Visual Language Magazine Vol 3 No 8 August 2014 by Visual Language

Visual Language contemporary fine art

features William Beebe Valerie Travers Dawn Waters Baker Jean Howard Brian Bennett John Lomba

August 2014 Volume 3 No. 8

Kathryn Wilson www.artbykathrynwilson.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 1

VL visual language contemporary fine art

VisualLanguageMagazine.com Subscribe Free Today. http://visuallanguagemagazine.com/subscribe.html

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VL Cover Artist

Kathryn Wilson Contemporary Fine Art

Kathryn is a North Carolina pastel artist, formally trained in graphic arts, illustration and drawing. Kathryn turned to fine art in the early 1990â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when she took pastel classes at a local community center. She is primarily a studio painter, with the occasional foray into plein air painting. Since 2005, she has been a full-time painter and actively participates in juried art competitions, community art activities and has taught pastel and oil pastel painting. Kathryn is a member of The Pastel Society of North Carolina, the Visual Art Exchange in Raleigh and is a co-founder of the Oil Pastel Society, an international organization.

http://artbykathrynwilson.com

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Connie Dines

Artful Exposures One Frame At A Time

Bleeding Hearts

“A Pregnant Moment”

www.artfulexposures.com 4 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

content

Cover Artist Kathryn Wilson 3 Diverse Color and Composition by Artspan Artist Kathryn Wilson.

Painter’s Keys - Robert Genn 11 VL Artist Features - 16 Carol Jo Smidt, David Terrar, Jonelle T. McCoy, Vanessa Katz and Russ Mackensen

CFAI Colors on My Palette 42 Rae Andrews

Read the up close and personal interviews from CFAI.co Find out more about the artist, their inspirations and how they approach their work.

VL Studio Visit with William Beebe 52

“Art has always been in my blood, but I took a circuitous route in becoming a full-time professional artist. In my junior year of college I signed up for a portrait painting class hoping to improve my GPA.”

VL Studio Visit with UK Artist Valerie Travers 68 Travers can trace that tenacity back more than five hundred years, through a family tree that took root in Guernsey, a tiny island off the coast of Normandy, in the 1400s. A bailiwick of the British Crown, the land covers barely 30 square miles floating in the English Channel, but it has provided all the foundation Travers needed to become the artist, and the person, she is today.

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VL Studio Visit with Dawn Waters Baker 84 Dawn feels like her first language was beauty. That was how her heart was stirred to art.

Hall Groat II Learning to See Takes Practice by Hall Groat Sr. 98 When you look at the great paintings of the world, it`s a good idea to know how the artist has led your eye around his work. This is especially important for an artist who is studying how to make better art. One artist’s work that comes to mind is Rembrandt, and especially his portraits. It’s fun to watch people gazing upon the masters and listening to their comments.

ARTSPAN.com New Works - 100 Do not miss the new works posted every day on Artspan.com This month features Carol Engles.

ARTSPAN Spotlight with Jean Howard 108 Who has been your mentor, or greatest influence to date? My father was an architect and did some watercolor renderings of his projects. I think that I always loved drawing. When I was 13 he gave me some art books and about that time I knew that I wanted to be an artist. He was my greatest mentor.

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content VL Studio Visit with Photographer Brian Bennett 114

I was born and raised in South Africa. Growing up on a beautiful farm in Mpumalanga, most of my childhood was spent outside in the sun, running barefoot through the dirt, climbing in trees and daydreaming in the garden.

CFAI.co Figurative Juried Show 122 First Place Linda Popple Second Place Carol Smith Myer Third Place Bob Shepherd

CFAI.co Artist Showdown Maritime & Seascape Art 130 First Place Rae Andrews Second Place Anton Zhou Third Place Sharon Sieben

VL Artspan Photographer John Lomba 142 My photography career goes back to the early 1980’s using a 110 Minolta Instamatic and then waiting 2 weeks for them to be developed, which seemed like an eternity! I recall ‘discovering’ a few blurry shots of my thumb blocking the lens! Not exactly what I had envisioned.

Directory of Artists and Galleries 160

In alphabetically order you can easy find all featured artists and advertising artists, along with featured galleries in our index directory.

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Artist of the Day “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” ― Edgar Degas

Carol Jo Smidt “My paintings are a result of a thoughtful, ongoing, creative and intuitive process. Creating art is a spiritual journey. It is somewhat of a surprise where a painting will lead me. I find that my paintings are more vivid and saturated than real life. I see color in a subject and intensify those hues in a painting. One of my goals is to bring honor and respect to the subjects that I paint. As a creator of art, I want the viewer to have a positive connection with my paintings.” Carol Jo Smidt

http://www.caroljosmidt.com/

artistofthedayvl.blogspot.com

If you want to be featured as an Artist of the Day, contact Visual Language Magazine. VisualLanguageMagazine@gmail.com

Carol Jo Smidt

â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Pale Horse"

www.carol@caroljosmidt.com

Oil

9 x 12

carol@caroljosmidt.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 9

visual language magazine Contemporary Fine Art

Visual Language Magazine Staff Editorial Editor -in-Chief Laurie Pace Executive Editor Lisa Kreymborg Contributing Editor Lisa Neison-Smith Consulting Editor Nancy Medina Feature Contributor Robert Genn Painterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Keys CFAI Contributor Kimberly Conrad Feature Editor Art Reviews Hall Groat II Feature Contributer Barry Scharf VL Sponsor ARTSPAN Eric Sparre

http://vanessakatzart.com

Advertising Contact: VisualLanguageMagazine@gmail.com Marketing and Development Executive Director Business/Management Stacey Hendren

All Artwork is Copyrighted by the Individual Artists. Visual Language Vol 3 No 8 http://DavidTerrar.artspan.com

http://Dandcgallery.com

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http://WilliamBeebe.com

Robert Genn’s Studio Book

What’s your ministry? June 20, 2014 In a recent commencement address at the Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield Iowa, comedian Jim Carrey describes the moment he gave a name to his life’s calling. “The purpose of my life had always been to free people from concern,” says Jim. “I dubbed it, ‘The church of freedom from concern,’ or ‘FFC.’ I dedicated myself to my ministry. What’s yours?” As artists, we may or may not have a name for the ineffable value we’re striving to offer the world. Each of us -- a ministry of one -- goes to our studio and practices a set of our own directives. This daily work is an offering to others while remaining a personal mission and a private devotion. Our actions are individually designed but, in their uniqueness, strike a resemblance to those of others: We put in hours. We make a habit of observing the world with compassion and appreciation. We honour the imagination. We sign our name to our craft. We’re sensitive to input and output. We go to our room to cultivate ideas on a solo path. We know we’re not alone.

The Painter’s Keys - Robert Genn

The Painter’s Keys Robert and Sara Genn

Jim Carrey’s dad was a struggling accountant who dreamed of being a comedian. The lessons he offered young Jim included the power of playfulness and the idea that you can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love. Early on, Jim realized he was his dad’s second chance at an impossible dream, so he devoted his life to the mission he was born to carry. In 2012, at the age of 50, Jim Carrey took up painting and opened his first solo show in Palm Springs. “The purpose of art,” he wrote in his artist statement, “is to bring people into presence.” Sincerely, Sara PS: “All there will ever be is what’s happening here. Decisions we make in this moment are based in either love or fear. So many of us choose our path out of fear, disguised as practicality.” (Jim Carrey) “My father used to brag that I wasn’t a ham, I was the whole pig.” (Jim Carrey) Esoterica: Growing up in our house, we would see some early original lithographic drawings hanging in the hallway near our bedrooms -- fast, loose sketches filled with casual élan. One in particular is of a little girl in knee socks. She’s drawn twice on the same page -- a quick exercise, and then a second sketch -- a second chance at crafty effortlessness. In the lower right hand corner is a small, hand-lettered bit of text. It reads: “Love something? Serve it.” And underneath is my Dad’s signature. “How will you serve the world? What do they need that you can provide? The effect you have on others is the most valuable currency there is.” (Jim Carrey)

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Robert Hopkins Photography

roberthopkins.artspan.com Email: rchopkins@optonline.net

Michal Ashkenasi Photography

Flow 3

michalsart.com

SHKENASI

Enhanced Photography

Abstract 4

michalsart.com

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Artists to Watch and Collect Carol Jo Smidt David Terrar Jonelle T. McCoy Vanessa Katz Russ Mackensen

Visual Language Magazine Featured Artists this month delve into the beauty of each of the five different artists and their unique approach to creativity. Carol Jo Smidt has a strong emphasis on color, design and drawing in her paintings. Throughout her painting career, animals have been her major interest. David Terrar was very influenced by reading about the struggle between man and water. Mark Twainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Adventures of Huck Finn, Hemingwayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Old Man and the Sea come to mind. In his paintings, water represents life. Water is essential for life. Water is calm and beautiful, or violent and dangerous with hurricanes and storms. Jonelle T McCoy found a cathartic release from years of inner strife and turmoil by painting her passionate emotions using horses on canvas. The Paso Fino breed she loves deeply connects with her through their spirit called brio, which is their heart and soul, and their astonishing beauty and intelligence. Vanessa Katz found moving from the UK to sunny California brought the contrast between the dull, grey, cold, rainy days in the city and the bright sunny color in the desert as dramatic and was the inspiration to begin painting again after a long absence. Russ Mackensen spent forty years as an architect before discovering the joys of Oil Pastels. VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 17

Carol Jo Smidt

www.caroljosmidt.com

I was an artist from the age of 4, drawing horses and other animals. My passion for art continued with my formal art education beginning at the St. Paul School of Art through graduate studies at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Drawing from my background in graphic design, I have a strong emphasis on color, design and drawing in my paintings. Throughout my painting career, animals have been my major interest. My paintings are a result of a thoughtful, ongoing, creative and intuitive process. Creating art is a spiritual journey. It is somewhat of a surprise where a painting will lead me. I find that my paintings are more vivid and saturated than real life. I see color in a subject and intensify those hues in a painting. At times, just a title will evolve into a subject that I need to capture in paint. One of my goals is to bring honor and respect to the subjects that I paint. As a creator of art, I want the viewer to have a positive connection with my paintings.

Win Place Show

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Running Horses

Stallions Running

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David Terrar

www.davidterrar.artspan.com

I was very influenced by reading about the struggle between man and water. Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huck Finn, Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea come to mind. In my paintings, water represents life. Water is essential for life. Water is calm and beautiful, or violent and dangerous with hurricanes and storms. Just like water, we go through periods of calm beauty, or periods of turmoil and difficulty. Huck Finn had a raft to carry him down the Mississippi and from one difficulty after another. I believe we all have a raft or boat to carry us through the difficulties and beauties of life. We may call it a family, a career, religion, whatever it is, it’s there to help us get through life. Many of my paintings are of Chesapeake Bay work boats, some are old and rickety and barely seaworthy. The boats represent the lifelong struggle to go out on the water, day after day against the water, rain, and brutal sun to put food on the table and support a family. My paintings memorialize the story of their struggle.

Chesapeake Bay Work Boats,Tilghman

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Quiet January at Blackwater Marsh, Maryland

Kent Island Narrows, Maryland

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Jonelle T. McCoy

http://www.jonellemccoy.com

“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” Winston Churchill For Oklahoma woman artist Jonelle T. McCoy this famous quote rings quite true. Jonelle has found a cathartic release from years of inner strife and turmoil by painting her passionate emotions using horses on canvas. The Paso Fino breed she loves deeply connects with her through their spirit called brio, which is their heart and soul, and their astonishing beauty and intelligence. They give her the inspiration to breathe life onto canvas with a wide range of emotion through the use of expressive poses in movement alongside color for mood. Jonelle is a self taught artist whose professional life began with becoming a scenic artist since 1987. She retired in April 2014 to pursuing her career in fine art full time. She had always been artistic and could be found creating from early childhood. Five months after getting married in 2001 her husband’s disabling work injury caused the already emotionally complex artist to sink into a decade long spiral where her personal art suffered, and she laid down her brushes. She continued to work in the scenic arts, but that was using her talents for someone else’s ideas, not hers. In December of 2009 the blockage was released, her muse returned and she started to paint in earnest, at first rediscovering what she could do, and then after experimentation of a childhood art school project memory she developed her signature line style which has changed, evolved and refined in the last few years. Her chosen medium, heavy bodied acrylic paint, allows her further discovery with the introduction of new types, soft body, liquid, high flow and spray paint. She is giving thought to eventually trying oils again in the near future. Jonelle is a generous person at heart, and enjoys the reward of giving when she can, and her art has been her biggest way to do so. She’s donated to individuals, organizations and horse rescue efforts from the sale of paintings. She found that the small sized 60 day series she creates annually to help raise money for donation has given her a fantastic challenge to push for new ideas, and some have become studies for larger works.

Perigee Moon 36x36x1.5

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Perihelion Sun 36x36x1.5

http://mccoysgaitedhorseartworks.com

Break Free 18x24

Jonelle feels that the painting of the horses has opened her life back up in a whole new way- connecting her with her inner self and clearing out the old stale distressing vibes and replacing them with a positive outlook and the ability to focus these emotions more easily to find peace in life. Like the antsy horse whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been cooped up in a stall ready to fly out into the pasture to revel in life and release energy, she is ready to continue her quest to climb ever higher, excelling, stretching, exploring and evolving her art to be even more powerfully expressive to the viewer.

Zero to 60

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Vanessa Katz

http://www.VanessaKatzArt.com

Vanessa Katz moved from London, England to the desert in Southern California with her husband, daughter and doggies sixteen years ago. The contrast between the dull, grey, cold, rainy days in the city and the bright sunny color in the desert was dramatic and was the inspiration to begin painting again after a long absence. “The sunshine makes everything look so vibrant and alive and makes me feel that way too!” Trees, landscapes, animals and everyday life provide her with a wealth of subject matter and abstraction and contemporary non-representational work gives her the freedom to create purely from her imagination and emotions. “I hope to evoke emotion and a stirring of the heart through my work and when my collectors let me know this is their experience, it fills my heart with joy knowing how art can connect and nourish us at such a deep level”. Vanessa attended Putney School of Art in London and still attends many workshops to learn new techniques from other artists. She finds the process of learning while experimenting creates much excitement and is very empowering. Vanessa invites you to visit her website and her very active Facebook page and looks forward to seeing you there.

Destination

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Desert Sand

Aria

Desire 1

Azure

Desire 2

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Russ

Mackensen

http://rmackensenfineart.com/

Having worked as an Architect for over 40 years I produced a lot of drawings and renderings of projects, but was not involved in fine art. Yet I have been “seeing” projects in lights and darks, texture, composition, movement and color. All these elements of architecture are the same ones that artists apply to their works. In 2009 I decided to try Oil Pastels. A drawing medium that allows my mind to naturally transfer what I “see” onto the ground I’m working on. I soon discovered this was a medium not too well known or understood. An application of pure pigment in stick form, similar to Dry Pastels. They are relatively new in the art world being developed as a fine art medium for Picaso in the 50’s. My approach to creating realism in my work is seldom attempted due to its difficulty. With a limited palette of colors to work from the direct application of one color is not viable. Working on 400 grit sandpaper everything is mixed right on the final location, so any mistakes are not easily repaired. In my life and my art I strive to give praise to the Creator of all who forgives my mistakes and allows me to share the beauty I see with those who view my art.

A Blue Plate Special

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My Cup Runneth Over

Rose 1

Cosmos in Glorious Light

Copper Pomegranates & Oranges

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Roseanne Snyder Contemporary Landscapes

West Texas Spring â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 16 x 20

roseannesnyder.blogspot.com

Resilience

D A L T O N Judy Wilder Dalton Contemporary Fine Art

Finding Art in Life and Life in Art judywilderdalton.com

wilderartist.blogspot.com

Tuesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bouquet

Abstract Collage Paintings laurareed.artspan.com

Laura Reed Life Experiences

A Bouquet for Monday

laurareed.artspan.com

Carolyn Burger "Painting the beauty of Southwest Florida." CarolynBurger.com

VL REES Contemporary Realism and Beyond

Below Lake Johnson 12 x 16 inches Oil

www.vlrees.com

www.TippingPaintGallery.com

Aspen S P A C E S

Lelija Roy

www.lelija.net

aspen.spaces@gmail.com

STEPHANIE PAIGE Contemporay Artist

Stephanie Paige

La Jolla . Santa Fe . San Diego . Denver . Scottsdale . Napa Valey . Walnut Creek . Lagua Beach

Resting Sky 48” x 48” Mixed Media made with Textured Marble Dust Plaster

Visit Stephanie’s Representing Galleries

NEXT SHOW is at Pippin Contemporary on June 20th 2014 Mirada Fine Art Gallery . Denver, CO. Ph.303-697-9006 Calvin Charles Gallery . Scottsdale, AZ . Ph.480.421.1818 Pippin Contemporary . Santa Fe . Ph.505-795-7476 Contemporary Fine Arts Gallery . La Jolia, CA. Ph.858.551.2010 Christopher Hill Gallery . Napa Valley, CA. Ph. 707.963.0272

STEPHANIEPAIGESTUDIO.COM

Terrye Jammaer Philley Gulf Coast Artist

Title: Sea Watch Medium: Oil on 14 x 11 Stretched Canvas

TerryePhilley.com

“For A While Became Forever” Oil on Canvas 30” x 40”

36 x 24

Allegorical Painting

Sanda Manuila sandamanuila.artspan.com

Letting the Sunshine In

Valerie Travers Working in Acrylic, Oil, Pastel, Mixed Media Landscapes, Seascapes, Abstracts, and Florals

ValerieTravers.com

WILSON Kathryn Wilson

Contemporary Paintings in Pastel, Oil Pastel and Acrylic

Wind Dancers

artbykathrynwilson.com

discover art . inspire collectors

DAVIS&CO f i n e a r t g a l l e r y â&#x20AC;&#x153;Summer Nights at the Galleries of Old Town Springâ&#x20AC;? Saturday July 12th 5-9 p.m. Saturday August 2nd 5-9 p.m. Saturday September 6th 5-9 p.m.

Home is where the art is. dandcgallery.com

engage discussion . celebrate life

dandcgallery.com

Arturo Samaniego at Davis&Co

CFAI.co Colors On My Palette

Rae Andrews http://www.yessy.com/raeandrews http://www.cfai.co/#!colors-on-my-palette-interview/cy2z When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be ‘an artist’?

I guess I was exposed to art at a very early age, around 5 I think. My mother’s sister was the other professional artist in my family, although my grandfather (I am told) was also an artist and a poet. My mother was very creative in her own way as well, she was a professional cake decorator. My sister was also a wonderful draughtsman. So it was all around me. I spent a lot of my youth with my aunt, Hazel Johnson; she was my greatest influence.

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

Well the greatest influence in getting me into this career has to be an Australian artist by the name of Judith White. I took lessons from her in my early twenties, and subsequently began teaching at her art school in Sydney. She urged me to go to college and get my art degrees. She also secured a teaching position for me at the Charles Sturt University just northwest of Sydney (Australia) where I taught for over 25 years in their summer and winter schools.I went on to own my own art school as a result of this journey.

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

Oh that’s an extremely hard question. I work in all mediums, so admire many artists.I particularly love a free and less disciplined approach to any painting, no matter what medium. For each medium my favorites will change, as I said, a hard question to answer.

What is your favorite surface to paint on? Describe it if you make it yourself. This varies with each medium, but paper seems to be my most used substrate.

What brand of paints do you use?

Oils are usually varied, Rembrandt, Old Holland,Winsor and Newton to name a few. Pastels I like Schmincke, Rembrandt, Sennelier, Unison mostly. Watercolors, usually Winsor and Newton, but I also use Da Vici and Rembrandt.

Do you have a favorite color palette?

No not really, I seem to always go for a dramatic contrast with my palettes. Strong warms against cools and visa versa. For example I love painting with a majority balance of analagous cool colors,with a ‘pop’ of warms.Of course the opposite with more warms and a ‘pop’ of cool will work too. Value or tonal contrast is another way I achieve this.

What is your favorite color in your closet? Well right now turquoise, or even lime green.

What subject appears the most in your paintings and why? Water. I love movement and drama, water seems to give me great satisfaction to paint. How often do you paint? How many hours a week? I try to paint daily, sometimes life changes that pattern, but mostly I put in at least 30 hours a week.

Read more at http://www.cfai.co/#!colors-on-my-palette-interview/cy2z 42 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Sydney Shoreline

Reflected Glory Read more at http://www.cfai.co/#!colors-on-my-palette-interview/cy2z VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 43

ROD SEELEY

Unique Award Winning Digital Art Digital Art & Digital Fractal Art, mixed technique frequently enchanced with digital paint technique.

RodSeeleyArt.com

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KENNY Simon Kenny

Into the Breach

As Tomorrow Falls

simonkenny.artweb.com Email: simonkenny@eskayfineart.co.uk

CHAPMAN Elizabeth Chapman Contemporary Abstract Artist

melizabethchapman.artspan.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Have Stepped into the River...â&#x20AC;?

Victoria Pendragon www.victoriapendragon.com

goldenkstudio.com

Cindy Sorley-Keichinger Wildlife & Nature Artist Golden K Studio

goldenkstudio.com email: goldfarm@telusplanet.net

Conflict of Interest â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 16x16 Acrylic

www.williamrbeebe.com

William Beebe

www.williamrbeebe.com

Studio Visit William Beebe

A Creative Realist Art has always been in my blood, but I took a circuitous route in becoming a full-time professional artist. In my junior year of college I signed up for a portrait painting class hoping to improve my GPA. Up until then my life had been all about sports. I had always been a doodler though, drawing in pencil and seeing the world in black and white. The thought of being an artist never crossed my mind until I discovered the world of oil painting. My portrait-painting teacher that semester greatly encouraged me and the seed was planted!

work” and am extremely grateful to have been able to pursue my passion of painting for a living.

After graduating from the University of Maryland with a Studio/Fine Art degree the pragmatic side of me took over. I was 23 years old, newly married and living in the suburbs of Washington, DC. I couldn’t find a job in art because I didn’t study graphic arts. I found myself working as a bookkeeper and then back at the U. of MD for my second degree in Accounting. Then I spent a year in tax accounting followed by several years as an accountant in private industry. I never felt like it was my destiny.

For nine wonderful years I had the honor of having my paintings featured on the cover of MBNA’s quarterly reports. Along with paintings of their many office buildings around the world, they encouraged me to continue painting Maine scenes for their collection.

In the meantime, my father died suddenly from cancer as my mother was fighting her own long battle with cancer. My father was the one who had told me to do what makes me happy. My mother was the one who took me to art galleries and saved my drawings. They were giving me the gift of developing a life compass. I was now at a crossroads and that inner compass was pointing me in a new direction. My wife, Jen, and I decided to take a much-needed vacation to Maine and it was there that I became inspired to paint! I came home from that special trip and painted a schooner docked in Boothbay Harbor. I started painting more, dreaming of living in Maine and painting as a vocation. Before long we decided to take a leap of faith. Now I find myself looking back on 24 years of being a full-time artist. I appreciate every day of “going to

www.williamrbeebe.com

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The Maine paintings I produced early on ranged from lighthouses, to working waterman scenes, to the small coastal fishing villages and islands. My work attracted the attention of Mr. Charles Cawley, an avid art collector and the CEO of MBNA, an international credit card company. He started collecting my work and eventually hired me to become the resident artist for MBNA!

Over time I became more narrowly focused on capturing the beauty of the Maine Windjammer fleet. Hundreds of schooners used to work the Maine waters, hauling lumber and limestone. I was intrigued by how few of them are left and saddened by the thought that someday they will be gone. Each ship has a long history, some dating over one hundred years! Many hours of painting in the smallest of details were spent on each ship. I wanted to pay tribute to each ship by recording an accurate interpretation of it on canvas to hopefully last for another hundred years. My maritime paintings have been exhibited in numerous gallery and museum shows throughout the years including the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, ME and at the Coos Art Museum in Coos Bay, OR, where I won a Merit award in the 12th Annual Maritime Art Exhibition. Additionally my work has been a part of several Marine Masters Exhibitions in Mystic, CT and Thomaston, ME and the 26th Annual International Marine Art Exhibition at the Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I consider myself a creative realist, using touches of impressionism to go beyond representation. Achieving a painterly work is a high priority. I try to approach each new work with fresh eyes, allowing myself moments of spontaneity in the painting process and appreciating it when the paint surprises me.â&#x20AC;?

Taber on a Reach, 24x24, oil on board - SOLD

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Studio Visit William Beebe

When we moved to Virginia in 2002, I was a little concerned that I might have trouble finding that same passion for painting that I found in Maine. Then one day I heard that the state of Virginia had built a replica of an historic wooden pilot schooner named Schooner Virginia. After doing a little research I found out that it was going to be docked in Portsmouth, VA. When I walked up the dock and saw the Virginia for the first time I was taken aback. The tall ship with its beautiful black shiny hull and gold engraved letters on the bow spelling VIRGINIA had grandeur to it. I took hundreds of detail pictures that day in Portsmouth.

During that race I also photographed the Pride of Baltimore II, the Lettie G. Howard out of New York, and other smaller schooners, which sail the waters of the Chesapeake. My first painting of the Virginia was a large commissioned piece featuring the tall ship cutting through the dark water with speed and grace. I was honored when approached by the folks at the Schooner Virginia to have reproduction giclee prints made from this painting to help with their annual fundraiser. We worked closely with the Marinersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Museum in Newport News, VA to produce these quality prints.

I had found new inspiration and immediately started planning a series of paintings featuring the Schooner Virginia.

Subsequently, I completed four more Schooner Virginia paintings in competitive races with sister ships to complete my series.

Every year there is a Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race that begins in Annapolis, MD at the Bay Bridge and continues on down the Bay. I witnessed and photographed the Virginia and the Pride of Baltimore II in a nose-to-nose race under ideal sailing conditions. It was a powerful moment for me.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve discovered that like art, a need to be near the water is in my blood. Being able to combine the two callings as a maritime artist has turned out to be a dream come true!

The Victory Chimes, 20x30, oil on board www.williamrbeebe.com 56 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Leading the Way, 20x24, oil on board

www.williamrbeebe.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 57

Studio Visit William Beebe

Storm Approaching, 24x36, oil on board

Offshore Challenge, 24x28, oil on board www.williamrbeebe.com

58 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

A Spirited Race, 18x24, oil on board

On the Wind, 24x36, oil on board

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Studio Visit William Beebe

www.williamrbeebe.com 60 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

The Virginia, 30x40, oil on board - SOLD

www.williamrbeebe.com

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olorado Homes & Lifestyles

BEST ART GALLERY, 2010 & 2012 - 5280

TOP 24 GALLERIES IN THE USA, 2012, 2013 &

Artwork (l to r): Laurie Justus Pace, ‘The Gathering One’- Original Oil on Canvas,

miradafineart.com Svetlana Shalygina, ‘Silhousettes De Versailles’ - Mixed Media on Canvas, 36” x 36”

Bruce Marion, ‘The Adventure Begins’- Original Acrylic on Canvas, 36” x 48”; Alle

0 Magazine

A ‘STYLE-MAKER’

& 2014 - American Art Awards

- Luxe Magazine

‘STUNNING’

‘ART LOVER’S ESCAPE’

- Denver Life

5490 Parmalee Gulch Rd. Indian Hills, CO 80454 (only minutes from Denver) www.miradafineart.com 303-697-9006 info@miradafineart.com

32” x 48”; Larisa Aukon, ‘Continental Divide’ - Original Oil on Panel 24” x 36”; ”; Dominique Samyn, ‘Sage’- Acryilc & Venetian Plaster on Panel, 40” x 32”; en Wynn, ‘Joy Ride’ - Mixed Media Sculpture, 26” x 32” x 9”

Coastal Wildflowers

Eric Bodtker ericbodtker.com Davis&CO dandcgallery.com

Connie Chadwell

ConnieChadwell.com HackberryStreetStudio.blogspot.com

www.valariewolf.com

www.zebrajazzstudio.com

Lauriepace.com

jonelle-t-mccoy.artistwebsites.com

www.mariadangelo.com

www.pamshaouy.com

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www.debrahartgallery.com

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www.michellehogan.ca

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www.nchristy.com

www.BarbYoungPhotography.com

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Valerie Travers Treasured Island

With water on all sides, Valerie Travers stays connected. by Dave Justus

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Artspan Studio Visit Valerie Travers

“I work standing up, since I paint almost exclusively on canvas,” Valerie Travers says, describing her artistic process. “But then, I hardly sit down in the course of a day in any case. Once I’m absorbed and a painting is going well, I lose all sense of time. I tend to keep going until I drop!” Travers can trace that tenacity back more than five hundred years, through a family tree that took root in Guernsey, a tiny island off the coast of Normandy, in the 1400s. A bailiwick of the British Crown, the land covers barely 30 square miles floating in the English Channel, but it has provided all the foundation Travers needed to become the artist, and the person, she is today. “I have always loved water,” she says—little wonder, as it surrounds her on all sides. From growing up on the island, she believes, “my love of the sea is firmly embedded in my very being, and in my work. As a child I spent the summer on the beach, swimming and making sandcastles with moats, trying desperately to stop the walls from crumbling when the tide rushed in.” Those toppling sandcastles were an early bellwether for what awaited her when she first moved into her current house on Guernsey. “I am living in my Great Aunt Alice’s home,” she notes. Travers bought the fixer-upper from family, feeling a connection to the homestead, and has lived there more than 28 years. “I was very close to Auntie Alice. She adored animals, loved her garden, and was a dressmaker by trade… we just fitted together so well. So being here means such a lot to me, and I know that she is pleased I’m here, looking after things as she would wish and making it into the home it is today.” The house, and the island itself, seems imbued with the long family history that has shaped Travers and her work. “I have the old values and the sense of belonging to this island, and always will,” she says. From far back, her family had always been growers, farmers, and fishermen, living off the food they caught or cultivated. Her great grandfather was once awarded a cup for a prize cow by no less a luminary than Queen Mary.

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After the war, her RAF veteran father wed her mother and bought a home with greenhouses. “It was a hard life,” she recalls. “They worked all hours, as all of my relatives did, but the fun they had and the laughs they shared I will always remember. Hard work doesn’t mean hardship, does it? Sometimes, the simple life is the best.” The family penchant for hard work pushed her to excel in her studies, attend night school for shorthand and typing, and try her hand at a variety of careers, from surgeon’s P.A. to a secretary for a legal firm and the police force. “But there was always something missing,” she says. “I knew I was not totally fulfilled.” Her childhood creativity—explorations into art, music, crafts, equestrianism, and other activities—had not yet found a way to bloom through the concrete of adult life. Perhaps it was her lifelong love of the water that first prodded her to dab a brush into watercolors. “It was a ‘Eureka’ moment,” she says of the occasion, now more than two decades past, when she first took up painting seriously. “I had found the missing link at last. I fitted it in between looking after my children and running the home, and always found time to pick up a brush, even if it meant starting my day an hour earlier.” When watercolors began to lose their luster, she moved on to oils, which she still employs enthusiastically. Though not initially enamored of pastels, she later gave them another chance and found that they were the perfect tool for capturing the images and emotions she wanted to express on the canvas. While she currently focuses on acrylics and oils, she is quick to point out that every medium has its advantages “I believe that artists reach for colors intuitively,” she says of selecting her tools. “In my opinion, being self-taught has allowed my expression to come through at a steady pace and gradually develop into my own personal style.” Though she feels she is still developing as an artist, she notes, “I do enjoy painting a variety of subjects, but there is a definite leaning toward certain colors and the way I apply paint.”. Right: Stairway to Heaven

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Artspan Studio Visit Valerie Travers

Gently Receding

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Leafy Entanglement

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Artspan Studio Visit Valerie Travers

Rushing In

Symphony in Blue

http://www.valerietravers.com

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Travers shares her studio space with a rescue dog, Truffles, as well as three cats who occasionally check on her progress. Though she sometimes paints with mood music, often she will let herself be inspired by the sounds of Guernsey itself: rustling trees and singing birds. The cumulative effect is a sense of peace in the room that finds its way into her art. “Paintings often appear out of nowhere,” she says. “I just pick up a brush and see what develops. Occasionally I choose to paint a particular scene that has captured my imagination, but even then I allow myself artistic license to change parts of the piece if necessary.” Over time, as her style has developed and changed, Travers has managed to surprise even herself. “For the past two years or so, I have felt the need to paint abstracts. If anyone had told me that I

would be an abstract artist, I would have said that was the furthest thing from my mind. But I enjoy the process so much; it’s totally liberating and releasing. So here I am today, painting abstracts alongside my seas and skies.” Travers’ star continues to rise in the art world, with Best in Show awards both locally and internationally, along with representation from Davis & Co. Fine Art Gallery in Houston, Texas. Even so, back on Guernsey, she does what her family has always done, working hard and living life as simply as she can, raising her two sons on the same beaches where she once left her footprints, refining her art and discovering who she is. Even on a tiny island, Valerie Travers has plenty of exploring left to do.

Valerie’s Great Grandfather with Queen Mary

http://www.valerietravers.com

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Artspan Studio Visit Valerie Travers

Fresh as a Daisy 20 x 20

Letting the Sunshine In

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Artspan Studio Visit Valerie Travers

Glowing

Evening Flight

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Beneath the Surface

Deep Within 30 x 40

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DORON MELISSA DAVIS DORON Melissa Davis Doron captures the bold of life and the subtle nuances of nature.

www.artistdoron.com

Davis&CO

DandCgallery.com

JANINE KILTY

“Tryst” Oil on canvas 40” x 30”

www.janinekilty.com

Natural Art for the Nature Lover in You!

The Little Red Barnâ&#x20AC;? Acrylic, 16x20 Unframed

Terri Holland terrihollandartstudio.weebly.com

Linda McCoy

Title: Sunset and Vine, Sonoma County

Linda McCoy Gallery and Fine Art Instruction 209 S West Street, Mason, Ohio www.lindamccoyart.blogspot.com

clairebullfineart.com Email: lindamccoyart@live.com http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/claire-bull.html

Cloud Canyon

http://dawnwatersbaker.com/

Dawn Waters Baker

http://dawnwatersbaker.com/

Studio Visit Dawn Waters Baker

Dawn feels like her first language was beauty. That was how her heart was stirred to art. Born and raised a missionary kid she learned to look for it in the cracks and crevices of lives much harder then her own. In college, she learned how to find her own way to express her heart through painting. Dawn’s husband is a gentle gift who likes quiet as much as she does. They have three kids and with them the quiet left. It birthed a joy found in working on what’s important and striving for love in all things. She likes to think of her work as a “glimpse of the mystery.” The metaphors of life held in branches, cloud wisps and water. There is something that compels Dawn to paint, not what is literally seen but what is felt. For her, the window into the spiritual is nature. It seems to be the image that she is invited to pass through into something much richer and deeper and full of beauty.

http://dawnwatersbaker.com/

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Her art is collected by many businesses as well as private owners. Some of which are: Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas Eye Care Associates, Dallas Baptist University, She currently finished five original drawings for the book, “Why, O God?” published by Crossway books. She is a member of Artists of Texas. Dawn is affiliated with Mary Tomas Gallery in Dallas Design District, Smith Klein Gallery in Boulder, Colorado and currently with the summer group exhibit at White Stone Gallery in Philadelphia, PA. Her work has been in National shows including The National Weather Biennale, CIVA Contemporary Images of Mary and Ex Nihilo at Roberts Wesleyan College. Her work is available internationally through Veritasse based in London, England.

Enchanted Tree

http://dawnwatersbaker.com/

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Studio Visit Dawn Waters Baker

Misty Mountain

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To the Lowest Place

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Studio Visit Dawn Waters Baker

Rise

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John 1

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www.foundworlds.com

Denise Bossarte Found Worlds Photography www.foundworlds.com

BAUER Logan Bauer

LoganBauer.com

BAUER Logan Bauer

Howard Tweedie A Passion for Plein Air

www.howardtweedie.com Right Page: “Wharf on Sydney Harbour” Left Page: “Argenton, Early Spring”

HowardTweedie.com

Hall Groat II

Learning to See Takes Practice By Hall Groat Sr.

When you look at the great paintings of the world, it`s a good idea to know how the artist has led your eye around his work. This is especially important for an artist who is studying how to make better art. One artist’s work that comes to mind is Rembrandt, and especially his portraits. It’s fun to watch people gazing upon the masters and listening to their comments. A great portrait painter captures your eye through his ability to lead you through his composition. It’s a good idea to know how an artist captures your attention with his work because it may heighten your appreciation and enable you to discriminate between greatness and mediocrity. There are many books that diagram composition and it may be a good idea to study them before you visit an art museum. This is especially important if you are a student in art school. A t the price of altering one’s notion of the grandeur found in a great portraits painted by Rembrandt, let me share comments that are commonly heard from the general public at the National Gallery of Art in Washington , D. C., as visitors marvel at the portraits: “I love the way he paints the eyes of his subject.”, “ I just can’t stop staring at the expression on the old gentleman’s face in the portrait.”, “ He certainly captures the spirit of his subjects and my eyes are drawn to the face and the expression in his eyes.”, “ She is such a beautiful woman in this Rembrandt portrait—I can see her spirit in her eyes.“ How your eye is led to the center of interest in the painting is worth understanding and may take study. It is a good idea to look at other parts of a great painting and attempt to discover what has brought your attention to this final crescendo—that tiny highlight in the eye that captures the viewer. And you better know why—especially if you are an art student. Rembrandt van Rijn was born in 1606 in Leiden. He never traveled more than sixty miles from Amsterdam and judging by his thousands of drawings, etchings and countless paintings and self- portraits, he would not have had time. He was an artist who

http://hallgroat.com

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was dedicated and considered the greatest in history. Sorry Vermeer, but he produced much more art than you. They are two of my favorite painters in history. After visiting Art museums all over Europe, I can think of no other artists greater than these two Dutchmen. I am proud to have at least one small Rembrandt etching in my collection. Vermeer was less prolific than Rembrandt, although arguably the best in the opinion of some art critics. My wife Rosemarie and I traveled the world visiting every major museum that we could possibly take in. It was our hobby, and she being an educator, always read the titles and descriptions of each piece of art. As aforementioned in my “early years”, I am a lazy reader. I just studied the pictures and never took as much interest in what was written beneath the art. She read everything available on every subject. Later in life, she recommended books for me as “mandatory reading.” Although I enjoyed them all, I always seemed to look at the pictures first. I suppose that would be my natural inclination. I do not read novels, but love history and anthropology. I consider myself a victim of the age of specialization, although I was characterized by the late Anna Olmstead, who wrote the art review for The Post Standard for many years as “a peripatetic painter”. She had me dead to rights in that review. I believe artist Jan De Ruth was aware of my jumping from one subject matter to another in my art as well. Historians dislike artists who do not work in series, as they are harder to write about. To hell with conformity! In studying art in museums, my son Hall II and I took the Amtrak to Chicago one year to review the work at the Institute and other galleries. We enjoyed the Peter Paul Ruben’s and we discussed his use of color to great extent. How to make Ruben’s red is a mystery and perhaps a lost art. I was surprised to see works by Ivan Albright whose work was used for the first movie I saw as a kid—”The Picture of Dorian Gray”. He was one wacky artist that I will never forget, with his ghoulish portraits. This was the first movie performance for actress Angela Lansbury, an academy award winner.

Monhegan-Island-Maine-23x36-By-Hall-Groat-Sr.

We did Chicago on foot and took in the highlights, but returned to the Institute and went through the collection a second time. The guard said, “You guys do not need another ticket—glad to see you back.” We met David Hockney who was preparing for his one man show on this viewing. On our return trip to Syracuse my son ran into an old classmate and we had a great beer party on Amtrak. Learning to see is an ongoing dedication for an artist, and being on a railroad while studying industrial complexes along the way provides one of my favorite subjects to paint.

On one of our three trips to the U. K., my wife and I went through the National Portrait Museum, The British Museum and several others. However, it was the contemporary German painter, Lucian Freud whose work stays with me the longest. He is the grandson of Sigmund Freud, and perhaps that explains his sex-crazed subject matter. In my humble opinion, Lucian Freud is the best living figure painter in the world. The visceral quality in his brushwork is loaded with emotion and the stark nakedness of his subjects can only be excused by his tremendous power as a painter. I’m still learning to see, and studying art is an ongoing passion for a working artist.

http://hallgroat.com

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VL artspan.com Carol Engles

carolengles.artspan.com

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The Perfect Place to Find Art

Carol Engles

carolengles.artspan.com

LauriePace.com

Laurie Justus Pace

The Painted Pony On The Lamb

32 x 48 Oil on Canvas

http://www.robertkellyhomegallery.com/

kwoodfineart.com

Kyle Wood

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kwoodfineart.com

"Beyond The Gate II" 18" x 24" Oil on Canvas

Barbara Haviland â&#x20AC;&#x153;Living and Painting Lifeâ&#x20AC;?

Gus the Pelican 12 x 9 Oil

George Ranch 11 x 14 Oil

BarbaraHavilandFineArt.com

Living near the coast in Southeast Texas, Barbara Haviland enjoys the diversity of the land and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s habitation. A reknowned Floral Artist, Barbara has opened her paintings to capture the flavor of the coast.

PB Lighthouse 12 x 9

Natâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Amaryllis 12 x 9 Oil

BarbaraHavilandFineArt.com

ARTSPAN Artist Spotlight

Artspan Spotlight Jean Howard

When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be an artist? I don’t remember exactly when I first wanted to be an artist. Who has been your mentor, or greatest influence to date? My father was an architect and did some watercolor renderings of his projects. I think that I always drawing. When I was 13 he gave me some art books and about that time I knew that I wanted to be an artist. He was my greatest mentor. Who is another living artist you admire and why? The artists that I admire are Richard Diebenkorn and Hans Halls. I know that they are dead but I am not influenced as much by today’s artists. What is your favorite surface to create work on or to work with? Describe it if you make it yourself. I like to work on handmade watercolor paper when I do watercolors and canvas for oils.. How often do you work on your artwork? I work in chunks, solid for awhile and then NOT for awhile. What are your inspirations for your work? I am inspired by things that I see, sometimes unexpectedly.

Yellow Rock, 40”x40”

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St. Ives #6, 48”x48”

St. Ives #3. 36” x 36”

Mexico Rocks, 40”x 40”

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Artspan Spotlight Jean Howard

ARTSPAN Artist Spotlight

Ocean Sky 1, 40”x 40”

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Laguna Beach Overlook # III, 40”x 40”

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ARTSPAN Artist Spotlight

Artspan Spotlight Jean Howard

Getting to know you Q&A What is your favorite color in your closet? I don’t have a favorite color. I thought about this question a lot. I am more interested in a relationship between colors. My closet reflects this also. What book are you reading this week? I am reading “behind the beautiful forevers” by Katherine Boo. What is your favorite food? I love lobster. What color sheets are on your bed right now? My sheets are beige. Do you have a passion or hobby other than painting? What is it? My other interests include gardening and duplicate bridge. If you were an animal, what would you be and why? I would like to be a seagull to fly around the banks of the ocean. Who would you love to paint? I love to paint the Ocean

Share something with us that few people know about you. I am a very private person. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? I would love to live in Laguna Beach.

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Velvet Evening, 48” x 48”

Big Black Rock, 48”x 48”

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Walla Walla Valley Photography Brian Bennett

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Washington Photographer Brian Bennett https://www.facebook.com/WallaWallaValleyPhotography

Walla Walla Valley Photography Brian Bennett of Walla Walla Valley Photography got his start behind the lens when his deaf mother became ill. With complications including a choclear ear transplant, pancreatitus and a stroke all at once, Brian saw only one way to reach his mother. “She was so far gone after the stroke we didn’t know if she would ever be able to respond to us again.”Brian stated in a brief interview with our publishers. Brian started taking photo’s of things his mother was familiar with, brought the photo’s to her bedside and then shared the stories that his mother once shared with him adding his own spin on the story testing to trigger a reaction from her. “I recall being at the point where you just want to through your hands up in the air and give up, but then it happened”.

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After a long struggle at trying to get his mother to respond, suddenly one day she sat up in bed, looked dirrectly at Brian and said “THAT’S NOT WHAT HAPPENED”. Brian now uses his photography skills to bring familiar photo’s to those who cannot go out and see for themselves. “Some are sick, some elderly, some crippled up, some have just moved away and are still curious to see the old places in the Walla Walla Valley. You can visit Brian’s page on Facebook and see over 2000 images shot with his Canon 60D. Brian still cares for his mother who is now doing well in an assisted living home in the Walla Walla Valley. He can be found gardening or in most cases doing what he loves, taking pictures.

https://www.facebook.com/WallaWallaValleyPhotography

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Washington Photographer Brian Bennett https://www.facebook.com/WallaWallaValleyPhotography

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Kimberly Conrad “Pouring Color Into Your Life”

CoastalLivingArt.com Days of Summer 36”x48”x1.5” Poured Acrylic on Canvas

CoastalLivingArt.com

CFAI.co Juried Show

CFAI.co Spring 2014 Figurative Juried Competition

First Place

Linda Popple Vintage Swimsuit http://lindapopple.fineartstudioonline.com

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Second Place

Carol Smith Myer Heidi http://www.carolmyer.com

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CFAI.co Juried Show

CFAI.co Spring 2014 Figurative Juried Competition

Third Place

Bob Shepherd Cold Shoulder http://portraitsbyshep.com

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Honorable Mentions

Cheryl Smith - Skye

Carmen Beecher - Train to Firenze

Sally Fraser - Down the Mountain

Linda Dalton Walker - Spring

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Mary Jo Zorad contemporary fine art

ZoradArt.com

DAILY PAINTERS ABSTRACT GALLERY

“Thankful” 36”x48”x2.0” Oil on Canvas

DailyPaintersAbstract.blogspot.com

Barbara Van Rooyan Blue Canyon II

Dawn Reinfeld

DAILY PAINTERS ABSTRACT GALLERY DailyPaintersAbstract.blogspot.com

CFAI.co Artist Showdown

CFAI.co Artist Showdown May 2014 - Maritime and Seascape Art