Local Art Residency: Ariana Gavriilidis

LOCAL: Ariana! So happy to have your work up at the shop. How do you feel sharing a bit of yourself at the shop through your photography?

ARIANA: Hey Local Coffee! Thank you for allowing me to show my artwork, as I’m lucky to be among the talented artists before me. Over the last year, I started showing this collection of black and white photo series titled Europe in Black and White around different cafes and coffee shops in New Jersey and Upstate NY. I feel it should have gotten easier with each show, yet it is still nerve-racking! I am always nervous about how others will react or what they might think about my style of photography. However, I am thankful to exhibit my photographs and not only get feedback on how I can improve as an artist, but connect with people on their travels. As a result, I connected with loyal patrons of Local Coffee about traveling, their favorite style of photography, and most of all, their go-to coffee orders! 

LOCAL: Tell us a bit about these photographs. When, Where and Why?

ARIANA: Europe in Black and White captures moments from when I traveled in the summer of 2019 and the winter of 2017. This collection pertains to the countries of Ireland, the United Kingdom such as England, Scotland, and other countries such as Amsterdam and Norway. I've been lucky to travel and take these photographs around Europe, either on solo trips or traveling with close friends and family. I love traveling to new places and experiencing new cultures and bringing my camera along is no exception.   

I shoot my pictures in black and white as I believe it forces the viewer to focus on the image while adding color, in my opinion, can complicate and distract from what is right in front of them. Photographs in black and white exhibit the simplicity of the world, and can reveal that we’re much more similar than we are different. In addition, I’ve always been a fan of timeless black and white films, such as Casablanca, Notorious, and The Maltese Falcon. If the movie stars Humphrey Bogart or Cary Grant, I’ve seen it. My style and taste does not always resonate with everyone, but I believe there is something timeless with photographs taken in black and white that brings me back to a past life where we were not obsessed with editing an image to perfection.

LOCAL: You're still young and have been able to travel to many places many of us are still dreaming about. Tell us how you've been able to prioritize travel in your life -

ARIANA: For as long as I can remember, I had the travel bug. I will never turn down an adventure or the opportunity to go somewhere new. With my father being Greek and moving to America at 27-years-old, I got the chance to fly and visit my dads' side of the family from a young age. I knew traveling to Europe as a family was a privilege that not many kids my age had the opportunity to go. Once I knew places such as Athens, Mykonos, and Crete existed, I wanted to experience more of not just what Europe had to offer but the rest of America and the world. Being the youngest sibling, I traveled with my mother and sisters across the county for soccer tournaments or to see college campuses. Traveling has been a way of life. When COVID hit, I did not know if I could travel again. As much as I love New Jersey, there is so much more of the world to see. I learned that to grow not only as an artist but as a person, we need to step outside of our comfort zone and be open to new experiences. Additionally, it helps that my mother also loves to explore and travel, so I always have a travel buddy.   

 LOCAL: Was there one place that stood out where you felt super-connected to the environment?

ARIANA: One place that stood out to me when traveling in the summer of 2019 was the country of Ireland, especially the Irish countryside. I saw well-known cities such as Dublin, Galway, Cork, and Killarney and got the chance to explore Northern Ireland and tour Belfast, and crossed the National Trust Carrick-a-Rede bridge in Ballintoy. If you haven't seen it, you have to look it up! It is a wooden bridge that leads you to a remote island. I surprised myself by crossing the bridge. In addition, visiting The Cliffs of Moher, which are sea cliffs located at the southwest edge of Ireland that look out to the Atlantic Ocean, was a surreal experience. It’s breathtaking being on the edge of the world. Not only is Ireland's vast green landscape and the rolling hills unbelievably beautiful, but the people are friendly and welcoming. Growing up in North Jersey, I'm familiar with heading to Upstate NY and seeing a remote landscape, but Ireland's extensive history and open space needs to be experienced by all. 

 LOCAL: Is there a special location OR geographic environment that you have on your roadmap?

ARIANA: I’ve always said that before turning 30, I wanted to complete a road trip out west and explore the landscapes of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Utah and visit either Glacier National Park or Yellowstone National Park. There are so many places in America that I have yet to tour. I would pick mountain ranges and forest landscapes any day compared to a beach setting. I’ve never been a person that chooses an island or a pool vacation to relax and unwind. Back in 2018, I climbed to the top of St Mary’s Glacier in Colorado, which at the peak is around 11,000 ft above sea level. I remember feeling small amongst these gigantic pine trees, and there wasn’t a feeling quite like it. It reminded me how important it is to look past what’s right in front of us and look at the bigger picture. I have three years left to fulfill this goal and now that I work remotely, I’m hoping to accomplish this vacation sooner rather than later as it has never been easier to work while traveling.

LOCAL: For our fellow photophiles out there, what type of camera(s) are in your arsenal and do you have a 'go-to' camera for special moments?

ARIANA: That is a difficult question! In total, I own ten cameras as some cameras I inherited from relatives and other cameras I purchased. Although the camera I can never leave the house without, besides the camera on my iPhone, is my Nikon FM 10, which is a manual 35mm. This camera I used for the Europe in Black and White series. It’s been with me everywhere and my most prized possession. I seem to be a brand loyalist to Nikon. It was the first camera I purchased back in middle school when I started adventuring into photography. My parents bought me a Nikon CoolPix L24 Digital Camera, in the color red, and Nikon has been my go-to ever since. The rest is history. 

If I somehow forget to carry my Nikon FM 10, I like to have either my Nikon DSLR handy, a Fujifilm color 35mm disposable camera or an Instax Mini 9 in my bag for some fun quick shots with friends. I love the feeling of sending in the camera in order to see the photographs.    

 LOCAL:  What's your favorite coffee or tea beverage?

ARIANA: Personally, it depends on the season. In the winter, I love chai with soy milk, and in the summer, it is either an iced coffee with soy milk or an iced tea with some honey. The honey I buy is from Local Coffee! Over the last year, I've been on a honey hunt for the best honey in New Jersey, and the Raw Honey available to purchase here goes with me everywhere!   

To learn more about Ariana and follow-along through her many journeys: https://linktr.ee/ag_curate

Local Artist Residency - Ling Chen

Let's get right to it! Please tell us about the dark, seedy, underbelly of the world of watercolors!

Can’t tell ya because I kinda live under a rock (yes, in the world of watercolors as well). I am rather ignorant of the bubbly local art scenes and am really bad at remembering names. Thanks to the Internet, I got to admire the wonderful works of the watercolorists from around the world  and to drool over their work virtually. For me, the best watercolor is fluid, spontaneous, and captures the mood and atmosphere without spelling out every detail. Water and pigments interacting with the help of gravity can do wonders.

So you're saying that WYSIWYG? I have to believe that there's more in that image than a beautiful representation of a person, place or thing?

Luckily what you get is more than what you see sometimes, although I cannot claim credit for that. When people look at the sketches of Local Coffee, they’re reminded of the cappuccino and the amazing owner who-shall-not-be-named. And people reacted warmly to my sketch of American Royal Hardware because they just love that place. I captured the moments and places as I see it, and viewers enrich it with their own fond memories. 

OK, I tease you because you have this wonderful sense of humor and your work is obviously beautiful and moving AND everyone loves it. How did you get started?

Whew! I’d be devastated if you had neglected to notice or praise my wonderful sense of humor. 

I learned how to draw in middle school. In an after-school drawing club I became really good at cross hatching while drawing still life with graphic pencils. Fast forward 30 years, I started to draw again since my life was overwhelmed with work and kids. I did Saturday classes for a few months and attended a few weeklong watercolor workshops. It was a surprise that I improved quickly. I took on sketching because that’s something I can squeeze during the little free time I had - waiting at the airport during work trips, or hanging out at the playground with kids. The type of city sketches you see here actually started in May 2018.  A  friend of mine and I attended our first Jersey City Artist and Makers Fair where I had a total of 3 sketches of Jersey City downtown. A couple of prints were sold and people asked for more. And that started my journey documenting my neighborhood. The more I sketched, the more to sketch to capture the changing face of the places.  

Perhaps a silly question but how did you get SO good? I mean, c'mon - this work is masterful.

I wish I could agree with you, but I appreciate you believing so. Drawing from direct observations on location helps, I believe. It forces you to capture what you see and how you feel instead of every little detail that a photograph captures. Showing how people interact with a place brings a piece to life. 

I had the pleasure of meeting your 84 year old mom who is adorable and has quite a bit of spunk. How influential was mom in your life and while developing your craft?

My daughter recently commented on how strong grandma was rolling the dough when she demonstrated how to make scallion pancakes, unimpressed with the wimpy attempts by the youngsters. She used to run an editorial department in a rolling stock (trains, that is) research institute publishing periodicals and books. And she dedicated her entire self taking care of the family. She hand-made dumplings, noodles, sewed clothes, knitted sweaters, and made hats and shoes - not as a hobby but often as a necessity. After she retired, she took on Chinese painting and shocked all of us with her art talents. But then she readily gave that up and came to take care of her grandkids - my babies could win the cleanest bottoms contest and the fervor in feeding her grandchildren is unmatched. I have half of her talents and a quarter of her drive. I taunt my kids that my mother is better than their mother.

I noted how fast you are when creating each of these works. Was that a need based skill OR was there another reason you are so expeditious?

Yes and yes. It certainly started as need-based. I was sketching while watching my kids at the playground, and as any parents have well practiced, I was prepared to jump into action at any time. I also really like to capture the moments, such as music performance on stage, and those moments are fleeting. Some of the work I personally like most are those created within 5 minutes.

Aside from your Local storefront watercolor being your favorite (obv), what comes in as a close second for your favorite work (Montclair or otherwise)?

You forgot I have two sketches of Local, that make my two favorite works. Of Local.

I like Dem Two Hands. I like the color and felt I captured the spirit of that beautiful place. 

I also like a few sketches of murals - Jersey City has plenty of them. It’s like picture-in-picture.  

This question is for my sister, an aspiring watercolor enthusiast - what tips can you offer someone seeking to up their approach to this discipline?

First, learn from the best, I mean, the very best, even from the beginning. My first watercolor workshop was with David Taylor, a watercolor master from Australia. I was such a newbie that I was identifying basic colors such as Ultramarine Blue and Raw Ciena in the evening after day 1 of the workshop. By the end of the week, I produced some of the best work among the workshop attendees, partially because I didn’t need to unlearn anything. Joseph Zbukvic, another Australian artist, is an absolute master in watercolor. He has an amazing process that makes painting landscapes seem effortless. I also learnt from Eudes Correia, a Brazillian artist in Portugal. I love how he paints people. 

Second, do what feels natural to you. I learned how to paint watercolor from those masters mentioned above, but I sketch in my own style. I use a calligraphy pen filled with permanent ink to sketch first, and use watercolor on top of it. Scribbling the lines feels natural to me.

Learn more about Ling Chen here

Local Artist Residency - Caleb Levine

Thanks for sharing your work here at Local. It's easy to drift into a conversation about your age and the ability to capture this level and context of imagery - so let's get it out of the way. You're 17 now, when did you start taking photos with the desire to share them to a broader audience?

I've been taking pictures for about five years, beginning in the summer after 6th grade. Public display has never been at the forefront of my creative process, but when an opportunity arose to show my work to my community and support a great cause in the process, I seized it.

Your generation was born with a camera in their hand (b/c of cell phones) as prior had to actively go and purchase a SLR to capture imagery. How do you either bundle yourself with your peers with respect to regularly taking photos OR separate yourself because of your photography intention?

There are elitist photographers who consider pictures taken on mobile devices to be less valuable or worthy of praise, but I find this ridiculous. The advent of pocket-sized cameras has democratized photography in a fascinating way and is responsible for some truly remarkable images. I enjoy taking pictures on my DSLR and not my phone, however, for two main reasons: my camera allows me to manipulate the components of the lens and sensor more directly and finely, and the act of shooting on a bona fide camera provides an intentional headspace that mobile cameras lack for me.

I appreciated the time we took to post your photos at the shop as you had a POV on what went where and to what degree the images played off of each other. Is there a particular story you are working to tell?

Though I was intentional in my placing of the pictures, accounting for color and contrast and brightness and subject matter, I didn't bring one cohesive theme to my installation. It's more of a collection of my best work.

What type of camera do you use for these photos and what technical aspects have you learned about photography from when you started to now?

I shoot on a Canon 80D, and over time have come to refine my use of aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance and flash. These are the parts of the camera I handle regularly.

You are donating the proceeds from your sales to the Montclair Sanctuary Alliance. Tell us a bit about the organization and the work they do, especially now during some challenging times.

The Montclair Sanctuary Alliance is a network of interfaith religious bodies of Montclair aimed at supporting and advocating for recently-immigrated families from Central and South American who are at risk of deportation or detention. Moving to a new country is jarring and difficult. But coupled with a language barrier, a pandemic and economic downturn that makes job-search more difficult, young children who struggle academically and socially, and alienating political rhetoric and the impending threat of deportation - you get the idea. These people need help. And the MSA works to provide it.

What's next for your photography platform? Are you aiming to broaden your understanding of this discipline or simply see where the day takes you?

For now, I hope to have a successful show and support the MSA as much as possible. I'm truly honored to have been given this opportunity. Long term though, I plan on studying photography in college and continuing to shoot for years to come.

More about Caleb and this exhibition here

Darin Wacs is Back with 'More Cute'

Created specifically with Local's magnet wall in mind, this series of plasma cut, autobody-painted, metal sculptures are analogous to magnets on a refrigerator door – well, a giant refrigerator.

Working directly on and with the metal, from drawing and outlining each playful shape, then plasma-cutting each figure, the forms produce their unique characteristics, accentuated by the perfectly smooth enamel paint colliding against the jagged and rough plasma cut edges.

Asked about the project's name, Darin replied, "The name of this project comes from a conversation I had with a friend who was a designer at Sanrio. One day her boss looked at her work and replied MORE CUTE!  And, who doesn't want 'more cute'?"

 This is Darin's second site-specific project for Local.

See Darin’s first Local installation from 2017 here

| darinwacs.com | instagram @wacswork | twitter @darinwacs |

Local Talk: Interview with Advent Calendar artist Melisa Gerecci

What are advent calendars and why do you make them?

Advent is an annual three-to-four week season leading to December 25.  Traditionally, advent calendars are made in Germany and available at christkindlmärkte (Christmas markets).  A viewer opens a small door each day to reveal hidden images.  The calendars often depict holiday scenes based on 19th century paintings.  They are enjoyed each year during a season intended to be a time of joyful anticipation.

Advent calendars come from a particular cultural practice, but the concepts they represent are universal.  Across cultures, people look forward to certain things.  Remember waiting with excitement to see an old friend?  Or how we look forward to gathering over a special meal?  We search for ways to hold on to memories of meaningful times and places. 

I make advent calendars to help mark time.  December has, sadly, become stressful for many of us, and my goal is to restore a sense of anticipation.  I’d like to slow the fury of this time of year with a simple practice and beautiful imagery. 

What is your process?

Each calendar concept takes about a year to complete.  I start with a general sense of a place and time I’d like to celebrate.  The next step is to translate that memory into a scene and a related collection of drawings.  After the idea is generated, I draw.  And I draw.  And I draw some more. 

Then it gets technical—the drawings are organized to correspond with parts of the main scene.  They also tend to follow a sequence.  In “Houston house,” for example, the hidden drawings narrate three years of related experiences shared by a group of friends.  Some calendars are highly specific, and individual doors are keyed to dates when events occurred.  For example, in “Tex-Mex Christmas,” our Lady of Guadalupe appears on December 12, as she is said to have done in 1531 in Tepeyac, Mexico.  After the drawings are done, color copies are made and doors are cut by hand into the main scene.  The drawings are attached, and each door is numbered.  If the calendar is idiosyncratic, I’ll include a legend on the back.  But part of the fun is the surprise of opening each door!  You don’t always know what’s lurking back there.     

How do you choose the subjects of your calendars?

The first calendar I made was for a friend, to mark one year of knowing each other.  I drew his exquisite studio apartment and hid references to topics we had discussed, things we had seen together, and places we had visited.  This year’s calendar was a love letter to Houston, my hometown.  I am currently working on two designs for next year: the Kadıköy neighborhood in Istanbul and a “badvent calendar” for Halloween.  I could also see a Montclair calendar in the cards…

Sometimes there’s lid flying off a pot or an upturned chair.  What are those about?

I like to include some whimsy.  The main scenes I draw are location-specific and include a lot of observational detail.  The unexpected element can lighten the mood a bit.

Conceptually, what does being local mean to you and how does it play a part in your process?

Local means finding the beauty in the everyday and the easily overlooked.  There are unexpected patterns that emerge if we keep our eyes open.  When I’m out, I ask myself: what am I looking at?  And when I look, what am I seeing?

What has living in Montclair meant for you and your work?

Montclair is a human-scaled place.  Being able to bike, walk, and take the bus around lets me observe my surroundings.  Plus, Montclair residents are open-minded and curious.  It’s a good combination for creating site-specific art.

What role do paper calendars have in contemporary, web-based culture?

A vital one.  Paper is one of our early technologies for recording and communicating experience.  Today, there are many ways to track time electronically.  And think of all the automatic reminders we use.  That doesn’t have to be the exclusive way of organizing our days.  I have a mild online presence, but these calendars are meant to be experienced in person. 

Tell us something about calendars that only you or very few people know.

There are so many ways to organize time!  And there are examples all over the world on how to do it.  I tried using a calendar once where the week ran from Monday through Sunday instead of the typical Sunday through Saturday.  It was disorienting at first.  But then it made me think about how visually grouping Saturday and Sunday together could reorient our entire workweek.  Time is remarkably fluid.

What is your favorite coffee or tea beverage?

Affogato!  For a fleeting moment, it’s hot and cold at the same time.  It’s best enjoyed the minute it’s served.  And it has such a serious name for such a delightful beverage.   

www.megerecci.com

Local Talk: Interview with featured artist Darin Wacs

We connected first after discovering that we both were born and raised in NYC. I am grateful every day for such a rich childhood amongst the artist, musicians, and entrepreneurial business owners that made up my neighborhood of Greenwich Village. How did your particular art discipline emerge out of your respective NYC experience?

*I grew up with a father who was a fashion designer and painter and a mother who loved art....we spent all our free time at museums and galleries in NYC...

Is there a person or experience that was pivotal in sharpening your direction?

*In grad school at The School of Visual Arts..the painter Gary Stephan and the sculptor Judy Pfaff helped/forced me to define and stand up for what I was trying to do with my sculpture..

What words of inspiration do you share with anyone considering artistic expression?

*I would say to not be afraid to try new things even if they don't always work out...make a mess..

What is it about crafting objects out of raw materials that inspired your path?

 The texture and colors of raw materials go against my tendency to paint everything in bright colors..it was a challenge to see if they could work as a medium for me..

I’m always interested in artistic endeavors with over-emphasized scale - small or large. Is there a project that you feel like you nailed it relative to the size of the final piece (or pieces?)

*I think my large scale 'sculpture signs' in Palo Alto, CA are good examples of large public projects that draw viewers in and surprise them..I don't see them as sculptures that are also engaged in way finding but art that helps you find places.

I’m sort of going through this phase questioning what’s really real or just a figment of our imagination. Is it all just a dream? That said, tell us about the quote you selected from Alexander Calder to include on your site “The universe is real, but you can’t see it. You have to imagine it.” 

I love Calder..and the idea that art can create its own universe is magical to me..I think a lot of the work I make inhabits its own world.

I’m thrilled with the pieces you selected for Local. Please tell us about them.

From the first time I walked into Local I was struck by this idea that I wanted to make light fixtures that were also sculptures...I could picture how they would work in the space and how they might relate to my silkscreen prints..the three 'critter' pendants were painted with the palette of Local in mind to contrast with it and be a part of it..some of the other small sculptures were painted at the same time as the critter lights and show another form and scale which relates to the larger pendants..also I thought about what would work within the spaces that Local has for showing art. I am always taken by what a positive vibe Local has (thanks entirely to you and Adele) and felt like it was a perfect fit for the work I make which hopefully inspires an overstuffed feeling of joy and wonder. 

What does living in Montclair and being able to show your work here mean to you as an artist?

Montclair is a community with lots of creative people living in it..I know so many talented people and often meet new ones...this is the first time I'm showing sculpture here and its been wonderful.

What is your favorite coffee or tea beverage?

An iced latte

http://darinwacs.com/

Local Talk: Interview with featured artist Ben Olson

I'm happy to say that you were one of our first clients at Local and we immediately connected. There was this candid openness while speaking with each other and learning how each of us spend our  time. How has this openness to life in general contributed to the genesis of your work?

My work often relies on a certain tension. The tension between public and private…

I have not always been so open. I am naturally shy, and have to work to put myself out there and be open. Maybe the openness is inspired by my peers and my kids. I don’t want to be known as that closed-off dude hermitting out in the corner!!!

Your work is articulated as a peek through a door cracked open which is wonderful honesty but could also be a bit scary because of the associated vulnerability. How do your subjects deal with this transparency?

Peeking through a door cracked has been a theme for me for a long time. I love finding that awkward and completely honest moment. The one where no one is posing or making a cute face.  Beautiful imperfect moments.. There is a delicious honesty when you glimpse someone when their guard is totally down and they think they are alone!!

It is amazingly intimate to paint someone.

I paint in layers, many many layers. It is the nature off the acrylic paint, but also it is a metaphor for a person. We all have so many layers.  Each one is a little transparent. I like to build those layers with paint. Each one building on another, masking it just a little. Within a painting, I will add one layer right after another. More blue. Just a little more red. More white until it is just right, then flood it with spraypaint. Drip drip drip!

For many years I only painted exquisitely personal subjects…very personal portraits and self portraits. It was an extreme way to show vulnerability.

I made a deal with myself a long time ago: No matter what I portray, I never hold back and always paint what I see…every wrinkle, crease and fold.  That may be abstracted by the process, but in my head it is super real.

Honestly, I think that the people that I have painted have been so so absolutely open to anything that I am the one somehow trying to hold back. I find I am maybe the vulnerable one, even though the subject is being exposed and examined.

I am maybe the one looking through the door…

As an artist, how do you see your work evolving as you grow in experience and knowledge?

When I first started painting my work was about one single, honest, situational moment. I was interested in what it was like to view that moment from the outside, when the door cracks. I would make up a situation and narrative that was usually really dark.  Lots of blood and tears, Now,  I am more accumulative in my process. I watch, listen , Observe and collect and remember. I am more interested in the all the things that add up to blow that door open, so everyone can see.

Currently, I feel like my work is less tragic and more of a diary and journal.  Maybe a tiny bit less dark. Somehow it is more fantastical and dreamy, but a lot more true to me. In the past I made things up, and in that journey I was trying to be honest, but maybe it was just a front I put up.

Seems like I am now projecting outward, instead of working inward!

Do you have a work that you have created for sale but then ultimately couldn't part with it?

Yes, absolutely…

I do believe artists should hold onto a piece of work here and there..  To document major bodies of work or personal journeys. Art and artists live and evolve and it is important to document that. I am not the same artist I was 10 years ago. I have been interested in different things, and even my painting technique has evolved. It is great to have that documented. I have always thought so.

One example of a piece that I have held onto is the first portrait I ever did of my wife. I have done many works with her since, but that first one is special. It is an important reminder of a very intense part of my life too. I truly cherish it!

I'm fascinated with the scale of your work; did you always work at these extreme ends of the art spectrum?

Scale as in size? I have always felt that a piece will tell you what size it wants to be if you give it a voice. I have always been more into actually painting larger work. I think it works for me to paint with my body. When you paint smaller work, say something that can sit on a table, you paint with your wrist and you often hunch over the work and stay close. But if you paint larger work, you tend to paint with your body, wrist to elbow then to shoulder and so on. You also tend to need to back away to see it all…that works for me. I need a painting I can dance in front of.

Scale as in scope? I currently have three major themes in my work. I have always loved portrait and figurative work. The body and face are the ultimate way to express for me. I have been drawing or painting people since fourth grade, you can do the math as to how many years that is.

I also paint a lot of balloons. This body of work is really the opposite if portraiture for me. It can be easier for an Audience to digest and also easier for me to just get into the painting process.

I also have painted flowers for quite a while. They started as very realistic still-livesbased on the “language of flowers” from Victorian days when people would communicate with bouquets of flowers, each flower has a meaning. Now the workshave moved to a very fantastical, wild and juicy spot. They are very personal to me, my own visual diary and journal. Each flower representing a moment in my life.

What has living in Montclair meant for you and your work?

Montclair has been wonderful for me and my work. The work has somehow gotten much larger since I have been working in my barn (studio). II have found a community that I didn’t expect to find.  There are so many wonderful people!! I fell like I can do anything with my art right now and am so excited about that feeling. I project out since I have lived here, instead of caving inward. It was an amazing moment for me when someone asked if I can call it homeand I said (without hesitation) YES!

I always have music on…it is very influential in my work. When my studio was in Brooklyn I listened to Hip hop almost all the time. Now, in my barn, I find that I still play a lot of hip hop, but a little miles davis can comfortably creep into the mix and live there. Dylan lives with Biggie in my studio now! Living in Montclair has somehow put a beautiful balance to my life…

Conceptually, what does being local mean to you and how does it play a part in your process?

Being local is a support system. Feeling comfortable and supported with where you are in life and also where you actually are. Not feeling transient. Feeling rooted and growing instead of blowing in the wind.

Being local makes me smile!

Tell us something about art that only you or very few people know.

I have always been fascinated with light and how it bounces through your eyes and brain. The Raft of the Medusa by Gericault is my favorite painting of all time. He painted all of the water drops with three strokes of paint-red, yellow and green-in certain shades so that they vibrate when next to one another. The water droplets seem to sparkle because of this! Brilliant!

What is your favorite coffee or tea beverage?

I like ‘em all!! But really, just a good cup of coffee with cream is the most delicious thing in the world.

www.benolsonstudio.com

Local Talk: Interview with Susanna Emmet, founder of Zana's Bars

We're very excited to be partnering to offer Zana's bars at Local! Can you tell us about the genesis for creating this awesome brand?

I am thrilled to be partnering with Local, too! The genesis of Zana’s Bars is the commitment to feeding my children real food from Mother Nature, period. No additives, no preservatives, and above all, no added sugar. The body of research supporting the negative health effects of these things is large and growing. Processed sugar, in particular, is everywhere! I understand it’s yummy in treats, but on a day to day basis, in foods we eat to nourish us -- to give us energy, satisfy hunger, help us grow and thrive -- is hardly necessary. Fruits, nuts, seeds and whole grains can have explosive flavor on their own, and our bodies are designed to run on them. When I couldn’t find snacks to pack on the go that fit this bill and were affordable, I began making muesli bars. Feedback was terrific, and over the years I refined my recipes that I now bring to grateful customers. This makes me very happy.

As a parent, I'm regularly concerned about the types of food decisions my children are making. How has your food journey led you to this particular direction for kids and adults alike?

I think I mostly answered this question discussing the origins of Zana’s Bars, but I’ll take this opportunity to talk more about the importance of portability and snacks. Life moves quickly. People are busy and on the go. As parents, if we are lucky, we can plan good meals, but it’s much harder to control snacking habits for our children and ourselves. The majority of the stuff on the market to meet this need is full of ingredients that don’t give us what we need. Snacks are big pitfalls even for the best intentioned eaters, so I started making snack bars for this specific purpose.

Ok, let’s start with your base ingredient - Muesli. Once and for all - what is it and why did you decide on using it as a core element of the bars?

Muesli is traditionally a raw oat-based cereal that also includes fruits, nuts and seeds. It is excellent, pure stuff....that’s not very travel friendly. Granola bars, also based on a cereal, are ubiquitous and widely considered healthy. However, granola is baked and almost always contains lots of sugar. Most of the right ingredients are there, but the process detracts from its benefits. My decision to call my bars muesli bars is simply because I take the ingredients of muesli (with a twist of using popped amaranth in some instead of oats), and form it into a bar so it can be easily transported, stored and eaten.

Tell us about the other ingredients you use in your bars.

All my bars are date-based. Dates are incredibly sweet. Yes, it’s sugar, but kept in it’s original state with fiber, the body can process it healthily. Once dried, they can be mashed into a dough or paste-like substance into which I incorporate a variety of other natural ingredients for different flavors and nutritional balances. Most bars have sesame seeds and flaxseed meal kneaded into the dough. This adds little flavor but lots of nutritional benefits (iron, calcium, omega-3). They also either have oats or popped amaranth to bulk up the texture, substance and nutrition, and then their hallmark flavors: peanut & apple, coconut & apricot, cashew & fig, which, along with the dates, is really what you taste. And that’s all!

What are the different bars that you offer and if you can, please tell us a thing you love about each one.

Currently I offer the three I just mentioned: peanut & apple, coconut & apricot, cashew & fig. The first is a classic combo that I just find so satisfying. The coconut & apricot bar has the extra sweetness of the apricot coupled with the robust flavor of toasted coconut. This bar is probably the most popular. It feels like a lot happening in the mouth at the same time, and has the added benefit of the bright orange of the apricot and the white of the coconut that makes it visually appealing. The cashew & fig bar is rich and creamy, but has a nice crunch from the fig seeds that I enjoy.

You are officially an entrepreneur in this era of entrepreneurship. What has been the most valuable lesson you have learned thus far?

Just do it! I don’t mean that it’s not a lot of work and totally consuming, but I’ve learned that the best way to embark on the path of creating something out of nothing is not to do endless market research, hem and haw on branding, wait until the ‘perfect’ moment when the many, many pieces are aligned and ‘right’, etc., but rather to put on the market something that you know is pretty good and go from there. It’s an iterative process and always evolving. I like being open to feedback and change, learning from mistakes, and growing as I go.

What does local (as a concept/ philosophy) mean to you?

Local is where the day to day, the bread and butter, of our lives happens. It’s where we can effect change, express gratitude and appreciation, have meaningful connections and impact. It’s where we can literally create the world we want to live in. Our community. I’ve spent many years working in international affairs on issues that move me deeply and always will -- these are important -- but the local sphere is one that’s more personal and gratifying.

Can you tell us something about breakfast bars that only you or very few people know.

They’re very simple! What our bodies and brains need is delicious and accessible, don’t be fooled!

What is your favorite coffee or tea beverage?

Latte, hands down. Iced or hot, good coffee plus good milk always hits the spot. Thanks for bringing Montclair these things!