South Central Member Show Merikay Payne “Three Handmaidens” Printmaking, 14×11 $200 Unframed “My beautiful flower, full of life, became frozen in the pandemic tundra. It was March. After being preened at the professional photographer’s for an art show, it sat, quite forsaken, outside their door waiting for its appointed time to go home. Three Handmaidens, which started its life as an orphan, through no fault of its own, is now ready for adoption.” Patricia Keller “I Was One Way And Now I’m Completely Different” Pastel and Charcoal, 20×10 $250 Unframed “The landscape as metaphor. This reflects the melting winter surface of Wisconsin’s Otter Creek.” David Williams “There is No Plan.” Watercolor on paper, 18×14 $475 Unframed “During the pandemic: I learned not to predict the future; I learned I didn’t need to get dressed fully; I learned how to make margaritas; I learned to expect and accept less. There is no plan.” Jayne Reid Jackson “Like Starting Over” Mezzotint, 9×12 $300 Unframed ““Like Starting Over” was created using the earth-friendly printmaking process of mezzotint to create a work that reflects on the rebirth necessary to cope in challenging times and the shift to adapt.” Linda Koenig “Home to the Harbor” Watercolor 6×10, $400 Framed “”Home to the Harbor” is the story of returning from deep waters to the familiar lights of home.” Janet Nelson “Green and White in Motion” Acrylic, 36×36 $1,800 Unframed “Prior to this I had included a lot of detail in my work. This past year has been one of upheaval due to my husband’s cancer diagnosis which had been delayed because of the shutdown. Life is in constant change now and the edges are blurred with details ever changing.” Michael Knapstein “Swing of Time” Photography — Archival Pigment Print, 30x30x2 $2,500 Framed “Few of us could have anticipated the full impact of the COVID pandemic. It was as if the carousel stopped and the entire world stepped off at the same time. Everything was cancelled. Everything was empty. My artwork entitled “Swing of Time” is symbolic of this dramatic change. It shows an empty wooden swing, hanging from the branch of an ancient Oak in front of a small rural church. The Hauge Log Church was built in 1852 and is located in Daleyville, Wisconsin. Churchgoers here lived through the Spanish Flu over one hundred years ago. Now a new generation will live through the changes we all face today.” Linda Hancock “20/20 Hindsight” Ink, gouache, gesso, colored pencil on paper, 18×12 $750 Framed ““20/20 Hindsight” is a multi-media drawing created with ink, gouache, gesso, and colored pencil. It reflects my attitude toward 2020, the year of the pandemic. The year’s events seemed to be constantly piling on, shocking humanity into living through stunned days, walking through a wilderness of destruction and disappointment. The stone face looks backward into that year, but my hope is toward a brighter future.” Ann Haberl “Early Eclipse” Oil on canvas, painted around sides, stapled on back, 16 x 20 $525 “8/21/2017, 1:17pm, early eclipse, southern Illinois There was something about the visual experience of the solar eclipse- something about that slow, strange movement of time and light that intrigued so many of us and had me driving 6 hours south to see it happen. Day changing quickly to night – darkness, crickets, stillness and the moon. And changing quickly back again – daylight, sun, and birds chirping again. This was the 1st solar eclipse to cross the US from coast to coast in 99 years. The next one will be in April 2024.” Michelle Louis “In Focus” Acrylic on canvas, 65×72, unstretched $4,695 Unframed “When the pandemic began, I thought to myself, “Isolation? No problem. That’s my game. That’s what I do every day in my studio.” I’d been expecting a relatively unchanged routine as a highly self-motivated artist, who loved nothing better than spending hours alone in her studio or out exploring the wild countryside. The gut punch was that instead I felt as disengaged from myself and my work as I’ve ever been. While many of my artist friends were sharing mounds of new work and creative inspiration, I felt oddly thick and stuck. It took a while for me to gain some footing in the “new normal.” That footing is still precarious, as most of us understand by now. Yet, pandemic and political mayhem somehow provoked a new level of focus, determination, and inexplicably, joy, in my art practice and small business, as well as my spirit. I’m working to amplify the impact of gratefulness as changing norms disrupt my comfort zone. Or in everyday English–being able to say thank you is more important to me than ever. You’ve reached out with words of encouragement and support. You’ve looked, shared, and purchased so much of my work that I can barely keep up. I appreciate every single bit of it. Humbled and hopeful, I thank you.” Julie Raasch “How I spent my covid vacation.” Jewelry, 2x2x0.75 NFS “In the beginning we knew little about COVID. There was lots of uncertainty, speculation, and comparisons to other pandemics. Images of historical plague doctors circulated. The 1918 Flu Pandemic was spoken of as a model for how bad COVID could get. We started to stay home. Gatherings were canceled. We isolated.… Then we found a new way to be social. All of our technology became a lifeline from that isolation. Virtual classes, meetings, and parties went online. We adapted. We socialized online, we worked online, we attended classes online.… Our art was sold online rather than at art fairs. Facebook Live events and virtual art fairs popped up. Life became busy again only in a different way. Items included in this piece represent how I experienced COVID.… From the plague doctor who represents the uncertainty, stress, guessing in the beginning; the image of the virus that filled our screens and news reports; locks of my hair that represent all the time spent at home, including home haircuts and meals; to the technology that was a lifeline, a way to both be informed, to connect with others, even to celebrate holidays. Lastly the way this brooch was built was using a technique I learned during a virtual metalsmith class showing that humans can adapt and even thrive under adverse circumstances.” Mark Nelson “How Did You Find Me?” Pigment Print on Paper, Signed, Open Edition, 20×20 $70 Unframed “The past two years have ushered in many changes for me as I have watched a steady stream of relatives and friends leave this world. My image, “How Did You Find Me,” is a bit allegorical; death finds us all, no matter how well disguise ourselves. I love doing portraits that express an emotional state, often showing people in reverie or bliss, but lately I have been drawn to images of surprise or agitation. While I have not felt especially surprised or agitated myself, perhaps as a continuation of a life filled with surprise and uncertainty, I can sense the surprise and agitation of those around me. I want to explore that and find ways to express it. Visually, I have always been fascinated by the visual tension between the concrete and the abstract. A John Singer Sargent portrait exemplifies this; up close, it is a flurry of abstract shapes, while from a distance it resolves into something that appears to be concrete. In my own work, I like to explore the edges of concrete imagery, creating abstract shapes that assert themselves at close range. However, those abstract shapes resolve into concrete images as the vantage point changes. That is a bit like what happens with ideology in the 21st century, although perhaps we are too close to step back and see how those amorphous ideas that seem to be unrelated merge into coherency when seen from afar.” Elizabeth Ivers “Bright Summer Day Mary Tilton “Truth and Doubt” Watercolor on paper, 20×21 $500 Unframed “Driven from sleep at 4am by fears real and imagined, I seek solace in the studio. There I wonder what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. Why do I paint? Why don’t I paint better than I do? And yet, I must paint. Self portraits have been my “thing” because I do want to paint people and there are no models during this isolation. I look different than this, I’m sure. And yet, it’s me. I want to paint. Maybe not in the middle of the night, but I have committed myself to painting. I can’t wait for a different live model.” Jane Barnard “Wisconsin Marsh (Plein Air)” Watercolor, 8×11 $200 Unframed, $300 Framed “I changed. But Mother Nature didn’t. She was my constant. She taught me to notice more: trees, water, sky. She taught me about the small moments. I learned to appreciate her seasons, her shadows (there were plenty), and her beauty. I learned to appreciate the slowness of her pace. She changed me. And I’m grateful for it.” Laurie Talbot Hall “Covid Quilt “ Hand-colored photographs in mixed media assemblage, 77x 55×3 NFS “My walks in Nature during the pandemic bring joy and comfort. Yet thoughts of the virus invade. Risk of contamination seems to be every where. Before the pandemic, Americans were acquiring the habit of carrying reusable produce and shopping bags. Shops discouraged this practice out of fear. Non-degradable plastics are discarded. Mesh produce bags shed microplastics. Single-use medical kits contribute tons of non-recyclable waste to landfills. Another layer of covid anxiety is the environmental crisis that blankets everything.” Ann Athas “The Garden at Evening” Monotype, 11-7/8×14 $150 Unframed “In March of 2020, my world, like everyone else’s, got a lot smaller. I began experimenting with gelatin plates as a way to continue printmaking without a printing press. Usually my process is planned and deliberate, and, as this medium is very spontaneous, I thought it would be frustrating. Instead, I have found it very liberating.” Deb Bushy “A Moment of Stillness” Original Photo, 14×17 $360 Framed “The summer of 2020 was a turning point for so many lives. On Saturday May 30, 2020 Black Lives Matter started a peaceful protest at the Capitol in downtown Madison, WI. The day ended in chaotic rioting where everyone involved pointed their finger at someone else. Later came the artists, they covered the downtown area in murals of remembrance, peace and beauty. I was there after the riots, and when most of the murals were created. I photographed the moving artwork that had such powerful messages. I have since taken classes to inform myself about the “Black Lives Matter” movement and know I have just begun to inform myself. I hope to gain greater clarity and empathy for the future.” Jeff Stern “Change Arrived Quickly” Oil on canvas, 15×15 $400 Framed “The conceptual vision of a storm approaching an otherwise peaceful landscape, using our own Lake Mendota and Picnic Point. COVID and social reform hit us like a storm this past year. Out of our control and yet requiring our resolute attention.” Thomas Ferrella “shit-fuck” Diptych, oil on glass, newspaper headlines, led lights, 12×30 $800 Framed “i make no excuses” James Richter “Go with the Flow” Oil on gallery wrap, 18×24 $450 Unframed “One year ago, the humble roll of toilet paper became part of a story. A silly American story. I painted it with the beauty of its new found importance. (No frame needed as is painted on edges of gallery wrap canvas.)” Karen Watson-Newlin “Despair and Hope” Acrylic Mixed Media with Resin on Canvas, 24×24 $1,000 Unframed “In February 2020, I started a series of mixed media works documenting events that were occurring in the United States as our world was turning upside down. I had no idea at the time what 2020 would entail but I realized a pandemic was coming our way and the country was a political mess. My way of coping with the sudden changes in our lives was to record the events in my art. The statement series now consists of seven works with Despair and Hope (number 6 in the series) representing the fall events of 2020. Today I feel Hope is winning.” Valerie Mangion “Enlightened One” Oil on panel, 36×48 NFS “Our dog, Katie, died in April, 2020, near the beginning of the stay at home order. She was the only being I know of who was capable of loving Donald Trump and Joe Biden equally. She would greet anyone who came to the door with a toy in her mouth and a joyously wagging tail. She loved and was loved by all. Katie also loved swimming in our creek, then drying off in the breeze. Dealing with the pandemic was change enough. Grieving our beloved dog was something we did not need. But, life goes on (until it doesn’t) and by the end of May my husband and I followed a national trend and adopted an older black lab mix from a shelter. Loving Aggie has helped us get over Katie’s death. (I admit we accidentally call Aggie “Katie” all the time.) Taking long walks with AGGIE and a girlfriend has been a critical part of my coping with this Covid year.” Kathleen D’Angelo “The Bedrock Has Cracked” Acrylic painting, 10×8 $250 Unframed “For many months over the last year, I was unable to paint or be creative. Early winter is not usually a time that I am energized and productive with my art, but something stirred in me. Images starting coming to me that were mainly inspired by nature, but distinctly linked to the events of the past year. “The Bedrock has Cracked” reflects the inner turmoil that continues to haunt all of us.” Barbara Vater “Tucked In” Acrylic, 12×16 $380 Unframed “Climbing at altitude in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda results in one breathtaking hour in the presence of a mountain gorilla family. These magnificent animals exist only as long as we preserve their habitat.” Pamela Grabber “Glow” Oil, 12×24 $750 Framed “Just a few yards west of our home, the sideways light of sunset transformed this old white barn in the snow. I thought of how seeing things in a new light can be transformative to many situations in life, so I painted this scene to honor that journey.” Cary Hunkel “Peanut!” Watercolor, 9×12 $500 Unframed “I wish it could change me even more! I decided to try different papers and colors (within reason, of course) and to loosen things up a bit. I have started the journey, but there’s much more ahead.” Kathleen Walter “Spring Will Come” Mixed media paper sculpture, 21×10 NFS “As the pandemic created a smaller and smaller life for me I always found refuge in nature. As the dark winter months seemed to continue on forever I found hope in birds returning and tiny green shoots beginning to find their way to the light. This time of isolation has shown me that there is no urgency in anything. Life unfolds and we move along with it taking notice of the small things along the way.” Varla Bishop “Splash of Pink” Acrylic, 11x14x.75 $159 Framed “My grandmother is the reason I love to paint sheep. She had a huge painting of sheep in her house. I loved that painting of the sheep in the field with a young woman watching over them. I use to pretend to be that woman in the painting. The barn in this painting is on Hwy 33 just west of West Bend. My husband and I were out for a drive. The pandemic kept us in the house most days but this day we were headed east. When we saw this old barn with this new quilt design added well I fell in love. I added the sheep as no painting with a barn doesn’t deserve to have a few sheep in the meadow. Even during a pandemic you have to search for inspiration in places you least expect it. Painting has helped me during these difficult times and I am thankful.” Virginia Huber “2020 Wish List” Watercolor/Graphite, 10×6 NFS “I hoped to honestly capture the fear/isolation/intensity of 2020. But then, I intended to honor the scientists- who would give us vaccinations as well as hope! As an aside, I saw this gentleman at Costco. His identifying characteristics have been altered except that he looked like Father Christmas. Also, the actual man was wearing a plaid flannel shirt and blue jeans. No mittens, and his cart was full of toilet paper.” Marcia Smith “Green Door, Morocco Series” Watercolor, 15×11 $450 Unframed “The most dramatic change in my life brought about by this year of COVID has been the fact that I have been in my home and my studio for an entire year. Interesting to look back and realize that I have not spent the month of March in Madison as far back as I can remember, nor a December or May for 14 years. In the midst of the drama, life has been remarkably peaceful. Instead of visiting the world, I have spent time painting my memories. For this exhibition, I felt that a door, especially a door to an hidden garden, neatly expresses the intersection between the new and the old, the known and the unknown, now, the past, and the future.” Sara Meredith “Black Mirror” Charcoal, pencil and acrylic on wood panel, 12×16 NFS “This self portrait reflects the time and space of August 2020 and was made in response to Seymour Fogel’s piece Despair 1936 created during the Great Depression. I wanted to illustrate how painful connecting to technology, screens, social media was and is as our primary means of connection. I have gathered with a small group of female artists since July 2020 to examine cultural artifacts of trauma and how history repeats itself. We are still meeting to examine and process trauma of the past. Gathering with this group has added more levels of context to my work and it’s changed many of my self imposed constraints. Together we’ve built a space that we can fully share of ourselves and hold space for each other all of our thoughts and emotions and our complexities. I hope that we can create this same safe space in our broader culture so that we can be present for each other and not continue to perpetuate unprocessed trauma on the world.” Sandi Wysock “Tomorrow Will Be a Better Day” Fiber – Felt, 10×13 NFS “So many of us have spent more time outside during the past year. It seems we have our eyes lifted to the skies. I have received many many photos from friends showing beautiful and amazing skies. The colors have been stunning. I suppose they were always there but it seems that we were taking the time to notice. A beautiful sunset was something to be savored. The skies in my landscapes have become more colorful and dramatic this winter as well. This small piece is on a merino wool based. The fibers in the painting are merino, silk, and bamboo all felted together using wet felt techniques. It is mounted on mat board and framed under ultra view glass.” Yongjing Li “We will win! Meow! “ Acrylic on canvas, 20x16x3/4 $799 Framed “Covid prompts many changes, but not to the virtue of our life. Peace, Love and Harmony. We hold and win!” Katherine Ford “Mystical Waterway” Watercolor, 8x8x0.9 $450 Unframed “Mystical Waterway is an impressionistic escape inspired by an excursion to a Lake Superior tributary at Port Wing, WI. The continued isolation from the outside world created a need to escape, so I started the painting with random application of color and let it dry and then began to seek out an image. The painting developed as a co-creation with the water and the pigment, but it remained in a soft, fog like state probably a reflection of my strained reality. The painting is mounted on a cradled panel and preserved with a buffed cold wax enhancing the rich colors.” Annette Knapstein “Awaken IV” Photography, 12×12 NFS “Butterflies transform through a remarkable four stage lifecycle in preparation for flight. It’s no wonder some individuals, cultures and religions regard them as having great importance and meaning — as metaphors for spiritual rebirth, transformation, change, hope or life. Butterflies are a perfect metaphor for today as we work to transform ourselves so we can survive and thrive in a world after Covid-19. This photo is from a series titled “Awaken.” In it a butterfly is preparing to emerge, open up and embark on something new. The scene is a little soft and dreamlike and the borders are open and imperfect so the butterfly is not constrained and can take flight when it is ready.” Kathryn Lederhause “Separation” Photograph of section of my Watercolor, 10×8 $75 Unframed “Learning to paint watercolors to increase my artistic range has been my growth activity over the last few months. The class and feedback have been online with Helen Klebesadel. This piece is an IPhone photo close up of one of the early exercises of wet into wet. The photo was taken to share with the instructor and class. The original watercolor was 6″ x 6.5”. I chose it because it speaks to me of separation: of space; of people; of color. I like the paper texture that has been highlighted. If you want a sinister view you could also imagine the red “”blobs”” as the Covid virus expanding. My life has changed and expanded because now when I look at an image I am either thinking how I would represent it with watercolors or how did the artist achieve that effect.” Helen Klebesadel “Boreal Forest: In the Beginning” Watercolor and Ink, 7×10.5 $260 Unframed “This year has revealed deep rifts and flaws in our social, cultural, economic, and structural support systems, especially in the areas of health and equity. We have been forced to go on an inner journey, back to the center, and to reflect on what we believe and who we are. We are asked now to recreate the world we thought we lived in to be a new and better place where there is room for all to thrive and grow. Can we make the real, primordial, inner alterations necessary to be the change we need in the world?” Paula Schiller “Relics” Oil on canvas, 24×20 $450 Unframed ““Relics” speaks to the passage of time. I think of the two rusting pumps as an aged couple or a pair of good friends who have been left behind the times. They bear the transformation from utility to obsolescence with dignity. To me, the loose painting style correlates with the changeability of perception.” Wendy Crone “Foreboding” Pastel, 8×10 NFS “Foreboding, 2021” The natural world outside our homes has a way of both lifting our spirits and reflecting our inner mood. In painting these scenes, I can endeavor to capture the pleasure of the moment or my inner turmoil. I painted this skyscape in the first week of the new year to express my foreboding about what was yet to come after the challenges faced in 2020.” Ann Stretton “Eventually” Watercolor on Paper, 18×24 $100 Unframed “Eventually this season will pass, and the late winter snow will melt. Little by little the dark slush appears from the hard white that was once sparkling pure crystalline prisms. Eventually the mud will turn green, and the world of color will return again. Eventually. But now we are stuck in grey, stuck in houses, stuck in a holding pattern, a purgatorial Groundhog Day. Eventually the snow will all melt away, and some day this war will be over.”
Biennial 2024 Awards First Place MOWA Prize Kelly Jean Ohl “Biophilia III” Second Place Award Scott Espeseth “Box With Cat” Third Place Award Hannah O’Hare […]
WVA – Southeast Chapter – HOPE Exhibition Thirty-two artists from the Wisconsin Visual Artists – Southeast Chapter participated in this online exhibition of HOPE. Many of the works are […]