A.R.T. Artist Spotlight - Mary Ortner

Diptych: "Thunderclouds Over Fairview Bonanza"

©Mary Ortner

This week's 2010 Artisans Road Trip artist is Mary Ortner from Odebolt, Iowa.  Mary gives us  some insight into her work and background!

"Although I was born in Iowa, and raised on a square-country mile, most of my adult life was spent in DC and New York.

That trek half-way across the country was driven by the same youthful curiosity that had spurred exploring every inch of that one-square mile called home.  And it would be in those nascent experiences that a buffer would be found against the maddening city-crowds whose cold indifference seemed but to rush through her canyons of concrete and steel.

I was in my late twenties before the artist within began budding.  Inspiration -- rooted in those home-grown experiences -- was abundant.  But I was also self taught and often heard that without "proper" artistic credentials, I couldn't be taken seriously!

Encouragement from certain of the, then prominent, Washington Color School, kept me from feeling like a snow cone in the middle of the Mojave!  Within a year, I began showing my work.

In the interim since, I've come to discover that what moves my hand across the canvas is not the face of nature, but that which lies behind it.

Currently -- and between the raindrops -- I'm challenged to write a draft-text for a children's book based on a series of collage inspired by what I call -- E.T. moments!  This little character popped into my head, but thereafter, took on a life of his own -- creating his own adventures.

Those adventures inspired a following whose interest, in turn, inspired thoughts of doing a book.

And his name?  It was found in the bosom of the night sky along with the steps back in time to the youthful memories of being sprawled upon the grass, gazing into the star-filled sky, wondering who might be gazing back at me -- and now I know!"

Be sure and pay a visit to Mary's studio and the studio of other artists the coming weekend of October 1st through 3rd for the 2010 Artisans Road Trip!!!

Hope to see you then!

A.R.T. Spot Light - Judy Hemphill

"Clean Sweep" Photography © Judy Hemphill

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This Artisans Road Trip installment spot lights photographer Judy Hemphill.  Here Judy introduces us to her art form and interests.

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"Family, animals, nature, and travel are major interests of mine. They capture my time, and I capture them with my lens. I enjoy chronicling family, school, and community activities and celebrations. Also, beauty is all around. Each day I strive to take notice, to discover it in new forms and places. Storytelling images which engage other senses are a special goal. Photography allows me to share my observations from ground-level to aerials, close-ups to panoramas, mostly in color.

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"Chuck Wagon Race" Photography © Judy Hemphill

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A vast array of image possibilities are on the grounds of the Clay County Fair which this year runs Sat., Sept. 11 - Sun., the 19th.  Maybe I'll see you there!

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I do hope you'll visit my new gallery space in downtown Spencer at 217 Grand Avenue, especially during the 2010 Artisans Road Trip! 

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Make it a point to drop in on Judy and many of the other artists during the 2010 Artisans Road Trip coming soon!!! 

September!

"Prairie Autumn Stream No.2"

(color pencil  © Bruce A. Morrison)
click on image to enlarge 

Wow!  It's September, summer is winding down, and the Artisans Road Trip is looming closer on the horizon!

What are we, as artists, doing in preparation for this?!  Well, in my case panicking!  Ha!  Just kidding!  Well, sorta anyway...there is still much to be done here at the Prairie Hill Farm Studio and I'm still out there chasing the light with both brush and camera.  And we've been working in the gallery to arrange new displays with new pieces and doing last minute framing work as well.

"Chasing the Green Flash"

(sculpture  © Bill Lieb)
click on image to enlarge 

But I'm no different from other A.R.T. artists, we're all working full speed ahead!  Sculptor Bill Lieb is preparing, not only for A.R.T. 2010, but also an exhibit at the Pearson Lakes Art Center in October.  The piece shown here is titled 'Chasing the Green Flash'. It refers to the pursuit of seeing a green flash the moment the sun sets on the ocean.....a favorite pastime while he and Jane sailed and lived on their sailboat for five years.

 Perry Polson at work in his lab
click on image to enlarge 

Perry Polson, at his Wild Wood Gallery & Turning Lab, has just come off a good August receiving an exhibit award of $500 for the Spencer Iowa Main Street Market.  He was also awarded the $100 people's exhibit award during the event as well!

All the other artists on the road trip are preparing their studios or sites for the autumn weekend too!  What a great time of year to get out and enjoy that fresh crisp air...a great change from the hot sticky summer weather we've all been contending with this year!

Be sure and put October 1st, 2nd and 3rd on your calendars for the Artisans Road Trip!

A.R.T. 2010 Exhibit Onto The Sanford Museum

Summer Daze by Anita Coon

The Artisans Road Trip will be exhibiting a sampling of it's 2010 artist's artwork at the Sanford Museum in Cherokee, Iowa.

Of The Earth (brownstone clay)

by Beth Cathcart

The exhibit begins August 1st and runs through the month.  Come see examples of works by artists of the Artisans Road Trip if you get a chance!

Photograph by Judy Hemphill

The Sanford Museum is located at 17 East Willow Street in Cherokee, Iowa.  To learn more about their hours and this exhibit, call 712 225-3922.

See you on the A.R.T. exhibition tour!

Potter Mel Myers

This 2010 Artisans Road Trip blog highlights Potter Mel Myers from Spencer.

Local Potter Mel Myers has been busy showing at the Iowa City Art Show and the Spencer Alumni Art Show at Arts on Grand in Spencer, Iowa.  

Mel's ceramics are hand thrown, delicately carved, with original glaze formulas - thus making truly one of a kind pieces.  The result is both a decorative and functional piece of art.  His high fire pottery can be used in the oven, safely used for food, and nicely cleans up in the dish washer.

Mel's studio is practically always open for visitors at 717 11th Avenue East in Spencer, Iowa.  His studio, Clay County Clay, can be found by turning east at the Hy Vee/Walgreen's corner on Grand Avenue, and going east as far as one can (and still be in Spencer).  Feel free to stop in and see Mel's most recent work!

Check back again and see what's new on the 2010 Artisans Road Trip!

Spotlighting Artisans Road Trip Artist Diane Noll

 

This 2010 Artisans Road Trip highlight is of Artist Diane Noll.  Diane writes an introduction of herself - meet Diane...

 

"I live on River View Ranch northeast of Linn Grove, Iowa.  The Little Sioux River and Bluebird Creek bring water to our Texas Longhorns that graze on the hills, on both sides of Bluff Street.  The best time to see the calves is late afternoon.  We are still calving (at the time she wrote this note) - the boys win with 20, while the girls are at 7.  What's up with that?!  

 I grew up 5 miles south of Estherville.  I dug blue glacial clay out of the creek bank and made various things; now I make animals out of fiber, clay, and potter's brownstone clay.  I also make beads out of clay that is fired twice.  I texture them with things I find in nature.  I like using natural stones and silver in making jewelry.  Right now I am making turquoise and silver necklaces.  

I just finished making a baby colt and a longhorn calf our of fiber clay.  I am also finishing touching up an oil painting of the river here.  I paint with oils or water colors and draw with color pencils."

Thank you Diane!  Stop by again the next time you're in the neighborhood and see the artists of the 2010 Artisans Road Trip.  And don't forget to check the 2010 A.R.T. web site as well!

A.R.T. Spotlight - Dan Ruf

This Artisans Road Trip installment spot lights photographer Dan Ruf. Dan gives his take on "continuing education" as a fine arts photographer, and illustrates select images from a recent workshop in the South Dakota Badlands.

"For those of us that have reared children, the words continuing education have usually meant that school would be closed so that educators could take time to upgrade their knowledge or approach to the education of their charges. For artists, me in particular, continuing education takes on the same sort of meaning, but should be a more regular update of our mental file about the artistry involved in our journey in fine arts.
In my case as a fine art photographer, my daily continuing education takes many forms. This includes reading magazines concerning photography, or the digital darkroom, or making a daily effort to reconnect with websites, blogs or internet forums. I can get exposed to different sorts of photography concepts, approaches, software or equipment this way. Most days this may require an hour of time, but I am usually able to glean some tidbit of helpful or even inspirational ideas about the photographic process. One step above this daily process of continuing education is to become involved in a location workshop given by a mentor in an artists field. I recently returned from a workshop given by Tony Sweet, who I feel is an exceptional fine art photographer and, as I found out, gives an exhausting 5 day workshop which includes daily critique and class sessions as well as location shoots early in the morning and late afternoon. While the days are long the return on "investment" is huge and I find these types of events to be very productive. One thing to note, however, is that you get what you pay for and while there are many individuals that offer workshops in many fields of art, the quality of workshops are varied and in some cases disappointing. Location workshops are provided for many artistic inclinations, from pottery to glass blowing to painting and I would recommend that these types of continuing education are a must as a tool for all artists."

That's all for this spotlight on artisans from the 2010 A.R.T. Check back again for more on the artists of the Artisans Road Trip!