ROXANNE PHILLIPS
About the artist: 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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| Featured in Art Saint Louis’ “This Moment” exhibit: Roxanne Phillips, St. Louis, MO. “Telephone Pole.” May 2020. Relief Print, Thread, Cotton Fabric, 6”x4” unframed. $300. |
Roxanne Phillips: How has Coronavirus changed your art practice?
Roxanne Phillips:
My art practice has changed for the better. I’m not able to say that
about most aspects of life but for the art it’s great. I have made more
art in the last 5 months than I have made in the last 5 years. Mostly
due to freed up time. I’ve also been in more exhibits. Before the
shutdown I participated in a few online exhibits but was never sure how
many views the art really had. When the world was forced to go online I
think many more people were viewing art online and the art received more
notice. I have had more time to research images, experiment with
techniques and force myself to play with the material I have on hand. As
things slowly reopen and I have more demands on my time I’m not getting
a full day for the studio but I am still managing 2-3 hours. I just
need to figure out a way to make this consistent when we go back to 100%
reopen.
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| Roxanne Phillips: “Still Life.” 2012. Reductive Relief, 15”x22”. Edition of 12. $280. |
RP: Please share your best memory/memories of your time at Art Saint Louis.
RP: I have many great memories of Art Saint Louis. It is one of the first galleries I experienced when I moved here 20 years ago, and it has always been inviting and supportive. I have exhibited as a member and non-member, I have volunteered when not exhibiting, I am currently working part-time the gallery.
The best time I have had is when volunteering. When I volunteered for an exhibit install there were only a few artists working together and it was a good time to get to know each other better sharing stories, techniques, or life experiences. Volunteering at receptions is wonderful - you get to talk to every person for a short amount of time. It makes me feel more a part of the community while supporting the gallery.
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| Roxanne Phillips: “Railroad Bridge.” 2012. Reductive Relief, 10”x18”. Edition of 12. $200 |
RP: What is it about your preferred medium that you enjoy the most?
RP: My primary medium is printmaking but I combine it with other mediums such as drawing, college, or currently fiber. The decision of which medium to use for a piece, can vary depending on concept of the piece, access to equipment, and time restraints. I do all processes of printmaking and which I choose to go with is conceptually based on the mark that I need for the image. The recent body of work that I am creating is relief prints.
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| Roxanne Phillips: “Lemp Two.” 2020. Relief Print on Cotton, Thread, 7”x5”. $350. |
RP: When did you begin to know what your art is about?
RP: After I graduated college and began making art for myself rather than assignments. I tend to work in conceptual series but I really have two approaches. One is when there is a current event that bothers me and I start brainstorming ideas to fix the problem or how the problem has evolved or repeated through time. Some of these themes have been very serious: boarder walls, boundaries, genocide, glass ceilings.
The second way I work is just to make pretty pieces that have no emotionally charged images- I think it is a way for me to de-stress from the world. With these pieces the colors are brighter; they are more about good design, and joy. I’m currently in the needing to de-stress and bring joy mode. I’m studying the sky and all its moods and translating them into print/fiber pieces. I hope they make people smile and look out at the beautiful sky.
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| Roxanne Phillips’ dining room studio view. |
RP: What do you do to support your art and how does that impact your art practice?
RP: I’ve always been very fortunate. The majority of positions I have had have been art-related in some way. The retail positions were always in picture framing or art departments. I have been teaching art on the college/university level for about 17 years, I have worked at many school galleries/museums. I’ve been master printer at Pele Prints, a fine art publisher. Here at Art Saint Louis, I am part time Administrative Assistant and Exhibitions Installer.
Many fellow artists know the struggle of supporting your life while supporting your art. I usually have 3-5 jobs going at any given time. It does make it challenging to find time to create. I like being very busy, it is when I function best.
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| Roxanne Phillips: “Lantern.” 2020. Relief Print on Cotton, Thread,7”x5”. $350. |
RP: Has rejection ever affected your creative process? Explain.
RP: When fresh out of school I began applying to group exhibits and quickly learned that I was not as great of an artist as I thought I was. I would apply to 10 exhibits and get rejected by all 10. It was very humbling. I learned a great deal from this process and my art has gotten stronger from it.
I now only submit if my concept truly aligns with the theme instead of bending my artist statement to fit the theme. I keep experimenting with processes and techniques. I pay more attention to craftsmanship because it does impact how the piece reads. How a piece is presented can make or break acceptance an example of this is framing, photographing and lighting when documenting art.
I’ve also developed a thick skin when it comes to rejection. It is not personal. The jurors' job is to select a body of work. They may have liked my piece but it did not fit with the other pieces. The important thing is that I tried and that I will keep trying.
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| Roxanne Phillips: “Mixmaster.” 2012. Reductive Relief, 11”x15”. Edition of 12. $200. |
Learn more about Roxanne Phillips: www.roxannephillips.com and www.instagram.com/rphillipsprints
MAURICE HIRSCH
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| Featured in Art Saint Louis’ “This Moment” exhibit: Maurice Hirsch. “Juxtaposition.” Spring 2020. Digital Photograph, 27.5”x18”. NFS. Artist’s statement. “This image reflects the contrast of the lives we’re experiencing these days. A whole industry seemed to spring up for masks, both washable and disposable, a metaphor for what we face every day. Yet there is hope in humankind and nature blooming all around us.” |
About the artist: Maurice (Bud) Hirsch is an award-winning photographic artist and poet based in Chesterfield, MO.
Roxanne Phillips; What is it about the “This Moment” theme that speaks to you?
Maurice Hirsch: Obviously, we’ve all had time staying home, being separated from friends and family. This separation from the usual to the unusual is what speaks to me.
RP: How has Coronavirus changed your art practice?
MH: It’s kept me isolated and not being able to travel to shoot images or even to go out much to do so.
RP: What are some things that Art Saint Louis does for the community about which you find inspiration?
MH: ASL provides a window for artists through which to be seen and heard.
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| Maurice Hirsch. “Defying Gravity.” 2020. Digital Photograph using Canon 7D MkII. NFS. |
RP: How has Art Saint Louis had an impact on your life and/or the lives of artists with whom you've directly worked?
MH: For me, I can contrast the art I and others submit to the photo competitions in which I engage. The ASL experience is so much more affirming.
RP: What inspired you to become a member of Art Saint Louis?
MH: Well…..you know. To support Robin and the organization.
RP: Please share your best memory/memories of your time at Art Saint Louis.
MH: The openings are always fun. Lots of people that I would not see otherwise. I always enjoy seeing who has the most funky clothes on at those great events.
RP: What is the best thing about Art Saint Louis for your art practice?
MH: A well-respected and professional organization that has the artists’ interests foremost.
RP: What do you do to support your art and how does that impact your art practice?
MH: I retired over 20 years ago.
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| Maurice Hirsch. “South Broadway.” 2020. Digital Photograph using Canon 7D MkII. NFS. |
RP: Describe your artistic process/technique.
MH: I am a digital photographer. I am mostly drawn to street photography and urban scenes. I shoot in RAW and spend time post-processing in Lightroom.
RP: What was it that first prompted your career/activity as an artist?
MH: I’ve been a photographer for almost 70 years. I was first inspired by my Dad, who had an advertising agency and who gave me my first cameras and darkroom.
RP: When was the first time that you remember realizing that you are a creative person?
MH: Probably in the late 1950s when I got better cameras and had a B&W darkroom.
RP: When did you begin to know what your art is about?
MH: I’ve been defining and refining over almost 70 years. I think that my jumping into DSLR cameras and travels abroad on photo trips has helped me anchor my craft.
RP: What is it about your preferred medium that you enjoy the most?
MH: The immediacy of digital photography as well as the ability to take several shots to make sure you get the one you want … instead of the old days with 36-exposure film and a wait for processing to see what you got.
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?
MH: When you are on the street with a camera, there is the immediacy of what is going on around you that you have to corral. There is waiting in place to see what composition forms as people pass by.
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| Maurice Hirsch. “Ballero Market, Palermo.” 2020. Digital Photograph using Canon 7D MkII. NFS. |
RP: Do you have a studio routine? Most creative time of day to work? Process of thinking or setting up before you begin making?
MH: My routine has two phases. (1) If I am on a photo trip away from home, I download images every night and make notes on each where they were taken and of what and with whom. When I get back home, I do all the post-processing on a large computer. (2) I go back into my earlier work from the last two decades so see what I missed the first time around and what can be processed again with the newer version of Lightroom.
RP: Why did you choose the medium you work in?
MH: It’s the one medium I’m good at and I love it.
RP: Best advice you were ever given?
MH: Time. Take time. Wait. Don’t be in a hurry.
RP: What advice would you give your younger artist self?
MH: Watch, take time. Refine.
RP: What do you wish someone would ask you about you or your art?
MH: Why do you like street photography?
RP: What motivates you to continue making art?
MH: It’s what I do
RP: What is the best thing about being an artist?
MH: It’s all on me … what I want to do, what I like. It’s self-affirming.
RP: Has rejection ever affected your creative process?
MH: I have had more issues with rejection in photo competitions than in the juried art process. And it affects whether I want to submit to such competitions.
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| St. Louis-based artist Bud Hirsch in Villa San Marco. |
Learn more about Maurice Hirsch: www.hirschwrites.com
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| Featured in Art Saint Louis’ “This Moment” exhibit: Maria Ojascastro, St. Louis, MO. ”Yellow Shadow.” 2020. Metal Print of Original Acrylic on Canvas Board, 12”x9”. $80. Artist’s statement: “The black lines and cool blocks of colors in "Yellow Shadow" were inspired by Chagall's stained glass windows in the Art Institute of Chicago. The yellow shadow is a form that doesn't make sense, just as so much of my journey through the Pandemic doesn't make sense.” |
About the artist: I am passionate about using art for self-expression and encouraging change and awareness. I am a Visual Art for Well-Being Instructor who has lead workshops for educators, medical and mental health professionals, cancer survivors, and victims of trauma. I am a co-founder of Arts, Writing, and Expression Collaborative (AWE). AWE aims to help men transitioning out of the criminal justice system tell their story through visual art, creative writing and public performance.
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| Featured in Art Saint Louis’ “This Moment” exhibit: Maria Ojascastro, St. Louis, MO. “Wait.” 2020. Metal Print of Original Acrylic on Canvas Board, 12”x12”. $85. Artist’s statement: “Wait" is inspired by the frustration of waiting for the unknown. My palette knife layered textures and colors that evoked the discomfort in my head.” |
Roxanne Phillips: What is it about the "This Moment" theme that speaks to you?
Maria Ojascastro: "This Moment" was a perfect way for me to present the art I created between March and July 2020.
My artwork layers prints, paint, text, and found objects as a meditation on resilience, salvaged from the relics of interrupted journeys. The objects represented symbolizes the choice to move forward. The colors and textures are inspired by my journey of life – a combination of struggle, joy, and hope.
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| Maria Ojascastro. “Was I There When the Lemon Trees Bloomed in Naples?” 2020. Gelli Plate Monoprint, Acrylic on Bristol, 12”x9”. $195. |
RP: What was your career path? How did you get from being an aspiring artist to doing it?
MO: One of my favorite teachers MO: in college told me that if you just keep making art, you will outlast most. So here I am, over 30 years post college graduation. To keep a roof over my head, I was an arts administrator, arts educator, art for well-being instructor and for a very short stint a medical assistant. Sometimes I took a few months off, some times more than a year…
but I keep making art.
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| St. Louis artist Maria Ojascastro. |
RP: When did you begin to know what your art is about?
MO: In college I used my travels in the Philippines and Jamaica to inform the colors and textures in my work. I feel like the work was really about me as a Filipino-American. In graduate school I was pretty lost in who I was as a person and as an artist. It wasn’t until very recently that I realized that my art is for self-expression and to encourage change and awareness.
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| Maria Ojascastro. “Stand Up.” 2020. Photo Transfer, Acrylic on Canvas Board, 12”x16”. $200. |
RP: Describe your studio space – size, location, set up, what qualities must it have, what would you change?
MO: I moved my art studio/office space to my front yard about a month ago - under three apple trees and a large umbrella. The morning “music” are the birds singing to their mates. The stress of the pandemic and Zoom classes and meetings are draining. The extra vitamin D, fresh air, and nature nourishes me. My art storage space - studio during inclement weather is in my dining room - doesn’t have great natural light but it is the space that I walk through every single day - which makes it possible for me to make art almost every single day. I think if I move a good outdoor storage bin and purchase a fire pit, I might be able to keep my outdoor studio year round.
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| Maria Ojascastro's COVID-19 art studio. |
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| Maria Ojascastro. “I’m Still Here #2.” 2020. Gelli Plate Monoprint, Acrylic on Bristol, 12”x9”. $195. |
RP: How has Coronavirus changed your art practice?
MO: One of my artworks from July 2020 is titled "Look". The layers of textures and colors represent happy times in the midst of uncertainty. I like the yellow shadow because it doesn't make sense. Just like so much during the 2020 Pandemic doesn't make sense. I have created more meaningful work in the last five months than I have in any other period of my life while hustling for enough employment to keep a roof over my head. It doesn't make sense. Most artists do best when they have a deadline like an art opening. But April 2020 had very few deadlines for me. Most of my gigs were cancelled - when theatre performances are cancelled the director no longer needs me to paint large scale scenery. When stay at home orders are put in place, schools no longer need me to be a guest visiting artist.
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| Maria Ojascastro. “To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow #2.” 2020. Acrylic on Paper, 8”x8”. $150. |
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| Maria Ojascastro. “Crossing Borders.” 2020. Acrylic on Canvas Board with Paper Cut-Out, 12”x9”. $195. |
April and May's nature pulled me outside for long dazed walks that inspired my floral paintings. When June turned into July more uncertainty filled my news feed and social media. That's when strange yellow silhouettes appeared in my art. My palette knife layered textures and colors that evoked the discomfort in my head. As in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, was it the “divine attendant spirit” that came over me? Or was it just simply choosing my art to be my priority. There are a lot of unknowns right now. But one thing I do know, I am an art for well-being instructor. And I make art to feed my well-being.”
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| Maria Ojascastro. “Muddled Dreams.” 2020. Gelli Plate Monoprint Collage on Bristol, 12”x9”. $195. |
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| Maria Ojascastro. “A Still Life”. 2020. Gelli Plate Monoprint Collage with Nail Polish on Bristol, 12”x9”. $195. |
Learn more about Maria Ojascastro: www.mariaojascastroartstudio.com and www.bextraordinaire.com/ojascastro-gallery.html#/ and www.facebook.com/maria.ojascastro
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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