Carl Stoveland‘s photograph taken during his Artist Residency in the Dry Tortugas National Park (during hurricane season) took Best In Show at the Box Gallery’s “Florida Showcase 2022“. Join Carl on Thursday, July 28 for an interactive “Process with Practices on Photography” free lecture. This Exhibit runs through August 27, 2022. Because Carl’s photography is only a small part of his larger art practice, The Rickie Report also showcases his paintings as well as classes and meet-ups he sponsors. Carl’s energy and passion for art is contagious! If you cannot attend the lecture, please contact Carl to make an appointment at the Gallery!
811 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach, Florida 33405
Florida Showcase 2022 is an exhibition of contemporary photography by artists living in South Florida. Selections were made by jurors: Pedro Penavel, WPB Magazine Editor in Chief, Kiara Santiago BFA, Florida Atlantic University, and Rolando Chang Barrero, curator at The Box Gallery.
Exhibition is open NOW through August 27, 2022
Free Photography Art Talks:
“Photography: Process and Practice”
Every Thursday, July 28 – August 25, 2022
7 – 9 pm
The Box Gallery
811 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach, Florida 33405
Artist Carl Stoveland with his Best in Show Photograph
“It was a once in a lifetime experience… even now, eighteen months later I am still finding images from that trip to edit!”
Carl Stoveland
TRR: Give us a peek into your experience in the Dry Tortugas.
CS:
The Artist in Residence program at Dry Tortugas National Park is run by the National Parks Art Foundation and the NPS. It is one of the most extreme residencies out there. The residency requires two people for safety reasons due to the isolated and remote location of the residency. Held on Loggerhead Key, an uninhabited island a mere 49 acres in size, 3 miles from Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas 70 miles west of Key West and about 90 miles North of Cuba.
In 2020, fine artist painter Shannon Torrence and I were fortunate enough to be selected as the Artists in Residence (AIRs). We had applied for slots in 2019 and were finalists but ultimately not selected. We started planning our application for 2020 the next day. We built a podcast with guests speaking about art and art residencies, We created a blog and a social media presence, including a movie trailer for our project we called the “Flying Tortuga Brothers”. Ultimately we were selected for 2020! When September arrived and we had gathered all of our gear and food for the month in Key West, we were ferried to Fort Jefferson on the Yankee Freedom to Fort Jefferson on Garden Key.
“The old kitchen house and cistern, Loggerhead Key”
Infrared B&W Photograph by Carl Stoveland
That is as far as most tourists ever get as there is no access to Loggerhead Key except by kayak – a 6 mile round trip. There were a few hearty souls who did that during our month, but I think I can count on one hand the number of folks we saw who did that. Larger boats can tie off to one of two mooring balls and use a dinghy to land on Loggerhead Key. Over the month we saw perhaps 10 people visit for part of a day. Once at Fort Jefferson we were taken by a small NPS boat with our gear to Loggerhead Key. We lived in the old lighthouse keepers house. The only other house on the island is the old Kitchen house and an intern for the NPS studying the turtles was there. The lighthouse (its supporting garage and shed) and the two buildings are the only structures on the entire island. It was rustic with a “capitol R”. “Desolate” is probably the better word. The island is stark and beautiful. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1997 and that is when the Coastguard turned the island over to the park service.
We had to be self sufficient for the entire month. There were no runs to the shops for more food, etc. There was no fresh water so maintaining and operating the desalination plant became a big part of daily life along with monitoring power usage and the batteries in the solar system (as that is needed for the desalination plant to make the fresh water). Most days were in the mid 90’s. I lost 20lbs in the month I was there from all the exercise ( he says with a smiling emoji). Shannon produced a breathtaking series of small paintings during the month that are fueling his larger works to this day. I was enchanted by the night sky. The Dry Tortugas has almost no light pollution so the stars are brilliant. If you spend a few minute out after dark to let your eyes adjust you can see the Milky Way with the naked eye! I was like a kid in a candy store photographing the old lighthouse against a backdrop of stars like diamonds hanging in the sky. My days were spent photographing the water and the emptiness of the island.
Artist Carl Stoveland in Dry Tortugas National Park
I have enough for a full blown exhibit if any galleries want to host a show. The only piece printed and seen in public (outside of social media of course) is a night scene of the light house with a sky that was lit by lightning and part of the star-filled sky. It took Best in Show at the “Florida Showcase 2022” at the Box Gallery in West Palm which is running until August 27th. The residency was a profound experience.
As artist in residence at Dry Tortugas National Park (September 2020) Carl’s goals as an artist became distilled and clarified. He says, “The shear beauty of the ocean and the night could be overwhelming. It was there that I realized I needed to use my art as an advocate for protecting our natural environment and making people aware of what we risk losing if these places are lost to over development. I do this by focusing on a location and showing its beauty through my art”.
“The experience on Dry Tortugas was life changing for me as an artist…. I questioned whether I could say what I want through the lens”. ~ Carl Stoveland
“This lead to a near-constant exploration of other media. After working my way through acrylic, gouache, Casein and oil painting I have settled on Oils as my favored medium to paint in for personal work along with my old favorite Watercolor”. ~ Carl Stoveland
“Dreams of Loggerhead Key” by Carl Stoveland (acrylic on birch panel)
TRR: What is your creative background?
CS:
I grew up in NY near the Catskill Mountains and found my passion for photography hiking along the many trails and streams near my home. My Dad spent his entire career working in photo labs and my Mom is an oil painter and watercolorist. (So the apple did not fall far from the tree in this case). My current passions include a variety of photo and painting media along with teaching and urban sketching.
Carl tells The Rickie Report, “In the language of photography there is a wide angle view and a close up macro view to seeing the world. I believe it is the same for the life and work of all artists. The close up macro view speaks to the drive to work every day to improve in their craft and expand the tools they have to interact with the world. After 35 years as a photographer I reached a certain level of expertise. Still I am constantly working to find new ways to tell stories. This has led explorations in various other media including film, audio, podcasting painting and digital art. We are all both students and masters at the same time. This is my daily closeup view”.
“From the standpoint of the wide angle view a mature artist with skills honed over years of hard work yearns for more than just technical proficiency, Carl explains. They look to the world at large and desire to use their work to have a bigger impact on viewers. Artists are obligated to use their skills to make people think about bigger issues. This can be accomplished by creating beautiful work or disturbing/unsettling work. It requires that a strong point of view be what drives the creation of the art”.
TRR: How did moving to Lake Worth, FL change your perspective ?
CS:
When I arrived in Florida in 2016 I was struck by the nature of my adopted town of Lake Worth. I found people doing projects everywhere, people helping each other and a town that like no other loves to throw a parade. I set out to capture the people that make this a special place and ask each of them why they think it is special. The result after two years of shooting were the IAMLAKEWORTH and IAM LAKEWORTHTOO exhibits held at the Hatch in Lake Worth. It was a great experience and a wonderful way to become one of those fabulous Lake Worthians I admire so much.
I AM LAKE WORTH Exhibit by Carl Stoveland at Hatch 1121 Lake Worth Beach, FL
“After returning in October 2020 Covid was everywhere and decided to throw myself into accomplishing more paintings. In the 18 or so months since, I have charged headlong into painting – adding oils, acrylics, gouache and casein to the watercolors I was already doing”. ~ Carl Stoveland
TRR: Please tell us more about your classes At Mounts Botanical Garden and Venue 1201.
CS:
I spent the remainder of 2020 and 2021 (during covid) in my home studio exploring media and styles. That left me with a nagging question of what can I do with my art for good. It was then I decided to look for teaching opportunities. Mounts Botanical Garden had an opening for a watercolor teacher and found that it was the missing piece of the puzzle! I love teach almost as much as I like making art. When it clicks for a student and they have an “A-HA moment” is thrilling to me.
I replenish my creative energies when I teach watercolor at Mounts Botanical Garden on Tuesdays from 10am to 12:30pm. Class starts with a walk in the garden, a quick demo, and then the students work on what they choose with me wandering the room offering assistance. I am there to enhance their experience, not put my touch on their painting style. Class is open to all levels. Signup on the events page of the Mounts website. Mounts.org For absolute beginners I also have a starter class with weekly lessons and projects designed to get you up and running as a watercolorist. CLASS IS FROM 10AM TO 12PM at Venue 1201 in Lake Worth. Contact me to sign up (cstoveland@icloud.com)
“As Above so Below” by Carl Stoveland
TRR: What does Palm Beach Urban Sketchers offer?
CS:
I am part of the Palm Beach Urban Sketcher group (that is part of the worldwide urban sketching movement https://urbansketchers.org) Our local group can be found on FaceBook at the Palm Beach Urban Sketcher Group. It’s an informal group of sketchers who meet up weekly to sketch together at different locations around Palm Beach County. There is no cost involved (unless the venue we are sketching at has an entrance fee). Every week we pick a new place to sketch and get word out to the group through FaceBook and an email group. To be added to the email group simply email me and I’ll be happy to add you. Whether you are a working artist, like to draw or just think it might be a fun thing to do it is great. Drawing from life on location over the past year or so has vastly improved all of my art practices.
Sketch in progress at the Society of The Four Arts Garden by Carl Stoveland
I offer private instruction in photography and photoshop for photographers that want to get to know there cameras better, want to learn how to best edit raw files in photoshop to get the best prints or for pros who want to explore Florida with a camera. contact me by email to cstoveland@icoud.com to discuss creating a customized experience.
For more information to purchase Carl Stoveland’s photography and art work, plus class information:
For coverage of your events, to place an advertisement, or speak to Rickie about appearing in The Rickie Report, contact:
Rickie Leiter, Publisher
17019 SW Sapri Way Port St. Lucie, FL 34986
