issue 12 - PORTRAITS ISSUE ArtistPortfolioMagazine.com
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PUBLISHER ben walker http://www..iamartbus.org
EDITOR ingrid reeve http://ingridreeve.wordpress.com
JUROR joe biel http://www.joebiel.com
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CopyrightŠ 2013 Artist Portfolio Magazine All contents and images cannot be reproduced without written permission from artists. Artists in Artist Portfolio Magazine retain rights to all their images.
Artist Portfolio Magazine is an art magazine that contains the art of both emerging and established artists from around the world. The artwork featured in this issue of Artist Portfolio Magazine comes directly from the Artists who participated in the Portraits Art Exhibition at MyArtContest.com. The Winners were chosen not by their status in the art world, but by the merit of their work. Artist Portfolio Magazine does not sell art. If you are interested in any of the art in this magazine then please contact the artist directly by clicking on the link under their name. We hope you enjoy the art in this issue and if you would like to get your art into Artist Portfolio Magazine then please visit us at the website below. http://www.ArtistPortfolioMagazine.com
6 Top 3 Artists
14 Honorable Mentions
34 Interview with AJ Nafzinger
40 Editor's Choice
AJ Nafziger Indianapolis, IN www.ajnafziger.com
Self-Portrait. Oil on Panel 33" x 18"
Flowers Oil on Panel 48" x 28"
David Bender Brooklyn, NY studiobender@gmail.com
Emergente - Oil on Linen, Mounted on Board - 15.25" x 15.25"
A Painter's Doubt - Oil on Linen - 15" x 15"
Matthew Cook Perrysburg, OH https://www.facebook.com/MatthewCookArtist
Equanimity - Graphite Mounted Paper - 12" x 12"
Ablution - Oil on Canvas - 36" x 48"
IAM -
Art Bus
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Help Support the Independent Art Museum Art Bus http://www.IAMArtBus.org
Thomas Acevedo - Syracuse, NY marcusaacevedo@gmail.com
Justice - Ceramic, Steel, Concrete - 24" x 20" x 90"
Nash Bellows - Huntington Beach, CA http://nashbellows.com
Kate - Acrylic on Panel - 60" x 48"
Jennifer Bilek - Woodside, NY http://jenniferbilek.com
Portrait of Kyle - Oil on Canvas - 26" x 26"
Alison Brockel - Portland, OR http://alisonbrockel.com
Aaron's Sexy Model Face - Acrylic - 18" x 24"
Armando Cabba - Montreal, Canada http://armandocabba.com
Matthieu - Oil on Canvas - 24" x 36"
Dustin Farnsworth - Penland, NC http://dustinfarnsworth.squarespace.com
Promontory Pine, Basswood, Poplar, Plywood, Veneer, Bendable Plywood, Steel, Luan, Human Hair, Various Polychrome 42" x 42" x 44" (7' tall with pedestal)
Andrea Feldman - Hinsdale, MA http://www.paperclipstudio.com
Artful Warrior - Watercolor and Oil Pastel - 12" x 18"
Addie Fisher - Durham, NH http://addiebellefisher.com
Untitled - Digital Print - 17" x 11"
Sheila Fletcher - Saint Cloud, MN sheilart@usfamily.net
Portrait on a Train Oil Linen on Canvas 21" x 23"
Katie Getz - Savannah, GA http://www.katiegetz.com
Outlaw - Analog Photography, Platinum/Palladium Print - 4" x 5"
Alexander Landerman - Stevens Point, WI http://www.alexander-landerman.com
Spyros Heniadis - Charcoal, Ink, Graphite on Paper - 16" x 29"
Greta Grigorian - Los Angeles, CA http://www.gretagrigorian.com
Marta - Acrylic and Joss Paper on Masonite - 11" x 14"
Michiko Ito - Gardena, CA http://michikofriend.see.me
Fujimi no Hana - Only a Precious Person in My Life. Part of Series Young and Pretty #1 Charcoal on Paper - 78.5" x 53"
Erin Gilson - Loveland, FL http://erinsartworks.com
Gazing Into the Future - Oil on Canvas - 36" x 48"
Brian Moreland - San Diego, CA http://www.brianwmoreland.com
Tony - Oil on Canvas - 84" x 84"
Armin Mersmann - Midland, MI http://arminmersmann.com
Face Study of Steve Parkhurst. Pencil. 22" x 22".
Vernon McCombs - Chicago, IL http://www.vernonmccombs.com/wp/photography
En-Genderer 63 - Digital Photo - 20" x 30"
Kaz Ooka - New York, NY http://www.soymonk.com
A Warrior Adrift - Oil - 60" x 48"
Angela Rassenti - Montreal, Canada angelarassenti@gmail.com
Fangirl 1 - Acrylic - 10" x 10"
Allison Geyer Brown - Yucaipa, CA http://www.allisonbrowndesign.com
A Goddess Revealed - Oil - 24" x 30"
AJ Nafziger
Bear - Charcoal, Carbon Pencil - 12" x 12" - 2011
APM: AJ, thank you so much for taking a moment to tell us more about you. WeĘźre fascinated by your self-portrait, which was awarded first place in the 2013 Portrait Art Contest & Exhibit by our esteemed juror, Joe Biel . Can you tell us more about this piece? AJ: I am very interested in exploring symbolism and the feelings and ideas people have come to associate with specific objects. Christmas Tree lights, because of their relation to the holiday, have associations of joyful celebration and family togetherness. In this piece I tried to play with their symbolic quality by taking them out of their predictable context and using them to invoke the opposite, a somber lonely feeling. I also wanted to play with the image of a light bulb as being symbolic of a thought or an idea, like when one appears over a characterĘźs head in a cartoon. In contrast to the clear, vivid type of idea usually illustrated with this symbol, I wanted to use light bulbs to imply a fleeting or unconscious type of thought, which is usually more common for me concerning my artistic inspirations. This is a unique painting because in addition to being another piece in my portfolio, it is kind of a reflection on the rest of my work as well. APM: I'm surprised to hear the lights are "Christmas Lights;" I hadn't recognized them as such, primarily because to me they first reference Hanukkah due to their positioning. "Chrismukka" comes to mind, and I think of interfaith families and celebrations, but ultimately the piece does indeed invoke a somber feeling, which leads to the contradictions you're after and some interesting narratives. The colors and application help create the somber mood. Can you share some aspects of your painting process for artists who feel an affinity with your piece and would like to paint in a similar manner? AJ: My painting style is fairly direct, with no real layering or glazing processes or use of different mediums added to the paint. I do most of my mixing of colors and values on the palette and use small flat brushes to paint. I then use a slightly larger filbert brush to go back and blend values, hiding brush strokes and giving the work a smoother, less expressive finished look. I would compare this to the way a blending stump is used for drawing, which makes sense because I think the way I paint is based heavily on the way I have learned to draw, which I have been doing for much longer. I always paint over everything at least a second time, basically painting the same thing over top of itself. This helps me to heighten details, create more vibrant colors and levels of value contrast, and to make any changes or adjustments. APM: Tell us about your background and current studio life. AJ: My dad is an art teacher, so my informal education in art started at a very early age. I have always loved expressing myself and seeing my thoughts and ideas come to life visually and have been fortunate enough to have had encouragement to do so starting early on. I graduated from the University if Indianapolis in 2008 with my BachelorĘźs degree in drawing and psychology, and again in May of 2013 with my MA in painting and drawing. Currently, there are some big changes taking place for me. I am preparing to move to Phoenix, AZ in several weeks, where I will be pursuing my MFA at Arizona State University. I am looking forward to seeing what kinds of inspiration the move and the change of pace might bring to my work.
APM: Wow. Congratulations! That's very exciting. On behalf of all of the staff at Artist Portfolio Magazine, we wish you the best. We hope you'll share your work in the future so we can see how it has evolved. Now that you mention it, your work does seem quite psychological- it seems to be about the state of mind of the character and whatever is happening internally. How does psychology influence your artwork? AJ: Since I studied psychology in college, I have always been interested in the mind, especially theories concerning unconscious thought. I feel that most of the time over-thinking a piece of artwork ruins it for me and probably for the viewer too. I think that once a problem is solved or a question is answered, it is no longer interesting to think about. Overthinking a piece can cause this to happen, so I like to let my mind wonder and explore irrational thoughts and associations when IĘźm conceiving the idea for a painting or drawing. It makes my art more difficult to explain but I think it keeps me more interested as I work and the result I hope is more provocative to the viewer. A lot of this I have learned from studying psychology and from other artists who have recognized psychological theories of the unconscious in the past, namely the painters of the surrealist movement. Duplication Oil on Panel 35.5" x 16.5" 2012
APM: The dark background works well for this idea of exploring the unconscious mind. Who are some of the artists that influence your work? AJ: Stylistically I have always been an admirer of Caravaggio and in college began mimicking the dramatic lighting of his work. It has become a huge part of my aesthetic and something I cannot see myself straying too far from. I also love the visual appeal of fabric draperies. I remember really noticing and appreciating this for the first time when seeing a picture of Rogier van der WeydenĘźs "Descent from the Cross." As far as content is concerned, I take a lot of inspiration from surrealist painters. At the moment I am very interested in Rene Magritte and Kay Sage. I have been reading a lot about both lately as well as obsessing over their paintings. They were both intentionally enigmatic, which makes their paintings really fun to try to understand, since there was not likely any strict intended meaning at which the artists wanted the viewer to arrive. Most artists I connect with seem to be more interested in thinking freely than explaining something specific.
Big Eye Oil on Panel 48" x 36" 2012
Hearts - Charcoal, Carbon Pencil - 12" x 12" - 2011
AJ Nafziger http://www.AJNafziger.com http://www.Facebook.com/AJNafzigerart
Ip Pang - Hong Kong sun338@yahoo.com
Good Night, No Super Flu - Oil on Canvas - 100 x 55 cm
Gale More O'Ferrall - North Vancouver, Canada http://galeart.squarespace.com
Daydreaming Oil on Canvas 38 x 76.5 cm
Paul Daniels - Montebello, CA http://www.pauldanielsart.com
Kobe Bryant "Mamba" Acrylic 48" x 48"
Daniel Dust - Springfiled, OR http://danieldust.com
Fire Rising - Acrylic on Canvas - 48" x 60"
Kodachi Miroc - Japan http://kodachi369.net
Irohauta Digital
Jill Sanders - Palos Verdes Estates, CA http://www.JillFoto.com
Gentl - Photography - 5" x 7"
Neal McDannel - Hilton, NY http://www.nealmcdannel.weebly.com
Paul - Pastel - 21" x 31"
Jordan McAfee - New York, NY jordanmcafee@gmail.com
Shane - Digital
Jill Pabich - Salem, MA http://jillpabich.com
They See it Coming (But You Don't) - Oil on Canvas - 24" x 24"
Marv L Roussan - Sheridan, WY http://marvlroussan.artistwebsites.com
Eddy - Oil - 20" x 16"
Brian Henry - Metairie, LA http://www.eightangrybears.com
Murray - Acrylic Paint Pens - 36" x 48"
Michael Reeder - Brooklyn, NY http://spacepusher.com
Inbreathe - Acrylic, Gouache on Wood Panel - 12" x 9"
Eddy Chang - Athens, GA http://www.artbyeddychang.com
Echo - Graphite on Paper - 18" x 24"
Kayli Rideout - Concord, NC https://www.facebook.com/pages/KayliRideoutArt/229413840446378
Ben - Acrylic Paint - 24" x 30"
Shang Ma - San Francisco, CA masmas8687@gmail.com
Rain - Mixed Media - 30" x 40"
Laara Cassells - Medicine Hat, Canada http://www.laaracassells.ca
Alicia and The Countess Golovin (after Elisabeth Vigee Lebrun) Acrylic on Dibond Panel 33.5" x 38"
Meeg Conroy - Denver, CO miss.meeg@gmail.com
Mr. Limpett - Pen and Ink - 11" x 17"
Simon+Kim - Kriend, Switzerland http://www.werbefotografie.ch
Lifestory Woman - Digital
Noah Gallo-Brown - Seattle, WA noahgb@hotmail.com
Self-Portrait - Oil - 33" x 47"
Claudia Bicen - San Francisco, CA http://www.claudiabicen.com
Tat Tvam Asi - Pastel on Wood - 12" x 12"
Ulrike Scheuchi - Laguna Beach, CA http://ulrikescheuchl.com
Memento I - Digital - 20" x 24"
Reyhan Ayter - Adana, Turkey rayter@mynet.com
Portre - Digital - 80 cm x 100 cm
Silvia Marieta - Entroncamento, Portugal http://mariet.no.sapo.pt
Looking for Balance - Oil on Canvas - 180 cm x 180 cm
Michael Wiens - Belmont, CA http://www.michaelwiens.com
Tendai - Oil and Gold Leaf - 24" x 30"
Jennifer McNulty - Oak Park, IL http://jenmcnulty.com
Lincoln - Mosaic Tiles, Photo Prints - 28" x 33"
Sandrine Pelissier - North Vancouver, Canada http://www.watercolorpainting.ca
Day Off - Watercolor, Mixed Media on Paper - 29" x 22"
Dan Pyle - West Hollywood, CA http://danpyleartist.com
Paparazzi - Charcoal - 19" x 29"
Michael Kennedy - Laurinburg, NC kennedymichael72@yahoo.com
A Gift - Pen and Ink - 18" x 24"
Deborah Stabile - Flemington, NJ onewanderingstar@yahoo.com
Jess at Work - Crayon - 18" x 24"
Artist Portfolio Magazine is branching out and zooming in creating new opportunities for community based artists by restructuring the magazine to feature smaller regions, communities and particular cities. In each new issue, Artist Portfolio Magazine will showcase two distinct cities or regions. Each artist who submits artwork will be featured in the Artist Portfolio Magazine blog, and 20 select artists will be included in the popular online art magazine. These will include artists who present a unique voice, and also artists who seem to exemplify common themes in their community, such as the colors, media, or ideas that repeat themselves. Artist Portfolio Magazine is accepting work in the following mediums: visual art (painting, drawing, sculpture, photography mixed media, etc.), video art (short films, performance art, conceptual art, experimental film, etc.), and short stories. Each artist should select their region or city from the following categories:
Los Angeles vs New York Chicago vs San Francisco The South vs The North Southwest vs Northeast Midwest vs West International
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