Sunday, June 7, 2015

Two New Painters at SmithKlein Gallery

SmithKlein Gallery has brought in a few new artists. Take a look at some of the amazing works by these talented individuals:


Graceann Warn

Although Graceann Warn’s academic background is in urban design and classical archaeology, she decided to take a leap of faith in 1985 and become a full-time artist. She started out as an oil painter, but throughout the 1990s became best known for her assemblages. A few years ago, a 16-month-long commission to design sets for a major opera production, Orfeo ed Euridice, led to a shift in medium (as well as scale) in her studio work. Since that time, she has primarily been painting on wood panels using oils and encaustic.

Encaustic is a wax-based medium with natural dyes. Graceann’s present work reflects the structural logic of her architectural beginnings as well as her continued interest in archaeology and science.

Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is in the collections of Yale University; Museum of Art and Design, New York, NY,; US Embassies in Nairobi and Sarajevo; Pew Charitable Trusts and many others.

"Connect 4" Encaustic 41" x 31"

"Delhi" Encaustic 41" x 31"

"Destination" Encaustic 32" x 62"

"Interloper" Encaustic 41" x 31"

"Rain" Encaustic 41" x 31"


Garmish

After college graduation Michael had to serve 3 years in the Soviet army. During his 1st vacation, he came to his hometown and visited his art college. As he was walking out, he spotted a beautiful girl on the bus stop by the college, which showed him a cold shoulder when he tried to approach her. As he says, "for me, it was love at first sight." Michael took a taxicab to follow the bus and saw where she lived. When it got dark, instead of going back to the army like he was obligated to, Michael started painting the portrait of the girl on the wall of the building her window faced. When morning came, Inessa saw her beautiful self, painted on a wall of a 4 story brown brick building. Michael, however, was not standing by his creation because he was arrested by the military police.

The next time he had a vacation from the army and came back home, Inessa heart was opened for the romance.
In a year they were married and to commemorate their first meeting, Michael climbed the electrical pole by the bus stop and hung a garland made of daisies that his bride wore for the wedding ceremony.


"Tender Age" 24" x 24" Oil

"On the Terrace" 36" x 15" Oil

"Morning Alone" 24" x 36" Oil

"Early Evening" 12" x 18" Oil

Both Michael and Inessa Garmash were born in Russia where they were schooled and studied art. An early starter, Michael Garmash began painting at the age of three. By age six Michael Garmash started his formal education at the Lugansk Youth Creative Center. Recognizing rare, natural talent, his teachers sent his works to a variety of exhibitions in the then Soviet Union. Ms. Garmash, born Inessa Kitaichik in 1972 Lipetsk, Russia, has excelled in the arts since early childhood. Inessa Garmash entered the Lugansk Fine Art School at age fifteen. At seventeen Inessa Garmash was accepted as that year's best undergraduate to the Lugansk State Fine Art School. 





Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Hilario Gutierrez


 
Shadow Canyon 54 x 72 Acrylic

On New Year’s Day 1994, Hilario Gutierrez faced the monolithic stone temples of Monument Valley, Arizona and recognized for the first time his true nature. He returned home two days later and began to paint.  As an Arizona native with a rich ethnic heritage consisting of Aztec and German from his maternal side, and Yaqui Indian and Austrian from his paternal side, Hilario always identified with the spirit of the American Southwest. This unique identity became evident with his earlier paintings.


Hilario believes that as an artist, he must be free to explore all directions and materials to bring forth his creativity. He believes in order to successfully create a piece of art, he must seek out and interpret all the influences that pass through his conscious and subconscious self. These influences, what he calls the ethereal chaos of his spirit, allow him an endless flow of creativity and give his art authority and truthfulness.


Hilario was drawn to acrylics as his medium, which allowed him to experiment with color and form. He studied the work of master artists, in particular Gerhard Richter and Dan Namingha, to develop and perfect his technique. 



"Jewel at my Feet" 60 x 48 Acrylic
Lize Brittin, assistant manager at SmithKlein Gallery, states the following:
One of the artists I am most drawn to is Hilario Gutierrez. One painting in particular, "Jewel at My Feet", captured my attention and keeps me intrigued. No matter how many times I look at the piece, I never grow tired of it. Whether I stand far away or step closer to the painting, I find myself getting lost in the colors and details. It's rare that abstract art grabs me so thoroughly. I can see the influence of the Arizona desert in Hilario's choice of colors, especially in this piece. The reds, oranges, browns and greens bring to mind landscapes of the Southwest.

I feel a connection to Hilario's work, because it evokes an emotion in me that I can't fully describe. There are no true patterns or intentional shapes in the abstract work, yet there is depth and dimension. It appears to have purpose, despite lacking any concrete realistic features. Hilario states that a piece must have meaning for the artist. It is this meaning to which the viewer connects, but his paintings allow this concept to be taken one step further in that the viewer is able to ascribe his or her own meaning to the work. 

Through the chaos and randomness of the abstract piece, there is tranquility and peace. Hilario states, "We are continually bombarded with images, information and half-truths that produce a sensory overload. We begin to mistrust and show caution to what is around us. Think of the innocence of a child's drawing, how nothing guards you from wandering through it. That child's careless and unrefined attempt creates an innocent atmosphere that is universal to our humanity and well-being. Art, and in particular abstract art, can harbor the same safe journey that a child-like point of view does with an atmosphere that is open to connection and interaction."



The paints, brushes and tools of Hilario Guiterrez.
Hilario in his studio.

Hilario working on a painting.

Hilario applying the paint.



Interview with Hilario Gutierrez
November, 2014


Q) Are there any subjects that inspire you more than others or are you open to painting anything?
A)  Deserts are my main influence, the exposed topography and the dustiness of colors. I draw from the feelings and emotions I experience when I explore all the seasons of the desert and surrounding land.

Q) Do you work on location, look at a photograph or create what you imagine in your mind?
A) I don’t work on location but I do travel to all regions of the Arizona desert. Someday, I would like to travel to other deserts such as the Great Basin in Nevada or the Atacama Desert in Chile.

Q) Do you see any trends currently unfolding in your art - developing techniques, new styles, different subject matter, interesting colors, etc.?
A)  I study the changes of other artists and I can be inspired by them but I stay within my origins of the desert and vary the composition of my art.

Q) Are you a full-time artist? What is your studio space like?
A) Yes I paint nearly every day and usually for 6-8 hours at a time. And, like most full time artists, my studio is not big enough even though it is nearly 700 square feet.

Q) Is there anything you would like to highlight about your work in general? Do you feel like you have a message that you are trying to convey through your art?
A) My talent is my own but it is for the beholder to enjoy.  The message is whatever the beholder would like to take away from the atmosphere I create in my work.

Q) What inspired you to become an artist? How old were you when you started creating art?
A) I did a number of creative things in my life such as fine art photography and I was a Master hair colorist for more than 30 years. But it was when I was 44 years old that I had an epiphany during a visit to Monument Valley Arizona on New Year’s Day 2004. It was at 3 o’clock in the afternoon.  I wasn’t artist but then, as the sun shifted over Thunderbird Mesa, in an instant I was an artist.

Q) How did you develop as an artist? Did you take classes or read about painting/sculpting to improve your technique over the years?
A) I am self-taught; I study and try different techniques that fit my style of painting.

Q) Where do you see your art going in the future? What about art in general? 
A) That will be up to the historians.

Q) What advice would you give to anyone who is thinking about going into art?
A) Do it for yourself first, don’t be swayed by opinion and don’t be critical of other artists’ work.  If you want to make a living by selling your art, in my opinion, it is 80% business and 20% about the art.

Q) What keeps you inspired as an artist?
A) Getting started on the next painting.  


"When You Come This Way" 58 x 48 Acrylic

"Fifty Shades of Sky" 78 x 54 Acrylic

"Last Glimpse of the Day" 70 x 48 Acrylic

"Shoreline" 72 x 48 Acrylic

"Winter retreating" 66 x 48 Acrylic

"Light Bridge" 70 x 60 Acrylic

"Clay Creek" 54 x 72 Acrylic

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Jessica Garrett at SmithKlein Gallery

"Summer Sunset"  Oil 30 x 50
 
Jessica Garrett was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1983 and has been interested in art since she was a child when she showed a promising talent for drawing at an early age. 

In 2005, she was awarded a scholarship from Scottsdale Artist’s School and took a workshop with R.A. Heichberger.  She continued to study under him, and by 2007, she was able to fulfill her dream of a career in fine art.

Jessica is always evolving as an artist. She has taken workshops from Chris Saper, Kevin Macpherson, and, most recently, Tim Deibler.

Jessica enjoys creating oil paintings that convey the feeling of the landscape through traditional representation. Her inspiration is drawn from many facets of nature.  It can be anything from the colors in a sunset, the brilliance of Autumn Aspen foliage against a clear blue sky, or the pattern of a stream running through fresh fallen snow.  From these Jessica develops color harmonies, value structures, compositions, and designs resulting in her unique style of painting.

Since 2009, she has participated in the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale, and in 2013, she began participating in Cowgirl Up.

Jessica painting in aspens.


Jessica painting on location.
Artist's statement: 
 
"I have always been drawn to painting the landscape.  There is a certain serenity and beauty that nature presents, and I enjoy trying to capture that.  

I like to paint lighting situations that push for nature’s more vibrant colors.  I think as an artist, color is the most powerful means of expression available.  I am greatly influenced by Emile Gruppe’s thoughts on color, and it is my goal to understand it as he did. 

Luckily, ever changing light produces limitless subtleties in color making the learning process never-ending."


"Fall Morning" Oil 30 x 35


Interview with Jessica Garrett

1.

Q) Are there any subjects that inspire you more than others, or are you open to painting anything?



A) I'm most drawn to landscapes.  I think nature is very relatable, and it’s something we have all stood in awe of.





2.

Q) Do you work on location, look at a photograph or create what you imagine in your mind?



A) I do all three. Usually what I do on location, I keep as a study, and then I produce my studio piece with a combination of my plein-air studies and photographs.  I also take a little artistic license to move and change things.  Often, at the final stages of a painting, I'm working from my head, and making adjustments by how it feels.





3.

Q) Do you see any trends currently unfolding in your art - developing techniques, new styles, different subject matter, interesting colors, etc.?



A) I think I am understanding color in a whole new way.





4.

Q) 4) Are you a full-time artist? What is your studio space like?



A) Yes! I am a full-time artist.

In my studio, I have a nice large counter-weighted easel that my Dad surprised me with before I ever even sold my first painting. I have the walls of the studio lined with shelves, because I like to work on lots of paintings at once. And I ALWAYS have music playing.





5.

Q) Is there anything you would like to highlight about your work in general? Do you feel like you have a message that you are trying to convey through your art?



A) I would like color to be the first thing someone notices about my work. I think the main thing I hope to convey is the beauty I see in the subject, which for me is generally very connected to the colors.





6.

Q) What inspired you to become an artist? How old were you when you started creating art?



A) I'm not really sure when I started drawing. I was maybe three. Art was something I can always remember being obsessed with. My family has always been very supportive, which encouraged me to explore my own talents, and my parents are both creative people.





7.

Q) How did you develop as an artist? Did you take classes or read about painting to improve your technique over the years?



A) First, I read a ton of books. Then, I took workshops and studied with professional artists. After that, I read a ton more books. Right now, I still take a workshop once a year, and I always have a book going.





8.

Q) Where do you see your art going in the future? What about art in general? 



A) I think art in general is just going to keep getting better.  Traditional artists like myself build on what the artists before us learned. Art materials are always getting better, and technology continues to makes learning more and more accessible.





9.

Q) What advice would you give to anyone who is thinking about going into art?



A) Paint from life, and learn from the best.





10.

Q) What keeps you inspired as an artist?



A) Plein air painting is always inspiring. Looking at work by artists I admire, watching another artist demo, reading a new art book, and listening to great music are all ways in which I feel inspired.



"Autumn Storms" Oil 18 x 36

"Buffalo Pass" Oil  9 x 12

"Burning Rays" Oil 18 x 24

"Dawn" Oil 12 x 16

"Evening Glow" 8 x 12

"Warm Glow" Oil 24 x 36

"Green to Gold"  Oil 12 x 8

"Morning Rain" Oil 8 x 12

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Local Artists at SmithKlein Gallery

SmithKlein Gallery represents many Colorado artists.


Linda Israel 

Capturing the essence of life through the colorful innocence of animals is what inspires Linda and brings her joy. She says, “Animals are so in the moment, simple and direct.  They are pure consciousness”.  She paints the peaceful, unconditional and simple souls of animals.  Linda has been inspired since she was just 3 years old, when she first started drawing. 

Using an array of vibrant colors, Linda approaches her portraits like the subjects themselves —playfully uninhibited.  Her techniques of painting on a large canvas, her use of color and light and the glazing of acrylic create a deep connection to Self.  Linda believes that through art, human growth can be both expressed and seen.  Art is a unique visual translation of the feelings created in response to the world around us.  She finds it no accident that animals are drawn to her. Linda studied painting at the University of Colorado-Boulder before moving to New York to study interior design.  While in school, Linda painted numerous murals for private businesses. 
 
"Once Upon a Bear"  oil  36 x 48



Louise Peterson

 
Louise is fortunate to be living her dream with her husband, Chris, in Colorado. She spends her time hiking with her Great Danes, horse riding, spoiling her three cats, sculpting in her studio and operating the business of her art which often involves traveling to interesting places.

Louise began studying clay modeling after moving the the United States from England. Louise learned to sculpt with the human figure, but after moving to the rural mountains of Colorado in 1998, the only model in her small studio was her Great Dane. What resulted were fine classical renderings of dogs that are often both humorous and elegant. Louise is a huge animal lover, and future plans include a retirement home for senior Great Danes. She also spends time walking dogs at the local animal shelter. Louise works from her ranch studio where she is inspired by vistas of the surrounding high country. She lives with her husband Chris, Great Danes Rigel and Bella, and her cats Adora, Illana and Kaz.

"Tickled" Bronze Various Sizes



James Moore

 
James has been working professionally in bronze for many years. After pursuing a 15-year career as an art teacher, James now devotes full time to his bronze sculpting. His award winning work is in private and public collections across the United States and Europe. James lives with his family in a small rural community in the West. He, his wife and two daughters enjoy a small acreage where they garden, raise horses, dogs and an assortment of other animals. This environment provides plenty of inspiration for creating art.

"Ebb & Flow" Bronze 20"


Paul Cunningham


Paul is a self-taught artist who displayed his artistic genius and passion from an early age. He was inspired by a deep appreciation of the West, fueled by many boyhood trips to our neighbors in Wyoming, Arizona and New Mexico. The amazing ability to capture the true magic of the West is one of Paul's special gifts. 

Paul's venture into abstract work offers a style featuring minimal imagery, a proprietary high-gloss application on the finish layer and stirring splashes of color, which merge into intense artistic creations. The deep rich pallet, high clarity and full purity are Paul's signature trademarks found in these pieces. The enthusiast gazes through layers of transparent glaze applies in a pain-staking, time-consuming process.




Paul doing a live painting demonstration at SmithKlein Gallery.



D.D. LaRue


Dede LaRue is a visionary. She is a self-taught, mixed media artist whose work has been featured in galleries, publications and on television. Using a combination of sturdy, lightweight material, including wire, wood, paper mache, gypsum, fiberglass, and air brushed enamel, Dede creates striking free-standing interior and wall sculptures which explore the complex relationships between animals, humankind and their environments.. Sometimes whimsical and sometimes challenging, Dede’s eye- catching animals combine a fearless point of view with a respect for the dignity inherent in all animal species.



“As the human race’s relationship to the world becomes ever more complex and technological, I feel it becomes increasingly important to attune our emotional and spiritual connections to nature.”

"Dog in Door" Mixed Media 43"


Lyudmila Agrich


Lyudmila Agrich was born in Russia. As a child her parents were always encouraging  her in all of her creative expressions. As a result she spent several years in musical school and the school of fine arts for children. She was lucky because she was able to taste the nectar of creativity so early, and intuitively she knew in the beginning what could bring her happiness and contentment. But when she had to make a choice, she went to Architectural school and received bachelor degree in Architecture and Fine Arts.

After a career in the technical field of beams and concrete, she started to hear a strong calling for painting. She quit architecture in 2001 and became a professional artist. Her choice is not her career; it is her life, fulfilled and happy. She replaced her painting brush with palette knife in order to create bolder, brighter, and powerful images of nature, flowers, and people. Her style is expressionistic impressionism. her main focus is to capture intimate moments in ordinary life. No matter what she is painting, a landscape, or a little cafe in an old European town, she wants her paintings to speak in the language of human feelings.

"Quiet Harbor"  Oil  20 x 20



Sandy Graves

As a child who was born in Colorado and grew up in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, Sandy first displayed her work at county fairs as a 4-H member. Once she started her art education, mostly at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, she worked in many different mediums. Sandy took naturally to sculpting, and it ended up being her favorite medium. Horses are a theme in Sandy's work, but she likes to sculpt a variety of animals, mostly ones native to the areas in which she has lived.

“I see bronze sculpture as being a friendly and beautiful medium. I enjoy watching the public interact with art. In sculpture, viewers can walk around it, touch it, and become part of the artistic expression in a very personal way. “



"Sugar"  Bronze  22 x 12 x 8
 

Giuseppe Palumbo



Artist's Statement: 
 
“When a viewer mentions that my sculpture has soul or has stirred their soul it is the highest compliment and what I aim to achieve in every piece. Successful art communicates in a universal language that words fail to convey.

My work is figurative, the objective not to recreate a replica of the living, but to capture the essence of the being, not a frozen pose, but alive in spirit, texture and warmth.

My chapter in the story is short, finished with the piece, then it becomes an endless tale as each viewer relives and creates their own.”

"Flock of Five"  Bronze  various sizes


Bryce Widom

 
Bryce grew up in rural Alaska. His mother is an artist, and while she is a great resource for feedback, Byce is primarily self-taught. Stepping outside his house when he was young, he’d be greeted by wide-open stretches of sun-drenched tundra, or a wintry frozen sea. Bryce would watch, listen and observe. He would often be drawn in and, one foot after another step into the spaciousness of the landscape. 

In many of Bryce’s paintings, he is re-awakening this scenario, recreating a moment. A figure in the painting stands before nature or walks into the landscape, and the viewer is invited to do so as well, to identify with what’s on the canvas and mentally step into the painting. Having grown up with ravens, bears, fox and salmon living near his house, he feels camaraderie with the wildlife, which is why these animals often accompany the figures in his paintings. While the landscape has changed (the location could be Colorado, or Alaska, or some mix of the two), the spirit remains the same.

"In the Valley of Ages"  Oil 60 x 36



 Shano
 
Shano’s journey as a jeweler started in 1973. 


In the Arizona desert, He enjoyed exploring the rocks. With the help of some of the first published gem prospecting guides along with the advice of ole timer's, he began digging for gems and minerals throughout the southwest.


Shano also learned to cut and polish stones, first crafting into animal fetishes, then cabachons. Soon after, he met Neil, a creative artist already working as a silversmith. In exchange for some of his cut stones, Neil taught Shano how to make his first ring. The next day they went shopping for tools and silver, a total investment of $150.00. That was the only lesson Shano ever had in jewelry making.


A Shano continues to travel, seeking out gemstones. He has studios in Colorado as well as Florida. Once the student of a single class that inspired Shano to pursue a career in jewelry making, he, in turn, has passed his craft onto many others.

Tibetan Turquoise, Sterling
Turquoise and silver earrings
 

Stalin Tafura

Tafura was born into a famous sculpting family in Zimbabwe and is the grandson of sculptor, Claudio Nyanhongo, and son of world-renown sculptor, Agnes Nyanhongo. His education as a sculptor began in early childhood, as he observed the work of his grandfather, mother and uncles, and began to assist in the finishing process of their pieces.

“From a very early age, it was typical that I’d be surrounded by various family members sculpting and I became familiar with not only the techniques and the tools, but also the creative process and approach that I continue to use today. As a child, I used clay earth to sculpt cows, sheep and other animals; I was always exploring the world in a creative way.  I remember sculpting one of my first stone piece around the age of five. As I matured, it didn’t take long for me to realize that art could serve as a very powerful and personal way for me to communicate,” explains Tafura.

"Encircling my Soul"  Springstone  20 x 6 x 4


Pokey Park

Pokey Park (Marie Whittle-Webb Park) was born and spent her formative years in Coastal Georgia.  Pokey's earliest memories are the play of light and shadow in the live oak forest, the designs in driftwood and shells, the patterns created by wind and tide, the dance of wild animals, the flight of birds, and the force of storms.  Those early impressions have greatly influenced her art and life.

Pokey has a BFA from the University of Georgia where she first experimented with bronze casting under Leonard DeLonga.  She also works in clay, wood and stone.  Pokey taught art to both adults and children when she lived on the East Coast, and now divides her time between Arizona and Colorado. Her work ranges in scale from a few inches to more than ten feet and has been enlarged or downsized for site-specific commissions.  Pokey has public installations in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts and her work is in private collections across the United States. 

"Kit Fox"  Bronze  23 x 25 x 17



Belgin Yucelen


Artist's statement:

Sculpting is a way to communicate for me, a way to record my emotions and perspectives. It provides a vehicle for me to present my ideas and beliefs.  I would like to see my work as a philosophical journey through the essential elements of life. When someone who comes across one of my sculptures steps out of time to question some of the basics in his life my purpose is fulfilled. Sculpting is an act of giving for me.
 
The soul of a sculpture lies in the emotions and reflections of the sculptor and how well the technique is utilized. When it is time for the realization of an idea, I start sculpting. There is always a call to make a sculpture, but the result is unknown even though I know why I am making it.

Creating is exhausting, but joyful. I love working with clay, which responds to my hands buthas its own dreams. I stop when I see my idea born together with some solid life in the sculpture.

"Conversation"  Bronze  12 x 8 x 3



D'Ette Delforge

D’Ette describes her jewelry as “Simple Elegance”. “Contemporary yet classic has always been my style.  Comfort, wearability and good clean design has always been my trademark.”

D’Ette has a full line of hand made custom jewelry including rings, pendants, earrings and hand forged bracelets with the ability to create whatever your heart desires. The settings include both colored stones and diamonds in all shapes and sizes. She also has a line of sterling silver jewelry which features 14kt. yellow gold accents with a variety of colored stones.

“One of my greatest joys, is seeing the satisfaction on the faces of my clients, and that alone inspires my creativity to continue.” 

 
Various ring by D'Ette Delforge