Lori Frary, artist and gallery owner discusses with S.L.A.M. her passion for creating art, the wisdom and vision behind her Frary Gallery in Sarasota Florida, and a few tips for artists wanting to work with galleries.

I'm not Bart Simpson but I play him on TV © Lori Frary

S.L.A.M.: Let’s talk first about your art. When did you start this practice? Is this something you’ve always done, since childhood or was there a catalyst event that defined you as an artist? Or something else all together?

FRARY: I have been an artist from birth. I am totally a creative being. I started out with a crayon in both hands and haven’t stopped. I even use them in some of my current work. When my second grade teacher taped my Halloween picture on the door with a star…my art career was defined! The creative process is like one of my senses. I see everything in my own ironic way and express myself with art as easily as words.

S.L.A.M.: When looking at your work, one sees that you paint and create assemblage/combine work. Often marrying both in a single piece. Some artists find a groove and stick with it and others evolve through various media and processes. How do you see yourself and the work you produce?

FRARY: I have a very broad spectrum of knowledge about styles, materials and mediums. I use many mediums in most of my work. I will try anything and usually do several pieces in a series and then just paint sometimes. I have been told that an artist needs to adopt a style by which they can be recognized. What a load of crap that is. If an artist can’t be identified by their style, then they don’t have one. But after spending some time talking to the artist, one can see the bridge from one piece to the next. Just ask Picasso’s ghost. I think he’s still laughing at that assumption.

S.L.A.M.: Regarding your assemblage work, where do you find your objects and ephemera? Is there a specific flavor or type of object you are looking for?

FRARY: I use what I find and make it speak for itself. People bring me all sorts of junk…I often come back to the studio and find a pile of stuff like TV’s, papers and wire and anything else my friends have seen me use before. I’ve done the Dumpster dive many times and pick up stuff along the curb on trash day now and then. I like shapes of all kinds and like to re-purpose items to represent something else. I never buy anything…there’s an abundance of junk. I rarely use plastics though, I prefer metal and wood.

S.L.A.M.: When creating an assemblage piece, do you start with a particular idea or story? Or do you allow the objects you collect and find to define the piece for you?

FRARY: I usually start with one cool thing and build on that. It can be anything…a metal thing or a scrap of sheet music and I never get bogged down on a theme. That part evolves and some sense of sarcasm or irony will drive the work. When I get what’s happening with the evolution of the work, sometimes I laugh out loud at where my sense of irony came through. That’s the bridge I mentioned earlier. My intention is make you smile when you see the piece and read the title. The inner child should see shades of Captain Nemo or a Dr. Seuss contraption. There is also some nostalgia for the past and simpler times. Like that.

© Lori Frary

S.L.A.M.: Speaking of telling stories, a title of a work often reveals much about how one might choose to view the piece. Your titles tend to be great fun and often provide a sort of zen clarity to the overall experience of the work. Is this intentional? What comes first, the title or the piece?

FRARY: The titles are as much a part of the work as the visual structure. I will never produce something that goes untitled. In my opinion, a work is unfinished until it has a name. I’m a stickler for titles. Would a writer call their novel “untitled”? How about a composer? I don’t allow any untitled work in my gallery…mine or the other artists.

It’s rude or arrogant…or ambivalent at least. The artist shouldn’t leave that to the whim of the buyer. And the buyer wants the connection to the artists thoughts on what they think it means. Abstract art especially.

S.L.A.M.: On the Frary Gallery website, it states that the gallery was born from the fact that you simply can’t stop making art. What triggers this energy in you? What factors motivate you to create?

FRARY: I am 100% creative…that’s it. I have world class ADD and it is the way I cope with my brain wiring. If I go very long without making something art related I get pretty testy. When I’m working on art I go into what is called a hyperfocus. All else is tuned out. It is intense and soothing at the same time. It is my favorite state of mind and being. The biggest problem I encounter is coming out of it abruptly and not being able to go back. The art will suffer for it and I have to step away and come back to it. It’s tough to pick up the thread or state of mind I was in when I have snapped out.

Sometimes I can’t go back there and the piece then changes it’s focus and the irony is lost and turns into something else…or goes on the junk pile to be hacked up and used on another piece. It all works out in the end. But I pity the poor fool who interrupted me.

Camaro Parking Only © Lori Frary

S.L.A.M.: Two phrases are aligned with the Frary Gallery. Real art for real people and redeFine Art. Would you tell us more about both of these concepts? How do you define real art for real people? And how are you “redeFining art?”

FRARY: “Real art for real people” was the first slogan I used. I was looking for collectors of emerging and visionary artists. It was too vague and didn’t fly. I then coined the redeFineArt concept to better focus on the fact that this is a fine art gallery and that we hope to redefine what fine art is with respect to contemporary fine art. I want to take the stuffiness factor out of the myth that only the wealthy have access to great art. The sophisticated buyer comes in all wallet sizes.

S.L.A.M.: Some models of art galleries are based on membership, some are more conventional in that they may formally represent an artist, some are non-profit. What type of model is Frary Gallery?

FRARY: Frary Gallery is traditional in that the artists I represent have put their entire career building in my hands. I chose artists that are solely artists and aren’t interested in trying to sell themselves. If they don’t make it in my gallery, they are free to try another, but they so far trust me to build them a following so they are free to work on art only. Historically, most artists are not good at selling themselves.

S.L.A.M.: What are the benefits of owning a gallery? And what are some of the pitfalls, if any?

FRARY: The benefits are huge. But only if you like people and artists. I don’t have the typical artist’s mentality. I like to entertain people and I love all the quirky artists personalities because I am one. I can speak to them on their level and explain things about how the gallery has to work to succeed. I have only had the gallery for 1 year and have learned a lot quickly. The downside for me is I don’t have much time left to make art myself and that gets me frustrated. Once I get it stable financially, I can go back to making art again and all will be well with my world.

Club Cherry © Lori Frary

S.L.A.M.: How do you select the artists? What sort of process do they go through to become a Frary Gallery Artist?

FRARY: I have never done a call to artists. From the beginning, the artists came to me because they heard I was doing something different. I didn’t want mainstream artists. So as they found me, I found them. I ask them to come see me and bring me a few pieces. If they have something that sets them apart, I try them out with a few pieces at first and then put them in a group show. I make them co-market themselves by getting them to email their friends and past buyers to come. If there is no interest they don’t make the cut for me to spend my energy on them…or my wall space. I give them a try-out, but they gotta want it pretty bad to make me or them any money over the long haul. That’s what makes you an artist…you have to prove you’re an artist…in my opinion.

S.L.A.M.: What sort of clientele does the gallery have?

FRARY: My gallery is in the bohemian part of downtown in a converted theater. I don’t have much walk-in traffic. People who visit the gallery either come there as a destination or find it by accident. Sarasota has a tourist driven economy and is also a second home mecca for the wealthy and the creative class. Most of my clients are from the northeast and large metropolitan cities. They are looking for something unique, not mainstream. A lot of my sales are shipped to NYC and Chicago or Boston or Atlanta.

S.L.A.M.: Are you seeking new work/artists? In what areas or styles of work?

FRARY: I am always willing to look at anything different than what I have. I don’t believe in saying “we’re not accepting any new artists at this time” because I could miss out on a discovery and I would certainly never forgive myself for missing the next Basquiat or Thiebaud.

S.L.A.M.: What advice can you give the SLAM artists in regards to approaching a gallery?

FRARY: Boy Scouts motto: Be prepared. Making art is only part of being an artist today. The gallery needs you to help them help you. Have a bio and artists statement with multiple copies. Have a disk with photos of your work. Have professional photos of your work ready and in a portfolio to leave at the gallery. Make sure your work is titled and signed and clearly marked on the back or somewhere. Have all your info ready such as inventory and email and contact and pricing. In other words, be professional. If you make the gallery owners job easier, that goes a long way.

S.L.A.M.: What’s next for you as an artist, and for the gallery?

FRARY: Next step for me as an artist is to brand myself as an artist. FraryBrand. I’m working on getting in other galleries myself…and then I’m going to become an International Art Star. I like to think big, see? Frary Gallery will grow to multiple locations as well. I’ll be looking for another location by early 2012. Hopefully by then I’ll have students working with me making FraryBrand conceptual artworks. That’s how I intend to redeFineArt!

S.L.A.M.: Where can people go to learn more about you and the gallery?
On the SLAM network
www.frarygallery.com

http://www.facebook.com/frary.gallery?ref=ts

http://sarasota.anythingarts.com/profile/LoriFrary

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Animator, illustrator, cartoonist, and gamer Donovan Santiago is a cup floweth over kind of artist. A refreshingly positive outlook in personality and in work, he reminds us that work can be fun. 

S.L.A.M: It seems you’ve done a variety of things with a focus around cartoon art. You’ve taught, animated, and you seem to draw incessantly. What do you tell people you do? How do you describe it?

DONOVAN: Well, the first thing people ask after you tell them you are an Artist is, “Oh, what kind of Art do you do?” and I reply, “Ummmmm… I like to do it all, I do what’s fun in that moment but mostly Cartoony stuff.”

S.L.A.M:  Do you have a background in this area? What has been the path to where you are right now? And would you do anything different? If so, what? And why?

DONOVAN: Originally I drew to entertain myself. I was born in the Philippines and didn’t have too many toys to start off with when I lived with my Artistic Father, but so long as I had a crayon and a piece of paper, I had everything I needed to create my little worlds. Beyond that after moving to the U.S. to be with my Mom, I absorbed a lot of T.V. and Cartoons which further fueled my imagination. My Dad who stayed in the Philippines eventually became an Animator for Hanna Barbera over seas and although I didn’t grow up with him, I grew up with his Art. he’d mail me crazy random character sheets and other things he drew from Johnny Quest to Dick Dastardly getting his nuts chomped by a lobster. Awesome shit that brought these characters further to life in my young mind.

S.L.A.M:  When looking at your individual style, it’s almost an East meets West with a twist of a joint and a little Bob Newhart. Yet, there is a universal appeal or sweetness to it. To what do you attribute this? And why?

DONOVAN: Well I used to be a painter of light until Dr. Switzer told me to’ “STOP IT!”. But really I pulled my styles from what I enjoyed, both American Cartoons and Japanimation, Comics, Horror Flicks and Godzilla. I always tried drawing in different styles out of a combination of Boredom and Adventure. To this day, the more variety in my work the better but always with a cartoony twist.

S.L.A.M:  Speaking of joints, what sort of topics do you like to discuss at parties? Anything specific? What do you avoid and why?

DONOVAN: I feel like I can flow into whatever topic is rolling around a party comfortably. I only avoid talking about politics and the weather for the same reason, they are both powerful forces I feel I have no control of. And I’d much rather talk about Video Games, movies or some such funny internet junk-food.

S.L.A.M:  What or who have you been under the influence of, or inspired by? 

DONOVAN: Under the influence of and inspired by Terri Lloyd, I have it tattooed on my ass like a Cabbage Patch Kid. She introduced me to many many of those awesome Japanese Imports and Artists that were beyond the Library of my small town at the time before the internet. I think I’ve more than made up for that missing internet browsing time though. Aside from yourself, Dali for his perspective, Michelangelo for his diversity, Disney for his empire and my father. I was inspired for a long time by street pharmacists but once it was my job to push a bunch of little colored squares and make them look like something, those little colored squares would bleed into each other. I couldn’t have that. So I keep my dome razor sharp these days.

S.L.A.M:  Aside from the more esoteric inspiration stuff, what motivates you? What really gets your juices flowing? What gets you out of bed in the morning or late afternoon and moving toward the wacom or art supplies?

DONOVAN: Other great art inspires me, I know I joked about Kinkade earlier but I wish I could create light like that! Everything from seeing my little girls crayon scribbled ghosts to gorgeous graffiti that will just vanish like a sunset. Music inspires me a lot, I always have drawing music on and my pace can be dictated by my playlist. Just like my taste in eye candy my ear candy must come in assorted flavors and always be market fresh! 

There is art all around us, I’m like a sponge, I soak it all in and when my brain is full I ring it out and start again.

S.L.A.M:  What are you doing when you aren’t creating visuals?

DONOVAN: When I’m not creating visuals I am enjoying visuals haha! I enjoy my family, I play, I fly kites and savor every bite of my wife’s cooking, which is inspiring in itself. Then nap.

S.L.A.M:  If you could have your dream job, what would it be? Do you see yourself achieving this? Why?

DONOVAN: I feel like I’ve already had a lot of dream jobs. There’s always a silver lining, some sparkle more than others. I’ve been blessed enough to do design work on video games like, ” Spongebob Square Pants, Fists of Foam” and Cartoons like, “Code Monkeys” for G4. Basically do what I love and be able to live by it. But I even loved working at a Borders Books soaking up all the reference, and spent many moons at one of my first jobs working at an Arcade/Minigolf fun center. It was all more good than bad. 

S.L.A.M:  What are you working on right now? Can you say or are you under non-disclosure? 

DONOVAN: My current projects are under NDA. Just know that I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t fun. If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, what’s the point? But always working on my own art when there is breathing room. 

S.L.A.M: : What do you want people to take away from your work? 

DONOVAN: I only hope someone will be as inspired by my work as I have been by so many others on a daily basis and that all that doodling and daydreaming in class didn’t go to waste.

S.L.A.M: What’s next for you?

DONOVAN: I’ll probably have a snack. Then back to the drawing board. 

S.L.A.M:  Where can people visit your work? 

DONOVAN: I’ve been too swamped update but…

http://donovansantiago.blogspot.com/

http://g4tv.com/codemonkeys/index.html

http://www.myspace.com/ideamagnet

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Time for your daily SLAM dose.  If this inspires just one person in the world, then it has served it’s purpose.  Of course, we hope to inspire ALL of you slammers.   We happened upon an artist named Dan Joyce. It started out a little shaky, you know he is the stay up all night drawing and sketching kinda type. But, in the end the passion exudes and he shines with the best of us. Here is a little bit about Dan Joyce.  A true artist, he is up all night and all day with passion to play because for Dan Joyce,  “art saves his life everyday.”

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SLAM
What has been the hardest thing to overcome in your journey as a visual artist?

Dan
Bipolar disorder. True, no joke. Everybody mentions Van Gogh, but there is more treatment available these days and I’m NOT cutting off my ear! LOL and I guess periods of extreme poverty. But, those are always temporary. Sometimes, when I paint I feel as though I am not living up to a person of true talent, my technique but my emotions and creativity tend to surpass. I doubt I’ll ever be as good as the masters.

You could say my passion outweighs my ability, but makes up for it with my disability. If I wasn’t an artist, I don’t know what I could be. I’ve been known to check into treatment centers with brushes and supplies in hand. All said, it’s amazing I’m still alive. In a way, my art saves my life, it keeps getting better and I want to see the next work, the next day.

SLAM
What inspired the Kreepy Krush series?

Dan
I draw this young LA fashion designer named Alicia Silk. First, just to impress her, but she has exaggerated features like a poster for the Moulin Rouge by Le Trec. I thought it was kind of creepy that I keep drawing her. Then, I thought of all the women close to me that I admire and would like to know better, so I created an entire series. What it really does is make fun of myself. I’m good at that. I told one how much I wanted to thank her, not every woman wants to be one of my Kreepy Krushes. She said, “I don’t think we have a choice.” That was Jill with the car.

There are 12 in the series. Originally the 12 Kreepy Krushes of Christmas
but I was in the hospital over the holidays. It is fun and playful and most men relate to having an obsessive crush at one time or other. Most women would agree IT’S KREEPY!
To add extra humor, the final crush is a man. Originally, the two gay guys in my building but they were unavailable. So I chose a local gallery owner I’ve done business with, but i think it offended him :( I don’t know if he’s gay. Either way it didn’t work. Mania.
SLAM
So are you still looking for a male to complete the series? One that will not be offended?
Dan
I saw in the movie, 29 days, a man asked when in his sobriety could he have a relationship? The counselor told him to get a plant, care for it for a year, if it was doing well get a dog and do the same. Something like that. But no, I’m not gay

SLAM
Lol, I meant did you complete the series w a male?
Dan
I’m removing the male and adding a woman’s torso. Monica
SLAM
Ok, so what is Poemstory?

Dan
“A journal kept during a 3 month stay in a treatment facility. I later illustrated it with 100 full color digital paintings after I graduated college. A poetic journal that is my life. An epic, you could say or a “poemstory.”
SLAM
Hope this inspired someone today….Tis the goal of art – to motivate, inspire, and together we empower one another.   Life is exactly what you make it.  We want to showcase you all!  Please don’t forget about SLAM.  You can always donate on the front of the blog and be sure to join The SLAM Network absolutely free!  Love you all!
Now, please check out a few more selections from the Kreepy Krushes series for all you February lovers, crushers and haters. It’s over!  The flowers have wilted but the love goes on.  For all those kreepy krushin guys and gals….look how beautiful Kreepy Krushes  can be!     Peace and love – LG

For more from Dan Joyce Click here to Visit DanJoyce.com

Roz B

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VIDEO 1 VIDEO2 VIDEO3 modelrozb@gmail.com

SLAM caught up with Roz, a model

involved with our event “Live Art

After Dark” in September of last year and

this is what she had to say…

SLAM – Where were you born and raised?

Roz – Spanish/East Harlem… Manhattan, NYC, NY.

SLAM – How did you get into the modeling world?

Roz – I would always read the magazines and see the models… it inspired me… I love the art and fashion… the creative aspect of it… I wanted to be a part of that… I tried going to the agencies but it was a long time before I was signed. I just went door to door… knocking and calling… and offering my help to designers, artists, coordinators, organizers…
I started that way… and then I got signed…

Photography By W. Collins, Photo Editing By AJ Arts Make Up By N. Woodward

SLAM – So you work with an agency?

Roz – Slate, DK, Benz and Seven…

SLAM – So it seems your hard work got your career started…

Roz – Yes…

Photography By D. Dygert, Hair & Make Up By V. Turney of Make Up Maffia, and Wardrobe By C. Smith (Blackbird) of Blackbird & Raven

SLAM – What has been your best experience?

Roz – I would say probably the charities… it always feels good to give back…I’ve worked with great people too… I learned a lot from them… Sylvio Roubertto Kovacic is extraordinary…I learned a lot from him and he made me stronger… because he is strong… be taught me to be the best…
Doug Stevens – mua/hair stylist/photographer… I learned a lot from him as well… he’s excellent… such a good person… and he inspired good in me as well…they are both such beautiful human beings… I’ve been blessed to work with them…

Photography By c. Waite; Hair By B. Bakker of Gregory's Salon; Make up By Y. Hadad; Wardrobe By M. Byrne; Body Painting By S. F. Krajcik & T. David

SLAM – WONDERFUL!!! Passionate people always make a difference and I am sure you had your effect on them as well…what are your plans for the future?

Roz – I have an MBA… and I’m working on a doctorate… I work and model when I can… I hope to continue modeling and give back… help other models… take them under my wing… I also aspire to work in HR and teach HR as well as teach modeling.

Photography By S. Miranda; Hair & Make Up By T. S. Neal of Comfort Zone Salon & Spa ; Wardrobe Styling By N. Verklas of Bambina By NV

SLAM – Human Resources?

Roz – Yes… I’m a helper/giver… so even at the corporate level…I want to help people… you spend 40 hrs a week, a large percentage of your life, at work… you should have a positive/safe experience… I really want to advocate for that, especially in Florida, an “at will state”, very different from NY… I want to assist in that way.

Photography By D. Dygert, Hair & Make Up By E. M. Cingari, and Wardrobe By N. Verklas of Bambina By NV

Roz – Be strong… work hard… be professional… stay away from danger and harm… trust your instincts – read the signs… and have fun…Carpe Diem  cause models have a shelf life… an expiration date… the market/industry moves and changes… so adapt, reinvent yourself if needed or change your genre…

SLAM – That’s good guidance! You are an inspiration and beautiful to top it off…a winning combination any way you look at it! Thanks for sitting down with SLAM and best of luck with your future endeavors…looking forward to seeing more of you in SLAM!

Roz – Thank you! It was fun!

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LIZ WATKINS

Liz has been an artist from birth. She moved to Central Florida when she was six years old. Since then she has drawn her way through life. She has been in the Graphics Arts for more than 25 years. After 20 years of creating art for everyone but herself, she started painting.

From 1997 she has honed her wicked sense of humor into her art.

Her surreal, almost cartoonish style, is sometimes controversial or provocative, but never dull.

She served as Vice President for the Orlando Visual Artists League (OVAL), and had a studio at OVAL between 2001-2005. Her work can currently been seen in galleries, restaurants, offices, nightclubs, and discriminating homes all over Central Florida.

Liz is currently curator for Little Fish Huge Pond. 

http://www.lizwatkins.cc