I was invited to participate in this virtual blog tour by my artist friend James Groeling, who was invited by photographer/filmmaker Kevin Michael Reed, who was invited by poet Amy Lemmon, who was invited by Poet and Novelist April Linder.

I invited three more extraordinary artists to participate (Kaci, Alli, and Jess), so check out their blogs next week on August 18th to see the talented people they feature!

James Groeling

http://jamesgroeling.wordpress.com/

I met James four years ago at my very first art show in NYC, Contrast at 320 Studios, when I first remember being transported into fantastic and haunting realms by his imaginative paintings and drawings.  His work ethic and ability to churn out masterpieces in short periods of time (on little or no sleep) never ceases to amaze me. Try and keep up with all the projects this guy is up to.

James Groeling is a freelance artist in New York who was educated at the School of Visual Arts. Over the past several years, James has been part of numerous art shows which have taken his art and prints to four continents at last count. His time is mostly spent creating, working on projects, and enjoying life with friends and family as he considers that to be the most inspiring part of life.

As a freelance artist and illustrator working in many media on various surfaces, his work has continued to develop as visual experimentation and new projects have arisen. His work has traveled to four continents and have been a part of museum exhibitions and fundraisers.

Self-Interview

1.What am I currently working on?

I’m currently creating large 5ft x 6ft autobiographical drawings of abandoned barns with my circulism style in my new medium, Prismacolor marker. Get ready…

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

My work is entirely created out of masses of circles in ballpoint pen (and now marker). Everything is made up of stars, or tiny points of light between the circles. My work is focused on the light within, and I delight in shading to bring out this inherent glow.

I use non-traditional media such as ballpoint pen and marker to show that you can create a masterpiece from anything, even just one ballpoint pen.

3. Why do I create what I do?

I love finding the beauty within everything, especially nature.  I could stare at a landscape all day, and my art gives me a reason to. My work brings me peace and delight as I quietly spend hours building up every detail.

More recently, I enjoy expressing myself through hidden symbols in my work.  It’s so fun to hide secrets in the scenery! We are constantly creating our reality as a reflection of our inner-state, I’m just choosing to project onto my landscape in a different way.

4. How does your creating process work?

It depends on the intent of the image.  For my more abstract work in For The Universe, I start with large circles and intuitively build up masses of circles until an image becomes clear, and then I emphasize the composition I see building. Like carving out light with shadows.

For the drawings based on life, I see something that captures my eye, and focus on recreating that light with my circular style. I meticulously render every detail, then go back and unify the light.  It’s never done, but I make myself find a stopping place.

Check Out These Talented Artists:

Kaci Beeler

http://www.kacibeeler.com/Kaci_Beeler/Home.html

I met my friend Kaci in our beginner’s acting class in freshman year of high school.  We also took art class together. In school, her paintings were always eye-catching, and now they’ve become gloriously mouthwatering! Art, improv, and beyond; it’s amazing to see the life this multi-talented individual has created since our high school years. In her own words:

“I strongly believe in creating the work you want to exist: the work you would like to see when you walk into a gallery or a theater. To put it simply, I paint what I like. I paint what makes me happy.

I like the contemporary accessibility of art. I contend that art is of benefit to anyone who is actively willing to find benefit. The improviser in me makes me want to engage my audience, whoever they may be, and in that respect I think my work is very open. I sincerely believe that I can bring art into the world that people can find inspiration, purpose, and joy in.”

Kaci Beeler holds a BA in Art from St. Edward’s University summa cum laude. She has been fortunate to receive several awards including multiple Austin Chronicle Best of Awards, an Austin Critics Table Award, a B. Iden Payne for Outstanding Work in Improvisational Theatre, and a Still Water Foundation Grant. Her artwork has been featured in Saveur Magazine, Time Out New York, Eater.com, Culture Map, and on EatMeDaily.com. Kaci is the Director of Design at The Hideout Theatre in Downtown Austin and the scenic design director for the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival.

Alli (Walker) Gray

Artwork: http://originallity.carbonmade.com/

Blog: http://originallity.wordpress.com/

I met Alli back in 8th grade when we were in athletics together (until I transferred to dance class one week later). We shared a love of anime, and would have anime and art sleepovers with our friends for years to come, even into college!  We’d spend all night drawing, dreaming, and watching our favorite series. Years later, she is still one of my closest friends, and an incredibly talented artist.

She studied Art at Texas State University, amassing her skills in every medium, and now her creations are an explosion of her extraordinary talents for painting, drawing, sewing, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, silk screening, and pottery.  Her work has no limits, all mediums mesh: inks mix with textures like sand and coffee, embroidery with washes and color pencil drawings. Being around her passion and creativity always inspires me.

While she can virtually render anything, she often chooses to focus on her favorite subject: Birds!

Alli is an Austin-based artist, and you can find her work at art shows in Austin and NYC.

Jessica Hartley

http://www.jesshartleyart.com/

I met Jess three years ago on St. Patrick’s Day in NYC.  After finding out about her breathtaking paintings, we started going to Chelsea openings and showing our work together.  Many an art-night later, I said goodbye to my friend as she journeyed to Dubai and beyond, and now I love seeing the work she creates, inspired by her new adventures.

Jessica is a young artist who recently moved to her home town of Boston, MA after living in Dubai, UAE and NYC over the past couple years. She has exhibited extensively in New York, Boston and over seas.

Jessica studied Painting and business at Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts. She also studied abroad in Orvieto, Italy.

Jessica has been studying painting for the past fifteen years. She has always had an interest for the arts, but that interest became her passion and vocation when she started studying abstraction. As she examines the freedom and excitement of abstraction she has continued to develop as an artist.

Jessica has been in numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout New York and Boston. Her artwork is treasured in many public and private collections. Jessica’s artwork has been published in Idiom a collection of art work in 2010.

Jessica’s work continually has themes of water and space as its basis. With work that is expressive and vibrant, Jessica paints energetic panels that break free of the boundaries of their two-dimensional forms and confront the viewer with their bold colors. She juxtaposes contrasting hues to create a drama and an originality to the vibrant panels.

Jessica also enjoys sharing her passion for art by teaching adults and children. Jessica teaches painting and pottery at a local art school as well as paint parties for beginners.