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BACK TO EXHIBITIONS
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“CONNECTIONS” is a themed exhibition for and curated by current CWCA members!!! EXHIBIT: RECEPTION: |
SANDRA BACON and ANN BINGHAM-FREEMAN
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| What is it that connects to a universal human spirit? I chose the image of a bird: ascending, soaring. And mythic rebirth.My second painting is as if ancient Egyptian ruins had been excavated. I feel a spiritual connection to the memories of ancient civilizations. – SANDRA BACON | My two artworks are spirited connections to my authentic self and way of seeing. The first, "Pink Dog", is a cacophony of playful colors, marks and contours. The welded sculpture, "Unknown Man", is a spirited depiction of masculine energy. Both are images that connect and resonate to our human and animal identities – ANN BINGHAM-FREEMAN | ||||||||
Ann Bingham-Freeman is a lifelong friend of mine. "Gesture, line and contour" is her mantra and we share the inspiration of drawing forms, whether human or animal, in a quest to reveal authentic essence. We also share a love of materials from Ann's welded figures to my paint and apoxie clay paintings. |
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JAN BRANDT and MEGAN HINDS
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| Inspired by the rich history of quilt-making, needlework, and fiber art, my work represents a confluence of art and science. Through the process of feminist artistic tradition, my assemblages question the definitions, contradictions, and classification of art and craft while suggesting the interpretation of biological concepts, of the root connectedness of life at the cellular level. – JAN BRANDT | My art draws inspiration from the interaction between insects and their ecosystems. I am investigating their intelligence communication and collective brilliance. I consider how they create their homes, their natural instinct for congregation, and their ability to persevere in nature. With my knowledge gained, I create my view of their worlds. – MEGAN HINDS | ||||||||
I feel connected to my chosen artist Megan on many levels. She is a recent BFA graduate of my alma mater, Illinois State University. We shared the same concentration of printmaking. She and I have both pushed 2 D work into the 3 D field with an organic sensibility of layering and accumulation evident in nature. We are of different generations but relate so well in both working together at my gallery and learning from each other's artwork. – JAN BRANDT |
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LAURA CERF-DAHL and RICHARD FORSLAND
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| The underlying theme in both of these two paintings encompasses the mystical and spiritual unity as well as the connection of all life and energy. “Tree of Life” references life on earth as we know it. “Heart of the Universe” represents the energy that permeates all existence. – LAURA CERF-DAHLhttp://www.lauracerf-dahl.com | The structural use of color, light (luminosity) and space plays an important part in the creation of poetic metaphysical metaphors that are based on the creative process itself and the assertions and uncertainties concerning the nature of the universe and our place within it. – RICHARD FORSLAND | ||||||||
Our connection to each other: Richard Forsland and I first connected as art teachers and frequently collaborated on project ideas and planning throughout many years of teaching. As creative artists, we continue to support, encourage, and influence each otherʼs own work. For Richard and me, a shared aesthetic has always been intrinsically woven into our individual visions. – LAURA CERF-DAHL |
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ANDREA HARRIS and SUZANNE ISAACS
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| My paintings are observations of nature and humanity, representing the journey of curiosity and the soul of discovery. Each of us is unique in the universe yet shape, form and color reveal that we are elements in nature. It is a reminder that we are all connected. – ANDREA HARRIS http://www.AndreaHarris.com |
It’s abstract, but all of my paintings are born of connecting one thing to another. It can be anything…a stain on the studio floor, a dream, an idea, a random line, a poem, a spontaneous eruption of color. Most often, a piece of music inspires the title. – SUZANNE ISAACS | ||||||||
I first connected with Suzanne Isaacs twelve years ago, as we shared studio space with an instructor/ mentor from SAIC. Our artwork evolved, and so did our friendship. Since that time, we have shared five studios. Our artwork is very different, allowing for unique creative cross-pollination. – ANDREA HARRIS |
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JEANINE HILL-SOLDNER and MARY TELFER
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| My latest work “Fluid Motion”, explores our human relationships with the environment. My unique viewpoint captures the movement, energy and excitement of people at play. The viewer is placed in the midst of the splashing water and crowds of people without ever leaving the gallery or getting their feet wet. – JEANINE HILL-SOLDNER | My work pursues two threads of investigation: animal rights and feminism. The surreal environment underscores the insanity of the horrific conditions of industrialized farming that we mundanely accept in our regular visits to the grocery store, and the insanity of the images of power we see in pop-culture every day. – MARY TELFER | ||||||||
Mary and I have been friends for many years. We support and celebrate one another’s artwork and life in the arts. We make art with meaning that connects with the larger world of the human condition. The work in the show reflects on human waste of the earth’s precious resources. – JEANINE HILL-SOLDNER |
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DIANE JOHNSON and ALAN JOHNSON
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| "I've looked at clouds from both sides now, up and down and still somehow, it's clouds illusions I recall, I really don't know clouds at all" (Both Sides Now, Joni Mitchell) – DIANE JOHNSON | I imagine the construction of a cloud as a tactile experience. Diane sees the veiling of sea and cloud together as a cosmic experience. This piece is a wire sculpture with handmade paper that has been shaped, rusted metal wire from a turn of the century bed and painted wood forms. – ALAN JOHNSON | ||||||||
Married for over 30 years: Alan has a sarcastic and humorous view on life and art that connects the mythological and the real. |
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PAULINE KOCHANSKI and KATHY CUNNINGHAM
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| These drawings are from the “Transformations Series” where I take something from nature that interests me and enlarge it hundreds of times. My goal is to keep a sense of the original while building something new. – PAULINE KOCHANSKI http://www.paulinekochanskistudio.com |
Both of these metal artworks were formed by making connections! In "Imagination's Ride," each steel rod was welded to another forming one solid piece. "Coming Together" was made in a similar way, but has an additional component of molten bronze poured over the rods wrapping the two metals together. – KATHY CUNNINGHAM | ||||||||
My connection to Kathy Cunningham is as an equal and as a teacher. I have known her for some time, though we became better acquainted when I studied watercolor with her. Since then, we have built a strong artistic and support connection. – PAULINE KOCHANSKI |
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KHRYSTYNA KOZYUK and TARA McCALLAM
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| I believe art connects people. My life – is reflected in my artwork and connects me and the viewer. My idea – the art and the artist should bring visual information to our community. My artwork – needs social interaction to reveal all the secrets inside.– KHRYSTNA KOZYUK http://www.kozyukgallery.com |
My desire is to capture the energy and emotion that lies below the surface creating an intimate experience. I hope to show the power of the energy connection within, and how we communicate without words to all around us near and far; art can make what is in life invisible - visible on the canvas. – TARA McCALLAM |
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Tara and I met at an art show where we displayed our work. We share our belief of peace and harmony in our art. We are both focusing on finding new art opportunities. We work in the same media and appreciate each other's advice. I hope that we will experience many art achievements together. – KHRYSTNA KOZYUK |
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MARY KREBS SMYTH and MICHELLE THRANE
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| My art has followed many different paths and mediums. However it has always reflected my deep connection to nature, families, friends and my fascination with other cultures. It has also been a way to process loss and healing in my life. – MARY KREBS SMYTH | My artwork portrays the intricacies of connections—the twists and turns of lines and shapes that create serendipitous relationships. – MICHELLE THRANE | ||||||||
Michelle and I met at the Evanston Art Center, and then shared a studio at the Noyes Cultural Art Center. We have remained good friends and strong supporters of each other's work and individual creative process. – MARY KREBS SMYTH |
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ITALA V LANGMAR and JAMES MERRINER
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| Having been a painter since the age of six, I have always been inspired by flowers, trees, and lakes. The Venetian lily is very dear to me with its infusion of almost ethereal gold. In fact, the lily dissolves into its own shadow, inviting reflections of its brief life. – ITALA V LANGMAR http://www.evanescentart.com |
I am a writer and have occasionally published my photojournalism. The artist Itala Langmar inspired me to lift my vision from photojournalism to photography as art. My image of the lily, a symbol of rebirth, is meant to connect with her paintings of “Venetian Lilies.” – JAMES MERRINER | ||||
I invited James Merriner, an outstanding writer and a longtime photographer who only recently decided to exhibit his photos. Like his books, his photos are inspired by the most noble and positive ideals. His photos display his love for beauty and perfection of craft. – ITALA V LANGMAR |
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JUDY LANGSTON and TED BUKOWSKI
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| “Winter Meditation” and “Summer Meditation” reflect two opposite poles of Nature joined together: earth and water, cold and warm. One cannot exist without the other; they hold each other in balance. These works serve as metaphors for that balance. – JUDY LANGSTON | These works show how clever Nature is. After making millions of species, Nature made individuals with abstract details within each species so we can stop once in a while to observe, admire and enjoy them. – TED BUKOWSKI | ||||||||
I chose Ted as my “connection” because both Ted and I make work that depicts aspects of Nature, my work depicting larger vistas and Ted’s showing small, more intimate views of the natural world. – JUDY LANGSTON |
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LAURA LEIN-SVENCNER and DORIS M. LEIN
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| On many levels this is so true, the repercussion of a family member being a dare devil and our planet’s misfortunes now because of greed. When are we going to realize we are all connected on all levels? What happens to one Happens to us all – LAURA LEIN-SVENCNER http://www.lauralein-svencner.com |
Being in nature together, connecting with the earth has been a constant in our relationship. South Haven is a view of where we may have walked, sharing silence. Jordan, a life drawing, comes with connecting to other artists in shared space and community. – DORIS M. LEIN | ||||||||
We are cousins; we visited each other’s homes, had sleep overs. A large play house in my cousin’s backyard became an art studio where we would carve out linoleum squares of our drawings to print. Dreams of being an artist started for both of us when we were very young. – LAURA LEIN-SVENCNER |
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BERT LEVEILLE and LUCY GALPIN
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| I believe these paintings are a subconscious tribute to my recent losses ... "Death's Kiss” and “Visitation” are perhaps gentle reactions to the gut wrenching losses and a desire to connect with those who are no longer here physically. – BERT LEVEILLE http://www.bertleveille.com |
I like to connect my feelings to others by making my thoughts tangible. Everyone we meet affects us in some way, inspiring my piece "We Are All Connected." My mom passing inspired my piece "Heaven and Earth." A universal connection is wanting to, but being unable to, preserve this life forever. – LUCY GALPIN | ||||||||
My connection to Lucy Galpin goes beyond my connection to her work. As sisters, we share a family, shared the care of my Mom and experienced together the inevitable but unexpected loss of my Mom. The profound effect has been an influence on our artwork independently. And, yet, connected. |
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ROBERTA MALKIN and GINNY PITRE-HAY
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| The human figure is my creative life. I work in ceramics, printmaking, drawing, and painting, and set my figures into foregrounds, backgrounds, and under surfaces swirling with decorative pattern. My patterns always seem to connect with the figure and are an integral parts of my images. – ROBERTA MALKIN | The figures in “Street Rhythms” are aligned as drummers. They represent a shared interest in music and invite pedestrians to join them as an audience. We as viewers of this group are also connected as we share in this communal experience. – GINNY PITRE-HAY | ||||||||
Ginny and I meet weekly in my studio to make art. We are both figurative artists working in different media. By working together we benefit through conversation and experimentation. This process has been successful for both of us and has continued for 6 years. – ROBERTA MALKIN |
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JEANE McGRAIL and GAIL BACH
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| The sunset on a Wisconsin hill creates reflections on the slowly flowing, mystical St. Croix River, cradling the images of people who filled my first 18 years of life: reminders of youth connecting to maturity, dreams fulfilled, and remorse for moving on, leaving them behind. My village. – JEANE McGRAIL | Mexican Blanket works as a compositional connector element and connects Jeane McGrail and me. Jeane visited Mom and me in hospice with her lung cancer. Jeane shot photos of Mom and me with the loved Blanket. Sometimes we don’t realize our peak moment-connections until later. We are all connected – allmomentsconnect. – GAIL BACH | ||||||
Since meeting Gail--at the CAC College Art Association Conference in Chicago--in 1992, we have been friends through life’s twists and turns. Visits in her Manhattan residence and her hometown of Madison, plus touring Georgia O’Keeffe’s home in Abiquiu, New Mexico, have become highlights in my life journey. – JEANE McGRAIL |
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CAROL L. MYERS and HELEN GEGLIO
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| My work explores the internal landscape of spirit. Meditative pencil drawings examine the natural objects that fascinate me: shells, bones, fossils, bare trees and roots…the architecture of nature. I plumb the depths of nature for visual exploration of spirit and healing, creating artistic space for contemplation and meditation: a sacred resting place for the senses. Creating connections is central to my work. – CAROL L. MYERS http://www.carollmyers.com |
I often use old, repurposed materials and enjoy the idea of working with fibers that have passed through other, sometimes unknown, hands. The connection between women, work and textiles is a recurring theme in my art work. To construct these quilts, the fabrics are embroidered, layered, sometimes altered with dyes and resists, appliqued to a whole cloth backing and then quilted together with more hand stitching. – HELEN GEGLIO | ||||||||
Helen and I met when I joined the Indiana Chapter of the Woman’s Caucus for Art in 2010. We connected immediately, each enjoying the other’s art and life experiences. We discovered, during a conversation about a weird experience in an Asian art history class, that we not only both graduated from the University of Michigan School of Art but that we had both been in that very class. – CAROL L. MYERS |
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EVE OZER and DIANNE MARTIA
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| The mysterious, wondrous place where stars are born, is to me, a reflection of where our souls are born. My piece, Nebula, is an extension or an expression of that connection. To capture a thread and spin it into a painting is a way for me to connect to that mysterious, wondrous miracle we call creativity. – EVE OZER http://www.eveozer.com |
The atmospheric abstracted landscape imagery suggests the mutable history of place while conveying its invariable essence. This connection of a place's past and present nature is supported by the title, Rivus, which is Latin for a small stream, watercourse, conduit or channel, further underscoring a means of creating connection. – DIANNE MARTIA | ||||||||
I fell in love with Dianne's work before I met her. Her ability to create a mood on canvas struck a deep chord with me. When we finally met, I wanted us to be friends and luckily she did too. Eventually I bought a painting from her and she said, "Now we will always be connected." – EVE OZER |
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ALICE REVELSKI and EVA LLANERA
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| My paintings are modeled after antique dolls that I paint and connect to historical women that I am inspired by. – ALICE REVELSKI | My work connects me to nature and artists as I explore diverse art mediums. – EVA LLANERA | ||||||||
I am honoring my friend Eva Llanera, as my invitee to the W.C.A. "Connections" show. Eva is a long time friend. We have an original connection as gardeners. Eva and I participated in a community project that created a prairie garden at a near-by park. Over the years, Eva has created wood-block prints, watercolors, and beautiful hand-blown glass creations. Eva says that, while she enjoys creating artistic pieces, she doesn't consider herself an artist. I disagree. Eva now lives in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin (and has a beautiful garden there). I believe that I, with my "doll" paintings, and Eva, with her diverse body of art, have an artistic connection, along with gardening. – ALICE REVELSKI |
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JUDITH ROTH and WILLIAM F. WHITESIDE
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| When a child, I discovered a mandolin which I assumed was my mother’s, though I never heard her play it. Later, as an art student, I rediscovered it and had it pose with me. [IMAGE 1.] It vanished. Then, a year ago, almost 60 years later, I came upon a mandolin exactly like hers, and I love it, and with great joy am finally learning to play. [IMAGE 2.] – JUDITH ROTH http://www.judithroth-art.com |
My Art is hard-edge geometry. Certainly my cube shapes are physically connected. However some of my cubes are implied connections like my Exploded Cube which implies a solid form that has been expanded to understand its structure. The hole in the center of each side helps to see the structure’s relationship. The colors are intended to help the form float in space. – WILLIAM F. WHITESIDE | ||||||||
Bill (William) F. Whiteside and I have been friends for several years, initially through the ABG - the Artists Breakfast Group - and since then participating in many art shows together. I love his work because of its clever use of materials, its clean lines, mind-boggling concepts and brilliant optical illusions, totally in contrast to my figurative expressionistic messy linear work! – JUDITH ROTH |
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CAREN HELENE RUDMAN and MICHELLE FIELDS
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| I Belong and You Belong express the dichotomy between the self and other. Each exists interdependent to the other, yet they are mirrored through words, body language, and relationships. The work explores how the complexities of connections influence our lives – CAREN HELENE RUDMAN http://www.carenhelenerudman.com |
My work helps to explore my internal world and reflect on my process. As a psychiatrist, I am interested in the different aspects of the self often revealed through art. – MICHELLE FIELDS | ||||||||||
I met Michelle in my Art and Healing class. The teacher-student relationship grew over years, learning from each other as we continued to work together privately. Our work connects on many levels. Here, it is the exploration of self in relation to ourselves and others that remain a common theme. – CAREN HELENE RUDMAN |
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VICTORIA SENN and SARAH HAHNE
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| Many Lives, Souls In Motion looks at my experiences with life (and death) which is cyclical and changing. I feel we have more then one life and they interconnect and influence each other. – VICTORIA SENN |
In both pieces I am asking the question, what happens at the other end? If I hold one end of the line and someone holds the other end, what shape will it take as the other moves away, how do I influence the shape, how do they influence it, and how do the forces of gravity, sound, culture, etc. influence the shape and movement of the line? What patterns are formed and how do they repeat? What is the movement of a connection between two points/ two people? – SARAH HAHNE | ||||||||
I've invited Sarah Hahne, artist and partner in many crimes. We have worked together for many years curating, collaborating and causing mischief in the arts. I love and respect Sarah as an artist and as an excellent person. – VICTORIA SENN |
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HELENE SMITH-ROMER and BETH ISKA
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| My imagery deals with the unexpected in material and process. It is the irrelevant fragments of unconscious/consciousness — that chaotic meeting of the umbrella and sewing machine on that infamous Dadaist dissecting table –that has fascinated me for the past 30 years. What does the enigma of my collages reveal...what does my work remember- And why do they fear their own existence ? – HELENE SMITH-ROMER | Concepts in my artwork often involve metaphor. Through unexpected visual connections, I illustrate the human condition in the context of nature. My beloved grandmother's fur collar belies difficulty and dysfunction in our relationship with the earth. What we leave behind reflects these connections in a cruel and beautiful way. – BETH ISKA | ||||||
Beth Iska and I are neighbors living in a wonderful Art Deco White Castle building which includes a deep blue indoor swimming pool. It is a visual treasure |
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