I am an Artist: Leah Libow

1. Why are you an artist?
When I was in my twenties and living in Los Angeles I remember going on an art walk and encountering a woman sculptor with her bronze statues of women’s bodies. As I was looking at her work I said to myself “I can do that. I want to do that. I want to be that.” I am an artist because when I look out into the world I see so many things that most people pass by. These things excite me, intrigue me, enrage me and cause me to create. I am artist because I want to connect with the Divine...with the Universe. When I walk down the street what I really want to do is dance...to use gesture and movement to express my very large spirit. If I don’t create I feel as if a huge part of me is missing. I feel bottled up and unhappy. Being an artist is something that came with my birth in this lifetime. It is not a choice. It is me.


2. Is there a concept behind your work? If so, please tell us about it.
For the past 5 years I have been focusing on the self portrait and more specifically working with my body, psyche and spirit in the re-discovery of the Feminine Archetype. I work with the public versus the private expressions of the Feminine and what is considered “allowable” in our culture. I like to challenge people’s ideas of Women’s bodies, psyches and spirits. Most recently I have been connecting directly to the ultimate Mother – Pachamama (Mother Earth) - through studying the Wise Woman’s Tradition to Healing and also reading about cognitive (collective) memory - the memory that is in our bones and sinews, our heart beats and blood flow, our cells – that connects us with the entire universe. I am interested in returning to ancient Ayurvedic practices or sadhana, such as making ghee or sifting through grains and beans with my hands as a way to reconnect the body with ancient rhythms. I am also interested in making women’s blood-flow something that we celebrate and honor.


3. Why do you use the medium that you use?
Over the past few years I have focused on using traditional women’s craft (crocheting, stitching, embroidery, sewing) in unconventional ways as well as using and manipulating women’s objects (shoes, handbags, nylons). I also film women’s hands stitching, weaving, or simply moving in gestures. To me woman’s hands stitching or moving are equivalent to a woman weaving the web of the universe. Using traditional craft is a way of re-remembering this weaving of the universe, a way of re-remembering the myths of creation that came out of matrilineal societies. For me women’s objects remind me of women’s bodies and often get acquainted with their bodies in the general culture (e.g. shoes take on the shape of the yoni or vagina/womb). I am also an installation artist. My most recent installation project includes 1000 + crocheted doilies which will be installed on the forest floor in a park in Shoreline, WA in August 2010. These doilies will come from the hands and hearts of women from all over the world. This project incorporates the traditional with the unconventional, art with healing, and the re-remembering of the Feminine Archetype. I am also a performance artist who uses repetitive movement or ritual as a way to connect with the divine. The performances also include leaving traces of the event so that a type of environment or installation is left behind. These performances connect in with the idea of cognitive memory I mentioned above. Lately I have been painting abstractions of nature on found cloth with water colors, teas, and thread. These have been inspired by the desire to draw and paint the feeling of love I have for the natural world and the feeling that it gives me physically, mentally and spiritually. In the past I have also used impressions of my body in several pieces - menstrual blood and breast prints. My body is always the source of my work and sometimes becomes the work. I find that the wrinkles and patterns of my body mimic the patterns found all over the universe. The breast prints, when enlarged, look like spinning galaxies.

4. What is the role of the artist in our society? and in Washington?
I believe the role of an artist in all societies is to be as honest as possible in her expression, to move her art and creativity out into the world unabashedly, and to inspire people into a space of remembering who they truly are. I also believe that an artist’s role is to challenge people’s preconceptions about the world.

5. Where do you see yourself as an artist in 5 years?
My MFA exhibition in 2006 was called “Dice Entré Las Piernas: Woman Who Speaks from Between Her Legs”. I am only now beginning to learn what my exhibition was about...what my work is about. My future as an artist includes the embodiment and continuation of my work with the Feminine. I hope that in 5 years I am doing a combination of things: teaching art, helping women recover from the loss of self love and from the loss of connection to universal rhythms I spoke of earlier, traveling the world installing my work in urban and forested environments, galleries and museums, creating and selling artwork, and talking to people about their connection to the earth and how through slowing down, shutting off the electronic distractions, throwing out our quick food contraptions and ideas, and going outside to feel the wind, rain, sun etc, we can begin to find happiness and contentment again.


6. What are your ultimate goals as an artist?
To be as brave as Ana Mendieta, Carolee Schneeman, Nancy Spero, Marybeth Edelson, Kiki Smith etc and to burn a hole through the lies I see all around me about women and women’s lives. To be so utterly honest that people have to pay attention. To become known not only as a talented artist but also as a powerful, loving, truth telling and demanding woman and to not be afraid of becoming HER. To become known as an ecofeminist artist who not only creates art but also embodies the principles behind the art. And to be able to financially succeed as an artist. To actually defy the stereotype that artists are poor, crazy and depressed.

7. What does art mean to you?
Full Self Expression. Passion. Energy. Freedom. Healing. Movement and Gesture. A way into the body, psyche and spirit. A spiritual practice. A discipline. An expression of history and culture, of the personal and universal. The practice of materializing all things beautiful and ugly. I took a class called the Philosophy of Art in graduate school. The question for the entire quarter was “What is Art?” I spent an entire quarter sitting in that class. We never really answered the question. Art is so much, so powerful. It is anything and everything that moves you to passion, tears, laughter or rage.



Leah's Website: leahlibow.net

I am an artist: Kristina Vanous

Q: How do you create your work? Can you walk us through the process?
A: Sure thing! Usually, my ideas start off with a rough sketch from my book, along with descriptions, so I don't forget what it is I plan to do. If I have doubts as to poses, I'll either bribe a friend to pose while I sketch, ham it up in the mirror, or go on istock or somewhere similar as a last resort to see if I can find a pose or texture that's close to idea I had in my head.

From there, depending on the medium, I'll create a light charcoal or pencil layer to map the piece out. Once that's done, I begin the shading process for the under-layer. In oils, (after having primed) I like to use that nice warm burnt sienna and white. In pastels, I use just charcoal for the darker values. In colored pencils, I use just indigo. This process takes me a bit longer in oils because I like to layer really thin. As far as medium goes, I like the orange-smelling stuff. I am also partial to the turpentine-substitute, as my family tends to gripe less about the house stinking.

Then it's time for what I call the "Lighting Layer" - and that's where the magic really begins to show. I begin adding color value to the piece: purple being the darkest parts of the shadows; reds, oranges, and yellow for my direct light colors; blue and green for the lighting in the shadows, or secondary lighting. Once this layer is complete, the piece usually looks like a technicolor dream from the 80's and I'm half-tempted to leave it as is and call it "done". If I'm doing this in colored pencil, I try to keep my hand really light -especially when dealing with the yellows- because it's too hard to blend, otherwise.

Then I add the local color layer. That is, the color the objects in the piece are supposed to be. Like my olive skin. Or.. fire-red hair. Or your shirt. I'm blending and adding the whole time, coupled with a few strokes of the lighting layer's color opposite for extra dimension. In pastels, I only use my finger for the larger, less defined portions of the piece. I found this cool, double-sided rubber stylus tool at the art store that I believe is supposed to be used for clay, but it works AMAZINGLY for getting into those really tight detailed pieces in a chalk pastel painting. For oils, I'm a fan of the feathering brush to add extra dimension via all the other layers. It really helps create a delicate feeling. I don't like to use black from the tube. I like to make my own. It feels, I don't know, more life-like to me. Also, 99.9% of the time, the black I'm aiming for isn't even really black to begin with. Our mind just trains us to think it is. Even shadows have a color.

The final layer isn't really much of a layer, but I call it my "Detail Layer", and it's just that: adding all the last minute detail to the piece. For example, the sparkles from water droplets or glass, "sharpening" just those few blades of grass in the front. The finishing touches that help add life to the piece.


Q: Why are you an artist?
A: I don't know, why is the sky blue?! I didn't choose to become an artist; I think God chose it for me. Believe me, sometimes I wish it were the other way around! Had I grown up to be an engineer or pilot like my parents had hoped, I probably wouldn't be struggling to make ends meat to the extent that I am in these economic times, as a single mom with an 8 year old. It's been my experience as an artist that we're the last ones hired and the first fired when money gets tight. A shame really, but I love what I do and can't imagine being anything else. Art, be it visually or musically, is who I am as an individual. It's no less a part of me than, say, my eye color or height (I'm 5'1")!

Q: Is there a concept behind your work? If so, please tell us about it.
A: Yeah, there is actually. I started a blog a little while ago called "Dreams, Myth, & Reality" (http://kristinavanous.blogspot.com), and while I'm still trying to figure out how blogs work in the networking world, the basis of why I created it was to solidify why I'm doing art, or at least, where my concepts come from. The scenes and images I create are based on essentially just that: my dreams, myths (I'm a huge fan of folklore and stories, both fiction and non-), and reality - the things that I see or experience in my life. I generally try to make my paintings as realistic as possible, even if they are fictitious. Every character has a story, including myself. I love on those characters with the time and interest that every person wants.You know what, I've had a lot of people throughout my life not believe in me either; people who've meant a lot to me. That really hurts. I'm sure there are many others out there reading this who have felt the same way at one point or another. So, in a sense, my paintings are a way of shouting "Hey I'm real! Share your love, and I'll show you the beauty of mine!" Does that make sense?

Q: Why do you use the medium that you use?
A: Well, I use a lot of different mediums, but I'd say my favorite -at least visually- is with chalk pastel. It's more instant in the gratification process, and it doesn't stink. I also like that I can stop anywhere I like (unlike oils) without worrying about it setting on me while I'm away. The downside is that I constantly have to tell people "Don't touch!" so they don't smear my work. I don't like using the fixatives because it changes the colors. Oils are nice when I want something quality that is a bit more durable than my pastels. I apply both very similarly but if I'm working in oils, I tend to try and do a few projects at once because I don't have the patience to wait while the layer dries before starting the next. Instant gratification!!!


Q: Who are some of your favorite artists?
A: I've got a huge list but I'm going to name a few of my tops. You're going to think I'm so corny for this first one, but I'm just gonna come out and say it anyway: Bob Ross. I don't even do paintings like him, I know, but I just remember watching his show as a little kid and being totally mesmerized at how easy he made it seem to paint. It really gave me the confidence to be creative at that age. I also love Norman Rockwell's scenes. The top of my list would be Rembrandt (omg, I love love LOVE his paintings! ) He's been a huge inspiration for me.

Q: What is the role of the artist in our society? In Washington?
A: Artists have been given a true gift. Regardless of geography or medium, it's our job to communicate to others. It's one thing to explain via words or writing from one person to another. It becomes oh so much clearer when a person can actually communicate the explanation through literally showing them. Is what you are showing consistent with your intent? In other words, are you clearly getting what's on your mind across to others? Ask around if you don't know. Your work is more than just a picture or song. Move somebody to achieve understanding with it.

Q: Where do you see yourself as an artist in 5 years?
A: In 5 years, I plan to be living on a sailboat somewhere in the Pacific ocean! We will be in the midst of a 10-year voyage around our earth. It is my goal by that time to be established enough that I can work anywhere in the world as a freelance artist. I have a feeling that I'm going to be so flooded with worldly inspiration that my work will expand ten-fold, which is super exciting because I already have so much I want to share. Hopefully, there is a gallery (or five) out there that would like to hold my originals so they don't get ruined while I'm abroad. I know I've got the chops, I just need the demand of others for me to supply it.

Q: What are your ultimate goals as an artist?
A: To illuminate, resonate, and inspire the divine beauty of love through art. That's my ultimate life goal as an artist. And I want to do it in as many places, with as many people as I possibly can.

Q: What does art mean to you?
A: That's a great question! I actually recorded a video response a few months ago that is pretty fitting, and thought perhaps I'll share it with you. It can be found at: http://www.twitvid.com/2D627. It's a long poem I wrote and recorded via laptop, so you'll notice I'm looking down a lot. Summed up? I [heart] art.

I am an artist: Sara Everett

Lisa and I are so happily overwhelmed with the amount of artists that are excited to tell us, and you our readers, about themselves. This project has been great both as an artist and a viewer to
get to know today's artist. Thanks for all the artists for their honesty and art-making!






1. Why are you an artist?
I am an artist because I couldn't not be an artist. When I'm not drawing or painting, I'm usually thinking about drawing or painting. I grew up as the only child of a military family that moved around a lot and often my sketchbook and my imagination were my favorite companions. Now, as an adult I still find that I work through tough problems or life choices by working with imagery.

2. Is there a concept behind your work? If so, please tell us about it.

My most recent series deals with the interconnectedness that all beings share. I have been playing with the idea of the "Threads of Fate" from Greek mythology by using my calligraphic line work to illustrate the connections I see between man, beast and the world we co-habitat. Driven by environmental concerns I also have a strong focus on using recycled or "found" wood on which to work. Recycling has been a theme in my work for a long time. It began with the rise of the DIY craft movement when I lived in Olympia and used to hand paint my graphic line drawings on recycled clothing. "Wearable Art" was my focus for a long time.

3. Why the calligraphy?
Without a doubt my line work comes from a strong childhood influence. When I was 7 my family moved to Izmir, Turkey - a city rich in the artistry of calligraphy. Arabic script was a constant decor seen everywhere - from Mosques to bowls to advertisements. I have never studied calligraphy nor been much inclined to practice my "penmanship" but the feeling of the graphic expression of it stayed with me. In my work now I am striving to express emotion and beauty in a simple flow of line without words or representation.

4. Why do you use the medium that you use?

Oil paint lends a quality of life that I just haven't been able to achieve in any other medium. There is a velvety richness that just can't be compared. Before I started working in oils I explored an entire series of line work using primarily pen & ink on fabric. At that point I was just dabbling in oil painting on the side. Once I started combining my love of the line work with the oil paintings I was totally and completely hooked. I haven't worked with fabric since!

5. Who or what has had the greatest effect on your art and its process?

Two people: The first was Susan Aurand, who is an oil painter living in Olympia, WA. She was my teacher for several quarters in college and I not only picked up her method of under-painting, but she also was the first person to ever tell me that oil painting could be non-toxic. The second person was the artist Audrey Kawaski (http://www.audrey-kawasaki.com/) which by seeing her work and then reading an interview with her about her process is how I discovered the magic of GAC 100 - a.k.a. "clear gesso". In order to paint on wood you have to create a barrier between the wood and the oil paint - otherwise the natural wood will cause discoloration in the oils over time. Traditionally this would be achieved by coating your wood with gesso. GAC 100 is a clear acrylic polymer that creates the necessary barrier yet still allows the full beauty of the wood grain to show. I don't think I could ever go back to textured white canvas!

6. What is the role of the artist in our society? and in Washington?

The artist acts as a conduit of culture and a mediator of complex issues. Often I find that the best art is art that takes a broader concern and translates the emotion of that concern down into imagery.For instance think about just how many polar bears have cropped up into artworks in the last 5 years. Climate change, over consumption and a return to simple living are all "trends" that I continually see cropping up in artists work. But of course, most of the artists I am exposed to are Washington artists so perhaps these trends are because the Northwest in general has an interest in these things. If that is truly the case then perhaps the role of the Washington artist is to communicate NW ideals.

7. Where do you see yourself as an artist in 5 years?

In 5 years I would like to be a "full time" artist with works in several galleries. I say full time in quotes because I know that it would not entail full time painting for me. I would want to teach, host workshops, travel, write articles, serve as a mentor towards other artists and of course, paint.

8. What are your ultimate goals as an artist?

To remain true to my muse no matter what happens. To always slow down and pause enough to heed that little whisper of "what if...." Which truly is more difficult to do than it seems!

9. What does art mean to you?

Art is a safe place for me to tell my inner stories. Art is my meditation and my guide.

Sara's Website: http://www.saraeverett.com/

What is reality? and What is Space ? What is your nature of perception?

In the spectacular large-scale projects he's famous for (such as "Waterfalls" in New York harbor), artist. Olafur Eliasson creates art from a palette of space, distance, color and light. This idea-packed talk begins with an experiment in the nature of perception



This is an interesting conversation. Any thoughts?

I am an artist: Melissa Morgan

1. Why are you an artist?
We are all made with our own gifts and talents. Mine is art. Fine art, in particular, has always sparks a flair in me, loosing track of time when either admiring or engaged in it. It is truely my passion.


2. Is there a concept behind your work? If so, please tell us about it.
I want my work to connect to each of my viewers in a personal way, some of my work with a religious connection. The Masters set the tone for all artists following them. Since Da Vinci, Michellangelo, Degas and many others, they prove to all of us how history, religion, emotion, and our God-given gifts can changed the world.

3. What is your relationship to spirituality and/or mythology?
My beliefs are in God, our Heavenly Father, and hope that my work shows it in a subtle, humbling way.

4. Why do you use the medium that you use?
My experience started with pencil and acrylics. The results were not as satifying as I needed them to be. When I started my apprenticeship under Daniel Rice, he introduced me

to charcoal than moved onto oil. The ending results to my work amazed me and I found my mediums!


5. What is the role of the artist in our society? and in Washington?
I believe the role of the artists in society and Washington is to connect to our viewers in a way that they can take something from it. In Washington we should focus on the broad styles and mediums that are at our fingertips, along with the beautiful northwest. We are so blessed with our surroundings and history.

6. Where do you see yourself as an artist in 5 years?
In five years I would love to see my work on exhibitions all over the country, and eventually beyond. I want my work to inspire, and encourage each individual, to feel protected and safe, and move my viewers to use what they are gifted with.

7. What are your ultimate goals as an artist?
Ultimately I would love to travel and let God's beautiful creation continue to inspire and mold me. To be a world reknown artist would be a lifelong dream.

8. What does art mean to you?
Art created that has meaning and emotion is priceless. My work has my heart put into it and I know that my emotions connect to my viewers, on all different levels. I guess you could say my work is my heart and soul.

What does "Fair Use" Mean?

As an artist who uses images from the Internet for inspiration and often times subject matter, I am becoming more and more interested in the rules of using someone's image as my beginning sketch.

I posted last week about an illustrator from the Washington Post who was upset that an artist had completed a whole series of work using images that she had drawn. Legally speaking, the artist could claim "appropriation" if his acts were ever questioned, but his actions still feel a bit slimy to me.

So, then there is the Shepard Fairy situation that has just resurfaced. If you do not know already, Fairey created probably the most famous image of Obama during his campaign. The Associated Press claimed from day one that he used their image. They also claim that it does not fall under the "fair use" category, as the image was not changed enough.

Here are a few articles if you want to read up on the situation:

paidcontent.org

time.com

Fairey has recently admitted that he lied about the original image he used and the AP's claims are correct. That's unfortunate for those of us her were interested in the potential court case and how it would effect "fair use."

Anyhow, the images are below.

image from paidcontent.org

What side are you on?

What do you think of appropriation?

What do you think of fair use?

I am an artist: Marty Gordon

1. Why are you an artist?

I have always been an artist. My mother says I was born with a pencil in my hand, which probably wasn’t pleasant for her. Over the years, I have always had to have an outlet for my creativity. I have also been a writer, actor and musician. A few years ago I decided to concentrate on just one thing. I chose visual art because it’s my primary passion.
2. Is there a concept behind your work? If so, please tell us about it.

When I first began to collage, I was just playing with imagery, learning the medium. The “concept” behind my work evolved over time. To be brief, the concept is the irreverent yet sincere visual questioning of the status quo.

3. Why do you use the medium that you use?

Back when my wife and I were just dating, I was at her apartment hanging out. She asked if it would be okay if she pulled out her art stuff to do some work. She started working on collage and I asked if I could play, too. I’ve been playing ever since.


4. What is the role of religion in your work? Would you consider your work political?

I am not political but religion does play a significant role in my art. I was raised Southern Baptist, eventually earned a degree from seminary and spent several years as a minister. I had some really bad experiences during that time so, needless to say, I am no longer a minister. I still carry a lot of baggage from that time. I struggle with faith. Through the prompting of a friend I began to use my art as a sounding board for some of my questions about religion, faith and the like. I find that I am able to better ask, and sometimes answer, the hard questions through my art.

5. Why use humor to get your message across?

Religion can be an incendiary topic of discussion. I find that using humor softens the edge so that people can receive the message without feeling like they’ve had a sermon preached at them. Also, I’ve always been a bit of a class clown so it’s only natural that my art reflects that part of me.

6. What is the role of the artist in our society? And in Washington?

Each artist has to do what they feel called to do. I feel called to hold my art up to the world as a way of saying, “Isn’t the world a messed up place?” or “You should just get over yourself and laugh.” If there’s a status quo, I’m usually challenging it in some way.

7. Where do you see yourself as an artist in 5 years?

I’d like to be making art full-time, meaning I’d like to be able to support myself financially. I’d love to be able to move into a large studio so that my work isn’t restricted by space. But if that doesn’t happen, I’ll still be making art. What that art may look like in 5 years is anyone’s guess.
8. What are your ultimate goals as an artist?

To keep working, to keep learning and growing as an artist, to never feel like I’ve arrived.

What does art mean to you?

Art is my passion, my sanity, my therapy and my voice.


Artist Statement

As a boy, he drew monsters and superheroes. As a teenager, he dreamed of a career as a comic book artist. As a college art student, his focus shifted to printmaking. He earned his BFA from the University of West Florida in 1989.
During the next 6 years, visual arts took a backseat as Marty explored writing and theatre. He earned an MA in Communications from Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas in 1995. Over the next 9 years, Marty spent time as a creative minister focusing on matters of faith and the arts.
In the spring of 2004 he met his wife Sarah, who is also an artist. They challenged each other to begin making visual art again. Learning collage from Sarah, Marty has spent the last several years pouring all of his experiences into developing his own unique style. Through his art, Marty is asking questions, inviting debate and telling stories. Looking at one of his works is akin to peeking through a window into another world, a world where art, humor, faith, tension and candidness live together in vignettes of surreal commentary.


Marty's Website: whatwouldjesusglue.com

I am an artist: Kerry Cole

I love Kerry's story of randomly discovering visual arts one day. It's inspiring that she recognized that artist within herself and jumped in full speed. It takes courage.

Thanks for the interview Kerry!


1. Why are you an artist?

Initially I was a student in Fashion Design. As a part of the course work, drawing and sketching were mandatory. After completing my first art project (go to the library, find a piece of art that moves or inspires you, take it home and copy it as best you can). I was moved from the inside out. Moved in a way, and touched in a place I had never experienced before. I connected with something potent inside I never knew was there. Moved to the point of tears, I understood that this was the direction I had to go-not just wanted to, but had to- because of a simple Picasso drawing. Who knew. I never could sew anyway...my instructor was always shaking her head and asking me how I managed to sew everything on upside down and backward, turns out my artistic 'interpretation' was there all along...


2. Is there a concept behind your work? If so, please tell us about it.

Not consciously, but when I finish a body of work, they seem to reiterate a theme; Love, family, connection, and hold nuances of the stuff that surrounds those things. If you look at my work, an expression, a symbol, a character...they are the supporting cast to the main characters that help tell the story...but that is all subconscious as the work is developing.

3. What is the role of the female form in your work?

Wow, this is a question. Female Archetype, Mother, Gaia, Spirit, Strong, Vulnerable, Capable... and totally missing in my childhood. I have had to create my own mother, or what I would want a mother to be. Growing up in the 70's....my own mother disappeared into a sea of overindulgence and free love, and I was left to pick up the wreckage. I have surrounded myself with the feelings, stories, role models and the Love I needed to survive- and the woman/mother I knew I wanted to be through my work. The subconscious is such a powerful tool.

4. Why do you use the medium that you use?

I started with oil, and occasionally still paint with oil. Oil is so caustic, super hard on the environment and reactive to my skin that I switched to Acrylic. Nothing compares to oil- it's forgiving, rich, textural, and just yummy to work with. I switched to and learned to love Acrylic, but I have to add stuff to it to get it to move the way I need it to.


5. Who/What are your influences in your work?

Music, feelings, dreams and the next trend(s) always seem to spark some idea.

6. What is the role of the artist in our society? and in Washington?

You know, I wrote a blog about the speculation that art is (and has been) dead since the what, mid 60's. It's interesting...about the time our media began to swell, war was still going strong and our global peripheral vision was developing, it seems at least the focus on painting dimmed. Painters kept painting, painting never died, but we looked outside of that realm for emotionally moving (or shocking) events to stir us. Now, the artist who wants to be seen enough to have the opportunity to stir anyone has to be equal parts fantastically talented and a skilled marketer. To survive, you absolutely have to be able to do both. We (artists) have had to evolve. Competing with China's industrialization of "Original Art" and "Limited Edition, Signed, Numbered Giclee Prints" (where kids sit in sweat shops and paint-by-number, cranking them out by the thousands). The public, by and large does not know the difference, nor have they cared much. I believe that now, going forward we are beginning to see a shift. Quality, grass-roots, organically created hand crafted products for the home and the soul. People are beginning to realize that supporting our local farmers, our local communities, our local galleries and artists has a bigger payoff than getting a 4 foot 'original' painting for $50, or a restaurant sized jar of mayonnaise for a few bucks.
Washington is a great place for art...we are now the mecca in the world for glass blowing (it used to be Italy, but with Chihouly's influence since the 70's, we are now a destination for glass artists). The low-brow movement, hippie grunge, Forks...you can see movement in all mediums, it's an awesome place to be.

7. Where do you see yourself as an artist in 5 years?

In 5 years I see book illustrations, shows in Europe and a project I have dreamed about for about 10 years. I hope to open a healing arts studio. A safe place where kids k-12 can come and connect with the power of their own healing through art (be it painting, free movement, meditation). To be able to take this program into the public schools would be ideal- make the change where it will have the most impact, the children of our future.

8. What are your ultimate goals as an artist?
To continue to be able to create and push my skill level. I hope that people can reconnect with something inside of themselves as they dialog with my work- there is always something deeper there, if you're not afraid to look.

9. What does art mean to you?

To me, art is the viscera of the psyche...the external manifestation of something compelling inside.


Kerry's Website HERE.

Mystical: Mater, Matrix, Mother-Fiber Artist Mandy Greer

I love this work! and I wanted to shed a light on the stellar fiber artist from Washington State, Mandy Greer. Her work is grand, mythical, whimsical, and all about our interconnection with nature. Indra's net comes to mind, the morning dew droplets on a spider web, and the beautiful feathers of a peacock.

I really feel an affinity with her work. I feel it is resonating with my own personal environmental art installations that I have started creating through out the world.

I am curious has any one directly experienced this powerful installation? Please tell us your experience. Below is some information about Mandy Greer's project. It has a plethora of links and interactions.

"Mater Matrix Mother and Medium" -- the performance

For more info, check out the blog matermatrixmother.wordpress.com

”Mater Matrix Mother and Medium” is process-based temporary public art project created by installation artist Mandy Greer. It combines community action, site-embedded installation and a performance produced in collaboration between myself, dancer Zoe Scofield and composer Morgan Henderson, Summer 2009 at Camp Long in Seattle, Wa.

On July 16, 2009, the culmination of the "Mater Matrix Mother and Medium " project was a hushed reflection on the subtle dynamics of a forest embedded in the urban environment, as organic as it is artificial. All three artists -- myself, Zoe and Morgan -- responded in our own way to the quirky overgrown tranquility of Camp Long's little pond. Our intent was to invite the audience to sit for a short time in quiet observation of the rhythms of this unusual site, heightening their focus through sound, movement, breath and site-responsive installation.

Commissioned by the Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs using the Seattle Public Utilities 1% for Art Funds, as a way to celebrate and interpret the splendor of Seattle’s urban creeks and encourage community involvement in the stewardship of our essential watersheds.

mandygreer.wordpress.com

This project began with the creation of a 200+ foot fiber river, created in part through a series of over 30 community events all over Seattle during the spring of 2009. I taught anyone willing to learn how to crochet, with some contributing a few minutes of chain stitch and others sticking with me for a few hours.
I then took the fiber "pools" into the forest of Camp Long, and urban park in Seattle, and spent the next six weeks on a ladder crocheting and integrating the river into the trees.

The River is made up of thousands upon thousands of tiny moments and movements of individual citizens, integrated and interwoven into the natural environment. With the performance, held on July 16, 2009, the River enveloped Zoe Scofield in an exploration of how we ourselves are both literal and metaphoric manifestations of the living essence of water. Our experience of water is both one of intimacy and also of civic structure.

This artwork is a unique blend of community engagement and personal inquiry, of site-embedded installation and performance. It embodies the ancient human practice of acknowledging our own physicality rooted in the cycles of water and how this forms the very foundation of human community. Water, both mundane and miraculous, mirrors the everyday meeting of strangers and the tiny moments that begin to bond us together.

The "Mater Matrix Mother and Medium" installation will be traveling to the Agnes Scott College campus on Oct. 1, 2009

on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Mater-Matrix-Mother-and-Medium-by-...

more images found at :
www.flickr.com/photos/matermatrixmothermedium/

See more of Zoe's work at:
www.zoeandjuniper.com



"Click Here" to check out video clip of another of Fiber Artist Mandy Greer's works, The Silvering Path.

It has only been a week and I am really enjoying my art trip into the Pacific Northwest-- there are so many amazing artists and such cool art up here!
A road trip might be in mine and Lauren's near future.

Also, I really wanted to thank all of the artists that have responded to our call for interviews. I love the art community in Washington State. Thus far we have posted three and there is many more to come. I am enjoying,discovering,and learning so much from such a diverse and authentic group of artists! Kudos to all. Art is really moving! Namaste -Lisa

I am an artist: Suni Cook

1. Why are you an artist?
it's who i am. i can't remember not being an artist. from doodling animals and landscapes as an elementary child, portraits of kids and pets through high school, murals and signage through college, and the dozen or so other forms i've done since...it's just what i do.

2. Is there a concept behind your work? If so, please tell us about it.

right now my art is focused on eco/salvage art. the concept is to recycle and reuse anything i can to keep it out of our local landfills.

3. Why do you use the medium that you use?

i acquired some snips from a friend, had a collection of old windows and doors, so i started experimenting. now i have been cutting flowers out of tin cans for about 3 years and love it. i only use free or recycled items and have a great time getting people to guess what all i used.

4. What is your works relationship to environment?

i hope my art brings attention to the responsibility we have to recycle and reuse.

5. What does the "flower" symbolize for you?

growth, beauty, renewal, life

6. What is the role of the artist in our society? and in Washington?

i think as an artist you choose your role, you choose how you want the world to perceive you as a person by what you allow to flow out of you onto your work. however, i do think you influence the world around you whether you want to or not, bad or good, no matter where you are.

7. Where do you see yourself as an artist in 5 years?

i'm sure where ever it is and what ever i might be doing, i'll still have paint under my fingernails and on most of my clothes.

8. What are your ultimate goals as an artist?

to make others see beauty where they might have never looked before, be intrigue by concept, and maybe, just maybe encourage someone else to share what they see.

9. What does art mean to you?

art is my way of life, my religion, my constant.

See more of Suni's work "Here"

I love the diverse artworks that we are beginning to collect for our blog! Every artist that has contacted us has a totally unique style.

Thanks Washington!

I am an artist: Alyson Jones

1. Why are you an artist?

A: I am an artist because I have passions for creating and problem solving. From start to finish, each work is its own unique, visual puzzle! The artist must use their creative sense to bring innovation and individuality to their work. I find this process extremely rewarding; not everyone has the opportunity to create on a daily basis!

2: Is there a concept behind your work?

A: When I first began painting, the concept behind my work was: realistic and capturing. As an artist who mainly paints from photographs, I was determined to find photos that were both beautiful and inspiring. As a result, I began taking a variety of portrait and landscape commissions. It wasn't until these last few years that I decided to further develop my personal style and content. Currently, I am working on a surreal or dream-like series titled: "Phantasmagoria: Challenging the Real". I hope to bridge the gap between dream and reality by painting "realistic" fantastical scenes. I've learned to further explore content and composition so viewers can lose themselves within each piece.

3. What is the importance of mood or emotion in your work?

A: In my opinion, mood and emotion are extremely important for successful artwork. Never have I begun a painting before visualizing the viewer's reaction to the finished piece. Will they view the work and pass on by? Or will they stand and admire, exploring the meaning and story beyond the canvas? Movement, gaze, color, texture, or position; when properly illustrated, these (and many other) visual elements evoke both mood and emotion. As an artist, I feel that it is my duty to enable this visual response.

4. How do you come up with your compositions?

A: Sometimes an idea for a composition will come at the most random of times. It is important, therefore, that I carry with me a small notepad or journal. I also find it useful to always carry a camera. A camping trip, a conversation, or perhaps, even a walk can inspire an element for an upcoming painting; it's important to allow your mind to work at will. Once I have these notes or photographs, I begin the brainstorm process. Sometimes this involves a drawing pad, while other times this involves manipulating photos on my computer. All of my most recent paintings in the Phantasmagoria series have begun from a photo composited image. An image, therefore, that has been spliced together from a variety of other images or drawn elements. These photo-composites allow me to work out the piece completely before even touching the canvas. I find that I can delete, undo, change, add, or manipulate any dream-like scene that enters my mind. Perhaps it's my design background, but I feel the computer offers me brainstorm capabilities that no pen and paper can do.

5. Why do you use the medium that you use?

A: Acrylics are one of the most forgiving mediums that you can find. Almost more forgiving than erasable pencil. They are plastic-based paints that dry quickly and efficiently, leaving no color or texture changes when you revisit your canvas. I make mistakes. a lot of mistakes. I wouldn't be as confident of a painter today if I had not. With acrylics, I can make mistakes and not have to wait hours for paint to dry or have to start over with a new painting surface. Once acrylics dry, it is almost impossible to remove the plastic-based medium, but if done quickly and efficiently, acrylics can be erased completely with only a bit of water. This is my painting method for using the "undo" button.

6. What is the role of the artist in our society? and in Washington?

A: The role of the artist is to generate creative stimuli. Anything that inspires, arouses, or simulates; it is the artist's duty to find a unique and innovative means of communication. No matter the medium, the artist must establish a connection to the viewer. They are the ignitor and producer of creativity. In Washington, as in all other locations, artists enable viewers a recess from reality. Depending on location, the societal desire for artwork changes. Artwork desires in the big city of New York, for example, differ from those existing in the smaller town of Leavenworth, WA. It is the artist's duty to recognize these desires and to bring a individually, unique flare to that environment.

7. Where do you see yourself as an artist in 5 years?

A: I hope to have paintings in a number of U.S. galleries and perhaps a gallery or two overseas. I would love to open my own gallery and teach painting lessons, and of course, I hope to be happily painting!

8. What are you ultimate goals as an artist?

A: As I mentioned in the question above, I would love to show all over the U.S. and in Europe. I hope to gain exposure over the next few years and further develop the uniqueness of my artwork. It would be wonderful someday to own a gallery and teach painting and drawing lessons. I also am hoping to publish another art-related book sometime in the next few years.

9. What does art mean to you?

A: Art is a creative means for expression. I am a lover of fantasy and a nightly dreamer! Reveries can become reality! I am fascinated by the process of creation and by the ability to inspire and excite the viewer. Producing art quells my analytical and problem-solving desires; it allows me to visually express my fantastical obsession! I can be goofy, weird, or nostalgic, and then put it all down on canvas. Above all, it makes me feel important, successful, and happy!

Alyson's Website HERE


Do Alyson's paintings bring up anything for you? As a viewer, how does your gut react to this art?

Have any questions for Alyson? Please write them in the comments section so she can answer them!

Thanks Alyson!

I am an artist: Brian Forrest

1. Why are you an artist?
I feel a powerful need to create visually.

2. Is there a concept behind your work? If so, please tell us about it.
My work is progressing toward a goal: to paint forms of glorious color hovering between abstraction and reality.

3. Why do you use the medium that you use?
I love the lustre, rich substance, and the organic properties of oil paint.

4. What do your collectors say about your work?
They are attracted to the color and how it makes them feel.

5. What do you want to evoke in a viewer (if anything)?
Strong emotions, especially joy.
6. What is the role of the artist in our society?
To help the viewer experience visually and emotionally what they wouldn't otherwise.

and in Washington? The same, but with a chance to express the uniqueness
of our state with its burgeoning cities on the edge of an old frontier.


7. Where do you see yourself as an artist in 5 years?
Moving closer to my goals of color expression and form.

8. What are your ultimate goals as an artist?
To never lose the feeling of fear, adventure, and wonder in my work.

9. What does art mean to you?
A chance to express the inexpressible.


Brian's Artist Statement

Painting is a cross between a crap shoot, finding
your way out of the woods, and performing a magic
act. Each time I begin to paint I feel like I am walking
a tightrope—sometimes scary, sometimes exciting,
sometimes very quiet, and always, always surprising;
leading me where I never expected to go. Doing art
makes me lose all sense of time and place and go
inside one long moment of creating.

Whenever I feel a painting in my gut, I know this is
why I paint. Its colors are the message. I feel them
before my mind has a chance to get involved. Color
is the most agile and dynamic medium to create joy.
And if you can find joy in your art, then you’ve found
something worth holding on to.

Brian's Painting Blog HERE.

Do you have any questions or comments for Brian?
Leave a comment if you do.

Using someone else's image: How far is too far?

Lisa and I have experienced a mixture of responses to the question of whether or not it is okay to use another artist's work within our blog posts. For every image we use we either have permission from the artist, have a link to where the image was found, or both.

Do you think it is OK to place an image on this blog with the artist's name and a link to the website for which it was found?
Or do we need to do more than that?

Personally, and I know this stems from my concept about art and life, I have no problem with someone using my images as long as they:
1. Do not take credit for producing it.
2. Give me credit for it.

Other than that, I think the Internet has so much potential for collaboration and interdisciplinary projects. I love to think of someone finding my image on someone's site and finding my website that way. I make art for everyone, so I do not want to keep it out of their sight.

Here is where the line gets VERY FINE....

Noli Novak is a staff illustrator for The Wall Street Journal. She drew this image of President Obama.

Artist Jose Maria Cano is showing his new series of "Wall Street 100!" which includes this artwork.



Cano takes the newspaper clipping, blows it up to a larger size and re-makes them via a wax parrafin process.

Noli Novak's blog response to this artwork HERE.

Jose Maria Cano's Website HERE.

Is this plagiarism? Or is it fine art?

Art Traveling- Washington state

Lauren and I have decided to start art traveling. One of our goals on this journey is to expand our dialogue and to shed a light,finding a pleathora of artists and happenings around the globe.
For October we will begin nationally with Washington state.
As I travel north to Washington State(it seems ever since the ARTcart project I have been really attracted to street art and community art. I feel public art is really layered with aesthetics,relationship, and function)in my virtual research I have found an interesting street art project from a Seattle based artist and a very unique art museum, both really inspire me. Any thoughts? I think Lauren will really dig the label art project.

The Street Artist:

Camden Noir a Seattle based artist launched his Label 228 project by putting out a call to artists, asking them to send him their artwork or anything, for that matter, on priority mail labels. Within six months, he received over 500 labels from artists all over the world. At this point, he has over 1,500 labels from over 600 artists. This is a collection of the best of those labels, in a beautiful, full-color book. Label 228: A Street Art Project pic from artandmusic.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/08280...

"Click Here" to read "All About Label 228 with Camden Noir" and interview by Meg Duffy

The Community Art Space:

Also in my virtual travels I found this very cool community art space.
Wing Luke Asian Museum: A Place for Voices Not Otherwise Listened To
By Tom Borrup

Seattle's Wing Luke Asian Museum has become widely recognized within the museum field, as well as among community-based cultural organizations, for its exhibition development and community-engagement process. It came to this standing not by design and not without its detractors. However, its consistency as an engaged citizen and leader is repeating great recognition and rewards.

Rooted in the people and cultures of its geographic community, and like the Center for Cultural Exchange and Intermedia Arts, Wing Luke remains committed to building connections with and between its neighbors and with others in the broader community. Some would consider Wing Luke's constituency homogeneous. However, as a pan-Asian Museum, it encounters plenty of ethnic and cultural differences, as well as the generational, class, gender and other differences and injustices that affect any community.Click Here" to read the whole article.

Washington State has a thriving art scene and community. Just yesterday we made a call out for artists interviews and thus far we have had a stellar response. This is going to be a great Blog month! As always comments and insights are welcome!

Do you have any insider information on WA state and its artists and art scene? Let us know. artismoving@gmail.com

Add a Hazel Dooney to your budding collection (:

Lisa and I have had a great time getting to know Artist Hazel Dooney for the past year and a half through reading her daily blog posts and including her in a few of our posts here on Art is Moving.

Dooney just recently began a series of artworks called YES/NO Stencils and we wanted to share them with our readers.





Hazel Dooney explains her process and concept behind this new work:

For the past three years, despite the global economic downturn, my paintings have done very well at auction in London, Sydney and Melbourne. Even very early works have achieved 1,000 per cent over their original purchase prices. Unfortunately, my paintings have climbed out of reach for many would-be collectors, especially those my own age and younger.

My response has been to produce my first, large-scale multiple, the YES/NO Stencils (SEE MORE HERE) in which hand-coloured prints are priced between $US500 and $US750.

My early art was influenced by graffiti, sticker tagging, agitprop and propaganda posters from the mid 20th century. Back then, I was interested in the wood block prints produced during China's Cultural Revolution, in which symbolic colours and simplified shapes reinforced short, directive slogans.

Given these influences, the obvious medium for my serial works was stencil. This gave me pause: conventional stenciling is crude and I didn't want to end up with a pastiche of bad street art. I experimented with different methods and materials. I wanted the finish to be beautiful and seductive, referring to ideas in my other hard-edged work. It also had to be durable.

Each of the two YES/NO images is 40cm x 60cm (or 15.7” x 23.6”), hand-stencilled in high gloss enamel on 64cm x 86cm (or 25.2" x 33.9") 100% cotton, museum-quality, white Alpharag 4ply archival board.

There are five editions of 25 signed and numbered (on front) prints of each image, in five different colours: faux-fluorescent lime, Dooney pink, industrial safety orange, papal purple and pitch black. There is also a sixth, 'artist's proof' edition of just ten prints of each image, signed and numbered, in virginal white gloss enamel on matt white board.

Like agitprop street posters, different versions of the same – or opposite – messages can be hung together.

PRICE LIST:
***Payment can be accepted via PayPal, Western Union or national or international bank transfer.***

The coloured NO! and YES? prints are priced at $US500 each unframed

The white NO! and YES? prints are priced at $US750 each unframed

One set of six NO! or YES? prints – five colours plus white – is priced at $US3,200.00 unframed

Both sets of six, 12 prints in all – in five colours plus white – are priced at $US6,400.00 unframed

To order, or to enquire further, please contact Priya at dooneystudio@gol.com

Blockbuster Exhibition at the De Young in San Francisco--Such Mixed Feelings

I think it is pretty obvious that I love Art and it’s possibly not so obvious, that one of my favorite genres in art is sacred art. For me I believe that sacred art has the potential to catapult us into our own personal source of transformation or the divine. Ever since childhood I have been inspired to travel to the sacred sites where this art was created and thus far I have had the opportunity to directly experience many sacred sites. And I hope many more. Also, in my own artwork I seek to infuse my work with Chi or life and spirit. I feel that the artists that were creating this art through ritual intention truly became a channel of something greater than herself. While creating there was shift in consciousness within themselves and the viewer. I think the concept behind the Tibetan sand mandala explains this really well. In general all mandalas have outer, inner and secret meanings. On the outer level they represent the world in its divine form; on the inner level they represent a map by which the ordinary human mind is transformed into enlightened mind; and on the secret level they depict the primordially perfect balance of the subtle energies of the body and the clear light dimension of the mind. The creation of a sand painting is said to effect
purification and healing on these three levels.



I was so looking forward to seeing and experiencing the exhibition, Tutankhamen and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs at the de Young"Click Here" to see more details about the exhibition. We arrived in the twilight thinking it would be more laid back.
Kind of like a abusive relationship I always forget about the negative aspects of the block buster shows, which are the crowds . We arrived at the de Young and were escorted like cattle to their demise into the exhibition. The exhibition was amazing, but it was so hard to connect with any of the art as my feet kept on being trampled on. I tried to find an empty corner so I could just absorb the ART with no avail. I left the exhibition feeling edgy and somewhat vacant.
Pic from www.cheshirecatphoto.com/

As I began to reflect on the block buster show a couple questions came to mind.
How do I feel when I am in these exhibitions? Anxious and detached.
Do I really experience the art? No, I am to worried about getting out of peoples way or getting frustrated with the people who are so unconscious of others.
This is great way to bring art to the masses? Yes and it is a great way to create commerce around these shows as the gift shops are in prime locations.
Then I think why is this art here? I once had taken one of my favorite art students to see sacred art and she was like "why is it here" if it is sacred. I tend agree. I think this art was stolen from its home. And is put on display like a spectacle.

To conclude, every time I go to a block buster exhibition (unless I am at a private party at the Museum) it really is not fun.

As art critic Jonathan Jones recently wrote: "The blockbuster exhibition encourages an idiotic attitude to art.
"Click Here"to check out this interesting read on the BBC
Are blockbuster exhibitions killing art?

Any thoughts about this topic? How do you feel about the blockbuster exhibition?

The must sees I saw.

Let me start this post with a disclaimer. I did not see all the art there is to see in San Francisco last Thursday during the First Thursday Festivities, but Lisa and I walked around the galleries in 49 Geary as well as Hang Gallery.

Lisa noted about 3/4 of the way through the 5 floors that there was this tone of nostalgia, almost like an homage to 60's art. It was interesting because the colors were mostly muted, there were a great deal of "collection-like" art projects, child-like pieces and portraits. I was wondering if the art wheel of trends had come back to this space or if art and life are becoming one (as they very much do all the time) and art is turning into a means of reflecting on what we had or want to have. Interesting.

The Galleries I would recommend visiting this month are:

1. Fraenkel Gallery
There is an amazing new series from Hiroshimo Sujimoto. (My favorite of the whole slue of shows.)

2. Haines Gallery
"Samalada" by Adou
Wonderful documentation of a disappearing culture in China.

Photo provided by Haines Gallery Website

3. Robert Koch Gallery

This is a two person show, but I was much more intrigued by artist Brian Ulrich's "Dark Stores."
This series is so very important for everyone to see. It not only documents what we are going through, but holds the emotions that I, and I know a great deal of others, feel about the current economic situation.



4. Steven Wolf Fine Arts

"Taking Pictures" by Nicholas Knight

Photo provided by Steven Wolf Fine Arts Website

5. CordonPotts Gallery
"A Sojourn in Seasons" by Jeri Eisenberg


Did I miss anything? Let me know if there is art I need to see this month. And, I would love to hear your opinions and thoughts about any art you've seen recently.

Thanks!
-Lauren