Artists Describing Their Art:
Reuben Njaa - All my work is dependent on form, color, and composition. I believe the most complex emotions can be evoked from the simplest of forms. My style explores the relationship between man-made structures and the digital world; the idea of recognizable shapes and structures living within irrational thoughts and emotions. I find beauty in things that are cast off. When I find a surface I am intrigued by I bring it back to my studio where I paint on it or scrape parts of the surface and then scan it into Photoshop and begin the transformation process. Occasional I paint directly on to the photograph before scanning using a combination of materials such as pencils, acrylic paint, Marshal Oils or watercolors anything to provide more texture to the surface. I work spontaneously and become more detailed as the composition starts to show itself. I think of my photo-paintings as two separate components, one part non-objective abstract art and one part traditional photography, brought together to fashion something new. As an artist, this combining of two different medias intrigues me. Texture is of primary importance in my pieces. I think of the surface of my photo-paintings as the ...
David Mihaly - The first series here represents notable historical and pop culture figures, many with Ohio roots, presented in a contemporary style. Each portrait can be seen as a celebration of the individual depicted as well as a meditation on the difference between the bygone era of actual achievement in the arts versus todays culture of instant celebrity. Also included here is a series of textured jazz musician portraits. Each musician painting was made using a layered acrylic technique, evoking the smoky atmosphere of the clubs where the music was born....
Dana Zivanovits - Dana Zivanovits was born in 1958 in Columbus, Ohio and received his art training from the Columbus College of Art and Design (1978 to 1982). After art school, he went abroad for a year and studied the art of the old masters in London, Paris, Madrid, Rome and Venice. Returning to his studio in Columbus to develop these influences into a new body of work, he then traveled to Mexico and studied the sculpture and painting of that country for an extended period. The unique and vivid colors of Palenque and Vera Cruz intensified his palette. After a period in Ohio, he then moved to Venice Beach, California where the brilliant light of the region reinforced his desire to capture effects of sunlight and atmosphere. Returning to Ohio in 1995, he has continued to paint themes deriving inspiration form sources such as world mythology, classic and B-grade cinema, literature and dreams. However his primary inspiration is direct observation from nature, versus an approach based in art theories or cultural critique. Dana has been widely represented by galleries and exhibition projects including Julie Rico and Mega Boom in Los Angeles, the Venice Art Detour, Around the Coyote Festival in Chicago ...
Tim Tero - i began painting after taking some painting courses w/ jon imber at the museum of fine arts school. jon imbers teacher back in the day was phillip guston. i am currently starting a series of paintings based images from the tokyo metro. i am obviously influenced heavly by contemporary japanese culture. but, also there are many contemporary painters, such as neo rauch and ena swansea that i'm very inspired by. film, espesially asian cinema has also been a big influence. more later......
Richard Wynne - Richard is an acclaimed International Artist recently returned to the USA. Richard has lived in many Countries. "The last being Thailland. He started his art studies at a very young age at the John Herron Art Institute In Indianapolis, Indiana and then later at the Art Institute of Chicago Richard has lived in many countries, painting, and playing music. Mr Wynne has exhibited in Thailand, the United States, Spain, Argentina, Kuwait, Korea, Ihdia, and other Countries. Sometimes perhaps I say too much about my self but maybe it helps people understand what motivates my work. For your information I've lived in 8 different countries and have been around the world 5 times. I speak a few different languages, some very well; others not so well. By the way I am not a workaholic as I don't consider what I do work. I enjoy life too much. I forgot to say I am also a weight lifter as lifting weights is my Zen. When I am troubled the concentration it takes to lift makes me calm. I guess my page will probably be a little different from what people expect. Sorry I have not been uploading new work as ...
Maria Teresa Fernandes - Admiring Teresa's paintings we are touched by her pictorial sensitivity. Difficult task in light colors (volume and transparencies on a clear basis). Few do it due to the required dedication with pallete knife(no brush).It's painting consacrated by the love to paint. Radha Abramo(Renowned art critique)comments at Solo Exhibition Catalog at SESC Paulista in June 84 -( sent at request and reproduced in one of the pages of this site). ...
Tirzo Martha - The material doesn't need to be filled with words. It speaks for itself. It is our consciousness that has to translate it for us. My work is a loyal mirror of our societies, a reflection of a fragment from the thin line between fiction and reality. Tirzo Martha 2004...
Eduardo Diaz - Statement My name is Eduardo DIaz and Iim a Mexican artist residing in the Bay Area since 2001. In my work I express different elements of Mexican culture, while emphasizing its Native American heritage. I incorporate native themes and images, both extant and prehispanic, into my works and combine them with personal feelings, experiences or fears. Although cultural elements are the essence of my art, through them I also like to express political and social opinions. As a Mexican, I feel in touch with the problems at the Mexican-American border, as well as with the issues facing Mexican immigrants. I also like to express the tension between the indigenous and the industrialized worlds, and to analyze the different elements that make up Mexican identity, especially when confronted with life in a different country. My favorite medium is oil painting. I use vivid and deep colors, with which I reflect the light of the Mexican sun. Some of my compositions are figurative, and oscillate between realistic scenes and more elaborated images, with affinity to surrealism. My most recent productions are less figurative and combine the same vivid colors into expressive abstract constructions. Biography My name is Eduardo D...
Patrick Sean Kelley - Behind the Art There is nothing more intimidating than standing in front of a blank canvas and wondering what it will become. There is also nothing more exhilarating. As I begin to apply paint to canvas I find my work seems to be in continuous motion. Always changing. Always progressing. Much like the oil paints that actually embody my visions. I am influenced by many places, things, people and of course, many artists. My latest work is changing yet again. The palette has become softer more jewel toned and the subjects more somber. They speak to me as I paint each stroke awaiting life on the canvas. I am clearly influenced by some of the more modern masters like, Klimpt, Kandinsky, Mirot, Caldwell and as always, Picasso. The art is Inspired by the subject. By a woman's beauty as it is seen and felt both internally and externally. The images in my vision actually seem to mask their true identities as they glance out at the viewer exuding an air of aloofness and mystique. Each stroke is painstakingly smoothed and controlled to create subtle dimensions and color that create the mysterious creatures that appear to come to life on ...
Dianne Roberson - Artist Statement Alaska Artist Dianne Roberson As a young artist, I traveled every summer to the mountains where I sketched Native Americans expressing their creativity through pottery, weaving, beadwork, carving, and dancing. It was this tradition of recording their lives with art that bonded me to these distant Cherokee relatives. I have painted these artistic native people throughout North, South, and Central America. My Alaskan paintings are a continuation of these experiences, and a hope to create lasting visual images of native people and their traditions. Through the years, my life has taken me on many journeys far from my roots. I was drawn to Alaska, as if a magnet was pulling me back to nature. I didn't choose to come here, I simply could not stay away. My Northern Light Series was born on a January excursion. In the cold dark night surrounded by silence near the top of the world, I saw magnetic pulses of light. It was ten degrees below zero as the many colors of reflected lights were magnified by the accumulation of snow on the ground. An intense emotion encompassed me and I understood why our ancestors were so awed, even frightened, by the ...
Joel P Heinz Sr. - Joel P Heinz Sr. was born in Hastings, Minnesota; raised and educated in Northern California: served in the Army in Viet Nam, and raised a family in California. He worked in various sales positions until he found his calling working with mentally disabled adults. He is now retired and living his dream in Maui with his wife, Kathy. In 1995, Joel began painting using acrylic paint on canvas with no formal art training. His artwork evolved from associating with other artists and the joy of experimenting and discovery. In the beginning, his favorite subject was Tropical Marine, colorful tropical landscapes and underwater scenes. As part of the evolution of his art, he dabbled in Egyptian art for a short time in order to practice working in detail, a noticeable characteristic of most of his artwork on canvas. For years he had appreciated artwork from a distance only to be disappointed in the lack of detail when viewed close up. He wanted his work on canvas to be detailed enough to be clearly seen whether viewed up close or from a distance. In the 21 years prior to moving to Maui, Joel's twice-annual visits to Maui cultivated an appreciation ...
Phil Mokaraka Berry - Ko Whakatere te Maunga Ko Waima te Awa Ko Maamari te Waka Ko Te Mahurehure te Hapu Ko Nga Puhi te Iwi Ko Tuhirangi te Marae Kia ora, Phil Mokaraka Berry has been producing Contemporary Maori Art works for over ten years. His work consists of Maori myths and traditions based on well known stories and beliefs. He has produced a large series on Maui and his exploits and his final demise. Other works involve the connection between Papatuanuku (mother earth) and Maori and the sacredness of our whenua (land). He has also produced works on Kaitiaki (guardians), trying to capture the Mauri (life force) and the guardianship role of them and the relationship to their and our environments. His works are always evolving, sometimes simplifying, sometimes complex He uses the kowhaiwhai (maori designs)as a symbol of being and celebrating being Maori and also linking back towards our/my Whakapapa (heritage). ...