ART & PROCESS
Intro by: Sabrina Dana Plasse
An artist and his or her process are distinctive and often personal in form and function. In this issue of Western Home Journal, we dive into the artist’s creative meditation and its result in unique and collectible works of fine art. Covering a range of artists with various mediums, from mosaic and mixed media to concrete art, sculpture, and painting, WHJ provides a sampling of processes. It’s an examination of a collection of work that is not only interesting and educational but also fulfills a desire to collect based on a sublime love of art. Read about the multi works of Bex Wilkinson, the continuous study of concrete art by Jon Nasvik, the mosaic works of Susan Wechsler, and Gail Severn Gallery’s prominent artists painter Lynda Lowe and painter and sculptor Alexander Rohrig. The work and purpose of each artist provide a deep understanding of why we embrace fine art and artists.
Bex Wilkinson Art
EMBRACING LIFE AS AN ARTIST
by: Sabrina Dana Plasse
The prolific work of mixed media artist Bex Wilkinson channels what weighs on the collective unconscious using symbols and iconography to guide viewers into what she sees as the “unending cycle of karma.” Influenced by counterculture comic book artist and social satirist Robert Crumb and Pulitzer Prize winning artist and illustrator Art Spiegelman, Wilkinson’s paintings invite the viewer to engage with the catastrophic daily headlines and their demons but from a distance and with light hearted cynicism. In parallel, the subjects of Wilkinson’s contemporary works often reveal themselves as archetypes of Jungian psychology.
“I admire underground artists, the German Expressionists, and artists like Vincent Van Gogh, who was his own person and didn’t fit into society but created thousands of works,” she says.
“ART SHOULD ELEVATE THE SOUL. IT SHOULD ASK QUESTIONS THAT MAY NOT NECESSARILY HAVE ANSWERS.”
–Bex Wilkinson, Artist
In her spacious attic studio in Bellevue, Idaho, Wilkinson works vigorously and astonishingly, as she has been involved in five shows in three months, including a solo show in New York City. Each series and work of art is unique and intriguing, commanding attention with subjects ranging from politics and spirituality to personal angst and the environment. Wilkinson explains her return to painting after a 20 year hiatus as a mental parachute that helped her deal with the trauma of the loss of her spouse to suicide. Art saved her, allowing her to freely express things that were not only held in her own mind but also sought an outlet for release.
“I’m not a commercial artist or a fine art artist. I’m an artist,” says Wilkinson. “I’m an artist because I need and must do this work. I don’t have a choice in the matter. This resonates with certain people and doesn’t with others, as one must have an understanding of art history, expressionism, and contemporary culture to connect to my work. My expression is one hundred percent about the reflection of contemporary culture and the contradictory nature of our con temporary society how we’re supposed to feel as opposed to what’s actually happening.”
Birds are a significant element in and addition to Bex’s work, especially in her collection of still life pieces. They are also included in many of her mixed media works, as they are a subject that reflects her perspective on the current state of life as it exists. “I paint dead birds,” she says. “They hit windows and die, which is a major issue because over a billion migrating birds die each year hitting windows. They also perish from climate change, cats, and culture infiltration into their natural habitats. There is a desperation of culture and humanity that needs to change to survive it’s a pivotal time so my art reflects this angst.”
Influenced by her Chicago roots and upbringing, Bex was educated and exposed to groundbreaking art and artists. She was surrounded by monumental works of art collected by her family, and there was also a vibrant arts scene in Chicago, including artists The Hairy Who, Judy Chicago, and Leon Golub, to
“MY EXPRESSION IS ONE HUNDRED PERCENT ABOUT THE REFLECTION OF CONTEMPORARY CULTURE AND THE CONTRADICTORY NATURE OF OUR CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY—HOW WE’RE SUPPOSED TO FEEL AS OPPOSED TO WHAT’S ACTUALLY HAPPENING.”
–Bex Wilkinson, Artist
Bex Wilkinson Art: bexwilkinson.com
Larsen Building Creatives 117 South Main Street Bellevue
name a few. These artists reflected upon a lens that confronted contemporary society about women’s rights, racism, and civil rights, which continue to exist. Her recent two person show, In Conversation, reflected how these artists have manifested in Wilkinson’s body of work with a raw but pointed style congruent with the 21st century. She recently completed her epic “Alphabet Series,” a collection that needs no explanation as it covers everything from A to Z.
Working in acrylic, gouache, and pastel along with plaster casting, encaustic, and glass, there are no limits to Wilkinson’s expression, especially when it includes painting on a black background with neon and added glitter it’s a style unique to her. It’s also Wilkinson’s approach to serious subjects, with the addition of her endless intellectual humor, always in play, and the comedic relief it’s tongue in cheek but sophisticated for her deep and meaningful messages. Yet, Wilkinson is serious about her mission and the “madness” that exists dubbing her studio The Mad House, allowing her to bring uncomfortable topics and issues to the forefront, which she addresses through her art and creative sensibilities.
“Art should elevate the soul. It should ask questions that may not necessarily have answers,” she says. “What is life all about? Who am I? How am I going to die? These questions and so many more come to mind, and I want my work to confront the viewer to think about…it’s important to be provocative.”
Contrasting Approaches to Nature & Form
LYNDA LOWE & ALEXANDER ROHRIG AT GAIL SEVERN GALLERY
by: Lily Martin
This December, Gail Severn Gallery in Ketchum, Idaho, will showcase the work of two celebrated artists, Lynda Lowe and Alexander Rohrig, in a pair of solo exhibitions. Both artists delve deeply into their relationships with nature through a different lens. While Lowe’s paintings focus on metaphorical representations and symbolic elements, Rohrig’s paintings and sculptures explore the tactile and emotional connection between humans and animals. These exhibitions offer viewers a dual perspective of the natural world and the way we inhabit it.
“I AM ENCHANTED BY THE UNUSUAL FORMS OF PLANTS AND BIRDS, AND THE PROCESS OF CAREFULLY RENDERING THEM REQUIRES A SLOW, STEADY GAZE. IT BECOMES A MEDITATIVE ACT, A WAY OF KNOWING THEM MORE INTIMATELY AND EXPERIENCING WONDER.”
–Lynda Lowe, Artist
LYNDA LOWE: BY THE LIGHT OF DARKNESS
Lynda Lowe’s By the Light of Darkness exhibit embodies her fascination with the dynamic interplay between light and darkness—both in literal and metaphorical terms. Her work can be read as an abstract approach to quantify the unquantifiable through art and science. Her work draws from philosophy, spirituality, and nature, with an emphasis on the alchemical process of transformation. According to Lowe, darkness in her pieces is not intended to be negative. Instead, it signifies a place of mysterious learning and deepening, an “alchemical space” where understanding and growth can emerge. In her words, “Darkness is necessary for revealing light—and light is understood only through darkness. Insight can be revealed by the light of darkness.”
This nuanced view of darkness permeates her paintings, which are rich with symbolic elements. Vessels, often taking the form of an open bowl, appear frequently throughout her work, serving as metaphors for containment, potential, and the unknown. In By the Light of Darkness, Lowe introduces the “moon jar,” a traditional Korean vessel that captivated her with its mystical qualities. Describing her experience, she explains, “When I first encountered these elegant Korean vessels, I felt immediately drawn to their mystical quality.” For Lowe, the moon jar represents an enclosed, private space a “swelling, pregnant shape” holding unrealized potential. In her compositions, she contrasts the jar’s bright, full moon orb with a surrounding darkness, merging the stillness of the form with the movement of water.
Nature is another constant source of inspiration for Lowe. Splitting her time between the lush Pacific Northwest and the tropics of Florida, she draws inspiration from the unusual plants and birds around her. This practice of detailed observation, for Lowe, becomes a form of meditation. She explains, “I am enchanted by the unusual forms of plants and birds, and the process of carefully rendering them requires a slow, steady gaze. It becomes a meditative act, a way of knowing them more intimately and experiencing wonder.”
Through her exploration of natural forms, Lowe reveals her belief that every part of nature possesses inherent meaning and vitality. “Nothing presents itself as entirely passive or inert,” she reflects. “Even the most ordinary and obscure parts have a compelling purpose and a sentient presence when we give them our full attention.” Her paintings embody this philosophy, encouraging viewers to approach the natural world with renewed respect and curiosity.
ALEXANDER ROHRIG: CREATURE COMFORTS AND OBJECTS FOUND
As both painter and sculptor, Rohrig’s artistic practice centers around the relationship between humans and nature, a relationship that can be all things at once—chaotic and serene, playful and serious, curious and familiar. Following the practice of artistic forebears Moore and Duchamp and later Hirst, Lucas, and Tuttle, found objects provide inspiration and often serve as a base for Rohrig’s sculptures. He responds to these found materials—bricks, whisks, bells, wire, and remnants of wood and stone through handling them, thereby letting the form of the material itself give rise to the final subject. The material, both its visual and tactile properties, remains a constituting essence in both the creation and viewing of his work.
While the influence of post-minimalist abstraction is strong in Rohrig’s sculptures and assemblages, figuration remains an important aspect of his work. Rohrig’s sculptures stem from the memory or the feeling an animal gives him, rather than a detailed portrait. His work is more concerned with capturing the true character and nature of animals, rather than producing an exact likeness. This leads to sculptures that both captivate and endear the viewer to them through their own personal memories and associations of subject and object. Whimsy and visual storytelling are also important to the artist and allow him to experiment with formal aspects of sculpture without the constraint of making purely formal work. As Rohrig reminds us, “A glance from the corner of your eye repeated over time, a gesture, a personality, a relationship, can often reveal a truer likeness than a photograph. You have to be paying close attention, sifting out nonessential details in order to arrive somewhere both simple and true. I’m finding that the more ordinary something seems, often that is when it can also become the most interesting.”
The December exhibition will feature small-scale, casual, and intimate works of dogs and other animals, artistic creature comforts that spur a personal memory or association for the viewer— objects that feel both friendly and familiar.
“A GLANCE FROM THE CORNER OF YOUR EYE REPEATED OVER TIME, A GESTURE, A PERSONALITY, A RELATIONSHIP, CAN OFTEN RE-VEAL A TRUER LIKENESS THAN A PHOTOGRAPH. YOU HAVE TO BE PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION, SIFTING OUT NONESSENTIAL DETAILS IN ORDER TO ARRIVE SOMEWHERE BOTH SIMPLE AND TRUE. I’M FINDING THAT THE MORE ORDINARY SOMETHING SEEMS, OFTEN THAT IS WHEN IT CAN ALSO BECOME THE MOST INTERESTING.”
–Alexander Rohrig, Artist
While Lowe and Rohrig share a profound connection to nature, their approaches offer unique perspectives. Lowe’s art reflects a contemplative view of nature’s symbolic potential, focusing on introspective and abstract qualities. Her works evoke themes of transformation, mystery, and meditative observation, encouraging viewers to see beyond the surface and engage with nature’s deeper meanings. In contrast, Rohrig’s sculptures express a sense of play and intimacy, evoking the comforting qualities of animals. His works emphasize the tactile experience of nature and the emotional resonance of familiar creatures, inviting viewers to form a personal connection with the pieces.
Lowe’s symbolic abstraction and Rohrig’s tactile realism showcase the diverse ways artists can engage with the natural world. Lowe encourages viewers to look within, using vessels and dark spaces as metaphors for introspection and hidden potential. Rohrig, however, invites viewers to reconnect with tangible experiences, transforming ordinary materials into familiar forms that bring comfort and joy. Together, these exhibitions provide a compelling exploration of nature’s richness and the varied ways it resonates with the human experience.
Learn more about these artists and upcoming events at gailseverngallery.com.
Art & the Artist
JON NASVIK EXPLORES THE ARTIST’S WAY
by: Sabrina Dana Plasse
“WHEN I CREATE CONTEMPORARY AND REPRESENTATIONAL ART, I THINK ABOUT THINGS LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE, SOCIAL PRESSURES, THE BEAUTY AND SPIRIT OF EVERYDAY MOMENTS, AND OBJECTS THAT GET PASSED OVER OR EASILY FORGOTTEN.”
–Jon Nasvik, Artist
Working in the realms of realism and abstraction, artist Jon Nasvik continues his exploration, fascination, and artistic license by using concrete for its fine art capabilities. In his most recent show at Anderson Architects, a popup gallery in Ketchum, Idaho, Jon offered a broad spectrum of detailed landscapes and brilliant abstracts illustrating how concrete art provides a fresh perspective on place and space. Expanding the use of lively colors for his contemporary works and extensive detail for his landscapes, Jon has increased his artistic sensibilities as he continues to push the limits of working with concrete.
“As I continue down the path of a professional artist, I am confronted with the challenges and state of mind that comes with it,” says Jon. “I think all artists are primarily focused on creativity. But when you share your work, it becomes a bit more complicated because now you’re a salesman merchandising your ideas and skill level. Self reflection edges in on what is usually a healthy ego. You question your process and the appeal of your product a lot. Exhibiting for the public eye can be unsettling but also an opportunity for growth.”
The work required in creating fine art also involves accepting feedback, understanding perspective, and remaining committed to being an artist. Finding a sense of place and purpose in concrete art as fine art is not easy because so few fine art creators work in concrete; in fact, they are virtually nonexistent. As Nasvik forges his path, he also constructs one for concrete art.
“I enjoy detail and activity in my work to help tell a story,” says Jon. “The texture can be quite rough or smooth, like a photograph, depending on how it aids the theme of the piece. Rather than own a recognizable style, I like to change it up, explore different looks, and give each piece its own identity. Despite my efforts to present stand alone pieces, the common response I get from most who see my work for the first time is that they can’t believe they are looking at something created from concrete.”
Concentrating on color, Jon’s more recent works pack more brilliance and saturation. Although his latest works have some new subtleties, there is also an obvious personality that draws attention, allowing the viewer their own interpretations of the patterns he presents, similar to the way people see familiar shapes in passing clouds.
“When I create contemporary and representational art, I think about things like climate change, social pressures, the beauty and spirit of everyday moments, and objects that get passed over or easily forgotten,” says Jon. “It’s as if I might be looking at the least and the most of it for the last time. I want a viewer to explore and imagine what they see. Hopefully, I might inspire someone with an appreciation for what our busy lives could be missing or what the future might erase. It’s important, I think, to document a place or idea so that someone can enjoy or understand its meaningfulness.”
Exhibiting is important. With so few artists working in the medium, Jon has found a niche and is building the technical knowledge for the process. Anxious to share how serious an artist he is and how intent he is to create a new aesthetic for concrete in the spectrum of fine arts, Jon has to reach beyond his natural inclinations to create. Artists as businessmen, salespeople, and bookkeepers are almost as rare as concrete paintings. With plans for more exhibitions, Jon continues his goal of connecting with art lovers and enthusiasts regarding concrete art’s beauty and sublime appeal and educating and informing them on the process of creating concrete fine art.
“The exciting part for me is how each new piece leads to pursuing many more ideas. My exploration with concrete is fascinating and mostly unknown,” he says. “I want people to enjoy concrete art like I do. I have a creative personality. I’ve always seen the world from that point of view. Right now, I’m cutting a new path, not just for myself, but for anyone who can appreciate its unique contribution.”
To learn more about Jon Nasvik’s concrete art, visit jonnasvik.art.
The Allure of Mosaics
SUSAN WECHSLER’S FINE ART APPRECIATES ICONS AND PL ACE
by: Sabrina Dana Plasse
Having grown up spending time in Sun Valley, Idaho, and Aspen, Colorado, Susan Wechsler found her home in the West. With a BFA and an MFA from New York University’s Tisch School of Arts, she is also a self taught mosaic artist. When completing her master’s degree in New York City, she worked in all realms of the entertainment business, always with an eye to Broadway, and for a time, in San Francisco, she also worked for the popular ‘80s clothing company, ESPRIT.
“I REPURPOSE EVERYTHING AND CREATE SOMETHING NEW AND REFRESHING THAT HAS A HISTORY, WHICH IS THE RECYCLING COMPONENT IN MY ART.”
–Susan Wechsler, Artist
“I have always been an artist,” says Susan. “I started out creating baby sets, a little cottage industry that did quite well. I love vintage and history and especially loved repurposing my grandmother’s fine china that no one else in my family wanted.”
Unable to bear discarding any part of her grandmother’s fine china, Susan started using these broken but precious pieces in her mosaics. She soon found that her loyal baby set clientele embraced the self taught mosaic artist’s new creative medium. However, Susan’s aspirations were bigger. She wanted her mosaics to be considered fine art.
After permanently moving to Colorado, Susan, her husband, and two boys lived in Boulder and Denver and finally settled in Evergreen. There, she has been creating mosaics for three decades, with several collections and series of works collected around the country.
“My work is mixed media mosaics,” explains Susan. “With my art background and theater influence, you can see the storytelling throughout my mosaics. My strong sense of color and texture comes from my theatre background, where I use multiple fabric patterns to express a character’s inner workings.”
Susan uses vintage beads, magical gems, and crystals, traveling to the country’s major gem shows in Tucson and Denver, searching for unique, organic items to use in her artwork. She also sources Chanel castings and fashion district buyouts for discarded treasures to use in her original mixed media mosaics.
“I repurpose everything and create something new and refreshing that has a history, which is the recycling component in my art. I also like to work big, and I combine all my findings with thought and design to make each piece unique,” she says. “I work on several pieces simultaneously because my creative mind works faster than my hands can produce.”
Susan’s most recent mosaic series, Cowgirls and Naturebook, are traditional mosaic works, which means she cuts, glues, and then grouts these pieces. With a unique style, Susan uses color, texture, and organic materials, as she says, “everything but the kitchen sink,” in all of these works to create an energetic and emotional connection to her world, where a story comes to life through detail, color, attraction, and arrangement however the eye perceives it.
For her Native American Series, inspired by her surroundings and living in the American West, she describes this work with great affection. “I call these portraits American icons because I want to honor the ornate pageantry of these proud warriors,” she says. “The Native American women are inspired by wanting to give power to the female energy, even if these images don’t exist in reality. They are very appealing to clients for their visual strength and sell before they are finished, so I decided to make Cowgirls to continue my theme of mighty women shining a light on them. I like these larger than life portraitures because they are in your face, dominating, and show the visual power of women. They have a pop art style, which fits with the big sky and space that is the West, and it’s also about how women exist today strong and with purpose.”
“I LIKE THESE LARGER-THAN-LIFE PORTRAITURES BECAUSE THEY ARE IN YOUR FACE, DOMINATING, AND SHOW THE VISUAL POWER OF WOMEN. THEY HAVE A POP ART STYLE, WHICH FITS WITH THE BIG SKY AND SPACE THAT IS THE WEST, AND IT’S ALSO ABOUT HOW WOMEN EXIST TODAY—STRONG AND WITH PURPOSE.”
–Susan Wechsler, Artist
In comparison, Susan’s landscapes are steeped in great color due to her desire to be theatrical and present, which is her background and experience with nature, and it works. Her use of color also appears in her Cowgirls series. With Susan’s vast collection of materials, she can create this robust vibrancy of color and emotional attraction in her mosaics, which are very satisfying. They tell the story of true icons or places with Susan’s perspective and perception.
“The landscape mosaics are a remembrance of experience living in the Mountain West,” she says. “There’s a lot of texture by using a variety of materials not found in nature. They are very abstract when close up, but as you move further away, the image is realized. I wanted to create mosaics that can also be used in an outdoor space. So I now offer some of my images in a large format, printed on aluminum. So many of us spend time in our outdoor spaces, which is why we live in mountain towns, being with the great outdoors. I want to create work that works outdoors, too. I am excited to explore all the possibilities my art can be I can go as far as I want to go.”
Providing unique fine art, Susan’s mosaics are visionary and created with great style. With plans for a new studio, she intends to produce work to fulfill her desire to offer fine art with a place and purpose where you can see the richness and history of each piece she uses and the places, moments, or people they may identify that all work together as a whole to create a mosaic.
For more information visit mosaicsbysusan.com
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