FEATURED ARTISTS for
JANUARY
2006:
Saturday and Sunday |
January 28th & 29th, 2006 | Ten to Six Saturday, One to Six Sunday
Presentations begin promptly at 1:30 pm & 3:30 pm
Margie Crisp
Elgin, Texas
Curious about printmaking? A brief "show and tell" of printmaking processes will be presented by Margie Crisp. A slide show reviewing her work in multiple mediums including lithographs, linocuts, charcoal drawings and paintings will follow. Crisp was born in New Orleans, daughter of Margaret Bamberger of the Johnson City Selah Ranch Preserve, and currently lives in Elgin with her husband, artist Bill Montgomery, who will also be featured in a program during January's Arts Encounters.
Her work will also
be featured at Kirchman Gallery in Johnson City, with the gallery's
three-artist opening from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Saturday following Arts
Encounters. The days cultural and social activities can be crowned with
the Arts Encounters buffet at the Silver K Cafe. For more information,
visit www.SilverKcafe.com.
Crisp's work is in private and public collections including The Austin
Museum of Art, The Grace Museum, Abilene, Texas; The Tyler Museum of Art,
Tyler, Texas, Phoenix Arts Commission Print Collection, Phoenix, Arizona;
Instituto des Artes Plasticos, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico;
and the Art in Public Places Print Collection, Austin, Texas. In 2002,
Crisp was winner of Best Gallery Show by the Austin Critics Table Award.
Many of her images celebrate the avian world. Asked why she paints and
prints birds, Crisp says, “Birds are the only other two-legged creatures
on the planet. I can’t help but feel an affinity for them. They are an
integral part of our lives whether we live in suburbs, cities or the
countryside. For me, they reflect basic truths about life and all of our
struggles. But as an artist I require that each image carry more than the
emotional connection that I may feel towards the individual or the
species. The creatures I create must be as independent and fit for life
on paper or panel as they are fit to survive (or not) in the three
dimensional world of furred, feathered or naked predators and their prey.”
www.margiecrisp.com
William Montgomery
Elgin, Texas
Native Texan William
B. Montgomery will be presenting his mysterious and wonderful paintings during
this month’s arts encounter. Born and raised in the piney woods of East Texas,
artist and herpetologist William B. Montgomery currently lives east of Austin
with his wife, artist Margie Crisp, who is also featured this month.
Often a mystery to him, the artists admits he is not always sure where the
elements and characters come from but that he draws inspiration from several
sources including sixteenth-century paintings and his travels in the tropics and
desert southwest and “. . . a studio full of all the weird junk I’ve collected
over the years.”
Herpetofauna appear in much of Montgomery’s work. A full time painter and
printmaker, he takes time out from his studio to look for and photograph
reptiles and amphibians in the U.S., Central and South America, Europe and
Asia. Montgomery is also known for a series of scientifically accurate etchings
and lithographic prints of reptiles commissioned for a variety of publications.
As an artist, Montgomery believes that beauty is justification enough for
existence and, as a herpetologist, finds beauty in the most fascinating of
creatures and in the most unlikely of places. “I never dictate a specific
message or story in my paintings. I want each viewer to decide what an image is
about. I like that every person who looks at my work has a unique perspective
and will interpret the meaning differently.”
www.williambmontgomery.com
Robert Hamric
Sculptor, Austin, Texas
"In the early collage series, I used materials in a combination of linen, wire and found objects. Wood and wire frameworks form the shapes. The use of copper, wire, nylon and other materials add contrast, texture and depth to the folds of linen. Included with these elements are also plastic and metal. Some illumination has also been added through the use of neon and other lights.
Much of the imagery that inspires me is from traditions of Mexican/Native-American cultures and the Gulf Coast. Spiritualism, symbolism and color dominate these traditions. I have used the influence of ceremonial and folk objects along with the elements of water and earth. Some ideas are taken from the shrines which bring to life large shapes, color, design and symbols. There is a whimsical restriction that is felt from these religious traditions; thus comes the tied, wrapped and knotted pieces of rope and chain. Sculptures from a few years ago are of mass collage. I view them as spiritual in that they bring good fortune for those who enjoy the symbolism of lucky charms and religious beliefs.
With the use of steel in sculpture recently, I have enlarged the cross to feel the importance of the shape turned in various directions. It is meant to reflect seasonal colors relating to the direction it is facing. This is a recurring design of color and shapes that I have been working with for many years in painting and drawings. The ability of the viewer to rotate around the sculptures gives a symbolic feel of our changing world. As one views the different angles many more shapes emerge. In Seasons I, the black sides refer to the color of north, relating to the element of water and the winter season. The green sides are for east, earth and the season of spring. The red side faces south and is the fire element relating to the season of summer. White symbolizes the west, autumn and the element of metal. Yellow is the center.
The works are in steel with enamel and are made up of six cubes put together. Various finishes and textures are in use on these pieces. Some are enamel, one was left to natural elements and maintains a rust finish, and another is burnished and then clear powder coated. This sculptural shape is treated in many ways to show us an X, a cross, a star, and a cubist figure.
My most current work and proposals combine the cubist sculpture made with tubular materials and the addition of neon light within. Also the mounting and movement of the sculptures are a part of this current new work."
Austin Shakespeare Company
Austin, Texas
Performance vignettes by Shakespearean actors
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.