Nadia Stone Lori Brunner
Alligators and Rainbows and Everything in Between A mother and daughter collaboration
August 6th - September 16th, 2016 Stomping Grounds 303 Welch Avenue, Ames
Exhibition Catalog loribrunner.com
Mothers hold their child’s hand for a moment and their heart for a lifetime.
Artist Statement
Introduction The artwork in this series is a collaboration between a mother and a daughter. I fondly remember my mother telling me about one of my childhood stories about coloring books. As a former art teacher, herself, she was adamant about letting her daughter have free reign when creating. That meant no coloring books! Why limit a child’s imagination to trying to stay within pre-deined lines. And obviously, it is a guideline that can be used within and outside the realm of art. What wisdom she had and it is one of the many tenets to pass down to my daughter. As you can see, we rarely if ever use coloring books, and this collection expresses this even more. I share with you here, a selection of work between myself and my daughter, Nadia. Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985) was a French painter whose work was based upon the spontaneous qualities of art made by children. Le Villageois aux Cheveux Ras (1947), depicts a seemingly simple composition with two dimensional qualities, but it is able to capture a mood, a feeling, and a person with an economy of design elements. Finding beauty in the expressive qualities of the lines, forms, and color, his work is ever so evocative. Dubuffet, in part, inspired the theme of this show. But, we add a twist. The Process This collection includes individual self expressions by Nadia, as well as collaborations between her and myself. There are also a few paintings that included three participants—Nadia, myself, and her father.
In the collaborative paintings, one person starts the piece, usually deining the content and the overall framework of the piece. This is shown in two pieces, in particular—Alligator and The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. Here, Nadia created the initial compositions and I added additional color and texture. It is important to note that all works in this show have Nadia at the center. When she constructs lines in a piece, these lines remain. My contributions are only to reinforce or accentuate the spontaneous marks that a creative six year old imagines. Again, a nod to Dubuffet. The media employed in this art series include inger paints, acrylics, marker, and watercolor. The portrait paintings provide an opportunity to not only appreciate the visual qualities of the pieces, but to also add a narrative layer about the thinking of a six year old. Mothers and Daughters It is true I believe, that many times one may not fully understand and appreciate one’s mother until they are parents themselves. Each day, more and more, I continue to see all of the wonderful things my mother has tried to instill in me. And, thus, another theme of this show is the celebration of mothers and daughters. Here we use the medium of art to share this bond. The act of painting these last several months have been rewarding in so many ways. In my own path of professional and personal enlightenment, I have found it increasingly important to express myself through painting again. It brings me joy. Much more joy than in previous years. Maybe it is from my newly entrenched relationship between art and life. Maybe it is the time in my life that feels raw, reective, real, and fearless. Whatever the reason, I am thrilled to collaborate with my daughter in her irst public art showing. She is a central part of my life, and thus, my art. Happy Sixth Birthday, Nadia On the eve of this printing, Nadia will be turning six. What a great way to celebrate six big years! Happy Birthday, little Miss Nadia. I present to you, Nadia Adele Matilda Stone and her introduction to the art world. We continue to push boundaries and paint outside of the lines! Grandma Jean should be pleased. Enjoy! -LB August 13th, 2016
1. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face Nadia and Mom self portrait. We each designed our dresses and picked out the colors of our garmets. The earinglooking forms are actually ice cream cones, for clariication.
The First TIme Ever I Saw Your Face Acrylic 24 x 48
2. Alligator (formerly known as The Rose) Alligator was the creation by Nadia. The human like quality of the igure and brimming smile just make one want to welcome this alligator into your home.
Alligator Acrylic 24 x 48
3. Fish A solo work by Nadia. A fun afternoon of mixing colors and painting to music, which led to a composition emerging as ish in an ocean.
Fish Acrylic 24 x 24
4. Untitled #1 Another solo work by Nadia. More play with color, texture, and subtractive line work. We have not determined what this looks like so it goes without a name for now.
Untitled #1 Acrylic 24 x 24
5. City Block #1 Nadia’s father started this series before she was even born. Left uninished for a few years, we picked these up and completed them in their current state.
City Block #1 Acrylic 24 x 24
6. City Block #2
City Block #2 Acrylic 24 x 24
7. City Block #3
City Block #3 Acrylic 24 x 24
8. City Block #4
City Block #4 Acrylic 24 x 24
9. Pink Clouds Another solo work by Nadia. Focused exploration of color, texture, and color mixing.
Pink Clouds Acrylic 24 x 24
10. The Dancers An early solo work by Nadia. The irst exploration into paints is inger paints, using the ingers and hands and brushes.
The Dancers Finger Paint 15 x 18
11. Rainbow Spaghetti A very early painting by Nadia. Here she is inding pure joy in the fun of getting one’s hands dirty while creating something fun.The layering of colors is a continuing challenge to all painting.
Rainbow Spaghetti Finger Paint 20 x 24
12. Fireworks
Fireworks Finger Paint 24 x 28
13. Nadia A collaborative effort between mom and Nadia. Nadia drew the igure on the canvas with marker and mom gave it some color and texture.
Nadia Acrylic 24 x 42
14. Group Portrait A fun collection of some of Nadia’s favorite people--Nadia, Mom, Dad, and Grandma Jean. Also included for good measure are pumpkins and some other green people. A fascination with different shaped noses appears in this painting.
Group Portrait Acrylic 24 x 48
15. Nadia and Mom Another self portrait. Here Nadia gives us a purse and and ice cream cone. Very important accessories for the girls. I drew my own hair in this picture, as directed by Nadia. We also have some different shaped noses in this picture.
Nadia and Mom Acrylic 24 x 42
Nadia Stone + Lori Brunner About the Artists I am a a resident of Ames and have been a faculty member at Iowa State University since 2006 in the Interior Design Department. My background spans several disciplines including architecture, urban and regional planning, education, interior design, and the ine arts. In this collaboration I have been able to connect my expertise in education and design with my role of mother and cheerleader, as I share my love of art with my daughter, Nadia.
Nadia is a fun loving six year old, who has been interested in art since she could barely walk. While we are coloring outside the lines in this endeavor, we also are learning to play within the lines and redeine lines when the occasion arises.
Lori Brunner, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Interior Design Iowa State University lbrun518@gmail.com loribrunner.com