Artist Portfolio Magazine - Issue 20

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PORTFOLIO magazine

issue 20 ArtistPortfolioMagazine.com

Life of An Artist

lifeofanartist.tv

artist

PORTFOLIO magazine

publisher ben walker editor ingrid reeve artistportfoliomagazine.com myartcontest.com

This is our 20th issue!

Over the last 4 years we have come across so many talented artists from all corners of the earth and we are so thankful that our readership continues to grow. We can’t thank you enough for your support of the arts and Artist Portfolio Magazine.

The end of 2014 is near and next year we have some very exciting news that we will be revealing in early 2015.

As Artist Portfolio Magazine continues to grow as an independent online art magazine we look forward to sharing the art from artists to art lovers worldwide.

cover art: Rachel Yurkovich Cleveland Heights, OH Eat, Drink, and be Merry Video

Page 42

CopyrightŠ 2014 Artist Portfolio Magazine All contents and images cannot be reproduced without written permission from artists. Artists in Artist Portfolio Magazine retain rights to their images.

In this issue of Artist Portfolio Magazine you will find art from artists who participated in our Midwest vs West Art Exhibition. As always, selecting only 20 works of art is an extremely challenging endeavor and we are happy with the art we selected. We hope you enjoy this issue of Artist Portfolio Magazine.

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Jeff Olson Yelm, WA darkmoonstudio.net

Jeffrey Olson, born in Chehalis, WA. in 1953, is an assemblage sculpture artist using found materials, primarily rusted metal and weathered wood. He is self taught and inspired by the many shade and texture variations of rusted metal which remind him of the desert regions of the American west he has loved since childhood. Common themes are classical mythology, religion, psychological archetypes and science fiction. Olson has exhibited in numerous Earth Day shows, arts walks, a two person show in Hamilton, MT. at Art City Gallery (Diamonds and Rust) and is curently showing works at Matter Gallery, Olympia, WA. and Four Seasons Gallery, Tacoma, WA. He lives and works in Yelm, WA.

Liar 25" x 21"

Gothic Cathedral 45" x 21"

Bone Dancer 21" x 9"

Nude #1 42" x 14"

Christie Chew-Wallace Chicago, IL oilpaintingsbyccw.com The innovative artist, Christie Chew-Wallace was born in St. Louis, Mo. in 1956. She met her husband, Robert, in high school and they married in 1981. They moved to Los Angeles that same year and Christie began her formal art instruction at a private art school called Mission: Renaissance. Christie has always been interested in creating and has done so since she was old enough to pick up a crayon. Her parents were very proud of her talent but did not have the funding for an art education so they bought her an art course from a T.V. commercial. Christie passed with flying colors!

Christie’s husband was a tad more generous and agreed to fund her education at Mission: Renaissance. She received excellent instruction under the guidance of Mr. Larry Gluck. Along with her private instruction Christie has completed many college courses in the arts from Fulton College, Glendale College in Los Angeles and College of DuPage in Illinois. She has complimented her formal training with a variety of seminars, workshops and panel discussions on every subject from “How to take slides of your artwork” to “How to sell your art out of a tent”. During her education her artwork continued to change and grow from reality based art to abstract.

In the midst of all the art schooling and creating Christie and her husband had two children; the artwork slowed a little but never stopped. They continued to raise their children and Christie continued create and participate in shows both locally in California and nationally. In 1990 Christie and her family moved to Chicago. She promptly joined the Chicago Artists Coalition and The Arts Alliance and began to show her work throughout the city and suburbs. She has been in several gallery stables, Gallery 500, the Blue Mule Gallery and Gallery Atlantis to name a few.

Christie’s children are now completing their college educations (one in the arts) and are on their way to becoming selfsufficient adults. She is the proud owner of three English Bulldogs, two of them are certified therapy dogs, she and her Bulldogs work all over the city helping 2nd and 3rd grade children improve their reading skills through SITSTAYREAD and helping the mentally and physically handicapped children and adults use their minds and their bodies to work with animals and make their lives a little better. This is accomplished through Rainbow Animal Assisted Therapy. Christie donates up to four pieces of artwork each year to her favorite organizations, including Treehouse Animal Foundation, NOW, Rainbow and a variety of other worthy organizations who might be having a silent auction to raise money for their cause.

Christie’s family resides in the South Loop of Chicago and Grant Park is her dogs’ back yard. Her studio is in her living room, spreading throughout the house. She works with oils and acrylics on canvas and is quite prolific as well as inquisitive and moves forward with her art by striving to become more creative and original with each new series. Her paintings fully occupy her time and she works hard to produce art that speaks about her own acknowledgements on life.

Portals Acrylic 48" x 60"

A Snake in the Grass: Portal Series - Acrylic - 33" x 48"

Through the Seventh Portal - Acrylic - 20" x 40"

Matthew Derezinski Kirksville, MO http://mderezinski.wordpress.com

Photography has been a passion of mine for over 20 years. As a kid growing up in Kansas, I always enjoyed taking pictures of events, as well as of friends and family. During high school I took a photography class as one of my art classes. The photography course was a traditional film-based class, so black-and-white photographs were the focus. My dad took me down to local pawnshop to buy my own camera to use for the photography class. How excited I was to have my own Nikon camera. I must say it served me well for over ten years, from high school to undergraduate to graduate school and beyond.

Once I was enrolled in college at Kansas State University, I took more photo classes but my focus was on becoming a graphic designer.

Photography, which always came easily to me, was a consistent source of comfort and understanding. I was able to take some photography classes for some of my electives and one was an independent study, but it was still traditional film-based course. After a few years passed, I felt I needed to good back to college and better myself in the area of graphic design so I enrolled in the MFA program at Kansas State University. During this time my camera and I collaborated in photo sessions to help me communicate the message I wanted as a designer.

Also during this time a revolution in photography was taking place: digital cameras. Digital files had, of course, replaced the more traditional film. This was also a time when I became aware of what Photoshop could really do. It allowed me to blend and manipulate multiple images to create something entirely new. Most of the photographic manipulation I was doing was focused on graphic design- (visual communications-) based work, so not much in the way of self-exploration and investigation this changed in the next few years.

I finished my graduate degree 2002 and I got my first teaching position at Emporia State University, as the Head of Graphic Design. Although this is no longer my process, at this time, I was still shooting film-based images, scanning the images in, and manipulating them in Photoshop.

For a faculty show, I did my first self-expressive, narrative piece called Crossroad (2005). I didn’t see the potential of the work, but one of my colleagues at the time mentioned to me how impressive the work was and stated I should do more. Crossroad blends different background textures with telephones poles, birds hanging on telephone lines, and a railroad sign. I deleted all the words in the source material except “Cross Road”.

Around this time I created two works--Forgotten (2006) and 02 Trapped (2006)-- which became my therapy in a way and helped my work to evolve to what it is today. They are also typical of the kinds of images I make and of the process I use in making them. Around the time that I began this body of work, I was walking through the Biology Department on Emporia State’s campus. The Department had on display exhibits which included different taxidermied birds, mounted on limbs, as well as a display case with just wings. I went back later with my camera and photographed all the birds on display and their wings. One of the instructors showed me more of the animals they had in storage: a nest from birds, wasp nests, and other taxidermied animals. This photo shoot is where I got a lot of my pictures of birds and wings that I used for Forgotten and 02 Trapped. I found this to be the easiest way to shoot birds because the living ones don’t tend like human interaction. I go to museums, wilderness conservation areas and, when possible, shoot birds in their natural environment. I still continue to use birds as a reoccurring symbol in my work, as well as trees, textures and decaying architecture that is incorporated in my work. I have always been intrigued by creatures of flight, real or imagined, how they must see the world in such a different way and that they have the freedom to fly anywhere at any time.

In terms of process, each final digital image is composed of anywhere from 20 to almost 100 original source images. I shoot a lot of textures as well as man-made and organic forms that I integrate into the background of my pieces. I also photograph abandoned buildings because of the stories they leave behind. I always have my camera in my car when I am going to events, or home for the weekend. Sometimes I will even just go down a road to see where it takes me to shoot.

So how do I sum up my work? It incorporates layers of textural and organic imagery that draws upon my interest in decaying architecture, nature, and the landscape in which I live. This imagery, rich in personally derived symbolism, is organized into imaginary, mystical, and mysterious landscapes. While the stories created in the work are not explicit, I incorporate symbols that, like signposts, encourage the viewer to navigate the implied narratives in their own way, based on their own personal experience

Crossroad #2 - Digital - 8" x 17"

Evening Flight Digital 17" x 8"

Misplaced Memories - Digital - 8" x 17"

Lissa Bockrath Chargrin Falls, OH lissabockrath.com My current body of work is a direct reflection of our changing environment. It is impossible to overlook the profound link between man’s impact on earth and the volatile weather we are experiencing. My new work addresses this change as it is manifested in tsunamis, hurricanes, wildfires and the altered landscape of our planet.

I have been impacted by powerful images and firsthand observations of these extreme weather patterns and their impact on earth and mankind. Some pieces depict the tension from a momentary confrontation while others reflect the aftermath of this tumultuous conflict. Once inspired by these natural occurrences, I work from a stream of consciousness that often takes my work in unexpected directions. These landscapes seek to accentuate the balance between the turbulence of our altered atmosphere and the peace that emanates from the landscape’s inherent beauty.

Mystic Veil - Oil on Canvas - 48" x 60"

Delusions of Granduer - Oil on Canvas - 60" x 48"

Intoxicating Revolt - Oil on Canvas - 30" x 30"

Lorax - Oil on Canvas - 5' x 4'

Ron Weinkauf Seattle, WA ronweinkauf.com

Ron has lived in Seattle nearly all of his life, having been born in the Midwest, and living there until he was twelve years old. He attended the University of Washington in Seattle, and graduated with a degree in architecture, following five years of courses. In addition to numerous architectural drawings in ink, pastels, and watercolors, art was also included in his curriculum. He feels that art and architecture are very closely related, and indeed that architecture can be considered a practical form of art.

Ron has been passionate about art since his high school days, where he majored in art for three years under the direction of an inspiring teacher. He wants to give her credit, as he feels she was equal to all of the professors at the UW. Ron has long enjoyed exploring the myriad relationships one sees in life, both in real life and in the world of art. He developed a series of life-size two-dimensional acrylic figures and closely related paintings, which are acrylic in most cases. Of course many relationships one sees in his art are entirely a figment of his imagination. Wry humor is a very common thread in his works. Ron enjoys employing a little deceit…the “frames” are in most cases actually faux, being composed of heavily textured acrylics, and the “shadows” where shown in the mattes are also faux.

Although he has exhibited at various Seattle locales, the amazing world-wide internet is currently his preferred means of displaying his works.

American Fantastic Acrylic Ptg. 36" x 42" - Fig. 21" x 65"

Zero - Acrylic - Ptg. 34" x 48" - Fig. 24" x 72"

Supersplat Acrylic Ptg. 54" x 54" - Fig. 36" x 72"

<- opposite page Double Subtle Acrylic Ptg. 42" x 73" - Fig. 25" 73"

Michael Griesgraber Las Vegas, NV mgriesgraber.com

Born and raised in St Paul, Minnesota, Michael Griesgraber, attended the University of Minnesota, earning a BFA in Studio Arts. He went on to earn a MFA in Advertising Design from Syracuse University while in his 30s. With a combination of talent, people skills, and timing, Griesgraber thrived in advertising as part of computer and technology revolution, riding the waves of change and fortune that happened in these fields and in design. Now with a successful 30-year career in advertising behind him he lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Griesgraber paints seven days a week in his downtown Neonopolis studio where he is a artist in residence. Actively involved with the Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Art, he was featured in their exhibition Action Abstraction as well as their traveling exhibition Neo Action Abstraction and was highlighted with his own solo show Colors Square Route in 2013.

Acknowledged numerous times in Upstream People on-line exhibitions and as a Showcase winner by Artslant on several occasions, Griesgraber has also exhibited in ART Santa Fe, the 2014 Brooklyn Working Artists Annual Color show, the Los Angles Art Association Annual Open show and downtown LA Art Show in 2013.

Outsidethebox Acrylic on Canvas 36" x 36"

Maze - Acrylic on Canvas - 40" x 40"

X in X Squared - Acrylic on Canvas - 48" x 48"

Pick Up Sticks - Acrylic on Canvas - 40" x 40"

Kim Fujiwara Rochester Hills, MA kfgallery.com

Kim Fujiwara was born and raised on the northwest side of Detroit, Michigan. By first grade he was already in advanced art classes mentored by his art teacher. He was known as “the kid who draws.” He says his influences were Marvel comic books, Monster movies, psychedelic rock posters, Creepy and Mad magazines. He did hallway art and special assignments for grade school and high school. He took second place in the state for the American Legion Poppy Poster contest in the 11th grade. He was determined to make art as a career and in 1975 he enrolled at the prestigious art school Center for Creative Studies/College of Art and Design (CCS) in Detroit. Some influences and inspirations during this time were American artists, Bernie Fuchs, David Grove, Norman Rockwell, Maxfield Parrish, Bob Peak, Gil Elvgren, Frank Frazetta, and French Impressionism. After graduating CCS in 1979, Kim worked at major art studios around the Detroit area and by the mid 80’s he was an instructor at CCS for 5 years teaching Illustration, Figure Illustration, and Illustration Techniques. In 1992, Kim started his own studio, Fujiwara Art, Inc. Kim’s artwork and portraits have appeared on national ads, book covers, editorials, magazine covers, CD covers, posters, brochures, billboards, annual reports, point-of-purchase, and children’s books. Several of his portraits have decorated the walls at the prestigious Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills and more recent works include over 30 portrait montages for Ford Motor Company’s NADA awards which can be viewed at world headquarters in Dearborn. Portraits of celebrities have included, Arnold Palmer, Isiah Thomas, Jack Nicholas, Henry Ford, George Kell, Ben Wright, Al Unser Jr., Hillary Clinton for the Washington Post, and a limited-edition print of Shaquille O’Neal.

In 2003 Kim created a series of limited wine labels of Michigan for Cherry Creek Cellars. His work appears in several Native American children’s books including; Carlos Montezuma, Ishi, also Science Adventures/ Whales, and Italian Portraits. He has recently completed another children’s book, “My Name is Leona.” In September 2013 “My Name is Leona’ was awarded Gold Medal from Mom’s Choice Awards.

2009, after the demise of illustrations in print collateral, overall economy, and computer generated images, Kim reinvented his passion from Illustrator to Fine Artist. Kim decided to stay with what he is most known for, figures and portraits. With the support of his wife, he began to create two series of oil paintings, The American West and La Belle Femme (The Beautiful Woman).

“With both series, The American West and La Belle Femme, I can fuel my creative passion and spirit from everything they have to offer. From colorful landscapes, cowboys and cowgirls, Native Americans, horses, and great wardrobe of the West to beautiful women in a variety of sensual settings and costumes.”

The art of Fujiwara has garnered several Gold and Silver Awards at the Annual Scarab Club Advertising Exhibits held in Detroit, honorable mention at Padzieski gallery in Dearborn, merit on Portfolio.com first on-line art show, a red ribbon at Birmingham’s “Our Town” exhibit, and a gallery spot on ovationtv.com. In 2012 and 2013, Kim was a top 5 finalist in the MI Great Artist Contest to include a solo show in both years.

Kim currently works out of his home studio in Rochester Hills and would like to relocate to Arizona where he can pursue his creative passion and entrepreneurial spirit in the fine art market.

Balance - Oil - 28" x 22"

Green River - Oil - 36" x 24"

Morning Rose - Oil - 18" x 24"

Kassandra Mattia Greenbay, WI kassandramattia.com

Kassandra Mattia was born in Fairfield, California and raised near Green Bay, Wisconsin. A recent graduate of Santa Clara University’s Department of Physics, Kassandra is fascinated by the vast mysteries woven into the fabric of the time and space we occupy. Drawing upon imagery from her childhood in the rural Midwest, she uses paint as a vehicle to express her observations of the “spiritual vibrations” that lie beneath the earthly veneer of our daily rituals and meetings. Creating work that is simultaneously realistic and abstract, earthly and spiritual, traditional and bizarre, Kassandra hopes her paintings inspire an evocative environment for connection and conversation amidst the incalculable unknown that surrounds us.

Mae Oil on Panel 40" x 30"

Margaret - Oil on Panel - 10" x 10"

Elaine Oil on Canvas 20" x 16" <- opposite page Ruth Oil on Panel 10" x 8"

Matthew Thomas Clark Pullman, WA mtclark.com matthewclark@mtclark.com

Matthew Thomas Clark is from the Southern United States and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts ,with an emphasis in sculpture, at Western Kentucky University. After completing his undergraduate degree he ran a non-profit craft academy in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. He holds a Master of Fine Arts, with an emphasis in painting, from Arizona State University. He practices an intermedia approach to art combining photography, digital illustration, graphic design, painting & drawing, digital modeling and animation. His work has been shown nationally and internationally.

Currently, Clark is an instructor of fine art at Washington State University, Pullman.

Playing Field (White) - Painting - 36" x 36"

Playing Field (Red) - Painting - 42" x 42"

Before the Start - Painting - 48" x 48"

Playing Field (Black) - Painting - 48" x 48"

Rachel Yurkovich Cleveland Heights, OH rachelyurkovich.com

Bio Raised: Prague, Czech Republic Lives: Cleveland, Ohio Rachel Yurkovich received her BFA in Sculpture and Painting from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2014. She is currently using video to frame situations of uninhibited consumption in living things, and the damaging consequences that often occur as a result. This work has been exhibited at Cleveland venues such as SPACES Gallery, the Reinberger Galleries, and Arts Collinwood. As a recipient of the 2014 First Agnes Gund Traveling Award, Rachel is preparing for her upcoming travels to Chernobyl, Ukraine as a location for filming before 2020.

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HsCxE_x2fU

Sugarcoated - Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYy7HkP_Xlo

Egg Eating Chicken - Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BObuVun5AD4

Five-Second Rule - Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIEzQGZtptw

Katherine Rohrbacher Los Angeles, CA katherinerohrbacher.com

Katherine Rohrbacher is a native of Fort Wayne, Indiana and currently resides in Los Angeles, California. She received her BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, with a concentration in painting, in 2005.

She earned her MFA in 2009 from the Hoffberger School of Painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art where she studied under the late Grace Hartigan and artist Joyce Kozloff.

She also received a painting fellowship at the Vermont Studio Center and is a member of the Los Angeles Art Association and TAG Gallery at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica, CA.

Blossom Oil on Canvas 40" x 30"

Wild Thing - Oil on Wood - 36" x 48"

Stilled Life - Oil, Acrylic, Latex and Glitter on Wood - 60" x 60"

Wilted - Oil on Wood - 36" x 36"

Gail Oyer aka "Mercedes" Carlsbad, CA mercedesfineart.com

Orange Passion Oil on Canvas 44" x 42"

I cannot remember a time in my life when I didn’t make art. My earliest recollections are of hours at a small wooden easel depicting ornate buildings of Chinese architecture. It has always been a mystery where that inspiration came from.

As I grew up, with my mother’s enthusiastic support, I was allowed to paint all over my bedroom walls, floor to ceiling time and again mostly with what was currently on my mind. During my teens, giant flowers and other cultural symbols of those times emerged which I proudly displayed to passersby through my open windows. The epic conclusion to my creative years at home came when I was officially introduced into the world of design and given permission and the budget to formally decorate my room for the last time under the watchful eye of an interior designer. Those early girlhood experiences hinted at my artistic path ahead.

Ever since, I have continued to explore and master different mediums, styles and subject matters. Surprisingly, there has been nothing that I couldn’t do and I equally enjoyed everything that came from under my hands and from my brushes.

These days I am best known as a multi-dimensional artist capable of translating most any subject matter into a masterful work of discriminating attention to detail.

I specialize in floral imagery though I also have portfolios of work in other subject matter such as still life, animals, landscapes and abstract. Though currently recognized for my paintings, earlier in my career, I was known predominantly for my work with glass. Stained Glass was produced on a waiting list only basis.

Fused Glass art pieces were sold mostly through galleries. I also had a line of woman's high-end fashion accessories featuring elements of fused glass which were marketed and sold to fine department stores such as Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and high quality boutiques across the United States.

I have lived in San Diego for many years since I attended and graduated from San Diego State, cum laude with a degree where I excelled at the drawing of carbon structures in Food Science / Biochemistry. My husband and I built a home and lived in Hawaii for a number of years but returned to San Diego to raise a family. I have studied glass and painting techniques with notable mentors. I was most active with gallery representation prior to the most heavy family raising years and consistently remain active with private sales to and commissions to collectors. Today, the majority of my creative time is spent oil painting. My work is in numerous private collections. The most recent, notable public collection is Life Technologies a multi-billion dollar bio-tech company located in Carlsbad, CA. I am currently working on large scale commission of Balboa Park – and a miniature of same - for a private collector.

Red Rose 2 - Oil on Canvas - 56" x 44"

White Rose 2 - Oil on Canvas - 84" x 84"

Grant Ham Seattle, WA splasha.com

Extremes of light, be it natural or artificial have always attracted Grantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye and in his art he strives to reproduce some of the tricks and illusions the light can often create, He finds his best results are achieved using a transparent layering technique first mastered by the Dutch in the 15th century.

He is originally from the UK, but relocated to the Northwest a little after the turn of the millennium (The second millennium that is..!!), Grant has been painting professionally for around 15 years after completing his further education at the Cambridge College of Arts and Technology, England.

The Treasure - Oil on Canvas - 16" x 20"

One Dog and His Man - Oil on Canvas - 24" x 36"

Sun Through the Maple Leaves - Oil on Canvas - 36" x 24"

Sun Through the Wisteria Leaves - Oil on Canvas - 24" x 30"

Amber Buck Woodland, WA sixdaysartgallery.net

Ever since I was very young I have always been interested in the energy that a simple painting can create. I paint from an emotional place. Sometimes my paintings come to me in a dream, sometimes from a photo I took, some straight from my imagination. I want to evoke a certain mood, or tell a story or create a visual piece that I have in my mind and want to share. Sometimes there are long stories behind a work of my art; sometimes short, simple stories. My art comes from what feels like a sacred place, a spiritual visual journey. My goal with a painting is to usually create an uplifting image. I want to create little moments of joy. In style I lean toward fauvist and impressionistic paintings with bright colors. I am also deeply influenced by expressionism, folk, and primitive styles. I am drawn to simple lines, patterns and bold color choices. I am constantly exploring color, ideas, shapes, imagery, and meaning. I see a thousand things a day that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d love to paint.

Originally from The San Francisco Bay area, I moved north as soon as I discovered the trees were bigger there and lived in Eureka, California for seven years. I moved further north and even further out in the country to Woodland, Washington where I reside today. My neighbors have chickens in their yards that I want to paint.

Near the Fields Where We Ran - Acrylic on Canvas - 15" x 45"

Country Trees - Acrylic on Canvas - 20" x 20"

Sailboats 1 - Acrylic on Canvas - 36" x 36"

Seven Little Yellow Trees - 5" x 7"

Kurisutein Takagi Lopusnak Reseda, CA kurisutein.com

Kurisutein Takagi Lopusnak is a self-taught artist, born in 1980 in Tokyo, Japan. She grew up in California where she spent most of her time drawing and painting. She studied psychology and received her B.A. from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and her M.A. from California State University Northridge (CSUN).

Since 2003 Kurisutein has been working with acrylics on canvas. She often paints numerous faces that represent the human spirit and its connection with the subject matter in the title of her work.

"My abstract artworks are representations of the human spirit involved in complex topics. I accumulate drawings of faces and sketches that I then piece together to create a composition. The materials and colors used depend on the nature of the topic. The process of creating each work is very important to me. How the work is treated, the order of procedure, and the tools used are directly related to the topic itself - as if Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m creating an experience for the work in progress.â&#x20AC;?

opposite page -> Sugar Acrylic on Canvas 30" x 48"

Copper Acrylic on Canvas 30" x 48"

Gold.

Acrylic on Canvas 30" x 48"

Silver Acrylic on Canvas 30" x 48"

Keri Joy Colestock Pingree Grove, IL facebook.com/keri.colestock

I have been a professional contemporary artist since 2002. I reside in rural Illinois. My wish is to continue to create beautiful but also fun works of art fueled by passion and imagination. I am recycling found objects and having a blast!

One man’s trash becomes a “Keri treasure!’ So the flea markets provide me with the items needed for my work. I specialize in creating “feel good” art sculptures but I also incorporate polymer clay in many of my pieces. Most are whimsical, unique & on the FuNkY side like me!

My artwork is also available in galleries in Illinois. One home is the 4Art Inc Gallery located within the Zhou B Art Center.

Another is 317 Studio & Gallery in Rockford. I would like to further expand my artwork into more galleries & boutiques.

I am an artist with Lyme Disease who was told “art would be impossible” 13 years ago. I now have made 1500 pieces of original art.

Tree of Life - Polymer Clay - 27" x 27" x 4"

Leapin' Lizards! Made My Hair Stand Up Recycled Found Object Sculpture 35" x 19" x 11"

A FuN-Doo Pot Recycled Found Object Sculpture 27" x 15" x 12"

Terrence Robertson-Fall Thousand Oaks, CA terrencerobertsonfall.com As a Visual Effects Artist for over a decade, Terrence Robertson-Fall has developed characters for Sony Pictures Imageworks and Sony Pictures Animation starring in films including The Amazing Spiderman 2, Oz The Great and Powerful, The Smurfs, and Alice in Wonderland.

As a young aspiring artist, Star Wars made him so excited about the possibility of creating special effects in a film. But in 1977 it was a fledgling field and without much opportunity. Another new field, personal computers, sparked another passion, and he followed the family tradition of becoming an engineer. Working in the automotive field, yet another new passion, he was instrumental in winning the 1994 Indianapolis 500, developing patents for vehicle based satellite tracking systems, and building internationally exhibited show cars. Still, he retained his interest for special effects in film and the desire to be an artist. When Toy Story was released in 1995, he pursued his long held dream and studied character animation and character rigging in his spare time. He discovered that computer based animation was the perfect match to his artistic and engineering skills. Currently he is a Lead Character Setup/Sr. Technical Animator at Sony Pictures Imageworks. He has developed highly technical rigs like the photo-real wings for the flying monkey in Oz, The Great and Powerful, sculpting hundreds of poses for the bodies and clothes for the Smurfs so they look real as they move through their antics, and many more characters for a number of popular films. After spending years sculpting digital horses, smurfs, dogs, cats, wings and people, Terrence found that he needed to express his own ideas and thoughts in sculptures that could live outside of the big screen, off of the paper, bronzes that could occupy the world with us.

Terrence has taken his creativity and combined it with his love of animals and thrown in a healthy dose of humor and play. Different perspectives help us see ideas in a different way, much the way animated movies do, so the animals in his sculptures often express human emotions and characteristics. Each one is telling a story, just as rich and animated as the characters he created for film. They illustrate positive ideas, adding some magic to our lives.

Speaking of magic, Terrence’s photography is a means of remembering some of his more magical experiences in nature. There are so many wonderful places in the great outdoors to escape from the concrete and steel world we live in day to day. He has been blessed to experience many of them and have managed to capture some of them, ones that created a story in his mind. Stories and characters can be found in trees, rock formations, waterfalls and animals. Sharing these stories and characters with others can uplift and inspire them, creating a greater appreciation for our wild places, and also add beauty to their homes and places of work.

His various passions, which covers sculpting, drawing, painting, photography, wood-carving, as well as technology and engineering – has kept him busy and going in many different directions. But they all have that common thread – creativity and creating positive stories.

Reflections of Three Brothers Photography 30" x 20"

Reflections of Yosemite - Photography - 16" x 20"

Ruth Modric Greenbrae, CA ruthmodric.com

FINN-AGAIN Project: The Meandertale - Digital - 19.5" x 19.5"

FINN-AGAIN Project: Pinneyfore Frockss - Digital - 19.5" x 19.5"

Julian Kegel Milwaukee, WI juliankegel.com

Color Harmony & Secret Backhand Candid Composition Digital Photography on Canvas 48" x 72"

Huge Tracks of Land Digital Photography on Canvas 24" x 48"

Larry Lefner Colorado lefnerart.com Larry is an artist who defies categorization because his approach to creativity is constantly evolving. While working primarily with wood, Larry creates both fine and functional art that embraces a wide range of themes, from naturescene architectural motifs to stand-alone abstract sculptures. Many residents of Sante Fe, New Mexico and Aspen, Colorado have collected his work during the forty years he has been a professional sculptor.

Some of Larry's most notable accomplishments in recent years include a monumental tree sculpture commissioned

by Joshua Creek Ranch in Boerne, TX. The entire story is documented on our blog page. The Fly Fisherman Tree Sculpture commissioned by the town of Basalt is a favorite with locals in the Roaring Fork Valley, and the memorial sculptural bench in front of the Woody Creek Tavern is one more original Lefner.

Larry also has developed his own unique method of sculpting which is a composition of colorful hardwoods. We call it Mosaic Sculpture. It is a technique created by Larry alone. Sometimes we describe it as 'mixed wood' sculpture.

People think that these sculptures are painted, but the variety of colors actually belong to the different types of woods.

These works of art are truly amazing to behold.

Larry is available by appointment and welcomes commissions for fine art and architectural enhancements, such as mantles, doors and entrance-ways.

Equine Elegance - Functional Mosaic Wood Sculpture - 24" x 37" x 74"

Chief Joseph Wood Sculpture 32" x 32" x 45"

Chief Joseph Bronze 38" x 28" x 4"

Lori Wolf Grilias Arroyo Grande, CA loriwolfgrillias.com

Lori Wolf is primarily a mixed media artist. Working on paper and board she paints with watercolor and acrylic as well as drawing with charcoal, graphite, carand’ache crayons and watercolor pencil.

This new series is called “Reflective Emergence”. As Da Vinci use to say about exercising the imagination, “In order to excite the mind, contemplate walls covered with shapeless stains or made of ill-assorted stones. Find in them mountain landscapes, trees, battles, figures with lively movements, faces, and strange costumes.” At nine years old Paul Klee reflects, “tables topped with marble slabs, whose surface displayed a maze of petrified layers. In this labyrinth of lines one could pick out human grotesques and capture them with a pencil.” Lori manipulates her painted surfaces revealing an outcrop of characters. Expressive gestures, provocative poses, ridiculous proportions establish a chaotic gathering. Charcoal, crayon, or pencil divulge the figures she finds. Passionate about color and fascinated by the remarkable surprises found through spontaneous painting, Lori pays homage to Ernst, Klee, and the Surrealist pedagogy.

White Owl - Mixed - 24" x 36"

Rising Eagle - Mixed - 11" x 14"

Work Force - Mixed - 24" x 36"

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