Posts

Featured Artist: Katie Mai

/0 Comments/in , /by

Bio: I am a Senior at the University of Northern Colorado, majoring in Painting and Drawing. As time has gone on, I have really grown to understand and interact with the medium of paper. Paper is one of the oldest mediums and has been used for centuries to tell stories. It can be manipulated, torn apart, cut, or merely written on. It is diverse in so many ways. This gives me direct access to my stories and journeys of personal trial that I have not been able to access before.

    During the process of cutting paper I become completely consumed by each negative shape I am removing. I am taking away substance to gain substance. In some ways it’s very chemical. I am surgically dissecting what once was whole, to create the broken but fleeting story of myself.

    ​I have written love stories with multiple mediums, but for some reason I am constantly pulled back to paper. As an artist I portray the story that the medium is telling me. That is my only job.

You can find more works from Katie online at

Maikatie.wordpress.com & etsy.com/shop/KatieMaiCreations

katie mai color

“Tears of timeless reunion”

From the artist: Lately I have felt very isolated from individuals and from my own solitude. Usually my time alone is so fulfilling. Lately it has been something so uncomfortable. I believe it’s because I have forgotten the soul. This is a piece that represents the mending of my soul to my
mind and body.

Featured Artist: Tony Garza

/0 Comments/in , /by

Tony Garza is one of our favorite local artists. Much of his work lives in our home where we are inspired by its beauty and truth daily. Tony has a way of telling stories through his paintings that are deeply moving. He created this piece, titled “Remember” specifically for our October almanac.

TONY GARZA

Bio: “I enjoy painting animals. Not because I like animals, but because I love that for many people certain creatures personify human characteristics. They’re great symbols to use when communicating a message, because the life in them demands the viewer to relate on some level.”

Through his work, Tony Garza strives to communicate elements of truth- whether personal or universal, beautiful or ugly.
He believes there is always a story to be told.

Tony Garza lives in Greeley, Colorado with his wife and 2 girls.

Follow him on Instagram @tonychristophergarza.

For more of our featured artists, click here.

Featured Artist: Chris McLean

/0 Comments/in , /by

Chris McLean

Bio: Christopher McLean is an artist who works mostly in oil, ink and mixed media. His work incorporates a precise technical style that is influenced by Art Nouveau and Pop Surrealism.  The goal of McLean’s art work is to create images that are captivating from a purely aesthetic viewpoint, but also contain much to ponder in terms of content. He sees his art as successful when it comes together to create a complete visual identity without presenting his subjects as closed. Perhaps most importantly, while some very specific ideas can be culled from his images, McLean is careful to leave a generous depth of space for the viewer to explore and develop their own interpretations of the work, resulting in art that can be viewed again and again, always offering some fresh insight.

More of Christopher McLeans art work can be seen and bought at http://www.christopher-mclean.com

www.christopher-mclean.com

From Chris:

Painting My Tiger Gold

I can tell you what went into making this piece of art for the September almanac.  I could tell you that I painted it on reclaimed wood from a platform, which sat at a home that housed all of my hopes and dreams.  I could tell you that at the time of its commission, I knew that the meaning would be quite significant.  I could tell you that as I stained each stripe and carefully drew each line, that I was in the process of figuring out how to become just what the theme was meant to be.  Because of this, it is easier to explain this piece by sharing my journey while creating it.

This year has been the most difficult time of my life.  It is almost impossible for me to figure out how I have been able to get through what I already have, but almost equally impossible to figure out how to walk down the road ahead.  For a while, I thought that the answer was being tough.

I tried looking tough, keeping an even demeanor, acting as though nothing was wrong.  If anything gets in my way, I will simply be…tougher. Toughness, as I came to know it, was rooted in my fears. I was scared of what was happening to me, to my life.  Hurt by the things I could not control. Moving into unknown territories and having everything I had loved and become familiar with evaporate.  I was, I am scared.

In this dark place I found out that this heavy armor of toughness was not going to help me find my way, and in fact, it was wearing me down.  I had placed myself on mute and coasted across the landscape afraid of company. I had begun to rely on being something that would never allow me to heal.

You see, while I wanted to hurt, trying to simply be tough forced me to extinguish my emotions, my problems, my mistakes and my pain. Tough wanted me to be scared, because the second I let my guard down, well, that is when life gets you…or so I believed.  Tough wanted me to be scared and all the while brave let me be scared and I learned the difference.

Here’s the truth about bravery.  It makes you want to throw up. It makes you cry. It makes you lose sleep and weight.  Being brave means you are scared. It’s ugly and messy and not at all heroic looking when it’s happening. Most of all, brave wants you to heal past pain and find joy again. It helps you reach each problem, turn it into a puzzle and with a deep breath, solve it.

In the end, this golden tiger represents my fears, my doubts, my restless nights and it was while I was painting it that I was learning about bravery.  I still have a long way to go on my current journey, but there are a few things that I know I must do.  Sing into my most terrifying moments. Avoid being alone, because we need each other.  Use the currency of joy wherever I must pay my tolls, but most important, be brave.

By Christopher McLean

Christopher-mclean.com

Featured Artist: Wes Bruce

/0 Comments/in , /by

Bio: Hi, I’m Wes. Like everyone else, I’m a lot of different things. I’m a son, a husband, a friend, a soul, a supporter, a lover of mountains, rivers,and wild places. I’m a believer in the power of the human imagination. I’m an investigator of the human condition. I’m an artist, an educator, an illustrator, a designer, and a photographer. I’m also a poet, a climber of trees, and an advocate for play (for adults and kids). I’m a rememberer. I’m a protector and purveyor of walking trails, shared meals, and community engagement. I believe in others, and using art as a vessel for character development. I’m passionate, and deeply curious about the world around me. I was born and raised in the woods of Northern California, then spent 10 years in San Diego, and now live with my wife and best friend, Emi in Colorado. We live gratefully, and are aware of the threadedness between joy and mourning. We love libraries & swimming pools.

May Almanac Featured Artist: Kathryn Buncik

/0 Comments/in , /by

Kathryn Buncik stayed in our home for a whole summer a few years ago. She interned at Atlas Church where I worked and for the Coons’ (learning what it means to be an artist in the family context). After those few months she stayed with us we knew Kathryn would always be family, making such a strong connection both Betony and I and our girls.

She graduates from her college in Tennessee this month with an art degree and Betony and I are so proud of her! We wanted to feature her senior art show “Hide and Seek” here with an interview and some pictures. Enjoy Kathryn’s heart, her thirst for wonder, and her lifting art!

The title of the collection (made for your senior show) is “Hide and
Seek”. What brought you to that title? 

The title was actually suggested to me by Betony. And the more I thought about it, the more I liked
it. A lot of my work is made through my reflections of both childhood and adulthood. I think a lot
about my transition from being a child, innocent and curious, to being an adult who knows about a
lot of hard things happening in my life and in the world, yet still wanting to hold on to that curiosity. I
really like the play on words that “Hide and Seek” allows. Taking it in the context of childhood, it’s a
diverting and careless game. But taking it in the context of adulthood and looking at the individual
words of “hiding” and “seeking”, there’s a little bit of peril and fear that plays in to it. So in the
series, I show (mostly) children in the acts of hiding and seeking, yet they are doing so in
mountains and outer space and other vast open areas that, in reality, would be quite dangerous.
But even still, there is no sense of danger when one looks at the pieces. While it can be a hard and
dangerous journey sometimes, I’m enjoying it and find so much beauty in it. And I wanted to make
that much more prevalent than the hardship.

The elements you use for collage feel paired-­down and it seems like I could 
name each quickly:­ cosmos, nostalgic people figures (mainly children), animals, 
searching or play featured… What else am I missing? How did you come to these 
guiding subjects? Why are you drawn to them? 

Definitely. Some I relate to personally. Some I’m attracted to visually. I could talk about each
element and tell you why I used it but I’ll spare you of that.

Where do you find your collage items and why have you chosen to work in this 
series with collage alone? 

I usually find my materials from old books and magazines. I find them in a lot of different
places…old book stores, thrift stores, antique shops, yard sales. Friends have even started giving
me books they think I can use for collage, which I love! For this series I decided to work only with
collage and only with original found materials. They were all handmade (not digital) and I didn’t
scan, resize, or reproduce any of the images. I did that mostly for the challenge. And I love the
history and age that comes with original materials as well.

What are you dreaming of when it comes to future art projects? 

Hmm. More collage for sure. I’ve always enjoyed making art independently, but I think I’d be
interested in some collaboration projects in the future. I don’t know exactly what I imagine that to
look like, but I’m definitely open to the idea of it.

What are the top things you’ve learned in college, since you are now graduating, 
when it comes to your art?

Best art advice I’ve ever been given: “Make what breathes life into you.”
A sweet British man named Nigel Goodwin visited my school a few times over the last few years,
and one of those times I got to sit with him and talk about art for about an hour. I was discouraged
about feeling so drained by various art projects I was working on at the time. After listening to me
for a bit, he told me that at any given time, I should make whatever will breathe life into me. And as
soon as he said that, I completely understood what he meant. I had felt that before. From then on,
I’ve made a point to work on projects that I know I’ll enjoy, whatever medium feels right at the time.
And that has only made me love art making more and more.

Could you give your feelings/stories for 3 specific pieces from your senior show? 

buncik 1

1. This one is probably my favorite of the series. I grew up with 7 siblings and loved every bit of it. It
definitely reminds me of being with them. I also love the matching pajamas so much. The rip in the
side is also something I really love the look of, and I wish I had implied that more throughout the
series. But this was one of the last ones I made so that was more of a timing thing.

buncik 2

2. One thing I’ve been seeing a lot in my work lately is pairs. Two boys or two girls, usually. And
my favorite is when they’re in matching clothes. I’m extremely close with my younger sister (we’re
the youngest of the eight), and I think I just really love the sense of camaraderie and partnership I
get when I use pairs. It’s like they’re in it together, whatever their adventure might be.

buncik 3

3. This is another of my favorites. I just feel so happy every time I look at it. The boy is way too
sweet. And the gentleness of the butterfly makes his experience of being found so joyful. I really
love that idea.

————————————————

Many thanks to Kathryn for sharing her amazing work here!! See the rest of her show at the link below:

www.kathrynbuncik.com

 

“Mount Jericho” Poem by Joel McKerrow

/1 Comment/in , , /by

MOUNT JERICHO

by Joel McKerrow, spoken word poet from Australia

joelmckerrow.com

I have been running recently,
everyday, head first around this mountain near our home.
Only its not a mountain,
it’s a giant’s belly rotund and laid down to rest.
Only its not a giant either,
it is a rubbish tip, was a rubbish tip, once.
I run twice the two mile round trip
on the track around the edge of that old rubbish dump.
A mountain of the waste of humanity piled high
and eaten now
by a sleeping giant.
I run around and around, the giant heaving beside me,
his belly always on my left, always rumbling,
I have learnt more from this pile of rubbish than any other in my life.
When the rubbish dump was closed the council covered it in soil,
let green grass grow till it covered the decomposition occurring underneath.
The animals come to feed here.
Everyday that I run this track I am reminded,
of my own mountain of waste and decomposition, the one that lies underneath.
I am reminded that on top of it all grows green grass, a fertile soil.
Rich because of the decomposition, not in spite of it.
Life comes out of the death of so much, the animals come to feed here.
How much on these runs would I love to find a finish line,
how much a reward, a prize for my efforts, something more
than just the normality of life that waits to greet me.
Yet, everyday, toward the end of my run I climb the the path as it curls upward around the mountain until I am standing atop its heights.
I know, though there is no finish line, but this is prize enough,
this is fortune, this is reward, this is the reason, this is an ending and a beginning, this

is all that matters…to stand atop that which once was the waste of my life.

The race has been run, today it was a cold race and a lonely one too. It is Easter weekend and a fitting time to realize that death is only ever a lonely beginning, that waste is too a rebirth, that rubbish dumps are places of resurrection.
I stand atop my conquered giant, hold his head in my hands, I dance there, on the mountain, I know who I am and the reason that I run, this is enough,
until I turn the corner, run back down the hill and run around again and again.

The other day
I managed to run five times around her,
ten miles straight.
I called her my Jericho
and she let her walls
come
tumbling
down

(Background picture from artist Wes Bruce- thecuriouslife.us)

“Bright”: an Interview and Polaroid Gallery by Jarred Reno

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Jared Reno is an artist that we’ve worked with a few times. Did you see the Kickstarter video that led you to buying this Almanac? He was the director. Below is an interview and a gallery of portraits he did.

Jared’s Bio: My great-great grandfather was a Vaudeville escape artist known as The Great Reno. I am also an artist, just not quite that bad-ass. I specialize in film and polaroid photography. I tend to let the edges of light and dark lead the focus of the viewer. I am part of a generation that is looking to the past and clinging to well-intentioned art, process & craftsmanship which can easily be overlooked in this day and digital age.

We are honored he has produced a “Polaroid Gallery” titled Bright this month. You can find more of Jarrod’s work at www.jarrodreno.com

Interview with Jarred Reno:

Do you have a favorite photo you’ve taken? (I’m cheating, I’ve heard this story and LOVE it):

There was a day that I was home with Olive, our oldest but at the time she was maybe 2 years old. She wasn’t feeling well that day and I had been sititing on the couch with her just relaxing and noticed that the light was just pretty amazing coming in from a window. I had also just gotten a really special pack of Polaroid film, it was made with left over chemicals from the Polaroid warehouse when they shut down, this film, after the photo was taken would fade to black within 12-24 hours unless you cut open the polaroid and let it dry out to stop the development. So anyhow Olive was leaning up against a window and for just a second looked right at me, she had a very somber look about her. I hit the shutter and the Polaroid popped out and me and Olive sat there and watched it develop. After about 2 minutes it was fully developed and as I sat there looking at it, knowing that this shot because of this special film, will fade to complete black within the next 12 hours. I realized that I had a choice to make.

Do I cut the polaroid open to stop the chemicals so I can share it with other people?

Its a moment from my precious daughters life I’d be able to look back on for the rest of my life?

Or do I let it fade away and be one of two people that saw and experienced this moment captured?

My eyes filled up tears from the overwhelming feeling I got while looking at it and realizing some important things. To me it was the purest photo I’ve ever taken, I feel like everything that should have been captured, was. And honestly by ‘chance.’ She could have blinked or turned away.

I was soooo torn…. It just looked amazingly beautiful in my hands. The darks so dark, the detail so detailed, the light so perfect, her face, her eyes were speaking to my heart and I had no words to describe it. If I stopped the development I’d be able to show people and hopefully pass on something good in that…. if this thing fades to black… will it just be a waste? will I regret it? Tess, my wife wouldn’t even be able to see it.

This film illustrated something amazing to me. My daughters life, as is ours, is fleeting, something I’ve alway known in my head but now fully realized and felt it in my heart. Our moments in life are fleeting. To most of us, we have moments we wish we could re-live. I bet anything that those moments were FULL of LOVE and emotion. I bet anything! Not to put aside moments of sadness/pain because those are just as important in life and as in art!

I captured a true moment with true emotion. Olive was sick that morning, she was somber and that was shown in the photograph. The image made me FEEL. What I realized was…. the POLAROID in itself was not important and is not eternal, but the MOMENT itself was important and eternal.

The point was the moment! Not capturing it for later. But experiencing it while it happend! I felt so grateful!

We need to seriously stop and experience moments.

So, I let the polaroid fade and found so much joy in letting it go knowing that the moment was what was important and its something I’ll always have:) WOW. Though, I did scan it multiple times over the course of its fading and with getting these printed off and mounted in succession I hope for it to have an impact.

How do you attempt to bring a fresh artistry to portraits? Meaning, your pictures look very unique. What’s your approach that you think makes them such? Do you have guiding principles?

Light. That is the first thing I look for. I’m drawn to where light begins to fall off into shadows or where beams of direct light cut through shadows. It makes for interesting photos. Light reveals shape and dimension… I’m constantly looking for interesting light and that is the basis for all my photos. 2nd, is creating a mood, most of the time I like a quiet, introspective mood in my photos, it creates a bit of mystery, a look into someones spirit.

Where did the passion for photographing people/ weddings come from?

Growing up I’ve always loved sifting through thousands of photos that my parents had taken throughout their lives. I love it. I love seeing and feeling emotions from the past. That is what sparked my desire to shoot portrature and weddings specifically. People and relationships are what life is about and to highlight humanity and beauty is an amazing and important thing.

Why do you choose to use older equipment when camera technology has come leaps and bounds?

I started out with old cameras. When Olive was born I knew it was time to get a camera and just happened to have a really old Polaroid camera on my shelf and figured out that it worked. I loved the sense of timelessness it gave. The toned down colors and the soft focus. It felt more real than sharp digital cameras. It also made me slow down and be really precise with my photography, its expensive to shoot polaroid and film. Ive had a lot of practice anticipating moments and reacting when I need to by pressing the shutter button. I think through shots more than if I shot digital. I love that it forces me to be intentional. Also, the cameras look, feel and sound awesome. Each one of them is so different from the others.

What’s your favorite vintage piece of equipment you have?

Thats hard to say… Polaroid wise is my Polaroid 195 which is from the ’60s but was their professional model. Its amazing. Film-wise is my Mamiya RZ67 which shoots medium format film and gives such an amazing depth and clarity to photos. Its definitly the foundation of my gear

Boston_4th_bday_polaroid101-copy Luca_Venter_Polaroid_v101-web Julian_M_polaroid-v101-web sara_rose_polaroid_10-v1-web

POEM by Spoken Word Artist Dale Fredrickson

/0 Comments/in , /by

New Growth

Through winter nights,

I brave barren heart;

slowing down finding myself in shadows,

shedding all parts within me past spent,

sitting in silence mounded by sorrows.

 

Frozen dirt stubborn,

I yearn for spring’s mysterious garden;

It’s secrets breaking through frosty harden.

 

Snowdrifts melting —

the gardener within me begins again:

 

God lives on the edges of spring’s daylight.

warming frozen dirt, breathing new life,

cultivating daring dreams, fresh insight,

building trellises where community thrives.

Dirt softens spring pushes through —

I burst with renewed joy and delight,

flourishing gardens growing within heart,

fresh gripping roots of purpose for this life,

found in this hope, sowing seeds now my part

FREE Download! Art from Kelly Cook!

/0 Comments/in , /by

Kelly Cook is our featured artist for this month!

Bio:  Kelly Cook grew up in Wyoming where she learned to appreciate quiet days and big empty spaces. Recently she has found her place in art, restoring broken things. She loves to recycle … One man’s junk into another man’s treasure. Most of her paintings and drawings are done on something that needed to be alive again, like old book pages and four panel doors.

She lives and works in Greeley Colorado, with her author husband Jeff Cook, her sons Augie age 9 and Beckett age 7. It’s an honor to work with Tim and Betony on this project, wondering what it would be like to be a giant… And knowing what it is like to be a pilgrim. You can find her work at Cookstah.etsy.com

Kelly has added a special surprise to her artwork, that will only be revealed when you download it from giantsandpilgrims.com this month.

[purchase_link id=”408″ style=”button” color=”white” text=”  Download”]

(Note: click the download button, then the purchase button – it will be $0.00, then click “download now” to get the high resolution file)

See more of Kelly’s work at her etsy shop – https://www.etsy.com/shop/Cookstah

 

 

Featured Artist: Joni Lissak

/0 Comments/in , /by

Joni Lissak

Artist & Lover of Elephants

Joni teaches art at a charter school in Greeley, CO with an undergrad from the University of Northern Colorado. She produces intricate, beautiful, and interactive art shows. (One being a narrative thread of paintings inspired by a Regina Spector song.
Gallery goers could listen, touch, and contribute to the show).

Click the download button below to get the high resolution 5X7 file. Print it out and place the music jar somewhere it will “play” for you.

[purchase_link id=”233″ style=”button” color=”white” text=”Purchase”]

 

(Note: click the download button, then the purchase button – it will be $0.00, then click “download now” to get the high resolution file)

 

Contact Joni for art commissions:

box.of.paints@hotmail.com