DESTIG BEST ARTISTS OF 2019 / TOP 100 FOR 2020

DESTIG

2019 AWARD WINNERS

& BEST ARTISTS FOR 2020

DESTIG INAUGURAL HALL OF FAME RECOGNITION FOR A LIFETIME OF SERVICES TO ART

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE 2019

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE 2019

MAKIO HASUIKE

HAZEL STONE

WWW.MAKIOHASUIKE.COM

WWW.HAZELSTONEFINEART.COM

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE 2019

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE 2019

ELEANOR GOLDSTEIN

SOIJURU FUJITAKE

WWW.ELEANORGOLDSTEINART.COM

WWW.BENESSE-ARTSITE.JP

DESTIG BEST OF THE YEAR 2019 STARS OF THE YEAR

FIRST PLACE

SECOND PLACE

SHILOH SOPHIA (CALIFORNIA)

TIM WILSON (NEW ZEALAND)

WWW.SHILOHSOPHIA.COM

WWW.TIMWILSONGALLERY.COM

THIRD PLACE

FOURTH PLACE

PETER BREMERS (NETHERLANDS)

JANE BIVEN (GEORGIA)

WWW.PETERBREMERS.COM

WWW.HALFBAKEDART.COM

DESTIG BEST OF THE YEAR 2019 PAINTING

FIRST PLACE

SECOND PLACE

TIM WILSON (NEW ZEALAND)

JANE BARTHES (ILLINOIS)

WWW.TIMWILSONGALLERY.COM

WWW.JBARTHES.COM

THIRD PLACE

FOURTH PLACE

HEIDI MCKEOWN (MINNESOTA)

LYN ORONA (NEW MEXICO)

WWW.CENTERVILLESTUDIO.COM

WWW.LYNORONA.COM

DESTIG BEST OF THE YEAR 2019 SCULPTURE

FIRST PLACE

SECOND PLACE

LINDA ATKINSON (VIRGINIA)

DONALD RUSSEL (CALIFORNIA)

WWW.LINDAATKINSONART.COM

WWW.NATURESART2000.COM

THIRD PLACE

FOURTH PLACE

GREGG HARPER (MAINE)

CYRUS KABIRU (KENYA)

WWW.GREGORYHARPERMUSIC.COM

WWW.CKABIRUART.DAPORTFOLIO.COM

DESTIG BEST OF THE YEAR 2019 PHOTOGRAPHY

FIRST PLACE

SECOND PLACE

LOUISE LEVY (PENNSYLVANIA)

MEREDITH MULLINS

WWW.LOUISELEVYPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

WWW.MEREDITHMULLINS.ARTSPAN.COM

THIRD PLACE

FOURTH PLACE

AMIR EHRLICH (ISRAEL)

DON SLOCUM (HAWAII)

WWW.AMIREHRLICH.COM

WWW.DONSLOCUM.COM

DESTIG BEST OF THE YEAR 2019 MIXED MEDIA

FIRST PLACE

SECOND PLACE

BEATRICIA SAGAR (FLORIDA)

HANAA AL-WARDI (CALIFORNIA)

WWW.BEATRICIASAGAR.COM

WWW.HAGALLERY.COM

THIRD PLACE

FOURTH PLACE

ALEX MORALES (URUGUAY / NJ)

ELEANOR GOLDSTEIN (NEW YORK)

WWW.AJMORALES.COM

WWW.ELEANORGOLDSTEINART.COM

DESTIG BEST OF THE YEAR 2019 DIGITAL

FIRST PLACE

SECOND PLACE

DORA MARTINEZ (CALIFORNIA)

CARLOS MOTTA (COLOMBIA)

WWW.DORAMARTINEZ.COM

WWW.CARLOSMOTTA.COM

THIRD PLACE

FOURTH PLACE

HAIIILEEN (FLORIDA)

ANDREW RILEY (CALIFORNIA)

WWW.HAIIILEEN.COM

WWW.ARTOFRILEY.COM

DESTIG BEST OF THE YEAR 2019 INSTALLATION

FIRST PLACE

SECOND PLACE

NATALIE VENTIMIGLIA (COLORADO)

EDOARDO TRESOLDI (ITALY)

WWW.NATALIEVENTIMIGLIA.COM

WWW.EDOARDOTRESOLDI.COM

THIRD PLACE

FOURTH PLACE

HESSELHOLDT & MEJLVANG (DENMARK)

HAIIILEEN (USA)

WWW.HESSELHOLDT-MEJLVANG.DK

WWW.HAIIILEEN.COM

DESTIG BEST OF THE YEAR 2019 GLASS

FIRST PLACE

SECOND PLACE

PETER BREMERS (NETHERLANDS)

JONATHAN SWANZ (HAWAII)

WWW.PETERBREMERS.COM

WWW.JONATHANSWANZ.COM

THIRD PLACE

FOURTH PLACE

JOHN DENIS (ILLINOIS)

PHILIP TSIARAS (GREECE / USA)

WWW.JOHNJOSEPHDENIS.COM

WWW.TSIARAS.COM

DESTIG BEST OF THE YEAR 2019 PERFORMANCE

FIRST PLACE

SECOND PLACE

ARANTXA X. RODRIGUEZ (MEXICO / NY)

CANNUPA HANSKA LUGER (NEW MEXICO)

WWW.AXR-ARTIST.COM

WWW.CANNUPAHANSKA.COM

THIRD PLACE

FOURTH PLACE

CARLOS MOTTA (COLOMBIA)

JENNIFER JIGOUR (CALIFORNIA)

WWW.CARLOSMOTTA.COM

WWW.JENNIFERJIGOUR.COM

DESTIG BEST OF THE YEAR 2019 CONCEPT

FIRST PLACE

SECOND PLACE

KEISHA MANIJEAN (CALIFORNIA)

BEATRICIA SAGAR (FLORIDA)

WWW.KMANIJEAN.ARTSPAN.COM

WWW.BEATRICIASAGAR.COM

THIRD PLACE

FOURTH PLACE

ARANTXA X. RODRIGUEZ (MEXICO)

DOROTHY BURY SHAW (ILLINOIS)

WWW.AXR-ARTIST.COM

WWW.DBURYSHAW.COM

DESTIG BEST OF THE YEAR 2019 ART FOR A GOOD CAUSE

FIRST PLACE

SECOND PLACE

FLAVIA LOVATELLI (SOUTH CAROLINA)

NICOLE MORRISH (COLORADO)

WWW.FLAVIA-LOVATELLI.COM

WWW.NICOLEMORRISHART.COM

THIRD PLACE

FOURTH PLACE

ELEANOR GOLDSTEIN (NEW YORK)

DOROTHY BURY SHAW (ILLINOIS)

WWW.ELEANORGOLDSTEINART.COM

WWW.DBURYSHAW.COM

DESTIG BEST OF THE YEAR 2019 AFRICA

FIRST PLACE

SECOND PLACE

ADEL EL SIWI (EGYPT)

VICTOR EKPUK (NIGERIA)

WWW.MASHRABIAGALLERY.COM

WWW.VICTOREKPUK.COM

THIRD PLACE

FOURTH PLACE

JOSEPH B NYA (NIGERIA)

CYRUS KABIRU (KENYA)

WWW.JOSEPHBNYA.COM

WWW.CKABIRUART.DAPORTFOLIO.COM

DESTIG BEST OF THE YEAR 2019 ASIA

FIRST PLACE

SECOND PLACE

MA DESHENG (CHINA)

HUANG SIMAO (CHINA)

WWW.A2Z-ART.COM

WWW.SIMAOART.COM

THIRD PLACE

FOURTH PLACE

KOO JEONG A (SOUTH KOREA)

HARI & DEEPTI (INDIA)

WWW.KOOJEONGA.COM

WWW.HARIANDDEEPTI.COM

DESTIG BEST OF THE YEAR 2019 EUROPE

FIRST PLACE

SECOND PLACE

SUSIE HAMILTON (UNITED KINGDOM)

PETER BREMERS (NETHERLANDS)

WWW.SUSIEHAMILTON.CO.UK

WWW.PETERBREMERS.COM

THIRD PLACE

FOURTH PLACE

ABRAHAM DAYAN (FRANCE)

ALEXEY TROFIMOV (RUSSIA)

WWW.ABRAHAM-DAYAN.COM

WWW.TROFIMOV-PHOTO.COM

DESTIG BEST OF THE YEAR 2019 LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN

FIRST PLACE

SECOND PLACE

ALEX MORALES (URUGUAY)

REYNIER LLANESÂ (CUBA)

WWW.AJMORALES.COM

WWW.HARMONMEEKGALLERY.COM

THIRD PLACE

FOURTH PLACE

CARLOS MOTTA (COLOMBIA)

ARANTXA X. RODRIGUEZ (MEXICO)

WWW.CARLOSMOTTA.COM

WWW.AXR-ARTIST.COM

DESTIG BEST OF THE YEAR 2019 MIDDLE EAST

FIRST PLACE

SECOND PLACE

HANAA F. AL WARDI (IRAQ)

AMIR EHRLICH (ISRAEL)

WWW.HAGALLERY.COM

WWW.AMIREHRLICH.COM

THIRD PLACE

FOURTH PLACE

LAWRENCE ABU HAMDAN (LEBANON)

THE PRETTIMESS COLLECTIVE (ISRAEL)

WWW.LAWRENCEABUHAMDAN.COM

WWW.PRETTIMESSCOLLECTIVE.COM

DESTIG BEST OF THE YEAR 2019 EASTERN CONFERENCE USA + CANADA

FIRST PLACE

SECOND PLACE

MARCIA BIASIELLO (ILLINOIS)

NANCY STAUB LAUGHLIN (NEW YORK)

WWW.MARCIABIASIELLO.COM

WWW.NANCYSTAUBLAUGHLIN.COM

THIRD PLACE

FOURTH PLACE

BRENDA J WATSON (NEW YORK)

JANE BIVEN (GEORGIA)

WWW.BJWATSON.ARTSPAN.COM

WWW.HALFBAKEDART.COM

DESTIG BEST OF THE YEAR 2019 WESTERN CONFERENCE USA

FIRST PLACE

SECOND PLACE

KARIN AGGELER (CALIFORNIA)

CHARLES CARTER (CALIFORNIA)

WWW.KARINAGGELER.COM

WWW.CHARLESCARTERARTIST.COM

THIRD PLACE

FOURTH PLACE

JONATHAN SWANZ (HAWAII)

RAYMOND PEÑA (NEW MEXICO)

WWW.JONATHANSWANZ.COM

WWW.RAYMONDPENA.ARTSPAN.COM

DESTIG BEST OF THE YEAR 2019 MOST EXCITING YOUNG PROSPECTS

FIRST PLACE

SECOND PLACE

NICK NOYES (NEVADA)

JULIET HILLBRAND

WWW.NOYESRANCH.WORDPRESS.COM

WWW.JULIETHILLBRAND.COM

THIRD PLACE

FOURTH PLACE

HANNAH KANE (CALIFORNIA)

JUAN CAMILO GUZMÁN (COLOMBIA)

WWW.HSUEART.ARTSPAN.COM

WWW.JUANCAMILOGUZMAN.COM

100

Alice Miceli | Rio de Janeirio, Brazil Born in 1980 in Rio de Janeiro. Her exhibition record includes the SĂŁo Paulo Biennale, the exhibition Basta! at John Jay College and Max Protetch Gallery, in NYC and the Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation, Miami Alice is the recipient of the 2014 PIPA Prize, in Rio de Janeiro, and the 2015 Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation Award. www.alicemiceli.works

99

Adel El Siwi | Cairo, Egypt One of the most famous and influential contemporary Egyptian artists, he has been exploring the subject of faces, which have become his trademark, since the 1990s. As a continuum of his reflection on the human body, which tends to be mostly imperceptible in the local public conscience and discourse in Egypt. www.mashrabiagallery.com/adel-el-siwi.html

98

Koo Jeong A | Seoul, South Korea Since the 1990s Koo has been working on the reinvention of spaces with site specific works.

Her works frequently include architectural elements, drawings, fictions, poetries, publications, installations, sculptures, films, audio works and architecture projects. There are precise and intricate structures in her seemingly ordinary photographs and installations. www.koojeonga.com

97

Reynier Llanes | South Carolina , USA Born in Pinar del Rio, Cuba in 1985. He attended the city’s school of art (Instructores de Arte) for four years and completed his studies in 2004. Llanes was tutored by one of the country’s most recognized realist artists, Juan Miguel Suárez. He is also an avid art collector in his own right, focusing on works by artists from Cuba. www.harmonmeekgallery.com

96

Edoardo Tresoldi | Rome, Italy Plays with the transparency of mesh and with industrial materials to transcend the time-space dimension and narrate a dialogue between Art and World, a visual summary which reveals itself in the fade-out of physical limitations. Mixing classical and modern language, he generates a third one, strongly contemporary. www.edoardotresoldi.com

95

Entang Wiharso | Indonesia / USA Indonesian-born, US-based artist Entang Wiharso has a multi-disciplinary practice and speaks with urgency through any cogent channel that fits his immediate need, be it painting, sculpture, video, installation or performance. Wiharso’s work is layered with social, political and sexual critique, revealing a complex picture of the human condition. www.entangwiharso.com

94

Elaine Clayman | New York, USA Both a commissioned artist and a contemporary narrative figurative painter. Her work captures the imagination of the viewer as the protagonists reflect the tale. Her stories are meant to offer transparency, thereby capturing a glimpse of the soul of the subjects, just as they cross the line, leaving the audience to complete the narrative. www.elaineclaymanartist.com

93

The Prettimess Collective | Tel Aviv, Israel Founded in 2014 by Alon Meiri & Ben Kaufman of Dasilva and Boaz Sides, AKA UNTAY. The collective is home to a group of artists and good friends who came from the world of illustration and design to work together on a wide variety of projects and platforms – from public walls through print, branding & fashion, to art . www.prettimesscollective.com

92

Francesca Busca | London, United Kingdom EnvironmentARTist, or eco-artivist,torn between optimism and surrender, she is haunted by the idea of mankind’s imminent self-destruction.Yet, she believes in a future for humanity of resourceful innovation through re-thinking, re-purposing and reducing. It is this hope that is made visible through her work, which is composed of rubbish and ‘found’ material. www.francescabusca.com

91

David Le Batard (Lebo) | Miami, USA Lebo, is recognized for working in a wide spectrum of creative mediums including murals, paintings and sculptures. Lebo is the innovator of Postmodern Cartoon Expressionism – a combination of cartoon imagery, richly saturated balances of color and unique linear composition brought together in a narrative style to inspire emotion and create layers of meaning. www.leboart.com

90

Carlos Motta | Bogota, Colombia Multi-disciplinary art practice documents the social conditions and political struggles of sexual, gender, and ethnic minority communities in order to challenge dominant and normative discourses through visibility and selfrepresentation. As a historian of untold narratives, Motta is committed to in-depth research on the struggles of post-colonial subjects and societies. www.carlosmotta.com

89

Cannupa Hanska Luger | New Mexico , USA Raised on the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota, he is of Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, Lakota, Austrian, and Norwegian descent. Luger interweaves performance and political action to tell stories about 21st century Indigeneity. His work provokes diverse publics to engage with Indigenous peoples and values apart from the lens of colonial structuring. www.cannupahanska.com

88

Philip Tsiaras | Greece / USA Based in New York, Tsiaras works in a range of media including painting, photography, glass, ceramic, and bronze, and has made more than 80 one-person exhibitions since 1974. Philip Tsiaras’ works are widely collected in corporate, private and important museum collections,including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Fifteen books and catalogues are attributed to his work. www.tsiaras.com

87

Ma Desheng | Beijing , China One of the first contemporary Chinese artists to release Chinese art from Maoist propaganda. Suffering from a serious illness at a young age compelled his mobility to crutches, the artist restricts neither his productivity nor his creativity. Poet, engraver, calligrapher, painter and performer, Ma Desheng embodies a model of combativeness and creativity. www.a2z-art.com

86

Huang Simao | Beijing, China Simao has been working as a full time artist since graduating from Jiangxi Normal University in 1991. His artwork is bought by both domestic and international collectors and investors. He frequently exhibits at galleries close to where he resides in Songzhuang, 798 and Caochangdi, the three most prominent locations for contemporary art in Beijing. www.simaoart.com

85

Dao Anh Khanh | Hanoi, Vietnam Born in 1959 in the capital of Vietnam, 22 years later, he attended Hanoi Police Academy and became a policeman. His passionate love for art never diminished and he decided to devote his life to arts. In 1990, Khanh graduated from the Industrial Art College in Hanoi and developed a strong affection for the human form and spirit, both of which he draws inspiration from. www.twotigersgallery.com

84

Caleb Vinson | Chicago, USA A talented film maker and photographer known for his distinct style, artistry, soulful expression of life and for telling stories about the human experience in an intimate and up close way. There is a haunting beauty in his work that will touch your heart and lift your spirit. Caleb Vinson was born in NYC, raised in Connecticut, and currently makes his home in Chicago and LA. www.calebvinson.com

83

Kim Weston | Connecticut, USA A fine art photographer whose diverse background has influenced her definition of art and its connectedness between people, objects, and cemeromy. She questions how we perceive the world when illusions surround us.

Art promotes presence and an opportunity to observe what's true in our lives and the discrepancy in our everyday. www.kimwestonimages.com

82

Agnese Del Gamba | Arezzo, Italy "The plastic that would be destroyed, becoming heavy and polluting waste, in my hands is transformed, and, cleverly cut and worked, takes the characteristics of glass or ceramics. From this comes my every creation, a unique object to wear and to furnish, sometimes ironic and playful, sometimes opulent, other linearly essential, always unique and humorous." www.agnesedelgamba.it

81

Hung Liu | China / USA Hung Liu became widely known in the United States for her paintings of Chinese workers and concubines, whom she encountered while she worked along side them in the fields of the Chinese countryside during the years she was being “re-educated” via the Cultural Revolution. Hung Liu follows the Chinese cultural tradition of “calling spirits home” after death. www.hungliu.com

80

Haiiileen | Miami, USA Cuban-American and Miami, native Aileen Quintana, also known as Haiiileen, is an interdisciplinary artist known for her neo-acid experimental works that span through several different mediums and facets. Her dedication to the local artistic community fuels her capacity to create and tear down the boundaries that have yet to be explored within her own mind. www.haiiileen.com

79

Lyn Orona | New Mexico, USA I am an intuitive oil and pastel painter leaning toward Impressionism. Photos are used as reference only. I enjoy vivid and rich colors that are true to the Southwest. I use my imagination more when painting the Native Americans, old legendary cowboys, and the Mexican culture. I strive to create scenes that interpret their history of what life must have been. www.lynorona.com

78

Lawrence Abu Hamdan | Beirut, Lebanon An artist and audio investigator. Abu Hamdan’s interest with sound and its intersection with politics originate from his background as a touring musician and facilitator of DIY music. Abu Hamdan’s work frequently deals with the relationship between listening and politics, borders, human rights, truth and testimony through the production of multi-disciplinary art. www.lawrenceabuhamdan.com

77

Martin Parr | London, United Kingdom A chronicler of our age. In the face of today's constantly growing flood of images , his photographs offer us the opportunity to see the world from his unique perspective. Martin Parr sensitises our subconscious – and once we’ve seen his photographs, we keep on discovering these images over and over again in our daily lives and recognising ourselves within them. www.martinparr.com

76

Cyrus Kabiru | Nairobi, Kenya A self-taught emerging Kenyan artist, best known for his elaborate and detailed sculptural spectacles or “CStunners”, made from found objects and recycled material sourced on the streets of Nairobi.

A confident and individualistic artist, Kabiru is eloquent and forthright in explaining his practice and resolve to follow his own path. www.ckabiruart.daportfolio.com

75

Alexey Trofimov | Lake Baika, Russia A Russian landscape photographer, traveller and guide. Since his early childhood years, Alexey has had a keen interest in travelling. Later on in his youth, this was added to by a powerful passion for 'the photograph'.

Landscape photography is his main creative interest. His projects usually involve shooting remote landscapes and difficult places to reach. www.trofimov-photo.com

74

Joachim West | Galveston, USA A first-generation American of Spanish-Jewish descent, was born in Connecticut in 1985 and currently resides in Galveston, Texas. Joachim's work has at times captured the attention of the press both nationally and internationally. His work has been exhibited internationally and has been included in the Huntington Art Exhibition twice. www.joachimwest.com

73

Philipp Pieroth | Mainz, Germany In the gap between one and the other, the off-space between entities, the individual existence take its shape.

Through the physical and metaphysical relation(ship) to the other we are in the world. To be our selves we require that connection. The overwhelming, non-stop connectivity between humans, experienced in daily life - be it private, public, analog or digital. www.philipp-pieroth.de

72

Hesselholdt & Mejlvang | Copenhagen, Denmark The working-name of an artist duo that is based in Denmark, which was established in 1999 during Sofie Hesselholdt (1974) and Vibeke Mejlvang’s (1976) years of studying. Hesselholdt & Mejlvang’s practice could be described as tricky rebuses: puzzling and engaging, but never readable as singular statements. www.hesselholdtmejlvang.dk

71

Shezad Dawood | London, United Kingdom Through a fascination with the esoteric, otherness and science-fiction, Dawood interweaves histories, realities and symbolism to create richly layered artworks. Using the editing process as a method to explore both meanings and forms, his practice often involves collaboration and knowledge exchange, mapping across geographic borders and communities. www.shezaddawood.com

70

Hari & Deepti | Mumbai, India Hari & Deepti are a husband-wife artist duo based in Mumbai and previously based out of Denver. Their collaboration with paper and light started as an experiment in 2010 . They are story tellers who bring their stories to life through their intricate paper cut light boxes & have always been drawn towards the imaginative aspect of story telling. www.harianddeepti.com

69

Christine Simpson | Waterford, Ireland A working artist and Curator. She is currently represented by Gormleys Fine Art Dublin and Belfast.Her work has been exhibited around the world and the majority of her artworks address the topic of climate change. "I have always loved the idea of using art to advance social causes, to make us reflect and rethink what it means to be human in the 21st century." www.christinesimpsonphotoart.com

68

Peter Beyls | Berlin, Germany A Belgian born artist/scientist working on the intersection of computer science and the arts. He develops generative systems in music, the visual arts and hybrid formats. Beyls conceives of computer media as active partners in a creative process, a methodology he refers to as “conceptual navigation�. Software is written in order to explore ambiguous intentions. www.peterbeyls.net

67

Richard Graves | Virginia, USA I set out to make a spooky art shows and I think I got there- just not the way I intended. I have found more spookiness in the faces of strangers. I wanted to illustrate those shades I imagined in portraits of people I will never meet. The ghosts of their past trauma, identities, addictions and unrequited loves, but also the spirits of joy and redemption that haunt them, too. www.richardgravesart.com

66

Victor Ekpuk | Nigeria / USA A Nigerian-American artist. He is renowned for glyph-like paintings and drawings that are inspired by the aesthetic concepts of indigenous African writing systems and graphic symbols from diverse cultures. His work frequently explores the human condition, drawing upon a wide spectrum of meaning that is rooted in African and global contemporary art discourses. www.victorekpuk.com

65

Susan Tobia | Boca Raton, USA Boca Raton-based artist Susan Tobia appreciates the strength every woman has within herself and the importance of sharing it. "Art should not be boring – or weak, flat and lifeless. When I create, I pull from the energy of real life women who exude the beauty and strength in their souls. I strive to convey this using color, tone, texture and elements of nature." www.susantobiaart.com

DONALD RUSSEL | CALIFORNIA, USA

64

"My inspiration comes directly from Nature in natural rock shapes and wood formations. The natural elements I choose to use are rescued from places where nature has been destroyed. Elements such as the teak bench, fashioned from a tree stump originating in Java, the Huangyang Décor Tree Root sculptures, with their roots intertwined in natural granite rock, does indeed come from China, and the Manzanita burls, found in Baja, California, are all from various land developments. All these elements, which evoke nature, also speak to "modern progress," as they were salvaged from areas cleared for development, where their beauty would otherwise be lost. I truly feel a part of Nature when I am working with such beautiful and evocative rescued materials."

Website: www.naturesart2000.artspan.com

SUSIE HAMILTON | LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

63

"My paintings often depict travelling figures (Sami, explorers, riders, Berbers, mountaineers, shoppers) struggling, dashing, trudging through the wilderness of the world. The wilderness may be a natural one or it may be a bleak public space such as superstore, casino or mall. The settings are frequently overwhelming in the sense that they dwarf or challenge the living creature. They are also characterised by glaring light which exposes and blitzes the figure and sets up a violent contrast between dazzle and darkness.

The style hovers on abstraction with the figure and the figurative being threatened with loss of identity and transformation into abstract forms. Figures and objects become mysterious or menacing, replacing the named and known with the unnamed and unknown."

Website: www.susiehamilton.co.uk

JUDY AIZUSS | CALIFORNIA, USA

62

"My paintings are about discovering Light, both literally and spiritually. I like to think that my artwork speaks of realities and truths that lie beyond our physical senses. As a landscape artist, I use physical tools such as brilliantly colored pastels organized into carefully designed images, in an attempt to communicate those truths as I understand them.

I use landscapes and cloudscapes to reawaken our reverence for nature. Nature has a restorative, life-giving energy which I seek to infuse into my work. My originals are done mostly in pastels applied in many layers with frequent blending of colors. I work from a combination of photos and my imagination. The colors I use are not necessarily realistic, but are chosen for how they complement each other and for how well they express my feelings about the  scene and message."

Website: www.judyspaintings.net

JOSEPH B NYA | INDIANA, USA

61

"Intense shades of color, Strong lines and elaborate patterns combined together describe my paintings. My ink work which is my most favourite medium are illustratively rendered with a combination of intricate ink work and abstract symbols. I research an aspect of culture, conjure it in my imagination, compose, scan, use digital effects and hand embellish for extra effects.

My work is contemporary African in nature and specifically Nigerian. I am intrigued by the diverse nature of the Nigerian culture and decided to use art as a medium to teach history. I am a very versatile artist and deliver my work in a combination of intricate ink work, paintings or designs for different types of products."

Website: www.josephbnya.com

HANAA F. AL WARDI | CALIFORNIA, USA

60

An Iraqi-born multimedia studio artist based in Southern California.She received her Master's Degree in Medical Microbiology from California State University, Long Beach, and Master's Degree in Fine Arts from the Claremont Graduate University. Claremont, California.

She is the founder of the Museum of Contemporary Arab Art (MOCAA) based in Alhambra, California. MOCAA was founded in 2000 as a non-profit private organization, to exhibit her work and host highly accomplished artists from around the Arab world. The Artist/Author and poet, exhibits her work nationally and internationally and has participated in numerous discussions and television panels on her artwork.

Website: www.hagallery.com

JONATHAN SWANZ | HAWAII, USA

59

Jonathan has been crafting art for nearly 20 years developing facility in a variety of media with a focused refinement in the glass techniques of blowing, casting, carving, and sculpting.

He has worked with exceptional artists across Europe and the US, including Paris, Venice, Copenhagen, New York, Seattle, and Chicago. He has completed extensive commercial and residential architectural commissions in Cincinnati, OH, Indianapolis, IN, Louisville, KY, Honolulu, HI and New York, NY, and has pieces in the permanent collections of 21C Museum and Hilliard Lyons of Louisville, KY, the Headley Whitney Museum of Lexington, KY, The Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children and Park Lane of Honolulu, and PNC Bank of New York, NY. Website: www.jonathanswanz.com

PETER BREMERS | BORN, THE NETHERLANDS

58

PETER BREMERS IS RENOWNED FOR HIS GLASS SCULPTURES INSPIRED BY NATURE`S MOST EXTREME LANDSCAPES. HE HAS ALSO CREATED OUTSTANDING ARCHITECTURAL MONUMENTAL SCULPTURES FOR INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR SETTINGS. Peter Bremers, known for his blown graal works as well as his kiln-casting sculptures is one of Holland’s most renowned and internationally acclaimed glass artists.

He is known for his cast glass sculptures inspired by nature’s most extreme landscapes, based on his worldwide travels, including to Antarctica and the American Southwest. His work is featured in many public and private collections around the world.

Website: www.peterbremers.com

KAT O'NEILL | NEW YORK, USA

57

Kat is a Co-Owner/Co-Director and Photographer/Mixed Media Artist at The White Room Gallery in Bridgehampton, NY, which has been voted the Best Gallery in the Hamptons and the entire South Fork since opening in 2015.

Kat's art has been exhibited in numerous publications including The New York Times and Fine Arts Magazines and has been described as provocative, imaginative and unexpected. She was awarded Gold in Best of the Best East End Artists 2016, 2017 and 2018 as well as The Award of Excellence three times by esteemed jorors including Karen Marks, Director of Manhattan’s Howard Greenberg Gallery, one of the world’s leading photography galleries.

Kat's art has been exhibited at numerous galleries.

Private collections include NY, LA, Vegas, UK and Paris.

Website: www.katoneillgallery.com

NATALIE VENTIMIGLIA MARTIN | COLORADO, USA

56

Natalie Ventimiglia, explores her inner-world through a spiritual lens. Utilizing a combination of flame-working and kiln-formed techniques, Natalie Ventimiglia creates colorful, expressionistic, conceptually self-reflective compositions.

Her glass artwork is both, whimsical and systematic; mirroring two worlds in opposition. Natalie's intention is to create art that is transformative, art that creates an experiential environment that projects spaces to a "high vibe" state. This high vibrational energy connects people to the love available from God, the Universe, the Force, or whatever name one gives to a Higher Source.

"My art intentionally grounds down this energy which influences viewers to reach their highest potential."

Website: www.natalieventimiglia.com

JORDAN WADE | ARIZONA, USA

55

My work is mostly collage-based with vintage photographs, and digitally made. As I begin a new artwork, generally I have no clear cut intention of how I want it to turn out, which can lead me to more interesting and unexpected outcomes. But at some stage during the process, I will follow a theme (whether it's surreal, humorous or nostalgic) that naturally takes shape as I create.

I try and keep a sense of reality among the pieces I make.

Many collage artists will cut and paste an array of inclusions that don't really relate to the source image of the collage, or to what the main theme of it is. I like to keep a sense of possibility in my work. Having the viewer asking themselves maybe, just maybe, could this be happening in some other ethereal plane?

Website: www.jordanleewadeartwork.tumblr.com

JUAN CAMILO GUZMÁN | COLOMBIA / USA

54

"I Shop As An Artistic Practice. What I Like About The Things I Buy Is Their Attitude. Today, Everything Is Susceptible To Reproduction And Is Over-Aestheticized. The Allure Of Imagery And Objects Is What Blindfolds Us Not Only In Public But In Private As Well. Production Lines, The Market, Commodities, Advertisements, And All Design And Dis- play Decisions Interest Me. For This Reason, My Work Uses What Is Attractive To The Masses And Me As Only Part Of Its Appeal. By Adding More And More Layers, I Distort What Is Already Distorted.

If The World Is Twisted At Times, Why Not View It With A Little Bit Of Humor? I’m Able To Make Jokes Without Smiling."

Website: www.juancamiloguzman.com

ABRAHAM DAYAN | PARIS, FRANCE

53

A self-taught artist; Abraham dedicated himself to learning the history of art and the resulting movements from the Middle Ages to the present day. He began to paint - driven by the inspiration from the great masters: Picasso, Modigliani, Cézanne, Goya, Velasquez, Leonardo da Vinci, De la Tour, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Pollock, Rothko etc…In his own words: "I too wanted to become eternal and I have never stopped painting and looking for new ways."

An International artist who participated in the Biennial of Florence in Italy, Zurich International Art, Savannah International Art Festival of Jazz, Art Philadelphia Festival, New York at Agora gallery, Biennial of Chianciano, Biennial of Palermo, Biennial of Verona, Biennial of Mantova, Bruno Massa Gallery. His work is present in major art sites globally.

Website: www.abraham-dayan.com

MARCIA BIASIELLO | ILLINOIS, USA

52

"For me, my work is both a release and a reaching. I see these images as depicting pivotal moments where what happens before, after and even during is open with possibility.

I see the frame as drawing a line around an otherwise normal environment and otherwise uneventful moment.

By constraining the space and loading it with extremes, a next step seems inevitable. But a next step from choice, not restriction and constraint. The spaces are intended to present a border between a here and a there. In these interactions...him and her, him and the past, her and the future, etc...all overlay the present moment to make any next move possible. I don't know what each figure presented in these paintings will do next. We are guests in each other's lives. And sometimes, even in our own."

Website: www.marciabiasiello.com

FLAVIA LOVATELLI | SOUTH CAROLINA, USA

51

"I am a multidisciplinary artist focused on marrying traditional and non traditional materials into a curious narrative of harvested objects. I compose works from everyday scraps, forging a story from what we leave behind.

My satisfaction comes from observing the natural reaction from the viewers of the possibilities. I am an avant-garde sustainable Artist. I am an ecoFAB Trashionista. I am Art Ecologie. My passion is collecting the throwaways; the scraps, the forgotten, the broken pieces and lending them into unique works of art using tools, color, imagination and a dash of whimsy. I am one of the pioneer recyclers and sustainable artists before these terms even existed or became popular. My work is either entirely made from repurposed materials or have a high content of it."

Website: www.flavia-lovatelli.com

HAZEL STONE | ARIZONA, USA

50

"I call my painting style and technique “Experimental Abstraction.” The energetic and lively compositions for my paintings come from my head, my heart and my hand. Design elements that make my contemporary paintings stand out as being readily recognizable as HAZEL STONE include my favorite color choices, symbols, geometric shapes, patterns, words, humor and various types of line work for connections or emphasis. I like complexity and unusual combinations.

My intuition is always part of the process. The finished image is likely to be a play of light and dark, color contrasts, line, shape and design with little or no recognizable subject matter.The design and development of a piece are on-going aspects of my process and I continue to do what the painting calls for until it delights my eye."

Website: www.hazelstonefineart.com

JENNIFER PAZIENZA | NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA

49

In addition to Jennifer Pazienza’s extensive exhibition record her resume includes scholarly activities in art education, awards, and accolades. Her work is held in significant Public, Private and Corporate Collections in Canada, the United States, Britain and Italy. A Jersey girl from an ItalianAmerican family she has painted, for nearly 30 years, from her beloved Keswick Ridge in New Brunswick Canada.

"Love, longing, and the fluidity of time shape the poetic landscapes I make. So too, my 35-year exploration of working with a limited colourist palette. A student of the ephemeral; of truth and beauty, of light and place and home I paint to remember, to belong, to understand - to dissolve dualities and ease tensions."

Website: www.jenniferpazienza.com

NIKI STEARMAN | COLORADO, USA

48

Niki Stearman is an internationally celebrated artist who creates thought provoking and emotionally charged abstract paintings. Her paintings have received numerous accolades and awards from art organizations, artists and curators from all over the United States and Europe. Her paintings as well as commissioned works can be seen in collectors’ homes, executive offices, businesses and residences across the globe.

"I am a self-taught artist and Medium born and raised in Colorado. I discovered painting in my twenties as a means to calm my “unquiet mind” and to bring myself joy and inner peace. Today, painting is an essential part of my life as it balances my mind and brings me clarity and enjoyment."

Website: www.instagram.com/NIKISTEARMAN

ERNESTO GUTIÉRREZ MOYA | FLORIDA, USA

47

Ernesto Gutiérrez Moya, is an artist with a wild, urgent and ambitious desire to represent his personal world and present it to be known. He has participated in group exhibitions, personals, magazines and books, and is still looking for more.

"My work I would say that in general it has been and is a constant search to represent a personal world. Although I have dabbled in painting and drawing; I have seen how my work has changed at each stage of my career but always with the same idea of representing a space, a world. Now I am involved in the magic of the lines and the simplicity that it offers.The ambiguity, the irrational, the metaphysical, the oneiric, and the strange are important aspects that I always carry with me on this trip."

Website: www.ernestogutierrezmoya.com

LISA COSSINS | CORNWALL, UNITED KINGDOM

46

Lisa Cossins is an artist from Penzance, Cornwall, U.K. She specializes in creating stunning, enigmatic and spiritual water colour images, drawing inspiration from the natural world.

"My work is an emotional, yet tangible, response to the world around me and is a constantly evolving process of observing, feeling, thinking, drawing and creating. I use a variety of media but my current work is mainly watercolour; the various techniques within that medium and the luminosity that comes with watercolour. I am drawn to the open landscape and moorland punctuated by ancient landmarks as much as animals and flora and fauna. I hope my art achieves its objective of engaging the viewer, having a shared experience. Something to make one smile, think and relax."

Website: www.lisacossins.co.uk

MEREDITH MULLINS | FRANCE / USA

45

An award-winning, fine art photographer and photojournalist living bi-continentally in Paris and California. She has traveled and exhibited internationally for decades, immersed in the heartfelt spirit of “Vive la photographie.

"I have spent most of my life rebelling against cultural norms, sometimes even rebelling against myself, but my images often speak to the timeless beauty of traditions, or vanishing eras. I work primarily in black and white to reveal the essence of a subject and to create a mood through the powerful elements of light and form. Photography encourages the viewer to take that millisecond and expand their interpretation of time and storytelling to the edges of their imagination."

Website: www.meredithmullins.artspan.com

GREGG HARPER | MAINE, USA

44

Gregg Harper is a visual artist and musician with his home and studio in Portland, Maine. His art has been exhibited in New England as well as Venice and Rome, Italy.

"I formalize questions that I wish to address with my work by representing the layered exploration with a physical layering of media. The questions I pursue primarily relate to the importance we ascribe to spirituality, and how western and other world “philosophies�, as well as science, try to bring about clarity. Recently I've begun addressing how human spirituality - which is typically anthrocentric - places humanity above or separate from and not "of" Nature.

Answers are merely the lead-in to the next question."

Website: www.gregoryharpermusic.com

DORA MARTINEZ | CALIFORNIA, USA

43

Dora Martinez - Doram is a Digital Artist born in El Salvador and presently living in Los Angeles. In 2000 she started her experimental work by manipulating photos and creating original digital images with Adobe Photoshop and later with Paint.NET. In her own words:Â I consider my work the fusion between imagination and technology.

"All my work is original, I'm constantly searching for new ways to tell a story, in the digital realm there are no boundaries, I'm free to create and keep my work unique.

Technology as a medium frees my mind from the limitations of time and space, It allows me to explore multiple ideas simultaneously, I can mentally become several artist working on independent concepts, different styles all at once."

Website: www.doramartinez.com

IVANA MASIC SARIC | NEW YORK, USA

42

Born and raised in White Plains, NY, she graduated from Manhattanville College with a Masters in Art and Education & a BFA double major in Business Management and Fine Art. She proudly teaches at Valhalla High School in NY and continues to further her degree and knowledge of the everdynamic Visual Arts.

"One of the things that is unique about my work is my connection to music and an expression of what music looks like to me. I listen to different types of music, depending on the feeling I have, and I allow it to help me transform the visual definitions of the objects, forms, and colors that I want to bring to life with an image on the canvas. I enjoy that connection of music and art and how the brushstrokes of color are enhanced with more vibrancy while I create."

Website: www.ivanamasic.com

JANETTA SMITH | OKLAHOMA, USA

41

Janetta Smith creates fine art from her gallery and studio in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.She enjoys working with composition, shapes and vivid colors in acrylic, mixed media and photography.

"Working in technology is not all that different than creating fine art for me. In technology, I provide easy solutions for difficult problems. This actually forces me to utilize the creative side of my brain. In art, I work through my creative process with tools and techniques to help me create fascinating detail in my artwork. And, as with technology, I like to multitask and work on multiple pieces at the same time. I love the movement and the flow so my work develops quickly."

Website: www.janettasmithart.com

DOROTHY BURY SHAW | ILLINOIS, USA

40

An award-winning artist, explores spiritual themes in colorful renderings of great detail and symbolism. She is inspired by nature and the human experience.

"My work references abundant, unapologetic use of symbolism and references to mysticism. It is intimate and soulful. Of course, there is a story unfolding, and it can only be completed when the viewer brings another perspective."

"Having been forever moved by powerful mystical experiences since childhood, I have always been focused on divine intention and its power to heal and transform. How can my work make this world a kinder place to be, and how can I help to heal the wounds upon our collective soul? These are the questions that drive all that I do creatively."

Website: www.dburyshaw.com

JANE BARTHÈS | ILLINOIS, USA

39

Jane Barthès is a Franco British artist who lives and works in Chicago.

In her own words: “I feel a bit like a physicist researching her molecules. In essence everything is but matter and energy."

"The geometric patterns in the work have become metaphors for both the architectural spaces we create and inhabit as well as for science particles. I refer to these as my ‘molecules’; they are the building blocks of life itself. They are the purveyors of the powerful yet intangible energy that propels us through existence as I remain obstinate in the belief that if I just dig deep enough, the emptiness, or negative space of the canvas might reveal the secrets of the life force itself."

Website: www.jbarthes.com

JOHN DENIS | ILLINOIS, USA

38

John Denis has been a full time working artist for over 25 years, exhibiting in over 100 juried arts shows throughout the USA. John's work is a reflection of time spent on the Pacific coast, the relevance and infinite character of the ocean fuels his senses and imagination.

Currently living, in Chicago the sights and sounds of the city are steering John's new work toward more contemporary, rhythmic and abstract forms.

"I stumbled on a new medium of glass, a hybrid of glass. I am using it in a way that has never quite been used before. I wanted scale and dimension that was not available in previous methods."

Website: www.johnjosephdenis.com

HAROLD WESTERNIK | WIEDEN, THE NETHERLANDS

37

Harold Westernik is a passionate Dutch painter who has exhibited his work in the Netherlands. Interested in the sloppy, uninhibited way children paint, he undertakes an unplanned, free painting process, reacting with his materials moment to moment and creating bold works decorated with deconstructed text, striking figures and vibrant colours.

"My work is away for me to survive and make sense of the world."

"I dont know anything is my biggest achievement. Whatever happens in the moment, enjoy it!"

"All = ART + ART = ALL Website: www.haroldwesterink.com

KAREN KANAS | CALIFORNIA, USA

36

"I am a painter from Los Angeles, California. I was raised in Chicago, Illinois and involved in the arts from a young age. I specialize in landscapes, figures and abstract art. I typically explore my ideas on canvas using both traditional and innovative techniques. My background in the performing arts influences the themes of my paintings, which change depending on the mood or season I find myself in. I always learn something new about myself from each of my paintings which motivates me as an artist and brings me great joy.

My artwork captures the beauty and essence from a moment in time or an idea I have that I want to explore on canvas.

I prefer creating a custom acrylic palette for each of my paintings, choosing one dominant color to take precedence.

Website: www.karenvkanas.com

NICK NOYES | NEVADA, USA

35

Nick Noyes is a fine artist from Reno, Nevada, USA, who specializes in painting and illustration. He creates intricate, expressive, and colorful portraits, utilizing many mediums.

"I am, for better or worse, “married” to my format. All of my work is on 18”x24” paper, done using the same layered process. I do not title my work. I prefer to not “color” it with any verbage. I number my work, which is–I think–interesting, because if you view them all sequentially, it's obvious what new techniques or styles I was experimenting with and incorporating.

My goal is to consistently create interesting work, and interesting work is the combination of color, form, and expression, and those are what I emphasize in my work."

Website: www.noyesranch.wordpress.com

JENNIFER JIGOUR | CALIFORNIA, USA

34

Jennifer Jigour is a painter from the Bay Area, California.

She fancies herself a Secret Agent Artist with a mission to create images that manifests positive desires for people and the world.

"I am a traveling artist. As a world traveler, I take my artwork with me, drawing or painting on the beaches of Goldeneye in Jamaica or Vatulele, Fiji. I often paint on location and am influenced by the people and culture.

"I’m interested in creating a bridge between humans, sexuality and nature.Mother Earth is an artist herself. Her creations are paintings of perfection.It is my perspective that she is also a sensual being."

Website: www.jenniferjigour.com

JULIET HILLBRAND | TEXAS, USA

33

Juliet Hillbrand is a Mixed Media Artist located in Houston, Texas.Her surrealistic worlds combine abstraction with realism. Subjects of her work include atmospheric oceans, color in motion, and the delicacy of the female form..

"I know I’m ready to make something in real life if I’ve created it in my mind at least ten times. If I stop messing up in my mind, work through each hurdle and kink mentally and can make it seamlessly from start to finish - then I’m ready to begin on canvas. I try to paint everyday and not get worked up about the process. I work like a student of my craft. In the past I would torment much more with the pieces, throwing them across the room and fighting with them like they were sassy people. Now I let the painting tell me where ito go."

Website: www.juliethillbrand.com

NANCY STAINTON | COLORADO, USA

32

Nancy has been creating works of art since she was 8. She studied Fine Arts at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado. Her work has won numerous awards in shows throughout the United States.

"Technically, my work is a unique combination of realism, impressionism and line. I focus on showing the incredible beauty, love, compassion and innocence in my subjects, which brings out each subject’s own uniqueness. I work to capture the spirit of each of my subjects, animals included, and I believe that this attention is what makes my art unique.

I sincerely want the world to respect and honor indigenous and minority people, which is why both subjects are a large part of my work’s focus."

Website: www.staintonart.com

MARCIA LORENTE HOWELL | NEW YORK, USA

31

"I’m Spanish, my dad is from Barcelona and my mom from California, but I grew up in Madrid. I’ve been told my style is “very Spanish”. I guess I’m not afraid of colour! I had no shortage of art growing up, in Spain a painter is a master, up there with royalty. Velázquez and Goya were commoners who painted Kings and Popes. Picasso is a national hero. If you could, who wouldn’t want to paint?"

I think my style is hard to classify, it’s both old and new. I’m a classically trained oil on canvas painter but my brushstroke is fast, it’s more Pollock than Picasso. I put my canvases on the floor and mix highly diluted oils with thick chunks of colour.

The result is textured and fluid and fun to look at. I’m trying to capture movement so it has to be both delicate and raw, accidental. Just like light."

Website: www.surfergirlgallery.com

EVA BELISHOVA | CALIFORNIA, USA

30

"I’m not concerned with realism or method, I don’t do preliminary work. I approach the subject with pure spontaneity. While painting I listen to music. The beat tapping through my sub-consciousness helps me reach and explore the deepest, darkest emotional territories; Angels & Demons, who fight on our plane in forms of our relationships, to self, to others, to the imagined. Through my artwork I learned to embrace it all, the good and the evil.

At times I look at the World through the magic crystal at other times time ironically and thoughtfully. I understand what it is like to live in a perfect imperfect world, how heartbreaking it is, and how wonderful it is. My work is therefore spiritual and about seeking knowledge of being human in the altogether inhuman World.

Website: www.artbyeva.com

MICHAEL KENNETH-DEPUE | CALIFORNIA, USA

29

"My work is nearly half painting and half photography. I enjoy creating paintings from old photos and the hunt for the photograph is just as gratifying. I love the happy accidents that happen in art featured in my Double Exposure series with overlapping in-camera film exposures and my Artography series highlighting an alternative photographic process that involves painting photo chemistry on photo paper. So far, I've had the most success with the Then-andNow series digitally manipulating my photographic collection.

The images that I collect are part of history, they are one-ofkind, to me they are priceless. By manipulating these images and combining them with my own, it makes my work unique.

Website: www.michaeldepue.com

HEIDI MCKEOWN | MINNESOTA, USA

28

"I’m known for large, colorful abstract acrylic paintings. I’m also known as a prolific painter as in this short time I have created nearly 500 paintings and filled up a 5,000 square foot studio and gallery. I don’t think of colors as warm or cool, but as loud or soft.I usually paint horizontally with large scrapers found at hardware stores. I also don’t know what I’m going to paint when I start out, as I prefer to let the paint and colors guide me and I’m often shocked to see where they lead. I’m happiest when I’m learning and lost in paint.

One of the things that makes my work unique is that I usually don’t mix my colors on a pallet; instead I let the colors mix themselves on my canvas. The result has been a surprising reaction to the vibrancy of the colors."

Website: www.centervillestudio.com

HANNAH KANE | CALIFORNIA, USA

27

"I work in oil and more recently acrylics. Focusing mostly on the female figure, I utilize sexuality, form and strength as undertones. When creating the figure I like to use color where one would not expect to see that color. This gives life and movement to the piece.I am influenced by my surroundings and my own personal perception of life, sometimes elevated to fantastical expression with a technical foundation.

I am inspired by my own life experiences. I use art as a way to work through a feeling or emotion. I often look to nature for inspiration, a timeless reference. I am also inspired by love.

Being loved and loving someone is both a direct and indirect influence of my work."

Website: www.hsueart.artspan.com

CAROLYN LAMUNIERE | FRANCE / USA

26

"Many people see a certain Surrealistic mood to my paintings.

They may be responding to a somewhat otherwordly quality.

I would describe myself in that way, I have a part of myself in two worlds. One part is interior. I believe there is an essential core of aloneness in all of us. Some people run from it. I try to embrace it. I paint interiors, empty spaces with low light, but what I feel is the energy of what has been. The spirit in deserted spaces. Sometimes people look at my empty rooms and create scenarios - What has happened here?, Who was in this space? What is the story? I do not paint people. I want what is un-shown. I feel that when one paints people the viewer stops there. I hope to take them beyond.

My other part is exterior, it looks at the created world as reflected in architecture. I love patterns and shapes."

Website: www.carolynlamuniere.com

CHEVIS GIBBS | NEW JERSEY, USA

25

"My work is unique to me because of the vision I have when capturing each photo. Some may look at my pictures and wonder why I took the picture or even ask what I am taking a picture of. I tend to think differently when it comes to a lot of things and that can sometimes show in the photos that I capture. I approach each photo with the intent to capture something special from my vantage point to share with the viewer. I also challenge myself each day to get better with my craft which I believe improves the focus for my next step through my journey.

"I am inspired by all that is around me. From the people, to architecture, to cars to nature, I believe you can find a picture everywhere you go."

Website: www.gunzznbutter.artspan.com

DON SLOCUM | HAWAII, USA

24

"While recording real events, which all of my images are, no composites here, I'm always on the lookout for a tiny hook to draw the viewer in. Something that will catch the eye, but not so obvious to be noticed, many times on the sub-conscious level. I'm a natural at composition, I hardly have to think about, it just comes naturally and is a strong point of many of my images. For me, it's all about sparking a feeling or emotion in people viewing my work.

I consider my work a spiritual partnership. As a trained intuitive I focus on what comes up for me internally. There have been numerous times that I've been internally directed to a local or event. When this happens it always magical and I know, at times I'm assisted."

Website: www.donslocum.com

LILLIAN TURNER-GRACIE | NEW MEXICO, USA

23

"I don’t intellectualize my paintings. It’s more of an intuitive process, but I do aim for the feeling of an alternate world or existence. Sometimes when a painting is finished I wonder how I did it, or where it came from. The approach to making this series, called Mountains and Mazes, has been different.

In spite of being complex, I have no idea what they will look like even though they may look planned in detail. The subject seems to dictate how they should be done. I might decide to use certain colors, but it mysteriously wants to go its own way. These are some of the most complex I have done in a different way than previously. This is partly because I begin at the bottom now, as the pieces are weaving together and growing upward with a destination unbeknownst to me."

Website: www.lillianturnergracie.artspan.com

STEPHANIE HARDY | COLORADO, USA

22

Stephanie Jeanne Hardy is an artist currently living in Lone Tree, Colorado, USA. She specializes in contemporary animal artwork and custom portraiture, bringing beloved animals to life on canvas.

"I enjoy creating a fresh take on an otherwise traditional portrait by adding vintage oral details that compliment the subject. I love to work with oils, but occasionally use acrylic if I have time constraints. My life as an equestrian and my connection to animals affords me the ability to capture their character as well as anatomy in a special way. I like to incorporate a little bit of my childhood into each portrait by combining it with elements inspired by fabric designs, adding a unique touch to each piece."

Website: www.stephaniejeanne.com

CHARLES CARTER | CALIFORNIA, USA

21

Charles Carter has been painting for the last 17 years in Montery, CA where he resides with his wife Char.In his words:Â "Painting from my perspective is communicating with the viewer and some how making a connection that is lasting.

It is an idea manifested in a relate-able manner to the viewer."

Charles' work has evolved from its early stages of plein aire or impressionism to abstract expressionism. It is reminiscent of the 1920's post-impressionistic abstract expressionism and his influences include Diego Rivera, Pena, and a touch of Mora, Amadeo Modigliani, and Picasso. "I have stated that my work is Modigliani Lite, as my color palate is not as dark as his work, but utilizing elongation as an expression in my art."

Website: www.charlescarterartist.com

LINDA ATKINSON | VIRGINIA, USA

20

"I’m passionate about color. It’s the color relationships that I find most interesting, and I learn something new with each brushstroke. I might have a general idea of what colors I want to use, but once the creative process takes over, I try to stay open to all color options. My goal is to make it work, to keep it fresh, to create an aliveness and energy, to not be too predictable. The challenge in painting sculpture is to paint each side differently and uniquely, and by the time you are back at the beginning the painting must come together as a whole.

I believe that the artist is an envoy of the human spirit who’s job it is to re- establish the 'enchanted' dimensions at the core of human existence."

Website: www.lindaatkinsonart.com

SYLWIA KRAMARZ | COLCHESTER, UK

19

"To create my collages mostly I use found images, but occasionally I mix them with my own pictures and drawings too. Modifying existing images by cutting them out, folding and rearranging them, gives me a real sense of exploration in which I can experience how the past is mixing with the intuition of the present, to form ‘reshaped reality‘. By using unconnected images and having different ideas at the same time, it is essential for me to be alert to what is happening and then to reveal what I am feeling.

When I make my collages, the phrases that I can think of as inspirational ones, which move my imagination, are: ‘ lack of permanence of the subject’ and/or ‘the lack of permanence of the experienced reality."

Website: www.katephotography.eu

NANCY STAUB LAUGHLIN | NEW YORK, USA

18

Nancy Staub Laughlin is an accomplished highly imaginative artist who brings a new contemporary concept to the genre of still life. She composes pastel drawings and photographs to create dynamic assemblages that are rich in texture and color. She is represented in numerous, collections, museums and galleries throughout the northeast.

"No matter where I am, I am drawn to sparkle, glow, light and shadows.I see the world in a different way than most people. I have an intuition to find glow and sparkle 24/7. In my drawings, I use my fascination of “sparkle and glow” and combine nature vs. glitter to put it simply. The kinetic aspect of each drawing brings the viewers eye around the drawing like “connect the dots”."

Website: www.nancystaublaughlin.com

SHILOH SOPHIA | CALIFORNIA, USA

17

Shiloh Sophia lives life as a great adventure! A renaissance woman who communicates her philosophy through painting, storytelling and illustrations. For 25 years she has dedicated her soul work to the practice of creativity as a path of transformation and consciousness. As a gallery owner, she has represented her own work, as well as hundreds of women artists. She owns and operates two galleries and a school in Northern California and online. Her paintings are widely collected around the world. Her message of ‘creating with intention’ has reached tens of thousands, and for some programs, reaches upwards of 500 enrolled students online per month. Her work is taught in university MA / Phd programs, the United Nations, and by over 300 Intentional Creativity® Teachers and Coaches.

Website: www.shilohsophia.com

ALEX MORALES | NEW JERSEY, USA

16

A committed creator, born in San Jose de Mayo (Uruguay) Alex belongs to the lineage of Uruguayan painters who adorned contemporary Latin American art. His boundless creativity is applied to various techniques, creating his own personal style.

"What inspires me is an idea that comes to my mind followed by an image almost at the same time, or an image comes first and then inspires an idea. Everything happens in an instant; that idea flutters inside me until I shape it, and it can occur absolutely for any reason. I have no particular theme, no stereotype of what inspires me; from the wind blow on the leaves of a tree, to a homeless man sleeping in the street.

Everything can inspire me, I am a poly-thematic artist."

Website: www.ajmorales.com

TIM WILSON | QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND

15

As New Zealand’s most successful living landscape painter, Tim's lifelong passion for landscape has fuelled his unique innovations in the field of oil painting. Evident in his work since 2000, the result is an extraordinary painting technique unique to Tim that enables his paintings to change as light does.

"Due to the meticulous, time consuming and innovative process I have developed, my work changes as light does. As natural or artificial light changes, various features seem to appear and disappear before our eyes. We are looking through multiple layers of transparent, semi transparent, translucent and interference oil colour, put together in a unique way, by hand, with a brush."

Website: www.timwilsongallery.com

BRENDA J WATSON | NEW YORK, USA

14

Brenda J Watson – New York, NY. I am a mixed media artist. I am mostly self-taught. My favorite art projects are those for which I have little or no experience and therefore must learn.

I have received several awards for my work in various media.

I am a mixed media artist. My primary media are painting on clay, pencil and charcoal drawing and photography. My favorite art projects are those for which I have little or no experience and therefore must learn."

"I believe what makes my approach unique is the ability to push the envelop by throwing myself into new ideas, combined with a keen sense of what sparks the interest of those who view my work."

Website: www.bjwatson.artspan.com

KARIN AGGELER | CALIFORNIA, USA

13

Karin Aggeler's abstract paintings of memories, moods and landscapes create a dynamic experience for the viewer, allowing them to engage with their own memories and emotions.

"I like to use color, line, shape and texture relationships to build a multi-layered work, purposefully letting a coat underneath to show through the top layer creating depth and mystery, enticing us to imagine what cannot always be seen."

"When I paint, I’m completely in the emotional space of that theme or place or feeling. When I paint, it’s more of a personal journey, but in making these abstract works it’s my aim that they will ultimately enhance people's lives."

Website: www.karinaggeler.com

ELEANOR GOLDSTEIN | NEW YORK, USA

12

Eleanor Goldstein is a painter and sculptor from New York City, working in a variety of mediums. She is a mother, wife, social worker, teacher-- and always a passionate supporter of all the arts, having spent most of her 84 years painting.

"Every subject I paint (no matter the medium) I need to show in its strength-- not in delicacy. I push the images forward for the impact to be experienced."

"The cyclical nature of life and death is often a theme. I am driven to catch beauty (whether urban or natural) before its destruction. Silence and solitude are other true sources of inspiration. I also love discovering the works of other artists, which is absolutely essential."

Website: www.eleanorgoldsteinart.com

JANE BIVEN | GEORGIA, USA

11

Resin artist, Jane Biven, incorporates epoxy resin, with various materials, to create colorful abstract paintings, 3D geode sculptures and custom-made resin/wood furniture.

Bivens' resin artwork is displayed in public and private collectionsworldwide.

"IJust as a composer uses various notes to create beautiful music, I use the power of color and texture to transform your little spot in the world into a place in which you want to spend most of your time. I achieve “synergy” between creating beauty and balance. I describe my creative experience as a "symphony of color”. Each body of work is a chapter, each painting a page, in the book about my personal journey of self-discovery."

Website: www.halfbakedart.com

ANDREW RILEY | CALIFORNIA, USA

10

"I use Procreate to manipulate photographs into vibrant, arresting splashes of color. In this way I give people a glimpse into my imagination.

I start with a photograph with a high contrast of darks and lights, and then I use the various smudging effects on Procreate to move the image around, splatter it, streak it and transform it into something else. Then I tweak the color balance, hue, and saturation to create work that leaps out.

I don’t add anything to the image. Sometimes it turns into a surreal landscape, others are completely abstract. I love that alchemy, of transmuting one thing into something completely different. A photo becomes a painting becomes a parallel world."

Website: www.artofriley.com

THE FREQUENT ARTIST | CALIFORNIA, USA

9

Jessica Patterson also known as The Frequent Artist. is a visual artist from Alexandria, LA that specializes in painting and illustration as well as graphic design. As an artist she loves to incorporate color with movement so the content presented has its individuality.

"I’m a storyteller that has a viewpoint from many angles if allowed. Restriction doesn’t limit potential but inspires me to center the idea into a broader mindset. I will always create ways to tell a more coherent story while the color directs a clearer view. If the color is too blinding a minimalist view is a clearer option. While color presents a certain characteristic so does lines of black or white. I’m not afraid to work with that presentation when needed."

Website: www.thefrequentartist.com

RAYMOND PEÑA | NEW MEXICO, USA

8

Raymond Peña is a Spanish artist living and painting in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His artwork employs a range of materials and styles and draws inspiration from his previous career as an Advertising Art Director in New York City and the stunning landscape of his home in the Southwest.

"The spiritual and the rational are polar concepts we all grapple with on a personal level. My work invites viewers to reflect on their own relationship to this spectrum within the work."

"I let my diverse life experiences inform my paintings, juxtaposing the spiritual with the mathematical and technical."

Website: www.raymondpena.artspan.com

CHARLES MCCLINTON | WASHINGTON, USA

7

"Born in Oklahoma, raised in Christian faith Denver, Co., enjoyed many talks with my mother and grandma about God and the Bible throughout my early life. After high school, I attended local community college. I was living life as a responsible young adult not a student. Eventually, I dropped out of college. My love for the arts started to show through music and photography early on "not too serious".... I've now come to appreciate the art of painting a lot more. After a few years wandering through life, the desire to travel the world began to grip my soul. While on life's journey, I was blessed to create friendships with great people from many different cultures.

"God is in my paintings and I'm just grateful to share with the world."

Website: www.lormaun.com

AMIR EHRLICH | MOSHAV, ISRAEL

6

"My name is Amir Ehrlich, married with 3 beautiful children. I live in Israel and consider myself to be a landscape photographer. I mainly use long exposure photography which enables me to “paint” with my camera’s sensor. I aim to show nature beyond what the naked eye can see.

The majority of my work revolves around long exposures.

Using this kind of photography allows me to paint with my camera, showing things that the human eye can’t see normally.

My main inspiration comes from nature itself. I find myself more and more seeing landscape in terms of possible frames, always looking for an interesting and unique composition."

Website: www.amirehrlich.com

NICOLE MORRISH | COLORADO, USA

5

My name is Nicole Morrish and I am a painter. I use oil paints on paper and canvas. I am based out of Nederland, Colorado. I feel all Artwork is unique in telling another story or another version of the same story. I am but one storyteller among the billions of important stories.

I feel my work is unique in its simplicity. There is power in something being so simple. However, there are layers of color, bleeds in the negative space and just as much intention in the white lines as there is in the color.

These lands occupy my heart and I am blessed to glean inspiration off of their natural beauty and inspiration."

Website: www.nicolemorrishart.com

BEATRICIA SAGAR | FLORIDA, USA

4

Beatricia Sagar is a well known New York and Miami based contemporary artist whose colorful mixed media works can be found in Corporate Collections including The Neiman Marcus Group, Four Seasons Hotels, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and the Grand Hyatt New York. Her works are often presented in series; Art of Haiku, Vessels, Totems, and Spaces and Places. Beatricia is represented by Cheryl Hazan Contemporary Art located in TriBeCa, New York.

"My process is to free my mind from where the original idea originates and work with a variety of materials and techniques to take advantage of the accidents as they happen until there is an integrated but unexpected outcome of that idea."

Website: www.beatriciasagar.com

KEISHA MANIJEAN | CALIFORNIA, USA

3

My name is Keisha Manijean, I am a surrealist. I live in Los Angeles California with my fiancĂŠ Howard I Palmer Jr. I view myself as a celestial storyteller, rather than an artist.

Pictures are a form of communication that helps me convey to the world the Importance of love."

"I simply created what I felt was lacking in love. I thought, what can I do to make love as important as it should be.

My meant to invoke something. Regardless of what that may be, as long as they invoke something. If I can just do that, I have done my job as a celestial storyteller.

"Taking and making something out of nothing is a miracle and as an artist I make miracles with every canvas."

Website: www.keishamanijean.com

ARANTXA X. RODRIGUEZ | MEXICO / USA

2

Arantxa Ximena Rodriguez is a Mexican artist currently living in NYC. AXR has always seen her work as spiritually oriented, with the fractal inspired work she explored notions of the universe, what are we made of and where do we come from.

When AXR arrived to NYC, her mentor (Sheila Pepe) pushed her to leave the fractals behind and explore new territories, this crushed her but opened a vast new horizon in her work leading her into performance art. While she was in grad school she created three characters based on projects with different topics: “The selfie project”, “Becoming Green Tara” and “Delamer Ituarte”. With them she explored different aspects of herself and the world in-pair with the question about ways of looking at art.

Website: www.axr-artist.com

LOUISE LEVY | PENNSYLVANIA, USA

1

Louise Levy is a photographer living in New Hope, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Her work spans several genres including abstract, nature and travel photography. In her work she is guided by her curiosity and opening her eyes to the magic that surrounds her. Her lyrical style transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.

"I love dance. And the movement and rhythm in dance are elements I search for in a photographic image -- the bend of a line, the angle of a leg, the ethereal curve of a petal. In my work angles and motion are contrasted with stillness. Pristine moments captured reflect the fleeting nature of time.

Photography gives me the ability to create that distilled moment, preserving a time that no longer exists."

Website: www.louiselevyphotography.com

NOMINATE YOUR BEST ARTISTS OF 2020 AT DESTIG.COM