“(LVA) was a game changer from day one.” – Emily Yellina

"Untitled #1" by James Inmon — *"Untitled #1" by James Inmon*

What will the next generation of artists show us? A glimpse into the answer might be provided in high school seniors finishing the Louisville Visual Art’s (LVA) Academy program. Most have been involved with LVA for years, beginning with Children’s Fine Art Classes (CFAC) in elementary and middle school before moving on to the Academy curriculum, which is only now in its second year, but there is undeniable ambition and individual expression in abundance in the work with which these students have stocked their portfolios.

There is also a sense of discovery; the exploration of medium and technique is fresh and unapologetic. This is the art of youth; the marriage of facility and ideas that is characteristic of artists at this age. James Inmon takes hold of a motif - the Mexican piñata, and places it in a range of scenarios that are tender, satirical, and political; Emily Yellina communicates an intimate, revelatory moment with a small mirror filled with compassion; Juliet Taylor brings heightened color into service connecting with street art in a dazzling, almost hallucinatory image; and Audrey Heichelbech injects a more overt autobiographical theme into dense collage work.

Audrey Heichelbech – Governor’s School for the Arts
Will major in Industrial Design at California College of the Arts

*An expressive mixed media collage (paper and thread) by Audrey Heichelbech (2016)*

James Inmon - Governor’s School for the Arts, Scholastic Honors
Plans to major in Printmaking and Mathematics at Murray State.

“LVA opened my eyes to new mediums that I wouldn't have thought to try on my own, like printmaking. It's also provided me with resources to allow me to better communicate my own ideas with my art, as opposed to mimicking other artists. Both Sunny Ra and Rudy Salgado were impactful for me as an artist.”

Emily Yellina – Scholastic Gold Key, National Honor Society
Intends to Major in Art and Minor in Psychology at the University of Louisville

“In middle school art wasn't an option for a class to take in school, so we looked for an outside class for me to take so I could still be involved in art. That's when my parents found the LVA CFAC class and enrolled me in the class. It was a game changer from day one. Dean Mistler is not only an amazing art teacher but has become to be my friend and mentor in the process. He was the first to mention art therapy to me as a career, when I told him about my brother doing art therapy at the Riley Hospital for Children."

*"Untitled Still Life" by Emily Yellina*

Artist, Emily Yellina — *Artist, Emily Yellina*

Juliet Taylor – Scholastic Gold Key, National Honor Society, St James Court Art Show Sculpture Scholarship

“Rudy Salgado helped me do what I wanted to do with my art instead of forcing projects on me. It helped me to grow with my Printing skills.”

"Pulling Myself Through The Creative Process..." by Juliet Taylor, 8x9ft, mixed media — *"Pulling Myself Through The Creative Process..." by Juliet Taylor, 8x9ft, mixed media*

Artist, Juliet Taylor — *Artist, Juliet Taylor*

These students have created small-scale work especially for The Academy of LVA exhibition, which will be at Revelry Boutique Gallery May 19 – May 25. There will be an Opening Reception May 19, 6-8pm.

Revelry Boutique Gallery
742 E. Market Street

Gallery Hours:
Tuesday – Saturday, 11am-7pm
Sunday & Monday, 11am-5pm

*"Energy Is Everything" by Juliet Taylor*

This Feature article was written by Keith Waits.
In addition to his work at the LVA, Keith is also the Managing Editor of a website, www.Arts-Louisville.com, which covers local visual arts, theatre, and music in Louisville.

Are you interested in being on Artebella? Click here to learn more. — *Are you interested in being on Artebella? Click here to learn more.*

Painting, Drawing

Vignette: Jenny Shircliff

Josh Jenkins · February 28, 2017

"Creekside" by Jenny Shircliff, 24x36in, oil on canvas (2017), $1500 | BUY NOW — *"Creekside" by Jenny Shircliff, 24x36in, oil on canvas (2017), $1500 | BUY NOW*

Artists turn that introspective gaze towards themselves; it’s not at all unusual - most art reveals something of the person who creates it. Jenny Shircliff makes herself the subject as a way of investigating age and, by implication, mortality.

"Cavea" by Jenny Shircliff, 18x15in, pastels on paper (2016), $650 | BUY NOW — *"Cavea" by Jenny Shircliff, 18x15in, pastels on paper (2016), $650 |* *BUY NOW*

Her earlier paintings were naturalistic renderings of the figure, but her new work is a departure, in which she dramatically abstracts human form nearly beyond recognition, and equates it with landscape forms.

“Our culture's idea of figurative beauty is predicated on youth, smooth skin, and rosy complexions,” observes Shircliff, “I am inverting that tenet and looking at my own aging flesh as a recording of my life, much in the same way that time is visually marked on the landscape. Thus, I have turned to viewing various parts of my own body as elements of land formations and use them as a derivation for abstract landscape. And I draw my color from nature itself. In a way, this new body of work could be described as ‘flesh-scapes’.”

What results from this focus are images of startling graphic impact. They appear to be abstract but are, in reality, intense, close-up views of the human form that embrace and reveal their humanity. The discovery of organic pattern and shape is so universal that we mistake them for images of other animals or natural rock formations. Through this highly candid, nearly forensic self-portrait series, Shircliff reminds us that we are a part of a larger natural world.

"Outcrop" by Jenny Shircliff, 20x24in, pastels on paper (2016), $950 | BUY NOW — *"Outcrop" by Jenny Shircliff, 20x24in, pastels on paper (2016), $950 | BUY NOW*

Shircliff has returned to painting after a long period devoting herself to the studying and teaching art history. “One of the most important things I learned from that experience is that assumptions should be challenged, inverted, and viewed in a different light.”

Shircliff has taught previously at Kentucky College of Art + Design at Spalding University, KSAH, Bellarmine University, University of Louisville, IUS, JCTC, and Midway College.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Age: 62
Education: PhD in Art History, May 2014 University of Louisville, Louisville, KY; MA in Painting, 1994 University of Louisville, Louisville, KY; BFA in Drawing, 1976 Murray State University, Murray, K

"Cavern" by Jenny Shircliff, 31x36in, oil on canvas (2016), $3000 | BUY NOW — *"Cavern" by Jenny Shircliff, 31x36in, oil on canvas (2016), $3000 | BUY NOW*

"Gorge" by Jenny Shircliff, 48x48in, oil on canvas (2016), $1500 | BUY NOW — *"Gorge" by Jenny Shircliff, 48x48in, oil on canvas (2016), $1500 | BUY NOW*

"Cliffside" by Jenny Shircliff, 24x36in, oil on canvas (2016), $750| BUY NOW — *"Cliffside" by Jenny Shircliff, 24x36in, oil on canvas (2016), $750| BUY NOW*

Drawing

Vignette: Mike McCarthy

Josh Jenkins · January 10, 2017

“Loyal” by Mike McCarthy, 5.25x7.75in, hand colored print (#1), $40 | BUY NOW — *“Loyal” by Mike McCarthy, 5.25x7.75in, hand colored print (#1), $40 | BUY NOW*

Mike McCarthy is a sculptor who works primarily with stone, but the restlessness that is familiar to most artists, combined with recent travels that included the inevitable time in airports and hotels prompted him to begin sketching again on paper. “On my first trip out of town, I brought 2 small rocks to carve while in the hotel,” he explains. “Needless to say, the dust that is created from carving, even with just files, was too much. So I put the stone away and got out my sketchbook.”

This “Hotel Series” uses subject matter consistent with McCarthy’s three-dimensional work: animals – lions, horses, birds…but the highly developed sense of form is deemphasized to make room for linear pattern and a dense, collage-like layering of visual elements.

“I started doing just sketches, but soon those sketches turned into different collages and completed drawings. These drawings were either pen and ink or pencil, but all of them are black and white. I really liked the collages but many times the details would get a bit confusing; I needed a way to help clarify the elements. I decided color might be an option. Color has always intimidated me, because I am color-blind. In fact, the only time I ever received an F in school was for painting a figure green that I was totally convinced I had painted the correct color.

“Koi Pond” by Mike McCarthy, 8x10in, hand colored print (#2), $65 | BUY NOW — *“Koi Pond” by Mike McCarthy, 8x10in, hand colored print (#2), $65 | BUY NOW*

But I know it really helps people differentiate objects. I decided to just randomly fill in different parts of the drawing with what ever color pencil I picked up and not worry about if it was the “right” color. Many times, I only know things are different colors because the pencil says so. Much of the color looks the same to me. I wasn't sure how the process would work so I decided to have some prints made of the original black and white drawings done so I wouldn't ruin them and then add color to the prints. The cool thing is that I can experiment with a variety of different colors on the same drawing. If I don't like one, I don't have to start from scratch. It has been an interesting experience to see the reaction.”

“Butterflies!” by Mike McCarthy, 8x10in, hand colored print, $65 | BUY NOW — *“Butterflies!” by Mike McCarthy, 8x10in, hand colored print, $65 | BUY NOW*

McCarthy doesn’t apologize for his color choices, nor should he; subjective use of color is a tradition of modern art since the beginning of the twentieth century. These drawings have a free and spontaneous quality that combines assured craftsmanship with a renewed sense of discovery. If one of the unspoken goals of the adult artist is to reawaken a child-like sense of discovery, McCarthy’s exploration of an approach that is a distinct contrast from his better-known work seems to succeed in part by doing exactly that.

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Age: 49
Education: BA in Fine Arts, Bellarmine University
Gallery Representative: PYRO Gallery and Revelry Boutique Gallery (Louisville), KY Artisan Center (Berea)
Website: http://www.mikemccarthysculptor.com

“Bird Collage” by Mike McCarthy, 9x14in, hand colored print (#2), $75 | BUY NOW — *“Bird Collage” by Mike McCarthy, 9x14in, hand colored print (#2), $75 | BUY NOW*

“Horse Collage” by Mike McCarthy, 7x9.5in, hand colored print (#5), $50 | BUY NOW — *“Horse Collage” by Mike McCarthy, 7x9.5in, hand colored print (#5), $50 | BUY NOW*

“Dog Collage” by Mike McCarthy, 8x10in, hand colored print (#2), $65 | BUY NOW — *“Dog Collage” by Mike McCarthy, 8x10in, hand colored print (#2), $65 | BUY NOW*

Painting

Vignette: Gibbs Rounsavall

Josh Jenkins · December 8, 2016

“Color…can transport us through time.” – Gibbs Rounsavall

*Gibbs Rounsavall at work in his studio*

Science and art may appear to inhabit opposite corners of human experience; but they have much in common. Aside from the dubious distinction of being targets in the current culture wars, each absolutely depend upon acute observation and stringent process. Perhaps nowhere is this synchronicity more apparent than in the study and application of color theory. In the work of Gibbs Rounsavall, the compositions may strike us wholly academic in their construction; a juxtaposition of color rigidly enforced by the strictest geometry, yet there is more than theory at work here.

“I compare my studio practice to that of a scientific exploration embracing the thrill of discovery.” Explains Rounsavall. “The focus of my study has primarily been on relationships between shape and color. Color has such strong associative powers that it can transport us through time eliciting memories while simultaneously suspending the perception of reality.”

"Transitions #5" by Gibbs Rounsavall, 27.25 x 34.75 in, enamel on paper (framed), $1150 | BUY NOW — *"Transitions #5" by Gibbs Rounsavall,* *27.25 x 34.75 in, enamel on paper (framed), $1150 | BUY NOW*

The artist uses one-shot sign paint to create the exacting geometric images, which, although reminiscent of computer-generated graphics, are painted entirely hand. The blend of symmetrical precision and the inherent imperfection of the artist’s hand is the key to their appeal – the reason we as viewers cannot turn away. The discipline and craft are compelling, but Rounsavall puts into the service of a simple ideal.

“Most importantly, I want my work to provide a positive experience for my audience and a sense of beauty that can enrich their lives by raising an awareness and appreciation for the present moment.”

"Transitions #4" by Gibbs Rounsavall, 27.25 x 34.75 in, enamel on paper (framed), $1150 | BUY NOW — *"Transitions #4" by Gibbs Rounsavall,* *27.25 x 34.75 in, enamel on paper (framed), $1150 | BUY NOW*

In 2015 Rounsavall completed the Sunshine and Shadow mural in Louisville’s Shelby Park.

Rounsavall has three drawings on exhibit at Scout on Market in Louisville, and was accepted into the 12th Annual Mazin Art Exhibit at the Jewish Community Center’s Patio Gallery, which runs through January 3, 2017.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Education: BFA, Washington University in St. Louis, Concentration: MAT, University of Louisville, Concentration: Art Education
Website: http://www.gibbsrounsavall.com

"Transitions #6" by Gibbs Rounsavall, 17 x 21 in, enamel on paper (framed), $450 | BUY NOW — *"Transitions #6" by Gibbs Rounsavall,* *17 x 21 in, enamel on paper (framed), $450* *| BUY NOW*

"Transitions #3" by Gibbs Rounsavall, 27.25 x 34.75 in, enamel on paper (framed), $1150 | BUY NOW — *"Transitions #3" by Gibbs Rounsavall,* *27.25 x 34.75 in, enamel on paper (framed), $1150 | BUY NOW*

Are you interested in being on Artebella? Click here to learn more.

For information on how you can advertise through Artebella click here. — *For information on how you can advertise through Artebella* *click here*.

Print Making, Mixed Media

Vignette: Susan Moffett

Josh Jenkins · November 18, 2016

“The rhythm of this work is integrated with the presence of music and dance in my life.”
– Susan Moffett

*A photograph of Susan Moffett in her studio.*

Music is so often, if not always, an integral part of the life of a visual artist. Besides being a highly respected printmaker and teacher, Susan Moffett is also a “Caller” for contra and square dances, and now is playing the fiddle. If we might characterize such pursuits as folk music crossed with precision of execution, it would be perhaps be a fair description of the work we see here.

The tradition and protocol of printmaking includes labored technique, process, and the notion of limited editions of prints pulled by the artist to their exacting standards, but we find Moffett abandoning those for what she calls the, “the freedom and spontaneity of woodcut monoprints. Instead of a traditional series of perfected prints with a consistent image, I opt to use the block prints in an intuitive exploration of organic forms, creating rhythm within and relationships between the prints. Small prints are repurposed in relationships of color, density and repetition, to make a larger installation.”

Although Moffett is too educated and sophisticated in her sensibilities to be labeled a folk artist, there is an elemental quality in these latest images. Yet, because they are densely textured and highly detailed, they are also complex. We often find such tension at the heart of art that is compelling, a balance of contrasting themes and aesthetic that seems the honest, organic result of genuine discovery.

"Moonlight in the Forest" by Susan Moffett, 19x14in, relief monoprint collage, $375 | BUY NOW — *"Moonlight in the Forest" by Susan Moffett, 19x14in, relief monoprint collage, $375 | BUY NOW*

Moffett is Professor Emeritus of Fine Art at Indiana University Southeast where she taught Printmaking, Drawing, and Art Appreciation for many years. She teaches private drawing and printmaking lessons.

"Seasonal Rhythms" by Susan Moffett, 42x54in, relief Monoprint Installation, $2,250 | BUY NOW — *"Seasonal Rhythms" by Susan Moffett, 42x54in, relief Monoprint Installation, $2,250 | BUY NOW*

Moffett is a founding member of PYRO Gallery in Louisville, where she is currently exhibiting with Wendi Smith and Marilyn Whitesell in Ex-Faculty; New, Renewed and Repurposed through November 26, 2016. She has exhibited throughout the United States as well as abroad in Ireland, Poland and Australia. Her work is in numerous public and private collections including:

Selected Collections
• Evansville Museum of Arts and Science, Evansville, IN
• Hyatt Regency, Louisville, KY
• Brown-Forman Distillers Corp., Louisville, KY
• The Kentucky Foundation for Women, Louisville, KY
• Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, Louisville, KY
• University of Dallas, Irving, TX
• The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
• Owensboro Museum of Art, Owensboro, KY
• The University of South Florida, Tampa, FL

Hometown: Dallas, TX
Age: 66
Education: MFA, Northern Illinois University, 1977; Texas Tech University, 1973
Gallery Representation: Pyro Gallery (Louisville) Ro2 Art (Dallas)
Website: http://www.susanmoffett.com

*"Seasonal Rhythms (detail)" by Susan Moffett*

*"Cool Flow, Fall," by Susan Moffett, 14x20in, relief monoprint collage, NFS*