Karen Fitzsimons Featured Artist in April

My Dance with a Paintbrush Karen Fitzsimons
“So You Think You Can Dance”​is a popular T.V. show where very young talented dancers come before a panel of judges to be critiqued. These young dancers have put their whole heart and souls into every movement. They have committed hours and hours of hard work, discipline and passion to go before this panel. Many times after all their hard work they are told “You did very well, but you have to go deeper” and then they are told again to “Go even deeper.”
I believe that each of us has a divine seed asking us to go deeper and then even deeper. This seed waits patiently for us to notice and if we do, little by little it will keep showing up in our lives. If we really pay attention it will start to grow and eventually, with discipline and passion, it will burst open.
My seed is painting and that seed has always been with me. Even though I have been painting my whole life, it is only recently that I can say: “I am a Painter.” It has taken me years to develop my skills and to gain the confidence to say: “I AM A PAINTER.” The paintings guide me now. They are almost always inspired by nature. My morning run on a rural road has been my greatest teacher. Everyday there is a new painting. Each season stretches me to see things differently and to learn to use a new color palette.
The influence of those young dancers stays with me. They have taught me to dance with a paintbrush.
In this very busy world, it is my hope that the viewers of my work slow down for just a moment to feel my experience in nature. What a gift we have with this beautiful landscape that surrounds us all.

Mike Lind Guest Artist in March

Mike Lind was born and raised in Wisconsin. He attended the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting in 2000. After graduating college, Mike lived in and traveled around Europe and found himself working on an organic vegetable farm in the mountains of southern Spain. It was there that he discovered his passion for growing vegetables, setting off a 14 year journey on farms from Wales to Costa Rica, Washington State, and eventually returning to Wisconsin.  Mike now co-owns Driftless Organics, a 50-acre vegetable farm near Soldiers Grove and raises grass fed cattle on his own farm, where he lives with his wife Dani and their 2 border collies/ kayaking partners, Mattie and Lucy. When he's not farming or floating down a river, Mike spends his time painting in the upstairs studio of their old farm house.  In his acrylic paintings Mike seeks to explore the relationship between the topographical landscapes of the Driftless region and the flora and fauna (both natural and farmed) that inhabit these landscapes. His current body of work chronicles the rivers that he, his wife Dani and their 2 dogs paddled down (and sometimes up) in the summer of 2014.

Mister Koppa

Art is the evidence of creative activity.

The activity evidenced in my collages is an exercise in sorting, organizing, and composing. First, I select a few “sets” of images, each set from a specific source (all of which may or may not have any obvious relationship to one another). Then I challenge myself to create a series of related, aesthetically balanced, intriguing, and, at best, amusing compositions. The resulting collages include relationships between color, shape, line, perspective, scale, movement, and often the direction of a gaze. For some, a collage is simply fun to look at, but for those who like to make sense of things, these strange arrangements generate yet another creative challenge: interpretation. There are no wrong answers, nor are there any right answers.

I was born in Milwaukee (January 28, 1969, 5:30 a.m.) and enjoyed working in my family’s grocery store during my teenage years on Milwaukee’s East Side. After receiving a B.S. in Art from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1991, I returned to manage the grocery store throughout my 20s. The most important thing I learned at the grocery store, and in school, is that there are opportunities for creative arrangements everywhere we look. By taking time to compose these arrangements, we force ourselves to think creatively about relationships between things. The resulting composition is an artifact, and, whether temporary or permanent, can be an impetus for thoughtful amusement in the minds of those who witness it. I put this knowledge to practice in daily life—in my work and in my play—and it always seems to have a positive impact on the world around me. Creative behavior is contagious and fun. I can’t pinpoint how I caught it, but I hope I can give it to you.

8 x 8 Art SQuared January 2015

                                                                      VIVA Gallery – Art SQuared

A new show, “Art Squared,” features the work of member artists in a unique format.  Each artist has created

a piece on an 8” x 8” wrapped canvas, and these will be displayed in a grid as one large body of work. 

Each artist has been given complete freedom to create a work of their own chosen subject and in their own medium.  Printmaker and ceramic artist Mark Herrling has created a 3D piece called “Star System” using stoneware, metallic acrylics and horse shoe nails.  Painter Liz Quebe offers “Five Below”, one of her signature cows wreathed in an icy cloud of breath.  Photographer Jerry Quebe offers an image of a drift fence buffeted by winter snow.  Jeweler and glass artist M’lou Wilkie will have a glass and tile mosaic on display, and Diane Dahl’s assemblage, “Layered Landscape” is a collage composed of copper mesh, beads and fiber overlaid on a photograph taken at the Neceda Wildlife Refuge. 

Daniel Gilbertson has applied a tooled leather piece of climbing roses on a lattice filigree to the canvas, while weaver Angela Feltes will incorporate fiber into one of her photographs that has been transferred onto the canvas. Painter Anne Tedeschi has chosen a warm subject, a watercolor of a crackling log fire, and Christine Larson’s vibrant red Pegasus is a sure antidote to January cold.

Holiday Artisan Market at VIVA

There will be many items for the home, including those made by two of the area’s premiere furniture makers—Joe Schwarte of Gays Mills will offer custom-designed cutting boards and Viroqua’s Ray Boch will have classically-designed boxes and cutting boards. Member artists Ken and Michelle Workowski of La Farge will have their popular rustic bark mirrors, poplar bark baskets and delicate lamp shades, all made from elements native to our area, and guest artist Terry Beck of Viroqua will have spoons carved from woods grown on his own land. Tea sets, mugs, and bowls are both beautiful and useful, when created by the talented hands of Viroqua’s Maureen Karlstad. Multiple layers of glazes color the porcelains of Charna Schwartz of Plymouth, Wisconsin, and the carved pottery of Madison’s Alison Wheeler provides choices from playful to polished.

Looking for things to wear? Member artists from Viroqua make all styles of jewelry— beadwork from M’lou Wilkie, metalwork from Raelene Roberts, stone and wire works from Christine Larson and fused glass from Angela Feltes. Add the talents of guest artists and even more choices emerge—Jan Mrachek from Wabasha, Minnesota, uses many colors and textures in her jewelry, and Liza Paizis of McGregor, Iowa incorporates wax sculpture casting to create her pewter jewelry. VIVA members Kathy Aaker of LaCrosse and Angela Feltes of Viroqua are weavers extraordinaire, offering exquisitely woven scarves and vests, and Daniel Gilbertson of Readstown offers nature-themed patterns on leather purses and belts. Guest artist Sharlene Bohr of Cresco, Iowa adds eco-printed decorative and functional textiles.

To beautify your walls, there is a wide selection of paintings, photographs, and prints—watercolors by Bill Mapp (Viroqua), Anne Tedeschi (Ferryville) and guest artist Diane Splinter (Viroqua) ; oils by Paul Bergquist (Viroqua), Deb Conlon (Gays Mills) , Christine Larson (Viroqua) and Liz Quebe (Soldiers Grove); and photographs by Jerry Quebe (Soldiers Grove). Prints by Mark Herrling (Fennimore), assemblages by Diane Dahl (Mauston) and intricate color pencil drawings by Monica Jagel (La Farge) round out the selection. For your table or hearth, there are the unique sculptures of David Myers (Sparta), assembled from metal, wood and found objects, and candlesticks and hand-forged sculptural pieces by blacksmith Nick Smolen (Westby).

Seasonal and holiday greeting cards will also be available, as will the lovely and fragrant handmade soaps of Viroqua’s Virginia Goeke. 

Alison Wheeler Pottery

Jan Mrachek Jewelry

Charna Schwartz Pottery

Sharlene Bohr Textiles

Liza Paizis Jewelry

 Terry Beck Hand Carved Spoons

October Guest Thomas Metcalf

• Thomas Metcalf was born in 1974 in Grangeville, Idaho.  After graduating from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washington in 1996.  Tom studied with Leo Neufeld in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and later with Patrick Befaudier in Chicago, Illinois.  His critically renewed intricate paintings employ a Northern Renaissance glazing technique to achieve a glowing realism, reminiscent of 16th century altar pieces.  Thomas' paintings are held in private collections throughout the United States.

To see more of Thomas' work go to his website here

Explore the Creative Mix of Artist Diane Dahl

The work of guest artist Diane Dahl will be featured at VIVA Gallery during the month of September. While the art world would describe Dahl as a mixed media artist, she thinks of herself as a master of exploration, creativity and fun. She works with acrylics, pastels, photography, clays, computers, and bits and pieces from nature.

Dahl graduated from UW-Milwaukee with a degree in Fine Art with a design emphasis, and a second degree in Business with a marketing emphasis. Since 1999, her main art form, and her “bread-and- butter,” has been murals. Her murals grace the lobby of the Kalahari Resort in the Wisconsin Dells, the liquor department of Festival Foods, and Downtown Mauston. Her VIVA display will include mixed media hangings and spirit rattles.

Dahl’s work will be on display at the gallery throughout the month of September, as will the work of all VIVA member artists.