Q&A: Julie Rolwing

---

"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

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

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

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

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

Entire contents copyright © 2016 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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

Q&A: Sid Webb

---

“Art is a creation that aptly describes its time and place.”
— Sid Webb

---

"Untitled #1" by Sid Webb, 6x18in, ash and honeysuckle (2016), $350 | BUY NOW

Sid Webb is a Lexington native who studied journalism at the University of Kentucky and attended the Atlanta School of Art. He came back to Kentucky to be the first art director at the Kentucky Educational Television network (KET), where he was an early advocate of using the digital canvas to create art and to make gicleé prints. He created a 13-part show for public television called Sid Webb’s Digital Studio, in which he demonstrated several ways to create art and paintings on a computer. After many years at KET, Webb turned to travel and editorial photography.

When did you first think you would be an artist?

I was convinced at a very early age that I would be an artist…maybe 10 or 12 years old.  I had done some freelance work for the new IBM plant in high school and local TV stations plus some other work in high school. Sometimes clinging adamantly to such an idea can lead one astray, as it did me. I joined the Air Force after my freshman year in college. At that time the military was very sensitive to the criticism that they were assigning recruits to the wrong jobs and they had developed an elaborate test to discover one’s potential military vocation. I insisted that I wanted to be a graphic artist and passed the test with a near 100 percent score. No portfolio was required. Just several hours of reading questions and guessing at answers to questions like “Which Speedball pin tip would you use to letter a diploma?” Even though I had passed the test, there were few graphic artists needed in the Air Force. No openings were available. There were plenty of openings for cooks and cops, however, and those occupations were in the same category as graphic artists for some reason. I opted for cop.

"Urn" by Sid Webb, about 11in tall, cherry wood (2016), $1200 | BUY NOW

If you could do anything else but make art, what would it be?

Fortunately, during my career I found several creativity roles that were very fulfilling. After college and art school, I came back to Kentucky to work for KET just as it was going on the air. During those early years I did set designs and construction, make-up, newsletters, ads, photography…you name it. Later, I became director of production, and then created and headed a department that sold and distributed KET programs to stations in other states. Surprisingly, that time was perhaps the most fun and productive. We were distributing GED and adult literacy programs and I tried to break new ground in reaching those who could benefit from KET’s creations. I had workbooks translated to Spanish and programs subtitled. I looked for ways to make the content work on computers and audiotapes. I looked for ways to help adult education centers.  Perhaps most importantly, I explored ways to get the message of “help” to those who needed it. In the process I met some very talented and wonderful people and felt gratified. 

You were an early practitioner of digital art and the use of computers for reproductions. What do see as the future of digital art?

I had one of those "ah-ha" moments sometime ago. I was thinking about the artwork and photography I have done over the last few years.

Early on, I became enamored with the possibilities for digital printmaking and the computer as an art-making tool. I also knew that inkjet prints would face stiff opposition from galleries and buyers. I thought the process needed to be elevated and legitimized, so I invented a new term for it: "digitography".

I pat myself on the back for seeing the need, and kick myself for not being outrageously inventive.

For my intended purpose, any word that too easily revealed its derivation like digitography did was destined for the scrape heap, where it soon found itself. The word that emerged and quickly claimed proper respect among the art community was "gicleé". It was a flash of brilliance.

"Untitled #2" by Sid Webb, about 11in tall, spalted maple and catalpa (2016), $800 | BUY NOW

It didn't matter that the true definition could be easily discovered, which is "to spit," or "to sputter". What mattered was that it had a nice ring to it.  The beauty of the choice was that it is a French word, always nice sounding; and it helped that France was the birthplace of modern, avant-garde art. Also, it helped that the definition of gicleé, even when discovered, did not immediately reveal its connection to the mechanical and digital aspects of computers.

That leads me to the "ah-ha" about what I have been doing.

I have been doggedly creating "paintings" on the computer that looked as though they were created with traditional media. Again, I wanted to legitimize the computer as an art tool, and I have been trying to do it by demonstrating that my approach worked as well as other tools by inviting comparisons.

The epiphany was the realization that every new medium first gained legitimacy in this way. For instance, early films and radio productions "translated" books and theater before it found firm artistic footing of its own.

Even though I am someone who adopted the computer early on as an art tool, others have moved beyond "translations".  I decided I would, too.

What advice would you give a young artist just out of college?

The challenge is how to pay off the student loan, pay the rent, and have enough money left over to create art the way you want to do it. Facing this reality is often shocking and overwhelming . . . and defeating. I have a lawyer friend who told me that in law school he learned the law but left school with no idea how to practice it or run a business. That’s so very true of young artists just finishing their degrees. How to sell art is the very first thing a graduate needs to learn. I suggest an internship with a successful artist or photographer. Working in a craft shop or gallery is also a great option. 

Tell us about an important moment of transition for you as an artist?

Retiring from my day job freed me to explore the world around me . . . libraries, museums, friends, travel. I was usually free to spend as much as I wished on my art projects. I had no deadlines, self imposed or otherwise as a rule.

"Untitled #3" by Sid Webb, about 16in tall, wood (2016), $180 | BUY NOW

What's your favorite place to visit?

Tough question. I love France because I have an insatiable appetite for great food, and it is hard to find mediocre or bad food in France. France, like so many other places I have visited, is candy to the eye and fresh air to the inner spirit. I am able to see and feel that which has become too familiar to local people. I do love my home but there lives within me a need to see beyond the next horizon.

What's the most challenging part when starting on a piece of work of art?

How to create the next piece and push beyond my “style”. My style is like my shadow. It is glued to me and I have little control over it. I can walk around a room with a single light source in the center of it and my shadow will mutate, but I still own it. I can’t shake it. But I try.

How long do you usually spend on a specific piece of art?

It depends. I may spend less than an hour to several days. Sometimes the pieces that take less than an hour to create have taken shape in my head over days.

Does art have a purpose? If so what is it?

It defines us, our place in time. Our culture. Our beliefs. None of this is too obvious until we travel and become aware of what surrounds us.

A few decades ago, André Malraux wrote a little book titled “Museum Without Walls” and I used it to make a compelling case that art is dead. Malraux thesis was that the industrial age had made it possible to exactly duplicate fine works of art so that people no longer had to flock to the museums of the world to see and appreciate them. 

In his view we needed to disconnect the ideas of “original,” and “art”. In other words the fact that a piece is an original or part of a limited edition may make it costly, but its cost doesn’t make it art. 

This of course leads back to the question of “what is art?” To be candid, the answer is a moving target with philosophical overtones. The layman’s answer often is “I don’t know what art is, but I know what I like.” That usually puts an end to the discussion as the remark is often intended to do. But there is a measure of truth in it. 

"Untitled #4" by Sid Webb, about 16in tall, wood (2016), $180 | BUY NOW

The German word “gestault” describes that measure of truth. But the best way to think about it may be by using music as an analogy. Most people know when a singer or an instrumentalist hits a sour note or is off key. The ability to detect harmonic sounds is built into our physical make up, at least in most of us. We are painfully aware of singers who are off key or hit a bad note and we know when the rhythm is not quite right. But being aware of the correctness of those essentials of music doesn’t determine the kind of music we enjoy or make us good critics. 

In a general way, what most of us think of as good music has to do with lots of other things. If we play an instrument or sing in a group we are certain to pay closer attention to music than others who don’t. The music we grew up listening to affects our appreciation of it and how we feel about music outside of that genre, too. 

As with music there are physical attributes we humans have that determine our feelings about art. Perhaps surprisingly, one is in our inner ears that keep us balanced and on our feet. Gravity and that liquid in our inner ears keeps us keenly attuned to weight and what’s up and what's down. 

The physical mechanics of the way most of us see color is another factor. Some people are color blind or “tone deaf” to color, but most of us know when colors clash. It takes only a little experimentation to sharpen ones sensitivity to the harmonies of color, but as with music, our taste in color has much to do with our cultural background and where we live. 

So in both music and art we humans share common tools for creating and appreciating them. From there, defining what is good or bad, great or worthless becomes a stroll in the wilderness of philosophical thought that leads to questions like these: 

"Untitled #5" by Sid Webb, about 16in tall, spalted maple and walnut dowels (2016), $325 | BUY NOW

— Is craftsmanship important or necessary? 
— Can utilitarian objects like knifes and forks, pottery, etc., be considered art? 
— What’s the difference between arts and crafts? 
— Is folk art really art? 
— Is performance art, art? 
— Should commercial art be considered as worthy? 
— Does museum ownership make it art? 
— Must an artist know art history to create “real” art? 
— Should photography be considered art? 
— If a sculptor creates a model that someone else casts into bronze, should the piece be considered art? 
— What if the sculptor intends that only one piece be cast but two are actually made. Is the second piece art? 
— Must a work have lasting value to be considered art? 
— Are movies to be considered as art?

Twenty-four images a second pass the shutter of a movie projector. Should we select only a few of the frames to consider as art or are each of the frames to be considered art? 

I could go on, but you get the idea. 

Music is also exposed to these same sorts of questions when trying to separate “great” music from the commonplace, but the answers are usually less vague and troubling. We all know what music is; because, it seems, we trust our ears more than our eyes, and because the word “music” never took on a double meaning as the word “art” has. It makes the discussion about great music easier. Music is also less complicated in other ways. Utilitarian items crafted by a master can be considered art, but elevator music remains merely utilitarian. 

Various details of Webb's work.

Art critics will say that you cannot know what “art” is until you have immersed yourself in it. On the other hand I suspect many artists would tell you the process is more important to them than the product. 

In Kurt Vonnegut’s book, “Man without a Country,” Vonnegut, in his usual direct and pithy style, cuts to the chase on the subject. An artist friend told him the way to recognize great art is to look closely at a million pictures. Then he would know what art is. He told his daughter this and she agreed. She told him that after working as an artist for years she could roller skate through the Louvre going “yes, no, yes, no, no, yes,” confidently assessing the value of the works as art. 

I have my own definition of what “art” is that’s fairly encompassing but leaves a few corners uncovered. I choose to think of it as a creation that aptly describes its time and place and sometimes foreshadows its successor. 

I fill in the blanks from the gut.

Name: Sid Webb
Hometown: Lexington, KY
Age: 74
Education: Majored in journalism and political science, University of Kentucky; Atlanta School of Art (High Museum)
Website: http://www.sidwebb.com/

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

Entire contents copyright © 2016 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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

Q&A: Sculptor Mike McCarthy

---

"I can’t not do my art. My art is a part of who I have become." — Mike McCarthy

---

McCarthy hard at work in his studio.

Mike McCarthy is a stone sculptor working in limestone, soapstone, alabaster and marble who does both abstract and realistic work. He is a member of PYRO Gallery in Louisville where he will be exhibiting with Debra Lott in a show titled Human-Nature, running August 25 –October 8, 2016.

When did you first think you would be an artist?

I knew I wanted to DO art at around age 8 when I first started carving wood with my grandfather. When I was in high school I started taking art classes and figured out pretty quickly that I really wanted to be an artist, to the point of deciding that I would major in art in college. But it was in high school that I first started identifying myself as an artist. I think I always considered myself an artist but never really knew what that meant until a few years ago. I didn’t really take my art seriously or truly make a commitment until then. So, I guess the bottom line is I really KNEW I would be an artist well after I THOUGHT I would be an artist.

Who or what inspires you now?

My wife. She is my biggest fan and my biggest critic, both of which are necessary, but without her support, it would be very difficult to spend the time and effort art required for what I do. She also puts up with me doing my art when there are a lot of things that need to be done around the house, listens to me while I am constantly talking about art, going with me to all the art events I love to attend, and generally being ok with my obsession with art. 

More specifically, viewing any type of art inspires me. I love to think of the thought process it takes to create a work of art. I am in awe of other artists and seeing their work. While some specific pieces of art do not inspire, the creative process always fascinates me. I think: “How in the world did that person get that idea.” Viewing other work, no matter what it is, always makes me have to go home and carve. 

As for local artists, Don Lawler, Meg White, Bob Lockhart, Matt Weir, Don Cartwright and Albert Nelson inspire me the most. I strive to make work that is on the same level as theirs. Beyond their work, I am very appreciative of their generosity of time, encouragement, and advice. It is not always what they create, but the fact that they created it that inspires me. 

Historically, my two inspirations are Michelangelo and Bernini. My wife and I visited Italy and went to see Michelangelo’s “David”. While it was absolutely stunning, the unfinished work leading up to the David was actually more inspiring to me. I would have loved to carve over the same lines and see what the stone and the tools told me. Just remembering it now makes me want to not finish the rest of these questions and go carve. 

“A View From Above” by Mike McCarthy, 17.5x12x6.5in, Brazilian Soapstone and Walnut Hardwood on a Steel Base. This piece will be available for sale at McCarthy's show opening.

If you could do anything else but make art, what would it be?

I can’t not do my art. My art is a part of who I have become. I am a happier and better person because of my art. After I graduated college, I lacked the confidence to really pursue it. I didn’t have a place where I could carve and I am color-blind so I never really felt confident in my ability to paint or draw. I went to work at a graphic design firm for a year, left that job and went to work for the YMCA, left the YMCA and started my own business, all of which felt so consuming that I thought I didn’t have time for my art. I didn’t really seriously start back until about 6 years ago. I often think now that I am close to 50 years old, how long will I be able to carve? It is really the only fear I have. I think: how can I carve till the day I die. What adaptations will I have to make to be able to carve when I am older. I haven’t answered the questions yet, but for me to be happy, I have to carve so I will have to find a way. I have been through a long period of time where I wasn’t doing my art and I never want to go back there again.

What advice would you give a young artist just out of college?

What ever it takes, keep doing your work!! The only regret I have in my life is that I didn’t continue to work on my art after school. I think, the improvements I have made in the past 6 years, I could have made 20 years ago. You can’t get that time back. Your life will be so much more satisfying if you just stick with your art.

Tell us about an important moment of transition for you as an artist?

Two events happened in 2012 that totally changed my art career. First, through the prodding of Bob Lockhart, I applied for and was accepted into the Yew Dell Garden Sculpture Show. My piece “Sylvanus” was selected as the program cover piece and sold the opening night. It was the first time I had ever worked on a monumental scale. That piece drove me to work even bigger. At the same time, Bob had been pushing me for some time to apply to PYRO Gallery. Bob invited me to show with him and I sold all but 2 pieces, the majority of them on the opening night. While I still struggle with self-confidence, these two events went a long way to helping me put my work out in public.

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

Well, anyone who really knows me would laugh at this, but I would have to use at least a little to buy more stone. I am not a hoarder at all, but when it comes to stone, I can’t get enough. With the majority of the money though, I would buy a piece of land and create a sculpture park! At the park we could do carving symposiums. I attended the Indiana Limestone Symposium this past summer and it was AWESOME! There are not many symposiums around. We could also open the property up to beginning artists who didn’t have a place to carve. 

“Fearsome” by Mike McCarthy, 12x3.5x7.5in, Southern Oregon Soapstone on Wood Base, $600 | BUY NOW

What does art mean to you?

I carve every night. I get lost in it. I actually have to set an alarm on my watch to tell me it is time to stop carving and clean up and go to bed. If not, before I know it, the sun would be up and another day would be starting. If I am not making my art, I am thinking about it or looking at other’s work. People ask for the meaning behind a piece and I am always at a loss. The image or the “thing” I have created does not hold the meaning of the piece. The creation of the piece is the meaning of the piece. The creation of the piece is what I have to do, so the piece becomes me. Imagine putting yourself on a pedestal and inviting a bunch of people in to a big room and saying tell me what you think of me. That is why I collect art. Yes, my wife and I buy pieces that we like visually, but I am more likely to buy a piece from and artist at an opening where I can meet them and try to understand them. After all, I am buying part of them. 

How do you feel about local art scene in Louisville? Would you change anything about it?

Most artists I meet are great about sharing or helping or just taking time to talk with you about their art. I love the variety of work that is available. We have a great visual art community, but we are also rich in other arts as well. We have some amazing public parks that are art in and of them selves. The arts are some of the first to venture out to revitalize neglected areas. I would like to see more outdoor sculpture parks!! On a trip to Washington DC, I spent time at the Smithsonian Modern Art Sculpture Park, the National Mall, and the Hirschhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden. It was amazing. How great would it be if some of our parks took some of their vast land and created small sculpture parks! 

“From the Wild” by Mike McCarthy, 12.5x12x6.5in, Southern Oregon Soapstone and Steel on a Wood Base, $900  | BUY NOW

How long do you usually spend on a specific piece of art?

This really varies depending on the scale and type of stone I am using. Some of my small soapstone or alabaster pieces I can do in a day or two. Most of the time I have a few weeks in the medium sized pieces or marble pieces. Then for the monumental scale work I have done, I have not finished any of those pieces in less than 9 months. 

What's the most challenging part when starting on a piece of work of art?

Actually, starting a piece is never a challenge for me other than picking the idea I want to work on. I have more ideas in my head than I will ever be able to complete in my lifetime. For me, the more difficult thing is finishing. When I used to carve wood, if I didn’t it, it went in the fireplace. That way, I didn’t have to deal with the problem I was having with a piece. With stone, you can’t put in the fireplace, and for the large-scale pieces you need a crane to get rid of it, so it has forced me to work through problems. I think it is making me a better artist, although, some pieces still sit there staring at me because I can’t solve the problem with them. There are many times when I wish stone burned!! 

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

“Majestic” by Mike McCarthy, 23.25x20x13in, Black Pearl Soapstone, $3000 | BUY NOW

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

Entire contents copyright © 2016 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

Please contact josh@louisvillevisualart.org for further information on advertising through Artebella.