Artist Spotlight: Julie Spencer, Tammra Sigler, & Timothy Parker
The Naples Art District showcases member artists every week through their Artist Spotlight! Series, highlighting their work and artistic methods. There are three Naples Art District (NAD) artists in the spotlight this week: Julie Spencer, Tammra Sigler, and Timothy Parker.
Julie Spencer has been painting for years, but only became a professional working artist as an adult. Julie was encouraged to pursue art by her teacher and mentor, Dannielle Mick, at Lakeside Art Studio in Parsippany Lake, NJ; painting as serious work became more important from that period. She works with oils, acrylics, and collage to create her abstract art, landscapes, and figurative works, and shares: “I have always thought in visual terms. I was a big reader as a child, and I think the many pictures in my head just one day had to find a way to come out on canvas.” Julie says that she is inspired by the colors of Wolf Kahn and the versatility of Richard Diebenkorn (also a figurative and an abstract painter) and intrigued by the work of her contemporaries: the mark-making of Julie Mehretu, the colors of Brian Rutenberg, and the blending of abstraction and figure of Arcenio Martin Campos. When asked what her favorite art tool is, she wittily remarked, “It is either a paintbrush or a really strong cup of coffee.” She enjoys using color, space, and texture to tell different stories; Julie attempts to reach the people who view her art and challenge them to engage with it and make their own interpretations of it. Julie has participated in many workshops and continues to learn about her craft as she develops her skills as a professional painter. “After several decades of a career in marketing in the NYC area and raising twin boys,” she says, “I am now a student at the School of Visual Arts in NYC pursuing my MFA because…why not?” Other passions of Julie’s include writing and traveling: she is currently writing a fictional novel loosely based on her grandparents’ time in Russia in the ’20s; and since her ability to travel decreased since the COVD-19 pandemic began, she says she is “making do” by playing tennis and learning to grow orchids and stag ferns while waiting to set off on new adventures abroad. If you would like to learn more about Julie and her work, check out her website and visit her in the Naples Art District at her studio on Shirley Street.
Tammra Sigler loves art, especially painting and printmaking. She studied painting at Syracuse University, School of Fine Arts, and earned a BFA with honors in painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore in 1965. Tammra says she enjoys experimenting with a wide variety of mediums and using many different tools; thus far, she works mainly in 2D (aside from her paper sculptures) because of her “love affair with paint.” When it comes to inspiration, she credits several people. “There are so many artists that inspire me…for so many reasons…,” Tammra shares. “Cy Twombly for THE MARK, Milton Avery for his simplicity and humble honesty, De Kooning, of course, for his expressive energy…Georg Baselitz for his guts…and I so adore Philip Guston for everything!!” Tammra has thought about a future in which she has tired of painting, and posits studying sculpture then, but she says she hasn’t tired of it even though she has done it for decades. Tammra’s paintings and monotypes are part of the permanent collections of The National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C., and the Baltimore Museum of Art, as well as many private and corporate collections nationally and internationally. She has moved her studio to Naples, Florida, but she continues to paint, print, teach, and mentor in Baltimore as well as locally. Because of Tammra’s enthusiasm for art, people will likely be surprised to learn that she has other interests outside of her work, too. She has seriously bred Labrador Retrievers in the past, and currently enjoys her book club (though she says she has trouble keeping up), as well as enjoying time outdoors, exercising, caring for her orchids, and simply experiencing life with her family and friends. Look for Tammra’s great creations online or in her Shirley Street studio located in the Naples Art District.
Timothy Parker is a painter of abstract and figurative abstract works. He has always been artistic and has spent his life in creative fields. Timothy studied in New York City at Parsons School of Design, and also earned a master’s degree in Art and became a creative professional. He spent 20 years building a career as an illustrator, graphic designer, and creative director in New York and surprisingly never even touched a paintbrush for a major portion of that time. But Timothy eventually decided to make a career change to focus on fine art and start painting professionally; he chose to relocate to South Florida to begin that chapter of his artistic story; he has been a fine artist for more than 15 years now. Timothy creates an amazing assortment of original paintings, as well as custom pieces commissioned by individual clients and corporate art installations. All of his work is created with texture in mind. “I like to work with texture in my paintings,” Timothy says, “so I use a lot of acrylic and oil paints as well as other mediums to create different effects.” He notes that he likes to paint using inexpensive horsehair brushes because they allow for “loose and random textures” in his work, which includes collections in contemporary, abstract, modern, tropical, and transitional styles. He is inspired by his favorite artists, Francis Bacon and Frank Stella. When Timothy isn’t painting, he indulges in other hobbies and interests, which most recently include VR applications and games. To learn more about Timothy and to view his paintings, go to his website or visit in person at his Naples Art District gallery.
The Naples Art District (NAD), the largest concentration of working artists in Southwest Florida, is home to many professional artists like Julie, Tammra, and Tim who maintain studios and galleries there. NAD artists share their work and their artistic processes with visitors to the District via exhibits and special events; these experiences allow the public to learn more about fine art and gain a greater appreciation of its value to society. The Artist Spotlight! series provides an opportunity for NAD artists to shine, while they connect and inspire people through their art. NAD publishes a calendar of events, classes, and workshops online for anyone interested in meeting member artists. Contact the Naples Art District online or by phone at 239-249-1977 any time to learn more.
Julie Spencer
Gallery 206
5880 Shirley Street, Naples, FL 34109
March 15, 2021 – March 19, 2021
Tammra Sigler
Tammra Sigler Studio
Suite #11, 5760 Shirley Street
March 15, 2021 – March 19, 2021
Timothy Parker
Art2D Gallery & Studio
2076 J & C Blvd, Naples, FL 34109
March 15, 2021 – March 19, 2021