Issue 11, April / May 2020

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eIN THIS ISSUE: Artist’s Q&A: Kit Miracle, Dave Becker& Dixie Ferrer dark cartoons Fade aWay - a serial novel Your FREE Ads!

A DIRECTORY OF OVER 160 SOUTHERN INDIANA ARTISTS AND GALLERIES

From the Editor/Publisher:

I’m excited to present our first issue featuring the Artist Q&A’s. I feel that the interview process gives our readers a more in-depth view of each artist’s background and process and gives a special insight into who they are. For me it’s an improvement!

Back in the early 1980s, I subscribed to Interview Magazine and eagerly looked forward to each month’s issue. It was always an interesting experi-ence to be witness to an artist’s actual thoughts and feelings presented in a great magazine format like Interview. As time went on, I formed a fascina-tion for the process, how the questions were posed in a way that would elicit a profound response and how the answers weren’t always what a reader would expect.

Some of my favorite moments listening to radio were (and are still) the interviews that Terry Gross conducts with various actors, writers and others on her NPR radio show “Fresh Air”. (At noon on most public radio stations nationwide). Her soothing voice and insightful ways of interviewing people are definitely an inspiration for me.

My own clumsy attempts at interviewing have a long way to go but I’m learning what works and what does not. The same question asked of one interviewee doesn’t necessarily work for another. And it helps to make it more of a conversation than simply a standard Q&A, which also makes my job a bit more fun.

I hope you enjoy the changes. And please: let me know if you would like to be interviewed. A little PR never hurt anyone!

Keith J. Hampton, Editor/Designer

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Issue 11, April / May 2020

Kit MIRaCLE explores her artistic voice by painting food, people & situations.

Top: Pumpkin Head, 30 x 26, oil on canvas

Below: Grand Canyon at Moran Point, 18 x 24, oil on canvas

Kit Miracle is a Jasper, Indiana artist and has been a professional artist for quite a long time. Kit was one of the first artists I met when I started the magazine back in 2018. She graciously introduced me to the Jasper Arts committee and let me tell them about the then-new magazine. We’ve stayed in contact since that time and I count her among one of ArtistsCreating’s biggest supporters.

Keith Hampton - Kit, what were your earliest experiences with art, and this is a two-part question. When did you first make art and when did you first discover art?

Kit Miracle - Well, like most kids, you know, I was handed art materials [in school] and fell in love with them. As a child I was always very interested in it. As far as making art, I started out with crayons, those big fat crayons, and then you were lucky if you got the box of 24. And then I got the box of 68 and thought I was rich!

KH - Did you pursue art in elementary school and high school when you could get into the art classes?

KM - I was very fortunate in that the school system I attended was very supportive of all the arts, music and visual arts. In elementary

Kit MIRaCLE

school we had a traveling art teacher, Mrs. Reed. By the time I got to Jr. and Sr. high school I had an hour of art every day at least. Sometimes it was an hour and a half. So they were very supportive of art in our school system.

KH - And where was that?

KM - Richmond Indiana. And they’re still very supportive of the arts. They have a bonafide in-school museum. So when I was going to classes, I’d be passing works by famous artists. I thought every school had that, I didn’t know until later that was very unusual.

KH - Did you continue to pursue art after high school or did you go to college for it?

KM - I intended to do that. I went to Earlham College. At the time they didn’t have a very strong arts program so I ended up with an education and business background. I let the art slide a little bit. But after a few years I had to get back into it because it’s part of me.

KH - And what led you to get back into it?

KM - It was just sort of a craving. You know if you have been doing something regularly, whether it’s art or playing the guitar or something and then you stop, you really want to still do it. I started back up doing that after I graduated college and was working. I said “I have got to do some more art.”

KH - Did you pursue any more art education or study under anyone that helped further your art knowledge?

KM - Well, I was very lucky because I was living in Rochester, Michigan and they have the Paint Creek Center for the Arts, so I took some classes there. I’ve also taken on graduate work and workshops and things like that, but not a formal degree in art.

KH - So at what point did you start showing work on a professional level, that point in time when you say to yourself “OK, I’m doing this as a real thing now” ?

KM - I think I started approaching it seriously in the mid-80s. That was when I got my first sales tax license because I wanted to do it right. 1983, so that’s over 35 years ago. And then when we moved down here [to the Jasper area] it became a full-time thing.

KH - Have there been any artists or photographers that inspired you?

KM - TC Steele and all of the famous French impressionists, but those aren’t the only ones. I like to study other artists like Edward Hopper, his style is very evocative. And also Edward Redfield, the Pennsylvania impressionist. You know, Indiana has many fine painters at the turn of the century as well. I like to look at many other kinds of art, I enjoy seeing how they created what they did.

KH - Can you describe what your process is from start to finish and whether or not you use the same process for each piece?

KM - These days I’m painting in acrylic. My process is preparing canvases, in this case I’m working on my next series. I’ve planned out 32 paintings. I do a lot of preliminary work on some of the larger pieces, sketching and drawing, maybe even some color sketches before I actually start.

KH - Are you working in mostly an impressionism/realism vein at this point or doing anything in another style?

Top: Annie’s Room, 30 x 30, oil on canvas

Above: Hiking In Crawford County, 30 x 30, oil on canvas

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I try to follow the advice that writers are often given, to write what you know. I feel comfortable painting what I know.

KM - I’m pretty much staying in contemporary impressionsim, addressing contemporary subjects with an impressionistic manner. I try to follow the advice that writers are often given to write what you know, I feel comfortable painting what I know.

KH - Do you have any kind of conscious messages that you’re trying to get across in your work?

KM - As much as anything, having people pay attention to the world around them. Or to present it to them in a way that they’ll say “Oh, I recognize that but I didn’t really notice it before.” Whether it’s plien air painting outdoors or… I did a series last year that were beach paintings, called “Intimate Spaces” a beach painting series. I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed, but people go to the beach and they stake out their little territories and then they think that nobody can see them. I’m kind of a voyeur as an artist and I’ll think “Yeah, this is sketching material” and then I take it back to the studio and work it out.

The series I’m working on now is called “The Food We Eat”. You know how everyone shares pictures on social media, photos of lunch or something like that. Very colorful and shows places I’ve been.

KH - So the food series works, are they still life in nature or are they the actual settings of restaurants?

KM - In this case, they’ll be more like still lifes, paintings of actual meals.

KH - How do you see your work fitting into the current art market? Does it fit well or not or does it matter to you if it fits at all?

KM - Since I’ve retired, I’ve really been hitting the web. I find that even in the midwest - which tends to be more conservative - that my paintings don’t sell well. I mostly sell my work in Colorado and Texas and North Carolina, all over the place. The last one I shipped out before Christmas went to Alaska! I’ve shipped some to Europe. People all over can look at your work, so we have an international market these days.

KH - So what exhibits have you been in that you feel have helped boost your art career?

KM - The Salamundi Club Non-Member’s Exhibit, the Corcoran Gallery Knickerbocker Watercolor exhibit. They recently closed that gallery a few years ago, but it was a very prestigious gallery. I used to send a lot of watercolor paintings to exhibits all over the country, Colorado and Washington and Oregon. But it got kind of expensive so I ended that. Mostly I’m working on local stuff and it’s time to reach out again.

KH - Is it important to you to create a name for yourself or would you rather just create great art and let the chips fall where they may?

KM - I’m not so much into the fame and fortune, it’s the process that I enjoy, creating. But you know you can’t just fill up your house and out buildings with your own work. I’m not overly sentimental with the art after I’ve created it, I’m ready for it to move on.

KH - Do you look at a lot of your older work - I know a lot of artists do this, I look at my oldest work and think to myself “I wasn’t doing nearly as good as I thought back then”. How do you feel about older works?

KM - Well, I’m not embarrassed about it, I won a lot of awards but that’s kind of a grueling way to make a living, just doing that. There are some pieces that I’ll pull out and look at and think “Oh gosh, this needs to go to the burn barrel” but you know, people were paying for them and taking them home and they seemed happy and I was happy.

Kit MIRaCLE

Top: Wet Reflections, 24 x 30, acrylic on canvas

Middle: Green and Yellow, 20 x 20, acrylic on canvas

Bottom: A Day at the Beach, 24 x 36, acrylic on canvas

KH - You can’t bat 1000 on every single piece you make, you have to make some mistakes. I think we learn a lot from mistakes.

KM - Sure and you don’t need to put them out there for the public, either. I have some very old watercolors that I use for demonstrations for a class I might be teaching and I show it to the students and say “This is where I started” in order to give new artists encouragement.

KH - What do you feel when someone says you’re an artist, what does it mean to you to be an artist?

KM - Well, I think a lot of people do not understand the professional level it takes to be an artist, how much time I’ve actually put in - and I’m speaking how most artists do, whether or not it comes natural. I may spend five or six hours a day out in my studio but then I also have the sites on the web, I have a blog that I write in every week, my retail shops like Etsy and then there’s the social media. It’s not only creating but also marketing the work, building my reputation.

KH - I feel like the business of art has changed so much over the years, it’s forced artists to not only be good business people but also we’re also supposed to be good photographers, marketing experts, web designers and writers and have social media knowledge, tech knowledge and so on. Do you feel like we’re wearing far more hats than we used to?

KM - If you look at it from a business standpoint, it’s a small business if you want to treat it that way. That’s the way I think. I tend to have both of those hats, I have a business background, I worked for a Fortune Top 10 company and then I also have an art background, both being an artist and being around the arts when I was the director of the Jasper Arts Center. So that’s where I’m coming from.

KH - So where are you planning on showing your work?

KM - I don’t have any set exhibitions coming up yet, but I do have some pieces in a local art gallery, Traditional Arts in Ferdinand, but I need to concentrate my efforts again on expanding into bigger markets. So I’m seeking out some venues for that kind of thing.

KH - You seem to work much differently than I do in that you create the work and then look for a place to show it. You seem to be very optimistic in that regard.

KM - I am. I like challenging myself and seeing how to do it. When I did the traveling art fairs, that was as a production artist a lot of the time. I knew what would sell and I could paint so many of a certain kind of thing. Now I want to give myself a challenge: How will it be? It would be much safer if I did 5 or 10 of the new pieces instead of 30 or so.

KH - What kind of advice would you give a young artist today that had no knowledge of the art market and the art world? What would you tell them?

KM - I think the young people will not have as much trouble addressing the internet. But my advice, in addition to getting as good as you can at whatever subject you are doing, is to treat it as a profession, as a business. You have to actually take the time to market yourself. Nobody starts at the top. There’s nothing wrong with having an outside job that isn’t art-related to support you until you get going.

KH - Thank you so much for your time today, Kit, I appreciate hearing about your journey.

KM - Thank you, Keith!

Kit MIRaCLE

Top: Red Cabbage Still Life, 18 x 24, oil on canvas

Middle: The Halal Guys, 16 x 16, acrylic on canvas

Bottom: Breakfast with Oranges, 16 x 20, acrylic on canvas

David Becker creates a crisp world of natural beauty through his artisticphotographs

Keith Hampton - I’m speaking with Dave Becker, a photographer living in southern Indiana. So, Dave, what is the closest town to where you live?

Dave Becker - We’re near New Albany, that’s the area we live in now.

K - And when did you first get into photography?

D - When I was in high school, we took a trip to the Grand Canyon and I took a lot of pictures during that trip. In preparation, I went out and bought an Instamatic Kodak camera and took it along. I had not taken any photographs before then and I pretty much got hooked from that experience.

K - Was this a family vacation or was it a high school trip with the class?

D - My father took me as a high school graduation present.

K - Oh, very nice! What type of camera was it?

D - It was a Kodak Instamatic, using 120 film.

K - I think that’s how a lot of people got started taking pictures, that was my first camera.

Top: Joshua Tree Rain Shower

Above: Balance Rock Joshua Tree

Dave Becker

D - I was enamored with it at that point in time. But also my grandparents lived in Dayton, Ohio and I would visit as a young child. My grandfather was a big fan of National Geographic and I spent countless hours entertaining myself on those visits looking through National Geographics. That was a big influence on me as far as photographic images and the places they could take me.

K - Did you have any formal education with photography after that point?

D - Right after that trip, I studied for a very brief time under a gentleman named Gus Frank who was a Master Photographer in Louisville. He taught me some basics about portrait photography, black and white photography and gave me an introduction in “wet” dark rooms. And other than that it’s been pretty much self-taught. I hesitate to use the words self-taught, it’s all of the great photographers that have come before me - whose pictures I’ve studied - that are really my teachers.

K - What was your first exhibit or show of photography?

D - I had taken some images that were submitted to a competition with the North American Nature Photography Association, or NANPA. They have an annual event where they ask for submission every year for a publication that’s called “Expressions.” I believe that was the first time I was published, in 2008. I was published after that in “Black and White” magazine and “Color” magazine.

K - Obviously you shot quite a lot of images between high school and 2008, was there some kind of change in your attitude that cause you to want to show your work?

D - I guess I was encouraged by my family and friends over time. I also became involved in this association for a bit, mainly because of my love of nature photography. Part of being involved with them is because various photographers would do critiques of your work, so I was encouraged by some of those people as well along the way.

K - Were there any specific key photographers that you could name whose work inspired you?

D - I hate to be very selective about that because there were so many different ones, but some of the National Geographic photographers, Joel Fartore Sartore is one that influenced me. He’s done a lot of conservation photography.

From the top: Peoria Corn

From Steptoe Butte

Salton Sea

Turks

DaVe Becker

K - Do you have a specific process or approach that you employ to take your photographs? Is it the same every time?

D - I don’t have any particular process that I use repetitively. My images are oftentimes reproduced digitally straight out of the camera, but sometimes they’re manipulated in Photoshop.

K - Many nature photographers make sure they are out at a certain time of day or they use a blind. Are there any methods like that which you use?

D - When I’m photographing nature (which is just one of the subjects I like to photograph) it can be a combination of any of those things. I may use a blind, I may shoot birds at various refuges where populations are numerous and opportunities abound or I may just wander the woods.

K - You said that’s just one kind of photography, are there many others?

D - I’m not really particular about the subject matter. If I looked back over my work over the years, the majority tend to be nature photographs like landscapes or wildlife or fauna. I also like to work on abstract images and art in environments. I also enjoy an occasional candid shot and street photography shooting.

K - I know that unlike other art forms, with photography much can depend on timing, being at the right place, the right moment, the right conditions. Have you had many opportunities where there have been happy accidents occur?

D - Sure, I think life experiences in and our practice with photography make those accidents more likely, to be ready and be in the right place at the right time. I’ve been on tours where I’ve stood in a row of ten photographers all shooting the same thing at the precise same moment. But we all end up with a different end product.

I like to find myself in situations where everything seems to congeal and come together. Magic is a good way to describe it. But to me it’s more like images seem to find me as opposed to me going out and finding them. That moment in time for me is usually part of the process where I can’t alter what’s about to happen but I know the outcome of the event. I think that it’s a magical moment and I feel that often right as I’m tripping the shutter on the camera.

From the top: Jersey in the Rain

Al’s Creek

Down Under

DaVe Becker

K - There seems to be a lot of technology knowledge that goes into photography, pre-planning and set up and knowledge about the equipment. Do you feel that photography somewhat stands apart from other art forms because of this?

D - I don’t know that it really does. I think the process of creating a piece of art is one of the mind and the heart and not so much the tool. On some level, it’s not the tools that are deployed or the “craft” part of creation but the creation itself. So I don’t get so hung up with the type of art or the form of art or the craft part of it. It’s more about the finished product.

K - Has your work been in any exhibits that you felt were a boon to your career?

D - I have had a few shows in the Louisville metropolitan area, mostly in conjunction with the Louisville Photographic Society or with the Louisville Photo Biennial. I’ve also exhibited in a few galleries in southern Indiana and Louisville. I hope that I’ve gained recognition due to experimenting with printing on different media, printing on glass and metal. In my exhibit last fall, I experimented with three-dimensional aspects of printing. I printed on glass and stacked and layered the glass. I’ve printed on metal and cut the metal up and reformed it into three-dimensional pieces.

K - Do you have any projects which you’re involved in currently that you’d like to tell us about?

D - My grandfather was very active in the Boy Scouts of America. As a result of that, he traveled all over the world. When he passed, I inherited his slide collection. Before he died, he had visited every continent in the world and every state in the United States. He photographed on Kodachrome slide film until the early 80s, which is when he did most of his traveling. A project I’m about to begin is to see how many of those places I can visit to possibly take the same photographs as some of the ones he’s left me. I’ve dreamed about kind of doing “then and now” photographs the places that he’s visited.

K - The fact that they’re all slides is fairly interesting. Did you find that the technology behind photography and the big change it went through changed the way you thought about photography? It seems like it’s made it a lot faster, easier and a lot less expensive.

D - Film and film photography is different from digital

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It’s really important to shoot from the heart and the mind and think about what you want to say.

Top: Rosaceae

Above: One Room Scholl House, TX

DaVe Becker

photography and it obviously influences the process itself. As far as expense is concerned, when you consider the technology today and the time and the hours and all of that, I’m not sure at the end of the day that it’s that much less expensive to make a great image. It might actually be more expensive. One thing that I find a little bit frustrating about having changed from film to digital is I have to cautiously slow myself down a little bit more today. I have to think about what I’m creating, as opposed to just snapping the shots. Back when you’re shooting film and you have only 12 or 24 or 36 exposures and you needed to make them count. You weren’t going to see the fruits of your labor for weeks at a time, sometimes! That changes the way that you approach making an image.

K - And add to that now when you go out in the field to shoot images, you get to instantly see what you’ve shot, either on a laptop or in the viewfinder.

D - Quite honestly, I try to not do that too much, if I’m in a difficult situation where lighting is concerned or if I’m wanting to make sure I’m capturing a moment that I might not be able to recreate, I’ll certainly take a look - from the technical aspect - at the back of the camera to make sure I’m getting what I want.

K - What advice would you give someone who was young and wanted to become an art photographer?

D - When it comes to the craft of photography, it’s really important to look at the works of others. I think it’s important to surround yourself with other people that are doing what you like to do. I think all of those things are instrumental. When it comes to the tools to not get too caught up in the technology. It doesn’t take real expensive gear and expensive software and all of those things to create a good piece of work. themselves. It’s really important to shoot from the heart and the mind and think about what you want to say.

K - Do you have anything that you’d like to add that you want our readers to know about you?

D - It’s a great way to express yourself. Different people approach photography in different ways. Another thing that I personally struggle with is to marry efforts to make a photograph with abilities to interact with the subject. If you’re in nature, I’ve found that the result of making better images is knowing more about your subject matter.

K - Thanks Dave, I truly appreciate your time this morning.

D - You’re welcome!

Top: Untitled

Above: Nimis

Dixie Ferrer uses a mixture of unique methods tointerpret her visionsKeith - I’m speaking with Dixie Ferrer (pronounced fur-RARE) an artist living and working in Nashville, Indiana. Do you live in the town of Nashville?

Dixie Ferrer - No. I live in the area between Nashville and Bloomington, near Yellowwood Lake and Yellowwood state forest.

K - I have heard of you for quite a while actually, I know you owned or still own a gallery in Nashville, correct?

D - My husband and I had the gallery in Nashville for 17 years. We’re both artists and we had up to about 45 artists that we represented. We had our studios there and then we retired about 4 years ago. And after we retired, my husband passed.

K - Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.

D - Yeah, he didn’t get to do much retiring, but we had a home studio built and so that’s what I moved into.

K - What were your earliest experiences surrounding art? When did you first start making art as a child?

D - Hmm. I probably really didn’t get into the arts until I was in my 20s. I have anolder sister who was “the artist” and I always thought you could only have one artist per family, so I didn’t try. (laughs)

Top: Among the Lotus Blossoms. mixed media 24x30

Above: The Energy of Spring, oil and cold wax 12x24

dixie ferrer

I did artistic things, fashion, that kind of thing. But as far as drawing or painting, I do not recollect doing that until after I was married and had children.

K - Did you seek any kind of formal education for it at all?

D - Yes, I took a lot of lessons through the Indianapolis Art Center in Broad Ripple. It was called the Art League in those days. I started out with textiles. My career actually started earlier than that with textiles, sewing my own clothes, sewing my children’s clothes. And that led to more textiles.

K - Did you study under anyone that was important or influential?

D - Yes, Marilyn Price (textiles), and I studied with her for a number of years. Took a lot of basics with Marilyn Hutchinson for print-making, pretty much all of the ones that taught at the center. I would also go to workshops like the University of Tennessee, which had a graduate program through Aramark in Gatlinburg, so I would go and take intensive workshops there.

K - At what point did you say to yourself “I think I’m good enough at this, I think I could sell some work professionally” ?

D - That was in Indianapolis, probably in the early 1980s. I wanted to see if I could say “My name is Dixie and I’m a professional artist.” I think that’s a hard place to arrive at because with that comes responsibility. I better live up to it, I’m an artist, I’m a professional artist!

K - So were you selling your work at that point?

D - Yes, I was a member of the CCA Gallery that was in Broadripple. [ Ed. note: consequently moved to Zionsville and now is in Carmel ] And then I also entered shows at the Art Center which had competitions and stuff like that. And then Broadripple Art Fair, Penrod.

K - I’d like to know if you could describe what genre your art is currently to me.

D - My work is somewhat impressionistic. For the last several years, I’ve focused on oil combined with cold wax. And with the cold wax, I can either go in an abstract direction or impressionistic or realistic. You can combine that with - and I teach this - cold wax materials and collage. The latter part of my life I wanted to concentrate on one medium and see how far I could push it. And so far I really like where this is going.

Above : Sunset, oil and cold wax 18x20

Below: Up the Ravine, oil and cold wax 12x24

K - You’re working impressionistic or abstract or both?

D - Both! What the wax does that I find appealing is it adds to the body of the oil paint. It’s cold wax, it’s got the consistency of coconut oil when it’s solidified. I can embed other papers, etcetera, in it. Or I can mix it with the color of the oil paint into multiple layers. Then you can start scratching down through the colors, so it gives a little texture to the surface.

K - In your process, do you start with an idea in mind or is it an exploratory process?

D - I approach my work from both aspects. And I’ve been called an artist of texture and a colorist. Sometimes I pick colors that pull me in at that moment. And I’ll make marks on the canvas or on the board. Or I will texturize it, either with the wax or the texturizing medium, that starts that movement going. And then from that and from paint applied, I come up with the piece, it can be a floral, it can be a landscape. I haven’t had any preconceived idea of what it’s going to be.Other times, like now, I’m doing animals in the cold wax, with an abstract background, so I’m adding some realism which is a little more of a challenge.

K - Do you have any kind of conscious messages that you’re trying to convey in your work?

D - I don’t really worry about that part. I enjoy it when it speaks to someone and I think a lot of it is through the energy that it shows.

K - When you’re working with these cold wax pieces, is it something that’s permanent and it can’t be altered?

D - I have found that it solidifies and does dry, like an oil. You know, the history of cold wax - wax was one of the first mediums that they created. The wax was the medium that they put the pigment in. If you go back in history you can see that wax was used.

K - Some artists will put a final varnish on the works. Is that something you do with your work?

dixie ferrer

Top: Black Cat in Fall Leaves, mixed media, 16x20

Middle: Cat on a Grey Day, oil and cold wax, 12x24

Bottom: Cat in the Leaves, mixed media 12x24

D - I do. I put a workable fixative spray, so that if I want to go back into the work, I can. With the cold wax, you can buff it and it will have a sheen to it.

K - Taking a look at the art market, at least the Indiana art market, where does your work fit into that?

D - I think it has it’s own category. People will say “Oh, I know that’s a Dixie Ferrer” and I think I have my own market. Mine is different enough that people notice it and I think they like it.

K - What exhibits have you been in that have been a boon to your art career?

D - I’ve had my work in the Hoosier Salon and the Indiana Heritage Arts.

K - Did those opportunities put your name on the map?

D - I think they did, yes. I think that living in Brown County helped a lot because it is an art colony. People come here to see art, buy art and meet the artist and watch the artists paint. I’m on the Backwoods Tour in the month of October and people love to come. It’s that relationship that’s really what it’s all about for me.

K - Is there a difference between working with people watching and working alone in your studio?

D - I think being by myself is more relaxing and I can work at my own pace. When I don’t know how many people are going to come in - it can be 25, it can be 50 - I’m kind of on guard, you know, making sure my materials are nice and neat. I still enjoy showing other people how to do it, that’s the teacher in me.

K - Do you feel like you’ll leave your mark on the art world, do you think you have already?

D - I think that I have, not only as an artist but as a teacher. I really enjoy teaching. I think that being a part of the art community, having a gallery for seventeen years. I founded the Art Alliance of Brown County, was involved in the Arts and Entertainment commission, you know, kind of got into the center, the hub of raising the art in Brown County. Now I stay at home and work in my studio.

K - Do you still teach?

dixie ferrer

Top: Flowers in the Window, mixed media, 8x10

Above: Spring Field, oil and cold wax, 12x24

How do I want to spend the last quarter of my life? I thought I’d always have forever. Now I realize I don’t. I want it to be quality, I want it to be filled with quality people and I want to do my own thing.

}

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D - Oh yeah. I was Artist-in-Residence at the Parks and Recreation Grant that was sponsored by the state Arts Commission and I was there for the month of July last year. I really liked it. I’m not in the studio as many days as I wanted, people could come in any time and watch me working and ask me questions. And then I had classes.

K - What kind of advice would you give young people who want to become a professional artist?

D - (Laughs) I try to keep my mouth shut. I don’t want to discourage them. It’s very difficult, you know it’s difficult to make a living as a fine artist. So you usually go into teaching or now you can go into the more computerized animation or that kind of thing. They need to use everything they can and explore and have fun with it as long as they can. I think sometimes they get serious too soon. They get into classes where they have to draw and paint and they pull back because they’re not having as much fun.

K - Do you think a college education is important for young people pursuing an art career?

D - Yes. My granddaughter is looking at Purdue to get the training that is more technical so she can go out and get a job in the real world. She also is looking at Herron, which is labeled more of a “fine art” school, but they’re also trying to get more technical. My personal observation is that a place like John Herron, back before they were attached to IUPUI, they had the basics, of course, but they also had a lot of people taking advantage of the free-spirited studio work and when they left school they weren’t ready to go out and work. They put their work out there and thought it would sell, but there’s the other side of it and you have to have the business end too. They weren’t prepared for that. I think it’s a lot different now.

K - I think a lot of the schools that were purely “schools of art” all had that same problem. Great at teaching art skills but not so great at teaching life skills, what to do with the art once you’ve created it, how to market it, how to approach a gallery, that kind of thing.

D - Exactly. And that’s a part that not all of us like to do. But it’s very necessary. With social media, I think it’s made it easier. You know, Facebook, websites. You need to get the information out about what you’re doing.

K - How much time do you think you spend creating art versus marketing your art, how would you divide those into percentages?

D - I think I spend more time doing my art. I would say 60 to 70 percent making art and the marketing is the other 30 percent.

K - Do you keep a book of ideas like a sketchbook? How do you come up with ideas?

dixie ferrer D - I have a series that I want to do. Right now I’m having fun incorporating animals into an etherial background, I’m enjoying that. I just finished a series on Yellowwood Lake, I spent a lot of time out in the canoe among the waterlily leaves and so I did a whole series of Yellowwood lake in different seasons of the year. That was very personal work because I think the location is one of the best-kept secrets around. K - Do you have any exhibits you have coming up this year?

D - I’m at the guild, so March 1st will be our spring change out. I’ll be applying to get into the Hoosier Salon exhibit.

K - Other than selling through the Guild and getting into the Hoosier Salon, do you plan on any solo shows?

D - With my studio at home, if I wanted to have a show, I can have it here, it’s like a gallery and I have enough wall space. So if I want to have an Open House, I can invite a few artists and we can be open for a weekend. And then in the month of October I have people come that buy my work and see my work and they commission me to do things.

K - So the big Solo Show, which is the staple of the gallery world, that’s not something you would pursue or even care about?

D - Not at this point in my life. At my age and the fact that I’ve lost my spouse and my best friend, it’s shifted my priorities in my life. If I’m looking at this realistically, how do I want to spend the last quarter of my life? I never thought that way before, I thought I’d always have forever. Now I realize that I don’t. So I want it to be quality. I want it to be filled with quality people and I want to do my own thing. Having a one-man show is not at the top of my priority list.

K - Well, it’s been great talking to you and learning about your art.

D - Thank you so much, it’s been very nice talking with you!

Above: Study in Green, oil and cold wax 8x10

thought there might time to start a big, hot breakfast. It was cold and Fayda would have to wait outside for the bus. It was 1973 and Fayda was in 7th grade. She still had 2 years to go until high school. Things would get easier for Dawn once her daughter was old enough to take care of herself.

As she pulled out the last potato, she noticed it looked like a small animal’s head, complete with a button nose and mouth. Where the eye would be was a small dark spot and in the middle of that spot a green sparkle caught the light, making it even more believable.

The piece of glitter fell there from some Christmas card or other holiday decoration.

“Well, looks like you-all got caught in my potato bag, little puppy. Sorry, but I’m going to have to eat you this morning. Is that allright?”

The potato nodded in her hand.

“I’m sure you’ll taste real nice, ya want me to fix ya up good?”

The potato nodded again.

Dawn stood up with a start and looked around. Her gaze drifted across the yard as a sigh came from deep out of her middle. Her mouth was left hanging open as the sound faded. ‘Talkin’ to vegetables, that’s how it starts,’ she thought.

She came back inside and laid the potatoes on the counter. She looked at the clock and then out across the yard again. A couple of seconds passed, maybe a minute. Time seemed to shift into neutral and became a place of indecision, a grey, foggy zone.

She turned and slowly reached above the refrigerator into a cabinet that was rarely opened. The door made a soft creak and her arm stretched forward until her hand made contact with the cool, familiar surface of a bottle. She brought the gin down and looked at the kitchen’s yellow light through the liquid. It was still about three-quarters full. It was enough for the rest of the day, perhaps part of the night. If she could get dinner started early, she could sleep through the rest of the evening. Fayda could feed herself when she got home, she figured.

That was the day she parted company with herself. From that point onward, Mrs. Dawn Wainwright was a husk that was propelled forward by the promise of the next appointment with her newfound friend and her worst enemy. That was the year Fayda began raising herself.

——————

Bobby Greenstein was waiting in Schiff’s Diner, a recently-built eatery on the north side of town, a brand new place

built to look dated or nostalgic, even though most of the people who worked and ate there weren’t born yet by the time most diners had already gone the way of leather jackets and Chevy convertibles.

He got a table by the window to make sure he could see Tessa arrive. He wanted to watch her walk across the street from the parking lot, to sort of check her mood out before he began the interview. His editor at The Page had loaned him thirty dollars for the lunch, so he had to wait until she ordered to make sure he had enough money to cover the lunch and a tip.

A few minutes later, she arrived. She got out of the car, stamped out a cigarette, whipped back her hair and shut the door of her car. “Damn, she’s a story for sure” Bobby thought. She strode confidently up to the diner and pushed the door in. Bobby lifted his hand to catch her eye and she walked over to his table.

“Hi, Bobby, can you give me a minute, I need to use the bathroom.”“Sure, no problem. Take all the time you need.” He smiled at her and pushed his glasses up on his nose. “Don’t worry, I will.”

Tessa turned and walked down the aisle to the back and found the restrooms. She entered the small ladies room, turned and locked the door. She looked in the mirror, sat her purse on the counter and opened it up. Inside was a small container, an amber vial with a black lid. She opened it, then took the lid and using the tiny spoon attached scooped up a tiny bit of the white powder. She held it up to her nose and - after holding her left nostril closed with her other hand - sniffed quickly. She repeated the process for the other side. Then she put the vial back and got out a hairbrush. She brushed her hair quickly and then applied some lipstick.

A small shudder passed through her body and she shook her head. She looked at the mirror closely and held her head back to make sure her nose was clean. Everything was in order. She closed her purse, unlocked the door and headed back to Bobby’s table. Can’t keep the press waiting, she thought.

Fade Away

a serial novel

by Jaymes A.

Nottingham

DC h a p t e r 1 3

awn Wainwright slowly placed her feet in a line in front of her, pro-pelling herself slowly onto the porch. She crouched down over the vegetable bin, stuck her hand into a mesh bag and pulled out two potatoes. Fayda was still asleep and she

Fade Away, cont.Bobby’s back was to her and she came around to the other side of the table and sat down with a flourish. She smiled tightly at him. “OK, so here I am. Let’s get this thing going, right?”

Bobby grinned. “Don’t you want to get something to eat first? I don’t know about you but I was starving thirty minutes ago.”

“Look, Bobby, I don’t have a lot of time and I’m not hungry, but I don’t mind you eating while you ask me your questions.”

Bobby couldn’t cover his disappointment. “Wow, I thought we could spend a little time on this thing, you know, sort of flesh out your process and maybe get a little more information for my readers.”

Tessa inhaled and exhaled quickly and tapped her fingernails on the table. “Sure, sure, no problem. But I’m sort of in a hurry so go ahead and order and let’s get going, OK?” She looked around the room pensively and then back at Bobby with a quick smile. “Where’s our waitress, anyway?”

After flagging down a server and ordering, Bobby turned on his cell phone to record their conversation. “I’m going to edit out whatever you don’t want in print, so don’t worry. First of all, tell me a bit about your current show, what’s the idea behind it and what led you to creating the type of work I saw last week at Jarson’s?”

“Right, right. Well, you know, it’s about the documentation of violence, I mean, not like criminals and gangs and all of that, but the violence of everyday life, you know? Like someone falling out of a window or a car wreck or an explosion happens and then we record it. I mean, it gets into the news and even though someone’s life is changed forever, it gets documented and passed around and then life moves on and that’s it. It’s made somehow small by that process. People seem to forget it instantly, especially if they aren’t involved or know anyone that’s part of it, right? So, that all happens and then it’s turned into a documented story that gets buried

right away by the next day’s news. But the document remains. And the only people that might ever see it again are historians or nerdy library types or writers like you - I don’t mean that like it sounds - but you know, the rest of the world could care less. They’ve moved on, ya know? And meanwhile there are these people, real people who have had their entire life changed. Somebody has died or somebody is crippled for life or whatever. So basically I looked at that situation and thought if there was a way to make that situation even larger, even bigger than the what the real event was in a way, to give it the significance it deserves - at least for them - then the entire thing might be honored or at least re-documented in a way that gives it more importance.”

She waited a beat. “How’s that?”

Bobby smiled, “Well that’s a lot. Does it have something to do with the size of the paintings? I mean, they are some very large works for you.”

Tessa continued at a rapid pace.“Well, there’s that aspect, sure, but I think it’s through the violence and the colors that the works make an impact. Size helps, but I think they’d work just as well at half the size. But you know, male artists have been making these huge paintings for decades and it seemed to me like women were always making small things. I mean, sure there’s people like Louise Bourgeois and Georgia O’keefe that make larger works, but for the most part, women artists make all these careful, quiet little pieces that have such a soft response. I wanted to change that. I was picturing in my mind the way the old movies would do that montage of headlines in a newspaper, you know that spinning effect where the newspaper comes flying out at the screen and then stops and you read the headline. I mean, in the theater that must have really freaked people out the first time they saw that effect. Like, BAM, there it is, the news! That’s kind of what I wanted, that in-your-face effect, something that can’t be ignored. And of course, like I said, the colors -“

Bobby interrupted. “Yeah, I wanted to know about that. It seems like you are using a lot of sharply contrasting colors,

some that work better than others. Are you making these clashing colors on purpose?”

Tessa pulled her head back. “Clashing? Well, I wouldn’t call them clashing, but certain colors have a better effect when they’re used in ways that we don’t normally see them. I mean, if I use pink and bright green and purple together, it causes a reaction in the mind. See, I was studying color and some of the studies about color that were done in the seventies, they found out that certain parts of the brain get stimulated when various combinations are used. So, pink-green-purple, that’s one that they found makes people feel agitated. Well, bad news makes people feel agitated too. I figured I’d layer the effect, agitating headlines, agitating colors, agitating sizes. I want people to be slightly disturbed, I want them to examine their situations and their part in the larger picture. Did you hear about that accident and how did you react? Nothing? Something? I want people to see the news about that accident in my paintings and no matter what, they have to react. They can’t ignore that news, it’s there in their face, right?”

Bobby chuckled a little. “Yes, it’s definitely in their face.”

Tessa narrowed her eyes at him. “Well, that’s what I want. I want them to see or maybe feel a little bit of what the people in the story felt. It’s a lot less, of course, than the people went through, but if I can get some kind of reaction, then I’ve done what I set out to do.” “But what about the sellability factor?” he asked. “How many people are going to want that kind of disturbance in their house?”

“Oh Bobby, screw that! Oops, I hope you don’t print that, but I mean, you don’t exactly see Damien Hurst or Jeff Koons worrying about if it’s going to be OK in someone’s living room, do you? I’m not making room decorations here, I’m making art. Great art can’t worry about hurting someone’s feelings or making them upset. It stands on it’s own, it sends a message, good, bad or indifferent. It does what it does. I’m not concerned about someone’s decor.”“I see your point, Tessa, but this is Indianapolis, not New York. Aren’t you

worried about making a living with your art?”

“I’d rather not sell a piece to someone who doesn’t really understand what’s going on with the work, no matter where they live. I mean, whoever buys it, buys it, but I’m not creating what I create to make someone feel comfy and cozy about their choices. I have my sights set on places that are much larger than Indy, anyway. You know, all it takes is a museum of a certain level and an artist is pretty much guaranteed a name in this business.”“Do you have any work in museums?”“No, not yet, but that’s not my point. My point is that as artists, we’re supposed to just create. We’re not supposed to look at the marketplace and decide how we fit into it. The market is supposed to look at our work and take it or leave it.”“And what if they leave it?”“Well, that happens. I mean, I’ve been lucky, I’ve had some buyers and a little press and things are going well. I sold five of the large pieces now at Jarsons and the rest will either go into their stock or my stock. Some of the smaller ones I will probably sell on my website or through another gallery that I’m working with in Cincinnati. And, by the way, why are you questioning my marketability?” Tessa was breathing hard by this point and her cheeks were flushed.“Oh, I’m not, believe me, I’m not, but I’m just trying to dig into what motivates you and see what happens when your process runs into the realities of the Indy art market.”“Well, I figure, screw ‘em. I mean, really!” Tessa laughed. “Seriously, Bobby, the people that live here and aren’t interested in my art aren’t going to suddenly get interested in it just because you wrote something compelling in your paper. Those people have paintings of cows and barns in their living room. Their taste is all very safe stuff. A nice overstuffed couch on a rug, a lovely landscape above it, probably some still life paintings on another wall and that’s it. They’ve fulfilled their obligation to the artists of Indiana, right? That’s not my market anyway.”

“So who is your market?”

“Well to be honest, I’d say it’s a much younger market that’s upwardly mobile, probably single people or married people with no kids or empty-nesters with rare taste. They’ve got expendable cash, they’re living in either a condo or an apartment downtown. They’re going to Chicago and Paris and Rome on vacation and they’ve been exposed to a much higher level of art than your standard tax accountant here in Indy, so they know if something is important art or if it’s just saccharin kitsch like so many artists produce here.”

She sat back in the booth and whipped her hair back behind herself and then tapped on the table anxiously with her nails and studied Bobby for his reaction.

Just then the waitress brought Bobby his food and Tessa’s drink. Bobby looked at her, lifted his sandwich up and asked “Do you mind?” Tessa shook her head. He took a few bites.

“Do you consider your work important?”

Tessa’s eyes widened and she looked at the table. Her jaws were tight.“That question is a trap. If I say yes, then I look like an egomaniac. And if I say no, I negate my own place in the art sphere. So instead I’ll just say that it’s not really my place to say how important my work is. It’s important to me. It has to be or I wouldn’t be able to keep up the stamina to finish a series. And believe me, I’ve had that happen. You get halfway through a series and then start to question it’s relevance in the world. You start questioning everything about it. And that sort of eats at you until you decide the work is crap and you stop painting. I can’t do that to myself again. I have to believe in myself and believe in my work and be my own cheerleader. I paint what I paint and after that, it’s out of my hands. I’ve done my part. If the world doesn’t accept what I created, that’s not my problem. I’m moving on to the next series.”

Bobby toyed with a french fry. “Have you ever destroyed any older works?”

“Of course. But I think destroyed is a negative term. I repurpose them or partially gesso over them and leave some parts visible. I’ve never been one of those ‘burn it in a pile’ artists.” She held up her hands and made air quotes. “I think that’s a little too dramatic and quite frankly not cost-effective. And I like the thought that many of my pieces are palimpsests that tell a story - even if it’s just a story to myself - of the history of what came before, painting-wise.”

She paused, a bit worn out. The intensity of what she was telling him surprised her. She wasn’t normally this deep of a thinker and she started to notice that the coke was wearing off. She sat back again. I better tone it down a notch, she thought.

Bobby noticed her shift in attitude and decided to change subjects. “So, what about your process? How do you begin a painting and get to the point where you say it’s done?”

Tessa sighed. “You really want all of this?” Bobby nodded. “Well, I start by digging into the newspaper files in the library or online. You know, if you Google “Car accident” and then look at the corresponding images, you’d be amazed how much raw ingredients are there for a series like this. I don’t exactly use whole images for the drawings, I take a bit of several photos and work them into the composition.”

“Wait, are you blowing them up as photos or are you - “

“I’m using an opaque projector and tracing the lines. I’ve done that for years. I don’t exactly need to draw things from scratch, that takes up too much time. I could do it and I have done it, but the projector is just a tool. I don’t consider it cheating. That’s for art teachers to argue about. I take the photos and project them on the wall and draw in the parts I need. Then I move to the next photo. If the piece is a car accident, I like taking parts of various cars and fitting them

Fade Away, cont.

Look for Chapter 14 in June/July ArtistsCreating

CANCELLED

For more info go to HoosierSalon.org

together to make a totally new car that doesn’t exist. Or if it’s a fire, I take several different site photos and merge them so that the fire looks far more devastating and larger. Same with explosions or whatever. That makes them safe from any copyright laws because I’m changing them radically from what they were.”“So you’re safe in that respect.” Bobby smiled slyly.“Yeah, safe from a lawsuit. Anyway, once that pencil drawing is done, I refine it without any projector at all to help it make more sense. Then I start painting. And the color palette is figured out in advance, like I said before, there’s palettes that I’ve researched and combinations that I already have chosen. I decide which image will get which palette long before I’ve started painting. That helps keep it organized and making sense to me because I sort of get lost once I’m in painting mode.”“Get lost? How do you mean?”“Well, once I get into the studio, I’m gone. I mean I totally go into orbit. I use music, I use drugs, I use alcohol, I paint in the nude, I paint at all hours, I let my muse completely take me over. I just open up and let the spirit guide me. I can be painting for hours and then see the sun come up and not realize how much time has passed.”

Bobby pushed his glasses up and rubbed his neck. “Wow, sounds like some kind of dream quest or something happening in a hut.”

“Hey, it’s not far from it. But I really do my best work like that, you know? When I finally snap out of it, there’s a painting in front of me. It might not be finished or perfectly done in a way thatI am happy with, but it’s close. Then I spend some time in the weeks after that going through them and tweaking them here and there until I feel they’re done. At that point, I start figuring out titles and how to crop them.”

“Wait, you mean they aren’t already composed with a crop figured out?”

“Oh, no way. I paint on loose canvas stretched on the wall. Sometimes I lay them on the floor, too. And when it’s time I use a pencil and a square and figure out where I’m going to crop them. I get up on the 2nd floor of my loft and look down through a square to

see what works best. That gives me a lot of options.”

She looked at her cell phone and made a mental note. Five more minutes, she thought.

Bobby could see his time was going to get cut short. He decided he had enough. He put two fries in his mouth and chewed for a bit while she watched him.

“Well, I think I’ve got enough for this story. Pretty wild stuff, eh?” He reached over and shut off the app on his phone. “Yeah, well, I hope I didn’t get to crazy!” Tessa laughed and stood up. “Look, I’ve really got to go but I want you to know, I truly appreciate getting the chance to be in The Page again. You guys are really a big help.”

Bobby looked sheepish. He stood up with her and extended his hand. “Well, anytime I can help, I’d like to. I was wondering if you had any plans later, I am going to go check out a band at Fagin’s and I’d be happy to take you.” He calculated he had enough cash to get them both in and at least one drink.

“Oh, no, look, I appreciate the interview, but let’s just keep this professional, OK? I’m flattered, but I don’t want to get involved on that level, OK? Besides, I have plans for tonight, anyway.”

Bobby held a smile on his face but inside was pouting. “Oh, sure, I understand. No harm, no foul.”

“OK, well, thanks again and take care!” Tessa walked out of the diner, her purse swinging as she strode over to her car.

“Little twerp, thinking he can get a date out of this. I’m am so sure,” she thought as she quickly got in her car.

Bobby stood in the diner and looked down at his feet after she pulled away. “God, I am such a loser. I should have waited until the story came out. Maybe I can ask her again after that.”

He realized he forgot to ask her for some picture files, he wanted to use more than the cell phone shots he took the night of Tessa’s opening. Suddenly he was happy. “That gives me another opportunity to call her!” he thought.

Sonny is a cartoonist living in southern Indiana. She works digitally and likes humorous situations in her work.

d a r k c a r t o o n s l

sonny ©2020

“She says she did nothing wrong and she’s not going to provide any witnesses or documents.”

“Look at you, Stan, playing on your computer and eating snacks all day! Do something important for a change!” “I’m doing something very important, Maris. I have 16 thousand followers on Instagram and Twitter who look forward to my daily insights about priorities.”

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sonny ©2020

WHERE TO FIND ART Galleries in Southern Indiana:Arts Alliance Southern IN820 E. Market St., New Albany, IN 47150PH: 812-949-4238http://www.sointoart.org The Artisan Center121 E Chestnut St, Corydon, IN 47112PH: 812-738-2123https://www.facebook.com/TheArtsanCenterCorydon Art on Main Gallery309 W Main St, Madison IN 47250 PH: 812-265-2923http://www.madisonartclub.com/art-on-main.html Art on the Square114 E. Washington St., Greensburg, IN 47240PH: 812-663-8600 https://www.artonthesquaregallery.com ArtSeed1931 Market St.. New Albany, IN 47150PH: 502-649-3320 http://www.artseed.art Art Space Vincennes 521 Main St.,Vincennes, Indiana 47591-2106 812-887-6145http://www.artspacevincennes.com/home/ B3 Gallery61 W Main St, Nashville, IN 47448 PH: 812-988-6675 http://b3.bussert.com/ By Hand Gallery101 W Kirkwood Ave, Bloomington, IN Ste. 109 http://byhandgallery.com Carnegie Center for Art & History201 E. Spring St, New Albany, IN 47150PH: 812-944-7336http://www.carnegiecenter.org Chestnuts and Pearls157 E. Main Street, New Albany, IN 47150PH: 502-548-9114 http://www.chestnutsandpearls.com Community Art Center of Switzerland County217 Ferry Street, Vevay, IN 47043PH: 812-599-4048https://touch.facebook.com/switzcoartcenter/ Copper Moon Gallery221 Pearl Street, New Albany, IN, 47150 PH: 812-944-4078https://m.facebook.com/coppermoongallery Dimensions Gallery 222 W 2nd St., Bloomington, IN https://www.dimensions.artisanalley.com

Earths Art 209 E. Market St, New Albany, IN 47150PH: 812-542-6444https://www.facebook.com/Earths-Art-211546812279529/ Flourish Gallery88 E Morgan St., Martinsville, IN 46151PH: 765-315-2252https://martinsvillearts.org/call-to-artists/ Hoosier Artist Gallery 45 S, Jefferson St., Nashville, IN 47448. http://www.hoosierartist.net Indiana Artisan Gallery (Inside French Lick Hotel) 8670 W. State Road 56, French Lick, IN PH: 812-936-5581http://www.indianaartisan.org/ James Bourne Gallery137 East Main Street, New Albany, Indiana 47150PH: 502-727-1517 https://www.facebook.com/Jamesbournegallery/ Juniper Art Gallery 46 E. Market Street Spencer, IN 47460 PH: 812-714-8038https://juniperartgallery.com/

Kleinhelter Gallery 701 E 8th St, New Albany, IN 47150 PH: (502) 432-6226 https://www.facebook.com/kleinheltergallery/ Krempp Gallery951 College Ave, Jasper, IN 47546PH: 812 482-3070http://www.jasperindiana.gov/topic/?topicid=96 The Mason-Nordgauer Fine Arts Gallery510 Main Street, New Harmony, IN 47631PH: 812-682-6127http://www.mnfinearts.com/ Madison Table Works 325 East Main St., Madison, IN 47250PH: 812-273-5050http://www.madisontableworks.com Nance Galleries662 S. Green River Rd., Evansville, Indiana 47715PH: 812-476-6295 http://www.nancegalleries.com New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art506 Main St, New Harmony, IN 47631 http://www.usi.edu/nhgallery Rising Sun Pendleton Art Center201 Main Street, Rising Sun, Indiana 47040 PH: 812-438-9900 https://www.pendletonartcenter.com

Carol TobePaintings

Catherine Bryant’sPlein Air Painters

137 East Main Street, New Albany, IN klllSee our virtual gallery show online at http://www.bourne-schweitzergallery.com

March 6th – July 31st July 31 – September 11

Due to the coronavirus situation, our space is closed to the public and we’re open by appointment only. Works can be purchased by contacting us: julie@artseed.art or call 502-649-3320.

ART Galleries in Southern Indiana CONT:Shelby Art Guild Association Gallery5 Public Square, Shelbyville, IN 46176www.shelbyartguild.org Southeastern Indiana Art Guild Studios (SIAG)Second and Main St., Aurora, Indiana 47001 PH: 812.584.3436 Southern Indiana Center for the Arts2001 N. Ewing St. Seymour, IN 47274PH: 812-522-2278http://www.soinart.com Spears Gallery15 S Van Buren, Nashville, Indiana 47448 http://www.spearsgallery.com 115 Gallery115 E Main St, Madison, IN 47250http://www.gallery115madison.com 22 Jefferson Art Studios and Gallery22 Jefferson Ave, Evansville, Indianahttps://www.facebook.com/22jefferson

Where to find Fiber ARt, Jewelry & Photographyin Southern Indiana : Fiber Art / Textiles Carol Bridges - Art Quiltshtttp://www.artquiltswithsoul.com

Lisa Dodson/Lisa Loves to Quilt - Custom Art Quiltslisalovestoquilt@ymail.com

Bonnie Gorden-Lucas - Designs on Silkhttp://www.mybonnie.com

Chris Gustin - Weaverhttp://www.homesteadweaver.com

Suzanne Halvorson - Fiber Arts/Wearableshttp://www.suzannehalvorson.com/

Sharon Tesser - Textile Mosaicshttps://www.sharontesser.com

Daren Redman - textile artist http://www.darenredman.com

Betty Westhues - weaver http://www.hickorytreestudio.com

Jewelry:Angela Caldwell - Jewelryhttp://angelacaldwelljewelry.com/

Amy Greely - Jewelryhttp://www.amygreely.com

Pam Hurst - Jewelryhttp://www.pamhurst.com Roxy Lentz - Jewelrywww.roxylentz.com Amy Walters - Jeweryhttps://www.instagram.com/one_wing_creations/

Photography: David E. Beckerhttp://new.findingsstudio.com/

Kelvin Burzon http://www.kelvinburzon.com

Sharon Busserthttp://www.bussert.com

John L. Gilkeyhttp://www.gilkeygraphics.com

Judy Lieberthttps://www.facebook.com/judy.liebert.1

David Modicahttp://www.davidmodica.com

John Puffer http://www.jpuffer.com

Kevin Rose Schultz - Photography (photo encaustic)kevinroseschultzart.weebly.com

Paul Smedberg - Writer / Photographerhttp://www.paulsmedberg.com Megan Thorne http://www.meganthornephotography.com

Kristin Warninghttp://www.kristenwarningphotography.com

Kimara Wilhitehttps://www.wilhite-photography.com/

DO YOU CREATE FIBER ART, JEWEL-RY or SHOOT ART PHOTOGRAPHY?LIST FOR FREE HERE!

Upcoming Exhibits at Krempp Gallery:

David Stratton & Michael McAuleyMay 4 - 29 Reception May 7th, 5 - 7 PM

951 College Ave, Jasper, IN 47546PH: (812) 482-3070 https://www.jasperindiana.gov/arts/

Amy DeLap & William KolokApril 1 - 30Reception April 2nd, 5 - 7 PM

New Jasper Arts Center GrandOpeningin 2021!

6 5 0 W. Wa s h i n g t o n S t . , I n d i a n a p o l i s , I N 4 6 2 0 4 For more information: https://www.indianamuseum.org

myra schuetterwill be featured in

Cause and Æffect: Art that Speaks OutM a r c h 2 8 ~ J u ly 6

in celebration of

Indiana women’s

suffrage centennial

Polit ical Circus , watercolor, 51.5” x 32”, 2016

southern indiana artist

WHERE TO FIND THEATERs, Musicians, cartoonists & Writers:Writers: Janet Alexanderhttp://www.swishtails.com Capri S Bard - Fictionwww.caprisbard.com

J. Jacob Barker - Poetryhttp://jojabarker.com

Tony Brewer - Poet & Screenwriterbeatnik_a_go_go@yahoo.com

S. Timothy Glasscocksglasscock@bellarmine.edu

Josh Johnson - Writing/Producinghttp://www.midbymidwestproductions.com/

Norbert Krapf - Poetryhttp://www.krapfpoetry.com/

Joy Shayne Laughter - Fiction / Scriptingwww.shaynelaughter.com

Laura Lynn Leffers - Writinghttp://www.lauralynnleffers.com/

Nancy Chen Long - Poetrywww.nancychenlong.blogspot.com

Tawnya Showalter - Writing www.tawnyashowalter.com

Patsy Rahn - Poetryprahn@worldnet.att.net

Bronislava Volková - Fictionwww.bronislavavolkova.com

Mike Whehner - Fiction/Poetryhttps://www.mikewehner.com

Lynn Williams - Fiction/Poetry www.guardiansofjewel.webs.com

Ray Zdonek - Poetry /Fictionrayzdonek@juno.com

Theatre Groups: Actor’s Community TheaterPO Box 603, Jasper, IN, 47547 www.actorscommunitytheatre.com

Astra Theater PO Box 23, Jasper, IN 47547 info@nextact.org

Cardinal Stage Theatre Group114 E Kirkwood Ave, Bloomington, IN 47401 http://cardinalstage.org

Merry MAC Players 210 N Marion St, Martinsville, IN 46151http://www.MerryMACPlayers.org

New Harmony Theatre419 Tavern St., New Harmony, IN 47631http://www.newharmonytheatre.com

Stages Bloomington222 W. Second Street, Bloomington, IN 47403http://www.stagesbloomington.com

Theatre Works of SoIn 203 E. Main Street, New Albany, IN 47150 www.theatreworksofsoin.com/

Jackson County Community Theatre121 W. Walnut St., Brownstown, IN 47220http://www.jcct.org/

Musicians: Jamey Aebersold - Jazzhttps://www.facebook.com/aebersoldjazz/ Jimmy G & The Sidewinders - Blueswww.jimmygandthesidewinders.com Marty Hubler - drummerhttps://www.facebook.com/marty.hubler.7?ref=br_rs

Nanji Mackhttps://www.instagram.com/nanji_universe/ Jacob McDaniel - Americanahttps://www.facebook.com/jacobmcdanielmusic/ Chad Phillips - Luthier / Instructor www.guitartherapy.com Jacob Resch - Band / Original Musichttp://www.jacobreschmusic.com Kevin Ress Guitar Studiowww.kevinreesguitar.com

Richard Sisto - Jazzhttp://www.dicksisto.com Nancy Neveitt Stagner - Harpistwww.nancynstagner.com

DO YOU HAVE A BAND? ARE YOU AN ACTOR? ARE YOU A COMEDIAN?LIST FOR FREE HERE!

gallery ad here?

WHERE TO FIND Southern Indiana 2d FINE Artists:Painting/Illustration:Ann Burns - Paintingahb578@gmail.com Elizabeth Busey - Printmakerwww.elizabethbusey.com

William Borden - Watercolorshttps://www.wbordenwatercolors.com Elizabeth Busey - Printmakerwww.elizabethbusey.com Rebecca Campbell - Paintinghttp://rcampbell145.wixsite.com/blueriverartist Pamela Couch - Oil / Watercolorwww.pamelacouch.com Kathie Daulton - Oil Paintingshttps://www.etsy.com/people/kathiedaulton Cheryl Duckworth - Painterhttp://www.wildwoodsstudio.com Mary Lou Hess - Etchings http://mlhessetchings.net Dixie Ferrer - Paintingwww.dixieferrer.com Gillian Harris - paintings, drawings, illustration www.yellowwood.net

Susan Harrison - Painting, Sculpturehttp://artcomposter.com Anabel Hopkins - Paintingwww.anabelhopkins.com Troy Kilgore - Painter http://www.troykilgore.com/ Meg Lagodzki - Painter http://www.meglagodzki-art.com/ Laura Lynn Leffers - Writinghttp://www.lauralynnleffers.com/ Timothy Lewis - Watercolorshttp://www.amperdes.com Cheryl Anne Lorrance - Paintinghttp://www.cherylannelorance.com/ Charlene Marsh - Painting http://www.CharleneMarsh.com Roy McCoskey - Painting https://www.facebook.com/McDizzleDeZignz/ Lynne Medsker - Painting, Mixed Media http://www.lynnemedsker.com

Mary Ann Mischna - Painting / Photography / Digital http://ichna7.wixsite.com/mary-ann-michna

Kit Miracle - Paintinghttp://www.kgmiracle.com P.J. Moore - Painting / Photographyimagesbymoore@yahoo.com Nine Dragon Studios - Painting/Ceramics/Jewelryhttps://squareup.com/store/nine-dragon-studios Susie Owen - Paintersusieowen3@yahoo.com Eric Phagan - Painting / Sculpturehttp://www.ericphaganart.com Mark Riggins-Illustrationshttp://www.markrigginsart.com Lawrence Rudolech - Painterhttp://www.rudolech.com Sheryl Scharf - Pen & Ink Drawing/Painting/Photography https://www.facebook.com/tie.dye.way.of.life/ Jean Schettler -Painterjschett888@aol.com Myra Schuetter - Paintinghttp://www.schuetterstudio.com Linda Shoults- Prairie Godmother Studio - Paintinghttps://lindashoults.com/ Penny Sisto - Paintinghttp://www.pennysisto.com George Smith - Paintinghttp://www.georgesmithsfineart.com John R. Smith - Paintinghttp://www.jrsartdesign7.com Linda Spencer - Painting/Sculpturelsyspencer@gmail.com John Strickland - Paintingwww.JohnStricklandArt.com Christine Sullivan - Paintinghttps://www.christinesullivan.com Aberlyn Sweetland-May - Painting https://www.aberlynart.com/ Katy Traughber - Paintinghttps://www.instagram.com/ktraughberart/ Bill Whorrall - Painting/Collage/Sculpture/Photographyhttps://www.billwhorrallart.com

WHERE TO FIND So.In. 3d/Sculpture Artists:3d Art:

Larry Beisler - Sculptorwww.beislerart.com

Amy Brier - Sculptorwww.amybrier.com

Eric Brock - Glassworker https://www.facebook.com/broxglass

Steve Bunjan - Woodworker sjbunjan@msn.com

Becky Crosbie - Sculptorhttps://www.facebook.com/becky.crosbie

Wende Cudmore - Scupture / Printmakinghttp://www.wendecudmore.com

DLC Designs Sculptural Services www.dlcoxsculptor.com/

Bert Gilbert - Sculpturehttp://www.gilbertarts.com

Brian Harper - Sculpturehttps://www.brianharperstudio.com/

Paige Kissinger - Glass/Sculpture/Paintingwww.paigekissinger.com

Cheryl Anne Lorance - Sculpturecherylannlorance.com/

Rob Millard-Mendez - Sculpture www.robmillardmendez.com

Amy Musia - Sculpturehttp://www.amymusia.com/

Adam Nahas- Sculptor http://www.cyclops-studios.com

Alan Shrebtienko - Wood artistonawhimwoodworks.com

Wendi Smith - Mixed Mediahttps://www.facebook.com/wendi.smith.712

Brian Somerville - Sculpturewww.claybeast.com

ARE YOU A SCULPTOR OR 3D ARTIST?LIST FOR FREE HERE!

Ceramics:

Madison Berry - Ceramicshttp://www.maddieberry.com Bill & Gean Bowen https://www.billandgean.com/ Kris Busch - Ceramicshttp://www.functionalceramics.com

Nita Claise - Potteryhttp://www.nitaclaise.com Becky Crosbie - Ceramics http://www.bashfulburroart.com/ Roberta Gayerhttps://www.facebook.com/frenchridgepottery/ Hickory Tree Studio - Pottery/Textileshttp://www.hickorytreestudio.com Brian Harper - Ceramicshttps://www.brianharperstudio.com/ Rebecca Lowery - Ceramicshttp://rebeccalowery.com/ Casey Muyskens-Toth - Ceramics/Potteryhttps://www.cmtpottery.com/ Marcy Neiditzhttp://www.marcyneiditz.com/ Eric Shotwell - Pottery/Ceramicshttps://www.facebook.com/Eric.Shotwell.Art/ Larry Spears - Pottery / Ceramics http://www.spearspottery.com Monte Young - Pottery http://www.monteyoungpottery.com Art Glass:

Lisa Marie Fowler - Lampwork/Beadshttp://www.facebook.com/inglassbeadmaker/ Liz McColm - Art Glasshttp://www.myglassfix.com Anne Miller - stain glass / lampshttp://www.anneryanmillerglassstudio.com Daniel Sims - stained glass / lampshttp://www.indianaartisan.org/artisans/artists/daniel-sims/ Zimmerman Art Glass - various glass itemshttps://www.facebook.com/ZimmermanArt-GlassBusiness/

FREE Show & Event Announcements:Please make sure to get your event ad materials into ArtistsCreating before

the 15th of the month prior to publishing date. Next issue deadline: 11/15/19.Go here for more information: www.itsallart.com/freeads.html

Coming in Fall 2020:

Dream Influence Keith J. Hampton

New Paintings & Sculpture

View Online Only Atwww.itsallart.com

222 W 2nd St. Bloomington

http://www.dimensions.artisanalley.comA P A R T O F A R T I S A N A L L E Y

COMING IN THE JUNE/JULY ISSUE OF

Kimara Wilhite Tim Lewis Cheryl Gregg

3 N E W A R T I S T I N T E R V I E W S

April : Charles Culp Opening receptions for both months are on the first Friday of the month from 5:00-9:00

May: T.K. McGuire

End A little hope goes a long way. Keith J. Hampton. Publisher

ust a few days ago, I received an email inquiring about a piece of art I created back in 2007. The man asked if it was still available and what the price would be. Not being some “sweet summer child”, I knew that it was probably a scam because not only has it happened before, but I very rarely sell a piece that isn’t fairly new, especially if it’s never been displayed in public in over 8 years. Since I know about how these things run their course, I wrote back letting him know my very strict terms (check for the exact amount to a P.O. Box, 3 weeks clear-ance on check, my packaging, my ship-per). Of course, that scared him away, thankfully.

What baffles me is how and why these people try these scams over and over, as if art-ists have no knowledge of them by now. They’re banking on our eagerness to sell something, banking on our supposed naiveté, banking on our need for validation. Yes, it’s terrible, but that’s what these criminals do on a daily basis, probably to thousands of artists. And the funny/not so funny part is how they pick the group of people that is usually the most sensitive and vulnerable in the business world. It’s almost as if we’re getting an extra helping of abuse simply because we’re creative. Let’s be serious, they wouldn’t try this with someone who sells lumber.

Creative people are often taken in by scams because we are usu-ally filled with hope. We trust our fellow humans to occasionally fulfill that hope, either at least by noticing our work or at best falling in love with it enough to want to own it or promote it or publish it. When that hope is answered with lies or abuse, it tends to make us a

little bit cynical or jaded. We trust the next guy a little less. When it happens over and over, we start trusting a lot less and we start hoping a lot less too. Some of us lose hope altogether. In a way, that means they won.

My own hope is that publishing this magazine will somehow build a little bit of trust and rekindle a little hope with my fellow creative people. I give up a little bit of time every two months and create a small, exclusive venue for people to show their work, advertise their events and list their businesses.

Why do I do this?

Because I’ve been burned and lied to and scammed many times. Even by fellow artists! And each time it happened, it created a bit of negative energy. That negative en-ergy could - if I let it - burn inside of me and make me a bitter, cyni-cal human. Instead, I try to offset it

by doing something positive. Sometimes it doesn’t work, but most of the time it does. This magazine is a good example. I get true joy from seeing this creative product and seeing your work and your words get out there to subscribers.

We’re nearing 800 subscribers now. It’s not nearly what I’d like it to be, but it’s a good, solid start. There are almost as many non-sub-scribers visiting the site to download our magazine. At

least for now they’re downloading it. That means more eyes. And the more eyes that see what you do, the more positive and hopeful I become.

If someone is scamming you or lying to you, there’s a way to erase it or at least dull it down. You can turn around and offset their nega-tive by creating a positive. You can donate your time or art. Maybe you can help spread the word about this publication. Really, any-thing that’s positive works. And that offsets the scammers’ negative. We win and they lose!

j

Notes: