Issue 4 Artist Spotlight | Gennaro Gonzalez
C+B: Tell us about yourself, Gennaro!
GG: I am an elementary art teacher working for the public schools in Worcester, MA. I enjoy drawing, painting with watercolor, and listening to dialogues or monologues regarding a variety of themes while I am doing my workout at the gym. Since I was a child, I have always been inspired by cartoons, comics, movies, illustrations and fairy tales. What is not generally known about me is that I am a "half-blood" like Harry Potter: I am part Italian and part Puerto Rican.
C+B: How has your relationship with your work changed since you first started creating?
GG: I strongly believe in the power of mastering techniques to make “tangible” my visual thoughts. For that reason, coming to know many artists, designers and creatives, in general, is important. Spending time and money on books and high-quality supplies is crucial for personal growth as a creative.
C+B: Share some details about your process for creating.
GG: I prefer to create in the evening time when most of my daily duties are completed. Basically, creative time is my relaxing moment. I create in my little studio at home, having good jazz music as a background or listening to Italian Facebook pages, Youtube, or other websites. I would like to dedicate more time to my art. Currently, my focus is studying for my college course. I am in the process of obtaining my initial license as a school teacher. Yes, even teachers have homework!
C+B: What is something exciting that you're looking forward to in your life or creative life?
GG: I find exciting exploring more techniques related to drawing and watercolor painting.
Find and support Gennaro here:
(A femmena e o purp, 23cm x 35cm, watercolor, ©Gennaro Gonzalez)
If my work was a meal it would be: It may be a baba (a typical Neapolitan pastry).
I would love to be able to share my work with: I would love to show my artwork to Adam Hughes, an American illustrator whose artwork and sense of humour inspired me.
If I didn’t work in my current medium, I would like to try: Probably, I would use digital painting. I had a bit of experience with this modern medium. Its colors are brilliant. Nevertheless, the opportunity to erase mistakes with a simple click gives a sense of confidence. Digital makes working so easily, as if nothing has happened.
My hope for those viewing my work: Sense of imagination that is fed by studying mythologies, novel, and other stories.
Issue 4 Writer Spotlight | James Dupree
C+B: Tell us about yourself, James!
JD: When not "fun writing," I'm juggling roles as a freelance writer, a fresh fruit and herb (culinary/medicinal) farmer in North Carolina, and a board/committee member of a local nonprofit focused on stormwater sustainability and work development. In my spare time, I also collect action figures and other nerdy things.
C+B: How has your relationship with your work changed since you first started creating?
JD: Not much has changed other than becoming better at getting into a routine.
C+B: Share some details about your process for creating.
JD: I'm an early bird so I like to get all my writing done in the morning before I mentally conk out in the mid afternoon to evening. The quiet morning typically brings helps me focus. If I can get at least an hour or two of writing anything then it's a good day. Music can also be a helpful boost for my creativity. If a song hits just right for a scene I'm working on, then I'll play it on loop until the scene is done.
C+B: What do you hope people take away from your work?
JD: If the story is meant to be funny then I hope the reader laughs. If it is scary, I hope the reader is throughly spooked. And on and on. But more importantly, like many writers, I hope my work stays with people. Even for just a few minutes after reading the last word.
Find and support James here:
IG: @jamesmdupree
James Dupree
If my work was a meal it would be: One time at a Cold Stone Creamery I asked for them to mix dark chocolate ice cream with orange sorbet. The woman behind the counter grimaced and shook her head in disbelief. But she mixed the flavors anyway. And yes, I know it was an odd choice, but I think the rich and bitter taste of dark chocolate pairs well with the intense sweetness of a fruity sorbet. My partner didn't know what to think until she tried it and was surprised at how well the two flavors worked in tandem. That's how I see my writing at times. Something weird and possibly off-putting at first sight, but if given the chance, can be quite pleasant.
Other creator(s) I admire: Jeff Vandermeer and Neil Gaiman come to mind. I honestly don't know much about them as people but they seem nice. It's really their work that I admire. They aren't afraid to get weird, and sometimes it may not always work but at least they attempted something different.
If I wasn’t able to write, I would like to try: Photography or film making would probably be my creative medium. Visual storytelling is something I dabble in already but I would definitely explore more if not for my preference for the written word.
My ideal creative retreat: I'm not that picky. Somewhere quiet and relaxed is always appreciated. Yet, I also get some of my best ideas driving on busy highways with the radio blaring.
Issue 4 Artist Spotlight | Forrest Elliott
C+B: Tell us about yourself, Forrest!
FE: I am grateful to say that I am a full-time artist. I work between my studios in Southern Maine and the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina. After careers in event management and real estate, I shifted my focus back to my art practice a little over a year ago.
C+B: How has your relationship with your work changed since you first started creating?
FE: Oh this is a great question - well an obvious answer is my shift in mediums. I received my B.F.A. from the University of New Hampshire (2014), where I primarily worked in photography. Now, almost a decade later, I work in oils. I will say, no matter my medium of choice, my creative practice is rooted in process, and I must have a deep connection to the materials I work with.
C+B: Share some details about your process for creating.
FE: My approach to the creative process is highly intuitive. I consider my studio practice to be very sacred - more often than not, a process that I keep very private. Although, there are times where I’ll get together and paint with fellow artists or if I am out plein air painting. An ideal studio session for me happens mid-morning, after I am able to go about my morning routine. Music or a good podcast can always be found playing in the background.
I’ve come to realize I work best when inspiration is flowing and I have a true desire to create. If I don’t hear the call to create, I don’t answer - that’s when my wheels spin and not much productivity happens. That being said, I consider reading, visiting exhibitions or museums, cooking, immersing myself in nature all part of my greater creative process. So, if I am not physically in my studio painting, I am always doing something to fill my creative well.
C+B: What do you hope people take away from your work?
FE: I hope my work allows my viewers to experience what they are looking for most in their lives. Whether that’s a moment of peace, immense joy or time for self reflection.
Find and support Forrest here:
IG: @forrestkelliott
Website: http://www.forrestelliott.com
(Mountain Top, ©Forrest Elliott)
If my work was a meal it would be: Not necessarily a meal, but envision a candle-lit dinner with your closest friends filled with laughter and great conversations.
I would love to be able to share my work with: Mark Rothko. I’ve always been drawn to the scale and color of his paintings.
If I wasn’t able to paint, I would like to try: This one’s a toss-up. I would have to say either woodworking or ceramics. I have an affinity for handmade functional wares. This goes back to my deep connection to materials and process. Thankfully, I can indulge in supporting my fellow artists and friends who work in this modality - they help fuel my addiction to ceramic mugs.
My ideal creative retreat: A dreamy, week-long cooking retreat in Italy countryside. Somewhere where I can bring my paints and sketchbook to gather inspiration while exercising my creative muscles in a different way.
Issue 4 Artist Spotlight | Lesley Bodzy
C+B: Tell us about yourself, Lesley!
LB: My studio practice is a full-time endeavor. I am a recent masters graduate of SAIC. In my spare time I love to visit the Met as often as I can. I take notes of works that catch my eye, without mentioning the artist. And when I get home, I read the notes and try to recall who the artist was. That way, I know my impressions were true.
C+B: How has your relationship with your work changed since you first started creating?
LB: In some ways, in the early stages of my art practice, I felt as though there were two of me in the room: me and the artist I wanted to be. As time has gone by, that vague, unreachable idea of the artist I imagined becoming has departed from the scene. These days, it’s just me in the studio, and I couldn’t be more content in my own company.
C+B: Share some details about your process for creating.
LB: I prefer to work first thing in the morning. I sit at my desk with a cup of steaming hot coffee and focus on disentangling my many feelings and worries. I don’t want them to go away, but to weave themselves into something wearable/describable. When I reach this point, the music I have playing in the background becomes quieter. This is when I know I can begin to create.
C+B: What do you hope people take away from your work?
LB: I hope the viewer experiences the peace that comes with uncertainty. I want the viewer to enjoy feeling unsettled–as if they are floating on solid ground.
Find and support Lesley here:
IG: @lbodzy
Website: https://www.lesleybodzy.com/
(Love Letters 1, 2 and 3, ©Lesley Bodzy)
My work as a meal: My work thrives in its preparation. The deliberate thought and measurement, and yet, the wondrous variability of how it will reach its final shape.
I would love to be able to share my work with: Eva Hesse was masterful in using material, not as an extension of her ideas, but as objects delivered to the world, as unvarnished thoughts made real.
My ideal collaboration: I see my work as a never ending collaboration between me and the viewer. The work cannot stand without the viewer leaving their mark on it. I believe the object is physically altered after this exposure.
My ideal creative retreat: If I had my druthers, I would prefer the quiet of the countryside. My work travels well. The most important shaping of the work takes place in the penetralia of my mind, in my search of it–and in these pathways, the eventual outward appearance of the work finds form.
Issue 4 Artist Spotlight | Lupie Lup
C+B: Tell us about yourself, LulieLup!
LL: I am a Middle School Art teacher, and I absolutely love being around my students and learning from them as well. I use my emotions and the things I go through as a source of inspiration. I feel intensely and my art helps me to not get overwhelmed.
C+B: How has your relationship with your work changed since you first started creating?
LL: I used to be very private with my work. Since it is so linked to how I feel. I used to think that If I allowed people to see my work it would make me more vulnerable in a way that wasn't good. I still think that putting my feelings into my work and then releasing it to the world requires me to be vulnerable. but I now see it as an opportunity for connection that allows me to make more sense of the world.
C+B: Share some details about your process for creating.
LL: I don't have a specific time for creating. It is often when my feelings have matured enough to come out as art. I work at home next to Bruno (the dog I am obsessed with). I love being able to just binge on podcasts while I paint. Sometimes I can do very long stretches… sometimes time doesn't allow for that pleasure.
C+B: What do you hope people take away from your work?
LL: Better understanding of myself and others.
Find and support LupieLup here:
(Nothing is lost everything is transformed, ©LupieLup)
If my work was a meal it would be: Sweet with a touch of salt, soft dessert with a bit of crunch.
I would love to be able to share my work with: Yayoi Kusama. She seemed to put her heart and soul into her art, probably also looking for answers.
If I wasn’t able to paint, I would like to try: I would love to be a fashion designer!!!!
My ideal creative retreat: A safe space to be authentic, lot of laughter, lots of openness.
Issue 4 Writer Spotlight | Kira Morrison
C+B: Tell us about yourself, Kira!
KM: I work as a freelance singer and musician - I perform often as a children's performer, and also as a solo vocalist/guitarist for weddings, marriage proposals, restaurants, etc. Poetry is my passion outside of music, and I feel very lucky that both during my work days and during my spare time I get to participate in things that are artistic and creative. When I am not working or writing, I invest most of my time in community organizing and mutual aid efforts, which is an extremely important part of my life. What inspires my writing and art the most is simply observing human nature and how our desire to love and be loved manifests in such interesting and different ways with each individual person. Something people may not know about me is that I am also very spiritual and that spiritual health and wellness are a very integral part of my daily practice.
C+B: How has your relationship with your work changed since you first started creating?
KM: When I first started writing it was almost a sort of coping mechanism for what I was going through in my life, and I felt like if I didn't write what I was feeling I would spiral - slowly it became a very healing exercise for me, and now that I am further along in my journey I don't feel quite as dependent on it, but it still remains a very special and beautiful part of my life.
C+B: Share some details about your process for creating.
KM: Poetry has become my favorite part of my daily routine, and I make sure to set aside time almost every day to write. I usually like to go to a coffee shop in the morning before work, and before I write I usually read a book to get me in an inspired headspace - a lot of times I read poetry, but there are also a lot of other texts that inspire my poetry, such as Greek mythology. Ideally I like to spend a good 2 hours reading and writing every day.
C+B: What do you hope people take away from your work?
KM: I hope when people read my words they feel more open to embracing their own emotions and truer selves, and that they can see all feelings as beautiful and human rather than in the "good or bad" binary we have been conditioned with.
Find and support Kira here:
IG: @kiratotherescue
Kira Morrison
If my work was a meal it would be: A delicious pairing of wine and cheese! There can be dryness and bitterness but also so fulfilling and alluring.
I would love to be able to share my work with: I would love a chance to show my work to Lang Leav, who is one of my favorite modern-day poets. I was reading a lot of her poetry books during my first few months of writing poetry, and they were so inspiring and magical to me.
If I didn’t write poetry, I would like to try: Visual art - it's something a lot of my other close family members are very skilled at (both of my parents and my sister have worked professionally in visual arts), but I've never really pursued it further than just drawing for fun.
My ideal creative retreat: It would be a dream to stay in some sort of dreamy cabin with a bunch of my artist friends and work on all different kinds of creative projects together.
Issue 4 Artist Spotlight | Carly Skye
C+B: Tell us about yourself, Carly!
CS: When not creating, I'm usually baking up a sweet treat or savory meal of some kind. I love food, flavors, and the art of a good meal. That way I can better find inspiration while walking in nature or exploring my surroundings.
C+B: How has your relationship with your work changed since you first started creating?
CS: I think now I feel more bold to just go for it and make an image with whatever is available to me. As a young artist, I was still finding my mark making style and trusting that it was enough. Lately, I've been experimenting with mixed media in my paintings as well as ink illustration. I am working towards larger scale work, perhaps even murals someday!
C+B: Share some details about your process for creating.
CS: Either in the morning hours when dreams have just ended and the flow state of making things is easy to tap into. Sometimes I'll even stop whatever I'm doing if I happen to walk by my drawing table with a project laying out and add a little to it. Music playlists are my usual background sounds, diverse and varied to help set the mood. If I have a long day at work, sometimes painting at night before getting ready for sleep is the best medicine.
C+B: What do you hope people take away from your work?
CS: I hope people feel inspired to believe in the magical quality of life when they see what I enjoy doing. To feel the colorful life force that exists all around us!
Find and support Carly here:
IG: @carlanneskye
(Tiger Queen, 14" x 18", acrylic/watercolor/pastel, ©Carly Skye)
If my work was a meal it would be: Ha! That's a good one. I'd say it's something deliciously bright with a lot going on but will make you feel happy, inspired, and looking for that next best thing that sparks joy.
I would love to be able to share my work with: I would love to share my work with the current graffiti artist, Swoon. I would love to learn how to turn some of my pieces into enormous murals such as she has done. Plus to intertwine them with deeper commentary on social or environmental issues would really take things to the next level.
If I wasn’t able to paint, I would like to try: I am endlessly inspired by craftspeople and sewers. If I couldn't use bright paints I'd definitely want to paint and draw through thread and fabric. I love the intersection of all these different styles of making and how easily one can step into another realm just by choosing a new material or approach.
My ideal creative retreat: A quiet place in the woods or by a body of water of some kind. Somewhere I can rest, recharge, and create without stress or interruption from the demands of daily life.
Carly Skye
Issue 4 Artist Spotlight | Sharon Wensel
C+B: Tell us about yourself, Sharon!
SW: I left my day job in January to work as a full time artist. I recently started running after putting it aside for a couple of years. In my spare time I enjoy taking my dog to the park, walking the trails and taking photos for inspiration. I'm hoping to go to France for my 65th birthday next year.
C+B: How has your relationship with your work changed since you first started creating?
SW: Most of the time I don't have to rush and squeeze creativity in. I now have a regular practice also. I have learned very recently to give myself grace with creating.
C+B: Share some details about your process for creating.
SW: I prefer mornings for creating time. I get up between 5:30 and 6:00, walk my buddy
Gizmo, have breakfast, check emails, eventually roll into my home studio about 10:00 am. I try to work for about 4 hours at a time with breaks here and there for my buddy Gizmo. I must have music!!!!! I like all music! Beatles, Florence and the Machine, Opera, Neal Young, and everybody else in the middle.
C+B: What do you hope people take away from your work?
SW: I hope they feel joy.
Find and support Sharon here:
Website: http://sharonmwenselfineart.com
(Assateague Island, 30" x 40", acrylic on canvas, ©Sharon Wensel)
If my work was a meal it would be: Long, taking hours, romantic, wine, appetizer to dessert.
I would love to be able to share my work with: I have fantasized about Katy Hessel from The Great Women Artists podcast interviewing me.
If I didn’t paint, I would probably spend my time doing: Music. I played classical guitar in my 20's.
My ideal retreat would be: Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be in the woods somewhere with a bunch of artists spending a week just painting, talking, and connecting.
Sharon Wensel
Issue 4 Artist Spotlight | Roxane Revon
C+B: Tell us about yourself, Roxane!
RR: I'm an educator (I teach performing arts at CUNY, John Jay College & I'm sometimes a guest artist at Columbia). I enjoy hiking (and reading) in my spare time. What inspires me these days are two books written by anthropologist Philippe Descola and philosopher J.B Morizot. People may not know that I'm a bit of a tomboy.
C+B: How has your relationship with your work changed since you first started creating?
RR: It changed a lot, I started as a theater director to understand that every time I arrived in a theater where I would create my own set design I felt even more joy and excitement than when I was directing, so I evolved toward installation work and scenography to, more recently, start drawing quite naturally. I'm more of a "concept" artist if it makes any sense. I enjoy wandering around a theme and developing different atmospheres, experiments, researches from an intimate or intellectual perception.
C+B: Share some details about your process for creating.
RR: I usually have to imagine and visualize a project in my head before any creation process (and of course it usually changes along the way). The best times for me to do that are in the morning in my bed before waking up or during a walk in the park (without a phone). Then I usually work on creation and applications three to four days a week, and I like to do full days of work. The mornings are usually the more productive and creative times for me. I sometimes listen to music, especially when I work on ballet or opera scenographies, but I like the silence very much as well.
C+B: What do you hope people take away from your work?
RR: To grow more curious about the inner workings of non-moving beings such as plants and have more intimate relationships with non-human beings & their inner time as a way to grow towards a more mature and symbiotic way of living on earth.
Find and support Roxane here:
IG: roxane_revon
Website: http://www.roxanerevon.com
(Provence II, ©Roxane Revon)
If my work was a meal it would be: It starts with noodle patterns, lots of them, lots of sorts. They are delicately organized in a living dish that changes slowly as spices and other ingredients revolve around them...
I would love to be able to share my work with: I would love to show my work to Thomás Saraceno, as I deeply admire his installation work and the research & experiment he has been conducting in many fields. His work is a dialogue with forms of inhabiting and sensing the environment that have been suppressed in the Capitalocene era. I recently saw his exhibition on spider webs at The Shed in New York and went back to it many times. Saraceno has also activated projects aimed towards an ethical collaboration with the atmosphere which I find fascinating.
If I had to create in a different media, I would…: I would probably create very large murals (I'm quite interested in public art and very large formats these days) or, if I had the knowledge and talent, I would have loved to create atmospheres through sounds and music.
My ideal creative retreat: Would provide me time to read, walk in nature, imagine widely (without thinking yet of material constraint).
Roxane Revon