Rachel Hammerman puts strategy and care into her monochromatic 2-dimensional work. Through a visual labyrinth of lines and curves are suggestions of objects and shapes – each piece is so interesting to behold and the intentional use of one color-tone gives every ink line equality. One might consider her pieces to be types of Rorschach inkblot tests or perhaps a blueprint of her individual or collective thoughts, which is the beauty of her art. Rachel says:
“In traditional perspective drawing there are ‘good lines’ – those that convince the viewer, and ‘bad lines’ – those that fall flat. The merit of a line is determined by its relationship to other lines, and ultimately to an illusive dot someplace along the horizon line of the page. My drawings map my pen’s search for that omnipotent spot.”
ArtVenue knew there was sound reason behind the masterful chaos, and we just needed to get to know the artist behind these wonderful and thoughtful pieces.
"Civilian harbors the word villain, almost"
Home is where the heart is-where is home for you?
I guess it’s in my chest cavity.
How and when did you discover yourself to be an artist?
Once I began selling my work I took on the title “Ahtist.” Like many words, it just sounds better in a Massachusetts accent. But in all seriousness, if someone needed surgery, they wouldn’t just go to a guy who “makes incisions” or to some lady who “plays doctor,” they would go to a licensed surgeon. (My artistic license is in the glove compartment officer.
“I copied pictures until I learned to draw.”
What are a few things on your artistic bucket list?
Perfection. Satisfaction. Fulfillment. (This is a bucket list after all isn’t it?)
"Sitting on a park bench"
I spent the most significant chunk of my life living like a pinball in and around New York’s chaotic grid. The organized mess left an indelible imprint on my aesthetic sense. I also spent a pivotal year in London dedicated solely to the practice of drawing and painting (between trips to Tescos and the pub for chocolate bars and 99 pence night-a girl has got to nourish herself after all). And now, I’m in Boston, where it is cold. But getting back to the answer, and back to our initial exchange, I think that art is where the heart is (that’s why the words rhyme). For me “the most eye opening and influential artistic moments” have been staged inside the corridors of my chest cavity. I suppose that sounds either really contrived or just plain old self-centered. But to be fair, influence is based on impression which is based on experience and the memory of that experience. So in the end, “inspiration” (for lack of a better word) is absolutely internal.
”I went through a big Diet-Coke phase in my teenage years. It was a very dark and carbonated place.”Where did you learn the skills and gain the knowledge you, as an artist, possess today?
A lot of places. My mother studied art history, so I was fortunate to grow up surrounded by a vast collection of monographs. My professors were fundamental resources and role models. I copied pictures until I learned to draw.Where do you gather and/or seek your inspiration from?
Rembrandt, any day of the week. His brush strokes are laden with belief; his prints are saturated with a sentiment so tactile, that it’s strange to consider that I’ve neither met their subjects nor stepped into their scenes.I’m always up for some solid Old Master figure drawings. There is something palatably exciting and humbling about seeing scratches shape into muscles.
Music. I had a professor who claimed that listening to music while working poisoned the purity and simplicity of the craft. I agree; changes in beat and sound certainly impact mood, which as anyone can attest, controls everything. But I’ll be straight with you, I’m no candidate for yoga/meditation; I’ve always got multiple things on my mind, and I find that having a soundtrack helps hone my focus.
"Red Ant Hill #612: Strung Out"
Pick your own favorite piece on ArtVenue. What is it of, why is it your favorite and what does it mean to you?
The one I haven’t yet made. (I mean, I can’t rightly pick between my children can I?…Ok maybe I can, maybe it’s the first image in my portfolio…but don’t tell the others, I don’t want any in fighting.)Are there any projects you are working on right now that you can’t wait to finish and share?
Yes, there’s one. But it is top secret.“For me ‘the most eye opening and influential artistic moments’ have been staged inside the corridors of my chest cavity.”
What is your creative process, typically?
I’m afraid nothing tremendously unusual. I went through a big Diet-Coke phase in my teenage years. It was a very dark and carbonated place…I could easily slip back in there…too easily…"AK-47 Knitting Needles"
When you’re in a spell of artistic frenzy, what would a fly on the wall see/hear you doing/saying?
This situation is entirely inconceivable. The buzzing – it’s irritating – it’s impossible to ignore. I’d probably have to switch rooms. Then again I’d resent having to relocate because of some freeloading pest. Maybe I’d kill it. Of course I’ve got something like a 0/612 win/loss record with a fly swatter. Seriously, who invented that flimsy piece of weaponry? Someone outta draw up some new specs and send them over to Lockheed Martin or Raytheon or someplace equipped to overhaul the design. Heck maybe I’d do it if that squatter didn’t skedaddle. (Skedaddle, now that’s a fun word.)“I find that having a [music] soundtrack helps hone my focus.”
What is some advice you could give to budding artists, hopeful to make a name for themselves or looking to build a portfolio?
Don’t think of portfolio building as Portfolio Building. Don’t throw anything away. Work as you would normally work, and the portfolio will build itself. (Portfolios aren’t ball parks hidden in corn fields in Iowa; of course it would be fun to have Ray Liotta inform/narrate your selection process"Thickened Smells of Squandered Rain"
View Rachel Hammerman’s complete ArtVenue profile!
ArtVenue would like to thank Rachel for giving us some of her time and insight. We are excited to have her on ArtVenue – welcome to the family!
Artist Spotlight: Abbeth Russell
"Guardian Angel"
Abbeth Russell works with several mediums, acrylic and ink seeming to be her primary choices. Whichever she chooses to use for any particular project, Abbeth has a way of infusing narration and soul into each piece. Her surreal figures linger somewhere between expressionism and abstract, and her color palettes can be moody and suggestive, or bright and explicit. She discusses her current work as having the subject of protectors:
“They are at once soft and vicious. They are motherly and warm. Covered with plush fur or feathers. With sharp teeth and claws or a nightmare mask covering a distorted face. A slug-trail of poison. A rack of antlers twisted like a labyrinth. These are creatures you want on your side.”
ArtVenue knew there was something magical about this collection of paintings, and we just needed to get to know the source of such creativity and thoughfulness. Here is what Abbeth shared with us.
"Fishbowl Creature"
Home is where the heart is-where is home for you?
I know there are many places I could live where it’s summer all year round, but I am cursed with a love for New England. Three years ago Portland, Maine stole my heart and I’ve lived there ever since. I grew up an hour North of Boston, forty-five minutes if you drive fast. Some day I will break up with the Northeast and move to somewhere that doesn’t spend half the year buried in snow. But I will always drive like a Masshole.How and when did you discover yourself to be an artist?
When I was really little I used to sit in my grandmother’s room and tell her elaborate stories. I didn’t know how to write yet, so I picked up a couple different colors of crayons and moved them around on paper in ways that would help me remember the stories I was telling. This memory is so vivid, and I’m realizing right now that if I saw those notations made by my three-year-old self, they would just look like scribbles. A couple years later I was obsessed with bugs. I filled notebooks and sketchbooks with drawings, poems, and observations of mosquitoes and spiders, crickets and ants. I kept filling up pages until I had a stack of books that reached the ceiling.“I love how it feels to work for hours and lose track of time. I love being in that invincible place where food and sleep are no longer necessary. I never feel more complete than I do when I am there.”
Some time in my early teens my great aunt, who was a nun and also an artist, began to go blind. She gave me all her brushes and I started painting. Next thing I knew I was hammering together six foot by four foot wooden panels to tell elaborate stories with paint. I guess the short answer is I’ve always been an artist.
"The Living Mess of Paint Itself"
Where did you learn the skills and gain the knowledge you, as an artist, posses today?
When I was thirteen I rented the movie “Pollock” and declared Jackson Pollock my art god. Soon after Pollock I became obsessed with artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Frida Kahlo, Francis Bacon, Andy Warhol, and Keith Haring. I read everything about them I could get my hands on. I learned so much just by falling in love with these dead artists. I became obsessed with art theory and got a subscription to Art Forum for Christmas.“Stop erasing. Stop throwing stuff away. Stop starting over halfway through… Just make stuff.”
In middle school I got into an art appreciation program. I ended up winning some art awards that allowed me to participate in workshops in Boston. In high school I had a permanent pass to the art room. At this point I knew I wanted to attend an art college. I ended up going to three over the course of six years. I had amazing teachers that have been added to my list of art gods. I learned from other students. I learned from the cities I lived in. The most exciting thing about being an artist is that everything is applicable. Every fact I learn, every experience, every person I meet… they are all material. It is impossible to be bored when you are an artist.
"Sunset"
Describe your art with 3 adjectives, a genre and a metaphor.
Adjective: Magical, obsessive, and alive.Genre: Abbethism.
Metaphor: Touching my paintings would turn your fingers and then your entire being into something from a strange and iridescent world.
What is your creative process, typically?
I have a constant need to create. If I haven’t been productive, it’s hard to feel at ease. No matter how much I make, I never feel like I’m making enough. So I guess I never feel at ease and I don’t really want to. I love working late at night when I’m closer to dreaming and my thoughts get stranger. I come up with my best ideas and images at this time. I also like the idea of waking up early and making work with my morning coffee. Sometimes this is better in theory than practice. I love how it feels to work for hours and lose track of time. I love being in that invincible place where food and sleep are no longer necessary. I never feel more complete than I do when I am there.“Ideas come from making, not thinking about making.”
Last exhibition or gallery you visited?
I just went to an exhibit in Orono, Maine called “Draw On.” It’s an art show that is happening in galleries all over Maine where artists do huge drawings directly on the walls. A friend of mine did an incredible drawing in the show so I made the drive to go see it."Birch Guardian"
What kind of art makes you happy from the inside out? What kind makes you wish you were in your happy place?
I know I really love a piece of art when I get a crazy adrenaline rush and think to myself, “I HAVE TO GO MAKE ART RIGHT NOW!!!” I can run on that kind of adrenaline for weeks. I was recently very active in a big campaign in Portland objecting to the city determining what is and isn’t art. Hundreds of artists came together to fight against this and it made me realize how much I love artists in general. Overall I think the more people who make stuff the better. This isn’t to say that I like everything everyone makes. With music I am easily impressed by almost anything because I’m not a musician. With art and writing I’m kind of a snob because I have high expectations for myself and think everyone else should too. Art that tries too hard to be shocking really irritates me.“Everywhere, everything, and everyone are my inspiration”
"Dunce"
Are there any projects you are working on right now that you can’t wait to finish and share? Any other mediums you would love to explore and experiment with?
Right now I am working on a series of paintings called “The Fourteen Humors.” In ancient Greek medicine, the four humors are black bile, yellow bile, blood, and phlegm. Supposedly, in a healthy person, these four humors would be in balance. While I was falling asleep one night, I started thinking that there are more than just four humors. A humor is a fluid that determines disposition and health. I started drawing and came up with a system of fourteen humors. I am creating a painting of each. I won’t give away what they all are, but I will reveal that yellow bile relates to alcohol and black bile relates to coffee. This project is consuming my mind right now in the best way possible. I am also more than halfway through writing a novel called “Destroyer Sky.” That’s the other endeavor that’s consuming my mind. I would like to do more video collaborations with my brother.“I have a constant need to create.”
Where/who do you gather and/or seek your inspiration from?
Everywhere, everything, and everyone are my inspirations. From the best of people, places and things to the worst. I can’t escape seeing through the lens of my art and I don’t ever want to. Mustard falls onto a pink shirt and I think, “Wow, what a great color combination for a painting.” Someone gives me an odd insult and I think, “Awesome, that’s going in my book!”Do any psychological factors or traits transpose into your work?
I believe my paintings have souls, so yes. Ideally, all of my psychological factors and traits will transpose into my work."Death of a Protector or Only Then is There Room to Create More"
Pick your own favorite piece on ArtVenue. What is it of, why is it your favorite and what does it mean to you?
I have two favorite pieces on ArtVenue. They are the first and last in a series of eight paintings. The first is called Guardian Angel. This piece was a huge breakthrough for me. It generated a whole new way of working which involved a lot of gloss medium and a power sander. I’m so happy with how you can literally see through the layers of this painting. I also love Death of a Protector or Only Then is There Room to Create More. This painting took on a life and death of its own. One day I turned it sideways and realized the protector character had died. It became a painting about how things have to be cleared away in order for new things to come about.What is some advice you could give to budding artists, hopeful to make a name for themselves or looking to build a portfolio?
Stop erasing. Stop throwing stuff away. Stop starting over halfway through. I love the movie Pollock, but that scene where he stares at the blank canvas for hours before inspiration hits is not the way masterpieces are made. Just make stuff. The best teacher I ever had said, “Inspiration is for amateurs.” Picasso said, “Inspiration exists but it has to find you working.” I said, “Ideas come from making, not thinking about making.”"Phantom Guardian"
View Abbeth Russell’s complete ArtVenue profile!
ArtVenue would like to thank Abbeth for sharing some of her time and thoughts. We are simply thrilled to have her on ArtVenue – welcome to the family!
Artist Spotlight: Sophy Tuttle
"Catfish"
Sophy Tuttle knows her way around pen and paper. Her illustration, both color and black & white, are so skillful you’d think she traced them elsewhere with a pencil and then applied a permanent art medium. Art was once a hobby to Sophy and only when it came time to apply to college did she decide to become even more serious about art and devote her life to art.
“I draw much of my inspiration from nature and animals, particularly birds and mythical creatures. My most recent work focuses on using these creatures to explore different stories and emotions. The goal of this work is to evoke different feelings in the viewer based on the theme of the piece.”
ArtVenue was so excited to discover Sophy’s fantastic illustrations and couldn’t wait to ask her a few questions about her artistic journey.
Home is where the heart is-where is home for you?
That’s a surprisingly complicated question for me. I currently live in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts and absolutely love it. I grew up in Central Mass, but all of my family lives in England, so I consider that home as well!How and when did you discover yourself to be an artist?
I’ve loved to draw ever since I can remember. I think most people do when they’re young, and some people just stick with it and some don’t. My grandmother is a botanical painter and I remember drawing plants and flowers in my backyard and having my mum send them to her in England. I considered art a hobby, though, until it came time to apply for college and I realized I could actually possibly make it my whole life.“It takes a long time to get started in this field, so don’t be disheartened if you’re not successful in the first 3 or 4 years you start doing it.”
"Toxic Microbes"
You truly are a skilled illustrator. Where did you learn the skills and gain the knowledge you, as an artist, posses today?
I credit my high school art teacher with opening me up to a lot of different mediums (sculpture, photography, etc), that really helped me to grow as an artist and realize that there were many different facets to art. I was lucky enough to attend Rhode Island School of Design and graduate with a degree in Illustration. At RISD, I had the opportunity to immerse myself in oil painting, 3D illustration, figure sculpture, mural painting, and so many other things. Almost every skill or medium you learn can be applied to another medium to enhance your understanding or help you see something in a different way. For example, the figure sculpture classes I took gave me a much deeper understanding of the human form, and I became a better 2D illustrator because of them.“I’ve loved to draw ever since I can remember.”
"Skulls"
The very first piece or work ever created by you-what/when was it, is it anything like the work you do now, and do you have it in your possession?
The first “work” I remember creating were these big “Save the Rainforest” and “Save the Whales” posters that I drew in crayons with my best friend. They were probably 18″x 24″, but I didn’t understand space yet, so it was the typical 4 inches of drawing along the very bottom of the paper, and giant bubble letters across the top. I think they’re still in my parents attic. I have actually been illustrating the environmental magazine Whole Terrain for the past couple of years, so I guess there is a connection there! As incredibly nerdy as it is, I also remember copying pictures from my brother’s “Nintendo Power” magazines at a pretty early age. I think the connection there is my continued love of line and simple color.What is your creative process, typically?
These days I have a pretty steady routine of getting home from work at 4:30 and, if I’m in the middle of a project, going straight to work on illustration. I’m usually thinking about what I’m going to accomplish that day while I’m still at my day job, that way I don’t waste any time once I get home (and I have something to occupy my brain during long meetings!). I try not to drink coffee before I work on pen and ink stuff, just because it makes my hands too shakey. This all makes me sounds very disciplined, but I somehow manage to spend just as much time on facebook.“I also just love drawing fish as they usually make for a great composition and they’re slightly creepy like all my work.”
Do you prefer 2D or 3D art? What are the limitations/freedoms of each form of art?
It goes back and forth for me. In college, I was making a lot of 3D art because I had a studio and roommates who understood if my project spilled out into the living room. These days I tend to do almost exclusively pen and ink work because of my space and time limitations. The reason I enjoy 3D so much is that you are able to fully realize and flesh out a character in one instance, as opposed to having to do many sketches of the same figure to get the same result."House of Usher"
How do you come up with titles for your pieces? (Do they frame meaning, suggest thematic implications or is it the last piece for completion?)
The names of my pieces are purely for my own benefit. I have so many drawings of crows and other birds that I have to be able to keep track of them all! They’re usually pretty literal."Frog Man"
Pick your own favorite piece on ArtVenue. What is it of, why is it your favorite and what does it mean to you?
I’m actually having trouble finding art by other artists, other than what’s on the front page. However, I do love the work on there by Andrew Jerz. I love figurative and narrative work to begin with, and I love the way he caricatures and stylizes his subjects. His colors are awesome too.After I reviewed her original answer for the question above, I realized I might have worded things confusingly. I told Sophy to choose one of her own pieces, to which she promptly answered:
My favorite piece of MINE is probably the “Catfish.” My most recent work is almost always my favorite and this one represents a good step in the direction of color usage, which I’m usually terrible at and generally scared of. I also just love drawing fish as they usually make for a great composition and they’re slightly creepy like all my work.“I considered art a hobby, though, until it came time to apply for college and I realized I could actually possibly make it my whole life.”
Are there any projects you are working on right now that you can’t wait to finish and share? Any other mediums you would love to explore and experiment with?
I recently finished a poster for my friends in a local Boston band called Tallahassee. They’re playing a few shows coming up in NYC, Providence, and Cambridge so I make up a poster for those. They let me do whatever I wanted and I think the result was pretty good. The only art direction I got was “I think you should add a mustache,” and he was totally right.What is some advice you could give to budding artists, hopeful to make a name for themselves or looking to build a portfolio?
It takes a long time to get started in this field, so don’t be disheartened if you’re not successful in the first 3 or 4 years you start doing it."Foggy Head"
View Sophy Tuttle’s complete ArtVenue profile!
ArtVenue would like to thank Sophy for giving us some of her time and thoughts. We are simply delighted to have her on ArtVenue – welcome to the family!
Artist Spotlight: Claire Alta Elliott
"Horn Head"
Meet Claire Alta Elliott, she paints beautiful landscapes and florals with oil, a medium some young artists are hesitant to try due to its slow-rate of polymerizing, toxicity of certain pigments, and knowledge of additional drying-agents (solvents, thinners, spirits, turpentines, etc.) Claire’s work proves she‘s a natural. Her own process for mastering a tricky medium is mature, refined and spoken like a true artist:
“Each time we access a memory it is recreated in order to be available in the future; my process is a meditation on that principle. My probing of personal experience combines with my technique and process. Layering colors, building drips and defining lines are my physical means of analyzing memory through repetition.”
ArtVenue was awe-struck with her gestural paintings and loved spending time getting swept away in the sentimental beauty of each. We simply had to get to know the artist behind the easel.
"Boulevard du Château"
Home is where the heart is-where is home for you?
I’ve lived in Boston for the past year, but I grew up in New York and New Jersey. I’m very influenced by the places where I’ve lived – Central New Jersey, Philadelphia, Paris and the Hudson River Valley. The three places where I feel most at home are New Jersey, Paris and Santa Fe.How did you discover yourself to be an artist?
I have been drawing and painting for as long as I can remember. From childhood I can remember spending an endless amount of time drawing, something that I expounded on as an adolescent, sitting in my room and painting for hours. It wasn’t until I studied art formally that I saw the viability of art as a career and began to identify myself as an artist.What are a few things on your artistic bucket list?
As a great observer of art, I hope to visit as many museums and art-centric places as possible. Last summer I went to St. Remy in Provence, where Van Gough lived for a time, and it truly felt like stepping into another artist’s process and paintings. I’d love to travel as much as possible, to see more art and the places where art has been made.“I think it’s important to commit to making art and treating it a seriously and professionally as possible.”
Where did you go to high school and/or college? What was your concentration, best/worst subject?
I attended High School at the Hackley School in New York state and Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. At Skidmore I majored in Studio Art and French, concentrating in drawing and spending a year studying in Paris.“Buttercups with Rose Shadow”
Where did you learn the skills and gain the knowledge you, as an artist, posses today?
I have a very natural background in art; my family is creatively and critically inclined. I grew up developing a love and instinct for art and art history. I was able to formalize these skills through academic training in High School and College. Through school I learned to cast a critical eye on my own work and techniques to explore further possibilities in my art. However, I have learned most by doing and looking, constant practice and observation are the best teachers.Describe the pinnacle of your artistic career.
Since I’ve moved to Boston I’ve enjoyed a real boom in success. In the last year I’ve had 5 shows at a variety of interesting spaces and a record number of sales.“As much as I delight in the physical act of applying paint I know it is equally important to edit and observe.”
"Place des Vosges"
Describe your art with 3 adjectives, a genre and a metaphor.
Atmospheric, Specific, TemporalI am wary of genres on the whole but I think of my work as being Romantic, influenced by feeling and emotion. I don’t think of myself as a landscape painter, because my process is more about meditative recollection than observational replication.
My work is interior time travel, an opportunity to another place, another point.
If you were given a blank check, an hour in your favorite art store and permission to shop to your heart’s content, what would we see in your shopping cart/s?
I go crazy for color, so I’d probably empty out the oil paint selection. I’d buy the incredible high intensity pigments that are typically out of my price range and every color I haven’t worked with before. Afterwards I’d spend days experimenting and mixing.What is your creative process, typically?
Often the initial idea for a painting comes to me out of the studio. Because my work primarily consists of memory-based scenes, I spend a lot of time considering the places and moments that impel me to paint, for this I need undistracted solitude. Then my mind can wander uninterrupted and I can write and sketch out what I find compelling about a subject or composition.”Rose Gaden, Wister St.”
My studio occupies a sizable corner of the bedroom in my South End apartment. I have an easel, two walls, a storage cabinet and a few shelves. When I work can vary depending in my schedule, but I generally prefer to work in the afternoon and evening, ideally for 3-6 hours. Anything less than two hours doesn’t leave much room for accomplishment. I work on several pieces at a time, usually 4–7, depending on their size. A painting takes me from two to five months depending on the scale and how decisive I am.
During a typical studio session I try to work on all or most of my active, developing pieces. I feel that working this way keeps me alert and engaged; it also allows me to paint in slow layers without falling prey to the danger of overworking and over-painting. As much as I delight in the physical act of applying paint I know it is equally important to edit and observe. I like to spend about 10-20 minutes mixing colors and examining the piece I’m about to start work on. When I finish for the day, I photograph everything for my studio blog, which helps me chart the creative process on a larger scale.
“…I have learned most by doing and looking, constant practice and observation are the best teachers.”
Where/who do you gather and/or seek your inspiration from?
My work is all based on memory, I paint places in time that captivate and move me. I’m interested in the mood and history of a location as well as my own personal emotional state, both at that time and as I revisit it. In this way, I am constantly gathering material. An intriguing subject can develop out of my daily routine, from my travels or from a fragmental childhood memory. Color, light and a sense of timelessness are often what draw me to a place,Technically I find there is a lot to inspire and instruct in the work of other painters. In landscape I look for color and expression in the technique and method of artists like Joan Mitchell, Van Gough and Cezanne. For color, light and shape I look to Pierre Bonnard, Richard Diebenkorn, Jenny Saville and more.
”Driving View, Albequerque”
Last exhibition or gallery you visited?
I went to Site Santa Fe last week to see the Suzanne Bocanegra and Pae White installations. I think that it’s essential to look at all kinds of work as a traditional painter and to be experimentally and spatially minded.Pick your favorite piece on ArtVenue. What is it of, why is it your favorite and what does it mean to you?
It isn’t easy to pick my favorite work, first, because I feel strongly about all of my work (especially about those pieces that I choose to exhibit) and secondly, because those feelings don’t always correspond with the strength a piece. I often may have a difficult relationship with a good painting because the process was frustrating, or more drawn out than I would have liked. Experiences like that can make it difficult to be objective about a piece. Similarly, work that is fun to make isn’t always of the highest quality.“Often the initial idea for a painting comes to me out of the studio.”
If I had to pick, I’d go for Horn Head for feeling and Color Series: Provence for painting. I think Horn Head epitomizes what I want my work to be about, it is very clearly a moment and place in time. It has a depth of feeling, a sea about to storm, a sky dripping with rain and a place full of history. In Color Series: Provence I really pushed my painting technique- trying to create color relationships and compositional tension in new ways. The fact that the panels read both individually and as a whole speaks to the overall strength of the work.
”Crimson Peonies”
What is some advice you could give to budding artists, hopeful to make a name for themselves or looking to build a solid portfolio?
I think that the best thing for me has been to make as much work as possible. Building a portfolio is all about being able to pick and choose the really strong pieces and curate an intriguing and considered collection of images. I think it’s important to commit to making art and treating it a seriously and professionally as possible.After College, when I felt I had really lost my major venue for critique and support, I started my studio blog. There I was able to physically and critically step back from my work, allowing me to make changes and appreciate progress in a tangible manner. Art isn’t easy, and if you don’t want it to turn into a hobby, life really becomes all about finding ways to support your creativity and to push your work to grow.
”Beach View, Atlantic”
View Claire Alta Elliott’s complete ArtVenue profile!
ArtVenue would like to thank Claire for lending us some of her time and insight. We are simply thrilled to have her on ArtVenue – welcome to the family!
http://clairealtaelliott.artvenue.com
Artist Spotlight: Paul Carrick
"Cthulhu Wizard"
Paul Carrick invites you into a spellbinding world where fantasy melts into reality and imagination takes hold. It‘s a mystical place where riddles lurk around dark corners and secrets whisper through leafless trees. Everything looks so perfectly strange and eerily beautiful. And like an unsolved mystery waiting for final resolution, you feel compelled to spend time and piece the story together.
Paul is a very talented artist who illustrates to and of his heart’s content. Throughout his life imagination never ran dry because it was always in his blood. During childhood, his artistic parents and creative environment fostered his own interests with the fantasy genre. Paul went from playing Dungeons & Dragons as a young boy to illustrating for them as an adult. His background, talent and passion propelled him into a successful professional life.
ArtVenue was struck with awe and intrigue, and we couldn’t wait to learn a bit more about such an incredible artist and illustrator.
"Cthulhu"
Home is where the heart is-where is home for you?
My current “home” home is Boston, but my heart is more often found in northern Vermont. All of my childhood summers were spent up there, I love the untouched forests and the slower-paced life.What are the last two books you have read and the latest movie you’ve seen?
The Shrinking Man, by Richard Matheson; The Mission of Art, by Alex Grey; for movies it’s Rise Of the Planet of the Apes. A great deal of what I read is instructional… how to make such-and-such, etc. It might not be as exciting as most literature, but the knowledge and what that can get me certainly is.“I sometimes just paint without any sketching or planning, and from the abstract shapes I try to pull out things I see in them.”
"Tales of the Sleepless City"
How and when did you discover yourself to be an artist? What compels you to art?
I grew up in an artistic family, my father was a painter/illustrator, my mother is a writer and even my brother and extended family have pursued creative fields. It’s hard to pinpoint a certain time of realization, as that environment was around me from the very start. I was born and raised on Martha’s Vineyard, and at the time (before it’s been so overdeveloped) it was a pretty quiet place and not so much happening during the colder months. Art was how I entertained myself as a child, and I suppose it just grew with me. As high school came closing to an end it was time to think about college, art seemed the obvious choice, and I guess that decision may have solidified that path.What compels me? It is an urge of some sort, I can almost feel a bit anxious or fidgety if I haven’t created something in a while. I get an inspiration and it starts growing in my mind- perhaps like a mystery for a detective- and it is hard to ignore.
What are a few things on your artistic bucket list?
With the advent of convenient self-publishing I suppose it is a less lofty goal than it was some years back, but I have wanted to put out a book of my art. I discovered a lot of my favorite artists through their books- “the Art of So-and-so”, and I enjoyed seeing the style and concepts develop, they often also had interesting biographical sections which enriched my connection with the work. They showed me different ways I could be an artist and relate to my art. It sounds like fun to experience this from the other side.I often find myself in an internal dialog when I paint, as if I was explaining my actions to an observer or student. I wonder if I would enjoy teaching and have toyed with the idea of trying it.
I heard Picasso would pay for a lot of his bills by doodling a sketch, I think that would be a rather useful ability.
“Since childhood I have been fascinated with otherworldly creatures, monsters, animals, dinosaurs…. I guess beings with very unusual perspectives and different kinds of lives.”
Where did you learn the skills and gain the knowledge you, as an artist, posses today?
Much came from absorbing the artistic activity going on in my home, I would see my dad painting and drawing as well as witnessing the publishing experience first hand. A lot of the tools of the trade were rather commonplace to me. After high school I attended the Rhode Island School of Design for a more formal education, I majored in illustration."Mi-Go By Gaslight"
What is art to you? What is art for you? Why create it?
This is something I am still discovering, or perhaps the function is still evolving (and I hope it continues to do so), but I would say it has something to do with personal growth and it being a nearly unlimited forum for exploration. The subject matter is one obvious part, how do I feel about the concept behind a painting- how does it reflect in others? What do I learn from this? I think the discovery comes on other less obvious levels as well, and more recently it seems to be about unearthing all the personal rules I seem to have subconsciously adopted for my art. For example, I was mixing paint on a palette and was about to apply it to the surface… I then stopped and the internal voice said “you don’t use that color!” Says who? I thought this was fascinating, I had evidently identified myself with certain colors and had been strictly enforcing it for some unknown reason. Well, I used the forbidden color as I thumbed my nose to that voice- it was very liberating! I felt like an invisible wall had been torn down and the world got a little bigger. Sometimes it feels like the process of creating art is as much an allegory for life as the finished image and what it communicates.“I often find myself in an internal dialog when I paint, as if I was explaining my actions to an observer or student.”
What is your creative process, typically?
I definitely must be in the right mood, no doubt about it. If I am feeling negative I’ve found it is best to not work on my current project if it is something special, I may ruin it out of carelessness or spite. It’s the same with energy levels, I can hit a point when I know that if I keep on working my decision making will be less careful and thoughtful and I could risk ruining my work. It’s best to just walk away unless it is a tight deadline. Afternoons and evenings seem to work best for me, though I’ve never been the one to pull all-nighters- nothing good has come out of that for me. A couple hours, then a break to keep my mind fresh works best, then I can return to the piece and hopefully see it with new eyes. I often use music and tend to prefer an undisturbed low traffic area."Yithian Commune"
Your work is fantastic and fantastically surreal. Where/what/who do you gather and/or seek your inspiration from?
Thank you! Since childhood I have been fascinated with otherworldly creatures, monsters, animals, dinosaurs…. I guess beings with very unusual perspectives and different kinds of lives. I was perhaps around nine when I discovered Dungeons & Dragons, and the game (and especially the illustrations) were really eye opening and inspiring, it’s no surprise that I ended up working for the same publishers who inspired my years earlier. Since then (and we’re talking mostly about paintings which are not illustrations with clearly defined parameters), a lot of my ideas seem to come more out of thin air- stream of consciousness I suppose.“Sometimes it feels like the process of creating art is as much an allegory for life as the finished image and what it communicates.”
I sometimes just paint without any sketching or planning, and from the abstract shapes I try to pull out things I see in them. It’s not that I don’t enjoy seeing other artists’ works, but for some reason I am rarely seeking it out. Perhaps I’m just more curious to see where my own pure urges will take me, as in school I felt too influenced by others work and it felt quite impersonal.
Last exhibition or gallery you visited?
On Halloween I went to the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation (Waltham, MA) to see the “Steampunk Halloween Extravaganza”. I specifically went to see the Steampunk jewelry created by House of Coniglio, but there were lots of other great works there as well."the Axis Mundi"
Pick your own favorite piece on ArtVenue. What is it of, why is it your favorite and what does it mean to you?
I think it would be “Cthulhu Wizard“. It makes reference to the creations of writer H.P. Lovecraft, whose subjects have become a bit of a specialty of mine. This character is deep in meditation, concentrating on ancient and alien principles- and they’re obviously influencing him. Besides it being a fun piece to paint and look at, it was one of those opportunities when the publisher gave me free reign and I just ran with it. I wrote above about breaking down personal walls, I think this was one of my more successful attempts at this- it feels more purely me than most of my paintings. I am currently developing a painting that follows in this theme.Are there any projects you are working on right now that you can’t wait to finish and share? Any other mediums/genre you would love to explore and experiment with?
I alluded to the follow-up painting to “Cthulhu Wizard” which I am very excited about, I’ve even built a model for reference. It will be a CD/LP cover for the band Cruxiter out of Texas. In recent years I have been doing more art for musicians which I have come to love. Not only does it allow me to interact with the music scene, but I have found working for other creative people to be very pleasant and rewarding. They are sympathetic to the creative process and seem more interested in letting me run wild with my own enthusiasm- just how they would prefer their own music coming more purely from themselves."Secrets"
I’ve dabbled in a lot of media over the years, and I wondered about spreading myself too thinly so I have tried to reign things in for a while and see what happened with a little more focus. I often feel the lure of new media, and if I had the time and space to learn a new one it would likely be oils. I’ve mostly used acrylics because they are fairly benign and dry very quickly- which is useful for tight deadlines. But, I am jealous of the blend-ability of oils and the ease of softer edges.
“I heard Picasso would pay for a lot of his bills by doodling a sketch, I think that would be a rather useful ability.”
What is some advice you could give to budding artists, hopeful to make a name for themselves or looking to build a portfolio?
I’ll guess that they are doing this for their love of art and not purely for the commercial gains, and if this is the case I would suggest them to follow their own voice as much as they can. I think if people can discover that undiluted form of their art and pursue it all the way, good things will come from it.Trying to build a portfolio of what you think they want (as opposed to what you know you want) is just going to lead you down a road you’ll wish you hadn’t walked. Let’s say they really like the painting you did only to please them, they’re going to ask you to do more and more of this… at some point you’ll be wondering how you got there and why it’s not fun anymore. Only show them what you want to be asked to do again, don’t let them choose your direction.
"Yithian Experiment"
View Paul Carrick’s complete ArtVenue profile!
ArtVenue would like to thank Paul for giving us some of his time and thoughts. We are very excited to have him on ArtVenue – welcome to the family!
Artist Spotlight: Joseph Geary
"Pull"
Joseph Geary is comfortable working with various mediums, you can tell from the visual and thematic cohesion his body of work. And the subtle flashes of skin and human form make you take a deeper second-look. There is only one oil painting on his ArtVenue profile, but it’s so damn good it makes you wish, no, crave to see more. Whether a broken or complete circle or a square isolated in white space, his collages are thought-provoking and incredibly mesmerizing.
“I want to find ways to unsettle those traditions of representation and hopefully challenge enigmatic ideas of beauty and it’s opposite.”
ArtVenue couldn’t wait to highlight Joseph Geary and his unique work. Here is what he had to say to our inquiries.
"Projections"
"Modern friction"
Home is where the heart is-where is home for you?
I feel like this question is setting me up to say my studio, but I’m definitely going to go with Cinnabon. Cinnabon is where my heart is.How and when did you discover yourself to be an artist?
I grew up playing the cello and for the longest time I thought that’s what I wanted to pursue as a career. It wasn’t till late in high school that I found art to be this almost completely selfish activity where I wasn’t playing someone else’s composition. It was creative venue where I could purge myself and have a tangible product of my time and effort I could reflect and improve upon. I got a scholarship to attend a pre-college program and the Maryland Institute College of Art and after that I knew I was going in the right direction.“I think the best artwork comes from trying to expose something internal that can’t easily be placed into words.”
"Habitation 3"
What are a few things on your artistic bucket list?
I need to make a ten foot tall Rorschach test, it’s something I just need to do. I’d also like to design my own lace fabric to use in my artwork.Where did you learn the skills and gain the knowledge you, as an artist, posses today?
I owe everything to the professors I’ve had, because of them I’ve had to reconsider countless times the whys and hows of my conceptual and physical processes. I was in a critique with one of my professors this past year and he asked me why I was making paintings. I simply responded because I was a painter, and he told me that wasn’t good enough. I didn’t sleep for probably a week cause I needed to answer that question before I did anything else."Take"
Describe the pinnacle of your artistic career.
I guess my answer is more of a personal achievement. I couple years back I was making these composite portraits from porn magazines that I intended to generate a sort of anxiety I fell toward media’s often oppressive portrayal of masculinity. After I finished the painting “Take,” which is the portrait of the urinal, I felt I found a surrogate for my own body that was able to poetically express how my body existed within a larger cultural sense. After that I began to think a more literal representation of the figure might not be the best way to me to approach my subject matter. I would say that’s the pinnacle of my artistic career so far.“Being in the studio producing work is what makes me happy. It’s really that simple, and I’ve never needed any propelling.”
"Validated"
Describe your art with 3 adjectives, a genre and a metaphor.
Illusive, Sexual, and androgynous. Figurative abstraction, and that feeling when your looking at something you shouldn’t be, but you want to.If you were given a blank check, an hour in your favorite art store and permission to shop to your heart’s content, what would we see in your shopping cart/s?
I could honestly never have enough violet paint, I probably go through a few tubes of it each week. Williamsburg makes the most incredible color called “Provence Violet Bluish,” I would buy the store out of that. I would definitely buy every color of Montana spray paint, and I would literally scoop into my cart all the Golden acrylic medium cause they’re so fun play with.You say that you “want to find ways to unsettle those traditions of representation and hopefully challenge enigmatic ideas of beauty and it’s opposite.” Where do you see your art being the most affective? And who are you trying got reach?
So much of paintings history is been about idealizing it’s subject matter. I do my best to juxtapose contradictory ideas of beauty, gender, and representation itself to challenge the viewer to reconsider how those things coalesce with their own identity. There is often an expectation for artwork to have aesthetic value, and when my imagery doesn’t challenge those expectations, I’ve more recently begun to use gaudy materials. This also brings up the the controversy of the value of the object.”It was creative venue where I could purge myself and have a tangible product of my time and effort I could reflect and improve upon.”
What is your creative process, typically?
I drink more coffee than I breathe air. That and trying to get a realistic amount of sleep is the fuel for my creative process. Then creativity comes from finding inspiration within yourself. I think the best artwork comes from trying to expose something internal that can’t easily be placed into words."Habitation 1"
Pick your own favorite piece on ArtVenue. What is it of, why is it your favorite and what does it mean to you?
The piece “Pull” has catapulted me into a direction I never thought my art would take. It’s my favorite because I think it most successfully places the viewer outside of a space where they’re being asked to look back in. Because there is so much uncertainty about what it is your looking at, with the fragmented nude figure shown, it’s difficult for the viewer to place themselves or their sexual identity within the work. I like to think of the work as a metaphor for the viewer searching for their own identity.“[Art] was creative venue where I could purge myself and have a tangible product of my time and effort I could reflect and improve upon.”
What propels you forward, what keeps you going as an artist?
Being in the studio producing work is what makes me happy. It’s really that simple, and I’ve never needed any propelling.What is some advice you could give to budding artists, hopeful to make a name for themselves or looking to build a portfolio?
It helps me to find unconventional ways of sketching and expelling ideas to keep me excited and continually engaged in the studio. Even if what your making is non-committal it could be a stepping stone to a larger, more involved project."Lila"
View Joseph Geary’s complete ArtVenue profile!
ArtVenue would like to thank Joseph for allowing us some of his time and thoughts. We are so happy to have him on ArtVenue – welcome to the family!
Artist Spotlight: Andrew Luk
- “Worked His Fingers Raw”
Andrew Luk‘s artwork, according to him, “takes a critical view of social, political and cultural issues with philosophical undertones.” His ink work, the stark black contrasting against a pure white background, is bold and striking. The colors in his pieces are regimented and sporadic. Andrew is an artist who seems to transcribe his personal stances on life into each scribble, stroke and smudge. His work is edgy, evocative, fervent and charged. Attempting to decipher the implications of each piece is a welcomed challenge, but simply admiring a skillfully done work of art is a equally satisfying.
ArtVenue reached out to an artist who creates such immensely eye-catching work, and here is what he had to say.
“Take advice and criticism. Always question everything, including yourself.”
"Here's Staring at You"
Home is where the heart is-where is home for you?
“Home” is in Hong Kong, where I grew up, but I don’t really like the concept of home being a place. It’s wherever you feel comfortable.Favorite movie ever?
Oh man… Office Space, Fight Club and Return of the Jedi are all neck-and-neck for the title of favorite movie.How and when did you discover yourself to be an artist?
Art was one of the few classes I enjoyed in high school. Over the years, I developed a passion for it – then when college application time came around, I started scaring my parents with art school pamphlets.“I believe in lots and lots of practice, accepting criticism from people more knowledgeable than myself, and practicing some more.”
Where did you learn the skills and gain the knowledge you, as an artist, possess today?
There’s no such thing as “natural talent.” I believe in lots and lots of practice, accepting criticism from people more knowledgeable than myself, and practicing some more. I’ve had some really phenomenal guidance over the years. Having a short attention span helps a lot, too – I seem to switch mediums every two years or so, which forces me to constantly learn new techniques and add new skills to the arsenal."Small town Luxury"
The very first piece of work ever created by you – what/when was it, is it anything like the work you do now, and do you have it in your possession?
Wow…I really can’t remember that far back. I do remember drawing comics with friends in fifth grade. Our recurring character was this guy with spiked hair and a black eye. True to fifth-grade-boy-temperament, the comics involved a lot of stuff blowing up, and copious amounts of toilet humor.“Take advice and criticism. Always question everything, including yourself. And eventually, you’ll get somewhere.”
"flyover"
Describe your art with 3 adjectives, a genre and a metaphor.
Adjectives: honest, seductive, enlightening.
Genre: surrealist.
Metaphor: like lamps blaring up just before the oil is gone.What is your creative process, typically?
I usually work better at night. It’s easier to not worry about external stuff knowing that everyone else in the world is asleep. There’s something about a sunny day that begs me to run outside… Typically, I begin my day making coffee or tea, cleaning my work area, reading, or looking for inspiration on tmblr. When I go to sit down, I’m hell-bent on making something interesting or practicing in a sketchbook. Sleep deprivation is a tough one. I’ve had sleeplessness work with me and against me.Dali utilized the state between wake and sleep to come up with great imagery, so I’m certain it has its merits…but conversely, it renders irritability, which leads down that very negative and very familiar, “…what the hell am I doing with my life” train of thought.
Music-wise, my ipod is usually on shuffle or im watching some movie or documentary I’ve seen a bajillion times. Films have the effect of preoccupying the left side of my brain, allowing me to be a lot more fluid with mucking around with ideas in sketchbooks. It’s the same calm you get from doodling in math class.
“Art isn’t supposed to make instantaneous revolutionary reforms on a grand scale, but instead awaken discussions of the individual opinion.”
Where/who do you gather and/or seek your inspiration from?
I get most of my inspiration from reading fiction, art by other people, movies, and the news. Al Jazeera and e-flux are both an overflowing source of contemplation. Recently, I’ve been delving into philosophy, and reading up of visual neuroscience.What kind of art makes you happy from the inside out? What kind makes you wish you were in your happy place?
I am not of the view that art is subjective. Art isn’t supposed to make instantaneous revolutionary reforms on a grand scale, but instead awaken discussions of the individual opinion. It’s a subversive resource of exploring others’ psyche and changing their perspective. It can be as simple as bringing attention to a reflection in a puddle…or as complicated as portraying the intricacies of the human spirit."Specimens"
Bukowski said, “You begin saving the world by saving one man at a time; all else is grandiose romanticism or politics.” Art that does this effectively invigorates me from the inside-out. Hackneyed art; everything from pretty pictures, to some Star Wars graphic tee, to a lousy landscape, drives me to wish I was in my happy place consistently: making and experiencing good art.
With that said, I don’t always consistently make good art.
Have you thought about branching out and experimenting with other mediums? What would you get your hands on?
I’ve recently picked up the camera again. I’d like to get my hands on video because it has the ability to bring the viewer closer to a realistic experience, equipped with visual motion and sound.Where in this world or society would you like to see your art flourishing? What is its intended purpose, who is its intended audience?
I’d like to get into the gallery scene, but I also see some of my work being used as illustrations. My art is intended to make people reconsider who they are and what they want out of life. It has a momento mori aura and reflects what I find life to be about; a constant negotiation of morals, ideals, reality, disappointment and hope.“I seem to switch mediums every two years or so, which forces me to constantly learn new techniques and add new skills to the arsenal.”
Pick your favorite piece on ArtVenue. What is it of, why is it your favorite and what does it mean to you?
My favorite piece is the piece titled Worked His Fingers Raw. It’s of a hand with bare-bone fingertips. I drew it for my dad. It was when I started my first full time job and was confronted with the true value of money; a lesson well learned. Suddenly, my dear old dad seemed less like that unpleasant jackass of my teen years, and more like a caring father.What is some advice you could give to budding artists, hopeful to make a name for themselves or looking to build a portfolio?
Practice, practice, practice. Lock yourself up in the studio or bedroom, and just work at it day after day. Then, show it to people who know your venue; your realm. Take advice and criticism. Always question everything, including yourself. And eventually, you’ll get somewhere."Iron"
View Andrew Luk’s complete ArtVenue profile!
ArtVenue would like to thank Andrew for allowing us some of his time and thoughts. We are thrilled to have him on ArtVenue – welcome to the family!
Artist Spotlight: Katherine Moore
”Bluebird Bitter”
Katherine Moore has a special knack, a natural talent, for art. It looks as though she’s been a committed player in art’s game for years, a seasoned veteran who navigates her way through creative process seamlessly, making unique pieces with signature characteristics. Well, according to her, she is “brand new to the art scene” and has “only recently decided to commit [her]self to painting and would like to make it [her] life’s work.” We beg to differ! Some pieces could easily be categorized as fashion illustration and are of professional-grade quality. Whether she is mainly using watercolor, pencil or oil paint, her color palettes and artwork are simply wonderful.
ArtVenue wanted to ask Katherine a few questions about her artistic inclinations and a specific thready medium she uses in her pieces. Perhaps we could call her bluff about being a newbie.
“I go into every day knowing that I will not stop trying, no matter how frustrated and ignored I may feel.”
”I'm Staring Straight at You”
Home is where the heart is-where is home for you?
I was born and raised in Groton, Massachusetts, but I feel more at home in New Hampshire where my father grew up. We have a house on Newfound Lake there and it is our slice of heaven.How and when did you discover yourself to be an artist?
I always felt uncomfortable with the label of ‘artist’. I felt strongly that I was not an artist, I just liked art. Artists are people with crazy hair and paint splattered overalls. They live off sardines and day old bread; black coffee and cigarettes. I always thought, ‘Artists don’t like me’, but that was because I didn’t like myself. I had to go through some very hard times, experience my lowest moments, and then pick up all my pieces and put myself back together. When I did, that is when I discovered myself to be an artist. This was about a year ago, and I have been moving in the right direction ever since.”Allie Monday”
What are a few things on your artistic bucket list?
I am beginning to toy with the concept of stitching my designs into clothing. It was a natural transition to begin thinking about fashion as thread is normally used to sew clothing, not paper. Maybe someday i’ll have my own fashion line with my own inspired hand stitched designs.“The juxtaposition of the black thread to the soft watercolor makes for a striking combination. [...] It I just had a feeling it was exactly perfect for what I wanted to convey.”
”Do Not go Gentle into that Good Night”
Where did you learn the skills and gain the knowledge you, as an artist, posses today?
When I was in elementary school I took an art class once a week after school. A local artist from my town, Sharon Wooding, taught the informal class out of her home for a group of the neighborhood girls. I loved the class and the time with my friends, but never realized I was any good at it. When I reached college, art classes were the only ones I enjoyed so I chose to be an art major. I Worked through some of the introductory courses, but school never really did agree with me and I still have not finished. Most of what I know is self taught. I know I do not have the most effective technique, but I work in a way that makes sense for me. I never worked in watercolor until I got the idea to work with thread this past June. I watched a video on Youtube and then just went for it! I create instinctively and am very pleased to see an improvement in my work.
What is art to you? What is art for you? Why create it?
I suppose art is everything. I see the world very differently than everyone else and I create works of art so that other people can share in the beauty that I see everyday.“I push myself everyday to be better than I am so that every piece of art I create is more inspired than the one before.”
Where do you gather and/or seek your inspiration from?
It usually starts with a photograph. Whether one I stumble across or one that I seek out. I tend to fixate on a tiny detail from a piece and run with that. I went to a photography exhibit and saw a photo of a pear with a stamp on it which inspired me to create the self portrait Return to Sender. At the same exhibit I saw a photo of a man in a suit climbing a ladder; suddenly I have strapped the moon to his back and he is climbing into the sky in my painting How He Hung the Moon. Often when I look at an image I see more than what meets the eye; more color, life, and spirit. I create my artwork to show other people what it is that I am seeing."So Hard to Handle"
Do any psychological factors or traits transpose into your work?
Do you ask me this because clearly I must be crazy to sit for hours on end and meticulously hand stitch my paintings? I have an obsessive-compulsive personality and an abundance of patience.Explain where your use of thread came from. What draws you to it, what is its appeal?
Like most things in my life, how exactly this idea came to me i’m not totally sure of. I found myself inspired by the artist Egon Schiele this spring. I have always been scolded by my teachers for using line in my paintings, but I cannot help it. I see in lines and colors. I wanted to do a work similar to Egon’s with sketched lines and splashes of color. It came to me that working in oil was not going to work for this project. With thread I can achieve so much with consistent, crisp, black line that also adds a dimension of texture to my work. The juxtaposition of the black thread to the soft watercolor makes for a striking combination. I am not sure then exact moment I realized thread was the key, but I just had a feeling it was exactly perfect for what I wanted to convey.“I felt strongly that I was not an artist, I just liked art.”
Pick one of your own favorite pieces on ArtVenue. What is it of, why is it your favorite and what does it mean to you?
My favorite has to be Bluebird Bitter. I have a bit of an affinity for birds, specifically of the blue nature. This painting was my experiment — the first hand-stitched work I created as well as my first ever attempt at painting with watercolor. I discovered so much through making mistakes on that piece of artwork, and though my skill level has improved so much since then, I think she will always be my favorite.“Untitled”
What is your creative process, typically?
I have a fantastic little life. I work nights and I am free to create all day every day! I am very relaxed about it all. When in the process of stitching I sit on my futon with a cup of coffee and listen to music while I stitch away. Sometimes, when my thoughts get too loud, I turn on the TV and watch Law and Order SVU marathons to distract my mind. I am a very efficient multi-tasker. When I get to the painting, I sit at my isle in the corner of my bedroom where I am flooded with natural light and begin my process of seeing in colors. I need longer chunks of time to commit to the painting as once I begin the process I hate to stop before I have finished. Some times I am burnt out and can’t work, other times I am inspired and cannot stop working. It’s a bit like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get.“Often when I look at an image I see more than what meets the eye; more color, life, and spirit. I create my artwork to show other people what it is that I am seeing.”
"Untitled”
What propels you forward, what keeps you going as an artist?
My mom once said about me, ‘ask her to think inside of the box and you’ll have a problem’. Outside of the box is where I reside. I do not think or behave in the typical manner. Being an artists takes a lot of self motivation and an intense desire to create. I have the ability to hyper-focus, set, and maintain goals for myself. I do not need an outside source pushing me on. I push myself everyday to be better than I am so that every piece of art I create is more inspired than the one before.Are there any projects you are working on right now that you can’t wait to finish and share? Any other mediums you would love to explore and experiment with?
Yes, always! My artwork takes so long to create that I have to try really hard not to abandon each project for a new one before I have finished. I could fill an entire gallery with unfinished paintings, it is disgusting. Right now I am working on a hand-stitched water color that is my largest one yet. I am very excited about it! It is called Attitude Towards Existence and I cannot wait to share it with everyone!“Maybe someday i’ll have my own fashion line with my own inspired hand stitched designs.”
What is some advice you could give to budding artists, hopeful to make a name for themselves or looking to build a portfolio?
This is a bit of a peculiar question for me to answer as I am a budding artist myself. All I have to say is perseverance. I go into every day knowing that I will not stop trying, no matter how frustrated and ignored I may feel. And then one day, someone like ArtVenue will come along and recognize how hard you are working! Then, you wake up the next day and keep trying with someone else."Esteban"
View Katherine Moore’ complete ArtVenue profile!
ArtVenue would like to thank Katherine for lending us some of her time and thoughts. We are thrilled to have her on ArtVenue – welcome to the family!
Artist Spotlight: Jon Helgason
“Motif Number One”
Jon Helgason takes photos, yes, but he captures more than just a moment frozen in time and suspended in two tangible dimensions. There is a beautifully tranquil and intriguing quality about his photographs. When you look at his photographic images your mind recognizes them as déjà-vu, glimmering fragments of a memory you assume is your own but could easily mistake as subconscious desire for escape. You might pine for return to a place in the world you’ve never visited, adapting his still-life images into a dreamscape tapestry of the past. While there is a sense of place in Jon’s work, there’s also ambiguity that invites you to pinpoint just exactly when and where things exist.
ArtVenue wanted to get to know the man behind the lens because, as with anything, there is always more than meets the eye.
“I keep trying until I make a picture that I love and that’s why I keep doing it.”
"Patio Umbrellas"
Home is where the heart is-where is home for you?
I live in Beverly, Massachusetts. It’s on Boston’s North Shore.How and when did you discover yourself to be a photographer?
My profession is training, specifically teaching tech products to sales people. In 2005 I was asked to be part of a team to help launch a major manufacturer’s first DSLR. I was hooked!"Mail One"
Where did you learn the skills and gain the knowledge you, as a photographer, posses today?
The first step in any product introduction is for the trainers to learn the ins and outs. Well, photography, especially advanced DSLR photography, involves more than a quick lesson. My team was regularly exposed to professional photographers and actually had many lessons over the years. Most of our instructors were actually Pulitzer Prize nominees. We were actually paid to learn to shoot!Describe the pinnacle ofyour artistic career.
Being featured on ArtVenue is definitely a highlight. Receiving praise during critiques of my work by the aforementioned Pulitzer Prize nominees was my first encouragement and then selling my first pictures sealed the deal.“I know [art] when I see it.”
If you were given a blankcheck, an hour in your favorite art store and permission to shop to yourheart’s content, what would we see in your shopping cart/s?
You would see the top of the line Epson printer as well as a lifetime supply of ink and paper! My favorite art store would have to be a photo-specialty dealer and my cart would include upgrades to my camera kit. Specifically I would like a faster wide angle lens. I’m evaluating cameras now and I’m not sure I need to go to a “full frame” model, but I know would like more resolution."Brella in the Mist"
What is art to you? What is art for you? Why create it?
I know it when I see it. That’s obviously true for everyone. We want to see the “best” no matter what the medium is. One of my favorite photography instructors asks a question in his seminar. “What is the difference between an amateur and a professional photographer?” Students invariably give answers about getting paid, having a degree, or making a living with it. His answer? “A professional only shows you the good pictures.” I keep trying until I make a picture that I love and that’s why I keep doing it.“I do think that I get better as I continue to learn and practice.”
What is your favorite subject to shoot? Do you have a favorite shoot or project that you ever worked on?
I like to go to an interesting place and wander around shooting. Although its great to have a specific plan, like shooting detail at a classic car show, its great fun to be surprised when you just walk around and shoot at what catches your eye. My favorite shoot would be any of the awesome opportunities I had to shoot with the pros at places like San Juan Capistrano, the desert around Tucson, or an airplane graveyard."Flea Market Curtains"
Where do you gather and/or seek your inspiration from?
I get inspired by looking at photography in books and websites. The inspiration frequently comes from learning a new technique.Pick your own favorite piece on ArtVenue. What is it of, why is it your favorite andwhat does it mean to you?
It would have to be VIEW OF THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE IN BEDROOM, 2009. ABELARDO MORELL. It’s using camera obscura to project the Brooklyn Bridge. I love the idea of having that image on my wall every day and see how it changes as the sun moves and the weather changes.What propels you forward, what keeps you going as an artist?
That’s easy. I always want to get better and try new things. For example, I was taught “light painting” and have done some. I want to really jump in with both feet and do something big.“In 2005 I was asked to be part of a team to help launch a major manufacturer’s first DSLR. I was hooked!”
What is some advice you could give to budding artists, hopeful to make a name for themselves or looking to build a portfolio?
Its probably a cliché but you really have to work at it. You have to put in the time to get technically proficient so you don’t have to be thinking of all the details that go into making a photograph. One of my favorite authors, Malcolm Gladwell talks about the ten thousand hour measurement for achieving world class expertise. It can be broken down into twenty hours a week for ten years. I know I’d miss fewer shots if I was even close to that ten thousand hours! I do think that I get better as I continue to learn and practice."Big Dog in a Little Car"
View Jon Helgason’s complete ArtVenue profile!
ArtVenue would like to thank Jon for giving us some of his time and thoughts. We are psyched to have him on ArtVenue – welcome to the family!
Artist Spotlight: Bethy Williams
"Strange Star Girl"
Bethy Williams‘ ink and watercolor work can do one of two things. They can teleport your mind to a galaxy light-years away, where a velvety backdrop of darkness pin-pricked with stars envelopes you with weightlessness. Alien-like creatures with serpentine purple hair gaze at you with glittering Milky-Way eyes. Symbols and encryptions appear like hallucinations, and you wish you could stay forever to unearth the meaning of everything you see. If your feet stay planted on earth, Bethy’s artwork can show you a celestial dreamscape where her artistic inclinations run free, a glance into her creative space.
Bethy’s illustrations conjure up other-worldly feelings of fantasy and imagination no matter who is looking at them. ArtVenue couldn’t wait to ask some questions about the artist and her fantastical artwork.
“…As Orson Welles told Eddie in the movie Ed Wood, ‘Visions are worth fighting for. Why spend your life making someone else’s dreams?’”
"Tentacle Girl"
Home is where the heart is-where is home for you?
Wilton, New Hampshire. It’s a little town with a population of a few thousand, full of idiosyncrasies, centuries-old ruins and rural New England magic.How and when did you discover yourself to be an artist?
Making art is just something I’ve done for as long as I’ve been conscious, practically as a biological function. When I was a little kid, probably from the time I was about two years old, my dad would give me pads of paper from his office and I would fill them with drawings from the front to the back, then I would draw on the back, then I would draw on the spine. I would also make picture and story books with stapled-together printer paper. The stories were very strange. A lot of kids draw, but for me it was more than a pastime. I was obsessed and hyper-intense. I was creating a whole world and it was serious business
“When I draw my long-haired girls flying between the stars, it’s because I look up at the sky and feel like I could just about do the same thing.”What are a few things on your artistic bucket list?
Ever since I was a kid I’ve wanted to see my work published in Fortean Times. Seems oddly specific, but seeing that happen would have great personal meaning to me. I also really want to make liner notes for at least one terrific musical release."Three Maenads"
Where did you learn the skills and gain the knowledge you, as an artist, posses today?
Years and years of scribbling, sketching, obsessing, and perfecting. My work is definitely not the product of any kind of structured education. I also have to give credit to my mom, though she isn’t an “artiste” in the stereotypical sense, she sews and crafts and taught me how to mix watercolors one rainy day when I was about four.
Your illustrations are delightfully fantastical and have a specific subject/theme. When and how did your interest for “hyperspace faery tales and otherworld portals” begin?
I have that kind of imagery in my head all the time. When I sleep I have extremely vivid dreams and when I’m awake I have extremely vivid daydreams. Just closing my eyes is like watching a movie sometimes. But where does it come from? You know in the cartoons when a character is really happy about something and they get stars and fireworks in their eyes? That’s the only way I can explain it.
“Making art is just something I’ve done for as long as I’ve been conscious, practically as a biological function.”What I mean is that it reflects the way I feel about life: that life is full of amazing wonder. I identify my work with faery tales because faery tales say that magic is all around us, and it’s true. When I look at pictures from the Hubble telescope or listen to cicadas singing in harmony on a summer night, I know just how true it is. When I draw my long-haired girls flying between the stars, it’s because I look up at the sky and feel like I could just about do the same thing.
"Reverb Girl"
Describe your art with 3 adjectives, a genre and a metaphor.
Adjectives: magical, rapturous, ridiculous.
Genre: fantastic.
Metaphor: a happy sphinx from outer space in an old New England forest.Your work reminds me of artist Tara McPherson’s celestial pieces. Are there any artists you emulate or that influence your work?
My artistic heroes include Delia Derbyshire, Bryon Gysin, Jean Cocteau, William Blake, H.P. Lovecraft, Walt Disney and Pee-Wee Herman.What is art to you? What is art for you? Why create it?
That is a mystery I have been trying to unravel my entire life. The funny thing is, it makes sense to me in some deep part of me, and it makes the most sense when I am working and not thinking about it, but when I try to explain it I am at a loss for words.I guess I could say that there’s something inside of me that seems to have a life of its own and wants to manifest itself in the physical universe through pictures and symbols. I’ve met other artists who have said that’s more or less the way they feel about it as well. Then, in turn, when you make art right, it brings the people who look at it a deep-down satisfaction of a mysterious kind, something that can’t be met by any other means.
You could call it something spiritual (I do), but you don’t have to. However you slice it, the fact is that man has an inner life that is just as important as his outer life. It has always been that way; just look at the Chauvet cave paintings and you will have no doubt about that. It seems to be part of the deal of being human, and whether we can explain it or not we’ll always need the satisfaction that only art can bring.
“When I sleep I have extremely vivid dreams and when I’m awake I have extremely vivid daydreams.”
Who is the long-haired female in your illustrations?
The long-haired females in my work are not all literally the same person but there is a unity of purpose to them. She represents the “spirit” of my work. As I’ve said, my work is alive to me in a funny kind of way, and the long-haired female, with her untamed mane and twinkling eyes, represents the personality of my artistic universe.Are there any other mediums you would love to explore and experiment with?
I would love to work with film, and I would also love to work with some kind of performance. Maybe something involving an accordion.“However you slice it, the fact is that man has an inner life that is just as important as his outer life.”
Last exhibition or gallery you visited?
The last exhibition I visited was the Lowell Folk Festival this past August, which featured art in many different media by Lowell artists. The Lowell art scene has a special place in my heart because there is a strong spirit of co-operation, collaboration and fun.Pick your favorite piece on ArtVenue. What is it of, why is it your favorite and what does it mean to you?
My favorite piece on ArtVenue is “Strange Star Girl”. It’s hard to explain, but when I finished her I had a sense of finally saying something I had always wanted to say and knowing that I said it exactly the right way. When you look at her, you can get a sense of what my entire artistic mission is about. She has become sort of a mascot for my work; she even appears on my business cards."Lantern in Black Space"
What is some advice you could give to budding artists, hopeful to make a name for themselves or looking to build a portfolio?
There is nothing in the world more precious than an artist with a genuinely strange artistic vision. If this is you, hold onto that strange vision with all of your might. Protect it, cherish it, nuture it, and never let anyone stop you. Your strange vision is your unique contribution to the universe; what a tragedy, what a crime it would be to let it die and deprive the world of something wonderful and new it has never seen before.Of course, hard work, dedication and a professional attitude are supremely important as well. But as Orson Welles told Eddie in the movie Ed Wood, “Visions are worth fighting for. Why spend your life making someone else’s dreams?”
"Mary, Seated"
View Bethy Williams’ complete ArtVenue profile!
ArtVenue would like to thank Bethy for allowing us some of her time and thoughts. We are excited to have her on ArtVenue – welcome to the family!
