Blue Tree
Subodh Maheshwari was born in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, North India, where she learned folk art and classical music. She passionately believes: “At 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 of 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.
Blushing Cove
Gayle Faulkner, with over 35 years of artistic exploration and creativity, stands as a seasoned watercolor, acrylic, and mural artist. Her journey has been marked by constant exploration, a playful engagement with diverse media, and an unwavering commitment to growth in the world of art.
Her academic journey, rooted in a BA in Sociology from William Jewel College in Liberty, Missouri, initially led her to work with children, integrating art into their day-to-day experiences. Gayle’s passion for art eventually pulled her into a more immersive pursuit. She delved into Art and Design courses at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, unlocking her artistic soul. The willingness to ”put herself out there” coupled with years of hard work and a penchant for thinking outside the box allowed her to undergo a major growth period.
Finally, the challenges posed by the COVID-19 quarantine became a catalyst for Gayle’s artistic metamorphosis, leading her to focus on acrylic paintings on canvas. Engaging in online courses and dedicating countless hours in the studio has led Gayle to newfound success in her career as an artist.
In her current artistic chapter, Gayle has embraced the multi-dimensional world of layered acrylic painting. These layered landscape paintings pulsate with depth, intricate patterns, and whimsical interpretations, inviting viewers to step into a space that offers a sanctuary from life’s pressures. Her aspiration is clear — to guide everyone towards a place, be it a memory or a dream, where they can meander, savor the fragrance of flowers, feel the gentle breeze, lean against a tree, and simply breathe.
Gayle’s works have graced numerous exhibitions, gallery shows, and juried art festivals, earning accolades and finding homes in corporate and private collections across the globe.
In my art practice, I describe my creations as Textural Acrylics. This term represents the exciting experience of observing paint flow from the palette knife, forming captivating textures and colors. Each stroke channels emotion, and every canvas captures a moment of creative inspiration.
My process is spontaneous – I start with a loose outline, sketch the composition, and then fully immerse myself in the act of creating. Throughout the process, music is my closest companion, its volume soaring. I dance to the rhythm, losing myself in the beats, and, on occasion, even letting out a song. My painting process is a multisensory experience, an immersive journey into the fusion of sound and color, where each note becomes a brushstroke, and every stroke on the canvas is a dance of creation. I often liken my paintings to cherished children—it’s a relationship that involves nurturing, engaging in heartfelt conversations, and weathering the challenges of creative adolescence with boundless love and patience. With each brushstroke, I invest love, patience, and understanding, allowing the artwork to evolve organically. The end result is akin to witnessing a child mature into a beautiful, fully-formed adult—a testament to the transformative power of artistic expression.
When the viewer engages with my work, I want them to do more than observe; I want them to partake in the sensory journey. Inhale the delicate fragrance of blooming flowers, listen to the subtle rustle of leaves, lean against the painted tree, and simply breathe. My paintings are meant to cease to be static images—they become portals, immersive experiences where anyone is welcome to wander, explore, and connect with the essence of my artistic vision. Through my Textural Acrylics, I aim to create a sanctuary where the boundaries between creator and audience blur, and the shared experience becomes a celebration of art and life.
Boats At Nazare Beach Portugal
I’m a Portuguese painter with a deep passion for capturing the ever-changing relationship between humanity and the natural world. I’ve held 9 solo exhibitions and built a dynamic portfolio of over 325 paintings, each telling its own story, each anchored in the delicate balance between humanity and the world we inhabit. My paintings celebrate life’s essentials – light, colour, and composition – woven together in a way that makes the viewer pause, reflect, and ultimately feel part of the scene. I have a PhD in Computer Science, I am an Electrical Engineer, and a University Professor.
Using oil paint as my weapon of choice, I create portraits and landscapes that are alive with light, colour, and meaning. Every brushstroke is informed by a modern take on how people interact with their environment. It’s not just about what you see; it’s about what you feel. My work invites the viewer to step into a world where simplicity and elegance reign, but where the layers of reality constantly shift and reveal new truths. I’m committed to figurative, representational work, believing that art should speak directly to the viewer, not through abstraction, but through images that resonate on a deeply personal level. Explore my artistic journey at https://fernandoboavida.pt/ and witness the intersection of creativity, intellect, and a deep respect for the natural world.
Bold
Growing up in Honolulu, Hawaii, and now living in Los Angeles, Brandon Shim leveraged his love of working with people in his portrait photography. He is most fascinated by the unlimited aesthetic options in crafting an ideal portrait, and then in selecting the best. A University of Southern California (BA & MBA) graduate, Brandon has studied and utilized the USC campus in both architectural and portrait photography.
Brandon’s creative photography journey started when he borrowed a family member’s camera, and then he learned from different mentors including his two nephews: James and John. He sharpened his skills by going on organized photo shoots. In his endeavors, Brandon inspired his portrait photography subjects to increase their confidence and develop their own personal artistic style.
In addition to still photography, Brandon has produced or co-produced several short films including Different Quake, Quad, and God’s Voice. These films have been screened in Los Angeles, Palm Springs, and London.
As both a photographer and video producer, I enjoy collaborating with highly talented individuals to create innovative art. To achieve this goal, I take the following three steps.
First, I inspire my portrait subjects to unlock their own personal beauty and unique style. Second, I experiment and encourage my photo subjects to experiment with different wardrobes, lighting, emotions, postures, and scenic backgrounds. Finally, as a creative team, both my photo subjects and I endeavor to captivate our audience into entering our magical world. In short, we create photography to engage people in our distinctive narrative.
Bold & Beautiful Bode Berlin
Karen Safer is an international, award-winning photographic artist and poet with musical bent. Los Angeles native, born to creative, scholarly-minded parents who encouraged world travel (230+ countries/territories visited).
Early on, she was greatly influenced by movies, music, books, plays, and as student of art and history, inspired by ancients to moderns – Assyria to Cindy Sherman. She has a bachelor’s/master’s degree in Art from UCLA and California State University. She is a member of the Los Angeles Art Association, IAA-USA, Women United, Praxis Gallery, LACMA, MOCA, IAA-USA, in Who’s Who of Professional Women, ArtTour Magazine (NY), AATOLAU, Artist Talk Magazine (UK), Lens Magazine, etc. She was given a camera and crayons at 3 and exposed to/inspired by California motifs: light, trees, the ocean, music, and vernacular architecture that defined/influenced her left-handed aesthetic. She began taking pictures of family and friends, progressing from painting to developing black-and-white photos in college. She was fortunate to begin a life of travel as a teen that shaped her love of the exotic paired with an eye for the formal, accidental, and unusual while subliminally seeking the “beautiful” that jiggles the lens/frame of my eye.
She is featured in magazines, catalogs, and books and exhibited internationally in over 90+ galleries/museums with over 420+ exhibitions from London, Rome, Berlin, Glasgow, Budapest, Athens, Prague, Paris, Barcelona, Florence, Venice, Sao Paulo, Tokyo – California to New York, winning 380+ First and other awards – most recently: Australian Mono Awards, Refocus Awards, Black & White SPIDER Awards nominee, 21st Julia Margaret Cameron Awards in Abstract and in Architecture categories, Botticelli International Prize in Florence, LA Art Show 2024, 17th Annual Color Awards and soon in Tokyo Metropolitan Museum, Art Expos in Basel and Armenian Modern Art Museum in Yerevan.
“A photographer has the whole world big or small to capture.” – kjs
Influences: I am a student of art, architecture, history, literature, film, and music. I have been heavily influenced by so many sources but here I’ve chosen to highlight art and photography influences from Hopper to Cartier-Bresson and from Atget to Cindy Sherman. So many influences on life from cities to nature to music and art. I love color and all its vibrance while I venerate black and white. I embrace all the many influences that have touched my art and my life deeply. I am a romantic soul with intellectual cravings now living in a digital world.
Bondi Dreams
Patricia Plumeri left England in 1976 looking to pursue opportunities that were not available in her home country at that time. She worked in Accounting and Corporate positions that allowed her to climb the corporate ladder until 1993 when she opened up her own company that specialized in corporate and small business operations. After 20 years of tending to her clients. It was time to retire and look for a different path.
That path led to the exploration of glass. Its properties and the multitude of actions that are needed to create one-of-a-kind pieces of art that can be created, be it by form or function, the possibilities are endless. From conception to color choices and design, the process of bringing a piece of glass to completion includes cutting, shaping, fusing, and cold working to enhance the beauty of the glass.
Originally from England, and before emigrating to America Patricia was fortunate to travel to many parts of the world, this desire to travel did not stop after coming to America, but opened up even more experiences to observe this world we live in and the diversity of this beautiful planet.
Running my own business required hard work and attention to detail. Artistic creativity was not prized. After retirement the shackles were thrown off, allowing me to let loose the creativity within me that had been stifled for so many years. The process of how to combine glass together to fuse into beautiful objects appears to be never-ending. The blending and fusing of creative thought and physical activity bring about form and beauty to my art pieces.
My inspiration for a glass design comes from what I observe in my daily life. Often, seeing something of beauty will trigger a desire to capture the feeling in the glass. It can involve color, design, or a relationship of images. For example, flying in an airplane over cities I was struck by the similarity of design to printed circuit boards, and sought to capture the idea in my next glass design. Ideas come from everywhere in life!
As a tactile person, the pursuit of handling and making glass art satisfies all of my senses. From conception to color choices and design, the process of bringing a piece of glass to completion includes cutting, shaping, fusing, and cold working to enhance the beauty of the glass.
“Bondi Dreams” For all those surfers that dream of Bondi Beach Australia, where there are some of the best waves in the world.
Boneyard Buffet
Naona “Peaches” Wallin is an award-winning nature photographer who lives in the remote island community of Ketchikan, Alaska. Ketchikan is in the southeastern region of Alaska.
As a nature photographer, she 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 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 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
Her images have been published in Alaska Magazine and featured in juried exhibitions across the lower 48 states, Alaska, and Hawaii. Three of her photographs are featured in the upcoming juried exhibit Rarefied Light2026, one of which earned the title of Best in Show! Her recent awards include a solo exhibit titled Radiance in the Rainforest: Capturing the Northern Lights in Southeast Alaska, Resident Artist at the Chulitna Creative Residency, and Judges’ Choice in the NANPA Showcase. Her past awards include an artist residency at Ernest Gruening State Historical Park near Juneau, Alaska.
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. 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 often unseen moments of 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.
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 spending 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.
BOO Boy
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 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 600 shows, she has received more than 580 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
Bookmobile
Denise Dethlefsen is a fine art photographer based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the foot of Pikes Peak, where the landscape shifts constantly — from mountains to desert, from high country to prairie, from forests to rolling hills. That variety continues to shape and inspire her work.
Denise was born in western Montana, so a connection to the natural world has been part of her life for as long as she can remember. She grew up among artists, musicians, and writers, though photography ultimately became her own way into the creative world.
Much of Denise’s work is made outdoors, and she uses post-processing to extend what she sees, allowing each photograph to move between observation and interpretation. Some photographs remain grounded in place, while others become more impressionistic or transformative.
Her work has been shown in local, national, and international competitions and exhibitions, and has appeared in magazines, newsletters, galleries, and other publications. Denise is grateful for the opportunity to share these images and the places that continue to inspire them.
Photography is a way for me to meld both logic and creativity. I often ‘see’ beautiful images, but generally I can’t direct my mind, eyes, and hands to work together effectively to bring them into being through painting, drawing, or sculpture. However, because the camera requires forethought as well as technical knowledge of a mechanical package, it satisfies the logical part of my brain. And because the camera is mechanical, I can direct its view, its speed, and its depth of field into compositions that are creatively pleasing.
I’m frequently drawn to scenes that evoke a haunting feeling of something lost, paused, or waiting. Many of my artworks feature liminal spaces or structures that have been abandoned.
I try to analyze why particular images appeal to me. Is it the composition, the color or tone? Perhaps it’s the proportions – is there a mathematically pleasing element, is it the flow of form, or of light vs. dark? Sometimes I’m enthralled because the subject is abstract or because there is a mood or theme that needs to be thought about more thoroughly. Then I attempt to find those elements within the visual moments of my own photography.
Additionally, I love serendipity – the facility of finding good things in unexpected places – and have discovered that some of my favorite images were obtained almost by accident. I’m frequently surprised by finding the unusual in an everyday location, or when the ‘grab shot’ ends up being the best of the day, or when something I hadn’t paid much attention to at the time becomes the image that fascinates others. These things make my photography a joy to share and keep me going back for more.