Artist Profile: Bountiful
Lisa Oliver, Visual Alchemist
by Linda Bergstrom
Often when meeting an artist in their studio, on their own turf, a
viewer arrives with preconceived notions. But, when visiting Lisa Scopes
Oliver in her Bountiful studio, to assume that one will view the average
paintings, or have an ordinary conversation regarding paints, brushes and
techniques, is a mistake. After spending time in Oliver's spacious studio,
it is as if an alchemy of sorts begins to take place in the mind of the
art partaker. For in her paintings, the prose that accompanies each piece,
and the process she uses to create them a visual alchemy of rare quality
is born.
Alchemy is defined as "a power or process of transforming something
common into something special". Walking into Oliver's studio, one realizes
that there is nothing "common" here. An overwhelming feeling of calm pervades
the sunny room, encased by wrap-around windows, showing a spectacular view
of the valley below. The walls are adorned with fantastical paintings and
collages that cannot merely be glanced at. Paintings are stacked neatly in
their framed beauty, waiting to be taken to their next showing. Each painting,
each work tells its own unique story.
"I see the spontaneous, free-flowing formation of my art pieces as
a form of painted prayer, a bridge between the seen and the invisible,
the known and the imagined." Hearing Oliver talk about the process of making
each piece is like being immersed into a pool of warm water. The words
begin to flow, and suddenly, things begin to change for the listener.
Oliver, a Utah native, was raised in a family of artists. Her mother,
a fashion illustrator, and her father, a commercial artist, kept their
studio in their home, where Oliver grew up "dabbling in all the accoutrements
of their studio, learning how to use washes and inks." Consequently, she
now uses commercial art mediums rather than fine art mediums. "I don't
usually deal in oils or acrylics, but primarily in inks and dyes."
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Artist Profile :
Springville & London
Robert Marshall: Having Found His Place
by
Laura Durham
In 1962, Brigham Young University recruited Robert Marshall as their
football team's quarterback. Forty-one years later, he's still at
B.Y.U.– only now, he teaches painting.
Art was the furthest thing from Marshall's mind when he came to Provo
as a freshman. His plan was to graduate from college and become
something important, like an engineer or an architect. "That was
my perception of what those who went to college did," he explains.
"My parents grew up during a hard time just following the depression.
My dad wanted his two sons to go to college and have a different life than
he had. Art was not a part of that vision because our life was never
about art." Marshall's father worked in construction and his job
required a lot of travel and moving the family around. "We were gypsies
living in a trailer house. One day my mom decided that the kids needed to
stay in one place, so when I was in the sixth grade we settled in California.
After that we only moved five more times."
Marketing Tips -- from Art Editions
Entering the Fine Art Print Market
by Ruby Reese
The Fine Art Print Market . . . it’s glamorous, it’s mysterious, it’s
scary. But most of all, it's very hard to find out how and when to make
that move. In the next two installments of our "Marketing Tips" we will
help you determine if it is the right time for you and, if so, where to begin.
We will help you focus on the various aspects of the print market and how
to go about producing your works into multiples.
To help you determine if you are a likely candidate for the print market,
read through the following list of questions and give a yes or no answer.
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