Pete Daniels February Guest Artist / M'Lou Wilke Featured VIVA Member Artist

Pete Daniels Artist Statement

            In nature, the paradox of mystery and logic, flatness and thrust, stillness and torrent, the gray of solitude and the color of community all await observation and experience.

            A simple line separates the water from the sky.  Repeating hexagons form the structure for the community of bees.

            Nature first inspired me to seek peace.  Nature inspires much of my art. 

In this show I explore the dynamic between water and sky, so magnificently observable on the shore of an ocean or great lake.  I explore the hexagon and the circle, often hidden structures, but brought into my experience as a beekeeper or gardener.  Yet the sun and the moon are there every day, and when I remind myself to take them in again I am fascinated by the mystery of the simplicity of their form.

I enjoy working conceptually, and exploring my concepts and subjects in the abstract and surreal, yet informed by realistic subjects.

Art, for me is an experience.  Thank you for journeying with me.

M'Lou Wilke
Featured VIVA Member Artist

From M'Lou

I work in a variety of mediums as I am an art educator. Stained glass and beaded jewelry are the two mediums that represent me at VIVA Gallery. I am focused on species of birds and flora found in the Driftless region for my original stained glass designs. My beadwork is all about color and texture and intricate processes such as brick stitch, peyote stitch and bead knitting.  

Happy 2013 • Our January Headliners

Daryl Skrupky was a guest at our Holiday Market in November and December.  He's at VIVA on his own for January.  Come see his spectacular work, it features fish, deer and turkeys.  He loves the outdoors and puts that love into his art.

Maureen is a VIVA founding member, she took some time off to focus on teaching, now she and her work are back at VIVA.  She is always exploring new ideas in her art, her work is beautiful and functional.  Come, See.

November and December Holiday Market at VIVA

Viva Gallery wants holiday shoppers to find more variety this year at the gallery.  We invited 8 Guest Artists!  Shopper and Gallery-goers can peruse the handmade, local art and find lots of great gifts now through December, there's something for everyone!

Besides our member works and goods we have:
Amy Arnold - Peepwool hats and pot-holders
Terry Beck - beautiful hand-carved wooden spoons
Zeba Due - wire-wrapped stone and gem jewelry
Jeauxi Gaines - Handmade creations from upcycled materials
Joseph Schwarte - Handmade cutting boards and custom furniture
Nick Smolen - Hand-forged ornamental iron work
Daryl Skrupky - realistic pencil drawings of wildlife
Jensine D. Wing - Jewelry creator using semi-precious stones, copper, sterling or brass

October Guest Artist Jack Hill, Photographer and Anne Tedeschi, Featured VIVA Artist

Jack Hill Photography

In October, VIVA Gallery (Viroqua Independent Visual Artists Cooperative) welcomes Fine Art Photographer Jack Hill.  Jack studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Center of the Eye School of photography I Aspen. Colorado.

Jack began his work with film photography.  He now uses the knowledge gained from traditional photography with digital techniques and processes.  He makes his own prints using archival pigment inks with a variety of fine art papers.

Jack resides in the beautiful and photogenic Kickapoo River Valley.  He works to create pictures that reach out with an invitation to enter emotionally and explore.  He loves images that grow and allow for a deepening relationship.  His goal is to present work which stimulates the people that view it.

The VIVA Featured Member Artist for October is :  Anne Tedeschi,  Watercolorist.  She will have   “Pouring Watercolor”  Demonstrations on October 13 &17^th :  11:00 AM and 2:00 PM.

The gallery is located at: 217 South Main Street in Viroqua.  For more information you can contact the gallery at 608-637-6918 or visit us on the web at www.vivagallery.net.  See Jack and Anne's work at the artist cooperative gallery throughout the month of October, as well as the work of 18
members. 

Anne Tedeschi, Watercolorist

September Guest and Featured Artist Member

In September, VIVA Gallery (Viroqua Independent Visual Artists Cooperative) welcomes Laura Siitari as our guest artist for September. Laura has always thought of herself as an artist, starting with scratching “The Creature” in scary letters into the windowsill as a child. She earned her degree in painting from UW-Milwaukee. In 1999, she and her husband moved from Milwaukee to the Mississippi River valley area, where she began painting again in earnest, including running a gallery for five years in Lansing, Iowa. Laura is often drawn to familiar objects and scenery.

 Her intent is to show the grace and tranquility of everyday scenes as an antidote to the fast-paced, mindless routines so many of us get caught up in. Though her style is realistic, she is not trying to fool the eye; rather, to distill the elegance of shapes, patterns and mystery of shadows.

Our featured artist member in September is Monica Jagel. She describes her work as simple in

composition, with colored pencil the details shine. She loves the nuance and subtleties of the medium. Through her work her passion is revealed – the diversity, beauty and intricacy of the natural world. If she can make someone pause and consider the importance of protecting the natural environment she has succeeded in her work. 

a Halloween card by Monica Jagel

look for it at VIVA!

August Guest Ellen Reyher

In August, VIVA Gallery (Viroqua Independent Visual Artists) welcomes Ellen Rehyer as guest artist.

Ellen is a talented artist who uses sensuous form and color of native plants and landscapes for inspiration.

Ellen lives in La Farge and has exhibited her work in Wisconsin and Florida.  Her love of color and

nature vibrates in her paintings.  Her work evolves from observations of nature while sketching her  most vivid impressions.  Later in the studio Ellen reworks the impressions, playing with color, lines and form in larger compositions.  The thread of continuity running through her work expresses a synthesis of the sensual and spiritual whether it takes an abstract or more realistic direction.

Nick and Alyssa Smolen at VIVA in July

Nick and Alyssa, father and daughter artists from rural Westby are VIVA guests the month of July.

Alyssa is currently studying photography and graphic design at UW-Milwaukee.  She has been interested in photography since she was in grade school.  Alyssa enjoys photographing nature and landscapes but her favorite subject is horses.  Upon graduation she intends to start a wedding photography business.  Her subjects are typical but she photographs with an artistic twist to create unique images.  She will exhibit a variety of subjects at VIVA.

Nick is a blacksmith.  He got his start in 1988 when he began forging Damascus steel blade stock for custom knife makers.  Nick began making his own knives for sale, hunting and chef knives are his specialty.  More recently he has added ornamental iron work to his repertoire, candle holders, tables and sculptural pieces.  He combines modern and traditional forging techniques giving his pieces a unique look.  

Come to 1st Thursday, July 5 from 5 pm to 7 pm to see the work of these two local artists, along with the work of all members of VIVA Gallery.  After the artist reception have dinner at the Rooted Spoon Kitchen Table.