THE ENSO CIRCLE RESIDENTS

Carolyn Adams

“To some extent I happily don’t know what I’m doing. I feel that it’s an artist’s responsibility to trust that.” David Byrne

Art was not a serious pursuit until my children were older. I didn’t know what I was doing twelve years ago when I started, and I sometimes feel that way to this day. I am learning that the key is to have fun, be happy, and to trust, trust, trust. Making art is really not the challenge, but using new elements of textiles and plaster to my figurative ceramic pieces initially took great courage. As I explored these new materials, I began to relax, have fun, and let go. I am pleased with the new direction of my art, and I will continue to honor my responsibility as an artist to trust the process.

Barb Cone

At its best art is a conversation in a visual language. I work in abstraction, but often viewers tell me that the imagery reminds them of elements in the natural or man-made world. I adapt materials to different purposes. Cardboard, basswood and balsa are often used to build sculptural pieces. Gesso, graphite, oilstick and encaustic or pigmented wax is well suited to experimenting with surfaces.

Sandy Currie

As an artist I am committed to pushing boundaries and challenging conventional notions of art. My art is not only visually natural but also holds a deep emotional significance. I ultimately, want my art to share my human and animal experiences.. I find joy in repurposing found objects to create thought provoking artwork, but most importantly to send message from my heart to engage yours and promote kindness and compassion. I have found a voice through art that expresses my true feelings..

Rachel De Almeida

I was born in NYC, NY and grew up in Southern Connecticut in a household that fostered creative expression. I was very influenced by the city, fashion, and fine art. The child of an artist/teacher and an architect, I developed a strong appreciation for function and design. I am basically a magpie on steroids with ADHD which is why I like to work combining different types of media. Being influenced by Gustav Klimt, MC Escher as well as the POP Art of the 60s I have a love of pattern and bold color often incorporating some sort of bling. After studying theater at Temple University and art at The Boston Museum School of Fine Arts, I graduated with a BFA from Pratt Institute of Technology and went on to work in fashion, film, and architectural design. I am a Reiki Master Teacher and Oracle Reader who has studied Shamanism for 15 years, so it is no mystery that I find my direction from Spirit. I have been in several group shows in the past four years.

Jasmine Dennis

Jasmine is a mixed-media artist living in San Antonio, Texas. Her work explores personal mythology through archetypes, symbolism, and storytelling. Through her creations, she identifies the turbulence in body, mind, and spirit, allowing her to transform her anxieties and pain into a grounded practice of embodied meditation. She thrives on experimentation with varied mediums, including but not limited to paint, pastels, wax, poetry, found objects, and everyday household items. The natural world, mythology, music, and contemporary poetry heavily influence her visual ruminations on identity and social conditioning while providing a necessary respite from the noise of the world. Jasmine has worked as an art instructor, a yoga and meditation teacher, and a homeschool educator for neurodivergent creatives.

Maggie Fitch

Wildflowers, especially the dandelion, are an enduring symbol of hope to me ever since picking them from abandoned lots in my deteriorating, once-booming hometown. After obtaining a BA from Youngstown State University in Studio Art, circumstances led to a practical job path instead of a creative one. However, I practiced printmaking, painting and ceramics whenever possible while focusing on juggling family life within the work-a-day world. After retirement in 2013 from The University of Texas at Austin, I returned to the creative journey at San Antonio’s Southwest School of Art’s community program. My work has been exhibited locally and sold to individual collectors.

Karen Murphy

Karen Murphy is a glass artist who has worked in several different disciplines for over 35 years. She has produced pieces for both commercial and residential settings. Initially creating stained glass windows early in her career, she went on to teach stained glass classes. She later transitioned to glass fusing, exploring the integration of technical processes with artistic expression.

Karen’s focus is producing thought provoking glass sculpture through layering fused glass pieces.

Karen Murphy’s work has been published in the inaugural edition of Salann Magazine, 2019 and most recently in The Enso Circle Spring 2023 residency catalog. In addition to participating in many art fairs, she has been a member of The Charleston, SC Crafts Co-op, a member of The Art League of Hilton Head, SC where her work was exhibited, and a featured artist in a limited run exhibition at The Seagrass Gallery, Isle of Palms, SC

Marguerite Moreau Mccarthy

Marguerite Moreau McCarthy is an exhibiting artist and veteran art educator. She holds degrees in Art Education (B.S., Louisiana State University) and Painting (M.F.A., The George Washington University). She has designed and implemented workshops for art museums in Louisiana and Texas. The artist’s work has been displayed nationally in both corporate and private collections. In 2008, she was commissioned to create a formal portrait of Paris Hilton for her Los Angeles home. At a young age, Marguerite was introduced to Josef Albers’ color theories by her sister Tonsie Moreau Beach, also an artist and art educator. Color relationships have informed her work ever since in drawing, painting, printmaking and collage media; McCarthy’s faith is implied in her attention to nature’s full color spectrum. Her paintings expressively capture the effects of light on subjects ranging from portraiture to landscapes to interior scenes, as she seeks to “share glimpses of holiness while observing the ordinary.”

Marj Nardi

My work is inspired by found elements and interesting techniques that catch my eye. When I find a spectacular yarn, colorful thread, beautiful feather or stone – I wonder how I can incorporate this into a wall hanging. Seeing unusual textures challenges me to learn or experiment with a new skill. I crave getting lost in the creative process, and sense that without these moments my life would become dark and cloudy. In getting lost, I find peace and happiness, even a celebratory freedom; the final product is merely a byproduct of the journey.

NADINE RUSINEK-BLOOMFIELD

“May your imagination know The grace of perfect danger... To reach beyond imitation, And the wheel of repetition... Until the veil of the unknown yields And something original begins to stir toward your senses...” J O’Donahue

I live and work in Toronto, Canada. I am a mixed media artist and writer. I have historically not prioritized my artist self. I have come to know that it is crucial to lean into the ‘graceful danger of imagination’ if one is to thrive. I was thrilled to be invited to Enso in order to grow as an artist and also to support others in community. I am pulled toward encaustic’s propensity for forgiveness. This is another kind of grace, and one I seek in my work. I can layer in wax my photography, paintings, writing to become an archaeologist of my own story. A revisionist of memory, the shaper of my world. Layering, unlayering, revealing and obscuring. Letting the viewer discover themselves in the images. This allows beauty, connection and healing, even in trauma. In this way, as an artist, I strive for transformation and transcendence.

Pamela Stratton

I have been working as a healer on Cape Ann for over 30 years using acupuncture and herbal medicine. My personal life experience along with working in the medical field exposes me to the ephemeral nature of life and the importance of maintaining balance. Creating a mosaic is a deeply focusing activity like a meditation. I enjoy the solid permanence of the materials, their weight, texture and history.

My work is un-grouted which allows for a mix of materials of uneven thickness that gives it a sculptural quality in which the glass can be angled to reflect the light. My recent work integrates encaustic wax and mixed media techniques in sculpture. I love how the combination of the fluidity of wax and the strong textures in mosaic can evoke a sense of both movement and tranquility within the work.

Kathy Utts

Kathleen Utts, a fiber artist and Saori weaver, transports us into a realm where cloth becomes art. With a profound respect for the Saori philosophy of self-expression and freedom, Kathleen creates woven artworks that embrace imperfection and celebrate individuality. Through her loom, she weaves colors and textures, and stitches each piece with her signature inclusion of bird symbology. Through intricate manipulation of textiles, she crafts tactile narratives that explore the intersection of artistic expression, beauty, and the human experience. Her artworks are not mere woven garments or tapestries but living reflections of Kathy’s journey, capturing moments of serenity, joy, and contemplation. This piece entitled, “ON BECOMING” is a departure from Kathy’s usual woven work, expanding her horizon to include storytelling with photos transferred onto silk that peek out through woven windows, and decorative handspun yarn plied using feathers that further her freespirited imagery.