“Creating art evokes an emotional catharsis, and encourages emotional rejuvenation and transformation.” – Jacqlynn Hamilton

All art might be described to some degree as therapeutic; if an individual feels compelled to create, how could it not? The creative process always channels energy and reveals the character of the artist. Yet sometimes making art is an acutely self-aware journey of healing for both the artist, and the community that they reach. This is certainly the case for Jacqlynn Hamilton.

“I strive to incorporate the essence of aesthetic splendor visually, while displaying to the viewer what may be seen as slightly psychologically dark personal narrative. I cultivate eternal psychological images within my paintings in hopes to link the viewer to a personal introspection. By incorporating several levels of meaning, I hope can relate to work, yet still take away some notion of intrigue and ambiguity.”

“I also endeavor to include elements of womanhood conveyed in prescribed female gender roles, including being a daughter, sister, wife and mother. Symbols form most of the distinctive layers of psychological meaning. My intention is to try to incorporate symbolic meaning to as many objects within the piece, while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing visual whole; thus, allowing the piece to be appreciated on several different levels.“

"Angel" by Jacqlynn Hamilton, 8.5x11in, digitally manipulated photographic & mixed media (2017) $125 | BUY NOW — *"Angel" by Jacqlynn Hamilton, 8.5x11in, digitally manipulated photographic & mixed media (2017) $125 | BUY NOW*

"White Rabbit (3 of 3)" by Jacqlynn Hamilton, 8.5x11in, blind embossing print (2016) $175 | BUY NOW — *"White Rabbit (3 of 3)" by Jacqlynn Hamilton, 8.5x11in, blind embossing print (2016) $175 | BUY NOW*

Hamilton has spent several years working on a series titled, The Island of My Own Creation, which together forms a personal narrative depicting the realm of psychological disassociation. “Dissociation is a psychological coping mechanism to help minimize or tolerate conflict and stress in the outside world. The act of daydreaming is a mild form of dissociation, and the phenomena can even lead an individual to altered states of consciousness.”

In 2016, Hamilton was included in two exhibits at Kaviar Forge and Gallery, Kentucky Printmaking and Touched With Fire.

Hometown: Sarasota, Florida
Age: 38
Education: Fine Arts, Ringling College of Art, 2000; Fine Arts, JCTS (Louisville), 2012; Major in Fine Arts, University of Louisville’s Hite Institute
Website: http://jacq2di.wix.com/artist-painter

"Treva" by Jacqlynn Hamilton, 8.5x11in, digitally manipulated photographic image (2017) $125 | BUY NOW — *"Treva" by Jacqlynn Hamilton, 8.5x11in, digitally manipulated photographic image (2017) $125 | BUY NOW*

"The White Rabbit" by Jacqlynn Hamilton, 48x48in, acrylic on panel board (2016) $875 | BUY NOW — *"The White Rabbit" by Jacqlynn Hamilton, 48x48in, acrylic on panel board (2016) $875 | BUY NOW*

"Treva Blue" by Jacqlynn Hamilton, 8.5x11in, digitally manipulated photographic image (2017) $125 | BUY NOW — *"Treva Blue" by Jacqlynn Hamilton, 8.5x11in, digitally manipulated photographic image (2017) $125 | BUY NOW*

"Her Brother" by Jacqlynn Hamilton, 11x17in, acrylic and mixed media (2016) $350 | BUY NOW — *"Her Brother" by Jacqlynn Hamilton, 11x17in, acrylic and mixed media (2016) $350 | BUY NOW*

Painting

Vignette: Devan Horton

Josh Jenkins · January 18, 2017

"Allure" by Devan Horton, 48x48in, oil on canvas (2015) $1000 | BUY NOW — *"Allure" by Devan Horton, 48x48in, oil on canvas (2015) $1000 | BUY NOW*

Artists see differently than most other people. The play of light across a surface may reveal a texture otherwise taken for granted, or an object takes on a new meaning.

In her series, Apophenia, Devan Horton provides an example that illustrates this idea in straightforward and accessible terms. “I examine instances in which one can mistake randomness for recognizable figures or features,” explains Horton, “…such as a broken tree branch appearing as a bird in flight. Nature has always inspired my work in both concept and form. “

“The majority of my pieces are environmentally centered and are about naturally occurring phenomena or behaviors. In the past, I have used live subjects such as swarms of animals, insects, and plants to portray a more active idea, where my current work is comprised of dead matter that focuses on the elimination versus the addition of something new.“

"Charred" by Devan Horton, 16x16in, oil on panel (2016) $600 | BUY NOW — *"Charred" by Devan Horton, 16x16in, oil on panel (2016) $600 | BUY NOW*

Horton’s technique is fairly realistic, but the compositions capture these natural objects or creatures in an idiosyncratic fashion, allowing a point-of-view that would be very difficult to emulate on our own. The flies would never remain conveniently clustered for us to inspect so closely, except in Horton’s rich amber environment, which holds them in place as if they are trapped in honey.

"Encroach" by Devan Horton, 48x36in, oil on canvas (2015) $900 | BUY NOW — *"Encroach" by Devan Horton, 48x36in, oil on canvas (2015) $900 | BUY NOW*

“By playing with techniques that make these objects appear more attractive, my work most often revolves around changes in perspective and viewing that which we look at negatively in a new light. I used traditional mediums and compositional techniques in these pieces to create the delusion that what we are observing, regardless of the object itself, is beautiful. By constantly questioning and altering our perceptions of this beauty, these works open our minds to accept the nontraditional.”

Horton currently has a solo show running through February 11th at the Erlanger Kenton County Library in Erlanger, Kentucky.

Recent Exhibitions:
Metamorphosis Exhibition, Portland Art and Heritage Fair, LVA, Louisville, KY (Group Exhibition)
Forces of Nature, Artifact Gallery, Newport (Group Exhibition)
DIY Group Exhibition, Kalopsia, Covington, KY
Juried Exhibition, 2016 Evendale Fine Arts Exhibit, Evendale Cultural Arts Center Cincinnati, OH
Juried Exhibition (Lily Simonson, juror), Indiana University East, Art + Science, Richmond, IN

Age: 23
Hometown: Covington, Kentucky
Education: BFA, Painting, Northern Kentucky University, 2016; while in school participated in a study abroad to Rome and Florence Italy.
Website: http://www.devanhorton.com

"Fallen Branch" by Devan Horton, 16x16in, oil on panel (2016) $500 | BUY NOW — *"Fallen Branch" by Devan Horton, 16x16in, oil on panel (2016) $500 | BUY NOW*

"Poison" by Devan Horton, 12x12in, bleach on fabric (2016) $100 | BUY NOW — *"Poison" by Devan Horton, 12x12in, bleach on fabric (2016) $100 | BUY NOW*

"Roots" by Devan Horton, 16x16in, oil on panel (2016) $500 | BUY NOW — *"Roots" by Devan Horton, 16x16in, oil on panel (2016) $500 | BUY NOW*

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Drawing, Mixed Media, Illustration, Painting

Vignette: Damien Vines

Josh Jenkins · January 3, 2017

"Bull" by Damien Vines, 22x28in, charcoal and ink (2015), $80 | BUY NOW — *"Bull" by Damien Vines, 22x28in, charcoal and ink (2015), $80 | BUY NOW*

"Skateboard" by Damien Vines, 30x8in, acrylic and oil markers (2016), $100 | BUY NOW — *"Skateboard" by Damien Vines, 30x8in, acrylic and oil markers (2016), $100 | BUY NOW*

Viewing the work of an art student can illustrate the development of ideas, almost as if we are given glimpses into the creative mind, watching in real time the active thinking that is at play. Damien Vines’ drawings here are sometimes, simple and linear, but also rough sketches of larger themes that the young artist may be only beginning to explore. His approach is very illustrative, with a fair dose of the fantastical present. His design for a skateboard might have appeared in magazines or a comic book, so clearly is that ancestry evoked, but what of the Bull? Exposed to the bone and dripping from slaughter, the beast carries a burden on his back; the weight of industrialized society. It’s a provocative image made all the more impactful by the subtle turn of the bovine head, which stares at the viewer with one, empty, blood-red eye socket. Does it go far to imagine the dripping red beneath might suggest tears?

“My work aims to make the viewer question the intent of subtle meaning and symbolism, I aim to make the work not one note but instead to create a conversation. I explore imagery and ideas that might be considered disturbing such as living with serious mental illness or the boundary between psychopathy and fictional characters.”

Despite his more serious intentions, Vines is clearly enjoying himself with lighter, irreverent collages such as this one that ‘paints’ one arm of Michelangelo’s David with candy color, covering the body like a post-Modern pauldron or vambrace - pieces of protective armor. The contrast in the approaches are may seem sharp, but it is clear evidence of the uncertain, restless mind that drives an artist to communicate.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Age: 21
Education: BFA candidate, Painting and Drawing, Kentucky College of Art + Design at Spalding University, Louisville, Kentuck

"Drawings (series)" by Damien Vines, 8.5x11in, dry point prints and watercolor (2016), $120 | BUY NOW — *"Drawings (series)" by Damien Vines, 8.5x11in,* dry point prints and watercolor (2016), $120 | BUY NOW

*"Untitled" by Damien Vines, 16x20in, graphite and pastel (2016)*

*"Untitled #2" by Damien Vines, 4x6in, collage (2016)*

*"Untitled #3" by Damien Vines, 18x24in, markers on paper (2015)*

Mixed Media

Vignette: Caroline Waite

Josh Jenkins · November 17, 2016

*A photograph of Caroline Waite in her studio.*

"One Small Planet" by Caroline Waite, 10x11x2.5in, tin, paper mache, gouache paintings, model trees, globe, chain. $950 | BUY NOW — *"One Small Planet" by Caroline Waite, 10x11x2.5in, tin, paper mache, gouache paintings, model trees, globe, chain. $950 | BUY NOW*

Objects are memory in Caroline Waite’s work. Trained as a Printmaker and with experience in Textiles, it should come as no surprise that, when she found herself developing three-dimensional work, the constructions would include repetition. Patterns can be discovered in the recurrence of the objects themselves, culled from her ever-expanding collection (artists were recycling long before it was fashionable or essential), or an even more fundamental echoing of motifs or design elements within the structure of a piece.

“Things are displayed in my studio, either pinned to the wall or arranged on a surface and eventually a dialogue begins. Once I recognize the potential relationship between these objects, a narrative develops and I get to work.

I love the element of mystery surrounding old objects – the questions as to their meaning, their origin and age – in other words, their “secret lives”.”

In England, Waite taught at Northbrook College, Sussex North East Wales University Telford College, Shropshire. Since moving to the U.S. in 2001, she has lived in Texas and New Mexico but prefers her current home of Louisville, even if two house moves in two years has meant little time for involvement in exhibitions:

"Beauty Beckons" by Caroline Waite, 24x12x2in, forged steel, vintage drafting tools, Nymphenburg German porcelain hand, hand painted panel and various mixed media, $1700 | BUY NOW — *"Beauty Beckons" by Caroline Waite, 24x12x2in, forged steel, vintage drafting tools, Nymphenburg German porcelain hand, hand painted panel and various mixed media, $1700 | BUY NOW*

“However, new work has been in production with exciting developments including a collaboration with a metal fabricator on forged, steel pieces, allowing me to pursue an interest in wall sculptures.” In an interview on PUBLIC, Waite talked about how the intimacy of her work seems in contrast to the American taste for scale. Perhaps this burgeoning interest in developing larger work is a sign that time in the States is exerting some influence on her.

Waite is currently exhibiting with Tom Pfannerstill at Galerie Hertz in Louisville, Kentucky through December 31, 2016, and she will be participating in Strange Worlds: The Vision of Angela Carter, a major invitational exhibit at the Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, England, that opens on December 9, 2016.

Hometown: Cookham Dean, England
Age: 57
Education: BA, Honors in Fine Art, Cheltenham College of Art; Art Teaching Degree, Brighton Polytechnic
Gallery Representation: Galerie Hertz (Louisville)
Website: http://carolinewaite.com

"'Sphinx' (detail)" by Caroline Waite, 14x12x2.5in, antique doll, paper collage, wire in antique repurposed frame, $600 | BUY NOW — *"'Sphinx' (detail)" by Caroline Waite, 14x12x2.5in, antique doll, paper collage, wire in antique repurposed frame, $600 | BUY NOW*

"Scene Unseen" by Caroline Waite, 24x12x2.5in, forged steel, carved ivory panels, painted panels, vintage drafting tools and other mixed media, $1600 | BUY NOW — *"Scene Unseen" by Caroline Waite, 24x12x2.5in, forged steel, carved ivory panels, painted panels, vintage drafting tools and other mixed media, $1600 | BUY NOW*

"'Miraculous Discoveries" by Caroline Waite, 38x27x3in, large display case of hand constructed and collaged insects (sourced from detailed photographs of preserved insects), dolls eyes, card stock, wire, and magazine paper, $5500 | BUY NOW — "'Miraculous Discoveries" by Caroline Waite, 38x27x3in, large display case of hand constructed and collaged insects (sourced from detailed photographs of preserved insects), dolls eyes, card stock, wire, and magazine paper, $5500 | BUY NOW

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Painting

Vignette: John Brooks

Josh Jenkins · October 20, 2016

*A photograph of John Brooks in his studio.*

"All Of A Sudden You Made Him Laugh" by John Brooks, 20x24in, oil on board (2016), $800 | BUY NOW — *"All Of A Sudden You Made Him Laugh" by John Brooks, 20x24in, oil on board (2016), $800* *| BUY NOW*

If you approach John Brooks’ with no foreknowledge of him or his work, his paintings may strike you as primitive, or an example of ‘folk art’. We might begin by acknowledging the limitations of visual art nomenclature, which often seems designed to pigeonhole an artist; semantics aside, that reading becomes fascinating when one hears Brooks speak about his work in such thoughtful and intellectual terms. In his artist’s statement he tells us: “Regardless of subject matter or media, within each work is contained its own emotionally charged atmosphere and each work seems to have both specific and nebulous meaning.”

Earlier this year, Brooks moved into a new studio space in the Portland Neighborhood, and he thought he would use the change of space to move his work in a slightly different direction. “I've been collecting overheard phrases for years and have used them in my writing but have never previously used them in my visual work. This work is a real departure for me - it's abstract but also features the concreteness of text. But what I like about the phrases is the ambiguity they take on because they have no context. Some harmless phrases, like "Mommy Has It," even take on an air of the sinister.”

"Untitled #1" by John Brooks, 30x40in, oil on board (2016), $1800 | BUY NOW — *"Untitled #1" by John Brooks, 30x40in, oil on board (2016), $1800 | BUY NOW*

Yet Brooks found himself turning back to more familiar ground. “Thinking about the sinister and multi-dimensional meaning in that series of text-based paintings led me to return to my previous subject matter - faces - but with an eye on the mood of uncertainty that's seemingly overtaken the world, at least here in the US. This is a series still very much in progress, but they are about the zeitgeist, all that's happening in 2016: the fear of terror, the fear of unknown, the fear of ‘the other’.” Brooks certainly does see the new work as undeniably political, but he also believes they have an individual identity of their own; both personal and universal.

Brooks is a Kentucky native. He studied Political Science and English literature at the College of Charleston, in South Carolina, and art at Central St. Martins and the Hampstead School of Art in London, England. His work is held in private collections in the United States, Great Britain, Australia, Germany, and India. Brooks has exhibited extensively in the United Kingdom and Europe, as well as Art Chicago. He moved back to Louisville, KY after several years in Chicago, Illinois. His last solo exhibition in Louisville, It Is So Beautiful Here, was at Swanson Contemporary in May 2015.

Hometown: Frankfort, KY
Age: 38
Education: BA in Political Science, College of Charleston; Studied art in England at Central St. Martins College of Art and Design, the Hampstead School of Art and the Camden Art Centre
Website: http://www.johnedwardbrooks.com

"Untitled #2" by John Brooks, 24x36in, oil on board (2016), CFP | BUY NOW — *"Untitled #2" by John Brooks, 24x36in, oil on board (2016), CFP | BUY NOW*

"Untitled #3" by John Brooks, 30x40in, oil on board (2016), $1800 | BUY NOW — *"Untitled #3" by John Brooks, 30x40in, oil on board (2016), $1800 | BUY NOW*