The Bungalow Crafty By Julie Leidel's Blog

Connecting to the Photographs of a Roycrofter

4/3/2023

I wanted to feature an article by my friend and fellow Roycrofter Drew Jensen. Drew lives and works in Colorado, and he has some amazing family ties to the Roycroft and photography through his great-grandfather, Roycroft Pressman Terence Riley Denz (1891-1968). Below is his article about photography, East Aurora, NY, and his family journey over the decades with Roycroft. Enjoy! - Julie Leidel

Elbert Hubbard's Roycroft employees in the 1930s. Terence Denz is in the 3rd row, 12th from the right.

A Documented Life: Connecting the Past to Present through the photographs of a Roycrofter
- by Drew Jensen

My great-grandfather, Terence Denz, lived his entire life in East Aurora, NY. Born in 1891, he was raised with his brother and two sisters on the outskirts of town. In a time when farm labor was the most common way to earn a living in rural America, the Roycrofters afforded him a rare opportunity to work in a new industry with the rise of the Roycroft Print Shop. The son of a contract painter, he understood a hard day’s work and what it provided.

Sometime between 1906-1910, he began working at the Roycroft Print Shop, and by 1910, he had earned himself a position as a Pressman. He continued his work there until March of 1918 when he enlisted in WWI. After nearly a year overseas, he returned from Brest, France, in February 1919. Upon his arrival home, his skills, hard work, and reliability earned him a letter from the Roycroft requesting his return to work as a Pressman in the Print Shop.

There he would work for nearly 20 years, until the close of the Print Shop in 1938 when the Roycrofters filed for bankruptcy. And though the details aren’t clear, when Samuel Guard purchased the Roycroft Campus, he reopened it with the help of former shop workers. My great-grandfather was one of those workers, continuing his tenure at the Print Shop until 1941 when Sam Guard, too, filed for bankruptcy, closing the shop for good.

My great-grandfather didn’t take his skills to another print shop after the close of the Roycroft. As far as I know, he never used his lifetime of printing skills and knowledge again. He closed that chapter in his life and moved on. By the beginning of 1942, he was employed at Bell Aircraft as an assemblyman, helping prepare the US for another World War. A World War that, at the spry age of 50, he honorably enlisted in. My great-grandfather passed away in 1968 at the age of 77. Through the personal effects he left behind and the stories told by his children and grandchildren, I never got the impression that, beyond providing for his family, he thought his work would hold any value after he was gone, let alone leave a legacy. A legacy his great-grandson would strive to uphold 50 years after his passing.

Having digitized my film negatives in college, I was tasked by my family with scanning and protecting these glass plates. A process that would profoundly impact the direction of my life, ultimately leading to the pursuit of a dream I never thought was possible. My great-grandfather’s life is an inspiration to me. His skills as a Pressman were appreciated and valued, and his longevity at the Roycroft Print Shop was admirable. In truth, I probably have a romanticized view of the man, at least when it comes to him as a Roycroft Artisan. He was a Roycrofter, and his skill set was a greatly valued asset to the Roycroft Print Shop. I have gleaned from his personal effects that his career at the Print Shop was dictated more by the circumstances of the time than an internal drive to be a part of something revolutionary or creative. I would consider him a skilled and knowledgeable tradesman by modern standards. The Roycroft uniquely positioned itself with a foundation based on the Arts and Crafts values of hand-crafted and the use of modern technology to share its work with the world. It’s easy to forget today that the Roycroft Print Shop was a modern outfit at the time, requiring skilled labor to function—the skilled work of its Roycrofters.

Although his work in the Print Shop was the driving force behind my infatuation with my great-grandfather, the most inspiring thing didn’t come from his work there. It came from the glass negatives we found of his family, his town, and his place of work. The documentation of the people, places, and things he valued enough to capture on his bulky 4x5 field camera, his documented life.

In 2022 I fulfilled an aspiration of mine to become a Roycrofter like my great-grandfather. To earn the distinction of Roycroft Artisan and the right to adorn my photographic work with the “RR.” To carry on the legacy my great-grandfather left me. To document the world around me as a Roycrofter, with HEAD, HEART, and HAND.

The images shown throughout this article, taken by my great-grandfather, are the inspiration for the direction I intend to take my photographic work in the coming years. Shifting back to analog photography, the version of this medium that I fell in love with nearly 20 years ago. With several 35mm and 120mm film cameras, I have begun to curate a body of work documenting the people, places, moments, and experiences I value. A series I call “A Documented Life.”

To the right are a handful of recent images included in this series.

In time, I will introduce even older photographic processes, like dry plate (silver gelatin) and wet plate (collodion) photography, into my work as I regain my knowledge and experience with film. Though time-consuming and labor-intensive, these forms of photography produce stunningly beautiful images and represent the type of photography my great-grandfather used to document his life.

I’m excited to share this evolution with those who wish to follow my work. For current imagery and ongoing projects, you can find me on social media and my website (linked below).

Drew Jensen
Roycroft Renaissance Photographer

Website - drewjensenphotography.com
Instagram - DrewJensenPhoto

Roycroft Print Shop c. 1930 (Photo by Terence Riley Denz)

Huber Press in the Roycroft Print Shop c. 1930
(Photo by Terence Riley Denz)

Terence Denz in his yard c. 1930

Terence with my grandmother, Mary Denz c. 1927

Fountain at Roycroft Campus c. 1930 (Photo by Terence Riley Denz)

Denz Family in the 1930s

“Photographs hold great power. They connect the past with the present. They tell stories and teleport viewers to places they’ve never been. Photographs bring about associations unknown, speaking to each viewer individually. Photographs are magic.”
- Drew Jensen

Sunrise over Denver, 2023 by Drew Jensen

Sunrise on the Flatirons, 2023 by Drew Jensen

Presenting at Pasadena Heritage: Craftsman to Modern

11/5/2021

I am presenting this year for the Preservation Pasadena: Craftsman to Modern show. I am part of the Artist Talks on Friday, November 12th at 6pm Pacific (7pm Mountain). You can buy individual tickets for just the parts you want to see ($18) or you can buy the full 10-day virtual pass. ($180)

The city of Pasadena, CA is home to some of the most notable examples of architect-designed properties from Craftsman style to Modern and everything in between. Explore architectural style and design from over five decades and learn the connections and differences that illustrate how architecture changed through time.

Join us from the comfort of your own home for this years fall education event - a virtual 10-day celebration of preservation, history and architecture including lectures, panel discussions, self-guided tours, conversations with artists and collectors and more.

Nov. 5-14, 2021 Virtual Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/preservation-pasadena-craftsman-to-modern-tickets-188611460957?aff=ticketeblast

The Roycroft Artisans: Then & Now

5/10/2021

The original Roycroft Mark from 1906-1938

Elbert Hubbard circa 1900

The Roycroft Inn in 1907 with Elbert Hubbard
and his family and friends.

The Roycroft Renaissance Mark 1976-Present

"The Roycroft Print Shop" by Julie Leidel

"The Roycroft Chapel" by Julie Leidel

Julie Leidel holding her Roycroft Artisan plaque
at her home in Evergreen, Colorado.

I've known about the Roycroft Artisans for decades, and in the early 2000s, I told myself "One day, I hope to be one of them." That day came in 2016 when I was accepted by a jury of Master Roycroft Artisans to join this amazing organization. It will always be one of my happiest artistic moments. Becoming a Roycrofter meant the world to me as an artist. To me, it signified that I was truly part of the Arts & Crafts Revival and renaissance movement that has now been alive and strong for longer than the original Arts & Crafts Movement (1880-1920). Last month in April of 2021, I was accepted as a Roycroft Renaissance Master Artisan. Words can't express my gratitude adequately enough. I am proud to learn from my peers, to connect with so many amazing artists all over the U.S., and to carry on in the footsteps of the artisans that came before us.

WHAT IS THE ROYCROFT?
At the turn of the century, the Roycroft Shops in East Aurora, New York (1895-1938), became one of the leading centers in the U.S. for the production of Arts and Crafts goods–books, leatherwork, metalwork, and furniture. The designs of the Roycrofters were influenced by a host of sources, including the work of Gustav Stickley’s Craftsman Workshops, the Wiener Werkstätte (notably in the graphic and metalwork designs of Karl Kipp and Dard Hunter), and French Art Nouveau.

The artistic appeal of Roycroft creations made them very popular, but it was also the business acumen and highly charismatic personality of its founder, Elbert Hubbard, which made Roycroft one of the most successful enterprises of the Arts and Crafts era. In the midst of a successful career with the Larkin Soap Company in Buffalo, in 1893 he abandoned his position to study at Harvard and dedicate himself to writing. In the following year he made a trip to England and Ireland during which Hubbard claimed to have met and been greatly influenced by William Morris, founder of the Kelmscott Press, and patriarch of the English Arts and Crafts Movement. Inspired by the ideals of Morris and the beautifully crafted publications of Kelmscott, Hubbard returned to East Aurora where he established the Roycroft Printing Shop in 1895. With his extraordinary aptitude for marketing and self-promotion, the press began garnering national attention for its publications–The Philistine, The Fra, and series of illuminated books and pamphlets, including the politically charged “A Message to Garcia” (1899). Mounting success enabled him to extend the Roycroft campus to thirteen additional buildings over the next ten years, hosting a bindery, leather, furniture, and metalwork shops, and a stained-glass studio, as well as staff housing and an inn for an increasing number of personnel and visitors.

Hubbard’s inspirational leadership eventually attracted nearly 500 craftspeople to his utopian arts community. Roycroft itself became a critical gathering place for contemporary artists, craftsmen, authors, and philosophers of the time.

The original Roycroft mark (the Single R) was trademarked by Elbert Hubbard in 1906. It's inspiration came from a orb and line rising sky-wards, a symbol used in the middle ages by monks in their illuminated manuscripts meaning "The best I can do, dedicated to God" The R stood for Roycroft which symbolized "The Royal Craft" for their high-quality handcrafted works. Suddenly in 1915, Hubbard and his wife died in the sinking of the Lusitania, and the Roycroft Shops were carried on by their son Bert Hubbard, but it entered into a period of decline during the Great Depression, and finally closed in 1938.*

Bruce Johnson over at the Arts & Crafts Collector has put together a great guide to dating the Roycroft Shopmarks that were in use from 1906 to 1928.

For further reading, this blog post by The Craftsman Bungalow has some great information, and wonderful video clips from a very well-done PBS documentary entitled, Elbert Hubbard: An American Original.

Almost 40 years passed, and the campus and Roycroft name lay in wait for a revival.

The ROYCROFT RENAISSANCE
In 1976 a group of East Aurora historians, artists and residents with a common interest in the Roycroft Campus and the philosophy of Elbert Hubbard set in motion a plan to preserve those ideals which had made the campus a center of the Arts and Crafts Movement. After several meetings and energetic discussion the Roycrofters-at-Large Association (RALA) was formed. Rixford Jennings innovated the design to incorporate two back-to-back R's signifying the Roycroft Renaissance for the Roycrofters-At-Large Association (shown to the left). When you see the RR mark on a piece of work, be assured it was made to the highest standards with the ideals of using “Head, Heart, and Hand” just as the original mark did.

To become a Roycroft Renaissance artisan, an artist must submit original artwork to a jury of Roycroft Master Artisans. Only artisans whose work exemplifies the following criteria are awarded the use of the RR mark:

- High quality hand-craftsmanship
- Excellence in design
- Continuing artistic growth
- Originality of expression
- Professional recognition

An artisan must be juried in annually to demonstrate continued excellence and growth. After five years, if the work is shown to be exceptional, the jury may elect to elevate the artist to Master Artisan status.

Today the non-profit organization is still actively working to keep alive the history and philosophy of Roycroft through special events centered on and around the Roycroft Artisans, the Roycroft Chamber Music Fest, and the Roycroft Campus. Through the efforts of Kitty Turgeon, Robert Rust and the RALA organization, the Roycroft Campus became a National Historic Landmark. If you make it to East Aurora, New York, a stay at the historic Roycroft Inn and a visit to The Copper Shop Gallery, and the Schoolhouse Gallery are a must!

I was asked in December of 2020 to join the RALA board, and I am thrilled to be part of this organization not only as an artisan, but also as a board member, helping to serve our artists and communities.

LINKS TO THE LIVING ROYCROFT ARTISANS
RALA includes over 70 artisans that are working today, so Elbert Hubbard's dream is alive and well in the 21st Century. Visit www.ralaweb.com to view links to each artisan and see thumbnails of their work. I also have a list of every artisan and their website (or email) listed under my Arts & Crafts Links page that includes over 450 links to everything Arts & Crafts from antiques & conferences, to contemporary artisans working in the style today.

Many of us Roycrofters have our artistic creations in the historic Schoolhouse Gallery - 1054 Olean Road, East Aurora, NY. Master Roycroft Artisans Ben Little and Thomas Pafk graciously run this gallery for the good of all of the artisans, collectively. Here's a great article that was published recently about the Schoolhouse Gallery.

RALA is always looking for more art lovers to join as a member-at-large, so if you love this movement and want to support our artisans, please learn more at www.ralaweb.com. For $50 a year, you can join at the Patron Level, where you will receive a hand-made limited-edition item from a Roycrofter each year when you renew your membership. In June 2021, Roycroft Renaissance Artisan John Monk will be making beautiful hand-hammered tree ornaments inspired by Dard Hunter’s rose motif as the patron gift.

*Adapted from the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) Website, Kevin Tucker, 2011.

Fine Art Print vs. Giclée Print vs. Reproduction?

4/24/2021

A copper plate etching with aquatint by printmaker Holly Bird
www.studioibis.com

Julie Leidel creates open edition, giclee print reproductions (fine art reproductions)
of her original hand-painted gouache and acrylic artwork.

"What is a print?"

I get this question a lot at my art shows because it IS confusing! There are different answers that fall under the umbrella of the word "print" alone and I'd like to help clarify the term.

Merriam-Webster defines print in these three ways that help us in the art world:
(a): a copy made by printing
(b): a reproduction of an original work of art (such as a painting) made by a photomechanical process
(c): an original work of art (such as a woodcut, etching, or lithograph) intended for graphic reproduction and produced by or under the supervision of the artist who designed it

So it's clear to me that there are three DIFFERENT meanings of the word "print" when in context to the art world. No wonder you are confused.

The term Fine Art Print really needs to stay exclusively within the world of printmaking. An original print is a work of art on paper which has been conceived by the artist. Prints are produced by drawing or carving a composition on a carrier surface (know as the matrix) such as a wood block, metal plate or stone. This surface is then inked and the image is transferred to paper by the application of pressure, thus creating an impression or print. Unlike paintings or drawings, fine art prints usually exist in multiple impressions, each of which is pulled from the inked surface. The total number of impressions made is called an edition.* The matrix itself usually wears down through the printing and rubbing process. It's nearly impossible to make more than 100 prints of a copper plate in most cases. Linoleum blocks will deteriorate after a decade, or sooner if exposed to UV light, so the window to create prints from that block is limited. Depending on the matrix, creating multiple prints can destroy or wear down the original plate or block. The first print is better than the 100th because the matrix is sharp. But, there are well-cared for wood blocks that can last centuries, and a steel faced copper plate can run near-infinite amount of prints. So, as you can see, the world of printmaking is vast and there's not really a one-size-fits-all approach when describing the work. Here's a list of terms that help define Fine Art Print.

Relief Techniques: woodcut, linocut

Intaglio Techniques: engraving, dry point, mezzotint, etching, aquatint, photogravure

Stencil Techniques: screen print, pochoir

Other Techniques: monoprint, monotype, lithography, collagraph
__________________________

The term "Fine Art Print" or it's argued even the term "Art Print" has been adopted by many a photographer, painter, and digital artist, BUT what they are really producing is a Giclée Print Reproduction or a Fine Art Reproduction. The photographers, painters, and digital artists are not trying to trick you with this terminology, far from it. They are trying to illustrate the difference between their print and a cheap reproduction.

Giclée (pronounced zhee'clay) is an art print made with an ink jet printer using the highest archival-quality inks and surfaces. The word comes from French, meaning to spray, which is exactly what an ink jet printer does. The quality of a Giclée print is far superior to all other forms of reproduction printing.

A reproduction is a commercial copy of an original work of art, digitally stored, so that the 1st and the 500th reproduction print look exactly the same, there is no degradation of the print quality. Giclée Print Reproductions can be printed in limited edition, or what's known as open edition, meaning that the number of prints is not defined. Print reproductions can be printed on paper, canvas, wood, metal, stone, ceramic... almost any surface. Unlike printmaking, the only reason to run a limited edition of a print reproduction would be to try to create more economical supply and demand - a higher price point for sale and resale of a print through the years.

The term "reproduction" alone could mean a photocopy, or a digital photo of a Giclée print that's been reproduced on a laser printer. Basically any old copy. The word "reproduction" alone can have a negative connotation and photographers, painters and digital artists steer clear of this word on it's own because it doesn't speak to the high quality of their print.

So yes, the word "print" or event "art print" isn't really enough to fully describe to the public what it is they are buying. Ask more questions if you can of the artist selling their work. They will be happy to go into detail about their process and what it is that you are buying from them. If they use Fine Art Print incorrectly, mention the world of printmaking, and reputable artists will quickly differentiate themselves from that art form.

*content sourced from paceprints.com

Bookplates of the Arts & Crafts Movement

11/25/2020

Bookplate by C.F.A. Voysey, 1917. This was designed for prominent lawyer and Voysey’s emphasis on symbolism was of upmost importance to his design. Voysey himself published an article in 1918 and again in 1928 entitled “Modern Symbolism” in The Builder.

Bookplate by Glasgow artist and designer Jessie M. King, 1906. King designed at least 30 bookplates between 1902 and 1910. Many were showcased at the Arts and Crafts Society’s exhibitions in London. The Studio hosted student competitions and bookplates were an appropriate graphic art form within the art school system of the period.

Bookplate by Walter Crane. Even for private use, Crane’s design philosophy combined socialist aesthetics and symbols with conventions of children’s literature. The plate refers to its creator (and the book’s owner) in three different registers. The first showing “Walter Crane” printed across the top of the image. The leading “W” appears in two forms; first, roughly formed by four paintbrushes and then below on the artist’s palette from which the brushes emerge. The central illustration, depicts Crane as his animal alter-ego; a crane. His socialistic philosophy of integrating art and life and of creating work that is consistent with one’s identity is well defined in his bookplate.

Bookplate by Aubrey Beardsley (left). Beardsley was an English illustrator, author, and a leading figure of the Aesthetic movement. He was influenced by Japanese Woodcuts and emphasized the erotic, grotesque, and the decadent in his work. Beardsley’s contributions to the development of Art Nouveau and the posters styles of the time were significant.

Bookplates by Gordon Craig (three on the right). Craig was an English actor, director, theatre scenic designer and writer. In 1904 he wrote is most famous work, the essay The Art of the Theatre. He also was well known for his patented movable screens and set design for the Moscow Art Theatre production of Hamlet in 1911.

Every book lover knows that a book loaned often becomes a book lost. Sharing your treasured books can often be a losing business. So, how can you gently remind the borrower it’s your property, with hope to see it once again? Enter center stage, the innovation of the bookplate.

A bookplate is also known as an ex libris in reference to the Latin inscription meaning “from the books of…” The earliest known example dates back to 1450, the same year as the birth of printing from movable type. Many early bookplates were designed to safeguard the books of barons and nobles. Because of this they were adorned with coats of arms and other indicators of inherited prestige. This was the case through the 18th century. The Victorians with their love of gathering “beautiful things” realized as early as 1875 that bookplates were collectable. In his 1880 publication on bookplate collecting, John Byrne Leicester Warren recognized four distinct styles in early British bookplate design: early armorial, Jacobean (including Restoration, Queen Anne, and early Georgian), Chippendale (rococo), and wreath and ribbon (Victorian).

The 19th century saw the rise of the middle class. Scholars, professionals, and other educated individuals became interested in bookplates and commissioned works in a pictorial vein. These drew from classical and symbolist iconography and were heavily influenced by The Arts and Crafts Movement. In 1891 a few British bookplate collectors met in London to establish the Ex Libris Society and by the end of that first year, it had grown to more than 300 members. The Society began publishing the Journal of the Ex Libris Society and it was published through 1909 with 18 volumes in all. As the collecting of bookplates from previous generations was gaining popularity, the demand for new bookplates also grew. Interest in bookplates reached its peak around the turn of the century but began to decline with the onset of the First World War. Over the next 100 years, interest has come and gone, but for me at least, the height of the art of the bookplate is directly linked to the European Arts & Crafts era. Today there are some 50 ‘national’ bookplate societies that gather world-wide every two years.

Celebrated artists like Walter Crane, Aubrey Beardsley, Robert Anning Bell, Jesse M. King, Gordon Craig, and C.F.A. Voysey created beautiful works of art, knowing that they would only be seen by a select few. It the bookplate is one of the most intimate forms of personal art during this era. Art for Art’s sake, a treasure to be hidden away in a book somehow becomes more romantic to me, than art meant to be on display for all. Personal art, originally meant only for high society, now acknowledged the social principles put forth by John Ruskin and William Morris; no matter your station in life, you deserve to enjoy refinement and objects of beauty.

Many of the artists of the time saw bookplate design as a new artistic challenge. To reduce the artwork to such a small size and to create with only a limited color palate, or even just in black and white, gave way to graphic design. Simple line contour had to speak volumes. Shape had to be distinct enough to allow instant recognition. In response to these artistic challenges we can see the birthplace of the modern logo.

And art wasn’t just made from oil or egg tempura anymore. Ink was king! Early innovation in the artistic printing press was akin to adding a snare drum to the band for the first time. Such rich and bold notes had not previously been heard, and could be shocking to the ears. Even today, there is fine art--leave room for the Grand Canyon--and then illustration, including typography. In the 1990s, I received Cs in some of my painting classes at Colorado State University because I wasn’t “painterly” enough. One memorable professor said my work just wasn’t “cooked in” yet. I’ve always been drawn to sharp, defined line work and expressively bold shape. Creating a visual gut-punch of emotion with fewer details always wins in my book. Simplicity of design can be seen as the very foundation of refinement. Oh how I would love to transport back in time to dine with the bookplate artists of the Arts & Crafts Era and hear if they too experienced the inferred or even at times outright scowl from the fine art world. Art should always be personal. These artisans took the time to create small, concentrated drawings that delight to this day like humble lyrics to a whispered song. Next time you are shopping for old books, take the time to open their front covers. You never know what delicious details may be in store for you there. You may even feel the previous owner looking on, hoping to get their beloved book back. They took the time to mark it, after all.

This article was written by Julie Leidel for the Colorado Arts and Crafts Society.

Bookplate by Robert Anning Bell. Bell was a fine artist painting in oil and gouache. He designed stained glass windows and mosaics for many churches and from 1895 to 1899 Bell was an instructor at the Liverpool University school of architecture. In 1911 he was appointed chief of the design section at the Glasgow School of Art.

Has technology changed the way we "human"?

9/4/2019

I want to help bring balance to people’s lives through art. Simply put, I want my artistic expression to be a reminder to seek out genuine human connection and true closeness to nature (and the divine) while focusing on the present moment.

As I write, I realize I want to explain more about why I have this goal, not only for my art but for my life.

I want to be part of a movement to wake people up from the zombie-like state that technology can trap us in. We are near people every day without connecting to them. We reach more people than ever before in history through technology, sometimes without a single thought of making a positive interaction. We tend to over-correct in response to this over-stimulated, over-busy, over-stressed society we live in by shutting out true connections and replacing them with artificial ones. We walk into people on the street absentmindedly, or crash our cars into other cars because we are too busy “connecting” to people through our smart phones.

Technological development has paved the way for invention, innovation and improvement in almost every aspect of our modern lives, yet this constant hum of synthetic reality has become a replacement for genuine human connection.

We are in close proximity 24/7 to other humans around the globe, mostly through artificial devices: smart phones, computers, automobiles, head phones, televisions, Apple Watches, iPads, gaming consoles, video surveillance, virtual reality, and many more. Technology is swirling around us all the time through apps, social media, websites, email, radio, texts, pod casts, news casts, movies, gaming, programming, and the list goes on and on. We can stand feet or even inches away from people without acknowledging them. We can sit with loved ones to share a meal without even talking to them, looking down at the technology in front of us instead. I see each of these advancements as a possible brick in a larger wall of isolation around our souls if we aren't careful to find balance. The way technology fosters multi-tasking and hyper productivity in our daily life is also a major cause of stress, overwhelming us with a sense of being too busy for honest, heart-felt connection to one another.

We, as the human race, have morphed into human doings, not human beings. I find it interesting that the Oxford dictionary definition of human being is this: “a man, woman, or child of the species Homo sapiens, distinguished from other animals by superior mental development, power of articulate speech, and upright stance.” Think about this for a moment. Has our superior mental development (as it relates to our constant use of technology) hindered our power to articulate speech with our actual vocal cords? Has it even cut into our ability and opportunity for upright stance on a regular basis? Has our artificial, constant closeness to people mindlessly changed our ability to really “plug in” to a human connection on a soulful and healthy level?

Has technology changed how we human? (Yes, I’m changing “human” to a verb for a second.)

Human connection isn’t just about those closest to us. It doesn’t stop at our family and friends or our co-workers and classmates – those souls that we have put more effort into, or those people that we have just spent more time around. Human connection to me also happens as we walk on the sidewalk, as we drive down the road, as we take up space in a room of a building, as we stand on our earth, under the sun or moon, and of course as we use our various technological devices. But, we have literally thousands of opportunities for human connection every single day to the people that are right next to us, physically not just virtually.

I’ve been selling my artwork at art shows and festivals for nine years, and I’ve had conversations with literally tens of thousands of people. For the last two years of my journey, I changed my focus when I’m at a show meeting new people. I very purposely set a new intention for that part of my life, which ends up being over 50 full days a year. I actively talk to strangers that end up walking out as friends. I didn’t want my focus to be solely on selling my art (to make a living) but my purpose shifted to really, genuinely connect with people in the here and now. I want to hear their stories of connection to the land and nature, and also to each other. I want to listen to their memories that my paintings may bring to the surface. Over the last two years especially, I’ve paid attention. I see the human spirit in beautiful new and surprising ways. I see people struggle with the same things I struggle with, while at the same time seeing how unique and special and different they all are. My empathy and compassion has increased, and my judgement has slowed. I want to learn from others, even if we only cross paths for a few moments in this lifetime. I can’t tell you how much this has changed by artwork, and my perspective on life. I was scared to be that present, to make it my goal to really connect because I really thought it would be draining at first. I’ve been blown away by how much this focus has filled me up, in direct contrast to my fears. I literally find myself some days trying to figure out why other artists are starting tear down so early, only to discover that the day has flown by because it was filled with so many great conversations.

That said, I screw up this goal all. the. time. I forget to focus on my intention to connect. I get tired and hot, or worried about that big dark cloud, or the fact that I have to use the restroom and I don’t know how to sneak away for a second to take care of me. I get annoyed at thoughtless comments by others. I forget to turn off my inner monologue to focus on listening to the person in front of me. I can give so much to new people during the day, that I may forget to give that same attention and 10 times more to my own family and friends. But, I know I’m making progress. I know I can turn that mindful, present-moment focus on quicker and more often when I practice it regularly. I know there’s always room for improvement.

I know that my life is richer and more colorful and inspired and full, not because of the technology that makes my life easier, but by the human beings that cross my path each day and their openness to connect to me, especially if they see the door is open. This is what I want people to take home with them in my artwork too: Genuine human connection and true closeness to nature (and the divine) while focusing on the present moment.

I share this long manifesto with you today because I’ve also made it a goal of mine to define my mission as an artist (as it turns out) on virtual paper, not just in my head alone. I hope this is the beginning of many new experiences I can open myself up to as a business owner, dreamer, artist, and of course, human being.

Allen Tupper True: Colorado's most Premiere Muralist

8/30/2018

I've recently been commissioned by the Civic Center Conservancy to create a painting to commemorate the 100th anniversary of The Greek Theater and Civic Center Park in Downtown Denver. On this journey, I've found and fallen in love with the artwork of Allen Tupper True (1881-1955.) and I wanted to share some of his amazing story here.

He was born in Colorado Springs, and spent a great deal of his life here in Colorado. He grew up living at a time where the west was still a beautiful combination of early settlers, Native Americans, frontiersman, trappers, and prospectors. His goal was to always tell the true story of his American West: the hardships, virtues, spirituality, work ethic, and daily life of all the people living here at the turn of the century.

Photo Credit: Victoria Tupper Kirby in her book Allen Tupper True: An American Artist

The Happy Hunting Ground Mural for the Colorado National Bank photo collaged with Allen at work on this mural in the 1920s. This mural is the last in this series and has followed an American Indian Chief through his entire life. Sitting on his burial platform, ready to transition to the afterlife, you see him look back over his life through visions and spirits in the sky. Five blue herons help guide him onto his final journey. Photo Credit: Victoria Tupper Kirby in her book Allen Tupper True: An American Artist

Mountain Telephone Construction is in the outer lobby of the 14th Street entrance to the current Qwest building downtown Denver. Photo Credit: Victoria Tupper Kirby in her book Allen Tupper True: An American Artist

"Civic Center Park" 20" x 24" gouache on illustration board by Julie Leidel

Allen Tupper True studied at The University of Denver for a year, and then went out east to Delaware to study under Howard Pyle as a book and magazine illustrator from 1902 to 1907. He was drawn overseas to study art in London in 1908 and apprenticed with muralist Frank Brangwyn. Here he learned how to tell a powerful story through his mural work. He became a master of mural painting, and received many public mural contracts all over the American West. His first mural was sold to Anne Evans (daughter of Governor Evans) in 1912. He partnered with Brangwyn on the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco 1913-1915, and was commissioned for an astounding amount of murals (many not listed here but a few of note) for the Denver Public Library 1912-17, Wyoming State Capitol 1917, Denver Civic Center Park 1920, Colorado National Bank 1921-25, Missouri State Capitol 1922-1925, Mountain States Telephone & Telegraph Company 1927-29, restoration to the Central City Oprah House and Teller House 1931-34, Colorado State Capitol 1934-40, The Brown Palace 1937, University of Denver 1946, Denver's City and County building 1950, and his last mural for the CU Students Union building in 1953-55 where he suffered from a stroke while working.

He was hired by the US Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation from 1934-42 to design color schemes and decorative floor designs for several dams and power houses including the Hoover dam. True was commissioned in 1935 to design the bucking bronco for the Wyoming license plate that is still used today. He also had many exhibits of his paintings nationally throughout his career, including a solo exhibition at the Denver Art Museum in 1947.

True had been allergic to turpentine for most of his life, which caused painful skin conditions and later caused him to work with egg tempura rather than oil paint, which was his first love. Many of his murals have been lost to time sadly, but some of the best examples of his mural work in Colorado can still be found at The Renaissance Hotel (in the historic Colorado National Bank Building) at 17th & Champa, and the Qwest Building (formerly the Mountain States Telephone company) at 14th & Curtis as well as the Brown Palace and the Colorado State Capitol.

As I work on my commission painting for Civic Center Park here in 2018, I'm reminded that each building in this painting (The Greek Theater, The Denver Public Library, and the Denver Art Museum) now house some of Allen Tupper True's work today. I wanted to honor True's lifetime of murals by paying homage to him through using what I call the "True Light" - his color palette through much of his collective body of work. His choice of color is extraordinary, bringing bold colors forward, mixing with the pastel coloring of the background. His illustrative painting method is also an inspiration to me as an artist.

DYI: Flatten your Art Canvas for Framing

7/17/2018

Here's my trick to take a gallery-wrapped art canvas down to a thickness you can easily frame on your own. The reason I do this is simple. My printer does a STELLAR job in professionally adhering the art canvas to the inside backer board. No mat or glass is needed to bring this art canvas to life in a standard frame. I tried ordering rolled canvas prints, and I couldn't get them to lay flat to save my life it seemed. Then, I realized that this part is already done for me, I just need to make it flat for most frames.

I open up the back, pull off the black backer board (usually in many chunks) and then take out the foam core center. I then gently open up the artwork like a present to lay all the edges flat. If you have box cutters and a cutting mat, then you have everything you need to make that art canvas lie flat for framing without a mat. As you open up the back, you’ll see the beveled edge on the inside that makes the corners so nice and flat when it's folded up. No ruler needed, you just run your knife along that inside beveled edge and it cuts perfectly to size.

Make my art, YOUR art by customizing it to get the designer look you want!

Accepted as a Roycroft Renaissance Artisan for my Second Year

4/25/2017

I just walked down to the mailbox to find my favorite letter of the year waiting for me. I've been accepted as a Roycroft Renaissance Artisan for a second year! This warms my heart, and gives me a real sense of belonging within the Roycrofters-At-Large Association. I'll be heading out to New York this June for Summerfest, and I'm over-the-moon excited to spend some quality time on campus in the days before the show.