‘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.
★ Angelic ★
Growing up in the colorful city of San Francisco and studying art in historic Florence, Italy gave me a wide range of artistic abilities. Experience as a graphic, portrait, and mural artist has helped me find true expression in the contemporary art world.
I start every painting with a handmade alder wood frame stretched with organic cotton canvas. After the gesso, I apply a water-based layer, giving the painting texture. Layers of gold, silver, and copper leaf are then followed by French-milled, museum-quality oil paint and resin. This unique layering technique gives my paintings a luminous quality ranging from peaceful and ethereal to vibrant and lively.
Currently based in Edwards, my creativity mirrors an internal landscape of emotion inspired by Colorado’s dramatic, wide-open spaces. I paint with the skill and aesthetic sensitivity acquired from experience and fearless exploration of endless possibilities.
Internally ignited, shapes and forms have a dynamic presence and colors reflect a hypersensitive spectrum. Incandescence, luminosity, and radiance inspire me. From this internal perspective of meditative contemplation, light creates a path to follow, regardless of recognizable content. A new paradigm is offered by a shift in perspective. The unknown becomes beautiful and alive with potential.
★ As I Attach Myself To The Memory Of Her ★
Kai Thaís (Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, 2003) is a multidisciplinary artist. She considers herself a nomad of the arts, immersing herself in every medium she encounters along her journey. Her initial passion for drawing and painting led her to venture into writing, tattooing, photography, street art, and acting, and, more recently, has delved into the world of film and audiovisual creation, utilizing her artistic perspective as a visual artist. She now explores the relationship those mediums have and the narratives she can put forth in their transgressions.
Since 17, Kai Thaís has been immersed in the world of tattooing, turning it into her passion and vocation. She practices her profession as an independent tattoo artist in the town of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, where she has established her reputation as a professional. She is pursuing her studies in Fine Arts at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. Through this formal education, she complements and enriches her artistic approach, allowing her to expand her creative horizons and gain new perspectives in her work.
Throughout her career, Kai Thaís has participated in various solo and group exhibitions, standing out in events like En el Tendedero (On the Clothesline), held at Taller Libertá, Mayagüez. Additionally, she has been part of collective exhibitions such as; ¿Y Para qué el arte en tiempos de penuria?, held at La Lineal Gallery in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, Acuarela de Mayo; at Galería Betances, Mayagüez, and the Annual Student Exhibition at UPRM Art Gallery. Her talent and dedication have been recognized with awards and distinctions, including the Lydia Abreu Student Scholarship granted by Ciudad Museo, Añasco, Puerto Rico, in 2022.
There is a certain uneasiness in admitting to being lost… For as long as I’ve known to, I’ve used my practice to retreat into myself, to explore inward, and deny any limitations my chronically ill form or state of identity rendered me with. But a paintbrush is an idle tool to get control; It seems that everything around me is changing and it is up to me to make something of it. I aim to turn my practice into a purposeful exploration of what scares me, and the spaces, relationships, and emotions I occupy. Through my work, I’ve found a space to relate to my chronically ill body, to my feminine body, to my disconnection to it. From being a girl who fell out of place and decided to take control by only relating to herself through the bodies she could paint or mark. I analyzed myself so much I ceased to exist as a girl, and became an idea to exploit. Simultaneously subject, creator, and spectator; all but a girl who has to deal with being lost. And when I realized what I had done, I was no longer a girl. Now, I take on the task of reconciling with my body and girlhood lost by playing with those mediums I’m used to, and those I’m yet to acquaint myself with.
I yearn to return myself to the body I’ve mutilated ritualistically, permit myself to feel all the fragile chaos needed, and go beyond introspection, to explore my relationship with what surrounds me. This stage is one of discovering, of unsure action. For now, I seek to bridge the things that have made me so far and discover. Take space, and expand my practice beyond the comfortable canvas.
★ Beneath The Surface ★
“Mahshid, a self-taught contemporary painter from Iran, discovered her true passion for art at a young age. Despite her love for painting, she pursued a career in architecture, a fusion of art and engineering. In her homeland, she faced challenges as a female artist. Now a full-time architectural designer in San Francisco, she seizes every opportunity to paint, driven by her desire for freedom, women’s empowerment, and genuine self-expression.
Her journey began with watercolors and blank paper, revealing her innate ability to channel emotions into vibrant artworks. With no formal training, her creative process is free from preconceived notions. Each piece is a direct reflection of her inner world, translating feelings, thoughts, and experiences into visual stories. Mahshid’s work explores a wide spectrum of emotions, sexuality, and spirituality through a feminine perspective. As she continues to evolve, she embodies the belief that anyone, regardless of their background, can contribute a unique voice to contemporary art.”
My artistic endeavors are a profound exploration of the interplay between sexuality and spirituality, through a feminine lens. I aim to bridge these two aspects of humanity, recognizing that they are not separate entities but rather intertwined forces that shape the essence of the human being.
Growing up as a woman within a culture that often suppresses and stigmatizes female sexuality, I feel a deep calling to use my art as a platform to challenge and reshape these prevailing societal norms. My work is a vibrant celebration of the empowerment that comes from embracing one’s own body and desires, elevating them to the status of something sacred and profound. In my art, women are not objects of desire but the embodiment of it.
My art is a joyful tribute to the intricate, multifaceted nature of womanhood. It’s a celebration of the entire spectrum of human emotions, desires, and the essence of self, unburdened by the constraints imposed by society. Every stroke of my brush is a visual translation of an emotional odyssey, a passionate celebration of what it means to be a woman, a human being, and a living entity. Through my art, I endeavor to capture and share the essence of the unfiltered human experience, inviting viewers to join me on this vibrant journey of self-discovery and empowerment.
★ Denied ★
Born in San Francisco and spending his adolescence in Seattle, Gard earned undergraduate degrees in art, art history, and sculpture in the Pacific Northwest. His sculpture reflected the sublime grey upon grey, majestic landscape through the lens of minimalism.
Gard earned an M.F.A. at Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Moving to Washington, D.C. Gard worked with the International Sculpture Center and the Maryland Institute College of Art. Since 2014 Gard’s artwork has become personal, solemn, and introspective.
He has exhibited his work in galleries and museums in Washington State, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. Gard has taught courses in studio art and art history for colleges and Universities in the Pacific Northwest, and the Mid-Atlantic. Currently living in Baltimore, Maryland, Gard is a faculty member at York College of Pennsylvania and lectures on Visual Culture, Art Theory, and Street Art.
Working with the physicality of various media in a relationship to the viewer and the space taps into intellectual and primitive relationships to self and objects. As I work out ideas on paper in advance of actualizing my sculptures the process becomes three dimensional. Some may call them collages, or mixed media assemblages, however to my mind they are drawings that sometimes become wall sculptures. For the past ten years, I have been on an introspective journey in search of the common truths of human existence, mythology, and philosophy.
★ Guests Gaze ★
Arlet Gomez, a contemporary painter from Cuba, knew from a very young age that art was her path, so with the support of her family she focused on studying art at all levels that her country offered. She first graduated from a painting academy, and then received a Degree in Fine Arts, [2009] from ISA, University of Arts in Cuba. Now a professional artist in Palm Beach, Florida, she is compelled by the need to express her desires for coexistence, freedom, longing for roots, and enlightenment of the human essence. With eight solo exhibitions and several group shows around the world, her artistic career began with large canvases of vibrant colors that mostly included the Braille system in their compositions. She seeks to transport painting as a technique to another dimension and turn it into an inclusive experience. Each piece is a direct reflection of her childhood memories, personal stories from her homeland, and her migration to Europe and America, thus translating feelings and longings into visual experiences. Gomez’s work explores the connection between human beings and nature and their spiritual threads, linking destiny with origins, apprehension with enlightenment. As she continues to evolve, she hopes that each stage of her art will be a contemplative invitation visualized in light of the freedom of contemporary art.
My artistic work is a search that attempts to investigate the diverse connections that interact in the human being, both physically and spiritually. My objective is to create a visible parallel of these connections recognizing that we are a reflection of the invisible, emotions, feelings, and what we have learned. It is precisely the sum of all this that is our essence as human beings. Throughout my life, the scenes I experienced in my childhood are recurrent in my unconscious, and sometimes I have wanted to go back and resume conversations, looks, and behaviors. This is why in my artwork, childhood is a platform to reveal these ideas of continuous exploration that involve our essence and our link with nature. My work is an ode to those moments of connection with beings and snapshots of time. In my work, the meaning of inclusion is celebrated, and each of my figurations strives to reflect this desire. My art aims to bring light and reflection to those who observe it, to function as a mirror of past experiences and lived emotions; and art that transcends from a contemplative to a reflective experience. Through each of my strokes, I aim to visually translate ideas of identity, freedom, and belonging without social and cultural veils, inviting viewers to delve into the intimacy of universal emotions and feelings that illuminate our being from the deepest depths.
★ Hi Ho Silver ★
Suzie Seerey-Lester is an International Award-Winning Wildlife Artist. She has painted all over the world, including Europe, Africa, South America, and of course in the US. She is known for her depiction of old structures and birds. Recently she has been painting large animals like snow leopards, cougars, and wolves. Her unique style has things like petroglyphs hidden in rocks, baby cougars in the shadows, or unique items hidden for the viewer to discover. Suzie will only paint subjects that she has seen in the wild. Her paintings are in major museums all over the world, including The James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art in Florida, the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Museum, in Wisconsin, and the National Wildlife Museum in Jackson Hole, WY. Every painting has her and her husband’s initials (J+S) hidden somewhere.
Suzie was the first woman scuba diving Instructor Trainer in the US, during the early 1970s. She trained President Ford’s Secret Service Agents, FBI, and other law enforcement agents to perform “certain skills”, and later joined the CIA to train their operatives. She later worked for several large corporations like Xerox, Marriott, and DHL, before moving to Florida. She is licensed by the state of Florida to handle the endangered and threatened sea turtles that nest on local beaches. Suzie has been on turtle patrol since 2000. Some believe she is a real mermaid.
Suzie Seerey-Lester is an international award-winning wildlife artist. She is known for her remarkable barns and birds, and of course large animals.
Find a barn and you will see Suzie crawling all around it. She loves the light that filters through the slats in the barns, a perfect location for a barn owl, or a child’s dream.
Hi Ho Silver is one of Suzie’s favorite paintings. A light-filled barn draws your attention to the hay-filled stable, with a child’s hobby horse, tied to the wall. Growing up Suzie loved her hobby horse, riding with Roy Rogers and Dale Evens while watching them on black and white TV.
This is every cowboy’s dream. The perfect ride, the flawless barn, and the impeccable friend. Six shooters are optional.
In creating the light-streaked hay on the floor, and the sunlit wood, Suzie will use as many as 25 layers of transparent colors to create depth and glow. With all her paintings she has hidden her husband and her initials (J+S) somewhere on the image. Can you find them?
Suzie has traveled all over the world to paint amazing subjects. She will only paint animals she has seen in the wild. Her sensational paintings inspire a second look, then another. Discover her fabulous paintings now.
Acquiring a Seerey-Lester is like collecting a piece of Magic.
★ Home ★
Caryn Coville holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Rochester Institute of Technology.
She is a featured artist in several art publications and is a contributing artist in the book Masterful Color: Vibrant Colored Pencil Paintings Layer by Layer by Arlene Steinberg.
Caryn is a five-year CPX Signature Member of the Colored Pencil Society of America, an Elected Member of the American Artists Professional League, and a Juried Member of the National Art League.
Her award-winning work has been shown in solo gallery exhibits and she has participated in numerous national and international juried shows and group exhibitions including the Salmagundi Club’s Annual Painting, Sculpture & Graphics Exhibitions; The Colored Pencil Society of America’s International Exhibitions; Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club Open Exhibitions; AAPL Grand National Exhibit; and the Sumi-e Society of America’s Annual Juried Exhibition. Her work is in corporate and private collections throughout the United States and Canada.
Art has always been part of my life. I loved working with colored pencils as soon as I discovered using them as a fine art medium. I work realistically, and I like the smooth texture and fine details that can be achieved with colored pencils.
My work is inspired by my love of nature, travel, and the beauty I find in everyday objects. My entries for the show “Home” were inspired by my house and things that belonged to my parents that remind me of them and their home.
Primarily a colored pencil artist, I have enjoyed extending my artistry into other mediums. For the past several years I have enjoyed East Asian brush painting. I like the contrast between the very slow process of creating a colored pencil painting layer upon layer and the spontaneity of brush painting where I try to convey the essence of a subject by using minimal strokes of ink and watercolor. My latest journey has been into the world of alcohol ink painting.
★ In The Sun ★
Kimberly Overton grew up along the Malibu coast. Coastal scenes emerge as a strong voice in her artistic expression. As a child, Kimberly won first prize in the Save the Santa Monica Bay art contest creating a collage of a girl fishing for a bottle from a boat, using scraps of painted paper, real sand, and a doll bottle. Kimberly still likes to combine art forms.
Kimberly studied psychology and civil engineering in college and was lucky enough to take an oil painting class from San Francisco Bay Area artist Frank Lobdell. It was through his teaching style, that she found freedom of expression. With the simple words, “keep painting”, and very little critique, Lobdell’s influence has kept her painting and creating art for many years. Kimberly loves colors, light, texture, layers, and impressions. She uses acrylic paint, oil pastels, natural objects, and photography. When Kimberly expresses herself through art, it usually evolves into multiple layers.
Kimberly has participated in a variety of art shows and exhibits over the years from California to New York.
My eclectic style uses vibrant colors, light contrast, texture variations, and layers, often sometimes natural or reused objects as collage elements. I also use photography to capture multiple large paintings and inclusion of shadows and other features. My art captures a feeling at a moment in time, usually in a natural environment, often including elements such as the sky and ocean. I generally paint with acrylic on large canvas or boards in an outside environment.
My most recent theme “Dreams of a Girl” captures the dreams of any girl, any age, anywhere in the world, and of any background. I hope to inspire others to always dream and never give up as I have taught myself to do.