“I want to show the viewer how everything can be an abstraction, sometimes a hard-edged one in the softness of a cloud or the turn of flesh.”
Interview with artist David Rackley
“My subject matter is always eclectic, but my approach to composition, light and form, and my predominant use of available natural light remain prominent characteristics.”
Interview with collectors and AAS bloggers Philip Mayeux and Joe Nichols
“We are not ‘investment’ collectors, nor do we collect just to have a more complete representation of Arkansas artists. It is all about the feeling we get when we look at the piece.”
Interview with artist Sammy Peters
“I dream and imagine fantastic paintings that no one is painting currently or has painted in the past, and I continually endeavor to paint that work.”
Interview with artist Sigrid Lorfing
“Artwork can be a way to keep memories alive as well as celebrate their ephemeral qualities.”
Interview with artist Rex DeLoney
“I love creating from visually thick words and phrases. I read poems and God paints pictures in my mind.”
Interview with artist Crystal Jennings
“My goal is never to make a piece of art that looks like a photograph, so there is always a hint of surrealism or fantasy or abstraction.”
Interview with artist Warren Criswell
“It's always the light and shadow that gives me an image.”
Interview with artist David Bailin
“There is a difference between what happens in the studio and what is shown. What happens in the studio is living, breathing and vital; what’s shown is history.”
Interview with artist Oluwatobi Adewumi
“I always like to use realism and a portrait style to draw my viewers in.”
Interview with artist John Sykes, Jr.
“Life and art share attributes. Some of my favorite shared attributes are surrealism and absurdism.”
Interview with artist Zeek Taylor
“I not only want to make art, but I also want to talk about art, share ideas, and be inspired by other artists.”
What have I learned after 90 interviews?
“One thing I did not fully appreciate until this year’s interviews, is that artists, by their nature, are multi-talented.”
Interview with artist Kae Barron
“One thing I like to include in my work is a tension between nature’s activity and human activity.”
Interview with artist Longhua Xu
“My dedication to my art is my way of thanking the community for all they have done to welcome my family.”
Interview with artist Jody Travis Thompson
“We limit ourselves when we think inspiration must come from some lofty, higher ideas. Inspiration is always around us.”
Interview with artist Jessica Mongeon
“I’m hoping that through my art people make the connection that they are a part of nature even at the microscopic level. It is in those unseen parts of ourselves where we can find the networks and connections that are in sync with nature.”
Interview with artist Tanya Hollifield
“When I get to work with people it energizes me and feeds my soul. Working with the public to create public art is special in that the art belongs to the community.”
Interview with artist Kirk Montgomery
“As a southern artist, in recent years I have realized the need to be more socially conscious. At times my work is surreal, at other times, it is direct.”
Interview with Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas Director Rachel Miller
“I love ‘being on the ground’ and working individually with community groups, especially when it involves creating awareness and enthusiasm for a community’s cultural assets.”