"When I am lost in my work, my mind is off of everything else and the troubles of our world seem to disappear." – Julie Rolwing

"Downtown at Dusk" by Julie Rowling, 11x14in, mixed media on cold press water color paper (2016), $225 (matted & framed) | BUY NOW — *"Downtown at Dusk" by Julie Rowling, 11x14in, mixed media on cold press water color paper (2016), $225 (matted & framed) | BUY NOW*

While she was always interested in art, Julie Rolwing only began painting about four years ago through a class at Gilda’s Club of Louisville. Rolwing had undergone treatment for breast cancer followed by a back injury that has left her permanently disabled. She endeavors to paint every day and has sold several through social media but, because of her physical disabilities, has yet to exhibit in a gallery.

You started painting only four years ago. Tell us how and why you got started.

I started painting after having participated in an art therapy class at Gilda’s Club that I became involved with after my treatment for breast cancer. I had been attending the class for a year or so before I broke down and bought some paints of my own and set up a studio. It was through this class that I discovered that I was indeed a pretty talented painter.

I have always been artistic but never really painted. My father and brother were painters and I think I felt intimidated by them. Though I studied art in my early years at Western Kentucky University, I was more into textiles. Painting, to me seemed too messy! I regret that I did not finish my art education and wish I knew more about history and technique. Though I seldom follow rules in my painting, as I believe that the best work often comes by accident, I think it’s good to have the foundation.

Would you describe your painting as therapeutic? What does it mean to you?

Yes, definitely! Sometimes I feel as though I go through withdrawal if too many days go by and I haven’t painted something, I try to paint every day - at the very minimum I paint on the weekends.

"Untitled" by Julie Rowling, mixed media on metalic matte board (2016), $225 (framed) | BUY NOW — *"Untitled" by Julie Rowling, mixed media on metalic matte board (2016), $225 (framed) | BUY NOW*

Who or what inspires you now?

I continue to be inspired by my late father and often while I paint, I can feel his presence. Family members have told me that my work looks so much like his that it is hard to tell the difference. I consider that the greatest of compliments! My friend and mentor, Mary Scott Blake, who facilitates the class at Gilda’s Club, also continually inspire me. While most of the time I jump ahead of her instruction and go way off the page, I have learned so much from her. I would not be painting today if it had not been for her time and dedication. Watching others create also inspires me. Each March I facilitate a charity-painting workshop to benefit Gilda’s Club of Louisville and I am so inspired by the work of the participants, I spend several months painting from that inspiration. 2017 will be our third year to hold this benefit.

What frightens you the most?

I think what frightens me the most is the uncertain economy – while we have bounced back from the last recession, the election has brought more uncertainty. The lack of compassion I have seen, scares the heck out of me – though in a good way it has sent me into my studio more so than it might have otherwise.

"Water Lilies" by Julie Rowling, 9x11in, liquid water color and pen and ink on cold press water color paper (2016), $125 (matted & framed) | BUY NOW — *"Water Lilies" by Julie Rowling, 9x11in, liquid water color and pen and ink on cold press water color paper (2016), $125 (matted & framed) | BUY NOW*

What are you reading right now?

I AM A BOOK JUNKY! I have 1628 books on my Kindle and 587 on my Nook. I easily have at least five books going at one time. I like mostly humorous novels set in the South – I just read one by Anne River Siddons that I enjoyed. That said, about every fifth book or so I feel needs to be edifying in some way – either spiritually or historically. Last week I read a biography of Harriet Beecher Stowe that I found to be extremely fascinating.

"Tiger Lilly" by Julie Rowling, 8x10in, acrylic and water color mix on canvas panel (2016), $175 (double matted & framed) |  BUY NOW — *"Tiger Lilly" by Julie Rowling, 8x10in,* acrylic and water color mix on canvas panel (2016), *$175 (double matted & framed) | BUY NOW*

If you were given $100,000 what would do with it?

Buy a new car and then hit the road and travel the United States for a couple of months staying in Bed & Breakfast Inns in small towns across the country.

**What does art mean to you?**

Art is not only a means of expression for me it is also a mean of escape. When I am lost in my work, my mind is off of everything else and the troubles of our world seem to disappear.

What do you feel is your greatest flaw?

That’s easy – I buy too many books! I also have too many projects going at one time and I am impatient with my work. I could never work on a painting for more than two days, which is why I like small watercolors. I have also been told I don’t charge enough for my pieces but the way I look at it, I do them to share with other people and not everyone can afford to spend hundreds of dollars on a painting. I feel like if I invest fifty dollars in a painting and sell it for $100 - $150, I’ve made nice profit and I am not really trying to earn a living.

What's your favorite place to visit?

That is hard to say since I am not that well traveled. I have been to NYC and Chicago and LA. I have to say I was in total awe of Chicago. Places I want to visit include New Orleans, Savannah, GA, the Carolinas, Martha’s Vineyard and Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Age: 56
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jaie.rolwing

"Nora" by Julie Rowling, 11x14in, acrylic, liquid water color, pencil and coffee (2016), $195 (matted & framed) | BUY NOW — *"Nora" by Julie Rowling, 11x14in, acrylic, liquid water color, pencil and coffee (2016), $195 (matted & framed) | BUY NOW*

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Painting

Vignette: Jill Baker

Josh Jenkins · December 2, 2016

"Grand Canal" by Jill Baker, 30x12in, oil, $2000 | BUY NOW — *"Grand Canal" by Jill Baker, 30x12in, oil, $2000 | BUY NOW*

*Jill Baker working on her painting "Lady In Waiting" (2016)*

When one tries to imagine the ideal life of an artist, you might do worse than use Jill Baker’s experience as an example. Encouraged at the earliest age to make art, most notably by her artist grandmother, she majored in Fine Art in undergraduate studies at Baylor University. She traveled extensively and lived in Spain, Italy and South Korea. “In Spain I studied the masterpieces at the Prado. In Florence, Italy I painted under the masters at the Academia di Belle Arti. My work was in a major U.S. Exhibition in Paris and in Italy I was chosen for a one-person show at the prestigious Palazzo Strozzi in Florence. In Seoul, South Korea, I became an Artist In Resident and took advantage of the opportunity to create a major exhibition for the U.S. Information Services, exhibiting in the old American Embassy. I also was taken by the USIS to tour South Korean artists and universities, to lecture and lead workshops.”

For many people, that might have been enough, but Baker moved to New York City, where she exhibited, including two solos shows, before earning her MFA in Painting from Pratt Institute in NYC in 1981. Since then she has exhibited at galleries in major cities and galleries of the states of New York, California, Kentucky, Florida, Texas, New Mexico, and is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Evansville, Purdue University, and other institutions.

"Arizona" by Jill Baker, 60x43in, oil, collage, $5000 | BUY NOW — *"Arizona" by Jill Baker, 60x43in, oil, collage, $5000 | BUY NOW*

"Gondolas in the Snow" by Jill Baker, 16x30in, oil, $5000 | BUY NOW — *"Gondolas in the Snow" by Jill Baker, 16x30in, oil, $5000 | BUY NOW*

As is common with many full-time artists, Baker works on several pieces simultaneously, expressing herself in different styles. She describes her surreal collages, such as “Arizona,” as her most popular work. The upending of recognizable physical reality accomplished through the impossible juxtaposition of conflicting landscapes is compelling; a seamless merging that illustrates Baker’s great facility with medium.

“I have sought to be true to my strengths and have resisted other occupations and callings to become and remain a visual artist. I know it is a gift I have been given and in developing it, have tried to bring new and innovative visions to it.”

In 2011-12, Baker was a Visiting Professor of Art History at the University of Evansville, Evansville, IN, and since 2009 she has been Adjunct Professor, University of Southern Indiana, Department of Art, also in Evansville. In November 2016 she exhibited at Cook Studio and Gallery with Andy Cook and Debbie Welsh.

Baker is currently listed in Who's Who in the East, Who's Who in America, Who's Who in Society, Who's Who in American Art, American Art Directory and Marquis Who's Who of American Women, in Community Leaders of America, Female Artists in the United States: a Research and Resource Guide, Fantastic Art and Artists Directory and the yearly listing in ArtNews.

"Madonna" by Jill Baker, 3x5in, blockprint, $200 | BUY NOW — *"Madonna" by Jill Baker, 3x5in, blockprint, $200 | BUY NOW*

Public Collections
Evansville Museum of Arts and Sciences, Evansville, IN
Goethe House, German Cultural Institute, New York, NY
Krannert Art Series, Purdue University, W.Lafayette IN
Bellarmine College, Merton Collection, Louisville, KY
St. Marks Priory, Fine Arts Collection, South Union, KY.
Alexander & Alexander, Inc., Omaha, Nebraska
Church of St. Thomas Aquinas, Bowling Green, KY
College of Education, Western Kentucky U., Bowling Green, KY

Selected Private Collections
Herman Rath Collection, Houston, Texas
Barton Simons Collection, Los Angeles, California
L. H. Dishman Collection, Washington, DC
Norman Wexler Collection, New York, New York
Dr. Lawrence Balter Collection, New York, New York
Wayne Kline Collection, Studio City, CA
Paul Nonte Collection, Jasper, IN

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Age: 74
Education: BA in Fine Arts, Baylor University (Waco, Texas); studied at the Academia di Belle Arti (Florence, Italy); MFA in Painting, Pratt Institute (New York City)
Gallery Representative: Manhattan Arts (New York City); Contemporary Arts Gallery (New Harmony, Indiana)
Website: http://www.jillbaker.com

"Sotto Porto" by Jill Baker, 24x36in, oil, NFS — *"Sotto Porto" by Jill Baker, 24x36in, oil, NFS*

"Goddess" by Jill Baker, 18x10in, monotype collage, $500 | BUY NOW — *"Goddess" by Jill Baker, 18x10in, monotype collage, $500 | BUY NOW*

"Seated on Rug" by Jill Baker, 36x48in, oil, $5000 | BUY NOW — *"Seated on Rug" by Jill Baker, 36x48in, oil, $5000 | BUY NOW*

*Jill Baker working on her painting "Summer Sidewalk In Paris"*

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Painting, Mixed Media

Curatorial Q&A: 9 Questions for Peter Bodnar III

Josh Jenkins · October 5, 2016

"Indehiscent form #2" by Peter Bodnar, 19x46x4in, acrylic on steel (2016), $1200 | BUY NOW — *"Indehiscent form #2" by Peter Bodnar, 19x46x4in, acrylic on steel (2016), $1200 | BUY NOW*

Having known Peter Bodnar for a LONG time, in fact since my days in New Harmony, which date back forty years, I am always excited to see what he is up to, so the prospect of a show of new work at Swanson Contemporary (opening Oct. 7) is indeed something to look forward to.

I value Peter for lots of reasons, his thoughtfulness, his integrity, and ability to question authority, his persistence and dedication, his humor, both good and funky, and his ironic stance in the face of a non-caring universe. All these character traits show up in his art, which to my mind is the principal duty of being an artist: putting in, giving form to the world an authentic and personal vision.

These questions are all things, that while I had made assumptions about, I had never really asked Peter directly, so this was a chance to learn from him in a new way. — John Begley

When starting on a piece of work of art, what's the process?

PDBIII - An idea becomes a drawing, which begets more drawings until a path toward final execution is clear. Small models make form concrete and guide the larger work. Paul Klee showed me that one could invent a living world with a pencil and paper.

JPB – I am delighted to see the Paul Klee reference, have always liked his “taking a line on a walk” statement.

Since you work abstractly, how do you know when you are finished with a specific piece of art?

PDBIII - I’m not sure that the moment a work is “finished” is any different for abstract or representational work, having done both. It generally is the point at which something cannot be added without losing something else. I live with my pieces for a long time. They are released into the world when they possess fewer things that bother me than excite me. That said, the desire to make new work comes from a feeling that I never quite get it completely right.

JPB – I should have realized that you do work in a multitude of manners and not asked the question so narrowly. I find your explanation of not being able to add something without losing something to be very revelatory, and right. And the motivation to do new work because there was always a choice that you could have made, and did not, and therefore are not sure that you indeed get it right to be compelling.

“Liquid Structures Suite” by Peter Bodnar, 15x67in, acrylic on paper (2013), $950 | BUY NOW — *“Liquid Structures Suite” by Peter Bodnar, 15x67in, acrylic on paper (2013), $950 | BUY NOW*

Since you have long tenure in the Louisville art community, how are you feeling about local art scene in Louisville? What's good? What's not so?

PDBIII - Things change, some for the better, some not. I am especially grateful for the support & leadership you, John, have given this community over many years. With experience comes the long view. I am still dismayed at the lack of institutional support for regional artists. From an ART BASEL perspective, we’re all folk artists.

JPB – Thank you for the compliment, and I do agree that the art history of our community is neglected and deserves the same thoughtful analysis that work in other places receives.

“Cusp #5” by Peter Bodnar, 24x28in, acrylic on steel (2016), $1200 | BUY NOW — *“Cusp #5” by Peter Bodnar, 24x28in, acrylic on steel (2016), $1200 | BUY NOW*

You have exhibited with Chuck Swanson for several years, what are your thoughts on the artist/ dealer relationship? What makes it work?

PDBIII - I am lucky to have had Chuck’s friendship over these years. I have been able to show bodies of work in an un-curated context. The classic artist/ gallerist model is a rare bird these days, and Louisville is fortunate to still have a few long standing examples. Sales and promotion have few rewards in hinterland markets.

JPB – I think “un-curated” may be a bit misleading. Chuck’s ultimate curatorial choice is to choose the artist and then trust the artist to bring a cogent body of work to the exhibition space.

What advice would you give a young artist? Any regrets for paths not taken?

PDBIII - Beware of fashion and seriousness. Develop as many skill sets as possible. You will need and enjoy them. Knowing what I know now, I might have chosen another profession.

JPB – I find I am susceptible to the “seriousness” problem, and I think that is why I always find the“dada-fluxus” response so freeing. I have always loved your “eclectic” cooperative as absolutely fun, anti-seriousness in its most honest form.

What role do you think is important for an artist to play in a community? What is the artist's job?

PDBIII - I feel my job, as a citizen of this community, is to strive for equality and justice for all its members and to protect the environment of this place. That is my social practice. As an artist, I work to make the community a place that can support creative individuals. When I was starting out, I felt my challenge lay outside NYC, to forge a new art / community dynamic in flyover America. As an educator, I know I have made a difference in specific cases, but in general, after forty years, I fail to see much effect on the community as a whole.

“Oscillating behavior series 02” by Peter Bodnar, 22x28in (framed), mixed media on paper (2014), $400 | BUY NOW — *“Oscillating behavior series 02” by Peter Bodnar, 22x28in (framed), mixed media on paper (2014), $400 | BUY NOW*

JPB – I think many of us feel this frustration at the slowness of change, at the same time I remain hopeful that if we keep doing it, we might get it right at some point. I think you must feel the same way.

You have worked with ideas from science and mathematics for long periods in the past, what is exciting you now?

PDBIII - Same inspirations— just deeper, less literal— in my view. I want to see how an idea looks in the flesh, so I have to make it. I strive to make animate objects, so my metaphors are animal, vegetable & molecular.

JPB – Ideas incarnate, sounds almost religious.

You have used a variety of materials and media, as well as engaged in performance work, collaborations and installations, what is the cause of your restlessness? (I don't want to imply that question as a pejorative.)

PDBIII - I don’t / didn’t want to miss anything, so that when opportunities arose, I took the bait. Different audiences respond to different stimuli, and the question of whom you’re making your work for is an important one. I find I need a better “effort-to-return” ratio to prompt me in my golden years. Large installations with a clear narrative receive a predominance of media coverage, but are usually costly affairs that turn an artist into a fundraiser.

JPB – If we do this kind of thing again, I want to explore this idea of the artist as fundraiser. You have provoked me again in a most positive way.

“Above / Below (in blue)” by Peter Bodnar, intaglio w/ pigment (2016), $300 | BUY NOW — *“Above / Below (in blue)” by Peter Bodnar, intaglio w/ pigment (2016), $300 | BUY NOW*

Your father has had a successful career as an artist/teacher, how has that shaped your approach to making a life as an artist?

PDBIII -. My father has been a great influence on everything I do. I purposely ran in different directions as a youth in order to define my own self, but am constantly aware of how much I’ve circled back to the groove. His work ethic approach to art making—perspiration not inspiration-—kept me going from the start. I was fortunate to catch a career as artist –teacher before that model became difficult to maintain, and was able to develop my expertise in ways that were never available to him. He’s 87 and still painting and I am proud to be carrying on a family tradition.

JPB – Peter, thank you for your willingness to share these thoughts, as well as your work. I look forward to the new show at Swanson with much anticipation.

Peter Bodnar’s Neo Phenomena
Swanson Contemporary, October 7 - November 12, 2016
Opening Reception 5-8pm, October 7

“Vibe Series 01” by Peter Bodnar, 14.5x16x5in, intaglio on paper w/ HC (2015), $300 | BUY NOW — *“Vibe Series 01” by Peter Bodnar, 14.5x16x5in, intaglio on paper w/ HC (2015), $300 | BUY NOW*

*“Whirl Study” by Peter Bodnar, 14x14in, burnt cedar on paper (2015), $200*

This Curatorial Q&A was written by John Begley.
John Begley is a Printmaker, Installation and Video Artist. From 1975 to 2014 he was a Curator and Gallery Director, including 19 years as Executive Director of LVA and several years with the UofL’s Hite Art Institute, where he is now Coordinator of IHQ Project.