by Allison Carnell
We present to you our third in a series of interviews with artists whose works are featured in our current juried exhibit at Art Saint Louis, "Art St. Louis XXXVII, The Exhibition." Our 37th annual exhibit presents works by 56 St. Louis regional artists from
Missouri and Illinois and is on view November 6 through December 16, 2021. Art Saint Louis is located at 1223 Pine
Street in downtown St. Louis, Missouri.
Interviews for this post were conducted by Fall 2021 Intern Allison Carnell.
We are pleased to introduce you to featured artists Livia Xandersmith, Anthony Scheffler, and Janet Fons.
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LIVIA XANDERSMITH
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| Featured in Art Saint Louis' in-Gallery exhibit, “Art St. Louis XXXVII, The Exhibition” (November 6-December 16, 2021): Livia Xandersmith, University City, MO. “Please Stand By.” 2021. Oil, Screen Print on Canvas, 34.5”x28.5”. $1,000. |
Allison Carnell: What motivates you to continue making art?
Livia Xandersmith: There are so many unanswerable questions in the world. Who are we? Who am I? Why am I? Why are we? These questions can be scary to even begin to answer. Art lets me ask those questions in a physical way and lets me discover new ways of thinking these questions. I mash together ideas, objects, and feelings to find connections between seemingly opposite visuals. There are always interesting discoveries about myself and humanity that reveal themselves in the process.
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| Featured in Art Saint Louis virtual gallery exhibit, “Humanity” (October 1-December 1, 2021): Livia Xandersmith, University City, MO. “Connectivity.” 2019. Oil on Canvas, 31”x48”. $1,000 strip framed. Artist’s statement: “I am an artist living and working in St. Louis, Missouri. My work focuses on exploring social relationships in our contemporary world where media and technology try to divide us.” |
AC: Describe your artistic process/technique.
LX: I don't always have a composition or even a meaning in mind when I start a piece. There is something amazing that happens when you let yourself react to what you have already put on the canvas. I normally start with one image, object, or concept and react from there. My technique and many times my subject matter is psychological, so I've found that over planning can hide my raw artistic voice and identity.
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| Featured in Art Saint Louis virtual gallery exhibit, “Humanity” (October 1-December 1, 2021): Livia Xandersmith, University City, MO. “Delicate Differences.” 2019. Oil on Canvas, 36”x36”. $800 strip framed. Artist’s statement: “I am an artist living and working in St. Louis, Missouri. My work focuses on exploring social relationships in our contemporary world where media and technology try to divide us.” |
AC: What is the biggest point of inspiration for your artwork?
LX: Memory. So much of the work I make is a composite of my mind, life, and surroundings. Sometimes I am inspired by a good memories, other times it's a bad one. Trauma and memory have a complex relationship that always seems to make its presence known in my work. What better way to remember a memory or try to make sense of one than to create from it. I am also very inspired by surrealist painting, history, and pop culture.
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| Livia Xandersmith. “The Shakespeare Suicides: Cleopatra.” 2019. Oil on Canvas, 36"x24”. $600. |
AC: What qualities attract you to other artists’ work?
LX: I am interested in work that is layered. Art that allows viewers to take away different (but all correct) notions of meaning or connection. To me, art is best when it challenges us in some way. Maybe that is to think differently, to look inward, to ask or to answer a question, etc.
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| Livia Xandersmith. “Death of the Home.” 2021. Oil on Canvas, Magnet Letters, 24″x30″x1″. $400. |
AC: On what are you currently working?
LX: I am currently working on my graduate thesis project which is a large, multimedia panorama that will allow viewers to enter into a performative space while a moving painted scroll passes behind them. Unlike traditional panoramas that depict sublime landscapes, mine is painted with surreal, composite imagery that is purposefully chaotic and haphazard. The scroll is always moving and it can be difficult to fully take in each image as it passes. This is similar to our contemporary life, full of constantly updating news feeds of social, personal, and environmental problems that we don't have the time or mental space to process. This piece will be in the Mildred Lane Kemper Museum April 8 to mid-July, 2022.
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| Livia Xandersmith. “I'm Anxious and You're Watching Disney Channel.” 2021. Oil on Canvas, 20"x16″. $300. |
AC: When do your best ideas come to you?
LX: When I can't sleep. It's hard to know if I just can't get to sleep or if it's because I'm thinking about my work.
AC: When you're facing challenges during the creative process, what do you do?
LX: I work on other things to step away for a bit. Sometimes we are too close to something to see clearly. A little space, time, and sleep can help a lot.
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| Livia Xandersmith. “Picture Day.” 2021. Oil on Canvas and Wood, 96"x48"x48”. NFS. |
AC: Do you prefer to make one specific piece or a series of works?
LX: I used to prefer making series. But recently my work feels like it is moving and changing so quickly that making a series seems impossible. Hopefully, I can come back to making series sometime soon.
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| Livia Xandersmith. “Marginalized Masculinity.” 2018. Oil on Red Oak, 36"x24”. $500. |
AC: How has your art evolved throughout the years? Describe the different stages of creating.
LX: When I was younger I was so worried about making work that had a clear message and that everyone liked. But as I got older, I have been more open to making work about what I like, or what I'm interested in. Now I care more about being original and genuine than making work that will appeal to the masses. This has its challenges, but I get so much more out of my work when I am making it for myself. I started my MFA last fall. My work before grad school was more realistically rendered and focused on telling the stories and struggles of others. I am proud of this work, but I realized during the pandemic that I never make work about myself. So my goal for grad school was to look inward and to use art to explore my own identity.
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| Livia Xandersmith. “Persephone.” 2020. Oil on Canvas, 30″x18″. $450. |
AC: What do you like best about being an artist?
LX: I like the satisfaction of creating something out of nothing. It blows my mind that I can think something completely new into existence.
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| Livia Xandersmith. “Smothered.” 2019. Oil on Canvas, 48"x36”. NFS. |
AC: Do you use photo references when you work? Observe from life? From imagination?
LX: I use a combination of all those. Sometimes I want something to be realistically rendered, so I stick to a reference, but other times I start with references to get the basic shapes of things, after a while I come to a point where I put the picture away and just let my hands make up the rest. This creates a lot of images that are slightly off or eerie because they are real enough, but not exactly convincing. I like that hint of human imperfection that comes out when you can only rely on your imagination.
AC: Do you listen to music when you create?
LX: Yes! I listen to everything! I get obsessed with genres until I get burned out. I recently stopped listening to crooner music, and I switched to 80s pop.
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| Artist Livia Xandersmith in her St. Louis studio. |
Learn more about Livia Xandersmith: www.liviaxandersmith.com and www.instagram.com/liviaxandersmith.art
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ANTHONY SCHEFFLER
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| Featured in “Art St. Louis XXXVII, The Exhibition” (November 6-December 16, 2021): Anthony Scheffler, Creve Coeur, MO. “Welcome.” 2021, Wood, Found Metal, 32”x40”x3”, $2,500. |
Allison Carnell: When did you begin to know what your art is about?
Anthony Scheffler: I’m not sure that I know what mine or anyone else’s art “is about”. Frankly, I am suspect of those who would purport to know. I think the best art has a built-in element of speculation and discovery. I suspect that view is related to my aversion for interpretations by artists of their pieces. At the risk of sounding too existential, I think the best art does not have a prescribed “about” but is rather a connection that may be different for everyone who experiences a piece. I think we constrain work when we try to explain or categorize it.
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| Anthony Scheffler. “Purple Heart Tea.” 2017. Purple Heart, Ebony, Walnut, 8.5”x3”x8.5”. $900. |
AC: What is the biggest challenge with being an artist and juggling all that life throws at you?
AS: When I was young, I was standing by a lake being dug as the center piece of an upscale subdivision in a New Orleans East subdivision. As I was staring out at the giant, ornate fountain under construction in the middle of that lake, I heard someone come up beside me. “All it takes is time and money son, time and money.” And he walked away. I learned later that he was the owner of the development. For whatever reason those words have stuck with me. Perhaps because they’ve been reinforced so many times through my own personal and professional experiences. My greatest challenge as an artist, hasn’t been lack of inspiration, determination, energy or even skill, but rather the mundane stresses wrapped around trying to both make art and make a living.
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| Anthony Scheffler. “Scarred Techtonic.” 2020. Wood, Found Metal, 24”x7”x28”. $1,400. |
AC: What qualities attract you to other artists’ work?
AS: While I admire, respect, and often envy the technical skills evident is some pieces, I am most impressed by work that brings you into a space rich with fresh ideas and perspectives that may otherwise have been inaccessible.
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| Anthony Scheffler. “Unanticipated Consequences.” 2020. Wood, Metal, 32”x8”x48”. $2,700. |
AC: On what are you currently working?
AS: I bounce between fine craft pieces that are stylized interpretations of functional objects and abstract expressions. At any point in time you will find a mix of these pieces on my bench and others in my head. Currently I am exploring the next piece in my abstract series and at the same time I have a number of bamboo wall hanging vessels in various stages of construction sitting on my bench.
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| Anthony Scheffler. “Self-Reflection.” 2010. Cherry Wood, 14.5”x23”x3.5”. $3,000. |
AC: When you're facing challenges during the creative process, what do you do?
AS: Challenges come up every day. Some linger and others come and go. That said, to me challenges are like leg cramps. You have to walk them off, so to speak. Inaction won’t work. I try to meet a challenge by first understanding it and then either charging through it or developing a plan to get around it. Others you just have to live with.
AC: What work do you most enjoy doing?
AS: That’s hard to say. I enjoy the detail and “tight spaces” of fine craft. The audience also seems to appreciate the skill required to create these pieces and they also seem more comfortable with familiar objects, even if they are interpreted or stylized by the maker. At the same time, I really like the free expression and depth of abstraction. As a result, I tend to bounce between fine craft and the abstract wall sculpture.
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| Anthony Scheffler. “Sycamore Vessel.” 2021. Wood, 10”x3”x4.5”. $300. |
AC: What are you struggling with right now?
AS: Finding extended, uninterrupted time to work in the studio. Unfortunately, my schedule hasn’t allowed for such lately. Working in short bursts has never been very productive for me. I need time to focus and find a rhythm. For that reason, I’ll often head to the studio, which I share with other artists, very early and work alone, enjoying the quiet of the morning in the comfort of my own thoughts and the rhythm of my movements. I really enjoy my studio space, but I can see the day coming soon when I’ll need something larger. Unfortunately, it seems that may be very hard to find.
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| Anthony Scheffler. “Vessel on Metal Legs.” 2012. Wood, Metal, 10”x7”x1.5” $450. |
AC: What do you like best about being an artist?
AS: The freedom of expression and the rigors of the discovery process, which together help shape the final work. I very much enjoy finding a connection with the materials I use in my pieces. My preferred materials include figured wood, found metal objects, and bamboo. I tend to shy away from manufactured or processed items. I also enjoy not feeling bound to a predetermined plan or approach. I pretty much go into a project with only a vague idea of an outcome. Even when I try to do otherwise the final product always seems to have strayed from my original intent and often emerges as something more.
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JANET FONS
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| Featured in “Art St. Louis XXXVII, The Exhibition” (November 6-December 16, 2021): Janet Fons, St. Peters, MO. “Storm Rolling In.” 2021. Oil on Canvas, 30”x30”. $1,410. |
Allison Carnell: Describe your artistic process/technique.
Janet Fons: I paint in oil, either on stretched canvas for work larger than 16x20 or canvas panel for smaller work. I usually tone the canvas before beginning with a wash of burnt sienna thinned with gamsol. From there I create a loose notan to work out the composition. I use a semi-limited palette of warm and cool primary colors (alizarin red, cadmium red medium, ultramarine blue, cerulean, lemon yellow, cadmium yellow medium, plus earth colors burnt sienna and burnt umber and occasionally viridian depending on the subject. I also use Naples yellow to tint titanium white to a warmer hue. I paint with brushes and palette knives. I have a large variety of brushes from Robert Simmons Signet bristle Egberts to my favorites from Rosemary Brushes.
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| Janet Fons. “Windswept.” 2021. Oil on Canvas, 30”x30”. $1,410. |
AC: What is the most challenging technique you’ve mastered or wish to master?
JF: A challenging technique I try from time to time is glazing multiple layers of color using Liquin to create the glaze. It requires patience because each layer has to dry completely before adding the next layer. Since I generally paint alla prima this is a leap for me technique wise. (The Oil Painting Book by Bill Creevy explains this technique in detail.)
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| Janet Fons. “Fading Light.” 2020. Oil on Canvas, 18”x18”. $845. |
AC: What qualities attract you to other artists’ work?
JF: I’m attracted to artists who are really good at pushing and pulling paint. (I recently bought a small piece by Julie Davis, who is really excellent at getting to the essence of trees.) I also love Kami Medlick and Kim Casebeer’s plein air landscapes, although I follow many more on Instagram.
AC: When you're facing challenges during the creative process, what do you do?
JF: Challenges for me usually involve a problem with composition. I occasionally leap into a piece based on something that really excites me without working out the composition first. Those that I can’t rework generally land in the trash or the “sand” pile.
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| Janet Fons. “Open Road.” 2021. Oil on Canvas Panel Panel, 16”x12”. $660. |
AC: Do you prefer to make one specific piece or a series of works?
JF: I do work in series if I have an idea to explore that lends itself to multiple works. Lately my paintings have been more stand alone in subject matter.
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| Janet Fons. “Uphill Path.” 2021. Oil on Canvas Panel, 12”x12”. $565. |
AC: How has your art evolved throughout the years? Describe the different stages of creating.
JF: I started painting landscapes with oil pastels about 20 years ago and used them for about 8 years. I was attracted to the direct application of gorgeous color using my hands. I evolved a rather complicated routine of building cradled board, preparing my own surfaces with Golden pastel ground, and sealing the work with Liquitex gloss varnish to avoid having to frame the work under glass. Of course once I sealed these works, I could never go back and tweak anything. I’m so happy I switched to oils in 2010. It’s an endlessly fascinating medium with the added benefit: I can go back to a piece and rework a painting if need be. Plus learning color mixing is an endless challenge too.
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| Janet Fons in her St. Peters, MO studio. |
AC: Do you have a studio routine? Most creative time of day to work? Process of thinking or setting up before you begin making?
JF: I enjoy the solitude of my studio, working with my materials and figuring out the best surfaces to work on and which color mixes work best for my subjects. I’ve learned to spend more time mixing the right colors before diving in and starting the painting. I’m constantly trying new surfaces. I just discovered Pintura panels which I love. (Shout out to Kami Mendlick for the suggestion). I also switched to oil primed linen canvas after reading Richard Schmidt’s book Alla Prima II because it makes creating a notan much easier, specifically wiping out to bare (or white) canvas to create the lightest lights.
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| Janet Fons. “Waiting for Rain.” 2021. Oil on Canvas Panel, 18”x14”. $750. |
AC: What work do you most enjoy doing?
JF: My current passion is the sky, painting the different moods of clouds and weather. Clouds are fascinating, always changing and really stretch my color mixing ability to the max.
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| Janet Fons. Work in progress on the easel. |
AC: Do you use photo references when you work? Observe from life? From imagination?
JF: I do use photo references. I used to lug my canon around so I really appreciate smart phones. I always have a good, light weight camera with me now. I usually use parts of several references to create a composition and often fill in with my imagination to get the effect I want.
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| Janet Fons. “Rolling Clouds.” 2020, Oil on Canvas Panel, 12”x12”. $565. |
AC: Do you listen to music when you create?
JF: Always! Another good use of my iPhone.
AC: What’s your work day like? Are you a full-time artist? Do you have a part time job?
JF: I’ve been painting full time for over 20 years. Currently my studio is in my basement so it’s a pretty easy commute. I paint most days, generally five or six hours at a stretch.
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| Janet Fons. “Just Before Sunset.” 2021. Oil on Canvas, 30”x30”. $1,410. |
AC: How much time on average do you spend working on an artwork?
JF: That’s a little hard to say, depending on the size. I work as small as 6"x6" and as large as 30"x40". Some paintings roll off the brush quite effortlessly (although that is rare) and others seem to take forever. I often work on more than one painting at a time so I can switch if a piece is giving me grief.
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| St. Peters, Missouri-based artist Janet Fons at work on painting en plein air. |
Learn more about Janet Fons: http://janetfons.com and http://instagram.com/JanetFonsFineArt
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Allison Carnell is the Fall 2021 Intern at Art Saint Louis and a senior at McKendree University, Lebanon, IL.
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