Arts of the Terrace

Born 1966 in Chico California, Ron Stocke moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1979. Interested in drawing and paint-ing at an early age, his career as an artist was shaped by life events that really encouraged him to explore ways to cope with everything in a positive, productive way. His first experience with painting came during school as a child when he was exposed to watercolors. Even at that young age, he found a love for that medium that would grow into a career that has lasted throughout his life.

“The watercolor medium is honest, challenging and always new. It is the oldest pursuit that I know and has en-riched my life at every level. While sometimes frustrating even for the most experienced watercolor painter, it is invigorating and always a learning experience.”

An award-winning watercolor artist, Ron is a regular contributor to, and has been a cover artist for Watercolor Artist Magazine as well as other publications. Teaching comprehensive workshops throughout North America and Eu-rope. Ron holds Signature Membership with the American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society, North-west Watercolor Society, and a member of the American Impressionist Society. He has been an Artist Ambassador for M.Graham Watercolors for over 15 years.

Ron’s first book “En Plein Air” ( Now in it’s 5th edition) introduces watercolor artists and fine-art enthusiasts to the core concepts of painting on location. This guide will have you fully prepared for a day of painting outdoors. In-side, you’ll find a comprehensive list of what to pack to maximize your time, learn how to choose a subject and in-terpret it for a composition, discover how to deal with the challenges of shadows and shifting natural light, and hone your watercolor techniques.

My art is informed by a rewarding career of serving amputees in the field of prosthetics for over 40 years, which provided me with an appreciation for the human spirit’s capacity to transform loss into triumph. It endowed me with an eye for the wonders of the human body, but also a heart to sense the essence of the person before me, which stimulated my yearning to express those insights in sculpture.

For me, the genesis of each new sculpture is my desire to capture the wonder and appreciation that I feel when I witness anew the beauty of the human form. The process of actually sculpting is nearly mystical for me. I simply revel in the transference of the visual details to my hands as they model the clay. I find myself drop into a zone that is both generative and profound. When viewing the completed clay original, I must feel stirred by the mood that the sculpture conveys. I have a confidence of it being complete when the sensuality and dynamism of the piece is compelling. It is only then that I commit to casting the sculpture in bronze.

In my sculptures, what both intrigues and excites me is to successfully create an image that, at first glance, grabs the viewer’s attention. Figurative sculpture is something that nearly everyone can relate to. I am not confident that my sculpture is complete until the sensuality and dynamism as well as the message of the piece are compelling.
With 3-D art, it is particularly satisfying for me to succeed in capturing your interest from all sides of the piece! My mission is this:

“While rendering the individual, I attempt to express the UNIVERSAL; while capturing a moment, to convey the TIMELESS.”

Kayako grew up in Osaka, Japan. The concrete jungle of Osaka is surrounded by a vista of mountains and ocean that transforms each season in color, texture, and even in shape. Inspired by her mother, who let her use her Nikon F1 camera, Kayako began her journey into photography at the age of 10.

Kayako’s motto in photography is “kannon,” which is Japanese for “watching the sound” She seeks to capture images that evoke sounds, whether human or natural.

Kayako does commercial, food, and fine art photography, and is the owner of k.mae studio. http://www.kmaestudio.com