Nashville Art Makers

February 2012 Artist: Lori Anne Parker-Danley

2012-02-01T08:09:00.000-08:00

How an artist sees and experiences the world impacts the work they produce. Lori Anne Parker-Danley is no exception. She's a local Nashville artist. Her work is a rich depiction of her mind and her heart full of color, motion, life and death. Her new show "The Garden of Evolution" which opens Feb. 4th at the Twist Etc. here in Nashville, Tennessee is a mix of paintings and mixed media. Lori has a PhD in philosophy, she's a strong naturalist and a heart attack survivor. All of these perspectives are woven into her work with energy and passion. The show is about transformation and growth, death and decomposition, origins and destinations. Her goal is to expose people to the beauty of such things and how our world is an ever changing and adapting garden of life and death. I had the pleasure to sit down with Lori Anne recently to get to know her a little more, talk about this exciting show and her goals for the future. Here is the video! I hope you enjoy!

Artist Bio:

Lori Anne Parker-Danley is a Nashville-based artist with a Ph.D. in philosophy from Binghamton University in upstate New York. Among the artists who inspire her are Hyman Bloom, Chaïm Soutine, Elaine DeKooning, and Anselm Kiefer. She is also influenced by the imagery, ideas, and playfulness of the Surrealists—especially Remedios Varo and Leonora Carrington—and broadly considers her work to be a conversation between expressionism and surrealism, albeit from a contemporary perspective. Despite and in spite of all the pitfalls, exclusions, and erasures associated with creating canons, schools, and art-historical categories, Lori Anne thinks that trying to make art without listening, responding, and acknowledging the artists who came before you is like painting with your eyes closed.

As a national spokesperson for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign since 2010 and a woman who had two heart attacks and bypass surgery at the age of 38 in 2009 (even though she “never thought it would happen to her”) Lori Anne has been using her art as a way to help get the word out about the risks of heart disease in women. She had her first “Art for the Heart” event in February 2011 at Rumours Wine and aRT Bar, 12 South, Nashville, which was well-received. With The Garden of Evolution, showing at Twist Etc. in February 2012, she is continuing these efforts. In honor of National Go Red month and the American Heart Association, Lori Anne will be “going red” by donating 10 percent of the artist proceeds from exhibition sales to Go Red for Women.

Artist statement about The Garden of Evolution:

Broadly conceived, The Garden of Evolution is an attempt to evoke the phenomenology of human corporeality, its relationships with the non-human natural world, and its place in the history of evolution. The exhibition and series of paintings by the same title are inspired by questions of human/biological materiality that have interested me as an artist and philosopher for many years, as well as the life-saving, emergency heart surgery I underwent in 2009, which focused my attention on these questions in a more profound, directly personal way. One of the most intense moments that happened in the days after my surgery was the experience of seeing my own heart (My surgeon took a picture of it with his iPhone during my operation). Seeing my own heart was akin to seeing my animality: the image of my heart in my cut-open chest, which could have been anybody’s heart in any cut-open chest, was jarring to me because of its biological anonymity. The heart I saw was mine, but I could never know as my own. It was me, but beyond me—the experience of looking into a mirror and staring at a stranger.

To see one’s own heart is an invitation to notice the repetition of forms, to hear the echo that beats in the chests of a billion others, to understand that there is nothing special or significant or even that original about your own heart even though it is necessary for you to live. To see one’s own heart is also an opportunity—to see through it, past it, to notice and recall patterns—such as the chambers of a human heart alongside the heart of a feline or the spiraling twist of the human inner ear alongside the curves of a buoyant nautilus or the branches of alveoli in the lungs of a rabbit that might remind one of a copse of trees. Repeating forms evoke our connections and common origin, our shared animal-plant biology. Repeating forms invite us to contemplate our existence as part of the material world and the fact that human life is but a single, small, beautiful moment in a much larger 4.5 billion-year planetary history. The Garden of Evolution is the place we all begin and a place where everything is made of stardust. The Garden of Evolution is also a dream, the other side of waking life, the strangeness that is familiar, and the constant striving where forms both old and new emerge, mingle, and transform yet again.

The paintings in this exhibition are a departure from much of my past work in terms of their increased expressiveness and the materials I’ve used. While working on this project, I have tried to simply release myself to the muscularity of the gesture and the physicality of paint. I am after paintings that aren’t representations of bodies but highly physical, bodily moments in and of themselves. This effort has drawn me to new materials: in addition to oil, graphite, and charcoal, some of the paintings in the series include elements such as cat fur, twigs, cicada exoskeletons, human hair, orchids, foliage, moss, snakeskins, and sculpted paper. Instead of using these materials to “augment” the paintings, my intention is to put these additional materials and objects in conversation with the paint and make them part of (or a continuation of) my gestures and brushstrokes. The use of various nontraditional media is also another way of expressing the subject matter of the work itself, generally the connections, transformations, and relationships between natural life forms that are part of the evolutionary process.

The exhibition at Twist Etc. has been an opportunity to push my work even further in direct response to the particular environment of the gallery space. As such, The Garden of Evolution is not simply an exhibit of paintings, but a larger on-site, multimedia art installation that includes the paintings, additional objects and effects, and a sound composition by Nashville-based guitarist and composer John Danley: Another evolution.

Listed in order of appearance:

Lori Anne Parker-Danley. Oscar's Nightmare (The Garden of Evolution #4), 2011. Oil, graphite, leaves, shedded snakeskins, and human hair on canvas, 30 x 40 in.

Lori Anne Parker-Danley. Rite of Spring (The Garden of Evolution #3), 2011. Oil, graphite, branches, various foliage, and cicada exoskeletons on canvas, 40 x 30 in.

Lori Anne Parker-Danley. Exuberant Bodies (The Garden of Evolution #6), 2011. Oil and graphite on canvas, 36 x 24 in.

Lori Anne Parker-Danley. Eerie Frondescence (The Garden of Evolution #9), 2011. Oil, graphite, charcoal, sculpted paper, cat fur, twigs, and plants on canvas, 24 x 30 in.

Lori Anne Parker-Danley. Eerie Frondescence (The Garden of Evolution #9), 2011. Oil, graphite, and charcoal on canvas, 36 x 24 in.

December 2011 Artist Andy Detwiler

2011-12-01T06:54:00.000-08:00

Andy sees what many of us don't see when looking at everyday objects! Where most see an old piano, Andy imagines the hours of dedicated study, spent creative energy and all the sing-a-longs! In an old typewriter he can picture the fingers typing the keys writing countless letters; people with a myriad of feelings from brokenhearted or overworked to those just excited to share some great news. He also knows something with character when he sees it. That's the first step, then Andy really works his magic! When he takes a picture of something the character of that object sits center stage. It's the star and we all can see for ourselves just how worthy it is. Andy's work has a life of its own and his pictures sit on the wall like ghosts from another time and another place sort of watching over things. His work ranges from photograph to mixed media and people all over middle Tennessee and beyond are knocking on Andy's door to get his work. Some are evening asking for Andy to use his skills to bring out the spirit of their own prized possessions, instruments and such. Andy is truly an artist on the rise and I know Nashville is only just getting to know the talent of this local artist! I had the pleasure to sit down with Andy recently and you can check out the video below. Enjoy!

Artist Statement

I was born into a family rooted deep in traditional values and heritage, who encouraged me at an early age to follow my dreams. I realized that I was happiest when I was creating something and this creative drive has continued throughout my life as I explored different mediums of oil, glass, and eventually film.

Raised along the coastal plains of the Deep South, I eventually settled in Nashville, TN. Over the past ten years, I have experimented with a variety of photographic styles, including traditional landscapes, soft impressionistic images, and abstracts.

My fine art photographs explore movement and merging layers to produce soft impressionistic images. The traditional landscapes offer visual depth through high contrast. And my abstracts focus on the tonal qualities of light on curved forms and intersecting planes.

More recently, I have begun to experiment with photographic transfers to wood panels in order to gain increased texture and substance in my art. My current works draw on the heritage that was instilled in me, and focuses on the culture that reminds me of my roots. This subject matter works perfectly with the transfer techniques, resulting in distressed images with creased lines that are reminiscent of a favorite photograph folded and kept close in a pocket.

Gallery Representation

Art and Invention Gallery, Nashville TN, September 2010-Present

Solo Exhibitions

Hillsboro Village Art Walk, Rodney Mitchell Salon, January 2011

Rumba, Nashville TN, Feb-March 2011

The Village Chapel, Solo Exhibition, Nashville TN, March-April, 2011

Hillsboro Village Art Walk, Rodney Mitchell Salon, May 2011

Jackson’s Bistro, Nashville TN, June-July 2011

Blackstone Restaurant and Brewery, Nashville TN, July 2011-present

Selected Group Exhibitions

The Village Chapel Group Show, Nashville TN, May-June 2010

Art Flood, Nashville TN, May 2010

Tomato Art Festival, Nashville TN, August 2010

Fight Back Move Forward, Billups Art Gallery, October 2010

The Village Chapel Group show, Nashville TN, July-August 2011

Tomato Art Festival, Nashville TN, August 2011

*Honorable Mention

Welcome to 1979, Nashville TN, November 2011-Present

Donated Work

Art Flood, Nashville TN, May 2010

Fight Back Move Forward, Billups Art Gallery, October 2010

The REIN Event, Nashville TN, November 2010

Overbrook School Fundraiser, Loveless Café, April 2011

Andy's website:

http://detwiler-photography.com/

It was a pleasure to sit down with Andy this month and we here at Nashville Art Makers wish him the very best!

See you next month and next year!!

November 2011 Artist: Bryan Edwards - Nashville recording artist & songwriter

2011-11-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

This month we sat down with Nashville recording artist and songwriter Bryan Edwards to discuss his song "If She Could See Me Now", his new album "Nothing Left To Burn" and the fact his future is looking brighter than ever!

It's been a great year for Bryan. His song "If She Could See Me Now" was cut by Country superstar Jason Aldean on Jason's latest double platinum record "My Kinda Party". The song was written by Bryan along with Bill Luther and Justin Weaver back in 2007. Like many songs in this town it spent some time being pitched and performed looking for that one break. When Justin Weaver was able to play the song for Jason Aldean while he was with Jason on tour, the break arrived. Jason heard it, Jason loved it and now YOU can buy it!

It's a great song about regret and reformation with a melody made for the radio. The lyrics are clear and concise with an opening line which paints the perfect picture to open the song. Below are the lyrics:

If She Could See Me Now

(Bill Luther, Justin Weaver, Bryan Edwards)

Wasn't a stone I wouldn't throw

When I wrecked it

My foolish words so cruel and cold, were disconnected

Tell me why when she cried all I did was close my eyes

If she could see me now

If she could see me breaking down

Maybe she'd turn around

If she could see me now

Now the sunshine feels like rain trying to drown me

and the world feels out of place all around me

So I wait and I pray, I'll run into her someday

If she could see me now

If she could see me breaking down

Maybe she'd turn around

If she could see me now

So many things I want to tell her show her

Just how bad I need her, miss her, lover

If she could see me now

If she could see me breaking down

Maybe she'd turn around

If she could see me now

If she could see me breaking down

Maybe she'd turn around

If she could see me now

***End of lyrics***

Like many of the songs that Bryan has written over the years it deals with people, love, life and what happens when they collide. From the fireworks to the embers Bryan has a talent for crafting songs that touch on the feelings in between. Check out part 1 of my interview with Bryan where we focus on what it was like to write the song and all that has changed since it was cut by Jason Aldean.

All About the Song "If She Could See Me Now"

Part 1

Part 2 of our interview focuses on Bryan's new record. His first full length studio album is titled "Nothing Left to Burn" produced by the very talented Mark Lonsway and Bryan as well. This debut set is a bold statement from a talented artist. Bryan proves he's not afraid to take chances and speak to the heart of an issue even if takes us into the shadows.

For a record burning with desire and tragedy, the match is lit with the opening track "Bridges & Fires". Immediately you can tell these aren't songs about easy love. They're about all the passion, conflict and fireworks that follow when two people collide. The second track "Still", will keep playing in your head as it reminds us that with heartache comes revelation and that any regrets should always move us to forgiveness. Songs like "Broken" and "Leaving Easy" survey the battle field of a failed relationship while Track 5 "Ain't Nobody" provides an eye in the storm. That comes in the form of a sweet little love song that almost feels like a look back to the beginning of love when forever seems certain and that innocent hope still was at the helm. "Only Lonely" brings you back to reality with an infectious groove and solid melodic hook.

The last Bryan Edwards original on the record is "You Win the War" which plays like a musical tap out. The battles are over, the casualties assessed and the white flags are raised. Bryan closes the album with the Chris Isaaks classic "Wicked Game". It serves as a perfect summation of the struggle and almost leaves you with the feeling that Bryan is about to start the whole process over again with someone new. Overall it is the best "concept album" that isn't a concept album I've ever heard from one of Nashville's brightest up and coming artists. This is an album that won't disappoint! Make sure you get your copy!

Overall it was great to sit down with Bryan and talk about his recent success and we look forward to touching base with him in the future as he continues to make progress in Music City and beyond. We wish Bryan the best of luck and we hope you have enjoyed the interviews and getting to know him a little more. We'll see you next month!

Bryan Edward Links
http://www.bryanedwardsmusic.com
http://www.facebook.com/bryanedwardsmusic

October 2011 Artist: Adam Burrows

2011-10-01T15:30:00.000-07:00

Nashville Art Makers presents
Talking About the Song: "San Diego Sally"

Here in Nashville they say it's all about the song! Well with that in mind this month were going to explore that a little, get to know one song in particular and the artist who brought it to life. Recently we sat down with Adam Burrows to discuss his song San Diego Sally of his new album Tall Tales. It is a simple tale about a brother who misses his sister and Adam weaves this story with elegance and grace. When you read the lyrics you can just picture these two, when you hear Adam sing the song, well you can feel them too. Adam and I talked a little about this song and more.

SAN DIEGO SALLY - lyrics

SAN DIEGO SALLY COME EAST YOU'RE OVERDUE A FRESH BREATH OF APPALACHIAN AIR

I'VE BEEN WORKING OVERTIME AND MISSING MY BIG SISTER COLOR FADED AFTER YOU LEFT HERE

REMEMBER JUMPING OFF THE ROCKS AT SUTTON DAM WATCHING THE WATER WASH AWAY OUR WOES

FLOATING ON AN INNER TUBE AND LISTENING TO THE BLUEGRASS STATION ON THE RADIO

PEOPLE ASK ABOUT YOU IN THE SUPER MARKET CHECKOUT LINE

I TELL 'EM YOU'LL BE COMING 'ROUND THE MOUNTAIN THROUGH THE VALLEY

ANY DAY AND I'LL BE WAITING FOR YOU

SAN DIEGO SALLY

SAN DIEGO SALLY THEY SAY THAT CALIFORNIA CAN CHANGE A PERSON THROUGH AND THROUGH

I DON'T FOLLOW THE NEWS BUT I SUSPECT THAT CALIFORNIA MIGHT BE CHANGING ON ACCOUNT OF YOU

WE ALWAYS KNEW YOU'D GROW UP AND GO AWAY YOU WERE TOO RESTLESS FOR THIS SLEEPY TOWN

NO MATTER HOW FAR UP THE LADDER YOU CLIMB REMEMBER WE'LL ALWAYS BE HERE WHEN YOU COME BACK DOWN

PEOPLE ASK ABOUT YOU IN THE SUNDAY MORNING SERVICE CHOIR

I TELL 'EM YOU'LL BE COMING 'ROUND THE MOUNTAIN THROUGH THE VALLEY

WHEN YA COMING WE'RE ALL WAITING FOR YOU

SAN DIEGO SALLY

ALL THESE COMPANY HOUSES THEY STILL LOOK THE SAME

HARD LUCK PEOPLE WITH BLACK DUST SMILES

I'VE BEEN DIGGING COAL AND MISSING YOU LIKE CRAZY

SALLY COME BACK EAST FOR JUST A LITTLE WHILE

SAN DIEGO SALLY BRING A SOUVENIR MAYBE SOME SEA SHELLS OR A PADRES SHIRT

WE'LL HAVE CORN BREAD AND TOMATOES AND WE'LL STAY UP LATE TELLING STORIES AND LAUGHING 'TIL IT HURTS

Check out the interview and I hope you enjoy!!

A Live performance of San Diego Sally by Adam Burrows

Check out more from Adam at:

http://adamburrows.com/

http://meandthemachinerecords.com/

September 2011 Artist John Donovan

2011-09-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

Artist's have always throughout time taken pieces of the past and married it with the present. Why not? Those days are as much ours as the ones we live in now. In reality without it there is no today and it's vital for us to observe and learn from those who gone before us. At least logic would suggest! We also as artists are called to show the world new ways of looking at itself. One way of doing that is through irony and humor. Nashville artist and sculptor John Donovan does just that.

Originally form Florida and the Gulf Coast, John brings that quintessential touch of subtle humor that region is known for to his work as he highlights some of the fascinating dichotomies that exist in our "post modern" world. His work is a union of history and fantasy, past cultures and modern cartoons. His craftsmanship is superb and his vision is focused and clear. He's also a family man and a really great guy! What else could you want or expect from a Nashville artist! I sat down with John recently and had a wonderful conversation. Here is the video, enjoy!!

John Donovan Interview

John Donovan Artist Statement:

My current body of work recasts Pre-Columbian clay warrior figures, Japanese Haniwa horses, colossal Olmec heads and primitive weapons and armor as reflections upon contemporary concerns. The human propensity toward violence and war serves as a starting point for this work, as does the role of art to provide a cultural record and invite community members to engage in self-reflection. These pieces appear light-hearted and reminiscent of dolls, toys, cartoon icons or action figures. A narrative thread can be drawn through this work, casting individual pieces as somewhat playful interpretations of warriors, heroes, deities or rivals. This work is ultimately to enjoy, and hopefully to instigate a dialog with the viewer.

Artist Resume

John P. Donovan

[2108 Pontotoc Ave., Nashville, TN 37206] [615.516.4342] [jdonovan@mtsu.edu]

MFA- Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX 1997

MA- Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX 1996

BFA- Loyola University, New Orleans, LA 1994

Gallery Representation

> LeMieux Galleries, New Orleans, LA

> Zeitgeist Art Gallery, Nashville, TN

> MT Burton Gallery, Long Beach Island, NJ

Professional Experience

> Assistant Professor, Middle Tennessee State University Art Department, Murfreesboro, TN, 2006-present

> Artist in Residence, Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Newcastle, ME, 2011

> Juror, Tennessee Association of Craft Artists Biennial Exhibition, Murfreesboro, TN, 2010

> Juror, Vanderbilt University Student Art Exhibition, Nashville, TN, 2009

> Instructor, Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts, Murfreesboro, TN, 2006-08

> Instructor, Watkins College of Art & Design, Nashville, TN, 2005

> Juror, Tennessee Scholastic Arts Competition, Nashville, TN, 2004-05

> Instructor, O’More College of Design, Franklin, TN, 2004-05

> Instructor, Volunteer State College, Gallatin, TN, 2004-05

> Instructor, Cheekwood Museum of Art, Nashville, TN, 2004-05

> Exhibition Installations, Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville, TN, 2004-06

> Assistant to Artist Sylvia Hyman, Nashville, TN, 2004

> Exhibition Installations, Metro Nashville Arts in the Airport, Nashville, TN, 2003-2005

> Gallery Assistant, Cumberland Gallery, Nashville, TN, 2003-04

> Assistant Professor, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL, 1998-2003

> Juror, Ft. Walton Beach Art Museum Juried Exhibition, Ft. Walton Beach, FL, 2000

> Visiting Faculty, University of Costa Rica, San Jose, CR, 2000

> Juror, Gulf Breeze Arts Festival, Gulf Breeze, FL, 1999

> Studio Assistant (ceramics), Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC, 1998

> Assistant to Artist Peter King, Stonehaus Architectural Ceramics, Pensacola, FL, 1997-2002

> Graduate Instructor, Stephen F. Austin State Univ., Nacogdoches, TX, 1996-97

Selected Exhibitions (* indicates solo exhibition)

> *This Ridiculous Fight, Zeitgeist Art Gallery, Nashville, TN, 2011

> Toys.Art.Us, Wiregrass Museum of Art, Dothan, AL, 2011

> Gulf NOW, invitational regional exhibition, Space 301, Mobile, AL, 2010-11

> Growing Pains invitational exhibition, LeMieux Galleries, New Orleans, LA, 2010

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> Texas National Juried Exhibition, Judy Pfaff, juror, Stephen F. Austin State Univ., Nacogdoches, TX, 2010

> 2010 National Juried Show, Lance Esplund, juror, First Street Gallery, New York, NY, 2010

> *Myth, Flying Solo Series, Nashville Arts at the Airport, Nashville, TN 2009-10

> Southeast College Arts Conference (SECAC) Annual Juried Exhibition, Art in Academia, Mobile, AL, 2009

> *Unearthed Meaning, Zeitgeist Art Gallery, Nashville, TN, 2009

> JSN 2009, Jersey Shore National Juried Exhibition, MT Burton Gallery, Surf City, NJ, 2009

> Art in Open Spaces, Terazzo & Zeitgeist Art Gallery, Nashville, TN 2009

> *Acts of Minor Heroism, LeMieux Galleries, New Orleans, LA, 2009

> Contrary Tales, Tennessee Arts Commission Gallery, Nashville, TN, 2008

> Introduction to Ceramics, Vanderbilt University Commons Center, Nashville, TN, 2008

> Silver, 25^th Anniversary Invitational Exhibition, LeMieux Galleries, New Orleans, LA, 2008

> Dialogue 3: Sculpture, Zeitgeist Art Gallery, Nashville, TN, 2008

> *Lions, Tigers & Bears, the Renaissance Center, Dickson, TN, 2008

> Of the Body, Todd Art Gallery, MTSU Dept. of Art, Murfreesboro, TN, 2007

> Contemporary Ceramics, Ruby Green Art Gallery, Nashville, TN, 2007

> *Bothersome Little Things, Zeitgeist Art Gallery, Nashville, TN, 2006

> Boomerang, invitational alumni exhibition, Loyola University, New Orleans, LA, 2006

> You are Here, Ruby Green Art Gallery, Nashville, TN, 2005

> *Microbe Mania, LeMieux Galleries, New Orleans, LA, 2005

> Eponymous, Zeitgeist Art Gallery, Nashville, TN, 2005

> Mish-Mash, national invitational show during NCECA conference, Baltimore, MD, 2005

> 3^rd World Ceramic Biennale International Competition (honorable mention), Icheon, South Korea, 2005

> *Artifacts of Innocence, Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL, 2005

> The Best of Tennessee Craft, Biennial Juried Show, Tennessee State Museum, Nashville, TN, 2004

> *Warning Signs, Serenity Gallery, Bay St. Louis. MS, 2004

> *Glorious Gifts! The Fugitive Art Center, Nashville, TN, 2004

> Play, GULF Alternative Art Space, Fairhope, AL, 2004

> Small Packages 9, Cumberland Gallery, Nashville, TN, 2003

> Untitled 2-Person Exhibition, LeMieux Galleries, New Orleans, LA, 2003

> Emergence Theory, national invitational show during NCECA conference, Charlotte, NC, 2001

> *Untitled exhibit of ceramic sculpture, M.T. Burton Gallery, Surf City, NJ, 2001

> *Hit the Dirt! Ft. Walton Beach Art Museum, Ft. Walton Beach, FL, 2001

> *Toys, D.O.C.S. Gallery, New Orleans, LA, 2000

> Lafayette Art Association National Juried Exhibition (award winner), Lafayette, LA, 2000

> *King for a Day, Soho Gallery, Pensacola, FL, 1999

> *Recent Ceramic Works, D.O.C.S. Gallery, New Orleans, LA, 1998

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> Laying Hands; Expressions of Religion, juried exhibition, Artel Gallery, Pensacola, FL, 1998

> Emerging Artists of the U.S., national juried exhibition, Vermont Clay Studio, Montpelier, VT, 1998

> *Recent Works, Soho Gallery, Pensacola, FL, 1997

> Cinco Banderas juried exhibition, Artel Gallery, Pensacola, FL, 1997

> Feats of Clay X, national juried exhibition, Lincoln, CA, 1997

> From the Ground Up XVI, regional juried exhibition (award winner), El Paso, TX, 1997

Selected Lectures & Workshops

> Exploring Social Content in Art, panelist, SECAC Conference, Mobile, AL, 2009

> Promotion & Tenure, Rules & Rumors, panel chair, SECAC Conference, Mobile, AL, 2009

> From Ha-ha-ha to Hmmm… Humor in Art, panelist, SECAC Conference, New Orleans, LA, 2008

> Smoke-Fired Sculpture, workshop & lecture, Loyola University, New Orleans, LA, 2008

> Pit-firing workshop, the Renaissance Center, Dickson, TN, 2008

> Exploring the Creative Process, lecture, MTSU Art Dept. Lecture Series, Murfreesboro, TN, 2007

> Presenter, the International Architectural Ceramics Symposium, St Petersburg, FL, 2006

> Artist Lecture Series, Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville, TN, 2006

> Handbuilding Sculptural Forms, workshop & lecture, Belmont University, Nashville, TN, 2006

> Smoke-Fired Sculpture, workshop & lecture, Loyola University, New Orleans, LA, 2002

> Molds and Multiples, workshop & lecture, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, 2002

> Large-scale Clay, workshop, L.B.I. Foundation for the Arts and Sciences, Long Beach Island, NJ, 2000

> Studio workshop, National University, Costa Rica, 1998

> Lecture, University of Costa Rica, San Jose, CR, 1998

> Architectural Clay Studio Workshop, N.B. Cook Arts Magnate School, Pensacola, FL, 1995

Selected Publications

> Nashville Scene, Jet-propelled bunnies… David Maddox, June 2009

> Nashville Scene, Who Are You, Joe Nolan, May 2009

> Nashville Scene, Contrary to Popular Belief, Amanda Dillingham, May 2008

> Verbicide, Little Boy Found, Lisa Rierson, June 2005

> Art Papers, Nashville review, Jessica Owings, Sept/Oct 2004

> Nashville Scene, Scraps, David Maddox, May 2004

> New Orleans Art Review, Youthful Concerns, Simeon Hunter, January 2003

> New Orleans Times-Picayune, Belly of the Beast, Doug MacCash, January 2003

> Architectural Ceramics (work featured), Peter King, Lark publishing, 2001

> The Sandpaper, Surf City, NJ, Whimsy Carries Artist from Nursery to Gallery, Larry Savadore, May 2001

> New Orleans Times-Picayune, Toy Soldiers Pack a Big Emotional Charge, Doug MacCash, September 2000

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Awards & Honors

> Tennessee Board of Regents Access and Diversity Grant Recipient, 2011

> Tennessee Arts Commission Personal Development Grant, 2010, 2007

> Awarded competitive exhibition, Tennessee Arts Commission, 2007

> Honorable Mention, 3^rd World Ceramic Biennale International Competition, Icheon, South Korea, 2005

> Award of Merit, Lafayette Art Assoc. National Juried Exhibition, 2000

> Honorable Mention, From the Ground Up XVI, 1997

> Graduate Assistantship, Stephen F. Austin State Univ., 1994-97

> Graduate Student Competitive Scholarship, Stephen F. Austin State Univ., 1994-95

> Loyola University Art Dept. Outstanding Senior Award, 1994

> Loyola University Ceramics Pyrotechnic Achievement Award, 1994

> Southern Pottery Outstanding Ceramics Student, 1993

Collections

> Tennessee Arts Commission, Nashville, TN

> Office of the President, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL

> Office of International Affairs, University of Costa Rica, San Jose, CR

> Loyola University Alumni Association Collection, New Orleans, LA

> Stonehaus Architectural Ceramics, Pensacola, FL

> Baskerville & Donovan Inc., Architects & Engineers, Pensacola, FL

> The private collection of John S. Cummings, Nashville, TN

> The private collection of Carol Stein, director, Cumberland Gallery, Nashville, TN

August 2011 Artist Dooby Tomkins

2011-08-01T05:53:00.000-07:00

Art is many things to many people. Dooby Tomkins understands that well and has no problem letting you decide!

He absorbs his surroundings, takes in the culture he lives in and begins to break it down. Piece by piece he puts it back together to create something new. Not only to him but to all of us who view his work. The real beauty of what Dooby is doing is that he gives us all an opportunity to keep our own perspectives and run with them. In an age with an abundance of opinions and no shortage of people willing to have them, Dooby's work is refreshing. Unlike talking heads and political pundits Dooby isn't telling anyone how they should think.
He leaves that up to you and by doing that his work becomes even more relevant than the conclusions that people can come up with. A pluralist painter open to many interpretations,
I sat down with Dooby recently to discuss his work. Below you'll find the videos and transcipt. Enjoy!!

Interview with Dooby Tomkins Part 1

Interview with Dooby Tomkins part 2

RC: Why did Batman Steal Third?

DT: Why did Batman steal third? Ah yer supposed to tell me!

RC: lol!! I’m supposed to tell you.

DT: Yer supposed to tell me! That’s the whole make up of it!

RC: That’s awesome! Uh, okay! If I’m supposed to come up with why Batman stole third can you tell me what brought about that piece of work?

DT: It’s an amalgam of imagery and text I like to throw together to force or attempt to force each to address it...

RC: So in a sense, uh I might get metaphysical here, how...

DT: Yeah, talk about whatever!

RC: You know like how light refracts differently through different prisms from like different angles...

DT: Yeah, each person is a different prism is the idea.

RC: so based on where they come from or what they’re carrying with them, what they see it equals that.

DT: Right! Yeah, you know, not to be dark or graphic but if your mother was murdered on top of a pile of Batman comics or something you’re gonna view it a lot differently than someone who grew up watching the 60’s cartoon. It’s like all great!

RC: Very cool, very cool! Go through a little bit... Uh, the majority of the works we are focusing on in the blog are paintings, can you go through a little bit of your process of painting and what gets you there, what materials you use... the way you go about it?

DT: Materials I use, I’ll start off, I use anything from household paint to professional oil paints. Uh, I like to mix and match. A lot of my under layers are acrylics. They dry faster and it’s easier to work with them and then a lot of times I use oils cause you can get richer colors on top of that. I derive most of my source material from you know all over. If I see a pattern I like here at a Mexican restaurant I might take a picture of it and try to use it in a painting later or if I’m flipping through a magazine and see an image I like like a hand or you know something, anything! Than I might take that. You know, very Van Peric... I do a lot of collage. Like pre-work collage to try and get an idea, but it also helps to be able to rescale things you know what I mean? So like “Oh, what would this look like if it was huge!”

RC: So you would say that you probably... let’s say you do a painting that is 30”x30” or what ever... a larger painting, you may do a small thumbnail collage to give you some idea?

DT: sometimes.

RC: loosely, you know...

DT: loosely, sometimes... a lot of times I’ll gather the images and sketch out maybe an idea of how I want it and then other times to be totally honest I’ll start with something I just find that I really like and work around that so you know it’s a little bit of a push and pull as far as that goes.

RC: Um, if you look at your artwork immediately what people will see or notice without a doubt is they will start to see elements of pop culture...

DT: sure.

RC: So how does pop culture influence your work or you which then influences the work?

DT: Well man especially in this day and age where a lot of us are made up of a lot of pop culture. I mean I can’t speak for everyone but I probably know more about pop culture references than I do you know history...

...but it is all about being able to connect with or to feel some sort of connection to something. I mean, um even if it is something as vague as a billboard you and I both have driven by and then there is a connection, but then that prism as you called it acts a central that connects us! And it also is a universalizing agent a little bit... you know anyone can relate to it in a sense.

RC: The other thing that I noticed in your work which uh... well I say that with a grain because it may be something I noticed but it may not necessarily be there from the way that it is presented but sometimes there are elements of politics that sorta of might be woven in the fray of the work. How important is politics to you in regards to your art work of what you're trying to say?

DT: Umm... the longer I've done it I think the less I would call it important just because I've become less interested in politics probably.

RC: Sure.

DT: Umm... Yeah there's definitely some sneaky, subtle little things in there probably any artist puts in there, yeah maybe 90% of people might be totally in your face where you see that is the main figure or might be a little bit more avert that you may not notice I guess so in a way I would say it is not terrible important you know... it's more about how you feel about it so...

RC: Sure.

DT: So you can come in and see a picture of Hillary Clinton and say "awe I love this it's Hillary Clinton!" or come in and say "ew he painted that!" you know it's just like looking up at any portrait and say "look at that evil man!" or "look at that great figure of history!"

RC: Depending on who you are...

DT: Right!

RC: or how you see the world.

DT: Right.

RC: Kinda going in a fun direction, I kinda like to ask fun questions...

DT: Yes!

RC: If you had the opportunity to be a working painter/artist in a different decade or if you really feel the need to go back that far...

DT: I'm building a Delorean.

RC: Ha ha, if you're building a Delorean, ready to go, uh besides this one obviously being a working artist now, when would think would be a really great time for you to be an artist?

DT: To be an artist? Oh man that is good questions! I don't know. I think probably... i feel really related to my time now. As we get more and more media, more and more media friendly everyone has their iPod with a thousand songs on it, everybody has their laptop, it seems like we're being more and more inundated with this kind of confusion almost with imagery and sound and text you know it becomes... it becomes this other form and that's what I try to express in my art so...

RC: So you feel pretty at home in the now?

DT: I feel pretty at home with now and sure it would've been cool to be in the 60's or 70's or something!

RC: Sure... you know maybe sometimes...

DT: Maybe that was for different reasons though...

RC: Yeah could be for sure! I think sometimes it is interesting because we all feel a little at home in our time and sometime not at home you know...

DT: That's true too! Ask me on a different day!

RC: Yeah, but it is defiantly interesting to think about other times and what it would be like work in that time with the restrictions they had and also the freedoms they had to create...

DT: Sure it would of been great to be the first person to ever think of doing art this way you know!

RC: Yeah! Exactly! But then the question is would you of? You know?

DT: Yeah! Right exactly! In a way I kinda think originality is dead if that makes sense so.

RC: What makes you, since you said it, like what makes you feel, what signs do you have that make you feel that it's dead?

DT: Uh, a lot of things! I mean the only thing, I feel like the only thing we're doing this day and age is restructuring and reconfiguring things that already exist. If that makes sense.

RC: It's almost like taking all the picture that other people have made and taking them apart and gluing them back together...

DT: I mean yeah in a sense. In a sense not just pictures necessarily but ideas, philosophys...

RC: Yeah that is what I mean.

DT: ...even political views and things like that... um all seem to of become strange web were you pick and choose. I mean nothing a linear fasion anymore it's all over the place a little bit. And I even feel like peoples brains even work like that now.

RC: Do you think that is the.. you think that is a chicken vs the egg situation where as peoples brains work that way because of this or do you think because of this that is why now people think that way?

DT: Well it's hard to say cause you can get into a lot of socio-ecomonic political issues and part of it is living in America to! In a third world country it might be completely different. Their probably not innidated with so much media. I defiantly feel like I'm an American artist if that makes any sense. I like reflect what is around me, what I'm used too in a way. What I'm comfortable with.

***End of Part 1**

RC: What quintessential of American Art...? You have the American artist like Jasper Johns in their time...

DT: Sure

RC: They were doing certain things that set them apart from artists we see in other areas in the world, like if you were....

DT: Do you know any artists that you consider quintessential American?

RC: I don’t know

DT: That’s it, there’s so many. There’s so much going on. If someone asked me like...have you heard any great new bands? Sure, I’ve heard 5 this week. There’s so much...how do you...and the way we make connections and I guess establish our “person” is through what we decide is important, what we dig out, what we hold on to, what becomes the focus of our interests.

RC: Exactly

DT: I guess, I don’t know. I guess I can’t answer that question.

RC: It’s probably not...

DT: It’s a little open ended.

RC: It’s definitely open ended. I think the first time I really started to feel that way, and you may relate with this, in the middle of this past decade, before Face book blew up and MySpace got popular, you started to realize that there were a billion bands on MySpace that were trying to make it and there’s like....

DT: And you start realizing how much there is out there. I mean we’re allowed to reach everything now.

RC: Yeah, so it’s mind boggling.

DT: It is mind boggling.

RC: It doesn’t make any sense...it really....

DT: I guess that’s a little bit of what I want in my art...a little bit mind boggling.

RC: Okay, well that’s interesting. I think....I think that’s cool because it a....it really sets you at a place in this time really well. And what I’ve seen of your artwork, it does that, because literally I can look at it and I can start having fun with it and say, okay I’m gonna put this piece together and this piece together and create this idea or thought or image or whatever, or if I really wanted to, I could look at it and like yeah I just don’t think it means anything!

DT: Right, right, well it’s man’s natural....

RC: Tendency.

DT: Tendency is to create a narrative of images...you know, or however it’s placed together to consider and I guess I’m trying to disrupt that to some extent.

RC: Sure. This is interesting, so ultimately this is what you do throughout your career. It seems to me that you have set up a cat and mouse game throughout your life or career.

DT: Sure

RC: And it’s playing this game constantly’ “I know you’re gonna turn this into something, so let’s see what you do”...even though it doesn’t...

DT: And people who, you know, have grown up with me know me very well can probably see some biographical elements in it, more so than, you know, Joe Shmo on the street.

RC: Yeah, we didn’t grow up together...

DT: Right, which I appreciate them noticing that and I appreciate that it’s something can do to someone else.

RC: Yeah. Very cool. What steps could you take to start out to get… you say you’re a bad self promoter, well I think a lot of people are bad self promoters so what steps did you take to break that cycle a little bit and get into some of these galleries that you did. You know.

DT: I’ve worked a little bit harder at putting together, you know, a packet of information about myself that I sent to several galleries, that was rejected or never replied to and in that way I think it was a lot easier to kind of get myself out there, than you know, knocking on someone’s door being face to face… so this day and age there’s so many ways to get your stuff out there without....you know if you’re a shy artist or you know...just don’t like people...

RC: Sure

DT: There’s so many ways

RC: There’s a lot more...

DT: Build a website...sell art out of your house... lots of people do it.

RC: They do.

DT: It’s a lot easier...it’s a lot easier world to get into and also in a lot of ways, a lot more difficult.

RC: Yeah, It’s so weird like... it feels like it’s so easy it still feels like you’re alone in a room yelling out.

DT: Well, and the problem is 90% of what is in your face is crap.

RC: So it makes people even less...

DT: Right, yeah more turned off with the idea of something in their face!

RC: Yeah, it’ll be interesting how that evolves into the navigation of what people do. Kind of bringing it down to here, this is Nashville Art Makers and you are a Nashville artist, what are your feelings about the Nashville art scene, it could be something as simple as how you’ve seen it change...you know, what are your thoughts?

DT: My thoughts are we’re headed in the right direction...I mean, Nashville is just not country music any more I don’t think...I feel it’s definitely interested in the arts, there are local, great artists working right now. I don’t know long enough to say “than ever before” but there’s definitely a scene, and think it’s very up and coming and has real potential.

RC: I would agree. The cool thing is we’ve done, you’ll be the 4^th interview I’ve done for Nashville Art Makers and there’s definitely a consensus so far that people feel like that Nashville is going in the right direction...very positive about the ways have changed You know I moved here what I would say was probably the middle of the major of a… decade that really changed a lot.

DT: Sure.

RC: From the beginning of Frist Center opened...

DT: 2000 to now.

RC: Yeah, a lot has changed and it’s been really neat to see that. If you were to move away from painting into other mediums and other ways of expressions in art, what one’s are right now on the peripheral interest you?

DT: I’m a painter and drawer by nature, I’m drawn to 2D world, but in a sense I would see some sort of installation work, you know...

RC: Yeah.

DT: Eventually, I mean or along the same lines, maybe with some moving...I’m not going to give away all....

RC: Yeah, yeah

DT: But some moving parts. You know, I could definitely get into video or things like that.

RC: Sure.

DT: But I think it would always be connected in some way to a painting or to painting...I always wished I had learned animation.

RC: Animation. I always wanted to learn that too. Having your day job where you work actually setting up shows and putting things together and that whole process, how does that change the way you look at what you’re doing? Does it at all?

DT: At what I’m doing?

RC: Yes, as an artist and how you approach...

DT: I’d say the best thing is exposer.

RC: Exposer? I would agree. Any time you can constantly put things in your face that whether it inspires you or change the way you look. It’s gonna help.

DT: Yeah.

DT: Yeah...well books....reading....there’s a lot of other ways.

RC: Yeah, it’s really good, as like a songwriter, to read a lot because other people’s stories help you out with your stories.

DT: Right, anything you can find that’s in relation to it is important in some ways.

RC: Okay, well I guess my last question to put a bookend on it....what do you feel like or what are your goals for the next 5 years as an artist?

DT: As an artist?

RC: Yeah.

DT: Well I hope to....

RC: Or anything closer…

DT: I hope to get married to an artist, have artist babies...

RC: Nice!

DT: Buy an artist house...nah, I don’t know...

RC: An artist dog?

DT: An artist dog and a picket painted fence. I don’t know what yet, but it’s gonna be art.

RC: It’s gonna be a collage.

DT: Collage...but I don’t know man...that’s a hard question cause it’s not easy to keep yourself working...ya know?

RC: Yeah.

DT: 5 years from now? I hope I’m still working...how about that?

RC: Yeah, hope you’re still making....

DT: Hope I’m still making what I want to be making.

RC: Okay. Real quick, before we go, why don’t you go ahead and let everyone at Nashville Art Makers know some of the galleries you’ve shown at and if you have a website or anything.

DT: Yeah, sure. You can go to www.doobyt.com and I’m also with www.therymergallery.com and they’re down on 5^th. Check them out anytime and a ...

RC: That’s it?

DT: I don’t know, you can be my Face book friend if you want.

RC: Yeah. All right, well thanks everybody for checking us out. I want to thank my friend, Dooby here for sitting down and talking and everyone here at the Fiesta Azteca Mexican Restaurant. We’re going to eat some delicious Mexican food....we hope you guys have a great time. Thanks. We’ll see ya. Bye.

***end of Part 2***

Open House Show

Nashville Education, Community & Arts Television, Peg Studio, 120 White Bridge Rd.,

Nashville, TN

The Art Of Protest

Vanderbilt Divinity School, 411 21^st Ave. South, Nashville, TN –

Eye Candy Show

The Rymer Gallery, 233 5^th Ave. N., Nashville, TN-

Rumble 2010

Rumble Art Fair, 1187 Coast Village Rd Suite 146, Montecito, CA- Rumble 2010

July 2011 Artist: Marleen De Waele-De Bock

2011-07-01T06:53:00.000-07:00

I've learned in my short time living and working here n Nashville that people wind up here from all over the world! Marleen De Waele-De Bock is just one of those fascinating people!! Marleen is originally from Belgium. After studying printmaking at Ghent University she and her husband found their way to Mozambique, South Africa and finally here to Nashville. She has seen the world, met the people and has been telling her story through her art all along the way! Her paintings burst with color, texture and energy and even more importantly they carry Marleen's signature character and style. I sat down with Marleen recently in her beautiful home in Brentwood to discuss her life story and her art! I hope you enjoy the conversation!!

Interview part 1

Interview part 2

Growing up in Belgium

RC: Will you describe what Belgium is like?

MDD: Yes! Born in Belgium and I spent my teenage years and my college years all in Belgium so... yeah! What can I say about Belgium? It's a very small country. It's a good country to live in? You know, I like it, but I know that the weather is not nice to live there. People are complaining often about the weather.

RC: What's the weather like?

MDD: Well, it's not extreme cold or it's not extreme warm. It's like England. Mainly grey like we have here in Nashville. So that influences the people cause when the weather is nice people are so much more happy and alive and talk to each other. But in general it's a western country. It's in the middle of Europe. It's very stable. It's a rich country and the education is well organized. The school systems are well organized.

RC: Where did you go to school in Belgium?

MDD: Well in Belgium we don't have the system like here (with) public and private so everyone mainly goes free... ...(I went to a) small elementary in small little village and then I went to the big city, Ghent to do my art school.

RC: So you went to art school in Ghent.

MDD: In Ghent and I went to like high school here but it was for people with a kind of talent like art so it's like a normal curriculm like you have in high school but it's a bit more focused on art and then when I was 18 years old, that was between 15 and 18, so when I was done with high school I stayed at the same school and I did like 4 year specialization. That's the hightest...

RC: What did you specialize... ?

MDD: Printmaking

RC: Printmaking! Okay, and did you do printmaking outside? Once you graduated there did you kinda go into printmaking?

MDD: Cause you see that's the problem! When you do printmaking it is very intense and it's very technical and we came out with only twelve in our art school and we don't have many art schools so not a lot of people are coming out with that degree in Belgium. ...the problem is what do you do with that degree because you need your studio with all your equiptment, your press, your chemical stuff, your... tons of stuff to have... to make prints, to print or to do printmaking. So yes, I didn't to it a lot after graduating with printmaking... ...bacause actually immediately after I gradutated I left for Africa.

Leaving Europe

RC: What actually brought you to Mozambique?

MDD: Mozambique! That's my husband, he has to take that.. he's responsible.

RC: He's responsible!

MDD: Yeah, he actually is a geologist! It's hard to find work in Belgium. Most people go over seas, especially in Africa to other countries. He had always dreamed to do some work in Africa in his field so... and we were very hippy type of people and we were open you know a jump, a challenge in life and umm... I thought I realized it was such a poor country but I thought I could do it but i was very hard! Yes it was very hard to be in Mozambique...

from Mozambique to South Africa

RC: so at some point in time you went to South Africa...

MDD: That was in 1990...

RC: What did you do there?

MDD: It was better conditions there because before (in Mozambique) we were like... kinda based on a volunteering contract... ...but South Africa changed the whole journey I would say because we went with the company so good contract, better country, more stable. Lots of people poor but lots of people you know doing well too. The infrustructure... for me to live with a small family, a young family... cause at that time I had too small children there was food to buy there was everything to buy! (but) it was not difficult to survive in my condition.

RC: Yeah...

MDD: But again, why I was going to South Africa... I was following my husband.

RC: Well you know that is a common story in a lot of ways. When we decide to get married we make decisions together and sometimes those decisions bring us to places we might not originally gone.

MDD: Exactly yes, but I'm happy cause I did all these things and traveled not to just South Africa, southern Africa, more countries in Africa and yes that's why... because he brought me there I could do and have a broader view of the world. Maybe I'd still be the artist in Belgium.

RC: Maybe!

RC: You have said your time in Africa has affected your art work so can you explain more about that?

MDD: Yes, because I think all artists they keep their eyes open and their ears open and you're aware of what is around you. So for me Africa, that is real different culture. Because the people are different. I was used to painting or drawing white people and now suddenly I had all these black people so... and their faces are different. That inspired different things. You had to use another color palette. You have to look different to the faces. They have beautiful faces! I was so inspired by them. They are colorful! Uh, I mean the fruit, the food, the way they dress, their culture it's so different, ofcourse ofcourse you're inspired by that. I mean I was!! ... but after a couple of years that was enough because I started to get inspired by other things. This is something weird that goes in between (her times as a painter). I had a fasion line for a couple of years in South Africa so I did stop for a couple of years at really really being (a) hard working painter. I did paint here and there but I was really really busy with the fasion line and sucessful, but that is not the story we are telling here!! Because it's about art and not the fasion!

RC: (lol!!)

MDD: so once I knew that I was going to America I stopped and I was thinking okay I'll try to make it hear as a designer in the fasion but I started to paint a whole exhibition the last year and that was of all wooden sculptures from Africa. That was the subject.

RC: So that first exhibition in America was...

MDD: ...was with the paintings I made in South Africa, you know, subject scuptures from Africa and I kept them because some people wanted to buy some paintings but I said no no I want to keep it together and I wanna try and have an exhibition with that here in America. So that is actually what happened. I had the first one at the Parthenon.

RC: Okay, very good!!

MDD: And then I shift, inspiration wise I was not in Africa anymore so people were still asking me why aren't you still painting African whatever, people, sculptures, animals and I'm like no I'm not in Africa anymore I'm in...

RC: so that is a good transition... it's a good transition because my next question was...

Inspired by Nashville

RC: ... how as Nashville or America or whatever, how has that influenced your art now?

MDD: Yeah! I Mean I'm here now and I see different things and I look around agian, I keep my eyes open so I'm living in Tennessee. Tennesse is forests, it's green... uh, horses... uh, that is a different subject to paint! That is completely different so and not just Tennessee but the whole country. It's such a big country and it's so different. Every state has it's own thing so... but I've painted a lot of things, these days I've painted a lot of landscapes...

RC: ... lots of landscapes?

MDD: Yes, lots of landscapes, but in my own way! Because I want to tell a story not just a landscape so I will paint like a big circle in the middle to make it visually interesting and to bring kind of a message behind you know the landscape... I'm not gonna say what kind message, people need to read their own message.

RC: Sure! So you feel strongly that... you know, that just because you have something to say within it, it doesn't mean it has to say that?

MDD: Exactly.

RC: other people can have different meaning...

MDD: Exactly! That is what I personally like in art. I don't like to see the copy of the reality. It never can be the reality, it's always a copy anyway so if you are so skilled and technical and so good that you can make almost like you know a photo from something you see you know, but it's a painting... I admire the skills behind and the technical knowledge but it doesn't inspire me. I want to see something more, a little bit more magic you know...

RC: I like that... I find that interesting the idea that it's always a copy. Like anytime you do anything wether you're doing a portrait of somebody or painting a landscape outside it will never be the actual thing it looks like...

MDD: Exactly...

RC: So maybe why even bother in some senses you know...

MDD: Yeah

RC: you wanna be able to.. I mean the way I feel about it, which I find interesting... even though you're doing a landscape of let's say Mount Killamanjoro or something let that painting be it's own thing even though it is of something that's real or something that you see, it's never gonna be that mountain...

MDD: It's never gonna be even though again if you want to do it so realistically it's always a copy.

RC: In regards to your process or the technique that you use... first give us an idea of what steps you take when you first start a painting, what causes you to be inspired, to start new works?

MDD: Okay, that's a good question. It's always something, I mean I'm not who is planning all the time. I don't know how my painting will be when I'm done you know so I just have like a raw vision. Let's say like thet painting of the jumping girl you have see in my house, the jumping girl I know but in what enviroment? That grows will I'm working. So it can be songs! Sometime I like a sentence in a song like people walk in circles or something like that and I'm like "Oh my gosh this is very interesting" so immediately I see people walking in circle and that is the beginning...

RC: So it sounds like to me that part of your process, at least from beginning to end making paintings, is kind of like a journey for you.

MDD: Yeah

RC: I guess you kind of start with an idea and you just kind of get right...what kind of materials are you using to help sort of get this presentation out and what kind of techniques do you like to use to sort of help create this artwork that is really yours?

MDD: I started with oil. My studio is in my basement. The air circulation is not really good and I’m like well yes, I will take a lot for my art, but I don’t want to die for my art. Because it was really getting worse, the...the oil and bad circulation, so I just started to paint with acrylics and people actually don’t see the difference. I can use it in a way that it looks like oil or maybe I use my oil that it looks like acrylic. So I like acrylic a lot, because it dries very quick and oil...you paint yourself in oil?

RC: Yes I do both oil and acrylic.

MDD: So you know the difference.

RC: Yeah

MDD: I do some in oil, but I like acrylics.

RC: Okay. Now I know you’re using acrylic, but you’re also using contact crayon and some other things to help accent a lot of your works, if I’m not mistaken, and you also mentioned to me in our prior talks about a scratching away technique. Can you describe that for us a little bit?

MDD: Yes. I start with a medium like paste and bring that on my canvas, mix colors, so that my starting point, and it looks like an abstract work and then I’ll build and I’ll build, new colors and get more shapes, more form and I scratch a lot away in my canvas because I like the process, the color, scratch a little bit, the colors coming through, do some more color. For that I use, I don’t know the real English word for that...box cutter, how do you say that?

RC: X-Acto knife.

MDD: X-Acto knife.

RC: Yes...good charade there.

MDD: Why just not a cutting knife? Yes, so I use that to scratch away...sharp things.

RC: Anything sharp?

MDD: Anything sharp, yes.

RC: When people see your work, especially when they see it up close, sometimes I think even with the reproductions, sometimes miss some of those little subtleties, because when I look at them up close you can really see how the scratching away creates some of that see through where you have one color and a color underneath and they kind of play with each other. I really enjoy that about your work. Two last questions before we wrap it up. First of all, how do you feel about the Nashville art scene right now? You’ve been around it...a lot of people know who you are in town. You’ve done a lot of different shows. What do you think about the Nashville art scene and what’s offered here the artists? I know you know some personally and you have friends in the scene, so just elaborate on your feelings about it...being part of it.

MDD: It’s very interesting. I like to be here, but it’s not like big, big cities.

RC: Yeah.

MDD: Not the quality or value of work, it’s really good in Nashville, we have very good artists. We have a lot of artist-to-be, so...but that doesn’t matter. There are really good artists and there are venues and they are growing, the problem is I think that the real, it’s not a nice word to use, people who really want to spend money to buy art, they think that Nashville is not a city to go, you know what I mean?

RC: Sure.

MDD: They go to bigger cities and it’s a really downside for all of us, because we can show beautiful work, there are a few that will buy and it’s a national city, Nashville and there are people coming from everywhere but somewhere people they are really willing to give a couple of thousands.

RC: Yeah.

MDD: To a painting it’s hard to spend it here in Nashville and that’s a reality.

RC: So do you see that possibly changing between now and ten years or not. What would help to make it change? In your opinion.

MDD: Of course we are in a bad economy, that doesn’t help.

RC: It doesn’t help.

MDD: No it doesn’t help, and it hurts many cities even big cities. I know that. I know galleries are closing down because they don’t sell, so that’s part of the deal too. I think when we were in the economy of ten, fifteen years ago, it would be fine. People were buying more in Nashville, now they are, now they are just... or they don’t have the money and the people with the money, they don’t want to spend it because they are not safe what the future might bring them.

RC: So do you feel like....

MDD: I feel it’s more of economy, so if that is going better, and what we have today in Nashville, the venues, the newer galleries, the Nashville Art Magazine, who does great work for artists. I think people realize and will realize that it’s good art, that we have good art.

RC: It’ll start bringing more in...

MDD: Yes. I’m quite positive, but I mean that’s reality, but who buys art? It’s not like...you don’t eat it, you don’t wear it, you really don’t show off...with a car, you show off...a house.

RC: Yeah

MDD: Art, it’s for a very small select..

RC: Yeah, obviously that’s always been the struggle with art over time, because every person in the world can’t just buy art. Money is not that freely spent.

MDD: Exactly and I realize that, I mean I can live with that.

RC: That makes complete sense if the economy was to grow, to change, go in a better direction, all those things, you would assume that Nashville would continue to grow in that, if the economy stays stagnant then it’s gonna continue to be sort of stuck in a spot for a little while. I do agree with you that things like Nashville Art Magazine, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts which came in ten years ago, a ton of these things that have been happening in the last...

MDD: New galleries.

RC: New galleries in the last ten years.

MDD: The Art Crawl.

RC: The Art Crawl which is a really great thing. All of this stuff is really helping Nashville sort of move in that direction. I think over all a good sort of understanding, I think as long as we continue to make artwork and do our very best, that talented people, people with vision continue to come to Nashville and live in Nashville...as opportunities arise and more things change, I can’t help but be positive to believe it will continue to get better.

MDD: Yeah.

RC: That more people are going to appreciate the uniqueness of this place and what it has to offer.

MDD: It’s already for the music.

RC: Yeah, which actually helps.

MDD: A different field.

RC: It’s a completely different field, but I think it helps because if we didn’t have the music originally, Nashville would be even more obscure.

MDD: Yes.

RC: It has sort of celebrity in its own right as a city because of that...

MDD: Exactly.

RC: Which gives it more credibility than some other town.

MDD: That’s what I like about Nashville. The music...what’s going on music-wise.

RC: It’s very cool, it’s always been cool, it’s one of the things that brought me here too, so I love everything about that as well. It’s been an absolute pleasure to sit down with you. I have always, ever since the first time I met her, went through your websites, I’ve always enjoyed your work and I’m really grateful you took the time to sit down with me and everyone at Nashville Art Makers. Really quickly before we go...go ahead and tell Nashville Art Makers where we can find your websites, anywhere we can see your work and we’re going to also post that as well.

MDD: Well, I have my own art gallery and that’s at the Arcade and I’m part of the Art Crawl every first Saturday of the month. You can always contact me and I will show you my work if you come out to the Art Crawl. I’m also represented at newer gallery in Franklin...Gallery 202, very nice, by the way. I’m also represented by Simon Ripley Music Store.

RC: Yep, that’s where we met.

MDD: That’s where we met. Very nice people, very good store, for the musicians and for the art, and I’m thinking where else...and my website...

RC: That’s very good. So all those things will be listed also on the blog so you’ll see that if you can’t remember it from the video. We are glad to have everyone here watching and thank you for joining us here at Nashville Art Makers and we’ll see you next time. Thanks. Bye.

MDD: Bye.

*** End of Interview***

Artist Statement

Born in Belgium, I presently live with my family in Brentwood, TN. It is the fourth country in which I find inspiration to create my artwork.

The African continent (where I lived for more than a decade before moving to the USA) had a deep influence on my work, still felt today. With the new impressions here in the USA my artwork evolves further into directions that seem endless.

I need to feel a connection with my paintings that are based on daily experiences. Landscapes and nature are often depicted. I try to tell a story, capturing certain emotions instead of creating a copy of the reality.

Usually a painting starts with an abstract background and a vague idea without planning. I add shape through the use of color, value and texture. My work is mainly intuitive and colorful. It provides energy to the viewer. There is a consistency of happiness and peace, whether it has been born of scratching in the paint, use of brushes or a palette knife.

Artist Exhibitions & Resume

Marleen De Waele- De Bock

Marleen De Waele- De Bock

Born: 1960, Dendermonde, Belgium

Education:

1982: Master degree in Fine Arts (specialization printmaking) at the St.Lucas Art School, Ghent, Belgium

1987: Publicity/ advertising studies at the Fine Arts Academy, Ghent

Exhibitions:

2011; Represented by Gallery 202 in Franklin,TN

2011: selected for Central South Art exhibition, Nashville (May)

2010: Gallery 1025: Noël, group exhibition (Nov) Paducah, KY

2010; Tennessee state Museum, Romance of the horse (June 17-Aug22)

2010: BelArt gallery, showing and promoting own work

2009: - Contract to show work at Simon Ripley's music and art, Nashville

2008-2009: BelArt gallery, showing and promoting own work

2007: - Solo show at La Palette gallery, Nashville (sept.28- oct.28)

2007: - River gallery, art district, Chattanooga ( febr)

2007: - La Palette art gallery: Full Circle artists ( jan. 12 – Febr. 12 )

2006: - La Palette art gallery: Winter show ( nov. 17 – Dec. 31)

2006: - MNAC Nashville, new building (for 6 months)

2006: - Plohaus : printers group ( september 29)

2006: - Dangenart gallery: ( febr. 13- march 11)

2006: - Tennessee Art Commission ( febr 2- march 17 )

2006; - LeQuire Art gallery: Winter Wonder (Jan.28-febr.15)

2005: - Selected for: Art at the bank, Brentwood

2005: -Represented by LeQuire Art Gallery

2004: - Full Circle Gallery

2004: - Striped Door Art Gallery

2003: - Parthenon West gallery, Nashville

2002: -Selected for Central South Art exhibition, Nashville

1995: - Alliance Francaise, Johannesburg, South Africa

1994: - The Scheickerdt Art gallery, Pretoria, South Africa

1993: - Belgian Artists in R.S.A., Durban, South Africa

1982 : - de Shakosh, Ghent, Belgium/ Ronse, Belgium

Further experience:

1982-1985: Mozambique

- Teacher of fine arts at Mondlane University, Maputo.

- Animation film projects at the National Cinema Institute, Maputo

1990-2000: South Africa

- Realization of large size oil paintings on canvas

- Painting of ceramics

- Design of postcards, publicity cards

- Painting of murals

- Realization of a new range of children wear, including own designs and patterns, manufacturing and sale

USA

2003: - Article in Tennessean, April

2004: - Journal and photo album cover design for C.R. Gibson: for sale in Borders Bookshops

- cover illustration for Nashville Scene, August 5

- wrapping paper designs for American Greetings

- selected for Holiday Bollard Decoration Project at the Frist Center, Nashville

2006: - Journal cover Design for C.R. Gibson

2007: - Fall semester: art teacher at O’more College of Design

2008: - Illustration Nashville Scene: Annual Manual Jan 2008

2008: - Judge, Scholastic Art Competition, Cheek wood Jan 2008

2008: - Art teacher at O’more College of Design, Franklin

2008: - December, opening BelArt Gallery, The Arcade, Nashville to promote own work.

2009: - Speaker Williamson library for foreign exchange program (art)

2009: - Art teacher at O’more College of Design

2009: - BelArt Gallery, the Arcade Nashville until today

2010: - Art teacher at O’more College of Design

2010: featured artist in Nashville Arts Magazine, June issue

Marleen De Waele- De Bock marleendebock@hotmail.com http://www.marleensartwork.com/ Cell: 615- 397 2347

Nashville Art Makers Press!!

2011-06-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

Check out Nashville Art Makers special mention in local arts writer Chuck Beard's weakly blog! Chuck does a great job of highlighting what's going on in the Nashville art scene each week!

http://wordcurator.wordpress.com/

Thanks ChUck!!

June 2011 Artist: Emily Harper Beard

2011-06-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to introduce Nashville artist Emily Harper Beard!!

Every art scene should have its own Emily Harper Beard. Since Emily can only be one place at a time I'm sure glad Nashville has her. Her elegant grace and delicate demeanor captivates anyone who meets her. When you look at Emily's work you can see that it's saturated with those very same qualities. Emily's spirit colors every square inch of her art. Though not restricted to any one particular medium; the bulk of her most recent work has been created with a process known as Batik. Batik involves the waxing and dying of material. I sat down with Emily to discuss this process in greater detail and many other topics on a perfect late afternoon at East Nashville's fabulous Eastland Cafe. We weren't alone! In the video you can hear the 17 year Cicada's who were enjoying it as well!!

Watch the video or read the transcript and meet Emily Harper Beard! Nashville Art Makers June Artist 2011!

RC: I want you to explain to us at Nashville Art Makers Batik?

EHB: Batik! Batik is a process that my mother who is an art teacher taught in her art class and I kind of pursued it further after I graduated college. It is a process of waxing and dying material. A lot of times it is done on silk. I use muslin most of the time mostly because I need a heavier material for the pieces that I create. A lot of times why Batik is done on silk is because it is used for fabrics and clothing. Mine are portraits and landscapes stretched on stretchers like canvas. That is why I choose the heavier fabric. Anyways, I draw the piece out and add the wax, apply the wax and where ever I put the wax on the fabric and then dip it into the dye the wax will resist the dye in the process.

RC: Cool!

EHB: Does that make sense?

RC: Yeah! So it's a constant process of wax here... dye. Take that off, wax here and dye and that allows you to create the...

EHB: Um, yes I keep the wax on there until the final... the black is put on there and as I'm adding the dye over the wax... the dye seeps into where the wax is and that's why it causes the crinkle affect to it. So kind of becomes its own process or artist!

RC: Got it.

EMB: ...on the muslin and when that is all done I lay it between newsprint and iron it off and it becomes fabric again and the wax melts away between the news print.

RC: And you were first exposed to this process how?

EMB: Through my mother I learned to do Batik and then it was just trial and error after that. I get asked a lot of questions... the more people find out I do this, they ask me about fabrics or dyes and I'm still learning what works best for me so I'm not at all a professional. I'd like to think that I'm going to continue to be learning...

RC: To keep growing in that process and learning how to use it. I think that is a definitely a cool thing about being an artist and talking to different artists that work in different mediums because as you use it and use it and use it, it's like you try to master that medium and get better and better at it and your ability to manipulate it just grows leaps and bounds.

EHB: Absolutely, and it's wonderful! Actually a friend of mine... I'm (actually) wearing her piece... this is her clothing.

RC: Alright

EHB: Um, I would love to be able to learn how to get all the wax out of... and there are some places like dry cleaners that will do that for you but to get it to where she can use it for her clothing line and take it back to clothing aspect of Batik.

RC: Yeah, the functionality... to bring the functionality back. Very Neat! In regards to making art work, what subjects grab your attention as an artist?

EHB: Um, I love people because they inspire me the most. I'm very... I'm friends with the people I meet, friends that I make who move me along in my own journey. They are my strongest inspiration, all though my husband and I have taken some trips that have been equally as inspiring which has led me to do more landscapes which normally I shy away from.

RC: Okay, yeah I noticed one of your newer pieces... a couple actaully were landscapes which is really cool to see because I know I've seen a lot of your work and you know your prior work had a lot of people involved so it's neat to see you kind of go in that different direction.

RC: A lot of times they used to say what did the artist have to say, what do you have to say with your work?

EHB: I'm just trying to tell my story. It's a journal for me and I'm not doing it for anyone I'm doing it to kind of document for myself or for my children and when people like it and wanna buy it, hang it on their wall that's an added plus. It's an honor and helps pay the bills sometimes.

RC: Helps pay the bills? That always helps!

EHB: Yeah that's good, it doesn't hurt so...

RC: We both know and I think a lot of people who are paying attention to the blog know that there are lots of artists in Nashville. What other artist inspire you?

EHB: I do love Julia Martin's work. I love that she has a solid style. That when people see her work they just know... like it could be just the colors it doesn't have to be the piece as a whole. I'm a big fan of Danielle Duer, I think that is how you say her last name! You can check that in the editing! Okay let's see, let's bring a man in here umm... ** cicada sounds **

RC: No guys that inspire Emily!!

EHB: No no! lol I like a lot of photographers, I like Jack Spencers as far photography and the moods that he sets with his images. so...

RC: Perfect! Okay, very good, very good! Um, to you what is it like to be a visual artist in Music City?

EHB: I love the challenge of trying to make art important in Music City. To kind of show that it's just as valid as a song that there's art in everything around us from the clothing that we wear or more than a piece on the wall so...

RC: Well that's a really good place to start I think! You know everybody has a different point in their life where it really starts to captive them (the idea of) being an artist. When did you first realize that you wanted to be an artist and that was the direction where you wanted to go?

EHB: Honestly, because my mother... I emphasize that my mom was an art teacher a lot because there are a lot of things that your parents put you into when you're little that you kind of fight. Like you kind of wish... I kinda wish...

RC: Piano lessons...

EHB: Yeah! I was just gonna say... I wish had made me stick with piano. That was actually an example I was thinking of! But as far back as I can remember she had me in some art class. I was either ,um over at Centennial Park taking a pottery class... I mean there was always an art class involved and when I got to where I was in high school I wanted to make my own choices and I wanted to drama... I think I wanted to be an actress, well you can do that but you're still going to take these (art) classes as well. So it kinda wasn't much of a choice but I'm very thankful that she saw something in me, you know? She saw something in me... she pushed me to do it!

RC: Well I recently got married and Emily you recently got married as well, well a little less recent than me but how has marriage affected work or your process?

EHB: I have a husband who is just as passionate about supporting the local art scene as I am. He's a great writer! He has a very unique style to his writing that is very artistic and he and I both are moving in the same direction as far as wanting to lift up these incredible artists that are emerging in Nashville! Of course he is a huge supporter of mine as well so

RC: Sure!

EHB: so it allows me to...

RC: I would hope so!

EHB: Yes!! It allows me to dedicate more time in less of a manic way. A lot before I met him was a very manic process and I think that kinda lends itself to the crazy artist thing you know! I can actually have a studio or have a time that is mine.

RC: Very cool! Well I know your husband and I've always felt he was very supportive so I'm right there with you on that!

RC: Now I know you're currently involved with a new project and this is one of the big reasons I wanted to interview you this month. So go ahead and tell Nashville Art Makers what that project is and what it's all about.

EHB: Well like I said Chuck is a writer and he does a local blog called Nashvilles HeART, with an emphasis on the art part of the heart and where he does weekly updates about events in Nashville and artists that are showing around town. I had approached Channel 9, Music City Arts on Channel 9 on Comcast cable about how to do a slide show of my artwork to just kind of promote my work and when she got wind of the fact that Chuck had this blog she thought it would be a great idea to have a show that was an extension of this blog that sat down and did artist interviews kinda in the studios, hands on about their process so that launched in March and my work is at Channel 9 so you can go to their website and look it up along with Dooby (Tomkins) which you're gonna do an interview with as well and the wonderful crump and...

RC: Which we'll do one for her too!

EHB: Yes!! And you can check out our interviews through the middle of July Sunday evenings at 6:30pm, Wednesday evenings at 5:30pm and hopefully check out our artwork as well!

RC: Awesome! That sounds great. It's a really cool idea. Everybody make sure you check that out.

EHB: Yeah and after that there will be...after our interviews come down... there will be gallery interviews talking about the process of owning a gallery, running a gallery and how that kinda parallels being an artist. There is a similar passion there, a similar sacrifice and drive all for the love of art.

RC: Now you personally have some experience with the whole gallery owning thing, pursuing that side of it. Can you tell us a little more about that?

EHB: Same designer of this top, Rhiannon Guillet, she and I ran a gallery called Magpie over off the 12 South area for over 2 years! Loved every minute of it, but it was quite exhausting because we had so many other projects going on as well, but I'm very proud of what we did. We offered an outlet for artists, musicians and local designers. And hopefully one day we'll revisit it.

RC: I definitely think you'll revisit it one day. If I could help I would because I thought it was a really cool idea!

RC: What would you say are the rest of your goals for this year?

EHB: For this year we're going to work on the TV show. I'm going to work on my own work. More commission pieces is what I'm doing. I'm not gonna push myself. I want to do good quality work and take it one step at a time.

RC: Now shooting forward, what are your goals for 5 years from now?

EHB: 5 years from now? That's too broad at this point! No I say that because...

RC: lol! It could be anything!

EHB: No that is a question I love asking my interns because I thought I had big ideas when I was in my early twenties and none of them panned out and actually it panned out way better than I could of expected so I'm looking forward to that!

RC: To the unexpected...

EHB: Well, it will be a fun ride!

RC: Yeah, absolutely

EHB: No doubt as far as that goes!!

*** End of Interview ***

ARTIST STATEMENT

Emily Frances Harper Beard

www.efharper.com

Before I was a Beard...I was a Harper and working to establish myself in Nashville as artist e.f.harper.

Whatever these hands can create, will create... or at least I will try. I am a very diverse artist who is skilled in painting, batik, graphic design, as well as sculpting. Over the years I have studied different types of art both formally and informally, and have worked very hard to merge all of my knowledge into comprehensible pieces. In terms of what I enjoy most, it would have to be batik, a wax-resist dyeing technique. The process is rather unpredictable and gives back as much as you put into it... I really enjoy that. I find oil painting to be relaxing and meditative, it allows me to produce beautiful works of art as well.

I often joke that communication is not a very strong point of mine when the truth of the matter is that I am a very open individual. It may not come through in the simple things that I say but I manage to give my own self away canvas after canvas. A common question I hear is "why not just paint portraits? Or landscapes?" My goal is not to achieve a high turn-over or mass-produce what has been done time and time again. My goal is to tell my own story, my journey, through the works I create.

ARTIST BIO

E.F. (Emily) Harper, now Beard, has a BA in Graphic Design with a minor in Painting from Middle Tennessee State University but her roots in art education dig far much deeper than that. Her mother has been teaching art for over 30 years and when Emily was born she quickly became a prized pupil. A Nashville native, she has exhibited throughout the city, including The Factory in Franklin, The Family Wash, Cannery Row, and Art and Invention Gallery. A versatile artist, she has designed CDs, t-shirts, and posters for professional musicians, and worked in the Costume Department of Animax Designs, which creates puppets and other creatures for clients such as Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Nickelodeon. Dedicated to serving the community through art, e.f.harper has participated in art exhibits benefiting Nashville CARES, the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation, The Muscular Dystrophy Association, and elementary Art Education as well as running her own small gallery providing opportunities to artists to showcase and sell artworks, and to the community to appreciate and purchase artworks. Currently, she is working to promote Nashville’s growing art scene.

RESUME

Various Community Artshows, benefits, and recognitions

· magpie etc., a gallery of sort
2008–2010
Owner/Resident Artist/Creative Director

magpie etc. was conceived as a warm and welcoming gallery space for fellow artists, designers, and musicians to share their talents. The gallery presented art openings for local and regional artists, trunk shows, live music performances and workshops.

Ø Provide opportunities to artists to showcase and sell artworks, and to the community to appreciate and purchase artworks.

Ø Organized community artisan events

Ø Design of branding and advertising.

· Lovebirds
Collaborative art show and book signing with author Chuck Beard
Memphis Marsha’s-Bowling Green, KY
June 2009

· Happily Ever After
Collaborative Installation-3 Little Pigs
Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art
May-September 2008

· Evolution of the Human Spirit, Solo batik exhibition
Martin Center's Frist Gallery of the Nashville Ballet
January 20–March 20, 2008

· Group Art Show
Martin Center's Frist Gallery of the Nashville Ballet
September 16-December 16, 2007

· Evolution
Group Art Show
Urban Décor
August 18, 2007

· Fourth Annual Tomato Art Fest
Art & Invention Gallery
August 11, 2007

· Fusion 7
An urban mixture or fusion of culinary, fashion, video, visual, and musical artists collectively expressing their talents to help fight cancer.
July 14, 2007

· The Sounds of Creation
A night of music and art hosted by the Nashville Craft Apocalypse. February 25, 2007

· Black n’ Blue Ball
Benefit for the Muscular Dystrophy Association
November 11, 2006

· Artstock at the LivestockBenefit for the Dickson County Humane Society
October 27, 2006

· Third Annual Tomato Art Festival
Art & Invention Gallery
August 12, 2006
*Honorable Mention

· Fusion 6
An urban fusion of culinary, fashion, visual, and musical artists collectively expressing their talents to help fight cancer
March 2006

· Style Network’s “The Look for Less”
15 Minute of national fame. Running through a mall in search of the perfect new out-fit for a collaborative art show featured on the nationally televised Style Network J
January 2006http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdAnCmekAkk

· Gotham Night in White
Local artists supporting AIDS awareness
Nashville Cares
June 2005

· Passport to Art
Group of artists teaching elementary students their craft (in this case batik) to compile an art show raising money for art education

· Solo Show
Family Wash
March 2005

· Glow Show
Nashville’s Untitled artists group
July 2004

· The Art of Collaboration
Nashville’ Untitled artists group
June 2004

· Solo Show
Open House
Hosted by Tom and Donna Risch
April 2002

May 2011 Artist: Jeff Bertrand

2011-05-01T06:52:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to introduce Nashville artist Jeff Bertrand!!

Nashville and music are synonymous. We know that, but local Nashville artist Jeff Bertrand knows better than most. In a town were it's musical celebrities feel quite comfortable in yoga pants picking up yogurt at Whole Foods or sitting among the masses at Virago enjoying a delectible "The Bomb" roll, growing up here proved to be very exciting for a creative kid with stars in his eyes. Jeff Bertrand has always been one chance encounter away from running into some famous future subjects. Jeff paints portraits, but not just any protraits. He is most enthralled by American Nostalgia, pop culture and musical greats of Country and Rock N' Roll. He has an amazing eye for color and charisma. Looking into the faces of his portraits you can feel the spirit of his subjects. Their swagger and confidence. Their sex appeal. They're famous alright but Jeff as a way of making them look even more iconic than they already are. I sat down with Jeff outside the famous Nashville Parthenon to talk about art, music and living life here in Nashville. Here is the video and transcript. I hope you enjoy!

Artist interview:

RC: I've looked a lot of your websites, your Facebook, trying to get to know you a little before this interview and my first question to you is what is your favorite Johnny Cash song?

JB: My favorite Johnny Cash song? I have a lot of favorites but probably my favorite would be Hurt. Just because when I grew up and that song came out and I was old enough to appreciate it. I'm a huge Nine Inch Nails fan and Trent Reznor fan and I thought it was really cool how it revived his career and brought Johnny Cash to a whole new audience.

RC: That it absolutely did. Yeah I noticed after he did that song that he did another video "God's Gonna Cut You Down" and all these current stars were in that video, remember that?

JB: Yeah, that whole album he did a lot of cover songs and it totally took his career in a different direction. It kinda brought him back to the Man in Black and made him dark again cause he was kinda getting obscure there for awhile in a lot of fans eyes.

RC: Well as you know, but for the sake our audience, the reason I asked that question was because I know that you're a huge fan of Johnny Cash and you really love that kind of music and that kind of nostalgia. Is listening to music a big part of your creative process?

JB: Definitely! I listen to Pandora every single time I make a painting. I actually have a Johnny Cash station listed on there that I always listen too. It just depends on whom I'm creating. I'll listen to the music of the person. If I'm doing a Johnny Cash painting I'll listen to Johnny Cash. If I'm doing a Hank Williams.. it will be Hank.

RC: Awesome! Can you kinda explain to Nashville Art Makers your process and what helps you pin-point your next piece of work, how you're gonna come up with what you're doing next?

JB: It really depends on the situation or the group of art I'm showing. The current group of art I'm doing is 80's themed art... it really depends on, you know, if it's something I'm wanting to do! I have a lot fun with my own work (and sometimes) just have no direction what so ever, just making art! I try not to think about it cause once you think and over analyze your art you know... it gets too tight, too focused really. I think the more you don't think about creating the art the more raw and.. uh... great piece of art you get. I do a lot of theme shows. The current one I was talking about is 80's theme art! It's all 80's icons, pop culture references. I actually just finished today... a VCR piece! I'm actually using found objects and recycled objects that were big parts of the culture of the 80's. So everybody had the VCR cassette tapes and basically made it into a big functional piece and painted on it together! It turned out really nice!

RC: Oh, that's awesome I can't wait to see it! What would you say is the medium you enjoy the most?

JB: Uh I think it would be... primarily I would say painting but it's more of a mixed media. I do a lot illustration based painting. I really like acyrlics because they dry fast. I'm kinda impatient and I like to see art happening.... (here is where some college kid's tossed a frisbee in our shot)

JB: There just went a frisbee (Jeff laughs) I like to see the art transforming.. there goes another one... I don't know, I'm just really impatient and I like to see it finished.. I like to see the art happening.

RC: What uh... how quick does it take you to finish a painting?

JB: Well it just depends on the size of the art and how involved I am with it. If it's a commission and I'm not excited about it then it's gonna take me forever cause I can't get into it, but if it's something I'm excited about I'll keep working on it, keep pounding on it until I'm finished and it could be hours, days...

RC: When was the first time you realized you wanted to be an artist?

JB: Well probably the first time was in Kindergarten. I won an award of creativity and actually got a little bit of praise for the art I was creating and it kinda stuck with me. I got a little bit of attention for it I thought I gotta make more, you know? I don't know man, probably aside from that; the first time someone paid me to do a piece of art.

RC: What is it now... now that you are an artist. What drives you?

JB: I don't know. I just want to focus and get art into as many people's hands as possible. I had a... I found a really good quote that really touched my art making process... it was by Camille Rose Garcia. She said, "create art like you have one year to live"! So if you have one year to live you want to get all the messages across in your art. You want people to realize what you're about.. you wanna make art as if, you know this is what you have left to leave. So that's that the way I approach it.

RC: That's one way to drive it!

JB: Yeah, it takes up my work ethic... 150%

RC: Okay this is kinda of a localized question... (helicopter now begins to fly over head and it's really loud.. we both start laughing) this is one of the joys of filming outside... there's a helicopter. Being from Nashville, you had mentioned that you grew up here where it is common to see celebrities... different types of celebrities, this is kind of a fun question, but who's the biggest star you've ever run into?

JB: The biggest star? I guess it depends on who you...

RC: Who do you think is big?

JB: I don't know man. Growing up I met MC Hammer and I thought that was pretty amazing!

RC: Nice!!

JB: MC Hammer was cool! I mean currently I do art for Halie Williams of Paramore! She's blowing up. I just saw her on the front cover of the Cosmopolitan magazine! So I was like holy crap. I just did some work for New Found Glory, Chad Gilbert. Uh, you name it man! Ben Folds, he's really cool. I'm really into his music; he's one of my influences!

RC: Give me three modern musical stars you've never done before that you'd think would be really great...

JB: be really cool?

RC: ...to do portraits of?

JB: I don't know. I think I'm sticking with people in town. I think it would be really cool to do Jack White. He's blowing up with just his Third Man Records and everything that is going on here in Nashville. It would be cool, he's got like a persona going on, like a dark thing. I think he would be really neat. It would translate really great into a painting. I don't know, I'm a huge fan... I like the Black Keys man. I think...

RC: They're good!

JB: Yeah the people who are moving here is neat! I think it is so cool that they're here and that's a part of Nashville now so I want that to translate into my art as well!

RC: Okay, well Jack White and the Black Keys, that's definitely a good current perspective of what is going on. It interests me, since I was here at the time it happened, which is why I always ask this question, but where were you during the 2010 flood?

JB: I was actually at my home. At the time we lived in the Brentioch area (if you don't know where this is ask someone who's lived here a while, they'll tell ya). If you know anything relative to the floods you know it happened out on Bell Rd. A lot of it was the worst areas and we lived right down that road. The same road that you've seen on the news... that thing floating down! That's the road I'd drive to work every single day.

RC: Oh man, that was so crazy!

JB: So I was at home freaking out! I believe right when the flood hit I was actually at work and then heading home and this side of the interstate was shut down and I was like "I don't know if I'm gonna get home"! A 20 minute drive ended up taking me... cause I work in Murfreesboro... ended up taking me close to 3 hours and it was scary man and I was panicking and trying to get a hold of my wife and she was in New York City at the same time that the failed car bomb happened. I was hearing on the news that a car bomb was... you know...

RC: Wow you guys were just in the mix of it!

JB: Yeah it was just freaky, so I was worried about her and I was worried about what was going on and it just touched home and I felt like I needed to do something. So I created Art Flood which was a benefit for victims who lost their possessions and everything in the flood and we chose Hands on Nashville cause it seemed, instead of doing like the Red Cross, it would get the money into Nashville's hands quicker. I just felt like I needed to do something now! At the time I didn't see anything going on, there were no benefits at first and I was like I need to jump on this and get it going. So from when the flood happened, I believed it was maybe seven days. In seven days we created a benefit and raised a couple grand for Hands on Nashville and we packed the show out, sold just about everything we had there and we raised some money! It was fantastic! We had some great musical acts come out and it was probably one of the more proud things I've ever done!

RC: Wow that is awesome! Now I know you did a piece for ReTune Nashville...

JB: Actually I did two pieces!

RC: Two pieces?

JB: Yeah a Hank Williams piece that was Hank Sr., Hank Jr. and Hank 3 called Family Tradition and it's actually at Robert's Western World right now. The owner...

RC: My favorite place...

JB: Yeah the honky tonk!! World famous honky tonk... the owner purchased the piece and it's actually in a glass display case on lower Broad. This May 3rd I'm gonna have my new Retuned guitar, it's a Johnny Cash one called Walk The Timeline! It's has young Johnny, mid life Johnny and old Johnny. It's pretty cool. It's on an acoustic guitar it's gonna be at a live auction May 3rd!

RC: That is great! Uh, how would you describe the Nashville art scene? It's a question I like to ask different artist to get those different perspectives.

JB: Yeah, right. I bet you get a lot of different answers! I've been fortunate enough to be involved in the arts (here) long enough to see it... you know... to see nothing and actually see something be created! I remember doing my first art show in the Arcade when there was one art gallery in there and now there is probably a good 10, 12 art galleries in the Arcade, upstairs and downstairs. Just seeing it explode man, tons of people are moving here, tons of really talanted artist... not just musicians. Great that we have the downtown Art Crawl now, we have the East Nashville Art Crawl, Hillsboro Art Crawl and it just seems to be blowing up and doing nothing but great things!

RC: Yeah, I'd agree with that. What are your goals short term and then maybe after that, long term?

JB: Short term. Short term is to get caught up and to get to a level where I actually feel like I'm getting all my art finished! I'm kinda overwhelmed right now with commission work and a lot of shows lined up. I'm actually booked out for 2011, so that's pretty ridiculous for me because I've never done that before. Long term goals I've actually really thought about it here lately I either want to do more art festivals and go throughout the country and possibly see if I can intern under or assist under one of my artists I look up to! So I was thinking of possibly doing that just to get some more skills under my belt.

RC: You have a few in mind?

JB: Yeah, haven't really ventured out and done that yet, I'm still brainstorming! I'm trying to figure out how you make it man. That's the hard part.

RC: Yeah, that's the hard part. It's a good question for everybody, I think any artist! My last question, kind of a three part question. Pretty simple three-part question, but it's a question I think is really good to know about anybody not just artists. What are the three most important things, people, whatever to you in your life?

JB: Um, that's a pretty easy one for me man. Definitely... family, friends and health man! My father was actually diagnosed with lung and brain cancer last year and he's been battling that and he actually just finished his chemotherapy and is cancer free right now. He's just trying to make the best of the situation. I mean you'll never know when you'll have somebody you care about go away. We had a lot of really bad stuff happen in my family last year. Their house burnt down 3 days after Thanksgiving, so it's like your family, it's your friends, it's your health, everything else is added bonuses, added stuff! Possessions are not a big thing for me. If you don't have your family, friends and health you don't have anything. So that's my three.

***End of Interview***

BIO/STATEMENT

I consider myself simply an artist. I work mainly in portraits that are reflective of American Nostalgia. Growing up in Nashville, music impacted me greatly. It wasn’t an unfamiliar occurrence to run into a musician or celebrity on a semi-regular basis. Many of them work and live right here, sometimes as though Nashville was their place to get away from the public eye. Much like musicians create songs and compose their music, I do the same with painting. I create portraits with movement, ink drips and acrylic splashes that have an equal relationship on my canvas .I love how music can make you stop and remember and I hope my paintings can do the same.

Jeff's Links

www.facebook.com/bertranddesigns
http://www.artbybertrand.blogspot.com/

Selected Art Exhibitions

Versus-MIR GALLERY-Nashville Tn-Mar 2011(groupshow)

Vinyl art show @ hoodlums/Tempe Arizona feb 2011(groupshow)

Private matters-Blackbird tattoo/ART Gallery-Nashville TN-feb 2011(groupshow)

B-sides- sponsored by Culture Initiative, Custom, & Espada Bicycle – Charlotte NC feb 2011 (group show)

2^nd anniversary group show-(group show) at dharma lounge Charlotte NC dec 2010

Southern culture art extravaganza2-(group show) at charlie bob’s-Nashville TN- Nov 2010

1 yr anniversary show-(group show) land of the odd Gallery-LosAngeles, CA-Nov 2010

Dia De Los Muertos-(group show)Octane Gallery-Nashville ,Tn Nov 2010

Fight Back move forward!- (group show benefiting The samfund) Billups art Nashville-Oct 2010

The Art show strikes back!-duo show with Charles CVB Bennett at Octane! Gallery,Nashville-Sept 2010

DioramaOrama-Group art show at Billups Art Gallery ,Nashville-August 2010

Beth Inglish Paints the Opera!!

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Thursday April 14th Beth had the wonderful opportunity to paint live in the lobby of Andrew Jackson Hall during the Nashville Opera's presentation of Carmen. The piece she finished was nothing short of stunning!! So stunning in fact that when the lead actors saw it they were floored and even requested a print! The original work was auctioned off to a wonderful couple pictured with Beth below. She really captured the spirit and emotion of the actors. It's always amazing to see what she will do next! Well done Beth! My wife and I were there to support and it was so great to see Beth doing what she does best! Making beautiful art and making people happy! We are so proud of her! Below are some pics from the evening. Enjoy!

April 2011 Artist: Beth Inglish

2011-04-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

I am very proud to introduce to you Beth Inglish!

Originally from Port Arthur, TX. Beth moved to Nashville in 2007 with one goal in mind, to do what God told her to. What did God tell her to do? Make art! Be creative! Share it with the world! On a sail boat off of St. Croix she hit her head and had to go to the ER with a concussion. From that moment on, she understood that God had given her a gift and she hadn’t been using it. She took time off work and began making art. She hasn’t looked back since. From solo and group exhibitions, live painting performances and commissioned work, Beth has been very busy in the last four years. She is also a freelance contributor to the Nashville Arts Magazine, has her own blog and is a performing singer songwriter to boot!

I sat down with Beth recently in downtown Nashville at Dunn Bros. Coffee Shop where she is showing some of her work and we talked about a lot of things from what art means to her, how she works and what is coming up in her life!

Here is the video and transcript:

Ronny: A quote of yours, which I got off your Facebook page states, " My greatest inspiration comes from music. It is my portal to the Divine." So my first question is can you explain for Nashville Art Makers how music helps you in your creative process and what is that process like?

Beth: Music just helps me forget about everything that is going on in my mind and gets that rhythm flowing through me and the energy just makes it stronger when I'm working. When I'm painting I really try to use the rhythm lyrics and everything about the music to come to me and through me into the work.

Ronny: What are some of your favorite musical artists to listen to while you work?

Beth: I love listening to Bob Dylan, blues music, Tom Petty, new artists albums that I pick up from around town at songwriter showcases, just whatever I have laying around my CD player. Yes I still listen to CD's!

Ronny: Me too! Umm, you mentioned the Devine, what role does spirituality or faith play in your art making process?

Beth: Well the only reason that I'm doing this is because I feel like this is what God told me to do. He's given me certain gifts that I feel shouldn't be wasted! They should be used. Pretty much that is the only reason I do any of this so I try to let God use me to share His love, His message and hopefully that translate to the work.

Ronny: What moment did you feel like God really told you that?

Beth: Well I was living in the Virgin Islands and I was working on a sail boat and I hit my head on the sail boat after a trip and I had a concussion. I had to go to the hospital and I was in the middle of no where, with out family, without any one really to take care of me and I asked myself, "What am I doing, what am I going to do with my life!" I thought if there is anything in the world that I wanted to do, it would be an artist so I used that moment of weakness and turned it into a new beginning. That's when I decided that this was my chance to really explore my passions and go after them.

Ronny: So it sounds like God knocked some sense into you with a sailboat!

Beth: He did, He did!

Ronny: Very cool, very cool! Now what subjects interest you the most in art making?

Beth: I love color, I love texture, I love playing and experimenting, I love coming up with things that are different that I've never seen or heard before! Just trying to be creative and have fun with it, cause whenever I'm working on something that is difficult or it just seems like I'm forcing it becomes not fun anymore and the whole reason I'm doing it in the first place is to enjoy myself so I really keep that in the fore front of my mind when I'm working because that comes through in the art.

Ronny: Yeah, I think that is key.

Beth: Yeah if it's forced it is gonna look that way. You know?

Ronny: Exactly! If it's more of a job than it is being creative than sometimes it can get stale.

Ronny: You're also known around town for using mixed media in your artwork. What criteria do you use to deem any particular object or medium worthy to use in your work?

Beth: It could be anything! I'm just not that serious when it comes to all that stuff. It's like, most of the time it's what's around me, what can I use. Do I recycle products? Do I use an old painting that has cool texture and paint over it so that it becomes something new? I totally believe in happy accidents and letting it evolve. What ever is around me I grab it.

Ronny: I love happy accidents!

Ronny: Now this is just some basic question so that people can get to know you a little better. Is there any one iconic artist of today or the past that you feel you relate to and if so who?

Beth: That's a tough question because I love all types of art. When I went through art history in school I connected with all of them because they all had this crazy gene in them that made them do what they do and I think that is what I relate to the most. That sort of off the wall part of their personality or what's in their spirit that makes them do the work that they do. I love artists that go out there and do something different. Right now I love Bansky, I think all his street art is amazing. I love Warhol because is use of commercial products. I'm really excited about getting into using more ready-made products in my work.

Ronny: Okay, well Warhol will be here in Nashville this summer.

Beth: I'm excited about that, at the Frist?

Ronny: Yep, at the Frist!

Beth: The one and only!

Ronny: The one and only!

Ronny: Okay, tell me a little bit more about Port Arthur, TX?

Beth: It's a small oil refining community. It has lots of different ethnicities that live there. We're one big melting pot. I went to public school there, it was tough but it was a good place to grow up.

Ronny: When did you first know you wanted to be an artist out there?

Beth: Well being an artist really wasn't on my plan. When I was still in school I was still like...

Ronny: So that really showed up out there on that boat?

Beth: Later on when I felt freer to be who I wanted to be, not whom I felt like everyone else thought I should be. I kinda went down that path for a long time.

Ronny: So when you were in Port Arhur as a child, as a teen you really didn't want to be an artist, what was that you thought you wanted to be?

Beth: I thought I'd be a CEO or something in the business world. That's why I went to business school.

Ronny: Okay!

Beth: I really thought that making money was really important and the only way to do that was to work for a corporation, you know it's hard to know what you want to be when you grow up when you haven't really experienced life.

Ronny: Yeah, exactly! Now why did you move to Nashville and when?

Beth: I moved to Nashville in October of 2007. When I was living on the island I met my fiance Chad there and we both decided that we wanted to move to Nashville together so we moved back to the states to pursue songwriting and music. What a better place than Nashville? I had already lived in Austin for five years and we visited there and I knew I didn't want to go back there. I wanted to try something new so we came to Nashville without a job, without a place to live and just did it!

Ronny: Made it happen! That sounds like a very familiar story to folks who have moved to Nashville! Okay well how would you describe the Nashville art scene?

Beth: It's thriving, it's booming, it's great! There's lots of energy, it's creative, it's wonderful!! I mean, for any one who is creative this is the place to come. It's like there's creativity everywhere between musicians and songwriters and artists, it's amazing! It just amazes me...

Ronny: It is pretty amazing...

Beth: There are so many people concentrated in this little town that...

Ronny: That are creative...

Beth: ...all creative, all love some of the same things and we're all here trying to make our dreams come true!

Ronny: Who are some of the artist here in Nashville that inspires you?

Beth: Herb Williams, he's amazing! I love his crayon sculptures. He's great! A lot of other artists like Jeff Berchan. His work is so incredible. He's always making new stuff all the time and in shows. It's just so inspiring to see people who are just adamant about what they want out of life and continue to go after it! I love that!

Ronny: Okay, that's great! Now we know, I know, that you have an association with Nashville Arts Magazine. Can you tell us a little more about that?

Beth: I started writing for the magazine in 2010 in August. They ran across my blog and they liked it and asked me to write for them. I've written a few articles and that have been published and hope to write many more, so if they have something that they are gonna want in the magazine they'll just throw it at me. I've started doing interviews and I go along with the photographer and interview who ever it is. Whether it is a new emerging artist or last time I interviewed some high school students so...

Ronny: Okay, I have a few more questions here for Beth and we're gonna wrap this up. Now this one is very key to what you're doing now. Can you tell me more about Street Art and what you're doing now?

Beth: Well I watched the "Exit Through the Gift Shop" documentary and was completely blown away by the street art that those artists were doing and I thought, well we don't have anything like that. There's not a real movement towards that in our community. There's public art, there's art galleries and I really felt like I wanted to do this, but I didn't want to do it illegally because I keep reading on line of artists getting arrested and there's fines and I didn't want to get involved in that. So what I've been doing is contacting local businesses and people who have real estate that I can possibly use for something like this. It's gonna be graphic images of people playing guitars like the ones up here but a full size version. So when you pass by it makes you think a little bit.

Ronny: Cool! Okay so that pretty much sums up what you're doing now so my last question for you today is where do you wanna be in 2015 and then in 2025?

Beth: Five years from now... that's a really hard question, I mean right now I'm working on the street art because I want to get out of the gallery space and out of the art show scene and do something different on my own. So hopefully that will be bigger! I'm getting more involved with the public art and the Metro Nashville Arts Commission and doing more installations. I'm also working on an album right now and trying to write more and sing...

Ronny: Tell us a little more about the album real quick?

Beth: The album is a duo with me and my fiance Chad. It will be a lot of Gospel Blues, a lot of Mississippi John Hurt songs and originals and we're getting married Sept. 24th!

Ronny: All right! Congratulations

Beth: Thank you... hopefully we'll have the album done by then so we can give them away as wedding gifts and perform songs at the rehearsal dinner or something. I want to be further along with that. So I want to do all that and bring the art communities here together through my blog so online communities can support each other. Let's do it!

Ronny: So what about 2025?

Beth: I'll be havin' 3 babies by then! Just kidding, I want... I want..

Ronny: Are there kids do you think? Is that something you...

Beth: Oh yeah! For sure and probably my whole view on life and art will be completely changed and I'll be on a new path by then, but I love change, I love growth, movin', growin' and who knows!

**End of Interview**

What a pleasure it was to sit down with Beth. I hope through this interview you too have gotten to know her better and please take the time to see her work at Dunn Bros.

Beth’s future is bright so be on the look out for her in the years to come! From all of us here at Nashville Art Makers, we wish her the very best!!

Be good and be creative!

Below is Beth’s artist statement, bio and a list of her accomplishments so far:

Her Links

http://www.binglishart.com/

http://www.bithinglish.com/

www.facebook.com/binglishART

www.twitter.com/bethinglish

http://www.binglishart.etsy.com/

Her Statement

I would describe my work as playful and peaceful; my intention is to pass those feelings on to the viewer. My greatest inspiration comes from music. It is my portal to the divine. Music allows me to experience God and through this same channel, he communicates through me to the world. While immersed in the creative process colors, shapes and patterns will come to me seemingly out of nowhere. I often become seduced by curiosity, experimenting with different techniques and materials.

Because of the role music plays in my creative process there is a recurring theme in many of my pieces: music and art united. My pieces reflect my own inner joy and my intention for my artwork is to cultivate joy in others.

Her Bio

I was born and raised in Port Arthur, Texas. My creative education began at a young age. My father’s paycheck came from the local oil refinery, but he was a musician at heart. He taught me how to sing, write, and play the piano and guitar. A girly-girl with a wild imagination, I remember always having a Crayola in my hand. I’d play dolls in the monkey grass and pick flowers from my mother’s garden. She was a school nurse, but it was her after-school hobbies that bonded us. Cooking and gardening together, I was always by her side, except when I snuck away to draw on surfaces I shouldn’t with my crayons. My mom may have fostered my love of outdoors and fascination with nature.

I was always a good student, staying glued to my books so I could leave my small town as fast as possible. In 2001 I moved to Austin and began my freshman year at The University of Texas. I found the opportunities of the big city and giant university astounding. I studied marketing, but also dabbled in creative outlets, taking art classes and designing costumes for theatrical productions.

After graduating college, I saved money for a year, packed up my bare necessities, and sold everything else. I had been offered my dream job, to teach SCUBA diving at a local resort on a tiny island in the Bahamas. The next two months would be the hardest of my life. Without friends, family, or any real work to do, I finally accepted that I was in over my head. Whatever I was searching for, it was not on Andros Island. But I was determined to find what I was looking for—the oasis I envisioned in my mind so many times.

I moved to the US Virgin Island of St. Croix for one year and it changed my life—this time for the better. I found my love and my purpose. My love came from Mississippi and my purpose came the day I had the accident. Looking back, I should have always known my calling. But for some reason it took a 42-foot catamaran to knock some sense into me. After a concussion and a trip to the ER, the thought of returning to work on the boat terrified me. This change in perspective allowed me to quit my job and make the bold decision to stay home every day and make art. I felt different, as if God had spoken to me. It was at this time in my life that I committed to being an artist.

Since then I have left the islands and now I call Nashville my home. My artwork is inspired by a love of music and an insatiable curiosity. Each piece is an experiment using different techniques and materials.

Her Exhibition Record

Solo Exhibitions

2010

Fanny's House of Music, Nashville, TN, March

Monroe Harding Academy Fundraiser, Nashville, TN, May

Hillsboro Village Art Walk, SEE Eyewear, Nashville, TN, July

2009

Change Series, The Delta, Nashville, TN, January

Guitar Series, The Delta, Nashville, TN, February

Dinner of MS Champions, Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, Nashville, TN, April

Sip Cafe, Nashville, TN, June

Live painting performance, The Cannery Ballroom, Nashville, TN, October

Music & Art United, Billups Art Gallery, Nashville, TN, December

2008

Guitar Series, The Delta, Nashville, TN, March

Guitar Series, MSG, The Stahlman Building, Nashville, TN, September

Guitar Series, Criallo’s, Franklin, TN, September

2007

Caribbean Collection, Mango Melee, St. Croix, USVI, June

Selected Group Exhibitions

2011

Harpeth Hall School, Nashville, TN, March

Dunn Bros Coffee, Nashville, TN, March-April

Ensworth School, Nashville, TN April

Fifty Forward, Nashville, TN April

2010

The Harding Art Show, Nashville, TN, April

Art Flood, Nashville, TN, May

Nashville Scene Summer Pool Party, Nashville, TN, May

Second Place, "In The Nude" Juried Art Competition, Nashville, TN, June

MasterPanels Gallery and Gifts, Nolensville, TN, June - August

Taking Nashville To Higher Ground, Nashville, TN, July

Tomato Art Festival, Nashville, TN, August

The Local Taco, Nashville, TN August

The Local Taco, Brentwood, TN August

Simon Ripley's Music & Art, Nashville, TN August

Art Stock, Dickson, TN September

A Mighty Voice Art Auction, Nashville, TN October

Friends With Benefits, Billups Art Gallery, Nashville, TN, October

Retune Nashville, Nashville, TN, October

"65 Roses" Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Nashville TN, November

2009

Observations,The Center for the Arts, Murfreesboro, TN, December

Abstraka, Plowhous Exhibit, TN Art League, Nashville, TN, April

Oak Hill Elementary School, Community Auction, Nashville, TN, April

In the Fairy Garden, Riverside Village, Nashville, TN, April

The Miracle of Music, Cadillac Ranch, Nashville, TN, April

Management Solutions Group Open House, Nashville, TN, June

Tomato Art Festival, Art and Invention Gallery, Nashville, TN, August

2008

Jigsaw Blues, Fusion, City Hall, Nashville, TN, April

Lockeland’s Folklore Festival, Bongo Java, Nashville TN, May

Guitar Series, The Mill at Lebanon, Lebanon, TN, June

Tomato Art Festival, Art and Invention Gallery, Nashville, TN, August

Star Spangled Blues, Williamson County Fair, Franklin, TN, August

Commissions

Hibbie and Jeanie Barrier: Nashville, TN

Timothy and Alison Douglas: Nashville, TN

Daina Evans: Lebanon, TN

Bobby and Tiffany McMillian: Meridan, TN

John Brittle: Nashville, TN

Chet Garner: Austin, TX

Collections

Nancy Parish, Asheville School

360 Asheville School Road, Asheville, NC 28806

Liz Allen Fey, Management Solutions Group LLC

211 Union Street Suite 102, Nashville, TN 37201

Publications

Inglish, Beth. Capture Music City. Canada: Pediment Group, 2008. 30.

Inglish, Beth. “The Naked Issue.” Her October 2008: Cover.

Inglish, Beth. "Tracie Grace Lyons." Nashville Arts October 2010: 26-27

Inglish, Beth. "Lindsey Pearsan's World of Wonder." Nashville Arts January 2011: 70-71

Press

The Tennessean, “Artists Make Observations,” January 25, 2009.

Professional Services

2010 Donated work to Art Stock

2010 Donated work to Retune Nashville

2010 Donated work to Taking Nashville To Higher Ground

2010 Donated work to MBA Project Graduation

2010 Donated work to Nashville Scene Silent Auction

2010 Donated work to Monroe Harding Academy Fundraiser

2010 Donated work to Art Flood, Event Benefiting Nashville Flood Relief

2009 Co-Chair for Lockeland Design Center In The Fairy Garden, Art Show and Sale Event

2009 Donated work for The Miracle of Music

2009 Donated work to Oak Hill Elementary School Auction

2008 Donated work to Fusion, Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation

Clients & Non-profits

Ole Miss Woman's Council, Oxford, MS

redpepper Marketing, Nashville, TN

The Parlor Recording Studio, Nashville, TN

Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Nashville, TN

Project Redesign, Nashville, TN

Expressways To Learning, Nashville, TN

The Collective Muse, Nashville, TN

Monroe Harding Academy, Nashville, TN

rebarcamp, Nashville, TN

Mobile Loaves and Fishes, Nashville, TN

Hands of Hope, Nashville, TN

The Contributor, Franklin, TN

Cheatham Country Animal Shelter, Pegram, TN

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Nashville, TN

Retune Nashville, Nashville, TN

The Olive Branch Fund, Nashville, TN

Ensworth School, Nashville, TN

Harpeth Hall School, Nashville, TN

Fifty Forward, Nashville, TN

Brentwood Women's Club, Brentwood, TN

Our First Featured Artist Coming in April!!

2011-03-17T11:26:00.000-07:00

I am very proud to announce the Beth Inglish with be my very first featured Nashville Art Maker! This April I will be posting a profile on her, including a video interview, bio, links to her site and examples of her work. she is a wondeful Nashville artist who I think will make the perfect start to a great year of local artist profiles! Please feel free to suggest other artist to consider for this year and I look forward to introducing you to Beth Inglish! Until then...

Welcome to Nashville Art Makers

2011-03-07T13:34:00.000-08:00

If you love art, make art, buy art, sell art and live in Nashville Tennessee, than you're gonna love this blog! I will be bringing you great new examples of Nashville art and artists each and every month! The big names, the small names and everything in between. My only requirement: GREAT ART! Feel free to suggest artists that you'd like me to feature and I look forward to sharing the talent of this amazing city with you and the world! Best wishes and Be Creative!