Katie Willes is a self-taught abstract expressionist. Her degree was in Chemistry, but her art education started in museums across Europe. With a passion for art herself, Katie’s mother took her to museums on every vacation and weekend trip during Katie’s teenage years, when Katie’s father was stationed at an Army hospital in Germany. Katie’s love for art continued and she takes her own children to museums in every new city and country they visit.
Despite her appreciation for art, Katie always thought of herself as a left-brained person. Her interest in abstract was piqued with her first visit to the MoMA in New York. When her oldest went away to college and studied art, Katie started painting as a way to connect with her. That sparked a passion that has blazed like wildfire. With an innate eye for color and design, Katie’s paintings also reflect her optimism and happy personality.
Katie Willes is a self-taught abstract expressionist. Her degree was in Chemistry, but her art education started in museums across Europe. With a passion for art herself, Katie’s mother took her to museums on every vacation and weekend trip during Katie’s teenage years, when Katie’s father was stationed at an Army hospital in Germany. Katie’s love for art continued and she takes her own children to museums in every new city and country they visit.
Despite her appreciation for art, Katie always thought of herself as a left-brained person. Her interest in abstract was piqued with her first visit to the MoMA in New York. When her oldest went away to college and studied art, Katie started painting as a way to connect with her. That sparked a passion that has blazed like wildfire. With an innate eye for color and design, Katie’s paintings also reflect her optimism and happy personality.
Chutes and Ladders | Acrylic and mixed media on panel | 12×12 inches In the Treehouse | Acrylic and mixed media on panel | 12×12 Summer on the Lake | Acrylic and mixed media on panel | 12×12 inches Switcheroo | Acrylic on panel Size 18×24 inches
My own work is deeply steeped in the European classical tradition, drawing much more inspiration in terms of form, lighting, composition, and atmosphere from the Renaissance and Baroque era than it draws from any contemporary art movement. It is completely figurative, with no abstraction, though with human figures that are slightly caricatured. My individual voice as an artist is opting for a more “conservative backlash” against the contemporary art scene and separates itself from the more sleek, stylized, graphic design look of contemporary artists. The figures lack the mass amounts of chiseled detail that are hallmarks of European Renaissance painting and sculpture, but instead exist as smooth, rubbery figures sitting in a Baroque inspired environment.
My own work is deeply steeped in the European classical tradition, drawing much more inspiration in terms of form, lighting, composition, and atmosphere from the Renaissance and Baroque era than it draws from any contemporary art movement. It is completely figurative, with no abstraction, though with human figures that are slightly caricatured. My individual voice as an artist is opting for a more “conservative backlash” against the contemporary art scene and separates itself from the more sleek, stylized, graphic design look of contemporary artists. The figures lack the mass amounts of chiseled detail that are hallmarks of European Renaissance painting and sculpture, but instead exist as smooth, rubbery figures sitting in a Baroque inspired environment.
“Time of Day (Girl in a Plaid Shirt)” | Oil on Canvas | 30×24 inches “A Seated Couple” | Acrylic on Canvas | 18×24 inches “Woman on a Staircase” | Oil on Canvas | 30×24 inches “Man in a Striped Shirt” | Acrylic and Oil on Canvas | 20×16 inches
I consider myself to be an “outsider artist” because I never went to art school, I’m self taught, and I own my voice through art making. I appreciate the creative process because it’s a way for me to grow and learn. I am very drawn to abstract style and I love to use many different colors in a thick, bold way. I want to catch people’s attention with my full color palette and thick, textured style.
Featured Artist
Katelyn Feldman | Santa Fe, NM
feldmancat45@gmail.com
I consider myself to be an “outsider artist” because I never went to art school, I’m self taught, and I own my voice through art making. I appreciate the creative process because it’s a way for me to grow and learn. I am very drawn to abstract style and I love to use many different colors in a thick, bold way. I want to catch people’s attention with my full color palette and thick, textured style.
The creative process is so enlightening because it’s fun and I get to explore different colors and textures. I love making abstract art because it’s always new and exciting, and I can create my own interpretations of the things around me. I have shown my artwork at InsideOut, Artstreet, the Santa fe South Branch Library, Artstreet, and the Santa Fe Recovery Center benefit. I have also donated art to the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI).
Somewhere Green | Acrylic on Canvas | 24″x 24″ Blue Moon | Acrylic on Canvas | 48″x 60″ Southwest Grass | Acrylic on Canvas | 8″ x 12″ Abstract Ocean | Acrylic on Canvas | 36″x 48″
I am an outsider artist. I am self taught and use unusual materials in my work such as sheet rock and neon paint . My work is for me a spiritual path as I am now the artist called Billy the Kid Neon/Numen formerly just known simply as Billy the Kid Neon ( hehee). I became an artist when I was “Richard Dreyfussed” ( as in Close Encounters of the Third Kind) at Home Depot. I bought an 8′ x 4′ piece of sheet rock and with a neighbor’s help I set it on two saw horses and in a trance i did my first piece appropriately called “Future Numen.”. This solitary phase in my work culminated in my magnum opus “Yu Must Squeeze” – 7000 c.ft. installation .
Now I employ “fine” artists in my work and I think it is way better – not so rough and more accessible and now for sale and hopefully, placable. Thanks for your kind attention….LUV AND PEACE….BILLY
I am an outsider artist. I am self taught and use unusual materials in my work such as sheet rock and neon paint . My work is for me a spiritual path as I am now the artist called Billy the Kid Neon/Numen formerly just known simply as Billy the Kid Neon ( hehee). I became an artist when I was “Richard Dreyfussed” ( as in Close Encounters of the Third Kind) at Home Depot. I bought an 8′ x 4′ piece of sheet rock and with a neighbor’s help I set it on two saw horses and in a trance i did my first piece appropriately called “Future Numen.”. This solitary phase in my work culminated in my magnum opus “Yu Must Squeeze” – 7000 c.ft. installation .
Now I employ “fine” artists in my work and I think it is way better – not so rough and more accessible and now for sale and hopefully, placable. Thanks for your kind attention….LUV AND PEACE….BILLY
Billy’s Large Glass | Mixed media | 24.5″ x 45″ Pieta | Mixed media | 15.5″ x 29″ x 3″ Sex Wars | Mixed media | 23″ x 72″ The Adventures of Roy Rogers & Dale Evans & the Known God & the Unknown God & Abraxas in the Lost Canyon | Mixed media | 5′ x 5′ x 9′
I’m an autodidact who is fascinated by the process of creation and in particular the unadulterated pure creation associated with Art Brut and Outsider art.
I’m an autodidact who is fascinated by the process of creation and in particular the unadulterated pure creation associated with Art Brut and Outsider art.
I am on a journey to develop an artistic voice and practice by painting 100 sellable paintings in 1 year. I’ve never painted before in my life outside of childhood, and therefore I have seen a very steep evolution in my work over the last 6 months.
All my work ties closely to how i feel at the moment, and is somewhat refelctive of the general transformation i’ve undergone in this time.
#18 Puer Aeternus | Mixed Media on Panel board | 80cm x 60cm #20 Kia Kaha, Be Brave | Mixed Media on Panel board | 80cm x 60cm #26 Cultural Capital | Mixed Media on Panel board | 80cm x 60cm #38 Let go | Mixed Media on Panel board | 80cm x 60cm
”I was born in s’Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands in 1954. I have been a lifelong doodler.My work is influenced by children’s toy’s, folk and indigenous art forms. I am an amateur painter and maker of things. But I spend most of my time doing this and I will continue as long as there are new things to discover….I like my works to be joyous, colorful with a kinetic feel. I’ll work with and on anything available, including old wood, cardboard and all kinds of wonderful junk,” writes John van Orsouw.
”I was born in s’Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands in 1954. I have been a lifelong doodler.My work is influenced by children’s toy’s, folk and indigenous art forms. I am an amateur painter and maker of things. But I spend most of my time doing this and I will continue as long as there are new things to discover….I like my works to be joyous, colorful with a kinetic feel. I’ll work with and on anything available, including old wood, cardboard and all kinds of wonderful junk,” writes John van Orsouw.
John meets all the requirements to be himself.
He is completely self-taught which is not to say that he is not schooled. His schooling,however,has been the museums, the ideas, the movies and the streets of urban life both in the U.S. (New Orleans, New York City) and in Europe including his childhood home in Holland. Presently he is selling his work in New York City. His recent exhibitions include the Outsider Art Fair in New York and Paris, The 6th annual Outsider Art Exhibition at Galerie Belage in West Hampton Beach, New York , Musee de la Creation France and van der Plas gallery in New York City.
John’s paintings are part child, part expressionistic brut, part music and part CoBrA. He is Dubuffet filtered through Rembrandt and Bosch via Karel Appel. He is, in the composite, pure John van Orsouw, a free spirit inspired by daily life, its sounds, its smells, its colors, its culture and its language. Spontaneity is his medium, like the jazz he celebrates in his work.
His work is playful – a carnival of bright, primary-colored toys which he then, like a magician, swirls through scribbles of motion and ends with a figure, an animal or a musical instrument. He plays with the idea that art is a toy and works the shapes into shape and superimposes, imposes and just plain poses these shapes within the spontaneous, organic and sometimes conscious scribbles, squiggles and doodles. it looks like John is having fun. And that’s the way he wants it to look.
When he is working, John is in the center ring of a 3-ring circus. He is the ringmaster for the clowns, cartoons, the blues, jazz and colorful men and women. Wild-eyed dogs, cats and birds roam freely through his field of vision. As ringmaster he snaps his whip and whips his performers into recognizable shapes but in the end they all have a life of their own. His work, like the playful circus of his imagination, has been created for children of all ages!
Phil Demise Smith, New York.
PARADISE LOST Mixed media painting on canvas 48”x 48” RED HOT Mixed media painting on canvas 48”x 40” GOODBYE JOE Mixed media painting on canvas 48” x 48” A NIGHT IN LA BOCA Mixed media painting on canvas 50”x 34”
Thank you to all the Artists who submitted their artwork for consideration and congratulations to Jim Kopp for getting his work on the cover of issue two. Tons of great art didn’t make it into this issue, but don’t let that detour you. We are now accepting art submissions for issue three. SUBMIT HERE
Congratulations to all who made it into issue two of Outsider Art Magazine.
Thank you to everyone who participated and submitted your art for consideration. There was some amazing art that didn’t make the cut so please keep submitting for future issues of Outsider Art Magazine. Next call for art will be soon and we will send out an email and post a call for art.
Selected Artists listed in no particular order.
Selected Artists – Issue Two
Congratulations to all who made it into issue two of Outsider Art Magazine.
Thank you to everyone who participated and submitted your art for consideration. There was some amazing art that didn’t make the cut so please keep submitting for future issues of Outsider Art Magazine. Next call for art will be soon and we will send out an email and post a call for art.
Stan Reed is an Outsider multimedia artist, photographer and musician who works in the genres of DaDa and Surreal art of all types. He specializes in collages, both digital and analog. His music projects include Blue Sabbath Black Cheer and The Broken Penis Orchestra. He has also worked with Steven Stapletons Nurse With Wound and Richard Rupenus Mixed Band Philanthropist.
Stan Reed is an Outsider multimedia artist, photographer and musician who works in the genres of DaDa and Surreal art of all types. He specializes in collages, both digital and analog. His music projects include Blue Sabbath Black Cheer and The Broken Penis Orchestra. He has also worked with Steven Stapletons Nurse With Wound and Richard Rupenus Mixed Band Philanthropist.
Sorrow Analog collage on hand woven pages 7″ x 10″ Jaws Of Life Analog collage on hand woven pages 7″ x 10″ At Arms Length Analog collage on hand woven pages 7.5″ x 10″
Kyle Rehm has been painting for over 35 years. He won a 4 year scholarship to MCAD (Minneapolis College of Art & Design) in 1985, but was unable to use it. This didn’t stop him from pursuing what he’d already committed to. At 17 he had the idea to create work that would be a one on one collaboration with the viewer. To create a more personal and intimate experience. He wanted the work to reflect differently with each member of the audience, like music. Music isn’t easily described or interpreted, yet everyone has a deeply intimate attraction to it, because of the imagination. Kyle wanted to create this experience in his work. To do this it had to incorporate all the ideas of art into one form. His idea was Imaginism, and the simple definition was this; Imagination delineates art through interpretation. This gave the viewer complete control of interpretation. In order to do this he had to create works that were enigmatically ambiguous, and yet welcomed the imagination in an intriguing way. He achieved this by his use of the line. This allowed the imagination an overwhelming number of possibilities. By doing so it also gave each viewer room to find a uniquely authentic interpretation that would evolve and change, and become more and more personal with time.
Kyle Rehm has been painting for over 35 years. He won a 4 year scholarship to MCAD (Minneapolis College of Art & Design) in 1985, but was unable to use it. This didn’t stop him from pursuing what he’d already committed to. At 17 he had the idea to create work that would be a one on one collaboration with the viewer. To create a more personal and intimate experience. He wanted the work to reflect differently with each member of the audience, like music. Music isn’t easily described or interpreted, yet everyone has a deeply intimate attraction to it, because of the imagination. Kyle wanted to create this experience in his work. To do this it had to incorporate all the ideas of art into one form. His idea was Imaginism, and the simple definition was this; Imagination delineates art through interpretation. This gave the viewer complete control of interpretation. In order to do this he had to create works that were enigmatically ambiguous, and yet welcomed the imagination in an intriguing way. He achieved this by his use of the line. This allowed the imagination an overwhelming number of possibilities. By doing so it also gave each viewer room to find a uniquely authentic interpretation that would evolve and change, and become more and more personal with time.
His work has been published by Oxford University Press in 2013, on the cover of “How to Build a Brain”. A textbook detailing how to build an Artificial Intelligence. Written by Dr. Christopher Eliasmith.
Currently, he’s working on a new experiment with his paintings. He’s creating new work from his original oil paintings by using digital tools. To be clear, the original works are only altered with these tools. Nothing is added, no colors or no images. These are not new paintings, but are completely reimagined original works. He first thought of this in 1989, but the tools back then were very primitive and very unintuitive. So he waited until the technology caught up to the idea. He considers the works as mixed media. A physical oil painting that’s been digitally altered. Each work is a progression toward something new.
No. 27 Oil painting Digitally altered, Mixed Media Digital Work No. 12 Oil painting Digitally altered, Mixed Media Digital Work No. 15 Oil painting Digitally altered, Mixed Media Digital Work No. 30 Oil painting Digitally altered, Mixed Media Digital Work
Outsider Art Magazine 