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Fall/Winter 2021 | Online $10

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MAGAZINE

MEGAN ELIZABETH READ Megan Elizabeth Read Che Leviathan Dee Dee Alex Garant Joshua Barrigada MJ Lindo-Lawyer Amber Muse Tattoo Anna-Micaiah Fairlight Hubbard Rosso Emerald Crimson Nicole Kutz Matt Valerio Lissa Arditi

Analy Nakat @analypaints

Nathan Cartwright @kingbeeme

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I would say working that size is both easier and harder. It has its advantages and challenges. I feel like modeling form as that size is really fun and it's fabulous to be able to build an entire body while the paint is still wet, but every single edge and detail matters. If the tiniest dab of paint is placed slightly to the left or right the figure isn't just oddlooking but you have likely accidentally cut off one of its fingers or toes. You have to be incredibly careful.

How do you approach your reference materials? Do you work with live models or do you prefer working from a photograph, or?? I’d also love to know where you get your bird images from? And maybe you can tell us a little about the series you have done with birds and humans together? I love these pieces so much. I basically always work from photo references and most of the time I take all the photos myself and create a sort of composite mockup of my painting before beginning. The painting I recently did of a *Cormorant was a commission though and the collector just sent me dozens of photos and I worked from those. I have once or twice used photos in the public domain for creatures as part of a larger composition when absolutely necessary.

In terms of the paintings of figures and birds I think of them, in the same way, I think of the paintings of figures with other creatures. Just another representation of the figure itself. In the same way that my paintings with ghosts are paintings of "multiple selves" so too are the ones with animals. Meant to convey different parts of a personality and meant to talk about relationships to self. I think :)

Super interesting, I see that harmony. You have found a way to incorporate the creatures into the works in these strange and at first, even obstructed angles, yet they just seem to fit so perfectly! Paintings can really express so many emotions. When I view your work I see your figures first as being somewhat fragile. The way their bodies are usually shy to the viewer, the way you use blurriness to help portray some of this is very thought-provoking, and at least for myself, that's one of the most important aspects of any painting, one that provokes and hits you at that gut-level. Making me sometimes feel uncomfortable or maybe curious. Technically it's stunning, emotionally it can raise many questions. I'm wondering about your thought process behind some of the blurred images.

Let me think about that. Honestly, I don't know if I have really ever considered my stuff particularly blurry per se, but there is definitely a soft-focus which is probably for a few different reasons. When I was really young I loved looking at renaissance art which has that really smooth look and in the very beginning, I think I probably aspired to that type of surface quality although I love to see brushwork in other people's paintings (when done well) I have always just not wanted to see it in mine.

Can you tell us about this technique and how it came about? But as my skills continue to build there is a lot more decision-making that has to happen. When you have developed the tools to move past that as far as something like hyperrealism you have to decide how far to take things. I spent some time over the last few years working on larger hyperrealist pieces for other artists and while it's gratifying to see that you can do it I always find the outcome rather soulless. It's dazzling but doesn't really speak to me. I guess in general I think photography is great for that level of detail but I want my work to feel a bit more like a dream. An alternate universe. And I like to be selective about the focus and having certain areas sharp and the rest softer helps convey what's important. I'm sure my feelings on this will continue to shift and more style to evolve, but that's where I am right now. "Soft Focus" is a much better way to put it. Thanks for sharing your process on why and how you approach this technique. Like you said your style can change but I love this thought process you have right now about finding a different focus for different parts of your painting lending to some areas to be sharper or thus less in focus.

A conversation with Che and Justin.

"THE WORLD ON MY PAGE"

"Painting is my emotional outlet. I tend to make more work when my heart is

suffering because there’s more emotion that needs to be expressed. When I’m struggling through a painting, it’s never the painting that I’m struggling with, it’s the emotion behind the painting that I’m battling."

Che Leviathan cheleviathan.com | ©artwalkmagazine.com | Page 16

Che, thanks for taking the time to share about your artist life with us today. Before I get going I have to ask a serious question. If you need to stay up all night to paint are you a tea or coffee girl? I’m a coffee critter, for sure. I can’t remember the last day I didn’t have a cup of coffee, but just one. If I have more than one, I’m all jittery and my hand isn’t as steady as I like it to be for painting detail. Usually, my all-nighters are fueled by white claw and or tequila. Keeps things lively lol. I can imagine a steady hand is super important for your work. So stepping back in time a bit, can you tell us a little about your childhood? I grew up in Atlanta, but I never really vibed with it, so I’ve spent most of my adult life on the west coast. Cali will forever be home. I’ve always painted ever since I was really little. My mom found one of those fisher price easels in a junkyard when I was three, and kept it in the kitchen to keep me busy. I’ve painted nonstop ever since. I was pretty introverted as a kid and just made art all the time. So not much has changed to this day haha. I remember those fisher price easels, haha I know exactly what you are talking about. Well, good going mom! How was your development and progression in the arts as you grew into your teenage years? Was there a moment that you realized "hey I think I’m pretty good at this art thing and maybe I can do something with my career with it?" Pretty much my whole life, I’ve always felt that artistic endeavors were where I was at my strongest. As a kid, I struggled with a lot of things in school. But art was where I was the most confident. I focused a lot on it, and would even turn in weird art projects instead of the actual assignments given in school, just to see if I could get away with it, and a lot of times I did. Eventually, I think that mindset transitioned into a “how do I survive off of this” mindset. It was a gradual process. But as soon as I started having bills to pay, I started seeing it as a career. Although the struggle was REAL for quite a while. Did you pursue arts in higher education or was it straight to the studio and learning on your own?

I did both. I attended SCAD, and then later explored some atelier-style classes. I did a lot of independent studies, and I still do. I think it’s a great practice to crank out a master's study now and then, or go sketch at a museum, or research a master’s palette or painting techniques. I consider myself a forever student. I’m always learning. I do soooooo much learning from mistakes, haha, but hey, I get better every time I pick up brushes. I think it’s probably going to be a lifetime process. "A forever-student" That's a great way to say it. I think failing is undervalued. With each failure, we do learn something right? If not how did we know we failed? So I agree that always learning is a forever practice and as an artist, it can only progress our skillset and mindset for that matter. As an artist, how often do you find yourself in your art workspace? Do you give yourself strict hours or how do you approach your work-life balance? I am in the studio in one way or another pretty much every day. Now and then I give myself a day off. But even on my days off, I am planning my next painting, or out gathering inspiration, gathering props, things like that. Maybe this isn’t the most healthy thing, but I never feel like I clock out. If I’m not painting, I’m thinking about painting. It’s on my mind pretty much 24/7. Sometimes I wonder what the heck I would think about all the time if I wasn’t a painter. I’d probably worry a lot haha. These days especially. I’m pretty glad that painting is constantly consuming my attention. Long story short tho, I grind every day, but it never feels like work.

Susan Eatmon | @susaneatmon.com

Ian Shearer | ianschearerstudio.com

Whitney Staheli | rwhitney.com

Taeil Kim | @taeilkim_art

Analia Larizzati | @analarizzati Sebastian Magnani sebastianmagnani.com

Aimee Mandala | aimeemandalart.com Nirvani Harriram | nirvanibrown.com

A conversation with Amber and Justin.

"WHERE CREATIVITY REALLY THRIVES" "I knew then that this was an extremely difficult art form that would challenge me forever. There was something so sacred and ceremonial about this unique craft. My mind was set and never swayed."

Amber Muse

instagram.com/ambrmuse | @artwalkmagazine.com | Page 52

Hi neighbor, to help our readers get to know you a little, can we get started by getting to find out who Amber is. I go by Amber Muse. I chose the name Muse because of the definition which states, something that inspires. To inspire and remain inspired is a big part of what I want to do in life in all aspects. I work from a private studio in Long Beach California and I’ve been tattooing for about 4 years now. I’m from Lakewood/Long Beach area, so pretty much an LB native and I absolutely love it here. Love the meaning behind the name. Can you tell us your first experience or memories with art or working with something creative? I remember always being good at art naturally. When we would do drawings in grade school I didn’t realize my work was anything special but all the kids would comment on it and ask me to draw their stuff for them. Lol. It became my thing. I would draw portraits a lot at an early age as well. At about 9-10 I was really into portrait work and drawing realism which is kind of interesting for a small kid. I guess it all spiraled from there.

Outside of drawing portriats while growing up did you explore painting or other mediums at all? What was it that lead you in the direction of tattooing as your chosen medium? I loved anything creative. I simply loved the idea of making something out of nothing. What led me to tattooing was seeing it on TV when I was in highschool and I realized that was a career that would give me freedom. I wanted to draw different things everyday, to hear people’s stories, and to be able to look and dress (express) however I wanted. I also felt so drawn to the difficulty of the medium of ink on skin with a machine or tool. I knew then that this was an extremely difficult art form that would challenge me forever. "There was something so sacred and ceremonial about this unique craft. My mind was set and never swayed."

Being in front of the camera as well as a fashion designer obviously had a lot to do with your creativity in some of the work I’m currently seeing. It seems very fashion inspired but I’d also say an abstract style of art to it. Without even getting into camera technique and skills how do you find yourself coming up with your ideas for a shoot? I think my work turned more artful as I started working with musicians and letting music inspire the ideas. I have always had an active imagination and that is definitely a contributing factor but as I would listen to music I would see visuals and that would often be wildly inspiring. I also find that working on the fly with unexpected items would often lend itself to fanciful ideas. Letting people become artful visions. A cinematic sort of Inspiration, as if the person might have walked out of another world or time or a story.

Setting up a photo shoot with props and models and lighting all working together to give that feel and imagination you have in your head can be tricky though right? I think what many aspiring photographers might run into is they set up a scene, they take the photos it's just not coming out in the colors or the mood that they had envisioned. So there is something to be said about your talent and skill level that you can set a scene and then shoot it as you see it in your head. So what is the link here that many artists have trouble with? Is it the lighting, your camera, imagination? I think we have all bridged that at some point in time as an artist. Not getting what we see in our imagination is part of what makes us explore and learn and improve. For me, I think the way I have naturally overcome this is by letting the knowledge base that I have from experience inform what is possible. All the experimentation and hours put into craft help to build a toolkit we can pull from when imagining what we will do next. I also think it’s very important to stay receptive to what is available when things aren’t going exactly as planned. There is always magic and beauty to be found. Sometimes letting go of the initial idea leads to organic creation that would have been missed with planning. In my opinion best shoots offer a little of both, a co-creation with what we know we can execute and what is available to us that we didn’t foresee at the moment.

Ya great way to look at it. Being receptive to change and what’s available is a great tip. Where do you find yourself currently in your career and what do you find yourself exploring these days with your experimentation? After 25 years of shooting I definitely am more interested in the art of it. I feel in some ways I am back to experimenting and evolving. Light experimentation is more at the forefront. I also find myself doing quite a bit of nostalgic photography. Modern ideas but with old inspirations. Mixing these elements with post production that is fantasy based is really fun. Aside from photography I enjoy creating art in other mediums to stay inspired as well. Pottery, illustration, jewelry.. These are fun ways to play.

Sounds like you are having fun, I think that’s got to be a good place to be. Before I let you go, have to get a few gear questions in. What’s kind of camera are you shooting with? And any favorite lenses? I shoot with Canon. Currently, I use the 5D Mark IV. When Canon came out with the first digital camera the canon d60 I got it and started to transition more work into digital. Hard to believe I started my career solely with film. I still love shooting film and have a huge collection of vintage cameras I often use for creative alternates in shoots. My first camera was a Pentax k1000 and it’s still a gem. I also love the Mamiya 645 system and I often use Polaroid backs for tests. I have a lot of lenses because it truly depends on what I am shooting which lens will be perfect. If I had to travel with just one it would either by the ef 1.2 50mm fixed or the Canon EF 70200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens. I can use either to achieve very dreamy results but also clean captures as well.

Ok, interesting. So if I ran into you at that point in your life, arriving in Tel Aviv, how would you remember things being? Did you right away know you wanted to continue your art career or did it take some time to evolve before you really pushed yourself to become an artist again? I have always created art and will always continue to create. When I arrived in Tel Aviv I was given the opportunity to show my art and get exposure. When I got here I started participating in exhibitions and even got a chance to do a solo exhibition. Tel Aviv is full of art of all kinds. You can soak up art and culture walking the streets here they are full of graffiti and diverse artistic statements. Who are some of your favorite artists at the moment doing good work in Israel? Zadok Ben David, Aviv Grinberg, Oren fisher, Pilpeled. I'm glad you found yourself in such a great spot. After moving to Tel Aviv, and picking back up with your arts, did you find yourself experimenting with different artistic mediums? I am on a journey of discovery, and I am very much enjoying it. As I discovered painting, over time I found that I am drawn to other things related to creation. The thing I love most to do is create, and I have dreams in all sorts of areas. Some people will see it as "dispersing" but I see it as part of my journey in the world. I am drawn to fashion, sculpture, painting and always try to challenge myself and touch on areas I have not touched and discover myself in them.

And where do you find yourself currently on this journey? Can you share with us what you are currently working on? I mostly try to understand and refine my works and my self-expression in them. I focus on getting myself out of my comfort zone and doing things for the first time, developing my art, and seeing where it takes me. I recently finished a large project I was working on for several months that was beyond painting, it is called "Now" 200 * 200 cm and is made of acrylic on wood, plants, and lighting. It deals with time and contains within it sunsets and sunrises, the infinity and elements of life and love while focusing on the present. It is displayed in a boutique hotel in the city of Eilat Israel. In addition, I am working on a new solo exhibition.

Also in the way of art openings, what would be your recommendations for someone visiting Tel Aviv to make sure they get a chance to see? Any favorite galleries or museums? The Tel Aviv Museum is a must-see destination for anyone interested in art, in addition, there are guided tours of art in the city that include visits to artists' studios. I Recommend getting to Florentine and Jaffa are authorities in amazing street art. Lissa, I appreciate your time answering some of my questions, it's been nice to get to know you more and learn a bit about Israel at the same time. If someone wants to see more of your art or follow you online what is the best way to connect with you? I try to update and make it available on Instagram (@lissaarditi) and of course on my website at www.lissaarditi.com - Lissa

Wow, can’t wait to see the new piece. Congrats on the new solo show as well? Can you tell us a little about it or is it still too far out to give any details? I'm still too far away to give details, but I can tell I work very hard to express myself and it is made up of strong emotions I went through from my personal experiences that I think a lot of people can find a connection to, or I hope so. Sounds like you are putting a lot into the show. I hope it opens very well for you and we'll make sure to keep an eye out for photos from the opening.

ArtWalk Magazine Issue 02