Art in Hard Times

I know in hard economic times Art is a luxury and not a necessity and many of us ask ourselves "is it even worth it?". I think it is. I imagine that it seems obvious that I would think that way about Art, but I have a number of reasons why. And not just the "I have an art related business" either!

I have seen Art raise the spirits and hopes of people in depression. I have seen Art capture the imaginations of  children. I have seen Art bring together communities. I think to most of us, this all still seems obvious. So how can we keep all this going even in hard financial times?

Well...we cant always expect people to be able to buy art, but we have to keep making it. We cant expect people to come to shows or festivals, but we have to keep putting them on. We cant even expect high returns from our investments as artists, but we still have to keep doing what we do with a smile! Eventually things will turn around and we will still be here, painting and sculpting and singing and creating wonderful Art for the world to enjoy!

 kids creating an Artist Quilt

 free spirits dancing to live music

 children watching as art is created

Live music on the street.

So in the grand scope of things I do feel it is worth it. Every little bit!

Interview with Artist Lyussy Hyder

I have known Lyussy Hyder for close to 10 years now. She has been a constant support to many emerging local artists in our area. She showed other artists work in her galleries "Art Boutique" and Solovei Gallery" here in Everett for a number of years. Lyussy has been featured at WiseDesignz in the past and is our artist for the month of April. I hope you enjoy our interview with Lyussy Hyder:


JW: Tell us a bit about your arts education

LH: I consider my art education an on-going thing. Formal training since high school at the evening classes at the architectural institute of my home of Ekaterinburg, Russia, and later in United States - art classes at EvCC, surely kept building the base of my skills. Attending numerous workshops though helped me to orient myself in the world of art, and choose the direction I wished to go. But any encounter with art in any form is influential for the appreciative soul. Theater, music, dance, literature, sculptures, paintings, as well as lectures and books on art history, - it all teaches me ideas, taste, courage to express myself, to reach out. 

JW: How would you describe your Art?:

LH: I work in realistic style. I try to paint the essence, the character of my subjects. It's fun to find idiosyncrasies in objects or models which everybody can relate to.  

JW: When were you inspired in the arts?


LH: World of art always was a comfortable place for me. I was dreaming to be a part of it from the early age, and my ideas were wast - I wanted to be a cartoon animator, an architect, a fashion designer...  But it was much later in life when I could fully dedicate my time to painting.


JW: Can you remember the time and place?:


LH: The desire to run and buy paint and brushes first time stroke me after seeing great Russian masters like Repin and Surikov at the Russian Museum in Moscow, when I was 14 yo. That permanent impact I had from viewing their originals made me think of the possibility to get serious with my own art.

JW: Can you tell us a bit about your history with Everett?

LH: I arrived to Everett in 1995 from Russia, and lived here ever since. I went to Everett Community College, worked locally, joined Everett artists coop "Studio Art," and later became a business owner - opened my own art gallery "Solovei." I love our town, and happy to see its art scene evolving and growing so rapidly. 

JW: What inspires you now as an artist?:


LH: I am alert and sensitive to moods, thoughts, impressions from meeting people, or just surroundings, which my imagination links and translates into visual images. I am very drawn to human form and face, I feel greatly inspired to do figurative work and portraits. 


JW: What advice can you give to emerging artists:

LH: Have best of times making art. Do your best too! Bring your own experience into your art expressions, and work, work, work. While we can't count on constant acclamation for our art labor, believe in yourself, be original and persevering.

Custom Ideas with Simple Mats

Sometimes in custom matting its easy for people to forget about the custom part! "Custom" can be more then just selecting mat colors that compliment the art. For some art work a specialized finish or cut can be appropriate to take it from simply custom to a real "WOW" piece.

This piece, for example, needed something more then just a rectangle mat opening. We did a custom drop down cut to fit the exact shape of the drawing. By keeping the rest of the mats and frame simple we were able to achieve an elegant and one-of-a-kind look.

This piece needed a little something extra to create the feel of an aged pirate map! We chose to tear the inside edge of the map. We then applied a custom mixed acrylic patina to the torn area. This gives the look of burned or aged paper but still keeps the overall look of the mats consistent. The idea is to compliment the artwork not overtake it.

With this piece it was clear to us what needed to be done to make this just a little more special! Simply hand painting spiderwebs in two of the corners fit perfectly with this print. It was an easy thing for us to do and it completes the look our customer was going for.

Like other decorative designs, these ideas wouldn't work for every project. But the idea is to open your mind to the possibilities to custom matting. The options are endless!

Living the Dream

I am sure many new or up and coming  Artists have anxieties about the art world. Even in the local scene it can seem like a formidable challenge to get your art out for others to enjoy! For most of us it is not realistic to think we are going to be "discovered" by some famous talent agent and become the Next Big Thing. Especially if we never get out into the public. So it takes a bit of hard work and, like most worthwhile dreams , time and patience. We as artists also need to take the responsibility on our selves to get OUT THERE! There are opportunities all around from cafes to juried exhibitions, art galleries to street fairs. All open to new artists. My advice would be to check out all the galleries, festivals, art walks and arts councils in your community and sign up for mailing lists. Many are now e-mail lists and you can get instant information on what is coming up. If you are able to participate in any way, this will help you feel like a part of the arts community and opportunities will start to arise! And be brave! It can be quite intimidating to submit to your art work with the chance of being denied, but this is part of the deal. When you get your first acceptance, solo show or sale it will all seem worth it in the end!

These photos are an example of an up and coming artist Angela Puerschner at her very first solo show. This exhibit at WiseDesignz in 2010 was Angela's first experience at getting her art work out into the public.

A new Perspective..

  Every Now and then we get a customer who has a basic idea but wants us to take it to the next level. This is an example of how that can work! Our customer had an original needlepoint of two swimming koi that she wanted to be extra special when framed. She knew she didn't want the mat to be cut square on the inside and the rest she left to us. We figured it would be fun and creative to play with the idea that the koi were swimming in a koi pond and to give it some dimension.

We cut the mat free hand to look like the organic edges of the water rim, then raised the mat a level above the needlepoint so the koi appeared to be swimming under the water. The next step was the rock level of the koi pond. For this we looked to R Jay of Artisan Inkwell, www.artisaninkwell.com,our sister company. We had him print a photo of pond edging stones onto high quality paper that we then adhered to a mat and then cut for the finished look. The last step was a patina finished bamboo frame to add texture and color. The final product is decorative and interesting with out overwhelming the delicate needle point.

Decorative matting isn't for everyone or every project, but for the right piece it can add a new dimension and perspective to your framing!

www.wisedesignz.com

Interview with Artist Juliette Ricci Lagman

Today I would like to post an interview with accomplished Everett native Juliette Ricci Lagman. I have known Juliette for years now since the day we worked at Art Supply Northwest. Even then I thought her work was beyond her years. Juliette's work consists of painting, poetry and photography mixed in a thoughtful and deeply personal way. She has shown her work from Bellingham to Tacoma where she now lives. Juliette has been a featured artist at WiseDesignz and we always offer her prints in the gallery. I hope you enjoy our interview with Juliette Ricci Lagman:

JW: Tell us a bit about your arts education

JRL: I studied photography at Everett Community College for about two years.  It was a fantastic program with a great community and amazing instructors.  I then continued on to The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts.  SAIC is interdisciplinary, so I tried a bit of everything.  I studied performance art, film, printmaking, art history, photography, drawing, and mainly painting.  I loved it.  My Modern Art History class had to be my favorite, and also a class called Painting with Print methods, where I learned garage style - at home printmaking techniques.  My current work is a combination of my favorite media:  writing, painting, and photography, and I pull a little bit from all that I learned, even performance.  Chicago was the best place to learn because there was so much culture and art in the city.  They say the city is the classroom there.  


JW: How would you describe your Art?:  

JRL:  My art is derived from my love of handwriting.  I have always loved writing letters, and journaling, keeping a diary.  I really love pop culture, great images, and color.  I started out primarily as a photographer, but became lured by the limitless possibilites painting had to offer, along with all the textures you can create as well.  The canvas is treated a lot like the pages of my sketchbook or diary in my work.   



JW: When were you inspired in the arts?


JRL:  I didn't discover my love for photography until high school.  Art came a bit later, when I started working at an Art Supply Northwest in Everett, and was studying at EVCC.


JW: Can you remeber the time and place?:


JRL:  I remember seeing a really inspiring show with my mom at Seattle Art Museum. Picasso and Friends.  There were some amazing works by Matisse.  My mom was alway supportive of my desire to take photos.  She bought me tons of film, and always paid for my photo processing.  I would take pictures of all my friends, because I thought I would become a famous fashion photographer, or photograph celebrities just like Annie Leibovitz.
 

JW: Can you tell us a bit about your history with Everett?

JRL:  I grew up in Everett, going to school there.  I alway loved the local artists, so much color, creativity, and innovation.  In high school I showed at the Arts Council of Snohomish County through the National Scholastic Awards.  There was a great foundation in Everett as a young artist.  Working at the art supply store, and going to school there was one of the best times of my life.  I have met my life long friends there, not to mention some amazingly talented artists.



JW: What inspires you now as an artist?:


JRL:  I am still inspired by my favorite, Andy Warhol, everyday.  I see his influence everywhere, or is it pop cultures influence?  Who can tell?  I am inspired by everyday things, frustrations, wins, going to the grocery store, reality tv, music... I live in Tacoma now, and this city offers tons of inspriation with it's grittyness, and hardworking people.


JW: What advice can you give to emerging artists:


JRL:  Figure out what you love, and don't look back.  If anyone tells you that you can't, tell them in no uncertain terms that you can and you will. 


http://www.juliettericci.com/