Meet Starving Artist Sasha Egorova

This year we are doing a little more in depth look at a couple of our artists. Check out this clip on long time Starving Artist Expo participant, Sasha Egorova.

Announcing: 2015 Starving Artists

The 4th Annual Starving Artist Expo is lined up for April 18th at the Seven Hills Building on the 500 block of Broad Street in downtown Rome, Georgia. Eighteen featured artists will show their work in a booth setting at a handful of Spotlighted artists will display three pieces of artwork gallery style, with a centralized check out.

Congrats to our returning and new artists to be showing in this year's event, read on to learn about each one!

Featured Artists

Gail Baxter 
Bead Weaving, Jewelry & Ornaments

Colleen Beyer

Mixed Media

Heather Bryant

Watercolors

Donna S. Chambers
Mixed Media/Altered Art Assemblage

Katherine Crouse
Oil Paintings

Sasha Egorova
Oil Paintings

Lisa Ingram 
Pottery

Julie Jones & Brittaney McDermott
Oil, Acrylic and Mixed Media Paintings

Jane Lowery
Wire Crochet Jewelry

Stephanie Kipfer
Jewelry, Sewn Art & Accessories

Nadia Krasnoperova
Oil Paintings

Tobias Layman & Susanne Schuepbach
Ceramic Art and Jewelry

June Manis
Lampwork Glass Beads Pendants and Small Sculpture

Jonathan Risley

Pottery

Ryan Smith
Photography

Phil and Lois Ward

Turned Wood 

Spotlighted Artists

Jeff Brown

Wooden Tables

Mindy Hubenthal

Crochet Jewelry and Accessories

Jackie Milster

Pottery

Natasha Rzucidlo

Acrylic Paintings

Check back at our blog soon for a more in depth look at these artists and their work. For some, this will be their first show in Rome, Georgia, and for some, this is their fourth time participating in the Starving Artist Expo. We certainly have a beautiful variety of work to showcase from these artists so clear your calendar for Saturday, April 18th 2015!

Meet Nadia Krasnoperova Brown

Nadia Krasnoperova Brown joins the Starving Artist Expo for the third year with her beautiful oil paintings. Nadia is helping coordinate the Spotlighted Artists this year and assemble everyone in their places at the event. You have to see Nadia's pieces in person to appreciate their depth and texture. Read on to learn more about her beautiful art.

Nadia Krasnoperova Brown, Atlanta, GA

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Do you come from a big family? Are you from the south? Do you speak another language?
I was born and grew up in Saint Petersburg, Russia - a beautiful city built on the bay of Finland, permeated with the fresh spirit of rivers and canals, decorated with unique architecture and inhabited by amazing people. The only thing I was always missing there was sun and warmth... So I am very happy now to live in the South and be able to wear short-sleeved shirts and swim suits more often than twice a year.

As I was growing up, I was able to see five generations of my family. I was blessed to have my great-great-grandmother read stories to me, my great-grandparents to take me to the countryside for mushrooms and berries picking, and of course my grandparents to teach me cooking, building and other useful life stuff.

My native language is Russian. I also fluently speak English and Spanish, and have a decent level of French. My dreams are always in color and in English.

Q: Please describe your work. What makes it different from other art in the same field?
I chose oil as my medium, but trying to capture the variety of the world, I always look for interesting formats, unusual techniques and unique color combinations. Palette knife, raised paint, split, round and oval compositions are some of the methods I like to use. Bright saturated colors help me better represent the mood I am generating on the piece.

Most of the time, I am not pursuing the goal of being realistic; I am showing my own view of the subject. Painting for me is a way of creating the alter realities originated from my mind.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the process your work goes through?
(Thoughts + emotions + inspiration) * (Canvas + knife + lots and lots of paint....+ music for my soul) = my art

Q: What prompted you to become and artist?
I don't really know... Painting has been in my life since early childhood and for me it has always been a way of communication with myself and the world around. If my reflections and feelings poured onto the canvas stimulate the viewer's imagination to the point that he gets lost in his own memories, dreams and thoughts - it means I have realized my ambition.

Q: What is one of the biggest failures you have faced as an artist?
I don't consider anything in life to be a failure...rather - an experience to learn from.

Q: What is one of your biggest successes as an artist?
I think I was the happiest when the Atlanta Zoo contacted me and asked me to be a featured artist in their Wild on the Rocks event in 2013. Finally my iguana series were exactly where they belonged - at the reptile house at the zoo! It was a blast.

Q: Aside from creating, what is another passion of yours?
I love my dog Jilly, my career as a graphic designer and fishing in Florida.

Q: Please share some humor you have found in your artistic endeavors.
A lady looked at my sunflower painting and said, "Wow, what a beautiful fruit plate - bananas, papayas...Gorgeous!"

Q: Is there anything else you would like to share with us about you?
I have a lot to share, and I will gladly do it in person when I see you at the Starving Artist Expo this coming Saturday!

Meet Donna Chambers

Donna Chambers joins the Starving Artist Expo for the first time this year a Rome Art Coterie Spotlighted Artist. 

Donna S. Chambers, Rome, GA

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Do you come from a big family? Are you from the south? Do you speak another language?
I am a Southern American, born and raised, with a British mother thrown in for a little spice. Being born to a "foreign" mother and into a large Catholic family was not quite the norm in the Mississippi Delta in 1955. This also meant I grew up in a place of turbulence. Witnessing the tension between races, religions and such groups as the KKK put a ding in my 'wonder years' and, thankfully, made me well aware of the terrible consequences that hate fosters within people. I am still a true daughter of the South and value the love for others that mostly rings throughout her borders.

Q: Please describe your work. What makes it different from other art in the same field?
My art is flavored with the written word that is melded through altered art into expressions that range from simple human experiences to somewhat esoteric leanings.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the process your work goes through?
I am not a formally trained artist which has given me quite a bit of freedom to roam, explore and experiment. This means I only know my own right and wrong. Much of my need to express something through art begins with an object that becomes attached to thoughts and words and forms visions and dreams that need to be expressed.

Q: What prompted you to become and artist?
The overwhelming need to express my thoughts, ideas and humor came to the forefront in my life. It was an unexpected blessing.

Q: What is one of the biggest failures you have faced as an artist?
Failure for an artist can be defined by what one expects from his art. With this in mind, I have felt little failure because I have the chance to express myself with my art. My biggest failures lay within my personality and having the courage to put one's self expression before others and to promote yourself.

Q: What is one of your biggest successes as an artist?
My biggest success was to stand and declare myself an artist.

Q: Aside from creating, what is another passion of yours?
All passion involves creation. I love to garden and even enjoy the less beautiful sounding activity of yard work!

Q: Please share some humor you have found in your artistic endeavors.
I stood near a lady as she pondered my work at a show. The piece was a mixed media collage.
The whole nine yards of collected images- fused with paints and inks- was mounted, framed, displayed and hung majestically. Her comment - "Boy, I bet there are a lot of cut up magazines in that house!" But she seemed entertained, which was fun to see.

Meet Lisa Ingram

Lisa Ingram started the Starving Artist Expo in 2012 with the vision of hosting a lively art show along with food, friends, and music. Things came together so well that it made perfect sense to foster that idea and let it evolve and grow. Lisa is excited to see the show add new artists and move to Downtown Rome this year. She loves this town and all it offers artists.

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Do you come from a big family? Are you from the south? Do you speak another language?

Lisa Ingram, Rome, GA

I was born in Illinois but have lived in Georgia since I was 10. I love the south as we experience four seasons, can get to the beach within a day and many of my family members are close by. I grew up as one of three girls and am now the mother of one sweet baby girl. I married my "I can't help but keep running into you wherever I go" sweetheart and am learning Spanish. I also have a sweet puppy that keeps me company in the studio- and brings me her ball to throw about 20 times an hour while I work.

Q: Please describe your work. What makes it different from other art in the same field?

I make wheel thrown pottery with a few hand built items in the mix. I enjoy making things that are useful for everyday purposes such as mixing bowls, mugs, olive oil bottles, sugar jars, and more. In the past year or two, I have been experimenting with slip trailing, a process of drawing with liquid clay on my forms. This gives is a unique look and texture, playing with the glazes and shapes.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the process your work goes through?

Pottery is a very involved process but it all starts with a ball of clay. All my materials are from the earth which is very inspiring to me. There is very little waste in pottery. I shape my pieces on the wheel usually, but I also work from slabs for certain things like trays or ornaments. Wheel thrown items are trimmed and then if they need any attachments such as bases or handles, those are added after the piece has dried some. Finally, I add my slip trailing decorations which is similar to decorating a cake. I create my own liquid like clay from my slurry that builds up while throwing and use a squeeze bulb to draw with. This is very therapeutic and enjoyable for me. It is also very erasable so I can try try again when things do not go right.

Q: What prompted you to become and artist?

I can remember long long ago I was so surprised I could draw a spider. I was maybe 3? From there, I just love it. I loved drawing and drew horses, faces, hands, etc. I made jewelry, learned to knit, sew and chrochet. My mother was always very creative and I enjoyed growing up in that atmosphere. I visited an artist's shop at the beach one day in high school and decided that was what I wanted to do, make things for people to enjoy. When I attended Berry College, I enrolled in the art program and was assigned to a handbuilding ceramics class. While I did enjoy that, I was exposed to the students in the wheel throwing class. After seeing those students throw beautiful pottery, I knew I had found my destiny. It took a year and a half to get that class in my schedule but I waited my time and never stopped again after I started.

Q: What is one of the biggest failures you have faced as an artist?

Oh wow, potters can have LOTS of failures. From cracked bases to dropped pieces to glaze drips, there are a million things that can go wrong with a piece. I have had two major kiln firing disasters- one where the self shut of mechanism did not work and burned the entire load, turning every one of my 30+ pieces I had poured hours into a bubbly brown. The other time, I had a computerized kiln and programmed it to hold at the maximum temperature of 2250 for 5 HOURS instead of 5 minutes. The pieces were not too terrible, but they were not wonderful either.

Q: What is one of your biggest successes as an artist?

The first time my work was accepted into a gallery I had this realization that I was actually doing what I hoped I would do one day. I felt like doors were opening and that my plan was actually becoming reality. More recently, managing to work while having a small child has been a great accomplishment.

Q: Aside from creating, what is another passion of yours?

I really love my family and being a mom. I love puppies, the outdoors and yoga. Cloth diapering is a minor obsession. Oh, and I also like planning events like the Starving Artist Expo.

Q: Please share some humor you have found in your artistic endeavors.

I did a street demo during the art walk one year where I had my pottery wheel out making all kinds of things for people walking by. One young boy was watching and asked what I was doing. I responded that I was making a bowl. The boy gasped and exclaimed, "Oh! You made OUR bowls!" I guess since I was the first bowl maker he had met that it just made sense that I must have made his family's dishes. It was pretty cute.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to share with us about you?

I'm so happy to be a part of this group and to have so many enthusiastic & artistic colleagues that are willing to give their time and talents to make this event a success. These participating artists inspire me. I love this event and hope it continues on many years!

Meet Katherine Crouse

Katherine Crouse joins the Starving Artist Expo for the first time this year with her beautiful life like oil paintings. Katherine is a passionate artist that grew up loving art. She dabbles in several other artistic endeavors for fun, which you can read about in her interview below.

Katherine Crouse, Cumming Ga

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Do you come from a big family? Are you from the south? Do you speak another language?

Being born in Chisinau, Moldova, I moved to the USA 8 years ago. What brought me to US?- my husband, my true love! We met in Moldova and got married in Rome, GA. I must say, I love the south. People here are so friendly and so welcoming.

Art was a part of my great interests since a very young age. I loved to sketch in my copy books instead of doing mathematics. And this little hobby turned into a great desire for studying it much deeper and taking it to the next level. There in Moldova I got a Bachelors Degree in Interior Design and Fine Arts and a second Degree in Foreign Languages. As for the languages I speak English, Russian and Romanian.

Q: Please describe your work. What makes it different from other art in the same field?
I remeber, when in my years of university, studying the painting (as one of the must objects), my teacher always was telling me that I was "too graphic" as an artist. And the other teachers who would lead the objects of Design, Architecture, and Drawing would defend me, approving the realistic approach. Since then I knew that my art will aways look different from others when it comes to painting. The difficulty level of creating something that looks real is quite high. And it takes a lot of desire, perseverence and patience to achieve the best results.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the process your work goes through?
One of my favorite techniques is the Flemish technique. The layering process, which is being different every week, allows the object of interest to become alive, more real looking.

Q: What prompted you to become and artist?
Two main factors: first, love for the art in general. I consider myself of being an artist when I chose to be an Interior Designer. Second, I had a lot of free wall space in my own house, which prompted me to create something personal and special for myself and my family. So, when it comes to oil paintings, it really started with my walls.

Q: What is one of the biggest failures you have faced as an artist?
My biggest failure is the wasted time, that can never be returned. I always feel tremendous guilt when I know that I have a certain day available for working on my art, and I don't do it.

Q: What is one of your biggest successes as an artist?
Perhaps it is the same biggest success of the most artists - knowing and seeing others enjoy your creation.

Q: Aside from creating, what is another passion of yours?
I love art and all that includes in it. Photography and jewelry making are some of my present attractions.

Q: Please share some humor you have found in your artistic endeavors.
Yes... my husband who, in general is not a great lover of cabbage, once saw the sketch of my new work  and asked me with an interesting expression on his face, "Are you painting a cabbage?"  Well, no, it was a flower after all.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to share with us about you?
I am very excited and grateful to be a part of this wonderful experience. For me to get together with other talented people, who choose to work on their given ability, choose to develop it, and then share it with others is very special. At the end of the day, I always learn something new from such people. Therefore, I want to express a big thank you to Lisa Ingram and all those who helped her make this project happen!

Meet Photographer Ryan Smith

Ryan Smith joins us for the third year in a row as a Featured Artist. Ryan is known for his beautiful photos of local sites, particularly downtown Rome and Berry College. Ryan will be set up outside in front of the Seven Hills Building so be sure to visit his booth before you step inside!

Ryan Smith, Rome, GA

 Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself. 
I grew up near Atlanta and moved to Rome in 1996 when I started school at Berry. After graduating, I started to work for the Rome News-Tribune and I've been here ever since.

Q: Please describe your work. What makes it different from other art in the same field?
I really enjoying trying to capture a fairly normal subject in a new way. I spend a lot of time on composition and I want to show you a new perspective.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the process your work goes through?
I'm always experimenting and trying something new. It's really easy to get in a funk as an artist and it is really difficult to get out of it. The key is to keep challenging yourself.

Q: What prompted you to become and artist?
I never really considered myself as an artist until more recently even though I've been doing photography for a long time. I worked for the newspaper for a long time and I realized that a lot of my work focused on composition and perspective. I wanted to use that focus on photos I wanted to take.

Q: What is one of the biggest failures you have faced as an artist?
Self doubt.

Q: What is one of your biggest successes as an artist?
I've been accepted into some art festivals I never expected to get into.

Q: Aside from creating, what is another passion of yours?
I love watching movies and hanging out with friends.

Q: Please share some humor you have found in your artistic endeavors.
I have a nice foam floor I use during some of my art festivals. I've had a few people walk into my booth and say, "WOW!" Of course I'm excited that they love my photography. And then they say, "Where did you get this floor?"

So if you want to see a really cool floor you can come to the Starving Artist and check it out!