Elisa Terranova: Wheels of Change

Elisa Terranova: Wheels of Change

"On November 2, 1980, a car/train collision was to forever change my life. The accident ravaged my face and left my hands and body permanently paralyzed....."

Janet Echelman and the soft form

Janet Echelman shares her methods and work going from Art School reject, to Public Art genius.

Hildegard of Bingen

Hildegard of Bingen, "Universal Man" illumination from Hildegard's Liber Divinorum Operum, 1165

Hildegard suffered from migraines, and the nature of her visions are attributed to this. She wrote, composed music, and illuminated some of her books.Hildegard's writings are also unique for their generally positive view of sexual relations and her description of pleasure from the point of view of a woman. They might also contain the first description of the female orgasm.(I have a hard time believing this description is the first in the world, perhaps in Europe....perhaps by a woman...?)

Sha Sha Higby- The Lovely Impermanent

I met Sha Sha Higby years ago at one of her performances. We later met on a street in the Bengali Market area of New Delhi... she was staying on the next street over from me. Such is the small world. Here is a clip of assorted performances of hers. She makes all of her fantastic intricate costumes... the parts of which make delightful art objects on their own.

Temple Grandin on art and the mind

Although Temple Grandin is not an "Artist" by trade, she makes a powerful case for the arts in education, and discusses how art helped her with her extraordinary success in the world. I teach at an arts centered day program for adults with developmental Disabilities in Sacramento CA. (Short Center North) I see first hand everyday the same things Temple talks about in this lecture. I am inspired by the artists there, communicating their personal world view through art. I hope you enjoy this lecture as much as I did!

Temple Grandin: The world needs all kinds of minds

Original hand drawing of bison handling facility - 

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

The powerful vision of Margaret Wertheim

Today we decided that we will post some links and perhaps some images of inspired women artists works. Here is the first one... I just saw it while watching A TedTalk while painting in the studio this evening. WOW!!! So powerfull. Enjoy the work of Margaret and Christine Wertheim

Margaret Wertheim: The beautiful math of coral

Bitchin' Women

Gale Hart and Kim Scott are just starting a womans artist collective. This is the soon to be changed blog we are thinking about making. What would you want from a women artists blog?

Gale Hart

A childhood fascination with creating objects out of nuts, bolts, scrap metal and 
wood evolved into an intensely energetic creative drive. Gale Hart began her 
career with an enduring passion to compile components into a whole. From 
monumental canvases to meticulous graphite drawings, Hart's repertoire of visual 
images grabs, engages and speaks volumes about universal humanity.

A narration characterized by humor, angst and sarcasm presents itself through a 
constantly evolving cast of characters. Reminiscent of a candid snapshot, Hart 
captures an attitude at a particular place and point in time. The specifics of a 
personality are not as important as the condensed essence or vitality of expression.
Through direct frontal gaze and exaggerated facial expressions, Hart conveys the 
difficulties of human interactions and the challenges of interpersonal 
communication.

The paintings initiate a visceral discourse with the viewer - the viewer is intrigued 
and pulled into the narrative of the subject matter. Hart implements the use of 
rhythmic geometric elements as a means of visual navigation. This technique of 
unification formalizes the composition and mitigates visual and emotional agitation. 
Color as a void saturates the background of the paintings against which the intense 
hues of the figures emanate to elicit tension. Awkward color combinations distort 
and disarm the eye, yet concurrently assist in the comprehension of the work.

Hart's sculpture parallels her paintings with the visual language remaining constant:
narrative composition, ordered geometry and color choices. Validating the instincts 
that launched her creative career, found objects continue to hold limitless 
possibilities and appeal. Hart seamlessly marries incongruent materials creating 
mirthful yet perplexing personages.

Hart approaches all of her work with an eye toward artistic sensibility and technical 
expertise. Never sure what the next series will bring - Hart states: Keeping my art 
fresh is equally as important as my need to make art.

Jodi deVries
Linda Welch
Exploding Head gallery

Kim Scott

I was born, educated and raised in Sacramento CA. also known as "CowTown", "the Big Easychair" and "Sacatomatoe". People who live here or who move here are said to be under the influence of the old native "curse of the two rivers". The curse is like a vortex that makes you stay in Sacramento. If you do leave you will have to come back until all of your spiritual work is done. Painting was never dead here. I have made art nonstop from the time I was a little kid, watching TV sci-fi and playing dress up fantasies in thrift store evening gowns. In my 20s I finally figured out how to get out of the country and answer the call to adventure. I have traveled to 22 countries, including setting up studio in India for almost two years. I paint topics relating to my own experiences that focus on impermanence, vanity and the confusions and beauty of everyday life. My paintings are self portraits. I must need to do more spiritual work... I still live in Sacramento.

My favored medium at this time is oil paint, which is what you will see used in this work unless otherwise stated. I also use other classic techniques, such as the gouache methods used by Indian miniature painters and Limoges enameling. I depict conventional and unconventional figures and objects sourced from different arenas such as: The Monster and Sci-fi movies I used to watch on TV after school, comics and books I read as a kid (who ever stopped?!) Mythology, High gothic, Surreal, Tibetan and Mexican painters, travel to exotic places, dreams, meditation and the hallucinations brought on by illness, nightmares and chemical ingestion, the ragged and beautiful artifacts seen in museums. I find scientific studies of the past and present are loaded with images and ideas. I mix in joy, humor and beauty with the horrible and mysterious, because that is my experience of life.

In 1973 I realized I could make art as a profession.  I had made art for years before this (as a kid), but didn't understand it could be a "real job".  I studied with several Photo Realist artists in the 70's, Including Gary Pruner and Mel Ramos. Now making art IS my real job!