WELCOME TO ARTISTS, COLLECTORS, AND ANYONE WHO LOVES ART!
Artist Spotlight focuses on interesting artists, upcoming exhibitions, and articles about art and those who love it or create it.
Discover new ways to stretch your imagination, be introduced to new artists, their exhibits, and books to read about them. Expect to excite your mind. Comments are very welcome! -- Rosemary Carstens
Alice and Richard Matzkin, she a painter and he a sculptor, live and love in a rural area of Ojai, CA. Twenty-six years married, they now share a studio and are engaged in interpretive expressions of figures in the midst of their elder years.
Alice, after a 22-year hiatus while she raised their two children, returned with passion to her paints and canvas and began to focus on women as subjects, most recently aging women, some nude, at ease with their bodies.
Two of her paintings—one of the famous potter and sculptor Beatrice Wood at age 100, and feminist Betty Friedan—were purchased by the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution and are in their permanent collection.
Richard was immersed in visual arts as a child, but pursued a long career in music and psychology before returning to art and falling in love with sculpture. He feels his life has now come full circle and, lately, he, too, has begun a dialogue through his work, focusing on elderly people as subjects, exploring and interpreting what it is to age in our society. One of his pieces was selected for the art book The Great Age, published by UNESCO during the United Nations International Year for Older Persons.
The couple has produced a book titled THE ART OF AGING: Celebrating the Authentic Aging Self (Sentient Publications), which “takes a penetrating look at aging through a series of projects that confront fear and curiosity about growing old. We explore physical changes, sensuality and relationships, aging parents, spirituality and death. Drawing on our personal experiences and the wisdom of older mentors, we conclude that our elder years can be a time of ripening and harvest. Look for the book at bookstores everywhere, as well as online.Additional images of Alice and Richard’s poignant and thought-provoking work may be seen on their website at http://www.matzkinstudio.comHere's a fantastic video where the couple describes their philosphy and process and you can get a glimpse of their warmth and commitment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOhx1qHyMNO(Above right: Richard in Bed with Cat, Alice Matzkin; above left: Untitle Lovers series, Richard Matzkin. Couple photo is by Donna Granata, Focus on the Masters, Series 2008)
Mixed media artist DARLENE OLIVIA MCELROY creates works of vision and imagination in her Santa Fe studio. She fashions her richly textured, sensuous paintings using an amazing array of found objects, photo transfer, gold leaf, paint, collage, and, as she puts it, “juicy thoughts.”
McElroy doesn’t just put a bunch of disparate objects on canvas or board, she excels at telling stories utilizing history, symbolism, and iconic images. Color and texture constantly inspire her and she’s something of a magician as she conjures up new techniques that add depth and interest to her exceptional work. 
“There’s something about the look people had in old photos, the life an object had before it landed in my hands, the honoring of what came before and how all of this can be reinterpreted . . . I think I am part magpie. There is something about a corroded piece of metal, an old button, keys, the odd things that make me want to take [them] to a new place.”
Darlene McElroy was born and raised in Southern California and is descended from an old New Mexico family of artists and storytellers. Visions of summers spent growing up on her family’s Santa Fe ranch, with its “rich tapestry of Hispanic life,” dance constantly in her head and influence her work.
This weekend, November 14-15, Saturday from 10-5 and Sunday 11-4, McElroy will be participating in the Santa Fe Studio Tour. She and artists MARY PARKER (acrylic and oil demented still lives) and LINDA FILHARDT (monoprints) invite you to stop by, enjoy treats and special studio pricing. Go to http://www.santafestudiotour.com for a list of participating artists. McElroy’s studio is #15—directions are on the website, or you can call 505-471-8300.
To see more of McElroy’s images, for technique tips and workshop dates, to read her blog or purchase books and videos, visit her website at http://darleneoliviamcelroy.com.
Alice, after a 22-year hiatus while she raised their two children, returned with passion to her paints and canvas and began to focus on women as subjects, most recently aging women, some nude, at ease with their bodies.
Richard was immersed in visual arts as a child, but pursued a long career in music and psychology before returning to art and falling in love with sculpture. He feels his life has now come full circle and, lately, he, too, has begun a dialogue through his work, focusing on elderly people as subjects, exploring and interpreting what it is to age in our society. One of his pieces was selected for the art book The Great Age, published by UNESCO during the United Nations International Year for Older Persons.
The couple has produced a book titled THE ART OF AGING: Celebrating the Authentic Aging Self (Sentient Publications), which “takes a penetrating look at aging through a series of projects that confront fear and curiosity about growing old. We explore physical changes, sensuality and relationships, aging parents, spirituality and death. Drawing on our personal experiences and the wisdom of older mentors, we conclude that our elder years can be a time of ripening and harvest. Look for the book at bookstores everywhere, as well as online.
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