Art Dimensions: Beyond the Palette

Michelle Oppenheimer composes paintings that capture the imaginative and organic possibilities of abstract watercolor and acrylic. Her art has been heralded for its calming and therapeutic nature. Hear how creativity and vulnerability work together, how to find inspiration in music while you paint, and how to allow your creativity to flow through you. Check out Michelle's paintings at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Marlene Craig is Principal and Owner of The Arc Staging, a West Coast and East Coast staging company. With over 18 years experience in the furniture, design, and staging industry, the partners at Arc Staging create custom designed spaces for every client. Hear how important art is to a staged home, the most important and overlooked rooms in a home for art, and the types of art Marlene loves best. Check out Marlene's work at TheArcStaging.com and on Instagram @TheArcStaging

Mark Hanauer is a portrait and landscape photographer who moves seamlessly between multiple genres. He enjoys capturing the mystery, comedy, and beauty of the world around him through his camera. Hear how to love the process, find the beauty around you, and embrace surprises. Check out Mark's photos at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Brady Smith is a painter, muralist, illustrator, writer, and actor who started out doodling and finds inspiration from his upbringing in Texas. He's published and illustrated several children's books and has had roles on Parks and Recreation and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Hear how to create something every single day, make people happy with your art, and embrace the freedom of being an artist. Check out Brady's artwork at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Ellen Scobie is a versatile artist who uses digital imagery and sculpture to explore the interconnectedness and interdependency of all lifeforms. She combines fragments of photographs into new compositions and also shapes clay into representations of the human body. Hear how she fell in love with these different types of art, how we can lift others up by creating something beautiful, and why the fear of having to do something else for a living can be the best motivation. Check out Ellen's artwork at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Dorit Oberman Hurst is a talented Set Decorator who has been working in TV and Film for over 35 years. Her work can be seen in American Gigolo, Abbott Elementary, Community, and other top shows and movies. Hear how important art is to a set, how she chooses artwork for a set, and Dorit's favorite and most challenging aspects of being a Set Decorator. Learn more about set decoration at SetDecorators.org

Valerie Wilcox is an inspiring contemporary abstract mixed media artist who takes perceived flaws and imperfections and gives them a compelling new life. She uses common and salvaged materials to intuitively explore contradictions and uneasy associations between abstract shapes, mark-making, and painting. Hear how to fuel your creativity by using a variety of materials, find your niche, and why it helps to go see other art. Check out Valerie's artwork at ArtDimensionsOnline.com  

Elizabeth Mason is an amazing abstract landscape artist who keeps an emphasis on texture. She focuses on mixed media and creates a sense of warmth, depth, and dimension with her art. Hear how she uses coffee grounds to create texture, how to get out of your own head while painting, and the supportive nature of the art community. Check out Elizabeth's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Brent Henry Martin is a creative photographer who captures commercial and residential spaces. He's fascinated by underappreciated architecture and has found if you look close enough, there's often a delightful drama waiting to be captured. Hear how he finds creativity in buildings and geometry, why every single thing is touched by a designer or artist, and everything from Kintsugi to drone photography. Check out Brent's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Warwick Saint is a painter, photographer, and mixed media artist globally recognized for his mastery of light. He's created defining album covers for artists including Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, Missy Elliot, and Whitney Houston and captured numerous icons such as Beyoncé, Oprah, J.Lo, Scarlett Johannsen, Jaime Foxx, Hugh Jackman, and countless others. Hear what defines real beauty, how to embrace the vulnerability of being creative, and what the future of art and photography will look like. Check out Saint's art at WarwickSaint.com

Meredith Steele is a talented painter and mixed media artist who's inspired by women, nature, patterns, bold color, and unlikely materials. Exploration and experimentation are foundational to her work. Hear how to manage your own time and stay flexible as an artist, mix it up to beat painter's block, and her dream place to paint murals. Check out Meredith's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Sarah Hadley is an award-winning fine art photographer whose work focuses on issues of female identity and memory. She grew up living in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Hear how to fall in love with photography, create art that evokes wonder, and how to know when a piece is completed. Check out Sarah's photos at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Marco Schmidli is a dynamic painter of backdrops and beyond who has nearly 50 years of painting experience. He was born in Switzerland, where he studied photography and fine art. Hear how to paint backdrops, treat art as an escape, and create a stress-free painting environment. Check out Marco's paintings at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Laddie John Dill is a world renowned and West Coast Light and Space artist who has been creating electric light works and other creations since the 1960's. His art suggests light itself could be a transcendental language. Hear how to use unique and local materials, leverage and support your peers, and fascinating stories from “art history.” Check out Laddie Dill's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Julie Markfield is an inspiring abstract painter who experienced a "rebirth" by taking up painting. Her work deals with themes of energy, flow, life and loss, and interpersonal relationships. Hear how to try out different canvas sizes and materials, let your emotions and music inspire your paintings, and follow your heart. Check out Julie's paintings at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

David Wayne Heise is a multimedia artist whose training is steeped in traditional portraiture. He creates super detailed drawings of animals, plants, and people - often drawn in black and white. Hear how to create detailed art, make your drawings pop, and the benefits of creating art with noise in the background. Check out David's portraits at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Karen Sikie is a talented artist who works in a highly specialized form of collage she calls Paper Mosaics. She uses shape to define form, and also works on lucite. Hear how to find inspiration in nature, take your own approach to collaging, and how art can bring new energy and ideas into a space. Check out Karen's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Sarah Finucane is a creative and inspiring painter who loves mixed media and the abstract. She spent many years designing in the corporate world before returning to her artistic roots through painting. Hear how to create with the consumer in mind, experiment with unique materials and textures, and try out different canvas sizes. Check out Sarah's paintings at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Chris Heltai is a versatile photographer who enjoys capturing the abstract, scenery from travels around the world, and portraits. He's been shooting since he got his first camera at age 9. Hear how putting on an art show can be a turning point for your career, how to capture the feel of the moment, and advice for emerging photographers. Check out Chris's images at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Franceska Schifrin is a figurative expressionist painter who finds inspiration from her travels all around the world. She discovered the power of painting internationally on a trip with her artist father to Mexico in 1979 and hasn't stopped since. Hear how to work with any material, paint the truth, and find inspiration from the places you visit and people you meet. Check out Franceska's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Michael Facchinello is the Founder and CEO of Altamira, a place to discover art, Create, Critique, Collect, and Connect. He's a technologist by trade and has always been an art-lover. Hear what art collectors should look at to spot a rising star, why people collect art, and why the power is shifting towards the artists these days. Check out Michael's art community at Altamira.Art

Ponti Lambros is the Co-Founder, Artist, and Creative Director of Art Rebel and We Heal Project[s]. He's provided over 10,000 students art programming opportunities, events, and supplies, and is passionate about the healing power of art. Hear why you never have to retire from creativity, how to bring people together through art, and embrace your epiphanies. Check out Ponti's art and programs at ArtRebel.net and WeHealProjects.com

Chandler McLellan is an abstract sculptor who has spent the majority of his adult life working in the trades - including being a trained carpenter and cabinet maker. Now a full-time artist, he creates objects that inspire stories, interpretation, and imagination - regardless of the passage of time. Hear how our brains interact with abstract art, his favorite materials and types of wood to sculpt with, and why there's beauty in simplicity. Check out Chandler's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Ashley Prikryl is a talented Photographer, Prop Stylist, and Buyer who combines her passion for photography with her career in production. Her styling subjects include props, sets, and food. Hear how to stay in the moment when creating art, tell a story with your work, and what to do when you get bored with what you're creating. Check out Ashley's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Rae Deslich is an Emmy-nominated and Art Directors' Guild Award-winning set decorator. Their work includes high-concept, period, and genre projects across TV shows, movies, commercials, and print ads. Hear how to get into set decorating, choose art and furnishings for projects, and the importance of art to TV shows and movies. Check out Rae's sets at Raedioactive.net

Ashton Allen is a clever painter and mixed media artist who uses a wide range of unique materials in her works. Her artwork investigates symbols of femininity while engaging and challenging the history of painting. Hear how to immerse yourself in the art community, deconstruct things with your art, and create your own deadlines to work towards. Check out Ashton's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Carla Koulajian is an abstract expressionist who works with her heart and soul to contain a positive energy within each painting. There's always a duality in her work: unpredictability and stability, culture and nature, organic and geometric, and chance and risk. Hear how to choose different colors based on your mood, approach painting like a form of architecture, and how Carla's style changed when she moved from Lebanon to the US. Check out Carla's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Guerin and Molly Swing are the owners of Swing Street Gallery, a new contemporary art gallery located in the heart of Downtown LA's Gallery Row. Guerin is a known artist, entrepreneur, and designer, and Molly is the former owner of Get Dressed Los Angeles - a high-end resale brick and mortar fashion boutique. Hear how to be a prolific artist, sell the story behind the artist, and say something with your art. Be sure to check out SwingStreetGallery.com, GuerinSwing.com, and GuerinDesign.com

Rajiv Khilnani is an award-winning artist who enjoys creating vivid abstractions with two or three dominant colors. His experiences growing up in South Asia have had a major influence on his work - shaping his color palette, subject matter, and general motives. Hear how to try out different styles and materials over time, treat painter's block as a blessing, and why bigger brushes and canvases bring more energy. Check out Rajiv's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Ray Beldner is a sculptor and mixed media artist whose work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally. He finds inspiration from art history and artists of the Renaissance period, and loves the tension between different shapes and styles. Hear the differences working with 2D vs. 3D art, how to keep making art, and help out other artists. Check out Ray's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Anne B. Schwartz is a dedicated abstractionist whose painterly imagination remains grounded in the world of places and things. She used to be a jewelry designer and finds inspiration in life and experiences. Hear how to bring your vision to life through paint, paint in sumi-e style, and what makes good art. Check out Anne's paintings at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Kymm Swank is a self-taught painter who explores abstract forms, urban texture, and structure through line and color. She finds constant inspiration in the transforming skyline and city streets of downtown LA. Hear how to just keep making work, change your style over time, and how two things can combine to make something beautiful. Check out Kymm's paintings at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Lee Jordan is a very talented and thoughtful sculptor whose work is about feeling - the stone, the wood, the texture, the shape, the cuts. He's a self-taught artist and has been sculpting for over 30 years. Hear how to go where a piece tells you to go, what to do when a piece of stone or marble breaks, and his experience carving foam for Disneyland rides. Check out Lee's sculptures at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Anne Ward is a plein air painter and teacher who loves to paint with oil and even digitally on an iPad. She finds that creating each day is an amazing ballast in a topsy-turvy world. Hear how to go about plein air painting, why painting nature helps you feel serene and calm, and how to use technology to empower. Check out Anne's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Lynne Deutch is a travel photographer and painter who loves to explore and capture life as it might appear every day. She's fascinated with humanity and has traveled across the globe - even to both poles. Hear how to experiment with different forms of art, why creating art gives you a chance to relax, and the beautiful photos you can take with your iPhone. Check out Lynne's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Christina Hale is a still life illustrator and painter who's inspired by live musicians. She studied film, painting, and cartooning before seriously beginning to draw. Hear how to create what matters to you, stay motivated, and use social media to your advantage. Check out Christina's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Donna Weathers is an abstract mixed media figure painter who often paints women in inspiring poses. She originally went to LA to become an actress, but then fell in love with painting. Hear how to lose yourself in your art, find inspiration in music and the art around you, and make the most of acrylics. Check out Donna's paintings at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

KD Tobin is a dynamic artist who's been painting for 35 years. He specializes in paintings, assemblages, sculptures, and he even wrote a book. Hear how to create thought-provoking art, add a personal touch with customers, and always be present. Check out KD's paintings at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Alison Limtavemongkol is the owner and director of The Open Mind Art Space in West LA. She showcases contemporary art from a diverse blend of talented emerging artists. Hear what it means to be an art curator, how to choose what art to show in a gallery space, and how to manage wearing several different hats at one time. Check out Alison's gallery at OpenMindArtSpace.com and IG @OpenMindArtSpace

Mark Andrew Allen is a creative mixed media artist. He blends urban street art with his background of typography, mixed media collage, and abstract expressionism into each of his urban pop expressionist works. Hear how to incorporate emotions into your paintings, keep that self-discipline, and Mark's encounters with famous painters such as Warhol, Lichtenstein, and Rauschenberg. Check out Mark's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Born in Belgium, Caroline Geys is a talented multimedia designer and artist. She works 365 days a year on murals, installations, and exhibits inspired by patterns and animal imagery. Hear how to find inspiration in nostalgia, stay creative with a busy schedule, and continually switch up your palette. Check out Caroline's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Mark Peacock is an exceptional and gritty photographer who's always had an affinity for the unique culture of L.A. and Southern California. He has an ability to capture places and senses others miss in their day-to-day lives, and he finds inspiration in film noir and music. Hear how to stay motivated as a photographer, whether to focus on color or black and white, and his advice for emerging photographers. Check out Mark's images at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Shelley Heffler is a super innovative sculptor and painter who rescues old street banners, signs, and other materials and turns them into beautiful pieces of art. She always views the world with wonder, and has a passion for maps which goes back to her time navigating the NYC subways growing up. Hear how to look at and question the things around you, make your artwork intrude and become part of your space, and follow your heart and vision. Check out Shelley's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Carlo Marcucci is a resourceful painter, photographer, and sculptor who creates thought-provoking works from pasta, staples, gold leaves, and other "non-art" items. He's originally from Florence, Italy and spent some time working with Walt Disney Imagineering. Hear how to find inspiration in everyday objects, experiment with different materials, and what goes into having a career in fine art. Check out Carlo's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Ann Thornycroft is a versatile painter who finds calm in bringing natural beauty to life through acrylics, oil, and watercolor. She finds inspiration in walks on the beach and has a true passion for color and paint. Hear how to stay disciplined as a painter, develop your style and learn from your mistakes over time, and the magic of learning old art techniques. Check out Ann's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Nancy Louise Jones is a delightful painter who uses watercolor to paint the beauty around her. She fell in love with music and dance growing up and still enjoys playing classical music in her head while she paints. Hear how to experiment with different materials and textures, express emotions through watercolor, and break through the sea of JPEGs on social media. Check out Nancy's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Jill Sykes is a creative painter and designer who focuses on the negative space when painting. She got her start in graphic design and illustration and loves the meditative effects of painting something you enjoy. Hear how to know when you've finished a piece, crossovers between graphic design and fine art, and what you can do to avoid becoming “the starving artist.” Check out Jill's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Amadea Bailey is a super talented painter who started painting as a junior in college after being inspired by Monet paintings on a visit to New York. She was born in Germany, grew up for several years in East Africa, and uses painting to evoke the wonderful feelings and experiences she had as a child. Hear how to embrace movement to let your creativity burst out, why it helps to create big art, and the creative ways surfing and traveling impact her craft. Check out Amadea's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Lisa Paskel-Rees is a wonderful painter who started painting 2 years ago after surviving a very traumatic surf incident in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The experience of painting is a dance that brings her the deepest sense of her being. Hear how to let emotion guide your creative process, explore a wide range of materials, and the beautiful, subjective nature of art. Check out Lisa's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Bryan Ida is a remarkable painter who transitioned from musician to full-time painter 20 years ago. He worked for the renowned abstract expressionist painter, Sam Francis, and soon realized that the expression is the same with both music and painting. Hear the parallels between music and art, how to work a passion for social issues into your paintings, and manage your finances to create freedom as an artist. Check out Bryan's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com

Amy Smith is a contemporary mixed-media artist and activist who is self-taught and always evolving. Her art includes stencils, collage work, illustrations, digital graphic design, paint, and spray paint - all driven by the power of the feminist spirit, unity, and love. Hear how to inspire social good with your art, balance your time with family and your time creating art, and switch things up when you're feeling stuck. Check out Amy's art at ArtDimensionsOnline.com