Visual Language Magazine Vol 3 No 3 March 2014

VL

VISUAL LANGUAGE contemporary fine art

features

Jeanne Illenye Mary Jane Q Cross Rebecca Zook David Francis Alejandro Castanon Suzanne Stevenson

VL

March 2014 Volume 3 No. 3

Alejandro Casta帽贸n Vino Dipinte Art Gallery www.AlejandroCastanon.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 1

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VISUAL LANGUAGE Contemporary Fine Art

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VL Cover Artist

Alejandro Castanon Contemporary Fine Art Born in Torreon, Mexico in 1983 Alejandro soon moved overseas and spent most of his youth in Spain and Germany. His interest in art began at an early age and grew into a passion in his late teens. A self-taught artist he has explored many styles and mediums of art such as realism, abstract and use of graphite and charcoal.

After serving eight years in the U.S Air Force he chose to move to San Angelo, TX to be present in his daughter’s life. In less than a year he opened the Vino Dipinte Art Gallery and began his artist career.

His current body of work can be described as figurative and explosive with color.

http://www.alejandroCastanon.com/

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Connie Dines Artful Exposures One Frame At A Time

A Pilgrims Friend on the Camino de Santiago

ArtfulExposures.com 4 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

content

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Cover Artist Alejandro Castanon 3 Contemporary Realism

Painter’s Keys - Robert Genn 11 VL Artist Features - 28 Melissa Doron, Sandra Manuila, Tatiana Roulin, M. Allison

CFAI Colors on My Palette 42 Kristine Byars

Read the up close and personal interviews from CFAI.co Find out more about the artist, their inspirations and how they approach their work.

ARTSPAN New Works - 48

VL Studio Interview with Jeanne Illenye 50 At first, my thought for this studio visit and interview was to share my Biography with you, which is exactly that, an overview about how I began painting in oils by my mother’s side at the wee age of four, my utter delight at discovering Nature by intimately studying every flower petal, rock, dewdrop and bumblebee I could touch, to a developing maturity with regular museum visits in New York which inspired my large, classical still lifes reminiscent of the Dutch masters, and through my 25 year series of Little Gems later sold online.

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VL Artspan Studio Visit Mary Jane Q Cross 68 Born in 1951, Mary Jane Q. Cross’s life was a life full of questions and a yearning for order. This was the underpinning of Cross’s future career as a Classical Realism painter whose large body of work is marked by logic, cohesion, and an aura of storytelling that is poetic and consoling.

VL Hall Groat II 84 Lessons in Collecting Art Entry level stock investors may not have the funds to buy the blue chipst, therefore they must wait for the market dip to build a portfolio that may grow.

Buy low and sell high takes patience although the bottom is illusive and the risks are always there in a volatile economy. Lets talk about taking a different tack and a way of elevating your lifestyle while still building equity.

VL Studio Visit with Rebecca Zook 90 Peace. Beauty. Light Three aspects that Texas artist Rebecca Zook consciously incorporates into her acrylic paintings. Though she portrays a variety of subjects, natural landscapes are a personal favorite. Viewers often comment that they feel as if they could step into her paintings; as if the frame were a window to another world.

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content

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ARTSPAN Spotlight with David Francis 110 When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be an artist?

It sounds clichĂŠ, but it seems like I have always loved to draw. One of my earliest memories is waiting for my father to finish the Sunday newspaper, so that I could sit down and start copying the funnies.

VL/AOT Studio Visit with Alejandro Castanon 126 I never intended to be a professional artist. Like many artists, I drew constantly throughout my childhood. Although my lack of formal art education has not been a hindrance for me, had I known I’d become a professional artist someday I probably would have chosen to focus on art in school.

VL Artspan Photographer Suzanne Steveson 146 Art has always been a large part of my life, drawing, painting, mixed media; the need to create is ever present in my daily life. Photography came to me later in life; the gift of a camera and macro lens opened an entire new way to create and expand my artistic creativity. The camera gave me the opportunity to see all of the incredible beauty that surrounds me every day.

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Artist of the Day “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” ― Edgar Degas

Sign up today.

Lesley Humphrey “I believe that we can all learn how to paint, but it is in the silent, authentic, beautiful recesses of our hearts and souls where a true masterpiece is born. True artistic skill, the courage to interpret the images of that place and bring them into the world for you to experience is my goal.” http://lesleyhumphrey.net

artistofthedayvl.blogspot.com If you want to be featured as an Artist of the Day, contact Visual Language Magazine.

VisualLanguageMagazine@gmail.com

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Carol Jo Smidt

www.caroljosmidt.com

carol@caroljosmidt.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 9

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VISUAL LANGUAGE MAGAZINE Contemporary Fine Art

Visual Language Magazine Staff Editorial Editor -in-Chief Laurie Pace Executive Editor Lisa Kreymborg Consulting Editor Nancy Medina Consulting Editor Diane Whitehead Consulting Editor Debbie Lincoln Feature Contributor Robert Genn Painter’s Keys CFAI Contributor Kimberly Conrad Feature Editor Art Reviews Hall Groat II Feature Writer Barry Scharf VL Sponsor ARTSPAN Eric Sparre Advertising Contact: VisualLanguageMagazine@gmail.com Marketing and Development Executive Director Business/Management Stacey Hendren All Artwork is Copyrighted by the Individual Artists.

Visual Language Vol 3 No 3

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http://www.mallisonartist.com/

Robert Genn’s Studio Book

Dear Artist, During a bumpy period a few years ago in New York, I had a small revelation about how to thrive when things aren’t going as expected. It occurred to me that when we’re in school we seldom question the curriculum but instead merely show up for class. After all, semesters end, allowing us to move on and refine our area of study.

In the meantime, we might pick up some unexpected knowledge.

Pema Chödrön is a Buddhist nun, author and Shambhala teacher. She lives at Gampo Abbey, on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.Pema Chodron -- watercolour painting 9 x 12 inches by <a href=’http://www.lynncornishwatercolors.com/lynnhome.aspx’>Lynn Beth Cornish</a> Pema Chodron watercolour painting 9 x 12 inches by Lynn Beth Cornish A New York rocker friend introduced me to The Wisdom of No Escape , a book Pema wrote on meditation. (It was either that, or a trip to the Russian bathhouse for a whipping with veniki bundles, so I took the book.) My rocker friend thought I could use some new insight.

“You are the sky. Everything else - it’s just the weather.” says Pema. One of her themes is the Tibetan notion of attachment, or shenpa. Shenpa is that moment you get hooked into a habitual cycle of response, like the sweaty shame-spiral that happens when that thing on the canvas is blaringly bad. Or when a trash-talking interloper is allowed to invade the easel space. Shenpa is the emotional go-to when sitting through the dodgier periods of life class. Your shenpa can be changed.

Painter’s Keys - Robert Genn

Painter’s Keys with Robert Genn

I’ve been living as an artist in New York for ten years. My twin brother, James, first visited me while I was away on tour in the UK. We arranged to intersect before he flew home to Canada. I climbed the six flights of my 1904 walk-up tenement and opened the door to find James cross-legged in the only chair, shocked and awed by a previous tenant’s home improvement effort of duct-taping all the linoleum, and overcome by a space-hogging Baldwin baby grand, bedroom easel, and a quietly rotting ceiling. Then he gifted me with his response: “I get it. You fell in love, just not with a person. And you’re willing to do anything for that love.”

School is in session, and semesters are coming and going with the nonchalance of a Greenwich Village mouse.

Our creative expectations are in a steady state of disruption and re-adjustment and even satisfaction. Living a dream is just a matter of switching up the shenpa.

Sincerely, Sara PS: “Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth.” (Pema Chodron) Esoterica: Pema Chödrön was born Deirdre Blomfield-Brown in 1936 in New York City. She attended Miss Porter’s School for Girls, went to Berkeley, taught elementary school, married and had two children before devoting her life to Buddhism. She’s also the same age as my Dad. “We are like children building a sandcastle,” says Pema. “We embellish it with beautiful shells, bits of driftwood, and pieces of coloured glass. The castle is ours, off limits to others. Yet despite all our attachment, we know that the tide will inevitably come in and sweep the sandcastle away. The trick is to enjoy it fully but without clinging, and when the time comes, let it dissolve back into the sea.”

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DURNAVICH Ron Durnavich

Ronsscenesiowa.com 12 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Emotion / Abstraction

www.ron-durnavich.artistwebsites.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 13

Roseanne Snyder Diversity in Color and Compostion

Village

Trees

roseannesnyder.blogspot.com 14 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

McCoy’s Gaited Horse Artworks Your equine art connection!

Jonelle T. McCoy “Carnaval Ride”

jonelle-t-mccoy.artistwebsites.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 15

REES VL Rees

Tipping Paint Gallery 311 West Martin Street, Raleigh, NC 27601

tippingpaintgallery.com 16 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

“Contemporary Realism and Beyond”

vlrees.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 17

BITTER Gabriele Bitter

Lady in Waiting

Fairy Tale

gabrielebitter.com

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texture

vibrant

direct

gabrielebitter.com Timeless VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 19

Aspen S P A C E S Lelija Roy

Art on a Whim Gallery

100 N Main Street Breckenridge, CO 227 Bridge Street Vail, CO artonawhim.com (970) 547-8399

James Ratliff Gallery

671 State Route 179--The Hillside Sedona, AZ jamesratliffgallery.com (928) 282-1404

www.lelija.net 20 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

contact: lelija@lelija.net

Linda McCoy www.lindamccoyart.blogspot.com Linda McCoy Studio/Gallery Fine Art Instruction 209 S West Street, Mason, Ohio VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 21

Laurie Justus Pace Ellepace.com

Mirada Fine Art. Denver

Robert Kelly Home. Park City

MiradaFineArt.com

RobertKellyHome.com

Rare Gallery. Jackson Hole

South Hill Gallery: Lexington

RareGalleryJacksonHole.com

SouthHillGallery.com

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Dyan Newton Capturing the Light

dyannewton.com Above: Krysta Private Collector Left: Texas Tales Private Collector

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Mirada Fine Art

‘Best Art Gallery’ -5280 Magazine, 2010 & 2012 ‘A Style-Maker’ -Luxe Magazine, 2010 ‘BestAmerican Colorado Gallery’ Art Awards, 2012 & 2013 ‘Art -Denver Lover’s Escape’ Life Magazine 2010 ‘Best of Denver’ -Westword Newspaper, 2010

miradafineart.com 24 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

5490 Parmalee Gulch Rd. Indian Hills, CO 80454 (only minutes from Denver) www.miradafineart.com 303-697-9006 Featured Artiss: Andrew Baird, Pablo Milan, Lyndmila Agrich, Jeanne Bessette, Svetlana Shalygina, Laurie Justus Pace Bruce Marion, Time Howe, Wynn| 25 VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VLAllen Magazine

miradafineart.com

STEPHANIE PAIGE

ETERNAL FIRE 48” x 48” Mixed Media Made with layered Textured Marble Dust

STEPHANIEPAIGESTUDIO.COM Visit Stephanie’s Representing Galleries

MIrada Fine Art Gallery . Denver, CO . Ph.303.697.9006 Calvin Charles Gallery . Scottsdale, AZ . Ph.480.421.1818 Pippin Contemporary . Santa Fe, NM . Ph.505.795.7476 Contemporary Fine Arts Gallery . La Jolla, CA . Ph.858.551.2010 Christopher Hill Gallery . Napa Valley, CA . Ph.707.963.0272 26 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

LAU RA R E E D

Abstract Collage Paintings

Life Experiences laurareed.artspan.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 27

VL Melissa Doron http://artistdoron.com

Passion and Color Melissa Doron has kicked off another great year in art starting with a stunning series of animals.

She is preparing pieces for the Wine and Art festival coming the last weekend in March in Old Town Spring, Texas. Melissa’s new collection will be part of a new gallery opening in Old Town Spring. She will be there in person to share her art with collectors.

Melissa is an active member of the Artists of Texas, and a featured artist in Visual Language Magazine last year for her fifty trees in fifty days. She is currently represented by several galleries in the Houston area, as well as co-owner of Davis & Company Contemporary Fine Art Gallery in Old Town Spring, Texas.

“Art is subjective. Not everyone will like your work but if you love it then everything else will fall into place.” - Melissa Doron

Bait Buffet

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Top Right: Three Flamingos Top Left: Charming Beauty Bottom Right: Dinner

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VL Sanda Manuila

http://www.sandamanuila.artspan.com

From the Outside In Very early in my life I realized that I had the perspective of an outsider. Because I was born in a Romanian family in Geneva, Switzerland, the eccentric tendencies of my relatives often clashed with the principles of the Calvinist society we lived in. My friends called me â&#x20AC;&#x153;Paprika Feetâ&#x20AC;?. Later on and yet in another place in California, while studying Magic Realism in Latin American fiction I experienced instant recognition. Raised in a Cartesian society where only a pragmatic attitude was acceptable, I succumbed to the irrationality of the reality described by Latin American writers.

Since then, I have been concerned with the disparate interpretations of reality, which displays the paradox of two conflicting perspectives, one based on a rational view of reality and the other on the acceptance of the unusual as prosaic reality.

In order to depict the relationship of reality and illusion, I focus my emotions and thoughts to construct meaning, applying oil paint and glazes layers after layers. By adding multiple impressions of light, I create inner landscapes from which exude an allegorical quality.

The Presence of the Past

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The Annunciation

Reality is a Trick

Left: A Twisted Mind VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 31

VL Tatiana Roulin

http://www.3dmirror.com

Representational Fine Art Tatiana Roulin is an award-winning, internationally renowned New England representational painter whose primary mediums include oil, acrylic and pastel. She is a juried member of the Oil Painters of America and Pastel Society of America. She is also a member of many art associations in New England.

Roulin’s approach combines the classic atelier training, largely based on techniques used by the Old Masters, with her own personal style expressed through the harmony of design, color and light.

Her art is in many private, corporate and public collections worldwide. A few major collectors in Massachusetts include: Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center; The Department of Youth Services; and Suportel Portuguese Supermarket Chain.

Roulin has won many prestigious art awards, has had several one-person exhibitions, and has participated in many juried group shows in the U.S. and abroad. Her paintings exhibited internationally in America, Italy, Spain, Austria, Germany, England, Brazil and Russia.

She has appeared on the “Arts in the Spotlight” cable TV show. She has also been featured in several magazines such as Art&Beyond Magazine, Visual Language Magazine, Still Point Arts Quarterly Magazine, South Shore Living Magazine, and ArtScope Magazine.

Her art has been published in art books and she is listed in the “Who is Who in Visual Art” and “New Faces in Arts & Design” European art catalogs. Currently Roulin’s art is represented by the Gina M. Woodruff Gallery in Long Beach, CA, the Hope Gallery in Bristol, RI, and Manhattan Arts International in New York, NY.

“Orange Pepper” 7 x 7 Acrylic Available at Gina M Woodruff Gallery in Long Beach, CA

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“Yellow Jug With Granny” 9 x 12 Acrylic Available at Gina M Woodruff Gallery in Long Beach, CA

“Red Hat Ladies” Series is available at Gina M Woodruff Gallery in Long Beach, CA

“Keep Calm” 14 x 18 Oil on Canvas Available

“Plums” 8 x 8 Oil on Canvas Available

“October Oaks” 24 x 30 “Shades of Autumn” 9 x 12

“Lemon Tea Cup” 10 x 10 Oil on Canvas Available

“Tea Pot and Citruses” 18 x 24 Oil on Canvas Available at Hope Gallery in Bristol, RI VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 33

VL M Allison

http://www.mallisonartist.com/

Live Creativity I was brought up in a world of creativity; Momma’s gourmet cooking, Bawmaw’s professional sewing, Granny’s painting and best of all, my sisters. We traveled in a pack and live creativity. Art, always art, in any form. I love it! My self worth, to an extent, is measured in what I create. I have to feel productive. I am a productive mother, 4 children, 3 are triplets and I’m still in a dream. They will never remember my cooking, but they will remember me with a paintbrush in my hand.

Circus in Town 36 X 48 Oil Graphite

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Electric City 36 X 48 oil

On the Verge 24 X 36 Oil on Canvas

Texas Oil 30 X 38 Oil

Dwelling 24 X 36 Oil Graphite

Down By the River 36 X 48 Oil on Canvas

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MARK YEARWOOD

InArt Gallery 219 Delgado Street Santa Fe, NM 87501 505-983-6537 www.inartsantafe.com

MarkYearwood.com “Interfusion” 60’’x 84’’ Mixed Media / Canvas

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line . shape . color

MarkYearwood.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 37

Suzanne Muldrow “Focus on Art”

photoartbysuzanne.com 38 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

vlrees.com

The Legend of Aurora Borealis Acrylic, 24 x 36

After the great flood, the planet tipped on its axis, plunging the North into long periods of darkness. In the North there lived a group of people who had been spared from the flood. But when they could no longer see the sun or feel its warmth, they became sad and afraid; cold and hungry.

The Great Mother felt compassion for the People and told them to gather their belongings and walk south, where the sun would shine and provide bounty and warmth. But because there was no light and little food, many of the people perished on the dark, cold journey south.

In a stroke of genius the Great Mother covered the top of the world with mountains and hills made of ice crystals. The ice crystals captured the sunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rays and reflected them into the black sky and so illuminated the nomadsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; path. They could then journey south under the

NANCEE JEAN BUSSE

www.nanceejean.com www.facebook.com/nanceejeanbusse 970.261.2028

shifting, humming rainbow of light and became the forerunners of many of the great tribes of North America. But the white bear stayed in the Great North.

He stayed because he loved the beauty of the inky darkness, the music of whale song and sea birds, and the deep comfort of solitude.

See Additional Paintings and narratives at www.nanceejean.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 39

Laurel Lake McGuire

Joy in Counterpoint

laurellakemcguire.artspan.com 40 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Richard Levine Pastel Painter

Landscape and Figurative

“Bruges, Homage in The Flemish Style”

“Bruges, Canal Reflections”

“The Beguinage, Bruges”

RichardLevine.net Email: artisanrichard@gmail.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 41

CFAI.co Colors On My Palette

Kristine Byars

http://kristinebyars.com http://www.cfai.co/#!colors-on-my-palette-interview/cy2z

When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be ‘an artist’?

When I was about seven or eight. My Grandmother painted and instructed art classes. During our visits to her farm, she would sometimes work with my sisters and I, showing techniques and basics, but would then encouragingly leave us to our own creativity.

Who has been the greatest influence from your past to mentor you to this career?

There are two. My Grandmother, who I mentioned above, and also Richard (Duke) Kruse. Duke is my family’s dear friend, and also owned an advertising agency. He offered me a job while I was still in high school, which continued through college. He is a terrific artist, with a giant personality. He taught me technical graphic design as well as fine art skills. His loving (yet loud) constant reminders to “loosen up!”, “use your arms, not your wrists!” and “always keep learning” are obviously still stuck in my head! He is (I believe) 90-years-young, and at his solo exhibition two years ago, I purchased one of his self portraits (he poses in a jester’s costume). It hangs prominently in my studio!

Who is your mentor today, or another artist you admire and why?

I recently attended an Edward Hopper exhibit, and fell in love with his work (and his color) all over again.

This show is particularly interesting because it’s the painter’s process, from sketches to final paintings. You can see what was in his head and how it translated to canvas. I love the work of contemporary artists Paul Sheldon, Jack Vettriano and Dennis Ziemienski to name a few.

What is your favorite surface to paint on? Describe it if you make it yourself.

Canvas.

What brand of paints do you use?

I like Rembrandt and DaVinci. In oil pastels, I only use Sennelier.

Do you have a favorite color palette?

Pretty much anything and everything that is bold and bright.

What is your favorite color in your closet?

My husband will say I look best in dark colors, but I love any kind of white shirt.

Read more at http://www.cfai.co/#!colors-on-my-palette-interview/cy2z 42 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Fallen Leaf Lake

Number Three

Read more at http://www.cfai.co/#!colors-on-my-palette-interview/cy2z VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 43

Collectors Discover New Art Daily.

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Personal Coaching on Individual Art Marketing Strategies

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Professional Gallery Page on the CFAI.co Website

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Over 100 Specialty Art Blogs to Choose From

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Monthly Art Challenges at a Discounted Rate

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Quarterly Juried Shows at a Discounted Rate

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Eligibility for Inclusion in the Annual Collectors Book

http://www.cfai.co

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HERTEL

Oil paintings in 3D Extrusionist Technique

hertel.artspan.com 619 C么te St. Jean, St. Roch de Richelieu, Qc.Canada, J0L 2M0 Phone: 438-871-2356 VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 45

TRACY MILLER www.tracymillerfineart.com

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Spectra 15” x 23” Acrylic

Elizabeth Chapman

Contemporary Abstract Artist melizabethchapman.artspan.com

Montane 22” x 36” Acrylic

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 47

artspan

Newest Works

Mark Gould

http://markgouldart.com

The Good Forest: Arcadian 938

The Good Forest: Arcadian 935

Coppice 846 Calm Light: Arcadian 882

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Terry Stanley FIne Art, Portraiture & Illustration

“Yellow Roses and Topaz” - oil 12x12

TerryStanley.com Green Bay, WI

Email: info@terrystanley.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 49

JEANNE ILLENYE

Nest in Foley Teacup 6x6 inches oil on panel

50 www.jeanneillenye.com | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Capturing Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Transient Beauty

Antique Silver Spoons on Aqua Wood 7x5 inches oil on

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www.jeanneillenye.com

Visit VL Gallery JEANNE ILLENYE Why I Paint At first, my thought for this studio visit and interview was to share my Biography with you, which is exactly that, an overview about how I began painting in oils by my mother’s side at the wee age of four, my utter delight at discovering Nature by intimately studying every flower petal, rock, dewdrop and bumblebee I could touch, to a developing maturity with regular museum visits in New York which inspired my large, classical still lifes reminiscent of the Dutch masters, and through my 25 year series of Little Gems later sold online. However, since you can read all the details about my artistic growth on my website, I thought it might be a little more insightful and fun to chat with you about a trend that is currently underway on my easels...my new direction, far from the dark, classical old world style oil paintings on which my reputation is based. These new paintings truly reveal reflections from my heart...the very reason why I paint as expressed in my Artist Statement: “Capturing Nature’s Transient Beauty: It is the common things that are most often taken for granted -- the fruit and flowers of our daily sustenance -- nourishment for body and soul, respectively. These are delicate and fleeting gifts. Through my work, I elicit a greater appreciation for their beauty by elevating them to the forefront of the observer’s attention. While my paintings isolate a particular moment in time, it is through the details -- a browning, torn leaf, the curling of a dried petal, a broken stem, bruised fruit, dewdrops -- that I evoke a sense of transience in Nature’s beauty. I take the observer through many phases of growth from bud to blossom, ripening fruit to withering vine -- life and death and ultimately, rebirth of spirit, for within this beauty we find comfort and peace.”

With that in mind, I’ve chosen to discuss several paintings featured herein, which aspire toward this exciting new direction revealing a lighter, fresher palette with subjects from my gardens and antique collections presented in varying compositional formats from classical still lifes to cropped, zoom in perspectives which are created purely by emotion and intuition rather than with conscious thinking or planning.

Treading Softly If I wasn’t a still life artist and had more exposure to vast and dramatically scenic areas, I’d no doubt be a landscape artist or perhaps I might have chosen wildlife art. However, since growing up in the suburbs of New York City my focus was directed more toward the earth beneath my feet. I believe that is where the seed was planted and my passion for still lifes began whereby mimicking my childhood curiosity about Nature…when small and close to the ground one can pluck a buttercup or clover, ladybug or feather and examine it with great fascination. To me still life painting is really doing just that but on a more mature level, yet the wonder and enthusiasm is still there. It’s my gift to be able to “see” and to paint is my way of sharing the glory…to feel a kinship with all living things.

www.jeanneillenye.com 52 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Nest Amidst Wilting Roses 8 x 8 inches Oil on Panel

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Visit VL Gallery JEANNE ILLENYE

Changing a Leopard’s Spots Having always enjoyed painting fruit and floral still lifes in the classical style, it wasn’t until I began selling online in recent years that I became enlightened by the contemporary work of my peers.

I briefly dabbled in these retro subjects but found that I just couldn’t bear to paint a cup without decorative floral or transferware patterns or a spoon without embellishments such as monogram, flower and ribbon engravings. So without realizing it, I was already laying the groundwork for a new direction by utilizing this selection process, fine tuning what I chose as my favorite subjects to paint.

Transitioning from classical to contemporary realism truly caused me to feel like a leopard trying to change his spots; it didn’t seem right. It felt like I was changing who I am. However, my draw toward the crisp, bright clarity of my contemporaries’ paintings offered such a sense of refreshment that I became determined to change my spots, as it were...and so I did.

Immersed in a New Light My emergence did not occur overnight. Rather, it was a long, arduous process of editing my work to the very source of energy within each painting then reducing superfluous content, and most difficult, brightening my palette. While I continued to mix my own colors from the primaries plus white, I chose to eliminate rich backgrounds for a fixed period of time so I would no longer use the depths of shadow as a crutch. It was time to let go of the dark ages and bring myself and my work into a new light. It wasn’t until I began setting up still life arrangements in my light filled studio, as opposed to painting primarily from studies and memory as done with my classical paintings, that I was able to take the next truly daring step which resulted in “Shades of White” the platform from which all subsequent work is now being created. Join me as I continue my artistic journey…Capturing Nature’s Transient Beauty.

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Shades of White 24 x 24 inches Oil on Canvas

www.jeanneillenye.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 55

VL

Gallery Visit

JEANNE ILLENYE

Pansies in Mustard Jar on Wood Block 10 x 8 inches Oil on Panel

www.jeanneillenye.com

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Orange Glow 18 x 18 inches Oil on Panel

Estate Sale Silver 8x8 inches oil on panel

www.jeanneillenye.com

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Visit VL Gallery JEANNE ILLENYE

Peonies in Edwardian Silver Teapot on Lace 12 x 12 inches Oil on Panel

www.jeanneillenye.com 58 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Delightful Anticipation 20 x 16 inches Oil on Canvas

www.jeanneillenye.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 59

Karen Frattali Finearts 60 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Available to groups for workshops, demonstrations and gallery talks.

www.karenfrattali.com kfrattali@gmail.com

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Davis & Company contemporary fine art gallery

OLIVE TREES Eric Bodtker davisandcompanyart.com 62 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Pat Meyer Signature Member of Artist of Texas, Oil Painters of America, Outdoor Painters Society

Beauty Show Ready and is 12 x 12

PatMeyer-artist.com

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Clara Johnson BOLD RICH COLORS

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Bold Rich Colors capture the esscense.

Be enticed...discover the mystery.

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Tanya D. Bracey “ Art that Heals”

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web

Ellepace.com http://www.pinterest.com/byhispowertb/my-portfolio

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VL VL Artspan Studio Visit Mary Jane Q Cross

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Studio Visit

Mary Jane Q Cross

Born in 1951, Mary Jane Q. Cross’s life was a life full of questions and a yearning for order. This was the underpinning of Cross’s future career as a Classical Realism painter whose large body of work is marked by logic, cohesion, and an aura of storytelling that is poetic and consoling.

As a Worcester Art Museum School art student in the 1970’s, Cross was a ‘closet Realist’ as she endured the era’s dominant mantle of Expressionism. Reading of formal artists with her shared realism vision – DaVinci, Sargent, Bouguereau, Godward, Mary Cassatt -- was a point of encouragement at this time. Studying such painters, among other Masters of earlier centuries, inspired Cross in her personal quest to acquire the skills of Classical painting.

After 40-plus years of this visual journey, Cross continues to produce a body of work that presents a sense of needed and appreciated refreshment in the midst of modernity’s fast pace. Cross’s resonant theme is of respectfully uncovering the many complex layers of women. Appealing to both women and men alike, her work presents women’s beauty as a deep comfort and a restful joy, when idealistically and, perhaps, Biblically examined. In a contemporary culture that perceives the sexuality of women in an increasingly objectified manner, Cross’s work offers a breath of hope. Her work presents a delicate beauty that she believes young women, in particular, are actually striving for – a beauty that, in the artist’s opinion, reflects an image of women as God intended them to be: Creation’s crowning jewels.

“If you do not have life, you cannot give life,” states Cross. “If my work has anything, it has an authentic response to life. My paintings are stories. They depict the quiet rest that comes to a soul only after it has determined to deal with circumstances head-on, with grace and tact instead of grumbling and complaining. My paintings reflect and inspire a determination to focus on beauty, even in the midst of ashes. This is something I have had to live.”

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Comforting Hands in Trying Times

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Studio Visit

Mary Jane Q Cross

Main Street Palms 42” x 24”

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Croissanterie 58” x 18”

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Above: God is the Anchor of My Soul 28x22 Left: Gently Letting Go International Guil of Realism Best of Show

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Studio Visit

Mary Jane Q Cross

257 42” x 30” Sovereignty Purity Nobility Loyalty Liberty Remnant in America Allegory

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Sovereign Lord I Trust and Depend on Thee

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Studio Visit

Mary Jane Q Cross

Study for The Queen fo Sheba I Serve the God of Solomon

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Excalibur Rising

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Studio Visit

Mary Jane Q Cross

The Tender Caregiver 28x22

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artspan For the past 21 years, a serious right-sided tremor has limited Cross’s ability to hold a brush. Thus, Cross paints with her fingers; whatever minimal brush strokes the artist employs are guided by a prosthetic device. A documentary titled Q. Cross: The Painter behind the Portraits, on youtube, click to view Documentary details her journey back to painting in the after-years of the tremor’s on-set.

The artist has also compiled a book, Poems of a Painter, Paintings of a Prayer, in which she speaks of how she has come to deal with this physical challenge that she cannot change and, yet, has witnessed a greater dream come out of what were initially tragic circumstances.

The simultaneous heartache and joy that Cross experiences daily is seen in her paintings – and it is heard in the poems that she writes as an accompaniment to each of her works. The combined presentation of painted image and printed word has enriched the meaning of her work.

The public is a telling barometer of the penetrating resonance of the artist’s work. Cross’s paintings are regularly displayed by the Art Renewal Center Salon Exhibitions (where Cross is an ARC Associate Living Master), click for ARC Masters Gallery the International Guild of Realism (where she was awarded Best of Show in 2013), the American Society of Traditional Artists, the Salmagundi Club, and the Allied Artists of America.

As many as 30,000 people a year also view Cross’s work at outdoor venues. Viewers who cannot afford the originals are still enthusiastically pleased to own limited edition prints. Collectors who can afford these multi-faceted jewels get to live with a palpable part of Cross’s personal vision, crafted with her personal touch.

Mary Jane Q. Cross www.maryjaneqcross.com builds a body of memorable work in a studio, built by her husband and hugged by New England’s quiet countryside, as she threads the fabric that mirrors her own life into her work. Her quest is a worthy one.

The Contemplative 30 x 40 Finalist and Honorable Mention from Art Renew Center Salon Exhibition

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BAUER Logan Bauer LoganBauer.com

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Hall Groat II

Lessons in Collecting Art Art Collecting Tips

By Hall Groat Sr.

IMPORTANT LESSONS IN COLLECTING ART Entry level stock investors may not have the funds to buy the blue chips, Therefore, they must wait for the market dip to build a portfolio that may grow. Buy low and sell high takes patience although the bottom is illusive and the risks are always there in a volatile economy. Lets talk about taking a different tack and a way of elevating your lifestyle while still building equity.

COLLECTING ART 101 Buying direct from an established artist is always better than dealing with a gallery. Artists are generally fair minded people and more accessible than you think.

If you have little to spend and only buy unframed work you may receive a much better price and not end up with a glut of framed work and no way to store it. If you pay a gallery commission of 40 to 50% you will limit your ability to enjoy a profit down the line. Buy low and sell high in art- is smart business!

COLLECT ORIGINAL ART ONLY Avoid buying any art referred to as an original reproduction. This is double talk and you will be stuck with a worthless investment regardless of what you may be told by a dealer.

BE A SOPHISTICATED COLLECTOR Study everything about each artist you collect and build a file tracking their shows and market activity. Obviously, names mean everything. Its much easier to resell an artists work with international name recognition than a pretty picture by your aunt Minnie- who won a prize on a clothesline sale in Peoria.

DONT PLASTER YOUR WALLS WITH ART Wall to wall paintings do not mean you are an art collector. It means you are a dust collector. Nothing worse than a glut of unorganized stuff when you have no idea of origin or value. The best idea for a serious collector is to build a storage rack in a dry place in your home. Label each piece of art so it will be accessible.

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ROTATE YOUR ART COLLECTION When you begin to enjoy being a collector of fine arts, you will find yourself rotating your work to different locations in your home or place of work. Your friends and business associates will know you are a serious collector and you may become the go -to-guy when they are looking for a new painting for their home. And that’s when you begin to turn a profit.

“Niagara Falls” 36 x 48 Oil on canvas, Hall Groat Sr., $7000

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CONNIE CHADWELL

“A Little Glitz” 5 x 7” Oil Pastel

conniechadwell.com email: conniechadwell@hotmail.com

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Marti Leroux

Art That Heals by Marti MartiArtStudio.com

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Valerie Travers Captivated by the textures of nature.

Working in Acrylic, Oil, Pastel, Mixed Media Landscapes, Seascapes, Abstracts, and Florals

ValerieTravers.com

Spring Walk 18 x 24 inches

BYLINE

Rebecca Zook

http://rebeccazook.com

http://rebeccazook.blogspot.com

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Rebecca Zook

Peace. Beauty. Light.

Three aspects that Texas artist Rebecca Zook consciously incorporates into her acrylic paintings.

Though she portrays a variety of subjects, natural landscapes are a personal favorite. Viewers often comment that they feel as if they could step into her paintings; as if the frame were a window to another world.

“I’m drawn to Texas’ plentiful wild grasses in particular. Watching the wind weave patterns through them and the gentle swaying provide me with a much needed calm. I stand among them and am reminded of the ocean. Great waves roll across the fields. Seed heads catch the sun and glow like breaking spray. This connection with nature is something that’s been a part of me since childhood and is a subject that helps me cope with life’s challenges.”

For Rebecca, the beauty of nature and the peace it brings offset the emotional and physical challenges of dealing with multiple chronic illnesses. A rare immune deficiency requires regular antibody infusions derived from plasma donations while secondary autoimmune conditions flare at unpredictable intervals. Because she is forced to limit her physical activities, Rebecca paints mainly from photographs that she has taken of her subject matter.

“I have a camera with me always. You never know when the light is going to be just perfect or when you are going to happen upon a unique scene worthy of painting. Sometimes it’s difficult for me to get to my intended destination when driving because I keep seeing “paintings” along the way.”

Rebecca’s acrylic technique often involves many overlapping layers of thin washes of color. She finds this better conducive to capturing the unique qualities of light. She prefers to paint mainly smaller works 18” x 24” and under and uses gessoed masonite boards she prepares herself. Follow Rebecca on Facebook to view the in progress photos of many of her paintings. She is represented by “Dutch Art Gallery” in Dallas, Texas and “Your Private Collection Gallery” in Granbury, Texas. facebook.com/RebeccaZookFineArtPaintings rebeccazook.blogspot.com rebeccazook.com Right Page: Spring Blanket - 24” x 18” - Acrylic on Masonite Bluebonnets are not my favorite Texas wildflower. Though beautiful, they are short-lived and a bit finicky; needing a certain level of rainfall to be at their best. These blanket flowers appear after the bluebonnets and revel in the blistering Texas summer sun. They represent the hardiness of true Texans.

http://rebeccazook.com

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Rebecca Zook

Autumn Glow - 7.75” X 10” - Acrylic on Masonite Soft wild grasses swaying in the cool breeze, glowing with the colors of Autumn.

Right Page: Grasslands II - 14” x 10.5” - Acrylic on Masonite There’s a plateau that overlooks the town of Granbury called Comanche Peak. It’s privately owned, but is on rare occasions opened to the public for special events. This is one view at the top.

Following Pages: Boardwalk - 24” x 16” - Acrylic on Masonite Everyone thinks they know the location of this scene and it stirs happy memories of summers past, but no one has gotten it right yet. It doesn’t matter, though. It’s how the piece makes you feel that does.

http://rebeccazook.com

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Rebecca Zook

Like Her Momma 6” x 8”

http://rebeccazook.com

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4 OClock 8” x 10”

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Rebecca Zook

http://rebeccazook.com

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Calm - 12” x 16” - Acrylic on Masonite What was it that Dorothy learned? “If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own back yard.” Many artists travel far and wide to find inspiration for their work, but I often find the most compelling scenes are truly in my own back yard or in this case, an empty lot just up the street.

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Rebecca Zook

Texas Textures - 12â&#x20AC;? x 16â&#x20AC;? - Acrylic on Masonite The tall, blue wild grasses that grow in the open fields are a favorite of mine and the tangle of vines are a common sight on fence posts and barbed wire.

http://rebeccazook.com

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Wind Dancing - 14” x 10.5” - Acrylic on Masonite I wish I could capture sound in my paintings. The rustling of the seed pods as they dance in the wind says “Fall is near” to my ears.

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Rebecca Zook

Lazy Day - 12” x 16” - Acrylic on Masonite

http://rebeccazook.com

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Studio Shot 2: A recent room addition in the loft provided the benefit of a long gallery-style wall to display paintings that are not currently in gallery locations.

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Kyle Wood

ARTIST

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ART Contemporary

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Shirley Anderson Painting Landscapes and Florals in Pastel

Colorful. Sensitive. Bold.

Mountain 18 x 22

Caroleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lilies

shirleyandersonart.com

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Janet Weaver

PERSIMMONS II 11x14

Oil

JanetWeaver.com

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Kimberly Conrad Contemporary Artist

“Red Sky Warning” 30”x40”x1.5” Acrylic on Canvas

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“Pouring Color Into Your Life”

Red Sky Warning III 30”x30”x1.5” Acrylic on Canvas

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ARTSPAN Artist Spotlight

artspan David Francis

http://www.defrancispastels.com/

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Blood Money 24 x 30 Oil on Canvas

http://www.defrancispastels.com/

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ARTSPAN Artist Spotlight

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David Francis

When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be an artist?

It sounds cliché, but it seems like I have always loved to draw. One of my earliest memories is waiting for my father to finish the Sunday newspaper, so that I could sit down and start copying the funnies.

Who has been your mentor, or greatest influence to date?

I was fortunate that when I started creating art (in my 30’s, kind of a late start) I met three people that were very influential in my early art career. The first was Joan Reid who taught an adult education art class, she introduced me to Ron Peer, a local portrait and landscape artist. He was always very patient with my early attempts, and managed to find something good in them while giving me constructive criticism. The third is Trudi Smith. She is a signature member with Pastel Society of America and she pushed me to apply for membership with the group, even to the point of selecting the pieces that I submitted for jurying. I was thrilled and surprised when I received signature status on that first application.

Who is another living artist you admire and why?

I have several artists that I admire today and follow their work on social media sites. Anthony Waichulis for his tromp l’oeil still lifes, Robert C. Jackson for his incredible still life set ups and the interplay of his subjects, Teresa Fischer for the incredible still life paintings of old toys, my favorite subject matter. I also follow the work of Patricia Tribastone, a fellow pastel artist with incredible skills. All of these artists, along with being accomplished painters, have the ability to inject a sense of humor and fun into their work, along with telling a story.

What is your favorite surface to create work on or to work with? Describe it if you make it yourself.

My favorite surface to work on is Pastelbord, made by Ampersand. It is a Masonite board with a surface of gesso and marble dust. This surface holds a lot of pastel and holds up well to blending, and multiple layering techniques. I love the fact that it comes in standard sizes from 5x7 to 24x36 and that when a pastel is finished, you can frame it immediately, using spacers between the artwork and the glass.

What are your favorite materials to use?

I have been a pastel artist for the last 30 some years. As most pastellists, I am not brand loyal. I look for color, hardness/softness, and availability. So, currently on my work table are Rembrandts, Giraults, Unisons, Terry Ludwigs, and Derwent and Conte pastel pencils.

Do you have a favorite color palette?

I don’t really have a favorite palette. It really depends on the subject matter and it changes from painting to painting. I do tend to favor a lot of the earth tones for backgrounds and whatever my still lifes are sitting on.

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How often do you work on your artwork? How many hours a week?

I try to work a little bit every day. Some days it might only be an hour, other days (and these are my favorites) it might be 7 or 8 hours in the studio.

What is the one thing you would like to be remembered for?

I would like to be remembered as an artist that gave to younger beginning artists the same support and encouragement that I received when I was starting out.

Tah Dah - The Grand Finale

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ARTSPAN Artist Spotlight

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David Frances

In The Stacks

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Now Boarding

Space Race

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ARTSPAN Artist Spotlight

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David Frances

There are many culprits that can crush creativity, such as distractions, self-doubt and fear of failure. What tends to stand in the way of your creativity?

I find that the biggest obstacle for me is myself. Having a studio in my home it is too easy to be distracted by things going on in the house. I have dealt with self-doubt and the fear of failure thing, too.

How do you overcome these obstacles?

For the around the house stuff, I have tried to set a schedule that from when I get up, (usually around 6:00 AM) until noon is set aside for my studio time. My wife has gotten pretty good at accepting this.

For the self-doubt and fear of failure, I’ve made a conscious decision to just keep submitting my work to shows and when the rejections come in, I glance at them and toss them out.

What are your inspirations for your work?

The inspirations for my work are all around me. As I have been focusing on old toys and games, I go to a lot of garage sales looking for those little nuggets that get my interest going, but other people see as something to get rid of.

What is your favorite way to get your creative juices flowing?

I love to look at the new work by artists that I follow, I love to go to shows and openings, and in general just looking at art gets me going.

Which work of yours is your favorite?

The trite answer would be “the next one”, but I actually have a couple. One is called “In the Bag”, which I’ve entered in several shows, but has never been accepted, and another is my newest one, called “To The Rescue”.

Out of the Bag

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All That Jazz.

http://www.defrancispastels.com/

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ARTSPAN Artist Spotlight

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David Frances

Tall

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A Weighty Situation

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ARTSPAN Artist Spotlight

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David Frances

“Evening Surf” 24 x 26

When Imagination Took Flight

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Getting to know you Q&A What is your favorite color in your closet? n/a What book are you reading this week? Game of Thrones (second time)

Do you have a favorite television show? Several, CSI, Criminal Minds, Big Bang Theory, Walking Dead, Sixty Minutes What is your favorite food? All of them, but true favorite Honey Glazed Ham What color sheets are on your bed right now? n/a What are you most proud of in your life? My wife of 44 years, Linda, our three kids, Lori, Dave, and Dan, and our six grandkids, Paige, Jared, Mina, Alexander, Asher, and Emma.

Who would you love to interview? James Gurney, Anthony Waichulis Do you have a passion or hobby other than painting? Music, I used to play and perform; now I just love listening.

Who would you love to paint? Michelle Obama, any of my artist friends.

If you were an animal what would you be and why? n/a If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take three things, what would they be? n/a.

Share something with us that few people know about you. That I sometimes dance in my studio when Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m working.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Sedona, AZ. Beautiful part of the country and incredible colores.

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Mary Jo Zorad contemporary fine art

ZoradArt.com

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Cheryl J Smith cheryljsmithfineart.com

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Nancy Eckels

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DAILY PAINTERS

ABSTRACT GALLERY DailyPaintersAbstract.blogspot.com

Barbara Van Rooyan Blue Canyon II

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Studio Visit

Alejandro Castanon

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VL Studio Visit Alejandro Castanon Alejandro is a Mexican born national raised overseas in Spain and Germany. He began his journey into art at the age of nine by sketching comic book covers of Spiderman and other favorite super heroes. In his teens his art became more focused on portraits and he mainly worked in graphite and charcoal. After an eight-year tour in the U.S Air Force as a Civil Engineer he came to call San Angelo, TX his home to help raise his daughter and opened the Vino Dipinte Art Gallery in 2011. Coming back to art was a reawakening for him back to a passion that had been set-aside for several years. Invigorated by the mounds of talent around him Alejandro picked up a paintbrush and began his self-taught lessons into painting. Like all artists that set out on a new medium there were mistakes, but from every painting grew a lesson in tone, perspective, light, and contrast. He found inspiration in artists such as Seren Moran, Sarah Stieber, Evelyn Boren, and Leroy Nieman. His style became fixated on the use of color to enhance and compliment his subject matter. Any beginning artist can agree that jumping into the world of colors on canvas or any material is intimidating; there was a challenge and a world of colors that was waiting for him. In 2013 he held his first solo show, aptly named the Colorem Art Show, which featured over 20 large paintings of pop culture icons.

For Alejandro painting has changed how he views the world around him. A building is not merely a structure but a combination of lines, shapes, and colors. His mind is his canvas and colors are the voice he gives his artwork. Each work must not only be an accurate depiction of his subject but also an energetic and playful demonstration of his paintbrush.

His style requires accuracy but also requires a fast pace that frees the painting; lines and marks are spontaneous.

Color with a Pearl Earring

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Right Page: Church in Truchas Breakfast at Tiffanyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

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Studio Visit Alejandro Castanon

Twiggy

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Grease

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Studio Visit Alejandro Castanon

007

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Marilyn

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Studio Visit Alejandro Castanon

Frida in Tears

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Bob Marley

As the owner of the Vino Dipinte Art Gallery Alejandro has made art his career and handles all aspects of managing his gallery most notably marketing. He has created and managed the gallery’s website, and social media pages as well as coordinated and promoted three major art shows in the past two years. Along side him is Crystal Goodman, a nationally renowned Muralist and mentor. Crystal is the Creative Director of the Vino Dipinte Art Gallery and provides the much needed constructive criticism a young artist needs to hear from time to time.

According to Alejandro, “the art world has evolved in the last five years and more people are connected to art now than ever before but artists are barely learning how to use that connection”. Alejandro also serves as a City Art Commissioner in San Angelo and has helped coordinate many community events centered on art. “The typical artist relies on his or her ambiguity, and their art is what speaks for them but he or she must join the conversation in order to gain the best knowledge about their fans and potential clients”, he has also conducted Art Marketing Seminars in order to give artists the tools they need to succeed in the evolving art world.

San Angelo is a small community with artist in every medium busting at the seams. “The town of San Angelo has a tight community of artists and supporters that are ready and willing to help, it has been a blessing to begin my art career in such an amazing city”. Private collectors as well as the City of San Angelo have commissioned Alejandro for paintings.

His art can been seen at local bars and restaurants across the city as well as his website www.alejandrocastanon.com http://www.alejandrocastanon.com/ VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 135

DianeWhitehead.com

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Diane Whitehead â&#x20AC;&#x153;Animals are my muse. The scratch of the paw, pounce of a hoof, gesture of the head, alert ear, quiet stride, powerful shape, ancient wisdom.

All come to play with the shapes I see as I paint. â&#x20AC;&#x153;

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CFAI.co February Artist Showdown “Do you have what it takes?”

Deb Kirkeeide

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Lisa McKinney

New Media Graphic Art

Sevella 9 x 12 Mixed Media

Lisa-McKinney.com

lisamckinneyfineart.blogspot.com

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Lary Lemons

theartgallerysaintjo.com

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theartgallerysaintjo.com

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Kay Wyne

Karen Balon

Jill Saur

Palette Knife Artists

Kim McAninch

Tom Brown

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Marion Hedger

Carol Schiff

Karen Tarlton

Judy Mackey

www.paletteknifepainters.blogspot.com

Noreen Coup

Nancy Medina

Mark Bidstrum

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REDHEAD GRAPHICS STUDIO Design Services for Artists

custom art websites custom blog design event flyers workshop announcements postcards business cards brochures calendars promotional items email marketing artist newsletters professional art books social media page design digital media kits artist videos image editing http://redheadgraphicsstudio.com

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CFAI.co

Winter 2013 Juried Show â&#x20AC;&#x153;Still Lifeâ&#x20AC;?

Closes February 15th!

Nancee Jean Busse

$500 in total cash prizes Plus much more!

Open to 2D visual artists worldwide www.cfai.co/#!juried-shows/c19ne

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VL Photographer Spotlight Suzanne Stevenson

Sunshine in a Cup http://www.theartistryhouse.com 146 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

artspan

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VL Photographer Spotlight Suzanne Stevenson

Art has always been a large part of my life, drawing, painting, mixed media; the need to create is ever present in my daily life. Photography came to me later in life; the gift of a camera and macro lens opened an entire new way to create and expand my artistic creativity. The camera gave me the opportunity to see all of the incredible beauty that surrounds me every day. Looking through the lens gave me a new perspective; the detail and amazing color that was right in front of me became visible in a way I had never seen before. I am greatly inspired by the depth of color and the intricate beauty and detail in the simple things that I see every day. The color in flowers, fruits, landscapes and the things we are in constant contact with but really donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see. Concentrating on the small details, a texture, a petal, presents an opportunity to capture a beautiful image no matter where I am. A photograph gives the chance to see the sublime in our everyday lives. My intent is to take photographs that draw you in, that you will stop look at, see the complex details and the vibrant color in a flower; the beauty in a simple apple. The old park bench or peeling painted door are incredibly beautiful. I love color, bright, bold, vibrant color, nature at its best and I strive to capture it in my photographs.

Apple Basket

http://www.theartistryhouse.com 148 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

artspan

Soft Glow Roses http://www.theartistryhouse.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 149

VL Photographer Spotlight Suzanne Stevenson

Threeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Crowd

http://www.theartistryhouse.com 150 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

artspan

Take Flight

Restful Retreat http://www.theartistryhouse.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 151

VL Photographer Spotlight Suzanne Stevenson

Rainy Day Peony http://www.theartistryhouse.com

152 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

artspan

Deep Lilac

Grand Gerber http://www.theartistryhouse.com

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 153

VL Photographer Spotlight Suzanne Stevenson

Twilight Tulips

Twin Sisters http://www.theartistryhouse.com 154 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

artspan

Sunny Day http://www.theartistryhouse.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 155

Awakening 82 x 36 Blue Moon 51 x 50 156 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

COREY WEST

Over the Edge 18 x 20

coreywest.artspan.com 13849 Mono Way . Sonora, CA 95370

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 157 coreywest.art@gmail.com

www.vinodipinte.com Vino Dipinte Art Gallery

Orient St 158 | VL602 Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

San Angelo, TX 76903

Alejandro Castanon

AlejandroCastanon.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 159

VL OilPaintingDVD.com Step by Step Demonstrations

OilPaintingDVD.com

hallgroat.com 160 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Hall Groat II

OilPaintingDVD.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 161

artists of texas

artistsoftexas.org 162 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

NO WHERE BUT TEXAS

artistsoftexas.blogspot.com dailypaintersoftexas.blogspot.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 163

Debbie Grayson Lincoln Texas Contemporary Western Illustrator

NoworNever-Debbie.blogspot.com DebbieLincoln.com

164 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Felicia Marshall feliciamarshall.blogspot.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 165

The Five Graces Lincoln ~ Pace ~ Togel ~ Whitehead ~ Zorad

the5graces.com

Diane Whitehead

Conni Togel

Mary Jo Zorad

What makes The Five Graces special/unique?

All members of The Five Graces create bold, vividly-colored artworks with an inspirational flair. Several of the group are excellent teachers and writers. They work energetically toward touring exhibitions that showcased their artworks - shows to the US and to Europe. All five artists are spread out over the US. 166 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Who are The Five Graces?

Debbie Grayson Lincoln (the steady grace), Laurie Justus Pace (the heartbeat grace), Conni Tรถgel (the wired grace), Diane Baird Whitehead (the business-minded, directly spoken grace) and Mary Jo Zorad (the quietly inspired grace) have as many similarities as they do differences. Their artwork demonstrates a common commitment to a high standard of workmanship. To speak with any one of the five women reveals a commonality in what inspires them and how they choose to live their lives, with integrity and a commitment to doing their work for a higher cause. Each feels her creative inspiration as a passionate and natural calling.

thefivegraces.blogspot.com for daily updates

Debbie Lincoln

Laurie Pace

the5graces.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 167

http://davethepaintingguy.com/podcast/

168 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com