“Observing Observing (a white cup): Laura Hamje”

With each exhibition, we will post interviews with the participating artists along with a photo of said artists in their studios and images of their work. In the future, we will post videos of artist interviews.

“Observing Observing (a white cup)” opens September 12th and continues through October 31, 2015

Curated by Eric Elliott, Michael Howard & Norman Lundin. More than twenty artists (both gallery artists and not) accepted the invitation to submit work.

Reception for the artists, Sept. 12, 2 – 4 pm

Artist Interview #17: Laura Hamje

1. How did you respond to the idea of the white cup?

Still life has never interested me as subject matter. To me, painting pictures of objects sounds like the most boring thing in the world. I wanted to use the white cup idea to change the way I think about still life. I liked that we all have a white cup in our everyday lives. I became interested in the space in which the white cup lives and what we are really thinking when we reach into the cupboard to grab one.

2. Are you a full time artist, if not how do you support your art?

I am not a full time artist, I work as an accountant for a creative firm in town called Creature. Being a bookkeeper has allowed me to work in many different types of industries from oceanography to real estate to arts organizations. And that’s about as exciting as I can make number crunching sound.

3. When did you consider yourself an artist?

At some point in high school, I found myself more excited about doodling and trying to sell paintings of cars instead of doing my school work.

4. What are your influences?

Teachers have been big influences in my life. I think about their excitement and encouragement about a career in the arts, despite the lack of practicality. Their stories and ideas about art are still very much guiding me.

5. How big is your studio, what kind of lighting?

My studio is small. It is the downstairs of my living space which is a lofted carriage house. Natural or unnatural light, depending on the time of day…I prefer a mix when I can get it.

6. What is a typical day in the studio like for you? Do you listen to music, radio or tv in your studio?

I typically listen to music or watch tv while I’m painting. My cat harasses me the majority of the time and I usually have a drink nearby.

7. What is your preferred medium? Do you work on one project at a time or several?

Oil paint is my medium. I tend to focus on one painting at a time but may have several started at once.

8. Do you have any special or unique tools, devices or process that you use in your art making?

I use palette knives and brushes. When things get really heated, I use my hands and fingernails.

9. What do you do outside the studio, aside from a job?

I like to drink with friends or go on walks. Once in a blue moon (these days) I might sit down at the piano.

“Cupboard”, 2015, oil on panel, 10 x 8″

“Pantry”, 2015, oil on paper, 18.5 x 25″

“Observing Observing (a white cup): David Campbell”

With each exhibition, we will post interviews with the participating artists along with a photo of said artists in their studios and images of their work. In the future, we will post videos of artist interviews.

“Observing Observing (a white cup)” opens September 12th and continues through October 31, 2015

Curated by Eric Elliott, Michael Howard & Norman Lundin. More than twenty artists (both gallery artists and not) accepted the invitation to submit work.

Reception for the artists, Sept. 12, 2 – 4 pm

Artist Interview #16: David Campbell

1. How did you respond to the idea of the white cup?

When I paint, it is essential for the initial inspiration to derive from a visual excitement, followed by the development of the concept or narrative, if at all. If the perceptual jolt isn’t there, then I am wasting my time. Considering that, there was a good deal of false starts during the outset of this “white cup” theme. Creating and then finding a stage that had all the necessary cues that could jump-start some sort of visceral response was surprisingly difficult.

2. Are you a full time artist, if not how do you support your art?

I am not a full time artist even though I consider myself fortunate to have as much time as I do to paint. I teach at the College of William & Mary, which in turn feeds me when I return to the studio. I don’t think I would ever want to stop teaching.

3. When did you consider yourself an artist?

I consider myself more of a painter than an artist, which I understand can sound like a false sense of humility; but it feels weird giving myself that title. I always knew I wanted to be a painter since I began art school in the 90s, even though I felt less like a painter back then. I think it takes time to recognize what painting is and how it should function….. as it should.

4. What are your influences?

My influences include: my sight, other painters, film, music, dreams, nature, and spirituality.

5. How big is your studio, what kind of lighting?

My studio is approximately 13×17’. It has north lighting, although it’s a bit dark. I’d like to put a skylight in some day.

6. What is a typical day in the studio like for you? Do you listen to music, radio or tv in your studio?

I try to paint for about 4-5 hours at a time per day. Which a lot of times end up feeling like daily “sprints” compared to monthly “marathons”, if that makes sense. Music is essential while I work. It’s just distracting enough to help me not be too conscious of what I’m doing.

7. What is your preferred medium? Do you work on one project at a time or several?

I work in oil on either shellacked museum board or oil primed linen. I primarily use the palette knife, but am working my way back to the brush. I’m actually pretty temperamental and bounce around from one idea or project to the next. After working all over the place for a bit, a group of paintings or concerns end up rising to the top and I become pretty myopic.

8. Do you have any special or unique tools, devices or process that you use in your art making?

At times I’ll use a 24” wallpaper scraper if I feel that the painting needs to be scraped down, unified or roughed up a bit.

9. What do you do outside the studio, aside from a job?

I spend a lot of time listening to music, maybe too much time. I’m always trying to find the soundtrack to my life.

“A Few of My Favorite Things 1″, 2015, oil, 14 x 14”

“A Few of My Favorite Things 2″, 2015, oil, 14 x 14”

“Observing Observing (a white cup): Anne Petty”

With each exhibition, we will post interviews with the participating artists along with a photo of said artists in their studios and images of their work. In the future, we will post videos of artist interviews.

“Observing Observing (a white cup)” opens September 12th and continues through October 31, 2015

Curated by Eric Elliott, Michael Howard & Norman Lundin. More than twenty artists (both gallery artists and not) accepted the invitation to submit work.

Reception for the artists, Sept. 12, 2 – 4 pm

Artist Interview #15: Anne Petty

1. How did you respond to the idea of the white cup?

My first instinct was to stick a figure into the paintings, as that is my usual subject matter, however I don’t often paint still life’s, so I thought I’d take this as an opportunity to do so. The cup I used is ceramic and reflective. I wanted to use that quality and set the cup next to images I like—one being a postcard of a Picasso painting and another a book with a painting by de Kooning on the cover. It was an excuse to revisit other people’s paintings I admire.

2. Are you a full time artist, if not how do you support your art?

In addition to my studio work, I work part time teaching painting and drawing at Gage Academy in Seattle and nanny during the afternoons during the week. I like the balance each job offers.

3. When did you consider yourself an artist?

I’ve been making art of some kind since I was young, but it wasn’t until I completed all of my schooling that I felt comfortable introducing myself as an artist.

4. What are your influences?

While I find inspiration all over, my biggest influences are people—their gestures, form, idiosyncrasies, and psychology are all incredibly interesting to me. People watching is one of my favorite activities. Like most artists, I also look at and am influenced by others people’s paintings. Artists such as Lucian Freud, Goya, de Kooning, Paula Rego, Ann Gale, and Kyle Staver are some of my particular favorites, although the list is long. I also look to film and photography, in particular directors and photographers like Hitchcock, Garry Winogrand, and Cindy Sherman.

5. How big is your studio, what kind of lighting?

My studio is about 110 sq. feet. I just moved studios this past week and am still settling into the new space and getting organized. I do have natural lighting, but also lights with both warm and cool bulbs to get a nice temperature balance and for consistency. Having lighting I can control is essential.

6. What is a typical day in the studio like for you? Do you listen to music, radio or tv in your studio?

I tend to do the bulk of my painting in the morning and early afternoon. When I first arrive I will assess where I’m at in a painting through writing, drawing or just looking. I think better with silence, so I’ll hold off on music or podcasts until I get into a painting groove. When I first start working, it’s also the time where I will take care of any research needs for the day (look through images I’ve taken, find interesting film stills or images online, study other artists’ paintings, etc.). After that, the rest of my time is ideally spent painting, often while listening to music or a podcast.

7. What is your preferred medium? Do you work on one project at a time or several?

I do most of my work in oils, but I also watercolor and draw. I feel best when I have several paintings going at once, usually all examining a similar idea or concept. I find it helps to take some of the pressure away from an individual piece and as a result I am better at taking risks.

8. Do you have any special or unique tools, devices or process that you use in your art making?

I’m fairly straight forward with my materials, so no, nothing out of the ordinary.

9. What do you do outside the studio, aside from a job?

I like to spend time biking, traveling, and trying new food with my husband, Sean (ideally all combined into one event). I also am an avid reader and always carry a book with me.

“Cup and Book”, 2015, oil on vellum, 14 x 11”

“Cup and Card”, 2015, oil on vellum, 9 x 12”

“Observing Observing (a white cup): Dean Fisher”

With each exhibition, we will post interviews with the participating artists along with a photo of said artists in their studios and images of their work. In the future, we will post videos of artist interviews.

“Observing Observing (a white cup)” opens September 12th and continues through October 31, 2015

Curated by Eric Elliott, Michael Howard & Norman Lundin. More than twenty artists (both gallery artists and not) accepted the invitation to submit work.

Reception for the artists, Sept. 12, 2 – 4 pm

Artist Interview #14: Dean Fisher

1. How did you respond to the idea of the white cup?

Actually, the theme for this show is right up my alley and I’m very pleased that I was invited to participate in this exhibition.

Over the years a subject which I have often returned to are white cups hanging in a cabinet or arrangements of white cups along with other objects.

I’m very attracted to the challenge of painting whites objects via direct observation, trying to find the many subtle colors and tones which occur as well as the very reserved palette which can evoke and suggest so much. This is perhaps a reaction to the fact that so much imagery today is very “in your face” and brash, it’s very appealing to try to create a compelling image with means which are exactly the opposite to the devices which are used as contemporary attention grabbers.

A major influence for me is the work of Giorgio Morandi who is such a master at squeezing so much poetry and interest from reserved means such as these.

2. Are you a full time artist, if not how do you support your art?

I consider myself a full time artist although I work part time as a figure and landscape painting instructor at Silvermine Art Center and privately from my studio in Connecticut. Making and thinking about art is the main focus during the majority of my waking hours.

3. When did you consider yourself an artist?

I first considered myself as an artist when I realized that nothing would give me the satisfaction and sense of fulfillment as putting my feelings and perceptions of the the things I like into paint or graphite, this was at the age of 18 or so.

4. What are your influences?

Big list! All aspects of Nature, Uccello, Piero, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Velazquez, Vermeer, Degas, Vuillard, Morandi, Uglow, Gwen John, William Nicholson, Lucien Freud, Patrick George, Antonio Lopez Garcia, Justin Mortimer, Stuart Shils, Alex Kanevsky, Diarmuid Kelley, Anne Gale, This is just a few from a very big list.

5. How big is your studio, what kind of lighting?

My wife and I converted a large barn and carriage house into our home and studios. We designed it to be about 1/3 living space and 2/3 studio space, so we each have separate, spacious studios. Each studio has skylights so there’s plenty of natural light and for working at night I’ve installed 2 fixtures of full spectrum lights in each of the studios.

6. What is a typical day in the studio like for you? Do you listen to music, radio or tv in your studio?

I love to work one on one with a model during a 4-5 hour session. When that isn’t possible, I paint still lives from the dozens of objects which I have in my studio. I also like to wander out in our garden and paint whatever catches my eye. If I spend the majority of the day working in the studio, I love to end the day by going out and painting an evening landscape, this is always very liberating.

7. What is your preferred medium? Do you work on one project at a time or several?

I almost exclusively work with oil on panel or linen. I never set out to paint a series of work based on a theme. I always try to focus on those subjects which interest me the most at the time and almost always have 6-8 paintings under development at once. It naturally occurs that the paintings are related in some way and each painting ends up serving to problem solve and unlock ideas which aid the other paintings which are underway. This cycle works well for me because once I achieve momentum, I can generate a lot of focus which in turn gives the work more clarity. I often have music on via NPR which is mostly classical..or I’ll choose music of various types from Youtube and binge on a particular artist all day long. Sometimes I prefer to work in silence though.

8. Do you have any special or unique tools, devices or process that you use in your art making?

No, nothing really unique. Brushes (mostly bristle filberts), an assortment of palette knifes. The potential for what can achieved with these basic tools is endless and I feel there’s so much more to learn.

9. What do you do outside the studio, aside from a job?

I love to design and build things, furniture, accessories for our home, entire additions on the home. My wife and I watch a lot of films and TV dramas..mostly foreign via Netflix, there are so many beautifully crafted lesser known films out there! I love to play tennis, bicycle ride, kayak and travel. I also love to read but struggle to find enough time to do so as much as I would like to.

“Suspended Still Life”, 2015, oil on panel, 16 x 34″

“Observing Observing (a white cup): Jordan Wolfson”

With each exhibition, we will post interviews with the participating artists along with a photo of said artists in their studios and images of their work. In the future, we will post videos of artist interviews.

“Observing Observing (a white cup)” opens September 12th and continues through October 31, 2015

Curated by Eric Elliott, Michael Howard & Norman Lundin. More than twenty artists (both gallery artists and not) accepted the invitation to submit work.

Reception for the artists, Sept. 12, 2 – 4 pm

Artist Interview #13: Jordan Wolfson

Jordan Wolfson in the studio. Photo credit: John Walthier

1. How did you respond to the idea of the white cup?

I enjoy that sort of subject matter – it’s the sort of thing I did a lot of many years ago, so it was sort of like visiting an old, welcomed friend. Finding subtle tonal shifts, feeling into them, quiets my mind. It’s peaceful, contemplative. And that’s a pleasure given the busyness of our lives – so I appreciated the call.

2. Are you a full time artist, if not how do you support your art?

I teach privately, as well as exhibit.

3. When did you consider yourself an artist?

I don’t consider myself an artist. I don’t mean to be technical, but I consider myself a painter. I have real questions, and not many clear answers, about the identity and role of an artist today. But to answer the question, when did I consider myself a painter – well, it was something that I did since I was young. I started painting in oils when I was fifteen, but in college I was pre-med. Then in a few studio classes in painting, that I took to keep sane, I just fell in love. But I don’t think I really considered myself a painter until a good number of years passed after I had finished grad school and, lo and behold, I was still painting. So it became part of my identity because I kept doing it.

4. What are your influences?

Hmmm…a lot! Titian, Rembrandt, Chardin, Cezanne, Monet, Matisse, Soutine, Morandi, Giacometti, de Kooning, Resnick, Diebenkorn, Auerbach – I guess that’s a start! And teachers too, of course – Andrew Forge, William Bailey, John Walker, Mel Bochner – but from undergrad as well, Don Weygandt – who studied with and became a friend of Diebenkorn, Hardy Hanson, Patrick Ahearne – all great, great teachers. But there are spiritual influences as well, that feed directly into how I think and reflect and work as a painter. Buddhist thought, certainly. Krishnamurti, Alan Watts, Eckhart Tolle, Gangaji, Rupert Spira. I remember reading Alan Watts’ book “The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are” as a boy, and my mind being fairly blown open! It certainly affected the way I come to the things that are important to me, like painting. The context for me for painting, it’s not really “art” – it’s something wider and deeper, about life itself. And I’m sure that’s close to what some folks mean when they use the word “art” but I find the term, for myself, confusing and leading to a whole other set of associations and assumptions.

5. How big is your studio, what kind of lighting?

The studio is about 750 square feet, with a large bank of south facing windows. There’s artificial light, but I don’t usually paint with it.

6. What is a typical day in the studio like for you? Do you listen to music, radio or tv in your studio?

Morning begins with coffee, loud music (from my never-ending playlist — I love music.), a snack and more coffee, more loud music, then lunch while reading from The New Yorker, a short nap, then tea and more loud music. That’s a good day. Too often there’s the list of errands and logistics and blah, blah, blah.

7. What is your preferred medium? Do you work on one project at a time or several?

I prefer to paint in oils. But I draw a lot in graphite and charcoal. Usually there’s one main interest, but with side projects along the way – maybe drawings or fine-tuning more developed paintings while the main interest gets going .

8. Do you have any special or unique tools, devices or process that you use in your art making?

No, just pretty straightforward oil painting, I think.

9. What do you do outside the studio, aside from a job?

I read and write a good bit, and think about the state of the world – where are we going, and are we going to make it and what can painting do, actually, to help. I also co-parent my two lovely young daughters and enjoy the life here in Colorado.

“Still Life with White Cup”, 2015, oil on linen, 14 x 12″

“Observing Observing (a white cup): Amy Huddleston”

With each exhibition, we will post interviews with the participating artists along with a photo of said artists in their studios and images of their work. In the future, we will post videos of artist interviews.

“Observing Observing (a white cup)” opens September 12th and continues through October 31, 2015

Curated by Eric Elliott, Michael Howard & Norman Lundin. More than twenty artists (both gallery artists and not) accepted the invitation to submit work.

Reception for the artists, Sept. 12, 2 – 4 pm

Artist Interview #12: Amy Huddleston

1. How did you respond to the idea of the white cup?

The same way I approach all my work; I ask myself, what do I want this work to evoke, and what approach do I use to do it?

2. Are you a full time artist, if not how do you support your art?

Yes.

3. When did you consider yourself an artist?

Other people started calling me an artist around 12 or 13 years old, I bought it.

4. What are your influences?

Currently, light, form, paint itself; and the idea that it can evoke a multitude of things.

5. How big is your studio, what kind of lighting?

My studio is about 250 sq ft. The space has lots of natural light via 3 large picture windows and two skylights.

6. What is a typical day in the studio like for you? Do you listen to music, radio or tv in your studio?

Typically, I organize or clean up a bit, then start work on what I have going on at the time. I have music in the background.

7. What is your preferred medium? Do you work on one project at a time or several?

Casein is currently the medium I am using/prefer, but I also use oil and acrylic. I have always gone back and forth between projects.

8. Do you have any special or unique tools, devices or process that you use in your art making?

Not really.

9. What do you do outside the studio, aside from a job?

I spend time with my family and friends doing the typical things people do.

“Night Cup”, 2015, oil on linen, 14 x 20.5″