14 minute read
INTERVIEW BY H. CANDEE
Winter Sunset Konkapot Brook, Pastel on Stonehenge paper, 19 x 27”
JIM SCHANTZ
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LAND, WATER AND SKY
Interview by Harryet Candee Photographs Courtesy of Artist
Berkshire-based artist Jim Schantz has been painting beautiful Berkshire landscapes since 1982. Known for his enchanting land, sea, and skyscapes, he takes the viewer to see the sublimity of nature. The Eternal Source | New Work, was Jim’s most recent exhibit this past October/November at the Pucker Gallery in Boston. Working with oil paint or pastels, he uses his skills and intuitiveness to interpret the nature of things in places off the beaten path.
Harryet Candee: Morning. Noon. Evening & night. In what ways do you set your mind to think for each of these times of the day in preparation for a fresh canvas? Jim Schantz: I have been inspired by countless times of day and season over the years, yet each one is a totally unique experience, which determines different qualities of light. When a moment speaks to me, I realize the story of that place and time needs to be told, and that it is something that can be translated into a painting.
How do you approach the different elements? Air, water, land. JS: These three aspects relate and talk to each other. I see it as a dialog going on between the elements. The Berkshire landscape has a very unique quality of scale. There is an intimacy to the hills, that reminds me of figures in repose, perhaps contemplating the formations in the sky. I have made compositions that are specifically sky, (Skyscapes), and some that are primarily water. The Housatonic has been an important source of inspiration for the past 20 years or so. Water offers amazing variations of light and form as a subject. The river is such an important resource, which has remained viable through the efforts of the Housatonic River Initiative, and other environmental groups. Their efforts have helped us gain a greater awareness of the need to protect the Housatonic. Monument Mountain has been an important subject throughout. It is a visible centerpiece from many perspectives throughout the South County area. It has an iconic presence and it resonates as the sacred site of the Mohican Nation.
When you observe the trees in nature, what do they say? Before you put your paint brush or pastel onto the working surface, what communication has transmitted from subject, to brain, to hand then surface? JS: When describing a tree by drawing or painting, there is a natural connection as though we are one. There are structural aspects of trees that reflect our own anatomy. Glendale Pines Sunset is a depiction of the end of a winter day, where the sky changed rapidly. I focused on the unity of these tall, silhouetted pines, which appear like a family. Capturing this scene allows me to realize a moment time that will never be again. In this case, it is underscored by the fact that these trees are no longer there today.
How do you determine which size canvas or surface works best for interpreting a landscape you plan to capture? JS: I have been working primarily in both pastel on paper and oil on canvas. These two mediums have very different surface qualities. Certain subjects are better suited to pastel while others work better as a canvas. In general, I have been creating larger pieces on canvas, or occasionally panels. The pastels are great to work out ideas on a smaller scale.
Your art is spiritual and therapeutic. Healing and soothing. But have you questioned the possibil-
Jim Schantz, Krasa Skyscape, Skidmore College, Acrylic on canvas, 30 x 72”
Jim Schantz, Alder Meadow,Triptych Oil on canvas
ities of creating a landscape during a scary storm, or when nature is just plain angry? I am sure this might have a different effect on people. JS: The spiritual aspect of my work is essential. The process of creating is in itself healing. I would hope that this carries over to the viewer, so they can have this meditative place to go into. I have made some works that have more threatening skies. There are several “post-storm” works, as well as more intense dramatic sunsets. Nature has an incredible range of subject matter, from the most subtle and soft to the most intense. It reflects life, continually shifting and providing new symbols.
How has your work changed over the years? JS: When I moved to the Berkshires, I began my relationship with landscape as my primary source of inspiration. I had actually avoided it up until that point, but it slowly found me. It was not only the qualities of light or character of the land, but primarily that for me it’s been a way to transcend and reach some aspect of universal meaning. What do viewers need to know in order to truly appreciate your work? JS: I do not think there is any specific personal background or history necessary for someone to relate to my work. I would like to think that one who looks at my work will have some connection, whether spiritually, or formally to the painting composition.
American Luminist painters share some things in common with your work, and I wonder, what do you find in particular about Inness and Church that inspires you? JS: I admire the grandeur of Church’s paintings; however, I love Inness’s work, the intimacy, and subtle qualities of light and sensuous application of paint. There are some great pieces in the collection of the Clark Art Institute.
Can you tell us about the Krasa Series you painted? This collaboration with art and music must have been a profound and lasting experience for you? JS: This was a project proposed to me my friend Mark Ludwig, who was a violist with the BSO. Mark established the Terezin Music Foundation, which has a primary focus on preserving and performing music that was composed by artists who were incarcerated during the Holocaust in WWII. Artists and musicians were sent to the Terezin concentration camp, (located in the Czech Republic), and most were eventually sent to perish at Auschwitz. One of these composers was Hans Krasa, who wrote String Quartet, (1921). Mark had learned that as part of the Dada art movement in the ‘20’s, Krasa had wanted a painter to create a work while the music was being performed. I was able to create this with the Hawthorne String Quartet initially at Simon’s Rock and eventually, we performed this at Ozawa Hall in 2012. There were several abstract “Skyscapes” that I created to the composition performed in different venues. It was a great experience which enhanced my work. Continued on next page...
Jim Schantz, Winter Sunset Konkapot Brook, Pastel on Stonehenge paper,19 x 27”
What would you say was your most loved and enjoyed formal training experience that you had, and in return, did you feel the same when you were lecturing art students? There were some pivotal moments in my training. The first would be with foundation drawing classes at Syracuse University. I use these same principles from the foundation courses in my teaching. Jerome Witkin, my first painting teacher at SU, opened my eyes to color. In graduate school at UC Davis, I had the opportunity to be Wayne Thiebaud’s teaching assistant. His approach to teaching also emphasized foundation drawing. Gaining an understanding of drawing foundations is essential for an artist, no matter what direction they intend to explore. My most enjoyable aspect of teaching would be those moments when someone starts to really observe and translate what they are drawing onto paper.
Do you find that Dusk is the most magical time of the day? JS: I would have to say that both Dusk and Dawn are magical. We have some incredible light shows here in the Berkshires. It’s always exciting to see what is in store during the beginning or last moments of daylight. I feel very fortunate when I am able to capture the emotion of those moments.
When you are not creating art, what grounds you? JS: Being surrounded by nature, whether hiking a trail or kayaking on the river. We are fortunate to live in an area with such an abundance of resources, thanks to the organizations that protect open space, such as the Berkshire Natural Resources Council.
How did you enjoy the most recent art exhibit at the Pucker Gallery in Boston? What were your thoughts on seeing the past two years work on the gallery walls? JS: It’s always gratifying to see the work in a gallery, presented together for the first time. I am never completely sure how cohesive the collection of works will look. This last exhibition seemed to work very well as a whole. There is a virtual tour on the Pucker Gallery website. It is also the first exhibition which has both pastel works and paintings together. I was fortunate to have had a commission to work on during the past year through the gallery. It gave me the opportunity to work with the Adirondacks as a subject. The project developed into the triptych, Alder Meadow, depicting different light during the same day.
What have you taken from poetry or literature that brings you closer to your work as a visual artist? Perhaps the best way to answer this question is to list some good recent reads: JS: Rivers of Power by Laurence Smith; a history of how rivers have shaped civilization and the importance of protecting them. Thomas Hart Benton, by Henry Adams; focusing on his career that began with the American modernist movement in New York ‘20’s through his transition to a regionalist painter. Ninth Street Women by Mary Gabriel; a narrative about the amazing women who shaped the New York School.
Jim Schantz, Housatonic Evening Reflection, Oil on canvas , 48 x 48”
but now that you are at complete adult age, wise and responsible, confident, what do you firmly think is true about life and what you see around you that has changed your thinking over the years? JS: Probably the most important thing I have learned in relation to my own work over the years is to follow my own voice as an artist. It is important to remind yourself that there is something that is your own in what you do, and that no one can take your work away from you.
What brings you to feeling deep sentiment? JS: The state of our world. We live in turbulent times, environmentally, politically, and socially. The divisiveness is palpable. Artists are among those who help to maintain and preserve our sanity and reflect our humanity. Creativity is a way of expressing hope for the world.
What are you now thinking of working on? JS: Since I am surrounded by my subject, I am always composing paintings in my head. I just have to choose among these possibilities. I’m currently doing smaller pieces to explore options. If it becomes a place that resonates again and again, then that subject becomes a larger painting.
Can you tell us about what you believe has been one of your top achievements in your artistic career? JS: The representation by Pucker Gallery in Boston for over 30 years is an achievement. They have been supportive throughout the ups and downs of my career. That is rare for a gallery to not only be in business for so long, but to stay behind an artist’s career throughout. In addition, I have had some great projects, including the Krasa Skyscapes and individual large-scale commissions. From 2016-2019, I was able to organize the River Art Project, which was a series of exhibitions to raise awareness and funding for environmental organizations; Housatonic River Initiative, Riverkeeper and the Housatonic Valley Association.
You are set to do a painting, but your mood has changed, and you need to change some things about your plan. What do you do? Work through it? JS: I have learned when the mood changes, or perhaps the light, that I am on a different path with the painting. I either have to choose to leave it alone and walk away, or to stay with it and see where it goes. Both are completely valid.
The Eternal Source means what to you? JS: Nature, light and spirituality.
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Jim Schantz is represented by Pucker Gallery in Boston. His work can also be seen online at jimschantz.com and riverartproject.com
LONGING YANA VAN DYKE
Playing at the intersection of art & science, van Dyke creates works of art on paper and parchment with a deep-rooted understanding of traditional materials and techniques from the microscopic to the macroscopic. For more than thirty years she has been studying and practicing the art of intaglio printmaking, with copper as the matrix. Her experimental printmaking & painting techniques weave imagery born out of a naturalist, symbolist, alchemist; charged and characterized by their animistic atmospheres. Yana van Dyke holds a MS from the Winterthur/University of DE Program in Art Conservation, is a recognized Professional Associate of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, a member of the International Council of Museums Committee for Conservation, the Society of Winterthur Fellows, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the Institute of Paper Historians. Yana van Dyke – https://www.linkedin.com/in/yana-van-dyke76639828/; https://metmuseum.academia.edu/yanavandyke; https://www.instagram.com/yanavandyke/?hl=en
ABOVE THE LINE OIL AND COLD WAX MEDIUM ON ARCHES PAPER, 9”X12” GHETTA HIRSCH
I have new work for you to see. I have started a series of paintings on Arches paper during the summer and I seem to expand this experiment well into the end of 2022. The collection, framed and under glass, has quite a different look from my abstract realism paintings that are done on canvas. These have more texture and even though they represent nature, they seem to look more closely at details in my walks. “Above the Line” is oil paint thickened with cold wax medium 50/50 and spread in buffed layers on Arches paper. The pond and its dried cattails near my home have been my inspiration for this one. I focus on colors and texture and love the disorderly beauty in this natural patch of land. It is a hiding place for hibernating creatures that will reappear in the spring. This compacted soil, foliage, grass, and dried seeds prepares a surprise for us in the new season. But first we will accept that it will be muddy, brown or covered with snow to reappear later fresh and green ready to welcome our wildlife or soothe our eyes. This new body of work has not been exhibited yet, so if you wish to see it, please contact me. My other abstract realism work is being exhibited until February with the Winter Member Exhibition at Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester, Vermont. Some smaller works will go to Futurelabs Gallery, 43 Eagle Street in North Adams, MA.
Ghetta Hirsch - 413-597-1716, ghetta-hirsch.squarespace.com
MY NEW HAT SERIES #5 MARY DAVIDSON
Mary Davidson has been painting on a regular basis for the last 16 years. Davidson’s paintings are a two-dimensional decorative visualization of line, color, design, shape, patterns, and stamping. As you begin to study the paintings, you will find the foreground and background tend to merge, with overlaid patterns. “I love the intense complexity and ambiguity of space and dimension.”. The effect can be startling: the longer you look at the piece, the more you see. Davidson’s New Hat series consist of 70 paintings. “I start with a basic drawing, building with color and shape, coming to life with gesture and flow. As the title suggests, the hats are important, and the millinery designs emerge. There is much joy in their creation and my passion for playful designs is reinforced by their bright colors, linear rhythms and patterns leading our eyes around and through the painting. My newest series is even more abstract, with an even stronger emphasis on design. I do like to use stamping, along with painting, because I love the result. When I finish with a painting, I adhere the canvas with mat gel to gator board, creating a nice tight surface. My paintings are always framed.”
Mary Davidson - PO Box 697, South Egremont, Massachusetts; 413-528-6945 / 413-717-2332; mdavidsongio@aol.com, marydavidson83155@gmail.com www.davidsondesigncompany.net
Conversational Spanish
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AUNT JEAN’S TREE
Sally Tiska Rice
Berkshire Rolling Hills Art
Clock Tower • Studio 302, 3rd floor 75 South Church Street, Pittsfield, MA (413)-446-8469 sallytiskarice@verizon.net www.sallytiskarice.com
NANCIE SHELHAMER
Specializes in fabric art, quilts, embellished jean jackets, pillows and throws, using recycled denim with various vintage fabrics
the art of maryann yarmosky
