Category: Artist

We’re all told we should find what we’re most passionate about and follow it. Some of us spend years searching. A lucky few find it very early on. For Justice Levine, she found her passion for drawing as a child and pursued it ever since.

Growing up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Justice was immersed in the arts. Her dad is a musician, and her mom is an avid arts and crafts enthusiast, having taught Justice embroidery, sewing, and ceramics. She also had a grandfather, an architect prior to his retirement, and grandmother who enjoyed drawing in their free time. When she started drawing, her parents and grandparents were very encouraging. In elementary school, she participated in an afterschool art program which curated shows in local coffee shops featuring the students’ work. Justice continued to pursue art after her family moved to northern California in middle school. During high school, her freshman and sophomore years were spent in an arts and drama program, and she took AP art classes her junior and senior years. For college, Justice returned to New Mexico to attend the Santa Fe University of Art and Design, where she focused on her greatest passion: drawing. Following college, she moved with her boyfriend to Louisville.

Illustration is Justice’s primary artistic outlet. For her, the process of making her drawings as realistic as possible brings the most joy. Justice’s illustrations tend towards magical realism, which straddles Surrealism and Photorealism, combining and juxtaposing elements in odd and fantastical configurations. The end result being realistic depictions of things which could only exist in the imagination. While a few of her illustrations use colored pencil, Justice’s primary drawing implements are ball-point pens. She appreciates their functional similarity to pencils while possessing a permanence and smudge resistance pencils lack. During COVID, she started doing some embroidery work, making handbags and wall art on the side. Using plastic canvases usually used for cross stitching, her embroidery work diverges from the magical realism of her illustrations, often exploring pixelated shape and color instead of line and detail.

If you would like to see more of her work, be sure to check out her Instagram at @lilillustartor. You can also purchase some of her work through her Etsy shop at etsy.com/shop/Lilillustrator.

Illustration is Justice’s primary artistic outlet. For her, the process of making her drawings as realistic as possible brings the most joy. Justice’s illustrations tend towards magical realism, which straddles Surrealism and Photorealism, combining and juxtaposing elements in odd and fantastical configurations. The end result being realistic depictions of things which could only exist in the imagination. While a few of her illustrations use colored pencil, Justice’s primary drawing implements are ball-point pens. She appreciates their functional similarity to pencils while possessing a permanence and smudge resistance pencils lack. During COVID, she started doing some embroidery work, making handbags and wall art on the side. Using plastic canvases usually used for cross stitching, her embroidery work diverges from the magical realism of her illustrations, often exploring pixelated shape and color instead of line and detail.

If you would like to see more of her work, be sure to check out her Instagram at @lilillustartor. You can also purchase some of her work through her Etsy shop at etsy.com/shop/Lilillustrator.

If you follow Louisville Visual Arts, you may have seen Shawn Wade’s takeover of LVA’s social media for their #TakeoverTuesday last week. But did you know Shawn’s also a recent addition to the Mellwood artist community?

Growing up, Shawn was surrounded by artists, with several women in their family actively engaged in making art; it was only natural they would be artistically inclined as well. At a young age, drawing and sketching were among their favorite activities. As they got older, Shawn sketched and painted portraits, often of celebrities. As a kid, Shawn didn’t have access to traditional art supplies and would work with whatever they could get ahold of, including some unconventional media like dirt, gravel, charcoal briquettes, and makeup and beauty supplies. Once they were old enough to start working, Shawn was able to buy their own supplies. Shawn usually uses acrylics and paints on any surface they can. Paper, walls, and thrift store clothing are but a few of the canvases for their creations.

In 2015, Shawn’s father passed away following health complications. This loss highlighted how unexpected and brief life can be, further cementing the importance of leading a fulfilling life. For Shawn, that meant making art and helping others. Starting out, Shawn used art to help people cope with loss; they painted portraits of people who passed away to give to surviving family members. As they grew in their art, Shawn got involved with IDEAS xLab, having worked with the Our Emotional Wellbeing program and contributed to the “Belonging Through Creative Arts” activity book.

For Shawn, art is storytelling. Often, Shawn starts with a sketch to get the details of the story down before painting anything. Shawn takes what they see online, in the media, and in life and incorporates it into their art. Shawn regularly tries to highlight the light in the darkness and bring hope and inspiration to those in need of it. To see more of Shawn’s work, be sure to check out their Facebook page at Artistry of a Dreamer or on Instagram at @artistry_of_a_dreamer.

In 2015, Shawn’s father passed away following health complications. This loss highlighted how unexpected and brief life can be, further cementing the importance of leading a fulfilling life. For Shawn, that meant making art and helping others. Starting out, Shawn used art to help people cope with loss; they painted portraits of people who passed away to give to surviving family members. As they grew in their art, Shawn got involved with IDEAS xLab, having worked with the Our Emotional Wellbeing program and contributed to the “Belonging Through Creative Arts” activity book.

For Shawn, art is storytelling. Often, Shawn starts with a sketch to get the details of the story down before painting anything. Shawn takes what they see online, in the media, and in life and incorporates it into their art. Shawn regularly tries to highlight the light in the darkness and bring hope and inspiration to those in need of it. To see more of Shawn’s work, be sure to check out their Facebook page at Artistry of a Dreamer or on Instagram at @artistry_of_a_dreamer.

Perhaps you’ve stopped by our gallery recently or saw us promoting the current show, “Nature vs Man Made,” which features work by a father and son pair of photographers, Anil and Aravind Vinayakan. While Anil’s a healthcare professional by trade, he’s a lifelong artist at heart; not only as a photographer, but as a painter with a studio here at Mellwood too.

Growing up, Anil loved drawing. He also had a desire to do photography, but unfortunately couldn’t convince his parents to get him a camera. It wasn’t until he got older that Anil started painting. Heading into med school, however, his life got busier and he largely put his art on hold; only producing medical illustrations. A year after performing plastic surgery in India, Anil finally persuaded his parents to get him a camera; he needed it to document his work. And while he did use the camera for that purpose, he also took photos of landscapes when he didn’t have time to paint.

It wasn’t until he left India and started teaching at UofL that Anil reconnected with painting. He took advantage of his proximity to the Speed Art Museum to view the art on display there. He reviewed art books from UofL’s library and even took some classes through their Lifelong Learning program. He moved into a studio here at Mellwood in 2008 to better focus on his painting. With encouragement from friends and colleagues, Anil started showing and selling his photographs and paintings.

Whether it’s painting or photography, nature, to varying degrees, is a constant subject and source of inspiration. With regards to his paintings, Anil started with oils and acrylics. His greatest inspiration was John Singer Sargent. During the spring of 2020, the pandemic gave Anil the opportunity to study watercolor painting. He admires the watercolor paintings of Joseph Zbukvic, Andy Evansen, Thomas Schaller, Keiko Tanabe, Jerry Smith, among others. In viewing his paintings, one views serene landscapes through the hazy lens of memory or a dream.

“Nature vs Man Made” will be on display in our Pigment Gallery until June 18th. Be sure to catch his next gallery show at the KORE Gallery on July 10th. To see more of his paintings, check out his KORE Gallery artist profile at koreartgallery.com/anil-vinayakan.

Our teenage years are a tumultuous time as we figure out who we are. For many teens, how they dress is part of establishing and expressing their own identity. In that regard, Austin Kopp was no different. However, what set him apart from his peers was his desire to do so through his own creations.

Fascinated by the unique, organic patterns found on some of his mom’s bleach-stained vintage t-shirts, Austin decided to make his own. Buying packs of t-shirts and a gallon of bleach, he set to work. Initially, Austin did this for himself. But as some of his classmates took notice, he started taking requests.

After graduating from high school, Austin went on to UofL for graphic design. Two years into the program, it wasn’t where his heart was and he left. Austin was able to take some of what he learned there and apply it to his real passion, designing clothes. Moving away from bleach staining, he uses what he learned to design graphics for his own line of t-shirts and hoodies.

Austin’s creative journey took a new turn after receiving an old sewing machine from his grandmother. He began buying old clothes from thrift stores to experiment with, taking them apart piece by piece, making some tweaks, and reassembles them. The results yield patterns he can then use to make duplicates using materials of his choosing. As he designs more wholly original concepts, many of the qualities found in his deconstructed/reconstructed thrift store garments are incorporated. Patch-work pieces, rough cuts, frayed edges, and worn materials find their way into this work.

Currently in art school, Austin’s main goal is to define and refine his style as a designer. Focusing on a “casual luxury” styling bridging the gap between streetwear and high-end fashion, Austion looks to designers such as Reese Cooper, Rhuigi Villaseñor, Vivian Westwood, Beth Simmons, and Virgil Abloh.

If you want to see more of Austin’s work, make a purchase, or inquire about a commission, check out his site at austinkopp.com. You can also find him on Instagram at @austin.kopp_ or Twitter at Austin_Kopp.

Currently in art school, Austin’s main goal is to define and refine his style as a designer. Focusing on a “casual luxury” styling bridging the gap between streetwear and high-end fashion, Austion looks to designers such as Reese Cooper, Rhuigi Villaseñor, Vivian Westwood, Beth Simmons, and Virgil Abloh.

If you want to see more of Austin’s work, make a purchase, or inquire about a commission, check out his site at austinkopp.com. You can also find him on Instagram at @austin.kopp_ or Twitter at Austin_Kopp.

For many college students, the path to graduation is a winding one. This is a time for discovering new interests and developing new skills. In leaving, the road college students find themselves on often differs from the one they initially planned. This is where aspiring artist/designer Ireland Dollar finds herself.

There was never a point in Ireland’s life where art didn’t interest her. As a kid, she always enjoyed drawing. As she got older, Ireland took up painting and experimented with different mediums; she particularly enjoyed doing acrylic pours. It wasn’t until she started attending Hanover College that she took her first art class.

Going into college, she planned on becoming a doctor and began work on a psychology major. Then she took her first art course, photography, and was hooked. It was something she not only enjoyed, but excelled at. Hungry for more, she followed up photography with printmaking and graphic design. As graduation draws near, she sees printmaking and graphic design as ways to combine her psychology major with her passion for art.

Drawing inspiration from an eclectic mix of artists and styles, including Salvador Dali’s surrealism, Andy Warhol’s use of layers and colors, Nan Goldin’s beautification of the ugly, and Robert Beatty’s trippy album artwork, Ireland finds her own work gravitating towards neo-psychedelic designs. Her prints, whether it’s wall art or shirt designs, regularly combine sharp, jagged lines with vibrant colors.

If you would like to see more of Ireland’s work, or if you would like to commission a design, check out her website dollarireland.wixsite.com/dismaltrip. You can also find her on Instagram.

Going into college, she planned on becoming a doctor and began work on a psychology major. Then she took her first art course, photography, and was hooked. It was something she not only enjoyed, but excelled at. Hungry for more, she followed up photography with printmaking and graphic design. As graduation draws near, she sees printmaking and graphic design as ways to combine her psychology major with her passion for art.

Drawing inspiration from an eclectic mix of artists and styles, including Salvador Dali’s surrealism, Andy Warhol’s use of layers and colors, Nan Goldin’s beautification of the ugly, and Robert Beatty’s trippy album artwork, Ireland finds her own work gravitating towards neo-psychedelic designs. Her prints, whether it’s wall art or shirt designs, regularly combine sharp, jagged lines with vibrant colors.

If you would like to see more of Ireland’s work, or if you would like to commission a design, check out her website dollarireland.wixsite.com/dismaltrip. You can also find her on Instagram.

While many may view the worlds of math and art as entire disparate, Elmer Lucille Allen sees them as fundamental building blocks, working together in perfect harmony. “The whole world is based on art and math, if you sit down and think about it.” For one of our longest residing artists, however, art wasn’t initially among her greatest passions, that would be science.

From an early age, Elmer Lucille Allen was hooked on the subject. She would play “rock school” and study rocks with her friends on her grandmother’s porch. She would follow her love of science into college, earning degrees in chemistry and math. In 1966, she became the first African American chemist at Brown-Forman. Eventually, she developed arthritis in her hands. Being the perpetual student she is, Elmer Lucille Allen tackled the problem through evening ceramics classes at Seneca High School. While she started taking the classes as a means to ease arthritic pain, she continued pursuing ceramics out of a desire to create. In 2000, she enrolled at UofL and began working on a master’s degree in art. There, she had two focuses: ceramics and fiber art.

During her time at UofL, Elmer Lucille Allen was introduced to the textile art of shibori by another student. Similar to tie-dyeing, this centuries-old Japanese art requires careful planning and patience; it possesses an almost meditative quality she appreciates. Much of her current fabric artwork is shibori-style pieces, all of which begin with creating patterns on graph paper before translating it to kona cotton or silk noil. The design is then stitched into the fabric, dyed, and the stitches carefully removed to reveal geometric patterns, occasionally forming human or animal figures.

Today, Elmer Lucille Allen continues to create shibori pieces here at her studio in Mellwood and ceramic pieces at UofL. Tomorrow, you can catch some of her work on display as part of Kentucky Museum of Arts and Crafts’ 40th anniversary exhibition. As an ardent supporter of lifelong learning, not only does she continue to take art classes, she also does presentations on the subject and will be doing one for the Anchorage Women’s Art League in May.

During her time at UofL, Elmer Lucille Allen was introduced to the textile art of shibori by another student. Similar to tie-dyeing, this centuries-old Japanese art requires careful planning and patience; it possesses an almost meditative quality she appreciates. Much of her current fabric artwork is shibori-style pieces, all of which begin with creating patterns on graph paper before translating it to kona cotton or silk noil. The design is then stitched into the fabric, dyed, and the stitches carefully removed to reveal geometric patterns, occasionally forming human or animal figures.

Today, Elmer Lucille Allen continues to create shibori pieces here at her studio in Mellwood and ceramic pieces at UofL. Tomorrow, you can catch some of her work on display as part of Kentucky Museum of Arts and Crafts’ 40th anniversary exhibition. As an ardent supporter of lifelong learning, not only does she continue to take art classes, she also does presentations on the subject and will be doing one for the Anchorage Women’s Art League in May.

As adults, we can sometimes let things we enjoy slip away from us. The demands of work and family life can leave us with little time left for anything else. This was the situation George Winston found himself in. However, once his kids had grown up and he finally reached retirement, George was able to reconnect with his art.

While George always had an appreciation for art, he wasn’t much of an artist himself growing up. It wasn’t until he attended college at IUS that he starting creating his own art. In an attempt to spend more time with his college girlfriend, who was an art major, George took courses in art theory and art history. Eventually, George and his girlfriend married and George went on to work in factories and in construction.

One of his jobs was at a veneer company. While there, in his off-time, he would exercise his creativity and see what he could make with scraps lying around. When his boss saw this, he encouraged George to take all the scraps he wanted. This was the beginning of another of George’s creative pursuits: woodworking.

After retiring in 2010, George wanted to pursue art further and enrolled at the Kentucky College of Art and Design. In his studies here and at IUS all those years ago, George found a fondness for impressionist painters, particularly Monet and Cézanne, an influence clearly present in his landscapes. Another factor governing his artistic aesthetic is George’s process: he paints from a combination of memory and imagination. George mentally records landscapes he sees in real life and attempts to recreate them. Although, George is quick to note, “Doesn’t always work that way. Turns out to be what it wants to be a lot of times.” As such, details in the landscapes often change as creative forces take control. The result are beautiful fictional landscapes portrayed through the softening haze of an impressionist lens.

If you would like to see more of his work, you can check out his site at gwthecrossman.com.

If you would like to see more of his work, you can check out his site at gwthecrossman.com.

Storytelling is quintessential to the human experience; if not humanity’s cornerstone, it’s at least a foundational element. It predates written language. We learn to tell stories before we learn to read or write. We engage with and in storytelling every day. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, many businesses and non-profits overlook their story when hiring photographers. For Coral from Willow Tree Imaging, the story is always at the forefront.

For as long as she can remember, Coral has been a storyteller. This naturally, if unintentionally, carried over into her photography when she got her first camera in high school. After college, Coral worked as a photographer, primarily doing portraits. In order to capture her clients’ essence on film, to tell the story of who they are, she engages with them and gets them comfortable in front of the camera. In doing so, the client’s natural expressions, postures, and body language are brought out.

Over time, she transitioned into corporate photography, capturing images for companies and non-profits for their websites, social media, and printed materials. Ever focused on the story, she will ask these clients about who they are, what sets them apart, and who their audience is. Too often, corporate clients lacked a vision or cohesive brand for her to build a story around. With these clients, she would refer them to others to develop their branding before tackling the photography. Unfortunately, these clients would no longer have the funds for photography and Coral would never hear back from them.

In order to retain clients, Coral decided to offer branding services herself. Instead of referring people out, she would serve as a project manager and bring in various professionals from her network of contacts on an as needed basis. She builds teams based on each client’s needs, whether it’s audience research, graphic design, web development, or social media coaching. This process helps establish all the necessary components to build a client’s identity, which Coral uses to help tell their story when capturing images.

If you’re interested in learning more about Willow Tree Imaging or want help telling your story, check out willowtreeimaging.com. You can also find Willow Tree Imaging on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

In order to retain clients, Coral decided to offer branding services herself. Instead of referring people out, she would serve as a project manager and bring in various professionals from her network of contacts on an as needed basis. She builds teams based on each client’s needs, whether it’s audience research, graphic design, web development, or social media coaching. This process helps establish all the necessary components to build a client’s identity, which Coral uses to help tell their story when capturing images.

If you’re interested in learning more about Willow Tree Imaging or want help telling your story, check out willowtreeimaging.com. You can also find Willow Tree Imaging on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

For those with the drive to create, it’s part of their very essence. Such is the case for Damien Vines. “It’s part of the soul, I guess. Ever since I was three, it was something I’ve always done.”

Damien, who’s studying as a tattoo apprentice and has a BFA from Spalding University, finds it impossible to separate his daily life from his creative life. He’s always thinking about the choices he could make in his various artistic endeavors, whether it’s tattoo designs, ink and watercolors, or woodburning. When speaking with him, Damien also noted the interconnected nature of his creative outlets: the similarities between the processes for woodburning and tattooing, as well as the parallels in his ink and watercolor art with his neo-traditional tattoo work.

In viewing his work, the bold lines and vibrant colors of Damien’s neo-traditional style are at the forefront. Subsequent viewings, however, reveal other influences. Growing up as an avid comic reader, many of Damien’s pieces oscillate between tattoo design and comic panel. His preference for thick outlines and bright colors drawing as much from the neo-traditional tattoo style as they do from comic book art. Damien’s attention to lighting, angle, and composition reflect the influence cinematography has played, with Stanely Kubrick and David Lynch being integral in shaping his aesthetic.

Perhaps the most inescapable influence on his work is that of horror. Not only in some of his subjects, but also in his approach when depicting some non-horror subjects. This is best highlighted in works featuring mouths, which combine the horror aesthetic with gross-out humor from the 90’s as a means to process recurrent nightmares about teeth falling out.

If you would like to see more of Damien’s work, you can find him on Instagram at @damienvines.

In viewing his work, the bold lines and vibrant colors of Damien’s neo-traditional style are at the forefront. Subsequent viewings, however, reveal other influences. Growing up as an avid comic reader, many of Damien’s pieces oscillate between tattoo design and comic panel. His preference for thick outlines and bright colors drawing as much from the neo-traditional tattoo style as they do from comic book art. Damien’s attention to lighting, angle, and composition reflect the influence cinematography has played, with Stanely Kubrick and David Lynch being integral in shaping his aesthetic.

Perhaps the most inescapable influence on his work is that of horror. Not only in some of his subjects, but also in his approach when depicting some non-horror subjects. This is best highlighted in works featuring mouths, which combine the horror aesthetic with gross-out humor from the 90’s as a means to process recurrent nightmares about teeth falling out.

If you would like to see more of Damien’s work, you can find him on Instagram at @damienvines.