The answer to that question is Pen Ya. In 2011, I had a vision to do something out of my ordinary life. It was a swift tackle. I thought it up, I took action, and it was ‘a go’. I didn’t anticipate obstacles, in fact, I didn’t see them (the beauty of naiveté). The vision for Pen Ya evolved as my passion for artist promotion grew. It felt like a peak! In 2012, this process came to a halt with a medical mishap in the first quarter. Since then, I have been blessed with a series of life changing events and adjusting to ‘LIFE’ is a balance I have not yet designed. 

There are days when I feel resigned to believe I failed this project and there other days the flame of will ignites. I have been encouraged by many to continue (love you guys), however, in a short brief with my ‘ dark passenger’ (you Dexter fans will heart that) my current decision for Pen Ya is inactivity. 

On a lighter note, a few editors have asked to collaborate Pen Ya for their magazines and I plan on treading that route for the time of inactivity. 

For all of you artists and non-artists that supported Pen Ya, thank you. With sincere gratitude, thank you!

I plan on beginning the book process and the sponsorship campaign. I will post my deadlines soon. I am holding myself accountable to all of you! In case you be wondering, the sponsorship campaign is where I use the Pen Ya Artwork-in-a-book Contest winners submission as perks:  stickers, postcards, posters when an individual or business sponsors Pen Ya. I’ll be using Indie Go Go as the crowd funding platform.

So, just a little about what I’ve got going on and why I’ve had Pen Ya on slow mode. Along with a day-time job, I am studying to become a certified Starfisher. Aah! What is that? It’s a title for being part of a life-coaching program through Live at Choice. I will  be certified to facilitate coaching to participants of Live at Choice workshops. It’s been an amazing study the last year and a half and I plan on continuing being active — as a life coach!

On another note, I just began marketing,  Nerium, a revolutionary night cream developed from the extract of Nerium Oleander that greatly reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, aging or sun damaged skin, uneven skin texture, hyper pigmentation, and enlarged pores (click my advertisement at the bottom of my Pen Ya home page to go to the website or simply contact me by email). If you’re interested in seeing real results for Nerium AD, check out my Facebook Page. Some of the photos are results taken directly from  Houston SkinSaver clients — my personal skin care therapist. I’m doing this alongside Live at Choice and my full-time job to produce additional income to complete the greatest version of my grandest vision for Pen Ya!!! Believe it!

Until the next move, I bid my temporary farewell. Thank for continuing to support my vision to support the arts! The evolution of Pen Ya will be extraordinary, I promise!

(S)

P.S.

I apologize I have two interviews to post! I have one photoshoot scheduled for August 18, 2012 and a pending interview date with another artist. Then the real work begins!

Marlo Saucedo and I met in the early part of May in her beautiful and cozy home in The Woodlands.  My son rode a long in a happy frenzy knowing he would have two playmates – and fun he surely had. We received a warm house tour, met the friendly house cat, had a few protein filled cookies, a banana, and some delicious coffee. Marlo was very welcoming and full of  pleasantry. On another note, I was bursting with excitement when I discovered our interview would take place in a ‘secret room’ — like something out of Sherlock Holmes. Okay. Not quite. The room was, in fact, a media room but the concept of a library enclosing the room conjured up child-like repartee.

I found there was no-end to my interest in Marlo’s very logical mind — full of analytical intelligence and history. Our dialogue;  easy as pie. Our similarities and differences were enjoyable to notice. I know I could not do what Marlo does in her art. Tedious and repetitive work is hardly a task I’d consider amusing but for Marlo her art is like meditation. Although our minds and expressions differ, our commonplace is art.

Artiste Illumination: Marlo Saucedo

How do you classify your artwork?
Left-brained. I’m definitely not right-brained but highly visual. It’s just the way I view the world. My way of art is to get detailed and focused; to have a start and finish. To classify it — what it’s not is what it is.

What’s the earliest memory of your inclination to art?
I think I was about seven or eight when I learned about the Deep Ocean and strange characters down there – the strange fish. I liked the deep sea Anglerfish. It looks like something from outer space. I wrote a little book. I had different fish on each page. I made the book out of my dad’s business cards. He was constantly giving me his old office supplies so I used a lot of office supplies for art – even cigar boxes. I stapled the cards together and on one side was a story about the fish and the other was his business card.

Do you have a passion for any other art?
I love extreme realism — the kind of art that Houston Artists Michael Arcieri and Lori Miglioretti are able to create. I love it because it’s so detailed oriented but it’s that way in a way that I feel I can’t do – no way. Although the aspects of their work apply to my own, I am unable to do what they do. What I do is like Zen – like running. It’s the same thing over and over again.

There’s also training, nutrition, and fitness. I really like that a lot but it’s always art –it’s kind of always been there. It’s more than something that cropped up in adult life. There’s music – yeah, but art is it.

Do you have any formal training?
Glassell handed out scholarships from the time I was in fifth grade to eighth grade. How they did it was to have students sit on the lawn and draw what was around them. Jurors chose art from all the submissions and passed scholarships those children whose artwork was chosen. So every summer from fifth grade to eighth grade, I had a scholarship to Glassell. I went from being the best artist in school to suddenly being intimidated –like going off to college. Suddenly, everyone around me could draw better than I could. We did everything from clay to paper mâché. It was a good learning experience.

My undergraduate and graduate degrees are in Psychology and Business, respectively.

Is anyone in your family considered or considers themself an artist?
My father’s sister –my Aunt Sue – she does wonderful portraits in pastels and watercolor. She used to work on side view portraits like from the early 1970’s – with yellows and yellow frame. I remember seeing her work but I didn’t connect to it. My cousin, Brooke — her daughter has artistic talent as well but she didn’t major in it. My father can easily draw spatially; he’s the frustrated architect.

What is your work experience in the art field, if any?
None. Up in New York in the mid 90’s, I worked for an artist management company — they managed Liz Phair, Mark Ishman, and Lyle Lovett. I worked in the industry long enough to decide that entertainment is very different from business. I used to write about Music for the Houston Press.

I’ve also led tours from The Woodlands to Houston a little over a year via my Getting into Houston Group. I led one tour this year and we visited three artists with very different fundamental opinions on what makes an artist an artist. I didn’t plan it that way, though; that was a surprise. It was fascinating and those differing approaches made it an even richer experience for all of us in the group.

What is your experience in the realm of arts?
My cityscapes and portraits have been commissioned since 1999. I have shown at Diverse Works Art Space, Lawndale Art Center, and in Art League Houston’s Open Show. I was awarded a grant from the Houston Arts Alliance (then the Cultural Arts Council of Houston/Harris County) in 2005. I was awarded a scholarship for summer 2007 to attend Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. One of my pieces, Downtown Rising, was displayed in Mayor Bill White’s conference room as part of the 2008-2009 Vibrant: Houston Artists in City Halls show and my piece, Mounted II, was installed in spring 2009 at the facility for Houston Police Department’s Mounted Patrol Detail.

Is there a particular individual(s) that influence(s) you? What is it that captured your attention about their work?
Chuck Close for his amazing pointillism Also, an artist named B. Wallace, who did a pen-and-ink drawing used as the cover of Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages sometime in the mid 80’s. His very detailed line drawing of Houston’s skyline included all kinds of hidden pictures so the end result was kind of like a hundred mini-mini-comics inside an accurate architectural rendering. His work followed Norman Baxter’s and Karl Hoefle’s, who did the same thing in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.  I still enjoy seeing that kind of work, because in addition to appreciating the actual work involved and the end result, it also just makes me happy.

What do you think makes you happy about their style – is it the detail?
No, it’s that it’s so much more than the detail. It’s a lot of detail but it’s also a lot of thought. A person has to put 3D in the design and it has to be correct to be believable but then once it’s made believable, you go back in and make it not believable. But in order to know it’s not believable the observer has to be observant. A person could have that phone book, for example, on their table for years and never notice it – the art – and that’s the kind of art I really like. Someone could look at it one day and say, “Oh wow, there is a balloon” having never seen it before.

Every artist has a specific medium they favor – what is yours? Is there any other medium you are interested in exploring?
Acrylic, paint, and ink. I have a loaned kiln in my garage.  It’s been good to be able to experiment with impunity; without having to actually go out and buy a kiln, although, I haven’t been able to take my art in any new direction that’s solid with ceramics yet.

What kind of topics or subjects do you find yourself discovering in your art?
History, people’s personal stories, and school’s missions toward the children they teach. On a deeper level, intense and intricate connections between specific persons, places, and things continually interest me. It’s just fascinating to work with some of the private schools in Houston. It’s wonderful to read their missions, what their ideas are, and to develop their art.

What inspires you to create?
I have these ideas and they tug at me. They come from everything and anything – from running, to things I read or listen to like NPR. They don’t have to come from anywhere; they just come as we are constantly bombarded with information. I can find myself in a constant state of minor anxiety over what I have not been able to get out onto canvas or paper. Occasionally it’ll keep me up at night.

Do you work based on a theme or stream of consciousness?
My works is stream of consciousness but for someone like my stream of consciousness works as a formula. It’s formulated and it seems to move within specific realms.

I believe that to create something where part of the creative process is to ask “what does the customer need?” isn’t necessarily bad; it’s practical. To ask, how will it be used and what need exists that is currently not being filled? What art might occupy a space that’s now empty?  I can’t seem to get away from that – it is part of my MBA saying art is a product. It gets difficult for me to separate that. If I’m going to make something, I want it to be useful.

Let’s talk about the creative process on this piece of art.

“Breathe”

I love yoga and in the future hope to do more pieces chronicling physical activity and achievement. Yoga and gymnastics can be beautiful to watch. Men and women who’ve overcome physical shortcomings and/or have accomplished physical feats I can’t even approach are very inspiring to me. Volunteering and being around athletes at Ironman Texas, for example, motivated me to sign up and complete a half marathon in 2012.

So, she can get into this position — this person in the art. She’s not the body type that one might consider healthy, however, in her mastery of that position – at that time period – she could be considered healthier than me. She could reach her hand out and grab her foot. Her back is much more flexible than most. The reason I did this is bring awareness to how most look at health. It’s not about how big or small one is, it’s about what one can do – what can you do with your body; with your one, beautiful body? That’s what that piece represents for me.

Do you have a favorite place to brainstorm? What’s that environment like?
When I’m running the trails, it’s so peaceful. I’m alone with my music and it’s close to meditative. My mind’s relaxed and blank; thoughts come easier with no distraction. It’s the easiest place for me workout thoughts or solve problems.

What is your vision regarding your work? Your hopes?
I’d like to do some very large pieces for public display; I think my work would translate well into that. Also I definitely enjoy utilizing words to educate on the history and significance of a place. Overall, the purpose toward which I hope my art will grow is to find that which the viewer may not know they want – until they see it. I think that’s a part of good art, whether or not that process is premeditated by the artist. As much as I enjoy the process of creation, I really like to fulfill needs and supply new information.

What are your thoughts on the highbrow vs. low brow art?
I love Mark Ryden’s paintings: They’re fascinating and beautiful.  For me, there’s something to like in nearly all of what’s considered “lowbrow” art.  An art community limited to venerating what feels safe hanging behind one’s sofa is a lifeless art community.  Similarly I fail to see what makes Cy Twombly “high art.”  The distinction seems bogus, perhaps dictated by the same kind of industry insiders as those in the fashion industry who sit down every season to decide what the average woman does NOT have in her closet yet  – so that they can sell it to her by making her feel unfashionable.  Art is subjective, so everyone likes it differently.  I lean toward art by people that I know, that’s not only aesthetically pleasing, but also makes me think.  Art means much more to me when I know personally who created it; that’s probably my interest in psychology talking.

To see more of Marlo Saucedo’s work visit her website at  http://www.marlosaucedo.com or contact her via Facebook.

Also, Pen Ya’s marketing development takes another dust bite. I was working with Vincent Fink – Point 506 Clothing and Graphic Design – and my dear friend, Jerry Villareal – Nuesion – for some kick ass material to push Pen Ya’s artist promotion opportunities. I’ve been idealizing and planning new ways for artists to capitalize their face-time on my website yet with my medical mishap earlier in the first quarter, I am emptying out my pockets to fulfill payment plans to all the wonderful doctors that assisted me in the Emergency Room and thereafter. It’s a hefty sum, I tell you and having declined insurance in February is like a crocodile biting my behind and taking it with him.

Nevertheless, I will trek on and goals for a bigger, better website will be on hold, as well as, printing materials for my campaign — all in due time. If I have learned anything in this project, I have learned that failure is a measure of success and that failure and success is being measured by my own worst critic (ah, that would be me).

Thanks again for continuing to follow Pen Ya: Artiste Imaginarium.

(S)

Sunday, April, 15, 2012, my son, partner, and I took a leisure drive out to meet Angela Obenhaus and John Kelley – owners of new hair salon and art gallery  Tumultuous Art & Hair. It was a pleasant drive into Lake Jackson and being greeted by Angela and John was nothing short of sweet – literally. As we entered the studio-salon, we were served Mimosas, well, of course my son had something like Raspberry Lemonade sans alcohol. Alongside the chilled drinks were brownies and cookies. Yahoo!

The studio-salon has an energetic class. At this time, Angela’s artwork decorates the walls with elegance. Her portraits are to-the-bone stunning; capturing the immortal beauty of a few archetypal and legendary artists yet her freestyle, stream of consciousness work define a more reflective vision of life. Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder and Angela casts such a tasteful sight of her own beauty. I am deeply moved by her presence and modest consciousness.

Artiste Illumination: Angela Obenhaus

How do you classify your artwork?
I would classify my art as Highbrow as opposed to Lowbrow. I like to call it Contemporary Realism. Thus far, most are serious pieces with aesthetics taking a huge role. I have a commission that will be considered Lowbrow –it’s of Bill Murray. It should be fun to do. It’s the ‘I Want You’ U.S. Army poster with Bill Murray as character – from Stripes, yeah.

What’s the earliest memory of your inclination to art?
My earliest memory of art is of my mother oil painting. I was probably around five. When I became eight, I started drawing and cutting out horses to play with. Instead of paper dolls, I had “paper horses”. In 7^th grade, I was fortunate enough to be introduced to oil painting and I fell in love. My teacher, Ms. Catinger – or Ms. Cat, as we used to call her – introduced us to oils. She was a very unusual character – always dressed in black; black pants, black shirt, short hair, cowboy boots. We were allowed at a very early age to start oil painting. I think 7^th grade is real young to start learning. I wish I would have started sooner, though. I did a good job and noticed my paintings stood out from the rest of the class. I had an ability to paint exactly what I saw. That’s how I learned — by copying, copying great artists.

Do you have a passion for any other art?
<deep breathe> Sculpting – I love sculpting. In college, I had to construct my own face and bust. It was a lot of fun. It’s not as familiar as paint and it’s definitely challenging. It’s a much longer process. It’s more technical, to me. I’m really good at carving, too, apparently.

Do you have any formal training?
I’m mostly self-taught – as a copy artist – and formal training involves a few figurative classes at the Art Institute of Houston where I received a degree in Graphic Design in 2002. I was also at the University of Houston for a stint but I didn’t complete the semester. It’s easy for me to get lost in realism. It becomes a bit mathematical and involves a sense of comparison. If I had about four hours, I feel I could teach someone realism.

Is anyone in your family considered or considers themself an artist?
Both my grandmother and mother were artists. My grandmother did all kinds of things. She painted in cast ceramics. She painted two nativity sets –from start to finish. She crafted Faberge Eggs. She was also President of the Garden Club and designed arrangements. My mother was an abstract oil painter but maybe it was surreal too. She painted things like a big sun in a barren wasteland and a lot of butterflies.

What is your work experience in the art field, if any?
I thought art would be a hobby and now I have sold quite a few paintings and commissions are coming in pretty fast. As far as a work experience, my first experience was designing a poster and program for NASA Bullunar Festival in 2002. I got to ride in a hot air balloon and John Kelley was ‘the chaser’. I decided at the very last minute to do it. We crashed landed but lift-off was exhilarating. Well, the project was a lot of exposure. People from all over the world were lined up to receive autographs. It was a pretty big deal for me, at the time. I now co-own an art gallery with John Kelley; Tumultuous Art and Hair.

What is your experience in the realm of arts?
Within the past 2 years I have been involved in shows; namely themed shows. I began at an outdoor art market called First Saturday Arts Market in the Heights with owner Mitch Cohen. I did a few shows there. I’ve done a few shows for Tra Slaughter like ‘Sweaty, Sultry, Sandy’ in 2011 but my first show was ‘A Mistletoe Affair’ with Suzanne Buckland with Artists Alive and Well, Inc. in 2010. I am now contracted to work under Dandee Warhol for War’Hous Visual Studios. I also did Houston Via Colori November of 2010 – that was great. I did that for The Children’s Museum. Oh, Spacetaker is a good forum for artists. I am a member and it’s how Houston Via Colori found me.

Most importantly though, I am working towards bringing Houston artists to the Lake Jackson area with my new gallery. I have sold several paintings at Tumultuous Art & Hair and I am steadily bringing in commissions. My hope is that Houston artists will have the same, if not more, success than I am having at my gallery.

Is there a particular individual(s) that influence(s) you? What is it that captured your attention about their work?
I wouldn’t say I know who influences me now in my work. When I was younger I was quite intrigued by both Salvador Dali’s ability and Andy Warhol’s fame. I am also quite fond of Spanish painter Jose Royo, the way he catches light and he paints women –I seem to paint a lot of women. The movement in Van Gogh’s work moves me like no other. Royo has a bit of that movement in his work too.

Can you explain what you mean about ‘seeing movement’ in artwork?
Air has movement in it –molecules. In reality, we’re all just made up of moving pieces. To see an artist portray movement that we don’t see, is pretty phenomenal, I think.

What kind of topics or subjects do you find yourself discovering in your art?
I have found I have a certain feminine quality in my work. Even works which are not of women have a clear feminine side to them. I don’t understand it really. While I’m attracted to men, I find women more aesthetically pleasing. 

What inspires you to create?
Beauty inspires me to create. My work is respectful to that which I see as beautiful. It’s like a tribute. Things can be beautiful to me even when they are not pretty. It can be something that moves or stirs the soul –my current series of celebrities not included. 

Do you work based on a theme or stream of consciousness?
My works have been both based on theme and stream of consciousness. My creative process varies. Lately, I have been doing many portraits. I call celebrity portraits “shallow paintings”. They are created to show my skill set and to gain commissions but my other paintings deal with themes that are not attractive but done in a way that I consider beautiful. That involves heavy concentration — losing oneself in shapes and shades. I forget everything else –even words. Usually I paint in silence and by myself. I also create other types of paintings using music as “the muse.” Upon near completion, I will often put the painting away, bring it back out and rework it. During this time I will start asking opinions. I will also photograph it, and look at it in a mirror. It is difficult for me to call a painting “done.” 

Let’s talk about the creative process on this piece of art.

“Katrina”

 The painting process is different with each painting, but I am going to take you through a process . The end result was not necessarily better in aesthetics — just different — and more meaningful to me. The woman in the painting was in a jungle or woods. As I continued painting, everything got lighter, brighter and I it went along with my mood. This painting was done over several weeks and my mood shifted. In the final version, one can see she has made it through the woods and is looking towards a sea-line –a cityscape in the distance. It was here that ‘she’ sat back in my studio and waited. The more I looked at her, the more she became daunting. In time I realized she was a witch –glaring at the water; a hurricane. I named her Katrina and put a bun shaped like a hurricane in the back of her head. She is evil. I hope this gives a little insight as this particular artwork  became a story to me. I prefer the way it was but it is a force the way it is.

Do you have a favorite place to brainstorm? What’s that environment like?I can brainstorm anywhere. I can be at parties and take a mental snapshot and declare what I want to paint. I like to involve people. I like to express how people are.

What is your vision regarding your work? Your hopes?
I try not to look too far into the future. I know it is juvenile but I believe in living in the moment. In every painting I try to achieve more life, more detail. At some point I want to have such control with the brush that I can figure out how to dissect the subject matter and break it back down into perfect aesthetic imperfection. 

What are your thoughts on the highbrow vs. low brow art?
I had never considered it until this interview. People create out of necessity to express something. I believe in freedom to create whatever. Do what you enjoy. There will always be a critic somewhere dissecting something. If you live for yourself, please yourself with what you create (which is usually very hard to do) who cares if it is highbrow or lowbrow. People create for different reasons and people purchase paintings for different reasons as well.

For more on Angela Obenhaus, contact her via her Facebook page.

Amie Williams embodies endless amounts of personality from sensitive to wild and across the spectrum to a peaceful sense of spirituality. She and I met at her Winter Street Studio December 16, 2011. Her studio was filled with artwork. Each piece activated an inner dialogue — what was she feeling when she created this? What thoughts flowed inside her mind? What do I make this painting mean? It’s no surprise I chose to integrate her work into my personal journey – one of relating through patterns, people, and art. There were several framed works that bordered into my intuitive, calm nature and I could create a sense of consciousness and relatedness with her imagery. Others, barreled my sense of erratic temperament and juvenile anxiety.

Artiste Illumination: Amie Williams

How do you classify your artwork?
I have over 200 paintings in my current body of work and they span across a variety of genres – mostly abstracts with figurative abstracts on occasion. I just really love abstract because it can be interpreted in a number of ways but I do like figurative.  I’ve been thinking of integrating it into my abstract.

What’s the earliest memory of your inclination to art?
I remember in first grade when we were reading in class, I had a plain looking bookmark to hold my place. I thought about how pretty it would be adding color and imagination. I would want to come back again and again to open my book and continue to read the pages. Pretty soon, I was making decorative book marks for everyone in class! I used multiple colored pens and put the student’s name on it as a finishing touch. The bookmarks looked similar to the beautiful stained glass I had seen at church on Sundays. I still have a few of those bookmarks at home. I guess as a child, I was constantly seeking to show my newest creation to friends and family. I would take my mom to local art contests and I remember winning three times and my pictures even appearing in the local paper. She was very proud.  Some things never change – I still love it when people tell me about their feelings on my work.

Do you have a passion for any other art?
I love listening to music. I am really into the rare genre of 1980’s industrial music with bands from countries like Belgium and Germany. Many of these songs feature machine-like industrial sounds and dark brooding subject matter to a dance beat. It’s sinisterly haunting and fun at the same time. To this day, I still love dancing to this music. I also played an instrument in high school. I played the clarinet with the marching band – not quite as sinister, still a rewarding experience. Yeh, I played the clarinet.

Do you listen to music while you are painting?
Well, I have listened to some music while painting and some paintings have been inspired by Thrill Kill Kult. There is one painting in particular I can recall, it’s called “You Liars Repent”. The painting was inspired by the song A Daisy Chain 4 Satan.

Do you have any formal training?
I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art with a specialty in Graphic Design from Lamar University in Beaumont. I took all of the fine art classes offered at Lamar. I loved figure drawing, pastels, watercolor, and history – there are wonderful memories.  Actually, Lamar has a surprisingly prestigious Fine Arts program for a small Texas oil-town like Beaumont. I enjoyed the university very much but my fondest memories are of my most inspiring professor, Dr. Jerry Newman.  Dr. Newman always pushed his students to achieve more than they thought possible. He was one of the greatest artists I have known personally. My time at Lamar gave me opportunities to explore all facets of the art world. As a result, I have a deep appreciation for artists of all types and especially for the inspiration they put into their work.

Is anyone in your family considered or considers themself an artist?
My mother is a wonderful artist who uses oil paint and acrylics; she paints more realistically than I do. My grandfather was an artist and my uncle is an artist as well. My uncle used to work real detailed landscape drawings – my grandfather too, as well as, paintings. He was a first draftsman with Dupont – a company in Orange, Texas. I’m guess I’m following in his footsteps because I am also a Mechanical Designer. These relatives are all on my mother’s side of the family and I believe this explains where I get my artistic abilities.

What is your work experience in the art field, if any?
I’ve been at Winter Street Studios for about six months. I recently got back into painting a little over a year ago. As for working in the field, I worked briefly as a graphic designer in my twenties. More recently, I have designed logos as a side project for corporate and small business ventures. I learned at an early age that supporting myself by selling paintings would be difficult. Currently, I work with Auto CAD and Inventor as a Mechanical Designer at Cameron.

What is your experience in the realm of arts?
I have shown my current body of work at many galleries and studios mainly in the Houston community; however, I’m excited about the idea of visiting other galleries around the country and sharing my work with new people.  In October, I had my first solo show with Mark and Joanna Roden’s gallery JoMar Visions. It was awesome.  Mark and Joana are close friends. They worked with me and Erik, my boyfriend, on the installation. We installed a large portion of my collection, including a series of four 4’x4’ fluorescent works I created for a Beaumont dance club. We illuminated these with black lights and they gave the show a festive atmosphere. Another friend, Michael Lombardino –a professional DJ — played ambient house music to set the mood. It was a magical night plus I sold six paintings at that show!  I just had so much fun. My work has started to garner amazing attention. Aside from the solo show, collectors and art aficionados have recently been purchasing my work.

Is there a particular individual(s) that influence(s) you? What is it that captured your attention about their work?
I am mostly inspired by modern art. I first go to Van Gogh, Picasso, and Kandinsky. I generally admire the use of forms and colors they used. In particular Van Gogh, for his use of color and freedom in application. Picasso, especially his pioneering vision with the Cubist movement and for the wide variety of styles that he helped develop and explore.  Kandinsky, his beliefs on the spiritual aspect of art and how different colors evoke different vibrations on the spirit.  Kandinsky’s theory on vibrational energy influences my work. I really believe different colors evoke different vibrations that affect your soul and spirit. Art can be very therapeutic. Frida Kahlo’s surrealist work is also inspiring. Frida painted out of physical and emotional pain. It shows in her most moving pieces.

Every artist has a specific medium they favor – what is yours? Is there any other medium you are interested in exploring?
I am constantly experimenting with acrylic paints. Most of my work is 16” x 20”. Not all pieces are big but I have recently started getting bigger and bigger with the latest one being 36” x 48”. Acrylic really is my favorite medium at present. I like diluting paint in hypodermic needles and syringes. I use them to draw lines. I really like using squeeze bottles. I tend to use squeeze bottles a lot along with brush strokes and spattering combinations. I’ll use plastic bristle brushes to give the scratch look. I find acrylic paint is both practical and malleable. I painted with oil pastels in college. I’d be interested in exploring oil pastels again someday. They are really neat to work with.

What kind of topics or subjects do you find yourself discovering in your art?
Energy. Energy is present all around in multiple states. I believe in esotericism – that all things are composed of energy. I paint my interpretation of this and I explore this in my paintings. The colors I choose emit frequencies and vibrations of energy.  This energy, interpreted into the colors and textures, has healing properties for viewers’ moods and feelings of well-being. For me, painting has been very therapeutic, especially in this way. I believe it can be therapeutic for others who view it as well.

What inspires you to create?
I believe that for me, inspiration often comes from the “divine”. I believe my faith in God works through me to create and I am simply a channel. I am constantly inspired by nature and the positive energy of God’s Earth, which brings joy, and happiness. I paint bright, colorful paintings. I like to paint when I’m happy but unfortunately I’m not always happy. Sometimes I can paint from pain I may be feeling. There is one painting called “One Difficult Weekend” and it is about a difficult weekend I had.

Do you work based on a theme or stream of consciousness?
I sometimes create my work based on a theme. But I usually work spontaneously and create the feeling I have right at that time. I do not define my particular style. I am constantly experimenting with different techniques. I’m drawn to different colors and make my palette. Sometimes, I have an idea of the color palette I want to use but I’m very spontaneous.

Let’s talk about the creative process on this piece of art . 

“City on Fire”

This painting is called “City on Fire” It is one of my favorites in my collection.  The blue has a calming effect that contrasts with the city above.  Blue fights to encompass the painting, with calming and assuring vibration, but there is negative energy within.  Red is agitates against the calm, forces against it.

When I think about City on Fire, I get a feeling of insecurity and helpless.  This is an example of a painting that took on a life of its own during production.  It started as a cry for help. It would be impossible to exactly reproduce, as I worked wet.  I started with a wet background and then use simple brush strokes adding some dripping and splatter to create the painting. The reddish color that I decided to add was for a complimentary effect.  This painting has been given to my mother as a gift.

Do you have a favorite place to brainstorm? What’s that environment like?
I don’t really have one place in particular to brainstorm. I like to sit on the floor with my paints. Ideas just come to me.  It’s very subconscious at first. I like to be close to my work and don’t use an easel. I sometimes start spontaneously, with a feeling, an urge, or an idea. I work very ‘in the moment’. The developing piece has a mind of its own – like it wants to take over.  An abstract has a way of taking its own direction when I’m in the middle of it.

What is your vision regarding your work? Your hopes?
I want to continue my creativity and have a positive influence on others.  I want people who view my pieces to enjoy and like what they see! It’s so cool about abstract art, each individual takes with him his own unique perspective and experience – joy and therapeutic energy manifests in different ways for people of different backgrounds. It makes me happy to have others enjoy and benefit from my work.

What are your thoughts on the highbrow vs. low brow art?
It all depends on the relationship between of the artist and the viewer.  One person’s trash can be another person’s life-changing experience, or evoke a treasured memory.  I would never look down at an artist whose work inspires a viewer – no matter who that viewer is.  At the same time, I have heard of other moving and talented artists who when they get famous suffer from ego that gets in the way of expressing their inspiration.  To be honest, some famous artists at the end of their careers, come across as kind of lazy – like they have shown beautiful and innovative work earlier in their careers, but later they’re just kind of phoning it in.  But the bottom line is: if the viewer is inspired, or moved, or affected somehow, it’s all good.

For more information on Amie Williams and her artwork, visit her website at http://ArtbyAmie.net. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

I am finally back in Houston. I had surgery last Thursday and have been ordered to rest until I see doctor next week for further prognosis. I can walk now and sitting down is ok just not for long periods of time. Yay! That’s progress in a month!

I am so ready to get back to kicking ass on Pen Ya. I apologize to all those that entered the Pen Ya: Artwork in a Book Contest.  It is still in the works to  move forward  as soon as I can manage the new circumstances from this medical mania. I have, myself, reviewed all the artwork submitted and need only to pass on to the judges so we can complete this process. I am a bit stubborn on posting the results on the new website. Arggghh. Perhaps, that’s not a good decision but it would better promote each artist that submitted if I do — so, bear with me folks. This will work out for the best, I promise. I have employed my good friends at Immix Productions to help me with coding to further progress the site completion. So, I’m holding steady to this last month’s motto — “Patience”.

I appreciate your support and encouragement through this hectic time. Peace!

(S)

Lori Miglioretti and I met at her quaint studio-apartment in River Oaks on October 10^th of 2011.We sat and chatted for a few hours while listening to something blues-y in the background. It’s been a while since I visited Lori but the warm welcome received by her husband, Martin Miglioretti (also an artist), herself, and her adorable cat, Mooch, is still nicely engraved in my memory.

Since our encounter in 2011, Lori Miglioretti, debuted “Eye Candy” – a collection of her tantalizing artwork –  at JoMar Visions on October 21, 2011, won 2^nd place at JoMar Visions Art Excellence 2011 Awards for ‘Zinfandel Grapes I’ on November 19, 2011 (took place during Houston ArtCrawl 2011 – one of Houston biggest art events) , and moved her workspace to Winter Street Studios.

Entering into Lori Miglioretti’s ‘Artiste Imaginarium’ is unimaginably alluring. It’s the perfect domain – like a dream – for sensory assimilation. Her realism allows me to elicit the desire to taste, touch, or hanker for the smells and sounds found in the setting of her work. It’s perfectly sweet like her piece ‘Chocolate Covered Cherries’. That grand-piece of work had me rummaging through my pantry to find something to squelch the craving for something chocolaty and saccharine. The rest of her art generates equally powerful desires.

Artiste Illumination: Lori Miglioretti 

How do you classify your artwork? (1) Lowbrow, Highbrow (2) Neo Pop, Fantasy, Contemporary, Abstract, etc.
My artwork is neither lowbrow nor highbrow; it falls somewhere down the middle. My paintings are realism based; photorealism in style. 

What’s the earliest memory of your inclination to art?
My earliest memory as a child drawing was when I was five. My father used to have subscriptions to Outdoor Life and Field & Stream magazines. My brother (who was 5 years older than me) and I would have drawing contests. He was 10 and naturally better but I enjoyed the competition. After a year or so, I was getting better than him so the competition dwindled away. It’s kind of funny; this is one of the questions I thought about while we (husband and I) were on our trip to Pittsburg. Somebody asked me “how did you know you had the talent, what was your first sign?” This memory a long with another memory I can distinctly remember. I was coloring Cinderella – I was probably 5 or so – and I started shading to give it shape and form. I don’t know if I realized it then but when I look back – now – I could say I probably knew I had something.

I’m interested in knowing when your flair evolved to drawing, painting, etc. Can you tell me more about that?
When I was in 3^rd and 4^th grade, I had a really good friend – Heather – and she had a horse. We started studying and drawing horses. I checked out every possible book from the library. I drew a lot of diagrams – like anatomy of a horse – and I knew by 4^th grade that I had a love for horses and drawing them. At that time, I started dreaming of being a Veterinarian in which in my spare time I would paint horses – that by, oh, by the way I would also be raising horses.

Do you have a passion for any other art?
I appreciate all the arts on some level –nothing that I’m overly passionate about. I love music and movies especially movies that are visually beautiful with a soundtrack that I could paint to – classical and stimulating. I don’t know where it stems from but I gravitate towards British movies and period pieces. I love Pride and Prejudice. I paint to that soundtrack all the time. I was painting to Rob Zombie while I working on the horror movie collection.

Do you have any formal training in?
I have no formal training other than basics in high school. I’m pretty much self-taught. I taught myself oil painting and I’ve practiced a little with acrylics. I’m horrible with acrylics.

Yeh, the thing about where I grew up…it was a small town outside of Pittsburgh. My family wasn’t really cultured in the arts – no experience with artists. My high school instructor taught the basics like ‘this is what you do with this and this is what you do with that’ and he pretty much let me go off and do my own thing. By my senior year, I was teaching my peers.

 What is your work experience in the art field, if any?
I have officially had my own business as an artist/muralist since 2001 though I have been doing commissions for art since I was a sophomore in high school. My most recent full-time job was as General Manager of Aaron Brothers Art & Framing on the west side of Houston for 3 ½ years. Prior to that, I was Gallery Director of Thomas Kinkade Gallery in Kemah, TX. It opened the door for so many of my own commission opportunities and experience in a gallery/retail environment. It helped me understand the business end of art.

What is your experience in the realm of arts?
I was in 3 different shows in Pennsylvania before moving to Texas in 1996. I have also in Galveston and Clear Lake, TX; one of which was a solo show at E Street Gallery. I was accepted into the Big Show at Lawndale Art Center in 2009 with two of my paintings. More recently, I have shown at Watson Galleries, JoMar Visions, and Gallery M Squared (Salon Des Refuses 2011); and received honorable mention for Greyhound ‘36 at the Annual Juried Competition this year at Archway Gallery.

Is there a particular individual(s) that influence(s) you? What is it that captured your attention about their work?
I have been very inspired by the Italian Renaissance and Baroque and Classical eras of art. I get mesmerized when I get to see the work of the masters; the use of lighting in their work and the range of emotion that they captured in their subjects.

If I had to say there was a living artist that I learned from it would be my husband, Martin Miglioretti. He is also a photo realist and I have learned a lot about composition and attention to detail from him. But there are several artists that I really like. Typically, the artists I like that live in the Houston area…umm….they’re work is not at all the style of work that I do; Ray Phillips, David Hardaker, and of course everybody loves Kevin Peterson – you can’t go wrong with that.

Every artist has a specific medium they favor – what is yours? Is there any other medium you are interested in exploring?
I favor oil paints. I like the flexibility of the dry time, the vibrancy of the colors, and oddly enough the smell – not necessarily of the solvents but the paints themselves. I have tried my hand at watercolor and did not fair very well. I use acrylics as an under-painting sometimes. It helps when painting dark areas on the canvas – it’s better for coverage and depth in the painting. But if I were to try anything other than oil paints, I would love to work in clay!

What kind of topics or subjects do you find yourself discovering in your art?
I love to paint pretty much all subjects. I like traditional landscapes, animals, still life, portraits, murals, etc. I tend to lean towards animals as a preference, although, I have been doing several still life pieces lately and loving it. I will add I realized the still life I’ve been doing, the items are typically reflective of something from my childhood—they are nostalgic. I like antique stuff. It doesn’t have to be an antique I grew up with – just something nostalgic.

What inspires you to create?
This has been one of the trickiest questions for me to answer. Sometimes it’s a movie, sometimes it’s a song, and sometimes it just pops in my head when I see something. I have always believed that there is beauty in everything and painting it is my way of showing appreciation for it. In general, I can’t explain the inspiration; it’s just always been there. It’s a part of my being – my soul.

Do you work based on a theme or stream of consciousness?
I do tend to paint based on a theme. I’ll do a few paintings of a topic – like horses – and out of the blue something else just pops into my head. I have never really been good at stream of consciousness; maybe that’s why I’m a realist and I don’t paint abstract.

 Let’s talk about the creative process on this piece of art.

 “Blue Velvet”

 The best story for the creative process is for my painting “Blue Velvet”, which slowly developed over about a 4-5 year period. It is a piece created to honor the memory of my late mother. The metal candy molds that are featured were my late grandmother’s, whom I never met. My mother was able to buy them from an old friend who bought them from another relative several years ago. My mother also had a set of her own that my grandmother had given her, which was loaned out and never returned. Chocolate making is a family tradition, and the candy molds are synonymous with her family. I have wanted to do a painting of them for many years.

My mother passed away in August 2009, and a few months later my father mailed me the molds. I selected the molds I remembered best, and added a few things to the set-up for the painting, things that represent both my mother and grandmother and the love for the tradition. It contains my grandmother’s wedding ring set, a handkerchief and spoon ring that was my mother’s, as well as a mother and child cameo pendant, which I bought for her for Mother’s Day several years ago. The silk flower is from my own wedding dress from just 2 years ago; it has buttons from my mother’s wedding dress stitched onto the petals. “Why Blue Velvet?”, you may ask. It’s a song from Bobby Vinton, whom I grew up listening to as a child. My mom loved Bobby Vinton, and oddly enough I love him now as well – most likely for the memories.

 Do you have a favorite place to brainstorm? What’s that environment like?
I don’t really have a ‘place’ to brainstorm. It’s everywhere! I do find that certain music helps me in brainstorming. Enigma speaks to me. There is something about Enigma that sets my mind free.

What is your vision regarding your work? Your hopes?
Once upon a time I wanted my own gallery, with some sort of art business correlating with it. I think that’s ultimately what I still want. I can’t honestly say, “I paint because…” and that I don’t care about the money. My vision, my hope is to make a decent living from it. I have always believed that it could be done. Though if I don’t make anything, I will still always do it. It’s a part of me.

For more information on Lori Miglioretti and her work, visit her website at www.MigFineArt.com or contact Lori via email @ lartist518@hotmail.com. 

I will be working diligently on the new website this week so that I may utilize it’s features for the contest submissions and announcements.

Good Luck!

(S)

I will continue interviewing artists and will be committed to setting up a schedule. The 2011 path was out of control – a kind of stop and go. So, this year, I plan for consistency. I’m thinking one interview per month. I will also be taking a few weeks off –after posting the two pending posts — to focus on developing the new website and resume interviewing once the new site is up.

So, the book, you may be wondering, is in definite postponement until a new shift occurs in this process. Thank you all for continuing to follow and support the Pen Ya: Artiste Imaginarium project. It is most appreciated!!!

If you have any opinions or suggestions, feel free to write me at ipenya.blog@gmail.com. And…Happy New Year to you all!!!

Sincerely,

(S)