Brande Barrett

Name: Brande Barrett

Website: www. Onesurreal.com

What do you do?
I work primarily in Photography; alternative process and mixed media. I have recently begun to integrate encaustics and poetry into my pieces. I also create abstract chalk and oil pastel drawings.

Where can we find your work?
Fine Art America has a few of my images available for sale http://fineartamerica.com/art/all/brande+barrett/all. I am currently looking to expand my web presence and find other outlets for my work.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
To me the creative process is what motivates me. I love to play and experiment. Discoveries made serendipitously are exciting. I think because I play so much I don’t get frustrated…

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
I used to be anxious about the finished product. I am a bit of a perfectionist and this often put me at odds with making art. As a child I loved making art but since I couldn’t draw well I didn’t pursue art until I got beyond the narrow definition of what an artist is. Art is not about whether or not you can draw or what medium you use but rather art is a way of thinking.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
I don’t really have influences in art. I am usually drawn to work I could never create like paintings by Camille Rose Garcia, Broken Toyland, and Herakut. I once stood in front of a Kandinsky painting and wept…I am truly inspired by strong women like artist activist Favianna Rodrigues, writer Maya Angelou, Amanda Palmer, activist Malala Yousafzai to name a few.

What is the most incredible art moment for you so far?
Recently during a gallery opening I overheard a young woman reading my poem to her friend and when she finished they were expressing their feelings about the despondency of the narrative in the poem. I realized I had made a connection that transcended generations and the integration of poetry resulted in the viewer connecting to the photography in a deeper more profound and meaningful way.

When do you get your best ideas?
My best ideas come in the shower! I also tend to think freely as I fall asleep so many ideas come from those quiet moments before a night of dreams. I sometimes dream ideas too!

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
I miss the darkroom terribly but these days I am almost exclusively digital. Although there are many processes that are easier to do in Photoshop some things just lack the richness produced in a darkroom especially black and white solarizations.

Are you self-taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I went to San Jose State University and earned my Bachelor’s in Fine Art Photography. I cannot imagine my life without the experience and exposure to not only the instructors like Brian Taylor, Robert Dawson and Keay Edwards and but my colleagues as well.

Who would you most like to meet living or dead and why?
This is hard to choose only one so ultimately I think I would have to say Adelaide Crapsey. She is the poet who invented the American Cinquain, a class of poetic forms that employs a 5 line pattern. Crapsey was an unfortunate soul who was a sickly woman who died without ever knowing her impact in poetry. I would like to be able to share with her the legacy of her poetry and her innovation’s success inspiring modern poets to create variations.   

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I can’t think of anything I like to do that is not creating. I love to write; poetry and prose mostly but I do have a screenplay I am currently working on. I love movies, music and I never miss the most trusted sources for news the Daily Show and Colbert Report!

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
It is still very difficult to “put it out there” I feel like an awkward adolescent girl going to her first dance every time I show my work. Over the years I have developed confidence in my photography however, every time I challenge myself to work in a new medium it is nerve wracking but also exhilarating. It is the push that makes you develop as an artist.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Find what you love and find a way to do it every day!

Vanessa Sanchez de Tagle

Name: Vanessa Sanchez de Tagle
Website: https://www.facebook.com/VanessaSanchezDeTagleFotography/

What do you do?       

I’m a photographer. I mainly like to shoot candid photos, but I also do events and themed photo shoots.

Where can we find your work?
You can find my work on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/VanessaSanchezDeTagleFotography/

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
Life is what inspires me. Everything from meeting new people to scattered rose pedals on the ground. I believe there is beauty in everything if you look close enough. I like to surround myself with positive people and travel as much as possible whether I’m going to the beach or visiting nearby cities. I need to constantly be active otherwise I’d get bored and lose motivation to do anything.  

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
I believe both are very important, but I also believe that investing some time with the piece shows how much effort that was put into it and is more effective to its audience.  

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
My family, close friends and anyone who is passionate about what they do.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
I would be Ofelia from Pan’s Labyrinth because I like to get lost and explore unusual places. Except my Spanish is terrible haha!

When do you get your best ideas?
My best ideas come to me when I am up late at night and when I’m running.  

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
I mainly use my Canon 60D, but occasionally I like to use my Holga or Polaroid camera when I’m feeling adventurous.

Are you self-taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?

I started photography at a young age. I got a camera and began taking photos of everything in sight. I carried a camera with me everywhere I went and over the years taught myself that certain angles and colors can make an image unique. It wasn’t until college when I took a film photography class and learned the importance of lighting among other things.

What would your creative work taste like?
Sweet like key lime pie with glass of moscato on the side.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I love to dance hip hop, hiking, running, thrifting, going to shows, and spending time with loved ones.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
As I mentioned earlier, I would always carry a camera everywhere I went and try to capture special moments or things that caught my attention. It was my way to make a memory last. I didn’t realize that I had talent until people complimented me on my photos. My grandma was the one who encouraged me to take my photography seriously. Over the years I would always post my work online, but it wasn’t until last year that I had my first solo show at Silicon Valley De-Bug in San Jose where they were kind enough to let me display my photos for the world to see.  

Here’s the link to see my window gallery:

http://www.siliconvalleydebug.org/articles/2012/09/13/de-bug-gallery-presents-mi-vida-sj-photographer-vanessa-sanchez-de-tagle

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Do what makes you happy and don't let anyone or anything hold you back from what you want. Never settle for anything less than what you deserve. Most importantly, always remind yourself why you love what you do.

Deborah Mills Thackrey

Name: Deborah Mills Thackrey
Website: www.dmt-art.com

What do you do?
primarily fine art photography, much of it abstraction

Where can we find your work?
So far this year I've been in the 2012 Statewide Juried Photography Show at the Triton Museum, the Silicon Valley Artists' Collaborative group show at Art Object Gallery, Axis Art Gallery, and in the Center for Photographic Art in Carmel's 2012 Juried show. I am also happy to say I have my first work in a show in NYC at Denise Bibro Fine Arts in the Chelsea district at the end of May. Additional shows will be posted on my website.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I tend to document my life with my photography so I never run out of material. I find interesting and beautiful images no matter where I am, even in unexpected places such as an ugly, rusting dumpster or a graffiti-covered wall. My biggest challenge is making time to sit at the computer and work on the massive amount of images I collect. Capturing an image that delights and intrigues me keeps me going.  

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
I can't answer this question. I have seen a lot of photography with fantastic technique that I consider content-free. For me I suppose some emotion in the work trumps the number of pixels in the details and the f-stop, but a marriage of the two is heaven.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
In my past life as a graphic designer and art director at places like Apple, I had the opportunity to work with some fantastic pro photographers, one of the most influential was a former photojournalist Doug Menuez who taught me to look for an honest, real moment of expression rather than attempting to manufacturing one. We did several really great photoshoots of children in the act of discovery and learning that still resonate with me. Other favorites include Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans, Edward and Brett Weston, Diane Arbus, and Sally Mann. Plus painters such as Klee, Miro, Kandinsky, Klimpt, and Pollack.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Rose, the character played by Kate Winslet in "Titanic." She was based on the fantastic ceramic artist Beatrice Wood, who lived an adventurous, creative life and was friends with artists from Alfred Stieglitz, to Duchamp and Man Ray. She also became a writer as well and lived to 105 with the last 25 years of her life being the most productive.  

When do you get your best ideas?
I get my best images at unexpected times. The closest way I can describe it is that I allow myself to drift and explore. A wrong turn can often lead to the most amazing subjects and moments to shoot. I get a prickly sensation on the back of my neck with I find something magical and the light is just right. If I try too hard or attempt to repeat myself it usually fails. I need to allow my muse to guide me.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
My main camera is a digital Nikon with a high quality zoom lens. I also have little pocket Leica that I can take video with. I occasionally play with a Lomo or Holga and black and white film (their plastic lens and leaky cheap bodies allow for wonderful accidents). I am a pretty good printer and do most of my own printing on an Epson with archival inks.

Are you self-taught or formally educated, how do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I started doing photography for the yearbook in junior high in order to get my hands on a real camera. In high school journalism class, as the only photographer, I was left to my own devices in the darkroom, so I consider myself mostly self taught. I attended 10 years of college part time in 4 different cities. At one point I was so frustrated by getting a "D" in tennis that I quit working for a degree and decided I would just take classes that interested me like art. I finally dropped out and apprenticed myself to a graphic designer. The affect has been that I don't quite fit into a specific genre and I am not very technically oriented. I am fine with walking my own path.  

What would your creative work taste like?
Recently a really great LA/NY gallery owner who represents lots of big time artists called my work "delicious". I was elated. I guess it might be like a chocolate cake with a layer of beautiful glazed fruit on top.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I love movies and and interacting with other artists. I have become an activist for the local arts scene and experimented with opening my own gallery, plus doing some freelance curating inSan Francisco. I am dabbling with a bit of writing as well. I am also addicted to flea markets and collecting. 

 How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
It was a long slow process. I was very shy and insecure. As I have gotten older I decided to stop wasting time and just go for it. I push myself to take risks now and have gained much more confidence, even speaking in public occasionally. I have also dedicated myself to being very prolific, a bit easier as a photographer than a painter.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Practice, practice, practice; work, work, work. Visit lots of galleries and museums and see the work close up. Get to know other artists and ask questions. Don't be afraid to approach artists you admire and ask them for advice or offer to do some menial work for them. You'd be surprised how many of them could use an apprentice or some free labor.

Don't get lost in the art school mentality, find yourself and listen to your inner voice. Don't waste time thinking about making money from your art. If you are one of the lucky ones, fine but do it because you have to do it. Don't be afraid to fail or waste time and materials, some of the most important things come from mistakes. Being an artist is the only thing I ever wanted to do and I wasted decades listening to those who said it wasn't practical, and being in fear of criticism. Be disciplined and apply yourself even when it gets rough.

There is room for all of us as artists somewhere in the ecology of the Arts. And don't let your ego get the better of you (being either over confident or insecure). It is the art that is important not the artist.

Deborah Mills Thackrey - Photo taken by Tricia Leeper

Jonathan Demers

Name: Jonathan Demers
Website: See Below
 

What do you do?
Abstract, Fine art, Drawn animation, Photography
 
Where can we find your work?
http://www.facebook.com/jasvgbdfkl
http://jscribbled.deviantart.com/gallery/
http://www.youtube.com/user/jonathandaviddemers
 
What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
My Grandfather inspires me as an abstract artist, I’m sort of pushing what he already does. Growing up watching the Simpsons, and then Futurama, and Family Guy and King of the Hill is what inspires me to be a drawn animator.  And Women inspire my fine art, supernaturally!

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
Well of course my finished work is important to me, but what is more important to me is the hours I’ve spent practicing. I would rather give up all the work I’ve done and still have the practice hours then keep my work and not have had the practice.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Pollock, Al Held, Salvador Dali, Matt Groening, Amanda Mikaelsson just not Warhol!!!
 
If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Darth Maul

When do you get your best ideas?
They all come differently, and can’t be forced. When I’m doing hard manual labor for little pay!

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Ball point pen, Wacom Cintiq, Oil
 
Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
Self taught and now educated, I was not as smart as a person until I let myself be a total idiot with myself in isolation in white paper notebooks. Lots of isolation in white paper notebooks.
 
What would your creative work taste like?
Wine
 
When you are not creating what do you like to do?
Go out to bars, down town San Jose. Johnny V’s

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?

Meditation
 

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Buy a canvas, some paint, some brushes and work on one painting for at least six months. 

Yao-pi Hsu

Name: Yao-pi Hsu

Website: www.yaopiphoto.com

What do you do?

After 34 years in bioscience research, I retired and now pursue photography.

Where can we find your work?

- A member of Los Gatos Museum Gallery: 24 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los

Gatos CA.

- Main Gallery of Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA.

- Annual Silicon ValleyOpen Studios in May.

- Annual group shows of Santa Clara Art Association, Fine At League of Cupertino, Allied Artists West,
  Pacific Art League.

- Summer Fair at Triton Museum, Santa Clara.

- Many community exhibition sites.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things

get tough?

The joy and reward of being in the right place, at the right time to freeze the moment and to capture the beauty of our surroundings are invigorating. I delight in capturing the extraordinary beauty of an ordinary subject and in creating something new that is already there. After more than ten years of photography, I have no problem lacking motivation or inspiration, the only frustration I have is the lake of time.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or

technique/process?

I think the content/finished product is more important than the technique/process. I view photography more as a form of art. By all means technique is important in the beginning to build skills for higher quality work.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?

Ansel Adams, Art Wolfe and many world famous photographers just to name a few, their work inspires me. The instructor who influenced me the most is the late Tom Sparaocino, a tenured professor of San Jose City College. He also taught art classes at adult education for Santa Clara Unified School District for 25 years. I studied with Tom for fifteen years until his death last year. I learned basic painting techniques of various mediums and he shared his knowledge of photography with me. I valued his guidance, encouragement and feedback .

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?

I don’t know.

When do you get your best ideas?

The best ideas come at different times and occasions: observing nature, talking to artists, and viewing many different artists’ work, driving in the car...etc.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?

Cameras, computer and Photoshop.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has

influenced or affected your work?

I got my MS degree from UC Davis and worked 34 years in the bioscience research field. When I was young I liked drawing and art, but career and family took my time. After my two daughters left home and I retired I began exploring visual media. My two award winning photos from a trip back to China inspired me to pursue photography. Although not formally educated in photography, I’m self-taught and have attended a six month correspondence class from New York Institute of Photography. Art and science each take a turn in how I understand the world around me. As a fine art photographer, I apply the same principles I used in scientific research: search and research, examine and reexamine, and explore concepts from different perspectives. I explore the world around me, as I look for a reflection, angle or perspective that represents how diverse and abundant the world expresses form and beauty.

What would your creative work taste like?

Lots of my fans told mythat my photos look like painting. I want my photos to evoke viewers the feeling and emotion that I experienced.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?

Knitting, crochet, crafts, visiting daughters, grandkids and travel.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence

to put it out there for everyone to experience?

First and most important is to have passion in what you are doing. In the first few years of photography, I concentrated on learning and sharpening my skill. Once I got comfortable with my skill, creative ideas emerged. In my first creative work, “Profound Memory,” I combined seven layers of photos. This piece got the Award of Excellence in photography from AVArt Fest at the Triton Museum.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?

Follow your instinct and intuition, if you like the process and you like the product, go for it.