VL- Visual Language Magazine May No2 Vol 5 Contemporary Fine Art

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VISUAL LANGUAGE

contemporary ďŹ ne art

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May2013 Volume 2 No. 5

Rob Compton RobCompton.com

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VISUAL LANGUAGE

Contemporary Fine Art

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May 2013 Vol 2 No 5 @GraphicsOneDesign1998-2013

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Rob Compton

RobCompton.com

Artist Statement I believe in the landscape, and because of this I no longer try to define myself as a representational artist or an abstract artist. Instead, my paintings continuously explore the landscape as a means to create works that are both meditative and dramatic and I find that the full spectrum of representation more fully allows the character of each scene to emerge. Primarily I look to the landscape as a means of conveying a simpler perspective. Too often our lives seem consumed by our work, our tight schedules, our cluttered city streets; but in these paintings, the landscape has been reduced to the bare essentials: land, sky, light. Even in my abstract work, I look to the landscape, and attempt to distill images that move the viewer through the space and light of the painting, while invoking a sense of place and time. Both bodies of work are a continuation of the same vision: to distill the passing landscape into artworks that freeze a brief moment and allow the viewer to hold onto the calming qualities of the land, the space, and the light. I hope that somewhere within this range, you will find paintings that move you.

VL Cover Artist

Rob Comtpon is primarily a self-taught painter, who has learned to paint by studying past masters and contemporary artists, by close observation of the natural world, and most importantly by working with the medium on a near daily basis.

He lives and works in College Hill, an historic neighborhood of Wichita, KS. Rob has exhibited in numerous solo and group shows regionally--including a solo exhibition at The Birger Sandzen Memorial Gallery in Lindsborg, KS, and he has shown in juried competitions around the country, where he has earned several special recognitions. His work is in dozens of private collections nationally, and is owned by several Midwestern businesses and organizations. He is a member of the The American Impressionist Society and the Kansas Academy of Oil Painters.

ROB COMPTON

Clearing Oil on Canvas 32 x 42

RobCompton.com

content

VL

CFAI New Artists Pages 5 Painter’s Keys - Robert Genn Page 12 Colors on My Palette Pages 21-22 Carol Schiff and Kelly Berger

Artspan Focus Page 23 Beginning Painting Page 33 Hall Groat II Dutch Art Gallery Page 39 Rites of Spring VL Studio Visit Page 57 Steven DaLuz Art Review Page 69 by Sarah Hucal “Over Fields and Meadows”

VL Studio Visit Page 75 Photographer Denise Bossarte VL Gallery Visit Page 85 Brushstrokes Studio, Denver Artspan Photography Page 91 Cathy Leaycraft Artspan Interview Page 101 Carol Tippit Woolworth Feature “Edward Reep” Page 107 Barry Scharf CFAI Art Challenge Page 119 Rita Cirillo and Carmen Beecher

CFAI Blog Review Page 131 Landscape Artists CFAI Artists Spotlight Page 133 Plein Air Artists Daily Painters Page 140 CFAI Art Collections under $200 Page 147

Corrections:

Corrections from the April 2013 IssueTheresa Paden’s painting, “Barn Owl”, was mislabeled in the Daily Painters ad.

VL new artists on cfai.co

Lunell Gilley www.cfai.co/lunellgilley

Char Fitzpatrick www.cfai.co/charfitzpatrick 5

Kathleen Schilling www.cfai.co/kathleenschilling

Jeannie Stone www.cfai.co/jeanniestone

jillnassau.com 6

Bonnie Shapiro bonnieshapiro.artspan.com

CONTEMPORARY LANDSCAPE, STRE

EET, AND FIGURATIVE WORKS IN OIL

bonnieshapiro.artspan.com

The Five Grace

Lincoln ~ Pace ~ Togel ~ Whitehead ~ Zora

the5graces.com

DebbieLincoln.com

LaurieJustusPace.com

Zor

What makes The Five Graces special/unique?

All members of The Five Graces create bold, vividly-colored artworks with an inspirational flair. Several of the group are excellent teachers and writers. They work energetically toward touring exhibitions that showcased th artworks - shows to the US and to Europe. All five artists are spread out over the US.

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ad

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Who are The Five Graces?

Debbie Grayson Lincoln (the steady grace), Laurie Justus Pace (the heartbeat grace), Conni Tรถgel (the wired grace), Diane Baird Whitehead (the business-minded, directly spoken grace) and Mary Jo Zorad (the quietly inspired grace) have as many similarities as they do differences. Their artwork demonstrates a common commitment to a high standard of workmanship.

To speak with any one of the five women reveals a commonality in what inspires them and how they choose to live their lives, with integrity and a commitment to doing their work for a higher cause. Each feels her creative inspiration as a passionate and natural calling.

thefivegraces.blogspot.com for daily updates

Charisma-art.com

DianeWhitehead.com

the5graces.com

VL

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 Painter’s Keys Artspan Media Manager Sarah Hucal CFAI Contributor Kimberly Conrad Feature Editor Art Reviews Hall Groat II Feature Writer Barry Scharff VL Sponsor ARTSPAN Eric Sparre Advertising Contact: VisualLanguageMagazine@gmail.com Marketing and Development Executive Director Laurie Pace Senior Director Lisa Kreymborg

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Bonnie Shapiro

Dawn Maron

All Artwork is Copyrighted by the Individual Artists.

Visual Language Vol 2 No 4

Painter’s Keys with Robert Genn

Robert Genn’s Studio Book

Dear Artist, A fellow I know, whose name will go unmentioned here because he doesn’t want to be seen hanging out in lousy company, lives alone in a sunless forest. He’s a regular latter-day Thoreau, and he’s been at it for twenty years-never been to McDonald’s, doesn’t have TV, and boils his own socks. You may know the type.

Having abandoned painting for the carving of gargoyles on the overhead beams of his cabin, he often takes the position that “Art dealers are thieves,” “Cars are the root of evil,” “Lawyers are unmitigated scumbags,” “Psychiatrists are smug creeps,” and “Women are high maintenance.”

He hasn’t filed a tax return in 27 years. As far as I can see, he eats mainly huckleberries.

In degree, all of us who prefer some form of isolation tend to hold strong opinions. Recently, I found it difficult to pick up the phone and give familial appreciation to my lawyer-cousin, Jack, who just bought a new Hummer.

As artists, we may often be solitary in our work, but we need not be solitary beings. Further, while our art may invite a sense of entitlement and uniqueness, it’s a bit of a stretch, like my woodsy friend, to feel superior to others.

Right now I’m reading the galley proof of Eric Maisel’s new book, Making Your Creative Mark. Eric (a psychiatrist) has a chapter on empathy, in which he advises how to be chummy with everyone who might be of use to you in your artistic career. When the book comes out in April, I’m taking a copy into the woods. The forest-guy has nothing against words.

Attitudes may be inherited, but most are developed over time--often at the University of Hard Knocks. But those who make the choice of full isolation estrange themselves from one of the great gifts--that of also seeing our marvelous biosphere through the eyes of others. Interconnection and empathic knowledge of our human family are the high-flying flags of civilization. We’re all in this together and no one really knows how the plot will work out. As artists, we need to inhale life in all its forms. When you combine great art with great human relationships, the sun may shine in the forest.

Best regards, Robert PS: “Many artists (like all human beings) alienate their peers and their supporters by interacting poorly with them.” (Eric Maisel) Esoterica: On the few occasions when I’ve tried total isolation, I’ve grovelled my way back to the company of others. Partial and limited-time isolation, on the other hand, is how we re-set the compass of our souls. In the pleinair painting event, we are quietly adrift on a great river of temporary solitude, alone with our tools and our wits, if only for an hour. This sort of artistic quiet time is perhaps the most cathartic of all, for it anchors us to ourselves and brings us eventually to the wisdom of reconnection. FYI, Samantha and I recently made a short video called, “Shenandoah.”

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Painter’s Keys - Robert Genn

The downside of isolation March 26, 2013

Ricky Schembri RickySchembri.com

Australian Landscapes and Farms

RickySchembri.com

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Jimmy Longacre

Texas Contemporary Landscape Artist

longacreart.com

Colors of Life

Dyan Newton DyanNewton.com

Visit my website for workshops and class schedules.

Katalin Luczay

SeascapesandLandscapes.com Manhatten Art International

Pat O’Brien

patobriensart.artspan.com paobrien7286@gmail.com

Pink 6 x 12 Acrylic on Canvas

www.paintingadogaday.com **cats, horses, bunnies, etc always welcomed.

In the Moment...

TINA BOHLMAN OPS, CFAI, IPAP, AOT

TinaBohlman.com

Colors On My Palette

Carol Schiff http://www.cfai.co/carolschiff http://www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/carol-schiff

When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be an artist’?

I always wanted to “be creative”. During the 70’s I owned a needlework shop and I always admired the hand-painted needlepoint canvases that I carried. Finally, I decided to leave the retail portion and create my own line of hand painted needlepoint. I did this for 20 years. Of course, I wanted to sharpen my skills, so I started taking drawing classes and eventually watercolor and pastel classes. Once I did that, my desire to design needlepoint was gone.

Who has been the greatest influence from your past to mentor you to this career?

I was very lucky to meet a wonderful pastel artist in our town. Her name is Sandra Johnson, originally from Australia. She has been published in several books and magazines including Artist Magazine. I started taking one on one classes with her. She has a wonderful sense of color and freedom in her works. I worked with Sandy for eight years. During the last year or so I started painting in oils and knew I had found my media.

Who is your mentor today, or another artist you admire and why?

I would have to say, the internet is my mentor. We are so lucky to have this great tool at our fingertips, something no other generation of artists have had. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t discover a new artist whose work I admire. Maybe it’s the way they handle color, their drawing skills, or how they apply texture. I put them on my list and study their work everyday. I think that may be the reason my styles vary so much, but I am having lots of fun and try to incorporate these little pieces into my works.

I would have to say that two of my favorite artists today are Andre Kohn and Lynn Boggess, two very different styles. I love Andre’s gorgeous figurative work with lost edges and incredible brushwork. Lynn is one of those brave souls that straps a 48x60 canvas on his back and hikes through three feet of snow to paint a mountain stream. He uses trowels and has the most incredible texture in his works.

What is your favorite surface to paint on? Describe it if you make it yourself.

I do lots of daily paintings and for ease of shipping and storage, I use canvas panels. I L O V E Pannelli Telati panels from Italy. Relatively inexpensive and high quality. Other than that, I like stretched canvas. If I am doing a pastel, I use Canson Paper or Wallis Sandpaper.

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Read more at http://www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/carol-schiff/

Colors On My Palette

Kelly Berger http://www.cfai.co/kellyberger http://www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/kelly-berger When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be an artist’?

My affinity for viewing, studying, and making art is in my DNA. My mother, Judy Bert Frisk, is an accomplished watercolorist. Although I dabbled in art in high school and college, I passionately pursued a career in journalism and later public relations. All the while, I visually consumed art, painted occasionally and continued to study drawing when time availed. FInally, at a career crossroads several years ago, I had the profoundly fortunate opportunity to pursue painting full-time. My genetic attraction and need to create has caught up with me at last.

Who has been the greatest influence from your past to mentor you to this career?

As I’ve mentioned, my mother’s early influence was fundamental. The next key influence didn’t come until I was in my 30s; Louisiana artist Amy Dixon moved to the Denver area and we became close friends. She heard me whine for more than a decade about my desire to seriously pursue painting. After hearing this repeatedly and seeing that I had drawing skill, she advised that I “just shut up and get messy with paint already!”

Who is your mentor today, or another artist you admire and why?

If there is any credit for my progress, it is shared by Dixon (my early champion and guide), brilliant Denver artist Mark D. Nelson (with whom I continue to study), and my three nationally-noted partners at Denver’s decade-strong Brushstrokes Studio-Gallery (John K. Harrell, Kit Hevron Mahoney, and Anita Mosher).

What is your favorite surface to paint on? Describe it if you make it yourself.

I have generally favored stretched, primed canvas, but I’m tinkering lately with canvas-mounted boards and unprimed boards.

What brand of paints do you use?

I have largely painted with acrylic, both Golden and Liquidex. However, Mahoney and Mosher have persuaded me to revisit oil (variety of brands).

Do you have a favorite color palette?

My palette varies from piece-to-piece, but I am often drawn to the greens-red oranges-purples triad.

Read more at http://www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/kelly-berger

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artspan

FOCUS ON: Landscape Painting

Jane Hunt

www.janehuntart.com

David H. Taylor www.dhtaylor.com 23

LISA McKINNEY www.cfai.co/lisamckinney

Lisa-McKinney.com Lisa-McKinney.artistwebsites.com

David Forks TW

Dforks.blogspot.com

Wo pages Davidforks.com

mailto:dforks@gmail.com

Artspan? https://www.artspan.com/visual_language#.USzscuvwJvI

https://www.artspan.com/visual_language#.USzscuvwJvI

Jonelle T McCoy

Jonelle-T-Mccoy.artistwebsites.com

Oklahoma Contemporary Equine Artist

McCoysGaitedHorseArtWorks.blogspot.com

Hall Groat II

Time Square, NYC www.cfai.co/hallgroat

http://www.nyartguide.net/groatii/

Empire State B

Building,

American Fine Artist

Helmsley Building, Park Ave. NYC www.cfai.co/hallgroat

http://www.nyartguide.net/groatii/

VL

Beginning a Painting with an Im

by Hall Groat II

Professor and Chairperson, Art and Design Department, Broome Community College Hall Groat II Distant Learning Painting School, DVD Instruction Series http://www.nyartguide.net/dvds/

The Undertone: Simple Sketch and Basic Value Relationships The initial brush marks made on the canvas must suggest in simple terms the essence of the subject. One must learn to perceive the still life as a single mass, formed by a group of interconnected shapes, no matter how many objects are included within the composition. Oftentimes squinting with one’s eyes, barely open, will reduce the subject to simple light and dark patterns. Through letting just a little bit of light to enter one’s eyes the subject will appear as a simplified spot of value without detail. Study the particular contour of this single mass, in relation to the surrounding space— this is the essence of your subject. In the painting of the teapot with the peach and apricot (Plate10) carefully study the irregular shapes of background and foreground. The big spot of background negative space (or counter form) is as important as the still life objects themselves, and must be given equal consideration.

Plate 10

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Plate 11

mprimatura Using a large bristle brush, establish the basic composition and main value spots, including lowkey, middle value, high-key areas, with a transparent undertone of warm or cool neutral. With still life painting I either use a warm neutral, such as Raw Umber, or a cool neutral, consisting of Ultramarine Blue, Raw Umber and a touch of white. Combining warm umber with cool blue is not as bold looking as a pure umber undertone and often appears more ethereal and moody.

A good rule of thumb to follow is work with a cool neutral when painting a warm subject, and a warm neutral with a cool subject. Be creative and explore undertone variations to see how they interact with different subjects. In the painting of the bread and water (Plate 12) the warm umber and cool blue appear softer and vague, which works well for water.

Plate 12

Bread and Water #3 | 8x10 in. Oil on canvas | Hall Groat II

On occasions I will use the pile of muddy paint that is scraped up on my palette from the prior painting, instead of Raw Umber. During the course of a painting, I periodically scrape my glass palette with a standard glass scrapper and end up with a big pile of very dull, grayed paint. Depending on what colors I used before, this pile of mud will be either slightly warm or cool, and works well as an undertone for subjects that are lighter in value. You may either sketch the mass out with a bristle brush, using a transparent undertone and then thinly scumble the umber within the lines, or block it in with simple scumbles from the center outward to form the contour of the mass. Explore both approaches!

After the placement of the basic mass has been suggested, the individual objects may be softly defined at the points where they overlap and meet the tabletop. Thinly applied brushstrokes may be used to indicate the shadows of the forms, and cast shadows.

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VL White Teapot with Nectarine and Apricot | 8x10 in. Oil on canvas | Hall Groat II

Beginning a Painting with Hall Groat II

During this initial stage a paper towel can be used to wipe away back to the original white of the canvas or panel, and to also help with modeling form through smearing with the crumbled towel a transparent layer of paint over the surface. This is similar to the technique used to rub a broad tone of charcoal on to paper. You may need to attempt this technique several times before the composition and scale of the forms are the way in which you want them to look. ground may end up being more visually engaging than the symbolic meaning or story behind the subject. The undertone should also be used in the background to further define and adjust the contour of the forms (diagram 11). Notice how the handle on the teapot returns to the white of the canvas. Placing a small amount of linseed oil on to the paper towel helps remove the entire undertone when wiping away areas in order to define shapes. During your next painting session explore my approach to the imprimatura to see if it assists you in developing your work.

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Biggers Studio James Biggers

‘’SPRING TIME’’ 20’’x 30’’

OIL/LINEN

BiggersStudio.com

http://www.BonnieHamlin.com

LindaReedy.com

Linda Reedy LindaReedy.Blogspot.com

VL

Rites of Spring at Du

Juried Show Dallas, Texas - R

Dutch Art Gallery of Dallas, joined together with the Artists of Texas for the first annual Rites of Spring Juried Show. Entries were acccepted over a six week period and seventy artists from around the world submitted paintings to the competition.

The show was juried by Dr Billie Bauman and Hall Groat II. Juror Billie Diane Bauman has owned Earthworks Art Gallery and Studio in New York for ten years. She has traveled extensively exploring different cultures and their expression of life through the works of art. Her credentials include two BS Degrees in Education, along with a Masters in Special Education and a PhD in Education with an emphasis on Critical Thinking. She is an accomplished hot glass and flat glass worker. She has studied at the Corning Glass Museum Studio and has taken intensive Hot Glass Courses from RIT. Her work has been shown and sold at the Corning Museum Gallery. Billie has served as a juror in regional shows.

Juror Hall Groat II - Professor and Chair of the Art and Design department at Broome Community College, teaches foundation courses in painting, drawing, and computer graphics. Groat earned a master of fine arts degree in painting and drawing from City University of New York at Brooklyn, a bachelor of arts in art history, minoring in studio art at Binghamton University, and attended graduate and certificate programs at Buffalo State College, Syracuse University, and Savannah College of Art and Design.

Groat has had one-person exhibitions at Everson Museum of Art, Roberson Museum of Art, Finger Lakes Community College, Cazenovia College, Jasper Rand Art Museum, Lemoyne College, Wadsworth Athenaeum Museum of Art, and Washington and Jefferson College, and has participated in dozens of group shows throughout the United States. His work is included in private and public collections internationally, including Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones, Clear Channel Communications, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Cellular One, House and Garden, LTD., Sheraton Hotel Corporation, Binghamton University, Everson Museum of Art, Munson-Williams Proctor Institute of Art, The State University of New York system, Roberson Museum and Science Center and Washington Jefferson College.

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1st Plac

utch Art Gallery

Reception April 6, 2013

24 Carrot

ce: Judy Crowe “Wine and Lavendar, Provence in the Springtime” Oil on Canvas

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Rites of Spring at Du Juried Show Dallas, Texas

Suzie Baker “ Youth” 18 x 28 Oil on Canvas

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2nd Place:Cheng Lian “ Shoton Festival” 30 x 24 Oil on Canvas 41

utch Art Gallery “The Rites of Spring presents a diverse cross-section of contemporary fine art painting. The work ranges from ‘En Plein Air’ explorations of nature’s universal beauty to mystical figurative narrations that will indeed engage the viewer on many levels. The work is expressive, uninhibited, hones and communicates clearly through the medium of digitized RGB color the worldwide web provides. It will be fascinating to witness over time the written dialogues evolve in repsone to the work within the virtual forum, and read people’s interpretations from Different cultures.” Hall Groat II

3rd Place: Suzie Baker “ Youth” 18 x 28 Oil on Canvas

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Ann Hoffpauir - Barbara Jones - Barbara Mason - Beth Van Deventer - Bob Shepard -C Donna Page - Dyan Newton - Elaine Monnig - Hebe Brooks - Jan Waldron - Janna Jill Randall - Judy Crowe - Kay Reinke - Kay Wyne - Krystal Brown - Laura An Linda Reedy - Liz Hill - M. Allison - Margaret Bailey - Marilyn Brumley - Maureen Mike Schroeder - Nancy Medina - Nina Walker - Pamela Blaies - Pat Meyer - Patsy Susan Bell - Susan Temple Neumann - Suzie Baker - Theresa Bayer - Ti

Cheng Lian - Cheri Homaee Hengy - Jimmy Longacre ntony - Leonora Volpe n Seeba - Melinda Patrick y Walton - Rebecca Zook ina Bohlman

The Additional 47 Paintings Accepted to The Rites of Spring Reception April 6th 11-4 Meet the Artist

Dutch Art Gallery

10233 East Northwest Highway Suite 420 Dallas, Texas 75238

Rebecca Zook

Dawn Wat

ters Baker

Dawn Maron

dawnmaron.artspan.com

The Seasons of Life

Still Lifes, Portraits and Other Works DawnMaron.artspan.com

Vanessa Katz Contemporary Abstract Artist

Blossom 22 x 26�

A Feast for the Senses VanessaKatzArt.com

Fallen Leaf Lake

Kristine Byars KristineByars.com

Knife your way through Landscapes, Still Life, Animals and more.

Class for beginning, intermediate and advanced painters.

Classes held at Dutch Art Gallery in Dallas, Texas Class Size Limited $269

APRIL 2013 Two day Palette Knife Demonstration and Class.

Beginners Welcome - for all levels: Friday 4/26 and Saturday 4/27 For Class Description and Supply List: http://artistsoftexas.org/pacebeg2013.pdf AUGUST 2013 Two day Palette Knife Equine Demonstration and Class.

Mid to Advanced artists: Friday 8/2 and Saturday 8/3 For Class Description and Supply List: http://artistsoftexas.org/paceadv2013.pdf

Contact Pam Massar at Dutch Art to reserve your space.

Register online: http://dutchartgallery.net/ mail-

Palette Knife Workshops

Laurie Justus Pace

ellepace.com lauriepace.blogspot.com

VL

Studio Visit Steven

n DaLuz

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Studio Visit Steven DaLuz

I am most interested in imagery that evokes a “feeling” within the viewer--whether figurative or non-objective, even if the viewer connects for only a brief moment. While I like intellectual stimulation in a work, I am more concerned with emotionally evocative work that sparks the imagination. I aim for this usually with properties of ethereal light, elements of mystery, and the sublime. Entwining images of light, serenity, and calm against darkness, tumult, and chaos is what I like best. It presents a kind of metaphor for life’s journey. Lately, I think spirituality has crept into my work. Not religious, per se, but a kind of subconscious “yearning”. I don’t fight it.

For me, the pure beauty and power of art need not explain anything. The raw image alone can be enough to pose questions and ignite the viewer’s imagination.

Beacon Black Lake 41

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StevenDaLuz.com

z

StevenDaLuz.com Threshold

I am equally interested in abstraction and figuration, so I embrace it. It is simply how my brain is wired. Most of my “abstractions” are only partially abstract, in that they refer to something real or that could be real. I like to create the “idea” of a place, whether steeped in reference to landscape, or to celestial forms. As I paint these, I am transported to another realm in my mind. Because they are entirely from my imagination, I just allude to the notion of some environment that may allow the viewer to bring up a memory of someplace they have been, or would like to be. They have a vague recollection, but the place is not literal. The ethereal properties of light suggest a source that can be otherworldly. Light has the ability to reveal...and the capacity to blind. Is it the sun? Is it from within? Is it beyond? I leave that for the viewer to decide. By creating voids and vaporous depictions, I increase the likelihood the viewer will complete the picture for themselves. In synthesizing the figure into some of these works, I engage my passion for painting the figure...but, I also believe that because we are humans, we relate to the figure. If I disguise features, or obscure identity, I allow the form to become more universal. In doing this, I hope the viewer can relate to the figure and imagine themselves in such a setting.

Studio Visit S Steven DaLuz

Mythos

I find myself thinking about matters that go beyond our understanding of this physical realm. Even the w some unconscious, spiritual component to it. The longer I live, the more I have come to believe that every is connected. I can barely begin to fathom the great depths of the mysteries the cosmos offers, yet we are a are more than this physical “shell” that is our corporeal body. The idea of a “one-ness” between humankin become something of a fascination for me. I do not try to supply any “answers” to life’s big questions with to visually express some of my thoughts and feelings to hopefully engage the viewer’s ideation. I think the ing” that we have, as humans, to know that we are not alone in this vast plane of existence. I try to pull th to reveal just a glimpse of something that could be. But, that is the beauty of art. It has the potential to m

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stevendaluz.com

Steven DaLuz

work I create now has ything in the universe a part of it. I believe we nd and the universe has h my work...I simply try ere is a kind of “yearnhe veil back just a little make our spirits soar.

stevendaluz.com

Becoming

StevenDaluz.com

Studio Visit Steven DaLuz

Descent 63

stevendaluz.com

Siren Song

Born in Hanford, California, Steve’s art studies were interrupted by a decision to serve as a medic during the Vietnam War era after just one semester at San Antonio College. While serving in the Air Force, he completed a BA degree in Social Psychology, and an MA degree in Management. Throughout, he remained devoted to making art in his free time. After living 13 years in other countries, DaLuz retired from the Air Force, and re-engaged his lifelong passion for art by resuming studies at San Antonio College, where he completed an AAS in Graphic Design, followed by a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in 2003, with a concentration in painting from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

His paintings and drawings have been featured in art publications such as; American Art Collector, Fine Art Connoisseur, Poets and Artists, and Strokes of Genius 3: The Best of Drawing. His work is represented by AnArte Gallery in San Antonio, TX; Laura Rathe Fine Art in Houston and Dallas; and The Marshall | LeKAE Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ. Website: www.stevendaluz.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/daluz.art 64

Diana Cochran

Egyptian Prince

Into the Light

The Old Sire

SaphyreArabianArt.com

SHERI JONES

El Tesoro Path 11x14 oil on canvas

www.sheriart.net www.sheriart.blogspot.com

conni togel

sheep incognito

www.charisma-art.com

artspan

Over Fields and M

Annette Conniff “Field Fence Line” Pastel

Fields and meadows are clearly popular subjects in Plein Air painting. This branch of landscape painting has enjoyed a renewed popularity in the last twenty years, as many artists have devoted themselves to working almost exclusiverly en plein air.

Here we look at four talented Artspan artists who work primarily in pastels, and ask them what it is about working en plein air that so inspires them.

Donna Cusano, whose impressionist style is well suited to that of the original Plein Air artists, loves the challenge of racing against the changing light. “The practice of working on location has made me a stronger painter not only in my physical skills (brushwork, color mixing, etc.), but mental skills as well.” she says. “I see the structure of the landscape more quickly, my editing skills are keen, and I now apply these heightened skills to all of my paintings, whether I am working on a portrait, and abstract, still life, or landscape.”

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Meadows by Sarah Hucal Cusano, who shows widely and has won many awards for her highly-expressive landscape pastel works, chose the medium for ability to keep the painting process immediate and simple. Inspired during a painting trip along the West Coast of Ireland, Under an Irish Sky, was the result of Cusano’s fascination with the vast expanse and the rapidly shifting cloud patterns above. When asked what she particularly liked about portraying fields and meadows, the artist explained, “fields represent a space and time to just be quiet, to take a long, slow breath and reconnect with stillness.

While some look at a field and see the minutia of individual grasses, flowers, and other growth, I try to see the nothingness of it. I enjoy the process of editing the muchness down to simple shape patters and color relationships.”

Donna Cusano “Under Irish Sky” Pastel

artspan

Annette Coniff “Meadow” Pastel

Like Cusano, Baltimore-based Plein Air artist Annette Conniff, loves the challenge of working in the open air. “Nature is a task master,” she says, “and the best teacher for me as a landscape artist.” Like many Plein Air artists, Conniff enjoys finding the perfect light. “I like to paint fast and capture the scene in less than two hours before the light changes too much” she explains. As for her use of pastels? “Pastels are the perfect medium for my ‘alla prima’ style because of their pure color,” Conniff explains, “and the fact that I can apply in all sorts of strokes: wide, thin, heavy and light.”

She enjoys painting fields and meadows for their texture, which she describes as “constantly changing as crops are planted, harvested and rotated during all seasons. It’s never the same, yet familiar.” Meadow, was painted on location at a friend’s farm, where she still recalls the ambiance.

“I painted Meadow on an overcast, humid summer morning. The light was soft and even, keeping the colors muted with a nice pop of white from the Queen Anne’s lace among the meadow grasses.”

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New Zealand artist Tony Allain finds pastels the perfect medium for his bold landscape works.

Allain, a dedicated pastel artist whose work has been featured in Pastel Journal, among other publications, explains: “as an impatient painter I find working with soft pastels a joy. No color mixing.

No drying time. No turps or water to worry about, but best of all, no brush cleaning!”

In terms of Plein Air practice, Allain, like Cusano and Conniff enjoys the race against the sun. “To work on location tests the artist on quick decision making and color selection,” he says “but most of all, the freshness and spontaneity of producing work within a limited time frame.” Allain’s bold work, Towards Lihou Island, Guernsey was painted on location and shown in an exhibition of Plein Air works in the artist’s home town.

Tony Allain “Lihou Island” Pastel

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Jim Morgan “Line Trail Gap” Pastel

Of the four artists, North Carolinian Jim Morgan takes the most minimal approach to painting with pastels. Morgan enjoys working en plein air for its ability to “improve the hand and eye, as well as one’s consciousness of ‘location, light, color and shape.” The artist, who has given both group and solo shows across the U.S., began working in pastels for their versatility and ease. “Sometimes pastels are the fastestway to get what’s in your head onto paper” he expounds.

Morgan’s piece Line Trail Gap is a perfect example of the artist’s fascination with the graphic nature of a horizon. “Where the land meets sky has always held a great interest for me, and I don’t seem to tire of it” says the artist. The location, which is part of Davidson College campus, is one of a handful that Morgan returns to frequently.

“Once I find a location that interests me,” he explains “it can keep me busy for years.”

Although these four artists have vastly different approaches to landscape painting, they are united in their passion for working en plein air.

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Logan Bauer www.loganbauer.com

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Studio Visit Photographe Denise Bossarte

Photography is a contemplative practice for me. I use my photography to learn to synchronize my eye and mind and to be mindful of the present moment without thinking or judging. When I am simply observing the present moment where I find myself, I am able to discover and capture the magic of the ordinary world. As Dorthea Lange so aptly stated, “A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.�

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Denise Bossarte

Foundworlds.com

Whether it is landscapes on the grand scale of canyons or landscapes on the small scale of a single leaf, my photography is a way of dissolving my preconceptions, my expectations, myself, so that the world can reach me through my camera. Then I can see and photograph things in a way that shares that experience of magic and beauty with others.

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KatherineMinott.com

A Fire Katherine Minott Foundworlds.com

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Denise Bossarte

Foundworlds.com

El Embajador de Mexico Katherine Minott Totem for the Boneyard Katherine Minott

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www.cfai.co/denisebossarte/ http://denise-bossarte.artistwebsites.com/

FoundWorlds.com

Robert Ferg

American Impressionist Robert ferguson

guson

“My style of painting is called impressionist realism. From a distance they are highly realistic as is the case with classic impressionism.

My paintings are windows to a place in time. 200 years from now I want people to view my works and experience what I experienced while creating them. The materials I use are archival quality for longevity. I work only from life. I do not use photographs or slides. My plein air studies of which I have done over 1000 are from Europe and the Western United States.

Artists that have influenced my work are Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Paul Cezanne, Edgar Payne, Maurice Braun, John Singer Sargent and William Merritt Chase. My paintings are hanging in collections with several of these artists�.

FergusonFineArt.com

email: rferguson@fergusonart.com website: fergusonart.com PHONE: 858 705 0814

Debra Hurd

debrahurd.com

DebraHurd.com debrahurd.com

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Gallery Visit with Bru

Denver’s beloved Brushstrokes Studio-Gallery recently move newly revitalized South Broadway “Antique Row.” In doing er and show their art in a welcoming, casual environment.

Founded by nationally noted artists John K. Harrell, Kit Hev group more than a year ago. The group has been categorized in the nation.

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ushstrokes-Studio Gallery

ed from its 10-year old home on a historic neighborhood retail block to the so, the four owner/artists have renewed their commitment to paint togeth-

vron Mahoney and Anita Mosher, the trio welcomed Kelly Berger to the d by veterans of the gallery business as one of the best artist-owned galleries

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John Harrell “Falls Last St

John Harrell at work at Brushstrokes Gallery and Studio

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Anita Mosher ‘The Right

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Anita Mosher at Brushstrokes Gallery and Studio

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Visit with Brushstrokes Galle

Kit Hevron Mahoney painting at work at Brushstrokes Gallery and Studio

What’s their secret to success?

A mixture of different personalities that celebrate their differences and similarities making a collaborative environment for creative expression, a shared commitment to the business, a love of direct-contact with art buyers, and a upbeat outlook on life and art in general. Each artist brings their individual strengths to the group creating a sum that is greater than its parts.

Housed in a gorgeous turn-of-the-century Victorian storefront, the Brushstrokes artists are taking their art to new heights. A grand opening show is slated for Saturday, April 20.

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For more information, go to www.brushstrokesstudio.com

ery and Studio

Kit Hevron Mahoney “Then and Now”

Kelly Berger “Sliced Light”

Kelly Berger painting at work at Brushstrokes Gallery and Studio

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Studio Visit with Cat

thy Leaycraft

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I am on my knees in a bed of decaying twigs and leaves. The ground compresses under the weight of my body. My camera dangles from my neck, swinging back and forth like a pendulum as I maneuver myself into position.

I have chosen a spot in the shade behind a large tree. Here I can set up my “still life” of reflective glass without capturing my neighbor’s chain link fence. I have been photographing landscape using this technique for many years now. I am still amazed at the natural beauty that reaches my camera’s sensor. Every shoot brings me a new vision.

I squat and lean; I looking through the viewfinder at the layers of reflection that shift as my body movies. The shutter clicks as I capture a composition, and move on to find and capture another.

After an hour or two of looking, arranging, and photographing I collect my props and return home to download.

The new images seem magical as they appear on my screen. I search through the new files for the image that speaks to me, the one that transmits the essence of the objects I had been surrounded by.

When I find it, there is joy.

-Cathy Leaycraft

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Studio Visit with Cathy Leaycraft

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Studio Visit with Cathy Leaycraft

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Gabriele Bitter

Contemporary Artist

GabrieleBitter.com

The Evocative Landscape

“Last Kiss� Oil on Canvas 24 x 30

Mark Nesmith MarkNesmith.com

Laurel Cla

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ARTSPAN Artist Spotlight

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Carol Tippit Wo

What is your favorite way to get your craetive juices going? Every morning I take a brisk walk around the Brandywine Creek with my dog, Bridget. The natural beauty of the area, and all of its wildlife, helps to focus my ever chattering brain.

When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be an artist? I’ve always loved to draw, as long as I can remember. One Christmas my grandma sent my sister and me (I must have been 8 or 9) oil paint-by-numbers kits...and that first whiff of linseed oil was the clincher. I LOVED IT! Who has been your mentor, or greatest influence to date? My greatest influence would be Priscilla Bender Shore. Art in my family consisted of a painting from Woolworth’s. I babysat for Priscilla, who lived across the street. Her paintings were incredible, like nothing I’d ever seen before, and her studio was an integral part of her home. I’d spend hours contemplating each painting, determined to paint like her some day. In fact, she did swimming pool paintings, and a few years ago, as an homage to her, I did some myself. I visited her website later and there were her bathers...nothing like my memory! But they were just as wonderful.

Who is another living artist you admire and why? Brad Wright. I’m not sure if he still paints, but about 30 years ago in Santa Barbara, when I had a studio there, he took me under his wing, forced me to unlearn all the academic stuff I’d learned in school, and introduced me to a color palette I’ve used ever since. His work is a complex layering of color and texture, much more abstract than my work, but filled with so much life and emotion. An endless adventure to enjoy.

What is your favorite surface to paint on? Right now I love to paint on gessoed bristol. It creates such a hard surface that the colors sit on top of and remains brilliant. I take a piece of bristol, the thickest I can find, then gesso 3 layers, sanding down each layer before applying the next one.

What is your favorite brand of paints to use? Maimeri Puro from Italy. They are very pigmented...brilliant colors.

Do you have a favorite color palette? I’m not sure if you mean the physical palette...of which I use a grey and glass. Or color, which is the palette of colors I learned from Brad Wright. 12 colors hand mixed, with a couple of other colors (cad yellow med, turquoise, cobalt violet, quinacrodine red, naples yellow, thrown in to mix things up. This palette is based on complementary colors, light to dark, dark to light.

What is your favorite color in your closet? A very tough question! I love color so much, but oddly enough black is the dominant color...green a close second.

You seem to paint a lot of landscapes. What prompted this?

I travel to France a lot and have fallen in love with the graphic fields and towns, and the magnificent plane trees that line the roads and village streets. When not in France, which is most of the time, Lancaster County, PA, is a good alternative. The silos remind me of castle turrets, and the the fields are just as beautiful. In fact I’ve learned to appreciate Lancaster County after France, realizing beauty is truly everywhere.

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caroltippitwoolworth.com/

oolworth

Contemporary Fine Artist

How often do you paint? how many times a week? I try to paint everyday at least for 30 minutes which then turns into a longer stint. If I can’t paint I at least do something that has to do with art to move me forward. 20 hours a week seems a good average.

What is the one thing you would like to be remembered for. Color.

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? Oh goodness. Where do I start? I’d say self-doubt. My inner voice is always questioning myself...who do I think I am trying to be an artist? Whose going to like this? You don’t know anything...blah blah blah How do you overcome these obstacles? Reading about other artists has helped. Almost all of them go through a period while painting when that fear of failure pops up. Also, I just force myself through. I’ve come to realize there are no bad paintings. They can always be fixed, nothing’s etched in stone. The beauty of oils is that the more layers you lay down the more interesting the final piece, so all those mistakes just go into the process of finding the way to a successful painting.

What are your inspirations for your work? The incredible world around me!

Which work of yours is your favorite? Right now it would be my Large Vessel Painting. It’s from my latest series of Vessel Paintings which is a play on Native American pottery vs my own personal journey.

caroltippitwoolworth.com/

ARTSPAN Artist Spotlight

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Carol Tippit Wo

Aix-en-Provence 9x12 oil on paper caroltippitwoolworth.com/ 103

oolworth

Contemporary Fine Artist caroltippitwoolworth.com/

Up Close and Personal What book are you reading this week? Women In Love by DH Lawrence Do you have a favorite televion show? The Spiral (French detective series).

What is your favorite food? I love food in general! But if I must choose something I guess I’d have to say...um...the exotic flavors of Indian cuisine.

What color sheets are on your bed right now? Dark grey What are you most proud of in your life? My life! I’ve had such wonderful things happen, have met incredible people, traveled to fascinating places, and been handed opportunities that have constantly moved me forward. The sum of my life to date would be what I am most proud of.

Who would you love to interview? Nicolas de Stael. He managed to create paintings of landscapes, figures, still lifes, honed to the simplest of shapes. And he had a rather hard time of it...

Do you have a passion or hobby other than painting? What is it? Cooking. I love being in the kitchen, turning a bag full of groceries into something delicious...an alchemy of sorts!

Who would you love to paint? Umm, Albert Einstein. What a face! And what an engaging person to have sitting there while I was painting.

If you were an animal what would you be and why? A welsh corgi. I have one and we’re just the same! Bossy. Curious. Playful. And a bit shy. Loves to eat.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take three things, what would they be? A knife. I could use it to get food, carve designs into rocks and cliffs, whittle animals from driftwood, draw in the sand. Complete works of Shakespeare. It would take me a lifetime to read through the tome. And the beauty of the language and images, the diversity of comedies and tragedies and sonnets, never a dull moment...and perhaps even memorize some things.

My corgi, Bridget, for company and amusement.

Share something with us that few people know about you. I’m a worry wort! I worry about everthing! And tend to think

the world is coming to an end.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? South of France

ARTSPAN Artist Spotlight

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Dordogne Spring 2005 36x32 Oil on Linen

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Carol Tippit Wo

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Contemporary Fine Artist

Luberon Valley 6 x 8 Oil on Paper

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Edward A. Reep, A life in form and figure.

By Barry W. Scharf

Soldier’s bath Ed Reep was renowned for his contribution as a World War II artist. His watercolors, pen and ink drawings and sketches communicated the conditions of life on the battlefield and he did so through the eyes of a passionate man with clear vision. In 1988, he chronicled his war years writing A Combat Artist in World War II. In1970 Ed arrived in Greenville, North Carolina, as Artist in Residence at East Carolina University.

His book “The Content of Watercolor” published in 1969 was getting great reviews from the art world. The first class he taught was to standing room only. By way of introduction, he told a story of his adventures as a painter and the time he worked for Walt Disney. Ed loved to tell stories and did so with humility and an animated energetic delivery that was exciting to watch and hear. As he spoke, the words painted images, and the room fell silent.

Over the years at E.C.U., Ed Reep taught the magic of great composition, tools of painting, chemistry of color and viscosity of paint flow. He was committed to his students in the classroom and after school allowed some into his studio. Ed was generous, patient and giving of his knowledge. He taught the proper way of building and stretching canvas, how to see the world with different eyes, how to think and process creatively, and most of all, how to live an honorable life as a passionate artist.

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Idiot’s Garden 1972 During his time in Greenville, the US Government had finely come through a yearlong process and commissioned Ed to do a series of works on the Berlin Wall. These were large paintings dynamic in design and meaning. One particularly stands out in memory; Idiot’s Garden 1972, was a large painting, the right side of the image had varying shades of red sand umbers laid upon shadowed buildings in a blue alleyway, jagged lines of broken and translucent glass line the crest of one wall. A second wall topped with large bent rebar and wrapped in barbed wire so large it could kill you, brushwork so sharp it could cut you just to look at it.

On the left side of the painting, a guard tower searchlight shines brilliantly over the wall, looking for anyone that might be brave enough to try for freedom. This beam of light illuminates strong angular shapes in sharp contrast, backed by a red sky driving the oppressive theme home.

Die Mauer Muss Fallen 1972

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Die Mauer Muss Fallen, painted in shades of red, shows a church cruelly blocked from the western entrance by a high wall topped with shards of broken glass. Several stained glass windows are smashed and missing.

An unearthly light-post is bolted to the church wall. Above and behind stands a mournful statue of Christ looking down upon the scene with the painting’s title written as graffiti.

Ed Reep was a master draftsman.

He drew accurate interpretations of form, space and vision tempered through the eyes of artistic license.

His practice included drawing from the figure and he did so religiously.

The figure drawing Mish 1970, is an example of his sense of line and form.

The line meanders effortlessly over the page hugging a curvaceous body, opening and closing so the eye can see form from inside and outside the figure. The head is the focal point accented with detail and color.

Mish 1970

Perpetuity 1976 111

Ed’s interpretation of the figure was not limited to drawing. He did many large-scale oil paintings.

The 1976, painting Perpetuity is one such canvas. We see how he weaved the figure into a complex structure of abstract forms. Even though the negative space is colorful and multifaceted, it does not dominate the paleness of the beautiful figure seated in the foreground. The face and hand elements hold detail and the pale skin stands out, broken only by the fragmented lines that tie the composition together.

Flower Nude #1 1978

Flower Nude #2 1978

In 1978, Flower Nude #1 and 2 continue the figure oil series. In #1, we see a beautiful girl looking off, as though lost in a pleasurable memory. The red scarf on her head directs the viewer to her face. The strong geometric bricks that overlay the canvas evoke question. Is this a reflection in a mirror or are they tiles on a wall? The cool blue spectrum pushes the warmer figure forward and the slight distortion suggests that she is somehow defused leaving much for the viewer to contemplate.

In #2, we see a view of the figure that appears to be balanced on a stalk of transparent flowers. The nude has her back to us allowing the image to move from the simplicity of a descriptive line on the right to the complex detail of flowers and then into her head in the upper left of the canvas.

When Ed retired from teaching, he moved to Bakersfield, California. He built a studio behind his small home and spent his remaining years there painting watercolor images. He illustrated Japanese Haiku poems as only Ed could see them. He created visual color fields that could make your mouth water.

Subject matter in Ed’s hands always came out looking better then the reality. His design sense was shockingly impeccable, and often gave even the most immature viewer an insight to a deeper meaning within the image. Ed was a visual poet and a master of color and line. He was a maverick in his view of the world. Through his paintings, he was capable of exposing injustice and evil where he saw it. All this Ed easily surpassed by an uncanny ability to see and express beauty with the same brilliance.

Ed often penned written letters. Aug. 20 1975: He wrote, “My painting is better then ever, and I have produced more this past year then ever in my life. This year I did no teaching in the summer at all- a new record for me. For even on my other summers off (Chouinard Art Institute sabbaticals) I carried a private class plus a scholarship class to make ends meet. So this has been a banner year, full of production and excellent sales.”

“I have been using stencils, freshets and cheap paint of late. I must keep plugging… NEVER STOP PRODUCING. You make things happen as an artist and it takes a hell-ova lot of perseverance.”

Sept. 8 1976: …“ I had a wonderful summer in Spain. The Gaudi architecture in Barcelona is magnificent! I am sure it will influence my new work. I used to build and literally “carve” my own frames at first. I bought one easel on time payments, as well as my Stanley-Marsh Framer! My advice is to any young artist, keep producing new work. Something always happens when you force it to happen!”

May 31, 1977: …“Life is rather difficult, especially when you wish to do something other then make a “killing”. Lord knows art is a luxury. Still if one wishes to be an artist badly enough, he/she will indeed become one. I mean, like a little shrub one prays for it to grow and spread out a bit. Believe it or not, the day arrives when you have to invest in pruning shears.”

Oct. 29, 1977: “Yesterday I got a painting going after several days of indecision (this is customary when I am between series), and it feels good to smell the turpentine, and be functioning again.

How does one avoid thinking of interruptions, especially those that prevent one from carrying out desired missions or simply continuing daily routines like painting”?

Aug. 20 1979: “Be very careful about two things in drawing namely: 1. Try to resolve the total gesture of the figure or animal you are drawing. 2. Pay great attention to the structure of head neck and shoulders. By this I mean, try to account for the head-brain case, neck- cylinder, Chest or rib cage, pelvis, etc. It will help!”

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Fallen Idol 1989 In 1989, Ed revisited the nude in a watercolor entitled Fallen Idol. We see a statuesque form toppled. It appears forlorn. The geometric complexity of cool colors appears to be absorbing the figure. Above, warm yellows and reds pull us into an implied depth of field. The Idol is caught, absorbed by the forces above and below.

In 1989, the provocative watercolor Time Was (left image) shows a surrealistic style clock with floating hands. Here Ed’s knowledge of architecture and objects dominates. One wonders about the meaning. The hands are set to 20 minutes to twelve. Has the clock stopped? The title might be a clue and may indicate memories of the past.

Ed painted Kiowa War Bonnet (below) in 1993.

This watercolor shows his love for the complexity of object as figure. Inspired by the feathery headdress, we see floating against a grey liquid background. The balance of warm and cool colors creates a complementary color-field. The feathers gesture as if moved by the wind.

May 24 1994: “My show has been up (mounted) and down. Only four pieces sold, but two were for good prices. I can’t say that the market is up as yet and I’m not certain what I am going to do with my inventory, but my concern is similar to most artists who, at an advanced age find their work crowding in on them.”

Time Was 1989

Kiowa War Bonnet 1993 115

In 1994, Ed continues his exploration of architecture as figure. Argus, (image below) appears to be a classic Victorian home diminished and compressed into a façade, painted with clear detail to the filigree and columns. The building appears to be floating on a cloud, attached to the frame only by a stair and an old branch. One gets the feeling that we have lost track of time and place. Here before us is a sanctuary, a place for us to take refuge from the surrounding nothingness.

June 1, 1995: “I am enjoying my painting it is oddly precise even as my hand shakes due to tremors. One would think that I would accordingly swing paint or paint wildly but that just is not so. Strange, no pressure to show or succeed—what a load to get off my back, that business of preserving or continuing or caring about one’s reputation. I tired of the art grind long ago, and whether or not you know this I detested the arty – exhibition world—especially the nuts that gather at such affairs.

Later in the year, we will go to New Orleans to teach a workshop, San Antonio to jury a show, Ohio for another workshop, and North Carolina for vacation. Add to that I have been invited to Washington D.C. in celebration of an affair “Eye Witness to History”, the War Artists of WWII. Fifty years later and the celebrations are still going on.”

Argus 1994 Feb. 24 1996: “Painted all week (Hah!), that means two or three days. In between painting I garden or golf, albeit each endeavor wears me out. Nevertheless, physical exhaustion is something I enjoy, notably when accompanied by seeing something develop, grow or build. I love the outdoors, despite the fact that I detest camping, sleeping bags, fishing or hunting.”

In 1997, Ed painted the Parade. This colorful image transports us back to childhood where we can see only the top half of the goings on. The characters on poles seem to be dancing by and we can hear the band playing! This watercolor touches a joyous nerve. Ribbons move rhythmically on the poles. The American flag and buildings suggest we are in small town USA. There is so much here to look at and enjoy.

Jan. 18, 2001: “From what I can observe, artists, have one thing, one very positive thing going for them.

They are, as a bunch, able to cope with old age a bit more easily then many others. Our sense of humor, our ability to look in the mirror and get a laugh, our interest in everything (at least a visual interest— color, shape, size, scale, old/new et al.) amuses us. However, whereas I always ran around with younger people, friends or colleagues, I now prefer those folks my age. It seems that only an elderly person understands another elderly person. Ugh! Today I must start a new painting. I have grown tired of working on the one I just completed – yet could fuss about and continue to revise or add or remove areas, not to mention altering and changing colors. Sometimes it pays to let an image alone and come back to it later.”

May 24, 2001: “Today I painted and finished an image, totally non-figurative and attractive. When I paint notably in these past few years, I might “play” with the painting for weeks—changing colors through the benefit of all sorts of corrective process. For example, black gesso (and white gesso, although this has little hiding power); allow me to alter any painting and especially when I make technical mistake. Today, if I spent these few hours of fever painting, I also used about three hours to correct errors.

The “Golden Years” are a myth! Celebrate and enjoy every facet of life while you can. For what this life is worth, we can only do the best we can.and little more. I might add that in another age or circumstance, we (artists) might have a greater chance to do more. Alas, most of us spend so much time keeping food on the table without much help from anyone; we lose precious creative hours by the score.

I am not satisfied but grateful that I found a way to keep painting. I doubt if I would paint any better if subsidized, but I could have done many more works. At one point, I would have enjoyed doing massive graphic murals for architectural edifice. Yet, this may be just a dream. What did they call them “Super Graphics”?

Look for the American Artist Summer Issue (2001) I have quite a spread in it and in an effective way it will reveal the direction in which my work is going.

Feb. 16, 2003: “ Just got back to painting—about a day or two to ago on the first image in over 8 months. Thus, I celebrated by coming own with a cold.

Now if I only had a good idea. My recent painting has four water bugs in it. All is well .”

March 22, 2003: “Having down times happens when you are an artist in America and you must come to expect it! Now I am not lecturing, nor do I have any great amount of information on how “artists” operate in the art world---I never could. Even so, the only way out is to create, paint, sculpt, and do a series of things you like. Then plan your next step. Talk to other artists you know or visit the galleries with images of your new work. Something good will happen, it always does when you do good work first.”

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Parade 1997 Sept. 12, 2003: “Perhaps the proudest moment of my life was when I was told I had won a Guggenheim Fellowship. Suddenly the opportunity to become an artist lay before me and I accepted the challenge eagerly. A product of the Great Depression as well as World War II, I simply tore into a career that has endured throughout my life.

Oct. 30, 2006: Nothing new… everything is old. I am imprisoned in my inactive studio. Still we dream ourselves fortunate especially to live in a free country and to have one another. With all artists, if the work is going well that’s important. Oh when will man become civilized?

Sept 13, 2007: First, my bumper sticker reads “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH VOTE DEMOCRATIC”. I don’t write much anymore. You will discover (as only a person can) when you are almost 90 or there about, there are countless things one cannot (or does not wish to) do. Just reaching this age is a milestone.

“Since I can no longer pontificate, and since I can no longer advise anyone in or about art. I will end with love to you all, (Signed with a flourish) Ed Reep.

Ed passed away in the last week of February 2013. He is a National Treasure.

Barry W. Scharf

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Best of Show Vertigo Rita Cirillo www.ritacirillo.com

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http://www.cfai.co/art-challenge-march-2013-places-i-have-been/

ces I Have Been� March 2013

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First Place Piazza Carmen Beecher

Second Place Mom and Daughter-Haiti Susan Kemnitz

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CFAI.co April Art Challenge - $100 Cash Prize!

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Enter now www.cfai.co/art-challenge Melody Cleary

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Third Place Adobe Big Bend National Park Tina Bohlman www.tinabohlman.com

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Diane Whitehead

Lost Maples 16 x 20 Oil

DianeWhitehead.com Sheep Incognito

Baaandits

Conni Togel Charisma-Art.com

Mary Jo Zorad ZoradArt.com

Debbie Gray

NoworNever-Debbie.blogspot.com DebbieLincoln.com

yson Lincoln

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Kit Hevron Mahoney http://brushstrokesstudio.com

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Plein Air Artist Spotlight

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Niki Gulley

Plein Air Artist Spotlight

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Pouring Color

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Conrad Coastal Collections, Original Pain

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r into Your Life

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Spring 2013 Juried Show - “The Tapestry of Life� - Open to Artists Worldwide $500 in total cash prizes Open to all visual artists Enter today! www.cfai.co/juried-shows

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THE COLORS OF TEXAS

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Artists Retreat at t

Art Workshop Sc

Lodging is available on a first come, first serve basis. There is additional hotels and motels in nearby Marble Lunches are prepared for you and in the evneings, everyone brings food to share along with a favorite bottle for over eight generations and is today an active cattle ranch.

LIZ HILL

Drawing and painting the figure in mixed media May 9-11 $350

TOM LYNCH

Watercolor/ Studio May 20-23 $575

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.

http://www.wenmohsranch.com/Art%20Classes.htm

BO

O O $3

S RANCH

the Bunkhouse

chedule for 2013

e Falls. Our aim is to make you happy and see to it that you have your best learning experience ever. e of wine. Life is truly good at Wenmohs Ranch. The Texas Ranch has been in the Wenmoh family

OB ROHM

Oils, Pastels/ Plein Air October 25-27 360

DON SAHLI

Oils/ Studio/ Plein air 2 days of each November 4-7 $595

See you at the Bunkhouse!

Dena Wenmoh

http://www.wenmohsranch.com/Art%20Classes.htm

146

CFAI.co Collectors http://www.cfai.co/gallery/art-under-200/

Dottie Martz

Carol Schiff

http://www.cfai.co/carolschiff

Maria Kitano Tatiana Roulin 147

http://www.cfai.co/tatianaroulin

Art under $200 http://www.cfai.co/gallery/art-under-200/

http://www.cfai.co/dottiemartz

Carol Jo Smidt

http://www.cfai.co/mariakitano

David Patterson

http://www.cfai.co/caroljosmidt

http://www.cfai.co/davidpatterson

CFAI.co Collectors http://www.cfai.co/gallery/art-under-200/

Nancy Taylor Levinson

149

http://www.cfai.co/nancytaylorlevinson

Patty Ann Sykes

http://www.cfai.co/pattyannsykes

Judy Mackey

Art under $200 http://www.cfai.co/gallery/art-under-200/ http://www.cfai.co/gallery/art-under-200/

http://www.cfai.co/judymackey

Lisa McKinney

Carolyn McDonald

http://www.cfai.co/lisamckinney

http://www.cfai.co/carolynmcdonald

Dutch Art Gallery

Bear by Betty Allison

DutchArtGallery.net