JIM ADAMS
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The works created follow different themes – some are fantasies, some depict humanity, and some are abstractions which reach into the psyche of the viewer to achieve their meaning. The common thread is that metal scrap – battered, weathered, hard edged, coffee colored pieces of iron and steel – is the media. The undefined but always recognizable quality that will be the basis for the work exists in these pieces of scrap metal; the efforts on my part bring it to the surface. This work would be very limited without the graciousness of those who provide the scrap metal items. Individuals in machine shops, industrial sites, and machinery repair organizations have seen what can be done and have made available the media from which the works can be created. That this endeavor to create exists is due to the coalescence of a number of factors: I see and am troubled by the selling off and shipping away of the infrastructure and machinery which made America what it is; that two decades of my life have been spent in a career where, more often than not, there were no tangible results for one’s efforts; and there has always been a ‘back burner’ desire on my part to create and share that which can be meaningful. My mission here is to find aspects of beauty or meaning in what is considered ‘scrap’ and give it a second life as art. The mute solidity and history of unheralded service of these items flows into the character of the works, be it for pure delight of imagery or conveyance of substantive message.
Genre: Sculpture |
LORI BETZ
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Lori Betz has 25 years of art experience as a professional artist, as well as a portfolio of varied accomplishments including public art commissions, solo exhibitions, and academic achievements. She studied studio art and design at the University of Texas, Austin and was then awarded an artist’s residency at the Shigaraki Cultural Institute, in Shigaraki, Japan. After completing her residency she sought out instructors to study with and this led her to apprentice with artist Alan Bain in Procopia, Greece and then on to study sculpture with artist Alex Deya in Cortona, Italy, and portraiture with renown portrait artist, Philippe Faraut in New York.
Betz returned to the U.S. after studying abroad and opened up her own studio and art gallery downtown Houston, Texas. In 2010 Betz created two life sized figures that stand in front of Houston’s City Hall. In 2012 Lori Betz and her partner, Frank Clegg, opened up Betz Art foundry, which is a boutique art foundry specializing in casting fine art sculpture. She also teaches portraiture and figurative sculpture at the Glade Arts Foundation and at Mother Dog Studios in Houston, Texas. I have always been an artist. As a child I was always sketching, painting or making sculptures out of mud. I loved my art classes and had a natural ability to catch the likeness of any subject. When I was in college pursuing an art degree the student was required to study all the technical processes required to create art. While this gave me the tools I needed, I didn’t feel that it satisfied my need for true expression and meaning. Although most people see me as a figurative sculptor, I prefer being thought of as a narrative artist. Edgar Degas said that “Art is not what you see but what you make others see “and I wanted to be able to speak to people through my art. That is why I spent so many years in my youth traveling to apprentice with different masters. I wanted to learn how to make my sculptures speak.W hen I create a sculpture my purpose is for my sculptures to tell a story that will inspire the viewer. Every year I create several sculptures that are featured in exhibitions and galleries around the world. For my inspiration I collaborate often with renowned dancers and performers to pose for me. I use dancers as my models for their lyricism and movement and because dance also tells a story. I have had the privilege of working with some renown dancers and performers. I created the sculpture “ Dance, The Language of the Soul” with the collaboration of Stan Walsh, the artistic director of the Houston Ballet. He choreographed two of his soloists live for me so that I could capture a moment, a feeling, in bronze. www.betzartfoundry.com Genre: Commissions |
MOHAMMAD ALI BHATTI
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Painting for me has always been like composing a symphony. I approach my canvases with some ideas, concept or a theme inspired by contemporary socio-political issues, mysticism or any significant inspiration. Simple forms gradually evolve through several layers of acrylic splashes and vigorous brush strokes. Each canvas is challenging and different from the other in its composition and color treatment. Multiple layers, juxtaposition of exotic forms, and chaotic interplay of absurd forms, contemporary signs and symbols generate movement and energy in my compositions. Spontaneity and complexity of forms tend to be my connotation for chaotic everyday life and our rapidly changing world in the modern times. Vaguely suggested references to current emerging social and political revolutions can be seen in my artwork through ambiguous symbols and numbers as suggestion to contemporary conflicts and confusions. I do not consistently use any particular medium for creating my paintings; instead, I am open to the use of a variety of materials and mediums such as inks, resin, torn magazine pages, acrylic and oils allowing the surface to blend and bleed naturally with the neighboring forms and overall design of the composition. www.artistmohammadali.com Genre: Abstract, Commissions |
DANIEL BRENTS
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Daniel Brents is a painter whose award-winning work is included in corporate and private art collections and has been shown in juried exhibitions throughout Texas and elsewhere. A distinguished jury chose one of his paintings as a Finalist for the Hunting Art Prize from over 1,500 entries, statewide.
Daniel grew up as a city kid and became an architect and urban planner, studying and shaping built environments. He has always been drawn to the complexity of urban life; and his work as a painter often involves urban subjects. Family relocations required him to repeatedly adjust to new and unfamiliar conditions, and the subject of place grew increasingly important. Displacement and dislocation, presence and absence, and the tension between permanence and change are recurring themes. He finds that certain places evoke a sense of mystery or presence that he tries to express. At other times, he responds to the way an otherwise ordered environment is jarred by a disposable culture. Daniel learned valuable lessons such as composition, form, and scale from his work in the design field. Now, he uses these to make thoughtful and meaningful artwork that evokes a deep emotional response. While advancing through more than five years of painting instruction, critics and instructors have said about his paintings that they are “cinematic”, and that they “have a poetic quality”. Others have commented that his work often expresses “mystery”. In any case, his goal is to provoke thoughtfulness and introspection. Daniel is involved in the Houston arts community, having served as president and exhibitions manager of one visual artists’ group and as Exhibitions Chair for another, where he managed four professional juried exhibitions annually. He participates in several juried group exhibitions each year throughout Texas, and he has served as a juror in regional exhibitions. www.studiobrents.com Genre: Abstract, Figurative |
STEVE BRUDNIAK
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Steve Brudniak is an American contemporary artist, known for highly crafted, surreal assemblages invested with science elements and unusual characteristics. Brudniak pioneered use of many unconventional mediums including Tesla coil lightning, magnetic fluid, gyro mechanics, and biological preservations. Pieces generate ideas and themes of spirituality and psychological function. His work is in the collections of the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, the San Antonio Museum of Art, The El Paso Museum of Art and The Art Museum of South Texas, many private collections and hundreds of books and publications. In 2008 his “Astrogeneris Mementos” became the first assemblage sculptures exhibited in outer space.
The monograph, “The Science of Surrealism - Assemblage Sculpture of Steve Brudniak”, (2013) documents thirty years of the artist’s career, with a foreword by Guillermo Del Toro. Brudniak is also an accomplished actor, director and producer in film and television, notably, for his acting roles in Richard Linklater’s Waking Life, Robert Rodriguez Red 11, The Reels Channels Murder Made Me Famous series and dozens of other feature and short films, commercials and voice overs. www.stevebrudniak.com Genre: Sculpture, Ephemeral |
SUSAN BUDGE
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Susan Budge has been making ceramic sculpture for over forty years. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Texas Tech University in 1983, a Master of Arts degree from University of Houston in 1987 and a Master of Fine Arts degree from University of Texas at San Antonio in 1999. Budge’s work has been included in hundreds of exhibitions throughout the United States and is included in private collections in Saudi Arabia, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and Greece. Her work is included in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian, the Honolulu Museum of Art, the Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, the San Antonio Museum of Art, the San Angelo Museum of Art, the Art Museum at Northern Arizona State University, the Art Museum of South Texas, and the New Orleans Museum of Art. Budge has completed public commissions for Brackenridge Park, The South Texas Center for Blood and Tissue, and Lady Bird Johnson Park in San Antonio. Corporate Collections include Five States Energy, Dallas, The University of Texas San Antonio, Tesoro, Project Control, San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Wyatt Energy, Houston. Budge’s thirty year teaching career began with Artist in Education Grants from the Texas Commission on the Arts. In 1995 she became Department Head of Ceramics at San Antonio College where she earned tenure, full professor, was awarded the NISOD excellence in teaching award and established an endowed ceramics scholarship fund prior to retirement in 2015. Budge now lives in Houston where she continues her studio practice and teaches ceramics at the Art League of Houston and the Museum of Fine Arts Glassell School.
www.susanbudge.com Genre: Sculpture |
CHAZ AND LOLA
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Chaz & Lola met in 1994 and have been creating visual art influenced by dozens of cultures from all time periods. Their artwork is a diary to share their experiences with audiences. They have been finalists in The Sovereign Foundations “Top 30 Artists Working In Asia” in both 2004 and 2007, while living in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Their art has been published in Art In America, auctioned at Sotheby’s Hong Kong and exists in collections worldwide including Cathay Pacific and Howard Bilton, Founder of The Sovereign Art Foundation, Hong Kong. Their artwork can be seen in private and public collections throughout the world.
ChazAndLola.com Genre: Figurative, Sculpture |
JACK DELANEY
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My work is about the universal experiences of being human. By combining mythological imagery with personal symbolism, I make narrative expressions about our significant life journeys with an absurd sense of humor and a vibrant use of color.
Each painting addresses a substantial life event and is drawn from either my own story or from the stories of people around me. When interpreting my paintings, I want the viewer to consider occupying the worlds I have created with their own life events. This creates a greater mythology that we all participate in. The recognition that these are collective experiences that we all share in common gives meaning to our lives. Communication between artist and viewer about these experiences through visual language is at the core of what I believe it means to be human. I am an artist based in Houston, Texas, currently focused in painting and printmaking. I have works in public and private collections and I have shown in many regional and national exhibitions. I have shown in the Houston area with Hardy & Nance Studios and stARTup Art Fair Houston. |
RAYMOND DUNLAP
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Dunlap is mainly inspired by small-town life folk stories, Native American mysticism, the feeling of nature, the spirit world, Shintoism, and God. His work has been featured in over 14 shows in Texas, Japan, and South Korea. He has also been a part of the working artist program for Golden acrylics Japan 10 years. Genre: Abstract |
DARRON FRANTA
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Major life changes often lead to rebirth. For Darron Franta this meant that he returned to the familiarity of looking at life through the lens of a camera in 2012. This time, rather than weddings, small town gatherings captured for a hometown newspaper or his children's events, his subject became the natural world. Moved by America’s awe-inspiring natural landscapes, he believes that mother nature can provide the greatest art… if we only slow down, pay attention, observe and let it wash over us. With an intense desire to travel, explore and share, Darron has committed himself to find the places that are rarely trodden and to bring the outdoor beautiful, indoors. Wishing to share his insight, experiences and penchant for observation and detail with others, he desires to help others transform the spaces that comprise their everyday life by offering the majesty and mystery of nature’s beauty. With his art, he transforms common spaces into windows for inspiration, insight, reflection and a sanctuary for our natural selves to get lost within.
www.frantaphotography.com Genre: Photography |
DARYL GANNON
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Daryl Gannon was born in London, UK, where he earned BA- Painting at Chelsea College of Art. Upon graduating he moved to Houston, TX where he has worked in art education since 2012. I am fascinated with exploring the potential of childhood. I always believed my future had endless possibilities when I was young, and my work is about connecting with those profound moments of youthful exuberance. There is a positive, progressive motif in the approach of a child, and an acceptance of the notion that anything could happen next, and probably will. Paintings depict my children's' toys, sometimes alone but often placed with each other. The encounters take place within a setting filled with a backdrop of drawings previously created by my daughter. I find this collaboration brings me closer to her, and often drives the title of the work. In other situations, my daughter's doodles can act as a positive distraction from the more concrete forms, such as stacks of Jenga blocks or Lego bricks about to fall.
Genres: Abstract, Figurative |
RON GORDON
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Ron began painting lessons with his Grandmother at age 10. He began taking commissions, winning awards and providing art services at 12. At 14 he determined to pursue a career as a professional artist. He developed his skills first in a local Jr. Collage then at the University of Southern Mississippi where he received his BFA in 1974 and then went on to complete 2 years of post-graduate studies while working as the graphic artist for the PR Department of the University. Ron relocated to Michigan as a public school art teacher and Jr. High Photography instructor for 3 years. A freelance graphic artist and illustrator Ron worked for the next several years on projects for Oil and Offshore Engineering Companies In Houston such as Cities Service, Conoco and Anadrill. In 1986 Ron became the headmaster of a private academy in Stafford Texas. He was also an associate pastor and director of numerous programs for adults, youth and children. Soon after resigning from the school Ron began taking art projects part time: These included packaging design, illustration for a children's book, murals and custom faux finishes for residence and local businesses. In 1998 Ron returned to the art profession and has continued to this day. Commissioned Murals, portraits, sculptural maps, relief panels, large collage illustrations, contemporary nonobjective paintings and custom impact pieces have made up much of his ever growing portfolio of accomplishments. The artist’s work is included in corporate and private collections across the country. He is particularly known for his use of color composition and organic forms in large acrylic paintings also large scale torn paper collage work. Often this artist produces assemblage and smaller scale sculptural work also popular among collectors.
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DAVID GRAEVE
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David Graeve is a graduated from the university of Minnesota with a BFA and a MFA from the University of Houston. He has explored many creative avenues ranging from sculpture, installations, developing nonprofit arts organization (no name exhibitions the soap factory), visual curator, performance curator, lighting design, stage design, commercial music videos, direct action and many forms of social intervention. What is most interesting and relevant to me as an artist is the idea and intention behind the work? I try to comprehend the ideological reasons for the work, what lies behind it, what constitutes its social and formal innovation, its functional requirements and conceptual outcomes. I start at this level, where I have the excuse of artisan experimentation, and end when idea, concept and intention are brought into visual conversation. My approach is often looking for avenues of the unexpected engagement with the viewer and community. I do this through setting up visual and conceptual architecture that allows for unknown outcomes to inform possible interpretations of the piece. Constantly grabbing and recycling images material and ideas from every possible direction, mediating content through a variety of mediums for the tranquility, intoxication and pleasure of creative action with the residue of poetic function. Basically, I am a pirate of all signs metaphoric mirrors, nostalgia and meaning.
Genre: Sculpture |
ERIK HAGEN
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My work references geologic processes like sedimentation, ice-melt, and erosion to evoke 4.5 billion years of earth-history. We are usually so anchored in the present, and I enjoy visualizing time-scales that are not often considered. The ‘Coastal Cities’ maps show sea level rise in the year 2500 in U.S. coastal cities, based on optimistic assumptions about carbon emissions. The maps rely on peer-reviewed science summarized in the book “Deep Future” by paleoeclimatologist Curt Stager. Outdoor installations incorporate 4,000-pound blocks of ice. As the ice disappears, the maps are drowned in melt-water. The ‘Fossils’ series represent artifacts that might appear as fossils in some future epoch, and are made of plaster, pigments, and resin on ripped cardboard or canvas. Other artifacts are preserved in an amber-like plastic resin and presented in antique picture frames. Plastic is an important element in my work, as it is a ubiquitous material common to the age of the Anthropocene. The references to plastic can be obvious, for example bits of plastic microbeads embedded in resin, or more oblique in that the map series is presented behind plastic acrylic sheets. These objects and maps represent a unique period in our Earth’s history and serve as memento mori, suggesting the vanity of earthly life and the transient nature of earthly goods and pursuits. They are a reminder to appreciate the moment.
www.erikhagenstudio.com Genre: Abstract, Ephemeral |
ALLAN D. HASTY
MARK HENDRIX
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I’m new to being an artist for art’s sake, but not new to art. I spent 14 years making art for the corporate world, and am finally beginning to make it for me. My current inspiration is the beauty I see in the people I love. I want observers to see what I see when I look at them. And I hope to do that through many a mixed media.
Genre: Abstract, Figurative |
CODY JORGENSEN
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Cody Jorgensen has studied art at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, but his journey in art started much earlier. Art was a way to an escape from what was going on around him. It brought him peace, self-reflection, and expression. He currently teaches art as well as creates his work out of his home in the Heights. He has shown at shows curated by Dandee Warhol and Hardy & Nance Studios, as well as a booth at Bayou City Art Festival. He currently has two collections, and two styles. Working mostly in paint and mixed media, both with a brush and with spray paint. Mixed media work typically consists of paint, resin, and gold or silver leaf. Resin can give a piece such depth, and can give the viewer something different depending on the light and angle, seemingly ever changing. His pop art pieces started out of a love for color and shapes, along with relatable, as well as sometimes gay icons. He likes to celebrate the universal love for these characters and the joy they have brought so many. This style is also very adaptable and works well with both animal and human portraits, as well. His use of trees stems from the beauty of the branches overlapping, along with continuing to grow, despite the obstacles they face. He also like to use the heart, as the arteries and veins share similarities with the branches taking on the same pain, but having the ability to heal, grow, and move on.
www.codyjorgensen.com Genre: Figurative |
JIASHAN LANG
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Jiashan Lang comes from a renowned artist family in Beijing China. While making art, she also made her mission to educate people on the importance of preserving and promoting Intangible Cultural Heritage around the world.
Jiashan’s inspiration came from Chinese history and folklore. She uses cooking dough as her medium to create figurines. Her technique involves coloring the dough and then sculpting it into the form desired so that no painting is required. Her work is a part of collections at various museums, galleries, and individual collectors around the world. She has appeared in many print media and television programs reporting on her art. Jiashan Lang is currently based in Houston, Texas. She’s determined to introduce Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage to the US. Genre: Sculpture |
CHARLES JESSE MILLER
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“There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: One is roots, the other is wings.” - Hodding Carter
Charles Jesse Miller spent the earlier part of his life learning from his father, who taught him by example to take a camera with him every time he walked out the door. Born in Freeport, Texas and a 1991 graduate of Brazoswood High School, he spent the next twenty years refining his art and mastering the tools of his trade within the backdrop of the music and arts scene of Austin, Texas. Miller’s work is much like a romance. The object of his desire might be the newest version of Photoshop, Procreate, or macro-photography. Every piece he shares represents an infatuation with a particular form of creative expression. The variations in his artwork give the impression of multiple originators, but each represents a different aspect of Miller’s creativity. You can see his father’s influence in Miller’s nature photography and coastal pieces, while Austin’s metro vibe plays out in ultra-enhanced high-definition macro-photography, black and white drawings, and colorful barscapes. Some of his most recent success has come in the form of portrait photography. Miller excels at taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary by extending the limits of modern technology while embracing classic artistry. Since 2013, Miller’s work has won awards up and down The Gulf Coast. He has added his talent and skills to the BayStar Group Creative Department where his work has won awards for participating businesses. His goal is to inspire through his art and create a genuine appreciation for its lasting effect on people. It is for this reason that he has volunteered with various Art Leagues and continues to perform public art demonstrations within the community. www.charlesjessemiller.com Genres: Photography, Portrait, Wildlife |
ANGELA OBENHAUS
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Angela Obenhaus is an oil painter who not only specializes in realism and portraiture, she often delves into abstraction and impressionism. While her work has been described as both "Feminine," and "Pop," she is best known for her extremely oversized portraits. As an award winning graphic designer, she left that field to pursue her passion of painting full time. Her work is now in collections both locally and internationally. Angela was a resident artist at "Winter Street Studios," in Houston, TX for several years and is now represented by Higham and Associates.
obenhausart.wordpress.com Genre: Figurative, Abstract, Hyperrealism |
GABRIEL PRUSMACK
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My work consists of broken down material to reform a product of consistent flow, but yet a history already formed. I’ve been searching for the right pieces in all the streets of Houston/Galveston to have a better contrast with wood and metal together to help the performing image take off. Putting old with new is already life contrasting itself. With stenciling there is a lot of ability to change the same image and/or morph the images together as seen in a few recent works. From each separation of color involves either a chapter in my life or something learned. Growing up and being teachable is one of the biggest responsibilities to hold, but also initiating that time to seek Christ’s Spiritual wisdom, knowledge and understanding is much more valuable. Within every painting produced, the testimony in my own life of being set FREE is spoken with total recognition, honor and glory to my Savior Jesus Christ.
Genres: Abstract, Commissions |
ALLAN RODEWALD
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Allan Rodewald pursues abstract art to escape the limits of the real world through his self expression and exploration. As a youth, Allan studied in rural southeast Michigan where he began private art lessons at the age of seven. Allan earned his BFA in drawing and painting at Siena Heights University and has studied art in Florence, Rome and Venice Italy. In 1987 Allan created Expressive Design, Inc., an art based company featuring specialized art projects for residential and commercial clients globally. The completion of his studio in 2001 has led Allan further into his beloved art work and abstract painting. Allan’s art works are featured in collections nationally as well as internationally. In addition to his incredible talent as an Abstract Artist, Allan offers his skills in the area of Art Consulting, both in the commercial and residential sectors, all while satisfying the increased demand for art, murals and commercial graphics for individuals and businesses such as the Aquarium, in downtown Houston, and a spectacular 7 ft. by 70 ft mural in Houston’s historic City Hall.
www.allanrodewald.com Genre: Hyperrealism |
LAURA SPECTOR
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Laura Spector teaches at Glasscock School For Continuing Studies at Rice University and Art League Houston. She is a Fellow of the New York Foundation for the Arts and an Individual Grant Recipient of Houston Art Alliance. She has exhibited at ArtPrize8 at Grand Rapids Art Museum (2016), FotoFest 2014 and Lawndale Center for the Art's "Big Show" (2017 & 2013). Her artwork has been published in “The Harvard Review,” Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! and in the book, The Real Real Thing: The Model in the Mirror of Art, by Wendy Steiner. Spector has studied fine art at both The Flemish Classical Atelier and Virginia Commonwealth University. In 2016, she was a resident artist in Germany at AtelierHaus Hilmsen, and was a presenter at The Representational Art Conference in 2014, alongside Odd Nerdrum and Roger Scruton. Her artwork can be seen in exhibitions and collections around the world.
www.spectorstudios.wordpress.com Genre: Figurative |
LYN SULLIVAN
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The sensuality of light as perceived by the human eye is an evanescent thing. It is ever changing. Just as two people in a playful dialogue, artist and light are in a tenuous conversation of dynamic stimulus and perception. The subtlety of layers upon layers of transparency in its shadows draws parallel to the mysteries of life. The essence of this series is to attempt to capture life as my heart perceives it, not necessarily as it really is. The layers and depth of life are displayed as interplay of light and shadow. Light is what allows us to perceive reality: light through our eyes, light through the aperture of the camera, light through a window. Yet, in the dark of night, the light that penetrates a window casts shadows into a room that only partially reveal the truth inside. Images capture secrets revealed just as eyes capture perception. Imperfect, yet mysterious and romantic. The various underlying colors of the shadows are like discrete memories that recall the romanticism of past privacy, secrecy and sensuality. Waiting for the precise moment of clarity, I wish to see that which no one else can see. A window into my life, these images are an invasion of my privacy.
www.lynsullivan.com Genre: Photography |
MARCY ANN VILLAFAÑA
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As a young child, she drew on any and everything, making her mark on all her surroundings. Even at the age of three, she cut her sisters' eyelashes off without her parents' permission, of course. It was perfect! (Wow, it would be a whole other story if not!) Soon she developed a very exact and precise form of cutting and drawing. Inspired by the works of Patrick Nagel, Robert Wyland, and Robert Mapplethorpe, she derived at her own style through her love to cut paper. This particular form of Art is an expression of her need to control her environment. Unlike artist who can paint (which she can do quite effortlessly), she finds satisfaction in cutting cut paper with a plain old Exacto knife. Nothing new or fancy, not the new cutting technique, or cutting gadget, no curved blades, just precise, precision, dexterity, she controls the cut with her eyes. She discovered the love for this form as a teenager. She has been trying to perfect it ever since. Her art is all about shapes and forms. Her work is mostly of the feminine form. She sees the beauty in the light and dark spaces of the figure and joy, expressing it through color and or texture. In her admiration of real women; mothers, athletes, home-makers, dancers, famous or not, women with uplifting attitudes, strong-minded, caring, nurturing — with goodwill, Marcy strives to create masterful pieces to express their inner beauty, goddess, and spirit within. - All Women, everywhere. RADIANT BEAUTY CAPTIVATES Currently, she is playing with color, childhood dreams, sharing my love of the ocean, and life-essential water, feeling – freedom and gratitude. Category: Figurative, Hyperrealism, Marine Life, Portrait www.villafanaart.com Facebook - Instagram - Twitter - Pinterest - Email |
