Contemporary Collectors Council's trip to Venice

A piece by Laddie John Dill

This February, our Contemporary Collectors Council had the opportunity to visit various artists' studios in sunny Venice. The first stop of the day was a tour of artist Laddie John Dill's new studio. Dill's incorporates glass, cement, metal and natural oxides in his abstract sculpture and paintings to evoke landscapes, light and water reflections, as well as architectural spaces.

CCC members listening to Laddie John Dill

A detail side shot of Dill's pieces

A CCC member poses in front of Dill's work

The next artist the CCC visited was Charles Arnoldi, who takes on various mediums and tools from sticks to chainsaws to reflect gestural movements, as well as experimenting with form and color through a series of grids or ellipse paintings.

CCC members take a picture in front of Charles Arnoldi's studio (photo by Lindsey Tognetti)

One of Arnoldi's paintings

CCC members pose in front of various Charles Arnoldi pieces.

A group picture with Charles Arnoldi

Where Charles Arnoldi works his magic

For lunch time, the CCC dined at Joe's restaurant where they had a chance to devour entrees like Scottish Salmon or Mushroom Ravioli.

After a great lunch, the next studio was collage artist Alexis Smith. Smith takes on collages, assemblage and appropriation while referencing popular culture. Her work is rooted in Southern California art and is critically placed alongside Edward Kienholz, Ed Ruscha, and Vija Celmins.

Artist Alexis Smith posing for the camera (photo by Lindsey Tognetti)

Alexis Smith's work desk

Next, the CCC visited Charles Christopher Hill who creates multiple layered acrylic paintings, which provides a smooth surface that can be either transparent or opaque. As a minimalist, Hill's paintings may show seemingly simple gestures of rows of thick lines, spirals, and dots.

CCC members in front of a work by Charles Christopher Hill

A Charles Christopher Hill piece

A detail of the dripping edge of Hill's piece (photo by Lindsey Tognetti)

The last destination of this Venice trip was the studio of Ed Moses. An evermore dynamic painter today as he was decades ago, Moses' abstract paintings focuses on experimenting and broadening the limits of painting through a multitude of series.

CCC members having fun while listening to Ed Moses (photo by Lindsey Tognetti)

CCC members in front of works by Ed Moses