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Dayton Artists United: CL Pauwels

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Cyndi has been writing since a school play she penned was produced on stage in the third grade. Her first short story appeared in print in 1989, and since then, her short fiction has appeared in Mock Turtle ‘zine, Over My Dead Body!, The View from Here (UK), and other journals. In 2009, Lammert Publishing released her non-fiction book, Historic Warren County: An Illustrated History. A personal essay “Swirly Happy” was chosen for the Sinclair Community College journal Flights in 2013, and Sugati Publications has selected two of her essays for their Reflections from Women anthology series. In addition to writing, Cyndi’s portfolio career includes book editing (The Enduring Legacy of Kahlil Gibran and The Essential Rihani), teaching freshman composition as an adjunct at Clark State Community College, and serving as assistant director for the Antioch Writers’ Workshop in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

DAU–Talk to me about your grandfather. I think I remember you saying he was a source of inspiration for you.

CLP—My parents divorced when I was very young, but I was fortunate to have two very loving and involved grandfathers to serve as great male role models. I don’t remember specifics, but my father’s father must have encouraged my early writing efforts. I guess I shared my scribblings with him, because after he died, my grandmother sent me a notebook where he’d kept all my handwritten pages over the years. That came at a time when I was just beginning to consider writing seriously, and it was a tremendous boost.

My grandparents were all extremely important in my early life, and I’ve commemorated each of them by using their names in my novels.

DAU– I know you have experience in the criminal justice system. You’ve been a dispatcher, a court liaison, a deputy clerk, and recently you’ve run for office on the democratic ticket in Greene County. And you’ve been a published author since 1989. And you teach. How do you manage to balance so many things and find time to write?

CLP—Quite honestly, there are far too many days when I don’t. And that’s my biggest frustration! I’d love to be able to write full time and still pay the bills, but that’s not happening. For now, I try to make an hour of each morning before the day job(s) as my time to write. I shoot for 1K words per day/5K per week. If I at least come close, I count that as a win.

Now if I were under agent contract and on deadline for this next book instead of working with my easy-going small-press publisher, things would be radically different…at least I like to imagine they would be.

DAU–Tell me about moving to Yellow Springs.

CLP—We’ve been in SW Ohio since 2004, in Yellow Springs since 2010. I half-jokingly tell people we chose this area because of the Ohio Renaissance Festival in Harveysburg. We’ve attended at least once almost every season for more than 20 years.

In reality, after our kids were off to college and on their own, we took the advice Hubby had been giving to his tech students and moved to an area with better opportunities in IT. Rust-belt Toledo was struggling mightily in those days as the auto industry bottomed out and many of the tech jobs dried up, too. The Dayton area – and with it, proximity to Columbus and Cincinnati – was a good choice for us.

DAU– I recently read that Air Force personnel call Dayton a “2 cry” posting. You cry when you get posted here, then you cry when you have to leave. What do you think about that? What are some things you like about the Dayton area? What would you miss most if had to leave?

CLP—Besides the RenFest mentioned earlier, as a writer, I’d dreamed of the Antioch Writers’ Workshop for years, and that meant Yellow Springs. I never thought I’d be fortunate enough to live here. While I love to visit the big city – our son lives in Chicago, I’m a small-town woman at heart. Dayton is close enough to Yellow Springs that we can enjoy the great restaurants and micro-breweries, theater, baseball (Go, Dragons!), the Dayton Art Institute…without having to live in the middle of a huge metropolitan area.

Much like I still hear about Toledo, whose downtown struggles like Dayton’s does, residents don’t realize the gem they have until it’s not within reach. Both of those cities have food, art, sports, music – and more community than they often get credit for. But mostly? I’d miss the people.

DAU–If you had to leave Dayton, where would you like to live and why?

CLP—Oooh…with or without a budget? Let’s see – Ireland, south of France, Tuscany, Sedona, Taos…basically, small-town, sustainable living with accessible art, music, theater, baseball – and warm weather! Okay, I know Irish weather can be iffy, but there are trade-offs.

DAU–I know you’ve been working on Jadz #3 and audiobooks. Talk to me about where you are now and what’s next

CLP—My publisher, Crossroad Press, is working diligently to bring many of their authors to audio books, and I’m in the queue with my first two Jadz novels, Forty & Out and Burned Bridges. For those who haven’t met her, Jadz is a female homicide detective in Toledo with a needy widowed mother, a drama-queen sister, and ex who doesn’t want to let go, and a fierce drive to prove herself in the testosterone-fueled world of a police department. My 20+ years working in the criminal justice system help me infuse reality into my stories so people don’t scold my words the way I scold Numbers and Boston Legal – I hope!

My current project is a prequel of sorts. As fellow local author TJ Turner (Lincoln’s Bodyguard, Land of Wolves, Angel in the Fog) says, I’m pulling a Star Wars and writing a story that takes place before Forty & Out. And while Jadz isn’t the main character in this one (working title: Unwanted Ties), she’s very involved in solving the central crime and readers will learn more about her early life.

DAU–I read an interview with another author recently who said 80% of the stuff you learn at conferences is crap. Among the crap he cited the advice that’s given to “write at the same time every day.” What are your thoughts on conferences, crap and writing at the same time every day?

CLP—I’ve already addressed the “write every day” adage. It’s not for me, and I don’t know how it could be for folks with small children and two jobs and aging parents and…and…. We all have to find what works for us at any given time. As for conferences – it depends. I was Assistant Director of the Antioch Writers’ Workshop for six years (until it closed up shop in 2018 (sniff!)), and a volunteer workfellow for three years before that. I don’t exaggerate when I say its unique blend of craft classes and intensive workshop sessions made me the writer I am today. That being said, I’ve yet to find another conference that equals the format and qualities of AWW. I’m still searching.

DAU–I met your furry friend recently. Have you always been a dog person?

CLP—We weren’t allowed to have animals in the house when I was growing up (except for one very short-residence dog…not sure how that happened!), so when I moved out, the first thing I did was adopt a kitten (easier for a college student than a dog). We’ve had both dogs and cats over the years, sometimes together, in various quantities. We also have a dozen chickens now!

Our last cat was with us 19-1/2 years after being born in our daughter’s bed. We’ve lost two of our most recent trio of dogs in the past two years, and the “furry friend” you mention, Indiana (he came with that name!) is 13-1/2. He technically belongs to our son – who did not learn the lesson about dogs in college until too late. Indiana’s been with us over nine years now on long-term foster care, and he’s likely our last canine companion. It’s just too hard to lose them.

DAU–What is one question you’ve always wanted to be asked but haven’t?

CLP—”What is the meaning of life…the universe…and everything?”

42, of course. ?

Thanks so much for including me in your round-up of Dayton-area artists!

DAU–Thanks for talking to me. CL Pauwels’ books are sold where all the best authors are found, and her website is https://clpauwels.com/

Dayton Artists United: Matthew Birdsall

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Photo Credit: Melissa Bautista

Matt is a reader, writer, teacher, lover, and liver, not necessarily in that order. He is eager to read your comments and hopes you enjoy his thoughts, ideas, and positions. Matt believes that life is open to interpretation, and he hopes you take time to disagree with yourself every chance you get!

Matt has been a little corny his whole life. He blames Ohio. In fact, his first word was “combine.” Almost a year old, driving with his mom and dad in an old, green Chevy Chevette, he looked into a cornfield, saw a large machine, and said, “combine.” Neither his mom nor his dad were too pleased that their son recognized farm machinery before he recognized them, but they were pleased with the number of syllables he’d used. Matt still tries to disappoint his parents, but now he uses words like “mother” and “father” to lay it on thick.

Matt is the Managing Editor of the Mock Turtle Zine. Matt has recently published poetry in The Main Street Rag and The Poydras Review. When he’s not writing or spending time with his family, he works in educational publishing, and oversees a tutoring program for homeless children.

Matt recently sat down with Artist United for this interview:

AU–Mock Turtle Zine calls itself  “A literary and arts magazine dedicated to supporting Miami Valley creatives,” tell me about it. 

 

MB–We’ve been around for just over ten years. Each year we produce 2 issues. We’re coming up on Issue 21. Mock Turtle Zine was founded by Christina Dendy. Initially, I was published in the first two issues, and then I started helping with the publication. The current team and I took over the zine about 2 years ago. As always, we are an all volunteer staff. The Zine is free to everyone. All submissions are read blindly and judged on their merits. We accept submissions from all over, but the Miami Valley gets first dibs. 

 

AU–Tell me about the name Mock Turtle.

 

MB–The Mock Turtle is a sub-character in Alice in Wonderland. It originally came up in a conversation between Christina and Ron Rollins. I think Ron takes about 80% credit for coming up with the name. I like the name, but we are considering a change, just considering it for now, because we would like it to reflect Dayton.

Stay tuned…

 

AU–You said that Mock Turtle was your labor of love, do you want to talk about your day job?

 

MB–No, thanks. I talk about my day job way too much. Let’s just say that I work in educational publishing and technology. I love it. Let’s leave it at that. 

 

AU–OK then, let’s go back to the Zine. You said that submissions are open, and the works are blindly judged, but what are you looking for? 

 

MB–It depends, really. We value craftsmanship and originality. But, c’mon–who doesn’t? When I dive into a piece, I want to be shocked by the frigid water in the deep end of the artists’ creative swimming pool. After I surface and catch my breath, the piece should allow me to float, but there needs to be a current pulling continually tugging at me from below. With all that said, folks need to  know that there are times when a work that is really strong just doesn’t fit how the Zine is coming together. Maybe the work is too long for how much space we have. Heck, sometimes the flow just appears organically within the submission pile that overrides the merit of any one work. 

 

AU–Do you provide feedback on works not published?

 

MB–Sometimes. If someone asks for it. I think feedback is a double-edged sword. It forces you to provide a rationale for what you’re doing, and that doesn’t necessarily help. I think the thing I most want to say to people who get told “no” is that “no” doesn’t mean “stop”. Don’t get discouraged. There are so many reasons the answer might be “no”. I implore everyone to read “no” as “try again.”

 

AU–Good to know. Besides open submissions how do you reach out to authors and artists?

 

Pauletta Hansel

MB–We actively participate and engage with our community. Mock Turtle is all about community. We love to attend local events. For instance, this week was the Winter Solstice Poetry Reading.  Every year, friends of the Tecumseh Land Trust and Glen Helen gather for an evening of poetry in honor of the Winter Solstice. The lineup this year included the first poet laureate of Cincinnati, Pauletta Hansel, a Dayton Literary Peace Prize nominee, Moriel Rothman-Zecher, the president of Ohio Poetry Association, Chuck Salmons, and the mother-daughter team Karen and Alexandra Scott. 

 

We are also proud to have judged the annual Dayton Metro Library Poetry Contest in the past.  The contest is held (almost) every year in April in honor of National Poetry month. Winners are published in the Zine. It’s one way we reach out to new authors. We hope that those authors will come back to us–sometimes they do. We have rotating readers for each issue–all volunteers.

 

For the past few years, there have been fewer and fewer visual art submissions. However, we keep up with the Miami Valley Art scene. For the last three issues, we have personally reached out to prominent artists in the community for cover submissions. Hopefully, working with Artists United will bring in more art submissions. We want to publish creative works of all mediums.

 

AU–And the Zine is free? How are you funded? 

 

MB–Our funding comes from donations, sponsorships, and advertisements. Recently, we’ve supercharged our advertising online–we like cross pollinating–so our vendors get lots of social media exposure. We’ve also revamped our website to facilitate deeper community engagement. The new site makes it easy to donate or offer sponsorship.   

 

AU– How long does it take to produce the Zine? 

 

MB–Mock Turtle Zine publishes twice a year, spring and fall. Submissions come in all the time, so we have lots of material.  The spring issue hangs a bit on the Dayton Metro Library’s poetry contest, but with our great staff of readers and the attention to detail and layout skills of our Artistic Director, Melissa Bautista, it all comes together in four to six weeks. I am excited to see what the next issue holds…

Dayton Artists United: Samantha Mang

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DAU—Samantha Mang, tell me about yourself.

 

SM–Oh Gosh. well, I am an army brat. 

 

DAU–In an air force town, you’re an army brat?

 

SM–Yep, dad is a retired Lt. Colonel. Mom is a retired Drill Sgt. 

 

DAU–so, you’re not from Dayton?

 

SM–No, but I feel like I’m from here, or Centerville, really. I got here when I was 12. Before that we’d moved nine times. Having said that, I have to admit that, when I was younger, I wanted to leave here for someplace else. I might have even said “escape here” in those days, because I wanted something more exciting. And my older brother died here, and my feelings about Dayton were all tangled up with grief. 

 

DAU–I can see how that would influence your feelings. 

 

SM–Yeah, you know, but I read this thing recently I really liked. It said, “its ok to breakdown, just don’t unpack your bags and stay there.” It’s advice I’m trying to follow. I realize now how much brother shaped me. I can think of him, and how he liked to draw, and how private he was about his drawings–I drew too, but not like him. It’s funny. I won awards for drawing in high school, but that never imprinted on me as a thing I did. My older brother was an artist, my grandmother was an artist, my uncle is an artist. Me, I graduated HS and went to college for Early Childhood Education, then changed to social work.

 

DAU–So, how did you come back to art? 

I always do things backwards. I had a child. I quit my job to stay home with my son. After 4 months I was looking for something to do. I took a social work job, but that wasn’t right either. Then I went to this sip and paint event. I loved painting. I bonded with the person teaching the class and got recruited to teach classes. When that business sold, I opened my own business, Hang Loose Painting, as a place to teach painting and raise funds. Then I went to Front Street.

 

I told you my uncle is an artist. In my teens, I spent some time with him in his studio in Pennsylvania. He does copper plating and makes these huge structures. His studio is in an industrial building with a big freight elevator. It is such a happy place. 

 

So, I walked into Front St, and there was this big freight elevator. I was astonished! Here was the happy place. I actually took a picture in front of the elevator. Then I went upstairs. I HAD NO IDEA. I mean it, all caps emphasis with periods in between. I.HAD.NO. IDEA.

The community there. I wandered up and down the halls, feeling the undercurrents of energy, feeling the welcoming scents and sounds. It was a happy place. It was familiar.

Then I  saw Mike Elsass working in his studio. He was surrounded by people, painting and talking. He looked up and said “come paint with me.” He seemed to be talking only to me. I painted under him for two years. I started off carrying things, then organizing things, then mixing paint. All the time I was absorbing and absorbing. Mike is still one of my strongest mentors and supporters. I have my studio down the hall from his, and still occasionally help out in his. 

 

DAU–Your work is very different from Mike’s.

 

SM–Our life situation is different, we come to the work from different spaces. But I’ve learned so much from Mike. Before I painted with Mike, everything I did was intentional. I thought about the work and where it was going all the time. Mike taught me to think about the moment, to focus on the moment and relax. He taught me to push the mediums, to experiment, to let the work happen.

 

DAU–You’ve come a long way in two years. You’re selling work from your studio, you’re running your business and you’ve just curated your first show. 

 

SM–Yes, that was so much fun. Curating is a good place for intentionality. The show “Then and Now” at The Orphanage gallery featured 23 female artists. They submitted an early work and a recent work, the juxtaposition was supposed to inspire reflection. Certainly, viewers could see the progression. We charged a small exhibition fee to cover advertising and the costs of the opening reception. It was so exciting for me to see 23 women artists of varying backgrounds (and areas of the Dayton Region) come together to support and learn from each other.   And it’s more than just the show. Multiple people connected through this event and continue to work together to share skills and build each other up. Artists from the suburbs now paint in their downtown studios…….downtown artists have started visiting studios in the suburbs. ALL stemming from the connections made by their efforts at ONE event. It is very rewarding to me, to be able to create opportunities for people to grow and succeed. It is humbling that people share with me and invite me along in their journey. It’s amazing. I feel lucky to get a front row seat in watching their successes unfold .I think it was a successful event, people were talking about it and we had good sales from it. I’d like to put together another show. 

 

DAU–In your copious free time? Aren’t you also on the board for ARTfest? 

 

SM–Yes. That is Tabitha Peters-Guidone’s fault. I met her at Decoy Arts. First she asked me to submit something for ARTfest and then she asked me to join the board. 

 

DAU–Talk to me about ARTfest. 

 

SM– ARTfest is an annual  community event in Beavercreek that happens at the end of September. The idea is to showcase the art of our area. I’ve noticed that the suburbs and the city are really separated. At artfest, we try to connect our communities through art. It’s really exciting.  I am currently working with the ARTfest Board on hammering out exciting new details for 2020. Follow https://www.facebook.com/infusionartofthemiamivalley/ to stay updated on dates, deadlines, and more!

 

DAU–Tell me something you like to do in Dayton.

SM–My husband and I are looking forward to ice skating by the river during the holidays.  When we can get a sitter, we like to have lunch or dinner at Blind Bob’s, and usually find ourselves playing arcade games at Ned Pepper’s by the end of the night.

We have a young family and have been members of the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery for the past 6 years. That’s a great place for kids.  We like taking our kiddo to the Dragons games. Before it got too cold,  y husband and I got to spend a morning whizzing around Dayton on the new spin scooters.  That was really fun. We are looking forward to the Dayton Ballet’s Nutcracker at the Schuster Center and taking a glass workshop with Ohio Valley Glass after the first of the year.  It’s not hard to find things to do in Dayton. Our community is very welcoming. 

 

DAU–And what’s next for you?

 

SM—Having experimented with the use of salts in my work part of this year, I am excited to expand and enlarge my Salt series.  Currently the largest salt work I have is a 16″ x 20″ triptych on stretched canvas. I want to create a larger work, maybe double that size. Something that reflects my experiences with floatation therapy. I go to Gravity Spa – the only spa in Dayton that offers flotation therapy.  Floating in a tank of water saturated with over 1000 lbs of epsom salt promotes relaxation and overall physical and mental well being similar to the Dead Sea. It is one of my favorite ways to relax and relieve chronic pain. The epsom salt in the tank makes you buoyant and has a ton of benefits for the body.  I am thrilled that they’ve given me access to some salts to use in my work. Creating a work incorporating the same salts that provide me with so many benefits feels like a double dose of relaxation and healing!

 

Other 2020 goals, good question for this time of year! I want to show my work in Dayton,  I recently became a member of Dayton Society of Artists and am excited to get involved with their 2020 calendar of events. I hope to focus on drawing in 2020 – that will be a challenge.  I actually find drawing tedious and sometimes frustrating. But I believe strongly that it betters my skills as a painter and that’s beneficial. Plus it’s good for all of us to have some form of a little discipline, don’t ya think?

 

I will be looking into curating a show or two this year.  I don’t know when or where yet, but I really enjoyed curating the group show “Then and Now” at The Orphanage Gallery. Curating gives you a different view of art, you know. I turn back to my own process with fresh eyes. And then, there is all the other work and interaction of artists to enjoy. 

 

DAU–Sounds like you’ll be busy. Thanks for making time to talk to us. 

 

SM–Thank you and Artists United for helping artists connect with each other. I really enjoyed the last gathering at Wholly Grounds.

 

DAU–Then, I hope to see you Wednesday, December 11 from 6-8 for the next Artists United gathering. Spread the word. Artists in all media, not just visual artists, are invited to discuss art, the artists community, and the future of the arts in Dayton. Artists Create: Artists United Create Change. 

 

     

Dayton Artists United: Nick Arnold

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The Blue House Gallery and Studios began in 2014 when Nicholaus Arnold and Ashley Jonas teamed up with Blue House owner, Diana Cordero to create an arts center in Northwest Dayton. Diana’s love for the neighborhood inspired her to acquire and transform the large blue house located near the corner of Seibenthaler and Catalpa; which was a vacant property in the area. Nicholaus and Ashley had just relocated to the area after graduate school at Syracuse University and The University of Colorado Boulder where they each received their MFA’s respectively. These three worked together renovating and rebuilding many areas of the house; resulting in the creation of a livable residence and a viable creative space.

Today, The Blue House is a site of multiple artist studios, an exhibition space and soon to be artist residency. The Blue House regularly brings in artists and creators to collaborate and create in our space with the goal of betterment through the arts

 Dayton Artists United had the opportunity to chat with Nick about The Blue House, being an artist, and Dayton.

 

DAU-Talk to me about The Blue House, what’s your mission? 

 

NA–I guess I’d have to say our primary goal is to make difficult art easy to access. We like to show the concept and the process.

 

DAU–Difficult art? Say more about that..

 

NA–What makes a work art is not necessarily something that makes it easy to understand. The perception of art is that it’s a painting. A thing that hangs on the wall and you look at it. Art is more than that, its tactile, it breathes, its conceptual. For example, a recent Blue House exhibition “Worries Bash” featured virus-shaped talking pinatas that were filled with peoples worries. The artists taught computers how to worry, and people’s recorded worries played in a constant murmur until one of the pinatas was jostled or tapped, then a single worry would come into focus and then resubmerge. That is experiential art. You hear it. You see it. You think about it. Those virus shapes are imprinted on the viewer as tangible worry. Very different from a painting. 

 

Nicholaus Arnold

DAU–How do you find your exhibitions?

 

NA– We seek artists around the country to find things that aren’t happening here. Like a show by a performance artist and printmaking professor that was created from Trix cereal. Or the show in Minnesota that was a growing garden with Ikea furniture. We also collaborate and take referrals from other organizations, like The Neon Heater in Findlay.

 

DAU–You talk about bringing in work that isn’t happening here. Talk to me about the Dayton arts community. 

 

NA–Dayton is my hometown. I was born here, went to high school in Dayton Public Schools. Attended Sinclair and Wright State. I left to go to graduate school, met my partner and came back to Dayton, we thought temporarily. But we found a great community here. Everyone looks out for each other.  What’s interesting and challenging about working in a small tight knit community is keeping the work experimental. In the gallery and in my work I ask myself, “how do I avoid repetition.” 

 

DAU–I want to talk about your work, but I want to back up a second and talk about The Blue House a bit more. How far out are you planning and how many shows a year?

 

NA–We started out with 11 shows a year. Too many. We realized that some parts of the year are just harder to draw people in. January–too cold? Early January is not a good time for attendance. Summer is harder too. Looking at the flow of people, we reduced to six shows a year,  2 or 3 shows in the spring and 2-3 in the fall. We’ve got 2020 all planned out, except for some things in November. 

 

DAU–Does that include the residencies?

 

NA–We’ve got 2 artists scheduled for the next year. The residency is usually for a week, culminating in an exhibition, but we’re looking to have artists talks at local institutions too. The residency has changed over the years since we started. It’s an open call, and we look at who wants to come and what we’re planning. Aaron Foster the printmaking professor found us via the website. 

 

DAU-Let’s go back to you and your work. You are a photographer?

 

NA–I trained as a printmaker, sculptor and photographer. The Blue House has its own print studio, and I teach photography. Lately I have been exploring Dayton as an astronaut.

 

DAU–Can you say more about that?

 

NA– Initially, it started because my partner, Ashley, was away at a residency in Kansas. I was home alone, and started feeling isolated. I started thinking about isolation and how astronauts must have felt. I created a rocket and a spacesuit. I mounted an exhibition for a Third Sunday at Front St. My experience there moved me from thinking about isolation to disbelief and on to absurdist. At that exhibition, people came up to me and shook my hand and thanked me for my service. 

I feel bad,  I’ve been on this project a long time. I usually have an ending point in mind, but this started as the exploration of an idea, and it’s gone through phases and mediums. From isolation to seeing Dayton as an alien. Its absurdist now, but it isn’t over, I haven’t reached the ending point. 

 

DAU–Thank you for taking the time to talk to me.  

  

Dayton Artists United: Doug Fiely

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In 1964, Doug Fiely  was given a guitar which opened the door to both the visual and performing arts. That guitar served him well as he spent many weekends/evenings playing rock ‘n roll in Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. For over 40 years, he raised chickens, goats, turkeys, and children while teaching at Stryker Local Schools. Upon retirement, he was asked to teach Printmaking, Painting, Drawing, Art History, Figure Drawing, Color and Design, Global Civilization and even the “History of Rock ‘n Roll”, retiring in 2013 as Professor Emeritus from Defiance College.

Dayton Artists United had the privilege of visiting with visual artist Doug Fiely in his new studio space in South Park Historic District.

DAU–Am I right in thinking you are not from the Dayton?

 

DF-That’s right. I grew up in Celina, OH, along the lake. The lake was my early inspiration.

 

DAU–Tell me about the first thing you remember creating. 

 

DF–It was a picture of the Beatles George Harrison. In 1963, when the Beatles came out, I was interested in depicting things. I was a kid that always looked at things closely, you know. I would count the rings on a turtle’s back, examine bird tracks, and when I caught and cleaned a fish, I always paid attention to their scales.

 

DAU–So, you always knew you wanted to be an artist?

 

DF–Oh no. I just drew a lot. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I applied to college in art because a neighbor in Celina said my drawings were good.  I got in to Bowling Green on probation–I had a bad class rank. There was a lot of competition for college then too because of people wanting to avoid the draft.  So, because of the probation, I went to summer school there as an art major. It was hard. I had no arts education in high school, and all the other students knew stuff about art and art history that I didn’t. I was insecure about that—I liked all my other classes more than art.

 

My family ran a daily newspaper in St. Mary’s OH. I went there a lot as a kid and watched the print machines. In the fall, I got into a printmaking class at Bowling Green. I walked into that class feeling dejected about how behind I was in my arts knowledge. I smelled the ink. I saw the plates. Something just clicked, it was familiar, you know. I did my first etching. I rubbed the ink into a woodcut of an owl. I entered my print work in a student show, juried by the professors, and won second place. Printmaking became the focus of my attention, it was my comfort zone.

DAU-So, when did you start to paint?

 

DF–I thought the painters in my classes were brilliant. Especially the women painters. They could really see color. I struggled. The one of my professors, Bob Mazur, told me to treat my canvas as a print block.

 

DAU-What did that meant to you?

 

DF–Well you engrave a print block. I treat my painting like engraving. I build up modeling paste on heavy canvas and scratch into it, then I stain it with paint. It’s a more spontaneous way of working for me. I think in lines, like a printmaker. I wish I were more bold with color, that I could channel emotion into the paint the way my daughter Megan does. The scratch and stain method opens doors for me. I can see the lines in everything I am doing, fat fish, skinny fish, blackbirds, vegetables. I shape the lines and then let the color in.

 

DAU-You think your art is not emotional? I see it as very personal.

 

DF–My art will show a personal reaction to a subject. Like my blackbird series. I was painting these birds. I’ve got several blackbird canvases, but in this one the birds are dead. I was painting that at the time Tom Petty died, and there was that shooting in Las Vegas. I was painting these birds, and at that time I saw a dead blackbird in the yard. The details were just there. The same way you notice the details of George Harrison’s beard or Bob Dylan’s eyes, I noticed the details of that dead bird, it’s stiffness, the rigid claws. I was upset by the drug overdose and the shooting, and these dead bird details came through in the work. You can see how sensitive the lines of the work are–here (points).

Doug in his studio. Photograph by Bill Franz

DAU-You have mentioned famous rock musicians several times this morning. Do you think their music has influenced your art. 

 

DF–They influenced me. All the musicians I like went to art school. Pete Townsend, John Lennon, Ray Davies of the Kinks, Bob Dylan–some people say his paintings are better than his songs–John Mellencamp, Joni Mitchell–she’s releasing a book of art with song lyrics–Patti Smith–who was with Robert Mapplethorpe. Artists and musicians. Because of them I took up the guitar. 

 

DAU- Do you still play?

 

DF–I do, I even thought I might get some gigs, but when I looked around the music scene in Dayton, I thought, “I am not good enough.” You know, Dayton is powerhouse of diversity in the arts. In the visual arts you’ll see everything from urban non-objective to hyper-realism. There are so many strong arts organizations: The Dayton Society of Artists, The Contemporary Dayton, Front Street, the Dutoit Gallery, The printmakers Co-op. And the music is just as supported. There is really good music here. The musicians are way better than me. 

 

DAU-That’s what you thought about yourself in art school too!

DF–Yeah, well, at the beginning. I got four B’s that first summer semester at BG. But after that first printmaking class, I found my way. I’ve continued to move forward. I’ve continued to win awards. I am confident about my art now. A lot of people look at my work and think Fiely is traditional, Fiely is folksy. I look at my paintings and see composition and line, balanced. My work is hanging in people’s homes and in galleries. I am doing what I always wanted to do. But, it’s a struggle. It’s work. It drains energy, like cutting down a tree, it’s physical.  Art is a long haul. I don’t think I have gotten to the point where I’m done. 

Dayton Artists United: J.E. Irvin

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J. E. Irvin grew up in Struthers, Ohio, in the industrial north area of the state. The oldest of seven children, she spent her childhood caring for her siblings and reading her way through the shelves of the local library. She completed her undergraduate BA at Ohio University, earned an M.S. in Education from the University of Dayton and an M.A. in Spanish from the University of Cincinnati. Her stories have won numerous awards and appeared in a variety of print and online publications. A career educator, Irvin taught high school for 38 years and served as adjunct faculty in Spanish at Wright State University for four years. Her interests include canoeing, gardening and travel.

DAU-First, let’s talk about your new book. The Strange Disappearance of Rose Stone, available from Amazon and other fine retailers. It must be bittersweet to finish. I mean, of course you want to tell the story, but you live you with your characters for some time. When you’ve finished a book, do you miss the characters? 

 

JI – It’s interesting you should ask that. When I finish a book, the characters reside in me like beloved family members who show up at Thanksgiving dinner to provide an update on their lives. There are some who never come back home. Others insist there is more to tell. In the case of the protagonist from The Dark End of the Rainbow, Xandra Byrd, her story is actually just beginning. I have a series planned for her, but first I have research to do. I’m looking for a criminology student at Sinclair to inform me about the program and allow me to shadow him/her for a few days.

 

DAU-I know your Uncle Joe was an inspiration for a character in one of your books. You’ve also said that you never have trouble writing, that you have so many ideas. Talk about inspiration. And yes, this is a thinly disguised “where do you get your ideas” query.  

 

JI- Sometimes my head feels like a pot of stew, all these characters bubbling around, asking for their shot at the spotlight. I keep a file of interesting news articles, lines of dialogue, titles. The most demanding ‘voice’ is the one that gets my attention. Sometimes it’s a theme that inspires me, a contemporary issue, but most of the time, it’s a what-if question that keeps me in my writer’s chair. Since I’ve transitioned from short stories to novels, many of my ideas are still waiting to be addressed. The list is so long, I’ll never finish it!

 

DAU-One of the things I admire about you is your involvement in your community. You are spearheading an effort to make sure local school districts have lunch funds. Can you share the impetus behind this effort?

 

JI-In mid-October, I saw a TV news story about a New Jersey school that was ‘lunch shaming’ students who owed lunch debts. The report left me in tears. As a teacher and a mother, I couldn’t bear the thought of children going hungry or being shamed because their parents couldn’t or wouldn’t pay the bill. I lamented this to my husband, who quite calmly told me,” Do something, Jan.” I wondered if this problem existed locally. I found out that some districts receive federal funds to provide breakfast and lunch for their students, so they may not need food assistance. But those schools may need things like socks and shoes. As I contacted the district where I live and surrounding communities, I learned that, indeed, this was a huge problem, even in those areas seen as affluent. I created a group called “Take A Kid To Lunch” and asked my social media friends to join me. We now have over fifty members, two districts have set up donation accounts, and more are being contacted. The group will remain anonymous (no actual contact with the children). Speed and efficiency is more important than tax deductions, so I didn’t set up a non-profit. Donors send what they can to the schools. It is a quick way to make sure children are not humiliated and that they get to eat. For more information, contact me at [email protected] or request to join the group Take A Kid To Lunch.

DAU- You also have an upcoming event Christmas in Springboro, November 23 and 24. You are featuring a nice group of authors there. Can you tell us about that?

 

JI-I believe very strongly in being a good literary citizen. One way to do that is to support and encourage local authors. Five years ago I proposed to the Springboro Area Historical Society, of which I am a member, that we hold a MEET THE AUTHORS event in the Museum during the Christmas in Springboro festival. 2019 will be the fifth such annual event. This year twelve local authors will be at the Museum Saturday, November 23, and Sunday, November 24, to meet patrons, sell and sign their books. We have authors of children’s books, paranormal romances, mysteries, memoirs. I post brief bios of the featured writers on my facebook page every few days. More visitors to the Museum increase the Society’s profile in the area, and the more people who meet the authors, the greater the fan base created. Besides, books make great holiday gifts!

 

DAU-In previous interviews, you’ve revealed that you’re an outdoor girl. What outdoor experiences or places would you recommend for visitors to the Dayton region?

 

JI-Dayton has a wealth of beautiful areas to explore. For hiking, I recommend Dayton Metroparks, all of them, and for watersports, the lakes and rivers that are part of our region’s great resources. If one is interested in a little travel, spots like Caesar’s Creek, Paint Creek, and Cowan Lake offer interesting canoe, kayak, and fishing opportunities. And Springboro has scenic, recreational, and historic trails to explore.

 

DAU- I’ve read that you sometimes begin your story process by asking yourself “what if?”  and that your stories often center on secrets. What if I asked you what it is about secrets that you find compelling?

 

JI-Secrets intrigue, confuse, bewilder, and fascinate us. Although I can’t go into detail here, a long-held secret in my own family haunts me. Those who knew the truth are now gone, but I still hypothesize about what really happened. One day I may write that story. So it is with those other what-ifs. What we don’t know is what feeds our curiosity, at times to our own peril. These are the building blocks of a good story – mystery, surprise, suspense, and romance. Every secret contains one of more of these elements.

 DAU– Is there any question you always wished an interview would ask and how would you answer. 

JI-I guess the questions I would most like to answer revolve around the issues raised in the books. I love a good discussion. Not all the issues I raise are resolvable in an absolute sense. Why do I use children and teens as heroic figures in my stories? Because, as a teacher, I witnessed the resilience, hope, and strength of young people, and I want to believe that their journeys, as dark as they may be, mean goodness and truth will prevail in the end.

 

J.E. Irvin’s first novel THE DARK END OF THE RAINBOW won the Jeremiah Healey Mystery Fiction Contest at the Key West Mystery Writers Fest. Her second novel — THE RULES OF THE GAME — was published in late 2016. Her third novel, THE STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE OF ROSE STONE, has just been released. 

 

Dayton Artists United: Julie Riley

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Julie Riley is a Dayton visual artist with a studio at Front St. She sat down with Dayton Artists United at Wholly Grounds Coffee House, (825 Wayne Ave, Dayton, OH 45410,) for an interview on Friday, November 8, 2019.

DAU–Tell me about a book you’ve read that you like.

JR–I’ve been reading The Art Spirit by Robert Henri. He was a student of the Ashcan School in NY and an organizer of “The Eight,” a group of artists that protested the exhibition practices of the Academy of Design. The book consists of notes to his students explaining processes and helped them….. discover themselves. Such an interesting book. Also, I am a descendant of his, which makes it personally interesting.

 

DAU–What do you want people to take away from your work?

JR–I like to hear they have an emotional connection—-when someone reacts emotionally—-well, its powerful when someone finds personal meaning from something I’ve done. There was a painting I did, a large work, of three ice creams. This couple loved it because it reminded them of getting ice cream at the Greene together. They are a military family and they buy local art wherever they live. They lost their house in the tornado and they are buying art to replace things they lost, and they bought my work. It means a lot.

DAU–Talk to me about the Dayton Arts Community

JR—-Dayton is…well it’s surprising the number of artists we have here. It’s hard to meet other artists though,  we’re kind of divided up, because we’re all in our studios on First Friday–even at Front St–where we’re all in the same building–I hardly get to visit other studios. You want to be in your studio when people are touring. If you’re selling and marketing work, people want to meet the artist. But I like being part of an artists community, being at Front St with other artists is very helpful.

DAU–Thinking about your work, what piece or pieces would you like to have represent you in a museum in say, the year 3020?

JR–I don’t know. Maybe I haven’t done it yet. I am still evolving to the style I want to get to…When I came back to painting, a 56 year old introvert, people said it was too late. But you never know when your last day is. I could have 30 years of painting in me. I could die tomorrow. I asked myself what I would regret. I would regret not having tried to paint. I gave myself three years. The first year I sold 69 paintings. In the second year I’ve sold enough to have a few little extras. But you have to work hard and focus. I spend at least 40 hours a week in my studio. I treat it like my full time job. I set goals and work toward them. And I use my marketing background, 25% of my time is spent on sales and marketing. But 75% of my time is spent painting, and I am making a living doing something I love. You can make a living if you make the effort.

DAU–So, is that the wisdom you would pass to a young artist?

JR—-I tell any artist that asks my advice about painting to draw, draw, draw. Being able to draw will help you so much when you move into painting. And get instruction, in art, but also in business and marketing. An artist has to be able to promote herself. You need to know how to manage yourself, so that you earn from your work.

 

DAU–You came back to art at 56. What did you come back from?

JR–I left art and went into software for 30 years. Then both my parents were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I left my job,  I made a conscious decision to care for them. Dad has passed,  and mom is in memory care.

I decided to go back to work. I could have gone back to software, but I thought, well that is always out there as an option.

But I’ve learned from this. You know, mom is sleeping 23 and a half hours a day. I sit with her some every day, I want to be there when she opens her eyes. Sometimes she has just a moment of clarity, and I’ve learned it’s important to seize them. It’s hard, mom is just skin and bone, and it’s hard to see her like that.  I don’t feel bad about being the one to take care of them, I feel lucky. Its helped me be more caring toward everyone. And it’s taught me, you have to seize your moments.

DAU–Do you think your experience of dementia informs your work?

JR –I don’t know. I do these birds, you know. My mom was birder, like a real birder that would get up and go out at like 3 in the morning trying to spot a particular bird. In the memory care where she is now they have an aviary, and there is one particular bird she likes. I took some pictures of it and painted it for her.  My thoughts are of her when I paint birds. And my dad was an artist. He gave it up because of a thing with his parents. His mom used a painting he gave her as a drop cloth when she painted her house. She was not a nice woman. He never painted again. But he doodled, and some of his doodles find their way into my work.

DAU–So, your dad was an artist, and you’re related to the artist Robert Henri and his cousin Mary Cassatt. Did that make you feel like art is in your blood?

JR—-It’s a neat thing to look at the family tree and see all those people listed with their professions as artist. It isn’t a motivating thing. I didn’t become an artist because of them, but it feels like a support. They did it. I can do it. Maybe someday, one of my descendents will see my name on ancestry.com and the profession next to my name listed as artist. Maybe that will empower them to paint.

DAU– You said that an artist has to set goals. Is that one of yours, to be known as an artist?

JR—-I wouldn’t say I want to be famous. I would like to grow. Maybe have my work in a show outside of Dayton, grow my audience. I am talking to some people. I am working on that goal. Having that happen would be great.

DAU-Thank you Julie Riley for talking to us.

JR— Thank You