As an artist, I find deep fulfillment in creating textured art that brings beauty into the world. Through the use of modeling paste and textured paste, I explore the layers of expression and emotion that texture can convey. My work is driven by a desire to inspire and help others tap into their own creativity. I believe that art has the power to uplift and transform, and I am passionate about sharing this experience with others. Each piece I create is a reflection of my goal to make the world a more beautiful, meaningful place, one textured creation at a time.

My captivating self-portraits form a rich tapestry of layered narratives, merging elements of the tangible and intangible. I delve into themes of fairy tales, mysticism, and surrealism, creating a dreamlike atmosphere that serves as a bridge between the conscious and subconscious realms. My unique interpretations of dark art and tarot archetypes serve as potent symbols, guiding you on a journey through mysterious landscapes of the mind and spirit. Drawing from a palette of symbolism and mythology, I reimagine timeless narratives in my distinct voice, putting a new twist on ancient tales. Nature plays a significant role in my work, often serving as the backdrop for my self-portraits, enhancing the sense of transcendence that pervades my creations. Whether through an ethereal dance in the woods or an intimate conversation with an anthropomorphic creature, my work invites you to delve deeper, uncover hidden meanings, and embark on your journey of exploration and discovery.

photography is about reality ! …

Artists may paint or draw worlds that do not exist, but photographers capture the existing world from their point of view.

In 2017 over 1.2 trillion photographs were taken of the existing world, and it is hard to find a place or thing that has not been photographed.

Therefore, I find myself drawn to the “Edge of Reality”. I enjoy abstract and macro photography, and I have fallen in love with infrared photography. Seeing in my mind, Light that cannot be seen with the human eye.

As a history nerd and a patriotic woman, I love the Gadsden, “Don’t Tread on Me,” flag. The flag perfectly captures the spirit of the revolutionary era that founded one of the most unique countries history has ever known. Unfortunately, the media and those in the current administration seek to demonize the flag, our country’s history, and those that love both! There should be nothing extreme or threatening about freedom, wanting to self-govern or make decisions for oneself. That doesn’t seem to be the case these days which is why I think this piece clearly defines the dichotomy of being loved or hated. I’ve recently been working on more abstract paintings using ribbons as my lines and forms. And I love this graphic piece I’ve created.

The idea of queerness being a newfound concept is preposterous. I have heard from people that the concept of queerness didn’t exist until the 1970s or even that it is somehow a modern-day ideology. This of course can easily be disproven by looking at the art throughout art history. Queer artists have been coding themselves in their artworks for centuries. Through study and research dedicated toward understanding what queer coding entails; I can attest that queer people have existed for as long as human beings could understand the idea of making a fire. This, of course, begs the question of why we now have an influx of queer identities.

The sudden “boom” of queer identities isn’t due to the idea of queerness somehow being new, but rather the evolution of language and the understanding of queer identities. It’s not that queerness is a hip or trendy idea, but that there is now more diversity included in the LGBTQIA+ community. This is where I have found the true inspiration for this body of work.

Throughout my research, I have found that there is specific iconography (symbols) that queer people have come to claim as their own for centuries. For instance, roses we understand these flowers to be the flowers of passion, and love and quite commonly associated with romance. However, it was common practice that samurai would occasionally present their comrades with a rose either a literal one or an illustration of one attached to letters of admiration to their generals and their comrades to show their affection toward each other on and off the battlefield. Not necessarily a symbol of queerness in a sexual aspect but these examples of queer iconography and the subtlety and nuances of queerness is what has fueled my research.

I have always been a queer artist, ever since I heard the word gay when I was seven I knew that I wasn’t different, I was just gay. Little did I know that being gay or queer was quite different. My previous work has examined the queer experience, and how queerness represented itself in modern society as well as writing my thesis on my grandfather’s sexuality, (which I found out a few years ago that he did in fact “come out” to my gay uncle in the 1980s/1990s). All these instances were simply about my own experiences and identity within the queer community. But I wanted to turn the lens from myself to the people I was close to. Thus, I looked in on my chosen family. A group of individuals who I call my family even though we are not blood-related. It is a sacred thing for queer folk to have their chosen families, sometimes we don’t feel comfortable being ourselves around our own families, so having a group of chosen family is often much more freeing and authentic to our experiences.

Within my work, I invite my participants to freely express themselves as their own representations of their humanity and their queerness.

Cher Pruys, ASAA SCA, IGOR, AAPL, CSAA, AMS, LMS, OSA, MAA, CFA, NOAPS, PSOA, AWA, AAOA.

I am a self-taught artist working in water-based mediums, mainly acrylic, but also at times gouache and watercolor. I am a hyperrealism painter fascinated by the world around me. I am very drawn to shiny surfaces as well as transparent objects, especially when the lighting brings them to life. I look for beauty in everyday objects that most people take for granted or just don’t truly see as they are. The seemingly boring and mundane subjects can truly be like magnets if portrayed in the right light. The shiny metal is one of those materials that can host endless visions….the light hits it and the reflections are captured on the smooth, sleek surface…people and animals especially the eyes…an artist’s dream! My future art plans are to paint the countless subjects I have chosen to become paintings and to share my art with as many people as I can.

“To take my inner visions with my hands and create a work of art for you the viewer… That is the ultimate in self-expression.”

I am an artist from Gainesville, Florida. As an abstract artist, I always feel very excited to create something new in my own way. Art gives me peace of mind. I imagine some reality, nature, or character in my paintings. So, in each of my paintings, there are some stories, thoughts, moments, emotions, and lots of love. Paintings express our pieces of soul and emotions. I try to express the emotions of people through my abstract colors. For me, painting is an art that transforms my own and hundreds of other people’s thoughts into reality with a brush. From the journey that I started with abstract acrylic on canvas, now, I am working on all projects in wood, glass, and resin.

I wanted to study Fine Arts, but I never had that opportunity! Whatever I have learned is from nature, everyday objects, and the feelings of people. The only source of my mental peace is painting. So nature, environment, family, people, and everyday objects, these are the inspirations of my work. The meaning of my hard work lies in making my work known to everyone.

I prefer using the collage format to integrate associated images into a cohesive unit that is even more compelling because of the embedded story. Having been a playwright and technical writer, I am accustomed to delivering content with a message. So now, as a visual communicator, I continue to provide meaning via the structure of the collage format, wherein the four photos confirm, augment, or even contradict each other if warranted. I enjoy offering the richness that the multiplicity of images provides, along with the impact gained through their thoughtful positioning. Ultimately, I intend to have my work act as a doorway to the viewer’s own mental and emotional framework regarding the collection of images, perhaps finding their own very personal meaning in them.

I create photos as peaceful, playful, healing stimuli while I make observations of humanity and the environment. Drawing upon different objects, I explore melding them into a unified whole. Part of my process is setting up compositions, in the form of an assemblage, visually weaving together beautiful glass, flowing fabric, with vibrant colors and patterns into integrated fluid formations seeking to reshape light, pattern, and color into a visual oasis. I then tightly crop and photograph. My intent is to transcend and transform objects into images that visually excite while calming the soul, often with a gentle message.

A lifelong passion for art and artists influenced my work. I nod to Miriam Schapiro, a leader in the Pattern and Decoration Movement. Having lived much of my life by the shore, I have always loved the play of light in watery reflections. I am drawn to artists who capture light; Stephen Rolfe Powell’s glass delights me. Mark Rothko believed in the visceral effect of color. He wanted people to have an experience within his pictures. I seek to have my work viscerally affect the viewer.

CromaLuxe high definition images printed on aluminum are my preferred substrate. The reflective surface enhances and enriches the dynamics of the glass used in my imagery. Images can be ordered in small jewel-like prints or large dynamic pieces.