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Steven Summerville
Virginia’s Dream Pottery I have been in love with clay since I was 10 years old, and became a production potter in 1976. During the past 9 years, I have aggressively explored color, form, and the limits of my imagination. My designs have evolved from abstractions and bits of pattern I have seen and loved, including wallpaper patterns and others that I have seen in nature. Some of these are incorporated into my ‘dancing series,’ which features functional pots with 3 or 4 legs fashioned to imply motion. As I develop artistically, my goal is to find new ways to expand my vocabulary of functional design and beauty. Larry Smith In the last quarter of a century, Larry Smith has held multiple titles, Husband, Father, Teacher, Creative Director & President (for the Atlanta-based advertising agency he founded more than 20 years ago – Larry Smith & Associates), to name a few. But the title he’s held the longest with which he must have been born: Artist. Larry earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Design from Auburn University. While in school, he enrolled in every painting course the university offered. Painting was his dream. Painting had become Larry’s passion. As is true with all artists, dreams and passion never die… they just hibernate. After seeing all three of his kids and company grow to become self-sufficient, the artist awoke, and the painting recommenced. For nearly a decade now, Larry’s attention has focused on his earliest instinct: To paint. His work has appeared in museums, galleries and art shows since 2003. “I work with oil on canvas. I use colors that are bright with unusual, playful movement. I see things within color. Colors have movement and energy. I have been strongly influenced by the work of the Impressions especially Vincent Van Gogh, Cezanne and Monet.” Larry’s always looking for interesting subjects to paint. He keeps his camera nearby in case he needs to capture a surprising landscape, still life or people study. Most of his paintings are painted in the studio. Larry’s painting process begins by completely covering a stretched, gesso-coated, linen canvas with another coat of gesso. He then rubs in a mixture of Gamblin Refined Linseed Oil and Winsor & Newton Raw Umber Oil Paint to tone the background to a soft brown. Winsor & Newton oils are his paints of choice. He uses Liquin impasto to give the paint more body and to help with the drying time. Larry prefers to use a variety of Silver Ruby Satin filbert brushes (numbers 1 through 6), but sometimes will apply paint using a palette knife. He likes to paint wet on wet. And strives to complete 90% of the painting in one extended sitting. Back to top Arleen & Michael Parker (Serendipity Studio & Gallery) – We work as a team in the design and creation of original stained glass jewelry. Because of its uniqueness, each piece of Serendipity jewelry has its own magic and appeal. The process begins with the selection and cutting of the stained glass by visualizing the movement within the glass to coordinate size and design. Each piece of glass is then ground and formed on a wet diamond-headed grinder into its final form. The glass is then individually copper foiled (Tiffany Method) and placed in the design area. Some pieces feature handcrafted fused dichroic glass to enhance their beauty. Fused cabochons are prepared by cutting and designing the glass prior to placing it in our kiln for multiple firings. Once the design of the piece is completed, it is silver soldered using a decorative solder technique developed by the artist. Upon completion, certain pieces are featured with glass beads handmade by the artists. Dawn Kinney Martin When I look outdoors, I see energy and movement. The organic nature of a landscape paired with the quick pace of painting with acrylics, allows me to translate that energy onto the canvas. Using the blade of the palate knife, I layer obstacles on the painting surface and then unify them with color. The real challenge lies in keeping the colors vivid and lively, while retaining overall harmony. In 2005, I took an artist retreat in the mountains of North Georgia. I spent the week riding my bike and photographing the breathtaking views. I began to notice that as I looked at my photos, that they did not capture the beauty or the emotional impact of the waterfalls, the country homes, nor the mountains. At that point, I decided to work from black and white photos. I wanted to see if I could depict the scene in a realistic composition while capturing the emotional response with my aggressive palate. Godwin Kou Godwin Kou is a well-known Atlanta based Chinese artist. In this earlier years, Godwin studied with Professor Wu, a renowned artist in south China, and diligently studied traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy. In 1985, his artworks were first shown in an exhibition held by Maco Museum. In 1986, Godwin moved to The United States. He became one of the members of Community Committee of Atlanta High Museum of Art for two years as well as one of the founders of Chinese-American Art Association of Atlanta. In 1989, his art was selected as part of an exhibition entitled “Today’s Famous Chinese Artists” to represent Taiwan on a tour throughout the United States, Canada, and South Africa. In 2004, his artworks were exhibited in the Taichong Culture and Art center in Taiwan. In 2005, The International Association of Chinese Art and culture in China selected him as “The Outstanding Chinese Artist”. In 2006, The Chinese Art and Culture Association in China selected him as “The Outstanding Chinese Artist”. In recent years, several universities, companies, and other various organizations to reach and give demonstrations on both Chinese brush painting and calligraphy have invited him. Included in the list are: Emory University, Georgia Power, the Atlanta Chinese Culture Center and the Atlanta Chinese Lion Club. Godwin Kou also participates in various arts shows. He paints Chinese brush paintings (Chinese watercolor) and calligraphy and his artworks are a favorite amongst the crowds. Back to top Lois DeMontegre I have been involved with the arts for most of my life. Working as a high school art teacher, I was able to stay in touch with the art world, work on my paintings, and occasionally exhibit; but have just recently pursued painting as a fulltime career. During my teaching career, I taught high school and AP art overseas in South Korea and Venezuela, working with a diversity of international students. My painting style often reflects the influences of these two countries as well as my visits to many others. Because they are so portable, I began painting with watercolors exclusively during the time we were overseas. Since focusing on this medium, I have come to realize its great potential. Watercolor styles and techniques vary greatly around the world and I have had the opportunity to experiment and implement various methods into my work. I do use transparent watercolors, primarily; but sometimes incorporate pastels, gouache, ink, pencil or collage. To achieve the vivid color that I prefer, I usually build up glazes, working from warm colors to cool colors, because of the luminescent quality this creates. When we lived in Venezuela, I was struck by the vivid blue sky and the way the palm trees seemed to glow in the bright sunlight. This technique is the only way to capture that brilliance. I also use it to create the opalescent quality found in some flowers. Another technique that I enjoy using is wet-in-wet. This technique creates vivid, sometimes startling combinations of color. I love the pureness of the colors when they are not mixed on the palette but are allowed to flow together on the surface of the paper. I use it to create atmosphere. There are many other techniques that I employ, but almost every painting in based on one of the above methods. Back to top Jorge Bragg Contrasts and interest in nature, life’s spiritual journey and meditation are the inspiration for the original concepts of this series of work. First through a succession of pencil sketches and prismacolor/marker drawings, designs are nurtured and developed. Color, composition and placement of the many pieces, parts and layers plus the expectancy of each firing are explored and decided upon at this point. Each piece and layer of glass is entirely and precisely cut by hand without use of a power saw. Domestic fusible sheet glass is used extensively. In addition, dichroic glass is utilized to ideally complement and accentuate the main subject of the composition. Up to five layers of glass are assembled and literally fused together to become one – simultaneously generating visual and tactile interest. The works are fired and carefully annealed at least twice in one of two of the studio’s Evenheat GTS 2541 oval glass kilns. A smooth, shiny background is created in the first firing via a “full fuse”. A second firing fuses the textured segments to the original background creating the play of tactile contrast between the two. Sandblasting adds a final touch of subtle, satiny qualities. All parts once separate coming together to become one compositionally as well as physically. David Atwood – My medium is glass – fused glass. Art pieces are assembled in various layers and color combinations using fusible art glass. After the overall pattern and coloration is achieved, art pieces are fired in kilns up to 1500 degrees for varying time periods. This collage comes out of the kiln as a flat form measuring from 3”x3” up to 12”x12”. The piece is next fired in the kiln again over stainless steel and ceramic mold forms at a temperature of 1300 degrees. The glass slumps into the shape of the mold to produce vases, plates, bowls, etc. Each piece is totally unique, never to be repeated again. The majority of glass is from the “Spectrum 96” fusion category. Nancy Bellamy – Nancy Bellamy’s jewelry creations began about 5 years ago. Her favorite designs involve wire work combined with gemstones and handmade lampwork beads. She offers many styles varying from conservative to abstract. There’s always something for everyone. Her goal is to create a wide range of jewelry that will bring the owner pride and joy. Craig Brabson – I exclusively use traditional film and photographic paper because the emulsion-based mediums produce an accurate and archival representation of my original subject. My art is an expression of a diverse vision, fused with compositional elements within a subject that taps into new creative horizons, human emotion, and an innate sense of creativity. It is in the experience of a moment that is at the core of my art. My photographs are made from my original film. I exclusively use film and archival photographic paper in a traditional and non-manipulated process. During printing I do not crop, dodge or burn so as to maintain a purity in the reality of my subjects. Daphne Covington – Since 2000, completely self-taught, I consider myself a mixed-media painter. My preferred mediums are oils, acrylics, chalks, and pen & ink. Most of my paintings are supported by large and mid-size canvases, wood and paper. Right from the start, I build many complex layers that support my abstract and playful designs. My favorite subjects are faces and shapes which represent buildings and flowers specific to their space within the painting. My influences come from artists such as Picasso, Chagall, Matisse, and Kandinsky. Penelope DiMaio – My medium is exclusively oil, but it might end up on canvas, panels or anything I can find that might hold paint. The techniques are also different each time I step up to a canvas – impressionistic, abstract, palette knife – however the day strikes me. My canvases are usually finished with a varnish for extra vibrancy and protection. My prints are digital reproductions on archival, acid-free paper. They are in limited editions of 50. Yelena Efremova – I like to work using several different techniques. Reticulation: reticulation produces lovely textured surfaces that appear very “natural” and can be controlled to produce specific patterns with practice. It provides textured sheet metal that can be used as a component part of an object. Reticulation works best when you have a lower melting core and higher melting exterior, then you heat it to the point the core starts to be mobile and the pressure of the torch flame across the surface which causes the exterior shell to buckle and move. Strawsilver: molten silver or gold is poured out into containers filled with natural straw and equipped with special rings and trenches. The straw burns out, but as the metal cools down it borrows all the unique forms from the straw, merging into nuggets of peculiar and irreproducible forms. Occasionally these nuggets join each other, and when supplemented by natural precious and semiprecious stones, create and excellent basis for beautiful jewelry, organic in every sense of the word. Oxidizing: I use special chemical preparation to achieve controlled coloring effects, a sulfur solution for turning silver into a grayish-black color. Oxidized pieces can be lightly polished to highlight the raised areas or left as they are. Fusion: fusion of metals is the precise application of heat to relax the surface bonds just enough to allow two surfaces to flow together and bond. Fusion of metals and artist add depth and texture to accent the shape and style of unique pieces of jewelry. Evette V. Everett – I've been creating jewelry for over 18 years. My education consists of jewelry and art classes I have taken since 1989 and continue now as I continue to grow. My work is the integration of ceramic and glass elements I create by hand, (fused and torch work glass and hand formed ceramics, usually Raku-fired) with beads and objects I consider beautiful, energetic and spiritually complimentary to my own. I give God all the credit for the gift of anything I create through his spirit that lives in me. No kits or patterns are used in my work. I begin with a foundation of elements that I "see" together. Once I lay out these focal beads I look at them over a period of time before I begin working. Once I have visualized a design in my head, I start to assemble. I allow my pieces to form into what naturally evolves. Please visit my website for more information: www.e2designs.bigstep.com Robbie Gentry – Robbie Gentry found her love for glass in 1998 with stained glass and progressed to lampwork beads. Now only making beads, she believes she has captured a market where fashion and style collide with trendy designs and color to accessorize a woman’s wardrobe. These eye-catching embellishments always bring attention to the wearer. Peter and Stephanie Haddow – Peter and Stephanie are influenced by many art movements including art deco, cubism, and also by traditional Mexican stone carving, Shona stone sculpture, and Inuit art. Stephanie has always been drawn to three dimensional work. For many years she made angels and santas from wood, fabric, and paper mache. Stephanie finds stone sculpture more challenging: “The reductive method leaves very little margin for error.” Peter was born in Zimbabwe and has an ongoing love of African art. He took art classes all through high school. In fact, he still uses some of the hand tool techniques learned from the talented Zimbabwean stone sculptors. Lilliana Italiano – In her paintings and ceramic works, she plays with organic shapes and turns them into a question mark. Nothing is quiet in her work; no absolute affirmatives are allowed. The observer is observed at one and the same time. She wants viewers of her art to explore deeper, get there, and cope with some socio-cultural issues. Burt Jones – I am a self-taught silversmith. I hand fabricate, solder, grind, buff and polish each piece of sterling silver jewelry that I display. There are many steps involved in every piece and I perform all of them. This includes collecting and setting all stones and creating color combinations of my choice. I mainly use fine silver and sterling silver, but I also make some pieces with 14 ct gold fil. In my jewelry, I focus on natural crystal formations of gems, such as aquamarine, amethyst, tourmaline and kyanite. I also enjoy working with facet and cabochon cut natural gem stones and minerals. I have been collecting my crystals and gems for over twenty years and am proud to say that I am able to offer people a wide variety of one-of-a-kind pieces. I also create pendants and earrings out of timeless treasures such as sharks teeth and authentic arrowheads. I keep my creations simple with respect and appreciation for the natural gem stones and their creator, the earth. Jerry Lee Kirk – My art is expressionistic in style, with my own particular emphasis being on “Narrative Expressionism”. This means that my art is based on a literary perspective in which I often derive ideas from my own writing and I sometimes include statements, words and poems in the work as both an aesthetic elements and as a device to lure viewers in closer. My work is about conveying ideas, social and political concerns and seeking to connect with the viewer through understanding or emotion. Smadar Livine – Her artwork is an unusual technique of fiber composition and fiber sculptures. Her paintings, inspired by the classic teachings of the Jewish spirituality, reflect exquisite artwork on major themes of Jewish Mysticism, Kabbalah, and Hasidism. In her magnificent work of art, Smadar captures in great depth the esoteric spirit of the Kabbalistic Divine Presence, the Shekhinah. Her artistic work in the symbolism of Kabbalah represents a sensitive and exceptional talent, and it is therefore a timely accomplishment in Jewish art. Salomon M’BALA – The Threading Art is a unique traditional art form that I learned for 3 years in West Africa where I am from. I complete each piece by hand. I don’t use any mechanical means whatsoever for this labor-intensive artwork. I first draw a composition on a thin leather backing, then I apply an adhesive resistant glue all over its surface. Once the glue has dried a little (approximately 3 minutes), I fasten painstakingly by hand the threads to the leather backing, bit-by-bit and one color at a time, starting with the outlines. I arrange the threads in rows that work around in a spiral and every so often change direction (clockwise), thereby creating facets and shadings that lend depth and vibrancy to the abstract. I use a pair of scissors to cut the threads off once I get to the edges. After filling a section in, I use with a bit of force a wood to roll over its surfaces several times in order to deeply bond the threads to the leather canvas. The contrasting flows of colorful silk threads greatly enhance the texture and mood of each dazzling design. Jim Miles – Jim crafts wood in almost any imaginable medium—furniture, buildings, boat-docks, woodcrafts and woodturning are all part of his thirty year pursuit of the art of woodworking. Miles enjoys the challenge of making creations of “segments”. These are small, precisely-cut individual pieces of wood that are then assembled into intricate designs in bowls and vases. One work may contain hundreds of segments. Discarded national treasures are given new life in the form of classical bowls, vases, and as timeless objects of art. Almost each piece of wood is obtained from a local source and comes with a story about its origin, just waiting to be told. Katie Pegher – Most recently, my work has evolved with an emphasis in silver and gold metal clay. A medium initially intended to be experimental, that has opened up new worlds in design for me. My roots in basic metalsmithing used only traditional fabrication methods. Now, I act as a sculptor in my jewelry design! This medium has allowed me to shape and texturize my work in ways I would never have thought possible! The jewelry I create is reflective of my fun-loving inner spirit. It seems throughout this journey as long as I continue to keep my eyes and heart open, joyful surprise continues to meet me around every experimental bend. I hope my work brings the same feel-good sense of adventure to the women who own it. Michelle Davis Petelinz – My inspiration springs from many sources, including African tribal motifs, masks, colors, patterns and symbols, contemporary art forms as well as objects in nature. I use these to turn everyday functional objects into objects of art. Media include: acrylic paint, pigment inks, rubber stamps, hand painted paste papers, polymer clay sculpture and metallic ink embossing. I incorporate these media to create wood shadow boxes, masks, mirrors, clocks, and treasure boxes. The design process involves exploring and researching textiles, African masks, Ghanaian Adinkra symbols, flower and leaf forms, as well as colors and patterns typical of African design. I then incorporate what I’ve observed by planning the design on paper, sometimes completing full color sketches, then drawing the selected motifs onto the object. I also use the centuries-old technique of paste paper making, and I recycle ordinary paper to create hand made papers which further embellish my work. Metallic, textured effects and embossing also add depth and interest to my versions of contemporary, multicultural home furnishings. I paint each piece by hand and I custom designed the large Adinkra symbol rubber stamps used in my work. My most sought-after pieces are the “Ancestress Series” shadow boxes which celebrate the beauty and power of women of color; a fusion of art, spirit and culture for the home. Alex Pietersen – After becoming dissatisfied with photorealism, Alex settled on black and white abstracts which emphasized the line and texture rather than complete views. Most of his black and white images are photographed with his Rolleiflex SL66 camera. In 1974 Alex immigrated to the United States where he continued to work in black and white. It was not until 1978 that he became interested in color photography. While experimenting in his studio, Alex discovered a method by which he could create startling color images with a three-dimensional appearance. He has been developing new ways to manipulate and control the technique ever since. It is important to note that Alex creates his images with only a 35mm Nikon camera in one approximately half-second exposure. Jonathan Poirier – The Swedish style of glass blowing demands the ability to execute technique without error, a respect for the precise nature of molten glass, and the vision to harmonize form and material to reveal the hidden, natural beauty of glass. Unrivaled in design and quality, glass blown in the Swedish style employs color and form to reveal the true, fluid beauty of the material. Gwendolyn E. Redfern – is a multi-talented artist expressing her talents in pottery, painting, and mixed media collages. Her pottery is known for its sleek designs, carvings, and spectacular glazes. With impeccable craftsmanship, style and design, Gwendolyn molds clay into fine art. Gwendolyn’s oil and watercolor paintings are vivid journeys to other dimensions. She forces her audiences to consider self and spirit and to question the influences of powers greater than our own. “My art represents my life experiences—hidden secrets of mine, experiences forgotten or wished forgotten. Experiences that move the soul so hard that they entice a warm smile or bring on laughter or evoke many tears.” Aaron Reed – Being a self-taught artist, I feel as though my artistic process is very unique and different. Everything I create is hand drawn using colored pencils on watercolor paper. I also tend to concentrate on creating pieces that show lots of feeling, inspiration, and texture that everyone can relate to. Laura Reese – My work consists of handbuilt, carved, porcelain tiles framed in wood. I start with a vision that is more like a glimpse of what a particular piece will look like when it’s completed. From there, the piece morphs throughout the creation process and evolves to reveal its final incarnation. I have always been drawn to collage. Magazine clippings and glue were my creative materials of choice for years. The ceramic medium brings a new dimension to traditional cut-and-paste collage. I love the graphic quality achieved by splicing photographs of clip art in an earthy, ceramic surface. I do this by creating my own decals in Photoshop and firing them into the glaze. Carrying the design through the adjacent tiles and carving them emphasizes the overall graphic effect. The final step in my process is framing the pieces in wood. I design the frames, carefully select the wood pieces, and stain or paint them. I connect the pieces with wood pegs, and the tile collage is connected to the frame with screws. I add wire on the back for hanging. The crackle paint effect is achieved by first painting an under layer, then painting a layer of diluted glue, and lastly, painting a topcoat. My work is easy to hang on a wall, very sturdy, and easy to clean. Jason Stoddard – To maintain the highest standards, I personally perform all the creative aspects involved in my work. Using jewelers soldering wire, I create unique pieces of jewelry implementing only needle nose pliers, there is no soldering or casting done. Every piece in my exhibit is done in 14kt gold, sterling silver, or 14kt gold-filled. I use precious and semiprecious stones from the most common gems to the most unusual finds in order to achieve a one-of-a-kind, contemporary design the client will treasure always. Jay Herbert West – Jay Herbert West has always admired gem quality opals. Their wide range of magnificent colors and the natural uniqueness of each stone attracted him. He has become an authority on opals, traveling to the mines in Australia, Africa, and Mexico to select individual stones. He handcrafts high quality jewelry, allowing the opal to guide his design with emphasis on the natural stone itself, accented by traditional gemstones. |
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Festival in the Park *
1409 East Boulevard * Charlotte, NC 28203 |
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