#deezeephotography

New Post has been published on http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-030718-before-they-go-venice-beach-project-debbie-zeitman/

ART TODAY 030718 "Before They Go" Venice Beach Artists – curation, photographs & new book by Debbie Zeitman

Judy Nimtz, Venice Artist Photographed and Interviewed by Debbie Zeitman Venice Artists in their Studios

Debbie Zeitman In May 2016 I came across a group of artists being forced from their studios. Their building was about to undergo renovations, and while the artists had been offered to return upon completion of construction, most could not due to the sudden increase in their rents. I asked to photograph & speak to them in their spaces before they left.

I have since made it my goal to photograph & interview as many of the remaining Venice artists as possible to capture this moment in time and to raise awareness of their plight and the changes in Venice for artists. The loss – our loss – is two-fold: the people & the unique spaces. I hope learning of their stories will inspire you to buy from local artists or even to offer to support them as patrons. Because Venice without artists & its art spaces will be a very different Venice.

In May 2017, I  completed the first year of the project. These are some of the artists I have met and their stories, and the words shared here are from the time when I met the artists. Venice and the artists’ circumstances continue to evolve, and some of their situations have since changed, with a few having found new studios in Venice and others having moved away.

When I started photographing & interviewing the artists I didn’t know where I would take the project, but knew I had to leap immediately. At first the words I shared were brief, almost on par with captions. As the project is progressing, the time I spend with the artists is expanding, evident by how the stories have grown in length. However, since I feature this project on Instagram, the words remain concise, for Instagram has a strict word limit – a blessing and a curse.

But trust me, if you sit and speak with these intriguing individuals, you will discover how much more I could write.

– Debbie Zeitman Venice resident since 1985

Judy Nimtz “I prefer to go somewhere to paint other than home. For several reasons. It’s hard for me to separate from what I need to do at home. Going to another location helps me with that.” When Judy first started painting in her garage studio, she shared it with her husband, Kenny Harris. Previously they had shared a studio at 361 Vernon Ave. As they saw the neighborhood beginning to change and the fact that their garage needed some repairs, they decided to renovate it anticipating Vernon wouldn’t last forever. While they got along as studio mates, Judy says their styles of working were different enough that they saw the benefits of having separate spaces, and Kenny eventually moved his studio into their neighbor’s garage.

“I like Venice a lot. It’s definitely changing. And things I liked about it are changing. I liked the rawness. It’s becoming shiny.” She says they used to hang out on Abbot Kinney, as did a lot of artists and locals. Then a lot of the regular spots started to disappear. “Now we just drive on it to see what’s changed.” Judy reflects upon the changes by looking back on her childhood in Hawaii and the developments that came to her community.

“Everything’s that old was once new.”

Debbie Zeitman notes that there is an air of change around Nimtz in many areas of her life right now. The gallery that represents her and her husband has moved from Culver City to Seattle, her husband has gone back to school, the changes in Venice.

“I think of it more as an exciting thing than a bad thing,” says Judy.

Debbie Zeitman has photographed over 50 Venice Artists and still counting. Fifteen artist portraits and stories are hanging at Wabi Venice (1635 Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice). Her photographic life began as a freelance photographer for the Associated Press covering primarily sports. Now her eyes drift to life’s everyday rich details, whether tiny or grand. She also spends an extraordinary amount of time trying to capture the meaningful expressions of shelter dogs and cats in an attempt to get them to safety and into permanent homes. In addition, Debbie advocates for all animals and lives a vegan lifestyle.

To follow the Venice Artists project on instagram, click here: https://www.instagram.com/beforetheygo/

View Zeitman’s other projects at these links: http://deezeephotography.com https://www.instagram.com/deezeephotography/

Other works by Debbie Zeitman

ART TODAY 10.28.17 Documenting Venice Artists and Animal Rescues: Find out what fires up Debbie Zeitman – read her entire Acrostic Interview

ART TODAY 10.27.17: “BEFORE THEY GO,” the Exhibit by Debbie Zeitman is the Atelier anthology of Venice artists

ART TODAY 10.26.17 Before They Go: The Venice Wabi-Sabi restaurant is a great place to view 15 “Venice Artists in their Studios” exhibit by Debbie Zeitman

ART TODAY 10.25.17 Before They Go: “VENICE ARTISTS – A DIVERSITY OF STYLES” captured on camera by Debbie Zeitman

ART TODAY 10.24.17 Before They Go: Debbie Zeitman has photographed and interviewed over 50 Venice Artists for this project – Her stories are astounding

New Post has been published on http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-030718-before-they-go-venice-beach-project-debbie-zeitman/

ART TODAY 030718 "Before They Go" Venice Beach project – curation, photographs & new book by Debbie Zeitman

Judy Nimtz, Venice Artist Photographed and Interviewed by Debbie Zeitman Venice Artists in their Studios

Debbie Zeitman In May 2016 I came across a group of artists being forced from their studios. Their building was about to undergo renovations, and while the artists had been offered to return upon completion of construction, most could not due to the sudden increase in their rents. I asked to photograph & speak to them in their spaces before they left.

I have since made it my goal to photograph & interview as many of the remaining Venice artists as possible to capture this moment in time and to raise awareness of their plight and the changes in Venice for artists. The loss – our loss – is two-fold: the people & the unique spaces. I hope learning of their stories will inspire you to buy from local artists or even to offer to support them as patrons. Because Venice without artists & its art spaces will be a very different Venice.

In May 2017, I  completed the first year of the project. These are some of the artists I have met and their stories, and the words shared here are from the time when I met the artists. Venice and the artists’ circumstances continue to evolve, and some of their situations have since changed, with a few having found new studios in Venice and others having moved away.

When I started photographing & interviewing the artists I didn’t know where I would take the project, but knew I had to leap immediately. At first the words I shared were brief, almost on par with captions. As the project is progressing, the time I spend with the artists is expanding, evident by how the stories have grown in length. However, since I feature this project on Instagram, the words remain concise, for Instagram has a strict word limit – a blessing and a curse.

But trust me, if you sit and speak with these intriguing individuals, you will discover how much more I could write.

– Debbie Zeitman Venice resident since 1985

Judy Nimtz “I prefer to go somewhere to paint other than home. For several reasons. It’s hard for me to separate from what I need to do at home. Going to another location helps me with that.” When Judy first started painting in her garage studio, she shared it with her husband, Kenny Harris. Previously they had shared a studio at 361 Vernon Ave. As they saw the neighborhood beginning to change and the fact that their garage needed some repairs, they decided to renovate it anticipating Vernon wouldn’t last forever. While they got along as studio mates, Judy says their styles of working were different enough that they saw the benefits of having separate spaces, and Kenny eventually moved his studio into their neighbor’s garage.

“I like Venice a lot. It’s definitely changing. And things I liked about it are changing. I liked the rawness. It’s becoming shiny.” She says they used to hang out on Abbot Kinney, as did a lot of artists and locals. Then a lot of the regular spots started to disappear. “Now we just drive on it to see what’s changed.” Judy reflects upon the changes by looking back on her childhood in Hawaii and the developments that came to her community.

“Everything’s that old was once new.”

Debbie Zeitman notes that there is an air of change around Nimtz in many areas of her life right now. The gallery that represents her and her husband has moved from Culver City to Seattle, her husband has gone back to school, the changes in Venice.

“I think of it more as an exciting thing than a bad thing,” says Judy.

Debbie Zeitman has photographed over 50 Venice Artists and still counting. Fifteen artist portraits and stories are hanging at Wabi Venice (1635 Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice). Her photographic life began as a freelance photographer for the Associated Press covering primarily sports. Now her eyes drift to life’s everyday rich details, whether tiny or grand. She also spends an extraordinary amount of time trying to capture the meaningful expressions of shelter dogs and cats in an attempt to get them to safety and into permanent homes. In addition, Debbie advocates for all animals and lives a vegan lifestyle.

To follow the Venice Artists project on instagram, click here: https://www.instagram.com/beforetheygo/

New Post has been published on http://tribelamagazine.com/salient-sunday-debbie-zeitmans-encore-before-they-go-lindajalbertano-studio/

Salient Sunday: Debbie Zeitman's encore of "Before they Go" – Linda J. Albertano in her studio, see Exhibit at Wabi-Sabi

BEFORE THEY GO, Venice Artists in their studio by Debbie Zeitman

 LINDA J. ALBERTANO

“I call myself a multi-disciplinarian because I love everything that is creative. I studied film at UCLA. I started as a singer/songwriter. And then got into performance art.”

In Venice for over 25 years, Linda moved to LA at age 19 from Colorado and took a job at Disneyland. “I wound up being the Space Girl there. She’s the Alice in Wonderland of Tomorrowland.” She also got to be in some Hollywood films, “just because I was tall” (6’4”) after being rejected for the exact same reason.

After graduating from UCLA Linda realized she didn’t want to work in the film industry. “So I went back to writing songs.” But she was told that her songs didn’t “fit the mold,” insinuating that she wouldn’t make it as a songwriter. Assorted musicians and singers disagreed, and Linda had success with artists like Linda Ronstadt, Taj Mahal, Carolyn Hester, and more recording her songs. Linda cites a quote from Cocteau: “Do what they hate. It’s you.” And she stayed on her path.

Soon Linda’s songs were no longer songs, but evolved into spoken word. Friends did movement behind her. She projected slides and added other elements to her performances, and performed at assorted venues like the Lhasa Club in Hollywood, John Anson Ford Theatre, and LATC.

“At one point I was invited to go on tour with Alice Cooper. Two tours, for a year and a half, all through the US, Canada, and Great Britain. It was an incredible way to see the world, to see the US. We were on a bus and stopped everywhere.”

More and more Linda was asked to read her text in the company of poets. “It was a lot easier than bringing props, making costumes, films, slides, the things I was doing for performing.” She was invited and flown to the One World Poetry Festival with all expenses paid. “I was there with Wanda Coleman. She was my roommate. Exene was there representing LA. Dennis Cooper was there. And I thought, ‘Poetry. That’s where the big money is.’” She punctuates the thought with a smile.

Linda says she’s slowing down “in her dotage,” but still plans performances and stores props in the basement studio she shares with a publisher.

Debbie Zeitman has photographed over 50 Venice Artists and still counting. Fifteen artist portraits and stories are hanging at Wabi Venice (1635 Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice). Her photographic life began as a freelance photographer for the Associated Press covering primarily sports. Now her eyes drift to life’s everyday rich details, whether tiny or grand. She also spends an extraordinary amount of time trying to capture the meaningful expressions of shelter dogs and cats in an attempt to get them to safety and into permanent homes. In addition, Debbie advocates for all animals and lives a vegan lifestyle.

To follow the Venice Artists project on instagram, click here: https://www.instagram.com/beforetheygo/

View Zeitman’s other projects at these links: http://deezeephotography.com https://www.instagram.com/deezeephotography/

Here are a few BEFORE THEY GO previews of Debbie Zeitman’s Artist-of-the-Week at TribeLA Magazine

http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-28-17-documenting-venice-artists-animal-rescues-find-fires-debbie-zeitman-read-entire-acrostic-interview/

http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-23-17-venice-artists-spaces-debbie-zeitman-acrostic-interview-starts-today/

New Post has been published on http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-28-17-documenting-venice-artists-animal-rescues-find-fires-debbie-zeitman-read-entire-acrostic-interview/

ART TODAY 10.28.17 Documenting Venice Artists and Animal Rescues: Find out what fires up Debbie Zeitman - read her entire Acrostic Interview

Photograph by Miguel Montalvo

TribeLA Magazine Acrostic Interview with Debbie Zeitman

[hoot_dropcap]Tagline: Give yourself and your work a tagline.[/hoot_dropcap]

In my heart, I’m a storyteller, a communicator, someone who wants to provoke thought and facilitate change.

[hoot_dropcap]Rest: How do you spend your time off?[/hoot_dropcap]

I don’t know that the phrase ‘time off’ currently applies to my life. Back when I was a motion picture film editor, holed up in an editing room for months on end, time off meant hitting the road for a foreign exploration for as long as possible before the next job. Now that I’m fully in charge of my day, I slide in and out of time off seamlessly and invisibly, though travel is always on my mind and a goal, as well as eating good vegan food and daily runs with podcasts playing in my ears.

[hoot_dropcap]Influence: What effect do you hope to have on us?[/hoot_dropcap] I wish everyone who isn’t battling immediate survival would slow down, kindly ingest the world that surrounds them, and think of ways they can help build community. To tread with greater care on the planet. To mitigate anger with compassion, which is starting to sound cliché but is so vital at this time. And to go vegan for the sake of the animals and the world.

[hoot_dropcap]Back: If you could choose a past literary/art/music movement to be a part of, which would you choose?[/hoot_dropcap] Whenever I hear of times where it’s said that artists/writers/musicians hung out together – like Paris in the 1920s – for conversation and to share ideas, that’s what I want to be a part of. I long for that sense of exchange and community. But I will add that I embody a lot of the hippie era, at least the romanticized version. It’s no accident that I ended up on a month-long Soviet-American peace walk in the former Soviet Union back in my 20s.

[hoot_dropcap]Energy: What fires you up?[/hoot_dropcap]

Fires me up? Good and bad? Politics, laughter, a great mind, entitlement, littering, energetic music, a beautifully timed photograph, lingering dinner parties with a flow of conversation. I think I will consider adding to this list daily as an act of self-reflection.

[hoot_dropcap]Los Angeles: Where is your favorite place in Los Angeles? Where would you take visitors? If you could defend the city in one sentence to someone who doubts it, what would you say?[/hoot_dropcap] I love that I see the ocean daily, and that looking out at that horizon both soothes and anchors me. When friends come to LA, I strive to show them the vast diversity of the city, from neighborhood to neighborhood, but I stay away from glitzy because that doesn’t interest me. We travel to public art and areas with personality, from Venice to downtown to Echo Park…I could go on and on. Since LA seems to be rebuilt constantly, it’s a great place to take risk, because if you fear failure the evidence will likely be erased before you blink.

[hoot_dropcap]Advice: What is the best advice you’ve received? What is the best advice you can give?[/hoot_dropcap] Be more vulnerable. That I must not quiet my own voice because it belongs uniquely to me, and it is my obligation to honor it. That along with ‘Bias towards action’ (thank you Bill Burnett and Dave Evans) because sitting on an idea will not make it happen, and it can grow and evolve once it’s in motion. Imagine and describe your ideal day – where you see yourself, what time it starts, what you are doing, do you work with others or alone, etc. – and then figure out what job looks like that (courtesy of Biz Stone).

Best advice I can give? Listen to the advice I received. And stop uttering the phrase “I’m so busy” as if it’s a badge of honor. If your life is driving you and you’re not driving your life, make some changes. If you don’t have time to gather with people who matter to you, something is terribly out of balance. I know this might sound as if it’s spoken from a place of privilege, but I often notice that those with the least are best about creating time to be with others.

  [hoot_dropcap]Aura: How would you describe your energy, style, etc.?[/hoot_dropcap] I’m very casual and my favorite place to sit is cross-legged on the floor as if I’m in kindergarten. By nature I’m an observer. My eyes zero in on all around me, as do my ears. Images and words lure me in. I aim to capture the experience of being alive. How grandiose does that sound?

[hoot_dropcap]Room: Where in your home do you work? If not in your home, where do you feel most compelled to create?[/hoot_dropcap] My entire home is my workspace. Most often I can be found on my couch in my living room with a Lapdesk and laptop when I’m editing photos or writing. I move to the loft above for printing (and when I play with paint on a canvas). When I do shoots for clients in my home, I use odd surfaces and wall colors as well as the surrounding walkstreets for the unique backdrops they offer. But in my photo life in general, my creating takes place out in the world rather than in a studio.

[hoot_dropcap]Tools: What do you prefer to work with, physically and otherwise?[/hoot_dropcap] These days I mostly use digital cameras, though my film cameras still come out to play from time to time. I write on a laptop and with inexpensive fountain pens on unlined paper because I don’t like the restrictions of lines. And I play with paint and wire and found objects, anything that sparks me. My cell phone is always with me because I get inspired at the oddest moments, often in the midst of a run, and that means I can make a photo or write in the notes app. I shudder that I could lose the thought. 

[hoot_dropcap]Indulgence: What is your favorite indulgence? Do you cook? What is your specialty meal? What is your favorite restaurant in LA where you indulge yourself?[/hoot_dropcap] Getting a massage and restaurant meals are my indulgence. That can be as simple as a slice of vegan pizza. I assemble more than cook, unless I’m having people over. Then I experiment and improvise a lot. I’ve been vegan for a long time now, and while I love so many vegan restaurants, at the top of my list at the moment for a consistently innovative and excellent meal is Satdha in Santa Monica.

[hoot_dropcap]Special: Who or what holds a special place in your heart? How does this factor into your creative process?[/hoot_dropcap] Vulnerability moves me, and the mystery of the human experience. And animals hold a special place in my heart, for you can’t explain to them their suffering, so I strive to aid them whenever I can. When I first sought to donate my time to animal rescue groups via photography, I never imagined how deeply I would get involved. I find it extraordinary how vegans are ridiculed in our society as if wanting to end suffering is a position deserving to be mocked. As I result, I aim to normalize it and offer to sit with people one on one and then take them food shopping to answer their questions and to assist them in exploring going vegan.

[hoot_dropcap]Time: What is your all-time favorite piece of writing/art/music you’ve created?[/hoot_dropcap] How does one answer this? I think back on a piece of writing I did years ago that completely captured an experience I had and that flowed out of me like a song. It’s called ‘Away’ and I’m not saying it’s the best thing I’ve ever done, but it remains personal and meaningful to me, and reminds me to hit the road if I’m ever feeling stagnant. The unfamiliar is my comfort zone.

Thank you Debbie!

Debbie Zeitman has photographed over 50 Venice Artists and still counting. Fifteen artist portraits and stories are hanging at Wabi Venice (1635 Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice). Her photographic life began as a freelance photographer for the Associated Press covering primarily sports. Now her eyes drift to life’s everyday rich details, whether tiny or grand. She also spends an extraordinary amount of time trying to capture the meaningful expressions of shelter dogs and cats in an attempt to get them to safety and into permanent homes. In addition, Debbie advocates for all animals and lives a vegan lifestyle.

To follow the Venice Artists project on instagram, click here: https://www.instagram.com/beforetheygo/

New Post has been published on http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-28-17-explore-animal-shelter-photography-debbie-zeitman-adopt-new-best-friend/

ART TODAY 10.28.17 Explore the animal shelter photography of Debbie Zeitman – Adopt a new best friend!

A story lives behind every photo ‘Hope’ by Debbie Zeitman http://deezeephotography.com/animals/

Since 2011, I have been a volunteer at North Central Animal Shelter, which sadly is a high kill Los Angeles City shelter. A photo is a powerful tool in saving a shelter animal’s life, but equally important in my volunteer experience is that my time at the shelter has opened my eyes to the struggles of companion animals in our city.

These photos highlight a tiny sample of the tales that have moved me in my hours at the shelter. Getting abandoned animals into a rescue organization is a dream. A loving, forever home is the true desire. Changing how animals are treated in our world is the long-term goal.

‘Volunteer’ by Debbie Zeitman

I always hope a photograph can help. Please visit the shelter’s networking page.

Vulnerability moves me, and the mystery of the human experience. And animals hold a special place in my heart, for you can’t explain to them their suffering, so I strive to aid them whenever I can. When I first sought to donate my time to animal rescue groups via photography, I never imagined how deeply I would get involved. I find it extraordinary how vegans are ridiculed in our society as if wanting to end suffering is a position deserving to be mocked. As I result, I aim to normalize it and offer to sit with people one on one and then take them food shopping to answer their questions and to assist them in exploring going vegan. – Debbie Zeitman

Zeitman has photographed over 50 Venice Artists and still counting. Fifteen artist portraits and stories are hanging at Wabi Venice (1635 Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice). Her photographic life began as a freelance photographer for the Associated Press covering primarily sports. Now her eyes drift to life’s everyday rich details, whether tiny or grand. She also spends an extraordinary amount of time trying to capture the meaningful expressions of shelter dogs and cats in an attempt to get them to safety and into permanent homes. In addition, Debbie advocates for all animals and lives a vegan lifestyle.

To follow the Venice Artists project on instagram, click here: https://www.instagram.com/beforetheygo/

View Zeitman’s other projects at these links: http://deezeephotography.com https://www.instagram.com/deezeephotography/

http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-27-17-before-they-go-the-exhibit-by-debbie-zeitman-is-the-atelier-anthology-of-venice-artists/

http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-26-17-before-they-go-the-venice-wabi-sabi-restaurant-is-a-great-place-to-view-15-venice-artists-in-their-studios-exhibit-by-debbie-zeitman/

http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-25-17-before-they-go-venice-artists-a-diversity-of-styles-camera-debbiezeitman/

http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-24-17-before-they-go-debbie-zeitman-photographed-and-interviewed-over-50-venice-artists-for-this-project-her-stories-are-astounding/

http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-23-17-venice-artists-spaces-debbie-zeitman-acrostic-interview-starts-today/

New Post has been published on http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-27-17-before-they-go-the-exhibit-by-debbie-zeitman-is-the-atelier-anthology-of-venice-artists/

ART TODAY 10.27.17: "BEFORE THEY GO," the Exhibit by Debbie Zeitman is the Atelier anthology of Venice artists

Denis Thomopoulos Photographed and Interviewed by Debbie Zeitman

TribeLA Magazine Acrostic Interview.6 – Debbie Zeitman

Indulgence: What is your favorite indulgence? Do you cook? What is your specialty meal? What is your favorite restaurant in LA where you indulge yourself? Getting a massage and restaurant meals are my indulgence. That can be as simple as a slice of vegan pizza. I assemble more than cook, unless I’m having people over. Then I experiment and improvise a lot. I’ve been vegan for a long time now, and while I love so many vegan restaurants, at the top of my list at the moment for a consistently innovative and excellent meal is Satdha in Santa Monica.

Special: Who or what holds a special place in your heart? How does this factor into your creative process? Vulnerability moves me, and the mystery of the human experience. And animals hold a special place in my heart, for you can’t explain to them their suffering, so I strive to aid them whenever I can. When I first sought to donate my time to animal rescue groups via photography, I never imagined how deeply I would get involved. I find it extraordinary how vegans are ridiculed in our society as if wanting to end suffering is a position deserving to be mocked. As I result, I aim to normalize it and offer to sit with people one on one and then take them food shopping to answer their questions and to assist them in exploring going vegan.

Time: What is your all-time favorite piece of writing/art/music you’ve created? How does one answer this? I think back on a piece of writing I did years ago that completely captured an experience I had and that flowed out of me like a song. It’s called ‘Away’ and I’m not saying it’s the best thing I’ve ever done, but it remains personal and meaningful to me, and reminds me to hit the road if I’m ever feeling stagnant. The unfamiliar is my comfort zone.

When friends come to LA, I strive to show them the vast diversity of the city, from neighborhood to neighborhood, but I stay away from glitzy because that doesn’t interest me. We travel to public art and areas with personality, from Venice to downtown to Echo Park…I could go on and on.

Denis Thomopoulos Denis’s love of characters started in his youth and art was always a part of him. “I remember my mom saying from a very young age, I was pretending to be Bugs Bunny or Mickey Mouse and the only way she could get me to the table was to say, ‘Ok, Bugs Bunny, come to the table and eat your carrots.’”

A Venice resident since 1998 (except for 4 years in NY), Denis has a home studio, but says, “One’s actual working space is wherever you are.” An animator, cartoonist, writer, filmmaker, musician, and voice actor, Denis is currently using his art to educate kids about the climate through a collaboration with Unicef and Project Everyone (an educational non-profit which is distributing the climate program to 1000s of educators and children around the World). Denis believes you shouldn’t dumb down issues for kids – even complicated subjects such as climate change. “It’s great to discuss concepts that might seem above a kid’s level – that’s when they ask questions and learn.”

In college Denis designed a best-selling T-shirt on campus and drew his first hippo character, Simon. But he set all that aside to seek an advanced degree in English Literature and a career in film development in England. At age 27, he saw his hippo drawing again and knew that’s what he wanted to pursue. “With characters I was able to combine all my interests and passions.” For years Denis had “a day job which afforded me time to develop the characters” and works full time now as a cartoonist through licensing and collaborating on cartoons with green organizations.

Denis has seen the changes in Venice and, while he fondly remembers “The Stroh’s Days” (a former deli on Abbot Kinney where locals met casually for breakfast), he’s not sentimental about the past, “I always believe now is the best time.”

Debbie Zeitman has photographed over 50 Venice Artists and still counting. Fifteen artist portraits and stories are hanging at Wabi Venice (1635 Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice). Her photographic life began as a freelance photographer for the Associated Press covering primarily sports. Now her eyes drift to life’s everyday rich details, whether tiny or grand. She also spends an extraordinary amount of time trying to capture the meaningful expressions of shelter dogs and cats in an attempt to get them to safety and into permanent homes. In addition, Debbie advocates for all animals and lives a vegan lifestyle.

To follow the Venice Artists project on instagram, click here: https://www.instagram.com/beforetheygo/

View Zeitman’s other projects at these links: http://deezeephotography.com https://www.instagram.com/deezeephotography/

http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-22-17-before-they-go-debbie-zeitman-meet-venice-artist-judy-nimtz/

http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-23-17-venice-artists-spaces-debbie-zeitman-acrostic-interview-starts-today/

http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-24-17-before-they-go-debbie-zeitman-photographed-and-interviewed-over-50-venice-artists-for-this-project-her-stories-are-astounding/

http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-25-17-before-they-go-venice-artists-a-diversity-of-styles-camera-debbiezeitman/

New Post has been published on http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-26-17-before-they-go-the-venice-wabi-sabi-restaurant-is-a-great-place-to-view-15-venice-artists-in-their-studios-exhibit-by-debbie-zeitman/

ART TODAY 10.26.17 Before They Go: The Venice Wabi-Sabi restaurant is a great place to view 15 "Venice Artists in their Studios" exhibit by Debbie Zeitman

Deborah Reilly Photographed and Interviewed by Debbie Zeitman

TribeLA Magazine Acrostic Interview.4 with Debbie Zeitman

Aura: How would you describe your energy, style, etc.? I’m very casual and my favorite place to sit is cross-legged on the floor as if I’m in kindergarten. By nature I’m an observer. My eyes zero in on all around me, as do my ears. Images and words lure me in. I aim to capture the experience of being alive. How grandiose does that sound?

Room: Where in your home do you work? If not in your home, where do you feel most compelled to create? My entire home is my workspace. Most often I can be found on my couch in my living room with a Lapdesk and laptop when I’m editing photos or writing. I move to the loft above for printing (and when I play with paint on a canvas). When I do shoots for clients in my home, I use odd surfaces and wall colors as well as the surrounding walkstreets for the unique backdrops they offer. But in my photo life in general, my creating takes place out in the world rather than in a studio.

Tools: What do you prefer to work with, physically and otherwise? These days I mostly use digital cameras, though my film cameras still come out to play from time to time. I write on a laptop and with inexpensive fountain pens on unlined paper because I don’t like the restrictions of lines. And I play with paint and wire and found objects, anything that sparks me. My cell phone is always with me because I get inspired at the oddest moments, often in the midst of a run, and that means I can make a photo or write in the notes app. I shudder that I could lose the thought. 

I wish everyone who isn’t battling immediate survival would slow down, kindly ingest the world that surrounds them, and think of ways they can help build community. To tread with greater care on the planet. To mitigate anger with compassion, which is starting to sound cliché but is so vital at this time. And to go vegan for the sake of the animals and the world.

Deborah Reilly “Everyone needs art. It’s a way of cultivating compassion with humanity.” Deborah began her portrait-a-day project back in August 2016, painting those she admires. “It’s been my daily meditation, a willful way of focusing on the good.” Another goal of the project is to improve her portrait skills. “My original love with art is abstract.” While she could draw people, Deborah says she always had a really hard time capturing an actual likeness of someone. This project has helped her improve a lot.

“As a kid all I wanted to do was paint and draw,” but Deborah says she gave it up because she couldn’t do realism and her abstraction was labeled as childish. But abandoning art brought on panic attacks and insomnia. Eventually they subsided when she took up art again in her early 20s. “I reached for Crayola watercolors and just started painting abstracts. And it released – just seeing color come out of my body.”

A children’s book author, Deborah is working on her second book. Her first book, “The Collected Writings of A. Morkus Dog,” features drawings and ‘the words of’ her own rescue dog. “Writing and images has always been synonymous. In my writing and sketchbooks – it’s always together.”

Along with her personal art pursuit, Deborah is a passionate art teacher at Kenter Canyon elementary school and at Virginia Park in Santa Monica. “I liken my teaching style to yoga. We start where you are and go from there.” She’s grateful for her schedule of teaching Monday through Wednesday and having Thursday and Friday to work in her home studio. “I got really lucky. I wanted that age group and I wanted these days.” Deborah says she always knew she wanted to teach. “The teaching feeds me as well. If I didn’t need this for money, I’d be volunteering.” She sees the importance of being there for the kids who are told they aren’t artists, and tells her students, “You’re all artists. You just have to find your way.”

Debbie Zeitman has photographed over 50 Venice Artists and still counting. Fifteen artist portraits and stories are hanging at Wabi Venice (1635 Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice). Her photographic life began as a freelance photographer for the Associated Press covering primarily sports. Now her eyes drift to life’s everyday rich details, whether tiny or grand. She also spends an extraordinary amount of time trying to capture the meaningful expressions of shelter dogs and cats in an attempt to get them to safety and into permanent homes. In addition, Debbie advocates for all animals and lives a vegan lifestyle.

To follow the Venice Artists project on instagram, click here: https://www.instagram.com/beforetheygo/

View Zeitman’s other projects at these links: http://deezeephotography.com https://www.instagram.com/deezeephotography/

Get caught up with Artist of the Week Debbie Zeitman and her “Before They Go” anthology

http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-22-17-before-they-go-debbie-zeitman-meet-venice-artist-judy-nimtz/

http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-23-17-venice-artists-spaces-debbie-zeitman-acrostic-interview-starts-today/

http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-24-17-before-they-go-debbie-zeitman-photographed-and-interviewed-over-50-venice-artists-for-this-project-her-stories-are-astounding/

New Post has been published on http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-25-17-before-they-go-venice-artists-a-diversity-of-styles-camera-debbiezeitman/

ART TODAY 10.25.17 BEFORE THEY GO: “VENICE ARTISTS - A DIVERSITY OF STYLES" captured on camera by Debbie Zeitman

Marty Katon, Photographed and Interviewed by Debbie Zeitman

TribeLA Magazine Acrostic Interview.3 with Debbie Zeitman

Energy: What fires you up? Fires me up? Good and bad? Politics, laughter, a great mind, entitlement, littering, energetic music, a beautifully timed photograph, lingering dinner parties with a flow of conversation. I think I will consider adding to this list daily as an act of self-reflection.

Los Angeles: Where is your favorite place in Los Angeles? Where would you take visitors? If you could defend the city in one sentence to someone who doubts it, what would you say? I love that I see the ocean daily, and that looking out at that horizon both soothes and anchors me. When friends come to LA, I strive to show them the vast diversity of the city, from neighborhood to neighborhood, but I stay away from glitzy because that doesn’t interest me. We travel to public art and areas with personality, from Venice to downtown to Echo Park…I could go on and on. Since LA seems to be rebuilt constantly, it’s a great place to take risk, because if you fear failure the evidence will likely be erased before you blink.

Advice: What is the best advice you’ve received? What is the best advice you can give? Be more vulnerable. That I must not quiet my own voice because it belongs uniquely to me, and it is my obligation to honor it. That along with ‘Bias towards action’ (thank you Bill Burnett and Dave Evans) because sitting on an idea will not make it happen, and it can grow and evolve once it’s in motion. Imagine and describe your ideal day – where you see yourself, what time it starts, what you are doing, do you work with others or alone, etc. – and then figure out what job looks like that (courtesy of Biz Stone).

Best advice I can give? Listen to the advice I received. And stop uttering the phrase “I’m so busy” as if it’s a badge of honor. If your life is driving you and you’re not driving your life, make some changes. If you don’t have time to gather with people who matter to you, something is terribly out of balance. I know this might sound as if it’s spoken from a place of privilege, but I often notice that those with the least are best about creating time to be with others.

I look for truth in photos. And I seek to provoke thought with words. And when I marry the two, I hope to stir up a personal connection for the viewer.

Marty Katon “I often say that I’m not a wildlife painter. I’m a portrait painter. I want to show the mental presence of animals.”

Growing up on the Huron River in Michigan introduced Marty to art and animals. “I was on the river and was a hunter and trapper,” he says, explaining that he trapped animals for food. “I decided I liked animals better than people.” He threw his traps in the river and started rescuing and rehabilitating wild animals. The river also brought Marty to art. “I found a pile of Ukiyo-e oriental art books and just started copying. I was fascinated. That’s what got me going on the painting.” To pursue his passion, Marty made brushes from sticks and used house paint.

Marty wasn’t allowed to take art in high school. “Back then in the 60s they said I was too hyper. That I couldn’t sit still. It hurt my feelings.” That experience led Marty to teaching. “I teach learning difference kids because art gives them self esteem.” He doesn’t use the term ‘learning disabled’ because of the impact the label can have on kids. He currently teaches elementary and teen classes twice a week at Virginia Ave. Park in Santa Monica via a nonprofit run by the city.

Marty continues to rescue, rehabilitate, and release wild animals. While caring for the animals, he often paints their portraits and donates the paintings to raise funds for various rescue organizations. While Marty has explored assorted painting styles, his wildlife portraits are his passion.

Marty has been in his current studio on Sunset Ave. in Venice since 2004, though he has been in Venice on and off since the 1970s. He feels confident that his studio will remain because the building’s owners “still want artists in here.” While Marty says that the art market is really down, which he attributes to assorted things from the economy to people experiencing the world from behind their computers, he sells via Qart.com. “People are staying home and buy more online.” He adds, “It’s hard to say what’s going to happen with artists. I have been doing this for 50 years. People still like animals.”

Debbie Zeitman has photographed over 50 Venice Artists and still counting. Fifteen artist portraits and stories are hanging at Wabi Venice (1635 Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice). Her photographic life began as a freelance photographer for the Associated Press covering primarily sports. Now her eyes drift to life’s everyday rich details, whether tiny or grand. She also spends an extraordinary amount of time trying to capture the meaningful expressions of shelter dogs and cats in an attempt to get them to safety and into permanent homes. In addition, Debbie advocates for all animals and lives a vegan lifestyle.

To follow the Venice Artists project on instagram, click here: https://www.instagram.com/beforetheygo/

View Zeitman’s other projects at these links: http://deezeephotography.com https://www.instagram.com/deezeephotography/

If you missed previous photos and stories from “Before They Go” by Debbie Zeitman, click links below:

http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-22-17-before-they-go-debbie-zeitman-meet-venice-artist-judy-nimtz/

http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-23-17-venice-artists-spaces-debbie-zeitman-acrostic-interview-starts-today/