Surviving the "Great Holiday Take Down" - Artist as Collector

New Jersey based artist Joy Kreves is this week's guest blogger for the Artist as Collector Series.

Joy Barth
Christmas Card 2013

Joy Barth's work is very textural with some kind of transcendent quality, which is very immaterial, non-physical.  This fascinates me.  

Although I have purchased Joy Barth's work, this small painting arrived in the mail as a Christmas card this past year. Typical of her work, it shows her muted palette and surface that has undergone much back-and-forth working with scrubbing and washes, sparkling textures, and the mystical quality that her best works achieve.  

I love it so much that it survived the great "Holiday Cards Take Down," and is still on the mantel. 

Joy Kreves is a mixed media artist whose work explores human-earth-universe interconnectedness, using all sorts of created and found materials.

Gilded Bee Bowl Setting

Ceramic, preserved moss, cornstarch, twigs, real gilded bees

 6"h. X 17" w.  X 14"l.

©2014JoyKreves

Portrait of Emma- Artist as Collector

Colorado based artist Ayn Hanna is this week's guest blogger for the Artist as Collector Series.

“Emma”

fabric, stitching, and acrylic paint, 

34”x26”

©Leslie Gabrielse.

Leslie Gabrielse is a textile artist from the Netherlands.  We were introduced to one another by mutual friend several years ago and became fast friends.  

I love how he is able to convey strong line and color in his textile work using fabric, hand-stitching cotton threads, and acrylic paints.  He draws and paints with fabric!  When I saw his portrait work, I knew he was the perfect artist to create a portrait of our “kid”, our chessie-lab “Emma” as a special gift for my mom Sally, Emma’s favorite “Grandma”.  During a visit last summer, Leslie took several photos of Emma, then returned to his studio to make the portrait.  

Emma, her portrait and her favorite Grandma

Sally and Leslie with the commissioned portrait of Emma

On his next trip to the US last Nov, Leslie presented us with this beautiful portrait, and we were able to present the portrait gift as a surprise to “Grandma” while Leslie was here – that made it extra special.

Ayn Hanna is a printmaker and textile artist. Her work is an exploration of media and processes as well as ideas through her strong composition, rich texture, layers, patterns and color. Her subject matter includes imagery from the natural world as well as abstract compositions informed by her dreams.

She is exhibiting her work in booth #719 at the American Craft Council Baltimore Show, Feb. 19-23.  The show is open to the public on Feb. 21-23.  For details click here. 

Secret Heart Throb on her walls

California based artist Belinda Chlouber is this week's guest blogger for the Artist as Collector series.

Secret Heart Throb

 Mixed media on panel

30”x22”,

©Tony Speirs 

“Secret Heart Throb” was one of the first significant pieces of art my husband and I purchased.  

Our good friend Tony Speirs was having an open studio and we had wanted one of his pieces for several years and he was kind enough to let us pay on installments for it. I like the confidence the woman in this piece exhibits, along with the colors and patterns. It has a Modigliani feel to me that I find fascinating. 

I really love having other artists work in house—I feel the art adds such a richness and depth to my living environment. And since we know many of the artists whose pieces we purchased I always think of them when I see their art, it’s sort of like having a part of their spirit here in my home.

Belinda Chlouber is a mixed media artist working with paint, monotypes, encaustic and mixed media collages with embroidery. Much of her work are inspired and based upon the poetry of her mother and grandfather.

To the Touch- Artist as Collector

Arizona based artist Becky Joy is this week's guest blogger for the Artist as Collector Series.

Spirit of the Senses
33"H
©Vala Ola

I LOVE sculpture. This is a favorite piece of sculpture by a friend, sculptor and painter, Vala Ola that I acquired through a trade, with me paying for the casting cost. Vala is a master with design. 

I had been admiring this as she was sculpting it and was overwhelmed when she said she wanted to trade for one of my sunset paintings.

I love to touch sculpture and feel where the artist moved the clay and how the fingers and hands fit into the piece. I can tell that Vala's hands are close to the same size as mine by the feel. To me that is a real connection with the work.

When we made the trade, I cried I was so happy with it. Later Vala was admiring a small plein air painting of mine and I gave that to her. I felt the sculpture deserved another painting and besides, she's a good friend.

Becky Joy is a painter known for her glowing light and colors in her work. A teacher and a traveler she leads painting workshops all over the world.

The Wild Adventurer in us all- Artist as Collector

Based in Vermont and New Mexico, Liza Myers is this week's guest blogger for the Artist as Collector Series.

Fran Bull, "The Leap"
ink on paper
20" x 16"
©FranBull
collection of Liza Myers

Fran Bull is a painter, a sculptor, a printmaker, an opera singer, a performance artist. She creates large mixed-media installations and lately, immense, three-dimensional wall works of plaster. Her work is technically fabulous and wildly (and successfully) experimental. Even more importantly, her work exudes her inner passion for art and for humanity.

This sweet ink drawing was a gift from Fran following an exhibition we had of her ink drawings at our gallery in Vermont. Every one of them was dynamic and emotive and I feel lucky to have this particular piece in my collection.

I feel as if I am the girl in the drawing, hurtling through life, full tilt, reaching out, somewhat dangerously, for the next opportunity- the wild adventurer in all of us. For that reason I call this "The Leap."

To read a review I wrote about an astonishing exhibition of Fran’s at the Christine Price Gallery in Castleton, Vermont click here.

Liza Myers is a painter, sculptor, educator and world traveler. The entangled intricacy of the natural world fascinates her which can be seen in her intricate paintings of nests and the variety of materials from which they are woven.

Trusting Instincts - Artist as Collector

New York based artist Beth Vendryes Williams is this week's guest blogger for the Artist as Collector Series.

Cardinal Point #46
©Ben Frank Moss

I first met Ben Frank Moss when I took a drawing class from him at the University of Iowa. Iowa City.

It was in speaking with him about my work that I found validation for my need to create visual meditations. He understood my marks and helped me to trust my inner understanding of image making as my vocation.

Later on after, after seeing his work, I felt drawn to his mythical landscapes , poignant still lives and confidence in creating work based on his memories and senses. I remember when my husband and I bought our first little piece, totally in awe of his vision.

This piece is more recent. It reminds me in a visceral way to allow my life to frame the light within, yet to pay special attention to the energy of the shapes textures and lines that create  physical evidence of our existence. 

It brings hope into my line of vision each time I see it and reminds me to trust my instincts in my own work. 

Beth Vendryes Williams is a painter and mixed media artist who strives to reveal the inner, unseen spirit of the ordinary. To read more about Beth's thoughts about Ben Frank Moss' work click here.

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Thoughtful Simplicity for the New Year- Artist as Collector

New Year- May it be Happy Healthy Creative Prosperous and Joyfully- Simple.

Rhythm and Hues
Cotton fabric (hand-dyed), flannel,
embroidery thread
©Kathleen Probst

Starting off on the right track, painter Amantha Tsaros is our guest blogger for the Artist as Collector Series where each week a new artist who opens her/his doors and shares with us a piece of art that they have in their collection by another artist. It's a great way to see how we find and create space in our lives for inspiration.

Textile Artist, Kathleen Probst, lives across the country from me in Meridian, Idaho - but I have got two of her artworks are right here with me in Lexington, MA. Kathleen is my art business accountability partner – we keep each other in line when it comes to business and marketing. I am also an ardent fan of her work.

Kathleen makes minimalist-modern textile art quilts which reference natural elements. She hand-dyes her fabrics and uses machine-stitching in her work.

Rhythm and Hues was a piece that she had just posted on Facebook and I fell in love with it right away. I could imagine it in my home and had a spot for it. Lucky for me I acted fast as she had a number of people vying for the work. 

The colors are wonderful – the leaf shapes are bouncy yet soothy and the autumn colors reference my favorite season.  It is the first thing visitors see when they walk in my home and I love walking past the happy yet soothing shapes.  Her ability to evoke emotion with minimalism is something I admire and hope to emulate. 

Kathleen’s work is a daily reminder to strive for thoughtful simplicity.

Amantha Tsaros lives and works in Massachusetts. Through her paintings and monotypes, she gives form to the internal life in paint, bringing emotional and spiritual states to light.

One Not Enough

California based artist Victoria Veedell is this week's guest blogger for the Artist as Collector Series.

Shannon Amidon, Jellyfish
photo process on wood
collection of Victoria Veedell

I interviewed Shannon Amidon in 2004 for an “Inside the Artist Studio” article for the Silicon Valley Open Studio Magazine. I was intrigued by the description of her photographic process and her story of how she spent so much time at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium photographing the jellyfish.  From her description I knew I needed to see her work in person. 

My husband and I went to an art auction at the San Jose Museum of Art benefiting Silicon Valley Open Studios. We bid on, and won one of her jellyfish images.  

One piece didn’t seem enough.  So for my husband’s birthday I bought two more.  

Now we have a triptych hanging in our living room.  It’s a good conversation piece as our guest always get close to the images to see what they are and then ask about the process.  Not only do we enjoy looking at the work every day but I have fond memories of what a nice person Shannon is and what a pleasure it was to work with her.

Victoria Veedell is a painter based in San Francisco, California. Her oil paintings on canvas capture the essence of nature by examining the effects of light on form in the natural world. The paintings are vibrant and colorful abstractions of the landscape. 

Sacred Home Rendered on Paper

Sandra Dunn of Medicine Park, Oklahoma is this week's guest blogger for the Artist as Collector Series.

Forest
Watercolor
5" x 7"
©ValeriannaClaff

Valerianna Claff is an artist living in the densely forested foothills of western Massachusetts.

We formed a friendship through our blogs and she gifted me with "Forest" - a seedling

painting of her much larger watercolors in the same series.  

Glowing moonlight invites me into the painting's primal and peaceful forest - a place that

Valerianna calls "sacred home."  Sweeping tonal washes and simple brushstrokes create a magical

landscape that leaves so much to my imagination.  I appreciate her love of nature and the intimate connection she seems to have with her native woods.  

There seems to be an effortless and tender translation from her heart to rendering on paper of these things. 

Sandra Dunn is a painter working primarily in encaustic, and is inspired by nature, spirit, emotion and imagination.

Snapped it Up- Artist as Collector

New Mexico based artist Ann Hart Marquis is this week's guest blogger for the Artist as Collector Series.

Gregory Kondos

California River

monotype
©GregoryKondos

I first met Gregory Kondos the year after I rented his summer house in southwest France in 2007. I knew he was a well known California artist, originally from Greece. I had seen his work and loved it, especially his landscapes. His work however, was out of my price range.

Several years later in Santa Fe, NM, I happened upon a sale of monotypes done by well-known artists who had taught classes and contributed work to the College of Santa Fe. 

The state sponsored gallery where the sale was held did not seem to know the importance or value of many pieces that they were selling. I saw a stunning Kondos landscape and snapped it up. 

I look at it every day and I am inspired by its simplicity and gorgeous colors.

Ann Hart Marquis is a New Mexico painter who connects vibrant contemporary paintings with the environment in acrylic and oil on canvas.

A Cheerful Giver- and Collector

Vermont based artist Patty Sgrecci is this week's guest blogger for the Artist as Collector series.

A Cheerful Giver
oil on canvas
©MelMcCuddin

One of my favorite artists is painter Mel McCuddin from Spokane, WA.  Mel is an incredibly talented yet unassuming artist.  He spent his early career in a 9 to 5 day job, while painting away in his basement evenings and weekends.  This painting "A Cheerful Giver" shows his sense of humor.  Who doesn't love a smiling cow?  His work is always full of texture from many layers of paint, but it's the expressions on some of his subjects that are unforgettable and sometimes haunting.  He calls himself a Figurative Expressionist applying paint and waiting for the canvas to reveal its subject matter.  He says it best himself in this video.   Much of his work is sold through The Art Spirit Gallery in Coeur d'Alene, ID. 

Patty Sgrecci is a kinetic artist who creates mobiles and mixed media sculptures that have a lyrical, linear quality, and echo gestures in nature in an interactive dance.

Breaking it Down with Picasso

NJ based artist Sandy Rosen is this week's guest blogger for the Artist as Collector Series.

Pablo Picasso, 1961
Original lithograph from the portfolio
"Toro Y Toreros"
Limited edition of 150
Catalogue reference Cramer 12
Numbered in pencil
Dated in the stone
Comes with Certificate of Authenticity
Image size approx. 14.5" x 10.5"
Framed size 29.5" x 26"

Years ago, I became close friends with a couple of art lovers, one being an artist himself- the late Rick Celano, who at the time had a wonderful art gallery, Old Queens Gallery located in New Brunswick, NJ. (The Heldrich Hotel stands there today). 

While in the process of closing the gallery, they thoughtfully asked if I would like to acquire a few pieces of art.  I said yes, although not sure what, if anything, I could afford initially.

However, when I saw this beautifully framed Picasso, with a certificate of authenticity, 

I knew that this would be the one I would choose from all other works.

As a printmaker and artist, I enjoy the expressive form, drama and storytelling of Picasso, among other attributes, and have grown in appreciation of Picasso's work so much over the years, specifically, his masterful hand at complex imagery along with "simplicity". 

I reflect on PICASSO, MATISSE and others for inspiration, many times finding difficulty in breaking down my own barriers to "simplify" my process as well.

In addition to Rick Celano making it possible for me to own a Picasso, I have wonderful memories of his legacy of passion for and love of art which he has shared with and passed on to so many, including his daughter, Elano Celano, who is also an artist.

Sandy Rosen works in a variety of two dimensional mediums to create her visual palette of detailed marks, lines and shapes. A wise range of sensibilities are reflected in the balance and interplay of color, dimension, style and texture.

Powerful Portraits Remain

New Jersey based artist Francesca Azzara is this week's guest blogger for the Artist as Collector Series.

Francesca Azzara in front of her Elizabeth Harneys
John Allen and Michael Bloomberg
acrylic on canvas

I was exhibiting my own work at the Jersey City Artists Studio Tour this month when I spotted Elizabeth Harney’s powerful portraits.  Her work spoke to me immediately and I decided in an instant that I wanted to own them.  There is a certain aesthetic and sensibility in Elizabeth’s work that I connected to.  

That is not something I usually do.  I often know the work of an artist, or know the artist and the history of their work, before I make a decision.  This was instantaneous. 

Usually, I work in black and white or minimal use of color.  I am interested in form and content versus color and design.  These 2 paintings are part of a series of 10 portraits.  All of the figures are white men in power.  

I had the opportunity to meet Elizabeth at the Tour’s opening party and we talked about her work.  The artist is a very young, soft spoken, wisp of a woman, in contrast to her large powerful portraits.  Elizabeth grew up in a military household in New Jersey.   Her work explores the concept of power and sees it changing.  

She foresees that the white male dominated era of power will soon be archaic and is interested in capturing what currently remains.

   

Francesca Azzara is a painter working in encaustics and mixed media. 

In Good Company- Artist as Collector

California based artist Johanna Spinks is this week's guest blogger for the Artist as Collector Series.

Amy Crehore

 oil on 1/8" plywood

7 3/4" x 10 1/4"

collection of Johanna Spinks

This painting by Amy Crehore was originally done as an illustration for an online issue of  The Magazine issue 24,  to accompany an article on female hackers written by my daughter Rosie Spinks.  Rosie had told me the challenge of writing the in depth article and what a great illustration had been done for it. 

When I saw the image online I found it charming and whimsical, and appreciated her execution and color harmony. It's Alice in Wonderland-esque in the computer age. 

I was interested in purchasing the piece and went to Amy's site to see more of her work. She is a successful artist and most of her work had been sold. I didn't know if I would able to afford her, so I was thrilled when she sold me this piece for a price I could afford.  I was also impressed by her overall professionalism. 

As a full-time artist myself, it is hard for me to look at my own art on my home walls at the end of the studio day, so I love to fill my home with other people's art. 

We were once evacuated  from our home as we live in "fire country,"  and my collection was the first thing that went in the car, after the kids and dog!

Amy's piece will be enjoyed among some great company for a long time.

Johanna Spinks is a painter living and working in Southern California. The British born artist is as much a storyteller as she is a classically trained portrait artist. In 2013 she was awarded the Mayor's Art Award, Artist in the Community, Ventura, CA.

Authenticity as a Fortunate Trade

New York based Ed McGowin is this week's guest blogger for the Artist as Collector Series.

©BillTraylor
collection of Ed McGowin & Claudia Demonte

I got this Bill Traylor more than thirty years ago in a trade with a man who owned several Traylors.  I asked that he loan it for an exhibit I curated with my wife Claudia DeMonte with pieces from our own collection.

I had seen the Traylors in the studio of the artist Charles Shannon from Montgomery, Alabama but could not afford to buy one. This trade was extremely generous and very good luck.

I had always admired Traylor’s work for the economy of the technique and the authentic marks he made. The integrity of the so-called “untrained artist” is something that has long made me question many of the values in todays high art context.

Ed McGowin is a sculptor, painter, collector and world traveler. He has created and published an "expansive body of art that ultimately falls outside of traditional categories. His paintings, sculptures, conceptual art, films writings and public art installations have in common a southern sensibility, one rooted in his early experiences in Mississippi and Alabama." His name change project is documented in Ed McGowin, Name Change, One Artist, Twelve Personas, Thirty Five Years. 

I had the good fortune to be a studio assistant to Ed, and later, for his wife Claudia many years ago. Both were very generous and offered a window, to this then fledgling art student, in the practice and business of being a professional artist. 

A Prized Mystery

Delaware based artist J. Gordon is this week's guest blogger for the Artist as Collector Series.

Jason Ward, Untitled, 2011
Oil on canvas
24" x 24"
©JasonWard

I received this piece as a trade from Jason before we left the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts where we studied together.  

I enjoy it for it subtlety and sense of mystery.  Both are qualities evident in all his work.  A classically trained artist, his paintings encapsulate that which I'm drawn to most in an artwork, regardless of medium.

J.Gordon  is a painter working with mixed media. He is also a curatorial associate the the DCCA.

"Our thoughts stem from our experiences, that which we take in through our senses, and these present us with so few facets of the full range of phenomena our intellects tell us are present.  It is not hard to imagine that their exists an infinite range of phenomena beyond what we are aware of.  As an artist, my interests lie amidst these sentiments.  That so much of what we believe know is like Plato's shadows on the wall,  vague shifting forms that are only projections of a deeper reality outside of our experience, hints at an infinite mystery that I find beautiful, humbling,  and deeply moving."

J.Gordon      
         

Fundamental Power with a Purpose- Artist as Collector

Delaware based artist Karen Berstler is this week's guest blogger for our Artist as Collector Series.

Carole Fox
Ceramic bowl
5.5" x 2"

I purchased this ceramic bowl by Carole Fox at the Newark Arts Alliance. She is a fantastic artist who works out of her home studio in Elkton, MD. 

I have always loved pottery, stoneware or ceramics. The idea of something "permanent" being made from wet clay or earth has always appealed to me. And the fundamental, elemental creative power at work when an artist uses clay from the earth and her hands as the tools is infinitely moving and inspiring to me. There is something magical and pure in the creating of it. 

Carole's pieces are simple in design but flawless in execution. They are sophisticated pieces of art that you get to use in daily life.

Karen Berstler is an artist living and working in Delaware. She calls her watercolor paintings of people, and most often children "kinetic portraits," because she likes to use poses and compositions that are contrived and almost candid, capturing the genuine nature of her subjects.

Birds of a Feather- Artist as Collector

 New York artist Pat Kochie is this week's guest blogger for our Artist as Collector Series.

Pat Lillich
Self Portrait with Feathers
6 1/5" (H)
Sculpted fron Fimo and
Aves Apoxie Sculpt

This was an incredibly meaningful gift from Pat Lillich. She belongs to the prestigious NIADA, National Institute of American Doll Artists. 

Her skillful work touches the viewer with its edginess and whimsey. She has long been an inspiration to me.

Sculptor Pat Kochie lives on Long Island, New York. She makes completely hand sculpted one-of-a-kind dolls that are evocative, hauntingly beautiful and evoke an inner fantasy life.

A Part of Horse of Her Dreams

Tami Bone from Austin,Texas is this week's guest blogger for our Artist as Collector Series.

Amanda Smith, Windy
Silver gelatin print
©ASmithPhotographs

I have a gorgeous photograph by my friend, Amanda Smith, artist and director of A Smith Gallery in Johnson City, Texas. The image titled Windy is part of the project, Horse of Her Dreams and is a warm-toned silver gelatin print. Amanda has photographed horses for a number of years, and many of the prints are in The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University.

Usually I lean towards choosing dark wood frames for fine art photography, but for this piece I chose a more ornate frame. I love the contrast of the simple composition of the image and the more elaborate frame.

The piece is hanging on a wall in an open stairwell by the front entry to my house. I see it many times a day. It's a piece that could go anywhere in my home, although having it near the front door assures that others see and enjoy it as well.

Tami Bone engages photography and photomontage as a means of story telling and self- expression. Her work pulls from his early beginnings in deep South Texas, calling forth yearnings, hopes, fears and dreams.

Loving The Other Woman

 Philadelphia based artist Aubrie Costello is this week's guest blogger for our Artist as Collector Series.

Darla Jackson

They watched… (Rabbit)

Gypsum Cement

8”h x 5”w x 6”d

©2010DarlaJackson

Darla Jackson and I are close friends and collaborators. Her work resonates with me. I acquired this piece from Darla in a trade.

We were in an art collective for 5 years called The Other Woman. Our art works well together when shown in the same space. We both address themes about life and death, beauty and sadness, and femininity. There's always an interesting dialogue between our pieces- as well as a mutual love and respect for each other's work.

Aubrie Costello works with a variety of materials in drawing, fiber art, and installation to examine and discuss her current interest in relationships, both broad and intimate, mostly between boys and girls.

Aubrie states about her work:

I fixate on human desire, both primal and innate, the desire for pleasure, wealth, and dominance. I am intrigued by the gaze, by the sight of a preoccupied mind, by the dynamic relationships between male and female, rich and poor, weak and strong, old and young.