Gateway Gallery Has Moved!

Local Color - Gateway Gallery's Seventh Anniversary

Gateway Gallery is proud to be celebrating our seventh year together during the St. Louis Art Fair in Clayton, MO. We are presenting an exhibit of new work by 18 talented artists. We will have an artists' reception with light appetizers and beverages from 6-9pm on Friday, September 9, 2011. You can also come meet the artists all weekend while select artists create beautiful works of art en plein air on the sidewalk outside our gallery. Come see our Local Color in action!

Interview With the Artist - Sandy Moriarty

                                                         

How long have you been an artist?

Professionally, seven years.

Are you formally trained? If so, where?

I am self-taught. I don’t follow the rules. I have always been a rebel. There should be no rules in art. Rules were made to be broken.

What is your “day job” if you have one?

I own a court reporting agency, Moriarty Reporting & Video, LLC. I have awesome court reporters and staff who report to me. I don’t do any work. They do everything. I just sign checks. I have been in business for 32 years as a court reporter.

What kind of art do you make?

Photography is my passion.

What draws you to the medium you use?

I am drawn to photography because I can capture a moment in time and freeze it, whether it is a facial expression or a dragonfly poised on a lily petal.

How long have you been involved with The Gateway Gallery?

I am new to The Gateway Gallery as an artist, but I am very proud to be a part of Gateway Gallery. Every artist works toward the betterment of others in our partnership. It is a perfect business model that many competing businesses could imitate themselves after. There are 18 of us helping each other to succeed instead of competing against one another. It’s the way God wanted us to be, serving one another. That is the reason why Gateway Gallery will always be successful.

What is your proudest artistic accomplishment?

I guess I am most proud of winning an award for First Place for Excellence at the Westport Plaza Art Show. I exhibited with 150 other artists, some of which had degrees in art, and First Place was given to me by two museum curators. I am proud of it because I continually tell my kids, “You can do anything you want to in life if you set your mind and heart to accomplishing your goals.”

Where do you get your inspiration?

My inspiration comes from God and his magnificent creation, this universe. Everywhere I look I see beauty, even in squalor. It’s a gift that God gave to me. I can see beauty in everything.

Why do you make art?

It relaxes me. I enjoy looking at what I have created. All my life I worked in the legal field, mainly left-brained work. Now I get to enjoy the right side of my brain and create art which I like.

Who are your greatest artistic influences?

Photographers Henri Cartier Bresson, Annie Leibovitz, Robert Doisneau, Helmut Newton

What music do you listen to while creating?

I am almost embarrassed by my eclectic choices in music. They keep changing. Yesterday I was listening to Patti LaBelle and singing gospel. The day before that, the Dixie Chicks; the day before that, Beethoven; the day before that Rascal Flatts; the day before that Led Zepplin. See what I mean?

Where is your studio and what is is it like?

My studio is at home. It is a hodge podge of backdrops, lights, tripods, cameras, antique cameras, framed photos, antique photos I collect, and tabletop lighting. It is a huge mess right now.

Do you have any vices for being creative?

Lol! My terrible, loud singing to the music I am playing. Once my son came home and stood in the doorway of my studio laughing while watching me before I noticed he was there. Sometimes I can’t sit still and I dance at my desk to the music I am listening to because I am impatient because my computer runs too slow for me while I create in Photoshop. I also love a bowl of salty pistachios, too, to keep me busy while I create.

How often do you create?

Never on schedule, never by the rules, and only when I am in the mood. Lol!

What is your family like?

Crazy, but I love them. My husband is my biggest fan and worst critic. My daughter likes to create her own photography. She’s pretty good, too. My son could care less about anything other than girls right now. They rarely want to see what I have done because Mom is just messing around with her photos. I have to make them sit and look and sometimes they are not so patient with me. Now I know how my poor mom felt when she wanted us to listen to her poetry. No one paid attention to her. I wish I could hear her read one of her poems just one more time.

 

Where do you get your creative talent?

God. I am totally inspired by His works of art.

What is your first memory of being a creative?

I was seven and had a camera. I took a lot of pictures of farm animals at a field trip and of the other kids. I was pretty much a loner at that age but I always had my camera. I love my camera and to this day I am never afraid to do anything alone when I have my camera. It’s my security blanket. I can compete with the best of them as long as I have my camera.

What hobbies do you have?

I am a jewelry addict. I need a support group. It’s no longer a hobby but an addiction. Lol! I love to buy antique estate jewelry. I have too much now and my family has accused me of being a jewelry hoarder. I love to cook, read, listen to music, and go for long walks alone in the woods with my camera.

What do you do for entertainment?

I like to try new restaurants with my husband, see movies at home or in the theater, and I enjoy wine tastings. I am not a sports fan, but I love the art museum and shopping for antiques and traveling around the world with my family.

Why does the world need art?

George Jean Nathan once said, “Great art is as irrational as great music. It is mad with its own loveliness.” I think that we need loveliness in the world and we need art and music to subdue and calm us after our hard days and hard nights of living in this world. Life can be very difficult. Without art and music and God, we would have nothing. Not necessarily in that order either.

Why is art important?

Art is an expression of freedom. What would our lives be like if we weren’t free to express ourselves?

What other creative outlet would you explore if you couldn’t make visual art?

I would sing. Lol! I have a terrible voice and I have stage fright, so that wouldn’t work. I would probably refurbish antique jewelry or create my own jewelry fashioned from the Victorian and the Art Deco era. As I said, I am an antique estate jewelry junkie.

Is your significant other /best friend creative?

No. My husband, Patrick Chavez, is an attorney who practices complex litigation for the Law firm of Williams Venker & Sanders. He is totally left brained and he is a techno geek. That is not a bad thing either for the computer illiterate like me. He is totally into electronics and technology, but he is my best friend and the greatest husband and stepfather for my children that I could ever wish for. We balance each other out nicely.

 

What is the best museum/ art gallery/ art exhibit you have ever been to?

Now my partiality will show. St. Louis Art Museum, Gateway Gallery (of course!), and Gateway Gallery’s art exhibits. Gateway Gallery is constantly changing out the art to make a totally difference experience each time and the artists of the gallery are award-winning artists from Missouri, which is the best part of it. We are all locally based.

Why have you chosen the subject matter you have chosen?

I am drawn to photography because it is what I enjoy the most. Nature is what I love because I am always in awe of its beauty and always discovering something new even in my own backyard.

What is the most rewarding part of being an artist?

I guess what is most rewarding for me is developing courage. In order to be an artist, you have to inject your personality and your soul into your work. That takes courage because you have to go out on a limb and not worry about what others think of you. Artists are very courageous people. I have always been a bit cowardly, so what’s rewarding to me is the boldness and the courage I have developed from stepping out onto a limb. I enjoy the appreciation I have received for my work by people who like it and encourage me with their compliments.

What would someone say is odd about you?

Just about everything. Lol! We are all odd in some way, aren’t we? I work for the Prayer Team and C/2, the artist Creative Team at The Crossing Church. Since I have been on the Prayer Team, I have gotten hundreds of prayer requests from people I don’t even know. Some make me cry and I hold them in my heart each day even though I don’t know the people I pray for. We have had some miracles at our church with our prayers and I am happy I have the opportunity to pray for others I don’t know.

The other odd thing most of my customers don’t know about my art is that I have a whole body of art that is centered around Christianity and Jesus. I provide art to The Crossing for most art exhibitions they have. I have one photo of Jesus crucified on the cross that people stand in front of and cry, it touches them so.

What do you want people to know about you?

People should know that I am constantly changing my style of photography. Every day it changes. While they may like one body of work one year that I have created, next year’s body of art may be totally different. I can’t help it. I change my mind and my style like I change my clothes.

Do you have pets? Tell about them.

Yes. I have a demon-possessed Dachshund who is 98 years old in human years named Nomi. She was named after a stripper when I got her so I decided not to change her. She can also be an angel when I pay attention to her 24 hours a day, but she is very vindictive. On a bad day, she will get into every trash can in the house and drag the trash all over to show me I haven’t paid enough attention to her. She also talks to me by grunting at me incessantly at exactly 7:30 every morning to let me know she’s hungry and that I better get up and feed her or else. She grunts at me while I am taking photos and wants me to pay attention to her. My husband has had to restrain me on several occasions from feeding her to the coyotes by the lake behind our house. Lol! I still love her, though.

Describe your perfect day. 

Really? Okay. A perfect day would be breakfast in bed in a luxury suite in Italy and then a massage. After a massage, a day of sightseeing in Venice and lots of shopping with as much money as I would like to spend on whatever I wanted. I would also like to see the Vatican and visit all the local spots to get lots of great photos of the people and the architecture in Italy. Lastly, dinner in an outdoor restaurant in Positano, Italy at sunset with all of the colorful buildings overlooking the coastline with a fabulous bottle of great wine. Now that’s a perfect day.

If you could own any work of art in the world, what would it be and why?

I would own the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. Her expression is so comical. I just wish I knew what she had up her sleeve when she was being painted. Little did she know she would become so famous. Maybe that’s why she was smiling.

You can find Sandy online at:

http://www.sandymoriarty.com/, http://www.moriartyreporting.com/,  Facebook (samoriarty), Twitter (samoriarty)

SALES TAX ON VACATION AT GATEWAY GALLERY

Gateway Gallery is declaring a sales tax holiday for our customers this Saturday, August 6 and Sunday, August 7. We will pay the sales tax for you on any fine art purchases you complete at Gateway Gallery during those two days.  Park your car on a side street (catch the shade), walk around the corner (good exercise), and get that piece you have had your eye on – tax free!

Janet Fons at Mad Art Gallery for Open Studios this Weekend!

Hillside Aspen

Janet Fons will be exhibiting at MAD Art Gallery during City Wide Open Studios.

Saturday July 30th from 10-4.  Mad Art is located at 2727 S. 12th Street, St. Louis, MO in the historic Soulard neighborhood. Cross streets: between McGirk and Lynch Street.

Autumn Splendor

CWOS is a week long event in July dedicated to the discovery of the hidden creative spaces where local artists work.

Open Studios preview party is at Contemporary Art Museum, July 26, 6-9pm. Check out artwork by the participating artists and map out your Open Studios Weekend visits.

Curator-led bus tour, bike tours and self guided tours. See camstl.org for information.

Greg Matchick Goes Green!

The Beauty of Missouri

Although known for his European scenes, Greg Matchick explores the beauty of Missouri’s natural resources in a series of large fine art photographic prints. One of Missouri’s natural springs, fall colors along the Meramec River and the intimate portrait of a small stream in the St. Francois Mountains are subjects of this exhibit.

Alley Spring Spillway

Meramec River Bend

Little Falls

Greg Matchick will be exhibiting his gorgeous photographs in the guest artist gallery for our Going Green Exhibit and you can also find his lovely work in the main gallery. Greg will be at the Gateway Gallery Reception this Friday July 22 from 6-9. Please come join us for light appetizers, wine and ART of course!

Michele Wells is Going Green!

"Since I am primarily a landscape painter "Green" is a mainstay in my pastel pallet. I also try to use colors to compliment all of the greens around us." - Michele Wells

The Potato Field

Lake Shore

Reflection

Gateway Gallery partner Michele Wells will be exhibiting in the Guest Artist Gallery during the Going Green exhibit in addition to the beautiful work she will be displaying in the main gallery. She will be at our reception this Friday July 22 from 6-9pm.

Vic Mastis in Missouri Life Magazine

Vic Mastis, a St. Louis artist, is being featured in the June/July issue of Missouri Life Magazine. The article explains her unique use of gold leaf in her paintings.  Nature is a reoccurring theme of her work including secluded landscapes, fields of flowers and winding paths that lead to whatever you image, escape or even future. 

Missouri Life is an award winning magazine focusing on Missouri’s stunning scenery, its fascinating people, its rich past and energetic present.  It is found in major bookstores like Barnes and Noble, Borders and on newsstands throughout Missouri.

Figure Painter, Linda Smith Featured in Rock Road Reporter

In their latest issue, The Rock Road Reporter, has done a feature article on figure painter, and Gateway Gallery partner, Linda Smith. A local publication, The Rock Road Reporter is a new, free, monthly news and entertainment magazine that is hand delivered to 10,000 homes in the Northwest St. Louis County area, where Linda grew up. Very nice article!

                     

Joyce Yarbrough at MAC in July

Gateway Gallery Artist Joyce Yarbrough will have a solo exhibition of "Plants and Places" featuring both silhouettes and pastels, July 1-31 at the Missouri Athletic Club, 405 Washington St. Louis, MO.

"Mountain Morning" (scissors and papers)

"Foggy Morn" (Pastel)

"Intertwined" (Scissors, Paper, & Paint)

Vic Mastis - "Florida, The Tropical Bliss"



The Get Away by Vic Mastis

 How long have you been at Gateway Gallery?
I have been there since the beginning; 6 ½ years. I did leave for 2 months when I had family health issues but I am so happy to still be there. It is such a neat venue. With such a diverse group of artists participating, I have experienced so much. The group just keeps the ideas flowing and the art fresh and new.



Blowing in the Wind

 Your work has taken a bit of a different direction, why is that?
My work is going in a little different direction, partly from the inspiration of Michael Anderson’s bright colored acrylics. I have lightened and brightened up my palette to get the effect of the new spring and summer that is upon us.

What brings about the Florida theme?
The Florida theme comes from a desire to simulate some of the wonderful moments our family has had there in our 25 years of vacationing among the palm trees. I have tried to capture the feeling of relaxation, peacefulness, the crisp smell of the ocean and momentum that we take back with us to keep these feelings as long as we can.

Polly Wanna Cracker?

What have you been up to this last year?
I have gotten new representation at the Artistica Art Gallery right outside of Denver, in Aurora, Colorado. The owner, Marco Miami said “He seeks to share the talents of distinctive European and American artists with the area communities.” www.artisticaartgallery.com

Anything else new?
Yes, I am very excited- I am going to have an article about my art in the June issue of Missouri Life Magazine. I look forward to a summer full of painting and exhibiting. Also, I just updated my website-take a look and you will see a lot of new landscapes www.FineArtByVic.com.

Perfect Night by Vic Mastis

All of these paintings are on display at Gateway Gallery through May 20th, 2011.

Vic Mastis at The Artistica Art Gallery

The Artistica Art gallery is now representing artist, Vic Mastis in Aurora Colorado. Marco Miani said to the Italian Daily News, the purpose of the gallery is “To educate the local community about the importance of the beauty of art; help the public make sense of how a work of art enriches an environment; and to help the public understand that, often, art is an excellent form of investment.”

Artistica Art Gallery

Southlands Mall

6200 S. Main St. STE-J-109

Aurora Co, 80016

www.artisticaartgallery@hotmail.com

720-274-5763

Interview with the Artist - Deborah A. Williams

The nature around us depends on the nature within us…

Natural Capital: “Natural capital is the land, air, water, living organisms and all formations of the Earth's biosphere that provide us with ecosystem goods and services imperative for survival and well-being. Furthermore, it is the basis for all human economic activity.”

How long have you been an artist?
I began my art career seriously in 1997 but have been taking classes and workshops since high school. Making art is a lifelong pursuit.


What kind of art do you make?
I can’t decide - I keep changing and experimenting. I think my favorite is mixed media. I love using all the beautiful handmade papers with different fibers and textures along with pastels, acrylics and/or photographs. My favorite is painting “en plein air” - except for the wind, rain, bugs, cold, and heat. I love being outdoors and the natural landscape is so inspiring and challenging. Plus there is the added bonus of the camaraderie of the other plein air artists.

What is your "day job" if you have one?
I have worked in clinical and research labs for most of my life. Currently I am a grants administrator – working with medical researchers to find funding for their research projects. Working in the lab was more creative but working in research administration is rewarding and extremely challenging.

What other creative outlet would you explore if you couldn't make visual art?
Anything outdoors, I love gardening and landscaping. I also just finished building my house with the help of family and friends. That was crazy creative!

I am also working on a master’s degree in sustainability at Saint Louis University. It is self evident that we live within a finite system of natural limits and need to consider our footprint on our environment and enhance our ability to operate in positive and proactive ways as we increase our understanding of natural processes.

"Natural capital is the extension of the economic notion of capital (manufactured means of production) to goods and services relating to the natural environment. Natural capital is thus the stock of natural ecosystems that yields a flow of valuable ecosystem goods or services into the future. For example, a stock of trees or fish provides a flow of new trees or fish, a flow which can be indefinitely sustainable. Natural capital may also provide services like recycling wastes or water catchment and erosion control. Since the flow of services from ecosystems requires that they function as whole systems, the structure and diversity of the system are important components of natural capital."

Don't miss your chance to meet Debbie and see her beautiful work in person this Friday, February 11th from 6:00-9:00PM. We will have wine and appetizers from Mazara's.

Interview with the Artist - Michele Wells

Katy Trail Splendor
I have been painting in the Augusta Missouri area for over 8 years. They have an annual 10 day plein air paint-out there every April. The Katy Trail runs right through this lovely little town and is one of my favorite subjects. The vineyards and farm fields are also great views. Much of my subject matter this month reflects many of the scenes in and around Augusta and the Katy Trail.

How long have you been an artist?

I can remember loving to draw when I was 5 or 6 and took as many art classes as I could in High School. I went to Art School at a local community college in Vancouver Canada where I grew up. However I did not take a career in the arts after college. It has been a long and winding road. I took it up as a hobby about 12 years ago after I had moved to St. Louis. I started with watercolors and soon switched to pastels in 2000 when I found the local pastel society, Gateway Pastel Artists. Pastels are my main medium today.

What kind of art do you make?

My favorite subject matter is the landscape in pastels. Recently I have been doing watercolor washes under my pastels. However I also like to play with painting abstracts and using different mediums under the pastels. Some things I have been experimenting with are tissue paper collage, gesso, pumice and matte medium mixtures.

What is your "day job" if you have one?

I have been a commercial electrician with IBEW Local #1 for almost 8 years. It is a highly technical job. When I was doing my apprenticeship I found it hard to paint because everything was so right brain. I now find that I have to work at switching my brain over to the creative side whenever I want to paint. Sketching and music are good tools for this.

What other creative outlet would you explore if you couldn't make visual art?
Before I renewed my interest in painting I was involved in competitive dancing. I started with country dancing but soon switched to swing. To be more exact my style was West Coast Swing. Dancing is a great way to express oneself. I traveled across the US and Canada and competed at many swing dance conventions. We had elaborate routines and costumes.

Dancing is where I learned that I love to teach. I have recently started to teach pastel painting and am finding it very rewarding.

Don't miss your chance to meet Michele and see her beautiful work in person this Friday, December 3rd from 6:00-9:00PM. We will have wine and appetizers from Mazara's.

Janice Schoultz Mudd in “XVII – The Exhibition at Art Saint Louis

Paintings  by Gateway Gallery’s Janice Schoultz Mudd can be seen at Art Saint Louis’s gallery at 555 Washington, St Louis through December 30^th. This year’s annual exhibit was juried by Stacy Switzer, Artistic Director at Grand Arts, Kansas City.  A highly completive show, 64 original artworks were selected from 482 submitted.  

Visit http://www.artstlouis.org/current.html for further information.

Interview with the Artist - Cate Honse

How long have you been an artist?
I would like to think that I was growing as an artist since I could pick up a crayon or draw in the sand. I was nurtured by my parents whether it was sewing and cooking with my mom or working in the wood shop or outside with my father.

As a young artist I was involved in many classes inside and outside of school.

Are you formally trained? If so, where?
I studied at the University of Northern Iowa under some great artists, ceramic teacher, Joann Schnable and sculpture instructor, John Stancliff. My major was art education because I did not want to be a full fledged starving artist. However, I was an education major, but I kept the hours of BFA students (long days nights and weekend spent in the studio). My love has always been, and will always be, in the studio.

What is your “day job” if you have one?
I am a full time art teacher at a local high school in St. Louis. I teach 2-D. 3-D, and ceramics.

When that job ends I come home and work on remodeling our house or in my studio.

What kind of art do you make?
Using a technique developed in college and refined over the years I imprint an actual leaf into a hand rolled slab of clay I then form it into the desired shape. When the piece is placed in the kiln the leaf burns away, leaving only the imprint of the leaf behind. My technique enables me to capture every vein and detail from the underside of each leaf. Glazes are then applied and often layered in order to accent every detail left behind by the leaf.

I also make necklaces, earrings, broaches, cocktail picks, and book marks. These items are created in the same manor as the larger leaves however they are hand-painted instead of glazed enabling me to retain the details in leaves as small as the finger nail of your pinky.

Much of my work can be used as decorative or functional art depending on the owner’s desires

How long have you been involved with The Gateway Gallery?
I was fortunate enough to join the gallery in October of 2007. While at the gallery I have meet many great artists and learned a lot from each one.

Where do you get your inspiration?
My inspiration comes from nature. Each day Mother Nature presents us with limitless natural wonders. As a young child I was taught to slow down and pay attention to these details. I attribute this to the summers I spent then, and Specifically the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I spent my summers growing up on an Island with no Phone, TV, or cars. Without the interruptions and distractions of our world today.

Why do you make art?
I like making art because it brings me closer to nature and to myself. It makes me slow down and pay attention to the small details of life. The feel of the clay under my hands, the delicate aspects of a leaf.

How often do you create?
I try and create every day. Some times I get on a run and will be in my studio weeks on end. However, currently priorities have changed a bit since I found out I am pregnant and I have not been in the studio as much as I would like.

Where do you get your creative talent?
Join us on October 15 for “The Apple and the Tree” opening reception where you will see how art is passed down from generations. This father daughter show will feature the unique Stained glass lamps By Dave Dunn and my one of a kind ceramic leaves.

There are many more that have had an influence on the creative gene being passed down trough the generations: my grandmother works in watercolor, my great grandmother painted in oil, my grandfather dabbled in painting, and my great grandfather was a skilled woodworker. My sister is also an artist but chose to avoid being a starving artist and decided to become a Lawyer instead leaving her little time for artistic pursuits.

Why have you chosen the subject matter you have chosen?
I have chosen leaves because I have always had a deep love for nature and the natural wonders it produces. Furthermore, I enjoy being able to create something that broadens others love and appreciation of nature.

Do you have pets? Tell about them.
I have 2 dogs, 1 cat, a tank full of fish and turtles, and a baby on the way.

Local Flavor

The Gateway Artists have been working hard to put on a fresh new exhibit during the St. Louis Art Fair this weekend in Clayton. Most of the artists have created a piece of art that communicates the Local Flavor theme this year. Each work of art is signified by the "Local Flavor" tag by each person's work of art. If you would like a sneak preview, then visit our Facebook Photo Album where most of our artists have posted a photo of their work. This album only gives you a taste though. You have to come in an see for yourself all the beautiful work we have for sale!

We have special art fair hours this weekend:
Friday,     September 10 5:00pm - 10:00pm
and we will have light appetizers from Mazara's.
Saturday, September 11 10:00am - 10:00pm
Sunday,   September 12 10:00am - 5:00pm

We are also welcoming three wonderful guest artists for this year's fair; Michael Anderson, Daven Anderson, and Greg Kluempers.

Congratulations to Vic Mastis!

Orange Pines

Vic Mastis won 2nd place at the "Trails West" art fair in St. Joesph, MO, August 21, 2010.

Janet Fons in "Painting: The Artful Palette" at the Foundry Art Centre

Foundry Art Centre

Gateway Gallery's very own Janet Fons has three paintings juried into "Painting: The Artful Palette", a juried exhibition celebrating the art of painting.

The exhibition which runs from August 27 through October 8, is in Gallery I & II at the Foundry Art Centre in St. Charles, MO.

The reception is August 27 6-9 pm and the resident artists will host an open studios at the same time.

The juror is David Spear, an award-winning public artist based in Columbia, MO.

Visit http://www.foundryartcentre.org/ for hours and information.

detail from "The River Sings"

Painting Retreat with Dawn Gano at Pere Marquette October 23-24, 2010

Imagine painting in the midst of stunning fall foliage at the picturesque Pere Marquette Lodge.

Imagine painting with international artist, Dawn Gano. You will love the inspiring landscape, scenic river view, and relaxing atmosphere. Oil paints to mix an infinite palette and snacks will be provided to feed your creativity.

Imagine learning essential techniques that will enrich your paintings, escaping to nature for rejuvenation, and gaining confidence to pursue your own work. An incredible experience for all skill levels.

Maximum of 18 students per workshop

rates per person:
Two Day Workshop $225 until September 22, 2010
$250 after September 22, 2010

register now
636 293 0139
dganoartist@aol.com

Dawn Gano
Painting Retreat at Pere Marquette
P.O. Box 484
St. Peters, MO 63376

Visa and Master Card accepted.
Check out Dawn's work at http://www.dgano.com/