Sylvie Rosenthal, Artist

June 2009 | BY Sara Baker | Issue 68, October 2009 | 1 COMMENT

: “A Deep Well” by Sylvie Rosenthal.

Sylvie Rosenthal’s current work is a hybrid of furniture and sculpture, incorporating kinetic elements. Sound complicated? It’s not. With warm woods, smooth lines, traditional woodworking techniques and human-powered mechanics, Rosenthal is able to combine function, style and humor in one clean package.

Her “Birdie Suite” is a dressing table “used by one person, met morning and night, to tell tales of the day, both mistakes and joys,” says Rosenthal. A kinetic bird acts as reinforcement. Want to know if you are wearing the right earrings? Turn the crank, and the bird nods yes.

In addition to working as a full-time artist, Rosenthal teaches classes at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center, the Penland School of Crafts and the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts.The daughter of an artist, she grew up attending openings,museums and galleries, so making art for a living “always seemed like a realistic option.”

“I want to make striking work that people want to live with, and push the boundaries of woodworking as a sculptural medium,” says the Asheville, N.C., artist. Her work ranges from $1,800 to $12,000, and is available at Blue Spiral 1 in Asheville and the Penland Gallery in Penland,N.C.

Mirjam Seeger, Artist

June 2009 | BY Sara Baker | Issue 68, October 2009 | NO COMMENTS

: “Fish III” glass tapestry by Mirjam Seeger.

Mirjam Seeger turns an ancient ecclesiastical tradition—the stained glass window—into an updated, if not divine, new form that could easily find a place in any contemporary home. She spent years creating church windows for a stained glass company before growing weary of executing clients’ wishes instead of exploring her own. In 2004 she opened her own studio to work on perfecting her unique “glass tapestry” technique.

The glass in her finished pieces appears to be floating in air, because of the absence of lead lines used to connect glass elements in traditional stained glass windows. She begins with a design on paper, which she translates into individual glass puzzle pieces of different colors. These cut pieces are painted with black paint, fired, then attached to a metal grid.The end result is clean, colorful and contemporary.

The Elkins Park, Pa., artist, originally from Switzerland, partly credits an art teacher at the City College of San Francisco with what she calls her increasingly honest work. He “used to tear up my drawings, until I was able to loosen up and draw ‘from the gut,’ ” she says. “He pushed me the furthest.” Her work, which ranges from $1,500 to $4,000, is available through commission. Visit www.seegerglassart.com to learn more.

Kathy Jones, Artist

June 2009 | BY Sara Baker | Issue 68, October 2009 | NO COMMENTS

: “Another Day” oil on canvas by Kathy Jones.

Anything can happen in an art studio,” says contemporary figurative artist Kathy Jones.“Walking in, I have this great sense of possibility.” Her relationship with paint is all about the senses—its colors, textures and smells are what really excite her. And although it’s been a lifelong passion, Jones didn’t devote herself to painting full time until 2000, when she left her job as a college administrator and opened a studio.

Jones feels a strong connection to the figures she paints. “I tell clients that having a painting of mine should be like having a good friend in their house, someone they really want to see when they get up in the morning,” she says. Manipulating oil paint with both brush and knife, she begins by creating masses of light and dark on the canvas, then lets the abstract figures emerge.

The Laguna Beach, Calif., artist overcame the “stage fright” of exposing her work to the public at the annual Festival of Arts; this summer will mark her 10th year there. Her paintings are also available at several galleries, including the Sarah Bain Gallery in Anaheim, Calif., Artizen Fine Arts in Dallas, Texas, and Lagerquist Gallery in Atlanta, Ga.They range from $575 for her small paintings to $5,200 for her large pieces.

Eric Silva, Artist

June 2009 | BY Sara Baker | Issue 68, October 2009 | 1 COMMENT

: “Titanium Bracelet” by Eric Silva, made of titanium, antler, sterling silver and rubies.

What is it about jewelry that appeals to Eric Silva? “I like the scale, the problem solving it involves, and the mechanics,” he says. What is it about Silva’s jewelry that appeals to so many others? It could be the unique use of materials. He carves bone, antler or fossilized ivory, then dyes it with a blend of natural herbs, teas and coffee.

Silva says he likes to keep things simple, combining the natural bone and ivory elements with sterling silver and semi-precious stones. “My jewelry is about self-examination, revealing pieces of myself through artistic creations,” says the Whittier, Calif., artist.

A professional artist for nine years, Silva is making a name for himself with a number of recent awards, including the Exhibitors’ Choice Silver Award at the 2008 Smithsonian Craft Show and the jewelry award of excellence and originality at the 2008 Ann Arbor Street Fair, the Original. His work ranges from $80 to $2,500, and is available at Velvet da Vinci gallery in San Francisco, Calif., the Bellevue Arts Museum Store in Bellevue, Wash., and Poppy in Columbia, Mo.

Eric Serritella, Ceramic Artist

June 2009 | BY Sara Baker | Issue 68, October 2009 | NO COMMENTS

: Trompe l’oeil ceramic “Sassy Birch Pitcher” by Eric Serritella.

Eric Serritella’s ceramic work playfully toes the line between realism and whim. The trompe l’oeil pieces in his Birch Series look so much like the real deal that you must touch them to be convinced they aren’t wood. Yet Serritella admits he’s “taken artistic license to give them personality.”

The series debuted at the 2008 Smithsonian Craft Show, where Serritella was given the Exhibitors’ Choice Bronze Award. Just seven years into his career as a full-time ceramic artist, he was also named a 2009 NICHE Award finalist at the Buyers Market of American Craft in Philadelphia, and will be represented for the first time at SOFA Chicago in November.

Serritella takes great pride in the human characteristics of his teapots and vessels. “The birch bark fits like clothing, or even skin,” he says. “Most of these pieces carry a definite air of attitude.” From his Newfield, N.Y., studio, the former marketing firm vice president handcarves and alters his wheelthrown or hand-built forms to mimic nature. His work, ranging from $800 to $6,000, is available at galleries including del Mano Gallery in Los Angeles, Calif., Grand Bohemian Gallery in Asheville, N.C., and Sherwood Gallery in Laguna Beach, Calif.

Eric Knoche, Artist

June 2009 | BY Sara Baker | Issue 68, October 2009 | NO COMMENTS

: A wood-fired ceramic vessel by Eric Knoche.

There is much more to Eric Knoche’s work than what initially meets the eye. His ceramic vessels are abstracts of human figures, bones, houses or even machine parts. Each piece is hand-built using coils or slabs, and then wood-fired.“Wood-fired surfaces have a unique ability to reveal themselves to a viewer over time,” says the Asheville, N.C., artist.

“Clay is very sensitive to the way it is touched,” says Knoche.“Even if I show someone exactly how I make something, the way they touch the clay will be different, and therefore the final piece will be different.” As a result, he keeps no secrets when he’s teaching workshops.

Knoche began his career as a professional artist just three years ago, after working as an English teacher in India and Thailand. He is experimenting with a new series of large, human-size vessels and a series of interactive ceramic puzzle sculptures.

Knoche’s work sells for $90 to $9,000. It is available at galleries including Blue Spiral 1 in Asheville, N.C., Anderson O’Brien Fine Art in Omaha, Neb., and Crimson Laurel Gallery in Bakersville, N.C.

Chad Holliday, Artist

June 2009 | BY Sara Baker | Issue 68, October 2009 | 1 COMMENT

: Radiant Periphery (Incised Amber Cathedral)” by Chad Holliday.

Chad Holliday is a glass artist by trade and a globetrotter by chance. After receiving his master’s degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, he took up a residency at the Grand Crystal Museum in Taiwan. Then it was off to Seattle, Wash., to study under master Martin Blank and work as a studio technician for Dale Chihuly. Earlier this year, he researched glass techniques in the Czech Republic through the Fulbright Fellowship Program, finding particular inspiration in the area’s historical cathedrals and architecture.

Holliday is now living in Canyon,Texas, teaching glass and ceramics at West Texas A&M University and creating new work. His techniques vary; he’s willing to try “whatever it takes to accomplish the work,” although he does have a particular affinity for cold sculpting. Circular forms are an important part of Holliday’s current work. Representing the earth, the heavens, life and relationships, they are divided and reassembled to symbolize unity.

“Martin Blank reminded me of what beauty is about while we worked together,” says Holliday.“I am just trying to bring a little more beauty to the world.” His work, which ranges from $3,000 to $6,000, can be found at galleries nationwide, including Jane Sauer Gallery in Santa Fe, N.M., Morgan Contemporary Glass Gallery in Pittsburgh, Pa., and Prism Contemporary Glass in Chicago, Ill.

Arts Travel: Shuffle the Deck

June 2009 | BY admin | Issue 68, October 2009 | NO COMMENTS

Planning a trip to the Northwest? Don’t leave without 52 Weekends in Seattle or 52 Weekends in Oregon (WestWinds Press, $12.95) card decks—colorful, easy-to-transport guides that describe affordable, art-filled weekends.

The Seattle deck includes well-known favorites like Pike Place Market and the Space Needle, but it also features parks, gardens and museums such as Olympic Sculpture Park and the Seattle Art Museum. Lesser-known points of interest include the Snoqualmie Falls and Winery Tour.

The Portland, Ore., deck is oriented toward outdoor activities with numerous parks, lakes and natural wonders to explore. Surprise highlights are the Portland Classical Chinese Garden, the Underground Walking Tour and Vineyards of Willamette Valley.

Both card decks feature stunning photography. Each card provides directions, and refers you to more cards detailing other activities close by.

Arts Travel: New Sculpture Park in Des Moines

June 2009 | BY Christine Kloostra | Issue 68, October 2009 | NO COMMENTS

The Des Moines Art Center is using an unprecedented gift of 24 large-scale sculptures to establish a 4.4-acre sculpture park in the heart of the city.

John and Mary Pappajohn made an initial gift of 16 sculptures to establish the park, including works by Louise Bourgeois, Richard Serra and Anthony Caro. A second gift of eight works—including pieces by Sol LeWitt, Tony Smith, Gary Hume and a new commission by Deborah Butterfield—was also made by the couple, bringing the total value of the donated works to $34 million.

The John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park, a joint project of the Art Center and the City of Des Moines, is scheduled to open in August in the city’s Western Gateway Park.

Andrew Myers, Artist

June 2009 | BY Sara Baker | Issue 68, October 2009 | NO COMMENTS

: “In Case of Emergency” by Andrew Myers.

Andrew Myers’ figurative sculptures may be cast in cold stainless steel or bronze, but they reflect myriad human emotions— forgiveness, insecurities, the need for acceptance. Inspirations range from the seemingly mundane to pivotal realizations in his life. Studying the beauty of a fire extinguisher one night inspired him to create “In Case of Emergency,” in which a man wields a hammer capable of breaking the glass compartment that holds his heart. A good friend going through a hard time is depicted in “Parts of Me Still Shine.” Bits of gold leaf accenting the bronze bust reflect his shining parts, even at his worst.

The Laguna Beach, Calif., resident has been an artist since 2002. In addition to his sculptural pieces, he also has a series of two-dimensional art that mingles charcoal, pigments, paint and wood finishes on layers of paper. “My work changes every year,” Myers says. “Being stagnant is one of my fears, so I choose to push myself in new directions.”

His work, ranging from $3,000 to $15,000, will be shown this summer at Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach and the Sausalito Art Festival in Sausalito, Calif.

Aspire, Inspire, Create

June 2009 | BY Sara Baker | Issue 68, October 2009 | NO COMMENTS

: Eric Silva’s “Antler Three” necklace incorporates sterling silver and coral.

Artists are their own biggest advocates, and their own worst critics. This is AmericanStyle’s fourth year celebrating the newest and brightest emerging artists in the business, and the competition keeps getting stiffer. It’s no longer enough to produce original, breathtaking work, although that certainly is an accomplishment in itself. These eight artists are also constantly reinventing themselves, striving to push their work to the next level or daring to explore a new medium altogether.

Jewelry artist Eric Silva says his biggest challenge is “to approach my work like it’s brand new. To be suspicious of myself keeps me honest.” Each of our featured artists has been in the studio for less than a decade, so you may wonder how much regrouping and reviving an artist can do in such a short period of time. Plenty. Andrew Myers has become known for his bronze sculptures, and is now exploring a new series of portraits in relief, using screws. Ceramic artist Eric Serritella left a very successful production line to create an even more successful series of trompe l’oeil vessels that mimic birch wood. Mirjam Seeger used her knowledge of stained glass to create a new, modern technique she calls “glass tapestry.”

Whether working in wood, metal, clay, paint or glass, what each of these artists has in common is that they are never satisfied, no matter what prestigious show they are accepted into, or what award they receive. Their inner drive keeps them constantly moving forward. Click on the links below if you’re up for the ride.