Artists of New England

Whether working in oil, pastel, or encaustic, Robin Thornhill's atmospheric paintings evoke a sense of stability and peace. Strongly influenced by John Singer Sargent, the tactile quality of her work makes the timeless beauty of the New England landscape substantially present. “There is so much chaos in the world that people forget to look for beauty and goodness,” says Robin. “I want to remind them it's here – as tangible as the materials I use and as real as I am.” The sublime becomes grounded by the presence of her hand in the work. Best known for her landscapes, Robin's recent experiments with abstraction are also receiving recognition. In this work, her authorship becomes even more apparent as she utilizes mixed media to develop her exploration of the theme of time. Robin is a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America, a juried member of Oil Painters of America and The National Assc. of Women Artists, a member of the Newburyport Art Association, the Experimental Art Group of Rockport, Massachusetts, and the Pastel Society of Colorado.

Todd M Casey shares his unrelenting passion for art. His circuitous journey led him to the creative process that gives his artistic soul expression! Casey shares how he created his first book, "The Art of Still Life", and new works in the making!

Episode 96-Carl Austin Hyatt by Artists of New England

In Episode 95- Margaret and Laura discuss the importance of taking time to reflect on all that was positive in dealing with a pandemic, and keep the best as we move out of it!

Remembering his 80’s decade in Europe fondly, Frank and his wife were able to realize the goal of giving their teens the chance to adapt to the European culture, with the goal of enlarging their perspective of life at impressionable ages. So through July 2019, Frank is living and painting in the South of France, following the light across the seasons and finding inspiration in the stone villages, ordered rows of grapevines and the wild cloud and tree scapes. Though he loves to be in interesting locations to paint, it is true for Frank that he can find inspiration even in his back yard. Gazing over his bodies of work, one can see how varied subject matter and location are represented in Frank’s oeuvre. Still lifes, figures, landscapes, cityscapes, seascapes, interiors, slice of life and the ordinary but magnificent moments of living are celebrated across his canvasses.

Margaret Sheldon shares with Laura not only why, but the process and preparation of a portfolio review.

"I've been creating 'pictures' ever since I was old enough to grip a crayon and scribble on my parents' living room walls. I was given my first oil set when I was 12 years old that set me on my destined path to becoming a professional artist. After graduating with a Fine Arts degree in drawing and painting, I never looked back. Much of my work is still life driven as it affords me total control of setups and lighting. I like working with 'timeless' objects that give a sense of nostalgia to the viewer. My still lifes vary in theme from the classical 'old master' set-ups, to the quirkier word play paintings. Titles are important to me as they give the viewer better insight into what I'm trying to convey. Humor also plays out in much of my work and I strive for a narrative that will capture the viewers' attention. My work combines naturalistic detail with quirky offbeat compositions that often juxtapose ordinary objects in ways the viewer doesn't expect". - Barney Levitt

In Episode 91 Margaret Sheldon and I discuss managing the multiple venues artists use for growth and inspiration! We also tackle personality types, goals and some common pitfalls to avoid!

Robyn E. Thompson-Duong is a contemporary realist painter and teacher who lives and works in Boston, MA, working mostly in acrylics. Robyn is a lover of nature and all things magical, which is represented in her figurative paintings including mysterious landscapes and magical realism. Her small work still-life's are a glimpse into the beauty and simplicity of every day life and activities. Robyn has participated in several juried, non juried, and solo shows in and around the Boston area. She has been a participant of Dorchester Open studios for several years. Her work is included in private collections and she has created many commissioned works of art.

Margaret Sheldon completed four "thirty days of painting" challenges and I'm completing my first! We talk about the myriad ways it helps artists of all levels, as well as the best work arounds to the challenges!

After receiving a gold medal from the National Scholastic Art Awards in 1975, Paul attended Boston University School of Fine Arts. Contrary to the trends of that time, Boston University provided an educational foundation that emphasized the fundamentals of classical art training: anatomy and form, color, composition and draftsmanship. His professors included Joseph Ablow, David Aronson, and John Wilson. He received his BFA degree in painting in 1979. In the 1980s and ‘90s Paul created artwork for publication. His work won many awards and has appeared and been published worldwide. Former clients include: Digital, Cigna, Fidelity, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Sunoco, TIME, U.S. News and World Report, The Wall Street Journal, Cahners, Prentice Hall, Houghton Mifflin and Ziff-Davis. Paul now lives and paints primarily in Massachusetts, in the outer parts of Cape Cod. He was featured as the cover artist on the July 2007 issue of American Art Collector magazine, and was also featured in June 2009 and June 2010. He has had two solo shows at the Cape Cod Museum of Art. In 2004 Paul was awarded a one month residency at the Fine Art Work Center in Provincetown, MA. He is a member of Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society and the Salmagundi Club in NYC.

Onward 2021! by Artists of New England

"Sachiko Akiyama is indeed a storyteller, and her sculptures cast a spell over us. A spell that like a net brings us into her magic tent. We are easily taken into her starry skies, her lapping waves, and calls in the night. Shooting stars abound. She brings us peace and goodwill. She brings us stillness. She brings us back to our senses and ourselves". - Addison Parks

Craig Hood lives and works in Eliot, ME (formerly based in Portsmouth, NH). He is a Professor Emeritus of Studio Art at the University of New Hampshire where he taught painting and drawing from 1981-2018. He has an extensive exhibition record nationally (also in Japan and Canada) and has won a Ford Foundation Grant, been a finalist for the Rome Prize in Painting (1987), and nominated for a Louis Comfort-Tiffany Award (1999). He has been associated with galleries in Washington, D.C. (Jane Haslem), Montreal, QC (Beaux-arts des Amériques), Portland, ME (Greenhut Galleries), Indianapolis, IN (Mark Ruschman), and Naples, FL (Trudy Labell Fine Art). He has been included in group exhibitions at the Bowery Gallery, the First Street Gallery, the National Academy of Design, and the New York Studio School. Since the early 1990s Craig Hood has focused primarily on figure-in-landscape images. In 2006 one of these, Man Coming or Going, was included in a comprehensive examination of the human figure in American art at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art, The Figure in American Painting and Drawing, 1985-2005. Since 2015 he has also been active as a plein air landscape painter (Van Ward Gallery in Ogunquit, ME and the George Marshall Store Gallery in York, ME, in addition to others). In addition to his work at the University of New Hampshire, Craig Hood has also taught English at Kobe University in Kobe, Japan (1996-7) and painting and drawing in Ascoli Piceno, Italy (UNH in Italy Program, fall semester, 2002). In 2011 he had the first of three solo exhibitions at Beaux-arts des Amériques in Montreal, QC, Blue River (followed by Semi-Precious Things, a show of still life drawings, in 2014 and Wherever in the World, figure-in-landscape works, in 2017). In 2015 he was named as a Falk Visiting Artist at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where his work was featured in a solo exhibition at the Weatherspoon Museum.

Eric Rhoads is an artist, an author, a marketing expert, and a career entrepreneur, with several decades of launching and building businesses and more than 40 years’ experience in radio broadcasting, 35 years in publishing, and two decades in the art industry. Rhoads is founder and CEO of Streamline Publishing, Inc., which creates consumer and trade magazines, digital media properties, virtual conventions, live conventions and events, and art instruction videos. He entered the art world after taking his first art lessons. When his wife asked him to remove the smell of paint from their home due to her pregnancy with triplets, he started painting outside and eventually discovered other plein air painters, which made him believe it was the beginning of a movement. Since he made his living as a publisher, Rhoads started PleinAir, his first art magazine. Streamline’s art brands include: Fine Art Connoisseur, a magazine for affluent art collectors PleinAir, a magazine about the outdoor painting movement for painters and collectors (and the top-selling art magazine in America at Barnes & Noble stores) American Watercolor Weekly Fine Art Today Plein Air Today Realism Today Streamline’s broadcast brands include Radio Ink, Radio + Television Business Report, and Podcast Business Journal. Streamline’s events include the Plein Air Convention & Expo; the Figurative Art Convention & Expo; the Publisher’s Invitational Painters’ Retreat in the Adirondacks; the Fall Color Week artists’ retreat; the Fine Art Connoisseur Fine Art Tour; PleinAir Live, the first virtual art convention in history; Realism Live, a virtual convention; and Watercolor Live, also a virtual event. Streamline also holds the annual PleinAir Salon art competition, offering a $15,000 grand prize and over $27,000 in cash prizes, and the Artists & Selfie competition, with a total of $44,000 in prizes. Rhoads conducts the weekly PleinAir Art Podcast, which has had millions of downloads. He interviews artists and offers art marketing advice. He can be found daily on Facebook Live and YouTube Live (@streamlineartvideo). In 2010 Rhoads decided to devote his life to eliminating the “starving artist” by putting his decades of marketing experience to work for artists. He began an art marketing blog, ArtMarketing.com, which contains articles to help artists overcome marketing issues and learn how to take control of their careers. He then started doing Art Marketing Boot Camp live at the Plein Air Convention and has since produced a series of six video training courses about art marketing. He is also the creator of ART MARKETING IN A BOX, a program that helps artists with their marketing by offering pre-written campaigns. Rhoads is the author of the Amazon best-selling book Make More Money Selling Your Art. He also produces a weekly Art Marketing Minute podcast. In an effort to educate, inspire, and inform artists, and to preserve their techniques for historical purposes and to help others learn, Rhoads founded Streamline Art Video in 2014. Upon the passing of the founders of two competitors, he was asked by their families to carry the businesses forward; therefore Streamline now operates Liliedahl Video Productions and Creative Catalyst Productions. The company also operates PaintTube.TV, an art instruction channel that can be found on Roku, Amazon Fire, and Apple TV. The companies together offer more than 400 videos from over 150 artists. Streamline recently produced its first printed art instruction book, Unlimited Color with a Limited Palette, with author John Pototschnik.

When I'm not in the studio, I do my best to attend to my website and to post to my blog. I'm fortunate in that I co-host Artists Helping Artists with Leslie Saeta, and (nearly) every week we talk about the life of an artist and the practice of art. Haven't met an artist yet that I didn't like and wished I could get to know better.

Episode 83 - Tony D'Amico by Artists of New England

“I love the same things you do about New England. I just reflect on them in a different light.” As a lifelong resident of New England I understand the visual and spiritual beauty of this place we call home. I feel connected to the varied landscapes from the ocean edge to inland forests and waterways. Our beautiful environments are so valuable to protect and appreciate to provide the same memorable experiences for our children and grandchildren. I’d love for them have the same sense of awe I have experienced as they treasure the landscape in their own way. My art-making process results in a semi abstract approach to developing a painting. I take notes by sketching both on-site and in my studio, taking photos, and by simply looking in order to collect images and feelings about particular places or relationships. I then develop these by working in sketchbooks to cull the most important aspects and recombine them into designs that speak to me and hopefully to my followers and fans as well. I intentionally work in a different/unexpected manner to develop a fresh way of presenting commonly seen views and situations–interpreting them through my personal filter of color, line, and design–to create something new that resonates with viewers. I hope to reflect a unique idea about the things that capture my attention. I admire many historic and contemporary painters, craftsmen, and styles including Fairfield Porter, Andrew Wyeth, Pablo Picasso, Georgia O’Keeffe, Mary Cassatt, Winslow Homer, Tomie DiPaola, Ludwig Bemelmans, Henry Moore sculptures, Inuit sculptures, Aboriginal art, and current artists Paul Resika, Eric Aho, Danny McCaw, Wolf Khan, Emily Mason, Nicholas Wilton and many more. Each has influenced my work in a way that can be difficult to define but I remember being intensely influenced by their work while trying to find my own voice.

I have painted still life, flowers, and landscape for as long as I have been an artist. The three genres have always interested me, mainly because I use nature as a vehicle, or an excuse, to paint, and I enjoy painting places and things in which I am familiar or curious. With my interiors, still life and landscape are often paired together, as both influence one another equally, in my mind. These subjects are strongly related, since the kinds of still life objects I often choose to paint are themselves directly derived from the landscape: flowers; leaves; fruits and vegetables; bird's nests, etc. I also enjoy painting flowers and food on their own. All images are painted rapidly, in an effort to capture the changing nature of organic forms. My landscape paintings are also a way to record and enjoy the region where I reside. The seacoast region is made up of varying vistas: small neighborhoods; cities; towns; woods; some beautiful and some ugly. My world is representative of many similar places in the United States, yet it is special to me. I enjoy being outside and painting, whatever the image, as I am immersed with the places in which I am most familiar.

Daniel Faiella is a New England based painter whose work explores the light, landscape, and people of his native region. His work can be found in private collections around the Northeastern United States, and Dan himself can usually be found as a barely discernible speck in the far off distance of the New England landscape.

I work both in studio and outdoors. I adhere to the old adage "light is the bringer of beauty" and my work has a strong emphasis on light. "Chasing the light" best describes my journey. I attended UMass Dartmouth courtesy of the GI Bill. For thirty years I was an art instructor and Department Chair at Oliver Ames High School in Easton, Mass. I also taught painting through Northeastern U. Professional Development Institute for seven years. I maintain Studio 204 at 450 Harrison Ave. in the SoWa Arts District and currently show at Gallery 31 in Orleans, Mass. My work has been on display at the Yellow Barn Galley in Maryland, Pearl Street Gallery in Chelsea, Ma, Joseph Moakley Federal Courthouse, Boston, just to name a few. My wife of 48 years and I currently reside in Marina Bay Quincy, Mass.

Anna Birch is an artist and writer living in Hollis NH. In addition to creating her own work, she has been teaching youth and adults in classes, camps and workshops at Wild Salamander Creative Arts Center since 2012. In her own artwork, Anna works in a variety of mediums, including printmaking, painting, photography, book arts, mixed media & fiber arts. She has worked teaching teenagers, children & adults in many settings over the years, from outdoor adventure programs to pre-schools to homeschooling groups, conducting art and creativity workshops incorporating bookbinding, art-journals/creative writing, printing and collage art. Anna is an extroverted person and teacher and enjoys working on generative art in community, be it writing, making art with friends, groups, or the larger community. She lives in Hollis NH with her husband, oil painter Christopher Volpe, and their son Max.

I am constantly lured by the interactive and dramatic beauty between the land, sea and sky in all of its atmospheric conditions. I am out to capture that fleeting moment that leaves me awestruck or humbled; a lifting fog, the last glowing light of the day. Because I hold the natural world with such reverence, I often choose to paint plein air. My goal is not to realistically document a place but to convey my initial inspiration; what I call that ”Ah Ha!” moment, and capture that essence. I want to evoke the viewer’s senses; invite them to be intimate and experience a few quiet moments within them, feel the day, discover the poetry within; the sense of place.

ARTIST STATEMENT As an artist, my job is to observe as much as to create. With every second that passes, light changes, colors adjust, and the slightest physical shift occurs in nature. Each piece is based on a real place, a moment that I have experienced and been inspired by. There is something unique about being alone with nature—a quiet that connects me like no other. It is only this solitude, whether outside or in the studio, that the landscape reveals itself to me. Living by the coast has provided me with numerous days studying the earth and sky. It is my hope that this work allows the viewer to reflect on the intimacy and peace this land has to offer.

I am a conservation photographer, filmmaker, and writer, and while I have written ten books and directed a feature-length documentary film, you will usually find me shooting nature and outdoor lifestyle photography and video for non-profit, editorial, and commercial clients. I’ll shoot anywhere, though I most often shoot in New England, especially in New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont. My images, books, and films have told adventure- and conservation-themed stories for more than 20 years for clients such as The Trust for Public Land, The Nature Conservancy, National Geographic Adventure, L.L. Bean, and Timberland. With my wife Marcy I run EcoPhotography, our Portsmouth, New Hampshire based stock and assignment photo business and video production company.

Once referred to as "a genius" by the late, renowned artist and author, Charles Movalli, Tom has had solo exhibits in galleries in the New England States, North Carolina, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, and France. He is proficient in several painting media including oil, acrylic, and watercolor, with subject matter comprised of figure painting, portrait, landscape and the odd still life or genre picture. Tom’s work has been featured in American Artist Watercolor Magazine, Fine Art Connoisseur, for which he painted the magazine’s publisher, Eric Rhoads’ portrait, and Southwest Art Magazine. Tom’s watercolors have been published in the book, Watercolor Painting by Tom Hoffmann (Watson Guptill, 2012). In 2018, Tom became a Signature Member of the Plein Air Painters of America. In 2019, Tom won the $15,000 Grand Prize at the Plein Air Convention and Expo.

Judith McKenna paints seascapes, landscapes, and wildlife in pastels, oils and watercolors. She majored in fine arts at the University of Miami and received a master’s degree in Communications from Boston University. Her career included positions in advertising, marketing and graphic design followed by a teaching position at Southern New Hampshire University. Upon leaving academia, Judith returned to her first love – painting. She has since won awards for pastels and oils in a number of juried competitions.

Making my art allows me to tap into levels of myself, becoming more aware, more conscious, & more grateful. I’ve loved photography my entire life. This brings a tender sensitivity to one’s surroundings. An eye. Sometimes, I look with intention, focusing on everything with the possibility of creating a composition. And sometimes it just happens. A quick glance becomes the image for a future work. These moments are my well, my source. I hope to bring that energy into my art making, to communicate the positive. When I work, I allow and encourage a collaborative process with spirit or that mind-boggling principle of the universe. Creation gives me ideas. My passion is to put them into art. My art are my prayers.

David Lussier is an award winning contemporary impressionist and nationally recognized plein air painter and workshop instructor. He is a painter in the purist sense of the word. In his poetic and intimate oil landscapes he strives to capture the essence and sense of place of his subject matter. His use of bold broad brushwork brings the surfaces to life and begs the viewer to return for a second look.

In 2004 after years of painting in the studio I went outdoors to paint the landscape. This simple act of going outdoors to paint for the next fourteen years had a major effect on my work and my focus. These years of painting en plein air have changed the way I make paintings, the way I experience the landscape and the reason I paint. The focus of my work is to paint the experience of the world from an authentic place. The process to this place was a long one. After a substantial amount of practice in the field I was able paint outdoors and successfully execute paintings that were closer to my inner vision.

Sam Vokey shares his journey from his "Boston School" training to present techniques as well as some lively plein air adventures! As someone who has been in the game for many years he has endured through both good and bad times all for the love of making art!

Peter Card Born in New Hampshire, Peter grew up with a love of nature, the beauty of the New England landscape and the wonders of science. He received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry and then studied as a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University with Nobel Laureate Robert Woodward. After a successful thirty plus year career as a pharmaceutical executive in nuclear medicine, Peter’s life-long interest in photographing nature evolved into a love of oil painting. He spent years studying the painting techniques of the old masters in the studio of Leah Kristen Dahlgren, and then studied studio and plein air painting extensively with noted New England artist Todd Bonita among others. Today, Peter and his wife Ann, live on the New Hampshire seacoast where he paints full-time in his studio as well as plein air.

Is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Graphic Design. Melanie has been a graphic designer for the last 20 years and worked on the creative team for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. In 1994, she traveled to Japan to teach art at the St. Joseph Int’l School. Her travels throughout Asia has had a great influence on her work and her life. Upon moving to Jackson and starting a family, Melanie wwweloped Jackson Art Exploration as a way to expose young children to art. Since then, she has taught a variety of classes for kids and adults at her studio. Melanie’s interest in printmaking began when she took a class in watercolor monotype at Maine College of Art. She instantly fell in love with the process and has been doing it ever since. Her Asian influence and love of nature are portrayed in her work. She also paints with oils on canvas, plein air style, setting up her easel outside and taking in the beautiful landscape of Mt Washington Valley. Melanie currently resides in Jackson, NH with her husband Daren, and two daughters, Logan and Eden.

Ken's photography captures that ethereal essence of time standing still. Anyone lucky enough to meet him will forever be changed by his grateful, positive energy. Ken lives life to the fullest while living in the shadow of a terminal illness. His story will not only inspire you but challenge you to become the best version of you!

Lydia's work is inspired by abstract shapes, and the influence of atmosphere and light on color. Her paintings are created "en plein air" and from memory in her studio at the Button Factory in Portsmouth, NH. Painting in oils, her work expresses the serenity that surrounds her everyday while living on New Hampshire’s seacoast. She lives with her husband Scott, their three children, Katie, Caroline and Jamie and their Labradors, Rufus and Chief. ​

Mary Liz Lancaster is a New England photographer with interests in Travel, events, nature and portraiture. Her subjects often focus on the beauty of the seacoast and images of the culture and people of this historic area. She enjoys travelling in the US and abroad with her husband David and at home raising their two children.

Daniel Corey shares the bumps and glories along his way to full time artist. As a young man finding his way to his true life's calling, it will be exciting to see where this journey takes him! "Inspired by light quality, color harmony and abstract shapes, my paintings are created from direct observation and memory. I enjoy the challenge of painting nontraditional views and subjects, and the views that make Maine, Maine." - Daniel Corey

Tori Rasche is originally from La Jolla, California and has lived and worked in York, Maine since 1996. Working in oil, she uses composition, light, and color to bring an experience of place and a moment in time to the viewer. Primarily self-taught, Tori has studied oil painting under Todd Bonita, Amy Brnger, Brett Gamache, and Jeremy Miranda. Her paintings are held in private collections in California, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, New York, and Washington, D.C.

"Many artists, and those in the art field, feel compelled to label each artist and their style of work. Realist, tonalist, colorist, these are some of the labels that others have assigned to me and to my artwork over the years; I myself at one time called my art representational expressionism. I no longer use that term to explain my art. My art is pretty self explanatory, created from the heart, inspired by my life’s experiences and thus, these days I accept no label other than: 'Artist'" -Jeff Fioravanti

Scott W Prior has become a regular to Ogunquit Summer School of art. His honesty and candidness leave you thankful that someone cares enough to say it like it is! You will be inspired and challenged to put in your miles of canvas!

This was a lovely interview with this beautiful soul, Laura Tryon Jennings. Her vibrant contemporary realism depicts the calm in the midst of our chaotic lives! Her website, shows the many accomplishments she is reluctant to discuss. www.ltryonjennings.com She is a member of the Copley Society of Art, The North River Arts Society in Marshfield, MA and has two shows currently running. The first is a group show, "The Figurative Sense" at the Dolphin Gallery, Hingham, MA and a solo show at the Elizabeth Moss Gallery, opening Friday October 11th and running through November 9th, 2019. Check them out!

Kent Maxwell is a young energetic artist living in Portsmouth, NH. He shares his journey and his love of connecting directly with the public to get his art out there. Listen and find out how he does it!

Mark Shasha, artist, author, actor, singer and musician shares his journey of all things artistic. His energy, passion and love of life is contagious and will inspire you follow your heart! Listen and laugh as you gain courage to chart your own course!

Four quick interviews give us a sampling of the kinds of patrons visiting galleries in Portsmouth, NH on a sunny Sunday afternoon in August.

Sarah Chase and Jess Dickey share the highlights and challenges of their incredible art program at Deerfield Community School in NH. "A choice based art program provides all the elements that we want our students to have in an art program. There is time for instruction and demonstration by the teacher, time for practice and time for final product, time for sharing, reflecting and self-evaluation, and there is time for assessment by the teacher. There is also the element of choice, which allows our students to authentically express themselves using the skill set they have acquired throughout the years in the artist workshop."

Growing up in the Boston suburbs I have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by all the beauty that New England has to offer. Within a short distance I can be trekking through the White Mountains of New Hampshire, watching the waves crash against the rocky coast of Maine or seeing a sunrise from Cape Cod. I have been creating art in one form or another for nearly 40 years. I have done Illustration, logo design, web design, murals, posters. I've designed tattoos, graphic novel work, lettered windows and even air brushed t-shirts (come on it was the late 80's). Most of which has been done concurrently with a day job that has enabled me to raise three amazingly wonderful kids. It is the culmination of all these experiences that I now take to the outdoors of New England to fulfill my true calling that is Outdoor Landscape Painting or Plein Air Painting. For me, it is the experience and journey of each painting that I find so exhilarating. Not knowing where my next painting will take place, battling the seasonal elements of mother nature in New England and always up against time. All these factors are what brings life to a painting that may not receive the same treatment in the comforts of an art studio. The world is now my art studio and I hope that you will follow along with me on this journey, seeing this inspiring landscape through my eyes.

Self Portrait Grisaille, 80 X 68", O/L, 1999. Grant Drumheller has been the recipient of a Fulbright-Hays Grant in Painting to Italy. He has also been the recipient of a Blanche Colman Award, a National Endowment for the Arts Artist’s Fellowship, a New England Foundation for the Arts Grant and a grant from the Pollock- Krasner Foundation. Most recently he was a Visiting Artist at the American Academy in Rome in 2009. Drumheller has been a professor at the University of New Hampshire since 1986. Other teaching and speaking engagements have been at Boston University, Dartmouth College, Amherst College, the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley College, Maine College of Art, Monserrat College of Art, and Gordon College. He has taught for several summers at the UNH in Italy Program in Ascoli Piceno, Le Marche and at Art New England Workshops at Bennigton College.

Karen Romagna's journey is not one to miss! Through a collaboration with Billy Collins, yes, THE Billy Collins, she found continued healing through the deepest sorrow a mother could experience. Her joyful countenance and zest for life are contagious! Her oil paintings are soul-stirring and captivating!

Episode 51-The Heart of Seeing, Todd Bonita on Tom Hughes by Artists of New England

NH artist Robin Frisella has had a love for the arts since childhood. Her first business began at the age of 8, teaching arts & crafts to neighborhood kids. Throughout her adult life, she continued to dabble in the arts, making reproduction handmade baskets, painting and sculpting porcelain dolls and ceramics. In 2000, she took her first pastel class and was blown away by what she could do with the medium. Her first piece won Best of Show; it was at that moment that she knew she had found her passion. By 2005 Frisella had left her job to pursue her art career full time.

Frank Hyer's figurative works capture the quintessential moment of feeling for each of his subjects. His architectural roots form the basis for his poetic and expressive figure and landscape drawings. The result of his unique process of applying paint over these drawings elicits a feeling nostalgia.