TAG Interviews Grace Swanson

Grace Swanson

El Gato & the 4 Gats

digital pigment print 21 x 17 1/2"

What inspired you to paint the cat and dog themes of matchbooks?

It seemed a natural progression from my earlier matchbook paintings featuring restaurants and clubs, which were prompted by my husband's extensive matchbook collection.  In searching for historic matchbooks, I found that there existed a wonderful array of matchbooks featuring cats and dogs. As a pet lover myself, I was sure there would be a universal interest in this new genre.  My belief has been supported by the comments from pet lovers among my friends and family. 

What are the unique challenges for you in undertaking this series?

The current series is more pictorial as opposed to a location-graphic scheme in which the printed name is the most important point of reference. I really had to concentrate on the depicted imagery. Some matchbooks feature animals rendered in a cartoonish style, while others were photographs. Recreating and integrating the broad range of advertising styles, products, and breeds, proved to be a challenging and fascinating undertaking. For example, I found that black cats were the most frequently featured cat in the names and logos of restaurants and bars.  There is the famous Black Cat Cafe in San Francisco and Little Next Door French brasserie in Los Angeles. Contrasting the other colors and designs against the black cats, and even text fonts, to form eye-catching patterns proved to tricky at times.

Grace Swanson

Canine Combustibles

watercolor

30 x 37 inches

How is the process different for you than creating your restaurant and hotel matchbook paintings? Can you describe it?

The greatest challenge was to find the actual matchbooks.  Unlike the city-oriented matchbooks that reflected more of my own personal dining and traveling experiences, cats and dogs really narrowed my choices to just a few from Southern California. I joined two matchbook collecting clubs and they, along with EBay, have provided auction and trading opportunities to find the perfect matchbooks.  Even better, is that many friends have begun gathering matchbooks for me or to add to my collection.

What would you like viewers to take away from the experience of seeing your work?

Pet lovers will find themselves engrossed in locating their favorite breeds and viewing the range of products and locales advertisers have showcased through matchbooks.  Some will recognize well-known restaurants such as the Ells Quarter Gats in Barcelona or Le Chat Noir in Paris. Others will take pleasure in nostalgic memories of the motorized Coppertone billboards or the time travelling Mr. Peabody and his pet boy Sherman cartoons. Overall, I hope the viewers enjoy my effort to merge the kitsch and graphic nature of advertising with the nostalgia of pop culture.

Grace Swanson 

Grace Swanson's exhibit opens June 19, 2012. 

Suki Kuss, Cheryl Medow, Grace Swanson June 19 - July 14, 2012

Opening Reception: Saturday, June 23, 2012 5-8 PM

Suki Kuss
Franklyn Calm (detail),
Mixed Media Collage, 30 x 24" 2012

Suki Kuss
Breathing Room

Suki Kuss’ “Breathing Room” showcases her latest work, an ever expanding search for balance and space. This search has resulted in her new series of heavily layered pieces, integrated with vintage fabrics, lace, reflective materials, threads and sheet music. Each work has intensely layered areas combined with large plains of peaceful space, giving the viewer a “restful place to breathe”. Her work has often been referred to as femmage, a conflation of feminine arts and painting. Sand Brim from the Altered Space Gallery has stated that Kuss’ “work is intricate, emotional and transcendental.” The exhibit is dedicated to the memory of Franklyn Liegal, her longtime teacher and dear friend.

 

Cheryl Medow

Great Blue Heron With Chicks

Digital pigment print, 28 x 23 1/2

Cheryl Medow

In the Company of Birds

In Cheryl Medow's most recent show, In The Company Of Birds, viewers may be puzzled as to whether they are looking at paintings or photographs. To achieve this effect, in the digital darkroom, Medow interlocks layers of her photographic images of birds, landscapes and flora to provide a dreamy sense of place for her avian subjects. These montages are further integrated with bits of relevant ephemera such as maps, old envelopes, and bird tracks. Medow’s final images raise comparisons to works by early 19th century naturalist paintings and have been referred to as a “hyper-real Audubon.”

Grace Swanson
Canine Combustibles (detail)
watercolor, 22 1/2 x 30"   2012

Grace Swanson

Illuminating Cats and Dogs

In her new exhibit, Illuminating Cats and Dogs, Grace Swanson merges the world of matchbook advertising with cat and dog themes celebrated in pop culture. The evocation of nostalgia through the use of matchbooks is a recurring subject for Swanson, who describes her matchbook series as cultural "memory-quilts." Her new work delves further into the world of matchbook collecting, known as phillumeny, by examining cat and dog-themed matchbooks from restaurants, television shows, businesses, and even the military. Swanson emphasizes the bold, graphic nature of advertising by merging the labor-intensive rendering of Realism with the kitsch and bright colors of Pop Art.

Loss, Life, and Fire Betty Sheinbaum, Grace Swanson, Stephanie Visser April 26, 2011 - May 21, 2011

Loss, Life, and Fire 

Betty Sheinbaum, Grace Swanson, Stephanie Visser 

April 26, 2011 - May 21, 2011

*Reception: Saturday April 30 5-8pm

Artists' Panel: Saturday May 14 3pm

People II 

For sixty years Betty Sheinbaum has been vigorously documenting figures and landscapes in bold colors that have become the hallmarks of her work. At ninety years old, she is still painting strong. In her new series, People II, she creates "peoplescapes"; characters in their daily lives, performing activities they enjoy, in the places they love.  A founding member of the co-operative TAG Gallery, Betty embodies the artistic spirit and communal mission of the gallery.

Close Cover Before Striking 

Grace Swanson elevates the matchbook from memento to fine art. In Close Cover Before Striking, her new exhibit of watercolor paintings at TAG Gallery, she illuminates the world of matchbook collecting, otherwise known as phillumeny.  Swanson takes her extensive personal matchbook collection to create a stunning, brightly colored series of works that she describes as "memory-quilts" of well-known restaurants and hotels. She emphasizes the bold, graphic nature of matchbook advertising by heightening and juxtaposing complementary colors, and playing with chiaroscuro to create three-dimensional form. Her refined technique of applying multiple layers of rich glaze intensifies the luminous quality of watercolor. 

Perseus

In the wake of the deaths of both of her parents, Stephanie Visser explores the loss of the parental relationship, and its influence on one's identity. Perseus, her new exhibit of paintings at TAG Gallery, is named for a galaxy cluster whose central black hole was recently reported to emit a single note.  Visser delves into the note of bereavement, lost connections and loneliness working within a complex process. She layers and sands away partial surfaces, transfers pigment, and makes marks to create an ethereal stratified image. This built-up layering of emotion, paint and mark-making is a signature characteristic of her work.

 *SMMOA is holding their annual Incognito event. Please arrive early to secure parking.

An Interview With Grace Swanson





Grace Swanson

Viva Las Vegas

watercolor 22 x 30"

With an eye for color and structure, and a memory for favorite places, Grace Swanson paints matchbooks from restaurants and hotels, many of which are no longer in existence.

What draws you to still life and your fascination with portraying patterns, forms, and colors?

It began with the simple task of trying to improve my composition and color mixing skills. I felt the best way for me to do this was to set up my own still lifes. I could repeatedly rearrange objects to try to find the most interesting combination of shapes. Looking at things closely from different viewpoints also makes me think more consciously about what I am painting. In the process, I found that I loved contrasting vibrant colors and defining shapes with light and shadows.

In most of my paintings, my subject matter consists of objects with one or two dominant colors, often complements of each other. I love the push-pull tension of red against green or white and black; the way they play off each other. In my new series of matchbook paintings, I have taken this to an extreme by creating a crazy quilt of contrasting color squares.

In the past your work included a lot of nature; flowers, fruit and birds - Why matchbooks? What do you like about the matchbook compositions - what’s different?

 Sometimes, ideas will come from a visual inspiration – a beautiful bouquet of flowers, a bowl of candy, a trip to the market. The ideas will go pop—pop—pop in my head just like those light bulb images in thought bubbles.

About ten years ago, I was moving around my husband’s collection of matchbooks, which are kept in oversized brandy snifters. Nostalgia hit me as I saw the matchbooks of the many restaurants and hotels we had visited. That resulted in my first series of matchbook-themed paintings in 2003.

Then last year, I kept hearing in the news about how so many legendary New York restaurants had closed or were about to close, such as Tavern on the Green or Café des Artistes. It made me appreciate the matchbook mementos we had saved. I decided on a new series that places a greater emphasis on nostalgia by prominently featuring matchbooks from restaurants and hotels no longer in existence or combining current hot spots with those now extinct.

What is your art making process? Take me through the steps, if you will, from concept to completion.

 To create the matchbook paintings, I began with photographing the front, back, and sides of the numerous matchbooks to create a source catalog that I refer to once I start painting. I then arrange a combination of different shaped matchbooks – square, rectangular, boxes, etc. to create a variety of compositions. It does not matter what is printed on the matchbook, and I use mostly white ones so that I can clearly see each shape. I take photos of the composition, sometimes as many as 200 different angles and set-ups.

Using one or two of the photos to refer to, I start by drawing out one matchbook near the center of the watercolor paper. Despite taking so many photos, there are always elements that need to be modified, especially with objects that are square because of camera distortion. I use a drafting ruler to make sure that the proportions and perspective are accurate. I then refer to my catalog of matchbook images and paint in the first matchbook. From there, I work outward, one matchbook at a time, weaving contrasting colors and shapes to create an overall pattern that can be viewed from any direction. Along the way, I also add a matchbook with my name in lieu of signing the painting when I am finished.

What satisfies you about painting?

The satisfaction comes from creating an image that can stimulate the senses and evoke memories. It may be the scent of a just peeled orange, the feel of silk embroidery or the recollection of matchbooks sitting in a kitchen junk drawer. As a photorealistic painter, there is also the gratification of trying to capture particular details that pinpoints the emotional element in the painting, such as the marks in a used matchbook striker or slightly caving in a corner of a matchbox.

I think my matchbook paintings are like memory quilts where scraps of baby clothes or old t-shirts are patched together to celebrate a person’s life. Only my paintings capture not only my history, but also a collective history of shared memories from everyone who may have driven by or stepped foot into any one of these restaurants or hotels. The best thing about having people see my matchbook paintings is that it often inspires people to talk about their own recollections of particular places. When a friend recently eyed the matchbook of Café Swiss in one of my paintings, he relayed a story about having a taken a girlfriend there more than 40 years ago.

Grace Swanson

Gone But Not Forgotten

watercolor 22 x 30"

What do you like most about being an artist? Least?

 It has been the opportunity to meet so many people who love art—both those who look at it and those who create it. It is always fascinating to talk to the people as they are looking at paintings. It is often a spirited and endlessly engaging conversation. Each viewer brings new interpretations and those conversations will often spark the light bulb moments I mentioned earlier.

I am also very grateful for the many relationships I have made with fellow artists. That camaraderie has not only given me professional support to help me grow as an artist, but also led to many close and important friendships.

My least favorite aspect of being an artist is that it is often difficult to switch back and forth between the roles of creator and administrator. When I am painting, it feels like that is all I can think about. I turn into a zombie staring into a blank canvas or hunched over a drawing. Then, when it comes time to tend to the business side of things, that too can become all encompassing mostly because I find it so difficult. Sometimes I will agonize for days over writing an artist statement or even coming up with titles.

Are you continuing with this theme? What comes next?

 I have several subjects that I rotate painting – fruit, flowers, animals, and matchbooks. My choice of subjects has come from that initial exercise to develop better compositions.

However, I often find that as I approach the completion of one painting, I get new ideas on how to improve the work. In the case of my matchbook paintings, I have had several people generously donate their own matchbooks to help build my catalog. Just hearing their stories that come along with their matchbooks make me want to keep the momentum going with this theme.

Grace Swanson's exhibition, Close Cover Before Striking, begins April 26th.

BEST OF TAG Group Exhibition Opens

TAG Gallery was filled with the sound of tape measures snapping and nails being hammered as artists were hard at work installing the BEST OF TAG annual group exhibition which opened on December 28.

First, gallery walls and sculpture pedestals are patched and repainted by TAG Gallery members on the Wall Prep crew led by Gary Polonsky. Polonsky, along with Pat Klowden and Anne Ramis, come in the gallery at the end of every show to make sure that the walls are pristine for the next group of artists to install their work. Even spouses pitch in to help, as was the case in preparing for this exhibition, when new TAG Gallery member Katie Crown brought her husband Guy Webster to help.



“People do not realize that there is a lot of work that goes into getting ready for a show,” says former TAG Gallery president Ellen Starr. “Hanging a big show such as this often takes a lot of people and a couple of days. Sometimes the trickiest part is evaluating where each of the art pieces should be displayed. When we layout the show, we have to consider not only size, but also medium, subject matter, color, and framing. Then, the artwork and walls are measured to be equally spaced and centered on a point close to 60 inches from the floor. A poorly hung show can reflect poorly on the art and exhibition space.”



In addition to the Wall Prep crew, Starr was joined by co-presidents Carol Kleinman and Cheryl Medow, and members Della Rolle, Katherine Kean, Diane Rudnick Mann, Suki Kuss, Joan Vaupen, and Grace Swanson, in setting up the show.






The BEST OF TAG exhibition continues through January 22, 2011 and features a diverse mix of painting, photography, mixed media, printmaking, pastel, sculpture, and fiber art.

A reception to meet the artists will be held Saturday, January 8, from 3 to 6 pm and is open to the public.

Los Angeles County Art Museum Docent Council Visits TAG Gallery

Joan Ransohoff with LACMA Docent Council

Joan Ransohoff and Grace Swanson talked about their current exhibition at TAG Gallery to members of the Los Angeles County Art Museum’s Docent Council during the group’s visit to Bergamot Station on Wednesday, March 17.

Ransohoff spoke about her experience as a plein-air painter and her creative process in the development of her new landscape and still life paintings. Inspired by her love of color, Ransohoff’s oil paintings explore the relationship between her outdoor painterly practices and indoor still life scenes, and how these two elements came together in her current show titled “Colors of Nature”.

Swanson discussed the history and development of her watercolor and acrylic paintings beginning with an early desire to focus on formal elements of color and composition to recent works on flowers and succulents in her show “Favorites”.

The paintings of Ransohoff and Swanson, along with the figurative paintings of Ernie Marjoram will continue to be on display at TAG Gallery through March 27.

Ernie Marjoram, Joan Ransohoff, Grace Swanson: March 2-27, 2010

GRACE SWANSON “FAVORITES”
In Favorites, Grace Swanson’s watercolor and acrylic paintings draw from one of her favorite subjects – the still-life portrait. Swanson personifies still life arrangements of flowers, fruits, and animals in traditional figurative compositions in which the face or front of the object is predominant. Taking a photorealistic approach, Swanson amplifies her floral arrangements with heightened color, contrasting shadow, and dynamic scale to impart energy and express the personality, beauty, and even the mood of the object.

The title of the show also refers to show’s watercolor paintings that have received accolades from prominent members of the art world who juried Swanson’s work into national and regional competitions. Swanson states “since a juror’s choice for awards and inclusion into an exhibit is subjective, I consider my accepted paintings as among the jurors’ favorites.”

One such painting is “Tulips,” exhibited at the Watercolor USA Exhibition at the Springfield Museum of Art in 2005, which depicts a brilliant bouquet of deep-pink tulips tossed onto the painting surface. Swanson lovingly applies layer upon layer of rich glazes to the petals and leaves to create luminous transparency and meticulous verisimilitude.

ERNIE MARJORAM “FIGURES & FACES”
Known for paintings of architectural landscapes, his current exhibition Figures and Faces represents a new direction for Los Angeles artist Ernie Marjoram. The exhibition includes drawings and paintings created from live models in a variety of mediums including graphite, charcoal, pastel, watercolor and oils. “I find the human face and figure to be among the most complex subjects, and I work from life as a way to develop and test my drawing and painting skills.“

Amidst the current resurgence of artistic interest in the figure, there are many locations in LA where groups of artists have access to professional models and can draw short five to 15 minute poses and longer three hour modeling sessions. “I work in a variety of media depending on the amount of time I will have and the result I hope to achieve. Photographic accuracy, even a strong likeness are not my objectives, instead I seek to capture the natural character of my subjects while exploring the effects of light and color.”

Figures and Faces includes quickly executed color sketches as well as more finished paintings done in the studio based on preliminary drawings.

JOAN RANSOHOFF “COLORS OF NATURE”
Joan Ransohoff's colorful paintings are the result of a love of beauty and a focus on nature, trying to capture the light and changing vivid colors.
Raised in Glenview, Illinois, she studied life drawing in studio classes at Northwestern University, but not until she moved to Los Angeles in 1980 did she study plein air painting on location with the California Art Club.

"Painting outdoors changed everything," she said. "Trying to record nature as the light shifts with rapid brushstrokes, in fresh colors is very challenging, but the results can be magical."

As an artist, Ransohoff's believes nature is the best teacher.

"In California, I only have to step out my door. I don't over analyze any scene or set up. I just try to channel the inspiration I feel and hope that I can express these feelings on canvas."

This exhibit is largely a collection of landscapes depicting the California coastline from Malibu to Cambria. But it also includes scenes painted on location in Carmel and Malibu State Park, two small harbor scenes from Martha's Vineyard, painted last summer, and two large still-lifes dealing with Asian pots and jars and fruit and flowers which are recent endeavors inspired by all the rainy days.

Interview With Grace Swanson

Grace Swanson's photorealistic work is inspired by the formal approach of the 17th Century Dutch Masters made vibrant with a modern outlook.


Tulips
watercolor 18 x 30"
Grace Swanson

Why do you make art?

Because I can. It’s something I enjoy doing. I think of my work as a craft. Some people think you need a special talent for art. Of course, there can be physical limitations. One can’t become a good singer if you can’t keep a tune. Certain persons may have good eye/hand coordination which gives them an edge. But I think of art as an acquired and practiced craft, as musicians must practice their craft or as a furniture maker masters his craft. I don’t want to reduce my work to arts and crafts, but I do believe that the more you practice, the more skilled you become, the better you see, the better you anticipate.


When did you first realize you were an artist (and/or have the courage to identify yourself as one)?

I think it was when I was about 10 years old. We had a Shetland Sheepdog and it was my chore to brush the dog. One day, I decided to make a pillow out of the dog’s hair. I wrapped it in Saran Wrap and stapled the ends. I remember thinking it was the greatest thing I could have created. I recall the feeling of pride, having come up with an original idea that was kind of silly but something brand new. I think that was my first real understanding of creativity. I greatly admire the artist that can be really inventive because it’s something that does not come easy to me. Out of 100 ideas only two or three may be new and innovative. I admire it in all the arts: film, writing, music.

I grew up as I think a lot of people did being told by their parents that art may be your passion and how great to have the ability to be an artist, but it would be better to do it as a leisure activity. That it’s not a practical career choice. I didn’t personally know any professional artists and I knew it was hard to make a living out of art unless you wanted to teach.

Did you go to an art school, and if so, are you satisfied with the experience?

I got my Studio Arts degree at Loyola Marymount University and what I really appreciated was the fact that I was forced to take classes in the fundamentals, such as drawing, design, etc., learning the formal aspects of art, studying how master artists have worked throughout history. It now allows me the freedom to experiment. I can take my work to new places with a deliberate direction, and I think I’m able to do that because I have a foundation to work with. I graduated from Loyola in 1996 – it was a wonderful experience to go back as an older student. You absorb everything because you really want it. I liked studying the Old Masters so much that I also pursued an Art History degree.

My art is inspired by the 17th century Dutch Masters who emphasized the contrast of dark and light. I use complementary colors in my work – I like the push-pull, say of red and green. These are the formal aspects of painting that I find myself intuiting now after having studied it for so long. I like to think I approach watercolor in a modern way even though my influences are historic. I work deliberately with high contrast with really dark darks and very rich colors. I like to glaze both my watercolors and acrylics with several washes so that you can see the actual pigment sit on the surface.

You work in two medias: watercolor and acrylic - how do the two influence each other and what are the limitations of each?

I think my style remains the same in both media, primarily photorealism, and my compositions are similar, my brushstrokes similar. I just really love watercolors and my heart belongs with watercolor, but working in acrylic recently has been an interesting change.

It’s like practicing two languages. I had a hard time transitioning back into the acrylics. I was using too much water because I’m so used to the brush flowing with the paint, as opposed to the paint being the primary touch on the canvas. The fluidity of water is what I think is primary to watercolor.

I originally began working in watercolor because it was a convenient medium for me. I could take my paints with me if I traveled. They were easy to haul around. Watercolors didn’t occupy a lot of space in my home, having the limitation of a small room to work in. I didn’t have to store a lot of canvasses so I started for practical reasons. With oils there were environmental concerns. How do I deal with the turpentine issue and old paint? Acrylic made more sense but again I felt I had to cope with a lot of equipment and materials so I went forward with watercolors.


I'm Not Sure
acrylic on canvas 30 x 24"
Grace Swanson

How often do you start a new work?

When I’m working towards a show, it usually takes me two to three weeks to finish a piece, otherwise my work takes one to two months. I probably average about 100 hours of painting a month.

Who are some artists producing work that you like?

I’m a big fan of Joseph Raffael and the late Carolyn Brady. Both are watercolorists. Both concentrate on still lifes. Raffael does a lot of florals and he’s a colorist, as was Brady. They are able to infuse their watercolors with a lot of color, richly saturated. They maintain detail and also stress composing their work. Brady did many traditional still lifes using objects, and you can see the thinking behind her choices. For example, she’d choose a special tablecloth which matched a particular piece of china or the vase and flower had to be at just the right angle. These deliberate compositions are what I aspire to do as well: to think before I paint.

Grace Swanson in the studio.

Grace Swanson's next exhibit at TAG Gallery opens March 2, 2010.