"Using Middle America as her muse, Kowch draws the history of a particular place -- invariably rural -- to the surface as it collides with a new reality in layers of metaphor and moodiness. The faces of her women may remind you of characters in a Tim Burton film."
--Steve Parks, Newsday

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Work to be featured in 2009's "Spectrum 16"

I just got word that I had work chosen once again to appear in Spectrum's Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art annual. To say I feel honored would be an understatement. I will keep everyone posted as to which works got in. To view the list of accepted artists for 2009, visit SPECTRUM here. Can't wait!

And...if you have not yet purchased your 2008 copy, be sure to see my previous post for information. It is filled with work by our modern day masters, and is a true visual feast!

Friday, March 20, 2009

Official MySpace



My official MySpace page is here:

http://www.myspace.com/andreakowchillustration

Add me as a friend!

"Continuance: The Persistence of Personal Vision"




Come check out my work in the CCS Illustration alumni group show currently running at the Northville Art House in Northville, MI. The show runs until March 29. The opening was wonderful, with many wonderful works on display by prominent CCS Illustration alumni. I have two pieces in it, so be sure to visit and see it all for yourself!

Visit the Northville Art House online here to get a peek at some of the work featured if you have not yet seen the show ("No Turning Back" is among the ones used for their online promo). It's all still on view for another week!

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March 6–29, 2009
"Continuance: The Persistence of Personal Vision"
College for Creative Studies Illustration Alumni Annual Show (upstairs gallery)

Be a pART of it! The Northville Art House is proud to present "Continuance...The Persistence of Personal Vision: The College for Creative Studies Illustration Alumni Annual Show." Please join us in celebrating the cutting edge of illustration art. Pushing the boundaries of how art is created, today’s illustrators work with everything from traditional media to sophisticated digital technology. They work in diverse fields – from graphic and web design to conceptual art for games, movies and toys. They turn old attitudes upside down and let their passion drive new visions. The Art House is privileged to bring together a panorama of creative works from these individuals – all graduates of Detroit’s own acclaimed College of Creative Studies - to the Northville and Metro Detroit community through this show.

The show will open with a reception Friday, March 6, from 6:00pm - 9:00pm during Northville's First Friday Art Walk. The show will continue through March 29 during the Art House Gallery hours (Thursdays - Sundays 1:00pm - 5:00pm, first Fridays only 1:00pm - 9:00pm.)
For additional information, call 248-344-0497. The Art House is located at 215 W. Cady Street and is a facility of the Northville Arts Commission. Admission to Art House shows is always free and open to the public.

"Chosen"

30" x 40"
acrylic on canvas



One of my latest works which made its debut in the "I Hate Lucy" Show, and is currently featured at the Northville Art House, this painting centers on the age old theme of love. All of us, young and old alike, have been touched by it and felt at one point or another the emotions associated with having lost it. Love as a concept in itself has always been among the most common themes in the creative arts, becoming the center of inspiration for artists, writers, poets, playwrights, and musicians for centuries.

I once came across a beautiful and powerful quote by William S. Burroughs which said "Love is a haunting melody that I have never mastered and I fear I never will." I wanted this painting to stand for love in all its purest forms, be it hopeful, sorrowful, or all the places in between. To some, it can serve as a symbol of the journey it takes us on, the happiness it brings, as well as the sadness; the lessons it teaches us and the imprint it forever leaves on our hearts. Love is a haunting melody. We don't choose to play it, but once its sound is heard, we can't help but surrender to its song. It doesn't have a happy ending - it just never ends. Nature moves in mysterious ways.

In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson: "What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

Updates: The "I Hate Lucy" Show



Photos from the "I Hate Lucy: The Trials and Tribulations of Love" Show can be found here on Flickr. It was a great time catching up with fellow artists and friends, and kudos to Derek Ecker for pulling the whole thing together!