Carolyn Bertrand Hodges

August 1 – October 31, 2023

“In my art, I show a single image, free and independent, surrounded by space. In a dense city like Houston, it may seem strange to imagine the space around us, yet there is space everywhere! We cannot define space for it is empty. Nor, can we capture space within a single frame. A white mat and white frame around the image seem to extend a sense of space. A black frame may appear to condense and interrupt space! We are living in a space age. Might we, as artists, become like astronauts … space explorers!” – Carolyn Bertand Hodges

Carolyn Bertrand Hodges was born in Houston, Texas (in the late 20’s) and as a teenager studied art at the The Museum of Fine Arts Houston, under Robert C. Joy. Joy introduced her to modern art including the works of Van Gogh, Cézanne, Matisse and many others whose works were equally as instrumental in shaping modern art today.

Joy, Carolyn said, ruined her for other teachers when she was younger. She had a hard time finding teachers that knew more than herself. Following the MFAH, Bertrand studied at the prestigious Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts with a grant from the Barnes Foundation.

Carolyn worked when she needed to, and traveled to study when she wanted. Carolyn was part of the burgeoning modern art scene in Houston in the 1950’s. Bertrand recalls fondly of participating in juried shows alongside contemporaries such as John Biggers, David Adickes and many other notable Houston artists.

In 1955 Carolyn was among the first wave of artists to study and work in San Miguel de Allende, a city in central Mexico, still popular with artists. The film Serenade starring tenor and actor Mario Lanza was filmed here at the same time. Carolyn is a frequent visitor to the museums, galleries and art studios in Houston. She has shown her work in recent years at Serrano Gallery for a solo exhibition and Samara Gallery. A prolific artist, Carolyn recently self published a book reflecting on her various styles throughout her life with commentary.

Linda Simien Kelly

May 1, 2023 – July 31, 2023

Kelly, a graduate of Southern University, grew up in Louisiana and resides in Houston – though she dabbled in art in high school, she is primarily self- taught and now a full-time artist. Life experiences have been a constant theme in her work, for her these experiences ambiguity materialize outside of her hometown. Linda Simien Kelly is an expressionist – abstract artist whose artwork passionately captures human nature from multiple dimensions. In her paintings, she celebrates the splendor of being a black woman that is socially conscious with an honest simplicity of artworks that are produced using mostly bright colors incorporating layers of oil paint on each canvas.  She is an artist with a cause, an advocate for Sickle Cell Disease & Trait awareness.

Kelly went on to win first prize in the Museum of Fine Arts Houston’s 17th Annual City Wide African American Artists Exhibition at the MFAH Glassell and become one of the Prize Winning Artists of the Lawndale Art Center “The Big Show” Annual Juried Exhibition. In addition, Artist Linda Simien Kelly was a featured artist in many Citywide Artists Juried Exhibitions held at the University Museum at Texas Southern University, the Community Artists Collective Gallery, the Project Row Houses, the Assistance League of Houston Artists Exhibition at Williams Tower, The Art on The Avenue Juried Exhibition, the Archway Gallery, the Gallery Jatad and the “M” Gallery. She has also showcased her paintings at many local restaurants including MAX’S Wine Dive, The Breakfast Klub, Lucille’s Houston, Bohemeo’s’ Cafe, Urban Eats, Kaffeine Coffee , La Guadalupana Bakery & Café & West U’s Starbuck.

Opening Reception: Saturday, June 17, 2023

Connect with Linda Simien Kelly

Text: (713) 557-7147

Instagram: @lindasimienkelly

Facebook: @linda.s.kelly.3

Email: lindasimienkelly@icloud.com

Steph Barker

February 1, 2023 – April 30, 2023

Steph Barker is a Contemporary artist, living and working near Houston with her husband, two kids, and two dogs. She has studied, taught, and created art for over twenty-five years. Her art is inspired by human fragility and the emotional bridges that keep us fulfilled. She often blends a twisted or disproportionate subject matter with an earthy, sophisticated color palette. The images have been called “haunting and beautiful.

Steph holds a Bachelors Degree in Art Education from Lindenwood University and a Masters Degree from Missouri State University, specializing in Painting.

“I am interested in life’s vulnerable moments and thoughtful connections. By using distorted features and intense color combinations, I want to convey a quirky and empathetic narrative that I hope resonates with other people.”

Opening Reception: Saturday, March 18, 2023

CONNECT WITH STEPH BARKER

Website: www.StephBarkerArt.com

Instagram: @stephaniecollinsbarker

Facebook: stephaniecollinsbarker

Email: StephCBarker@yahoo.com

Leslie Gaworecki

November 1, 2022 – January 31, 2023

Leslie Gaworecki is a photographer turned abstract artist living and working in Houston, Texas.  After moving often and living abroad for much of her youth, she received a BFA in photography from The Ohio State University and found her way back to Texas.  Leslie spent the next decade photographing people and events across the country and teaching herself to paint.  Her most recent work explores longing for place – places from the past, places called home, unseen places of the future.  Mostly acrylic with some mixed media, Leslie’s painting practice is driven by color and the surprises that happen when she releases expectation. Her work is collected internationally and has been displayed and purchased for local public spaces.  Leslie is co-creator of “Color:Story”, a collaborative art and poetry exhibition that brings together artists of both disciplines from Houston and around the world.  Leslie lives with her husband and four young sons who inspire her mark-making and her tendency toward whimsy.

Opening Reception: Saturday, December 3, 3-5PM

Leslie Gaworecki

website: www.lesliegaworecki.com

instagram: @lesliegaworeckiart

facebook: lesliegaworeckiart

email: leslie@lesliegaworecki.com

phone: 713-818-7829

studio:  The Silos at Sawyer Yards #204

Spector Immersion Art Show

August 1, 2022 – October 30, 2022

Laura Spect is a Houston-based artist and art instructor. One of Laura’s courses is an immersive study abroad class where students are invited to discuss, create, and learn about local art. The Art Immersion – Berlin class studied works like The Bust of Nefertiti, Kirchner, Caravaggio, Dix, Nussbaum, and more. We are excited to welcome Laura and her 10 students to Urban Eats to showcase their works of art that are inspired by their studies in Berlin.

Meet the artists and their works of art at our champagne reception from 3-5 p.m. on September 17th.

Adam Sparks
Adam Sparks is a software engineer from Houston, Texas. Having grown up in a small town in West Virginia, he’d only ever been able to draw sad-looking stick figures. After realizing that drawing was a powerful way to disseminate information and enhance his software design skills, he enrolled with his wife in Art Immersion Berlin. With guidance, he progressed from stick figures and shaky lines to recognizable scenes and discovered a new hobby.

Email: AdamSparks92@gmail.com

Amanda Sparks
Amanda Sparks, from Houston TX, has been creating artwork since 2010. She studied painting/drawing/ art at the University of Texas at Austin, and through Spector Art Studio. Her artwork is inspired by the experience of being human.
Email: amandafayeeczarnik@gmail.com
Website: www.amandasparks.design 

Anson Koshy
Anson Koshy, a native Houstonian, began drawing in childhood and continued to do so into his early years of medical school. After a decade and a half, he returned to drawing in 2018 through classes offered at the Art League of Houston and quickly moved on to acrylic portrait painting. He continues his love of learning as a private student with local artist and educator Laura Spector. Anson’s work weaves persona, celebrity, fashion, design and symbols to create a narrative that connects to both sitter and artist.
Email: ansonkoshy@gmail.com
Instagram: @artist_anson 

Barb Brooks
Barb Brooks began painting in 2018 after a thirty-nine year career in the energy business. She has taken classes in the continuing education programs at Rice University and Watercolor Society of Houston. Her painting mediums are watercolor and acrylic and enjoys painting different styles.
Email: brksbarbara@aol.com. 

Carolyn Stanton
Carolyn Stanton is a full-time tax accountant with very little time to paint unless she is totally away from her daytime career. Having participated with three art immersions (Florence, Amsterdam, and Berlin), Stanton values the opportunity to see life outside her “little Houston bubble”. She hopes to have a retirement full of painting, drawing and travel. “This is picture is a great representation of myself. It needs some polish but represents a glorious moment during our Amsterdam Immersion: beautiful windmills next to a chocolate factory.”
Email: chstanton@me.com 

Elena Salvage
Elena Salvage, from Russia, has been creating artwork since she moved to the United States in 2009. She started studying art at Houston Art League and then continued taking a variety of classes with Laura Spector. Salvage is interested in painting portraits of people and pets to convey not only likeness in appearance but also the character of the subject. She finds inspiration from traveling and visiting museums in different countries.
Email: Ellen.Salvage@gmail.com 

George Holland
George Holland is a non-commercial student painter who paints for his own enjoyment and artistic expression. He is a retired pharmaceutical research chemist who split his professional career of drug discovery between a major New Jersey pharmaceutical company and startup pharmaceutical companies within the Texas Medical Center, Houston. While gradually tapering down from active employment he began to engage painting as one of several alternative creative endeavors post retirement. His student association with instructor Laura Spector began in January, 2014 when he took her course at Art League Houston, entitled “Acrylic Painter’s Toolbox – An Intro To Acrylics”. Over the intervening years he has continued his studies with Laura working in acrylics, oils and, to a lesser extent, sketching and water color. He has studied in Europe as a member of Laura’s Art Immersion Courses which have been held in Florence (2018), Amsterdam (2019), and Berlin (2022).
Email: g2holland@hotmail.com

Gma Howze
Gma Howze is a self-taught artist with a passionate interest in all art forms. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Gma spent her adult working years as a schoolteacher, mother, and devoted wife. Currently, she works in her studio-turned-art gallery to create art that she believes will bring healing to the world. GLH Galleries is a Black woman-owned gallery that supports emerging artists and promotes the belief that art has the power to make significant change. The gallery is located in the Houston’s historic Third Ward District. Visitors are welcome to participate in an art journaling experience that is sure to thrill.
Email: glhgalleries@gmail.com
Instagram: @glhgalleries 

Laura Spector
Laura Spector is a Fellow of the New York Foundation for the Arts, a recipient of an Individual Grant award from the Houston Arts Alliance and Artist-in-Residence recipient of the Joan Mitchell Foundation and Atelierhaus Hilmsen. She exhibited at Grand Rapids Art Museum in 2016, FotoFest 2014 and in Lawndale Art Center’s “Big Show” in 2013 and 2017. Her work has been featured in R2: The Rice Review, The Harvard Review, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, and The Real Real Thing: The Model in the Mirror of Art. She has studied fine art at both the Flemish Classical Atelier in Belgium and Virginia Commonwealth University. A laser-etched copy of her painting “Portrait Of An Artist” is on the moon in perpetuity through the Lunar Codex Program. In fall 2022, Spector will be exhibiting artwork at The Jung Center in Houston, TX.
Email: lauramakesart@gmail.com
Website: www.LauraSpector.com
Instagram: @SpectorArtStudio, @LauraMakesArt 

Neveen Khalaf
Neveen Khalaf studied graphic design in college and has been drawing and painting for leisure since she was young. Khalaf specializes in nature and animals, drawing inspiration from her love of cats. She studied a variety of techniques with art instructor Laura Spector at Rice University and Art League Houston where she has also exhibited work. Khalaf has participated in Art Immersion courses in both Amsterdam and Berlin, where she continued her practice of en plein air painting and sketching. She currently lives in Texas with her husband and three cats: Lilly, Angel, and Coco.
Email: Neveen_khalaf@yahoo.com
Instagram: Neveen_khalaf450 

Peggy Steup
Peggy Steup, from Indianapolis, Indiana, has been creating art since 2006. She studied painting at Art League Houston and has taken numerous classes with Laura Spector. Her work has been exhibited at local businesses in Kingwood, Winter Street Studios, and St. Luke’s United Methodist Church. She has also provided illustrations for several poetry books. Steup has received multiple awards from Lake Houston Area Artists shows since 2010 and received Best in Show in 2021. Peggy’s art often depicts large or small animals in unusual settings. She is always looking for fresh inspiration from travel and images of the past.
Email: psteup@gmail.com
Website: peggysteupart.com
Facebook: SteupPhotostoArt 

CAMI BOYETT

Artist Statement
Cami Boyett is an artist, designer, instructor and dog lover – who began painting when she was just five years old – living in 1960’s Acapulco with her single father. The bright colors and exotic florals of the landscape in Mexico still appear in her wildly layered and textural paintings. Her art begs the viewer to look beneath the surface to the subtle imperfections that tell the true story of messy beginnings and beautiful endings. Her studio in Magnolia, Texas is her refuge and her happy place, where she is free to explore and share her art with the world.

Connect with Cami
For inquires on commission work or questions, email cami@camiboyettstudio.com.
Website: www.artworkarchive.com/profile/cami_boyett_studio
Instagram: @cami_boyett_studio
Facebook: facebook.com/camiboyettstudio

ANGIE SPEARS

Artist Statement

Angie Spears is a self-taught artist, specializing on regionally native trees, plants and wildflowers, as well as the pollinators and other beneficial insects that live in the natural world.

Based in Houston, Texas, Angie travels throughout the state and country, following the bloom of wildflowers through the Spring and Summer months for inspirations for her work. In Fall, she turns her focus to the beautiful and stately trees that bear silent witness to our fast-paced lives.

Angie is constantly taking reference photographs during her explorations out in the world. Whether it’s a walk through her neighborhood prairie preserve or a mountain trail in the Rockies, she always finds plenty of inspiration in the native plants, trees, and insects that she finds. She uses these photos to create an idealistic composition of what appeals to her about the particular ecosystem to create the sketch for her drawings. Then using a combination of drawing media (including pens, colored pencils, pyrography pens, and inks) on various and interesting surfaces, she brings the work to life so that she can share with others the beauty that she sees.

Becoming increasingly more alarmed about the drastic decrease in monarch butterfly populations, Angie has placed an emphasis on showing the beauty of the natural plants that feed the monarch and fuel their impressive migration each year. Her hope is to inspire others to understand that restoration of prairies and native plant species (particularly native milkweed species) not only can be beautiful, but helps support the monarch on their journey and rebuild the struggling monarch populations.

Connect with Angie online:

For inquires on commission work or questions, email angie@angieartwork.com.

Website: http://www.angieartwork.com

Instagram: @angiespears4

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angieartworks

WOOD FRANCHER ANTHONY

Artist Statement

Born and raised in Texas, artist Wood Fancher Anthony is deeply inspired by Mexico and surrealism. His unique works combine old and new world elements to create a fantastic dream inspired by his experience and fired by his imagination. Moved by the artistic richness of his mother’s origin in Zacatecas, Mexico, most of his work is filled of brilliant color and energy. In school, Wood was recognized numerous times for his artistic abilities including exhibiting at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo several times. In the past, Wood has exhibited his work at Lovett Gallery (August and November 2006), Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts (MECA) (November 2007), Ripley House (May 2008), Hardy and Nance Studios (February & April 2016). Wood has also had many commissioned pieces over the years. Wood will strive to continue to produce art with as much passion and intensity as he demonstrates on canvas. He hopes that his art will not only make the world a more beautiful place but a place where people can get lost within. Wood Fancher Anthony earned his BBA in Accounting at the University of Saint Thomas in 2002 and studied drawing at the Glassell School of Art in Houston Texas.

Connect with Wood online:
For inquires on commission work or questions, email woodfanthony@gmail.com.

Website: www.woodfancheranthony.com

Instagram: @woodfanthony

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoodFancherAnthony

Nacido y criado en Texas, artista  Wood Fancher Anthony está profundamente inspirado por México y el surrealismo. Sus obras únicas combinan elementos antiguos y nuevos para crear un sueño fantástico inspirado por su experiencia y despedido por su imaginación. Movido por la riqueza artística de la origin de su madre en Zacatecas, México la mayor parte de su obra está llena de colores brillantes y energía. En la escuela, la Wood fue reconocido en numerosas ocasiones por sus habilidades artísticas, incluiendo expuestos en el Houston Livestock Show y Rodeo varias veces. En el pasado, Wood ha expuesto su trabajo en Lovett Gallery (agosto y noviembre de 2006), Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts (MECA) (noviembre de 2007), Ripley House (mayo de 2008), Hardy and Nance Studios (Febrero y Abril de 2016) . Durante los años Wood ha tenido muchas comisiones. Wood se esforzará por producir arte con tanta pasión e intensidad igual que demuestra en el lienzo. Él espera que su arte no sólo hará que el mundo sea un lugar más bello, sino un lugar donde la gente puede perderse en su interior. Wood Fancher Anthony obtuvo su BBA en Contabilidad en la Universidad de Santo Tomás en 2002 y estudió dibujo en la Escuela de Arte Glassell en Houston, Texas.

LARRY CRAWFORD

Artist Statement

I was born in Texas and raised in Louisiana. I think I was born with a pen and paintbrush in my hands. Art is all that I have ever wanted to do.

I use to sit on my grandmothers front porch and draw the birds I saw. When my grandmother died, we found one of the pages in her bible of the drawings of birds.

I was always in trouble for drawing, I drew in my schoolbooks, on my test papers, guess that was why I became the school artist, I would do drawings for the football games, rallies, school paper, anything to get out of classes. I always knew that I would never be able to do anything with my art as long as I lived where I grew up, I was always told that I would never be able to make a living just doing art….The money was never important to me making the art was what was important. A lot of the time I gave the art away.

I tried attending college for art but was told I wouldn’t be allowed to learn to paint until I had taken two years of drawing. It seemed like such a waste to me I knew how to draw I wanted to learn to paint. I lasted a few semesters and felt like I was wasting my time, so I quit.  After quitting I had a hundred dollars in my pocket and packed a suitcase and headed to the big city of Houston. I knew a few people here and back then everyone wanted to help everyone, and my friends gave me a place to stay.

Shortly after I got to Houston, I got a job doing art layout and design for the 13 theaters of Interstate Theaters. I lied my way into the job but I just knew I could do the work.  I worked there for a number of years. By day I was an ad layout artist and by night I was a bartender in a private club. Talk about burning the candle at both ends. I was lucky to get four or five hours of sleep a day.

After I left Interstate Theaters, I moved to Florida with my best friend. There I was lucky enough to meet a fantastic older gentleman that became my patron. He furnished me with art supplies and would buy the paintings after I finished them and give them to his friends. I spent a few years being a beach bum and artist.

By the late 70s I was back in Houston where I met my life partner, Michael. Michael and I were together for 42 years when he was taken by cancer in June of 2021. The experiences that we experienced together will stay with me always. We traveled to many countries and cities in Europe. Paris was where I felt like I was just a beginner in the art world.  If you’re an artist and go to Paris you realize just how much you don’t know about art. They have street artist painting on the sidewalks creating masterpieces. There is art everywhere you look, doorways, museums, galleries, hundreds of artist setting up everywhere.

Just about everything I know about art I either taught myself or I would sit for hours on the street talking to people I would see sketching, drawing, or painting. One gentleman I met opened my eyes to a new adventure, I showed him some of my drawings and paintings which were 8X10s. He told me that if I would paint larger that I wouldn’t have to spend so much time with detail. For a while I couldn’t wrap my mind around that, I kept thinking if it’s larger you would need more detail. But after a lot of practice, I realized he was right.

For many years I did the Westheimer Art Festival and I always did very well at the festival. Really wish they would start it back up on Westheimer, it was such a great outlet for artists.

Then 22 years ago, I got an invitation to show my art in Cherry Grove, New York on Fire Island. I took a number of paintings and sold all. They have two different people judge the art, one is the director of the show and the other is Miss Fire Island. Each give out 1st, 2nd, and 3rd ribbons. I won both blue ribbons that year for the same painting. Later I was told that in all the years they had been doing the art show I was the first one to get both blue ribbons.

In the last few years, I have come to realize that I have ADD; that explains a lot. I have a problem going to lectures and trying to read on how to do things they spend so much time repeating themselves and I zone out and lose interest. Just get to the point.

Any success I have had is due to two wonderful aunts that believed in me always, a sister that has always been there for me, and to Michael who showed me the world and accepted me for who I am and never tried to change me.

Connect with Larry online:

Along with Larry’s works of art, he has recently published a new book titled, “The Celebrity Portraits of Larry Crawford.” There will be a book signing reception with the author from 3-5 p.m. on Saturday, October 23 for a meet and greet and to learn about his work. For inquires on commission work or questions, email larcrawford@aol.com.

LOIDA WEXLER

Artist Statement

Loida Wexler began her professional life in corporate America in international business which makes full use of her Master’s degree in International Business from St. Thomas University. This was not, however, the fulfillment of a lifelong dream of being an artist. Upon early retirement, she was able to fully pursue the calling – to be a professional painter and to “create”.

Having done so, she has participated in many art shows in the past and continues to improve her skills in different ways. Latest is to tackle big murals. She was asked to create 4 murals at a Houston local restaurant – Eighteen36 Bar and Restaurant on 2221 West Alabama, Houston, TX 77098 – where her work was featured in Paper City, as well as other publications.

She was formerly a part of the Art Machine Gallery at the Silos at Sawyer Yards (one of the biggest artists compounds in the U.S.) and has previously held her own studio at Summer Street Studios. She also has representation by From the Heart Gallery and Affaire d’Art Gallery, both in Galveston Texas.

Loida also has a thriving antiques business in the Heights at AG Antiques – 313 West 19th street, Houston, TX 77008 – where she has a permanent art wall exhibiting the latest works, among her antiques offerings. As a promotional effort, she is also providing the window art for the storefront which changes during the different seasons.

She lives by the law of kindness and participates in many local charities whenever possible. These include Straight out of Texas rescue group, BARC, feeding the homeless, stopping human trafficking, donations to women’s shelters, as well as other charitable organizations around Houston.

She believes everyone has the right to a happy existence – “live and let live” and supports our gay community, as well as BLM and other social causes.

Her art continues to grow and expand. She has taken art classes focusing on photo realism and portraits. She has completed over 130 pet portraits and is considered to be one of the best pet portraits artists around.

Her art is well-rounded. Some of her works include abstracts, landscapes, animals, florals, fantasy art, cityscapes, as well as portraits. One funny question she’s received upon entering her studio, “is this ONE person’s work?”

Join us for Loida’s champagne toast reception from 3-5 p.m. on September 18 to meet the artist and learn about her work. For inquires on commission work or questions, email loida.wexler@gmail.com.

Connect with Loida online:

Website: www.loidawexlerart.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/loidastreasures

NAZ KAYA

Biography

Naz Kaya was born in 1974 in Ankara, Turkey. Her studies took her to Bilkent University where she earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in Interior Architecture & Environmental Design. She went on to complete her PhD in 2001 at Oklahoma State University where she received her doctorate in Environmental Design. After finishing her studies, she accepted an assistant professor position in 2006 at the University of Georgia, where she received tenure as an associate professor specializing in color and design.

In 2006, Naz moved to Houston to work with a top-tier design and architecture firm and to further enrich her art career. She began exhibiting her art at juried exhibitions and enrolled in a painting course at the Glassell School of Art.

Later, in 2010, Naz moved to Jakarta Indonesia where she committed to art and painting full-time. During her stay in Indonesia, she travelled around the Far East Asia. Her first solo exhibition called “Inspiration: Transition” was a great success and several galleries, including the Maya Gallery, took notice of Naz’s exceptional talent. In the same year, Maya Gallery displayed Naz’s art in Singapore, where her art was well received.

Coming back, Naz now resides in Houston where she owns and operates her studio, Kaya’s Studio. Continuing her passion for art education, Naz teaches art in the public school setting, along with private lessons. She enjoys sharing her knowledge while encouraging her students to find their own self-expression.

About her art

As an abstract and expressionist artist, Naz shares her emotions and thoughts through vibrant colors, distinct shapes, and complex geometry. With every color placement, you can visualize and see emotion through her paintings. A firm believer in karma and finding your inner spirituality, she shares a glimpse inside her life experiences—from the early stages in her life and to now. Naz describes herself as having a visual library in her mind which she applies to the canvas.

Her use of bold colors, which sometimes contrast and sometimes are in perfect harmony, evoke strong emotion and nostalgia in the viewer. The placement and design of the geometry in the paintings also offer a sense of balance and direction to the emotional ride. Her art invites the viewer to experience emotions and tastes of color long forgotten and remembered once again.

In her most recent work, Naz explores and shares her journey of self-discovery and redefining her own path. She explores her emotions from early childhood and to now as a single mother. You’ll find symbolism is her work throughout, representing emotional healing and new beginnings.

For inquires on commission work or questions, email Naz at nazkaya@msn.com. 

Connect with Naz online

Website: www.nazkayaerdal.com

Instagram: @nazkayaerdal

Facebook: www.facebook.com/KayasStudio

CRYSTAL MURLEY

Biography
Crystal Murley is a mixed media painter, print maker, and glass sculptor based in Houston, Texas. Crystal is a prolific artist and abstract visionary. She is perpetually experimenting with various mediums and pushes herself to learn and explore all avenues of expression. She does not limit herself with the constraints of only one medium. She works with oil, acrylic, ink, fabric, printmaking, photography, and glass. She utilizes negative space, color theory, and mark making in her works projecting emotional connections with the viewer.

Since graduating with her MFA from Houston Baptist University, Crystal has opened a second studio in Cypress that houses her painting and ink works. This allows Crystal to focus on glass art at her main studio in Oak Forest. Glass has taken her art to the third dimension creating dynamic and unique sculptural pieces. With her newfound passion for glass, Crystal offers group glass classes to the public so they can experience the joy and thrill of creating glass art.

Giving back to the community is a key part of Crystal’s work ethic. In her time in Houston, she has given consistently for the past 15 years to local charities and organizations through art donations, service projects, and fundraising efforts. Animal protection agencies, LGBTQ+, and youth arts involvement are causes that are near to her heart. In addition to the charity work, Crystal enjoys mentoring new and young artists by providing private classes to enhance and enrich their craft.

Artist Statement
My creative desire revolves around the central notion that art possesses a healing energy. The formation of my latest body of work is an effort to connect the sensibilities found through abstraction, connecting the psychological and spiritual through obsessive mark making and color relationships. These works seek to elevate the spirit of the individuals that impacted me, while touching on the psychology behind the moments that have deeply changed my life. Iconic, deconstructed alters, or shrines, of representation for these individuals are produced through mixed media techniques in a series of works that depict a physical, emotional, psychological, and textural aesthetic.

With great loss, an invisible web is woven creating a path to great discoveries. Each of these series of works creates a symbiotic relationship of matter circumnavigating and pulsing through the human condition. These flashes of memories of my family and childhood become tangible objectifications through the work. This is done through all means of organic abstraction, finding a rhythm and an arrhythmia to the core-essence in life. This essence is the root of my experimentation and research into the interpersonal and psychological stratifications. It is my desire for viewers to find their own balance, joy, and sense of discovery through the marks that I have made with the potentiality to be a totally different experience. I see my overarching intention as one continuing to combine, through the actions of destruction and recreation, a sense of newness in the very origin of the psychology of my life simultaneously connecting to the discordance of the human condition.

Connect with Crystal online
www.crystalmurleyart.com
Instagram
Facebook
Tik Tok: CrystalMurleyArt

CHERYL BURGESS

Dream outside the lines

Born in Mobile Alabama in 1956, Cheryl spent her young adulthood traveling the world. She leapt throughout Southeast Asia; India, Austrtalia, Thialand and most recently New York and Kauai, Haiwii. During her travels she was constantly inspired by the vast colours and textures represented not just in traditonal art, but in fabrics, earth, spices and the food.

Taking a break from the fast-paced city and metropolitan environment, Cheryl escaped to live a life of spiritual enlightenment in multiple Ashram Temples for over 11 years. She practiced in-depth meditation and Bhakti Yoga; while learning the art of peace and patience. Living in India was the true inspiration for the art you see today. Motivated by the amazing color present in nearly all aspects of life, she held all her daily impressions inside until moving to New York in 1987. Pressured by her intense career in the performing arts , she could not hold the vast images inside any longer. Cheryl’s stressfull situation warrented a release and forced her to develop the vivid visions she had trapped in her mind. Starting with watercolors, she eventually transitioned into her favorite medium of acrylics on canvas.

Today, Cheryl lives in Houston with her artist husband Ron Burgess; in their living gallery. They work together to develop and implement new inspired ideas on a daily basis. Thinking creatively is at the heart of their relationship. Their love of our city, our food and Urban Eats is inspring to us and we know Cheryl’s art will be inspiring to you.

CAROL SIMON

I am a woman with many interests who loves new challenges, to experiment and develop new techniques and skills for my art.

My paintings are abstract expressionism and I use many layers of colors and texture with different types of paints, inks, mica, paper, and resin to draw the viewer into each piece. I enjoy the personal freedom that the abstract process allows. The journey of turning chaos into order really excites me. I often do not use traditional rules while creating each piece. Instead, each work evolves into unique designs and color combination by my intuition as a guide and the spontaneity process of my painting technique of mixing the colors and medium. I get my inspiration for my designs from my inner voice and creative energy as well as the places I travel.

I love using vivid colors and metallic in my art to bring a luminous look and make the painting come alive. Pouring, tilting, dragging, scrubbing, spraying and flicking paint are just a few of the techniques I use to get the results I am going for.

Most of my paintings are created on a wooden substrate and then resined to bring out the intensity and layering of colors. Some of my newer works are created with alcohol inks on plexi-glass that gives a blown glass appearance.

Simon’s studio is located at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards Street, Studio #310, Houston, Texas, 77007. Feel free to e-mail me with any questions or to schedule an appointment at cfsimon@me.com or 713-857-5121.

SHARLENE BOZEMAN

Sharlene Bozeman has a way of infiltrating any area with such intense, complex colors; creating an engaging space. The local artists’ colorful paintings permeate the scene as well as the scenes. “Painting and creating art is my passion, blending it into an interior is my expertise,” Bozeman stated. Her combination of bold coloring and intriguing designs are truly entrancing. Much like watching an aquarium, you feel tranquil and almost lost in the movement and array of hues in Bozeman’s paintings.

Her father was a cartoonist and drew all the time. “I didn’t think I had any talent,” said Bozeman. She worked all her life in sales; mostly furniture and design sales. “I lost passion for everything,” Bozeman admitted. She added she wanted a chance to give something instead of just selling something. Bozeman shared she prayed for a long time for her passion to return. Then a friend took her to a painting class. Bozeman professed, “I couldn’t get over how the colors on the white canvas exploded and looked so rich.” She started painting as a hobby. She experimented with mixtures of different mediums and discovered ink was her favorite.

Bozeman explained she blends ink using different techniques and tools to create unique textures and color patterns. She explained her love, spirit, and joy for life are translated onto the paper and “it lives.” Bozeman revealed, “I feel like I’m following a trail designed for my life. I’m in love with my work and never tire of it.” She believes the most important aspect of her work is to move people and to give them something. Bozeman declared, “My love for color, many years of experience with home decor, furniture, home sales, designing room plans and selecting fabrics and furniture gives me the knowledge to select just the right painting for any space.” She told that others often express how her paintings whisper or speak or even sing to them. She stated, “It is my hope that my art brings out a playful melody in your heart and brings joy and excitement to your home.”

To view more artist works and where to see her art locally visit sharlenebozeman.com, phone (281)772-2551 or via email: Info@SharleneBozeman.com.

CRYSTAL MURLEY

Crystal Murley is a visual artist that received her BFA in painting and design from the University of Houston. Crystal maintains her residency in Houston as she continues to create works of art that have been showcased across the nation. She has been honored with having her work published in Studio Visit Magazine as well as being one of the Top 10 Finalist in The Hunting Art Prize, a state wide painting competition.

Crystal is a modern renaissance woman, creating small and large scale works of art. Her portfolio is both diverse in size as well as medium. From wearable art, unique belt buckles, to woven mannequin heads, to sculptural paint that is suspended on the wall, her perception is unique and emotive. She has been commissioned for paintings, murals, advertisements, logos, and business cards. She enjoys printmaking, jewelry design, photography, and silk screen.

Crystal believes in hard work and dedication to her craft. She continues to grow through life experience and educates herself through experimenting with various mediums. Throughout the years Crystal’s work has become primarily abstract. She uses color fields and obsessive mark making as forms of expression. When talking about her work, she explains, “I work based on my emotions and personal experiences. At times, my work can be extremely personal; this can only be sensed by the viewer due to complete abstraction. My work is passionate on every level.”

Crystal owns and operates her own art studio in the Houston neighborhood of Oak Forest. Understanding the struggle and cost associated with a gallery show in Houston, Crystal works with new artists to showcase their art and provide a space for them to receive feedback from their peers. Helping the new artist grow and sale their work, gives Crystal a sense of pride and giving back to the community.

Crystal has always been a strong advocate of donating to any charitable organization that is helping to create a better world for those less fortunate. She continues to donate original art, as well as the proceeds from the sale of her art, to local charities.

To view more artist works and where to see her art locally visit crystalmurleyart.com, phone (713)628-0780 or via email.

DIANE GELMAN

Whether I’m painting a pastoral landscape, a colorful pastry display, or dancers in a passionate embrace, my work weaves together layers and layers of meaning and textures to inspire endless interpretations. My paintings are improvisations on realistic images with imaginative techniques, extravagant use of pattern, design, and color, and a strong emotional dimension.

I am a mixed media artist, layering together images, designs, shapes and colors. I paint with both acrylic and oil paints, using them to their best advantage, depending on the project. I often combine paint with a variety of collage elements, integrating the paint and collage to form a cohesive and complete whole. Collage enhances clarity, adds a sense of playfulness, vitality, and a surreal aspect to a carefully crafted, realistic painting. Collage is an assemblage of various small objects and forms, which sometimes include layers of paper, found objects, fabric, string, cardboard, or metal leaf. Metal leaf adds a strong element of reflectivity, shimmer, and added space.

I am most inspired by beauty in nature, interesting people, and exciting displays of food, which often engage all of my senses and sensibilities. I enjoy the process of making inventive, innovative art, which stirs something in me, and hope that it will touch the viewer as well. I use additive processes in creating my work, endlessly embellishing images, and then carving back into them again to find the real, hidden story underneath each painting.

To view more of Diane’s work visit www.dianegelman.com, phone (713)819-6377 or via email.

ROZI TURNBULL

Rozi Turnbull was born in Dorking (Surrey), England, a middle child from a musical and artistic family encouraged to paint form a young age. Her early career was in high end fashion in London. She studied art at the University of Alaska-Anchorage and has taught art on and off for 22 years. Turnbull has exhibited in Scotland, Indonesia and in the United States in Houston, Conroe and Bastrop, Texas, as well as Anchorage, Alaska. Her awards include “Best of Show” at the 2001 Girdwood Mountain Arts Festival (Anchorage), the “People’s Choice” at the 2000 UAA Faculty show and several top-three wins in annual juried shows at the Conroe Art League.

Turnbull served as President of the Watercolor Art Society of Alaska in 2000 was the International Exhibition Chair for the 2002 Watercolor Art Society of Houston, Exhibition Chairperson for the 2008 and 2009 Indonesian Heritage Society’s Art and Photography Exhibition. She has also organized successful art shows in Alford and Inverurie, Scotland, as well as presiding over the Anchorage Center for Families “Paint-A-Thon.” She was a chosen Artist to contribute to the “Bootiful Wimberley” project in Wimberley, Texas in 2014, painting two 6-foot fiberglass cowboy boots that are on permanent display in the town.

“My Work is a continual attempt to understand the personality of a single brushstroke, when it has life and movement, when it compromises and blends, where it is so direct and purposefully placed that it rings true.

I am inspired by nature and my surroundings, ever changing skies, seascapes, landscapes and the abstract that I can see in it. I am influenced by the work of Winslow Homer, Turner, Monet and Van Gogh. Each for the fresh life their work still holds, their personality and emotion that shows through the loose brushstrokes.

SORAYA BODORFF

Abstracciones del Mar y de la Tierra

Soraya Bodorff is a painter, photographer and a collage maker. She paints shoes, she writes lyrics. She studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she completed her BFA in Fine Art with an emphasis in Painting/Drawing. She also studied with Professor Tony Phillips, Judith Geichman and with New York Magazine’s senior art critic Jerry Saltz in Chicago and New York. Her primarily focus is exploring The Dream Course and Abstract Expressionism.

After school she moved to New York City where she worked at the New Museum of Contemporary Art before moving to San Francisco where she studied Graphic Design at The Academy of Art College of San Francisco.

Brought up in a Swedish/Columbian multicultural background, art history, theater and music were a dominant influence. Her family introduced her to traveling abroad at an early age; her father was a sailor with the Norwegian merchant marines. Soraya also studied in Barcelona, Spain and believes she was able to transmit influences from her favorite architect, Anton Gaudi, into her works.

Soraya continues to have vivid dreams of having lived in the city of Atlantis in a past life and also explores her dreams involving space travel. She is inspired by fashion icon Alexander McQueen, film directors Alfred Hitchcock and Tim Burton, photographer Cindy Sherman, harajuku fashion, and her favorite musician, David Bowie.

She lives and works in the Montrose district of Houston, Texas, and when she’s not producing her paintings you can find her at a park, bike riding, practicing yoga, dancing, attending music shows, and chasing birds and butterflies. She relates closely to the lyric from the band Ministry: “Well I live with snakes and lizards and other things that go bump in the night.”

For Soraya, intuition and without prior sketching, mystical creatures and mystique are organically created. She like to spend an abundance of time in area parks where she can surround herself with and absorb the energy and vibrations of nature, while observing and receiving inspiration from the creatures that inhabit this world, which she translates onto her canvas. Music festivals are a place she observes the clouds. A feeling of euphoria overcomes her as she goes about her day and life with the creatures of this world following in the form of various insects, birds, and things of various characteristics along with divine energy.

For more information about Soraya Bodorff, please visit: www.sorayabodorff.org

MARYANN LUCAS

ARTIST PHILOSOPHY: “THE ONLY FAILURE IS NOT TO TRY”

I started my artistic career depicting reality in nature and life and have evolved to a more abstract representation of that reality. I view my work as an exciting journey into the unknown – working intuitively, linking one idea to the next progressing toward a finished piece. This method enables me to keep my work fresh and creative. With each step there are unlimited choices to reach a final destination. Working in a variety of mediums is a way to constantly explore new possibilities and to push the composition to the limit. Early in my career Edgar Degas and then later Robert Rauschenberg has been most influential in my work – giving me permission to try anything.

BIOGRAPHY

MaryAnn has been studying and practicing art since the late 1960’s. She currently belongs to and participates in the Watercolor Art Society of Houston, Visual Art Alliance, and PrintMatters – winning various ribbons and awards at each. She is past President of Visual Arts Alliance, Northwest Art League and “Lone Star Art Guild” which is an organization representing approximately 15 Art groups located throughout Southeast Texas. She also is Chairman of the Pearl Fincher Art Museum Guild, leading it’s members on monthly art excursions.

MaryAnn has an intense love of art, which she expresses and promotes through her continuous support of these organizations. Her studying has consisted of taking courses at formal educational institutions as well as specialized tutorial sessions with various experts. She continually experiments with a variety of techniques and mediums living up to her motto: “The only failure is not to try”.

MaryAnn is a firm believer that “practice is the best learning tool”, and this has enabled her to become proficient in a variety of medium .achieving “Elite” status in the Watercolor Art Society Houston. For several years she has conducted workshops and given demonstrations of her art techniques in Houston and surrounding towns. She also donates numerous pieces of her work each year to various worthwhile charity auctions.

She has participated in the Houston Art Crawl, Bayou City art festival, Houston International, Woodlands, Conroe, Kingwood, Galveston and Heights art festivals over the years. Her work has made its way to various states across this country and Europe. She has also been associated with numerous galleries over the years. Most recently winning the Woodlands High School, Woodlands, Texas trust purchase award 1st place.

For more information about MaryAnn Lucas, please visit: www.malucasart.com

Ernesto Guerra

For some, dreams are simply a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep.  We live them subconsciously but they are doomed to dissolve at day break.  We are fortunate if even a trace of them remains after they flee.  If we are truly lucky, the experience endures, haunts and gnaws at us until we have not choice but to give it breath and color.

Mexican mixed media artist Ernesto Guerra was born in Chicago, Illinois.  Born the 11th of 12 children, Guerra’s innate artistic gifts surfaced through necessity.  When the family could not afford ornaments one Christmas, young Ernesto transformed some leftover McDonald’s containers into his first object d’art for the tree.  While it seemed he was on his way, his burgeoning creativity was later stunted at age 9 by a figure who should have been a source of encouragement– his 4th grade teacher.  She spurned Guerra’s submission to a school art contest and cast a spell that would hold his destiny captive for more than 20 years with the utterance of a single phrase
You are not talented.

The caged bird did not find his wings again until after he moved to New York, City in 2000.  He would work there for 9 years as Director of Operations in the demanding hospitality industry.  Stressed and stricken with tinnitus, Guerra realized he was stuck in a job he no longer enjoyed and felt his life had begun to speak to him.  It did not seem right to feel empty in one of the busiest cities on earth.  After one hard day at work, Guerra came home to find an unused paint kit that belonged to his roommate.  He picked up the brush and never put it down again.  The spell had been broken.

Guerra abandoned New York City for Houston, TX where he rejected any submission the subjectivity of art instructors in favor of taking ownership of his own artistic development.  He honed his craft through trial and error.  The self-led experience gave him the necessary validation to reclaim his destiny, a gamble that resulted in his work being featured at such venues as The East End Studio, Gallery, Talento Bilingue de Houston, M.E.C.A, Dionisio Winery, Fbar and his very first show which was featured in NYC.

Today, he shares his love through the creations in his current retrospective In Dreams.  When asked about the exhibition and his personal statement on the collection, Guerra offered: “This exhibit is my most important one yet!  This show will be a compilation of painting that I have created throughout the years and some new exciting pieces.  I paint because it allows me to be in the moment to document the joys in my life.  While I paint, I feel completely connected to my subjects and allow my faith to guide me to completion.  I hope that my artistic expressions will bring joy to your day and inspire you to bring your own dreams to life with color.

LOIDA WEXLER

Artist’s Statement:

“I am an artist who specializes in paintings/drawings in acrylics and oils using various methods such as palette knife, brushes and fluid media. I was inspired by Vincent Van Gogh through his use of texture to convey a sense of realism and movement through his work. He “breathes life” into an inanimate painting. Other masters are also admired and studied with their portrayal of light and dark to capture the drama of the objects being represented.

BIOGRAPHY

I completed my Masters in International Business from Saint Thomas University and spent 26 years in Corporate America. All through my life, I always thought I should have been an artist. I’m very happy to have rediscovered my first love, set aside for more practical things in my younger life.

My parents moved from the Philippines when I was 9 years old and as the 9th child of 10 kids, I spent my early years trying to reconcile my Asian past with my Western future. I recall trying to decide what to keep and what to let go of. My art reflects this fusion of two great cultures culminating in my “style”.

My philosophy is “Live and Let Live” and I celebrate the diversity that makes us all unique creatures of this earth. I love the freedom to express ideas that Art has allowed me to explore.

I participated in art lessons as a child and in various college level art instructions but I am mostly self-taught.”

Loida Wexler may be reached directly: loida.wexler@gmail.com or on instagram.

KACI VIGIL

Artist’s Statement:

Stability, order, organization, control, these are all things many people take great comfort in. Acting as an armor, the systematic predictability disguises the unruly chaos of the uncontrollable outside world. My work unveils the chaos of unpredictability of internal disorder while still having a technique with control and stability.

I work with a variety of mediums including acrylic, oil, and aerosol paints, charcoal, gold leaf, photography and print material. I recognize the chaos instead of fighting it then use several medium combinations and techniques to capture and create, what I call, art.

469.643.6007 | www.planetkaci.com | www.instagram/pKCapture |kaci.vigil@gmail.com

HUGO PEREZ

Artist’s Statement:

San Francisco native, Houston based artist Hugo Perez works in acrylic and pastel to develop highly textural, emotive figures. The subjects in his work can be described as idealistic, cubist in nature and informed with the cultural history of his background. Perez received a BFA from the Art Institute in 2010 and spent several years developing brands for fortune 500 companies before partnering up with longtime friend, Adrian Stuart, to launch the creative consultancy firm, Here Till Sunday www.heretillsunday.com, which blends fine art, marketing and environmental design.

Perez studio is located in the 77007 zip code in Houston.

hellohugo.net | @hugoperezart | You may reach him via email at hello.hugoperez@gmail.com

CYRIAQUE MILHAU

Artist’s Statement:

On the front end, there are cameras. They offer us a chance to change perspective, time lapse or even color range. Post-processing goes past those changes to create something beyond the extraordinary. I believe photography is the entire process that goes from capturing what the eye can’t see, to crafting new sights you can admire and share.

On the back end, there is the art. Art gets interesting when it presents something that is not only new, but also unexpected. New ideas, new discussions rarely sprout from a mundane environment. I just can’t leave you with anything ordinary. Instead, I want to fill your environments with concepts that can’t be unseen.

The Guy

Hi! I’m Cyriaque (pronounced “seeree-ack”, but I also answer to “hey, you!”). French by nationality, Texan by choice, unable to get rid of my accent, but definitely and uncompromisingly Houstonian. Engineer by trade, I like the order of things, from how they are created, to how they work and, ultimately, improved. Ever since I developed my first black and white print at age 11, I have kept a passion for photography. It’s not just pressing the shutter, it is creating something new, something unique, every time.

I work with a variety of tools, based on the situation. From my Canon 5D Mark IV to my DJI Phantom 4 Pro, and a few others in between. There is no one-size-fits-all camera I can ever be happy with. As a result, I became a bit of a gear hoarder, with quite a few lenses, filters, tripods, external lights and even backpack configurations that each allow me to provide a unique twist on a captured moment. And because technology has been made available to us, from PTGui, to Photomatix, to Photoshop, there are even more tools I am using on the post-processing side to take these pictures even a few steps further.

Going Beyond the Print

Between exhibitions and art festivals, most of my photography activity for 2018 falls into the Art category. I want my collectors to have more than just a pretty piece of visual on their wall, so I am developing the prints in two ways:

1. Art often brings awareness, but good intentions are hardly tangible. More than art, we need compassion. So for selected pieces, still at regular price, 50% of the proceeds will go to targeted local associations who are doing an excellent and much needed job at improving our community.
2. Living in the digital age, anything can be upgraded. That should apply to conventional art too. My metal prints come with a QR code that links to their own dedicated page. On there you will get more information about the image, and, in some cases, access a cinemagraph, i.e. a short video loop that bring a still image to life, and further expresses its intent.

Milhau’s studio is located in the 77007 zip code in Houston.
You may follow him on:
Instagram: @frenchtexan
Facebook: @frenchtexanphoto
or contact him directly via:
Website: www.frenchtexan.com
Email: photo@frenchtexan.com
Phone: 713.865.2240

RONNIE QUEENAN

Artist’s Statement:

I create from everyday life. I’m in constant vibration in the world around me, whether it be nature or everyday happenings around the world. Making art is like prayer, meditative connection with my soul and a sense of peacefulness.

After being diagnosed with life threatening illness and ongoing depression, a friend suggested I take a healing art class. I had always appreciated art but never thought of painting. I had been an Accountant for over twenty years so this was something totally new for me. From the first day I took that class I knew that was my calling. Without any formal education in Art, I read about other abstract expressionists I had always admired. I consider myself as a self-taught artist. I have no rules. Rarely do I ever know how a painting is going to turnout. I just stay within the vibration in myself. I call that my connection with God.

The face series gets me into my life’s stages, pain and victories. Although none of the faces are a specific person I see a little bit of myself in all of them. Looking into the eyes is like looking in the windows of the soul.

I like to use many colors. The colors form harmonies and melodies that resonate off the canvas and reverberate in the mind and heart of the viewer. It’s like visual music. I just want a person to be emotionally connected in his or her own way.

For more information:

www.thequeenancollection.com

CANDIS SMITH

Artist’s Statement:

My varies from representational to abstract and is primarily done in acrylic and oil paint with glazes. Currently, I find inspiration in the impressionistic works and my surrounding environment. My art fulfills a personal need and represents my life’s journey. My style is characterized by energetic brushwork applied in small, quick strokes which captures the light and color from nature.

Bio

Candis has been fascinated all of her life with Fine Arts including Painting and Drawing. She studied Fine Art at the Newcomb College of Tulane University in New Orleans and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Art. She is currently enjoying a rebirth and has entered into a new phase after many turns in the road along her career path which took her in and out of Corporate America. She renewed her Fine Art studies at the Glassell School of Art in Houston and the Chelsea Classical Studios in New York. She has traveled extensively to see many works of Art in such countries as France, Netherlands, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom including Monet and the Dutch Masters. She is currently entering into a phase where she is seeking exhibition opportunities and markets for her artworks.

For more information:

Email: candis66@att.net
Website: www.candissmithart.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/artworkcloud
Instagram: @candissmithart
Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards St. , Ste 302, Houston, TX 77007
281-974-2932

Carol Simon

Carol Simon is a native Houstonian and abstract expressionist artist. She has been creating art in different forms throughout her life as a hobby. In 2011, after her daughters went off to college, she started taking painting lessons and found the immediate happiness that abstract expressionism invoked in her. She realized that being an artist was her calling and has made it her full time career ever since. She likes to experiment with different types of mediums and substrates in her work. She uses vibrant colors that bring each piece to life. Simon’s gets her inspiration for many of her pieces from the glass artist, Dale Chilhuly.

She has participated in a number of group exhibitions in both Texas and California. Simon is an alumna of the University of Texas in Austin where she received a BS in Advertising. In 2014-15, she taught art and art history to elementary students at City Artworks and in 2015 covered the art scene as contributing writer for the Houston Inner Looper Newspaper.

In 2016, after working with several different types of up-cycled materials in her art pieces and seeing several community art installations, she decided to lead a community wide, permanant public art project for the First Ward of Houston, using 10,000 water and soda bottles to form a colorful flower garden on a 150 ft fence on Houston Avenue and Edwards Street.

For more information:

www.carolsimonstudio.com
Facebook @carolsimonstudio
Instagram @carolsimonstudio
Studio at The Silos on Sawyer, Suite 207

Barbara Rubenstein

Art takes me to a fanciful, fabulous place surrounded by beautiful color and dramatic feeling.  My creations are an expression of what I sense in the world around me. I strive to convey my feelings through the use of many layers of color, texture and movement.

My hope is that you will be inspired and energized by what you see.  I hope that you sense a connection that evokes good feelings and creates a special memory. I hope that my art will take you, as it does me, to a fanciful fabulous place.

Barbara retired from commercial banking in 2005 and began studying art.  She paints in the genre referred to as “abstract expressionism”, primarily using acrylics, ink and clay.  Barbara is noted for rich layers of color and texture.  Her work seamlessly melds geometric elements with vibrancy, spontaneity, and organic form.

Barbara and her family live in Houston, TX and have a vacation home in Santa Fe, NM.  Much of Barbara’s inspiration comes from nature, particularly the rich colors and awe-inspiring landforms found in Santa Fe.

For more information:

www.barbararubensteinart.com
Facebook @barbararubensteinart
Instagram @barbararubensteinart