‘Til Death Do Us Part
I took up photography as an undergraduate at the University of Iowa, exhibited locally, and won a couple of awards. Graduate school, full-time teaching, and 10 years as an academic department head pushed photography out of the picture. Hurricane Katrina inspired me to pick up a camera again. I produced “WATERLINE: an interactive photo installation,” a critically acclaimed work that was exhibited fifteen times throughout Louisiana and in Florida and Philadelphia. It’s now available as the book, “WATERLINE: landscape with voices.” Now retired, I teach part-time and do communications consulting. I’m a founding member of an artists’ co-op where I offer workshops: Blogging 101, Camera Camp for kids, Everybody Can Take Better Pictures for grown-ups, and Michelangelo’s Sisters: (Re)Discovering Great Women Artists. To see my work, search online for #HardHatArt, #PerformanceArt, #EarthAbstracts, #ArchitecturalAbstracts, #StreetEncounter, and #CreatureEncounter. My blog: https://edge-essence.com/blog/.
I encounter the world through photography, striving to see and know the forms and spirit of things. I explore the glory & pathos, the heroism & hubris of humanity, and our struggle to find and create meaning. One influence is Georgia O’Keeffe, who could draw a banana plant or paint a landscape pregnant with the human condition. Another is Margaret Bourke-White, who saw beauty in the industry. Themes include #PerformanceArt, #HardHatArt, #EarthAbstracts, #CreatureEncounter, #IntimateLandscape, #ArchitecturalAbstracts. Framing is a foundational aesthetic and tool of the photographer. Imposing frames on reality profoundly disrupts reality, isolating, freezing, and representing a fragment of time and space, which humans by and large experience continuously. Whatever my subject—nature, industry, architecture—I use abstraction, framing, and techniques like selective focus, color, and monochrome to transform telling details and fleeting insights into an invitation to viewers to see and know as well.
★★★ Abstracting Eternity – Butterfly Nebula ★★★
New York-based Chris King left five years of business study to pursue a career in photography and filmmaking. He takes a comprehensive approach to his practice that he finds more fulfilling artistically, working in a range of genres that includes landscape, portraiture, and still life, and is experienced in such technical fields as aerial and architectural photography. His photographs have garnered him numerous international awards, with particular recognition given to his astrophotography. King’s most recent body of work, completed for his Master’s in Digital Photography at New York’s prestigious School of Visual Arts, offers a new perspective on photography’s nude tradition through specialized lighting that brings out the body’s contours and movement. This work will be on display in the fall at Manhattan’s SVA Gramercy Gallery.
Beyond their scientific importance, photographs of outer space have a spiritually intoxicating effect on humans. The astrophotographs in Abstracting Eternity aim to capture this feeling by focusing on nebulae and galaxies, the massive clouds of gas and dust in which stars and their galaxies are born. Because nebulae represent the universe in the process of creation, still relatively formless, they lend themselves to a degree of abstraction that appeals to me as an artist. This takes my images a step away from pure science. I never want viewers to forget, though, that the photographs capture the universe as it was billions of light years ago—an eternity that inspires awe humbles us with our own insignificance, and puts our human troubles in perspective.
In 2020, I decided to spend over a year staying away from the city and camping in the desert in western Texas. I used various equipment, including a telescope and a monochrome camera, to capture color and luminance in the universe.
★★★ Celebration ★★★
Bruce Sanders is an expressionist and abstract painter living in Malibu, California. Bruce’s work blurs the lines between representational and abstract art. It delves into a space between the real world and a mystical-magical realm. Bruce employs kinetic forms, dynamic colors, and primal emotions in all of his art. By doing so, his work compels viewers to empathize, analyze, and interpret their own feelings.
Bruce’s work has been exhibited in shows in Laguna, Newport Beach, Santa Monica, Ventura, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Palm Springs. Bruce is a member of the Los Angeles Art Association/Gallery 825. He is a Member Artist of TAG Gallery in Los Angeles near LACMA. Bruce is also a Member Artist of Artlounge Collective in Los Angeles. His work has been purchased by collectors locally, nationally, and internationally. Three of his paintings are in a private gallery in Vienna, Austria. Bruce has authored four catalog art books: INTROSPECTION, I BELIEVE IN ANGELS, THE HEART WANTS WHAT THE HEART WANTS, and IMAGINATION. UCLA School of Dentistry has a collection of eighteen of his paintings.
THE COLORS OF MY IMAGINATION
Why do I paint? I do not try to create on canvas, a “picture” of the external world that can be observed by all. Rather than look “outward”, my paintings are humble attempts to “look inward.”
My work has been described as having expressions of deep and primal emotion. In the case of my abstract paintings, I try to employ dynamic color, thickly-layered texture, bold lines, and unrestrained forms to express what I am feeling. It has been said that this painting explores the depths of spirituality and enters a realm of mystical and magical. And “yes”…I am a daydreamer, and my works truly have their origins in dreams and visions.
Bruce Sanders
Malibu, CA
★★★ En Busca De Mi Cicatriz ★★★
Julien Cardinal Romero was born on July 26, 1976, in Matanzas, Cuba. He fled to Panama City at the age of 35, fleeing the dictatorship that has oppressed his country for more than 60 years. He sought refuge in Panama City, where he spent ten years.
During his student years, Julien was able to meet people from various generations. He uses a variety of techniques such as oil paints, acrylics, and pastel pens. Influences in his work include modern painting, Cuban cinema poster artist, African art, expressionism, and surrealism.
My name is Julien Cardenal Romero. I am a Cuban artist. My work is a personal journey where the answers sometimes come before the questions in the form of art. Through my work, I study myself, my conflicts, and my internal struggle, and I employ art as a tool, as well as its history and influences. I use modern art, expressionism, surrealism, African art, Cuban movie posters, Ukiyo-e, and abstract expressionism as tools.
★★★ Everything Is Energy ★★★
I started painting after a career crisis in 2020. I was working as a healthcare professional and went through burnout, which led me to switch my career to business and finance. During the crisis, I needed something to let go of and process my feelings so I registered for a painting course. I just fell in love with making art! I love that I can do something with my hands, work with beautiful bold colors and express myself. Art saved me.
I create artwork that is meant to be a moment of inspiration and joy. My process is intuitive, I start by using bold colors and let my feelings guide me from there. I love the colors magenta and turquoise, and metallic paints. Bright and beautiful colors make me happy. My way of using contrasting details and multiple layers add texture that is unique to my artwork. With my artwork, I want to convey the message that we all need to love ourselves, take care of ourselves, and appreciate life! Everything happens for a reason and we should just travel within life`s current and trust. I want to bring beauty into homes and remind us of our own strength and the importance of love and gratefulness.
I paint with acrylic colors and my process is very intuitive and spiritual. My inspiration arises from many sources and strong colors are a big part of it. While painting, I let myself go and just paint without thinking too much and let the colors and my feelings guide me. I like to play with contrast and duality, texture, and add details to my artwork.
★★★ Flirting With Joy ★★★
Alicia is a storyteller at heart and interpreting her visual tales, through her paintings, brings her great joy. These inspirations stem from Alicia’s symbolic imagination representing secret realms filled with magnificent depths of femininity and beauty. Alicia’s paintings are captivating, and her compositions are executed with intent and motive. “My portraits are linked together through precise and distinctive placements. I purposely fill the atmosphere with visual fragrances that linger in the air and connect with viewers as they personally identify with the unfolding narratives.”
I am convinced that each of us holds treasure hidden in the depths of our hearts. As a professional artist, it is my aim to provide images that help unlock these great treasures. The illumination of beautiful narratives has the power to resonate with the collector. The image reflects the truth, promoting a release of identity and value. As you view my work, take it in. Allow what might lay concealed to be realized.
★★★ Hiding ★★★
Roberta Rousos has lived 2 lives in her 59 years; as a wife, mother, and community volunteer; and as an artist (and mom). After her husband’s death, she returned to CSU Sacramento earning a BA and MA Degree in Studio Art.
Rousos’ work can be traced to her graduate studies when she added fiber to steel integrating both her metal shop teacher father and her homemaker mother. Her work focuses on seemingly opposing materials.
Rousos’ exhibition sphere now includes galleries in her home state of California, Michigan, New Mexico, Washington, Illinois, New York, Colorado, and Oregon.
She considers herself blessed to be able to be an artist. She firmly believes that we all choose daily what life we are willing to live and our priorities. Rousos chooses to live on the line between the physical reality of this world and the spiritual realm. She decides to appreciate the beauty around her and encourages others to do the same. Life is good if you allow it to be.
I am a mixed media artist: found objects, fiber, and oil painting. Returning to college following the passing of my husband allowed me to discover new paths in creative expression. Earning my Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees showed me how strong I could be and where my life’s passion lies.
When coping with life’s traumas, we are often told to take baby steps or to live one day at a time. This is good advice, but not just for when we are suffering. We each have years behind us and hopefully years ahead, but we can only live today. Today is what we can truly see in detail; this moment is what we can affect; now is when we can live. Take a step today.
I come from a long line of artisans and crafters. As a creature of opposites, I constantly struggle to integrate chaos with logic, gravity with freedom, and reality with dreams. My work continually evolves because of my desire and choice to live a life of purpose.
★★★ Hope ★★★
Irina Howard is a New York-based artist whose work explores the complexity of human life experiences. She is internationally recognized for rigorously composed and sublimely musing paintings and sculptures. Her innovative style is inspired by organic forms and textures bridging reality and imagination, giving a physical form to a conceptual idea, and revealing the visible within the invisible.
Howard was born and grew up in Ukraine. As a child, she encountered traumatic events that influenced her to interact with the world through her drawings. Her youth Howard spent in the elite cultural group committed to arts and literature, where she established her lifelong passion for the arts. By lifting the burden off her shoulders, she emerged with the personal belief that the artist has no right to contribute any more pain to a world full of struggle and despair, which kept her in artistic silence for several years. Moving to the United States, exploring different careers, and then heading into a midlife crisis significantly changed her perspectives and led to a creative awakening. Her real-life experiences of grief and hope found reflection in her current series of works. Howard studied fine arts and graduated with honors from the City University of New York and Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences.
Irina Howard is a recipient of several awards. Her recent recognitions: “Oscar of Visual Arts” as Top 60 Masters of Contemporary Art in 2022 by Art Tour International Magazine. Her work has been widely published in magazines like Aesthetica, the Art & Culture Magazine, Art Ideal Contemporary Aesthetics Magazine, and art books worldwide, including Important World Artists by Worldwide Artbooks. Her most recent exhibitions are at Art San Diego in California, and Hamptons Fine Art Fair in New York, USA. Her work highlights multiple private collections internationally.
“Patterns of Life” is a black-and-white collection of paintings and sculptures communicating life experiences and human values. The choices we make in life shape our identity and motivate our future behavior. By illustrating both positive and negative outcomes, I encourage the viewer to believe in themselves, be their best, and look for a positive change.
I draw inspiration from organic texture and compose my themes by giving physical form to a conceptual idea, bridging reality and imagination in the form of artistic beauty and revitalizing energy. My fascination with forms and textures takes me on a journey to reveal and interpret their meaning, unique purpose, and beauty in connection to human experiences. The creative use of symbols illustrates visual metaphors and offers insight into an idea or a concept from a different perspective.
My processes combine research, thoughtful, conscious decisions, and spontaneous, intuitive solutions while creating compositions. I realized that abstract style is my best form of artistic expression. It opens doors for curiosity, imagination, interpretation, and the flow of inner emotions. The development stage is very exciting. Lines – help me to create feelings; shapes and forms – to reflect emotions, thoughts, and perception; texture – to reveal experiences; color tones – to add contrast and reinforce the message through design and composition.
My favorite elements are circles and curved lines. I found them simple but, at the same time, very compelling. The circle is a line that never stops, represents “completeness,” and gives a sense of protection, friendship, femineity, community, and perfection. It naturally communicates positive emotions and builds a strong visual identity. In my work, circles often symbolize hope.
My body of work expresses personal experiences, thoughts, spirituality, feelings, and philosophy in life. I always strive to inspire hope and encourage positivity.
★★★ Kiss Me Hard ★★★
Wendee Yudis is a Serigraph Mixed Media Artist whose paintings and prints have been exhibited in solo and group shows in galleries in NYC, Chicago, and Philadelphia since the mid-1990s. Solo exhibitions include Ceres Gallery in NYC, Black Moth Gallery in Phila, and Gallery 1633 in Chicago. A selection of group exhibitions includes The Albright/Knox Museum in NY, Manhattan Graphics Center in NYC, Philadelphia Art Alliance in PA, James Oliver Gallery in Phila, PA, University of Pennsylvania: Penn Medicine in PA, CFEVA in PA, InLiquid in PA, DaVinci Art Alliance in PA, and The Trenton Museum in NJ. Select work was in a national juried competition in the Pheonix Gallery in NYC by Thelma Golden, then curator of The Whitney Museum of American Art.
Wendee Yudis received an MFA in Printmaking and Painting from Pratt Institute and BFA in Printmaking and Photography from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She also studied archaeology at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and photography at Richmond College in London.
In addition to being a visual artist, Wendee works as a Graphic Designer and Art Director. Since the mid-1990 she has worked in agencies and non-profits in NYC and Philadelphia.
Artist contact info or for full bio: 609-471-5731 or wendee@wydesign.com. Studio: Crane Old School, Olde Kensington, Philadelphia, Pa. To see more of Wendee’s work: www.WendeeYudis.com or Instagram @wendeeyudisartchick, or www.inliquid.org/artist/yudis-wendee/
My art turns the definition of femininity on its head.
It examines and questions women’s roles in the world as dictated by social constructs: the ones imposed upon us – obedient child, wife, and daughter – and the ones we step into voluntarily – boss, lover, and vixen.
I use humor to explore the depths of these ideas. Womanhood cannot and should not be confined to one definition. Why do we have to be vixens or victims? Can we be both? My work explores the paradox of the powerful vs. the powerless in a manner that is both playful and sexual. The women in my work become icons who reoccur in different contexts and combinations. In this way, my work is layered with meaning. I look at the words we use to define masculinity and femininity and play with typography and context. For example, why is a bossy man synonymous with executive leadership while a bossy woman is a bitch? My bold and graphic treatment of words amplifies my ideas and by questioning the many facets of women, I embrace the freedom and power within every woman.
My primary medium is a combination of photo-silkscreen and painting. Silkscreen allows me to juxtapose and overlap a variety of images to create nuance and explore new definitions of old ideas. I use the actual silkscreen as if it’s a paintbrush, so each piece is an original. The beauty of the silkscreen process is that it allows me to experiment with translucency, opacity, layering, and pattern to explore relationships seen and unseen.