Wednesday, December 31, 2014

John Whitton Bria is VL Magazine Artist of the Day


© Fancher Road Series: Woods - Winter By John Whitton Bria

© Oranges By John Whitton Bria

© Still Life With Guitar By John Whitton Bria
"Crashing against the rocks, the wave rises up in a fan of spray.  I take a quick step back and lower my brush.  Out of range of the wave, I will stay dry.  I am in the calm of my studio, but I want the painting on my easel to evoke the live energy of the event. 
 

Landscape painters often depict the lay of the land in a broad view.  With my current work, I narrow the field of vision.  Taking the focus of the eye's direct gaze, I put the viewer right in the thick of it whether the subject is the raw beauty of a Pacific wave, the remoteness of an Adirondack summit, or the serenity of local fields and a small nearby pond.


Calling myself a painterly realist, I keep the architecture of the landscape absolutely accurate and recognizable, but use my paint with a free hand, because for me, the thrill of painting is about the paint. " - John Whitton Bira


Tuesday, December 30, 2014

VL Magazine Artist of the Day is Laurie Pace

© Amazed By Laurie Pace

© Grazing By Laurie Pace

© Running The Ridge At Dusk By Laurie Pace




"Transforming energy into what matters... with the spirit of the paint."
- Laurie Pace





http://www.ellepace.com/



Monday, December 29, 2014

Connie Dines is VL Magazine Artist of the Day

© Dragons After Dark By Connie Dines

© Green Water Reflections By Connie Dines

© Sentinels In The Snow By Connie Dines

"One thing I do notice is that regardless of where we are, nature is always a factor in our lives and we crave to see what's going on outside. "
- Connie Dines



http://conniedines.com/



Sunday, December 28, 2014

VL Rees is Visual Language Magazine Artist of the Day

© Pies By VL Rees

© Urban Meltdown By VL Rees

© Wintergrove By VL 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/


Saturday, December 27, 2014

Friday, December 26, 2014

VL Magazine Artist of the Day is Lelija Roy


© Class Reunion By Lelija Roy

© Silver Bells By Lelija Roy

© Winter Waterfall 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



Tuesday, December 23, 2014

VL Magazine Artist of the Day is Jonelle McCoy

© Perigee Moon By Jonelle McCoy

© Tap Dance By Jonelle McCoy

© Tension By Jonelle McCoy


" I thank my great granddaddy for passing on the artistic genes to me; he is my guardian angel. His plain gray easel, spotted with his past smears, dots of painting, and little holes from pinning his reference materials to it is what I use; it makes me feel close to him. I still have some of his brushes, well-used, worn-out nubs that they are. One of my prized possessions is his pencil self- portrait. His favorite story told over and over when we visited him was about Van Gogh."
- Jonelle McCoy


http://www.jonellemccoy.com/



Monday, December 22, 2014

Isabelle Gautier is VL Magazine Artist of the Day

© Little River By Isabelle Gautier

© Mid Season Pleasure By Isabelle Gautier

© Mountain Spirit I By Isabelle Gautier
"Is there a better way than art to bring people from all over the world together in a celebration of beauty? Painting is the way I reach out to people.  My favorite tool, the palette knife, allows me to keep the deep pigments in the acrylic paint, my preferred medium. In each painting there is a little something unexpected, a small “je ne sais quoi”, at the point of creation, which makes my art original.  It can be an odd stroke, an unnatural balance, a particular color or design… My inspiration is to paint until I find my own balance where the art lover can feel an emotional and/or intellectual connection. My quest is not to create the illusion of reality but to suggest with colors and composition the inherent nature of the aesthetic object or feeling." 
- Isabelle Gautier


Sunday, December 21, 2014

VL Magazine Artist of the Day is Bob Coonts

© Let It Snow By Bob Coonts

© Sunrise Reflections By Bob Coonts
© Indoor Weather Vane By Bob Coonts


"Colors, as used by the Fauvists, the challenge of composition and the excitement of discovery impact my work and style.  Animals, plants, landscapes and people provide a wealth of subject matter.  Combining a sense of warmth, graceful movements and detail give release to a style bordering on abstract by reflecting a true image." 
- Bob Coonts


http://www.bobcoonts.com/



Saturday, December 20, 2014

VL Magazine Artist of the Day is Janet Broussard

© Grape Still Life By Janet Broussard

© In Play By Janet Broussard

© On The Riverwalk By Janet Broussard



Janet’s artistic talent came to fruition at an early age, winning her first award in fourth grade, for a watercolor seascape of California’s Bug Sur.  Constantly painting and drawing, with frequent milestones of recognition for her artistic talent, she followed her chosen path to the University of North Texas where she majored in Advertising Art. 




http://janetbroussard.com/



Friday, December 19, 2014

VL Magazine Artist of the Day is Richard Levine

© Roswell # 2 By Richard Levine

© The Coast At Port Clyde By Richard Levine

© An Artist Studio, Santa Fe 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, December 18, 2014

Carol Jo Smidt is VL Magazine Artist of the Day

© General By Carol Jo Smidt

© Shop Talk By Carol Jo Smidt
© My Hero 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

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

VL Magazine Artist of the Day is Michal Ashkenasi

© Red Sky By Michal Ashkenasi

© The Red Tree By Michal Ashkenasi

© Falling Soldier By Michal Ashkenasi



"My work is the result of imagination and nature. The style is minimalistic, abstract-figurative and has sometimes a touch of surrealism. Although the colours and the contrasts are strong , there is still a harmonic oneness."
-Michal Ashkenasi





http://www.michalsart.com/



Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Roberta McGowan is VL Magazine Artist of the Day


© Black Knight By Roberta McGowan

© Grazing By Roberta McGowan

© Sleepyhead By Roberta McGowan
"It's not about the camera or the technology; It's about the fragile whispers of life: Those images that are here and then gone in an instant; The eye that sees them; The visions of the artist; The stories to be told; This is Photography.

The images I create are dynamic and thought provoking. Strong colors and tones reflect the tough and gritty lives of the horses, cowgirls, cowgirls and the West where they live and work. My photographs are made from the perspective of the subjects.

Viewers are an integral part of the artistic process, hopefully connecting with the subjects emotions, and the subjects in turn appear to be responding to the viewers’ reactions.

With a photojournalist eye, my style is powerful yet subtle, I work to savor mystical human and equine connections within this special world. I, too, live in the West that still exists in the high deserts and sweeping grandeur of the Rocky Mountains. Thank you for joining me on this visual journey." - Roberta McGowan


Monday, December 15, 2014

VL Magazine Artist of the Day is Elaine Vileria

© Riveting Tales By Elaine Vileria

© Tongue-In-Groovy By Elaine Vileria

© Bridge After Sunrise By Elaine Vileria


  Elaine received her Masters Degree from Nazareth College of Rochester, NY.  She has been an art teacher for students from pre-K, through high school, as well as adult instruction.  She has coordinated and curated
numerous art exhibitions.  After facing breast cancer in 1996, she coordinated three art shows for cancer survivors.
Her artwork has been exhibited throughout the United States, as well as in France, and has been published in "Quilting
Today Magazine".  She has also written and illustrated a children's book,  The Legend of Old Mr. Clarke.




http://elainevileria.artspan.com/