Lori Anne Boocks
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New Year, New Work: Discreet Objects

12/29/2016

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2016 has been a tough, busy year in many ways. Thyroiditis/surgery, supporting the kiddo as she applied for college during a tough academic year, and realizing I can't do it all. I stepped away from a studio outside my home and stopped making art for a while. But I didn't stop thinking about art.

I kept thinking about a concept that has fascinated me for nearly 3 decades: taking painting 3-D. So in the months when nothing was created by my hands, I was channelling Elizabeth Murray and Anselm Kiefer. I was manipulating rope and chain and twine in my head. Tying up loose ends. Packaging desires. Holding in secrets. Teasing viewers with the tension of not being able to unwrap parcels on display that were bursting with something. 

Just like the surgeon who discovered a surprise goiter in my chest cavity during my neck operation, I am following the threads, like he followed the blood supply to a fist-sized surprise that had been making me cough for 6 months. But even after following the trail, a secret remains. Viewers will have to unravel the secrets on display for themselves: pretty, smudged-up bundles floating on the wall, or cushioned rocks on a pedestal.

I hope you come see the new direction at Artists & Makers Studios I in Rockville, Maryland in April 2017. The show is called Discreet Objects, with the word discreet for me meaning "restrained" or "careful in speech as to avoid causing offense." In this era of constant communications, I'm more concerned with what we hold back. I want to both obscure and reveal meaning by presenting nuance and subtext wrapped over foam, tied down, or held together with rope, twine, or wire. I am trying to keep emotion contained, for your safety of course. 

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Artist Interview: Anne Cherubim

10/28/2015

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Serendipity, 30x40, acrylic on canvas
Just down the hall from me at Artists & Makers Studios is a place where mysteries are brought to life on canvas. An artist there is busy capturing the essence of undefinable things, or perhaps she is creating definition where there previously was nothing. It is a place of pure abstraction most of the time, and always a place for kindness and conversation.

Just down the hall from me is Anne Cherubim.

It's been my pleasure to get to know her. Now it's your turn...

Anne Cherubim is an abstract contemporary landscape painter. She works predominantly in acrylic. Her art is rooted in real life images and textures, with a modern abstraction, often in a limited color palette. 

Her art is a reflection of contemporary art as portrayed by someone who is a product of a myriad of cultures: a Canadian girl, born of Sri Lankan parents, now residing in the US. This unique 'lense' through which she sees the world informs her work, undeniably. ‘Tolerance’ is the word we use to talk about being open to, and welcoming of, one another. Anne believes ‘embrace’ is a much better word for talking about cultures, and the ways in which we can coexist. Art and music transcend language - among other barriers - and create commonalities, harmony. They are universals that can be appreciated no matter where you come from, or what language you speak. This is the type of experience Cherubim hopes that her art allows for.

Though she has been an artist for many years, her professional pursuit of it began more recently.  Anne has enjoyed exhibiting her work locally and internationally. She resides with her husband and children in the eastern United States and is a resident artist at Artists & Makers Studios in Rockville, Maryland. 

Describe your studio practice. 

For many years, I worked out of the breakfast area of our home. It worked while it worked. I spent many years creating art between 11:00 pm and 2:00 am once everyone was asleep, and there was no danger of curious little fingers getting into fresh paint, nor cadmiums touching those precious little fingers. I am now in a studio outside the home (at Artists & Makers), during the day, when my kids are in school. My hours are still very flexible within that time, so I am most likely to be in the studio between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm. Occasionally, when circumstances allow, I work late, but I am in the studio just about every single day, Monday - Friday, even if it means for just two short hours! Sometimes I have the music playing, but not always.

What's something people who aren't familiar with you/your work should know about you?  

Though there is a vast difference in the types of work I have created over the years, the underlying thread in many of my pieces is the environment, and stewardship of the planet. I paint abstracted scenes of real-life beauty. 

I am often asked if my pieces are done in oil, so I think it would be good for people to know I work in acrylic. I haven't worked in oil since the kids were born. My pieces do not have the traditional look of acrylic, as acrylic does not lend itself to blending easily, so I think that is the confusion. My pieces are blended in a way that you can usually do more easily with a slower drying medium than acrylic. I guess I enjoy the challenge of making the acrylics look like oil.

Another thing people may not know is that I also have a side project of digital paintings, called The Recycled Art Project. They are a separate body of work, with a very different look compared to my acrylic work, and done quite differently as well. The initial pieces, (the source material for The Recycled Art Project) were done with traditional methods, while the "recycled' pieces involve a computer, not canvas/paper/paint. So though my main body of work is done in acrylic, I work digitally, in spurts, as well.

Some artists make a piece they would never sell. Tell us about yours.

There are two paintings that I made when I first moved here to Maryland. They represent a shift, where I finally said: okay, let's do this. I will take the leap, and stop just making art for fun. I'm all in. I am going to do this. For that reason, those two pieces are special to me. They are two dark teal pieces, shades of colour that I love. One is called "Like Pebbles", and the other is called "Night". Those pieces remain in my personal collection, but I will be releasing fine art prints of them, all these years later.
What inspirational quote do you re-read when you need support for the creative process? 

The exact quote escapes me now, but on those rare days when I question myself, question whether I should, or even could, call it quits, I remind myself that Van Gogh sold, maybe, two pieces in his lifetime.

By that benchmark, I'm doing better than Van Gogh ;). I wish he had lived to see his own success.
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How do you get going again on a piece when stuck? 

I might try a bit, but generally, I do not fight with a piece (unless I'm really up against a deadline). I usually take the piece off the wall. It will call to me when it is ready, and wants to be painted. 

How can metro DC do better by its artists and galleries? 

I think we could do with more granting opportunities locally, including more unrestricted grants. In particular, the one thing that I would love to see is granting that recognizes that there are parents who are also artists. There is a foundation on the West Coast that recognizes that artists and writers with families often have to put their creativity on hold, or even forget about it all together, while dedicating themselves to the wonderful opportunity to be a parent. That grant aims to encourage people to continue to make time for their creativity. I love that! It is a difficult and deliberate choice for many of us to "turn off" the creative impulse. It doesn't really work that way.

Apart from grants, I agree that we could do with much more arts coverage, as well as find ways to educate the public more about art. We need to find ways to make art more accessible to people, and change the attitude that art is something "out there", inaccessible, "not for me".   
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What tips would you give someone who wants to buy art but is afraid to start?  

I would tell them to really just go for it. If they like something, if there is a piece that they are gravitating towards, that is the reason they should buy it. They should not worry about what other people think about the piece, and whether some exterior source considers it "good art". Life is too short to not surround yourself with meaning and beauty, and love the art you live with. You don't want to live with the art that your friend, or your neighbour loves. You want to live with the art that speaks to you, that calls to you, that asks you to take it home.

Go see Anne's work. Let it speak to you. She has a two-person show at Artspace Herndon called Ethereal & Natural Reactions with a reception, November 14th, 7-9pm. She'll also be participating in Artomatic 2015, displaying the Recycled Art Project.
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Dusted, 11x14, acrylic on canvas
websites: www.cherubim-arts.com, as well as annecherubim.com
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AnneCherubimArtist features the abstract contemporary landscapes, as well as http://www.facebook.com/Cherubim-Arts-26671837212
instagram: http://instagram.com/AnneCherubim
pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/AnneCherubim/
twitter: http://twitter.com/AnneCherubim
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Why I Make Art

10/26/2015

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We all need a manifesto. Here's mine.
This is what I do. This is what I do when I should be helicoptering, nurturing, cooking, cleaning.

This is what I do because I believe making things with my hands is important.

This is what I do because we’ve been taught throughout time that women don’t get messy. That we stay clean and presentable and perky and pretty.

This is what I do because art you experience visually is something to be valued. It takes skill to look, to contemplate, to make the connections, to create relevancy out of abstraction.

I do this because you, dear daughter, are more than a degree, a paycheck, a sexy black dress, a wedding ring, the right color of nail polish, or eyebrows plucked to perfection.

I do this because the personal is political, whether viewers read politics in my work or not.

I do this because I care about turning the inside outward: I am trying to remember most of the moments of my life that add up to make me who I am.

I do this for the voiceless. I do this for those who have a voice but keep it quiet and meek. I do this for those without access to the perceived frivolity of the arts. I do this because to me life without art would simply be noise and chores and expectations.

I do this because clever social media meme imagery with text in Impact typeface is not art. The art I respect is hold-it-in-your-hands art, hold-it-in-your-heart art, keep-it-in-your-deepest-memories art, put-down-the-cell-phone art, wish-I-could-do-this art, stop-time art.

Art is not a download or a $75 concert experience. It is an eye song, a symphony on a wall you can play over and over again if you’d just listen.

I do this, dear daughter, because you say you are not moved by art, but one day I will move you. I may be dead and gone, but you will look back and say, “My mother made this. And because she did, I have her with me still.”

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Process: Making Storyline

10/12/2015

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An animated GIF file seems like a good, clear way to show the steps I use to make a painting. Well, most of them. I spared you the underpainting, white-wash layers, and the final coats to seal it all up.

"Storyline" is in my usual acrylic and charcoal. It's 60 x 50 inches and will be on view at my fall solo at the Delaplaine Visual Arts Center in Frederick from October 31 to November 29, 2015. I hope you can come to the First Saturday reception on November 7 from 3 to 5 PM.

Storyline uses a lot of the text from this poem of mine about the pressures of trying to do it all and do it well, of trying hard to be perfect for so many people:

she is
laying down the words
constructing the plot
giving it form
creating the arc
telling the story

she is
planting the seed
harvesting the thoughts
preparing the feast
setting the table
cleaning the dishes

she is
minding the details
taking the long view
connecting the dots

she is
threading the needle
weaving the tapestry
stitching it tight
keeping you warm

she is
making it visible
making it true
making it long and loud and lovely

she is
going the distance
going for speed

she is
walking a fine line trying very hard not to fall

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Artist Interview: Jody Sachs

6/4/2015

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I'm a sucker for a fabulous pair of bold, dangling silver earrings. If you are too, then you need to visit the talented Jody Sachs at Artists & Makers Studios where she tempers boldness of form with delicate, rippling textures that hint at her other passion: science. A&M holds First Friday receptions each month unless the Friday falls on a holiday. See dates and details here.
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"Under the Sea" - Fine Silver and Coral, 2014
A resident of Rockville for more than 20 years, Jody started making jewelry in the 1970s, and was inspired by cells at a microscopic level, the connections these cells make, and how all life forms have many cell structures and connections in common. You can easily see that her work is influenced by nature, light, and the idea of permanence. And she's a wonderful person I'm really glad to have met at the studio! Keep reading to learn more about Jody and her wonderful work...
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Why do you make art?

I like forming metal by hand in silver and gold, transforming them into literally “precious” objects. I enjoy playing with the interaction of their shapes, to make wearable art (earrings, rings, necklaces and bracelets). I love the hard process of changing the shape of metal from two dimensions to three dimensions. Sometimes I find that I have an image of what I am ready to make in my head, and I just have to dedicate time to get the image that I see in my head, to get the metal fabricated so others can see what I see in my head. It is beautiful when they see it, also.
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Jody at work in her studio
Some artists make a piece they would never sell. Tell us about yours.

I designed a two-finger ring that is a Jewish wedding ring, symbolic of a wedding contract, of a wife agreement to make a new home, in a commitment to marry (ring pictured below). It is made of sterling silver, and is shaped like a castle. “Your home is your castle.” It is a wearable piece of art, and was really not meant to be worn as a practical piece of jewelry. I knew this when I designed the ring, but wanted to make a piece of art, so I did. It was a challenge for me to construct the work technically, and that was another reason I made the piece; it pushed me beyond my limits. I like being challenged to go beyond what I thought I was capable of. It is truly a piece of art.

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What's something people who aren't familiar with you/your work should know about you?

I love art and science. I have a doctorate degree in science/medicine (podiatric medicine). I worked for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), NIH, and FDA in the areas of clinical translational science, and drug and vaccine development for the past 25 years. I found myself returning to my love of metalsmith and jewelry design. When I started to make jewelry in the 1970s, I was excited and inspired by cells, at a microscopic level. The connections these cells make, and how all life forms have many cell structures and connections in common. I am inspired by nature and the beauty of the simplest forms. This includes the way light reflects off of objects and creates colors and patterns. I like the permanence of metal and creating something you can use and enjoy wearing for a very long time.
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What are your biggest influences and why?

I grew up in a wooded area, and now enjoy living in a secluded wooded area. I draw my inspiration from nature and my surroundings, and the changing seasons. Sometimes it is the leaves and trees, other times the plants and insects, and other times water and underwater life forms.

What advice do you have for other artists?

Don’t give up on yourself and your inspirations. Don’t ever feel inferior, or not good enough. Get outside your head and just do it! Create!

At left: "Falling Leaves" - Cooper fold-form, wood and canvas, 48 x 30 Inches, 2014

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being an artist in the metro DC area?

I love being an artist in the metro DC area. There is so much variety of mediums and artists here. I enjoy being part of an artist community at Artists & Makers Studios. I love the interactions I have with the other artists and their feedback, as well as feeling inspired by seeing their work. Disadvantages: There is an art show every week to attend, if I am not in one, my friends are. Too much to see, not enough time to create...

What's the most valued tool in your art business tool kit and why?

My website, and Facebook postings of my shows.

What easy but smart strategy or resource (besides social media) helps you get the word out about your art?

Create a good website, that others can see your work, and contact you. Then post new pictures of your work often.

Thanks so much, Jody, for sharing a glimpse into your creative world! Below are
14k Gold Fold-form Earrings "Whirl wind" from 2014. You can connect with Jody at:

Website:
http://www.sialorsdesign.com/
Email:
si.alorsdesign@gmail.com
Facebook
Twitter
Google+

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Artist Interview: Stephen Boocks

4/13/2015

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I'm often asked, "What's it like being married to another artist?" Usually I give a simplified happy answer: "It's great. We get each other. We understand the need for alone time. We support each other and get through the inevitable ruts together." And all this is true. We are each other's cheerleaders, crazy idea sounding boards, and weakness offsets (he stretches my canvas, I edit his writing, etc.).

But the answer is more complicated than that. There's a lot of give and take: Sometimes I want to go on a movie date, but he wants to paint or vice versa. There's the issue of mailing list fatigue if we have concurrent shows. And when the show we both enter specifies "name your jpgs exactly like LASTNAME_01" I get a little paranoid that the juror will think I'm trying to sneak in a second entry. Silly, but true. There's also the regret that I didn't keep my maiden name. If someone says, "that painter Boocks" who do they mean? Then again, some people don't even know the other Boocks is an artist too. Art-making casts its long shadow on almost everything we do: How we spend our free time, where our extra money goes, and what we talk about... times two. We talk about art a lot in our house.

Stephen is also my toughest critic -- you can thank him that many lackluster paintings of mine haven't seen the light of day -- however, it's hard sometimes to be on the receiving end of a brutal critique then sit down to dinner together a few minutes later. We're also very different types of artists. I'm in this for a sense of self and community. As you'll see below, that's definitely not his MO.

But I wouldn't trade him for anyone else. He is my muscle, my reality check, my rejection consolation, and my acceptance celebrator. I love it that we continue to grow and learn new things, but we do this together, going deeper and deeper on this journey combining commitments to our relationship and our art making.
Yet I often fear the perception of nepotism, like a few years back when he wanted to curate me into a show and I declined. I really wanted to be in that show. Today, I'm setting that fear aside and sharing my interview of him because I respect him as an artist, and he's helped me grow as an artist more than anyone else in this world.  

I met Stephen Boocks in my first semester of Old Dominion University's now defunct painting program. In that small studio building, you couldn't help but hear his loud laugh. He made his own stretchers for huge lush paintings, and I quickly fell in love with his craftsmanship. He reeked of oil paint and turpentine, drank beer before class, and said what he thought. I fell in love with his presence. We were good friends for a few years... then I fell in love with him.

Stephen studied at the Corcoran and earned a BFA from Old Dominion University in 1992. His paintings and works on paper are grounded in geometric abstraction and explore the dynamics of time, pattern, and the human touch. Musical concepts of minimalist composers are often reflected in his art. A recipient of a Virginia Museum Fellowship Grant, Stephen also serves as an independent curator.
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Why do you make art?

I guess the short answer would be because I like to. When these types of conversations come up, some of my thoughts on being a painter run counter to most people I talk to and I probably sound like a jerk. I don't really like to use the term artist. I prefer painter. I have a theory that not everyone agrees with me on: I believe art is made through the connection of the work and the viewer. In other words, I make the work and the viewer makes the art. Of course, I am making art as I interact with my own work but this is irrelevant when it comes to someone else interacting with it. Sure this may just be semantics but it's one of the main reasons why I don't think I'm special because I paint. Everybody does things they like to do; I just happen to like painting.

Describe your studio practice. For example, do you keep set hours, listen to music, or have unique rituals?


Since studio time is limited, I try to be as efficient as I can with it. It's not uncommon for me to wake up early and spend a little time in the studio before going into work at the day job. In general, I can get significant things accomplished in a short amount of time. There are times when I can spend hours working but I still try to maintain a level of efficiency. My work is very closely related to music so it should be no surprise that I typically play music in the studio, but what I listen to while working rarely has anything to do with the musical concepts I may be working with in my painting. The paintings are rooted in the music of minimalist composers yet I tend to listen to indie rock while I work.

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Play (Tally All the Things That You Broke) - Acrylic on Canvas, 42 x 42 Inches, 2014
Who are your biggest influences and why?

This is a hard question to answer since I don't think my influences are readily apparent and are not necessarily visual artists. If I had to list just one, it would be musician (and artist) Brain Eno. Craft is extremely important to his work and though his work may seem so carefully constructed and thought out, he actually relies a great deal on chance and generally leaves in some rough edges. He also doesn't appear to want to explain what is behind his work, preferring to let it speak for itself. In the area of painting, Jasper Johns would probably be my biggest influence. He has had a long career that has seen some changes to his work, but I think his work is always about painting (or drawing or simply the craft of the materials he is working in). He has always been extremely reticent about explaining his work, and I truly consider him to be in the top ranks of all artists, not just contemporary, not just American. I put his work right up there with anyone's. There is a long list of painters whom I admire but I don't really consider influences, like Bryce Marden, Anselm Kiefer, Sean Scully, Agnes Martin, Robert Ryman, John Singer Sargent, and Philip Guston.


What's something people who aren't familiar with you/your work should know about you?


Regardless of what any of my paintings appear to be about, they are always primarily about painting. Even when I was working representationally, the imagery was just something that allowed me to paint. I tend to be very interested in small areas of my work more than the whole. Now that I am working with geometric abstraction, I think this interest in the act of painting differentiates my work from a lot of other geometric abstraction. For instance, I rarely tape off sections of my work, instead painting the lines, curves, and angles freehand. I joke that I make "soft-edge abstraction" or "rough-edge abstraction." Since viewers have become so accustomed to seeing ultra-crisp, clean lines, I believe they are a little confused when they see my work since it's not super clean and I allow mistakes to remain. I'm not a purist who has anything against using tape or other techniques, I just enjoy the act of putting a brush to canvas.
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Set - Acrylic on Canvas, 42 x 42 Inches, 2013
What is the best advice someone ever gave you about art, and who was this person?

For too long I downplayed art school since I don't think I ever learned much about technique from anyone, but there are some things I keep coming back to. My first real teacher, Robin Clair (Partin) was always pushing me to experiment. She would give me plaster casting gauze, casting stone, various acrylic mediums, chalk and dry pigments without telling me how to use them. As a junior in high school I was making 6-foot paintings with strips of casting gauze and casting stone as a base on which I would then apply the chalk or pigment. Then I would move that around and seal it with the mediums. Seems pretty cool when I look back on it. I think the only advice regarding technique that I remember would be Franklin White showing me how to "draw" with the eraser. Also at the Corcoran, Marie Ringwald told me to use the best materials I could afford in response to my continued use of the really crappy old "Utrecht Blue" and "Utrecht Red." All three of those bits are wrapped around Ron Snapp telling me to "Paint don't think. Think don't paint." I think he said that to everyone though, that and "put a little Naples Yellow in the corner."

What inspirational quote do you re-read when you need support for the creative process?

Not that I think I'm this total pro artist, but I'm not prone to "inspiration" and don't even like the term "creative" but this quote from Chuck Close mirrors my thinking about my studio practice:

"The advice I like to give young artists, or really anybody who'll listen to me, is not to wait around for inspiration. Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work. All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself. Things occur to you. If you're sitting around trying to dream up a great art idea, you can sit there a long time before anything happens. But if you just get to work, something will occur to you and something else will occur to you and something else that you reject will push you in another direction. Inspiration is absolutely unnecessary and somehow deceptive. You feel like you need this great idea before you can get down to work, and I find that's almost never the case.”
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I Found That Essence Rare - Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 48 Inches, 2013
How do you pay it forward with other artists or people interested in art?

Now that we can, we have recently been purchasing work from artists we admire, many of them being friends. I am usually open to trading work, but I feel a little awkward asking the question, and it seems like good karma to actually buy art since I'm trying get people to buy my work.

How/where can people find some great affordable local artists to easily -- and confidently -- start collecting?


There are still a few galleries in the area such as Adah Rose and Plan B that continue to show reasonably priced work, but I think the wave of the future is more DIY as more galleries shutter their physical spaces. I think the open studio model is the best way for collectors, or anyone looking to purchase art, to find what they like at the right price. And I'm not implying that artists selling in studios undercut their gallery retail prices. While some artists may simply opt to have their own open studio events, more often a group such as Mid-City Artists will have multiple open studios in close proximity on the same day. Spaces like Artists & Markers Studios in Rockville houses a number of studios right in the same building.

Thanks, Stephen. For everything.
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Stop By My New Studio

3/14/2015

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I love my new work space at Artists & Makers Studios in Rockville, and I'm more focused than ever on painting, thinking, planning, constructing... Come see what I'm up to along with 39 other creatives:

Grand Opening
Artists & Makers Studios
Friday, April 17, 2015
6:00pm - 9:00pm
11810 Parklawn Dr.
Rockville, Maryland 20852


Or contact me to schedule a private appointment: 240-672-8344 or lboocks@yahoo.com. You can see Stephen's work too. We're located in Section B, Studio 20. This reception for the new complex opens with all studios occupied. I look forward to talking with you about my work and process!
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Article: Stephen Boocks at BlackRock

1/15/2015

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Nice article in this week's Gazette on my husband's work. You can read it here.
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Artist Interview: Angela White

1/15/2015

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Angela White is another artist who will bring her studio to Artists & Makers soon, and it was my pleasure to get to know her before we all move in!
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Angela White holds a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Painting, a Bachelor of Arts in Art Education, and a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction. She has also attended numerous encaustic painting courses in New York and a painting course in Florence, Italy. Her work is included in private and corporate collections.

Frequent trips to explore the great outdoors and watery landscapes deeply influence her work.  One of her goals is to communicate memories of the physical world, as well as emotional and physical responses to one's unique experience of a place. Her philosophy is that everything is in a state of constant motion and change. Whether exploring the motif of the human body, bodies of water, landscapes, abstractions, or a combination of all, she strives to convey the language of spirit and these universal ideas. 

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Tell us about your work.

Lately I work mostly in encaustic and love to teach encaustic workshops in my studio. I also paint in oil and create mixed media work. The subject matter and inspiration often change, but there is usually a theme of movement. I generally know what I have in mind to create when I go to the studio, but then there are always happy surprises that happen in the work.  

What's something people who aren't familiar with you/your work should know about you?

My first painting lessons consisted of private instruction in Chinese Painting, and I've been told many times that my work often returns to that aesthetic.

Overflowing
Encaustic on Wood
24 x 30 Inches
2014

Who are your biggest influences and why?

Artists I am most influenced by at this time are Cecily Brown, Anselm Kiefer, Jennifer Bartlett and JMW Turner. These and others have inspired me to take different paths in my art, sometimes in the subtlest of ways. Some people are surprised that I have also studied some of the healing arts and work as a massage therapist part time. I believe there is a relationship with sharing your energy in the visual arts as well as in the healing arts. 

How do you pay it forward with other artists or people interested in art? 

In addition to teaching encaustic painting workshops in my studio to adults, I have teaching experience as a K-12 art educator for 28 years which has given me the opportunity to 'mentor' many young people who have gone on to study art in colleges and art schools. I believe it has always helped them that I encouraged them to be individuals and recognize art as one of the few places where they still can be that. I've had very close artist friends most of my adult life. We have critiqued, mentored, shared studios and encouraged each other over the years.  

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Afloat
Encaustic on Wood
18 x 24 Inches
2014

What advice do you have for artists new to the metro DC scene?

Stay connected with each other. Get out as much as you can and go to museum exhibitions, gallery openings, and open studios to view the art of other people. Spend some time sincerely talking with other artists about their process and how their work is going. When you can afford it, buy art from other artists even if it’s a small piece. Don't be afraid to buy what you like. Be welcoming and generous when people visit your studio and they show an interest in your work. You never know when and how your paths may cross again. 

Great advice, Angela, and I'm glad we connected! Please check out her group exhibit "Process and Purpose" at Pyramid Atlantic in Silver Spring, Maryland. It runs January 17th through February 14th, 2015 with an art reception on Saturday, January 17th, 4:00 - 7:00pm

Angela White's website / LinkedIn / Facebook
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Artist Interview: Judith HeartSong

1/9/2015

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Usually I’m not in the right place at the right time. I’m more of a day late, dollar short kinda gal. This past fall I began thinking about moving my studio out of the house. I started researching spaces and costs and communities. On impulse one afternoon, I stopped by a local opening. Judith HeartSong was there. I had connected with her online before, but this was the first time I’d met her in person.

And she just happened to be starting something very exciting.

For once I was somewhere at the right time. And I know her new endeavor Artists & Makers Studios is the right place for me.

I haven’t known Judith long, but I can tell you she’s all about supporting artists. She’s driven. Professional. Caring.

I may be leaving my house to paint in a thriving arts complex under her seasoned direction, but I sure feel like I’m coming home.
Judith HeartSong is a professional artist with 33 years of experience as a painter, muralist, and mixed media artist. She has painted large murals along the eastern seaboard, including a large mural at the National Zoo. She has successfully licensed her work to a number of companies and one of her paintings was presented to Hillary Clinton at President Clinton’s first inauguration. Judith has curated, juried, and hung countless shows and exhibits, and has extensive experience and expertise in PR and arts administration. She worked as the art director for the very successful corporate art consulting firm, ArtMatters here in metro DC for more than 8 years, building bonds with metro area artists and artists all over the country. Judith founded the very successful artist discussion group, salon – an artful conversation which brings together artists from all over the metro area, and the salon concept is now poised to spread nationwide. Judith is the founder and executive director of Artists & Makers Studios and her studio is now housed at Artists & Makers.
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Studio shot of Judith HeartSong working on Peacock Crimson

Why do you make art?

It is the only thing I was ever meant to do. I knew in third grade, as did my teachers, that I would be a professional artist. I have also learned in recent years that I was meant to nurture artists and build community for them.

Describe your studio practice. For example, do you keep set hours, listen to music, or have unique rituals?

When I was raising my two children I would paint during their school day and in the middle of the night. Eventually painting was my full-time job. I worked as the art director and office manager for the very successful corporate art consulting firm ArtMatters for 8 1/2 years, and left to take the helm as executive director at Capitol Arts Network. Forming a for-profit entity with two business partners, I am looking forward to getting back to my regular studio practice at Artists & Makers Studios while serving as executive director.

What's something people who aren't familiar with you/your work should know about you?

I love to paint from my own reference photographs, and take pictures whenever I travel.

How do you get going again on a piece when stuck?

I am sometimes working on several pieces in the studio at one time, and frequently mixed media pieces are in process on the worktable. Switching from a painting to working on a woven nest or other mixed media items causes my brain to shift gears. I often resolve paintings in my dreams.

What is the best advice someone ever gave you about art, and who was this person?

“Focus on your passion and do what you love.” - my Aunt, who was also an artist.
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Snapdragons
Acrylic on Canvas
30 x 40 Inches

Who are your biggest influences and why?

My Dear Aunt Mickey, who was a tremendous artist and mother-figure to me, Chagall, Kahlo, O’Keeffe, Ansel Adams, Gaston Lachaise, Audrey Flack, Frank Lloyd Wright, Wyeth, and too many more to name. All for the lush visual and incredible dedication to process.

What inspirational quote do you re-read when you need support for the creative process?

“To create one’s world in any of the arts takes courage.” - Georgia O’Keeffe.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being an artist in the metro DC area?

Metro DC offers amazing opportunities to visit museums, and there is an amazing community of artists here that we are working to bring together!!

How can metro DC do better by its artists and galleries?

Better coverage by newspapers and magazines.

How can artists do better by metro DC?

Network and meet your fellow artists.

How do you pay it forward with other artists or people interested in art?

Aside from my art, building community has been my main focus in the last 30+ years. Whether organizing artist opportunities, working with the women’s caucus for art, opening art centers, and the discussion group, salon – an artful conversation. The salon business model has just gone world-wide with salon starter kits selling here in the US and in other countries so that artists can start their own successful gatherings.

What advice do you have for artists new to the metro DC scene?

Immerse yourself. Find a place to connect with other artists and creatives – whether it is at an artist studio complex like Artists & Makers, or a gallery that you love.... Poetry readings, open mics, open drawing sessions, photography field trips. We have a wealth of this sort of creativity in the metro area. Hook up with the Washington Project for the Arts, artdc, or some of the local arts organizations near where you live.
Orange Sunflower Reverse
Acrylic on Canvas
30 x 40 Inches

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What tips would you give someone who wants to buy art but is afraid to start?

Start small, attend art festivals, gallery openings, and studio open houses. Buy what you love!

Who are some great affordable local artists people can easily -- and confidently -- start a collection with?

Elissa Farrow Savos, Zachary Oxman, Tim Tate, Danny Conant, Jackie Saunders, Tory Cowles, Victor Ekpuk, Alison Sigethy, Joan Belmar, Michael Janis, Colleen Henderson, Rebecca Cross, Erwin Timmers, Rosemary Feit Covey, Helen Frederick, Hiu Lai Chong, Sean Hennessey, Margaret Boozer-Strother, Laurel Lukaszewski, Alan Sislen, Julia Bloom, Anne Marchand, Betsy Stewart, Carol Barsha, Michael Enn Sirvet, Martha Jackson Jarvis, Francie Hester, Eve Stockton, Adjoa Burrows,  Freya Grand, Joey Manlapaz, Amber Robles-Gordon, Colin Winterbottom, Karen Hubacher, Susan Finsen, Susan Makara, Linda Plaisted, Min Enghauser, Kate Kretz, Rebecca Clark, Mary Early, Jennifer Kahn Barlow, Kari Smoller Minnick, Mark Poss, Lee Newman, Eric Celarier, Sheep Jones, Bonny Lundy, Craig A. Kraft, Nancy Weisser, Rania Hassan, Lori Katz, Elyse Harrison, Peggy Cooper Cafritz, Lenny Campello, AnaMarie Paredes, Sondra Arkin, Pam Rogers, Lisa Marie Thalhammer, JJ McCracken, Mary D. Ott, Hillary Steel, and of course ANY of our resident artists at Artists & Makers Studios!! (And THAT is my short list!!!!!) [Author note: Most of these wonderful artists can be found on the Washington Project for the Arts ArtFile Online registry of artists.]

Some artists make a piece they would never sell. Tell us about yours.

I have not had that luxury.... 12 years ago I lost my permanent collection when I left my marriage of twenty years with a suitcase.

What's the most valued tool in your art business tool kit and why?

PR skills. You cannot sell the work if no one hears about it. My blog has been featured in the Washington Post twice, and my newsletter has garnered awards and articles written about it.

What easy but smart strategy or resource (besides social media) helps you get the word out about your art?

Talking about my work when I meet people.

What new strategy will you implement in the coming months to grow your art business?

After 33 years in this business, I have reached a point where I paint what I want to paint and when. My focus is now on helping others grow their art businesses!

Thank you, Judith, for creating a welcoming space for artists to come home to... and for people to see local art, take classes, interact with artists, and enrich their lives with meaningful experiences. Art makes us wonder, remember, and dream. Artists & Makers Studios promises to nurture all that and more.

www.judithheartsong.com
https://www.facebook.com/judith.heartsong
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Artists-Makers-Studios/1535465096670517
https://www.facebook.com/ArtfulConversation
https://twitter.com/artistandmaker
www.linkedin.com/in/judithheartsong/


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