Category: Inspirations

April 14, 2016

A Pine Mountain Throw Down

Base at Bad Branch, Digital Image Transfers on Wood, 14″ x 48″, SOLD

I can’t recall who coined the phrase ‘Pine Mountain Throw Down’ but I’m gonna borrow it for this post because it so appropriately describes the Wildlands Art & Music Show that took place this past weekend in Lexington, KY!

In 2015 Kentucky Natural Lands Trust, in collaboration with writer Erik Reece, and visual artist and writer Zoe’ Strecker hosted artists’ retreats on Pine Mountain, a 125 mile forested ridge line in southeastern Kentucky. These retreats were geared towards engaging and educating artists about the Pine Mountain Wildlands Corridor project in hopes they would be inspired by their experience. There was both a spring and fall retreat and the artists that attended became known as the Pine Mountain Collective. I was fortunate to attend the fall retreat during quite possibly one of the most beautiful autumn weekends of the year! (Read about my retreat experience)

**Thru the Trees Comes Autumn**, Digital Image Transfers on Aluminum Substrate, 30″ x 40″

I was inspired…we all were inspired! The creative outpouring that followed those retreats were displayed to the public during the Wildlands Art and Music Show at The Grand Reserve in Lexington, which benefited KNLT. It was a great success and very well attended! I’m sure I’m not alone in saying I’m ready to go back to Pine Mountain!

**Peak Season Pulsations,** Digital Image Transfer on Birch, 24″ x 24″

Below are some pictures from the event. Scroll down to the bottom of this page to see a list of all the artists involved in the Pine Mountain Collective with links to their respective websites!

A big THANK YOU to Greg Abernathy of KNLT for his hard work in organizing the retreats and the Wildlands Art And Music Show.

~jz

Visual artists of all mediums were represented!

(left) Print by Cricket Press, (right top and bottom) Photographs by Guy Mendes.

Daniel Martin Moore started the music portion of the evening.

(left) Carrie Billett, (top right) Whit Baker and (bottom right) Jeff Chapmen-Crane.

Reading by author and poet Richard Taylor.

Warren Byrom & Fabled Canelands rounded out the evening with some killer country-folk.

A list of participating artists, writers, poets and musicians with links to their websites!

Art:
• Zoé Strecker, visual artist, writer, professor of art & retreat co-host
• Greg Abernathy, visual artist
• Whit Baker, writer and visual artist
• Carrie Billett, actor, artist & writer
• Jeff Chapman-Crane, painter & sculptor (Valley of the Winds Art Gallery)
• Mike Frasca, potter
• Valerie Sullivan Fuchs, new media artist
• Mike Goodlett, visual artist
• John Lackey, painter, printmaker, illustrator & poet (Homegrown Press)
• Nana Lampton, painter & author
• Guy Mendes, photographer
• Timothy Polashek, a composer, music technologist & professor of music
• Jeff Short, glass artist
• Diana Sudyka, illustrator
• Erika Strecker, sculptor
• Melissa Muir Sutherland, visual artist
• Lina Tharsing, painter
• Petersen Thomas, painter
• Brian Turner, printmaker (Cricket Press)
• Sara Turner, printmaker (Cricket Press)
• Jenny Zeller, visual artist & photographer

Readings:
• Erik Reece, author, professor of writing & retreat co-host
• Carrie Billett, actor, artist & writer
• Ed McClanahan, author
• Bobbie Ann Mason, author
• Trina Peiffer, poet
• Eric Scott Sutherland, poet
• Richard Taylor, author, poet & professor of writing
• Mary Ann Taylor-Hall, author

Music:
• Daniel Martin Moore

• Western Movies – Chris Sullivan

• Warren Byrom & Fabled Canelands

January 31, 2016

Digital Image Transfer and Mixed Media Workshop

That’s right people…I’m teaching a Digital Image Transfer and Mix Media Workshop February 11th and 12th at The Studios of Key West!! And if ya didn’t know already, I’m pretty stoked about it!!

In this unique two-day workshop, participants will learn the techniques of digital image transferring while creating distinctive, one-of-a kind prints onto a variety of surfaces, including wood, metal foils, and fine art papers. Day two takes the initial results further with the incorporation of mixed media including watercolors, oil paints and encaustic wax. This hands-on workshop is for artists and photographers seeking more creative options for their imagery. Emphasis is on exploration and experimentation.

Results of day 1 image transfers onto a variety of art papers.

I test drove this workshop a few weeks back with some good friends and got some really great results! Many thanks to Jen Bull Wood and Christi George for helping me fine tune the experience that is coming to TSKW this February!

With the images above, Jen first distressed the transfer film before transferring it onto watercolor paper. She then hand colored the image with water color pencils and dipped it into encaustic wax.

For the following images, Christi used a white transfer solution to release her image onto a metal foil substrate. She then added encaustic wax and paints, and applied oil pastels into scraped limbs details of this tree.

On Day 1, Jen first distressed and then transferred this awesome image of her son Silas onto tissue paper. Day 2, she took that image, attached it to a canvas and encased it with encaustic wax and paints.

And finally, this last image…a happy surprise. When Jen transferred this image to tissue paper, it bled onto the craft paper underneath it…totally unintentional….love it’s soft focus and ghostly feel!

Click HERE For more information on the workshop I will be teaching at TSKW on February 11th and 12th from 10am-4pm.

I am also teaching an Image Transfer Class for Kids on Saturday February 13th from 10am-12pm.

January 22, 2016

KNLT Pine Mountain Artist Retreat

This past fall, I was invited to attend an artist retreat with the Kentucky Natural Lands Trust in Pine Mountain State Park. KNLT has started hosting retreats where they invite 20-25 artists to join them in the Pine Mountain Wildlands Corridor, their primary project area, to learn more about this special place and their efforts to preserve and protect it.

Pine Mountain Collective — Fall 2015 Artists’ Retreat ~ photo by Guy Mendes

The big weekend activity was a day long hike in Bad Branch State Nature Preserve. The specific hike was to High Rock, a massive sandstone extending along the summit offering spectacular views of the Cumberland Plateau. It was a beautiful autumn weekend. Clouds in the sky made for the most spectacular light and the views were stunning!!

The weekend sparked a moving conversation about the role of art and conservation. As we drove nearly an hour through the mountains to arrive at our departure hiking point at Bad Branch, we passed large mined areas of the ridge, devastating to see and truly sobering. What can we do as artists to be the voice for nature? Science doesn’t seem to be getting very far with facts alone. Art is crucial to making that emotional connection which inspires change. It got me thinking about my creative voice for nature!

The weekend was transformational. I was inspired by KNLT and charmed by the Pine Mountain Settlement School. There was a bonfire and bonafide entertainment. Met a lot of great people. Took a lot of deep breaths. Felt connected.

Thanks to Greg Abernathy from KNLT for all his hard work in making this weekend a success!! Click to access KNLT Fall Artist Retreat blog post to see who was on the retreat with me!!

Stay tuned for the announcement of an upcoming group show with artists from both the 2015 spring and fall retreats!