Artists of the Month

Spring, 2013

Jan graduated from S.I.U. in 1974 with a B.A. in Art Ed. and studied in Paris. France, at S.I.U. Artists Workshop, with Patrick Betaudier. 

She lived in New Orleans and Baton Rouge for 15 years; taught High School Art, raised children and painted.  

As Director of the Louisiana Art and Artist’s Guild, she had the opportunity to meet many artists.

She moved back to Carbondale in 1989 to enhance her children’s education.  They have both graduated college, married, and live in Montana and North Carolina.

She retired from teaching High School Art and, now own Skyline View Cabins in Alto Pass, on the Wine Trail.  Visions Art Gallery in Makanda, which she owned for 10 years has a new owner, Nina Kovar, and will continue to serve over 100 artists from the region.

Flowers have been the focus of her paintings for the past 30 years.  She loves the sensual, delicate beauty of these living, breathing beings, and strives to zero in on a certain area of one single flower and blow it up.  She also enjoys painting fruit.    

Portraits are always a challenge, and capturing the true personality and mood of the subject is crucial.

Keeping the cultural arts alive in Southern Illinois has always been one of my goals.

Special thanks to Rustle Hill Winery for being a venue for the local artists.

And in our Tasting Gallery & Gift Shop, we still have some of the fabulous paintings from:

The artist’s site:  www.intergalacticbeef.com

The Artist Grimm has been involved in art since birth (His first work was an abstract on the doctors smock). His mother, Ruthi, has helped him hone his skills ever since. Between his mother, her cousin John Schou, and growing up in California, Grimm has been influenced with various styles, multiple cultures, and the use of bright colors. Art was a big part of family life for him. Grimm’s cousin Tyler and sister Aleksa are also very talented artists. Involvement in the arts continues with his wife’s photography and his daughter’s music.

Grimm’s grandparents instilled a strong ‘love ethic’ when he was young and their love and generosity towards others was all he needed to cement his faith in Christ. Even though he works in many styles, his subject matter usually seems to focus on God’s love for us and our need to love people the same. His “In All Things” series shows positive role models whom he believes provide excellent examples of both God’s love and the love of those faithful to him. Some of his work in the “Luvbomb” series are aimed at convincing people to love militantly and to pour their passions into love. Both the Bible and his grandparents showed him that, despite all of us living in our own sins or focusing on the sins around us, we still need to love and be loved without abandon.

His site, www.intergalacticbeef.com, is so titled because he feels that good art should be a staple in homes across the world. Just as food brings nutrition to the body, art can provide nutrition to the mind and spirit. Though sometimes controversial or politically charged, even among Christians (For example: the smoking cow logo), his focus is solely on what God has done for him and what God can do for others. Through Grimm’s art you can see that Christian or not, we are all imperfect (Especially when in public places and completely oblivious to those around you). Yet, because of that, we are equals.