Art Story: Carole Garland

King Eddy Saloon, 2013, oil on canvas 40x30"

In my EDGELANDS  series of paintings at TAG Gallery I focused on places that had bad reputations, such as MacArthur Park, Jordan Downs, and Florence & Normandie.  When I read that a former colleague, Dan Fante, was reading his memoir, Fante: A Family”s Legacy of Writing, Drinking and Surviving at the King Eddy Saloon, on the outskirts of Skid Row, I checked it out.

The saloon, on the corner of 5th and Los Angeles, is on the ground floor of the King Edward Hotel, built in 1906.  It was designed and developed by Los Angeles architect John Parkinson, whose work included City Hall and Union Station.  The pre-Prohibition bar is a relic of another time.  John Fante featured the bar in his novel, “Ask the Dust,” later turned into a movie. James M. Cain visited the bar for background on The Postman Always Rings Twice and Charles Bukowski is rumored to have frequented the saloon.
A seedy, fallen angel,  the King Eddy Saloon/King Edward Hotel fit the bill of subjects with a tarnished past and is included in the EDGELANDS series.

Carole's work will be on view at TAG until May 18th

TAG Interview with Brigitte Schobert

Kaleidoscope is Brigitte Schobert's current show at TAG.
On Saturday, May 11, she will be at the gallery to talk about her work.
We asked her a few questions:

This is a very different body of work that you're showing.
Tell us how you came to this.
I did not have a show last year and in the previous show in Sept 2011 most of my work was already non-representational.

Untitled 161, 2012, oil on paper, 26 x 26"

Is this a new way of working or are you returning to media that you used in the past?
For the "oil on paper" I still use a printmaking procedure and apply the oil paint by means of an etching press. However, it is a process that I developed for myself and it is different from the traditional way of printmaking.
     
What is your process?
In my acrylic painting I apply a lot of unorthodox means as well, like sponges, sponge cloth, rags, sand and the like and sometimes combine printing and painting.

Untitled 172, 2012, acrylic on Canvas, 30 x 20"

How do you decide on your color palette?
I am trying not to get hung up on similar colors. For example after a picture with blue I want to make a painting where red or yellow prevails. It is only the direction in general and might be modified while the painting is developed.

How do you know when a work is finished?
A painting is finished when the the picture does not "speak" to me anymore. Even when I don't paint I put my picture in a position where I can see it, because I walk by many times from different directions. Often I know something is still missing, but not quite what it is. I wait until I know. Whenever a picture does not create the feeling it still needs something, it is considered finished and stowed away.

What is the biggest challenge that you face as an artist?
Every new picture is a challenge and a struggle, sometimes the way is more twisted than other times, but it is never straight. I do not work from a preconceived sketch or model, but develop the image step by step and make new decisions at every step. This way I never know how, where and when it ends and there are always surprises.

Brigitte's work can be seen at TAG until May 18.
Her artist talk is May 11.

TAG Interview with Ellen Starr

Ellen Starr's current exhibition at TAG, Parks and Gardens, showcases her love of the outdoors.
We asked her some questions about her work.

Oahu Beach Park, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 17.5 x 21.5"

How do you decide on the places that are the subject matter for your work?
What attracts you to them?
Nature - the great outdoors - is the retreat I turn to when I wish to escape the pressures of every day life.  Whether it's walking in Palisades Park (Santa Monica), hiking in the mountains, or sitting on a beach and contemplating the waves, I find that Nature gives me a lens that puts any problems I may have into perspective.  It's relaxing and it's refreshing.  I like to paint what I love, and Nature gives me endless subject matter.

What is your process? Do you paint en plein air, in studio, or a combination?

How is working with/from photographs different than working from life?  
I used to set up my easel on location, but now I paint mainly in my studio from photographs.  I take my camera to places that intrigue me and capture many pictures of my surroundings - close up and at a distance.  Then I return to my studio and study all the digital images.  I pick the ones that really appeal to me, the ones that I can manipulate and play with in Photoshop.  I may combine parts of different shots, such as adding figures to a scene or altering the placement of certain landscape elements to suit my sense of balance.  When I am finally satisfied with a composition, I print out a copy at least as large as the canvas I plan to use.  I tape the print to a stiff backing, set it up on a stand in my studio, and make believe that I am once again viewing the original scene.  At this point I start to paint.  Obviously, it is not the same as actually being at the landscape site. But...the light does not keep changing; the wind does not jiggle my canvas and I don't have to deal with pesky insects.  Also, the time it takes me to paint in the extremely detailed style that I favor would never allow me to finish a painting on location, at least not in one sitting.

Tell us about your studio -- where do you create?

May we have a peek?

My studio is in my home.  This has both advantages and disadvantages.  It is easy to get to work, no distance involved, so I can paint for short periods of time and that's perfectly practical.  But....there are also numerous distractions.  I time share with the washing machine and dryer and find it very difficult to ignore the telephone when it rings.  Even so, I wouldn't change my set up.  I have everything I need easily accessible plus the companionship of two "studio poodles."

What is the biggest challenge that you face as an artist?
At the moment it's that I think I'm getting stuck in a rut.  I'm painting the same way I've been painting for the past several years.  I want to do something entirely different, but I haven't yet decided exactly what that is.  Several years ago I transitioned from primarily printmaking and drawing to painting with acrylics.  I think my next change may be in the area of subject matter.  I won't give up Nature entirely, but I'm definitely going to try something new.  I'll still focus on detail and the intricacies of composition, but it won't be landscape.

Ellen's work is on view at TAG until May 18