Evan Ishmael - Mixed Media

Evan Ishmael

Name: Evan Ishmael
City/State: Minneapolis, MN
Email: info@evanishmael.com
Website: www.evanishmael.com
Facebook page: Evan Ishmael Fine Art
Etsy Page: EvanIshmaelFineArt


Bio:
I am an artist based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In my collection of untitled works, I explore the unique and idiosyncratic medium of flame to compose visual images on canvas, wood and glass and paper.  The residue that’s left behind creates formations in soot reminiscent of the vast landscapes of ethereal worlds, experimenting with form and composition by using hard edges and, most recently, the addition of color and wood in my latest works.


Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?
I'm currently exploring a series of work in collaboration with my wife. We are using my signature soot style along with ink washes, to create new, abstract compositions. She is an amazing artist in her own right, but this has been our first attempt at an art collaboration. We're both really looking forward where this series is going to take us. 
In the past, my work has always centered around the exploration of form. It started as an attempt to explore a new medium and has evolved into a fascination with larger, more complicated compositions. I begin each piece by envisioning myself building an organic object—sometimes a towering form, other times delicate or minimal ones. I continue to push my own limits with size as well as content; constantly pushing the boundaries of an intensively restrictive medium. My goal is for the piece to entirely encompass the person interacting with it, and I want for the viewer to imagine the work perpetually expanding into space beyond the canvas in front of them.

How did you decide to become an artist?
It's never really been something I had made a conscious decision to do. It has always been something I've just had to do. I don't know what else I'd be doing with my life. Accounting? 

What was the best advice given to you as an artist? 
When I was a teenager I read Steven Pressfield's "The War of Art." Among a lot of valuable advice, what I got out of it was that the most important part of being an artist is just putting in the time, regardless of the quality of the product. The quality doesn't matter if you can't even get yourself into your studio.

Many artists struggle to find ways to sell their art.  How do you sell your work?  How do you market yourself?

I sell most of my work through my shows and from my website. I've recently set up profiles on Etsy (EvanIshmaelFineArt) as well as Vango (Evan Ishmael). I'm excited to see if this opens up new avenues to sell work. 

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy? 

I'm a huge fan of HOTTEA (@hotxtea on Instagram). I've also been loving the works of Morgan Pease (www.morganpease.com) and Russ White (www.russ-white.com), who are both based here in Minneapolis.


If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?
I love checking out new work at Waiting Room Gallery in Loring Park, as well as Public Functionary and Gamut Gallery. Sometimes I'll find myself popping in and out of Circa Gallery and Burnett Gallery, too, just to see what's new.  But I also love wandering through downtown alleys trying to find new street art. There is an alley between 1st and 2nd Ave near Washington that always has some amazing new stuff. 

In addition to www.Local-Artist-Interviews.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? Well, I curate several locations around the metro, so MnArtists.org has been an invaluable resource for finding new artists. Aside from that I've had great experiences finding new artists on Instagram or visiting large scale venues like the State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition. 

Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future?
My next show is at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis (1420 S Washington Ave, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454) in September 2015. It's titled "Sootloose and Fancy Free". The reception will be September 11 from 5:30-7pm, and will include several different series of my work from the past 3 years.

Image List:
1.Blue on Wood, 2015, 42"x42"

2.Yellow on Wood, 2015, 42"x42"
3.Blue 2, 2014, 22"x30"
4.Blue 1, 2014, 30"x36"
5.Orange 1, 2014, 20"x34"
6. Untitled 13, 2013, 36"x48"
7. Image of artist

Nadia Honary - Video

Nadia Honary

Name: Nadia Honary

City/State: Minneapolis/MNEmail: nadia.honary@gmail.comWebsite: https://vimeo.com/nadiahonary and http://www.mnartists.org/nadiahonaryFacebook page:https://www.facebook.com/nadia.honaryTwitter: @nadia_as_it_is

Bio~ A graduate from the University of Iowa with three degrees in Cinema and Video Production, Spanish, and Studio Arts, I have been doing multimedia production work of varying degrees for nearly 10 years. I am passionate about sharing stories through video, having collaborated and produced videos and photos for several nonprofit organizations and local artists of various disciplines. I am also intrigued with experimental video work as a form of storytelling and have found that my most honest intentions come out through this format. Currently I am working fulltime for the local public access television station St. Paul Neighborhood Network, teaching individuals in the community techniques in production and providing the tools to enable people to tell their own stories through video. It is through this work as well as the artists I get to work with every day that prove that art is a vehicle for social change.

Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects? My work is primarily in the documentary storytelling format, though I also do a lot of work with experimental videos. I have always been fascinated with telling stories through images which is how I ended up collaborating with several local artists in the Twin Cities communities doing various photo and video projects. 

Currently I am working on a documentary involving personal identity, the way society has this need to categorize and label each other, and why it can be confusing when you are half...something. I'm half Iranian so this project is through the eyes of an Iranian American and is focused on my family but my hope is for this to expand to other cultural communities. It's different because rather than telling the story of someone else's organization or focusing on another artist, I am focusing the lens on myself and my family. It's a very vulnerable place to be, but it's a story I have mulling over for a long time now. I can't keep it in. 

I am also working in collaboration with another local photographer, Ilya Natarius, on a film photography project featuring local artists in the Twin Cities about what inspires them, to be featured at the Gamut Gallery in late spring of 2016. 

How did you decide to become an artist? It took me a long time to call myself an "artist" and really feel like I could own that. Sometimes I still feel like a phony. But since I was very young, I always felt more inclined to be creative. It started out with a fascination with acting and theater. When I first picked up a camera as a teenager and started capturing my friends while they were performing, I knew I would never put the camera down. A couple years later, I learned how to edit images together through video, and that's when I became obsessed because I learned how to play with time, create stories, and capture life moving around me. I haven't stopped since. 

What was the best advice given to you as an artist? A documentary that is all about documentary filmmaking called Capturing Reality includes interviews with several brilliant filmmakers and is a film I draw a lot of inspiration from. New York City based producer and director Jennifer Fox says in the film "It is only when you can't walk away from a subject that you should make it." That quote really resonates with me as I go forward with my own projects. I'm doing this because I have to and it's terrifying but that's what makes it beautiful. 

Many artists struggle to find ways to sell their art.  How do you sell your work?  How do you market yourself? As an emerging artist, trying to find the balance between funding my projects while maintaining the creative energy it takes to complete a project is a challenge. My main concern is finding the proper platform to share my work with as many people as possible because I aim to create a dialogue. I like it when my videos or photos inspire people, or when it gets someone to think about things in a different way. 
This is why I am most excited about collaborating with other artists and seeing the art that emerges through community work. The freelance work I do happens through these collaborations, through always saying yes, even when there may not be much time. My day job at the public access tv station, St. Paul Neighborhood Network allows me to continue to improve on my technical skills while teaching others how to make videos which is inspiring and has created a network of opportunities as well. And again, I still sometimes struggle with the term "artist" and whether or not I can own that identity, which is why I have a hard time marketing myself. I'll get there someday. For now, I'm enjoying my job and the people in my life who continue to push me to create. 

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy? 

There are so many! One thing I love about living here is I could talk all day about the various artists who work in several different disciplines that inspire me deeply.Two ceramists that I respect are Meg Brown and Kordula Coleman, especially since it's a medium that is so far out of reach to me. Meg's work is simple and clean, yet each piece explores movement even though it's frozen in time. How anyone can create this through clay is beyond me but Meg does it and it's amazing. Kordula's sculptures study the human form and I love how each piece seems to say something different. I look at her work and a story emerges. 

The work of the physical theater performance company Live Action Set is a constant source of inspiration as they explore ensemble-driven work and immersive performances. Noah Bremer and Joanna Harmon are currently the driving forces behind this amazing company and I am lucky to have had the chance to work with them on their latest projects, Crime and Punishment and The Half-Life. 

Spoken word poet, performer and writer, Andre Jenkins does amazing work empowering the black and transgender community and is currently a featured artist at Intermedia Arts. Guante is another spoken word and hip hop artist whose work is focused on social justice and deconstructing traditional notions of masculinity.

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see? Intermedia Arts, The Soap Factory, Northrup King Building at the Infinitree Media Productions studio, Mixed Blood Theater, The Phoenix Theater, and the MIA to name a few. We would see an array of theater performances. We will experience different art installations that make use of the space as part of the work. We would see my friends' production studio and goof around, recording musicians and playing with light. We would hang out at the MIA because sometimes you just need to be in a beautiful art gallery and spend some time with a painting. 

In addition to www.Local-Artist-Interviews.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? 
I go to mnartist.org, and I also do a lot of volunteering (most frequently for the Soap Factory, MSPIFF, and Mixed Blood Theater) which always leads me to more fun art and theater destinations. 

What can we expect to see from you in the future?
My experimental short video will be screening at the Southern Theater on July 24th (2015) for the AE Art House Film Festival and I will also be on the panel discussion as one of the Featured Artists that afternoon at the same location. 

Kate Renee - Painter

Kate Renee

Kate Renee
Minneapolis, MN

Email: katerenee@katerenee.com

Website: www.katerenee.com, www.thesuctioncup.com

MNartist.org profile: www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=185648

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KateReneesArt
Twitter: @KateReneesArt

Etsy Page: www.etsy.com/shop/KateReneesArt

Bio~ 

My name is Kate Renee and I am a professional acrylic painter working out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. My work is brightly colored lowbrow character paintings on birch wood panels and covered in resin. I paint edgy works with a veneer of cute. They are most recognized by my googily eyes and satirical titles.  

I graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BA in Fine Arts, Art History, and a minor in Design. I have worked with various galleries in the Twin Cities including: Altered Esthetics, Larson Art Gallery, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, The American Swedish Institute and the Katherine E. Nash Gallery. During 2013-2014, I am a protégé in the Women’s Art Resources of Minnesota (WARM) Mentor Program and mentored by Jill Waterhouse.

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

In January 2013, I was awarded a Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant and I recently completed my Beauties Behaving Badly Series. January and February 2014, I am exhibiting these 12 new works in a solo exhibition with an accompanying catalog at Gamut Gallery. The Beauties Behaving Badly series is a parody and commentary of classic fairytale and literature characters created in a graphic lowbrow style. These paintings challenge the typical role the female character played in their historical protagonist position by challenging society’s expectations. This series uses a visual media to speak about social issues including those found in children’s entertainment, public media, and the portrayal of traditional and non-traditional women’s roles.

What is different from these pieces and my past work is pretty vast. I am using a new substrate for my paintings and have been utilizing birch wood panels for the basis of my work. I still utilize acrylic but now cover the top of the painted surface in 2-4 layers of resin. The resin flattens the image completely and also soaks into the wood to enhance the grain. Because of this absorbent quality, I have been using the wood grain like a color. For example, all of the female figures’ skin tones are wood grain. These works have more developed figure shapes and backgrounds to the pieces than earlier works.

How did you decide to become an artist?

Art has always been a part of my life. I began as an artist at a young age; refusing to eat breakfast until I had finished coloring in my coloring books. I also began to paint at a young age on the tub walls with shaving cream dyed with food coloring. During my childhood, I continued to be creative with craft sales in my front yard (much like a lemonade stand but with art), coloring fuzzy posters and making Perler bead fridge magnets. I reconnected with my desire to be an artist during high school. Some of my high school photography traveled to an exhibition in Izumi, Japan and exhibited at the Minnesota State Capital. I made the decision to pursue a professional arts career in college. After my first semester of school, I transferred colleges and ended up at the University of Minnesota to study art, art history and design. 

What was the best advice given to you as an artist? 

I try to live my creative life by a quote by Anthony Bourdain. He said that if you wanted to get ahead you need to work like you are behind. I also parallel that with insights from my mentor who said to make sure you always take care of yourself and to enjoy the process. 

And another bit of advice that I have followed, is to get a lawyer. It’s impossible for artists to navigate the art world without knowing, learning or needing some sort of legal help along the way. There are numerous creative legal firms who can assist you. Lawyers are not as expensive as you think. Springboard for the Arts offers a Legal Clinic for about $20 a couple of times a year and has additional legal services and suggestions too. Most basic phone calls to a firm will be free if you have a few questions. I have even had a free consultation with a lawyer. Check out these firms below for legal help you may need:

Kunkle Law: http://kunklelaw.com/
Davis Law: http://davismeansbusiness.com/
Friedman Iverson Law: http://www.friedmaniverson.com/

Many artists struggle to find ways to sell their art.  How do you sell your work?  How do you market yourself?

I have learned very quickly to become a shameless promoter. I do a ton of marketing work and create a variety of promotional products to help get my name out there. I think the marketing is just as important as the art; both need to work in tandem. I am always trying new ways to get my name and my work out there. It’s crucial to make yourself as visible and accessible as possible. People do not want to search hard to try to find you or your work; make it easy for them. It’s okay to be out there, to express your individuality and to share what you do. That’s what is going to get people interested in the artwork and essentially make a sale. A little bit of repetition is okay too; just don’t overdo it. Sometimes people need to see things a few times before it catches their eye or before they remember a detail. And make sure that you can manage and update all of your marketing strategies…no use doing 20 different things if you can’t keep up!

Here’s just a quick snapshot of what I do for marketing. 

Multiple Facebook Pages:

https://www.facebook.com/KateReneesArt
https://www.facebook.com/TheSuctionCup
https://www.facebook.com/BeautiesBehavingBadly 

Twitter: @KateReneesArt

WordPress Blog: www.thesuctioncup.com

Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/katerenee
MNartists.org: http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=185648
Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/KateReneesArt

Website: www.katerenee.com

Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/108522227595832574442/posts
Newsletter Sign Up: http://katerenee.com/contact.html
Special Events: RAW shows 

Local Artist Interviews:  Writing artist development articles: 

LAI interviews: http://www.local-artist-interviews.com/2011/04/kate-johnson-painter.html

Personal mailings: Custom address labels with promo content on them, custom thank you cards, custom invitations, blind mailings to friend and family with free promo products

Licensing Art Work:  Checkbook covers and checks 

Custom made freebies: buttons, pens, stickers, Water bottles with custom Kate Renee labels, business cards, Favi cards

Variety of products: T-shirts, prints, paintings, catalog books, calendars

PR: Write my own press releases and mail them out

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy? 

Kara Hendershot: http://karahendershot.com/
Amber White: https://www.facebook.com/TangledAntlers
Jill Waterhouse: http://www.jillwaterhouse.com/
DC Ice: http://dcice.com/
Michael McGraw:  Blog / Website 

I am also a part of an artist group called the Artaversaries. We exhibit a group show of work based off of the traditional themes of anniversaries. Our first show was artwork with a theme of paper. Our second show will be work related to cotton. It is comprised of: 

The Artaversaries: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Artaversaries/406438019463387
Mark Elton: http://markelton.tumblr.com/
Marnie Erpestad: http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=262076
Julia Helen Rice: http://juliahelenrice.blogspot.com/
Kristy Childress : http://www.ravelry.com/designers/kristy-childress
Mary Foote: http://www.local-artist-interviews.com/2012/07/mary-foote-painter.html

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

I am always taking Arts Management training classes at the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council. http://mrac.org/ I have participated in 3 RAW: Natural Born Artists events this past year and will be in another in 2014. https://www.rawartists.org/ I also did my first art fair this past fall and will be partaking in some additional art fairs in the near future. 

I try to be at my studio daily and that is in Northeast Minneapolis in the Marshall Street River Lofts. You can always find me there and my studio is always open to visitors!

My exhibiting has been a bit quieter this past year due to the focus on completing a new series but I have exhibited plenty at Gamut Gallery during 2013 and 2014. http://www.gamutgallerympls.com/

I am also participating in the Women’s Art Resources of Minnesota (WARM) Mentor Intensive Program and I am at many of the WARM events in the community. My mentor is Jill Waterhouse and I have 4 lovely sister protégés: Barbara Bridges, Anne Kleinhenz and Jennifer Palmquist. www.thewarm.org

I also attend the monthly Artist Way Meet Up at the Northeast Library with Amy Egenberger and Heather Koshiol. http://www.meetup.com/Artists-Way-Meetup/  I would recommend any artist to attend the Meet Up!

You would also find me in book stores! I love reading self-help books and artist development books. Here’s my new favorite.

In addition to www.Local-Artist-Interviews.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? 

The typical sites: 

www.MNartists.org

www.springboardforthearts.org

www.mrac.org

www.mnstateartsboard.org

www.minnesotanonprofits.org
www.thewarm.org

Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future?

Beauties Behaving Badly 

A solo exhibition by Kate Renee at Gamut Gallery
January 18^th – February 22^ndOpening: January 18^th from 7-11pm
Closing: February 22^nd 7-10pm
Attendees will receive a free catalog of the exhibition

Gamut Gallery is located at: 1006 Marquette Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 701-8272 There is a public parking lot diagonal from the gallery or directly across the street below the Hilton Hotel. 

Kate Renee is a fiscal year 2013 recipient of an Artist Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Kate Renee

Image List:

1. Alice In Wonderland: I’m Late Too, White Rabbit!

2. Little Bo Peep: I Thought I Lost My Sheep (I Lost My Virginity Instead)

3. The Princess And The Frog: The Princess And The Frogg

4. Tinkerbell: Supersized Thighs

5. Little Miss Muppet: Along Came A Spider

6. Little Red Riding Hood: Who’s Afraid of The Big Bad Wolf

Roger Williamson - Painter

Roger Williamson

Name:                          Roger Williamson
City/State:                    Minneapolis, MN
Email:                            roger@rogerwilliamsonart.com

Website:                        http://rogerwilliamsonart.com/

MNartist.org profile:     http://mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=32529

Facebook page:           https://www.facebook.com/williamsonart?fref=ts

Twitter: @                      https://twitter.com/rwilliamson222

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

I am currently working on a triptych of three 8ft by 4ft oil on wood panels. The theme of the work reflects different aspects of human awaking and the possibilities that arise when we escape our conditioning.

My past projects have been single works either oil on canvas or pastel on paper and a limited edition tarot deck of the 22 major arcana cards http://rogerwilliamsonart.com/tarot-of-the-morning-star-5/

How did you decide to become an artist?

There was no decision I evolved into it.  When I was sixteen, I sacrificed an opportunity to pursue a career in art to play music which took me through the 1960’s and 70’s.  Because of my adventures in music I feel the art I now create has strength, timbre and vibrancy it may not have had if I had chosen to taken a different path.

What was the best advice given to you as an artist? 

Pass it on, let experiences and learning pass through you so that others can benefit from them.  Nothing is owned, everything is on loan.

Many artists struggle to find ways to sell their art.  How do you sell your work?  How do you market yourself?

Fine Arts America            http://roger-williamson.artistwebsites.com/

Absolute Arts                    http://www.absolutearts.com/roger/

Roger Williamson Art      http://rogerwilliamsonart.com/

Sales through local retail stores

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?

Rachel Rolseth  http://rachelrolseth.com/

Margaret Wall-Romana http://mwallromana.com/

Suzann Beck http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=296355

To be honest the painters I like are from the late 19^th century, Jean Delville, Fernand Khnopff, the Fin de Siècle and the symbolist movement in general. 

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?
I would begin at the MIA 19^th early 20^th century paintings. 

Stevens Square Center for the Arts http://www.stevensarts.org/

Gamut Gallery Minneapolis http://www.gamutgallerympls.com/

Altered Esthetics http://www.alteredesthetics.org/

Afton State Park http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/afton/index.html

--Although not an art gallery in the traditional sense I find it extremely inspiring as it has a very mystical and other worldly feel..

In addition to www.Local-Artist-Interviews.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? 

MNArtists.org       http://mnartists.org/

Saatchi                   http://www.saatchionline.com/

Wooloo.org           http://www.wooloo.org/

Aesthetica             http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/

Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future?  Yes

Chimera at Stevens Square Center for the Arts (SSCA), Third Avenue S., Minneapolis, MN  55404.

Opening: Saturday August 3^rd 7pm through 10:30pm.  Exhibit runs through Sunday August 25^{th, 2013}

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

More depictions of ancient myths.  Myths I believe are tools that guide and encourage us through life’s drama.

SSCA - Install

Image List:

1.         Dance For Kali, Oil on canvas, 2012

2.         She The Flowering Of Ishtar, oil on canvas 2012

3.         She Entered Her Dream And Took Back Her Mask Of Power, oil on wood board, 2013

4.         Io Tells Her Story, oil on canvas 2011

5.         Orpheus: Don’t Look Back, oil on canvas, 2011

6.         He Called On His Idyll And Then She Took Him, oil on canvas, 2009