Rhododendron
Lael Salaets has been drawing since his earliest childhood. Since his family moved often, creativity enabled him to cope with change.
He enlisted in the US Marines and was stationed at Okinawa, Japan. There, he studied Eastern philosophy, art, and culture. Wabi-sabi, the idea that nothing is perfect, finished, or permanent, influenced much of his pencil work. After his deployment to Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, drawing became a meditative process to cope with PTSD.
He studied fine art and design at the University of Oregon and Lane Community College, where he received a scholarship and an AAS in graphic design.
He resides in Eugene and is a member of the Maude Kerns Art Center and the Oregon Society of Artists based in Portland.
My primary medium is graphite and colored pencil. Much of my work is inspired by wabi-sabi, a philosophy that nothing is perfect, finished, or permanent. Thus, the experience of drawing is a focused, meditative process to observe and capture subjects at a particular moment of interest. Through the use of subtle layers, color depth, and a broad range of values, the composition emerges. I seek to achieve balance, the proportional relationship of abstract shapes into positive and negative space. The sweep of pencil marks and how they flow together develops a strong framework, resulting in imagery that evokes a sense of calm and appreciation for the present and the unfinished imperfection of reality.
Rice University Arches
I was educated to be a scientist with a Ph.D. in Physics, but after finishing Post Doctoral work at Los Alamos, New Mexico, I took a position in the research department of a Multi-National Oil company where I did fundamental research to image the interior of the earth. It was here that I learned the fundamentals of signal processing that I now use for photography. I spent a career with this company performing both research and operational oil exploration. It was a great opportunity to travel and see the world.
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.
Ricky
Kat McDonough is an artist living and working in Los Angeles. She is a graduate of Otis College of Art & Design. She has shown her work throughout Los Angeles. She’s been a member of SCBWI and 818 Creates. She is a multi-media artist whose materials range from cardboard to printmaking. She worlds 2d and 3d formats. Her most recent collection included monoprints on paper incorporated into her mixed media paintings.
I work as a mixed media artist, incorporating painting, printmaking, and drawing in each piece. My work always starts with a protagonist in mind. I want the viewer to feel an emotional exchange with a portrait. To be drawn into my landscapes and connect with the objects in my still life paintings.
Collage is a deliberate and forgiving process. I enjoy how contemplative and similar it is to writing. Monoprinting can be unruly with fortuitous results. The combination of the two adds depth to my work that I could not achieve with a paintbrush alone. I want viewers to delight in a myriad of abstract shapes, explore the fusion of color, and feel the tension or synergy between them. Imploring the viewer to return to the artwork over and over.
During my career, much of my work has included owls, dogs, and people. Recently I’ve been inspired by the flora and fauna in my yard and the California landscape. This has expanded my subject matter. I’m always striving to refine my work. Wanting to convey emotion, information, and decoration with minimal detail so that each piece is complete yet still holds space for the viewer.
Rio Grand
I have been expressing my joy in art with paint, shapes, and colors since I was very young. I started as a painter, evolved into a photographer, and eventually began hand-painting on my Cibachrome prints over 35 years ago. Before Photoshop, I found a way to express a new magical reality with the vivid, saturated, and unrealistic colors I painted into each individual photographic print.
For the past 30 years, I have been scanning my one-of-a-kind hand-painted prints and my library of 35mm Kodachrome color transparencies taken over the last 50 years. I paint, combine, and enhance them with Photoshop, creating my own idyllic world!
My art has been shown worldwide in many solo exhibitions, including:
Butler Institute of American Art, Ohio; Colarinda Gallery, Lisbon, Portugal; MAD Gallery, Milan, Italy; Demenga Gallery, Paris, France & Basel, Switzerland; Carnegie Art Museum, Oxnard, CA; Laguna Art Museum, CA; Petersen Automotive Museum, LA, CA; LA County Natural History Museum, CA; Monterey Museum of Art, CA; Nancy Hoffman Gallery, NYC, NY; L’Image Gallery, Rome, Italy; Louis Stern Gallery, West Hollywood, CA; Wall Space Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA.
I have been included in countless group exhibits and Art Fairs around the world. It has been in many magazines, on book covers, and in two museum exhibition catalogs, and two books have been published of my art, Garden Tales and Car Tales. Over the last 15 years, I have had the honor of being asked to install my art in many wonderful public spaces, mainly at UCLA and UCSB, all on exhibit indefinitely!! I installed more than 70 large artworks at the UCLA Law Library and UCLA Anderson School of Management, including a 5’x10′ commission.
In 2018, I had a 4-month exhibition entitled “Jane Gottlieb Photographs France” at the UCSB Art, Design & Architecture Museum!
Vivid colors, altered perspectives, strong compositions, beautiful and unique images: this is my art. I welcome all to a contemporary Wonderland with strong theatrical effects, and classic compositions, enhanced with my trademark saturated colors!! As an artist all my life, I have been creating artworks with my lifetime collection of photographs taken traveling all over the world and the magic of Photoshop. My art has been exhibited in galleries & museums across the US, Asia, and Europe, featured in numerous magazines and books, and displayed in all the main international art expos. My art is collected in many public and private collections, and museum collections.
Rio Rancho, NM
Victoria’s journey with watercolor began in her early childhood, where she found joy in the fluidity and unpredictability of the medium. Over the years, she honed her skills and developed a distinctive style characterized by delicate washes, intricate details, and a harmonious blend of colors. Her work is celebrated for its ability to convey not just the visual splendor of her subjects but also the emotional and sensory experiences they evoke.
As an artist captivated by the fluidity of watercolors & acrylics, I strive to evoke emotion and nostalgia through the delicate interplay of pigment and water on paper. Each brushstroke is a dance, a conversation between hues and transparency, as I seek to capture fleeting moments of beauty and introspection. My work celebrates the ephemeral nature of life, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the tranquility.
Rise
Julia Forrest is a Brooklyn-based artist. She works strictly in film and prints in a darkroom she built within her apartment. Her own art has always been her top priority in life and in this digital world, she will continue to work with old processing. Anything can simply be done in photoshop, she prefers to take the camera, a tool for showing reality, and experiment with what she can do in front of the lens.
Julia is currently working as a teaching artist at the Brooklyn Museum, Abrons Art Center, and USDAN Center. As an instructor, she thinks it is important to understand that a person can constantly stretch and push the boundaries of their ideas with whatever medium of art s/he choose. Her goal is for her audience to not only enjoy learning about photography but to see the world in an entirely new way and continue to develop a future interest in the arts.
A woman turns a mirror towards the viewer, breaking up the solid environment. She interacts with the landscape she wanders in, blending into the background, changing with scale, or holding a part of the landscape itself. The whole image becomes a pictorial illusion and as the photographer, I am in complete control of the composition.
These women misleadingly appear docile, yet possess a strong power. Without seeing their faces their identity becomes unimportant, the focus is on their performance. The variety of mirrors I use helps them blend into their surroundings, the mirror serving as an illusion to show off their power by changing the landscape at will.
Using a medium format film camera and no digital manipulation, I create an illusion within the lens. I challenge the notion of the landscape by referencing what makes a photograph: the women use their mirror to re-frame what I have framed and capture in their mirror like a camera captures in the lens.
Rise
Ja Young Hwang
Ja Young Hwang, Ph.D., received her Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Design degrees in fashion design from Kookmin University, Seoul, Korea. In 2013, she received her Doctor of Philosophy degree in apparel merchandising and design (with a concentration in apparel design) from Iowa State University. She began her teaching career in 2006. Before joining Kent State University, she was an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas, teaching undergraduate and graduate advanced product development courses and the CAD patternmaking software OptiTex. Dr. Ja Young Hwang is a designer and a design researcher with an interest in the aspect of designing that commonly recurs in design practice. Dr. Hwang is interested in an in-depth understanding of the nature of design thinking and implementation applied to design practice, particularly in fashion. Her empirical research, creative scholarship, and teaching activities have centered on exploring design thinking while using creative problem-solving techniques and experimentation to produce innovative design solutions. Since 2013, Dr. Hwang has been focusing on building a body of scholarly knowledge in design thinking to support the application of design thinking to any model, discipline, technology, sustainability, business, and education.
Vince Quevedo
Vince Quevedo is a highly acclaimed designer and artist known for his work in fashion design, wearable arts, art quilts, and creative teaching methods. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Clothing and Textiles, a Master of Science degree in Workforce Education and Development, and a Master of Fine Arts in textiles/fiber from prestigious institutions. With 20 years of recognition, Quevedo has been a finalist and winner in the American Quilter’s Association’s design competition. He has also designed for the prestigious Bernina Fashion Show and holds four patents in functional and aesthetic design. Additionally, he owns Vinci Design Studios, offering organizations free equipment, fashion education, and consulting services. Professor Quevedo’s expertise and achievements make him a standout in his field.
Our artistic expression is intricately woven into human experiences, reflective practice, and experiential learning through creation. We utilize quilting, handcrafting, photography, and sophisticated exhibition methods to meticulously scrutinize diverse facets of contemporary culture and society. Positioned within the arts and culture domain, it honors human imagination as manifested through art and is prominently showcased in esteemed museums and galleries. Design thinking is fundamental to our methodology as we transform personal insights and concepts into tangible embodiments. Additionally, we innovatively harness digital technology to bring our ideas to life and craft a distinctive and captivating perspective for viewers to engage with.
Co-artists: Ja Young Hwang, Ph.D., and Vince Quevedo
Rise And Shine
Angela Chambliss is a long-time educator. She has taught her students to appreciate art and see things from different perspectives. In the last two years, she has explored a new medium of frozen bubble photography. Her artwork has been displayed in a number of galleries across the United States.
My work is inspired by the awe and wonder of nature that is revealed through the camera lens. Most times you will find me trekking through forests and exploring trails to capture the amazing beauty in quiet spaces. At others, you will find me blowing bubbles in freezing temperatures to capture unique crystallizations. Each bubble has a different pattern of crystallization based on many factors of air temperature, wind, and light.
Rise And Shine Spring Breakers
Heini Mika is a Finnish artist living and working in New York City. Heini holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Worcester (UK) and she also has a degree in Fine Art and Visual Communications from Finland’s prestigious Pekka Halonen Academy of Art. Heini’s paintings have received global recognition, being showcased on four continents in prominent locations such as NYC, Paris, the UK, the UAE, and Indonesia. Her artworks have been featured in many notable publications, including the British Vogue, and several of her pieces are cherished within private collections.
Heini’s ultra-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 important source of inspiration for Heini throughout her career as an artist and this can be observed in her rich and intriguing original artworks.
Since forever women have been the subject of great art, but rarely were we allowed to create great art. As a female artist living in the 21st Century, I find great inspiration in the female icons of the past. Famous women from Marie Antoinette to Miley Cyrus, have served as profound sources of inspiration for me, due to their distinctive styles and unique spirits. In my art practice, I explore the contrast between the public portrayal of the women I admire and their true selves. My aim is to discover how the images of these influential women, given by pop culture, impact and shape my own artistic impressions of them. Just like the women I paint, I am an unconventional woman in the eyes of my society and with my art practice I want to invite viewers to look past the glittering images and see the depth and complexity of the women I paint, myself included.
Ultimately, my work serves as a reflection and exploration of this complex dynamic. While my intention is to showcase the vibrant and visually captivating image that pop culture has crafted around the women I idolize, I also remain very conscious of the underlying darkness that hides beneath the surface of their seemingly lighthearted images.
As a Finn, I grew up on satire, dark humor, and happy endings and that is well reflected in my work. At first glance, my cartoonish mixed media paintings may depict my subject’s pop culture image perfectly, which is usually colorful, ditzy, and lacking in substance, but I am actually satirizing our perceptions of my female heroines. We are all guilty of prioritizing a person’s image over the narrative. But whether the viewer understands this duality or not, I still want them to have a good time when viewing my artwork.
I choose to work with acrylics, rhinestones, and glitters because their vibrant hues and plastic textures are well suited for creating eye-catching artworks that are unique to me, and perfect for the subject matter.