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BE PART OF IT.
Posted on | Monday, September 26, 2011 | No Comments
Imagine. A little over one year ago there wasn't an art gallery in Crawfordsville solely dedicated to bringing local artists together in unison, promoting and selling their artwork with the ability of watching them work within a studio atmosphere. C'ville didn't have a door to walk through that upon entering you were immersed in the visual artistry of local artists no matter where you turned. There wasn't a place you could visit as well as volunteer to learn more about our own local artists. Well there is a place in C'ville like that.
Right. Now.
Imagine. That art gallery no longer existing.
Really. Imagine.
I know if this gallery was gone, there would be a hole left in the community. As an artist, what an opportunity we have here. To be able to work in a studio and share and learn about the arts. To build relationships. To see outside regional artwork that this community would never have been exposed to before, showing in the special exhibit room.
As a person who appreciates the arts, what an opportunity to be able to ask questions to the very artist who created the piece of work that catches your eye. To collect an art piece and contribute to the community. To volunteer and learn about different mediums and creative processes.
Me? I would miss it. Tremendously.
So what's my point?
My point is to "BE PART OF IT." Be part of this awesome opportunity to grow, learn and support the arts. To help this gallery be a part of this community always - ever growing with new faces along-side the pioneers that originally made this gallery a reality.
How can you be a part of it? It only takes a visit. A visit to appreciate what is here. From there YOU can decide your next step in making this center a part of Crawfordsville for many years to come.
If you are an artist or simply appreciate the arts and you are not involved, don't miss this fantastic resource available to show your work or to simply volunteer, learn and grow.
visit: 113 North Washington St., Crawfordsville, IN email: athensartsgallery@att.net or call: 765.362.7455
- nc
The Way I Do Things
Posted on | Friday, September 16, 2011 | No Comments
“My thrift knows no bounds!!”
Thrift stores are where it’s at. (For everything) Plates, bowls, ceramic sculptures, statues, ashtrays, bolts, coasters, mirrors, basically anything that can be broken with a hammer, is fair game for me. I strongly believe that art has a different meaning and higher value (to myself anyway) if it is in some way made from something that has been discarded by another person. Eww!?! Trash you say? Well…yeah…kind of. You won’t find me diving in the dumpster, (most likely), but most of the boards I use are from left over, broken down furniture, or something my father (who is a carpenter) is throwing out. Left over scraps from the lumberyard, an old dresser I don’t want anymore and is beyond painting condition. Broken plates, busted knick-knacks, I’ve often called the supply stores in town for any cracked or broken floor tile. Creating something that is, in my mind’s eye, aesthetically pleasing from something that was previously ugly, beyond use, or no longer served its purpose is extremely satisfying…and cheap! Believe it or not, the term starving artist is here for a reason. (Could it be from spending too much of that hard earned cash on crap at Goodwill to just take home and break? Doubt it.) And telling the girl at the cash register that she doesn’t have to wrap that glass because, “I’m just going to take it home and break it,” is, I have to say, oh so fun.
When I shop I look for colors and patterns mostly, then a main focus for the piece. Next, LET THE SMASHING commence!! I use both randomly broken pieces as well as specifically cut pieces. Generally, I at least have a decent visual of what my mosaic will eventually look like. If I don’t have a certain plan, I use a color scheme instead, and see where it takes me. I incorporate circles in most of my mosaic pieces. I find the curves of the tile and glass all together in a pattern very pleasing to the eyes, but it gives the piece unity as well. Sometimes I sketch basic patterns, curves, or lines onto the board before I begin, sometimes I don’t. Beginning a piece with no guidelines or pre-conceived notion about what I want to do with it can be exciting and challenging. Unlike painting, where sketching your subject matter prior to getting the brushes out is almost a must, mosaics can just sort of take you where they want to go. Because random broken shapes are being placed closely together onto the board, the tile just sort of fits together like puzzle pieces. Playing with shapes or color Scrabble.
Patterns and symmetry are often my best friends.
Chaos and error are pals of mine too.
Grout. Sand. Seal.
The general feeling one gets while looking at one of my pieces is my ultimate destination. I want the viewer to have a strong emotional response, whether they are pleased, curious, amused, or disgusted, I want them to feel something.
Reach out and touch it, feel the rough, winding surfaces.
Look at your reflection in the mirror.
See how the light plays upon the gloss and color of the tile.
Smile.
S.
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Sasha Johnson is a studio artist at Athens of Indiana Arts Studios & Gallery
Stop in to see her work on the upper level of the gallery.