Out of the Ordinary

Our October exhibit features the work of clay sculptor Kerry Cudmore, painters Eddie Hall and Nick Williams, and photographer Philip Hopper. The show’s title, Out of the Ordinary, suggests the ways in which these four artists make use of unusual techniques to inspire viewers to see the extraordinary in things that might seem mundane.

My stoneware is opinionated. I use clay to explore social themes: misogyny, sexual harassment and misconduct, abortion rights, bodily autonomy, and incongruity and contradiction—calling attention to the seriousness and ridiculousness—between what we think and feel versus what we’re willing to share with others. Visually representing what should be obvious.

If you start looking, you would be surprised how many windows you find lying by the side of the road. Art and design elements have been applied to the discarded windows included in my work, transforming them into items of beauty.

I am a self taught artist, painting for the first time in 2018. Over my years focusing on the craft of painting, one of the main things I have enjoyed in my work is finding my own methods and styles, but have taken on some great advice and stolen some great techniques from fellow artists along the way. Originally, my work consisted of abstract experiments by automatic drawing with grease pencil on canvas and then creating a color palette and composition using that framework. This eventually progressed into painting on glass after an experiment with an antique window hanging untouched in my kitchen for years. I approached painting the window as a side project trying to mimic the style of Frank Lloyd Wright, but once it was complete and I returned to other work I found myself returning to the visuals I could achieve with acrylic paints on the reverse of recycled windows. In this medium, I saw an ideal presentation for bold colors and geometric patterns.

My process starts with selective removal of imperfections in the windows. Sanding, priming, removing hardware, turning the item into a canvas. Often planning is put into use of a depth effect by selecting windows with multiple panes or the gap within a double paned window. Once prepared, detailed work begins taping lines to create a framework and making decisions as to the placement of certain elements on the reverse or front of the window. One element that has become a focus over time is maximizing the interplay between matte and glossy using the reverse and foreground of the glass. The first brushstrokes put down are the most visible and all further work is an attempt to ensure those are perfected and enhanced. Much of the work includes razoring edges for crispness, layering paints in reverse, color selection, meticulously scraping away mistakes, and trying not to disturb or pull completed layers off of the glass while doing all of the above. In addition to everything else, I truly appreciate that these works have also allowed me to transform and reuse otherwise discarded items.

My overall theme and vision for my work is to present something simple, interesting, and visually pleasing to the eye. Often, further examination of the work will show additional detail and nuance, but through my work I am trying to create an image that draws viewers in from across a room while still maintaining a pleasing aesthetic. I want my audience to be anyone, to be appreciated by either an art critic or a casual viewer seeing a work hanging in a public space. As long as the image captures their attention, is visually pleasing to them, and generates some inner thought, my work has succeeded. I have had many of my works interpreted in the complete opposite manner than I intended them (an object rising as opposed to an object falling) and I do not see this in any as a shortcoming of the work, as long as it means something to the viewer.

Several specific themes have presented themselves in these works. Originally, many of my works were based on architectural images, semi-representational images of full buildings but expressing something additional with the color palette involved. As my work has progressed, many works are purely original design elements or based on small sections or elements of architectural design. A limited expressive palette of primary color shades at the beginning of my work has expanded to some works being an exploration of the subtle variances within one color. Experimentation with different mediums throughout my practice has found me incorporating varied elements like raw gesso, reflective acrylics, and opaque and translucent mediums. As my work progresses, I can only hope to continue expanding the possibilities afforded within painting on glass.

Overall, I will be forever grateful that I eventually found this medium of self expression. To me, the process itself is enough of a reward, but I truly love much of the work I produce and can only hope that continues.

I’ve spent a lot of time taking documentary photographs in zones of conflict. These areas include Northern Ireland and the West Bank. Images included in the DeBlois show, including landscapes, scans of seed pods, egg casings and more serve as a counter-balance in my life and life’s work as an artist.

I love spending time in the nature around Aquidneck Island and attempting to recreate those moments in my studio. Though the title is Out of the Ordinary, the October show’s theme is Unusual Techniques, so I really laid into my use of epoxy and had fun with it. I add layers of epoxy resin and paint onto the work to give the piece depth and motion. By adding some shadows and overlapping images between layers of epoxy, I can really maximize the depth of the ‘water’. I like to use repetitive patterns to add movement like with baitfish, grass/plants and bubbles.