contrast

Drawing

Vignette: Mike McCarthy

“Loyal” by Mike McCarthy, 5.25x7.75in, hand colored print (#1), $40 | BUY NOW

“Loyal” by Mike McCarthy, 5.25x7.75in, hand colored print (#1), $40 | BUY NOW

Mike McCarthy is a sculptor who works primarily with stone, but the restlessness that is familiar to most artists, combined with recent travels that included the inevitable time in airports and hotels prompted him to begin sketching again on paper. “On my first trip out of town, I brought 2 small rocks to carve while in the hotel,” he explains. “Needless to say, the dust that is created from carving, even with just files, was too much. So I put the stone away and got out my sketchbook.”

This “Hotel Series” uses subject matter consistent with McCarthy’s three-dimensional work: animals – lions, horses, birds…but the highly developed sense of form is deemphasized to make room for linear pattern and a dense, collage-like layering of visual elements.

“I started doing just sketches, but soon those sketches turned into different collages and completed drawings. These drawings were either pen and ink or pencil, but all of them are black and white. I really liked the collages but many times the details would get a bit confusing; I needed a way to help clarify the elements. I decided color might be an option. Color has always intimidated me, because I am color-blind. In fact, the only time I ever received an F in school was for painting a figure green that I was totally convinced I had painted the correct color.

“Koi Pond” by Mike McCarthy, 8x10in, hand colored print (#2), $65 | BUY NOW

“Koi Pond” by Mike McCarthy, 8x10in, hand colored print (#2), $65 | BUY NOW

But I know it really helps people differentiate objects. I decided to just randomly fill in different parts of the drawing with what ever color pencil I picked up and not worry about if it was the “right” color. Many times, I only know things are different colors because the pencil says so. Much of the color looks the same to me. I wasn't sure how the process would work so I decided to have some prints made of the original black and white drawings done so I wouldn't ruin them and then add color to the prints. The cool thing is that I can experiment with a variety of different colors on the same drawing. If I don't like one, I don't have to start from scratch. It has been an interesting experience to see the reaction.”

“Butterflies!” by Mike McCarthy, 8x10in, hand colored print, $65 | BUY NOW

“Butterflies!” by Mike McCarthy, 8x10in, hand colored print, $65 | BUY NOW

McCarthy doesn’t apologize for his color choices, nor should he; subjective use of color is a tradition of modern art since the beginning of the twentieth century. These drawings have a free and spontaneous quality that combines assured craftsmanship with a renewed sense of discovery. If one of the unspoken goals of the adult artist is to reawaken a child-like sense of discovery, McCarthy’s exploration of an approach that is a distinct contrast from his better-known work seems to succeed in part by doing exactly that.

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Age: 49
Education: BA in Fine Arts, Bellarmine University
Gallery Representative:  PYRO Gallery and Revelry Boutique Gallery (Louisville), KY Artisan Center (Berea)
Website: http://www.mikemccarthysculptor.com

“Bird Collage” by Mike McCarthy, 9x14in, hand colored print (#2), $75 | BUY NOW

“Bird Collage” by Mike McCarthy, 9x14in, hand colored print (#2), $75BUY NOW

“Horse Collage” by Mike McCarthy, 7x9.5in, hand colored print (#5), $50 | BUY NOW

“Horse Collage” by Mike McCarthy, 7x9.5in, hand colored print (#5), $50 | BUY NOW

“Dog Collage” by Mike McCarthy, 8x10in, hand colored print (#2), $65 | BUY NOW

“Dog Collage” by Mike McCarthy, 8x10in, hand colored print (#2), $65 | BUY NOW

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2016 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Photography

Vignette: Violet Herrmann

"Faces" (set of 2) by Violet Herrmann, 10x16in, photograph (2014)

"Faces" (set of 2) by Violet Herrmann, 10x16in, photograph (2014)

As a photographer and a designer, Violet Herrmann states she is, “…a firm believer in simplicity with a bold hint.” In “Mellwood,” her photograph reads at first glance as a captured ‘snapshot’ – a random glimpse of a passing moment, yet the cool, evening shades of blue are seductive, and there is tantalizing mystery in the dramatic depth found in the contrasting channels of space. It would all be a solid, albeit academic composition except for the hesitant figure on the right, leading us further into the scene but arresting that momentum by turning on their heel. It is the key to lifting the image beyond the ordinary.

All of which reflects the idea that good composition and design is a series of relationships, most of which might never register fully with the viewer, but will have undeniable impact on how a piece is read. Herrmann explains, “I believe that the best designs appear to have their components distributed randomly throughout the page; but one finds that every element is aligned to another found in the piece.”

"Mellwood" by Violet Herrmann, 17x11in, photograph (2016)

"Mellwood" by Violet Herrmann, 17x11in, photograph (2016)

“My work describes me as an artist as well as a person. As a stubborn perfectionist, my designs reflect my personality by carefully placing components in relation to one another while maintaining an edginess that makes them unique. I believe that a design must ultimately speak for itself to be considered truly successful. If I have done a good job on my work, my personality should be able to shine through and reflect me as a designer.”

Herrmann has worked as a Graphic Design Intern for Simon Signs in Louisville Kentucky and her work has been displayed in the Kentucky College of Art and Design (KyCAD) Gala in the 849 Gallery, Louisville Kentucky. While at KyCAD she was awarded the Presidential Scholarship.

Hometown: Charlestown, Indiana
Age: 21
Education: BFA candidate, General Fine Arts, Kentucky College of Art + Design at Spalding University, Louisville Kentucky

"Louisville Door Series" (1 of 12) by Violet Herrmann, 10x10in, photograph (2014)

"Louisville Door Series" (1 of 12) by Violet Herrmann, 10x10in, photograph (2014)

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2016 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Photography

Vignette: Patricia Brock

“Bathed in Sunlight” by Patricia Brock, 20x20in, photography on brushed aluminum, $320 | BUY NOW

“Bathed in Sunlight” by Patricia Brock, 20x20in, photography on brushed aluminum, $320 | BUY NOW

In the work of Patricia Brock we see how versatile the camera can be as a creative tool. Brock shoots a broad range of images, including work of a distinctly commercial sensibility. The intimate close-ups of flora capture the grace and delicacy of nature in representational terms, yet “Bathed in Sunlight” also allows the recognizable forms of flower petals to begin a shift into abstraction. The overwhelming light of the sun subtly blinding the detail at the very moment it clarifies it.

And then the high contrast of her recent exploration of the newly opened Lincoln suspension bridge stands apart from the flowers; expansive in their composition, Brock pushes the color into extremes through digital manipulation, now emphasizing the geometric abstraction of the vertical cables through deliberate choice. The older bridge we see through those dissecting vertical elements establishing context and even further contrast.

Patricia Brock taking a photo with her camera.

Patricia Brock taking a photo with her camera.

Brock had used her mother’s box camera as a child, and returned to photography after retiring from teaching elementary school 18 years ago, embarking on a new career and opening her own photography business. She has printed on various materials such as photo paper, metallic papers, canvas and brushed aluminum recently introduced a new creative line for the home or garden with her photographs printed on brushed aluminum or acrylic, which can be used in outdoor spaces. 

Brock is a juried participant of the Kentucky Arts Council’s Kentucky Crafted Program, The Architectural Artists Directory, and a juried exhibiting member of The Louisville Artisans Guild. Her work is represented by KORE Gallery in Louisville, KY. Currently her work is on exhibit as a part of At the Rivers Bend: Our Place on the Ohio, at the Evansville Museum in Evansville, IN. It runs through November 27.

“Riveted (Big 4 Pedway Bridge)” by Patricia Brock, 16x20in, photography on brushed aluminum, $275 | BUY NOW

“Riveted (Big 4 Pedway Bridge)” by Patricia Brock, 16x20in, photography on brushed aluminum, $275 | BUY NOW

PUBLISHED WORKS
2015 BLINK, Art Design Consultants, Cincinnati, OH
2008 Kentucky Quilt Trails
2007 Saint Paul’s Art on The Parish Green, New Albany, IN, advertising material
2006 The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, Vol. 72-4
2006 The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, Vol. 72-3
2006 Promotional Materials, KY Crafted: The Market, KY
2004 Botanica Fleur de Lis Poster, Louisville, KY

COLLECTIONS
Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, KY
Saint Joseph Hospital, KY
Private collections, Louisville, KY
Private collections, The Villages, FL

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Age: 68
Education: BS in Education, MA in Education from Eastern Kentucky University 
Gallery Representation:
KORE Gallery (Louisville)
Website: http://www.PatriciaBrockPhotography.com

“Suspension I (Lincoln Bridge)” by Patricia Brock, 36x22in, photography, triptych on acrylic, $575 | BUY NOW

“Suspension I (Lincoln Bridge)” by Patricia Brock, 36x22in, photography, triptych on acrylic, $575 | BUY NOW

“Bermuda Hibiscus” by Patricia Brock, 36x24in, photography on brushed aluminum, $454 | BUY NOW

“Bermuda Hibiscus” by Patricia Brock, 36x24in, photography on brushed aluminum, $454 | BUY NOW

“Suspension V (Lincoln Bridge)” by Patricia Brock, 16x20in, photography on archival photo paper (matted and framed), $225 | BUY NOW

“Suspension V (Lincoln Bridge)” by Patricia Brock, 16x20in, photography on archival photo paper (matted and framed), $225 | BUY NOW

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Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2016 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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