Arts Encounters at the Beninis: August 2005

	THIS MONTH'S ARTS ENCOUNTERS ARCHIVES OF RECENT EVENTS LIST OF FEATURED ARTISTS PRESS AND MEDIA PHOTO GALLERY VISITING LINKS CONTACT COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS HOME


(Archives) FEATURED ARTISTS for AUGUST 2005: Arts Encounters at Beninis Saturday and Sunday August 28th and 29th, 2005 J. David Bamberger PRESS PHOTO Selah Johnson City,Texas Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve is a 5,500 acre ranch that has been described as the largest habitat restoration project on private land in Texas. Educational and interpretive services as well as transportation are provided by ranch staff. On one of the Selah ranch tours you may discover dinosaur tracks, hunt for Cretaceous fossils, see the Chiroptorium, a man-made cave built to house 1 million bats, and visit the largest herd of the endangered Scimitar-horned Oryx in the world. Selah has hiking trails, a Nature Trail with interpretive signs identifying native plants and Madrone Lake where people can swim, fish or enjoy looking into the clear water. You can learn about the environment, while pausing to reflect on the beauty and serenity of Hill Country nature. For more information, visit http://www.bambergerranch.org
Jacqueline May Encaustics!! Austin,Texas Creating art is both a sensuous process and a cognitive exploration for me. Exploring the visual and the visceral brings me to new concepts undiscovered through purely intellectual channels. As I perceive it, the strongest element in my work’s content is on a complex spiritual, emotional, and personal level. I try to avoid direct and unambiguous statements – to me it wouldn’t be art if it were just the direct transmittal of a concept. The viewer is encouraged to process the visual information in an intuitive effort which leads to deeper rewards. The newest works are becoming increasingly abstracted, but continue to incorporate patterns and themes relating to those works which went before. They are optically reflective, deeply textured, and in some areas translucent, and contain painting, drawing, metal leaf and textured wax, so photographs are a pale shadow of the experience provided by the originals. Kathy Biddle Encaustics!! Houston,Texas The forces of nature are perpetually re-sculpting the surface of our earth. Their artistry can be capriciously violent or so placidly slow that changes aren’t seen in a human lifetime. I love the overwhelming power of these natural forces and I hope to capture a glimpse of their essence in my art. I want the viewer to experience a sense of impermanence and motion in my work and yet enjoy the fleeting recognition of some figurative aspect of nature, such as organic forms or themes. I attempt to capture a momentary glimpse of nature using the medium of encaustic oil painting. My color palette emphasizes earthy hues (yellow ochre, burnt sienna, burnt umber), and the calm triad of cerulean blue, celadon green, and Naples yellow. These hues suffuse the hot wax with a fluid translucence that enhances the sculpted surface textures of encaustic. This hot fusion of media applied through painting, melting and carving nurtures a visual sense of motion, depth and sculptural simplicity in my work.
Dr. José Lopez Photography Is Art Gallery Fredericksburg, Texas Photography Is Art Gallery was established June 2002 in Mason, Texas. In September 2004 owner/director, Lee Ann Peavy, relocated the gallery to Fredericksburg, Texas and incorporated with Dr. José Lopez, avid photography collector and connoisseur. This partnership is a merger representing a mutual passion for photography as an art form. Our goal is to exhibit contemporary photography, which explores traditional and alternative printing processes and photographers whose approach to the medium is uniquely creative as well as technically superb. We promote a diverse selection of photographers and subject matter. This is not only a place to see and purchase fine art photography; it is an educational resource providing regular lectures and workshops open to the public. Additionally, we provide darkroom and digital services to aspiring and professional artists. For more information, visit: www.photographyisart.net Musical Interlude: Bart Trotter, Master Fiddler Fredericksburg, Texas In 1999 Bart Trotter, 6-time National Champion Fiddler and 1986 World Champion, and his wife Mimi moved to Fredericksburg, Texas. Besides competing in fiddle competitions and performing with bands, Bart and Mimi also book entertainment for Hondos On Main (on Main Street in Fredericksburg), and Torre Di Pietra (an incredible new winery and vineyard with a great musical venue). Bart has played, performed, and or recorded with: Gary P. Nunn, The Asylum Street Spankers, Don McCallister Jr., Thomas Michael Riley, The Lonesome Riders, Merle Haggard, Johnny Gimble, The Flying J Wranglers, Eddy Akridge, Tish Hinajosa, Gary Cook, Roger Moon, Joel Melton, Rick McRae, Cindy Cashdollar, Redd Volkaert, and countless others. Bart currently spends most of his time performing with the Thomas Michael Riley Band, and with Redd Volkaert, as well as sitting in with various groups and doing recording sessions. For more information, visit: www.barttrotter.com Click here for August 2005 Press Release Additional speakers and information will be available throughout the day. For further information, visit www.Benini.com or call 830-868-5244. The events are free of charge and open to all.