spotlight
Nashville Opera Performs
Bizet’s Fiery Masterpiece Carmen In this beloved opera set in Seville, Spain, in the 1820s, the sultry gypsy Carmen attracts men like a magnet. Believing in free love, she casts them off just as quickly as she found them, like a child bored with her new toys. When her attention turns to the famous bullfighter Escamillo, her previous lover, Don José, becomes obsessively jealous and refuses to be denied, leaving blood spilled on the streets. John Hoomes, Artistic Director of the Nashville Opera, brings the energy and raw passion of this classic opera to the Tennessee Performing Arts Center’s Andrew Jackson Hall Thursday, April 14, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 16, at 8 p.m. The cast of renowned principal opera singers includes mezzo-soprano Audrey Babcock in the title role, tenor Scott Piper as Don José, baritone David Won as Escamillo, and soprano Jennifer Black as Micaëla. Amy Tate Williams, Chorusmaster/Accompanist, leads the seventy-twoperson Nashville Opera Ensemble. Ticket holders also have the opportunity to attend the Carmen Cast Party reception immediately following the conclusion of each performance. Priced at $25 per person, the reception includes two drink tickets and the opportunity to meet the cast of Carmen and enjoy a special tango perfor-
Photo: Reed Hummell
mance by Music City Tango. www.nashvilleopera.org
Audrey Babcock playing Carmen
20 | April 2O11 | NashvilleArts.com
Auction to Benefit the Oasis Center
Auction
If you are interested in purchasing this one-of-a-kind piece, created by Keith Merry at Garden Park Antiques, please call Nashville Arts at 615-383-0278 with your highest offer. We will be taking offers until 5 p.m. Friday, April 29, 2011. Retail value is $700.00; the bidding begins at $300.00. All of the proceeds from this auction go to support the Oasis Center. www.Oasiscenter.org
Keith Merry creates a pattern for the scrollwork.
The ends are fitted and soldered together.
Gene Hutto skillfully hand forges the scrolls.
Amir Medic applies final faux finish.
Late-nineteenth-century window grille salvaged from a row house in Philadelphia is repurposed into a beautiful wall planter just in time for spring.
To view a video of the master blacksmith shaping it into completion, visit www.gardenpark.com. NashvilleArts.com | April 2O11 | 27
left :
Consort, Oil on canvas, 36" x 48"
Julia Martin Portraits of a Dream by Lindsey Victoria Thompson
“I
did not pick up a paintbrush until my junior year of high school,” says local Nashvillian and resident artist Julia Martin. “And then I never put it down.
From that first moment I painted, I just knew.” The
years Martin has spent developing her art are not easy for her to describe, and she finds it difficult to strictly define her style. “Above all, I am a painter,” she says. “That’s the most inspiring thing to me: putting paint on a surface. That’s the marrow of what I do. Nothing does it for me quite like that.”
“Sometimes I’ll recognize people I know in the pieces, but mostly they are completely abstract, and I don’t know where they come from. A lot of people accuse me of self-portraiture. Because I work from my mind, I guess it’s natural that some end up looking like me.” Many people have characterized Martin’s work as dreamlike and ethereal. Martin attributes this to the fact that her dream world plays a significant role in her creative process. “Years pass, and it kind of becomes foggy what’s dream and what’s reality,” she says. On the rare occasions that she does begin a piece with a plan, it is because of an image that presented itself to her in a dream.
Photo: Jerry Atnip
Martin has always been compelled to create people in her paintings, although she does not understand why. Effortless twists of fate always seem to lead her back to figures. “I’m so naturally drawn to [figures],” she says. “I wish I could give a plain and simple answer why, but I can’t. I see them in everything. I work in the moment and just kind of follow the happy accidents. For whatever reason, they always lead me to some sort of figure.” Although she sometimes describes herself as a portraitist, Martin says that she almost never knows the people she paints. Though bits of people she knows and parts of herself will show up in a painting, there is never a plan behind creating. Martin believes that she must be in the proper state of mind, where she is completely uninhibited by judgments and insecurities, to create her best works.
NashvilleArts.com | April 2O11 | 37
above : left :
Picker, Oil on panel, 20” x 30”
The Shades, Oil on canvas, 24" x 48"
below :
M.A.M. (magic-armed mandolinist), Oil on canvas, 48” x 60”
Martin’s last completed collection, Posterna, was connected by the common thread of the gateway between her conscious and subconscious worlds. “Every piece was a total fantasy,” she says, as if the paintings were made to house her dreams. Though the motivation behind painting figures has not yet revealed itself completely to Martin, she attributes much of it to the fact that she feels she can best convey emotion through human subjects. When she was young, Martin remembers that she had a print of a Henri Matisse painting of a Spanish woman. “The expression on her face would literally change depending upon my mood,” recalls Martin. “She was almost like a Magic 8 Ball. On some days she would look at me with disdain and on others she would be so beautiful and happy and unaffected.” This kind of ambiguity is one idea that Martin hopes to achieve in her own works. Because the expression on a face can be interpreted many different ways and has the possibility to change with time, Martin expects that her audience will always view her works differently. “[The paintings] start to tell some sort of story, but I don’t like to define in any grand detail what that story is. I want people to create their own stories with each piece. I like them to be accessible and function as mirrors.” Because she has been working in the portraiture genre for so many years, Martin found that she was beginning to become too
38 | April 2O11 | NashvilleArts.com
38 | April 2O11 | NashvilleArts.com
above : right :
Whole Foods Mural, Green Hills, 750 square feet
Nomi, Oil on canvas, 36" x 48"
below :
Sentinels, Oil on canvas, 48" x 36"
comfortable with portraying people. “Figures are almost like a neurotic obsession for me,” she says. “I’m fixated on figures to the point where it’s almost frustrating, because I want to develop other aspects of my work.” As a result, she has taken it upon herself to find new ways to push her art in new directions. This dedication to finding new subjects led her to take a two-monthlong road trip in the summer of 2010 to focus completely on landscapes. Still, she found that she could not leave behind her figures completely. Eventually Martin found that she could satisfy her desire to paint people and still find new tests for herself as an artist. The most recent body of work that Martin has been working on is a series of nude figures, a subject that she has not approached since she was studying in college. Most of her new works, Martin says, are more abstract than much of what she has previously produced for the public to see. She has also worked to introduce a sculptural aspect to her pieces, going so far as to cut figures out of wood and attach them to her paintings.
A lot of people accuse me of self-portraiture. Because I work from my mind, I guess it’s natural that some end up looking like me.
The most challenging element from the transition of subjects is “nailing the contrast.” Having spent so much time creating portraits, Martin finds that faces present themselves as if by a second nature. “With the nude figures I have to think and take my time, and the process, I’ve noticed, is quite a bit slower,” she says. “I like it though. My brain is getting long-overdue exercise.” An exhibition of Martin’s latest pieces will be on display at Ovvio Arte from April 29 to May 21, 2011. An opening reception occurs Friday, April 29 from 6 to 10 p.m. For more information about the artist, visit julia-martin.com or her Etsy shop at juliamartinannex.etsy.com. www.Ovvioarte.com for gallery hours and more information.
NashvilleArts.com | April 2O11 | 39
NashvilleArts.com | April 2O11 | 39
above :
Turning heads with
each stride, the model exudes confidence, offering the perfect contrast to the spellbound onlooker. Walking into oncoming traffic only added to the drama in her swagger.
left :
In a pitch-black
studio with nothing but a green-tinted household light bulb, I snapped this image of the model with piercing eyes and a sense of fierce determination. Despite the intensity of her gaze, the veil softens the image, giving it a Chanel-like vibe.
46 | April 2O11 | NashvilleArts.com
right :
Vast, open landscape, devoid of
skyscrapers and hotdog stands, isn’t easy to come by in the New York City area. The retired airstrips of the Floyd Bennett Field, mixed with the looming clouds, were the perfect location for this dynamic editorial. far right :
After much persuasion,
the fire marshal and police escort looked on as Lauren, equipped with road flairs, walked down the desolate airstrip. below :
As the only image of this series
to be shot in black and white it has become one of my favorites. The model’s expression, posture, and veil represent an idealistic beauty that is charged with femininity and elegance.
above :
The model was a complete rock star during this shoot in
which I set out to capture her simple and timeless beauty. I love how the series is charged with a mixture of energy, sexuality, and a few quiet moments. right :
Beauty comes in many shapes and forms. I love that the
fashion industry has few rules or boundaries, allowing you to play out your fantasies on film.
48 | April 2O11 | NashvilleArts.com
The Civil Wars Harmony & Discord Lizza Connor Bowen | photography by Anthony Scarlati
A
t a historic house in downtown Franklin, Tennessee, Nashville Arts
NA: I understand you aren’t a couple and are, in fact, married to
Magazine recently had the chance to catch up with breakout folk
other people. Yet, the songs from Barton Hollow are so intimate.
duo The Civil Wars. With nineteenth-century wallpaper peeling from the
walls and antique chandeliers casting shadows across the creaking wood floors, it was the perfect setting to ponder the spare, haunting sounds and conflicted, passionate lyrics from the Civil Wars’ debut Barton Hollow. In the four weeks since the album’s release, sales are already topping 45,000 CDs. Top billing on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and a No. 1 slot on the iTunes Albums chart prove that despite a flatlining music industry, great artists are still making noise and connecting with audiences. Before the pair set out for a flurry of sold-out shows across the country, band mates Joy Williams and John Paul White took time to talk with Nashville Arts Magazine about their songwriting process, the transition from major label to independent artist status, and why giving music away for free is earning big dividends for them.
What is your writing process? JPW: There are conversations we can have that we couldn’t if we were in
a relationship, things we can say to each other that we don’t care how the other one takes it because I’m not saying it about her, and she’s not saying it about me. There’s a safety net to that. NA: You could argue that you have the freedom to be more honest
because you’re not worried about protecting someone’s feelings.
In a healthy relationship, you can’t always be painfully, brutally honest. You have to compromise. But Joy and I can have that conversation. We can be actors and talk about things that may or may not be true if we were in a relationship.
JPW:
Also, if we were together, listeners would use us as the background for every single song. They would say, “Oh they must have been in a bad patch during that time.” So some of these songs are autobiographical, and some aren’t.
Somehow we help the other chase the muse to corners of our hearts and corners of music that neither one of us anticipated. – Joy Williams, The Civil Wars NashvilleArts.com | April 2O11 | 55
NA: Joy, these songs are darker and more obscure than songs
you’ve written and sung in previous years. Why is that?
There’s been an arch to where I am now versus where I was when I started out at 17. My worldview has changed. I was feeling really suffocated by the genre that I was in and by the overt language that was used. As I stopped feeling passionate about that, I started getting excited about the idea of nuance and letting dark and light play together. That’s what real life is. Things aren’t tidy. Growing up and hitting my twenties, the way I saw the world changed, I wanted my art to reflect that. JW:
NA: Joy, you have a pop, harmony-driven palette and have refer-
enced the Carpenters and the Beach Boys as influences; and John Paul, you have an old-school country and rock background. How do you complement and sharpen each other? JPW: It’s not what you’d expect or
what’s obvious. The big thing for me is what she pulls out of me, things from my childhood and the music I listened to back then like bluegrass and country, which I didn’t draw on in my solo career. It was more Jeff Buckley and Queen and Led Zeppelin. When we started working together she’d see things that were novel and unique to her from this wellspring that I’d never really tapped into. It’s not just a hybrid of what we’ve always done. It’s some weird alchemy that happens when you put us together. JW: I’m with someone I count as a dear friend. The sense of absolute creative freedom is such a gift that allows me to go down paths that I wouldn’t have by myself. Somehow we help the other chase the muse to corners of our hearts and corners of music that neither one of us anticipated. NA: You both come from major label backgrounds. How have you
adapted now that you’re on your own, independent label?
I saw how effective something can be when you mobilize that many people towards a common goal. I also saw how very seldom that happens. As record label budgets dwindle, there are so many factors that seem to get in the way of just being able to make music and share it. JW:
There were so many pros to being with a label but so many cons as well. The lack of red tape has been nothing short of thrilling. The amount of sweat that’s required to get things done has been completely exhausting but also exhilarating. We don’t have to worry about a fiscal budget where someone says, “You can’t release the CD in this quarter.” For us, it’s a very simple plan that we have. Our meetings consist of three people. We go, “Do you want to do this? Okay, done!” It’s a much more expedited process. That said, it requires much more of us. JPW: Even if we have the same modus operandi, if we didn’t have the same backgrounds we’d wonder, “Would a major label be a better fit? They have so much more money.” But we have the understanding of what they can and can’t do, and the market is so much different now, and the models they all run on are antiquated. We’re gonna keep doing it our way until it’s obvious that we have to hand off some of the authority. But right now we’re having fun. NA: Your
album
Live
at
Eddie’s Attic has been downloaded over 120,000 times in the last year and a half. By giving it away for free, has that benefited you?
Yes, but we didn’t know what to expect when the album came out. We had no e-mail addresses tied to the Live at Eddie’s Attic download, so anyone could painlessly listen to it and pass it on to their friends.
JPW:
We had lots of Twitter followers. We had a song placed on [hit TV show] Grey’s Anatomy and then played on the Tonight Show. We had a lot of awareness, but you never know how that’s going to translate to sales, and we were blown away when the album did come out. It took a little bit of naïveté on our part to put it out. But we could put it out there with the click of a button. Now we look back and say, “How smart were we?” JW: Live at Eddie’s Attic circulated beyond what we ever dreamed. People were showing up at shows in cities where we’d never been before, selling the place out and singing the words along with us. It started a conversation with more than a few people. If you like music, you’re gonna tell your friends about it. Word of mouth is everything. www.thecivilwars.com.
56 | April 2O11 | NashvilleArts.com
Careful Selection, Oil on linen, 16” x 20”
fell in love with France and Italy for the cuisine, their café culture, and the fabulous food markets.” Like Renoir and Manet, Brown feels at home perched beside a bustling patio of outdoor diners with her canvas and brush, eavesdropping on the dialog, capturing the nuance of conversation. She could so easily be a subject in one of her own paintings, sitting outside a Paris bistro, whiling away the hours, people watching, making up stories to fit the colorful scenes around her. She has a passion for sensory experiences, and her awareness of the relational, personal context of social spaces is intoxicating. Brown likes to paint en plein air, a style of painting popularized by the Impressionist painters in the late nineteenth century, as a means to escape the confines of the studio and to take part in the exhilarating process of painting in public. She likes nothing more than to follow in their footsteps, lugging her easel and brushes outdoors to capture the authentic sensation
of nature. Speaking of her experiences with fellow painters in Nashville’s Chestnut Group, Brown says, “It is physically challenging to paint outside. We have a lot of heavy equipment that we have to haul around, sometimes down ravines or up steep hills, but ultimately that is what inspires me. I like being around people who are sharing the same experience as I am and who are also hungry for progress in their work.” When studying the Impressionists, Brown finds herself drawn to the setting and subject of their work and to their bold, sometimes-imperfect brushstrokes. Brown’s technique revives the old traditions of the academy and captures the liveliness of the movement. “The Floor Scrapers by Gustave Caillebotte (see Nashville Arts Magazine October 2010) is possibly one of my favorite paintings of all time,” she says. “Also practically any work by Edouard Manet. I love paintings that show ordinary people doing ordinary things. For me that’s where the magic is.”
62 | April 2O11 | NashvilleArts.com
top left: above : left :
Now You’re Cookin’, Oil on linen, 12” x 12”
Five O’Clock Somewhere, Oil on linen, 12” x 12”
Neighborhood Pride, Oil on linen, 16” x 20”
below :
Sunny With a Chance of Rain, Oil on linen, 20” x 20”
I love paintings that show ordinary people doing ordinary things. For me that’s where the magic is.
NashvilleArts.com | April 2O11 | 63
left:
Luminous Evening, Oil on linen, 12” x 12”
above :
Mood Lighting, Oil on linen, 20” x 24”
below left : below :
Open Market, Oil on linen, 18” x 24”
Mending Fences, Oil on linen, 8” x 10”
bottom :
Gossip Girls, Oil on linen, 12” x 16”
For those who believe that the artistic process is defined by the application of paint, Brown’s years of experience have taught her just the opposite. “A lot of painters just don’t know when to quit. They keep adding paint and wind up with a muddy, lifeless painting. Less is more, and sometimes it’s best to let a painting go. I try to keep my work loose and not over analyze.” She remains humbly aware of the time that she has invested in perfecting her craft. When asked how long it takes her to complete a painting, she hints that each one demands a lifetime of work. “You have twelve failures and then two that work. The answer, as many artists know, is two hours and forty-two years.” www.anneblairbrown.com
64 | April 2O11 | NashvilleArts.com
film
2O11
Nashville Film
Festival
Buck directed by Cindy Meehl
by Kimberly Williams-Paisley
W
atching a film in a theater during the day feels a little like staying
Bloodworth directed by Shane Dax Taylor
up all night shooting one. Both can be forbidden pleasures, partly because Mom and Dad might not have approved. Don’t sit in the dark while the sun shines outside. Don’t stay up all night in the freezing cold. But Mom, Dad, don’t you see the bravery involved? The greater artistic purpose? In the middle of a dark night, big bright lights shine over a film set, keeping actors and crew awake, tricking our bodies into a waking dream. In a dark movie theater, the day moves forward outside, while inside, the projector is our light, a filmmaker’s aesthetic vision the dream we see. We do this in the name of art (and, yeah, OK, entertainment) and in the name of connecting with and better understanding our fellow human beings.
“I know of no other event and no other artistic medium that brings the film community, music community, Hispanic community, black community, GLBT community and more together,” says Sallie Mayne, executive director of the Nashville Film Festival presented by Nissan. “Nashville is a growing and diverse city, and it’s more important than ever to come together and celebrate that diversity, because when we do, we realize—of course—that we are more alike than different. We laugh, cry, and are outraged at the same things. This binds us together as human beings.” Jess + Moss directed by Clay Jeter
It’s also fun. I love movies. I love making them. I love going to them. There will be more than two hundred fifty screening at the festival this year from all over the world. Many of these films will never find their way into mainstream culture, but they represent perspectives from all walks of life. As an added bonus, many of the filmmakers are flying in for the screenings and will be available for Q&A. I’m really looking forward to seeing It’s About You directed by Kurt Marcus. I’ve worked with Marcus, a kind and gentle man who is a soulful photographer. I’m anxious to see how this talent has translated to film. He shot this documentary with his son, Ian, as they followed John Mellencamp for his summer of touring with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. Marcus used Super 8 film, apparently to stunning effect.
The Troll Hunter directed by André Øvredal
66 | April 2O11 | NashvilleArts.com
People here appreciate talent, but celebrities are treated like human beings. We let them go get their –Brian Owens, Festival Director
The festival dedicates a whole category to music films, and another in this category is Broke*, which follows the new musical artist Will Gray through the process of recording and releasing his debut album (featuring production by Grammy Award-winning producer T Bone Burnett). The film chronicles the stories of artists and executives searching for ways to succeed despite the current music industry challenges. Some of this film was also shot here, and you may recognize some of the locals who are interviewed. Will Gray is scheduled to perform at the closing night party at the Mercy Lounge, just one example of the special guests slated to attend
Photo: Kurt Markus
own popcorn if they want to.
above :
above :
It’s About You directed by Kurt Markus, Ian Markus
Kinyarwanda directed by Alrick Brown
the festival. According to Brian Owens, director of the festival for the last three years, accessibility to these guests is one of the things that make this festival unique. Egyptian-American actor, comedian, and director Ahmed Ahmed will be performing at the intimate venue The Basement (tickets are limited). Ahmed’s film Just Like Us, screening at the festival, is described as a “celebration of culture and comedy” and is said to be a timely and touching take on the Muslim religion and the Arab world. Kris Kristofferson is scheduled to attend one of the
opening night films Bloodworth, formerly entitled Provinces of Night. This film was recut and will now be rescreened at the festival under the new name. “Nashville has a balance,” Owens says. “People here appreciate talent, but celebrities are treated like human beings. We let them go get their own popcorn if they want to.” The result is that guests to this festival, one of the oldest in the country, will get to see some great films, but they will
NashvilleArts.com | April 2O11 | 67
Humidity Rising 30” x 24”
Before the Show, 36” x 26”
The Replacement, 24” x 21”
72 | April 2O11 | NashvilleArts.com
Large Lipstick 48” x 34”
anything goes
Megan Byrd and Shannon Miller What qualities do you like most in a man? S + M: Employment is great. Health insurance is also a plus. Who are your favorite writers? S + M: David Sedaris, Steinbeck, Jonathan Safran Foer, Anthony
Bourdain’s autobiographical stuff, Nicole Krauss, John Irving, Michael Chabon, William Somerset Maugham . . . We have a very long list and very overweight bookcases. What is your greatest extravagance? M: Coffee. I drink six cups a day. Practically sleep with a Keurig under my pillow.
So, why Nashville? M: My family is here. They’re the best excuse to be anywhere. S: The drawl, the barbeque, the husband, the cheap cowboy boots. What do you consider your greatest achievement? S: Well, I got married. I charmed a man into marrying me. Haven’t been able to charm him into doing anything since. M: Honestly, probably doing this book is up there with it. Do you have a favorite painter? S: Mike and Jenny Luckett are my favorite. They are awesome.
Phenomenally talented and amazing. They do a lot of murals too and are just great. M: Also Emily Leonard. Her work is fantastic. What is your most treasured possession? S: My dignity. Had a little sabbatical in college there . . . but it’s back!
Photo: Rebekah Jenkins
S: I love cheese, shrimp, and crossword puzzles. Not all at the same time, of course.
Shannon
Megan
What is the greatest love of your life? S: My husband, Buckley. We’re very sappy. M: I’m very single . . . Again, my dog. What is your motto/mantra in life? M: Timshel, which means “Thou mayest.” It’s from Steinbeck’s East of Eden. You should probably just Google it. S: Think with your heart, not with your mind. It was in a Dove chocolate yesterday. What is your greatest fear?
M: My dog, Chuck. She’s a female Boxer puppy. Don’t judge.
S: I’d love to say it’s something like “letting myself down” or something. But it’s not. It’s snakes. Any kind of snakes. I’m terrified of them.
What is your current state of mind?
M: Being with Shannon when she sees a snake.
M + S: We’re both pretty much always about to have a panic attack. All
How did you have the idea of doing this book together?
the time. On the brink of complete disaster. Comfortably almost falling to our deaths. What do you most value in your friends? M + S: Combination of loyalty and honesty. Backbone is important. And it also helps if they are willing to dog sit every now and then. When and where are you happiest? M: Vegas. We had an exceptional time together, and we didn’t even
gamble once.
M + S: We were both working on similar projects, and we realized that
while our strengths are different, our styles are very similar, and if we combine them together our writing is much stronger. Also, we were both bored. Typical.
Shannon Miller, a songwriter from Canada, ventured to Nashville, Tennessee, and released a record of her own on OnRamp/EMI Records. She is currently completing her graduate degree in history at Harvard
S: Anywhere I feel like a rebelling child. Like hopping the fence. That’s all
online. A native Nashvillian, Megan Byrd received her B.A. in English
it took.
from Belmont University and is currently the managing editor of a
What is your favorite journey?
is a coveted selection of humor essays that ventures into highly charted
M + S: The mile drive to one another’s house.
territory and documents the strange moments, unexpected fears, and
publishing house. Their co-authored book Awkward Moments with Men
What would your occupation be if you could suddenly do it? S: I would love to be a hardcore athlete. Like Lance Armstrong. Very
athletic, Wheaties box, the whole thing. M: A forensic anthropologist. I’ve been watching too much Bones lately.
over-analysis that occurs when women come into contact with men. Their book releases November 11, 2011. You can read excerpts and preorder the book at www.awkwardmomentswithmen.com.
NashvilleArts.com | April 2O11 | 83
my favorite painting
Wil Elder
Vice President for Development, Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art
Waiting for Bootsie
I
love this painting because it is the idyllic South—the gentleman
It’s a time gone by. This is my favorite painting because the artist is not your typical painter. He is a State District Judge, and yet his passion is art. This is one of Walker’s earlier pieces, and I am intrigued by his adaptation of pointillism.Waiting for Bootsie has great sentimental value. Judge Walker was one of my dad’s fraternity brothers, and he gave this painting to my parents as a wedding gift. It was a great gift to my parents and a great gift from them to me. Many of the farmer out in the beautiful rural Tennessee landscape.
Impressionists became known through their association with other famous artists. I love Carroll Cloar’s work and have been familiar with the Memphis artist for a long time. When I came to Cheekwood, I was surprised and delighted to learn there was a painting by Cloar in the permanent collection. I have been particularly interested in Judge Walker’s work because he was mentored by Cloar, who was his good friend and neighbor. Even though Judge Walker has had only two art shows, I believe he will be recognized for his artistic contributions one day.
Waiting for Bootsie by Jody Walker, 1975, Acrylic on masonite
Photo: Anthony Scarlati
About the Artist Jody Walker, a Circuit Court Judge for the Twenty-
and nationally known artist Carroll Cloar. Walker
Fifth Judicial District in Tennessee, discovered his
would sit and observe for hours on end learning
passion for art after returning from serving in the
over his shoulder from the master. Judge Walker
Vietnam War. While the pointillist painter has no
often uses rural Tennessee landscapes as the
formal training, he was mentored by his neighbor
inspiration for his work.
86 | April 2O11 | NashvilleArts.com