It was an absolutely gorgeous day in Lake Geneva, WI today. I had a lot of visitors stop by and had a lot of great conversation about art making, art, and all of the challenges that go into the creation of a successful work of art. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and looked at the progress of this painting. Let me know if you are interested today’s work. Thank you, enjoy the day.
Frank
Welcome to my NEW plein air paintings. I have updated my plein air (watercolors) page and have begun to really look at the world around me. While I will always continue to create my abstractions – I love the interaction of the abstract shapes and spaces, the challenges of the observable world is also intriguing. Like all the artists that have inspired me, I work to explore a wide variety of techniques and approaches. I had the great opportunity to work with a handful of artists this summer on the streets of Waterford, WI as they created two weeks of watercolors and 2 weeks of acrylics – all direct observations of the space around them. I also took the time to observe and interpret the town I grew up in. Now I am off to Lake Geneva to share my works and explore the space just down the road. Maybe I’ll see you there.
These works are all available – please let me know when you are interested in purchasing one of these or check out the entire current collection of my plein air paintings on their very own page – HERE.
Thursday evening I had a wonderful opportunity to meet and speak with Todd Mrozinski about his artwork. In addition to the work in his “Shadow Series,” which consisted of 20+ (must be hundreds of paintings), Todd shared the Pop-Up Gallery installation in a former boutique at the Pfister. His work as well as the works of Timothy Westbrook’s are on display and the opening reception is this evening (Friday, June 12). Thank you to Todd and his wife Renee Bebeau as well as Pamela Anderson (from Milwaukee’s Plaid Tuba Gallery) and her husband Steven Kaishian for the wonderful conversation.
Also below is a great review of student created art inspired by the works of Midwest Artists from Frank Juarez’s (Sheboygan Artist / Educator) book Midwest Artist Studios (MAS). The link to the original site it here, but you can read my excerpt below. Please explore at all the student’s working and works HERE.
A Midwest Artist Studios Reflection, by Frank Juarez (and Frank Korb) – Here
The Pfister Pop-Up Gallery Press release HERE.
Written by Frank Korb, art teacher
2015 Drawing Class – Waterford Union High School
I introduced my students to Todd Mrozinski through theMidwestern Artist Studios Project workbook designed by Frank Juarez. In order to help my students better understand who Todd Mrozinski is, I used Frank Juarez’s writing and interview with Todd from the M.A.S. Workbook as well as looking at Todd’s website and video prepared as his application for the Pfister Artist in Residence. From there, we discussed the ideas and history behind diptychs and triptychs. The ideas behind the works were planned around the idea of working with a partner, learning about them as individuals and then working together to create works about one another through the same ideas of Todd – working with the Silhouette of one another and also working with the ideas of shadows cast from plants or trees. Originally, we were going to be creating a triptych and including the shadow of a person made object, one chosen by the partner in the pair, but because of time limitations we only had one artist get that far with the drawing.
In the very beginning, we introduced one another through learning the ideas behind the elevator pitch. Using an elevator pitch approach to introduce themselves gave them a good understanding about who they are, what they believe in, how they make art, what their ideas about life and art. From there we all went outside and looked at shadows and the partners worked together to choose which types of plant shadows to trace. The artist traced the shadow their partner liked or felt symbolized them. They then traced the sitters silhouette. From there we all worked in studio and created these wonderful images through the use of oil pastels. Over these quick 2 weeks or so, a large assortment of strong and conversation starting compositions were created. Works were focused on the positive and negative space the silhouettes created while also being built up upon the idea of color scheme. Working together gave the artwork a collaborative element that previous works did not have. Students were a bit apprehensive about the use of oil pastels, but this was a good choice as time was of a concern. Oils have a quality that really show the mark of the artist and this showed through in many of the works. A few thoughts about the next time that this lesson is taught are to allow more time to work, a mid-critique, as well as a field trip to Todd’s studio in Milwaukee.
Each class period began with a virtual trip to Todd’s gallery and discussion about a few works. Personal written reflection happened at the end of each day with students thinking about and responding to the successes and failures that they were experiencing in the work. When we had about a week left, I provided an online written critique (google forms) for them to use as their final exam. All said and done – kids came into the final exam period with their finished artwork, Skype TV turned on, and Todd, my students, and myself I met up online to talk about the ideas and works that were created.
Over the course of two days and two separate classes, 20 kids each, a 1 1/2 hour time period we had GREAT critiques, conversation, and reinforcement of many words I spoke of earlier. Todd added a lot of new ideas about intention and symbolism, compositional ideas that were new ideas for the students. The young artists were very interested in Todd’s comments, critique, and support about the work. Discussion of the works was very strong and the students took to the conversation with elements and principles in mind with interpretation becoming even more a highlight. I sincerely hope that the ideas spoken about are carried forward into the individual student work.
During the first week of summer vacation, I put out a brief survey to the kids that asked four questions. 1) What are THREE (3) highlights that you found, experienced, or achieved in the working on your shadow / color scheme drawings? 2) What are TWO (2) suggestions you suggest for the next time this artwork / experience gets taught? 3) What is the ONE (1) thing that you feel you will remember / use in the future that you learned from this work of art? 4) Do you have ANYTHING ELSE that you would like to add? Please let me hear more of your thoughts. Survey resultsHERE. While I am not expecting a lot of responses, summer vacation having started, I do hope to get a few comments in about the project. My students works as well as images of the kids in the process of working and critiquing can be seen through this link: https://goo.gl/UgFmbo.
TheMidwest Artist Studios™ Project is supported by a grant from the Kohler Foundation, Inc and the Wisconsin Art Education Association.
Happy Mother’s Day to Julie, mom of my daughter Abby. Without you, life would be very different and the adventures not nearly as interesting. No words can truly express my gratitude and love, but the card I have for you later will try. Happy Mother’s Day to my mom Ginger, without, this post would be blank ( as would the rest of my life). Happy Mother’s Day Marilyn, mom of my lovely bride thanks for all you do for all of us. To my sister Sara, thank you for the fun and stories to share with our kids as they grow up and want to know what we were like as kids. Happy Mother’s Day to my East Coast sisters in laws Kate and Laura. Happy Mother’s Day to my Grandma Marion, all my aunt’s… children or not, your hands helped make me what I am today (and the stories were a part of it too). Lastly, to all the rest of the women who have been an important and beneficial part of any kids life… THANK YOU and HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY.
Love,
Frank
A brief look at the inspiration and process behind the painting “One of You is About to Betray Me.”
During the 2015 Spring Break from my day to day job, I had the opportunity to work with Mr. Zachary Zeigler at Catholic Central High School in Burlington, WI to create an end of the show effect – a version of the last supper. Inspiration began with the most obvious Leonardo DaVinci’s most famous work. Another work that inspired me was the wooden construction by Marisol (Marisol Escobar). I enjoy the both of them for their depictions of the essential moment in the Christian faith when Jesus created the sacrament of communion – changing bread and wine into his body and blood. This is the moment in the musical “Godspell” where these random boxes will be assembled by the skilled and practiced cast into the final painting. While the boxes are getting a bit roughed up during rehearsals, the effect is wonderful. Thank you Zach and CC for allowing me the opportunity to create a work of art to help visually illustrate the creation of the most holy sacrament of communion – in a long line of artists who have done the same.
Sculpture is new for me. The ideas of combining the sense of movement, line, color and the structure of how my work and life is supported by the larger basis of faith into a 3 dimensional space is intriguing. Looking back at Kurt Schwitter’s Merzbau, the sculptural work of Jean Dubuffet, the ideas of moving away from the flat surface of painting is interesting to explore. The works being created now are exploring how I can use the ideas of the current flat work as well as incorporating it into a 3 dimensional space.
While these are the first three dimensional works I have done in a while, the ideas revolve strongly around the same imagery the flat paintings and drawings of my works. Movement and color are my initial ideas. I look forward to the idea of the movement around the form to be continued as I also continue into the work of three dimensional work. Look to the newer sculptural images to play with less rectangular / cube forms and delve into a bit of off-kilter / balanced work. I am trying new things… thanks for your patience (and interest).
Hello to all of you involved in the Scott Brothers Entertainment Company. I know the cold call (well, not quite cold – a query letter was the first step) is something that probably comes frequently, but I am glad the call brought you to my site. Thank you in advance.
Please take your time in carefully perusing the works. I have many more that are available and ALL are available. Please enjoy your stay and I sincerely look forward to speaking with you and your representatives.
Congratulations, by the way, on all of your successes!
Frank
2 commissioned paintings are finally done. Merry Christmas! Thank you to Steve and Laura Bisher for letting me into their home to finish the paintings. Interested in a painting? Let me know!
I’ve been approaching my new works since just before the holidays and with a new focus on movement and colors. This is a revisit from a number of years ago, and is a welcome approach to my current paintings. The newest pieces are watercolor on paper with collage of ink jet copies of Thomas À Kempis’ work “The Imitation of Christ.” I was inspired to grab the 1400’s book off of my own bookshelf due to a book review my brother, New York author Scott Korb, wrote for “‘Christ Actually’ argues for belief through imitation” by James Carroll published in the the LA Times Jacket Copy.
Frank and Julie Korb 