work have social, political, cultural and or personal messages?
My work is very personal and I would say that every piece is somewhat of a self-portrait.  I have social and cultural undertones but they are not obvious in most of the things I make.

What are you currently working on?
I am currently enthralled with the idea of “alive painting.”  I am experimenting with creating sets or spaces that are still and can be read like a very large painting.  I am also including my body in the works as the figural element, which brings in performance.  This type of work is more powerful for the viewer to interact with than anything I have done in the past.

What fascinates you?
Bodies, skin, fur, dirt, the sun, plant life, the ocean, and love.

One word or statement to describe your current works?
Alive, ephemeral, ambiguous.

Why are you an artist?
I am deciding whether to consider myself an artist.  I am a maker.  I feel like there are a lot of people who call themselves artists and I am not sure I fit in anywhere so I am toying with the idea of making things that may or may not be and being happy doing so.

Your art education was…?
I went to undergrad at University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida and graduated in 2004 with a BFA.  I took 5 years off to “find myself” and live away from Florida for a while.  I am currently completing my first year of Grad school at Florida State University for my MFA in studio art.  I am having a blast and I highly recommend the program.

Was your education helpful, or a hindrance?
I am the type of person who really enjoys being taught.  I am very inspired by professors and fellow students.  I love the intensity of critiques and how they make me re-evaluate everything I think I know about art.  It is possible to have these experiences without academia, but I am not very good at seeking out those communities or workshops.

Have you always been interested in art?
Yes!  All forms of art are interesting and captivating and inspiring to me.

What is your earliest memory of art?
My sister would hand me a piece of paper and watch me fill it up completely with all sorts of marks and patterns.  She was really impressed by that.  We were very young.

Do you remember your first painting or artwork?
I remember falling in love with painting.  I was 16.  I was sitting at a drafting table in my parent’s house (my house at the time) and I was alone.  I was blasting Tori Amos’ Choir Girl Hotel and I was painting a female figure from memory.  That was the first time I felt that I had something that I loved more than anything else.  It was pure happiness.

Was art a “thing” that was encouraged in your family?
My parents encourage me to do whatever makes me happy.  They are really amazing and supportive.

Has your work changed much since your early efforts? (e.g. as a student).
Looking back, I have always used the female figure as the main subject matter in my work.  There is a constant thread throughout.

Does the “creative process” happen easily for you?
I am flooded with ideas all the time; I am very blessed to have such an easy time with this.  Now I just need numerous versions of me to help me make everything at the pace in which it comes to me.

How important do you think craftsmanship is to artistic creation?
Craftsmanship is very important.  When the level of technical skill is ingrained, the art is stronger and therefore will speak to the viewer with ease.  I am miles from where I wish to be in my skill, but I have my whole life to practice.

Do you have much contact with other artists?
Due to being in Graduate school, I am surrounded by many artists.  We are constantly feeding off of each other and suggesting artists to look up for each other.  Also, I am a part of the Railroad Square Art Park here in Tallahassee.  We are most noted for out First Friday events, which are attended by upwards of 5,000 people per month.  This is a great opportunity to communicate with the artistic community!

Some say the lifespan of many “artists” post educationally is about five years, any thoughts on that?
Making art is a very selfish practice.  Artists often leave their practice when they can no longer be as selfish as they once had the luxury of being.

If you could have any piece of artwork in your personal collection, what would it be and why?
I love Monica Cook’s work.  She is a painter based in Brooklyn.  Any of the large paintings in her “Seeded and Soiled” show would be greatly loved.

Can you name a favourite artist or three… and why?
Monica Cook, Chris Sedgwick, Kehinde Wiley, Kris Lewis, Carrie Ann Baade, Odd Nerdrum, Andrew Wyeth, Ana Mendieta, Sally Mann, and Alex Grey.  Look them up!  They are amazing in every way.

All artists seem to have struggles, tell us about any you have had.
I struggle every day with knowing that I don’t know, creating a fresh idea, creating a fresh visual experience, being true to myself and to others with what I make, and accepting failure. (to name a few)

What happens to works that “don’t work out”?
It is very liberating to paint over paintings.  I also like taking a painting to the fire as an offering to the art gods and goddesses.

What sort of research and or reference material do you do for current works?
I am currently reading about warrior women.  This has been a huge influence on my work for the past 3 months.  I am attempting to embody the women I read about in my art.

Musical influences?
Eluvium, Slowdive, Sigor Ros, Marie Sioux, Radiohead, Blonde Redhead, Air, Amon Tobin, Dead Can Dance, Thievery Corporation, Grizzly Bear, Lichens, Grails, Polyphonic Spree, Ulrich Schnauss.

Do you hope the viewer will “get” what you are trying to communicate or do you feel compelled to spell it out to them?
Viewers come with their own complete biography that directly affects the way they approach art.  I have put my own intention in the making process, but I love the ambiguity of art and how it can have endless meaning.  I only strive to make work that is engaging and inspiring for the viewer.

Is motivation to work an issue for you and how do you overcome it?
Deadlines!!!!!!

If someone says to you “Oh your work is decorative and lacks any meaning…” your response would be…?
It would look great over the couch!

Tell us about your studio environment?
Is a studio ever big enough?   I have two studios.  One was given to me as a part of the masters program and one is in Railroad Square Art Park.  I love both of them and am very grateful!

Are you a purist with your art materials or willing to mix things about?
I am really thrifty.  I paint on found surfaces.  I use very little paint; I go by dumpsters weekly to see what I can find to make things out of.  I recycle fabric and paper.  I am a firm believer that there is way too much stuff on this planet so if I am going to make more stuff I might as well reuse!

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Compiled and edited by Steve Gray © 2009+

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Paul Lorenz - Artist

Paul Lorenz Lives in Paducah, Kentucky, though he is originally from Chicago. Paul is represented by a few galleries: Homey Gallery, Chicago’ Gallery IMA, Seattle; Sande Webster Gallery, Philadelphia . Since he was a small child he has been making art, but professionally for about the last 25 years. You can find more info at www.paullorenz.biz His Artist statement reads… “Abstraction is not a style, but a state of mind… a way of thinking about action and circumstance, confidence and risk-taking, boldness and subtlety.”

Interests you have other than art you feel are important to mention?
I am director for the River’s Edge International Film Festival… I like film and working in a festival atmosphere.

What are the main medium/s you work in…
oil on canvas and panel; water based media on panel; Bauhaus inspired graphite drawings.

How do you describe your work?
My work is definitely abstract with process more important than image. The image evolves from visual, chemical and physical properties.

What are you currently working on?
I just finished a series of paintings for a solo exhibition at Homey Gallery, which opens on March 26. I also completed a series of graphite, graphite and oil, and graphite and casein drawings… I am not sure what their future will be.

What fascinates you?

Chance… coldness… darkness… ink… Lars von Trier and Peter Greenaway.

One statement to describe your current works?

Confident manipulation of chance.

Now give us a more descriptive outline on your current works.
A mark leads to a color, which leads to a space. A line leads to another line, which forms a plane, that may or may not cover space. The spaces combine, through tool and media, and a new vista is created. The combinations are limitless, though the growth follows a logic and rhythm. The result carries visual threads that lead our eye from one moment to the next. What similarities are born in a minute a day or in weeks of progress?

Why are you an artist?
Art allows my mind to resolve questions.

How did you get into art?
I have always been drawing or painting since I was a small child… but working with oil paint in high school was the moment of no return.

How important is art for you?
It is pretty much everything I think about, and pretty much the biggest thing that guides my life.

Your art education was…
Studying Bauhaus architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology on Chicago… the most profound influence on me. Studying painting was about seeking the right instructors no matter where they happened to be. I studied painting at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, the International School of Art in Italy (with Nicolas Carone and Irving Petlin) and at the University of California, Berkeley.

Was your education helpful, or a hindrance?
Studying architecture was the most important… you learn logic… and a way of understanding techniques that make them integral to your life, not just tricks.

What did you do before or during becoming an artist?
I studied architecture and worked as an architect for 15 years before quitting and devoting my time to painting and drawing.

Is there any one thing that has given you a big buzz in your art career so far?
I have been fortunate to have numerous high points. The most gratifying was getting a commission for a painting on permanent display in New York City at Rockefeller Plaza. It was the largest painting I have ever tackled (4’-6” x 16’) and it was an honor to be given the commission. You can see it in the first flor lobby at 45 Rockefeller Plaza.

What or who inspires your art?
Architecture inspires me the most, though you may not guess that from my work. There is no sentiment in great architecture, like great painting, just the pure understanding of space, construction and composition.

Has your work changed much since your early efforts?
Work is always evolving… working in oil, graphite or water based media, working on panel, canvas or paper… I find I need a balance between everything to keep things fresh and the process moving forward.

Does the “creative process” happen easily for you?
Getting started is very easy and adventurous… completing things is the challenge… knowing when to stop, knowing when you have said enough with out beating the point to death.

Creative streaks do they come in waves for you?
They do…and when you are in the midst of a wave, you just have to work until the feeling is over.

Do you have a personal description of “Art”?
‘Art’ is very complex…like ‘medicine’. When I talk about ‘art’ I am always referring to fine art…not children’s art, student art, arts and crafts, crafts, art fair art, etc. Each has its own set of criteria. Fine art challenges the viewer, has a direct concept being explored and allows the confidence of the artist to be seen.

Does the sale of your work support you?
The sale of my work does support me, and I am very fortunate for that. I also teach through the cyber campus of the Academy of Art University in San Francisco in their MFA program.

Do you have much contact with other artists?
I live in an arts community in Paducah Kentucky… I see he artists all the time.

Any upcoming or completely new projects you want to talk about?
I have a solo exhibition coming up in Chicago, opening on March 26 at Homey Gallery, plus numerous group exhibitions in Europe.

Some say the lifespan of many “artists” post educationally is about five years, any thoughts on that?
It takes a lot of dedication to keep your ideas fresh and alive so that the work continues to grow and entice. Art is a portrait of your soul and it is exhausting always having to be on the edge to make it happen.

Can you name a favourite artist or three… and why?
Kazuo Shiraga for his dedication, risk and energy. Mies van der Rohe for his idealism, aesthetic and logic.

Do you keep an Art Journal or Visual Diary of some kind?
I have a journal where I map out the direction of new works and keep images of things that inspire me…architecture, furniture, quotes, etc.

What happens to works that “don’t work out”?
They are simply not complete… and they continue.

Do you have a personal philosophy that underpins your work?
Be honest with your media, your marks and your structure… and always search for surprise.

Musical influences, Okay this is about Visual Arts but most artists have favourite music they enjoy while working or just in general what about you?
Stravinsky, Takemitsu… Throbbing Gristle, Social Distortion… Italian pop… everything depends upon my mood when I walk into the studio… yes, the art is definitely effected.

Do you hope the viewer will “get” what you are trying to communicate or do you feel compelled to spell it out to them?
I create a series of moments and the viewer has the chance to be involved with the outcome or not…I spell out as little as possible.

Art is about entertainment, experiment, inventiveness or shock for you?
All four, though ‘shock’ is a strong word… I think ‘surprise’ may be better. I want the materials to entertain me, I like having that kind of engagement with media, tools, etc. Everything is an experiment… some things done with abandon, others with more control and insight. Inventiveness is something that develops with knowledge… the more you work, the more you know, the more inventive you can be. If I am not surprised, then the work is not done and I have to continue…until I am surprised…

If you stopped doing art right now would you miss it?
Definitely… but I am not sure what could replace it.

You know you have “made it as an artist” when…
I have something hanging in MOMA in New York.

Your first “decent” gallery representation, how did it come about?
I had moved to California and was living in Berkeley. A new gallery was opening in San Francisco and they were looking for new artists. I sent a portfolio, had an interview and they took a chance and represented me. It was a great time of growth and polish for me. I stayed with them for nine years, even after relocating to Kentucky.

The business or marketing side of Art can be a challenge to some, what are your thoughts?
Being and artists and the ‘business of art’ are two different things and need to be looked at as such. When I am working in the studio, I am focused on the fun and challenge of working with color and media. I do not let business get in the way. When all is said and done, I then take the marketing of this work very seriously and try to find the appropriate venues, it’s an evolving challenge.

If you have been working as an artist for a while, how do you feel about earlier works that are in people’s collections / ownership?
The work is a reflection of a moment in time. Some things stay strong and viable, others do not hold their strength. In either case, the moment they captured was real and part of me, and for that they have value and deserve to be seen.

Tell us about your studio environment (too big, too small, enough storage or not, the light, the position, how you found it etc)?

Leaving California for Kentucky allowed me to design and build my own studio. It has light, space and a clean gallery space for viewing finished work. I have to admit, I am out growing it, but that is hardly worth complaining over.

Otto Dix the German artist said (in part)… “All art is exorcism…” Is that the case for you? If so how…
I think we all have things inside of us needing to come out… Working in the studio is the perfect haven for the demons and the angels.

Some say a measure of an artwork is the ability for it to hold a persons attention or cause the viewer to come back after an initial glance and become captivated by the work, is that so for your works or an intention of yours?
I hope that occurs. From what others have told me, it does. I think the strongest works are the ones that draw us back over many years to discover new meanings.

Some artists are more “at home” isolated in their creative process, while others revel in being part of a group to bounce “ideas off” how about you?
I have been in both situations, and I think humans need both. W need the time of solitude to find our voices and play without boundaries, but we then need the energy of others to propel ideas, create new dialogs. One without the other leaves us broken in a way.

What or how do you respond to the term “Starving Artist”?
We all want to be successful artists… It is just a very tough business. So many factors lead to success and many are out of our hands. All we can do is just keep creating the most profound work that we can.

How important is society, culture and or history to your work?
We are all working at a specific moment in time. That time is reflected by the society we live in, our education and our curiosity. History is very important because it gauges ideas and is a refuge for determining strengths and weaknesses in our work.

Are there times of the day when you prefer to do your work?
Morning… definitely.

Have you won any awards?
A few, which is always gratifying? 2009: Biennale Internazionale dell’Arte Contemporanea, Florence, Italy: Citta de Firenze Medal. 2005: Kentucky National Biennial, third place winner. 2001: Biennale Internazionale dell’Arte Contemporanea, Florence, Italy: Fifth Place Medal, Painting

Technology (websites and social networking sites to name a few) has become an important marketing tool for many industries and individuals, what are your thoughts from a “You Inc” perspective and your art sensibility?
Having a presence on the internet is important. I have my own website and post images on other art sites. The internet is good for communication but nothing takes the place of real human interaction.

How do you continue to grow, or is this not important?
Stay curious, try new things, never forget your roots and your personal integrity.

Here are a bunch of statements you can respond to any way you want. Go for the first thing that comes into your mind, or not…

Sociable and out there, or withdrawn or intense?
Sociable out of the studio, intense in the studio.

Tough and resilient, soft and fragile?
Resilient when dealing with art business… never fragile.

Logic and clarity or creative and messy?
There is a time for logic and a time for being messy… just not at the same time.

Small and intimate or large and bold?
Both… depends on mood and time between those opposing ideas.

Security or insecurity?
Secure in being curious and taking risks, which may seem like insecurity.

Feel the art and hear the image…
live the moment.

The world is…
large and full of possibilities.

Creativity muscle building…
More like brain building.

Delicate and subtle, strong and bold?
There is a time for both and we need to be sensitive and open when the time is right.

Intellect or careless casual connections…
Intellect starts most things, but we have to allow ourselves time for play…

Critics are important because?
Someone should say something about your work who is not a relative…

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Compiled and edited by Steve Gray © 2009+

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Chris Sedgwick - Artist

Chris Sedgwick is a Painter who says he moves around a lot but always tries to live right by or in the mountains. He currently lives in Manitou Springs, Colorado, which is right at the base of the Rocky mountains near Garden of the Gods; a beautiful park with gigantic red rocks that jut out of the landscape. Chris says the area is very inspiring. His works are described as Transcendent narratives.

Chris is represented by Gallery Minerva located in Asheville, NC (www.galleryminerva.com) and the Elaine Erickson Gallery located in Milwaukee, WI www.elaineericksongallery.com

You can see Chris’s website at www.crsedgwick.com Chris was a feature Artist in the American Art Collector Magazine 2009.

On his work Chirs says… “The inter-penetrating layers of symbolism, mysticism, and narrative in my work constitute a timeless world of ancient rituals and divinatory rites. In synthesizing techniques of the old masters, ancient mystical teachings, and contemporary science, my work focuses on the uniqueness and universality of inner landscapes and transcendent experience.”

How long have you been making art?
I have been making art ever since I was a small child; my parents were very encouraging of my interest in art.

Interests you have other than art you feel are important to mention?

Many of my interests intersect with my artistic endeavours; principally my love of learning and research into ancient cultures, mystery religions, modern sciences, symbology, and sacred geometry. I also love travelling, hiking and being outdoors.

What are the main medium/s you work in…

Most of my paintings are solely oil paint and gold leaf but occasionally I will use some crystals, minerals or other forms of raw earth. I have really moved away from sketching in the past couple of years, I prefer to conceptualize a painting in my head before I begin sketching anything out and when I eventually sketch I am usually doing quick stick figures to figure out the geometry of the composition.

How do you describe your work, realistic, stylised, abstract, narrative, symbolic, other?

I would have to say that my work would fall under the category of magical realism with some narrative symbology thrown in there.

What are you currently working on?

I am in the works on a concept involving the four elements of platonic thought (fire, air, earth, water) including the alchemical concept of the “quintessence” all compositionally laid out to the golden ratio. I am in a transition point in my work right now, I am moving out of a ”Rembrandtesque” dark sparse phase towards lighter symbolically rich area where I am adding more color and graphic elements.

Your art education was…?

I enjoyed my undergraduate art education, I attended Florida State University; I split my focus between sculpture and painting but after graduation I focused solely on painting. Sculpture is a hard field to brake in to especially if you don’t have the wherewithal to cast metals or the studio space. I attended UNC Chapel Hill for my M.F.A. just last year but withdrew after the first week, I realized too late that academia was not exactly suited to me anymore, along with a lot of financial concerns compiled with the fact that I have no desire to become a professor- I do think that furthering ones art education is a good idea I just think that the costs associated with it are downright obese in America right now; matriculation has really become a big business in itself regardless of it’s benefits in the long run. I am still interested in attending small workshops and would hope to someday be able to teach workshops myself.

What did you do before or during becoming an artist?

I worked in a bronze-casting foundry, we cast medals, plaques, art, and door knockers, it was very tough work but it was fun.

What caused you to choose the medium you currently work in?

I like oil paints versatility, portability, historical richness, and wide acceptance in the art world. I wish it wasn’t so hazardous to the health but I try to take measures against that.

What can you tell us about your planning and making process for making art, and has that altered over the years?

For me I usually get my best ideas before going to bed or in the afternoon while the sun is shinning very bright, there is a slight breeze and the surroundings are calm and quiet; I have found that I don’t really get great insight while the weather is bad and I rarely get good ideas when I sit in front of a sketchbook waiting for them to pop up. I have noticed a very strange phenomenon in my work, I always seem to be narrating experiences in my own life through my work but I do not realize it or they do not happen until roughly six months later. It is not that I set out to narrate my experiences, in fact I attempt to do the exact opposite, but somehow about six months later I discover how the piece relates to me personally. This process has happened numerous times and I can’t really figure it out.

How important do you think craftsmanship is to artistic creation?

I think it is paramount.

Does the sale of your work support you? If no what else do you do to support your art ?

It has solely supported me for years, but recently I have had to look for supplements to my art income on account of the economic downturn here in the U.S. I would say that the life of a fine artist in my experience is pretty tough, one has to be comfortable with never knowing when the next pay check will come, the baffling cost of healthcare is always a hurdle, and it can be rather lonely but I think it is all worth it in the end.

Not to sound too pessimistic but I think the dream of being a famous artist, collected by the best museums, and always in demand by collectors may be a pipe dream for the overwhelming majority, myself included. I see a lot of great contemporary artist being overlooked, whole genres even being written off or dismissed, and I have noticed the propensity of museums to showcase similar collections of a small group of contemporary artists- though that small group is generally amazing. One of my favorite artists I would include in this group would be Julie Heffernan, I love her work, and it seems that no matter which museum I visit they always have one of her pieces.

Do you get to other artists exhibitions, openings etc?

I am darn near a hermit, I hang out with my wife and dogs, and we are always moving around the country. I do like going to exhibitions and openings when I get a chance.

Do you have much contact with other artists?

The world of online social networking has been great for this purpose; I can always connect with artists from different parts of the world through these outlets. It is kind of neat to see some great work in a magazine or link and then be able to dialogue with the artist so easily.

What has been a turning point in your career thus far and why?

The most significant turning point in my career would have to be when I was accepted in to my first gallery. I had been selling my work on eBay and building a small group of collectors but I had to make paintings at an incredible rate to support myself, Anna Parker, the director of Gallery Minerva encouraged me to broaden my scope and outlook on my work: I started to make more intricate works, spend more time on the concepts behind them, think about the conservation and archival future of my work, and of course opened me up to the wonderful world of professional framing- the black hole into which every painter throws their money.

If you could have any piece of artwork in your personal collection, what would it be and why?

That’s a hard question, but for the last five years my favorite work has been Hans Memling’s “Triptych of the Last Judgement”. I don’t consider myself to be particularly religious, more spiritual, but I really love how the old masters portray the concept of the last judgement, it is such a rich narrative.

Can you name a favourite artist or three… and why?

My favorite deceased artists would be Hans Memling, Eduard Manet, and Michelangelo.

I consider myself under exposed when it comes to contemporary art but a couple of my favorite contemporary artists would be Igor Melnikov, Odd Nerdrum, Julie Heffernan, and David Linn. I love all these contemporary artists for their excellent craftsmanship and captivating subject matter, they all seem to have a strange edge to their work that surpasses “talent for talents sake”.

What happens to works that “don’t work out”?

I am pretty stubborn when it comes to my work; I try to make everything work out eventually, but in the case that it doesn’t it gets sanded down and some more coats of gesso.

One thing you wish you had listened to from an art teacher or lecturer?

I remember in my undergrad schooling hearing a professor say that “art is just shit that looks cool”, at the time I thought that was a narrow minded approach to art but the more I have had time to think about it I almost have to agree; you can have pages and pages of explanations, concepts, and prestige but in the end if it doesn’t measure up or is begging the question “is that art?” then why even create it- just write a paper or find a better way to communicate the ideas you had intended. The only exception to that argument being the learning process, of course one’s technical skills needs time to develop in response to one’s need behind developing said skills.

Do you hope the viewer will “get” what you are trying to communicate or do you feel compelled to spell it out to them?

I think that good art should be able to communicate on many different levels, you shouldn’t have to be privy to some esoteric knowledge to feel the overarching rush of experience from a work however being able to pick up on symbolic, historical, or personal references used in a work can add another layer.

How important is it to you that your work communicates something to the viewer?

I think that really is the point of art unless you are embarking on a personal therapeutic exercise. I have struggled with this concept my entire artistic career… is art selfish in nature? Should the creation of work without the viewpoints and measured impact on others be considered art or just a self-extraction technique that is expressed with artistic mediums? Some would say that the end results are one in the same, that of creating work solely with ones own benefit and gratification in mind or to moving towards a purely commercial execution. I think there is a difference, and I think the blurry line between them is where the great art resides.

I hope that my work confronts the viewer with a narrative capable challenging their ideas about spiritual and religious experiences while remaining euphoric in nature as opposed to shocking the viewer into an experience. I also want my work to communicate an accomplished level of craftsmanship so that the viewer notices the time and skill I put into its execution.

Respond to the notion “Art is a device for exploring the human condition”…

I think you could substitute the word Art in that statement for just about any action that humans undertake.

If you stopped doing art right now would you miss it?

Yes, very much so.

What about the role of titles with your work, some hate them others revel in them, what about you?

I like giving titles to some pieces but some I feel don’t really need a title nevertheless I give them one anyway. It is interesting to me that compulsively giving titles to work is really a fairly recent phenomenon in the history of art.

What is the most unexpected response you’ve received from a viewer of your work?

A couple of people have cried, one woman grew exceedingly angry, and one fellow tried to trade his BMW for a big painting, I am sure there are more stories but I am rarely with my work while it is hanging in the gallery.

Is your art, “art for art sake…” or a matter of “art for commercial viability?”

I would like to think that it is a mixture of both.

If you have been working as an artist for a while, how do you feel about earlier works that are in people’s collections / ownership?

I wish I could see them again sometime; I always wonder where my paintings are residing after they leave the gallery or studio.

Name a book or books, which may have inspired your work as an artist?

One book, which inspired my work was “The Physics of Consciousness” by Evan Harris Walker, another was given to me by a collector “The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception” by Max Heindel, a religious text that is great for its symbology, and “How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist” by Caroll Michels, a great book for those thinking about entering in to an art career. I am currently attempting to read “On Growth and Form” by D’Arcy Thompson, an early 20^th century scientific text on the way forms take shape through natural processes.

What is one thing you need to have in your studio before you work?

Paint.

Are there times of the day when you prefer to do your work?

I like to paint during the day, as the light is much better.

Do you think art can change people or their perceptions?

Yes I do, it really depends what part of the brain you are trying to change though… I believe that you will never be able to directly change the “left” rational, scientific, or logical side of the brain with art but you can change the “right” emotional, holographic, and intuitive side of the brain. Many works of art have achieved a change in both perceptions by first changing the “right” which leads to a realization that the logic and operation in use by a society is in need of change eventually leading to inquiry and correction.

The problem with the art scene today is…

There are too many artists.

What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?

Have a good plan on how and what you want to achieve your goals and learn a secondary skill that will help you during the down times.

Have you ever made an artistic pilgrimage? If so, where did you go and why?

I moved to Alamogordo, New Mexico recently for six months to be near White Sands National Monument while I was finishing up a show I had been working on for two years. I am not sure why, I just felt drawn there and it was one of the favorite periods in my life so far.

What personally motivated you to begin a career as an Artist?

The great job security, year-end bonuses, and stock options.

How many artworks do you work on at the same time?

I will work on anywhere from two to six at a time depending on their sizes.

How do you establish your artwork prices?

I work with the galleries that represent me, they are the best at analysing the market, and then we come to an agreement on the retail price.

Did you have any idea about how the art world worked in the beginning?

No, I would be fascinated to recieve any book recommendations, if anyone has one send it my way.

Critics are important because?

This is definitely a loaded question, implying that they are already important, with that said they do apply their expertise, breadth of knowledge and can help propel an artists career- I guess they could do the exact opposite too. I have never really dealt with any professional critics, only editors and reporters, so my opinions are a little underdeveloped in that area.

Peter Tudhope - Artist

Peter Tudhope is a painter from Girvan, South Ayrshire (South west coast of Scotland) is represented by High St Gallery, Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. He has been making art for 42 years, you can see more of his work at www.petertudhope.blogspot.com

Peter paints landscape and figurative work, mainly in oils. His work leans towards a suggestive abstraction rather than a more deliberate representation. Recurrent themes include dramatic skies, barns, riversides, bridges, the local countryside and shoreline as well as portraits and figure studies. The intense colour and expressive paintwork creates a dramatic and energetic surface and rawness, where space is increasingly compressed and pressurised, has become Tudhope’s signature style.

Interests you have other than art you feel are important to mention?

Music, film and lliterature are my other three passions. I write a little poetry, regularly attend the nearest filmhouse and couldn’t live without music.

What are the main medium/s you work in…

I mainly work in oils. I find the consistency and plyability of the medium suits my style of work.

Does your work have social, political, cultural and or personal messages?

Not really, my work is more about paint, colour and especially mark making. The image in many cases is secondary to the physical effort of painting.

What fascinates you?

I love to paint places I have travelled to. Apart from the usual culprits I think it would be wonderful to paint the Arctic or the wonderful mountains of the Guilin and Yangshuo region of China. The mountains and islands of Scotland always draw me back though.

Why are you an artist?

Art consumes me. There is nothing I’d rather do more. For as long as I can remember I drew everything. It was fairly obvious it would become my life.

How important is art for you?

Simple, It’s what drives me to be the person I am. I think about art all the time. If I haven’t worked on anything for a while it can change my mood. I feel happy and alive when I create art, it gives my life a purpose.

Your art education was…?

I stared my art education at Edinburgh College of Art, completing my First Year Studies then transferred to Glasgow School of Art gaining a BA (HONS) Degree then a Masters Degree at Manchester Polytechnic. Both degrees concentrated on Printmaking.

Was your education helpful, or a hindrance?

It wasn’t until I went to Manchester Polytechnic to do my Masters Degree that I realised how well I had been taught at Glasgow (School of Art), at least within the technical processes of Printmaking. I did find though that there isn’t much teaching going on more guidance, unfortunately not much of that either. Most students find their own way, this probably only happens in the art area.

What did you do before or during becoming an artist?

Since leaving Art College I have had to find work to “pay the Bills”. I worked in many different jobs such as in a Care Home for Educational and Behavioural Needs Children, built luxury tree houses throughout the country and worked as a sculptors assistant on many public art commissions.

Was art a “thing” which was encouraged in your family?

I was very lucky that my parents have always been encouraging. It became obvious very early on that some form of art was going to be my life.

Did the place where you grew up have an influence?

Definitely a big influence.. My hometown nestled between the sea and the hills. There was a working harbour, which was and has been a continuous source of interest and inspiration. I walked in the hills which have been of great beauty to work from but also where I could clear my head and spend hours thinking and happily day dreaming.

What caused you to choose the medium you currently work in?

From an early age I devoured art like drinking water, especially paintings and it was something I always wanted to do but wasn’t particularly good at painting with thicker paint. I was more of a draughtsman and so Printmaking made sense. I did become a little frustrated the medium was quite slow and methodic, I wanted instant images, and so when leaving college and not having Printmaking equipment readily available, I turned to painting in oils.

Has your work changed much since your early efforts? (e.g. as a student).

As a student I experimented a lot. When afterwards I started painting in oils it took a long time to become more in control of the medium. Although I still love the fact that the medium can surprise me. A lot of artists have a certain style through habit of the way they work. Sometimes a painting takes it’s own course and that’s when I let it take over.

Have your artistic influences altered over time (e.g. artists.)

Definitely. My early influences were artists such as Van Gogh, Picasso and Rembrandt as I moved through college I started to get interested in a more modern scene with artists such as Julian Schnabel, Georg Baselitz and Anselm Keifer. After college I turned more to artists I had looked at throughout college and were now making more sense within my art. I moved away from abstraction into seeing the world again, going back to drawing, artists such as Lucian Freud, David Bomberg, Frank Auerbach and Leon Kossoff were and have been the major artistic influences for the last twenty years.

What can you tell us about your planning and making process for making art, and has that altered over the years?

It has changed more recently from attacking the canvas with the bare minimum of sketched ideas to collating lots of drawings and colour studies of a particular subject which then lead me into painting. As I paint I make fresh drawings exploring new avenues to pursue within the painting. Ultimately the painting takes over and shows you the way to go. A painting does talk to you, the trick is not only be able to just hear it, but understand what it’s saying.

Does the “creative process” happen easily for you?

Not always. Hence my interest in looking for themes. They concentrate your mind to look at a subject at different angles. You somehow know when you have exhausted your own interest in the subject.

Do you get creative glimpses of urges happening and how do you work with these?

I’m sure all artists get urges… sometimes even artistic! Inspiration can come in many guises, a particular light in the sky, a colour draped across a landscape caused by a cloud or a gesture made by someone in the street. It’s at these times I would quickly sketch a kind of description of the scene.

How important is the clarity of concept to you, prior to starting an artwork?

Like all artists I dream of how I might paint something in my head. Reality is always different but it’s a good starting point but I do like to keep my mind open to the image as it materializes.

Have you had any commissions? Any of note etc…

I don’t really do commissions as I find the idea quite restricting, although I recently produced an exhibition of paintings from a theatre in Aberdeen. This seemed successful as the work was supposed to be on show for a month and ended up being on display in the Theatre for a year.

Does the sale of your work support you? If no what else do you do to support your art (job)?

I have been working on a smaller scale mainly due to financial reasons and I suppose it’s easier selling smaller works but scale is also about intensity, which is harder for me to reproduce in a big scale.

Do you get to other artists exhibitions, openings etc?

Of course. If you are an artist you should be interested in other artists. Going to an inspiring exhibition fills me with enthusiasm and it carries into my own work, it sets a fire under you and drives you on.

Any upcoming or completely new projects you want to talk about?

I have been visiting Belfast recently and quite inspired by somewhere new. I have already created a couple of paintings and working on more.

Working towards an exhibition, is it a daunting task?

It’s always a little daunting until you get stuck in. I work quite quickly and know when I’m inspired the work flows.

Some say the lifespan of many “artists” post educationally is about five years, any thoughts on that?

It seems to me we are talking about artists finding their “style” early in their career then repeating the same images over and over. I think the problem is more to do with the habit of the same technique. Although my style is similar I hope I don’t fit into that box. Each painting for me is a struggle, that’s the way I like it. Style is different from technique, my technique varies.

Tell us about your connection to your subject matter, way of working, concepts etc?

I like to paint in the studio. I am quite a messy and use a lot of paint. I would feel restricted working outside from a subject directly. I work from drawings done on the spot or later, I like the detatchment from the subject, it allows me to be more expressive and not so literal.

What has been a turning point in your career thus far and why?

About five years ago I started to pay more attention to drawing as a medium in it’s own right. It has changed the concept of how I want to paint.

Can you name a favourite artist or three… and why?

Susan Rothenberg, her later work has me mesmerized with wonderful colour and descriptive brushwork. I love the abstract stories she tells of simple things within her life, very clever. Chaim Soutine is also a favourite, a master of the expressive gesture. There is a lovely giddy feeling and lush pure painting. Another wonderful artist I have come across is the Venezuelan artist Armando Reveron, his depictions of nudes and local landscapes are spellbindingly modern. One of the best artists who ever used white. Of course there are many others such as Bomberg, Auerbach, Kossoff, Matisse, Rembrandt, Carravaggio, etc, etc.

Do you keep an Art Journal or Visual Diary of some kind?

Like most artists I am obsessed with sketchbooks, they are not in diary form but if I looked back through them you could probably see the development of styles ideas and subject matter. I do however like to have a little visual diary when I travel jotting down notes beside drawings.

What sort of research and or reference material do you do for current works and has that changed over time?

It has mostly always been from drawing from the subject. I would do lots of quick sketches with a felt pen, now I also work on colour studies and more developed works in charcoal.

Musical influences, Okay this is about Visual Arts but most artists have favourite music they enjoy while working or just in general what about you?

Creating art is a lonely business, I do love to listen to music while I work. I love music and go to concerts etc I listen to my ipod on a base station so that I don’t have to be interrupted changing discs. Certain music is better than others, if I am not painting and doing other things related I like to listen to the radio.

How important is it to you that your work communicates something to the viewer?

It’s probably one of the most important things for an artist as it’s what makes a viewer stop and look. Without that there is no point exhibiting your work. But that shouldn’t be mistaken with creating work specifically for the viewer.

What can you say about your work that might not be evident to the viewer?

I think my work seems straight forward and fairly easy to read. It may not be evident though that the image is just a starting point, the real painting for me is the application, the colour mix, the texture, struggling with the process until an image appears which surprises you.

Has being involved in the arts proven to be a millstone or a point of elation?

It has sometimes been a bit of a millstone as it can get in the way of relationships or influence how you live but is always worth it in the end. I can’t image my life without art.

Respond to the notion “Art is a device for exploring the human condition”…

I have two main examples of this, the first is a minor one, when I draw or paint I am concentrating so much I can block out the cold or even pain. The second is more important, for me artistic creation helps my inner balance. I am happiest when my art is going well it’s like an anti depressant.

About significant moments in your life, the sort of things that changed things for you forever… perhaps altered your Art… Who how why what and where…?

On a very personal level I did very little for about a ten year period when I was married. Family, long hours, little space and a crisis of confidence seemed to take over. After my marriage ended I vowed to myself art would become more important again and immediately started working on a series which kick started everything I do now.

Is motivation to work an issue for you and how do you overcome it?

Sometimes I go through periods where I am in a creative slump. I am always thinking about art but physically can’t seem to get things going. Before long something works itself out, it’s like a habit, you just have to keep looking and drawing.

What about the role of titles with your work, some hate them others revel in them, what about you?

Titles are great. They can give just enough explanation to help viewers understand what you and trying to portray. Some of the names of places are wonderful and are like frames, finishing touches.

Are their special aspects to the making of your work you want to share?

Only in as far as I need my studio set up so that I can wander in and out. Painting is not always a nine to five thing. Very often I paint at night or sit and look at what I’ve done during the day, resolving problems and searching for the next days work.

Your first “decent” gallery representation, how did it come about?

My first show was just after I graduated, a local art gallery saw my work and offered me a solo show. The thrill of that was doubled by the fact the other solo show at the same time was by Henry Moore.

Your first show at a “gallery” you thought was of value, how was the whole thing for you?

Very exciting but unfortunately a bit of a let down. I thought mistakenly that it meant I was on my way into an art career, the lack of sales sobered me up.

The business or marketing side of Art can be a challenge to some, what are your thoughts?

It is a personal bug-bear. I think art colleges are responsible for the lack of knowledge in this area. It is probably as important as art history. Fine Art students need to know how to survive beyond college.

What is the most unexpected response you’ve received from a viewer of your work?

It’s always nice when viewers compliment your work, not many people tell you when they don’t like it. Although early on in my college career I showed some early painted sketches to a tutor who told me they were terrible. I was taken aback a little, but he was right. It made me more determined to learn my craft.

Name a book or books, which may have inspired your work as an artist?

When I was a teenager my art teacher lent me his copy of Lust For Life, it inspired me like no other book had. More recently read Hilary Spurling’s biography of Matisse. It was a wonderful illumination to his life and work. There are wonderful books about the life of Pissarro, which showed the struggle of an artist to survive, it was as relevant today as then. And I read a great book about Jon Schuler, an American artist who came to Scotland and became inspired by the western coast and sky. All touch you somewhere inside as representing little parts of your own life and a connection to the struggle most artists go through.

If someone says to you “Oh your work is decorative and lacks any meaning…” your response would be…?

I don’t really respond to comments like that. You have to develop a tough skin and always remember not everyone will like what you do. There is no point taking it personally.

Tell us about your studio environment (too big, too small, enough storage or not, the light, the position, how you found it etc)?

I have had different studios throughout the years, from lots of space in an old mill to the glass porch in my house. I can work in a small corner of an attic with little light if I need to. Currently I am moving trying to move home and have very little space. Ideally it would be a room at home big enough to store paintings and let me stand back from the paintings.

What would you say are the top three things, which make you successful as an artist?

A decent drawing ability is always good, I use striking colour mostly and the third thing would be the choosing subject matter, which not only you would like to paint but interests the viewer.

Some say a measure of an artwork is the ability for it to hold a persons attention or cause the viewer to come back after an initial glance and become captivated by the work, is that so for your works or an intention of yours?

I would hope so and have been told on many occasions that this was true. As an Expressive painter I think the energy of the brush marks can be exciting, they show the power of the paint and hopefully how brave you can be with a loaded brush.

People around you (family friends etc.) what would they say about the way you work, the moods you have, your life as an artist etc?

People close to me get to know painting keeps me happy, others wouldn’t know, I wear my heart close to my sleeve.

Do you have a connectedness to other art forms?

I love sculpture. Recently I worked on a few small nude bronzes, which was exciting. I worked on all of the processes. They were modelled in wax which I found incredibly therapeutic and would love to do more. They somehow helped a new push in my painting showing the way forward.

Which is more important to you, the subject of your work, or the way it is executed?

I need a good subject to start me off or the work would not be done, but, the execution is what interests me more about the process of painting.

Do you prefer a perfect smooth technique or a more energetic expressive technique and why?

You just have to look at my work to see I love a more expressive style, it’s harder to control but when you hit it right it’s a great high.

What is more important to you in your work, content or technique, concept or product?

A painting has to work on different levels, no one thing can be more important. In my own work the technique and the mark making process invigorates me, but there has to be a balance though with content. The content is a complimentary factor which helps to draw the viewer in.

How do you think art can change people or their perceptions?

I think art and culture in general is what makes people civilised. Everything from music to designing our cereal packet creates a better world. If your surroundings are well designed whether your home or outside it makes you happier and it’s very often the simpler elements which work the best.

Are you the sort of artist who seeks out promotional opportunities or one that shuns the limelight?

I personally shun the limelight a little although I want my work to speak for me and would be happy to see it well promoted.

Technology (websites and social networking sites to name a few) has become an important marketing tool for many industries and individuals, what are your thoughts from a “You Inc” perspective and your art sensibility.

I have work on a few of these sites, I have never got much in the way of sales from them but they are good for getting to know other artists and have made good “cyber” friends who exchange knowledge and encouragement. It has also been handy when someone is interested in your work to let them see a good collection of your work without having to travel to your studio.

Do you work from life, or from photographs or from imagination or some other method?

All my paintings are worked from drawings. These drawings can be done from life or from photographs. I have got into the habit of when working from photographs I will turn them upside down so that I don’t get bogged down with trying to “copy” what I see. Instead, I just want to use them as starting points, drawing upside down can create a dysfunctional element which becomes your own.

When you create your work is it somehow an emotional relief as you do it or at the end?

At the end of a painting session you can be left high or down depending on how well the work is going. Finishing a painting is always a high.

Do you aim to make “masterpieces” with the aim of being seen in the future as an artist that really made their mark in art history?

I think it’s a very difficult thing to try to make a “masterpiece”, they become that way through time. I would however like to make work, which would be seen in the future as quality of its time. Meanwhile, I paint because I love to do so.

What do you love/hate about being an artist?

The struggle can be depressing but can also show you that the world doesn’t owe you anything and it makes you try harder.

The problem with the art scene today is…

The same problem as it has been for many years, the high end of the art world is so stuck on finding the latest sensation it forgets about talent and quality in many cases. There are great artists still struggling and talentless fame seekers getting all the limelight. But nothing is fare in the art world and it’s still a case of being in the right place at the right time or playing the game in the right way and who you know. I suppose this sounds familiar for many other areas but it is particularly relevant in art.

What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?

Work hard, see it as a job not a hobby. Be professional, get to know about such things as tax, how to do your books etc. Remember you have a talent people want, do not sell yourself short, an architect wouldn’t work for free, you have bills to pay like anyone else. It is a fight, in general others want artists to just give their work away. Be realistic.

How long did it take to develop your own style?

I don’t think I really cultivated a style, I think through time my work just looks like the same person has produced them.

What personally motivated you to begin a career as an Artist?

Simple. I found from an early age it’s what I was best at and more importantly what I loved doing the most.

Did you intend to become a professional artist?

Yes of course. At school I looked to art college as my goal. Suddenly when I left I realised how hard it was to survive by your work alone.

Would you say your paintings reveal something private about yourself?

I am quite a quiet person, fairly laid back and wouldn’t say particularly excitable. My work on the other hand shows my passion within which only a select few ever see.

How many artworks do you produce in a year?

On average I paint about thirty oil paintings a year now, but also do many drawings and works on paper, which can vary.

What technical aspects do you focus on in your work?

I tend to work wet into wet, which means a painting for me has to be hit or miss everytime I work on it. I will scape the paint back off and try again until I find marks, colour etc. I work on the whole painting trying to keep it fresh and continuously spontaneous.

How long do our works they usually take to complete?

A work can take a matter of a few days or I can work on them for up to two years. They often get beyond a point where I feel happy working on the surface, in which case I destroy them and start again.

How has your mind-set changed from struggling to find your own style to solidifying what you are doing today?

My style is a result of painting in a way that is the most natural to me. I am quite impatient and always want to see instant results it is only the fact that I want to be discerning that I struggle on until I am happier with the result.

How many artworks do you work on at the same time?

I usually work on up to four or five at the same time. They can develop in different ways and be completed at differing times. As I finish one I start another. I find also this helps when I am working on a series, one painting can spur on another.

Do you think art school nurtured you or somehow crushed you?

It definitely nurtured me. Of course like most people you didn’t use it to your best advantage and would love to have the time and resources again to do a better job. Money was always a struggle but it did give you time to experiment with other mediums and experiment freely.

How did you manage to survive financially at the beginning of your art career?

After spending five years at art college with the financial support of my parents I felt I had to start working and pay my way more even if it meant not in the art world. I have worked in Social Care, Teaching, Construction and Customer Services jobs to pay bills and support my family.

Does the gallery make the artist famous or does the artist make the gallery famous?

I think it’s hard to have one without the other. Artists need outlets for the work to be seen and sold and vice versa. I think galleries sometimes forget that without the artists they would not have a living, they can be a little guilty of their own self importance and look down on the artist. High street galleries are just shops which sell a form of luxury merchandise, it just happens to be artwork, gallery owners are shop keepers when it comes down to it. The artist is the talent, a good gallery recognises this and nurtuires them which can only be a good partnership for both.

What was life like for you as you were growing up?

I had a very good loving upbringing. My parents were supportive and allowed me the freedom to follow my passion. We were never particularly wealthy but never particularly went without. They encouraged reading, music and to have an open mind to the world. It was an easy place to grow up, safe and without much in the way of hardship or struggle. Perhaps my laid back attitude was a result, I know I am not as driven as perhaps I should be.

Do you have ideas turning over in your head all the time or…

Constantly. I daydream a lot, thinking about paintings. I paint in my sleep or built imaginary studios. If I’m not doing anything I’ll pick up an art book and lose myself for a while.

Eccentricity is seen as a common trait of artists of many disciplines, how about you?

I wouldn’t say I have any eccentricities. Sometimes artists become that way by cultivating a persona which will make them stand out as an “artist”. Art for me is just something I do I don’t have to shout it from the rooftops. I think I am happy within myself and confident enough to know it’s about the work not me.

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Compiled and edited by Steve Gray © 2009+

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Pete Nawara - Artist

Pete Nawara is from Chicago Illinos in the USA. He has been painting since 2005, you can check his website at www.petenawara.com and his blog. www.petenawara.com/blog He describes his work as work as figurative with a pop-art feel.

Interests you have other than art you feel are important to mention? I’m very intersted in Film, Music, & Illustration. I’m currently working on a script for a western film and illustrating a children’s book the I’m writing with the help of a good friend.

What are the main medium/s you work in… I generally work in acrylic with other mediums finding their way in. Gold leaf often makes an appearance. I like to be flexible with my materials, but not without making sure they are long lasting and used correctly.

Man in a Houndstooth Suit
[A Portrait of Nolan Farrell]
Acrylic on Canvas
64 x 52 Inches (162 x 132 cm)

Artist’s statement…

a. As an artist, I often find myself reading artists statements of various kinds.  Time and again, these writings consist of endless babble about what the artist thinks the viewer is interested in knowing about the work.  Usually, the artist is completely wrong about what these things are.  I do not claim to be any different.  In my original writings for this document, I will admit that I did my fair share of babbling, mostly about my concerns of the art world, i.e. Conceptual Art.

b. I have found myself in too many museums, completely bewildered by what artists are trying to say, and most of the time, completely disgusted by what they are getting away with.  Don’t get me wrong, I am aware of the important impact conceptual art had on art history, but the statements people are making today are commonly irrelevant to society, or if they do hold any significance, it is completely lost on the general public.  This isn’t even the worse part.  Usually, it doesn’t even look good.

c. I strive to make objects that are aesthetically pleasing. This, first and foremost, is my goal. I want to make a material thing that can be appreciated visually regardless of the viewer’s art education.  Why should someone need an art degree to understand or feel a connection with a piece of art. I feel that my place in the art world is a struggle against just that.

d. With the use of color and composition I attempt to create a visual landscape that allows the viewer to tirelessly view the work. Whether it’s a portrait, an abstract piece, something illustrative, a landscape, or a figurative piece, my primary focus is to assemble a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, and form, that pleases the aesthetic senses. Any conceptual message is inserted as a secondary device, usually for my own amusement.

A Portrait of Robert Schultz
Acrylic on Canvas
65? x 63?
165cm x 160cm
2008

Does your work have social, political, cultural and or personal messages?

a. It’s about how we see ourselves. What aesthetic ideal do we hold when we’re observing ourselves, or just people in general? How would we look to someone if we were to display all our vanities for the world to see? How does our reflection relate to us? When viewing ourselves, there are certain imperfections that we are more aware of than an outside viewer might be. Isn’t it like that when artists look at their own work?

b. As humans, we have a certain obsession with reflections, and with seeing ourselves. Look at the world around us. How many mirrors do you see when walking down the street, in a hotel, or in someone’s home. People are constantly sneaking a peek at how they look in their new jeans by catching their reflection in the shop windows. In our cars, we have a rear view mirror and two side mirrors, but for some reason we still find a necessity to have a vanity mirror, often on both the driver’s side and the passenger’s side. The thought of a ‘vanity mirror’ to begin with is a funny concept. We look at ourselves in the reflections of car and bus windows. When we’re on the train, we use the windows to look at ourselves and other people. We are obsessed with the way people look.

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on a series of paintings that investigates the ideals of visual aesthetics in the western world titled ‘A Recipe for Beauty’.

How did you get into art?

One thing that I remember in detail was the first time I set foot into the art department of the school I transfered to in the 4th grade. It was the first time I had been to any art department, and it was amazing. My previous school had art classes which involved construction paper and Elmer’s Glue. This place had a metal shop, a wood shop, and some serious assignments. I really found my place here. I didn’t really fit in anywhere else, but once I set foot in the art room, I was on top of my game. One of our first assignments was to put on an entire puppet show, from the ground up.

I remember feeling that I should be officially in charge of the puppet design, a responsibility which I took with the air of an evil dictator. I was eventually put into detention for fighting with another student over the fabric to be used for alligators, and how naturally it should be plaid.

The puppet show was a smashing success, and although the thoughts of being an artist weren’t fully developed, the thoughts of being a professional puppet maker were very strong. I’m pretty sure that alligator still exists somewhere. He was beautiful, plaid, and some of my best work. My Pinocchio, if you will.

St. Anna
Mixed Media on Canvas – 2005
Sold – Private Collection – Paris, France

Was your education helpful, or a hindrance?

I feel incredibly fortunate that I was able to be exposed to the education I received. I would say it had a great influence on the artist I am today and I would not change it in any way.

Is there any one thing that has given you a big buzz in your art career so far? (Seeing your work in a particular collection etc…)

I was hired by a company to do live paintings touring the country with different rock bands for about two months. I was incredibly nervous at first, but my talents were received well and I gained an incredible confidence in my abilities.

St. Peter
Mixed Media on Canvas – 2004
Sold – Private Collection – Hawaii

What or who inspires your art?

People inspire me. Everyday people. I’ve always had this ‘dream’ of having a giant studio out in the middle of nowhere. A place that I could delve into my work with no distractions and no interruptions. No people knocking on the studio door or keeping me from my paints with half-hour chit-chats and small talk. I also quickly realised that this concept is not a possiblity for me. I thrive on social activity and being constant surrounded by people. I study them. I eavesdrop on their conversations while I’m at the cafe. I watch them waiting for busses or trying to fight their way to a crowded bar.

I have trouble going out and not meeting new people. I’m a social creature and these social encounters are very important to my work. Without them I’m afraid of what I might end up creating, and I’m sure it would be dull and lifeless.

What can you tell us about your planning and making process for making art, and has that altered over the years?

The physical process starts with the camera. A subject is chosen and asked to pose. The camera is set on a tripod and the subject is asked to pretend the camera is a mirror, and that they are ‘checking themselves out’. Several photos are taken and then transferred into the computer for digital modifications. The photos are then touched up and arranged in a composition. Then, using vector tools, they are traced into shapes of color. Once they have been ‘vectorized’, they are printed in grayscale. The printed piece is then projected onto canvas and the piece is traced loosely. The shapes are then filled in with acrylic paint thinned with water, and gouache markers. Lastly, gold leaf is applied.

Some say the lifespan of many “artists” post educationally is about five years, any thoughts on that?

“ Some say the lifespan of many “artists” post educationally is about five years.” Wow. That’s frightening. I graduated in May of 2005, so ask me in a couple of months about this. I’m pretty confident I’ll still be painting though.

Vintage Sunglasses
Acrylic, Silver and Gold Leaf on Canvas
52? x 60?
132cm x 152cm
2008

If you could have any piece of artwork in your personal collection, what would it be and why?

If I could have any piece of artwork in my personal collection, I’m pretty sure I’d grab a Lichtenstein. Probably one of his large scale abstract pieces. Maybe something straight out of the Chicago Art Institute’s Modern Wing. I went to the modern wing with my Cousin’s and had a good long look at some of those Lichtensteins there. I was really impressed.

Of course the answer to this question could be different almost any day of the week. I’m almost always tempted to become a thief when I see any of Eric Fischl’s work.

What happens to works that “don’t work out”?

Gesso happens.

Black Keys - Dallas / Ft. Worth - The Ridglea - June 19th
Live Painting
60 x 60″
2007

Do you hope the viewer will “get” what you are trying to communicate or do you feel compelled to spell it out to them?

Neither. When I produce a painting, I hope that the viewer will be visually stimulated. I want to reach them in an aesthetic way. Anything I’m attempting to communicate beyond that is purely secondary and supportive of that aesthetic idea.

Have you had much connection post sale with purchasers of your works?

I try and keep in touch with everyone I sell to. It’s important to me to make sure they are still happy with the piece in days to come. If there’s a problem with the piece , I want to be available to help. Sometimes paintings are scuffed or damaged in moves. I’ve had my fair share of repair requests. I’m happy to do it, because that work represents me, therefore it’s condition does as well.

Is your work process fast or slow?

The time it takes me to complete a painting is very dependent on circumstance. I often do ‘Live Painting’ in which pieces are completed in as quick as 4 hours. On the other hand, I have paintings in my studio which I started in 2005 and have still not completed.

Art as a therapeutic device; do you think it is useful for this purpose and is your work in this category somehow?

I would discourage anyone serious about the arts to consider their work a therapeutic exercise.

Do you aim to make “masterpieces” with the aim of being seen in the future as an artist that really made their mark in art history?

When I produce a painting, I consider it an object. It’s just a piece of material with paint on it. It’s not ‘Art’. It’s an object. That being said, I do try to create objects that will easily outlive me.

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Compiled and edited by Steve Gray © 2009+

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The Theinert View…

Ursula Theinert is no stranger to the Art Re-Source blog, and now being part of the Fields of View exhibition we chat to her again to find out some details.

News Flash!

Here’s an interview done on SBS… It’s great when artists can get media exposure like this! It’s called inspiration from disaster.

1. Tell us about the works you have created for this exhibition.

I have completed three works and have nearly finished another.  My first painting was done a few months after Black Saturday, and heralded a new start in my physical and emotional energy to begin my art practice again.  We had just rebuilt a garage and had gathered together, and been given art supplies from friends and strangers, who kindly wanted to help.  My father built me two beautiful easels and a painting table and so with all this support and space to paint I felt energized to begin.

My first painting is called ‘Ashes to Ashes’ and is an acrylic work on a 120 x 150cm canvas, with a similar composition to the many paintings that were destroyed by the fire, which had been stored in the workshop studio which burnt down.  This painting was a great release for me, a coming to an acceptance of what had happened, and acted almost in the same way a funeral does with the grieving of a loved one.  The composition is a panoramic view of the hills of Callignee, as an attempt to portray the vastness of the devastation and the acceptance of the destruction. I also incorporated text using all words beginning with the letter ‘f’ that related to the fire eg., firestorm, fear, flames etc .These words acted as an emotive purge of my feelings about the fire.   This was a necessary start to my grieving and led me to the next phase of my work which was the more spiritual awareness of the miracle like quality of escaping such a dangerous event.

My next painting is called ‘Fire Angels’,  a triptych of  three 120 x 120cm canvases, which as the title suggests deals with the profound sense of a spiritual presence which kept my husband and I safe against all odds.  We came close to death several times and yet somehow we did not panic, we were guided to safety at the right time, with many other coincidences and good fortunes occurring,  all aiding in the sense of an otherworldliness surrounding us.  My composition is based on looking up into the tree tops of our totally burnt trees just next to our little mud brick home.  The trees had crowned and the house next door was destroyed.  The repetition of the images is an attempt to show a reflection on the meaning of the scene and the recurrence of that view and repeated safe outcome of many others, but sadly not all, who had to face Black Saturday.  Again I use text beginning with the words ‘Fire angels’ and list words that relate to guiding and overseeing and ending up with a phrase of ‘’keeping vigil over us”.

My next triptych is ‘Changeling’, and this painting relates to the issues of the acceptance of change to one’s fate, and the tenuous reality of plans and ownership.  I am certain that I was at the ‘angry’ phase of the grieving process at this time because I ached for my home and garden and land and trees and life, just the way it was before the fire.  The gratefulness of being alive and still having some parts of our former life was overwhelmed with the pain of having to deal with the day to day realities of the aftermath.  Again there is text used to reinforce this unwanted change that we all felt,  examples being,  ‘our land’, ‘our home’, ’our community’, our plans, ‘our fate’ etc.

During this time the rebuilding continued at a steady pace and we felt that we had reached certain goals, with our studio and gallery, almost being completed, and the house becoming more comfortable too.  The frenzy of activity and the stresses and positive outcomes of this amazing year almost paralleled the regeneration of the trees around us.  That regrowth and reawakening of nature has I feel mirrored the repairing of our psyche and emotional strength, with my latest triptych depicting an almost joyous scene of hope and a new beginning.

2.  What does being an environmental expressionist mean to you?

It means I am concerned by the challenging environmental issues confronting and threatening our global future.  In my paintings I use text, colour and emotion to tap into the subconscious spiritual bond connecting us to nature to enhance the desire for innovative changes on a community level as well as globally.

I believe art has an important role to play in visually stimulating an audience with positive and negative messages which reinforce the need to nurture our world.  This visual approach is designed to inspire interest in environmental issues.  Art evokes deeply layered feelings, intuition and instinct within us all.  My works aim to facilitate contemplation and I believe intrinsically worthwhile outcomes occur when we experience another viewpoint and often all we need to do is to …”stop for a moment….!”

3.  What makes this exhibition so important, people should go and see it?

I feel Black Saturday touched everyone in Victoria, with the whole of the country ostensibly coming together and forming an emotional and psychological bond.  The fires are imbedded in our psyche, with this summer season highlighting the amount of interest, care and heightened awareness and education extracted from the painful experience of the fire and its aftermath.

This eclectic range of personal experience is reflected in some ways by the group of artists in Fields of View.  The artistic exploration of the five artists in this exhibition expresses their own individual experiences and perceptions through their own mediums in an evocative and dynamic way.   The complex environmental, philosophical, spiritual, emotional and intellectual issues that the fire has evoked in the artists will resonate with the community at large.   The ‘Fields of View’ theme is based on the Black Saturday fires but it also envelops larger issues, such as, the balance of the natural world, sustainability and conservation.   The power of art to stimulate, inform and encourage discussion through emotional creativity, indeed, can be seen in this valid example of environmental expressionism.

4.  Australian landscape is a well represented genre, what do you think Fields of View and your own work adds to the genre?

I thinks the Australian landscape has been depicted in many forms from the esoteric Aboriginal work, early European settlement, Australian Impressionists, Australian Expressionists and the contemporary art of today. Each have added to the whole journey, story of our history, way of viewing our world and each other.  I quite often feel Western artists have viewed the landscape as either romantically beautiful or foreboding and dangerous, and there is truth in both of these expressions of our surroundings.  However, I believe, artists are now seeing the land, the environment as the one being  threatened by humankind with the grave issues of the ‘balance’ in the natural world, sustainability and conservation all becoming the strong narrative feature of the work.

My focus is on the dichotomy between our love of our country and our use of our resources.  I feel we have a profound spiritual connection to the land, which I poignantly experienced during Black Saturday while I defended my home.   My work transcends known realities to the unknown otherworldly spiritual presences through our interaction with the environment.  I feel this spiritual bond heightens the enormous responsibility we have to our world and issues like sustainable wood supplies, carbon trading schemes and the many global challenges we face can only be addressed with fresh eyes and lateral thinking.

The Fields of View exhibition brings together five artists who were personally affected by the fires and who also explore the complex issues of our perceptions and our place in the world and our affect upon the environment.  We are passionate about art and our work, striving to express our narratives in a modern way, which is, to provide, create and enhance a greater understanding and awareness of environmental issues through art.

Connie Noyes

Connie Noyes is a Chicago based, Professional Contemporary Visual Artist who has been making art for 30 years. Represented by Art Depot, Innsbruck, Austria and the SFMOMA Artists Gallery in San Francisco. Connies website is at http://www.connienoyes.com

Interests you have other than art?

I have danced my entire life and I think as a result of this everything I experience is through my body. I am very physical and consequently my art is very physical. There is a visceral experience, often for the viewer, when they see my work in person. It is hard to get this from the internet or digital images, so this is important to mention.

What are the main medium/s you work in…

I consider myself a painter, though I use many different materials in my work. My MFA is in photography but I never actually thought of myself as a photographer. The photographic image was the skeleton of my work. I had a hard time keeping my hands off the image. I had to touch it, to manipulate it, paint on it, erase parts and then draw back into it.

My photographs looked like paintings, and now as a painter people tell me I paint with a photographer’s eye. I think what they mean by this is that I work with the edges of the frame/canvas. This is where tension and poetry are created.

Artist’s statement…

This is a statement from my latest body of work Human Steps. It is an ongoing series I have been working on for a year and a half. There are paintings and digital images. Eventually there will be video components and an installation as well.

HUMAN: adjective, have, or relating, to characteristics of people. STEPS: noun, plural, the act of putting one foot in front of the other.

HUMAN STEPS is a dialog, which references the many disparate elements encountered in daily urban life - a metaphor for the way in which dark affects light and vice versa, how the sweet can become sickly if overdone and how close proximity to millions of people, diverse cultures and visual images can both inspire and overwhelm. It is a metaphor for tight quarters, pleasant or not so pleasant meetings and vibrant energy of the city in contrast to shadowy and emotionally difficult places.

For HUMAN STEPS, I use what most people consider garbage as a jumping off place in the work. The materials at one point might have been utilitarian, but were never considered beautiful. The hard, shiny, plastic surfaces often synonymous to commercial objects, would never pass inspection as such. Dirt falls onto the canvases, scratches, cracks, marks occur and there are no straight lines, only the illusion of such. Through the act of turning detritus into “works of art”, or elevating the prestige of garbage, I aim to question the status quo of beauty, worthiness and usability. 2009

Your art education was…? I have a Degree in Photography from a small liberal arts college in Virginia, Virginia Intermont College, A MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a MA in Psychology and Art Therapy from Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, California.

I also took a few painting classes from Larry Robinson who teaches at UC Berkeley in California when I decided to switch mediums in 1998. Studying psychology and working as a therapist for 9 years changed my life and the way I think about my art practice. Taking painting classes with Larry, changed the trajectory of my career.

Tell us about your study and the MFA…

I was accepted into the graduate program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago at age 23. It was the only school I wanted to attend, though I had been accepted into two other programs. The Art Institute at the time had the reputation of having one of the best graduate art programs in the country. Plus I had been living in a very small town in the mountains of Virginia, teaching part-time at the college I attended as an undergraduate.

I drove to Chicago from this small town singing Hot Child in the City hoping the words could ease my nervousness and boost my confidence. I was shy, a bit intimidated and a giant sponge seeking food and knowledge. I took and absorbed what I was told about my work and tried to make it fit together in my psyche. I was making what I was told was BOLD work. To me it was simply romantic and stemmed from my own personal history of romantic encounters The response was never indifferent. Professors, other students and critics either loved or hated my work. The extremes intrigued me.

In critiques, the players would argue amongst themselves, passionately describing their response to my photographs. I learned how to play the game and how to get the response from my audience I wanted. In the process of absorbing others ideas -theoretical, intellectual or emotional, I forgot the importance of doing the work for myself.

Though, I never had doubts about getting my MFA, it wasn’t until much later when I could really appreciate what I got from going to school there. I was so prolific and the work I did has been the foundation for all work to come. But with that said, I don’t think I took advantage of the program the way I would have had I been a bit more mature. I received my MFA in 1980 in photography.

If you started painting in 1998 what did you do in the years previous?

I stayed in Chicago and worked and exhibited for two years after school. I don’t think I was prepared for life after graduate school. I was working as a waitress and bartender at night so I could work in my studio during the day. But, then something happened and the social aspects of the bar life and alcohol consumed me. I moved to LA, back to Chicago then back home to Washington where I finally hit bottom…and I thank God it stopped there. I was able to get sober and back in my body! I was married and my daughter was born on Xmas day in ’86.

In 1988, when my daughter was less than two years old sitting in her high chair, I watched as she bit the tips off non-toxic markers. The color oozed out of her mouth onto the paper. She spit, drew, rubbed, rolled in the gooey mess. She was covered in color. She didn’t care what any one thought of her drawing. She was genuinely excited by her experience. It was in this moment, in the kitchen with my tiny daughter, I remembered again why I had wanted to be an artist. She and I began playing with art materials together. I learned so much about process from her.

I began working daily, very consciously being kind to the fragile artist child felled for the previous six years. Like my daughter, I suddenly didn’t care what anyone thought of what I was doing. In fact I never had to show anyone. I was just playing. I decided that the process would be my inspiration - one thing leading to another naturally. A year later, I was doing work that felt honest and stood on its own - photographing garbage, old window shades, cardboard, hardware, tape etc., manipulating the images in the darkroom and painting, drawing back into them. I began to exhibit the work in juried shows was awarded a couple of prizes. Soon after, in1990, had a solo exhibit in Alexandria Virginia at the Torpedo Factory. At the suggestion of a fellow artist, I spent every cent I had on having the work professionally framed. I was proud.

In April 1992, I was awarded an exhibit at Touchstone Gallery in Washington DC. I continued to work with photographic images. The imagery depicted the fragility of relationships - things are rarely what they are perceived to be. The black rose was a metaphor for beauty and the passing of time with sexual overtones. Since I had spent all of my money framing the last show, I used discarded materials to frame and display the work. The acrylic sheets, mounted on the frames with screws purposely didn’t fit. They swung from side to side as people passed. I tacked some of the work directly onto the wall and imposed makeshift frames around the large pieced together photographs.

In May 1992 I moved from Alexandria Virginia to San Francisco, due to my husbands employer. I had not yet figured out how to make a living with my art. Part of me didn’t even want to try. I was more interested in practical ways I could support my children and myself. I know now it was fear that held me back.

Since undergraduate school at Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, Virginia, I had significant interest in psychology. Almost had a double major. After our move to San Francisco, I was accepted into the Marriage and Family Therapy Program, with an emphasis in Art Therapy at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont California. I began in June 1992 and graduated with my second Masters degree in 1994.

My relationship to my art practice changed significantly through the process of studying Psychology/Art Therapy. After graduation I worked in a few, rather severe venues, as an intern before private practice was an option.

When I began my private practice it was important to find a space where I could see clients, but also have my own studio. Believe it or not, in 1998, before the dot com boom that destroyed all reasonable rental options in SF actually hit, I actually found the perfect space in a creative arts building. My goal was to work in the darkroom and studio when I wasn’t seeing clients. This might have worked, except 2 children now pre-adolescent, and work with a difficult client base compromised my good intentions. It seemed impossible to carve out enough hours. Darkroom work was impossible. I began painting.

At first, I was painting on photographs, printed before or old furniture I had found. I had learned from past experience how important it was prime the pump in order to get my creativity flowing again. At some point in 1998, I decided to take a painting class at UC Berkeley Extension. I had never been confronted with a blank canvas before. Though my photographs had always been somewhat painterly I didn’t know the first thing about painting. Painting was more immediate than photography. I don’t think I ever anticipated what would happen next.

I devoured painting. The first night the teacher in the extension class said, “Who are you?” He had never seen anyone attack the process with such abandon in a beginning painting class. Through the work I had done as an art therapist, which is ALL about process, I had developed a deep understanding and trust in myself as an artist. I knew I would learn more about paint and painting materials the more I worked. Once I started I couldn’t stop. I rented a space in a group-painting studio and rented out part of my therapy office. I was seeing clients 4 days a week and painting 3, then seeing clients 3 days a week, painting 4, until I was seeing clients only 2 days a week.

My therapy practice was booming. I kept raising my prices because I didn’t want to work so much. I wanted to paint. Then I got it. If I had the talent to help others get what they wanted in their lives, I was also skilled enough to get it for myself. All I ever wanted to do was make art. Really. Everything else along the way was a distraction to knock me off my path. I was told a career, as an artist was not practical, especially with two children. I decided to stop believing this idea.

One year after I started painting, I was invited into Hang Gallery in San Francisco. The gallery sold everything I gave them. I was able to leave my private practice in July 2001. That year, I had a solo exhibit at Weigand Gallery, connected to Notre Dame de Namur University and was a featured artist at the Palo Alto location of Hang. I also participated in my second open studios in SF and was chosen for the Selections Exhibit through Art Span the following year. I was one of 20 artists from a pool of about 600. In March of 2003 I had a solo exhibit at Hang and sold out the show.

What fascinates you?

Human behaviour, culture, diversity. I am fascinated how art can bridge differences- open up dialog. I am fascinated by irony and contrasts-opposites that aren’t really such, for example love-hate. These emotions are not opposite, the intensity of the emotions are both too strong. I think hate is intense fear of difference or perhaps an intense fear of ones own unconscious or dark side.

Do you have a personal philosophy that underpins your work?

Just show up!! This is the MOST important thing in the creative process. Something always happens even when I don’t feel like working…and sometimes really interesting things happen BECAUSE of my resistance. I just try to stay open.

Do you have ideas turning over in your head all the time?

YES.

So do you use a journal to bring those ideas to reality or some other recording device?

I write things down, I write a lot actually. I love to write and have even incorporated small vignettes of stories into some of my work, but often I just do it when I get an idea…I don’t tend to make sketches, though I do use Photoshop to manipulate certain images for paintings, especially when I am working on commissions. It gives the client a very close idea of what the final painting will look like.

Eccentricity is seen as a common trait of artists of many disciplines, how about you?

Maybe I am eccentric. Does one know if they are? I feel like a chameleon. I can fit in among people in very diverse settings, some more comfortably than others.

Do you aim to break the rules of basic composition, layout etc or do you ignore the “rules” and just create?

Funny question about rules. I think it is important to know the basics. For example, I was compelled to take a beginning painting class before I made my first painting in 1998. I had no idea how to start a painting. So I learned the rules, or this particular teachers rules, for painting. After a while I got bored with doing it the same way and I wanted to experiment. This is when I began to find my own voice with the medium. I just kept asking, “What would happen if I do this?”, and I would try. It was a painting, I could always undo what I did if it didn’t work.

What seemed to happen though was the more chaos I created on the canvas the more opportunities were presented. I was constantly working my way out of disastrous paintings. As a matter of fact, I don’t ever think I have made a painting in the past 12 years when at some point in the process I didn’t think it was a complete disaster. Usually the day after I was ready to trash the whole thing, the work would somehow resolve itself. In my work, if there is not this chaos or conflict at some point, the painting has no life. I take risks just to see what will happen next.

Do you hope the viewer will “get” what you are trying to communicate or do you feel compelled to spell it out to them?

I believe the beauty of art, abstract work in particular because of its subjective nature, but all art really, is each viewer brings his or her own experience to the piece. I get asked all the time, “What influenced this work or that. Every time I tell, the person looks disappointed. After a number of these disappointing looks, I got it. They were having their own experience with the work and my answer squashed their experience. So now when someone asks me that question, I always say, I would be happy to tell you, but first tell me why you are asking or tell me what you see in the work. I don’t want my answer to make theirs wrong, because it isn’t. I think art should spur dialog, which is usually what ends up happening with this approach. Art for me is not something that is absolute.

How important is it to you that your work communicates something to the viewer?

There are people who deeply connect to my work and others that walk right past it. Funny story, during an open studio a man walked by my studio door poked his head in and said out loud, “Humph. Buffalo.” Obviously he wasn’t connecting. But then another time a woman wanted to buy a painting I had in a gallery and there was something wrong with the stretcher. I took the painting back to my studio and she waited for this painting for six weeks. When I brought the painting back to the gallery she bought it immediately, took it home to hang in her dining room. The next day she brought the painting back to the gallery to return it. When asked why she said, “It sacred my children.” This was so interesting to me because it WAS an abstract painting, nothing overtly scary. But, the children, obviously sensitive children, picked up energy in this piece that frighten them. And I totally understood what.

It was a very difficult period in my life. The energy of those days came through in the painting. The children were right to be scared! So with this said, Paintings can communicate with viewers positively, negatively and indifferently. Of course I always want people to adore my work, but the times when they don’t can be just as interesting!

If you stopped doing art right now would you miss it? There is no way I could ever stop making art. I wish I could, my life would be easier if I had a real job, and a dependable income etc. and I have tried in the past when I worked as a psychotherapist. I committed to my art practice in 2001, full time and have never looked back. This is my soul, my path. It is who I am. I have stopped questioning this.

You mention “There is no way I could ever stop making art.” So is the process or product of art somehow a therapeutic device of some kind?

Well, I am sure there is some therapeutic value, but I don’t consider my work art therapy. Art Therapy is only concerned with the process with little or no regard for the final product. Though the process is certainly an important part of my work, I do have other considerations as well such as concept, overall design, how pieces work together, intellectual considerations etc. When I said I could no longer stop making art, what I meant was my art practice is such an intrinsic part of who I am. It is more than just something I do. My art practice is my playground- it is a reflection of me, my voice, my spirit. I guess I need this mirror.

How does having a working knowledge of Psychology assist you in your work?

Sometimes I wish I didn’t know so much and could work in blissful ignorance. It is interesting though, when I am in the process of creating a piece, I am not thinking about what it means, how it is connected etc. I am just paying attention to what is happening in the piece. After, when the piece is complete, is when I see everything! I understand the metaphor in my work very easily and how it is connected to my life and my own psychology. But, I also think the concerns I have in my work are universal ones…and lately I have been working more conceptually, so self-analysing my work is not such an issue.

What discourages you from doing art?

I am always working. If not making art, marketing, networking planning etc. This is a full time job. No, it is a full life! There is no difference between my art and my life at this point. Today I am sick in bed and I am still working. Writing this interview…;-)

Do you have a challenge knowing when a work is finished?

My challenge is knowing a piece is not finished and trying to make myself believe that it is. It goes back to the chaos comment. After working and wrestling with a piece for a long time, I want it to be finished, but there is always a little nag in my head. It isn’t until I REALLY complete the piece, and I know intuitively when this happens, the voice goes away.

What about the role of titles with your work, some hate them others revel in them?

I have tried it both ways. My current work has titles. Other series have had more generic titles, titles for identification. Again it depends on the work. I don’t have any absolute rules about this.

If you could have any piece of artwork in your personal collection, what would it be and why?

One of Anselm Keefer’s Wedding Dresses.

The best thing an art teacher ever said to you was… “Just follow the work”. This has been invaluable. It keeps me focused on what I am doing and not concerned with what others. Though I look and am interested and get excited about other artists work, I can only go to the places my work and my process take me. Plus, it is always an exciting day when the work pushes me into the next phase of the process.

How important do you think art is for society?

So important. I cannot imagine a society without art. Artists are the philosophers for the culture. Not only do we bring different viewpoints, thought, images, connections to the table we create the life in the culture- excitement, beauty and innovation. Without art we would live in a culture of grey -mundane, homogeny. There would be no joie de vivre. Depressing thought!

You mention tension and poetry are created at the edges of a work… Do you want to tell us more about what you mean?

By cutting something off at the edge there is an automatic tension created, a push-pull between the edge and the object. It throws the balance off and suggests continuation into another plane. Isn’t this poetic? Often I will use the edge as the place where most of the “action” happens. The center becomes either a place to rest or a void.

Art As a way of life, rather than a career or “job”… Do you think other people get that and appreciate the passion this might cause?

No, I don’t know what people get. I am certainly open to hearing other people’s response to that question, artists or non-artists alike. You obviously get it to ask the question. Thank you for that. I am passionate about my art practice, my life, all of the above.

Here are a bunch of statements you can respond to any way you want. Go for the first thing that comes into your mind, or not…

Sociable and out there, or withdrawn or intense? Sociable, out there and at times intense

Tough and resilient, soft and fragile? I look fragile and soft, my attitude is tough and resilient and I think my inner core is made of steel!!! Though exhausting at times,I am a fighter for what I want…. and a survivor.

Logic and clarity or creative and messy? Clear, Creative and totally messy.

Small and intimate or large and bold? I love the extremes. At one point I was only making paintings over six feet and under 12 inches. Such different energy.

Security or insecurity? Depends on the day

Feel the art and hear the image… Feel, emotional and tactile.

The world is… f#%ked unless we can harness more creative intelligence in our leaders and everyone gets how interconnected we all are.

Creative muscle building… Comes from showing up, as with any practice or discipline.

Delicate and subtle, strong and bold? Again, I am there in the extremes.

Intellect or careless casual connections… There are no accidents. It is a matter of being in the moment, using you mind, body, emotions, spirit and whatever else is at your disposal to either respond or not to what is happening in the work at that particular moment.

Critics are important because? It is another way to have dialog about art. Agree with them or not, it is the dialog, which is important.

Dan Wollmering

Dan Wollmering BA; MFA: PhD. is a Contemporary Sculptor based in West Brunswick, Melbourne, currently represented by Flinders Lane Gallery & BMG Art, Adelaide. For over 40 years Dan has been making art in Wood, Steel, Bronze and Aluminium. He describes his works as Abstract Architectural. He lectures in the Faculty of Art and Design at Monash.University Victoria. Dan has made pilgrimages to Italy France and New York several times over the years. You can read more on Dan via Flinders Lane gallery’s website.

Does your work have social, political, cultural and or personal messages?

Some works do (outdoor public sculptures more linked to political & social issues and ideas) Gallery works are concerned more with formal notions of structure, form and beauty invested in nature or a purely from the imagination.

What are you currently working on?

A series of works that were executed in foam & cardboard whilst on a recent art residency at Rimbun Dahan outside of KL, Malaysia – to be cast in bronze and aluminium. The works are loosely related to architectural forms derived from Islamic structures and contemporary buildings in KL.

What fascinates you?

Travel, cities, theoretical physics (what little I understand) discovering a new piece of music, (classical, rock or jazz) Albums that still fascinate me i.e.‘ Kind of Blue’ by Miles Davis, ‘Blood on the Tracks’ by Bob Dylan and ‘Rook’ by Shearwater to name a few . . .

One word or statement to describe your current works?

Tactile and curious.

Now give us a more descriptive outline on your current works.

A series of 14 aluminium & bronze sculptures that reference small personal architectural statements - based on my living experiences in Malaysia for six weeks.

How did you get into art?

Elementary school on Friday afternoons – a time devoted to art activities that interested me immensely and the teachers who taught it.

How important is art for you?

I need it to make sense of world and to make it - to provide a type of concentration that brings about satisfaction and achievement.

What is it about Visual Art you find compelling?

Sometimes, but more rarely as I grow older, it can bring goose bumps to my arms that conveys of a type excitement or challenge that is quite outside the world that we live in.

The craziest thing you did at art school was…

Designing a sculpture rocket (dry fuel rockets were all the rage back in the 1970s); it ignited and accelerated to about 100 metres when it nose-dived back to the earth. Luckily no one was injured.

What did you do before or during becoming an artist?

Worked in a variety of jobs – mostly saving money to return to University Art School. (Factory worker Hudson Sprayers, Combine Driver and Mechanic for the Green Giant Canning company, Labourer for a construction company).

Is there any one thing that has given you a big buzz in your art career so far?

There have been many. One in particular, being selected for the 3^rd Australian Sculpture Triennial in 1987 at the National Gallery of Victoria.

Was there a big turning point in your art journey that caused you to think that “it’s all worthwhile”, or “oh yeah I get it…”?

Hummmm . . . a positive experience seeing a major work by Louise Nevelson at the Walker Arts centre in Minneapolis.

You know you are successful in Visual Arts when…

Such a difficult term ‘success’ perhaps when the work hums – most artist know when this condition occurs – as rare as it is. Another measurement, when attached to a commercial gallery, of course, arriving at your opening and seeing those uplifting ‘red dots’ – certainly makes the effort worthwhile although I would not necessarily state categorically this is the only measurement of success.

What can you tell us about your planning and making process for making art, and has that altered over the years?

I Try not to waste time in the studio. The days of ‘fooling around’ are over – but would like to have more time to engage in this important and necessary activity.

Creative streaks do they come in waves for you?

Not really, am more interested in the ‘flow’ – when one is working a piece – so focused and engaged that hours pass quickly. A good head space.

Do you have a personal description of “Art”?

Yes - a loaded term that Postmodernism has, for the most part, tried to kill off but continues to bounce back when artists aim high.

Have you had any commissions? Any of note etc…

Yes, a piece titled Dwelling, that I am proud of that was commissioned by Moreland City Council (with some funds from Monash University) sited in front of the Leisure Centre in Fawkner Victoria.

Some say the lifespan of many “artists” post educationally is about five years, any thoughts on that?

I have read this and understand the difficulties associated with making a reasonable living off one’s own practice. Yet, there are many examples whereby artists ‘return to the field’ after years in other occupations, or free from domestic responsibilities, or have sufficient time and funds to commit to the practice. In my experience, most committed artists have to make work and will exhibit in whatever manner they wish over a long period of time; Art is a marathon not a sprint.

What has been a turning point in your career thus far and why?

I have never really turned – just going steadily forward. A ‘focused point’ was when I was doing the ‘rounds’ trying to ‘land’ a commercial gallery when finally after approaching many without success – a colleague friend tipped me off regarding a new gallery opening, I was accepted and became part of the stable of Artists at Flinders Lane Gallery in Melbourne. I have been showing with them since 1989.

Can you name a favourite artist or three… and why?

Rebecca Horn, Louise Nevelson, David Smith, Buster Kendall, Anthony Caro (late) add another 100 artists here.

Have you had any “big breaks” in your career?

Yes – being selected for an International Sculpture Symposium in Southern China – commissioned work that was eventually installed in Shanghai.

All artists seem to have struggles, tell us about any you have had?

Generally after a solo exhibition – work removed, feeling ‘flat’ taking stock and then questioning why am I spending all this time devoted to this activity when I could be doing many other interesting things as well?? It only lasts for a few days – as other art related projects have to be completed. We just keep going.

One thing you wish you had listened to from an art teacher or lecturer?

Not one thing in particular, rather embracing more of the overall arching activities occurring at the University art school at the time - including happenings, performances . . . I was somewhat sceptical of such undertakings as being rather indulgent – but only now recognise the value and significance of these experimental and innovative art forms.

What sort of depth or meaning is there behind the work you do?

Oh dear, another excellent question. Depends on which piece and the brief attached i.e.a public artwork/sculpture – being site referential. My inside gallery work is more geared towards to condition of abstraction and such notions of transformation and imbedded spirit Sometimes, this may manifest itself in ideas of beauty or alternatively, uneasy and precarious possibilities of chance and accident i.e. cause and effect.

About significant moments in your life, the sort of things that changed things for you forever… perhaps altered your Art… Who how why what and where…?

Becoming an activist in the Union movements. The death of both my parents.

Are their special aspects to the making of your work that you want to share?

Process vs product – the age old question. Sometimes only certain sculptors can appreciate this often overlooked creative condition. Enjoying materials and appreciating techniques are often important vehicles of conversation shared between sculptors. Looking at from another angle, perhaps this is why cooking shows are so popular on TV – the mystery of the making.

You know you have “made it as an artist” when…

You are known by your first name, not only with your peers, but by a wide audience.

The business or marketing side of Art can be a challenge to some, what are your thoughts?

Just do it – it has to be done – never ever assume that anyone but yourself will promote your work. Sometimes, a good dealer will make important connections – particularly when it comes to clients.

What is the most unexpected response you’ve received from a viewer of your work?

A man came to our first commercial exhibition held in South Yarra - all dressed in the medium that we were using primarily throughout our exhibition – which was bread.

If someone says to you “Oh your work is decorative and lacks any meaning…” your response would be…?

Most artwork is decorative – some with meaning, some without – don’t worry too much about it. There is a lot of decorative artwork going back to early civilizations, enriched with symbols and significance. Know yourself, the intended audience and then consider the site/gallery in which it is to be exhibited.

Art as a therapeutic device; do you think it is useful for this purpose and is your work in this category somehow?

Again, who knows, if it was not for Art – then there very well may be another passion to embrace – could even be sport – i.e. golf, bushwalking or chess – although at one stage with a fellow artist I played a lot of backgammon.

People around you (family friends etc.) what would they say about the way you work, the moods you have, your life as an artist etc?

I think they think it is all very normal – after all have studied art or made sculptures most of my life. Attending openings, galleries, and museums – all very much of what we do.

Some artists are more “at home” isolated in their creative process, while others revel in being part of a group to bounce “ideas off” how about you?

I need both – but do appreciate private studio time – no distractions.

When you get the urge to create art because something has “pushed your button/s” how compelling is it for you?

It is more a regular work process that I undertake on a weekly basis.

What or how do you respond to the term “Starving Artist”?

No artist needs to starve and another myth that raises its profile, generally when the media has nothing of substance to write about.

Do you prefer a perfect smooth technique or a more energetic expressive technique and why?

Both have their place – depends on what’s required.

How important is society, culture and or history to your work?

Much more considered with my public artworks. And always aware of the historical tradition in Australian sculpture: its practitioners, influences, ambitions, trajectories and possibilities.

How do you think art can change people or their perceptions?

Art really cannot make claim to this – however, I think art can make extraordinary perceptual change with the individual – but not society as a whole. There are now too many competing media and other influences that can undertake major perceptual shifts in society.

Do you go into any contemporary art prizes, if so why?

Yes, to support such occasions and see if I can make the shortlist (for major ones). It is perhaps our equivalent of competition – although highly subjective with luck – if we compare with sports.

Are you the sort of artist that seeks out promotional opportunities or one that shuns the limelight?

Promotion is all part of the industry – one has to if you are serious about being a successful artist. I do – but hopefully not in a grandiose manner that is self delusionary and destructive. I see such occasions all necessary in the process of networking and making opportunities – but not at the expense of wasting time not actually making the work.

What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?

Just do and just keep going. Go to art school, make friends (some may become very helpful later on in your career). When you are ready – do an MFA (research which art school will suit you best). Apply for grants, enter into group shows and awards and when you have a body of quality works – keep an ear to the ground for new gallery soon to open.

How long did it take to develop your own style?

‘Style’ is another one of those difficult terms in the Visual Arts – perhaps best to suggest that it may be idiosyncratic – all depends on the event, exhibition of site specific nature of a work requires flexibility and a more lateral approach.

Does the gallery make the artist famous or does the artist make the gallery famous?

I think it probably has to do more with curators, editors, feature writers, reviewers and critics. Galleries are important, but generally facilitate sales – some have clout to influence the above – but again, the work has to be good, challenging, difficult or stunning beautiful or a ‘wow’ factor that can not be described – or put into words.

Can you respond to this quote “Anyone who is half assed about art should get out.” (Janet Fish).

Hummmm . . I guess one could suggest that we need a lot of the clutter to really appreciate the good stuff.

Cultural connections you may have which may be of value to the viewer? Go overseas and make art connections, residencies, symposiums. It is important to get out of Australia.

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Compiled and edited by Steve Gray © 2009+

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Check out our other Art Site http://artstuff.net.au

Burning Desire Creates Field of view…

2010 will see many Visual Art events emerge, some large others small… However this one event has already etched it’s place in the artists taking part.

Fields of View is an exhibition featuring 5 Visual Artists all affected by the Black Saturday fires of Feb 2009, from directly fighting fires to save their homes, to standing on the edge of the firezones watching and waiting… then in the aftermath all counted their blessings, conferred various stories and carried on.

Only now with a renewed interest in the way their now changed lives had instantly become more precious, Artworks evolved, giving them a chance to explore and communicate the issues all had experienced.

Couple this with the fact all are passionate about the environment and their role as Environmental Expressionists and you have a fantastic mix of impetus and context with which to present their works.

Over the next few weeks I will have the opportunity to share with you some aspects of the exhibition and the way the Artists express their environmental concerns and inspirations.

When artists get together the collective power to obtain media interest is tangible… They called it ‘Artists respond to tragedy’ http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2010/01/25/2800651.htm take the link to hear the artists interviewed on the black saturday fires and see some of their work!

Here are some images from the first opening of the exhibition at Maffra Vic.

Kerrie Warren - The view from here…

Kerrie Warren on her work and her role in the Fields of View Exhibition.

Tell us about the works you have created for this series of exhibitions.

I’m an Abstract Expressionist painter and am very much influenced by my environment at the time, the ‘Bushfire Series’ came through naturally because the fires and the after effect of the fires became a part of my life.

I live in Crossover Victoria; my studio narrowly escaped the Bunyip Ridge fire on Black Saturday, a day that I will never forget.  I was also influenced later by the talk of ‘Fire Bugs’ in various areas.  Thus the ‘Fire Bugs’ naturally began to appear in the work also, they just flowed out and I didn’t try to stop them.

I work with the canvas on the floor and use acrylic paints, mediums, gravity and gestural movement to express myself through bold mark making and colour.

I do not plan my work; instead I flow with it and work in a spontaneous fashion.  I somehow step inside ‘spontaneous’, where everything slows down and I work to a point of resonation (a climax).

How has the environment shaped the art you produce?

The environment has always shaped my work in a sense.  I explore the ‘sensation’ of it on a molecular level, where energy (life) and movement are recorded in the moment.  The influence is always there…

You were all involved in the Regionalis exhibition in 2009, apart from that not being a travelling show, how is this different?

In one sense it isn’t different, it is simply the evolvement of a journey.  My whole heart is offered in every piece, on every canvas, within each mark; however, this particular series sits within a very raw, powerful and emotional group series based on a catastrophic event.

Two of the exhibiting artists (Werner and Ursula Theinert) were directly impacted by the fire at Callignee on that day and it has been such an experience to work with them on this project, they had to start from scratch and even rebuild their studio first!

I think it will bring forth an emotional response from the Victorian communities, I’m sure that many viewers will relate to our stories and will have their own to tell.

What makes your work unique or magical for the viewer?

I suppose that depends on the viewer’s perspective.  As an Abstract Expressionist, I find my work often sparks discussion, even debate.  It is generally either loved or loathed.

Either way, what the viewer will find is honest mark making, a balance of dynamic colour and something they will not have seen before.  If the viewer is open to this style of work and they have the opportunity to spend time with it, they will allow themselves to ‘feel it’, to communicate with it on layers beneath the surface (like I do).

How does being part of a group travelling show like this make a difference for you?

Being part of a touring group show creates its own opportunities to exhibit and reach the wider community.

It connects the artists involved and certainly stimulates activity both in and out of the studio.

It also creates an opportunity to connect with supporters and sponsors, International Power / Mitsui Loy Yang B collected a piece of mine from this series, it is very exciting to know that after the tour comes to an end, ‘Firewall’ 09 will end up in a corporate collection.

The Parliament House dinner, how did that come about, and a bit about it…

Yes, the Parliament House presentation and dinner is something I am very much looking forward to.  We made good friends with our local MP Mr. Gary Blackwood Member for Narracan a couple of years ago when we presented ‘Wild Dogs from Down Under’, another touring exhibition that travelled in Victoria and to our sister city JiuJiang in China.

MP Mr. Gary Blackwood was interested to hear about the ‘Fields of View’ tour and assisted us by creating the opportunity to present this project in an official capacity in Queen’s Hall, Parliament House Melbourne, where on the same night participating artist Peter Biram will be launching a new arts movement ‘Environmental Expressionism’.

We are also excited to announce that Mr. Ted Baillieu MLA, Shadow Minister for the Arts, will officially ‘open’ this occasion, supporting the project.

The night will be celebrated along with a VIP 3 course dinner (inside Queen’s Hall) and we invite anyone interested to join us, to support this project and be part of this journey!

*please find the invitation on this link

http://www.kerriewarren.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Invitation-to-Parliament-House.pdf

Kerrie Warren, Abstract Expressionist.

Werner Theinert - Field of View Artist

Werner Theinert is one of the five Artists in the Fields of View exhibition, here are his responses to a few questions I asked him about the exhibition.

Tell us about the works you have created for this series of exhibitions. (medium, style, intent, subject.)

I have chosen three pieces from my Black Saturday series to be a part of the fields of View Tour.

They are all 1200 by 1200mm high resolution images, printed on high quality vinyl which in turn is covered with a clear semi matt protective layer.  This is then self adhesively fixed to an aluminium sandwich board – modern day sign writer technology.  The board then has an aluminium channel fixed to the rear, to allow easy hanging of the work and to provide a degree of strength and rigidity to the board.

The original images are firstly copied and melded into geometric angular panels.  These panels are then combined and shaded to give an illusion of three dimensional boxes.  The patterns create an Escher type illusionary effect.

The original images used to create these pictures were taken on the Sunday morning after Black Saturday, and as such have a very strong association with the devastating events of that fateful night.  The many stark images taken that morning are a clear reminder to me of the hopelessness of mans efforts to in any way try to combat the sheer raw power of Mother Nature – the destruction was total and complete.

The first piece is titled Distorted Metal.  The original image was taken with the collapsed roof of our burnt studio workshop at an angle in the foreground, with the fatally injured Bungalow and blackened tree line in the background.  The interesting patterns created at the corners of the boxes resemble radiating stars, with the blackened trees creating a feather like pattern within the stars.  The other interesting part of the image is the Crab like creature created by the angled metal sheets.

The 2nd piece is titled Burnt Studio Metal, this was all that was left of our Studio workshop – but burnt metal and molten glass, with the stark blackened trees standing sentinel in the background.  The interesting feature of this piece is the appearance of a halo or a circle around the top of each box (or is that the bottom of the box).

The 3^rd piece is titled Mower Metal Burnt.  This was an image of the remains of our shed.  The shed had the mowers, bikes, hydraulic splitter, slasher – anything and everything gardening!  The colours are simply Black, Brown and White.  There are so many different things created by the melding of the images, limited only by your imagination.

Conceptually the boxes each represent a family home, a family unit.  Each box is a part of a group of boxes – a small community.  The next pictures in the Black Saturday series then have many more boxes – representing a large community, and the next one with even more boxes - a State.  With the final image in the series, with the boxes arranged in a seemingly chaotic manner representing the chaos and disorder after Black Saturday, but if you look closely – bigger, overall boxes still remain, in other words the fundamental fabric of the community still remains!

How has the environment shaped the art you produce?

The Environment, and what we the people of the world are doing to it, is a major concern for me personally.  I am an avid reader of people like Heinberg, Gore and Flannery, I am currently looking into things like Permaculture and self sufficiency.

I would say that the events of Black Saturday have reinforced and confirmed my views on climate change.  The extremes of climate which we experienced firsthand that day have increased my resolve and my passion to continue on the path to self sufficiency, and to spread the word on Climate Change and Environmentalism, using Art as a medium.  It has also provided me with a vast number of graphic images and material for me by which I can continue my artistic journey.

My aim is to provide a visual narrative that creates and enhances discussion about the environment, and the future of our world.  I have worked in various capacities within the energy industry.  I have worked in the Telecommunications Industry, Aluminium Smelters, Alumina Refineries, LNG Production plants and Brown Coal fired power stations.

I have lived my adult life in Bahrain, Qatar and in Australia’s Victoria and even the Northern Territory.  I feel that these experiences have given me a valuable insight into the environmental workings of all of these industries, but also an insight into the attitudes and philosophies of our politicians and leaders.

I have made a conscious decision to aim for self sufficiency.

What does being an environmental expressionist mean to you?

Being an Environmental Expressionist, for me, means I am a member of a group of contemporary artists, utilising Art as the medium for conveying the Environmental message to the public and to the world.

The Black Saturday fires forms a major aspect to this exhibition, do the works you have created somehow act as a form of healing for you?

Art has been a catalyst for my healing process by providing avenues of support and a creative voice through expression of my emotional reaction to the destruction of our property by the unleashed forces of nature.

The use of the optical illusion created in my images portrays my own feelings of the illusion of ownership and property.

For me the post Black Saturday “healing” has also been provided by the rebuilding of our property and our lives from the ashes left by Black Saturday.  Closure has occurred by the demolishing team removing the remains of our Studio / Workshop and shed, by finally making the decision to demolish and remove our Study / Office at the end of the house, and the decision to demolish and remove our Bungalow, and replace it with our new Studio Gallery.

The completion of the rebuilding works, have also provided me with the healing and the closure required to adequately cope with this event.  The creation of my new series and the positive outcomes of our exhibition at Red Gallery, the creation and launch of Environmental Expressionism, when combined with the forthcoming Fields of View touring exhibition have further assisted in the healing process.

What sorts of messages are you communicating with your work?

My artistic journey is one of discovery.  My earlier work manipulated the original image and created a spiralling ever decreasing illusionary effect which was a metaphor for the decreasing power and influence of the coal industry and the ever increasing damage done to forests by the changing climate. The narrative for the picture is written in the centre or the focus of the picture.  The text is printed in the same font as used in a dictionary, as if it is a direct copy/paste from the dictionaries authoritive text.  This ensures that the narrative or the desired message cannot be misinterpreted.

My latest series uses the post fire images of destruction to create a range of optical illusions which focus on the illusion of property ownership and its perceived permanence.  The Cubic forms created, represent a container of people’s lives and possessions – a home. The connection of adjacent boxes creates the sense of neighbourhood, community and shared realities.

What makes this exhibition so important people should go and see it?

I feel that Black Saturday touched everyone in Australia, with everyone coming together and forming an emotional and psychological bond.  The fires were a vivid image of the potential destructive powers of nature and an environment out of balance. This summer season has highlighted the new awareness, and changed people’s views on how to cope with a potential future fires.

The exhibition provides a portal through which we can view five different perspectives of an event that has touched each artist on a personal level.  The artists in the exhibition have each created works to stimulate, inform and encourage discussion through their own passionate expressions and concerns, not only for Black Saturday but for the environmental issues that will challenge us in the future.

Fields of view - Interview Peter Biram

Peter Biram

Tell us about the works you have created for this series of exhibitions.

My current body of work is exploring the recent 2009 Black Saturday bushfires this links into previous works exploring the theme of ‘land ownership’ and ‘usage’ within an environmental framework. This relationship includes traditional and non-traditional interaction with the land. This work reads on several layers-

1. Mark making

On this level the viewer processes the work on a surface level, that is to say the paint texture and colour of the work. The work at this level can be read in decorative terms.

1. Subject

At this level the viewer reads the work as a landscape, within this framework the observer can interpret the geometric forms as pure decoration.

1. Conceptual Narrative

Within this theme of land ownership I am exploring the pressure that is placed on the land in an environmental sense both in a western/ European standpoint (In some works I use the ‘hard edged ’Motifs or symbols’ ) and the koorie perspective, (the dots).

I am also exploring the fine balance that exists in the natural environment, some of my past works explore this theme of ‘Balance.

This is to say “Order & Chaos” found within nature and the balance of power shifting between the two states.

Many of my compositions are deliberately broken into two sections symbolizing the two states of chaos & order, the fine balance of nature is placed under pressure re land “caretakership”.

Within this framework I have explored both contemporary ownership symbolized by various motifs which is usually  in the bottom half of the composition.(from a European standpoint)

The ‘hard edged’ nature of the chosen motifs or symbols’ also represents past civilizations, this presents a symbol of ‘land ownership’ in the sense of  ‘branding’ the land.

I also usually choose hard edge shapes because of its direct contrast to the soft organic nature of the bush motif. This also symbolizes human kind’s influence on the natural landscape.

How has the environment shaped the art you produce?

The concern for the natural environment has always plays a large part of my life. Art can be a powerful platform or a stage that one can express concepts or concerns. In this case I express the ever- growing concerns over the natural environment. In this form my focus is towards human kind and the relationship human kind has with the natural environment with special attention to ‘land usage’.

What does being an environmental expressionist mean to you?

I have major concerns over the future with regards over the natural environment, and art is an excellent vehicle for expressing these ideas. If we subscribe to these views one can take this to the next level, as collective voice in the form of an art movement, this is why I founded the new art movement - ‘Environmental Expressionism’ ,to more effectively pass on the message

Australian landscape is a well represented genre, what do you think Fields of View and your own work adds to the genre?

The paintings which have established a permanent place in the Australian heritage are usually those which depict the ‘typical’ Australian landscape or express an aspect of Australian character.

This is the common demoninator  which surpasses the changes in genre, style, and me  and links such paintings as Tom Roberts’ The Breakway, Arthur Boyd’s Wimmera Landscape and ShoalHaven series, Sir Hans Hysen’s Spring Early Morning, Russell Drysdale’s The Rabbiters and finally Fred Williams Upwey,Lysterfield and Pilbara series, to name a few.

Paintings themselves emerge as valuable, known and loved works but it would be impossible to present Great Australian Paintings on the basis of judgment of individual paintings. Rather, this book is a salute to the founders of Australian tradititions in art, artists whose successors are even now enriching that tradition in new ways.

The first great school of Australian painting is well represented in this volume. This was time of he ‘golden era’ of painting in the 1880’s and 1890’s, the time of artists like Roberts, Condor, Streeton and McCubbin. With the light of the French Impressionist movement, they were the first to capture the true vision of the country, to break away from the idealised interpretatons that went before.

It is my hope my work has followed, with no less distinction, by the paintings of this age – each new work I undertake will hopefully be discovering and illuminating a new element in Australian landscape or scene.

What sorts of messages are you communicating with your work?

I am an environmental expressionist painter. The paintings explore the theme of questionable land ownership and usage within an environmental framework. This relationship includes traditional and non-traditional interaction. I examine the pressure that is placed on the land in an environmental sense including the fine balance that exists in the natural environment. I usally break my paintings into two sections symbolizing the two states of chaos & order, with special attention to the effects of the Victorian bush fires of 2009.

What makes this exhibition so important people should go and see it?

Fields of View presents a variety of perspectives and perceptions about the environment, through the eyes, hearts and minds of five passionate Australian artists. Artists Leonie Ryan, Kerrie Warren, Peter Biram, together with Ursula and Werner Theinert share their individual visions, emotion’s and concepts about the environment including individual experiences of the Black Saturday bush fires.

Margaret Zox Brown

Margaret Zox Brown from New York has been making art for 23 years and works in oils. Here is her website http://www.margaretzoxbrown.com and her blog http://margaretzoxbrown.com/blog/ you can also check out her work in this You Tube video.

News Flash! Margaret won an emerging artists award in New York this Jan check out the details here…

Artist’s statement…

As I have evolved as an artist, I have gone through various transitions, building on what I have just learned and then working through my newfound curiosity. Currently, I am exploring the human form attempting to break it down to its more simple abstract self.

For the past several years, the 2 dimensional canvas has really been my muse with color being the true subject and my subject matter being the introductory form that leads the viewer through the journey of each painting. My paintings are neither representational nor abstract but somewhere in the middle. And, what I have ultimately created is quite simply the emotion behind whatever it is I am expressing.

Loose black and white sketches are the bases for all my paintings. I copy them onto each canvas that I have already given a wash of colors from my entire palette. With a thorough, thoughtful, daring and intense exploration of color, I work with my subject matter and deconstruct it and add to it over and over until the entire painting comes together as whatever it is I am feeling and then expressing. I choreograph a harmonious, graceful dance allowing the viewer to freely meander through each painting guided by all the elements; color, emotion, line and shape, paint application, light and depth, subject and mood.

My inspirations are many; the beauty I see in nature, the serenity I feel when observing a Still Life or the intrinsic nature of the human spirit. Whether my subject matter is lost in complex abstraction or broken down to its abstract simpler planes, the journey on each canvas allows me to express the essence of whatever it is, what it feels to me.

My goal with each painting is for it to be rich and thought provoking and emotionally stimulating. There should be moments of excitement, a rush as well as moments of calm and familiarity with a continual discovery of something new.

How do you describe your work?

Expressionist paintings that hover between Representational and Abstract with color as my true subject.

What are you currently working on?

A series of paintings of the Human Form. Currently, I am working on one smaller painting (30” x 24”) as well as one large painting (74” x 66”) which are modelled after drawings of my daughter who was just home for a month from college. I am so emotionally drawn to her, that expressing the emotion of a moment captured with her is exciting and satisfying for me.

What fascinates you?

Color first and foremost then anything that moves me; be it a line or a gesture or a mood or a shape.

Now give us a more descriptive outline on your current works.

My current works are of a subject matter, the Human Form, I have painted at all different stages of my art career. I am now coming to them, though with so much knowledge and experience they truly express the essence of and the emotion behind each figure and the moment in time I have captured.

The journey on the canvas guided by color and paint application and medium with the awareness and understanding of different movements in Art History empowers each painting to be all that I am seeking.

Why are you an artist?

At this point in my life, it is all I can be. My life and my art are so intertwined that I express my life through my art and my life is lived in how I approach my art. As I grow, my paintings do and as my art evolves, my self is enriched.

How did you get into art?

I always drew, my entire life. That was in me. And when I first discovered color, I felt as if I had put my key into a treasure box, just for me.

Your art education was…?

I have been taking an Advanced Oil Painting Class at the 92^nd Street Y for the past 23 years and other than that, I am college educated and have travelled so I have a strong base of cultural influences.

Is there any one thing that has given you a big buzz in your art career so far?

I have had a wonderful teacher for the past 11 years, Brian Rutenberg, a successful contemporary artist who really brought me to the next level. Also, Robert Gamblin from Gamblin products introduced me to certain colors and mediums which set me on a totally new path of discovery in my art.

Do you remember your first painting or artwork?

I remember my first Oil painting I did in my 20’s and I remember paintings I did when I was very young at home and was so proud of.

What or who inspires your art?

Different artists, like DeKooning for his painting energy, Picasso for his drawing and genius, Gaughin for his colors and Matisse for his presentation of the world on a flat picture plane…

Was there a big turning point in your art journey that caused you to think that “it’s all worthwhile”, or “oh yeah I get it…”?

When my life and art came together. When I started to abstract and take elements out of my paintings, I then realized I could live my life that way; I did not have to hold onto beliefs or ways of doing things. The whole picture became a way to view the world.

What caused you to choose the medium you currently work in?

I tried it and just loved it. I am very earthy, really so the dripping , messy, smelly experience excites me.

You know you are successful in Visual Arts when…

Difficult question. I feel successful when I have wowed myself by what I have produced but also when I get confirmation by the outside world that what I have created is beautiful and thought provoking.

What can you tell us about your planning and making process for making art, and has that altered over the years?

I really concentrate on my drawings the most when starting a painting now. The beauty and perfection (as far as I am concerned) in the drawing, is the pivotal element of my paintings now where all other elements like color and paint stem from freely. Initially, my drawings were secondary.

Does the sale of your work support you? If no what else do you do to support your art (job)?

I also teach painting and drawing and will do commissions when they come up. I also am exploring other art related business ventures.

Do you have much contact with other artists?

Yes, I share my studio, I take a class and I have friends who are artists.

Working towards an exhibition, is it a daunting task?

Yes but so stimulating. The pressure to get it all together and have a goal like that is wonderful.

Tell us about your connection to your subject matter, way of working, concepts etc?

Right now it’s people, but as I have said, there could be a line or a gesture or a shape or a mood that moves me. I see the world as an artist all the time. I am a very sensitive person so I am moved often although I never know in advance what it will be, which will move me to do a drawing and then do a painting from that drawing.

What has been a turning point in your career thus far and why?

When I discovered transparent colors, color became my pot of gold. And when I experimented with abstraction, my personal  life and how I approach the world changed in a great way forever.

If you could have any piece of artwork in your personal collection, what would it be and why?

A Picasso painting, pre cubism. His drawings and mind just wow me each time I see those.

Have you had any “big breaks” in your career?

I was invited to be the keynote speaker at the college I went to around my art and an exhibition of my art. And, my art has been put on banners around New York City representing the artistic area (district) where my studio is.

All artists seem to have struggles, tell us about any you have had.

I have been rejected many times from galleries when seeking representation. It always seems that is like Catch 22- you have to be known and showing to get known and showing.

Do you keep an Art Journal or Visual Diary of some kind?

Just my sketch books.

What happens to works that “don’t work out”?

I just put them away. People often like them, though, so if they want to buy them that is fine even if I am not proud of the piece.

One thing you wish you had listened to from an art teacher or lecturer?

I wish I had gone to Art School and gotten a Masters in Fine Art when I was young. But actually no one encouraged me to do it. That is just my own personal regret.

Musical influences, Okay this is about Visual Arts but most artists have favourite music they enjoy while working or just in general what about you?

I love Bob Dylan, the Band, Neil Young… All folk rock and I listen to music all the time while painting. Silence makes me too aware of myself and what I am doing whereas the music becomes part of the whole process and brings me to that zone.

What sort of depth or meaning is there behind the work you do?

Sometimes the title of a painting reveals the significance of the journey I took while painting or the influence behind the painting or the ultimate satisfaction in the painting.

About significant moments in your life, the sort of things that changed things for you forever… perhaps altered your Art… Who how why what and where…?

Having children and wanting them to live life in ways I never did, with confidence and richness of spirit, to know and like who they are and to shoot for anything in life. As I said my life and my art became intertwined when I started to put abstract images in my art. I handle life like I handle a painting now and it feels great. I am living creatively rather than being a prisoner to other people’s conventions or dogmas. And I am happy.

What discourages you from doing art?

Real life pressures like money and discord that can crop up with other people.

The business or marketing side of Art can be a challenge to some, what are your thoughts?

At this point, I would really like to hand it over to galleryists to do it for me. I need more time in my studio creating the work so there is work to market!

Have you had much connection post sale with purchasers of your works?

Yes, many collectors are repeat buyers and I invite and include them specially to different events around my art and I have also developed genuine friendships with many of the collectors.

Name a book or books, which may have inspired your work as an artist?

The Biography of DeKooning.

If someone says to you “Oh your work is decorative and lacks any meaning…” your response would be…?

That’s your opinion (I would actually just tell myself this and not express it to them as there is no point in trying to change someone’s mind who is so off the mark).

What would you say are the top three things, which make you successful as an artist?

My colors, my sensitivity in my paintings and the general public’s reaction to my work. I would like to be selling more and in more galleries and in Museums to be as successful as I aspire to be.

Some say a measure of an artwork is the ability for it to hold a persons attention or cause the viewer to come back after an initial glance and become captivated by the work, is that so for your works or an intention of yours?

Definitely I want them to discover new things each time they look at one of my paintings

People around you (family friends etc.) what would they say about the way you work, the moods you have, your life as an artist etc?

My children and friends think my work is great. They are impressed with what I create. I have always been told I am very sensitive, perhaps “they” attribute that to me being an artist. People are only awed by how I work…

What or how do you respond to the term “Starving Artist”.

That is not a term which resonates with me at all. There are infinite possibilities to create wealth through creation of a new thing. Why not for an artist?

Do you prefer a perfect smooth technique or a more energetic expressive technique and why?

Not smooth. I am all about the paint and color and mess. It is visceral and expressive not controlled.

What do you love/hate about being an artist?

I love most of it, it consumes me in a great way that I bring to the rest of my life. There is almost nothing about it I don’t like. I do wish more people involved in the art world were as sensitive and people oriented as the artists creating the work. Pretense is an unfortunate by product of this business which is not appealing, not inclusive and not productive. Art and artists offer so much to the world.

How do you go about marketing your art?

My website, Open Studios, email announcements, art organizations, shows…

How long did it take to develop your own style?

Many years, 23 in all but with the strongest emphasis in the past 11 years.

How many artworks do you produce in a year?

20 or so.

How often do you work in the studio?

As often as possible but not every day as other life commitments are there, like my children and teaching…

How do you cope with any low points?

I turn them around to something positive. There is always another way.

How long do our works they usually take to complete?

Can be months but more often weeks.

What did your prices start off at?

The first painting I sold was for $1,000 and it was 24” x 30” Now that size sells for $3,000

Does some of your current work reflect your earlier works?

Always. You can certainly tell that my work is an evolvement from past work.

How did you manage to survive financially at the beginning of your art career?

It is always difficult but somehow it works out. If you believe in yourself then others do too. So you bring about the reality that you want. And, I want my artwork to be successful and to sustain my life.

Did you have any idea about how the art world worked in the beginning?

Not a clue.

Do you have ideas turning over in your head all the time or…

Yes for new work and ways to express myself and new ventures to move ahead in life and dreams for things I want to do in my life.

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Compiled and edited by Steve Gray © 2009+

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Amy Guidry - Artist

Amy Guidry is from Lafayette, Louisiana and is represented by three galleries, Wally Workman Gallery in Austin, TX; The Oak Street Gallery in Hammond, LA; and R. Coury Fine Art in Savage, MD. Amy says she has been making art almost all of her life, her works are mainly Acrylics on Canvas. Her web site is at www.AmyGuidry.com and her blog is www.ArtistCommentary.com

So Amy, How do you describe your work, realistic, stylised, abstract, narrative, symbolic, other? Hmm, if I had to simplify, I’d say surreal.

One word or statement to describe your current works?
One word - detailed.

Can you give us a more descriptive outline on your current works.
My new work is more surreal than it was and I’m going back to an approach more in line with the original Surrealist movement- taking images from dreams, not altering them.

Why are you an artist?
I’m doing what I love to do.

What did you do before or during becoming an artist?
I’ve always been an artist, except I went from being a jewelry designer to being a painter.

What is your earliest memory of art?
This isn’t my earliest memory, but it’s my most significant one. My mother let me use a set of oil pastels and I was amazed with the colors and texture. It was much better than my crayons.

What or who inspires your art?
People, really. How we live and function, independently and with others, as well as with the rest of the natural world.

Have your artistic influences altered over time (e.g. artists.)
Not really. I remember being interested in Surrealists such as Dali and Magritte at a young age. Now I’ve just expanded the list to include younger, living artists.

You know you are successful in Visual Arts when…
Artists you admire enjoy your work.

What can you tell us about your planning and making process for making art, and has that altered over the years?
I keep lots of sketchbooks and refer back to them all the time. Some ideas fit a series I’m working on, while others may be used later. I’ve always worked this way except that over time, I’ve learned not to be as self-conscious about my ideas since I’m the only one who sees them.

How important is the clarity of concept to you, prior to starting an artwork?
It’s important once I’m taking something to canvas, but not so important when I’m working in my sketchbook. I have an “anything goes” policy there.

How important do you think craftsmanship is to artistic creation?
Extremely important. Everyone has ideas, but artists are the ones that execute those ideas with skill.

Do you have much contact with other artists?
Yes! I know a lot of artists locally and nationally, especially thanks to the internet.

Working towards an exhibition, is it a daunting task?
No, because I make it a habit to stay on top of things and be organized.

Some say the lifespan of many “artists” post educationally is about five years, any thoughts on that?
That’s news to me. I think artists today are very business-savvy and working hard to dispel the “starving artist” myth.

If you could have any piece of artwork in your personal collection, what would it be and why?
Anything by Hieronymus Bosch or James Ensor.

Can you name a favourite artist or three… and why?
As mentioned, Bosch and Ensor, and I’d add Odd Nerdrum. All three have a surreal, dark feel to their work. Bosch and Ensor were doing this even before the Surrealist movement began.

Do you keep an Art Journal or Visual Diary of some kind?
Yes, the sketchbooks I never throw away.

What happens to works that “don’t work out”?
There’s no such thing to me. All my sketches are saved even if I use them years after their creation. Anything else I’ve taken to canvas has been well-planned before execution

Do you aim to break the rules of basic composition, layout etc or do you ignore the “rules” and just create?
I don’t consciously think of any “rules.” If anything, some principles may have become ingrained in my process, but that’s the extent of it.

Musical influences, Okay this is about Visual Arts but most artists have favourite music they enjoy while working or just in general what about you?
My taste runs the gamut, but I tend to listen to a lot of Imogen Heap, Blonde Redhead, Basia Bulat, Jeff Buckley, and Sia.

If you stopped doing art right now would you miss it?
I may as well be dead.

What discourages you from doing art?
Nothing discourages me so much as distracts me - emails and phone calls have to be limited.

Are their special aspects to the making of your work that you want to share?
Nothing special except maybe my magic paintbrush… Just kidding.

The business or marketing side of Art can be a challenge to some, what are your thoughts?
Anyone can learn about business. There are lots of resources out there, you just have to put the effort into it. Otherwise you’ve got a roomful of paintings and nowhere to show them.

Is your art, “art for art sake…” or a matter of “art for commercial viability?”
My work is for MY sake… not for a gallery, not for a critic, and not for what I think is “popular” or “sellable.” I paint what has personal meaning to me and what I can be enthusiastic about. Nobody wants to buy art from someone that can’t even be enthused about their own work.

How do you feel about earlier works in people’s collections / ownership?
I always feel the need to improve and surpass what I’ve done before, but I still recognize the value in past works. As long as it’s a “good” piece overall, that’s what is important.

Is your work process fast or slow? SLOOWWWWW.

What would you say are the top three things, which make you successful as an artist?
Talent, ambition, intelligence.

Some say a measure of an artwork is the ability for it to hold a persons attention or cause the viewer to come back after an initial glance and become captivated by the work, is that so for your works or an intention of yours?
I’ve never intentionally approached my work that way, but I’ve been told by others that they feel the need to get a closer look and that they tend to take more time looking. That’s always nice to hear.

Some artists are more “at home” isolated in their creative process, while others revel in being part of a group to bounce “ideas off” how about you?
I work on my own in my studio. I love to get feedback, but that’s after hours. Otherwise I wouldn’t get as much done.

What or how do you respond to the term “Starving Artist”?
It makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

Have you won any awards?
Yes, I guess the most memorable being my 1^st place win in American Artist Magazine for their 70^th Anniversary Competition.

What is your working routine? Do you listen to music while you work, or stay up late for instance?
Let’s see…I listen to music, I paint all day but sometimes I do overtime if I’m about to finish a piece anyway, and I have, on average, 4 cats sitting around my easel at any given time.

How often do you work in the studio?
Everyday.

How did your first solo show go?
Great! The place was literally packed with people. I had complete strangers coming up to me, telling me they liked my work, giving me the thumbs-up. I couldn’t have asked for a better show.

Do you have difficulties getting into galleries?
I don’t know if difficult is the right word. Applying to a gallery is equivalent to applying for a job. It’s all about presentation and professionalism, which requires hard work, but I wouldn’t consider it difficult per se.

Did you have an inspirational teacher, and how did they affect you?
My art teacher throughout junior high, Mrs. Harris. She encouraged me to try out for the Talented Art program, which I got in, and was always very supportive of my work.

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Compiled and edited by Steve Gray © 2009+

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Sue Beyer

Sue Beyer is an emerging artist based in Brisbane, Australia. In 2006 after a 10-year career as a graphic designer, Sue enrolled at the Queensland College of Art (QCA) to pursue fine art professionally. Sue is currently completing third year and is already an active exhibitor. In the past year Sue has been included a number of art prizes and exhibitions including the LAUNCH Clayton Utz Travelling Scholarship, The Churchie Emerging Art Prize, Artworkers Award and the Prometheus Art Prize. Sue has also has been included in exhibitions in the new Gold Coast art space 19Karen.

Sue’s work can be seen online at www.suebeyer.com.au and on her regularly updated blog http://suebeyer.blogspot.com/

They drew a veil of darkness across the proceedings - 2009
Acrylic, posca pen and ink on canvas - 120cm x 120cm

Let’s start with your Artist’s statement…
“Through the genre of landscape painting, I explore how people use space in a modern urban context and the assumption of the permanence of our way of life and our cities.

In particular I look at patterns of urban design and outer suburban sprawl, which is the product of individual choices concerning the ownership of space, and forms the setting for displaying the trophies of conspicuous consumption.

By doing this I am conducting a social critique on our modern patterns of living expressed through the social consequences of urban design.”

What personally motivated you to begin a career as an Artist?
I have always been a creative person. Art is very important for me. If I’m not creating the stuff in my head, I am not very nice to be around.

After working as a graphic designer for 10 years and being really unhappy I decided that I had to take a chance and be an artist full time. Leaving behind my financial independence and somewhat successful career was extremely difficult for me. But I am the happiest I have ever been.

What I find compelling about Visual Art is that I can get my ideas across to almost anyone and I hope that viewers may question their preconceived ideas about things

It is important to ensure that all connections between the wires are properly made - 2009
Acrylic, posca pen and ink on canvas - 120cm x 120cm

The overlaid maps and architectural elements in your paintings have quite a graphic quality to them; do you think your experience as a graphic designer has influenced your pictorial decision making?
My design background has definitely influenced my decision making, especially in terms of composition and colour.

I really like the line and form that can be found in mapping. I also like maps because they show how we try to make order out of an essentially chaotic landscape.

What are the main medium/s you work in?
Painting in acrylic and oil, and currently installation as well.

What caused you to choose the medium you currently work in?
At the moment I am using acrylic because I can get really unnatural colours. It also dries quite fast and I can do more work, more quickly.

Police were called in to quell the chaos - 2009
Oil on canvas - 120cm x 210cm

Would you describe your work process as fast or slow?
I am a really fast producer. I work obsessively until it is finished and then I make more. I think I am a workaholic.

Do you aim to break the rules of basic composition, layout etc or do you ignore the “rules” and just create?
I always use the golden section in my work. I find that proportion of space it creates very pleasing to the eye. It’s like a failsafe. It always works.

Pandemonium broke out - 2009

Oil on canvas - 120cm x 210cm

Do you keep an Art Journal or Visual Diary of some kind?
I keep journals all the time. I buy the A4 size with blank pages and stick in things that I am interested in, information on other artists I like and ideas for work. I can look back at them anytime and find out why I did things. It’s interesting to look at old journals. Sometimes I get new ideas from the old ones.

What happens to works that “don’t work out”?
I usually take off the canvas and re-stretch the strainers. I hate wasting materials.

Are there times of the day when you prefer to do your work?
I usually do most of my work from 9am – 5pm, 6 days per week. But I will work whenever the mood takes me. If I am really busy I will work more, but I try to have one day a week for fun.

At first I tried to keep it a secret from my neighbours (night terrors) - 2009
Acrylic on canvas - 3mts long approx

How many artworks do you work on at the same time?

I work on 2-3 pieces at the same time and I usually work on ideas in my head at the same time.

How would you describe your art education?
I am still at uni at the moment. I am in 3rd year at QCA in Brisbane and next year I plan on doing honours. I’d say my art education is helpful to a point. I try to get what I need out of it and ignore the rest.

One word or statement to describe your current works?
Night-vision

Now give us a more descriptive outline on your current works.

My newest paintings reflect the unseen issues of suburban society.

A suburban residence viewed as through night-vision goggles. A furtive recording, as if from a reconnaissance mission, where the salient details are captured succinctly for later consideration.

The scene is still, with the anticipation of events about to unfold.

A familiar scene on the verge of transition to the strange, representing the dreams and aspirations of a society heading into uncertain times. The fundamental assumptions that make the suburban form possible may no longer hold valid, causing anxiety beneath the calmness of the surface, even as it reaches its fullest expression. The advent of peak oil, climate uncertainty, demographic change, shifting geopolitical realities all impact the stability of a financial system based on risk and the concept of limitless growth.

How will they change the way we view our lifestyle in the coming century?
Will the now commonplace seem strange – how transient are our seemingly permanent marks on the surface of the world?

They began to make camp before darkness fell - 2009
Acrylic, posca pen, gouache and ink on canvas - 120cm x 120cm

Has your work changed much since your earliest efforts?
When I first started painting I had no direction. Since 2006 I have been painting about what I am doing now. My technique and concepts are much better than it was a few years ago.

How important is the clarity of concept to you, prior to starting an artwork?
I identify strongly with the conceptual artists. Concept is everything for me. If I didn’t have a concept I would just be making pretty pictures and that’s not acceptable for me personally.

What fascinates you or inspires your ideas?
I am driven and obsessed about consumerism, town planning/urban design, architecture, space and the home. Sociology, semiotics and psychogeography also fascinate me.

What are you currently working on?
I have recently completed a public art commission for the Queensland State Government and now I will be working on a series of paintings and then an installation in late November

Though still at university you have already been included in some well known art prizes; how do you think selection into such prizes aids your art practice?
I really think it does help to get into these shows when you’re starting out and trying to be noticed. Lots of different people go to those shows and you never know who might be seeing your work and hopefully taking a bit of notice. I never expect to win anything.

Does your work have social, political, cultural and or personal messages?
Both political and social.

What sort of depth or meaning is there behind the work you do?
I use semiotics in my work. I like to reference ‘lifestyle’ magazines. In particular modern architecture and the utopian ideals associated with modernism.

You mentioned semiotics a couple of times now; for the benefit of those who haven’t yet studied semiotics could you give a brief explanation or definition of the term?

Semiotics is something that I used a lot in my graphic design practice. Just briefly, semiotics is the study of a system of signs.

For example the colour red can signify things like danger, love, speed or blood. So if I wanted to make a road sign that drivers need to take notice of, I might use the colour red as it draws attention to a potentially dangerous situation that needs to be avoided. Thus, stop signs are red.

Another example of a semeotic sign is that people who identify with the emo subculture generally wear skinny jeans and like the band ‘my chemical romance’. If you heard that someone liked ‘my chemical romance’ you might assume without even seeing them that this person is an emo and wears skinny jeans.

A great website to learn about semiotics is:

http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/semiotic.html

Is there any one thing that has given you a big buzz in your art career so far?
I won first prize in the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital art award in 2008.

How did your first solo show go?
I did my first solo exhibition last year. It was supposed to be a joint exhibition with another artist but they pulled out. I had lots of work that all related, so I decided to go ahead with it anyway. It was a party! I sold three big paintings, which more than covered my costs, and I had a great time.

All artists seem to have struggles, tell us about any you have had.
I am constantly criticising my work and ideas. I get sick of looking at my work sometimes and question what I am doing. This lasts one or two days at the most and then I am off and running again. I suspect that a lot of artists go through this though.

How important is it to you that your work communicates something to the viewer?
It is important to me that viewers take something away from my work. I don’t want to be overly didactic with my work but I do have a message to get across. I would like the viewer to decide what the work is about. The work guides them to point and then they need to do a bit of work for themselves. It’s a two way thing. Having said that, if a developer or town planner saw my work they would get it straight away because I use their language a lot in my paintings.

What about the role of titles with your work?
I love coming up with titles for my work. I have a process that I use and it is working well so far. The titles are important, as they help to reveal the meaning of the work. Sometimes they might be a puzzle for the viewer.

If someone says to you “Oh your work is decorative and lacks any meaning…” what would your response be…?
Are you blind?

Tell us about getting caught in a creative “slump” and how you got out of it?
If I feel like I’m in a slump it usually means that I need a holiday. When it happens I read, watch dvds, go roller skating a lot, anything except making art. The need comes back soon enough.

What or how do you respond to the term “Starving Artist”?
It’s a shame that money has so much control over how a person lives their life. It seems that we don’t have much of a choice in our consumer driven societies, unless you are wealthy, you need to earn money to survive.

How do you establish your art work prices?
I work out my prices by size. When I graduate at the end of this year my prices will go up a few hundred dollars.

Do you have a personal philosophy that underpins your work?
Work hard and then work a bit harder. And don’t get too confident, there’s always someone out there that’s better than you.

Eccentricity is seen as a common trait of artists of many disciplines, how about you?
People have said this about me. I don’t mind, actually I quite like it. It’s better than being boring.

And lastly, interests you have other than art you feel are important to mention?
Roller Derby!

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Compiled and edited by Amanda van Gils © 2009+

Deb Mostert

Deb Mostert is a Queensland artist whose home and studio is on 3/4 of an acre of bush in Bellbird Park, Ipswich.

An oil painter, Deb uses commonplace objects such as toys and ornaments to set up scenes for her still life paintings. Deb is currently preparing for two solo exhibitions – ‘Bugs on Toy Cars’ at Iain Dawson Gallery from 1^st to 12^th December and ‘Untold Stories’ in February with her Queensland dealer, Lorraine Pilgrim. (Deb is also represented by Peter Walker Fine Art in Adelaide).

Deb chats with Amanda van Gils about her upcoming exhibitions and about some of her experiences as an artist.

Bug on Toy Car 9, oil on canvas 42×72 cm

Your work is currently still life; is there any particular reason you are working in this genre? What is the importance of the objects that you are using - toy cars, insects, dolls, cups and so on - or are the objects themselves quite arbitrary?

I am intrigued by something I once read that the genre of still life was considered by the 15-17^th century art establishment as the lowest form of painting. Biblical and history paintings, portraits and landscapes all rated higher than the everyday objects.

I was drawn to the humility of the genre and concepts of the sacred and banal. I am becoming increasingly aware that there is no division in my life between some things being ‘sacred’ and others ‘ordinary’. So even vintage toys and household objects can be metaphors for my spiritual journey.

I love the retro stuff purely because it reminds me of my youth. I search for genuine 50-80’s objects to use because I think they are sufficiently removed from our modern objects to startle us with recognition. I am also very interested in paradox.

The objects I choose to work with are strangely worthless and priceless at the same time. They are often keenly sought after by collectors and this drives the prices beyond my feeble budget. I scrounge second hand stores and buy on e-bay if they are cheap enough but otherwise I borrow from collectors and friends.

Earlier this year I spent a couple of days deep in the bowels of the Sydney Powerhouse Museum Collection Store with beautiful and valuable vintage and antique tin toys that will never get out on display. I was struck by the latent potential these toys had for narrative and so I am making a series of works based on these objects for my next solo show in Feb 2010 which will be entitled ‘Untold Stories’.

Having access to the collection must have been a terrific opportunity for your research.

It was rather wonderful to have a glimpse into the wealth of objects that are kept on the nation’s behalf. I was not allowed to touch anything, and I could only direct the white-gloved curator to move the toys this way and that, so it was quite different to the way I would normally work.

And what can you tell us about the work in the exhibition about to open in Sydney.

The ‘Bugs on Toy Cars’ show is on at Iain Dawson Gallery from the 1^st-12^th December, it’s my first solo exhibition in Sydney. The work for this show is a light-hearted nod to the Dutch Still Life painters who painted bugs into the grand vanitas of wealth, power and prestige. A memento mori, reminder of mortality.

These works are painted using real bug specimens I purchased from a collector perched on top of vintage and modern matchbox cars. The works are painted in scale.  The scale of the objects is designed to confuse and delight, and often incompatible pieces sit in comfortable tension.

The works can be read in many ways, as the objects become reflectors of the experience of the viewer. My work aims to reveal the narratives that lurk beneath the humble surfaces of plastic, tin and bugs”

You were a practising artist for many years prior to going to art school; what prompted you to undertake formal study? And what difference, if any, has the art school experience made to your career and/or sense of self as an artist?

I had been an artist for over 20 years but when my marriage of 16 years ended and as part of the healing process I had to discover who I was and this led me to take up study again. To be single (and a single mum), to grow and learn in an environment of such creative support was part of what I needed to realise who I really was. I enjoyed every second of it (well, maybe not all the art theory lectures…but most of them).

Allowing myself the room to experiment, learn and mix with a wide variety of other creative’s, was hugely transforming to my art practise. I moved from being an artist who just made pictures, to being an artist who makes pictures with purpose. I think, read and research a lot more, I am more aware of my responsibilities as artist, and my practise is more focused and centred. Uni didn’t give me answers but it made me aware of all the questions!

I also had the opportunity to exhibit in the grad show and the Thiess Awards and it was here that my work was spotted by Lorraine Pilgrim. I have been represented by her ever since.

Aluminium Cups and Robot, oil on canvas, 100×120cm

Congratulations on recently being awarded the Sponsor Prize at the Eutick Memorial Still Life Awards at Coffs Harbour. You have been a finalist in quite a few prizes during the past few years - what benefits do you see in participating in art prizes?

Thanks!

It has been a very encouraging journey over the last few years. I started entering art prizes on the advice of my agent (Lorraine) and although it can be very demanding to be continually feeding this hungry machine, I have been very blessed to have had the opportunity to hang in some exciting shows with artists whose work I really admire.

I also have my fair share of ‘dear john’ letters! It is a strange concept, the art prize thing. Why make a competition out of such an unquantifiable thing as art?

Like every artist, I wonder why I keep entering but I guess deep down it satisfies a need to be seen, to hopefully be ‘selected’ and to have some feedback in what can be a fairly solitary work environment!

I also realise that my worth and indeed the worth of any artist can not and should not be measured by success in art competitions.

Does your work have social, political, cultural and or personal messages?

I guess my work must have a personal message as my work/life/faith is interwoven. I can’t separate one from the other so what’s happening in one area will be reflected across the others. I have become increasingly aware of the love of God for me and it has allowed me so much freedom to be who I am. So I feel the work I am making in these last few years is about that personal journey.

Tin Bird and Lead Man, oil on plywood, 23 x 47 cm

What or who inspires your art?

The heroes of art I’ve always admired have been Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Velázquez to name a few. The painters of the Heidelberg School, and more recently I’ve discovered Andrew Wyeth again. I’m also influenced by Michael Luenig and Charles Shultz for their perceptive look at the human condition. And I’m sure there are many others but these come to mind immediately. But mostly I am in awe of a Creator God, for with out Him none of this wealth of creative energy would be possible.

Have you ever made an artistic pilgrimage? If so, where did you go and why?

Going to Holland was like an artistic pilgrimage although I would need to go back again and again to even begin to see and understand all the art I want to see!! I even found a Jan Mosteart (not sure if he’s a distant relation) in the Rijksmuseum. It was quite wonderful to stand in front of paintings and sculptures I’d only ever seen in publication and revel in the previously unrealised scale and technique.

It made me proud and humbled to be an artist; what a fantastic gift we’ve been given….what a privilege!

Bug on Toy Car 6, oil on canvas, 42 x 72 cm

Can you share with us some significant moments in your life - events or people who impacted your Art?

I was mentored as a youngster by my aunt Mieke den Otter, who is a fantastic visual artist. (painter, printmaker, textile artist also in Queensland) She encouraged me, gave me art materials, took me to shows, lent me books, took me out drawing and generally invested into me for many years. We have had several exhibitions together and I would say she has been a driving force certainly in the early years of my art practice.

Going to uni, as mentioned earlier was a watershed. Travelling to Holland, Belgium and France during my uni years also helped to consolidate my roots. Both my parents were born in Holland so to go back and see not only my family heritage but also my spiritual and artistic heritage was very important. During my time there, visiting museums and art galleries also reawakened my interest in the still life genre, which is what I’ve been working in for the last few years.

It’s interesting that you mention your Dutch background and the historical import of still life as a genre. When I think of Dutch still life paintings they are quite opulent, loaded with an abundance of objects and symbolism. Yet your works are sparse with the meaning being derived partly from memory and nostalgia, but in the main, from the interaction between the objects that often appear as if they are deep in conversation with each other.

The interaction almost always seems to hijack the work! It’s been fascinating to watch the narratives emerge from conversations between objects. In fact I spend a lot of time ‘playing’ with objects to find the scenarios that allow for more quirky conversation. I enjoy the quiet humour that overrides a lot of the work.  I am fond of the idea that less is more so I tend towards more sparse arrangements and having experimented with more objects together, I’ve come to the conclusion that I just like the look of fewer objects….a purely aesthetic choice. I have also become more aware of the ability of objects to reflect the experiences of the viewer, often people read the same work very differently based on their own paradigms.

Bugs on Aluminium Teapot 80×80 cm oil on canvas

Winner of this year’s Sponsor Prize at the Eutick Memorial Still Life Awards

What about the role of titles with your work, some hate them others revel in them, what about you?
I have always struggled with some of the goofy painting titles I’ve come up with in the past, so I figure I will just stick to the blatantly obvious and call them exactly what they are. Which in strange way, also alludes to everything else they could be…for me and for the viewer.

Do you keep an Art Journal or Visual Diary of some kind?

I always carry a visual diary, which serves many purposes. It is a place to dream, design, think visually, experiment, note ideas, write quotes, doodle and generally relax. It enables me to think more easily and take in more of what’s around me. I would really miss it if I didn’t have my visual diary. It’s my spare brain.

As well as an exhibiting artist you have done commissions, residencies in schools and you also teach in your studio. How do you balance the competing demands?

I’m a reasonably organised person; don’t really fit the stereotypical, temperamental, distracted artist type. I see my art as my job as well as my calling so I tackle it in a fairly methodical way. I trained