August
I am a primarily self-taught photographer who migrated from film to digital photography about fifteen years ago. Since retiring I have actively explored the technical and creative sides of this media. Most recently I have begun exploring digital collages as a means of expression. I have exhibited widely and have earned recognition in local, regional, and national exhibitions. My photographs are also included in several corporate and private collections.
I am attracted to a wide variety of subjects ranging from natural landscapes, botanicals, and wildlife to images that provide either abstract expression or social commentary. I am interested in sharing images that evoke a story of some kind. Images may be simply documentary, reflect a sense of time and place, or resonate on a more abstract level of color, shape, or form. Others provoke an indefinable question that does not readily yield answers without further study and reflection. Most often I am drawn back to images created while wandering through the back roads and small towns of the upper Midwest. These images of architecture, commerce, and social life often reflect a mixture of nostalgia and a changing set of forces that shape life in the heartlands.
Aunt Fran
Lisa Eve Costanza is a self-taught artist who discovered her passion for drawing and creating at a young age. She credits her father, Pfc Glenn W. Eve, for instilling this passion in her. Her father, a gifted artist and draftsman, worked for the Walt Disney Co. in his early teens and was later assigned to the Signal Photo Corps to document the people and places affected by the Pacific War conflict.
Despite her early passion for art, Lisa pursued a business career and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. For over 30 years, she managed the demands of the corporate world while also raising three children. This left little time for her artistic pursuits.
In 2014, Lisa made a lifestyle change, transitioning to part-time work and allowing herself more time for painting. This marked the beginning of her reconnection with her passion for art. By mid-2019, Lisa was able to fully retire and dedicate herself to painting. She immersed herself in art books, magazines, YouTube tutorials, and artist workshops, fully committing to learning and experimenting with paint.
Today, Lisa dedicates nearly every day to painting and seeking creative inspiration. Her preferred medium is watercolor, and each of her paintings holds a unique story and journey. She finds fulfillment in allowing the paint to flow, witnessing the development of characters, and then sharing her creations with others.
From a young age, I had a passion for drawing and creating. However, I didn’t pursue a career in the arts; instead, I chose to study for a business degree. Over the past 30 years, while raising three amazing children and navigating the corporate world, I rarely found the time to paint. To be completely honest, my desire to create had waned.
In 2014, my husband and I made a lifestyle decision that allowed me to transition to part-time work, giving me the precious gift of more time to paint. It was during this period that I started dabbling in art once again, and slowly but surely, my passion for creation reignited. By mid-2019, I was fortunate enough to retire fully. Despite lacking formal training, I immersed myself in art books, magazines, YouTube tutorials, and artist workshops…. dedicating myself to learning and experimenting with paint.
The desire to create was reignited within me, sparking the beginning of an exciting new journey! Nowadays, I paint or seek creative inspiration nearly every day. Each painting holds its own unique story and journey. It’s incredibly fulfilling to let the paint flow, watch characters develop, and allow stories to evolve – and then share these creations with others.
Aunties Garden
Karen was raised in Chicago, Illinois, and was involved in the arts from a very young age. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre from the Performing Arts Center, Barat College of DePaul University. Karen was fortunate enough to work with such theatre companies as Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Chicago Theatre, and Phoenix Theatre to name a few. She studied painting and art history throughout her years in school, in addition to studying architecture and interior design when she moved to Los Angeles, California at UCLA. Karen has been an artist for over ten years. Her background in theatre has influenced her immensely as an artist. Many pieces of her artwork have been on exhibit in Los Angeles, New York City, San Jose, and Huntington Beach.
Karen was featured in DESTIG Magazine as one of their top emerging artists for 2019, the Los Angeles Art Association 2019 Volume 2 Catalog, and Al-Tiba9 Contemporary Art’s 2022 Collectors’ Art Book, Volume 1. She is a Founder Member of ArtChilli Gallery UK and a member of the Los Angeles Art Association. Karen’s artwork was featured in the September, October, and November 2021 issue of House & Garden Magazine UK, she was the recipient of the 2020 Artist of the Future Award by Contemporary Art Curator Magazine and the 2021 recipient of the Award of Artistic Excellence for her Painting, Dancer in Motion, by Circle Foundation for the Arts. She also wrote and produced her video performance art piece, The Unseen Artist which is a self-exploration of herself as an artist. Karen is the director of the online series, Shakespeare’s Pawn which has won numerous awards. Karen resides in Los Angeles with husband actor, Ammar Daraiseh.
I like capturing the beauty and essence of a moment in time or an idea I have that I want to explore on canvas. The content of my artwork ranges from landscapes, abstract art, portraits, and figures. I paint quite deliberately, engaging both traditional and innovative techniques; creating a custom palate for each painting with one dominant color that takes precedence throughout the piece.
My background in the performing arts has shaped my creativity as an artist throughout my life. I share this quality with Marc Chagall who I relate to the most as the performing arts were a significant source of his inspiration throughout his artistic career. With each painting, I learn something new about myself; each work motivates me as an artist and brings me great joy. My talent is always a work in progress. I never settle, which pushes me to explore even further.
Aurora
I have been creating art all my life. In fourth grade, for example, I won a poster contest. More recently, my art was accepted into the juried 2020 West Michigan Area Show at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, the juried 2023, 2022 and 2021 Westminster Art Festivals, the juried exhibitions Animal Kingdom and You & Your Camera at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod, the juried 2022 NCCA-Artsplace Statewide Photography Competition Exhibition, the juried Biafarin exhibitions Creative Minds 2023, Abstract Zone 2023, Extinction 2023, Valentine 2023, Love 2023, Noel 2022, and Magix 2022, the juried exhibits Furry Friends 2023 and Art 4 Animals 2022 at Red Bluff Art Gallery, the juried exhibitions Celebrating the Holidays and All You Need is Love at 6th Street Art Studios, the exhibition Abrazo (Embrace) at Verum Ultimum Gallery, the juried exhibitions Show Off Your Art and The Dog Days of Summer 2023 at KBM Gallery, and in several exhibitions at Las Laguna Art Gallery and HMVC Gallery New York.
I create art in a variety of media, including pencil, watercolor, pastel, photography, printmaking, charcoal, and calligraphy. I also write poetry, which has won awards and been published, and I have studied several languages, including French, German, Spanish, Latin, Italian, and Old English. In addition, I play musical instruments, including piano, harpsichord, carillon, clarinet, flute, recorder, mandolin, violin, guitar, and viola, and I enjoy singing. Furthermore, I have a strong educational background in science, math, and engineering. I enjoy playing word games, such as Scrabble and Wordle, solving crossword puzzles, playing Go and chess, and collecting books, stamps, coins, postcards, rocks, shells, and a variety of other objects. In whatever medium I work, nature is usually my subject, whether I am portraying a single flower or animal, or a landscape. I admire the theme of this exhibit, namely, The Sweet Life, for I feel that this is the life that everyone should pursue. I feel that everyone should experience Joie de Vivre and live La Dolce Vita most of the time. In my art, I like to explore how nature, imagination, literature, and science collaborate together to enrich our lives.
Aurora Dances
Dixie Allen enjoys exploring the planet through adventures in Photography, Art, Travel, and Hiking. Her Lens-based Photography and Art Curation reflect a passion for these interests.
Photographic artworks appear in exhibitions and publications, including Scotiabank CONTACT Photography, ORION Magazine U.S.-based global reach, Women’s Art Association of Canada, Todmorden Mills Papermill Gallery, Visual Art Open, London, U.K., Visual Arts Top500 Intl., and HMVC Gallery, NYC.
Sotheby’s Art Institute Art Curation, London, U.K., launched a path in Art Curation. Projects include ECHOES Juried International Art Exhibition, Hotshots Photography Exhibition, and Through Hikers Lens Photography Exhibition.
A published author with media and public-speaking appearances. Recent works include Imaginings in the Key of Life I Photographic Art and Poetic Writings.
A McGill University Executive Management graduate with an extensive Business and Finance career. Dixie brings decades of Business Leadership with a dynamic range of creative skills into the evolving world of Art. Currently, Scholarship Program Chair | President, Women’s Art Association of Canada.
Chasing light in all its ranges and catching a glimpse of extraordinary moments are the primary inspirations for my lens-based photographic images.
As light shifts are swift and fleeting, camera craft, photographic composition, and depth of field are applied with urgency to create the image as the moment created it.
Photographic images for VIBRAINT VISIONS 2 capture shades of ephemeral light, colours shifting swiftly from unique perspectives and vantage points, bringing to life the essence and energy of movement in the moment.
Photographic works take full form through storytelling, be it factual, imagined, or a shared experience with the viewer.
Images are printed on Live-Edge Archival paper, Giclée Canvas, Acrylic, or Metal as best suits the atmosphere of the composition.
The Art of Photography changes like the light. Each moment introduces a refreshing perspective, taking this photographer on a never-ending journey of discovery to capture beauty in the world we share.
Autumn
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, Taiwan, 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.
Autumn Quilt
Kisma Reidling is a self-taught artist who has studied under several artists, including Connie Solera (Arizona), Shilo Sophia (California), and Laly Mills (France). Using mixed media her representational art leans toward surrealism and vision.
My roots are deeply submerged in a creative soul.
I can not stay away from creating for long as it truly is who I am.
I am dedicated to the efforts of assisting others to awaken and flame awake the inner fire of creativity into full expression by offering eCourses, weekly Live Stream Twitch.TV episodes, ZOOM classes & workshops.
The emphasis of my art is the sacred feminine.
Autumn Splendor
Maria was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria one of the oldest cities in the world and the European Capital of Culture known as the city of artists. There she studied Art for 5 years at the only one of its type in the Balkans the National High School of Stage and Film design. She learned different skills of fine and applied arts like painting, prints, sculpture, ceramics; make-up, and wigs which helped her to develop her creativity side. She participated in many exhibitions in Bulgaria and she won First place in The National Art Competition The Water Source of Life. After graduating in Bulgaria, Maria then moved to London where she studied Graphic and Digital Design at the University of Greenwich and graduated in 2019. Since graduating, she has returned to the medium of painting, as painting is where her passion lies. She loves showing through her art the power and the beauty of Nature. She works primarily in oil on stretched canvas. She believes that art is compulsory in our lives no matter our age and interests.
Nature has always been an invariable part of our lives. It is a source of beauty, tranquility, and silence, and a symbol of the strength of spirit. I am Bulgarian. I am proud of the beauty of nature in Bulgaria. My country abounds in beautiful, majestic, and picturesque mountains. Our history is deeply connected to the majesty of these mountains. Not one, but many of our freedom fighters or so-called rebels have found shelter and solace in the remote and impenetrable forests of our country. I, as a creator and a person of art, who is inspired by the strength and courage of these great Bulgarians, who gave their lives in the name of justice and the idea of freedom, and fought alone against the power and the law. These are our great people’s awakeners, who are so numerous that a whole novel would not be enough for me to describe their stories and deeds. They are the muse that inspires my art and guides my creative surge, fantasy, and rapture.
Autumn Splendor
Carol Schmauder was born and raised in Spokane, Washington, where she currently lives with her husband, Glenn. Like most artists, she showed interest in art at an early age and has experimented with several media over her lifetime.
She is a graphic designer that entered the world of fine art in 1988 after taking watercolor classes from Stan Miller and MaryAnn Figgins. She began using acrylics for most of her work in 2017. Her professional life has led to participation in over a hundred exhibitions; both solo and in groups. She has paintings in collections nationwide and has won numerous awards.
Because she “doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up”, Carol experiments with different styles of art. She has experienced great success with her Shattered Reality series and is best known for this fun style of starting with a traditional subject and creating sections of warm and cool colors playing off of each other. Dark and light sections also add life to these paintings. She enjoys painting in different forms of abstract art as well as traditional forms. She has no desire to quit exploring different
techniques and art forms.
Carol enjoys painting themes that are happy in nature. Even though she has experienced many very rocky patches in life she has no desire to incorporate feelings of angst into her work.
My life has been full of many rocky patches, and through diligent attention to the problems, I have overcome many obstacles. My go-to activities during these times are both creating art and writing. These creative outlets allow my mind to expand, and solutions to problems seem to be released from within.
I enjoy the beauty of nature and the study of color and design in sweeping landscapes. I am blessed to live in an area of the country where there is no limit to the subjects I can paint, whether realistically or in abstract form.
I love the calm painting brings to my soul. Life’s problems seem to evaporate when I have a paintbrush in my hand and soothing music on the stereo. If my paintings bring happiness to others, then I have accomplished my goal.