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Artists Gallery
SOPHIA GRAEFENHAINI am Sophia Graefenhain and I see art everywhere in my daily life! When I watch movies, spend time outside or page through magazines, ideas and images constantly pop into my head. Faces and expressions intrigue me as they are a window into the person's essence. I have always loved capturing emotion on a canvas and letting the vibrant colors speak to the viewer in a bold way. My range of work, so far, consists of wild portraits, customized pieces such as longboards and clothing, and creating unique designs and patterns. After completing my first year at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Peck School of Art, I am only just starting to discover the broad arena I have chosen to explore! There is so much to learn and I'm excited to continue broadening my horizons in the art world and further my education in studio art as my college career progresses!
BETTY BROWNI am Betty Brown, the alter ego of Erica Van Schaik. I am the explorer, the creator, the dreamer and the salesman behind our art. I was given a name in 2002 derived from her subconscious. My art evolves from my sensitive side which is often hard for me to come to terms with. I mostly use portrait and characters to show this. I often use acrylic, but enjoy my freedom in using other materials to add depth and create more mystery.
The creative process starts in my mind and sits there for a while to stew. Then when it seems ripe, I pluck it from my brain and work background to foreground, finding little spaces for each piece to carefully fit in. Art is like a spoon scooping out beauty from within my mind. I need it to complete my home, to make it feel full, to feed myself. I like it to have flare, to make sense to be delicate, yet powerful.
TERYN JACOBSONI am Teryn Jacobson from the north side of Chicago and I have been interested in art every since I can remember—all through school I was fortunate enough to be able to learn as much as I did. I enjoy portrait drawing from magazines, print ads, different books and pictures. At Lewis University, I learned to paint and loved it from the beginning. I started with the basics and then began painting flowers, which was something I felt I could hang and enjoy. Recently, I have tried to challenge myself with different mediums and styles of painting. I am very versatile in the subjects of my paintings and can paint anything from animal prints to landscapes to people. To view the scope of my work, please visit www.terynjacobson.webs.com.
LUCAS MYERSLucas Myers is a Chicago artist focusing on both objective and non-objective abstract painting. He works in a wide range of styles, media, and subject matter. His paintings are often densely layered due to a long process of experimentation and editing. Lucas received his BFA from Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus, Ohio. He is a native of Wilmington, Ohio, and shows in local Chicago galleries and also works as a commercial illustrator and mural artist. His work is available for viewing at www.lucasmyers.com.
SARAH QUERYLive what you love! There is so much in this world to capture and create! My paintings are inspired from my travels and nature. I graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor's in Interior Design and am pursuing an advanced degree in Art Education. I want to share my love for art with people and encourage others to find their own unique artistic expression.
PETER THADDEUSAn artist from the very beginning, Peter has spent most of his life expressing himself through his artwork. At a young age, he became heavily involved in acrylic paintings. His paintings have always evolved from his inspirations, which include the tropics, design, architecture, fashion, and more. By painting with bold contrasting colors and strong forms, his intention is to convey drama and excitement in his paintings. Whether it's a calming beach scene, a thought-provoking abstract, or an architecturally based painting, he uses his acrylic paints to tell a story on canvas. As artwork is very personal, he enjoys painting images that people can relate to. View his work at www.thaddeusart.com
JULITA DANIELEWICZDancer turned painter, Julita is fairly new to the world of art. Born in the height of Communism in 1970s Poland, Julita immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 12. Her early passions were music and dance, but an injury made increasingly difficult to pursue that passion. Unable to express herself through movement, she turned to painting. "Most of my inspiration comes from my emotions. When I am unable to convey feelings or ideas, I put them on canvas. The symbolic images in my art become a reflection of my unexpressed emotions. It's very therapeutic." Julita lives in Chicago with her husband Ricardo and her three-year-old daughter Julia who is her art critic and her muse. You can view her work at www.artist-listing.com.
JYL BONAGUROA Chicago based artist, Jyl practices archival methods of painting, drawing and sculpture. The techniques of mulling paint by hand and preparing varnish from pure damar crystals are her small refutation of the pace of modernity and the endless production of oil tubes and plastic caps. Her color infused canvases are realism based human figures and trees that seek to create moments of stillness and contemplation. View more of her work at www.jylbonaguro.com.
SAMUEL GILLISSamuel Gillis, fine artist for Gillis Fine Art, has been published in many varieties of fine art magazines and has been featured on various television stations. Samuel Gillis works are collected around the world including Spain, Guatemala, and of course the United States to name just a few. Commissions are available upon request at www.gillisfineart.com.
JAMES SCHNEIDERJames Schneider's art has an approach to beauty that is somewhat unconventional. Having his studies in the Classical styles of Painting and Drawing formed through his education at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, his focus has always been to understand that which he finds beautiful, in that fine line between the lovely and the confounding.
In his method of creating this beautiful melancholy, we gradually realize that his naturalistic pictures have a deeper meaning, in that all beauty is spiritual in its nature. Whether it's a finely manicured graphite portrait or a painting of old growth urban decay he finds that the most adequate way to convey emotion is through the laws of logical linear composition developed by the Renaissance in a neoclassical fashion. For James, life is in flux and all things must change; his life's revolutions are built on the dark shadows of an uneasy and difficult life.
His love of the use of line in his compositions alludes to some emotionally determined draftsmanship, achieving a semblance of reality that a photograph could never give. In other words, although the effect of the work is generally realistic, it is achieved by expressive means that have nothing in common with merely imitative, superficial renderings of reality.
MARTA WALISZEWSKAMarta Waliszewska is a freelance Chicago artist that creates modern art and fills up interiors with color, balance and elegance. Marta's works are very colorful and eye-catching. Her lively personality and creativity drive her to create interesting and unique pieces.
Marta works mostly with acrylic paints and wooden textures. She always designs one piece of art that will tie together an entire space in the home or office. Marta is finishing her final year as an Interior Design student at Triton College. To view her work, visit www.m-funkdesigns.com.
OMAR AWEIDAHI am Omar Aweidah and I am fine arts major with a concentration in illustration at Columbia College Chicago. I have always been strongly influenced by the arts, whether it be film, writing, painting, or digital media. Mostly I enjoy drawing and warping the human figure, and working with mixed media. It has always seemed natural to use odd or found objects—the paper I use or objects I attach to a finished work. With each new piece, I try to challenge myself to become more technically accurate in my representation by capturing the emotion and abstract concepts using color strategies and lines. In addition to my passion for fine art I have also done graphic design and worked as a technical aid in adobe programs. I try to represent the concepts of design in almost everything I do by trying to tell as much as I can while showing the least.
HAYLIE JONESI am Haylie Jones and I love art! Art is my motivation, art is my focus, art is my life! What inspires me the most, is my surroundings. I love looking at the world and finding the hidden, unseen beauty that many miss. I love the simple things in life, the purity of something untouched from society. That is my inspiration. I translate what I find in the world to my paintings.
I am currently a freshman at Savannah College of Art and Design and have loved the opportunity to grow and dive further into the world of art than I ever though I could go. I can't wait to absorb all that I can and live a life surrounded by art!
LAUREN ANGELICOHi there! I am Lauren Angelico. I studied Art at the University of Iowa, as well as the Lamar Dodd School of Art in Cortona, Italy. I graduated with a degree in Art Education and completed my student teaching in Rome, Italy, at Marymount International School of Rome. Following my teaching experience in Rome, I became an Art teacher at Warren Township High School in Gurnee, IL. After 3 years of teaching Art, I decided to pursue my career as a professional artist and photographer. I opened my own photography studio, Angelic Pictures, and have been working as a professional painter and photographer in Chicago since 2005. When it comes to painting, my favorite subject matter is the human figure. I find the figure extremely challenging and beautiful. I enjoy capturing the way light hits the figure, and also capturing the organic, natural shape of the body. I am very excited to become a Bottles & Brushes Art teacher, so that I can share my passion for Art with you! For more information on my photography, please visit http://angelicpictures.smugmug.com/Weddings.
SHANNON GALVINI studied art at Kenyon College and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. After several years in public relations and fundraising, I am now a Master's Degree candidate at University of Illinois at Chicago pursuing a degree in elementary education. I'm looking forward to sharing my passion for art as an instructor for Bottles & Brushes! To see more of my work, please Sawbridge Studios.
TRISHA ELLEN KENNYAn artist originally from Michigan, Trisha has a background in the art auction world with a masters in History of Art from Christies in London. She has also studied studio art at Michigan State University and is currently working on her K-12 Art Education Certification at North Park University in Albany Park here in Chicago.
BARBARA SISTAK BAURIn our increasingly complex and lightning speed world, I find comfort in surrounding myself with images of simple but treasured indulgences. When you view my paintings, I hope you pause, if just for a moment, and savor the diversion. We need small places to "rest" our charged brains.
Work by Barbara Sistak Baur reflects an extended interest in textural elements and shining a spotlight on unexpected viewpoints. Her paintings explore unusual items in portrait form. Her painting techniques involve building colorful layers of impasto acrylic paints mixed with various acrylic media.
Baur is a Chicago area artist whose work is an antidote to our fast-paced lives. Her work has been featured in 1-person and group shows and has been acquired for public, corporate and private collections. Her studio is 40 miles northwest of the city overlooking a tranquil lake setting.
SARA KAY SNIDERSara Kay Snider is a Chicago-based artist and art instructor. She originally hails from Florida where she and her mother ran a mural painting and faux-finish business call Arteffects. She has a BFA from New World School of the Arts in Miami and for the past five years has been making a name for herself as a mural artist, set designer, comedian, and wine expert. You can check out some of her work at www.sarakaysnider.com or www.sleepypantsmurals.com.
ED BURNSI am a Chicago native in my third year at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago majoring in painting and drawing. I create commissioned paintings for private buyers for both homes and businesses, including several Chicago taverns and doctors' offices. I take great pride in creating work that enhances the decor and reflects the essence of the establishments and their owners. I also enjoy private art tutoring especially to those who with little or no experience because it allows me to introduce them to a world of beauty and possibilities.
RYAN KAREYRyan Antonio Karey was born in LaGrange, Illinois. He earned his B.A. in Graphic Design from Eastern Illinois University, where he studied under master watercolorist, Walter Sorge. Upon graduating, he went for a 2-week personal study in Florence, Italy. He is a self-defined oil painter, which he finds to be the truest conduit for his artistic soul. Ryan's work is a combination of beauty and raw emotion, texture and smooth strokes of paint on canvas. His color usage is truly unique and innovative.
Ryan also does commissioned work and hopes to expand himself creatively in as many different pathways and avenues as possible in the future. To view his artwork, please visit www.rkareyart.com.
MARGARET CZOPORBorn in the heart of Chicago to Polish immigrants, Margaret Czopor is a self-taught artist who, since the age of five, has been recreating the world around her using paint, markers, and any other materials and instruments she can get her hands on. Hoping to figure out how to get people to buy her paintings, Margaret recently earned a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Although drawing and painting is her first love, she also enjoys photography, quilting, and other artistic pursuits. Her work has appeared in various art shows around Chicago including the Highland Art Walk and the Southport Art Walk, and she is affiliated with Chicago's oldest art club, the Palette and Chisel. To view the scope of her work, please visit send a request to mczopo2@yahoo.com.