indie artist spotlights

feasting on noah verrier’s food paintings

~ jama ~ 7 Comments

“For me every painting is like a prayer to God, I can be still, look closely, and interpret the colors, shapes, and emotion before me.” ~ Noah Verrier

Hungry? If you’re craving a little comfort food, whether fast or slow, you’ve come to the right place. Florida artist Noah Verrier’s realistic depictions of classic favorites hit the spot every time.

Feasting on one of Verrier’s mouthwatering, calorie-free still lifes comes with an added benefit: zero guilt. So go ahead and lick off that cupcake frosting to your heart’s content, polish off a syrupy stack of fluffy pancakes, or wolf down a cheesy Big Mac with fries. You’ll feel satisfied and have fun doing it.

Though now based in Tallahassee, Verrier was born in Salem, Oregon, and moved to Florida with his parents when he was six. He loved art as a child and began drawing and painting in watercolors by the age of ten in order to emulate what he saw.

photo of Noah Verrier in his studio by Chasity Maynard/Tallahassee Democrat.

He was fully immersed in art in high school, inspired by Impressionism. Van Gogh and Monet were big influences. He then studied art at Florida State University, taking an interest in 19th century painters Manet, Sargent and Sorolla, as well as 20th century artist Wayne Thiebaud, admiring them for their realistic imagery and brush stroke styles. He also taught painting at FSU, first as a graduate student and then as a professor after earning his MFA. In 2017, he took a leap of faith and quit teaching to become a full-time artist.

Noah specializes in oils and always paints from real-life subjects. He typically begins by sketching an image, then setting up a composition in his home studio. He uses a wet-on-wet painting technique, also known as alla prima painting. This allows him to apply a layer of wet paint on top of another wet layer, all in one setting. Using unique brush strokes and blends of color, he’s able to complete a painting in one day.

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alma berrow butts in

~ jama ~ 5 Comments

No ifs, ands, or buts about it: An Alma Berrow still-life sculpture grabs your attention, makes you smile, enables you to see the mundane detritus of everyday life in a new way.

Who’d have ever imagined that ashtrays and cigarette butts could be so intriguing? Or that whatever is left over or left behind, when immortalized in ceramics, is strong enough to have its own thought-provoking narrative? Thanks to Berrow’s creations, inconsequential items we ordinarily dismiss — pistachio shells, note scraps, coins, even moldy lemons — demand we take a second look.

Based in London, Berrow (b. 1992) initially studied Fashion and Textiles at Falmouth University, then spent the next ten years or so working in various creative industries (Pastry Chef, Artist Assistant, Creative Youth Worker, Hospitality). It wasn’t until the 2020 lockdown, when she relocated to Dorset, that she began experimenting with ceramics in her mother’s studio. Her first pieces included small boxes with little body parts on them, a lighter and matches, and of course, cigarette stubs (the ashtrays came later).

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Robert C. Jackson’s Whimsical World

~ jama ~ 15 Comments

Tall stacks of Oreos, mountains of donuts and macarons, balloon dogs eating pizza and hot dogs. Not necessarily the first things that come to mind when describing still life art.

Yet for contemporary realist painter Robert C. Jackson, delectable, nostalgic and surprising subjects are often on the menu. Goodbye predictable tabletops, fruit bowls, ho-hum vases of flowers. Hello soda crates, laughing watermelons, vintage toys. Jackson has turned the still life genre on its head and is obviously having a lot of fun doing it.

Bob Jackson in his Kennett Square studio.

Jackson (b.1964, Kinston, NC) moved to Delaware with his family when he was about 11. He was always good at drawing, but never thought of art as a profession. Instead, he graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in Electrical Engineering. In his senior year, his girlfriend (and future wife) gave him a set of oil paints for Christmas.

Not having the slightest idea what to do with them, he enrolled in an introductory art class and soon discovered how much he loved painting. Although he did consider a masters degree in painting, Electrical Engineering prevailed as the more practical choice.

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ruth burrows: a burst of color and fun

~ jama ~ 18 Comments

Hey, ho! Come on along, we’re off to explore Ruth Burrows’s eye popping art today!

If you ever need a lift, just take a gander at any one of Ruth’s bright, colorful, pulsating pieces. It’s impossible not to smile or WAKE UP in the presence of such energy, exuberance, and joie de vivre. 🙂

Ruth is based in Lincolnshire, UK, where she built a log cabin in her back garden to use as a studio. She studied Theatre Design at Nottingham University before moving to the UAE, where she worked as a designer for over 20 years.

In addition to a wide range of editorial work, Burrows illustrates children’s books and recently published a craft book called The Illustrator’s Guide to Procreate (David & Charles, 2023).

I almost always start with just pencil and paper. I then take a picture of my sketches and colour them in using Procreate or Photoshop. Sometimes I’ll have a big painting binge using acrylics and watercolors. These usually find their way into my digital work.

Ruth is all about color, pattern, and humor, and most loves to draw objects and faces. Her vibrant surface designs also adorn a wide range of home goods (fabrics, wallpaper, ceramics, glassware, wall hangings).

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Gertie Young’s Magical Realism

~ jama ~ 10 Comments
“Tea with Nana” by Gertie Young

When I first saw UK artist Gertie Young’s “Tea with Nana,” I thought: beautiful, enchanting, lyrical, joyful.

Sometimes you stumble upon a painting and you just know. Here is something different, distinctive. You can’t stop looking at it, you feel connected to it, and somehow it feels like coming home.

Gertie Young in her South London studio.

Born in Nottingham, England, Young (b. 1950) has been painting since childhood. She invented comics, pretend photos, imaginary maps and dream paintings. At the age of 18, she moved to South London to study at Hornsey School of Art. She fell in love with the city and has lived there ever since, continuing to paint while working at various jobs until her retirement in 2016, when she began to paint full time.

Her art is a unique visual language based on a mixture of observation, emotional memory and imagination. She’s inspired by holiday travel, household objects, walking and gardening.

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