Continue reading »]]> Featured Artist: Kimberley Fergusson

About the Artist:
Kimberley Fergusson is a native Calgary artist who has been creating art since a very young age. She has many talents including drawing, painting, aromatherapy, crystal energy work, wood burning, leather tooling, and singing. Kimberley is currently working on many different styles of painting including spiritual, healing, and natural works.
Kimberley graduated from a Creative Acrylic course in 1998 through the University of Calgary. She was also enrolled in private art lessons under the guidance of Wang Kui in 2001 including sketching and oil techniques.

From the years 2002 to 2004 Kimberley exhibited some of her artwork at The Image House in Calgary Alberta. She also exhibited her work at Motion Gallery in Eau Claire Market from December 2011 until June 2012, Tango Bistro for three months in the spring of 2013, and for two months at Waves Coffee House in 2013. Kimberley has also collaborated with fellow artist Sherry Cousins and together they have formed the group “The Muse” which hosts the annual Fall into Winter group Art show.

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Continue reading »]]> Featured Artist: Della Daughtry

Notes from the Artist:
Hi, I am Della Daughtry, and I am the artist of Dream Damsel Art. I am from Webster Florida USA and I specialize in Big Eye Art. I Started my artistic career in 1999 as a ceramic artist but switched to acrylic on canvas in December 2010. I have no formal training in art. I have learned most of my technique by trial and error. As a child I developed a huge interest of the big eye art of Margaret Keane, which led to my current love of the big eye art genre! I have won first place for six consecutive years 2001-2006 followed by back to back best of show in 2007-2008 here locally in Sumter County Florida for my ceramic pieces. I have had 10 of my paintings included in a group gallery show in Des Moines, Iowa in 2012. Currently 56 of my paintings have been bought and are part of private collections across the United States.

Della Daughtry on the Web: http://dreamdamsel.embarqspace.com/
Della Daughtry Twitter: https://twitter.com/dreamdamselart
Della Daughtry Email: dreamdamsel@embarqmail.com

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Continue reading »]]> Featured Artist: Peter Adderley
Post Provided By: Gallery Sales Art Gallery

About the Artist:
Peter Adderley grew up in rural Staffordshire. He studied art at North Staffordshire Polytechnic and gained his degree from Wolverhampton Polytechnic.

Peter Adderley freelanced as an artist and card designer, but in 1990 he decided to devote himself full time to painting. In 2004 Peter’s outstanding talent won him a place in the final of the DeMontfort New Artist Competition. His prize was a publishing contract, taking his status as a professional artist onto a whole new level.

Peter Adderley now based in North Devon works from his home. He finds living close to the sea a great source of inspiration, and his quirky character pieces often include some coastal references. Peter also cites a range of influences including jazz, most particularly such larger-than-life stars as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Courtney Pine. Like them his work is virtuosic, deceptively simple, and delightfully accessible.

Peter Adderley art, as one collector describes it, “sophisticated whimsy!”

Painting in heavy bodied acrylics on high weight water colour paper, his palette is characterised by soft browns, mochas, creams and golds, while occasional splashes of red bring the whole piece into focus.

Peter Adderley artwork is held in collections all over the world.

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Continue reading »]]> Featured Artist: Angela Hansen

Notes from the Artist:
I am a plein air and studio painter. I enjoy creating texture and light in my work using palette knives and non-traditional tools (whatever is around).

I am currently working in oils and watercolors. I have been doing plein air painting since 2007 and love to travel and draw and paint! I am drawn to barns, boats and water. One of my favorites is the Bahamas, but anywhere tropical is great too.

I draw inspiration in my everyday surroundings like the mountains and rural scenery. The farms and vineyards are beautiful inspirations in any season!

Angela Hansen’s Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/angelahansenfineart

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Continue reading »]]> Featured Artist: Sherry Cousins

Notes from the Artist:
I loved the arts from very young age. In fact one of my earliest Whether my focus was drama, visual art or music at the time, my artistic interests were encouraged throughout childhood.

I became very serious about visual art around 2004 – 2006 and put great focus on self study, skill building and participation in showings, but it was cut short by the sudden onset of a severe depression that abruptly brought it all to a halt.

Late in the year , 2009 and the beginning of 2010, after very hard work climbing out of the depression, I again had the energy,inspiration and desire to pick up a paint brush. One of my first paintings during that post recovery period was ‘Earth Blood’, inspired by lava and volcanoes All that bottled up art from those lost years , did literally explode like a volcano, from that painting onward.

I had been doing a little bit in every genre. Landscapes, portraits, still life and abstract, but it was the abstracts that really excited people, including myself. That is where the passion REALLY flowed.
In early 2011, I was encouraged to continue in that direction.

The name Lightening in a Bottle , was taken from a description of my art, that was summed up as grasping something right out of the air or nothingness, visualizing it , then composing it on canvas with skill and intention. ….Like capturing lightening in a bottle.

I have been passionately and prolifically creating new works and collections , making use of opportunities and involving myself in the Calgary Arts community.

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Continue reading »]]> Featured Artist: Eric Ryser

Notes from the Artist:
While having been a traditional object maker in Non-Ferrous Metals, my past eight years have been strictly focused in Iron/Steel. One process in particular is the use of nitric acid to etch detailed patterns in plate steel. Previous experience with Intaglio Printmaking has resurfaced in my metal work. I use the same process as a printmaker would in dealing with multiples. Once the pattern is determined, it is then etched into steel while still in plate form. When the selected numbers of prints are made, the plate is then struck. The striking then becomes the actual act of forging or fabricating the material into a physical object. In doing all of this, it allows me to explore the realm of Two-dimension while continuing to be a Three-dimensional artist.

My work has been shown in two-person and group exhibitions in many places in the US and Europe, including the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, Kansas, the Cranbrook Art Museum in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, the National Ornamental Metal Museum, Memphis, Tennessee, the Marianna-Kistler Beach Museum of Art in Manhattan, Kansas, the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton Massachusetts.

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Continue reading »]]> Featured Artist: Dino Paul

Notes from the Artist:
I have been practicing my craft as a graphic designer, illustrator and artist for over 30 years. My work as a designer and illustrator have garnered numerous local and national awards, my projects have been featured in various publications.

Painting, drawing and creating has always been a strong part of my life, it’s a relief to take something from your minds eye and put it to paper without having a direction or rules as to what can be done. I have always been an observant person. I notice things; they way people walk, their attire, how they stand, talk laugh and smile. I notice when things are a little askew be it in nature or other settings. That observation plays a large role in my fine art work. I would like the viewer to be enthralled and amused by the subject matter or an interesting detail of each piece. I call my work “The Perception of Observation”.

Technique: After years of experimenting with various styles, techniques and mediums in all forms of design and art, I stumbled on something that intrigued me. A mistake, an accident, a mess that turned into something beautiful to me. That was the discovery of the affect of solvent chemicals have on inks and dies. It took me years, and lots of failures, to teach myself how to control the chaos from combining various solvents and substrates into an interesting vibrant piece.

Thank you for observing with me, Dino

Shows:
August, 2012 – Borgo Degli Artisti – Bagni di Lucca, Italy
One man show

December, 2012 – MonOrchid Gallery – Phoenix, Arizona
One man show

Herberger Art Gallery – Phoenix, Arizona
May, 2013 – Juried show, Entitled
July, 2013 – Juried show, Show and Tell

Links:
Dino Paul on the Web: http://artbydino.com/

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Continue reading »]]> Featured Artist: Justin Strom (AKA The Paint Addict)

Notes from the Artist:
Art to me is a little different than it is for most
artist. Most artist love the art and don’t get me
wrong I do, but for me it is the paint. Everything
about it, the science behind it, the wide variety,
and the unlimited possibilities. Making paint do
things it was not intended to do is what I strive
for. Turning it into something it never thought it
could be. Using it in ways that excites people and
inspires them. My goal as an artist is to take that
paint and change the way art is looked at and
show people the real art is the paint!

Justin Strom
The Paint Addict

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Continue reading »]]> Featured Artist: Jian Chen (AKA Jenny)

Notes from the Artist:
As a child growing up in China, I had a strong imagination: I used to stare up at the moon and stars and imagine fairies living there. I used to dream I could fly away and join them, and then I would pick up any nearby paper and draw what I had imagined. I used to save all my pocket money to buy small illustrated children books just to look at the beautiful drawings and paintings of these fantastical creatures. Art was important to me from this time on, so in my teenage years I studied with a local tutor to build up a portfolio of paintings and drawings, and was fortunate to secure a place at the prestigious Sichuan Institute of Fine Arts (Chongqing, China) studying General Art between 1993 and 1996.

For two years after graduation I was a graphic designer, and then for a further one year worked as a Public Relations Product’s Assistant – both in Chongqing China. Then in 1999, when China began to open more to the outside world and proficiency in the English language became a much needed skill, I started to study English: first at Sichuan International Language University and later at Shanghai International Language University – becoming a qualified English/Chinese interpreter and translator.

When I moved to UK in June 2002, I decided that Accountancy could be a stable career path to follow in my new country. I started Business Studies at a Further Education College, and then went on to gain a BA in Finance and Accounting at Glamorgan University. I did a variety of Finance jobs after graduating, until I secured permanent work as a Finance Assistant. After nearly four years with a Company, I lost my job due to departmental restructuring – which made me begin to question the path I’d followed since being in Britain. My sudden loss of work also coincided with an unexpected growth of interest in spirituality: this began to open a new world for me – it made me notice nature more and gave me an understanding that we are all connected. I sought a means to visualise the way I was beginning to feel and see, and this encouraged me to return to painting after many years gap. I had the desire to try watercolour, as the flow of liquid paint intrigued me: previously I had mainly used oil paints, but after a few paintings I fell in love with this new medium.

Now I find myself reliving my childhood, still looking up to the moon and stars imagining fairies living there, staring at beautiful paintings and pictures for hours … and drawing from my imagination. I count myself as a self-taught watercolour artist, but as I develop my technique, I feel I am beginning an exciting journey, and there’s much more to come …

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