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Experimental Collaboration in Abstraction with six fellow Albuquerque artists - we call ourselves
click on these links for our
most recent projects
2012
2011
2010 December 5, 2010 "Negative Space" October 17, 2010 "Personal Icon or Inspiration" August 22, 2010 "Extreme NM Icon" July 18, 2010 "Extreme Color Landscape" January 10, 2010 "Economy of Line 2009 November 22, 2009 "Self Portraits" July 5, 2009 "Bas Relief Texture" Jaci Fischer, Gaye Garrison, Betsy Greenlee, Rod Groves, Leila Hall, Jeff Potter, Elaine Scott and F. G. Yost It is hard to find anyone engaged in creative activity who hasn’t experienced burnout—those discouraging periods when nothing works and you wonder why you didn’t take your father’s advice and go to law school. Our group was brought together by a mutual acknowledgement of this debilitating feeling. As we discussed possible solutions to the burnout problem, we discovered that we also shared an interest in exploring ways to push ourselves beyond our usual representational work toward greater abstraction. We decided to meet every six weeks to share the outcomes of our independent efforts on an agreed-upon project and to decide what the next project would be. The projects have been fun and the outcomes exciting. All of us have different styles and painting interests. Our preferred mediums are equally varied. At our meetings we never fail to be surprised and excited by what has been produced. And we discovered an added plus. As we sit around the large table in Jaci and Fred’s studio, usually with a bottle or two of wine and assorted veggies and snacks, we find in each other and in our friendship both the reassurance to undertake new things and a renewal of energy and enthusiasm. Certainly a great deal of the latter has been derived from the challenge of our projects and the work we have generated, but much comes as well from being a group of artist friends who enjoy each other and an opportunity to talk about everything from the latest gallery openings to the value of new painting surfaces and interesting painting styles. And we’re not afraid to offer critiques and suggestions but all couched in mutual respect and friendship. What can be as stimulating as human interaction? In the beginning we had no intention of exhibiting our work publicly, but we have found our collaboration so stimulating and productive that we decided to share our work and process with other artists and persons generally who are interested in the world of art and the process of struggle and creativity. Our exhibit is intended to show examples of each person’s interpretation of some of the various projects we have undertaken. It conveys much of the diversity of our efforts and in doing so may suggest the kind of excitement and fun it has awakened in us. PLEASE VISIT THE INDIVIDUAL ARTIST WEB SITES TOO -see hyperlinks on their name Artists: Jaci Fischer received her masters in drawing and design and has since branched out into pastels and jewelry along with furniture design. Gaye Garrison is a well recognized pastelist who was a former president of the Pastel Society of New Mexico. Betsy Greenlee is an award winning printmaker and pastel artist, and also a signature member and former president of the Pastel Society of New Mexico. Rod Groves prefers to work in acrylic and has been a frequent exhibitor and sometimes award winner in local and regional juried exhibitions. . Leila Hall is a signature member of the Pastel Society of New Mexico with several awards for large and miniature works. Jeff Potter is a regionally known artist who paints both large and small landscapes in pastel, oil and watercolor and is currently the president of the New Mexico Rio Grande Art Association. Elaine Scott is a prolific artist who works with all media and is a committed abstractionist. F. G. Yost says he’s an old-timer but is a well-known figure in the New Mexico art world who finds enjoyment in discovering new ways to create paintings and other art objects that make him feel young again.
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JEFF POTTER WEB SITE
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Begun in the Spring of 2007, we (Betsy Greenlee, Fred Yost, Jaci Fischer, Leila Hall, Jeanine Allen, Elaine Scott, Gaye Garrison and Jeff Potter) were inspired by previous artist/ writer collaborations, most notably the "Scribes Eight" and we strive to explore artistic genres we generally have not thought about attempting. Abstract art came to mind and we chose to meet every six weeks and share our individual efforts at "making" abstract art from a commonly agreed "project" scope discussed at the previous meeting. Herein describes our journey. Gaye and Jeanine unfortunately had to drop out but Rod Groves joined the group in November 2008. Now (Summer 2010 ) Gaye Garrison has re-joined the group! We had a Group Show entitled "Destination: Abstraction" which ran during May 2009 the Art Haus 66 Gallery in Albuquerque
Below is a chronological listing of our efforts between April 2007 and May 2009 Note that hyperlinks to these pages are no longer available due to space limitations.
SEE ABOVE FOR LINKS TO NEWEST WORK |
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Copyright © 2007-2012 Jeff
Potter or Copyright © the other artists listed here 1019 Guadalupe Ct., N.W. Alameda, NM 87114-2325 505-897-8621 j potter@unm.edu |
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the DISTRACTIONISTS
