“It is important to me that the user questions the painting and brings forth their own interpretation.”

If I could render a brief depiction of artist Geoff Houghton, I would say that passion for family and creative discovery rule his persona. He is a Systems Engineer by day and a loving husband, father, and artist by night. This difference echoes within his works of art. As Geoff tells us, “I thrive on bright, bold colors in my paintings…I find it a challenge to preserve whites by contrasting with rich dark colors.”

Karen: What role did art play in your life while your creativity was dormant? Essentially, where was the bridge between the arts in your teens vs. the role art plays currently in your adult family life now?

Geoff: My earliest appreciation and involvement with art began with landscape architecture. As a young golf course maintenance worker in the town that I grew up in, my manager allowed me to design and oversee the construction of a new fairway bunker. After receiving much recognition in its location and design, I realized how rewarding it was to construct something and have it appreciated. I later took Landscape Architecture at UMASS and continued about earth, forms, and structures.

Geoff Houghton mimics his life experience with watercolors in his figurative works, stating “I like the challenge of creating something new.” Other than his wife and four children, Geoff has said, “creating art from my imagination is the biggest reward I can provide myself.”

Geoff Houghton’s whimsical watercolors seem to truly perform in his fantastical world for his audiences. Through my interview with Geoff it seemed that he prides himself on creating a carefree, stop and smell the roses, kind of world where family reigns supreme and fanciful memories of the past come to life.

“My wife, is truly a tribute to my success.”
-Geoff Houghton

Website: www.steamfolk.com

“I like choosing an orderly, rational path in order to accomplish a goal, but I don’t mind getting messy in the process.” -Amy Fernald

This Sharpie loving artist finds inspiration in the expression of the human figure. She lets her free-flowing imagination take over her works of art. Amy Fernald was aware of her passion at a young age humorously stating, “I was a tortured artist at 7 years old.” Amy is partial to working with mediums that require a tad more confidence, sharing, “the thing we struggle with the most results in some of our most gratifying work.”

Throughout the interview it became clear that there is a strong connection between Amy and her art. When asked who she admired most, she brought up her father, the engineer. She admired his dedication, hard work, and rational behavior. Amy was unaware at the moment, but she exemplified to me the very same characteristics. She showed me her disciplined approach to artwork by maintaining a schedule as well as overcoming adversity once up against a challenge not necessarily in her scope of interest.

Her idealistic view of reality lends itself to the vivid embellishment of her works. Amy’s pieces not only draw you in, but also create their own world for viewers to poke around in. Throughout her journey as an artist, Amy divulged to me that one of her dream jobs would be to get into character development. She shared, “I love the balance between collaborating with a team for direction, while at the same time sketching like crazy at my own desk and seeing what I could do.” Whether it is a trip to Italy or a drive home from class, Amy derives inspiration directly from her environment.

This artist is grounded and stays true to her perspective, “I think there are aspects to my personality that would suffer if I didn’t create work.” Amy’s art is her voice. She not only is involved with her own purpose and goals but she also believes, “the arts can have more of a major role in society again if there is a newfound interest.” To do this one must put their art out there. Amy Fernald understands, “If you’re creating art in a bubble, how is your work going to be relevant?” Amy is making a footprint in the world of art. She is happy to be part of a generation that has had diverse mediums available to them from a young age, including the internet as well as digital software. She hopes to close the gap between various mediums and their perception.

Website: www.amyfernald.com