We
are pleased to offer a new post with interviews
featuring artists whose works are on view in our virtual and online
exhibit, "This Moment" on view through September 15, 2020. You can see all of the featured artworks and learn about the artists on our webpage for the exhibit here and in our exhibition Facebook album here.
For this week's post, we present interviews with artists Kathy Corey, Tom Blood, and Margaret Nicholson.
KATHY COREY
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| Featured in Art Saint Louis’ “This Moment” virtual exhibit: Kathy Corey, St. Louis, MO. “Luffing.” 2020. Oil on Canvas, 24”x20” unframed. $800. Or as metal print $320. Artist’s statement: “M my art is inspired by my heritage and love of the sea. “Luffing” is a time to change course and let the wind fill the sails.” |
About the artist: Originally from Key West, a descendant of seafarers, adventure seekers, and rapscallions lured by the ocean, my art is inspired by my heritage and love of the sea. I spend as much time as possible near the water. I learned long ago there are times to change course and let the wind fill the sails. My work is inspired by nature's glory, the vastness and power of the ocean, and all things therein. The ever-changing sky with its grandeur of colors, clouds, and space take my breath away. My whole life I have had a passion for art. I recall as a young child my mother putting butcher paper on the walls of my room because my sister and I drew everywhere. I went on to marry and raise a family, which left little time for anything more than finger paints and play dough. Through the years art always tugged on my spirit.
I have a Communications degree and a Master's in Business from Washington University in St. Louis. I managed to fit some art and art history into the curriculum and I have studied under some really amazing artists such as Cindy Tower and Victor Wang. Currently, I live in St. Louis with my husband and our dog. We have three grown and married children and six grandchildren.
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| Kathy Corey. “Day Meets Night.” Oil on Canvas reproduced as Metal Print, 20”x18”. $320. |
Roxanne Phillips: What is it about the "This Moment" theme that speaks to you?
Kathy Corey: This particular exhibition theme speaks to me because I try to live my life consciously and fully in the moment. This moment is all we have.
RP: What are some things that ASL does for the community about which you find inspiration?
KC: The quality and quantity of projects and exhibitions are impressive. I have enjoyed using ArtLoupe, it is a unique tool. I am kinda obsessed with it.
Kathy Corey: This particular exhibition theme speaks to me because I try to live my life consciously and fully in the moment. This moment is all we have.
RP: What are some things that ASL does for the community about which you find inspiration?
KC: The quality and quantity of projects and exhibitions are impressive. I have enjoyed using ArtLoupe, it is a unique tool. I am kinda obsessed with it.
RP: What inspired you to become a member of Art Saint Louis and how has being involved impacted your life?
KC: I feel it is important to support the arts and what better place to than locally at institutions like Art Saint Louis. Art Saint Louis has given me a boost of confidence and has amped up my creativity. Receiving the acceptance letter from Robin for the "This Moment" exhibition was exciting as was the response of my family and friends when they heard the news.
KC: I feel it is important to support the arts and what better place to than locally at institutions like Art Saint Louis. Art Saint Louis has given me a boost of confidence and has amped up my creativity. Receiving the acceptance letter from Robin for the "This Moment" exhibition was exciting as was the response of my family and friends when they heard the news.
RP: What is the best thing about St. Louis for your art practice?
KC: Well, I have to give a shout out to Victor Wang. He is an incredible artist, educator, and mentor to me. I have had some wonderful experiences at Washington University taking art history classes with Mark Weil, a gilding class with his wife Phoebe Weil, as well as many outstanding art and design classes. I am surrounded by a community of artists that are super creative, supportive, and positive. I can't leave out the world-class art museums, the Saint Louis Art Museum, Contemporary Art Museum, the Kemper Art Museum at Wash U., and the Pulitzer Art Foundation.
KC: Well, I have to give a shout out to Victor Wang. He is an incredible artist, educator, and mentor to me. I have had some wonderful experiences at Washington University taking art history classes with Mark Weil, a gilding class with his wife Phoebe Weil, as well as many outstanding art and design classes. I am surrounded by a community of artists that are super creative, supportive, and positive. I can't leave out the world-class art museums, the Saint Louis Art Museum, Contemporary Art Museum, the Kemper Art Museum at Wash U., and the Pulitzer Art Foundation.
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| Kathy Corey. “Into the Deep.” Oil on Canvas reproduced as Metal Print, 20”x24”. $320. |
RP: Describe your artistic process/technique. My artistic process involves daily practice.
KC: If I am not actively painting, I am thinking/dreaming, planning steps, writing down, talking about, and doodling my ideas. I am in love with the lushness of painting in oils. I use physical and inspirational references for my ideas. I really like to look at what I am trying to paint.
I start with an underpainting and sketch out lights and darks with a t-shirt scrap. I like the depth an underpainting gives to the final product. I paint a light sketch to get my bearings. I have a plan but the flow takes over and the painting appears on the canvas. It is hard to explain.
KC: If I am not actively painting, I am thinking/dreaming, planning steps, writing down, talking about, and doodling my ideas. I am in love with the lushness of painting in oils. I use physical and inspirational references for my ideas. I really like to look at what I am trying to paint.
I start with an underpainting and sketch out lights and darks with a t-shirt scrap. I like the depth an underpainting gives to the final product. I paint a light sketch to get my bearings. I have a plan but the flow takes over and the painting appears on the canvas. It is hard to explain.
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| Kathy Corey. “Evening Song.” Oil on Canvas reproduced as Metal Print, 18”x24”. $320. |
RP: What is it about your preferred medium that you enjoy the most?
KC: Painting in oil, the lushness of the paint makes me swoon. I love to work wet on wet so acrylic paint dries too fast for me.
RP: What was your career path? How did you get from being an aspiring artist to doing it?
KC: My career path was a broken path. I went to work immediately in advertising art after graduation from high school. My seventh grade art teacher contacted me to work for him at a billboard company. It was so fun to see my art sky-high.
KC: Painting in oil, the lushness of the paint makes me swoon. I love to work wet on wet so acrylic paint dries too fast for me.
RP: What was your career path? How did you get from being an aspiring artist to doing it?
KC: My career path was a broken path. I went to work immediately in advertising art after graduation from high school. My seventh grade art teacher contacted me to work for him at a billboard company. It was so fun to see my art sky-high.
I married and started a family. I had a successful career at Washington University Medical School. When I retired last year, I started painting with Maria Ojascastro at PALM Health. I contacted my old professor, Victor Wang to see if I could take a figure painting class with him. I was able to rekindle my love of painting. Then, during the pandemic, I created the website B Extraordinaire and invited some artists to join me in sharing our love for art.
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| Kathy Corey. “Sailing into the Red.” Acrylic on Canvas reproduced as Metal Print, 18”x24”. $320. |
RP: When did you begin to know what your art is about?
KC: I am not sure I know what my art is about. I think of it as a diary of life. I am inspired by my heritage and love of the ocean. I am a 4th generation Key West conch and grew up on the water.
RP: Do you think that creativity involves putting your heart and soul into your work? Or is it more like letting your mind flow freely to witness the surprising results of your actions?
KC: My mind flows and it just happens. I do try to paint every day. Discipline is important.
RP: When was the first time that you remember realizing that you are a creative person?
KC: My whole life, I have always considered myself an artist. Although, there were many stretches of time where I did not practice making art at all it was always in my mind.
KC: My mind flows and it just happens. I do try to paint every day. Discipline is important.
RP: When was the first time that you remember realizing that you are a creative person?
KC: My whole life, I have always considered myself an artist. Although, there were many stretches of time where I did not practice making art at all it was always in my mind.
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| Kathy Corey's St. Louis studio. |
RP: Do you have a studio routine? Most creative time of day to work? Process of thinking or setting up before you begin making?
KC: No true routine. I paint every day, any time I have at least a free hour. I meditate daily to unclutter my mind.
RP: What kind of music, books, and movies do you listen to while making art, if any?
KC: I am a crazy reader and read about a book a week. Fiction mostly. I don't usually have any distractions while I am making art.
KC: No true routine. I paint every day, any time I have at least a free hour. I meditate daily to unclutter my mind.
RP: What kind of music, books, and movies do you listen to while making art, if any?
KC: I am a crazy reader and read about a book a week. Fiction mostly. I don't usually have any distractions while I am making art.
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| St. Louis artist Kathy Corey at a favorite place: the beach. |
RP: How has Coronavirus changed your art practice?
KC: It all started with a 21-day meditation challenge, a coronavirus epidemic, and a simple question. “What brings you the most joy?” Naturally, first, my family and friends popped into my head. As I thought more about joy, I thought of the pleasure of making art and tapping into my creative mind.
RP: What do you do to support your art and how does that impact your art practice?
KC: I created the bextraordinaire website as a place for artists to support and inspire each other since we were unable to be physically together.
RP: Has rejection ever affected your creative process?
KC: I try to work it out. The last time I wrote about it.
Sad Eyes crying out,
"Is that all there is my friend?"
Not in the least! Let's break out the booze and raise a glass to all those who wear their creative hearts on their sleeve and
CREATE MORE ART!!
KC: It all started with a 21-day meditation challenge, a coronavirus epidemic, and a simple question. “What brings you the most joy?” Naturally, first, my family and friends popped into my head. As I thought more about joy, I thought of the pleasure of making art and tapping into my creative mind.
RP: What do you do to support your art and how does that impact your art practice?
KC: I created the bextraordinaire website as a place for artists to support and inspire each other since we were unable to be physically together.
RP: Has rejection ever affected your creative process?
KC: I try to work it out. The last time I wrote about it.
Sad Eyes crying out,
"Is that all there is my friend?"
Not in the least! Let's break out the booze and raise a glass to all those who wear their creative hearts on their sleeve and
CREATE MORE ART!!
Learn more about Kathy Corey: www.bextraordinaire.com/corey-gallery.html#/ and www.instagram.com/kathycorey/ and www.facebook.com/bextraordinaire
TOM BLOOD
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| Featured in Art Saint Louis’ “This Moment” virtual exhibit: Tom Blood, St. Louis, MO. “The Crossing.” 2020. Acrylic on Canvas, 24”x36”x2” unframed $1,100. Artist’s statement: “A range of people, both young and old, are literally walking on air between two massive rock formations rising above the land and sea below. They are dwarfed by the enormity of the setting they're in. During this pandemic, we have to be willing to step out into the unknown.” |
About the artist: I am a self-taught, modern day Surrealist, heavily influenced by my all-time favorite artist, Rene Magritte. I paint ideas. My goal is to paint the impossible, or at least the highly improbable. With my paintings you can always tell what's going on, you just don't necessarily know why. I have participated in multiple gallery shows at The Creative Gallery with solo shows at 1900 Park - Creative Space and Gallery and The Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel. My work was featured in a video by London recording artist Liz Cirelli. I've won multiple awards at The Soulard Art Gallery and MySLART monthly exhibitions. I've also been the cover artist for GESSO magazine and have been featured in the Ladue News.
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| Artist Tom Blood at work on "The Crossing" in his St. Louis-based studio. |
Roxanne Phillips: What is it about This Moment theme that speaks to you?
Tom Blood: I’ve read a few science fiction books about pandemics. I never imagined I would actually be living in one. With each passing day, things seem to get worse, not better. And every time a glimmer of hope comes along, it seems to get dashed by a new rash of whatever - more cases, a resurgence in Europe or new findings about long-term damage. Add on all of the racial and societal unrest that has been going on and it’s so easy to take a pessimistic view of the world. Yet I believe there is beauty in everything as well as lessons to be learned. We are truly living in extraordinary times. Right now, people would say extraordinarily bad times - and that would be difficult to argue against. Still, I’m alive, I’m still out there, trying to enjoy life as good as life allows me to and I’m still creating. I am a creative person. It’s what I do. And I shall continue to create!
RP: Describe your artistic process/technique.
TB: Every painting I create begins as a sketch in my sketchbook. I’ll often create anywhere from 5 to 10 different ideas to explore. Because that’s what I paint - I paint ideas. When I find a visual idea that that strikes me, I pursue it, creating about a 1-to-5 inch sketch. If I think it’s paint worthy, I scale up the drawing on a canvas. I love to paint on larger canvases. If I had a bigger car, I would probably purchase bigger canvases. Perhaps my best ability as an artist is my ability to scale. It’s something I’ve been doing since grade school!
Tom Blood: I’ve read a few science fiction books about pandemics. I never imagined I would actually be living in one. With each passing day, things seem to get worse, not better. And every time a glimmer of hope comes along, it seems to get dashed by a new rash of whatever - more cases, a resurgence in Europe or new findings about long-term damage. Add on all of the racial and societal unrest that has been going on and it’s so easy to take a pessimistic view of the world. Yet I believe there is beauty in everything as well as lessons to be learned. We are truly living in extraordinary times. Right now, people would say extraordinarily bad times - and that would be difficult to argue against. Still, I’m alive, I’m still out there, trying to enjoy life as good as life allows me to and I’m still creating. I am a creative person. It’s what I do. And I shall continue to create!
RP: Describe your artistic process/technique.
TB: Every painting I create begins as a sketch in my sketchbook. I’ll often create anywhere from 5 to 10 different ideas to explore. Because that’s what I paint - I paint ideas. When I find a visual idea that that strikes me, I pursue it, creating about a 1-to-5 inch sketch. If I think it’s paint worthy, I scale up the drawing on a canvas. I love to paint on larger canvases. If I had a bigger car, I would probably purchase bigger canvases. Perhaps my best ability as an artist is my ability to scale. It’s something I’ve been doing since grade school!
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| Tom Blood's studio with "The Crossing" and other works-in-progress. |
RP: What was it that first prompted your career/activity as an artist?
TB: I have always loved to draw. A cousin of mine received his Masters of Fine Art when I was still in high school. He was (and still is) tremendously talented and far more artistic. Yet I saw him struggle to try and make a living as an artist. I figured if he was struggling, then I surely would as well.
Though I was offered two art scholarships in high school, I knew I would be better served to instead pursue a career in advertising as a writer. So that’s what I did by attending journalism school at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Upon graduation, I pursued work as an advertising copywriter, eventually landing my first job at Kenrick Advertising. The combo of being a very visual person as well as having a way with words served me well and continues to do so to this day.
When I was in my late 20s, I was engaged to a designer. She and I used to visit the Saint Louis Art Museum and a few galleries and I would always say, “I can do that.” She told me that I had no idea what went into creating art and perhaps she was right. But I still believed, “I can do that.” For Christmas, she gave me an airbrush and on New Year’s eve, we called off our engagement and I suddenly had a lot more time on my hands. So I decided to figure out how to use the airbrush and began painting.
Early on, I decided I’d be better off using a combination of airbrush and acrylic. I liked the juxtaposition of the two and began painting on large canvases. After creating about 15 different paintings, I decided to try and get a gallery show. Most galleries that I visited wouldn’t even look at my work and told me that’s not how to pursue representation. Undaunted, I continued because I liked what I had done and thought it was interesting enough that others might like it as well. During that time, I ran across the work of Rene Magritte, the Belgian surrealist and fell in love - not just with his execution but with the conceptual ideas behind the brilliant surrealist paintings he created. I read several books about Magritte and decided I would try and follow in his footsteps, exploring some of the same concepts and ideas. I am still on that journey.
TB: I have always loved to draw. A cousin of mine received his Masters of Fine Art when I was still in high school. He was (and still is) tremendously talented and far more artistic. Yet I saw him struggle to try and make a living as an artist. I figured if he was struggling, then I surely would as well.
Though I was offered two art scholarships in high school, I knew I would be better served to instead pursue a career in advertising as a writer. So that’s what I did by attending journalism school at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Upon graduation, I pursued work as an advertising copywriter, eventually landing my first job at Kenrick Advertising. The combo of being a very visual person as well as having a way with words served me well and continues to do so to this day.
When I was in my late 20s, I was engaged to a designer. She and I used to visit the Saint Louis Art Museum and a few galleries and I would always say, “I can do that.” She told me that I had no idea what went into creating art and perhaps she was right. But I still believed, “I can do that.” For Christmas, she gave me an airbrush and on New Year’s eve, we called off our engagement and I suddenly had a lot more time on my hands. So I decided to figure out how to use the airbrush and began painting.
Early on, I decided I’d be better off using a combination of airbrush and acrylic. I liked the juxtaposition of the two and began painting on large canvases. After creating about 15 different paintings, I decided to try and get a gallery show. Most galleries that I visited wouldn’t even look at my work and told me that’s not how to pursue representation. Undaunted, I continued because I liked what I had done and thought it was interesting enough that others might like it as well. During that time, I ran across the work of Rene Magritte, the Belgian surrealist and fell in love - not just with his execution but with the conceptual ideas behind the brilliant surrealist paintings he created. I read several books about Magritte and decided I would try and follow in his footsteps, exploring some of the same concepts and ideas. I am still on that journey.
Ultimately, the owner of one of the galleries I visited said that she liked my work and asked if she could see a few of the paintings firsthand. She liked what she saw and she gave me that first shot. I will always be grateful to the late Mary Ellen Shortland who was the owner of The Creative Gallery.
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| Tom Blood. “Out Of The Blue.” 2020. Acrylic on Canvas, 30"x40”. |
RP: What was your career path? How did you get from being an aspiring artist to doing it?
TB: I was making a living as an advertising copywriter, working for a St. Louis based advertising agency called Kenrick Advertising. I went from being a junior copywriter to a senior copywriter, then became an Associate Creative Director, using my love of words and visuals to create powerful ideas that helped sell a wide variety of things throughout my career.
My first gallery showing was in 1990 at The Creative Gallery. I was second billing to STL artist Stan Solomon, whose work I have always admired. I sold several works from that exhibition and the owner said as long as I keep on painting, she would keep on giving me shows. I had three additional shows at their original space in Clayton and two more when they relocated to South St. Louis.
TB: I was making a living as an advertising copywriter, working for a St. Louis based advertising agency called Kenrick Advertising. I went from being a junior copywriter to a senior copywriter, then became an Associate Creative Director, using my love of words and visuals to create powerful ideas that helped sell a wide variety of things throughout my career.
My first gallery showing was in 1990 at The Creative Gallery. I was second billing to STL artist Stan Solomon, whose work I have always admired. I sold several works from that exhibition and the owner said as long as I keep on painting, she would keep on giving me shows. I had three additional shows at their original space in Clayton and two more when they relocated to South St. Louis.
When our third child was born, we converted my painting room into a downstairs bedroom and I didn’t paint for almost 17 years. Five Father’s Days ago, our oldest son gave me two small canvases and some paint and challenged me to resume painting, even if it was on a smaller scale. I was intimidated. It took almost two months before I decided to go ahead and try painting again. My first painting was a 9”x12” painting of a ladder, leaning against nothing. I called it, “A Step Up.” It was very crudely done and when I look at it now, I’m amazed at how amateurish it looks. But I enjoyed it enough that I painted the next canvas. And that got me going again. I have been averaging about 12 paintings a year since then.
I think I officially removed ‘aspiring’ artist from my self-description when I began selling work around the globe. My paintings are currently featured on a website out of Hong Kong, another in Paris and two years ago my art was featured in a music video by London recording artist Liz Cirelli. My on-going quest is to continue to get better as an artist. I don’t think that will ever change.
I think I officially removed ‘aspiring’ artist from my self-description when I began selling work around the globe. My paintings are currently featured on a website out of Hong Kong, another in Paris and two years ago my art was featured in a music video by London recording artist Liz Cirelli. My on-going quest is to continue to get better as an artist. I don’t think that will ever change.
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| Tom Blood. “Happiness Released. 2019. Acrylic on Canvas, 30"x40”. |
RP: When did you begin to know what your art is about?
TB: So many artists do abstract work and there is definite beauty in it. But I like to paint ideas. Like Magritte, I like to paint mysteries. People can always tell what’s going on in my work, they just don’t necessarily know why. Unlike Magritte, the titles of my paintings often give clues as to the meaning I am trying to convey.
Other than often featuring a man in a bowler hat in a lot of my paintings, there is really no set subject matter to what I create though I have a definite love of clouds, trees and the ocean. I want to pursue thoughts that seemingly come from my unconscious. I want my paintings to evoke mystery and almost seem as if they are part of a story that is unfolding. I want to find beauty in the absurd and the juxtaposition of the ordinary with the out-of-the-ordinary I feel will help me to create the extraordinary.
RP: Do you think that creativity involves putting your heart and soul into your work? Or is it more like letting your mind flow freely to witness the surprising results of your actions?
TB: Every painting I create lives with me for quite some time, as my process is somewhat involved. Since I still work full-time during the day, I only paint at night - and not every night, either so sometimes it’s a 3-4 week journey from concept to completion. I love the process of watching my paintings begin as a sketch on a canvas and step-by-step, they turn into a final product. My process isn’t exactly free-flowing though I have done a number of paintings using a palette knife which is more exploratory. But overall, my process is building a painting, much like you might construct a model. You can’t jump ahead and add propellers before you first have installed wings!
TB: So many artists do abstract work and there is definite beauty in it. But I like to paint ideas. Like Magritte, I like to paint mysteries. People can always tell what’s going on in my work, they just don’t necessarily know why. Unlike Magritte, the titles of my paintings often give clues as to the meaning I am trying to convey.
Other than often featuring a man in a bowler hat in a lot of my paintings, there is really no set subject matter to what I create though I have a definite love of clouds, trees and the ocean. I want to pursue thoughts that seemingly come from my unconscious. I want my paintings to evoke mystery and almost seem as if they are part of a story that is unfolding. I want to find beauty in the absurd and the juxtaposition of the ordinary with the out-of-the-ordinary I feel will help me to create the extraordinary.
RP: Do you think that creativity involves putting your heart and soul into your work? Or is it more like letting your mind flow freely to witness the surprising results of your actions?
TB: Every painting I create lives with me for quite some time, as my process is somewhat involved. Since I still work full-time during the day, I only paint at night - and not every night, either so sometimes it’s a 3-4 week journey from concept to completion. I love the process of watching my paintings begin as a sketch on a canvas and step-by-step, they turn into a final product. My process isn’t exactly free-flowing though I have done a number of paintings using a palette knife which is more exploratory. But overall, my process is building a painting, much like you might construct a model. You can’t jump ahead and add propellers before you first have installed wings!
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| Tom Blood. “Brave New World.” 2020. Acrylic on Canvas, 30"x40”. |
RP: When was the first time that you remember realizing that you are a creative person?
TB: I have always had the ability to draw. When I was in 7th grade, I was put in charge of creating a float for our school parade. I loved the comic strip, “Beetle Bailey”. So I re-created all of the main characters - creating cardboard cutouts of Beetle, Sgt. Snorkel, General Halftrack, Cookie and Otto the dog. They were about 3-4 feet high, all facing outward on the float. It won first place and was a lot of fun to create. That ability to scale continued through high school where I created two different murals as well as a 14-foot high recreation of a Roger Dean painting for our Junior Ring dance and on into college. If I could work on a 10’x12’ canvas or larger, I would love it! I made a career out of being creative, working in the advertising industry. Every day, I’m creating. It is a faucet that I hope never gets turned off.
RP: Do you have a studio routine? Most creative time of day to work? Process of thinking or setting up before you begin making?
TB: Since I’m still doing advertising and marketing by day, I mainly paint at night. That’s generally from about 7 to 10 p.m. I generally know what I want to accomplish before I enter my studio and most times, I accomplish it - though setbacks do happen. Since I’m trying to paint realistically to achieve my surrealistic visions, there are often angles and shapes that you discover are wrong once there’s paint on the canvas. With my style of painting, I don’t believe in painting over mistakes. Instead, I try to scrape the canvas with an X-acto knife, using it almost as an eraser. Then I’ll hit the canvas with some titanium white and go back and try and fix what I’ve done. I’m sure that’s not the process that most artists use but it seems to work for me.
RP: Why did you choose the medium you work in?
TB: I began painting using a combination of airbrush and acrylic. I had never used an airbrush before so I went out and bought a few books on how to use it. Early on, I decided that I liked the combo of airbrush and acrylic and I also knew I wasn’t nearly skilled enough with an airbrush to pursue that exclusively. But the technique of masking things off has remained with me and is still a key part of how I paint. When I resumed painting after my 17-year layoff, using airbrush was out of the question. I was working on small canvases in my downstairs office and masking off and spraying paint simply wasn’t an option. So I began doing all my painting with acrylics.
I have dabbled in oil before but the impossibly long drying time and my tendency to blur colors into a horrible derivative of what I was seeking turned me away from oil. I’ve experimented with watercolor and pastels but was never happy with the result. So acrylic remains as my primary choice for the immediate future.
RP: What kind of music, books, and movies do you listen to while making art, if any?
TB: I have more than 2400 songs downloaded on my iTunes. I often put it on shuffle and listen to it played through our Bose speaker. Other times, I zero in on one group and hit shuffle on them - Fleet Foxes, Cage the Elephant, Beck, Grizzly Bear, Billie Eilish, Radiohead, Yes, Tears for Fears and The Chemical Brothers are all frequent guests in my painting studio!
TB: I have always had the ability to draw. When I was in 7th grade, I was put in charge of creating a float for our school parade. I loved the comic strip, “Beetle Bailey”. So I re-created all of the main characters - creating cardboard cutouts of Beetle, Sgt. Snorkel, General Halftrack, Cookie and Otto the dog. They were about 3-4 feet high, all facing outward on the float. It won first place and was a lot of fun to create. That ability to scale continued through high school where I created two different murals as well as a 14-foot high recreation of a Roger Dean painting for our Junior Ring dance and on into college. If I could work on a 10’x12’ canvas or larger, I would love it! I made a career out of being creative, working in the advertising industry. Every day, I’m creating. It is a faucet that I hope never gets turned off.
RP: Do you have a studio routine? Most creative time of day to work? Process of thinking or setting up before you begin making?
TB: Since I’m still doing advertising and marketing by day, I mainly paint at night. That’s generally from about 7 to 10 p.m. I generally know what I want to accomplish before I enter my studio and most times, I accomplish it - though setbacks do happen. Since I’m trying to paint realistically to achieve my surrealistic visions, there are often angles and shapes that you discover are wrong once there’s paint on the canvas. With my style of painting, I don’t believe in painting over mistakes. Instead, I try to scrape the canvas with an X-acto knife, using it almost as an eraser. Then I’ll hit the canvas with some titanium white and go back and try and fix what I’ve done. I’m sure that’s not the process that most artists use but it seems to work for me.
RP: Why did you choose the medium you work in?
TB: I began painting using a combination of airbrush and acrylic. I had never used an airbrush before so I went out and bought a few books on how to use it. Early on, I decided that I liked the combo of airbrush and acrylic and I also knew I wasn’t nearly skilled enough with an airbrush to pursue that exclusively. But the technique of masking things off has remained with me and is still a key part of how I paint. When I resumed painting after my 17-year layoff, using airbrush was out of the question. I was working on small canvases in my downstairs office and masking off and spraying paint simply wasn’t an option. So I began doing all my painting with acrylics.
I have dabbled in oil before but the impossibly long drying time and my tendency to blur colors into a horrible derivative of what I was seeking turned me away from oil. I’ve experimented with watercolor and pastels but was never happy with the result. So acrylic remains as my primary choice for the immediate future.
RP: What kind of music, books, and movies do you listen to while making art, if any?
TB: I have more than 2400 songs downloaded on my iTunes. I often put it on shuffle and listen to it played through our Bose speaker. Other times, I zero in on one group and hit shuffle on them - Fleet Foxes, Cage the Elephant, Beck, Grizzly Bear, Billie Eilish, Radiohead, Yes, Tears for Fears and The Chemical Brothers are all frequent guests in my painting studio!
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| Tom Blood's studio. |
RP: Describe your studio space.
TB: We moved into our current home about 2-1/2 years ago. At the time, it had an unfinished basement so we got the opportunity to design the basement we’ve always wanted. Included was my art studio, complete with a slop sink, two tables in an L-shape and a storage area. It’s an awesome space.
My only wish is that we had more storage and space for me to create even larger format paintings. I have storage bins for my paints but my tendency is to simply leave a ton of my most commonly used colors out on the table. People ask me how I find the colors I need. Most times, before I begin a session, I’ll put out the colors I think I’ll be using that night and group them in the front of the mess of paint tubes. I have also filled my studio with knickknacks from my past. There is a statue of Thomas Aquinas, my patron saint and a small statue of David that was used in a Pasta House Company commercial years ago. I have always collected weird little odds and ends. They are at home in my studio!
RP: Describe your dream studio.
TB: It would still be in our home but we’d need an even bigger home, which is not going to happen. It would be set up so that I could create 14’x20’ paintings or larger. But then I guess I would need someone to frame them out for me. Currently, I get all of my canvases pre-stretched and ready to go. I have no desire to prep a canvas.
RP: Best advice you were ever given?
TB: Photographer Michael Eastman encouraged me to paint real things. Not just made up ideas that I was trying to illustrate. He said that would make me a better painter overall. I took that advice to heart. But I have never abandoned finding a surrealist twist to add to the reality I am painting. Just like I prefer fiction vs non-fiction, I prefer paintings that aren’t always as they seem.
RP: What do you do to support your art and how does that impact your art practice?
TB: I have tried my best to push my work out via social media. I have a number of different websites that feature my work and perhaps I’m on too many. I really don’t know. I have my own artist website where I have never sold a single painting. I’m on Fine Art America where I have sold a variety of items featuring my art like phone cases, pillow throws, shower curtains, greeting cards and other assorted items. My work is on a website out of Hong Kong where I have made two actual painting sales and I just debuted on a Paris based site. I’ve sold work via Saatchi Art and lots of prints on a site called Artfully Walls. ArtLoupe (owned and operated by Art Saint Louis) has been very generous in showcasing my work - but nary a sale.
I’m on several other sites as well and also push work out on Facebook and Instagram. What I haven’t been able to do is build any type of a St. Louis following and I’m still hoping a St. Louis based art gallery will give me the same type of shot that I was given back in the early 1990s. But these are different times and the gallery business isn’t exactly hopping right now. This past year, I have done some commissioned work which has been both a challenge and fun at the same time. Unfortunately for artists, you have to devote almost as much time to actively promoting your art as you do creating it.
These days, anyone and just about everyone can be an artist as there are so many tools you can use to turn a photograph into an amazing poster with just a bit of photoshop. I follow more than a thousand artists on Instagram and there are some amazing works being done. It is humbling when you realize you’re good but there are probably millions in the world who are equally good in their own way, just doing different things.
RP: What advice would you give your younger artist self?
TB: Paint more. Explore more. Try more. And don’t worry about sales. Just keep creating.
RP: What do you wish someone would ask you about you or your art?
TB: Would you be willing to sell several of these pieces? That would be awesome. I would also love to hear, “We saw your work and want to know if you would be interested in being represented at our art gallery and having a show?”
RP: What motivates you to continue making art?
TB: I want to get better as an artist. That can only come from continuing to pursue what I do. Every time I start a new painting, it’s my chance to do the best work I’ve ever done. Will it turn out that way? The only way to find out is to begin.
RP: What is the best thing about being an artist?
TB: I never know what I’m going to create next. There is no rhyme or reason to my subject matter. I search for ideas and when I find something that interests me, I paint it. So I guess my art is like that proverbial box of chocolates - you never know what you’re going to get. But I do indeed love to paint. There’s a hashtag I follow on Instagram - it’s called “#artislife" - I’m in complete agreement with that sentiment.
RP: Has rejection ever affected your creative process?
TB: Being in the advertising business, I have dealt with rejection my entire career. When you’re presenting concepts, you often present 2-3 campaign ideas. Because there is no actual formula for the creative process regarding what works and what doesn’t. Sometimes the client loves what you present, sometimes it’s back to the proverbial drawing board. So, no, I’m not new to rejection. I have had numerous galleries tell me, “No, we don’t want to show your work.”
I have submitted work to multiple artistic venues and received rejection. A few times, I asked why my work wasn’t considered good enough. I received very constructive criticism and it was all well-founded. My technique isn’t the best. My execution is rarely flawless. When I paint humans, they look more cartoony than real. I have tried to focus on improving all of those aspects and will continue to do so. If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse. My goal is to always try and get better.
Learn more about Tom Blood: https://bloodlinesart.com and www.instagram.com/tomblood_art/ and https://www.facebook.com/TBloodmanTB: We moved into our current home about 2-1/2 years ago. At the time, it had an unfinished basement so we got the opportunity to design the basement we’ve always wanted. Included was my art studio, complete with a slop sink, two tables in an L-shape and a storage area. It’s an awesome space.
My only wish is that we had more storage and space for me to create even larger format paintings. I have storage bins for my paints but my tendency is to simply leave a ton of my most commonly used colors out on the table. People ask me how I find the colors I need. Most times, before I begin a session, I’ll put out the colors I think I’ll be using that night and group them in the front of the mess of paint tubes. I have also filled my studio with knickknacks from my past. There is a statue of Thomas Aquinas, my patron saint and a small statue of David that was used in a Pasta House Company commercial years ago. I have always collected weird little odds and ends. They are at home in my studio!
RP: Describe your dream studio.
TB: It would still be in our home but we’d need an even bigger home, which is not going to happen. It would be set up so that I could create 14’x20’ paintings or larger. But then I guess I would need someone to frame them out for me. Currently, I get all of my canvases pre-stretched and ready to go. I have no desire to prep a canvas.
RP: Best advice you were ever given?
TB: Photographer Michael Eastman encouraged me to paint real things. Not just made up ideas that I was trying to illustrate. He said that would make me a better painter overall. I took that advice to heart. But I have never abandoned finding a surrealist twist to add to the reality I am painting. Just like I prefer fiction vs non-fiction, I prefer paintings that aren’t always as they seem.
RP: What do you do to support your art and how does that impact your art practice?
TB: I have tried my best to push my work out via social media. I have a number of different websites that feature my work and perhaps I’m on too many. I really don’t know. I have my own artist website where I have never sold a single painting. I’m on Fine Art America where I have sold a variety of items featuring my art like phone cases, pillow throws, shower curtains, greeting cards and other assorted items. My work is on a website out of Hong Kong where I have made two actual painting sales and I just debuted on a Paris based site. I’ve sold work via Saatchi Art and lots of prints on a site called Artfully Walls. ArtLoupe (owned and operated by Art Saint Louis) has been very generous in showcasing my work - but nary a sale.
I’m on several other sites as well and also push work out on Facebook and Instagram. What I haven’t been able to do is build any type of a St. Louis following and I’m still hoping a St. Louis based art gallery will give me the same type of shot that I was given back in the early 1990s. But these are different times and the gallery business isn’t exactly hopping right now. This past year, I have done some commissioned work which has been both a challenge and fun at the same time. Unfortunately for artists, you have to devote almost as much time to actively promoting your art as you do creating it.
These days, anyone and just about everyone can be an artist as there are so many tools you can use to turn a photograph into an amazing poster with just a bit of photoshop. I follow more than a thousand artists on Instagram and there are some amazing works being done. It is humbling when you realize you’re good but there are probably millions in the world who are equally good in their own way, just doing different things.
RP: What advice would you give your younger artist self?
TB: Paint more. Explore more. Try more. And don’t worry about sales. Just keep creating.
RP: What do you wish someone would ask you about you or your art?
TB: Would you be willing to sell several of these pieces? That would be awesome. I would also love to hear, “We saw your work and want to know if you would be interested in being represented at our art gallery and having a show?”
RP: What motivates you to continue making art?
TB: I want to get better as an artist. That can only come from continuing to pursue what I do. Every time I start a new painting, it’s my chance to do the best work I’ve ever done. Will it turn out that way? The only way to find out is to begin.
RP: What is the best thing about being an artist?
TB: I never know what I’m going to create next. There is no rhyme or reason to my subject matter. I search for ideas and when I find something that interests me, I paint it. So I guess my art is like that proverbial box of chocolates - you never know what you’re going to get. But I do indeed love to paint. There’s a hashtag I follow on Instagram - it’s called “#artislife" - I’m in complete agreement with that sentiment.
RP: Has rejection ever affected your creative process?
TB: Being in the advertising business, I have dealt with rejection my entire career. When you’re presenting concepts, you often present 2-3 campaign ideas. Because there is no actual formula for the creative process regarding what works and what doesn’t. Sometimes the client loves what you present, sometimes it’s back to the proverbial drawing board. So, no, I’m not new to rejection. I have had numerous galleries tell me, “No, we don’t want to show your work.”
I have submitted work to multiple artistic venues and received rejection. A few times, I asked why my work wasn’t considered good enough. I received very constructive criticism and it was all well-founded. My technique isn’t the best. My execution is rarely flawless. When I paint humans, they look more cartoony than real. I have tried to focus on improving all of those aspects and will continue to do so. If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse. My goal is to always try and get better.
MARGARET NICHOLSON
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| Featured in Art Saint Louis' virtual exhibit, "This Moment": Margaret Nicholson, Maryland Heights, MO. “American Portrait.” 2020. Photo Mosaic, 16”x20”. $200. |
About the artist: Margaret Nicholson is a St. Louis-based artist. She received a BFA in Photography from Southern Illinois University in 2002 and MA in Art Education from the University of Missouri Saint Louis in 2013. Nicholson has been included in over 30 group exhibitions and two solo exhibitions. Her work is inspired by colors, patterns and textures that are seen in nature. The media in which she concentrates include photography, sculpture, textiles, and collage. She has been teaching art for over 13 years. Previously, Nicholson taught Preschool to 12th grade in the city of St. Louis and Hazelwood School District and she currently teaches high school art in the Ferguson-Florissant School District.
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| Margaret Nicholson. “Open.” 2020. Acrylic on Canvas, 16”x20”. $100. |
Roxanne Phillips: What is it about “This Moment” theme that speaks to you?
Margaret Nicholson: This is a very unprecedented time in history we are all living through. This moment in time the whole world is feeling the effects of the virus and political issues.I feel as an artist it is my responsibility to speak out what we feel as collective in this moment in time.
Margaret Nicholson: This is a very unprecedented time in history we are all living through. This moment in time the whole world is feeling the effects of the virus and political issues.I feel as an artist it is my responsibility to speak out what we feel as collective in this moment in time.
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| Margaret Nicholson. “Furture Feminist.” 2018. Photograph on Canvas, 11”x14”. $75. |
RP: How has Coronavirus changed your art practice?
MN: The virus has changed my art practice by allowing me more time in my studio and to meditate what my art should represent. As I worked in my studio and reflected on current events in the world, I felt even more urgency to create artwork for social justice.
MN: The virus has changed my art practice by allowing me more time in my studio and to meditate what my art should represent. As I worked in my studio and reflected on current events in the world, I felt even more urgency to create artwork for social justice.
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| Margaret Nicholson's studio. |
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| Margaret Nicholson. “Living in 2020.” 2020. Mixed Media on Canvas, 36”x36”. $200. |
RP: Do you think that creativity involves putting your heart and soul into your work? Or is it more like letting your mind flow freely to witness the surprising results of your actions?
MN: In my younger years, my focus was to make perfect art. I was always so focused on making art that would please people like my teachers, art galleries, etc. I became a public art teacher in 2007 and saw my students worrying about not making mistakes. This caused them not to even try to make art. I began to teach my students that the process of making art is more important than the finished piece of artwork. For if we focus on making perfect pieces of art, what have we learned? What fun or joy are we receiving from the art process. My approach now to making art is enjoying the process of making art.
MN: In my younger years, my focus was to make perfect art. I was always so focused on making art that would please people like my teachers, art galleries, etc. I became a public art teacher in 2007 and saw my students worrying about not making mistakes. This caused them not to even try to make art. I began to teach my students that the process of making art is more important than the finished piece of artwork. For if we focus on making perfect pieces of art, what have we learned? What fun or joy are we receiving from the art process. My approach now to making art is enjoying the process of making art.
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| Margaret Nicholson. “Ferguson 2014.” 2014. Photograph on Canvas, 11”x14”. $75. |
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| Margaret Nicholson. “Vess.” 2018. Photograph, 11”x14”. $75. |
RP: What is the best thing about being an artist?
MN: The best thing about being an artist is simply creating. I believe that an artist's job is to make something that is ordinary into extraordinary.
MN: The best thing about being an artist is simply creating. I believe that an artist's job is to make something that is ordinary into extraordinary.
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| Margaret Nicholson. “War Ready.” 2020. Photograph on Canvas, 11”x14”. $75. |
RP: Best advice you were ever given?
MN: The best advice I got is from my sculpture teacher when I was an undergraduate. He always said you are the creator of your life.
MN: The best advice I got is from my sculpture teacher when I was an undergraduate. He always said you are the creator of your life.
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| St. Louis artist and art educator Margaret Nicholson. |
Learn more about Margaret Nicholson: www.margaretnicholson.carbonmade.com and www.instagram.com/mnn6212012/
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Roxanne Phillips is an artist and art educator based in St. Louis since 2001. She earned a MFA in Printmaking & Drawing from Washington University in St. Louis and BFA in Painting & Drawing from University of North Texas. Roxanne is an adjunct art instructor at Washington University in St. Louis and has worked with Art Saint Louis since 2017 as Administrative Assistant and Installer. From 2018-2020 she was Master Printer for Pele Prints. Her works have been featured in numerous exhibitions throughout the St. Louis region including at Art Saint Louis, Crossroads Art Studio & Gallery, and St. Louis Artists’ Guild. Her work is currently available at Union Studio in St. Louis. She has served as exhibit Juror for several regional exhibits & art fairs. Roxanne is past Board member of St. Louis Women’s Caucus for Art.
Roxanne Phillips is an artist and art educator based in St. Louis since 2001. She earned a MFA in Printmaking & Drawing from Washington University in St. Louis and BFA in Painting & Drawing from University of North Texas. Roxanne is an adjunct art instructor at Washington University in St. Louis and has worked with Art Saint Louis since 2017 as Administrative Assistant and Installer. From 2018-2020 she was Master Printer for Pele Prints. Her works have been featured in numerous exhibitions throughout the St. Louis region including at Art Saint Louis, Crossroads Art Studio & Gallery, and St. Louis Artists’ Guild. Her work is currently available at Union Studio in St. Louis. She has served as exhibit Juror for several regional exhibits & art fairs. Roxanne is past Board member of St. Louis Women’s Caucus for Art.
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