Enchanting Evening
Vasu discovered her passion for art after a very successful medical career. She learned drawing and painting in local art centers and now experiments with new techniques. For the last six years, she is making different kinds of artwork with acrylics and mixed media.
She participates in group exhibitions and has won many awards including the best of the show and first prize amongst others. Her Covid art was listed among the Top 20 in the nation by The Washington Post. This same artwork was solicited by CDC for the cover of their journal published in Dec 2022. Vasu’s paintings are in the Royal Oak campus of Baker College in MI and in the new Macomb facility of Henry Ford Hospital in MI.
She had three solo exhibitions and has two new ones scheduled for Sept 2023 in two different galleries. She has been interviewed on the radio by Mr. Beckman on WWJ, on youtube by NAWA, and on the MIVoyage website. She has been a featured artist in Artsy Shark and Destig magazine. Her paintings have been selected and published in Art Ascent magazine, in online Ekphrastic contests, and in Grosse Pointe News. She published a book of her paintings and poems with her last solo show called ‘A Symphony of Sentiments’ featuring 30 of her paintings and 22 poems which are also artworks. Vasu belongs to the board of two local art societies and is a member of the Board of Friends of Asian Art at the Detroit Institute of Arts. She looks forward to continuing to make new series of paintings for a couple of the next solo shows, one will focus on figures and the other on Nature.
I am a visual artist who paints to capture and share my moments with nature and the culture of the world with light and shadow and transfer these experiences through my creations. Its ever-changing presence all around us is my constant inspiration. Simple observations allow me to seek beauty in everything. I love to bring these portrayals to evoke joyous emotions and pleasure in the viewers. I work in acrylics and mixed media using energetic strokes and vibrant colors to portray my muse. I strive for two things in painting: simplicity and emotion.
I create paintings using mixed media – including acrylics, ink, charcoal, oil crayons, and paper. I have been painting for about 9 years now and love the instant fulfillment that comes from completing an artwork. It’s very gratifying. Of course, in visual and literary arts, the endpoint is never achieved, what looks complete today, maybe a subject for revision in the future, to seek clarity in the chaos.
My art is constantly evolving to morph from representational to subtle or absolute abstraction on various themes I explore. My solo shows are focused on a specific theme like human forms, abstracts, nature, etc. The concept of women, their freedom, and equality at every stage has always been a very important theme for me. I feel passionate about representing them as often as I can.
I attempt to visualize the impact of perception and experiences for translation on the canvas, regardless of the theme. I engage with colors, shapes, lines, brush strokes, a structural arrangement between these, and texture as my tools and make them perform by mapping, moving as well as scraping or erasing them. As I implement these various forms of expression, My aim is to evoke an unforgettable experience for the viewers when they view my art.
Encinitas 4f – 1
Steve Mason was raised outside of Boston, MA. He started painting in high school, where he first began to examine how we see things. His studies in art at Stanford University, which included six months in Florence, Italy, resulted in a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Studio Art. He moved back to the East Coast, where he turned to commercial fishing to eat, working on his art between trips and in the off-season. Eventually, he moved to Arizona to resume his art full-time. For nineteen years, he taught and oversaw the 2-D Fine Arts Program at Yavapai College in Prescott while developing his digital work and stereoscopic research. He has shown paintings, monoprints, and digital prints locally, nationally, from California to New York, and internationally from Rio to Venice (including online shows), as well as lecturing on stereoscopy, brain function, and their relationship to art. He is currently creating and exhibiting from his studio at the Art Hive in downtown Prescott, Arizona.
My work is a combined response to life events, inner turmoil, and materials accessible at any given time. I find inspiration from the people close to me and will use an image (a photo, drawing, painting, etc.) of them as a starting point to develop into an expression of feelings through saturated colors and gestural shapes. A process of repeated manipulation of the images in Photoshop allows for the discovery of new marks most effective in this expression. This is at the heart of my current work, where I explore how the digital mark, as impersonal as it may be, is able to be used to create effective art. Is the computer not just another tool for the artist, like a pencil or brush? Like any other media, it is because of human input that we can learn how and why we see what we do. Through our colored marks, inert, dead media, whether pigment or pixels, reveal associations with memories buried deep within and become a metaphor of our vision.
Encounter In Summer
Heini Mika is a Finnish artist living and working in New York City. Heini holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Worcester (UK) and she also has a degree in Fine Art and Visual Communications from Finland’s prestigious Pekka Halonen Academy of Art. Heini’s paintings have received global recognition, being showcased on four continents in prominent locations such as NYC, Paris, the UK, the UAE, and Indonesia. Her artworks have been featured in many notable publications, including the British Vogue, and several of her pieces are cherished within private collections.
Heini’s ultra-contemporary paintings serve the viewer with a palette of vibrant colors and dynamic shapes while she gives you her unique perspective on women, fairytales, and history. They have been an important source of inspiration for Heini throughout her career as an artist and this can be observed in her rich and intriguing original artworks.
Since forever women have been the subject of great art, but rarely were we allowed to create great art. As a female artist living in the 21st Century, I find great inspiration in the female icons of the past. Famous women from Marie Antoinette to Miley Cyrus, have served as profound sources of inspiration for me, due to their distinctive styles and unique spirits. In my art practice, I explore the contrast between the public portrayal of the women I admire and their true selves. My aim is to discover how the images of these influential women, given by pop culture, impact and shape my own artistic impressions of them. Just like the women I paint, I am an unconventional woman in the eyes of my society and with my art practice I want to invite viewers to look past the glittering images and see the depth and complexity of the women I paint, myself included.
Ultimately, my work serves as a reflection and exploration of this complex dynamic. While my intention is to showcase the vibrant and visually captivating image that pop culture has crafted around the women I idolize, I also remain very conscious of the underlying darkness that hides beneath the surface of their seemingly lighthearted images.
As a Finn, I grew up on satire, dark humor, and happy endings and that is well reflected in my work. At first glance, my cartoonish mixed media paintings may depict my subject’s pop culture image perfectly, which is usually colorful, ditzy, and lacking in substance, but I am actually satirizing our perceptions of my female heroines. We are all guilty of prioritizing a person’s image over the narrative. But whether the viewer understands this duality or not, I still want them to have a good time when viewing my artwork.
I choose to work with acrylics, rhinestones, and glitters because their vibrant hues and plastic textures are well suited for creating eye-catching artworks that are unique to me, and perfect for the subject matter.
My watercolor series “Fantasy Collection” is inspired by history, fairytales, and my travels around the world.
Endless Possibilities
Jocelyn Benford is an abstract artist who mainly paints in watercolors with mixed media elements. She began painting in 2020 when she discovered that painting brings her peace, balance, and joy, and helps her to maintain an even keel in these uncertain times. In her artwork, Jocelyn is inspired by the interplay of colors, shapes, and uneven lines, and she loves the fluid, unpredictable nature of watercolor paints. She works very intuitively: she always has a starting point – a particular color combination or the focal point – but then she lets inspiration determine the direction she’ll pursue in her work. Jocelyn is drawn to organic rounded shapes, which have become a recurring motif in much of her work. These shapes speak to her of wholeness, resilience, buoyancy, harmony, and solace. Jocelyn’s work has been exhibited in museums and galleries in Wisconsin and New York City, as well as in online exhibitions. It is also held in private collections throughout the US, and in the UK, Hong Kong, and New Zealand.
The title of this show, “Awake,” resonates with me because I feel that my recently emerging art practice has awakened in me a passion and drive that I didn’t realize I had. What began as a pandemic hobby has become the main focus of my life. I paint literally every day! My artwork typically reflects my state of mind – or one that I aspire to – and often explores themes of balance or buoyancy. The three pieces I’ve selected here feel particularly “wakeful” to me, so they seem appropriate to this show. I invite you to view my Instagram account, which will give you a more broad representation of my artwork.
Endurance
I am a native of Northern, California currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area where I live with my three boys and 4 dogs. I have been creating art since 2021. After owning and operating an interior design business for 10 years and procuring and installing art in homes, I slowly began revisiting my early dreams of becoming an artist one day. In 2021 when my marriage of 23 years began dissolving, I started painting as a way to express emotions and feelings that were overwhelming and challenging. I wanted a way to let out some of my expression without anger or fear and found that painting calmed my anger and relieved my sadness. In the midst of turmoil, I could still create beauty and have purpose. Each piece created aligns with a mood or feeling I was having when it was created. As I look back on the work, I now see a progression of artwork that makes me feel at peace. I know I will always have art even when things in life are challenging and that brings me deep joy.
I am an emerging abstract artist. I work mostly acrylic, but mix in oil paint, and spray paint to create different textures. I’m obsessed with the colors in patina metal, rust, concrete, and cloth textiles. In every piece, I strive for contrast and juxtaposition of opposing images. I want my work to have edges and lines along with balance. All of my work starts with these aesthetics and the peace reveals itself. Once I know I have arrived at a finished place, Abstract art wasn’t my objective when I began painting, but it’s what I end up with every time.
Enfolded
Katy Bishop is a contemporary abstract painter based in Los Angeles. Her gestural abstract artwork is characterized by bold, expressive, and vibrant use of color.
In addition, Katy is known for her use of alcohol ink in reverse painting on plexiglass and glass. This involves painting on the back of a clear surface, which allows the viewer to see the image in reverse. Whether painting on paper or on glass in reverse, Katy produces a range of vivid, translucent colors and creates unique, organic images.
These techniques add to the distinctiveness of Bishop’s artwork, creating a visual experience that is both intricate and harmonious. Her use of different materials and techniques highlights her ability to create striking and engaging pieces.
So far, in 2023,
• Katy had a very successful solo exhibition, VIVID INK, at TAG Gallery, Los Angeles.
• Her alcohol ink reverse painting on plexiglass, TERRA FIRMA VII, is part of the USA Exhibition at The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, in June 2023.
• Global Painting Conclave awarded the Bronze Award in the competition Abstract Painting January 2023, for BEYOND, an alcohol ink reverse painting.
• SPRING ROSE, an alcohol ink reverse painting on plexiglass, is part of the in-person exhibition COLORS OF THE WORLD in Rome.
• TERRA FIRMA VIII and THE BOX are currently at Encino Terrace Gallery, Encino.
• GALA, HOPE, and DOWN IN THE VALLEY are showing at TAG Gallery in July.
Katy is a member of The Los Angeles Art Association, the California Art League, and the International Association of Art – USA.
She is represented in Los Angeles by TAG Gallery and by MEGA Gallery in Rome, Italy. Her art is held in private collections across the country.
I create my artwork to communicate feelings and ideas that cannot easily be expressed well in words. My gestural abstract artwork is characterized by bold, expressive strokes and vibrant use of color.
As I develop an artwork, I acknowledge that the control we all want to exert in our lives is often paired with uncontrollable growth and change, and emotional responses. The immense beauty in those emotions intrigues me. I also find beauty in abstract landscapes, and memories of times well-loved.
Much of my artwork is painted reverse on glass or plexiglass. Other artworks are on synthetic paper. Most often I use alcohol inks because they can be deep or transparent. They can be controlled and sometimes, they are totally uncontrolled. A challenge that I enjoy.
What I love about working in the abstract is that it comes from within, each stroke and color expressing the story I wish to tell.
Enigma
Robert had always been considered the ‘school artist’ throughout elementary, junior, and senior high school. After graduating from Pratt Institute with a degree in Art and Design he began teaching art and photography in 1968. While working with his first students, who were emotionally disturbed youngsters, he grew interested in integrating aspects of ‘psychology’ within the creative art experience. In 1970, while continuing his teaching, he returned to academic pursuits beginning with studies in sculpting and photography at the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, PA, and later back to Pratt Institute for the completion of a Master’s degree in Art Therapy, followed by post-graduate training in Psychoanalysis at The National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis and finally a doctoral degree in Psychoanalytic Studies from the Parkmore Institute.
Upon completing his art therapy training in 1980 he joined the Faculty of The College of New Rochelle, where he remained a Professor in the Studio Art and Art Therapy graduate programs for 39 years, teaching art therapy, stone carving, and photography. Upon the closure of the College of New Rochelle in 2019 he was promoted to Professor Emeritus and began teaching stone carving at the College of Mount St. Vincent where he continues currently as an adjunct faculty.
His continued interest in combining aspects of creativity and psychology led to his election as Director of the Institute for Expressive Analysis in New York City from 1993 to 1997 and again from 2015 to 2019. He has been part of the Faculty of the Training Institute of the National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis, the Institute for Expressive Analysis, and Pratt Institute where he taught courses on the Therapeutic Uses of Photography and the integration of creativity and psychoanalysis, such as the creative processing of countertransference and dreams.
These experiences have formed the basic foundation for his development as a sculptor and photographer. Throughout this period he has continuously evolved as a fine art photographer and sculptor of abstract form. His intense interest in both people and art is reflected in these contemporary art forms. He believes that the forces that heal and promote emotional growth in people are related to those that influence our sense of aesthetics in artwork. His stone and wood sculptures are a blend of figurative and abstract elements that combine to suggest a ‘gestural’ feeling that is intrinsic to human experience on a visceral level. His portrait photography expresses his particular view of his subjects, chosen during his travels throughout the world, as he attempts to capture the ‘essence’ of the character of the subject caught in the uniqueness of the moment.
His work has been exhibited internationally and pieces of his work are part of the permanent collection of the Menninger Foundation and the personal collection of Anderson Cooper.
• Interview: Contemporary Art Curator Magazine, November 2023
• Featured Exhibition, Hado Mark Gallery, Lenox, MA, August – September 2022.
• London International Creative Competition, Professional Finalist, Fine Art Competition, February 2022.
• The Camelback Gallery, Selected as a ‘Featured Artist”, February 2022-February, 2023.
• Circle Foundation, “Spotlight”, Contemporary Art Magazine, Issue 27, page 170
https://issuu.com/circlefoundationforthearts/docs/spotlight27_cfa_press_web
featured artist, 12/21.
• International Creative Competition, Sculpture Award, Timeline, 2021.
• Featured Artist, Artweek Magazine, February 2021
• Featured Artist, ArtBase Magazine, February 2021
• Gold and Bronze Awards for Excellence in Sculpture, The Camelback Gallery, “Timeline” and “Adversity 2020”, February 2021
• Merit Award, Grey Cube Gallery Juried Exhibition, Modern Art; two sculptures: “Adversity 2020” and “Timeline”, December 2020
• Finalist, www.Artroomgalleryonline, International Art Competition, “Painting and Photography”, December 2020.
Feature Shoot; Online Magazine, Contributor to article: Photography As Self Therapy: An Introduction, November 2020
• Islip Council of the Arts, and AARP CoSponsored Virtual Exhibition: Art 50+, Jury Selected Finalist to speak at Closing Reception, November 2020.
• Atlantic Gallery, Chelsea, NY, Group Exhibition, Stone Sculpture, November 2018
• Pop-Up Solo Sculpture Exhibition, Rome Gallery, Chelsea, NY, May 2015.
• The Mooney Gallery, Campus of the College of New Rochelle, participant: Trauma A Juried Exhibit, March 2013.
• The National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis, Invitational Art Exhibition, December 2011
• Castle Gallery, College of New Rochelle, Studio Art Faculty Exhibition, Stone Sculpture, March 29 – June 17, 2011
• Pratt Institute, Schafler Gallery, Juried Exhibition “CROSSING DISCIPLINES: BOOKS”, February 9 – March 9, 2011
• Pratt Institute Dean’s Gallery, Brooklyn NY, Group Exhibition, June 2010
• Blue Door Gallery, Yonkers NY, “Memories In Art”, Group Exhibition, July, 2010
• Open Studio, Sculpture and Photography Event, March 2010, Manhattan, NY
• Mooney Gallery, College of New Rochelle, various Juried Art Exhibitions, 1981 – present.
• Artist’s Solo Exhibition: The National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis, October 2009
• Hun Gallery, International Juried Art Exhibition, 2008, New York City, Feb 2008
• Pratt Schafler Gallery, “Spontaneous Gestures Realized”, January – March 2008
After receiving early training in stone carving at Pratt Institute, Wolf has continuously evolved as a stone sculpture artist of abstract form. His intense interest in both people and art is reflected in his contemporary sculptures. He believes forces that heal and promote emotional growth in people are related to those that influence our sense of aesthetic expression through the creation of artwork and that the act of ‘creating art’ provides a personal space within which one may more easily access non-verbal, implicit thought/feeling processes, and safely explore unconscious material.
Wolf’s sculptures are a blend of figurative and abstract elements expressed through various types of stone and wood. Each piece suggests a unique gestural communication that is intrinsic to human experience is often perceived on an unconscious, visceral level and is reflected within what is now referred to as ‘implicit’ thought processes.
His sculptures, which have been influenced by Arp, Moore, and Brancusi, have been exhibited over the past 40 years in a variety of galleries, museums, and private collections in the northeastern United States and Seoul, South Korea.
Enjoy The Cool Air
A member of the Chinese Artists Association, a national first-class artist, has published 9 personal painting collections, published more than a thousand works in newspapers and magazines, and participated in many Chinese and foreign art exhibitions and won awards. It was exhibited on the Shanghai High-speed Railway, and the works were included in the teaching model of China’s higher art colleges, and engraved on the Beijing Badaling New Great Wall Culture List. Some works have been sent to the United States, Canada, France, India, Japan, Switzerland, Spain, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and other places for exhibition.
Figure paintings must be aesthetic, with both form and spirit, detailed depiction, reflecting the spirit of the times, originating from life above life, and the artistic language must resonate with the aesthetic orientation of the public.
Enjoying The Passing Of Time
Linda Popp is originally from Chicago but has lived in the Baltimore area since 1974.
She retired in 2016 after a 41-year career with Baltimore County Public Schools (30 years in secondary art and 11 years as the Visual Arts Coordinator). She then taught in the MICA MAT Program and supervised art education student teachers at Towson University. She was on the Maryland Art Education Association Council and even has an MAEA Leadership Award named in her honor. Linda has served on the National Art Education Association Council as the Secondary Division Director and Eastern Region Vice-President and was named a Distinguished Fellow in 2018.
Since retiring, she has been able to shift her focus to her studio work. Linda exhibits her work in several galleries in Maryland and on the East Coast. She recently has created several videos documenting aspects of her assemblage process on her YouTube channel. She was recently featured in an article in Bmore Art Magazine: https://bmoreart.com/2022/09/craftswomanship-elegant-problems-and-relationships-linda-popp.html This year she had a solo exhibit at Gallery Blue Door, Baltimore and Leu Gallery, Nashville.
Linda Popp creates narrative found object assemblage sculptures. She uses artifacts and symbolic objects to convey stories about relationships with family, place, love, faith, nature, self, time, and other themes. During the process, she goes beyond her personal stories and the narrative becomes universal as she feels our stories are all connected. Some objects/symbols are obvious; others may be interpreted by viewers differently as they bring their own experiences to the work. Linda enjoys the idea that something from her story may cause others to reflect on their own narrative. Reflection on personal narratives in order to better understand self and others is a very powerful experience that continues to draw her to the studio and her work. Linda has come to trust her collecting and allows objects to come to her during the art-making process. Many of the titles of her work come from music, books, and poetry that then guide her intention as she assembles her found objects. She never shares all her stories as she invites the viewer to participate in the work.