By Roxanne Phillips
We
are pleased to present our second series of interviews with artists whose works are featured in our new in-Gallery
exhibit at Art Saint Louis, "
Remnants" (January 16-February 17, 2021). You can view all of the featured artworks and learn about the artists in our exhibition
Facebook album here and also read our Jurors' statements and more on
our website here.
We proudly introduce you to featured artists Duenne Schlarman, David Spear, and Susan Sontag.
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DUENNE SCHLARMAN
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Featured in Art Saint Louis’ “Remnants” exhibit: Award of Excellence recipient Duenne Schlarman, Edwardsville, IL. “Soaring.” 2020. Mixed Media: Trophies, Ribbons, Metals, Wood, Glue, Paint, 27”x62”x2.5”. NFS.
Artist’s statement: “Soaring
is about life and achievements. Some goals are tangible. Other goals
are the struggles we have on the inside. Regardless of the goals, we
all leave remnants of ourselves behind. What happens to the trophies
over the years? They get tossed away, they sit and collect dust, some
are put in a place of honor, but the impact is forever.”
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About the artist: Duenne Schlarman was born in Del Rio, Texas on a military base. Having a naturally shy temperament and moving throughout her childhood, Duenne was forced to experience new, strange, and beautiful things. She learned to adapt and create. Now her outgoing, curious and persevering attitude fuels her creative nature.
Roxanne Phillips: When did you begin to know what your art is about?
Duenne Schlarman: My art changes with each new chapter of my life. I am an eclectic artist. Teaching all different styles, mediums, time periods and so on in school, it’s hard to focus. So while my material and themes constantly change, they all have a connected theme and style. My art is typically made with smooth accurate graceful lines. I strive for a sense of harmony for all. Peace for myself and others.
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Duenne Schlarman. "7 West Mural.” 2017. Acrylic on Cinder Block, 20'x12’.
I painted this mural on the outside patio wall of 7 West bar and grill in
Trenton, IL. It is a historical piece that depicts what the town looked
like in the past along with a portrait of the family bringing in the new
facade of the current 7 West. |
RP:What was your career path? How did you get from being an aspiring artist to doing it?
DS: I’m dyslexic and had difficulty in school. Art was what I could do. In 7th grade I started to understand my challenges and said, “I will be an Art Teacher.” I wanted to make sure students had art. This gave me a purpose and drive. I knew I had to make the grades and go to college.
I got my undergraduate from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Art Education and my masters from SIUE. This is my 21st year teaching in the public school system. During this entire time (My Life) I have been creating art. I sold my first oil painting when I was in 7th grade. I may not have a large body of work, due to my dual career as an artist and teacher, but I’ve never stopped. Maybe one day, I’ll have more time. That's another inner debate.
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Duenne Schlarman. "Eagle Eyes.” 2018. Acrylic on Drywall, 9'x7'.
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RP: What do you find most challenging/rewarding about the creative process?
DS: The ups and downs of the creative process is a constant moving puzzle that keeps my mind intrigued. I love my idea and then in a split second it's horrible. Sometimes when I’m working, a sort of magic happens and it’s better than I ever imagined. Who needs human drama when you have the creative process.
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Duenne Schlarman. "Faux Red Doors.” 2018, Acrylic on Drywall, 8'x5'
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RP: What is most challenging about the St. Louis region to your art?
DS: Balancing teaching art and making art is one of my biggest challenges. While I love working with kids and the creative process, they drain my energy. LOL.
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Duenne Schlarman's home-based studio.
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RP: Do you have a sketchbook? What kinds of things do you put in it?
DS: YES! I have a sketchbook. Mostly I use it for ideas. My biggest brainstorms have come from sitting in my car waiting on my daughter at swim practice.
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Illinois-based artist Duenne Schlarman in her Belleville classrom.
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RP: Do you have a studio routine? Most creative time of day to work? Process of thinking or setting up before you begin making?
DS: I have two studios, my classroom and my studio at home. Both are a mess!!! I constantly have different projects going on all over the place. I work when I can. I like to become consumed with a project (get in the zone) but I’ve learned to fit stuff in when I can.
RP: Describe your dream studio.
DS: EVERYTHING! I want it all: big sinks, lots of space, counter tops, storage, ceramic, glass, wood, metal, ect. I need tech, but personally I like to get messy.
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Duenne Schlarman. "On The Fence.” 2018, Acrylic on Door Panels at the Cobblestone Eatery and Drinkery, Lebanon, IL.
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RP: What advice would you give your younger artist self?
DS: It’s o.k., relax and create.
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Duenne Schlarman. "Blues Tribute.” 2020. Acrylic on Drywall, 9'x12’.
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RP: What are you currently working on?
DS: I’m currently working on a large outdoor sculpture using a concrete maché technique.
RP: What is your future creative life?
DS: My future creative life is to focus MORE on my personal art!
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Illinois-based artist and educator Duenne Schlarman.
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Learn more about Duenne Schlarman: www.instagram.com/mrs.schlarman_art/ and www.facebook.com/Eye-Spy-Art-2405931002797988 and www.youtube.com/user/duenne1
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DAVID SPEAR
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Featured
in Art Saint Louis’ “Remnants” exhibit: Award of Excellence recipient
David Spear, Columbia, MO. “(After Benton) Box of Remnants #2.” 2017.
Oil on Canvas, 20”x18.5”x2.5”. Not for Sale.
Artist’s statement: “In
order to realize the compositional structures of his paintings the
Regionalist Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975) first created
three-dimensional maquettes to use as a visual reference. These
maquettes were loosely constructed, ephemeral sculptures made from
un-fired clay, wire, paint, and other temporary materials.
Consequentially, only a couple of these maquettes survived, often in
poor condition. For instance, Benton’s maquette in storage at the Museum
of Art and Archeology at the University of Missouri-Columbia was given
to them in pieces. This painting is of one of their museum trays
containing the fallen, crumbled, remnants of a story Benton once told.”
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About the artist: David Spear is an award-winning artist from Columbia Missouri. He earned his BFA from UMSL and his masters from MU. He currently works part-time as an exhibit designer for the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and works on freelance commissions the remaining time.
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David Spear. “In Transit.”
2007. Four paintings, Oil on Canvas, (2) 36”x36” and (2) 36”x48” at The
Wabash Bus Station in Columbia, MO. Prints available for purchase.
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Roxanne Phillips: Describe your artistic process/technique?
David Spear: I mainly work on illustrations, large scale paintings and graphic design in collaboration with a variety of people on projects that vary in concepts and often require different techniques, strategies and materials. These concepts are sorted in a design and development stage based in research and multiple drafts before executing a final product.
The painting displayed in Art Saint Louis' “Remnants” exhibit has its roots in a practice and concept developed in graduate school that dealt with the fragility of history and the art that depicts it.
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| David Spear. “After Benton.” 2018. Oil on Board, Handmade Frame, 40”x26”. $5,000. |
RP: What is the biggest point of inspiration for your artwork?
DS: Research, history, and working for a beneficial or educational cause.
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| David Spear. Images from sketchbook 2020 (right to left): “Phone Fix with Plexi Shield”, “The Fool” (self-portrait), “Behind The Renaissance.” Not for Sale. |
RP: Do you have a sketchbook? What kind of things do you put in it?
DS: I draw all the time and always have a sketchbook handy, almost like a security blanket. I’ll sketch people helping me fix my phone at the store, people sitting in a restaurant, my wife and children hanging out. I’ll doodle surreal ideas that come out of nowhere or sit and relax with art history books and construct collages of favorite works.
RP: What is the best thing about the St. Louis region for your art practice?
DS: The Secret Weapon, Jose Oquendo, was one of my favorite Cardinals players growing up in St. Louis. He knows the game so well that he is one of the few players that played every single position in one year (1988). He’s still a vital part of the organization. I’ve always admired his commitment to understanding his craft from as many perspectives as possible.
I try to implement that same philosophy in my own artistic practice by becoming familiar and practicing with a range of materials, techniques, and genres of art. This has allowed me to take on a wide variety of jobs, keep my artistic practice challenging, free up boundaries, and have the confidence to try new things.
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David Spear. “Danger Kitty.” 2020. 30’x10’ mural on the side of Harpo’s Restaurant and Bar in Columbia, MO. NFS.
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| David Spear. “Traveling Without Moving.” 2014. Oil on Canvas, 80”x56”. Private collection. Prints available for purchase. |
RP: On what are you currently working?
DS: For the Department of Conservation, I’m working on a portable snake exhibit, a painting for signage at Weldon-Springs conservation area, an invasive round goby illustration and sign for fisheries, designs for a seating area mimicking an eagle’s nest, and making Bright Sign video repairs for our Nature Center in Cape Girardeau.
In my freelance life, I’m painting an 8'x 6' oil painting of the McBaine Burr Oak tree and Missouri river, creating a vector for a 36'x 8' cutout mural for a local restaurant, designing murals for an arcade, designing and planning for an outdoor 100'x 20' mural in the spring, and updating and marketing my website where I sell prints.
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| David Spear. “The Imperialist.” 2011. On on Board, Handmade Frame, 36”x42.5”. $7,500. |
RP: What qualities attract you to other artists’ works?
DS: I really appreciate all genres, mediums or methods of art that has intention, meaning, and gives insight into the complexities of the human condition, but I’m especially attracted to the union of technical skill and innovative concepts. The Ghent Altarpiece, Goya’s “Los Caprichos,” caricatures by Daumier and Grosz, Gaudi’s architecture, Duchamp’s “Fountain,” Anish Kapoor’s “Cloud,” Lee Bonticou’s mobiles, Christian Marclay’s “Clocks”, and that’s just a pinch of the western hemisphere… the list goes on. The assemblage outfits of Nick Cave, St. Louis artists Bill Christman and Cbabi Bayoc. There’s so much. I’m constantly amazed, baffled, and inspired by art. There’s certainly enough to feed off of.
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Artist David Spear's studio with works in progress.
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Artist David Spear's Columbia, MO studio.
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RP: Has rejection ever affected your creative process? If so, how?
DS: If you’re an artist that takes chances then you’re bound to be rejected at some point but that doesn’t mean nothing is gained from the experience. My rejections (a long list that I’m not willing to sincerely contemplate at this time) provided me with more knowledge than my successes. In short, without the rejection there would be no success.
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David Spear. View of works inside the Columbia Sports Complex in Columbia, MO. Pictured from left to right: “The Goal.”
2019. Oil on Board, 18”; “Boundaries.” 2019. Two-sided PVC Board,
Acrylic Paint, Plexi, LED Lights, 108”x108”; “Game Time.” 2019. PVC PVC
Board, Acrylic Paint, Paint, Plexi, LED Lights, Working Clock, 120”x30”.
Not for Sale.
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RP: What advice would you give your younger artist self?
DS: I’d start with the four agreements.
1. Be impeccable with your word
2. Don’t take anything personally
3. Don’t make assumptions
4. Always do your best.
Also:
Rejection burns. Don’t dwell on it. Nobody holds the key to success for you. Just turn your cheek and keep working. Moving on is an eventuality anyway.
When painting you can use black as a cool color, Liquin as a medium, and don’t forget to work in layers, thin to thick.
Embrace diverse materials, concepts, and technologies for art.
Keep reading, keep questioning, keep curious.
(these also apply as advice to my present and older self)
Oh, and bet it all for the Cards to win the series in ’06 & ’11.
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Columbia, MO-based artist David Spear.
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Learn more about David Spear: www.alleywayarts.com and www.instagram.com/spearpainter/ and www.facebook.com/Spearpainter
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SUSAN SONTAG
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Featured in “Remnants” exhibit at Art Saint Louis: Susan Sontag, St. Louis, MO. “Fabric Scrap Mask.” 2020. Fiber, 6.5”x10”x.25”. $100.
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Featured in “Remnants” exhibit at Art Saint Louis: Susan Sontag, St. Louis, MO. “Fabric Scraps.” 2020. Ink on Paper. 10”x8”. $150.
Artist’s
statement: “This year I made cotton face masks for friends and loved
ones, instead of creating one of a kind wearable art pieces. Fabric Scraps 1
is the first of a series of small drawings I made of mask scraps on my
sewing table, and Fabric Scraps Mask is a compilation of mask scraps,
because I try to use materials responsibly." |
About the artist: I have a BFA in printmaking from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. After graduation I worked full time in graphic design in Chicago and eventually returned to St Louis, where I became irrevocably devoted to fiber when I made my wedding dress.
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| Susan Sontag. "Bustling Nocturnal Garden.” 2017. Acrylic Painted Lithograph, 17”x22”. $350. |
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Susan Sontag. (front view) “Olive Jacket.” 2019. Fiber Art: Hand and Machine Stitched. Sold.
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Roxanne Phillips: Why do you make art?
Susan Sontag: It takes a lot of discipline to suppress my creativity. Creating is what I usually want to do.
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Susan Sontag’s St. Louis-based small studio.
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Home studio of St. Louis-based artist Susan Sontag.
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| Susan Sontag. (back view) ”Sparkled Fog.”
2019. Fiber Art: Fabric Collage on Base/Underlining Fabric; Lined, Hand
and Machine Stitched, Hand Beaded, 30”x27”x6”. $1,400. |
RP: What is the biggest point of inspiration for your artwork?
SS: Natural, organic forms.
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Susan Sontag. "Fred Portrait" 2015. Acrylic on Canvas, 18.5”x14.5”. NFS.
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Susan Sontag. "There's A Chill in the Air.” 2020. Ink on Paper, 8”x10”. Sold.
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RP: Do you have a sketchbook? What kinds of things do you put in it?
SS: I draw in a sketchbook everyday, most often plant forms, animals, fashion, fiber ideas, and I sketch art I when I'm in a museum.
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Susan Sontag. "Fox" 2020. Archival Print of ink on Paper, 8”x10”. $150.
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| Susan Sontag Art at “Baer Home Show 2019,” St. Louis, MO. |
RP: What is your preferred way to exhibit and sell your art?
SS: I love participating in St. Louis gallery exhibits and selling work in gallery shops, and I've learned in recent years that it's really fun to participate in home shows with good friends. I've also sold work through my Instagram and Facebook pages.
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Susan Sontag. "Printed Fabric Orange & Gold.” 2019. Hand Printed Fabric, 18”x27". $350.
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| Susan Sontag. "Butterfly" 2020. Archival Print of ink on Paper, 8”x10" $150. |
RP: What is your future creative life?
SS: My goal is to use all of the materials I own, which includes a lot of fabric, glass beads, yarn, paint, drawing materials, printing ink, and printing screens with images made from my sketchbook drawings.
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Susan Sontag. "Cloche Hat" 2020. Archival Print of Ink on Paper, 8”x10”. $150.
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| Susan Sontag. (back view) “Dot Collage Jacket.” 2019. Fiber Art: Hand and Machine Stitched, Hand Painted, Hand Burnished. Sold. |
RP: What qualities attract you to other artists' works?
SS: Drawing ability, handwork, and organic forms.
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| Susan Sontag with her work in the “Urban Wanderers” exhibition Saint Louis University Museum of Art in 2017. |
Learn more about Susan Sontag: www.instagram.com/sontag.s/ and www.facebook.com/susan.sontag.35/
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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.
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