Noisy distortion with a blast of color.

Attempting to escape from the dream world.

Degraded edit, with plenty of noise and grain for a creative vintage feel.

Image Credits

All Images Are © Austin Sessler

Guest Artist Bio
Austin Sessler

I am a 19 year old digital artist from Arizona. I focus on trying to inspire others to chase their creative ideas, and show people that there is no limit to our creativity, which is why I find myself in many different fields of art. My works can be found on Instagram @youngdumnumb

Follow Austin Sessler on: Facebook | Instagram

Fortunately, I was given a second chance after having a donor stem cell transplant in 2017. This led to some revaluation and I decided that my art practice was no longer going to take a back seat, so I went part-time with art teaching and I re-joined my local printmaking studio.

Reduction Lino cut prints from the recent ‘bloom’ series

Initially, the artwork was a reminder to myself as I tried to hold onto my own lessons, but over time I learnt that it is a powerful way to encourage and connect with others. I started to meet people at art fairs and exhibitions and some shared their stories with me. I saw incredible strength and vulnerability and these connections reaffirmed the realities of the human experience that I passionately wanted to capture. I knew from that point that the human form was a vital part of the work. Over the years it’s evolved from full figures to portraits as I explored the emotion I could capture in a single subject. During the pandemic, I was unable to access the print studio which I relied upon for many of my processes, so I started to use a technique called lino printing, which involves carving a piece of lino (called a plate) with tools to create a relief surface; which is then coated with a layer of ink and printed onto paper. I do this by hand with a tool called a Baren which applies even pressure to transfer the ink.

Some prints are built up with several plates, or from plates that are repeatedly carved into between each layer until it is eventually destroyed. This means that you know that each piece is an original, handmade piece of artwork that is always limited edition. It is important to me that you can see evidence of the process of its creation, so I leave marks behind which also creates life and energy in the piece.

Behind the scenes photos showing the process of linocut

I want to share work that celebrates strength and vulnerability, acknowledging that everything is impermanent, imperfect and incomplete and that is beautiful.

“The lotus flower is a reminder of the beauty that comes from change,
the magic that a new beginning brings, and the seed of potential that’s buried
in the most unlikely places.” ~ Jennifer Williamson

Reduction linocut prints from the recent ‘bloom’ series

Image Credits

All Images Are © Clare Morgan

Guest Artist Bio
Clare Morgan

I am a practising artist and teacher working in Derby, UK. I create original, empowering portrait artwork in lino print that encourages reflection, empathy and calm.

After graduating in 2005 with a degree in Fine Art, I fell in love with printmaking; The process has remained a constant source of fascination for me. I relish the patience required and labour involved in preparing the stencils and plates. I am excited by the element of unpredictability inherently attached to the process. Until the first pull of the print, you are never quite sure what will be revealed.

I seek to explore the fragility and instability of the human experience juxtaposed against a desire for certainty and control. To make our inner world visible through expressive portraits, exciting colour palettes and imagery revealing more of a story and allows us to connect.

Blog / Website: Clare Morgan Fine Art figurative printmaker

Follow Clare Morgan on: Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

The surrealist Spirit of Time captures the reality of life in the 21st century. It shows the impacts caused by humans’ treatment of the world and each other. Disrespect for the earth, human health, racial, gender and economic equality have resulted in climate chaos, destruction of biodiversity, the advance of COVID 19, accompanied by fear , all which are skillfully presented using religious symbolism. While a disturbing image, the message may be one of hope and an opportunity for change.

Patrice Dechavanne – Spirit of Time

Lithography, reprography art paper printed in 5 copy.
Each copy is numbered and signed by the artist. Size 60/80

Material about the work indicates the image is questioning of the Western world which has lost moral, political, economic, religious, and ecological values. As with all art and, more so with surrealist art, the meaning cannot be defined by one person as the artwork provides different messages for each viewer. With this in mind, you the viewer can comment on the work and what it means for you.

The artist´s biography can be viewed by following this link: Patrice Dechavanne Biography

Image Credits

Image is © Patrice Dechavanne

Guest Author Bio
Charalee Graydon

Charalee Graydon was born in Alberta, Canada. She is a writer, journalist, academic and past lawyer. She works in the areas mediation and collaboration and is currently a faculty member at EUCLID University.

Charalee holds degrees in Bachelor of Arts in English and Political Science, and a Juris Doctorate in Law. Following receipt of a Rhodes scholarship in 1982, she pursued legal studies in Oxford, England where she obtained a B.C. L degree. She held academic positions in England, New Zealand, and Canada and is presently a faculty member at Euclid University. She completed her Ph.D. in Mediation and Conflict Resolution in June 2020. She has also practiced law in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada.

She has published three books of literary fiction  and one of which has been translated and published in Spanish.

She developed programs for students, judges, and the corporations on legal issues and published academic works in environmental law, sentencing and commercial law.

Blog / Website: Charaleeg.com

Made For The Sun ©June Rollins

Instead, I’ll share them with you. Layered, saturated hues and deep values are the keys to making this watercolor glow. During these uncertain times, please keep painting. Get lost in the process. Hope for tomorrow. Wake up and repeat.

Made For The Sun Process Steps

Image Credits

All Images Are © June Rollins

Guest Artist Bio
June Rollins

June Rollins is an artist, art instructor and author of “Alcohol Ink Dreamscaping Quick Reference Guide,” available on Amazon. She is currently working on her first novel, “She Lost Her Muse.”

Blog / Website: June Rollins Art

Follow June Rollins on: Twitter | Facebook

Behind the Mask by Lilianne Milgrom

These past few months have been particularly challenging for artists. Even though our profession is mostly solitary by nature, there’s a difference between never leaving your studio because you’re totally engrossed in your work, and being confined to one’s home and studio because of a raging pandemic. As the weeks of quarantine and lock down stretch before us, the majority of creatives have experienced a similar pattern: Initial euphoria and frenzied output–brought on by the specter of all that free time to experiment and create without pressure–followed by a drop in creative output as anxiety set in and the call of Netflix became louder and louder. So after binge watching our favorite shows and zooming till our eyeballs catch on fire, it’s time to get back to work. But how to get motivated?

I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve to get those creative juices flowing.

1. Look at art.

Let’s face it, there’s nothing new under the sun. No matter what you like to paint or draw or sculpt, I assure you it’s been done before in an infinite array of forms. But know this–no one can do it quite like you. Your means of expression are uniquely yours. Looking at other artists’ work never fails to inspire me. I might get an idea for a new color palette or a new way to define an eye or a petal and right away, the neurons start firing and I’m off, imagining how to incorporate these revelations into my own body of work. Looking at art is not only an inspiration, it’s a hedge against stagnation. With over a billion users, Instagram is a treasure chest of imagery, but if you want more depth and focus, the world’s top museums have never been as accessible as now. Most museums now have virtual tours of their gloriously empty galleries (Mental Floss has a great line-up) or check out Google Arts and Culture.

Desperate Man by Gustave Courbet

2. Work begets work.

“Don’t think about making art, just get it done.” (Andy Warhol)

“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” (Picasso)

“Inspiration is for amateurs — the rest of us just show up and get to work.” (Chuck Close)

All those famous artists couldn’t be wrong–they may have expressed it differently, but the bottom line is the same: Nothing’s going to happen until you start making it happen. Which leads us to Tip No. 3.

3. Start something with no defined goal.

No pressure. Get your hands dirty. When I’ve been in a rut, I force myself to start a little painting or a drawing or a gelli print, but the crucial ingredient is to keep the following narrative playing in my head: No expectations, I don’t care if this works out or not. I have no clue where this is going and I don’t care. This is for me and nobody’s going to see it.

It works every time. Before I know it, I’m having fun and getting into it.

4. Putter around the studio.

Step into your creative space, whatever that is right now, and start puttering around, skirting the edges, neatening up a stack of watercolor papers or tossing dried out gouache tubes. You’ll soon find unused blocks of vinyl for that series of linocuts you always wanted to make or you’ll trip over a half-finished, problematic painting that you’ll suddenly see the perfect solution for. I promise that you’ll soon be itching to try those water-based oils on the shelf, or you might even resurrect your origami skills when you discover the roll of origami paper you bought in Japan ten years ago. Your head will soon be exploding with ideas.

5. What’s under your bed?

Whether your stash of creative output is under your bed, in the garage, or neatly labelled and filed away in your studio, we all have works that are not seeing the light of day. They need to get out there, people! I have stacks of work that haven’t been sold or even exhibited yet–even though they deserve to be! So I scroll through the various feeds and newsletter I receive for Calls for Entry. What I’ve found is that because almost all calls for entry are thematic, at least a couple of my past works would be perfect candidates for some of the listed exhibition themes. I’m not suggesting artists spend their limited funds on entry fees, but right now, a lot of galleries are calling for submissions with small entry fees or none at all. I’ve had about a 75% acceptance rate for my submissions. It’s been validating and has inspired me to keep going.

Now get to work! No more excuses!

Image Credits

Behind the Mask by Lilianne Milgrom – All Rights Reserved

Desperate Man by Gustave Courbet – Wikimedia Public Domain

Guest Author Bio
Lilianne Milgrom

Paris-born Lilianne Milgrom is an internationally acclaimed artist and author residing in the greater Washington, DC, area. Her works can be found in private and institutional collections in the United States, Australia, Israel, France, Switzerland, England, and India. Aside from her blog Art and Beyond she has been published in publications such as Ceramics Art and Perception, Ceramics Monthly, Bonjour Paris and the Huffington Post. Her upcoming novel L’Origine: The Secret Life of the World’s Most Erotic Masterpiece is due for release in July, 2020.

Sign up for updates on L’Origine’s release for a chance at receiving a signed copy of her debut novel described as a ‘fun, sexy and smart page turner’. ~ Keren L, NYC.

Blog / Website: lilianne milgrom

City in Holland – Ink and Watercolour on paper, 60x80cm, 2015

City in Holland shows an imagery though realistic impression of a city that could have existed somewhere in Holland. Most buildings and street/canal layout are based on Amsterdam but other cities also provided some inspiration.

Manhattan Sunlight – Ink and Watercolour on paper, 56x45cm, 2014

Drawn from memory, an impression of the Broadway Madison square area on Manhattan. The fanciful 19th century architecture and abstract play of light and shade caught my imagination and resulted in this drawing.

Spaccanapoli, the old heart of Naples – Ink and Watercolour on paper, 30x40cm, 2014

This drawing attempts to capture the excitement and ancient character of Naples, one Italy’s oldest cities.

Image Credits

All Images Are © Stefan Bleekrode

Stefan Bleekrode Artist Bio

Stefan Bleekrode (1986), a self taught artist who works and lives in Holland but travels far and wide in search of inspiration for his drawings and paintings. A brief trip to Paris at the age of ten encouraged him to actually express his fascination with architecture in small pencil drawings which over the years became half year exercises in patience and craftsmanship. After several successful shows in Switzerland & Holland he teamed up in 2014 with one of Hollands top gallerists. See this link: http://www.kunstexpert.com/

Blog / Website: Stefan Bleekrode

Follow Stefan Bleekrode on: Facebook

120 – 62″ x 28″ – Recycled mixed media on sailboat sail

It made me feel sick to my stomach. It’s funny that we as humans are, for whatever reason, convinced by society, not to care about plastic waste and that ‘use once’ plastics are a necessity for a life of convince. Here I am producing such a huge amount of unnecessary plastic waste that will forever be a part of my carbon footprint. It was at that moment, as I stood there staring at that ball of hideous plastic on the floor, that I decided that I never want to feel like that again. This forever changed me as an artist.

Great Plains – Great Plains – 54″ x 54″ Recycled/reclaimed paint on sailboat sail (sailcloth) on a handmade frame

At the time of my realization, that I will become an artist that speaks for the environment, I lived in a high-rise condo building in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. On the ground floor of this building there was a large garbage room where residents can drop off large household items that are no longer desirable, leftover cans of paint, and other larger items that they couldn’t stuff down their floor’s designated garbage chute. By the end of every month there was a large pile of discarded, cheap, particleboard furniture and old appliances. Amongst the heap of briefly used, almost new, yet broken items, I found a couch and a couple of half used cans of paint. I began the task of disassembling the couch to reclaim its wooden frame and removing all of the leather and ‘pleather’ that I would later sew back together as a stand-in for canvas.  This was my first recycled art project.

The Crossing – – 62″ x 28″ – Recycled mixed media on sailboat sail

As of February 2015, I am now painting with and on 100% recycled materials. The frames, whenever possible are also constructed from reclaimed wood. This year I have had the good fortune of developing a relationship with the paint recycling company, Loop Paint, who generously provides me with all the paint for my projects. All of the material that I paint on is reclaimed, mainly sailboat sails (sailcloth).

Sailcloth was traditionally made from linen, cotton or hemp, typically in the form of canvas, though modern sails are rarely made from these biodegradable materials. Most sails are now made from synthetic fibres like low-cost nylon, polyester or carbon fibres. Because of sailcloth’s synthetic nature, it is an ideal candidate for repurposing. I am not a sailor, so I cannot reduce the number of sails I go through and certainly do not have any control over the sails that are produced, though I can reuse what others no longer have a need for and certainly recycle whatever is left after that.

Early Season – 42″ x 19″ Recycled mixed media on reclaimed sailboat sail (sailcloth)

I believe that everyone needs to take a step back and evaluate every decision that impacts the health of our planet.  We need to look at what we as a human race are doing as a whole and what we can do to change things for the better. We need to own our mistakes, past and present and move forward. We need to think about long term environmental preservation, and not short term financial profits. We are in this together and need to protect the life on this planet, especially the life that cannot protect itself.

Through the Trees – 62″ x 28″ – Recycled mixed media on sailboat sail

My goal is for my work to inspire others and for it to become a symbol of change.

Image Credits

All Images Are © Robert Slivchak

Robert Slivchak Artist Bio

One of my biggest inspirations for pursuing a career in fine art is my father. At a young age I was always fascinated with his ability to work with any medium and his gift of being able to transform it into something beautiful. His encouragement to express myself artistically at a young age was key to my artistic development.

I am an abstract artist whose work does not depart from representational accuracy, but by the climate that surrounds me and my painting process. I use thick and thin layers of acrylic paint, applied using palette knives, rags, sponges and brushes, pulling back and removing portions of each layer until the result is something that’s synchronized with what I am feeling.

My most recent works reflect two sides of urban life. I love the contrasts between grunge and modern style with my paintings representing the grunge. I want to drift away from clean, sharp, calculated lines and tell a story with layers of roughly removed colours that show history, like layers of paint peeling on the exterior walls of an old building, revealing its storied past.

Whenever possible, I like to reclaim/harvest waste materials, like wood and paint when creating a new piece. I think that it is everyone’s social and environmental responsibility to create less waste. More often than not, I build my own frames, stretch my own canvas and prime the canvas with recycled paint.  I also offer custom creations to compliment each client’s colour palette. Reuse, reduce and recycle.

Blog / Website: Slivchak Fine Art – Photography

Follow Robert Slivchak on: Twitter | Facebook | Linkedin | Saatchi Art

Dear Dior © Josephine Condotta: 40” x 30” Acrylic on wood panel. Inspired by a pair of luxurious earrings in Dior’s jewelry collection

For as long as I can remember, I have been absolutely enamoured by colours. I adore the spectrum of hues, the tints and shades of each and the vibrancy, as well as intensity, they can possess.  After years of careful editing and much experimentation, my attraction to colour has blossomed into a style I’ve titled, Chaos Of Colour.

Birmingham © Josephine Condotta: 24” x 48” acrylic on canvas. Inspired by a trip to the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in England

These artworks, inspired by the world around me, are based on the colours found in urban landscapes, cultural objects, and nature. Each canvas or wood panel support is layered with poured, splattered, pushed, scrubbed and brushed mixtures of acrylic paint. The assortments of hues are then brought into motion by gravity and water, one at a time. These chaotic backdrops set the stage for the inspired imagery that is placed on one of the top layers of each piece.

The X Josephine Condotta: 30″ x 10″ acrylic on canvas. Inspired by a visit to the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto

My artworks are intended to illustrate a connection between the emotional and the physical, chaos and structure, colour and form.

Exposition © Josephine Condotta: 20” x 40” acrylic on canvas. Inspired by FanExpo 2013

Image Credits

All Images Are © Josephine Condotta

Josephine Condotta Artist Bio

Josephine Condotta

Josephine is a professional artist and an interior decorator.  She works with colour, light, and form to create her paintings, as well as transform interior spaces.  She draws her inspiration from urban landscapes, fashion and design, North American culture, and nature.

Her quirky and vibrant personality is translated into her bold and fearless colourful works of art.  Josephine also has a collection of adorable cartoon characters and personalized character drawings.  She has an HBA in Visual Arts from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario and an Interior Decorating Diploma from Humber College in Toronto, Ontario.

Blog / Website: Josephine Condotta

Follow Josephine Condotta on: Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

The Birth of Colour © Lisa Kirk – Pencil Crayon on Paper, 8” x 11”

In my late 20’s I found myself in Art Galleries in Europe and something cracked open. A creative seed, a yearning, a drawing forth…and I secretly sketched in my journal even though I had no idea how to draw. I just needed to.

When I returned home, I drew mandalas in a little journal.( I did not know what mandalas were except a circle.) Everyday I doodled whatever shapes, colours, images that I wanted inside the circle with my lovely prismacolour pencil crayons. Here, I first discovered the wisdom and connection of our bodies to the creative process. I became pregnant and one day I looked back over my drawings. I could clearly see the day I had conceived our first child. Further into my pregnancy, I was taking a pottery workshop and we were glazing and doing designs on the clay. I kept doing these triangular shapes with a circle in them. My teacher said, I bet you are having a boy because that is a very ancient male symbol. In my mandalas, I had been drawing them there too. Some months later I gave birth to my son, Dylan.

Shifting © Lisa Kirk – Acrylic on Wood Panel, 24” x 24”

This finally led me to a workshop with the wonderful Vancouver artist, Gordon Smith, on Cortes Island where we were now living. At this point, I had ventured into one watercolour class and really did not have a clue but I loved the way the Colours played with each other. During our first day with Gordon, he came over to me and gently suggested I look at Emily Carr and her use of colour….the earth tones. He declared mine “licorice allsorts-kind-of-colour” and suggested I try painting like Emily. I loved her work and her use of the earthy colours so I gave it my best go. But it was like trying to put on a pair of pants that are too small; it just did not fit for me.  It was very uncomfortable.

The next morning, as I was getting ready to paint, Gordon quietly came over to me and said, “Yesterday, I made a mistake. You are a Colourist. Go back to painting with your Colours.” He then showed me books of artists like David Hockney that are Colourists and inspired me to follow my heart and feel good about my “licorice allsorts” Colours.

Listen, Listen, The Little Bird Whispers © Lisa Kirk – Mixed Media on Wood Panel, 14” x 18″

I will never forget that lesson he taught me- to follow what “fits” for me as an artist in my own heart.  And, as a person or teacher, never be afraid to realise you have made a mistake and say so.  Even though I was a newbie painter at that point, he did not treat me any different than those who were in the workshop with years of experience. He made me feel unique and like a “real” artist by giving me the title “Colourist”. That speaks to the generosity of his spirit as a person and teacher. At the end of the workshop, he even gave us all prints of his work. I was pregnant at the time, so he gave me two-one for the baby-to-be as well!

The Tree of Life, © Lisa Kirk – Pen and Ink on Paper, 8″ x 11″

My next lesson in learning to trust my own inner artist came when I took a series of drawing classes with Elena Wheeler on Cortes. This is where I fell in love with Line. I fell in love with solid graphite pencils and charcoal and the beauty and simplicity of line, the shades of black, white and grey….and drawing out from within. Here, I learned to find and follow the way of my LineThis is where I decided I wanted to be an artist. After 29 yrs, I had  found a place I could call my own. I had come home. Although I did not know it at the time, this was very healing for me on many levels.

I will be forever grateful to Elena for her open way of teaching. She taught me that there are many ways to do one thing and there are lots of different ways to “look” and “observe”. I guess you could say, she taught me how to see. She taught me that my line did not have to look like everyone else’s. That each of us are different and that is beautiful in its own way. And to this day, I pass that wisdom along to the kids and adults I teach.  To trust our inner Line, our own inner drawing forth and allow it, not block it.

How I Found “The Way of the Brush”:  PART 2 :  Creativity as a Guiding Light

Image Credits
Images © Lisa Kirk
Bio Photo © Sara Kerr

Lisa Kirk Artist Bio

I grew up in Vancouver and have lived in the Comox Valley since 1992. My wonderful life brings a diverse layer to my art–from nursing in child psychiatry, Playworking at various Children’s Festivals, oyster farming, parenting my now grown children and doing what I love best next to painting–teaching creative process. For me, art is an ongoing exploration and process of listening to my inner guides and responding to my inner and outer worlds. With playful curiosity, I love being open to what new surprise might present itself on the canvas or paper. I can very often be found teaching adults and children in my home studio and school district. Last year, I was very honored to be awarded the Nakeestla Award in the Juried Members Show at Comox Valley Art Gallery as well as being invited to participate in the Sooke Fine Arts Show. I have also received an Award of Excellence for drawing and an Honorable Mention for painting through the Comox Valley Community Arts Council.

Blog / Website: Lisa Kirk Artist & Facilitator

Follow Lisa Kirk on:  Facebook

This painting is also a result of years of painting, experimenting, failing and succeeding, taking chances, pushing boundaries and learning to listen to my hearts desire.  I used to want to paint like others.  I poured over paintings of the masters, worked alongside artists I admired, coveted their eye, their skill, their tools.  I wanted the brushes they had, the easel they used, the paints they liked. Yet still, I did not paint like them.  I painted like me.

Maya Angelou said something like ” If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.” Powerful stuff.

So I changed they way I thought about myself.  I let myself take risks, go down paths I was unsure of, tried new things, stopped doing things that were not helpful ( comparison is the death of joy) and painted whatever I wanted to paint.  I celebrate the bad paintings as much as I do the good ones because I learn from each and every one of them.  To me, there is no such thing as a bad painting, just a lesson that has been learned.

Artists are hard on themselves and I am no different, but mindful thinking and being open to opportunity and learning, following your heart and being prepared to fail in order to succeed is the key.

Painting for me is now about more than what I see.  It is about how I feel, how I have felt, how I remember, how I imagine, how I want my world to be, a bit of magic and some very good music.

“Sway”
Oil on Canvas 30″x 40″

I painted this after painting several paintings inspired by a flight in a small , two seater aircraft over the New Zealand landscape.  I also painted it listening to some glorious music, on repeat, allowing me to enter a meditative state.  I used the experience of several paintings under my belt, the music, my quiet rural environment and my delight at having a morning free to paint to influence me.

Image Credits

All Images Are © Jennie de Groot

Jennie de Groot Artist Bio

I am a modern impressionist painter. I paint from my home studio in New Zealand. I paint in oils , both in my studio and plein air. I am self taught.

Website:  The Distracted Painter

Follow Jennie de Groot on:  Facebook