Highlands
Gayle Faulkner, with over 35 years of artistic exploration and creativity, stands as a seasoned watercolor, acrylic, and mural artist. Her journey has been marked by constant exploration, a playful engagement with diverse media, and an unwavering commitment to growth in the world of art.
Her academic journey, rooted in a BA in Sociology from William Jewel College in Liberty, Missouri, initially led her to work with children, integrating art into their day-to-day experiences. Gayle’s passion for art eventually pulled her into a more immersive pursuit. She delved into Art and Design courses at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, unlocking her artistic soul. The willingness to ”put herself out there” coupled with years of hard work and a penchant for thinking outside the box, allowed her to undergo a major growth period.
Finally, the challenges posed by the COVID-19 quarantine became a catalyst for Gayle’s artistic metamorphosis, leading her to focus on acrylic paintings on canvas. Engaging in online courses and dedicating countless hours in the studio, has led Gayle to newfound success in her career as an artist.
In her current artistic chapter, Gayle has embraced the multi-dimensional world of layered acrylic painting. These layered landscape paintings pulsate with depth, intricate patterns, and whimsical interpretations, inviting viewers to step into a space that offers a sanctuary from life’s pressures. Her aspiration is clear — to guide everyone towards a place, be it a memory or a dream, where they can meander, savor the fragrance of flowers, feel the gentle breeze, lean against a tree, and simply breathe.
Gayle’s works have graced numerous exhibitions, gallery shows, and juried art festivals, earning accolades and finding homes in corporate and private collections across the globe.
In my art practice, I describe my creations as Textural Acrylics. This term represents the exciting experience of observing paint flow from the palette knife, forming captivating textures and colors. Each stroke channels emotion and every canvas captures a moment of creative inspiration.
My process is spontaneous – I start with a loose outline, sketch the composition, and then fully immerse myself in the act of creating. Throughout the process, music is my closest companion, its volume soaring. I dance to the rhythm, losing myself in the beats, and, on occasion, even letting out a song. My painting process is a multisensory experience, an immersive journey into the fusion of sound and color, where each note becomes a brushstroke and every stroke on the canvas is a dance of creation. I often liken my paintings to cherished children—it’s a relationship that involves nurturing, engaging in heartfelt conversations, and weathering the challenges of creative adolescence with boundless love and patience. With each brushstroke, I invest love, patience, and understanding, allowing the artwork to evolve organically. The end result is akin to witnessing a child mature into a beautiful, fully-formed adult—a testament to the transformative power of artistic expression.
When the viewer engages with my work, I want them to do more than observe; I want them to partake in the sensory journey. Inhale the delicate fragrance of blooming flowers, listen to the subtle rustle of leaves, lean against the painted tree, and simply breathe. My paintings are meant to cease to be static images—they become portals, immersive experiences where anyone is welcome to wander, explore, and connect with the essence of my artistic vision. Through my Textural Acrylics, I aim to create a sanctuary where the boundaries between creator and audience blur, and the shared experience becomes a celebration of art and life.
Him And His Best Friend Cuddling
Midwest native Jennifer Hannigan-Green is a figurative abstract painter. Originally a landscape painter illustrating her walk through nature, Jennifer’s style has changed over the years, becoming more simplified and expressive, illustrating her walk through life. Her work shares deep, personal moments. She captures emotional stories through her use of color and shapes. Jennifer has had her paintings shown throughout the world, from Paris, France, to St. Louis, Missouri.
Painting is how I process and communicate with the world. My work is my voice for the feelings and emotions I struggle to speak and find words for. The intense emotions of motherhood – love, sleepless nights, connection. The intense emotions of depression and loneliness. The intense emotions of simply living – finding joy, spirituality, friendship. When words fail me, colors and shapes become my voice. That voice is my work. It is my hope that my voice resonates with you.
Hit
I was born in 1978. I grew up in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. In 2001 I graduated from The University of Massachusetts, Amherst. I received a B.F.A. in painting while studying under Hanlyn Davies. Shortly after graduation, I started my own Interior/Exterior house painting business. Working for myself I am able to actively work on my own Art, especially in the winter.
In a striking example of hyperrealism, my body of work manages to capture the essence of macro photography in highly detailed acrylic paintings. My inspiration initially came from golf courses near my home. My work focuses on the minute details of sporting goods, from the lightly scratched dimples on a golf ball to the individual fibers on a tennis ball. I work exclusively from my own photographs using an innovative airbrushing technique. I utilize a large spray gun at the beginning of a painting for color application in large areas. I then wield a small airbrush for the finer details, using templates, hand-cut from mylar to create edges and shapes. One of the biggest defining moments for me was incorporating the airbrush into my process of painting. Also, the use of slow-motion video captured on the latest smartphone has allowed me to capture frozen moments in time of moving objects.
Hold Me
Growing up in Frankfurt, Back explored her artistic abilities at an early age. Her family moved to NY, where her creative calling led her to the School of Visual Arts. A career in graphic and web design ensued, culminating in Back running her own Design Firm.
In a quest to discover her own artistic voice rather than catering to clients, Back found herself craving the feeling of a paintbrush. Drawing from current events and experiences, Back tells stories. A composition could be a figure conveying an emotion or moment, a geometrically infused landscape, or the beauty of an eye. They often include text, photographs, and words.
Back has exhibited with MvVo AD Artshow, ArtExpo, Market Art+Design, and Conception Arts. She has completed an Art Residency at Kunstraum and is the sole recipient of the Artist Residency 2022, Cedar Lakes Estates. Her work is in private collections in the US and abroad.
Expressing myself visually has always been a part of me. My childhood temperament was shy and verbal communication did not come easy and I was usually careful to speak my mind. I credit this mindset with honing my observation skills and looking at the many layers of a given situation.
When creating art, expression can be deliberate, thoughtful, and meaningful. The paintings tell a story and evoke emotions. Interpretation of the subject is achieved by transferring photos and text on a first layer, then adding more layers of transparent or opaque colors, lines, shapes, and textures. A variety of techniques and interesting color combinations are used to achieve my vision. Inspiration comes from memories, experiences, and current events.
While I am fearlessly using a conceptual, bold, and colorful approach, I also have a visual conversation with the viewer and make connections.
Holding
From childhood, I expressed my identity through clothing. I was often criticized for being “too much”, for my style and personality being louder than my family or community felt was appropriate. I was labeled as “weird” for my affinity for gender-bending outfits or to show my style with a trash bag skirt paired with an Angora sweater. Despite my enthusiasm for my personal expression this did leave me feeling alone sometimes.
When I first heard the word bisexual my spiritual identity came into focus and the way I expressed myself (as a femme/tomboy) suddenly made sense. I was no longer the black sheep – I was bisexual, a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
As an adult, I’ve expanded my interest in personal fashion to my fascination with historical garments. I observed there was gender-bending throughout the ages, such as with Victorian dresses which had womanly skirts and curves while the bodices were tailored like menswear.
Along with a profound desire to be understood, which constantly impacts how I move through the world, my sexual identity and its expression have galvanized me into an authentic self. From here, I’m able to make work that I hope speaks to other queer women, and beyond.
Ara Lucia’s work explores the longing of a bisexual woman (Ara) in a relationship with another woman (Her) who exists in another dimension. Through visual storytelling, Ara explores their struggles to locate one another across the universes and remain connected.
Together, they experience a profound sense of intimacy, acceptance, and grace. These explorations then connect Ara to a wider community of queer women, which has been profoundly healing.
Illustrating this narrative through mixed media (ink, charcoal, oil pastel, pen, and pencil), some materials can be blown away, signifying motion and fluctuation. Additionally, Ara suffers from a tremor, making it difficult to draw details in the fluidity of ink. Together, this fluidity and lack of control over materials depict the fleeting control the women feel over their ability to find one another or maintain meaningful connections.
Holding Hands
I was born and raised in NYC but mostly in The Bronx. I attended CCNY where I graduated with a BS in Mathematics and an MA in Mathematics Education. I taught high school mathematics in The Bronx. I have always been interested in the arts and started writing poems and playing guitar at age 19. I studied poetry under Professor Robert O’Clair. I studied guitar at The Guitar Workshop. I studied painting and drawing at SUNY in Purchase. Recently, I have had paintings and/or drawings in numerous online shows and paintings in 8 live group shows. I have had many poems published in literary magazines, in books, at HVMOCA, and self-published a children’s book, ”Mr. Fine Goes to the Eye Doctor”. My poem “Friends” was published recently(2022) at HVMOCA in written form and in audio in the “Writing Off the Walls” project. My principal artistic interest has been abstract painting and drawing for the last 8 years, but I have written many poems as well. I live in Putnam County, NY.
My work in fine arts has principally been in 2 classes of abstract paintings: oils and water-based paints. However, I have completed numerous works in the drawing. I focus on color, texture, methodology of delivery, and composition. In composition, I am interested in positive space and negative space as well. I believe the painting is a manifestation of my emotional state of both conscious and unconscious feelings.
Holiday In Maldives
Heini Mika is a Finnish artist who works and resides in New York City. Heini has a BA degree in Fine Arts from the University of Worcester (UK) and a Fine Art and Visual Communications degree from the Pekka Halonen Academy of Art (Finland). She has exhibited her paintings worldwide, most notably in The United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and New York. Her paintings have been published in a variety of magazines including the British Vogue and some of her artworks are held by private collectors.
Heini’s contemporary paintings serve the viewer with a palette of vibrant colors and dynamic shapes while she gives you her unique perspective on women, fairytales, and history. They have been an essential source of inspiration for Heini throughout her career as an artist and this can be observed in her rich and intriguing original artworks. Heini Mika is also the co-founder and chief curator at her own online art gallery the HMVC Gallery New York.
Imagine yourself traveling to the Maldives and having a fabulous time. This is what that holiday would look like. Holiday in the Maldives is part of my “Narratives in Colour” series which is heavily influenced by my previous career as a Flight Attendant in the Middle East. Thanks to that experience I was exposed to more artistic inspiration than I ever could have hoped for.
This painting has been framed with white and gold frames.
Holiday Reflections
An emerging artist, Newcomb’s photographs using largely glasses and fabrics create fluid abstractions, rich with colors, patterns, and joy. Lisa, a Masters in Social Work, worked for 25 years. Subsequently, for 18 years, she was an art museum docent. Newcomb’s been honored with two first-place awards, a one-woman show through the University of Delaware, and a variety of shows nationally.
I create photos as peaceful, playful, healing environments by drawing upon different objects and melding them into fluid abstractions. I am searching for compositions, colors, and patterns to have a visceral effect by weaving together beautiful glass, flowing fabrics, and lovely objects through a macro perspective.
Having lived much of my life by the shore, I’ve always loved the play of light, pattern, and color on the water. My work is influenced by my lifelong passion for art and artists. In my work, I nod to feminist artist Miriam Schapiro a leader in the Pattern and Decoration Movement, and Georgia O’Keeffe who often painted with a fluid macro point of view.
Hollow Rock Study 2
Robert Meyers-Lussier is a multifaceted artist whose creative expression spans photography, writing, and gastronomy. His artistry reflects a deep appreciation for both the grand and the minute details of life, shaped by extensive travel and diverse experiences. As a published author of ‘Crystallized Remnants,’ a book of poetry, and ‘This Is Delicious! What Is It?’, a cookbook, Robert’s work transcends mediums to explore beauty in all its forms. His photography, a blend of macro and micro perspectives, captures moments that are both ephemeral and eternal, inviting viewers to see the world through his unique lens
My artistry is born of spontaneity, a voyage through the open-air tapestry of life that cuts a swath across the continuum of time and space as I navigate the course of my existence.
As an author, writer, and photographer, I hold both minute and monumental moments in high regard. Encased within the temporal sphere, I am drawn to the symphony of colors and patterns, the dance of joy and sorrow, and the ebb and flow of nature’s life cycle. The changing seasons hold a pivotal role in my work. My perceptual lens has been honed and polished by the crucible of Minnesota’s severe weather that marked my childhood, coupled with an early immersion in the sublime aesthetics of Japan. I am perpetually on a quest for that breathtaking snapshot, the one that seizes a moment or a place in time, compelling me to etch it indelibly into the canvas of our collective memory