Karin Arnds
I became interested in weaving after a trip to Peru about 12 years ago. Seeing the unique patterns and fiber art pieces that the weavers create there left me totally in awe. Since then I have studied weaving with Deb Meterney at the Pittsburgh Center for Arts and Media. In the last few years I have exhibited my work at PCA’s member exhibits and continued my studies with more advanced classes and workshops at the Redstone Glen Fiber Art Center near Harrisburg, with renowned fiber artists Tom Knisely and Sara Bixler.
Professionally, have been a relationship therapist for over 35 years. I now realize my career is related to my passion of weaving more than I had initially recognized. I have been weaving people’s stories and experiences into new patterns, creating and connecting meaning in a way that is not so different from a pattern on the loom. I am excited to be taking my skills into the fiber arts world and to glean inspiration from the stunning natural beauty of the Allegheny River Valley.
Artist’s statement:
Over, under, over, under… an ancient story told with each union of warp and weft.
Single threads merge to form unique patterns and useful objects.
Appreciating the beauty of creation and connectedness. Weaving our stories into the fabric that is life.
Taylor Banner
Taylor Banner is an artist and educator from Clarion, PA. She received herBS in Art Education from Edinboro University and has continued pursuing her exploration of the fine arts through studio courses at Clarion University. Currently, Taylor is the Vice President of the Clarion County Arts Council and the visual arts teacher at Clarion Elementary School.
In her words Taylor states, “As an artist and educator, I enjoy working with a range of mediums and applications but I am most drawn to collage, mixed media and fibers. I find inspiration for my mixed media work in vintage and found imagery, as well as family photographs.Each picture captures a brief moment in time and carries with it a fragment of a life story. Working with collage allows me to create layered surfaces that rewrite that narrative and tell a new, imagined history.”
Taylor goes on to say “My recent digital work reflects upon issues of emotion, identity and human conventions. These works were heavily influenced by the collectiveisolation and uncertainty of the past few years, coupled with my personal introspection. These digital collages strive to explore the disconnect between our private and public selves. This struggle often presents as whowe are being at odds with what we project to others.”
Christian Bauer
25 years ago, I enrolled in my first wheel throwing class at Westminster College. While I had worked with clay periodically throughout my life, those first few moments in the studio grabbed me. The process of preparing the clay, throwing on the wheel, glazing and firing my pottery fueled my interest. At that time, I knew I wanted to continue with clay and someday build my own kiln.
After graduating in 2001, I pursued a teaching certification from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and for the last 20 years, I have been teaching Art in the Grove City Area School District.
Throughout my time as a teacher, I often thought about my journey as a ceramic artist and what I would like to do next. So, in November of 2020, I began a detailed drawing of my Japanese inspired climbing kiln. For weeks, I meticulously measured the layout of the kiln, calculated the internal dimensions, and counted the bricks.
Almost 3.5 years and 6 firings later, I feel so incredibly blessed. I genuinely enjoy the process; from gathering firewood to loading and unloading the kiln. I am also drawn to wood firing because there is an element of chance. Flames passing through the kiln carry and deposit ash creating a natural glaze on my pottery. Each piece is a bare canvas I paint with ash and flame
Mark DeWalt
Woodworking has provided both economic stability and artistic opportunity for 4 generations of Mark’s family. He grew up handling and manipulating wood; learned to see it’s beauty revealed through works of fine craftsmanship, and learned to love it’s textures, colors, character and potential.
Artist Statement
“Always living in a rural setting, I have found great inspiration in the natural and historic forms that surround me. I enjoy blending materials from diverse origins to create something new while incorporating time-tested techniques. Recent works have been fashioned using figured lumber, burls, fence posts, vines and my old upright grand piano.”
Donna Edmonds
Donna Edmonds is a watercolor artist who concentrates on botanical and other nature subjects. She has a particular interest in the native plants of the region along with their pollinators. Donna has a certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration from Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens where she had the opportunity to study under a number of highly accomplished contemporary botanical artists. Donna also worked as an instructor on the Phipps faculty for several years teaching color theory for watercolor applications. She is a member of the Allegheny Highlands Botanical Art Society and The American Society of Botanical Artists.
Donna was the founder of the Red Brick Gallery and Allegheny RiverStone Artists’ Co-operative. She serves as its Artistic Director and is a member of the artists’ co-op. She resides in Parker, PA.
Ann Harting
Since childhood, fiber arts have been a passion, offering me the joy of transforming simple materials like fabric, yarn, and wool into something entirely new. When I ventured into clay work, it introduced a fresh dimension to my creative pursuits.
Nature serves as inspiration in my life, infusing my art with its boundless beauty. Whether captivated by the vivid hues of a cardinal’s feathers or the timeless grace of an aging tree stump, I pause to absorb the profound beauty that surrounds me.
In my pottery, I gravitate towards hand-building techniques rooted in both functionality and sculptural expression. I revel in crafting earthy, organic forms, often enriching pieces with pressed flora and intricate carvings. Through the application of glazes and stains, I strive to harmonize these textures, lines, and marks, imbuing each piece with a distinctive narrative.
Weaving, also holds a special place in my artistic repertoire, drawing me to the intricate beauty of flora and trees, both in their physical presence and their hues. The rhythmic process of weaving offers a delicate balance of structure & freedom, as the design gradually unfolds with each pass of the shuttle.
Whether at the loom or shaping clay, I cherish the moments of quiet contemplation, allowing my hands to translate the whispers of my thoughts into tangible expressions. While I may begin with a rough idea, I relinquish control to the medium, allowing it to guide me to completion.
In essence, my art is a testament to the symbiotic relationship between creativity and nature, a journey marked by exploration, discovery, and a deep reverence for the world around me. I invite viewers to appreciate the beauty of the natural world through my pieces.
Angela Taylor Hardwick
Born in London, England, Angela was exposed to all the arts at an early age and was particularly drawn to music and painting. Eventually, a career in the music business with HarrisonParrott artist management in London found her managing international conductors and much of her free time was taken up singing and touring with the LSO Chorus. Angela’s work as Assistant to the Pittsburgh Symphony’s Music Director, Andre Previn, brought her to Western Pennsylvania, where she met her husband, Charles, a violinist with the Pittsburgh Symphony.
Since retiring from running European Artists Direct for a group of European artists’ managements, Angela at last has had the time to indulge her love of painting (self-taught), along with her other passions, gardening and cooking. Angela has produced a watercolor series including the four seasons of the Frick Cafe and the Frick Greenhouse, which have been on sale in the Frick Museum Gift Shop. She enjoys commissions to do watercolor paintings of people’s houses and estates. Much of Angela’s artwork is inspired by regular trips to Europe with her husband. They live with their three amazing cats in Wexford.
Kathy Hogg
“I have always enjoyed the arts. Although I have tried many different disciplines, I connected to jewelry-making on a different level. I love the resilience of metal and the physicality of the process – all of the fire and heat and intricate work that results in something that is an expression of the individual who eventually wears it. I especially enjoy working with silver and copper, and the beautiful gemstones that I collect on my travels.
I have taken classes in many parts of our beautiful country in order to learn the methods that influence my style. Some recent experiences include classes in Arizona at the Tucson Gem Show, and with Bill Fretz at his studio in Maine.”
“While general metal-working processes are used in my creations – so are some unexpected ones, such as; sand-casting, Argentium silver-fusing, stamping, texturing, and enameling – just to name a few. Each new experience adds another dimension to what I create in my studio. I hope you enjoy my collection.”
Dennis Keyes
I am a self-taught photographer, videographer and painter. My work is in private collections, corporate boardrooms, hospitals, restaurants, publications, public landmarks, on line and, of course, in the Red Brick Gallery. I retired after 30 years of Dentistry and have added a framing business to my photography services.
My new work for this 2023 Member/Guest show features Contemporary Interpretations of Mythological creatures from various cultural folklores. Some familiar themes have been elaborated with original and collected photographs, rendered as digital paintings and painted on canvas.
I have photographed, videoed, edited and produced about 50 youtube videos including a number of the ARCA performances and events over the past 12 years. I have also documented, with youtube videos, many of my travel adventures. These can all be found on my youtube channel (drdk84).
“Affordable Frames” presents a complete package from the snap of the shutter to finished work hanging on your walls. I also offer complete color managed photography of 2-D and 3-D art for other artists interested in cataloging, or reproducing their work for prints or submission to juries or magazines.
You can find my work on my website: www.denniskeyesphotography.com
I am on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DennisKeyesPhotography/
You can reach Dennis by email at: drdk84@gmail.com
Dennis Keyes has incorporated numerous images into his epic work OMG. To receive a full explanation of the work, you may request the document describing its content and the inter-relationship of the images by contacting Dennis by email at drdk84@gmail.com or by telephone at (724) 679-1055.
Jason Floyd Lewis
Jason Lewis is from Clarion, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Clarion Area High School in 1998, he received a scholarship to go to the Columbus College of Art and Design where he studied fine art. Drawing and Painting landscape became his primary focus. From there he went to Bowling Green State University where he was a teaching assistant, instructing an Introduction to Painting course. He earned an MFA in Drawing from BGSU in 2004.
After college, Jason returned to Clarion and married his wife, Amanda, who is a clay artist. They converted an automotive garage into a studio and display area where they both can work. Jason is represented by galleries in Columbus and Erie and has exhibited in various locations throughout western PA and OH including Nemacolin Resort, Millcreek Metroparks in Youngstown, Schedel Gardens, Hiram College and the Winkler Gallery. He is also a member of the Red Brick Gallery Artists’ Cooperative in Foxburg where he exhibits his work and is the art curator.
Jason has previously been the judge for high school art shows and for the Clarion County Arts Council’s Autumn Leaf Festival Art Show and is the 2019 judge for the Saxonburg Art Show.
Artist Statement
My artwork represent the landscape as I have observed it. The paintings and drawings represent real places, many of them near my home in western PA. Most of the places I choose to represent are in some way memorable, such as rivers, roads, trails or other significant landmarks. I am interested in the way human activities coexist and intermingle with the natural landscape in rural areas. In my recent work, I have focused on forest interior spaces, exploring the more rugged terrain of wooded areas. I am also interested in depicting the various effects of light, air and humidity that can transform the mood of the landscape.
My goal is to represent the landscape in a naturalistic way. I use photographic reference in the studio to produce my finished works, however, I do not consider myself to be a photorealist. The photos are a tool used both for designing and for recording facts about my subject. As I work, I refer to the photographs, but also rely on my memories of observing the landscape and on my recollections of paintings done by other artists whom I admire. I work in thin layers of paint, building up detail and color contrasts gradually until I am satisfied with the visual impact of the representation.
In my work, I try to balance my strict attention to realistic detail with a freedom to manipulate the overall structure and effect of my images. I try to use gradations, lines and rhythms to create a sense of space and time in a dynamic way. My goal is to orchestrate works of art that not only emulate the beauty of the landscape but also operate as an expression of my personal response to it.
Karen Mortland
Karen comes from a family of artists. She studied art in college, as elective classes, while majoring in Biology, Chemistry and Architecture. She became an architect and has had a career in the field for many years. She owns her own architectural firm but as she winds down into retirement she has renewed her passion for art.
Utilizing acrylics she paints cars, flowers, animals, and interesting scenes. Lighting, perspective and colors are what attracts her to a subject. In the artist’s words;“I love the process of the painting, seeing it develop from a rough sketch to a finished product. Though, my favorite part is when someone else sees the painting and loves it.”
Nissa Rappoport
Nissa has a dual degree in apparel design with a specialized study in evenwear design, after studying at FIT in New York City. She has worked in costuming at Disney and designed for the largest collegiate sportswear company in the country. Now Nissa is the owner/designer/seamstress of a small women’s apparel company called The Gilded Troll at www.thegildedtroll.com.
The Gilded Troll sells products which include DTG (direct to garment) printed items, handmade designer apparel, handmade accessories and jewelry. They even carry a limited collection of home goods. Every season they create a new DTG collection with new fabrics and graphics. They currently have 2 signature collections. ‘The Driven Woman’ is a collection of vintage car fabrics and graphics for women. ‘Birdies & Bubble’ is a collection of ladies’ golf wear.
Linda Thompson
Though I was an English major in college and a coordinator of gifted programs in my professional life, I have always been a firm believer that the arts are what keep us centered and in touch with nature and the beauty of the world.
About 15 years ago my husband and I spent an adventuresome five years living in Brazil. While there, with few friends and limited fluency in Portuguese, I discovered a weaving teacher who spoke English. I have always said that the language I mastered during that time was that of warp and weft, not Portuguese. It gave me a calm pursuit in the turmoil that surrounds one when one is far away from family and trying to fit into a new culture.
Upon my return to the US, though I continued to weave, I felt I was searching for another artistic outlet. Fortunately, a quilter friend introduced me to fabric-coiled baskets and I have found great satisfaction watching the baskets, each unique, and often not exactly as planned, emerge from the sewing machine. The challenges met and the personal flair I am able to insert have brought great satisfaction and relaxation.
In addition to baskets, I am learning Zentangle, a contemplative art form that provides me with a graphic art pursuit to round out my creative repertoire.
Finally, I leave you with a quote that rings true for me and may resonate with you as well.
“The secret is not the mechanics or technical skill that create art–but the process of introspection and different levels of contemplation that generate it.” Erik Wahl
Jack and Catherine Trzeciak
Jack’s background as a machinist allowed him the opportunity to work with many different metals. He was often involved with the design and production of prototype projects. In 2005, in anticipation of retirement, he decided to add silver to his repertoire concentrating on the design and crafting of silver jewelry. Since then he has been studying under well-known Pittsburgh silversmith Patricia Falbo at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.
Jack’s enthusiasm for his art inspired his wife Catherine to join him in 2007. Influenced by an admiration of Native American silversmiths they create jewelry that varies between a clean modern look and an older artisan appearance. As well as doing individually designed custom pieces, their jewelry is also shown and sold at “So Me”, a Pittsburgh shop concentrating on the work of western Pennsylvania artists.
