Festival artist has unique touch
From Saturday’s The Oklahoman.
Her fingers draw crowds
Finding Julie Rice’s artist booth at the Festival of the Arts is fairly simple.
Just follow the crowds.
Sitting on a stool in front of a sheet of acid-free foam board, the McLouth, Kan., artist uses her middle finger to carefully dab sepia-toned ink onto the portrait of a kneeling cowboy. Working intently with just her nimble fingers and an ink pad, the reddish-brown color she carefully dots onto the portrait soon forms the rough denim and thick seam of the cowpoke’s pants leg.
Until they start asking questions, Rice seems to take little notice of festival-goers who gaze in wonder at her singular technique, which she has dubbed “touch artistry” or “fingertip painting.”
“That’s what it is, and it differentiates it from the handprint turkey you make in school,” she said with a smile. “Texture is everything with this. It looks really rough and rugged, which goes very well with the Western theme.”
The first-time festival exhibitor’s technique must be seen to be believed, said Celena McCord, communications director for the Arts Council of Oklahoma City, which produces the festival.
“I didn’t realize that’s how she did her paintings until I saw her do it. It’s amazing how much detail she creates with just her fingers,” McCord said. “You can always tell which one is her booth because there’s always a crowd around watching her.”
A “product of an experiment”
Rice, 37, describes her “touch artistry” technique as a “product of an experiment.”
Born in Missouri and raised in Florida, Rice started drawing when she was just a girl and excelled at portraits, particularly ones with a Western flair.
“I’ve always been a fan of the Old West, so it was always meant to be, the genre I chose,” she said.
Despite her talents, she was a bit of a rebel in high school art class.
“I argued with my art teachers because I didn’t do things their way. I did it my own way. But I got A’s,” said Rice, who moved to Kansas City, Mo., after graduation.
She continued drawing as a hobby and took commissions, but in her 20s, she developed tendonitis from gripping pencils so hard and often.
In 2003, she was asked to create an Easter art project for the parishioners at her church, St. Patrick’s Parish in Kansas City, Kan. She planned a portrait of Jesus made up of the thumbprints of the churchgoers, and though people had their doubts about the idea, they went along with it.
“I had no idea how it would turn out, either” she said.
For seven Masses over two weekends, the artist sat at a table in the vestibule with four stamp pads, some moist towelettes and a faint pencil sketch of Jesus. As people came in, she would ink their thumbs, put their thumbprint where she wanted it on the portrait and wipe their hands.
The parishioners liked the finished painting enough to make a frame and hang it in the church.
“Everyone can tell you where their thumbprint is on that picture. It was a great project,” she said. “I noticed the texture of it. … Being a Western artist, I thought it would be interesting, especially if I could get pretty detailed with it.”
Details without the pain
She started to experiment with fingertip painting on a portrait of a mustachioed cowboy, but “torqued, twisted and abused” her index finger until she developed an infected cyst on her knuckle. She switched to her middle finger and gradually realized she could vary the tone, shading and texture of different areas of a painting by changing the amount of pressure, part of her finger or type of stroke she used.
“I finally realized I didn’t need to hurt myself, but it took a lot of experimenting to get these techniques,” she said. “And I don’t have any tendonitis flare-ups this way.”
Her distinctive, detailed paintings of American Indians, cowboys, buffalo and horses, which can take 20 to 40 hours to create, have become so popular that she has given up pencil drawing.
The stay-at-home mother of four got her business license and started traveling to outdoor art shows last year. Her husband, Steve, a welder and frequent portrait subject, makes frames for her work and travels with her.
At outdoor shows, she works almost constantly so that people can witness her unusual method, one that Friday’s festival-goers described as “unbelievable,” “amazing” and “wow.”
“Unless you do it in front of them, people don’t believe it, they don’t believe she doesn’t use a brush or anything,” her husband said. “It’s unique. She draws a crowd wherever she goes.”
To see a video demonstration of Rice’s “touch artistry,” go online to htwww.julierice.net.
-BAM
Weekly podcast: New movies
Matt Price and I talk about the movies opening today in Oklahoma City in this NewsOK podcast. Click here to hear and feel the joy.
- BAM
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Friday Featured Track
The song that has been on my brain the most this week:
- “Pompeii Am Gotterdammerung,” The Flaming Lips, from 2006′s “At War with the Mystics.”
Simultaneously solemn and trippy, this is a pretty interesting song to have lodged in your head for a week. I’ve listened to it at least a dozen times since it’s just been stuck in my mind’s ear. I’m not complaining, but if you’ve noticed me acting a bit weird (well, weirder), this just might have something to do with it.
Earlier this week, I endorsed the Lips’ “Do You Realize?” for Oklahoma’s official rock ‘n’ roll song. (Go to www.oklahomarocksong.org now to submit nominations - and they better be actual rock songs that you’re nominating - and later this summer to vote.) I probably love this song just as much, but it’s not as suited for the official rock song moniker, since it’s just not as joyous and accessible as “Do You Realize?”
I mean, come on, it’s about people dying in an Italian volcano and has a German word in the title that literally translates to “God dawn” and essentially means the end of the world. Not exactly something you hear every day on the Top 40. (Again, not complaining; the Top 40 could use a shakeup.)
The music is beautifully bizarre, an evocative, otherworldly sound with definite Pink Floyd overtones. Multi-instrument wizard Steven Drozd sings this track instead of Lips frontman Wayne Coyne, which only adds to the mystique. And those “Romeo and Juliet”-esque lyrics are simultaneously heartbreaking and oddly uplifting.
Go on, get weird, try a little Flaming Lips this weekend. (If some variation of that isn’t printed on an awesome-looking T-shirt, it really should be.)
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on April 25
Today’s featured event:
Individual Artists of Oklahoma and the Home for Wayward Poets are presenting their Fourth Friday Poetry event, which includes a Featured Reader and open mike.
The free event starts at 7:30 p.m. today at IAO Gallery, 811 N. Broadway.
This month’s Featured Reader is Lance Henson.
Poets are invited to bring two short poems or one longer poem – either option totaling no more than six minutes in length - and participate in open mike reading.
The organizations invite everyone to come and ”support local poetry, hang out, and hug a poet.”
For more information, go to www.iaogallery.org.
-BAM
DVD review: “American Gangster”
An extended version of the review that ran in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
“American Gangster”
Oscar winners Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe face off in “American Gangster,” now on DVD in a two-disc unrated extended edition.
The compelling saga is inspired by the true story of Frank Lucas, who dominated New York’s drug trade in the 1970s, and Richie Roberts, the cop/lawyer who hunted, arrested and prosecuted him.
Lucas (Washington) starts out as the driver for Harlem crime boss Bumpy Johnson (Clarence Williams III). When Bumpy’s sudden death creates a power vacuum in the city’s criminal ranks, Lucas uses his smarts, charisma and ruthlessness to fill it.
After hearing about U.S. servicemen in Vietnam getting hooked on heroin, Lucas travels to Southeast Asia to smuggle out large amounts of the pure drug. He brings in his brothers and cousins to run his lucrative drug business.
He gives his mother (Ruby Dee) a fine house and marries a beauty queen (Lymari Nadal), but Lucas keeps a low profile even as he rises to the top of New York’s crime scene.
When he wears a flashy fur coat to the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight, Lucas gets the attention of Roberts (Crowe), an honest cop with the new federal narcotics bureau. Roberts has plenty of character flaws but is a dogged investigator famed for turning in $1 million of dirty money.
Director Ridley Scott’s grittily authentic film excels as a cat-and-mouse crime tale and as a pair of interwoven character studies. Powerhouse performances drive the story.
The DVD set offers the theatrical version along with an unrated extended version, which includes an alternate ending that is particularly gratifying after seeing the bonus interviews with the real Lucas and Roberts.
Other features: Making-of featurettes, including one with the interviews; deleted scenes; and commentary.
- BAM
Movie review: “Married Life”
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Strong and understated performances fuel the independent film “Married Life,” an intriguing mash-up of relationship drama, dark comedy of manners and Hitchcockian suspense thriller.
Ira Sachs, whose 2005 indie “Forty Shades of Blue” won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, co-writes and directs this period film set in 1949. It is based on John Bingham’s book “Five Roundabouts to Heaven”
The film focuses on lifelong friends Harry Allen (Chris Cooper) and Richard Langley (Pierce Brosnan), well-to-do suburbanites traversing middle age.
One day over drinks, Harry confides that he is planning to leave his longtime wife, Pat (Patricia Clarkson). Harry is a romantic type who longs to be blissfully in love, while practical Pat believes marriage means sex, companionship and comfort, but not necessarily love.
In his dissatisfaction, Harry has taken up with sweet and lovely Kay (Rachel Mc-Adams), a young World War II widow who appreciates Harry’s gentle and romantic need for her.
At Harry’s request, Richard, a diehard commitment-phobic lothario, strikes up a friendship with Kay. Despite his efforts to the contrary, Richard starts to fall for his pal’s mistress.
In the Allen household, Harry is reluctant to leave his wife, as even talking hypothetically about marital relationships gone awry causes her to go into hysterics.
Unwilling to give up Kay, Harry becomes increasingly worried that Pat won’t be able to bear the humiliation, hurt and loneliness of a divorce.
A chance encounter with a hitchhiker gives Harry an idea: He decides the kindest approach would be to kill Pat so she won’t have to face the pain of their marital collapse.
As Harry secretly plots to poison his wife, Richard discovers that Pat has a secret of her own, one that indicates she might be able to handle life on her own better than Harry can imagine.
Sachs’ film rightly focuses more on the still-tender feelings between longtime spouses Harry and Pat than on the passion between the wayward husband and his sympathetic side dish.
Cooper and Clarkson effectively convey the affection and disaffection between the couple.
The film sometimes veers too much into Douglas Sirk-style melodrama, and Brosnan’s narration occasionally comes across as stilted and overbearing.
But “Married Life” is surprisingly witty and pleasingly unpredictable. It keeps you wondering to the end.
-BAM
Movie review: “Baby Mama”
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Former “Saturday Night Live Weekend Update” co-anchors Tina Fey and Amy Poehler reunite for the feature comedy “Baby Mama.”
Former “SNL” scribe Michael McCullers wrote the screenplay and makes his directorial debut with the peppy comedy that offers some laughs but mostly feels like a wasted opportunity.
The story centers on Kate Holbrook (Fey), a driven executive with Philadelphia-based Round Foods Organic Market, a Whole Foods-like chain led by the bizarrely New Age Barry (a ponytailed and game Steve Martin). Kate, 37, has for years delayed marriage and motherhood for her career but now has a deep desire to have a baby.
She decides the adoption process takes too long for a single woman, and several withdrawals from a sperm bank fail. After her fertility doctor tells her the shape of her uterus makes conception unlikely, Kate decides to visit the expensive surrogacy center run by the humorless and shockingly fertile Chaffee Bicknell (Sigourney Weaver, showing her often-overlooked comedy chops).
Despite the center’s background checks and allegedly high standards, Kate gets Angie Ostrowiski, a scatterbrained, white trash, junk food junkie, as her surrogate. Angie and her slacker common-law husband Carl (Dax Shepard) make it clear she is willing to carry Kate’s baby only because they want the big monetary payoff.
Shortly after her positive pregnancy test and first ultrasound, Angie leaves her loser spouse and shows up on Kate’s doorstep. For the sake of her unborn baby, Kate lets Angie move in. Their opposing personalities immediately – and predictably – start to clash.
As the pregnancy progresses, Kate must find common ground with Angie, get ready for her bundle of joy, oversee the opening of her company’s flagship store and manage a new romance with smoothie shop owner Rob (Greg Kinnear).
“Baby Mama” provides a decent girls’-night-out flick and a solid vehicle for the charmingly sardonic Fey and particularly for the hilarious Poehler, whose film career has mostly consisted of small, inconsequential roles.
Considering Fey’s considerable writing talents, the film likely would have been snappier and taken better advantage of Fey and Poehler’s great “SNL” chemistry if the “30 Rock” mastermind had penned the script. The movie also would have benefited from a more experienced comedic director to smooth out some of the pacing and timing shortcomings.
To McCullers’ credit, “Baby Mama” offers a few surprises, some giggles and just enough belly laughs to deliver a bouncy baby movie.
-BAM
Del Toro on board for “The Hobbit”
Get out your traveling cloak and cue Gandalf’s fireworks: After extended negotiations, “Pan’s Labrinyth” helmer Guillermo del Toro has sealed the deal to direct “The Hobbit” and its sequel for New Line and MGM, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The Mexican native, who lives in Los Angeles, will move to New Zealand for the next four years to work with “The Lord of the Rings” mastermind Peter Jackson, who is executive producing “The Hobbit” films, and his Wingnut and WETA production teams.
As Jackson did with the “LOTR” trilogy, Del Toro will direct the two films back to back. The first will be tell J.R.R. Tolkien’s tale of Bilbo Baggins from the book ”The Hobbit,” while the sequel will cover the 60-year period between “The Hobbit” and “The Fellowship of the Ring,” the first book in the “LOTR” trilogy.
Del Toro’s next movie, “Hellboy 2: The Golden Army,” will be released in theaters July 11. It is his follow-up to the 2004 hit “Hellboy,” based on the comic books by Mike Mignola.
-BAM
Festival of the Arts Friday schedule
Happy Friday! Here’s what you can see, hear, taste and do today at the Festival of the Arts.
BAM’s festival suggestion of the day: Give your kids – or some kid you know and love – the day off from school and head to the expanded Youth Plaza. Hey, art is educational. AND it’s Friday. Be sure to let your kiddos buy their own piece of art for $5 or less at the Young-At-Art-Mart.
The festival takes place today through Sunday in downtown at the Festival Plaza, Myriad Botanical Gardens, Stage Center and Hudson Avenue. Hours are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, call 270-4848 or go online to www.artscouncilokc.com.
Performing arts schedule:
Cafe Stage
11 a.m.: Kaleidoscope Dancers Company (dance)
Noon: John Arnold Band (country)
1 p.m.: Acoustic Motion (jazz/blues)
2 p.m.: 23rd St Jazz (jazz/blues)
3 p.m.: Studio B (jazz/R&B)
4 p.m.: The Unlikely Blues Band (blues)
5 p.m.: The OK Chorale (men’s barbershop chorus)
6 p.m.: Marcy Priest (rock/pop/variety)
7:30 p.m.: The Wise Guys (oldies/pop)
Crystal Stage
11 a.m.: Coronado Cougar Chorus (choral)
11:30 p.m.: Alcott Middle School Jazz Band (instrumental)
Noon: Ralph Downs Roadrunner Chorus (choral)
12:30 p.m.: Harding Fine Arts Academy Concert Band (instrumental)
1 p.m.: Harding Fine Arts Academy Choir (choral)
2 p.m.: Harvest Hills Harmony Hawks (choral)
3 p.m.: Nichols Hills Elementary School Choir (choral)
4 p.m.: Fogarty Elementary Centennial Honor Choir (choral)
5 p.m.: Dance Dimensions-Fusion Dance Company (dance)
6 p.m.: “Festival Idol” auditions (talent show)
7:30 p.m.: TJ’s Drumline (drumming)
8:10 p.m.: Gravity Performing Arts Center (dance)
Deck Stage
11 a.m.: Rebecca J. Brock & Julien Boussontie (classic rock)
Noon: Quinn Bacon (inspirational/country)
1 p.m.: Thongyal (rock/jazz/blues fusion)
2 p.m.: Lost in Sin Singers (gospel)
3 p.m.: Stephanie Jackson (classical guitar)
4 p.m.: Todd Terrill & Hardcore Country (country)
5 p.m.: Jayne Doe (rock)
6 p.m.: The Back Row & The Sisters of Swing (a cappella vocal/jazz)
7:30 p.m.: John Randolph (rock/pop/variety)
Water Stage
11 a.m.: Oklahoma Traditions (folk)
Noon: Borderline (country)
1 p.m.: High Speed Boom (rock)
2 p.m.: All Organic Combo (folk)
3 p.m.: Mindstorm (rock)
4 p.m.: The Homesteaders (gospel/Oklahoma tribute/comedy)
5 p.m.: Simple Tree (original pop)
6 p.m.: Loose Change (rock)
7:30 p.m.: Class Act (R&B/jazz/blues)
-BAM
His name is Bruce
B-movie titan Bruce Campbell will get the spotlight at 7 p.m. Sunday on the Monsters HD all-horror TV channel. “Bruce Campbell: King of Horror” will feature some of The Mighty Chin’s movies, including “The Evil Dead,” “Evil Dead 2″ and “Bubba Ho-Tep.”
Campbell, who has been appearing on USA network’s “Burn Notice,” recently played 20 questions with Popmatters.com. Here’s just a few of them:
Q: The latest book or movie that made you cry?
A: My favorite movie is “The Sound of Music.” I’ve even seen it in a thousand-seat theater and it was amazing. It always gets people all choked up.
Q: You want to be remembered for …?
A: Never going away … like a bad rash that just keeps coming back.
Q. You feel best in Armani or Levis or…?
A: Montgomery Ward work pants. I wore those for years and years. They’re almost like wearing canvas. They’re ugly as hell but they protect me from everything.
I’ve only owned one piece of Armani and I have no idea where it is today. This is why I live in Oregon now. I find Hollywood to be mostly embarrassing because so little of the shenanigans have to do with making movies.
Bruce also talked a bit in the Popmatters.com interview about his upcoming movie, ”My Name is Bruce,” which he directed and co-produced. He says it just wrapped and is due for a fall release. The synopsis is available on www.brucecampbell.com. Check out the trailer, which looks promising:
To read the full version of Bruce’s very funny Popmatters.com interview, click here.
-BAM
