Grounded
Selections from Disruptions/Constructions by Steve Bliss &
New Islands by Lee Mothes
From Disruptions/Constructions by Steve Bliss, 2025
Steven Jay Bliss is an artist and photographic educator residing in Savannah, Georgia. His work is project-based, broad in scope and covers/includes a variety of media and subject matter. The evolution of his imagistic endeavors has been driven by a strong interest in process and the myriad conceptual potentials of photography. Identifying his affinity for the medium in 1975, under the guidance and influence of Professor Richard Merritt in the University of New Hampshire’s fine arts program, Steve has been making pictures for 50 years.
From New Islands by Lee Mothes.
For Lee Mothes, making art is like traveling. He is a wanderer at heart, feeling most home when he is dreaming of places he’d like to see. It is just that desire that lead him to create a realm he calls New Island. This island-nation has its own (alternative) culture, unusual residents and wild coastlines. And it is a place that keeps evolving - as its creator writes more stories, conjures more imagery. Come take a little trip, and experience it for yourself!
Lee Mothes grew up close to the ocean in Southern California, and spent much of his life on the California and Oregon coasts. Now living in Wisconsin, he returns at least once a year to the beaches he loves to take photos, watch the waves and sketch ideas. From the sketches and photos, he creates larger finished works primarily using graphite, acrylic and watercolor to capture the light, the movement of waves, and the energy of the ocean.
Lee studied art at California State University at Long Beach, California College of the Arts in Oakland, CA, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Art at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR. He began painting full-time in 1990 when he opened his Oceans and Dreams studio in Kaukauna.