Monday, March 31, 2014

Cheryl Jo Smith is VL Magazine Artist of the Day

© Lemon Wedge By Cheryl Jo Smith

© Watching The Sunset By Cheryl Jo Smith

© On Stage By Cheryl Jo Smith



"Art has been a personal endeavor of mine for years. Through all my life journeys, whether it was directed toward my personal or professional life, I would keep turning to my art and the desire to paint." - Cheryl J. Smith



Sunday, March 30, 2014

Nancee Jean Bussee is VL Magazine Artist of the Day


© Rainbow Arch By Nancee Jean Bussee

© Sunrise At Bosque By Nancee Jean Bussee

© Working The Release By Nancee Jean Bussee
"I paint the things that make life worth living for me: landscapes, the natural world, and wildlife, especially birds. These things remind me that life is elegant and beautiful. Sometimes I paint simple things that feel vivid and full of life, like flowers or pets, or an image I can’t get off my mind.I paint using acrylics, brushes, and panels or canvas. The vibrant colors and creamy textures of modern acrylic paint make me happy. Depending upon the subject matter, I either apply the paint thickly and pay close attention to each brushstroke, or use layer upon layer of thin, light-refracting glazes. My subject matter is important in determining the method with which I paint.I paint realistically because I developed my drawing skills from an early age. Now I am exploring ways to combine my realistic style with less representational elements. I am striving to honor the beauty of the natural world within the context of my own inner vision.  I paint because I love it!"
 - Nancee Jean Busse

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Tracey Miller is VL Magazine Artist of the Day

© Pretty Boy By Tracey Miller

© The Grizzley Days of Summer By Tracey Miller

© Two Step By Tracey Miller


"My Contemporary Western Expressionist paintings are based on my love of the West. My Dad exposed me to the great outdoors, instilling a love of the land and wide open skies. My Mom influenced my love of art and culture." - Tracey Miller





http://www.tracymillerfineart.com/





Friday, March 28, 2014

Richard Levine is VL Magazine Artist of the Day


© Marfa, A Town In Texas By Richard Levine

© Still Life, Lighthouse, Eastern Shore By Richard Levine

© The Powder Seller By Richard Levine

"I like to paint in places where the weather, the traditions and the geography still dominate;  where these elements identify and characterize a locale.  Where I can still connect to what has gone before and one feels an authentic "sense of place"."
- Richard Levine





Thursday, March 27, 2014

Carol Jo Smidt is VL Magazine Artist of the Day

© The Guardian By Carol Jo Smidt

© Win Place Show By Carol Jo Smidt

© Zebra Blues By Carol Jo Smidt



"My paintings are a result of a thoughtful, ongoing, creative and intuitive process. Creating art is a spiritual journey. It is somewhat of a surprise where a painting will lead me. I find that my paintings are more vivid and saturated than real life. I see color in a subject and intensify those hues in a painting. One of my goals is to bring honor and respect to the subjects that I paint. As a creator of art, I want the viewer to have a positive connection with my paintings." Carol Jo Smidt

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Sanda Manuila is VL Magazine Artist of the Day

© Dismay By Sanda Manuila

© The Presence Of The Past By Sanda Manuila

© Thrown Off The Track By Sanda Manuila

"In my work, I aim to seize the paradox of the union of opposites, in particular the polar tension between life and death.  Nature's time is not linear, but rather cyclic, what happened once is destined to occur again.  Death is end, but also beginning.  The distant past is present in every moment, and the futur has already happened.  Rather than progression, it is repetition, like a Monarch butterfly, ending at the beginning.  It happens in the place where the grape vine dies, pulled out, to be replanted in the spring.  
In order to represent the connection between reality and illusion, I focus my emotions and thoughts to construct meaning, applying oil paint and glazes layer after layer, adding impressions of light.  I create inner landscapes from which exhude a metaphorical quality." -Sanda Manuila



http://sandamanuila.artspan.com/


Monday, March 24, 2014

Suzanne Muldrow is VL Magazine Artist of the Day


© Fantasy Buckeye By Suzanne Muldrow

© View From The Boardwalk By Suzanne Muldrow

© Passage Through Time By Suzanne Muldrow

"I like to think of myself as an artist who paints with a camera. One of my favorite quotes is  "Photography has nothing to do with the things we see, and everything to do with the way we see them."" - Suzanne Muldrow





www.photoartbysuzanne.com




Sunday, March 23, 2014

Melissa Doron is VL Magazine Artist of the Day

© Childhood Remembered By Melissa Doron

© Stargazer By Melissa Doron

© Transcending Beauty By Melissa Doron



Melissa is a colorist who celebrates the subtle, natural beauty of ordinary scenes in a way that is both intense and dramatic. She paints in both oil and acrylic and has a diverse portfolio - from brilliant beach and forest landscapes to abstract color works.  Melissa has travelled extensively internationally and is noted for her bold use of color, the world over.



http://artistdoron.artspan.com/




Saturday, March 22, 2014

VL Magazine Artist of the Day is Lelija Roy

© Mountain Marshlands By Lelija Roy

© Sunrise Promise By Lelija Roy

© Wildflower Ride By Lelija Roy



Each piece expresses unique rhythms and textures of the living earth. Lelija seeks out the interconnectedness of organic and inorganic elements. These glimpses encompass: the hazy light of early morning, the wind in an aspen grove, the silent struggle of a pinion pine on a canyon wall or the rush of the waterfall.





http://www.lelija.net




Friday, March 21, 2014

Daniel Hertel is VL Magazine Artist of the Day

© Blue No. 5 By Daniel Hertel

© Thin Ice 1 By Daniel Hertel
© Abstract #3 By Daniel Hertel


"When I started my artistic explorations, I reasoned that seeing the world would help me to substantiate my work.  Now that virtual reality is abounding, images from the real world are all the more important as events in our lives.
Whether imagery (such as the Americana series) or abstract (as seen, no digital manipulations).  The work is there to see. 
And the image is meant to be lasting in interest and content." - Daniel Hertel




http://hertel.artspan.com/


Thursday, March 20, 2014

VL Magazine Artist of the Day is V.L. Rees


© One Of A Kinda By V.L. Rees

© Summer By V.L. Rees

© Pies, too By V.L. Rees

V. L. Rees is best known for contemporary realism executed in oils.  However, on hot summer afternoons, she has been known to give in to the abstract.


She draws inspiration from her appreciation of the beauty found in the everyday.  Unusual angles, dramatic lighting, and nature's intricacies all capture her attention.




http://www.vlrees.com/




Wednesday, March 19, 2014

VL Magazine Artist of the Day is Laura Reed

© Distant Horizon By Laura Reed

© Waterfront By Laura Reed

© Abundance By Laura Reed

"The inspiration for my abstract work comes from my life experiences; travel, nature, my environment, all culminating in a magical sort of way. It is usually subconscious, and impetuous, sparked by something seemingly as trivial as a word or a feeling. I strive not to answer the question of what my images mean but to encourage the viewer's curiosity. When the work invokes the feeling of "curiouser and curiouser" (thank you Alice) then I have achieved my goal." - Laura Reed



http://laurareed.artspan.com/




Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Ron Durnavich is VL Magazine Artist of the Day

© Going Across By Ron Durnavich

© Sojourn By Ron Durnavich

© Autumn Tree By Ron Durnavich

 "I term my Art as  EMOTION / ABSTRACTION and is a compilation of several year of study to refine a technique that allows me to convey - an emotion , a story , a journey.

I perceive the essentials of a concept and develop it with color , which I believe is a important as form ,
articulating a complexity that allows for alternate interpretation. As the viewer becomes more involved , a personalized connection evolves ." -Ron Durnavich








Monday, March 17, 2014

Jacquie McMullen is VL Magazine Artist of the Day

© A Hard Left By Jacquie McMullen

© The Road To Jan's House By Jacquie McMullen

© Cilolo Bluff By Jacquie McMullen

Jacquie McMullen is an award winning pastel artist who has been painting and drawing for as long as she can remember. An accountant by trade, she feels that her attention to detail in her daily work has helped her in her painting career.













Sunday, March 16, 2014

VL Magazine Artist Magazine is Dyan Newton

© Boy's Poker Shack By Dyan Netwon

© Fredricksburg Countryside By Dyan Newton

© Late Afternoon Stroll By Dyan Newton


Dyan is inspired by the beauty of a summer day or the innocence and awe she sees on a child's face.  That is what Dyan wants to capture in her paintings and convey that feeling to the viewer:  the same joy that she felt when she encountered the scene originally.    Many viewers say they love her paintings' vibrant colors and how they radiate “happiness”.

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Diane Fairfield is VL Magazine Artist of the Day


© Raindrops By Diane Fairfield

© The Uprising By Diane Fairfield

© Overflow Of A Forgiven Heart By Diane Fairfield

"Bold, vivid expressions of color, light, perspective and texture compel me. My passion is to express the beauty and truth that exists in the natural and spiritual realms. To create the desired effects I use whatever tools my hands fall on first, including, for example, sponges, knives, rollers, grooming tools, even my own hands/fingers. My newest body of work incorporates various light reflecting materials such as metallic elements that sparkle and films that split light into its spectral colors. Layers of acrylics are applied followed by oils with the light reflecting elements being embedded in the various layers." - Diane Fairfield




http://www.dianefairfieldart.com/