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"Garden Art" will have our gallery awash with blooms

5/15/2018

0 Comments

 
For “Garden Art” we put out a call looking for Commonwheel Artists Co-op is seeking submissions for artwork with either a garden theme or be work that could be placed in a garden. We got 26 applications and accepted work from 20 artists.
 
We asked these artists some questions to help you get to know them a little better. Below are their responses to these questions:
 
1) In a short paragraph, tell us about yourself (How did you get interested in art, your art work/medium of choice, etc.).
 
2) With your art, tell us about your process. Walk us through the steps achieve one of your pieces. (Please provide photo of yourself working on piece if available).
 
3) What is your favorite piece accepted for this event? Why? (Please provide a photograph of the specific piece you are referring to).
 
4) What has inspired you to apply for this show?
 
5) Where can we find your work: website, social media, local galleries.
 
 
 
 
Deb Bartos
I enjoyed painting as a child in school and won awards, scholarships, etc. I picked it up again as an adult after the death of a close friend as a way to reconnect to life and beauty. I had seen some beautiful art shows here in town and wanted to connect to the feeling they conveyed. Then once I started painting, it was compelling, and I knew I wanted to continue.
 
I usually paint outdoors on location (plein air) or rarely if not possible due to location or size, work to incorporate the same freshness in my work. The feeling of being in a place adds to the experience and I believe shows in the finished piece.
 
Hard to pick a favorite, because with each one I'm learning and pushing the envelope. I guess my favorite is because of the place and connection, poppies in Ernest Blumenschein's garden in Taos is a magical and historical place. The rest also have special memories of time and place as well.
 
I like the theme of garden art, and after a season of nature's winter palette, am always excited to be able to share beautiful bright colors of the garden. Gardens are a place of peace for me, and connection to the earth, our home.
 
My work can be found at my website www.DebBartos.com, my Facebook page Deb Bartos Fine Art, also Wooglin's Deli in Colorado Springs and the Sangre de Cristo Three Peaks Gift Shop in Pueblo, CO
Deborah Bartos:
Deborah Bartos: "Taos Garden (Ernest Blumenschein Garden)"
​Ben Bires
My grandmother was an artist and has been my inspiration to pursue art. At an early age. I began to appreciate nature as I was surrounded by her paintings of wildlife scenes that would cover her entire garage, basement and random objects around the house such as chairs and the refrigerator. Ever since a Geology professor took a group of students and I to the Badlands National Park in 2011, I have been fascinated with the way wind and water sculpts the land. I have worked with oils, watercolors and pencil drawings but recently have been enjoying the versatility of acrylics.
 
My process begins with a thick layer of color for the undertone. The blue sky comes next followed by a chalked-in red rock design. With a focus on the intense shadows, I mix deep purples for the darkest tone and gather a few shades of red. Using the gel medium retarder helps to slow down the drying process, which allows me to treat the paint like oils.
 
glad this one was chosen because it’s the first rock structure that makes you feel small on your drive into the park. As you approach South Gateway Rock, you realize how big these things are. 
 
I fell in love with the contrast between red rocks and blue skies after moving to Colorado Springs in 2016. I do love gardening, but since I live so close to Garden of the Gods, I feel the need to show my admiration for these remarkable formations. Taking walks through such vast open spaces motivates me to express my interpretation of the landscape.
 
www.BenBires.com
Facebook - @BenBiresArtwork
Instagram - @benbires37
Picture
Ben Bires painting process
Marsha CM Blasgen
My earliest memory of making art was illustrating and dictating a story at about 3 years old. I have worked as a commercial artist, designer, printmaker, landscape painter, scenic design and stage make-up artist. Also, I have been a public-school art teacher for a number of years. Now my main interest is painting.

Flowers are always a delight. I love looking at the blossoms in the morning sun, and I used photos for the acrylic paintings taken at that time. The two acrylic flower paintings are in-depth studies, more like portraits. Usually, I have a visual image in my head to launch my artwork from. This time, the two acrylics were painted as isolations of specific light against deep shadow. Colors were chosen as close to what I saw as I could translate into paint. Simplifying the composition and the content was important to me, allowing my focus to direct the audience’s focus more easily. The background was painted first, after the flowers were sketched in place in pencil. The flowers were then painted using the deeper saturated colors first. Lastly the edges are refined, and the brightest lit areas were finished.

The watercolor was painted when a Colorado spring frost hit my poppies at full bloom. I brought the poppies into the studio and just painted the character of the stems and their blooms quickly on dry watercolor paper After a quick, light pencil sketch of the shapes, I mixed the watercolors on pans, matching them to the real flowers. Then just painted the flowers.
 
Spring Dance is my favorite of the three in this exhibit. I saw them as dancing in the extremes of weather, their stems bending with the forces of warm sun and chilling frost. The fragile petals, so brilliant and fading quickly caused me to just paint and not think.
 
The theme is about one of my favorite things- plants. I like to exhibit in shows that celebrate living with and enjoying nature. Gardening has always been a part of my life, making this a fun exhibit to paint for.
 
Marshamillspaughblasgen.com
MarshaCMBlasgen (facebook); Marsha Blasgen, (facebook); Beausarts (instagram)
 
Picture
Marsha CM Blasgen's studio
Picture
Inspirational poppies
Marsha CM Blasgen:
Marsha CM Blasgen: "Posed Poppies"
Kristin Colvin
I have always loved art and starting painting full time a few years ago. I started with watercolors and loved to see the colors mixing on the paper. Acrylics and alcohol ink are newer mediums for me. Each have beautiful color combinations to explore.
 
After deciding on the subject for a watercolor painting, briefly sketch layout, then Misket areas to remain white or a solid border if a background wash is used. Botanical style flower paintings may need many layers to express the minute details of the flowers.
 
My favorite piece is the tulip botanical. They are my favorite flower, and this was my first painting of tulips.
 
I was inspired to enter this show because of my love of gardens and flowers. Flowers come in such happy colors. I am always amazed at the beauty of nature and am inspired to try to capture it.
 
Currently show year-round at Febra’s, 2532 W Colorado Ave., in Old Colorado City. Also do various craft shows each fall, email for list of shows klcartsandcrafts@gmail.com
Kristen Colvin:
Kristen Colvin: "Tulips"
Deb Hager
I have always loved playing in mud …and string mixing things as a child. I took pottery in college at Indiana University of PA., it was quite challenging to learn to center the pot on the wheel. Once I learned to center the clay I was hooked. I worked as a potter for Van Briggle for several years, where I learned to perfect my throwing skills. At Van Briggle we had several designs that included flower frogs and floral arranging. I loved the contrast of the ceramic vessel with the variety of clay colors.
 
I have developed my own Ikebana design. I enjoy the simplicity of the Ikebana floral arranging.
 
I throw each Ikebana on the wheel then Bisque fire each piece. I add the Dragonfly using a Bamboo brush, or each Ikebana is glazed in a solid color.
 
The Dragonfly pieces are my favorite, I like the combination of Dragonflies and Flowers.
 
www.claybynature.com

Deb Hager
Deb Hager "Dragonfly Ikebana"
m jo hart
Originally from St. Louis, I moved to Colorado in 2015 after receiving my MFA in Ceramics from Illinois State University. I have a B.A. in Visual Communications and have worked as an Art Director/Graphic Designer in the corporate sector, non-profit, and public/private design industries with over 38+ years. I consider myself both an artist and maker. I create highly decorative functional pottery along with sculptural work that primarily focuses on female issues.
 
During my time as a designer I sought out ways to create for myself and was reacquainted with clay, remembering the fun I had in the clay studio as an undergrad. For years I attended classes at a local pottery studio and began selling my work. Later in my life an opportunity to apply to graduate school presented itself and I fully immersed myself in a 3-year program where I discovered a passion for working with the figure in clay, primarily on female issues. Attending graduate school as an older student, I was confronted with many hurdles and I was presented with countless opportunity for evolving as an artist.
 
Today, I work as an artist/maker, leaving the corporate world in the dust and no longer having to be contained in a cubicle. Recently I began collaborating with my partner, combining his woodworking craft and my porcelain art. I teach workshops and private lessons in clay and other mediums and find the creative process at times more satisfying than the outcome. As a self-supporting artist my piggy bank is often not as full as it was, but I wouldn’t trade this life for anything.
 
Showing in “Garden Art” gives me an opportunity to stretch a little as an artist. I am making large ceramic flowers, birds and butterflies on metal stakes to place in the yard or display inside when the weather gets near freezing. Some are enlarged imitations of the real thing and others are fun imaginary creations. I have also collaborated with my partner in making the ceramic planters and he has made the colorful wood stands. They are bright, whimsical and something you won’t find at the garden store.
 
My ceramic work can be found at Commonwheel Artist Co-Op and I can be reached at my email address; hartattack@sbcglobal.net and my Instagram is @johartart.
m. jo hart plant stands
m. jo hart plant stands
Jennifer Hanson
I love the immediacy of the clay, the physical nature of the work, and the mind-body connection. I can go into the studio with a new idea and try it out right way.  Whether it’s a new throwing technique, a slab idea, or making beads, I can start working out the problems right away. The versatility of clay lets me express my various interests.  I have several running themes in my art that I explore.  I prefer to work in small series or batches, exploring the theme, then returning to it later when inspiration has struck again.  This keeps my work fresh and unique, and I always get a surprise when I open the kiln!
 
The pieces in this show were made with flowers from my garden.  I used a rolling pin to impress them into the clay.  I like to think of them as botanical prints.  I stain the flower imprint to make them stand out then fire them in a kiln.  I love the mica clay because it gives some flower "bling".
 
I like all the pieces created for this show.
 
The call for this show was directly related to the kind of pottery I like to make.
 
spinningstarstudio.com
fb and instagram: Spinning Star Studio
Green Horse Gallery
Colorado Fine Artworks
Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum
Cottonwood Center for the Arts
Jennifer Hanson: Floral Imprint
Jennifer Hanson: Floral Imprint
Christopher Hureau
I’ve been an artist all my life, and professionally for over 30 years as an Illustrator and Graphic Designer.  I was the Senior Illustrator at the Air Force Academy for 17 years until 2013 where I was able to use my traditional painting skills, as well as digital illustration and graphic design.  My greatest desire, however, was to devote my entire time to oil painting, especially landscapes and cityscapes.
  
My painting process is very methodical owing to my experience as a commercial illustrator.  At this time, I am strictly a studio artist, as the level of detail in my work requires extensive time.  I used photo reference, but my rule is that I only use photos that I take of places I experience first-hand.  My painting approach is traditional, first “blocking in” the canvas totally, then incrementally building up the detail.
 
One piece was accepted for this show, but I did enjoy painting the scene.  It’s a combination of nature and man-made subjects.
 
The garden theme was a good fit for some of my best pieces and it serves to introduce my work to the Commonwheel Gallery and their patrons.
 
My website is Hureau-art.com and my Facebook name is Christopher Hureau Art.  At this time, I have over a dozen original paintings in the Gold Hills Mesa Gallery.  Prints of my original art can be purchased through my website and can also be found at the Garden of the Gods Trading Post and the Air Force Academy Gift Shop.  I also exhibit works at numerous shows throughout the year.  Last year these included the Mueller State Park Show and the Florissant Fossil Beds National Park Show, as well as the Colorado College Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair.
Christopher Hureau:
Christopher Hureau: "Garden Bench"
Jacqueline Keller
I have been an artist my whole life. I am from Chicagoland where my grandmother, Florence Keller, was an artist, gave art lessons and let us kids have free reign of her studio. She most often painted watercolors outdoors in our yard, at lakes, and area forest preserves, and that is how I learned to paint. My day job is a librarian at the West Custer County Library in Westcliffe.
 
I have no steadfast rules for how I begin. Sometimes I start with ink, sometimes with paint. I got past any pencil sketching a long time ago and jump right in with ink and paint. I lay out the background and start to add the details. Each scene presents itself in its own way. My most comfortable scenario is painting outdoors, rural or urban landscapes and cityscapes - I like both.  I am most comfortable with plein air competitions when those come around, and I can squeeze them into my schedule.
 
The piece accepted for this show was done in the studio. Last fall I had a bumper crop of gorgeous Calendula, my kitchen was full of flower heads for oils and salves, and I could not resist painting it. 
 
Calendula was a larger piece than I usually do and sat unfinished all this time. I was inspired to finish it because of this show. Thanks for that. 
 
I currently have art at Greenstone Artworks, 110 Main Street, Westcliffe, CO 81252. I also regularly show at 3rd St. Gallery, 59000 N. Hwy 69, Westcliffe, CO 81252 and The Bell Tower, 201 E. 2nd St., Florence, CO 81226. I have a Facebook page - just me, Jacqueline Keller. 
Jacqueline Keller:
Jacqueline Keller: "Calendula"
Nina Kuberski
It all began in the backyard with a recipe book for mud pies when I was five years old.  I would bring home raw clay from dry river beds and let the book be my starting point for the most inedible mud pies you’ve ever seen.  Then there were doll lamp shades made from cupcake liners, spools, and pipe cleaners.  I’ve always had to keep my hands busy.
 
I work with window glass, fusible glass, fabric, yarn, wire, clay, most anything that is laying around in the studio.  The mushrooms are made from window glass or fusible glass attached to PVC.  The glass is cut to the proper diameter, decorated with glass powders and frit, then fired in the kiln just long enough to make everything stick together.  Then the mold is put into the kiln with the glass ready for draping.  It always seems like magic when opening the lid for the final time.
 
I hate to play favorites; the honey bee magnets are my current favorite.  Honey bees are important to our food supply and they make me smile.  The magnets will hold up at least 2 sheets of paper.
 
I’ve long known of the devoted customer base that Commonwheel has.  Hopefully the customers will come to love my varied artwork. 
Nina Kuberski: honeybee magnet
Nina Kuberski: honeybee magnet
Marta Lacombe
In my jewelry art I started using small objects that could be repurposed, using them as a central theme of my jewelry art. My husband, a native of Colorado Springs, is a lover of the wild, an avid hiker, and my best supplier of metal, scraps, pieces of wood, broken glass and aged rusted objects. He finds new possibilities everywhere he goes and brings home lots of things. It so happens that some pieces that my husband brings home are too large to hang on necks or ears!! So, I started making larger pieces experimenting with a lot of different media.
 
My pieces combine a variety of media, depending on the inspiration I find in the objects with which I start. I add glass beads, wire wrapping, other metal findings. The results are interesting and unique, and no two pieces are exactly the same. 
 
My favorite piece for this show is the Insulator Art – Blue in Blue. I had this painted piece of 2 by 4 for a long time sitting at a corner of my studio. I always like the color of it and the way it was peeling and aged. I love insulators – the thick glass, the slightly different shapes, the many colors and materials. My husband found in his grandpa’s many storages a box full of insulators. And in the box, a blue one the same tone as the piece of wood! From then it was easy! My inspiration came from the color and wanting to use the insulators as vases for small plants. I also used a piece of barb wire I had saved for a next piece of jewelry, but it was too large.

This show’s call for artists was published at the time when I had 2 pieces for my outside patio in the works – so I thought it was a “sign” and applied to the show.
 
I currently do not have any larger piece on my website or Etsy store; I have not been able to maintain a stock inventory!
Website – www.jewelrybymana.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jewelrybymana
Etsy store - https://www.etsy.com/shop/JewelrybyMana
Kuttlefish store - https://kuttlefish.com/shops/jewelrybymana

Marta Lacombe: Blue in Blue
Marta Lacombe: Blue in Blue
Susan Marion                
Art has been a natural and important part of who I am ever since I could hold a crayon.   Pretty early on, in high school, I felt a connection to watercolor, which has been my one and only medium for over 45 years. 
 
My representational work starts with photographs I take.  I look for unique moments when everyday objects or scenes are captured in just the right light and composition.   The “unforgiving” nature of watercolor (no do-overs!) means that I spend a lot of time planning the composition and thinking “ten steps ahead” before putting brush to paper.   Being self-taught, I take an intuitive approach to the painting process, rather than follow more traditional procedures.
 
My favorite piece in the “Garden Art” show is “Columbines”, because it has the most “movement”. Of all the paintings I’ve done of flowers, it reminds me the most of “dancing”, and somehow gives me a sense of having a “magical” quality that I love!

I was inspired to apply for this show in particular, because close-ups of flowers has been the primary focus of my work for the past two years.  Flowers are my “thing”.   I recently found this quote by Georgia O’Keefe: “I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty.”      
 
My work can be found online at peakradar.com (Visual Artists’ Profiles), and at themountainartists.org., and also will be exhibited at these locations:

May 1 – June 1, 2018
Art on the Mesa Gallery at Gold Hill Mesa, 142 South Raven Mine Dr., Colorado Springs, CO  80906
 
May 1 – July 1, 2018
The Gallery at Rampart Range Library, 218 E. Midland Ave., Woodland Park, CO  80863
 
May 12 – June 27, 2018
Colorado Watercolor Society State Watercolor Exhibition, 21c Library, Pikes Peak Library District, 1175 Chapel Hills Dr, Colorado Springs, CO  80920
 
May 29 - June 22, 2018
Palmer Lake Art Group “Color Splash” Show, Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts, 304 Hwy. 105, Palmer Lake, CO


July 1 – Aug 1, 2018
The Eichman Gallery at Park State Bank, 710 West US Hwy 24, Woodland Park, CO  80863
 
Aug. 4 – 5, 2018
Mountain Arts Festival, Woodland Park, CO  80863


Susan Marion:
Susan Marion: "Columbines"
Susan Marion in her studio
Susan Marion in her studio
Marla Sullivan
“As a child, I was preoccupied with drawing and dreaming. My dreamscapes have always been dominated by the wonder of shapes, something that remains a big part of my work.”
 
The paintings of Centennial artist Marla Sullivan, who studied with Milton Glaser at the School of Visual Arts in New York and later earned a BFA from Metropolitan State College of Denver, are a mix of representational and impressionistic techniques that convey an energy that is irrepressible. Her whimsical Universal Villages series is painted on cedar shake roof shingles. The long, narrow planks feature dynamic brushwork and incorporate decorative paper, tile, glass, and found objects.
 
“My Universal Villages series is my tribute to enchantment and color. I want my viewers to have fun with a piece, to feel lighter when they experience what I have created, and to reflect on all that is good in life. My art is reasonably priced, so collectors can enjoy a fun, original work of art in their home.”
 
MarlaSullivanArt.com

Marla Sullivan:
Marla Sullivan: "Bouquet"
​Susan Tormoen
My education is in philosophy, BA Lake Forest College. Early on when I was finishing my studies as a young mother I took a few art classes. For years I concentrated on watercolor but after moving from Wisconsin to Colorado I became enamored with pastel. It was then that spontaneity became characteristic of my style. The piece I entered is not a good example of my usual style. But I love color and the way it is possible with the stroke of a pastel stick. Recently I renewed my acquaintance with oil and the pallet knife is usually the instrument of choice.
 
I'm represented by the galleries: Fare Bella in Manitou and Boulder Street in Springs. And right now, am showing at the Hanson Gallery at Cottonwood. My work is on Fineartamerica, Artpal and Faso.
 
 Am a member of Colorado Spring Art Guild and a signature member of Pikes Peak Pastel Society.
Susan Tormoen:
Susan Tormoen: "Foxfire Gardens"
Joan Tucker
My name is Joan Tucker. I have lived in Colorado Springs for 21 years.   I have loved art all my life.  I started by painting ceramics and then tole painting. I am pretty much self-taught.  Nothing ever came naturally, but I love to paint. Art is my therapy. My inspiration comes from nature and travel pictures. I have found that I love painting old buildings in nature.   I prefer acrylic paints because it's easier to fix my mistakes.  I tried for this show to see if anyone else thought I could paint even a little.  I don't have any social media.
Joan Tucker:
Joan Tucker: "Hidden Cottage Garden"
Leti Wesolowski
I got interested in jewelry making by chance while trying to find something to fill my spare time. Back then I was going to college to get certified as architectural drafter and working full time. Still I found time to take a few art classes and practiced some basic jewelry techniques to adorn myself.
It didn’t take long for friends and coworkers to ask me to make special orders for them, so eventually I got busy making jewelry, I quit my full-time job and I started my own small business. 
 
Drawing and painting have come naturally since I was young. My father introduced me to oil painting when I was 11, and soon after gave me a camera that I took everywhere. My mom taught me knitting and crochet and I embroidered my cloths and made friendship bracelets. In my teen years I kept painting, and pencil drawing-- landscapes, pet portraits and Christmas cards for my family. I dabbed in many other crafts and participated at art shows and competitions.
 
Jewelry making has been a learning experience and quite an amazing journey these past 14 years. I had played with a variety of techniques, including silversmithing, but I always enjoyed wire wrapping the most. Today you can explore my collection, all one-of-a-kind and entirely made by me using mostly wire wrapping in silver, gold and copper, in combination with crochet, macramé, braiding, and metal forging techniques.
 
Although the design I made for this show uses wire, is not technically wire wrapping, it is more wire “twisting,” in which beads are attached and spaced twisting sections of wire and creating branches. This is one technique I played with long time ago and now I am discovering it again with fresh eyes. 


Each show brings the possibility to explore new ideas, so for the “Garden Art” show I wanted to bring a little bit of Mother Nature into my jewelry creating something resembling a blooming tree in Spring. For my favorite piece I picked golden pearls, seed beads, and crystals in a beige palette, and although simple and delicate, I tried to create an organic and flowing design. The pendant is as asymmetrical as a cherry branch tree would be, and the necklace is finished with soft silk thread spaced with gold beads and gold findings. You’ll find both the necklace and earrings are 3 dimensional, lightweight and a beautiful set to wear on any occasion.
 
Contact.
Website: www.dolcedeleti.com
Facebook: DolceDeLetiJewelry
Etsy: dolcedeleti
CW website
Leti Wesolowski
Leti Wesolowski
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Mandala--art in the round

3/19/2017

4 Comments

 
by Leti Wesolowski

We put out a call for mandala-related art and our local artists stepped up to the challenge. The “Mandala” show currently in our gallery is the result.

 
17 artists brought in mandala-related art from diverse points of views and inspiration—from patterns of nature, symbols from different cultures, colors, and the practice of centering and meditation.  The works explore multiple medias but all embody the concept of “mandala”: fused glass; watercolor; digital photography; bronze, silver, and copper; precious metal clays; mixed media; stained glass; laser-cut wood; hand stamped clay; polymer clay; engraved terracotta; vinyl records; color pencil drawings; and more.
 
We invite you to contemplate mandalas made by local artists and discover which one evokes feelings of peace, balance, unity and strength that resonate with you. Let them work their magic on your life and allow your mind to wander into the beauty of mandalas.
 
“Mandala” comes from a Sanskrit word that means “circle or disc”.
 
In art, mandala is often a symbolic pattern usually in the form of a circle within a square divided into four symmetric sections containing a unifying center from which geometric shapes and symbols radiate outwards.
 
“The mandala is an archetypal image whose occurrence is attested throughout the ages. It signifies the wholeness of the Self.” —Carl G. Jung, Memories, Dreams and Reflections
 
Embraced by many religions and cultures around the world, a mandala represents wholeness and the connection between inner self and outer reality.
 
“In Christianity, there are a number of sacred images and ritual invocations that use the circular shape to connect the spiritual realm with the earthly realm”, says figurative sculptor Marica Hefti. “The placement of divine beings, angelic figures, and holy personages at crucial positions within the circular (stained glass) windows (of Christian cathedrals) establishes the powerful storyline of Christian beliefs”.
Picture
Marica’s mandalas are hand sculpted and engraved terra cotta pieces. She hopes to express her fervent prayers for peace and harmony in our country through the visualization power of the mandala.


​Hindus were one of the first people to use mandalas as spiritual tools. Native Americans use mandalas as shields of good luck, prosperity, wealth and happiness. Buddhist monks create sand mandalas, a process that takes days to create, then sweep it and pour it into a river, to symbolize the never-ending cycle of life.

 
“A concept of new beginnings, forms of life itself” says Tracey Eastland when asked to explain what a mandala means to him.
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Tracey plays with constant movement, changing forms and vibrant colors to create his outstanding grids of polymer clay tiles, each one different from the next.

Mandala is used in spiritual practices as a focal point for meditation, self-awareness, and healing.

​For digital photographer Teri Rowan, a mandala is “meant to inspire meditation and introspection” or can be admired for just its beauty. 
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Teri was inspired by her deep connection with both the power and peace of the ocean, blending digitally images such as the tail of a mermaid and a butterfly in ultramarine blue, green and purple.

​Metalsmith Kathleen Krucoff thinks a mandala is “a beautiful symbol to convey positive messages of encouragement and support”.
 
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Inspired by sci-fi movies and her imagination, Kathleen fabricated her jewelry by soldering bronze organic shapes onto matte sterling silver backgrounds to keep it classic and simple.

​In art, mandala has become a generic term for any diagram, chart, or geometric pattern that represents the center of the universe, metaphysically or symbolically.

 
For Jewelry artist Connie Lorig, a mandala represents “a complex dance between unity and diversity, between the parts and the whole.” ​
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Connie has created jewelry pendants inspired by flowers. “For me, a flower is the paradigm of a mandala”.

 
For artist Sheila Hewlett, mandala means the continuity of life. 
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Sheila starts with a circle and a center, and follow her personal process after meditation.

 
Commonwheel artist Julia Wright takes pictures of nature during her hikes and then edit them on her computer to create hypnotic mandalas. ​
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Julia uses her abstract nature photos to create mandalas.
Designing a mandala is a unique personal experience in which the individual lets the creative mind to run free and find the symphony of shapes, colors and patterns to represent their unique sense of self and view of reality.
 
Sculptor m.jo hart says “mandalas represent the process and meditation involved in creating her work”, which is focused on women’s issues, unique stories and experiences. ​
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Her clay piece, a cube shaped mandala with five different sides, depicts intentional imperfections and cracks mirroring society and the diversity of women hopes, lives and experiences across the globe.
​
  
Mandalas can be created by individuals to symbolize their journeys through life, their state of mind or to tell their personal story.
 
Some of our artists got inspired by Celtic art, such as lampwork artists Jon Murray and Amanda Shotts who incorporate in their mandala barrettes “a circular pattern that has no beginning and no ending, signifying infinity of love!”
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Jon and Amanda used the Carrick Bend knot in their hair clips to show their Irish ancestry.

​Or Glass artist Sabine Wachs who “was drawn to the Celtic spiral mandalas used as symbols of the sun powering all life”. 
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Sabine’s spiral represents the growth of nature as well as our personal growth.

​Jeweler Mary Cowdery got inspired by the yin-yang symbol, repetition and balance. 
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Mary used a laser cutter to create her centerpiece, adding bead work and color.

​Artist Ray Jordan loves bright whimsical colors. His biggest inspiration is combining bright colors with his love of painting, drawing and cutting wood. 
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Ray starts with a raw cigar box, he draws the mandala, comes up with a color scheme, adds cut plywood pieces and applies the finishing touches to create his whimsical boxes full of color and life!


​Kendrick Cowdery has a strong desire to maintain peace in his life. His handmade mandala lamp is built on mat board using a laser cutter and colorful translucent paper. 
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Kendrick expresses the never ending circle of life with his colorful stencil-like mandala lamp.

​
Several artists took it as a chance to explore new themes and materials, such as mosaic artist Juanita Canzoneri who jumped at the opportunity to play with alcohol inks and raid her stash of stained glass. She found that, during the process, mos of her work reminded her of an art form from her childhood in eastern Pennsylvania.
Others worked in new themes with their primary media, such as potter Jennifer Hanson who creates mandalas on her clay dishes with different hand stamps. 
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Jennifer finds the infinity of nature as a never-ending circle.

​Or illustrator and mixed media artist Kelly Green who finds that vinyl albums automatically lend themselves to the mandala format.
 
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Kelly lets her full imagination express her deepest thoughts and social commentary on her mandalas.

​Creating a mandala can be an enriching personal experience. To draw a mandala, one starts by “drawing the circle, setting an intention, centering through a meditation, usually start at the “bindu” sacred center and follow inspiration that comes” explains Mandala instructor Anne Roe. She sees mandalas “as “windows to the soul”, sacred circles and opportunities for the soulful self to express authentically”.
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Anne explores states of being such as tranquility, balance, oneness and unity in her beautiful mandalas.
Sometimes mandalas are created to evoke feelings of peace and contentment on the observer.  Kathleen Krucoff, for example, wanted her pieces to “help the wearer feel empowered” focusing in tranquility and strength. Ray Jordan wanted to “bring a smile to the art viewer mind and make them think”.
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​Tips for Artists on Getting into Commonwheel Artists Co-op

8/30/2016

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by Juanita Canzoneri

Welcome to an ongoing blog about how to sell your artwork through Commonwheel Artists Co-op. This timely tip is brought to you by our annual Holiday Market.
 

Option 1—Holiday Market!

Submit work to for our Holiday Market jury. This year it will take place on September 12 and we are accepting samples of your actual work, along with the Jury Form and Jury Fee of $10 on September 10, 11, and 12 from 10 am to 6 pm daily.

Jury Forms and information are available at commonwheel.com/holiday-market.html .
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Front Range Open Studios Preview Event

7/12/2016

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Richard Pankratz
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Nancy Bonig
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Kathleen Krucoff
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Dan Rieple
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Jodie Bliss
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Frank and Ginny Maiolo
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Dennis and Kay Liggett
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Terre Christensen
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Milo Scott
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BarbaraZiek
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Claudia Dimidik
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John Haines--Clay N Colors
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Walt Moore--Clay N Colors
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Carolanne Ryan--Clay N Colors
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Dusty Severn--Clay N Colors
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Liz Kettle
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Mary Lou Pape
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Jo Gaston
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Wilhemina Steenbergen
​by Juanita Canzoneri

The Front Range Open Studios Tour is the only studio tour in the state where every location is the actual working studio of the artist present. They put great emphasis on educating the public as to where and how fine art and craft are made. They offer more to the public than just finished product. There is a greater variety of art forms presented which allows the public to gain a better understanding of why art costs what it does.
 
 
Around the mid 90’s Richard Pankratz realized that the work he wanted to create was very sculptural. He also realized that bronze was the medium he wanted to work in.
 
Art is a communication medium. Richard strives to connect with and develop relationships with people through this common love of art. He loves sculpting because it gives him the opportunity to think great thoughts and contemplate universal solutions. The consistent theme running through his current work can be summarized in the choice we have to love one another and realize the inherent sameness and interconnectedness between us.
 
Richard recently completed public art installations for Edmond, OK and Loveland, CO. Recent Corporate collectors include Kaiser Permanente in Colorado Springs, CO and Saint Elizabeth Hospital in Lincoln, NB.
 
 
Nancy Bonig designs and creates most of her kiln-worked glass with the hope that it will bring as much pleasure to the person who buys is, as they did to her. The design process starts with the finished piece in mind—it’s final size, shape, bend and function. Nancy draw on the influences of the Art Deco period, with its sleek, geometric forms and stylized imagery in decoration and design, and experiments with line, color, texture and balance to achieve a pleasing whole.
 
“I try to learn something new with each project, whether it be design, color combinations or firing techniques. Working with glass, I have learned to respect the material, be awed by its transformation with heat, and to wonder at future possibilities.”
 
 
Kathleen Krucoff works in ferrous and non-ferrous metals. She states, “I have never been one to color inside the lines, so why should my work be constrained by any limits? Being creative is a way of life for me. My father was a landscaper and taught me to love and respect nature. I think that is why you will find an organic quality in the pieces I create.”
 
Kathleen’s work is comprised of silver, gold, natural stones and gemstones
 
 
Dan Rieple’s interest in wood and woodworking began with his father, a brick and stonemason, whose hobby was furniture making. An industrial arts program at age 14 turned the embers into a flame. In addition to being self-taught, Dan earned an Industrial Arts degree from CSU. After a short stint of teaching, followed by a longer stint in architectural woodwork, he is at last designing and building functional works of art. He loves turning material that is normally rejected into something admired and functional.
 
“I like seeing the pleased expression when someone feels the soft curves and surfaces on a piece that I've made,” Dan says. “Besides being visually pleasing and perhaps even provocative, art furniture should stir a person to a point where the desire to touch is irresistible.”
 
 
Jodie Bliss has been working in metal for over 13 years. In those years she evolved from jewelry fabrication into larger steel sculpture fabrication and eventually into blacksmithing. The major theme that interests Jodie is that of “Identity Construction”. Throughout the last decade Jodie has produced several series of masks, portraits and abstracts all relating back to the exploration of the power that lies behind the way each of us creates and evolves our personal character.
 
Jodie has been participating in Front Range Open Studios since she first arrived in Monument in 2012. From the inception of the relationship it has been a fantastic weekend for introducing the community to what goes on in Bliss Studio & Gallery in Monument. In addition to the coordination of the tour weekend itself, Nancy Bonig, the owner of Front Range Open Studios, has done so much to promote the arts and artists in the community and to bring us all together as a group.
 
 
Frank and Ginny Maiolo
As a jewelry artist and metalsmith Frank Maiolo’s goal is to create works that are an extension of his inner self and emotions and that resonate with others. Jewelry is intimate and needs to satisfy the sense of touch with pleasing textures and delight the eye with elegant lines, shapes and color. Frank’s materials choose how they are going to be shaped and though it is not the most efficient method, he typically designs as he works. The tactile nature of the metals, gems and materials can take on a life of their own and help guide him through the creative process.
 
Collecting shells, sea glass, rocks and myriad other treasures consumed Ginny Maiolo as a child. Reflection on these collections and the organic nature of the items expose a primitive quality to the jewelry she creates. Her designs incorporate the organic diversity of the patterns of earth and sky. In 2007 the artist emerged from the depths of her being and cried out for freedom. She was 58 when she began painting. In 2012 she started working with metal and found the tactile expression that metalsmithing provides. The personal connection she finds with the materials is a sensory encounter that is unequaled. The metals are raw and malleable and waiting to tell a story. Her color palate is currently reds, yellows, oranges and the blues and greens of sea glass.
 
 
Tactile and personal, the tools, art, and wooden artifacts made by Dennis and Kay Liggett are meant to be touched and used in daily life.
 
‘Notions’ is an old retail category for exactly these kinds of beautiful things.
 
In 2016, the Liggetts will feature traditional turned accessories, tools, bowls, and fruit with inventive surface design, as well as new interpretations and combinations of traditional quilting techniques. Dennis and Kay both work on the wood lathe. Kay also uses fabrics, paints, brush, and sewing machines in her work.
 
 
Starting as a hobbyist in 1994, Terre Christensen turned a pastime into a wholesale business in 2009. She honed her skills experimenting with different methods of fabrication and firing. Each piece is intended to be a unique work of art, not a mass produced duplicate of what someone else might offer.
 
Terre is appealed by the unpredictability of Raku; the colors, metallic qualities, and textures which transform a simple piece into something distinctive and interesting. Her pieces are carefully crafted with attention to details and composition. In the final step, control is surrendered to the kiln, glazes, and air temps which render one-of-a-kind treasures.
 
 
Milo Scott enjoys creating 3-D art. There is something about being able to hold a piece, turning it, watching the light reflect off the surfaces that simply can’t be duplicated by other mediums. Wood is one of her favorite substances to work with. Even after a tree has stopped being a live plant, it continues to show a “life”. It is an amazing thing to see the worst looking part of a tree, twisted and knotted, worked into a vessel that contains marbleized holographic reflections simply by removing layers to expose the beauty that was always just under the surface. Wood is an item that can be fashioned into nearly any shape, but, sometimes; the wood wins. Many of the pieces Milo creates utilize “leftovers” from other wood industries. Laminations and segmenting methods combine different species of wood which equates to painting in 3-D with Mother Nature’s finest works.
 
 
Barbara Ziek and her husband raise and live with alpacas. He shears them once a year and Barbara sorts and grade the fleeces. “What do you DO with them,” people invariably ask when they meet the alpacas. You use their fiber!
 
So, what is her art? She felts the alpacas’ fleece. Felt is a very hands-on, fluid (quite literally fluid—felt is made with lots of water) and somewhat mysterious form of fiber art. She rolls, stretches, compresses, pounds, and throws the wet mass of fiber to make felt. Along the way, each fleece shows its individuality. “I particularly enjoy exploring texture, form and color through the fluidity and physicality of making felt. Because of the unique qualities of every fleece and the way it responds to felt making processes, my initial plan for a piece of art never ends quite as I planned. Usually it’s better.”
 
 
Claudia Dimidik’s aspirations for art began in grade school when she took an award for a watercolor painting. This then led to a focus on the arts where she offered to create and design logos, brochures and murals. Trained and credentialed with a B. A. in Art Education, her desire to learn more than one style of art led her earn an M.A. in Fine Arts degree.
 
After teaching eight years of darkroom photography she took on the challenge of implementing a computer art course for the district and then shared this knowledge by teaching community education courses. However, her desire for paint and sculpture would not subside. As an active member in the arts community, Claudia has taken numerous awards and recognition for her photographs, digital art, prints and paintings.
 
Claudia is known for her landscapes, which she describes as influenced by Ansel Adams. Her collages and montages are also in color and influenced by Jerry Ueslmann. Claudia admits that color is important and although she continues to work with themes and childhood memories her current series are batiks on rice paper as she is excited to see spring flowers!
 
 
Clay N Colors
John Haines is currently pursuing a lifelong interest in creation of art, in both two and three-dimensions. His present focus is art pottery (mainly wheel thrown, working in traditional firing and Raku) and watercolor painting.
 
In recent years John has developed his skills in watercolor and ceramics (pottery). For the latter, he has studied under local potters Jeremiah Houck and Jamie Howard.
 
John’s artistic view can best be described as collaborative, where the medium and the artist each bring specific elements to the production of the final work. “I respect this relationship in all my artistic endeavors and particularly in working with clay, where the characteristics of the clay and the processes to bring it to final form work together with the inspiration and guidance of the artist to produce the final object. This relationship also speaks directly to my current interest in the watercolor medium.”
 
Walt Moore is a potter who creates wheel-thrown art. He makes tableware for household use and artistic pieces for decoration and aesthetic enjoyment. He uses gas, electric and Raku kilns and hopes to try wood firing soon.  He is constantly expanding his line of pottery and learning new techniques and styles. He expresses himself in throwing, altering, carving, and glazing his forms. Nature is his muse and many of his pieces exemplify this interest in the world around us.
 
Carolanne Ryan: “Being a native of Colorado has given me inspiration to capture the abundant beauty and serenity that surrounds me. Expressing these qualities through artistic media has been my focus and passion since I was a child. Currently, working with clay has enabled and challenged me to openly display my emotions, experience, awareness and spirit. I am dedicated to applying these principles in my art and my life, always striving to enrich and share the profound beauty of life, as I see it!”
 
Dusty Severn had an adventure-filled life before embarking on her exploration of the arts. As a military wife, she followed her husband, Ted, around the world raising five children. A firm believer in building teams, she enjoys being a part of the co-op Clay N Colors. As a potter, she loves the tactile experience, creating shapes, and the surprise of opening up the kiln after a glaze firing! Most of all, because of her husband's generosity, she is thankful to be able to donate any funds that are generated to charity. This newfound passion has opened her mind to explore other media in art.
 
Amy Taube is the newest member of the Clay N Colors co-op. We were unable to obtain her bio or images before publishing this blog post.
 
 
Liz Kettle tells tales that are personal as well as those that speak of relationship, humanity and the earth. She chose the untraditional fine art palette of fabric and stitch because I believe they connect us and draw us closer in a way that cannot be achieved with traditional art materials alone. She uses a variety of techniques drawing from the deep wells of quilting, mixed media collage and paint to tell and support each unique story.
 
Liz is passionate about teaching and has co-authored two books; Fabric Embellishing: the Basics and Beyond and Threads: the Basics and Beyond. I am also solo author of First Time Beading on Fabric. I have articles published in Quilter’s Home, Quilting Arts, Quilting Arts In Stitches, and Cloth Paper Scissors Studios. She has also appeared in the PBS show Quilting Arts TV.
 
 
Award winning artist Mary Lou Pape paints animals in oils or pastels with a close up view of their world. From wildlife to domestic animals, she paints from personal experience, striving to capture each animal’s unique characteristics with feeling and the dignity they deserve.
 
“I hope my paintings reflect the respect I have for the animals that share our world. I am drawn to close up portraits of the animals and their environment and love dramatic light and shadow. I paint from my own references and personal experience, striving to portray each one with dignity and feeling.”
 
 
Jo Gaston enjoys painting the intricate shapes and glowing colors of vegetables and flowers. With these subjects, her approach is essentially representational, though she does take artistic freedoms and often relies on close-up views to emphasize abstract undertones.
 
“As a watercolor artist, I am also intrigued by the bold shapes and rich colors of saddles, harnesses, and other tack. My work has a strong representational basis—a well-designed saddle or stirrup is itself an artist’s dream of form, texture, and subtle color gradations. So my stirrups generally look like stirrups, and you won’t mistake a saddle horn for a concha in one of my paintings. But I make full use of my artistic freedom to combine, simplify, emphasize, and see with the mind’s eye to make the artistic experience of these subjects as rich as possible. My approach often leads viewers to find powerful abstract qualities in what are finally realistic images.”
 
Jo works in transparent watercolor, layering washes when necessary to create colors that are as deep, dramatic, and rich as the colors she finds in the tooled leather and other natural surfaces.
 
“There is so much beauty in this world, and I just enjoy trying to capture that in my paintings whether it’s flowers, vegetables or Western tack. It’s all fun to paint.”
 
 
For Wilhemina Steenbergen, shaping in hand-made paper developed from earlier free-form pottery work. In the color finish she will often try to recreate the metallic effects of Raku glazing. Her fascination with texture also finds an outlet in the pieces she creates. Found objects or fabrics are sometimes included, but she do not define my work as collages, rather as sculptures. Themes and shapes are derived from nature, the seasons and her daily experiences.
 
“In this display I try to demonstrate the capabilities of forming in hand-made paper. I can create shapes and textures more freely than in clay and the finish with acrylic paint gives the pieces the unique look of metal or stone.”
 

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​How to get a gallery show at Commonwheel Artists Co-op

6/7/2016

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by Juanita Canzoneri
 
As a working artist ( http://www.commonwheel.com/juanita-canzoneri.html ) one of my greatest joys is finding other people who enjoy what I make. And even more when they relate to it so much that they buy it and take it home with them.

There are many ways you can get your work out there. One of them is to apply for a show of your own in a designated gallery space. These opportunities can be rare in frequency and some galleries charge rent for the space. But for the rest of June the door is open here at Commonwheel Artists Co-op.

We are looking for artist groups, individual artists, themed shows with a designated curator, or any other idea for use of our gallery space.

If you’re an individual artist you can all on your own. That’s what I did back in 2003 (before I was a co-op member). They paired me with another artist who had also applied on her own. We’d never met, but her paintings just felt good alongside my mosaic art. My work went on the pedestals and hers hung on the wall. And we were both glad that neither of us had to have a large enough body of work to fill a whole room alone.

We also invite curated shows or themed shows, whether you have all your artists lined up or will issue an open call for art. With group shows we communicate with each artist involved. That takes some of the stress off of the show coordinator.

We hang the show for you. We also provide gallery cards for the work that give the artists name, the title of the work as well as the price and other pertinent details.

We host an opening reception for your show. We provide some of the food, drinks, table dressing and serving dishes. Our members set up the food for the reception, we keep the table stocked, and we clean everything up when the evening’s done. As the featured artist, you are asked to bring your favorite nibbles to share, to be there to meet your adoring public, and talk about your work.

Commonwheel handles all sales, collects and pays sales tax, and pays you for all your items sold.
We publicize your show in print and online media. We create social media and blog posts about you and your work.
And all it takes is a completed application. We don’t even ask you for a jury fee.
​
Applications are currently available at http://www.commonwheel.com/visiting-artist.html . You can apply right online or download the form and mail it in. 
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Botanical Expressions--Meet Jo Gaston

5/15/2016

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PictureVirginia Peach Blossom
by Juanita Canzoneri
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​Jo Gaston grew up on a farm in southwest Missouri. Grandparents on both her mother's and father's side lived on farms nearby. Some of her earliest memories are of vegetable and flower gardens and of the livestock.

Jo creates watercolors of the ranch and garden subjects she has known since childhood. The realistic details of her paintings make her subjects easily recognizable as she uses light and color freely to intensify her impressions of the inherent abstract forms.
 
Attractive forms, textures, and colors are present and waiting to be recognized in many of her subjects especially in vegetables, flowers and Western tack. Although, she admits she finds that turning them into art is hard work. She has to choose thoughtfully, stand close, observe carefully, and work within the fundamentals of artistic composition.
 
The intricate shapes and glowing colors of vegetables and flowers appeal to her. She uses saturated, vibrant pigments to dramatize their form and texture. She finds an endless variety of form, texture, and light and color in vegetables and flowers. From warm, rich browns to bright, whimsical pinks, purples, and blues, her palette grows with each painting. Form, texture, light, and color are there waiting in most of her subjects, but composition and value are the most important elements in her work. She combines and positions her subjects to achieve the strongest visual effect. Her goal is always a composition that intrigues and rewards the viewer, and dramatizes the features that originally interested her to the subject. 
 
For the pieces in “Botanical Expressions” Jo begins a painting by selecting a subject with strong, interesting design elements. Prominent colors and light levels also direct her choices. The hibiscus blossom that is a subject of Kathleen’s jewelry and her watercolor painting attracted her with exactly those desirable design elements: colors, and light levels.
 
Having chosen a subject, she does several drawings until she has an outline that reads well, one with a clear center of interest and a combination of shapes and lines that will guide a viewer into, and out of, the eventual painting. Then she adds shading to help with decisions about the direction and intensity of light and shadow. These decisions about values are critical because with transparent watercolor one cannot go back to lighten something that’s too dark.
 
When she’s sure of basic shapes and light levels, she does a color study by blocking in principal colors. Those blocks of color tell her for the first time whether the light, color, and shape will come together well. Going from the color study to the final painting takes hours of attention to shading, texture, and detail—using multiple layers of transparent watercolor to get the right balance of darkness and light, adding intricate details to emphasize texture and bring out important features.
 
That sounds like a lot of work for a single hibiscus blossom, doesn’t it? Kathleen and I agree that what we create does take plenty of effort and time, but somehow work doesn’t seem the right term for what we do. We take delight in the creating of our jewelry and paintings, and we very much hope you’ll enjoy seeing the results.


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Dare to Express--Meet the Artists #2

4/14/2016

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​Step out of your comfort zone and feel the exhilaration of trying something new. Explore the possible creative ways of displaying and enjoying your beloved jewelry pieces by integrating diverse artistic mediums.  You might find that an exotic pendant can be displayed in your home on an interesting wall art piece when it is not hanging around your neck.  A gorgeous ring or bracelet may have a place to rest in a small shadow box that has a poem or haiku specifically written for the piece of personal adornment.  A painting can become three dimensional when adding another artistic component.  The possibilities are endless.  Can you visualize a wonderful piece of pottery embellished with a removable piece of jewelry
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Ace McCasland, "Growth"
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AceMcCasland
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Mo Morrow and Carol Bilbery
when you bury a seed into the earth,
whisper to it . . .grow
when it's curved neck begins to emerge,
shedding the weight of the soil,
whisper: grow
when the first leaves reach to embrace the sun,
whisper: you are growing
when the hail storms fall and the freezes come late,
whisper: you can still grow
when the rabbits nibble and the deer destroy,
you will grow
when branches stretch, flowers unfold, fruit hangs
how you have grown
when the leaves color and drop, the flowers wilt and fade,
whisper: you will grow again
when the seeds fall and bury into the earth once more,
whisper to them: grow . . .
           Ace McCasland
 
Ace McCasland’s current works are about growth: growth within / growth without / growth as an artist / growth as a solitary soul exploring this planet, seeking, wondering, investigating, wandering, dreaming, striving... 


Ace wandered (and settled) into Colorado eleven years ago after exploring and hiking and driving all over the west, stopping a bit to live in places like Point Arena, California / Moab, Utah / Flagstaff, Arizona. Her experiences have included driving converted 1956 tour buses for Green Tortoise Adventure Travel, travelling and performing with a three ring circus along the East Coast, working on the White Mountain Apache Tribe Reservation in Arizona, hiking into (and out of) the Grand Canyon at least seven times, living out of a '72 Toyota Land Cruiser for over three years while exploring the U.S., and failing miserably at surfing on the Sea of Cortez.  Having settled in one place has allowed for explorations in gardening, and in art, and she cannot get enough of either.
 
 
                                                            ****
 
Frank and Ginny Maiolo’s love of nature presents itself in organic designs using beautiful gemstones, sea glass and mixed metals. Drawing upon their love of nature, world travel, and creative imaginations they collaborate to produce a unique style of jewelry.  Combining the masculine and feminine, simple and complex we create distinctive metalwork designs that are timeless in their beauty and form. 
 
How many times have you heard someone say, “Oh, how I would love to wear jewelry like that?” Have you been drawn to something but do not feel comfortable purchasing it and displaying it in your home because it is different from your usual style? Fear is the great inhibitor! This gallery show is about allowing yourself to look at that fear while providing internal permission to “Dare to Express” by playfully incorporating art into your daily living.
 
We will have live music opening night, April 15th. “The Brothers Heath" are local boys from Monument, Colorado playing Blue Grass and Americana.
 
 
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Mo Morrow has several great loves when it comes to art media—clay, paint, and fiber being among the top. When she was surprised by twins 23 years ago she was at a loss to find a medium that would be compatible with a household of 5 very curious and active children. Voila! Polymer clay! It could be kept out of reach of grabby little fingers (most of the time), and she could find relief from the chaos by creating tightly organized tiny quilt squares. It was a corner of the universe that she could control and used her Math brain to piece shapes that she couldn’t sew out of fabric. Now that her house is quiet and empty she still loves to enter the magical realm of miniature geometry and looks for new ways to explore and connect landscape painting with quilt design.

Oftentimes a piece of jewelry is only brought out into the open when it is worn. This keeps the view of it confined within a limited context, and narrows the concept of the work. Mo is offering jewelry for “Dare to Express” that could be purchased with a larger piece of art so it can be enjoyed all the time. It is an opportunity to break out and think outside of the jewelry box!

“Dare to Express” was conceived as an inspiration to create jewelry that pushes the individual—artist as well as consumer—beyond their public self-identity. There are whole universes inside every person that lie untapped until that person is inspired to create something new.
 
A maxim Mo reminds herself of when facing a new work is that it takes a lot of bad art to come up with good art. With this show we are pushing beyond the safety of our tried and true expressions, and there are sure to be many fascinating surprises along the way!
 
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Our newest member, Valerie Bartron, writes “I forge my art in fire, constantly turning and blending, marking and cooling, mixing the elements of earth, wind, and fire to create what my mind’s eye sees for another in hope that my orbs please the fancy of one such as yourself, or perhaps for a lover.”
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Destiny struck in August of 2012. A friend was moving out of the country and decided didn't want to take her lampwork studio with her. At the time Valerie had no idea what lampwork was. She watched as her friend fired up the torch, created a simple round bead, and Valerie found myself absolutely captivated with the process that she purchased the entire studio that day.
 
With endless hours of practice, Valerie began creating special pieces for friends and family. At one point her daughter asked what she was going to do with her bounty of beads and asked if she could take them to a bead boutique to see if they were interested. The owner bought all of the beads and proceeded to order more. That was the beginning of a wonderful journey and the start of her business, “A Touch of Glass”.
 
Each piece is a signed original, crafted in her home-based studio in the beautiful mountains of Colorado. Valerie creates using an oxygen and propane fueled torch, imported Italian glass and Double Helix glass made in the USA. She often adds other elements such as pure silver, enamel powders and special reduction frit to give the beads unusual and interesting finishes. Each bead is annealed in a digitally controlled kiln for lasting durability.
 
“I hope my pieces provide as much joy to the individual wearing it as I experienced while creating my molten treasures.”

                                                            ****

Brenda Hadnagy is contributing two pieces for “Dare to Express” displaying her trademark ceramic birds in addition to being created to display jewelry.
 
 
                                                            ****
 
Joy Morauski graduated from the University of Southern Colorado in Pueblo, Colorado with a B.A. in Art and Anthropology. She has been one of the lucky few that have continued to produce pots since graduating (albeit only part-time) and appreciates every minute of it.
 
Over the years Joy has worked in a variety of locations using one degree or the other.  In North Dakota she worked as an archaeologist on the Fort Union Archaeological Project.  In Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, she taught ceramic classes and was Studio Manager.  Joy has also participated in various workshops at Truro Center for the Arts, and had the opportunity to work with many renowned artists such as George Segal, Toshiko Takaezu, Bennett Bean, Sidney Simon, Daniel Mack and Harvey Sadow.
 
Joy says, “it has been too long since I have gone outside the ‘true’ pottery realm; and ‘Dare to Express’ gave me inspiration to do expand my ‘wings’. I have always found contrasting elements fascinating hence the hard nails piercing the soft clay. I am excited to continue to develop a new direction and look forward to what ideas and methods pour out.”

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Dare to Express--Meet the Artists #1

4/12/2016

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Marta Lacombe
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Connie Lorig
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Julia Wright
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Leti Wesolowski
​…dare to express
cross lines, get out there, get out dare, dare to express
dare to cross the lines that tangle you and be different
dare to stretch limits, your limits
dare to cross fences, your fences
the barb wires, the barriers, your barb wires, your barriers
that keep you in, that keep you tamed
cross them, jump them, walk over them, break them,
the fence that ties you
the cord that strangles you
you yourself your freedom
the ropes that limit you and small you
the barb wires that hurt and bleed you
cross it, jump it, break it,
get out there, get out dare
dare to be
dare to own it
dare to express…
           Marta Lacombe, Feb. 19th 2016
 
Marta Lacombe is a licensed architect in her country of origin, Brazil and has worked as an architect here in Colorado since immigrating in 1997.
 
For a long time, she has felt the need to express her creativity in new ways, and in 2009 she started making jewelry which connects function and form, utilizing the antique beauty of objects she finds on hikes.
 
In Brazil, crime makes jewelry of precious metals and gems dangerous to own and wear. This led Marta to appreciate things that were not meant to be jewels, but possess a particular beauty in and of themselves.
 
Her husband, a native of Colorado Springs, is a lover of the wild, a hiker, and her best supplier of metal, scraps, and aged objects. He finds new possibles everywhere he goes, and brings home pockets full of amazing things.
 
Marta’s designs combine a variety of media, depending on the inspiration she finds in the objects with which she starts. The results are interesting, intriguing and unique, and no two pieces are exactly the same.

                                                            *****
Metalsmith and beader, Connie Lorig, is exploring new ideas in fabric for this show. Her new work highlights fun and playful earrings by displaying them on whimsical handmade cloth dolls. The earrings can be easily transferred from doll to human ears, depending upon the owner’s whims.  Connie sees this show as a way to explore unique ways of perceiving, displaying, and incorporating jewelry in unusual formats. “This will be a wonderful show for all jewelry lovers (and their lovers).”

                                                            *****
 Julia Wright has been expressing herself creatively for decades. She has done theater work, macramé, loom rug work with hand-dyed wools, photography, writing, and feather work. For “Dare to Express” she is focusing on creating statements with unique, exotic, and bold feathers. Her inspiration for this show is a recent commission piece—a feather collar that was worn for a special gala event. Her work for this show can be displayed as tiny pieces of artwork when not being worn.
 
“I love peacock eyes,” says Julia, “and the fact that peacocks molt them once a year and if not gathered swiftly, the peacocks will destroy them makes them all the more precious. So I played with them in many ways to showcase their beauty on masks, pendants and earrings for this show.”
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Leti Wesolowski has dared to design unique jewelry pieces in collaboration with two other potters, bringing both mediums into one coherent and captivating work of art. Her personal challenge was to explore new jewelry techniques while incorporating successfully into her design external variables set by the other two artists' displaying pottery.
 
Leti Wesolowski is a Colorado Springs jewelry designer whose goal is to create unique and elegant jewelry pieces intended to resonate with the wearer's feelings. All her artwork is one-of-a-kind handmade with most attention to craftsmanship, joining quality gemstones and materials with a variety of self-taught jewelry techniques. Her design process incorporates aesthetic elements shaped from her studies in architecture, her love of the arts and nature, and her personal travels.

                                                             *****

Husband and wife team, Curt and Robyn Elliott have worked together as potters, building and fine-tuning their skills as dedicated partner-potters. Known for their high fire functional stoneware, they jointly throw and develop shapes that complement the textures which are added to embellish the piece. Their current work includes, raku, pit fire, medium and high fire stoneware, and tiles. For “Dare to Express” they are presenting free form and wheel thrown Jewelry jars, tiles that can be used as stands or wall hangings, Raku and pit fire vases and jars, and handmade tile insets on lacquer jewelry boxes.
 
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"Dare to Express"

4/4/2016

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​Opening Reception Friday, April 15, 5—8 pm
April 15 to May 16, 2016
 
Commonwheel Artists Co-op invites you to free yourself from your comfort zone and open yourself to creativity!
 
We’re offering a place to explore new ideas in personal adornment and innovative home décor items, providing a sensory delight for our art loving customers. Why not display an exotic pendant on a beautiful ceramic sculpture when it is not hanging around your neck? Why not showcase a gorgeous ring or bracelet in an evocative shadow box? Why not exhibit a dazzling showpiece within an embellished painting?
 
Our next gallery show, “Dare to Express,” will playfully provide you with interesting ways to incorporate wearable art into your home décor and innovative displays to showcase your beloved jewelry pieces.
 
On April 15th join us for our gallery opening reception and get a chance to meet in person the creative masterminds behind this one-of-a-kind show, while tasting hors d'oeuvres and enjoying Colorado Bluegrass music.
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"Journey to Nowhere" with David Caricato

3/11/2016

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Gallery Show featuring Sculpture and Paintings by David Caricato
Opening Reception March 18, 5-8 pm
Show runs through April 11. Regular store hours are 10 am-6 pm daily.

Article and photographs by Juanita Canzoneri
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David Caricato has been making art for over 40 of his nearly 70 years. Most of that time he worked with sculptural forms in wood and other natural materials. His early work uses long gourds as a base for the pieces he calls “Earth Dancers” which include design elements from southwest First Nations tribes. He began incorporating raven masks worked in the northwest First Nations style as a humorous juxtaposition of ideas.
 
The raven masks, as well as other mask styles, have by now found their way into many other sculptures that don’t incorporate the “Earth Dancer” shapes.
 
With the most recent change in the economy he diversified to making small figural paintings in acrylics. He can sell the paintings at a lower price point since they come together quicker than his larger sculptures do.  But ever the dyed-in-the-wool wood worker he hand-carves many of the frames for his paintings.
 
For his paintings he works with a limited number of models, over several years. Pointing to one painting he told me, “I’ve worked with her over 3 boyfriends and breakups. I think the guy she’s with now will be a keeper.” The pieces that come from these modelling sessions are collaborative. He might have an idea for where he wants to start, or the model may want to try something. The sessions are photographed and then both he and the model look at the photos and make changes.
 
With his paintings, which are typically no more than 6”-8” tall, his studio is the kitchen island or in his living room. He had a studio in an outbuilding on his property that’s more conducive to his sculptural work, with a tool bench and dust catchment system he works year round. Pulling out a piece he’s working on he explained some of the woods he worked with created dust that was quite dangerous to inhale.
 
David’s goal with his art is to push buttons and find where the boundaries are. He is making the type of art that he wants and is a self-diagnosed wood hoarder. His figural art deals with the human form, including many nudes. Getting the musculature correct is highly important to him, even with his smallest canvases. This gives his paintings and sculptures a realistic quality. But the humor in his art lends a charm and warmth to that realism. And there are times when David expresses his political views in a very tongue-in-cheek way with his work.
 
David is a Pueblo native with two undergraduate degrees, one in Graphic Design and one in Industrial Arts/Woodworking. He has been showing galleries throughout the Southwest, Washington state, Florida, and New York. He recently had a one-man show of the same name at the Sangre de Christo Art Center and has received numerous awards, including Best in Show and First Place in Sculpture at the Colorado State Fair Art Show.
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    Juanita Canzoneri
    Co-op Member 2004-2019, mosaic artist, Marketing Manager/Shop Coordinator, former co-op treasurer and president.

    Julia L. Wright
    Co-op member since 1976, feather artist, digital photography artist, Festival Coordinator and blog contributor.

    Leti Wesolowski
    Co-op member since 2014, jeweler designer, gallery curator and blog contributor.

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