Rebecca Bourgeois is a dual American and French national, living in the South of France, where she teaches French high school pupils English. Her children are her pride and joy. Rebecca writes poetry in both her native tongues, though differently : classical verse in French and free verse in English.
Brad Clarke is a surreal artist whom enjoys creating iconic pieces by combining everyday subjects with new ideas. His art has a lot of psychological themes and are meant to expand the mind through never-before-seen images and new experiences. He currently lives in Louisville, Kentucky.He can be reached for commissions and other inquiries at bradclarke1988@gmail.com
Janet Kozachek has received a number of awards, including a Puffin Foundation Award, several National Endowment for the Arts subgrant awards, a Heritage Foundation Award, a Humanities Council Award and a Helena Rubinstein Scholar Award. Her digital records of over 2600 works are part of the archive of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington DC. She has published numerous articles, essays, poetry and a book of illustrated rhymes for the cat, The Book of Marvelous Cats.
1. Your work is comprised of portraits. You’ve done animals, buildings, but most of all people. You paint famous people, but just as often you paint those you know personally in your work. Could you talk about why you choose to focus on portraits and what that expresses for you?
I think the reason that I focus on portraiture is because I’m fascinated by people and psychology. Why people are the way they are, think and act the way they do, how they function, etc. It’s why my other two loves outside of the visual arts are history and literature. Working on a portrait of someone is more than just building lines and colors. It’s spending time with them in a way, getting to know them. Whether it’s a celebrity or a friend or someone I’ve only met once, I do their portraits because I’ve found something in them that I admire or that I greatly relate to. The portraits aren’t about the person though. The subject is the trait in them that I admire or want to portray, the energy they’ve created that I want to recreate. It could be courage or humor or vulnerability or anxiety or a multitude of emotions or traits but the people themselves are generally just a vehicle for what I want to express to others through them. And, if you ask, there’s always a good story behind every piece.
2. As you know, Wraith Infirmity Muses focuses on invisible illnesses. Would you be willing to tell readers how invisible illness has impacted your life?
Invisible illness has greatly impacted my life. I’ve lived most of my life dealing with major depression and anxiety. In November 2015, after many years of snowballing grief and loss and substance abuse issues, I attempted suicide and nearly succeeded. I’ve since had to work hard on finding and maintaining new coping skills and making healthier choices. I still struggle daily with my illnesses but I’m at least on a better path then before with a little more wisdom and cognizant of the better choices that I need to make.
3. If you could convey one clear message to the world, through your art and your experiences, what would that message be?
It’s hard to boil it down to one message. Every painting I do is a message of what’s going on with me here and now, what I’m feeling and wanting to express at the moment. I suppose the most important message is that if you’re looking at one of my paintings, I hope you can find my humanity in it, that you can connect with me on a personal level, that you know that you’re not alone. I can say that the biggest compliments I get are when people tell me my work has moved them to tears or to laughter or to a smile or even to a frown. That movement, that human connection, is the ultimate statement I can make in making my art.
all featured artist works remain the property of Patrick Harris and Images are not to be used without his consent. He may be reached through Delurk Gallery in Winston Salem, NC.
WIM 