Awakened

In my work, I explore the transformative power of abstraction; how color, texture, and form can combine to create something far greater than their individual parts. I grew up in Richmond, Virginia, watching my mother paint. She taught me to paint what you know, and how you see and feel it. I add texture that pops off the canvas and tricks the eyes into feeling the bumpy tree trunk. I use my palette knife to paint just as much as my brushes. Unless I’m working on a commission, I rarely know what the end of my painting is going to look like. Experimentation is the most gratifying part of the painting process. Each painting begins with a variety of underpainting techniques, including alcohol ink, mixed media paper, texture, and sometimes oil pastels. After the underpainting sets, I finish my story with oils for a rich finishing layer of depth. The layers of texture invite viewers to see beyond the flat surface of a landscape or portrait. The gold woven into my paintings is a reminder of the beauty and magic found in unexpected places. My inspiration is driven by the colors of nature and the emotions of gratitude. I’d like to think each piece I create will give some warmth and brightness to whoever stands in front of it.

When we face adversity, whether it be loss, failure, or emotional upheaval, we are forced to confront vulnerabilities and weaknesses. It’s in this confrontation that healing and growth occur. Last year was a difficult year personally for me, as I lost my mother to cancer, and I was diagnosed with lymphoma. Through my treatment, I felt so overwhelmed by a range of emotions that eventually inspired my artwork. My current collection symbolizes the unique process of overcoming emotional trauma and evolving into a more resilient, gracious, and powerful version of oneself. Each piece is a visual and sensory narrative of my personal experience, a reflection of both the struggle and the eventual emergence of strength and clarity, or even a simple moment of gratitude for the earth’s gifts we receive. The works share not the grief and despair, but the rebirth and awakening of a new beginning by including imagery that inspires and connects with the viewers. My hope is to encourage, connect, console, and give hope to others who may need comfort in the notion that we are resilient creatures. Collaboratively, the collection of artwork is bright, expansive, full of vibrant colors, fluid lines, and forms that are whole or mended. Lavish underpaintings of mixed media and layers of emotion reflecting my personal evolution and a universal invitation to the audience to see the potential for resilience and hope in their own lives, no matter how difficult their journey may seem. “The Journey of Resilience” is a message of hope, gratitude, and perseverance to anyone sharing the same difficult path in life.

Azure Whisper

I’m a paper artist deeply inspired by nature, culture, and personal connections. Using the ancient art form of quilling, I transform strips of paper into intricate, vibrant compositions that tell meaningful stories. Originally from India and now based in the U.S., I blend traditional techniques with modern aesthetics, often collaborating with illustrators to add depth and emotion to my work. Each piece is a reflection of my journey—rich in color, texture, and intention. From wall art to fine jewelry, I create with the hope that every design evokes joy, curiosity, and a sense of wonder. My work has been part of gallery exhibits, art shows, and cherished as personalized gifts that celebrate love and identity. Whether it’s a Tree of Life, a mandala, or a custom initial, my art is a quiet offering of beauty in a fast-paced world. I believe in the power of handmade and in making art that connects people deeply.

In a world teeming with patterns, where chaos and structure intermingle, my dual passion as an engineer and artist is ignited. Fascinated by the harmony that emerges from shapes and colors, I found my medium of expression in the ancient art of quilling. Through Paper Sweetly, born in 2016, I embarked on a creative journey that began with paper jewelry and expanded to encompass a diverse range of art forms, from earrings and necklaces to wall art and sculptures.

Within the confines of my San Jose home studio, I immerse myself in the process of translating my perceptions, moods, and glimpses of inspiration into tangible creations. With each sketch, color selection, and delicate curling of paper, I witness the transformation of intangible ideas into exquisite reality. The entire journey, from inception to completion, fills me with an overwhelming sense of joy and relief from stress.

Bad Posture On A Cold Summer’s Walk

Anna Mathai is a multidisciplinary artist based in San Francisco with a practice spanning from mixed media and painting to sculpture, decorative residential wall installations, and writing. She creates sculptural and textured works that use color, light, texture, and shadow to tell her story, and frequently works with plaster, textile, and metal. Her goal is to create things that hold some strange magic. It’s why she likes to experiment with and create new methods (like her “canvas kintsugi” and hardened silk origami). She makes works that interact with their viewers and the light around them, reflecting, shifting colors, and jumping off of the wall to mingle art and enjoyment, to transcend viewing into experiencing. She feels that the aesthetics (and a touch of whimsy) are paramount. However, on the “series level,” her work often references deeper themes from her life, such as rebellion, feminism, “otherness”, and the immigrant experience. Her work, however, is not overtly political. In her mind, her art generally reflects on boundaries, both real and imagined and blurs them.

Mathai was born in the UK to Indian parents but spent most of her childhood in the rural Deep South. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts from Rice University after graduating from the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and Arts, then went to medical school, and eventually law school, later practicing as an entertainment lawyer. Since pursuing her art professionally, her work has been featured in international art magazines and exhibited nationwide. In her other time, she writes lyrics and screenplays, enjoys nature with her Australian Shepherd, and Cowboy, and tests jokes on friends and family.

I create sculptural and textured works that use color, light, texture, and shadow to tell my story, and frequently work with plaster, textile, and metal. I want to create things that hold some sort of strange magic. It’s why I like to experiment with new methods and create works that interact with their viewers and the light around them, jumping out of the canvas to mingle art and enjoyment, to transcend viewing into experiencing. I feel that the aesthetic (and a touch of whimsy) is paramount, though on the “series level,” my works sometimes reference deeper themes from my life, including those of rebellion, feminism, and the immigrant experience. My work is not overtly political, and it would be unlike me to have one meaning for any single work—in fact, the exploration of dualities and the blurring of them is conceptually central to most of my art. Even in my poetic writing, I find beauty in the multiplicity and ambiguity of meaning. So, I prefer to avoid prescribing meaning to each work and let the viewer interact with it themselves, adding to the art with their own interpretation. It’s a sort of acceptance of all meanings: each one is true as it applies to you—I call it my “quantum art” philosophy. All that being said, in my mind, my work generally reflects on boundaries, both real and imagined, and blurs them.

Bamboo Forest

Born in Beacon NY, Mark is an artist based in Las Vegas, who is known for his impressionist paintings that capture people, places, and the events in his life. Timeless and tasteful, or modern and messy, images in his life demand to be examined. Mark often uses acrylic paint to create highly textured, three-dimensional works on canvas. A graduate of San Jose State’s art program, Mark’s first influence was his great uncle, Alfred Pizzarelli, an artist from New York City in the 1950s-60s. When admiring his uncle’s wonderful paintings, Mark would daydream about the people he painted, and interpret their expressions and colorful surroundings. Mark’s paintings are meant to burst with energy, life, and texture, beckoning the viewer to engage with the same wonderment he experienced as a child. You can find Mark’s artwork across Las Vegas in restaurants, wineries, and local galleries. When Mark’s not working, he’s spending time with his wife, Alicia, and their English bulldog, Belma.

So many things I think about when I look far away. Things I know, things I wonder, things I’d like to say.

After 20 wonderful years of painting, I decided that it was a perfect time to explore different landscapes. After months of researching different regions, I settled on Nara Park Japan. I found the history and landscapes to be intoxicating.

My artwork is a direct reflection of the different seasons of the park. I like to work in acrylics on canvas to enhance all the emotions and colors that Nara has to offer. I use bright or muted colors to communicate the magic and essence of the ever-changing seasons. Even as I branch out to other mediums or subject matters, I’m always tempted to come back to Nara Park.

If a viewer stops for just a moment to reflect on a piece I have created and feels emotion from the thousands of colors captured on canvas that reflect the different seasons, then I have succeeded in my work.

Bamboo Sunrise

So many things I think about when I look far away. Things I know, things I wonder, things I’d like to say.

BamRED

Wendee Yudis is a Serigraph Mixed Media Artist whose paintings and prints have been exhibited in solo and group shows in galleries in NYC, Chicago, and Philadelphia since the mid-1990s. Solo exhibitions include Ceres Gallery in NYC, Black Moth Gallery in Phila, and Gallery 1633 in Chicago. A selection of group exhibitions includes The Albright/Knox Museum in NY, Manhattan Graphics Center in NYC, Philadelphia Art Alliance in PA, James Oliver Gallery in Phila, PA, University of Pennsylvania: Penn Medicine in PA, CFEVA in PA, InLiquid in PA, DaVinci Art Alliance in PA, and The Trenton Museum in NJ. Select work was in a national juried competition in the Phoenix Gallery in NYC by Thelma Golden, then curator of The Whitney Museum of American Art.

Wendee Yudis received an MFA in Printmaking and Painting from Pratt Institute and a BFA in Printmaking and Photography from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She also studied archaeology at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and photography at Richmond College in London.

In addition to being a visual artist, Wendee works as a Graphic Designer and Art Director. Since the mid-1990s she has worked in agencies and non-profits in NYC and Philadelphia.

My art turns the definition of femininity on its head.

It examines and questions women’s roles in the world as dictated by social constructs: the ones imposed upon us – obedient child, wife, and daughter – and the ones we step into voluntarily – boss, lover, and vixen.

I use humor to explore the depths of these ideas. Womanhood cannot and should not be confined to one definition. Why do we have to be vixens or victims? Can we be both? My work explores the paradox of the powerful vs. the powerless in a manner that is both playful and sexual. The women in my work become icons who reoccur in different contexts and combinations. In this way, my work is layered with meaning. I look at the words we use to define masculinity and femininity and play with typography and context. For example, why is a bossy man synonymous with executive leadership while a bossy woman is a bitch? My bold and graphic treatment of words amplifies my ideas and by questioning the many facets of women, I embrace the freedom and power within every woman.

My primary medium is a combination of photo-silkscreen and painting. Silkscreen allows me to juxtapose and overlap a variety of images to create nuance and explore new definitions of old ideas. I use the actual silkscreen as if it’s a paintbrush, so each piece is an original. The beauty of the silkscreen process is that it allows me to experiment with translucency, opacity, layering, and pattern to explore relationships seen and unseen.

Barbara’s Flower Garden

Bruce Sanders is an expressionist and abstract painter living in Malibu, California. Bruce’s work blurs the lines between representational and abstract art. It delves into a space between the real world and a mystical-magical realm. Bruce employs kinetic forms, dynamic colors, and primal emotions in all of his art. By doing so, his work compels viewers to empathize, analyze, and interpret their own feelings.

Bruce’s work has been exhibited in shows in Laguna, Newport Beach, Santa Monica, Ventura, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Palm Springs. Bruce is a member of the Los Angeles Art Association/Gallery 825. He is a Member Artist of TAG Gallery in Los Angeles near LACMA. Bruce is also a Member Artist of Artlounge Collective in Los Angeles. His work has been purchased by collectors locally, nationally, and internationally. Three of his paintings are in a private gallery in Vienna, Austria. Bruce has authored four catalog art books: INTROSPECTION, I BELIEVE IN ANGELS, THE HEART WANTS WHAT THE HEART WANTS, and IMAGINATION. UCLA School of Dentistry has a collection of eighteen of his paintings.

I am an artist based in Malibu, California.

My paintings are recordings of humble attempts to “look inward.” This process seems to be less of a clinical evaluation and more of a spiritual search. My work is the product of reflecting upon the blessings, joys, sorrows, and losses I have experienced over a lifetime. I try to use color, texture, line, and form as vehicles for the expression of my feelings and emotions.

I believe that my work blurs the lines between representational and abstract art. It delves into a space between the real world and a “mystical-magical” dream-like realm. Working mostly with acrylics on canvas, I try to employ kinetic forms, dynamic colors, and heavy texturing in my art. My hope is that those who view my paintings will be “drawn in” to analyzing, empathizing, and evoking their own feelings and emotions.

This solo show entitled “MAGICAL FLOWERS / MYSTICAL TREES” comes before the 9th anniversary of my beloved wife, Barbara’s passing. Barbara loved working in the garden; and she treasured the blessings of flowers, trees, and plants. She thought of a garden as a “sacred place” and she found great peace there.

Why are flowers “magical?” Flowers are one of nature’s great gifts. Even if a person is having a bad day, the sight of a beautiful bouquet or a field of flowers can bring a smile to a person’s face and perhaps a little joy. Flowers bring bright colors to the world, but they are very fragile. We must learn to appreciate the blessing of flowers while they are in bloom. On the other hand, trees tend to be very sturdy and resilient. They are “here” before we were born, and it is likely they will be “here” long after we are gone. There are seasons when trees are in bloom, and seasons when they are barren. But trees “endure.” For me, their roots grow deep into the earth; and this represents our ancestors, heritage, and traditions. Their branches and foliage represent future generations, and continual growth and change. These enduring qualities make trees “mystical” and perhaps “spiritual.”

I would like to dedicate this show to honor Barbara’s memory, and I would like to thank HMVC GALLERY NEW YORK for giving me this wonderful opportunity to exhibit my work.

Barns And The Noble Barrel

So many things I think about when I look far away. Things I know, things I wonder, things I’d like to say.

Basket Of Strawberries

John was born in Columbus Ohio, graduated from Ohio State, and lived in Southern California for 30 years. Although John learned to draw and paint as a young boy, his degrees are in the computer science field. It wasn’t until 2010 when his wife bought him a large easel and encouraged him to start painting again, that he began to take his art career seriously. Since then John has been selected in over 200 gallery shows and juried contests, including the National Oil & Acrylic Painter’s Society 2014 Best in America show. John’s Carousel Horse #1 was featured in the June 2014 issue of the Artist’s Magazine Competition Spotlight, and he was featured in the ‘Artists to Watch’ section of the Southwest Art March 2016 edition. John’s acrylic paintings have been included in AcrylicWorks Best of Acrylic Painting volumes 1 through 10 and his paintings have been voted FAV15% in Bold Brush on a number of occasions.

I was sitting at the bar at a local restaurant one evening and noticed the cascading reflections from the dozens of bottles of liqueur on the glass shelves. I knew immediately that I wanted to paint the scene. As I started gathering photo references my thoughts coalesced around the idea of glass bottles as precious objects. The shapes sizes and colors of the glass and the liquid inside all meld together to sparkle like gemstones.

I had painted several works that featured reflections in water, but never glass bottles. My goal was to get the viewer to see something more than bottles of booze. Some shiny objects that glitter and sparkle.