CAGOMedia

Lydia Pépin is a Canadian oil painter and portraitist. She has exhibited at galleries and events across Ontario, and has paintings in private collections across the world.  Her oil painting depicts views of the everyday life, with a focus on natural light, warm colours and strong composition. Pépin’s portrait paintings demonstrate her gift at capturing both visual appearance and the unique personality of her subjects, bringing them to life on canvas. Her painting process is personal and engaged; she prefers to meet her subjects in person and lets their personalities inform her painting.  Her portraits include the painting of Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, on permanent display at City Hall, as well as members of the military, such as Brigadier-General Jennie Carignan

“Photography has always been very personal to me. I use it not just to document but also to explore the world around me and record those experiences to share with others. Interests shape my unique perspective as diverse as geology, drag racing, and steampunk. I don’t limit my photography to specific genres or styles. Instead, I let each experience speak to me in its own way. Topics I have covered extensively in the past include farm life, abstracts, musical performance and motorsports.  Photography is way of feeling with my eyes and my mind. Whether it's capturing a moment in time or creating a new one, the medium allows me to share that vision - and the feelings they evoke - with others.” “I never stop learning, experiencing, or doing – both in my life and with my photography. No matter how nice a finished image might be, there’s always the opportunity to create something even better.  Learn new techniques. Experiment. Push yourself. Grow. And never settle for “good enough”.”

Stephanie Holznecht is originally from England.  She immigrated here with her family at the age of 19.  Stephanie began drawing at the age of 5 and by 12 years of age she could copy a photograph or drawing exactly. Stephanie continued to improve her artistic abilities through high school in England and into college in America, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and fine art. “For ten years I worked as a graphic designer and finally an art director. During this time I continued to draw and paint in the style of realism. I left the life of being an art director to raise a family, all the while perfecting my craft.  After my sons had left home and gone on to college, I began taking workshops on abstract art, just to broaden my artist horizons. I fell in love with the freedom abstract art released inside of me, allowing me to pour my emotions onto the canvas and leave behind something intimately personal. I have not looked back since. I continue to try new techniques and still take abstract painting workshops to broaden my knowledge and improve my abilities as an abstract artist.  On request I will still do realistic artwork, and of my own volition I enjoy painting the odd sunset, seen from the backyard overlooking the water at my home in northern Wisconsin.”

After retiring from over 40 years in the scientific and management fields, Marcia became interested in exploring her creative side. During the subsequent years, Marcia began to write short stories, experimented with writing poetry, and learned the possibilities involved in drawing and painting. She rapidly discovered that no single material or set of techniques satisfied her completely, so she continues to explore several possibilities. Marcia’s goal in all her work is to convey, to the viewer, her reactions to the world and everything it contains. “I became a photographer at the age of 12, when, after saving for several years, I purchased my first camera - a Kodak 35mm SLR. Since then, every vacation, drive or flower was captured. My biggest problem was lack of funds to purchase enough film. As an engineering manager, I helped develop the CCD's that were the precursor to today's cameras. Finally, I could experiment and take as many pictures as I wanted - and no, I never throw out any of them, no matter how bad.”

Maria Bertolone, is an artist from Blackpool, United Kingdom.  She loves Landscape painting which is her main genre.  Bringing a scene to life by creating the mood and atmosphere, thus drawing the viewer in so that they feel part of the scene, gives her a real sense of achievement.  She is a realist and endeavors to convey that quality as much as possible in all her pieces.  This brings certain challenges, such as constructing the composition then playing around with tonal values adding these things together just like fitting a jigsaw puzzle, and adding all the details, essentially the time of day, where a shadow might fall or sunlight dappling a winding path.  Her philosophy is to capture all these aspects. “Art is my passion and always will be, ever since an early age I was always drawing and painting, winning many school competitions for the best painting. To this day, I've no idea how many drawing books and rubbers, pencils etc. I managed to get through. I work mainly from my vast collection of personal photos that I have taken over the many years when I've been on vacation.  I always have my camera at hand as it is my friend, and if I come across a certain scene or area of interest I like I take a photo.  Then when I'm at home, in my studio, I start working on it. I will always paint and produce art for as long as I possibly can.”

Born and raised in Kingston, Massachusetts, James started a passion for art at an early age with drawing and painting. James ended up in San Diego, California for a few years painting houses, mixing paint, and helping with interior color designs. He ended back in Massachusetts in a small town called Westborough continuing construction and interior color design. From there he landed a job at the Art and Frame Emporium, under the owner Ed Turner, learning how to frame artwork, reigniting his passion for art and realizing he had an eye for photography. With having the great pleasure of helping other artists getting their career started by helping to host art shows for them and selling their work. After six years at the Art and Frame Emporium he took over management and saw a prime opportunity to express his self through his own photography. He mainly focuses on landscapes, enhancing the colors, HDR, or black and white, and he has dabbled in model photography. 

Listen in as host Sharon Hawkshawe shares tips and advice, for artist, who want to grow their business.  This is the ninth episode in the series.

Listen as Published Author and Selling Artist Sharon Hawkshawe, gives tips and ideas for how artist should run their business.

Listen to artist and published author Sharon Hawkshawe and she gives tips and advice on how artists can grow their business

Nicholas Teetelli has been an amateur photographer for more than 40 years and lives in New Jersey. He primarily uses Leica cameras and lenses, which for him, have delivered superior results. Nicholas processes his images using Adobe Light Room to bring out and emphasize elements in his photographs that "called" to him when taking the photograph.  His subject matter "speaks" to him, catching his eye in a particular way, the light play, composition... so when it all comes together he knows at that moment he has his shot. “There is much beauty to behold in this world, moments that the eye captures, the wonders it sees... moments that should be committed to perpetual memory, but sadly only to become fragments of a faded recollection, or more often, simply forgotten. I draw inspiration to record these timeless and special moments, to capture them in my mind's eye, and through my lens, transforming each image so that I can share them with others in hope they too may see what I see and find equal enjoyment.”

“My art philosophy is still in the works. I am still, and will always be, learning about what art is, is not, and what makes great art. I certainly believe that art is an essential aspect of being human due to the biblical idea of our Imago Dei (image of God). And since I’ve been viewing old and contemporary art, I come to the conclusion that great visual art tends to cause a sense of awe and wonderment in the viewer, immediately or delayed. Great art, for me, stops time for a moment, and reminds us that life, and this world we experience, is indeed intentionally special.  I am particularly drawn to the historical legacy of paint on canvas. The immaterial impact that colored pigment smeared on a surface has on a person fascinates me. My work deals with a deep commitment to aesthetic integrity using traditional painting techniques, and my current body of work continues my basic investigation of portraiture and its ability to present different ideas. Through intense observation and subtle decisions made during my creative process, I draw out my particular view of the world. When I paint a portrait, I aim to capture a truth about the subject’s life as well as mine, it is a search to discover ways to nourish the eyes and the soul. My subjects dominate the picture plane to create an intimate space with the viewer and initiate a casual confrontation. Lastly, I choose to paint people whose lives are characterized by a counter cultural view of the world, hoping to push it in a better direction through the arts.”

Yordy Sanchez found his art talent four years ago.  It was first sparked when he was allowed to paint Murals throughout his high school.  Yordy ended up painting a giant mural in the school auditorium, this was the first time that this had been allowed in the schools' history.  Yordy later became the President of the Art Club and he began to painting around his community.  Yordy has been a free-lance artist now for two years and he takes commissions for murals and requests.  He is looking forward to achieving more in his art career, as he continues to learn new styles and techniques.  “Art is the process of channeling your inner thoughts into something tangible and expressive. This can be done in many forms varying from a drawing, painting, pottery or sculptures. There is absolutely no limit to what can be accomplished when you reach deep into yourself and express anything from happiness to depression. Just as the ocean seems endless, so is the conception of creativity. Many things can instantly spark a sense of creativity in us, this might be a certain scene we see before us or a memory that makes us happy or haunts us.” 

Janis Grau is thankful that she was born an artist...with an artist's eyes.  As an artist she is constantly surrounded by beauty, even in what would appear to others to be a mundane setting. Within a copse of summer trees she finds thirty different hues of green...and blues and purples where those without an artist's eyes see only a clump of trees.  Her artistic vision morphs the ordinary objects and entities seen by others into a world overflowing with patterns and textures, sunlight and shadow, shape and form, line and contour, hue, intensity, tint and shade. It  is her wish that non-artists may be able to share this world through her paintings...that they can, for a few minutes, step out of the banal and into beauty. “When I stepped into an art classroom my first year in high school, my life reached a turning point.  I had planned a career in nursing but my art teacher, Jim Laubheimer, would have none of it!  With his guidance, mentoring, and encouragement, I pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Maryland Institute, College of Art, graduating in 1966. For the next thirty-five years I taught middle and high school art students in Maryland, while continuing coursework to gain a Master's equivalency + 30. I loved every minute that I spent teaching art and would have done it even if I had not been paid for doing so. Upon retiring, I re-located to southwest Florida, set up a studio and pursued the love of working in watercolor first introduced to me by my teacher and mentor. The beautiful flowers and vegetation surrounding me in sunny Florida have been a constant source of inspiration for subject matter.”

Jessica Manelis has been creating art since grade school.  At age 11, she began taking art classes every Saturday afternoon. Throughout high school, Jessica continued drawing and painting in a variety of mediums and ultimately settled at Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia, pursuing a career in the professional arts.  While at Moore, she received many accolades from her instructors and won competitions where her work was featured in magazines. Upon graduation, Jessica settled in to a career as a graphic designer. Finding that creatively stunting, she set out to pursue her true creative passion. “Self-taught, I fell in to photography as a means of generating reference photos for future art projects. However, I found the photo process was more fun. Embracing the medium, my work has been exhibited in several group shows in New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, California and Florida. My work has been described as "wonderful", "brilliant", "gorgeous color and detail", "great perspective".  Like most photographers, I am always looking for that unique perspective or “special something” in an image. My work embraces various styles from clean crisp well-defined images with an interesting and vital point of view to compelling composition and fresh simplicity. My aim is to entice the viewer to look at the details to become aware of the color and form of the subject. Even when using textures to enhance a photo, the viewer is drawn in and the subject maintains its focus and importance.”

Episode 5 in a series of shows that teach artist how to grow their business with host Sharon Hawkshawe.  Sharon is a published author and selling painter.

Tisha Clinkenbeard is a working wife and mother, and she takes photos as she goes along the path of her life. Most of the time it is just in the course of everyday observations, travel for work, or adventures with her husband and family. “Life brings me too many different places and shows me so many different views, things, and lessons. My love of nature and travel is reflected in the works that I share. Nature is so large and so small at the same time. You have to look at both the big picture (landscapes) and the little pictures (macros, flowers) all at the same time - just paying attention to the world around you. Most of all I love sharing my photography with people. Some may never see that scene because they may never travel to the spot or they might have missed the small stuff along their own walk. I can provide that beauty or view to them so that they may enjoy it every day. “

Listen in as host Sharon Hawkshawe covers ideas and tips for artist on how they can grow their art business.

Mariana Peirano was an art major in High school, but she entered her art career much later in life.  Life happened, she started a family and unconsciously moved away from being an artist and embarked in an education career that lasted more than 20 years. During those years, her art was limited to creating classroom materials for my students and my own children.  In 2009 she realized she needed to get back to her true nature and be an artist again. This time she was sure she needed to move in the figurative direction. Mariana took a year off from work and enrolled in the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art. 

Listen to host Sharon Hawkshawe cover business tips for artist who want to grow their business.  This is the 3 episode in a bi-weekly series.

Bridget Wiss photographs what catches her attention; what moves her.  She believes everyone sees the world differently, through their own filter of experiences. Bridget’s photographs are how she see the world through her filter. “I love taking pictures. I feel happiest with my camera in my hand. Photography is my passion.  Only in the past few years have I really studied photography. I’m mostly self-taught. When I bought a new camera I read most of the manual. I took online classes. I read blogs and magazines and articles. I follow other photographers on social media. I eventually started taking classes with local photographers and joined a photography club. I recently attended a weekend workshop in Paris with a well-known street photographer.” “Until the past couple of years, I never took photography seriously.  I didn’t think I could do it; what could I photograph that would touch someone’s heart?  I’ve come to understand it’s not that I need to shoot for other people, but I need to shoot for myself.  I shoot what moves me, what touches me, and it is thrilling and scary to show that inner self to people.” 

Colleen Stevens career in the arts profession has grown to international audiences in a short time, with selection to participate in online exhibitions in Australia, and having completed commissioned works and sales to private collectors in USA, Canada, Japan, England, Ireland, Germany and Australia. “Inspired by the beauty in God's creation, I paint with a clear focus: to connect deeply with an individual, and fill their home with peace and inner light through depiction of the serenity and security of beautiful landscapes, where the mind is seeded with wondering what may lie around the bend, just outside the frame.” “Drawing on the ever-changing palette of nature’s seasons in my Humboldt County, Californian home, my work reflects the joy I feel when being alone in nature and the strong role that my faith in God plays in my work. He offers me peace and security in ways that I can't gain from anywhere else; much like the peace I feel when I have a moment alone to take in a beautiful view. For this reason, it is rare to find human figures in my work.”

Episode 2 of this seriers on how artist can grow their business with host artist and published author Sharon Hawkshawe.

James Ellison is a Symbolic Realist working in both oil and pastel media.  As a Symbolic Realist, he is always looking for meaning in nature.  Symbolic Realism is the intentional psychological use of color, line, shape & page placement to communicate meaning.  The meaning is on a subconscious level using basic human understanding and is not subject to cultural or historical limitations.  Even though all people understand the image he has created on a subconscious level, James also writes artistic statements to bring the meaning to a conscious level.  These are based on his studies as an artist and ordained minister giving James a unique blend of aesthetics, Christian theology, psychology and creativity.  He believes that we are all created in the image of God, thus we are by nature good but life has wounded, imprisoned or burdened our spirits.  God is present reaching out to us but we often miss it because our senses have become dulled.  In nature James sees this so he has committed himself to the communication of this divine presence.   “To find my subject matter I hike the Angeles Mountains and foothills looking for scenes that speak to me. Once I find one I hike back with my Backpack French Easel for a full day. If I am working in pastel I will hike back 6-8 times more to finish it. If I am working in oil’s I sketch and begin my painting as well as take photos to work from in my studio as it will often take me 2 to 3 months to finish it. The photos are taken from different perspectives to record the volume and depth as well as at periodic times to catch the shifting light and shadows. It takes this long because my work is very detailed. Though realistic I subtly changed things either buy moving my easel to left, right, up or down to catch different angles and by actually moving an object in the image to communicate a specific message about life."

Jason Levi is a landscape photographer based in the Phoenix area of Arizona. Jason’s philosophy has always been to create dramatic landscape images. He concentrates primarily in the West and Southwest of the United States where some of the world's must stunning landscapes exist. He prints on canvas and metal thus providing his clients an opportunity to exhibit the images in an even more dramatic fashion. Jason’s clients consist mainly of businesses, i.e. hotels, cruise ships, and executive offices. A significant portion of Jason’s work is purchased for residential homes, which at the moment are more than 170 residences across the United States. “I owned and operated a commercial and portrait studio in Barcelona, Spain for over 10 years and was fortunate to be the official photographer for Spain's Duke and Duchess of Cadiz and Salvador Dali. I was chosen to be part of the Exposure Awards exhibit at the Louvre Museum in Paris, and I have also had a solo photography show at the Toledo Art Museum.” “I aim to present landscapes in an original and dramatic manner. I feel that creative images evoke emotions, not just photographs.”

Sonia Melnikova-Raich was born and trained as an architect and artist in Moscow, Russia.  Sonia has lived in San Francisco, California since 1987, working as an artist, art curator and interior designer.  Later in life she discovered photography, however her training as an architect and artist remains visibly present in her work.  She has shown her photographic works in several solo exhibits and in numerous juried group shows, locally and nationally.  The images below represent two distinct groups of Sonia’s Fine Art Photography. “WHEELS” “Is a group of digitally transformed and recontextualizied improvisations based on my original photographs of otherwise inconspicuous objects. I faithfully preserve the exact lighting, colors, and textures of the photographed objects and digitally “rebuild” the form. The result is an abstract or surreal image that transcends the material and mundane to become ethereal and significant.” “Steps” Is a group of images from the “CONCRETE” portfolio. The name of the portfolio is a play of words on the two meanings of “concrete”: the material of the portrayed objects and an early 20th century art movement close to Constructivism.

Larry Reinhart is a Southern California based artist, who paints contemporary surreal art with theological twists.  In modern culture, religion is, and will always be, a main player in so many aspects of how the world behaves and offers insight into the mystery of existence. These ideals are what inspire Larry to paint.  In his art, architecture is displayed at disproportional scales along with objects that are recognizable but are displaced from their expected realities, they have been expanded upon to encapsulate an idea. This expansion creates a tension between form and content, between signification and aesthetic perception. Hidden within Larry’s work are theological connotations from his Christian point of view and looking at his art we begin to apprehend Larry’s perception of this physical and recognizable world. A casual onlooker can appreciate the beauty of his painting but a more adept viewer will be drawn in to discover the hidden meaning. Through his art, Larry hopes to give someone a spark of hope or a needed push to direct them to something greater. If he is able to inspire anyone, in anyway, then he feels his efforts are worthwhile.

Todays interview is with Eleanor Gilpatrick.  Eleanor calls herself a Contemporary Realist.  She usually works from her own photographs and tries to capture her feelings about the subject matter through her brushwork.  Eleanor has also been an activist through her art; first with a series of ten anti-war paintings and now with climate change.  Elenaor believes art must be beautiful, whether abstract or realist.  Enjoy todays lively conversation with Eleanor.

Episode 1: So You are Ready to Sell Your Artwork? Each week a different part of the Art Business world is discussed. These shows are great for those new artists entering the Art World and for those who are looking to improve upon their businesses. Sharon Belle Hawkshawe is a published author and poet as well as a selling professional artist. Join us each Saturday at 11 am to explore the amazing and profitable Art Business World. Sponsored by:  Contemporary Art Gallery Online.  We're showcasing tomorrow's art giants, today.  Visit us online at www.contemporaryartgalleryonline.com.

Listen to this insightful interview with guest artist Hemu Aggarwal.  Hemu Aggarwal was born in India but moved to the United States in the mid 1960’s.  She has her Master Degree from City College of New York and has been a graphic designer for over 30 years and owned her on Creative Design firm before retiring and moving to  the Dominican Republic.  She has now returned to her first love, that of painting.  “I work mostly with Acrylics. Each of my work has gone through different processes. In general, however, a concept comes to my mind and I try to apply this image straight to a prepared wood panel (I have rarely used canvas) where I create various textures using all kinds of tools and instruments. I rarely draw a full image, but prefer to work with colors directly.   Many times more than one image overlaps and the final result is very different than the initial idea in my mind-this surprises me and if I like it I am happy with it, otherwise I apply gesso all over and start afresh. Some of my paintings have one or more different paintings underneath. Aesthetics are a major consideration in designing each piece. The focus is to create paintings, which have visual beauty, harmony in colors and interesting composition.”

Listen as host Michael Harris chats with an up and coming photographer Naima White.  Naima White is Arab, Jewish and American therefore she is drawn to aspects of Middle Eastern design, particularly the Persian rugs that she grew up with.  Her compositions use repeated patterns that she layers and mixes with freestyle lines.  However, some recent work drifts toward abstraction. "My work focuses on repetitive patterns using recognizable images sometimes mixed with letters, words, or photographs that I then distort, leaving only pattern and shape.  This series concentrates on developing an abstract atmosphere using photography taken in locations with distinct natural settings.  My work is varied in its exploration of textures, color and pattern as well as digital abstraction, where I concentrate on organic shape and color." To read the CAGO Newsletter, visit www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com and click on the CAGO Media tab. On this page you will find our radio shows, videos and newsletters. Contemporary Art Gallery Online continues each month with their monthly art competitions and exhibitions.  Go to www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com, and Click on the Art Competition tab for details.

Javier Villar Morales is from Spain but is working in Moscow as a teacher. He is an active student in painting, sculpture and photography, with photography being his favorite medium. Javier loves life and everything that makes life something worth living. “My art is based on the search for duality. Duality shown as a double, as in beauty and ugly, sad and happy. A world, in which nothing is really what it seems to be. A world where behind every phenomenon, a genuine art expression is hidden. My art is a tool for expressing the spiritual values contained in every action, feeling, word and image.” To read the CAGO Newsletter, visit www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com and click on the CAGO Media tab. On this page you will find our radio shows, videos and newsletters. Contemporary Art Gallery Online continues each month with their monthly art competitions and exhibitions.  Go to www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com, and Click on the Art Competition tab for details.

Listen to this upbeat and entertaining interview with visual artist Anthony Dallman-Jones.   Anthony Dallmann-Jones paintings are dramatic and colorful.  His Light Sculptures are like no other.  Light Ray Photographs (copyright term) are brilliant colors derived from background close-ups of his Light Sculptures. “Contrast, drama, and color in my art arouse the viewer in the same manner that I possessed when creating my art.” To read the CAGO Newsletter, visit www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com and click on the CAGO Media tab. On this page you will find our radio shows, videos and newsletters. Contemporary Art Gallery Online continues each month with their monthly art competitions and exhibitions.  Go to www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com, and Click on the Art Competition tab for details.

Join Host Michael Harris and guest Artist and Art Educator Robert Andes as they discuss Robert's art.  Robert Andes is originally from the small town of Milton, New Hampshire but has lived throughout the country (including Oklahoma and Arkansas) as well as abroad in Saudi Arabia.  Robert’s art has varied from hyperrealism to impressionism with an extensive and colorful variety of hues.  He has painted and drawn mostly people and continues to find the human condition fascinating, he has also dabbled in landscape work.  Robert has shown throughout the country.  Some of the shows he has participated in are: The Oil Painters of America national exhibition, “Paper in Particular”, and the Southern Graphics Council exhibition entitled “Genetic Imprint”.   He earned my MFA in Painting with a minor in Printmaking from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR in the winter of 2006.  Robert has taught for several different universities and community colleges and he currently teaches art at Texas Southmost College in Brownsville, Texas.  “I am a colorist first and foremost, I am fascinated with the interaction of color and its temperature. I find it fascinating that we perceive reflected light as color.  Art is an illusion that both the viewer and I create. I make work that plays with depth perception and emotion, this allows me to capture an inner monologue. I abstract some areas and paint others more representational or true to form. I create an interactive piece of art; the eye is confused by color, depth, and of the hidden emotion of the subject.”     

Join host Michael Harris as he explores the photography of Jay Friedenberg in this informative and interesting interview.  Jay holds a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of Virginia where he studied visual perception. He currently conducts research on picture perception and aesthetic judgment. He has won several local and international awards for his digital photo art including the Simply the Best 2 contest from Digital Arts California and The Artist’s Magazine All-Media Competion. He is a member of the 440 Gallery in Brooklyn, The Studio 26 Gallery in Manhattan and the Tivoli Gallery, located in Tivoli New York. He has published several books on geometric design and is a member of the American Impressionist Society, The Connecticut Pastel Society and the Mystic Art Association.   Jay’s work consists of digital photographic images, many of the New York City area, that are modified using software. He likes to exaggerate color intensity and uses filters that break the image up into parts while creating sketch, oil, pointillism, cartoon and graphic line effects. Historical influences on him are the impressionists and fauves. Much of his work can be considered a half-way point between painted images and photography, between the old and the new, and between the biological and the technical.  

Artist and Business Coach Ralph White joins host Michael Harris in this entertaining and insightful interview.  Ralph White was born and raised in Southern California, and is one of the premier creators of contemporary Fusionart in the Los Angeles area. Ralph is an artist who brings a lifetime of transformational thinking into his paintings. A highly successful executive business coach, Ralph has worked with thousands of clients to redirect their thinking towards possibility, and he brings this philosophy into his art. Ralph has exhibited professionally across the United States, as well as in Beijing and Hong Kong. “I have developed a distinctive style using strong and vibrant colors, and my art reflects a positive flow of energy. My works exhibit outward expressions of feeling and celebrations of the inward journey of thoughtful introspection. I believe in the artist’s ability to create a dialog through each image, I am continually intrigued by the convergence of art and the observer. My goal is to evoke a spark of creativity and imagination with the audience. When they see my images or have an emotional response to my work, then my intention has been accomplished.” Rooted in transformational thinking, Ralph constantly looks for possibility, expressing the soul’s ability to evolve.

Host Michael Harris interviews artist and nursing student Madeline Fowler.   Madeline Fowler was raised, for the majority of her life in a suburb of Kansas City, KS. Madeline discovered her love of color and art in high school where she took her first painting and drawing class as a junior. She has spent the last four years working to explore and refine her artistic style and ability. “I primarily focus on painting with oils. I really enjoy varying the surfaces on which I paint. I mainly do representational paintings in which I strive to incorporate a variety of color and value. My artwork is composed of a combination of many different kinds of brush strokes. Thick versus thin, soft versus sharp.... etc. These all work together to elicit emotion from the paintings.” To read the CAGO Newsletter, visit www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com and click on the CAGO Media tab. On this page you will find our radio shows, videos and newsletters. Contemporary Art Gallery Online continues each month with their monthly art competitions and exhibitions.  Go to www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com, and Click on the Art Competition tab for details.

Join host Michael Harris as he visits with guest artist Becky Neideffer.  Becky Neideffer is an artist with a life-long passion for art. She was born and lived in Indiana until 1993 when her husband retired and they moved to Arizona. Becky’s landscape paintings reflect her love of the southwest and her mid-west roots. “An artist with a life-long passion for art, I have worked all two dimensional mediums, but prefer soft pastels and colored pencils. My art is realistic with emphasis on light in both mediums. My paintings are predominately still life, figurative, animals, and landscapes. Many of my paintings are painted in plein air in locations near Tucson. Art classes and workshops include basic design, anatomy, landscape, charcoal, watercolor, pen and ink, conte, pastel and oil.”

Hear artist Bob Craig talk about his collage art and his art experience with host Michael Harris.   Bob Craig is a Western Canadian artist whose path in the fine arts has led him to a unique expression of mood and color through collage and mixed media. He has explored numerous forms of art and craft: painting in watercolor and oils, sculpture and pottery, the latter selected for exhibit at Habitat 76: United Nations Conference on Human Settlements, Vancouver. Since graduating with a degree in Art Education from the University of Alberta, Bob has worked as an art teacher in Alberta and British Columbia and in restoration at the Royal Ontario Museum. Bob thinks of himself as a craftsman, constructing, or interpreting imagery from his conscious and subconscious mind. Bob’s work has appeared in juried exhibits and galleries in Canada (Vancouver and Montreal), Italy, Spain, Portugal, Crete, the United States (New York), New Zealand and Switzerland where his exhibition piece. After Treaty Seven, took first prize in the free subject media category at SEETAL 2006.  Bob’s work was juried into the SEETAL 2007 exhibition and the Florence Biennale for the second time in December 2007. To read the CAGO Newsletter, visit www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com and click on the CAGO Media tab. On this page you will find our radio shows, videos and newsletters. Contemporary Art Gallery Online continues each month with their monthly art competitions and exhibitions.  Go to www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com, and Click on the Art Competition tab for details.

Hear host Michael Harris as he speaks with a up and coming fine art photographer Melissa Mendelson.   Melissa Mendelson is a published writer and poet, who does photography on the side and lives in the Hudson Valley area of New York. “My Photographs are of wild life and about capturing the “Essence of Life.” To read the CAGO Newsletter, visit www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com and click on the CAGO Media tab. On this page you will find our radio shows, videos and newsletters. Contemporary Art Gallery Online continues each month with their monthly art competitions and exhibitions.  Go to www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com, and Click on the Art Competition tab for details.

This weeks guest is sculpturess Phyllis Mantik deQuevedo of Oaklahoma.  A native of Canada and a graduate of the Alberta College of Art in Calgary, Phyllis moved to the United States in 1981.  She believes that her introduction to sculpture was by design. From early experiences of completing a sculpture, seeing a form emerge from a lump of clay, she has delighted in creating. Out of this personal joy she realizes a responsibility; to create work that adds value to our existence, to evoke a smile; to touch someone’s heart and for a moment to capture an emotion. Her desire is that the transforming experiences in life such as tenderness, intimacy and spirituality would enable new artistic growth and provide inspiration for her sculpture. “I believe my responsibility as a sculptor is to create work that adds value to our existence, if only to evoke a simple smile. My hope is to be someone who represents goodness in life by creating, teaching, learning, discovering, sharing, and serving. I identify with the words of architect Samuel Mockbee, who said, “The role of the artist in Society is to lift the spirit, to somehow let us see the goodness in things.” His words incorporate my philosophy as an artist as well.” To read the CAGO Newsletter, visit www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com and click on the CAGO Media tab. On this page you will find our radio shows, videos and newsletters. Contemporary Art Gallery Online continues each month with their monthly art competitions and exhibitions.  Go to www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com, and Click on the Art Competition tab for details.

Join host Michael Harris and guest artist Terry Mellway as they talk about Terry's beautiful colored pencil drawings.  Terry Mellway recently retired from the corporate world and is now a full-time artist specializing in the Colored Pencil medium. Terry is a mother of 6 with 8 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. Art has been her passion her whole life and now she has the opportunity to pursue it. Terry is a member of the Colored Pencil Society of America as well as the Assiniboine Group of Artists Cooperative and the Charleswood Art Group.  “Art has always been a part of my life. The connection I feel to everything around me, in the shapes, the colors and the details comes from deep within and my aim is to enable my viewers to see that connection through my artwork and hopefully allow them to appreciate the beauty all around us.   Today colored pencils are an extension of my passion for art. When a piece turns out well for me I feel it, so each painting is part of my joy.” To read the CAGO Newsletter, visit www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com and click on the CAGO Media tab. On this page you will find our radio shows, videos and newsletters. Contemporary Art Gallery Online continues each month with their monthly art competitions and exhibitions.  Go to www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com, and Click on the Art Competition tab for details.

This weeks interview is with a young and up coming artist, Lauren Daniels.  Lauren was born in Detroit, MI.  She was part of the National Art Honor Society in high school and went on to being accepted into Grand Valley State University’s art school in 2012. She spent a year studying studio art and was accepted into an elite illustration program there. Lauren is continuing her education at Albion College, here she plans to continue building her portfolio and graduate with a Bachelor of Arts with a drawing concentration and minors in Management and Psychology. One day she hopes to become an art therapist.  “I strive to build a connection between the viewer and the artwork. I am a sympathetic person and relate to people in ways that motivate me to reach out and help them. I enjoy listening to people and assisting in working out their problems, which is why I would someday like to go into art therapy. Painting and drawing different emotions helps me connect to the person and their feelings and story.”

Come listen to this entertaining and insightful interview as host Michael Harris speaks with Botanical Artist Greta Corens.   Greta Corens saw the light as a painter of portraits and flowers, after a career as a fashion designer in New York City. She received an MFA at the prestigious St. Lucas Architectural Institute, div. St Imelda in Brussels, Belgium. Greta became a sought after fashion designer in New York City, while painting portraits, following her love for character profiles of people. She broadened her artistic perspective at the Antwerp Art Academy in Belgium. A beloved teacher guided her towards painting still lives in oils and watercolor. This led her to recognize the nurturing and elevating influence of baroque Dutch Golden Age Flower paintings during her boarding school years, and an intimate discovery of the effects of the elegance of flowers on her psyche unraveled in her paintings. “As a Botanical artist, the brilliant and complex construction of irises and roses attracts me as an architectural form.  Purity of line and color that derives from finely tuned drawing and watercolor skills is at the basis of my art, and inspires me to produce refinement in botanical art.” To read the CAGO Newsletter, visit www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com and click on the CAGO Media tab. On this page you will find our radio shows, videos and newsletters. Contemporary Art Gallery Online continues each month with their monthly art competitions and exhibitions.  Go to www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com, and Click on the Art Competition tab for details.

Hear artist Zina Zinchik discuss and describe her process in creating her Frozen Collectio of botanical photographs with host Michael Harris.  Zina Zinchik (Seletskaya) became interested in the fine arts in her early childhood, Zina continued to pursue her passion for photography by enrolling into countless art classes and participating in workshops with globally accomplished photographers.  Zina's work has already found homes in many private collections around the world.  “The “Frozen spring” collection was inspired by the arctic vortex visiting New York City this past winter. The artistic influence behind this flower imagery stems from my deep appreciation for the simple, the untainted and the unadulterated beauty found in nature and the logistic restrictions influenced by weather. These captured flowers exemplify growth and renewal struggling from under the freezing effects of global warming.  I’m looking at the world through my lens and loving every minute of it.” To read the CAGO Newsletter, visit www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com and click on the CAGO Media tab. On this page you will find our radio shows, videos and newsletters. Contemporary Art Gallery Online continues each month with their monthly art competitions and exhibitions.  Go to www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com, and Click on the Art Competition tab for details.

Join host Michael Harris with guest artist Robin Botie as they discuss her inspiration and technique for her unique Photo shop images. Robin Botie’s life as she knew was catapulted out the window when cancer killed her daughter. Desperate to keep visible memories of her, and needing to reinvent herself, she discovered photography and writing as ways to heal. Robin believes anything’s possible – even finding joy after loss.  She creates pictures and writes about growing in the midst of grief and ever since Robin dove into Photoshop, she’s been losing herself and finding herself in her work.  “My pictures are mostly of living things and landscapes. They are all about regaining life and redefining it. Photoshop offers intriguing “Tools” to work with for those whose lives are in turmoil or struck by loss. There is a Patch Tool and a Path Selection Tool, a Dodge Tool and an Add-Anchor Tool, a Magic Eraser, a Magic Wand, a Clone Stamp, … and a Healing Brush. The possibilities for change and control are endless.  I always believed I could design my way into or out of anything; for me, to design is to fix, to redefine, and make beautiful.” To read the CAGO Newsletter, visit www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com and click on the CAGO Media tab. On this page you will find our radio shows, videos and newsletters. Contemporary Art Gallery Online continues each month with their monthly art competitions and exhibitions.  Go to www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com, and Click on the Art Competition tab for details.  

Hear Fine Art Photogropher Bin Feng describ his artistic process with host Michael Harris.  Bin Feng was born in 1989 in Shanghai, China. He received his BFA from Shanghai Institute of Visual Art in 2012. At the same year, he started the MFA program of Photography in Savannah College of Art and Design, where he currently resides. Being a photographer, he also makes video installations, sculptures and large scale oil paintings. As the result of the language barrier, he becomes an outsider in United States. However, he takes the benefit of it and he is dedicated to act in the gap between the cultural differences.  “This photo series continues to explore the idea of the “American Dream” from an eastern male gaze. By staging the moment of daily life, the artist performs as an actor and jumps between the fiction and reality, which essentially conveys the notion of the history of a man is mobilized by images. I believe art is entertaining.” To read the CAGO Newsletter, visit www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com and click on the CAGO Media tab. On this page you will find our radio shows, videos and newsletters. Contemporary Art Gallery Online continues each month with their monthly art competitions and exhibitions.  Go to www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com, and Click on the Art Competition tab for details.

This weeks interview is with Fine Art Photographer Shari Emme with host Michael Harris.  Shari Emme has been involved in various aspects of the creative arts for many years outside of her full-time career in the legal field. More recently, she began pursuing a greater focus of her creative interests in photography and painting. Employing both Lightroom and Photoshop, she enjoys working with color saturation and vibrancy, as well as variations of light, to emphasize a sense of texture and bring added depth to the detail in her photographs. For her abstract paintings, she utilizes assorted structure techniques to produce dimension within the pieces. Shari has also written poetry for several years and finds that interweaving ideas from this art form with her photography and painting provides deeper inspiration in her artistry.   “I love to play with color and texture with my work. I want to draw the viewer's interest into seeing a subject from a different perspective through the incorporation of these aspects. I believe that creativity unites people, soothes our souls and provides us with inspiration to make the world a better place.”   To read the CAGO Newsletter, visit www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com and click on the CAGO Media tab. On this page you will find our radio shows, videos and newsletters. Contemporary Art Gallery Online continues each month with their monthly art competitions and exhibitions.  Go to www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com, and Click on the Art Competition tab for details.

Listen to this entertaining interview as host Michael Harris interviews selling artist Betty Rhodes.  Happiness and color are apparent in her art, reflecting her personality and the vibrant atmosphere of the Texas Hill Country. With an unerring eye, she brings an imaginative approach to her interpretation of the world around her. Her wide subject range including landscapes, florals, animals and abstracts. Rhodes delights in surprising art lovers, who may not always know where her fancy will turn next. Rhodes is represented by a number of art galleries in Texas and beyond, and has been shown internationally. She attended Hunters School of Art in San Antonio and has studied with many of the country’s leading artists, including Joseph Mendez, Scott Christensen, Matt Smith, Don Ward, Ray Vinella, and Ann Templeton.  "I take my art seriously, but not myself. My spontaneous and sometimes provocative perspective and ability to see the humor in situations makes my life and art more interesting." To read the CAGO Newsletter, visit www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com and click on the CAGO Media tab. On this page you will find our radio shows, videos and newsletters. Contemporary Art Gallery Online continues each month with their monthly art competitions and exhibitions.  Go to www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com, and Click on the Art Competition tab for details.  

Join host Michael Harris as he speaks with artist John Jaster.  John is a part-time painter living in the Southern California mountains. He used to do a lot of painting and drawing years ago but drifted away over time. Although his degrees are in computer science, he never stopped exercising the right side of his brain. John re-engaged with the craft of painting a few years ago when his lovely wife bought him an easel for Christmas. Each new painting he attempts brings a new learning experience.  “I paint with heavy acrylics. My paintings tend to be on large canvases with bold colors in hi-definition. One can identify themes of water, blue skies, and automobiles and Americana throughout most of my work. I describe my format as 'realistic impressions' because, although my work is definitely in the realism genera, I have splashes of impressionistic colors throughout.” To read the CAGO Newsletter, visit www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com and click on the CAGO Media tab. On this page you will find our radio shows, videos and newsletters. Contemporary Art Gallery Online continues each month with their monthly art competitions and exhibitions.  Go to www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com, and Click on the Art Competition tab for details.

Join host Michael Harris and guest artist Kathryn Miles as they discuss her art, inspiration and her techniques.  Kathryn Miles was born and raised in the Deep South, and she is caught a bit between the Old World and the New. Kathryn has always been creative, a daydreamer, but she started out life as a writer and wound her way backwards and sideways into being a visual artist.  “The heart and soul of my art practice is storytelling. I am drawn to myths, legends and the fantastic, all those hidden places in the human soul. I started out as a writer but found that I could reach deeper, farther and faster into the truth of a narrative with color and light.”   To read the CAGO Newsletter, visit www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com and click on the CAGO Media tab. On this page you will find our radio shows, videos and newsletters. Contemporary Art Gallery Online continues each month with their monthly art competitions and exhibitions.  Go to www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com, and Click on the Art Competition tab for details.

Host Michal Harris is joined today with guest artist Ramon Delrasario.  Ramon Delrosario was born in Montecristy, Dominican Republic and grew up in New York and now lives in Florida. He studied art at Art & Design and City College and emerged as a serious artist in 1995. His first art exhibition was in 2009 for the Transportation Security Administration at Miami International Airport. Since then his work has been exhibited at various art venues.  About his art philosophy Ramon says “The only art philosophy that I know is to work hard and do not stop painting, that’s what I do in order for me to perfect my painting skills.” To read the CAGO Newsletter, visit www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com and click on the CAGO Media tab. On this page you will find our radio shows, videos and newsletters. Contemporary Art Gallery Online continues each month with their monthly art competitions and exhibitions.  Go to www.ContemporaryArtGalleryOnline.com, and Click on the Art Competition tab for details.