Please introduce yourself.
Hi, I’m Ann Ranlett, a scratchboard artist. 

Tell us about your favorite art medium.
Scratchboard is not very well known, but it’s a wonderful medium which allows for an incredible level of detail. It’s that detail that I love. I’m a bio-nerd & detail freak and scratchboard is the perfect medium for creating the style of art that makes my science brain happy. My short description of scratchboard is: “drawing white with a knife”. I use a commercially prepared board (Ampersand brand), scratching through the top layer of black with an X-acto knife to reveal the white clay below. Using a variety of stroke widths and lengths creates textures and values. After I complete the scratching, I can add color or shades of grey with watercolor and/or ink.

Who/what is your biggest artistic influences?
Animals are my biggest influences, they’re my favorite subject and an important part of my life. I also credit my parents for fostering my love of animals and supporting my artistic endeavors!

What motivates you to create?
I want to express my view of the world in a creative way, in a technique that speaks to me.

When is your favorite time of day to create?
I’m a hard-core night owl, even though I can work on my art during the day, I prefer nighttime, when my husband has gone to bed & the dogs are settled down.

Does art help you in other areas of your life?
It does. It has given me an “eye” for my surroundings – making me more aware of the interest and beauty in the little things. It has also made me appreciate the business aspect of being a professional artist.

___________

Read Ann’s previous interview here.
___________

Please introduce yourself.
I’m Linda Miller. I’m in love with making art!

Tell us about your favorite art medium.
I love to paint, but I’m having quite the love affair with mosaics!

Who/what is your biggest artistic influences?
Nature is the big one. Color, patterns, design all influence me.

What motivates you to create?
I’m happy when I’m creating. It’s my favorite drug! 

When is your favorite time of day to create?
Anytime but early morning. NOT a morning person! 

Does art help you in other areas of your life?
Absolutely. Art trains the eye. Art helps me to see the world in different ways. It’s worth saying again – it makes me happy!

___________

Read Linda’s previous interview here.
___________

Please introduce yourself.
Hello, my name is Karen Dukes, and I am a glass mixed media artist.

Tell us about your favorite art medium.
I started painting in 2007 and did very well with my paintings – mostly acrylic, but some oil. I started playing with a new form of art called Flow Art about 10 years ago and found that it is a very challenging art form. In 2023 I purchased a glass kiln and started doing fused glass mixed with other mediums such as brushed stainless steel, flow art, resin, crystals, most anything that my imagination went. I love the creativity that I am able to use in this current form of art that I am creating.

Who/what is your biggest artistic influences?
One of my biggest influences in my paintings years ago with Steve Memering, a very famous artist in the Sacramento area and became friends with many of the Artist and Sacramento. I would say my biggest artistic influence right now is Daniel Winn of the Winn Slavin Gallery in Beverly Hills. With him as my mentor, he has encouraged my growth and creativity in the fuse glass world to heights that I never imagined. I am now in the gallery in Beverly Hills as one of the artists.

What motivates you to create?
I feel creating art in life is something that is born within you. Freedom to create from the natural beauty around us is a way we interact with the world, and it reveals who we are.

When is your favorite time of day to create?
I tend to create after I have my cup of coffee in the morning and on until about noon until maybe 2 pm.

Does art help you in other areas of your life?
Art helps me in the social part of my life. I’ve always owned my own business and so I have not had the opportunity to create long personal relationships in my business areas. Now that I am retired, my art gives me a great opportunity to expand my social circles and keep me engaged in life.

Please introduce yourself.
Hi, my name is Darlene Riel. 

Tell us about your favorite art medium.
My medium is photography.  My passion is to travel and to explore other countries and their cultures.   I’d like to think that I “see things” that many people overlook.  I’m drawn to texture and aged patinas, especially of wood and metals.  I like to print my images on premium canvas, as I feel that the nap of the canvas gives my images extra texture and depth.

Who/what is your biggest artistic influences?
On occasion I like to take some of my photographs slightly out of focus, and with the addition of digital post processing noise, they become very painterly.  I first became more familiar with this process by Canadian photographer Michael Orton who started “painterly impressionistic images” that became known as “Orton Imagery”.  This might sound familiar to those who use Adobe Photoshop software as “Orton Effects” were integrated into their post processing software in the 1980’s.  Otherwise, my influences are what I see in the world around me and in my travels.

What motivates you to create?
Sharing my photographs opens dialogs about a sense of place, memories, and the love of travel.

When is your favorite time of day to create?
Early morning or late afternoon.  However, because I may be traveling at any time of day, lighting may not always be perfect.  I’m often moving constantly.  I do not go on “photo shoots” and I therefore capture images of what is presented to me as a passerby.

Does art help you in other areas of your life?
Socially, it definitely does!  Belonging to Auburn Old Town Gallery (and two other galleries) and being around so many creative people is a huge bonus and inspiration.  I’ve also met some amazing fellow travelers and people from all over the world, and many keep in touch.  

___________

Read Darlene’s previous interview here.
___________

Please introduce yourself.
Hello, I am Tim Turney, and my passion is woodworking.

Tell us about your favorite art medium.
Non-endangered exotic woods are my favorite to work with.  Their beauty is unsurpassed and I like to take full advantage of Mother Nature’s medium.

Who/what is your biggest artistic influences?
Mother, sisters, brothers and my children.

What motivates you to create?
Not sure. Just an innate desire to make things I can touch and feel. I get a great sense of accomplishment and pride with each finished project.

When is your favorite time of day to create?
All day… every day.

Does art help you in other areas of your life?
Eh…not really.

Please introduce yourself.
Hi everyone – I am watercolorist, Sonja Hamilton, SWA

Tell us about your favorite art medium.
I knew at once when I tried watercolor that this was for me – it is challenging and so much fun! The best thing was that it was portable, to make painting outdoors so doable! And I have been doing this now for decades besides painting and teaching indoors.

Who/what is your biggest artistic influences?
After earning a degree in Art and a teaching credential in art ONLY, I found my mentor, Dorner Schuller, a retired commercial artist who painted just as I wanted to paint. I took his workshops as often as I could, watching and learning new teaching techniques that I knew would work for me. Subsequently, I took workshops from nationally known artists for their teaching techniques, and gleaned what would work for me.

What motivates you to create?
That is simple. I collect photos that I take with my phone and file them under “to paint”, so I have a selection of ideas that are available when I need a particular subject.

When is your favorite time of day to create?
Daytime, for sure! Usually, my days are so filled that I am ready to relax in the evening. Having said that, sometimes I want to finish a few strokes, so I work under “daylight” lighting in my studio, so my color choices ring true and are not influenced by anything dull and not in true color.  If it is a night scene or a still life illuminated by artificial light, I paint those in the daytime.

Does art help you in other areas of your life?
You know, it doesn’t matter what you do if you understand art principles and design. For example, when I plate food, it is pleasing to look at and more appetizing. When I dress, I wear clothing with color harmony. In photography, I edit to “help” the natural composition my camera takes. Art influences me in all facets of life. I “see” things differently and know my paintings are appealing for this reason.

___________

Read Sonja’s previous interview here.

___________