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 ...

Jack Hill - All of my sculptural work is bronze, cast in the "lost wax" technique. Besides sculpting the original work, I am hands on with all the phases of the casting process, including the molds, waxes, metal, and application of the patinas. My foundry experience allows me to ensure the quality and integrity of each idea, from inspiration to final presentation. The ideas are born from observation of the human existence, in all its splendor and absurdity. The addition of my own whimsy and uncommon approach brings about an expression of life in the permanence of bronze. People are only one part of the whole planet and my anthropomorphic works are an exploration of the blending of man into various parts of the environment. With attention to anatomic detail and a tongue-in-cheek twist I wish to stimulate the imagination and, maybe, tickle the funny bone. Questions? Call me at 305/240-3238 A new line of work has been added that I call "Body Armor". The human form is treated as if skin was an armor that could be put on or removed as needed. If it had been lost long ago and recently rediscovered, what would it look like. ...

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....

Dave Martsolf - Dave Martsolf I have a hand-drawing personal style that I love, but also use photorealistic collage style for some surreal work. In addition, I continue to enjoy explorations in every direction. My surreal visionary style is conceived in the bowels of endless empty space. Worlds come out of nowhere to define and fill empty space with form and reflected light. I use posed photographs with specific viewpoints that join seamlessly with other images to develop a hallucinogenic, some say gut-wrenching realistic space where mind-bending visions rule. My personal drawing style is in its simplest essence the line the drawn line and what it represented as the delineation of a form, a space, almost the way a topographical line feels out the form of a hill, or the way a blind man feels out the tender forms of his or her lover. That line is also the signature of the vibration of life and lifes emotions, twisted by the influence of others, fighting for a day in the sun, learning the way of calm, the mastery of the surf of life and the swell of love and anger. Brownian motion, cosmic ray decay, elemental particles, the paths of ...

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. ...