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

​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

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)
 

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

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

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.

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

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.

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. 

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. 

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

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

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

​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.

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.

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

Tell us a little about yourself.
Having a science background, I never thought of myself as an artist. I started making jewelry few months after our move to Colorado in the summer of 2010 and I'd say it was a wonderful turn of events. I was in JoAnn's with a friend, where I saw the sign-up list for their classes. I took the bead stringing class and after that it was a roller coaster dive into the jewelry-making industry for me. I discovered new materials and different, more advanced techniques. Each year I add a new skill to my belt and a lot of new tools and materials (Hello, my name is Evelina and I'm a beadaholique!). My all-time favorite medium is the Precious Metal Clay (PMC) in pure silver and bronze; the possibilities and combinations of textures and shapes when working with it are endless.
 
How long have you been part of Commonwheel?
I got accepted in this wonderful artistic family in November of 2017 and I'm so grateful for the opportunity, support and the motivation that the gallery members have given me.
 
What does making art mean to you?
Handcrafting each piece of jewelry is my creative outlet and therapy. I'm home alone most of the day (except for the last year—now I enjoy the company of our sweet Yorkie-Poo, Lilly) and having something to do with my hands keeps my sanity.
 
What are you currently working on?
Most of my pieces are dainty and minimalist in style, but I just got into cleaner, geometrical forms and I love the simplicity of the designs! I enjoy working with silver wire and shaping it into an accessory for women to wear is a very satisfying process.
 
Tell us about your process; walk us through the steps of your flowing creativity to achieve one of your works.
I usually say that each piece I create is a result of a mess – yes, a creative mess in my studio. I take out boxes of beads, wire and tools and spread the contents on the floor. The question is “What can I do with you?”, this results in a small “line” of creations. I pair beads with Sterling Silver links and earwire to my liking (that can take day or two at a time), then I assemble them which is the fastest part.
​
The same with the PMC – I take out textures, cutting templates, molds and I figure out what goes best with the particular design idea I have in mind.
 

What reactions do you want to cause in the public looking at your artwork?
As a designer who tends to create everyday jewelry pieces, I love hearing the exclamations of the women (mostly), that stop and admire my display case at Commonwheel. Each time I've worked at the gallery and I have customers stop and say “I love how pretty/how dainty this is” my heart sings, because that's me, that's my style, these pieces came out of my hands.
 
What is your favorite piece recent work? And why? 
As I mentioned, I love working with the metal clay, my favorite piece is a Garnet necklace, that is very delicate and feminine. It can be worn everyday, but it also could be dressed up for a special occasion. I decided to oxidize the center piece to bring out the details of the floral texture, which shows the fine lines beautifully and compliments the gorgeous color of the faceted Garnet beads.
 
Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself?
I'm absolutely honored to have 9 pieces of jewelry selected for the actresses of popular TV series such as “Bones”, “The Vampire Diaries”, “The Originals” and few more.
 
Where can we find your work: website, social media, local stores.
At the moment my work can be found in two local galleries – Commonwheel and 45º Gallery.
I post pictures of my recent work on my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/EvaLineJewelry
and Instagram: www.instagram.com/evalinejewelry
 
You can access all of my social media sites from www.evalinejewelry.com where you can also read my story and see the pieces of jewelry featured on popular TV shows.
​

We asked the artists selected for our “Recycled Art” Show the following questions:
 
1)In a short paragraph, tell us about yourself
2)With your recycled materials, tell us about your process. Walk us through the steps to achieve one of your works from sourcing the materials to completing the work for display or use.
3)What is your favorite piece for sale at this event? And why? 
4)What has inspired you to apply for this show? 
5)Where can we find your work: website, social media, local stores.
 
 
What follows are responses we received and images of some of the work you’ll see in this show.


Joel Lugo
As a child I was surrounded by art and music as well as a deep culture and a diverse background, This pushed me to expand my horizons and tap in to the amazing world of painting.
 
I collect old snowboards that are not rideable. I get the boards from friends, family, the Goodwill and some local snowboard companies. I clean them up and add my inspired Colorado art work into them. I also add a protective clear coating.
 
All my pieces are unique and one of a kind, I will be adding my Pikes Peak Snowboard. I will also have a few pieces available for inventory in case this piece sells. 

What has inspired you to apply for this show? 
The distinction and originality that this shows brings.
 
Where can we find your work: website, social media, local stores. www.jlugoscreation.com
 
 
 
Shannon McGarraugh
 My first recollection, in knowing that I was a creative, was enhanced by my living on an old farm built in 1926. I spent many hours collecting the colorful pieces of broken glass, digging in the dirt for rusty objects, shards, and arrowheads. I relished exploring bones, feathers, and eggshells as well. Consoled by a Jumbo Coloring book, my mother used it in an attempt to keep me inside and quieted down.
Since those childhood days I have gone on to acquire a BFA in studio art with a concentration in fiber/textiles. I am a self-taught painter and quilter. My greatest success came in the 1980’s when painting on clothing was popular. It was an honor to sell my items all over the country including Disney Land, The Gene Autry Western Museum, Toney Lama and art meccas such as Aspen, Vail, Santa Fe, Taos, Los Angeles, and New York to name a few. I am a “jack of all trades and master of none”.
 
Being a collector over the years I began to have to start facing downsizing. It was time to start ridding myself of “stuff”. I just couldn’t let go of some beautiful objects—so I decided to start recycling those things into art.
 
The process for creating my pieces is a very long one. But basically, I dig through lots of “stuff” at flea markets, my house, other people’s houses, the dirt, visiting nature, resale stores and on and on. Sometimes the object gives me the idea and other times I have no idea where each individual piece will end up. It is very much like the work of a woodworker. There is a lot cleaning, deconstruction and then reconstruction. This can include sanding, refinishing, distressing, rusting, painting, nailing, drilling, screwing, gluing, tacking, cutting, sawing, soldering, and starting over!
 
My favorite piece that will be in the show is the one I call the Modern Angel. I think it is because one would not necessary identify the pieces applied to the object. It has a mouth harp on the front and old-fashioned ceiling tile embellishment. The tile is a replica of the original and made of a plastic. It feels inviting and open. I also enjoy that less is often more.
 

Inspiration for entering this show came from my daughter. I supported her and encouraged her to continue her music from age 8 to the present day. She started sending me the information on the show and “pushed” until I sent in the forms. “This is what you do isn’t it?”, she said.
 
My work can be found on Facebook and Instagram by searching my name: Shannon McGarraugh
 
 
 
 
Monica Y. Parker
I am a Colorado native, born and raised in Springs, but I have traveled and lived all over the U.S.
 
I come from a very large family and all of us are artists. We are motley crew of musicians and visual artists.
 
I have always been interested in creating art. Even from a young age I liked working with my hands. As an adult I have more access to resources and find that has fed my need to create. I love to use recycled products found objects and even trash a lot of my other artwork includes jewelry, mobiles, coasters made from recycled vinyl albums, up cycled furniture and suitcases. I am also a photographer and I love music.
 
Well, do i have to pick just one [favorite piece]? There was a time I felt like I was always being followed by a little black cloud, like in the cartoons only you couldn't see mine. Then I heard Ma, my mother-in-law say "sometimes baby girl you just have to learn to laugh at yourself cause there is nothing you can do to change it". So, I did and I made me a little black rain cloud and hung it over my seat, and every time I see it it makes me giggle inside. And I love the whimsy of both the cloud and the mushrooms. As soon as I see an interesting shape of a bowl or a vase I get super excited to get home and make something neat.

Just laugh at yourself. figured it out, keep your childlike imagination and look for the good in everything instead of the bad. They are just small reminders and both the mushrooms and the clouds just make me happy.
 
I am always creating something, and I love to share my stuff it is a great way to move beyond my circle of friends and family and this is also the first time ever doing something like this so it will be a new experience that I can learn from. And the art itself inspires me, all of the colors, styles, mediums and combined creativity of other artists. And this gallery that celebrates and showcases the variety and unique talents of so many different artists. That inspires me. 
 
If you would like to see more of my stuff you can find me on different social media sites.
Www.facebook.com/hippiechick08
Facebook-Monica Parker The Crafty Bartender
Monica Parker - The Photographer
Instagram-Thehippiecchick
Etsy - Monica Parker The Crafty Bartender
 
 
 
Don Seidel
I have always had an interest in making my own art. In my younger years I was an award-winning professional photographer. I then spent 30 years in the corporate world of healthcare. Recently retired, I have more time to return to creating art, this time around as a sculptor. I have just started this new artistic journey, and the two sculptures in the show are among my first efforts.
 
“Radialhead” is a cylinder head from a 1973 motorcycle that I happened to have in my spare parts. Recently I pulled it out, cleaned it up and realized that it’s a really cool metal art object. I also had a piece of red flagstone and together they looked right. The effect I wanted to create was something metallic flowing out of the earth. The cool part is that the “Radialhead” is also a musical instrument if you run your fingernails against the fins!
 
The second sculpture “Sun Mountain” is a representation of the spirit of Pikes Peak. The rock was found along the Rampart Range fault line and is millions of years old. The flying goddess is a 1930’s era car hood ornament that symbolizes freedom, flight and victory. This sculpture was the first of mine to use an independent stand so that the rock would be off the ground and three dimensional.
 
Generally, my favorite piece of work is the last one that I did. But for this show my favorite would have to be the “Radialhead” because it is the first sculpture that I completed, and it motivated me to continue my artistic vision.

I am currently working on a series of sculptures using 1950’s hood ornaments with natural native rock formations to evoke a feeling of other planetary worlds being visited by chrome flying machines and flying goddesses.
 
All of the material in my sculptures are recycled either from manmade metal or from the earth. This recycled show is a perfect forum for my rock metal art
 
 
 
 
Darla Slee
Since childhood I have had an unquenchable creative spark. Whether I was drawing characters to cut out and play with or sculpting tiny doughnuts and pizzas from modeling clay, I was always making something. At some point, much later in life, I came across various electronic components and was fascinated by the intricate patterns of circuit boards and simple elegance of vacuum tubes. I began tinkering and ended up with some very unique pieces of jewelry.
 
Many of the materials I use come from discarded motherboards or hard drives. People will just give away these things once they’re obsolete. I also save any materials that look neat to me, like bottle caps. I have everything organized into various plastic bins. When I decide to make a new piece I’ll dig through these, holding up objects next to each other and imagining what they’d look like as a necklace or earrings or something else. I have a variety of tools to work with and can solder, hammer, drill, or saw the materials into whatever I wish.
 
It’s hard to hard to say what my favorite piece at this show is. I think my earrings made with the red bits of circuit board best represent what I do.
 

I had heard of the Recycled Art show in years past and this year I am fortunate enough to be a part of it. My jewelry made from recycled electronic components seemed like a natural fit.
 
I have an Etsy store called “darlatronic”, and a few pieces at Art 111.
 
 
 
Barb St. Clair
I have been painting since I was 10 years old. During the most productive years, I painted on everything from miniature furniture to full size pieces, antique coffee percolators, stools and anything I could find that was interesting. I like very busy detailed designs and I have even painted every scroll on the surface of antique oak chairs with a different pattern. I painted for 60 years but after the financial crash of 2008, things quit selling. Also, about 20 years ago my husband and I started an antique business and when rustic country products were popular we made barn wood bird houses and put antique door hardware, toys, and many kinds of bits on the bird houses. After the interest in that died down, I discovered that I had drawers full of interesting old “things” that were too good to just get rid of. I love working with different patterns and textures and colors, so I got the idea to make collages with the pieces. I also have added foreign coins and paper currencies left over from my husband’s foreign travels. The first collages I made were with personal items from our lives and then I expanded using all sorts of materials. I think the results are pleasing and I enjoy making them. I hope other people like them also.
 
It took time to figure out how to make the collages, so they would be sturdy and secure. I ended up using foam core board for the background and wire to hold most pieces on. I also used super glue to add extra strength to items. I have made several in shadow boxes that protect the items better and keep them clean, but I love the way the ornate frames help add to the richness of the entire feeling of the pieces.
 
Of the two that were accepted into this show, this is my favorite because it is large, ornate, and interesting.
 

I was inspired to apply for the recycled art show because I had not explored finding a venue for these collages yet, and before I put more time and energy into making them, I am curious to see if people liked them. I also find items made in the past to be rich in design and quality and I feel they should be appreciated in some way still.
 
The only way I can currently be contacted is by phone or email. My phone number is 719-389-1461, and email is barbstclair@mail.com
 
 
 
Leslie Thompson
I started getting into art at a very early age. My mother was very creative, so it came naturally, and she fed my creativity with finger paints, clay, colored paper and of course, Elmer’s glue! I majored in art in college but have made my living through other jobs. Whenever I tried to support myself with my art my creative juices would freeze up and I would be at a loss. So, I would skip the starving artist bit and do it in my free time. I have sold many, many “Glass from the Past” pieces, mostly in Crested Butte. I have 3 pieces left, one of which is being entered into the show. All the rest are in private collectors’ homes or offices and I am keeping 2 for myself. My old dumps now are where they’ve built condos so my glass supply ran out.
 
While living in Crested Butte, Colorado for a year and a half, I discovered numerous old dumps rom the 1800’s- 1960’s. Shards of glass, silverware, buttons, bottles and jars. The purple and royal blue glass were my favorite to discover and it was also the rarest to find. Actually, red was almost impossible to find. I never dug up the dirt in the dumpsites. They were large enough I didn’t have to and after every good soaking rain storm or snow, the natural erosion would unearth new pieces. I would take big white pickle buckets out to the sites and fill them about 1/2 full. Otherwise it was too heavy to carry back home. I would rinse the majority of the soil off with a hose in the back yard. Then I’d take the buckets, with clean water, sit in my living room and scrub each piece by piece with an old toothbrush, rinse it and let them dry. Once I had enough clean glass I would methodically arrange the glass into jars (with cork tops). These jars were of all sizes and shaped. I would lay pieces into the jar to emphasize the color of the piece of glass when it would be back lit. Windowsills were/are the best place to show off and get the most enjoyment of the colors and shapes. Old broken bottle necks, the top of the lid, I’d lay those in such a way so you could see through the top of the neck. It’s kind of hard to describe. You’ve gotta see it to appreciate it!

I am grateful I have a show to present my final piece that I am willing to part with. One collector called them “garbage in a jar”! I got a kick out of that.


What inspired me to enter this show? I check out the art entries section of The Independent often. This theme was right up my alley. I have 3 pieces left of this project which I created for years.
 



 
Metal Gutz Turner
My name is Chris Turner, I have always been an artist. As a kid I started out drawing and playing with Lego's. Now that I'm an older kid, I play with the Gutz of machinery and a welder. As a Small Engine Mechanic, I can source a lot of parts. I also have a few mechanic friends that throw me parts. Once I got a welder, all the junk I had laying around, became sculptures. Most of those sculptures were given to my friends. Those are the friends that pushed me into selling. It was hard to sell the first few sculptures, because I knew I would never see them again. Yes, there is an attachment to the art. 
 
Because of where I get my parts, I named the company Metal Gutz Turner. I take the larger parts of the machinery and dig out the Gutz. This means most of the parts are saturated in oil or grease. I have to sweat out the oil with heat before I can get a good weld to the part. Most of my sculptures parts have already been made. I lay out the parts and modify it to be what I see. Weld together, wire wheel it, and then clear coat it.
 
The Duck is my favorite sculpture in the bunch. I found that similar artists follow and challenge each other, on Instagram. The Duck was my 1st entry into the #metal------challenge (#MetalDuckChallenge). I tried to impress, and the parts just made themselves. A lot of detail, with minimal effort.
 

​I wanted to start selling, but what was the first step? I was scrolling through the Independent and saw the ad for the show. I did a little research and decided I would try it out. I know Manitou is one of the hubs for Colorado Artist's. What better place to start? What the Commonwheel Co-op requires to enter their show, is what kicked me into creating Metal Gutz Turner LLC.
 
MetalGutzTurnerllc@Instagram.com / MetalGutzTurner@Facebook.com / MetalGutzTurner.com(not set up yet).
 
 

We asked the artists selected for our “Recycled Art” Show the following questions:
 
1)In a short paragraph, tell us about yourself
2)With your recycled materials, tell us about your process. Walk us through the steps to achieve one of your works from sourcing the materials to completing the work for display or use.
3)What is your favorite piece for sale at this event? And why? 
4)What has inspired you to apply for this show? 
5)Where can we find your work: website, social media, local stores.
 
 
What follows are responses we received and images of some of the work you’ll see in this show.


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’ experience. 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.
 
I am a collector of things I find on the ground (ie. rusty metal, things I find in garbage bins, other people’s trash. I may not have a specific use in mind when I retrieve something, but I always think I’ll use it later for an art piece. I like to make different kinds of art other than clay and the Recycle Show was an opportunity to do just that.
 
I don’t have a specific process when working with the recycled pieces. I look at what I have and put together what feels right. 

My ceramic work can be found at Commonwheel Artist Co-Op and I can be reached at my email address; hartattack@sbcglobal.net
 
 
 
Frances Huntington
All my life I have had a connection to art. My grandparents and parents are artists. I studied at UCCS where I really started to develop my own style and content. A few big themes in my work are domesticity, femininity, and the temporality of life. Using recycled materials really interests me because they show time and age. Recycled materials also have a past life. They are fragments of the past. For me, using recycled pieces of fabric or lace acknowledges and celebrates the past. That also includes celebrating and acknowledging the past ideas about what domesticity means. Re-purposing materials gives them a new life and represents a new era of domesticity.
 
 
For my piece Hometown Glass I had a unique process which started with searching for glass in my hometown, Salida, Co, with mom. My mom has always been a resourceful, creative type, so naturally she knows where all of the good scavenging locations are. There is a location tucked in the mountains by Salida, Co that used to be an old dump. There is glass scattered all over the ground ranging from deep blue, to purple, to opaque milky glass. So wandering around and finding little treasures was where Hometown Glass first started. Another component for this piece is the lace. I am always hunting through thrift stores and estate sales looking for interesting lace patterns and fabric. Even the wood for this piece is recycled and found in one of my outings. When I put all of the components together I focused on composition. With the green piece of glass especially, I loved the way it curved over the edge of the wood. I used epoxy resin to combine all of the components together. There were preexisting holes in the top of the wood, so I used those to thread a string through for hanging. Overall, I felt I created a piece that talks about domesticity, the past, and the passage of time.
 
My favorite piece for sale in this show is Impermanent Fabric. I think it has a vibrancy from the colors that is fun as well as nostalgic. My favorite part is how the print of the lace underneath the flower repeats the texture that is within the flower on top. Overall, I think it reflects what I enjoy doing which is printmaking as well as using recycled materials to create interesting pieces of art.
 

I decided to apply for this show because I thought that my work fit the theme very well. I embrace using recycled materials in all of my work. It is not only an economical decision it is also an aesthetic decision. I am excited to have more opportunities to show and share my work.
 
The best place to see my work is on Instagram. My Instagram name is artfrances.
 
 
 
Leah Kenyon
Born and raised in Colorado with no official art training. Focused on Piano and Cello performance throughout school. I was a Music performance major in college at CSU-Pueblo, but I always loved going to look at the current displays in art gallery next door. Later in life, I was giving an acrylic paint set as a gift and I decided the next year to make custom gifts, for all of my family and friends. I found that I really enjoy working with different mediums and playing with recycled wire in my work. As an outdoors enthusiast, I love our beautiful state as well as our planet, and reduce reuse and recycle are core values for me. I am dedicated to always finding the beauty in the scrap, and to creating something new from something considered to be "trash". Inspiration can come from anywhere, and I always try to keep my eyes open. 
 
With your recycled materials, tell us about your process. Walk us through the steps achieve one of your works from sourcing the materials to completing the work for display or use.
 
It all started with some old wood scrap from inside an old couch, that became my first Colorado flag. Then I started working with wood pallets. In my old '91 Jeep i would go around town and collect "trash" pallets or free ones from Craigslist. Moving maybe 6 at a time, I built up a stock at my home that I then began to disassemble (which is harder than it sounds). With the free lumber assorted by wood type and sizes, I then create unique sized and shaped back boards that I then will paint (see photo). After a thorough sanding and cleaning, I began to add color to base background.

​​My husband is an electrician and brings home "scrap" wire. We normally recycle this, one day I decided to use some wire to outline an eagle I had painted. I liked it so much that I then created a copper tree growing from my painting. I continued this theme and painted a aspen scene with the leaves free hanging, made of brass wire. I started to then experiment with colored beads on the wire in the paintings. It is at this point that I painted Metal Monarch. I primarily use copper wire in my work, but I also use aluminum and occasionally brass. I even use insulated scrap copper to hang all of my pieces. 
 
I absolutely love Tentacle Tangle! I love painting ships on pallet wood because it adds so much character to the piece. You can carve in the detail and layer with paint. I have always loved reading and have been fascinated with the oceans since I read “2000 Leagues Under the Sea” as a child. I tried to weave the aluminum wire so carefully into the outline of this monster. It is a special beast and fragile as it is strong. Even the pirates though, are not safe from what waits below!

Last Year, I was fortunate to be a featured Artist of the Month for 2 separate months at 2 different PPLD locations. Until this time, I had only worked primarily with family and friends. I gained confidence based on the positive feedback and emotional connections that were created by my work and I became more and more ambitious in my creations. Although I sometimes only paint, I most enjoy working with multiple mediums combining both texturing the wood and adding different types of scrap wires into my art. Every piece I've created from the beginning, has always been from recycled materials. When I saw the open call for this show on Facebook, I knew I had to try.
 
I have done a few small craft fares around town in past but mostly I work custom commissioned gifts or animal memorials. To reach LMK Up-Cycled Creations email FromScraptoArt4Life@gmail.com or https://www.facebook.com/NewLife4Art/
Let's get creative! The possibilities are endless . . . 
 
 
 
 
Ron Koehn
As far back as I can remember, I’ve always been making stuff out of most anything I could find, and with no concern about whether or not it was art. I simply enjoyed it. Back in the 1960’s, while a graduate student in Painting at the University of California in Berkeley, just for fun I began making metal sculptures out of “junk” I found behind my dad’s machine shop. For me it was an escape from the complicated “rules” of Abstract Expressionist Painting. No worries about “equivocal space” or “violating the integrity of the picture plane”. I was free to make anything I wanted, and art was fun again! My wire sculptures in this Commonwheel show bring back fond memories of those “good old days” in Berkeley, of “free speech”, “flower power” and the “Grateful Dead”!
 
Usually I’ll begin a wire sculpture by referring to one of my continuous-line contour drawings left over from life drawing classes. The wire sculpture thus becomes a 3-D contour drawing.
 
For my sculptures I’ve used mostly coat hanger wire, but sometimes baling wire if more length is needed. It can be worked with pliers, wire cutters and metal files. A bench vise and hammer are also useful. For attachments I use binding wire and solder. Sometimes I’ll cut up a tin can with metal shears to add bulk to the piece. Coating everything with black spray paint unifies it.
 
The “Rock Star” piece is embellished with bottle caps for eyes and guitar tuning pegs for earrings. The eyeballs inside the bottle caps are made of polymer clay.
 

​While coat hanger wire, tin cans and bottle caps are common household items, the need for a pair of guitar tuning pegs sent me out on a treasure hunt into the fascinating world of music stores. Rummaging through the stores’ spare parts boxes revealed a wealth of really cool stuff just waiting to be repurposed. It was a pack rat’s paradise! Something to keep in mind for future projects.
 
Though I like the slender grace and swiftness of the “Gazelle” piece, my favorite is “Rock Star”. It’s a retro piece from the 1960’s that I’ve restored and modernized this year. “Rock Star” is a bobble-head that used to come to life while riding on the inside rear deck of my Ford Falcon. I made it just for myself, so I felt free to break all the rules of “Abstract Expressionism” at UC Berkeley’s prestigious Department of Fine Art. Yay! Just touch it gently on the top of its head, and “Rock Star” will bobble for you.
 
2016’s Recycled Art show at Commonwheel impressed me very much. The inventive use of materials in the work was fascinating. That’s what inspired me to re-work a couple of my old wire sculptures and enter them in this year’s show.
 
My ceramic work can be seen by appointment at my home studio in Colorado Springs. I can be contacted by phone at (719) 592-0984 or online at koehnart75@yahoo.com. Also I have a few pieces in the online store at www.commonwheel.com.
 
 
 
Marta Lacombe
I am a licensed architect in my country of origin, Brazil. I have worked in the field of architecture here in Colorado since emigrating from Brazil in 1997.
 
In Brazil, crime makes jewelry of precious metals and gems dangerous to own and wear. This has led me to appreciate things that were not meant to be jewels but possess a particular beauty in and of themselves.
 
My husband, a native of Colorado Springs, is a lover of the wild, an avid hiker, and my best supplier of metal, scraps, broken glass and aged objects. He finds new possibilities everywhere he goes and brings home pockets full of things.
 
My designs 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.
 
I have 2 favorite pieces – a note holder and a pair of earrings.
 
The note holder is the light metal with blue aqua glass beads and copper wire wrapping. I love it because have no clue what the metal piece is, and I was able to use as the base for the note holder. I also like the combination copper wire and blue beads very much—it seems to come to me at all times.

​The earrings are also a blue tone with copper wire. The nails were found by my husband and I when we were hiking, and they were both crooked the same way. The beads were bought in Brazil in one of my last trips in a second-hand store that sells a lot of jewelry.

The show theme is what I do – I create jewelry and décor objects that connect function and form, utilizing the antique beauty of objects found while hiking in Colorado.
 
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
 
 
 
Joanne Lucey
I have always loved art and painting, and my grandfather drew and painted watercolors. More recently I have begun to create pieces using found objects and things that might normally be discarded. I have also taken up pottery and acrylic painting.
 
I enjoy neighborhood walks and keep an eye out for items that are being thrown away. I have also remodeled several homes and think about reusing items where possible rather than sending them to the landfill. The banjo neck from 'Banjo Clock' was a found item a couple of years ago. The body is a ceiling fan housing from my former house in Texas, and the clock face is from a light fixture from my new home here in Colorado Springs. There are also parts from an old phone, watch strap, TV and vintage labeling machine. It can take months or years to source components and then decide the best way to use them. Once I came up with the concept of a clock, the assembly took only a few days.

'Banjo Clock' is a play on words. A banjo clock is a type of traditional clock in the shape of a banjo. My piece goes a step further as it is actually a clock made from (parts of) a banjo. Literally everything on it is reused/recycled. 
 
I had already created several recycled art pieces when I saw the call for entries. Commonwheel has some incredible artists and pieces, so it is an honor to be included in the show.


Watch for the 3rd installment of this blog post!

​We asked the artists selected for our “Recycled Art” Show the following questions:
 
1)In a short paragraph, tell us about yourself
2)With your recycled materials, tell us about your process. Walk us through the steps to achieve one of your works from sourcing the materials to completing the work for display or use.
3)What is your favorite piece for sale at this event? And why? 
4)What has inspired you to apply for this show? 
5)Where can we find your work: website, social media, local stores.
 
 
What follows are responses we received and images of some of the work you’ll see in this show.
 
 
Lynn Beckner
It all started at my daughter's Wedding Shower when I created 4 gifts: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, and Something Blue. For the “something old”, I found an old skeleton key. I put it on a chain and called it the Key to Happiness. Little did I know then that the Key to Happiness was meant for me too!
 
A short time later, I looked around the garage and realized just how many construction materials either end up in a landfill or are just sitting around in everyone’s garages collecting dust. Suddenly, every latch, hinge, drawer pull, keyhole, plumbing elbow, washer and wing nut was calling to me, begging to be upcycled!
 
That was 7 years ago, and I’ve never stopped being inspired. My Key to Happiness comes from allowing my customers to experience quality handcrafted jewelry from recycled hardware and feel good about their environmentally-conscious choices. Saving the Planet one piece of hardware at a time!
 
The production process starts with a creative vision of what a piece of attractive recycled hardware jewelry could be. Some of the recycled materials I use are: Vintage Garter Hooks, Fishing Lures, Latches & Hinges, Drawer Pulls, Vintage Dog Tags, Snaps, Hooks & Eyes, Shade Pulls and Saddle Hardware. All of these materials are hand-picked by me and not mass produced.
 
I have a small home studio where I create my products with hand tools. Some materials such as drawer pulls require the use of a grinder and a drill to create smooth edges and chain attachment holes. All of this labor is done by me and not outsourced. Recycled hardware jewelry is my passion and all this labor is pure therapy for me!
 
My favorite piece for sale at the Recycled Art Show has to be the Antique Garter Strap Necklace and Earring Set. Let’s face it, these recycled vintage garter hooks represent a time when holding up your nylon stockings was complicated and tortuous.

​My Boomer customers find the garter hook jewelry a welcome upcycle from their original purpose. These garter hook pendants and earrings are handmade with 1 cup of mid-century nostalgia and a tablespoon of naughty!
 
Did you know that metal can take thousands of years to biodegrade in a landfill? Every day Americans discard tons of hardware, often simply because it doesn’t match their furnishings! 
 
Savvy Reclamation’s inspiration comes from a need to promote sustainability and prevent usable hardware from ending up in landfills. My most rewarding moments come when my customers are drawn to a piece on display that they saw from a distance. Then when I tell them what the piece is recycled from, they love it even more!
 
I am a local Colorado Artist and run a Woman-owned business called Savvy Reclamation. You can find my unique recycled hardware jewelry designs at the Olive Tree Traders in Old Colorado City. I have an Etsy Shop and a Handmade at Amazon shop on the web. Follow my Savvy Reclamation Facebook page to see my 2018 Events Schedule. Ask me to make a custom piece for you!
 
Etsy https://www.etsy.com/shop/SavvyReclamation/
Handmade at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/handmade/Savvy-Reclamation/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SavvyReclamation
Twitter https://twitter.com/SavyReclamation
 
 
 
Laura Bornhoft
I have been crocheting since my grandmother taught me when I was a little girl. My interest was reignited my freshman year in college when someone in my dorm held a crochet class. Crochet and knitting are my happy place, my therapy, and my social outlet. Quality yarn can get expensive, so reclaiming yarn from other projects and sweaters is an economical way to use nice fibers.
 
Aside from some supporting features, my work is made from yarn reclaimed from sweaters found at thrift stores. I generally choose sweaters made from cotton or wool, as these fibers are easier for me to work with. Sweaters must have the seams sewn together instead of serged since serging cuts the yarn into short, unusable lengths. After taking the sweater pieces apart, I ball the yarn, and it is ready for use.
 
I used a few different crochet techniques to make these fascinators. With the green fascinator, I used freeform crochet. The white fascinator is made of three triangular doily shapes seamed together. The beige fascinator is comprised of Irish crochet style motifs. The pieces of the fascinators were wet blocked with fabric stiffener, then assembled once dried.
 
My favorite piece is the beige fascinator. I have a special appreciation for the art of Irish crochet, and I feel the motifs on this fascinator are a beautiful example of that.

​The most important thing I learned at a past gallery show I was a part of is that I should not be afraid to push myself. This call for entry gave me a great excuse to do just that.
 
My pieces are generally not for sale because I create for the enjoyment of creating. I often share my work on Instagram and Facebook.
 
 
Tom Conter
I have been a woodworker all of my life, even during my active 35-year business manager and consultant phase. I made my earliest furniture starting in 1973 because my wife and I needed furnishings in our early married life. I discovered live edge or natural edge woods about four years ago, and I have been hooked ever since. This style incorporates the natural edge of the wood into the design of the piece making each one unique. Once I discovered live edge wood, I knew that I could start crafting unique products for craft fairs and art galleries.
 
Most wood harvested in Colorado ends up as firewood. However, there are sawmills in Colorado that save the trees for a more beneficial use. All of the woods, which I personally choose, have been responsibly harvested along the Colorado Front Range from dead or dying old growth. My main sawmill is in Ft. Lupton, CO, and while I buy most of my wood there, I also go through the debris pile. Sawmills toss the bark and outer cuts into a pile for locals to use as fire kindling. I have found some of my most interesting, recycled pieces in this way.
 
The choice of materials is really the key. I try to find pieces of wood with unique colors, shapes, patterns and grains. At times I know exactly what I will make; with other pieces, I store the wood in my garage until I get inspiration. Most of the wood that I use is only rough cut, so a lot of physical labor goes into bringing out the richness of the wood. If the bark is still on the piece, I decide whether to keep all or part of it or remove it totally. The insects that thrive on live trees live just under the bark. By removing the bark, you can see the homes, tunnels and feeding areas of these insects on the "live edge".
 
While I try to maintain the natural look, most of the wood has to be cut to size for the table or hanging that I am making. I have three different electric saws that I use for this process. Then, using two different electric sanders, I start a long smoothing process. I will change the grit of sandpaper five to eight times, moving from the toughest to the finest grits. Along the way, I repair damage like cracks or holes with the sawdust from the same wood and glues. Some pieces incorporate gem stone inlay to repair damaged knots or to repair cracks. I normally use chrysocolla or turquoise for this process. Other areas of insect damage such as small holes or tunnels are left alone as a "distressed" look and feel. When I am pleased with the smoothness, I apply finishes to protect the wood. I use a combination of oils that bring out the richness of the colors, grains and patterns in the wood.
 
For my tables, I order steel legs made by one-person shops around the country. These crafters utilize either recycled steel or new, U.S. steel.
 
The Maple Burl Cluster Accent Table has the most unique wood I have ever used. Pulled out of the debris pile, it was covered with dirt and sawdust. However, I knew from the edges that there were burls in this piece. A burl is a deformed growth both in the interior and exterior where it is filled with small knots from dormant buds. The burls produce interior pressure that forms unique swirling patterns and colors. The piece for this table top has seven separate burls that produced this truly unique piece.

I have visited Commonwheel for years, as well as attending their arts and crafts show over Labor Day weekend.
 
I regularly check the websites of galleries which I respect looking for relevant shows. I was lucky enough to find this one. Since almost all of the wood that I use is recycled, I knew that I wanted to enter this show.
 
My main site is on Facebook where I post all of my new work and where it is going:  www.facebook.com/LiveEdgeWoodcraftsColorado/
 
I have been represented at 45 Degree Gallery in Old Colorado City, 2528 West Colorado Ave. for the last 2-1/2 years. I am also a member of the 40 West Arts District in Denver metro, and I exhibit at their gallery frequently: 40 West Art Gallery, 1560 Teller St, Lakewood, CO 80214.
 
 
 
Stephanie Gamez
I grew up in Manitou, my husband (Kirk Gamez) and I along with our 2 children (Kaleb Games and Joshua Stewart) went to Manitou schools. My mother Georgia Edmondson was a water-colorist and encouraged me though out my childhood. After attending Colorado Institute of Art in the early 80's I have worked for several large corporations as a graphic designer. I worked at Hewlett-Packard for 10 years before moving to Current. I then switched from graphic design to primarily web design and have a free-lance business at present doing both graphic and web design. I started painting about 8 months ago and have found it very therapeutic. We live in such a beautiful area, I have enjoyed sharing it with my art.
 
After being given some old windows a friend and my sister-in-law suggested I paint pictures on them. When I paint, I have to paint backwards on the frame, so the front side is the clean side of the glass. It's a little tricky.
 
The piece I love and is attached and is one of the first frames I painted on. I love the color combination- the original red painted frame with Pikes Peak.

I have always loved Commonwheel—wonderful works of art! I am very honored to be chosen for this show!
 
I am on Etsy, but I will have a website soon.
 
 
 
Duff Glass
I'm a life-long artist. I am now retired, but I worked in video production for 35 years. I have always worked with oil and acrylic paint and worked with wood—both new and rescue for the past 10 years.
 
I seek out materials everywhere—on the curb as I walk the dogs; in yard sales; at music and antique stores; I've even tried ads in Craigslist. Over the years I’ve accumulated various handles, knobs and trim bits and I let the main component of the piece guide which direction it's metamorphosis will take. 
 
The Colorado jewel box is my favorite of the two because it's more colorful and since its 3D it took more work.

I really appreciate recycled and upcycled art, and I am very glad that Commonwheel is highlighting this medium. So naturally I wanted to contribute!
 
I'm not very good at sales and marketing, so I don't have a website or anything. I just try to find shops and sales which might appeal to folks quirky enough to like my work. 
 
 
 
Kay Hall
While working as a health care professional for many years, I have had many affairs with different arts and crafts. I was always on the lookout for the one that would captivate and challenge me—my one true love that would balance out my very left-brained, non-creative chosen profession.
 
I’ve found all this and more with glass, and along with my newly empty nest, I’m experiencing a Renaissance.
 
My current body of work includes small glass mosaic pieces (light switch covers) and fused glass work utilizing recycled glass (tempered glass shelving, automobile glass, shower doors, etc.). I love the green aspect of using “glass with a past”. They take on a renewed life and character of their own. Each piece is individually designed in my Colorado studio with special attention to color, flow and functionality.
Whether I’m working on a mosaic piece, or trusting the kiln gods with a fused glass creation, I am learning to appreciate the magic and alchemy that transform a simple material that had been headed for the landfill, into a glorious piece of art.
 
For my fused glass pieces, my goal is to never actually pay for glass, and with so much going to landfill every year, that's not very difficult to achieve. I have been known to pick up glass by the side of the road left on trash day and my neighbors know me as their local dumpster diver. I have come home on occasion to find pieces of glass on my front porch. I also have a brother who restores classic cars and he saves me rear windows. My favorite way to source glass is to go to a junkyard and bash out windows with a sledge hammer. Talk.about.therapy. Trust me, at that point it becomes performance art as well.
 
When I get the glass home, it's cleaned and left to dry. After that, it's just a matter of finding the right mold (I am currently experimenting with making my own from paper clay), loading the kiln, and saying a prayer to the kiln gods. Some of my pieces take one firing (approximately 13-16 hours in the kiln), and some take 2 firings (30-40 hours in the kiln). After that there is cold-working and possibly epoxying if I'm joining pieces together that I can't actually fuse in the kiln.
 
The bases for the light switch covers are usually found at a Goodwill store or a Habitat for Humanity Restore. Most of the glass I use came from another artist who wasn't doing stained glass anymore and needed to get rid of it. I gladly took it off her hands. The process I use is mosaic, meaning the pieces are glued on and then grouted. I can do any color, and any configuration. They make wonderful house warming gifts and new baby gifts. They turn out to be little pieces of jewelry for your walls.
 
My favorite piece in the show is the large blue bowl. It was made from a former computer desk that I found by the side of the road for the trash man to pick up. At first I thought it was a smoky color, but after I got it home and started working on it, I realized it was a gorgeous tealy blue color. It melts beautifully in the kiln, and I have made several pieces with it.

​I was inspired to apply to this show because it was a perfect fit for the type of work I do.
 
My work can also be found at Shadow Mountain Gallery www.shadowmountaingallery.com in downtown Evergreen. My website is www.IndigoMesaGlassworks.com, and on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/indigomesaglassworks/


This is post 1 of 3. More artists and their work will be featured in the next 2 articles!

by Nancy Lindenmier
 
We have been with the Commonwheel Artists Co-op since April 2017.
We would like to see people be carried away to a happy place while looking though our scopes.
Each kaleidoscope is decorated differently and depends solely on how the piece speaks to me as it unfolds.
 
I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Colorado. My first passion was for watercolors inspired by a tropical scene that hung in my grandmother's house and now hangs in my home. From the time I could pickup a crayon I tried to recreate that picture and have been painting ever since. I've been in numerous juried shows around Colorado over the years. I have dabbled with pottery, raku and jewelry with a fair amount of success, but landed on my real passion by serendipitous chance when on vacation in Arizona.

While we were taking the scenic route between Prescott and Sedona, we stopped in an old copper mining town clinging to the side of a mountain called Jerome, Arizona for Alan to get a cup of coffee. Since I don't drink coffee I crossed the street and discovered an amazing shop called Nellie Bly's. We spent the next three hours fascinated by the glorious, colorful and magical world of kaleidoscopes of all shapes and sizes from one inch to five feet tall. We have taken several classes that have been offered each year since then and have fallen in love with the magic of kaleidoscopes. They are not only beautiful, but fun to make.

We feel that the kaleidoscope promotes healing, decreases stress, helps focus, calms the body and the mind. In the late 1980's and 1990's, teachers reported that hyperactive students that looked through a scope for just two minutes had greater attention spans for up to two hours. Those teachers reported that this simple activity lowered blood pressure, heart rate and excitability levels.   

Basically, if you don't like what you see, a simple turn will bring another wonderful image into view. No two scopes are the same as each has different colors inside or out and each one also enjoys a variety of materials and enhancements that could never be copied exactly. Each kaleidoscope prompts new ideas and creative directions to travel that are as exciting to make as they are to view.

​Currently, we are able to seriously pursue our art and reconnect with the Colorado Springs Art Community. We are enjoying getting involved with other like-minded artists and meeting new people. We are also taking great pleasure in the camaraderie and support from a group that understands the creative process, as well as the fun and challenge of doing something you love.
 
Our work is only available in the Commonwheel Artists Co-op.
 
 
We are currently exploring upcycling items into kaleidoscopes as well as some larger pieces. Here is a photo of the latest scope in the new upcycled series.

March 16—April 16, 2018
Join us for both of our evening receptions: March 16 and April 6, 5-8 pm.
 
All art involves an artist taking up some media and transforming it into a new form or image that comes from their vision and imagination. Artists take many different types of materials and give them a thorough and dramatic change in form or appearance wherein it undergoes a radical transformation to become a piece of art. Some artists start with a lump of clay or precious stones and metal. They take these materials and mold them into beautiful bits of sculptural art. Other artists begin with a blank piece of paper and by using paints, inks, or photography create an image no one else has created before. Artists transform what most people see as ordinary into something extraordinary, unique to their way of seeing the world.
 
“Transformation” is a gallery show that looks at the journey of three local artists and the materials they use in their creative process.
 
Julia L. Wright, long known for her feather masks and jewelry, has been expanding her artistic palette to incorporate nature photography. As she hikes she takes images along the trail. Then back at home she transforms those photos into kaleidoscopic digital art.
 
Jerry Rhodes starts with clay and transforms it into dramatic vessels and sculptures. His raku work incorporates disparate concepts and elements drawn from a global, temporal, and cultural palate into harmonious designs.
 
Ace McCasland’s jewelry has a rustic, eclectic, industrial feel and for this show she is considering how seeds transform into plants as diverse as grass and trees. Using ancient metal-smith techniques she strives to create modern, one-of-a-kind designs.
 
Julia L. Wright
Talk a little about yourself
Creating art in many forms has been the basis of my life starting with theatre when I built sets and directed others in High School and college. I created a variety of art using a myriad of fibers. Feathers were added to many of my art creations, and I am best known for creating feather masks and other artful accessories using feathers and found objects.
 
I have taken thousands of photographs on my hikes and in many gardens. About five years ago started using my realistic nature and other photos to illustrate my books and journals. And some of them got a bit twisted to fit into the idea I was trying to illustrate.
 
About 2 years ago, I “fell down a rabbit hole of creativity” using my Nature photographs to create abstract, kaleidoscopic and mandala style images. I find a little part of a Nature photo and by playing with it in on the computer; I transform it into a totally different type of image. 

​What does making art mean to you?
When I am in my studio or sitting at my computer, I get totally lost in the process and my imagination can run pretty wild thinking about how to take the materials at hand and create something totally unique and fun.
 
Taking photos on my hikes always has my creative juices flowing. I enjoy watching people try to imagine how I went beyond a simple Nature photograph when looking at my artwork. I am constantly looking for some new way to use the images I begin with to create a bit of awe and wonder when someone sees the finished art.
 
What inspires you in your art?
Nature is my most powerful inspiration. When hiking or passing a beautiful garden, I often stop to take in the amazingly beautiful natural creations that surround me. A driftwood stump or a rock formation or a bit of moss can be as enticing to my eye as a beautiful wildflower. Each one makes my heart sing and my spirit soar with joy when I take the time to really look at the beauty others pass by each day without noticing it.
 
I realize there are hundreds of people who take beautiful Nature photographs, so I wanted to do something a little bit different with mine. I really enjoy finding a hidden piece of a Nature photo to twist and turn into a totally unsuspected image. Watching people look deeply into the images and point out to friends what they see and get a conversation going about that image is a joy to watch.
 
Walk us through your production process.
I take lots and lots of pictures on a hike or in a garden, and then sort through them to find which ones will work for various types of art projects I may be working on. Sitting at the computer, I will crop out extraneous objects for a book illustration or to use in a deck of cards. The real fun comes when I see a piece I want to play with to create a mandala or kaleidoscopic or surrealistic abstract image. Each one of these can take hours and many twists and turns, and sometimes changes to the coloration, to get to the place I feel satisfied with the final image.
 
What reaction do you want to achieve in the public looking at and buying your artwork?
I want people to look deeply into each of the abstracted photographs use their imagination to discover images within them. I want people to use their imaginations and discover a myriad of images within each image. I enjoy asking if they can see the starting image or if it just all melts into one new piece of art.
 
What is your recent favorite piece? And why?
I have had lots of fun creating these images. I do hope some will inspire others to gain an appreciation for Nature and this beautiful planet we live on. But more than that, to let their imagination run wild when looking at stump or rock formation or a bit of moss and see a fantasy creature that may inspire a poem or story to tell their children.
 
I think my most favorite surrealistic image I have in this show is the “Magic Mushrooms Reflected in the Aspen Pond”. What a great hike that was! Actually, hidden in this image is a reflection of my shadow, very hard to see.  The magical feeling of the golden Aspen leaves floating on the water still evokes a feeling of joy I felt on that hike walking through the autumn splendor in silence only broken by the wind and the cry of birds.
 
Here are two sets of images:
Each one has the original image, then the cropped piece I used and the final image that will be at the show. Both came from this hike and have Aspen leaves in them, but from different ponds. Both use most of the original image, but the “Magic Mushrooms“ image has many more twists and changes to it.

​The little piece of driftwood looked like he was praying or looking up on wonder. So “Prayer Circle” came about as a kaleidoscopic image. 

Where can we find your work?
 1. Web sites:
                www.commonwheel.com
                http://julial-wright.pixels.com/
                https://www.hierographicsbooksllc.com
                My books are also on Amazon
                https://www.etsy.com/shop/Fantafaces
And I usually have 2-3 images showing in the Manitou Art Center member Gallery and at Commonwheel Artists Co-op.
 
 
 
Jerry Rhodes
In a short paragraph, tell us about yourself
I think it was 1995 or 1996 when I went to a Renaissance Festival and saw these hand-made beer steins that I really liked.  I was too cheap to buy them, and I was convinced that they were probably really easy to make.  How hard could that be, right?!  So I decided to go to a craft center and teach myself to throw pottery.  After many, many years, I amassed a garage full of ashtrays, flower pots, and a few artistic pieces that were kind of ok.  I decided to take some pieces to galleries in Santa Fe, Taos, Denver, and around Colorado Springs, and the owners actually consigned a few--so that's how it started.  I still consider pottery a bad hobby I got into, and I STILL haven't made a good set of beer steins.

​What does making art mean to you?
I've never really philosophized deeply about what my art means to me.  I don't try to make socio-political statements with my work.  I don't feel I need to create an homage to any genre, trend, style, or palate (although I do favor Raku).  I don't try to emulate famous artists.  I don't care that my technique is all wrong.  I don't have an insatiable urge to create...I just like make pots.  The ultimate satisfaction for me is pulling a piece out of the kiln and saying, "Yeah, that's ok. I like that one."
 
What has inspired you for this show?
My inspiration for this show was forgetting that I signed up months ago to do it, and then panicking and trying to get a bunch of pieces done at the last minute.
 
For this show specifically, tell us about your process.
The process is pretty straight forward: throw the pot, trim the pot, bisque fire the pot, glaze the pot, Raku-fire the pot, hope it doesn't break during any of the steps above. I've posted a few "Befores-and-Afters" on Facebook.  
 
What emotions do you want to explore in the public looking at your artwork?
I'd hope that others looking at my work don't try to overanalyze it or look for profound meaning.  If you like a particular piece, great.  If you think it's crap, that's great, too.
 
What is your favorite piece for sale at this event? And why?
I think my favorite pieces, for now, are the Sagar-fired Bonsai tree pots.  They're not quite where I want them to be stylistically yet, but the technique offers an almost limitless variety of experimental approaches.

Where can we find your work?
I have a website that I haven't updated in years:  www.jerryrhodespottery.com, and galleries in Charleston, San Francisco, New York, Golden & Manitou, and a few other places. 

Ace McCasland
In a short paragraph, tell us about yourself.
we are all seeking, exploring, wondering, dreaming... after years of adventuring and wandering the western landscape, I’ve begun to express these experiences with a variety of artistic mediums. being an avid traveler, I am especially drawn to art you can easily take with you, and even better, wear.  My jewelry designs are earthy yet industrial, eclectic, and unpretentious, often incorporating materials that challenge preconceptions of what is 'valuable'. I experiment with unusual techniques such as hammering annealed metal against concrete or railroad track or melting scraps of leftover silver into a ring band, for a truly unique texture. I create my own chains, jump rings, ear wires, clasps, and much more, finishing each unique piece with heavy oxidation, buffed slightly for highlights, to create an archaeological 'freshly unearthed' creation. I work intuitively, so each day I enter the studio, I rarely know what is going to happen, but the opportunity to elevate something common into something precious is a challenge I look forward to each time, and often surprise myself with the results.
 
What does making art mean to you?
My work can be described as 'wild-crafted metal': inspired by the wild, crafted by hand, incorporating the exquisite textures and patina of metal with minerals, gemstones, found objects, and organic material. My creations embrace personal adornment as small sculpture that is worn upon, and interacts directly with, the body. I seek to create an abstract story with my art, as jewelry especially becomes intimate and expressive for the wearer, in turn becoming a part of their own story.  

​What has inspired you for this show?
For this show, “Transformation”, I am exploring the idea of change, of alchemy, of growth.  The tiniest capsule of a seed holds the most profound and exquisite example of transformation, able to alter itself into a simple blade of grass, or a stately redwood tree. This thought has inspired organic pieces evocative of that moment when a seed first sprouts, that moment of unrealized potential, when slender tendrils reach passionately and determinedly toward the sky. Other pieces are simply inspired by the transformative process of changing raw and often recycled or found materials into wearable pieces of art for the body.
 
For this show specifically, tell us about your process.
I have included a process photo collage that documents the transformation of raw materials, in this case scrap silver, into a ring band: first the scrap is laid out onto a charcoal block, then fire is applied, melting the bits to each other without completely melting it into a shapeless blob. I take this strip and hammer, file, edit, and shape, ultimately forming a ring band.  After studying the shape and potential negative space, I may discover a natural spot to place a gemstone, here, a warm glowing citrine is placed into a hand fabricated prong setting, then the piece is complete. 

What do you hope people to experience when looking at your artwork?
Jewelry is an exquisite medium that allows one to wear art that directly interacts with the body. Jewelry becomes personal and expressive for the wearer and becomes a part of their own story. To be able to create a piece of jewelry that becomes so intimate and meaningful for someone is extremely gratifying as an artist. I often ask the viewer or the wearer to step outside of their comfort zone. Push the limits, bend the rules, poke at the ideals of perfection. I do not seek to express flawlessness, I seek authenticity. I seek the truth within the layers. I seek the nitty gritty, the weathered, the worn, the discarded, the overlooked. We all have rough edges we try so hard to conceal. I choose to reveal those flaws, to embrace the ragged, the wild, the raw. It is in these moments of pushing our own limits, we will discover ourselves.


What is your favorite piece for sale at this event?
to be determined...... possibly meaning it hasn't been made yet... ha!
 
Where can we find your work: website, social media, local stores.
www.studiolunaverde.com
www.instagram.com/studiolunaverde
 www.facebook.com/studiolunaverde 
           
Locally, my work can be found at:
Poor Richard's Downtown (320 North Tejon)
G44 Gallery (1785 S. 8th Street)

​A Colorado native I grew up 14 years in Montana but returned to Colorado to become the 1st female park ranger in Colorado Springs for 30 years. Now retired, I focus on my passion to create my own expressions in art.
 
My strongest interests and influences have always been in old-world cultures, ethnic art and my connection to nature.
 
I’ve been a member of Commonwheel 17 1/2 years.
 
Art has always been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I’ve been an active artist for around 35 years. I feel very lucky to have had a career I loved and am now able to focus full time on my art.
 
My art is a driving passion that makes my heart beat and feeds my soul. To create something that brings joy and happiness to myself and others is such a reward. Creating something that someone else wants to have in their life says it all. Art can also be wonderful therapy for both the artist and the recipient of one’s work.
 
Right now, I’m working on my wall hearts and some funny Valentine VooDoo dolls that will make you laugh. I’m also working on some pieces for upcoming found object and a garden shows that will be at Commonwheel this year.
 

We set out to surround Valentines Day and the idea of “love” with a show that will encompass the whole month of February. We put out an open call to artists to submit images of their art that finished the phrase “Love and . . .” and had over a dozen artists respond. Their work is as varied as their answers to the 3 questions we recently posed to them:

1. What prompted the art you submitted for this gallery show? What was your inspiration?
 
2. How long have you been working with the type of art you submitted?
 
3. Tell us a little about yourself.
 
 
Cheryl Lafon
1. What prompted the art you submitted for this gallery show? What was your inspiration?
“Love and finding the perfect partner” is my painting of two sea otters from the Carmel area of California.
I also submitted a painting of owls. They are all babies and best friends. “Love and your best friends.” This was painted with a batik method of watercolor on rice paper. 
 
2. How long have you been working with the type of art you submitted? 10 years

3. Tell us a little about yourself. I'm a retired from 20 plus years in Newspaper Marketing in three newspapers all over the West. I started in sculpture but turned to watercolor. I love the medium. 

Susan Tormoen
1. The inspiration for my painting was a photo I took of my 5-year-old grandson and his best friends at his birthday party.
2. I have been doing pastels for many years but seldom do people.
3. I am an 82-year-old artist that works in pastel and oil primarily. I also do some tapestry weaving. 

Molly Harris
1.  My inspiration was a long-term love interest and the understanding of myself and others that I have derived/am deriving from the experience.

2.  I have been making oil paintings on wood panels for about ten years, and I have been making drawings on antique music paper for about 7 years.
 
3.  I am a self-taught artist, native to Colorado Springs.  I love exploring different artistic styles and different mediums, which seem non-cohesive at the outset, but will eventually coalesce into a cohesive body of work.  Sometimes it takes years for the pieces to fit themselves into place. 

Abraham Eisenstein                    
hear we go, from out of the blue, as deep as a metaphorical mirror, hello to you
                         ...scents of inspiration, vintage two 'n' too!
paint with words, left to right, love of 'rite, soft and tight, 'rythmatic of script sculpture
                                      the big picture plus...
                          in the oddest place, in the artist place
tonight, turning 'rite up yore alley in left field, oceanic mountainous clouds
                                                         the roof of you're cellar
 
 
from thirty-four into approximately seventy... thirty six years in a wilderness of golden would essence 'n' petrified woulds,
pondering the deeper significance of invisible by day in sight of night...
 
 
...retired after 19 years at CMHS, 2005
taught seniors psychology, sociology, gradually becoming psychosocial movement of hearty heady
grew up in NYC, came thru Ellis Island at the age of one, 1949
MA applied Economics, QC ... finished doctorate course work at SUNY at Stony Brook in theoretical Economics
hitched from London to Jerusalem, nine weeks
receiving teaching assistantships at both institutions
ten years of in tense karate training, 3 national team kata awards, junior instructor
invited to train in Japan, JKA for a summer
Columbia University for graduate work, a year of Sports Psychology, NLP
taught at NY Institute of Technology, Queensboro CC, George Washington HS (math)
Colorado ...
 
thank you, dream well
 
 
Suzi Reaves
Suzi’s work is described as “Love and Health and Beauty”
1.  I was prompted to enter this gallery show because I create porcelain essential oil necklaces, which celebrate the heart and love.  They are worn with love of self because they have a purpose.   The necklaces are infused with thieves oil to promote good health, well-being and self-care. The necklaces are given with love to show affection for the recipient.  They are beautiful and have the bonus of keeping the wearer feeling well.  Whether giving the essential oil necklace as a gift or gifting it to yourself, you are showing love and joy.  
 
2.  I have been a ceramic artist since my first pottery class in 1973.  Clay hooked me and I won’t let go.  It is a sensuous media and brings me joy to work with it. I create my pieces by hand, fire it in a kiln then decorate each piece, making each ceramic creation a work of love.  
 
3.  I studied ceramics the first time I went to college in the 70’s.  I had a minor degree in art and have always worked in it.  I married, had a family and needed something to give us health insurance and to work towards a retirement so I joined the U.S. Navy in 1990.  Fast forward twenty-three years and I had earned a retirement.  My family was grown and I was a disabled veteran, though not enough to keep me from doing art.  I took my G.I. Bill and went back to college, this time earning my Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in ceramics.  I have been happily creating with clay since.  

Julia Wright
1.    My Love of Nature and seeing how disrespectful people have become when caring for the environment in recent years, the quote about who this planet belongs to has been posted around my home for a long time. The photograph I took of a man holding his child pointing off into the distance/future sitting on the grass became something to play with digitally and place them in a more nature filled setting. This image then seemed to be the perfect illustration for that quote.
 
The other images were inspired by Shawn Gallaway's song "I Choose Love" that I have listened to for many years. The idea of the choice between Love or Fear; or Peace and War; Sunshine or a Storm; Laughter or Tears . . . the answer to all those questions is "I Choose Love." The pairing of dragonflies or black swans or a Squirrel with its hand on its heart inside a heart illustrates that choice for me.
 
2.   I have been taking photos on my hikes or in gardens for most of my adult life. Started using them in wall art about 2 years ago and in my books for about 5 years. Sometimes I use them as they naturally appear, other times I play with them more in Photoshop to give them a more abstract or painted look.
 
3.   I have had a respect and love of the natural world all of my life and became involved in the arts when I worked behind the scenes in theater in High School. In College I started working with fibers and going to art festivals and selling in galleries. I am mostly known for my feather masks and jewelry pieces. I began writing books about 5 years ago and they needed illustrations. Most of them are illustrated with my photographs, some I do find elsewhere. The photographic digital art was an easy progression to another level of art to play in with my Nature photos. Using them as they appear naturally works sometimes, but I "fell down a rabbit hole of creativity" and began to manipulate them in a graphic program in ways to add interest. Some feel like you are looking through a kaleidoscope or at a mandala, others are purely abstractions and all invite you to look deeper to find fantastic forms or creatures within each picture. The ones in this show have some manipulation to gain the effect of the focus creature offering love in some form or another to each other or the viewer.
 
 
 
Shirley Paterson
For me, the theme “Love and…” immediately brought to mind—fabric!  Fabric presents endless possibilities of color, pattern, texture, as well as cultural connections and family, personal and emotional ties.  Fabric communicates, even without words. 
 
I have been sewing for nearly 50 years, beginning with outdoor equipment kits and homemaking items.  I am a past president of Piecing Partners Quilt Guild in Colorado Springs, and have participated in a number of shows through the years.  I gravitate toward simple fabric combinations, in hopes of taking advantage of the materials to create something both pleasing and useful.
 
I grew up in Boulder, and graduated from Colorado College (1972).   I worked in a clinical psychology office for many years, while my husband owned a construction company. We have two grown daughters and two grandsons, and have lived on Colorado Springs’ west side for over four decades.   
 
I find the activity of designing and creating sewn items to be stimulating and calming at the same time – also addictive!  Thanks for the opportunity to share some of my creations with you.

​
Ben Bires
1. Being new to Colorado, I wanted to show my gratitude for our surrounding scenery here at the Front Range. Taking walks through these open spaces in nature is my inspiration. I fell in love with the contrast between the bold colors of the red rocks clashing against Colorado’s blue skies.

​2. Within the last year, I have found an appreciation for the versatility of acrylics.
 
I began painting with oils almost a decade ago and for many years, I used watercolors to capture my traveling experiences into landscape paintings. This approach involves a gel medium retarder that slows down the drying process allowing me to treat parts of the painting like oils.
 
3. I grew up in a small town in Western Pennsylvania and spent most of my childhood exploring the outdoors. I attended Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a BFA in 2014. Three years prior, while in college, a collaborative camping trip with the Art and Geology Departments changed everything for me when we drove across the country in a van to South Dakota’s Badlands National Park. Traveling out West a total of four times since visiting the Badlands convinced me to move before my roots became too deep. During the summer of 2016, halfway in my twenties, I left home with my other half, Liv, and moved to Colorado Springs. After the first month of getting settled, we found our first dog to adopt, Fin. They make my life a whole lot better. I enjoy listening to music with a good beer and great company. You might see me at the dog park or at a local pub.
 
 
 
Dalton Martin
1.  The photographs that I entered were part of the final project in the Photography II course at CSU-Pueblo.  Students were required to enter 3 juried exhibitions, so when I found the information on "Love and....", I thought it would be a great way to show individual work.  Art is all around us, but we pass by it every day without noticing because we don't stop, look up, look around, or take the time to appreciate the details and creations around us.

​2.  This is my second semester college course in photography, so I am new to this art form.
 
3.  I was born in San Diego, California, and moved to Pueblo in 2000 at the age of five.  I live with my parents and two dogs, and family is very important to me.  I have always enjoyed drawing and have the dream to work in the animation industry.  I am pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from CSU-Pueblo and enjoy learning and experiencing the various art forms.  My favorite art form is drawing, but I have also enjoyed the courses in painting and ceramics.  I also enjoy movies, Gundam models, Anime, and Marvel comics.
 
 
 
 
Laura Miller Maddox
Love and Reflection (digital photography on canvas)
 
My are is a meditation presented within a 2-dimensional space. Each digital image I create embodies a unique energy guided through the camera’s lens. “Love and Reflection” evokes memories of a lived past transcending time and space. I believe such memories become treasures of the heart.

Julia Wright is a long-time member of Commonwheel Artists Co-op, and our first Artist of the Month for 2018. That means that you get a 10% discount on Julia’s art during January 2018. (In-store purchases only.)

Julia will be part of a gallery show this March along with Jerry Rhodes and Ace McCaasland. 

We asked Julia a few questions. Below are her responses.

Talk a little about yourself 
 
Creating art in many forms has been the basis of my life starting with theater when I built sets and directed others in High School and college. I created macramé costumes for a traveling troupe and very unique wall pieces, in which incorporated found objects. Next, I began to weave natural and hand-dyed wools into some of the macramé pieces and built my version of an Indian Rug Loom to create abstract woven wall art. Feathers have always been part of my art creations. I created mandala style feather wall hangings, and then discovered the concept of making masks with feathers when Manitou held a Mardi Gras celebration many years ago. What fun that was and still is! Creating earrings, hair clips, and pendants was a natural progression to creating artful accessories using feathers and found objects.

I have taken thousands of photographs on my hikes and in many gardens. For about five years started using my realistic nature and other photos to illustrate my books and journals. And most recently, I began to use my realistic photographs to create different types of decks of cards for children and adults.
​
About 2 years ago, I “fell down a rabbit hole of creativity” using them to create abstract, kaleidoscopic and mandala style images by taking a little part of a Nature photo and playing with it in PhotoShop. Currently these can only be seen online and in gallery shows. 

What does making art mean to you?
 
 When I am in my studio or sitting at my computer, I get totally lost in the process and my imagination can run pretty wild thinking about how to take the materials at hand and create something totally unique and fun. It uplifts my spirit to honor the beauty of the feathers used in my masks and jewelry and glorify Nature in various artful ways.
​
I love watching people try to imagine how I went beyond what others did with fibers and feathers, and now photos when looking at my artwork. Working in my feather studio or on a computer or taking photos on my hikes always has my creative juices flowing. I am constantly looking for some new way to use the materials at hand to create a bit of awe and wonder when someone sees the finished art.
 
 
What inspires you in your art? (Are you currently exploring new themes, techniques, color palette, ideas, etc.?)
 
Relating to Feathers: Currently I am inspired to use up as many of the various unique types of feathers hanging around in my studio. Time to be a bit more adventurous when creating masks for Carnivale. For the holidays, including the upcoming Valentines Day, I created some larger pendants with some very fun shiny found objects to dress up even the simplest of dresses.

​Relating to Photography: Nature is my most powerful inspiration. When hiking or passing a beautiful garden, I often stop to take in the amazingly beautiful natural creations that surround me. A driftwood stump or a rock formation or a bit of moss can be as enticing to my eye as a beautiful wildflower. Each one makes my heart sing and my spirit soar with joy when I take the time to really look at the beauty others pass by each day without noticing it.

I realize there are hundreds of people who take beautiful Nature photographs, so I wanted to do something a little bit different with mine. I really enjoy finding a hidden piece of a Nature photo to twist and turn into a totally unsuspected image. Watching people look deeply into the images and point out to friends what they see and get a conversation going about that image is a joy to watch.
​
The idea of using my Nature photos for card decks for children started with the idea of making Flash Cards, but morphed into something totally different. I have seen too many instances of how little respect people have for the natural world and can only hope that by showing how beautiful and fragile wildflowers can be starting with a card game that might inspire more kids to get out and search for them and find other reasons to respect their natural surroundings.

Walk us through your production process.
 
Relating to Feathers: Whether I am creating a feather mask or a piece of jewelry or a wall piece, I first need to clip all the down off the feathers I will be using. For the feather earrings, hairclips and especially for the pendants, I have to lay out the feathers to be sure they will conform to the proper shape. When using pheasant feathers with patterns, the patterns and coloration can change very quickly on each pelt, so I need to be careful to have enough of each pattern to finish a piece properly. I enjoy adding found objects to the pendants and sometimes to the hairclips to give them a bit more interest.
​
Masks are the most playful feathery creations I make. I believe that each one will find a face to cover and inspire the person wearing it to allow their inner child or alter ego to come out and dance and play in ways they normally wouldn’t think about doing unmasked. Manitou Springs has a Carnivale Celebration where people get into costume for the parade and playing all day. A FantaFaces mask is the perfect beginning, or ending for creating your costume for that fun day or any other masked event you might attend. (Ed. Note: Carnivale will be held on February 10, 2018.)

​Relating to Photography: So, I take lots of pictures on a hike or in a garden, then sort through them to find which ones will work for which type of art project. Sitting at the computer, I will crop out extraneous objects for a book illustration or to use in a deck of cards. The real fun comes when I see a piece I want to play with to create a mandala or kaleidoscopic or abstract image. Each one of these can take hours and many twists and turns, and sometimes changes to the coloration, to get to the place I feel satisfied with the final image.

​What emotions/reactions/thoughts do you want to cause/explore/achieve on the public looking at and buying your artwork?
 
Relating to Feathers: When someone puts on a mask, they are transformed. I have seen a dancer become a bird flitting around a crowded art festival or others take on a sinister stance and begin to sneak around the gallery. Almost everyone who puts on a mask connects to something deep inside himself or herself that wants to come out and play. Sometimes a mask will bring out a darker side to a person, but usually it brings out the child inside or some fantasy creature they long to become for a short time.

Relating to Photography, Books, and Cards: I want people to look deeply into each of the abstracted photographs using their imagination to discover images within them. I want people to use their imaginations and discover a myriad of images within each image. I enjoy asking if they can see the starting image or if it just all melts into one new piece of art.

The books I have written have very practical advice and have come from my own experiences. Essential Oils basically saved my life a couple of times. And seeing the huge amount of waste from the Commonwheel Art Festival diverted from the landfill each year is a joy to me, and all the volunteers who helped accomplish that. So, I created a book to help others learn how to recycle and compost at their events.
​
My journals are based on specific themes, but they are not just “blank books”. They have practical advice in the introductions and some photographs related to the journal’s subject. Each one has prompts for a person to fill in the blanks relating to that prompt. And there are extra pages to use to write more about their dreams or their hiking and camping adventures. Some have pages to sketch on or color in heart designs.

What is your recent favorite piece? And why? 
 
Relating to Feathers: I love working with parrot and macaw feathers. They are so brilliantly colorful that they lend themselves to creating very dramatic masks. There is one that is all green feathers would make the perfect mask to create a costume such as Green Man or a garden fairy.

Relating to Photography: I have had lots of fun creating card decks using my nature photographs. The ones for children that have the names of Colorado Wildflowers and can be used to play games such as “Go Find a Wildflower” or “Memory” are my most favorite new works. I hope they will be used to get more children interacting with friends and family, while learning how to identify Colorado wildflowers. And perhaps inspire them to want to go hiking and step away from the TV and computer for a while to gain an appreciation for Nature and this beautiful planet they live on.

I think my most favorite photographic mandala is the tree standing on a rock proclaiming it will survive. Every time I see a tree growing out of a rock, I can relate to its determination to survive in the most challenging of conditions.
 
 
Where can we find your work: website, social media, local stores.
Web sites:
https://www.commonwheel.com/julia-wright.html
https://www.commonwheel.com/store/c49/Julia_Wright.html
http://julial-wright.pixels.com/
https://www.hierographicsbooksllc.com
My books are also on Amazon
https://www.etsy.com/shop/Fantafaces
 
And then there is the Art Festival. I came to Manitou Springs in 1975 to participate in the Commonwheel Labor Day Art Festival. In January of 1976, I moved here and joined Commonwheel Artists Co-op. That summer I helped coordinate the three art festivals. By the end of that year, I was the main coordinator and have been for most of the following years.

​Thankfully, we reduced the number of art festivals from three to just one. I helped these festivals change and grow, starting as we did as a group of hippies who loved and respected hand-crafted art, to a more businesslike venture. It has always only allowed artwork created and shown by the artists at the Art Festival. Local musicians play at the festival to add to the creative atmosphere. Over the last nine years, volunteers have worked hard to make it a very sustainable event by diverting up to 80% of its waste away from the landfill by sorting out compostable and recyclable items.

Each year the artwork displayed has become more and more exciting to see, making it the premiere art festival in the Pikes Peak region. I get to use my creative talents to create the ads for this event that often are brought by people looking to find the artwork of various artists being shown at the Art Festival. ​