Local Art Residency - Scott Sorrentino

LC: Scott, we're thrilled to have your work up at the shop as we have been in touch for some time now and there's a certain sense of satisfaction seeing it all come together. Please tell us about this work that you created for the shop and what you hope our community walks away with after spending some time with it.

SS: Robert, thank you immensely. It’s rare an artist gets an opportunity to create a site-specific work - where you know you have an audience. And where folks who may not usually seek out art, but love good coffee, will see it.  I like to dream that they are my target audience… and yes, my painting is THE one that opens their minds to the fine tradition of painting forever! 

The painting is about one who struggles with irrelevance. How one is, or, why one is, obsessed with being/becoming irrelevant or relevant for that matter. Relevant or irrelevant to what, of course, is ‘fill in the blank’. The poem is mainly about a friend of mine and i growing up artists in NY. in the eighties and nineties - it may also express his fear of irrelevance.

The painting and the poem titled the same in the throes of irrelevance, i thought  to be an amusing title/image; i like the large swaying, movements that move the eye around.

These 2 ideas that we brought together at the end for the presentation at Local. The poem of the same title references lyrics from different bands that i’m currently listening to. Each line from a different song. I always love lyrics and poetry. Have you found the excerpt of the e.e. cummings poem in the piece - an excerpt from i carry your heart with me. There’s also another poem by me…called the camel. There’s a lot going on in there - I enjoyed getting into details once I had the main drawing down.

I intended to create the sense of movement.  Something of a dance move is at times what is needed for effect of the mark. The mark is very important - it comes first - before design. Design emerges naturally as you feel/plan, or not plan;) your marks. The painting in the throes is mainly comprised of marks - reactions to a previous mark in the design of the entire composition. So, it’s a lot of …make a mark…step away … come back and react to the previous mark. Choosing my materials is the space between doing and not doing something on the canvas.

The Local wall is beautiful with nothing on it so i wanted to keep that integrity - scattering pictures salon style was never an option. The intention is to create a lyrical sense of movement to complement the everyday goings on at Local Coffee.

In general, I like large paintings that can fill up a room, create an atmosphere, a presence - Cy Twomblys’ Peonies/Blossom series comes to mind. Or installations by the likes of Judy Pfaff or Jonathan Borofsky - a sort of entertainment quality.

What i hope the community can take away is a tricky question. I’m not typically an idealist so there is no right answer. Perhaps I’d like the community to walk away feeling like there was something different about the experience outside of the great coffee and friendly atmosphere. Ask themselves a question about the experience, get an impression of the experience. 

I wanted to give the community a small taste of an artist who has struggled with his imagery for over 40 years of painting. Forever unlearning, experimenting and painting like a kid again. It’s the activity of making art that’s most rewarding. In my case, through impulsive/reactionary marks, movements, pushing and pulling paint until stepping away. So, a painting is never really complete, never finished.

LC: You are a multimedia artist in that you are also a musician having played in the band BencH. What was it about your childhood that allowed you to pursue such rich, expressive opportunities?

SS: I believe we have innate tendencies toward things we love to do. I’m always drawn to music and art - yes, all kinds, no judgement. I owe every ounce of my childhood growth as an artist to my mom. Making art and music was always encouraged at our Brooklyn apartment. At about age 7 I’d raid her trimmings drawer (she was an apparel trimmings designer) and doodled and glued things like beads, buttons and ribbons onto looseleaf paper, eventually evolving to oaktag. By age 14 i had permission to have a 4-piece drum set in my high school bedroom on the 6th floor of a building in Brooklyn.

By age 16 i was playing Shine on you crazy Diamond with a keyboard and bass player in that same room!  So, encouragement to be oneself is a good start for a kid. All i wanted to do was to get home from school and into my kid cave to make art and music. And that’s just what i did. I would take the Daily News and make collages out of the headlines and photos and stick them on the wall and scrawl away. On my high school bedroom walls hung my artwork and those huge posters of rock bands that you bought at Spencer gifts - taped up with fluorescent orange and green masking tape and black light bulbs!  Irrelevant indeed.

BencH was an attempt at a street-core, industrial noise art band. 3 people grew up in a band together for 14 years so what you learn is relationship. Musically especially - we were an experimental, noise jam band - heavily influenced by Missing Foundation, Einstürzende Neubauten, Throbbing Gristle, Butthole Surfers, etc.

If you like experimental rock/jazz/industrial noise you might like to venture - find us here:

https://soundcloud.com/tom-t-hall-1

https://soundcloud.com/tom-t-hall-1/popular-tracks

https://www.youtube.com/user/benchresinvideos

LC: We talked a bit about the East Village in NYC. While I was more situated in Greenwich Village and Little Italy, the East Village always fascinated me with its 'we don't really give a fuck what you think attitude'. Some of my childhood's most memorable events happened there. Tell us what the East Village meant and means to you.

SS: The artists and musicians had to think like that - it was a self-fulfilling prophecy - failure was success… we fail over here in the east village - that’s why no one likes us and that’s ok! It was naturally transgressive. It was living art and well done at that. Remember Nick Zedd and Tommy Turner from the cinema du transgression? They were two that had that attitude you speak of but being artists they gave us what they knew how to give at the time. So it was very rock and roll.

Art and Music coincided, cohabitated - it was wonderful.

LC: You've transitioned your life to New Jersey and it's quite a swing from your childhood in Brooklyn and impressionable years in NYC. It took me a while to really accept not living in NYC anymore. (I still dont think I'm over it) How have you made the transition and maintain your core?

SS: For me, the core is maintained by knowing that it exists and most importantly, respected. That it needs food and attention just like a living being - creativity in nature.

Without art and music i am imprisoned. Honor thyself.

As far as the transition? I had built a house in upstate NY while in the band BencH - at first it was a rustic 1 room cabin with an outhouse. It soon became a house on 13 acres with an art studio and 16 track recording studio. So, I already made up my mind that the city was not where I will always be. I had all my toys in one place, it was heaven.

LC: What are you working on now and what can we expect to see from you in the near future?

SS: I’m working on a house in upstate NJ and just about completed the art studio. I have several ideas for another polyptych that is in sketch phase. It will be different than the Throes - they always are. Picture making always seem to get to where it need be.. most times without the throes of anything! 

Thanks again Robert! and look forward to another go at that great, rust-colored wall @Local.

LC: What is your favorite coffee or tea beverage?

SS: Cappuccino molto caldo per favore!

Reach out directly to Scott for any inquiries @ 973.873.4258

Local Art Residency - Chris Manobianco

LC: Thank you so much for allowing us to share your propagation stations here at Local! In six years, this is the first work of its kind and we're so happy to have them. Let's start at the beginning of this journey as such an interesting story. How did you begin working in this space?

Chris: No, thank you!! It has definitely been a slow progression into woodworking, but picking up steam over the last couple years. I’ve always loved working with my hands and building things since I was young. The quarantines over the past few years gave me some extra time to become more comfortable with wood, and the tools, to begin experimenting building some things!

LC: Please tell us how working in this medium has made you feel as I have to believe that the transformation from raw materials to a beautifully finished product is an extremely cathartic process.

Chris: It certainly is! It’s amazing to see the wood go from a very rough material, to a silky smooth and very solid feeling end product. Each step cleans up the rough edges, creates more definition in the piece, and brings out the natural beauty of the wood. It is also a very tactile hobby, each species has its own weight, grain, and smell as you work on it, really immersing you into the craft. After a long day of staring at a screen, it’s quite relaxing to bring something to life.

LC: Tell us about the types of woods that you seek out and are there any particular favorites? 

Chris: I am still very new to this and exploring the world of hardwoods, but the most prevalent ones in my current work are Maple, Mahogany, Cherry, Paduak, and Purpleheart. Out of those Paduak (the bright orang-ish/red one) is my favorite. There is something about the vibrance contrasting your typical browns of many other woods that always catches my eye. With that being said I love shopping at the wood supplier and seeing what new types I can try. The latest round of propagation stations will include a species called Wormy Maple, which has a really unique pattern.

LC: Perhaps a funny question but what has been the most interesting cutting or plant that has made its way into one of the stations?

Chris: A true staple in most of my propagation stations is the Pothos, featured on the walls in the coffee shop today! That being said one of the more exciting plants is definitely a Monstera Deliciosa plant (also known as a swiss cheese plant), with broad, bright green leaves and large fenestrations! I absolutely LOVE seeing the creativity of what everyone else puts in them, so shoot me a message on Instagram with your best décor!

LC: You included a philanthropic cause in this exhibition. Why is this important to you?

Chris: The root and name behind the company comes from my Mini Australian Shepherd, Evie, who I adopted about 8 years ago from a truly horrible shelter in the south. Since then I’ve always tried to be a big advocate for both pet adoption and animal sanctuaries in general. Having a hobby that allows me to both enjoy building new things and give back to charities is truly a win win!

LC: As a fellow canine enthusiast, I love that your heart is in this place as well. Tell us about Evie :)

Chris: I touched on this a little above, but Evie is one of the most unique dogs you’ll ever meet. Her experiences before I adopted her continue to impact her to this day so she is definitely not an average dog. She loves long walks, and carrying around her stuffed toys to show off to the neighborhood, and drinking water (weird, I know)!

LC: What is your favorite coffee or tea beverage?

Chris: While tea is always a morning staple, I have been slowly increasing my coffee intake over the years. While I’m still in the minor leagues (hello lattes <3), I am slowly becoming a more adventurous drinker! I will continue to work my way through the Local Coffee Menu in the coming months!

See more from Chris on his Instagram Page here

Local Art Residency - Fiona Chinkan

LC: Thank you so much for sharing your work here at the shop! What a wonderful reception thus far! Tell us why you chose them for the shop?

Thank you for the opportunity to share my work with the Local Coffee Montclair community - I really appreciate it! 

I chose these particular works because of the time of year! When New Year's rolls around, many of us are thinking of goals, resolutions or ways to challenge ourselves. On January 1st 2019, I decided to challenge myself creatively by taking on the "100 Day Project", where I would do one drawing a day for 100 days in a row. I managed to complete my goal and exhibit all 100 works together in a solo show later that year (Image here: http://www.fionac.nyc/100-day-project). Now 2 years later, I have less than 50 still available in my shop, but thought it would be fun to showcase the project together again.

LC: What do you hope viewers take away from this showing?
I hope by seeing this, it may inspire others to take on their own creative challenge this year!

LC: You mentioned the 100 day project in association with these works. Tell us more about this -

I became familiar with it through seeing fellow artists online participating through the hashtag #The100DayProject. While some folks draw and paint, other people do gardening or other hobbies they want to invest more time into. There are also several artistic challenges out there, such as "March Meet the Maker" or "Inktober", but they involve everyone working from the same "prompts" for a month. Something about creating my own personal boundaries for 100 days was appealing. I also had stacks of leftover color-aid paper that I thought would go to good use for this type of project. For anyone interested in doing their own project, you can see more on the official website here: https://www.the100dayproject.org/ 

LC: In reading your bio, I smiled at the notion of the 'shoot from the hip' style as I can often find this approach incredibly difficult to accomplish. Even when we hung your work, we were relatively loose and fast in the composition - and it worked out so well! Tell me about this approach especially as you work in a medium where people will review your work.

My personal approach to artwork is to have a dialogue with each piece I create. If I were to plan every brushstroke ahead of time, I don't believe it would be as interesting of a conversation. As an abstract artist, I'm able to really invest myself into a work and explore my emotions on a deeper level when I leave room to react to the surface as I build layer upon layer. There is something exciting about starting a new work with an idea in my head, but then seeing the unknown unfold as I let the moment lead me. There is a constant push and pull between being in control and letting chaos rule, which I enjoy. Even with the installation, I like a level of flexibility. I can plan everything inch by inch, but I may miss an opportunity that comes up in the present if I'm too attached to a plan. Being in the present in the moment and being open to possibilities is what excites me about the creative process.

I saw James Victore speak many years ago and he said something that has stuck with me. He asked the audience, "what is the most important part of business?" People replied with "money", "productivity", "efficiency", etc. He replied, "No. The most important part is play." As adults, we spend so much time in schedules and having every aspect of our lives planned, that we forget to "play". Even with creating artwork, some artists forget to "play". I like to leave myself open to "play" in my creative process.

LC: In our conversation, we discovered that we shared a bit of history together having worked at the same fashion company. How has working in a creative based industry such as fashion served or frustrated your gifts as an artist? 

Working as an graphic designer/art director has most definitely influenced my work. From my mark-making style, which developed out of my obsession with lettering, to the paper I work on, which is recycled from photoshoot backdrops. My choices with color, composition and even how I display my work are all influenced by my time in the fashion industry. With that said, it is also easy to burn yourself out creatively when working full-time in a creative role. I was spending my little free-time trying to harness any creative energy left to produce works for art fairs, gallery exhibits, etc. When I had a photoshoot call time of 8am, but was up at 5am to paint before going into work, I knew I was burning the candle at both ends. Thus I made the leap to be an artist full-time and this will be my 5th year of doing so.

LC: What is your favorite coffee or tea beverage?

I enjoy a latte, whether it's normal or a fun flavor like matcha. Hot or cold depending on the weather. Latte art or no art. Latte's just feel like a fun indulgence :)

Learn more about Fiona here

Local Artist Residency - Helen Greenberg

Thank you so much for sharing your work with us here at Local! It seems like your work has immediately struck a chord with our community as we're noticing customers are getting really up-close to the work and asking lots of questions.

Some of the questions revolve around the texture of the work. How did you discover and select this particular type of paper and paint?

I have been a traditional watercolor painter for many years.  This particular work was inspired by the Asian papers that my daughter Linda brought home from one of her trips. This began my journey into abstract work. All of my family travel and bring me interesting papers and I purchase them in art stores.  

You mentioned that you created this work during the darker days of COVID this past year. Did you set out on a path to communicate a particular theme OR did you just see where the day took you?

I have no end in mind when I begin a painting.  I am interested in color, shapes and texture. 

This isn't your first rodeo :) as you've been painting for some time. How and where did you get started and what was the turning point for your particular lens in this discipline?

I usually start with a loose watercolor under painting and from there I tear and apply the papers in layers until I am happy with the result.  For me, this is very meditative.  I love watching what evolves. 

We have so many aspiring water colorists that visit the shop. What advice would you share that will help them find their own particular style?

I can suggest they keep experimenting…keep open minded and try to be free.  You never know what can happen and that’s the fun of it. Hope this answers your questions and thanks again.  I am pleased that people are interested in the work.

See more about Helen here: Helen Greenberg Video Short

Local Artist Residency - Dan Epstein

Thank you for sharing your passion here at Local! Candidly, when we first met and you mentioned showcasing your portrait photography - I was a bit concerned as never turn away an artist but cringe when the work is anything but candid and too self serving. Your work is anything but! How did you arrive at such an awesome approach?

One of my earliest mentors was the incredibly talented photographerMichael O’Neill. He taught me that when doing purely editorial portraits for magazines, the point of it was to get the subjects to reveal something about themselves that they hadn’t planned on (or in some cases, didn’t want to). So much of my current assignment work is for advertising or public relations where the mission is to make the subjects look their best, and for the image to match the image of themselves (or that of the agency) that was decided in advance. You know, present themselves as they want to be seen. The challenge I gave myself for this project was to get my subjects to reveal something true about themselves. So I made myself available during the shoot by not being hidden behind the camera, and by engaging them in a real conversation. When they’re truly engaged in the conversation, they forget about posing. As a sidebar:the “set” I’ve been using so far was inspired by a portrait of a friend that I made 50 years ago when I was a student at The School of Visual Arts in NYC. I’d always liked it, and in the back of my mind, always wanted to embrace it again. In fact one of the subjects for this project was the fella from that portrait.

I'm sure your subjects understand this approach but do you ever hit a wall when a person will not open up? Is that when the water gun comes out?

Actually, no. Remember that everyone has been sort of pre-qualified in that they’ve been invited to participate in the project, so they know they’re being photographed, and that it’s an art project. I’ve found over the years when making any kind of portrait that it’s key to quickly establish a rapport, so I’m talking to them and engaging them from the moment they arrive. I like to think that they can tell that in this conversation, I’m really interested in them, and so they just become involved, thinking more about the conversation than the camera which is coincidentally firing.

I ask this question of our photographer artists...what do you think of the ubiquity of photography provided that cell phones now allow us to capture everything and with some degree of professional production levels? I ask this also having grown up at a time when film was precious and development took time and money.

It’s a two edged sword. While I love the idea of ordinary people documenting the meat and stuff of their lives; you know, the everyday moments that are the greater part of where and how we live, and even more significantly, what’s important to us beyond a shot of the Christmas tree, our kids on their first days of school, etc., you know, what really matters in their lives. I think that if I never see another iPhone photo of what someone has had for lunch, I’ll be ok. I think the line between the very important moments that we’d have recorded when film was precious, and the painfully mundane and pointless photographs made simply because they can be, isn’t fine at all. It’s fairly broad. A friend of mine once referred to the Selfie-Stick as “The Wand of Narcissism”.

I believe that in the midst of this sea of digital online snapshots, there will always be a place for the significant images that stand out, however they were made. If for no other reason than just because they will.

I spend a good amount of time with your images at the shop and come to appreciate all of the different gestures, facial expressions and levels of intensity. Can you recall what drove each of the respective shots?

Sorry, no. I can vouch that when I chose each frame as the one I wanted to use for each person, that frame did strike me as somewhat, I dunno, significant from the shoot. Each frame I chose, reminded me of the kind of experience I’d had with each subject during the shoot and frankly, reminded me of each subject.

Tough question but out of the countless images that you have captured, is there possibly a favorite?

This is a really tough one. Kind of like asking a parent if they have a favorite child. I can say that “Kate” is one that I really like because I know her to be a kind of bubbly, smiley, suburban mom of 4, but in her portrait she looks like a French movie star. She’s a talented photojournalist, and she lets that serious side of her rarely seen. I’m also sentimental about “Paul” whom in his portrait appears to be sharing a secret, which, in effect he was. “Mary” was a psychiatric nurse practitioner with a doctorate who prior to her retirement did counseling. Socially, she’s a very happy person with an easy smile, but engage her in a conversation, and that incredible focussed listening that she trained to do shows up. Both “Zach” and “Phoebe” are two people I know who can give you a joke for any subject you can think of. They are both caught mid-story, though I think neither would allow themselves to be seen that way if I were behind the camera instead of next to it. I love the portrait of “Tracey” simply because she so easily slipped out of the I’m-Posing mindset. See what I mean? You could pick any one of the portraits on the wall, I’d tell you why I thought that one was my favorite. In my heart: they all are. Or I’m just that capricious.

As a portrait photographer, where else do you find creative inspiration?

I like to cook. I always have since I was a kid. I’m not a fancy cook, I tend to stay within the realm of “family style” cooking. There’s something about the process of cooking food and then sharing it with people, breaking bread together, that’s not unlike, to me, the communal process of making photographic portraits. Likewise, I do a lot of assignments that have to do with food, and people who make it.

Learn more about Dan here: Dan Epstein Photography

Local Talk Series: Q+A with NJ Monthly Deputy and Dining Editor Eric Levin

Eric, we met a year ago while sitting on a panel at Montclair Design Week. How time flies! What have you been up to this past year?

I had the privilege of putting on a large solo show of my work in Jersey City. It was up from early July to the end of October. We had a great turnout at the reception, and many others came by during the run. My best friend and roommate from college, a professional photojournalist, even flew over from London. That was an honor, and we had a ton of fun. He said he wanted a great cheeseburger, and I found him one. I won’t say where, because, in my job, I don’t want to offend anybody or give anyone something to crow about unless it’s a finished piece of work in the magazine.

You are Deputy Editor/Dining Editor of New Jersey Monthly. How has this relationship with the Garden State influenced your photography work?

I am often on the road. I try to get all around the state during the course of the year. Wherever I go, my antennae are always out, looking for things in the ordinary, everyday world that stop me in my tracks. They stop me because they don’t seem ordinary to me at all. I often say that things that seem inanimate to others don’t seem inanimate to me.

You have self-published several books of your photography. How did you arrive at the point when you knew you were ready to publicly share your photography story?

When I discovered how good the blurb.com interface was, and that the paper and printing quality were quite good, I was off and running. I have a large body of work—in digital, going back to 2002, and on film going back to the ‘70s and ‘80s on Kodachrome.

At what age did you begin your craft and what was the initial driver for you to consider photography as a path?

I began by taking a course in black-and-white photography as a freshman at Boston University in the fall of 1967. Yes, I am that old. I learned by using a hand-held light meter and adjusting shutter speeds and apertures manually. A great grounding. I also learned to develop black-and-white film and to print in a darkroom, often staying up all night blasting the Beatles and Clapton and Coltrane. I still have the passion, for music and photography, but my heart has always been with color. As for stamina…I gave up all-nighters some time ago.

Of the current collection of images @ Local, which one brings you back for re-interpretation?

I’m not sure what you mean by that. All the pictures at Local are ones I feel good about, but they all represent a distinct moment in time and space, and if I came across those same things again, I would probably walk right by them if the light was dull. The light is always the key thing. 

Photography is an evolution, personal development as well as technology and equipment. Do you like where we are today and where photography is going or do you prefer a past time with arguably simpler options?

I’m glad I learned the basics with film, and a lot of great artists I admire still shoot film. But I for one would never go back. Digital does everything so well. I have a Canon digital SLR, but honestly, the iPhone has gotten so insanely good that it is now my daily camera. I got the iPhone 11Pro Max in September, and it is ridiculously good, opens with a single swipe, is sharp, with true color and now even includes geometrical as well as light and color corrections right in the phone.

I would like to name a few of my favorite photographers. For color, no one has been more influential in getting the art world to take color seriously—and no one has been more inspiring and awesome to me than William Eggleston. He is world famous, and there is no one like him. His pictures are quiet, calm, simple yet unsettling and resistant to explanation. Also deeply beautiful. Check him out! 

In black-and-white my top-line heroes are Lee Friedlander, another world-famous artist, and John Gossage, ditto but less well known to the general public. Both guys have the genius of imbedding pictures with some insinuating energy (and humor) that is hard to pinpoint but is always more than the sum of its parts.

What's next on your journey? Is there a project you are working on or working towards?

This winter I would like to make a book of my recent solo show, which was called Vehicular. I define the term broadly. It includes everything from a rainwater-filled wheelbarrow to an overturned canoe to a beach guard’s skateboard to bulldozers, haywagons, people on a cruise ship and people standing around waiting way too long for an elevator. You can see their impatience in their body language.

What's your favorite coffee or tea beverage?

I am a cold brew devotee. I make it at home by the pitcher. But I also love a good double espresso.

Follow Eric on Instagram @ericlevin

Local Talk Series: Q+A with Graphic Designer and Artist Tracey Diamond

Tracey, so happy to have your work up at Local. I knew you were a talented graphic designer but didn’t know there was this beautiful art for art’s sake side to you. What discipline came first?

Thank you Robert! The fine arts side definitely came first, but I didn't know to call it that at the time. I remember growing up doodling on the brown paper bags the schools made cover our textbooks with, and trying to recreate the art school drawing application ad in the weekly TV Guides. I think that's where it all started, or at least my first memories of it. In college, I studied Advertising and Graphic Design which is what eventually brought me to having my own Graphic Design/Branding business today, but there were many years in between that I focused more on fine arts, photography and writing. I would hike or sit outside and images or storylines would come to me, so I'd always have to get it down on paper (or canvas) as soon as possible. That is where my dreams would always take me and still do - writing and illustrating would be the ultimate joy in the every day career world for myself. That and also learning how to animate what is constantly playing in my mind when I am drawing, writing or painting.

There’s quite a variety of work on display. Tell us why you selected these particular pieces to share?

It's been over 20 years since I have really had my work on display, at least like this type of showing. So to be honest it was hard to select one style only to show since I was so excited to be stepping back into this world again! I also wasn't sure which style or styles would be what people enjoyed so I wanted to put it all out there (in a hopefully non-chaotic way!) and see what would happen.

You work across a few different artistic tools. How did you arrive at this particular mix?

There is the side of me that loves to paint and those images/styles would come from taking photos of nature scenes that pop out to me with colors and textures. These puzzle piece shapes and textures were all I'd see and that is how I came to create the "puzzle peace" style in my work (naming it after the sense of calm it would create in me when creating and how others said they felt in looking at the finished pieces). In time I developed a similar series to the gouache and acrylics but using ink or Sharpie markers instead - more portable and a different type of color pop result.

I'm also a huge animation lover and have many stories I've written with playful characters illustrated out. So while those particulars are not on display, I did want to display that side of illustration that bubbles up at times too. Sometimes it's cartoony, sometimes more sketch illustration. It's whatever comes into my mind based on what I am seeing in person or in my mind calling out to be drawn.

You spend quite a bit of time on the computer for work. How cathartic (or not) is it to work with your hands to create and develop your art?

I grew up in a time where the creative arts were being taught mostly off the computer.... my college classes of color theory, typography, graphics were filled with spray mount and x-acto knives and rubber cement erasers. That is all still heaven to me. There is nothing like that feeling of doing things by hand and having paint/ink stained fingers. It's like the artist's tattoo - that washes out eventually but you carry it around like a badge of honor. "Yes, I am an artist." May sound funny but it brings such a smile to my face and heart to look down and see my hands stained and materials spread on the table. The same is with taking photos, creating murals, fabric art, wire sculpture, anything creative that I am doing. If it's a hands-on project, I am all in.

Is there a particular message you aim for your work to communicate?

That's an interesting question. When I started this, it was only for myself - it was something I'd doodle on napkins while waiting tables in and after college. I'd zone out while listening to music and draw random shapes depending on what the sounds brought up for me. It was a relaxing way to spend time and just be in the moment. People started to respond to it and with that I suppose grew this hope that people would see the playfulness of what the shapes started to become.... I would find this random shapes were actually images of people or animals, without event planning it. And then my artwork took off in a whole new direction and people really ressponded to that. They would point out images within the images they'd find. It was as if they were finding their own stories inside this visual story before them. It's really amazing. So I suppose I hope that people enjoy what I have created and get lost in the magic for a little while of imagination

What has living in Montclair meant for you in how you approach your craft?

One of the reasons why I chose Montclair as the town to move my kids and I to was because of the support of the arts - for myself and for my kids to embrace the love of their own arts passions. Montclair is filled with so many creative people that having the space to have those conversations sharing the ways we see the world has made it easier to open my time and world back up to something that was on hold for too long. In recent years I have done projects here and there as a result. A few years back I was hired to illustrate Jay Blakesberg's book Hippie Chick with my funky doodle style creations. Total pinch me full circle moment of being a person who would draw random inked artwork in a sketch book at Dead shows to years later creating those same styles to be printed alongside Jay's incredible photos he took at shows along his own creative journey. As people began to see my artwork, I was asked to participate in the newly created Cedar Grove Artwalk where 20 local artists were given street banners to create our own expressions of what Cedar Grove has to offer. Last year, their inaugural year, I illustrated two views of Mills Reservation in my Sharpies Puzzle Peaces style. This year I painted two versions of the same view of mini flowers that scatter the landscape. The banner experiences were so incredible and would never have happened if i hadn't moved to Montclair. It opened myself up to wanting to rework my time, for sure, to have art be more a part of my world like it was once before.

You are very involved with the genesis of MDW (Montclair Design Week). what is your hope for this program?

I was a part of the MDW pioneer group on the arts side of creating graphics and the website in the first, developing year. In being involved, my hope was to be a part of opening people's minds to see things differently. That design is everywhere and it doesn't always mean that Design = Art. Design can be how a program is structured for a classroom, how paint moves across a canvas, how a business is structured for success, how flavors are blended in meal...design is everywhere and is about how we creatively express ourselves. This year my role has shifted a bit to more of the backend needs, but the hope is still the same while seeing what the new volunteers are bringing to the development the second time around.

Is there a current art project that you have on the works?

Yes actually! From having this experience here at Local I was asked to participate in an upcoming Live Painting project in collaboration with photographer Armando "OUTthere" Diaz which was a total suprise and I excited to try that for the first time. I was also commissioned for some pieces based off of what visitors have seen hanging in the space here which I am still smiling from. So that is super exciting too! Outside of that, I am going to look for new spaces to show my work and hopefully make my way into the publishing world with books or albums (ok, I'm an 80s kid, so band related art) or animation. That's all been a huge dream of mine for a long time and feels like it's time to get back to making it happen.

What is your favorite coffee or tea beverage?

Oh boy - so I am a big lover of a Dirty Chai Latte, especially when I have a lot of work to get through. And on the tea side, I once discovered the loose tea combination of Hibiscus, Rosehips and Camomile and nothing beats it. One sip instantly transports me back to a peaceful place of drawing inspiration since that is what I would always have next to me while my sketchbook was out.

Learn more about Tracey on her website here

Local Talk Series: Q+A with Maryanna Coleman

Your work ranges from real life to fantasy which is unique to other artists we have had at the shop. What inspiration drives your subject matter?

I love children’s books and their whimsical illustrations, as well as “realistic” paintings – of architecture, animals, nature, and more.  I try to weave a little of both styles into my paintings. 

What artists were influential when you were honing your craft?

Ludwig Bemelmans (illustrator of the Madeline books), Caitlin McGauley, and Beatrix Potter’s whimsical styles and animals are some of my favorites!  Other influences (whether or not they show in my work) are Michael Sowa, Kathryn Freeman, Matisse, Maira Kalman, Janet Hill, Erin Armstrong, Wayne Thiebaud, Edward Gorey, Tracey Sylvester Harris, William Joyce, Erika Lee Sears, Dorothy Shain, Ashley Longshore, Cj Hendry, Donald Robertson, Pauline de Roussy de Sales, Charlie Mackesy, and many more.

How did you actually start your life as an artist? When did you know you had something special to share?

I’ve been making art since I was a kid, and continued to take art classes through high school.  I majored in Studio Art at Gettysburg College, and sketched/painted on the side for fun after graduation while working in “corporate” jobs.  I started an Instagram account of my art and sold a few pieces here and there – it gradually took off after that!  It’s fun to think back to locally hand-delivering some pieces, then eventually shipping internationally.  What initially started out as dog/pet portraits has evolved into wedding art (wedding scenes as gifts, invitations, etc), scenery and house/architectural portraits, and book illustrations (most recently Louise Penny’s past three books!).

Watercolors are such a specific art and clearly you are masterful with your approach. How did you address this particular discipline when developing your technique?

I taught myself!  I actually hadn’t “played” with watercolors since I was in grade school (or maybe early high school?).  I always worked in acrylics/oil/charcoal/drawing, but when I was in my small NYC apartment, there was next to no space for oil painting.  I started playing with watercolor when I realized it was the quickest/easiest set up/clean up, and could spend hours on something as small as 5x7” as opposed to a 5 ft canvas.  I definitely owe larger/general painting skills to my art professor from an oil painting class in Florence.

I see lots of animals in your show. Do you work on commissioned pieces as well?

I do!  I started with many dogs because I really wanted (and still want) one and am just drawn to them.  That developed into many commissions of pets – whether for a birthday, anniversary, wedding gift.  They always make for fun and meaningful presents.

My favorite is the dog in a military jacket. There's something about his posture and facial expression that is intriguing. Tell us about this piece.

My friends actually had me paint their dog in a British militia style coat for no other reason than they love history and think the dog looks British – and I love it!  He feels simultaneously refined and unsure of himself to me.

What does living in Montclair contribute to how you see the world through your work?

Living outside New York City gives me more space and quiet.  I am able to have both the greenery of suburbia as well as access to the buzz of NYC and Montclair.

What is your favorite coffee or tea beverage?

Iced coffee (or very specifically cold brew at Local!) with either almond milk or regular milk.

Thank you!

Learn more about Maryanna here:

Local Talk: Q+A with iconic Montclair artist: Fern Bass

Fern! So happy to have your work @ Local. Your work is well known 'round these parts. Tell us how and where you began your artistic journey.

I started out at The Brooklyn Museum Art School when I was 11ish. I would ride the Flatbush Avenue bus excitedly clutching the wooden paint box my uncle Herbie gave me. I remember the first time I walked into the art school I was euphoric. It was like, “Wow! I’m allowed to do all of this cool stuff? For the whole day?!?

We spoke (and laughed a bit) together while hanging your work speaking to the art scene in Greenwich Village in the 70s and 80s. What elements of that environment influenced your current state of art?

Well, I was at Pratt in the late 70’s early 80’s and deep into the study of graphic design and working as a waitress in the West Village. I was working so hard I didn’t get out much, so I wasn’t that aware of the art scene at the time. Anyway I’m more of an old schooler-I love the art of the Italian Renaissance, the Post Impressionists, the German Expressionists, Edward Hopper and Fairfield Porter.

How did Bass Arts Studio come to be? What is your proudest thought provided its existence?

After working as a graphic designer for 15 years I quit to stay home and raise my girls. That’s when I started painting again. Then I got divorced and began teaching at a studio in town and found that I really loved teaching. When my ex exited he took his fleet of Porsches with him and I found myself with an empty garage and then...light bulb! I renovated the garage and bought easels and started a school. That was 15 years ago.  Such a better use of a garage, dontcha think?

 (yes, indeed)

You have a wonderful focus for artistic direction for teens. Not to get too deep, but on a scale of 1 to 10, how important is artistic development for children at this stage?

 I think it’s totally important. 10 of 10. I don’t know how I would have gotten through high school without spending 95% of my time making art. It was a lifeline for me.  I super identify with my teen students. They badly need an outlet for their angst, the intensity of their emotions, and their hopping hormones. They need to feel seen and acknowledged. I try to connect with them, see where their talents lie and reflect that back to them.  Developing technical skills grows their confidence and gives them the tools to communicate their ideas.

For yourself, how can you balance teaching with maintaining a high degree of personal creative inspiration?

 I prioritize! I am a very good time manager and a benign neglector. I only do what is absolutely necessary and let the rest go to maximize my time in the studio. I rarely shop with the exception of groceries.  I guard my time like it’s the most precious resource I have (because it is). There’s a lot of parallel process and cross-pollination between my personal work and my teaching, one discipline feeds the other. And I drink a lot of coffee! I am lucky my husband is extremely organized and does a lot of household stuff. (I have the fun job-I cook)

Tell us about the work you chose to share with our local community.

I have a thing for Parisian waiters. I love the graphic pattern of their long white aprons against their black vests and pants. And the graceful way they hold their trays and acrobatically move through space. A while back I did a series on dancers. These waiters are serving but their gestural movement feels very related to dance. 

 What plans do you have around new creative projects?

I am probably not done with the cafe series, but I am planning to do a whole series on dogs.

Since you started, is there one experience that confirmed you did a beautiful thing?

There have been so many, it’s hard to pick. Many of my students have gone on to art school and art careers. That’s very gratifying. Last week an eleven year old in my Drawing Bootcamp was marveling over a large figure drawing she did and said, “Wow, I never thought I could do this!” That was a beautiful thing.

What is your favorite coffee or tea beverage?

I like a nice cappuccino. Whole milk please.

Learn more about the one and only Fern Bass by visiting her website @ https://www.bassartsstudio.com/

Local Talk: Q+A with multi-media artist Colleen James

Thanks so much for sharing your work @ Local! Initial response has been overwhelmingly positive. Tell us about these images and especially the composition.

The series Wave is intended to draw the viewer in on a few levels. The ocean has a calming effect — a respite in nature from our busy lives. The image is at once familiar and unfamiliar. I’ve combined images to create something that is intended to pull you in, to make you look closer and ask if it’s real or imagined. I like to play with collage — to physically cut/paste/combine the images in a new abstract way.

Santa Monica has this really magical/ special mojo, what pulled you into using this location as your canvas?

I was traveling for work and woke up early one morning. The moment of sunrise is so special, especially when you’re alone — the quality of the light, the magnitude of it all.

Art is a passion project for you, yes? At what point in your life did you start putting concepts together?

Art is more of a way of living for me, and always has been. It’s a kind of meditation. My mother was an artist, and my two sisters and daughter are artists. I studied painting in college, with a focus on portraiture, and up until a few years ago I was exclusively into realism. Since 2015 I’ve moved to collage and abstract painting. I’m also lucky to have a day job that I’m passionate about (working for the furniture brand Knoll).

How, why and when do you take on a particular project?

I like to experiment and work in a multitude of styles and mediums at once. In my studio I usually have 3-4 projects going at any given time. Right now I just finished a portrait for a friend, and I’m also working on a large color block painting. I find that keeps my work fresh.

Is there a particular medium you prefer working with?

Oil or acrylic painting is my favorite — I love the feel of the paint, the excitement of a new canvas. It’s where I find my happy place.
 

Is there a project that you have been working towards for some time but haven't taken that next step? I ask this question because so many of us have thoughts to building a creative model or platform but just stop short before fully committing.

I start a painting series and usually stop after 3-4 pieces and start something completely new. At some point I’d like to find a language that I stick with for a longer period. I feel fortunate to have a passion and practice that I can lean into even more as I grow older — age presents no limitations when it comes to art.

What does living in Montclair mean to you as an artist?

I’ve be deepening my involvement in the community of artists here in Montclair. It’s an incredibly rich and welcoming group. 

You are donating proceeds of sales of this project to Toni's kitchen which is an awesome gesture. Tell us more about your connection to this truly unique and valued organization right here in Montclair.

My husband and I both volunteer there. The mission is so important — the people who run it are incredible as are the people they serve. I like the idea of using my art to connect with the community.

What's next for you in the art space?

I’m working on an abstract series on paper and canvas. I’m inspired by the repetitive patterning of artists like Damien Hirst and Agnes Martin. You can find it on my website at colleen-james.art

What is your favorite coffee or tea beverage?

I’m pretty simple when it comes to coffee. Good, strong drip coffee with milk.