hover over the photo above and click through for a peek into the artist’s studio
As artists, once in a while, we come across someone who inspires us, who thinks the way we do, who spurs us to greater heights– artistic kindred spirits, if you will. I’ve featured Bay Area artist Jeffrey Beauchampbefore just recently, but the invitation for a visit to his studio before we left Marin County was too good to pass up and his work too good and inspiring not to share again!
I had so much going on personally while we were in Marin, that it was a challenge just to find the time to go to Jeff’s studio. Something always seemed to be getting in the way and we ended up putting it off until my next to last week in the Bay Area. I gave myself two hours to meet with Jeff before another appointment that day. But soon after we began talking, I found myself wishing we had met up sooner and that I had been able to give him more time that day.
The way Jeff works is almost antithetical to my process– he often takes years to finish a painting, while I rarely take more than an afternoon. Immediately, I felt like there was a lesson in that for me. That I need to have a willingness to take my time, to be able to let go and let something be for a while so that I know for sure where I need to take it.
Jeff lets his work sit, he is able to wait with it, to let it speak to him. To continue to work and rework until it reaches its conclusion. In doing so, there is a layered depth to his work that creates stunning visual texture.
the view from the ark, oil on canvas, 96×72
walrus suffrage gains ground, oil on paper, 28×20
There is also a willingness to be constantly experimenting and evolving his process. For instance, Jeff has recently begun a series of works on paper, reinforcing and validating my own decision to work on paper. We reveled in the distinct pleasure to be found in ripping the tape borders off upon completion! If you work on paper, you know that feeling well! Jeff has found, as have I, that in theory works on paper seem like they would come more fast and loose, but the work is the work and often creating a finished painting on paper takes as much time as painting on canvas or panel.
Another constant in Jeff’s practice is continually looking to and learning from the masters who have come before. For instance, he began a painting based on a Claude Lorrain drawing, taken from one of the many books strewn about his studio. Beginning with a sketch, he worked into the painting below and completely made it his own.
lorrain inspired sketch
proper & common- some of my best friends are nouns, oil on canvas, 60×72
Another lesson I took away from meeting with Jeff was the importance of pursuing what excites you and moves you, despite what may be trendy or popular. Though his landscape work is popular and sells well, Jeff loves to paint monumental figures and quirky narratives. It may take longer for these paintings to find their collectors, but once they do, he knows that they are collecting the work out of a passion for the visual story he is telling, a connection that doesn’t always exist with even the most beautiful landscape.
You can see more of Jeff’s work by visiting his website and following him on Facebook and Instagram.
Thank you, Jeffrey Beauchamp, for opening up your work and your studio.
Studio images by Artsy Forager. Art images via the artist.
hover over the photo above then click through for a peek into the artist’s studio
We live our lives in and within structures. From the house we call home, to the universe itself, to our very bodies, structure has a crucial role to play in every aspect of our lives.
San Francisco artist Howard Hersh is exploring the dualities of structure simultaneously in his two series, Dispositions of Structure ( encaustics on panel ) and Skin Deep ( acrylic on birch and basswood ).
His series of encaustics on panel, Dispositions of Structure are paintings about structure— physical, social, intellectual structures as well as the natural architecture of the universe. Skin Deep, on the other hand, are structures about painting— explorations into the idea that of the existence of the painting not just as a depiction of an object but as an object itself.
The connections and fluctuations in his shapes, the way they seem to move in and out, backward and forward make me think of how dependent we are on those structures in our lives. Societal structures such as laws and mores keep us safe and our base instincts in check while we rely on the health of our bodily structures to keep us alive. One type of structure doesn’t do much good without the other.
To see more of Howard Hersh‘s work, please visit his website. Howard was kind enough to invite Mr. F and I to tour his studio. Be sure to click through the studio tour at the top of the page!
You are some lucky Artsies this week! Not only were you treated to a peek inside the studio of this month’s Featured Artist, Peri Schwartz, today you get to see inside the studio of one of our City Mouse|Country Mouse artists, Christina Baker! Christina was kind enough to give us a little glimpse inside her home studio, which just happens to be conveniently located in the kitchen– where the coffee is!– and takes the time to chat a bit about her work.
Give a warm Artsy welcome to Christina Baker!
Artsy | Hi, C! Thanks so much for opening up your studio to us and taking a few minutes to chat. I’ll dive right in.. Every artist has such a different way of working. Can you tell us about your painting process?
Christina | Well, for starters I am used to working in an open studio outside of my house. I’ve been working in that environment for almost 10 years now. Last fall I began working at home. Our kitchen is my favorite room in the house. I love to cook and I love to paint so we decided to turn the kitchen into a working studio from 8am till about 4pm each day. It’s actually really worked for me. There is plenty of light and the best part about it is that I am accessible to my family at any time. I’m also self taught and though I feel it has helped me maintain some originality, it has definitely kept me back a lot. I’ve always had a natural eye for color and composition but what I am still to this day learning is technique– trying to get the paint to do what I want it to do! This has by far been my biggest challenge. I paint in acrylics, although at times use both an oil as well as a watercolor format. My grandmother was a watercolor artist, so watercolor was the first medium, aside from Crayola, that I ever tried. I also like to keep my brushes and paint wet. It not only helps me with movement, but slowly builds a transition for additional, thicker paint with less use of water. I tend to use my fingernails in most every painting I do. It is an impulse as well as habit. Some people have called it a signature of sorts.. I’ll scratch free flowing lines or shapes through some of the thicker painted area. It sort of loosens up the area as well as adds depth and texture. The bad side of this is, it doesn’t always work.
[ pup Java likes to “help” ]
AF | You paint some landscapes in addition to your very successful abstract series. How is your process different when painting abstracts versus landscapes?
CB | Oh boy….This question opens a big can of worms! Just ask my husband. Landscapes, florals, as well as most anything with a subject matter, is so much easier for me to paint. I can usually do a landscape in a day or two. Though my heart is mostly in abstract painting, it carries with it a great deal of discipline and focus. The best way I can describe it is like writing a song. The first few sections are actually rather easy, but the more elements added, the harder it is to glue it all together. Sometimes you start off with one idea, you add your next idea, shape color, composition or contrast and it changes the entire dynamic of the piece. The next thing you know, you have something completely different than what you even remotely thought you would end up with! Another way to describe it is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Well, maybe putting together a puzzle is a lot easier. Anyway, the reason I love doing abstracts so much is that when I am in the groove I truly do get lost in the painting. It’s that certain “zone” where you’re not really thinking anymore, you’re just painting, where all the magic happens. If I am singing out loud ( aka annoying the family ), I am in the zone. This is when I do my very best work.
AF | Where do you find your inspiration?
CB | It’s absolutely everywhere! Aside from friends and family, which are always such an inspiration, I would say that color in general is something that has always sparked that feeling of “I can not wait to try this!” sort of thing. I remember back in the 90’s when films were using this sort of orange and green tint and I just loved it. The basic simple composition of every day visuals is also very inspiring to me. It could be something as simple as a bottle cap laying on the sidewalk but just shy of the grass line, a photograph, the way the street lights sort of trickle down our beveled window at night. Sometimes it is a current event which could be personal or universal. Other obvious forms of inspiration for me come from the work of other artists which include, photographers, writers as well as painters.
AF | Do you have a finished composition in mind when you begin or do you just feel your way through?
CB | I wish I were able to plan out my work but I can’t. Usually the only thing I can control is the colors I have chosen to use for a specific piece. Even that can and will change as I go! There are countless times when I am “seeing” the outcome in advance but usually the finished piece never matches that vision.
AF | How has your work changed since moving from Florida to Tennessee?
CB | I haven’t seen much change inspired from my move to another state but what I have seen and felt is change inspired by my life here in Tennessee. I have finally met my soul mate, another long but very beautiful story! He has brought so much joy and happiness to my family and my life that it has definitely shown up in my work.
My husband collects comic books, bear with me as I’m going somewhere with this, and though it may seem unrelated to painting I feel it is relevant to the direction my art has taken. Learning more about the culture behind comics, and it goes so much deeper than Spider-Man, I have learned how wonderful it is to become open minded to so many areas in life some may have never thought to explore. Simon Pegg could not have said it better with this quote:
Being a geek is all about being honest about what you enjoy and not being afraid to demonstrate that affection. It means never having to play it cool about how much you like something. It’s basically a license to proudly emote on a somewhat childish level rather than behave like a supposed adult. Being a geek is extremely liberating.
How does this fit into me being an artist? It’s becuase I am living my life and expressing myself via my work with the most liberating mindset that I have ever had. I am trying so many new things and have so much yet to discover that there is just not enough time in the day to do it all!
AF | I asked Deann this question, so I just have to ask you, too. If you weren’t an artist, what would your dream job be?
CB | An interior designer! I love interior design and Pinterest has totally been heaven for me in this department. Though my taste leans more contemporary, I have always had great appreciation for antiques. My mom owned an antique shop when I was a child, so for obvious reasons my love for antiques will always stay with me. As I grew older, I realized my eye was more drawn to simple clean lines, the less is more sort of thing, but over all, I honestly just appreciate all interior design. Especially when the two words, old and new are combined. In other words, eclectic.
AF | Thanks so much for chatting, Christina and a special thanks to your hubby, Jeremy Baker for taking such lovely photographs!
CB | Thank you for this really fun interview, Lesley!
If you’d like to see results of Christina’s studio work, please check out her work in the City Mouse | Country Mouse show and sale currently up in Found Gallery, as well as on her website.
When we get a glimpse inside the studio of this month’s Featured Artist, Peri Schwartz, we not only see into gain insight into where she works, but in this video, we are also given the privilege of seeing how she works. I promise you will never look at one of her paintings the same way again.
One of my favorite activities in the world is visiting artists in their studios or even getting a little peek inside through photographs! Whether an artist is working from a light filled loft or a small corner in the kitchen, the way an artist approaches their workspace says so much about their creative process. I suspicion you enjoy studio visits, too.. And so dear Artsies, I thought I would treat us to a little jaunt to the studio of Deann Hebert website You may recognize Deann’s work from the City Mouse | Country Mouse show currently online at Found Gallery here at Artsy Forager.
Everyone, say hello to Deann!
Deann and I decided this trip to her studio would give us the perfect opportunity for you to get acquainted a bit better. So she indulged me by answering a few questions inquiring Artsies might like to know..
Artsy | You have such a unique style of applying paint to canvas! Can you tell us a bit more about your process?
Deann | My process has definitely evolved over the years. I have always been attracted to texture, and palette knife painting. I wanted to create a style that married these two together. A key factor in this was the opportunity I had to study abroad while receiving my formal training. It exposed me to different cultures, ways of thinking and creating art. It was really just a trial and error type of thing. It’s a process of applying layers on top of layers. With each layer reacting with another. Once I got into my “groove” of painting, it just felt right. I literally had an “ah-ha” moment, of “this is who I am!”
AF | How have you seen yourself grow as an artist over the years?
DH | Oh I have changed so much over the years. I think it’s only a natural progression that a fine artist changes and grows. I hope I am always changing and evolving, not being static. I think this is where true creativity comes from. Over the years my work has gone from bright, bold colors and still lifes, to more muted tones of blues, creams, greys, and landscapes. Who knows what the future will bring!
AF | What is the most exciting part of painting for you?
DH | The most exciting part of creating for me, is watching the painting literally become something right before my eyes as it is on the paint table. But, the créme de la créme, is evoking an emotional reaction from the viewer, for whatever reason.
AF | What is it about the country that captures and holds your imagination?
DH | Well, this little country mouse grew up in a small town and my family always owned horses and cows. So growing up “in the country” was our way of life, and I absolutely loved it. The texture of an old barn or fence, or grass growing in the fields remind me of my childhood days. Unfortunately, many of these old structures are falling victim to time and neglect, but still are a direct link to the past, and the present. These barns tell a story, too, if we could only listen to them, to me, they are the heart and soul of the South. Even my studio walls are made from reclaimed wood from a historic barn that was torn down, so my inspiration, is quite literally, everywhere. Now, I am lucky enough to call Tennessee home, and the rolling hills and landscape are truly inspiring to me and beautiful. In my own little way, I want to pay homage to that.
Margaret Britton Vaughn, Poet Laureate of Tennessee, says it best in her poem:
BARNS OF MY YOUTH
I miss the barns of my youth,
The ones that read, “See Rock City.”
Hungry Caterpillars ate them alive,
Spitting out nails
To become thorns in the side
Of crawling asphalt,
Erasing small towns
To link big cities
They die hard, these old barns,
Leaning on the everlasting
Shoulders of Time
That cushion the fall of rotting boards.
Light seeps through decaying skeletons,
Causing shadows to tiptoe
Like ballerinas dancing the waltz of the wind.
In our hurry to get there
We destroyed the landscape:
Masterpieces of America.
AF | You are very involved in children’s art activities, like Art Camp. What do you see as the most important creative lesson a child can learn?
DH | Since I have two children myself (2 and 6), exposing children to the arts is very near and dear to my heart, and I think the most important creative lesson a child can learn is that art can be used to express yourself in ways that nothing else can. That you can actually say something with your art.
AF | Obligatory question. If you weren’t an artist, what would your dream job be?
DH | It’s so hard to answer that question because I am living my dream job…. but let’s see, since I love to travel, I always thought Samantha Brown had the coolest job ever to tour the world and work for the Travel Channel show, “Great Hotels”. How cool would that be?!
That would be a pretty sweet gig, but I have a feeling most folks would trade with you in a heartbeat! Thanks so much for opening up your studio to us, Deann!
To see more of Deann’s work, please visit her Deann Hebert website and the City Mouse | Country Mouse online show and sale in Found Gallery here at Artsy Forager. Big thanks to Ray Sanduski of With an Eye Photography for the gorgeous shots of Deann’s creative space and process. Be sure to check out Ray’s website!
Please enjoy this oldie by goodie while I spend the next two weeks camping, packing, visiting with the mom-in-law and moving from WA to OR. See you in September!
There are people and by people, I mean artists, whose life and art are so intertwined that almost everything in their life looks like their artwork. Maribel Angel is one of those people and I mean that in the best possible sense. The minute I drove up to her home & studio in St. Augustine, Florida, I knew I was in for a treat.
Maribel’s home & studio, which she shares with her husband, Cash, dog Miss Hannah and three cats, is on a quiet street removed from the bustle of tourists in downtown St. Augustine. Entering through a green gate with a little bell, I am greeted with a hug from the artist and meow from possibly the friendliest cat ever, Lulu.
Trimmed in bright colors reminiscent of her paintings, the house, studio and workshop are like sweet little dollhouses. Maribel and Cash purchased the property, which faces a lovely canal where Lulu loves to beg for attention from joggers, as a fixer upper and have done most of the work themselves over the years. It is apparent that this is a place created with love.
Let’s go into the studio.
Sunlight streams through the windows, filling the diminutive studio with light and warmth.
Every artist’s studio needs a comfy chair. A place where an artist can curl up with a cup of coffee and read or dream about where inspiration will take them next. Finished artwork or works in progress are all around the studio– like these sweet little horse paintings ( below ), which were big sellers during the MOCA Studio Tour a few weeks ago.
The studio floors are reclaimed hardwood, which came from a local horse barn. Maribel theorizes that perhaps the floors are subconsciously leading her to paint horses! Whatever the cause, these equestrian inspired pieces are hard to resist. However, I am even more in love with a new series Maribel is working on– inspired by the Anthropologie catalog!
I told Maribel how much I loved these and when she told me her inspiration source, I was downright gleeful! There is just something about Anthropologie that we artsy girls love. Ask anyone who has ever been in one with me. I get this joyous, glazed over look in my eye, which I’m sure is very similar to the look I had upon leaving Maribel’s.
On the opposite side of the room, are the quintessential elements of any artist’s studio– easel, work table and of course, stacks of works in progress. See the horses? I think the floors are working their magic.
Ever wonder how Maribel creates those wonderful, collaged layers in her work? First, she makes a color copy of the inspiration source, whether it be a textile pattern, page from a book or other ephemera, then soaks the copy in a medium solution which allows her to peel the transparent image from the paper. The transparency allows for background paint and other elements to show through and using this instead of the paper itself will be more permanent and chemically stable.
I can’t wait to try this out on my own.. I already have a few ideas! If only I was as prolific as Maribel.. there is artwork and inspiration everywhere you turn in her studio.
Don’t you love the rustic window paned doors? Maribel has definitely created a space that warms the heart and nurtures the soul. I was there for less than an hour and came home incredibly inspired and ready to create! I hope our visit to Maribel’s studio has done the same for you.
Please note that unfortunately, Christina is no longer in this studio. She is actively created from her home studio– but I loved this insight into her creative world.
Christina Foard is above the clouds– literally and figuratively. Her new studio space sits high above downtown Jacksonville in the AT&T building. How could she not be over the moon? This is her view, ya’ll!
Despite the breathtaking view or perhaps, in part, because of it, Christina admits her new studio was a bit overwhelming when she first moved in. An empty office space, originally intended for row upon row of cubicles, proved challenging to figure out how to best utilize as an art studio. But a huge advantage to so much space? Christina has room to breath and room to create.
Ditto goes for her three kids, who are often at the studio with her, sometimes for hours on end. There is plenty of room for them to run around, even skateboard(!) throughout the studio and Christina has set up a “living room” so that she and the kids have a place to relax while she’s in the studio.
There is also room for Christina, the artist, to “play”. When stuck for direction or just needing to get some creative juices flowing, she can plop herself down on the floor and play with paint and paper or stand over it and do some “Pollock-style” action painting. If that won’t get your painting mojo working, nothing will.
Christina’s work is autobiographical– each piece is about a particular time, place, person or memory and is often used as a kind of catharsis, a way of working through a particular memory and replacing what may have been a negative with a positive. Though a lot of her work is technically representational ( centered around recognizable objects ), it is also highly symbolic. Circles and ribbons have begun popping up in Christina’s work lately, often symbolizing the intrusion of a chaos of thought on a peaceful mind.
Just as her life is constantly changing and evolving, so too, is Christina’s work. For this artist, it is more about the process of creating than a finished “marketable” product. ( Though people do respond to her work and it sells quite well ). The paintings she creates aren’t necessarily “precious”, she will often go back and not just tweak but completely rework a piece so that it hardly resembles its former self.
The pieces pictured below, for instance, are works in progress.. they may not exist as you see them a week from now.
This new space is allowing Christina to grow as an artist like never before. She is filled with ideas and there are stacks of new canvases just waiting for paint.
The new studio is also giving her a chance to venture into collage and sculpture. She has wiped her slate clean of exhibitions and shows until early next year, to give herself time to rejuevenate, reinvigorate and explore where her art will take her. I can’t wait to see where the journey leads!
I am so excited to bring you our very first Artsy Forager studio tour, featuring ( drumroll, please! ), Amelia Island artist Theresa Daily! *applause*
Theresa and I struck up a friendship through the glory of Facebook long before we’d ever met in person. This self-taught artist struck me as incredibly funny, generous and kind-hearted, not to mention talented. Once I met Theresa in person last year, there was no doubt that my initial impression was true.
The artist in her studio
Though a Kentucky native, Theresa is definitely an “island girl” at heart. Her work lovingly depicts the landscapes and life surrounding her on Amelia Island.
You can usually find Theresa painting at Blue Door Artists on Centre Street in Downtown Fernandina Beach, FL– look for the blue door and crazy stairs! She shares her sun-filled second floor studio with fellow artist, Carol Sprovtsoff. You may even catch a glimpse of Theresa’s grandchildren, two adorable artists-in-training!
Potato-chip bag evidence, kids are about!
A peek inside her watercolor stash
Working in a collective studio like Blue Door allows the artists to share ideas and inspiration, as well as help each other out when they get “stuck”. The idea of an artist working away in a lonely studio may be romantic, but not be nearly as much fun. These artists feed of each other’s creative energy, which results in growth and more dynamic work. For instance, when Theresa was struggling with her latest piece ( pictured below, behind the easel ), fellow Blue Door artist, Casey Matthews was there to encourage, offer suggestions and be a source of support.
Theresa’s work has gone from mostly representational to more intuitive , abstracted landscapes. But a consistent style and palette keeps the work coherent and instantly recognizable as hers.
The studio’s gallery space
Art for sale!!
Thank you for joining me on a little visit to the creative space of this local artist. Stop by Blue Door anytime Monday- Saturday, 11ish to 5ish ( island hours! ) and you may be lucky enough to see Theresa Daily in action and enjoy a chat.
