Local Hearted: Asheville Artists | WNC Artists | Art Business

Whether painting still lifes or landscapes, in oils or pastels, Asheville artist Susan Sinyai's inspiration is light.  In this interview, Susan talks about her development as an artist and how she is now passing on her love of painting to others, as a teacher in a studio in Asheville.

Susan is an award winning painter with a BFA from UNC Asheville.  When she graduated from UNCA, she worked for ten years as a portrait artist.  Susan shares her reasons for moving from portraiture to her light-filled landscapes and still lifes.

Susan also talks about her relatively new art form--creating glass sculptures for the garden, which in turn, have their own mesmerizing way with light.

To connect with Susan and see more examples of her work:

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visit her website at https://www.susanmeyersinyai.com

Highlights of this interview include:

discussion of a two-year collaborative mural project Susan worked on at UNCA after she had already graduated

how a critique of an artist's work can either help or harm

ways in which Susan and other people she knows were NOT positively encouraged in their artistic endeavors

and how those experiences have caused Susan to take a very different approach as a painting teacher

Local artists and resources mentioned during this episode:

Tucker Cooke, now retired UNCA Art Professor

Fleta Monahan, owner of 310 Art in the River Arts District of Asheville, NC (link takes you to her interview on Local Hearted Podcast!)

Pam Granger Gale, owner of Majik Studios in Asheville, NC

Beverly Kies

The School of Athens collaborative mural at UNCA

Other examples of Susan's work:

And Susan's Latest Creations, her "Shiny, Happy Flowers"

 

I am very excited to share with you this interview with watercolor artist Polly Gott.  Polly lives and works in the mountains in the far reaches of Madison County, North Carolina, near the Tennessee border.  She moved to the area in 1960 with her husband Peter, where they lived a very rugged life, raising their family for a number of years without electricity or modern plumbing, and learning to grow all their own food.  The Gotts learned from their neighbors how to play local mountain music as well as how to build their own home. They passed down the musical tradition to their children, and the Gotts became known for performing and for helping preserve the music. Also, Peter Gott became an authority on building hand-hewn log cabins, teaching many workshops on the subject.

I know I digress, but as you will see in the interview, it is very difficult to talk about Polly's art without understanding the context of her family life.

Polly has a degree in art, with a specialization in sculpture, but decided that painting fit her lifestyle better than sculpting.

Not mentioned during the audio but explained during my pre-interview tour of her farm was that during her early years in Madison County, Polly used her creative skills to fashion the pottery her family needed for cooking and the baskets they used for harvesting.  Polly uses one of these baskets to this day, to carry her art supplies when she goes outside to paint.

Polly is well-known for her watercolor paintings of mountains and big skies.  One trip to her farm studio helped me see where she gets her inspiration!

Listen to the episode by hitting the play button below:

To connect with Polly and see more of her work:

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visit her Facebook page

Follow her Facebook page for announcements of upcoming events.

Polly will have a solo show of her work at Zuma Coffee in August and September on Main Street in Marshall, North Carolina!

Highlights of this interview include

How Polly came to this area and established a rural lifestyle

Polly's admiration for her family members and their talents

the role making art and attending art workshops has played in relation to Polly's rugged homesteading life

the role of music in the family's life

why Polly chose watercolor as her medium

the mystery to me about Polly's art that will not be solved

how painting in the Adirondacks is different for Polly than in the Appalachian mountains

Artists mentioned during the interview:

Tony van Hasselt

Judy Wagner

Jim Gray, the artist who inspired Polly to begin watercolor painting

Gabriel Kohn, the sculptor Polly interned with

Local links of interest mentioned during the interview:

The link to Susi Gott Seguret cookbook, Appalachian Appetite

Zuma Coffee, the venue in Marshall, NC where Polly mentioned showing her paintings

More examples of Polly Gott's paintings (thank you to Susi Gott Seguret for providing the photos of the art):

Sue Dolamore is a plein air painter and an organizer of community with other artists.  She is the coordinator for the Asheville Urban Landscape Painters (AULP), a group of artists that meets weekly for painting demonstrations and painting together on-site from life.   Sue works in oils, watercolors, and acrylics, and she has developed quite the body of work over the past few years.  Listening to Sue, it is easy to understand why she is a natural at supporting the growing community of artists that is AULP.  During this conversation, she offers quite a few gems of wisdom about being an artist and about her approach to life in general.

 

To connect with Sue and see more of her work:

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visit her website https://www.suedolamore.com

follow her on Facebook

check out her work at Asheville Gallery of Art

Highlights from this episode include:

Sue's belief that painting practice should be play!

Sue's view on what the soul of an artist longs for

her discussion of how an artist's experience is important, not just the painting that is created

a discussion of how practice pays off

Sue's involvement with a project Preserving a Picturesque America, with the goal to paint scenes that were originally painted in the 1800s.

one hour to paint and then auction off your painting for a good cause?  What?!  Listen to Sue talk about her participation in the Quick Draw event in Haywood county.

Other Asheville artists and resources mentioned during this episode:

Jennifer Pearson, owner of the Frugal Framer in Asheville and featured in Episode 9 of this show

Asheville Urban Landscape Painters

Lisa Blackshear

Jo Ridge Kelly

Ursula Gullow

Colleen Hester

Bryan Koontz

Preserving a Picturesque America with Scott Varn

Haywood County Quick Draw

Art in the Park Community Grant

Local Indoor sites mentioned by Sue in the interview (paintings below)

Well Bred Bakery in Weaverville, NC

Grove Park Inn lobby in Asheville, NC

Sunnybank Inn in Hot Springs, NC

And the site of Sue's daughter Kate, who lives in Florida: https://katedolamore.com

More examples of paintings by Sue Dolamore:

 

 

 

Host Meredith Adler speaks with Asheville pastel artist Karen Chambers.  Karen works out of a studio in Candler, NC.  She talks about her love for plein air painting and her longstanding history of painting plein air alongside her mother.

Karen is the daughter of watercolor artist Lorraine King, and we hear in this interview how her mother's work was an influence on Karen's development as an artist. Karen's mother, by the way, does not have a website.

One of the original founding members of the local Appalachian Pastel Society, Karen generously shared in this interview about her experience as  a competition artist and as a judge for art competitions.

You will hear Karen light up when she talks about the benefits of her beloved medium, pastel!  And when she talks about how her style of painting is changing.

To connect with Karen and see more of her work:

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As mentioned in the audio intro, Karen needs to have a new website built, and the web address will be placed here when she has it completed

Highlights from this episode include:

how artists benefit from entering art competitions

what judges of art competitions are looking for

Karen's own experience as a judge of art competitions

How she radically increased her enjoyment of the painting process by changing her style

Karen's approach to teaching pastel painting

why Karen and her students formed the Appalachian Pastel Society

"I get up in my studio and I get to painting, I get to singing inside...all tension disappears..."                     Karen Chambers

Local resources mentioned during this episode:

Appalachian Pastel Society

Art League of Henderson County

Other resources available to pastel artists Karen mentions during the show

Pastel Society of America

International Association of Pastel Societies

Other examples of Karen's work

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Joining host Meredith Adler for this interview is Asheville’s own fine art appraiser, Terri Vano. Along with her training in art appraisal, Terri’s qualifications include an art history degree from UNC Charlotte and a background in conservation framing (she is a Certified Picture Framer through the Professional Picture Framer’s of … Read more and listen to episode…

While threatening weather might send other outdoor painters packing up, Asheville artist Cheryl Keefer is drawn to paint those rainy day landscapes and city scapes.  In fact, a delightful segment of this interview is hearing Cheryl laugh about a recent time she started painting with good intentions to "branch out" by depicting a sunny day.

With a BS in Art Education and an MA in art history, Cheryl talks about having a long career in teaching, although not as a traditional art teacher.  Now that she has moved to Asheville in retirement, she is able to devote herself to her longstanding love of painting, creating her work both plein air (outdoors) and at her studio in the River Arts District at Northlight Studios. She also enjoys using her plein air skills to paint on-site at weddings.

To connect with Cheryl and see more of her work:

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visit her website at https://cherylkeefer.com

follow Cheryl on Facebook

visit her at her studio at Northlight Studios in the River Arts District of Asheville

and also see her work in person at Asheville Gallery of Art, Seven Sisters Gallery in Black Mountain* and Up Against the Wall Gallery in Kingsport, TN (*Seven Sisters Gallery website is down at the time Cheryl's podcast episode is being released)

Highlights of this interview include

why Cheryl chooses to consider every painting an experiment

how her childhood years living in a rural setting influenced her interest in cityscapes

Cheryl's take on teaching others to paint and her advice on what it really takes to learn to paint

Cheryl talking about one of her favorite painting classes she has ever taught

Asheville artists mentioned during this interview

Lorelle Bacon and her Local Hearted Podcast interview

Sue Dolamore

Wendy Whitson

Elinor Bowman

Molly Courcelle

Bee Sieburg

Other artists mentioned during this interview

Jeremy Sams

Ben Long

Resource for artists mentioned during this interview

The Painter's Keys -  Although artist/author Robert Genn died in 2014, his daughter, artist Sara Genn continues his site and his newsletter "Twice Weekly Letters to Artists"

Other Examples of Cheryl's work

 

 

 

 

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William Henry Price is a painter in the River Arts District of Asheville, NC.  Using watercolor, gouache (opaque watercolor), and acrylic, William paints the natural world, but not in the form of traditional landscapes, as he used to do.

Being part of this conversation was quite the experience for me--listening to William talk about what he is painting, along with the how and the why of his work.  To be honest, I was spellbound.  Hoping you will have a similar experience when you listen, I'm going to try not to spoil it for you by telling you too much here, in advance.

Suffice it to say, although William is well-educated as an artist (BFA from Boston University and MFA from Rutgers), when you hear the interview, you will understand that William's paintings are actually highly informed by on-going lessons he receives from a very different source.

To connect with William and see more of his work:

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Visit his website at http://www.williamhenryprice.com

Follow his Facebook page

Visit his studio in the River Arts District at Pink Dog Creative, 348 Depot Street, Asheville, NC (Wednesday through Saturday, 11 am to 4 pm, and by appointment)

Highlights of this interview include:

how William's dissatisfaction with painting landscape as scenery lead to his current approach

the role of art in early cultures and why "art still wants to behave that way" (quoting William)

William's discussion of the mystery of the life force

how William knows that a painting is finished

how he manages to do such intense work in an open studio in the River Arts District of Asheville

Links mentioned during this interview:

Will Behler, who taught William art when he was a child.  Will Behler died in 1994, but William found a link to his work here.

Other examples of William's work:

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When I think about Fleta Monaghan's interview, the word "evolving" keeps coming to mind.    Fleta talks about giving herself freedom for her work to evolve rather than remaining fixed in one style.  She is a painter presently working in oils and encaustics in an abstracted manner, referencing the natural world.

As owner of 310 Art, an art gallery and art school for adult learners in the River Arts District of Asheville, NC,  Fleta shares how her business has also evolved, growing to meet the needs of the vibrant artist community she has nurtured in the space.  The community includes resident artists, gallery artists, students, and teachers.

To connect with Fleta and see more of her work:

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visit her art website http://fletamonaghan.com

visit her gallery's site https://310art.com

follow 310 Art on Facebook

visit 310 Art at Riverview Station in the River Arts District of Asheville, NC

Highlights of this interview include:

Fleta's explanation of how she approaches painting abstractly

why becoming mother to a daughter influenced Fleta to focus on her art career, even choosing jobs which allowed her to learn skills applicable to the business side of art

Fleta's discussion of how failed pieces can become an artist's greatest works

This gallery owner's impression of the element that helps an artist's work be most readily appreciated by the public

a glimpse into the vibrant community of 310 Art

lots of wisdom from this professional artist about the internal process of creating art and making a living as an artist

Other artists mentioned during this interview:

Jon Gnagy

Joan Mitchell

Hans Hofmann

Examples of Fleta's work (contact Fleta at [email protected] for availability and prices):

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With the mastery that comes from 30 years in glass-blowing, Michael Hatch still experiences the process as a rush! In this interview, Michael gives us a look at what makes the medium unique and so exciting to him.

Michael and his wife Hilary Hatch are the owners of Crucible Glassworks, in Weaverville, NC, where Michael creates vessels such as jugs, vases, and tumblers, as well as sculptural pieces.  Hilary handles the business end of things, freeing Michael up to focus on the creative side.

Michael is available to teach glass-blowing to interested community members, and he offers demos at his Weaverville studio on a regular basis.  He has created a portable furnace, giving him the freedom to demo at events.  He is also a board member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, so as a bonus, he talks about the Guild's history and admission process.

To connect with Michael and see some of his work:

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visit his website at crucibleglassworks.com

follow his Facebook page and his Instagram

Highlights of this episode include:

what keeps Michael excited about the process of glass-blowing after 30 years

Michael giving us an inside view of what it's like to work with a medium that is "trying to get away from you"

the intensity of working with a team to create a sculptural piece

hearing this artist talk about his appreciation for not only his own medium but for the work of other fine artists

what it was like for Michael to be on the jury for the Southern Highland Craft Guild for people applying for new acceptance, and what exactly the jurors are looking for

Resources mentioned during the show:

Southern Highland Craft Guild

Penland School of Crafts

Examples of Michael's work:

 

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It takes a very skilled artist to capture the likeness of a person in a painting or drawing.  Skip Rohde is a figurative artist who aims even higher.  He talks in his interview about his intention to capture something of the personality, the essence of his subjects.

Skip has been in the unique position of painting not only models paid to pose, but also has done a good deal of creating art featuring people in real life situations, people most definitely not holding still for the artist.  And, notably, a good many of his subjects were in Iraq and Afghanistan.  I will let Skip explain for himself why he traveled to those war-torn countries and the artwork that resulted from his time there.

In this interview, we talk about Skip's various series of paintings, sketches and drawings--Meditation on War, Faces of Afghanistan, Portraits of Iraq, and his latest series with studio models in which is he exploring a new approach (see example above).

I am putting a parental warning on this episode, because the topic of war does come up, including the social/physical costs of war.  I know most children are probably aware of the reality of war in this age of information overload, but out of respect for parents who might be sheltering their children from such knowledge, I decided to give parents a heads up.

To connect with Skip and see more of his work:

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visit his websites http://www.skiprohde.com and http://ashevilleeventpaintings.com

follow his Facebook pages https://www.facebook.com/Studio.of.Skip.Rohde and https://www.facebook.com/Asheville.Event.Paintings

follow Skip on Instagram: skiprohde

Highlights of episode include:

what on earth this artist was doing in Iraq and Afghanistan

the very important message Skip aims to get across with his paintings from the Meditation on War series

how Skip's work landed in the Smithsonian

his exciting new venture, Asheville Event Paintings

what it was like to serve as a courtroom artist

Skip's suggestions for other artists on how to move forward in their own work

Local resources and artists mentioned during this episode:

Skip's workshops for artists are on this page of his website.  He also has information for artists about his weekly open studio figure sessions on the same page of his site.

Leo Monahan's Local Hearted Podcast interview

Asheville Urban Landscape Painters

Cindy Walton's blog

More examples of Skip's work:

 

 

 

 

 

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