Vignette: Cathy Shepherd

"Veronica" by Cathy Shepherd, Acrylic, 11x14in, 2017. POR 

The human subject never fails to fascinate. Capable of kinetic action and infinite expression, it also is compelling in repose. We love to examine each other, or perhaps it is narcissistic self-obsession as a species. Painter Cathy Shepherd understands that stillness does not necessarily equal an inert state for human beings.

“People have been my main focus through the years. I like to capture the moment of decisions. To some people, this just looks like sitting around, but to me it's the time when things are churning and clicking; the moment before someone says, "That's it! That's what I'm going to do," and jumps up and runs toward that thing.  As a result, my compositions are becoming less surrounding, more close-up.”

“But I still have to paint, even when a subject can't pose, and to my surprise and delight, I've found that still life subjects have personality and big skies are pretty heady characters themselves. Even then, I'm looking for something in the human experience we all share, whether it's animal, vegetable, or mineral.“

"Peonies in Green Glass Vase" by Cathy Shepherd, Oil, 10x8in, 2017. POR

Shepherd may study her subjects closely, but the paintings are fresh and spontaneous, built with assured marks and a careful control of the medium. Her images never feel overworked or fretted over, and that ease may indeed come from a foundation.

“Underneath all of these is drawing. I’ve had wonderful mentors but I don’t exactly follow in their footsteps. Two of my teachers, Philip Pearlstein and Mary Ann Currier, were exacting realists, but Lennart Anderson and Sidney Goodman were tonalists - one classical and one dramatic.  The underlying thread connecting all of them, and me, is drawing as the foundation on which the painting is built. My best drawings are under paintings. And light. I always love light.”

Shepherd is a past recipient of the Al Smith Fellowship and is currently showing as a part of Five Exceptional Painters at Galerie Hertz. The exhibit runs through March 24.

Hometown: Paris, Kentucky
Education: BFA, Louisville School of Art/University of Louisville; Four-year certificate in painting, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts; MFA, CUNY, Brooklyn College Center for Book Arts, NYC, non-degree
Website: www.cathyshepherd.com
Gallery Representation: Galerie Hertz (Louisville)

Scroll down for more images

"Cape in Snow" by Cathy Shepherd, Oil, 8x8in, 2017. POR

"Reverie" by Cathy Shepherd, Monotype, 9x12in, 2017. POR

"Derrick" by Cathy Shepherd, Water color, 12x14in, 2017. POR

"Blue Slip" by Cathy Shepherd, Acrylic, 11x14in, 2017. POR

"Summer Sky Over VFW" by Cathy Shepherd, Oil, 32x40in, 2017. POR

---

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2018 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

Are you interested in being on Artebella? Click here to learn more.

Vignette: Judy Rosati

"Buffalo (Custer)" by Judy Rosati, 16x20in, hand colored silver gelatin photograph (2015), $125 (matted & framed) | BUY NOW

Hand coloring black & white photographs may seem quaint or old-fashioned, yet in a time when we are inundated with digital imagery in our every waking moment, the virtues of such an approach are not difficult to understand: occasionally we need to rest our overexposed, weary eyes. Judy Rosati’s use of the technique has the effect of allowing us to view the busy world in slow motion and ponder what it must have been like before we were swallowed up by the media age.

"Old Faithful (Yellowstone National Park)" by Judy Rosati, 16x20in, hand colored silver gelatin photograph (2015), $125 (matted & framed) | BUY NOW

Rosati’s approach has shifted recently to an even more informal, subjective use of color that introduces abstraction to what are determinedly representational images. In “Old Faithful” the familiar geyser in Yellowstone National Park is less tourist image than a study that blurs the distinctions of the natural world, rendering the kinetic motion as a surreal curtain being drawn across our field of vision, the subdued tones evoking nostalgia while simultaneously reducing depth and dimensionality.

Rosati shoots both film and digital, but her hand-colored photographs are printed from film negatives. “After the print is made, I use Marshall's Photo Oils and Prisma pencils, “ she explains. “My attempt to personalize my interpretation of the subject matter is evident by the spontaneous use of color, as well as the retention of some of the natural aspects of the original black, white and gray areas.  No two photographs are exactly alike, making each one unique.”

"Geese in Winter" by Judy Rosati, 16x20in, hand colored silver gelatin photograph (2016), $125 (matted & framed) | BUY NOW

The artist is the owner of Judy Rosati's Fine Arts Photography LLC, a juried member of Louisville artisan's Guild--co-liaison (photographer) to web curator, Jury committee member; scholarship committee juror.  Rosati is a Juried member of Kentucky Crafted--regular juried artist in Kentucky Arts Council shows, and an Artist member of Louisville Visual Art.  She was a digital photography Instructor in Bellarmine's School of Continuing & Professional Studies for 11 years, and still gives private digital photography instruction.

Rosati’s work will be a part of the Kentucky Arts Council exhibit, Kentucky Visions at The Capitol, January-March 2017.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Age: 72
Education: Bachelor’s Degree (Art education; Health & Physical education), Western Kentucky University; Master’s Degree in Arts Education, Eastern Kentucky University
Gallery Representative: Edenside Gallery (Louisville)
Website: http://www.judyrosatiphotography.com/

"Wildflower Walk in the Parklands" by Judy Rosati, 16x20in, hand colored silver gelatin photograph (2016), $125 (matted & framed) | BUY NOW

"Parklands of Floyd's Fork in Winter" by Judy Rosati, 16x20in, hand colored silver gelatin photograph (2015)

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

Are you interested in being on Artebella? Click here to learn more.

Vignette: Devan Horton

"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

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

“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

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

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

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

Are you interested in being on Artebella? Click here to learn more.