Vignette: Carrie Johns

“I trust my instinct and try not to let expectations distract me." - Carrie Johns

"Wave" by Carrie Johns, oil, 24x24in, 2017, POR

Probably most laypersons – people who never draw, paint, or sculpt, can at least imagine making art in traditional forms; perhaps many such people at least doodle absentmindedly. But to create complex linear drawings with a toy we can all remember from our childhood seems most amazing. The Etch A Sketch, with its two analog knobs, one to control vertical movement and one for horizontal, would appear to be extremely limiting, but Carrie Johns proves that only the limits of our own patience  hold us back from realizing the full potential of the instrument.

"Reflecting Sphere (Escher)" by Carrie Johns, Full size Etch-a-Sketch, 2016

Of course, Johns uses the more traditional tools: paint and a brush, as well as many others, in the making of her art. And she meaningfully explicates why she is an artist: “Art has always been a friend. It makes sense to me; it has helped me through hard times, and is there for me to escape into when I am feeling out of control.”

I create realistic art because I feel like I can take a take a subject and have control over it, bring out the beauty in it that no one else may be able to see. I want my art to elicit a feeling of wonder. Wonder is such a childlike emotion, one that can make us feel hope, cause us to dream, and to see the beauty in the mundane. I believe my duty as an artist is to create a spark in people who are feeling disillusioned or depressed. I want to give people that sense of wonder they had as a child.”

Carrie Johns with her 2015 Gallopalooza horse.

“So much beauty can be found all around us and I think an artist’s job is to bring that beauty to people who can no longer see it. One way I have been able to do that is through public art. Public art is a great way to reach people who may not have access to art or who may not actively be seeking it out. I try not to limit my art to a specific genre or medium. I enjoy making all types of art: painting, drawing, signage, calligraphy, or even drawing on an Etch-a-Sketch.”

“I trust my instinct and try not to let expectations distract me. Color, light, and detail, however, are essential in my artwork and always present. I draw influence from the simple things in life: my children, pets, a simple flower, a couple in love, or a great work of art. There is so much that is still beautiful and joyful in this world, and in my own humble way, I want to be able to share this beauty with those who can no longer see it.”

In 2015 Johns won Best in Show Award for Gallopalooza, and just this year she was awarded First Place in the LVA Plein Art Paint Out at Botanica’s ReGeneration Fair.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Education: BA, Art History, University of Louisville
Website: http://carriejohns.wixsite.com/painting
Instagram: @hotlines_art

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"Julie" by carrie Johns, acrylic, 12x12in, 2017

"Great Wave (Hokusai)" by Carrie Johns, Full Size Etch-a-Sketch, 2016

"Play Ball" by Carrie Johns, graphite, 16x20in, 2017, POR

"Frosty Mug" by Carrie Johns, acrylic, 5ftx3in, 2017

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2017 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Vignette: Julia Davis - Open Studio Weekend Artist

Never Trust A Smiling Face

"Remember Me" by Julia Davis, oil on canvas, 72x37.75in, 2017, $3000

In Julia Davis’ painting, “Remember Her,” a dead and decaying flower still stands in potted soil, but planted next to it is an artificial, linear symbol of a flower. Not the plastic artificial flowers found in municipal spaces that deceive our ideal of beauty, but a graphic element designed to represent an organic, living thing as a mockery of its spent life force. Like a garish neon sign installed as a tombstone, it cruelly echoes the memory of the thing that has passed.

The same effect is present in “She’s Been Gone Awhile Now,” only now the subject is a pair of leather boots. While not organic, the title seems to reinforce a sense of loss, the boots perhaps a favorite pair of the departed. There is a child-like perspective on loss at work here. Small children, especially, would take notice of footwear from their low vantage point, playing in the grass as the boots pass by.

So the images connect powerfully to memory, and particularly the randomness of that phenomenon. We recall such details from as long as a lifetime ago: single items, smells, the ephemeral quality of nostalgia, and a heightened sense of place.

In her statement, Davis explains: “…she is engaging the viewer and providing visual clues to decipher commonly used phrases, for example, ‘never trust a smiling face’, ‘big fish in a little pond’, ‘stop and smell the flowers’, etc. By using graphic symbols over the realistic depictions of her subject, she is providing a visual riddle for the viewer to easily decipher.”

The theme itself is not random, as these images are created through the lens of Davis’ own grief for her deceased father and the introduction to the inevitability of loss that must be faced in adulthood. Many of her paintings are executed on a large scale, “so that the viewer can relate to the same confrontation of death that was presented to her.”

"Super Fresh Banalities" by Julia Davis, oil on Canvas, 20x24in, 2017 $800

Yet Davis’ humor is also on ample display in “Alternative Facts”, in which she plays with scale and proportion in her depiction of an orange clown fish that seems to be posing, perhaps even preening, for the viewer. While even the paintings involving death and loss are never lugubrious, her fishbowl scene is the height of accessibility in contemporary art.

Davis is currently a teacher in Louisville Visual Art (LVA) Children Fine Art Classes and Community outreach programs. She won 2nd place in the 2017 Portland Art and Heritage Fair Juried Exhibition, and is included in Artists in our Midst at Kaviar Forge Gallery through December 30, 2017.

Julia Davis will be participating in the 2017 Open Studio Weekend, sponsored by Louisville Visual Art and University of Louisville’s Hite Art Institute. Her studio in the Portland neighborhood will be open the weekend of November 4 and 5. Tickets for Open Studio Weekend will go on sale October 16. Click here for more information.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Education: BFA, University of Louisville, 2012
Gallery Representation: PYRO Gallery (Louisville).
Website: www.JuliaDart.com
Instagram: @Julia_Davis_Art

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"Alternative Facts" by Julia Davis, oil On Canvas, 58x47in, 2017, $4000

"Nah She's Been Gone a While Now" by Julia Davis, oil on canvas, 31x24.5in, 2017, $850

"Smiling Faces Sometimes" by Julia Davis, oil on panel, 24x30in, 2016, $800

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2017 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Vignette: Emily Maynard - Open Studio Weekend Artist

History in What You Wear

"Not Fooled by Falsity" by Emily Maynard, faceted pyrite, antique Yoruba glass, vintage turquoise Czech glass and gilt brass buckle, 2017

There may be some who deny handmade jewelry a place at the Fine Art table, but rings are often the most cherished of objects, and the history of designing adornments for the human body goes back almost as far as visual art. Emily Maynard creates jewelry that takes full account of that rich and varied history.

Maynard quickly discovered a passion for the history of jewelry in her graduate work at The Bard Graduate Center: Decorative Arts, Design History, and Material Culture in New York City. Her Masters thesis explored the relationship between Italian Renaissance and ancient Greek and Roman jewelry, which inspired a semester at the Jewelry Arts Institute in Manhattan.

She founded Elva Fields Jewelry in 2003, and the company’s aesthetic blends that historical context with a highly personal framework for her designs. There are three lines: Elva, June, and Deb—which are named for the artist’s great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother, respectively. Maynard exhaustively collects materials and repurposes them into fresh, new configurations that carry the associations of the past, the details and feelings from historical period, into their new life.

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"Everything's Changing" by Emily Maynard, antique Nigerian glass beads, vintage gold tone clasp, 2017

The fullness of what is seen here, separated from the scale of the human form, reflects a sculptural quality that connotes weight and gravitas, yet the materials, such as antique Nigerian glass beads in “Everything’s Changing”, are never repressive in their effect. Instead, there is here a spiritual quality present that echoes the culture of origin. In another example, a customer's collection of vintage charms from her grandmother's and mother's charm bracelets is incorporated into a classic arrangement of pearls that harkens back to late 19th century jewelry.

The Little Ladies series of necklaces are made by hand in Maynard’s studio using vintage trim (here a kelly green fringe) and an assortment of beads from our collection. This necklace pays it forward by supporting underprivileged youth in Louisville, with a portion of proceeds providing materials for kids to create a similar necklace in monthly classes taught by Elva Fields artisans at The Cabbage Patch in Old Louisville.

"Little Ladies Necklace", by Emily Maynard, vintage cotton trim, assorted vintage and gemstone beads, 2017

Emily Maynard will be participating in the 2017 Open Studio Weekend, sponsored by Louisville Visual Art and University of Louisville’s Hite Art Institute. Her studio in the Clifton neighborhood will be open the weekend of November 4 and 5. Tickets for Open Studio Weekend will go on sale October 16. Click here for more information.

Hometown: Danville, Kentucky
Education: BA, French and Art History, Hollins University, Roanoke, VA, 2000; M.A., Decorative Art History, The Bard Graduate Center, New York, NY 2004
Gallery Representation: PYRO Gallery (Louisville).
Website: www.elvafields.com
Instagram: elvafields

"Custom Pearl Charm" by Emily Maynard, vintage sterling silver charms, freshwater pearls, faceted Indian silver beads, sterling silver clasp, 2015, From $300

"U-turn" by Emily Maynard, hand-wrought brass beads from Mali, Art Deco enamel and brass compact pendant, gilt copper toggle clasp, 2017

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2017 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

Vignette: Nura Mascarenas - Open Studio Weekend Artist

“The fragrance of color is the sustenance to my soul” – Nura Mascarenas

Emotion is key to most art, but exactly how each individual artist embraces and allows it to influence the work may vary. Some will filter it through a veneer of cool, intellectual reserve, and others will indulge in an almost spiritual relationship with their creative process. Nura Mascarenas seems to fall firmly into the latter group.

“My process in painting is “feeling” into color one fragrance of color harmonizing and complimenting another. Colors feel like a field of busting flowers in aromatic yellows, oranges, reds, and saffron, or the aroma of a pine forest in shades of green.” 

“Each painting is a story and lived experience from the past or present, from feelings of elations to the quieter moments to shades of gray. When I paint I feel the tempo, my hand glides across the canvas, which starts to flow like poetry. The painting gracefully unfolds revealing its mystery with each brush stroke of color, layer upon layer like each line in a poem. Finally, I’ll feel a cacophonic symphony, a finished painting in many warms, cools, light and shadow before me, the story, a feeling, a completed poem through color. Painting is an intuitive process, surrendering to the graceful flow, weaving a tapestry of many threads of color from my inner world.”

"Moody" by Nura Mascarenas, oil on arches paper, 9.5x9.5in, 2016, $300

The reference to tapestry seems apt, since there is a quality of weaving in the build up of layers, both tangibly in the mark making, but also in the interplay of color.

“I am always inspired from the greatest works of art, to the simplest line drawings; nature is by far my biggest influence from mountain ranges with their endless patterns, to ripples of water on the sandy beach, and everything in between.”

"Octave" by Nura Mascarenas, oil on paper, 10x10in, 2016, $400

Nura Mascarenas will be participating in the 2017 Open Studio Weekend, sponsored by Louisville Visual Art and University of Louisville’s Hite Art Institute. Her studio in the Portland neighborhood will be open the weekend of November 4 and 5. Tickets for Open Studio Weekend will go on sale October 16. Click here for more information.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Education: Rocky Mountain Collage of Art, Denver Colorado
Gallery representation: Greenwich House Gallery (Cincinnati Ohio).
Website: www.nuramascarenas.com
Instagram: Nura English

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"New Day" by Nura Mascarenas, oil on canvas, 10x11in, 2016, $400

"Fallen Layers" by Nura Mascarenas, oil on paper, 11x11in, 2016, $400

"Over and Under" by Nura Mascarenas, oil on arches paper, 10x11in, 2016, $425 

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2017 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Vignette: Shawn Marshall - Open Studio Weekend Artist

“Painting is a restorative and meditative ‘practice’” – Shawn Marshall

"Rusted Edges" by Shawn Marshall, oil on canvas, 20x20x1.5in, 2017, POR

When Shawn Marshall speaks about ‘restorative and meditative practice,’ it is a clue to what lies behind the simplicity of her paintings. Previous work has been more complex compositionally, but the spare and uncluttered landscape form that she is preoccupied with here seems less a document of a time and place and more about an internal mental or emotional state.

Photo by Jessica Ebelhar.

“For me, painting is an outlet to release intuitive energy and let go of preconceived notions of self-imposed rules or judgments of how I and my work interpret and portray the world. Though my architectural background and training often manifests itself in my work, it doesn’t constrain the freedom of expression. Using palette knives and sharp edged tools I create a three-dimensional surface on the canvas, always striving to create a balance between the built-up yet refined impasto and the underlying landscape beyond. Painting is a restorative and meditative ‘practice’ as I create what I refer to as ‘inward landscapes.’”

The harmony achieved belies the type training and experience we might assume for an artist coming from the exacting and technical architecture training, and the viewer must ask how much of Marshall’s work is a journey in the opposite direction; the training providing foundation but the action of painting a break away from that rigor and formal discipline to achieve a peaceful resolve.

Professionally, Marshall has worked as an Architectural Designer for several years, but most recently has taught at public schools in the Louisville area, including her current position as Visual Arts Teacher at North Oldham High School in Goshen, KY.

"Shoreline" by Shawn Marshall, oil on canvas, 24x18x1.5in, 2017, POR

Marshall is a member of PYRO Gallery in Louisville, and recently was included in two group exhibits, Selfies & Self-Portraits: 21 C Artists… at Viridian Artists Gallery, New York, NY, and The Modern Landscape at New Editions Gallery, Lexington, KY. She will be having a solo exhibit at Craft[s] Gallery & Mercantile in March 2018.

Shawn Marshall will be participating in the 2017 Open Studio Weekend, sponsored by Louisville Visual Art and University of Louisville’s Hite Art Institute. Her studio in Downtown Louisville will be open the weekend of November 4 and 5. Tickets for Open Studio Weekend will go on sale October 16. Click here for more information.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Education: 1992, Bachelor of Architecture, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY; 1996, Master of Architecture, Minor Fine Arts, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; 2009, Master of Art in Teaching, Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY
Website: www.shawnlmarshall.com
Instagram: shawnmarshall

"Spark" by Shawn Marshall, oil on canvas, 12x16x1.5in, 2017, POR

"Phosphorescence" by Shawn Marshall, oil on canvas, 20x24x1.5in, 2017, POR

"rising Light" by Shawn Marshall, oil on canvas, 24x24x1.5in, 2017, POR

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2017 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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