Tara Lynn Austin: Without Limits (An Artist Interview)

This summer the Duluth Art Institute is featuring the work of Tara Lynn Austin in the Morrison Gallery at the Depot. The show, titled Boreal Ornament, will be on display through July 1. Ms. Austin recently completed her MFA in Madison after having previously studied art as an undergrad here at UMD.

With it being Duluth Dylan Fest this week, there is an impressive installation in the Great Hall at the Depot by the artist Skye called Shakespeare's in the Alley featuring 44 textile panels adorned with Dylan song lyrics. Wednesday the artist will be giving a talk at 5:30 in the Great Hall followed by a Poets of the North Country event in the Playhouse. I would strong recommend coming early to the artist Skye's exhibition and visiting the DAI upstairs on the fourth floor for the three exhibits there as well.

What follows is an exchange with Tara Austin about the work she is doing.

EN: As I look through your website I see that colors and designs have been a long time interest. Were you fascinated by colors and design as a child? Can you share a story about your first recognition of patterns and design in your world?

Tara Lynn Austin: I grew up near Grand Marais, MN, so I was fortunate to be surrounded by nature. I was fascinated with plants and spent a lot of time reading plant identification books. Identifying plants takes careful observation and recognition of pattern and detail. The changing seasons and variety of colors found in nature inspires me, from the iridescence of hummingbirds, the vivid green of spring growth, the sugar maples in fall and the purple skies in winter.

EN: Who were your biggest influences at UMD? You really make a lot of vivid designs from our natural world.

TLA: I worked with Professor Ryuta Nakajima who reinforced the notion of science and art. I became interested in Victorian botanical illustrations while I was at UMD, especially those of Ernst Haeckel, and I spent a lot of time in the greenhouse. I started reading about the mathematics found in nature, like golden spiral, Fibonacci sequence, and fractals.

EN: When did you begin working on plexiglass? What kind of materials do you use to create the works now on display at DAI?

TLA: Boreal Ornament is all paintings made on plexiglass or glass. I became interested in working on these transparent materials when I saw a painting by Barbara Rossi at the Milwaukee Art Museum in 2016. The depth she was able to create was amazing and since then I have been experimenting with different painting techniques on both the front and back of the plexiglass or glass.

EN: I can’t help but believe you’ve gained a following of people interested in where your work will lead you. Whats your next step?

TLA: Right now I am working on a plexiglass painting as well as completing a rosemaling apprenticeship. The organic nature of this Norwegian folk art is beautiful, and I have enjoyed learning about the technique and history. I hope to continue my research of rosemaling and incorporate some of its process into my paintings.

EN: Do you have any favorite artists whose work inspires you?

TLA: I was fortunate to see Gerhard Richter’s exhibition in Prague last summer, and I enjoy the op art of Briget Riley. I also find inspiration from Scandinavian textiles like Markimekko and Josef Frank.

* * * *

Related Links
Opening Reception for Boreal Ornament
Online Gallery, Tara Lynn Austin
Interview with the artist Skye

Meantime art goes on all around you. Engage it.

Patrice Wolf Discusses Her Life as a Painter

"Backview" from Patrice Wolf's Landscape Series

I discovered the art of Patrice Wolf by a somewhat circuitous route. At least a few times over the years I tried to make a connection with Frank Holmes, one of my Ohio University painting instructors whom I respected. This past fall I succeeded in making this connection, writing several blog posts about his work. This spring I had the opportunity to visit his home/studio in Narrowsburg, New York whereupon I also met his wife Jill Mackie, who is likewise an exceptionally talented painter. While visiting, Frank showed me a book that was produced in conjunction with a 50 year retrospective by yet another Ohio University art professor, Ron Kroutel, whom I believe was one of my roommates biggest influences as a painter. It was a privilege to share Ron's work here, though I would have much preferred seeing the show itself.

As it turns out, his wife is likewise an artist whose work is similarly impressive. I asked permission to share her work here, as well as some of her story.

EN: How did you come to recognize that you had a gift (or knack) for the arts?

Patrice Wolf: I guess I would credit the support and reinforcement from my parents. I loved drawing from life and faces in particular. I made a drawing of Giacometti before I had any art training and didn’t really know who he was. I just wanted to draw his face. A few years ago a friend told me to read “A Giacometti Portrait” by James Lord. It’s one of my favorite books. I do have a particularly strong memory of when I was around 7 or 8 years old. I was walking home from school one warm spring afternoon. Part of the walk home took me through a prairie where there were blackberry bushes that the neighborhood kids would pick. I remember stopping for some berries on the path and looking at a drawing I made at school of a Scottie dog and admiring it. Having a number of sensual pleasures all at one time reinforced the memory for me and I’m pretty sure I got a good grade on the drawing too.

EN: What was it that attracted you to pursue graphic design as a major?

PW: I needed to get a decent paying job. I was a single mom, recently divorced, and I thought it would be a creative way to make a living.

EN: What led you to pursue a Masters in Fine Arts instead?

Ron Kroutel with wife Pat.

PW: My father was a German immigrant and very talented. He had a natural knack for drawing and performed as an operatic baritone. I inherited his great respect and admiration for The Arts. I was working as a graphic designer for a printing company in Athens, Ohio, and was director/designer of the Rocky Boot account, designing/ illustrating catalogs, and brochures, etc. They wanted me to do an advertising campaign for them so I began taking classes in advertising in the Journalism Department at Ohio University. Also, having recently married Ron Kroutel, who taught painting there at the time, I became more and more familiar with University life in general. I just naturally gravitated to the Art Department. I took my first painting class and before you know it I was getting my Masters in Painting. I then began teaching full time at the University.

EN: Who were your favorite artists at that time? Who have been the artists you most admire today?

PW: I saw an exhibition of Giorgio Morandi at the Guggenheim that had a strong and lasting effect on me. I loved the immediacy and intimacy of Avigdor Arika. I had always been drawn to Van Gogh’s work at the Art Institute of Chicago on my visits there growing up and then going to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam in the late ‘80s really fired me up. Today I look to the quiet power of Spanish artist Isabel Quintanilla; Tom Thomson, one of the early 20th century Canadian Seven landscape painters; Lucien Freud; William Nicholson, the father of the British artist Ben Nicholson; and Manet’s poignant, late flower paintings to name a few.

"Flight" -- Collaboration, Patrice Wolf/Ron Kroutel

"Echo"

EN: What was the process that preceded your series of collaborations with Ron? For example, did you select a word or concept and then each interpret it? Is each of this a single painting divided in half or is it two paintings photographed side by side?

PW: Ron and I were curious to try a collaboration. Since both of us work directly from life we thought we’d change it up and try working from photographs to see how two visions and two personalities responded to the same photo. We decided on a consistent size and format (24”x24”) paintings on canvas. We would alternate taking a photo of a local landscape, then we would each take the photo to our respective studios and make a painting of it, using it as a jumping off point to explore ideas. This would be done in secret so that we didn’t know what the other was doing. When we were finished and put the two together as a diptych, it was always a surprise. Shown side by side we see the paintings from different perspectives and sometimes an unintended narrative between the two is suggested.

EN: The cups are very cool. How large are these pieces and on what kind of surface? What was the impetus to do a series of cups?

PW: Most of them are 8”x10”, oil on canvas. They are all painted from life within arm’s reach. I think of them as meditational portraits. Most of the cups were inherited from long gone relatives and were chosen intuitively. There is something tender and fragile, intimate and ephemeral about them that I wanted to capture. Years ago while in a glass museum in Venice I spotted a small, simple, glass that was 2000 years old. It looked so vulnerable and ordinary but it had a profound effect on me.

EN: Your landscapes are especially impressive. What is your process for tackling such a complex scene and translating it to canvas? Is there an emotional attachment to this place that you sought to capture.

"Dow Lake Reeds and Grass in Water"

"Dow Lake Summer"

PW: Like the cups, my choice of which landscape to paint is intuitive. I’m not thinking of complexity at all. But maybe I should! The process of doing a plein aire painting for me is a distillation of separate moments in time. Everything is constantly moving and changing; light, wind, temperature, bugs, noises, interruptions, etc. It all gets into the painting as one fixed image. The Dow Lake series was painted in Southeast, Ohio in Athens. It was 2 miles from our home where we lived for 40 years and I definitely had an emotional attachment to the place. I didn’t intentionally try to capture any feelings I had but it inevitably seeps into the work anyway.

EN: Your charcoal self-portraits are very nice. Do you like working in charcoal?

PW: I feel very comfortable working in charcoal. It’s like oil painting in that it’s a very forgiving medium. I can make lots of changes/adjustments and the image just seems to gain in richness and depth.

EN: How has being an artist changed you as a person?

PW: Painting and drawing have given me a focus, a way to understand and analyze the world. It’s made me more humble and appreciative. I feel very fortunate that I have the ability to paint and that I can do so even as I grow old.

* * * *
Thank you, Patrice.

Related Links
Ron Kroutel
Frank Holmes
Jill Mackie

Meantime, art goes on all around you. Be enriched.

New Work by Shawna Gilmore Catches My Eye and Sparks an Interview

I can't recall where I first noticed Shawna Gilmore's distinctive paintings. It may have been at the Kruk Gallery in Superior, or maybe not. Perhaps it was Art on the Planet, or not. Last summer her Woodlandia show at Lakeside Gallery proved utterly delightful, and Aaron Kloss has continued to carry some of her upbeat work to this day. During Wendy Clouse's exhibition at Lizzard's this past month I noticed that Jeff there had taken in some of her work, and I also noticed she was moving into some new kinds of dimensions. Same spirit, new designs... always fun.

As a result I reached out and ask if I might share a little more about this Northland painter who has been capturing a lot of attention.

EN: I see that you now have some of your work at Lizzard’s. How did that come about?

Shawna Gilmore: I've wanted to have my work in Lizzards since I first visited there as a college student many moons ago. Over the years, I had checked in with them and they were too short on space to take me on. I had a few Chameleon paintings remaining from my winter show and decided to float these by them. I think the timing was right this time. That's how the art world is, you really have to put your time in and just keep trying. There are so many reasons a gallery might not take you on. . .  sometimes it is a space issue, sometimes your work doesn't fit their style or it's the wrong timing, and sometimes your work needs to mature. It's really important not to take it personally or it can paralyze you.

EN: What does your painting regimen look like? Do you have set hours each day or is it a muse-driven affair? How many hours a week are you in the studio?

SG: Painting is my full time profession. I dress for my work. I have set hours. I limit distractions(including my husband who works from home as well). And I treat it with the seriousness I would if I worked for someone else. I don't have time to sit around waiting for a muse. I've learned that by daily exercising creative muscles, you rarely have to wait for the "muse". Actually, I've found I have the opposite problem. . . .I have more ideas than I could ever paint in a lifetime. They aren't all good ideas, but they just keep coming.

EN: Do you listen to music while you paint? Or… ? If yes, what kind of music do you paint to?

SG: I tend to listen to music when I have to focus on business-y stuff like working on the website, responding to emails or anything that requires me to use words. In those times I need wordless, atmospheric or classical music to really declutter my mind. Weirdly, I find music boring and exhausting while I paint. Painting requires a different part of my brain I suppose. I listen to lots of podcasts, audiobooks or have Netflix going in the background. I wish I could even say the stories I have going are directly reflected in my work, but usually I enjoy crime dramas or science fiction action/thrillers. I'm sure there's an Oliver Sacks theory on why that might be, but I just know a good story energizes me and activates my brain.

EN: How long have you been painting professionally?

SG: I've been professionally painting since 2010. Before that it was more of a hobby and I would paint in the evenings after the kids were asleep.

EN: The whimsical nature of your work seems like it would lend itself to picture book illustration. Have you ever considered that kind of avenue? Do you draw your ideas from children’s picture books?

SG: I have and it was something I was seriously considering over the years. But as I looked into it more and as I've gotten more busy with galleries, etc, I just don't have the time to apply myself to pursuing the illustration field. Financially it doesn't make sense for me to sacrifice time away from my main job right now. You have to be careful to not get derailed and not to spread yourself a mile wide and an inch deep. Perhaps down the line. I'm open to it at some point, but thankfully I have more than enough to focus on at the moment.

I pull my ideas from a lifetime of loving stories. Very rarely are they direct references to any one story. Most often they are culmination of different threads that are subliminally working themselves out in my paintings.

EN: You mentioned having an over-active imagination. How do you decide which of your many ideas to pursue next?

SG: Sifting through the ideas to find one that has staying power is my greatest challenge. Some ideas, just from past experience, are obvious solid ones, but some are more risky. I try to stay playful. . .to not get caught up in fear of failure. We all have the natural desire for safety, comfort and predictability. . . essentially avoiding fear or pain. But if you're not failing and learning, you're not growing as a person and that's a stagnation more risky than failure. I'm not interested in things I already know. I want to learn. I want to be challenged. I want to stitch together new understanding with old. I want to find the nugget of discovery about myself or humanity or this beautiful world. To jump over the hurdle of fear, I remind myself that I can always paint over it if in fact I'm not able to execute it in a satisfying way. Ideas don't always come to me fully formed either. Sometimes they are more of a seed, but with age or experience or developing skills sometimes those seeds from years ago become a viable series.

EN: What are you working on now?

SG: I have some Chameleon paintings I'm busily finishing for a small June showing at Gallery 360 in Minneapolis. I just sent a bunch of work up to The Big Lake store opening in Grand Marais in May. I also just sent some work out to Coastal Contemporary Gallery in Rhode Island that I recently connected with. It's an exciting time. :)

EN: I see your work at Lizzard’s, Art on the Planet and Lakeside Gallery. Anywhere else in town?

SG: I have a rotating selection of work at Amity Coffee as well as a collection of paintings and prints at Makers Mercantile in West Duluth.

* * * *
To see and purchase more of Shawna's work, visit www.shawnagilmore.com

Meantime, art goes on all around you. Get into it.

Australian Painter Tammy Andrews Shares Her Story

We have a friend from Australia who moved to Duluth for a year, a free spirit who is embracing as much of life as she can, learning to play music, make art and immerse herself in new experiences. When I learned about her artist friend Tammy Andrews back home Down Under, I reached out to see if I could share her work and her story here on my blog.

EN: What part of Australia do you live in? Is this where you grew up?

Tammy Andrews: Born in 1972, in a small wheat belt town of Western Australia which features huge shimmering salt lakes, big blue skies and a smattering of a mostly farming population.

I now live and work in Esperance on the south coast of Western Australia, a medium town of 15 000 which is renowned for its aqua blue beaches and stunning heathland saturated with a dazzling array of wildflowers.

EN: How did you come to make a career as an artist?

TA: During my school years it was recognised I had an aptitude for art and literature and was something I explored. Leaving high school at 16 my studies in art and design commenced, however I was distracted by love!

Married and with two children at the age of 23 I returned again to study, more determined than ever. I worked very hard at my practice for the next several years experimenting with techniques and mediums enjoying this freedom however primarily I was focused on honing down my skills.

Listening very carefully to those with experience and success taught me to understand the commercial side of art and the professional way to promote oneself and work. During my career of twenty years as a professional artist with oil painting as my medium of choice, I have exhibited my work in seven solo shows and numerous group exhibitions, taught painting to others on a weekly basis and have owned and operated two galleries.

EN: There’s something magical about watching creativity happen. How do you keep from getting stuck in a rut?

TA: Creativity is a natural part of my being and I cannot imagine living without it in some form. Fortunately I don’t seem to have much of a problem garnering ideas and moulding them into an outcome, whether that outcome be intentional or other.

My favourite way of working though is to gather the seeds of ideas or a comprehensive weave of stories which could develop over a year or so, researching historical content and hearsay and fashioning these bulbs into a body work which carries my own spin.

EN: You work in a variety of mediums, all of them well. Can you explain the Mondrain series, how this came about? The results are fascinating.

TA: Although oil painting is my signature style I do work in a variety of mediums, most recently the Mondrain series which feature ink, printmaking and mixed media and is quietly recognising the seascape of the Archipelago and the foreign beings who infiltrated shores only previously inhabited by indigenous folk. The works are continuing on from a larger body of work called Sea Follies which follows the true stories and plight of whalers, sealers and Esperances’ very own pirate Black Jack Anderson who arrived on a whaling boat from Massachusetts in the early 1800’s. Fascinating stuff!

EN: Who are some artists who you’ve followed? Who have been your biggest influences?

"Mondrain" -- 30x30 cm

TA: I’m a lover of lush painterly artists. Some who have really influenced me are Gustav Klimt , Chaim Soutine, Australians Margret Preston ,Hugh Ramsay and my lady of the moment is Lucy Culliton. My teachers also had a role in shaping my dedication as I was able to witness their own serious working careers and some have become special friends in my life.

EN: If you could be in any period of history, as an artist, when and where would you be?

TA: If I had to choose a period in history to be an artist it would most likely be right now as I feel you can as an artist live and work wherever you feel most nurtured and content with access to so many avenues of social media and networks to propel your work. Perhaps my driven nature would allow me in any age to be a successful female artist and I feel fortunate to be respected and supported professionally in my endeavours but I can’t be sure this would have always been the case. Having said that – oh to be a fly on the wall – somewhere decadent and ratbaggy!

"Mondrain Treasure Island" -- 30x23 cm

EN: What are you working on now for your next show?

TA: My first half of 2018 involves commission work for clients.

Following this I am thrilled to have a place with accomplished artist Connor Waltons’ Intensive Figure Study Workshop in June which will be taken in Ireland.

I am very much looking forward to slowing my natural intuition down and breathing in something new and different and seeing where this takes me.

EN: Can you list the best places to see your art in person?

TA: You can view my current artwork for sale in person at Gallery Baxter and Maree, 87A Dempster Street Esperance. Western Australia.

* * * *
For more, or to commission the artist to produce work for your home or gallery, visit
http://www.tammyandrews.com.au

Meantime, art goes on all around you. Get into it.

Ten Minutes With San Clemente Fine Artist Lyn Hiner

"Stefan"

The SEMA Show in Las Vegas has become one of the largest annual events in that city, a bi-product of the auto aftermarket, and like the city itself it is awash with bling. This show is all about cars, and everything they've come to represent -- fascinating, fashionable, famous and fabulous, eye-popping, stimulating, and altogether desirable. 165,000 people arrive from out-of-town for the week-long event, a pop-up Mecca of sorts that sprawls over and spills out of the Las Vegas Convention Center like a raucous river of glitz.

One of my own favorite places to linger while exploring the expansive halls and corridors of the show is a quiet corner near the escalators conveying convention-goers to the South Hall from the Central. This is where you will find a temporary art gallery featuring artists and painters who share a common passion for cars. One of these whose work was available for sale last month is Lyn Hiner, a San Clemente painter who works with pallet knives.

EN: When did you first sense that you had something of an "artist gene"?

Lyn Hiner: I knew early on that creating was something I loved to do. When I was very young, I would spend hours burning through a box of crayons with construction paper creating fanciful pictures from my imagination. In high school, I took every form of art class I could, including a drafting class. I wanted to experience it all. I was grateful I was accepted to four of the five art schools I applied for, but chose Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, as the place I wanted to extend my art education. Sadly, due to unforeseen issues, I was only there one year. However, what I learned in that year helped to steer me through my subsequent journey with creating.

EN: Where did you grow up and who were your biggest influences?

LH: Boy, that’s a tough question! I actually lived in a variety of places through my childhood years… I was born in Santa Barbara, CA, and spent the first 10 years of my life around that area. In 1977, while our family was on an extended camping trip, there was a devastating fire that destroyed our home along with many others. A couple of years later, we moved to Incline Village on the north shore of Lake Tahoe in the high Sierra mountains. And a few years after that, I went to live with my father outside of Portland, OR. From there I went to school in New York, then moved back to Santa Barbara to make it on my own. I eventually landed in the small beach community of San Clemente, where I’ve lived the last 25 years.

As for influences, I’m so grateful for my parents exposing me to galleries and museums during my childhood. Early on, my influences would be everything I saw in nature, and as I grew up and was exposed to different mediums and techniques, and master artists, my wide range of influences would include: Monet, O’Keefe, Van Gogh, Rothko, among others. Their use of color, texture and layering would be my greatest influences in my current series.

EN: What prompted you to seriously pursue art as a career?

"Cheri"

LH: It was a life event that happened nearly six years ago. I was at the beach with my girls where we were hunting for interesting and beautiful rocks. It was a tradition I carried on from when I was a kid. Anyway, a few hours later, one of those rocks I picked up ended up being a piece of white phosphorus, which ignited in my shorts pocket severely burning my legs and hand. Ten days in the hospital with two major surgeries, plus a year of additional minor surgeries and occupational therapy changed the course of mine and my family's lives.

When the dust settled and everything seemed to be adjusting back to normal, my husband asked me an important question: “What do you think about going back to work, even part time?” To put some perspective on that question, outside of consulting for a few conferences and teaching art privately, I hadn’t held a job for nearly 15 years (which flew by, I must say). I hadn’t created anything in years, and so I said let me pray about it. Within a week, I felt God had clearly said to me 'I want you to paint. I gave you this gift and it’s time to use it.' I realize that likely sounds weird to some folks, and I’ll be honest, it didn’t make sense to me to start something I hadn’t done in so long, let alone had no experience in the industry, but I couldn’t ignore what I heard. Even my husband was a little perplexed, but supported me when I asked him to give me a year and let’s see where this goes. That was four years ago.

Reverse Assumption 1

I have to say, God has been extremely gracious to me on this journey. I didn’t start out painting cars, but instead originally went back to what was familiar nearly 30 years ago. Over the first year of pursuing art professionally, through experimentation and exposure to other talented contemporaries, I developed my own style and ‘voice’ with creating. This led to a series of works I named “Beauty From Ashes” which is a conversation through art I had with God about my painful journey after being burned and how I see the joy and beauty that was there throughout all the difficulties. He was present, even in my darkest moments. That series has pieces throughout the United States and Europe and has been my most successful to date. I also have an Abstract series and most recently, “Cars” which was started after a collector commissioned me to do his car for his new office. It happened to be a silver Porsche 911, so there was no way I was saying no! I absolutely loved creating “Stefan: Dreams Realized” which was 40” x 30”, acrylic on canvas, for this client.

Interestingly, I found on social media, many others liked the piece so much, I decided to try my hand at another beautiful machine, a red Shelby Cobra I had photographed at a local car event. I liked that piece even better! Then I started on a blue Mustang Fastback, and it was around the time I was finishing that piece that I was invited to be a part of the Art Walk at SEMA. They graciously made space for me, so I knew I needed to get to work creating a cohesive series to debut at the show. Although I worked on 10 pieces, I only brought nine with me. They are the heart of what I enjoy creating: beautiful, fast, iconic primarily performance cars. Created with layer after layer of deliciously thick paint carved onto canvas with palette knives. If I haven’t said it yet… I love what I do, and I’m humbly grateful I get to make a living doing it!

EN: How many years have you been coming to the SEMA Show to show/sell your work?

LH: This was my first year exhibiting my art, and what a launch it was! Although 20 years ago, I was coming as an exhibitor working for Performance Racing Industry as their Trade Show Manager, but the show has grown quite a bit in my absence, so it was a bit overwhelming the first few days.

EN: Are people sometimes surprised when they find that Lyn Hiner is a woman painting cars?

LH: This question makes me laugh, but for the best reason. Nearly every person who I met at the show seemed surprised I was the artist. Whether or not it was because I was a woman, didn’t specifically come up, but I was the only female artist represented and for that, I am humbly grateful.

EN: Where did your interest in cars stem from?

LH: I have a long history with performance cars. When I was very young, my dad used to rebuild and race his Porsche 911. So I grew up around the sights, sounds, and smells (and speed) of those beautiful machines!

Back then, kids didn’t sit in the back seat, let alone were we strapped in. When I would sit next to my dad, he would put my hand on the stick shift, and guide me to when to move the car into the next gear. I loved it! Thus began my love of fast cars.

When being an artist didn’t seem to be the best way to earn a living in my early 20’s, after a few odd jobs, I found myself working at PRI in Laguna Beach. What an incredible experience that was. I not only learned invaluable lessons on business and marketing, I got to be around racing… and not only that, but the owner, Steve Lewis, would give the whole company opportunities to race cars! I was in heaven!! Whether it was karts at a private track, Formula Ford’s at Willow Springs, you name it, we did it. And being highly competitive in my younger years, I always went out and did my best.

Gabrielle: She Roars, She Purrs

EN: Do you have a favorite "car story"?

LH: There are quite a few… but one of my favorites includes my husband, Rob, who also worked at PRI. One of our annual treks to Willow Springs, we got to race on the small track against our co-workers, and I was racing against Rob and a couple others. Now I won’t say who won that day, but let's just say, the argument persists to this day that one of us believes it was him and the other one knows it was me.

EN: In reading your blog it would appear that your faith is an important part of your life. What impact does your faith have on your art?

LH: Thank you for asking that question. Faith is instrumental in everything I do, especially my art, which continues to be a dialogue of sorts with the Creator of the universe and it is in the creative process I feel especially close to God.

I became a Christian as an adult, and I have to say, it was the most profound decision of my life. Through good times and particularly through the painful times, God has been my source of strength, inspiration, joy, and perseverance through it all. It is by His grace that I do what I do, including, but not limited to creating art.

* * * *
Thank you, Lyn, for sharing your story here with us.

You can find more of Lyn Hiner's work at LynHiner.com

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

Veteran Painter Frank Holmes Discusses His Prix de Rome and Life as an Artist

"Out Front" Oil on canvas. 68"x61" 1979 (click to enlarge)

"I think the idea that art is everywhere isn't true. Art is made. Beauty is everywhere." 
 --Frank Holmes    

I met Frank Holmes when I was an art student at Ohio University. He'd gotten his Bachelor's at Pratt Institute and just finished seven years of teaching when he came to Athens to work on his Masters degree. I remember the stir it created because somehow the word got around that he was an incredible painter and I made it an aim to get into one of his classes. At some point we saw his work, either in a show there in Siegfried Hall, or perhaps a visit to his home, and I was pretty much floored. His paintings of interiors were so intricate and detailed, and showed a complete mastery of the medium. They were also totally at odds stylistically with the abstract expressionism that was so in vogue.

During his time there while getting his degree he won the Prix de Rome, an elite prize in which only a few hand-picked artists receive the opportunity to spend an all-expenses-paid stint making art in Italy, studio space included, at The American Academy in Rome.

"Out Front" (detail, upper left corner)

The American Academy in Rome is a 120 year-old operation modeled after the French Academy. It was at one time independently funded with a three-year free ride. Now it's more all-inclusive for fewer years. Holmes had a friend at Pratt who won the grant in 1962 when it was still for three years. When Holmes won, it was down to two—still a fabulous grant, two years with no obligation other than to do your work.

Upon returning from Europe Holmes went to New York where he had lived before his years at Ohio U. I had a couple artist friends who were Ohio U. grads and one of them told me he had seen Frank while in New York. I asked for a report on how he was doing and I was told he was painting a piano, that he had a loft and had spent a whole year doing studies on this grand object. That was the last I heard.

Out of the blue this memory was recently triggered and I began wondering whatever became of this incredibly talented painter who had won a Prix de Rome and sought to make his mark in the Big Apple. A few minutes on Google directed me to a gallery that represented him and I made inquiry. I got lucky. Here are some notes from our first dialogue.

EN: Can you briefly summarize your career since I last saw you, when you won the Prix de Rome?

"Books with Tang Horse" 22"x 30" Oil on Canvas (1999)

Frank Holmes: That's a big order, Ed, almost 45 years have passed! What I can say is that life has been, more or less, very good. I've been blessed to be able to do what I wanted, which was, and is, to paint. Winning the Rome Prize was a high point, for sure, and I cherish my many memories of it, including the day I got word I'd won--March 19, 1973. I was ecstatic. I had long had the Prix de Rome on my mind and finally felt my work had a chance. It all seems like a dream when I think of it now. I was teaching as a one-year guest member of the faculty at O.U. and had applied to the Academy with very high hopes. When I won, I was especially happy to be heading to Rome with my Masters, rather than job-hunting with it.

My career has changed a lot in the last 25 years. I work on a commission basis pretty much only now. I had different galleries through the years and have sold most everything I showed. I didn't, however, save any money. My last gallery, a high-end Japanese gallery in New York, was forced to close in the early nineties when the Japanese economy collapsed. I had a contract with them. They paid me a stipend, which kept me alive and was great, but they owned outright everything I painted. When my last show with them closed, I had no paintings and, basically, no money. Lucky for me there were still people who wanted my work. They found me, I'm happy to say, and even though I had to tell them I didn't have anything available, I explained that I would do something specially for them if they wanted--enter commissions. It was an approach that worked. The interested party and I would discuss what of my work they'd been attracted to and I would propose to do a sort of "relative" of whatever it was for them--something similar but different. I'd make a sketch for their approval, we'd discuss size and cost and other particulars, sign an agreement, and I was off and running.

There were variations to this theme, of course, but it worked. This is how I've functioned for years--and I'm grateful. The problem is, as before, when the painting is gone, the money is gone. This means I can't cover the time it would take to produce enough work for another show. If there are commissions, all is well. If not, i don't know. That's where I am now. I'm just finishing a commission of a highly decorated Egyptian sarcophagus. The client is very happy with it, which I'm glad of, but I've always had a commission waiting in the wings. For the first time I don't.

EN: What were some of the emotions you felt as a painter in Italy?

FH: Italy was overwhelming, for sure. There's fabulous art and architecture and history everywhere you look. I'd been there once a couple years before, and been introduced to the highlights--Florence, Venice, Rome, Naples, etc., so I had some idea. The American Academy was a world unto itself. Being there with the many other prize winners--composers, architects, classicists, art historians, etc. made it a completely unique experience—some of them remain my dearest friends. The Academy building is a wonderful place—it was a big, beautiful dormitory. We were all taken care of and, for the most part, all of us flourished. Some wanted to integrate with Italian culture and some just wanted to do their work--I was one of those. I integrated well enough to fall in love with Italy, that's for sure--it was a pleasure from beginning to end.

When I arrived at the Academy, my studio was being painted and refurbished so I had to wait a couple weeks before I could get to work. This down time allowed me to take an in-depth look at Rome, which I did--on foot mainly. It was a great introduction to the many, many marvels that are everywhere. I soaked them in. If I'd been able to get right into my studio I would have missed this wonderful experience. The extra time also allowed me to focus on what my goals were and what I hoped to accomplish during my time at the Academy.

"Dusk Call" The enhanced immediacy of 3-point perspective. 

I brought a painting I'd begun in Ohio with me to Rome--rolled up in a tube. It was a large realist interior--it's the painting that ended up being titled "Dusk Call." By the time I got settled into my new studio I was ready to concentrate on it and work hard, which I did for the next couple of months. By Christmas, I slowed down and enjoyed the holidays. I was glad to relax a bit and in January took an inspirational trip to Paris—the Louvre and anything else I could cram in. When I got back I was increasingly aware of the freedom I had. knew I didn't have any obligations, but it was more than that and slowly it became an enormous cathartic force. It caused—or maybe allowed—me to do all sorts of things I never would have otherwise.

Amazingly, I felt compelled to change how I was painting and to stop work on the big interior I'd brought with me. I sought out parts of my creative self that I had put aside to do the work that had won me the Prix de Rome. It was bizarre. I wanted to see these parts of myself again. They weren't things buried deep inside, they were right near the surface. I became a different artist. Not a different person, but definitely a different artist.

I did abstract paintings--big and small, abstract paintings, abstract figurative collages, sculpture, wood cuts--all sorts of things that were way off my Prix de Rome path. Still, they all seemed totally right and natural to me--I didn't feel I was cheating or going astray. Even the director of the Academy loved my new work, which was very heartening. This "off road" wandering that I indulged in for the better part of my two years is really what made my Rome experience especially meaningful.

EN: So what came next? How were you changed?

"The Bath" Oil and acrylic on canvas. 46.5"x72.5" 1970-72 (click to enlarge)

FH: When it came time to plan for my return to the U.S. I started thinking about what I'd done and what a major departure it was. It had been right, certainly, but it definitely off the track I'd intended to follow when I arrived. I had come to Rome with the idea I would work hard for two years, produce good paintings (I hoped) related to what had got me there, and go home to New York and get a good gallery to represent me. I decided this was still possible. I felt if I finished the painting I'd stored away, which was related to the work that had won me the prize, I'd have a chance. I geared up for a push. It was like coming back through the looking glass. I put the big painting back on my easel and soon was into it again. It was an odd reversal of what had happened a year before.

"Rudy" Acrylic on canvas. 67"x 58" 1979 (click to enlarge)

My pre-Rome work, the paintings that could be said to have won me the grant, had taken several years to produce. Almost all of them showed single figures, sometimes two, in carefully delineated interiors. The figures were pretty much inactive, but somehow mysterious and compelling. One was a man soaking in a bath, his head back and his eyes closed; another was of a man draped on his back across a bed, pouring over the edge, arms outstretched above his head. It isn't angst exactly, but those figures, without my even intending it, are—at least seem to me to be—thinking about life and wondering what the hell to do about it. I didn't realize it at the time, but now I think that's really what was going on. They simply represent my questions about life's meaning. These two paintings, however, were about 3-point perspective as much as they were about any question.

When I had my first show in New York in 1979 at Monique Knowlton Gallery, a few 3-point perspective paintings (including those two) were in it. They were pretty dramatic and made the walls vibrate. Most everything sold and the show got very good reviews, many of which cited the unusual perspective. The New York Times' John Russell called it "space that seems to bend like a penknife." The non-3-point paintings were lauded, too, but the real hook, and unique aspect of the show definitely was 3-point perspective.

As soon as that show was over I started thinking, and worrying, about the next. Even though two years between exhibitions was the norm, I decided to wait only one. I wanted to capitalize on my success as soon as possible, and knew I couldn't repeat the 3-point "extravaganza" if I took two years, or even three. Fitting the pieces together all these years later is a little difficult and I can't quite get to the reason waiting only one year seemed best, but it did. I suppose wanting to keep the ball rolling was a big part of it. I knew I'd have to quit my teaching job to do it, and paint every waking minute. Without that income I'd have to borrow to make it through. My gallery lent me money against sales to come.

"Prone" 51"x 84" Oil on canvas, 1977  

I was confident I could make good paintings that weren't in 3-point perspective, and I wasn't all that driven to do another 3-point painting—not right then at least. What I was driven to do was to follow up on a painting that had been in the first show that was hardly any perspective at all. It was one of the more recently completed pieces and was distinctly different from everything else. It was titled "Prone," and showed a female nude lying on her stomach on a black velvet sofa. The view was low and straight into the sofa's front—I call it a "perpendicular view."

I'd had the idea of doing more paintings along these lines and this seemed the perfect time to do it. I felt I could do enough of them in ten months for a show which, amazingly, I did. There was less acclaim, though some. John Russell again wrote a nice review in which he referred to me as a "practiced enigmatist," which I've always been proud of.

TO BE CONTINUED

Artist Shawna Gilmore's Woodlandia

Two years ago when I saw Shawna Gilmore's show at the Kruk Gallery in Superior I was swept away by the personality and vim she put in her paintings. This month Gilmore has an exhibition of new works on display at the Lakeside Gallery, and it's equally fun, her spunk and spirit continuing to run amok. If you get a chance, drop by during the month of August and acquaint yourself with Gilmore's work. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of her paintings around town over the coming years.

EN: Where do your ideas come from?

Shawna Gilmore: I think it wouldn't be a surprise to know I have a very active imagination and vivid dream life. I find a healthy dose of escapism through my work which gives me fortitude to walk through the challenges of life. I read a lot. I laugh a lot. I enjoy playfulness and the bizarre. I love to learn and observe. I enjoy a sense of wonder and perpetual curiosity. All of these things feed into ideas for paintings. I don't really limit myself to reality when I think of images for paintings. There are a lot of what ifs in my world which makes for limitless possibilities and scenarios.

EN: Your colors are vibrant and uplifting. Is this a reflection of your own spirit?

SG: I used to be so afraid of color. My focus in college was drawing and printmaking, color seemed scary. But color is so emotive that it became increasingly difficult to avoid my fear for much longer. So instead of running from it, I decided to try it. I've really learned a lot about color in the few years. I try to use colors I'm drawn to that have a sort of timelessness to them. I don't think I'll ever be a color expert. So much of life is facing your fears and putting aside your insecurities, for me it builds my faith and brings me much joy to overcome even something as common as using color.

I suppose the colors I use reflect my own spirit, I guess I never thought too hard about that. But I can lean towards the optimistic side of life so that makes sense. It's hard to feel glum when you recognize all the blessings you have. I want to enjoy life. I want to find the hidden treasures in it and be filled with gratitude not languish in a pit of despair. When I paint, I want to enjoy what I paint. I want to look at it for years to come and still like it. I want to paint pictures that bring joy, hope, amusement, or wonder.

EN: The word whimsical comes to mind when I look at your work. Is that a fair description of your subject matter? Or are their hidden political messages in your paintings?

SG: Hahaha, no hidden politics in my work, I think you might call me apolitical. I have enough drama and chaos in my own personal life that gives me little margin for the intense emotions of politics. My paintings are for the weary of heart, those who need a moment to breathe, dream or escape the weight of the day.

EN: For example, is that a poisonous snake you have decorated with daisies? 

SG: Well, I do enjoy a little mischief, danger and unknown outcomes in my work. Those more politically passionate might be able to draw conclusions in my work that connect with them and to me that is ok. I'm most interested in providing part of a narrative for the viewer to enter and make their own. I'm not especially fond of snakes, but one with friendly daisy flowers seemed a little less creepy.

EN: I see you have begun painting on panel substrates. Care to comment on this new direction? 

SG:  I've always preferred painting on wood. I've dabbled on plywood, hardboard, paper, never canvas, but I continually return to wood. There is something about the solid, smoothness that makes me happy. Once I discovered deep cradled wood panels, I never turned back. Framing has always been a hang up for me and cradled wood eliminates the need for a frame.

EN: Do you have any local artists whose work has inspired you? 

SG: There are so many excellent creatives in our area, but I am particularly fond of the work of Wendy Rouse, Adam Swanson and Jonathan Thunder.

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Thanks for sharing, Shawna.

EdNote: You can see more of Shawna Gilmore's paintings next door to Lakeside Gallery at the Amity Coffee Shop (have some java while you're there) and at Art on the Planet on Tower Avenue in Superior, as well as at her website.

Wendy Rouse frequently has work on display at Lizzards Gallery in Downtown Duluth, and Adam Swanson's work will be found there as well.

EdNote: TONIGHT Jonathan Thunder will be giving an Artist Talk at the Duluth Art Institute at 5:30 in conjunction with a book signing. Will I see you there?

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Meantime art goes on all around you. Get into it.

A Visit with Jeffrey T. Larson, Founder of the Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art

Jeffrey Larson, Self-Portrait

Andrew Wyeth was one of the most recognized American painters of the 20th century. N.C. Wyeth, his son, followed his footsteps as an artist/illustrator. Today a third generation is carrying the Wyeth torch, grandson Jamie.

In similar fashion, artist Jeffrey T. Larson has reproduced a passion for painting in his son Brock and together they have undertaken an enterprise that goes far beyond making art. After much deliberation they have undertaken to start a world-class art school here in the Twin Ports on Duluth's West Central Hillside. This past weekend the school had its first annual Student/Instructor Exhibition, and the impression one gets is that a very fine school has taken root, the Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art.

I first met Jeff Larson at a talk he gave at the Tweed Museum last fall, no doubt designed to coincide with the launch of the school. Since that time I've taken a keen interest, and very much looked forward to this past weekend's open house.

EN: How did you come to take an interest in an art career?

"Chopping Wood" by Jeffrey T. Larson

Jeffrey Larson: I was always the "class artist" growing up. Loved to draw, carve and create but never thought about it seriously as in a career util I discovered the Atelier Lack.

EN: You're a masterful oil painter. What was it that led you to take up classical oil painting as an avocation?

JTL: More correctly, it took me up. It was the moment I went to visit Richard Lack at his personal studio after having been to visit his school, Atelier Lack, during my senior year of high school. He had asked me to bring some work when I went to his school. I had gone out of curiosity only. When I walked into his studio it struck me that this was what I wanted to do with my life. Avocation is too strong a word to use to describe how I saw it. Avocation implies career and income, the furthest consideration from my mind at that time actually. Young and dumb, I just knew this is what I was meant to do and assumed the rest would fall into place.

EN: Your paintings show a great admiration for light. How do you choose subject matter for your work?

JTL: Living in the Northland offers you a lot of green and blue half the year, white the rest. The laundry series is probably my most successful attempt at trying to have as much control compositionally outside. With the sheets I can convert them to foils of color and pattern, bounced light, reflected light, flat light, transparent light, translucent light and shadows... The subject is primarily a means to an end for abstract composition.

EN: What prompted you to start an art school? What is the school called and 5. what's your vision for the school?

JTL: A number of reasons. I have always been extremely grateful that I had had the opportunity to receive classical training, especially given just how rare it has become. It laid the foundation for my life. With my son's path following mine it seemed like a wonderful opportunity for us to work together. We both enjoy teaching, having both done it towards the end of our training and after graduating. The idea started small but given our personalities it soon began to grow. Stumbling across St. Peters and recognizing the potential it held ramped it up to a whole new level. Our goal now is to create and develop it into one of the finest classical studio schools in the world. (There are about a dozen schools worldwide passing on this information at a higher level.)

EN: What makes your approach to teaching different from what other art schools are doing?

JTL: There have always been two major lines with the visual arts, the romantic/classical which has turned into the academic/impressionistic. My training was impressionist based with a foundation of classical academic. I've added 25 years of full-time painting experience to this and have learned much in those years. Brock's interest and focus is much more academic-based. Just about all the other schools in the world are purely academic. We will be offering a combined training of the two approaches, what we are calling Classical Impressionism.

EN: Who have been your influences? Favorite painters or artists?

JTL: I can honestly say that I have learned much from so many of the artists of the past. One tends to become obsessed with one artist for a time, absorb what you can and then move on. A few of my lasting favorites are Rembrandt, Vermeer, Velázquez, Sargent, Sorolla, Zom and Rodin.

EN: For people who missed your exhibition at the Tweed this summer, where can they see more of your work?

JTL: For those who missed the open house this past weekend, you can find many pieces displayed at www.jeffreytlarson.com.

I am currently in a couple shows in New York's Cavalier Galleries, and at the Salmagundi Club as part of the Art Renewal Center's 12th annual International Salon Exhibition. I also have pieces on display at Collins Galleries on Cape Cod and Helena Fine Arts in Charleston, S.C.

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I know that I am not alone when I say that the school Jeff Larson has started here with his son is a welcome addition to the local arts scene and the community-at-large.  Thank you Jeff, for sharing your vision and making sacrifices to make it a reality. The very best to you in your endeavors.