Planet Trenton

When you first met, were you drawn to your partner due to the person’s art or was it something else?

Liz: When we first met, I was definitely drawn to his artistic abilities. But his personality is definitely what sealed the deal for me.

Dean: I was first drawn to Liz because I thought she was pretty, but her art ability definitely sparked my interest.

Did you meet at an art event?

Liz: Not exactly, we followed each other on Instagram for a long while. When I saw one of his pieces at Art All Night, I finally decided to send him a message. We met up about a week later and have been inseparable since.

Dean: Indirectly… She messaged me inquiring about a painting I had in Art All Night.

What was the most memorable art event in Greater Trenton area that you attended together?

Liz: I would have to say Book of RAS. This was Dean’s first solo show and was hosted at the Trenton Social. It was a wonderful night and we were surrounded by a ton of friends and family.

Dean: The most memorable moment was this past Art All Night. We were working on a painting together at the event outside, and Liz ended up getting a stomach ache and throwing up. It was also raining all night and we had to come back the next day to finish.

What is your opinion of your partner’s art?

Liz: I love his art! I think it’s incredible. He’s very talented with a spray can and definitely thinks, sometimes overly, through every aspect of every painting he does. He’s fantastic.

Dean: I love her art! She is amazing at drawing, but really works in a variety of mediums. Lately she has been into these crazy prints that are sick. She has picked up spray painting quickly, which is great because she can help me paint murals.

Does your art complement one another?

Liz: I’d like to think so. We both tend to lean towards doing more realistic work.

Dean: I’d say so. We have some our pieces up in the house and they definitely work well together.

Have you produced any collaborative art together?

Liz: We have collaborated on several projects. My favorite is “Wall for Drella”. This past fall, we did a series of three Andy Warhol portraits. The first image was a rendition of Basquiat’s “Dos Cabezas” which we painted together, the next image was a photo of Warhol Dean painted, and the last image was a rendition of a Warhol self-portrait (1967) that I painted. We had a blast with that project and are both thrilled with how it came out.

Dean: Yes, we painted a few walls together, most notably the Charlie Brown Halloween wall, and more recently “Wall for Drella”, which was a series of Andy Warhol portraits. We also painted together with Lank at art all day twice, and have posed for Mel Leipzig twice.

Did you meet at an arts event?

We met at bar, not an art event, but it had some art ambiance, music playing in the background.

What is the most memorable art event you attended together?

Our most memorable was trip to New Mexico and the scenery.

What type of art do you both enjoy doing?

I play the saxophone and paint murals. Valerie’s art is her cooking. Her edible art dishes are truly her passion.

Have you produced any collaborative art together?

The art we produce is our weekly jazz event and other events such as comedy events and the work and renovation we do together on our investment.

1. When you first met were you drawn to your partner due to their art or was it something else?

We were drawn by a mutual love and appreciation of the arts and through the process of making cast metal sculpture.

2. Did you meet at an art event?

We met through our involvement in the sculpture community of Grounds For Sculpture and the Johnson Atelier.

3. What was the most memorable art event in Greater Trenton area that you attended together?

We both feel that the last AbOminOg Intl. Arts Collective iron pour at Art All Night was one we will never forget. The crowd was incredible, we had a great crew, and our creativity was off the charts.

4. What is your opinion of your partner’s art?

Aylin: Bruce’s art is elegant and well-crafted. He sees possibility and beauty of form in objects that others pass by. His compositions are thoughtful and often reveal more through their manipulation. Not one to “push” his art out there, he is a quietly inspiring artist.

Bruce: In my opinion Aylin’s creativity consistently demonstrates a wonderful sensitivity to composition and manipulation of materials, developed in both mixed media and sculpture. Domestic crafts are referenced and subtly exalted, and transformed by her hand into not only iron and bronze, but also a reminder of the power of the feminine divine.

5. Does your art complement one another?

In 2015 we had the opportunity to exhibit our work together at the Project Rooms in Lambertville. We share an attention to detail and composition, process and material, and we both explore universal themes and subjects.

6. Have you produced any collaborative art together?

We have collaborated on two major public art proposals for the city of Trenton that we hope to realize when the time is right. One is a Trenton Art Puzzle that would bring together community members of all ages to paint wooden cut-outs of the outline of the city. The other is a light sculpture inspired by the form of Roebling wire rope suspension bridges to help illuminate the D&R Canal trail.