Selected Artists in Studio Visit Book Vol. 2

Ekaterina Popova is an acclaimed artist born in Russia, globally recognized for her contemporary oil paintings of interiors and landscapes. With a Bachelor’s in Fine Art from Kutztown University earned in 2011, Ekaterina has since been showcasing her work on an international scale, solidifying her place in the global art community.

Her explorations of mood, emotion, and themes of home and belonging are influenced by post-impressionism, fauvism, and magical realism. These influences have guided her decade-long examination of home, place, and identity.

Internationally exhibited, her work graces galleries from Cohle Gallery in Paris and Menorca to The Painting Center in New York, along with James Oliver Gallery, Decorazon Gallery, Affordable Art Fair, Art Miami Fairs, The Trenton City Museum, Paradigm Gallery, Delaware Contemporary, The Boxheart Gallery, A.I.R. Gallery, and more.

Her art and journey have been highlighted in numerous blogs and publications, earning features in Colossal, Beautiful Bizarre, American Art Collector, The Jealous Curator, DPI Magazine, Friend of The Artist, Iceview, and The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Popova attended residencies at Centre Pompadour in Abbeville, France, NES Residency in Iceland, and the Skopelos Foundation for the Arts in Greece.

Her studio is located at 1241 Carpenter Street Studios in Philadelphia. She is also the founder of Create! Magazine, Art Queens and the host of Art & Cocktails Podcast. She co-authored two books, The Complete Smartist Guide and The Creative Business Handbook.

Allison has a BFA from Ohio University with an emphasis in painting, and studied art in Prague, CZ. After receiving a Masters in Art Education from the University of Toledo she went on to teach painting and drawing at Toledo School for the Arts and classes at the Toledo Museum o

Caroline McAuliffe likes to dress up in her art and dance, further fulfilling her life goal of becoming a fool with authority. Caroline holds an M.F.A from Pratt Institute and currently works as a Studio Arts Specialist in lower Manhattan. Her work has appeared in group shows nationally and internationally, most recently in South Korea and Japan. She currently lives and creates in Brooklyn with her wife, Karen, and kid, Sal.

Ciara was born in Ireland in 1991 and moved back to the states with her parents in 1993. She grew up in the valley and foothills of the Sierra in Northern California and has strong ancestral roots in the American Desert. Ciara and her husband, Jamison, currently live in Chico, CA with their two cats, William Blake and Nobody, and their son, Hazel. Her artistic accomplishments include being featured as a San Francisco Bay Area regional semi-finalist in the 2017 Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series at the Joyce Gordon Gallery in Oakland, CA, and being included in the 2018 Southwest Art Magazine article “21 Under 31: Young Artists to Watch” article. Her work has been showcased in solo and group exhibitions in galleries everywhere from California, to Colorado, to Rhode Island and beyond. She has also been a guest on multiple podcasts, and it is her mission to spread hope and ignite wonder through art.

Originally from South Africa, Cindy has a BA in art history from Harvard and has studied painting in San Francisco and New York City. Cindy devoted more than two decades to creative projects with low-income children in New York City, including the creation of a large mosaic for the Lower Eastside Girls Club. In early 2020, Cindy moved to Connecticut to become a full-time artist. Cindy’s paintings have been published in All SHE Makes magazine, The Purposeful Mayonnaise Journal, Photo Trouvée, and Goddessarts magazines. Interviews with Cindy are featured in the online publications Art Feeds Souls, Clover & Bee magazine, Women United Art Movement blog, and Strictly Magazine. In recent years, she exhibited her work online at the PxP Contemporary Gallery, the TMP Gallery, the Camelback Gallery, and the Arts to Hearts Project. Previously, Cindy’s exhibits included a solo show in New York City, sponsored by ChaShaMa and a one-week-long guest show at the Matthew Marks Gallery, benefiting the Duk Lost Boys Clinic the Sudan. Cindy wrote the book The Quilt: Stories from the Names Project, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and she co-wrote the Oscar-winning documentary, COMMON THREADS: Stories from the Quilt.

Emma Bass is an established artist based in Auckland, New Zealand. Bass’ floral compositions inspire metaphorical and narrative interpretations, they are regularly exhibited in leading art galleries in New Zealand and internationally and held in private collections throughout the world. Bass seeks to cultivate a sense of hope, her work addresses a psychic human need for the uplifting power of beauty. This connects with her earliest career as a nurse in which she sought to heal and comfort.

Geraldina Khatchikian is an Italian abstract painter and jewelry designer, whose artistic journey has been a fusion of painting and goldsmithing. Based in Milan, Italy, Khatchikian honed her craft at the IED (European Institute of Design), where she delved into the intricate worlds of goldsmithing and metal coloring techniques. Following her passion for painting at the same time, she transformed her skill into a professional career while further enriching her artistic knowledge at the prestigious Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York, laying a strong foundation for her career. Having been surrounded by goldsmiths throughout her life, she also continued to refine her jewelry design skills. Today, Khatchikian’s work graces international platforms, prestigious magazines, and various global exhibitions. She’s earned recognition from international collectors who cherish her artistic vision. Currently, her work is featured in numerous publications, including various issues of “The World of Interiors”.

Jaclyn is a contemporary abstract artist living and working between Ann Arbor and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. She’s heavily influenced by nature, light, shadow, sculpture and textures. Her work is informed by Informalism, Abstract Minimalist and Neo-Expressionism. Gordyan has been an artist for nearly 25 years. Traveling to countries such as China, Iceland, Switzerland, France, Germany, Italy, and Austria to research and study art of other cultures. She’s worked in a variety of mediums including oils, acrylics, ceramics, raku, woven textures, gouache, graphite and photography. Her work has evolved over the years, starting in realism and expanding now to abstract, organic and sculptural. She’s earned a BFA and studied art history, design and learned classic painting techniques. It wasn’t until years later she combined nature and abstract for the first time. It was electric and intuitive all at once for her. She knew she had found her voice and her medium for expression. Gordyan has shown her work in New York, LA, Chicago and the Midwest. Her practice is equal parts foraging, creation and reflection. Through reflection she discovers the stories being told through each body of work. She’s studied under artist Ty Nathan Clark. Her work is influenced by Leonardo Drew, Louise Bourgeois, Ursula Von Rydingsvard, El Antasui, Andy Goldsworth, Ibrahim Mahama and more. As a nature artist, Gordyan’s work gives back to its source. Her work supports global reforestation through her partnership with non-profit, OneTreePlanted. Their efforts and tree planting serve to keep our earth’s natural diversity intact and support the ecosystems and wildlife within them for generations to come.

Jean Cherouny is an American abstract expressionist artist, best known for her distinctive “Rollerblade Paintings” and public performances that burst with athletic energy, yet possess an ethereal, meditative quality. Cherouny’s “action paintings” feature an eye catching interplay of vibrant colors, repetitive patterns, and intricate textures. Each rolling wheel on the canvas represents movement and flow, and embodies a striking synthesis of personal creativity and athleticism. As Jean glides her rollerblades across the canvas, her thoughts turn to the boundless freedom of nature. Drawing inspiration from the beauty of the natural world, she infuses her work with a sense of awe and wonder that captivates and transforms. As she explains, “I think of myself as a giant spider or a spider on wheels, spinning those wheels and spreading paint on canvas. The speed of the wheels allows me to paint in this expressionist style, applying paint quickly while absorbing the nature around me.” While her love of movement led her to the competitive world of skiing, professional mountain biking, and abstract wheel painting with rollerblades, beneath the surface of her work lies a powerful commentary on the challenges of being a female artist. Her art challenges traditional gender roles in the art world and beyond, dislodging the male gaze from its central position and demanding equal recognition for women in the arts and worldwide. Her creative process is a performance, perhaps like an act of power play of a woman and society. Yet, she very strongly brings feminine power to the center stage. In her words, “As in a dance, the shapes are fashioned with my rolling wheels on the canvas. I feel a sense of the power to change something, even though it remains unclear what it is. We try to change our lives in ways that may not always be possible, but we keep going if we value the effort. Making art is a restorative process, allowing me to change and live my life, going forward with great anticipation of what could be. The work becomes finished without force or struggle.” Jean aspires to revive and continue the legacy of action painting established by 20th- century painters such as Jackson Pollock, Rebecca Purdum, and Mark Rothko. She explores the creative freedom of her mind and body and aims to transport viewers into free- flowing states while looking at her work. Jean will be showing her work at the Aruba Art Fair in September for the second year in a row, as well as at the Luxembourg Art Fair later that month. Her work is represented in galleries such as Van Gogh Gallery in Madrid, ArtisA Gallery in Aruba, and Rossinabro Gallery in Rome. Additionally, she is participating in the 5th annual Art Hop in Burlington, VT. Her art has been showcased in many residencies, including the Vermont Studio Center and Bubec in Prague. Recently, Jean has moved to Aruba, known as “one happy island,” to expand her art onto the international stage.

In a region of prairie parkland in Treaty 7 Territory, Alberta, Canada, I paint landscapes as a practice of mindfulness and self-discovery. I am a 42-year-old artist, spouse and mother, and, like any human, I navigate through constant life transitions, perhaps made more perceivable by mid-life reflection. At this stage, I seek a stabilizing sense of self-knowing as the relationships around me evolve. My relationship with the land, however, is a constant that has held steady throughout my lifetime. So within that lasting relationship, I seek connection, self-knowing, and belonging through painting. We are all reaching out for something stable to hold on to as life rushes on – for me, the landscape provides that grounding influence.

Collections of my moments in nature intermingle during my creative process. Using multiple photographic, drawn, and painted references and composed of layered expressive marks and evocative colour, my acrylic paintings depict naturalized and weedy landscapes, drifted with rhythmic grasses and dotted with wildflowers. The resulting paintings represent the landscapes surrounding me and imagined landscapes I dream of visiting.

When painting, I am intentional about intuitive action, allowing my instinctual desires to take the lead as I investigate relationships between marks, opacity, texture, and colour. Often, I seek to prioritize balance and harmony, and my resulting paintings have a reflective and peaceful character.

Viewers of my artworks are invited by meadow and wildflower imagery, ground-level perspective, and weedy ‘imperfections’ to linger in their observations. Within the peaceful, harmonized whole of my paintings, these imageries act as metaphors for growth, connection, and possibility, as well as underlying themes of uncertainty, heartache, and loneliness. They are an exercise in being present both for the viewer and myself as the painter.

Through my art, I seek engagement with the enduring presence of nature and with my inner self and inspire others to do the same.

Jenny Lee Robinson is an American artist of mixed Korean heritage working and residing in Seoul, South Korea. She moved to Korea in 2011 shortly after graduating from the Maryland Institute College of Art. She also got her M.F.A in Painting in Korea at Ewha Woman’s University in 2017 through the Korea Global Scholarship Program. Her work often utilizes Korean traditional mulberry paper, known as Hanji, in a variety of art forms including printmaking, installation, and book arts. Much of her work relates to folklore and mythology, particularly themes of women in folktales that appear across different cultures and borders.

Katrina Niswander is an internationally exhibiting and collected fine artist, interior designer, and life coach working out of her home studio in Toledo Ohio. She has a fascination with the feeling of home, what we choose to surround ourselves with and what we leave behind. In her fine art practice she uses her vast collection of found photographs as inspiration. Fuzzy black and white snippets of time transform through her intuitive practice of adding graphic color as she attempts to wrap head around the complexities of time, memory, nostalgia, and loss in a playful way. Her mixed media paintings are a collaboration between past and present that manufactures new memories for us to share.

My name is Kelsy and my fibre art macrame wallhangings are designed and created in the city of Abbotsford. The pieces I create are inspired by my life experiences and surroundings, as well as from the variety of places I’ve lived or travelled. My eyes are drawn to the smallest details of a flower, to the overwhelming power of the mountains that surround. I incorporate grounding earth tones into my pieces in order to bring calmness. In addition, my abstract thoughts and emotions are poured into the pieces, adding that human element that collectors can relate to.

Each handcrafted wall-hanging is fueled by passion for this art practice. Organic cotton cord running through my hands, getting measured and knotted just so, showcases my attention to detail. My wall-hangings range in size and colour, each with lush texture and a sense of depth. From the smallest to the largest installation, they are sure to transform whatever space they occupy. My pieces have been in several group exhibitions this year, both in Vancouver, BC and online. I was a finalist for the Blu Sky Artist Award in July and am looking forward to attending the Arty Awards in Abbotsford this Fall. What sets my macrame artform apart from the rest is the way each piece is coloured into a story that reflects moments of joy, resilience and introspection, which invites collectors to consider their own journey/meaning within the art.

Kristin Reed has a BFA from MassArt in Boston and an MFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. In the 1980s she made street art with stencils, posters and billboards and directed a project in the MTA’s Creative Stations program to create a gallery space within the Bleeker Street Subway station. Reed painted several large public murals on The Lower East Side of NYC, on The Tilles Performance Center on Long Island, in Erie, PA, and Nicaragua. Her paintings traveled for three years to major US museums with The Smithsonian Institute’s Traveling Exhibition Program (SITES) in an exhibition entitled “The Realm of the Coin.” A street billboard shown at The DIA Foundation in 1986 directed by Martha Rosler, then more recently in The Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid, Mitchell-Inness and Nash Gallery in NYC and was on view at The Glasgow Women’s Library during the 26th UN Climate Change Conference in 2021. Reed currently has a studio residency with Chashama in the Brooklyn Army Terminal. She is a Reiki Master/Teacher, practicing and teaching energy healing. She works with a group that exchanges knowledge with indigenous Maya and Amazonian populations, training them to run their own acupuncture and Reiki clinics. Over a 3-year period these autonomous Mayan women in the mountains of Guatemala became certified to the Master level of Reiki. They use Reiki with their Mayan knowledge to heal and train their own community. Her work as a healer has dramatically affected her painting.

Lara Restelli stumbled upon the captivating world of stones, gems, and minerals purely by chance five years ago. This serendipitous encounter ignited a profound fascination and admiration for these natural wonders, setting her on a remarkable journey of exploration and self-discovery. Entranced by their exuberant colors and dynamic energies, she embarked on a mission to make them the central focus of her artistic endeavors. Naturally, the interplay of color, form, and composition emerged as the cornerstone of her creative expression. Through her skillful use of oil paints, Restelli crafts larger-than-life, hyper-realistic depictions of rocks, gems, and crystals, each bursting with a symphony of hues. Her mastery lies not only in her technical prowess but also in her ability to infuse her pieces with a profound sense of joy, equilibrium, and tranquility, all the while maintaining an underlying current of strength and potency. Restelli’s command over her chosen medium, coupled with her adept technique, propels her art to stand in a league of its own. Her adept manipulation of emotions, colors, and compositional elements culminates in contemporary masterpieces that not only delight the eye but also forge a deep connection with the beholder. Residing in Miami, Lara Restelli has made her mark as an accomplished artist, showcasing her works in prestigious exhibitions such as the MIFA Gallery solo show, Superfine Art Fair, Red Dot Miami Art Basel Week, Art Palm Beach, ArtsParks Miami, and Loyola School of the Arts Miami, among others. Her creations have found cherished spots in the homes of discerning private collectors in Miami and have adorned numerous esteemed condominiums including Aria on the Bay, Melody, Square Station, Flagler on the River, and Skyview. Restelli’s artistic journey is firmly rooted in her education, which spans years of dedicated atelier training within the classical European school of realism. This foundation has endowed her with the skills and sensibilities that breathe life into her extraordinary creations.

Tanzanian-Nigerian collage artist Marryam Moma is a master of the art of crafting harmonious visual-narrative displays. She chose to escape the rigidity of a formal architecture background in favor of building a creative practice that highlights the experiences of people like her. Moma depicts Black joy through a multidimensional use of cutouts, layered paper, acrylic paints, gold leaf and mixed media. Partly autobiographical, her work dissects the complexities of living in a Black body and celebrates Black joy, reinforcing ideas about individuality and self-love.

The discipline and execution of her art reflect a formal education in architecture. Marryam’s creations break collective contemporary stereotypes, seeking to shift perceptions of and attitudes toward Black bodies, specifically women. Marryam’s practice explores the complexities of Black life to celebrate the human form and to reframe the dynamics of how the Black body is perceived in a painfully divisive society. Her work lives in the permanent collections of multinational corporations, such as Microsoft and Starbucks, and has been featured on popular television programs such as Black-ish, Bel Air and Cherish the Day. In addition, she has exhibited widely in the U.S. and abroad.

Since leaving Seattle in 2014, Melissa Gile has made >15 moves within Europe and the United States. Inspired by her journey of finding a sense of home within herself during this time, her current series “Dreamland” explores her intimate relationship with the near and the far. By experimenting with perspective and color, she considers the spectrum of emotions associated with this period in her life. A vibrant palette conveys intense emotion and imagination, which for her are key aspects of losing oneself to a sense of romance in life. She shares the beauty of this experience by inviting spontaneity and play into her process. Starting with a vibrant, contrasting foundation, she sets the tone of the painting with a smooth gradient base layer. Out of the movement and imperfections of this gradient, she uses quick brushstrokes to create the illusion of foliage growing from the cracks and shadows, echoing the forests of her Pacific Northwest home across her paintings. The looseness with which she paints gives her room to pour love into the process as she moves, letting life bloom from these spaces. Due to the fast drying times of acrylic paints, she is compelled to work in a state of improvisation which translates to an ethereal, dreamy mood in her paintings. She hopes to inspire the viewer to pause and get lost in the enchantment of life, momentarily escaping into a dream of their own. Gile is a self-taught artist working out of her home studio located in Hamburg, Germany. Her paintings have been exhibited internationally with PxP Contemporary Art Gallery and Paradigm Gallery + Studio in Philadelphia, ARTMUC Kunstmesse in München, Superfine Art Fair in Seattle, Monopol Gallery in Berlin, and more; with features by Create! Magazine, Visionary Art Collective, Women United ART MAGAZINE, The Curator’s Salon, and more.

I’m a dedicated creative industries champion, with over 20years experience leading market access, product development and project management for social enterprises.

FLOC is a creative social business based in Kenya, where modern design, artisan culture and ethical business unite. At FLOC I aim to release the creativity and traditional skills of local producers by opening doors to global markets. Every artwork you buy brings that creativity and tradition home. I partner with specialized artisans and use only locally-sourced natural materials to curate original, delicate, moving art pieces. The inspiration is to combine daring imagination, subtle elegance and a dose of playfulness into jewelry for your home.

Paulina Ree is an Oslo-based painter, educator, curator, and the founder of Female Artists Oslo (FAO). Born in Ecuador, Ree moved to the United States as a teenager, it was during her time there that she first trained in Art, pursuing her long life passion of learning about painting and art history. During her studies in Economics at Boston College, she pursued several electives in Art. Ree envisioned the day that she would establish an art practice full-time, and this happened in 2020. Her art practice revolves around regular and continuous research, as well as participating in in-person and online art related workshops. Ree explores drawing, painting in different mediums. Ree’s focuses on portraiture and figurative art. Ree’s interest in female artists from history, as well as on understanding the role of gender inequality and imbalance in the art world is something that she is passionate about and for which she regularly holds talks in her atelier. Ree is a member of BKA and NBK, both Norwegian organizations for Professional Visual Artists. To date, Paulina has been awarded a scholarship with the European Cultural Academy, for a Contemporary Art Course in Venice on July 2023. She has been longlisted for the VAO22 Artists, UK and International Emerging Artists Award, and won a prize when selected as a Finalist in the 8th Edition of the Boynes Artist Award (Young Artist Category). Paulina has been a guest on several podcasts, including New Visionary Podcast and Colour Me Happy Podcast. Paulina has been published in Artist Talk Magazine and Artists of Today and Tomorrow, Contemporary Art Catalogue, Third Edition, among other publications. Ree works from Sofonisba Atelier, in the FAO art HUB, a working / exhibition space that she created for artists in Oslo in 2023.

Sahar Masarati established the cake art studio in Los Angeles in 2018 under the name Sugar Alkymi. As a cake artist, Sahar draws inspiration from her clients’ stories and the emotions they evoke. She believes in the poetic and romantic nature of creating customized edible art, transforming her clients’ narratives into exquisite couture creations. Sahar is captivated by the use of various edible mediums and constantly pushes the boundaries of sugar’s unconventional applications, breathing new life into this highly elaborate art form. With a passion for modern surreal art, she seeks to infuse her designs with captivating tones, textures, and romantic patterns. Sahar envisions beauty in the imperfect lines and aged surfaces, adorned with a garden of exquisite sugar flowers. Her love for cake artistry blossomed at an early age, but it was her background studies in Chemistry, Medicine, and Fashion Design that, combined with her passion for delectable gourmet sweets, provided an outlet to manifest her creative vision in collaboration with her clients’ desires. Sugar Alkymi’s creations are crafted to entice and evoke a sense of nostalgia for the rich history of art, all while delighting the palate. Each cake is meticulously handcrafted from scratch, using only the finest organic ingredients to create unforgettable memories, one delectable bite at a time. One of the newest services Sahar launched in 2023 is immersive in-person experience is Chocolate Art Painting. A live performance during the reception event, where Sahar creates stunning chocolate paintings right before your eyes. Alongside her cake artistry, Sahar Masarati has also discovered a deep passion for teaching. Through mentorship and workshop programs, Sahar aims to spread awareness about the healing power of cultivating one’s creativity. Sugar Alkymi is honored to have her editorial work sought after by elite event planners and A-list Hollywood clients. Her talent has been featured in publications such as Wedding Chicks, Magnolia Rouge, Grace Ormond, Wed Vibes, Ruffled, Style Me Pretty, Voyage LA, American Cake Decorating magazine, The Knot, and Good Morning LALA Land.

My career began in 1997, after completing a Foundation in Fine Arts and a BA degree from the Kent Institute of Art and Design, University of Kent, UK. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, my early years were pitched on the tensions between a loving family life and constant political upheavals, unrestrained military governments and the ominous danger of politically sanctioned brutality and censorship. I read Social Sciences at the University of Belgrano, Buenos Aires before emigrating to California and later to the UK where I completed studies in Fine Art. I returned to full residency in the United States in 2010 and worked and resided in New York City ever since. I sustain a figurative focus in pictorial reactions to current and historical narratives seeking to codify ideas and feelings. Considerations of mortality and the loss of innocence in transgenerational stories, interest in foundational mythologies and their usefulness to contemporary experience are recurrent starting points for a project, painting, drawing/print series.

Sheela Becton lives in Silver Spring Maryland where she embraces her love for painting. The brushwork in her art often tells the story of her memories from life and travels in India, showcasing the richness and beauty of Indian culture. Painting is therapeutic to her, giving her focus and peace. Beautiful bold strokes and bright vivid colors are some of the trademarks of Sheela’s works. Sheela believes in painting with a purpose; to spread positivity, encourage healing through art, and uplift others. In her efforts towards that end, she has collaborated with Hope Works of Howard County whose mission is to support and advocate for people affected by sexual and intimate partner violence. Sheela’s work has been featured in the Hope Works’ arts magazine, Dragonfly, four times since 2015. In 2021 her painting “Love” was featured on the cover of Hope Collected, an anthology celebrating the best of Dragonfly entries since its inception in 2014. Sheela’s Art work has been shown in galleries and venues throughout Maryland. Sheela’s painting Golden Forest won second place in people’s choice awards at the First Friday gallery and she was also nominated for Baltimore magazine readers poll in the Visual Arts space.

Theresa Godin’s artwork explores the intricate relationship between ourselves and nature. She seeks experimentation through unlikely combinations of media on canvas including acrylic paint, photo transfer, and charcoal drawing. The diverse media in her compositions are unified through subject matter that carries seamlessly across these varied surfaces. Through the playful arrangement of subject matter, it is Theresa’s intention to create thought provoking imagery that echoes themes of hope and interconnectedness within humanity and with our environment. Theresa Godin is an award-winning artist based in Peterborough, Ontario. Her work explores the relationship between humans and the natural world, which is articulated as much through her choices in materials as it is in her subject matter. She works with mixed media and has recently embarked on a journey to shift her practice towards using only natural and earth friendly materials. She shares her findings on this in an eco-friendly painting guide on her website.

Investigating themes of spirituality and our connection to the divine feminine, contemporary painter Yana Beylinson dives deep into the botanical complexities of floral composition, employing the immediacy and transient nature of live subjects as a catalyst for purposeful and focused action without the interference of daily distractions. Beylinson is particularly interested in the study of light and its interaction with surfaces both opaque and translucent. From this perspective, colors and shapes become independent entities, equal to the physical subject matter she represents. This multi-faceted approach allows Beylinson multiple access points into the invisible world of the spirit. An award-winning artist with an international following, Beylinson has developed a signature nature-centric style that she applies to all aspects of her practice. Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Yana began a rigorous education in painting at the age of 10. She came to the United States as a refugee in 1995. Beylinson earned her BBA at Baruch College in New York City in 1999. From 2000 to 2002 she attended the School of Visual Arts. Beginning 2016, Beylinson began taking continuing education courses in fine arts at the New York Academy of Art and continues to further her education through ongoing studies. Her paintings have been the subject on numerous exhibitions and belong to private collections internationally. Having resided in Brooklyn, she currently lives and works in Holmdel, NJ with her husband and two boys.

Zhanna Tsytsyn (b.1983) is a Pacific Northwest-based artist whose work utilizes a variety of techniques, including oil, acrylic, soil, poured paint, spray paint and sand to create intensely textured paintings. Rooted in Eco-somatics and inspired by nature, music, body and mysticism, Tsytsyn creates surreal, metaphysical, abstract landscapes and figurative work that reflect in the natural world our own inner landscape. Inspired by what unites us as a species and our oneness with nature, Tsytsyn uses rhythm and pattern motifs within body and nature, reflecting how movement can be a way of attuning to the rhythm of the universe. Absorbed in magical thinking and creation of fantasy worlds that unify external and internal landscapes, much like transcendental portals we access through shamanic dance, Tsytsyn’s textured meditative works explore the elemental human yearning for permanence and connection in a universe governed by constant change.

Ali Hval (she/her) (b. 1993, Sacramento, CA) is a visual artist currently living and working in Iowa City, Iowa. She is currently a Lecturer in Painting and Drawing at the University of Iowa. She earned her MFA from the University of Iowa in Painting and Drawing with honors, and BFA in Painting from the University of Alabama with honors. Her work merges ceramic, fabric, installation, and painting. The forms and materials she uses reflect her interest in adornment and the relentless critique and politicization of the body. Ali has received grants from the Iowa Arts Council as well as from the nationally competitive Windgate Fellowship by the Center of Craft, Creativity, and Design in Asheville, North Carolina. She was the 2022 Stuart Artist-in-Residence at South Dakota State University, and was a 2020 resident at the Chautauqua School of Art. She has exhibited her work across the country, including at Ceysson y Bénétière in New York City, Site: Brooklyn and Atlantic Gallery in New York, and South Bay Contemporary in Los Angeles. She has had mentions in New York Jewelry Week, CultBytes and The New Yorker.

Cherie Harte is a Métis-mixed European artist following the tradition of Art Brut. Drawing inspiration from a traumatic childhood, and making the unconscious conscious, Harte explores healing generational trauma. Having begun her career as a painter, Harte now employs the use of discarded fibre, textiles and found objects to explore oneness, the human condition and repairing the earth.

Through a fearless use of colour and child-like motifs, Harte’s work invites us to investigate our modern definition of love, connect with our inner selves, confront our discomforts, cultivate empathy and ultimately beckon us to surrender into the magic we were each born to be. Harte’s ability to stir the rawness of our emotions, if we dare to engage, is the gift Harte has offered generously through her artwork since she began exhibiting professionally over 6 years ago. Harte’s work is held in collections throughout Canada, USA, England, Australia, Korea, China and Japan.

Sharon Wensel was born in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania and currently resides in Historic Skippack Pennsylvania. She is the mother of 2 amazing sons. Sharon studied at Hussian School of Art, Pennsylvania Academy of the fine Arts and Montgomery County Community College. She is a member of the Philadelphia Sketch Club, Montgomery County Guild of Professional Artists, and Art Queens. She has won numerous awards for her pastel, photography, and mixed media work. You can find her work in private and public collections throughout the country.

CV Peterson (Eau Claire/Chicago) is a multidisciplinary artist who combines scientific exploration and art to examine human-caused environmental devastation. Their aim is to bring climate change research to a larger, diverse audience. Peterson has exhibited at the Smithsonian’s FolkLife Festival, the CICA Museum in South Korea, Shanghai Zhu Qizhan Art Museum in China, the Terrain Biennial, the Nobel Conference on Climate Change hosted by Gustavus Adolphus College and toured through Europe by Universal Sea. They have performed at international performance festivals such as, Out of Site Chicago, The Performance Arcade in New Zealand, and Detroit’s Forward Fringe Festival. They were in residency at Arteles Creative Center, Haukijärvi, Finland. Their current work of fungal sculptures is sponsored by Ecovative Design. Peterson received their MFA and BFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, as well as a BA from Gustavus Adolphus College where they graduated Magna Cum Laude and received Phi Beta Kappa. Peterson has curated Eco Art exhibitions in Chicago, IL and Eau Claire, WI. They currently teach at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and are the founder of Envisage Art Retreat.

Claira Heitzenrater (b. 1988) is a Northern Appalachian painter, illustrator, cat mom, and educator living and working in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. She holds an MFA in Painting from Edinboro University (Edinboro, PA USA) and a BFA in Studio Art from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (Indiana, PA USA). She has been featured on the Create Magazine podcast, in issue 13 of Create Magazine, volume 38 of Studio Visit Magazine, and various other publications. She has shown work regionally and internationally, including virtual exhibitions with PxP Contemporary and the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, the longest standing arts organization in the USA. She has completed residencies at SparkBox Studio in Picton, Ontario, Canada and the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, VT, USA. When she isn’t creating art or educating/inspiring Pittsburgh youth in her role as the Youth & Arts Program Coordinator for the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, Claira can be found with her crystals or deep in a good book. She is a lover of animals, the magic of everyday life, nature, good music, muppets, and warm beverages. Originally from just outside of Punxsutawney, PA, Claira holds a deep love and respect for the rural, wild Pennsylvania hills, and can tell you a good ghost story or two, Lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise.

Andrea was born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and her beginnings as an artist were from a very young age, she made her very first mural at the age of 13. Andrea sold her first painting at the age of 15, then she followed her passion for comics and did some professional ones with her sister. Andrea then continued her art career studying at Savannah College of Art & Design US where she studied illustration and continued studying graphic design in Mexico while shein Mexico city and worked as an illustrator for several foreign companies, illustrating children’s e-books. After Mexico, Andrea traveled back to Honduras to Roatan Island, a short boat ride away from the Honduran coast. Living on this island is something that she will always remember as her beginnings as a muralist. After the word spread, a lot of places began hiring her as a muralist, different restaurants, bars, Dive shops, and more to paint beautiful murals to brighten up their place. As her amount of work grew the people from the island recognized her as an artist and her works were listed, the population of the island recognized me as “Andrea the Artist”. Since then, she has continued her art career as a muralist in Mexico and now, in the United States. Being in the US has allowed her to present her art in galleries in Washington DC, VA, Miami, NY, Italy, Mexico, Honduras, Orlando and other places from FL. ,. Also, she won several awards as the best artist in the area. Also, she was interview in national and internationally TV shows, News papers and magazines. She continue her continue studies Fine Arts at Milan Art institute and also she have won a lot of prices for best artist and artwork in Brevard County, Manassas, Milan Art institute and strawbridge gallery.

Debra Cook Shapiro is a San Francisco based painter who has been pursuing her passion for art since she moved to California in 1984 from St. Louis , Mo. She studied painting at the San Francisco Art Institute and Academy of Art College, the Istituto Lorenzo di Medici (Florence, Italy), Istituto per l’Arte e il Ristauro (Florence, Italy), the University of California, Berkeley Post-Baccalaureate in Painting (San Francisco, CA). Shapiro had solo exhibitions at the French Consul Residence, (San Francisco, CA), Ice House Gallery, (Petaluma, CA), and Summerhouse, (Mill Valley, CA). Her work has been selected in group shows at Arc gallery, Palette gallery, The Office of the California State Senator, Scott Weiner, Mirus Gallery and 111 Minna Gallery. Her work is in domestic and international collections. Teaching private lessons and workshops in her home studio , Debra continues the thread to her original career as an elementary schoolteacher. She also accepts commissioned work that is on the subject of “Fetes and Celebrations” and has done custom pieces for clients in the US, the UK and France. She was included in the “Artists of the Bay Area” book published by Jen Tough Gallery in 2021. Her paintings have also been featured in the online exhibition, “Alchemy”, by “Create Magazine” in April of 2023. Her artwork has been shortlisted for the “Emerging Artists Women Award” by Arts to Hearts Project and will be showcased in their upcoming Women Art Prize Virtual Exhibition following her interview for issue 2 of “Art to Hearts” magazine. Besides being featured on paper, Debra will be interviewed in two upcoming podcasts: “Ready to Be Seen”, by Lucia Doynel, as well as New Visionary Magazine, by Victoria J. Frye. Beyond that, Shapiro was recently awarded a scholarship to attend a course in Contemporary Art at the European Cultural Academy in Venice, Italy in July 2023. Returning to Venice created an exciting full-circle for the painter of “Fetes and Celebrations”, who was married in Venice 25 years ago.

Michelle Barkway is a Canadian abstract landscape artist inspired by the tall trees and cold seas of her home on Vancouver Island. A former biologist, she incorporates her knowledge and understanding of the natural world into her paintings. Working primarily in acrylics, Michelle has developed a unique and recognizable painting style. Using hard edge lines, she simplifies intensely complex landscapes into their larger component parts. She works from photos and memories collected while exploring the beaches, forests and trails of Western Canada. Her compositions and colour palettes invite the viewer to bring the outdoors in. Michelle lives with her family in Victoria BC.