belle-baby

Lil Belle ~ by Ann

sweet spring mama ~ by Arhia

self-portrait ~ city bun

this article is in honor of my darling friend, Belle-Bun ~
((i've seen her playing and nibbling in my dreams since she passed away)) ~
Belle has lived in Wisconsin, Iowa,
New York, and Maine ~
she ate like a queen,
loved like a sweetheart,
caused trouble like a bison,
and will be missed by many.
xoooooooooooo to you, sweet baby.
thank you for teaching me kindness and butterfly kisses.

thanks to Ann Causey for the
Lil Belle creation!!

lady-roars, 7

^ Arhia Kohlmoos ~ ~ ~

!!! welcome to lady-roars, 7 !!! 
i initiated freeform conversation with fellow women creators about art, identity, and whatever else.

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I believe personal transformation can result from the interaction between an individual and an art object. Within each of my paintings, I strive to create an arena for the occurrence of such a metamorphosis. ◉ Symbolism and narrative are important devices in my pictures; through their use, I try to build a personal mythology with which the viewer can connect. ◉ My art arises from the conviction that visual beauty is a positive force in our world. Rich color, intricate pattern, high-quality materials, and time-consuming details are the tools I employ to communicate this belief.

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I am absolutely certain that I want to continue painting throughout my life. I know this because of how I feel when I don't paint; when I don't paint, I begin to lose substance... as if I were turning into a ghost, becoming indistinct, dissolving, melting away like snow. When I do not paint, I begin to wonder what makes my presence in this world matter. I feel that my place could be filled just as sufficiently by anyone at all, and that I contribute nothing of unique worth to the lives of my fellow beings. These intuitions terrify me ... and the terror returns me to my paints.

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For reasons that I do not yet fully understand, I have always shied away from calling myself as an "artist." Possibly this has to do with a general perception in modern Western culture of "the artist" as both insane and magical; as someone who is defined by otherness. I have never felt alright about this perception, because: a) in my experience everyone is the same amount of crazy ... and, b) there is nothing less magical about crunching numbers or serving food for a living than there is about making paintings. I find myself drawn to the Medieval view of the painter as just another craftsman--- just another necessary yet perfectly normal part of society. So in the end ... I suppose I do identify as a creator/artist, but I shun the ream of connotations that come with claiming that identity.

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Concerning "where I am now" and "where I am headed," honestly, I have no clue! I do know that graduate school has been a good thing for me. When I can observe progress (aka deeper concepts more skillfully communicated) from one painting to the next, I feel I am on the right path. I am fond of daydreaming about a life in which I earn $ for just painting ... but I am aware of the rarity of such a life. In the end, I simply wish to always be painting; therefore I must find a way of bringing in cash (I guess one could say, a "job!") that leaves me lots of free time.

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The people in my life have almost always, across the board, been supportive of my chosen "career" (I use that word with lots of hope!!!). The way I grew up, with an entire family of makers and no school to distract me from drawing, basically guaranteed an existence enveloped in support. I know that is not always the case for those who wish to "do art"; I've been extremely fortunate. I think the environment I grew up in has something to do with my previously expressed hesitations to identify as "an artist." In the place I come from, everyone made things. There was nothing insane or magical about it.

FOR MY 1st FULL LENGTH ARTIST'S INTERVIEW WITH PAINTER, ARHIA KOHLMOOS, 
CLICK HERE

ARHIA'S SITE

lady-roars, 6

^ Beth Breese ~ ~ ~

!!! welcome to lady-roars, 6 ~ !!!
i initiated freeform conversation with fellow women creators about art, identity, and whatever else.

I am from Wisconsin, though I currently live in Columbus, Ohio. I have a chapbook just out from Kent State University Press called "The Lonely-wilds." I'm always surprised at how difficult it is to describe my own art (poetry) and my life as an artist. Yet, if it were easy, maybe it would mean I was missing some really interesting nuggets or some essential nuance? Then again, just because it is tremendously difficult (don’t you find?), I don’t ever feel if I’m representing my work and my life with total accuracy. I try though:

I won't go all chronological on you, but I don't know if I'd be calling myself a poet if I hadn’t registered on a whim for a literature class at Lawrence. English 250 was Major American Writers and the syllabus did include major writers—Emerson, Thoreau, Dickenson—but who’s a/what’s a Lorine Niedecker? Not only did I feel moved by her spare and lyrical poems (read, read, read), but the fact that she was a Wisconsin girl, too (I think we would have been friends), really touched me. Before Lorine, I didn’t know the Wisconsin landscape was worth writing about, even though it was my landscape. So, that’s Lorine. And that’s Professor Faith Barrett who taught the class and who eventually taught my first poetry workshop at Lawrence. And who encouraged me to consider an MFA program. And that’s Professor Kathy Fagan, poet-lady-extraordinaire, my mentor through the MFA program at The Ohio State University. She’s a life-changer. I really do feel I owe my poet-life to these three women.

I wrote before college, but I wasn't calling myself a writer until just a couple years ago, and now I can’t imagine doing anything else; I shudder to think what would have happened if I hadn’t registered for that class (Yiker’s Island!). It’s not likely that I’ll be able to support myself as a poet, so I envision balancing teaching and writing. At the moment I am adjuncting at a couple local colleges, but I find this arrangement exhausting (I just began work on two poems for the first time in months!). So, my ultimate goal is to teach writing and creative writing at a less harried pace and with more reliable income. For me that means getting a full-length book out and getting on the job market. This is a multi-year plan and, at the moment, I’m okay with that.

check out my full-length artist's interview with Beth ~ HERE ~