Words with Friends | Michelle Armas

Colorful Studies: An Interview with Michelle Armas

Elizabeth Stephenson (APP) for Amy Parry Projects

Michelle Armas is an abstract painter based out of Decatur, GA. She works out of her home studio, with her husband and daughter a welcome shout away. A career in graphic design and a stint at Landor in New York City led her to discover her love for painting. With a focus on color, she experiments with what she's termed the "impulse of composition." Her vibrant work has been featured in Sea Contemporary Art Space, Gregg Irby Gallery, and *designsponge, among others.

APP: My favorite of your abstract expressionistic series are the "Totems on Raw Canvas." What drew you to that shape and process?

MA: My husband and I took our daughter on a year-long trip to Europe, spending 3 months at a time in each location. I wanted to be able to paint easily, with bright pigments that had to quickly dry. So I thought, "Bring ink, raw canvas." I wanted to also have a shape in mind to make the process more streamlined. In the Nordic countries, I was moved by the idea of a totem, a shape familiar to us as humans. But I couldn't wait to start the totem series until we went to the Nordic countries. I started painting them right away once we got to Europe! The colors and places moved me, and that's where that series began.

APP: How does landscape impact your work?

MA: I love trees. I love that they work together, as a system. They make each other stronger, and support each other. The sound of wind through the leaves is so beautiful. Even the way the sunlight dapples through the leaves. That's one of the reasons I love Atlanta. So many trees! We have ones in our yard that are over 200 years old. So big you can't hug them, wrap your hands around. I use nature as inspiration for color and organic shape in my work.

APP: You stated, "I create to express what I can not say with words and to feel connected to the impulse of composition." What process do you use while painting to capture these emotions?

MA: It comes from my mantra on life. I’m very inspired by the journey. It embodies my idea of living beyond my limits and not settling, always striving for better. Having the courage to keep going no matter what. With adversity: there’s always something, there’s always going to be something. That dream, or that goal, is still possible. Keep going!

APP: What is a dream you've fulfilled in your artistic career?

MA: I'm moved by color, as much as I am movement and experience. For me, color is 100% emotional, and I'm an emotional person. Painting helps me get it out. When it comes to color in art, we all feel something different. For every person it's different. And I find that to be powerful.

APP: What is your first memory of color?  

MA: My father was an artist, and always encouraged me to make art. My first memory of color is him bringing home colored pencils for me to draw with, and me taking them out and thinking "These are amazing! These are the best things!" My mother also would wear a canary yellow jacket with an eggplant scarf, and I thought that was just "Yes!" The women in my Spanish family have an appreciation for colorful things. Every woman has a bright red bag, it's "our thing."

APP: How has the art community in Atlanta shaped your career?

MA: It's shaped it tremendously! Back in 2006-2007 I joined an all group of women artists, mostly pattern designers in Atlanta. We met each month for four years, and called ourselves the Pattern Sisterhood. We supported each other, commiserated with each other, were each other's guinea pigs. It was a round table of design where we became best friends... and that is everywhere in Atlanta. You can find your people, your supporters. It's a place where you can make friends easily, connect, and why I love it here.

To learn more about Michelle’s work, please visit her website

michellearmas.com

Case Study #7 | The Memphian Hotel

We love a unique project, and The Memphian Hotel in Memphis, TN certainly fit the bill. The hotel’s owner is a Memphis native, and she gave a keen directive to pay tribute to the lively history of the neighborhood, but with an eclectic twist. Armed with a treasure trove of vintage photographs, APP set to work on creating pieces that married the bright and eye-catching decor of the hotel with the nostalgia of Memphis’ Overton Square.

To learn more about how the artwork developed,
please flip through our latest Case Study below…

Words with Friends | Jermaine Clark

Jermaine Clark: Blurring the Line Between Marks and Text

Elizabeth Stephenson (APP) for Amy Parry Projects

A painter born and raised in St. Louis, Jermaine Clark studied at Alabama A&M University before moving to Atlanta to pursue his artistic career. His work combines contemporary portraiture with text, and reflects studio training and a background in street art and graffiti. Jermaine beautifies our Atlanta not only through his murals and paintings, but with his tireless work ethic and upbeat attitude. He is currently working on a mural in the Summerhill neighborhood, and participated in Amy Parry Projects and The Atlanta Hawks Basketball Art Installation at State Farm Corporate Headquarters. Jermaine recently sat down with APP’s Elizabeth Stephenson to discuss his work and life in Atlanta.

APP: You recently participated in a Basketball Art Project with the Atlanta Hawks and Amy Parry Projects.  If you had to pick an “Artist Dream Team,” who would it be?

JC: The best of all time: I’ll start with one of the first people I studied in high school, Chuck Close… his work amazed me. The things he said about “Showing up to work everyday and not waiting for inspiration,” spoke to me. Of course, Basquiat. And Kehinde Wiley, I would put up there as one of the top living artists. Representation means a lot to me, to see another black male artist working at that scale— his work is phenomenal. Going left a little bit, Banksy. I grew up in a world of graffiti and hip hop, his work is profound work on the streets. And my wildcard is Peter Ferrari, that’s my guy. I love his work… he deserves his flowers, he’s very humble…I love to give him his flowers when I can.

APP: As a muralist and painter, do you find one more fitted to your aesthetic?  

JC: I don’t prefer one or the other. With outdoor murals, weather is always a factor, and the elements. But it adds to the challenge, and I love a good challenge. I love to tackle things, face adversity, and then complete them. In the studio, I like to crank out a painting and live with that piece in my creative space. But I also like climbing ladders, dealing with the weather, and beautifying the neighborhood… That’s an important part of what we have to do as artist: extend ourselves to our community.

APP: Where does name of your art brand "Still Dreamin'" originate? 

JC: It comes from my mantra on life. I’m very inspired by the journey. It embodies my idea of living beyond my limits and not settling, always striving for better. Having the courage to keep going no matter what. With adversity: there’s always something, there’s always going to be something. That dream, or that goal, is still possible. Keep going!

APP: What is a dream you've fulfilled in your artistic career?

JC: Overall, I’m living my dream. So, I am achieving. I’ve always wanted to be a working artist. I didn’t know what it looked like, or what it would take to get here, but I did it…For me, I’m always working on the next best thing, it’s hard for me to see that I’m here now. I’m living my dream.

APP: How does living in Atlanta contribute to your art?   

JC: Living in Atlanta was the turning point in realizing my dream. I’m from a small town, where there’s no representation of African American professional artist, I didn’t see that it was a possibility growing up. But I knew I had to do it. Atlanta has a diverse culture that appreciates the arts community. The journey would have been more difficult if I wasn’t here—Atlanta is validating and gives encouragement. There’s something here for everybody. Find your tribe and find your opportunities. If you have a little hustle and networking, the sky is the limit. And I’m here.

To learn more about Jermaine’s work, please visit his website

xmainestudios.com

Case Study #6 | Aaron Whisner

In 2018, Amy Parry Projects was approached by Gensler to create a youthful and music-centric art package for a new hotel developed by the Hard Rock brand. REVERB was meant to be a hotel for today’s young music fan, with a modern and tech-savvy approach to design. APP worked with artist Aaron Whisner to create a custom piece for the hotel’s co-working area, instilling the space with the artist’s street art sensibility, and creating a memorable “Instagram Moment.”

To learn more about how the artwork developed,
please flip through our latest Case Study below…

Case Study #4 | Caroline Bullock

We recently completed an elegant redesign of Boca West Country Club with the designers of Larson Nichols. Among the selected artwork was a custom commission by local Caroline Bullock - this package was definitely an Atlanta creation!

To learn more about the project and Caroline’s fascinating process behind
“Everything is Blooming Most Recklessly”
please flip through our latest Case Study below…

Slow Dancing in the Light

Courtyard Mural at Bellyard Hotel

Still in awe of the brilliant courtyard mural recently completed by Lacey Longino for the Bellyard Hotel, Atlanta, GA. This custom mural was commissioned nearly three years ago before Bellyard broke ground. The location’s history as a railway intersection and stockyard inspired much of the art inside the hotel. The courtyard mural honors the same rail and brick legacy while mirroring the vibrancy and excitement of the Interlock project that has evolved there. Lacey began her work only after the hotel property opened, allowing the hotel staff and guests to watch her inspired process as it unfolded. This mural will bring undeniable joy for years to come.

Please enjoy reading the artist’s thoughts below…

I want this space to bring joy and remind people to celebrate what was here, but also what is here now. Where they are and what path they are on. We go so fast that we forget to slow down and be truly present with those around us. Let’s celebrate and make new memories. Remembering the past, learning from it, making the changes that need to be made and being better all around. This space is all about bright, bold futures. Finding ones’ light and existing in it. Sharing that light with your neighbor. It’s about dancing through life and spreading that light…

IMG_4534.JPG

Love walks through city parks
With the love of my life on a hot summer night
Fresh picked flowers along the way
Love radiating from every petal
Following the yellow brick road
In the morning & the evening
As the seasons change
Walking & talking
Enjoying ones presence
& truly being present
Hello yellow brick road
Or goodbye
Cue Elton John album
Why a yellow brick road?
Because we are all searching for ours
So many yellow brick roads
One leading to greatness
One leading to sadness
One leading to chaos
One leading to light
It’s okay to change tracks
Trust the path you’re on
Be present with each step
If your path becomes broken or weary
Rebuild it
Grow from the tracks that led you off track
Choose love & light & joy
Dance it out like these little flowers
Let the light of love into your life
Flow on over to your new track
Love others along the way
Be kind to yourself
Have grace for you & them
Walk slow & drink a lot of water
Believe in magic
Lay it out brick by brick
And pay attention to when your light shines the brightest along the way
One day you will arrive
And slow dance so fearlessly in the darkness that the light will pour in
And you will be home dancing in your own light

— Lacey Longino, 2021

Design by Uncommon Studios | Art Consulting by Amy Parry Projects

Special thanks to Mallori Hamilton of Uncommon Studios ATL for her creative vision and collaborative spirit throughout this entire Bellyard Project.

Words with Friends | Sarah Gee Miller

A message on determination, bringing order to chaos and sharing beauty with a world that may not always deserve it from Sarah Gee Miller

additional artist pic.jpg

Sarah Gee Miller proves that every boundary we are taught to believe exists in the world of art is in fact mutable. Self-taught and an artist who began later in life, Sarah Gee Miller creates dynamic and vibrant paintings on panel that have something to say in more ways than one. Despite being impatient and messy herself, her precise works demonstrate what you can accomplish when you devote yourself completely to your craft.

Our call caught her in the middle of completing some works on paper; after speaking, I realized that this was something of a full circle moment in her career as paper collages were her first foray into art making.

Sarah is currently creating a large scale dimensional piece for the lobby of the spectacular Wave Hotel we are working on in Lake Nona, FL. The project gave us the opportunity to commission her after admiring her work from afar for several years.

finished piece for wave.jpg

APP: You mentioned that you learned a lot working on this piece for us; I was wondering if you could tell me more about your process? There’s so much layering to it; did you encounter any difficulties related to that?

SGM: I thought it was probably a good idea to make one again. I have made paintings with the raised parts before, but I used a form of plastic that wasn’t stable; within weeks the plastic warped and fell off so I stopped doing that. With my new process, I hired someone who cuts plywood using a laser. I send the files to his computer and he cuts the shapes that I want, from there I can build the panel. I work on a wood panel normally, so I would build up from that wood panel using those shapes. It’s fascinating because once you add three dimensionality to a painting, everything changes. They cast a shadow and everything comes alive. It was very different and now he’s ready to go for this big job. It was very fun to do it and now all I wanna do is add those extra elements onto my paintings.

Mock up for Wave piece.png

APP: I saw that you have an interest in paintings that “assume the physicality of sculpture.” That seems to align really well with this technique. Even though your works aren’t sculptural in the traditional sense, they have that energy and presence of sculpture. Is that something you’ve always been drawn to?

SGM: Always! My next attempt is to have paintings attached to a piece of wire that comes out of the wall, not a mobile but a painting that’s suspended in air. I’m really interested in sculptural issues but I’m not a sculptor and I don’t want to be. However, I do find that my paintings are really sculptural in intention because all around me when I was growing up were these totems from the First Nations people. I think that kinda seeped into my brain in a weird way. I remember as a child walking through a museum and being struck with awe at these modernist shapes from hundreds of years ago. I thought, “these people had it all figured out!” I’ve always been trying to get to where they were because they did it so naturally, and with such commanding power. Sculpture and totems and objects in space are all really important to me.  

APP: It sounds to me like the art of the First Nations people was hugely inspirational for you. I had also gotten the sense that the city of Vancouver plays a role in your work, would you agree?

SGM: I owe a huge debt to the First Nations people around me. To this day, I walk down the street and see casual graffiti better than anything I could ever do. The Haida people, the Kwakiutl people, we're all living on their lands here in Vancouver. I’ve also been really influenced by the art of the 60s here in Vancouver because Asians were a huge part of it. I have several heroes here [like] Gordon Smith who sadly passed away at 100. He was an early hard-edge Pop pioneer. His buddies were people like Tanao Tanabe and Roy Kiyooka. Those guys were as Modernist and as Pop as anything else. I love that Vancouver is, on its best days, a real melting pot of Asian and British and First Nations. Everyone came together to produce amazing, amazing art.

APP: I was struck by the quote from your artist statement that, “the technique is itself a language” especially in connection to your use of font based forms. Could you elaborate on your unique use of language?

SGM: Yeah! Actually most of the shapes that I paint with are fonts. I have between 1,000 and 1,500 fonts that are weird. I have alien fonts, science fiction type fonts, wingdings, and other kinds of strange computer stuff. I’m really attracted to certain shapes so I import those fonts onto my computer and turn them into compositions. I then take those fonts and use a digital cutter to cut a template out of plastic; once I’ve done that, I can use those templates to make my work. So in a way, my paintings are actual language.

artwork example 1.png

APP: It’s really amazing that you’re able to use language to say something that isn’t “readable” but that our minds still recognize as satisfying, understandable and beautiful.

SGM: Sometimes I’m smiling to myself because I know that there’s a word in my paintings that’s basically hidden in there. I’m really interested in fonts and language generally and I kind of stumbled onto this technique. Because I’m self-taught, no one told me how to do anything so I had to just fall into it in any way I could. Not only that, but I was a bit late in life to start; I started as an artist after the age of 45. I was 48 by the time I made my first art piece.

APP: Wow! So what were you doing beforehand? How did you get to where you are now?

SGM: I had a whole other life! I had a whole lot of shitty jobs and I went to graduate school and got a degree in English and couldn't figure out what I wanted to do. My husband and I lived in absolute poverty, not knowing what we were doing or where we were going. I had a design company that I formed with a friend and we did recycled fashions and furniture and she was really heavy into modernism. I kind of got the modernist bug from her and when our partnership ended I had nowhere to go and nothing to do and I thought, “I’m gonna make the art I want to look at!” I had no idea what that meant, I just started and being one of those all-or-nothing people, I threw myself into it. I didn’t think I could paint because painting is for the big boys, you know, that went to school. Painting is for Picasso, not for me. So I did these little paper collages for a while and got very successful at that and then suddenly decided, “why can’t I paint?! I want to.” I remember sitting in the car with an artist friend and asking her, “how do I paint'' and she simply replied, “pick up a brush” and I did.

APP: That’s so inspiring to hear; you’re really never too late to start. Do you think there have been any benefits to finding your art practice in your fifties as opposed to say your twenties?

SGM: When I was in my 20s I had absolutely no idea what life had in store for me. I wish I had the fortitude then that I do now, but it happened when it happened. In a way, that’s why I work so hard. I’m in the studio 12-14 hours a day. I’m lucky to have three galleries and a bunch of solo shows, but it’s only because I had to make up for lost time. I’m all in; I’m on fire because my time is shorter than it should be and I’m gonna make it happen. I make art when I don’t want to, I make art when I’m tired, I make art when the last thing I want to do is drag my ass to the studio and I don’t know that I would’ve done that in my earlier years, but with age comes this steely determination.

APP: I’m a bit of a believer in divine timing, in the sense that everything happens when it’s meant to. How do you feel on the subject?

SGM: I happen to believe that the universe is entirely chaos. If there’s no order then we make our own order and my paintings are all about that. I impose order on chaos. I’m not really into emotion or expression. I'm really into an iron will. I will turn this terrible, chaotic universe into something that is peaceful, calm, and rational. It’s been wonderful; when I finish a painting and I look at it I think, “yeah that feels right.”

artwork example 2.png

APP: There is so much associated with being an artist beyond what most people envision, such as being your own accountant, keeping up your social media, etc. What kinds of struggles have you personally come up against?

SGM: I can’t really walk or stand. I have to find ways to work smart. I have my physical issue where other artists have mental issues or financial ones; we’re the walking wounded really! I’m not that special but it is another element I have to deal with. Every artist that works for themselves is a hero in my book.

APP: Could you tell me a bit more about the concept “mesotopia” behind why you make what you make?

SGM: That’s pretty much my core belief - mesotopia. It’s not utopia and it’s not dystopia, it’s somewhere in the middle. That’s where I come from philosophically, practically and artistically. I want to love this world and I want to make beautiful things, but I don’t buy into anything. I definitely do not reject anything positive, but I don’t buy into it either. It’s sort of an enlightened agnosticism. I’m not interested in thwarting anybody’s beliefs except for the horrible things. For instance I’ll stand up against racism and homophobia until I die. Mesotopia is sort of a neutrality, but it’s empathetic too. My mesotopia is sort of a land where I come from. It’s where I’m very empathetic to the struggles of the world, but I don’t want to involve myself in them.

artwork example 6.jpg

To learn more about Sarah’s work, please visit her website

www.sarahgeemiller.com

Case Study #2 | AMLI Lenox Conference Room Installation, Atlanta, GA

This is the second Case Study we are sharing in hopes of giving you a glimpse into our process and hands-on approach to creating custom pieces of art for hospitality projects.

At the beginning of this year, we wrapped up work on an art package for the new AMLI Lenox  in Atlanta. This fantastic apartment complex needed unique art to complement its exciting, high quality amenities and shared spaces. We provided art for the Coffee Lounge, the VIP Clubroom, the Wine Bar, the Makerspace and Theatre Room. Perhaps our favorite piece, however, was the sculptural installation that was created for AMLI's Conference Room, outlined below.

Please let us know if you have any questions or an upcoming project in need of our ideas! We would love to work with you.

Final Installed.jpg

Via Sophia + Society Now Open in DC featuring APP Art Program →

A Fiola Mare Alum Opens a Fancy New |All-Day Osteria Downtown

Via Sophia and a hidden cocktail bar will debut in the Hamilton Hotel

by Tierney Plumb
Jun 11, 2019, 1:24pm EDT
Photos by Rey Lopez/Eater DC

The Hamilton Hotel is ready to unveil the final pieces of its multi-million dollar renovation downtown at the corner of 14th and K Streets NW. An Italian restaurant specializing in Neapolitan pizza and a glamorous, postage stamp-sized bar serving cocktails and caviar are both scheduled to open tomorrow.

Following a full lobby transformation and guest room refresh, the historic 318-room hotel is replacing its outdated 14K restaurant with an all-day osteria called Via Sophia. A dark, library-themed bar called Society is hidden off the lobby.

The anticipated two-part venture is helmed by an all-star hospitality cast that includes Via Sophia executive chef Colin Clark, who’s amassed an impressive East Coast resume by working under several James Beard Award Winners (Marc Vetri, Jeff Michaud, and Fabio Trabocchi). He was also part of Le Diplomate’s opening team in 2013. Most most recently, Clark was chef de cuisine at Trabocchi’s Georgetown Harbor darling, Fiola Mare.

Via Sophia (1001 14th Stree NW) will open with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There’s also an weekday happy hour for apertivos and a late-night pizza menu. Weekend brunch will join the mix later this summer.

European cutting boards double as wall art near the 10-seat pizza bar overlooking the cooking action.

In Clark’s new post, he hopes to breathe new life into the same block as The Washington Post’s headquarters overlooking tree-lined Franklin Square.

“We are going for upscale — this is 14th and K and we are trying to make it a dining destination,” Clark tells Eater.

Since wood-fired Neapolitan pizza is Via Sophia’s star attraction, the staff went the extra mile to elevate their pie-making skills. Clark and sous chef Cameron Willis trained under master pizzaiola Roberto Caporuscio, owner of New York City’s Keste Pizza & Vino and Don Antonio (named “#1 Pizza in New York” by New York Magazine).

Oak wood fed into the oven to maintain its required 650-degree temperature is stocked across Via Sophia.

Five seasonal pizzas at Via Sophia include a classic Margherita — with San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, and fresh basil — and Fra Diavlo (salame picante, fresno chiles, red onion, buffalo mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes).

Even the staff floating around will be dressed to the nines. Ashley Blazer Biden, Joe Biden’s daughter, designed the hotel’s new stylish black-and-white uniforms in collaboration with Livelihood.

Atlanta-based Art Consulting Firm, Amy Parry Projects, helped curate a custom art collection that weaves old and new elements across Via Sophia. Think nostalgic antique metal pizza peels juxtaposed with modern photography and abstract art pieces.

Italy’s go-to table water San Pellegrino doubles as glowing green wall decor, alongside retro images of women posing along scenic shores.

Clark’s most recent cooking stint at seafood-focused Fiola Mare is evident across its underwater section of dishes. A grilled Norwegian salmon features a traditional Spanish romesco sauce, alongside charred broccolini, pine nuts, and black garlic dressing. A minimalist presentation of black bass, accented with baby squash, asparagus tips, morels, and a golden beet border, lets the fish shine.

DesignONE Studio is behind the look of Via Sophia and Society.

Southern Italian-inspired dishes include bruschetta built on a house-baked semolina loaf; tagliata di manzo (sliced steak) with charred spring onion, confit cherry tomatoes, balsamic reduction, arugula, and barolo jus; and monkfish ossobuco, with sauce livornese, clams, olives, capers, fennel, and potatoes.

“This is very in line with my background — the whole idea is a balance between rustic and modern,” Clark says. “We knock the rustic element out of the park — it was a decision early on to make bread, pizza, and pasta in house.”

Chicken al mattone (crispy artichokes, guanciale, peppers, maitake mushrooms, chicken jus) is “as old school rustic as it gets” he adds.

Carb-driven entrees include ravioli finochietta, with asparagus tips, fava beans, morels, and fresh parmigiana. Pappardelle comes with rabbit ragu, ramps, pecorino and Castelvetrano olives.

Antipasto orders include caponata-toasted eggplant with San Marzano tomatoes, golden raisins and pine nuts. Meat and cheese boards feature prosciutto di parma aged 24 months.

Wines and spirits hailing from Italy largely make up the drinks section, with some 120 wine bottles available. Local makers from D.C. and Virginia also contribute to the craft beer and spirits selection.

Society, inspired by Prohibition-era secret societies and private clubs from the art deco period, features just 14 seats. Fancy bar snacks include caviar with panna cotta, nuts, and Sicilian olives. Zack Faruki, an alum of Michelin-starred Fiola, is leading a mixology program.

Wines by the glass start at $20, and big spenders can also peruse from a rare collection of reds with a few bottles dancing near the $700 mark.

Seductive details at Society include dark distressed leather, gothic-style candlestick wall sconces, and diamond glass chandeliers.

Society is an ode to renowned French-born architect Jules-Henrí de Sibour, who originally designed the hotel in 1922. The Prohibition-era architect was a member of Yale’s Skull and Bones Society. Framed hand drawings and photos taken from his time at Yale line the walls.

Hours are Tuesday and Wednesday, 5 p.m. to midnight; and Thursday through Saturday until 1 a.m.

First Look | Atlanta Hawk's Owners Club | Chris Maynard

Hawks, 2017, hand-carved feathers, 60.75 x 23 x 2 inches

Feast you eyes on this image of the first piece of artwork completed for the newly renovated Atlanta Hawk's Owner's Club at Philips Arena. Created by Olympia, WA artist Chris Maynard, the work is made by carving miniature hawks out of actual feathers with a very small scalpel. With a background in biology and a clear passion for this medium, the work is precise and visually arresting.

It is also three-dimensional; by setting them off the background with tiny pins, the pieces create shadows which is integral to the work. This piece, created for the Owner's Club which will open this month, is about flight and ascension, alluding to the drive of the team's athletes toward the goal.

The Owner's Club is designed by Smith Hanes Studio and will also feature work by Atlanta artists Larry Jens Anderson and David Landis. Stay tuned for more images. This is just the beginning of the transformation of the Philips Arena Art Collection.
 

 

To learn more about Chris Maynard and his incredible, beautiful practice, please visit his website:

www.featherfolio.com

A Conversation with Thomas Bucci

We are excited to share with you a little dialogue we just had with architectural watercolorist Thomas Bucci. APP is working with Thomas to produce several pieces for a luxury hotel project in Washington DC, where he lives and paints in the plein air method. His paintings offer a beautiful reflection of this unique and important American city.

We thank Thomas for his work and his words and encourage you to learn more at www.thomasbucci.com.

____________________________________________________________________________________

APP: Where were you born and what is your earliest memory of making art?

TB: I was born in a small industrial town in western NJ. The architecture of the old factories and mills still swirls around in my consciousness and affects the way I see buildings, cities and towns.

I started by drawing cartoon characters and people I saw on TV when I was around 9 or 10. I sketched all the players in the Watergate hearings as they were televised live in the early 70s. I was encouraged when people recognized my renditions and complimented me. In some ways you could say Richard Nixon got me started as an artist.


APP: As a trained architect, what are some of your favorite building finishings? Which are your favorite to paint?

TB: I don't love the idea of painting specific buildings per se. I am attracted by the architecture of cities and urban landscapes. The way the buildings collage together to make the fabric of a city or town appeals to me and I try to tell that story in my paintings. 


APP: What brand of paper and paints do you enjoy the most?

TB: This is a constantly evolving thing. Paper is probably the single most important element. Poor quality paper will almost certainly limit the chances of success with a painting. I have recently switched my allegiance from Arches watercolor paper, a venerable French company that has been making paper since the 15th century, to a British made paper, Saunders Waterford, an extremely well made paper.

My favorite paints are from the Daniel Smith Company in Washington state. I also like Kremer Pigments from Germany and Winsor Newton from London.

My favorite brushes are made by Escoda from Spain. I go to great lengths to get their brushes, which have limited availability in the U.S.  Especially the prized Kolinsky sable brushes, which are in the process of being banned for import into the U.S. by the Fish and Wildlife service.

APP: Painting with watercolor allows you to paint anywhere the environment strikes your mood. What are some of your other favorite aspects of the medium and do you fluctuate between tighter and looser techniques?

TB: Watercolor suits certain personality traits. If you want absolute control over your work, watercolor is not for you. It's possible to have total control with watercolor, but that involves very slow and painstaking care. I choose watercolor for its quick gestural quality and spontaneity. You have to be willing to take risks to fully enjoy the potential of watercolor.

My painting approach varies according to my mood and weather conditions. I think I have more control as the years have gone by, as a result of experience and knowledge. For me progress is my about getting the paint to do what I envision. All success in painting has to be the result of envisioning the result first and then making that happen. All else is just luck. So I will still do both tighter and looser paintings, as long as I can produce what I imagine.


APP: Photographers swear by the "golden hour" and timing their process to align with the best natural light. Is this as important in plein air painting? How quickly do you have to work? Do you keep your colors true to life?

TB: One big difference between photography and painting is this; a photographer takes a picture and a painter makes a picture. So because of this I am not bound by light conditions or colors. I like to work on location but what is in front of me is only a suggestion and can become whatever I want it to be. I often move elements around and eliminate or add things to make a composition. I change the weather or time of day to suit me. In one recent painting I moved the Washington Monument about 500 feet to the right to accommodate my composition. So being a painter is almost like having superpowers!


APP: How do you interact with people who pass by while you are working?

TB: Great question! I meet countless numbers of people as I work. I'm often in very public places. I also have downtime while I wait for parts of a painting to dry and this is an opportunity to chat. People often photograph me for blogs, etc. I was even included in a film that was happening where I was set up. The cinematographer asked if they could film me. Mostly I meet curious onlookers, other artists, lots of children. I like to think maybe I might inspire one of those youngsters to someday become a painter! I've heard friends complain that interruptions annoy them when working outdoors. But my experience has been overwhelmingly positive. Of course there are episodes that are less pleasant but these are rare.


APP: In which collection are you proudest to be included?

TB: I sell my work mostly at art fairs and at a popular weekly public market in Washington DC. In the 20 years that I have been selling there, I have made over 20,000 sales. Most those are prints, but my work has gotten into lots of people's hands, and this makes me proud. Many people who buy my work do not consider themselves art collectors. I like to think of myself as an artist for everyman. You don't need a degree in art appreciation or a lengthy explanation to appreciate what I'm doing. Having said that, my paintings have found their way into some private art collections and several foreign embassies here in DC as well as U.S. embassies abroad.


APP: If you wrote a love note to Washington DC, what would it say?

TB: Interesting question. I have chosen to live here in DC after living in NYC for a few years and also a stint living in London. In many ways, DC offers what I liked most about London and NYC with few of the drawbacks. I am attracted by DC being a human-scaled city, with an international and highly educated populace. It is a green city with lots of parks and low building heights. You can see the sky! I like sky in my paintings!

Oak Brook Doubletree Meeting Room Art

Amy Parry Projects recently worked with Chicago based design firm Anderson Miller to source an original encaustic painting on panel for the renovated meeting rooms of the Oak Brook, Illinois Doubletree Hotel. This large scale 40"H x 80" W piece was commissioned just for this space and the installed shots show just how key it is to have the right piece of art for your project-it truly is the icing on the cake! 

View of completed meeting rooms at Oak Brook Doubletree with art installed on side wall | image via Hotel Design Magazine

View of completed meeting rooms at Oak Brook Doubletree with art installed on side wall | image via Hotel Design Magazine

This project is a great example of the collaborative process we enjoy so much here at APP. Once the art selections were made we were able to work with the artist to create a small encaustic sample incorporating the color palette provided by the designer's Pantone colors. The sample was shipped to the designer for review so they were able to feel the finish, examine the surface and colors, and determine what type of edge finish they wanted before moving forward with the full piece.

Encaustic sample and swatches created for designer approval

Encaustic sample and swatches created for designer approval

We are all about relationships and taking customer service to the next level and know that being able to foster collaborative communication between hotels, designers, and artists helps to create the exact art package your project needs. For more info and images on this project check out the full article in Hotel Design Magazine here. Contact us today for more info on how we can work together! 

Art in place during the installation process | image via Anderson Miller Design

Art in place during the installation process | image via Anderson Miller Design