Artspan Artist Spotlight Interview with VL Rees

 When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be an artist?
Before first grade!  I took art classes throughout elementary and high school, dabbled in college and after graduation, then gave it up for nearly 30 years.
Approaching retirement I thought about what I wanted to do after a left the corporate world and realized where my heart was.
It wasn’t easy to pick up a paint brush after a long break but gradually I began to make paintings that I enjoyed and didn’t make me want to cry.

Who has been your mentor, or greatest influence to date?
My first art teacher: Michiko Boorman.  She came to this country after WWII and raised a family while she studied and practiced art.  She taught me the basics in such a supportive way.

Who is another living artist you admire and why?
I’ve yet to a meet an artist in the Triangle who doesn’t inspire me in some way.  That said, I would pick Dan Nelson, plein aire painter extraordinaire.  His work is beautiful and often done under extreme conditions.  I love plein aire paintings but as a mosquito magnet, I don’t aspire to it.

What is your favorite surface to create work on or to work with? Describe it if you make it yourself.
Stretched canvas with a colored ground.

What are your favorite materials to use?
Oil paints.  I especially love using a palette knife for abstracts.  Using Winsor & Newton’s Liquin Impasto gives a great sheen and helps layers adhere to one another.  It also stretches the paint.

How often do you work on your artwork? How many hours a week?
I would like to say every day and sometimes that happens!  Currently I am planning a studio where, for the first time, I will have natural light, HVAC, and plumbing.  Once I’m no longer in “the dungeon”, I hope to devote 40+ hours a week.

What is the one thing you would like to be remembered for?
Personally, that I was there for my family, friends, and colleagues.  As a painter, that I showed the beauty in ordinary objects.

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?
In every painting there comes that “uh oh” moment.  I call it buyer’s remorse.  It’s when you think, “what was I thinking!” for choosing that subject, that size/shape canvas, that color palette, etc.
 
How do you overcome these obstacles?
Practice, practice, practice.  Over the years I’ve learned when to just keep at it and when to put it aside to ponder where I go next.  It’s also helpful to know that one can paint over the real disasters.

What are your inspirations for your work?
The interplay of light and shadow, and looking at everyday objects from a new perspective.

VL Studio Visit with James Loveless

Art has been my passion for as long as I can remember.  I love people and I have relished drawing and painting the figure since my grade school days.  Fortunately, none of those early grammar school portraits are at my website.  My purpose is to create images that are beautiful and historical. My focus is to display Christian, family values and reveal the truth by reflecting historical facts. .  My Bachelor of Fine Art at the Kansas City Art Institute led me to life as a full-time graphic designer and freelance illustrator for over thirty years.  I enjoy the play of light and color in nature and I enjoy telling a good story.

When I am not painting commissioned portraits, or painting plein air, I have cherished having several Native Americans pose for me.  I have been interested in the life of Native Americans because of my ancestry.  My grandfather was a cowboy, horse trainer and rancher in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He was married to my grandmother, who was half-Cherokee and half-African American.  I remember when I was a little boy.  Then, I would ride horseback and sometimes travel to see my grandfather in rodeos in Oklahoma and Arkansas; it was an awesome experience.  Currently, I am researching the history of the relationship between Native Americans and African Americans in the old west.  I have been fortunate to gain the assistance from the Texas Civil War Museum.  Their historians assist me in my quest to insure all the artifacts in my paintings are authentic.  My goal is to have my paintings auctioned successfully at the Coeur d' Alene in Reno, Nevada.

I am a member of the Oil Painters of America and I work in oil paint because I enjoy the flexibility of oils.  I enjoy observing people and I still continue in figure drawing sessions with the live model.  I challenge myself to work more efficiently by writing articles and blogs about different oil painting techniques and attending workshops.  Some of the painters that have influenced me include; Norman Rockwell, Caravaggio, Howard Terpning and Mian Situ.

I hope you enjoy my work!

VL Studio Visit with Carol Jo Smidt

My fascination with the beauty and grace of horses greatly influenced my artistic path. Drawing horses as a 4 year old is my first recollection of my passion for art. My bedroom walls were covered with my pencil drawings of my beloved horses. Hours were spent drawing horses and other animals. It was in kindergarten that I realized others would want my art. Dissatisfied with my work, I took a horse drawing and threw it in the trash can. A classmate reached into the trash and took the drawing because he liked it! Even at that young age, I was amazed that people would want my work!

After high school, I attended the St. Paul School of Art. Fast-forward with me through marriage, a son, 21 addresses in 26 years during my husband’s Navy career, and a BA in Advertising Design from Iowa State University. We finally settled in an equine community outside of Woodbine, a small town in southeast Georgia. I finally could have my beloved horses on our small farm, but although my passion for art was there it still resided deep within and struggled to come fully alive.

After a dozen years as a self-employed graphic designer and periodic dabbling with a paint brush, I learned that my passion for art was to call me back via yet another path. Enrolling in Savannah College of Art and Design and taking a number of graphic design graduate courses, I was finally brought back to my first love. It was on this part of my journey that I realized my need to leave the work and world of graphic design to get back to my first love – the visual arts and my painting!



What is my painting world like today? I recently moved from a small loft on the third floor in our house to my new studio, which is the entire first floor of our house. I set myself on a fairly structured schedule, and I focus on some aspect of my new artist’s life on Monday through Friday, 9 to 5. Many mornings are spent with paperwork and research.  Without a schedule, my painting time would vanish, and I would have a lot of blank canvas! My work is best done with some breaks. I take small vacations, but after a few days, I hear the call of my paints, brushes, and canvases, and I eagerly get back to my easel and pour myself into my paintings.

For me, painting is like working on a puzzle, without the picture on the box to guide me. Most times the answers do not come particularly fast. But by experimenting, nudging here and there, my ideas begin to take form and a new painting comes to life. I normally paint by adding layers over layers. When the paint becomes too wet or my eyes too fatigued by looking at the colors being used, I move on to another painting. I have between 4 to 12 paintings in different stages of completion. 

I’ve heard it said that there is “beauty in the everyday”. I agree. I enjoy painting ordinary subjects with extraordinary colors. My painting subjects are usually animals, but I like the challenge of painting other subjects. Through my painting experiences, I have branched out by creating landscapes, still life, and figurative art.


Wanting to expand beyond oils, I started painting with pastels and gouache. I have grown to love these two new media. Changing my media and changing the size of canvases from ultra-mini to very large helps me move into a new creative arena.

Not wanting to become too comfortable with my art, I strive to continue to learn by trying anything new; subjects, color combinations, techniques, and media. Knowing that you need to discover by doing, I have learned that my “best teacher is my canvas”. I have come to believe that “to learn is to paint” and “to paint is to learn”.

Participating in regional art shows and festivals is one of the ways that I promote my art and to develop relationships with collectors and potential collectors. I belong to a number of local and national art organizations. Painting is a solitary pursuit, and I can easily become a hermit. In addition to getting out of my painting world, it is necessary to have the support from other artists. My contacts with other artists become great learning tools to see their art up close and personal and to get to know the artist behind the painting.

For me, the journey of a painting is part ability, part technique, part intuition, part sweat, and hours of learning from past paintings. The reward and joy of this journey is the painting process and continues to the person who emotionally connects to one of my paintings. Pet paintings of animals that have passed have provided me with some of my most powerful emotional connections. One owner of a loving pet, Savannah, who recently passed shared this: “my sister and brother-in-law had this painting done for us (by me) and it captures her just perfectly!”  This is one of the big reasons I paint!

carol@caroljosmidt.com
www.caroljosmidt.com

VL Featured Artist Dawn Waters Baker

Dawn feels like her first language was beauty. That was how her heart was stirred to art. Born and raised a missionary kid she learned to look for it in the cracks and crevices of lives much harder then her own. In college, she learned how to find her own way to express her heart through painting. Dawn’s husband is a gentle gift who likes quiet as much as she does. They have three kids and with them the quiet left. It birthed a joy found in working on what's important and striving for love in all things.


She likes to think of her work as a “glimpse of the mystery.”  The metaphors of life held in branches, cloud wisps and water.  There is something that compels Dawn to paint, not what is literally seen but what is felt.  For her, the window into the spiritual is nature. It seems to be the image that she is invited to pass through into something much richer and deeper and full of beauty.

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

Artspan Artist Spotlight with Jean Howard

When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be an artist?
I don't remember exactly when I first wanted to be an artist. 

Who has been your mentor, or greatest influence to date?
My father was an architect and did some watercolor renderings of his projects.  I think that I always drawing.  When I was 13 he gave me some art books and about that time I knew that I wanted to be an artist. He was my greatest mentor.
Who is another living artist you admire and why?
The artists that I admire are Richard Diebenkorn and Hans Halls. I know that they are dead but I am not influenced as much by today's artists.


What is your favorite surface to create work on or to work with? Describe it if you make it yourself.
I like to work on handmade watercolor paper when I do watercolors and canvas for oils.

 Do you have a favorite color palette?
Not a favorite color palette.
 

How often do you work on your artwork? How many hours a week?   

I work in chunks, solid for awhile and then NOT for awhile.

What are your inspirations for your work?  

I am inspired by things that I see, sometimes unexpectedly.

 What is your favorite color in your closet? 

I don't have a favorite color.  I thought about this question a lot. I am more interested in a relationship between colors. My closet reflects this also.

What book are you reading this week? 

I am reading "behind the beautiful forevers" by Katherine Boo.

What is your favorite food? 

I love lobster.

What color sheets are on your bed right now? 

My sheets are beige.

Do you have a passion or hobby other than painting? What is it? 

My other interests include gardening and duplicate bridge.

Who would you love to paint? 

I love to paint the Ocean.


If you were an animal what would you be and why?      

I would like to be a seagull to fly around the banks of the ocean.

Share something with us that few people know about you.  

I am a very private person.

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

I would love to live in Laguna Beach.

VL Studio Visit with William Beebe

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

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

In the meantime, my father died suddenly from cancer as my mother was fighting her own long battle with cancer.  My father was the one who had told me to do what makes me happy.  My mother was the one who took me to art galleries and saved my drawings.  They were giving me the gift of developing a life compass.  I was now at a crossroads and that inner compass was pointing me in a new direction. 

My wife, Jen, and I decided to take a much-needed vacation to Maine and it was there that I became inspired to paint!  I came home from that special trip and painted a schooner docked in Boothbay Harbor.  I started painting more, dreaming of living in Maine and painting as a vocation.  Before long we decided to take a leap of faith.

Now I find myself looking back on 24 years of being a full-time artist.  I appreciate every day of “going to work” and am extremely grateful to have been able to pursue my passion of painting for a living. 

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

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

Over time I became more narrowly focused on capturing the beauty of the Maine Windjammer fleet.  Hundreds of schooners used to work the Maine waters, hauling lumber and limestone.  I was intrigued by how few of them are left and saddened by the thought that someday they will be gone.  Each ship has a long history, some dating over one hundred years!

Many hours of painting in the smallest of details were spent on each ship.  I wanted to pay tribute to each ship by recording an accurate interpretation of it on canvas to hopefully last for another hundred years.

My maritime paintings have been exhibited in numerous gallery and museum shows throughout the years including the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, ME and at the Coos Art Museum in Coos Bay, OR, where I won a Merit award in the 12th Annual Maritime Art Exhibition.  Additionally my work has been a part of several Marine Masters Exhibitions in Mystic, CT and Thomaston, ME and the 26th Annual International Marine Art Exhibition at the Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport.


When we moved to Virginia in 2002, I was a little concerned that I might have trouble finding that same passion for painting that I found in Maine.

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

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

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

During that race I also photographed the Pride of Baltimore II, the Lettie G. Howard out of New York, and other smaller schooners, which sail the waters of the Chesapeake.

My first painting of the Virginia was a large commissioned piece featuring the tall ship cutting through the dark water with speed and grace.  I was honored when approached by the folks at the Schooner Virginia to have reproduction giclee prints made from this painting to help with their annual fundraiser.  We worked closely with the Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, VA to produce these quality prints. 

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

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

Photography Interview Tom Peterson, Artspan, VL Magazine January 2014

I took early retirement from The Hartford Financial Group in September of 2003.  That year, I devoted myself to learn and develop as a Documentary and Fine Arts photographer.  I was originally influenced by the life and photography of Eugene Atget, the French photographer whose work concentrated on “Old” Paris during the early 20th Century.  Since 2005, I have dedicated myself to photographing the disappearing sections of Connecticut cities and, more recently, New York’s 5th Avenue.

I generally find places that are in a state of change and often return to them. The more I return, the more I see. That familiarity provides me with opportunities to create unique sets of images and themes.

Many of my photographs focus on an abstract view of every day structures and close-up subjects we often pass by, but rarely notice.   My objective is to find and photograph the uncommon within the commonplace.  

The photographs included in my portfolio, “Around Here”, are part of an ongoing series taken while walking along side streets, back alleys, and vacant buildings in Connecticut’s urban centers.  These particular photographs were taken in once vibrant, industrial neighborhoods that have been left in a state of urban decay.

I have imagined myself an archeologist finding small pieces of abstract art that have gone unnoticed.  Each subject was selected for its vibrant color, shape and texture.  I share any success with my partners, “Time” and “Weather”. 

“Around Here” is one of six portfolios that are currently on my Artspan website, 

www.tpeterson45.com

Artspan Spotlight in VL with Katharine Cartwright

When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be an artist? My parents recognized I was an artist before I entered kindergarten, and provided me with opportunities to learn about color theory and design beginning at age 3. Therefore, I’ve always self-identified as an artist and have never lost my love for creating art. Because I think in pictures rather than in words, drawing and painting come naturally to me and are the way I prefer to communicate with myself and others. 

Who has been your mentor, or greatest influence to date?  Susan Webb Tregay, a superb artist and instructor has been the greatest influence on my work. She taught me the importance of concept in creating art. Without that, artistry does not occur because it is the intended concept that makes art “art.”

Who is another living artist you admire and why?  The artists that I admire most are those whose work is authentic – the ones who bravely express themselves with honesty and integrity without the motivation of popularity and sales. Thankfully, there are many that fall into this category.

What is your favorite surface to create work on or to work with? Primarily, I use Arches watercolor paper, cold press 140 pound because it can take a lot of “abuse” and stand up to it very well. 

What are your favorite materials to use? Although I was trained in oils, I now prefer watercolors above any other medium. My favorite brand is Daniel Smith.

Do you have a favorite color palette? No. For me, it’s more important to assemble a palette for each painting based upon the mood, values, and temperatures that I need to employ to best express my concept. That always changes from painting to painting.

How often do you work on your artwork? How many hours a week? When I’m not traveling, I walk to my studio at 4:30 AM and work from between 4 to 10 hours in a single day. I try to do this seven days a week unless I have appointments and other matters that interfere. However, I’m always able to work in the studio between 4:30 and 8:30 AM. I like the discipline, but I’m also eager to get into the studio and work. I love to paint!

What is the one thing you would like to be remembered for? The things I would like to be remembered for is what I’ve deemed to be important: my dedication to family and community; integrity as an artist and a human being; creating art that is both meaningful and unique, that contributed to the global dialogue in the visual arts, and, effective teaching. 

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? How do you overcome these obstacles? As you noted, distractions, self-doubt and fear of failure are the usual culprits for most artists and were for me as well. Learning to ignore all that and trust my own intuition and imagination took a long time, but I finally got there. I learned to listen only to my inner voice. That liberated me use my own voice to create work that’s original rather than imitative or derivative. 

What are your inspirations for your work? Because my work relies upon my imagination and not physical references, I suppose my greatest inspiration is my internal vision of the world. That internal vision is influenced by my psychology (which filters and interprets my surroundings) and my life experiences. 

What is your favorite way to get your creative juices flowing?  Wake up and walk to my studio. The juices are flowing by the time I open the studio door. It’s Pavlovian.

Which work of yours is your favorite?  Always, the one I’m presently working on. I must be in love with and cherish the piece I’m creating in order to complete it. So, it becomes the most precious at the time.

Getting to know you Q&A

What is your favorite color in your closet? If you looked at my closet you’d see a full palette of colors without one that is dominant. I love all colors and tend to wear the one that best reflects my mood at the moment.

What book are you reading this week? I love to read women’s travel and homesteading accounts. Right now, I’m reading a number of books on Maine and Alaskan women homesteaders.

Do you have a favorite television show? Not really, but I do manage to follow “Project Runway.” I like the challenges and creative solutions by the designers.

What is your favorite food? Pie (any fruit flavor).

What color sheets are on your bed right now? Aneegoine

What are you most proud of in your life? My son.

Who would you love to interview?An “undiscovered” artist who is naturally gifted and struggling to keep her integrity while attempting to rise through the ranks. Someone who’s truly undaunted by the art scene and perseveres would, in my opinion, be worth knowing about.

Do you have a passion or hobby other than painting? What is it? Yes. I love to sail and kayak.

Who would you love to portray in mixed media? I don’t know. I guess I don’t think that way.

If you were an animal what would you be and why? A well-loved and cared-for Labrador retriever would be my choice because they have a wonderful temperament and are very loyal. If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take three things, what would they be?  A machete, striking steel, and a very long rope. 

Share something with us that few people know about you.  Although I don’t come across this way, I’m actually very shy.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Since I’ve already made that choice, it’s easy: Midcoast Maine, where I live  right now. It’s a slice of heaven.

Visit Katharine's website: www.kacartwright.com

Studio Visit with Colorado Artist Carol Nelson

I wasn’t always an “artist.”  I put that word in quotes because, to me, an artist is one who works at his or her craft diligently every day.  Besides spending time at the easel, in today’s times, being an artist also involves networking, researching, marketing, and spending a great deal of time on the computer.  It is far more involved than sitting at your kitchen table and painting a pretty picture once in a while.

Going way back in my art career, I can see the embryonic form of the artist I have become.  I’ve always been attracted to vibrant color, and my earliest memory of anything artistic is that extra-large box of Crayola crayons I treasured.  When I colored a page, I put on LOTS of color, pushing the crayon deeply into the paper for a saturated color.  

In high school, my favorite subject was art.  I loved everything we did in class, and it was a straight-A subject for me.  As a college freshman, it was natural for me to declare an art major. However, sometime during that freshman year – maybe during a biology class or chemistry 101 – it dawned on me that perhaps I should think about how I would support myself when I graduated.  My right and left brains were in a battle for dominance.  The left brain won, and I graduated with a scientific degree and a profession (medical technology) that would prove to be both satisfying and supportive.

So my artistic side was buried for several years.  Actually, I “dabbled” a bit with artsy endeavors.  When my children were small, I had a stained glass business out of my basement.  I made custom stained glass windows for homeowners.  Although stained glass is one of the most beautiful mediums there is, it is also very expensive to produce.  When I figured out I was making less than 

$1/hour, I decided it was time to find a different outlet for my creative tendencies.

The momentous day that propelled me into a serious art career came in 1998, when I happened to be looking through the art book section at a Hobby Lobby store.  I picked up a copy of Maxine Masterfield’s, Painting the Spirit of Nature, and was instantly smitten with the images inside.  Looking at the beautiful poured ink abstract compositions, I KNEW I could do this.  I bought all the stuff and went home to start creating. 

Thus started a new passion.  I soon became aware of how much I didn’t know.  They say you don’t know what you don’t know, but at least I knew I had just scratched the surface of something huge and wonderful.  

Fast forward 15 years to where I am now.  I’ve taken many workshops in various painting media – from watercolor to oils and acrylics – and slowly my true love has emerged.  Although I can certainly appreciate the beauty of  rich oils and the flowing transparency of watercolor, it’s that “texture thing” with acrylics and all the acrylic mediums that pulls me back time and time again.

My studio, as you can see from the photo, is always in a state of chaos.  When your medium is mixed media, you have to save everything that might somehow end up in a painting.  I’m not above dumpster diving and picking up ephemera and junk off the streets.   

I love experimenting with new paints, materials and techniques.  Since I work in acrylic, the vast number of mediums available gives me unlimited options  in how I create.  Many of the techniques I’ve developed or practiced in my own work are of interest to other mixed media artists.  I love traveling around the country giving mixed media workshops – I meet the nicest artists!  I love their enthusiasm and delight at the things I present to them.

Last October, I completed a week of training with Golden Artist Colors. Golden chose 18 artists from around the country for advanced study in their Golden Art Educator Program.  Since I already was using Golden Fluid Acrylics in my work, the additional training with Golden’s many pastes, gels, and grits, was like a huge flood of information that I’m beginning to incorporate into my painting process.

Life as traveling artist is sometimes hectic – like when my plane is delayed by a blizzard – but the rewards of meeting and working with other artists makes it all worth it.

http://carolnelsonfineart.com