Jack Dale - Painter

Beginnings

Jack Dale

Name: Jack Dale
City/State: Cannon Falls, MN
Email: jack@fat-mouse.com

LAI Featured Artist Page: http://laifeaturedartists.blogspot.com/2012/04/jack-dale.html
MNartist.org profile:  http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=10688
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000518742346

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

I'm painting for an upcoming show at the Bloomington Theater and Art Center. The paintings are abstracts but I am creating them with the idea of a natural origin. Landscape, water, earth, sky etc. You can see some of the work here.

"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 don't try to make a statement. I attempt to create a painting that will be aesthetically pleasing.

I want the viewers to determine what the painting means to them. I believe that we all bring our

own experience, bias, and predispositions when looking at art work. I hope each viewer will

remember my paintings ( not for what they might represent ) but for the feelings that they evoke.   

Rapid's Magic

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

I read an article years ago that stated: never be afraid to ruin a painting. I've tried to follow that

advice ever since.

Tell me about your work space and your creative process.

I have a studio in the Northrup King Building in N. E. Mpls. It is 650 square feet that allows me to create and show my paintings. My actual work area is approximately 12' x 18' and this is just right.

My process is very spontaneous, intuitive and reactive. Most of the time I am starting with little

or no preconceived idea. By placing marks, lines, scribbles etc. on my surface I am able to build from there. Every time I address the canvas it seems like I am reacting to some earlier response. I can get lost within this working style and it feels good.

Spring

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?

That's a tough question because there are so many talented artists that I like and respect.

I'll list a few here but by no means are these the only people that I should be giving  props to.

Craig Bell http://www.mnartists.org/craig_bell

Megan Bell Honigman http://www.meganbell.net

Duane Ditty http://duaneditty.com

James Wrayge jameswrayge@yahoo.com

Matt Madson http://www.mnartists.org/matthew_madson

Shannyn Joy Potter http://www.shannynjoypotter.com

Teri Bloch http://www.mnartists.org/teri_bloch

Sandra Dowd http://sandradowd.com

Dan Kaniess http://www.madebyhuman.com/

Mike Welton  http://mikeweltonart.com
 

Fall

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

I like to go to fellow artists' exhibitions. Visit the MIA, Walker. Visit with the many talented artists in the Northrup King Bldg. and to Rosalux Gallery where I just became a member. http://www.rosaluxgallery.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? (Provide links)

Typically I'll check the mnartists.org site for interesting artists. The NEMAA site is also good.

Winter

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

I have an exhibition starting April 13, 2012 (with an artist reception on April 13 from 6 - 8 p.m.) at the Bloomington Theatre & Art Center to May 18. 2012. I am showing along with Danny Saathoff.   http://www.bloomingtonartcenter.com/

I will also be partaking in Art-A-Whirl at my studio 393 at the Northrup King Building (NE MPls) on May 18,19 and 20, 2012. See more at http://www.northrupkingbuilding.com/

http://www.bloomingtonartcenter.com/Pages/Exhibitions.htm

Megan Bell Honigman - Painter

Chicken Little's Surprise

Megan Bell Honigman

Name: Megan Bell Honigman
City/State: Minneapolis, MN
Email: megan@meganbell.net
Website: meganbellstudio.blogspot.com
MNartist.org profile
Facebook page: search Megan Bell Studio

Bio~

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

When I describe my paintings to people who aren't familiar with them, I generally refer to their style as abstract expressionist for a lack of a better description. Because the organic nature of my work naturally lends itself to looser imagery, oddly shaped chickens, fish and vegetables seem to regularly find their way into my paintings. The last few years have found me creating "islands" of imagery afloat in a sea of buttery Naples Yellow. I've always been fond of the focus it placed on the image and I guess until recently it only seemed right to leave a bit of a cushion between the art and the edge of the canvas.

After the birth of my second child last year and the resulting baby imposed hiatus I feel like I'm finally ready to commit to my work again and have been looking for new ways to creatively express myself. My style is slowly evolving and the imagery has been creeping to the edges of the canvas. I feel like there is a new softness to my recent work. I have often felt I have a habit of overworking paintings because I find it difficult to stop when a painting isn't full of clean lines and rich colors. I've been trying to be a bit freer in my approach to the canvas, letting the work develop without the restraint of perfection.

In the last few years I've also developed quite a passion for tile and mosaic and see myself incorporating tile or found objects into my future pieces. Anyone who knows me well knows that I like to "go with the flow" both in life and in my creative pursuits. I dislike short term goals or saying things like "In five years I will be painting nothing but puppies". These things all seem a bit too limiting and don't leave much room for happy mistakes that are often times the very thing that make life and art interesting.

Day In The Park 18inx18in

"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 started painting at age 18 as a shy kid who could think of no better way to get noticed. I’ve come to think of painting as my super power; a way to say something without having to open my mouth and step out of my comfort zone. Over the course of my career what the paintings say, I suppose, depend a whole lot on the day and who’s listening. The statement I wanted to make at 18 was “Hey, look at me!” The statement that 37 year old me hopes to make is “Hey, look at the art and think of how great it would look in your living room!”

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

If it’s not working, paint over it.

Everything is Going Fine 60inx60in

Tell me about your work space and your creative process.

Despite the fact that I’ve had a studio for the last 11 or so years I don’t think I’ve ever once had a dedicated place that I work within my studio. I’ve painted sitting on the dirty floor, sitting at my work table, standing with an un-stretched canvas tacked to a wall. My creative process is basically me deciding to do a new painting, starting with a few squiggles and chicken scratches then filling up the canvas with color. No planning whatsoever.

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?

Dean Lucker's amazing moving sculptures http://www.woodlucker.com/
Laura Hallen http://www.laurahallen.com/
Jack Dale http://mnartists.org/jack_dale

Sheryl Tuorila's lovely mosaics http://www.sheryltuorila.com/
Eddie Hamilton http://www.painteddiepaint.com/
Matthew Madson http://www.mnartists.org/matthew_madson
Cody Kiser http://codykiser.com/
Charles Thysell - a favorite for many years!

My lovely father and mentor Craig Bell http:/www.mnartists.org/craig_bell
Teri Bloch – Every time I see her work I wish I had lots of money or a rich uncle that liked to buy me art http://www.mnartists.org/teri_bloch

Firestorm 12inx12in

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

Between a full time job, parenting and creating art, I sadly don’t get out to see art as much as I once used to. If the stars were perfectly aligned we would be lucky enough to be hanging out during Art A Whirl weekend in May. For anyone not familiar with this annual NE Minneapolis arts event it encompasses the Arts District of Minneapolis and showcases the many visual and performing artists that live and work in the area. I have been participating in Art A Whirl for many years and have only once had a chance to close down the studio and “do the Whirl”. It was awesome! After three days of visiting studios and going to see live music during Art A Whirl we’ll probably be pretty exhausted and possibly sick of one another so we’ll leave it at that.

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

I will be showing new work along with my talented photographer studio mate Mike McGraw during the Northrup King Building’s 13th annual Art Attack (November 4-7th) 2011.
1500 Jackson St NE Studio #274
NE Mpls, MN 55413
Art Attack Details

Falling 24inx36in

Teri Bloch - Painter

Bio~
Teri Bloch was born in St. Paul and currently resides in Fridley. In 1998 Teri received a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Minnesota. For the past eight years she has been working out of a studio in the Historic Northrup King Building in Northeast Minneapolis. Teri’s work has been shown locally and regionally and is included in private and corporate collections.

Teri Bloch

ter.ron@juno.com

MNArtists Page

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

I paint in acrylic on wood panels. My current work, of distilled urban images, was originally inspired by my daily commute into Northeast Minneapolis. My commute involves a five mile route down Central Avenue through Columbia Heights and NE Minneapolis. I became fascinated by the activity of the street and began shooting photos with my point and shoot camera as I drove. Because I was driving at the time, (really not as dangerous as texting) I had little control over my shots. Many times I failed to get what I was aiming for or the images were blurry, however this often resulted in more interesting images.

What began as a Central Avenue series has expanded to general urban scenes. Now when I travel around I bring my camera and shoot while driving, walking or taking public transportation; the material is endless. Even though this particular subject matter is fairly recent, it is a continuation of my interest in exploring how the dialogue between space, color, form and line communicate perceptions that have been influenced by an internal dynamic.

I concentrate on simplification of form, paring away what is unnecessary, and at times use an abstracted rendering of space in an attempt to convey something universal. I don’t title my work, other than a simple description, because I want to provide only a seed to the viewer so they can enter and create their own interpretations. Wondering is more interesting than knowing.

I have always been fascinated by the psychology of human nature and love people watching. I am interested in non-verbal communication and humans relationships to one another and their environment. I want to capture more than just a particular person walking down a particular street in a particular city but the essence of something deeper that can’t be put into words. I have been told my paintings evoke sadness or loneliness; one woman told me I should repaint them all with happy faces. However, I think the beauty and poetry of humanity lies in the acceptance of our imperfections and the tentative nature of life. The contrast of the organic shapes of the figure against the architectural lines of the city street and the psychological mood that can be created by the placement of a figure in space provides me with endless visual elements to play with.

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

The best advice I was given as an artist is to bring back everything you do to your art.

No matter what you are doing in your daily life, even mundane tasks, you can use that experience to feed your art. I always keep that in mind and when asked what percentage of time I spend on my art I can say 100%. It also helps me feel less lazy when I spend an hour staring out the window- hey I’m working!

Tell me about your working space and your creative process?

I am fortunate to have a beautiful studio in the Northrup King Building in Northeast Minneapolis. It offers more than enough space to work and to exhibit and I love having the community of other working artists in the building. I have been told my studio is too tidy for an artist but I need external order because my mind is a constant state of disarray.

My process involves using photos, that I’ve shot myself, as a source of reference to stimulate ideas; I need some sort of visual stimulation. I continually go through my stack of reference photos because on any given day I can see something different in the same photo. I then do several pencil sketches, simplifying the forms to see if there are any relationships that pique my interest. When I begin to paint I don’t have a finished image in mind.

My biggest challenge is to get out of my own way and let my intuition, my knowledge of visual language and technical skills take over. I work with acrylics because they are fast drying and the technical aspects don’t interfere with my creative flow. I have worked with acrylics for years so I am comfortable with their characteristics. The wood panel allows me to scratch and sand and scrape to create surface texture.

When I finish I usually don’t remember the steps I have taken to completion; I have tried to take notes during the process but it interrupts the flow. When I am finished I often don’t feel responsible for the result.

Which Minnesota artists do you enjoy?

Two of my favorite local artists are Lynn Speaker, and Eleanor McGough.

Since I tend toward hiding out, one way that I have been getting to know about local artists is through the PBS program Minnesota Originals. The show consists of short well done portraits of artists and their work. A few of my favorites were: Roma Di Luna, Maren Kloppmann, and Rhea Pappas, but the list could go on. Past episodes can be seen at www.mnoriginal.org.

If I were to follow you around on an “art day” in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?

I would be visiting with artist friends. We might go to see a show, often to the MIA or the Walker to visit the permanent collections, a special exhibition or the MAEP gallery. Two recent shows that I especially enjoyed were Yves Klein at the Walker and Eun-Kyung Suh at the MAEP gallery. A visit to the MIA usually involves a stop at the Art Cellar (the art supply store at MCAD), then back to NE Minneapolis to lunch at the Modern Café.

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?

www.mnartists.org
www.springboardforthearts.org
www.nemaa.org

Do you have any exhibits or any interesting things going on in your life or coming up in the near future?

Currently I am working on some new pieces that I will exhibit in my studio, during Art-A-Whirl, in spring of 2011.

A goal for this year is to set up my own website in addition to my mnartists.org page. Okay now that I have said it out loud I will have to do it. It has been on my to-do list for a while.

If you were to receive a $2,000 art grant to do anything you want, what would you do?

I would purchase:
A telephoto lens for my camera.
Several Large panels-I would like to experiment with working on a larger format.
Good quality paint brushes and pallet knifes.
Loads of paint.

Lynn Speaker - Drawing with Gunpowder

Lynn Speaker

Grain Belt Bottling House
Studio 101
79 13th Ave. NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
lspeaker@msn.com
http://mnartists.org/Lynn_Speaker

Bio:
Lynn Speaker is a Minneapolis-based artist who received her Master of Fine Arts from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She is a recipient of a 2007 Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant and is Coordinator of the Women’s Art Registry of Minnesota Mentor Program.

I assume that one of the first things people notice about your work is that you use gunpowder in the process. How did you get started with that technique?

As a drawer I have always been fascinated by the mark making process. I have experimented with many conventional and unconventional drawing media. For example, I have gathered clay pigments from locations ranging from my yard to spots across Minnesota up to the Canadian border and then processed them into drawing materials.

My work with gunpowder stems from experiments with other fire-based materials, burning bark, matches, candles and fireworks. From there I began drawing with gunpowder and stumbled across the process I currently use to create images.
What precautions do you need to take when making your art? Do you need any special insurance to work in your studio, for instance?

The most important thing I have learned is to take a step back, I almost melted my shoes the first time I ignited the gunpowder. Beyond that I always have protective materials and a fire extinguisher. I work outdoors as much as possible so no need to worry my fellow building tenants.

Do you work in any of the more traditional mediums?

There is nothing I love more than the tactile quality of putting charcoal to paper. I think that is where my interest in burning materials first developed. As a matter of fact I have just acquired some wood from a blow down area along the North Shore, which I plan to process into charcoal.

What are you currently working? How is this different from past projects?

I am currently working with burning gunpowder on paper instead of a hard substrate. I’m interested in papers and other fragile materials that can withstand the burn process and how those materials can be layered together. Also I am focusing my imagery to specific locations as a way of marking place and time. This is also related to the processing of the North Shore wood charcoal as I mentioned earlier.

My current work is a direct outcome of my past work; one body of work does not stand in contrast to another. A thread is pulled forward even if the differences seem more apparent than the similarities.

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

One piece leads to the next and so on; all the rest is unimportant. Just focus on the daily practice of making work.

What role does your educational background play in your current artistic endeavors?

My educational background has some direct and indirect influences on my work. The primary influence would be the select group of strong artists/teachers that I have had the privilege to work with.

Tell me about your working space and your creative process?

My studio lacks a sofa, computer or anything else that can distract me when I am working. It is a functional, fairly orderly space that gets progressively messier as I develop a piece. I like to clear my mind by cleaning the space before I begin a series and just let it fall into organized chaos as the work develops.

I have a variety of objects in my studio that are important to me: a raven’s skull, assorted bones and enough rocks to restock the North Shore. Stones from all over the world, they are markers of place and time and that is something I try to incorporate into my work.

Which Minnesota artists do you enjoy?

Jim Proctor, Kinji Akagawa, Jantje Visscher, Jeremy Lund, Maren Kloppmann, Hazel Belvo, Laura Stack, Teri Bloch, Tom Riggle

Are there any local artists that you would like to see profiled here?

Teri Bloch and Tom Riggle


If I were to follow you around on an “art day” in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?

Probably visiting my friend’s studios. Maybe a trip to the MIA (Mpls. Institute of Art) to visit the Asian Art collection, MAEP gallery and Photography collection; Weinstein Gallery and looking forward to the Yves Klein exhibit coming to the Walker.

What was the last exhibit you saw and what were your impressions?

‘The Voided’ by Eun-Kyung Suh in the MAEP gallery at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. It is a beautifully intricate exhibit that explores memory and the hazy awareness of time passing.

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, Springboard for the Arts, Chicago Art Resources, Women's Art Registry of Minnesota (WARM), greenmuseum.org, art-of-the-day.info, quodlibetica.com and many more.

Do you have any exhibits or any interesting things going on in your life or coming up in the near future?The next upcoming event is the Northeast Minneapolis Art Association (NEMAA) Fall Fine Arts exhibition in November. It is held in my building, the Grain Belt Bottling House, so I will open my studio for the weekend.

Beyond that I am preparing work for an upcoming group exhibit that explores four different areas, sculpture, figurative, abstract and nature-derived work from the perspective of gender. Each area has a pairing of one male and one female artist to see if gender affects our subject or process of working.

Links to artists:

Lynn Speaker

Jim Proctor

Jantje Visscher

Maren Kloppmann

Laura Stack

Teri Bloch

Tom Riggle

Hazel Belvo

Kinji Akagawa

Jeremy Lund

Eun-Kyung Suh