Artwork Description

Ulf Koenig’s wall sculpture series City’s Metamorphosis leave the impression of artistically alienated architecture models, addressing critically the rather hostile design of traditional megalopolises. Inspired by Manhattan, the artist deals with the clustered urban layout, and with the transformations from Bauhaus-functionalism, via postmodernism to deconstructivism, i.e. styles that are relevant for architecture and for art. Ulf Koenig allows himself the freedom to dream of attractive cityscapes. The visionary, more playful deconstructive concept of Manhattan VI gives rise to hope of more aesthetic cities.

 Statement

Constructivist wall sculptures, in terms of strictly geometrical forms and primary colors, in addition to black and white which match or alternatively contrast to the artwork’s background, are in my focus. An additional feature is their distinctive accentuation of a three-dimensional layout. That shall stimulate observers to walk around them to experience the dynamic of the composition and the play with perspectives.

The artwork titles indicate influences of architecture and technology. I attempt to explore artistically a more subjective point of view for prosaic objects in technology and science. On the other hand, I apply just new technologies/media to find, together with music/sound, new ways of imagination and presentation for fine art, i.e. my sculptures.

Biography

I live and work as a freelance artist in the city of Ulm, Germany.

In my early life, art has played an important role, thanks to my father, an oil painter and cartoonist. He teached me in painting and lateron I made autodidactic studies in design and architecture. However, first I turned to the exact science, studied physics and electronic engineering, and worked for three decades as PhD engineer and manager in major German industrial enterprises.

I dedicated myself completely to art in 2005, with focus on sculptures. In 2014 I founded the artists group AV-SCILLS, in order to create Audio Visual SCulptural ILLusionS.

Worldwide, I have exhibited sculptures and have presented multimedia shows together with the artists group. I received art prizes and ratings, have published in several art magazines, and have edited some art videos.

Artist Statement

My background in photography is photojournalism – the art of telling a story through using composition, light, aperture, and the perfect timing of the shutter. Each of my paintings begins as an act of storytelling, a photograph, capturing a moment in time through the lens of my camera.  I then translate those images through my heart onto the canvas, allowing for a more subjective articulation of my experience.

In combining my photography and painting, my work has evolved into an expression of my gratitude and enthusiasm for life as it comes, and my unique way of viewing it. In creating and sharing my work with the world I hope to help my viewers connect with the abundance of the present moment, and bring something positive into their lives.

Biography

Skye Coddington is a homeschooling mom living on the Central Coast of California with her husband, two adorable children, and a menagerie of four-legged friends.

In her final year of high school she won a full scholarship to the commercial art program in Buffalo, New York. Following that, she attended SUNY Fredonia as an art major. After a year and a half of study, she was persuaded to choose a more “sensible” career.  She switched her major to political science with the intention of becoming a lawyer (she was always told that she was incredibly skilled at arguing). Alas, she also ended up taking photography classes during the last year of college, and wound up pursuing photography internships instead of law school.  Her second internship landed her at a community newspaper in California, where she honed her photographic skills, and learned the fine art of storytelling through the lens. After several years working at the newspaper as a photojournalist, she struck out on her own and open her own photography business.  When her babies came along, she turned her energies toward motherhood and homeschooling, although she still continued to shoot and paint when she could find the time.

In 2014 Skye began working with a local artist who helped her step back onto the path of painting on a regular basis.  Using her photography skills as an integral part of her painting process, Skye paints daily at her home studio in Arroyo Grande, setting a fine example for her babes on what it means to live a life pursuing one’s dreams.

Skye’s work is currently displayed at the Academy of Dance in San Luis Obispo, California; and The Hive in Arroyo Grande, California.

Artist Statement

Sometimes I chose to paint the soul, the magic of the subject, such as Sedona Arizona Dry Beaver Creek Sycamore, an old dying sycamore tree in a dry creek bed. In this case, once a beautiful tree is now in its last phase of life, the challenge was to capture a strong spirit with a will to live. I’m a portrait artist of people, structures, animals, and nature.

The question often asked is, “How do you select your subjects to draw or paint?” This statement is not an easy answer because there is no selection formula. The process is intuitive. It starts with a subject that catches my attention.

A major concern, does the selected subject contain a challenge, an area or texture I’ve never painted before. Is there an experience in this adventure which will contribute to my personal artistic growth? With these boxes checked, the subject is saved in the “to paint” file for later consideration.

When a painting is finished both the painting and I move into a mode of satisfaction. Being a zone painter, I’m not always aware how the painting is created or evolves. My bond with the painting is now broken; the creation is free to flow into the River of Life.

Biography

Starting with her first adult drawing in the 2^nd grade, a rabbit drawn on her chalkboard, by the 9^th grade, Mary Dove was a portrait artist in drawing, oil paintings, and flowers in pastels. At this time, learning perspective was added to her art experience which influenced the decision to become a college architecture major. In this 9^th-grade art class, they went outside, sat on the curb, and selected a home across the street to draw in 2 point perspective.

With her college architectural experience, it was easy to fearless become engaged with all forms of architectural structures. As a high school art teacher, one aspect taught the students was to pay attention to the values (lights and darks) occupied within the first 4 boundary lines on their painting. Sunlit, for Mary Dove, is an important aspect of a painting. Sunlit provides the opportunity to contrast bright light against strong shadows. She feels, her paintings are at their best when expressing a kiss of sunlight in the artwork.

Visual arts are a significant part of Mary Dove’s life. Her greatest delight is to capture long remembered shared experiences. She loves telling a story through her creations which strike an emotional chord with the viewer. Her artwork is at its best when expressing a passion for the chosen subject. The artwork is a personal adventure that begins with the intellectual challenge of visual design resulting in the problem-solving aspects of each new project.

Growing up in Houston, Texas her dad made certain she was exposed early and often to a wide variety of life experiences, included all manner of wildlife, birds, nature, sports and even food. Such invaluable encounters have enabled her to breathe life and soul into each chosen subject to paint or draw. Diversification thus become, and remains today, the hallmark of her work. Mary Dove’s paintings range from landscapes and architectural structures too big game animals, pet portraits, and still life.

A resident of Sedona, Arizona, Mary Dove earned both a Bachelor and a Master of Education Degree from Texas Tech University. Her college education began as an architect major, she moved through commercial art, technical illustration to discover her artistic “voice”’ as an illustrator; graduated with a major in art education and fine art. She depicts in the artwork an understanding of structure, a keen eye for detail, and the comprehensive skill of execution. Virtually every media is on her pallet from pencil and charcoal to watercolors, oil pastels, acrylic and oil paintings, jewelry, sculpture, and ceramics. Each selected subject requires its own best medium presentation used to invoke a quality of super realism with a sprinkle of expressionism. Numerous awards and honors have been granted to Mary Dove.

Artist’s Statement

Sometimes I think that I don’t select my subject matter, it selects me. This might explain why you will see landscapes, urban scenes, or paintings of people doing everyday things. I’ve always loved learning about other cultures and places, so in my artwork I strive to show bits of life that grabbed my attention and made me feel I just had to tell the story.

Watercolor and fluid acrylics allow me to be more interpretive than my earlier oil and pencil work. I believe it is the fact that watercolor and fluid acrylic flow in unpredictable ways that inspires me. These media absorb me into the work; allowing the piece to develop in directions not fully planned, but with more passion. This is part of the thrill of working in watermedia that I didn’t find in other media. By adding more of my emotional content than in the past I think those who see my art are more drawn to the story. In fact a visitor at one exhibit told me she thought my artwork was very happy and that she felt drawn into it in a way that a photograph could not accomplish.

I feel a piece is complete when I think the mood I want is achieved and the story shines through in the finished painting. Real success comes, however, when others tell me the story they see in the painting. Often their story is quite different than mine, but it doesn’t matter! I feel a tremendous sense of satisfaction for having been able to evoke a memory or an emotion in my viewer. What more could I ask for as an artist?

Bio

April Rimpo has been involved in art to some degree her whole life. Her father and grandfather had both painted so her inclination to draw came naturally. In her early twenties she took classes from a local artist which led to her first exhibit, where an art material manufacturer offered to purchase her painting to use in an ad for his materials. Despite the positive feedback, Rimpo knew she was not ready and has continued to take countless art classes and workshops throughout her life.

In college she studied Electrical Engineering. She says “I believe my engineering background taught me to see the world in a board expansive way, through the eyes of others, and from different perspectives. My artwork reflects that background.”

In 2012 Rimpo started to enter national exhibitions; her paintings were accepted into several, including the National Watercolor Society’s Exhibition and the Annual Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors. Since then she has been granted Signature Member Status in Pennsylvania Watercolor Society, Louisiana Watercolor Society, Missouri Watercolor Society, the Watercolor Art Society of Houston, Illinois Watercolor Society, and the Baltimore Watercolor Society. Rimpo currently exhibits with Touchstone Gallery in Washington DC and HorseSpirit Arts Gallery in Ellicott City, Maryland. In 2012 and 2013 April had work in Agora Gallery in New York City.

Rimpo has been give a variety of awards including Excellence in Figurative, First Place, Second Place, and Honorable Mentions. She has paintings included in North Light Books’ Best of Acrylic books: AcrylicWorks3: Celebrating Texture; AcrylicWorks4: Captivating Color; and selected for the 2018 edition AcrylicWorks5: Bold Values. Her painting, Lunch with Champagne, was selected for North Light Books’ 2018 Best of Watercolor book, titled Splash 19. See more of her artwork at www.AMRart.org.