[Artists-making-art] making art
Patricia C. Estes
pece03 at gmail.com
Tue Feb 4 15:15:56 UTC 2014
Again, thanks for this info...will see how to get on the Crafters' Corner list serve.
Patty
----- Original Message -----
From: Lynda Lambert
To: An exploration of art by and for blind persons
Sent: Sunday, February 02, 2014 8:38 AM
Subject: Re: [Artists-making-art] making art
Hi Amy and Patty,
This conversation is for anyone who is interested in participating, Amy.
Patty, I did not realize I had sent out the list email address to Kirsten Ervan who runs the Touch Art program, so she was not able to respond - I do think you have to be on the list to respond and participate - which makes sense. In the event that there are some folks here who can see a bit via use of Zoomtext or some other program like that (this is how I see things on the computer) I will attach a photo of me with a piece of my work and a copy of a recent article. The photo appeared in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review newspaper a couple weeks ago, along with a story on the Touch Art Seminar where I was one of the panelists. I am not involved with the program, except for doing a discussion at the seminar, but it is a very wonderful program that brings sighted and blind people together to make art and have fun in the process.
Amy, there is another list through NFB that you may be interested in contacting, too. It is the Krafters-Korner group, and through that group blind people can learn how to do just about anything in arts or crafts you may want to do. They teach classes through conference calls - which is amazing. I taught several classes this way for the group - I taught an Intro. to Pottery, and several hands-on pottery making courses. It was fun for all of us. I have also taken a number of courses with the group, too. So, look them up and see what might be there for you to learn.
There are also "tools" that can enable blind people to draw - there are so many things available for learning how to make art through tactile means - that group can give you lots of additional information on it all.
I will be a speaker at the "President's Conference on Disabilities and Inclusion" at Slippery Rock University of PA in March. I will do two different presentations at this conference.
Presentation Number One: Myths of Blindness: Next Steps to Recovery and Rehabilitation.
Presentation Number Two: Vision and Revision: Making Art with Limited Sight, Not Limited Vision.
As part of both of the presentations, I will have a display of my art, both pottery and mixed-media fiber works.
And, of course, I will have some pieces that are "in-process" so that the people attending can understand how I work non-visually and/or with technologies to produce my work. And, I will talk about the possibilities that are taking form for artists who are blind, exhibition opportunities, and how they can have a very creative and satisfying life in the arts.
I'd be interested in hearing stories from others who are making art and exhibiting in galleries or museums, too. Art is about communication and this is how we communicate through our gifts in art, by showing what we do and bringing others into our world through the work of our hands. I do believe, as Patricia has said, that art is a common ground where everyone can meet - and everyone can enjoy. And, yes, Patty, you mention the pure magic of it all - that is what I feel, too. I say, 'My art is pure magic. Come and have an experience for yourself when you enter the gallery." My sight loss has only intensified my love of art, and in many ways, has expanded it and made it even richer and deeper.
Love hearing from you all!
Lynda
----- Original Message -----
From: Amy Ragain
To: An exploration of art by and for blind persons
Sent: Saturday, February 01, 2014 10:42 PM
Subject: Re: [Artists-making-art] making art
sorry to butt in here but I have been following along with your convo. I wish you guys could somehow teach me what you do. I used to love to draw when I was younger. now I can't see well enough to do or so I thought anyway...
anyway, perhaps the motterator can tell me if I'm correct or not but I don't think you have to be a member of the NFB to message the list. I thought you only had to join the list.
On Feb 1, 2014, at 8:31 PM, Patricia C. Estes wrote:
Good evening,
Art in all forms is just plain fascinating. You are kind to ask me about how I became "inspired." But first...
I didn't know one had to be in NFB to be on this list. Too bad-for NFB! I am so glad that Suzanne tried to reach out to me-have her try my personal email:
pece03 at gmail.com
I, too, have Stargart's and was found to be legally blind by age eleven. But before that I was far-sighted and can recall that. I think the way to describe my vision, now at age 60, is that it is like an Impressionist painting-it has gone from like a Renoir to more washed out like a Monet (who they now think had RP). I would be so pleased to speak with Suzanne, and you, too-but you are pretty busy!
Linda, I have a conference call number that I have used for my Holistic Healthcare & Psychology business and if you ever want to talk as a small group, it is no problem to use that line.
Our daughter-in-law's family is from Scranton, is that anywhere near your exhibits coming up?
I think art, details and writing is just in me. But it didn't hurt to have a self-taught artist and art teacher for a mom! All four of us kids produced several pieces through our up bringing just as a part of normal activity in the house. Mom taught me by age five or so about drawing perspective by using a square with a point on the horizon line to draw a barn-kids find those "tricks" fascinating! Then to corral us all and slow us down, she would put a piece of paper in front of each of us. Then she would draw three lines of varying styles on our paper and tell us to make a picture out of it and sometimes she would time us. These were our games with her-no Candyland, thank goodness.
Art pencils and erasers were always around and I still had quite a bit of vision and loved to sketch and would draw a portrait from a photo, sketch dried oak leaves but mostly spent hours daily drawing fashion design. I went from realism to the minimalist and suggestive lines of fashion. I didn't want to go through all of the intro art at the Liberal Arts college (Colby) I went to-"The History of Art" was a staple on our coffee tables and often part of discussion-especially as Mom lectured on art appreciation and had a fun way to take apart the Mona Lisa and then reconstruct the genius of it, in spite of the ill proportioned body parts.
I say it was all a part of me because when my dad (Yankee that he was) suggested making money with art talents (He told us to paint rocks and the tourists would buy them...what a silly thought! and it sounded like work...the selling part.) and when my English professor suggested that my writing could be published, that sounded like work, too. I just do what I do. Sharing what I do for the fun and love of it is entirely another thing.
Now, as I have returned to art with much less vision, I am sorting out what it is that I do. I like working with mica, spraying paint and discover lots of uses for doo-dads like feathers and sand paper and old lace and pressed flowers. But would love to work with large clumps of oil paints!
Linda, I can't imagine losing sight so suddenly. What you are doing is an illustration not only of your spirit, but also of the creative drive. I certainly agree with you that most people do not think of things like artists do or even those who appreciate art do. Everything around us is magical. Painting a sky at sunset the way it is truly playing out...well, people would find the painting or image unbelievable. Nature is the Master Artist. And seeing balance and composition in every day life is such fun and no accident.. It just all shows up as a gift!! And then there's textures, textiles and a whole 'nother email!
OK...enough. I have no formal training and would not know how to do a Touch Art sort of event and guide people through. But the concept is irrestable! It would be great to have an art class in the large room at the center. It is wonderful how you describe the sighted and the blind mingling at an exhibit and how you are bringing art into hospitals...Do you really think that the person in the next bed will turn down their TV??
I am exited about our discussion and know that there are no coincidences-like Suzanne and I both having Stargart's, for one thing. I do feel a sense of urgency because of the MS, but art and the peace that it brings for me are my passion and can keep me in the game. (oh, y'know after family, my faith and all that!) But what if art is the way to common ground and a level playing field between sighted and blind?? This is most exiting-Tipping Point exiting!
Off to bed with a head full of ideas!
Patricia Estes/Patty
207 344 8292
----- Original Message -----
From: Lynda Lambert
To: An exploration of art by and for blind persons
Sent: Saturday, February 01, 2014 5:52 PM
Subject: Re: [Artists-making-art] making art
Patricia, my friend tried to send you a note but it was rejected by the source as she is not a member of NFB. If you should want to talk with her, I can give you her phone number or else you could send her an email with her address.
I think it's so interesting that you have always made art and had a life-long interest in art. It's so very different than what most people would think about, isn't it.
She does not have a personal website. This will be her first exhibition of her art work, ever! She has never participated in anything like this before.
I think the way she is making the art is not tactile at all because she uses a CCTV to do it. That would indicate to me that she is working visually, but she is intentionally making some of the paintings tactile so that people with sight loss can feel the images in them. She has stargardts disease, so have been very gradually losing her sight over many years. She has just been diagnosed about a year ago as being "legally blind" so she still had a lot of vision, sees detail and color very clearly, she says. I would be at the opposite range of the scale as I am about two steps away from completely blind. My sight was lost very quickly, with Ischemic Optic Neuropathy - that means something happened to make my optic nerve swell and shut off oxygen to the brain and made me blind nearly instantly.
All of my pottery is made non-visually from beginning to end. I have help with mixing my glazes - my hubby helps me with that. And, he helps me when glazing to be sure that glaze has gone where I expected it to be.
How did you begin drawing? what inspired you to begin doing it, as a child? Can you talk a little bit about how it all began and how you experienced it during the process of art making? I am so interested in learning more of what you do, Patricia.
Lynda
----- Original Message -----
From: Patricia C. Estes
To: An exploration of art by and for blind persons
Sent: Saturday, February 01, 2014 2:21 PM
Subject: Re: [Artists-making-art] Introduction
Linda,
wonderful new venues (hospital/therapy settings) to appreciate art and artists and the Inner Artist in each person.
Does your partner in these two exhibits, Suzanne, have a web site? I am curious how she uses paint in a tactile way.
Your "story" is inspiring. My dream was to go to art school, but growing up blind in Maine, I was told that "blind people can't do art"...even though I was drawing with different leads, charcoal, etc for hours daily. And now, as I come back to my art (which had gone the oil on canvas route and now I "stick stuff to stuff", as you know), I have been diagnosed with MS.
I take courage in your energy and persistence and imagination and that you see clearly the spaces in daily life for beauty and creativity.
Patty Estes
----- Original Message -----
From: Lynda Lambert
To: Heather Kirkwood ; An exploration of art by and for blind persons
Sent: Saturday, January 25, 2014 9:10 AM
Subject: Re: [Artists-making-art] Introduction
Hi Heather,
Wish you were near here, too!
Suzanne Gibson and I are working on two exhibitions for this year - they are scheduled to be in western Pennsylvania.
Exhibition Title: Vision and Revision: Two artists with limited sight, not limited vision.
Suzanne Gibson: Paintings on canvas (tactile)
Lynda Lambert: Pottery (Tactile) and Mixed Media Fibers/Bead Working (Visual)
Show one: Merrick Art Gallery, New Brighton, PA
March 7 - April 3
On March 22, we will be in the gallery making art and will have a "meet the artist and demo"
At the opening reception, we will do a short "Artists Walk Through" of the show for people - each of us will talk about 2 of the works we have created for the show.
On another afternoon, I will meet with students in the "Women in the Arts" course, at Geneva College.
I was the professor who created this course and taught it before my retirement six years ago.
I will meet the class in the gallery. My discussion will focus on three aspects:
historical context of the work in the show;
blindness issues and art making;
philisophical influences, personal world view, and concepts that shape my work.
The Second Show will be in a very different kind of space. It will be in Jameson hospital, New Castle, PA in a brand new wing that has been created for urgent care. When the rchitects designed this place, they planned for an exhibition space for artists that would bring in healing art. The shows change every three months.
The show will be on display from April 14 - July 5th.
The format will be the same for the opening reception, and the artist's demo mid-way into the show's run.
For both of these shows we will have Braille labeling along with the regular wall text (thanks to the great advice I just got from Ann!
We will have a video of the two artists - with their work in progress and showing time lapse of the work being created to the finished product. For the video we have written some very short essays and poems about art, sight loss, and doing the work. In the background of the video, you can hear the stories of the artists and the works. This way a blind person can get insight into the work even when they cannot see the work visually. They can not only experience the making of the work, the finished pieces, but the thought process of the artist during creation of the work.
The video will run on a loop in the gallery, and will also be playing on small screens in other places for visitors to stop and have a look and listen to the art/artists.
One of the venues I am brainstorming with plans to have my ehxibition available to all patients in the hospital (that is not yet built) via their TV screen. So even if they are bed fast and cannot come into the gallery space, they can still visit the show through technology. That is in the planning stages but not for a year or two following completion of the building. You know, 50 percent of all new construction of Hospitals is including art galleries - this is a new way of thinking about art, isn't it. People are recognizing that art has healing powers, and that people who are sick and those who are discouraged can be uplifted and even helped in the healing process through experiencing art.
Lynda
----- Original Message -----
From: Heather Kirkwood
To: An exploration of art by and for blind persons
Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 4:49 PM
Subject: Re: [Artists-making-art] Introduction
This work is so exciting. As you all get these shows organized, please let us know! I'd love to advertise them to my membership if they are open to the public. Wish I was in the areas myself so I could go - grin!
Heather Kirkwood
Vice President/Chief Communications Officer
Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Network
One South Road
Oyster Bay, NY 11771
1 (800) 789-9HPS
www.hpsnetwork.org
Personal blog: www.heatherkirkwood.blogspot.com
Search the Web at www.goodsearch.com and choose the HPS Network as your charity!
HPS New York Conference - March 7 - 9, 2014
On Wednesday, January 22, 2014 3:06 PM, Lynda Lambert <llambert at zoominternet.net> wrote:
I am connecting you three to each other via this email as I think there is mutual interest and information you may each have for sharing with each other.
Kirsten and Tirzah are the founders, owners, and coordinators of the Creative Citizens Studio in Pittsburgh, PA. they coordinated the Touch Art Seminar, a series of workshops that brought blind and sighted people together last fall, to make art, at one of Pittsburgh most notable art institutions. It is a very successful endeavor.
Patricia Estes is working on creating blind friendly exhibitions at a couple of galleries/museums in Maine, and she is connected with the National Federation of the Blind, Baltimore, MD. She recently contacted me with questions about the Touch Art Seminar after seeing the Tribune Review article - so I think she would love to have more conversations with you both since you have the answers!
This is so exciting on so many levels!
Lynda
Lynda McKinney Lambert, MFA
Artist, Educator, Author
104 River Road, Ellwood City, PA 16117
http://www.lyndalambert.com/wordpress
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