"Chianti"
Following is an interview between Anna and the Schack Art Center (A peek into her life).
How long have you been creating art?
I’ve been a professional artist right out of college, mid- 1980′s.
Where do you like to create?
In my studio.
What are your favorite subjects?
Currently, nature inspires me the most.
Do you experiment with other media?
I work in 3 mediums:
1.) wax-based color pencil / sticks
2.) oils and oil sticks
3.) mixed media encaustic
When you are not creating, what other things do you enjoy doing?
Cooking and gardening.
Why do you enjoy teaching?
Sharing my knowledge / experience, and helping others have a better understanding of how I
create my own work.
create my own work.
What would you ideal “dream” studio look like?
I’m currently happy with my studio today.
Lucky…, but if I had a studio on Whidbey Island I’d probably feel the same way.
...
Anna's
work in oil, wax color pencil, and mixed media has exhibited nationally
in galleries and museums for over 25 years. Her work is feature in
corporate collections, and she is an integral part of the arts
community. She is regularly featured in auctions for PONCHO and Museum
of Northwest Art.
The
innovative technique she employs for her wax color pencil work is
unrivaled for its tactile and liquid surface, and has received
recognition for its extraordinary quality. Her oil on canvas work is a
bold and unconventional style that utilizes both oils and oil sticks to
increase the textural qualities of surface and magnify chromatic
strength.
She attributes her
intensely intricate approach to the influence of her early years in
native Italy and now resides on Whidbey Island where she has had her
woodland studio for the past 14 years.
link to Schack Art Center's Blog
This is a link to workshops on schedule for Spring / Summer 2012.
Anne Smidt
www.cerastudio.com
Anne's story. (more information than you really want to know… but
here goes):
I grew up in Boise, left home after high
school.
Years were lean for my family
when I was growing up … and much of our family entertainment was based around
all of us making arts and craft projects together.
I consider my greatest
accomplishment in life as being a single parent. I raised a beautiful,
strong, independent, bright, resourceful son.
I almost earned a degree at the
UW, but couldn't focus on a selected elective.
I worked in the hi-tech industry
for 28 years as an event manager.
I began painting with encaustic
after visiting Michel Tsouris' studio during a studio tour in 2005. The process was so enticing, intriguing and
the art appeared quite magical.
I love dogs. I am very partial to English Setters and
labs. (We have two labs now. Kobi-Monster the yellow lab who is my gentle
giant and Bad-Boy Buster Brown who is our 2-year old chocolate lab.) We are getting another lab in September and I
am totally excited.
I am somewhat a ghost in my neighborhood
as I keep to myself, preferring to work in the Little House Studio behind our
home.
Lately, my favorite colors are Alizarin
Orange and Quinacridone Magenta. But, I
confess. I'm not quite sure how to
pronounce them. I'm also partial to
Brown Pink and Indian Yellow.
My favorite food of choice is always
potatoes. Love: mashed, chipped, baked, fried, scalloped, in salads, etc,
etc…
My brain and body shut down in
the Winter and reawaken up in the Spring and Summer.
I love my grandson, Camber. And the family he brings into my life.
My
passion today is working with
encaustic, having the dogs lay at my feet or on the studio deck, chewing
their disgusting bones, picking dog hairs out of my paintings, and
meeting new
friends who share my love for the medium.
O. and my last confession is that
I love Country Music - going back to my roots. My dad would be so pleased to hear this. (Not so, if he knew I also love Lady Gaga)
Daniella Woolf
http://daniellawoolf.com/
In the spring of 2001, Kim and I came to Whidbey to visit our friend Jane Winslow who had moved to Whidbey from Santa Cruz. We simply fell in love with everything about the island and found the perfect place. We impulsively bought a home on our third day here!
In late October we were visiting the island and went to Mary Ann’s Gallery at Bayview Corner to see a Day of the Dead show. From across the room, I saw 2 small paintings, which has a most gorgeous skin-like quality to them. I felt this string from my belly button pulling me toward them. Their surface was like skin and had some text and some yellow flower petals embedded in them. I was rendered speechless. Finally when I could talk, I asked, “What is this, and how do you do it?” The artist was there, and I’m not sure if she even mentioned the word encaustic or what she said, but what I heard was: beeswax and an iron. I flew home, searching for beeswax. No beeswax. I found a paraffin candle. I lit it. I dripped it on paper. I tried to drip it over little pieces of paper that I could collage onto the bigger piece of paper. I then took an iron and ironed it, causing a lot of smoke, which I now know is toxic. I had to know how to do this. I called the artist, asking for more information. She told me there was a book called, The Art of Encaustic Painting, which I got. I ate it up, and then found out that there was an encaustic paint company called R and F Paints, based in upstate New York. They had regional encaustic workshops,and the closest one was in February of 2002 at the Center for the Book, in San Francisco. I signed up. The class was taught by Eve-Marie Bergren, whose specialty was Ukoye printmaking. She was a fabulous teacher. I was hooked. This medium was heaven for me. I had worked in ceramics, jewelry, metalsmithing, fiber, textiles, and collage over my lifetime and this was the “glue” that allowed me to mix and match all my media simultaneously, or in part. I have learned to trust this body to give me the clues and message that something is good for me. It will always tell me what’s important. How could I have known then that this would be a path for me? That was 11 years ago. Since taking that first class, I began assisting Eve-Marie and then Cynthia. Now I teach for R and F in the Western States.
I have written 2 books on encaustic, and done 3 DVD’s and have a school for encaustic,Wax Works West, with my two wonderful partners, Judy Stabile and Wendy Aikin. I have traveled to teach all over the US, Holland, Italy and Australia. I have presented and taught at Encaustic, Paper and Surface Design Conferences and am still in love with this medium, for its versatility and translucence.
It was Whidbey that pulled me into the encaustic world, and fitting that I participate in a Whidbey-based project. I have discovered many new veins of work at my studio on the island. I began a new series here, called True Grid, right on my dining table. I formed my ideas about the “container” which is so important to me. I used to spend Decembers on the island for my "Greta Garbo" festivals, where I would give myself an assignment for the month. One year I worked on The Tape Modern every day of the month. One year my assignment was white paper, black pens, and two shredders. Another was to draw every day.
Whidbey has been my sacred special place. It has been a refuge from the insanity of travel and teaching and everyday bustle. I dream of spending summers here with our grand children doing art and kayaking around the lake.
David Price
My formal education consisted of earning my BA in Architecture at the University of Washington. I took as many art/art history classes as I could fit in and also studied at the UW's Rome Center, where I fell in love with the aged and weathered colors & textures which have influenced my work.
My aesthetic comes from just such daily lessons through travel, art, and the world around me.
My wife & I moved to Whidbey after we bought property here and I designed our house, which the two of us built ourselves. I still practice architecture and have designed many buildings on Whidbey over the years including The Bayview Cash Store and Useless Bay Coffee. http://www.davidpriceprojects.com
I had always painted with acrylics but had been interested in encaustics for years. One Christmas my wife gave me an encaustics workshop at the Coupeville Arts Center and I was hooked. She jokes that because of my success with encaustics, it was the best gift she ever gave me.
I'm doing all sizes of encaustic work but especially love creating 12" x 12" landscapes right now. This size allows me to experiment with different colors, perspectives, and textures. Everyone has one square foot of space for such a painting and the price point is just right for selling them and providing people from all walks of life with an original artwork that allows them to escape into the landscape they choose.
GRETCHEN BLACK
PAPKA
I’m a
full-time studio artist who is lucky enough to live in the Wyoming! I’m close to family and relatives and the
freshness of wide-open spaces.
Inspiration isn’t hard to find here and after nearly 40 years away - I
feel like I’m in my element once again!
Yellowstone Park is in my backyard and I venture there during the winter
months and now spring and summer to visually embrace the beauty. My senses are renewed each day by the view
from my window and creativity fills my mind with each vista.
I kept busy
this winter configuring my new studio and entering juried shows like the PVAC
in California. The Northwest is an area
for my artwork that is just beginning to be explored and I’m looking forward to
juried shows in the Seattle area this summer and hopefully Boston on the East
Coast. I’ll be traveling further West
and Southwest to explore options for representation there.
Mixed media
encaustic is my current medium of choice.
However, I’m exploring cold wax and oil with great enthusiasm. My move across the country will undoubtedly
add to my aesthetic and style of mixed media painting which has always been influenced
by inspired landscapes, the process and exploration. Whidbey Island offers me yet another visual
feast of sky meeting water when I am mostly used to sky meeting land. Texture, color and objects continue to be
part of my work and since Whidbey offers me a combination of all of those– I
plan to visit Whidbey, and my dear friend Anne Smidt, for many years to come!
KIM TINUVIEL
After a very busy winter,
painting and mentoring art and music students, I'm now preparing my studio for
summer public visits. I've also been actively working on applications to
various juried shows and art programs. So far, six of my pieces have been
accepted into one Seattle group show (as the featured artist), and another one
was accepted into the juried exhibition at the Anacortes Art Festival Hoping to
hear from the Edmonds Festival jury soon...
I'm also doing commercial photography, graphic and web design projects
almost daily, and music performances too. Before becoming a visual artist, I
was a professional symphony musician (trained at The Juilliard School in New
York City). Double bass is my instrument and I still play regularly with a
number of professional groups on the island and off.
Whidbey has been my home for almost fifteen years. Before moving to
Whidbey, I lived in Friday Harbor for eight years, and also lived in Los
Angeles, New York City and Buenos Aires Argentina. I love solo traveling and
have just recently been to Spain, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and
Turkey. When I travel I often write photoblogs so my friends and family at home
can follow along!
If you want to know more, check out my two websites:
Commercial design, photography and marketing – www.tinuvielcreative.com
Fine Art: encaustics, photography, mixed media – www.kimtinuviel.com
Kira Hernandez
Kira's
hands are busy-
She
has been drawing since she could hold a pen, and developing her color palette
with strong sensibilities from an early age.
She
is drawn to many mediums, finding joy in exploring the richness and individual
qualities of fiber, clay, paint, and wax to name a few.
She
started knitting 5 years ago, creating an array of 3 dimensional objects
(dolls, animals, and organic shapes) and has spent the past 2 years developing
her encaustic work.
Kira
attends a Waldorf school, where the arts are richly supported in the
curriculum.
She
is currently at work on her first book, developing wild characters on magical
adventures.
Kira, canvas painting, 4 years old!
Kira, painting, Melbourne, AU
Kira, painting, Melbourne, AU
Kira, watercolor study, Bali
Lori Tate
I have always been drawn to encaustic art. I love the textures, the layers and the way the wax can be manipulated. I have a background in graphic design and specialize in layout, color and collage. I went from graphic designer to art director to brand management in the software industry. As I moved up through the ranks I missed the hands-on work so I began to paint on the side.
My work tends to be more abstract utilizing shapes (circles in
particular). Because of my interest in layout I like to play with grids and asymmetry
to achieve a meaningful balance. I am extremely visual and influenced by absolutely
everything- from the gritty graffiti in Seattle streets to cool rocks on the
beach I find on Whidbey Island. I also love traveling and can easily get
inspired sipping a glass of wine in a sidewalk café in Paris.
There are 2 things I have always wanted to be: A Mom and an Artist. My son will be turning 5 this summer. My husband is building a studio for me above our garage in Seattle so it looks like my goals will soon be accomplished.
Patty Picco
http://pattypicco.com/
I have a background in painting and printing. After completing my B.F.A., I experimented with collage, sculpture and photography. I enjoyed mixing different mediums to get the desired effects in my work.
It
was twenty years ago that I fell in love with encaustic painting.
I
found that I could create mixed-media work with this wonderful medium, using
bits and pieces from my past mediums. I was able to combine them in different
ways to give my art my authentic voice. I am intrigued with the process of
layering. I enjoy the depth and the luminosity that can be achieved. A sense of
mystery is another element I like to incorporate. Each piece becomes an
adventure for me.
I
moved to Whidbey Island four years ago after visiting here, with my son and
daughter-in-law who were interviewing at Whidbey General Hospital. The weekend we
were here was the Summer Open Studio Tour. I was able to visit some of the artist’s
studios here on Whidbey Island and was so impressed with the arts' community.
I
also have over 20 years of teaching experience. I teach at the Pacific
Northwest Art School in Coupeville and also teach private classes in encaustic painting in my
own studio. My work can be seen at Penn Cove Gallery in Coupeville, as well as the Open Studio Tour.
I
am enjoying life with my husband, Ron, and we have a great time with our two
Grandsons, Nathan and Jack.
The
serenity of nature is an inspiration in my work and I feel it daily living in
this magical place.