Artists Tell Their Stories

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Deb Lyons, Mixed Media Artist, Tells Her Story

It’s been fun and inspiring to read “Artists Tell Their Stories” this year. I’ve found similarities in so many stories, and fun differences in quite a few, too.

I’m Deb Lyons and I describe myself as an artist and an art educator. I knew from a very early age that I wanted to grow up to be an artist. In the early 1950s that meant painting in abstract ways, wearing black turtleneck sweaters and hanging out with beatnik friends at jazz venues, or at least I thought it did.

Acrylic & mixed media

I was very lucky, as a child, to have a supportive family who indulged my wish for art lessons every summer. What a joy those creative days were. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any “art career” counseling during high school, so I thought that I should get a college degree in some area that I could fall back on during any “lean times” in my art career.

I enrolled in a well-known but small teacher’s college where everyone’s major was education and, of course, my minor was art. I had such a great time and, to my surprise, was totally bitten by the teaching bug.

Acrylic & mixed media

Fast forward a few years and I found myself with a dream job; teaching 1st through 8th grade art in a University Lab School during the day and going upstairs and teaching undergrad and grad students at night. A lovely bonus was having my two daughters as students throughout their elementary and middle school years.

The creative energy of my colleagues was magical. The research and curriculum development was an all-year endeavor and it left little time or energy for my own art work. To fix this, I eventually found a teacher and co-hort of adult students that I met with once a week (for a number of years.) Life was good.

Acrylic & mixed media

We all have our ups and downs, though. I found that I had a light case of breast cancer. I was surrounded by support and love but still needed to work through all that was going on. I found that large canvases became my breast cancer journals.

Acrylic & mixed media, from the breast cancer series

Using acrylics, surgical sutures, knives, lace and found objects, I was able to travel from darkness to light. I became part of a clinical drug trial and it is a joy to see that what was experimental then is a common part of breast cancer treatment options today. I’m happy to report that I’ve been cancer free for almost 20 years.

I’ve since been able to share my journey by exhibiting these mixed media pieces in a variety of venues.

Large acrylic, lace, surgical suture & mixed media from the breast cancer series

Today I am still in love with creative explorations and teaching. My new students are adults at my local Easter Seals Adult Center. The joy is palatable, the successes are celebrated, and the friendships are deep.

"Xela Wins at Keeneland" Quilt, cotton fabrics, cotton batting

When Brenda approached me about posting on the blog I asked if I could share my story this week. December 10^th is my Mother’s birthday. She passed away almost two years ago. She was an enthusiastic supporter of all of my artistic endeavors and I thought that this might be a small way to honor her memory.

As Joseph Campbell said, “Follow your bliss.”

This is Week 48 of 52 Artists in 52 Weeks. Thank you for reading and sharing Deb’s story today!

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

George Bragg, Mixed Media Metal Artist, Tells His Story

I am a Machinist by trade and a self-taught artist. I have spent the last 30 years as a full time professional artist. I started doing stained glass when I was 20 years old, working in a custom stained glass studio that specialized in large commercial work and restoration.

I then went on to open my own stained glass studio, working on custom and restoration projects before branching out to do art and craft shows throughout the country.

My work as an artist has evolved and transformed into my current medium, copper and organic material.

I am inspired by nature and incorporate organic elements, collected during my travels, with copper sheeting and tubing.

My work is non-objective abstract, with a focus on line, texture and color.

The metal process includes repousse, chasing, hand tooling, torching and acid patinas applied to copper to create the surface variations. Completed works have a variety of tactile and visual textures and are designed as 3D wall sculptures.

This is Week 47 of 52 Artists in 52 Weeks. Thank you for reading and sharing George’s story today. To see more of his work please click this link: Bragg Studios Contemporary Artworks.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Arturo Ho, Mixed Media Artist, Tells His Story

As a working artist, I am blessed to have the freedom to do what I love the most—to be with people and create something special. The opportunity to create, connect, and build relationships with others defines me. Art is a vehicle for making the world a better place. I use art to serve and connect with many communities and strive to bring out the best in them.

I express myself in all aspects of my life through art. I have made works on paper, murals, mosaics, permanent installations, designs for posters/books, taught classes, collaborated with non-profit organizations, community centers, detention centers, public schools, and individuals.

My work is not confined to a specific medium because I am open to and inspired by many positive influences and ideas of expression. That is the reason I am excited about art; there are always new possibilities.

Working with youth keeps me informed and relevant. Working with people and communities allows me the opportunity to share my knowledge and embrace new ideas and thoughts. This kind of work excites my creative and expressive side of the art making process.

I am also blessed to be able to make connections and build lasting friendships through the interactions that come with working in a collaborative process. It is through these opportunities that I have been able to focus my energy and passion into developing into the type of artist that I feel most comfortable being.

Thank you to all who have given me the opportunity to share my passion of art with you. I feel that every one of us has a truly good side and a special gift to share with the world. We must find a way to spread this gift whether it is through art, music, dance, or other mediums of expression.

To see more of Arturo's work and connect with him, please visit his website. This is Week 46 of 52 Artists in 52 Weeks. Thank you for reading and sharing Arturo's story today!

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Richard Porter, Photographer, Tells His Story

I grew up in Vancouver, Canada – a large ethnically diverse port city on the edge of wilderness. In my family, the free exchange of voices and ideas was always esteemed; compassionate acts, creative indulgence, teamwork, and entrepreneurial boldness were values in action that were encouraged and supported. Creativity almost always had a purpose – it was a talent to be applied to practical problems.

I have never thought of myself as an artist. I still don’t, really. Richard Porter “the Artist,” is just one of several ways I, and others, conceive me. I am a creative problem solver, and an idea experimenter, and a visioneer, and have been most of my life. Practical problems demand creative solutions. Artistry and art are part of that continuum. I am sometimes all business and sometimes all play – I usually exist somewhere in between. I have rarely created alone, but have almost always been a part of talented teams.

It has been through the lens of photography that artistic play has dominated my creative expression, and through which my vision alone has surfaced. I shoot to tell a story; to elicit emotion, as any author would, only with the primitive words of a fragmented moment. The camera, and, nowadays, processing software, become my pen, my brush and my chisel. While the camera documents a moment, there is much the camera does not decide: what to include, what to stage, what to exclude, where to focus, how much focus, what light and how much, point of view, how to compress time, …. In my digital studio, I can demand from the moment its truth as I found it, as I choose to interpret it.

Recently, I returned to business school. This meant spending less time with my “big” cameras. In doing so, I found myself using my iphone’s camera and processing images with it more often. I have come to appreciate the unique opportunities and constrained space that iphonography (as it is often called) affords. It has dominated my photography for the last year, and changed the way I use cameras to capture and manipulate images. While there are many apps that apply canned effects to images, I don’t use these. Instead I use an app to manually control the settings for the camera, and one of several apps in post (there is not yet a singular app that does everything Photoshop can do – but we’re almost there).

This is Week 45 of 52 Artists in 52 Weeks. Thank you for reading and sharing Richard’s story today. To connect with him and see more of his work, please see the links below: