HURRICANES AND A COVID PANDEMIC NOTWITHSTANDING LAKE CHARLES ARTIST CANDICE ALEXANDER CONTINUES TO MAKE WAVES.

I HAVE BEEN AT THIS FOR A REALLY LONG TIME WITH A TON OF CLIENTS AND I HAVE HAD MY BEST YEARS BEFORE THE CORONAVIRUS.

TAKING A PLUNGE INTO AN UNDER WATER EXHIBITION.

OAT FIRST IT'S JUST PHOTOGRAPHY.

BUT AFTER THIS TO SEE HOW TO MAKE THESE IMAGES UNIQUE.

WE'LL LEG IT TO A LIVE COMPETITIVE PAINTING SHOW.

THE PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE A NEW, NOVEL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE AUDIENCE AND THE ARTIST.

ALL THIS QUEUED UP AND COMING YOUR WAY ON "ART ROCKS."

"ART ROCKS" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN LOUISIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

HELLO.

WELCOME TO ANOTHER EPISODE OF "ART ROCKS" WITH ME, JAMES FOX-SMITH FROM COUNTRY ROADS MAGAZINE.

TODAY WE'RE MEETING A LAKE CHARLES ARTIST WHOSE COLORFUL FLEUR DE LIS THEMED WORK HAS BEEN SOUGHT AFTER AND WIDELY COLLECTED FAR KWR07BD HER LOUISIANA HOME BUT BY LATE 2020 CANDICE ALEXANDER WAS LOCKED IN AN EXISTENTIAL BATTLE TO SAVE HER BUSINESS AFTER A TRIPLE BHAM MY, THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND TWO HURRICANES, ONE THAT HEAVILY DAMAGED HER SHOP AND STUDIO.

BUT ALEXANDER'S UNBREAKABLE WORK ETHIC AND TENACITY PAID OFF.

THIS STORY START OWE ROUGH, IT DOES HAVE A HAPPY ENDING, SO STAY WITH IT.

I HAVE BEEN AN ARTIST FOR 20 YEARS.

WE ARE SELF-SELF-SUFFICIENT IN PRODUCING ALL OF MY PRINTS.

I HAVE BEEN AT THIS FOR A REALLY LONG TIME WITH TONS OF CLIENTS.

I HAVE BEEN HAVING SOME OF MY BEST YEARS AS AN ARTIST IN MY LIFE BEFORE THE CORONAVIRUS.

WE HAVE ABOUT 5,000 SQUARE FEET.

I HAVE A SIZABLE STUDIO IN DOWNTOWN LAKE CHARLINGS.

I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR TEN YEARS.

WE DO ALL OF OUR PRINTING.

I HAVE A BRAND NEW WEBSITE WE JUST LAUNCHED IN 2020.

I HAVE A HUGE CLIENT BASE THAT WE WERE REACHING OUT LIKE THROUGH MASSIVE TEXT MESSAGES.

WE WERE ROCKING IT AND THEN COVID HAPPENED.

IT BASICALLY SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN.

IT PUT A LOT OF FEAR IN ME PERSONALLY BECAUSE I'M BASICALLY AN ENTERTAINER.

FESTIVALS AND ART SHOWS WERE MY BREAD AND BUTTER AND THEY HAVE BEEN SINCE I WAS OUT OF COLLEGE THAN CAME TO A HALT.

PERSONALLY IT WAS KIND OF INTIMIDATING BUT THEN I STARTED TO EMBRACE THE PEACE AND BE CREATIVE AND THINGS THAT I WANTED TO DO WITHOUT ANY DEADLINE OR ANY FESTIVALS IN THE HORIZON.

WALL I STARTED TO REALIZE IS THAT ARTISTS HAD A CHANCE TO WRITE MUSIC AND CREATE OR MAKE NEW PIECES AND JUST REALLY HAVE A TIME WITH THEMSELVES.

AND IT TOOK SOMETHING SPIRITUAL TO GET THERE.

THEN I D. I WAS AT HOME WITH THE CHICKENS.

IT WAS A GREAT TIME TO DO YARD WORK, MAKE THE YARD REALLY BEAUTIFUL FOUNTAINS.

WE MADE A BUTTERFLY GARDEN.

I WAS PAINTING, DOING A LOT OF WRITING, MEDITATING.

IT WAS A QUIET TIME TO GET CREATIVE IN DIFFERENT WAYS YOU COULDN'T BEFORE COVID HAPPENED.

THEN HURRICANE CAME.

IT WENT FROM COMPLETE FLAT LINE OF PEACE TO COMPLETE CHAOS.

IT WAS A HUGE ADJUSTMENT.

I ACTUALLY EVACUATED TO MISSISSIPPI AND I STAYED UP UNTIL 5:00 IN THE MORNING WATCHING THE METEOROLOGIST THAT WERE LIVE DOWNTOWN.

I SAW THE WINDOWS BLUE BLEW OUT OF THE HIBERNIA OR THE CAPITAL ONE TOWER AND I'LL NEVER FORGET THE FEELING OF LIKE OH, MY GOD, I HAVE 12 OR 15 FOOT WINDOWS AND I JUST KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE BAD.

AND IT WAS WORSE THAN WHEN I GOT HERE.

SO I WAS A LITTLE TRAUMATIZED BEFORE I EVEN CAME TO THE STUDIO.

I WAS AVOIDING COMING HERE.

THIS WHOLE WALL WAS HALF OUT OF THE WALL WAS GONE LIKE THE STUCCO, EVERY PIECE OF GLASS.

IT WASN'T TEMPERED.

IT WAS ON EVERYTHING, IN EVERYTHING.

THERE WAS JEWELRY ALL OVER THE FLOOR.

YOU LOOK AROUND YOU SEE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF TINY PIECES ALL MIXED WITH GLASS.

THE SHOP GOES AROUND THE WHOLE BLOCK.

IT WAS JUST SUCH A TERRIBLE FEELING OF 20 YEARS OF YOUR LIFE.

I HAD JOURNALS, MY PAINTINGS DOWN THE STREET.

PEOPLE WERE TEXTING ME, I FOUND YOUR PAINING IN MY YARD.

FOUR BY EIGHT FEET.

THESE FLEW OUT OF THE STUDIO LIKE KITES.

IT WAS VERY, VERY CRAZY FEELING.

I THINK I WALKED AROUND HERE FOR TWO WEEKS JUST SAYING, OH, MY GOD, OWE, ME GOD.

I HAD PEOPLE COMING IN FROM SHREVEPORT, LAFAYETTE, MY CLIENTS, COMING IN TO HELP AND THEY JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO.

I HAD NO DIRECTION, NO LEADERSHIP TO TELL THEM, WHERE TO EVEN START.

WE TARPED UP THE WINDOWS AND THAT WAS SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT MORE FEELING OF PEACE, BUT THEN THE CLEANUP.

THEY STARTED RIPPING THE WALLS.

IT FLOODED A LITTLE BIT IN HERE, THANK GOD THE NINE FEET THAT THEY PROJECTED NEVER HAPPENED BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE.

IN THIS STUDIO, MAYBE 75% THAT I SALVAGED.

NEXT DOOR -- 20 YEARS OF MY ARCHIVES AND COLLEGE WORK AND PIECES THAT I JUST WANTED TO KEEP THAT WE DIDN'T REALLY OPEN THAT SIDE.

EVERY ONE OF THOSE PAINTINGS EITHER HAD A GASH IN IT, DRYWALL CEILING WITH THE RAIN, MULL DUE ON THE BACK, EVERY PIECE WAS AFFECTED IN SOME WAY.

THEN WE HAD DELTA.

THAT WAS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.

A MONTH AFTER THAT I TOOK MYSELF, WHAT I NEEDED TO MAKE A LIVING AND I EVACUATED TO MISSISSIPPI, OCEAN SPRINGS.

I STAYED FOR A MONTH IN MY RV, MEDITATING, GETTING SOME PEACE.

MY STUDIO WAS STILL TARPED UP AT THE TIME.

I HAD MADE REFUGE IN A FISHING SHED IN OCEAN SPRINGS.

HERE COMES HURRICANE ZETA.

SO I HAVE TO MOVE OUT OF THE FISHING SHIP.

TWO DAYS BEFORE I MOVED OUT AND THE ENTIRE FISHING SHED THAT I HAD SET UP, CINDERBLOCK WALLS BLOWN OUT.

THIRD HURRICANE.

YEAH.

SO I CAME BACK HOME TO LAKE CHARLES.

WITH THE CORONAVIRUS, THREE HURRICANES, 2020 ENDED UP BEING MY BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE.

PARTIALLY THAT'S BECAUSE I HAD HURRICANE ART THAT YOU SEE BACK THERE AND PEOPLE REALLY LOVED IT.

THERE WERE PEOPLE COMING IN HERE THAT DIDN'T EVEN HAVE ROOFS OR HOMES AND THEY HAD TO HAVE THE ART THAT I WAS DOING.

THAT WAS TRULY A BLESSING THEN I DIDN'T HAVE REALLY MUCH TIME.

I DO WHAT I DO BECAUSE IN ORDER TO SUR ARRIVE I HAVE TO.

I KNEW THE IMPACTS OF THE HURRICANE AND HOW MUCH OF A HUGE DEVASTATION AND CHANGE IT HAD MADE ON THE COMMUNITY AND LAKE CHARLES.

I FELT IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO DOCUMENT A PIECE HISTORICALLY ABOUT THE HURRICANES.

LITTLE DID I KNOW HOW WELL PEOPLE WOULD RESPOND TO IT.

I WASN'T DOING IT FOR THE SALES ORB TO BRAND I WAS DOING IT BECAUSE I FELT LIKE THERE WAS RELEASE THAT HAD TO HAPPEN AS AN ARTIST.

THE FIRST ONE IS CALLED HOPE.

I WANTED TO DO A PIECE THAT KIND OF MIMICKED THE CHAOS AND THE DISRUPTION.

THEN I WANTED TO HAVE WORDS THAT WAS SORT OF LIKE THE PEACE AND THE HOPE.

SO IN THAT PIECE YOU'LL SEE THE STATUE ON THE GROUND, THE CM TOW ERWIN DOSE BLOWN OUT AND ALL THIS MASSIVE CONFUSION WHICH I REALLY FEEL LIKE RESONATED WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY.

THE SECOND ONE, FAITH, WAS MADE IN MISSISSIPPI WHERE I EVACUATED TO AFTER DELTA.

TO HAVE HOPE WE ALL HAD TO HAVE FAITH SOME OF THE FAITH WAS MORE OF A SPIRITUAL PIECE.

IT HAD THE RED CLOAK IN IT.

IT HAD THE FLAG, THE WAVES SEPARATING THE SEA IN THAT PIECE AND STILL HAD A GLIMPSE OF THE HURRICANE.

LOVE.

IT HAS A TREE OF LIFE IN IT.

IT HAS A SORT OF MANDALA PIECE IN THE CENTER.

I WANTED TO ADD A BRIDGE IN LOVE.

IT'S IN RELATION TO MICHAELANGELO'S HANDS AND THEN IT HAS MY HAND WITH A PAINT BRUSH IN IT AND HAS THE CM TOWER.

LOVE WAS THE FINAL PIECE OF THE THREE HOPE, FAITH AND LOVE.

IT'S BASICALLY THE TRINITY THAT I WANTED TO SUGGEST IN THE HURRICANE PIECES ALL THREE PIECES CONNECT ON THE EDGES TO MAKE ONE HUGE PIECE.

I DO A LOT OF PRAYING AND MEDITATING AFTER THE HURRICANE AND I JUST HAD TO HAVE FAITH THAT THINGS WERE GOING TO CHANGE, TO PICK UP, AND THEY DID.

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A BELIEVER THAT YOU HAVE TO STAY TRUE TO WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO AND IT WILL ALL WORK OUT.

YOU CAN'T GIVE UP.

NEVER GIVING UP ON WHAT YOU LOVE TO DO REMEMBER: LIFE CAN BE IMMEASURABLY ENRICHARD BY THE CREATIVE ENDEAVORS OF OTHERS IF ONLY YOU KNOW WHERE TO LOOK, SO HERE ARE OUR PICKS FOR NOTABLE EXHIBITS COMING SOON TO MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES IN OUR PART OF THE WORLD.

FOR MORE ABOUT THESE AND LOADS MORE EVENTS IN THE CREATIVE ARTS VISIT LPB.ORG/ARTROCKS THERE YOU'LL FIND LINKS TO EACH EPISODE OF THIS PROGRAM.

SO TO SEE, OR SHARE, ANY SEGMENT AGAIN VISIT LPB.ORG/ARTROCKS.

IN RECENT YEARS CONCERN HAS BEEN MOUNTING ABOUT THE VAST AMOUNT OF PLASTIC AWASH IN THE WORLD'S OCEANS.

PHOTOGRAPHER AND DIVER ANDREAS FRANKE IS ADDRESSING THIS ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS BY YEAT AGO SERIES OF UNDER WATER PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITIONS LITERALLY.

SO TO LEARN MORE LET'S TAKE THE PLUNGE, GOING BENEATH THE SURFACE TO VISIT THE WRECK OF THE USS VAN DOZEN BERG OFF THE COAST OF KEY WEST, FLORIDA.

THE SUPER COOL THING WITH ARTWORK UNDER WATER IS THAT AT FIRST IT'S JUST PHOTOGRAPHY.

BUT AFTER THIS, THE SEA HELPS ME TO MAKE THESE IMAGES UNIQUE AND I HAVE NO INFLUENCE DURING THIS THREE MONTHS.

MY NAME IS ANDREAS FRANKE.

I'M A FRAMP AND I LOVE DIVING.

I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT PLASTIC IN THE OCEAN.

FOR MY PLASTIC OCEAN IMAGES, I COLLECTED REAL PLASTIC TRASH FROM THE OCEAN, FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA, VERY CLOSE TO CONVENIENCESIS, ITALY.

FOUR OF US WENT DOWN THERE, COLLECTED ONLY ONE HOUR ON THE BEACH AND WE HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH PLASTIC TO DO ALL THESE 24 IMAGES.

AND THEN I HAD A POOL, LIKE A TANK.

I PLACED GIRLS AS WELL AS KIDS IN THIS PLASTIC AND MADE LIKE IS STILL LIFE LIKE AN OLD CLASSIC STILL LIFE AND SURROUNDED IN THE WATER IN THE TANK THE PLASTIC PIECES WE COLLECTED AROUND THE TALENTS.

THE REASON WHY I CAME TO KEY WEST AND HANG THE ARTWORK IN KEY WEST ON THE VANDENBERG IS, OF COURSE, IT'S AN OUTSTANDING SHIPWRECK AND ALSO A WONDERFUL DIVE DESTINATION.

FOR ME, I REALLY SEE IT AS A GALLERY.

LET'S BRING IT UP!

WE BROUGHT THEM DOWN, ALL THE 24 IMAGES, AND HANG THEM WITH MAGNETS ON THE SIDE OF THE SHIPWRECK.

SO DURING THIS THREE MONTHS, WHILE THIS EXHIBITION WAS ON THE WATER ON THE VAN DEN BERK, MORE THAN 10,000 DIVERS HAD THE POSSIBILITY TO SEE THIS PROJECT.

AFTER THREE MONTHS, I CAME BACK AND WE BROUGHT THIS ARTWORK UP.

WE BROUGHT THEM ON LAND, WE CLEAR COAT THEM, THAT ALL THE SEA LIFE GETS STABLE AND WILL NOT CRUMBLE.

NOW AFTER THESE IMAGES ARE CLEAR COATED, WE WILL SHOW IT AGAIN AND WITH WILL SHOW IT IN A GALLERY.

DURING THESE THREE MONTHS, THESE IMAGES CHANGED BECAUSE THE GOOD THING OF THE SEA, THE SEA LIFE BECOME A PART OF MY ARTWORK AND CONVERTED THEM.

SO I DO 50%, THE OTHER 50% IS DONE BY THE SEA.

AFTER THIS THREE MONTHS WHEN I'M BRINGING THEM UP THERE IS A LOT OF GROWTH OF MICROORGANISMS AND IT CHANGED THESE IMAGES AND MADE THEM UNIQUE.

ALSO, IF I WOULD DO IT A SECOND TIME, IT NEVER EVER WOULD LOOK SIMILAR AND THAT IS FANTASTIC.

AND HERE YOU CAN SEE HOW THE ARTWORK LOOKS BEFORE AND HERE YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE.

SO WHAT YOU SEE HERE AND WHY I LOVE THIS SO MUCH TO HANG THE ARTWORK UNDER WATER, IT'S LIKE THE WATER DRIPS IN, IN THESE IMAGES, AND CHANGE THE COLORS AND CREATES FRAMES LIKE IN THE OLD TIMES WHEN WE HAD POLAROIDS.

I CALL IT AWARENESS CAMPAIGN, AND THE REASON WHY I CAME UP WITH THIS, IT'S REALLY SUCH A -- ONE OF OUR BIGGEST PROBLEMS.

AND I LOVE THE OCEAN AND I HAD TO REALLY -- THE FEELING I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.

YOU COULD CRY.

YOU SEE EVERY YEAR HOW THE SEA GETS WORSE AND WORSE, THE NATURE DIES, AND YOU FIND PLASTIC EVERYWHERE.

BUT I FEEL THE MORE OFTEN THAT PEOPLE HEAR ABOUT THIS AND SEE THIS, I FEEL, I HOPE IT WILL HELP A LITTLE BIT SINCE WE'RE IN FLORIDA, LET'S CONSIDER HOW ONE WELDER GOES ABOUT MAKING TABLES, LAMPS AND OTHER DECORATIVE PIECES ENTIRELY OUT OF SCRAP METAL.

CINDY WYNN SAYS SHE'S MOTIVATED BY 18th CENTURY DESIGN AND SCIENCE FICTION.

LET'S HAVE A LOOK AT HER PROCESS AND THE FINISHED PRODUCTS TOO.

I'M CINDY WYNN.

I HAVE BEEN MAKING FURNITURE FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS.

I BUILD FURNITURE OUT OF SCRAP METAL.

I HAVE PROBABLY ABOUT 200 TO 250,000 POUNDS OF SCRAP METAL IN MY WELDING STUDIO.

THEN I HAVE AN IDEA OR THE SCRAP METAL GIVES ME AN IDEA AND I START COLLECTING PARTS.

I KEEP AT IT UNTIL I HAVE THE WHOLE DESIGN.

USUALLY I DESIGN ABOUT 10 TO 12 PIECES AT ONCE SO THERE'S PIECES AND PARTS EVERYWHERE THAT HAVE A FUTURE AS FURNITURE, EITHER LAMPS, TABLES OR CHAIRS.

IT'S USUALLY WHAT I MAKE.

FURNITURE CAN BE ART.

IT'S NOT THE FUNCTIONALITY -- PEOPLE THINK, OH, WELL, IF IT'S FUNCTIONAL IT'S NOT ART BUT I REALLY THINK IT IS BECAUSE IT CHANGES PEOPLE.

YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN TOUCH IT AND 1EU9 ON IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT ART.

I FIRST STARTED IN COLLEGE.

I TOOK ALL THE BASIC CLASSES, DRAWING, PAINTING, AND THEN I GLOMMED ON TO CERAMICS FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS, WHICH IS SIX SEMESTERS.

AT THE END OF THE SIXTH SEMESTER OUR CERAMICS TEACHER SAID YOU GUYS GET 5U8 YOUR STUFF OUT OF HERE.

I THOUGHT, WELL, I'LL TAKE A BREAK AND I'LL TAKE SCULPTURE 2, WHICH WAS WELDING.

I LEARNED HOW TO WORLD SO I JUST MADE MY PARTNER A CHAIR AS A JOKE AND IT'S LIKE MY BRAIN LIT ON FIRE.

AN IDEA CAN COME FROM THE MATERIALS OR IT CAN COME FROM MY HEAD THEN I SQUEEZE THE INTERLS INTO MY IDEA OR VICE VERSA.

BUT I STUDY ALL KINDS OF FURNITURE ESPECIALLY 18th CENTURY, 18th CENTURY FURNITURE HAS REALLY A LOT OF AMAZING DETAILS.

I USE SOME GLASS, SOME WOOD, BUT MOSTLY IT'S ALL SCRAP METAL.

I GO OUT INTO EITHER IF I'M UP NORTH INTO A REAL SCRAP YARD OR IF I'M DOWN SOUTH I GO GO MY OTHER THAN SCRAP YARD AND I LOOK FOR PARTS.

I DO A LOT OF WELDING, A LOT OF CUTTING WITH A GRINDING DISK AND CUTTING WITH THE TORCH.

WELDING IS THE MOST FUN STEP.

THE FINAL STEP IS TO PUT A FINAL COAT OF LACHER ON IT AND TAKE IT DOWN TO THE GALLERY.

THE GRINDING STILL ROUGH BUT THE CUTTING, I LOVE CUTTING, LOVE WELDING, I LOVE PUTTING STUFF TOGETHER.

I LOVE THE HOT METAL.

EVEN WHEN IT BURNS ME I DON'T MINE, YOU KNOW.

I FEEL HAPPY.

I'M WORK OGIN' A NEWS BETTER OF PROJECTS.

WHAT I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU TODAY IS THE END OF A SERIES CALLED A WRENCH CHAIR AND I HAVE LEARNED A NEW THING ABOUT SPRING STEEL.

YOU CAN'T REALLY WELD IT SO I CATCH IT IN A LITTLE CAGE.

THAT'S THE FINAL STEP OF ON THIS WRENCH CHAIR T. WILL STILL HAVE MOVEMENT WITH THE SPRING BUT IT WON'T BE IN DANGER OF BREAKING.

MY MOST RECENT COMMISSION I DID THE HEAD BOARD ON COMMISSION I HAVE FOUR PANELS TO CARVE, THE HEAD BOARDS ALL COMPLETE EXCEPT PUTTING IT TOGETHER AND CARVING THE LAST THREE OF THE FOUR WOOD PANELS.

FOR SPECK LA 2EU6 I DO PEDESTALS, CONSOLE TABLES, END TABLES, A LOT OF CHAIRS.

CHAIRS ARE MY FAVORITE I MAKE THEM SO PEOPLE ARE VERY TROPICAL DEPRESSION DAY HOUSE WHEN THEY SEE THEM AND THEN WHEN THEY SIT DOWN EVERYTHING EVAPORATES AND THEY ARE BACK INTO A CHILD LIKE STATE AND THEY START LAUGHING BECAUSE IT MOVES AND IT'S COMFORTABLE.

I JUST LIKE THAT MOMENT WHEN THEY CHANGE THEIR PERCEPTION OF WHAT FURNITURE IS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IT MAKES THEM FEEL DIFFERENTLY ABOUT FURNITURE AND THE WAY PEOPLE INTERACT WITH FURNITURE CHANGES WHEN THEY SEE MY STUFF.

WE'LL STAY IN THE SUNSHINE STATE TO EXPERIENCE ART BATTLE SARASOTA, IN WHICH ARTISTS GATHER MAKE PAINTING A GENUINE SPECTATOR SPORT.

COMPETITORS VIE TO SEE WHO CAN CREATE THE MOST COMPELLING WORK IN JUST 20 MINUTES THEN THE AUDIENCE GETS TO VOTE THEIR FAVORITES TO THE TOP.

SO READY, SET, GO!

FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE -- LET'S PAINT!

SOME AI IT TOOK LEONARDO MORE THAN 20 YEARS TO PAINT THE MONA LISA BUT IF YOU WANT TO COMPETE AT ART BATTLER YOU'LL HAVE JUST 20 MINUTES TO COMPLETE YOUR MASTERPIECE.

GOOD ART WE FEEL COMES FROM PLACING RESTRICTIONS.

IN ART RESTRICTIONS ARE EVERYWHERE AS THEY ARE IN OUR LIVES.

WE MUST OVERCOME THESE RESTRICTIONS BE THEY, YOU KNOW, TIME OR BE THEY MATERIALS.

IN THIS CASE WE RESTRICT BOTH TIME AND MATERIALS TO CREATE FAIRNESS IN THE COMPETITION AS WELL TO CREATE A COMPELLING SPECTACLE FOR THE AUDIENCE TO ENJOY.

12 ARTISTS, THREE ROUNDS, FOUR FINALISTS, ONE WINNER.

THAT'S THE FORMAT FOR ART BATTLE, AN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION THAT SHIFTS THE CONTEMPLATIVE WORLD OF PAINTING INTO HIGH GEAR.

THE PURPOSE OF ART BATTLE IS TO PROVIDE A NEW AND NOVEL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE AUDIENCE AND THE ARTISTS.

IT'S SO RARE.

IN FACT, THERE'S ONLY A FEW NARROW OPPORTUNITIES FOR AUDIENCES AND PATRONS AND ART LOVERS TO EXPERIENCE VISUAL ART LIKE THIS IN A LIVE FASHION, TO EXPERIENCE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE INSIDE THE CREATIVE PROCESS AND THE TECHNICALITIES OF CREATING A PAINTING.

I MEAN, THERE'S SOMETHING ABSOLUTELY MAGICAL ABOUT SEEING THE ARTIST RAISE THEIR BRUSHES IN THE AIR AND HAVING THE AUDIENCE CHEER AND SMILE THAT COMES ACROSS THE FACE AND THEIR EXCITEMENT IS PALPABLE AND WE ALL GET TO ENJOY THAT TOGETHER.

ART BATTLE WAS BROUGHT TO SARASOTA EARLIER THIS YEAR IN A JOINT EFFORT WITH THE ARTS AND CONSULT RAL LINES OF SARASOTA COUNTY.

MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE FILLED THE SELBY PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR AN UP-CLOSE LOOK AT THE ARTISTIC PROCESS IN ACTION.

ART BATTLE HAS BEEN GOING ON AROUND THE WORLD NOW FOR ABOUT 14 OR 15 YEARS, WELL ESTABLISHED AND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD WE FELT IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO BRING THAT TO SARASOTA BECAUSE ONE OF THE MAJOR GOALS OF THE ARTS AND CULTURAL ALIGNS IS TO BRING ARTS TO AS MANY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY AS WE CAN IN WAYS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THEM.

AND TO HAVE ART COMPETITION WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME AND BE PART OF THE AUDIENCE AND WATCH THE ART BEING MADE BY THE ARTISTS, THEN CAN HELP EVALUATE THE ART, WRITING THEIR FAVORITES, WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GREAT WAY TO GET THE PUBLIC MORE INVOLVED IN THE ART PROCESS.

ART BATTLE'S RULES ARE SIMPLE.

ARTISTS MUST USE THE SAME CANVAS AND PAINTS THEY ARE GIVEN PRIOR TO BATTLE.

THEY CAN, HOWEVER, BRING THEIR OWN BRUSHES.

AFTER THAT THEIR ONLY LIMITATIONS ARE TIME AND TALENT.

WELL, THE WHOLE GOAL OF ART BATTLE IS TO ALLOW THE ARTISTS TO DO THEIR OWN EXPRESSION.

THERE'S REALLY NOT A TAB TO FIND THIS TYPE OF ARTIST OR THAT TYPE OF ARTIST.

WE WANT TO MAKE THE ARTISTS IN THE COMMUNITY AWARE THAT A BATTLE IS GOING TO BE GOING ON AND THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE THEIR SKILLS TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES THE WAY THEY ARE MOST COMFORTABLE WITH.

AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S GOING TO BE HOW THEY CREATE WHAT THEY ARE THINKING ABOUT.

THEN THE AUDIENCE IS THE ONE, THE JUDGES, WHETHER OR NOT THEY LIKE WHAT THEY DID OUT THERE SO WE REALLY DON'T TARGET A PARTICULAR GENRE OR PARTICULAR TYPE OF PAINTING OR ANYTHING.

WHILE ALL ARTISTIC GENRES AND AISLES ARE WELCOMED SOME APPEAR IN BATTLES MORE OFTEN THAN OTHERS.

THE STYLES THAT WE SEE THAT ARE THE MOST PREVALENT ARE THE CLASSIC STYLES OF PAINTING.

PORTRAITURE, LANDSCAPES, ABSTRACT.

I THINK THAT WHAT WE SEE THE AUDIENCE ENJOY IS TYPICALLY SOMETHING THEY CAN EMPATHIZE WITH OR THAT THEY CAN RECOGNIZE.

DURING EACH ROUND AUDIENCE MEMBERS VIEW THE PAINT NTION WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS A SLOW TORNADO OF ART APPRECIATION.

AT THE SOUND OF BRUSHES DOWN THE ROUND ENDS AND THE AUDIENCE VOTES 21st CENTURY STYLE.

JUDGING IS DONE BY THE PHONE.

THE AWEDDEN IS THERE WITH THEIR PHONES, THEY GET TO TAP INTO AN APP THAT WILL TAKE THEM TO THE VOTING POLL.

THEN THE POLLS ARE TABULATED, THE VOTES COME IN AND WE MAKE THE SELECTION FROM THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VOTES FOR EACH ARTIST.

SARASOTA IS A VERY ARTFUL CITY AND WE ARE PLEASED TO BE HERE WITH THE ARTISTS.

THERE ARE SO MANY ARTISTS.

WE PUT OUT THE CALL AND WE HAD OVER 50 BLICTS.

IT MAY EVEN BE HIGHER THAN THAT BUT I KNOW IT WAS AT LEAST 50.

IT SEEMED LIKE A PERFECT MATCH.

FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE!

BRUSHES DOWN, A PAINTERS.

BRUSHES DOWN.

AFTER THREE ROUNDS AND NEARLY THREE HOURS OF INSPIRATION AND ADMIRATION, THE FIRST ART BATTLE SARASOTA CHAMPION WAS CROWNED.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE WINNER OF ART BATTLE SARASOTA IS JUDY ROBERTSON!

ALL RIGHT, JUDY, COME ON ON STAGE.

COME ON OVER HERE, JUDY.

COME SAY HI.

I JUST PAINT FAST.

[LAUGHTER] I JUST JUMP IN WITH MY WHOLE BEING AND JUST START PAINTING.

I THINK THAT I WOULD SAY FOR ARTISTS WHO ARE CONSIDERING APPLYING, PRACTICE AND PRACTICE WITH THE SAME TOOLS THAT WE USE, WHICH ARE ACRYLIC PAINT AND WHICH ARE ANY PAINT BRUSH THAT YOU MIGHT LIKE.

THE CANVASS ARE TYPICALLY 20 BY 24.

YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE DONE A 10, 20 MINUTE PAINTING YOU'LL HAVE A LEG UP ON THE VAST MAJORITY OF ARTISTS WHO COME TO WORK WITH US AND HAVE A VERY GOOD CHANCE OF DOING WELL IN YOUR FIRST COMPETITION.

MY ADVICE WOULD BE TO JUST TRUST WHERE THE PAINT GOES.

YOU JUST START PUTTING COLOR DOWN AND THEN YOU KIND OF LET THE FLOW OF THE PAINT LEAD YOU.

AND THERE WE HAVE IT FOR THIS EDITION OF "ART ROCKS."

BUT REMEMBER ALL EPISODES OF THE SHOW ARE ARCHIVED FOR YOUR DEELECTRIC TAKES AT LPB.ORG/ARTROCKS IF YOU'RE INSPIRED TO DISCOVER MORE ABOUT LOUISIANA'S MOST CREATIVE PEOPLE AND PLACES, COUNTRY ROADS MAGAZINE MAKES AN IDEAL RESOURCE FOR FINDING OUT WHAT'S GOING ON OUT AND ABOUT IN THE BY YOU STATE.

UNTIL NEXT WEEK I HAVE BEEN JAMES FOX-SMITH, AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE WATCHING.

"ART ROCKS" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN LOUISIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.