Rhonda Horton – Rhonda Horton Artist

June 7, 2023June 10, 2023

June 2023

From Rhonda at Horton House Press, Alaska

A Late Spring

We are having a very late spring here in Alaska. The roses have yet to bud. Google reminded me the other day of this, while showing me one of my photos of some Alaska Prickly Roses taken at this time of year, 2016. With this late spring also comes my late newsletter I wanted to get out in May.

Vision and Imagination

Along with my expectancy of spring flowers, I have been imagining a bounty of our Northern Red Currants growing in our yard. We have some every year, but far and few in between. They pop up randomly, but never in the same place. When I came across this photo of a Red Currant bush so lavish with its fruit, I decided to claim this as a vision for my own.

One day I hope to have some Red Currants growing in our yard just as abundant. For the meantime, I will settle on this picture and enjoy this bush from here along with some creative transformative printmaking to steward my hope. Taking this vision with imagination together begins my spring seed for a fall berry harvest of printmaking.

Taking a closer look at the red berry bush and focusing my attention to one particular area, I started with a drawing for a monotype print (monotype is a type of monoprint/a one-of a-kind print). I added some Northern Red Currant leaf shapes I had pressed and photographed a few years back. I will have to wait and look for these wild Northern Red Currant bushes in our own yard to get a good photo of the flowers to work with also.

Sketchbook drawing of a portion of the Red Currant bush with some added leaf shapes.

I am not done yet, but look forward to more layering of colors to bring out the unfinished areas, add some shapes, along with some red for the berries.

I will be gathering photos and drawings of the flowers and fruit of other berry bushes that grow naturally in our yard. These include High and Low-bush Cranberries, Watermelon berries, and Rose hips. I also have a Cherry tree/bush and a new Blueberry bush. The Cherry tree is suppose to be a tree, but it looks more and more like a bush, such as a Chokecherry bush. It has a lot of flowers this year, so we will see.

On the Horizon – A Food Journey into Slovenia, Croatia and into Italy

This summer my husband Rich and I, along with my sister Marina (Chef Brancely), have the wonderful opportunity to go on a culinary arts adventure, or as our host Active Gourmet Holidays describes it, a “food journey” throughout Slovenia (our Grandfather’s homeland), the Istrian Peninsula of Croatia, Italy and back to Slovenia. We had this all set in 2020, but had to put it on hold due to the pandemic. Now we are able to resume our plans.

We will spend 9 days visiting family vineyards, orchards, small farms and kitchens for simple homemade dishes–like wild boar goulash and cold meats–kobasice and prosciutto, local specialities, while sourcing local produce, honey, wild asparagus and herbs.

We will visit cheesemakers, gourmet food shops for pastries and take part in cooking along with local chefs in making traditional dishes to these areas.

Our journey will take us into the woods to experience hunting for truffles with dogs that sniff them out and then to a country cottage to make pasta with the fresh truffles.

We will also have the opportunity to visit an artist colony with galleries and jewelry shops, a castle, medieval hill-towns, and seaside villages. I will garner all I can throughout this food journey to bring inspiration back to my home studio for my next big idea.

Local Events

– Alaska Biennial 2022 -2023

The Alaska Biennial has extended this years exhibit through Fall of 2023.

My monotype print Winter Glacier will continue to be a part of this show and can be seen throughout the summer season.

On view between now and October 16, 2023.

Please see info below, as well a link provided for more information.

Alaska Biennial 2022

November 4, 2022 through October 1, 2023 2022-2023

Alaska Biennial 2022 at the Anchorage MuseumContemporary artwork by Alaskan artists celebrating the meaning of “place.”

DailyAnchorage Museum 625 C Street Anchorage, Alaska 99501

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."  Albert Einstein

Until next time! Have a most wonderful summer!

Please feel free to contact me with any questions at my email: [email protected]

You may leave a comment in the space provided below, which is very much appreciated . Thank you for visiting Horton House Press Studio Insider.

February 3, 2023February 9, 2023

February 2023

From Rhonda at Horton House Press, Alaska

Visual Patterns, Sound, Music, and Healing

I am intrigued with all things art — visual arts and music are top. As I came across these patterns shortly after including music and dance into my physical therapy routine, I was amazed at what I was seeing. Since I have daily chronic nerve pain throughout my back, legs, and shoulder with a torn rotator cuff, I had to take a closer look — as well, it is just so printmakerly! Actually, it is the finest of printmaking!

Seen in the picture above are human heart cell patterns created through acoustic signaling with Faraday waves (think liquid reacting to air turbulence). Cardiologist, Sean Wu, MD, PhD, and bioengineer, Utkan Demirci, PhD, are working to understand healing the physical body through these sound waves.¹ I see this imagery as evidence of the Master’s hand made visible in the human body as connected to the musical spheres from above!

*Piano notes made visible in a bowl of water. Cymascope.com*

I was wowed, since I had just experienced some relief from nerve pain during my exercise routine while dancing and getting a word that my healing would come by this way of music and dance. The song just so happened to be Dancing on the Waves by We the Kingdom. I continue to add dance to my routine while evermore sensitive to the healing process. Choreography of dance is all about patterns — the perfect conduit between music and the body for healing!

Patterns are seen with piano notes made visible in a bowl of water.² I think of snowflakes as music made visible filling the atmosphere! And, isn’t a fresh snowfall liken to a comfortable blanket — kind of a healing or recovery taking place?

Patterns and Process

I have included some of my patterns showing the process for a couple arrangements each starting with a single tile. It could become endless and gets rather surprising trying out various ways. These were for a special STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and the Power of Y (Yet) collaborative project.

Click on any image to see it in full view.

I liked my colleague Cameron Hoyer’s idea of the “Power of Y (Yet),” which I believe conveys faith, creativity, miracles and mystery — its all about art!

Local Events

– Alaska Biennial 2022 -2023

I am excited to share the Alaska Biennial has extended this years exhibit through Fall of 2023.

My monotype print Winter Glacier will continue to be apart of this show.

On view between now and October 16, 2023.

Please see info below, as well a link provided for more information.

Alaska Biennial 2022

November 4, 2022 through October 1, 2023 2022-2023

Alaska Biennial 2022 at the Anchorage MuseumContemporary artwork by Alaskan artists celebrating the meaning of “place.”

DailyAnchorage Museum 625 C Street Anchorage, Alaska 99501

– International Gallery of Contemporary Art

IGCA

March 3 -312023

Members ExhibitionAnnual exhibition showcasing recent work of gallery members in a variety mediums

Thursday thru Sunday. 1-4 pm427 D Street Anchorage, Alaska 99501

"A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal." Steve Maraboli

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine" Proverbs 17:22

Thank you for your friendship — until next time, I’ll be dancing on the waves!

Please feel free to contact me with any questions at my email: [email protected]

¹“Sound research – Scientific innovations harness noise and acoustics for healing” BIOENGINEERING | SPRING 2018 by H anae Armitage.. https://stanmed.stanford.edu/innovations-helping-harness-sound-acoustics-healing/

² https://cymascope.com/cymatics-intro/

You may leave a comment in the space provided below, which is very much appreciated . Thank you for visiting Horton House Press Studio Insider.

October 10, 2022June 8, 2023

October 2022

From Rhonda at Horton House Press, Alaska

Art, Fear, Awe and Abundance

Please allow me to introduce you to something very new to this world and new to our home. Pépin and Talulla are baby Diamond Doves we brought home to Alaska all the way from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina after attending a Gathering of Artisans conference.

The names Pépin and Talulla came to me after learning about walking in creativity. I am celebrating living in awe and abundance, which became more real to me these past 30 years or so as I worked on numerous art projects.

I have learned to step out of the old and step into the new–to go forward and not backward–when it came to putting anything down onto blank paper, or making the first cut into expensive materials, fear had to leave.

To counter fear I have learned to not succumb to the thought of “lack,” which would have me believing there is not enough–to not allow fear to cause me to put materials before the making. There is abundance, and I will walk in awe and inspiration when making art.

A Journey into the Blue Ridge Mountains

Not very often do we Alaskans make our way to the lower 48 during our short summer months from June through August, but this year was an exception with travel credits for the art conference in August.

We had the fortunate experience to visit two thriving art communities with gallery and studio tours in the Blue Ridge Mountains and take a one-day stained glass workshop together, which we don’t usually do–Rich being more of a musician, mechanic and craftsman–not so much into the visual arts. So this was new territory for him, as well I hadn’t done stained glass since 1981.

Rich and Rhonda working on stained glass ornaments using pre-cut glass. “This Way” (left), by Rhonda and “That Way” (right) by Rich

Ashville’s River Arts District and the town of Leicester were filled with artists who shared their history and love of the land, along with their arts and crafts, demonstrations, studio work and gallery exhibitions.

From shared spaces in old red brick factories, renovated storefronts, community centers, farmlands and vineyards, as well private homes and generational family businesses we made our way to see all that was possible within two days.

Everything from fiber arts to wrought iron hooks, metal sculptures, enameled light switch covers, pictures, hand built ceramics, pottery and all that could be imagined were found for our muse and purchase.

Clockwise: Giant metal sculpture of a knight and local art; outdoor metal wall sculpture; a massive art store; a small slice of items in the art store; The River Arts District renovated building for artists; a fiber artist explains natural materials.

Clockwise: View of the Blue Ridge Mountains; home studio and gallery of a potter; wood burning potter’s kiln; view into the potter’s gallery; porcelain bowl by late 1960’s potter and iron oxide finished vase.

Clockwise: Grapes outlined the parking area at the vineyard; wrought iron artist market tent; broom maker putting the finishing stitches on our whisk broom; a room full of brooms made from “Corn-broom;” wrought iron Ginko leaf hook displayed with whisk broom.

Clockwise: View leaving the Vineyard; home studio of printmaker of enameled light switch covers; light switch cover in our home entryway; hand-built ceramist’s home studio entrance and studio.

The “Come to Leicester 17th Annual Artist Studio Tour, 2022” was only a third of the art community we met, but getting a glimpse of their life of artistic practice was awe-inspiring with exhibition of an abundance of skill and creativity.

My hope is to see studio tours as this in Alaska. I was inspired to buy several items shown above including the enameled light switch cover for our entryway. I am glad I bought these–they bring a smile to my face.

Recent Work Exploring Shapes and Lines

I like shapes and lines and enjoyed exploring them within a Wild Iris photo I took at Reflections Lake, one of our favorite places for walks.

These are monotype prints using water based ink and colored pencil. Monotype is a term used to describe a print taken from a one-time printing matrix–never to be repeated again (except in the ghost print–but still it is never the same). The second print is a ghost print, which is made from taking advantage of leftover ink on the printing matrix. It is always a nice surprise.

Photo-screen Ornament Making – A Gift for You

A few years ago I was one of ten award artists selected for ornament design and lesson plan for the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, 2015. Alaska provided a Lutz Spruce tree from the Chugach National forest on the Kenai Peninsula.

These ornaments below, along with community members who participated in an ornament making workshop I taught in the first colonial school building at the Wasilla Museum, were sent to the U.S. CapitoI Building to decorate the National Christmas Tree and surrounding areas within and around of the Capitol Building.

I would like to acknowledge my dear artist-friend Melissa Hesselbach for showing me this process to create an ornament from one’s own photo.

I am including my “Illuminating My Life in the Great Land – Alaska Photo-screen Ornament” Lesson Plan with instructions to make your own ornament using your own photos. Enjoy for this coming season!

Photoscreen-Ornament-Lesson-Plan-2015-Horton-R-revised-20222 Download

Local Event – Alaska Biennial 2022

I am excited to share Winter Glacier has been selected to be in the Alaska Biennial 2022 exhibition at the Anchorage Museum from November 4, 2022 through March 5, 2023. Please see info below, as well a link provided for more information.

Alaska Biennial 2022

November 4 through March 5, 2022-2023

Alaska Biennial 2022 at the Anchorage MuseumContemporary Artwork by Alaskan Artists celebrate the meaning of “place.”

DailyAnchorage Museum 625 C Street Anchorage, Alaska 99501

"Let us live in awe of the Lord our God... "
Jeremiah 5:24 NLT

Thank you and enjoy the season of harvest!

Please feel free to contact me with any questions at my email: [email protected]

You may leave a comment in the space provided below, which is very much appreciated . Thank you for visiting Horton House Press Studio Insider.

June 30, 2022September 21, 2022

July 2022

Summertime is here!

We peeled off heavy winter clothes and put on the lighter. Our spirits are lighter too, lifted with the lengthening of each day.

These first few months are still very dry, which means a lot of sunshine. So mixing the two, lots of sunshine and the lengthening of days, we have wonderful green springs to magnify the atmosphere.

On June 4, the sunset at 11:24 pm with twilight ending at 1:31 am, and then on June 5 twilight began at 2:07 am with sunrise at 4:24 am. So that is about a little over 1/2 hour of darkness we had on June 4.

Light filtering through the leaves of the trees and then through my camera lens becomes unreal and dreamlike.

Expressive Printmaking Techniques for Anyone

Below are some examples of having fun with brushstroke and and printmaking techniques I taught to elementary school students this spring through live Zoom online workshops. Click on any of the images and scroll to view each up close.

Brushstrokes using water-based ink and stencil for Arctic Terns and the Snow Geese

Brushstrokes using tempera paint on relief carving and colored marker for a landscape of the Stikine River and a Blue-winged Teal.

Finger-print painting feathers for a Sandhill Crane. Zoom in (right-click, open up in new tab) to see how this made for some nice bird feathers–we even got to use some really cool silver paint for an added sheen!.

Anytime for Making Art – One Hundred Years Ago

Once upon a hundred years ago there was a man, art critic Clive Bell, who saw that time as no better time, than for a time, for making art. Things were looking grim during World War I, and many expressed their sentiment that this was not a time for making art! Clive Bell helped to shed light on darkness–what better time could there have been, than a time for emotive energies to be creatively working–be it music, poetry, dance or visual art?

Post-Impressionists were responding by expressing themselves in varied new ways that brought modern art into the early twentieth century. This is one of my favorite periods of art making, along with Georgia O’Keeffe, abstract expressionist painter. Georgia’s Blue and Green Music is an example of her visual response to music.

Through angst and subjectivity, to strength and innovation, early modern and abstract expressive artists responded through personal experience and vision to feel the heart of the matter. By way of their senses, they were seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling and touching the loudness or quietness, the hardness and the softness, the brightness and the darkness.

A modern dualism took place, and so it also seems today. These early modern artists captured a grim time for beauty that gave the modern world a tiara for a time. Georgia O’Keefe wore this tiara all the way until her death in 1986. She was 99 years old when she passed away.

I am including a link to Clive Bell’s original published article, Art and War, (1915). So very interesting to read something on this topic from over a hundred years ago.

Personal Vision and the Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens

One of our personal visions was to escape the long Alaska winter to avoid getting caught in a spring snow dump that can occur occasionally in April or even May. In April we visited our daughter Rose and her family in Texas. It was perfect–nature, warm weather, and very refreshing.

Thanks to good old AAA, we found a most beautiful place, Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens. We did a guided tour of the former home of Ima Hogg (1882–1975), Houston civic leader and philanthropist and daughter of the first native born governor, James Stephan Hogg.

Ima started collecting American decorative arts and caught a personal vision to turn her home into a place of beauty and discovery during the 1920’s at the time of the southern garden renaissance. Her desire was for other people to enjoy nature, art, music and history for years to come.

The Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens is one of the most exquisite collections of American decorative arts and paintings and now part of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. It is a “must do” when visiting this area. See photos below, look for the two petrified tree stumps, and tell me, can you smell the rain?

(Click on photos to scroll through each of the four galleries)

Find out more: Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens – The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

With a AAA membership, you will have an excellent resource through their online catalogue for five-star places to visit.

Find out more: AAA Travel

"When you. . .really look at it. . . , it is your world for a moment." Georgia O'Keefe

Local Events – Student Led YouTube Presentation

Stikine River Bird Festival

April 22 – May 82022

Evergreen Elementary School Art WalkA YouTube art walk with Evergreen Elementary students presenting a vast collection of their student artwork completed throughout the school year. Included is the printmaking for the Stikine River Bird Festival, 2022, found at 2:48 , 5:09, 9:07, 10:31 and 11:18 minutes.

daily Wrangell, Alaska

Peace be to you this summer!

Please feel free to contact me with any questions at my email: [email protected]

You may leave a comment in the space provided below, which is very much appreciated . Thank you for visiting Horton House Press Studio Insider.

March 1, 2022June 22, 2022

March 2022

Welcome

to Horton House Press, Alaska— an artist’s home studio and a place where you will be sure to discover an exciting adventure into the world of fine art printmaking. Thank you for joining my newsletter—a studio insider! You will be first to see new work and hear about online workshops. I will give you a glimpse behind-the-scenes into processes and techniques in printmaking, papermaking, mixed-media, assemblage, upcoming shows, fun-facts, an artist’s life and more.

A little about me and my work

As a child I began to capture the world around me through drawing and photography. I involved myself with arts and crafts, sewing, music and poetry. As a self-taught artist, I worked on many art projects—from posters to murals, set designing & props, building floats, teaching and art administration. Responding to an invitation into the fascinating world of printmaking, I completed my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Art, University of Alaska, Anchorage, with studio emphasis in printmaking and drawing. I am a teaching artist on the Alaska State Teacher Artist Roster (STAR artist).