Ed Talk: The Birthday

There is a lot of excitement around celebrating Arts of Life North Shore 10^th Birthday Party coming up in February. In preparation, Ed Rawski sat down with two of his fellow artists for a short interview to talk about art and their time at Arts of Life.

Ed Rawski: Hello, I am Ed Rawski. I am here doing an interview with Brian Reed and Ted Hamel. Brian, you have been here since October 2010. You are one of the first artists. Ted, you started in April of 2016. 

ER: Happy 10^TH birthday to the North Shore Arts of Life! Everyone should come. ON Wednesday, February 12^th. We’re going to have some pizza at 1126 Central Ave in Wilmette. We will watch movies. I am going, are you?

Brian Reed: Yes!

Ted Hamel: Me too!

ER: Introduce yourself…

BR: I am Brian Reed. I like to travel.

TH: I am Ted Hamel and I like to play sports.

ER: What type of art do you make? What kinds of materials or mediums.

BR: I use clay, markers, and paint.

ER: I see. Ted?

TH: I use markers, pastel, and some colored pencils.

ER: Describe your process.

BR: I use clay to make my dad’s face. He passed away.

ER: I’ve seen those; making faces out of clay.

TH: I make portraits and make different characters and trains.

ER: What did you first think when you came to Arts of Life?

BR: I was happy and excited.

ER: I didn’t know you before I started. I didn’t know anyone here before I started.

BR: Yeah, I had to make friends.

ER: What does art mean to you?

BR: Art makes me happy, it’s happiness.

TH: Art means… all the feelings I have: like anger, sadness, being happy. I miss people and make them into my drawings. 

ER: How did your art change in 10 years?

BR: Yes, it has. I made a collage of my dad.

TH: Have you used the same materials?

BR: I use different ones. I make faces and clay. I just made circles.

ER: Abstract?

BR: Yes!

ER: Abstract colors and shapes are nice.

TH: I made shapes. The shapes I made were circles, squares, triangles and rectangles and lines.

ER: Has your [subject matter] changed over the years.

TH: I don’t think so.

ER: I think your style has changed. Yeah, your style has changed Ted. I do like Ted’s work. I think you did a nice job with that work I saw, you were doing a train.  At art talk with Cindy, you showed us a train you drew…

TH: I work hard to make art for exhibitions we have. Selling work to people, working to sell my artwork. I like it, when it gets sold.

ER: Its nice that you do artwork, Ted. When people see your artwork, its nice all the people see them and then they can buy it. At the art shows people can look at your art and say “Oh this is Ted Hamel’s!”

ER: What does your art mean to you?

BR: It means happiness!

ER: I got you! Who is your favorite artist?

BR: Monet…

ER: Why?

BR: He’s a good guy.

ER: Yeah. I think Monet is a nice artist.  I think we learned about him with Cindy.

TH: I also like Monet. Picasso and Van Gogh.

ER: Picasso is nice. How has the studio changed since you started at Arts of Life?

BR: There are more people here; new people and volunteers. Some people have left.

ER: You miss them?

BR: Yeah!

TH: Change has been good so far.

BR: Arts of life is a great place to come!

ER: What do you like most about being a member of Arts of Life? Tell me about your professional growth from when you first came here.

TH: Tough questions… I get sad sometimes because I miss high school. I came after high school and started here. I got used to it and now I am an artist. It was a good change, to come here. I moved to Chicago, to the group home and I come here.

ER: I think you’ve grown a lot since I’ve known you. I didn’t remember you when I first came here.  When I first came here, I think it was September and Nikki gave me a tour. Then I came here and I was stuck with John Sharp.

BR: I was really sad when my dad passed away. Arts of life helped me, all my friends.

ER: What do you like about being artists.

TH: I express myself, through music and drawing.

BR: I like selling art and making things out of clay. It makes me happy being here with people.

ER: I like being around people, I can have a meeting with people and talk to them and talk.

ER: Arts of Life means the whole world to me, what does it mean to you?

BR: It means happiness. I like doing my job, coming every morning.

ER: It means it’s great. Keeps people happy that way. Bye, that’s it Brain and Ted!

BR: Bye!

TH: (Waves)

ER: It’s the 10^th Birthday party. I hope you’ll be there, I know I will.