Broad and High
The Art and Artists of the Ohio Supreme Court Collection
Season 10 Episode 17 | 26m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
Get a glimpse at the contemporary art collection housed in The Ohio Judicial Center.
Learn about the history of a contemporary art collection housed in The Ohio Judicial Center, a building known as “Ohio’s Pride.” Meet artists Joe Lombardo, Ron Anderson and Joyce Dawson whose work is in the collection and see what they’ve been creating recently.
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
Broad and High is a local public television program presented by WOSU
Production of Broad & High is funded in part by the Greater Columbus Arts Council, the Columbus State Hospitality Management Program and viewers like you!
Broad and High
The Art and Artists of the Ohio Supreme Court Collection
Season 10 Episode 17 | 26m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
Learn about the history of a contemporary art collection housed in The Ohio Judicial Center, a building known as “Ohio’s Pride.” Meet artists Joe Lombardo, Ron Anderson and Joyce Dawson whose work is in the collection and see what they’ve been creating recently.
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch Broad and High
Broad and High is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship>>> PRODUCTION OF "BROAD & HIGH" IS FUNDED IN PART BY THE GREATER COLUMBUS ART CYCLE, CONNECTING COMMUNITY TO ART, CLASSES AT COLUMBUS ART.COM.
FROM THESE CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS AND VIEWERS LIKE YOU, THANK YOU.
>>> THIS TIME ON "BROAD & HIGH," WE LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY OF A CONTEMPORARY ART COLLECTION IN A BUILDING KNOWN AS OHIO'S PRIDE.
AND MEET THREE OF THE ARTISTS WHOSE WORK IS IN COLLECTION AND SEE WHAT THEY'VE CREATED RECENTLY.
THIS AND MORE RIGHT NOW ON "BROAD & HIGH."
>>> WELCOME TO "BROAD & HIGH."
I'M YOUR HOST, KATE QUICKEL.
WHEN YOU WALK INTO A GALLERY OR MUSEUM, YOU EXPECT TO SEE ARTWORK, BUT NOT WHEN YOU WALK INTO A GOVERNMENT OFFICE BUILDING.
HOWEVER, IF YOU VISIT THE THOMAS J. MOYER OHIO BUILDING, YOU WILL.
IT'S A MASTERPIECE INSIDE AND OUT.
IT'S KNOWN FOR ITS ARRAY OF MURALS, BRONZE PLAQUES, INSCRIPTIONS AND MURALS TELLING THE INSPIRING STORY OF PEOPLE WHO BUILT OHIO.
IN TONIGHT'S EPISODE, WE LEARN ABOUT THE ART AND ARTISTS.
IN THIS FIRST SEGMENT, WE TAKE A LOOK BACK TO HOW THE CONTEMPORARY ART COLLECTION CAME TO BE.
IN THIS BUILDING KNOWN AFTER THE MAN WHO WAS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND IT.
>> WHEN ART IS IN A PUBLIC PLACE, IT IS ACCESSIBLE.
IT ADDS A DIMENSION TO BOTH THE INTERIOR OF THE BUILDING AND THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE WHO SEE IT.
THOMAS J. MOYER HAD SO MANY PASSIONS, INCLUDING ART AND ARCHITECTURE.
AND NOW, THOMAS J. MOYER OHIO JUDICIAL CENTER, HE APPROACHED ME ABOUT HELPING THE COURT BUILD AN ART COLLECTION.
WE PULLED IN MARY GRAY.
>> I GOT A PHONE CALL FROM THIS WOMAN BY THE NAME OF RUTHIE NEWCOMER, INTRODUCED HERSELF.
SHE HAD GOTTEN MY NAME FROM A COLLEAGUE AND WONDERED IF I WOULD BE WILLING AND ABLE TO HELP WITH THEY'RE COLLECTION OF THE PORTRAITS.
I WAS INITIALLY ASKED TO DO THE CONDITION REPORT FOR ALL THE PORTRAIT IN THE BUILDING.
SO I DID THAT, AND THEN THAT ROLLED INTO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT ACQUIRING CONTEMPORARY ART FOR THE BUILDING.
AND THAT, AWAY WE WENT.
WE TALK TO GALLERISTS, ARTISTS, ALL THROUGHOUT OHIO AND BUILT A CORE OF A COLLECTION.
>> OUR JOB WAS DO BRING IT IN AND HAVE A DISCUSSION ON WHICH PIECES WOULD WORK BEST.
BUT RUTHIE AND I I THINK WERE VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT WHERE IN THE STATE WE WERE LOOKING.
WE TRIED TO DO THE ENTIRE STATE OF OHIO, AT LEAST THE FOUR QUADRANTS, AND WE TRIED TO BRING AS MUCH DIVERSITY AS WE COULD AMONG THE ARTISTS FEATURED IN THE COLLECTION.
>> THIS EXPERIENCE WAS INCREDIBLE.
I LOVE ART.
I WAS HIGH ENERGY ABOUT IT.
IT WAS SO MUCH FUN TO BE UP AND ABOUT LOOKING AT ALL THIS WORK AND THEN COMING BACK TO THE COURT AND HAVE THE CHIEF JUSTICE BE SO HAPPY AND EXCITED ABOUT WHAT HE WAS SEEING.
>> THE ARTWORK DISPLAYED HERE BRINGS ORDER AND SYMMETRY TO A CHAOTIC WORLD, IN MUCH A WAY THAT LAW CREATES ORDER IN A CIVIL SOCIETY.
TONIGHT, A NEW GENERATION OF ARTISTS TAKE THEIR RIGHTFUL PLACE IN THE ADMISSION OF THIS FACILITY AS A MONUMENT FOR THE PEOPLE OF OHIO.
>> ONE OF MY FAVORITE PIECES IS A WOOD CUT.
IT'S HANGING MANY N THE ROBING ROOM.
THAT'S WHERE THE JUDGE PUTS ON HIS ROBE BEFORE WE MARCH OUT SINGLE FILE AND TAKE THE BENCH.
IT'S RIGHT NEAR THE ELEVATOR, SO I SEE IT COMING AND GOING.
AND IT'S A WOOD CUT, AND IT REMINDS ME OF THE RURAL LANDSCAPE OF OHIO.
>> I ALWAYS GOT THE SENSE FROM CHIEF JUSTICE MOYER IT WASN'T JUST ABOUT BRINGING PRETTY PICTURES INTO THE BUILDING.
BUT I TRULY BELIEVE THAT HE WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF ARTISTS AND UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF ART IN ALL OUR LIVES.
CHIEF JUSTICE MOYER APPRECIATED THE BEAUTY THAT ARTWORK WOULD BRING TO THE BUILDING, BUT HE ALSO WANTED, I BELIEVE, TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, PARTICULARLY IN OHIO.
AND TO GIVE PURPOSE AND MEANING TO THOSE WHO WERE GOING TO SEE THE ARTWORK IN THE BUILDING.
ARTWORK CAN CHANGE LIVES.
>> I THINK THAT WHEN THE ART CAME INTO THE BUILDING, IT WAS EXCITING.
IT WAS EXCITING FOR THE STAFF.
SOME PEOPLE WERE VERY INVOLVED IN ART, SOME HAD NOT BEEN INVOLVED WITH ART.
SO TO HAVE THEM LIVE WITH ART WAS INCREDIBLE.
THEY WERE ALL THROUGH THE BUILDING AND THROUGHOUT THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE BUILDING, VERY KEEN ABOUT WHAT THEY WOULD SEE.
AND THEN, EMORY ROBINSON AND NICHOLAS HILL CAME IN AND DID A BROWN BAG LUNCH TO TALK ABOUT ART IN GENERAL.
AND I THINK 99% OF THE STAFF CAME TO THAT.
IT WAS A PLEASURE.
>> RARELY WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT THE ART IN COLUMBUS, OHIO, DO ANYONE -- DO THEY NOT KNOW THE NAME AMINAH ROBINSON.
AMINAH'S WORK, AND AMINAH AS A HUMAN BEING HAVE HAD SUCH A HUGE IMPACT HERE IN OHIO.
IN MY OPINION, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE KOJO KAMAU REPRESENTED IN THE COURT'S COLLECTION BECAUSE KOJO WAS SUCH A CRITICAL VOICE IN THE COLUMBUS BLACK COMMUNITY THROUGH HIS PHOTOGRAPHY, AND I JUST THINK IT'S TERRIFIC THAT WE HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF HIS WORK IN THE COLLECTION, AND HE WILL BE REMEMBERED FOREVER MORE HERE IN THE BUILDING.
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, IT WAS PROBABLY ABOUT THE TIME I WAS WORKING ON THE COURT PROJECT THAT I SAW A SIGN OUT IN FRONT OF ONE OF THE LOCAL FRAMERS, AND IT SAID, ART IS NOT A LUXURY, AND HE HAD BUMPER STICKERS MADE.
I THINK WE STILL SEE THEM AROUND TIME.
AND I THINK THAT STATEMENT EXISTS HERE, THAT IT ISN'T JUST FOR AESTHETIC PLEASURE, BUT IT'S ALSO SUPPORTING ARTISTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF OHIO.
>> TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE THOMAS J. MOYER OHIO JUDICIAL CENTER, CHECK OUT SUPREME COURT.OHIO.GOV.
WHEN HIS WORK WAS SELECTED TO BE IN THE STREAM COURT OF OHIO SELECTION, PAINTER JOE LOMBARDO WAS JUST A GRADUATE.
CHIEF JUSTICE MOYER EVEN JOKED ABOUT HIS YOUTHFULNESS.
TODAY, JOE MAINTAINS HIS YOUTHFUL ENERGY AS HE PAINTS LANDSCAPES ALL OVER OHIO AND BEYOND.
WE MET UP WITH HIM RECENTLY TO LEARN HOW HE OPERATES AND TO SEE HOW HE'S SHARING HIS GIFT OF PAINTING WITH OTHERS.
>> -- IS FRENCH FOR OPEN AIR, BUT REALLY IT JUST MEANS TO PAINT ON SITE, OUTDOORS.
SO WE GO TO THE SCENERY WE WANT TO PAINT, AND WE SET UP THERE.
I WAS A STUDENT AT COLUMBUS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN.
DID A WHOLE PUNCH OF LANDSCAPE PAINTINGS, AND THE INSTRUCTORS SAID YOU NEED TO GET OUTSIDE AND REALLY DO IT.
AND I NEVER REALLY HAD THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, BUT I ALWAYS ENJOYED HIKING AND OUTDOORS.
I'M A BIRD WATCHER.
SO I HEARD HIM SAYING I COULD COMBINE MY TWO FAVORITE THINGS, PAINT AND BEING OUTDOORS.
SO I TRIED IT AND KIND OF NO TURNING BACK FROM THERE.
I LOVE PAINTS HERE AT SHILER PARK.
WE'VE GOT A GREAT AUTUMN DAY.
IT'S A LITTLE CHILLY BUT GOOD.
AND THE BEAUTIFUL FALL COLORS.
RATHER THAN PAINTING THE CHANGING LEAVES, I LOVE THE BRICKS.
I LOVE THE ORANGE AND REDS THAT THE BRICK OFFERS.
I LIKE A SCENE THAT'S VERY KIND OF ALMOST CHAOTIC.
A LOT OF INFORMATION.
I CALL IT ALL CITY CLUTTER.
JUST A BUNCH OF CITY CLUTTER, AND I LIKE TO GET LOST IN THAT AND HAVE TO PAINT MY WAY OUT OF IT.
THE CHALLENGE IN THAT CHAOS FORCES ME TO THINK MORE ABSTRACTLY IN THE PAINTING BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY I CAN PAINT ALL OF THAT STUFF IN THE TWO TO THREE HOURS THAT I'M MAKING THE PAINTING ON SITE, AND SO IT'S LIKE A PUZZLE OR A PROBLEM TO SOLVE LIKE HOW DO YOU CONVEY ALL OF THIS CLUTTER SIMPLY OR ABSTRACTLY ON A FLAT CANVAS WITH GOOY PAINT.
AS FAR AS THE PROCESS LIKE WHERE I GET STARTED, FIRST I PICK A LOCATION TO JOURNEY TO FOR THAT DAY.
I'LL SAY, TODAY I WANT SOMETHING URBAN, YOU GET THERE WITH THE GENERAL IDEA OF WHAT YOU WANT AND THEN SCOUT AROUND.
SOMETIMES I SEARCH FOR MY SCENE FOR 30 MINUTES.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS TO MAKE A PAINTING ABOUT, BUT I'M SEARCHING FOR WHAT TODAY'S WILL BE ABOUT, COLOR, LIGHTING, VALUE, LIGHTS AND DARKS.
JUST AN INTERESTING SUBJECT, SOMETHING I DIDN'T EXPECT TO SEE THAT DAY THAT I THINK, OH, THERE'S MY PAINTING.
AND I SELECT A PALETTE, AND SO I HAVE A SET OF COLORS THAT I ALWAYS CARRY WITH ME, BUT I'LL MIX AND MATCH THEM AND CREATE WHAT'S CALLED A LIMITED PALETTE WHERE I USE A CERTAIN SET OF THOSE COLORS INFLUENCED BY THE ATMOSPHERE.
I ALSO DO A THUMBNAIL SKETCH AND KIND OF PLOT IT OUT.
THIS IS A CHANCE TO GET THROUGH ANY PITFALLS.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO PUT SOMETHING RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE, YOU WANT TO LEARN THAT IN THE STUDIES SO YOU DON'T TRIP OVER THAT IDEA LATER WHEN YOU HAVE ALL YOUR PAINT ON THE SURFACE.
I WOULD SAY TO STEP BACK AND PAINT FROM CARE-FREE TO CAREFUL.
AND I THINK OF IT LIKE IF YOU WERE DOODLING AND YOU SCRIBBLE AND THEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT SCRIBBLE AND YOU ADD AN EAR AND EYE AND YOU GOT A BUNNY, THAT'S HOW I PAINT.
THEN I STEP BACK AND SAY, A WINDOW HERE AND A HORIZON THERE, LANDSCAPE.
I HAVE FUN PAINTING PINE TREE LIMBS, I KNOW THAT.
SO I -- WHEN YOU'RE EXCITED ABOUT SOMETHING, IT ALWAYS MAKES IT EASIER.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT IS.
KEEP THAT IN MIND.
THAT GOES TO WHEN I TALK ABOUT PAINTING WHAT YOU WANT TO PAINT, NOT PAINTING WHAT YOU THINK YOU CAN PAINT BECAUSE IF YOU'RE EXCITED, YOU'RE GOING TO DO BETTER.
I TEACH A LOT, AND I'VE TAUGHT A LOT OVER THE YEARS, AND I THINK MANY PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT TEACHING IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF LEARNING.
SO WHEN I HAVE TO EXPLAIN THINGS THAT I'M DOING TO MY STUDENTS, IT CONFIRMS TO ME THOSE CONCEPTS, AND SOMETIMES I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT EVEN WHAT IT IS.
IT'S LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT I'M SEEING IN WORK, OTHERS' WORK OR MY STUDENTS' WORK, MY OWN WORK, AND I HAVE TO TRY TO UNCOVER OR REVEAL TO ALL OF US WHAT THAT IS.
THAT'S WHAT TEACHING BRINGS TO MY ART.
TOO SMALL.
THAT'S LIKE A DELICATE SPLATTER.
NEED A BIGGER SPLATTER.
NOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT THESE.
LET'S GIVE THEM THE FINGER, SEE WHAT THEY BECOME.
FOR A WHILE, I WAS MAKING PAINTINGS THAT WERE VERY LIGHT, KNOWN AS HIGH-KEY PAINTINGS, AND I JUST -- I KIND OF SPENT THAT, AND SO I THOUGHT, WHAT DO I DO NEXT, SO I STARTED MAKING PAINTINGS THAT WERE LOW KEY, VERY DARK.
I CALL THEM MY NEW APOLOGIES OR NEW GEL.
SO MY STUDENTS HAVE WORKED WITH ME FOR A LONG TIME.
WE SAY IS THIS NEW, NEW, NEW, NEW GEL OR ALL GEL, AND THERE'S ALL THESE COMPARISONS OR DIFFERENT STEPS IN OUR GROWTH.
I'M ALWAYS PUSHING FOR THAT NEXT TURN IN MY PATH AND BRINGING MY STUDENTS ALONG WITH ME.
AND I SHOULD SAY I CALL THEM STUDENTS, BUT REALLY THEY'RE ARTISTS THAT PAINT WITH ME.
YEAH.
BUT SO YOU GUYS KNOW, I STEAL FROM ALL OF YOU.
OR YOU CAN -- OR I LEARN FROM YOU IS THE RIGHT WAY TO SAY THAT, BUT.
THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO WORK.
I THINK IT'S MAYBE THE HARDEST WAY TO PAINT BECAUSE YOU HAVE SO MANY DISTRACTIONS, BUT YOU CAN SPIN THAT AND SAY THOSE ARE EXPERIENCES TO ME THAT WOULDN'T HAPPEN IN THE STUDIO.
SO YOU GOT TO GET OUT OF THE STUDIO AND MAKE THOSE MEMORIES.
>> TO SEE MORE OF JOE'S WORK, CHECK HIM OUT ON FACEBOOK@JOE LOMBARDO ART.
>> RON ANDERSON IS A VISUAL ARTIST WHO FEELS HIS ROLE IS TO FLIP THE NARRATIVE AND GIVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
HE OFTEN CREATES IMAGES YOU DON'T SEE IN REAL LIFE AND MIGHT SEEM DANGEROUS.
WE TALKED WITH HIM IN HIS STUDIO, AND HE TOLD US ABOUT HIS GOAL OF CREATING WORK INTERESTING ENOUGH THAT THE VIEWER WILL ASK QUESTIONS.
>> WHATEVER POPS IN MY HEAD INSTEAD OF ME SAYING, OH, THAT CAN'T BE DONE OR NO, SOMEONE'S GOING TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT, I TEND TO JUST DO IT BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO KNOW UNTIL YOU GET IT OUT OF YOUR HEAD.
THAT'S THE STARTING PLACE IS JUST MAKING SOME MARKS.
YOU JUST MOVE PAINT AROUND OR YOU MOVE THE PEN AROUND OR YOU MOVE THE PENCIL AROUND UNTIL YOU FIND SOMETHING IN THERE KIND OF LIKE LOOKING AT CLOUDS.
AS THEY MOVE ACROSS THE SKY, YOU START TO SEE IMAGES.
MY JOB IS TO TAKE EXISTING THINGS AND THEN SOMEHOW DO A DIFFERENT TWIST ON IT.
AND TWISTING THE STORY GIVES IT A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
I HAVE TO SEE IT IN MY MIND BEFORE I CAN ACTUALLY PUT IT IN A CANVAS OR ON PAPER.
WHAT IS THIS GOING TO BE ABOUT, I KNOW THE HISTORY OF THE STORY.
HOW DO I BRING MY OWN INTERPRETATION TO THAT.
I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS MOSTLY DRAWINGS TO MY SKETCH BOOK, KING KONG AND PLAYING WITH THAT IMAGE AND WHAT KING KONG LOOKED LIKE TO ME.
I GET AN IMAGE IN MY HEAD AND GO AHEAD AND DO IT, WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE, IF IT LOOKS LIKE IT CAN BE FLUSHED OUT MORE, I'LL DO MAYBE THREE OR FOUR SO YOU GET A SENSE OF WHERE THIS IS GOING.
THERE ARE SOME THAT PAINT THEMSELVES, AND THERE ARE OTHERS THAT YOU THINK, I HAVE A GREAT IDEA, BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD VISUALLY.
THIS IS MORE ABOUT THE COMPOSITION THAN SUBJECT MATTER, HOW THINGS COME TOGETHER.
ONE DAY YOU WILL START THE PAINTING, AND THE NEXT DAY, EVERYTHING THAT YOU THOUGHT WAS JUST PERFECT IS NO LONGER PERFECT ANYMORE.
IT'S KEY TO STEP BACK SOMETIMES TO KIND OF SEE A LOT OF ARTISTS WILL TAKE A SEAT, AND THEY'RE TOO CLOSE TO THE WORK.
THAT'S WHY YOU SEE MIRRORS HERE.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT SOMETHING FOR A WHILE BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES YOU MISS ALL THE MISTAKES.
BUT IF YOU HAVE A WAY TO CHANGE THE WAY YOU SEE FROM TIME TO TIME, BY LOOKING IN THE MIRROR, YOU SEE ALL THE DISTORTIONS BY LOOKING DIRECTLY AT IT.
SOMETIMES IT'S BETTER TO STEP AWAY AND DON'T LOOK AT IT FOR A WHILE AND PAINT MORE THAN ONE PAINTING AT A TIME.
DID AN 18-FOOT PAINTING.
THE PAINTING APPEARS AS THOUGH IT'S A DREAM BECAUSE THE PERSPECTIVE IS SORT OF WONKY IN PLACES.
THE WHOLE IDEA WAS I WANT PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY BE PART OF A PAINTING, TO WALK INTO THAT SPACE AND BE A PART OF THE EVENT TAKING PLACE.
THESE AREN'T MODELS.
THESE ARE THINGS MAKING UP A CANVAS.
TO USE A MODEL AND MAKE THEM DO THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO DO, SO I LOVE TO PLAY WITH THINGS THAT DON'T MAKE SENSE OR SEEM A LITTLE DANGEROUS.
I DON'T KNOW IF I REALLY CONCRETELY START WITH A STORY.
BUT IF YOU SAW THE DRAWING THAT THAT PAINTING BEGAN WITH, IT'S COMPLETELY CHANGED.
THE FIGURE THAT'S HOLDING THE MAGNIFYING GLASS HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE.
THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE FEW PIECES IN THAT PAINTING THAT IS FROM THE ORIGINAL IDEA BECAUSE YOU THINK OF THE MAGNIFYING GLASS AS ONE OF THOSE THINGS, I REALLY WANT TO SEE THIS CLOSE SO I CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M LOOKING AT.
THAT'S WHERE THE ORIGINAL CAME FROM, USING THE MAGNIFYING GLASS AS A METAPHOR FOR NOT REALLY BELIEVING UNTIL I CAN ACTUALLY SEE.
BY KEEPING AN OPEN MIND BY SAYING, I DON'T WANT THE MAKE THIS ABOUT ANY PARTICULAR THING, I WANT IT TO BE OPEN ENOUGH THAT THE VIEWER WILL HAVE ALWAYS THE POSSIBILITY OF SEEING IT DIFFERENT EVERY SINGLE TIME.
THAT'S NOT YOUR JOB TO EXPLAIN IT.
YOUR JOB IS BASICALLY MAKE SOMETHING INTERESTING ENOUGH THAT PEOPLE WILL ASK THE QUESTION, WHAT IS THIS, AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO THEM.
I HAVE SO MANY IDEAS IN MY HEAD THAT I CAN'T GET THEM DOWN FAST ENOUGH.
AND I TEND TO BE ONE WHO FEELS LIKE MY WORK IS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO JUST KEEP DOING IT UNTIL I CAN'T DO IT ANYMORE.
IF I GET AN IDEA, I DON'T EDIT IT.
I JUST -- I MAY NOT LIKE IT, BUT AT LEAST I PUT IT DOWN.
SO I GET THE JOY OUT OF JUST BEING ABLE TO COME IN HERE IN MY OWN SPACE AND CREATE IMAGES THAT DIDN'T EXIST BEFORE.
>> FIND MORE OF HIS CREATIONS AT RON ANDERSON STUDIO.COM.
DEBRA JOYCE DAWSON HAS BEEN DESCRIBED PAINTING THE LOOSER SIDE OF REALISM.
THEY WORKS IN MANY MEDIUMS AND SIZES, AND HER IDEAS ORIGINATE ANYWHERE FROM HER OWN BACKYARD TO AROUND THE WORLD.
WE VISITED HER IN HER HOME STUDIO AND OUT IN THE FIELD AS SHE EXPLAINED WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PLAIN AIR ARTIST.
>> FOR ME, IT MEANS TAKING MY EQUIPMENT OUTSIDE AND OBSERVING LIGHT FALLING ON FORM.
FIRST OF ALL, YOU GOT TO LEARN YOUR GEAR AND THEN YOU GOT TO KEEP IT PACKED UP AND READY TO GO.
AND WHEN THE MOOD STRIKES, OR EVEN IF THE MOOD DOESN'T STRIKE, GET IN YOUR CAR AND GO OR WALK OUT IN YOUR BACKYARD AND GET IT ALL OUT AND YOU OBSERVE THE LIGHT THAT'S FALLING ON FORM IS WHAT IT IS FOR ME.
THAT'S WHY I DO IT.
I'M PRIMARY AN OIL PAINTER SINCE I WAS 11 YEARS OLD, BUT I LOVE DRAWING, SO ALL TYPES OF DRAWINGS.
I LOVE WORKING FROM THE FIGURE.
I WOULD LIKE WORKING PRIMARILY FROM LIFE.
I HATE PAINTING FROM PHOTOS, BUT I DO DO IT.
IT'S A NECESSITY AT TIMES.
AND I HAVE MY SKETCH BOOK WITH ME ALL THE TIME.
I HAVE WATER COLORS IN MY PURSE.
WHEN I HAVE A CHANCE THERE OUT AND I'M DRAWING PEOPLE IN BARS OR IN RESTAURANTS.
WHEN I WAS YOUNG, THERE'S A GUY ON TV.
HE WAS A CHARCOAL ARTIST.
ON SATURDAY MORNINGS, YOU COULD WATCH HIM CREATE A DRAWING.
AND I SAVED UP MY ALLOWANCE AND BOUGHT HIS CHARCOAL SET, AND I STARTED TO DRAW ON CHARCOAL.
WHEN I GOT TO BE 11, I ASKED SANTA CLAUS FOR OIL PAINTS, AND THEY CAME.
I HAVE SOME FRIENDS THAT LIKE TO TRAVEL, SO WE GET TOGETHER AND WE'LL GO TO FRANCE OR ENGLAND OR OTHER PLACES AND PAINT.
MY LOCAL LANDSCAPE HAS CHANGED SO MUCH THAT I HAVE TO GO FURTHER AND FURTHER TO FIND THINGS, BUT I DO LIKE TRYING TO CAPTURE OLD BARNS AND THINGS THAT ARE DISAPPEARING.
THEY'RE RAPIDLY DISAPPEARING IN MY AREA.
THEY SAID IT'S AMERICA'S CATHEDRAL, AND I BELIEVE THAT'S RIGHT.
THIS IS A SERIES OF STUFF BASED ON THE CLIFF OF IRELAND.
I PAINTED THERE THREE TIMES, AND THESE TWO WORKS WERE CREATED AT THE CLIFFS OF MOORE THIS SUMMER.
I DID THIS 8 BY 10 PLAIN AIR SKETCH AT 8:00 IN THE MORNING.
THEN I WENT TO PUT MY EQUIPMENT AWAY, AND I TURNED AROUND AND SAW THAT, AND I SAID, I'M GOING TO TRY THAT.
SO I TRIED THAT, AND I WASN'T THAT HAPPY WITH IT.
BUT INSTEAD, I LOOKED BACK AFTER DOING THAT, I LOOKED BACK AT THAT AND SAW A TOTALLY DIFFERENT QUALITY OF LIGHT FALLING ON THE CLIFF.
SO I'M AN AVID SKETCH BOOK PERSON, SO THERE'S THE SKETCH BOOK, THAT LITTLE PAINTING.
AND THIS IS THE SECOND SKETCH I DID AT 10:00 A.M., SO I PAINTED THAT FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF STARTING AT 8:00.
AND HERE'S A DIFFERENT SKETCH WITH A DIFFERENT LIGHT AND SKY CONDITION.
WE PROBABLY WENT AWAY AND HAD COFFEE.
THEN I SAID I WANT TO SEE THEM ONE MORE TIME BEFORE I LEAVE.
SO I CAME BACK, AND THE LIGHT HAD DRAMATICALLY CHANGED.
I STARTED THIS SKETCH AT 1:45 IN THE AFTERNOON, AND NOW THE SUN -- IT'S FACING WEST -- SO THE SUN WAS NOW ON THE OTHER SIDE AND THREW EVERYTHING INTO DARKNESS.
SO I STARTED DRAWING THIS AT 1:45, AND I ENDED AT 2:10.
I WAS MAKING NOTES -- I MADE FIELD NOTES HERE.
AND LAST NIGHT, I PRINTED OUT A PHOTOGRAPH OF THAT SAME QUALITY OF LIGHT.
THE VALUES ARE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AS THE DRAWING, BUT THE COLOR IS NOWHERE REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT I WROTE DOWN FROM MY COLORS.
SO THIS MORNING, I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST GOING TO PULL OUT MY LITTLE WATER COLORS THERE AND SEE IF I CAN PUT DOWN SOME COLOR THAT I MARKED AND SEE IF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AS A PAINTING BEFORE I WOULD EVER MAYBE TRY TO DO THAT IN OIL, ESPECIALLY ON A BIG PAINTING.
WHEN I WORK, I JUST FEEL BETTER INSIDE.
THERE MUST BE SOMETHING IN HERE THAT'S TRYING TO COME OUT THAT I CAN EXPRESS.
DOESN'T MEAN I'M CALM WHEN I'M DOING IT.
YOU KNOW.
BUT IT'S MAKING THE JOURNEY FROM JUST GETTING OUT THERE AND THEN DECIDING WHAT TO PAINT.
>> TO SEE MORE OF HER WORK, CHECK HER OUT ONLINE AT DEBRA JOYCE DAWSON.COM.
WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW.
REMEMBER YOU CAN FIND ALL OF OUR STORIES ONLINE AT WOSU.ORG AS WELL AS ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL.
FOR ALL OF US HERE AT WOSU, I'M KATE QUICKEL.
THANK YOU FOR WATCHING.
Art and Artists of the Ohio Supreme Court Collection Preview
Video has Closed Captions
Preview: S10 Ep17 | 22s | Get a glimpse at the contemporary art collection housed in The Ohio Judicial Center. (22s)
Plein Air Artist and Educator Joe Lombardo
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S10 Ep17 | 6m 20s | Plein air artists shows us how he operates and shares his gift of painting with others. (6m 20s)
Plein Air Artist Debra Joyce Dawson
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S10 Ep17 | 4m 57s | Debra Joyce Dawson has been described as “painting the looser side of realism.” (4m 57s)
The Supreme Court of Ohio Contemporary Art Collection
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S10 Ep17 | 5m 31s | The Ohio Supreme Court home in Columbus is a government building with an art collection. (5m 31s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S10 Ep17 | 4m 49s | Ron Anderson creates images that you don’t see in real life that might seem a dangerous. (4m 49s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipSupport for PBS provided by:
Broad and High is a local public television program presented by WOSU
Production of Broad & High is funded in part by the Greater Columbus Arts Council, the Columbus State Hospitality Management Program and viewers like you!