lifenotes
Editorial By Susan O'Connor, Illustration by Brittney Guest

I am completely fascinated by creative people — those who daily stretch toward new means of expression. And that is an apt description of what goes on in the hearts and minds of artists, musicians, writers, designers, photographers and the like. Ideas, love, beauty, sadness, despair and everything in between churns inside them, looking for a way out.

As a creative sort myself, art moves me, often profoundly. Last fall, as I deliberately made my way through the Art Institute of Chicago, I found myself standing in front of a massive El Greco, The Assumption of the Virgin. The pull of this piece was powerful, and my time much too brief. It was difficult to leave the presence of masters such as Matisse, Manet, Renoir, Chagall. I could have wandered through those halls for weeks.

Contact with artists in a range of fields is one of the perks of my job. Not only does the beauty and expertise of their work touch me, but I never fail to be inspired. This community is brimming with talent.

Downtown now boasts two fine galleries, and I am a fan of the art of both gallery owners. I dropped by Sara Howell’s studio to take a photo for the April issue, and caught her in the midst of creating one of her newest pieces. I loved catching a glimpse of her at work. I actually have one of her pieces in my home.
And I love the work of Sean Shrum, whose gallery opened in March. His use of bold colors, rich textures and subjects from nature is wonderful. A massive Sean Shrum piece is on my wish list.

Last week, I attended a show of artist Matt Miller at the lovely home of Dr. Thad and Ingrid Brown. The depth and range of Miller’s work was absolutely impressive. And what’s more, his art made my heart beat a little faster — much like new love. Around each corner was a piece that I couldn’t help but covet!

Our featured artist this month is Katie Milum, an Arkansas State University graduate who is a very innovative printmaker. I was immediately drawn to her unique, complex take on intaglio printmaking and the way she captures the beauty and emotion of the human form.

But there are other artists with whom I work much more closely. Dero Sanford, an uber-talented photographer from Little Rock, makes the trek to work with Occasions on a regular basis, bestowing his particular brand of magic on our covers and feature photographs.

Each month after brainstorming with the staff, I send him some general ideas for each photo shoot, along with examples we’ve found online that are similar to our concept. He is a master of lighting in any situation, he has a flawless eye for composition and he is up for anything. I am a veritable sponge when he is here, trying to soak up knowledge about the craft.

Last, but definitely not least, is ASU alum Brittney Guest, Occasions’ graphic designer. She is the creative mind behind every layout, every ad, every graphic in the magazine. She doesn’t even realize how talented she is. She is also an illustrator (see the illustration above). She paints, sews original designs and even has co-written a book with a friend, Kerri Bennett. I’ve read the book and it is quite entertaining, in addition to being very well written.

These very talented people — and many, many more — make my work here enjoyable, and I hope it shows! We are constantly striving to improve our product, Jonesboro’s city magazine.