Local Art Seen: Wendy Rouse's "What Goes Around" at Lizzard's

Yesterday I mentioned visiting Studio 101 during the Earth Day Gallery Hop here in the Twin Ports. Another gallery that participated in the gallery hop was Lizzard's Gallery on Superior Street, a 30 second walk from the Tischer Gallery, which also had its doors open.

Thursday evening Lizzard's hosted an opening reception for Wendy Rouse, whose work I have long admired. I was grateful for the opportunity to finally meet the artist, and to share a bit of her story here.

EN: There is a fairy tale quality to much of your work. Where does this influence come from?

Wendy Rouse: A fairy tale quality. Hmm. I have thought more about myths than fairy tales.

I like to tell stories with my paintings and I do find inspiration in fairy tales, nursery rhymes and myths. What fascinates me is the way fairy tales are impossible/ improbable yet we choose to believe them, this suspension of disbelief is what I want the viewer to have when looking at my paintings.

I prefer to paint from life, using toys and objects set on a table top or mirror. The objects are small and that smallness may contribute to the story book quality. For example the polar bear is a little toy and the iceberg is a piece of styrofoam. I use realism to convince the viewer that a little boy could sail into the arctic to check on a polar bear.

EN: Have you been doing art full time since UMD or did you have a career in between UMD and NYAA?

WR: Art full time? No My husband and I met in the restaurant business 40 years ago. We have worked in many restaurants and owned and operated two. The first was Lake Avenue Cafe in Canal Park and the second was Farm Table in San Francisco. Restaurant work cut into my painting time and energy but it paid the bills and was a nice break from being in the studio which can get lonely. After I earned my masters degree I did quite a bit of art teaching, community ed art classes, private lessons and a few art classes at St. Scholastica.

EN: I see a couple of paintings that have ties to the story of Narcissus. Can you say a little bit about these?

WR: The Greek and Roman myths have often been a backstory for my paintings. I think of myths as fairy tales for adults. Ancient societies use myths to explain the big things; love, life, death, nature and mankind's place as part of nature. These issues are just as relevant today. My paintings may look sweet and decorative but I paint slowly and have lots of time to think about serious issues that hide under the surface.

Narcissus was a beautiful young man who fell so in love with his image he fell into a pool and drowned and the beautiful nymph that loved him was heartbroken after Narcissus drowned and all that was left of her was an echo... the Greeks way of explaining where echos came from and warning about narcissism. I did some unintentional gender bending in my version; Narcissus female and Echo male -- maybe the result of living 3 years in San Francisco? Sometimes these paintings take on a life of their own.

EN: What did you learn from being a student of Chee that has stuck with you to this day?

WR: Chee stressed the importance of designing a painting. No matter what your subject or style, underlying design holds it all together. He was one of those instructors who truly shared his passion. Also, interested adults from the community often took Chee's classes, subsequently his classes had a different atmosphere than my other art classes at UMD.

EN: How did NYAA advance your skills, career as an artist?

WR: When I attended UMD in the early 80's it was all about creativity and expression. The fundamentals of drawing, anatomy, perspective, color were not taught, I guess that was out of style. I wanted to be able to draw and paint realistically and learn about oil painting. Thats what I got at NYAA and much more. They have a great Thursday night lecture series with a different artist from New York or beyond every week. A rigorous academic training but relating it to what was happening in the New York art scene. Plus spending two years in New York with access to museums and galleries was ideal.
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Receptions are always a nice way to meet the artist.
Thank you, Wendy, for sharing your work with us.

A very nice turnout for "What Goes Around" Thursday @ Lizzard's

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Next Friday, April 27

Three More Great Art Events

Here's the Lineup

The Inimitable Leah Yellowbird

SAME EVENING

Meantime, art goes on all around you. Engage it.

This Week in the Twin Ports Art Scene

The warm weather has certainly been delicious this week. Looks like a fine weekend is shaping up as well. Kudos to Esther Piszczek for assembling a Duluth 2nd Friday Art Crawl website where we can check in to see what's happening around town in the visual arts.

Here are a few of the activities you may wish to make note of.

Friday
The PROVE Gallery in Duluth is hosting its 3rd Annual Minerva Zine Party. Hard to believe its been 8 years since the birth of the Minerva zine. The will be original zine artwork, readings, beverages and a limited number of their newest edition, in color. There will also be music by Israel Malachi starting around 6 pm and Black Diary around 8:15 pm. Readings start around 7:30 pm featuring Jeanne Jewell, Kym Young, AF Bat, Palabrazo, Allen for SeatBeltHands, and Jill Woman.

There will be art and music at Pierce & Piszczek Fine Pianos, 405 E. Superior Street from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
It's a wonderful setting to hear music by Wendy Grethen on her Mountain Dulcimer.
Free Will Donations accepted at the door. 100% of donations benefit the musician.


Saturday

Nice Girls of the North are calling their event at the Lakeside Lester Park Community Center a Spring Fling. 10am- 3pm at 106 N 54th Ave East.

Browse a collection of handcrafted clothing and bags, original artwork, pottery, jewelry, stained glass, photography cards & prints, personal care products, locally made candles and soap, delicious jams, knit, felted & crocheted work, baby items & much more. Artists are on hand to help you select just the right one-of a kind gift for every occasion. One central checkout adds convenience and major credit cards are accepted.
Visit us at www.nicegirlsofthenorth.com
Facebook: Second Saturday Marketplace
As always, thanks for shopping local!

Guest Artists this month:
Kathleen Cargill: Decorative hand sewn pillow cases in fabulous prints with decorative stitching. Kathy Frick: A whimsical variety of crocheted animal hats, crocheted stuffed animals (amigurumi), fingerless gloves, cowls and hats.


Art Around Town
Public places where local artists are featured throughout the month.

Zeitgeist Arts
The Café: Ann Klefstad and Bridget Riversmith
The Atrium: student art from The Marshall School in conjunction with Youth Art Month
The Teatro Lobby: student art from Laura MacArthur Elementary School

Lizzard's

A painting by Wendy Rouse

An Evening with Paintings by Wendy Rouse
Thursday March 11, 5-7 p.m.
Paintings donated by Wendy to support Spirit of the Lake Community School.
This is one of the two places I get my artwork framed. If you're looking for a good eye with attention to detail, Jeff is your guy. The artwork on display is always top-notch, too.
11 West Superior Street

Pizza Luce
11 East Superior Street
Paintings by Jeredt Runions are featured this month.

Benchmark Tattoo
1831 E. Eighth Street, Duluth
Mike Joens Ceramics is on display in March, along with numerous pieces from previous shows, including a few of mine. April will feature artwork by Dan Hansen. Not to be missed.

Beaner's Central Coffeehouse
324 N. Central Avenue
For the month of March Beaners is featuring a Cloquet High School Collaborative Art Exhibit
Great place pick up your java on the way to work... nice atmosphere for a breakfast, lunch or dinner. Free wi-fi.

Red Mug Coffee House
916 Hammond Avenue, Superior
Stop to see landscape paintings by Aaron Kloss.


COMING SOON 

Chee's Duluth Depot

The Way of Cheng-Khee Chee: Paintings 1974-2014
May 12 - September 20, 2015
Special Exhibition Gallery & Special Events Gallery
This is a solo exhibition featuring paintings by the internationally celebrated watercolorist Cheng-Khee Chee. This exhibition brings together 40 paintings created over the past 40 years (1974 - 2014), including this Duluth Depot of 1974, the first painting Chee exhibited with the American Watercolor Society, and the monumental 100 Koi, which he finished in late 2014. More information coming soon.
Credits:
Cheng-Khee Chee (American, born China 1934) Duluth Depot, 1974
watercolor on Strathmore Aquarius paper, 21 x 25”
Collection of Cheng-Khee and Sing-Bee Chee
L2015.1.10 

Meantime, art goes on all around you. And if I see you, say hello. 

Five Minutes with Cheng-Khee Chee

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." ~Pablo Picasso

Last night I had the privilege of attending Wine & Chee's, a fundraiser for the Minnesota Ballet that was held in the Great Hall at The Depot here in Duluth. In addition to the wine tasting and beers (I was coaxed into trying at least one of the beers) there were hors d'oeurves from six area restaurants, each putting their imaginations to the ultimate taste bud test while being aesthetically fascinating as well.

The wine list included wines like Lake Sonoma Zinfandel Port, Kenwood Sauvignon Blanc, Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc, Valley of the Moon Pinot Blanc, Rosemount GSM, Coppola Claret, Lindeman's Moscato, Kenwood Merlot and many others, with fascinating descriptions like, "vibrant and full of verve... intense floral aromas that mingle with cool melon and tropical fruit, and a light crisp mouthfeel, complemented by fresh peach, ripe pear, and pink grapefruit flavors"... or "a nose of ripe black and red berry fruits, along with some tar and earth." Or, "a rich dense jammy raspberry and dark cherry fruit core" and "textured notes of vanilla."

Area businesses contributed a wide range of goods and services for the silent auction, and a number of big ticket items were auctioned off by emcee Pat Kelly later in the program. I'm not sure if the wine sampling is designed to heighten our social skills or loosen our wallets, but the effect of the evening was a very lively, enjoyable event for a good cause.

During the early part of the evening I was able to sit with Cheng-Khee Chee, who had contributed some limited edition giclee prints which he was on hand to sign, hence the name of the event, Wine & Chee's.

Mr. Chee is a world reknowned watercolorist and illustrator of the best selling children's book Old Turtle by Douglas Wood. Many of his themes have become instantly recognizable by fans of his work, much of which is breathtakingly beautiful in real life. An Associate Professor Emeritus of the University of Minnesota, Mr. Chee is a Dolphin Fellow of the American Watercolor Society, signature member of the National Watercolor Society, Transparent Watercolor Society of America (Master Status), Watercolor USA Honor Society and others with a list of honors longer than a man's arm.

So I sat for a spell with Mr. Chee and his wife, both of whom exude warmth and generosity. I asked where he was born and how he ended up in Duluth, Minnesota.

He replied that he was born in China, but went to Singapore, which is a multicultural melting pot. This became his stepping stone to coming to school at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities, and ultimately to Duluth.

Of special interest to me these days is how to find more time to do art, and I asked what the path is to becoming a full time artist. He laughed and said art students should prepare to do something else for a living, knowing they will have to do their art on the side until they retire, then they can be artists. I noted that he was a full time artist, and he laughed again, saying he took early retirement in the mid-1990s. Throughout his life he supported his family by teaching art. "If you can get a job teaching art, that would be good," he said in answer to advice for young, aspiring artists.

If you are not familiar with Mr. Chee's remarkable work, please visit his site today and bookmark it for when you have time for a more leisurely engagement.