Safety Is Joy

James Wolfgang Rogers. Born in Illertissen Germany, currently, my domicile is Denver, Colorado.

My photographic genres are industrial, modernism, geometric expressionism, and urbanism. I am also exploring landscape photography and aerial photography. My subjects are eclectic and encompass statues, factories, railroads, cities, street scenes, nature, metal, architecture, and aerial. My vision is modern, progressive, visionary, and serendipitous. As I live and work in downtown Denver, I have been concentrating on large abstract buildings and window reflections.

Safety is Joy is an expression of opposing dynamics. African Americans working under the direction of a white supervisor, as the power dynamics that are expressed in the photograph stand out, and the white man looks at the camera in a condescending way. I love the subject of the photograph, but I hate what it portrays and stands for.

Sailing

Karen Sachs has been expressing her soul through her art for many years, and it sure doesn’t lie. Her passion for colors, creativity, and transparency with the world has been seen in every piece she puts out. Summer has its own story to tell, and so does Karen’s work. Her skill comes to life with every brushstroke, swipe of the palette knife, or whatever medium is used. Her artwork is playful, like summertime. We go on a journey into her inner world, where emotions, feelings, and experiences no longer hide and come together in sync. For an instant, we can see beyond the surface into the unknown -to a raw and authentic place within ourselves- it almost feels like magic! Each new work by Karen brings viewers insight into her larger-than-life perspective which is why it’s no surprise that she continues to have remarkable success exhibiting shows all across the US and winning awards recognizing her talent.

Discovering my true self through the vibrant world of painting has been an incredible journey. From the first stroke on a blank canvas, my soul awakened as a burst of color and emotion exploded onto the scene. Electric blue swirls danced beside rich purples and fiery reds, capturing the essence of my feelings.

Through my landscapes, I celebrate the beauty and joy of life. I embrace freedom and creativity with my abstract pieces, letting my imagination run wild. And when I play with oil pastels, blending them with my fingers, I feel an undeniable connection to the world around me. It’s a natural and exhilarating way to express myself.

Creating art is more than just a hobby; it’s a transformative experience. It allows me to uncover the truth within myself and share my authentic nature with the world. Join me on this colorful adventure, and let art reveal the depths of your soul too.

Sailing

I have a Bachelor of Arts in Art from California State University-Sacramento and a Master of Art in Art Education ( emphasis on museum education) from the University of Texas- Austin.

I have taught art, managed an art gallery in Japan, and served as the special events coordinator at a museum.

My work has been displayed at three public libraries in San Antonio, Texas, and exhibited at the Crooked Tree Art Center in Petoskey Michigan. Several pieces have been accepted in o international online juried exhibitions. I have received several portraits and other commissions from private individuals.
When I am not planning or dreaming of another trip to Europe or deciding which art class to explore, I continue to draw, paint, and visit exhibitions.

My paintings are all about conveying an emotion in a positive way. Whether it is a figure, portrait, or another subject that I have observed or studied, I prefer to see beauty. Because of my Pollyanna outlook, my chosen colors are usually softer and more realistic. It is not my intent to point out the more undesirable parts of life and the world. I only want the viewer to identify with the happy things.

Sailing

Virginia Primozic was born in New Mexico, but has been nomadic since the age of six, her journey including Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Texas, and France. Virginia’s mother was also a professional artist, working primarily in oils, and it was through her influence that Virginia first began to consider paper as a primary medium.

Virginia’s condensed list of influences includes familiar names from the world of collage, such as Braque, Matisse, and Peter Blake. Closer to home, Virginia appreciates the way Edward Gonzales uses blocks of color, and the way Bill Baker doesn’t blend his pastels. She also draws inspiration from artists working in a variety of other media.

Virginia holds an Associate of Applied Arts in Gallery Management from Santa Fe Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. She has won awards in mixed media and recognition from the National Collage Society. Virginia’s work has also been selected for the permanent collections of public art at the Albuquerque International Airport, the McKinley County Courthouse, Central New Mexico Community College, and the Gallup New Deal Art Virtual Museum.

Virginia currently lives and works in Gallup, NM, on the southern edge of the Navajo Nation, surrounded by the beauty of the southwest’s high desert landscape.

I “paint” with paper, applied to canvas with clear acrylic. Sometimes a paper is just the right shade; otherwise, multiple layers and combinations are required to achieve the right hue and intensity. Organic papers, infused with natural colors and fibers, add their own beauty―some thin enough to function as a glaze, others heavy and difficult to control. Each work is an experiment, as I layer combinations of the various papers’ unique textures, weights, and colors. While influenced by historical figures of collage art such as Matisse and Peter Blake, I am focused on using paper to create the effect of paint on the canvas. The process is both challenging and satisfying.

Paper unifies my work, no matter the subject. I choose motifs that are meaningful to me, impress me with their intensity and depth of color, or that communicate simple truth, goodness, and beauty. I hope to draw my viewers into a shared moment, memory, or emotion beyond the rendering on the canvas.

Sailing

Brigitte currently lives in Switzerland. She is a self-taught photographer inspired by her grandfather as a child; thus, she chose to bear his name as an artist to honour him. Travelling the globe with an analog camera in her twenties, she gained experience in landscape, travel, and street life photography. Nowadays, she is also experimenting with other approaches, like abstract, and is shooting digitally. Her work has been published in international art magazines and books. Two of which are special editions about her artwork at Docu Magazine. Her photography was exhibited physically and virtually at galleries in the UK, the USA, the EU, Switzerland, Canada, the West Indies, Asia, and more. One of her main exhibitions was at Artexpo New York in April 2025, at ArtBasel in June, and at SpectrumMiami.

Her photography has been distinguished with honourable mentions, merit awards, a bronze award at Pispa, a first prize from HMVC Gallery NY, and a nomination at the 1839 Awards in the urban category.

Currently, she is working on three long-term projects; the aim is to have them published.

My favourite photographic approaches are landscape, street life, and abstract photography. Landscape and Abstract as moments of peace of mind, my eyes are amazed by the beauty of nature. Soothing my soul. Street life was moments of exhilaration, being ready at any minute to shoot a scene that caught my eye. A scene of life, of youth, of the ordinary, of joy,(of despair sometimes). A scene I am drawn to by my emotions, thus mostly candid. My photographs tell a story; the point is to share it with the viewer. May the viewer see my story or see a story linked to their life. If we were to meet, we could communicate and share our stories and create a new one. To me, communication is essential in our daily lives.

Influences 2 made me think of the people I meet daily, mostly people who have come from faraway lands. With this first image titled ´Brixton’, I would like to pay tribute to those who allowed me to get close, trusted me, and gave me more than they know. I grew as a person and saw them find a place in their new home.

The second photograph is ´Sailing’, sailing on the lake. The lake that saw me grow up. The waters that are so soothing to me are always. I will forever be grateful to have had the chance to see it stay for all these years. A place to come back to.

Sailing On A Snowy Day

Aphrodite Vairaktaris is an artist and photographer based in New York City. A native New Yorker, Ms. Vairaktaris enjoys the excitement of the City but oftentimes looks to the ocean and quiet forested trails around the tri-state area for reflection and quiet conversation with nature. She takes inspiration from nature but also through experiences.

Ms. Vairaktaris works with various media, from acrylics to pencils; from water-soluble oils to watercolors and pastels. Her varied artwork has been exhibited online and at several in-person exhibitions throughout the United States from 2019 to the present, her most recent in-person exhibition being at Laguna Beach, California, in July 2023

A native New Yorker, I enjoy the excitement of the City but oftentimes look to the ocean and quiet forested trails to reflect and have quiet conversations with nature. I take inspiration from her as well as my life experiences. I work with various media, from acrylics to pencils; from water-soluble oils to pastels.

Sailing Take Me Away

Barbara West is an orthodontist and an artist. She studied art at the University of Pittsburgh, Rhode Island School of Design, Boston Museum of Art school, and the De Cordova Museum School. She has taken numerous workshops including Wolf Kahn, Greg Kondos, Sam Savitt, and Brian Blood.

Her style is contemporary realism. Her mediums include oil, pastel, and monotypes. Her subjects include landscapes, still lifes, boats, horses, and figures. Barbara attempts to capture the effects of light and atmosphere on her subjects.

Barbara has been juried for and won awards in numerous shows.

I try to paint things that inspire my soul. I try to show the effects of light and atmosphere on my subjects all the while trying to convey how my subject made me feel.

Sam

Virginia Primozic is an artist working in the paper medium, currently living in Gallup, NM. Her work encompasses landscapes, portraits, florals, and abstracts, as well as “car portraits.”

Like many people, her first experiences in art were with crayons and finger paint, but unlike some, those early endeavors were guided by her mother, also a professional artist. While collage artists like Matisse and Peter Blake are influences for her, Virginia also draws inspiration from painters such as New Mexico artists Bill Baker and Edward Gonzales.

Virginia enjoys painting New Mexico scenes, but also chooses a variety of subjects that are meaningful to her, impress her with their intensity and color, or communicate simple truth, goodness, and beauty. She considers her work successful if it touches more than the viewer’s eye and draws them into a shared moment, memory, or emotion beyond the limited expression of the subject.

As one writer has observed, we live on a tilt-a-whirl in the middle of a carnival–stuck to a rotating watery ball, revolving around a gigantic star, spinning through a galaxy, whirling through the universe. How are we not dizzy all the time? Inspiration comes in myriad forms from these involuntary, yet glorious treks around the sun.

My work is unified by the non-traditional use of paper. I strive to create the effect of painting using only the colors and textures already present in handmade papers. I apply the paper to the canvas with an acrylic medium. Every work is an experiment, as each color or layered combination changes as it dries.

Like most artists, I choose subjects that are meaningful to me or impress me with their intensity and depth of color, or that communicate simple truth, goodness, and beauty. My work is successful when it touches more than the viewer’s eye and draws them into a shared moment, memory, or emotion beyond the limited expression of the subject.

Sanctuary

Wo Schiffman is a Dutch American artist living in Hawaii. She studied painting in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Art Student’s League of NY, and the Cleveland Institute of Art. Her work has been exhibited in Europe, Australia, the United States, and Canada. In addition to her art studies, she holds a BA and a graduate degree in Philosophy. Museum Group exhibitions include: Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, NY Hall of Science Museum, Hosby Konsthall Print Museum (Stockholm), Museum of Encaustic Art, Museum of Northern California Arty. In addition, she was featured in the European Cultural Commission’s Pavilion in Venice during the 2024 Venice Biennale. Solo Exhibitions include: Atlantic Gallery (NYC: 2019 & 2026), San Francisco Women Artists Gallery (San Francisco: 2021 & 2024), O’Hanlon Center for the Arts (Mill Valley, CA: 2024), Seacoast Artists Association Gallery (Exeter, NH: 2018). Her work is in several private and museum collections.

As a student of philosophy and art, I use a visual narrative to explore questions of time, reality, and being human. Drawing from natural forms (rocks, plants, microbes, and interstellar objects), I explore a visual lexicon to express my experiences and observations. Materials are an integral part of my art practice: I make paint using ground pigments, beeswax (both cold and hot), inks, and recycled paints. My tools and brushes include handmade brushes (goat, horse, and squirrel hair), reeds and collected grasses, recycled wood, and stone. My work poses questions of perspective and what it means to be human in a natural world. I strive for a conversation with my viewers about their own stories and experiences triggered by my visual offerings.