Imagine diligently working on a piece of art, then accidentally spilling a bottle of wine which splatters and permanently stains the canvas.  That’s exactly what happened to Taylor Smith, whose reaction was one of delight – not despair – as she realized the wine added a beautiful, unique dimension to her painting.  Since that serendipitous event, Taylor has used a wine chemical theme in various paintings, many of which have been collected, displayed and featured by famous Napa Valley wineries.

Chemical Abstract #10: 20×20″ Acrylic, Charcoal & Wine on Canvas

Travel experiences in Germany and Asia inspired some of Taylor’s artistic style and choice of media. After attending Indiana University, Taylor continued studying art in Germany, where she lived and worked for about 5 years.  During this time, she was privileged to meet and work briefly with a few well-known artists, including Keith Haring and Andy Warhol, and to work on several large-scale murals in Berlin before the fall of the Berlin Wall.

 Ms. Smith loves to work with metallic pigments, particularly gold, which she uses to highlight the “rich golden light and wild flowers” of Thailand that inspired her abstract landscape pieces―“a very distinct series of work” created to be both calming and mysterious.

Abstract Landscape #02: 24″x30″ Oil, Acrylic & Wine on canvas

The texture and detail in Taylor’s art is intended to draw people in, encouraging them to contemplate art and to draw their own conclusions as they experience the feeling and vision she hopes to share in each piece.

Taylor’s interest in art was likely established early in life, influenced by her mother, who is also an artist.   Other artists she admires include abstract expressionist painter, Jackson Pollock (well-known for his unique style of drip painting); American pop artist, Andy Warhol; famed Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, and artist/social activist Keith Haring.  While she initially tended to adopt the style of the artists she admired early in her artistic journey, she eventually developed her own distinct and recognizable style by integrating her varied natural interests in chemistry, mathematics and photography into her art.  These interests are vividly portrayed in her Chemical Still Life series, which starkly pairs science and art.  In a recent interview, Taylor commented, “I think combining interests outside the art world with your art offers the best insight into any artist’s personality.  It feels much more authentic.”

 Over the years, Taylor has had many careers; but her “need to create finally became greater than everything else.”  She notes, “…it is always a struggle to walk the line of impassioned creativity with the need to earn a living.  Some of us get very lucky.”

Taylor currently resides in her home state of Indiana, and works from her Indianapolis studio located in the historic Stutz Building, formerly a pre-WWI car factory.  Ms. Smith enjoys the old casement windows and concrete columns and floors of the 100-year-old repurposed creative space.  Visitors frequently comment that her studio has a “wonderful attraction and feel to it.”  Taylor’s studio will be open to the public during the Stutz Artists Open House on April 26^th-27^th.  (For tickets and general information, visit http://www.stutzartists.com/openhouse.html)

Chaos & Hope  (left) and  Epic Melody (right): 36×48″ Oil Acrylic on Canvas – hanging in main workspace 

Taylor’s artwork can be viewed while on display at Studio 618, and online at www.AbstractModern.com [her primary website].   To contact Ms. Smith, purchase paintings, or follow the arts:

• taylorsmithstudio@gmail.com
• www.facebook.com/TaylorSmithContemporaryArt
• www.twitter.com/TaylorSmithArt
• www.Patron21.com/users/TaylorAnneSmith [a new patron website which allows collectors to support her work]
• www.SaatchiOnline.com/Taylor [online London Gallery selling art prints]

New Warmth: 24″ x 48″, oil on canvas

Our current featured artist is Jennifer Hoard.   Born and raised in Indianapolis, Jennifer received a BFA in painting and drawing from Indiana University in 2010.  Exhausted by the continual lessons, critiques and opinions she listened to while obtaining her degree, she considered making a drastic career change, and temporarily gave up painting to pursue something “more sensible” – becoming a certified EMT.  Realizing she was at a crucial crossroad upon completing her EMT certification, she wondered if she really was willing to turn her back on something she had previously been content to devote her life to.  Even while she focused on her EMT certification, the desire to create art never left her.  She asked herself, “Was I really going to give that up for a life of sirens, stress, blood, vomit and dead people?!” Fortunately, her answer was “No,” and her artwork is now available to be enjoyed and admired by others.

Since early childhood, Jennifer received encouragement from her parents in all of her artistic endeavors.   “They always made me feel like art was what I was supposed to be doing,” she commented in a recent interview.  “If I hadn’t grown up in such an environment, I definitely wouldn’t be making a career out of art today.”  She attributes the ongoing support of her parents as the key to her success:  “Their support is everything.”

Jennifer’s artistic style is inspired by her attraction to light and detail.  Major influences in Jennifer’s artwork are the highly-detailed works of famed photorealist painter Chuck Close, and prominent realist painter Edward Hopper.  “Part of me wants to attend to every single detail, like Close; and another part wants to let the paint kind of have its own language, like Hopper.”

Her earlier galleries consist mainly of collages, which she most enjoys—even though she sometimes spends hours tediously cutting pictures out of magazines and finds she “can’t figure out how to make them work together.”  When that happens, she will just “throw them in a pile and save them for another day.”  Many of her collages mix vintage photos with contemporary images, creating a strong juxtaposition.  She wanted to “convey the idea that time keeps marching on, and that new technologies can make old ones seem odd (and vice versa).”

Hollywo: 30″x40″, oil on canvas

Her more recent paintings, a stark contrast to the collages, were made for the purpose of creating “a viewing space that is calming and peaceful.”  Many long hours are invested in creating these photorealistic paintings, in which the artist’s intentions are beautifully demonstrated.

In the future, Jennifer plans to include more human and animal figures, and to “work bigger.”  Her hope is to continue being inspired by the world around her, and that her work will change and grow with her.

Jennifer recently relocated to Denver, Colorado, where she is pursuing her career as a painter from the studio she created in her apartment’s second bedroom.  Her galleries and contact information can be viewed online at www.jenniferhoard.com.

The Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene and Marilyn Glick, received The Monumental Award at the 35^th annual A Monumental Affair awards ceremony on November 15, 2012.  The Monumental Award is the highest honor presented at this annual event sponsored by the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce.  Kevin Osburn, Principal at Rundell Ernstberger Associates, accepted the award on behalf of the project team.

Indy Chamber President and CEO, Scott Miller, described the Indianapolis Cultural Trail (ICT) as “…a bold and transformative project featuring a world-class bike and pedestrian path that connects neighborhoods, cultural districts and entertainment amenities.”  Serving as the downtown hub for the Indianapolis greenway system, the ICT has established a framework of green infrastructure that creates a more connected and sustainable community in which to live, work, play and learn.  The ICT provides a new prototype for urban transportation corridors that integrates green infrastructure, clean transportation, community revitalization, economic development, and sustainable design.  Funded by private donations and federal transportation grants, this eight-mile, $63.5 million project was designed and constructed in multiple phases over a six-year period.

Rundell Ernstberger Associates, LLC was the lead design firm responsible for landscape architecture, urban design, and coordinating and overseeing the multidisciplinary team selected to complete the project, from conceptual design to construction documentation.  The design solution pioneered a “Complete Streets” approach, integrating fully accessible and sustainable design features, as well as a variety of public art forms to provide a distinctive journey to the city’s primary cultural destinations.  Whether traveling by foot, bike, wheelchair, rollerblades or Segway, users are able to safely navigate the urban environment in a green, park-like setting that promotes and enhances sustainability, mobility, and beautification.

At this year’s ceremony, The Indianapolis Cultural Trail also received the Honor Award in the  (re)thINk category, presented by the Indiana Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council in recognition of the project’s sustainable design, as well as additional awards for engineering, landscape architecture, public art, and downtown development.

To learn more about the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce’s Monumental Affair Awards program, click here to visit their website.

To learn more about the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, click here to visit their website.

Rundell Ernstberger Associates received International Making Cities Livable’s Urban Plaza Award for the design of Main Street Square in Rapid City, SD.  The award, presented to Deane Rundell at the 49th IMCL Conference in Portland, Oregon, gives recognition to REA’s design of “a lively, safe, multi-functional town square that in every season provides an inspiring focal point for the whole community, offering numerous reasons for all to gather, socialize and develop community.”

An integral part of downtown Rapid City’s revitalization effort, this central city park highlights the region’s history, culture and landscape forms through its materials, artworks, and overall character.  The central plaza is a versatile entertainment/festival venue that can be used year-round.

REA was commissioned by Destination Rapid City to lead the design efforts and provide urban design and landscape architecture services.  Deane Rundell, Eric Ernstberger, and Pete Andriot led REA’s design and project management efforts, which included the work of our multidisciplinary design team, featuring:
• FourFront Design, Inc.
• Skyline Engineering, LLC
• Albertson Engineering, Inc.
• Delta Fountains
• Haggerty’s Music
• Magic Ice USA
• Dale Lamphere

PARK(ing) Day, a project created in 2005 to increase awareness of the need for more urban open space, is an annual global event where metered parking spaces are temporarily transformed into open public space.   Following an established set of guidelines, participants create spaces tailored to the specific needs and values of their community, resulting in a wide variety of park themes featuring art, farming, politics, health care, free repair services, wedding venues, and the basic “tree-bench-sod” type.

REA’s Louisville office teamed up with Grisham Smith & Partners to create a ‘trails and greenways’ themed space near the front of REA’s office on Main Street.  The group incorporated a bicycle maintenance station into the space, complete with a tire pump, tire gauge, and tire patch kit for cyclists.   REA’s Southwest Greenways Master Plan brochure is being made available for passers-by, to help raise awareness of trails and greenways in the Louisville area.

For more information on PARK(ing) Day, and how you can participate, go to:   http://parkingday.org/about-parking-day/