Artists Describing Their Art:
Jo Mari Montesa - Of all the gifts God gave to man the finest is his free will. Second to life itself. It is the essence of man. It is what separates man from all the other creatures of God. By ones choice or action he is judged if he is worthy to be called the man created by God. The child of free will is art. It is man's self-expression. It is synonymous to freedom of expression. Every art is unique since every man is unique. How man perceives art is also unique as how man perceives beauty. As how man perceive life. Art is like life. It all depends to the person's perception. Truly beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. The gauge of how beautiful life is, depends uniquely to every man. A professor of mine once walked in the streets of Manila during summer. It is very hot, humid and dusty. He noticed a very old beggar asking for coins to the passers while bathing to the heat of the sun all day. Beside the beggar was a newspaper stand. One tabloid headline reads'Young Matinee Idol Commits Suicide." My professor stops for awhile and asks ...
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 ...
Marcelo Novo - Like a musician playing by ear and improvising as he goes, my art begins not with cautious preliminary sketches but working directly on the chosen surface and completing a work in one sitting. When I begin, I never know what will manifest itself. I start by doodling and when I feel as though things are happening, I follow. Whatever is in my mind has to go through my arm, my hand, so to avoid interference I choose materials that let me work quickly. When finished, I don't go back and re-work it. This approach allows a more spontaneous and intuitive way of creating art. My art has its roots in Latin American and European Surrealism, a movement that believes art holds the key to unlock the inner workings of the mind, and reveals aspects of the psyche otherwise hidden. Diverse recurrent symbols appear in my work as manifestations of my life experiences, some of which are closely related to my Latin American cultural heritage and my life in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I find adapting to a new culture both rewarding and enriching. The process is often helped by the intuitive approach with which I create my art. Similarly...
Benjamin Oppong -Danquah - BENJAMIN OPPONG DANQUAH Producer of collarge art, paintings and wall hangings. Potraits, pet portraits and house potraits,Designs for textile prints,logos,illustrations and a painter/decorator. _____________________________________________________ I was born on the 5th of December 1967 in Accra Ghana. Had my O'level at Nsutaman Catholic Secondary School,Ghana. A'level at Wenchi Methodist Secondary School, Ghana. Finally had Diploma of Art at the University of Science and Technology Kumasi, Ghana. OTHER TRAINING Entrepreneurial courses and workshops in Accra, Ghana and foundation course in export marketing.Entrepreneurial training workshop on business management. WORK EXPERIENCE National Service at Asante Mampong National Service Secretariat on projects.As project person,I produce art works for the secretariat to raise funds.As a teacher I also taught Graphic design (Print Making), Picture making and calabash art at Cambridge Junior Secondary, a Private school in kumasi, Ghana.I also taught some senior secondary school students part-time in picture making. I am a member of Watford Area Art Forum, Watford African Caribbean Association in Watford Britain. I have done few art workshops in drawing and painting in Watford. I have my own registered company in Ghana a small scale company (Ben-Art Enterprise) and...
Jack Mccarthy - I am basically a story-teller who uses prints as my vocabulary. My approach to printmaking is eclectic. On one hand, I use traditional relief printing methods either a baren or a 1947 Vandercook Press, named Ursula. On the other hand, I experiment using brayers, stencils, natural and found objects, anything that has texture. My work is influenced by life experience and, most importantly, my constant amazement of what human beings believe in and how they choose to live their lives! Many of my prints are allegorical in nature and almost all are visual stories. I am presently working on a variety of projects: One is a series of relief prints based on medieval stories, both secular and religious. One edition is comprised of prints depicting religious beliefs and stories of 8th to 14th century Europe, what is normally but erroneously called "The Dark Ages" and/or the Gothic Period. The stories are delightful and, at times, gruesome. Many are Christian stories based on non-Christian (pagan) myths. The second project is a small edition of handmade books with original prints based on the Old Testament. The third is a book which will be a pictorial depiction of the life ...