Posts Tagged ‘painting’

Gary Stewart is a Charleston area painter and photographer.  Together, he and his partner Chad Miller are In Your Space Studio.  They collaborate on many projects, but sometimes work alone, as well.

Early Life
Gary Stewart, born in Charleston on October 25, 1962, is a unique artist that likes to create many different types of art. Receiving his artistic training both formally and informally, he spent 24 years in the West Virginia Air National Guard traveling and seeing a lot of the world and being exposed to many different cultures. These world travels and other personal interactions with the people he has met have influenced his art work greatly. Another influence Gary attributes to his artwork is religion, particularly Christianity. In short, much of his inspiration for art comes from the appreciation and sheer enjoyment from all aspects of life. “If you take a little time each day to just sit back and observe, there is beauty and inspiration all around you.”

One thing Gary liked to do in his spare time when he was younger was to sketch. His friends liked to ask Gary to draw pictures and scenes around Halloween that incorporated themes from that holiday such as witches and black cats. “Flip art” and “paint-by-number” sets are some of his favorite pastimes. He said that “paint-by-number” sets taught him how to blend colors to achieve realism.  He got his formal training through elementary, junior high, and high school along with two ceramics courses in college and, in his early 20’s, began to try other forms of art such as clay, pastels, and acrylics. His college art instructor, Bob Simile, has even kept some of his own works as an example for other future art students.

Inspiration/Admiration
Gary’s earliest source of inspiration comes from religious art work. He still uses this today and is especially inspired by the works of “the masters” such as Van Gogh. His family also encouraged him artistically when he was younger, especially his father, who liked to support Gary by bringing home sketch pads, paints, and even creating wire puzzles from his own memory for Gary to figure out. Other sources of inspiration include the places he has visited around the world such as Thailand, Korea, Japan, and Hawaii.

Current and Future Work
Gary is currently working on many projects including preparation for CAMC Foundation Gala Art Auction and FestivALL 2009. He is also participating in a major live, multi-media art performance in conjunction with the WV Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences. His main goal is to simply enjoy his position in the Art world. He enjoys producing work for other people to appreciate and hopes to be a positive role model while making a contribution to society.  Gary and his partner, Chad Miller are In Your Space Studio, and collaborate on many projects.  They operate the website inyourspacestudio.com and sell a lot of their work through Eggplant, Art Emporium, the Clay Center’s gift shop, and through their “window gallery” at 817 Quarrier Street, Charleston.  They are also creating a line of greeting cards, called “Not-So-Everyday Greeting Cards” that they are marketing to local retailers, as well as some chain retailers.

Stewart’s biggest motivation to create art is the enjoyment that others get from looking at his work.  During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Stewart would pass long hours by sketching on the porch of his tent.  People would stop to admire his work and often request pieces for him to make.  Looking at Stewart’s art, it is easy to understand why — his jazzy, colorful artwork is easy to enjoy, and thought-provoking enough to make you come back for a closer look.

Sharon Stackpole is mixed media artist.  Her works contain bright colors and different layers adding texture and depth.  Her creations have a theme of happiness and joy that are very abstract.  Stackpole’s art is an exploration of joy and should be enjoyed by all.

Early Life
Stackpole is originally from Kittanning, Pennsylvania, but grew up in West Virginia and considers it her hometown.  She received her artistic training at Fairmont State and West Virginia University.  Although she is done with school, she loves to read and study as much as possible.  Stackpole stated, “I am never finished learning, and the Internet is wonderful for providing an ever-improving pool of resources, techniques and information.”

As a child Sharon’s family was incredibly supportive of her artistic talents.  Her earliest artistic experience was of her gluing her wooden alphabet blocks together at age four.  Her whole family was baffled that she was ruining her blocks, but all she wanted to do was make a sculpture for her grandmother who was coming to visit.  She also used to collect old Cool Whip containers with water and paint and set them around her bedroom.  She has always been fascinated by colors and is still mixing and creating wonderful varieties of color in her art today.

Inspiration/Admiration
Stackpole’s art is welcoming and expresses joy.  She exclaimed, “The best part of art is how we can retool the imperfections in life and turn them into beauty.”  Ever since she was an art student at WVU Stackpole has loved Charles Jupiter Hamilton.  This love for Hamilton is very obvious because she loves color and whimsical designs.   Her pieces range from simple watercolors and oil paints, to crazy mixed media creations.  Basically art is Stackpole’s love and anything and everything can become her next creation.

Current/Future Work
Currently, Sharon Stackpole is working on a series of glass panels that where taken from a deconstructed home.  She is building a mosaic from these pieces, but she is still not sure what they will turn into.  She stated, ” I’m not entirely sure what they will evolve into, but then again, I never am — the pieces take on lives of their own as I work.”

Today Stackpole has reached her life goal and is now showing her art in Charleston, West Virginia.  She would also like her work to be shown in the state museum, which has been her dream since age nine.  Most importantly, she is a strong advocate for having art education in elementary schools. She believes that kids are taught that drawing a straight line, copying an image perfectly, or staying “between the lines” are the only path to art and would love to influence a change in this.

Currently, Stackpoles favorite piece is a glass panel that she has just finished. She wanted to experiment with color theory and was quite happy with the end result. This piece is not hanging in a gallery yet, but many of her works are.  Her pieces are currently hanging in the Purple Moon on 906 Quarrier Street, Charleston West Virginia, which every one should come and enjoy.

photo by Sarah R. Lavigne

Dane Klingaman is twenty-four year old abstract painter and mixed media artist who loves taking digital pictures.  All of his digital work consists of bold, layering designs that are similar to comic books.  The mixed media art is very bold and consists of everyday items. 

Early Life
He was born on September 3, 1985 in San Francisco, California.  His father is a musician and his mother used to work for Macintosh Publication.  His first art experience came when he was five years old.  He was being babysat by an artist named, Missy Hamilton.  She owned a studio and had several paints and canvases laid out for him and his sister, Lenne, to draw on.  Dane and his sister had tons of caffeine that day and drew very creative art that is still hanging in his dad’s music studio.  He has always gotten training from looking at art.  Everything is in front of us, from nature to our imaginations.

Inspiration/Admiration
When Klingaman got to college he was able to realize how creative the atmosphere was that he grew up in.  Dane received training from two fabulous high school teachers, Jodi Hanson and Cecily Spano at the International Baccalaureate program in Minneapolis.  These teachers kept Klingaman focused on art.  When he came to school at the University of Charleston he was able to receive training from Mark Tobin Moore and P. Joseph Mullins.  Both gentlemen are local artists in the Charleston area.

Dane is inspired by people who are authentic and create rules for themselves as well as the people that do not allow society to repress their individualities.  He is inspired by the artists who make art regardless of comfort or money.

Current/Future Work
Right now he is working on creating a body of his finest work as well as applying to graduate school in the fall.  He also wants to get a program going with friends called Urban Trees.  This is a tree-drive to revamp the ratty-looking part of the East End of Charleston.  His goals are to continue to find time to work hard and think right about his paintings, whether in school, a gallery, or in his own studio with his cats.

In the past his art has been exhibited at the Clay Center, Cultural Center, Annex Gallery, Callen McJunkin Gallery, and the Frankenberger Gallery at the University of Charleston, and his own living and working spaces.  All of these galleries are in Charleston.  Dane is hoping to soon find a new, inventive space to show his new paintings. 

Dane’s favorite piece of his own art is something that he did not even intend to do.  His studio table is filled with notes, drawings, phones numbers, and collages scattered throughout the table top.  Is favorite work of someone else’s is Paul Klee’s watercolor studies he did from when he was in Tunisia. 

Dane Klingaman’s studio is a large room inside of his house that he gutted and turned into an artists’ studio.  He has even said that his work area is “too official”. Pieces of art are strewn everywhere, some pieces are not even his.  There is also a bookcase with old magazines, art and cooking books, and speakers inside.  Then, he has a desk with his computer and track lighting next a table.   

In order for other people to understand Klingaman and to better appreciate his work is not a lot of effort.  He thinks it is impossible to make art that is not a little bit autobiographical.  But, art should be objective and vague so that people can easily relate to them, even if they cannot relate to the artist as a person.  He also thinks that his art goes great with rap music which can attract different people.

Rebecca Recco Burch is a mixed media artist in the Charleston Valley.   She is also an Art teacher at Charleston Catholic High School.   She recognized her artistic ability at a young age and has continued her artwork throughout her life.   Ever since she was little she has had a strong passion for art and what it has to offer.   She views art as a universal language, something everyone can understand.   Anyone can create or understand art, and it is for this reason she feels so connected to it.   Rebecca Burch is a life-inspired artist.

Early Life
Rebecca Burch was born in Charleston, West Virginia.   Since she was a little girl she has always loved art.   Her mother took her to plays, museums, concerts, and other cultural events, which inspired her to enjoy all kinds of art. From then on she knew she wanted to be an artist.   Although her family was a little worried that she would not be able to support herself with only an art degree, they supported her and encouraged her to do what she loves.   She then became more involved with art in high school, where she had an amazing teacher named Mrs. Mary Helen Moynahan.   A few years later, she attended Marshall University, where she studied under Stan Sporny, Peter Massing, Mary Grassell, Earlene Allen, and Michael Cornfeld.   She learned a lot from all of them and has continued her artistic career since her graduation.

Inspiration/Admiration
Rebecca Burch gets a lot of inspiration from other artists, but her biggest inspiration comes from the world itself.   A sun shining on a building in a summer day or the sound of traffic on a busy Saturday afternoon, she enjoys creating works that celebrate life.  Really random things make her start thinking, and sometimes they lead to a big-time project.  She also loves viewing art from other artists.  As a child, she enjoyed visiting exhibits of works by Charles Jupiter Hamiton, a well-known local artist. Charles’s colorful, wild works have had a positive effect on her art.   Although she is a fan of many local artists, she can not pick a favorite, but she will admit that her favorite art is the variety of art she finds in Charleston.  She enjoys attending art exhibits whenever she can, even making quick detours through local galleries during her lunch break.

Current and Future Work
Rebecca Burch is currently working on a few projects.  She is participating in the Stations of the Cross exhibit at Christ Church United Methodist, which she is very excited about.  This is a very unusual exhibit in which different artists take on each of the 14 Stations of the Cross, and the exhibit is displayed at Easter time. She also has a few more exhibits coming up,  a large street installation during FestivALL, and is participating in the East End Banner Project.  She also has a few artistic goals for the future, but since she has young children it has been a challenge to find time to work on her art.   As her children grew older she plans to spend more time in her studio creating more unified body of work, rather than a lot of unrelated pieces created at different times.  

Her present studio, which was a gift from her husband, is a room in her basement.   It is a good size room and a perfect place to get away and to focus on only art.   She also tries to keep a project going in her classroom at Charleston Catholic High school, so her students can watch her progress.

Rebecca Burch is a very talented artist with many accomplishments and many future goals.   She  has inspired many people with her work in the classroom and in her studio.

Chris Dutch works in stained glass, sculpture, and mixed media.  He exhibits his art around the state at places such a Tamarack and The Clay Center.

Early Life
Chris grew up in Auburn, Maine.  As a child he was always drawing and coloring with crayons and colored pencils.  This was his favorite pass time as a child.  His Mom was a painter and taught him how to paint.  His parents took him to art shows and taught him how to use tools and to build things.  In High School Chris had an excellent art teacher who taught him art history, a lot of basic techniques, and how to really look at things.  He did not study art in collage but after words decided to work as an artist.  Chris went to workshops and summer classes at Cedar Lakes in Ripley, WV, Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State and the Haystack Mt. School in Maine.

Inspirations, Admirations and Goals
Visual things like other people’s art and things in the world inspire Chris.  He looks for interesting combinations of shapes, colors, lines, and objects. Chris’ favorite work by someone else is the large bronze statue in front of the Clay Center called “Lightning with a Stag in its Glare” by Joseph Beuys.  He thinks that it is fascinatingly weird and it has had an influence on much of his work.  Chris would like to find more time to draw because he thinks that it is the basis of everything.  He also wants to get better at glass painting, a process where paint is kiln fired into the surface of the glass.  Chris likes to build large pieces and would like to do more of them.

 
Current and Future Work
Right now Chris is working with Robin Hammer on a sculpture of the crucifixion for an Easter art show.  It will be media sculpture made of wood, paint, and stained glass.  He is also designing a mural in tile for a new bathroom in is house.

 He currently has work in the Art  Store on Bridge Road and at the Clay Center.  He also has several stained glass windows in churches and commercial buildings in Charleston. 

photo by Rebecca Burch

Charles Jupiter  Hamilton is best known for his wild, colorful carved wood paintings.  His style is often compared to Aboriginal Australian art, although his style is uniquely his own.

Early Life
Charles Jupiter Hamilton is a native of North Carolina, born a son of a Hungarian immigrant.  He grew up on a small dairy farm with his mother, brother, and sisters.  He served as a Gunner’s Mate Petty Officer with the U.S. Navy leading his to extensive travels.   His travels have influenced his twenty years of creating art, traveling from India to Central America, around the United States, winding up in West Virginia.   Along with his travels, he went to UNC-Chapel Hill for several years to receive, as he calls it, an “excellent education.”  His work is appreciated all around the world as the focal point of homes, offices, and museums.  His carvings, hand-built sculptures, canvases, and painted wood have won awards at many juried art exhibits around the world.

Inspiration/Admiration
His arrival in West Virginia occurred by chance.  Without having much success as an artist in Raleigh, North Carolina, a chance to hitchhike his way through the “wildlife” of West Virginia led him to his current location in Charleston, West Virginia.  He moved here with a friend and neighbor in the 1970s, and still lives and works here today.  He works more hours a day than the average person, sometimes as much as sixteen hours.  His everyday experiences and emotions come out in his work tied with the unexpected creatures and elaborate colors and patterns.

Current and Future Work
“Charly,” as his friends and colleagues call him, recently finished part of a collaborative mural at the Charleston Habitat for Humanity ReStore.  His current works are exhibited regularly at the Callen McJunkin Gallery and Taylor Books.  Some of his newer works incorporate new materials, such as corrugated metal and other found items into his paintings.   Hamilton also participated in a collaborative “visual sytem” of letters created by different artists for the 2009 FestivALL logo, and his face was featured in a tribute by artist Jeff Pierson.  Along with his artwork, he participates in teaching young children and adults alike at the Unitarian Universalist Church through the River Arts classes offered there.

Joe Bolyard was born in Raleigh County West Virginia, and would later move to Chicago, Illinois before coming back to West Virginia at the age of six.  Joe Bolyard creates metal repousse’, which are hand-tooled relief works in pressed metal.  He also enjoys painting in acrylics on canvases and mixed-media.  Bolyard is mostly self-taught, with a few classes from Marshall. 

Early Life
Bolyard discovered his love for art when his parents took him to the Art Institute and other art museums on Sundays.  After visiting the museums he began to see everything as art.  His parents encouraged him to be creative, but they sometimes did not understand ways his creativity manifested.  His father made hardwood cabinetry and furniture, and Bolyard was inspired by his father’s projects, but even as a child he preferred painting or sculpting.  Boyard skipped some of the lower-level art classes and went straight into Marshall’s upper level art classes, mostly in sculpting.

Inspirations/Admirations
Bolyard is inspired by a lot of things,  sometimes as mundane as conversations and food to the weather and people.  Bolyard has also found inspiration in his faith and spirituality through the Episcopal church.  He finds his relationship with God to be the most important thing in his life and he shows it through his art.  Some examples would be his “Cruciform” pieces, which are crucifix-like forms, roughly tooled in pewter and created to look like smaller pieces of a larger relic. Bolyard has also created one of the “Stations of the Cross” for this year’s exhibit at Christ Church United Methodist in Downtown Charleston.

Current/Future Work
Currently Bolyard is doing “Cruciforms,” “Relics”, and some new acrylic painting on canvas with strong emphasis on color, juxtaposed by simplified impressionism or just naked, simple forms.  Currently he is exhibiting his art work for sale at Visions on Capital Street, his website, and in his home.

Bolyard’s goal for the future is to be more proficient at producing art and to start promoting his art.  His long term goals are to live as a self sustaining artist, producing works of his choice.

Chad Miller, born on January 31, 1969, in Huntington, West Virginia, is one of Charleston’s local artists. Miller is skilled in making photography as an art. He also uses mediums such as acrylic paints on canvas. Miller has always been in love with photography and continues to display digital artwork.

Early Life
Miller’s earliest artistic experience came about in his early childhood. He would keep himself continuously busy by drawing, sketching, and painting at a very early age. Miller’s mother saw this and provided him with the tools and time to express his artistic side, with tools like, crayons, magic markers, pen & ink, chalk, watercolors, and paint-by-numbers). Miller received artistic training formally through his primary education while attending elementary, junior high, and high school. Miller also took a basic art instruction class during college. Along with education, Miller informally received artistic training through television broadcasts, reference books, and pop culture. During this time of his life, he was given special art projects by his teachers and instructors who took an interest in his ability.

While in Milton High School, Miller’s art instructor set him and a few other students aside from the rest of the class to work with whatever medium they felt like. This is where he fell in love with photography. Miller fell in love with its immediacy and potency in its nature. From there, he received training in the “dark room” photo development process, which is now a thing of the past.

Inspirations/Admirations
Miller’s family encouraged him artistically throughout his childhood and adolescent years into his early adulthood. Mostly, he is inspired by dramatic emotion, which includes extreme images and depictions. Miller says he is “inspired by people I’ve encountered, places I’ve been and experiences I’ve witnessed.” He also says he is inspired by every day things that we as humans take for granted, and make them all less ordinary to make a sense of mystery and awe around the subject matter. “I want the beholder to stop and consider the impossible, to make it possible, to see things from a new perspective.”

Current/Future Work 
Currently, Miller and his partner, Gary Stewart make up Inyourspace Studios.  Together, they are working on multiple projects, together, and individually.  Miller is  including preparation for the CAMC Foundation Gala Art Auction, where he will be displaying Blue Iris- a digital photo.  Also, Inyourspace Studios is preparing for FestivALL 2009, and continuing Art Walk participation and promotions.  They are also preparing for a major live, multi-media art performance with the WV Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences.

Miller’s personal artistic goals for the future are to enjoy a position of notoriety in the art world, and have his artwork appreciated. Also, to enjoy a livelihood as a successful, artist and photographer that is worthwhile. His wish for those who view his work is “to be moved to action or emotion in a positive direction, to affect positive change in their environment.”

Amanda Miller is a local artist born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia.  Amanda’s work is mainly acrylic paints dealing with the natural world.  Symbolism in our society inspires Amanda in her work.  Her family has inspired and encouraged her to create art, and she hopes to go to graduate school and do more public artworks. 

Early Life
Amanda Miller was born in Morgantown, West Virginia.  She went to West Virginia University andreceived her BFA at college.  When she was about 4 or 5 years old, she made her first drawing of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  Amanda received her training from her brother initially.  She would literally copy her brother’s paintings.  She also had a fabulous teacher, Mike Green, who helped her learn about art.  Amanda’s first art materials were crayons and paper.  She would also borrow pastels and oils from her brother whenever she could. 

Inspirations/Admirations
Amanda’s paintings are inspired from symbolism in our culture.  Her drawings are surrounded by societal constructs and gender roles.  “Whatever I have access to, I am inspired by it, ” Miller says.  She is inspired from whatever she sees.  Amanda’s parents also encouraged her to set some time to paint and create art.  Amanda’s themes in her artworks are everyday symbols and products.  She creates her artwork at home.  She works with fabric scraps and photographs.

Current Work/Exhibitions
Amanda’s current work consists of pairing symbols of mortality.  Her paintings include bomb plungers, martini glasses, and comic book style explosions.  Some of her current work is located at the Blue Grass Kitchen.   Lately, she has been a judge at an art contest for foster children organized by Mission WV.  She also painted part of a collaborative mural at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.