TRUST: An interview with Sidne Teske and Elaine Parks

Questions from Candace Garlock

1.     You two have been friends for a long time. Can you tell me where you met and your first impressions of one another?

Sidne - I met Elaine not long after she married Ben Parks and moved to Tuscarora. I was still living in Battle Mountain. She became one of the Wild Women not long after that. I didn't get to know her well until I moved to Tuscarora. I was (and am still) so impressed with her amazing ceramic textures and ideas about organic shapes.

Elaine - I've always been fascinated by Sidne's work. Aside from her amazing pastel and watercolor paintings, Sidne makes all manner of small experimental books and sculpture. When she first came to Tuscarora she showed me some pieces that have stuck with me for years. Sidne made little hand made books made from sliced bones with hand made paper pages and told me about another book she made in one day, where she took photos in nature of the whole alphabet. Photographed, printed and made into a book. I never saw that one, but I think about it many years later - Often when I'm walking, if I see a "letter" out in nature, I'll think of Sidne's book.

 

2.     When I see the discs created by you two, I think of the awe prompt: Finding awe in the mark makings of the first person.  Can you tell me a little bit more about how you are inspired by each other’s marks and creativity?

Sidne - When I get one of the disks Elaine has worked on I usually think they are terrific just as they are. Then I remember that I am supposed to incorporate something into what she has done. Which is already great. I don't want to diminish what she has done and I certainly don't want to add anything that doesn't enhance hers in some way. It's a real challenge.  

Elaine - I agree this is a challenge - not wanting to screw up what Sidne has begun and trying to add something that enhances what is already there. It's also fun to work from what Sidne has started, there's a sense of play and experimentation.

3.     Do you feel that this collaboration process is a bit easier because you have known each other so long?  There is trust there? 

Sidne - Definitely trust. And yes easier because I think we both start from the same frame of mind. I have no doubt that Elaine will make something great and fun to respond to. We don't talk to each other about the disks until after we have both worked on them so each iteration is a surprise. Which makes them more an art challenge than a collaboration. It is so interesting to see what she gives me so I can answer with whatever idea I end up with. I find the small size and the round shape of the disks add to the challenge too.

Elaine - Sidne and I talked about the idea of an art challenge rather than collaboration, since we don't discuss anything ahead of time. We definitely have the trust that the other person will have a sincere approach, having fun, trying something new. What is great about this project is that it creates the opportunity for a conversation between Sidne and I and an excuse to get together more often.

 

4.     What in Nevada inspires you the most? 

Sidne - That is hard to answer. I love the huge skies, the vast horizons, the geometric contours of the land. And the colors. Definitely the colors.

Elaine - The sky, day and night, the vast views and the hidden surprises that are always there is you get off the major highways. In my mind, the vast space here is good for the imagination.

 

5.     Overall, how do you feel about collaborations? What motivates you to continue collaborating with other artists in Nevada?

Sidne - I really think the collaborations I have taken part in have not been true collaborations. For the most part they are challenges. A collaboration implies to me that the people work together to accomplish a common goal, and they communicate throughout the making of the work. Since we don't communicate  about these disks until after they are completed, the process is more challenging than collaborative. But I like a challenge. I always hope I don't let the other person down with how I respond to their offer. And it also helps me to get to know another artist better which I like.

             Elaine - In my art practice, I've had a true collaboration with one artist. I think a true

           collaboration is very difficult and takes a lot of commitment and conversation before you

even get started. I do enjoy an art challenge such as Tiny Awe, because I enjoy spending time with my artist friends and it's a way to get together and do what we love to do. This kind of group project is great for strengthening friendships and the art community.

Emsleys Inspiration and Emsley as Inspiration

 Overcoming Shyness

by Rebecca Lewis

Reserved and not sure of unknown surroundings, she hides her face in her moms hip. Her face is turned just enough to peek out of the corner of her eye, taking in the strangers. Some time passes by and the tight grip on her moms hand loosens. With a little courage, she lifts her head from the safety of her moms side and speaks a “hello”. She realizes the stranger isn’t so strange after all. A hello turns to a question, “Do you want to play with me”. And at that moment, her shell softens just a little. 

Emsley is 5 years old and has always been shy. Candace Garlock is Emsleys Booma. Two creatures cut from the same cloth, Emsley and Booma are best friends, two peas in a pod, soul mates. These two artists spend hours together in the studio, often collaborating on pieces. Walking around the space, you can find hearts and drawings of rabbits and birds hidden in all corners and surfaces. Little pieces of Emsleys mind are scattered all around. Most of all, Emsley is Boomas little helper. She is more than aware that Booma suffers from Multiple Sclerosis. She is protective of Boomas energy. They rest when it's time to rest. 

So, Emsley did not hesitate when Booma asked her to help at the RTIA show. Running around with excitement, Emsley said “I will be brave! I will sell your artwork!”. She agreed she would run the booth alone when it was time for Booma to go home to rest.

Wearing her best dress and hair done up, Emsley held her moms hand walking into the show. Her mom was waiting for the moment she would change her mind. Emsley was really shy. There was no way she would interact with people, especially with Booma leaving to go home.

That moment never came. Emsley power walked from the front door all the way to Boomas booth and not one second passed where she looked back in fear or unsettledness. Instead of burying her head in her moms hip, she walked right behind the booth and asked the first person she saw “What would you like to buy?” From there, Emsley blossomed like a spring flower. She showed strangers her Boomas artwork and explained her interpretations of it with so much joy and confidence. She stamped their hands and drew them special characters as keepsakes. To her, she was sharing her special world with them. Surrounded by the birds, sculptures, and prints that she is used to seeing in her special space she shares with Booma. She was letting people into her heart and the shy little girl that used to be was no more.

Le Petit Atelier Participants

More love from Fallon!  Anne Johnson, founder of Le Petit Atelier organized to have her students participate in NV Awe: Tiny Treasures.  Why the hard to pronounce name?! Le Petit Atelier (at- all- yay) translates to “the little studio” in French, but the atelier has a much deeper meaning in education. An incredible European education system called Reggio Emilia has atelier’s in each of their schools. These atelier’s are lead by an atelierista (studio guide) who doesn’t tell the students how to create, but rather guides them to explore their own creativity with different materials and techniques. 

This is the basis of Le Petit Atelier in Fallon, Nevada, to nurture and explore one’s own creativity as opposed to everyone creating the same art. Anne Johnson has been teaching art since 2009, from private studio classes to k-12 schools. She received her bachelors degree in Art from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2004.

NV AWE Prompt: Gather with Friends

Jill Aschenbach and Candace Garlock were elementary school best friends in the little town of Elko, NV. Both reconnected in person at the Holland Project in Reno, NV in January, 2024.  The NV AWE Prompt: Gather with Friends, inspired Jill to organize an art activity with her girlfriends in South Reno.

The Hollands Project - sitting in the gallery by Candace Garlock

 

Nathanial Benjamin and Doomed Movement

The For Good Luck show at The Holland Project in Reno was the first of 2024 and it allowed me to really think about awe. We all had to sign up to sit in the gallery during open hours. I signed up for a Saturday sitting and I had asked if I could bring the NV Awe: Tiny Treasures project with me. I was hoping that I could get more participants involved in the project. My best friend from elementary school joined me in this little adventure. Jill Ashenbach and I had not seen each other since high school, so that in itself was an awe moment!

During that day, I realized that for me, it’s the quiet times in the gallery that I enjoyed the most. I was able to find awe while looking at the art. I had time to slow down and just observe and think. I enjoyed the company of Jill, remembering the days of childhood. I enjoyed the “play” from fellow artists coming in that were willing to take a chance with the NV Awe: Tiny Treasures project. For me, that time is precious and unforgettable. 

One of my former students, Terrence Hammond from doomedmovement.com came in with his companion, Magpie, and they both sat down and created the first layer of two discs. The discs were then discovered by avid "awe" 5 year old artist, Emsley Lewis, who has taken this project as her own.  She decided that Magpie needed a bone and some food in a doggie dish. She found some Sculpey clay in my studio and built the remaining pieces.  She also created the fire icon out of fuse beads for Doomedmovement's character.

 “And so, in awe, we go in search of new forms of understanding.” – Dacher Keltner

Elaine Parks and Sidne Teske

Sidne Teske: One day early in the summer of 2023 Elaine Parks and I went to Candace Garlock’s printmaking studio to learn about Gelli printing. I became fascinated and decided to try the effect on the wooden rounds that I got from Candace. I wanted transparent organic shapes that could easily be combined with other imagery. I also didn’t want whatever I made to compete with what Elaine was doing with her woodburning. I was hoping that our end products would be fun to look at with images that the mind and eye could play with. I think they might be fun story starters.

Elaine: I got 10 discs from Candace and right away asked Sidne Teske if she'd like half. 

Sidne worked on 3 of my discs and I worked on 5 of hers. I had my wood burning tool out, so I played around with that as a start and Sidne did some gelli printing on top. Sidne gave me discs with both gelli printing and wood burning.

Sidne and I were both recently introduced and subsequently hooked on gelli printing by Candace at her wonderful studio.

And all the discs fit nicely in a President Brie box :)

Jayna Conkey and Candace Garlock

 

Jayna at Candace's house in January, 2024

Candace’s organic background made me think of the Fall. My initial response was to add to the white areas, but I love to overlap imagery and realized I had to add feet and then after that, the hand, as a nod to Candace and her “Daily Nodes” Project. Touch, balance, the weight of our bodies... so much to think about. Thank you for including us in your journey.  I will add, the feet also reminded me of how cool it was to work in Candace’s studio, sitting with what seemed like hundreds of little ceramic feet hanging about. 

Peter Whittenberger collaborates with Fallon Folks

 Peter Whittenberger:

The inspiration for my project participation was the little pocket mouse that decided to live with us for a few days named Frank. My collaboration was with the screen printing workshop in Fallon. The image on my disk was of a grass scene that was repeated on top of itself. I wanted my contribution to the final work to continue with the vibrating movement of the original composition so I drew a portrait of Frank, using ink and colored pencils. The marks I used for the drawing represent a mouse who is moving between hiding spots so he doesn’t get caught.

Sequins!

Beck Baumann finished up two discs started by Candace Garlock. The connection? Beck was a former student of Candace...art 100. She remembered Candace saying "What are you doing in this class?" Pretty sure Candace meant that she was so good, she didn't need to be in Art 100.  In 2023, they reconnected at Reno Tahoe International Art Show.

Fallon Love!

These two discs came from the collaboration and workshop at Oats Park Art Center on September 30. Discs were randomly screen-printed and then given to participants to finish up. Michelle Nelsen did these two and she titled them: Tsunami and Wanderer.

Emsley and Galen

Emsley first created the bird and Galen finished it with inspiration from one of his earlier prints. Someone on Facebook wrote, "That bird did a lot of walking in circles!"