On August 8, I had the chance to visit with sculptors Michael Rizza and Dave Matthews at Michael's home. His home is somewhat simply furnished, but every possible surface contains his own sculptures or the paintings of a special friend. As part of this project, I've been able to see some of the homes of artists who decorate with their own work. However, their homes were larger and their works were primarily designed to hang on the walls. Michael's home is in a beautiful retirement community, but it is a condo and his sculptures need space for three dimensional works. It almost seemed like it would burst at the seams with the effort to accommodate this artist's prolific body of work. Above: Michael in his home, surrounded by his sculptures. Del Park is another artist whose home doubles as an art gallery of his work. Rizza's home has a sun porch with windows on three walls. The room is filled with pedestals supporting sculptures in bronze, aerated concrete, and stone of all types. In fact, he's carved thirteen types of stone, including a block of salt from a feed store. Michael walked me through the house and gave me the name, material, and sometimes even the year created for each piece. Fleeting Torso is made of aerated concrete. Above: Ancient Fertility is made from slabs of countertop material to form a pyramid and an egg. Below: Moment of Sorrow was made after September 11th, with the red outer shape representing blood and the bronze inner shape representing a tear. Given what I have learned from the different sculptors in Michael's studio, I thought I would ask Michael about whether he preferred to sculpt stone when he had a shape in mind before he started or to work with the natural shape or irregularities of the stone. Michael said that if he starts with a rectangular cut of stone that doesn't say anything to him, he will make a maquette of his own design and then sculpt the stone to that form. If he starts with a boulder, he will work with the stone's inherent qualities and enhance it. Regardless of the project, he said that his goal is to "simplify to beauty." He asked, "What is simpler than a rectangle? A Square. Simpler than a square? A sphere. A sphere? A line. A line? A dot. I am looking for what is simpler than a dot." On my visit, I also saw Michael's home studio that is located in his garage. He works there almost every day when he's not with the larger sculptor group. The garage contains some of Michael's larger pieces, a work bench for carving, and molds and materials from previous projects. I couldn't have asked for more generous hosts for my visit to Michael's home. They even took me to lunch. (If you're an artist reading this blog and thinking you may want to participate in my project, buying me lunch is not a requirement!) In my next post, I will talk about the different techniques that Michael uses and his passion to bring to life the many ideas he has in his head (or has already made in miniature). I left this meeting somewhat overwhelmed by the amount of art I had seen and the force that drives Michael to continue to create.
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As someone who works primarily with a camera, computer, and sometimes paper and glue, dust is my enemy. I'm definitely not a neat freak since my studio floor can be a sea of colored paper torn from magazines. However, a speck of dust on a camera lens can be a real pain, so dirt is something I generally prefer to avoid. Artists who carve stone accept living with the dust. Well, they do when they are in the studio. The "mess" created by carving stone is one of the reasons having a separate studio is so important to the sculptors from Walnut Creek - that and the camaraderie they experience by working together. Below are some of my favorite photos of the dust that covers everything in the sculptors' studio. The photos show the tools used in carving stone, some of which were intriguing to me. Below: Lisa's stone rests on a pillow as she carves. Lisa makes the pillows used by the sculptors, which she fills with sand to help cushion the stone. She has to be careful to keep the sand from getting in her sewing machine! The tools in her hands are a mallet and a chisel. The file lying on the work stand is called a riffler. Above: The top of a stand used by a sculptor is covered with bumps (and dust!). Above: The base of a stand used by the sculptor so that the stone is at the right height for carving. I particularly noticed the reinforcement at the bottom to improve the stability of the stand. Above: In the left foreground is a maquette, a small model of what the sculptor is carving from stone. Michael has made numerous maquettes, some of which he has used to help him make full-size sculptures, but many more that are awaiting their time to be replicated in stone on a larger scale. (More on Michael's maquettes soon.) Below: Although there is not much dust in this photo of Dave's glove, I had to include it because his gloves are part of his tools and because it's one of my favorite photos from the shoot. The wear on that glove is just really cool.
I first saw Dave Matthews' work when he entered some wood assemblage pieces in the Tracy Art League's Expressions show two years ago. You can see some examples of this type of work on his webpage. Dave was part of the Artists' Talk at the Expressions! Selections 2018 show at the Grand Theatre Center for the Arts because his assemblage work was also selected to be part of that smaller exhibition. I was surprised when I saw him at this year's Expressions! Selections gallery talk helping Michael Rizza, a sculptor of stone, make his presentation. It turns out that Dave has moved into sculpting stone as well. I was intrigued by Michael Rizza's dedication to his identity as an artist, and I became interested in how other artists, including Dave Matthews, are helping him continue his work despite his suffering from macular degeneration. (More on this topic in another post.) Approaching them both after the gallery talk led to the opportunity to visit the studio and learn more about Dave's current work in sculpture. At the time I visited, Dave was working with pink alabaster shipped from Utah. He had had a vision for what the piece above would become. However, it turned out that the stone had a dirt pocket that made it impossible for Dave to achieve his original vision. He wouldn't tell me what that vision was because he still planned to try to make it work with another piece of stone! I have since found out that he used the stone pictured below to make a new piece entitled Whimsy. There are elements of luck or unexpected complications in just about every art form. However, the element of surprise seems to be a big part of sculpting stone. When the sculptor chooses a stone, they can't always tell what will be exposed once they start carving or sanding. Dave strikes me as a pretty organized guy and someone who plans things, so I want to talk to him more about how he deals with the surprises buried in the stone he carves. When I was with the group, I noticed that Dave showed his work to the other sculptors and asked for their thoughts about what they saw in the stone once he realized he wasn't going to be able to make his original design. Asking for feedback when you are creating art is a brave thing. You never know what people will say, and it can be painful at times to hear criticism. It's a credit to Dave and the group of sculptors that they feel comfortable sharing their thoughts with each other during the art-making process.
Thank you to the five sculptors who recently let me invade their space: Richard Elpers, Lisa Gallo, Harry Greenberg, Michael Rizza, and Dave Matthews. They are such fun group and enjoy sharing stories and advice while they work. They even wanted a group photo at the end of yesterday's session, and they called in one of their members who's currently not sculpting, Carolyn Peters, to join them. A part of sculpting stone is working with the material itself. There is only so much manipulation that can be done. Colors or imperfections within the stone may be revealed during the sculpting process that were not expected or that don't suit the ideas the artists had for a piece. Some of the sculptors work to reveal the beauty of the stone, while others try pick the stone they feel will help them best depict the image they have in their heads. Regardless of their intention, most of the artists seemed to think that you need to "feel the stone". That can mean sitting a stone in the middle of your room and looking at it - possibly for years - before making a mark on it. Some see a stone and immediately know what they want to make with it. Yet, as they work, they need to change their plans depending on what they learn or feel about the stone as they shape it. Rick has drawn a two-dimensional representation of the shape he hopes to create out of his stone. Rick says the Earth has made a sacrifice of the stone for him to use. He feels he needs to be patient and thoughtful with his work so he can honor that sacrifice. He creates a relationship with the stone and sometimes spends the beginning of a carving session "waking the stone up." Dave has a sixty pound piece of stone sitting in his living room. For now, he just looks at it. He is waiting until he understands what he should do with that particular stone. He did have a specific idea for the piece of stone he was carving when I visited. However, he had recently discovered a dirt pocket in the stone that made his original plan unworkable. He had to give up on his original idea (although he will try again with another piece of stone) and make another design that allows for the imperfections and unique characteristics of this particular stone. Different types of rock have different characteristics that the sculptors have to learn. Lisa was carving alabaster, which can get bruised. She had to spray the stone with water in order to be able to see the bruises that are not visible when the stone is dry. When I listen to these sculptors talk, I am constantly making comparisons to other forms of art-making. We all deal with the limitations of our particular medium (as well as the limitations of our own abilities to use it!). However, the relationships the sculptors have with their material - the physical and mental connections - seem somewhat unique to me.
I'm trying to figure out where to begin...I had such a great time hanging out with the five sculptors who work in a rented space in Walnut Creek, that I'm not sure what to talk about first. I think I'll begin with the space, which is part of a nondescript industrial-type space. To enter the small studio, you pass through a room full of random deposits of tools and other objects. Once you enter the studio, you are surrounded by art works created by the sculptors as well paintings given to Rick by his friends. Michael Rizza with his work in progress of a whale's tail, which is hanging in the room outside his studio. (left) (Below) Dave Matthews and Harry Greenberg sculpt in a studio decorated with works by Rick Elpers' friends and the sculptors themselves. I was intrigued by the stands that the sculptors use. Most had similar stands, but some chose to sit while others stood to work. They look somewhat like saw horses, but are heavily reinforced - I assume to take the force of the blows used to chisel the stone. I also really noticed the dust this time. Everything is covered in it, including the sculptors. As I knelt down to get a different angle of Michael as he chiseled, I felt the little rock pieces hitting me as they flew off the larger stone. The artists don't think anything about the mess going on around them. I thought of how earlier in the week, I had been trying to frame an image for an art show. I struggled to find a dog hair-free area of my house. I then placed and removed the mat from the frame multiple times, each time removing minuscule pieces of dust, until I felt comfortable closing up the frame. I have no doubt that the sculptors are more particular when they get to the sealing or painting part of their work, but the sculpting period seems to allow for the freedom to make a mess.
Today I had the chance to meet with an interesting group of sculptors who work in stone. After hearing Michael Rizza speak at the Grand Theatre's Expressions! Selections Gallery Talk in April, I knew I wanted to include him in this project. So, I ventured outside of my normal geographic range for artists and make the drive to Walnut Creek. The perk for my travel was that I got to talk to five sculptors, not just Michael - including Dave Matthews whose assemblage work I've admired at previous Expressions! shows.
I'm not including any photos in this post because I don't have photo releases from the artists yet, but the photos will come later. Today was mostly about talking to the artists to start understanding who they are and see what I'm about. I plan to return for more info and photos soon. There are a couple things that stood out for me today. My first observation was that these artists are unique among the artists that I have worked with because they work together on an ongoing basis. I was surprised when I walked into the studio and all five of them were working in a fairly small space. They get together twice a week for several hours and have been - in various locations and with some changing people - for years. Someone observed that sculpting stone is difficult to do in a home studio because of the noise and dust, so a separate studio is almost needed for this type of work. However, I don't think that explains their working together, although it is clearly cheaper to have many people paying toward use of the space. I get the feeling that this group really likes to be together. They all seem to have a connection to Michael and have become connected to his work. Because Michael has macular degeneration and is legally blind, some of the other sculptors help him with his projects and drive him to the studio. It's a testament to Michael's personality as well as the quality of his work that people feel drawn to be a part of his circle. Another thing that stood out for me today was Dave Matthews' comment that sculpting stone is about reduction. I know very little about sculpture, so I hadn't really thought about this part of it. To make a sculpture out of clay or some other materials, you can add and subtract. With stone, you can really only take away. I remember when Cash Bryan told me that he often started a photo shoot be eliminating all light and then adding it back in. That simple observation threw me because I always felt my photos were too dark or I needed as much light as possible to get the focus right, so I would look for the most well lit area to start with. Working to "reduce" a stone to a desired shape instead of building it brings certain limitations but also maybe a clarity of focus? Food for thought for my photographic process... Several of the artists asked me to touch their work. What other type of artist does that!?! (Fabric artists, maybe?) In photography we would flip out. The tactile quality of the materials is part of the allure of working with stone though and the physicality of the work as well. The artists enjoy the physical motions of chiseling and sanding and they appreciate the feel of the stone under their hands. It's not a feeling that I really relate to with my work. Even with my paper collages, I have chosen my material (magazine pages) for its cheapness, color, and ability to tear the way I want. I got the feeling that Dave was thinking of making me try to chisel some stone next time...they just love what they are doing so much and want to share the fun! Abhilasha Natarajan is well known in the artist community in Tracy. She teaches glass classes at the Grand Theatre Center for the Arts and has been president of the Tracy Art League for many years. Unfortunately, she is moving to Boston in the next month or so, and we will definitely feel the loss of her leadership and friendship. When I came up with the idea for this photo project, Abhilasha is one of the people I met with and who encouraged me to take it on. I had intended for her to be one of my first subjects and visited her amazing garage studio for my initial discussion and some practice shots. We had a lot of plans for photos - related to her art, her music, and personally - that just never happened. Years have gone by, and now that she is leaving, she and I had to move quickly to get some shots of her working in her studio before she tears it down and packs it up. She has some MAJOR pieces of equipment in that studio. In fact, she demo'd the use of a belt sander for me with water flying everywhere. She lucked upon that equipment when someone donated it to an art group (sorry, don't remember the name), and she just happened to be there and was able to buy it for a much reduced price. Not everything is at the industrial level though. She melts wax for her molds in a regular crock pot! Do you see the face being melted down? One thing that I particularly noticed in her studio was the huge table on which she does much of her work. It has a white plastic top with a porous grid pattern. When I asked if that was standard for glass artists, she said that it wasn't but it was effective at letting glass shards fall through. It's always interesting to me when artists figure out ways to go through their process more efficiently. Abhilasha demonstrated her process for creating molds for glass, in this case decorative items in the shape of sea creatures. She coats a wax positive with a plaster silicon mix called investment and then with another layer of grog. A couple interesting techniques that she uses (which come from her mother, who is also a glass artist) include wrapping her mixing bowl in plastic as well as adding some extra investment to the bottom of the mold and flattening it with a glass plate to give it a "foot" that allows it to sit upright. More to come in a later post. Thanks for reading/looking.
When I first talked with Vince about this project, he mentioned that he had three studios: the outdoors, his classroom at the Grand Theatre Center for the Arts, and his home. Last week, I had the chance to visit both the Grand Theatre and his home studio. I would like thank the students in Vince's oil and acrylic class. They were very gracious given that I was invading their space. While I did not take any photos of their faces directly, some of the photos in the Paint-Covered Tools post are of their beautiful tools and their works in progress. One thing I have noticed about Vince is that he takes his teaching very seriously. In an earlier post, I wrote that Vince had a mentor, Van Waldron, who influenced both his art and his teaching. Vince considers him an amazing teacher and uses Van's materials to inform his own classes. Vince also reads books about artists and painting, takes classes from other artists, and shares the information with his students. I don't know how he finds time to create his own work given how committed he is to learning and sharing what he learns with other aspiring artists. In fact, I found him trying to teach me as he was being photographed! Now, I know the following photos aren't exactly great, but I think it's interesting to see what other artists use as references. These are some of the books Vince has in his home studio. I get a kick out of how they are arranged so randomly, some of them upside down. Vince isn't one to baby his supplies, tossing them into a cart when his class is done. However, his framed paintings are encased in quality boxes when he transports them. Vince talks a lot about a book called, The Talent Code, by Matthew Coyle. He believes that practice and repetition of proven techniques are essential to someone becoming an artist - not just being born with talent. Vince also believes it is important for an artist to be willing to go outside of his/her comfort zone and to be willing to fail. During the session at the Grand Theatre, he worked on a still life along with his students. As he progressed, he became critical of his work and pointed out where he had forgotten to step back and look at the painting from a distance from time to time. At the end of the session, he tossed the painting on a pile of canvases and walked away like it was nothing. Vince has been teaching oil and acrylic classes at the Grand Theatre for years, and his classes are very popular. Obviously, he is a talented and dedicated teacher. However, he is also a prolific storyteller and likes to socialize. I had a hard time capturing a candid shot of Vince that I was happy with, but I thought this photo of him sitting and laughing with this students was a good example of why he is liked as a teacher. I've talked in past posts about the personalities of studios - how artists sometimes create spaces that seem to reflect their personalities: comforting or organized or with lots of valued personal items for inspiration. (I say "sometimes," because the studio of Mark Knize is my outlier. Unless his inner mind is very different than his outer public face, his disorganized and wonderfully messy studio does not reflect the Mark I see.) When I saw Vince's home studio, I wasn't sure what to feel. Maybe I was tired from being at the Grand much of the day, but the studio seemed primarily utilitarian - as if it's artist didn't actually spend much time there and definitely did not need to gain inspiration from his immediate surroundings. And, the randomness of some of the furniture reflected Vince's practical approach to tools. He seems to grab what works and doesn't need it to be pretty. I may have to talk more with Vince about my perceptions though to see if they are accurate.
I had the chance to take photos in a classroom at the Grand Theatre Center for the Arts while Vince Walsh taught a group of experienced painters. I'll do another post about Vince as a teacher, but I wanted to get some photos posted of the tools used by Vince and his students that day. I hadn't planned to take photos of the various brushes, paints, and other miscellaneous items that day, but it just happened. I love the randomness of the materials people make use of in their art and the look these tools take on as they get used and covered with paint. I guess the student artists in Vince's class have earned the nickname of the "Cupcake Ladies" because of their use of muffin tins to store their paint. I so appreciate the Cupcake Ladies and Vince letting me sit in on their class time. They are a fun group, and they have some beautiful painting tools. In the next post, I'll show a little bit more about Vince and his work as a teacher. About two weeks ago, I contacted Vince Walsh, a local painter and art teacher, to see if he would be interested in being photographed for this project. He agreed. When I asked if I could take photos of him in his studio, he said, "I have three studios: a room in my home, the classroom at the Grand Theatre, and the outdoors." Since he was headed to a plein air painting session with some other artists, we decided to start with the outdoors. We visited the Japanese Gardens at Micke Grove with artists from Tracy and Modesto. As we drove to the park, Vince told me how he got started in painting. He was a salesman for many years. I was surprised to hear that Vince didn't feel that sales was a natural choice for himself because I have always found him to be incredibly friendly and talkative. (He also has very strong opinions on a variety of subjects from politics to art!) One day, his wife wanted to buy a print for their home. He told her - despite having no art training - that she shouldn't buy the print because he could do better. Wish I had that confidence! He then went home and started taking art classes. His mentor is Van Waldron, who taught classes at community college, and recognized and encouraged Vince's talent.
I also had a chance to observe several other artists at work. One woman (pictured at left) is over 90 years old and going blind. She can no longer see most colors and struggles to put her observations on paper. I admire her tenacity and her willingness to put herself in an uncomfortable situation - she has to rely on others in group for transportation and has recently acquired a walker. Because he is also a teacher, Vince often made comments to me about what he was doing - how he starts with dark areas, for example, or how he begins with a limited number of paint colors and mixes new combinations on paper next to his "palette" made from a muffin tin. Vince realized once he started setting up his equipment that he had forgotten most of his paintbrushes. He found a couple of wide brushes, which led to the comment that "you can paint with a broom or a toothpick, but don't give me any of those toothpicks." Vince prefers to paint with a large brush and make loose, expressive strokes. He also feels that he couldn't paint without his spray bottle. He said, "I think I could paint with twigs as long as I had my spray bottle." It's so interesting to hear about the ways that artists create their own tools and what they find important. While Vince's tools and easel seemed to have been made from repurposed household items (still beautiful to me!), other artists had created portable systems that were almost pieces of art in themselves. I would like to thank all of the artists who let me join them on their outing at the Japanese Gardens. I'm looking forward to taking photos of Vince in his other studios - the Grand Theatre Center for the Arts and his home - in a couple weeks, so watch for those posts.
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April 2022
AuthorTiffanie Heben is a photographer who has been inspired by the artists in her community |