Three Mermaids On The Sun
Joanne Chase-Mattillo was born in the beautiful Midwestern University town of Ann Arbor, Michigan. While the natural surroundings of her childhood were inspiring, the beauty of nature surrounding Los Angeles was the impetus for her entrance into the field of photography. Joanne began vigorously studying photography and other art arenas to hone her skills as a visual artist. In 2000, she graduated from California State University, Los Angeles with a Master of Fine Arts (MFA). She is now a full-time artist.
In addition to color and black and white film, Joanne shoots digitally and employs the techniques of infrared imaging and enjoys creating 3D anaglyphs to be viewed with red/blue lenses. As an extension of photography, she has branched out to do videos and has a YouTube Channel, THE VIDEO ART OF JOANNE CHASE-MATTILLO. Along with nature, Joanne frequently photographs female and male subjects at themed studio shoots. She often uses the photograph of models combined with images of her nature photography to create unique photo montages.
Joanne has exhibited throughout California, nationally, in Korea, France, England, Switzerland, Scotland, Greece, Spain, Germany, Japan, Belgium, Holland, Brazil, Dubai, and Italy.
As a photographer, I am constantly in search of iconic imagery. The craftsmanship and perfection of classic Hollywood cinema have always been an inspiration and a goal I seek to achieve in my photography. While enjoying the technology of the present and how it has enhanced photography, I am very drawn to recreate photographs that reference the best of the past. It is my intent that the viewer of the images I create will be taken out of the everyday present to a magical place where, at any time, they would dream of going. Whether photographing people or nature, I strive to honor the best and the beauty of all that I have an opportunity to capture with my camera.
Summer days are the dream moments of the year that are looked forward to in dreary seasons. The beach, pool, lakes, and oceans draw all to embrace the sun and beat the heat. When we think of summer, we embrace all that the warmth of the sun brings.
Three Stages
Subodh Maheshwari was born in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, North India, where she learned folk art and classical music. She passionately believes: “In the threshold of my life, my present is the window to the past and a key to the future”. She acquired her degrees and studied art at Agra University, California State University, Fullerton, and the University of California, Irvine. Subodh has won numerous awards, including the regional Fellowship Award at UCI in 1986, the Bharat Gaurav Award in India in 2015, and the 60 Masters Award in 2017, 2018, and 2019. She is also registered in Marquis “Who’s Who in America”, the standard in biographical information. Her paintings have also won awards in a variety of categories, including landscape, open, all women, nature, elements, seasons, and abstract.
Subodh is a diversified artist who enjoys telling stories through her artwork, whether it is through landscape, flowers, or abstract art. Her art is a fusion of Eastern symbolism and Western composition, influenced by 16th and 17th-century Rajasthani and Mughal art, and accented by poetry, passages, and phrases in Hindi, Sanskrit, and English. She admires Georgia O’Keeffe for her floral influence and Frida Kahlo for her courage. Whether it is the serene beauty of nature, her spirituality, or the current political climate, she finds inspiration. Having a life shared between India and America, she sees the beautiful similarities, like love, which transcends all borders. Highly individual in her style, her works are described as emotional, mysterious, personal, spiritual, and humorous.
This mysterious and atmospheric painting reveals a forest scene that blurs the line between nature and spirit. Subtle human faces, some smiling and others solemn, are delicately embedded in the vertical forms of tree trunks, suggesting a quiet fusion of humanity with the natural world. Muted tones of green, grey, and soft blush flow like mist through the layered textures, giving the impression of a forest alive with memory and unseen watchers. The figures seem to emerge and vanish at once, evoking themes of presence, ancestry, and the silent sentience of nature.
Three Women
Currently living in Spain she is a Canadian Artist born in 1957 in Montreal, where she pursued a career in business while harboring a secret passion to paint. In 2013 she visited St. Paul de Vence (France), and upon her return, she was motivated to pick up a paintbrush for the first time, and she has never looked back. In 2016 she spent 12 weeks spent at the art residency La Macina de San Cresci in Tuscany, Italy, which reinforced in her heart that art was her love. Exhibitions include: Solo shows at Beach House, Torrevieja, Spain; La Macina di san Cresci, Tuscany, Italy; Hall of Art, Feltmate, Delibato & Heagle, Burlington, Ontario, Canada; among others. Her several group exhibitions were those held at Galerie Sonia Monti, Paris France, and the Art Gallery of Burlington, Ontario, Canada, and many more. She was also selected for juried exhibitions by Joshua Creek Heritage Art Centre in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. Recent juried exhibitions and awards (2022) include the Healing Power of Arts, J Mane Gallery and Camel Back Gallery, Gallery Ring, Artist Space, (USA) publication in COA (Georgia), Artsy Shark, Fusion Art, (2023) Artrepreneur, Healing Power of Arts, Artist Space Gallery, Camelback Gallery, Art Show International, Grey Cube Gallery. she is currently represented by Saatchi Art and Singulart and also sells from her website.
I am an intuitive self-taught painter. I paint with music and music paints through me, orchestrating a symphony of colors, movements, energies, and vibrations.
Life and music and colors are my sources of inspiration, and my paintings are a journey for both the artist and the viewer. I identify myself as painting from the inside out. When I paint, I am drawn to select a palette of colors, and spiritual source and energy guide my hands and create all that is beautiful from and for the soul, which frequently provides healing energy and vibration, that lingers with the artwork.
I paint in a trance-like state, not knowing what I will create, and am drawn to paint with many layers (each layer being part of the story) and often with bold texture, with no restrictions. I do not limit myself to one style of painting and my art is very diverse. My art encourages individual interpretation and resonance with the observer, which is my intention.
Threesome
Caryn Coville holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Rochester Institute of Technology.
She is a featured artist in several art publications and is a contributing artist in the book Masterful Color: Vibrant Colored Pencil Paintings Layer by Layer by Arlene Steinberg.
Caryn is a ‘CPSA’ and a five-year merit ‘CPX’ Signature Member of the Colored Pencil Society of America, a UKCPSO Signature Member of the UK Colour Pencil Society, an Elected Member of the American Artists Professional League, a Juried Member of the International Guild of Realism, the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club and the National Art League.
Her award-winning work has been shown in solo gallery exhibits and she has participated in numerous national and international juried shows and group exhibitions including the Salmagundi Club’s Annual Painting, Sculpture & Graphics Exhibitions; The Colored Pencil Society of America’s International Exhibitions; Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club Open Exhibitions; AAPL Grand National Exhibits; and the Sumi-e Society of America’s Annual Juried Exhibitions. Her work is in corporate and private collections throughout the United States and Canada.
My work is inspired by my love of nature, travel, and the beauty I find in everyday objects. Primarily a colored pencil artist, I have enjoyed extending my artistry into other mediums. For the past several years I have explored East Asian brush painting. I like the contrast between the very slow process of creating a colored pencil painting layer upon layer and the spontaneity of brush painting where I try to convey the essence of a subject by using minimal strokes of ink and watercolor. My latest journey has been into the world of alcohol ink painting.
Threshold Of Eternity
Michael Sweet is an accomplished pointillist artist with nearly four decades of dedicated practice. Based in Havre de Grace, MD, he uses acrylic paints, employing a meticulous technique of layering dots to create intricate, vibrant compositions that captivate the viewer. Sweet’s work is profoundly influenced by spiritual themes, drawing inspiration from philosophical and spiritual concepts to explore and express his personal experiences with the divine.
Throughout his career, Sweet has developed a unique style that emphasizes patience and precision, resulting in pieces that evoke introspection and emotional depth. His acrylic works often reflect a sense of wonder and transcendence, inviting audiences to contemplate the mysteries of existence.
Sweet’s commitment to his craft continues to inspire, as he evolves his art to bridge personal expression with universal spiritual inquiry.
Juried Shows:
2025: 12th Annual International (TERAVARNA) – 2 Honorable Mentions
2025: 8th Water International (TERAVARNA) – 2 Honorable Mentions
2024: Art Maryland 2024 (Howard County Arts Council, Ellicott City, MD)
2024: After Dark (Maryland Federation of Arts, Annapolis, MD)
2024: 10th Annual National Juried Show (Oxford Arts Alliance, Oxford, PA)
2023: 9th Annual National Juried Show (Oxford Arts Alliance, Oxford, PA)
Exhibitions:
2024-2025: Art from the Soldier – Traveling Exhibition
– Gallery 220, Havre de Grace, MD
– Yumi Hogan Gallery, Baltimore/Washington International Airport
– Columbia Arts Center, Columbia, MD
2024 – Tish Gallery, Chestertown, MD – Solo Show
2021-2023: Harford Artists, Bel Air, MD
2021: Tish Gallery, Chestertown, MD – Solo Show
2020-2024: Tish Gallery, Chestertown, MD – Exhibiting Artist
2017-2023: Artist Emporium, Havre de Grace, MD – Exhibiting Artist
1999-2003: The Painted Lady, Collinsville, CT – Exhibiting Artist
1997: Gertrude & Alice’s, Collinsville, CT – Solo Show
I am Michael Sweet, a dedicated pointillist painter whose work delves into the depths of introspection and spirituality. Drawing from my personal journey, I create vibrant canvases that explore the innermost corners of my thoughts. I aim for my paintings to invite viewers to pause and reflect.
At the core of my art is the technique of pointillism, where I build layers upon layers of dots, starting with larger ones to establish form and gradually transitioning to finer, smaller dots. This method allows me to subtly blend colors, creating depth and dimension that evoke a sense of emotion within each piece. This process mirrors my own spiritual quest—patiently uncovering truths through repetition and refinement.
I create not just to produce visual art, but to seek my deepest thoughts and channel them into a tangible form of worship. Inspired by my faith, my paintings become a medium for expressing thankfulness for the talents I’ve received, transforming personal reflection into something that can resonate with others. Through this, I aim to highlight the beauty of divine gifts and encourage a deeper connection to one’s inner world.
Looking ahead, my goal is to continue evolving my practice, perhaps by exploring new themes that blend my faith with contemporary issues, all while sharing my work in community settings or exhibitions. Ultimately, I hope my art inspires viewers to find their own paths of gratitude and self-discovery, fostering a shared sense of wonder in the world around us.
Through The Eyes Of A Dancer I
Gigi Janko (b. 2002) graduated at 17 from Bard College at Simon’s Rock, with a BA in Dance and Ceramics. She also attended Gibney’s Prof. Training Prog. NYC as well as WGU for computer science. In ’20, she moved to Wellsville, Ohio, taking ownership of a derelict compound: a former church, rectory, and convent. The same year, she joined the Wellsville Vol. Fire Dept. Over the next few years, she tore down 6 houses by hand, by herself. In ’23 she completed a 20000 sq ft installation. Among others, Steven Litt wrote about her work in the Cleveland Plain Dealer/Cleveland.com in July ‘23. She teaches art at the JCC in Youngstown, OH.
Wellsville, OH (pop. 3,336) was hit hard by globalization, deindustrialization, and the opioid epidemic. On the banks of the Ohio River, the village suffers from disappointment running rampant, turned inwards on itself. Janko notes an unexpected consequence of working in the midst of polarization: “I have brought the question of ‘what is art?’ to the ‘Ville.”
Gigi Janko collects and invents materials to construct conceptual sculptures and installations. Embracing the context embedded in items, she creates cultural webs as she manipulates physical forms. Her work is laborious and time-consuming, even tedious. A hallmark of her artistic practice is an extreme investment of manual labor. She is invested in the process of making things become the Thing. With a strong background in performing arts, she is always aware of the temporal qualities of materials and the power of injecting oneself into experience-rich atmospheres.
By guiding her inspirations through various phases of development, Janko orchestrates ambitious installations. First investing in a semi-performative lifestyle proximal to the area of interest, she allows direction to come from the materials she collects. The next step is when scavenging commences, and the identity of the piece begins to show itself in both physical and experiential facets.
Most recently her work explores mental health and autobiography mixed with an exploration of place, contending with her desires to make more personally vulnerable work.
Through The Looking Glass
Aaron Krone has a B.A. from Friends University, Wichita, Kansas, and an MFA from Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas. He is an Associate Professor of studio arts at Friends University, Wichita, Kansas where he teaches compositional design, drawing, painting, and figural classes. He has won regional and international recognition for his artwork.
My goal is to create a scene that includes the emotion and the mood of the location.
I want my image of a locale to engage the viewer and give insight into the current environment being expressed. It is my hope that the art will suggest stories to the viewer about the scene depicted.
I’m influenced by a number of artists including Richard Diebenkorn who said, “Reality has to be digested, it has to be transmuted by paint. It has to be given a twist of some kind.” I consider this idea when I represent scenes with visual images.
Through The Looking Glass
Karen Safer, a native Angelino, is an internationally exhibited, award-winning photographic artist and poet with a musical bent. Her passion for art began when she was given a camera and crayons at age three and was immersed in California’s visual language. A lifelong traveler, she has explored over 230+ countries & territories, embracing both the exotic and the unexpected. Influenced by her father’s black-and-white photography and her mother’s insatiable curiosity for knowledge and travel, her inspirations range from ancient Assyria to the conceptual works of Cindy Sherman. She began as a painter before discovering photography in college, earning a master’s degree in art (UCLA & CSULB) and building a career in design and architecture.
With 14 solo exhibitions and participation in over 750 shows, she has received more than 630 awards, including the Julia Margaret Cameron Award, PISPA, TIFA, reFocus, and Exposure One. Her work has been featured in 180+ publications, such as LENS, Dodho, ArtTalk, ArtTour, One Eyeland, and Spotlight. She has exhibited in major cities worldwide, including London, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Venice, Florence, Barcelona, Budapest, Dubai, São Paulo, Seoul, Tokyo, Zurich, New York, and Los Angeles. Her work is held in numerous collections, and she is a member of many organizations, including LAAA (825 Gallery), LACP, etc. A self-described “romantic old soul” with intellectual cravings, she navigates the digital world while remaining deeply connected to art’s timeless essence. She embraces color but venerates black and white, realistic and abstract.
“I am a ‘romantic old soul’ with intellectual cravings now living in a Digital World.”kjs
I’ve always been an artist. My passion for art and photography began early in my teens. I embrace the natural world and man-made as well. I am influenced by everything from the ancients to Cindy Sherman, and while I embrace color, I revere black and white, realistic and abstract. I am a student of the universe, history, art, architecture, music, literature, and all the arts.
I got a camera and some crayons as a kid,
journeyed along a path in life – far from what I’d expected,
moved from youth to middle age,
did some work, had some fun, got high, got low,
and just continue doing it – never tiring of the next visual surprise.
– Life is still a mystery, after all. – kjs
My Motos: “A photographer has the whole world, big or small, to capture.” kjs
“And, wherever I am in the world, it is my favorite place!!” kjs
Thrush Arrives For Spring
Murals were my first occupation through the City Arts Office of Albany for several glorious years. I taught drawing at Sage College in Albany. I then took a position as the Fine Arts Mentor at the Empire State College in Albany. The greatest thing about that was working on classes with other professors, such as a course called Images of the Self, including psychology and literature. I was asked to do a long residency at the Fort Ticonderoga school district that included the idea of self-portraiture. This began a twenty-five-year career as an artist-in-education. Many large murals, and mixed media student collaborative works later, I decided to teach art part-time to adults who have traumatic brain injuries at the Living Resources Center in Albany.
I have shown my work throughout the northeast, and southern east coast. My work is about nature and my need to be outside and observe. I have always been spiritually complete when walking and hiking.
I am currently working with oil paintings and embroidery with paint. Both are directly involving the fragile, endangered flora and fauna of our northeastern woods and the environments of other areas I have visited. I want to present the life that appears so fleetingly yet persistently on the edges of the woods, swamps, and streams.
I hope to bring their wonder, rather than the destruction that is either all around us or continues to be an oncoming disaster for our planet. These places, and their birds, trees, and flowers are to me, the magic of our world. As my time increases in the woods, I see the incredible flowers that appear, such as the fleeting trillium, the jack in the pulpit, the trout lilies, the bloodroot, and many more. The trees that surround them are connected to why they come up in the same places year after year. Roots and fungus, soil all perform the magic of a specific event. As I watch forests and certain trees fall, or weaken from