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Archive for the ‘Artist of the Month’ Category

Angela Lexow

“Fine Art Gourds”

I grew up in Topeka where I was constantly drawing, painting or doing some other form of arts and crafts. I studied art and art history and graduated from Baker University. After graduation, I married and moved to Kansas City. While there, I worked as Assistant Director of a gallery. After leaving Kansas City, we moved to various cities, but ended up in Lansing, Kansas for 6 years, where I taught art classes at the Carnegie Arts Center. We returned to Topeka in 2008.I do what I do because I love nothing more than to create art. Art has always provided me an escape – a space where I can recharge. Although it requires concentration, it relaxes me in a way that nothing else can.

I’ve dabbled in many mediums, but most of my work is either acrylic paintings or fine art gourds. I painted for over 10 years and began to develop an “artist’s block”, so I began working with gourds instead. I found I love working in three dimensions and the variety of gourd shapes is a source endless inspiration for me. The individual quality of each gourd’s shape and blemishes of the surface serve as a starting point for each design. By using the innate qualities, I am able to enhance their natural beauty.

I have been told that my gourd pieces resemble pottery or artifacts, and while I am influenced by history and various cultures, my gourds are first inspired by some unique aspect of the gourd itself.

I rarely paint anymore, but when I do, it is usually when I am trying to get something off my chest or when something moves me. I always listen to music while painting and it can vary from very relaxing music to very loud, angry music. Most of the paintings have some personal meaning or symbolism for me.

I have had shows in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexcio. Galleries representing my gourds are Taos Blue in Taos, New Mexico, The Collective Gallery and The Topeka Art Guild, both in Topeka, Kansas.

To see my gourds, please visit my page on Facebook Angela Lexow, Visual Artist or visit my website at www.lexowstudios.com

Randy Temple

“Fraying the Edges”

Altered Cloth Studio Textile/Mixed Media Fiber Art – Mixed Media allows me the freedom and lack of restrictions to choose the media to work with whether it be it watercolor, pastels, crayon, ink, textile dyeing, or photo imaging. I incorporate recycled items, plastic, foil, paper, and reclaimed linens into my art.

The only requirements I put on my artwork are they must be fi ber based and quilted either by machine or hand work. My art pieces can be very soft textile work to heavily embellished with the use of wire, jewelry beads and recycled objects. They tend to depict nature with an abstract view point and use of bright colors.

With no formal education of training in the arts, I have no set boundaries. My art uses experimentation with lots of mistakes – some with the most wonderful results.

I hope you enjoy my mistakes as much as I do making them.
“Life’s not about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to dance in the rain.”
-Vivian Green

Artist of the Month: Betty Fox

I am self-taught and love art that grabs the eyes and won’t let go!

I love shadows, which is very apparent in almost all my work. I especially like portraying people and buildings. My favorite artists are Vincent Van Gogh and Andrew Wyeth. I prefer realism and have done copies of Renoir and Van Gogh.

Working primarily in pastels, I have done commissions of buildings and people. Other mediums I like are pencil, charcoal and watercolor. Though my work is based in realism, I have been called an Impressionist and Expressionist.

I believe daily efforts to produce art and beauty is as necessary to the artist as food, sleep and love.

Please contact me if you are interested in a commission. For portraits or a rendering of your home, I work from photographs.

Betty Fox

785-233-8416