April 2013 Artist of the Month: Kathleen Crain
By Shawnees Peacock (MSJC Student)
Menifee’s own Kathleen Crain, a painter and photographer, has had a colorful life full of ups and downs, but has turned towards her undying love for art as therapy and to give her life purpose.
This mother of two juggled her family life while trying to discover her calling in life career wise. Crain worked as an instructional aide for 13 years, attended Crafton Hills College and graduated with an AA in Art. She persevered in her education and received a B.A. in Education and a M.S. in Special Education from National University.
Prior to her years of being a teacher and attending college, Crain’s life was turned upside down. She suffered from a brain injury at the age of 20 due to a car accident. She was in a coma for almost two weeks.
Instead of letting this accident completely sideline her life, she was determined to discover her path in life. She fully immersed herself in her education in order to achieve her career and life goals.
Although she did not initially see herself as a teacher since she originally wanted to be involved in the arts, teaching became an equally important part of her life.
“I saw the light in a child’s eyes when they understood something… and that’s when I decided that I wanted to be a teacher rather than go into the arts” said Crain. “I really love working with kids.”
Crain’s head injury occurred on the more creative and artistic right side of the brain, which she says caused her to become more of a left brained mathematical logical thinker. This switch proved to be helpful for her career as a teacher, but caused her to struggle more so artistically.
In an oddly serendipitous fashion, Crain suffered yet another head injury. This event caused her to make the decision to retire early from teaching, but it also allowed her to think artistically again.
Art has become a more integral part in Crain’s life now. Her long time love for arts and crafts has morphed into a slight obsession for her, as she feverishly paints and photographs the world around her.
Crain describes herself as an “exploratory artist” who paints anything and everything. Her artistic inspirations, Pierre Joseph Redoutè and Monet, embody her own artistic philosophy. Her paintings and photographs are similar to the works of Impressionists like Monet, due to her goal of “capturing the moment” in her works. Her work focuses on fleeting subjects in nature, like flowers, birds, and landscapes with changing light and shadows. The moments she encapsulates are unique and will never occur again in that identical manner.
“I like the idea of freezing time in my work”, said Crain.
Crain is also not afraid to try using different mediums within her works. Although the majority of her pieces are watercolor, she has also dabbled in collages, oil and tole painting (which Wikipedia defines as “the folk art of decorative painting on tin and wooden utensils, objects and furniture”).
Despite the fact she only came back to painting in August of 2012, her technique and overall identity as an artist have developed. She is still an active art student at Sun City Core and Mt. San Jacinto College. She says “Teachers and the community have been a valuable source since I’m not too sure of myself at times. They help lessen my anxiety.”
At first it was difficult listening to her intuition and believing in her artistic instincts. But now Crain has become much more independent and confident in her artistic voice. “I feel that I think like an artist now” said Crain. “I’m more willing to do things on my own.”
On on of everything else, she is also writing poetry along with the Sun City Library’s group and the Literary Arts Division of Arts Council Menifee.
Crain views art as a means of “self-expression and joy”. Her work illustrates so much more than this. Her pieces embody vitality, perseverance and the ability to create and enjoy the fleeting moments in nature and in life.
She says, “I would like those who have had head trauma to know that life may not be the same as it was before, but if they work at it, it can be better than they ever imagined”.
To view artwork by Kathleen Crain (and others), please visit Arts Council Menifee’s Gallery at the Kay Ceniceros Center (Newport and Evans Rd in Menifee) or attend a show at noon on Sunday April 28th at the Sun City Library.
March 2013 Artist
Artist of the Month: Linda Morrison
By Shawnees Peacock (MSJC Student)
Fate has an odd way of abruptly changing the trajectory of one’s life. In the case of local artist Linda Morrison, fate was the boost she needed in order to break out of her mold and discover her true passion for painting and for life.
Linda, a wife and mother of three, has lived in the Menifee community for the last nine years. Her husband has been her biggest supporter.
She created a name for herself in the corporate world for many years, having served as the CFO for various companies. However, the down-turning economy in 2008 prompted the real estate company she was working for at the time to make the difficult decision to lay her off.
“I thought, I’ve done the career thing, and I’ve raised my children. What do I do now?” says Morrison. Morrison’s answer to this question many people ask themselves is quite simple: find your passion.
Instead of letting this event negatively govern her future, Morrison made the executive decision to let it propel her forward. She forged a new path for herself both professionally and personally. Separating herself from the demanding nature of the business world and becoming semi-retired has allowed Morrison to discover her passion for painting. (She does continue to work as a freelance accountant and therapist.)
“I came from a career of intense left brain work, art has allowed me to tap into the right brain,” says Morrison. “Art has provided a venue to express my creativity. Once we get in touch with the things that alter our mood, that make us feel positive or happy, we need to integrate them into our lives.”
Morrison is still a newbie to the art scene considering she didn’t start seriously painting until 2008, but her works are a testament to the profound amount of skill she has gained in a short amount of time.
After being laid off in 2008, she picked up painting after watching instructional videos by the well-known painter and art instructor Bob Ross. He is best known for his television program The Joy of Painting on PBS. Ross stressed the idea that anyone can pick up the craft of painting and Mrs. Morrison did just that as she watched his programs, mimicked his technique, and soon developed her own style of painting.
When one views Morrison’s work, it is tempting to label her as a seascape or naturalistic artist, considering she typically paints ocean scenes, gardens, and forests. However, Morrison is an eclectic artist who is not bound by painting certain subjects or in a specific style. Her lack of ties to a specific genre or subject matter may indicate her desire to continually seek creative challenges.
This self-taught artist has developed a deep connection with the act of painting and even describes it as a spiritual experience. “[Painting] is very therapeutic.” says Morrison. “What I like to accomplish when people view my art is a sense of peace. Nature is very spiritual. When I start doing landscapes, it becomes a spiritual quest.”
Being a student of nature has proved to be beneficial to Morrison since she is able to illustrate the beauty of the world through her own eyes.
She does most of her painting either in the pseudo-studio that is her kitchen or in her yard. “My church is my patio”, says Morrison.
Morrison’s primary goal with her artwork is to share her passion and talent for art with others so that they too can discover the creativity that lives within them and find their passions.
She is an embodiment of the manta “It is never too late to follow your bliss”. Pursuing a career in business may have deterred her from becoming an artist earlier in life, but Morrison has no regrets about her decision.
“It took all this time to understand what my passion was”, says Morrison, but her journey to discovering her love and artistry for painting may have comeat the best time in her life since she is able to devote the necessary amount of time to developing her craft.
Some people may reach their peak earlier in life and fulfill their goals then, but some are late bloomers who require a little bit more time and life experience before putting their energy solely into themselves.
With age comes wisdom and the feeling of infinite possibilities to live out our life dreams, and artist Linda Morrison has accomplished just that.
Morrison’s artwork has been displayed around the Menifee community, for example at Mount San Jacinto College’s 50th anniversary and last year’s Taste of Menifee. She has even donated paintings to the local Animal Shelter to be auctioned off.
She is currently in the midst of painting a few new pieces and will be showing her artwork on July 28th at the Menifee Public Library in Sun City, CA.
Morrison also keeps herself busy by being in active and devoted volunteer for Arts Council Menifee.
“Arts Council Menifee is not only blessed to show Linda Morrison’s artistic talents, but we benefit from her willingness to volunteer behind the scenes at all of our events. She rolls up her sleeves and helps set up displays. She often serves as host by welcoming our guests. We really appreciate all she does”, says Bill Zimmerman, Vice President, Arts Council Menifee.
For more information on Linda Morrison and a more in-depth look at her artwork, please visit www.paintingsilove.com/artist/lindamorrison.
February 2013 Artist
Artist of the Month: PS Wagstaff
By Shawnees Peacock (MSJC Student)
From scriptwriting for television and radio to photography to music to poetry, to giving back to her community by mentoring aspiring writers, to self-publishing two books with a third on the way, author PS Wagstaff is undoubtedly the jack-of-all-trades.
Wagstaff is a New York native who has been a part of the Menifee community for the last three years. She has a background in advertising and has worked in the field of Radio and Television for 27 years. One would think that transitioning from advertising to writing poetry would be difficult. However, Wagstaff’s professional experience over the years has helped her hone in on her creative talents even more so.
Her love affair with the art of writing began at the young age of 12; however, she did not truly realize her talents until she was 16 years old. At the age of 16, Wagstaff’s younger brother died at the age of five. This hardship directed her into the world of writing as she began to feverishly type pages of short, free verse poetry. Adversity continued to confront Ms. Wagstaff as her husband, sister and mother and father passed away at various times in her life. Although these events were emotionally debilitating, Wagstaff was able to use her personal tragedies as a catalyst for getting serious about her writing and as a consistent source of inspiration that would end up influencing the themes in her books. Writing became the medium that she turned to in order to cope and grieve with this series of unfortunate events.
One can see the crossover that lies between Wagstaff’s own life experiences and her work. Her style of writing appeals to a niche market due to what she describes as its “dark, topical, abstract and intellectual” nature. However, the themes that appear in her books Beneath the Door: Poetry in Abstract, Paradoxes: Parallel Dimensions of Art & Poetry and her soon to be released book The Still: Poetry & Art of Time & Relevance are quite relatable on a large scale. Much of her inspiration is derived from “everyday life and things that are going on in the world that are not so wonderful”. Her attraction to more dark and despondent subjects allow her readers to identify with her work in a more intimate manner, as they are able to empathize with Wagstaff’s words.
A few of her favorite writers are; William Shakespeare ,William Blake, Sylvia Plath, Ted Hughes, John Keats, Ernest Hemingway, Rod McKuen and Jim Morrison.
Wagstaff has skillfully forged her own unique style of writing by creating her own genre. It combines the mechanics of the spoken word, unorthodox free-verse poetry, prose, with even a hint of a “slow, downbeat rap style that is indicative of The Beat movement of the 1950′s”. “My genre touches on levels to many readers,” says Wagstaff. This ability for readers to identify with Wagstaff’s works and understand that her thoughts and opinions while still being able to interpret it for themselves is exactly why Wagstaff is successful and why she is leaving such an individual and indelible mark on the writing community.
Her books interestingly act as a platform for her to experiment and showcase her other adept artistic talents as well. Being a self-published author gives her a greater amount of freedom during both the writing and publishing processes than she might have if dealing with a publishing house. For example, her own black and white photography can be found throughout her books as they tie in to her pieces. This creates a hybrid experience between the verbal and visual as the reader is able to experience the two in tandem – thus enhancing the understanding of her poetry. Wagstaff also designs the covers of her books, in conjunction with her niece, Mysti French who focuses on the layouts.
This author, artist and poetess does not expect to be putting the brakes on her work and creativity anytime soon. Her third book of this series, The Still: Poetry & Art of Time & Relevance which will be available for purchase sometime in February on amazon.com. It stays true to her unique writing style as she “explores the outer reaches of time. The relevance within our need to live, to hold onto time”.
Although Wagstaff is primarily focused on her poetry, she still finds the time to be philanthropic by serving as Menifee Valley Chamber Ambassador and also Lady Ms. 2011 Menifee Valley Chamber Of Commerce Queen. She now serves as Board of Director for The Menifee Chamber. She also serves as mentor through social media for other aspiring writers and is a patron and volunteer for Arts Council Menifee, as well as The Sun City Library Literary Division.
To purchase PS Wagstaff’s books, please visit amazon.com. If you’d like to stay up to date with her, please connect with her at www.facebook/AuthorpsWagstaff
January 2013 Artist
Artist of the Month: Michael “Junior” Reed
By Shawnees Peacock (MSJC Student)
The rock gods must be very proud of 14-year-old musician Michael Reed Jr. whose jaw-dropping guitar skills are paving the way for him to turn his passion for music into a possible career.
This Menifee-area performer may be young, but his music contains a level of maturity and refinement that many adult musicians are still working to find. While listening to a few of the original tracks that he writes himself, one can immediately hear the rock and metal influences from his favorite bands. They include Rage Against the Machine, Pink Floyd and guitarist Joe Satriani. Those influences are mixed with stylistic undertones that indicate a more diverse “mixture of funk and a soft Santana style”, which is how he describes the music he currently makes and the style he hopes to continue in the future.
Michael’s interest in music was sparked at the age of just two years old when he was introduced to the drums by his father, Mike Reed Sr., who is a talented drummer and multi-skilled musician himself. He has been playing drums since he was three years old. As a young man he recorded and toured with such bands as Wings of Faith, Final Warning, Cloud Merchants, Jupiter 6, and Deliverance (which appeared on MTV’s Headbangers Ball in the 80′s).
Over time young Michael and his father have naturally become a father-son duo who creatively influence one another when it comes to making music. He notes that his father is one his biggest musical influences, in part because he taught him to never give up.
Michael received his first guitar when he was 10 years old and soon performed at a talent show at Crown Hill Elementary school when he was in 5th grade. He found he was irresistibly drawn to music, the guitar and performing in front of live audiences. He learned some of the basics from his dad and then more from local highly-esteemed flamenco guitarist Charles Curinga. (He still studies with him at Sounds of Music / The Vault in Temecula).
Michael’s guitar-playing and musical skills come from a mixture of natural talent and many hours of practice. From a young age he has had an exceptional ear for music as a result of being exposed to various styles, bands, and artists (all of whom are older than he is). This natural affinity for music has allowed him to become proficient on not only the guitar and drums but also the saxophone, bass guitar and piano.
Now in 9th grade, Michael is in the midst of forming a band and recording some tracks. (His sister Aleksis plays bass occasionally when Junior asks for a jam session.) He can play both acoustic and electric guitar, but prefers the latter. He is collaborating with local and non-local artists in the hopes of creating music for a demo recording that he hopes to release soon. He has written and copyrighted songs (but does not write lyrics). He’s seeking sponsorship from Gibson and Ibanez, two of the top guitar manufacturers.
This young, hard-working musician is definitely on a path leading towards success and to fulfilling his goal of making music professionally.
You can see more of Michael “Junior” Reed at his Facebook page, which is under JR Reed Band. On YouTube.com, search by shanareed1 to see some of his performances.
He can be seen live on Sunday afternoons jamming with blues players at Bratts in Temecula. He hopes to play at the Vault in late January and at the Annual Menifee Jam Fest.
Be sure to hear him play at Arts Council Menifee’s Menifee’s Got Talent, which will be held this year at Paloma High School theater, on April 5, 6 and 7. Last year, he won.
December 2012 Artist
Carol South, an esteemed and talented artist, also works to help other Menifee artists. Her work with fellow Trustee Kathleen Pickett has led to the opening of the the Arts Council Menifee Gallery. Visit it and see works by many local painters and photographers. Free admission and open Monday – Friday 9-5. Address Kay Ceniceros Center, 29995 Evans Rd, Menifee (corner of Newport and Evans Roads).
Carol J. South
Art Biography
Artist Carol J. South utilizes a wide variety of media and techniques to create her award-winning art work. The subject matter inspires her selection of oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, colored pencil, mixed-media, printmaking or collage to render the image.
South ‘s photo-realistic images fascinate without tiring the viewer’s eyes. As a small child growing up in New Mexico, her introduction to painting was her mother, an award-winning, professional photo-colorist who applied transparent oils to sepia-toned portrait photographs. South’s early portrait painting instruction has enabled her to produce life-like portraits.
Following a successful business career, South’s interest in art re-surfaced in the 80’s when she discovered the beauty of watercolor under the instruction of Newport Beach professional artist, Ruth Hynd. South pursued her passion by taking every art-related class offered by Irvine Valley Community College and Saddleback Community College while maintaining Honor Society eligibility. A two-week art workshop at La Romita, Umbria, Italy, provided an introduction to printmaking and embossing techniques. Upon moving from Orange County to The Oasis Community in Menifee, South founded the Oasis Fine Arts Group, serving as president for four years as well as teaching oil painting and drawing classes.
South is a Founding Member and Trustee of the Arts Council Menifee, member of the Oasis Fine Arts Group, Fallbrook Art Association and Fallbrook Art Center Artist’s Guild.
Website: carol-j-south.artistwebsites.com Email ACM’s Visual Arts Division for Carol’s email address etc.
