Interview with Katherine Mialkowski

Image above: "HIDDEN" by Katherine Mialkowski

 1. Who are you and what do you do, and what is your background?
My name is Katherine Mialkowski and I am an artist. I have been painting, drawing and creating since I was a child. I went to The Atlanta College of Art long before SCAD bought it and I have a BFA in painting.

Image above: "DARK FOREST" by Katherine Mialkowski

Image above: "MISHAP" by Katherine Mialkowski

2. What's integral to your art and or art career?
Exploring the natural world, reading, studying are all integral to my creating new artwork. Getting out and showing, selling and talking with people is integral to my art career. I enjoy talking with people at art fairs that I might never have met at a gallery show. I get a lot of important feedback.

3. What themes do you pursue and what medium do you use?
I paint with watercolor and oils and I draw. My main theme is our relationship to and interaction with the natural world around us. I like to explore the ways that humans explain what we experience through our Myths, Science and Religion.

4. What makes you angry, what makes you happy?
Painting makes me happy! I don’t like drama and people that complicate everything.

5. Who and what inspire you in your work and or in your life in general?
My daughter and friends and family inspire me to always keep going and be happy. The fun of creating artwork keeps me inspired to create more work. I can’t imagine not making artwork everyday, it’s just a part of me.

6. What superpower would you want?
Hmmmmm………..that’s a tough one. I would love to be able to help people somehow, maybe relieve suffering?

7. What is your favorite artists and or other person?
I love the Dutch Masters, Odd Nerdrum, Anselm Keifer, Hans Holbein the younger, too many to mention.

8. What advice would you give to other artists?
Keep working, keep improving, strive to be better all the time. Always be yourself and follow your own vision.

9. Contact details.
kmialkowski@yahoo.com
www.katherinemialkowski.com

Save the Date for WCAGA's Annual Meeting December 4, 1 pm - 4 pm Mark your calendars for the WCAGA's annual meeting at the Goat Farm's Rodriguez Room. There will be studio tours, food, and a great time to get to know all the artist from WCAGA. More information will be sent with the announcement of the studio tours and what to bring. Contact Sally for more details. 678-642-5300 Image above: Vivian Liddell in studio (photo by Jeanne Ann Davidson) The newly formed Athens Art Share Group welcomes all members of WCAGA and potential members (visitors) to attend their Studio Visits. Their next visit is at Vivian Liddell’s studio in Athens on Sunday, Nov. 13 from 3:00-5:00. Her studio address is #3D, 160 Tracy St., Athens GA. The format for their meetings is focused on the individual artist studio they are visiting.  They see this as an opportunity for the artist to have a focused viewing and response from members and artists in the community… A time for feedback and a constructive/ supportive critique.  We are also sharing books about art, brainstorming for future exhibition opportunities, and just general “art talk”! They plan to meet once a month on Sunday afternoons. Please join the Athens Art Share Group! Stacy Koffman is coordinating this group.  If you have any questions, please email stacy.koffman@ung.edu Two works by Lucy Julia Hale, "American Powder Room: Killer Decor" and "His Last Summer at Home" were published in the October issue of "The Hand: A Magazine for Reproduction Based Art."   https://thehandmagazine.net/issue-14-purchase-and-artist-links/ Image above:"His Last Summer At Home" Image above: Flora Rosefsky with her Stop Series and Photographic Image of Kolbrun Sigurdardottir WCAGA ART+ACTIVISM artists Kolbrun Sigurdardottir and Flora Rosefsky exhibited their work at an AA ACTS Art Exhibition held at Ahavath Achim Synagogue in Atlanta on  October 30, 2016 in conjunction with a program to raise awareness and education about Human and Sex Trafficking issues. A particular focus of the event, with a panel of four speakers,  was to raise more awareness about an amendment noted as the Safe Harbor initiative to help rehabilitate rescued victims in the State of Georgia.  Kolbrun’s photograph of a young child was selected by the AA ACTS committee to be used on their invitation and promotional social media, giving credit to both the artist and the WCAGA ART+ACTIVISM’s Artist Registry which now includes over 55 WCAGA artist members.  Flora’s work, STOP Series, also was selected to be part of this exhibition. The AA ACTS effort works closely with a large and diverse  local  interfaith community and will continue throughout the year with other events, where the visual arts can again be an integral and meaningful  addition to their educational and proactive programs.  Emily Clanton is a founding member of the White Rabbit Gallery of Fine Art in Travelers Rest, SC. The gallery will be officially open on November 1, 2016. They will participate in First Friday in TR (November 4th). Keep up with updates via the website (http://www.artintr.com/white-rabbit-gallery.html) or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/whiterabbitartgallery).  New Member Katherine Mialkowski will be part of the Benefit Show For McFarlane Park. "Art for the Park 2016" runs from November 2nd to November 3rd. It is "Open to the Public", at Atlanta Country Club. 10:30AM - 8:30PM each day (Free Parking) https://www.art4mcfarlanepark.org/art-for-the-park/ WCAGA artists:  Yun Bai, Maggie Davis, Maxine Hess, Callahan McDonough, Flora Rosefsky, Ashley Schick, Susie Winton are participating in this year’s 16th annual “Little Things Mean a Lot” holiday show at the Swan Coach House Gallery Nov. 10-Dec. 30, 2016.  Opening Reception: Thursday, Nov. 10th.  6-9pm.  Swan Coach House Gallery - 3130 Slaton Dr. Atlanta, GA 30305. Gallery hours: Tues. – Sat. 10am-4pm.   http://gallery.swancoachhouse.com MARK YOUR CALENDAR: OPEN STUDIO SALE It's that time of year to find unique gifts for friends and family - or - to spice up your home or office decor.  Original art is an innovative solution. Kathy Meliopoulos is opening up her studio to offer over 90 pieces of art - from $30 and up.   WHEN:  November 12, from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. WHERE:  Kathy Meliopoulos Art Studio 1886 Fisher Trail NE Atlanta, GA 30345 CONTACT:  404 502-3651 WEBSITE:   www.kmeliopoulosart.net FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=kathy%20meliopoulos%20art DETAILS: Cash or checks accepted. Interest prior to - or after - the event is welcome. Email or Message me with any interest, inquiries, questions. Postage and Handling not included in pricing.  Standard UPS/FEDEX rates would apply. We look forward to seeing you. Two new WCAGA members, Jennifer Bell and Michele Phillips are having a Holiday show called “Adornment”  at The Sycamore Place Gallery & Studios with an opening reception and event on Dec. 3rd. I will send this announcement again for the December newsletter, but thought it needed to go in now so people can mark their calendars. There also will be open studios that evening – where I will be one of the artists doing that.  Adornment – Holiday Art Show and Open Studios at Sycamore Place Gallery & Studios Saturday December 3, 6-9 pm 120 Sycamore Place   Decatur, GA  30030  (behind Fellini’s) 404-377-7747    www.decaturartclasses.com Featuring works by Jenny Bell and Michele Phillips Live music from W8ting 4 UFOs with Bill Taft,  Refreshments Art, Art Gifts, and Open Studios from Sycamore Place Artists: Sylvia Cross Flora Rosefsky Gibbs Hasty Lisa Alembik Michele Phillips Jenny Bell Julie Miller Rachael Bommacino Rita Omark Julie Hale Cheryl Southern Alison Shockley Jess McMillan Gallery Hours during show run: Thursday evenings 6-8 pm; Fridays 11am-1pm; Sundays 1pm-3pm; or by appointment. Artist talks and workshops TBA. Flora Rosefsky is part of the  Invitational Exhibition, "LIGHT," at the Jewish Cultural Center of Greater Chattanooga.   November 3 - December 16, 2016. Artist’s  Reception: November 3rd  5:30-7:30pm. 5461 North Terrace Road , Chattanooga, TN 37411 Stop by during business hours, Monday-Thursday 9-5 or Friday 9-4. Temme Barkin-Leeds has work in two shows: AtHICA Second Annual Juried Exhibition, Athens, juried by Annette Cone Skelton and Tell Me A Story at B Complex, Atlanta, juried by Anita Arliss and Dominick Lombardi. Image above by Helen DeRamus The 3 Members Show "Derived From Nature" were featured in the “Atlanta Celebrates Photography” Festival Guide. Exhibition Sep 12 - Nov 29 Work by Vicki Bethel, Helen DeRamus, and Pamela Ellerbrock, artists who photograph the natural world and use it as a starting point for their personal visions. Presented by The Blue Heron Nature Preserve and the Women’s Caucus for Art of Georgia. Blue Heron Nature Preserve Gallery 4055 Roswell Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30342 404-345-1008 http://bhnp.org/art-gallery.html Leisa Rich's  show "grownupland" will continue until January 13, 2017. Local artist Leisa Rich presents "grownupland", a solo exhibition. The exhibition will be on display October 21,  2016 - January 13, 2017. Location: Stanley Beaman Sears’ Gallery 180 Opening Reception: November 3, 2016. 5pm-8pm The exhibition will present installations, viewer interactive panels, sculpture, 3D printed communal sound, viewer participatory experiences, 3D printed sculptures, and more.

WCAGA Send in News! November 2016

Let us know about your workshops, exhibits, photos, links for the WCAGA Newsletter. Add your events to the WCAGA Website View this email in your browser Hello WCAGA Members! Now is the time to send your submissions for the WCAGA Newsletter. The deadline is the LAST day of this month.   The newsletter welcomes listings of news about any of our members. If you know of any interesting calls for entries or workshops, panels related to art, we will also list those. There is no guarantee that the newsletter will be distributed on the 1st of every month.  Please remember that any events for the first few days of the month should be posted in the previous month's newsletter. Sincerely, Corlia Any events, exhibitions, workshops or classes that had been added to the events on the WCAGA Website will automatically be in the Newsletter for that month and you do not need to send the news to me again. That way you have the information in two places, the newsletter and the Website. If you prefer to send it to me (corliasilver@hotmail.com) for the Newsletter, it will appear in the newsletter but I will not list it on the WCAGA Website for you. Please create an event for your upcoming shows, exhibits, openings, workshops and classes on the WCAGA website at http://www.wcaga.org/events and click on ADD after you have signed in to your profile. Thanks for you contributions! ps. Without your News there will be no Newsletter. Hannah Hoch,  Cut with the Kitchen Knife Dada through the Last Weimar-Beer Belly of the Cultural Epoch of Germany, 1919 Copyright © *2015* *|WCAGA|*, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Women's Caucus for Art of Georgia · P.O. Box 8033 · Atlanta, GA 31106 · USA Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

Interview with Sally Eppstein. Artist, jewelry maker and current WCAGA President.

1. Who are you and what do you do, and what is your background?

I was born in Augusta, Ga and considered myself an army brat since my West Point graduate dad retired when he was 53 and I was just three.  I grew up visiting  the campus of Augusta College where he taught accounting as a second career. My sister who is 17 years older  and my three brothers lived around the world but I believe there are pros and cons to how we were both raised.

Food and art are my main two loves. I debated about going to culinary school or to art school and art won because I knew I wanted a family and I did not want to work restaurant hours while I raised a family.

I went to Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC for an associates in jewelry and received my BFA from Augusta College that is now call Augusta State University.

2. What's integral to your art and or art career?

Peace and quiet. When I lived by myself before I got married, I was quite prolific but since I have been married and raising my son and step kids I have found it harder to be as focused on my art as I would like. My youngest will be going off to college soon and I am looking forward to being prolific again.

 3. What themes do you pursue and what medium do you use?

I started painting with oils as a child until after college but now I mainly use acrylic paints and different gel mediums from Golden Paint. My latest adventures have been making sculptures with wood and stainless steel.

All of my art is inspired from nature.

 4. What makes you angry, what makes you happy?

Clear cutting of trees makes me angry/sad and being in nature with my family and dogs makes me incredibly happy.

 5. Who and what inspire you in your work and or in your life in general?

Being a part of the WCAGA is my biggest inspiration right now because I am surrounded by so many incredible talented women. 

 

6. What superpower would you want?

The one superpower I would love to have at the moment would be to convince Georgia  politicians to create strong zoning laws that would save land/environment from over aggressive developers. 

 7. What is your favorite artists and or other person?

I have quite a few favorite artists but the top of my list is Alexander Calder mainly because he made large heavy steel sculptures to  putting on performances with his small whimsical circus. I love that he was not limited to any media or that he took himself too seriously.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6jwnu8Izy0

Two of my other top two artists are Niki de Saint Phalle and Alice Neel. 

 

8. What advice would you give to other artists? 

Love and respect your teacher’s advice and then learn to let go of most of what they taught you so you can find your own art.

 9. Contact details.

Sally Eppstein

sallymail@yahoo.com

sallyeppstein.com

678-642-5300

Interview with artist Julie Nellenback Henry.

Image by Julie Nellenback Henry

1. Who are you and what do you do, and what is your background?

My name is Julie Nellenback Henry and I am a contemporary multi media artist with a focus on painting. I am originally from Seneca Falls New York but have lived most of my life in the south. When I was in college I took a drawing class and disliked it so much that I dropped it after attending 2 classes! In my mid twenties I returned to my interest in art and in the years since I have been focused on my creative process. For most of those years I had a day job. I worked in my studio at night and on weekends always yearning for the day when I could pursue art full time. My work initially was naïve/ outsider/ figurative and my materials were things like old pieces of wood found while dumpster diving and $1 per gallon oops house paint from the Duron paint store on North Avenue. 

2. What's integral to your art and or art career?

I just have this unexplainable longing to communicate how I feel without words. Without that longing I would never paint.

3. What themes do you pursue and what medium do you use?

I seem to always be working to convey a relationship between something uncivilized and something more enlightened. I am continually drawn by the idea of a primal expression in union with a modern perspective. Part raw and part refined. 

 Right now I am painting in oil on board or canvas as well as painting in ink on paper. My background includes working in repurposed leather, letterpress, mono printing and assemblage sculpture.

Image by Julie Nellenback Henry.

4. What makes you angry, what makes you happy?

I love this question because it made me realize that I have very little interest in what makes me angry at this point in my life. But to be fair oppression in any form pisses me off. Any abuse of children, old people and animals is sure to make me mad.

 There are specific moments when I experience pure joy during the creative process. The electric moment when an idea or inspiration comes flying into me is really worth relishing. Sometimes it arrives so quickly and unexpectedly that I am scrambling to find a way to make a note. 

Also the moment when a shift occurs and all creative decisions become fluid and effortless. At that point in a painting I have lost track of myself and it feels great. 

5. Who and what inspire you in your work and or in your life in general?

Right now I am really loving the paintings of Jorge Quieroz, the poems of Tomas Transtromer and the music of The Last Shadow Puppets. 

I am currently reading a book titled My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem and listening to various Maya Angelou recordings found online.

On a more personal note, I am now and have been for many years greatly influenced and inspired by my undeniably talented husband Jason Henry.

6. What superpower would you want?

Do they have one that enables you to give everyone you encounter 1000 years of forgiveness in advance?

7. What is your favorite artists and or other person?

It was the work of Thornton Dial that inspired me to start painting. After that I was inspired to continue to paint by the work of Frida Kahlo, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jean Dubuffet and Francesco Clemente. Now I would say I still love all of them plus many many more including Robert Motherwell, Helen Frankenthaler, Robert Ryman, Sonia Delaunay, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Alexander McQueen and the list goes on…..

8. What advice would you give to other artists?

I have this quote by Rumi posted on the wall of my studio -

“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray”.

Trust yourself. 

If you find yourself unable to go into your studio or avoiding your work try reading The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Another book I recommend is Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Guard against hopelessness by any means possible.

 Website: juliehenrystudio.com

Image by Julie Nellenback Henry.

Artist Interview with Sara Schindel

Banquet with Lobster

1. Who are you and what do you do, and what is your background?

I was born in Atlanta but grew up in Athens, GA. I graduated from Indiana University’s John Herron School of Art. I worked as a freelance stylist for commercial photography for years while making art during the weeks when had no work.Twenty years ago I had the opportunity to have a studio.That’s when I stopped painted and declared “ if not now then when” and begin making anything that popped into my head.

2. What's integral to your art and or art career?

My process is uncontrolled and my work created spontaneously. I like a loose edge to my work but I struggle to solve the work and make it cohesive. Finding an engaging theme and considering anything as media, detritus as well as conventional media is integral to my work.

Wrestlers Whole

3. What themes do you pursue and what medium do you use?

I’m currently pursuing autobiographical work concerning events from my childhood. I’ve created parodies of Great Master’s work taking still life painting back to three dimensions. I’m continuing that work also. I’m using cut paper, paint, styrofoam, wire, polymer clay and excelsior. I’ve used glass, tar, cable wire, action figures, computer parts and a taxidermy fish among other thing.

4. What makes you angry, what makes you happy?

People who are unreliable and irresponsible are very annoying. I’ve worked on being responsible and doing what I say I’ll do so this trait is important in to me. The violence of current times makes me feel angry but also helpless.

My son is my greatest joy. Just a note or call from him makes my day. Also, I feel a lot of happiness when I’m able to solve a work problem. If a piece is difficult to create, my satisfaction at completing it makes me joyful.

5. Who and what inspire you in your work and or in your life in general?

David Gilhooly a California artist who started the Funk Art Movement. He made intense beautifully crafted assemblages and was a great inspiration to me. http://www.sites.onlinemac.com/cchang/shadowboxes.htm

Inspiring friends and family encourage and support my growth.

Still Life with Dirty Dishes

6. What superpower would you want?

I would want the eyes of an eagle so I could better see the stars.

7. What is your favorite artists and or other person?

My sister Alice Schindel www.aliceschindel.com is my favorite artist. Her work has an undeniable presence, whimsey, and wit.

8. What advice would you give to other artists?

Consider strategy with your career instead of luck. If you are fortunate to have financial support the world is yours. If not you will have be very focused to complete a body of work after your day job ends.

Sara Schindel   404-788-3328   saraschindel@gmail.com    www.saraschindelart.com