Robert Olsson Photography on Display at Kent Public Library

Departure Project: Saying Goodbye 

 

Hit-and-run, knocked unconsciousness, reawakening to nearby stains of blood. Broken this and that. I now carry the
vulnerability of modern travel with me; the fragility of living.

Ostensibly, this is a photo-documentary, a visual study of deeds made by those in grief. How we deal with the loss
of loved ones is what this touches on. Survivors first go to the departure sites in an attempt to understand what
happened, then return to assemble shrines bringing personal items, artifacts and materials. Some sites are simple
markers. Some places are more elaborately crafted than others. I selected those which contained remnants from the lost
individuals’ lives. 

They represent and define how the departed were remembered. They include objects which celebrated the deceased‘s
identity, articles left as associations to the departed. There is a vague connection between the eff ects left and how they
make the location sacred. Some sites show participation from multiple parties. Some show the victim’s service. Some
capture the heartbreaking despair of favorite stuff ed animals on a telephone pole where a young child was killed.

We have an expectation that our people will always be there for us, yet now they’re suddenly gone. What is the narrative of these events? How did this happen? What were they doing? What were they thinking at that last moment? How much did they suffer? We do or don’t know who they were. We don’t know who testified for their angels, leaving visible fragments of expressions. A tapestry wrestling with our inadequacy to prevent the loss of one of our own; a manifestation of our need for resolution. I am reminded of my impermanence and am lead to more unanswered
questions.

Aside from a cautionary tale, what matters? The shrines represent how much time I have left. For others, perhaps they serve as a catharsis, they recognize positive eff orts of erecting crudely fashioned arrays of grief. Friends, family, devastated by their loss, return to the place where life became death. We do know this as a place of departure. The profound wish of survivors is to have their losses immortalized. They stand here at this place unable to be with their beloved. They go to the place where they feel their loss the strongest. They sense the energy gone of persons no longer
present, not knowing what is their loss or the loss of the departed.

The selections of Departure Project is sponsored by the Friends of the Kent Public Library. Special thanks to the Kent Public Library for providing a venue for display of these images. 

©2017–2018 Robert Olssonrobertolssonphotography.com

Sandra Gorman Artwork on Display at Kent Public Library

Sandra Gorman
Artist statement 2018

I primarily work primarily in oils and pastels and enjoy experimenting with different mediums and surfaces.

In this exhibit you will see paintings in inks on paper. I started using this medium last summer when I studied with artist, Jeanette Rodriguez.

I love the color intensity of the inks and have been using them in an abstract way letting the colors flow and create beautiful shapes on the paper.

Over the years I have studied with wonderful artists and have gained so much from their individual techniques and masterful instruction.

Painting is a passion for me and I enjoy experimenting and taking my art in new directions.

Contact: sandragorman14@gmail.com

Richard Harrison Artwork on Display at Kent Public Library

 

RICHARD HARRISON

ARTISTS STATEMENT

THE WONDER OF CATS

Cats in art. From Egyptian wall art to the old masters’ portraits of cats on laps, or

at the feet of families, these amazing animals have been prominently displayed.

To this day the wonder of cats, their sense of independence, their loyalty, their

curiosity, their empathy, their mastery of movement and their incredible beauty is

appreciated by so many of us.

Having shared my life with cats over the past forty years I have drawn and

painted studies of cats and I always find it fascinating how they position

themselves in the right settings … finding the right ray of sunshine to bathe

themselves in or posing next to the right bouquet of flowers often following this

with a deep sleep (much deeper than a cat nap!)

This exhibit includes my most recent attempts at capturing their individuality,

mystery and beauty. I have experimented working on kraft paper (butcher paper)

because I like both the texture of the paper and the brown color as a starting

background.

I use a multi-media approach … acrylic paints combined with Prismacolor pencils

and often graphite. I enjoy the fluidity of the paint which helps to create a sense

of spontaneity and the colored pencils work well for the details.

My professional background consists of being an art educator. I have taught in

Nanuet, Scotia, London/England schools and for twenty five years I was an art

teacher at the George Fischer Middle School in Carmel.

My art work can be found in many collections throughout the United States and

England.

Contact: rjamesharrison@cs.com

Barbara Lemischak Artwork on Display at Kent Public Library

Artist Statement

Barbara Lemischak

Having been interested in art and creative activities since childhood, I have experimented with watercolor and acrylic paints as well as Prismacolor markers and oil pastels. Painting provided me with a means to express my feelings of anger, fear and the inner longing to connect with a spiritual source.

My interest in the relationship between the body, mind and spirit, led me to explore a variety of spiritual traditions.  The concepts and practice of meditation, tai chi, Reiki  and shamanism have been influencing factors in my art as they offer an awareness of a flow of energy beyond the physical senses.

In May 2017, I participated in a “ Soul Painting ” class at Arts On The Lake and found a freedom for expression without a set of rules to follow. Eureka! A new door was opened.  After this class, I had the opportunity to join in several alcohol ink classes at The Front Street Gallery.

Creativity explodes as the alcohol inks seem to have a life of their own, pulling you into their creative energy flow.  Practicing the techniques taught, I am learning to work with the nature of the inks.  When painting, I let go of expectations and remind myself “ there are no mistakes ” as I move into a place of enjoying the process of creating.  Without limiting attachments to outcome, creation is moving through me and I experience a childlike wonder as the image unfolds. 

I displayed two alcohol ink paintings in The a Fall exhibition at Arts On The Lake last October and at Mahopac Library this past February.  What a life expanding experience it has been for me to step into this new adventure.

Contact at (845)878-7812 or (845) 222-6569

Karen Schoolman Artwork on Display at Kent Public Library

Karen Schoolman

As an abstract painter, student of botanical illustration, and a physician, I am interested in the relationship between art and science. There are many commonalities, particularly in terms of creativity. Intuition and risk taking are just as important as logic and careful observation. 

As physicians we are trained to view the body from a rational, scientific and biological perspective. This quite often involves disease, diagnosis and intervention. 

As an artist I have been intrigued by an approach to the body that relies purely on the visual and aesthetic. What if we could look at a bone, for instance, and not be influenced by associations of fear, vulnerability, and perhaps disgust? What if we could see bones as objects to be appreciated in terms of form, line and shape? How harmonious they are where they interlock. Here is a ripple of patterns, or a surprising series of shapes. What if we could peer right through the skin into the membranous cavities lying below? 

How mysterious and ambiguous. I took photographs with these ideas in mind and explored the terrain of the body from this visual perspective. It was very exciting to be able to blend my interests in this way. Freed from the restraints of an expected context, it was surprising how much of a human presence could exist within a matrix of pure abstraction. 

Emil Figueroa Artwork on Display at Kent Public Library

Emil Figueroa Fine Art

 

I spent my childhood in Brooklyn, NY and at the age of 10, I began studying figure drawing at the Pratt Institute on weekends. I attended the High School of Art and Design in New York City and graduated with a concentration in illustration and costume design. 

After many years of working in the telecommunications industry, I decided to venture back into the world of art. Around 2006 and at the suggestion of a neighbor, I began studying with a local artist.  For the past 11 years, I have been studying with artist, Andrew Lattimore of Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY. I have also attended workshops taught by artist, Joe Paquet.

I have participated in many local venues including the Howland Cultural Center, Barrett School, Hudson Valley Hospital Center, The Book Cove, Downing Film Center, Beekman Library, McKinney and Doyle Restaurant, and the ArtEast Open Studio Tour. 

In my studio, one of my favorite subjects to paint is teddy bears and hoping along the way to bring them to life. All of my landscapes of the great Hudson Valley are created en plein air. Every opportunity I have, I love spending outdoors capturing the beauty surrounding me.  I also enjoy journalizing my vacations by putting brush to canvas. 

Fr. Simon Kurpios Artwork on Display at Kent Public Library

 Simon Kurpios’s acrylic paintings explore the relationships between spirituality, the nature, the emotions, the meditations, and the divine. His work, which is informed by the New York Metropolis where he lives, features urban motion and the mix people emotions in strong blues, reds, and yellows. The paintings, which collectively make use of similar colors, shapes, and moods, are derived from Simon’s exploration of spirituality, religion, philosophy, psychology, and music. Though generally abstract in free style, Kurpios's work offers a tangible subject, radiating out as a sensory invitation that he hopes will “remind the viewer of the wonder and oneness of all things, and especially the sacredness of their own divinity.”

Kurpios studied at The Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań and The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow. His works has been featured in International Poster Festivals in Cracow, and galleries in Warsaw, Poznan and Cracow (Poland). He is a author of numerous book and magazine cover illustrations and book illustrations. He has also published book Wlastimil Hofman’s Religious Painting. 

Simon Kurpios was born in Poland and is a Parochial Vicar for St. James Apostle Church in Carmel, NY.

Please visit his website at simonart.us for more information.
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