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Compiled by Juanita Canzoneri Our annual Holiday Market opens this Friday. We asked all of this year’s participants a few questions to help you get to know them a little better. So, let us introduce you to a few of this year’s artists. Connie Lorig  metal ornaments by Connie Lorig In a short paragraph, tell us about yourself. I'm a native of Colorado Springs and 41-year Manitou resident. I've been a jewelry artist for more than 30 years and am primarily self-taught. In 2010 I began experimenting and fell in love with mixed metal cold connections. I work primarily in copper and brass with accents of pewter, silver, niobium, iron, and any other fun metals I can find. I love vintage brass and copper pieces, and often incorporate them in my work. What does making art mean to you? Connie Lorig: Making art takes me from one world to another. I seldom know exactly what I'm going to make when I walk into my studio, but I do know that my creative side will unlock and it's time to play. For this show specifically, tell us about your process—walk us through the steps of your flowing creativity to achieve one of your works. Connie Lorig: My Holiday Market ornaments are made from bronze and copper metal clay. I found or created textures and molds that fit the theme: stars, trees, crosses, etc. I hand molded or carved the clay to fit the form, let the clay dry, decorated and sanded the piece if needed and then fired it in my kiln. After firing, all the pieces were polished. Some were then patinated and re-polished. David Smith In a short paragraph, tell us about yourself. I am a retired Air Force pilot living in Colorado Springs and I currently fly for Southwest Airlines. I got started building mosaic tile tables in 2009 after my wife bought one at a craft fair. I looked at the table, said I can do that and my hobby was born. I added trays and wall art a few years ago. I normally try to paint a scene on my tables or I do custom work. Some of the scenes I try to replicate from what I see from my cockpit window!  mosaic table by David Smith What does making art mean to you? I really enjoy the challenge of producing the perfect piece for my customers. It is wonderful to see the expressions on their faces as they see their table, tray or wall art for the first time. I am proud to produce a piece of art that is also functional. As a rule I do not cut the tile, but instead use a hammer to break the tile into pieces and like a jig saw puzzle lay the scene out. Obviously for some of the more complex scenes I do use a tile saw. I have about 30 plastic shoe boxes with pieces of tile in them and many other boxes of glass and specialty tile in my garage  David Smith at his work table For this show specifically, tell us about your process—walk us through the steps of your flowing creativity to achieve one of your works. For the trays I try to find nice trays and then picture what kind and color scheme of tile will make the trays uniquely beautiful. Juanita Canzoneri In a short paragraph, tell us about yourself. I’ve been working in mosaics since 2001 and in the fiber arts since I was a child. I’ve seen evidence of a strong correlation between the 2 media in other mosaic artists and have long sought out a way of combining my fiber work with my glass mosaics. What does making art mean to you? I’ve been a maker all my life but for me “art” specifically connotes beauty along with any functionality or utilitarianism. Art evokes emotion, and, for me, emotion evokes touch. So, my work must be able to be touched. For this show specifically, tell us about your process—walk us through the steps of your flowing creativity to achieve one of your works. In thinking on how to create “wintery” or holiday art my first thought was to crochet snowflakes out of a very fine cotton thread. Then the task became figuring out what matrix would work best to solidify this fine work. Through trial and error, I hit upon encasing my fiber pieces in clear acrylic resin. It’s a new material for me and I’m still learning my way through the process, but I’m very excited about the results so far.  Resin-encased crochet snowflake ornaments by Juanita Canzoneri What emotions/reactions/thoughts do you want to cause/explore/achieve on the public looking at your artwork? With all my little pieces I strive to evoke a feeling of fun, of joy, and a way to brighten up a dull corner or unused space.  Winter Wonders, mixed-media mosaics by Juanita Canzoneri Michael Baum  Michael Baum at his easel In a short paragraph, tell us about yourself. I started life on the road. My first home was a travel trailer journeying across the heartland of the nation. I think this is where I first fell in love with the landscape and the natural world. I've been on that journey my entire life. I studied fine art and anthropology at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, earning a bachelor of fine art degree. My real education began when I journeyed west to Colorado. I’ve been exploring the West almost forty years and barely scratched the surface. I’ve been painting it almost as long and feel like I’m just getting started. The beauty of light playing across the land goes beyond the visual and digs deep into the soul. I work in my studio in Manitou Springs and get out on the road as often as possible, still journeying.  Michael Baum, "Sunrise in the Garden" What does making art mean to you? Making art is the way I respond to the world. It’s the way I communicate with the world. It’s what I give back to the world. For this show specifically, tell us about your process—walk us through the steps of your flowing creativity to achieve one of your works. I produce these giclée prints from original oil paintings. In my painting I want to convey my experience in the western landscape—not just the purely visual, but also the feel of a place, how it digs deep into the heart and soul. I want the viewer to experience what I experienced, to have the thoughts and questions I had. I do most of my work in the studio and occasionally painting on site in the landscape. I spend a lot of time gathering images of places that speak to me, both locally and on road trips I take across the Southwest. I don’t just take photos. I take in as much of the environment as I can. Not just how it looks, but how it feels. How does the earth smell? Is there a breeze? What do I hear? What do I feel in this place? Is it lonely? Is it energizing? Is it welcoming? Mysterious? All of this goes with me back to the studio where I try to visually express it in a painting. A key to this is light. Light not only carries the image to our eyes, but delivers the other dimensions of the experience as well. For the whimsical pieces I drop the photo altogether and create the entire image in my mind, but always based on actual experience. A successful painting is one that delivers a total experience.  Michael Baum, "Cottonwood Station" Teri Rowan In a short paragraph, tell us about yourself. My father gave me the gift of a camera when I was six years old. From then on, I was hooked. That little Kodak Instamatic went everywhere I did. In 1993, years on down the line, I began formal training, and soon the student became teacher and artist. Over time I have won awards and worn many hats: dark room technician, studio photographer, tutor in digital art, gallery director and curator. Lastly, and most happily, artist. I find inspiration in many places, in nature, but also song lyrics, books I read, poetry, films and everyday life. I have two series that are currently in production. The first is based a woman’s body metamorphizing into other forms, the second is a fantasy landscape series that features my native Colorado. The most popular images contain parts of the burn scars from the Hayman and Black Forest Fires. Recently I’ve started printing on metal. I am a long way away from the darkroom these days. My work can be found "live" in Commonwheel Artist Co-op, in Manitou Springs, Colorado, where I am a member. What does making art mean to you? It is my way of expressing my inner self. Whether you are looking at a fantasy world of burned trees or a magical mermaid. This is who I am. For this show specifically, tell us about your process—walk us through the steps of your flowing creativity to achieve one of your works. I created, “A Winter’s Tale”, for Holiday Market. I knew what photo shoot I wanted to use, as I wanted to embody Colorado, as well of the feeling of Winter. It was a matter of selecting the right image and then going from there. I turned a day scene into evening and added the magic of snow, a crescent moon, some crystalline eruptions, and a snow hare. The photo was originally shot in Black Forest looking towards the mountains.  Teri Rowan, "A Winter's Tale" What emotions/reactions/thoughts do you want to cause/explore/achieve on the public looking at your artwork? When I look at, “A Winter’s Tale”, it brings to me a sense of stillness and peace, as well as a bit of the magic of this time of year. Art is subjective. I don’t create pieces with the hopes of causing a certain response. The viewer will feel something related to their own personal experiences. Sabine Wachs  Sabine Wachs in her studio “The process of taking sheets of colored glass and transforming them into an art piece - big or small, simple or elaborate - is deeply satisfying to me. Stained glass magically changes the atmosphere of any room by filtering and softening harsh light through color and texture. It invites the eye to rest and enjoy a moment of peace and reflection. For the holidays I have created glass pieces that express the spirit of the season and add to a festive mood.” For this year’s Holiday Market Sabine is creating a number of glass ornaments as well as fused glass earrings and necklaces.  Glass ornaments by Sabine Wachs
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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  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.     |
Juanita Canzoneri
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