Lotus Rising
Linda Pasca is an artist and calligrapher who lives in eastern Long Island, New York.
She graduated from The Cooper Union School of Art in 1989. As a student of Master Calligrapher Don Kunz, she became deeply inspired by the art form. Not long after college, she created Pen & Paper, a company that specialized in calligraphy and the design of custom wedding and event stationery and calligraphic works. She worked with and for high-profile clientele and event planners. Her work was featured and published in numerous magazines including Bride’s, Town & Country, and HC&G (Hamptons Cottages and Gardens). As her exposure grew, she also became sought after for commissioned portraits, paintings, drawings, and wall murals.
When the event industry abruptly stopped in 2020, Linda seized the opportunity to change course and immerse herself in painting. One year later she obtained a three-month solo exhibition and a few galleries to represent her work. She mainly paints with oil on large canvases and her subject matter ranges from the natural world and realism to symbolism and figurative paintings
Painting is a necessary part of my daily spiritual practice. It is a way for me to tap into an inner resource that informs how I observe, internalize, and connect to all of life. The resulting work is infused with emotion, symbolism, and spiritual value.
Inspiration is drawn from the natural world, animal spirits, women’s empowerment, the written word, and dream imagery. Common throughout the work is a symbolic red road or red image. In some native American cultures, the Red Road signifies one’s spiritual path. The Japanese legend of the Red Thread illuminates that our personal encounters are interwoven and predestined. These concepts influence my thought process and approach.
My paintings are a poetic journey that explores emotional connections to structure, fluidity, realism, other realms, and the various dimensions of our souls.
As my own daily spiritual practice unfolds, it reflects in my work; much like a dance of being.
Love
Svetlana Loytra is an artist, photographer, and poet from Odesa, Ukraine. Born on September 1, 1970. She is a member of the National Association of Artists and Sculptors of Ukraine.
Svetlana received two higher educations: an architect and a journalist. Graduated from the school of digital art photography Photo Traveler – Certificate.
In 2000, she participated in the Art and Shuk fair organized by the Mordukh Midzhan Arts Center in Ashdod, Israel.
In 2018, Svetlana took a course in pastel painting at the Perotti School and the course “Academic drawing” at the School of Academic Drawing in Moscow – Certificates of completion.
In 2019, she took part in a large autumn plein air at the Academic Dacha named after I. E. Repin – Certificate.
In 2020-2021, artistic expeditions were carried out to unknown places in Ukraine: the Carpathians (Dolyna, Vygoda, New Mizun), and Buksky canyon (Cherkasy).
In 2021, she took part in the open air at the Sednev House of Creativity of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine.
Svetlana Loytra’s paintings are in private collections in Ukraine, Russia, Austria, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Israel, Germany, Italy, Spain, the USA, and so on. Some of these paintings were painted 25 years ago.
In 2021, she took part in the International Art Competitions:
2021 ALL LANDSCAPE. Art Exhibition & Competition. Annapolis, Maryland – Judges Choice Award Certificate;
“NATURE” ART EXHIBITION. Art Room Gallery – Merit Award Certificate;
Water 2021. Colors of Humanity Art Gallery. Everett, Pennsylvania – Certificate;
LUMIÈRE. Art Fluent. Boston, Massachusetts;
I Want to Believe 2021. Biafarin Inc. Ontario, Canada – Certificate;
FORESTS & MEADOWS. Gray Cube Gallery – Certificate.
SUMMER 2021 Artist Grant competition. Art Show International Gallery. Los Angeles, California – Special Mention Award Certificate
Svetlana continues to participate in international art contests, exhibitions, plein airs, and residences.
Now Svetlana is in Moldova due to the war in Ukraine.
My paintings have always been based on the beauty of nature and flowers. I want to convey human feelings and the transience of life through eternal values, so any landscapes and still lifes often become philosophical reflections, in which insignificant details are given an important place. I’ve always wanted to talk to the audience about what we don’t notice in our everyday life.
Love
Dasha Klymenko is a Ukrainian-born and Canadian-based multidisciplinary artist who has been living and working in Toronto Canada since 2005.
Dasha was born in Kharkov, where she received her art education at the Kharkov State Academy of Design and Arts, specializing in design.
Dasha creates aesthetic and conceptual works of art in drawing, sculpture, collage, and photography that speak to the viewer about the eternal – love and life in the infinite space of the Universe.
It all begins with Love. My art explores the order of the world, Life as a result, and Love as the primary element – the core according to the formula: Love = Unified Creative Energy of Life = God = Universe = Nature = Human. ( In God, I understand the supreme principle, universal across all religious denominations.)
The key pillars of my creativity emerge from the phenomena of the unconscious, allegorical expression, and romanticism as heralds of art.
At its core, my modernist art is a journey toward knowledge, a better world, mutual understanding, and essence. In the contemporary metamodern context, such a manifestation is a return to what is accessible to humanity – a unified truth.
I adhere to the principle of reduction, moving from the essential to the secondary. In painting, I have forsaken realism in favor of abstraction, and then color in favor of a two-component image, where black and white become the essence, the quintessence representing my way of perceiving the duality of the world.
I create abstract expressionism with an ink pen on paper. There is no room for randomness or arbitrary excess. The pen and paper allow me to be in direct contact with the Unified Creative Energy of Life and express deep, complex, multi-component artistic messages in a precise, fast, flexible manner with maximum detail and freedom.
In addition to graphics, I create sculptures, collages, and photography, which enable me to work with surfaces and volumes and give me the freedom to express ideas and place the necessary semantic accents.
Thus, my visual language, through symbols, constructs a cosmogony, immersing the viewer in the artistic space of love, where they come to the center of themselves and to God.
Love
Gayle Printz picked up her first paintbrush in May of 2020 to reflect upon the beauty remaining in a world interrupted by the pandemic. By July, her paintings were on exhibit in Europe, and, by November, her work was on permanent exhibit in France at Le Musée de Peinture de Saint-Frajou. Printz’s artworks have won 1500 international awards and prizes, been in countless worldwide exhibitions, and are the subject of leading art publications. A renowned World Master Artist, Printz is now considered one of the most important contemporary artists of our time.
Printz’s ground-breaking style is defined by unique color choices, distinctive brushstrokes, and a palpable sense of artistic freedom. She is famous for easily painting across artistic genres: from abstract, modernistic, expressionistic, geometric, and post-Impressionistic to paintings reminiscent of 19th Century Masters. Asked how she does this, Printz confesses she may be an “unintentional artistic rule-breaker.” As an artist without training, she is simply unaware of the rules. “And in a world without rules, the artistic possibilities are endless.” Her unparalleled abstract talent has not gone unnoticed. Lining the walls of prominent global art collectors, Printz’s paintings rank among the most sought-after art investments in the world.
There is profound universal and personal meaning in Printz’s paintings. But believing the importance of art is based upon the emotion it evokes, Printz will neither define that meaning nor intrude upon your journey to find what makes her work meaningful to you. Use your imagination to find the magic for which Gayle is famous: Her paintings somehow change with the angle of your gaze: “As with life, the meaning in my work depends upon the way you look at it.” Simply embrace the unfamiliar, and Printz’s paintings create intrigue and value that can inspire all People to celebrate the beauty in life.
Art is a universal language. It transcends boundaries. It allows us to communicate, find meaning, and experience the world together. At the height of the pandemic, as we were experiencing the world as one, there were thoughts and feelings I needed to express. I had no artistic training. In May 2020, I used a paintbrush to bring light back to a world darkened by COVID-19. Choosing to reflect upon the beauty that remained, I now want to share this truly inspirational journey with those willing to listen to the whispers of their imagination.
My creative process begins with choosing colors that will complement one another, or not complement one another, depending upon how I feel. Color, movement, and texture become the focus of my composition as I explore where the paint takes me. Because I am what you might refer to as a blank slate, I do not have anyone else’s style to unlearn in order to express my own. I can fearlessly lose myself in the painting. The absence of training gives me the freedom to experiment and, by doing so, create a painting unlike anything I have yet to experience. It can be difficult to get past the distractions inherent in abstract art because the meaning is not defined for the viewer as it might be in works of classic painters. Though not purely abstract, my work does create a non-literal view of the world. Every painting tells a story. My contribution is to create a painting that entices you to wonder and think about what that story might be. By translating the colors of my world into the universal language of art, I summon you to assign personal meaning and universal context in the intangible beauty of art guided only by the whispers of your imagination.
Love At First Remembrance
Christina Cowan is a full-time artist in Connecticut, as well as a licensed social worker. She has transitioned away from social work into a professional oil painter, taking with her a new love and appreciation for the simple and positive aspects of life, which is reflected in her art through emotions and themes. She grew up surrounded by art, as both her mom and aunt were artists and have shared an art studio together. Christina is currently a student with the Milan Art Institute in their Mastery Program where her art has grown immensely and she has truly found her voice and unique artistic style. Notably, she has been accepted into multiple juried shows at Artists’ Cooperative Gallery of Westerly, Hygienic Art Gallery, Essex Art Association Gallery, and Spectrum Gallery; through Arts to Hearts Project she has been published in their 101 Art Books: Floral Edition, 101 Art Books: Animal Edition, Arts to Hearts Project book – Colors, Arts to Hearts Project book – Art and Women, Arts to Hearts Project book – The Emerging Artist’s Handbook: Insights from 100 Emerging Women Worldwide, as well as their magazine and virtual art exhibit on the theme of colors; is a member of Women in Arts Network; and has had her own solo gallery showing at the Clinton Art Gallery where she is now the Gallery Manager.
Creating art feels like I am being the most authentic and true version of myself. I feel as though I was born to make art, look at art, be art. My artistic voice focuses on the beauty of women, empowering them through the use of poetry and glamorous colors, texture, and fashion. My creative process starts out with focusing on a general emotion for a series of paintings such as self-love, using your voice, empowerment, love, growth, etc. I will start out with sketching and then collaging with scrapbook papers, fabrics, quotes, and a variety of pastes to add depth and a storyline to the painting. Then I will use spray paint and paint markers, going into transparent oils to do washes and glazes. Finally, a few layers of opaque oils and a touch of cold wax mixed with oil finish off the paintings. Art makes life beautiful and I love that I can share that with the world and make people feel joy, awe, happiness, and empowerment just by looking at my art.
Love In The Age Of COVID-19
Though born and raised in California, John Scrudder has called Noth Carolina his home since 1997. He served active duty in the United States Army for 11 years and has worked the past 13 years as a DOD GS Civilian. Aside from his abstract creations created in his free time, he battles creatures from beyond the 8th dimension for the benefit and protection of all humankind. He lives in Fayetteville with his wife Melanie, his son, Tiziano, and their dog, Sir William.
When I finish any of my pieces I am physically, emotionally, and mentally drained. I know I created what I was supposed to create. I didn’t know what it would be beforehand, but when I step back and look it, I know it was exactly what it was supposed to be.
Love Is A Special Gift
Amelie Monira Egenolf is a talented German artist, born with a passion for painting that she has nurtured since childhood. In 2017, she began taking various art courses to hone her skills and by 2019, she had started her own art business. Since then, Amelie has held exhibitions all over the world, showcasing her exceptional artistry and unique perspective on life.
Amelie Monira Egenolf is proud to have had the opportunity to display her artwork in some of the world’s most renowned art institutions, such as the Louvre in Paris, as well as in major cities across Europe and beyond. Her love for painting and the happiness it brings to others is her driving force, her life elixir.
Living with her family in South Germany near Switzerland, Amelie Monira Egenolf’s journey as an internationally selling artist has taken her across different continents such as Asia, Europe, New Zealand, and South America. Each of these places has its unique beauty and culture, which has inspired her to learn from local artists and their techniques. Through this experience, Amelie Monira Egenolf has gained a unique perspective on the world, seeing its beauty and elegance through the eyes of locals, broadening her horizons and opening her heart.
Oil is Amelie Monira Egenolf’s favorite medium, and she also works with acrylic and other mediums. She has a special fondness for seascapes, which reflects her love for traveling, and painting scenes from her dreams gives her art a unique and surreal quality. She hopes to bring the same joy to others that she felt while painting those dreamscapes or from her travels to breathtaking destinations. Amelie Monira Egenolf’s art is a reflection of her adventurous spirit and her love for life.
“My name is Amelie Monira Egenolf. I grew up in South Germany in Asian gardens created by my family and lived in New Zealand, Mexico, Venezuela, and Berlin. Since a very young age, I’m painting and every piece of art is coming from my heart. With colorful shining colors and various art techniques, I want to express my deepest spiritual feelings on the canvas.
Some of my themes are buddhas, water scenes, wild animals, florals, and abstract paintings with portraits. I love to express my foreign experiences from my travels in different ways and with my own unique style. Painting is a joyful, freeing, and meditative process for me. It is a means to express myself in colors, shapes, and textures that which cannot be conveyed through language alone.
With my own spiritual focus in my work, I love to express myself with mixed media and create art with real and surreal elements. In my expressive paintings, I use acrylic- and oil paints, oil pastels, different kind of inks and markers, and gold leaf and spray paint. Expressive bright colors dominate the overall picture.“
Love Is Here
Bobby J. Jones was born and raised in Texas from 1966 to 1989. Jones attended Texas Tech University and graduated from his family’s alma mater with a BFA in Art (Painting and Drawing) in 1989. Bobby moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and attended The University of New Mexico. He received his master’s degree in Art Education (Museum Education, Ceramics, and Photography) in 1994. Jones worked in Retail Management in California for 12 years and Customer Service for 4 years in New Mexico. He currently works for Albuquerque Public Schools. Even though Bobby has lived in Texas, California, and New Mexico, he considers New Mexico home!!!
Bobby is a Lifetime Member of Alpha Phi Omega, Golden Key National Honor Society, and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. He was a member of the now-closed Matrix Fine Art Gallery. Jones is also a member of The New Mexico Imaginative Arts Collective and The Art Posse at First Unitarian Church.
He continues to exhibit his artwork at different art galleries in Albuquerque (The Tortuga Gallery, The South Broadway Cultural Center, The Albuquerque Open Space Visitor’s Center, and The Gallery With A Cause at The New Mexico Cancer Center). He also exhibits his art online through international art exhibits through The Biafarin Company in Ontario, Canada. Jones also creates publications of his coloring books, his photography, and his artwork. These publications are available on Amazon and online through Barnes & Noble. Jones has a website through Art Storefronts. www.bobbyjonesart.com. Where art lovers can buy prints and artwork from this artist!!!
Living in New Mexico, I reflect upon childhood memories of my mother in Texas. She loved butterflies and hearts and would display images of these two beautiful objects in her kitchen. These objects have found their way into my artwork. I have a layered approach to my mixed-media paintings. First, I paint wavy bands of colors, bright and dark, to give contrast and depth to my paintings. Next, I draw upon the painted surface of my paintings with metallic and permanent color ink markers. These combined techniques create a three-dimensional effect in the appearance of my mixed media paintings.
Love Letters
Karen Safer is a photographic artist, writer, and poet with a musical bent who lives at the edge of the Pacific Ocean. As a native Angelino, she was given a camera and crayons at 3 and exposed to dominant California motifs: light, palm trees, the ocean, music, and vernacular architecture that helped define and influence her left-handed aesthetic. She was influenced by her dad (amateur calligrapher and photographer) who developed black & white photos in their back washroom/turned darkroom and by her mother’s love of history, language, and thirst for knowledge and travel.
Early on, she was greatly influenced by movies, music, books, plays, history, and art from the ancient Babylonians to Vermeer to Atget and Cindy Sherman. She has a master’s degree in art, and a career in design and architecture, exhibited in 12 solo shows, 300+ international galleries, museums, and magazines including London, Rome, Glasgow, Budapest, Athens, Prague, Paris, Barcelona, Sao Paulo and from California to New York, winning 240+ Talent, Merit and Honorable Mention Awards and represented in private collections. She is a self-described “romantic soul” with intellectual cravings and a lover of Jazz, Rock & Roll (the background soundtrack of her youth), basketball, and baseball.
She is listed in Who’s Who of Professional Women 2023 and was most recently honored with First Prizes for ABSTRACT and ARCHITECTURE photography in the prestigious 21st Julia Margaret Cameron Award and Black & White Spider Awards (Nominee).
She was fortunate to begin a life of travel as a pre-teen that shaped her love of the exotic, paired with an eye for the formal, accidental, and “unusual” while subliminally seeking the beauty that jiggled the lens/frame of her eye. She has experienced and photographed in over 230 countries/territories of the earth.
“A photographer has the whole world big or small to capture.” – kjs
Influences: I am a student of art, architecture, history, literature, film, and music. I have been heavily influenced by so many sources but here I’ve chosen to highlight art and photography influences from Hopper to Cartier-Bresson and from Atget to Cindy Sherman. So many influences on life from cities to nature to music and art. I love color and all its vibrance while I venerate black and white. I embrace all the many influences that have touched my art and my life deeply.