About My Artists
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About My Artists
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As a newcomer to politics, I was unsure of a lot of the details of how to run a political campaign. But as an artist and a public person, I knew that I would convey my messages with taste and beauty. I made an early decision to dispense with conventional political wisdom on such things as yard signs (i.e. not boring), mailings, and even my website. The images you see here and in my campaign collaterals should tell you as much about what I value, and how I intend to represent you, as all the words I write or speak.
Three fantastic artists have helped me create the images that tell my story. I'd like to tell you about them. Click on any of the thumbnails to download large versions of any of the images here. And enjoy!
When I realized that creating a sign would be an effective way to get my message across, I decided that it must be a work of art. The first person who came to mind was Margie Van Auken, whose artwork embodies all that is good, delightful, and precious to residents of Monroe County. When we discussed the attributes and symbolism of the sign, Margie was very curious to know about my surroundings, what I value and feel reflects my concerns. I spoke of having a desire to connect the life that I privately live in the countryside to the efforts that take place in our town’s center at the county courthouse.
Margie evoked the scope of what Monroe County is all about by showing a slice of life I believe to be representative of true Hoosier spirit—the Ketcham home of 1850 in the foreground which is in Clear Creek Township in the bend of Clear Creek on Fluck Mill Road. This home is where I make my life with my husband Gregory and our pets, surrounded by history, wildflowers, birds, trees, a trusty Farmall and lots of good times. In the townscape, Margie evoked the Monroe County Courthouse and a view of the clock tower of Indiana University and the types of buildings and homes one thinks of as ideal sheltering places of livelihood. Margie is a long-time resident of the county who has created artwork for many musicians, concerts, festivals, and friends. I’m honored to feature her artwork in support of my own message. Her work for me conveys much that words cannot express. It was a joy to find my message embodied in her artwork.
Incidentally the historic Ketcham home, featured in the foreground, is the last place of residence for Colonel John Ketcham who was one of the earliest settlers of Monroe County. He also built the first Monroe County Courthouse!
Matt created what began as my "Rosie the Riveter" art card. Matt's a Hoosier Artist who lives in Bloomington with his wife Sarah. Meeting Matt through the classic phenomena of intersecting lives of musicians leading to other creative minds, my bassist Jeff Greene referred me to Matt originally with the thought of Matt doing some CD cover art for me. Matt had a sketchbook and other pieces I explored on his website called Edible L and I was especially drawn to his line-drawings which expressed some of the following thoughts that intrigued me and underscored my own modern reaction to urban and suburban landscapes.
With a light touch and elegance, Matt's chosen landscapes of mundane "areas of nowhere" are described by Matt as a "mix of charming suburban scenes...playing on them satirically...by juxtaposing a tidy illustration of, say, a gas station." I noticed that he could make a scene out of areas I would never even consider being a view as we discussed these things sitting at the ultimate suburban urban scene--Starbuck's, where Matt works while Sarah pursues the remainder of her Religious Studies degree from IU.
Matt is a 2001 graduate of Kendall College of Art & Design and says he's still growing up-- which endears him and his wife to me-- as they're the forever young dreamers one can find residing in Monroe County. With very little prompting, Matt conceptualized the portrait of me and expedited its intricate layers to evoke a nostalgic and contemporary, fun yet pretty, and feminine but strong image that I'm happy to have commissioned. Please visit www.ediblel.com to see more about Matt Maxwell!
Chris is an award-winning editorial illustrator based in Western Massachusetts. He's helped me illustrate my "issue" cards on subjects from fairness and diversity in government to my theme of helping the underserved and taking care of Monroe County youths in Monroe County. His work appears regularly in publications such as Harpers, the New York Times Magazine, and the Los Angeles Times!
In addition to all that, Chris is also the significant other of my sister-in-law, Jessica.
James Min-Ching Yang, Ph.D.
James rendered this calligraphic representation of the word "Wisdom" in Chinese. My name, Sophia, means wisdom and thus this is also a calligraphic representation of my name in Chinese! The top part of the character is the pronounciation and the bottom part means "The Sun" because sunlight is a metaphor for wisdom. Dr. Yang can be found at the Farmer's Market playing the Erhu and rendering calligraphy, often with his wife Jenny Yang, a Tai-Chi Chuan Master.