TAMLYN AKINS

Autumn LeavingSpring Blossoming

Dictionary.com defines the mandala (pronounced “muhn-dl-uh”) as; a schematized representation of the cosmos, chiefly characterized by a concentric configu-ration of geometric shapes.The mandala is an art form which I began creating at an unconscious level when I was doodling in a college philosophy class room many years ago. The art form appealed to me because it communicated a sense of wholeness for me, and ever since I have found the pro-cess of creating mandalas, and also meditation upon them, to be a healing and calming influence in my life.

When I paint my mandalas, I feel my material self surrender to something greater which works through me into my brush and onto the paper. I am fascinated by the seasons and in this particular painting I use seasonal nature as subject matter. The cyclical nature of life has spiritual meaning for me.

608-767-1281 • tamlyn@chorus.net • www.tamlynakins.com

SARAH ASLAKSON

Ocean NightOctoopus and Jellies

Is the ocean failing? Animal life within the oceans is, for me a Vital Sign of life. We may not be aware, as we stare at the ocean, but it still teams with life. Those creatures which man doesn’t wipe out for food or by pollution, continue to live in the depths, oblivi-ous to what is out of their control.

608-543-3579 • aslakson@wisc.edu • www.sarahaslakson.com

ANN FISCHER ATHAS

A Safe Direction?Marked Route?

Completely lost, merely misguided, or simply seeking reassurance they’re on the right path, travelers have long relied on the presence of trail blazes, or way markers, to give them direction through a wilderness. Painted markings on tree trunks, flags of cloth tied to branches, or rocks piled in carefully arranged cairns may be left by hikers to guide them on their return trip or as a sign for the next person on the trail. Pointing the way to a destination, we rely on these way markers to guide us on our journey. Each one we

encounter is an acknowledgement that we are headed in the right direction.We search for signs along the road in life’s journey as well, to keep us on the right track and guide us back when we stray off-course. These signs may be lessons learned or milestones completed, and most often are the result of decisions we’ve made. The way markers in my pieces were constructed as metaphors, and in homage, to those vital signs on life’s journey.

608-836-1565 • afathas@mac.com • www.athasprintstudio.com

CHUCK BAUER

Nakoma HouseBay Window

My works are usually executed, or at least begun, out of doors, on site (“en plein air”), and completed during one or more painting sessions.To me Nature, or any interior still life, offers abundant and ever changing “vital signs” to work with. I “take the pulse” of what I am seeing and go from there.In this way one quickly discovers there is no substitute for direct response to the natural world: photographs deceive, memory falters.So I tend to choose subjects that offer direct and living

opportunities for color expression, suggest light capture, or provide compositional challenge.Taking the larger view, I believe, and I hope, that by merely trusting to the rich visual bounty of virtually any subject, one can, potentially, infuse substantial, and maybe even universal, emotional content into one’s paintings. And, if I’m lucky, maybe even make others feel the “vital signs” within the subject the way I do.

608-251-4051 • 608-233-3839 • ctbauer@tds.net • www.ctbauer.com

KAY BRATHOL-HOSTVET

June MorningFirst Flush

For me, spring is the ultimate vital sign—a reawaken-ing of the earth from winter’s dormancy. In some cases, humans have a heavy hand in this changing landscape. Backyard gardens, orchards, and farmers’ fields display fresh new growth in well-ordered rows. My miniature pastel, June Morning, exemplifies the repetition and rhythmic designs humans have exacted on the land. Nature’s earliest signs of spring often occur away from mankind’s direct influence—trout lilies, trilliums, violets and other wildflowers appear in the woods seemingly overnight. Once the ice has left

the lakes and ponds, the shoreline rapidly comes to life with both flora and fauna. In the large pastel, First Flush, the tamarack trees, a deciduous conifer, are sprouting their new spring-green needles, and fresh sprouts are appearing around the remains of last year’s rushes and cattails.Both paintings in this show are soft pastel on archival paper. I am particularly interested in the concept of “expectant stillness” and therefore limit aggressive or energetic mark-making. The paintings, while realistic in style, have been carefully designed to best capture that feeling of quiet anticipation.

608-467-8420 • kaybratholhostvet@gmail.com • www.kaybratholhostvet.com

ELIZABETH BREED

Cliff Dweller

This tree is a maple which I first observed one September afternoon many years ago while on a bicycle trek on a remote road in Upstate New York. The soil of the area has a high iron content which is why it has a reddish color. I ride this route now in every season -weather permitting - without fail. This tree, my “vital sign,” has to my surprise been able to still thrive on this cliff - roots exposed - through very harsh winters and hot - often rainy, summers. My mother is in her 90’s and in a nursing home in Upstate New York. I no longer able to visit her in the family home. I have now pedaled by the tree, which I call the “cliff dweller,” regularly for at least four years, from early spring to late fall as weather permits. Aging, the fragility of nature, and the swift passage of time is

always on my mind as I search for my vital sign. As I pass by, I see how tenaciously the living can and will cling to life, defying all expectations, before the last single once-strong root on an otherwise uneventful day will hold no more.

608-575-4302 • eabreed@wisc.edu

SARAH BROOKS

The Radish CupboardA Handy Six-Pack

Following the harshest of winters, I really search for those tender green tips poking through the earth’s crust. In the spring I wait for the opening of the Farmer’s Market. Both are vital signs that life is return-ing to Wisconsin.Where ice and snow covered the ground, now there is color – pale green asparagus, purple chive blossoms, red and pink radishes, tiny white onions, dark green spinach. Vegetables on parade in the garden and avail-able from your favorite vendor.

Why not take a handy broccoli 6-pack to your next party? It just makes sense.

608-233-7466 • vegetablematters@gmail.com

DEBRA BUSHY

Summer Prairie

Prairies are not flat as some might think. Prairies are living, there is a pulse and a movement to them. When you discover a prairie you will you will find birds nest-ing, coyotes hunting, flowers grown and people enjoying the solitude. If you stand at the prairie’s edge you will notice a graceful dance of grass; a wave of surface. Some describe the prairie as rolling grasses. Others say the grass resem-bles the swell of the ocean. The prairie it seems, with its vastness is without beginning or end. However, as with anything natural, to preserve its vitality one must have respect.

608-238-1082 • dbushypaints@gmail.com • dbushypaints.wix.com/debrabushysart

CLARENCE CAMERON

A Wisdom of OwlsAll Angles Covered

There are ornithologists, raptor rehabilitators, and bird watchers, all with an interest in owls. Then, there is me. Owls have played a vital role in my work for almost 50 years. I have created them, exclusively, in clay, then soapstone and other media. I will keep doing so, until I am given a sign to quit.Owls and other raptors play a vital role in keeping small animal populations in check. Even my semi-abstract carvings help to remind the public of their importance.

608-256-0444 • clarowl@charter.net

PEG CULLEN

Water is the LifelineMusic is the Heartbeat

Music Is The Heartbeat: Musical vibrations mimic and regulate the rhythms of my heart. Like my heartbeat music is not a luxury but a necessity for me. Music is a vital and joyous way of communicating, so I sing my heart even if no one hears.Water Is The Lifeline: No one can live without water; it is vital to life. It is my lifeline to both physical and emo-tional health. Water is healing; it cleanses and balances me, fills the holes and puts out the fire in my heart.

608-776-8067 • pcullenartist@hotmail.com • www.pegcullen.com

KATHLEEN D’ANGELO

Surface ParadoxTranquility - Where There Was None

I interpret Vital Signs to mean that which is essential to Life. Water is essential for life to exist on our planet – whether it be life in the form of a human being, animal, plant, fish, or otherwise. Without enough water, our precarious hold on life diminishes rapidly. Tranquility – Where There Was None: Water can be a healing force, but also seductive and dangerous. We are naturally drawn toward water – crashing ocean waves, northwoods lakeshore, glittering icicles, moun-tain stream, or a spring thunderstorm. In the midst of chaos, a peaceful moving river can cause one to step

outside the struggle and let it float away like fallen leaves on the water surface.Surface Paradox: Water can appear to be one thing, but is actually another. How often in life do we move, unknowingly, toward events that change our lives instantly and forever. In Surface Paradox the water is not immediately obvious, but the bold summer landscape is. The reflection totally hides what is going on beneath the surface. There are no ripples or waves to give any clues of what might be coming your way. The leaves cause one to be initially perplexed, but soon, it becomes clear. Maybe. Maybe not.

608-445-2280 • ktdangelo@tds.net • kathleendangeloart.com

JOE DE MAIO

Waiting for the Storm that Never Arrived

Portal

I look at the world around me as a sign or stimulus to create a photograph. Since photography is absolutely vital to my existence, I accept what I see as a sign of a connection between myself and the outside, often hostile world. These images resulted from just such moments.

Portal was created at a moment of recognition. Waiting for ... was intentionally set up to take advan-tage of the sign of an impending, possible destructive storm.

608-223-0023 • studio@demaiophoto.com • demaiophoto.com

RACHEL DURFEE

A Sliver of HopeSeed

Seed: The protective shell of the seed conceals the possibility burrowing within, the dormant embryonic plant. Though displaying no vital signs, the seed is alive, waiting to be awakened. Unless it “dies” in the right season and under the right conditions, the seed remains nothing. But enveloped in the fertile earth, the next generation finds germination. Similarly, the caterpillar, shedding layers of revision within the shroud of a cocoon, awaits its “rebirth” as a butterfly.A Sliver of Hope: A sliver is hope pinned to a velvet pin-cushion, like a specimen sliced open, exposed, evaluat-ed. Whose word can you trust when life cuts you into

ribbons cascading to the floor? Hearts grown cold cease to beat with the melodies they were made to hear. Wait for beauty to appear. It emerges when corpulent flesh turned upside-down and inside-out births from onion skinned cocoon. A sliver is hope pinned to a fragile strand of faith.

608-231-3115 • rachel-durfee@sbcglobal.net • www.rachel-durfee.com

BARB ESSOCK

Lady in a CoatLady in a Skirt

The two qualities that inspire me the most when I paint or observe art work is how lively the movement is and how much design it incorporates into the work. The two pieces I have selected for Vital Signs have exaggerated the swinging fabric and bright designs to show how lively materials can be.

Since these two characteristics are important to me I have chosen them and I expect I will experiment more with other designs in the future.

608-221-2454 • ressock@charter.net

JANE FASSE

Untitled(glow yellow)

Untitled(glow blue)

I am no different from any other artist in saying, I can’t imagine my life without having the ability to make art on a daily basis. It’s in my blood, my soul, my brain. Every mark I make

, painting or drawing is a heartbeat. Every image is a breath. Art is my existence.

608.224.2322 • jfasse@edgewood.edu • colorpaintglaze.com

THOMAS FERRELLA

Endangered Wisconsin

Exploration is the simplest way to assay my work. I conceptualize a piece or a body of work based on visual clues and their subse-quent sensory perception. I then decide on the medium. All the mediums I work in are self-taught; hence my varied sculpture, photog-raphy, painting and audiovisual endeavors. Common threads exist though they are personally irrelevant. I want my art to be as free as my interpretation is of the world. Everything is fair game.Endangered Wisconsin is my artistic attempt at taking Wisconsin’s ecological ‘pulse’. I wanted to shed light on the destruction of our local environment and hopefully evoke an emotional response to the impending loss of some beautiful and vital species.

608-334-7275 • ferrella@tds.net • ferrella.com

RICK GABRIEL

Quercus ellipsoidalis

Nature is my inspiration for creating art. One of my main goals is to restore people’s relationships within nature: To help people understand that they are part of nature, and nature is part of them. I find that sharing the creative spirit of nature with others and exploring it through painting and drawing is very heal-ing. Through my art I study the natural communities of the Midwest, from the land-scape scale to individual species, and how people are interconnected with them.

608-294-8308 • greenarchitect87@yahoo.com

SANDRA HASPL

Looking for Signs of Danger

Capturing the intricacies of design, mood, color and composition of nature is a goal of mine. I try to achieve this through the art of porcelain painting. Porcelain painting is a centuries old process of repeatedly painting and firing in a kiln. This process allows a great deal of luminosity in my work.

608-276-8102 • northlightstudio@tds.net • www.northlightstudio.artistwebsites.com

SUSAN Y. HOFFMAN

Window DressingThe Life of the Party

A new dress doesn’t get you anywhere. It’s the life you’re living in the dress. – Diana Vreeland

Like good literature, art intrigues me if it successfully uses contrasts to support irony and a “what if . . .” narrative that invites a second look. The vital signs of both my pieces exhibited here originated in my obser-vations of clothing items which seemed to take on lives of their own.The Life of the Party explores the transformative proper-ties of a dress carelessly draped across a rather formal chair. It begs the question, “Who or what constitutes

the life of a party—even after it’s over?” Window Dressing offers a tropical interior antidote to a lackluster winter urban landscape, complete with a couch stand-in for rollicking teal blue seas.The style in each artwork is both loose and precise with attention to perspective, shading, and varying intensity—qualities that excite me as I work with a piece. Colors play with and against each other while moving the eye of the viewer around each painting.

608-241-1071 • lesuhoff@sbcglobal.net

VIRGINIA HUBER

Overhead ProjectorTime Passes

Vital Signs, to me, are indications that life is present and ongoing. Both of these paintings speak to the teaching that one generation offers up to the next generation, personally and professionally.Time Passes: This adult shares quiet time and the warm comfort of a cuddle. Time to think and process life together. Time to share space.Overhead Projector: Scientists in their own time use the technology and teaching tools of their time to share with the upcoming generation of professionals.

608-238-8880 • virginia@virginiahuber.com • www.virginiahuber.com

ELIZABETH IVERS

Sun Strike, Lake Monona

Distant Storm, Lake Mendota

As a watercolor painter, I’m moved by those aspects of the visual world that make me feel vitally alive. I’m particularly inspired by wide landscapes and large bodies of water where I can witness the movement of clouds and sunlight and storms. I live on the isthmus between Lake Monona and Lake Mendota, and I’m often drawn to their open waters to watch the beauty of the light and the interplay of sky and water. The weather’s vital signs, its ever-changing sky patterns, are a constant source of inspiration.

608-243-7782 • em_ivers@yahoo.com • www.elizabethivers.com

JAYNE REID JACKSON

In Dreams IIProtuberance

As metaphors for the human existence, my still life images are inspired by everyday objects and are the record of the lives these objects live. These lives are not still at all, but are changing as the elements and time work around them and with them. These images deal with repetition, reflection and fleeting moments.Protuberance depicts a common potato, a sprouting tuber that shows signs of new life and is cradled in an antique bowl that reflects the fragility and continuity of life.In Dreams II contains a faceted water glass, half filled

with water, and a bouquet of rose hips that dominates the composition’s foreground with its shadow fading into darkness. Whether the glass is half full or half empty, the rose hips a sign of bulging life or of decay are questions left to interpretation.

608-279-1857 • jreidjackson@yahoo.com • www.jaynereidjackson.com

EUGENE KAIN

Aricado #1 Aricado #4

I am always awestruck by those unlikely moments when life seems determined to go on despite the most severe obstacles: a log cut in winter that sprouts the follow-ing spring. These two sculptures focus on such vital signs, exploring the circularity of life and the possibility of rebirth, a theme akin to the tree of life in early Christian art.

920-748-9443 • genejacobkain@gmail.com • www.EugeneJKain.com

PATRICIA KELLER

Milkweed:Next Generation

“Vital”--from the Latin “vitalis.” Of or pertaining to life. As a painter of the natural landscape, finding a subject to convey a sign of life was not difficult. The seed pods of the milkweed plant are a familiar sight in the Wisconsin land-scape, and they are a favorite subject of mine.

608-833-1828 • pattikel@gmail.com • www.patkeller.com

HELEN KLEBESADEL

Where are the Bees? VI

Artists have dealt with the human relationship to nature for centuries. In my work I point out that humans are nature and that our survival is tied to our recognition that what we do to the earth we do to ourselves. There are many vital signs that our pollinators are in trouble because of human actions. My ‘Where Are The Bees?’ paintings ask us to act to save the bees and ourselves.

608-241-3078 • helen@klebesadel.com • klebesadel.com

LEE ANN KLEEMAN

Guided to Budapest by the Sun the Moon

and the Stars

The sun, the moon and the stars are some of the vital signs that guide migrating birds to their destinations. Hundreds of bird species stop to rest and feed in the numerous wetlands near Budapest. In this piece I’ve chosen to depict wild geese flying over Matthias Church in Bu-dapest, juxtaposing nature’s magnificent beauty with the splendor of a man made creation.

608-831-3453 • silverthreads@charter.net

TERRILL KNAACK

Unlocking of WinterApril on the Mississippi

Unlocking of Winter: The lengthening of daylight, the thawing of the brook, and tracks in the snow are all vital signs of life reawakening in spring.

April on the Mississippi: Water is the blood of the earth. The Mississippi River is the central artery flowing through the middle of the United States. It is a vital transportation and migratory bird corridor and impor-tant to the ecology of all life in the area. In Spring the river carries the snow melt from a vast area affecting all life along its path, including coastal wetlands and

eventually the Gulf. The greening of the prairie bluffs and flowering of the river maples are early signs of Spring coming to this river valley.

920-326-3532 • sunnyptstudio@centurytel.net • www.terrillknaack.com

MARILYN KNIPFER

Spring BrookEnthusiasm

My abstract work, Enthusiasm, represents life, energy and passion. To me, enthusiasm is one of the vital signs necessary for art and creativity. Acrylic paint, like enthusiasm, is spontaneous, versatile, dries quickly, produces lively color and unlocks limitless possibili-ties.Spring Brook is my impression of a creek that flows through our property. This brook with its tinkling sounds, meandering bends and flowing water for wild-life reflects my love of nature. The color green represents nature’s vital signs: life, growth, regeneration.

608-764-8211 • kniphaven@aol.com

CINDY KOSHALEK

Moonlight IIIHistory of Art Part II: Gauguin and Van Gogh

Share a Studio

History of Art Part II: Gauguin and Van Gogh Share A Studio: In February of 1888, Van Gogh moved to Arles, France to start a Studio of the South. Gauguin was invited to join him and share the space at the yellow house. For the next nine weeks they painted in the village and in the studio together. However, On Dec. 23 1888, there were vital signs that all was not right with their relationship. The studio is portrayed as the calm before Van Gogh’s stormy outburst. The signs are there in the claustrophobic at-mosphere. The tension in their bodies. History would soon change forever on that fateful day.

Moonlight III: The rhythm and flow of the moonlight on a field and meadow show reflections of a nocturnal landscape. The ebb and flow of the water and the moonlight create a melody all it’s own. The trees stand like statues barely swaying in the night. All of these shapes, forms and textures are vital to the whole of the landscape. Each element is a sign pointing to the next, until you encompass the whole.

608-845-7605 • clkart@charter.net • www.facebook.com/clkartzy

KATHRYN LEDERHAUSEVeins: This image shows the structure of the veins that support and nourish the “umbrella” plant with leaves that can exceed 5 feet in diameter. Healthy veins are vital to the life of the leaf. This plant grows abundantly in the tropical rain forest of Costa Rica and was supposedly used by the natives as an umbrella, thus the nickname.As an image, the red and green complimentary colors and light coming through the leaf give it a more vital feeling.Aging Gracefully: This image captures the graceful hands of my cousin, the veins visible through the skin reflect the vitality of 93 years of living and working.

608-238-5106 • reflectkhl@gmail.com

SCOTT LESH and KALPANA PRAKASH collaboration

How the Universe Turns (Blue Dog)

Fishpools of Heshbon

Fishpools of Heshbon: Heshbon, an ancient city described in the Old Testament, had two fish pools which were well known for being most clear and clean. Subse-quently, the fish pools of Heshbon came to be com-pared to the purity of the spiritual expression of love and understanding with consciousness at its core.In our painting, both in it’s depiction and through the process of collaboration, we explore the interplay between intimacy (the bed), fantasy/ecstasy (the fish swimming free of their two dimensional constraint), and consciousness or judgement (the empty chair,

grounded and serving as a silent witness). How the Universe Turns (Blue Dog): The big bang theory, re-visited? Here the universe is revealed as a kinetic interconnection of animation, mechanization and vibration. The imagery gives a nod to the ancients who had less knowledge of the workings of the universe than we do, but whose rich interpretations manifested in allegories inspired by a mystery that persists to the present.

608-238-7227 • scott@ledanse.com • www.LeDanse.com

YONGJING LI

Soft TouchThe Symphony

The Symphony: This abstract painting was expressive of musical theme. If painting is a visual language as music is an auditory language, both relying on their appeal to the senses, then no verbal explanation should be necessary to enable the viewer to say “Oh now I see.” “For me, painting is music. Just as music is governed by its own compositional rules and rarely references a literal story line, painting should also enjoy the same absolute dissociation from the familiar, representational world.” This painting was painted by heavy body acrylic colors on the linen canvas. The textures were created by us-

ing different molds and acrylic medium: Gesso, modeling paste, Heavy gel, gel medium and clear Tar Gel… The painting didn’t “abstract” reality, but provide their own reality, just as music did.To fully experience music, you need a receptive ear. To fully experience the painting the viewer needs to taste to color, hear/feel the rhythms, the moods, the music.Soft touch: This abstract painting was expressive of the theme for early spring field. Composition, which is geometry-based, provides a structure for the light colors of soft and comfortable feelings. This painting was painted by heavy body acrylic colors on the linen canvas. The textures were created by using different molds and acrylic medium: modeling paste and gel medium.With my work, there is a meditation that brings a balance to my mind, a sense of peace and quiet focus. Each painting is a new story waiting to be written. This is when the adventure begins; not knowing the direction the work will take me, and sharing this journey with others.

608-276-1838 • yjtasha@gmail.com • www.yongjingli.com

EFRAT LIVNY

Transformation – A Talking Stick

Transformation – A Talking Stick: My Talking Sticks are inspired by the Native American tradition of a decorated stick that was passed around the circle when important decisions needed to be made ensured that all voices were heard.As we hold the Talking Stick we are invited to listen deeply to ourselves and to know our own truth. We can then share our ideas, feelings, hopes, and visions with clarity, and then listen to the offering of others with compassion and respect. Each Talking Stick I craft represents an aspect of our life, an aspiration, inspira-tion or invitation.The theme “Vital Signs” brought up the notion of energy and specifically that of fire. Fire is the Yang element – action, power, passion and creativity. It is consum-ing and untamed. While it destroys it also purifies and opens the possibility of

new beginnings.The stick is a dried cactus from New Mexico, offering the interplay of solid and empty space. The quartz points that emerge form it signify the clear energy that fire releases. The objects on it represent the attributes of fire - upwards spiraling Kundalini energy, a connection to the sun (Sun God engraving from Belize), ac-tion (hand), passion (heart), alchemy (pot and ladle), and new growth that often follows (flower). The Feathers are those of ostrich and rooster. The ostrich represents resistance to change, as it is unable to take flight and is known for hiding its head. It is the shadow, the limiting factor that fire often removes. Rooster holds the opposite energy of wakefulness, virility and affinity to light. The Stick is held by a vintage spiral candlestick.This Talking Stick offers us a reminder of the vital power of transformation and invites us to look deeply into the opportunities created by the destruction of the that which may be limiting our growth and renewal.

608-220-8849 • elivny@sbcglobal.net • www.opencirclehealingarts.com

DON MACCRIMMON

Generation of ChoicesAnnunciation of a Choice

Vital signs may be construed as the ‘vitals’ recorded by nurses in hospitals and medical clinics : pulse, blood oxygen, blood pressure, lung sounds, heart sounds, etc. Other medical tests also may be construed as vital signs – blood cultures, blood analysis, etc. Usually each ‘vital’ sign relates to a corresponding body part: whether a blood vessel, liver, eyes, shoulder, etc.But my paintings deal neither with medical testing nor body parts. Instead I attempt to depict the dreamlike choices we all must unconsciously make; I believe such

choices precede medical events. I know there are poor choices : such as riding a bicycle without a helmet, or rancor and sarcasm – and good choices : physical exercise routines, the exercise of conscience, good will, and so on.In the painting Generation of Choices, human-like figures face in three directions. The three seem to combine into one. They appear among three cartwheel-like squiggles. Perhaps the figures are aware of the squiggles – perhaps not. They seem to be in stasis during an instant of unconscious decision.The painting, Annunciation of a Choice, depicts an ambiguous figure flying over forests and habitations. Per-haps the two squiggles point to two choices. But who receives them? Would it be a child, a twenty-year old, an octogenarian? Would it be a woman or a man? Wealthy or poor?

608-260-9363 • bardonmmacc@gmail.com • donmaccrimmon.com

MADGE MACFARLANE

Great for Wedding

Just Chilling: Just chilling may be the incubator of a great idea, a new attitude toward life or simply a peaceful moment to revitalize the spirit.Great for Weddings: Old glass jars abandoned to an antique store begin a new life-perhaps holding flowers, paint brushes or just being fun to look at. The future is full of possibilities!

608-238-3633 • madge@macfarlanefamily.com • madgemacfarlanestudio.com

NANCY MACGREGOR

Arboretum FantasyOlbrich Abundance

After careful thought, I have selected 2 entries for the WVA Vital Signs Show. I have chosen these two because they both reflect my love of very important nature venues in the Madison area: Olbrich Gardens and the Arboretum. Not only is the public able to view both of these places, but artists regularly flock to them. I take all my art student classes to these wonderful sites. Here nature is encouraged and nurtured. It becomes the best it can be. It shows how healthy we could be also if we tended our own selves so well. The

atmosphere permeates the viewer and stimulates the creative juices. In the watercolor, Olbrich Abundance, I tried to show the presence of vitality as well as beauty in this setting. The colors reflect a sense or richness and full to overflowing. In the acrylic painting, Arboretum Fantasy, I put a dancer in the scene to show my pleasure at being in the setting. I think it emphasizes the grace of the columnade and the vitality of the foliage.

608-824-0038 • nancymac@copper.net • www.nancymacgregor.com

SUZANNE MAILLETTE

Summer Storm

High winds, fast moving clouds and turbulent sea. Nature’s way of telling us there is a storm coming on, vital signs that give warning. Time to hurry off the beach, get your boat to shore, seek shelter, give others warn-ing. Power, energy, motion.

608-448-8966 • suzanne@suzannemaillette.com • suzannemaillette.com

MARIE MAY

Fallen (Snowy Owl and Pheasant)

Geisha II (Hybrid Flicker)

Part of a series I call ‘Drawn from Death’, this art is done from actual specimens. I attempt to draw the life back into their eyes and vigor into their limbs. No photography, just sit and draw. For months on end...In the image of the snowy owl and the pheasant, I wanted to capture their interlocking destinies. The death of one gives life to another. The ‘predator/prey - reaper/repast - raptor/wrapped up’ order of nature is a seesaw existence. Both must maintain a level of fitness and intelligence to survive. The prey are always with us and so shall be the predator.

Geisha II catches a hybrid Northern flicker preening, displaying her vivid multicolor wing shafts - hot red from Western brethren and sun yellow from the East - feathers more striking than any kimono, a living symbol of East meets West. I see the red dot on her head as a perfect ‘chop’ mark nod to Asian printmaking. Hybridization can strengthen a species, allowing for new adaptations to help individuals survive. Diversify and thrive.Amazingly, not one of these three knows how undeniably resplendent they are. They simply live life.

608-273-4950 • marietmay@gmail.com

GAIL MCCOY

Moonlit SanctuarySunlit Path

Opportunity knocked on my door with an invitation to a visual dance and I accepted. – Gail McCoyA few years ago I faced a personal crisis. That spring,for the first time, cranes came everyday to the field beside my house. From the first sighting I felt an emotional calm. It is as if these birds were the Vital Sign that after a winter of pain my life would soon be right again. I watched for them each day and they always returned bringing a certainty of hope and cour-age to start over. Nature brings healing. Cranes are a Vital Sign used in art to bring healing and

symbolize hope. These collages have a distinct, magical quality. Each piece offers a deep, lasting and vital connection to nature. Art offers the chance to find the Vital Sign for your personal journey.I find great joy in making art. I make collages portraying the beauty and emotion I find in the materials. I work with spontaneity and instinct to create pieces of movement and joy.To make the collage materials I manipulate the ink on commercially printed pages using a solvent. This provides paper to cut and tear into unique collages. I paint acid free white tissue paper with watercolor and matte medium. Pieces of the tissue are floated in the collage adding texture. Coats of matte medium and UV clear acrylic spray protect the collage.

608-837-4225 • mccoygkj@yahoo.com • GailMcCoyArt@Facebook

DEB MENZColor + ♥ : What is vital to me as an artist? It would be Color and color interactions - that is the “heart “of what interests me. No matter what the subject I am working with in a piece, it is color that I think about first. The interactions when colors are placed together is a never ending fascination for me. This piece takes 1 bright color in the heart with many colors radiating from there. The stitches overlap and change how the colors appear - it was hard to decide when enough was enough.

608-836-7875 • debmenz@tds.net • www.debmenz.com

JOHN MILLER

Fireflies

Recent scientific research reveals ever increasing information about the important role played by the microbiome in human health. A healthy microbiome on and in our bodies is essential to human health. We are healthier when our bodies support a complex ecosystem of other living things. Human health is much more an ecological science than had previously been appreciated. Destroying or im-pairing healthy microbes impairs our health and organ function.In my piece Fireflies I’m suggesting a parallel if not a seamless relationship be-tween human health and environmental health. My image focuses on a back yard and fireflies emerging from the garden and lawn as a vital sign of a healthy complex urban ecosystem. When insecticides and fertilizers are used in garden-ing we eradicate the complex balance between the many life forms that flesh out a healthy environmental space. The natural relationships between the earth, water

and life forms of our own back yards creates a more stable and self sufficient green space than does the chemical management of the same area. One vital sign of a healthy and natural yard are the pulsing lights of fireflies lifting up into the summer night air.

608-249-0640 • grayjayart@charter.net

PAT MOXLEY

STAY!Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope: When I paint, it is “vital” for me to see and consider all colors, movement and patterns. I will often rotate the canvas to better explore the subject, much like looking into a kaleidoscope.

STAY!: The word “sign” covers many common mean-ings and the list is long. The word “Stay” may not be considered a “sign” but that word can be crucial in the directions we take in our lives and careers. Do you “quit” a job, “move” from your home or “leave” a loca-tion? Do you “end” the unfinished work you began, or do you “Stay!” with the choices you’ve committed to

and make them work? Nearly always, I believe we “STAY!”

608-752-0228 • pemox@aol.com

VERA NIKIFOROV

SylviaRed

Red: The colors I mix on the palette contribute to a three dimensionality in my work but I also think of color as an expressive mode, a vital component of a complete and harmonious work of art. This back-ground color in Red may be a sign of joy or warmth or contentment. Violets and yellows, reds and greens, all vibrant complementary colors bring an excitement and a sense of power to the portraits. The brush strokes or the line elements make this painting dance; they are a sign for movement and activity as opposed to a quiet, sedate mood. There is a great amount of painting, then wiping out the paint. There is drawing and then

correcting the drawing, adding layers of colors and brush strokes again, numerous times. So goes the adjusting, the dance of making art, until there is a balance of design, drawing and color. I juggle all the elements while creating an expressive work of art that brings forth a personality and the oh so vital essence of a person.Sylvia: Sylvia, the painting, was a labor of love, but also an acknowledgement that Sylvia, the model, was in discomfort. As she posed for this painting she fidgeted, she closed her eyes, she wiggled and she glanced around the studio in a continuous fluid action. She gave me signs that although she wanted the portrait done, she felt uncomfortable having someone look at her so intently, studying her. Actual work on a portrait commences with a great deal of time spent on accuracy of the drawing; I am interested in having a portrait closely resemble the person sitting before me or the photograph of the person that I have taken. Once the drawing is complete I venture into color. In this case, the drawing of the portrait took longer than usual because of Sylvia’s movements. Addition-ally, the linework of the brush strokes and the colors in all parts of the work were selected to convey a sort of agony, a strong desire to “get out of this place”. The dark violets may be a sign of the level of discomfort Sylvia had; the activity of the line work was a sign of her nervousness and sense of foreboding.

608-288-8015 • vnikiforov2001@yahoo.com • www.veranikiforov.com

IRENE OLSON

Hot Spot

I chose both paintings with fishing and water features, because when I think of vital signs, I think of water as our most important resource. It is the thing all living creatures on this earth need. It is of utmost importance for us to know that even if we are enjoying the simple act of fishing or dreaming of it, we should never forget our Earth with all its frailties.Without water the earth will exist but as a dead world like Mars. We need to pay attention to the vital signs of our world.

608-333-2192 • blueiris720@yahoo.com • https://sites.google.com/site/blueirisgallery

CAROL PFLUGHOEFT

In a New LightLife Sparks

Think of cloud patterns, nautilus shells, the tops of mountain ranges. In nature, repeating forms and rhythms are everywhere. With time and patience, stunning patterns, textures and forms that repeat can be coaxed from manipulated mathematical formulas within specialized software. How can that be? Perhaps repeating forms know as fractals underlie everything in the universe.

608-838-9825 • pflughoeftc@yahoo.com • carolpflughoeft.com

MARK PFLUGHOEFT

Spirit Dancing in the ClayPolarization Series VII

Polarization is a sign of our times. We seem to pres-ently want to concentrate very hard on our differences and not so much on our similarities. But differences can turn into separation and if we’re not careful, contrast turns to conflict.I have found that making paintings based on differ-ence, contrast and polarization is a very difficult thing for me to do. Conflicts are hard to resolve visually, as well as they are in every other phase of life. But our country and our world is currently fracturing. We are a land-divided philosophically, politically, economical-ly and spiritually. And like with painting, these issues

are extremely hard to resolve.I suppose we create these polarized attitudes because we are fractured within. Unconscious anger, anxi-ety and self-hate are difficult issues to deal with. But why else would we be focusing so intently on our divisions if we weren’t internally divided. Forgiving ourselves and learning to love ourselves must be the answer, if our savage stone throwing is to end any time soon.These incredibly bizarre divisions are what our world currently looks like. Even though we are all simi-lar types with similar needs, we have driven spikes between us. Contrast and difference appear to be the necessary teaching tools on our current plane of existence, because from them we learn what to avoid and what to seek. So, I’ve decided to simply and abruptly desist from creating these painted symbols of our ever increasing fractured fairy tales, and my hope is the world will follow my lead.

608-838-9825 • pflugy@charter.net • markpflughoeft.com

JEB PRAZAK

Michael K.Boy Catkins

“I work on whatever comes to me in whatever medium seems appropriate at the time. Am merely a vehicle for an unknown entity within self experiencing life in huge gulps. She’s ok now.”Boy Catkins are the showiest blooms of the Pussy Willows~ which leads to girl catkins~ which leads to more pussy willows. These being the first harbingers of spring, heralding rebirth, I find ‘signs’ of this entire process, indeed, most ‘vital’ to everything!!Michael K. is a portrait of the very famous LA artist, Mike Kelly. On January 31, 2012, he committed suicide

at the age of 57. Within photos long before his demise, I saw a profound sadness, especially in his eyes. While on a walk one day, I watched these teeny-tiny, most beautiful little butterflies flitting about and later painted them pulling upwards on Mike’s shoulders. For some unbeknownst reason, I had at the beginning of this painting put a finger on the tie, which then became his “own button”. As an artist’s work hangs out for the world to view their most inner self-ness, Mike’s art portrayed to me a most challenged individual to find any solace in his self. Even though ‘vital signs’ of one’s self health are not always apparent, they do exist.

jebprazak@charter.net • jebprazak.com • etsy.com/shop/JebArt

JAMES RICHTERI approached this exhibit in the most literal way. For the past 7 years I have been doing a series of paint-ings I call “The Sign Painter” This is a exploration of others art and craft. Paintings inspired, one way or the other, by their work. The two subjects in this show are Shoes for Men. Inspired by a sign in Beloit Wi.Pharmacy Coke came from a April visit to New Orleans. I had painted this classic back in the 1990’s and did this different angle this month. I am intrigued by the thought of actual cocaine being used in early formu-la’s and how the word pharmacy has changed. This store is located on Royal Street in nola.

608-757-2170 • jimrichterart3@yahoo.com • artrichter.com

KATHERINE STEICHEN ROSING

Moss Line, Swamp’s EdgeFor the Time Being

For the Time, Being (created in collaboration with Mike Rosing): Water is a critical element on our planet, and as climate changes, precipitation patterns change. “For the Time, Being” uses a warm translucent palette, overlaid on digitally controlled L.E.D.s to explore shifting patterns of rainfall, critical nourishment to sustain growth in living things. Deviations in these patterns are vital signs of change in our environment.Moss Line, Swamp’s Edge: A moss covered tree observed at the edge of a swamp on Picnic Point displayed an unusually high water line a few years ago signifying one effect of fluctuating water levels.

608-238-2910 home/studio • 608-609-5583 cell • k@studioksr.com • www.studioksr.com

KERRY SHEA

Sunshine GirlCellular Dynamics

Leonardo da Vinci once said: “Movement is the cause of all life.” Innumerable signs point the way towards healing diseases which in the past were considered terminal.My ongoing fascination with science began early and continues today especially given the incredible ad-vances made in cellular research. Treatments for many diseases have dramatically increased the longevity of persons affected by numerous disorders. In my first painting Cellular Dynamics (which is part of a series) I selected many visually stimulating cells readily seen under a microscope. Some cells depicted are especially

meaningful (such as sickle cell anemia, cancer, candida, and AIDS) having known people suffering from these disorders. A complete listing of each cell is displayed along with this painting for informational purposes. I hope you enjoy working on continuing the pursuit of understanding how vital research is for our health.

608-291-0087 • cell 438-7345 • claybyshea@gmail.com

CYNTHIA SPRATT

Celestial Lights #2Celestial Lights #1

Celestial Lights #1 and Celestial Lights #3 are two paint-ings in a four painting series inspired by the solar, lunar, stellar and other heavenly lights (whether visible or invisible) that foster life on our planet. Without these heavenly lights, there would probably never have been any vital signs on our planet, let alone, the multidimensional diversity of vital signs through the ages. Not only have these heavenly lights fostered the vast spectrum of life on our planet since its inception, but they have also been a pleasure to enjoy and behold throughout that spectrum. One could even extrapolate that my four Celestial Lights paintings also celebrate

the heavenly lights radiated by all the souls who have ever lived on our planet and blessed us with their vital signs, their loving contributions. In fact, perhaps all forms of light we enjoy on our planet could be deemed celestial lights that foster the cornucopia of vital signs we witness and experience here.

608-240-4576 • cwrays@sbcglobal.net

LINDA STEINE

MomentumMotion

I wish to share my love of dance through art. My passion is the visual arts, however, I am also fascinated with the performing arts, particularly dance. Maybe it is because I have two left feet, I am not sure. Dance also brings to mind the Impressionist works of Edward Degas, one of my favorite artists, and how he used light, color and movement in his paintings. Degas used pastels in many of his works, and the media I used is charcoal and acrylic on canvas. The statement “Vital signs” as I interpreted it is about health, and today health translates into keeping fit through diet and exercise. Dance is about movement, it

is dynamic and can be performed on stage or in the privacy of your home. The finished pieces are not about the person performing the dance, but about balance, the flow of fabrics, and overall body movement

608-386-9457 • lindasteinart@gmail.com • http://linda-stein.artistswebsites.com

JEFF STERN

Ron’s7 Out of 42,000

7 Out of 42,000: Prescriptions, prophylactics, candy bars and energy drinks, all vital to a college student. So, siting a Walgreens sign on the UW campus will expedite the search for said necessities.Ron’s: To some a haircut is vital. This sign at Ron’s Bar-bershop leaves no question as to what business he is in.

608-233-6710 • jeff@jeffsternartist.com • www.jeffsternartist.com

JULIE SUTTER-BLAIR

Sacred Threads of LifePraise Song: Nest

Praise Song: Nest: Our one and only child will be going off to college in the fall. I have been considering the challenge of this change for the better part of the past year. This piece is embracing that change as a “vital” part of life, and worthy of more praise than sadness.I ran across the poem by Rumi, call “Baby Pigeon”, it inspired me in this drawing.(Excerpts from) Baby Pigeon“A baby pigeon stands on the edge of a nest all day. Then he hears a whistle, Come to me. How could he not fly toward that?

. . . Ask. Step off into air like a baby pigeon. Strut proudly into sunlight, not looking back. Take sips of this pure wine being poured. Do not mind that you have been given an unwashed cup.”

Sacred Threads of Life: It has long interested and fascinated me to consider connectedness, and how life con-tinues from one generation to the next. The “vitality” of a seed from a fruit is required for the continuation of that life. For me, that sacred thread is symbolic for every life, idea and thought.

sutterblairs@yahoo.com • juliesutter-blair.com

DON SYLVESTERNew construction in Madison is a sign of the vitality of this city.

608-335-1117 • dmsylvester@charter.net

BERNIE TENNIS

Found ClearingBody Builder – Beads

As an artist my long-time passion has been the human form, figuarative and portraiture. In recent years I’ve developed an interest in landscape as well. My goal is to combine these interests, placing figures in the landscape. These two paintings illustrate the long-term passion and budding interest. The first is a portrait of a young man, athletic, energet-ic, enthusiastic - pausing to sit for his portrait, but not willing to be still for long. The second is a clearing in the forest, figures moving through the light, finding their way. Together they represent me finding my way, and the growth vital to an artist.

608-669-4601 • bt@bernietennis.com • www.bernietennis.com

TRUDI THIESEN

Swiss Price

Pride in your heritage is a vital sign, in that we honor and cherish the memory of those who came before us. They made us who we are today. My Swiss ancestry continues be a guiding force in my life.

(608) 222-0182 • trudi.theisen@gmail.com • www.pheasanthillstudio.com

ANN THERING

Green Comma ButterflyMonarch

Butterflies are magical. My images aim to capture the amazing colors, vitality, and fragility of these tiny creatures. Butterflies can be a sign of a healthy patch of earth. Today we see fewer of these bright gems flying among the flowers of backyard gardens, meadows, and parks. Monarch butterflies are in steep decline. But there’s still hope: planting some milkweed can help. Butter-flies and other insects face many threats, and are very susceptible to the effects of climate change. Changing weather, including droughts and extreme storms, af-

fects the plants these insects depend on for laying eggs. Green Comma Butterflies lay eggs on certain shrubs, including willows and gooseberry. Perhaps you will see one in a forest of northern Wisconsin. Look for butterflies this summer; these tiny, beautiful things may inspire you.

608-836-1097 • acthering@gmail.com • annthering.com

LEE WEISS

Down to the SeaAbandoned Garden

Abandoned Garden: Neglected, but with natural survival skills, the old flowers rebloom even while new growth claims a place in the sun.Down to the Sea: Water – what is more vital than that! From the sea to the sky to the land and down to the sea again.

608-238-2830 • leeweiss@leeweiss.com • leeweiss.com

KENT WILLIAMS

Sense of DirectionClick

Click: It’s that split second after you’ve clicked on something but before whatever you requested has arrived. What’s happening is that the Web application you’re using is waiting to hear from the relevant server, and while you wait you’re presented with a graphic thingie—an arrow chasing its own tail, say, or a rotating circle of pie wedges—put there to let you know that progress is being made. Data is being processed.Thus has the “loading icon” become one of the vital signs of our increasingly digitized lives. Spinning in

quiet circles, it literally symbolizes the limbo state we now spend so much of our time in, waiting for the machines to catch up with our desires.Sense of Direction: They will become terribly old-school in the coming era of driverless cars, but warning signs have long served us well, preventing countless millions of accidents by simply presenting hieroglyph-like black arrows against backgrounds of cautious yellow. CPUs before their time, they have kept every-thing running smoothly—a sorting algorithm in which the bits themselves (that would be us) get to decide where they want to go.Where do we want to go?

608-251-1899 • rkentwilliams@charter.net • rkentwilliams.com

CRAIG WILSON

Blood LinesJuicy Future

Red. Liquid. Flowing. The central region of Wisconsin contains areas where cranberries are produced. These vital areas produce more fruit than any other state in the nation.

608-831-6770 • www.fromakite.com

RITA YANNY

transportflying leopard (in the garden)

Making art is a vital part of my life, personally and as an art educator. I find a sense of calm when painting or creating collages that combine images and objects from my own experience, real and imagined. Often I find myself exploring materials and attempting to capture a feeling at the same time. Whether or not the results are signs, or what they might mean, is sometimes mysteri-ous to me. These two pieces incorporate cloth, photo fragments, thread, pastel, and acrylic paint.

608-277-0251 • rita.yanny@me.com • www.ritayanny.com

SUSAN YOUNGDot Com: The Power of MinutiaeYears ago when I cooked and baked on a regular basis, I vowed that I would never use a microwave...no way! A couple decades after that I cast similar aspersions on the computer. I had no intention of entering that world of confusion. Just give me the simple life, a sheet of paper, and a pencil. Furthermore, in my ignorance, I despised all those rude people I was acquainted with who forever talked “computereze”. I did not want to hear about websites, passwords, or email addresses. And that was even before Facebook and Twitter.Well, time changes all things. (I think that is a quote from someone. I could probably find out if I googled it). In my painting for this show I am paying homage to some often overlooked symbols (signs) that we take for granted but which are vital to us in this digital age. What would we do without them? There is no ALT. We can’t ESC. Unfortunately these #!*%?/# minutiae are shortcuts to a meaningful and productive life in the 21st century. :)Now....as for those roundabouts! :(

608-274-0155 • sjysuz@sbcglobal.net • susanjyoungartist.com

PEGGY ZALUCHA

Sunset from Sunset LaneComputer Art (Red)

Computer Art (Red) is watercolor on paper. This paint-ing was started many years ago when computer paper was run through continuous feed dot matrix printers. At the same time, the world was fretting over what would happen in the art world as computer generated art was becoming known. This year, 2014, I completed the painting by adding the brilliant red background. I feel that this image of a prehistoric method of printing is a vital sign of how quickly this computer age is moving. There are kids in college now who have never seen this waste product of computer printing. Again, a

sign of the times. Sunset from Sunset Lane is a photograph on canvas (printed at Zalucha Studio). When I was a kid, camp-ing with my family, my Dad would inspect the evening sunsets and pronounce that tomorrow would be a great day. He was following the old nautical adage, “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s take warning”. There is scientific truth in this proverb and I delight in the long summer evenings when the red light in the sunset promises another good day. For me, just like for the sailors, it is a vital sign that tomorrow will be just fine.

608-437-7880 or 608-438-1435 (cell) • zalucha@zaluchastudio.com

RAY ZOVAR

Window 4Window 1

The Window SeriesThe window is something most of us have lived with all of our lives.This series depicts the window as a vital sign to under-standing where we are, who we are, our dreams, our past and future?With this series I ask you to imagine positioning your-self within the painting. So – which side of the window are you on?

Are you peeking in or looking out? Can you be seen?Ask yourself, if this window is a protective barrier or just an opening in a building or wall?If it’s a protective barrier, what are you keeping out, or keeping in, or both?Is this where you wish to be or prefer not to be?Is there a welcome sight or is there something you wish to see but can’t? Or is there something you should be looking at but won’t?Does the window express your aspirations or is this a porthole to your premonitions or another dimension or time?Do you belong here? Is this your painting, or should you move on to the next window?

608-838-6617 or cell 608-345-2991 • Ray@zovar.com • www.zovar.com