July 31, 2014
By Contributed
Preparations for the annual SLO County Open Studios Art Tour inspired the artists of Studios on the Park to also open their studios to each other.
The resulting collaborative works will be on display in the aptly titled “Plays Well With Others” exhibit, running through the month of October.
Collaboration is defined as “the act of working jointly” and is a common style among musicians and performance artists. However, it is not so popular in the world of fine art. The artists of Studios on the Park are breaking away from the norm of artists working alone (solitary Kafka-like, toiling away on their own in suffering solitude). In "Plays Well With Others," they have turned this perception on its head. They are blending their assorted artistic styles, techniques and sensibilities for this dynamic presentation.
Studio partners Laure Carlisle and WB Eckert combined their distinct painting styles to produce “(Angel of) Mercy,” an acrylic on canvas. The two artists divided the creative process, with Carlisle painting the initial background in her signature colors and textures while Eckert incorporated the figure.
The experience, Eckert explained, “was very challenging and satisfying…a great exercise for any artist, in my opinion.” Carlisle shared these sentiments and commends Eckert for his efforts, saying “WB totally amazed me in the way he pulled the piece together, intensifying the design while preserving the color.”
Silversmith Randy Stromsoe and mixed media artist Lynn Kishiyama formed another dynamic duo, joining their talents to produce three abstract masks. Kishiyama shared, “When I first saw the masks that Randy had forged I was floored — they were beautiful just the way they were! I stared at them for quite awhile until they began to speak to me.” She then added feathers and beads as the piece took on the look and feeling of a mystical Maasai warrior.
“I don’t know how to forge metals and Randy is not into feathers but together we created a more intricate and interesting piece than what we could have accomplished alone,” concluded Kishiyama.
• Gid Yup
Over the last month, studio-mates Frank Armitage, Sally Tippman and Jeanette Wolff collaborated on an articulated, humorous piece titled “Gid Yup.” The multimedia work features Lady Godiva riding with many horses through the imaginary world of art. Wolff explained that initially her group struggled to find a unified vision:
“Our team of three definitely needed a whack on the side of the head and a few crisp words back-and-forth to get going.” Fortunately, violence was avoided and once the trio learned how to play, Wolff explained, “we just couldn’t be stopped! And we had fun!”
Beginning Sept. 29, Plays Well With Others will be on display in the atrium through Oct. 30. The opening reception will be held on Oct. 1 i conjunction with First Saturday: Wine & The Arts, a new downtown Paso Robles tradition of art, wine, music-filled evenings at the start of every month.
From 6 to 9 p.m., enjoy appetizers, wine from Anglim Winery and live music by eclectic jazz vocalist Nicole Stromsoe and acoustic guitarist Dorian Michael.
For more information, visit www.studiosonthepark.org or call 238-9800.
