“After 38 years of nursing people back to health, I now apply that care and tender touch to my paintings” — Carol Jones

There is a phrase – the healing arts, that applies specifically to the practice of medicine, but we might as easily use it as a descriptive for the therapeutic value of making art. Beginning in the early 20th century, art sought to challenge, provoke, and even agitate, but the contemplative aspect of painting has stood the test of time.

Carol Jones was a medical professional who occupies her time now painting, and, for her, making art is a process that echoes her work as a nurse: “As a retired registered nurse, I paint for fun and relaxation. Going into my studio and putting on my uniform, now a painter's smock, I smile as I look at the blank piece of board from my local hardware store. I visualize what the finished product will look like after being massaged with brushes and oils. After 38 years of nursing people back to health, I now apply that care and tender touch to my paintings. Each painting is special, just like my patients were, with its own special needs. I have to step back to study and diagnose what would bring more beauty to the piece - a little stroke of color here or a bold push of texture there. And when it's finally ‘well’, I take joy in sending it out into the world.”

"Drapes" by Carol Jones, 24x30in, oil on board (2012), $600 | BUY NOW — *"Drapes" by Carol Jones, 24x30in, oil on board (2012), $600 | BUY NOW*

"Reflections in a Pinwheel" by Carol Jones, 18x24in, oil on board (2015), $500 | BUY NOW — *"Reflections in a Pinwheel" by Carol Jones, 18x24in, oil on board (2015), $500 | BUY NOW*

Like so many artists, Jones pursues a personal course of study, continually taking workshops and studying under nationally known artists such as Charles Gruppe, Caroline Jasper, Robert Hoffman, Cindy Overall, Lori Putnam, Roger Dale Brown, and Dominic Vignola. “Just as with the continuing education courses I took in nursing, each class gives me wonderful new ideas and techniques.”

Jones enjoys painting landscapes, but it is in the near-abstract imagery of her fabric studies that we see qualities of care and nurturing that seems to express her process and aesthetic. They are quiet, but filled with compassion.

Hometown: Elizabethtown, Kentucky
Age: 67
Education: BSN
Website: http://www.caroljonesart.com

"Evening Sail" by Carol Jones, 24x30in, oil on board (2017), $500 | BUY NOW — *"Evening Sail" by Carol Jones, 24x30in, oil on board (2017), $500 | BUY NOW*

"Irish Fishing Village" by Carol Jones, 22x28in, oil on board (2011), $500 | BUY NOW — *"Irish Fishing Village" by Carol Jones, 22x28in, oil on board (2011), $500 |* *BUY NOW*

Painting

Vignette: Charlotte Pollock

Josh Jenkins · May 25, 2017

"The mind includes more than intellect. It contains a history of what we learn through our feet. It grasps the world that meets the eye, the city we know through our legs, the places we know in our hearts, in our guts, in our memories, and in our imaginations. It includes the world we feel in our bones." - E. V. Walter

Charlotte Pollock doesn’t just paint what is in front of her. Some landscape painters may, in fact, be documentarians; capturing with accuracy the details of color and light they find before them, but for Pollock, the choice of subject has specific meaning for her: “This series is the result of my desire to understand the meaning of place and its relationship to self. I paint places that emotionally resonate within me as a way to map my biography. Light and color articulate mood and combine with my paint application to make an interior world accessible to the viewer.”

“A sense of place,” is an elusive phrase that can be parsed many ways, but when we speak of art, we are trying to describe how an individual point-of-view of one moment in time might attempt to communicate ineffable aspects of a location. The artist doesn’t create a picture-postcard; instead they share their own unique experience and understanding of a given place, which may be markedly different than the viewer’s experience. It may also strike unexpected chords of universal experience - anything is possible. The E.V. Walter quote that partly inspires these paintings perhaps says it best: “It includes the world we feel in our bones.”

*"Have You Got Good Religion" by Charlotte Pollock, 36x48in, oil on canvas (2017)*

For Pollock, these paintings occupy the realm of autobiography, but on her own terms. What you may glean about the artist from these pieces will not be a complete picture, but what is there to discover just might only be available through her work.

Pollock’s solo exhibition, Lore & Landscapes, opens June 2 at Art Sanctuary with a reception that evening, 5:30-9:30pm. Reception is FREE, family-friendly, and open to the public. Refreshments will be available for purchase.

She also has work in On the Waterfront and Beyond through July 29 at the Jane Morgan Gallery in Louisville.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Age: 26
Education: BFA, Allen R. Hite Institute, University of Louisville
Website: http://www.charlotteannpollock.com

*"Old Louisville in November" by Charlotte Pollock, 24x36in, oil on canvas (2017)*

*"March 29, 5pm" by Charlotte Pollock, 16x20in, oil on canvas (2016)*

*"Golden Hour on River Road" by Charlotte Pollock, 36x48in, oil on canvas (2017)*

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

Feature: 2017 Academy of LVA Seniors, Part 2 of 2

Josh Jenkins · May 17, 2017

“I learned so much that helped me to become a better artist.” — Mayteana Williams

Student, Mayteana Williams working on a drawing. — *Student, Mayteana Williams working on a drawing.*

The art of youth is often the transition between the joyful, unfettered creativity of a child, and the first deliberate intention of an adult artist. The senior students departing the Academy of LVA for college in the fall have discovered that they have something to say to the world, and they are choosing to say it through art.

Moving from the idealized and fantastical images of children from Mayteana Williams, to the more polished and well-observed self-portraits and startlingly brutal scene pulled from archetypal childhood we find in the work of Madison McGill, we get some understanding of how young artist may surprise us with caustic social commentary or reach beyond the obvious assumptions of perceived cultural identity. Then Katie Montgomery shows a full embrace of Expressionism and an authoritative command of her medium in capturing raw human emotion. A child’s first art making is fundamental expression of their emotional being – the elemental satisfaction of finger paints, and Montgomery reconnects to that need.

Mayteana Williams – CFAC/Academy student for 8 years
Has been accepted to Spalding University for their college of art and design.

“I am grateful to William Duffy in sculpture, because I had never done that before, and Dennis Whitehouse, because I learned so much that helped me to become a better artist.”

Madison McGill – Scholastic Silver Key
Will be attending the University of Kentucky to major in Studio Arts.

“I learned a lot from Wilma Bethel and we had some great conversations. She has such a loving heart for every one of her students and is an outstanding artist! It was my pleasure to learn from such an amazing woman. Jean Smith was also an amazing teacher. When I started the mural, she graciously took me under her wing and assisted me in any questions I had for her. This was my first mural and without her encouragement and guidance, I don't know if I could've completed it. Both of these wonderful ladies have impacted my life greatly and have taught me so, so much. I would definitely recommend LVA to someone with an interest in art!”

Katie Montgomery
Has been accepted into and will attend The School of the Art Institute of Chicago on a scholarship.

“Classes with LVA/CFAC have made me the incredible artist and person that I am today. I've learned everything that I know from being taught and influenced by their teachers, especially Dennis Whitehouse.”

These students, and others, 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

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.

Drawing, Mixed Media, Painting

Feature: 2017 Academy of LVA Seniors, Part 1 of 2

Josh Jenkins · May 16, 2017

“(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*

Painting

Vignette: Anne Borders

Josh Jenkins · May 12, 2017

"Carcassonnee" by Anne Borders, 30x48in, Acrylic on Canvas, $2100 | BUY NOW — "Carcassonnee" by Anne Borders, 30x48in, Acrylic on Canvas, $2100 | BUY NOW

“You can’t eat it, or wear it, and it doesn’t keep you warm in the snow, but art, the creation of it, feels as necessary and elemental as sleeping and breathing.”
— Anne MacCracken Borders

Looking at Anne Borders paintings, it is evident that they are not all the same location, or even the same country. The sky in Carcasonne, France is not the same as in Louisville, Kentucky and it is this sense of the individual characteristics of ‘place’ that seem a defining characteristic of Borders’ work. Different sky means different light, and the light affects how we see everything else. We think we know those colors, but yet they prove elusive. There is a tangible reading of the environment and the atmosphere that establishes a sense of place with confidence. It may not quite be like being there, but the artist communicates enough to assure us it is not our daily experience.

"Beargrass Blooms" by Anne Borders, 24x12in, Acrylic and Oil Pastel on Wood Panel , $900 | BUY NOW — *"Beargrass Blooms" by Anne Borders, 24x12in, Acrylic and Oil Pastel on Wood Panel , $900 | BUY NOW*

Borders’ Artist’s Statement reads, “The uniqueness of the work lies in its intentions. It shifts the perspective of the landscape as a familiar commentary to, instead, an agent of wonder and social consciousness. The message is simple; the vastness of sky, the continuity of a stream, the ongoing pulse of nature endures, in spite of us, rather than because of us.”

So the work is another reminder that great specificity communicates universality, as Borders sees the mission of her landscapes as reaching beyond the simple prosaic tradition to something that has a nearly spiritual impact on the viewer – an intelligent compassion connecting us to the natural world.

“Or have the pattern of water laid out in a way that is madness but washes away worries with steams of color and play. Nature itself will always overpower us.” – Anne Borders

On May 18 Borders will open “The Intersection”, a solo exhibit at Lenihan Sotheby International Realty in Louisville. There is an Artist’s Open House on that date from 5:00 – 7:30pm.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Age: 42
Education: BA, Art History & Classics, University of Kentucky
Website: http://annebordersart.weebly.com

"Consequence" by Anne Borders, 20x14in, Acrylic and Oil Pastel on Wood Panel, $900 | BUY NOW — *"Consequence" by Anne Borders, 20x14in, Acrylic and Oil Pastel on Wood Panel, $900 | BUY NOW*

"Fading Sun" by Anne Borders, 12x12in, Acrylic and Oil Pastel on Wood Panel, $690 | BUY NOW — *"Fading Sun" by Anne Borders, 12x12in, Acrylic and Oil Pastel on Wood Panel, $690 | BUY NOW*

"Beargrass Reflected" by Anne Borders, 16x12in, Acrylic and Oil Pastel on Wood Panel, $600 | BUY NOW — *"Beargrass Reflected" by Anne Borders, 16x12in, Acrylic and Oil Pastel on Wood Panel, $600 | BUY NOW*

Painting

Vignette: Carol Jones

“After 38 years of nursing people back to health, I now apply that care and tender touch to my paintings” — Carol Jones

Vignette: Charlotte Pollock

Feature: 2017 Academy of LVA Seniors, Part 2 of 2

“I learned so much that helped me to become a better artist.” — Mayteana Williams

Feature: 2017 Academy of LVA Seniors, Part 1 of 2

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

Vignette: Anne Borders

“You can’t eat it, or wear it, and it doesn’t keep you warm in the snow, but art, the creation of it, feels as necessary and elemental as sleeping and breathing.” — Anne MacCracken Borders

“You can’t eat it, or wear it, and it doesn’t keep you warm in the snow, but art, the creation of it, feels as necessary and elemental as sleeping and breathing.”
— Anne MacCracken Borders