Artists Describing Their Art:

Penko Platikanov - Sculpture is an act of creating art, and a philosophy on living. It is my belief that my artwork follows some means of a universal law I call "Creation and Beauty." Stated simply, there is no doubt a responsibility inherent toward created forms. It's quality, it's energy, and the messages released through my actions are expressions that I work toward being aware of. This is the first thing I concern myself with before I step into my studio and stand before the set block of clay on any given day. A quality sculpture has to be a product of spiritual, mental and technical abilities. Great works of art should possess deep roots in human spirituality, as well as depth regarding thought and feeling. Artwork can appear as fleeting inspirations or a belabored process based on the experience of the artist. In turn, if an artwork is created with the intention of lasting decades and being viewed for many generations, it has to be technologically strong and skillfully made. Important thought is the search for quality. Quality, which is proportional to the amount of effort, must be made to the best of the artist's ability. The Ancient Greeks ...

Ione Citrin - Ione is an avant garde artist whose artistic expression takes fantastic shape through her diverse oil and watercolor paintings, bronze sculptures, found object collages and mixed media assemblages. Her paintings and sculptures range from abstract to realistic to impressionistic - all visionary interpretations from her imaginative soul. "When I paint, I dip my brush in my soul... Being an Artist is a life force, not a career choice. Each piece represents a fragment of my life's work. I present the world artistically as I see it, as I wish to see it, and occasionally as I once saw it. You see, It is my identity. Without this expression of self, I am nothing. Through my art I give love." Ione uses only one name but a variety of styles to soothe her wild imagination. A native of Chicago, she is a former television star and commercial voice-over artist. Now she wins awards and sells her creativity through her hands instead of through her larynx. Her art is as original as she is - bold, colorful and highly decorative....

Robbie O Carroll - When I Graduated from Harvard University my sculpturing followed the traditional cubist approach, but over time the wood started to dictate its own direction and continues that way today. Sometime I will look at a piece of wood, or the combination of pieces of wood, for over a year before it comes to me what its final shape should be and even then it continues to change during the sculpturing process. Someone once called my work enigmatic, and maybe it is, because that is what interests me, the indescribable mystery that can only be revealed in a work of Art. ...

Kaveh Tavakoli - curved lines in the sinuses Three-dimensional. and compound curved surfaces and smooth as well as longitudinal and lateral relations in Interrelatedness of simple and complex forms. And able to communicate forms of abstraction and naturalism in human body. In order to demonstrate the modern human psyche....

Eric Jacobson - My work is influenced by a variety of sources from mandalas to contructivism "drawing in space" and nature: artists like David Smith, Mark Di Suvero, Miro, Picasso, etc. My current work incorporates brass tubing with mobiles and water. Some of these create sound as well. I have also created steel "frames", often octagonal that enclose a series of elements floating within this environment. I have been exploring the use of depth(perspective), color and balance in my work. I am very interested in the "layers" that make up each person's life history and mind, and therefore create layers in my sculpture to symbolize this. I often see things in the world as having an" inner and an outer", sometimes revealed to the world at large and sometimes hidden. This includes the human mind. People often keep parts of themselves hidden or protected even sometimes from themselves. Sometimes thes things are revealed in artwork. My sculptures also involve the relationship of the natural and man-made environments and the balance or imbalance between them....

Mircea Popescu - Mircea Popescu Statement In my work time is an active element. I paint like I build a sculpture using simple forms, lines and textures representing days, hours and archetypes such as: books, letters, numbers or primordial elements. The surface; canvas, wood, or paper is painted from dark to light, a technique used in the byzantine art. Using classical principles, the golden section, the structures of my compositions are based on rigorous diagrams of simple geometric figures. Considering that contemporary art is characterized by invention and experimentation, texture becomes an essential element of my paintings that comes naturally from the way the paste is applied, transparent layers of paint creating new surfaces. Light is the most surprising element in my paintings which is a result of my technique; the method I mix the primary colors, pigments and other substances What is interesting, not all of them contain the same light, but all of them radiate energy. ...

Don Dougan - My work comprises both abstracted and figurative imagery executed in a variety of mixed materials, with stone being the predominate medium. Other materials used (usually in conjunction with stone) include foundry cast metals, carved and joined wood, cast and fabricated plastics, cold-worked and kiln-formed glass, cast and carved hydraulic cements, cast/formed paper, welded/fabricated metals, gilding, and found/assembled objects. The more abstracted imagery is worked in pedestal pieces, large freestanding sculptures, and in wall-mounted relief sculptures. The figurative lip series is usually presented in wall-mounted reliefs, deep shadowbox framing, and occasionally as either a pedestal piece or a large freestanding work. The most recently begun series of work comprises pedestal-sized pieces using the imagery of the ship or the boat hull. Each series or each type of work allows me to express aspects of the human condition - the more abstracted works tend to reveal a more universal emotional/rational characterization of subject matter, the lip series tends to allow sensuality, humor, and more visceral expressions, while the ship series delves into personal/cultural memories and emotional journeys. For more images and information on myself, my work, and my working methods please visit my ...

Ted Schaal - Lately I have been exploring the use of two enduring materials, bronze and stainless steel. I enjoy the juxtaposition of the primitive texture in the bronze with the mirror polished modern look of the stainless. Balance and symmetry dominate simple geometric forms. These sculptures are made to last through the ages with the highest level of craftsmanship and quality metals. Most of my latest work can be scaled up for public or corporate settings and commission inquiries are welcome. With over 20 years of sculpture experience anything is possible from desk top size to monumental fountains and sculpture. ...

John Searles - John Searles is a metal artist & sculptor with work in more than 2000 collections across the country, including hotels, businesses and homes. His experience includes working with aluminum, copper, bronze, steel and stainless steel. His body of work includes sculptures, metal weavings, metal art tiles, wall sculptures, photography, paintings and websites. The metal wall sculptures of John Searles reflect his enduring interests in mathematical patterns, design, movement, energy and freedom and are an expression of his on-going dialogue with the metals he works with - aluminum, steel, stainless steel, copper and bronze. John Searles' background in poetry, painting and photography has heavily influenced his focus on shape and design. At times his artwork appears to depict the fluid movements of a Kung Fu master, or the flight patterns of a bird catching insects in the summer evening air. Other times, the metal represents dancers intertwined. John Searles lives and works in a converted 5600 square foot factory on three acres of land near Lake Michigan. The front third of the building is a light-filled gallery. The back part is a tool- and work table-filled space with two garage doors and a view out over the property to the ...

Jim Collins - Jim Collins is primarily a Public Art sculptor working in a figurative manner. His sculpture style has been characterized by the use of silhouettes of people and animals constructed of stainless steel, aluminum, and other metals, best exemplified by his long running series the WATCHER. The peaceful figure of the seated man has progressed over the years and can be found in both public and private collections in the United States and Ireland with the majority located in the Southeastern United States. Colorful silhouettes of figures and animals can be seen from the Emerald Isle with large cows along freeways to Firemen and Dalmatians in Plano Texas with the latest additions in Balbriggan Ireland and Colorado Springs. Recently Collins has added complex polychrome enamel painting to selected silhouettes, i.e. the female figure. "Rejoyce" is the newest silhouette in natural brushed finished aluminum with powder coat and enamel. More examples can be seen at www.collins3d.com. His mixed media collages with assemblage frames are somewhat challenging in that the art is not finalized until the viewer completes it. In general, there is no prearranged single story, idea, or philosophy inherent in the work. Because the work is made of...