I have been surrounded by creativity all my life. When I was very young dancing and singing were my main loves, but I always drew and especially loved drawing trees.

In college, I majored in art and was in the honors program. One of my teachers said I produced a year’s work every week. I tried acrylics, etching, drawing, charcoal, etc but my main loves were graphite pencil and later in life after college Pantone pen and ink, working from my imagination and using Greek Myths and the Bible as inspiration for my artworks.

In Sep 2017 I was commissioned to reproduce my drawing – the Lover’s Tree in gold and silver. This started my interest in learning colored pencils.

Now as an International Award-Winning artist, I love creating realistic work on a variety of subjects – wildlife, portraits, flowers, animals, birds, etc.

My work hangs in the USA, France, and England.

The study of design has allowed me to expand my horizons to all avenues of photography. Just as I had photographed the composites of my designs, my work is now focused on looking for the components of a creative design or story in every photograph I take. To me, composing a photo is similar to designing a building. I like to see how the visual building blocks in the elements of design can be combined into a unique whole.

I am a writer, artist, activist, cook, and poet who plans to make a difference in this world with ART. I am an only child, with a dog, and am still a teenager. You will always find me with a book or two. I love reading as much as I do painting.
A book can be a friend and make a friend. During COVID I had no choice but to relearn to be myself.

I had started to act, talk, and dress in ways that weren’t me.. all because I really wanted to fit in. But during COVID-19 I was at my house doing school online and could no longer act like someone else. That was the best thing that happened during COVID-19 to find myself.. again.

John Calabrese received his BA in Art from Catholic University, Washington, D.C., his MFA in Painting and Drawing from Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY, and his Ph. D. in Comparative Arts from Ohio University, Athens.

He is Professor Emeritus of Art at Texas Woman’s University, Denton, where he taught art history, aesthetics, history of film noir, the films of Alfred Hitchcock, and was in charge of the studies abroad art history program which he initiated in 1994. He has published articles on Paul Klee, J. R. R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings”, and Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” and “The Trouble with Harry”.

In my photographic journey, I am captivated by the intricate dance between nature, animals, and the ethereal realms of underwater landscapes. Through this lens, I strive to capture moments of profound beauty, revealing the interconnectedness of all life forms and the sublime harmony found in the natural world.

Each click of the shutter is a testament to the awe-inspiring diversity of life on our planet. Whether it’s the graceful movement of a dolphin gliding through azure waters or the delicate flutter of a butterfly alighting on a flower, I am constantly humbled by the sheer wonder of the living world.

My exploration of underwater realms adds another dimension to my work, offering glimpses into a world both mysterious and mesmerizing. Through careful composition and the play of light and shadow, I seek to evoke the serene, otherworldly beauty that lies beneath the surface.

Long-exposure photography further allows me to transcend the boundaries of time, capturing the fleeting moments that often escape the naked eye. In the subtle blur of a rushing waterfall or the soft trails of stars streaking across the night sky, I find a sense of tranquility and wonder that speaks to the eternal rhythms of the natural world.

Through my photography, I aim to inspire reverence and respect for the delicate balance of life on Earth. By immersing viewers in the beauty and complexity of the natural world, I hope to foster a deeper connection to our planet and a renewed commitment to its preservation for generations to come.

Welcoming my inner child, one curly-headed girl playing with the magic of color, exploring wonky, whimsical, energetic worlds of my imagination connects me with my true spirit. Dancing with the pure joy and wonder of life for true happiness. In my former life, I was an architect. My work was commercial, massive in scale, and complex. As an architect, I was concerned with structure, safety, and function. As an artist, I am free of those constraints, free to move into a world purely of my own creation. I invite you to use my art to embrace your own joy.

Go Pink or Go Home!

Clay remembers the pinch marks of my fingertips — recording my actions and capturing the texture within the surface. Through coiling and pinching my mark-making becomes depictions of touch, thought, and labor. By slowly hand-building, I guide the vessel through the intimate process of creation.
Using a vibrant, red terracotta clay I have made decorative vessels with no utility. These ornate vessels reference the material objects that reside in the home: knick-knacks. The knick-knack serves as a novelty symbol made for display, and these vessels mimic the non-functionality of a home souvenir. I intend the viewer to think deeper about their connection to the objects that exist in the household.

I create large-scale domestic scenes out of cardboard to serve as a supportive context for the ceramic work. Each sculpture and installation represents a way to better acknowledge the tactile relationships to the objects that surround us. The ceramic objects in these scenes remain the primary focus of a narrative of personal family experience. Wherein the vessels serve no function, they symbolize the dysfunction within families. I want to show how objects and their environment reflect one another, allowing for the possibility of human emotion.

I grew up along the California coast. The childhood experience of light reflected on the ocean, the sky, the sun, moon, and stars emerges as a strong voice in my artistic expression, often in very abstract ways. I love color and texture and to capture a truth, feeling, or mood that can best be found or expressed through the natural world. I generally paint outside where I can feel the natural elements. I use vibrant colors, texture variations, and layers of mediums, often including natural or reused objects as collage elements in my art. My art captures a fleeting feeling, created in a natural environment.