Sunday, May 29, 2011

Lisa Lardy - Photographer - Altered Esthetics Featured Interview


Velodrome Ghent, Belgium
Lisa Lardy
Opening Reception Friday 6/3/2011 - 7:30 -10PM



Name: Lisa Lardy
City/State: Minneapolis, MN
Email: lisa@lardyphotography.com
Website: www.lardyphotography.com
MNartist.org profile: www.mnartists.org/Lisa_Lardy
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/lardyphotography

Bio~
Lisa Lardy grew up in Woodbury, MN, earned a Bachelors of Science in design from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and now resides in South Minneapolis where she works as a photographer and interior designer.


Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?
My work encompasses a variety of subjects including travel, portraits, still life and nature. I look for strong compositional elements, patterns, shapes and textures when I’m creating my images. My photography is all created digitally and is processed to varying extents with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.

I recently finished a project titled “30 Portraits in 30 Days” that featured studio portraits of 30 children. The energy the kids contributed to the project was fantastic. Their ideas and creativity were inspiring (and entertaining!). In contrast, one of my current projects is a series based on well-loved objects from the past (antique toys, books, & sporting equipment). The project focuses on the well-worn characteristics of the objects, uncovering the secrets and stories they hold. Travel photography has been a passion for many years. Each place teaches me a new aesthetic and offers a vast array of creative photographic opportunities. And as a bonus, traveling helps me to see my hometown with fresh eyes. The work featured here is from recent travels to Belgium, specifically Brugge, Namur and Ghent.

Rofftops in Brugge, Belgium

"What is Art?" is certainly too big of a question to ask here, but what do you hope your audience takes away from your art? What statement do you hope to make?
I strive to involve the viewer in the interpretation of the artwork allowing him/her to discover the statement, emotion or story the piece(s) portrays. Everyone interprets art differently based on his or her own life experiences. It is the active participation between the viewer and the image that brings art to life. Art is about the conversation, not just the work alone.

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
Learn the rules, break the rules, create in accordance with your vision, then edit, edit, edit.

Beguinage in Brugge, Belgium

Tell me about your workspace and your creative process.

When I’m not working in the great outdoors, I’m working in my office/studio in South Minneapolis. There, I’m surrounded with natural light and a rotating display of artwork that I find inspiring.

My creative process stems from actively seeing what’s around me. I’m constantly searching for the relationships of various elements in a scene. Visually distilling those relationships down to a clear, uncluttered image is my goal.

Pattershol (Monk’s Hole) Neighborhood in Ghent, Belgium

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?
Jean Leuthner http://www.jeanleuthner.com
Kari Maxwell http://www.karimaxwell.com
Kat Corrigan http://www.katcorrigan.com
Claudia Poser http://claudiaposer.blogspot.com

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?
Photos, paintings, prints, sculptures. I’m interested in seeing how others use light, form and color in their work.

MIA http://www.artsmia.org/
Weinstein Gallery http://www.weinstein-gallery.com/
Altered Esthetics http://www.alteredesthetics.com/
Minneapolis Photo Center http://www.mplsphotocenter.com/

Where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise?

Communication Arts http://www.commarts.com
Springboard for the Arts http://www.springboardforthearts.org/
NYFA http://www.nyfa.org/default_mac.asp
MN Artists http://www.mnartists.org/
MplsArt http://mplsart.com/
Velodrome Ghent, Belgium

Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future?
I’ll be participating in Altered Esthetics June show – “Bike Art VI

I will also be participating in Altered Esthetics shows: “Home” (September 2011), “Food Fight” (November 2011) and “Animal Art III: Rescue Me” (December 2011).

What can we expect to see from you in the future?
I’m excited to be a new member of L7 (not the band)! We’re a group of artists who gather on a regular basis to inspire each other and get our art into the world. We are serious about art, but most of all, have fun making it. Check us out on Facebook for updates on upcoming shows and events – Search Facebook for “L7 (not the band)”
Lisa Lardy

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Kyle Fokken - Sculptor

"Tank IV (Schlepper)"
Kyle Fokken

Kyle Fokken
Minneapolis, MN
Kyle@KyleFokken.com
Website: www.KyleFokken.com
MNartist.org profile: http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=9204
Facebook page: facebook.com/kfokken


Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?

I am primarily a mixed media sculptor who uses found objects when appropriate and fabricates other parts to form a unique aesthetic. I am known for my "toy inspired" sculptures that speak of the cultural transfer of beliefs and values between generations within our society. I use distressed materials to convey an "antique" aesthetic to emphasize that these beliefs have been long established but are decayed and in need of renewal or examination.

I am currently working on artwork for two local shows each featuring something I haven't done in a while - drawing for drawings sake and figurative sculpture for a self portrait show. (Titles, reception date and links down below)

These are different from other projects since I've been doing my "toys" for about 10 years and haven't done figurative work in about 15. Drawing for me has been more of a means to an end - a way to document and flesh out ideas for sculpture rather than an exploration of shadow and line quality. The dilemma is whether to maintain my "brand" by doing work in a similar vein - i.e. drawings and sculpture that feature elements of my current work or to veer off on something entirely different and risk failure.


"Uptet"

"What is Art?" is certainly too big of a question to ask here, but what do you hope your audience takes away from your art? What statement do you hope to make?
I want people to look at my work and be aware of the beauty and absurdity of the world around them. I've often had people coming up to me and say "why don't your dogs have heads" while they should ask when they last saw a dog with wheels. Wheels are a regular feature on many toys and is a practical solution to making the toy move so the concept is commonplace and is not questioned. We've grown up with it.

I also want them to notice the engineering I put into the pieces. All pieces feature working parts to cement the "toy-ness" of the piece in the mind of the viewer but they are designed with a nod towards good engineering design - counter rotating propellors, streamlined forms, shock absorbers and a sense of direction of movement- up/down, forward/backward. The function of the piece dictates the form. The idea that the sculptures are able to act as model prototypes of functioning vehicles ads a level of realism to the work allowing them to be enjoyed on many different levels.

"Eggo"

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
Stick to it. Apply to everything you can and make as much work as possible. Just like evolution, after each successive generation, the good mutations will stick and you'll continue to get better and more efficient at doing making your work. When it gets boring, try something new.


Tell me about your work space and your creative process?
Complete utter chaos. Plain and simple. I have to bounce between a lot of different tools and media in my studio. It's is a messier version of "Old Maid" or "Husker Du?" - I have to remember where I saw a particular found object or material. I liken my process to mental juggling of forms and ideas. Deadlines are necessary to help them to congeal together.


Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?
Being a sculptor, my first thought is of sculptors so I will list them first.
My early favorites are from my years of volunteering at the Soap Factory - Michael Rathbun -www.mikerathbun.com,
Rob Fisher - www.re-title.com/artists/ROB-FISCHER.asp and
Chris Larson www.mnartists.org/event.do?rid=206441 who currently has work up at the Walker Art Center.

Unfortunately, they've moved out of state, but I consider them MN artists since they based here when they influenced me. I started out doing installation work and it will always be my first love, but storage and family come first so I had to boil them down into forms I could manage and sell.

Rollin Marquette and Amy Toscani are two more favorite sculptors.

2 D favorites include Pete Driessen , John Diebel and photographer Steve Ozone.
All have a political bent to their work which really tickles my mind.


"Ship of Fools"

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?
Well, I've got two kids so I've got to keep them in mind when I go to look at work. I've been taking my kids to the "Monster Museum" which is what we call Minneapolis Institute of Arts. I started calling it that since it's hard to get a 2 year old to wrap his mind around the term "art". We'd always start out at the New South Pacific and African areas first and work our way through the Far East and finally to the European area's decapitated head of John the Baptist! There is so much work through history that is monstrous in nature. To see the collection from a child's viewpoint it really is a "monster museum".

I try to make it up to see the Tantra Car and always the MAEP Gallery. Of course the Walker Art Center and Soap Factory are on my list, but it really depends on the show. I love cerebral modern work but as big a fan of a lot of the minimalism in the permanent collection. Other favorite haunts of mine are the Rogue Buddha Gallery, Traffic Zone Gallery and SpotArt Gallery. The truth of the matter is that I'm usually busy with the kids or trying to get into the studio to get work done.


Where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise?
MNArtists.org is pretty good as well as the City of Minneapolis' "Mary Altman's Opportunities List" via email - www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us. Otherwise, I subscribe and write for a blog on Applied Kinetic Arts (AKA) appliedkineticarts.com . I often check out Call for Entry (CAFE) callforentry.org or Sculpture.com.

Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future?
I tend to keep very busy. I have a show "Reusing My Religion" currently up at Ridgewater Community College in Willmar, MN - until March 16th, a group show of drawings at the Rogue Buddha Gallery "Tableau" opening on March 11th, 2011, an opening at Hennes Art Company Gallery the next day March 12th "Art of the Self Portrait" , Hopkins Sculpture Walk, Art-A-Whirl. I have a trio of sculpture walks happening out of state -Sioux Falls, SD, Eau Claire, WI, and Castlegar, BC Canada. I also am participating in an outdoor art festival in Chicago in June.


"Airway to Heaven"


Sunday, May 15, 2011

James Dankert - Painter

Interns Rown
James Dankert

SpotArt Gallery Featured Interview

James Dankert
Saint Paul MN
Email: jamesdankert@msn.com
Website: www.jamesdankert.com
MNartist.org profile

Bio~
I’m a visual artist and musician who resides in Saint Paul, MN.

Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?
I paint mostly with acrylics, sometimes with oil, and the “through line” of the last 4 years of my work is the human form. As for style, I’m primarily interested in lines and hard-edged, flat areas of color. My work doesn’t present much in the way of painterly brushwork or illusions of volume, shadow, and light. I’m constantly engaged in the process of discovering my strongest interests and paring down my imagery to include only those interests.

Currently I’ve been working on a series of flat, nude human forms against black backgrounds, taking equal parts inspiration from Attic vase painting and from the paintings of John Wesley. My previous project was a series of office scenes depicting employees in anonymous office spaces. While I started this series with the idea of painting the office as psychological landscape, as I worked through the images, I discovered my deeper interest in the form and framing of the human figures within these scenes. My current series of nudes sheds reference to a physical context and presents the contours of flat human forms interrupted by the edge of the support.

Filing

"What is Art?" is certainly too big of a question to ask here, but what do you hope your audience takes away from your art? What statement do you hope to make?

I hope that my most successful paintings would support a variety of readings, I don’t feel like my paintings are vessels for meaning. That said, I can note what I’m thinking about when I paint. My first hope is that an audience would perceive a certain deadpan humor in my imagery, an eye for blunt and blank moments. In my office series, I’m trying to paint minimally expressive images that capture unremarkable moments of the work day in an office. As for my current series, I think of the imagery as a playful embrace of a non-spiritual, body-centered worldview.

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
Get out and see as much art as you can and, whenever possible, join the conversation at openings and exhibitions. I don’t follow this advice half as well as I should, but it seems like good advice.

Tell me about your working space and your creative process?
My workspace is cramped and uncomfortable. Whatever painting I’m working on is the eye of a hurricane of clutter and disorganization. If my space were too pleasant, I’m afraid I might just hang out and get nothing done. It’s in an old laboratory building, which I figure is an auspicious place to make art. My paintings start as quick pencil sketches made mostly while I’m sitting around home watching tv, without the use of models. The sketch transferred to the support provides a starting point, then I work out the rest of the image while I’m painting. The most difficult part of my creative process is trying to remain open, not to self-censor myself too severely during the early image-making process.

Conversation in Cube

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?

Some (there are so many):
Jennifer Davis - http://www.jenniferdavisart.com/
Michael Thomsen - http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=158290
Gregory J Rose - http://www.secretsofthecity.com/secrets/view/sunday-slideshow-studio-visit-with-gregory-rose
Corey McNally - http://www.local-artist-interviews.com/2010/08/corey-mcnally-abstract-painter-and.html
Clinton Rost - http://clintonrost.com/
Ray Becoskie - http://www.becoskie.com/
Gregory Graham - http://www.gregorygrahamart.com/

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?

I love the MIA. Right now, if you went with me, we’d see the Titian exhibition (I haven’t been yet—I need to get off the stick!). Northeast Minneapolis and Saint Paul’s Lowertown are areas I find myself returning to often to look at art during gallery openings and in artists’ studios when they’re open. I also like to see what’s happening at Gallery 13 in downtown Minneapolis.

We’d see everything we could. Since I’m a painter, we’d certainly look at paintings. Beyond that, I don’t have much of an art agenda. I’m curious about most approaches and I linger on whatever strikes me. I almost always find something interesting or instructive in the works I see.

Copy Room

Where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise?

Locally:
www.mnartists.org
www.mplsart.com
Lowertown First Fridays
Local Artist Interviews (Facebook)

Otherwise:
http://nymag.com/tags/ask%20an%20art%20critic
http://edwardwinkleman.blogspot.com/
http://joannemattera.blogspot.com/
http://www.twocoatsofpaint.com/

Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future?
Currently, I have a painting up in the “Flesh and Form” exhibition on view at Altered Esthetics through April 21:

Lunch

In May, I’ll have paintings on view at SpotArt gallery for the “SpotAwhirl” show opening on May 20 AND May 21, 2011 http://spotart.org/ .



Friday, May 13, 2011

Erin Sayer- Painter - Cult Status Gallery



Erin Sayer
Minneapolis, MN
erin@erinsayer.com
http://www.erinsayer.com
facebook.com/erinsayer33
Cult Status Gallery / Owner

BIO: Have always been a painter, went to school, then more school. Opened a gallery in Duluth called 'Duluth Artists'Guild,' taught high school art, became a full-time painter, made studio into gallery in St. Louis Park, met Nate Szklarski, had him curate a bunch of shows at the old space, found a new space (Cult Status Gallery), opened it, and now here we are.

WORK: I'm known for painting icons on sheet aluminum. But I feel the subject matter is boring, so now I've retreated to my roots; old school, large scale oil on canvas and murals. I have an extensive background in scenic painting, which translates to my love for large/giant/huge scale work. I started a series of huge oil on canvas paintings based on Tom Robbins novels, a la Renaissance. The first in the body is my interpretation of the book 'Jitterbug Perfume.' It depicts 3 of the main characters, who are immortal, about to 'dematerialize' from Paris to the New World in 1776. I am simultaneously working on 4 huge pinups for the Herkimer mural, and have 2 more lined up for the rest of the summer.

WHAT IS ART: Art is anything that keeps us from being bored.

BEST ADVICE: I have a few: 'Kill your babies,' 'If you can do it once you can do it again,' 'Draw what you see, not what you know.' Sr. Kelly, Drawing 101, St. Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN, 1993. 'White sucks.' Father Bruno, 2011.


WORK SPACE: I have a garage full of tools, some huge walls, and a million ideas. I head to the studio at 10 after walking the dog. Stare at things for 4 hours, then start doing things, which usually don't end well. Then at midnight I go home and start over in the morning.

ARTISTS I ENJOY: Don't make me choose!


MINNESOTA ART: Graffiti Graveyard in Duluth, some studios in Duluth, then to Minneapolis: Rogue Buddha to visit Nick, and to SpotArt to visit Scottie and Carissa; Northern Warehouse in St. Paul, visit Steve and Karen at Gallery13, SooVAC always has something amazing, and last but not least to Cause Spirit and Sound Bar to see what new show Tony has curated -- he has a knack for finding the best of the new.

ONLINE: Mostly Facebook and Twitter, I follow Juxtapoze, Fecal Face, all the museums, Brooklyn/London Street Art, and a bunch of my favorite artists, who I learn about through these sources or friends. I would not know anything about local modern art without Twitter or Facebook. I also follow all of the local galleries.


EXHIBITS:
Cult Sisters II
Featuring the work of some of the best female artists in the twin cities: Kristen Arden, JM Culver, Louisa Greenstock, Kate Keke Hall, Amina Harper, Kara Hendershot, Alison Hiltner, Gina Louise, Rhea Pappas, Wendy Petersen, Erin Sayer, Tonja Torgerson

Links to Cult Sisters Artists information and MNOriginals interviews (Link)

Opening Reception: Saturday May 14, 2011 (7:30 - ?)
Closing Reception: Friday June 17th
2913 Harriet Ave S
Mpls, MN 55408

Also, look for me painting murals on scaffolding around LynLake and St. Paul this summer. This January, I'll have a solo show at CSG debuting my new Tom Robbins series. And this summer, CSG will not only be a venue for Fringe Fest, but I will also be a featured artist in the production 'The 612.'

Friday, May 6, 2011

Alexa Horochowski - Sculptor


Name: Alexa Horochowski
City/State: Minneapolis, Minn
Email: Alexa [dyslexa@comcast.net]
MNartist.org profile: http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=4359
Facebook page


Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?
Much of what I’m doing now is more elemental than previous work, and because of this it’s lost a certain intelligibility. This is definitely a good thing. There are unmistakable allusions and the occasional stark message (e.g. memento mori), but the objects are looser in their function now, whereas in the past what I tended to do with objects in space was in the interest of achieving a particular idea, whether it was “the trials of love”, or “immigrant identity”, or whatever. Now things are less clear. The ambiguities are wider ranging and more lively.

"What is Art?" is certainly too big of a question to ask here, but what do you hope your audience takes away from your art? What statement do you hope to make?
Any artwork, if it has any real value, presents a dilemma between first and second impressions. The second impression might be virtually identical to the first, or the piece might become increasingly annoying and meaningless, as so much cultural material is – popular songs, ‘iconic’ images, the same ad or message, and so on.


The fruitful second impression is what I’m after in other people’s work and my own. It represents a deliberate return to the work, allowing it to grow as a possible answer: to itself, to a problem in the viewer’s personal life, in the world, whatever exceeds the mere appearance or initial meaning of the work. This “mere” appearance is important, certainly, because as physical beings we have to deal with space in such a crude way – filling our lungs and our stomachs, emptying them, stepping onto solid surfaces rather than into holes.


But the greater life of a thing, its potential to be long-lived, concerns its capacity for interacting with other things – in other words its transformation. This applies to both living organisms and their objects. So, as far as making a definitive statement through the work, or determining what the work itself is saying, I’m looking more to the viewer to do that.

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
Be easily distracted.


Tell me about your work space and your creative process.
I own a storefront property that has my studio on the first floor and my living space on the second floor, which facilitates my entry to the workspace, but keeps the dust and fumes sufficiently discrete. A renter in the back section of the building makes it easier to afford the size of the space, which is ideal if my work doesn’t get any bigger.


Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?
I get a great deal of pleasure from Stephen Rife, though he doesn’t exhibit much publicly. I pretty much have him to myself. I might occasionally cast a sideways glance at Matt Bakkom, Janet Lobberecht, Aaron Spangler, Bruce Tapola – that sort of genius.


If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?
The ethnic markets we have here in the metro area are a good resource for ideas – for getting out of the Minnesota I know without actually leaving the State. So, it’s economical, for one. The most interesting of these is, for me, the Hmong Market in Frogtown, and it should be picking up in energy and scale now that the weather is better.


Where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise?
I learn about artists by attending artist talks at the Walker Art Center, Midway Contemporary, University of Minnesota, MCAD and other institutions. I’ll often research an artist on the web before I go to hear them speak. Nothing beats traveling to major art centers such as New York and Buenos Aires.


What can we expect to see from you in the future?
Horochowski’s Creates Virtual Landscapes in “Cloud Cave” opens at the Burnet Gallery at the Chambers Hotel this week and runs through July 4, 2011.
Opening Reception: Friday, May 6 from 6-9pm

Details:
· “Cloud Cave” solo exhibition by Alexa Horochowski
· Burnet Gallery, Le Méridien Chambers, 901 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, Minn.
· FREE Opening Reception 6-9 p.m., Fri., May 6
· Exhibition runs through July 4, 2011
· Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Matt Albers - Painter

“My Left Hand Holds Paris” 5’x4’ oil on canvas
Matthew Albers

Altered Esthetics Featured Interview
Matthew Albers
May's exhibit...Art?
Opening Reception: Friday May 6, 2011
Show Runs from 5/5 - 5/26



Name: Matthew J Albers
City/State: Elk River, MN
Email: mjalbers69@gmail.com
MNartist.org profile: www.mnartists.org/Matthew_Albers

Bio~
My name is Matthew James Albers and I’m a “self-taught” emerging artist currently residing in Elk River, Minnesota. My artwork from an early age was inspired through artists that defined Expressionism, Surrealism, Abstract, and Abstract Expressionism. The works of Salvador Dali, Picasso, Van Gogh, and Jackson Pollock would further influence the way I would express, understand, and appreciate the work of others and my own art. I have always been fascinated by getting a glimpse of what’s inside someone’s head, a view through their “eyes”, something which would not be possible to see unless otherwise created.



Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?
My art tends to reflect a balance of color, flow, and imagery as it pertains to the subject matter. When the subject becomes less concrete and more “mental” in nature, the painting will take on more subconscious abstraction; a balance between the “physical” and the “non-physical”. It is on this level that the essence, the core of my work begins to take shape. I paint what I feel, what I “see”, and what I want to express. If I can challenge the viewer's interpretation, allowing them the chance to internalize and appreciate each piece on a personal level, then the piece has succeeded.



The subject matter of my work tends to be very personal, based on both previous and present experiences. As such, my art is very “dynamic” in the use of color and expression. I have found it difficult to paint a series or body of work based on a single concept, as I have always maintained the freedom to change my mind and pursue another direction even if it is mid-way through a painting.

Recently, I have been working on a larger scale. One of my first large works, (“Fortuitous” 4’ x 8’4” acrylic on canvas, June 2010) was painted on a piece of unstretched canvas that I had taped to the floor. I approached and painted the canvas from all four sides which gave me a much different perspective than painting from the easel. Fortuitous was one of the first pieces of work that I had approached without a preconceived theme in mind. I believe it reinforced the notion of “no restrictions”, painting what I felt without regard, like that of a child.





“Fortuitous” 4’x8’4” acrylic on canvas



"What is Art?" is certainly too big of a question to ask here, but what do you hope your audience takes away from your art? What statement do you hope to make?
My hope is to elicit an emotion and/or response from the viewer, allowing them a chance to mentally digest what they are seeing. While my work is very personal in nature, I enjoy sharing it with others and hearing their interpretation of what it means to them. I don’t think I’m setting out to make a statement, but rather, I’m hoping to engage the viewer in creative thought.







“Three Mothers, Two Fathers, and The Demon” 48”x36” acrylic on canvas




What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
My high school art teacher, Ron Chagnon, told me “never give up on your art”. He allowed me the freedom to explore my artistic style and helped me better understand some of the influences and direction my work was taking on. As happenstance would have it, I ran into Ron last year during an Elk River Arts Alliance group show at the Sherburne County government center; I hadn’t seen him in over 20 years. I was humbled to show my work with my mentor, and thankfully, made him very proud that indeed I had not given up on my art.



Tell me about your work space and your creative process.
We have a family room in our basement downstairs that has no carpet. Although the lighting is less than ideal, there is plenty of space to stretch out a big canvas. Add to the mix a nice glass of Syrah or Pinot Noir (I have a strong passion for wine), the radio tuned into Minnesota Public Radio with a little Mozart playing in the background…the perfect setting in my opinion!



Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?
I really enjoy the color and clean composition of Patt Dalbey’s work (http://www.pattdalbeystudio.com/). There is a raw beauty and strong sense of emotion in Joe Aschebrock’s (http://www.myspace.com/mydishragbody) work that I have been recently enjoying. If my old art teacher Ron Chagnon had a site, I would love to share it with you. He prefers to remain low key, but his work over the years has been amazing!








“Wine Comforts The Cold Moon Fools” 36”x24” acrylic on canvas

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?
If the sun was shining, I would take you on one of my favorite walks. We would across the Washington Avenue Bridge, perhaps spotting the U of M rowing team below gliding across the Mississippi River. Off in the distance, a breathtaking view of a most beautiful, shimmering work of art itself; the Weisman art museum. If time permitted, we could check out the current exhibition at the MIA or take in the Walker Art Center. Of course, I would round out the tour in the NE Minneapolis arts district. I am amazed at the talent that makes up the Minneapolis art scene. I am very thankful that galleries like Altered Esthetics are around to encourage and support the work of local artists; well done!



Where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise?
This is the primary reason why I am on Facebook. To be able to appreciate and share artwork with artists from around the world is exciting and special. There are a few artists that I always look forward to seeing when they post and share their most recent work. There are also some great art groups that cover just about every style and movement of art. If you want to find me on Facebook, you need only search for my three favorite artists; Pablo Van Pollock.



Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future?
I am participating in a group exhibit “Art?” at Altered Esthetics in May. This one is sure to be thought provoking and engaging. I have a couple shows in the works for this summer and early fall, but nothing definitive yet.




“Five Prophets in February” 48”x48” oil on canvas