Marisa Sidles - 2012 Artisans Road Trip Artist

"Burning Landscape"

Acrylic on Canvas - ©Marisa Sidles

Another 2012 Artisans Road Trip artist to spotlight!  Welcome Marisa Sidles!

"Hi, my name is Marisa Sidles and I am an artist. I have always been a creative person and particularly enjoy painting. I like to use a variety of media to create a mood, invoke an emotion or tell a story with my work. My inspiration comes from nature and the world around me. I use the vibrant colors found in nature to create contrast and depth in my landscapes and figure studies.

My newest area of interest is in making collages. You can achieve a different sort of feeling using fabrics, paint and small objects. I am excited about exploring this medium more extensively in the future.

Although I have taken art classes in high school and college, I am primarily self-taught and have spent years reading and studying different artistic styles in order to create figure studies, landscapes and collages.

After graduating from Pocahontas High School, I attended ILCC where I received an Associates of Arts degree in graphic design. I live on a farm outside of Terril, IA with my husband, Nathan and a variety of dogs, cats, horses and other farm animals. I have a graphic design business, Rissy’s Design and Creations and a studio in Terril. I am also a member of Iowa Regional Artists.

Side Street Gallery in Arnold’s Park was the first gallery to display my artwork in November and December 2009. Mari Stewart, owner, gave me a chance to display my work with just a leap of faith and I am very grateful. In February 2010 I had my first solo show at Pearson Lakes Art Center. My work has also been displayed at A Piece of Work on Hill Avenue in Spirit Lake, IA. I received 3rd Place in the Iowa Artists Regional at Arts on Grand in Spencer, IA in 2011. A group showing at Arts On Grand in Spencer was held through early March of this year ( "Let's Hear it for the Girls").

I have been instructing intuitive acrylic painting classes since January - held in Spencer at the curial/Reynolds school of visual arts. These classes will be fun and stress free for a complete beginner or an established artist looking to exercise the creative spirit.  Look for fun intuitive acrylic classes coming this fall. 

I invite you all to come and take a step into my world and I hope you will be intrigued and inspired and just enjoy the journey."

Please join us again for more from the 2012 Artisans Road trip!

2012 A.R.T. Artist Hank Hall

Circus Arrival Teapot - © Hank Hall (2012)

This 2012 Artisans Road Trip artist spot light is on Hank Hall of Spirit Lake!

Hank Hall - proprietor and resident artist of Art on 16^th in Olde Town Spirit Lake - continues his fascination with making one-of-a-kind teapots. Recently, his “Circus Arrival” teapot was selected for the 23^rd Annual Teapot Show “On the Road Again” which opens in Chicago on April 1. For the third year in a row, Hank has entered and been selected for this prestigious exhibit of hand-crafted teapots.

“Circus Arrival” includes wheel-thrown and altered clay parts, acrylic paint, and a handle made from copper tubing, resin elephants and a wooden ball. The high-fire glazed interior also makes it a fully functional teapot. Hank says he enjoyed figuring out the handle and searching for the “right elephants” to complement the elephant-like body. “Circus Arrival” will be on display at Watertower Place on N. Michigan Avenue in Chicago between April 1 and May 15, at Chiaroscuro gallery, Suite 3050.

Hank has participated in the Artisans Road Trip at Art on 16^th since he re-purposed Joe Lieb’s long-time woodworking shop into an art studio and gallery in 2007 and before that at Carnegie Hall Artworks, also in Spirit Lake. Generally viewed as a potter and mixed media artist, Hank continues to create one-of-kind teapots along with his distinctive abstract drawings and paintings. An Iowa Arts Council-sanctioned teaching artist, he also offers art classes to people of all ages to help them turn up their creativity and experience success working with materials. His extensive schedule of summer art classes is released to the public by April 1. Along with Hank’s work, Art on 16th represents the work of nearly 20 other area fine artists and has regular hours starting in May, with appointments available year round. More information about Hank and Art on 16^th is available at www.hankhallarton16th.com or by calling 712.330.6007.

Join us again soon for more great artists and happenings from the 2012 Artisans Road Trip!

A.R.T. artist Judy Thompson

March/April, 2012 issue Nebraska Life Magazine

cover art © Judy Thompson

Its always fun when one of our Artisans Road Trip artists have something nice come along and this is one such occasion.  2012 A.R.T. artist Judy Thompson not only had one of her paintings used to illustrate the cover of Nebraska Life magazine but also had an article in this issue about her and her art!  Kudos Judy!

More can be found on Judy and other artists in our 2012 A.R.T. website on the "galleries" link at-

http://www.artisansroadtrip.com/gallery.htm

Check back for more on the artists of the 2012 Artisans Road Trip!

Perry Polson - 2012 Artisans Road Trip Artist!

See Perry's Work at the Witter Gallery in Storm Lake!

This week we are looking at Perry Polson, proprietor and wood turner at the "Wild Wood Gallery & Turning Lab" in downtown Spencer, Iowa!

Perry just boxed up the lab and transported his works to the Witter Gallery in Storm Lake for the month of March.  His works will be showing at the Witter from March 6th through the 30th.  You can see Perry's work in a gallery setting during the Witter's hours of Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday - 1:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m., Thursday - 1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. and on Saturday - 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

"The Wild Woods of Iowa" is a real treat - literally walk around Perry's work for an amazing view!

The Witter is at 609 Cayuga Street in Storm Lake; call them at 712 732-3400 for more information.

Learn more about Perry through his Wild Wood Gallery & Turning Lab web site at http://wildwoodturning.com and be sure and stop by again for more of what's going on with artisans of the 2012 Artisans Road Trip!

2012 Artsans Road Trip Artist Bill Lieb

In this 2012 A.R.T. blog we meet veteran Artisans Road Trip artisan Bill Lieb from Spirit Lake; here Bill speaks on his latest current work!

 "Last month we finished our newest public kinetic sculpture and temporarily installed it in our driveway to test its stability and action in heavy winds. The sculpture is titled "Wind Time, when time is controlled by the wind".  It is fourteen feet tall overall and weighs over eight hundred pounds. Its galvanized, pyramid-shaped base is ten feet tall and fabricated from one-half inch thick steel plate. The top three kinetic sections are made of re-purposed stainless steel. Each of these rotates and modulates in a seemingly haphazard manner in response to changing wind conditions. This can have a mesmerizing effect on the viewer. The permanent location for  "Wind Time" will be determined at a later date.

To watch "Wind Time, when time is controlled by the wind", click on the video below!

In the distant past we cruised on a small sailboat for five years. During that time we became intimately connected to the wind and experienced it's profound influence on our daily lives. Whatever we did at that time was done in concert with the wind. For me, in an abstract way, this sculpture depicts wind controlling time. Each person viewing the sculpture will undoubtedly make his own connections. "Wind Time" is the tenth public sculpture we have constructed and displayed over the past six years."

Thanks again for visiting news and views about artists of the 2012 Artisans Road Trip.  Be sure and check back for more from 2012 A.R.T.!