Art and Artists for Ukraine

Join the artists who have already made contributions to this fundraiser. Learn more about the exhibit below and how you can join us. This is open to all, not just BWAC members.

 

Kenneth E. Parris III 

Friend of BWAC, Kenneth E. Parris III has donated this painting to the Art and Artists for Ukraine fundraiser. The exhibit will be on site at BWAC and on Artsy. I asked Kenneth a few questions about this artwork.

Title: RESIST Portrait: Standing with Ukraine 2, watercolor and graphite on paper, 10"x7"

What was your motivation in creating this painting?
There’s artists fighting on the front lines in Ukraine, defending their homes and families from real aggression. People in Russia are protesting this war at great risk to their safety and livelihood. The least I can do is make a painting and hope it raises a lot of money to help. 

Meet BWAC Member: Hyacinth Paul

I "met" Hyacinth because I uploaded her work to the BWAC Artsy gallery. I enjoyed seeing her paintings and became especially curious about her art making when I learned about her background as a scientist.

 

A Walk in the Woods,  16X20 inches without frame and 18X22 inches with frame

 

 

 

 

 

Hyacinth is donating this painting to BWAC's Ukraine fundraiser.

Why do you make art?

 I make art because it makes me feel happy and I was surprised that it moves people and they respond to it positively as well.  It starts a conversation and that is so satisfying to me.  It is a way for me to communicate my thoughts I feel in a particular moment through the colors on my palette. I stopped creating art on a canvas after I turned nine years of age once I picked science as a subject of study, I did not have the time to create paintings.  But after 2018, I just can’t stop creating!



What tools/materials do you find essential in your studio?

 I need a peaceful place to create, above all.  The stillness of the night where my thoughts are free is key.  In terms of physical materials, a good painting surface, quality paints - both oils, & acrylic and more recently water colors are essential. I also like experimenting with different mixed media that I incorporate into my paintings as well as implements other than brushes. 



Where do you find inspiration?

 My inspiration is the beautiful world around me.  I am inspired by bright colors.  I love the interplay of color and believe that color sparks synesthesia and involuntarily evokes feelings of joy.  I was always drawn to bright colors and used it in my everyday life.  Unbeknownst to me, when I created 58 paintings in the 58th year of my life and arranged it on my website, I was shocked to see how colorful my paintings were. Upon analyzing the reason why that was so, I came to the conclusion that I was using color all my life to lift up my spirits.  

Meet BWAC Artist: Renee Radenberg

 

Globe,cast glass, 7"x7"x7"

I met Renee through the Makers Mart, instantly intrigued by her creations in glass. I am not well versed in the techniques used to work with glass and to me it's just magic. I have enjoyed following her work and getting an idea of the very wide range of objects she creates.

 

1. Why do you make art? 

I create so people can experience the wonderment of glass. Glass has a wonder-ful physical property - transparent or opaque - allowing you to see the illusion of space and depth, the constant play of positive and negative spaces.  This causes a magical flow within the glass, embodying fun, playfulness, and the spiritual energy of nature. This can be healing - by holding you in the present moment to enjoy that magic, be enthralled and charmed so you forget the world’s challenges. 

2. What tools/materials do you find essential in your studio?

As a glass artist I need a lot of equipment and materials to create the different techniques of fused glass. The most important piece of equipment is the Kiln (I have 2 kilns) where the ‘magic’ happens. Then there are equipment needed to grind the glass, such as wet saw, lap grinder, wet belt sander, ring saw, and a sand-blaster.
Of course glass is the number one material. Glass has numerous colors that comes in sheets, glass powders, crushed glass (called Frit), glass ‘stringers’ (looks like spaghetti), and billets (large thick ‘bricks’ of glass used to cast glass).