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Issue #16 Fall 2021

Blonde Boxer | Drawing | W:30.00 H:44.00 in | AW127517376

by Martin Beck published by

a contemporary art magazine providing art critiques, interviews, news, events, calls, artist presentations, articles and ads

OBSERVICA Magazine

Issue #16 Fall 2021 December - 2021

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OBSERVICA Magazine

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MGZ136908775

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https://www.observica.com/fall2021

Date:

31-Dec-2021

Publisher:

Discover the Artist

Observica is a Canadian contemporary art magazine published by "Discover the Artist” media holding. It focuses on telling the compelling story of significant arts created by brilliant artists from all around the world. Our publications are available to millions of art lovers, experts, collectors and enthusiasts in both digital and print format and reach readers in over 120 countries.

Observica is a registered trademark.

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission from the publishers.

The magazine can assume no responsibilities for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations.

Bad or Good Man Painting, Mixed Media on Paper W:30 H:44 in 2019 Martin Beck

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Martin Beck Painting, Drawing, Multimedia Art

Martin Beck, born 1962, has been a figurative artist since 1992. For Beck, what began as political statements in paint and pastel have become a search through portraiture for what it means to be human in the twenty-first century. He is best known for large pastel and mixed media drawings and paintings of the nude human form.

Martin Beck has received several awards, honors, and distinctions, including two New Jersey Council on the Arts Fellowships and Artist in Residence at the Medana Art Festival in Slovenia and the Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT. In addition, Beck has exhibited widely, and his work has appeared in several publications. Martin Beck lives and works in Lexington, Kentucky.

biafarin.com/artist?name=martin-beck

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Study for a Boxer

Drawing, Mixed Media | W:30 H:44 in | 2019 | AW127712436

Martin Beck: Provocative Passion Marian White Interviewer

Martin, we are so grateful that you take the time to talk with us about your art career and the stunning artworks you created or are creating. Tell us about your artistic background story and if there was a pivotal moment when you decided to follow your path as a visual artist?

I was lucky to grow up in Western New York when the government still supported the arts. Nearby Art Park in Lewiston, NY, was a publicly funded venue presenting cutting-edge artworks through residencies. In addition, the Albright Knox Art Museum and Hallwalls Gallery in Buffalo, NY, were essential for my early exposure to art and performance. As a result, I understood how much an activist and engaged government providing money and resources for the arts enriches local communities. I have also connected art with the community, art with humanity, and art with the diversity of heritage and history. As a first-generation American, these connections seem absolutely vital to the health of our society.

So great. Growing up in an artistic environment and getting acquainted with culture and art from childhood and adolescence creates interest and a sense of respect for art as a path to maintain ideals in society. Was there ever a moment of doubt to question your art career entirely?

I have Ankylosing Spondylitis (A.S.), chronic inflammatory arthritis that waxes and wanes. My doubts come when the condition flares. It isn't easy to work at such times, and a flare usually leaves debilitating artifacts as it wanes – I'm left further damaged.

I've also developed a sense of how fleeting our experiences are. Working from life is like trying to capture time.

A.S. informs this attitude which forced me to deal with physical limitations. Yet, I recall that the opportunity to make art is a privilege and, as such, a responsibility. In my practice, the concern is not with the finished piece but the experience of art-making, one that I feel a responsibility to share that with my audience.

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You’re right. What the artists present via their artworks, grows out of the responsibilities they feel towards their viewers’ feelings and circumstances. What is your daily routine when working in your studio?

I am an artist without routine. As a result, the only consistent part of my practice is Sunday figure drawing sessions with local artists. Then, of course, there are days when I work at a furious pace – but that only happens when my body can handle it. I do spend a lot of time researching. I read each morning for several hours. I take stock of all the many pieces in various states of completion and try to feel what direction I should take them.

The only possible benefit of A.S. is that the physical limitations have made me take more time to notice the work I've made. I've developed my own Slow Art Movement that celebrates the human figure and traditional materials to counteract the fast art with the aesthetic equivalent of a "low satiety value."

Now we’d love to know how do you work on an artwork? So, take us through your process of making your artworks. How do you move from an idea to an artwork? Where does an artwork begin for you?

I prepare a paper by applying various media: acrylic paint, dry pigment, etc., and then use printmaking techniques to create random patterns. Finally, I use mixed media, including pastel, watercolor media, ink, and spray paint with the prepared paper and its random patterns as the ground for drawings from life.

Mark-making is an essential element as I build up the surface over time through various life drawing sessions with several models. As a result, the work becomes quite thick with layers of color and texture, and the final piece is more like a painting than a drawing. Because of all the layers, these works on paper often contain palimpsests – ghost figures from previous images - that evoke half-forgotten dreams or alternate realities. Or, as the 4th-century philosopher Augustine of Hippo wrote: "A present of things past, a present of things present and a present of things future."

Great job. With the artistic career and the artworks you created, you made it clear to us that no limitation can stop the passion for art and creativity. Is there a central concept connecting all your works together or each series or artwork is unique?

Despite my art's realist appearance, it is not linked to any specific style or movement; instead, it addresses the timeless, unfolding theater of human life in the 21st Century. What began for me as social and political observations through my art have become a search for what it means to be human in the 21st Century through studying the nude form.

Despite my art's realist appearance, it is not linked to any specific style or movement; instead, it addresses the timeless, unfolding theater of everyday life. I've explored contemporary scenes and rituals as they are played out in a society in flux through the figure.

Throughout my career, I have tried to explore the human condition by working with the figure. I want my work to help "express and overcome our humanity," and the nude now seems to be the best vehicle for this expression.

❝I try to use my work to uncover ideas and pose questions that might help spark a quiet revolution in the viewer's own experience.❞

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After completing your artwork and reaching the “Aha” moment, do you give a detailed explanation about the work in order to convey the message to the viewers? I mean, would you like to give a particular interpretation of your work to your viewers or do you prefer to leave the whole interpretation to your audience?

This question presents me with a dilemma. While I like the audience to make an individual interpretation, yet I don't want my work to be prescriptive in any way.

At the same time, I am not an ideologue and do not pretend to answer complex cultural issues; instead, I try to use my work to uncover ideas and pose questions that will compel a viewer to reflect and reckon with the challenges of a society going through a critical period of transition.

Since my work involves the nude, some people might have a visceral response to these depictions. As a result, the powerful "loaded" props, like guns and swords, often included might lead to unfortunate interpretations.

Are these images erotically evocative? I think not – they are too straightforward for that and imbued with too much sadness. I'd like the audience to come away with regret that these symbols are as meager and fleeting as a drawing.

There are some imaginative links between the parts of artists' souls and the inspiration as a reflective impression of the soul that experiences it. How do you seek and use inspiration for your works?

Books and poetry can have a profound influence on my work. T. S. Eliot's Four Quartets presents ideas and imagery regarding our experience of time running through my mind when I draw from life. I often have a line from a poem running through my mind as I work. Music is also a constant in the studio.

Yet my inspiration comes primarily from the models themselves. There is a collaborative element to setting up a pose and deciding which props to use – something the model often chooses. I also frequently respond to current events and the changes in our attitudes about gender, race, and equality. The model and I often share our hopes or, more often, our anger with these changes. For example, one model and I spent a session fuming over Trump's then-recent comments about "the squad," and immigrants in general: We are both firstgeneration Americans.

Martin, how do you select your artworks subjects? Where they come from?

Models often come to me from figure drawing classes at the local university, and I work with whoever comes along. Models come and go with some frequency, and they often bring their own props to work with, so there is some degree of randomness. Unfortunately, male models are uncommon here, and so there is a definite gender disparity.

Some artworks will be remembered due to amplifying various feelings. In fact, artists use their artworks influences to instill different concepts of life and emotions and that’s why they become memorable. Is there an artwork or series you would like to be remembered for? And if yes, what is it?

The five works that comprise the Patriarchal Funk series (2018, 2019) are large-scale nudes that deal with gender and identity through symbols and metaphors. In these works, I feel that form and color create a brooding atmosphere of introspection. Furthermore, I believe they often induce the viewer to question their own conceptions regarding identity.

Another group of drawings presents the warrior portrait theme: Men and women with swords, guns, or boxing gloves. Again, there is sadness in these pieces. The models suggest introspection, anxiety, and awkwardness.

The vulnerability of the nude or partial nude figure enhances the effect of almost overhearing the thoughts of the people portrayed.

Martin, where do your influences come from? What are your art influences? Who are your favorite contemporary or historical artists and why?

I regularly look to three specific artists for influence and inspiration. First, Frida Kahlo's raw honesty in selfportraiture and her struggle with physical debility resonates with tremendous power for me. Second, Edwin Dickinson is a perennial favorite for his remarkable drawing skill and the mysterious attraction of his major figure paintings and odd self-portraits. Finally, R. B. Kitaj's vision of cold war society and the images that illustrate the personal demons he fought make for singularly dynamic and disturbing works. All three artists bring the spirit of the outsider to their work that resonates with me.

Yet, I am also fascinated by the Neue Sachlichkeit artists of pre-World War II Germany. The First World War experience informed their work, the turmoil of German society, and the dehumanizing aspects of new technology. We live in a similar time with our own seemingly endless wars and terrorism, climate change and income inequality, gun violence, racism, and bigotry.

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Let's immerse ourselves in the imagination! If you could meet one of your ideal artists from the past, who would it be and what will you ask?

R. B. Kitaj is a fascinating artist who is somewhat of a cliché: A white male artist, an intellectual, a scoundrel in his personal life, and obviously someone in turmoil regarding his identity. But, unfortunately, it would be all too easy to condemn him out of hand, as some do. So instead, I would ask him about the compositional elements of his earlier work and his ideas about the figure's relationship with pop art (at the time) and abstract art in general. And I would ask about the central tragedy of his later life - getting raked over the coals by art critics for his mid-nineties solo exhibition only to have his wife die in the middle of the controversy: If he ever made peace with that experience.

And our readers are eager to discover the emotions and hear what your portraits say. So, waiting for your future works, Martin. Any upcoming works or future projects that you would like to share with our readers?

I'm usually involved in several group shows, although the pandemic has changed that. The next three projects I am included in are the Waterloo Arts Festival in Cleveland, OH, Brand 49 at the Brand Library and Art Center in Glendale, CA, and the Codex Project in Philadelphia, PA. Wonderful, we will follow your future projects to see more interesting modern art created by your artistic sense. Martin, that was a very rich and informative talk and I am very grateful you accepted our invitation. Good luck with your artistic revolutions.

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Dear art fans, thank you for your attention and we hope that this interview answered a considerable part of your questions about Martin's artistic career. If you want to ask your own question, please scan the QR code and proceed.

Martin Beck

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Armed Drawing, Pastel on Paper W:30 H:44 in 2019 Martin Beck

Capturing the immediacy of the model’s presence maintains a connection to reality at a time when media intrusion is overwhelming. In this way, working from life is about the artist preserving an episode of human interaction. In presenting themselves to the world, the model collaborates in this process. The collaboration between model and artist now occurs at a troubling and turbulent time when fact, if not truth itself, is under siege.

By working from life, the model and artist reveal the truth of a specific action, time and place, that cannot be faked. The finished work is a direct artifact of past activity.

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Blonde Boxer Drawing, Mixed Media W:30 H:44 in 2020 Mixed Media on Prepared Paper Martin Beck

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In the Land of Pink and Blue Drawing, Mixed Media on Paper W:30 H:42 in 2019 Mixed media on Prepared Paper Martin Beck

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Suspicion Drawing, Mixed Media W:30 H:44 in 2021 Mixed Media on Prepared Paper Martin Beck

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A Hero’s Painting - A Tribute to John Lewis Painting, Oil Color on Board W:24 H:32 in 2020 Mark Oldland

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Mark Oldland Painting

Mark Oldland is an autistic adult who resides in Hillsborough, NJ with his wife and son, who also has autism spectrum disorder. As an artist, he strives to positively promote the abilities of autistic individuals by providing a window into their uniquely shared father/son perspective of the world. In doing so, his artwork is meant to encourage inclusion and educate the public about living life as an autistic person.

Mark began his art education at the Pennsylvania School of Art and Design in Lancaster, PA. Following two years of Fine Art Studies, he transferred to Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, MD, where he completed his undergraduate studies with a degree in General Fine Art in the Spring of 2000. Mark’s early works were heavily influenced by his fascination and interaction with moving water. As a result, his art career took a non-traditional turn when he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard in order to further his understanding of moving water. Upon his personal request, his service time included patrols on the Bering Sea and South Pacific while he continued to paint and draw the impacts of the environment he was observing. His experiences in the Coast Guard then unexpectedly led him to pursue a career with the Environmental Protection Agency in Emergency Response. This atypical path has pushed his artwork outward from his early comfort zone of analytical abstraction to explore his relationship with the representational world which, as an autistic individual, Mark finds abstract. This newfound range from one extreme to the other is the basis for his current art exploration, wherein he creates artwork to illustrate his “Spectrum” to the world. Through this work, he hopes to enlighten the public about the many abilities autistic people have to offer.

biafarin.com/artist?name=mark-oldland

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Green Wave

Painting, Ink on Paper | W:60 H:40 in | 2002 | AW127183720

Mark Oldland: Self Spectrum Monica Davidson Interviewer

Mark, many thanks for accepting our invitation to talk about your art and inform us about your artworks. Tell us about your artistic background story and if there was a pivotal moment when you decided to follow your path as a visual artist?

The primary thing I hope my audience understands about where my artwork comes from and how I “got started” as an artist is that I identify as an autistic individual. Being autistic influences all aspects of me as an individual, not just my artwork. I cannot simply separate myself from my autism to paint or draw something.

Whether or not I choose to make it a focal point of what I’m doing, it’s always going to be there and resonate within the imagery. Art then becomes a means to an end for me. It allows me, long before I pursued art as a career, to speak and engage socially with the world in a way that I would otherwise find nearly impossible to do without it.

Of course, our readers know you well. And, they believe you have professionally learned how to connect art and your life realities and express your feelings and ideas via your art. Was there ever a moment of doubt to question your art career entirely?

If you’re looking at one specific moment in time, then I’d say immediately following art school when my work was not quite developed as it is now and I first encountered some rejection towards what I was doing.

However, as I indicated earlier my artwork is intrinsically tied to who I am as an autistic person and one of my struggles as an autistic person is social anxiety. So, in many ways, I’m in a constant state of doubt about my artwork. But it’s that struggle that I’m trying to relay to the viewer in hopes that they can better understand the difficulties that I encounter and others like myself encounter when trying to “fit in” with the neurotypical world.

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You tried to transform external realities into artworks, and when the issues are incorporated into art, their impact can be more splendid and more beautiful than reality itself. What is your daily routine when working in your studio?

As an autistic person routine is essential for me. Part of this means I must work in a certain order in a certain way. Line drawing first; Line always comes first because that’s how my mind sees and interprets the world.

Next, color studies if needed with color and form always built over the line (wash, rinse, repeat for each progressive stage of the work). But it’s not just the routine of the physical labor of art-making that’s important.

Perhaps more important is the routine of artistic engagement and interaction with my peers and those who follow my work.

It’s those types of activities that allow me to keep my social “muscles” practiced and capable of existing more naturally in the neurotypical world. If I don’t do that, I can not only find myself in a creative lull, but a social one as well.

If people can find and think about their concerns, and work hard to deal with and reduce their negative impact, their emotional gaps will be filled, and their vision will be wider and wider. Fortunately, you chose art for this, and you were able to do it with painting. Now, take us through your process of making your artworks. How do you move from an idea to an artwork?

My artwork is based upon how I see and interact with the world so it’s a natural byproduct of my response towards that. My earlier works are almost entirely based on simple lines very often devoid of any color and perceived by most as being very abstract. This is because that’s where I was socially at that time. My ability to engage at that time in the neurotypical world was very limited and when I did engage it was through my natural perception of the line.

As I progressed socially so did my ability to add color and to portray representational images. What makes me, me, is still my interpretation of the line, yet I have no choice to exist in the representational or neurotypical world. This is why my work still maintains a foothold in both worlds and can often bounce and forth between linear abstraction and contemporary representational works. Eliminating one or the other would deprive me of the ability of what it means to exist today as an autistic individual.

Where does an artwork begin for you?

Line… I often tell people that I first and foremost see and interpret the world through the line, that’s why for me, what most see as linear abstraction looks and feels representational. And the traditional representational image to me is akin to what most perceive as being abstract. All of my artwork carries an element of this conversation, but no matter how the end product is perceived by the viewer (abstract or representational) it’s important to know that the through-line is a line.

❝Art provides me with a voice for myself, my son, and others who identify as autistic enlightening the public about the many abilities autistic people have to offer.❞

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All the lines you talk about and everything you draw make you very successful in expressing the different feelings you have and social interactions, and this is the most significant thing that can be done through art. Is there a central concept connecting all your works together or each series or artwork is unique?

Living as an autistic adult in a neurotypical world & celebrating it. Most peoples’ perception of autism doesn’t include someone who whitewater kayaks, is a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, and is married and raising an autistic son, but it’s my aim through my artwork to change that perception. All of my work speaks towards the central part of who I am and the central concept is meant to illustrate the difficulties that autistic people encounter in a world designed for neurotypical people to succeed. My work is also intended to show how the autistic community day in and day out rises to the challenge to take on those systemic barriers to surpass the stereotypical expectations in society.

Art is looking at life differently. Art is supposed to elevate us so that we gain an understanding of our surroundings and human interactions. Some of our problems culminate in the fact that we fail to find the right path and brevity to walk through as well as an understanding of being. Would you like to give a particular interpretation of your work to your viewers or do you prefer to leave the whole interpretation to your audience?

Sometimes within an individual work, I might lead the viewer towards a specific interpretation through the subject matter and title; however, the central focus is intended to be clear; my work illustrates my interpretation of the world as an autistic individual. That can’t be changed just like my autism can’t be changed.

However, my response to outside stimuli changes quite frequently as many individuals on the spectrum will tell you. That’s why sometimes my work comes across as abstract yet other times it’s very representational (or somewhere in between). I’m responding and/or communicating visually what I’m able to take in from a sensory perspective at that given moment in time. The amount of color & vibrancy of color form is limited by what I’m able to see and feel. Sometimes form and color can even be exaggerated if I’m overloading and capable of existing at that moment without burning out.

I think dealing with the art of painting is a great way for an autistic person who can experience a wide range of spectrums with different intensities because it is really in line with the freedom of art that breaks frameworks with its element of creativity and teaches man to be free. Mark, how do you seek and use inspiration for your works?

My inspiration comes from my desire to educate the public about autism (and Special Needs in general) not just for myself, but more importantly for my son who is also autistic. My desire to make certain that my son has doors opened for him rather than shut in his face inspires me to continue to create more than anything else.

You are attempting to enlighten the public about the many abilities autistic people have to offer. Definitely, your son can learn and be overwhelmed by this feeling and, like his father, will illustrate different spectrums to the world. How do you select your artworks subjects? Where do they come from?

Very often I work with landscapes; however, I have always been drawn mostly towards moving water. There is something about water sight, sound, and feel of moving water that I find intriguing and calming. As a child, I channeled that fascination with water towards learning as much as I could about whitewater through the practice of whitewater kayaking. My Senior thesis at art school highlighted a key aspect of whitewater kayaking called Reading the River (the practice of distilling whitewater down to simple directional lines in order to navigate it). As I continued to learn more and more about moving water, I became determined to explore the High Seas, in particular the Bering Sea. That’s how I transitioned from receiving my art degree at Maryland Institute College of Art to enlisting in the U. S. Coast Guard.

When our readers realize that these paintings belong to an artist with autism, their sense of admiration increases, and they show more attention and interest in discovering the message of your artworks. Is there an artwork or series you would like to be remembered for? And if yes, what is it?

Currently, I’m working on a new series called “Puddle Jumping”. It combines all my personal responses towards nature and water as an autistic adult with a frequent experience my son and I enjoy sharing, jumping in puddles. Through this series, I’m moving beyond explaining to the viewer about my individual autistic life towards sharing how my son and I both see and interact with the world together as autistic people. Not only do I hope this series gets the audience to understand me better but my son as well. I would consider this series a success if it paves the way for my son’s life to be more easily understood and accepted than mine has been.

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I know your intent by working within this range is to provide a positive social commentary for autistic individuals and promote inclusion for anyone who may be perceived as being different. Given the enthusiasm of our readers to see your future work, I understand that you have reached the result you want. Now, who are your favorite contemporary or historical artists? What are your art influences?

I’m going to deviate from the norm (as autistics often do) here and provide an atypical response. My biggest influence has been my service in the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard not only developed my understanding of water and how I applied it towards my artwork, but it also forced me to develop socially in ways that I never would have had I not enlisted. As an autistic individual, I always struggled socially even through college where it was difficult for me to maintain social relationships. My Coast Guard social development seeped into my artwork. As I began to explore my range socially, my artwork followed. In college, my artwork focused on simple directional lines. In my Coast Guard artistic development, I learned how to build upon those lines to round out form and ultimately move from pure abstraction into more representational imagery. This coincided with my social development i.e. my simple introverted world built up and expanded and formed a larger, more typical, social structure.

Let's take a trip back in time! If you could meet one of your ideal artists from the past, who would it be and what will you ask?

Alexander Calder. I enjoy viewing his work immensely, but the primary reason I would want to meet and speak with him is that his work is so joyous and playful. I see myself in that light, but because of my autism so few people respond to me in that way. If I met Calder, I’d asked him how to teach me how to impart that playfulness into my work as well as he does.

Any upcoming works or future projects that you would like to share with our readers?

This will be the Puddle Jumping series as explained before.

Great! We look forward to hearing from you soon. I am grateful for interviewing with you, Mark. That was a very striking and practical talk. Good luck with your artistic enhancements.

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Dear art fans, thank you for your attention and we hope that this interview answered a considerable part of your questions about Mark’s artistic career. If you want to ask your own question, please scan the QR code and proceed.

Mark Oldland

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Bldg. 238 Through the Trees Painting, Oil Color on Board W:40 H:30 in 2020 Mark Oldland

As an autistic adult my paintings and drawings are an illustration of my social range & a record of where I have been and what I have done. This painting is a workplace location that has become a fascination of mine.

I often become fixated and mesmerized by the movement and line of the image.

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Riding the River to Recovery No. 3 Printmaking W:40 H:30 in 2021 Akua Ink Monotype Print on Handmade Paper w/Veteran Uniforms Mark Oldland

As an autistic adult this painting depicts the dichotomy between my analytical observations and my emotional response towards the environment. This is my analysis of directional whitewater lines. This reflects “My” representational viewpoint of a specific location.

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Puddle Jumping No. 2 Printmaking, Screen Print W:18 H:15 in 2020 Mark Oldland

During the pandemic in order to endure the countless gloomy rainy days (of quarantine) I spent many of them with my son enjoying an age old childhood pastime...puddle jumping.

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Landmark Painting, Oil Color on Wood W:30 H:40 in 2021 Mark Oldland

As an autistic adult my paintings represent where I have been and what I have through my perception of being autistic. This painting is a reflection of my most loved individuals and how they mark my way through understanding the complex social landscape that exists within the world.

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Self Portrait Painting, Acrylic W:30 H:40 in 2018 Karen Khan

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Karen Khan Painting

Karen Bognar Khan is a contemporary realist painter. She was born in Pittsburgh, PA. She received private art lessons from an early age. After graduating from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, she moved to New York City. She studied art history and criticism at Columbia University. Additional schooling included studying illustration concepts at Parsons School of Design, and later one year of blissful figure painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, Philadelphia, PA. She pursued professional illustration and portraiture from1982 to 1991 in New York City and Pittsburgh, PA. She painted murals from1991-2001. in Pittsburgh, PA. She had an online company called Art Addict Prints from 2009 to 2013, to sell Giclee prints of her paintings.

She has been represented by the Goforth Rittenhouse Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, and the Steve Mendelsohn Gallery in Pittsburgh, PA. Karen is a member of IGOR, the International Guild of Realism. She is represented by Manhattan Arts International and The Art of Gallery, Lenox, MA. She has been a featured artist in the anniversary January 2021 issue of The Artful Mind Magazine. She was a featured artist at Artsy Shark 2020. She shows online internationally and has received awards at the Grey Gube and Art room gallery. She has shown her work in American Art Collector Magazine. Her most recent exhibits include, showing her work at the Berkshire Museum Art of the Hills , winning a third place award in the international prestigious Curators Choice exhibition, a ten painting show at the Becket Art Center, the San Diego Museum of Art online show, and the Healing Power of Color online show. She has done a number of public art commissions. Karen is a painter who was accepted into the online Herstory exhibit in connection with Manhattan Arts International. Her work is held in private collections.

Karen now lives in the Berkshires of Massachusetts and shows her paintings locally at different venues as well.

biafarin.com/artist?name=karen-khan

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Andromeda Rising

Painting, Acrylic | W:42 H:34 in | 2020 | AW127506034

Karen Khan: Questioning the Reality Monica Davidson Interviewer

Karen, many thanks for accepting our invitation to make us more familiar with your art career and remarkable artworks. Tell us about your artistic background story and if there was a pivotal moment when you decided to follow your path as a visual artist?

The pivotal moment that decided the direction of my artistic life came when I was reading the art critic, Arnheim's commentary of Picasso's painting, Guernica. I began to see that he and other art critics thought that it was their role to decide the true value of art. They even inferred that they should clarify artistic thinking and be leaders of thought and judgment. I knew from my painting background that if someone is not actually an artist that beyond a point their knowledge base was here say. I no longer wanted to be an art critic, so I transferred to Carnegie-Mellon University and threw myself into abstract painting. I have always wanted to be an artist. I spent a lot of time in nature as a child and I carved out a corner of the laundry room as a makeshift studio as a child. Like many people I came from a less than perfect family, and I was driven to seek strength in my art as an escape.

So cool! You found that when you create art, you can feel it, touch it, and then you can think and feel like an artist and make critical judgments about specific artworks more clearly. Was there ever a moment of doubt to question your art career entirely?

As I continued to develop my painting, I also started down the academic track in high school. My parents encouraged us to be good students, and my sister and I had a bit of a rivalry over grades. I wanted to go into creative writing and follow my sister into academia. I spent a year and a half at Columbia University wanting to major in English and art history. A teacher of mine wanted to sponsor my poetry writing. However, after a summer in NYC and a relationship that went sour, I soon transferred to art school. I decided that art was my first love and that it would never abandon me.

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That’s great. In fact, art has convinced you that it can be the best friend, companion, and passion you can have in life. Karen, tell us about your workday. What is your daily routine when working in your studio?

I am mostly peaceful yet animated when I paint. Before painting on a given day, I open my energy field and take some meditative breaths and try to be receptive to channeling and seeing visual information. Other times, it takes laser-like focus to get the work done. I work five hours a day. I also do spiritual meditation that is quite different. I would be focusing then on the light in my heart. In both cases, I am open to receiving higher guidance. I like to have a cup of hot tea ready to sip. I prefer to work in silence rather than with music. After the obligatory chores, checking emails and weight lifting, I start work mid-morning. I first ready my pallet, a big clear Plexiglas sheet. I lay out the colors in a classically ordered manner learned from my time spent at the Pennsylvania Academy of Art. We are willing to know more details about you while creating artwork. So, take us through your process of making your artworks. How do you move from an idea to an artwork? Where does an artwork begin for you?

There are two ways that I get an idea. Sometimes ideas will come to me in meditations and other times I do not have a clue what kind of still life that I will set up, and I find out by intuitively playing with and arranging objects which I have collected. I add and subtract elements and consider what relationships might develop, and if I want to pursue this direction. I pose and prop different objects, hang floating objects, and consider reflective and non-reflective surfaces. I use both geometric and nature elements like dry leaves, and different-sized mirrors. As my composition comes into focus, the changes that I make are smaller until my setup crystallizes. The composition of my current untitled painting, came to me in meditation. My first Reflection series painting, Imminent also came to me in meditation. Also, my painting, Andromeda Rising was first seen in my mind’s eye while meditating. Abstract thinking is inextricably fused with all the art elements of color, light, value, form as space as I compose setups.

They are truly stunning artworks. You juxtapose objects, geometric shapes, natural elements, mirrors, and surfaces together, and the combination you create is really impressive and thought-provoking. Is there a central concept connecting all your works together or is each series or artwork unique?

How to combine abstraction with realism has been my conundrum and passion. I had to evolve consciously enough to understand my unique take on this idea. As an adult, I was faced as all artists are, with developing a unique style that fully represented who I was. It took a lot of time for me to authentically accomplish this task.

Worldly matters such as making a living through illustration, then mural painting, did get in the way. Of course, all our prior experience acts as the foundation for our further development.

In my twenties, I painted abstract work that combined elements of cubism and abstract expressionism. I enjoyed dwelling in a dissociated mind frame as I worked. It was an explorative period. However, figurative images kept popping up in my work. It is perhaps less common for a mature artist to move from abstraction to realism. I believe Picasso said that he thought that the human brain always must have a connection with realistic images even in abstraction. This was my natural development. It is hard to say when I began seeing realism as abstract. At the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, I remember seeing the figure as a landscape. It was a freeing concept to see a pure form. A central concept running through my work is how my personal spiritual development affected how I see reality.

❝I love participating in a largerthan-life adventure with creative forces, and encountering unexpected challenges.❞

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Still life became the focus of my traditional realistic paintings as well, prior to my current Reflection series.

Some of these earlier pieces included mirrors, cut glass, and bright shiny objects. I saw fabric as a sheath between worlds and was captivated by its subtle abstract forms. Occasionally, objects were wrapped halfhidden in a fabric sheath. It took several more years for my still life concept to develop into the clarity of the Reflection series.

Your paintings are the reflection of questions or answers about the universe, existence, dimension, quantum physics, reality, consciousness, etc., in your mind. What do you prefer more? Would you like to give a particular interpretation of your work to your viewers or do you prefer to leave the whole interpretation to your audience?

My paintings are part of the "new still life" movement. I intuitively juxtapose both geometric and biomorphic forms to compose a still life using mirrors and sometimes Hubble telescope images of galaxies. I hope that the viewer clearly sees my Reflection series paintings as a fusion of tantalizing shapes and without preconceptions of object use.

I am inspired to understand more about how to think abstractly about realism by quantum physics. If everything is really energy, then the illusion of "solid" objects becomes more special. What are reality and consciousness? I think that realism from this viewpoint is the most abstract genre. I hope that my compositions are beautiful and intriguing.

They surely are. You arrange objects you have collected. You add and subtract elements and consider what relationships might develop. Then, Abstract thinking is fused with all the art elements of color, light, and value, and finally forms space as you compose setups. How do you get inspired? How do you seek and use inspiration for your works?

In my painting, Magellanic Cloud, I was inspired by an older drawing of mine called, Incandescence. I always wanted to grow this drawing into a painting. My vision was fueled by a long-lost Plexiglas female torso in the original drawing. I had to find another female torso to anchor the subconscious to emerging humanity. The complete visual concept for my current untitled was so clearly presented in meditation. Another source of inspiration is the degradation of the environment expressed as elements in my painting. Crushed coke cans, plastic, dead leaves, and throw-away junk are examples of such elements. The merging of spiritual and scientific concepts as an offshoot of quantum physics also shapes my thinking and inspires my images. Often as I am staging a still life I will become fascinated by a visual possibility that dictated the direction that the arrangement will take.

In your setups, you use a combination of some subjects? How do you select your artworks subjects? Where do they come from?

My setups are made up of a combination of collected visual paraphernalia as well as newly acquired objects. I can either start with a visual idea or give birth to an unexpected new one. The collage-type thinking of adding, subtracting, and rearranging pieces of the puzzle works for me. I follow my muse unquestionably while building still life. For example, while composing my Reflections painting, Night Vigil, I wanted a black background and bright shiny metallic and plastic shapes that sat on a mirror, popping out in the foreground. When the painting was finished, it still needed another item. I was drawn to a dramatic hot pink textured and suspended ribbon from a Christmas package that fulfilled the painting.

I know this is a difficult question to ask about your artwork because each of the elements used in your artwork tells a story of its own, and the combination of them reveals a very memorable overall story. Is there an artwork or series you would like to be remembered for? And if yes, what is it?

I would like to be remembered for my Reflection series. The individual painting also entitled, Reflections, was a breakthrough piece. The large visually complex setup and sweeping sea of blue fabric were also mirrored. I hung several small mirrors that I imagined as living orbs. This painting considered the concept of non-human life forms and parallel realities. My painting, Andromeda Rising included two Hubble telescopes back drops. The image of humanity in the mannequin figure is bowed down by the weight of the new reality. The first Reflection series painting called, Imminent, pushes the viewer towards creating a dissonance. No narrative!

Why the coke can, fall leaves, and upside-down globe? A sitting wooden figure is surrounded by fall leaves contemplating a conundrum. The reflection in the hanging mirror behind the wooden figure's head was my first orb-like element.

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Now, let’s talk about your influences, Karen. What are your art influences? Who are your favorite contemporary or historical artists and why?

The perfection and quiet poetry of classical Italian Renaissance painting seeped into my veins first at a young age. I remember painting an early still life that had a background similar to the Florentine hills behind the Mona Lisa.

Picasso was fascinating to me, but not so easily understood until my teens. His dynamic approach to new thinking and breaking the rules of classicism was so sweeping. I wrote him a letter in fifth grade asking him to be his apprentice. I never heard back. He was my favorite artist. I painted a cubist painting of my own of Gertrude Stein as a tribute to his work of this name.

The photo realists like Janet Fish, directly influenced my current work. All her still life reflections were so full of abstraction and light. I loved the detailed drama of her work and felt that an imaginary world gained more impact by spending time on details. I liked her continued emphasis on reflections. I was just a little put off with her sometimes "display case" still life format. I wanted a different presentation that would have no overtures of a department store display case and shopping.

Great! If you could meet one of your ideal artists from the past, who would it be and what will you ask?

I love the late paintings of the pop artist, Rosenquist. It seems to me that he was seeking a new direction for the forefront of the Avant guard of painting. He was using some galactic imagery and combining abstraction with realism in a highly energized yet composed manner. It would have been wonderful to talk to him passionately about his exact personal focus in these late paintings, and the art world in general. What was he thinking and feeling? I have no idea what his spiritual beliefs were. I would have enjoyed learning about any insights that he cared to share. We have in common that I choose to paint some similar subject matter, but from a different viewpoint and in a different style. I would relish any comments that he had to share about my painting!

Since our readers are passionate about your artworks, they are waiting for your future series. Any upcoming works or future projects you would like to share with our readers?

I am going to be experimenting with how the human figure from a live model, fits into my quantum world. My reflection series world does not seem complete without this further consideration. I have used only mannequins until now to represent the human element. I am starting with a life-size reclining nude against a Hubble backdrop, that is laying on rumpled plastic, with coke cans and the ubiquitous inflatable plastic globe.

I realize that figure paintings are not still life's, which is what I have been exclusively painting.

The tie-in for me is to see all visual elements, including the human figure, as abstract shapes. I want to experiment with expanding my vision. I do not see my Reflection series as finished.

Other compositional ideas are: To use cropped images of the figure along with the same sized still life objects.

To use an uncropped, but smaller human figure with larger still life objects.

Good job! We are enthusiastically looking forward to your artworks with your new ideas. I just want to say thank you for accepting our invitation to this interview, Karen. Our conversation was very beneficial and fruitful.

And I sincerely wish you good luck and increasing success.

❇

Dear art fans, thank you for your attention and we hope that this interview answered a considerable part of your questions about Karen's artistic career. If you want to ask your own question, please scan the QR code and proceed.

Karen Khan

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End of the Year Clean Up Painting, Oil Color W:36 H:36 in 2017 Karen Khan

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Magellianic Cloud Painting, Acrylic W:28 H:34 in 2020 Karen Khan

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Reflections Painting, Acrylic W:36 H:48 in 2018 Karen Khan

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Arriving at Orion Painting, Acrylic W:28 H:36 in 2020 Karen Khan

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American Bald Eagle Sculpture W:48 H:144 D:36 in 2001 Mary Taylor

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Mary Taylor Sculpture

I was born in Rochester, New York in 1947. I am 73 now and am continuing to create steel sculpture after 50 years. I developed my unique technique of welding small steel rods to construct the framework as well as the exterior texture on my pieces.

My parents were ornithologists and travelled the world seeking sightings of all species of birds, from the albatross to fine winged hummingbirds. Through osmosis and observation, I absorbed their passion. I created birds only for my first twenty years of sculpting, followed by animals as well. Originally I didn't paint the pieces.

I left the steel to speak for itself. However, I love color so have painted my sculptures using automotive paint henceforth. I weld stainless steel for exterior works and mild steel for interior creations, free-standing, suspended and wall-mounted displays.

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Bobcat A

Sculpture | W:28 H:20 D:15 in | 2017 | AW127698426

Mary Taylor: Wildlife Spirit Marian White Interviewer

Mary, thank you for taking the time to answer our questions about your art career and your exquisitely crafted sculptures, despite your busy schedule. Now, tell us about your artistic background story and if there was a pivotal moment when you decided to follow your path as a visual artist?

My parents were a vital influence on my sculpture career, specializing in wildlife. They were avid bird watchers.

They traveled the avian world and were well known in birding societies.

My path as a sculptor started in 1970 in Fairfax, California. In college, I was an art major and appreciated all my art classes, especially ceramics. After my marriage in 1967, my husband's brother had welding tanks set up in our garage where he was working on sculptures with a steel rod and steel sheet metal. I was intrigued with the rods and asked him to teach me how to weld. I loved it instantly. We moved to a new home in Fairfax where I set up my own welding equipment. We visited my brother in Los Angeles, and while walking with him, I was inspired to make a full-sized Eagle. After its completion, I knew that this welding style and technique, allowing light to shine through the steel rods, was what I wanted to develop, henceforth.

Many people and many opportunities may come our way. It is we who decide to use them and elevate our path of life and goals or ignore them. You started with your parents' knowledge of birds and combined it with your brother-in-law's art, and you went on to add creativity to it. Was there ever a moment of doubt to question your art career entirely?

In the mid-80's, having a welding studio as well as working at a tile manufacturing company, I accepted a commission to paint a mural on the lobby wall of a nearby nature preserve. After completing this mural which took several months working alone, and being completely immersed and thrilled, I seriously considered discontinuing welding. The famous muralist, Alfred Bierstadt was my hero. However, practicality won out. I returned to welding sculpture and am so glad I did. My reputation as a sculptor was growing, and the resulting income was welcome.

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In the late 90's, there was a time when my pieces were not selling. I thought a change in employment would be prudent and helpful. Being concerned with our need for alternative energy, I took an online course in Solar Energy. I appreciated the intricacies of the profession, but this time out from sculpture came to an end. I had a renewed appreciation for the meditative focus required in welding. My sense of well-being and inner strength returned.

Sometimes there are ups and downs in the path of artists, and the important thing is that their great interest and passion for art never leave them, and they always return to their art. What is your daily routine when working in your studio?

Being a very disciplined person, the daily sculpting routine has helped me tremendously. I am 73 and have been welding for over 50 years. Ninety-five percent of those years have been conducted with my going to the studio in the morning during the work-week and welding for 3-4 hours without interruption. Having this structured time has been very valuable in terms of finishing projects and having a heartfelt feeling of accomplishment and a sense of well-being. This schedule leaves my afternoons free to work on the administrative aspect of my profession, and fulfilling household matters.

Now, take us through your process of making your artworks.

I am struck! The “beautiful” and “unique” in a bird or animal will strike my fancy. In starting a steel bird sculpture, I research it through reading and photographs. Depending on the final size, I will use mainly 1/16” to 3/8” rods, mild or stainless steel. A basic three-dimensional steel outline is made. This is the most challenging stage, as it will include expression, attitude, and balance.

In the second stage, I fill the spaces created in the first stage, by welding straight rods closely together, leaving a bit of space so that light can shine through. This is the very unique aspect of my sculpture, for when the work is complete, tiny twinkling light shines through the whole piece.

The third stage is comprised of making feathers, or fur. The quills are straight rods, followed by short diagonal side rods, attached to the quill. Depending on the size of the bird, a sparrow, or an eagle, the feather sizes vary, from a 1/2” long to 24” long. Fur is created by attaching 3/8” long rods to the second stage body. The final stage is painting close to its authentic coloration. At last, the sculpture is covered with an automotive clear coat.

Great job, Mary. The subject of most of your artworks is birds and wildlife in nature. Is there a central concept connecting all your works together or is each series or artwork unique?

Nature is the connecting concept in all my sculptures. The appreciation, respect and understanding of Nature is vital for all human beings.

All my sculptures are unique, one-of-a-kind creations. I do not make duplicates. For the first twenty years welding sculptures, I focused on birds only and left the steel in its natural state on completion. Henceforth and to the present day, I began creating animals as well as birds and I use paint, as the finishing touch, to enhance and emphasize their beauty.

❝I love that the only expectations are the ones you give yourself and the only limitations are the ones you allow in.❞

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As you mentioned, everything that exists in nature is our heritage. With your sculptures, you warn about the extinction of animal species in nature and compare it with the fragility of humans. How do you want viewers to receive these messages? Would you like to give a particular interpretation of your work to your viewers or do you prefer to leave the whole interpretation to your audience?

I like to have my audience garner their own interpretation of my sculpture and also let them know my philosophy expressed through my statement below. I weld nature’s creatures in mild and stainless steel to enhance our connection to and our understanding of the grand forces of nature and the movement and growth so inherent for our imaginations to flourish and reach out towards our dreams. Over the last 40 years, I have constructed interior and exterior sculptures of wildlife. Employing steel rods, I render unique and intricate patterns of realistic animation with a strength of spirit and intensity of aliveness. My sculpture is an announcement, a reminder, and a heralding of our natural heritage. This is a poignant, crucial time in the light of extinction. There are basic philosophical questions encompassing the juncture of life and death, beauty and harmony of not only our endangered species but also of our own fragile selves.

We appreciate what you do, Mary. You have taken on a very heavy, and at the same time consequential, responsibility, so you need strong motivation and inspiration. How do you seek and use inspiration for your works?

I find inspiration when I’m feeling relaxed. That is a time when I feel comfortable within myself and can look outward to take in our beautiful world. So many aspects of Nature inspire me, in all the four seasons that I encounter in upstate New York.

It could be a small Titmouse sitting on a snow-covered branch against a gray sky. It could be the flash of bright yellow Goldfinch swooping to the feeder or hearing a Meadowlark sing in the field in May. I see wild Turkeys strutting under amber leaves in the Fall. I have such an appreciation for the warm sun after a frigid winter, the singing of the birds, the world turning green, flowers blushing out. It’s miraculous!

Through observation of Nature, I find myself adding another bird or animal to the top of my “Have to make this!” list. Commissions are lovely too, as I enjoy partnering with the buyer to decide what would be the best project for them.

What do your subjects come from? How do you select your artworks subjects?

The subjects for my artworks come mainly from focusing on the bird and animal worlds. My delight and curiosity will be sparked by the activity, posture, and/or beauty of a particular species. Usually, they are native to the United States. I will research the subject in books and online and pick out a position that is intriguing and catches the eye. My pieces are one-of-a-kind. The final decision on what to create depends on how large the work will be and how much time is involved in making it.

Is there an artwork or series that you would like to be remembered for? Of course, I know, for you and about your sculptures, this is a difficult question!

It is difficult to pick out sculptures that I would like to be remembered for. They are all like my children.

However, certain works do stand out. Some sculptures remind me of a particular person or the buyer. Others stand out because of the attitude they are emitting.

The She-Wolf - 1993 This piece at the very moment of departure to its buyer, made me cry. I wrapped my arms around the scruff of its neck and thought of my father who had died a year before. I remembered his love, his fierceness, and his protection of me. Also, I realized that those characteristics were part of myself.

Imminence - 2014 This Panther was born out of the fact that it was seriously endangered in the Everglades National Park in Florida. I tried to emphasize its fearsomeness. It is threatening as its existence in Nature. It is threatened by humans who indiscriminately shoot them for sport.

Jack - 2021 I love the wildness, size, and speed of the Jack Rabbit. Its long ears and legs. This piece is cantilevered, balanced on one paw to emphasize its swiftness.

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Veteran’s Memorial Eagle - 2012 This Eagle, with a 10’ wingspan, was in the planning stages with Monroe County for five years. I am proud of being chosen to create this memorial. It is thrilling to see it aloft on boulders set against the sky.

Mary. Ok, what are your art influences?

Alfred Bierstadt and N.C. Wyeth are both grand muralists. Beirstadt’s huge and majestic Nature scapes and Wyeth’s depictions of human drama and adventure are so enthralling. They take my breath away. Throughout my career, they inspire me to go “big” and allow myself to be fully immersed in my subject. Through their influence, I try to bring both authenticities of the animal/bird and human emotion into my sculpture.

And, if you could meet one of your ideal artists from the past, who would it be and what will you ask?

Richard Diebenkorn. I met him in the late 80’s. I was invited to a foursome dinner with him and his wife, Phyllis.

He was very kind and relaxed. I told him about my dismay with the local art society’s Artist Tours. He replied, “Don’t do it…” I was surprised and relieved. Phyliss admitted their disappointment when buyers would put Richard’s paintings in a closet, only for an investment, rather than placing it on a wall where it could be enjoyed.

A few days after the dinner, Richard appeared in my studio unannounced. He said it’d been a long time since he’d been in another artist’s studio. I was carving a Snowy Owl in marble at the time. He left with me a pamphlet of one of his sketchbooks.

Mary, our readers feel the same way when they see your sculptures and the size of some of them. A sense of glory, joy, beauty, and even in some of them, a feeling of respect and protection for the important and beautiful species that exist in the world. So, they are waiting for your future artwork. Any upcoming works or future projects that you would like to share with our readers?

I have the opportunity to make a Cardinal for St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York. The Cardinal is its mascot for their football team. The Cardinal will have a 5’ measurement from beak to tail and will stand atop a fabricated steel base symbolizing a mountain. A group of alumni from 1981 joined together to create a memorial for their fellow teammate who was injured in a game, and has been paralyzed ever since. The injured player henceforth encouraged and supported his teammates to two championships at the end of that season. I am honored to be a part of their appreciation.

Very Good news. We look forward to your outstanding sculptures. I am so grateful that you accept our invitation to have an interview with you. I really enjoyed talking to you, Mary. I sincerely wish you more success and brilliance sincerely.

❇

Dear art fans, thank you for your attention and we hope that this interview answered a considerable part of your questions about Mary’s artistic career. If you want to ask your own question, please scan the QR code and proceed.

Mary Taylor

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Elation Sculpture W:13 H:19 D:9 in 2020 Mild Steel Rods, Painted Mary Taylor

Leaping frog

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Elation Sculpture W:13 H:19 D:9 in 2020 Mild Steel Rods, Painted Mary Taylor

Leaping frog

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Excalibur, the Stag Sculpture, Modeling Sculpture Technique on Stainless Steel W:66 H:87 D:25 in 2011 Mary Taylor

Stainless Steel, Painted, Clear-Coat I live in the country with deer browsing in the grasses. It's rare when I see a stag. When they do appear, they are regal and stately. With this in mind, the sculpture, Excalibur, was created. I made the main body initially.

The real excitement was making the antlers separately and then placing them on the head, as a crown. He instantly became a Prince. I was thrilled!

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She-Wolf Sculpture W:66 H:30 D:17 in 1993 Mild Steel, Painted Mary Taylor

In 1993, I moved back East, from California, to help out my mother. My father died that year and Mom was alone. I found an old 1860's barn as a studio and resumed my welding sculptures. I made a few small pieces, but then felt compelled to make a Wolf, a She-Wolf. After completing the piece, and having a show to honor it, I had an interested buyer who bought it. They wanted me to keep it while they decided where they were going to place it. The day finally came when they wanted to take it away. To my surprise, after the phone call with the new owner, I walked up to the She-Wolf, wrapped my arms around the scruff of her neck and deeply cried. The She-Wolf re...

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Mrs. Langshultz Painting, Oil Color W:30 H:40 in 2018 Laura Whitmer

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Laura Whitmer Painting

I have been oil painting for four years. I have always loved art growing up and within the last four years have developed a passion for oil painting. I am a graduate of Liberty University with a Bachelor's degree in Biblical Studies and Sociology, and a Master's in Human Services / Church Ministries. I currently work full time at a Non - Profit school for at risk youth as an Adviser and art teacher, and am a wife and mother of three children. My husband and I have been married for 15 years. He grew up at the school we work at as an at risk youth and has a strong testimony of perseverance thru adversity. He is a military veteran and serves currently as the school's Associate Director. Although I am very busy, I have not given up on my dream of working as a professional artist. I began my studies of Atelier training two years ago and have recently been accepted to the Florence Academy of Art Master of Art in Studio Art program. I aspire to grow as an artist within the timing which God provides. I have sought critiques from Juliette Aristides of Seattle, Washington, Robert Tuckwiller of Lewisburg, WV and Adair Payne of Utah. I have participated in the Taubman Museum Fine Art Show in Roanoke, VA and the the Shenandoah Valley Fine Art Show in Waynesboro, VA. I am not currently represented by a gallery. I have sold several paintings and have been commissioned for mural and private paintings, which included a 5 ft. by 11 ft. mural in a gentlemen's home and a flag painting on the front of a barn which required a scaffold and ladder. The flag painting is a local landmark. Within the next five years my goal as an artist is to have grown extensively in the technique's of the Classical Atelier, and have representation in galleries or within the Fine Art Market.

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Colors of Stroud

Painting, Oil Color | W:45 H:28 in | 2017 | AW127894250

Laura Whitmer Monica Davidson Interviewer

Laura, we really appreciate the time you’re taking to answer our questions and let us know more about your art.

Tell us about your artistic background story and if there was a pivotal moment when you decided to follow your path as a visual artist?

Ever since I can remember, I have always loved drawing and painting. It was not until about four years ago when I decided to pursue my dream of being a visual artist. At the school I work at, a competition was announced for all staff during the Christmas holiday to decorate their office door. I decided to draw with chalk pastels a drummer boy and sheep. It created quite a buzz around campus. I had a staff member approach me and say, “I missed my calling to be an artist.” When I heard her say those words, I realized that I needed to pursue my full potential as an artist. The moment could be likened to a box of treasure being dug up, not knowing its full potential or what lay inside, but realizing you cannot walk past without discovering it.

Yes, that’s it. Digging a little into art, artists will find the hidden treasure they longed around. An everlasting wealth, indeed. Was there ever a moment of doubt to question your art career entirely?

I have gone through several moments where I doubted myself as an artist not because I am bored or lack passion, but because of my love for Jesus Christ and my family. The Lord tells us to discern our motives and reasons for doing things, especially when it requires sacrifice. My husband reassures me that my motives are clear, and my children love watching my paintings transform each time I am in the studio. Insofar as I have the support of my family and the discernment that my motives are pure in the sight of God, my conscience is clear.

In my art, I must be pursuing work that is meaningful and not to gain worldly treasures or accolades. If I go that route, I will be lost.

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That’s true. One of the most significant features of art is that it can display every belief, religion, attitude, lifestyle, culture, and pure expression of the artist's feelings. What is your daily routine when working in your studio?

Currently, my daily routine is sporadic, and it seems that I am always trying to chase time. My most important priority each day is taking care of my husband and children. I currently work full time as well, therefore finding a consistent time to be in the studio at this moment of my life is difficult, and I must be creative. When I come into the studio usually it is early in the morning between 4 - 7 am, or late in the evening after 10:30 pm. If I have a slow day at work, I bring my work into the art classroom and try to squeeze in 4 - 5 hours. Ideally, I try to achieve between 4 - 8 hours in a day in the studio. I must be focused when I come into the studio and know exactly what I am wanting to work on with no delay. I approach my work systematically and always have a plan.

So you are very busy, but the fact that you are invincibly and persistently creating art is really admirable. Now, take us through your process of making your artworks.

I am always being inspired by new ideas for my artwork. My approach is different with each piece based on the vision I have in mind. If I am working on a landscape painting or portrait and have a photo to paint from, then I will adjust the light, composition, and shadows if necessary and then prepare my canvas. If I am painting from my imagination, then I will sketch my ideas, develop the composition, and then make sure my drawing is the correct ratio proportioned to my canvas. I prefer to tone my canvas and apply either a graph or the armature of a rectangle. I begin with underpainting to develop my values and composition. After my underpainting is dry, I then use an indirect approach, laying thin layers of paint and allowing it to dry. I know my work is complete when I do not want to touch it anymore.

When creating artwork or an art collection, do you have a common theme based on similar ideas? Better to say, is there a central concept connecting all your works together or each series or artwork is unique?

I hope that when the viewer looks at my artwork, they do not consider me as the artist foremost, but visually and thoughtfully they are evoked to having profound contemplation of their own lives. All my paintings currently are individual and do not follow a series. I have painted landscapes to commission portraits of pets and people. In all my paintings I try to capture the subject’s essence. Robert Henri had the concept, “There are moments in our lives, there are moments in a day, when we seem to see beyond the usual. Such are the moments of our greatest happiness. Such are the moments of our greatest wisdom. If one could, but recall his vision by some sort of sign. It was in this hope that the arts were invented…. Signposts toward greater knowledge.” Mr. Henri said it well, our artwork should evoke joy to the beholder and illuminate the human spirit in his or her pursuit of greater knowledge.

What a wonderful and profound attitude about art and its presentation to the people. I really appreciated it.

Would you like to give a particular interpretation of your work to your viewers or do you prefer to leave the whole interpretation to your audience?

I think that each piece of artwork should evoke a different response from each viewer. I do not necessarily wish to give a detailed description to help guide the viewer through the painting unless there is a specific message I want to communicate. For instance, I completed a commissioned portrait and was asked to give the dedication.

The personal testimony of the individual was worth noting and was the inspiration for the added objects in the painting, such as the statue of St. Francis, two beagle dogs, and a sunbeam. All three of these focal points tell the story of her life.

❝Painting calms me and has helped me process moments when I have felt insecure or anxious.❞

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You talked about inspiration, Laura, so let me ask you right now: How do you seek and use inspiration for your works?

Every day I am inspired by my surroundings. I tend to take a lot of photos, and find myself contemplating the way the light reflects, or how shadows are cast. I am also inspired by the books I read and the music I listen to. I will create pictures in my mind, too many to paint in a lifetime it seems. In my painting, “Point of Reckoning,” I was inspired by an evening sunset at my home one evening.

The colors of the sunset were a series of orange hues. As I studied a photo of the sunset it evoked emotion and a story of a boat traveling on the sea approaching a storm. Interesting enough, the photos I choose to paint are a direct revelation of my state of being unknowingly at the time, but later revealed to me in the end. I will look at my paintings and am astounded at the result. I learn a lot about myself after each painting I complete.

Exactly. For instance, in “Splendor” and “Calm Azur”, we can feel that you get inspired by everything around you or what happens in front of your eyes in nature. How do you select your artworks subjects?

Currently, I am willing to complete a series of artwork that continues to show my growth as an artist. It is easy to want to paint what sells and I have been told by other artists that I should stick to painting landmarks and local landscapes. Although, I am inspired by my surrounding I want to select my subject based on the story or message I am trying to communicate to the viewer.

I have several ideas for future paintings which are personal, essential, and I think worthy of capturing. They require my imagination and are original. My favorite subjects to paint usually involve a landscape or portrait which evokes a personal memory or causes me to reflect on the Glory of God. I follow the same process of using the photo image in developing my composition. I would eventually like to begin plein air painting when my day will allow.

In fact, your main goal is something beyond painting. You actually try to convey your message and define your story to the viewers because you do believe there’s something beneath the surface. Is there an artwork or series that you would like to be remembered for?

I believe that I am at the beginning of my journey, and I will continue to evolve as an artist. I continue to improve each day with my artwork as I gather more life experience and become more comfortable with myself as an artist. I don’t think I have reached the moment where I can look at a piece of artwork and know that this work is what I want to be noted for or remembered by as an artist.

Lord willing, I think that day will come further down the road as I grow in wisdom and knowledge of myself and my own personal life experiences. If that day comes, I hope that my work will communicate and portray as Juliette Aristides stated in her article The Hope of Beauty, “… something deeper exists, a longing for beauty which calls to you because beauty marks a reality that actually exists.” That longing is a relationship with our Creator, Jesus Christ.

Have you ever got influenced by some artists in the past? If yes, what are your art influences?

I am naturally drawn to French Romanticism. I also enjoy the paintings of Caravaggio and his use of Tenebrism, Rembrandt and his genius use of light, Normal Rockwell and his illustrations, and Albert Bierstadt who is one of my favorites. I had the opportunity to visit the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., and was astonished by his paintings located in the gallery. Bierstadt loved to paint on large surfaces and would choose grand landscapes with exotic sky features which are jaw-dropping. Harmony flows through his paintings and all the artists who followed the classical approach. I can’t limit myself to just a few artists as all artists I am learning about in the classical era all the way to Van Gogh has influenced my learning. Currently, I love to learn from Andrew Tischler, Joshua LaRock, and Juliette Aristides.

And, if you could meet one of your ideal artists from the past, who would it be and what will you ask?

I would choose to meet with Albert Bierstadt. I would honestly enjoy sitting behind him and watching his creative process when approaching a landscape painting. Of Course, I may ask him questions regarding the paint colors he uses and his process of glazing, along with what he looks for regarding to landscape composition. I would enjoy just sitting and watching his creative process. This is a difficult question because I would also love to watch Rembrandt and his creative process towards a portrait. I am very intrigued by his process of painting gold.

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Our readers are accustomed to the statement you quoted “something deeper exists” and always are curious to discover something beyond a simple beauty in your artworks. So they want you to have more works for them.

Any upcoming works or future projects you would like to share with our readers?

In the year 2020, I was not able to complete any artwork due to giving birth to our third child. Thankfully towards the end of the year, I was able to start painting again and will finish my first commission after maternity leave in June 2021. My future hope is to complete at least five more paintings before December of this year. These paintings will include a portrait of a local mural of the American Flag located on a barn that I completed before the birth of my third child, a series of landscapes, and hopefully a portrait of my son. In the fall of 2021, I hope to show at the Waynesboro Fine Art Festival. Next year I will look forward to showing at more locations on the east coast and seek membership with the Oil Painters of America.

We are impatiently waiting. I appreciate the time you have taken for our interview, Laura. I wish you the conquest of the peaks of art and hope to see beautiful and unique landscapes and portraits shining in future exhibitions.

❇

Dear art fans, thank you for your attention and we hope that this interview answered a considerable part of your questions about Laura’s artistic career. If you want to ask your own question, please scan the QR code and proceed.

Laura Whitmer

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Calm Azul Painting, Oil Color W:40 H:40 in 2018 Laura Whitmer

This painting was completed using oleo gel and mineral spirits. I used Winsor and Newton paints along with a variety of brushes.

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Empress Painting, Oil Color W:40 H:40 in 2018 Laura Whitmer

This is a portrait of my daughter. I used Winsor and Newton paint along with a variety of brush sizes. I used oleo gel and mineral spirits to thin the medium. The Emperor butterflies help bring the background forward and adds depth to the overall painting.

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American Flag Mural Painting W:240 H:216 in 2019 Sherwin and Williams Paint Laura Whitmer

This was a commissioned mural completed in the summer of 2019 at a home in Covington, Virginia. The flag is visible from Interstate 64 as you pass Alleghany High School and are approaching Alleghany Hospital. This painting took 72 hours to complete. A scaffold was built to handle the height.

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Point of Reckoning Painting, Oil Color W:48 H:36 in 2018 Laura Whitmer

This painting was inspired by my own imagination in order to capture a person's emotion. I used Winsor and Newton paint along with a variety of brushes. I used oleo gel and mineral spirits.

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Untitled Photography W:16 H:11 in 2020 Bryan Lara

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Bryan Lara Photography

Bryan Lara is a Mexican American photographer known for his intimate, moody portraits and documentative street photography. He shoots both digital and film to capture the stories and emotions of those on the other side of his lens.

Growing up, Bryan always considered himself an observer. He found joy in people watching and studying others. It began when he heard the saying, “Everyone is a teacher”; It was one of the first things he learned from his single mother raising three kids. Taking this to heart, he’s learned how to figure out what people are feeling without speaking.

Although he could see how others felt, Bryan often struggled with expressing himself. This inner conflict compounded with his major depression diagnoses, which forced Bryan to search for an outlet. That’s when he picked up a camera and taught himself the art of storytelling.

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Untitled

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Bryan Lara: Intense Yearning Robin Weißbach Interviewer

Bryan, thank you for accepting our invitation to talk so that our readers can become more familiar with your artistic career and valuable art. Now, tell us about your artistic background story and if there was a pivotal moment when you decided to follow your path as a visual artist?

I’m still relatively new to the art world. I’ve been a professional artist for a year now and only first picked up a camera 2 and a half years ago. Even so, I knew right away that I wanted to pursue photography as an art. It started as an impulsive obsession and then became an entryway to learning how to appreciate art. I was in the military prior to this and was studying math and engineering at the time. It was a different world and I was only able to view the world logically, so back then I never cared for art. What opened my eyes was the joy that I had felt upon each shutter release. It was a feeling that I hadn’t felt in quite some time. I spent every free hour I had just been going out and photographing anything. Of course, I took a multitude of bad photos, but there weren’t any words to describe the euphoria I felt upon capturing a good one. I’ve been self-taught ever since.

Once the camera aperture is opened, and the image in front is captured, the unforgettable pleasure that spreads through the photographer's soul spells him/her not to put the camera down at all. Was there ever a moment of doubt to question your art career entirely?

I sometimes question if I am creating at the highest quality I can, but I never question my choice to be an artist.

My biggest doubts come from my own effort, as I often feel I could be doing more to push my photos to greater heights. If anything, those are the main components for me to keep creating my art: my ambition to improve and make something meaningful. I’ve even started teaching myself other art mediums in hopes that it will help me improve in my photography. And while I do believe in that inner drive to improve myself, I sometimes wish I would take more time to enjoy my art at the moment.

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Great. You try to learn flexibly and creatively and work through the challenges in order to produce professional outcomes for yourself and the viewers. What is your daily routine when working in your studio?

As someone with ADHD, having a routine does greatly benefit me. However, when I’m feeling a creative impulse, I allow myself some freedom to create without restrictions. This gives me an idea about my day, but not a set schedule, which I’ve found works best for me.

Now, take us through your process of making your artworks.

Spontaneity, would be the best way I could describe my photographic process. Coming up with the idea, finding props and talent, and the actual shoot itself, they all have a relatively high level of spontaneity and impulse. I usually know what to photograph whenever I feel an odd “tick” inside of me. When I’m out taking street photos, I feel this “tick” often when coming across genuine moments and expressions. There’s no better way to explain the sensation other than saying it’s as quick as a small electrical shock, or even the tick of a clock on the skin. It feels like being hit with a revelation: a realization matched with a spark of excitement and wonder. It’s the same way I find inspiration for my concepts. I typically go about my day, and when I come across something that activates that quick sensation, I start to fixate on it. Then comes lots of research on whatever it is that caught my attention and narrowing down my ideas about how I'd like to photograph it. I’ve always been drawn to anything that causes fervent emotions. That’s why I shoot on film. The tactile sensation, as well as the distinct colors and grain, only add to the intensity I am attempting to channel and convey.

Good job! I like this interesting statement in photography: Photographers not only shoot what it looks like but what it feels like. Is there a central concept connecting all your works together or each series or artwork is unique?

Most of my photos are a part of their own larger series. I tend to pick a topic, an ideology, or an interesting detail to focus my photos around. The portraits of my parents are a part of a photography book I’m currently working on, and the street photos shown were meant to document how individuals reacted during the pandemic. It’s part of the reason I intend to release my photos in groups.

Bryan, most of your artworks are untitled. Would you like to give a particular interpretation of your work to your viewers or do you prefer to leave the whole interpretation to your audience?

I prefer not to give any background to my photos. As with any form of creation, once it’s out to the public you cannot control how it is perceived. It is the main reason why I prefer not to title my photos, but rather display them in series. Most of my photos do have a story to tell, or an emotion to convey, but the way people interpret these things is different for everyone. One person can view a piece positively, and another person can view it negatively. The most important part to me is that it causes an emotional reaction within them.

Let’s talk about that beautiful moment when inspiration strikes. How do you seek and use inspiration for your works?

Intense emotions are what drive me to photograph. I believe life should be lived passionately, and full of immense drive. That’s why I search for people that live their lives with intensity and defining focus. It’s a bonus whenever I can personally relate to their emotions.

❝Something about seeing the beauty of a finely crafted final image will always be breathtaking to me, whether it be my own or not.❞

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A specific example I have in mind was recently coming across Mary Ellen Mark’s photobook “Tiny Streetwise Revisited”. These photos were difficult to go through. It felt like I was boiling water in a closed glass container.

When I saw Tiny and her kids in those photos, all I could see was my mother and her 3 children. Those photos hurt to go through. They forced me to reminisce about my own poor upbringing, and its strong emotions such as those that push me to be an artist. That’s where my main inspirations lie in regards to my photography.

Wherever ideas come from, they oftentimes uncannily come to our minds at the oddest moments, I think. How do you select your artworks subjects?

Because I’m still in the early stages of my career, I tend to photograph of anyone willing to put up with the amount of work that goes into my photos. I would love the financial freedom to seek individuals that perfectly fit the vision in my mind. For now, I do my best to work with the resources I have. When it comes to my documentary work, though, I choose anyone with a story to tell.

My favorite shoots tend to be with people that aren’t afraid to be personal about their experiences. The photos that spawn from those shoots tend to feel the most authentic to them, and I love that. I often walk away with a part of them from these shoots. For example, I will always remember when I asked my friend's father what his favorite memory of his kids was. The look he gave me when he couldn’t think of one, and could only say he regrets having to work so much and not spending more time with them.

It’s important to not only find the subject you love to shoot but also find a creative one and a new approach that will make your work stand out. Is there an artwork or series you would like to be remembered for?

My personal goal is just to be remembered for taking amazing photos. But if I had to choose something in particular, for now, it would have to be the photographs of my stepfather. It's no exaggeration when I say I want to tear up whenever I stop to take a clear look at those photos. I know that I have a more personal attachment to the portraits than anyone else, regardless I feel like there’s something more in his expressions than just my personal attachment.

Are there any artists from the past era who have been able to make a profound impact on you? What are your art influences?

Hopefully, it is quite noticeable that I really like the style of Rembrandt and Caravaggio. While I’m not fond of some of their works, I find their style of lighting their subjects to be very exciting. I also love the works of Eugene Smith. Eugene Smith was a photography genius that was unmatched in his skill as a photographer. His work ethic and obsession to produce great photos are very inspirational to me, as well as a huge driving force in how I wish to be perceived as a photographer. With that said, I do try to style my street photography after the compositions of Edward Hopper.

For inspiration, I look at people that are masters of their craft, as that is my own goal with photography. I would like to branch out though, and look at modern-day photographers who are pushing boundaries in their own way. Photographers such as Franz Sony and Jake Wangner. I’m surprised that I have not heard more about them, considering the level at which they are creating photographs.

And, if you could meet one of your ideal artists from the past, who would it be and what will you ask?

It may seem like my obvious answer would be Eugene Smith, but if I really had an opportunity to speak with an artist of the past, it would be with Kentaro Miura. His manga “Berserk” is a masterpiece in every way. The highly detailed and expressive art of the series alone is enough to show how masterful he was in his craft, not to mention the phenomenal story of it all. I would’ve loved the chance to just sit down and have a conversation with him.

Of course, I’d ask the typical questions of what influenced Berserk, as well as how he came up with the concept.

How much of himself did he put into the characters? Most of all, I would’ve wanted to see everything that it took to create such a masterful piece of art. How much time, effort, influences, distractions, everything surrounding every detail about the making of his tale. I also would have asked him how Berserk ends, since I won’t be able to read it from him.

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I always think a photographer is a silent observer who marks something others don’t see. Ok, Bryan, your fans are waiting for your future artistic photos. Any upcoming works or future projects you would like to share with our readers?

As I previously mentioned, I am currently working on a photography book that takes a personal look at people that decided to chase the American Dream. Think about that concept for a second. Think about having to leave everything behind to an uncertain future. It’s sure to be a journey full of many intense emotions. Joy, excitement, and anxiety are only some examples of the many emotional experiences that immigrants encounter. These experiences can be relatable to anyone, and I hope to portray that.

What a practical project! Sounds great. We are so glad that you accepted our invitation, Bryan. We always want to wait for your unique and vivid photos, and we know it is worth it. Good luck.

❇ Dear art fans, thank you for your attention and we hope that this interview answered a considerable part of your questions about Bryan’s artistic career. If you want to ask your own question, please scan the QR code and proceed.

Bryan Lara

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Untitled Photography W:25 H:16 in 2021 Archival Digital Print Bryan Lara

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Untitled Photography W:36 H:29 in 2020 Archival Digital Print Bryan Lara

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Untitled Photography W:22 H:27 in 2021 Archival Digital Print Bryan Lara

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Untitled Photography W:25 H:16 in 2020 Archival Digital Print Bryan Lara

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Balance Sculpture on Stainless Steel W:32 H:99 D:28 in 2019 Domenico Belli

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Domenico Belli Sculpture

Domenico Belli, with his modern but simplistic style, is an award-winning, abstract metal sculptor from Henryville, Pennsylvania. Born in Italy, he moved to United States when he was eighteen years old. He learned welding though his job while performing his task as a steel fabricator. He discovered an affinity toward the material he was working with, a deep sense of emotion. His technique his brute force, decided at moment. The interesting shapes of metal, the patterns, textures and grains all entice him. He is fascinated by the forms. His aspiration is to create sculptures that are completely unique. Each sculpture often consist in multiple pieces, in a range of different shapes. During fabrication new area of interest arise and leads to the next body of work.

Today he works only with stainless, Cor-Ten and Bronze. His sculptures are appreciate to art collectors and some are in public place, like "Patrica Meja" 20 ft tall, in Italy and "Infinite Embraces" in Westhampton Beach, NY.

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Boxes no. 2, from the series

Sculpture, Construction Sculpture Technique on Stainless Steel | W:24 H:78 D:24 in | 2021 | AW127082596

Domenico Belli: Organic Connections Nancy Krüger Interviewer

Domenico, thank you very much for giving us this time to let us learn more about your artistic personality and artwork through this interview. Tell us about your artistic background story and if there was a pivotal moment when you decided to follow your path as a visual artist?

I was born in Italy, in a small town in the hill country, named Patrica, approximately forty miles southeast of Rome. I started to work as a metalworker when I was sixteen and I showed an early interest and talent for my job. During my free time, I created works of art using discarded scraps of metal.

At the age of eighteen, my parents decided to emigrate to the United State. I found employment as a metal fabricator and welder, and also developed my skills as an artist and designer. For several years, I created primitive sculptures from reclaimed steel, and I had a successful experience at art shows.

Great! So, in adolescence, you showed interest in creating sculptures from scrap metal, and your talent in this field made you an artist. Was there ever a moment of doubt to question your art career entirely?

After suffering the loss of loved one even I was full of ideas and passions my artworks reflected my feelings at that moment and my creations were dark and it was visible the pain and sadness that I was experiencing. I decided to take a break and I stopped to create. After a while, I realized the need to create new artwork and drive them and myself out of the darkness. I started to put together objects I found as I was trying to put together the pieces of my life. The result was incredible. I created flowers, big and tall, dragonflies, butterflies, birds, and all Nature creatures. I was inspired to watch how Nature works. No matter what happens, after a storm, there is always a sunny day. That was what happened in my life. I started to attend arts shows again and people who stopped at my booth observed my artworks and smiled. My art was my cure.

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For an artist, art is the therapy used in the worst and best conditions. Sorrow, joy, excitement, and anger can be expressed by art and calmed down. What is your daily routine when working in your studio?

I am very lucky because my studio is on my property behind my house so I don't have to drive to go to my studio.

My routine is very simple. Every day, if I am not traveling, no matter if is a holiday or a weekday, at 7.30 AM I am in my studio, put my music on, and my day start.

Starting a day with the creation of an artwork immersed in music. Fantastic! Now, take us through your process of making your artworks.

The idea could come at any moment. I use three different types of metal for my sculptures. Cor-Ten steel, stainless steel, and bronze. It is difficult to put the process in words, but when I have an idea, I visualize the sculpture I'd like to make, not only the shape, but I know for sure what kind of material I'd like to use. I don't do any drawing or measurement, the sculpture I am going to make it in my mind. I know what it will look like at the end, the number of pieces I need, and the material. I put one metal sheet on my table and I start drawing the piece I need. I cut them with a plasma cutter and start to weld each one. I use the grinder to clean the edge and put it on the side. At this point, I build the base and I start to assemble and weld piece by piece. It is a natural process for me. Sometimes I am working on more than one sculpture at the same time and it is why in a few days I could finish two of them.

Your aspiration is to create abstract metal sculptures with a modern but simplistic style that is completely unique. Is there a central concept connecting all your works together or each series or artwork is unique?

I think my artworks are always evolving and that is visible when we look at the old sculptures but for sure they are recognizable. The central concept that connects all my works is LOVE - NATURE - MOVEMENT - FREEDOM but I think each sculpture is unique and that is why my artworks are one of a kind and I do not make any reproductions. This is really appreciated by my clients.

Do you prefer viewers to understand the concepts and messages you want to convey via your artwork without any explanation? In fact, would you like to give a particular interpretation of your work to your viewers or do you prefer to leave the whole interpretation to your audience?

My sculptures are abstract and only when people ask me questions I explain the material and the process I do, but I always let the people use their imagination. I have to name them to identify on my website, but the names are very generic and when they find a forever home people love to name their artwork accordingly to their emotions.

We know that you discover a deep sense of emotion toward the material you work with. How do you seek and use inspiration for your works?

I live in a wonderful place where the nature plays a predominant role.

People, inspired me.

Love, inspired me.

But I am in love with forms, shapes, textures, patterns, balance, harmony and grace.

❝Being an artist gives me the freedom to do what I always love to do. Freedom to express me because I am not so good with words.❞

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Nice sense! And during fabrication, new areas of interest arise and lead to the next body of work. How do you select your artworks subjects?

I think I have answered in my previous answer.

Domenico, is there an artwork or series you would like to be remembered for? And if yes, what is it?

My art is constantly evolving, and each sculpture is as if it was one of my children, and for me, all of them are beautiful. Obviously, the last one is always the most beautiful. The best is the one I haven't created yet.

What are your art influences? Were there any artists or artworks which significantly influenced your art career along your artistic path?

My favorite contemporary artist is David Smith, and my art reflects some of his artworks. I love the geometrical shapes he used especially cubes and boxes. The simplicity of the shapes and the complexity of his sculptures intrigue me.

And, if you could meet one of your ideal artists from the past, who would it be and what will you ask?

I'd love to meet David Smith, it could be an honor for me, and I will ask so many questions about his works and the inspirations that drove him to build 27 sculptures in 30 days when in 1962 he was invited to participate in the " Festival of the two worlds " in Spoleto, Italy.

Thank you for allowing me to interview you, Domenico. With unique artworks and impressive subjects, you can always add significant value to the world of sculpture. I wish you the best and good luck.

❇

Dear art fans, thank you for your attention and we hope that this interview answered a considerable part of your questions about Domenico’s artistic career. If you want to ask your own question, please scan the QR code and proceed.

Domenico Belli

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Knot Sculpture, Construction Sculpture Technique on Metal W:27 H:82 D:27 in 2021 Domenico Belli

Abstract metal sculpture fabricated in Cor-Ten steel, resistant to weather elements. The rusted patina will change continuously and not require any maintenance. All my sculptures are one of a kind and no reproductions will be made. "Knot" represents an infinite embrace that we all need. It is a wonderful addition in any modern house as well as traditional house.

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Cracked Red Cubes Sculpture, Stainless Steel Powder Coated W:24 H:58 D:24 in 2021 Year of Creation: 1956 Domenico Belli

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Embraces Sculpture, Construction Sculpture Technique on Steel W:28 H:79 D:28 in 2021 Domenico Belli

Abstract modern rusted patina Cor-Ten steel sculpture, named "Embraces" will complement contemporary, modern as well as traditional house. The patina of the sculpture will change and cure over time while being exposed to outdoor elements.

Bottom plate has four holes for securing the sculpture.

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Descent Drawing, Pastel, Ink on Paper - Cotton W:75 H:100 cm 2020 Nicole Rubio

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Nicole Rubio Drawing, Painting

Nicole Rubio was born in New York and graduated from the Museum School of Fine Arts, Boston. She migrated to the west coast in 1980. For the next thirty years she supported herself as a secretary. Since retiring in 2010, she has created a body of large scale pastel drawings using dress as metaphor for the unseen emotional world.

She is legally blind.

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The Pink Men

Drawing, Pastel on Paper - Cotton | W:40 H:30 in | 2020 | AW127450568

Nicole Rubio: Emotional Honesty Robin Weißbach Interviewer

Nicole, many thanks for taking your time to answer our questions to let our readers get more familiar with your works and art career. Tell us about your artistic background story and if there was a pivotal moment when you decided to follow your path as a visual artist?

I started drawing at age 5 and loved it. I grew up in a creative household except for my father, who was a businessman. My father belittled artists. I tried to be what he wanted me to be, practical sensible secretary type. I had to swallow much emotional and physical frustration. Finally, by the fall of my senior year at a big university, the frustration grew so strong it pushed me to stand up for myself. I had to make that phone call to him. I braced myself by talking to a supportive friend, a wise old soul. Then, shaking, I dialed home and stretched the cord from the kitchen into my room (phones had cords then). My father was disappointed, but not demeaning. To his credit, he agreed to pay for art school.

Art, learning, creating, and creativity was your dream. And nothing else could make you satisfied. You came out of your skin and finally returned to what your thoughts and souls demanded. Was there ever a moment of doubt to question your art career entirely?

Yes, I just went through this. I always secretly believed I was going to be a great artist. But after ten or so years of putting myself out and getting rejections from so many shows and worse, just being ignored by the world except for a small circle of artist friends who puffed me back up, the reality set in that I may die in obscurity.

This led me to read meditation and metaphysics books for healing. I recognized I’ve been operating out of my ego and desire for recognition. I love to draw and love art and was given that, but recognition was never part of the deal. It was a major blow to admit to myself, it was an ego dream, and I have no control over the world’s reaction to my work. My eyesight was failing anyway. I stopped drawing for a couple of weeks, but it felt worse not to draw than to feel bad about rejection. So I started drawing again.

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Oh, what a story! Many of us may face these obstacles and frustrations, but when we ask for something from the bottom of our hearts, we turn to it again. It shows that you were deeply interested in art. What is your daily routine when working in your studio?

My studio is my living room floor. Luckily it has a lot of natural light. I work between 10-3 p.m. I roll out my canvas drop cloth and bring my pastels out of their cloth bag in the closet. I prop my drawing up against the wall on a 30x40 inch piece of foam core. I sit across from it on the couch to get some distance. I’m legally blind, so every few minutes, I have to step back to the couch to see what I’ve done.

I take pictures with my phone every day of the latest stage. Because of the glare, sometimes I really can’t see what I’ve done until that night when I look on my phone in a dark room. I turn the foam core to the wall to protect my drawing from my husband’s obsessively sweeping of dust from the rug.

Now we are eager to know the steps of your work. So, take us through your process of making your artworks. How do you move from an idea to an artwork? Where does an artwork begin for you?

I’m very aware of creating a body of work with a theme. I buy BFK Rives paper, 30x40 inches, ten sheets at a time. I try to do 8-10 pieces in the theme and make them all relate.

I can’t draw from my head, I need a source photo. Either first I get a feeling I want to express and find an image to suit it or come across an image I love and play with that. I keep repeating the image in thumbnails as it gets bigger and more detailed. It’s like trying to focus a camera on a hidden internal memory, and gradually, after many successive shots (repetitive sketches), getting it into focus. Maybe it’s pulling from the subconscious and I’m grappling to give definition to something I can’t see but that has a definite right and wrong.

To continue the photographic metaphor, it’s like watching a print develop in a dark room. I find the earlier stages fascinating and worthy of attention as much as finished pieces. Maybe because they come from a primal language, like writing, before it’s polished for the audience.

Nicole, is there a central concept connecting all your works together or each series or artwork is unique?

Loneliness and social anxiety are covered by a veneer of beautiful fabric, richness of surface. I’m trying to express my dark painful emotions, but in a beautiful way so people won’t run away. I grew up as an introvert in a dysfunctional but well-off family. We had decorator beauty and all the clothes we wanted, but my feelings of pain about all the anger in the house were not listened to.

They denied it was going on. I needed a way to let my truth out. My grandmother, who lived with us, had a wedding gown business and I was surrounded by gorgeous confections of satin, silk, drapery. So that’s why my creativity took the channel it took, covering my pain with silk drapery Drapery is a common thread linking all the series.

❝Drawing puts me in touch with my the most focused, strongest, outlaw self. It’s a more elevated energy from the one that gets us through a day.❞

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An art concept is sometimes defined by the lists of titles or descriptions an artwork possesses, and sometimes by the features hidden in the artwork. Would you like to give a particular interpretation of your work to your viewers or do you prefer to leave the whole interpretation to your audience?

I’m embarrassed to admit I have an interpretation I want the audience to get. After all, it’s coming from deep feelings of needing to be heard and accepted for what I see and feel. If someone gets it, the discomfort beneath the surface, I have the satisfaction of knowing I reached them, and it connects me to them. I’ve discovered writing small essays to go with my pieces and putting them all together in books gives me a better chance of communicating what I’m trying to say.

You said, your drawings are your fantasy world that can communicate with all sentient beings. How do you seek and use inspiration for your works?

I seek and find inspiration in beauty. Indoor and feminine beauty, not nature. Colors and fabrics and costumes and fairy tales and stage sets and dance and anything that is elevated from ordinary drab mundane reality.

The world of visual art is my refuge. Happy fairy tales don’t move me though, so I use their surface beauty and inject my own emotional pain to give it a twist. You can’t force something to grab you, so it’s a gift when I see something that moves me so much it sparks my creativity and imagination. I’ve been moved by bustles, Venetian Carnival, or certain color combinations. When something grabs my fancy, it gives me energy to pursue it and delve into it.

So, for example, seeing a carnival, colors, fabrics, clothes, scenes, dances and even sounds and voices will excite you in a different way. You portray them in such a way that they distance themselves from the world they are in and appear beyond the worldly realities, and that is great. How do you select your artworks subjects? Where do they come from?

When I get an idea for a new series, for example, the hardship of isolation like we just experienced through COVID, I think of a metaphor for that feeling. For isolation and tough days, I thought of the nomad. The nomad faces emptiness and isolation day after day and has no credit card to soften his life. Once I decided on nomads, I googled a tribe of blue draped nomads I knew about in the Moroccan desert, the Tuareg, for source photos.

There may be artwork that an artist may think will drive the viewers to the destination he or she wants. Is there an artwork or series you would like to be remembered for? And if yes, what is it?

I would like to be remembered for my willingness, to be honest, and find beauty in imperfection. This runs all through my work. I would like to make it socially acceptable for people to admit they are in pain or fearful.

There were many characters who have been influential in our thoughts, views, and works for years. What are your art influences? Who are your favorite contemporary or historical artists and why?

I guess the first influence was my artistic older sister, who was also left-handed and loved to draw. In the 1950’s, the Sunday New York Times illustrations of fashion – I loved the calligraphic lines and wanted to be able to draw like that. I love the French Impressionists, especially Degas pastels of ballerinas. My flamenco teacher was a huge influence, opening the beauty of Spanish culture and replacing my minimalist Bauhaus aesthetic with pink, polka dots, layers of ruffles, and roundness.

Contemporary artists – the London street photographer Alan Schaller for his black and white small silhouetted figures in big, impersonal geometric environments; the Southern classical artist James Langley for his nude torso drawings with obscure handmade papers and pigments; the Ukrainian sculptor Natasha Dikareva for her mythological creatures with their luscious white porcelain textures.

And, if you could meet one of your ideal artists from the past, who would it be and what will you ask?

I’d like to meet the Italian designer Roberto Capucci and ask him how he made the leap into sculptural fashion, imagination light years ahead of anything my mind could create. How did he have permission to invent such impractical, fantastical, unlikely forms in fantasy colors that were done with such professional and impeccable craftsmanship?

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Wabi-sabi. Simply an intuitive way of living that emphasizes accepting the natural cycle of growth in imperfection. Our readers, as fans of your work, are waiting for your future artwork. Any upcoming works or future projects that you would like to share with our readers?

I’ll probably keep self-publishing Blurb art books. I already have about forty, and no one knows they are there.

One goal I have for the future work is to show reverence for animals and to wake people to their intelligence and sensitivity so they aren’t mistreated anymore. I have strong feelings for animal rights, but aside from art, am not sure how to contribute.

What a kind and sublime goal! I am grateful for interviewing with you today, Nicole. I wish you all the best, and I hope your outstanding works of art shine in the exhibitions and galleries of the world as usual.

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Dear art fans, thank you for your attention and we hope that this interview answered a considerable part of your questions about Nicole’s artistic career. If you want to ask your own question, please scan the QR code and proceed.

Nicole Rubio

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Friends Drawing, Pastel, Ink on Paper W:40 H:30 in 2021 Nicole Rubio

An earthy nomad and an otherworldly lion sitting together and communicating without words. They understand each other and are comforted by the other's presence.

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Meeting of Kindred Spirits Drawing, Pastel on Paper - Cotton W:40 H:30 in 2021 Nicole Rubio

Two robed beings about to encounter a white rabbit. All have purity and will give each other comfort and safety.

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Damaged Wing Drawing, Pastel on Paper - Cotton W:100 H:75 cm 2021 Nicole Rubio

Using a section of a pink dress with puffy sleeves as a metaphor for vulnerability and emotional wounding amidst beauty AW127554500

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Sentient Landscape Drawing, Pastel on Paper W:30 H:40 in 2021 Nicole Rubio

A red rock landscape with nomad expressing that rocks and all parts of the land are alive with consciousness and communicate.

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Two of a Kind Digital Arts, Digital Painting W:24 H:36 in 2020 Tanya Dora

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Tanya Dora Digital Arts, Photography

I graduated with my MFA in Studio Art from Houston Baptist University in 2020. I have been doing art all my life, even while in elementary school. I have a Bachelor degree in Finance and Marketing from University of Houston, and an Associate degree in Fashion Merchandising Management from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

I grew up in Houston, where I have lived since I was 2-3 months old. I recently moved to Los Angeles. My hobbies are reading, cooking, and working out.

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Claustrophobic Party

Digital Arts, Digital Painting | W:32 H:18 in | 2018 | AW127829904

Tanya Dora: Electric Rhythms Monica Davidson Interviewer

Tanya, thank you a lot for accepting our invitation to this interview, and we are so glad that you are talking to us about your artistic life. Tell us about your artistic background story and if there was a pivotal moment when you decided to follow your path as a visual artist?

Growing up I, fortunately, explored art on my own at home quite a bit for my own enjoyment. I could easily get very creative with different ideas. People used to always love the appeal and aesthetic that my art projects carried with them - as I was easily able to get in the zone while drawing, painting, crafting, etc., even at a young age. Art was my favorite subject while in school, and I was naturally drawn toward the aspect of exploring, or growing with the art project. My personality would show the most in my artworks, as if I was putting something on to wear that was my own individual style.

So, you established a satisfying relationship with art from an early age, and displayed your art and creativity with pleasure and satisfaction. Was there ever a moment of doubt to question your art career entirely?

In a way, I feel that I may have grappled with the idea a little bit. I already know that I am an artistic person, but I sort of think of the future road ahead. If I wanted to do it and get involved in the art world, I would have wanted to know more about it. There are things like artist talks to attend, but I feel that the strongest point an artist can have is the passion and inclination to keep creating. And, it’s important to meet people with an interest in art. I have been studying more art history on my own, just for the sake of it, as well as attending webinars, especially during the pandemic.

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Yes, that’s right. There’s no must in art, but just passion and inclination. What is your daily routine when working in your studio?

I love working in my studio on a daily basis. Over time, I have realized that I am honing in on a space within 4 walls, and the space becomes a personal and professional hub for an endeavor I enjoy -where I spend time for drawing, journaling, reading art history, looking at magazines, printmaking or editing photos on Adobe Photoshop for digital paintings or cyanotypes on paper. I do love using the software, editing the brushes, using my photos, and digital painting every day.

And, sometimes I give myself time to explore with new mediums or techniques, or even try out the endeavor of papermaking, or sewing and see my ideas come to life and fulfill the pursuit of making things tangible. My routine mixes with my commitment to my studio, which once I’m there I just go with it from one thing to another. This is the main thing. My nights are open to sketching or jotting down notes for current or future works, as well as doing other things like scanning, or research online, etc.

Great job! You try to study art history, as well as using different materials, levels and techniques. You obviously have a creative and searching spirit. Now, take us through your process of making your artworks. How do you move from an idea to an artwork? Where does an artwork begin for you?

I think my artworks start from a few different places each time. Sometimes it does start with the photo. Other times, I am heavily influenced by a topic I am reading about or a movie I am watching. My personal thoughts and feelings drive me to react -to communicate via drawing and eventually painting… Sometimes, I want to spend time developing the concept beforehand. Thirdly, I might actually start with a drawing that I drew randomly or earlier in my sketchbook and think of the message or color scheme I want to add to it. It’s a visionary-type approach. I think and observe while I’m walking around, as well as while traveling.

Some of your artworks impress the viewers by depicting a woman as the one who boasts her strength or solitude, and some pieces are inspired by the aspect of life and nature all around you. Is there a central concept connecting all your works together or each series or artwork is unique?

Mainly the central concept is the concept of womanhood. The idea of a woman’s emotions or state of mind or life experiences, good or bad. Subjectively speaking where a woman can get in touch with the emotion behind the painting or the story behind it. Things like a woman and strength, or the idea of the everyday woman dealing with stereotypes, or image or identity issues, etc. One piece, titled “Pretentious”, relates to the aspect of being perceived as being too boastful about oneself.

You say you are essentially a creator of what you would like to see in the world. How would you like to convey this "creation" to your viewers? Would you like to give a particular interpretation of your work to your viewers or do you prefer to leave the whole interpretation to your audience?

I think my own interpretation is close to what I mean by the situation that is being shown in the painting. But I love it when another woman can also relate to it, I think a lot of other women can connect to my pieces even in their own lives. There could be some common ground that meets the eye when looking at my works.

❝My sense of communication and letting out my feelings or the doing part alone has me heavily involved in continuously coming up with new ideas for future works.❞

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Creating artwork is naturally the result of artists’ understanding of how they see, hear, feel, and what motivates them. How do you seek and use inspiration for your works?

I might seek for inspiration going through old photos I have from traveling. I get intrigued by sometimes constantly taking photos, even random ones with my iPhone. I also seek inspiration by looking at magazines, or watching tv or movies. I also get inspired by material things out and about like texture, or lights. In addition to that, I have my own life experiences, including conversations and opinions, which propel me to paint along the lines of my own thinking.

What about the subjects? How do you select your artworks subjects? Where do they come from?

I choose my own way of communicating on the topic - for that, I spend time thinking about which elements do I want to include in each piece. I do want it to all come together in one piece or each time.

Tanya, is there an artwork or series you would like to be remembered for? And if yes, what is it?

One piece I would like to be remembered for is titled “Pretentious,” because it is texturally and emotionally evoking, and very colorful. I have a series comprising of 56 ink drawings titled, “Boundaries are Plain.” I find this series personally moving to create motifs that resonate with womanhood as a consistent theme, which are representational of rhythmic patterns and abstract mark-making.

You are interested in art history and study it a lot. What are your art influences? Who are your favorite contemporary or historical artists and why?

I do love art from the post-impressionist movement, works by Van Gogh, and Matisse. I also love Schiele, Modigliani, and Tarkay who are all figurative painters.

Now, if you could meet one of your ideal artists from the past who would it be and what will you ask?

I think I would like to meet Picasso and ask him about his approach to figure drawing. He was the most modern in his use of shapes and structure that was applied to his cubist paintings.

Our readers want to know what new works of art you have for them in the future. Any upcoming works or future projects you would like to share with our readers?

I am currently working on a digital painting titled, "Judicious Passage.” The colors are really intertwined together, and it’s a little bit romantic. It has a feminine flair which I truly appreciate. It is more of a landscape, and it has arches that look like one is just entering a building or monument.

That's interesting! Thank you for taking some time off from your busy schedule to answer a few questions about your art. I hope you are as successful and brilliant as ever, Tanya.

❇ Dear art fans, thank you for your attention and we hope that this interview answered a considerable part of your questions about Tanya’s artistic career. If you want to ask your own question, please scan the QR code and proceed.

Tanya Dora

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Dreams of a Building Digital Arts, Digital Painting, Screen Print on Acrylic Print W:34 H:28 in 2019 Tanya Dora

I often dream of a building that is architecturally and historically impactful, and that I want see in front of me in the city of Houston. My thoughts whirl around the notion of a developed world with state-of-the-art architecture, and this piece is based off of buildings I have seen while traveling.

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Naturaleza Is Life Digital Arts, Digital Painting W:36 H:24 in 2019 Tanya Dora

A painting depicting the beauty and vibrancy of nature, and what nature has to do with life. Life and nature go hand in hand in a colorful and deep way.

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Refrain Digital Arts, Digital Painting W:36 H:24 in 2021 Tanya Dora

“Refrain” is an abstract digital painting that communicates to people the need for assertiveness. The rough texture and luminosity create an atmosphere of frankness and open-minded realizations for the general public. It is a digital painting that has a collage like effect because of the mosaic.

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Muse Painting, Acrylic on Paper W:11 H:14 in 2020 Li Mei Norton

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Li Mei Norton Painting

I was the little girl love to draw when I was 5, love to draw face and girls with hundred clothes and design.

Unfortunately my Taiwanese parents won't recognize any of my gift of art and I started to pursue my sales career after college till last year when Pandemic hit and I realized the mysterious gift from God is always here, after 35 years I picked my pencil and painted my first color acrylic painting Red Flower on 7/25/2020 which was selected by all artworks.net After that I painted over 70 paintings and most of them are portraits. My sales background make me who I am today, love the connection of every relationship and know different race from different countries and age, background, I'm travelling in Italy now and I was in Spain 1 month and this Europe art journey is so important to me that I want to where to settle down to pursue my art career. I've been living in LA almost 20 years.

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Spain Flamenco

Painting, Acrylic on Paper | W:11 H:14 in | 2021 | AW127621960

Li Mei Norton: Bold Essence Robin Weißbach Interviewer

Li Mei, we are very grateful that you gave us this time so that we can get acquainted with your wonderful art through this interview. Tell us about your artistic background story and if there was a pivotal moment when you decided to follow your path as a visual artist?

I was a little girl at 5 loved to draw faces and figures with hundred clothes and design.. Unfortunately, my Taiwanese parents won't recognize any of my gifts of art and I started to pursue my sales career after college till last year when the Pandemic hit and I realized the mysterious gift from God is always here, after 35 years I picked my pencil and painted my first color acrylic painting Red Flower on July 7, 2020 which was selected by all artworks.net After that I painted over 100 paintings and most of them are portraits. My sales background make me who I am today, love the connection of every relationship and know different races from different countries and ages, background. I consider myself very lucky to live in LA for over 19 years, where I developed my sales career from Lexus to Real estate and now to my true calling Art! Love the diversity of culture and as an artist with my sales background, it really helps me to catch each individual's spirit and essence. I think the purpose of my life is here to paint each one's life story and share the beauty of this world.

Great job! You are a self-taught artist. You picked up your first paintbrush when you were five years old. Was there ever a moment of doubt to question your art career entirely?

Yes, especially to a new artist only a bit over a year and realize there are a million artist in this whole world and feel I'm nothing to compare with other great artists.

Some artists commit themselves to showing up and working every single day. How about you, Li? What is your daily routine when working in your studio?

My daily routine: Morning meditation, yoga, or work out. Then checking email or any marketing update. And finally painting for 2-3 hrs.

We look forward to hearing about your behind-the-scenes work. So, take us through your process of making your artworks.

I'm a portrait artist, sometimes I watch a show on YouTube, commission art, or special incident like MLK then inspired to paint all different subjects or people. Mostly I use acrylic or oil paint on paper or canvas. I do quick draw first their color.

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As you said, you are a portrait artist and focus on creating bold, colorful art through Portraitures. Is there a central concept connecting all your works together or each series or artwork is unique?

The central concept, usually I can connect with spirit with each individual picture, I feel them first, then I paint, that is what people comment my art with soul and spirit:) Through your Portraitures, you express the life and soul of each subject matter. Would you like to give a particular interpretation of your work to your viewers or do you prefer to leave the whole interpretation to your audience?

No, I don't think I need a particular interpretation of my work, portrait art is very easy to see, mostly I hope the audience can feel each unique soul of each painting.

Some artists get inspired by observing their surroundings. Some Take a sketchbook with them and take down the sketches that stir them. How do you seek and use inspiration for your works?

I was inspired by daily life, from the TV movie, news, or some stories, What about your art subjects? How do you select your artworks subjects?

I select my art subject based on my feeling of each portrait. Do I feel to paint them? Which pictures that I prefer to use? How do I tell my audience about the story of painting?

Sometimes an artwork means, kind of special to an artist compared to other works. Is there an artwork or series you would like to be remembered for? And if yes, what is it?

Spain Flamenco, I painted 6 of them, sold the first original flamenco to Spain Marid and a fine print to South France, then I traveled to Spaint a month this summer, painted 5 more of them and sold one original art to Taiwan, my friend, I think it's a very good series.

The works of past artists affect the fundamental sense of self. What are your art influences?

Van Gough is my number one favor artist, ppl comment on my art strong colors as an impressionist, and his commitment to art was so moving. I was at his museum in Amsterdam, and it's one of the best experiences I ever had with great museums.

And, if you could meet one of your ideal artists from the past, who would it be and what will you ask?

Van Gough, what keeps him moving forward? Even he didn't sell any art when he was a full-time artist for 8 years.

Our readers are waiting for good news about your future works. Any upcoming works or future projects that you would like to share with our readers?

Actually, I just open my art gallery in Pasadena and love to invite people to my galley if they are in the LA area.

Good news for our readers. Thanks for giving us a clear overview of your art through this interview. Li Mei, we are eagerly waiting for visiting your artworks in your own gallery. Best wishes and good luck.

❇

Dear art fans, thank you for your attention and we hope that this interview answered a considerable part of your questions about Li Mei’s artistic career. If you want to ask your own question, please scan the QR code and proceed.

Li Mei Norton

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Geisha Painting, Acrylic on Paper W:11 H:14 in 2020 Li Mei Norton

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Grace's Acorn Woodpecker Painting, Acrylic on Paper W:11 H:14 in 2021 Li Mei Norton

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Kobe and Gigi Painting, Acrylic on Paper W:18 H:24 in 2021 Li Mei Norton

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Memory of Mom - Marilyn Painting, Acrylic on Paper W:11 H:14 in 2021 Li Mei Norton

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