An Interview with Kris Rhymes

This show features two series of paintings by local artist Kris Rhymes. One series is “Whatcanyacallit” and features portraits created with chocolate syrup and bright primary colors. It touches on the value of community, our children and childhoods, and caring about and for each other. The second series "Value" uses fonts from popular candy wrappers paired with bright, appealing backgrounds to present phrases to make you stop and take stock -- "We need hugs & shit," "Creativity is currency," and "Stop sweet talkin'" are a few examples. There is beauty and wisdom to be found in this vibrant, well-crafted artwork. Rhymes has been exhibited and privately collected in various venues including House Three Thirty Museum, I Promise School, Tempe History Museum, ASU Community Gallery, HQ Gallery, and many others. Find Rhymes work on krhymesartistry.com to purchase your favorite piece.

An Interview with Laura Spalding Best

Hailing from the Midwest, Laura moved to Arizona when she was 18 and completed her BFA at Arizona State University. She has exhibited work at numerous solo and group exhibitions in downtown Phoenix and completed several public murals across the Valley of the Sun. Best works mainly on found domestic objects such as silver platters, teacups, muffin trays, and old metal irons. In an interview with the Phoenix Art Museum, Best said, “I love reusing objects and giving them a new purpose and life. Found objects come to me with more history than a blank canvas.” Using these objects as the foundation for her work, the artist explores the complex and challenging relationship between the desert environment of the southwest, human impact on the landscape, and the emotions associated with addressing climate change.

Is there a specific person or school that influenced you to be an artist?

I knew I wanted to be an artist from about age ten. I discovered that I could draw well and started drawing from still lifes around the house. I filled up sketchbooks and drew portraits of friends and family. My mom has always been creative and leaned towards the arts, she recognized and encouraged my practice from an early age. I loved doing it and knew I wanted to be an artist when I grew up.

What was the inspiration for this piece?

This piece, “Trickle Down Ecologics”, represents a really important transition in my work. I have been working with oil paint on found objects for a long time, but this was the first time I went with the flow of the mirage in the desert landscape and broke out of the painting plane onto a separate object. It may seem like a small thing but it was a paradigm shift to my way of approaching my paintings. The inspiration came from the mirage, I had been playing with the idea of the inferior mirage for awhile, this is specifically the mirage we can see practically every day of the year on the paved roads in the Valley. It is an optical phenomenon, meaning you can see it and photograph it, but nobody else can see the mirage you see. It often appears to be water on the horizon, like a tantalizing promise of resources that you can run toward forever but never reach. That concept really resonates with me and I use it as a metaphor for climate change and looking at how resources are utilized in the Sonoran desert and southwest. In this image the melting point starts with the mirage at the horizon of the highway and the landscape then appears to turn liquid and melt from there until the imagery starts to lose detail and is reduced back to its original state of paint.

What drew you to the urban landscapes that you often use in your paintings?

I really started critically looking at the urban landscape about 18 years ago. I'd been out painting the natural landscape far away from the realities of the urban environment. When I came home I found myself analyzing the supposedly unsightly landmarks of a city landscape, like telephone poles and powerlines that project into our picturesque Southwest sunsets. I found that I would rather approach them unflinchingly and accept them into my everyday view of the landscape. Since then the urban landscape has provided endless challenges in my work, it has made me evaluate resources and what is valued most in a landscape.

How have your experiences as Exhibitions Manager at SMoCA affected your artwork?

I've been working in a museum for almost 15 years, and it's fair to say that my perception of space was altered since day one. As soon as I started to install other people's artwork I started to look at my own differently. I began to see my paintings less as individual objects and more as parts of larger installations. Now when I approach making new work for an exhibition I think beyond the process and subject matter and make it for its intended space. It's a good practice to think of the life of an artwork beyond the studio.

Have you noticed any changes in the local arts scene recently?

I've been connected to the local arts scene for almost 20 years now, it's always shifting and changing. I've been part of studio spaces and galleries that were artist-run, and seen the boom that followed a lot of individuals' efforts and commitments. The beautiful, painful irony of developers seeing the value of an arts district and the downturns that permanently closed spaces. There have been a lot of special spaces that are no longer around but are no less important. Each gallery or pop up may have had a fleeting time in the sun but those little creative factories still leave ripples in the local art scene. I think the local art scene always stands on the shoulders of artists, their passion, commitment and selflessness. For me it has become less about the arts district and more about experimental spaces. These can be anywhere, any gallery or pop up or outdoor venue can be the perfect setting for new work, I'm a firm believer in putting in what you want to get out of an exhibition, and sometimes the best people to manage these opportunities are artists themselves.

How does planning murals differ from planning smaller scale works? In what ways is the process similar?

I absolutely love switching between teeny tiny paintings to larger than life murals. It's funny, but the process feels very similar to me. The way I approach a detailed oil painting is similar to the way I execute a large mural. The relationship and proportion of brushstrokes and paint makes a lot of sense to me. I think it is a good exercise to shift scale in that way. When I'm stuck on a project in the studio the best way to get out of my head is to step out of my comfort zone into a mural that forces me to use my whole body to paint and recalibrate my way of thinking. I've come to consider murals as an important part of my practice, they invariably change the course of my work and signal a new direction that I will chase until the next one appears.

Learn About Artist Art Levy

Art Levy found a passion for art early on, majoring in art and painting as an undergraduate. He then went to medical school and spent the next 25 years as a cardiovascular surgeon. After retiring, Dr. Levy returned to art. He discovered and fell in love with the encaustic processes and has spent the last 18 years developing his voice and style. Throughout his career as an artist, Dr. Levy has continued to be fascinated by science – biology, physics, physiology – and he has created series on topics such as cell physiology and the Big Bang theory. His artwork has also explored the origins of language and the passage of time.

Is there a specific person or school that influenced you to be an artist?

My strongest and earliest influence was my high school art teacher. She encouraged me to explore possibilities, she was my mentor and confidant as well. I had never had any formal instruction until her classroom. She helped me to realize how much the art world meant to me and helped guide me down the pathway to creativity.

What was the inspiration for this piece?

I became obsessed with the big bang theory, the fact that the universe was constantly expanding. The result...the cosmic perspective series of work. The image attached is, "Fury " one of my favorites.

What drew you to encaustics?

The ancient nature of the process drew me in. The flexibility, the smell of the wax, the intense color and the surprising images that seemed to evolve. It was love at first sight.

Tell us a little bit about your Lifeforms series.

This series was a function of both my medical career and my long term interest in cellular forms. I took several courses in histology and was amazed by the beauty of the stained images under the microscope. Seemed like a natural transition to the art world.

Have you noticed any changes in the local arts scene recently?

Yes, I am much more isolated . Gallery openings absent. The comradeship that I enjoyed with the art community diminished. I have become more introspective.

How has your time as a cardiovascular surgeon affected your work as an artist?

Cardiovascular surgery was intense frequently dealing with life and death situations. Perhaps I appreciate the beauty of my surroundings a bit more. My paintings are an attempt to evoke emotion, the affirmative nature of life's possibilities. I just have learned how fragile and unpredictable our life is.

Spotlight on Local Artist, Gloria Langer!

Local artist Gloria Langer was born in Lisbon, Portugal in 1965, and studied Graphic Design working in this industry for nearly 20 years. Through living and traveling in various countries, she experienced and enjoyed different cultures. Since she moved to the U.S. in 2012, she has translated the themes and concerns of current life into artistic expression. She had her first solo exhibit in 2016, at the Burton Barr Library with “Facts of Life”, and a second show, “Vainglory” at the Walter Gallery in 2018. Her work has been represented in the American Art Collector, The Vortex Magazine, and Articulate.

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What is a type of material you like to use in your mixed media pieces and why do you like working with it?

"In my mixed media pieces I use many cutouts from magazines and recycled materials. I love to use corrugated cardboard from secondary packaging that supply interesting structures that I use as the bases for my collages for an extra level of complexity."

Do you find yourself using any recurring aspects in your work?

“I recur thematically to different aspects of the same ideas. I’m mostly interested in currently relevant themes like environment, equality, and other social issues. I find myself repeatedly using certain visual elements that create a symbolic language recognizable throughout my work. It is an evolving process.”

Is there a subject or a place that you find particularly inspiring?

“Urban spaces and their inhabitants are always a great source of inspiration for me. I love big cities and their diversity, complexity, and dynamics that supply infinite themes, ideas, and stories that are just waiting to be told.”

Have you noticed any changes in the local arts scene recently?

“Locally, it is hard to miss the proliferation of murals everywhere in the city. Thankfully, these are also becoming thematically more relevant. They are an important channel for art and pop culture in Phoenix and a way to bring art to a broader public. It would be wonderful to see other types of artistic expression expand in the same way.”

What was the inspiration for this piece?

“Still Life” is about the many challenges of modern times. Real struggles and the intrusiveness of over-information are overbearing and oppressive. This piece is about redemption and our capacity for evasion from a confining and chaotic space where normality becomes impossible. Liberation and a return to oneself are still achievable.”

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If you are interested in more details or purchasing any of Gloria Langer’s work, please send us an email at gallery@thewalterhive.org!

Get to know Abbey Messmer!

Abbey Messmer was born in Dallas, Texas and currently lives and works in Phoenix, Arizona as a fine artist and programming director at local non-profit Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. Focused primarily in painting, Messmer uses water as a tool to explore varying perspectives and contemplate the nature of reality. Her work aims to echo the inevitable state of flux, corruption, and re-composition we as modern humans endure on the daily.

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“Bend Don’t Break Baby”, Gouache and acrylic on paper, 42 x 42

Is there a particular person or school that influenced you to be an artist?

“My high school I.B. art teacher encouraged me to pursue fine arts in college and I actually attended her alma mater.”

What is your favorite medium to use and why?

“I’ve enjoyed using gouache and acrylic the last few years but I really love oils.”

“The Question Will Determine the Answer” Gouache and acrylic on canvas
48 x 64

What is an important memory from your life as an artist?

“One of my most ambitious and memorable projects was my last show at ‘Eyelounge’ where I transformed the gallery into a swimming pool and with the support of artist Mark Hughes, projection-mapped my water film onto the interior surface of the pool.”

What was the inspiration for this piece?

“‘Slowing Down to Speed Up’ was inspired by a book called ‘Island’ by Aldous Huxley”

“Slowing Down to Speed Up”, gouache and acrylic on panel, 24 x 18

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If you are interested in more details or purchasing any of Abbey Messmer work, please send us an email at gallery@thewalterhive.org!

Say Hello to Amanda Adkins!

Amanda Adkins is a native of Arizona who graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Art Education and specialization in painting. Adkins’ love for animal folklore and the desert is reflected in her works and has kept her in Arizona where she has created many murals and taught a community mural making courses at ASU. She’s also participated in regional, national, solo, and group exhibitions. One of her most recent projects has been turning her studio space in Bragg’s Pie Factory into a gallery called ‘Cobra Flute Projects’ to co-curate with her studio mate. We asked Amanda more about her art, here’s what she said:

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What is your favorite medium to use?

“I have 2 favorite mediums and they are oil paints and watercolor. I love being able to easily blend and move color and have a wet surface to go back into and manipulate. Both are similar in different ways. With watercolor there are so many different things you can use such as, salt, tea, Kool-aid and rubbing alcohol. When you alter an image it becomes more like an experiment of what's going to happen and how I can use different elements with the water.”

What’s a favorite memory from your life being an artist?

“My favorite memory and important moment was when I was featured on NPR’s morning edition storytelling series through KJZZ. I did a storytelling event at Phoenix Art Museum in 2013 and told a story about a mural I painted for the Helen K. Mason Performing Arts Center. I had no idea that they would feature me and the morning they did, I was on my way to work and my phone just started blowing up with friends and family saying they had just heard me on the radio! It made my day and I was able to hear it when they posted it to their website.”

“Providence”, Oil on Birch, 36x36

“Ten Years Gone”, Watercolor and Gouache on Cold Press Paper, 24x30

What was the inspiration for your painting “10 Years Gone?”

“Led Zeppelin inspired my piece ​10 Years Gone​. Titled after the song, I felt this deep connection with the love he had for someone but the love I miss is my health and healthy body. Being able to be active and and feel free from the burden of health issues and the time that I feel it has robbed me.”

Is there a particular person or school that influenced you to be an artist?

“Growing up my older sister was taking art classes and would make art at home with my mother. I saw both of them creating which then in turn began my journey into creating art as well.”

“Take a Wish, Leave a Wish”, Oil on Birch, 20x20

“Seedling 2”, Oil on Birch, 24x24

Is there a certain color palette you find yourself leaning towards most?

“When I look back at my work I see that most of the series I've done I will find a color pallet and stick to it for a while until I feel it leave my system. Right now Ive been using turquoise and yellows and a lot of flesh tones in my work. I'm sure it will change again once I move on from painting this series.”

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If you are interested in more details or purchasing any of Amanda Adkins work, please send us an email at gallery@thewalterhive.org!

Meet Noblefish

Noblefish’s art is inspired by the complexity of the natural world. Using found and created objects, she layers and meshes sights, textures, and colors to shape her assemblages. Here’s our interview with her:

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Are there any reoccurring aspects or materials you find yourself using in your assemblages?

“Creosote forms, jackrabbits and other southwestern animals, bees, images of the earth, and images of space often show up in my work. The natural world and its suffering and extreme beauty often preoccupy my mind, as does its strength and survival against great odds, and the utter immensity of the universe.”

What was the inspiration for your piece Two Spirits?

“Two Spirits was inspired by international efforts to save Monarch butterflies. While I was painting it, a dedicated activist named Homero Gomez, was murdered. A few days later, a tour guide at the Monarch preserve in Mexico named Raul Hernandez was also murdered. Local tradition says that each butterfly represents the spirit of an ancestor. This painting is dedicated to these two men and their courageous spirits.”

Is there a specific person or school that influenced you to be an artist?

“I have been doing art since I was a tiny child. At no point in my life did I ever set it aside. My mother painted lovely oil reproductions of her favorite masters. My brother was a fine arts photographer. Both of them modeled really seeing the world, noticing all the small beauties as well as all the grand ones. They also passively taught me that spending time on art is time well spent.”

What is an important memory from your life as an artist?

“The first time a gallery curator approached me and asked to show my painting in a show. I learned how rewarding it is to share my artwork with people.”

If you are interested in more details or purchasing any of Noblefish’s work, please send us an email at gallery@thewalterhive.org!