creative people

I’ve always been fascinated by abstract art, mostly because I can’t even remotely do it. There’s an alchemy that abstract artists channel that disengages them from the urge to represent the tangible world and focus instead on the ephemeral and indescribable. Abstract art is like music; sometimes it’s complex jazz, and sometimes a simple melody. Or perhaps it’s more like an adverb than a noun: it isn’t a thing… it’s what that thing is like.

[Read more…] about Creative People: Patty Flauto

Regina Bernadette Quinn is an artist and educator living in the Northern Catskill Mountains. She works in a technique called encaustic, which involves painting with layers of colored beeswax in addition to traditional paints. The wax creates a thickness and luminosity to the work which can then be carved and scratched to create texture and reveal the layers beneath. The resulting paintings glow with an ethereal depth that leaves them suspended between reality and dreams. I asked her what inspires her work and her process.

Here is her story.

[Read more…] about Creative People: Regina Bernadette Quinn

Monica Cielesz is a fellow copper artist. She works with the natural elements of fire and copper to create dynamic flame-painted woven pieces. While heat can be used to create beautiful colors on the metal, it is also extremely unpredictable. I asked her what inspires her pieces, and how she handles working with such a challenging technique. She spoke about the need for patience and letting go of perfect – two essential skills for artists, no matter their medium.

[Read more…] about Creative People: Monica Cielesz

Valerie Tyler is the curator and collector behind Valerie Tyler Collection, a shop for vintage decor, photography, and accessories from around the world and throughout time. She’s also one of a handful of people I’ve had the privilege of knowing long enough to have watched her evolution as an artist (and she mine).

[Read more…] about Creative People: Valerie Tyler

I was first drawn to Gray Jordan’s art for the loveliness of it all. The soft, watery paintings shift from abstract to landscape like sand beneath your feet. They seem to want to capture a feeling of a place, or perhaps create a place for a feeling.

But then I was drawn into her process – it isn’t just about the painting, but about the exploration infused into it. Her colors are foraged from earth pigments and other natural and reclaimed materials. I asked her about her process and the challenges she faces, and she shared this.

[Read more…] about Creative People: Gray Jordan

While 2020 has brought us seemingly endless challenges, some of the most intriguing to me have been within the field of education. As a former teacher and long-time soap-boxer of all things education-related, watching my former colleagues pivot on a dime to meet the monumental needs of the day has been fascinating. I’ve watched it all like a suspenseful movie, biting my nails and perspiring on behalf of others.

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