VISUAL LANGUAGE contemporary fine art
ARTSPAN February 2013 Volume 2 No. 2
Cover Artspan Artist Mary Beck http://marybeck.artspan.com/
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VISUAL LANGUAGE Contemporary Fine Art
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January 2013 Vol 2 No 2 @GraphicsOneDesign1998-2013
Mary Beck
My painting life began in Montana at about the same time as I began paddling a canoe in mountain lakes. Now with the ocean as my inspiration I am still exploring the endless visual possibilities created by water.
http://marybeck.artspan.com/home
Water Magic 48 x 36 Oil on Canvas
My images begin in photos I take while beach camping or from summer canoe trips in Montana. I combine and splice the photos to arrive at arrangements that rekindle my original visual experience. I hope the viewer is transported for a moment to that tranquility or awe in the beauty of water that inspired me to put it on canvas.
Autumn Movement 24 x 36 Oil on Canvas
Artspan Cover Artist
In my current series of shore-less water patterns my classical training in oil painting gives me the technical skills I need to portray reflection and transparency and subtle color shifts. I use wet in wet brushing over sketches done in pastel (set in turpentine) followed by layers of glazes, and finished with a coat of archival varnish containing UVLS.
Features this month New Artists and Art Picks Pages 5-6 Painter’s Keys - Robert Genn CFAI Art Challenge
Best of Show: Cheri Homaee
Pages 17-20
Artspan Artist Spotlight Frank dePietro
Pages 23-28
Colors on My Palette Pages 31-32
Marie Fox and Lee Baggs
Artspan Artist Corner Harold Joiner
Page 8
Pages 35-36
in Visual Language Artspan Review
Pages 41-46 Photographing the Body, Capturing the Soul by Sarah Hucal
Why Water Melody McCleary
Pages 49-52
Hall Groat II Art Review The Painter’s Painter Hall Groat Senior
Pages 53-56
Water Reviews Pages 59-62
Features include Carol Schiff and Judy Batterson
Daily Painters
Pages 81-82
Collection Starters under $200
Pages 83-86
new artists on cfai
Alan Rauch
Associate Member United States, Pennsylvania www.cfai.co/alanrauch
Theresa Bayer
Associate Member United States, Texas www.cfai.co/theresabayer
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Vanessa Katz
Associate Member United States, California www.cfai.co/vanessakatz
Andrew Barlow
Associate Member United States, Rhode Island www.cfai.co/andrewbarlow
artspan picks
Clinton Helms
www.candleartsstudios.com USA
Selected Members Worldwide
Marshall Dines
www.marshalldines.com/ USA
Gladys Bacon
http://www.gladysbacon.com/ USA
Cathy Berg
Jim Tansley
Judy White
Alfriede Oth
Oliver Perry
Phil Hopkins
www.CathyBerg.net NL
www.artby11i.com/ AT
www.jimtansley.com/ US
www.ollieperry.com/ UK
www.judywhitefineart.com/ DE
www.philhopkinsartist.com/ US
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Visual Language Masthead
VISUAL LANGUAGE Contemporary Fine Art
Visual Language Magazine Staff Editorial Editor -in-Chief Laurie Pace Executive Editor Lisa Kreymborg Managing Editor Nancy Medina Consulting Editor Diane Whitehead Consulting Editor Debbie Lincoln Feature Contributor Robert Genn Artspan Media Manager Sarah Hucal CFAI Contributor Kimberly Conrad Feature Editor Art Reviews Hall Groat II Feature Contributor - Robert Genn Painter’s Keys VL Sponsor ARTSPAN Eric Sparre Advertising Contact: VisualLanguageMagazine@gmail.com Marketing and Development Director Laurie Pace Senior Director Lisa Kreymborg
Arlene Woo
Harold Joiner “Water’s Edge” 24 x 48 Oil on Canvas 7
All Artwork is Copyrighted by the Individual Artists. Visual Language Vol 2 No 2
Painter’s Keys with Robert Genn
Robert Genn’s Studio Book
Around the turn of the year several artists wrote asking about the numbering of works. While you can start doing it any day you choose, January the first seems to be the day of choice. Questions arise: Should you numerate when you start the work, at signature, or when delivered? Also, is it necessary to maintain a separate list? There are some numerically-inclined artists who maintain progressive lists that include date, elapsed time, title, size, media, location, destination, weather conditions, how they were feeling, etc. I’ve occasionally tried this sort of hyper-listing but soon found myself adrift. In my case, the act of painting has always trumped accountancy. Also, all my life I’ve fought the sense of preciousness that accountancy promotes, and have been suspect of those who have succumbed to it. There is, however, considerable value in keeping a simple system. If you believe that volume breeds quality, then numbering can be of service. Numbering can build the golden habit of persistence. Particularly when dates are included, numbering also flags fallow periods, dream bouts, distraction, and wanderlust. There may be psychological and qualitative pitfalls in numbering, especially when it’s done compulsively, but, by and large, guilt-free numbering is a root of progression and joy. Numbering brings modest order to chaos and is a reasonable, unobtrusive way of keeping track. If you believe in not dating your paintings, as I do, and yet you want to number your work, you might do it cryptically so that only an inner circle will be privy to your game. “13-1” is okay, front or back, but it really lets the world know that this was the first born of 2013. “5026-1” utilizes the currently disgraced Mayan calendar and is a little more esoteric. The artist’s current age followed by a number is a popular system. Bar codes are currently undergoing consideration. Whatever you do, don’t let your system run you. That would be like having a CGA watch you paint. The main thing about art is joy, and maybe life’s too beautiful for some forms of keeping track. Best regards, Robert PS: “Order is a necessary condition for making a structure function.” (Rudolf Arnheim) “Chaos breeds life; order breeds habit.” (Henry Brooks Adams) “One needs to have chaos in order to give birth to a dancing star.” (Friedrich Nietzsche) Esoterica: Apart from occasional really bad paintings, my biggest regret is that I didn’t number my paintings on the works themselves. My Neanderthal file-card system, as well as occasional periods where I kept track, is all folks have to go on. At this point in my creative journey, an exhaustive photographic record would be worth its weight in lapis lazuli. Alas, it didn’t happen. It’s too late for me--but perhaps not for you. Incidentally, you might choose to numerate once in a while, just for fun. At the top of the current clickback we’ve included a painting with cryptically embedded info. If you can find it I’ll recommend you for a top job at the CIA. 8
Painter’s Keys - Robert Genn
Consecutive numbering January 4, 2013 Dear Laurie,
Visit us at http://visuallanguagemagazine.com/subscribe.html to receive your monthly edition by email. VISUALLANGUAGEMAGAZINE.com
WENMOHS Artists Retreat at
Art Workshop Sc
Lodging is available on a first come, first serve basis. There is additional hotels and motels in nearby Marbl Lunches are prepared for you and in the evneings, everyone brings food to share along with a favorite bottl for over eight generations and is today an active cattle ranch.
JUDY GELFERT
Oils/Studio February 9-10 $240
LIZ HILL
PAT CANNEY
Oils/Studio Working from photos or mannequins February 19-21 $350
TOM LYNCH
Drawing and painting the Watercolor/ Studio figure in mixed media May 20-23 May 9-11 $575 $350 http://www.wenmohsranch.com/Art%20Classes.htm
CAROL NELSON
Acrylic/ mixed medium/ S abstract February 25-28 $450
BOB ROHM
Oils, Pastels/ Plein Air October 25-27 $360
S RANCH the Bunkhouse
chedule for 2013
le Falls. Our aim is to make you happy and see to it that you have your best learning experience ever. le of wine. Life is truly good at Wenmoh Ranch. The Texas Ranch has been in the Wenmoh family
Studio/
DON SAHLI
RUSTY JONES
Oils/ Studio/ Plein air 2 days of each March 4-7 $595
Oils/ Plein air March 20-22 $350
ROBERT BURRIDGE Acrylic, Studio/ abstract April 1-5 $630
Also soon to schedule will be the great teaching team of KAREN VERNON and KEN MUENZENMAYER. For those of you looking for a great holiday gift idea--other than a class at the WENMOHS RANCH, En Plein air Pro is offering a 15% off until the end of 2012 on all of their artist easel packages.
DON SAHLI
See you at the Bunkhouse!
Oils/ Studio/ Plein air 2 days of each November 4-7 $595
Dena Wenmoh
http://www.wenmohsranch.com/Art%20Classes.htm
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ARTSPAN FOCUS ON: Mixed Media
Rhonda Dore
www.rhondadore.com/
Franco Pellegrino
www.francopellegrino.com/
Elizabeth Uyehara
www.elizabethuyehara.com/ 15
https://www.artspan.com/visual_language
CFAI.co Art Challenge “T
CFAI Art Challenge
Best of Show C
Best of Show Lacemaker by Cheri Homaee
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http://www.cfai.co/art-challenge-december-2012-tradition/
Tradition� December 2012
Cheri Homaee
http://www.cfai.co/cherihomaee
CFAI Art Challenge
First Place Colorado Indian by Ann Rogers
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CFAI Art Challenge
Second Place Dot Pool by Lorrie Boydston
http://www.cfai.co/art-challenge-november-2012-gratitude/
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Third Place Canyon Wedding by Deborah Flood
CFAI Art Challenge
http://www.cfai.co/art-challenge-november-2012-gratitude/
Submit your portfolio to join Contemporary Fine Art International www.cfai.co/register
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Andrea Costa
CostaAndrea.artspan.com
In the Moment...
TINA BOHLMAN TinaBohlman.com
ARTSPAN Artist Spotlight
Frank DePietro Contemporary Fine Artist
When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be an artist? Art had been an important part of my life growing up. I spent most of my days at school tuning out my teachers and drawing in my note books. I remember at one point in about fourth or fifth grade, one of my teachers would make me take my notebook home and get it signed by my mom, so she would teach me drawing instead of taking notes. When I entered college undecided, it became clear to me that I wanted to pursue art as a career. Who has been your mentor, or greatest influence to date? Karl Beamer, my ceramics professor at Bloomsburg University. What I learned most from Beamer, was the work ethic and mental discipline that it takes to be an artist. He taught me to be self-critical, to not dwell on satisfaction or mistakes and to strive toward improvement at every opportunity. What living artist do you admire and why? There are so many artists that I admire. I’m always looking to learn things from other painters work. When I think of contemporary painters in an historical perspective, Gerhard Richter is someone that stands out to me. The variety his work encompasses, both conceptually and technically, has brought the medium into question and validated it at the same time. What is your favorite surface to paint on? Describe it if you make it yourself. I’ve always worked on stretched canvas. I’ve experimented with different surfaces and different priming tones, but I work with paint in its full opacity, so once the canvas is covered, the surface becomes pretty much working on top of paint. What is your favorite brand of paints to use? Windsor and Newton artists oil colors. Do you have a favorite color palette? Not really, the subject usually dictates my palette. I experiment with as many colors as possible. I love all the subtle differences between different hues. What is your favorite color in your closet? I don’t have a very colorful wardrobe. Mostly earth-tones. You seem to paint a lot of water lilies. What prompted this? When I first thought about water lilies as a subject, of course Claude Monet came to mind. For that reason, I went back and forth in my mind for quite a while, deciding whether or not to go forward with it. I was drawn to the correlation water lilies have to painting. There are many physical similarities between painting and water lilies, because they are both patterns of color laying on a flat surface. I see it as an opportunity to combine formalist abstract concepts with elements of both still-life and landscape. How often do you paint? How many hours a week? Usually five to six days a week, 40-60 hours. What is the one thing you would like to be remembered for? I’ve never really thought about it all that much. I really try to live my life in the now. I guess I would like to be remembered for the objects and ideas that I spent my life working on, both professionally, and with family and friends.
frankdepietro.com 23
ARTSPAN Artist Spotlight
Waterlilies #7 There are many culprits that can crush creativity, such as distractions, self-doubt and fear of failure. What tends to stand in the way of your creativity? There are always distractions in life, no matter what you are doing. I try maintaining a sustained flow of creativity by working, and when it gets interrupted I just try to refocus. I read a quote once by Chuck Close that best sums up this question for me.” Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work.” What is your favorite way to get your creative juices flowing? Creativity comes to me through the working process, it’s a series of small ideas an decisions which lead to a larger final outcome. Which work of yours is your favorite? I don’t really think of my paintings individually, more as a part of a series. My favorite work is usually the one I am currently working on, unless I’m having a hard time with it, then it’s my least favorite.
frankdepietro.com
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ARTSPAN Artist Spotlight
frankdepietro.com
Waterlilies #5
Waterlilies #6
Waterlilies #8
Waterlilies #14
Frank DePietro
frankdepietro.com
Up Close and Personal
What book are you reading this week? I’ve read several books this week: Elmo’s Night before Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Jingle All the Way, just to name a few.
What is your favorite food? Dry aged beef What are you most proud of in your life? My two daughters, Ella and Ava Who would you love to interview? Lao Tzu Do you have a passion or hobby other than painting? What is it? I like sports, more so watching them then playing them at this point in my life. Who would you love to paint? Adam and Eve If you were an animal what would you be and why? A chimpanzee, it would be similar to being human without the trivial social conventions. If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take three things, what would they be? Sunscreen, my cabana wear and a volley ball to talk to. Share something with us that few people know about you. I don’t like to talk about myself. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? I’m pretty happy where I am right now.
Waterlilies #17
ARTSPAN Artist Spotlight
Do you have a favorite television show? I like Storage Wars, but I’m a little conflicted since the Dave Hester scandal.
ARTSPAN Artist Spotlight
Frank DePietro
Waterlilies #2 27
frankdepietro.com
ARTSPAN Artist Spotlight
Waterlilies #7
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MARIE
F O X
http://mariefoxpaintingaday.blogspot.com/
Welcome Home...
Kay Smith
KaySmith.artspan.com
Marie Fox
CFAI Colors on My Palette
http://www.cfai.co/mariefox/ http://www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/marie-fox/
When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be ‘an artist’? I knew I loved art when I chose to major in Art History at college. Over the years I became an artist by pursuing my passion to make things – by sewing, sculpting, building furniture, throwing pots and finally painting. Who has been the greatest influence from your past to mentor you to this career? Honestly, I’ve had no mentor. I’ve always marched to my own strong desires to experience the unfamiliar, learn things, live various places and make all kinds of art. Painting became my career the day I came to the realization that half my time would be devoted to creating art and the other half to marketing and selling it. Who is your mentor today, or another artist you admire and why? My teachers are all the artists I study in books and museums but most every day before painting I look at art by Matisse and Picasso. These artists are masters of the human form, color and abstraction - the three aspects of art I’m most eager to learn about. I’m constantly analyzing Matisse’s dazzling and evocative use of color to discover why and how it works. Picasso I study for his powerfully sculptural shapes and inventive reconstruction of the female form. I’m eagerly trying to get at how they manage to create beauty by unconventional and often unexpected means. Read more at http://www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/ 31
marie-fox/
Lee Baggs
When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be ‘an artist’? I started drawing about six to eight years of age. I was viewing and studying the works of famous classical artists and was interested in nature and photos of nature at nine to ten years of age. Who has been the greatest influence from your past to mentor you to this career? I consider it a God given talent and appreciative awareness. Books by many artists have been a contribution--such as by David Leffel, Richard schmid, Jose M. Parramon, etc.. Who is your mentor today, or another artist you admire and why? Admiration, received inspiration and learning by studying their works, I must attribute to some fine artists--landscape, Sanford Gifford and Clyde aspvig. John Singer Sargent is still the standard for portrait/figure works. David Leffel is a master of still-life works, in capturing the affect of the quality of light and the movement, direct or reflected, on color, in shadow, on edge quality, textures, etc.. Read more at http://www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/
lee-baggs/
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CFAI Colors on My Palette
http://www.cfai.co/leebaggs/ http://www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/lee-baggs/
Nathalie Kelley
http://www.cfai.co/nathkelley/
CAROL NELSON
CarolNelsonFineArt.com Mixed Media Workshops Limited Space Available Please see Carol’s website for details and contact information.
2/25-28 Wenmohs Ranch Art Workshops, Texas 3/15-16 Littleton, Colorado 3/27-29 Westminster, Colorado 4/15-19 Raleigh, North Carolina 5/6-9 New Orleans, Lousiana 9/2-5 Dillman’s Art Retreats, Wisconsin
ARTSPAN Artist Corner
Harold Joiner
My home now is near the Texas Gulf coast. Here the rows of grasses and reeds in the ponds and streams, even surrounded by water as they are, remind me of the grasses and sunflowers of my prairie days. If I were to lie down in one of these shallow ponds and gaze through the reeds, I expect that the sensation would joyfully reconnect me with that beautiful childhood memory.
ARTSPAN Artist Corner
I grew up on the plains of eastern New Mexico. The house we lived in when I was very young was at the edge of town, with nothing but bare prairie beyond our next-door neighbor’s house. Not too far into the prairie was a shallow arroyo where I frequently played and explored nature. It was filled with a dense thicket of grass and sunflowers so tall that they towered well over my head. One strong visual memory I have about that experience was squatting down and peering at the horizon through the grass and sunflower stalks. I would lie there for a long time, inexplicably mesmerized by the linear rhythm of the stalks and the flickering of the light as the wind blew the grass back and forth.
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J O H N J.
For whatever we lose (like a you or a me), It’s always our self we find in the sea. ~e.e. cummings
Johnjabisch.com
ABISCH
Acadia Wave
Johnjabisch.com
Water is the driving force of all nature. LEONARDO DA VINCI, 1452-1519
R. J. Clark
rjclarkart.com
rjclarkart.com
Photographing the Bod
Francesca Woodman and Cindy Sherman Meet Artspan Artists Ann-Mari Broman
As displayed in Francesca Woodman’s hauntingly intimate photos, and Artpsan member Ann-Mari Broman’s frank and powerful postures, certain photographers are unafraid to bare all. Others prefer to explore the human form and features while under the guise of powerful, and sometimes comical guises, such as Cindy Sherman and Artspan member Sally Stockhold. Such artists have created meaningful work that continues to inspire and enlighten critics and amateur photographers alike. Francesca Woodman created a photographic legacy that has managed to remain relevant in the rapidly-changing contemporary art landscape of today. The photographer, who took her life in 1981 at the age of 22, captured dreamy photos that walk the line between demonic and angelic, disarmingly erotic and formally playful. Her retrospective in early 2012 at the Guggenheim featured 120 pieces that surveyed her brief, yet fruitful career. Although using her body as a subject was certainly not a new concept—Ana Mendieta and Bruce Nauman were also doing the same, as was Cindy Sherman, who was just beginning to produce photographs of herself in various guises that would launch her career in the late 70’s. Yet something about Woodman’s style, a mix that NY Times writer Ken Johnson described as “borderline kitschy…a heated mix of Victorian gothic, Surrealism and 19th-century spirit photography,” set her apart. Her admiration for the work of fashion photographer Deborah Turbeville is apparent in the shadowy and textured scenes shot in an abandoned house in Providence R.I. One such image from the “Space2” series shows Woodman covering her face and legs with blurred wallpaper, exposing her bare stomach like a ghostly resemblance of herself. Although decidedly not student-like, many of her works were created in response to class assignments at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she was enrolled from 1975-1978. Her works display the high-low struggle between innocence and experience, always with a focus on the body. The fact that her works remain relevant decades after her death, is a testament to her talent. Similarly, Artspan member photographer Ann-Mari Broman has created powerful series, such as “Broken Soul” and “Nudes,” which use the human form, often the nude body, to elicit complex emotions in the viewer. Broman, who grew up in Sweden, began experimenting with photography while attending classes at a community college in her area, was particularly inspired by working in the dark room with black and white images. “I love the contrasts in black and white photos and the mood they can convey to the audience.” Says Broman, adding “Even though, digital photography is the most popular way to take photos today, I still prefer the art of developing your print with chemicals.” Like Woodman’s work, which for the most part was made up of small square prints, lending an air of antiquity, Broman has a similar penchant for digging into the depths of the history of photography. She enjoys taking pictures with her large format camera, which harkens back to the 1930’s, when most cameras measured fourby-five inches. Several of the photos in her “Nudes” series were taken with such a device. This particular series depicts men and women in vulnerable positions, which strongly suggest sadness and grief. In one, a man lies nude on the leafy ground, covering his face desolately with his hand, while in others, male and female nudes crouch dejectedly in the fetal position. 41
dy, Capturing the Soul
n and Sally Stockhold
By Sarah Hucal
Francesca-Woodman_Untitled_Providence-2
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Girl on Mirror by Ann-Mari Broman Much like Woodman’s work, the photos create an aura of isolation and inner turmoil. The photographs in Broman’s “Broken Soul Series” are similarly powerful and slightly more surreal. Ghostly images of a bright-eyed doll are transposed onto an animal’s skeleton, which is then mirrored on a sleek black surface. “Both series,” says Broman “Came from deep inside my soul after experiencing a personal loss that affected me deeply.” For her artistic influences, Broman sites Dorothea Lang’s strikingly honest portrayals of people in America, Imogen Cunningham’s beautiful Black and White photos of plants, as well as Irving Penn and Richard Avedon’s portraits. She is also an admirer of Lennart Nilsson, whose pictures she was exposed to when growing up in Sweden and Diane Arbus’ famous portraits of quirky people. When it comes to quirky characters, one larger-than-life photographer takes the cake: Cindy Sherman. Sherman, who has transformed herself into hundreds of different personas over her 35-year career, bares everything but her true self, quite the opposite of the heart-breaking intimacy of Woodman and Broman’s work, while no less striking. Audiences have seen the artist as a movie star, a sinister clown, a Renaissance courtesan an 80’s prom queen, and much much more—rare is a view of the prolific photographer without a disguise. “None of the characters are me,” Sherman told Carol Vogel of the New York Times in an interview earlier this year. “They’re everything but me. If it seems too close to me, it’s rejected.” In February 2012, Sherman witnessed her MoMA retrospective, which featured over 170 portraits and was her first in 14 years. Sherman was among the first artists to come of age in the era of television and mass media, a generation referred to as the “pictures generation,” whose members produced works that combined Pop Art and conceptualism. The photographer got her start in the 70’s, with the help of her “Untitled Film Stills,” portraits inspired by black and white movies and ladies’ magazines. These works and those to come, put her in a category with artists such as Sherrie Levine, Louise Lawler and Laurie Simmons, who were examining gender issues in a way no one had done before. In 1981, her Playboy-inspired “Centerfolds” portrait series, in which the women were clothed and displaying dissatisfied and often tortured emotions, launched her career.
Cindy Sherman “The contradictory and complex readings of her work reinforces its ongoing relevance to multiple audiences,” Eva Respini, associate curator of photography at MoMA told The New York Times last February. “More than ever, identity is malleable and fluid, and her photographs confirm this.” Respini added. One of her first assignments in a photography class was to confront something that was hard for her. “I took a series of myself naked in front of the camera,” she said, “And that was when I started using myself, but at the same time, not as an art practice, just for therapy or something. I would transform my face with makeup into various characters just to pass the time.” A boyfriend suggested she document herself in these costumes, and after the pair moved to New York in the late 70’s, Sherman would often be seen gallivanting about town in costume. Since then she’s portrayed herself as everything from the Roman god Bacchus to spray-tanned teenagers. Photographing the Body, Capturing the Soul by Sarah Hucal
Artspan photographer Sally Stockhold has also garnered quite a bit of attention by photographing herself in a variety of elaborate guises. Her “myselfportraits ode to icons and absurdities” features the artist dressed as a variety of historical characters in surprising detail. Often comical in nature, such as the “Diane Arbus photographing the Doppelgänger Twins” photo, in which Stockhold portrays a striped and frightful pair of twins, as well as the photographer, her work often has a slightly more light-hearted feel than Sherman’s. The Denver-based photographer got her start slightly before Sherman, while studying under photographers Jay Maisel and Joel Meyerwitz at Cooper Union in New York City in the late 60’s. “I started doing photography by default while I was in my second year studying painting” says Stockhold. “By “default” I mean that by 1969 painting was considered “dead.” We were all splashing paint around and very few of us knew what we were trying to accomplish.” After taking a mandatory photography course, she quickly realized that the medium gave her the formal structure that was lacking in painting. “The moment I picked up a cheap little camera with a 50mm lenses I was hooked.” she said “I never left my tiny apartment without a camera.” Stockhold was aware of Cindy Sherman’s “Untitled Film Stills” but says she wasn’t enlightened enough at the time to understand the importance of the work. Now that she has studied Sherman’s work, she says, “I admire, respect and understand her place in post-modern art history.” Stockhold took a nearly twenty-year artistic hiatus in the early-80’s, picking up the camera again in 2002 after taking a local photography course. She began photographing teenagers and doing some politically satirical staged pictures, while showing work in galleries. At that time, she received the inspiration for her “myselfportraits” series, and later “myselfportraits ode to icons and other absurdities,” unabashed photos that feature the photographer dressed as various historical figures, mostly women. Stockhold clearly remembers the moment the idea came to her. “I came downstairs one morning and noticed fully blossomed Dahlia’s in my garden.” she said “I Bobbi-pinned three of those flowers into my hair, found a shawl, tacked a lace tablecloth on the wall, added a little make-up and embodied Frida Kahlo.” She instantly realized that she wanted to embody women from history. “It was too much fun,” says Stockhold “and also emotionally gratifying.” Stockhold prefers black and white images to keep her “balanced and under the radar of commercialism,” she explains. She enjoys selectively hand-coloring her photographs and limiting the number of prints she produces. “That way I feel I’m adding my touch to my pictures even though they are digitally printed.” she added. Sherman cites American photographer Duane Michals as her main artistic influence. “Being a story teller myself,”she said, “he gave me permission to eventually dive into story telling as I continue on my journey. Currently, Stockhold has begun to impersonate men “only as long as they played an important role in my chosen iconic woman’s life” she says. From the self-examining work of Francesca Woodman and Ann-Mari Broman to the outwardly reflective photos of Cindy Sherman and Sally Stockhold, these four artists have created a photographic legacy that provides powerful inspiration to photography fans and artists today.
Photographing the Body, Capturing the Soul, by Sarah Hucal 45
Diane Arbus Photographing the Doppelga ĂƒĂ nger Twins by Sally Stockhold
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Gibson Pottery and Glass 1837 Panther Creek Pass Mount Vernon, TX 75457 info@gibsonpottery.com
Debra Mueller Hurd
Etude op. 25 no. 7 by Chopin
DebraHurd.com
Why Water? I always enjoyed painting rocks and water in some fashion. I live near the Columbia River Gorge and the Pacific Coast Range so there’s a lot of inspiration here for that. I found when I used a digital camera I could zoom into my pictures to find interesting patterns in the water – rhythmic patterns of line, shape, color and values – that really inspired me! Water abstracts everything it reflects unless it’s very still and I was interested in painting more impressionistically or abstractly. So it’s is a good subject for me to stay loose which is a constant struggle for me. Some of my work is still rather ‘tight’. Water imagery just speaks to me. It’s relaxing and a connection to nature. And I always love viewing the large Monet water lilies painting at our local museum – so inspiring!
The true peace of God begins at any spot a thousand miles from the nearest land. ~Joseph Conrad
MELODY CLEARY http://www.cfai.co/melodycleary
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Melody Cleary MelodyCleary.com
Evening Ecstasy
Ripples Three Above Ripples Nine Left
NancyEckels.com
Northfork Silver Creek
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Hall Groat Sr, A
Hall Groat II NY Critic Review
by New York A
Central New York artist, Hall Groat Sr, over the past fifty years has often been referred to as a “painter’s painter” and a “brush slinger”. This eighty-year-old artist unpretentiously embraces the spirit of twentieth century modernism in both form and content. Rather than bearing witness to human suffering and tragedy like many of his contemporaries, he chooses to elevate the human spirit through his art. His work expresses a universal language through the intrinsic beauty of paint and form, which is made assessable to everyone. Groat’s subject matter is diverse, ranging from evocative representations of urban life and nature scenes to mystical musical compositions and historical depictions of Central New York social progress. Groat’s life-long passion for classical music is the central theme of a figurative work entitled American Tribute, which portrays a group of bassists dressed in white, situated within the foreground, which appears to be the front, edge of the stage. Depicted directly below the stage are suggestions of the audiences’ heads. This is a quintessential example of Groat at his best. This bold painting like many of his works naturally merges representational forms with a field of abstract geometry. These inventive non-representational background shapes mimic the musicians’ rhythmic movements, enhancing the overall sense of visual and musical energy. The patriotic American flag is also dynamically composed to reinforce the tension within the piece.
American Tribute 24”x48” Oil on wooden panel 53
By Hall Groat Sr., American Artist
A Painter’s Painter
Art Critic Hall Groat
www.NYArtGuide.net/groatii/index.html
Hall Graot II NY Critic Review
In the majestic nature work entitled Herring Cove Beach, the artist depicts the gnarly, weathered topography that is characteristic of the Cape Cod landscape. This piece, similar to American Tribute, elegantly pulls together the worlds of abstract and representational painting. The rich, visceral nature of the paint suggests the erosion of sand and roots within the foreground. This is sensitively contrasted with the soft, atmospheric foliage forms up above. This landscape over all possesses an ephemeral, atmospheric quality, which is apropos based on the transition of Mother Nature on the Cape over the past forty years. The landscape has indeed been compromised by the negative impact of seasonal weathering coupled with increased tourism.
Herring Cove Beach, Cape Cod 39”x78” Oil on canvas
By Hall Groat Sr., American Artist
The hallmark of Hall Groat Sr’s work and perhaps the subject that many of his Central New York corporate collectors through the years have identified him with involves 19th century historical scenes of downtown Syracuse, New York during the era of the Erie Canal. These iconic paintings bear witness to a time in history when industry and innovation were strong and the American Dream was a reality. In the 24 by 48 inch work called the Erie Canal both the bold use of color and interlocking geometry evokes a sense of movement, energy and adventure.
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Hall Groat II NY Critic Review
One of my all-time favorite pieces though, is a mystical marine painting entitled Night Watch. This highly seductive painting is of a ship sailing within a turbulent sea, which appears to be illuminated by the moon. This painting poses more questions than provides answers, as it envelopes one in an enigmatic atmospheric space charged with mystery and emotion. If you ever find yourself traveling through Syracuse, New York, make it a point to visit the studio of Hall Groat Sr. for a day that you will never forget! A selection of his work may be viewed on-line at www.HallGroat.com Also, be certain to pick up a copy of Groat’s latest book entitled: They Called Me the Brush Slinger: Creating a Career in Art. This book offers valuable information and insight into the life of an artist, along with an overview of marketing skills necessary to succeed in the art world. Hall shares tales of both the bright and dark sides of being a self-employed artist that serve as a reality check for anyone planning a career in art. Following the artist around the world on his wonderful journey full of soul searching and hilarious experiences makes this book a fun read for art lovers and students of all ages
Erie Canal 24”x48” Oil on canvas
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By Hall Groat Sr., American Artist
Hall Groat Sr, A Painter’s Painter
Night Watch 12”x12” Oil on panel
Hall Graot II NY Critic Review
by New York Art Critic Hall Groat
By Hall Groat Sr., American Artist
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Quality Time
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Size:20” x 16” Media:Oil on linen
Hall Groat II
Making Memories and Keeping Them Close. www.cfai.co/hallgroat
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American Fine Artist
Discovering New Memories from Past Places.
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