Archive for category: Art Blog

We might look at Abstract Expressionism, Modern Jazz, and Free Verse not only as indigenously American cultural phenomena but also as different stylistic branches on the same creative tree. Certainly, the heyday of these contemporaneous movements (from about the late 40s to the mid-60s) shows us a common element or spirit of expansion, of spontaneity, of some form of ambitious personal expression. In the works from these movements, it is frequently the personal and the idiosyncratic choices of the artist which make their mark more than any other criteria.

In the music of composers/musicians like Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, etc., we see the boundaries of the traditional arrangement being stretched farther and farther by the eccentricities, the flash, the inner logic of improvisation. Turning to the poetry of W. C. Williams, Charles Olsen, Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gregory Corso etc., we discover a new poetic voice unencumbered by rigid meter and re-enlivened by the vernacular, the colloquial, and an unabashed willingness to describe subject matter previously considered socially inappropriate or distasteful, in much the same way the Ash Can School introduced tenement dwelling and behaviour, violating the sacred plane of the “idealized” image. When we examine the chief proponents of Abstract Expressionism, namely the work of de Kooning, Kandinsky, Kline, Gorky, and Pollock, we again encounter a preoccupation with abstract form, new ways of defining the biomorphic, the geometric, the cohesion of colour and shape, the role of pattern, of design and harmony.

Yet de Kooning’s brand of Abstract Expressionism is more like a gorgeously built windmill spinning without any practical function: the beauty of elaborate energy but without the usefulness of that energy; or like a piece of Charles Ives music, where a kind of intelligent noise appears to “accidentally” become articulate and expressive. Still more like a puzzle box, the work of this forerunner of Abstract Expressionism is often an exquisitely wrought expression of emptiness, of contradictoriness, of a kind of void.

In contrast to Kandinsky’s intricate articulation (in both theory and practice) of the spiritual purpose of form, de Kooning’s work is an interesting anomaly. It is curious that de Kooning, in this period of artistic uninhibitedness, is regarded by more than one critic as evoking a sort of vacancy in his work, a deliberate descent into visual paradox, an emptiness and a void. Dore Ashton says that de Kooning “describes an abstraction: vacancy,” and Thomas Hess maintains that the paintings are based on “contradictoriness kept contradictory.”

In Woman I (1952), there is his typically strident stroking style, creating angles from and evidence of the brush, and image appears to be a by-product of the accidents or happenings of paint. Very little happens in this “portrait” to bring the viewer into a specific world. We’re pulled and jerked by the luscious wash of colour, where primary tones play dramatically against shades and hues; the role of paint as an ultra-expressive conduit of free-flowing thought (the whole raison d’être of Abstract Expressionism) is here, but the painting seems to use this technique as a way of transporting us nowhere fast. The tension in this painting isn’t like the carefully orchestrated contrast of a Kandinsky, there is no delight in the opposition of forces here; rather, there is a strange disquiet, an “almost” quality that is neither essentially figurative or abstract, premeditated or aleatory, formal or picturesque.

De Kooning worked these motifs and methods throughout his formative and mature periods, returning again and again to this “woman” portrait series with intensifications and variations of his signature style. Here we find de Kooning at his best, producing in these portraits (as well as early attempts at total abstraction in smaller canvasses like Valentine, 1947 and Painting, 1948) a kind of “chunky” effect or stylized clutter, where no or very little negative space is allowed into the canvas, where a mass of tension and conflict seems to throw the reality of the image into limbo, where solid colour and washes of colour interact unexpectedly, and where (like Pollock) the totality of the canvas is the most important effect. But rather than the ebullient personal statement we associate with the music and poetry at this time, de Kooning’s canvasses create an image of not being an image, all the more so in the Woman series but generally reflected through all his work. There is a stubborn hollowness produced by his insistence on making the canvas a kind of stratagem for orderly chaos, a hollowness not bereft of beauty and intensity but certainly forlorn, ghostly, and ambiguous in its refusal to let the “logic” of image-making take over. Even Pollock’s work reveals a formulaic side once the viewer learns what the canvas demands of his or her eye. Like the philosophy of much Japanese painting in which “emptiness” is an aesthetic goal, de Kooning has bypassed the formal by hitting upon a kind of cram-it-all-in-anything-goes-Funhouse-irrational style. In a dialogue with Georges Duthuit about the Dutch painter Bram Van Velde, the Irish writer Samuel Beckett (known primarily in this country for his existential comedy Waiting for Godot) referred to Van Velde as an example of this kind of emptiness or void, saying that the painter’s work was “the expression that there is nothing to express.” Perhaps this too is part of de Kooning’s charm, and perhaps he has used the mantle of Abstract Expressionism for its baroque qualities only to express form and feeling on a much more subdued, ethereal level.

While some interesting canvasses shine through, there is a huge gap between the previous styles and these pictures, not so much in terms of an enlargement or sophistication of his methods, but a marked dilution or dissipation of effect. We find de Kooning apparently searching for a redefinition of his style by creating an amalgam of what has passed through the visual vocabulary of the past fifty years. From the Fauvist vibrancy of Untitled VI 1981 to the Matissean swoop of form in Untitled III 1981 and Untitled XII 1985 to the tubular form of Leger with a touch of Kirchner’s colour drama from Untitled XV 1982 and Untitled VII 1986 to the “spermatozoa” motifs of Miro in No Title 1984, de Kooning is obviously re-evaluating his imaginative powers. The result is largely dissatisfying. A great deal of negative space is employed in these paintings, and without the density of his prior canvasses, burdened to a great extent by these numerous pictorial “quotations” from other painters and styles, these works unfortunately dwell too long on the decision-making process: they don’t have the conviction or the effect of a consolidated effort.

De Kooning once said, “…if you take the attitude that it is not possible to do something, you have to prove it by doing it.” Certainly, an aspect of abstract painting in general, and Abstract Expressionism in particular, is the strain of the impossible measured against the assimilation of time and popular culture. What was considered revolutionary and outrageous in 1945 or 1955 in painting is now part of the graphics paintbox systems of digital home publishing software. Perhaps there is a latent decadence inherent in the attempt to harness and express the abstract through paint. Art history and the imagination of artists always run a relay race with one another. What is fascinating about de Kooning is his grasp of “impossible” ways of seeing; his exquisite, ironic combination of thick images producing vacant results; and his acquisition of part of the void of the mind through a style filled with mischief, clatter, contradiction, and revolt.

Peter J. Dellolio Born 1956 New York City; NYU 1978: BA Cinema Studies; BFA Film Production; poetry collections “A Box of Crazy Toys” 2018 Xenos Books; “Bloodstream is an Illusion of Rubies Counting Fireplaces” 2023 Cyberwit/Rochak Publishing.

Larry Wolf, coming at it from a different side

Pick a painter, any painter. The odds are almost 100% that they paint on the FRONT of the canvas, right? Not me. I’m my own kind of odd: I paint on the BACK of the canvas!

For the past decade or so, I’ve been utilizing a unique process whereby I push paint through the back of a silkscreen material to achieve eye-catching, often unpredictable results with vivid colours and layered textures of acrylic paint.

Silkscreens, invented in China over 1,000 years ago, are thin canvas meshes (stretched taut over a wooden frame) that allow the paint to pass through. Artist Andy Warhol used silkscreens to make art prints, masking out portions of the silkscreen with glue so that paint couldn’t penetrate those blocked areas. Then he would take a squeegee and push paint through the remaining porous areas to create amazing art prints.

Today, silkscreens are commonly used for printing things like T-shirts. Stencils are placed over the canvas to block paint, and colours are applied one at a time, each passing through a different stencil to produce a consistent multi-colour image on each shirt or item. Then the silkscreen canvases are washed and reused countless times.

I looked at the silkscreen and saw something else entirely: not simply a tool for transferring paint to another surface but rather a full canvas unto itself.

Rather than washing and reusing my silkscreens, they become the canvases of my artworks.

I begin with a blank silkscreen and then push paint through the back to the front. Sometimes I do this process freehand and freeform. But more often, I use pieces of masking tape to block off specific areas with various shapes, both large and small, that will be left without paint. Then I apply the paint with any number of spatula palette knives, pushing it from the back through to the front. Each new layer of paint builds thickness and adds textures in unpredictable ways.

Sometimes the paints mix and combine; other times, after removing the masking tape and opening up the blocked areas, new coloured shapes and textures can emerge with delineated borders adjacent to previously painted elements.

Eventually, I reach a point where I must decide on opacity. Unlike traditional canvas, because silkscreens are translucent, thinner areas of paint will allow the natural colour of the wall on which they hang to come through. Light from the front can pass through slightly, reflect back, and sometimes even give the piece a slight glow. But there are times when I don’t want such an effect. In these cases, I simply apply large swathes and layers of paint beneath what is already there. And because I am still painting from the back of the canvas, these new layers of paint form a thicker base underneath the textured shapes on the front of the canvas, making those areas more opaque to light.

Of course, opacity itself can then be manipulated through the use of colour.

A large swath of white paint allows more light to pass through than a large swath of some darker colour. On the other hand, a medium green or blue base layer can cool down the area above it, while a warm yellow or a hot red can produce the opposite effect. The possibilities are endless!

When complete, the wooden frame of the silkscreen (which is necessary to hold the canvas taut) becomes the natural frame of the finished piece. The simplicity of the frames gives the pieces a modern, edgy quality while at the same time allowing the artwork to be the center of attention without distracting from it. Standard silkscreen frames usually measure around 22” x 19”, so the pieces turn out a uniform size and are small enough to transport easily and ship relatively cheaply. They also typically don’t take as long to complete as larger pieces.

To my knowledge, no other artist is currently using this technique, although I certainly don’t mind if others experiment with this fun and creative process.

Up until now, I’ve been focusing mainly on abstract works using these silkscreens since that is my preferred style. But lately, I’ve begun pushing myself to create more literal and recognizable subject matter like landscapes and common household objects. Who knows where my silkscreens will take me next!

I was born, raised, and am still living in Los Angeles, California. I spent more than 45 years here as a practicing criminal defence attorney. Over the past decade and a half, I have slowly and methodically transitioned my beloved painting hobby into a successful second career as an artist. My vibrant, colourful, and textured artwork, collected under the umbrella “A Brush with the Law,” attempts to convey the intensity of emotion and wealth of experience that I’ve gained through a lifetime of rich and expansive interactions with the world and the fascinating people who live in it.

My award-winning work has been displayed in galleries throughout Southern California, across the United States, and as far away as Germany and China. My pieces are currently carried for sale in the Laguna Art Gallery in Mission Viejo, CA, as well as the 3 Square Art Gallery in Colorado Springs, CO.

Larry Wolf, Los Angeles, California
https://www.abrushwiththelaw.com

Aged just 22, Olyvia Kwok became well known in the art industry when she brought a Chinese scroll painting at an auction for $33,000 and later sold it at a Bangkok auction house for $220,000. Kwok knew the painting was valuable and worth far more than it was advertised for. She was confident she would make a profit, and her risk paid off, with her securing a huge return on her investment. That same year, Kwok opened her own successful art gallery in London specializing in emerging markets and later went on to build an art fund for a large private bank in Switzerland. Today, Kwok has over 15 years of experience in collecting and selling art. She set up her firm, Willstone Management, in 2011, where she now offers bespoke art investment services.

According to Kwok, the art industry is changing, with fine art being far more accessible in recent years. She comments, “Many interior designers use art to make spaces appear more cultured and luxurious, while some people simply use art to fill a white space. Art has now become a fundamental aspect of any stylish decor.” You no longer have to visit an art gallery to see stunning pieces of fine art. Beautiful pieces that were once reserved for the homes of wealthy art collectors or galleries can now be found in a huge variety of different venues all across the world. Many luxury hotels and retail spaces are now using fine art in their interior designs to create a sense of style, elegance, and sophistication. With this in mind, here are some key ways that fine art is influencing luxury hotels and retail spaces.

Retail

Luxury retail spaces around the globe are now incorporating fine art into their interior design. For instance, K11’s Art Mall in Hong Kong showcases the world’s first museum-retail concept. The stunning seven-storey shopping complex was unveiled ten years ago and created by famed art collector and entrepreneur Adiran Cheng. This fine art space showcases work by Hong Kong’s emerging artists, alongside famous art pieces by established artists including Damien Hirst. Retail spaces all around the world are now using fine art to attract customers, create a more luxurious feel, and enhance the overall shopping experience.

Hotels

Art is increasingly being used in hotels as a way of redefining luxury and standing out from the competition. Kwok notes, “Instead of simply leaving walls blank with spaces for artworks to be added later, forward-thinking hotels are incorporating art into the very fabric of the building with specially commissioned pieces integrated into the design of the building.” It is becoming increasingly common for hotels to invest in fine art in order to create a unique, standout decor and enhance their luxury credentials. You can now find highly valuable art pieces in some of the world’s top luxury hotels. For instance, La Colombe d’Or in France boasts a Picasso and Gramercy Park Hotel in New York is home to a Warhol and Hirst. Kwok adds, “Hotels are starting to be a bit braver in their artistic choices, with a move away from mass-produced abstract art, to more exciting, risk-taking works by both up-and-coming and established artists.” The Emperor Qianmen hotel in Beijing is a fantastic example, where the collaboration between the luxury hotel and local art community is particularly apparent.

Final Insights

Fine art is more accessible than ever, and many businesses are now strategically weaving art into their interior design in order to create a more luxurious, sophisticated, and high-end style. Hotels and retail spaces all around the world are recognizing the benefits of fine art and using it to improve their credentials, entice customers and set themselves apart from the competition in the fiercely competitive business world.

By Olyvia Kwok. Olivia is the founder of successful London art firm, Willstone Management and has over 15 years of professional experience collecting and selling art worldwide.

Become acquainted with perhaps a few unknown dimensions – thoughts, ambitions, wisdoms, life changing moments – of this inspiring artist.

When it comes to your art, explain what you do

This work was presented in 2018. “Beautiful African Woman” is a tribute to the woman whose inspiration in my mother. I intend with this work to leave the legacy of doing things normally, in total equality, feeling free. It is a colourful, enthusiastic and optimistic vision, with two key pillars, the technique and soul of the work, with which I also seek to refute stereotypes about Arab culture. It is fair and necessary for people to know that not everything is from one extreme or another. I want to give visibility to the free, demanding woman, the owner of her own decisions and the mistress of her own life.

What project are you working on now?

I am working on different projects, including a new series based on Africa. 

Why do you do what you do?

It’s a return to my first stage, I want to complete the series “Africa sweet and pop” with new artworks based on digital illustration.

How has your practice changed over time?

With time I am increasingly demanding and perfectionist. I spend more time on the little details.

What is your strongest childhood memory?

My neighbourhood, Lavapiés, the most multicultural neighbourhood in Madrid. I remember when I walked with my parents through the gardens of the Retiro. I remember the visits to the Prado Museum, the notebooks, the coloured pencils that they always gave me on my birthday. I remember when I first went to Venice with my parents. I left the train station and saw the canals of the city for the first time. It is an indelible image that I have always had the desire to reflect on my work, but it is a memory so special that I dare not turn into a material object.

What is your scariest experience?

My worst experience, without a doubt, is the absence of my parents. Especially the painful death of my mother that has marked my life and my work.

Describe a real-life experience that inspired you.

All my work is inspired by the reality that surrounds me. From my first series Africa Sweet and Pop to Beautiful African Woman, all have in common a part of my life, of my memories, of my experience. And in all, there is a common bond: optimism. The colourful vision before the blows of life. I search and pay tribute to optimism. My artwork fights pain through colour and enthusiasm through simple lines and intense colours.

What superpower would you like to have and why?

I think one of my superpowers is the ability to survive and provide a positive vision in the face of the setbacks of life. That is the superpower that I would like never to lose. The ability to fight, to adapt to each moment, to each circumstance. The ability to enjoy the people around me, and empathize with them, understand them and bring them joy.

What is your pet peeve about the art world?

I believe that the world is art. Everything that surrounds us is art. The emotions, the sensations, the objects, the experiences, the happiness, the pain, the natural, the imaginable and the unimaginable things, I believe that we are surrounded by art.

What is your dream creative project?

My creative dream is never to stop creating.

Which place in the world do you find to be the most inspiring?

I believe that inspiration can appear at any time and anywhere. But there are indeed places where I feel a greater sensitivity to the world and more inspiration to create: the walks along the Ramblas in Barcelona, through the streets of Madrid and anywhere in Italy.

Do you make a living off of your art?

Yes, because I work as a creative. I direct artistic projects and visuals for different clients. So I am lucky to dedicate myself professionally to the creative and artistic world.

What’s the most indispensable item in your studio/practice?

My work is based on digital art, so for me, the use of the latest technology is essential. In my studio, I always have my computer, iPad, a professional set of photography and a scanner.

What are your hobbies?

My great passion is the cinema. There is not a day when I do not enjoy the magic of one of the most significant artistic manifestations. Music is essential in my life and my artistic process. Reading is another of my passions, I would not understand life without a book and its stories and characters, the feel of its paper, and the smell of its pages. Reading is one of the most enriching experiences that exist. I also love travelling, meeting and conversing with people from different cultures, tasting the flavours of the world.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Work with passion. Insist on goals, nothing is impossible. Never be afraid of failure. Make good friends, always make the way in good company.

Creatively, where do you see yourself in the next five years?

Within five years, I hope to continue with the same enthusiasm and desire to create and share my soul with the world that I have today. Although I prefer to focus on the day-to-day. Enjoy each moment, from nearby and immediate projects.

HOUDA BAKKALI‘s creative studio is in Barcelona, Spain.
Visit https://hbakkali.es

Become acquainted with perhaps a few unknown dimensions – thoughts, ambitions, wisdoms, life changing moments – of this inspiring artist.

When it comes to your art/writing, explain what you do.

Painting and sketching were some of my hobbies from my school days. I chose to paint using different mediums like oil and acrylic paints, poster colours and oil pastels, based on the concept, the background material and time. I generally do the artwork when I want to express something that I cannot express in words. I choose this to reflect my thoughts at that point in time. I was trained by my teacher, Mr. Mathews, for my art basics while I was in school. His classes inspired me to further pursue this as a strong hobby. I do it out of passion and love to do it.

What project are you working on now?

I am an architect by profession and an artist by passion. I am currently working on making paintings on the theme of Indian festivals, its essence and celebrations. I am inspired by the way each festival is depicted and celebrated across different states of India, with different cultures and traditions.

Why do you do what you do?

I do this out of passion and interest. The finished art piece and the reflection of thoughts in my mind on the canvas gives me pleasure and satisfaction.

What is your pet peeve about the art world?

Very unstable and lot of real talented artists do not get access to showcase their work. There are so many silenced artists who are way too far from recognition.

What is your strongest childhood memory?

My strongest memory dates back to when I scored a 3rd rank in the entrance exam for my bachelor’s course. I applied to a state university to pursue my degree in architecture. Choosing architecture, the composition of art and engineering,  was an unusual call that I made as the general norm of choice was between engineering or becoming a doctor in India back then. There were many who underestimated my competence and criticized my trial and choice. Thankfully my parents supported my choice and work. Ranking 3rd and gaining entry into the university was a strong answer. It instilled in me confidence and made my ideas more concrete, laying a path for my future.

What is your scariest experience?

There were so many incidents the past five years or so that made me stronger and confident. They instilled confidence in myself to take life as it comes, even if it’s hard to do so. A dad’s little princess transformed into a self-reliant, independent, confident girl. Even when facing tough situations, I knew that there was something better waiting ahead. Thankfully from mid-2018 there were positive changes in situations, or rather, now I had learned to turn the tables. 

Describe a real-life experience that inspired you.

I have always been in a very protective environment where I learned lot of valuable life lessons, such as love, education, ethics, values and equality. The time period between 2013 and 2018 broke that cocoon around me and let me face the harsh reality of life, or rather taught me lessons of the contrasting life situations within which I grew up. It taught me to value my talent. It opened new paths in my life. Love and equality of gender were major driving factors behind the change. What was once a care-free hobby is now a serious passion. It’s a very effective way of communicating your thoughts. Now art is a serious job. Now I even choose to write. I have written technical papers that are published in various international journals.

What’s the most indispensable item in your practice?

The most indispensable item is the urge to do and feel. When your heart wills you to do something at that moment, you can create art with whatever available material around you. You could use anything to create art if your heart is in it; you could use wasted materials and still create a beautiful mural. When your heart does not feel like creating something even if you have access to wide variety of material, nothing useful can be done. 

How has your practice changed over time?

I don’t have a commercial practice of art work. I do it out of interest. I paint only when my heart yearns to transform my thoughts onto a canvas. I paint when something strongly inspires me. During my hobby classes I used to paint on a regular basis. Then my pace of making paintings slowed down as I was a student of architecture. The creative works that we worked on during the graduation tenure were far ahead of the paintings I did. They were practical solutions coupled with creativity, whereas paintings and sketching could go outside of the box to a great extent and land you in a Utopian world. 

What superpower would you like to have and why?

I would like to have magical powers that can surpass the layers of political and economic systems, to let education reach everyone.

What is your dream creative project?

A project where we could make learning easy, interesting and understandable through sketches, pictures and art works, rather than bulky black and white text books. Pictures and figures convey the most and make learning logical and fun. Here concepts should be conveyed to the students, not the memorised text.

Which place in the world do you find to be the most inspiring?

I believe that it is not the place alone that inspires me; I try to draw inspiration from the world around me. But schools, universities and educational institutions are the major source of my happiness as they are the places where numerous faces, ideas and thoughts are generated. Innocence, inquisitiveness, creativity and the passion of the students who eventually make it big in the world keeps me drawn towards it.

Creatively, where do you see yourself in the next five years?

I want to develop my skills and use the art works to help make people educated and not just literate. I would like to try to use art as a strong medium of education.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

“Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached” – Swami Vivekananda. This quote was the best advice I have ever received.

Naga Vaishnavi is currently based in Bangalore, India. Visit https://www.facebook.com/arttvaish

Become acquainted with perhaps a few unknown dimensions – thoughts, ambitions, wisdoms, life changing moments – of this inspiring artist.

When it comes to your art, explain what you do.
As a landscape painter, my work is fundamentally connected to “place.” Each series I have undertaken has been derived from time spent away with site-specific influences that imbue my work, where I can fully absorb and consider how to apply what I am experiencing, seeing, and learning to pictorial representation. Residencies have enabled me to do some of my best work as well as afford me the time to evaluate and consider what is at the heart of my practice.

What project are you working on now?
I have just completed a new series entitled “Empyrean.” This series is scheduled for exhibition at the newly constructed Ottawa Art Gallery. The word Empyrean comes from the Medieval Latin empyreus, an adaptation from Ancient Greek meaning “belonging to or deriving from heaven, the celestial, ethereal or upper empyrean regions, the dwelling-place of God, the blessed, celestial beings so divine they are made of pure light, and the source of light and creation.” In this series, I am returning to some familiar themes seen in much of my earlier work with a new energy, style of execution and a more mature, seasoned, technical precision. It is a study of land, sky, and water, rendered on canvas, wood panel and Mylar. I am creating works that celebrate landscape and light, creating pathways that go nowhere and everywhere. I am exploring the typography of the land, experimenting with imagery constructed to challenge the individual view and perspective, as well as exploring compositional tensions within the painting, to further develop pictorial properties. Then, finally, translating this dynamic into larger surfaces that compel the viewer to reflect and consider their own personal beliefs about the land and the importance of preservation and managing the destructive aspects of climate change.

Why do you do what you do?
I paint landscapes. There is something in that distant line that divides the sky from the ground that compels me. What one sees in it depends on the person; it might be spiritual in nature, a fear of the unknown, or a yearning to travel. Whatever the attraction, it is my distillation of those fleeting atmospheric conditions that have the power to move me. I paint these images perhaps wanting to know what lies beyond. Having lived in Canada all my life, I have been fortunate to explore through my work, a variety of ecosystems, lakes, oceans, and forests. What one sees in my work, depends on the lived experience of the viewer. Working from specific locations and landscapes, I abstract from both direct observation and memory. In investigating the dynamics of each landscape and intentionally working and reworking the surface, I seek to merge this explicit physical world with the spiritual.

How has your practice changed over time?
I have been a painter all my life. Each year that goes by brings new experiences and ideas but mostly more knowledge and insights that I apply to my practice. The best times for me have been when I’m away at a residency. I have attended four so far and plan on applying for many more. At these residencies I can completely dedicate myself to the development of new work, focus all my energy on the task at hand, be free of distractions from my teaching practice and the responsibilities and pressures of daily life. This extremely rare and precious time of unrestricted reflection, hard work and experimentation have resulted in major developments in my work. At the end of each residency I have been able to work, gain more knowledge and insights, create artistic networking opportunities as well as advance my practice. Furthermore, being immersed in a setting for a prolonged period of time has enabled me to capture the essence of ”place,” which is intrinsic to my work. I am at a pivotal point in my career as I have a major solo exhibition at the Ottawa Art Gallery, after which I will be attending the Damsite Historic District Artist Residency Program in Elephant Butte, New Mexico to continue to develop more new work.

What is your strongest childhood memory?
Coming home directly after school and working at my “art table” until supper time. I loved making things since before I can remember. I hated going out for recess, since I wasn’t very athletic, so I would ask to stay indoors and help decorate the classroom with my teacher. I also fondly remember taking art classes with a lovely old English woman named Mrs. Meadows. She lived down the street in a fabulously large house, she had a gorgeous, wild, English garden, a lovely studio and she painted mainly watercolours. I adored her, she taught me so much. I have taken up the torch and have been an art educator now for over fifteen years, all thanks to Mrs. Meadows.

What is your scariest experience?
Arriving at an artist residency in the middle of a storm, in Newfoundland, in the middle of the night, driving an unfamiliar car. The studio was just a large, rather cold industrial space that included a mattress on the floor, a wood burning stove, something resembling a kitchen and an awful artist that was staying in the upstairs studio, who was incredibly unfriendly. I thought while I was driving the narrow roads, along steep cliffs in the rain, that I was going to die. But I didn’t and the residency ended up being an incredible six week experience that I will never, ever forget.

Describe a real-life experience that inspired you.
Meeting Betty Goodwin (March 19, 1923 – December 1, 2008), a Canadian printmaker, sculptor, painter and installation artist. Her work is represented in many public collections, including the City of Burnaby Permanent Art Collection, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, and the National Gallery of Canada and framing her work while I interned at a prestigious gallery in Toronto in the mid-80’s.

What is your pet peeve about the art world?
So many things bother me about the art world. For starters, the elitism and the hierarchy. The image of the “white-walled shrine” that some galleries project to the general public, the fact that “joe average” can have access to such places but generally doesn’t bother because he or she feels they don’t know anything about art. It’s unfortunate; art should be for the people, all people should be able to have access to it, as well as have opportunities to learn more about it. Galleries and museums need to up their game as far as education and outreach. The other pet peeve I have is the academic versus the non-academic status issue that is pervasive in the art world. Why does an artist have to have a master’s degree to show in certain galleries? A life long learner has just as much if not more experience and knowledge then someone who just so happens to have created a thesis.

Which place in the world do you find to be the most inspiring?
The Faroe Islands of the coast of Denmark are my muse these days, but it changes all the time.

What’s the most indispensable item in your studio/practice?
Music.

What are your hobbies?
Performing Burlesque, cooking and reading.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
This is more of a question answer. I was once asked if I woke up one morning and couldn’t sell another painting, would I still want to paint? This made me think seriously about what my practice was all about. Also, I was once told to collect art, to build my own well-selected collection which would help me in my golden years, as a means of investment.

Creatively, where do you see yourself in the next five years?
Hopefully selling enough work to live off of, to have several galleries in different cities, in Canada, the U.S. or even in Europe. To sell a painting through Saatchi, and to have had several solo exhibitions in highly visible cultural institutions.

What is your dream creative project?
To produce a series of extremely large paintings to be displayed in the same way Mark Rothko did his Chapel in Houston, Texas. To be able to paint at the same scale as Julian Schnabel.

Patrice Stanley was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1964, and is currently based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Visit www.patricestanley.com

Catch a glimpse of the space in which creativity is born in this artist studio tour.

As a five-year-old, my focus was on making art. I mostly and exclusively painted in a spare room that served as an oasis and safe harbor for me—a place free of restrictions. I’ve found that there are practical advantages to this arrangement as the urge to create happens at all hours and for varying lengths of time from a few minutes to a half of a day of pondering.

My studios have always had the essentials—a sturdy wood panel used as an easel, paint-spattered rugs, half-spent jars of acrylics and tempera paint, and a bucket of murky residue that provides the subtlest range of grays. Finished paintings lean against the closet wall; older paintings hibernate on the attic floor.

There are oddities and rarities in my studio, resources that cram shelves and cover benches and boxes. They populate my studio as a multitude of “stuff” just like the newspaper clippings that covered the walls of my father’s Niagara Falls candy-making shop. At times these objects conspire to take the room over. Yet, when I’m not painting, I tinker with these odds and ends using scrapers, nippers, files, wires, glues, etcetera, to make “things” according to my earliest intention, to be ingenious and creative.

Soteris Sam Roussi was born in Niagara Falls, NY, USA, in 1945. He has an MFA in painting from Ohio State and is currently based in Westfield, MA, USA. Visit www.samroussi.com

Become acquainted with perhaps a few unknown dimensions – thoughts, ambitions, wisdoms, life changing moments – of this inspiring artist.

When it comes to your art, explain what you do.
Fueled by my interest in history, my recent work depicts imaginary, or even dreamlike, cityscapes that portray a dynamic continuance of time. In my drawings, I am exploring the concept of history as a synthesis of the past and present in which multiple vantage points of numerous incidents are juxtaposed in a single visual expanse. The result is a multifaceted ephemeral panorama that meanders through space, time, and history. The large-scale drawings are comprised of a combination of printed images and found photographs seamlessly melded with pen, ink wash, and transfer techniques. The montage of images is superimposed, rendering dynamic scenes that traverse elements of the past, present, and future.

The compulsive layering and building of the imagery and narrative within the scenes are what I find most satisfying about my work. This highly involved process of construction and elimination and reconstruction allows for an almost meditative exploration of the materials within the drawings and the creative process.

What project are you working on now?
Currently, I am building upon a concept my professor and I were discussing in one of our final “one-on-ones” before graduation. I am working on a series of large panorama drawings that incorporate the figure into the cityscape, using similar techniques to my other work, but with more drawing and painting elements.

How has your practice changed over time?
My work has become more concept driven over the years, focusing more on process and idea, rather than simply technique. Art school has definitely made me more experimental in my approach, helping me become grounded and more self-driven. Professional attitude is everything. After slowing down on the art-making while my girls were babies (they are three and almost two), I am beyond eager to jump back in full force.

Why do you do what you do?
I create because that is what I have always done. As a toddler, at age three, I continuously watched my stepfather draw and studied the strokes that comprised the mythical creatures he created for me. I would eagerly follow in collaboration, colouring in the forms that he imaginatively put on paper. That is where it all began and my excitement for the arts never ceased. From that point on, I used every spare moment to nurture or indulge my newfound creative outlet. I could not get enough of this productive free-flowing form of expression and longed for the revolving process of practice and improvement.

What is your dream creative project?
My dream creative project would be an artist residency in a country such as France or Italy working on my large cityscape drawings while utilizing reference sketches and photos from life. Being immersed in a vastly different atmosphere and location would give my drawings a new depth and heightened energy.

What’s the most indispensable item in your practice?
I would have to say that my poetry books, my folders of cut images and paper scraps, and matte medium are the most indispensable items in my studio. I use a matte medium for everything, and I get most of my inspiration for the imagery and narrative within my drawings from poetry excerpts. Oh, and I can’t forget my Faber-Castell and Precise Pens!

Which place in the world do you find to be the most inspiring?
Though I have only visited the desert once, I have found it to be incredibly inspiring. The mountains and the valleys really do emit those vibrant tans and purple hues that you see in pictures. The landscape itself looks like a painting, and the towering old cacti that are scattered for miles become figurative in the barren terrain.

What are your hobbies?
Beyond drawing and painting, my hobbies include reading and writing poetry. I also love to visit my horse whenever I have the opportunity. Before college and having kids, I spent a majority of my time traveling with my grandparents and competing in rodeos and local barrel races. Those were the highlights of my adolescence. Recently, however, believe it or not, my favourite pastime is spent using sidewalk chalk to draw with my daughters. Because their ages are three and almost two, we spend the majority of our time in the backyard, and our evolving sidewalk drawings are now one of my favourite things.

What is your pet peeve about the art world?
My pet peeve about the art world would probably be the assumption surrounding the relevance and/or purpose of art as an occupation or field of study in society. I’ve lost count of the number of times I have been asked, “What will you do with an art degree?” I can reassure you that I didn’t spend many long nights studying, perfecting assignments, prepping for critique, and writing responses and research papers in order to play with coloured pencils and water colours for the rest of my life. I believe art, like any other discipline or field, requires dedication and drive; however, innovation is definitely key.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
The best advice I have been given comes from two of the most influential men in my life, my stepfather and my art school professor and mentor. Whenever I would confide to my stepfather, he would always encourage me to “empty my cup.” It works both ways. If you are overwhelmed, “empty your cup”; if you’re overconfident, “empty your cup.” That still gets me through day to day; you have to keep the momentum going. The other crucial piece of advice that everyone could (and should) utilize is to steal as many ideas as you can. This can be accomplished through research or simply learning from other artists and creatives around you. It’s imperative to grow and expose yourself to different ideas and concepts.

What are your strongest childhood memories?
My strongest childhood memories will always
revolve around my horses and ponies. Riding was my constant hobby, and at that time, I never stopped drawing horses.

What superpower would you like to have and why?
My superpower of choice would be the ability to freeze time… but only temporarily. I believe that there is an amazing quality in the ability to recognise the significance of a single (fleeting) moment and that an abundance of beauty can be found when exercising such keen awareness. I am sure we all have experienced those moments that we wish we could relive… or savour them just a little bit longer.

Describe a real-life experience that inspired you.
I am always finding inspiration in the smallest details throughout the day whether it be from just a moment of self-reflection and realization or by positively visualizing different scenarios in my mind. The next step in my educational career involves returning to school to obtain my MAT in Art Education. My daughters are definitely my inspiration behind this coming chapter.

Creatively, where do you see yourself in the next five years?
In the next five years, I see myself as an art professor, having obtained my master’s degree, and traveling to art festivals with my family in my spare time. I have two young daughters, and this is the kind of lifestyle and excitement that I would love to expose them to.

Hayley Haddad was born in 1989 in Memphis, TN, USA, where she currently resides. Visit Hayleyhaddadart.squarespace.com

Become acquainted with perhaps a few unknown dimensions – thoughts, ambitions, wisdoms, life changing moments – of this inspiring artist.

When it comes to your art/writing, explain what you do in 100 words.
My work is characterized by its small scale, desktop paintings, and photo collages culled from the pages of fashion magazines and contemporary art auction catalogs. The fragmented photographs, absent of their identity, paired with anthropomorphic objects, organic cascading elements, and abstracted artworks by other artists are meant to address authorship, cultural curation, and sexual objectification. Without being overly sentimental, the collages capture the feeling of both glamour and despair, while maintaining a tenderness and composure.

What project are you working on now?
I am working on a few pieces of work that I’m really excited about. They all incorporate the same source materials—fashion magazines and art auction catalogs—so I consider them to be related. I’ve pushed away from my photography background for a while, but recently have embraced it in order to capture my desktop collages.

Why do you do what you do?
Because I have an intense drive to create. As obvious as it sounds, I think all artists have this intense drive to create—otherwise, what’s the point of doing what we do?

How has your practice changed over time?
I have allowed a bit of my over-controlled and rule-abiding practices to loosen a bit in order to embrace some more chance mark making and happy accidents.

What is your strongest childhood memory?
Painting next to my mom in her studio.

What is your scariest experience?
Moving to New York from my small mid-western town and only knowing a couple people. But it was the best thing I have ever done for myself!

Describe a real-life experience that inspired you.
I am constantly inspired by the people I surround myself with. I have a lucky job because I get to communicate with collectors, gallerists, and artists. Recently, I visited my undergrad college, Bradley University, and had the opportunity to walk through the painting class with Heather Brammeier who was my professor. It was very rewarding to be looking at the talent at my alma mater and talking with someone I admire greatly about my path since I was an undergrad. Hearing Heather tell me how proud she is about what I’ve accomplished pushes me to keep creating.

What superpower would you like to have and why?
I would want a photographic memory. I think I would have been a much better scholar if I had that talent!

What is your pet peeve about the art world?
The art world is massive and terribly small at the same time. No matter how much you think you know or have experienced, there is always someone that knows more, has experienced more, and/or can do more. I think championing positivity and encouragement is key—but that’s lost on some participants!

What is your dream creative project?
Collaborating with others that are just as hungry to create something as I am.

Which place in the world do you find to be the most inspiring?
My home studio. Honestly, I am a homebody, so for me being at home in my studio and just creating until it “clicks” is always best.

Do you make a living off of your art?
No, and I think that affords me to be more adventurous and take my time. I make a living caring for other people’s art, and that can be incredibly inspiring.

What’s the most indispensable item in your studio/practice?
Scissors! Everything is collage, whether it’s on paper, on wood, or photographed. Second would be my camera. Without it, I cannot make an entire body of work without my camera. My Photo Interventions series is analog collage work, but ultimately captured as a photograph and printed as an archival pigment print.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Keep going. Apply yourself again and again. Ask questions. And don’t wear uncomfortable shoes.

What are your hobbies?
I love my garden. Growing herbs, veggies, and peppers on my rooftop garden in Brooklyn is a big luxury in this city!

Creatively, where do you see yourself in the next five years?
Ideally, having more time to be creative on my own work. But I love having my hands in many pots, so I go where the inspiration takes me.

Emily Hoerdemann is a US citizen, was born in 1985 in Peoria, Illinois, and is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. Visit www.emilyhoerdemann.com.

I prefer soft pastels over wax and oil pastels. They have been used by such notable artists as Degas, Delacroix, Millet, Manet, and Whistler and have been used for hundreds of years.

Soft pastels are a versatile dry-painting medium which comes in sticks and pencils. They are fragile and contain more pigment and less binder which gives them their velvety texture; their colours are rich and can be layered and blended easily, usually with a finger, tortillion, or stump. They don’t require the use of water, turpentine, or oils and there is no preparation required to start using them. Just pick up the stick of colour and start your painting. I especially like that there is no right or wrong way of using pastels, allowing me the freedom to experiment with their use.

I enjoy the texture of Canson Mi-Teintes coloured pastel archival and acid-free paper and pastelbord, feeling the tooth of the support as I work the pigment into my support with my fingers. This practice requires me to frequently wash my hands to keep the pigment from building up on my fingers and dulling other colours as I work on the piece. Extra pastel dust is knocked off of the painting by tapping the support instead of blowing it off as blowing can cause the dust to get in the air, and it can be a health issue if inhaled.

When my artwork is complete, I use Sennelier Soft Pastel Fixatif to protect it from smudging and environmental pollutants. In thin coats, it doesn’t change the colour of my pigments like most fixatives. The final step is framing. All my pastel paintings are matted and framed behind glass to further protect the artwork. The mat creates a space between the artwork and the glass so there is no rubbing and transfer of pigment to the glass, potentially ruining my artwork.

I sketch from life as well as using reference photos that I have taken. I keep a stockpile of photos from old magazines, books, newspapers, etc., that catch my interest. I use them to mix and match and build a composition and to get ideas when I have “artist block.” When I go for walks and drives, my Nikon is usually with me so I can take reference photos.

First, I decide the colour and type of support to use, considering my subject, the colours I want to use, and how they will relate to the background. I begin my painting by making a detailed sketch directly on the pastel paper with either a vine charcoal stick or pencil, a graphite pencil, or a pastel pencil.

After choosing my colours and separating them from my box of pastels, I start blocking in the background, using the colours throughout the skin tones to create colour harmony, defining the light and dark areas as I go.

I generally work from left to right to reduce the chance of smudging, completing each section as I go.

Completed painting sealed with Fixatif and ready to frame.

Louise T. Webber is a Canadian-born International award winning artist. Visit http://www.louisewebberarts.com