IN THE WINDOWS Mississippi River: Water Washes

I met Annie Hejny last summer, during the Women's Art Institute at St. Kate's.  She began this series of paintings then, collecting river water and combining them with her paints.  A subtle, worshipful consideration of the value of our water supply.  These paintings, that will be up through October, are especially beautiful at night.   Come by at night to see them glow.

Mississippi River: Water Washes

by

Annie Hejny

Annie Hejny was born in St. Paul and studied at the University of St. Thomas and St. Catherine

University, earning a double-major B.A. in Elementary Education and Studio Art with honors (2012).

Participating as a mentor and artist in the Twin Cities community, she has volunteered with Free Arts

Minnesota, blankslate theater, VISION and founded the PAINT Project, a collaboration between local

establishments to implement mural painting events in 10 countries during 2010-2013. Since 2014,

Annie is a member of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA) and the Women's Art

Resources of Minnesota (WARM).

As an emerging visual artist, she intentionally explores the spaces from her daily life and larger travels to create highly-saturated paintings. Recent exhibitions include Art-A-Whirl (Minneapolis, MN), 6x6x2015 (Rochester, NY) and One Wall (Chicago, IL).

She currently resides in St. Paul and works at the Casket Arts Building in Northeast Minneapolis. Last summer she participated in the Women's Art Institute at St. Catherine University. Most recently, she converted her single-stall garage into Gallery Three, a pop-up exhibition space for local artists.

IN THE WINDOWS: Fish Townsend

Fish Townsend

I am 37 years old, recently returned to my birthplace and married to my wife.

My paintings are a strong and consistent, ethereal grounding for my soul. I’ve never focused on training or technique; in fact, I’ve run from it. Something in me absolutely refused to be trained in art. Though I’d love to learn established techniques, there’s beauty in allowing space for the unmanifested. What has developed over the years has come from sitting with and contemplating the canvas itself, or the brush strokes after applying a layer of color. The images emerge in front of me and I turn the canvas until I’ve chosen the most intriquing landscape. I do the best I can to fill in the impression I've received with the colors and movement that will bring it to life. Because I never begin with a preconceived notion, whatever might be waiting there simply moves through me. I am ever in awe of what comes. Whether holding a concept, a person, musician, or absolutely nothing in mind, what arises in these moments entangles parallels that bring me back to this process again and again.

It’s another world, what happens. Otherworldly beings in an otherworldly dimension. It’s the spirit and energy, Divine Spirit, inherent and inextractable from the whole, whether or not in part; and it is glorious. My keenness for the lighting of the witching hour comes through, I think, helping to catch the unreal in the very real levels of perception.

I’ve come to see that this is the consciousness that shines through when I put paint on a brush, apply the brush to the canvas, and listen to what is there.

Of the paintings on exhibit at Susan Hensel’s Gallery, Gifts 1, 2, and
3 show the result of this process in 2007. Hope, Faith, and Love shows a later incarnation, 2010. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. 

Like her on Facebook to keep up with her work: https://www.facebook.com/EarthMyTemple

New Works by Marjorie Nilssen

 Marjorie Nilssen installed her show of new works in the Windows on Cedar today.  Marjorie is on the faculty of Ridgewater College, in Wilmar, MN.

ARTIST STATEMENT BY MARJORIE NILSSEN

My paintings are based on my long time interest in color, texture and unity.

While I am visually intrigued by nature; rocks, algae, moss, etc., my paintings are not

representations or ‘pictures’ of nature.

I am constantly amazed at what happens in my studio when I let go of ideas and allow the

various processes of painting;  melting wax, mixing paint, scraping, etc., to develop into a work.

It is the mystery of this process that intrigues and inspires me.

Studying under the direction of Larry and Paula Poons at The Art Students League of New York

(September 15-October 1, 2012) enhanced my artistic skills by reinforcing the significance of

color development and the concept of losing yourself in order to make a good painting.

I can still hear Poon’s saying “stop trying to make a painting!!”

Although I was aware of this concept prior to my time at the Art League this idea becomes

more clear to me as I continue to work in my studio in Atwater, Minnesota.

Below is a quote from Larry Poons that I really like:

“Ultimately, the issue with art is art.  And you really shouldn’t worry about:  ‘well….if I do this,

it’s not me.’  It’s always you.  That’s the important part of art:  that this thing comes through if

you let it.  The essential part of what you, the artist is, comes through if you don’t try to be so

overly protective of what you think is your way of doing things.  I think you have to constantly relearn this in your working career---that what you think you can’t do is what you already should be doing, and you’re just putting it off.  Simply because you’re afraid to lose yourself.   But when you lose yourself, that’s when the art happens.”

*From a 1989 interview with John Zinsser in ‘Larry Poons:  Paintings, 1963-1990