artguidemag.com presents
Volume 1
Artist Bi-Annual featuring national artist directory
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TABLE 10 OF 17 CONTENTS 19
08 EDITOR’S NOTE 41 ARTIST DIRECTORY 95 ARTISTS FROM ACROSS THE US
54 INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
HOW DID YOU BECOME THE ARTIST YOU ARE TODAY? The Artist Experience David Ernster, Alise Loebelsohn discuss their journeys in art.
ALL ROADS LEAD TO... SOMEWHERE Helen Becker’s Highway Series brings viewers on a ride
INTO THE MYSTIC - THE ART OF BRUSH, PAPER, AND INK
Sumi-e paintings by Karen Kurka Jensen
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WHAT & WHY DO ARTISTS DO WHAT THEY DO? Inside the Artist’s Studio
AN ARTIST’S HISTORY OF UNPREDICTABLY CREATIVE FLUIDITY
Allen Clapp’s Earth Series and natural flows
SPOTLIGHT ON THE ART ITSELF Art Focus
Yuko Nogami Taylor, Juan Camilo Guzman, John Denis
Jack Duford, Joni Purk, Lisa Levasseur, Clark Sheppard, and Peggy Vineyard
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Volume 1
Artist Bi-Annual featuring national artist directory
A PHOTOGRAPHER’S EXPEDITION IN PHOTOGRAPHY
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Alise Loebelsohn, Doodles and Equations, 2018, oil and wax on panel, 20” x 20”
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Carol Ginandes
WORKING ON PAINTING WORKING BOATS Donna Lee Nyzio
HOW DO YOU CREATE YOUR WORK? Artist Process
Jenny King, Lorra Kurtz, Andrew Otis, Vivian Saich, Barbara Zimmerman discuss their creative process’s.
INTRODUCING 17 ARTISTS TO WATCH Artist Intros
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The Artist Experience
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David Ernster,
In as much detail as possible describe your journey in art.
D
Someone just asked me the other night “when was the first time I touched clay”. I think I was around 7 or 8 years old playing in a small creek near our house and I discovered a vein of smooth plastic clay and started making little objects. I don’t think I have ever stopped. There were very good art programs in the schools I attended that offered clay which I of course jumped into with both feet. I was very interested in any kind of “making” and also was, and still am,
artistic drops
avid Ernster’s use of materials to create unique ceramic designs have been an evolutionary process from the time he was a little boy growing up on the banks of the Mississippi to where he is today. Ernster delves into his influences and journey as an artist.
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very involved with other mediums such as metal and wood. It wasn’t until college that [I] started to ask “why” and that question has stuck with me for more than 30 years now. I have never really been satisfied with “it means whatever you think it means” and that has kept me searching along an ever expanding and exciting journey not only into my own but also our collective “roots”. What/who would you consider the single greatest influence on your art? Why? That’s a very hard thing for me pin down. I
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suppose if I had to give a blanket answer it would be history. I remember the first time I read Shakespeare and was struck by how similar it was to modern life. That really started me thinking about objects in a historical sense. How they were perceived and used by people in the past and how they supported the functional, emotional, and spiritual needs of people. I find it very interesting to contemplate how these aspects may have evolved within the modern context, viewing many of these objects in museums behind glass while at the same time still fulfilling those same needs that have remained a constant of human nature. How have you evolved as an artist? I think that is ongoing. I often will think that I am really moving forward personally, breaking new ground in my work only to find as I am looking through images of work I did 25 or 30 years ago that there are striking similarities. Currently I feel like I am in a very exciting period of growth, both in the way I think and feel about what I am doing and the visual presence of my work. I also feel like after 30+ years of immersion in my craft I am starting [to] understand and respect the materials and processes in a deeper way.
Are there any specific/major experiences that have influenced your art and who you are as an artist? Two things I would say, both are a bit general. 1 - Growing up on the banks of the Mississippi river witnessing the power and continuous cycles of change. I remember being very excited to explore the banks after a flood to see what bones, fossils, and artifacts the mysterious dark water had left or uncovered. 2 - Liberal arts education. Initially I had no intention of going to college. My parents strongly encouraged me to go and I begrudgingly did. It was truly life changing. It exposed me to history and to ways of thinking that allowed me to continually question and redefine my purpose and the meaning of what I was doing. In your Black Rain series you place many black “rain drops” on your ceramics - what influenced you to do this? How does this change the underlying ceramics piece? I have always had a deep fascination with geology and the processes that formed the earth. I think that is why I became so enamored with the ceramic process. The way minerals melt, recombine, transform, and cool has shaped everything in our world.
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The ceramic process traces the same steps and offers infinite possibilities. The Black Rain glaze effect was initially a “problem” caused by changing PH in one of the glazes I was experimenting with. In trying to correct the issue I stumbled upon something that seemed pretty interesting. It took another two years of testing to take it from what looked like a glaze defect to a glaze phenomenon. At first I was just very interested in the look of the glaze but as I began to use it on forms I became very excited by how it changed the form. The specular highlights on the droplets of glaze move as you move around the piece and seem to animate the form. As a maker of vessels I am also very interested in the space inside of a piece and its relationship to the surface of the work. In these pieces I feel like the highly active surface-texture and light-play also change the nature of the space inside. davidernster.com
1. Spine, stoneware, 10” x 8” x 8” 2. Hull Form, stoneware, 17” x 7” x 4½” 3. Black Rain Jar, 15” x 9” x 9”
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Art Websites
Affordable Art Websites www.rubixartmarketing.com
All roads lead to... SOMEWHERE
Helen Becker’s Highway Series brings viewers on a ride
W
hat do highways mean to you? A journey? New beginnings? A method of transit? Helen Becker’s mixed media collage paintings are symbolic of all these - from the artist’s inspiration to paint to the methodology of the each painting’s creation, to the evolution of how Becker came to settle on her medium and series. With such titles as “Go with the Flow”, “Sliding off the Road”, “Acceleration”, and more, Becker’s playful themes intersect with the deeper meaning of life’s journey and creating unique art. As an artist Becker started out traditionally and like many before her, transitioned to abstract. Becker found the abstract genre of painting “freeing” to express herself and represent her feelings on canvas. Her Highway Series is the latest iteration of Becker’s work. The idea of the Highway Series came when Becker was trying to create a unified theme to her work. “As an artist I wanted a theme to unify my paintings. I wanted to emulate Richard Diebenkorn who painted hundreds of paintings based on a simple window overlooking the ocean. This was his Ocean Park Series. I admire him for his steadfastness and creativeness and being able to pull so many paintings out of one concept. says Becker. Becker’s early childhood, watching her father (a mechanical engineer) build gadgets and admire the building of local bridges and highways, influenced a direction of focusing on “concrete” things, rather than emotions or psychological concepts. “[I] thought of something unique which I could build up or take apart in my paintings; something which had depth and layers that I could translate into my work; something which would involve motion so I could have action; something which I had experienced (in this case, traveling upon and seeing highways); and something which I had observed being built. The idea of highways, highway interchanges and traveling ignited a spark and became the impetus for my work.” says Becker. Using a “concrete” subject matter Becker seeks to convey metaphorical interpretations. This mix of real and abstract lends a unique conveyance to Becker’s work - one of physical familiarity and another of emotional connectivity.
1 Becker’s highway theme and abstract layout allows viewers to imagine and interpret her paintings in their own unique way depending on their experiences and personalities. Becker encourages this by not conveying her own interpretation and inspirations - “I may have some very specific personal interpretations for each painting, but I do not necessarily expect the viewer to see my interpretation. I just want visual enjoyment from looking at my paintings. I would like for the viewer to travel to their own place on their own highway, by virtue of my paintings”, says Becker. Becker’s use of mixed media materials to create her paintings center strongly on her want to convey motion. Becker uses her materials to move the viewer’s eyes from each composition - creating a perpetual action of being moved around the canvas. Rope, twine, and/or string is used to lead the viewer’s vision along the “road” she creates.
1. Languorous #2, 2018, acrylic with combined media on canvas, 12” x 12”
Collage plays a large part in Becker’s paintings. Splicing and slicing materials together to form a painting allows Becker to build her painting much like the highways in her paintings are built from different source materials. There is an underlying thought of creating something complex, yet simple from nothing; of building up passages for viewers to travel on, both literally and figuratively. www.helenbeckercollagepainting.com
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Art Focus
Jack Duford
playing with light and water
T
he argument can be made that water is artistic. The many different tones, shapes, and movements of water. Perhaps one of the most fascinating visual aspects of water is it’s interplay with light. With all it’s varying and ever-changing textures water plays with light in never-ending ways. Jack Duford, a photographer from Maine focuses on the unique interplay between water and light. He uses his lens to capture the different light settings on different water setting to illuminate the perfect mood. He uses overcast days and slack tides to create images that naturally would look back and white. Sunlight dancing on the water give his photographs movement. His favorite - fog - creates a “misty veil cast over subjects allow you to ‘be there”, says Duford. When focusing on the interplay between water and light to create the perfect shot, patience is of utmost importance. “Sometimes sitting for hours looking out at a bay
Fairwinds, photograph, 30” x 40”
or cove, I get a better feeling of a place watching the local boat traffic and daily activity. That patience and knowledge helps me in getting the best photos in that area”, says Duford.
Joni Purk
knives are refreshing
T
here are many different tools an artist can use to create a work of art. Although many are very simple - brush, paint, clay, knife - they all can be used to create sophisticated, detailed works of art. The palette knife is one such amazing tool and artist Joni Purk uses palette knives to create detailed textures in her work. “A knife can be used at its’ tip, side, flat or as a scraping tool. You can also push down on the paint to flatten or stay light with the knife to build up texture. A knife can create its own shadow as well. The possibilities are endless. I am still discovering ways a knife can offer a whole new look to a piece.” says Purk. Shadows, light, and texture are all hallmarks of Purk’s artwork and the use of palette knife is evident from first glance. Simple, graceful strokes create natural settings that transport the viewer to the scenes on canvas. Though expressionistic in style the thick oils and textural qualities of Purk’s work remind the viewer of familiar and warm emotions. Purk is fascinated by the simple yet sophisticated duality that palette knife offers in her paintings. In discussing her choice of figures as a subject Purk says “The fascination of seeing just how few strokes can create the figure but still allow the loose, textural overall feeling I want to achieve.”
www.PurkArtStudio.com
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Wanderer, oil, 16” x 12”
Purk’s works are symbolic of the degree to which artists can utilize simple tools to create moods and feelings within a piece. Palette knife allows Purk to create lines, light, and texture that “jump” off the canvas. In closing our conversation she asked rhetorically “Can I simplify this subject and will this make the piece even more exciting for the viewer?”
Coastal Maine makes it easy for a photographer to take commercial touristy photographs. However Duford prefers to discover a unique scene and capture it for others. Jackduford.com
Artist Process - How They Create
Vivian Saich “I hand-build and wheel-throw decorative and functional forms using white porcelain clay. I draw in my sketch book to generate new ideas, then I usually make a form or use a mold with a plan in mind and roughly layout my design idea which often is reminiscent of the tropics. I like to alter original forms and sometimes happy accidents happen when I am pushing the clay’s limits. I like bending and removing sections around the rim of a bowl for example to give the piece a more organic form, but sometimes depending on when I start working on it the clay cannot be bent without cracking. So, after altering I cut out negative spaces and sculpt out the rest of the surface details. I enjoy allowing my imagination to flow freely during this part of the process. I love using porcelain because of its pure whiteness and how beautifully the light reflects off of it, accentuating surface textures, contours, contrasting light, shadow, and glazes. My goal is to create quality work while pushing the limits of the medium to create beautiful, decorative, and functional forms.” www.VivianSaichDesigns.com
Barbara Zimmernan The source of Barb’s inspiration has always been the amazing gift that nature offers to us everyday. With paper as her medium she strives to capture its rich tapestry. Utilizing a broad spectrum of papers she cuts or tears each individual leaf, tree, rock, and waterfall. She applies each element to the canvas, paying attention to seasonal changes in plant life and the habitat in which they grow. The variety of shapes, textures of paper, and depth of layering add to the 3-dimensional effect she achieves with each landscape. Her ultimate goal is to pay homage to nature and invite the viewer to be transported into the scene.
Enchanting Woodlands, paper, 12”x12”
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PAINTING
Climbing Out of a State of Mind, acrylic and ink, 30” x 30”
While you were Sleeping, 2018, acrylic, 36” x 36”
Goddess/Hero (detail), 2015, oil on board
Charlotte, NC www.colordesignstudio.com
Alyn, Barbara
Margaretville, NY Alynbarbara@yahoo.com
Argueta, Will
Tampa, FL www.saatchiart.com/WillArgueta
Between Trees, 2018, acrylic on panel, 40” x 40”
Model and Artist (detail), 2016, watercolor, 12” x 16”
Bachenheimer, Peg
Bowman, Elinor
Wetlands with Great Blue Heron, 2012, oil on canvas, 66”x 56”
Alberni, Tina
Bradford, Anne
Carrboro, NC pegbachenheimer.com
Asheville, NC ebowman6@charter.net
Charleston, SC annebradford@comcast.net
Spring Thaw, acrylic on canvas, 36” x 36” x 2”
Spirit Lake (detail), acrylics on canvas, 24” x 30”
Clouds are not strangers (detail), acrylic, 36” x 48”
Carter, Bonnie
Clapp, Allen
Cosper, Cher
Avondale Estates, GA www.bonniecarter.com
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Raleigh, NC alc@clappartstudios.com
Mooresville, NC http://cherart.blogspot.com
PAINTING
Farmstead (detail), oil, 18” x 24”
Cromwell, Linda
Over the Rainbow (detail)
Poppies At Dawn (detail), 2017, oil, 40” x 30”
Crum, John
Diemand, Patricia
Fuquay-Varina, NC Lindacromwellart.com
Hilton Head, SC Johncrumart.com
Hardeeville, SC www.patdiemand.com
Over the Bridge, 2018, acrylic, 24” x 24”
Jonas Gerard
Pittie’s Ruse (detail), 2018, oil on canvas, 3’ x 5’
Ferris, Jennifer
Gerard, Jonas
Giaco, Annette
Atlanta, GA www.JenniferFerrisArt.com
Asheville, NC www.jonasgerard.com
Pauline, SC www.agiacoart.com
The fish is having a great day because its with a starfish “22”
Shrimper Saturday, 2018, oil on linen, 20” x 20”
Ghost Warrior I (detail)
Raleigh, NC kinggodwinart@gmail.com
Haslett, Bekah
Wake Forest, NC BekahHaslettArt.com
Isley, Valarie
Godwin, King Nobuyoshi
Prescott, AZ ValJean@RealLifePrescott.com
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