ARTBY

THE HOUR

Art for Artists and Creative Connoisseurs

March

, 2013, V

olum

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We Color Outside the Lines You have on your screen or in your hands the first edition of ART By The Hour (ABTH) magazine, a creative digest for artists and creative connoisseurs from around the world. ABTH supports creativity, inspiration and artistic endeavors of all medium. In an effort to help you promote yourself and your work, ABTH advocates for you, the artist, in a manner that is sustainable and affordable. We bid you welcome and please enjoy!

StaffPirate King , Director of Marketing: Sally Garrison

Art Direction, Writing Lead: Summer Blackhorse

Creative Editor, Art Direction: J Kovach

Guest Editor: Michael Walter

Guest Editor: Mary DeVine

Advertising: Summer Blackhorse

Email: artbythehour@gmail.comWeb: http://artby-thehour.com/

Moving Forward by Summer Blackhorse 1 It Takes a Village to Create a Magazine

Visual Cues by Summer Blackhorse2 Driven to Abstraction with Maria & Scott Miller

7 Movement and Energy with Susan Detroy

Featured Artist by Summer Blackhorse

11 Visceral Art: Dmitri Arbacauskas

Framed by Summer Blackhorse & Frank Desantis

15 I’ve Been Shot. Otto Phökus Photo Pheature.

Writers Block

19 The River People by J Kovach20 The Ghost and the Machines by Bill Pitman20 How to Fall in Love by Michael Gossman23 Razor by MIke Ankortie CaseyConstructs by Sally Garrison & Summer Blackhorse

23 Life in 3-D with Monica Chapon

Chiaroscuro by Sally Garrison & Summer Blackhorse

26 Famous Last Words, Jason Williams

Mixed Media29 Acknowledgements

Credits

Cover photo: Summer Blackhorse

Header art, page 1: Dmitri Arbacauskas Writer’s Block Photos, pages 19, 23: Michael Walter

Back Cover:Sally Garrison

(C), TM of all artist work and content is the property of the artists represented herein

ABTH logo and content: all rights reserved

At some point in 2012, several of us got together and decided to create a Facebook group for creative people. We named it Art By The Hour (ABTH), and encouraged artistic souls who were willing to contribute to post at anytime, day or night. We contacted friends and invited people we felt might offer creative insight to post written or visual elements that might benefit other like-minded creatives. Those first few who joined liked the supportive, and, at times, critique-like environment, and they spread the word. What started as a group of three has since grown into a highly-charged and giddy mass of creative minds. ABTH has 70 + members and is rapidly growing.

ABTH is a richly artistic digital community that appeals to all ages and (we hope) nationalities. ABTH members contribute pieces of their creative puzzle—sometimes daily—in order to share ideas, find something new to try, connect with other artists or ask for thoughts about their work. They share articles, websites and posts from other online venues and galleries; they announce free projects to try, and juried shows to apply for or to attend. The list goes on.

“This,” we thought, “This is something else. It’s a fantastic, creative melting pot in the making, so what else can we do to support it?” We thought about it and had an “ah-ha” moment—which had Summer Blackhorse emailing/calling/texting fellow ABTH creator and manager Sally Garrison, and asking,“Whatdoyouthinkaboutputtingtogethera magazineforABTH?”

And while Sally sat stunned at the other end of the line, trying to figure out just what the hell Summer was blabbing about, Summer presented her with the idea of a magazine that supported artists of all media who might want or need some added exposure.

“You know—get the word out, possibly sell their work, or maybe start/refresh an existing creative business, or maybe they just want to be heard. Best

of all—let’s do it for FREE (except for advertising)…So—are you in? Wanna help?”

Sally, in a dazed tone of voice indicative of a headache and much eye-rolling responded, “Sure. We could do an online magazine.”

What followed was several months of research for online services and communications, creative programs for editing, ways to share files and ideas, and finally, we put the word out to the ABTH group and asked, “So, who’s in? We’ll represent you and your work in our eZine. Its free…no, really—it’s free (unless you want to advertise).“

What followed after the initial announcement? Silence, chirping crickets and a month of, “They can’t be serious!” The following month had Summer wondering how to re-engage the group on the offer. ABTH sent out a reminder, and several artists sent us emails saying they MIGHT be interested. We asked again and finally got the response we had hoped for: “Yes—l’d like to be interviewed, or contribute something. What do I have to do?” The crickets stopped chirping and lo, the first issue of ABTH was in the works.

Our first reaction after the initial intake was panic and our first thought was, We need help! Let’s contact J Kovach. She’s busy, but she’ll want to be a part of this since she’s one of the ABTH founders. Thankfully, Ms. Kovach agreed. Give that woman a superhero cape.

Word got around and, to our amazement and relief, Michael Walter and Mary DeVine offered to edit.

Finally, enter the ABTH group members with amazing support and ideas. They are proof that it takes a village, digital or otherwise, to create a magazine and we couldn’t have done it without them.

Moving Forward: It Takes A Village To Create A MagazineBy Summer Blackhorse

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Visual Cues: Driven to Abstraction , Maria & Scott Miller by Summer Blackhorse

Maria and Scott Miller are exquisite abstract artists who work with various media. Both are members of the Santa Barbara-based Abstract Art Collective and produce work that is textural, colorful, richly mood-inducing and thought-provoking.

Maria Miller

For Maria Miller, art is a choice. Upon meeting Maria several years ago, I was reminded of slipping into a very comfortable sweater that I’d had for years. No matter the circumstances or the conversation, Ms. Miller evoked a sense of comfort and peace with a vein of steely strength layered beneath her normally sweet exterior. Maria loves Zen Buddhism (although not a practicing Buddhist), punk rock, classical music and the music group Meat. She is warm, fascinating and posesses a frank sense of humor, traits which carry over into her artwork. Maria is one of those people whom I like to refer to as “chronically creative.” As a child, she preferred entertaining herself by making her own toys from nature. She “would make small structures with mud, and use twigs, pebbles, leaves, etc. to adorn them.” Maria states that “the dolls I did have I never asked for; these were given to me as gifts. I didn’t quite know what to do with them, but I was curious about how the hair was installed, so I would remove the heads to look inside just to satisfy my curiosity. My toy box consisted of nothing but decapitated dolls.” For Maria, “art” meant development and progression. She believes she was always an artist in terms of how she perceived the world. She mentions that she “was neither encouraged nor guided into expressing myself artistically. However, I was always observing everything and everyone around me.”

In her mid-thirties, Maria decided to study and practice art, believing that her life’s observations helped her to develop the building blocks necessary for artistic and creative expression. These observations have been Maria’s artistic education along with some classes in sketching, design, and sculpture.

Maria prefers working with paint on canvas and charcoal on paper. Although she switches media quite frequently, she does not like one media more than another. For Maria, different creative phases require various types of media conducive to her many forms of expression. Most often, she uses acrylic, ink and charcoal. Of these, she uses acrylic paint the most because it is the most relevant to her abstract work. However, this doesn’t stop her enjoyment of “the physicality of charcoal and the fluidity of ink.”

“I’m not into ‘pretty art.’ My work is a bit morose and charcoal and ink seem appropriate.” Finally, when asked what art media made her nervous or uncomfortable to use, she stated, “Jumping out of a plane. Is that a media? If so, then that one.”

Maria’s creative influences include Pablo Picasso, Richard Diebenkorn, Wassily Kandinsky, Joan Miro, Joseph Mallord William Turner, Emil Nolde, Helen Frankenthaler and Louise Bourgeois. Although these artists are among her favorites, she notes, “I don’t want to paint like any of my favorite artists. I just admire their process because I understand their plight.” Maria’s inspiration comes from memories, sentiments or new thoughts.

My favorite question to ask artists is, “How do you overcome creative mental blocks?” I never grow tired of hearing what creative minds do to claw, dance, cry or Zen their way through the proverbial mental roadblocks we all encounter from time to time.

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Maria Miller, Streams, arylic on canvas

Scott MIller I’ve known Scott my entire life. I always suspected he was creative, but didn’t know to what extent until I saw his work. Scott’s abstract paintings are highly textural and fraught with color. They capture an almost impasto painting style and combine it with block printing.

Scott started doodling and cartooning during elementary school. His parents recognized his creative genius, as did his grantmother, a respected landscape painter who taught him to paint at age 12. Scott took private painting lessons from two recognized local artists in California.

Scott enjoys working with acrylic and mixed media. “I’m primarily a mixed media artist lately,” he says. He enjoys working with common building materials, although he will use artist acrylics and canvas when the mood hits. Additionally, he’s not afraid to try new media, and he points out, “This is probably because I am almost always experimental in my use of materials anyway.The whole ordeal becomes a satisfaction of curiosity, so there’s really no need or room for nervousness.”

That lack of nervousness could be due to some of his artistic and life-long influences, which range from teachers, to artists past and present, to music that lends itsself to experimentation, such as electronica, jazz and classical. Scott’s artistic influences cover works by JMW Turner, Salvador Dali, Roberto Matta, Paul Klee, Sam Francis, and Jasper Johns. He states that he “loves tapping into their vibe.” Additionally, Scott finds the written word inspirational and has been taking clues from authors Marukami, Pessoa and JG Ballard. Scott also credits his mentor and high school art teacher Ted Akimoto as a major creative influence. “He taught me entirely different ways of viewing the world.”

Different ways of viewing the world around him are likey what helps him break through the occasional creative block. Scott points out that they are ”frequently caused by the concerns of the mundane. I can disconnect from this with the right music and by deliberately banning conscious, rational thought.” Sounds pretty Zen, Mr. Miller.

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In answer to this question, Maria says, “I don’t overcome these. I allow them to take their course. In the meantime, I wait and allow these creative blocks to develop and cease on their own. Things never work out for me when I try to force things to happen. It just requires patience, which I choose to have.”

As a creative individual, Maria doesn’t measure success. She measures “levels of satisfaction brought on by having effectively expressed myself on any given day. So many things change from one day to the next, I change from one day to the next. I don’t like to look into the future. If I do, I will only see my own personal version of what I would like my future to be. In other words, it will be nothing more than an illusion designed by my desires. I enjoy the tangible reality of the present moment...my present moment.”

I asked Maria if there was some media that she had always wanted to try, or something she wished to create. She said, “I have always wanted to paint a mural on the side of a three-story building. In contrast to every mural I’ve ever met, mine would have no message at all. It would be designed strictly for aesthetic reasons and I would hope that the viewers would find something interesting about it.”

I suppose we could count the above as an artistic goal. However, Maria’s primary goal and biggest challenge is to keep creating no matter what age she is, where she is or what she may be doing. Even though art is a full-time gig for Maria, she is also a framer’s assistant. Does it pay the bills? Not always, but husband Scott, who we’ll chat about next, helps support her creativity for the time being, as well as his own. “I’m quite fortunate and extremely grateful for that.”

As artists, many of us recognize the traits of curiosity and intuitive tinkering that Maria showed in her early years. We also recognize the stick-to-itiveness of a self-made artist.

When asked to provide a little advice for aspiring artists, Maria encouraged creative newbies to “be honest about your work and make sure you enjoy and find meaning in the process of creating.”

Currently, Maria co-chairs the Abstract Art Collective (AAC) in Santa Barbara, California, and belongs to the Santa Barbara Art Association. Maria sells her work online through the AAC.

To learn more about Maria Miller’s work and for contact information, go to her AAC web page, http://abstractartcollective.com/?page_id=104, or visit her at venues where AAC exhibits. She also exhibits independently through other venues and galleries in California.

Maria Miller, Untitled, acrylic on canvas

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Scott measures success by following his gut. He states, “As trite as it may sound, things just feel right. At the smaller end of the artistic scale, when I’m working on a piece of art for instance, I just know when it’s finished. I am hoping to find out if this is true on the larger end of the scale, too.” Scott would like to work on the larger end of the scale as well, making large-scale installation pieces, and he looks forward to the day when he can learn metal working.

Metal work may come in handy for Scott’s next big artistic challenge, which is to develop two new series called Anthem and Memento. Anthem will be going large-scale as soon as he can afford the time and space for it. Memento’s process will be to challenge his world views by creating work that becomes increasingly complex, something which can be difficult to accomplish with a full-time career as a software writer. However, for for the Miller family, said career is what keeps art supplies in the studio, among other things—at least for the time being.

Scott notes that there’s always room for self- improvement, and points out that if he could ask an established, successful or famous artist anything, it would be for adivice on how improve his creative process.

Finally, for new artists, Scott suggests that they “never give up and remain curious. Be true to your message. If you wake up one day and your message seems hollow, you probably need to do some serious introspection, reevaluate and modify, if necessary.”

Scott is currently a member of AAC and supports them by designing and updating their webpage on a semi-regular basis. Additionally, he has his own online gallery at www.scottmillerfineart.com.

For more information about Scott’s work, email him at mosura82@gmail.com or call (805) 452-7419.

Scott Miller, Momento Series: Weighing Consequences Acrylic and gouache on paper

Scott Miller, Momento Series: And Then It Came Into View... Acrylic and gouache on paper

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Scott Miller, Anthm Series : Anthem 1, acrylic and texture on canvas

Scott Miller Anthem Series: Anthem 2

Acrylic and texture on canvas

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Movement & Energy with Susan Detroy By Summer Blackhorse

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Oregon-based artist Susan Detroy. Susan is a varitable fountain of energy and runs two businesses as an art designer, project manager/consultant. I asked Susan if she had aslways been a creative soul. Susan, somewhat soft-spoken and introspective, responded, “If by ‘creative’ you mean, was I making things? Not so much when I was very young. As a young child I did attend regular school classes, which at that time included art, music, sculpture, collage and drawing. I did not think of these activities as creative, or being an artist—it was school.”

Susan’s first and most expressive artistic activity was dancing. She has been taking dance classes since the age of three and continued dance lessons through grade school and into college. As an adult she took lessons in ballet and acrobatics.

Susan’s early school years were filled with ice-skating and tap dance, while ballroom dance moved her across the floor during middle school. While at DePauw University, Susan used modern dance as an extracurricular activity. She continued to dance through her early 20s, taking more lessons in tap, island, African, folk and contra dancing. As she matured, Susan took up partner and ballroom dancing again. Susan is quick to point out that she still takes dance lessons in swing. She also does ecstatic dancing, Zumba, East Coast swing, and blues. Susan has taught East Coast swing and movement for women.

In my mind’s eye, I can see Susan dancing her way through life and enjoying it. But how did she go from dancing to 2-D art?

Susan is quick to point out that she had been working with a Brownie camera during the 1970s. “I was using a still camera, 35mm, 2 1/4 Yashica and creating film.”

During her adolescent and teenage years she went to the movies two or three times a week, and spent time pouring over Life and Look. “All of this formed an early aesthetic that responded to visual photography, in particular black and white images.” Later on, Susan began creating ink drawings, but it wasn’t until her 30s that she recognized and took the identity of “artist.”

Susan moved to Oregon and began producing work with a group called Medium Rare, a collective of media aficionados, working in film and photography.

She continued with photography using 35mm film and medium format cameras, and she also worked with a movie camera. She used them to experiment, and continuined to draw using ink and watercolor. Susan also began making her own photographic cards with photo booth strips.

Susan’s early photography influenced much of her current art work. Susan’s ideal media is visual and two-dimentional. She craves media she can manipulate and leans towards hands-on materials. As a tactile person, she enjoys connecting with her artwork during its production.

Currently, Susan is in the process of learning digital storytelling (she uses iMovie). She continues to use markers to create what she titles her Mythic Animal series (see page 9), a colorful, textural and highly energetic series of pieces. Susan’s photography and film background also feeds her passion for storytelling and inspires her to see films that have beautiful photography, or movies and programs that use the camera creatively. “I adore looking at photography. It soothes me.”

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seeking out new avenues to fund her businesses and her creative endeavours.

While the economy may be one roadblock for Susan, getting around creative blocks are something Susan does... well—creatively. She gets active and recommends walking, hiking, yoga, dance, and spending time outdoors to get the creative flow going. At other times, Susan takes classes, such as a recent digital art class and a storytelling class with Sandy Jensen at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon. Susan notes that, “I’m currently living in a place inside myself where creative blocks are a regular concern.”

Creative hurdles aside, Susan measures her successes by using creativity in her daily life, and producing work that comes from an “inner great creative source. However, I do have an inner critic that surfaces sometimes to measure success economically.” Susan isn’t sure what her creative future holds for her, but she knows that she’d like to work more with up-cycled, recycled and used materials. “I’m very taken by artists who are able to form art using materials that are not regularly thought of as art materials. Her biggest challenge? “Myself and my own internal limitations.”

Susan’s primary goals are to start producing more work and to find ways to share her expertise by teaching and connecting with others. Currently, Susan makes a living through a patchwork of part-time consulting and wage jobs. She does installation and design for exhibits, works as a project manager and does marketing and online social media for small companies. Additionally, she has worked as a design consultant for galleries and a tradeshow company.

In her spare time, Susan loves listening to podcasts about science—one called the Dinner Party Download is a favorite.

One thing people will find surprising about Susan is she can’t draw—or so she says. I beg to differ, but Susan claims “I have no ability to draw realistically. All of my drawing is almost

Susan uses mixed media to create pieces with dragonflies, colorful cacti blooms and dark historical imagery.

Like many creatives, certain tools or media make Susan feel slightly uneasy: “Any media that uses a power tool I don’t know how to use, such as welding, or woodworking, or something I’m extremely unfamiliar with or have no skill in. If I have some assistance, I’m sure I can learn to do it, but I am intimidated.”

Susan pulls her artistic influnces from real-time gallery vieweing, or from installations she oversees, and museum or local gallery visits. For inspiration, she relies on Internet art sites and apps. She also reads online blogs and art-related resources and social networks. Additionally, she attends lectures from artists such as Destiny Allison and local sculptor Jed Turner.

Not unlike many working artists, Susan has found economic issues to be an ongoing challenge. However, that doesn’t stop her from

Susan Detroy, Cactus Hopeful, mixed media

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like stick figures—things I make up. I don’t know how to do perspective or shadowing.”

“I am an obsessive movement person. I will walk, bike dance, hike, kayak in summer, work out at the gym, practice yoga or do some kind of movement three to...six times a week.” I asked Susan if she would provide a little advice for aspiring artists. Here’s what she suggests: “Give thought to the trajectory of one’s life in terms of more planning. I advise you to express yourself about who you are as an artist and think about how to talk about your art, how to present it, how to talk about yourself and what you produce. It is so important to cultivate good relationships with other artists, supporters of the arts and creative organizations. I advise the artists, I coach [about] how to manage an artistic life, which is as important as creating, since it’s part of the creative process.”

One of the things that makes Susan a great creative coach is that she’s not afraid to ask established artists for assitance in finding exposure for her artwork. For intance, even though she has many years of photography experience, including graduate-level coursework, Susan attends numerous workshops in areas like mixed media, transfer techniques, being an artist, and supporting an artistic career.

Like most creatives, Susan knows that ongoing education is a must. “Art is vital in my life. I view most of the world through the an artistic

filter. I am always thinking about art and its influence, and how art is at the basis of life,” she says.

Susan has been a member of Photozone for many years and has also participated in No Limits, a group for women artists. “These groups influenced my art-making and my thinking about art.” Susan also gives back to the community through two food co-ops— providing food weekly, during the spring, fall and winter months.

Susan is also an artist-in-residence for special projects with the David Joyce Gallery in The Center for Meeting and Learning at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon. She also designs shows at the PRN Galleries at Peace Health and River Ben. Susan volunteers for an arts program at Kind Tree, which serves individuals with autism. Finally, she volunteers for Eugene A Go-Go, an arts and cultural event listing for Lane County, Oregon.

Currently, Susan is the infancy stages of creating an online service for to suppport artists marketing their work. Susan sells driectly from her studio and takes individual commissions. She sells her cards at the Red Barn Grocery in the Whitaker neighborhood in Eugene. Find out more about Susan at http://www.susandetroy.com/

Susan Detroy Mythic Animal series Dragonfly, Pink

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Susan Detroy, Dragonfly Forward II, mixed media

Susan Detroy, Untitled, mixed media

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Squee! Yes, that’s me shreiking in gothic-steampunky-girlie glee. This happens every time I visit Dmitri Arbacauskas’s creative world. Needless to say, the neighborhood dogs have called the Humane Society requesting that I be removed, post haste. But what can I say—I am a leatherwork junkie, and I MUST HAVE anything with gears. I also love visceral art, which is something Dimitri has in spades. His work is vibrant, moody and contrastingly visual.

Dimitri is the propriotor and lord of Tormented Artifacts in Seattle, Washington, a place where magic and mayhem are daily creative foder for the making of Dmitri’s leather work and digital art.

Dmitri tells me he has been creating masks, leatherworks, and digital artwork for over a decade. His work has been featured in small galleries and stores, and at events and conventions all over the Pacific Northwest, he also sells his work internationally.

Summer: Have you always been creative?

Dimitri: Much to my detriment. It’s gotten me into trouble more times than I can count.

Summer: And how did you get started with, well - everything? Dimitri: Working as an artist, what gave me my biggest start was a stint of being unemployed a bit over ten years ago...at the time, well, between sending out resumes and such, I was bored out of my mind. I was also living with my fiancée (now wife) who happened to have a couple of hides of leather in with all her fabric supplies and everything (she’s a costumer). And, well, when you’re bored, have a background in theatre, including technical theatre and prop-making, you sometimes come up with odd ways to entertain yourself. In this particular case I decided to try my hand at making myself a mask out of leather, and after a lot of internet research, and a lot more trial and error, I came up with a few very rough pieces; nothing I really wanted to keep for myself though.

I talked to a friend who was selling her work at the Fremont Sunday Market, and to a friend who was operating a gallery/commission shop in town as well, and they agreed to take some of the work I’d done. Only a few pieces sold here and there, but it was enough to get me started on wanting to do this kind of work as a career, rather than just a way to keep myself from going nuts while looking for work.

Summer: What is your fav media to work with? Dimitri: Leather. Hands down. It’s my primary and favorite media. Just the smell and feel of it alone makes it great and the organic challenge of working with it is always fun. Typically, I do most of my work in leather,

Featured Artist: Visceral Art with Dmitri Arbacauskas by Summer Blackhorse

Dmitri Arbacauskas , Summer Mask, painted leather

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but I also do digital artwork on a semi-regular basis. Beyond that, I also do a lot of mixed-media prop-making.

Summer: ABTH would like to know which media makes you nervous to use.

Dimitri: Any ‘flat’ media—even working digitally makes me nervous. But put me in front of a canvas or paper and I freeze up.

Summer: You’re stricly a 3-D man. Got it. Who or what are your general and/or creative influences?

Dimitri: Oh, good god. There’s tons. I’m a huge mediavore and geek: movies, TV, comics, books, music, art, you name it, and a lot of that has influence on my work.

Summer: So how do you overcome creative mental blocks?

Dimitri: I think it helps that I’ve usually got multiple projects going at the same time. If I get stuck on a piece, I’ll usually switch over, work on other items and come back to it when I’m ready to.

Summer: How do you measure success as a creative individual?

Dimitri: I try not to—only because, knowing me, I’d then get so focused on measuring my own creativity I’d drive myself into a funk and stop working.

Summer: What do you see yourself creating ten years from now?

Dimitri: Ten years? I’m lucky if I plan my pieces ten months out! Honestly, I have no idea where I’ll be artistically ten years from now, considering how far I’ve come in the last ten, but I can’t wait to see what I’ll be doing then!

Summer: I’m excited to see what you come up with in the future, too. Name some media you have always wanted to try or something you have always wished to create.

Dmitri Arbacauskas, artist with a leatherwork

Dmitri Arbacauskas, Stolen Fire, digital work

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Summer: Is there anything else you would like to tell ABTH?

Dimitri: If you like what you’ve seen of my work here with the interview, go check out my work online! There’s a lot you haven’t seen yet, and a good chunk of it can be found on my site—www.tormentedartifacts.com.

Dimitri: Oh, god, there’s a ton of different media I’d love to try that I don’t have the setup or space for—resin casting for one. It’d be nice to do more and larger sculpting work. Same goes for metal, specifically bronze. And oddly enough, stained glass. My mother did work as a stained glass artisan for a while [when] I was growing up, and I’ve always loved the look of it.

Summer: Describe your artistic goals and what your next big challenge is. Dimitri: My big goals are pretty simple—to support myself and my family and to keep working. Beyond that, my next big challenge isn’t a piece, it’s an event: Emerald City Comic-Con. I haven’t done a show this big in a while, and so help me, I’m already trying to figure out ways to amp things up and come up with a stack of awesome new pieces to show there.

Summer: Is art your full time gig? If not, what pays the bills right now?

Dimitri: It’s my full-time gig, as it were. And while it may not be paying all the bills in full yet, hopefully someday soon it will.

Summer: Tell us a few things people might be surprised to learn about you.

Dimitri: Well, for one, on top of everything else I’m doing, I’m also a stay-at-home dad to two kids. It means scheduling time to work can become a royal pain. There’s never much sleep or rest involved with things these days, but I get by.

Summer: Do you have a little advice for other aspiring artists?

Dimitri: Never stop working. If you need to take short breaks, or even a couple of nights off to preserve your own health and sanity, do it. But never let yourself fully lose momentum. Getting back up to speed after those breaks has always been one of the hardest challenges I’ve ever had.

Dmitri Arbacauskas, Kraken MaskPainted leather

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Dmitri Arbacauskas, Vitruvian Moth Digital work

Dmitri Arbacauskas, Windrow Ravenswood Deck

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In 2007, Frank Desantis contacted me through Model Mayhem and asked if I would like to model for him. I agreed, but little did I know that I would be walking into the studio of a future mentor, muse and friend. Enter Frank and quirky alter-ego, Otto Phökuz—professional studio artist and photographer. This is their story.

In 1968 Frank DeSantis sold his Honda motorbike and bought his first camera. He was 17. Family and friends were his first subjects. The directions on the side of his Sears (horizontal) enlarger for beginners: his first teacher. Diligently he developed and processed his film and by 1970 received recognition for his portraits and landscapes at the local community college.

By 1971 his work was published in the junior college literary magazine and in 1972 he joined the student newspaper at Penn State as a sports photographer. Later that year, he joined the school’s photo club and co-produced and mounted Penn State Capitol Campus’ first major photographic art show. In the mid ‘70s, while traveling and writing about events in the Northwest and Northern California for an environmental/New Age magazine, he became its staff photographer and later Art Director. Eight issues of this quarterly publication were successfully produced, catapulting him into a career in art direction and graphic design. However, it placed his photography on the back burner.

It was almost fifteen years later that his photography took a major turn when he met Cherie Hiser, a photographer, disguised as a psychologist who had worked with Ansel Adams and Paul Caponigro.

In the class at Oregon School of Arts and Crafts,

Cheri’s influence gave him renewed energy and a whole new creative way of seeing. In the fall of 1989, the three major bodies of work that followed his new vision were displayed in his first one-man show at Camerawork Gallery in Portland, Oregon, the same gallery started by Minor White in the early ‘60s. Those three bodies of work were:

Relationships People, animals and things connecting in a humorous play of interaction and non-action.

FacesUp-close and personal views of people and animal faces filling the camera frame in funny and sometimes upsetting ways.

Max the HandPhotos of a rubber hand that turned up in the most unusual and disturbing places.

It was soon after this show that he began to synthesize his experiences in graphic design, advertising, and painting with his new creative inner vision. After Oregon School of Arts & Crafts, he became one of a group of photographers, led by Cheri Hiser, called the Tangents. It was at one of their critiques that Cheri said, “Your content and form all seem to be skewed to some side of more than quirky. In fact, your whole vision is out of focus.” It wasn’t long before people in the group began calling him “Otto”. A term of endearment, it was used more to describe his ‘quirky’ sense of style and humor than his technical expertise. Of course, this only encouraged him to somehow personify this side of his photography and personality. Just like F. Stop Fitzgerald, John Klicker and Arturo Filminini, Otto Phökuz, his dual personality, was born.

His career in advertising was expanding and his conceptual work with other photographers brought him further recognition.

Framed: I’ve Been Shot, Otto Phökuz Photo Pheatureby Summer Blackhorse & Frank Desantis

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His close association with photographer Miriam Seger in his ad campaign for Silver Hammer Jewelers. (now Gary Swank Jewelers) was a highly visible and successful campaign. But, he longed to break out on his own as a photographer.

In 1994 he moved to Hawaii and began photographing a series of flowers and later another series called Churches: Houses of the Holy. He gained recognition for his flower work from Kodak while displaying his work in a group show sponsored by the Hawaiian Photographic society.

Hawaii became the venue for his second one-man show, a show highly-praised by his peers. Praised more by his peers than the general public, he was undaunted and continued to express his ideas through his photography.

It was in Hawaii that Frank was able to work on a project that was long overdue: the coming together of his art school background, graphic design and most of all, his photography. He began to hand color, with pastels, large portraits of people and animals.

The paintings combined restrictive static photographic procedures with the expressiveness and aerobic flailing of arm, hand and a piece of colored chalk.

In 1996 Frank teamed up once again with Cherie Hiser and others in a cooperative studio and darkroom called PhotoWorks NorthWest. Although after more than three years at PhotoWorks, he quit the Board of Directors and was no longer managing the studio. He went on to establish his own studio space in Southeast Portland, Oregon. This is where Otto Phökuz came to life, photographing portraits of people and pets, with the strange myopic vision the sets him apart.

He has now returned to Philadelphia, where he was born, in order to be closer to an aging family that needs his attention. It is taking some time to capture the feelings of this totally changed, yet still the same, city.

“It’s trying to find the creative people, the right space, and the right combinations that bring about artistic fire,” Frank explained.

Frank’s resume reads like a doctoral degree. Along with his BA from Pennsylvania State University, and numerous art studies from the Oregon School of Arts and Crafts, the Philadelphia College of Art, Boston Museum School and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Frank has been an Art Director, Graphic Designer, Creative Director, and painter.

He has earned numerous awards from the Portland Club of Lithographers, Willamette Week, Reeser’s Foods and Pioneeer Courthouse Square. Additionally, he founded Gorilla WallFlare, Envoronmental Graphics Group, and co-founded the non-profit co-operative Portland Printing Press in an effort to support minority and low-income communities. Frank has worked successfully with clients in comsumer, retail, industrial, real estate, and public service and educational fields.

Frank is affiliated with Photoworks Northwest, is a member of the Image Foundation in Hawaii, the Hawaii Photographic Society, and the Maui Camera Club, as well as The Tangents in Oregon.

He has had many sucessful showings of his work spanning from 1970 to 2001 and published work from 1972 to 1996.

Currently, Frank is focusing on architectural photograhy. Although rumor has it he still shoots a few pets and models from time to time.

For additional information about Frank, go to http://desantisphoto.com/, or contact him at frank@desantisphoto.com.

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Frank Desantis, Chloe, photograph

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Frank Desantis, Connie, photograph

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Welcome to the ‘W’ block. Since writing is as much an art form as painting, sculpture or photography, we here at ABTH decided that writers of poetry, lyrics, prose, and short stories deserved their own personal space. For this first edition we’ve captured pieces by Mike Ankorite Casey, Bill PItman, Michael Gossman and ABTH’s very own J Kovach.

The River People

Freshwater Peoplemade of willows bending

made of low moaning shoresthat bubble dark.

People of Rainstand angled across

the forehead of open plains.hand to hand

they stretch their currentsof blood over bone.

Hollow wombs lay weepingand drying upon the shores.

One mother’s motherbreathes river deep into her desert

and sleeps once again.

One daughter criesthe other

takes another sedative and never stops.

The River Peoplestand silent, still

on water glassand wonder at moonshine

fractal on top.someone softly weeping.

Seeds, winds, stormscarry away days,carry away years,carry away flesh,

until it is all dried, crushed to ashes,and floating at the water’s murky edge.

The River Peopletheir frosted eyes look back at timelike docks forming ice and sinking.

Through brandied thoughtsthey see the dragonfly

and the long, long river alone.

They turn awayand return to their cells all

connected by ancient, creaking woodand sit.

They have made lovegiven life

and left some one weeping

Every single one waitsjust to take a turn

upon the killing shore.

J Kovach

Writer ’s Block

Michael Walter, Untitiled, photograph19

The Ghost and The Machines

With all the ghost-related TV shows these days (Ghost Hunters, Crossing Over with Jon Edward, Theresa, The Long Island Psychic), I had an “Artists Perspective” moment a few nights ago.

Imagine ‘that’ ghost plane - the Ethereal Plane. What if life were just a sort of roller coaster ride at this huge water park in space, where all of the ‘spirits’ are Angels? They’ve gravitated toward this popular “Amusement Park” because they’re aren’t too many in the Universe! So they get here, who knows how long ago, maybe 10,000 years? Maybe 100,000 years? No, maybe 1 billion years? However long ago they started buying tickets and riding the rides...

To get a ride, they had choices of species to inseminate into at the point of conception. After getting the proper equipment for the ride, they emerge from the womb to begin the ride they chose. Some of the rides are exciting! Firefighter, Sports Hero, Race Car Driver...Some of the rides are scary-thrilling, like Doctors, Sky Divers, and Fighter Pilots.

The rides that are the most under-rated are far from the exciting and satisfying ones previously mentioned. These rides command the strongest of the Angels and have the longest lines at the park. The Artist, The Elderly, The “Sick Ones”, and all others that suffer the most on this planet—under-rated because there is minimal protective equipment to keep the Angels safe on these rides, exposing the Angels to the dangers of the park, while on their ride. Some of the rides are cut short as a result.

All in all, I’m glad to have gone to the park with all of you. I chose a ride in the latter category, and wouldn’t have changed a thing. I’m just getting started.

Bill Pitman

How To Fall In Love

I met Gina at an unannounced street performance of West Side Story just west of the Jordaan. It was later in the evening, dusk, and I saw her dress swirling in the wind, illuminated by the lavender sky, and the silhouette of her body, strikingly long and lithe, backlit by the setting sun. The shock of her hair crackled into the sky like a roaring fire and sparkles of subatomic explosions generated a rainbow-colored neon halo that ebbed and flowed above and around her head and body. I wondered if she was being spontaneously generated as a quantum eclipse coming between me and the sun, an unusual gift of accidental physics transforming my deepest subconscious longings into a physical being. A creation infinitely superior to “her” creator, as if I’d momentarily been given the opportunity to make the decision to defy natural laws to recreate the universe in a fashion less structurally indifferent to life. More specifically, a universe passionately engaged and aware of individuated beings acting with compassion, mercy, and affection.

I have to admit, it shocked me to witness the universe’s change in attitude. I did not expect to have the ability, even if just for a moment, to spontaneously use my subconscious to create a real-world vision of perfect beauty and love. I’ve wondered since if I had seen Gina for the first time from any other location with a different perspective if I would have noticed the willingness of the universe to creatively collaborate with me. As an artist, I long to create with others. So, I mean the opportunity to work with the untapped power of the universe to create a being made strictly from particles of passion (Pa), joy (Jy), and love (Lv). Some artists have aspirations of making it in, say, New York. To show work in an elite setting, a setting considered a pinnacle. Understandable, but there’s something to be said for omnipotence.

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Naturally, I was drawn toward my creation. As I neared, she became more and more radiant. Her face came into focus and she sent a smile that rearranged molecules throughout my body. I was subsequently recreated by my creation as something that exceeded anything I ever imagined I could be. I understood in a flash why a god might think so highly of its creations, and why an artist might believe a particularly extraordinary work of art exceeds her own abilities and, through this recognition, uses her creation to develop a deeper appreciation of life. In the process, the artist learns how to live and, perhaps, the universe learns how to love.

Gina’s eyes, powdered blue with streaks of lightning emanating from liquid black opals, showed me worlds within myself that defied every angle of my sense of “how things are” and even “how things could be.” I saw it all, everything good that there was, is, or ever will be. And I saw that she saw more than that even, more than I could ever see, and tears flowed from my eyes as I kept walking toward her, pulled by the gravity of her love. I stopped within a foot of her and simply gazed into her eyes. She never blinked but her eyes seemed to glisten brighter and brighter as I looked. The passage of time became a ridiculous concept. Thinking about it now, I wonder if that moment exists eternally? If all moments exist without end, not as they are, but as they are created anew and anew.

Thinking back about falling in love, it seems as if it’s the height of our being. The purpose of our being. And perhaps it is just to ensure that individuals continue procreating to renew the species again and again because that’s the design of life, to recreate itself indefinitely, adapting to changing environments by creating new versions of itself more suited to meet those changes. But why is the story told that way if it is felt in such a radically different way? What is the purpose of telling the story of love from an analytical or critical point of view? To control it? To manipulate it? To what end?

Gina spoke, her voice like a harp and her breath fluttering into my chest like a hummingbird: “You are beaming.” I shook my head yes and tried to keep my heart from exploding through my ribs. Gina laughed at me and shook her head. Her strawberry hair was still whipping in the wind like a cotton-candy inferno.

The light was dimming and as it did her face took on a more earthy realness. Less like a fire angel or a phoenix and more like an adventurous, cocksure urban sprite. Somehow her body moved without moving, gracefully energetic, exuding both ease and desire. She seemed to look right through me, as if I wasn’t there at times, as if there was something in the universe more interesting than I.

I realized she was watching the play on the street spill over into the park. Tony, filled with joy, ran into Maria on the playground. I turned back to Gina. She opened her mouth to say something but then stopped. It seemed like she either lost the words or lost the nerve. She’s human after all! For some reason I was overjoyed by this realization. It was a little intimidating being in the presence of absolute perfection. Don’t the cracks and fissures in the Pieta give the beauty of the sculpture a soulfulness it otherwise lacked? Plus, I wondered if she might disappear at any moment. My heart, instead of trying to rip through my chest, relaxed in the warmth of appreciative breathing. The sensation of impending explosion along with the paradoxical obliteration of time ceased.

Her mouth dangled open as she stared at me and then the expression on her face shifted, becoming softer, much more gentle. Her hair settled down and the wind followed suit. Her dress came to rest against her body. She blinked her eyes several times. Her chest heaved as she took a deep breath. Her smile widened as she exhaled.

“That was exhilarating, but, damn, that took a little bit out of me.”

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“I’ll bet it did. There were quarks popping in and out of existence all around you. I thought we might all be obliterated by an explosion of love—and I was kind of hoping for it—but you showed a little humanity there a second ago.”

“I know, right? It was like, man, I am really going to set the world afire if I don’t take a deep breath. I mean, I love you all so I’d prefer not to incinerate you...even if it would be a perfect way to go.”

“You know, since we’re talking about death, can I just ask why?”

Gina sighed. “I can’t really say. I’m still trying to figure it all out myself. I mean, I got pretty good working with certain techniques, but as time and space changes beyond my wildest imaginings and certainly as life began developing I’ve found myself at a loss. I just don’t know where to go from here. I did not expect self-aware beings to develop in the way that you did. Humanity, I mean. It’s so...ugly!”

“Sadly, I agree with you. Humanity is incredibly ugly much of the time.”

“Why don’t you love more?”

“Not very many of us have learned how to love. Heck, I’m not sure very many even know what love means.”

“It doesn’t matter what you know. It’s what you do.”

“Unfortunately, you’re wrong about that.”

“No, I specifically engineered the universe to result in self-aware beings who willingly choose to love one another all the time. Every single moment. All of your internal struggles are the result of your spiritual misalignments. They’re along your spine, by the way, so stop with the hocus-pocus beliefs and do some yoga for crissakes. Breathing is pretty important, you

know? Drink plenty of liquids. Make sure you’re eating healthy food. Actively engage your creativity.”

“I did. I mean, I created you, after all.”

“No, I created you.”

“Yeah, but I created you first.”

“HA!” Gina almost fell on the ground laughing. “You created me first? Oh, you have got to be kidding. I rearranged your entire cellular composition, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, what do you think you did to me when I came into being here? You just chose to rearrange the physics of your perception so that you could see me. You certainly didn’t create me in the fashion you believe.”

“Wow. That’s heavy.”

“Yeah. Now you’re getting it.” God caressed my cheek with her left hand. For some reason, it tasted like sugar and then my legs turned to rubber. I swooned. Gina scooped her right arm around my body and caught me as I nearly fainted. I looked up at her face shrouded by a wild mane of blonde fuchsia against the backdrop of a purple dark sky. She raised me up and as I steadied myself on my feet she leaned in to kiss me.

You know that scene near the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey? Yeah, it wasn’t anything like that. I just felt the moist softness of her lips against mine, the pressure of them changing as she moved them, puckering, unpuckering, opening, a flicker of her tongue and then the fullness of her lips curled around mine, a rhythmic dance that develops into a language all its own. I felt Gina’s fingers digging into my back and gradually working their way down, massaging even the last bit of tension from my body. I lost track of everything but the physical sensation of pure pleasure.

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When I finally came out of the trance I found myself in the Flying Crow Pose. The God who created me who I recreated who recreated me was nowhere to be found. I was everywhere, though. Everyone on the street was a different version of me. I saw myself in everyone. And I loved me.

I wanted to ask the different versions of me how I was doing, if I could use some help in any way. Sometimes I said yes to myself and sometimes I said no. It seemed to depend on how the particular me had developed. I felt tremendous joy when I ran into myself when I was happy and generous, and sadness when I saw myself filled with sorrow or fear. I still don’t know how to describe the emotion I feel when I see cruelty and indifference, though. Something akin to mourning or grief, I suppose.

I’ve been wondering if suffering is a necessary ingredient for love. Everyone I’ve ever met who is kind or generous has also told me that the world is a vicious, cruel place and that it might just be a miracle that anyone cares at all. But they always defy their own logic by acting with love toward others.

Michael Gossman

RazorSpeaking in riddles, eyes and mouth outward.

“My life...“What is there to say but normalcy?

“My strife?“It is what we have and will see.”

Look at the desk in front of him that foretells him.This parchment...

Pen in the hand is shaky, yet deliberate.A testament,

Blood that will drip, will it, as thought, sate?Pain, she cut him so very deeply.

Writing here, is he done? Must we more deeply go?

My life...Coil is against me, Pain hates me!

My strife?More than any could have seen...

The parchment is wet with drips of weep.More details.

Please when my hour is lateAnd my mind derails...

Let the blood drip beatific and sate!Pain is a friend and a bitch, yapping incessantly.And it begins with a slash of the artery radial.

I, Death,Will, unseen, watch to see if he will.

Intaken breath.Resolve is strong as the drips on windowsill.

He, with ink of blood, writes ever more.I, Razor,

Will watch the blood kill.I am in favor

Of dipping in bloody ink the quill.My reward is ever evident.

Pale he has become and colder, nearer me.Reaver am I,

To take him after Waning Day,If he dies,

I will sell his soul across the Fray.But still his cooling hand scratches more.

My body cools.I am losing my essence.

Goodbye Coil,My body to go putrescent.

And now his soul departs, for me to catch.And so Ends Razor’s Coil...

But Begins his Sojourn.

Mike Ankorite CaseyMichael Walter, Blue Flowers, photograph

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Monica Chapon lives a three-dimetional dream. She’s well-versed in the mediums of glass and ceramics. She’s been creative for as long as she can remember and has taken art classes throughout her life, drawing, building and continually creating.

Monica’s artistic career began in college. She had excellent teachers who not only taught her how to successfully work in a studio setting, but also employed her. During college she worked freelance art jobs and later began teaching and working for galleries and museums.

Monica uses primarily 3-D media, and gears her work towards whichever medium in her repertoire fits a working concept. She works primarily in ceramics and glass, as these materials reflect her concepts of fragility, loss and vulnerability.

Monica’s work does appear chaotically delicate. She also contrasts grit with smooth edges, giving a feeling of raw containment.

Monica gains influence from fellow creative friends and from the huge variety of galleries and museums in and around Los Angeles, California.

She, like many artists, uses her personal experiences, observations and emotions and pours them into her work, making it a true extension of herself. And although she’ll hit the occasional creative wall, she finds that research, time away and keeping busy help to reset and jumpstart her brain. Sometimes she’ll look to other artists or mediums for inspiration, but she also spends time outdoors, hiking or exercising, to help her relax and get back into the creative groove.

Monica sets different goals for herself every year.

Constructs: Life in 3-D with Monica Chaponby Sally Garrison & Summer Blackhorse

Monica Chapon, Cactus, glass

Monica Chapon, Cocoons, porcelain

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For Monica, events, sales, different shows, a new series, or working on her website keep her successfully busy. Currently, she plans to visit galleries in her new neighborhood and begin showing her work to a fresh audience. Monica also works as an Art Education Coordinator and Museum Assistant at a local museum in Los Angeles.

Creativity aside, Monica says she would like to learn to play the accordian. Surprisingly, the longest she has ever stayed in one area is three years. While its hard to believe that she can pack up her studio and move from place to place without missing a beat, Monica gains experience from her surroundings, whether she is in Los Angeles or teaching English in Costa Rica.

Monica encourages all artists to “explore the world around you. Go to as many art exhibits as you can, and find a great teacher or employer you can learn from.”

Monica’s formal education consists of a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Glass from the Cleveland Institute of Art and a Masters in Art Education from Case Western Reserve University, as well as a Masters In Fine Arts from California State University. Monica plans to focus on the business side of of creativity and would love additional advice from other creatives on marketing her own work.

Learn more about Monica and her work at: www.monicachapon.com,Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/MINTJULEPdesign,Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana, California,Brea Art Gallery in Brea, California

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Monica Chapon, Survivors, Porcelain

Monica Chapon, Patterned Tiles, Fused glass

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Jason Williams—Sally tells me he’s a little shy, doesn’t like to impose and keeps to himself. We know a lot of creatives that are like that, but fortunately for Jason (although he may not think so) his work shouts its existence from the rooftops. Loudly. Whether Jason likes it or not, it brandishes him before it and demands attention.

When I first saw his work, I thought, “Wowsers...I wonder how many galleries he’s had to turn down?” The answer is, as far as we know—none.

Wait, what? NONE?

“Sally,” I barked over the phone, “He’s brilliant! Did you see the Ganesha portrait he posted to ABTH? He needs to be thinking prints. You know, like big, special-edition prints. Yeah!”

Sally’s response was, “I know—right? He’s pretty awesome. I think we should put him in the magazine. Chill out, woman.”

So, here to tell a little of his story, are Sally and Jason.

Sally: Have you always been creative?

Jason: Yes, I guess so. As soon as I could hold a pencil I started drawing on anything and everything. I found some really old elementry school papers that my mom had of mine. The margins had little pictures drawn all the way around the school work.

Sally: How did you get started?

Jason: I really got serious about drawing right around 6th grade. I got into punk rock and started seeing guys all tattooed up and I thought to myself, ‘That’s the coolest stuff I’ve ever seen, I’m going to draw that.’ It was all down hill from there.

Sally: What is your ideal media to work with?

Jason: Pencil. Colored, conté, charcoal or graphite.

Sally: What mediums to you currently use most and why?

Jason: Right now I’ve gone back to using colored pencil. I’m doing more ‘Tattoo Flash’-style work.

Sally: Which media are you scared to use?

Jason: Paint scares me to death! It’s just so fluid I feel like I can’t control what’s going on. I make a lot of mistakes and it’s hard to erase paint.

Sally: Who or what are your general and/or creative influences?

Jason: I guess it depends on what style I’m obsessing over at the time as to what influences me.

When I’m doing realistic black and grey pieces, I can get an idea from just walking down the street or maybe [from] something in a magazine. Color pieces usually come from seeing tattoos or whatever craziness is crawling around in my head.

Chiaroscuro: Famous Last Words, Jason Williamsby Sally Garrison & Summer Blackhorse

Jason Williams, Untitled, colored pencil on paper

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Sally: How do you overcome creative mental blocks?

Jason: I usually take time off from drawing. I guess I never saw it as a ‘mental block.’ To me, I was burned out and just tired of drawing in that style. I never put a label on it. I had a ‘mental block’ after serving as an apprentice in a tattoo shop for a year and basically doing that style of art for the better part of my life. I did a complete 180º turn. I threw away all my colored pencils and only did super-detailed realistic black and grey work. I went from basic line work and bright colors to no outlines and as detailed as I could possibly get. I stayed with that style for about ten years, then, about a year ago, I did another 180º turn and I’m back to were I started.

Sally: How do you measure success as a creative individual?

Jason: If I’m happy then I’m successful. I draw so that I can stay sane and deal with life. When I can get the things that are happening inside of myself onto paper then I’m good.

Sally: What mediums have you always wanted to try, or is there something you’ve always wanted to create?

Jason: I have respect for and can appreciate all types of art but I’m happy doing what I do.

Sally: Is art your full-time gig? What pays the bills?

Jason: I work for a municipality to pay the bills. I wouldn’t mind being a ‘starving artist,’ but my kids don’t need to suffer for my creativity. Hahahaha!!

Sally: Tell ABTH a few things people might be surprised to learn about you.

Jason: I guess people might be surprised to find out that I can dance Bachata & Merengue pretty good for a white guy, at least in my own mind.

Sally: Provide a little advise for new artists.

Jason: I read some place that if you create art thinking other people will love it nobody will, but if you create art that you love other people will also.

Jason Williams, Untitled, graphite on paper

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Sally: How about art education?

Jason: I took art classes in high School, that’s all I could take of someone telling me that my creation wasn’t done the right way and I had to do it her way for it to be right. How can art be right or wrong?

Sally: What else would you like to tell ABTH?

Jason: I just want to say thank you for recognizing my work and asking me these questions. I never really considered myself an artist. I just draw stuff that makes me happy and put it in the back of my closet. So, thanks again!

Seriously? You’ve “never really considered yourself an artist?”

Famous last words from Jason Williams, ABTH groupers. Well, at least we can say “we knew him when,” because we have no doubt that he will continue to excel at making 2-D art look like 3-D, and we’re pretty sure that his colorful tattoo work will eventually leap off of someone’s arm or leg and tickle an unsuspecting jogger, or dog-walker.

Jason, We wish you the best of luck and hope that some world renowned gallery out there scoops you up and treats you like the unassuming graphite/colored-pencil/conté crayon prince you are. And you are very welcome, Jason. Truthfully, we here at ABTH think your work is stellar.

If you would like to know a little more about Jason’s work, visit our ABTH Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/ABTH2012/?fref=ts

Jason Williams, Untitled, graphite on paper

Jason WilliamsUntitledColored pencil on paper

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ABTH would like to thank each person on staff for their outstanding contribution to ABTH magazine. This is just the beginning of a great creative adventure, and we hope that all of you will continue to travel the aesthetic wilderness with us.

Sally Garrison - Pirate King, DirectorOwner and artist of SEGartworks in Tempe, Arizona. She works for Tempe Center for The Arts. Sally is a photographer, enjoys ceramic work, abstract painting, printmaking, and upcycled/recycled work. She is also a motivational speaker and holds a BFA in Photography. Practices percussion, rescues dogs in distress and sails the seven seas in her spare time. Contact: SEGartworks@gmail.com. On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SEGArtworks/146111718833097

Summer Blackhorse - Art Direction, Creative LeadOwner and artist of Land C Studio in Portland, Oregon. Focuses: photography and fine arts, including painting, drawing, wood and metal work, resin sculpture, and recycled art. She is also a skilled musician and lyricist. She released a photo and poetry book in 2011 entitled The Light of Day. She holds a BFA in Painting and Drawing, and an MS in Criminal Justice. Contact : summerblackhorse@gmail.com Photo sites: http://landcstudio.photoshelter.com/ and http://www.modelmayhem.com/545564 The Light of Day: http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-light-of-day/15900694

J Kovach - Creative Lead EditorOwner and artist of Feral Sky Studios in Seattle Washington, specializing in painting, photography, sculpture and steam art design. A skilled musician and singer-sonwriter, J studied fine art at North Seattle Community College. Contact: Feral_sky@yahoo.com or AliceInGaslight@gmail.com Online: http://www.feralsky.com/#

Michael Walter - Guest EditorMichael Walter is a writer and photographer. A graduate of Portland State University, he holds an MA in Writing and has worked on the editorial teams of Classic Style and Make-Up Artist Magazines; additionally, he has worked at Christie’s Auction House in New York City. In 2013, he will publish a collection of his portrait photography, as well as Objectography, a collection of his object photography. His portrait photography website is www.masculineimagephotography.com

Mary Devine - Guest EditorMary DeVine, a graduate from the University of Portland, holds a BA in English with a Fine Arts minor. She has worked on the editorial teams of Classic Style and Make-Up Artist Magazines. Mary works as a freelance editor, writer and crafter. As an artist, her focuses include clay and decoupage. Her art can be seen at http://devineendeavors.weebly.com/ Additionally, she writes a blog, The Bold Sensualist: http://theboldsensualist.wordpress.com/ Contact her at boldsensualist@hotmail.com

Contact ABTH

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http://artby-thehour.com/

Mixed MediaAcknowledgements

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