Visual Language Magazine Vol 2 No 7 July 2013 Contemporary Fine Art

VL

VISUAL LANGUAGE

contemporary fine art

VL

July 2013 Volume 2 No. 7

Naoko Paluszak naokoartworks.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 1

VL

VISUAL LANGUAGE

Contemporary Fine Art

VisualLanguageMagazine.com Subscribe Free Today.

July 2013 Vol 2 No 7 @GraphicsOneDesign1998-2013 2 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

http://visuallanguagemagazine.com/subscribe.html

naokoartworks.com

Art is about having a “sense of mystery and drama” Looking to evoke new concept and not just have art serve a decorative purpose, in a natural inconspicuous manner, the artist bridges the abstract and figures masterfully. Naoko’s solitude abstract figure with her vibrant color palette evokes strong feelings and memories to viewers. Her use of probing evocative directness to the moment is compelling.

She was educated at the Nihon Designer Gakuin (Japan Designer Institute) in Tokyo, Japan. She worked as a graphic designer before moving to the United States. Almost immediately, her unique style garnered impressive awards and a Grand Prize from international competition held at Ariel Gallery in New York, NY. Hailed by critics and museum curators for her style and her vibrant palette, she has exhibited in numorous one and two person shows. Her originals are sold extensively through galleries in California, Arizona, Florida and Hawaii. She is included in Art in America’s Guide to Galleries, Museums and Artists and The Marquis Who’s Who, Who’s Who in the South and Southeast.(Resources/ Gulf Coast Times, FL / Lahaina Galleries, HI)

Bottom Left: Valentine 28 x 22 Bottom Right: Who Are These Angels XXIII 36 x 24

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 3

VL Cover Artist

Naoko Paluszak

The Good People

Laurie Justus Pace

4 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Ellepace.com

content

VL

Congratulations 8 WAOW signature member Lois Griffel was chosen by the Board of American Impressionist Society as a new Master Signature Member.

Painter’s Keys - Robert Genn 17 Colors on My Palette 26 - 29

Ally Benbrook and Carol Smith Meyer

Read the up close and personal interviews from two CFAI.co artists. Find out more about what they use when painting and things that are special in their lives.

ARTSPAN Spotlight Figurative - 30 Hall Groat Review on Eric Fischl Figurative Painting 42 Hall Groat Reviews the incredible work of Figurative Painter Eric Fischl taking an upclose look at his new work.

VL Studio Visit with Morgan Weistling, JoAnn Peralta and Brittany Weistling 50 Enjoy the incredible journey of two families bringing to their marriage the energy and passion of story telling and art.

VL Studio Visit with Portrait Artist David Darrow 72 VIrtually every artist gets compliments when he or s he displays their work, whether at home, on Social Media, in a gallery or when given as a gift. “But some compliments are more meaningful than others to the artist,” says David R. Darrow, a portrait painter in San Jose, CA.

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 5

VL Barry Scharf Shares the 10 Tactics of Composition 94 CFAI.co Juried Show The Tapestry of Life 102 Ally Benbrook won Best of Show. First Place Barbara Jones Second Place Carol Peterson and Third Place Maryanne Jacobsen

VL Studio Visit with Floral Artist Nancy Medina 110 Nancy Medina is an award winning artist and Dallas Arboretum flower painting instructor whose paintings are collected around the world. Known for her bold colors and eye catching container gardens, the Texas artist left her corporate day job 2 months ago to pursue art full-time. “I took the leap – I traded heels and hose for paint brushes and flip flops!” said Medina.

ARTSPAN Studio Visit Shannon Crider 122 Shannon Crider uses found paper to create intricate figurative collages.

Based on original photographs of subjects, real and imagined, she captures their humanity with thoughtful calculation. Formally trained as a painter, she transitioned to paper as a means of challenging the application of color, shadow, and texture.

VL Studio Visit with Australian Figurative Painter Carmel Jenkin 128 I’ve been drawing and painting the female form since I was studying art in high school. Being barely a teenager, I didn’t realise at the time that I was turning to art as a way of coping when my mother had passed after a long battle with cancer.

As I developed into womanhood I had deep insecurities about my self-worth, to the point where I had an eating disorder.

6 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

content ARTSPAN Interview Bonnie Shapiro 142

VL

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

My father and his family, in addition to other businesses were art dealers and so I was always around paintings. As a young child I always had a pencil in my hand . l love to draw.

ARTSPAN Review Whitney Museum Pop Art 148 VL Gallery Visit with The London Royal Society of Portrait Painters 158 The Royal Society of Portrait Painters is dedicated to the appreciation and practice of portraiture since its inception in 1891 this is a forward-looking and dynamic organization. In the early years painters such as de Lazlo, Sargent, and Millais, exhibited with the society; today it continues to attract the foremost portrait painters of the day.

ARTSPAN Photographer Marvin Fink 164 Like many individuals, my life has taken many twists and turns.

The past several years have given me great personal loss and the opportunity of rebirth. One of the definitions of the word “odyssey� is an intellectual or spiritual quest. For me that quest has had an additional element of artistic exploration. My medium is photography, and my training has been international.

CFAI.co Art Challenge 172 Best of Show Carol Schiff

CFAI.co Portrait Artist Spotlight 180 CFAI.co Blog Reviews

182 Figurative Artists

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 7

Congratulations to WAOW Member Lois Griffel Lois Griffel was chosen by the Board of American Impressionist Society as a new Master Signature Member.

The AIS Board announced the election of Lois Griffel as the newest Master Signature member of the American Impressionist Society. Lois brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in Impressionist Painting.

From Lois’ website: “Once you enter the glorious world of Impressionist color, you will never go back. My eyes were opened to seeing “the light” by the great artist and teacher Henry Hensche. He dedicated his life’s work to the principles of Impressionism and did not consider it a separate painting approach. I believe, as he did, that Impressionism is the universal foundation of beautiful color in all contemporary painting today. Charles Hawthorn said: “anything under the sun is beautiful if you have the vision.” It is a great privilege for me to pass this vision on to you.”

Lois was a student of Hensche and in 1986 was given the greatest honor of suceeding Hensche, becoming the third director of the Cape Cod School of Arts. The School was established by Hawthorn in 1899. You can learn more about Lois Griffel on her website www.loisgriffel.com Cecy Turner President of WAOW

Winter Walk by Lois Griffel

8 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Cheri Homaee

cherihomaee.artspan.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 9

6

Debra Hurd debrahurd.com

10 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

debrahurd.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 11

LAURA REED Mixed Media Paintings

laurareed.artspan.com

12 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Contemporary Abstract Collage

LauraReed.artspan.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 13

14 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 15

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 jane-bucci.artistwebsites.com All Artwork is Copyrighted by the Individual Artists.

Visual Language Vol 2 No 6

RobertHuckestein.com 16 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Robert Genn’s Studio Book

Identical twins May 24, 2013 Dear Artist, Recently, Steve Koch of Gresham, Oregon wrote, “A friend experienced a situation where a painting of his was sold and then another client came forward and asked to have an identical one. I’m concerned about the artist’s reputation and any problems the first client might have with the deal. What’s your take on this?”

Here in China they may have a one-child policy, but they’ll make 3000 identical “originals” if they think it’ll ring the register. As most of us know, making paintings identical to one another is difficult. I doubt if there are many Western painters who would have the discipline to properly repaint a second work stroke-bystroke.

In Western cultures we start with attitudes about our individuality, integrity, personal pride and morality. In poorer countries such as China, where 90% of the population still struggle just to live, other attitudes prevail.

Painter’s Keys - Robert Genn

Painter’s Keys with Robert Genn

As a self-indulgent Western individualist, my preference is to make smallish “sketches” that are nevertheless finished pieces and sold through galleries. If I happen to like one of these sketches, I may make a larger and then a larger version. In my studio, a good sketch may last for perhaps five reincarnations.

Requests for repeats are infrequent. If someone insists on a copy, I tell them that no two paintings can be exactly alike and I suggest that I do one “of the same subject, in the similar spirit, and in a different size.”

The secret to this system is to not refer to the replicated work as you go along. Many (Western) painters agree with me that the act of trying to copy, particularly one’s own work, jinxes creativity and stultifies the piece. In my experience the “blind copy” can bring new life and energy to the subject. Curiously, the painting is often fresher and better resolved. Even though the very idea of a copy offends some artists, it can actually be a creative ploy and a challenging opportunity.

When delivering a blind copy to a client or a dealer, I’ve never had a complaint that I know of. If anybody ever did complain, I’d take the painting back, give a refund, and recommend they go to China.

Best regards, Robert PS: “There is no harm in repeating a good thing.” (Plato) Esoterica: “It just doesn’t seem right,” says Steve Koch, “to make a copy just for money.” We’ve been through this conundrum before. Remember a few years ago when photo-litho and giclee reproductions were proliferating like crazed rabbits? How did that phenomenon turn out? Let’s go back to money: With a few exceptions, the wholesale manufacture of reproductions seldom enhanced the value of the original work. Further, millions of “investors” were left with an unsalable pile of paper. Repros have had a negative effect on the art market that will not soon be forgiven. Except for some hotels and economy-minded interior decorators, the private collector and the prestigious museum need rarity.

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 17

www.richardlevine.net

18 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Richard Levine

Pastel Painter - Landscape and Figurative

www.richardlevine.net Contact info: artisanrichard@gmail.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 19

Jimmy Longacre

Texas Contemporary Landscape Artist

longacreart.com 20 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Dyan Newton Colors of Life

DyanNewton.com Visit my website for workshops and class schedules.

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 21

Judy Mackey Judymackey.com 22 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Kimberly Kelly Santini

PAINTINGS WITH SOUL paintingadogaday.com ** **cats, horses, bunnies, etc always welcomed.

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 23

Connie Chadwell

Lindyhop Lovers 7 x 5� oil on panel

ConnieChadwell.com

hackberrystreetstudio.blogspot.com 24 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Ann Hoffpauir artworkbyann.com

Signature Member Artists of Texas

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 25

Colors On My Palette

Ally Benbrook

http://www.allybenbrook.com http://www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/ally-benbrook

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

I took my 84 yr old mom to a watercolor class, and she hated it. I absolutely loved it. I’ve drawn horses all my life, but never went beyond that to other subjects or even painting of any sort. I’ve wondered why watercolor sparked such an obsession in me, and finally realized that working with watercolor is similar to working with animals, which I’ve done all my life. With an animal you can train for months, and when you get to the competition, the animal has ideas of their own, and you must go with whatever they give you ... watercolor artists know what I’m talking about. The pigments do not always do what we planned, and to make a successful painting, you need to let it go, and not worry about “correcting”. This felt like I was coming full circle in my life, and that watercolor art is what I’m meant to do next in life.

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

The females in my life, my mother, my aunts, and my grandmother have all been artists.

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

I have admired the work of Dean Mitchell from day one. His mastery of the limited palette and the way he turns ordinary subjects into extraordinary art inspires me on a daily basis.

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

I prefer Fabriano 300 lb cold press paper.

What brand of paints do you use?

I have used most professional brands of paint, and I have begun to love the DaVinci paints. I was lucky enough to tour their factory here in California, and was very impressed with their methods and pigments.

Do you have a favorite color palette?

I tend to paint with cool colors most of the time, and I neutralize the tube colors so my finished paintings appear to be a limited palette.

What is your favorite color in your closet?

Purple!!!!!

What subject appears the most in your paintings and why?

Animals are my schtick! I love them, I’ve always loved them, and they are so entwined in my life it would be impossible to NOT paint them.

How often do you paint? How many hours a week?

Generally I paint everyday, even if it’s just a few brushstrokes. I probably average about 20-25 hours a week.

Read more at http://www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/allybenbrook 26 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Read more at http://www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/ally-benbrook VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 27

Carol Smith Myer http://www.cfai.co/carolmyer http://www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/carol-smith-myer

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

Art has always been second nature to me. I remember in Nursery School, when I was four, I thought of warm colors as girls and cools as boys. In that year’s report card, the teacher wrote “Carol is superior at crayons and scissors”. It has always been part of my identity.

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

When I discovered colorist oil painting, I immediately dropped my watercolors, to paint in this new way.

Camille Przewodek has been the greatest influence on my painting. She taught me the Hensche method of colorist still life and landscape painting. My figure and portrait work is a combination of that colorist theory and my years of drawing and painting the model.

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

I am always learning from all the artists I admire. Recently, I’ve taken workshops from Kevin Courter, Sue Lyon, Jeff Watts, and Daniel Keys. Each has a special something that I am curious about, I always come away from a workshop a better and more inspired painter. It also helps me to teach my students.

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

I like oil primed linen. I sometimes glue the fabric on boards, or just buy them ready made.

What brand of paints do you use?

I use Sennelier, Gamblin, Williamsburg, Grumbacher. I like all the professional brands.

Do you have a favorite color palette?

Cadmium lemon, Cadmium yellow, Cadmium red light, Permanent rose, magenta, Dioxizine purple, Ultramarine blue, Cerulean blue, Viridian green, Yellow ocher.

What is your favorite color in your closet?

Mustard What subject appears the most in your paintings and why?

Portraits. They have been the hardest to master, so it is such a great sense of accomplishment to bring life and luminosity to a face.

How often do you paint? How many hours a week?

I paint most days. Sometimes in my studio, in a figure session, or outside plein air. I would say 25 hours a week, then other art related jobs, like hanging shows, marketing or teaching take up another 15 hours a week.

Read more at http://www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/carol-smith-myer 28 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Colors On My Palette Read more at http://www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/carol-smith-myer

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 29

artspan

Figurative Painting

Barbara Lamb

www.barbaralambart.com

Les Nielsen

www.lesnielsen.artspan.com

30 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Jane Bucci

jane-bucci.artistwebsites.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 31

terrystanley.com

32 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

terrystanley.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 33

SEARCH

ARTISTS

PHOTOGRAPHERS

ARTISANS

Art websites. Totally customizable. Drag & Drop. Unlimited pages. Integrated shopping cart. Prin

ARTIST

engaged in broad spectrum of creating art. expressing through a medium. innovative using imagination, talent or skill to create work with an aesthetic value. those who create in the context of society and culture to tell a story, express a feeling, record life. color addict. rhythm. balance. discord. joy. love. life. passion.

JOIN 34ARTSPAN Easy artist website templates. Design your own unqiue website. Se | VL Magazine -TODAY. VisualLanguageMagazine.com http://www.artspan.com/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=195

JEWELERS

COLLECTIONS

DIRECTORIES

ARTICLES

nts on Demand. Blog. Searchable database. Social media enabled. Slideshows. Stats and more

ARTSPAN

builds community. connects public to visual art. platform for artists to thrive. values the arts. nurtures the arts. promotes creativity and exchange between members and collectors. social media. slideshows. stats. new easy artist/gallery websites. be unique. prints on demand. cost $15-20 a month.

http://www.artspan.com/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?i http://www.artspan.com/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=195 BECOME A MEMBER

ell your work using integrated shopping carts - Prints on demand.

Low cost $15 -20 a month.

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 35

suzy pal powell

Brand’n Watercolor by Suzy Pal Powell 36 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

suzypal.blogspot.com suzypal.com

Mark Schwartz

highheeledart.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 37

kaycrain.com 38 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Linda McCoy

lindamccoyart.blogspot.com Commissions Welcome.

Landscapes, Figurative and Still Life VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 39

Anett KilĂŠn Kennedy Oslo, Norway anettkilenkennedy.com

40 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Hall Groat II American Fine Artist

Calla Lillies 30 x 40

www.cfai.co/hallgroat http://www.nyartguide.net/groatii/

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 41

VL

Review of Eric Fischl’s Recent Figurative Paintings

By Hall Groat II Professor and Chairperson, Art and Design Department SUNY Broome Community Colleges/

Long Island-based painter, Eric Fischl, now in his ripe old age of 65, perhaps has become a bit conservative in his work compared to his formative years. Fischl continues to create incredibly dynamic, inventive figurative compositions, but instead of engaging us in provocative sexual bedroom narrations, he reveals to us a softer side of his personality through a series of figurative stills involving people that have shaped on several levels his beach-like lifestyle in Sag Harbor, New York. His recent series of portraits are straightforward, honest depictions of friends and acquaintances, and often are simply entitled with first names, such as “Anne”, “Ron”, or “Carole”.

These works aren’t meant to titillate us like his early risqué, voyeuristic-like works, along the lines of: “Sleepwalker”, “Bad Boy” or “Birthday Boy”. Instead, they are more subtle in content.

Eric Fischl, Bad Boy (early work)

A few of the recent portrait stills remind me of what the late Fairfield Porter often painted, who also resided in Long Island, and was a noteworthy American painter during the 1950’s. Unassuming poses, involving a couple of people immersed within their everyday, ordinary, often suburban lifestyles. The pieces are painted with large, bold graphic shapes of color, with minimal brushwork. A couple of the works such as “Chuck and Sienna” and “Rafael”, make trendy Postmodernist allusions to other contemporary artists (i.e. the photorealist Chuck Close), but beneath this veneer, sentiments of modernism emerge, in the sense that the formal elements—line, shape, color, texture, and composition—can be appreciated as pure form and are not overshadowed by an over sensationalized narrative.

42 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Eric Fischl, Rafael (recent work)

Eric Fischl, Chuck and Sienna (recent work)

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 43

VL

Review of Eric Fischl’s Recent Figurative Paintings with Hall Groat II

Eric Fischl, Eddie and Paul (recent work)

Fairfield Porter (1907-1975), Chris, Sarah, Felicity

In Saint Barts his celebrity friend, Steve Martin, is depicted as a laid-back beachgoer standing in the middle of a group who are all peering back at us. Like many of Fischl’s works, the camera lens frames the image as the compositional device; although who is taking the digital shot this time? If you happen to be visiting New York any time soon, be sure to check out Fischl’s work at the Mary Boone Gallery, which now has two different locations: 745 Fifth Avenue, or 541 West 24th Street in Chelsea.

Eric Fischl, Saint Barts Ralph’s 70th (recent work)

44 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Liz Hill

lizhillart.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 45

46 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Dick Bobnick Illustration & Portraiture

Left: Marilyn Monroe

Above: Beauty In Pink Bikini

Custom Portraiture, Boudoir Portraits from your photos and Pinup Illustration Website:www.dickbobnick.com Email:bobnick38@yahoo.com Giclee print website: www.dick-bobnick.artistwebsites.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 47

Anthony A. Gonzรกlez

obra-de-gonzalez.com

48 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

obra-de-gonzalez.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 49

VL

Morgan Weistling JoAnn Peralta Brittany Weistling

jperalta.com

50

41 50 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

www.morganweistling.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 51

VL

Generations and Regenerations Morgan Weistling, JoAnn Peralta, and Beyond

by Dave Justus with Laurie Pace

To study history is to delve into the formative events of our world—triumphs and tragedies alike—and to map the effects across diverse arenas. From the political to the personal, from the scientific to the social, we are shaped by our wars, our beliefs, our technologies. Perhaps nowhere is this more apparent than in the artwork produced in response to experiences both universal and intimate. We are crafted by our passions, and we use those passions to craft.

As the Romantics gave way to a Modern Art period that blossomed into dozens of distinct movements throughout the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, the specters of global wars, and the changing notions of work and industry in their wakes, loomed large over the arts. Struggling to express their feelings and record (or sometimes renounce) the happenings of the nations around them, master artists took up their tools and created a history of their own. From Picasso to Kandinsky, Rouault to Mondrian, Siqueiros to de Kooning, these artists and innumerable others worked in countless styles to tell their stories, each a unique, stippled point on a canvas the size of a century.

One such story is that of Howard Weistling, an artist and an American soldier. Captured by the Germans and held as a P.O.W. in Barth during World War II, Howard employed his artistic skills to keep up the morale of his fellow prisoners. He gathered every scrap of paper he could find throughout the camp, continuing the humorous adventures of the cartoon characters that he created to give the detainees a means of “escape” from prison life.

After the war and with the help of the G.I. Bill, Howard attended Woodbury Art College in Los Angeles.

There, he met his future wife and started his family; notions of pursuing a career in the arts were laid aside for the realities of raising three children. But Howard never let go of his interest or his art books… and that would prove to be quite fortuitous for his son.

Morgan Weistling, youngest of three children, wasn’t yet two years old when Howard sat him on his lap at the drafting table and the two began to bond over art and imagination. Watching his father’s comic strips unfold, Morgan quickly came to understand the idea of art as a narrative, and one with the potential to induce a smile. “We laughed a lot in our house,” he recalls. “My dad had a crazy sense of humor and reveled in his strangeness.”

But there was a discipline behind the art as well, one that Morgan discovered as he applied himself to studying his father’s full library of books on anatomy, drawing, and painting. By the age of 15, he had dog-eared the pages to distraction; he needed a mentor beyond the printed page, and he found one in Brandes Art Institute instructor Fred Fixler. The institute was dedicated to life drawing, and Fixler’s work called to Morgan like nothing before. Taking a part-time job as a janitor for the school to pay his tuition, Morgan spent the next three years learning his craft. “Fixler was my mentor on the most important aspects of art,” he recalls. “His foundation took me to a place where I could handle the challenges of commercial and fine art.”

While still a student and working at an art store, Morgan showed his portfolio to a prominent illustrator who stopped in for supplies. The next day, he found himself employed at a top Hollywood poster agency. It was the rocket ride he had wanted, but the ascent was dizzying. Fortunately, studying at his father’s knee and

52 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Gifts from the Garden Morgan Weistling

Howard Weistling with son Morgan.

at Fixler’s side had given him the tools he needed to thrive in the business, and he spent the next fourteen years working for every major movie studio, as well as on pinball machines and in other fields of professional illustration.

“Working in movie advertising taught me to design a picture with brevity in mind,” he says. “Essential elements only. Also, working with deadlines led to a good work ethic. I learned to take criticism as a good thing.” Perhaps his most important takeaway from his time in commercial art? “It should never be about the ego, just what makes the painting better.”

After nearly a decade and a half of being art-directed in the commercial trenches, though, Morgan realized that what would make his painting better—at least as far as he was concerned—was if it were to become more personal. Setting aside the concerns of packaging and selling, he instead created a piece entitled Gifts From the Garden, a rustic scene featuring two children and the bounty of flowers they’d gathered. It would prove to be a watershed moment.

Morgan painting outdoors with model.

www.morganweistling.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 53

VL Weistling - Peralta

This new, distinctive style turned heads at Trailside Galleries in Scottsdale, Arizona, the first place Morgan went knocking. He was signed on the spot, and his paintings sold before they could even be placed into frames. His first one-man show was an opening-night sellout; five more have followed suit.

In the years since he first painted those children sorting wildflowers before the hearth, Morgan has garnered innumerable accolades, watched his pieces attain permanent collection status in a number of museums, and won multiple awards. His reputation as a contemporary American master continues to grow.

But of all of the things he’s had a hand in creating, perhaps the one of which he’s most proud doesn’t hang on a gallery wall. Instead, it fills his entire home… and his whole heart. “My own family is everything to me,” he says. “I cherish every day I get to spend with my wife and two girls. I am blessed to have a job that lets me stay home and be with them every day. I can’t think of any greater joy than that.”

Mirroring his own parents’ first encounter in a way, Morgan met his wife JoAnn Peralta at an art school as well—this time, at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, where he was a substitute teacher and she was a student. Profoundly affected by the work of Vincent van Gogh, JoAnn had begun to teach herself drawing and oil painting at an early age. She received no formal training until her early twenties, when a full scholarship to the school began to transform both her professional and personal paths.

She, too, applied her skills at first to commercial art, designing covers for books, videos, and magazines as she honed her technical abilities under Morgan’s tutelage. Like her husband, though, JoAnn also began to long to create more personal work. After eight years as an illustrator, JoAnn turned her attentions to the fine arts… and she drew from a deep and rich well of inspiration.

JoAnn Peralta (behind) working in studio with daughter Brittany (front).

54 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

jperalta.com

Vineyard Girl JoAnn Peralta

jperalta.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 55

VL Weistling - Peralta

Mother’s Pride JoAnn Peralta 56 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

jperalta.com

No one has had a greater influence on JoAnn’s work than her grandmother, Anita Peralta. (The surname under which she paints is a direct homage.) Anita and her husband Ramon came from Spain, migrating first to Mexico and eventually to California in the 1920s, taking jobs as itinerant farmhands.

The labor was demanding, but Anita’s work ethic was more than a match. As their family grew, she imparted her ethos to her children, passing down her wisdom and her strength to help them make their way in the world.

Anita decided to become an American citizen, studying hard for the test because she believed intrinsically in the values upon which the country was founded. As a community member, she was active both politically and in the church, encouraging others to participate in the democratic process and doing what she could to feed and aid the less fortunate. No matter her own lot in life, Anita Peralta tirelessly pursued her passions and worked to make a better world not just for her family, but for everyone she could.

It is a life lesson that her granddaughter has taken fully to heart. “Even when cancer was riddling her with pain,” JoAnn recalls, “she never spoke words of complaining. She had a quiet strength and integrity that spoke volumes to me. I have many memories of watching her shine in her community through work with feeding the poor or widowed ladies. She didn’t like being acknowledged for it, but I had never seen her so happy or outspoken as when she was talking to the people, making them feel welcome. I was deeply touched by her heart of compassion.”

With the gift of this inherited strength of character, JoAnn began to paint, every piece a singular leaf on the tree that blossomed from her grandmother’s roots. “The love and respect I had for my grandmother made me want to dig deeper into the cultural and everyday aspects of my heritage to gain a better insight into what may have influenced her… and, ultimately, me,” she says. “Since part of my American story originated with her, I decided to uncover the beauty of the Hispanic people, my people, with respect to their everyday lives in America.”

Olivia’s Coop Morgan Weistling

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

VL Weistling - Peralta

Illumination by Morgan Weistling 58 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Grandma’s Recipe 12 x 16 Oil JoAnn Peralta

Brittany, JoAnn and Morgan Wesitling

jperalta.com

www.morganweistling.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 59

VL Weistling -Peralta Anita’s church work also serves as an inspiration to JoAnn; she and Morgan share a faith that’s a common theme in their works. “Faith is what ultimately drives every human being to pursue with passion what they are striving for,” she says, thanking God when explaining her motto: Believe it. “If you want something that holds integrity, genuineness, or beauty worth pursuing, then ‘believe it,’ take action, and pursue it with a passion.” As if to illustrate that point, Morgan’s interest in the life of Christ has inspired enough paintings to fill a best-selling book, “The Image of Christ.”

But there is perhaps no theme more important in their work, or in their lives, than family. Morgan and JoAnn’s two daughters, Brittany and Sienna, appear often in their parents’ art. “Because I have experienced every day of my children’s lives, that comes out in my observations of them in my paintings,” notes Morgan. And it tends to bring out the sense of humor he learned from his own father: “I love when a kid wreaks havoc in my studio and makes a mess. I just look at it and think, ‘That’s a painting!’”

Not content to be merely the subject of the work—though she’ll happily continue to sit for her parents’ pieces—eldest daughter Brittany has developed into an extraordinary artist in her own right. “It used to be really fun to paint side by side with her, helping her along the way,” Morgan recalls wistfully. “Now, she’s beginning to intimidate me with her accurate eye. I get the feeling she’s already seeing the flaws in my draftsmanship, and that’s scary!”

Spanish Shawl 26 x 36 Oil JoAnn Peralta 60 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

jperalta.com

“My mom and dad always included me in their painting trips on our vacations and always provided an easel and paint whenever I wanted it,” Brittany says. “They made it a normal thing for me.” Growing up in an environment that encouraged her to express her interests artistically, she notes, “my desire to use the gifts God has given me has matured and gotten more serious.”

Working in paints and pencils, Brittany exhibited an early gift for capturing likenesses. A viewing of the film “Empire of the Sun” - author J.G. Ballard’s autobiographical tale of his boyhood in a Japanese internment camp - affected her profoundly. Once more, art emerged from the horrors of war, and its echoes have reached Brittany in the present day.

Her series of drawings inspired by the film points to storyboarding as a possible commercial avenue for her talents. “At this point,” Brittany says, “I know my future lies in the art world, but it remains to be seen exactly which form it will take.” With Weistling technical chops and Peralta work ethic, she should have no trouble making a living with her work.

Brittany Weistling, paintings above, sketches below.

http://www.morganweistling.com/brittanyweistling.html

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 61

VL Weistling -Peralta With their God-given talents and passions for the craft, Morgan, JoAnn, and Brittany continue to draw upon their histories, their faith, and their family to inspire their artwork. With this much creativity under one roof, a household of artists encouraging and challenging one another, it’s not difficult to imagine a very long, very happy story for the Weistling/Peralta clan.

And that’s as it should be. History will always be there for them to draw upon, as it is for us all. The tales of wartime prison camps and working hard to support a new family; of fighting for America and to become American; a father’s sense of humor and library of art books; a grandmother’s principled stands and warm heart; a chance meeting at an art school that changed everything… all of these are bits of the past that make their way onto the canvas or the bond paper, shaping a new future.

Those who inspire us cannot stay with us forever. Howard Weistling, Anita Peralta, Fred Fixler, J.G. Ballard… all have passed into history’s embrace. But the lessons they taught, the sparks they ignited, the inspirations they provided are alive in the works and lives of Morgan Weistling, JoAnn Peralta, and Brittany Weistling.

And who knows whom they’ll inspire?

Evening Glow Oil JoAnn Peralta 62 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

jperalta.com

End of Harvest by Morgan Weistling

www.morganweistling.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 63

lynphariss.com

64 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Debra Latham

debralatham.com DebraLatham.blogspot.com RedPaletteArtCenter.blogspot.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 65

Marchita Priest

MarchitaPriest.com 66 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Trust your original thought - although it may be unpredictable.

Yet, explore it with playful curiositiy, adopt an adventurous attitude and enjoy the experience.

M. A L L I S O N mallisonartist.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 67

Shirley Quaid ShirleyQuaid.com 68 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

www.ShirleyQuaid.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 69

BRENDA YORK whimsical art

brendayork.com brendayork.blogspot.com 70 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

facebook.com/brendayork.art brendayork.art@gmail.com

Charleenmartin.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 71

VL

72

Studio Visit Portrait Artist David Darrow

72 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 73

VL David Darrow VIrtually every artist gets compliments when he or she displays their work, whether at home, on Social Media, in a gallery or when given as a gift. “But some compliments are more meaningful than others to the artist,” says David R. Darrow, a portrait painter in San Jose, CA. “For me, the greatest compliments are those positive ones from a select few painters I admire, and from whom I can also trust to give me solid criticism on my work when something’s not right about it.

But when a client —often having no artistic skills, by their own admission — compliments me, the words that mean the most are ‘You really captured the personality, the essence of [the subject],” Darrow adds.

Darrow has been drawing and painting since he was a child. His family were churchgoers from before he was even born, so Sunday mornings spent in Sunday School and “Big Church” were a regular, weekly thing. He explains that Sunday School was a stimulating, fast-paced-enough block of time to keep his attention with activities, Bible stories, music and play time, but when it was time to transition to sitting still with the adults in the 90-minute services for adults (“Big Church”), his little A.D.D. mind found little stimulation while fidgeting on a hard, oak pew, barely able to see over the big blue hair in front of him, his young mind processing eternal subjects, scriptures on theological concepts in the background while absorbing all the visual stimulation he could find.

“In the churches we attended, there were racks attached to the backs of the pews in front of you, which held hymnals, a bible, and small envelopes for financial giving for church programs and missionary support. Printed on one side would be a form for donor and donation info, but the back of the envelope was a blank ‘canvas’ awaiting my artistic observations.”

Julia by David Darrow

74 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Juliette by David Darrow

Chauncy by David Darrow VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 75

VL David Darrow

Portrait of Anne Gillum by David Darrow

76 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Charlotte by David Darrow, Detail right

Darrow had a captive model pool in the collection of personalities on stage, and would amuse his mother and father with drawings or caricatures of the pastor, choir members or soloists on stage. Always fascinated with the difference in people’s features, even as a young boy of 6 or 7, he would try to draw what he saw that made one person look different from another. The shape of a face, the height of the eyebrows, the scowl of a serious speaker, the enormous double-chin of a warbling soloist belting out an impassioned “How Great Thou Art.” Some of his caricatures made his mom snicker a little too loudly, and usually got tucked away and saved in a mementos box at home. “My mom was always my greatest art fan, and my most gracious critic. She loved everything I drew as a kid.”

As he got older, and drawing seemed to be his gifting if not simply a strong interest, he was surrounded with books of artists, such as Norman Rockwell, Remington, JC Leyendecker and others, and his interest in being able to draw or paint accurate likenesses increased. By junior high, growing up in Playa del Rey, CA — a beach town next to the take-off pattern at LAX in Los Angeles — he was known as an artist among his friends, and by the end of high school, majoring in Art, he had plenty of milage in publications in yearbooks, drama and musical program covers, surfboard art and even a few commissions. His favorite art teacher in high school, Sam Uskovich, encouraged him to look into attending Art Center College of Design not far away in, at that time, Los Angeles, near Hollywood. By the time Darrow did attend Art Center, it had relocated to a new, modern facility in Pasadena, CA. “Whenever I smell oil paints and turpentine, I am transported immediately to the wonderful first day of classes at Art Center, and the moment I walked in the double, black doors to the painting level, below the cafeteria, and the aroma is just as magical and inspiring today as that day in February of 1977.” Darrow, now 56, started his college years at age 19, and took his schooling seriously, wanting to absorb as much as he could from each instructor that had practical direction to offer. He considers it to be a life well-lived to have been able to make a living and support a family, however leanly at times, doing something he loves doing. “I would do it all again, knowing what I know about it all — as long as I could have my younger body back: the one that could handle the many, many all-nighters.”

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 77

VL David Darrow He spent a little less than 20 years of his adult life as a freelance illustrator, half in San Diego, and half in Los Angeles until the carpet got pulled out from under his illustration career, as with many illustrators, with the advent of increasingly inexpensive computers and scanners making it into the hands and skill sets of the very people who used to hire him for “Final Art.” Art Directors were trimming their budgets by doing not only the conceptualizing of visual solutions, but creating the final art themselves, moving away from traditional illustration to type and photo solutions done right on their own desks.

“It was about 1995 when the drop in meaningful, well-paying work suddenly occurred,” Darrow recalls, “and when the well was almost dry I had to decide what to do next: beat’em or join’em, so I jumped into computers with a little bit of money I could set aside while supporting a family of 5. I began learning MacIntosh systems and apps in the early ’90’s but had to upgrade to handle the heavier loads.”

Less illustration work was coming in by the mid-nineties, and consequently finances diminished. Fear, discouragement, low finances and being self-taught in Graphic Design on a Mac, Darrow says it all quite simply led to other fairly typical family and marriage problems which snowballed, eventually crushing his marriage. By the turn of 2000, he was living alone, and had not done an illustration, painting or drawing in nearly 2 years.

Though he did not do any art in that period of time, the art never left him. He tells of how he went to bed each night looking through Richard Schmid’s Figure and Landscape books, studied Howard Turpning, James Bama and Tom Lovell books, and revisited his Norman Rockwell book collection.

“Richard Schmid, though, was particularly wonderful to me, because his work is so crystal clear, focused in content, realistic but so painterly. I could see his process in his work, and he is a wonderfully gifted teacher, even in his books. To an artist who had labored through many all-nighters cutting friskets (masks) for highly-polished airbrush illustrations, or painted laborious romance book covers, or short-deadline movie promotion illustrations, Schmid’s work simply spoke to my wondering heart. I thought I might like to so that, instead.”

Darrow decided to re-invent himself as an oil painter. A portrait artist. Having never believed oil paintings could be done sickly enough for freelance illustration work, he had avoided learning the medium for 20 years. His good friend Morgan Weistling, however, proved that creating oil paintings in a short time-frame was quite possible if approached correctly.

“Morgan was doing everything in oil and was one of the most successful illustrators in Hollywood in the early ’90s, and by 2000, though also affected by the bottom dropping out of Illustration, was finding great success in Fine Art, so my dream of being able to support myself with oil paintings wasn’t really a crazy one after all — or maybe Morgan was crazy too.” Darrow adds that “I know Morgan finds me to be quirky and amusing enough that he doesn’t mind having me in his otherwise quiet studio from time to time, so I freely admit I having benefited from this rare blessing of having a friendship with a painter I consider one of the very best and most admirable in the world.”

Now Darrow enjoys a simpler, slower pace and a much quieter life painting commissioned portraits of people from all over the USA, in addition to his small works he sells from his site and on eBay from time to time. He also paints many still-lifes, land– and seascapes, nudes and costumed figurative subjects.

78 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Father Phoon by David Darrow

His 3 children are adults now, one son, Drew, is married and has a son, the second son, Greyson is marrying in August, and his daughter Lauren left on May 15th — 2 days after her 21st birthday — for South Africa for 3 months with a missionary organization to help teach school subjects underprivileged children in schools in the poorest outskirts of Johannesburg. David lives alone in his San Jose home/ studio, and gets a little social interaction on Facebook, through his Page [http://www.facebook.com/ davethepaintingguy] and in a one-way, online video broadcast (or PaintCast™ as he dubbed it in 2008) called “Dave the Painting Guy.”

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 79

VL David Darrow Dave the Painting Guy [www.DavethePaintingGuy.com] started somewhat accidentally when Darrow hooked up a Mini-DV camera to his computer to see if it could be used as a WebCam for Skype to converse with his widowed mom some 450 miles north of his studio, at that time in Oceanside, CA, near San Diego. To test it out, he created an account with ustream.tv, a new online video broadcasting-for-everyone site. To his delight, when he clicked the link to “Broadcast Now” his camera was broadcasting to the world.

So, he pointed the camera at his canvas, zoomed in, and began a quick 11 x 14 painting from a reference he had. “After a 10 minutes or so painting and wondering if anyone was actually watching — not really knowing how to determine that — a “guest” appeared in the text-chat-room and started asking questions.” Darrow was able to speak and the camera’s mic would pick it up and he could continue painting and answering questions which he would glance over and read off the monitor. Soon others joined, and the chat-room populated quickly to a dozen or so viewers. When Darrow was done with the painting, one of the viewers asked if he would broadcast again, and since he had a commissioned, dual portrait he had set aside for that time, he answered that yes, he would be on the next day.

Over the next few days he started seeing some of the same screen-names showing up, asking art-related questions… names like BrendaOfOhio, BigPopFun, ChrisPunk and TorontoPainter. It became a meeting place for artists, and, as Darrow admits,”Painting in front of not only strangers, but ‘artist strangers’ kept me mostly at the top of my game. Somehow, that kind of pressure improved my work.”

After a couple of weeks or more, Darrow started referring to himself, tongue-in-cheek, as “Dave the Painting Guy” and soon, with the help of one of his enthusiastic viewers, a supporting website was born by the same name. From that beginning, Darrow has gone on to host hours and hours of paintings ‘performed’ online with a camera looking over his shoulder and a separate ‘palette cam’ for anyone in the world to watch, usually recording an hour’s worth at a time for later public viewing.

Darrow has hosted and recorded several specific online courses totaling over 21 hours and are available from the Dave the Painting Guy website. Subjects include Charcoal Drawing for Oil Painters, Shadow University: Everything I know about Light and Shadow, Color Theory for Painters, and In the Flesh: Mixing and Painting Flesh tones.

A special discount off the regular price for access to these online videos for all 4 courses is available for a limited time to Visual Language readers by using this link: http://davethepaintingguy.com/workshops/vlpromo.html These videos are not available on DVD or any other format.

Darrow has also started a fun and informative audio podcast with stories and interviews of old-school illustrators, painters and other creative people on his new podcast “Drawing on Experience” available free though the iTunes store, here, https://itunes.apple.com/ua/podcast/drawing-on-experience-audio/ id616323274 and also, for those without iPods, iPads and the like, can be played on the Dave the Painting Guy website, here, http://www.DaveThePaintingGuy.com/podcast/ To commission a portrait, visit http://www.DarrowArt.com/commission/ and he’ll do his best to ‘capture the personality of the subject you want painted.’ To have your email address added to Darrow’s free newsletter mailing list for occasional updates and Art-In-Your-Inbox, go to http://DarrowArt.com/list/

80 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Security by David Darrow

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 81

VL David Darrow

My Funny Valentine by David Darrow

Orchid from the Garden by David Darrow

82 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Mexican Limes by David Darrow

Lemons and Olive Branches by David Darrow

A Rose by Any Other Note by David Darrow VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 83

Robert Huckestein Portraits, Still Life and Figurative

RobertHuckestein.com 84 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

www.RobertHuckestein.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 85

June Holloway JuneHolloway.com

Joyce in Repose

86 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

A Lingering Memory

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 87

jeankellyartist.com Caitlyn Rose 18�x24� oil on canvas 88 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

JEAN KELLY jeankellyartist.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 89

Bob Moline

leesmallfineart.com

90 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Lee Small Gallery Ft. Worth, Texas

leesmallfineart.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 91

Tommy Buell McDonell

Alcohol and Ink

tbmcdonellart.com

92 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Naoko Paluszak www.naokoartworks.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 93

VL

The Tactics of Composition in 10 Steps. by Barry Scharf

The concept of image creation often takes many directions that lead the artist into individual choices of content and medium. We often hear that because of this flexibility there are no rules to the process. We are instructed to forget all the rules of design and go with the flow of our feelings and just create.

However, how can you forget what you never knew? The truth is that one must learn the rules first in order to forget them. To make them intuitive to the creative process so they become subconscious to the artist and his/her process. In this way, we can forget the rules and still make good choices. We can trust our gut feelings knowing that they are founded in deep design principles proven over many generations of image making.

Keeping this in mind lets look at the blank canvas of the creative mind. Lets start by asking some basic questions. Where do I begin? What is the content of my vision? What do I want it to communicate? How will I divide the space? These types of questions provide a direction for the artist and set the stage for the message.

“Dingy� by Barry Scharf 94 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

“Journey� Oil on Canvas by Barry Scharf

Here are the 10 steps that I find helpful to the creative process.

1. Think about the zones of the image you want to create. By this, I mean for-ground, middle ground and background. Where is the light source? Is the image lit from the back to the front or the other way around?

2. If lit from the back start with the lighter pastel colors, form the large negative distant spaces first. As you move from the distant back to the mid-ground, deepen the tones as you form larger closer shapes.

3. Reserve the darkest tones for the for-ground imagery. In this way the image has a visual light orientated logic.

4. Work from general too specific and do not develop detail to quickly... stay loose as you work keep the imagery moving. Flexibility is key. Remain uncommitted to your first choices.

5.Keep in mind placement of shapes to conform to the way the composition is to be viewed. Avoid moving down the middle. Create forms that move left and right attending to flow as they come closer.

6. Examine the scale relationships so they assume the proper dominance to the overall meaning within the statement.

7. Vary the hue within forms to excite the eye.

8. Keep in mind the light source and consistently be true to its direction as you shape the content.

9. Turn form with light and shade and accent with highlight and shadow.

10. Reserve details and complexities for last. Always work from the ambiguous to specific.

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 95

VL

Composition Tactics continued...

“The Call Web” by Barry Scharf

OK, now you get the idea... do all this while you forget all of it.

Apply this to realism or abstraction it still works. If you master this, you will be free to consider the overall meaning of the communication. Why are you making this image? What does the composition mean to you and your audience? Did you fulfill the content and meaning or is the message lost to vague unresolved forms that mislead the meaning? It is at this point that you are your own worst critic, judge and jury. It is now that you must decide the fate of the work. Will this work be shared with the world or will it be banished to the reject pile. For me this is the most difficult part of the creative process. In the end even with all this hard work and thoughtful execution it is guaranteed that there will be those that love what you do, others that misunderstand it’s meaning and hopefully only a few that do not appreciate the result at all. Barry Scharf https://barrywscharf.squarespace.com/ http://scharf62.blogspot.com/ www.linkedin.com/pub/barry-scharf-mfa/4/b29/3a0/

96 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Janna Hengy Fine Art

jannahengy.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 97

Barbara Haviland BarbaraHaviland.artspan.com

98 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Ann Deutermann Contemporary Figurative Paintings

anndeutermann.artspan.com etsy.com/shop/anndeutermann

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 99

MorganPaceArt.blogspot.com/

Morgan pace

100 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Jonelle McCoy

“Don’t Forget Me” by Jonelle McCoy

mccoysgaitedhorseartworks.blogspot.com jonelle-t-mccoy.artistwebsites.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 101

Juried Show Spring 2013

CFAI.co “The Tapestry of Life” Best of Show - Ally Benbrook “Last Connection”

http://www.allybenbrook.com http://www.cfai.co/juried-shows-the-tapestry-of-life-spring-2013/

102 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

First Place - Barbara Jones “A Day at the Beach”

http://www.barbarajonesfineart.com http://www.cfai.co/juried-shows-the-tapestry-of-life-spring-2013/

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 103

Juried Show Spring 2013

CFAI.co “The Tapestry of Life” Second Place - Carol Peterson “Contemplating Life”

http://www.carolpetersonart.com http://www.cfai.co/juried-shows-the-tapestry-of-life-spring-2013/

104 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Third Place - Maryanne Jacobsen “Make a Joyful Noise�

http://www.maryannejacobsen.com http://www.cfai.co/juried-shows-the-tapestry-of-life-spring-2013/

Honorable Mentions Beverly Fagan Gilbertson Gabriele Bitter Gwen Bell Jeannie Stone Lisa Marie Jimmy Tablante Nancy Medina Laurie Pace http://www.cfai.co/juried-shows-the-tapestry-of-life-spring-2013/ VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 105

DianeWhitehead.com

Diane Whitehead

dianewhitehead.com 106 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Marie Fox

mariefoxpaintingaday.blogspot.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 107

Art by Shep artbyshep.com

Mary Contrary

108 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Bob Shepherd

Forget Me Knot

blogbyshep.blogspot.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 109

VL

Studio Visit with Nancy Medina

Nancy Medina is an award winning artist and Dallas Arboretum flower painting instructor whose paintings are collected around the world. Known for her bold colors and eye catching container gardens, the Texas artist left her corporate day job 2 months ago to pursue art fulltime. “I took the leap – I traded heels and hose for paint brushes and flip flops!” said Medina.

For 12 years, Nancy balanced a career as a magazine editor with painting and teaching. “I sold over 300 paintings in 2012, and I’ve discovered that teaching art is my passion. All the signs were pointing in one direction – the easel,” she said.

With flower painting workshops scheduled in Florida, New Hampshire, Missouri, Virginia, and across Texas, Nancy is well on her way to reaching her dream. Nancy works in transparent oils using large, loose strokes of color. Most of her paintings are completed in entirety with a single ¾ inch flat brush, and are painted ala prima, or wet on wet, all in one sitting.

Named one of today’s best floral and botanical artists by American Art Collector Magazine, Nancy’s paintings have earned awards both nationally and internationally. She paints from fresh flowers, and teaches her students to deconstruct mother nature into shape and color, rather than petal and leaf, letting the transparent base blend with opaques to create beautiful and unusual color combinations.

“The transparent colors serve as a way to add depth and mystery, the key is to remember to let some of these transparents show through, don’t cover every inch of your canvas with opaques.

When you lay down a brilliant stroke of color, don’t blend it away. Fight the urge! And don’t fear the blank canvas – after all, it’s only paint!”

You can see more of Nancy’s original paintings at www.nancymedina.com and you can contact her at nancy@nancymedina.com.

110

110 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

nancymedina.com

Over the years my style has changed a lot and I find myself easily influenced by other artists. I think as any artist I am still finding my way and have resigned myself to being a seeker, experimenter, alchemist of art....for today.

Recently I’ve been exploring digital art creation on my iPad using apps such as Art Rage, Paper 53, NoteLedge, Phonto, Procreate and Noteshelf. While I loose the tactile quality I love about traditional mixed media work, being able to have all of these tools wherever I am allows me to produce more work and flush out ideas quickly.

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 111

VL

Studio Visit with Nancy Medina

Summer Wish Sunflowers

Island-Geraniums 112

nancymedina.com

112 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

nancymedina.com Inset view Cup of Sunshine Daisy Bouquet VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 113

VL

Studio Visit with Nancy Medina

Dream Seeker Stargazers 16X20

Cup of Sunshine Daisy Bouquet 16X20

Celestial Garden Hydrangeas and Roses

nancymedina.com

114 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Cuties and Hydrangeas 16X20

nancymedina.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 115

patmeyerdailypainter.blogspot.com

People’s Choice by the National Bold Brush Competition Available at the Dutch Art Gallery Dallas, Texas 116 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Pat Meyer Texas Still Life Artist

patmeyer-artist.com

patmeyerdailypainter.blogspot.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 117

Pamela Blaies

Nancy Medina

Palette Knife Artists

www.paletteknifepainters.blogspot.com

Roxanne Steed 118 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Laurie Pace

Judy Mackey

Karen Tarleton

www.paletteknifepainters.blogspot.com

Sally Shisler

Judith Babcock VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 119

David R. Darrow

so manyDavod things to paint. sotwp little [age time. ad/ Darrpw

Man of Renewal

Hoping

Ashton’s Morning

Kenyan Daughter 120 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

The Wanderer

www.DaveThePaintingGuy.com facebook.com/davethepaintingguy

Portrait of Anne Gillum

Juno

David R. Darrow Realistic Impressionism Accepting Commissions david@darrowart.com www.DarrowArt.com Subscribe to Private Mailing List: www.DarrowArt.com/list/ Etta

408.641.0799 VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 121

VL

Studio Visit Shannon Crider

Shannon Crider uses found paper to create intricate figurative collages. Based on original photographs of subjects, real and imagined, she captures their humanity with thoughtful calculation. Formally trained as a painter, she transitioned to paper as a means of challenging the application of color, shadow, and texture.

Crider graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Oklahoma City University in 2008. While enrolled, she was represented by Istvan Gallery and exhibited extensively throughout Oklahoma. Her work can be found in private collections in Houston, Norman, Oklahoma City and San Antonio, where she currently resides.

http://www.shannoncrider.com 57

122 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

artspan

http://www.shannoncrider.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 123

VL

Studio Visit Shannon Crider

What made you decide to start using paper as your primary medium?

Initially, I worked primarily as a painter, creating large scale oil paintings. A couple years ago, I became interested in experimenting with paper. I found that the change from oils to paper gave me the flexibility to work outside of a traditional studio space, and instead in my home.This was crucial because an explicit, off-site studio space was a luxury I couldn’t afford. I found that paper activated an entirely new set of challenges and opportunities.With each new piece I find a new way of pushing the medium. It’s never boring.

How do your choose your paper?

I’ve used all kinds of paper including wallpaper, tissue paper, maps, and book pages. However, I primarily use craft or scrapbook paper. I like it because the paper is acid-free and I can find a variety of colors, patterns, and textures.

Why not magazine or newspaper?

I’ve tried to work with both magazine pages and newspaper. I find that they’re both too fragile for my needs. Additionally, they don’t offer the variety of colors, patterns, and textures that make my work interesting.

What do you think paper can do that other materials can’t?

I don’t think there is anything new for me to contribute to oil painting that the masters didn’t already achieve. With paper, however, I feel like I am exploring a new frontier. Paper challenges the way I work with color and pattern. Additionally, paper’s ability to naturally build off the canvas, allows me to create a sculptural component to my work.

How long does an average piece take?

Way too long. The recently completed Traveler, 2013 took about 260 hours. It is possible that I am getting slower at this.

What are you currently working on?

Most of my works up to now have been straight forward portraits. For my next work I am creating a history painting of sorts. Drawing from the combined inspiration of Sophocles’ Greek tragedy Antigone and the idea of human beings as stardust. It is my belief these two seemingly disparate creative sources are united in the preservation of humility. I want to capture the death and burial of Antigone’s brother, Polyneices, while incorporating the idea that human beings are inextricably connected on a molecular level.

What artists inspire you the most?

Too many to name. Alice Neel has long been my favorite painter, but recently, the work of Radcliffe Bailey has changed the way I thought about art. Last summer, I saw his exhibition, Radcliffe Bailey: Memory as Medicine at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio,TX, and it was something like a conversion experience for me.

Looking ahead, how do you see your work evolving in the next couple of years?

That’s hard to answer. My hope is that I continue to evolve. I would like to see the work progress from 2D works with sculptural elements to full-on sculpture or installations.

Where can we find more about you and your work?

Check out my website www.shannoncrider.com or look me up on Facebook at Shannon Crider Art. 124 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

artspan

http://www.shannoncrider.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 125

VL Studio Visit Shannon Crider

http://www.shannoncrider.com 126 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

artspan

http://www.shannoncrider.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 127

VL

Studio Visit Australia Daily Painter Carmel Jenkin

carmeljenkin.com

128

carmeljenkin.com

128 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

carmeljenkin.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 129

VL

Carmel Jenkin

I’ve been drawing and painting the female form since I was studying art in high school. Being barely a teenager, I didn’t realise at the time that I was turning to art as a way of coping when my mother had passed after a long battle with cancer. As I developed into womanhood I had deep insecurities about my self-worth, to the point where I had an eating disorder. A lot of the uncertainty about my own body and my own struggle with my body shape was reflected in the misshapen, oppressive feel in some of my works at the time.

carmeljenkin.com 130 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

carmeljenkin.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 131

VL

Carmel Jenkin

carmeljenkin.com 132 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Now that I am older I still revisit that dark place sometimes with my work but I find there’s more of an acceptance that the end result will bring me to a place of certainty and permanence. The journey to get to that place is what I enjoy about my practice. My approach can be quite indecisive and ever-morphing. It’s incredibly therapeutic and rewarding to release an emotion and give it form, but equally rewarding when others identify with that emotion. Carmel Jenkin

carmeljenkin.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 133

VL

Carmel Jenkin

carmeljenkin.com

134 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

carmeljenkin.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 135

TINA BOHLMAN

OPS . CFAI . AOT . IPAP

Waxahachie, Texas

Watercolor and Oil in the Plein Air Tradition tinabohlman.com tina@tinabohlman.com

136 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

jodyandersonart.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 137

www.waow.org

138 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

www.waow.org

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 139

140 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Photography by Jafe Parsons

Halcyon II

Photography by Jafe Parsons

Georgene McGonagle

Eyas

gmcgonaglestudio.com

Never having experienced sculpture or even art for many years, I absorbed myself in academia and athletics. I taught Biology at SMU, Mathematics and Biology at Mary Institute, played competitive golf, and lived in Europe, but in my mid-fifties, a chance touching of clay turned my world around! As one might guess, with these varied experiences, my sculptures became eclectic, surprising both viewer and myself.

Georgene’s sculptures are in public parks, schools, businesses and private collections throughout the US, and in Denver, Coors Field, National Jewish Medical Center, Boys and Girls Club, American National Bank, and Cherry Creek North.

Georgene has received awards from Allied Artist of America, American Women Artists, Salmagundi Club Exhibition, Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, American Academy of Women Artists, and several People’s Choice Awards.

Georgene received the Sculpture Pursuit Magazine Industry Award and is featured in the book, “Sculpture of the Rockies”.

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 141

ARTSPAN Artist Spotlight

artspan

Artist Interview Bonnie Shapiro

When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be an artist? My father and his family, in addition to other businesses were art dealers and so I was always around paintings. As a young child I always had a pencil in my hand . l love to draw..

Who has been your mentor, or greatest influence to date? It is difficult to isolate one person who has influenced me, as there have been many. I am fortunate to be a part of a critique group with many wonderful artists in different mediums, all of who have influenced and encouraged me. I have studied with Larry Gerber, who has been invaluable; my figurative work in particular has grown under his guidance.

Who is another living artist you admire and why? I have been fortunate to take several workshops with Steve Assael whose work is phenomenal. His use of cool and warm color give his figures a beautiful sense of light.

What is your favorite surface to paint on? I generally paint on canvas or wood panels. In either case I am careful to prime the surface usually with Gamblin Oil Painting Ground to give a smooth surface on which to paint. Since I paint in thin layers it is essential to have a smooth surface. I would love to try painting on copper and I have been researching what that would entail.

What is your favorite brand of paint to use? I use several different brands of paint depending on the color. Blockx, Occhuzzie, Rublev, and Williamsberg are the main brands.

Do you have a favorite color palette? I tend to use the same palette although I do vary depending on subject, landscape or figurative. I add ochres and siennas for figurative work. I often like to use graphite in oil by Occhuzzie for under paintings for figurative work as well.

What is your favorite color in your closet? I like to wear black and white, colors vary but I love texture in my clothes especially lace..

How often do you paint, how many hours a week? I try to paint every day. I am an early riser so I can get a few hours in, even on non-studio days. On a day that I may not be able to paint, I do draw; I just take my sketch book with me.

What is the one thing you would like to be remembered for. I would like to be remembered for my compassion toward every living thing.

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? Self-doubt is my nemesis.

How do you overcome these obstacles? I am fortunate to have a supportive spouse as well as close friends, several of whom are also artists, and make wonderful sounding boards. I remember a quote from the Artist Way, “ Jump and the net will appear� I force myself to pick up a brush, or contact a gallery and see what happens. www.bonnieshapiro.artspan.com/

142 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Figurative Artist

bonnieshapiro.artspan.com/

“Morning� Graphite & Conte- Illustration Board By Bonnie Shapiro

What are your inspirations for your work? My husband and I love to travel, and enjoy wandering around small towns in particular. Sitting outdoors with a cup of coffee just watching people going about their day fascinates me.

Reading mostly nonfiction, particularly books on history and mythology.

What is your favorite way to get creative juices flowing? Music.

Which work of yours is your favorite? Hard to say, probably whatever I am currently working on. www.bonnieshapiro.artspan.com/ VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 143

Bonnie Shapiro

ARTSPAN Artist Spotlight

artspan

bonnieshapiro.artspan.com/ “Panagiotis� oil on canvas by Bonnie Shapiro 144 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Figurative Artist Up Close and Personal What book are you reading this week? I have been rereading Joseph Campbell’s “Hero with a Thousand Faces” Do you have a favorite televion show? No real TV favorites but when I watch TV, I like comedy and home renovation shows.

What is your favorite food? Ice Cream and coffee What color sheets are on your bed right now? A light grayish green What are you most proud of in your life? My family.

Who would you love to interview? Lucien Freud.

Do you have a passion or hobby other than painting/sculpting? I love to read, I am fascinated by ancient and medieval history.

Who would you love to paint? Really no one in particular, I love to draw and paint ordinary people. Their faces, the way they hold themselves and simple gestures tell a fascinating story.

If you were an animal what would you be and why? Definitely my Jack Russell Terrier, Jessie. She gets away with murder. I am afraid she is a little spoiled but very smart and funny.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take three things, what would they be? My husband, graphite and paper Share something with us that few people know about you. At one time, I thought about becoming a Zoo Keeper.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? I would love to travel anywhere and I am hoping to go to the Galapagos Islands one day, but as far as living, I guess right her near family and friends.

“Reclining Figure” oil on linen by Bonnie Shapiro

www.bonnieshapiro.artspan.com/ VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 145

Bonnie Shapiro

ARTSPAN Artist Spotlight

artspan

“Alan” oil on canvas by Bonnie Shapiro www.bonnieshapiro.artspan.com/

146 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

“Morning Light” Oil on Panel by Bonnie Shapiro

Figurative Artist

“Looking Past the Mosaic� by Bonnie Shapiro www.bonnieshapiro.artspan.com/

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 147

artspan

The Sullen Side of Pop Art at the Whitney Museum by Sarah Hucal

Pop Art is more than just the multi-colored Marilyns and cheerful Campbell’s cans seen in recent displays like “Regarding Warhol” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Lichtenstein survey at the National Gallery—the genre has a dark side too. The talented curators at the Whitney Museum of American Art brought out the genre’s moody undertones in a recent exhibition “Sinister Pop”.

The Whitney Museum unleashed its vast collection of Pop Art in a poignant exhibition put together by in-house curators Donna de Salvo and Scott Rothkopf. The pair carefully included one or two familiar names in each gallery—Lichtenstein, Wesselman, etc—yet steered clear of the traditionally sunny Pop Art sentiment of the early-1960s. Instead, the focus was placed on the darker anti-corporate sentiment of the late-1960s and early-1970s.

Photography fit heavily into the mix, with black-and-white photos by the likes of Ed Ruscha, Weegee, William Eggleston and Joel Meyerowitz, in which American landscapes take on a menacing quality.

Seen through the lens of Meyerowitz, a Catskills apartment resembles a film-noir set. Chicago artists: Karl Wirsum, Jim Nutt and Ed Paschke focus on the Pop Art body with grueling undertones, while a wall relief by Lee Bontecou and a menacing cartoonish drawing by Lee Lozano echo Lichtenstein’s cheerful Sunday comics like an evil twin.

Entering the third gallery, viewers were privy to familiar works by Warhol, Pop Art’s household name, with his “Nine Jackies” and a grim-looking “Marilyn.” “Madonna and the Child” a visceral painting

by Allan D’Arcangelo, along with Paul Thek’s oversized artificial bone sculpture, which gruesomely oozes marrow, can’t help but engage the gallery-goer’s attention.

Early works by Lichtenstein, such as the black-and-white “Bathroom,” as well as Oldenburg’s wellknown ashtray, paint a grim picture of Pop domesticity; as does Eggleston’s photograph of a freezer interior, filled with beef pies, and vanilla ice milk—a decidedly negative commentary on the American diet.

One Artspan artist whose work would have fit well in the exhibition, is Peter J. Ketchum, whose style, while difficult to categorize, has been described by critics as Retropop, Grandpop and Folkpop Art. The widely-shown Brooklyn-based artist, who cites Warhol, Lichtenstein and David Hockney among his greatest influences, works primarily with mixed-media, and focuses on sinister themes decorated with colorfully gritty overtones. “All my work is basically about prejudice and the easy hatred in society.” says Ketchum, “It is derived from actual images and words found in printed ephemera -- snapshots, ads, postcards, comics, coloring books etc. from 1867 to the 1950’s.”

Such found images and words clearly prompted strong artistic responses. A prime example is the mixed media work, “A Nice Nazi Couple,” which features a vintage photo of a smiling German couple, the man dressed in full SS regalia. The text “How could they have known?” rests in canary yellow on the bottom frame. Had the text not clued us into their background, the work could have easily be interpreted as a cozy family portrait, yet this is exactly the type of irony that Ketchum has mastered. “Every word in the mixed-media work appeared in print somewhere. I invented none of it.” says Ketchum. While the artist’s work does take inspiration from the Pop Art movement, as the New York Times has said, “attempts to pigeonhole Ketchum’s work as Pop, folk, cartoon, mixed media, collage, anthropomorphic, or merely strange tend to fall short of the mark.”

148 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

In one room of “Sinister Pop” at the Whitney, Warhol’s race riots and electric chair were featured in screen prints that pale in comparison to their painted counterparts, yet still remain effective. Ketchum has also taken inspiration from Warhol’s electric chair in a unique way: his shocking work “Sizzle! in a Laura Ashley Room” which features a particularly graphic image of a man strapped into the device, in front of a cheery floral background, was commissioned by a client who requested a painting to go in her Laura Ashley decorated room—a challenge that Ketchum, with his penchant for irony, simply couldn’t turn down.

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 149

artspan

Back at the Whitney, the next room focused on Pop Art’s military presence, with Vietnam-era pictures dominated by Peter Saul’s explosive “Saigon.” The work neighbors Warhol’s orange-and-green Richard M. Nixon and Jim Dine’s Johnson and Mao, both lathered in rouge and lipstick.

In the solemn final gallery, Ruscha’s nocturnal photographs of gas stations, D’Arcangelo’s barred-off highway landscapes and George Segal’s plaster-cast sculptural tableau “Bus Stop” evoke gloomy thoughts about the automotive landscape.

Next door in the Kaufman Astoria Studios Film and Video Galleries, the companion show “Dark and Deadpan: Pop in TV and the Movies” provides a somewhat more upbeat look at the movement. Visitors can view footage of the moon landing, a short film of Warhol eating a hamburger, and the trailer for Godard’s “Breathless.”

Both exhibitions as well as Ketchum’s work, afford a different view of the Pop Art movement, making a visit to the Whitney for this sinister showcase well worth it.

Sarah Hucal Artspan Media

150 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

https://www.artspan.com/idevaffiliate/index.php VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 151

Morgan pace

Color 30 x 30, two 15 x 30 inch Canvas

152 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Morgan Haskell Pace is part of a long line of artists on both sides of his family. Great Granddaddy William Haskell was born in the late 1800’s and was an accomplished artist and musician. Morgan’s mother is Texas artist Laurie Justus Pace, known for her signature horse paintings. Laurie also is an accomplished pianist and guitar player.

Morgan graduated Cum Laude from St Edwards University in Austin, Texas. Throughout his college years he painted and sold his artwork to help cover his tuition and living expenses at school. He has played the guitar by ear since he was big enough to hold his mother’s 1965 Classical Alverez guitar in his hands.

After college graduation, he entered the work force and his painting days were limited. Now working as a financial advisor, he has returned to his creative roots and is painting again. Watch for new originals from the Pace Studio on the pages of Visual Language. Morgan is represented by Dutch Art Gallery in Dallas, Texas and Earthworks Art Gallery in New York.

MorganPaceArt.blogspot.com/

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 153

LISA McKINNEY

154 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

www.cfai.co/lisamckinney

Lisa-McKinney.com Lisa-McKinney.artistwebsites.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 155

The Five Graces Lincoln ~ Pace ~ Togel ~ Whitehead ~ Zorad

the5graces.com

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 their artworks - shows to the US and to Europe. All five artists are spread out over the US.

156 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

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

the5graces.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 157

VL

Gallery Visit - Mall Galleries, London Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition

The Royal Society of Portrait Painters is dedicated to the appreciation and practice of portraiture since its inception in 1891 this is a forward-looking and dynamic organization. In the early years painters such as de Lazlo, Sargent, and Millais, exhibited with the society; today it continues to attract the foremost portrait painters of the day. From the small beginnings, a group of 24 portrait painters tired of the stuffiness of the Royal Academy, the Royal Society of Portrait Painters has grown to become a national institution. Members of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters are elected on the strength of their work as portrait painters but the activities of the Society extend far beyond the membership.

Artists from all over the world compete to be part of their annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London.

Over 200 recent portraits are shown, some by eminent members and others drawn from an open submission by artists from the UK and abroad. This year painters from countries as disparate as Kenya, Syria, Czechoslovakia and the USA have been selected to show.

To mark out and encourage the best work, the Society distributes prizes worth over £38,000. Outstanding this year were Mark Roscoe’s ‘Olivia Roberts’ which won the £10,000 Ondaatje Prize, Jan Mikaluka’s self portrait which won the £20,000 SELF portrait prize and Andrew James’ very expressive portrait of his father which won the Changing Faces commission award. The Society nurtures future talent with an annual bursary of £7,500 and mentoring which 2012 winner Olha Pryymak describes as “un-paralleled to any other type of education I’ve come across. In fact, it’s much better then school, gallery goings and book reading combined”. The 2013 winner will be announced at the end of June.

To encourage patronage, because without patrons artists cannot afford the time to paint, the Royal Society of Portrait Painters now offers the services of a commissions consultant to help patrons through the process.

http://www.therp.co.uk

Paul Brason PPRP, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh 158 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

http://www.therp.co.uk

John Wonnacott RP, Self portrait with white cat

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 159

VL Gallery Visit - Mall Galleries, London

Michael Taylor RP, Seated girl with three-tiered table

http://www.therp.co.uk 160 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

The Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition Andrew James RP, My Father

Tim Benson ROI, Alison

http://www.therp.co.uk VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 161

VL Gallery Visit - Mall Galleries, London

Left: James Lloyd RP, Iris, Kleio and me Right: Mark Roscoe, Changing faces commission, Olivia Roberts Bottom: Timothy Cumming, Goodly horizon, Patricia Hodge, Parkinson’s Supporter

http://www.therp.co.uk 162 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

The Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition

Top Left: Oliver Jones, Love the Skin You’re in.

Top Right: Jan Mikulka, Self-portrait Bottom Left: David Cobley RP, Self-portrait Bottom Right: Kelvin Okofor, Melvin

http://www.therp.co.uk VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 163

VL

Photographer Spotlight

Marvin Fink

Like many individuals, my life has taken many twists and turns. The past several years have given me great personal loss and the opportunity of rebirth. One of the definitions of the word “odyssey� is an intellectual or spiritual quest. For me that quest has had an additional element of artistic exploration. My medium is photography, and my training has been international. I have studied with the well recognized photographic instructors David Wells, Joseph Englander, Jean Miele, and Malcolm Fackender. My classrooms have been Vietnam, Bhutan, India, Ladakh, Guatemala, Italy, Myanmar, rural China, and the United States.

My photographic odyssey has allowed me to better understand who I am. The connection between the sensitivity within me and the joy of life around me can be seen in my photography. I truly love meeting people of different cultures and capturing them in their natural environment. Barriers to communication can be overcome by allowing oneself to touch and be touched by our common humanity. My goal as a photographer is to capture the essence of my subject, whether it is an individual or the environment in which he or she resides.

http://www.picturesfromtheheart.net/ 164 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

artspan

http://www.picturesfromtheheart.net/

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 165

VL Marvin Fink

http://www.picturesfromtheheart.net/ 166 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

artspan “I truly love meeting people of different cultures and capturing them in their natural environment.� http://www.picturesfromtheheart.net/

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 167

VL

Marvin Fink

http://www.picturesfromtheheart.net/ 168 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

artspan

http://www.picturesfromtheheart.net/

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 169

170 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 171

ART CHALLENGE

CFAI.co Art Challenge Best of Show - Carol Schiff

Best of Show I Have a Dream Carol Schiff www.cfai.co/carolschiff

172 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

May 2013 “Everyday People”

First Place Denny’s Carol Peterson

www.cfai.co/carolpeterson

http://www.cfai.co/art-challenge-may-2013-everyday-people/

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 173

Second Place Down The Mountain Sally Fraser www.cfai.co/sallyfraser

http://www.cfai.co/art-challenge-may-2013-everyday-people/

CFAI.co June Art Challenge - “Summer Fun� - $100 Cash Prize!

Open to all 2D visual artists!

Enter now www.cfai.co/art-challenge Painting by Carol Smith Myer 174 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Third Place On Duty Tatiana Roulin www.tatianaroulin.co

Submit your portfolio to join

Contemporary Fine Art International

www.cfai.co/register

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 175

ART CHALLENGE

http://www.cfai.co/art-challenge-may-2013-everyday-people/

Mary Jo Zorad ZoradArt.com

176 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

ZoradArt.com

http://maryjozorad.blogspot.com/ VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 177

Debbie Grayson Lincoln

NoworNever-Debbie.blogspot.com DebbieLincoln.com

178 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

NoworNever-Debbie.blogspot.com DebbieLincoln.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 179

CFAI.co PORTRAIT ARTISTS SPOTLIGHT

Mary Opat http://www.cfai.co/maryopat

180 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Carol Peterson http://www.cfai.co/carolpeterson

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 181

CFAI.co Blog Review Theresa Bayer http://www.tbarts.com

182 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

FigurativeArtistsInternational.blogspot.com Figurative Artists

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 183

Melissa Doron

Coming in August at The Next Door Gallery Houston, TX

the den-DRAW-logy exhibition August 15- September 26th Reception Thursday, August 15th 7pm to 10pm

184 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Storm Chasers

ArtistDoron.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 185

Kimberly Conrad Contemporary Artist

http://www.KimberlyConradFineArt.com http://kimberlyconraddailypaintings.blogspot.com

Above: Aspens in Winter - 48 x 36 x 1.5 Right Page: Aspens in Winter Detail

http://kimberlyconradfineart.com/

186 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Pouring Color into Your Life

http://www.KimberlyConradFineArt.com http://kimberlyconraddailypaintings.blogspot.com

http://kimberlyconraddailypaintings.blogspot.com/

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 187

VL OilPaintingDVD.com Step by Step Demonstrations

OilPaintingDVD.com

hrgroat1@stny.rr.com 188 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Hall Groat II

OilPaintingDVD.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 189

DAILY PAINTERS Lori McNamara http://lorisart.blogspot.com http://stores.ebay.com/Oil-Paintings-by-Lenore-McNamara

http://www.dailypainters.com/artists/artist_gallery/527/Lori-McNamara

DailyPainters.com 190 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

CFAI.co

Summer Juried Show “Abstraction”

Hein

$500 in total cash prizes Open to 2D visual artists worldwide www.cfai.co/juried-shows VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 191

THE COLORS OF TEXAS

DutchArtGallery.net 192 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

THE ARTISTS OF TEXAS

ArtistsofTexas.org VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 193

http://davethepaintingguy.com/podcast/

194 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com