The Circle Lap Of Luxury
Atlanta-born visual artist, author, and fine art photographer, Wesley Channell is recognized for his contemporary artworks, which celebrate and reimagine the beauty of the human body. Channell is the storyteller behind the visual aesthetics and audacious subjects captured in his artwork.
Channell has published unique artworks including his most renowned project (displayed at Onessimo Gallery in Palm Beach, FL) The Human Canvas – a series that portrays renditions of 20th Century artworks illustrated on human bodies, by his collaborative body-painter, Alexis Logwood. Channell is also known for his Portraits of Serbia, The Circle, The Box, and a number of multi-dimensional photographic artworks.
Wesley Channell’s work is displayed at Onessimo Gallery in Palm Beach, Florida. In January of 2020, the Channell Art Collective team showcased The Human Canvas at Photo LA – the world’s longest-running international photographic art fair on the West Coast. A short month following, 21st Editions showcased the Human Canvas at the groundbreaking contemporary artwork fair, Scope New York.
My art is a thematic and contemporary work that evokes the conscious mind. Encompassing individuality and beauty with an abstract perspective of the human body. I’ve used my camera to create stories of meaning and beauty, whatever the subject matter. My influence has always been Western art and my composition style resembles painting, though I do most work in-camera with practical effects of lighting and props. All my images are consistent, I only shoot to create art. In my 20-year career, each image follows the same, evolving trajectory of beauty and meaning, it’s the only contribution to art I wish to make. I wish to show the world beauty through the use of light and composition. I want to show the beauty of the human body and give the gift of beauty to the world.
The City Of Freedom Dreams And Love
JJ Gonzalez Acosta is a visual artist from Valencia, Venezuela. He started his artistic journey back in 1990 when he was just 5 years old, learning beautiful techniques from his mother and aunts who are also artists. He began studying art formally at the age of 8 and later earned his B.A. in Arts Education and a master’s degree in management from Universidad de Carabobo in Valencia.
In 2017, he decided to pursue his American Dream and moved to Orlando, Florida. There, he developed a project teaching different art techniques and origami to adults and children to help promote their talents and discover their inner artists.
Gonzalez Acosta also has experience in curating and has worked with local theater in the cities of Orlando, and Kissimmee, Florida, as well as teaching art with Central Florida Community Arts.
In 2022, he relocated to New York City to keep writing stories with color and paintbrushes. He has had solo exhibitions at the New York Public Library in Hamilton Heights, and Morningside Heights respectively while working on a Broadway Portraits Collection that highlights the actors who tell stories on stage.
I strongly believe that art changes lives. By teaching art, I help others discover their inner artist, and write their own stories with color.
The Condition Of Life
Born, raised, and based in Seoul, South Korea, Jeong-Ah Zhang is a contemporary artist specializing in painting. Working also with photography and mixing, Jeong-Ah Zhang pushes us to the edge of ourselves and the world for deep meaning. Her surrealist paintings connect us to a world that exists inside-out and outside-in of our consciousness.
Jeong-Ah Zhang majored in fine arts at Ewha Women’s University in Seoul. She has shown in five solo shows in Korea, Canada, and the USA and participated in more than 60 group shows and art fairs in the USA, Korea, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and the UK. The artist has received 26 international awards and 15 in Korea, and has been exhibited internationally and featured in various publications.
My life is what I experience, and it is evidence of my life.
The oriental Buddhist philosophy that all things work mysteriously without a true substance is the basis of my work, but I am an atheist. My life and art are based on my own philosophical thoughts and experiences. I am interested in the philosophy of immanence and transcendence on all beings, and my works use symbols, metaphors, and imagery in the metaphysical world to express phenomena such as the nature of life, or the principle of the universe.
The universe repeats the cycle of creation and extinction. I think that the universe is the consciousness, unconsciousness, the borderland of consciousness, the five senses, awareness, and the subconscious state of mind. Therefore, I try to listen to all the conceptions of all things, have an open mind, and remember what resonates, and I do work like that. It’s a soul resonance, beyond the time frame. Basically, this means that I try to focus on the essence of life by establishing core values, and at the same time, I am trying to sublimate them into my works. Philosophical considerations on a visible world and an invisible world.
The Conversation Was Short And Sweet
Jen Solomon works in collage and mixed media on paper, layering paint, drawn marks, and gathered scraps. Her process is deliberately intuitive: she does not assign meaning so much as invite it through juxtaposition. New ideas surface from the friction between things not meant to coexist.
Her practice is a personal sorting ritual — a way to metabolize the flood of images encountered daily and turn visual junk into a form of poetry. By recombining fragments, she reorganizes how the world makes sense.
Solomon holds a BFA in Painting from SUNY Purchase College (1990). Since 2012, when collage became her medium of choice, she has participated in exhibitions throughout the United States.
These works that I am producing currently under the Emotional Cartography Series moniker are mixed media, collage, and various paints and mark-making media, in which I am striving to make visible the world of mystery from deep inside myself.
I call it intuitive art because I have no planned image in mind, or maybe I do, but I allow whatever needs to come out to be revealed and then obfuscate areas with layers of paint and further collaging to try to create a visually poetic map of my experience. It’s kind of like stone carving sculpture, really, where I am covering or revealing what needs to be hidden or revealed.
I often describe it like this: “My art is my way of taking all the millions of images inputted into my brain all day long and assembling them from junk into poetry.”
And couldn’t we all use a little more of that?
The Creation Of Land
Naona “Peaches” Wallin is an award-winning nature photographer who lives in the remote island community of Ketchikan, Alaska. Ketchikan is in the southern southeast region of Alaska, nestled deep in the Tongass National Forest, part of the largest intact temperate rainforest left on Earth! The Tongass earns the title of rainforest because it receives more than 13 feet of rain a year. Peaches enjoys the challenge of creating outdoor images in any weather.
As a nature photographer, she finds time spent in the field invaluable and considers nature her classroom. This has been true since she was a child growing up in the southeast Alaskan “bush.” For three years, she lived off-grid in the heart of the Tongass National Forest, a location only accessible by boat or floatplane. She describes life in the bush as “revolving around your ability to observe nature: the weather, tides, and seasons.”
While learning to read the landscape, Peaches formed a strong bond with Mother Nature, a connection that continues to influence her artistic process and practice today. As a child, she was fascinated by the surrounding scenery, from an awe-inspiring sunset to the wonder of rain splattering on the calm ocean surface. Her childhood admiration for the beauty of the Alaskan wild grew into a nature-inspired artistic intuition. Being in nature grounds her in the present. She sees beautiful imagery everywhere, and her creativity comes alive. Being raised in the Alaskan bush gave Peaches a grand sense of adventure. Two of her favorite “bucket list” experiences were photographing polar bears in the remote arctic village of Kaktovik and a doors-off helicopter tour in 2018 over Kilauea Volcano’s east rift zone eruption, on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Her images have been published in Alaska Magazine and featured in juried exhibitions across the lower 48 states, Alaska, and Hawaii. Three of her photograph’s are currently included in two Juried exhibition’s traveling throughout Alaska: Alaska Positive and Rarefied Light, Her awards include a solo exhibit at the Main Street Gallery titled Radiance in the Rainforest: Capturing the Northern Lights in Southeast Alaska, an off-grid wilderness experience as a Resident Artist at the Chulitna Creative Residency in Lake Clark National Park, Judges Choice-Scapes in North American Nature Photographers Association’s NANPA Showcase and Directors Choice in Art Fluent’s annual exhibit Into the Wild. Her past awards include an artist residency at Ernest Gruening State Historical Park near Juneau, Alaska, and Best Landscape in the AlaskaWILD Exhibition. As an active member of Ketchikan’s thriving art community, Peaches is a featured artist on local art walks, an exhibition juror, and an art fair vendor. Her goal is to bring people closer to nature through art. Peaches’ artwork reflects her passion for “photographing wildlife and wildlands few people see firsthand.”
My work focuses on nature photography, with a particular emphasis on wildlife and remote wilderness landscapes. It is a genre rooted in deep observation, emotional presence, and a commitment to capturing the quiet, often unseen moments of life in the natural world. My photographic practice is not just about aesthetics or documentation. It’s about conveying a lived, felt experience. The wilderness is not just a subject for me; it is a collaborator, a teacher, and a source of inspiration that has shaped every aspect of my artistic voice.
This connection began in childhood when my family lived off-grid for three years in the Tongass National Forest. Our remote homestead—accessible only by boat or floatplane—was surrounded by old-growth rainforest and the rhythms of the untamed natural world. That life required us to be in constant conversation with our surroundings: reading the weather, tracking tides, and observing seasonal shifts. It was in those formative years that I learned to see, hear, and feel the land in a way that has carried into my creative process. That early relationship with nature taught me that stillness, patience, and attentiveness reveal the most profound beauty, and those same principles guide my photography today.
Although photography is a visual medium, my process is deeply sensory and intuitive. Long before I press the shutter, I spend time grounding myself—listening to the rustle of wings overhead, the breath of a whale surfacing nearby, or spend hours admiring the star-filled sky, waiting for the Northern Lights to appear. I allow these sensory impressions to guide where I place my attention. Over time, I’ve come to trust these instincts; they lead me to compositions that hold emotional resonance, not just visual interest.
Each photograph I create is the result of this immersive engagement with place. My camera becomes a tool not just to capture what I see but to interpret what I feel. In this way, my work serves as a bridge between the outer world of wild nature and the inner landscape of memory, emotion, and wonder. I am especially drawn to moments of quiet magic—scenes where light, weather, and movement align in a way that reveals something timeless and sacred. These are the moments I try to hold and share.
Ultimately, my work exists at the intersection of fine art, environmental storytelling, and sensory experience. Through my images, I hope to awaken a sense of reverence, stillness, and belonging in the viewer. I want people to feel not only what I saw but also the awe, intimacy, and presence I experienced in that moment. My photography is a way of honoring the wild and inviting others to create or remember their own connection to it.
The Creeping Unknown
John Calabrese received his BA in Art from Catholic Univ., Washington, D. C., MFA in Painting from Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, and his Ph. D. in Comparative Arts from Ohio Univ., Athens. He is Professor Emeritus of Art at Texas Woman’s Univ. 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.””
Delicate nuance of value and texture becomes a tool in conveying powerful, dramatic statements about earthly beings who are not afraid to wonder, think, dream, and take that one step beyond.
The inhabitants of the cosmic atmosphere appear at odds with their surroundings (many of which are actual, specifically named astronomical objects). This is the result when the merely earthly confronts its unavoidable connection to the awe, mystery, and majesty of the heavens.
However, when fragile earthly beauty confronts sublime heavenly beauty, the earthly is reverently and silently humbled.
The Deep End
Creating is my nature. Creating unique, unpredictable art that intrigues the viewer is my passion. My obsession. I have a strong desire to create art that makes people think.
Being the daughter of an artist, art has been a part of my entire life. I’ve dabbled in many different mediums throughout and in 2018, my artistic soul was finally ready to come alive. I suppose I had an awakening. Creating is something I must do. It’s really fascinating creating art using mixed media. It’s much like building a structure one layer at a time. First the foundation and once that dries, I’ll add to it. One layer at a time. I want my art to have a rough texture but also a graceful and beautiful appearance. I want all of the layers of texture and color to show and have a purpose. I really enjoy challenging myself and experimenting with my art. It’s exciting to see how it will evolve in the future. This is my inspiration. This is my calling.
As a contemporary abstract mixed media artist, when I make art, I make art for myself. I’m not concerned about whether someone will like it or not. I think about four things: Does it bring me happiness? Is it unique? Will the viewer be drawn into it? And will it capture the viewers’ imagination? If I feel that I’ve achieved this, then I feel like I’ve succeeded as an artist. Then, when it’s completed, the bonus is how other people respond to it. I want someone to see my art and have it distract them from everything going on. I want them to be transported into the painting and back to a place that brought joy into their lives. Or even to a place in the future that gives happiness or a sense of tranquility. Look at the colors and shapes and allow yourself to imagine what they could represent to you. They can represent anything! A memory, object, animal, or even an emotional response.
The Dias 1960
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. I have had paintings in 8 live group shows at Jones Gallery in Kansas City, Missouri, and in many online shows. Recently, I have had work exhibited continuously at HMVC Gallery New York virtually since its inception. A wonderful gallery with wonderful artists! My poems have been published.in magazines, books, and at HVMOCA. I self-published a children’s book, ”Mr. Fine Goes to the Eye Doctor”. My principal artistic interest has been abstract painting and drawing for the last 10 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 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/drawing is a manifestation of my emotional state of both conscious and unconscious feelings.
The Diner Coming To America
Vivian Cavalieri is a self-taught conceptual artist. Raised primarily in Manhattan, she spent her childhood summers in Venice, where her father had been raised. Her sense of style and her palette reflect those summers.
Loving art, Cavalieri majored in art history while at Harvard University. Concluding that she lacked artistic talent because she was unable to paint or draw well, she decided to attend the New York University School of Law. Cavalieri spent the next 20 years representing nonprofits, including art museums and universities, with firms in New York and Washington, DC. The effect of so many years spent imposing order on chaos is reflected in her highly structured art.
Cavalieri spent the next ten years designing ornate multi-strand necklaces. Instinctively, her designs mirrored the opulent and ebullient Venetian style. She worked with an eclectic mix of beads — amber, abalone, shell, semiprecious stones, freshwater pearls, and in memory of her father, at least one Murano glass bead in each necklace.
More recently, Cavalieri began reflecting on the random acts of birth and circumstances that had surfaced during her life. She sought to give meaning to the necklaces she had designed merely as objects of beauty and began using segments in symbolic miniature scenes that highlight societal issues.
She crafts them in her studio overlooking her family oyster farm in Chincoteague, a remote island on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
Within one year, Cavalieri’s works have appeared in over 30 juried exhibitions. A documentary about one such exhibit — WOVEN France 2023 — is currently being edited by French filmmaker Lara Laigneau. The trailer can be seen at https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx72N5TtpyI/)
The goal of my art is to spark a conversation, either about human tendencies, such as attributing human characteristics to animals, or about complex social issues such as immigration.
Since my works are intimate in scale, I need viewers to approach before any conversation can begin. To draw them in, I design an attractive scene even when a topic may be disturbing. As viewers approach, they enter the scene, museum glass erasing any barrier caused by glare. The glass is set in a deep, custom frame that curves outward, embracing the viewer. At this point, a private conversation can begin.
I highlight issues rather than advocate a specific response. My art then serves as a reminder of an issue without alienating viewers. Much of my art is highly symbolic. Even when the overall meaning of a scene is clear, the significance of having chosen a particular item may not be, so I offer detailed explanations.
Mixed media allows me to create scenes with an eccentric mix of materials. I previously worked with mixed media when designing opulent, multistrand necklaces purely as objects of beauty. I now imbue segments of those necklaces with meaning by incorporating them into my assemblages. At times, segments serve a conceptual function — representing a glass ceiling or the border between fantasy and reality. Other times, they are purely decorative, incorporated simply to attract a viewer’s eye.
To complement the quality of the necklace components, I incorporate fine dollhouse miniatures and richly textured fabrics. I complete the scene with items ranging from mirrors to realistic animal models to found objects.
Creating the assemblages frequently involves multiple techniques, including sewing, woodworking, Photoshop, and painting. The learning curve shifting from stringing beads to assembling scenes was very steep.