About Jim Turner: I have been fascinated by birds in art for years, a compulsion I no doubt acquired from my birder wife and the beauty, wonder, color and variety of birds she exposed me too. Like so much in life, just paying attention can bring a new appreciation and love of any part of the natural world. I recently started adding birds to my sketch-book, and out of that grew a couple paintings, and a couple more and soon I had a “series” going! This show will highlight not just the birds, but my fasciation with experimenting with different techniques and media in painting and even sculpture. Although most of the images come from my own photo’s and imagination, I have used others photos as reference for some paintings, though I have tried to make them my own, and not just copies. I hope you enjoy the journey!
About Patty Carmody Smith: I love to combine materials and techniques; this makes mixed media a perfect fit for expressing my artistic vision. There are unlimited ways to combine media and my willingness to explore a variety of these keeps me excited about my work. I find myself enthusiastic about spending time in my studio where I feel propelled by momentum from previous bodies of work.
My style relies equally on intuition and discipline. When I have an idea, I do my best to figure out how to realize it and expand my skill set as necessary. This approach enables me to embrace both the fun and the tedious aspects of being a working artist. Carving styrofoam, cutting glass, searching for the perfect adhesive or substrate is balanced by meditative hours deeply involved in creating. Learn more about Patty HERE.
About Steve Hemingway: I was born in the factory town of Flint, Michigan. The first art pieces I remember creating were drawings. They were preliterate and based on the Sunday funnies my older siblings were reading. One drawing in particular had something to do with a chick from my Easter basket and a volcano. It was drawn like a small story board. The epiphany was that I could create a story with images. That continues to this day. In my formal training to teach art to children I heard the term, “joy of process.” I create visually however I would imagine this feeling holds for other artists (such as musicians). Another term, “the sensuous immediacy,” means there is an immediate positive emotional response to creating. Wet clay allows for this sensuous immediacy. It immerses you in the present. I find this a wellspring for creative thought and process. The final process of making permanent sculpture with fire allows an artist to become part of the many thousands of hands that hold testament to our humanity and it’s endless love affair with this material.
