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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: "of
earth and sky" Show Dates:
March 1 - March 23, 2003 A new show being held at No Ordinary Joe's Café in Red Bank, NJ explores the experience of being human through art and photography. Over 30 pieces from artist Jeff Clapp and wife Donna Clapp will be on display. Titled "of earth and sky", the show is being held for four weeks beginning March 1st. "The show's vision is to move, touch and inspire the viewer to 'stop and smell the roses,'" says Clapp. "We wanted people to connect to how fleeting time is and that, as humans, we hardly ever take the time to really observe, appreciate and take in our surroundings. That the only real time we have is the moment we are in now. It's not what we will do one day but what we are doing right now that makes the difference. The beauty of art is that it allows us to take time we need to soak in a captured moment and appreciate the world around us in that moment. My wife and I spend a great deal of time observing and recording the beautiful 'moments' that make up our lives and we wanted to share that with others. Whether it's people, places or nature it all impacts the way we enjoy our lives every day. Now we look forward to giving back for all that we have received." "I love working with my wife, Donna. She is not only a great support for what I do as an artist but is a very talented photographer on her own. She has a similar eye to mine and is able to capture those moments going on that I may miss because I am off observing something elesewhere. The balance allows us to create a total 'view' of somewhere we have been together. It is through our combined efforts that we are able to share this beautiful work with you." "What my art represents for me is a gift that I receive from all the individuals that have allowed me the privilege of telling their story. In return my gift to them is to raise funds through the selling of this work to give back to resources that promote the education and growth of those people. It is only through educating the world that we can hope for true peace for this planet. Both here and abroad, education is often the single most neglected gift that we choose to invest our resources in. I want to see a world where every single child has the opportunity of a great education and that no child, anywhere, is left behind. I was able to raise a significant amount of money through the raffling off of a painting in the summer of 2002 that helped buy reading books for the local primary school in Red Bank and school supplies to be shipped overseas to schools in Zimbabwe. My hope is that people will not only enjoy the images my wife and I create but know that they have made a significant impact in someone else's life at the very same time. It is only through their generosity and support that I can fulfill on this dream for humanity. Please help me in making a difference in the lives of children who are going without right here at home. For this particular show, 25% of all of the proceeds will be going to the following three Native Amercian educational organizations: 1. AIEF - American Indian Educational Foundation which assists Native American students with college scholarships 2. St. Labre Indian School serving Native American children of the Northern Cheyenne and Crow Reservations 3. St Stephens Indian Mission Foundation serving youths and giving assistance to the Shoshone and Arapaho people of the Wind River Reservation" Join us for this exciting exhibition in Red Bank, NJ. The show will open the evening of Saturday, March 1
Quotes and Notables Jeff What inspires you? I am a visual person and always look for inspiration in people I meet, places I travel and things I see. Travel really gets my blood going though. I always strive to be a keen observer while traveling and really immerse myself in the places I visit. Africa and China have been the most inspirational thus far. Lately my focus has turned to people. Sept 11th really shook things up for me as an American, as an artist and as a human being. I realized I needed to make a difference in this world for myself and for others, and could do so through my talents as an artist. My art now focuses on the beauty and awe of all people, what I see in them and it strives to reveal our similarities rather than focus on our differences. I think differences are important and make us beautiful but too often they become the focus of hatred, jealousy and fear. It is our natural instinct to like other people and our natural fears that split us. When you can hold your fear at bay and not let it control your feelings and actions you open yourself up to the magnificence that is being human. You transcend race, color, creed and all other cultural differences and open yourself up to the overpowering beauty of the human soul. This is what inspires me most. What is your favorite medium? My favorite medium is watercolor. I am passionate about color, vibrant color, as I feel it totally sets the mood for a piece and nothing does it better for me than watercolor. Watercolor shows depth and transparency like no other medium and I find out something new about the way it works every time I set about painting. Sometimes it is controlled but often it just runs amuck, like an unpredictable child, I love that. It has never become routine for me and challenges me in ways no other medium I have worked with does. Who are your favorite artists? My favorite artists are Rembrandt, Degas, Van Gogh, Francis Bacon, Michelangelo and Dali, to name a few. I especially love Rembrandt. He had a unique way of placing paint on the canvas that when you stand back from the painting the image is a beautiful portrait or scene but when you stand up much closer the painting disintegrates into dabs of color and smears of value. I like to refer to this as the "talent of illusion" where the artist allows the power of the human eye to create or finish the intended image. I love to work in this way on many of my pieces. How long have you been creating and what or who inspired you to start? I have been creating since I was eating crayons as a child, tens of boxes according to my mother. Never much for extensive reading, I have always been a visual person and communicate best my deepest thoughts and feelings through my art. My wife would dare to differ saying I am a great writer so I won't argue with her on that, but my passion is definitely the brush and canvas. What inspired me to start, hard to say. Both my parents and my younger sister are very talented though not professional artists. I have been creating art for as long as one can remember and I hope to pass from this life with a brush in hand. Art is so freeing and creates a working environment free of outside influences, judgements and needs. I am fully self-expressed and yet vulnerable when I am creating, that's why I love it so much. One of my dreams is to bring art into younger kids lives. I know that it has made all the difference for me in mine. Whether through teaching directly or through some other program I look forward to working with kids and exploring with them all the wonder and joy that art can provide for their lives and others around them. |
