Emerging Artist Award Winners: Amery Bohling & Jeff Ward

There's often an unavoidable dichotomy associated with being a young artist: some art communities embrace and encourage your efforts while others dismiss and disparage them. But as emerging artists Amery Bohling and Jeff Ward have learned, there are few environments more supportive for budding artists than the California Art Club. As members of the club's mentor program, they have thrived under the guidance and instruction of the more than 50 signature members. Participation in the many mentor-program events has paved the way for these artists' future artistic endeavors, giving them the experience and exposure they need to not only emerge but to endure. American Artist recognizes both the California Art Club's leadership and these young artists' accomplishments by presenting them with the American Artist Emerging Artist Award, which was announced on April 1 at the artists' gala reception of the 95th Annual Gold Medal Juried Exhibition, at the Pasadena Museum of California Art.




Amery Bohling



Amery Bohling's first job out of college as a production assistant at a Phoenix art group confirmed her suspicion that she was born to create. "Assisting artists with their work and listening to them talk about their processes made me realize that the only way I would ever discover my dream of being a professional artist was to go out and give it a try," the 29-year-old artist remembers. "That's when I decided to pursue a fine-art career full time."

Although she first concentrated in figurative work at the University of Arizona, in Tucson, and at the Marchutz School of Art, in Aix-en-Provence, France, when she began painting full time she quickly became intrigued by the landscape, particularly the natural beauty of the national parks and canyons of California and Arizona. In fact, Bohling says her favorite subject to paint is the Grand Canyon, and she especially enjoys the adventurous, almost dangerous, element inherent in its rugged beauty. "Every time I go up there to do a painting I am thinking, Wow, it's going to be a long way down; or, This probably isn't safe," the artist confesses. "Yet, at the same time, there's this feeling of being embraced by such rich historical beauty."

Bohling's North Rim painting, which was accepted into the California Art Club's 95th Annual Gold Medal Juried Exhibition, is one such work where the artist aimed to convey this contradiction of emotions. "My canyon paintings aren't particularly cheerful, but they're not gloomy either. They're moody because that's the sense I get when viewing the site. It's a feeling of observing breathtaking beauty, but observing it with caution, so I use both a realistic and an impressionistic approach to achieve that drama."

Bohling's preparatory process for her Grand Canyon landscapes involves spending time in the great outdoors getting to know her subject—a step that suits her perfectly. "I feel very at home when I'm there," she says. "There's something very compelling in the canyon's complexity, and spending time understanding its intricacies allows me to better convey its grandeur."

In executing North Rim, the artist first did an on-site, 10"-x-12" sketch and took photos of the canyon, which she took back to her studio to use as reference. "I usually first use lavender to sketch out the scene and to lay in the values," she explains. "Next, I place the shadows, building the painting up as a whole and then working each section in detail. For my palette, I use a combination of Rembrandt, Utrecht, and Winsor & Newton paints. I like my paint to have a buttery texture, so I use a mixture of clove oil and linseed oil as a medium. I sometimes coat my canvas with this mixture as well."

Speaking of her artistic influences, Bohling lauds the California Art Club's mentor program as being instrumental in her artistic development. "There are so many great opportunities to learn from established artists, and I am always trying to absorb as much guidance as I can," she says. "I have really benefited from the instruction of Ray and Peggi Roberts and Joseph Mendez, and I am constantly asking Peter and Elaine Adams [the California Art Club's president and executive director, respectively] for advice on the business of art. Everyone is always there for you when you need them, and when you're young and emerging, you need that support."




About the Artist
Amery Bohling received her B.F.A. at the University of Arizona, in Tucson, spending her junior year studying the figure at the Marchutz School of Art, in Aix-en-Provence, France. She is a mentor-program member of the California Art Club and an artist member of both the Tucson Plein-Air Painters' Society and the Oil Painters of America. Her work has been featured in several national shows, including the California Art Club's Gold Medal and San Juan Capistrano exhibitions and the Richard Schmid Fine Art Auction. She is represented by Eric Firestone Gallery, in Tucson, Arizona; Willow Gallery, in Scottsdale, Arizona; and Masterpiece Gallery, in Carmel, California. For more information on Bohling, visit her website: www.amerybohling.com.





Jeff Ward


Growing up in the West, Jeff Ward has always been fascinated by the bucolic beauty around him. "I was raised in Idaho Falls and was surrounded by the glory of nature at every turn—Yellowstone National Park, the Rocky Mountains—so I developed an early appreciation for the landscape," the 31-year-old artist reflects. "When I moved to California, I noticed there was a distinctive beauty in the light and landscape that was unlike anything I had seen before. Every time I go out on location here, I am always inspired by what I see, so making a passionate painting comes naturally."
Like Bohling, Ward first focused on figurative work, but during his last few semesters at the Art Center College of Design, in Pasadena, California, he began to explore the landscape. "I was so excited when my landscapes began taking off because, to me, landscapes weren't work at all—they were so enjoyable. But even as I focused on landscapes, I always kept ideas and inspiration for figure paintings in the back of my mind."
As Ward's proficiency in landscape painting grew, so too did his desire to return to the figure. 'I always felt that I should be saying something more powerful with my figurative work,' the artist says, 'and I didn't want to start putting my ideas out there until I was confident in what I had to say.' When his Contemplation of King Lamoni was juried into the California Art Club's 95th Annual Gold Medal exhibition, he sensed that his statement had been heard. Bold and powerful, this painting elicits all of the drama and intrigue of a compelling narrative work. This is largely due to Ward's deliberate focus on composition and color, which he attributes to the influence of such master painters as Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and Sargent. "They all had that strong light/dark element in their work, which gave it such dramatic impact. I greatly admire this technique because every composition—whether it's a figure or a landscape-—needs to have an intriguing element of contrast to make it engaging.
"I used that traditional, dramatic approach for Contemplation of King Lamoni," Ward continues. "I did the initial sketch in charcoal, which I sealed so the charcoal would show through. Next, I began laying in my values using a combination of Indian yellow, alizarin crimson, olive green, and—occasionally—ultramarine blue. The dramatic earthy tonal values in the background were also achieved with these colors. Starting very thin and getting progressively thicker, I used bold brushstrokes to convey the confident, yet pensive, expression of the subject.
"My limited palette of just six or seven colors—a warm and a cool for each primary plus titanium white—really helps in achieving an expressive statement,' Ward explains. 'My favorite quote is from Henri Cartier-Bresson: 'It is by economy of means that one arrives at simplicity of expression.' I have found this to be very true in both my own work and in observing the work of past masters. Look at Rembrandt—he used only six or seven colors to create some of the most moving paintings in history."
Being involved in the California Art Club's mentor program has been as advantageous for Ward as it's been for Bohling. "One of the most memorable experiences was going out on location in Palos Verdes with Daniel W. Pinkham and Stephen Mirich," Ward recalls. "They painted with us, invited us into their homes, and critiqued our work. I think this is such a great program because it allows the younger artists to learn from the older artists' experiences while allowing the California Art Club to invest in the future of the next generation of California painters."
With specific career goals, both of these emerging artists' futures look bright. "I hope to be able to balance my career with both landscape and figurative work," Ward says. "I want to paint for the people who love my work and have them continue to be passionate about the subject matter that inspires me." Bohling has her own aspirations. "I used to say, "If I could have an article in this magazine or get accepted into this show, then I will have made it." But every time I come close to achieving a goal, I set another one. I think the best part is always having a new, unattainable goal. It makes you reach higher for your dreams."

Allison Malafronte is an associate editor of American Artist.


Allison Malafronte is an associate editor of American Artist.



About the Artist
Jeff Ward received his B.F.A. from the Art Center College of Design, in Pasadena, California, graduating as valedictorian of his class with the highest G.P.A. in the history of the school. He is a mentor-program member of the California Art Club, and his work has been featured in several of the club's shows, including the Gold Medal and San Juan Capistrano exhibitions. Ward's work has also been featured in shows sponsored by Morseburg Galleries, in West Hollywood; Segil Fine Art, in Old Town Monrovia; and White's Gallery, in Montrose, all California galleries that represent the artist. He has received several honors, including a red ribbon award in the Mountainside Gallery Miniatures Show 2004, a featured artist show at Segil Fine Art, and two illustrator awards from the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles. For more information on Ward, visit his website: www.jeffwardart.com.