Meet the Artist: Evelyn Fritz

How does an artist get started making art?  Where do they get their inspiration?  What kind of weird things do they use to make art?  And where do they create?

Get the answers and see inside all 41 artists’ studios during the 2015 Washington County Open Studios tour October 17 and 18 from 11am to 5pm.

Here’s a quick interview with one of this year’s new artists,  Evelyn Fritz.

What is unique about your studio set up?

“My studio is in my home and it is divided into two areas.  The main studio and my little encaustic corner, which overlooks my patio.”

When you begin your work, what inspires you and/or gets you going?

“I love to experiment so any new tool or method that helps me to create texture sets me into a creative mood.”

How did you find your way to art?

"For as long as I can remember, I have been interested in art.   It has been a long journey and life does sometimes get in the way.  There was a period that I didn't work at it at all because of other demands. I was happy to get back into it.”

 

What weird, different material or technique do you use and does that inspires you?

“I use a lot of texture in my work and the newest thing that I have found to create that is tyvek .”

When people come to your studio, what will they see you doing …what part of your process?

“I will be showing how I use the various things  that I use to create that create texture.

 When people come to my studio I will be working with the tools that I use in my process. This could be  how I prepare tyvek, working with stamps which I make myself. (There are so many ways to make stamps that that could be a demonstration in itself.   How to do a transfer. Why some of these will work with one medium and not the other.  and how I actually apply my mediums to the substrate.”

Meet Evelyn and all the other 40 artists October 17 and 18 from 11am to 5pm during the Washington County Open Studios tour.  Get a FREE tour map and information online at www.washcoart.org

Meet the Artist: Emma Weber.

How does an artist get started making art?  Where do they get their inspiration?  What kind of weird things do they use to make art?  And where do they create?

Get the answers and see inside all 41 artists’ studios during the 2015 Washington County Open Studios tour October 17 and 18 from 11am to 5pm.

Here’s a quick interview with one of this year’s new artists, Emma Weber

What is unique and inspiring about your studio set up?  

“My studio is always a mess. It is the one room in my house that never is fully cleaned. Having everything splayed out, in stacks and piles may look chaotic but it reminds me of all the projects I’m working on, and what I have at my disposal. On the walls you'll see scraps of projects and plenty of inspirations.

I share my studio with my mother and fellow artist Peg Falconer. It is also home to dog bed for our lab Sally, and you can often find little prints across the paper from cat Thomas. (Visitors may enjoy a waggy hello from Sally, but unlikely to see any signs of the cat.)

The studio window overlooks the back garden area, and if you need extra room, a supplemental “studio” can be used (it’s the dining room table).”

When you begin your work, what inspires you and/or gets you going?  

“As a primarily nature-inspired artist, the ease of stepping out your door and finding farmlands, mountains, forests, beaches, and wildlife that one has living in Washington County is an important muse for my work. I also require at least one cup of tea while making art, especially in the morning (which is the best time to work).”

How did you find your way to art? 

“Peg, my mother, is also the founder of the Washington County Open Studio Tours, and daughter of David Falconer.  Both my grandmother and grandfather were artistic and creative people.  David Falconer, my grandfather was a past tour participant and photographer.  After his passing last year and to honor his memory, the Falconer Education Fund was established.  As art clearly runs along that family line, it is no wonder I turned out as well.”

What weird, different material or technique do you use and does that inspires you?

“I like to work in a lot of different mediums as I get bored easily—guests will be able to view photography, print media (etching & letterpress), book arts, calligraphy, poetry, paintings & jewelry (made from my photographs).

When people come to your studio, what will they see you doing …what part of your process? 

“I’m not sure what sorts I’ll be working on that weekend as there are too many projects to organize so neatly. Perhaps I will be making soft leather journals—but we’ll see!”

Meet Emma and all the other 40 artists October 17 and 18 from 11am to 5pm during the Washington County Open Studios tour.  Get a FREE tour map and information online at www.washcoart.org

Weird and Wonderful Makes Great Art.

Annie Salness at work

Our 2015 Washington County Open Studios Tour artists are a diverse group of creative minds.  So, it’s not surprising that some of our artists create with some very weird materials. 

Here’s a little peek into some of the weird and wonderful materials our artists use in their art.

Both Amanda Houston, pastel artist and Susan Gallacher-Turner, ceramic artist are using copper in creative ways in their work.

 

Amanda Houston

Amanda explains how pastels and copper work together.  “With a love for copper and copper sculpture I tried using Copper as my surface ground to work on and spent about a year perfect a technique to get the pastel to stick to the copper. Pastel on copper is unique to me and I now produce about 30% of all my work on copper.  I also work on a variety of pastel papers and paint in the traditional format of oil on canvas.”

Susan Gallacher-Turner, porcelain mask

Susan weaves copper back into her work. “I love mixing media.  Over the years, I’ve worked in watercolor, acrylic, oils, pastel, copper sheeting, window screening, beads, fabric and now, porcelain.  I always think I’m done with a media and have moved only to have it creep back into my work.  Right now, I use leaves in my clay and add copper wire and window screening to my masks.”

Jo Reimer and Annie Salness creatively mix in vintage and salvaged pieces into their mixed media work and paintings.

 

Jo Reimer's studio

 Jo explains, ”I also use vintage office paper, old letter, notes and lists, my uncle’s old sheet music and 1918 collage yearbook as well as a few bits of commercial paper from the art store.”

“I like the roughness and unpredictability of salvaged wood,” says Annie Salness.  “ It’s a catalyst giving me variety in my mixed media work.”

These are just a few of the weird and wonderful ways to create that you’ll get to see on this year’s tour.  It’s October 17 and 18^th from 11 am to 5 pm and it’s FREE.  You can find a tour map and information on all of our 41 artists online at www.washcoart.org

What Inspires the Art in our Artists?

Creating art is a mysterious process even to artists.  No matter whether it’s clay, painting, mosaics or drawing, how artists find their way to making art is a unique and individual path.

Here, a few of our 2015 tour artists talk about what inspires their work.

For some artists, the materials they use spark their art.

Angel Neiwert

“I love the process of transforming the clay into hand-coiled and slab-built sculptures as well as throwing on the wheel,” says Angela Neiwert, clay artist.  “ I am always in awe regarding the versatility of clay and its endless possibilities continually excite me and challenge me as an artist.”

Helvi Smith

Painter, Helvi Smith says, “I LOVE a blank canvas.  I may or may not have an idea when I set a canvas on my work table - but it does not stay blank for long.   I use squeeze bottles filled with acrylic house paint to put paint on canvas.  Or brushes.  Or fingers.  Or spatulas.    I am fortunate that I never have "Painters Block."   I love to paint and ideas flow as easily as the paint for me.”  

For others, inspiration comes from natural life and, sometimes death.

 

Emma Weber

For Emma Weber, it’s where she lives, in Washington County.  “As a primarily nature-inspired artist, the ease of stepping out your door and finding farmlands, mountains, forests, beaches, and wildlife that one has living in Washington County is an important muse for my work.”

 

Lynn Adamo

Lynn Adamo, mosaic artist, says “My initial inspiration comes from the natural world and decay of the man-made built world. I take photos of things that interest me wherever I go, and keep these ideas in mind when it comes to starting new piece.”