Lynette Blake, well-recognized in the Rochester, NY region where she has exhibited in numerous solo and group shows, has this to say of her richly colored pieces: “In my paintings, I strive to convey a sense of the infinite which exists in the everyday, but is veiled to our conventional senses. I believe that everything within the universe is comprised of the same elements, of the same energy, and if we are open to it, we can perceive and experience the universe through every object, every form of life and equally through every landscape and every event.” She continues, “My current work is an effort to integrate three facets which jointly help us to experience this sense of the infinite: first, that which we call real, the world experienced through our senses, captured by the depiction of objects; secondly, that which is commonly included in the concept of intellectual, expressed by the use of geometric shapes and patterns; and finally, connecting and embracing the first two, the cosmic, expressing that which we can intuit as though things were unbounded by space and time.”
Painter Jim Van Hoven also references the senses and touches on the infinite when describing his approach to his work, saying that in doing a pure landscape piece, “I strive to capture the experience of being immersed in the primeval environment,” adding, “this not only includes the visual experience, but also the sounds, smells and even the temperature of my surroundings. Sometimes there are signs of civilization that are subservient to the landscape. These are usually vestiges of a time gone by that reinforce the transient nature of human existence.” Van Hoven says that his work “is an extension of his personal connection to nature, a combination of observation and memory,” and that he “hopes that the viewer can relate their own experience to my art and gain access to a place they may never have been.” The artist feels that the use of various media, such as oils, watercolors, etchings and pastels, provides him with more “languages to speak in,” and he says that the rural backdrop and areas surrounding his West Monroe, NY “Settlement Studio” provide much of his inspirations for his art.
Amy Haven uses her art to “understand the world through making and using functional objects.” She says, “Clay gives me a connection to cultural pasts and provides me an affinity with my contemporaries. I believe that beauty can be found in the simplest forms, and to me, there is no simpler form than a pot.’ Haven applies the term ‘infinite’ to its possibilities of surface, form and function. She compares the action of opening a kiln to “opening presents under the tree on Christmas morning –You never know what to expect and if you’re lucky you will unwrap a treasure.” In her more recent work, Haven has been exploring the use of text on the surfaces of her pieces, because she explains, “I have been discovering how words can be both functional and decorative, much like any artwork. It is amazing how what we say often defines us and yet the use of intelligent verse is becoming more and more obsolete these days.” Haven, a studio potter and tile maker in Central New York for ten years, was formerly an artist in residence at the Mendocino Art Center in Mendocino, CA and the Watershed Art Center in Edgecomb, MA.
Keep reading the blog for a review of Elements by Bonnie Rosenberg!
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