Visual Language Magazine Contemporary Fine Art February 2014 Vol 3 No 2

VLV I S U A L L A N G U A G E 

contemporary fine art 

features 

Glenn Moreton 

Kimberly Santini 

Kathy O’Leary 

Dyan Newton 

Hall Groat, Sr 

VL 

February 2014 Volume 3 No. 2 

Jonelle T. McCoy 

jonelle-t-mccoy.artistwebsites.com 

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 1

VL 

VISUAL LANGUAGE 

Contemporary Fine Art 

VisualLanguageMagazine.com 

Subscribe Free Today. 

http://visuallanguagemagazine.com/subscribe.html 

January 2014 Vol 3 No 1 

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2 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Jonelle T. McCoy 

Contemporary To Realsim, 

Specializing in the Equine 

VL Cover Artist 

Jonelle McCoy, the artist and creator of the beautiful 

paintings on McCoy’s Gaited Horse Artworks, grew up 

in Upstate New York where her innate talent to create 

was evidenced at an early age. She states that her love 

of animals has always existed, and that they are the 

main focus of her drawings and paintings. As a child, 

she even made her own patterns for stuffed animals 

she sewed. It was her Hungarian great grandfather 

from whom she inherited her artistic inclination. In her 

words, ‘ I thank my great granddaddy for passing on 

the artistic genes to me; he is my guardian angel. His 

plain gray easel, spotted with his past smears, dots of 

paint, and little holes from pinning his reference materials 

to it is what I use; it makes me feel close to him. 

I still have some of his brushes, well-used, worn-out 

nubs that they are. One of my prized possessions is his 

pencil self- portrait. His favorite story told over and over 

when we visited him was about Van Gogh.’ 

mccoysgaitedhorseartworks.com 


Connie Chadwell 

“Cara’s Teapot” oil pastel, 12 x 9” 

conniechadwell.com 

email: conniechadwell@hotmail.com 


content VL 

Cover Artist Jonelle T McCoy 3 

Jonelle T. McCoy Oklahoma Equine Artist 

Painter’s Keys - Robert Genn 11 

VL Artist Features - 26 

Annie O’Brien Gonzales, Rod Seeley, Kathy O’Leary, and Rick Nilson 

CFAI Colors on My Palette 38 

Barbara Mason 

Read the up close and personal interviews from CFAI.co 

Find out more about Barbara, her inspirations and how 

she approaches their work. 

ARTSPAN New Works - 44 

VL Gallery Visit, Artist Rae Andrews 46 

Rae Andrews is an Australian ex-patriot who moved to Austin, 

Texas after living on Maui for twelve years. When asked what 

she likes to paint, she smiles , answering ,”that’s easy, everything. 

I paint anything from landscapes to florals, portraits, seascapes 

and even abstracts, although when painting the latter, 

I always try to have some recognizable areas to identify, unlike 

a lot of my very talented peers”. 

VL Studio Visit Glenn Moreton 62 

Painting and drawing have always been an essential part of my 

life. My aunt remembers me as a toddler propped up on a chair so 

that I could reach the blackboard that my grandmother had on her 

kitchen wall, spending hours drawing with colored chalks. Even 

during later times of my life when other priorities had taken over 

and I was not following my creative urges, art was still an essential—albeit 

suppressed—part of my life. 


Hall Groat II 78 Nature Teaches Composition Best 

World travel offers a unique opportunity to witness breathtaking sights. 

Understanding what you see and why this vision may stay with you for 

a lifetime is important to an artist. In reviewing my travels alone, and 

later with my wife, many incredible scenes were witnessed. Everyone is 

exposed to the beauty around them and many take it for granted. 

VL Studio Visit Kimberly Santini 82 

I’ve always been an artist, even if I’ve not actively labeled myself 

one. As a child, I doodled animals in the margins of spelling 

tests and daydreamed of painting murals. My parents indulged 

me with Ebony pencils and gum erasers, and I covered the backside 

of reams of paper from my father’s office with drawings. I 

checked out every book on art in our small town library, and was 

happiest when creating. I would say that’s still a solid truth. Art 

infuses every bit of my life. 

Artspan Spotlight Interview with 

Kathy O’Leary 104 

When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be an artist 

In 1989, having rediscovered I still had my drawing skills (developed 

from early college experience) I was drawn to painting and 

drawing again as a release from stresses of my job. As my skills 

grew rapidly I decided in 1990 that I wanted to leave my job and 

work closer to the field of art. 

VL Studio Dyan Newton 118 

Dyan discovered her passion for art over 30 years ago, when 

a neighbor introduced her to tole painting. She said she would 

never forget how nervous she was to take that first brush stroke. 

While in class, she observed students from across the room oil 

painting on canvas. This led to classes in pastels, watercolor and 

acrylics. Several years later, she won a first place award at the 

local fair and said the excitement she felt was indescribable. This 

would be the start of her career. 


content VL 

CFAI Fall Juried Show “Colors of Autumn” 126 

Best of Show Jason Tako “Autumn Maple” 

First Place Brooke Crosthwaite “San Diego” 

Second Place Freya Kazemi “Hapy Place” 

Third Place Annie O’Brien Gonzales “Las Golondrinas” 

VL Photographer Gregory Gibson 140 

As an ex-painter, Gregory was always compelled by the 

photographic image. They played a vital role in his early 

mixed-media paintings, drawings and prints. Presently, 

Gregory concentrates solely on the photograph as his 

main method of visual expression. They have become, 

in effect, his paintings. 

CFAI Art Challenge December 150 

Best of Show Kristine Byars “Who Wouldn’t Go” 

First Place Suzy Pal Powell “The Piano Player” 

Second Place Carol Schiff “Winter Glory” 

Third Place Nancy Medina “Cherry Blossom Percher” 


Artist of the Day 

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” ― Edgar Degas 

Sign up today. 

Lesley Humphrey 

“I believe that we can all learn how to paint, but it is in the silent, authentic, beautiful recesses of our 

hearts and souls where a true masterpiece is born. True artistic skill, the courage to interpret the 

images of that place and bring them into the world for you to experience is my goal.” 

http://lesleyhumphrey.net 

artistofthedayvl.blogspot.com 

If you want to be featured as an Artist of the Day, contact Visual Language Magazine. 

VisualLanguageMagazine@gmail.com 


Carol Jo Smidt 

www.caroljosmidt.com 

carol@caroljosmidt.com 


VL 

VISUAL LANGUAGE MAGAZINE 

Contemporary Fine Art 

Visual Language Magazine Staff 

Editorial 

Editor -in-Chief Laurie Pace 

Executive Editor Lisa Kreymborg 

Consulting Editor Nancy Medina 

Consulting Editor Diane Whitehead 

Consulting Editor Debbie Lincoln 

Feature Contributor Robert Genn Painter’s Keys 

CFAI Contributor Kimberly Conrad 

Feature Editor Art Reviews Hall Groat II 

Feature Writer Barry Scharf 

Feature Writer David Darrow 

VL Sponsor ARTSPAN Eric Sparre 

Advertising 

Contact: VisualLanguageMagazine@gmail.com 

Marketing and Development 

Executive Director Business/Management Stacey Hendren 

All Artwork is Copyrighted by the Individual Artists. 

Visual Language Vol 3 No 2 

http://glennmoreton.artspan.com/ 

http://www.kwronski.com 

Rae Andrews 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stinger-Studio/158466744192427 


Painter’s Keys 

with Robert Genn 

January 3, 2014 

Dear Laurie, 

Robert Genn’s 

Studio Book 

From my bedroom window a vast tidal estuary spreads in three directions. In wintertime, when tides cooperate, 

these flats are a festival of seabirds. A dozen species of ducks overwinter here, as do Western sandpipers, 

Ruddy turnstones and many others. Hundreds of Dunlins fly together in one-minded units, moving like undulating 

amoebas, flashing white then black, like performing whales of the air. Through the binocs: Whimbrels, 

Curlews and Willets. Every evening 10,000 Glaucous-winged gulls abdicate a distant dump, lazily cross the sky 

above our home and head into the USA to roost--Americans overnight--effortlessly passing through Customs 

and Immigration, only to return in the morning for Canada’s pleasant welfare. 

These birds remind me of specificity painters like Fen Lansdowne, Glen Loates, Raymond Ching--and all the 

other greats who came before--Audubon, Fuertes, Roger Tory Peterson, etc. Looking back, had I been good 

enough, I might very well have gone along with them. 

Painter’s Keys - Robert Genn 

Below the window, flagstones leading to the studio have tiny cracks where winter’s mosses grow--miniature, 

moist forests marching along their tiny canyons of opportunity. Out this window, everything suddenly seems 

luscious and intriguing. 

If you’re going for a walk today you should at least take a camera. Not just for the smiling shot of your bride, 

the children playing on the swings or the elderly couple leaning on each other along the trail. Take a look for 

the minutiae of ferns and winter plants, snowberries and, yes, spring budlets. I can see them from here. 

Art is a path on which we honour our world. Art may not be the only path, but it is a good path, even though 

at times a difficult one. As bearers of this honour, we artists do not need to simply render our world as we see it 

but as we might ourselves redesign it. As artists, one of our privileges is to invent. “We are created creative and 

can invent new scenarios as frequently as they are needed.” (Maya Angelou) On our path, design is everywhere 

and invites the soul. 

From my window, art is a worthwhile cause. Whether we choose to delineate the rare birds that come to our 

shore, to broadly honour the spirit of the sunset, the deep forest beyond or the tiny foreground mosses, this is 

our opportunity to connect. In a world that appears now to have more connectivity than ever, and yet also less, 

this is what art looks like from my window. 

Best regards, Robert 

PS: “This is what I think art is and what I demand of it: that it pull everyone in, that it show one person another’s 

most intimate thoughts and feelings, that it throw open the window of the soul.” (Felix Mendelssohn) It 

appears that others are opening their souls here. 

Esoterica: As well as gaining proficiency, our job as artists is to open our eyes and our hearts to the world. 

“When a workman knows the use of his tools,” said George Eliot, “he can make a door as well as a window.” 

My advice for those of you not behind glass: Take in the day. “ All the windows of my heart I open to the day.” 

(John Greenleaf Whittier) 


artists 

of texas 

12 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com 

artistsoftexas.org

NO WHERE BUT TEXAS 

artistsoftexas.blogspot.com 

dailypaintersoftexas.blogspot.com 


McCoy’s Gaited Horse Artworks 

Your equine art connection! 

Jonelle Mc Coy 

“Love Makes the World go Round” 

jonelle-t-mccoy.artistwebsites.com 


BarbsGardenArt.com 

Barbara Haviland 

BarbaraHavilandFineArt.com 

BarbsGarden.blogspot.com 


BITTER 

Gabriele Bitter 

Lady in Waiting 

Fairy Tale 

gabrielebitter.com 


texture vibrant direct 


Timeless 



www.lelija.net 

lelija@lelija.net 

available from 

Aspen S P A C E S 

by Lelija Roy 

Art on a Whim 

Gallery 

100 N Main Street 

Breckenridge, CO 

AND 

227 Bridge Street 

Vail, CO 

artonawhim.com 

(970) 547-8399 

James Ratliff 

Gallery 

671 State Route 

179--The Hillside 

Sedona, AZ 

jamesratliffgallery.com 

(928) 282-1404 


Linda McCoy 

www.lindamccoyart.blogspot.com 

Linda McCoy Studio/Gallery 

Fine Art Instruction 

209 S West Street, Mason, Ohio 


Mark Yearwood 

“Dream of Distant Lands” 40’’x40’’ Mixed Media/Canvas 

The Howell Gallery 

6432 N. Western Avenue 

Oklahoma City, OK 73116 

405-840-4437 

www.howellgallery.com 

MarkYearwood.com 


Mission Shadows II 

Dyan Newton 

dyannewton.com 


Mirada Fine Art 

‘Best Art Gallery’ 

-5280 Magazine, 2010 & 2012 

‘A Style-Maker’ 

-Luxe Magazine, 2010 

‘Best Colorado Gallery’ 

American Art Awards, 2012 & 2013 

‘Art Lover’s Escape’ 

-Denver Life Magazine 2010 

‘Best of Denver’ 

-Westword Newspaper, 2010 

miradafineart.com 


5490 Parmalee Gulch Rd. 

Indian Hills, CO 80454 

(only minutes from Denver) 

www.miradafineart.com 

303-697-9006 

Featured Artiss: 

Andrew Baird, Pablo Milan, Lyndmila Agrich, 

miradafineart.com 

Jeanne Bessette, Svetlana Shalygina, Laurie Justus Pace 

VisualLanguageMagazine.com 

Bruce Marion, Time Howe, 

- VL 

Allen 

Magazine 

Wynn 

| 23

STEPHANIE PAIGE 

La Jolla . SantaFe . San Diego . Denver . Scottsdale . Napa Valley . Walnut Creek . Malibu 

StephaniePaigeStudio.com 

Solo Show 

Embracing Mother Earth 

February 6th 2014 

Calvin Charles Gallery 4201 North Marshall Way Scottsdale, AZ, 85251 

RSVP 480.421.1818 


Fire Within 48 x 48” Mixed Media made with Textured Marble Dust Plaster

REES 

VL Rees 

vlrees.com 

Wrightsville Twilight, 2013, 24 x 24 


VL Annie O’Brien Gonzales 

annieobriengonzales.com 

anniego@mac.com 

Voyeuristic 

Annie O’Brien-Gonzales’ vibrant still-life, landscape and abstract paintings have graced the walls 

of galleries and shows across the country and many have made their way into private collections. 

This winter O’Brien-Gonzales received yet another honor with her museum debut at The Art Museum 

of Eastern Idaho. Recently, she has focused her painting on still life, a fascination she traces 

to a Matisse poster on her dorm wall in college. As she shares, “there’s something about still 

life painting that grabs me. It’s slightly voyeuristic—but yet private—like peeking into someone’s 

life.” She has found a way to bring her love of color and pattern to her still-life work and recently 

began offering workshops on Bold Florals Still Life and has also started a blog-Common Objects: 

Modern Still Life Paintings. 

[http://commonobjectsstilllifepaintings.blogspot.com/] 

O’Brien-Gonzales also teaches painting at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, 

NM and in her studio on Upper Canyon Road in Santa Fe,NM. For more information: http://www. 

annieobriengonzales.com. 

For Sentimental Reasons 


It Had to be You 

A Kiss to Build a Dream On At Last Tulip Dance 


VL Rod Seeley 

RodSeeleyArt.com 

Vibrant Digital Creativity 

Rod Seeley is a self taught digital artist that is always pushing his creative boundaries 

through his unique “Stylized Digital Fractal Art” creations. My passion is utilizing creative 

shapes and vibrant colors combined with dozens of special techniques to create truly 

unique artwork. Many of my pieces are enhanced using a customized digital paint (oil) 

technique and customized filters. My artwork is designed to be done on high gloss metal in 

a metal shadow frame which adds an additional visual dimension to the artwork. 

In 2012 Mr. Seeley started entering juried international exhibitions and has won awards 

for his work. His artwork has also been included in the Museum of Computer Art and The 

International Art Guide – “Abstract Art Showcase”. His artwork also appears in Volume VII 

– “International Contemporary Masters” a Juried art publication. 

His artwork also been exhibited at ArtExpo New York 2013, Spectrum New York 2013 and 

Spectrum Miami 2013. 

Each small image is a Fractal Creation 

and is part of the final piece of larger art 

next to it. 

This is Stylized Digital Fractal Art. 

Liquid Look 

Insert for Liquid Look 


Insert for Believe 

Believe 

Insert for Prospective Vision 

Prospective Vision 


VL Kathy O’Leary 

http://www.kathyoleary.com/ 

The Life of a Painter 

Twenty-two years after making a mid-life career change from the natural food business, to the 

life of a painter, the landscape has continued to capture my interest, and fuel my passion for 

expressing the beauty I find there. 

Illustration skills learned early in my college years and study with several well-known living 

artists has helped me develop my abilities as a painter. Although an admirer of California’s 

early landscape painters I consider myself a contemporary 21st century painter. I work both on 

location (en plein air), and create larger pieces in my studio using field sketches and my photography. 

A lifelong California resident, the beauty of my state continues to be a source of inspiration for 

my work. Although it was my north coast region that fueled my desire to paint the landscape 

in the first place, I travel to other regions yearly in search of those beautiful moments I love to 

paint. Twenty-two years after making a mid-life career change from the natural food business, 

to the life of a painter, the landscape has continued to capture my interest, and fuel my passion 

for expressing the beauty I find there. 

“Morning Sun and Ocean Mists” 18 x 24 


“October Oaks” 24 x 30 

“Shades of Autumn” 9 x 12 


VL Rick Nilson 

http://obxfineart.blogspot.com/ 

Just Around the Canvas 

Inspiration likes to find me working in my studio. 

I started painting in 2007. Since I have painted and posted over 1300 paintings, some took 

more courage to show than others. I have been all over the place with these paintings, and 

I feel like I am just now starting to learn. 

“Redeemed” 

24”X36” Oil on Canvas 

“Jump the Mullet” 



“Kitty Hawk Pier” 


Little Fishes 


VooDoo Pelican 

18”X24” Oil on Linen 


Nancee Jean Busse 

Painter of the American West 

See NJ Busse’s profile in the November issue of Western Art Collector Magazine. 

Coyote Spills the Stars 

www.nanceejean.com 

njovmc@gmail.com 


www.facebook.com/nanceejeanbusse 

970.261.2028

Judith Anderson 

Capturing the World with Color and Light 

Sturgeon Lake Shed , 9" x12" oil on linen panel 

judithmandersonfinearts.com 

email: jmandersonfinearts@gmail.com 

vlrees.com 


Capturing El Capitan 

Eric Bodtker 

ericbodtker.com 


Richard Levine 

Pastel Painter 

Landscape and Figurative 

“Being in Bruges” 

RichardLevine.net 

Email: artisanrichard@gmail.com 


CFAI.co Colors On My Palette 

Barbara Mason 

http://dragonflystudiocreations.com 

http://www.cfai.co/#!colors-on-my-palette-interview/cy2z 

When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be ‘an artist’ 

As a little girl I enjoyed drawing and coloring.It was around middle 

school age when my art teacher encouraged me to enter one of my 

drawings into the Cancer Society of America poster contest. I won an 

award for a pen and ink drawing of a mother holding an infant child. I 

remember receiving a ribbon an my first Faber Castell professional pen 

set! I would not return to my first love (art) until later on in life 

at age 37. After reaching my career peak I found myself and searching 

for an outlet or hobby. At the age of 37 I returned to my first love(art) 

in the medium of Watercolor. 

Who has been the greatest influence from your past to mentor you to this career 

First would be my family! I have been blessed to have a family of artist people around me. There was always 

sewing, drawing, designing and writing surrounding me as a child. Next would be my first art workshop 

instructor who encouraged me to 

just paint and be myself and develop my own signature style. 

Who is your mentor today, or another artist you admire and why 

I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with Dean Mitchell, Poncho Brown, Cydne Labonte and 

Sandy Meyer. All of these artists are master watercolorists, and have taken the time to share, critique and 

nurture my development whenever I have sought their help and advice. To me this has been a priceless gift. 

What is your favorite surface to paint on Describe it if you make it yourself. 

Winsor Newton 300lb rough watercolor paper. 

What brand of paints do you use 

Of Course, Winsor Newton professional grade watercolor paints. 

Do you have a favorite color palette 

I have a very vibrant color palette. 

Almost every painting has Winsor Red, Cadmium Yellow, French Ultramarine Blue, Burt Sienna incorporated 

into it. With these colors I can create a mixture of just about any color I need. 

What is your favorite color in your closet 

Chartreuse, next would be tangerine orange! 

I’m a walking bold color palette! 

Read more at http://www.cfai.co/#!colors-on-my-palette-interview/cy2z 


Dog Tired 

Poodle Face 

Read more at http://www.cfai.co/#!colors-on-my-palette-interview/cy2z 


Collectors Discover New Art Daily. 

International Voices - Speaking Through Art 

Professional Artists - Join the CFAI Family. 

Membership Includes: 

• Personal Coaching on Individual Art Marketing Strategies 

• Heavy Brand Marketing of CFAI.co Member Artists 

• Promotion of Artist’s Work on Multiple Social Media Sites 

• Promotion of Artist’s Events and Workshops 

• Professional Gallery Page on the CFAI.co Website 

• Over 100 Specialty Art Blogs to Choose From 

• Monthly Art Challenges at a Discounted Rate 

• Quarterly Juried Shows at a Discounted Rate 

• Eligibility for Inclusion in the Annual Collectors Book 

http://www.cfai.co 


L A U R A R E E D 

Abstract Collage Paintings 

Life Experiences 

laurareed.artspan.com 


filomenabooth.com 



Filomena Booth 


“Random Acts of Color” 

48”x36”x1.5” 

Acrylic on canvas 


artspan 

Newest Works 

Cecile Baird 

http://www.cecilebairdart.com/ 

Jo-Jo Kolodnicki, jr. 

http://jojowildpaint.com 

Kathryn Wilson 

http://artbykathrynwilson.com 

Lisa Dombek 

http://lisadombek.com 


C O R E Y W E S T 

Collaborate 36 x 24 Awakening 82 x 36 

Face to Face 40 x 80 

coreywest.artspan.com 

13849 Mono Way . Sonora, CA 95370 coreywest.art@gmail.com 


Stinger Studio 

http://www.stingerstudio.com 


Flotsam and Jetsam 16 x 40 Acrylic 

Rae Andrews 

http://www.stingerstudio.com 


VL 

Gallery Visit 

Rae Andrews at Stinger Studio 

Fragments (A Metaphor For Life) 

Rae Andrews is an Australian ex-patriot who moved to Austin, Texas after living on Maui for 

twelve years. 

When asked what she likes to paint, she smiles , answering , “That’s easy, everything. I 

paint anything from landscapes to florals, portraits, seascapes and even abstracts, although 

when painting the latter, I always try to have some recognizable areas to identify, unlike a lot 

of my very talented peers”. 

Rae’s latest solo show, called Fragments (A Metaphor For Life), is currently running at 

Stinger Studio (a part of Hill Country Design and Gallery in Georgetown just north of Austin), 

and runs till the end of January 2014. It comprises of semi abstracted colorful imagery, with 

a mix of landscape and florals . 

Rae admits, “having just experienced the very sad loss of my sister in Australia, this show 

has been very cathartic for me. I needed to let my mind ‘explode’ with color and replace my 

grief with peace”. She admits there is something completely Zen-like for every artist when 

they get ‘involved’ in the whole process of their painting. “We are truly blessed individuals to 

have this pastime in our life”. 

Never one to get too comfortable with her work, Andrews likes to mix her mediums, not 

necessarily in the one painting but seems comfortable exploring oils, acrylics, watercolors 

as well as pastels. Two noticeable element in her work are color and movement , where she 

pushes the envelope a lot, veiling and overlapping one color over another giving her viewers 

a sense of visual confusion, yet still able to discern the subject’s theme. “It must be my 

watercolor background I guess”, she says when asked about this veiling technique apparent 

in most of her latest paintings. 

Rae says she will often begin a painting with just veils of color, no preconceived notion of 

what the subject will be. Over these ‘veils’ she fits and superimposes her subject . “The confusion 

is what I love about this way of painting” she says, “I never know how things will turn 

out, a lot can change during the process, and I have to be willing to just go with the angst”. 

So what is her favorite medium “I used to own the Northside Art School in Sydney and 

taught in the Charles Sturt University northwest of Sydney, where for many years I painted 

and taught only watercolor with some mixed water media. I became better known for this 

medium in Australia although I still dabbled in all the others as well even in those days.” 

In her twelve years on Maui she owned two art galleries, and sold directly to her public. “I 

loved my life on Maui, paint for a few hours, went for a swim, then back in the gallery to 

paint again, it was quite a perfect existence”, she says with a smile on her face.Her work 

was always different to the larger art world on Maui. Rae says she has long admired realistic 

painting, and in her earlier years of ‘finding herself’ in Australia she did a lot of them, and 

as with a lot of artists , she wanted to challenge herself, and be different. 





VL 

Gallery Visit 


Now living in Austin, Andrews still continues painting and teaching her many techniques, there 

are no more fish and turtles she admits, they have been replaced with a much wider and diverse 

imagery now, however the color and drama is still there. This artist simply loves to paint and play, 

she says “I cannot visualize a day in my life without painting”. 

Tree Focus 36 x 36 Acrylic 



Santorini Cliff Hangers 30 x 40 Acrylic 



VL 

Gallery Visit 


Tidepool 3 24 x 48 Acrylic 



Flood Plain 36 x 36 Acrylic 

Synergy 2 36 x 36 Acrylic 



VL 

Gallery Visit 


Synergy 30x 40 Acrylic 

See Rae’s Solo Show, Fragments (A Metaphor For Life) at Stingers Studio 

1623 Rivery Blvd, Georgetown Texas 

Phone 512 869 5544 

Hours : 

Monday and Saturday (by appointment only) 

Tuesday through Friday 10 - 5.30pm 

Or contact Rae at: 

www.yessy.comraeandrews 

raeandrewsgallery.blogspot.com 





Vernita Bridges Hoyt 

“Painting the Sauce of Texas”TM 

vbhoyt.com 

vbridgeshoyt.com 

txsauce.net 

Texas Sauce Studio 

V. Bridges Hoyt Design 

P.O. Box 86 • Spring, Texas 77383 


DURNAVICH 

Ron Durnavich 

Rain Forest 12 x 12 

Emotion / Abstraction 

Ronsscenesiowa.com 


Dawn Waters Baker 

A Way of Listening 

DawnWatersBaker.com 


“I like to think of my work as a glimpse of the mystery. The metaphors of life held in 

branches, cloud wisps, and water. There is something that compels me to paint, not what 

is literally seen but what is felt. For me, the window into the spiritual is nature. I believe 

God is talking, without words, through His creation. Painting is my way of listening.” 

dawnsartsite.blogspot.com 


Laurie Justus Pace 

Ellepace.com 

Above: Crossing the County Line 30 x 40 inches Oil on Canvas available through TheWhiteDogGallery.com 

Right Page: Running Color 32 x 48 Oil on Canvas available through Mirada Fine Art, Denver 

Mirada Fine Art. Denver 

MiradaFineArt.com 

Rare Gallery. Jackson Hole 

RareGalleryJacksonHole.com 

Robert Kelly Home. Park Cities 

RobertKellyHome.com 

South Hill Gallery: Lexington 

SouthHillGallery.com 


Ellepace.com 


VL 

VL Artspan Studio Visit 

GLENN MORETON 

contemporary realism 

photorealist cityscape paintings 





VL 

Studio Visit 

Glenn Moreton 

Painting and drawing have always been an essential part of my life. My aunt remembers me as a 

toddler propped up on a chair so that I could reach the blackboard that my grandmother had on her 

kitchen wall, spending hours drawing with colored chalks. Even during later times of my life when other 

priorities had taken over and I was not following my creative urges, art was still an essential—albeit 

suppressed—part of my life. Even then, my bottled-up compulsion to be an artist was omnipresent 

(and making me miserable). It seemed as if something inside me was fighting relentlessly to emerge. 

Finally in 1985,after years of skirting around this creative need, I acquiesced and began painting 

professionally. I have enjoyed making up for lost time ever since! 

Composition: 

When I paint, my primary goal is to create a composition that is aesthetically exciting.The typical 

viewer of photorealist or hyperrealist art will first be impressed with the often startling realism recreated 

in these genres of paintings—the striking reflections in a storefront window, the drama created 

by carefully placed shadows, or the flashy rendering of an automobile. Sometimes I find that photorealist/hyperrealist 

painters can duplicate reality with a technical facility that is awe inspiring, but their 

paintings may to have little to offer to the viewer beyond that technical slickness. Like all such artists, 

I attempt to create a technically sharp realistic image, but contrary to what one may suspect, that is 

not my chief preoccupation: composition is what fascinates me. To me, a complicated, tenuously, 

carefully balanced composition is extremely satisfying and contributes more deeply to the overall 

power of the work than do mere flashy rendering techniques alone. 

Sunny Side - Shady Side 16” x 62” 



My Process: 

artspan 

A major part of my process is selection of the scene to be painted. I go to numerous locales, take 

countless photos and examine them, combine them, etc. often taking months until I find the right 

combination of visual elements, the right composition. My paintings are not mere reproductions of 

these photographs. I alter, rearrange, distort, remove, and simplify design elements according to the 

needs of my composition. My compositions always make use of visual rhythms--often through the 

repetition of similar shapes, through the contrast of vertical against horizontal elements, and through 

balancing of elements by use of color relationships. 

Often--but not always--I briefly project slides of my photos onto the canvas, using projection as an 

initial tool in my painting process. Artists (e.g., van Eyck, Holbein, Caravaggio, etc.) began making 

heavy use of such optical tools early in the Renaissance, and have continued ever since. I project 

only a rough outline, after which, I continue with a more detailed freehand drawing. Not until this initial 

drawing is made do I begin painting. As I paint, I constantly change the drawing as I proceed, often 

distorting elements of the drawing/painting in order to enhance the composition, or to pull the viewer’s 

eye into the work. With my focus on drawing, it is not surprising that a specific characteristic of my 

process includes careful attention to line work. Loving lines and the visual energy that they project, I 

carefully outline all of the objects in my paintings, occasionally coloring the line in a hue that contrasts 

to the color of object, and using strong lines on outside edges of objects, and weaker lines on internal 

edges of objects--all techniques to better define how the object cuts through space and to make that 

image visually “pop.” 

Another characteristic of my process is that I use the paint as both an opaque and a transparent medium 

(e.g. using glazes to create specific effects such as soft shadows, objects viewed through glass, 

the haze on distant elements in the landscape, etc.). As a quickly drying medium, acrylic paints facilitate 

the use of these dual techniques. 



VL 

Studio Visit 

Glenn Moreton 

Main Street Palms 42” x 24” 

Croissanterie 58” x 18” 



artspan 

Q Street 24” x 34” 



VL 

Studio Visit 

Glenn Moreton 

257 42” x 30” 



artspan 

West Side Hollywood Wagon 26” x 36” 

Dupont Dyptich 26” x 45” 



VL Studio Visit 

Glenn Moreton 

17th Street Promenade 26” x 40” 

Hollywood 18” X 67” 



artspan 

My Subjects: 

It may surprise some people to learn that initially I pay little attention to the subject content of my 

painting. When selecting a subject that I am going to paint, I choose one with elements that will 

work aesthetically into an exciting composition. After that, I try to select subjects that suggest a 

distinctive mood that is representative of that particular locale; I try to give the observer a sense of 

place (though generally I try to avoid using obvious landmarks). Another characteristic of my works 

is that often they combine a hodgepodge of seemingly unrelated, contrasting subject components 

that blend together in a surprisingly unified whole. 

I intentionally avoid consciously selecting my subject matter along political, social, or philosophical 

themes. Such calculated depiction of the artist’s viewpoint may seem heavy-handed and risks trivializing 

more profound subliminal messages. Also I avoid overanalyzing the subject content of my 

work. For me, nothing is more tedious than hearing artists drone on and on about the “profound” 

meaning of their work. Artwork should speak for itself. I find that when an artist designs a work to 

project a specific point of view or a very personal esoteric subject, the viewer’s experience is overly 

predefined and limited. 

Yet, even though I intentionally avoid painting that overtly expresses a specific viewpoint, I must 

admit that I when I look at my completed paintings, I do find that my works do tend to spontaneously 

project certain themes nevertheless. I find that these themes are all the more interesting, powerful, 

and universal because of the fact that they have evolved unconsciously and unintentionally. One 

recurrent theme that I find in much of my work is that of the dynamics of change with the passage 

of time. Another theme is the juxtaposition of the urban environment’s complexity with that same 

setting’s role as a human environment. Finally, I find that my work often celebrates scenes that are 

uniquely American and typical of the U.S urban landscape. 

10th Street 20” x 40” 



Shirley Anderson 

Painting Landscapes and Florals in Pastel 

Golden Meadow 

Sunlight and Shadow 

shirleyandersonart.com 

Day on the Beach 

email: sranderson0930@sbcglobal.net 


Colorful. Sensitive. Bold. 

Shadows Along the Path 

May Flowers 

shirleyandersonart.com 


DianeFairfieldArt.com 

The Uprising, 18 x 24, Mixed Media on Panel 


Diane E. Fairfield 

Impressions of Glory 

DianeFairfieldArt.com 

DianeFairfieldart@powerc.net 


VL Hall Groat II 

NATURE TEACHES COMPOSITION BEST 

By Hall Groat, Sr 

Hall Groat II, Publisher 

World travel offers a unique opportunity to witness breathtaking sights. Understanding what 

you see and why this vision may stay with you for a lifetime is important to an artist. In reviewing 

my travels alone, and later with my wife, many incredible scenes were witnessed. Everyone 

is exposed to the beauty around them and many take it for granted. However, an artist 

may train their eye to interpret the grandeur of nature, as well as its aesthetic composition. 

Many artists develop a heightened sense of reality, with the ability to analyze subject matter 

for use in their painting. Certainly, this is true with a painter or a professional photographer. Answering 

questions about the basic design elements become second nature to an artist. What 

is found in the foreground, middle ground or background in a scene is organized with ease. 

They may look for lines of opposition to create power in their composition. The negative and 

positive shapes and the juxtaposition of one form to another are mandatory considerations. 

The temperature of a painting is also important in selecting your color pallet. The list could go 

on eternally, as nature is in a constant transition. Painters who work from nature develop the 

skill to adapt to changes in lighting. Those who use photos for reference have an easier time, 

although they may miss out on the spiritual connection to the environment and subject. Serious 

painters experience many ways of interpreting their subject matter, even if entails painting 

out in inclement weather. 

Alaska, from the deck of my troupe ship in the army was a view to long remember. As 

the ship entered the inland sound, the waters were calm, offering relief from a previous storm 

at sea. Northeast of Vancouver was the worst weather of the trip. Being on deck was now the 

best place to hang out, as most seasick soldiers stayed below in their bunks. The midnight 

sun and the northern lights created an unusual aura. It was spring and melting chards of ice 

were sliding into the sea. The air was clear and you could see a hundred miles, as if it were 

a short distance away. The violet and turquoise colors of icebergs reflected in the deep blue 

waters were enhanced by the salt air. As a painter, I found inspiration and a desire to capture 

these subjects on canvas. Although the Marine Phoenix was hardly a recreational ship, Alaska 

offered a look into the wonders of nature. 

Sailing through inland waters near Sasebo, Japan revealed a dazzling display of lights 

reflecting everywhere. Hospital ships with giant red crosses were a reminder that in a few days 

Korea was to be my next trip and possibly a one-way journey. Cargo ships, naval ships, Japanese 

fishing boats, and lights from distant hillside homes and gardens covered every inch of 

land. I was mesmerized by the beauty of this harbor at night. Years later, I was able to recall 

this scene in my watercolor paintings. Beauty of this magnitude, you never forget, and many 

of my watercolor works are built around the suggestion of the port of Sasebo. 

HallGroat.com 


Green Lakes Winter by Hall Groat Sr. 30x40 inches Acrylic on Panel 

Switzerland offered another type of visual excitement. The most beautiful city on a lake I have ever 

seen is Lucerne. Unfortunately we were only there for two days. The city is like a jewel and the Swiss 

keep it pristine with immaculate homes. I later did some acrylic paintings of beautiful homes by the 

water. Winding through the Alp’s is an unnerving experience in a tour bus. The drop-offs were literally 

thousands of feet down. Hundreds of mountain waterfalls were very inviting as subject matter for my 

painting. Working in a vertical format can be challenging to a painter. I have been conditioned to a 

conventional type of countryside at home in Manlius. It takes a while to orient yourself to extreme 

vertical compositions as seen in the Alps. 

The Matterhorn can be a challenge to see. When we checked into our lodge, a few tourists said that 

they were unable to see the mountain once and left disappointed. On our second morning in the Alps, 

I looked out the window and only saw billowing clouds. I stood staring for a long while, but realized I 

was not looking up high enough. Straight up overhead, the clouds finally parted for about ten seconds. 

That famous scene of the peak of the Matterhorn appeared, and soon disappeared. Later in the day it 

returned to stay for the rest of our trip. I did some small color studies of this majestic mountain. When 

you paint a picture of something, you also record it in your memory. Years later I painted it in different 

views with cloud formations in my Manlius studio. This mountain has a very distinctive shape that is 

unlike any other I have seen. Some of these works were sold a few years ago to a Chicago collector. 

HallGroat.com 


VL Hall Groat II 

NATURE TEACHES COMPOSITION BEST 

The Hale-Bop Comet offered the most unusual sighting, witnessed by my wife Rosemarie, from 

her window seat on our flight to Florence. It was 1977 and 65-year-old Marshall Applewhite, head 

of Heaven`s Gate, a religious group, had been dining at a San Diego restaurant. Thirty-nine intellectual 

men and women firmly believed in Applewhite and agreed to join him in his exodus from 

planet Earth. By hitching a ride with the comet they could find a better life aboard Hale-Bopp. A 

joyous bon voyage dinner was held in honor of the group’s departure from earth. Applegate split 

his devotees into three groups and they systematically committed suicide by using phenobarbital. 

The suicides took place over a three day period. Any member of the cult found still alive would 

be suffocated by a remaining member, who would put a plastic bag over their heads. A matching 

purple shroud would then be covered over each deceased member in preparation for their departure 

from earth. Meticulous preparation was taken in packing matching black suit cases by each 

departing member. The suicides were carried out in the Santa Fe mansion. 

Applewhite had leased for Heaven’s Gate. After the tragedy was discovered, investigators were 

awestruck by the order and neatness of the room full of corpses. I was disappointed to have 

missed seeing Hale-Bopp pass over. I was drinking beer with a group of Italian businessmen, 

while my wife was reading at our assigned window seats. By the time she caught my attention, 

it had gone past. By coincidence, my nephew Stuart Grauer, President of his private school, had 

been dining at the same restaurant in San Diego. Seated at a long table nearby the cult, Stuart 

and a colleague could observe Marshall Applewhite and his 39 cult members. They were dressed 

in matching outfits in celebratory preparation for their departure from earth. They appeared to 

be having a joyous bon voyage party. Upon finishing dinner, the entourage went to their Rancho 

Santé Fe mansion Applewhite had been leasing for Heaven’s Gate. At a predestinated room in the 

mansion, each cult member ingested a lethal dose of phenobarbital, along with their leader. They 

all believed firmly, a new life would await them by trailing along behind the Hale-Bopp comet. I 

missed the opportunity to wave farewell as the comet flew by our aircraft. I have often wondered 

if Marshall Applewhite and his Heaven’s Gate group noticed my oversight. 

The Hale-Bopp Comet offered the most unusual sighting, witnessed by my wife Rosemarie from 

her window seat on our flight to Europe. It was 1977 and 65 year old Marshall Applewhite, head of 

Heaven’s Gate, a religious cult, had just finished leading his 39 members into a suicide pact and 

exodus from earth. By coincidence, my nephew Stuart Grauer, owner of The Grauer School, along 

with wife Sally, had been dining at a San Diego sports bar, just prior to this horrific tragedy. Stuart 

told me, “ Sally and I didn’t realize who these people were at the time, but observed the strange 

group at a long table, looking somber, and dressed in new matching black Nike sportswear. All 

these men and women also wore matching white sneakers. There were at least twelve seated for 

dinner.” After dinner they left, and Marshall Applewhite escorted the first of three groups to Rancho 

Santa Fe where Heaven’s Gate had leased a room. As a cult leader, skilled in the art of persuasion, 

the group had complete faith in Applewhite, and he had indoctrinated them into believing that 

the world would end soon. Their only salvation was to exit earth in their vessel. Vessel, meaning 

HallGroat.com 


meaning their dead bodies, required to transport them to a new world. He explained that after death 

they would follow behind the Hale-Bobb comet and be taken to the new world. Each member had 

packed a matching black traveling case, to accompany their vessel away from the doomed earth and 

a better life. Phenobarbital was the poison taken by each member, followed by a chaser of vodka. A 

back-up member would be on hand to place a plastic bag over any member still living, and suffocation 

would insure death. Each member in turn would place a matching purple shroud over a deceased 

member as their proper attire for the trip. This process would be repeated for three evenings, until all 

members icluding Applewhite were dead. It would be several days later when the room full of corpses 

were discovered. 

Investigators were awestruck on how neat the bodies were laid out. Applewhite had orchestrated a 

mass suicide, and was able to leave the room immaculate. After Rosemarie had spotted the comet, 

she called to me to hurry to the window. I was too late and failed to catch a glimpse of Hale-Bobb 

orbiting over our airplane. I missed the opportunity to waive farewell to the Heaven’s Gate vessels 

trailing the comet. 

Emerald Seas, Rockport, Maine 30×40 in. Oil by Hall Groat, Sr. 

HallGroat.com 


Valerie Travers 

Kaleidoscope 

Working in Acrylic, Oil Pastel, 

Mixed Media Landscapes, 

Seascapes, Abstracts, and Florals

Captivated by the textures 

of nature. 

BYLINE 

Rolling Surf 

ValerieTravers.com

Kimberly Santini

VL 


I’ve always been an artist, even if I’ve not actively labeled myself one. As a child, I doodled animals in 

the margins of spelling tests and daydreamed of painting murals. My parents indulged me with Ebony 

pencils and gum erasers, and I covered the backside of reams of paper from my father’s office with 

drawings. I checked out every book on art in our small town library, and was happiest when creating. 

I would say that’s still a solid truth. Art infuses every bit of my life. 

I have a BFA in Painting, but I think the degree/experience that helped me the most was the BA I 

earned concurrently in Art History. There is nothing like immersing yourself in masterful artwork, 

dissecting it, learning about the struggles and challenges of prior generations of artists, and refining 

your own critical eye. The hours spent in a darkened lecture hall, viewing hundreds of slides, and 

discussing comparisons and contrasts has helped me immensely in learning to recognize and identify 

the qualities of “good art.” 

As a younger artist, I wanted my paintings to look exactly like my subjects. I worked in hyper realism, 

literally defining each hair. Gradually I became interested in emotional content and symbology, and 

began working in a looser, more colorful style, allowing the compositions to tell a story. In graduate 

school I even spent time doing installations and color field abstracted paintings. Currently I concentrate 

on building mood through use of expressive color and painting the atmosphere around the 

subject – and those are the things I’m best known for stylistically. 

I paint objects that make me smile. Which means there are a lot of animals in the mix, but also vintage 

books, old toys, and other odd items that I find delightful. I feel it is mostly important that there 

is soul in my artwork, whether a physical soul from a breathing creature or the soul that cherished 

memories carry. 

Painting animals means I rely on photographs as main sources for my paintings. However, working 

exclusively from photographs can seriously limit an artists’ options – after all, the camera has only 

one “eye” and is very skilled at lying. So it’s important to spend lots of time looking at my subjects, 

studying the light, and trying to work from a visual memory (or life) as much as possible. There is no 

substitute for knowing your subject matter. 

My studio is in my home, which gives me great flexibility to work when the opportunity presents itself. 

I flex my days around my family’s needs – grabbing about 8-10 hours in the studio each day, 6 days 

every week. Approximately 80% of my time is spent doing things other than making art – maintaining 

my mailing list, generating marketing materials, managing inventory, handling client correspondence, 

building lesson plans and class content and singlehandedly doing all the grunt work involved in running 

a small business. 

Reilly 18” x 24” 

http://paintingadogaday.blogspot.com/ 




VL 


Beamer 8” square 

7th Inning Stretch 9” x 12” 





VL 


I’ve been a daily painter since 2006, and create at least 4 new pieces, usually Alla Prima, each 

week. The commitment to painting daily has taught me discipline and perseverance, often in the 

face of other obstacles that might otherwise have kept me out of the studio. The act of pushing 

paint regularly has helped me to work smarter and also freed me up to make – and learn from 

– a huge variety of mistakes! And painting daily has been a great work ethic model for my kids 

to see – they have grown up creating (or doing homework) alongside me. 

I work in acrylics, mostly because they are fume free (an important aspect when working in 

one’s home) and quick drying (another important aspect when there is a constant flow of kids 

coming and going). I’m also an impatient artist, and acrylic paints enable me to move at a faster 

pace. When I get an idea, I want to get immediately to the paint – no preliminary sketches or 

planning – which can mean lots of corrections on the painting. This can be a good thing in that 

the spontaneity remains visible in the finished piece, but it can also be a detriment when a composition 

fails due to incomplete planning or lack of thorough thought. And again, acrylics lend 

themselves perfectly to working in this fashion. 

Like Her Momma 6” x 8” 


4 OClock 8” x 10” 




VL 


Fiddlesticks 9” x 12” 



Telling Secrets 12” square 

I’m also active in my community – I volunteer at local schools, teach art journaling, and help with programming 

at my local library. On top of all this, I manage an active exhibition calendar, share my art 

at juried events around the country and travel to teach multi-day painting workshops. 

I wouldn’t have it any other way – days spent playing with pools of color, and getting to share my passion 

with my family and the community of fans that’s built up on the internet. It’s a great gig! 

I am accepting a limited number of commission requests for 2014, including figural and animal portraits. 

My daily paintings can be seen at http://www.paintingadogaday.com and can be reached via 

email at ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . Please follow me on Facebook, where I share in-process 

photos of paintings on my easel, among other art-related things . 

https://www.facebook.com/KimberlyKellySantiniref=hl 



Kyle Wood 

kwoodfineart.com 

kylewoodfineart.blogspot.com 

ARTIST 


kylewoodfineart.blogspot.com

ART 

Contemporary 

kwoodfineart.com 


Roseanne Snyder 

Abstract 24 x 36 

Diversity in Color and Compostion 

roseannesnyder.blogspot.com 



Texas Contemporary Artist 

Mountain 18 x 22 



Jacquie McMullen 

ParadiceRanch.com 

Jacquie McMullen is an award winning pastel artist who has been painting 

and drawing for as long as she can remember. While she had painted in oils for 

years, an artist friend introduced her to pastels about 20 years ago and she fell 

in love with the medium. She lives in Dublin,Texas with her husband of 41 years. 

She paints every Monday with a group of artists in Dublin, is a member of the 

Artists of Texas, and past president of the Seguin Art League, and has been involved 

in the Austin Pastel Association, as well as the New Braunfels Art League. 

jdmportraits@me.com 

ParadiceRanch.com 


Presence 40" x 40" 

Elizabeth Chapman 

Contemporary Abstract Artist 

melizabethchapman.artspan.com 


CFAI.co 

Contemporary Fine Art International 

Maryann Lucas 

www.cfai.co/#!juried-shows/c19ne 


Winter 2013 Juried Show 

“Still Life” 

Barbara Churchley 

Enter Today. 

$500 in total cash prizes 

Plus much more! 

Open to 2D visual artists worldwide 

www.cfai.co/#!juried-shows/c19ne 


http://KimberlyConradFineArt.com 


Kimberly Conrad 

Contemporary Artist 

“Pouring Color Into Your Life” 

A Beautiful Storm I Acrylic on Canvas 

Commissions Welcome 

KimberlyConradFineArt.com 

A Beautiful Storm II Acrylic on Canvas 


kwronski.com 

Elvis 


Kathryn Wronski 

Contemporary Animal Painter working in Oils 

Cat in Your Face 

kwronski.com 


ARTSPAN Artist Spotlightartspan 

“Afternoon Shadows” 24 x 36 



Blood Money 24 x 30 Oil on Canvas 




When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be an artist 

In 1989, having rediscovered I still had my drawing skills (developed from early college experience) 

I was drawn to painting and drawing again as a release from stresses of my job. 

As my skills grew rapidly I decided in 1990 that I wanted to leave my job and work closer to 

the field of art. After a year working for the local art’s council, being around art every day, 

artists, helping curate and hang shows, I quit to work full time at my own art. I committed 

myself to learning as much as I could, to see whether I could do this professionally. I honed 

my skills working at first in watercolor, pastel, mono printing, and finally trying oils. From 

my first experimentation with oils as a medium (in ‘94), I knew immediately that this was my 

medium and that the life I wanted was as a painter working in oils. 

Who has been your mentor, or greatest influence to date 

I live in an artistically rich community, surrounded by supportive talented artists, but my 

greatest influence has come from a circle of local women artists (working in various mediums) 

I’ve grown close to over the years. They have supported, encouraged and challenged 

me (and each other) and together we have grown beyond where our individual dreams could 

have taken us. 

Who is another living artist you admire and why 

The artist (and friend) I admire is a painter named Jim McVicker. He is now beginning to 

garner much deserved national recognition for his work. I admire him for his skills as a 

painter, his ability to interpret beauty in the landscape, the still-life and the figure. All without 

any apparent ego, willing to share his thoughts, and open to learning from others. He works 

only from life. His studio was close to mine when I was starting out, and I watched him (and 

his wife, Terry Oats) come to work everyday to his studio 7am - working in the studio or on 

location, until the sun set. He was such a good model for me to learn how you grow as an 

artist. Now I see his artistic sensibilities, his drive and commitment to his craft paying off. 

What is your favorite surface to create work on or to work with Describe it if you 

make it yourself. 

My favorite surface to work on is good quality canvas or linen, double primed, preferably oil 

primed. 

What are your favorite materials to use 

My favorite materials include good quality oil paints (I’m still exploring colors/brands that 

work best for what I’m trying to do. My favorite medium (used sparingly nowadays) is Dan 

Smith Alkyd medium, cut with poppy oil and Gamsol (mineral spirits). My favorite brushes 

right now are Windsor Newton hog bristle, flats and brights. 

Do you have a favorite color palette 

3 blues - Ultra Marine, Kings Blue, Cerulean 

3 reds - Alizarin crimson, Cad. Red med or other Medium red &Transparent Earth Red 

3 greens - Sap Green, Veridian, Cadmium green 

4 yellows - Raw umber, Yellow Ochre, Cad. Yellow deep, Cad. yellow light (or lemon yellow) 

White - Usually Titanium or Titanium/zinc white 



How often do you work on your artwork How many hours a week 

I work on my art, almost daily. At least 6 days/week, probably 40 - 55 hrs/week. 

What is the one thing you would like to be remembered for 

Probably the change I made in mid-life from working in the natural food business to being a 

professional artist. I’m an example of that fact that with hard work, commitment, and a passion 

for art, it can be done. 

“Morning Shadows and Mustard” 30 x 40 





“Earth, Air, Fire -Mt. Shasta”, 18 x 24 painted on location (plein air). 

“Back Country Trail” 24 x 36 



There are many culprits that can crush creativity, such as distractions, self-doubt and fear of 

failure. What tends to stand in the way of your creativity 

What stands in my way the most is self-doubt, sometimes fear of failing at what I’m trying to do. 

How do you overcome these obstacles 

I over come this, sometimes more successfully than others, by going to work every day. Starting a 

new painting. By reminding myself it’s about the process and not to allow myself to get immersed 

in the competitive and comparative mode with other artists. Going to museums, galleries, reading 

books on art, all show me how very different we all are as artists, and there are many paths to living 

an artistically creative life. 

What are your inspirations for your work 

My inspiration for my work first and foremost comes from my travels and explorations of the landscape 

in my home state, California. Next it comes from visiting galleries and museums and seeing 

all the different takes possible on any one subject. I try to pay attention to what really touches me at 

a visceral level. I’m inspired by those artists who take off on a different style, mode to express themselves, 

particularly those working with the landscape as their subject. 

What is your favorite way to get your creative juices flowing 

Some of my favorite ways to get my juices flowing are: 

-Meditate first before starting work for the day. 

-Doing a small painting (6 x 8) of some subject (ex: photo of a landscape), or small still life, using 100 

brush strokes (or close to it). 

-Hanging a large piece of blank paper on my wall and with tempera paints, taking about 30 minutes 

to paint what ever I’m feeling, using big brushes and bright colors )sometimes totally abstract, sometimes 

figurative). 

Which work of yours is your favorite 

Right now, it’s “Earth, Air, Fire-Mt. Shasta”. Painted on location it’s one of my newest ones. 





“Dunescape” 36 x 48 

“Indian Island View” 30 x 36 







“Evening Surf” 24 x 26 



Getting to know you Q&A 

What is your favorite color in your closet 

Red 

What book are you reading this week Richard Schmid’s Alla Prima II 

Do you have a favorite television show Bones, & Antiques Road Show 

What is your favorite food East Indian 

What color sheets are on your bed right now Green 

What are you most proud of in your life With my husband of 47 years, raising an intelligent, 

sensitive, hard working, progressive son, who in turn is an amazing parent and marriage 

partner, and making a successful mid-life career change. 

Who would you love to interview My long dead great uncle, Willard “Spud” Johnson, a 

writer and poet, and good friend to writers (D.H. Lawrence) and artists (Georgia O’Keefe) in 

Taos New Mexico between 1930’s - 1960’s. 

Do you have a passion or hobby other than painting No. 

Who would you love to paint The women in my circle of women artist friends. 

If you were an animal what would you be and why Human 

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take three things, what would 

they be A watercolor paint set, paper, some good pot. 

Share something with us that few people know about you. That I have a degree in Social 

Welfare. 

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live Somewhere in central, 

rural California, close to our son and his family, equidistance to both ends of the state I love to 

paint, with a home and studio surrounded by several acres of natural, interesting landscape. 



Mary Jo Zorad 

ZoradArt.com 



D A I L Y P A I N T E R S 

Nancy Eckels 

DailyPaintersAbstract.blogspot.com 


A B S T R A C T G A L L E R Y 

Barbara Van Rooyan Blue Canyon II 

DailyPaintersAbstract.blogspot.com 



Studio Visit 

Dyan Newton 


VL 

Studio Visit Dyan Newton 

Dyan Newton is from Abernathy, a small town in West Texas. She could not be the 

artist she is today without the support of her husband and family, and without her 

God given talent. 

Dyan discovered her passion for art over 30 years ago, when a neighbor introduced 

her to tole painting. She said she would never forget how nervous she was 

to take that first brush stroke. While in class, she observed students from across 

the room oil painting on canvas. This led to classes in pastels, watercolor and 

acrylics. Several years later, she won a first place award at the local fair and said 

the excitement she felt was indescribable. This would be the start of her career. 

Her earlier works were of a realistic style, but, after studying with local and wellknown 

artists throughout the years, she was able to develop her impressionistic 

style. She would become widely recognized for her fresh, confident brushwork 

with bold, rich colors to express her enthusiasm for painting. 

Dyan enjoys painting a variety of subjects from landscapes, architectural, animals, 

still life, and portraits. Many areas of interest catch her eye; it can be a dilapidated 

civil war home in an Amish community in Missouri, a momma cow and her calves 

roaming down the back roads of a small mountain community in New Mexico, 

a little boy sitting in the back of a pickup holding his puppy, watching a rodeo, a 

young child standing in awe while listening to a band in a park, or quaint churches 

and run down barns and houses off the beaten path. She can take a photo of a 

shabby building, church, barn, ranch house and paint with her vibrant colors and 

bring them back to life. 

Better Days 

Right Page: Church in Truchas 





VL 


Seldom painting with local color, Dyan has developed a palette with bright, rich colors. Her 

paintings are bold, energetic and clean, with confident brushstrokes. A constant change of 

colors keeps her paintings fresh and spontaneous. Many times she paints her rooftops with 

brilliant oranges and reds with touch of teal (not having really any meaning but just thinking 

of cool into warm). When her painting is near completion, she sporadically uses exciting bold 

touches of red, teal, pink, whatever feels right at the moment, to finish telling the story. 

Momma’s Watchful Eyes 



Feeding Time 



VL 


Title: The Current 

Medium: Acrylic and Mixed Media 

Size: 20” x 20” 

Title: Hugging The Shore 

Medium: Acrylic and Mixed Media 

Size: 20” x 20” 

Puppy Love 



Grand-dad’s Favorite Ride 

Dyan paints many animal portraits in photo-realism. She tells her clients she just needs a good, clear, 

close up photo, in order to observe every detail. Her collectors all fall in love with the final painting as 

Dyan captures their personality perfectly. 

Dyan is a signature member of the West Texas Watercolor Society and a member of Artists of Texas. 

She has been juried into many local and regional shows receiving numerous awards. She also teaches 

and gives workshops in Amarillo, Lubbock and surrounding communities. 

The beauty of a summer day or the innocence and “awe” she sees on a child’s face inspires her to 

paint. That is exactly what Dyan wants to capture in each composition to convey that feeling to the 

viewer, the same initial joy that she felt when she discovered the scene originally. Many viewers say 

they love her paintings’ vibrant colors and how they radiate “happiness”. 

Dyan Newton’s works can be found in private and corporate collections throughout the United States 

and internationally. 

Her paintings can be viewed at www.dyannnewton.com, www.artistsoftexas.org., and 

peachtreegallerylubbock.com. 



CFAI.co Fall 2013 Juried Show 

“Colors of Autumn” 

Best of Show 

Jason Tako 

Autumn Maple 

http://jasontako.com 

http://www.cfai.co/#!show-winners/cyep 


CFAI.co Juried Show Fall 2013 

First Place 

Brooke Crosthwaite 

San Diego 

http://brookecrosthwaite.com 



Second Place 

Freya Kazemi 

Happy Place 

http://artcentury21.com 




Third Place 

Annie O’Brien Gonzales 

Las Golondrinas 

http://annieobriengonzales.com 



Honorable Mentions 

Darla McDowell - Local Color Persimmon 

Jonelle T. McCoy- Leap, Don’t Fall 



John Wilson- Winter Canyon 

Honorable Mentions 


Marta Collings- Sunrise Serenity 

http://www.cfai.co/#!show-winners/cyep

DianeWhitehead.com 

“Animals are my muse. The scratch of the paw, pounce of a hoof, gesture of the head, alert ear, quiet stride, 

powerful shape, ancient wisdom. All come to play with the shapes I see as I paint. “ 


Diane Whitehead 




REDHEAD GRAPHICS STUDIO 

Design Services for Artists 

custom art websites 

custom blog design 

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digital media kits 

artist videos 

image editing 

http://redheadgraphicsstudio.com 


Lisa McKinney 

New Media Graphic Art 

Fallout 

Lisa-McKinney.com 

lmckinneygraphics.blogspot.com 



Lary Lemons


Kay Wyne 

Karen Balon 

Jill Saur 

Palette Knife Artists 

Kimberly Conrad 

Tom Brown 

Natasa Vretenar 

www.paletteknifepainters.blogspot.com 


Filomena Booth 

Karen Tarlton 

Judith Babcock 

www.paletteknifepainters.blogspot.com 

Lori McNamara 

Carol Schiff 

Laurie Pace 


VL 

Photographer Spotlight 

Gregory Gibson 

Arc 

http://www.gregworld.artspan.com 


artspan 

The Fence 



VL 



Gregory Gibson is a photographer, graphic designer and writer. He lives and works in the 

Los Angeles area. 

As an ex-painter, Gregory was always compelled by the photographic image. They played 

a vital role in his early mixed-media paintings, drawings and prints. Presently, Gregory 

concentrates solely on the photograph as his main method of visual expression. They have 

become, in effect, his paintings. 

gregworld.artspan.com 

gregworldone.com 

Tree 



artspan 

Archway 



VL 



Palm Trees 



artspan 

Bridge 



VL 



Silo 



artspan 

Dairy 

Pixley 



Alejandro Castanon 


Vino Dipinte Art Gallery

www.vinodipinte.com 

602 Orient St San Angelo, TX 76903 


CFAI.co Art Challenge 

CFAI.co December Art Challenge 

“Festive” 

Best of Show - Kristine Byars 

http://www.cfai.co/#!challenge-winners/cb0j 

Best of Show 

Who Wouldn’t Go 

Kristine Byars 

http://www.kristinebyars.com 


First Place 

The Piano Player 

Suzy Pal Powell 

http://www.suzypal.com 



Second Place 

Winter Glory 

Carol Schiff 

http://www.carolschiffstudio.etsy.com 




ART CHALLENGE 

Third Place 

Cherry Blossom Percher 

Nancy Medina 

http://www.nancymedina.com 

Submit your portfolio to join 

Contemporary Fine Art International 

www.cfai.co/register

VL OilPaintingDVD.com 

Step by Step Demonstrations 

OilPaintingDVD.com 

hallgroat.com 


Hall Groat II 

OilPaintingDVD.com 


Debbie Grayson Lincoln 

Texas Contemporary Western Illustrator 

NoworNever-Debbie.blogspot.com 

DebbieLincoln.com 

BlueBonnet Roller 


BlueBonnet Mama 


The Five Graces 

Lincoln ~ Pace ~ Togel ~ Whitehead ~ Zorad 

the5graces.com 

Diane Whitehead 

Conni Togel 

Mary Jo Zorad 

What makes The Five Graces special/unique 

All members of The Five Graces create bold, vividly-colored artworks with an inspirational flair. Several of the group are excellent 

teachers and writers. They work energetically toward touring exhibitions that showcased their artworks - shows to the US 

and to Europe. All five artists are spread out over the US. 


Who are The Five Graces 

Debbie Grayson Lincoln (the steady grace), Laurie Justus Pace (the heartbeat grace), Conni Tögel (the wired 

grace), Diane Baird Whitehead (the business-minded, directly spoken grace) and Mary Jo Zorad (the quietly 

inspired grace) have as many similarities as they do differences. Their artwork demonstrates a common commitment 

to a high standard of workmanship. To speak with any one of the five women reveals a commonality 

in what inspires them and how they choose to live their lives, with integrity and a commitment to doing their 

work for a higher cause. Each feels her creative inspiration as a passionate and natural calling. 

thefivegraces.blogspot.com for daily updates 

Debbie Lincoln 

Laurie Pace 

the5graces.com 


http://davethepaintingguy.com/podcast/

Visual Language Magazine Contemporary Fine Art February 2014 Vol 3 No 2

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