ART-SHORTS: Melanie Colvin & Jim Norton
ART-SHORTS: A Magic City Art Connection Artist Interview Blog Series
MELANIE COLVIN, Sculpture
If you could throw a dinner party and invite any artist to join, who would be on your guest list and why? Pick one living and one dead artist.
Niki de Saint Phalle (deceased), because I am totally entranced by the scale and detail of her mosaic work, it’s magical to me. I love that she wanted her work to be accessible for people to interact with and touch. (I first saw her work installed at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, it was stunning.)
Geoffrey Gorman (contemporary) I love his use of found material. The way he combines unexpected material, that other people would cast off, to capture the essence of his animal figures is masterful to me. I would love to hear conversation about his color combinations, textures, subject matter and where he gets his good junk.
How long have you been making art?
All my life. my very first mixed-media project, at age six, was taking an old wasp nest and adding colored plastic crystals in each section with Elmer’s glue.
How long does it generally take you to complete a work of art?
Who knows, if I’m lucky I am in the zone and totally loose track of time. If I had to guess I’d say 3-5 days
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
Getting started. I may have an idea that I like, sketched on paper, but I can be intimidated by the process of taking it into 3-dimension. Though, once I get started I love the part of the process where my inner muse takes over and the magic happens.
What is the range of prices that you charge for your art?
$150 to $1500
How many years have you participated in Magic City Art Connection?
this will be my fourth year to show at MCAC
Name another favorite art show you enjoy exhibiting at besides Magic City Art Connection. When does it happen and where?
Kentuck Festival of the Arts
To learn more about Melanie and see additional images of her work, click here.
JIM NORTON, Jewelry
If you could throw a dinner party and invite any artist to join, who would be on your guest list and why? Pick one living and one dead artist.
Andy Goldsworthy. Fantastic work!
How long have you been making art?
I have been making Art all my life! I have been making Jewelry for about 12 years and actively marketing it for the last 8 years.
How long does it generally take you to complete a work of art?
My processes vary quite a lot so the time involved also varies widely. The Kumboo pieces that I specialize in take about 30-60 minutes.
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
The most difficult thing is coming up with new designs. Once a design begins to sell well, it is an easy thing to continue to make it rather than search for new ideas. I try not to settle into this routine.
What is the range of prices that you charge for your art?
My prices range from $35.00 to $450.00
How many years have you participated in Magic City Art Connection?
This will be my first time at Magic City and I am looking forward to it!
Name another favorite art show you enjoy exhibiting at besides Magic City Art Connection. When does it happen and where?
One of my favorite show to do is the Decatur Arts Festival in Decatur, Georgia and the other would be Atalaya in Huntington Beach State Park in South Carolina in a fantastic setting.
To learn more about Jim and see additional images of his work, click here.
