Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 44 i Create! Magazine

connect on Instagram @createmagazine Dear Readers, Welcome to the 2024 Women's Edition of Create! Magazine, a special issue dedicated to celebrating the incredible talent and diversity of women-identifying and non-binary artists from around the globe. This issue is a testament to the power of art as a unifying force, and it is with great pride that we present this carefully curated selection of extraordinary works. In this edition, you will find a wide array of articles that delve into the stories, inspirations, and challenges faced by contemporary women and non-binary artists. From indepth interviews with emerging talents to insightful essays on the evolving landscape of the art world, our goal is to provide a platform for voices that deserve to be heard and celebrated. One of the highlights of this…

ARTIST INTERVIEWS Alexandra Beaumont's fabric work literally dances—hung from the ceiling, her figures shimmer, flutter, sway and swing as you walk around them. Having studied fashion design at Pratt in NYC, her love of fabric combined with the presence of garment making in her family provides the artist with inherited and learned knowledge of the medium. In the artist's work, textiles of various opacities are layered, painted and sewn with beads and sequins, forming women dancing together. They are light and airy, ethereal yet thick with presence and joy. The collective joy present in Beaumont's work is palpable, as she explains that “joy reads across our differences as powerful as grief.” For the artist, collective joy is healing, it is strengthening, and it makes places like dance floors a “site…

Every year I look forward to this issue. To dedicate an entire issue to women and gender nonconforming artists is a joy I do not take for granted. And for each issue, I get the privilege to talk with my community of women and gender nonconforming artists about our wants, needs and desires. In the past, I've asked, “What do we need from the art world?” And, “What do we need from each other?” This year, I'm shifting the focus. Since 2020, the state of the world continues to change and twist in directions that have been devastating and unpredictable (or perhaps, if you follow the breadcrumbs to our capitalistic roots, we can see that we have unfortunately been headed down this path for a very long time). Climate change…

ARTIST STATEMENT I love making connections. Especially, when it helps me to put the puzzle pieces of my own life together. My work is an examination and exploration of the patterns that have shaped and continue to shape my world, both the good and the bad. Sometimes this looks like the patterns on my grandmothers dining room wall, or the pearls that all the aunts would wear on special occasions and sometimes it is in the way a head is tilted or a figure is sitting on a chair. I am fascinated in the repetition of human behavior that is passed on through generations and how often these patterns limit our potential for change and growth. The canvas is a way for me to use the themes and images of…

Jennifer M. Allevato is a fine art painter located in Alexandria, Virginia. She works from a light-filled studio where she creates colorful post-impressionist inspired mixed media paintings, often visited by her two cats. Allevato's art and design work have been shown in both the U.S. and abroad. She has had solo shows with The Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland and The Art League in Alexandria, Virginia. Her artwork has been sold through Anthropologie and Serena & Lily, and has been featured on The Hallmark Channel, Apartment Therapy, HGTV Magazine, In Her Studio, and Real Simple. Website: JenniferAllevato.com ARTIST STATEMENT I create captivating mixed media acrylic paintings that draw inspiration from post-impressionism. What sets my art apart is the unique creative process that becomes an integral part of the final masterpiece. I…

CURATED SECTION Rachel Karr is a Nashville, Tennessee based visual artist whose work is centered around legacy and conservation. These themes draw inspiration from her endeavors in motherhood to instill a love of nature and good stewardship in her children. Karr is an avid traveler and enjoys frequenting many of the National Parks that appear in her paintings. She received her BFA from Austin Peay State University and is an Alumni of the Arts & Business Council of Nashville's Periscope Artist Entrepreneur Training program. Karr has exhibited in a number of both in person and virtual group and solo exhibitions. Instagram: www.instagram.com/nuclearmystic ARTIST STATEMENT In brightly colored gouache landscape paintings, I create a surreal juxtaposition of the familiar and the alien. These landscapes bear a striking resemblance to earthly locations,…

Jessica Lewis is an award-winning American artist living and working in Nashville, TN. She received formal art education and was honored to attend the Governor's School for the Arts in Kentucky as a teenager. She continued at the University of Louisville and was the recipient of the Hendershot Scholarship, a full four-year art scholarship. After earning a BFA in painting, she later earned an MFA in painting from Southern Illinois University. She is especially known for her portraits of children and out-of-the-box thinking when approaching art. Her previous work in the entertainment industry creating large-scale themed environments for children and families helped to inform her work and how the figure relates to the background and its environment. Her paintings describe not only the outer appearance of the person but also…

Focused on nature themes with a twist on collage techniques, Jessica creates pieces that set a mood, with the interaction of light and color. Using handcut image fragments from magazines and mail order catalogues, Jessica puts together once disparate pieces of paper that might otherwise have been thrown away, into new, a meaningful arrangement. Jessica's art consistently features imagery of women, whether obvious, or more surreptitiously incorporated into each piece. Her mixed media approach doesn't take itself too seriously, so the viewer might find surprises in her work up close that may not have been evident from a distance. Jessica lives and creates in Des Moines, Iowa. Website: www.jshylandart.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/jshylandart…

Olivia is a Glasgow based artist working primarily in collage and painting. Her work focuses on the relationships between women, food and sex. By exploring the connection between erotica and food consumption, the line between the two becomes blurred resulting in surreal imagery. Women from vintage pornography magazines can be found playfully interacting with oversized foods, often fruit and vegetables. Women's bodies in art and everyday life are constantly being observed whether it is subconsciously or consciously. Their consumption of food and sex is something that is circumscribed and scrutinised. Not only is this her attempt to link these themes but to emphasise the similarities they share. There are endless links between these themes which can be seen in language (ripe, rotten, peach…) and in how society accepts and describes…

Melissa Loop is a contemporary painter living in Minneapolis. Her work has been exhibited at venues throughout the United States, including Breeze Block Gallery in Portland, OR; grayDuck Gallery in Austin, TX; and Yes.Oui.Si Space in Boston, MA. A well-known Twin Cities artist, her paintings have been featured in shows at the Minnesota Museum of American Art, Burnet Gallery, Soo Visual Art Center, Art of This and Rosalux Gallery. Her paintings have also been on view in international exhibitions at the National Galleries in Edinburgh, Scotland, Direktorenhaus Museum for Arts, Crafts and Design in Berlin, Germany, and Galeria Casa Colon in Merida Mexico. She is a 2013 and 2017 recipient of the Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant, a 2012 Jerome Foundation Fellow and a 2006 Vanderlip Travel Grant…

Giselle Tate is a self-taught, Brazilian-born artist who found her love for abstract art amid the global pandemic. Based in Tampa, Florida, Giselle transitioned from a 10-year career in exporting granites and marbles from Brazil and refinishing kitchen cabinets, to becoming a celebrated mixed media artist. Her preferred mediums include acrylics, spray paints, and inks chosen for their ability to create unexpected, free-flowing forms. She challenges herself by layering elements such as paper, foam, and cardboard onto canvases, using a maximalist style that's vibrant and audacious. Tate's work is a tribute to resilience and self-belief, encouraging viewers to break free from doubts and embrace possibilities. Each piece aims to sprinkle happiness into spaces, transforming them into places where anything feels possible. With bold colors, cool patterns, and textured layers, Tate's…

Daryl Zang (b.1971 New York, NY) is a contemporary realist oil painter. She earned a BFA from Syracuse University's School of Visual and Performing Arts with additional study in Florence, Italy. Zang's figurative paintings have been exhibited across the United States. Her work has been included in exhibitions at the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art (Wausau, WI), the Helen Day Art Center (Stowe, VT), Cavalier Galleries (Greenwich CT, New York NY and Nantucket MA), Principle Gallery (Charleston, SC), RJD Gallery (Sag Harbor, NY) and the Salamagundi Club (New York, NY). Daryl Zang's work has also been exhibited in solo exhibitions at The Bing Art Center, Springfield MA, The Michele and Donald D'Amour Museum of Fine Art, MA, and at St. Peter's Church, New York, NY. She is included in the…

“My art practice is ritual based. Before I dive into a painting or wade through piles of paper, I set my intentions, light candles on my altar and spend 20 minutes meditating. Erin Kuhn pg. 24 We are thrilled to share exclusive interviews with incredible women artists in this issue. Through their diverse practices and unique perspectives, artists such as Angela Burson, Alexandra Beaumont, Erin Kuhn, and Melissa Loop reveal the depth and richness of contemporary art. From exploring complex psychological and social relationships to celebrating collective joy and resilience, their stories and works inspire and captivate. Join us as we delve into their creative journeys, influences, and the profound impact of their art on our community and beyond.…

ARTIST INTERVIEWS Erin Kuhn is an interdisciplinary artist working in New Jersey. She earned her BFA from MICA, and has exhibited her work across the US in galleries and museums. She was awarded by the mayor of Jersey City for her artistic excellence and commitment to community engagement in the arts. Her work is known for celebrating the divine feminine, cosmology, and magic with a distinctly cheerful color palette. Her work celebrates the human experience through abstract figurative mixed media paintings. Kuhn works primarily in mixed media on canvas and wood, and also has an extensive background using photography and mold making in her multimedia sculptures. She is a certified reiki practitioner and incorporates meditation in her creative practice which informs each piece. With a strong connection to nature and…

Our team here at Create! Magazine always enjoys visiting art fairs around the country to discover new talent to feature across the pages of our publication. To that end, one of our favorite events for finding incredible work by talented emerging artists is Superfine Art Fair. We're excited to share a few favorites we've been introduced to by Superfine in this article. But before we get to our list, if you're not familiar with the fair, here's a little more about what they do! Created by artists, for artists, Superfine Art Fair has spent the past seven years developing the best no-commission art fair model for independent artists who want to take control of their career, build their collector list and make a real, sustainable income from their art. Throughout…

ARTIST STATEMENT I admire the concentric ripples moving from my dog's tongue as he drinks from the creek. I recall a Monet painting of a Frog Pond in which one side of the painted water ripples reflect brown vegetation and the other sides reflect the bright blue of the sky. I saw that magical phenomenon this morning but a beautifully observed painting introduced me to it first. In a Konrad Witz painting from the 1400s, Christ and his disciples stand in the Galilee with their legs all wiggly refracted under the water and their upper bodies reflected on the surface. My dog in the creek created the same refractions and reflections, albeit hairier legs, but these particulars were perceived by a painter who illustrated them for us to learn from…

Karen McCool was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1967 and raised in West Chester, PA where she lives and paints today. Since 2019, she has honed her painting practice to playfully illustrate human connection through nostalgic vignettes of daily life. Characterized by humor, the light-hearted renderings are created in an alla prima style with bold color. McCool's work is exhibited throughout the greater Philadelphia area. In 2022, she had solo exhibitions at Beacon Art Gallery, Stone Harbor, NJ and The Chester County Art Association in West Chester, PA. McCool was included in the 2023 Historic Yellow Springs Juried Art Show. Her work is in collections throughout the US. Website: www.karenMcCool.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/karenMcCoolart ARTIST STATEMENT I'm a contemporary realist oil painter who spends an excessive amount of time looking through #foundphotos…

Ragni Agarwal, an Indian-American artist in Los Angeles, brings a vibrant narrative of inclusivity and empowerment to contemporary art. With a bold, saturated palette and playful motifs, Agarwal masterfully juxtaposes the resilience of women against the backdrop of mental health challenges and broken societal constructs. Agarwal's own experience is at the core of her inspiration. As a child, Ragni suffered from social anxiety, which led her to art to create her own colorful worlds to get lost in. It is this journey that infuses her creations with a unique power – celebrating the beauty of neurodiversity and the power found in forging your own path. Spanning over two decades, Agarwal's multidisciplinary portfolio—encompassing graphic design, fine art, and experiential design—showcases her versatility and ability to bridge art and culture with calls…

As a self-proclaimed hoarder of historical and decorative imagery, Sara Yourist paints fabricated narratives that tiptoe between the realm of surrealist and still life paintings. Inspired by operatic stage design, she creates artificial compositions that recontextualize the objecthood of porcelain figurines to convey a sense of uneasiness and uncertainty. Sara received her MFA from Indiana University and a BFA from West Chester University of Pennsylvania where a deep passion for painting was discovered. As a former preschool teacher, Sara is inspired by the imaginative nature of child-like play in reenacting scenarios of inner turmoil and delight by using toy-like figurines. Through her work, she explores the idea of frivolity through visual excess with an undercurrent of control and delusion. She is particularly interested in the relationship between humans and their…

Heidi Brueckner is a Professor of Art at West Valley College in Saratoga, CA where she has taught painting, drawing, and design for 25 years. Brueckner holds a BA in Fine Art and a BA in Art History from University of California, Santa Cruz; and an MFA in Painting from University of Kansas. Professor Brueckner's work has been shown at museums, galleries, colleges, and in publications nationally and internationally. In recent years, Brueckner has had 16 solo or small group exhibitions, participated in over 100 juried group shows, and won 14 first place awards among others, which included the Italian International Prisma Art Prize and the Faber Birren Color Award. She was also a finalist for the 2022 7th Edition Boynes Emerging Artist Award. Her work has been written about…

Ankita Menon is a multidisciplinary artist exploring the convergence of digital design, illustration, and traditional art. Originally from India and currently based in Boston, her creative journey reflects a profound appreciation for her culture and the foundation her family provided. At the age of 18, Ankita pursued her education at Parsons School of Design, delving into the depths and possibilities of digital art. Upon graduation, she began breaking barriers as a UX designer and a woman of color in Tech. This eager journey eventually led to a decline in mental health and a period of self-reflection. While unexpected, the introspection rekindled her connection to her childhood and cultural roots, igniting a passion for illustration and art she once had. With this rebirth, she began her series of portraits based on…

Anna Tjan is a Chinese-German artist, illustrator and poet based in London. Her visual work, closely intertwined with her creative writing, is predominantly created digitally, but also incorporates watercolour, gouache and pencil drawings. Her work is inspired by nature, features recurring symbolism, her own growing vocabulary of icons and emblems, and is often populated by strong women. She is deeply interested in exploring the (often) fraught notions of womanhood. Tjan received her BA (Hons) in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins College Of Art and Design in 2001 and her work has been published in magazines, on greeting cards and other stationery products. In 2023 she completed her first mural. Website: www.annatjan.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/annatjan ARTIST INTERVIEW Who and/or what are your influences when you were first starting out vs. now?…

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Diane now lives and works in the countryside of New Jersey. She studied art at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. Diane recognizes art as the most important method of communication and uses art to effect change. Her art incorporates many forms: painting, printmaking, sculpture, collage, mixed media, and bookmaking as she explores the imagemaking process in diverse and original ways. Her works are often comprised of multiple images that reference her family history, women's issues, world culture and current events. Memories from conversations with her aunts around the family dining room table inspired her to create “piecework” or use sewing materials and thread as binding elements. Many paintings are sewn together by hand or machine stitching referring to the work…

My necessity for creative expression is a cross-generational byproduct. My grandmother is a songwriter, and both my Swedish grandparents were modernist painters. Since I was a small child, my avenue for communicating has been writing songs and painting. What I aim to communicate now is a tension between the stages of healing and memory. Even now, I am unsure how to be open about my trauma when discussing my art. I survived years of childhood sexual abuse, and trauma has shaped how I view the world and how I create. While I strive for my home to be a place of healing and safety, it is an imperfect challenge. Healing is not synonymous to joy, and my paintings are recreations of powerful domestic moments that grapple with this. I paint…

Barbara Hack always held a great passion for the figure and, therefore, has always involved it in her work. An ongoing reflection on people and their emotions, Barbara's subject matter reflects her love for figurative work and the challenge that accompanies realistic portraiture. Working predominantly in painting mediums, she aims, however, to push beyond realism and capture resonant moments in time. Barbara received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in drawing and painting after intensive study in Europe and additional training in New York. Since then, she has continued to harness her artistic talents to drive her professional career. She has worked as a Courtroom artist, fashion illustrator and numerous art related jobs. In the last 20 years she has taught at numerous academies. Five years ago Barbara left to…

California-born artist Cabell Molina currently residing in Brooklyn NY creates bold and fashionable collage/paintings reminiscent of mid-century femininity. Her creative process, “to deconstruct and construct”, involves assembling old wallpaper, fabrics, magazines clippings, and found elements, along with hand-painted portraits and figures. Her work is as layered thematically as it is physically, both celebrating the bygone glamour of mid-century fashion and deconstructing its patriarchal underpinnings. Molina reclaims classic femininity as multifaceted, giving voice and texture to lost imagery. Molina's large scale pieces tug in a way only the past can, while also pushing for colorful expansion of a “woman's place”. Molina was raised by a traditional 1950's mother. She grew up to develop a fascination with female representation, perplexed at how women pre feminist movement could appear so happy while cornered…

Melissa Loop is a contemporary painter living in Minneapolis. Her work has been exhibited at venues throughout the United States, including Breeze Block Gallery in Portland, OR; grayDUCK Gallery in Austin, TX; and Yes.Oui.Si space in Boston, MA. A well-known Twin Cities artist, her paintings have been featured in shows at the Minnesota Museum of American Art, Burnet Gallery, Soo Visual Arts Center, Art of This and Rosalux Gallery. Her paintings have also been on view in international exhibitions at the National Galleries in Edinburgh, Scotland; Direktorenhaus Museum for Arts, Crafts and Design in Berlin, Germany; and Galería Casa Colón in Merida, Mexico. She is a 2013 and 2017 recipient of the Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant, a 2012 Jerome Foundation Fellow and a 2006 Vanderlip Travel Grant…

“Healing through making art is one of my main goals as an artist; and much of my development as a human has come from countless hours just staring into nature and being immersed in it. Sarah Jane Lambert pg. 70 This curated section celebrates the extraordinary talent of women and nonbinary artists selected by our esteemed jury panel for the 2024 Women's Edition of Create! Magazine. We are proud to showcase the work of these remarkable artists, including Gail Wegodsky, Rachel Bensimon, Alexandra McLaughlin, Thressia Kriebel, Karen McCool, Sarah Jane Lambert, Jennifer Allevato, Ragni Agarwal, Jessica Shaw Hyland, Ariel Davis, Sara Yourist, Heidi Brueckner, Polly Crane, Jessica Lewis, Ankita Menon, Didem Yagci, Reni Soares, Yael Braha, Olivia Brazier, Anna Tjan, Margaret Zox Brown, Melissa Loop, Diane Phares, Heather Kirtland, Giselle…

Alexandra McLaughlin is a self-taught Canadian painter, fortunate enough to have grown up on beautiful Georgian Bay. Following her studies, backpacking abroad and an invaluable first career as a paramedic, she moved back to the Bay with her family where she pursues her art full time. Working from her home studio in Midland, Ontario (or out on the islands) allows Alex to maximize precious painting time and be the present mother she has always wanted to be. Alex's work can be found in private collections internationally and continues to gain recognition in her local community. She was a finalist for the BMFA's prestigious Clerkson award in 2019, her work was recently selected as part of the Society of Canadian Artists’ 2023 International Juried Show, and she just created her first…

SJ (b. Vermont 1979) is a mixed-media intuitive artist who works primarily in watercolors. Using water with her work is an integral part of her creative and therapeutic process, as it helps her move through emotions in an organic and healthy way. Her work centers around the human experience and our collective connection to nature, with an emphasis on creating dreamscapes to provide warmth and magic to the viewer. She has exhibited work in several major US cities as well as Europe and received the Diderot Emerging Artist grant at Chateau Orquevaux Artist Residency in France (December 2022.) She also spent the last 2 years illustrating her first complete tarot deck, which goes into production in March of this year. SJ currently lives and works out of her small home…

Shelly Pamensky reduces painting to its most basic elements, creating shimmering beds of colour that seek to mesmerise the viewer with their calming balance of colour and shine. She works with raw fabrics which she primes with layers of gesso, glue, and glitter, before applying thin veils of automotive paint, resulting in multi-faceted canvases that glitter and shift as the viewer moves. Her artistic evolution has led her from creating flat colour gradients to the intricate art of weaving canvases. This transformative shift emerged from a practice of repurposing, wherein Pamensky would cut flawed works into strips, which she would then rework into entirely new compositions. Her call to weaving is linked to her South African heritage where her parental home was adorned with African arts and crafts. Pamensky's methodology…

Llael McDonald's work is moody and nostalgic. with underlying narratives that change from viewer to viewer. Delving into the familiar and bringing forward the ordinary to be presented to an audience with emotional and visual elevation. Llael aims to ignite conversations about our collective history, the diversity of culinary traditions, and the integral role of food in shaping contemporary society. Her work serves as a visual feast for the eyes, stimulating the viewer's senses and intellect. It prompts us to recognise and appreciate the intricate tapestry of influences that have contributed to the development of civilisation, urging us to celebrate the power of food as a unifying force and a testament to our shared human experience. Llael McDonald grew up in the inner-city Melbourne suburb of Spotswood and showed and…

Polly Crane is a 35 year old single mother from Devon, UK. With a background in Graphic Design and Fashion, Polly uses time spent drawing to explore the role of women from a recognizable yet new perspective. The submitted series captures familiar moments from womanhood that reflect the continuing fight for physical and mental autonomy--whether at the hands of a stranger or those you love. Mediums featured include pen and markers alongside an iPad vignette. All three feature Polly's predilection for a birds eye view point. A point of view rooted in a life time's feeling of otherness, disassociation, and depression. Sister, friend, lover, daughter, mother, statistic, and artist. Instagram: www.instagram.com/thepollycrane…

Heather Kirtland is an artist, author, speaker, and creative instigator. She received her BFA in painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and was a Maryland State Art Council Grant recipient that same year. Her work has been exhibited throughout the US and in both Italy and Wales. In addition to her painting practice, Heather teaches encaustic, is a community founder at Carve Out Time for Art (33K) and published author of “The Motherhood of Art” selected as a 2021 Best New Book on Motherhood by Book Authority. Heather lives just outside of Baltimore with her husband, two children, and their dog. Website: www.heatherkirtland.com ARTIST STATEMENT My work is a reflection of our state of being. It responds to our need to be seen. Through abstract compositions, I create…