Artist of the week - Cheryl McClure

“I have always been influenced by nature and the land. Living on a ranch in northeastern Texas for a number of years has moved that influence up a notch. Here I am surrounded by trees, pasture lands, sky, pond and a meandering creek. Looking out my windows in the house or from a window in the studio is such a pleasure for me. Sunny, windy, gray or rainy, I can always find something I can relate to; take note of consciously or unconsciously. These observances are reflected in my work.”

“With all this said, I do not set out to paint what I actually see in nature. It just comes through as I work through my process. Whether in acrylic painting or the warm and sensual encaustic medium, I strive to let the painting speak to me. I make revisions when I see that is where the painting is going. I have a conversation with the paint and the process.Without a social or political message, surface quality, color relationships and formal design are what I am interested in when painting.”

Artist of the week - Kathryn Abernathy

Stillness

Kathryn Abernathy

Inner Guidance

 Pieces I

"I believe that creativity has the power to heal. Years of near-constant migraine headaches were the reason that I started painting. I am truly thankful to have gone through those years of pain and disability. Without them I would not have found this affinity for living a creative life. I've discovered that art can guide you to lead a fuller life; to live more in the moment; to have deeper connections to the world around you. Relating this message to others is important to me."

 Mandarin Dawn

"As a self-taught artist, I've come about my way of painting through experimentation and by being willing to relinquish control; to see what will happen; to risk ruining what I've worked on for days in an effort to create a more powerful piece. Layers of acrylic paint flow and spread into and over one another. Turn, watch, respond. Repeat until the painting itself tells me it is complete.
I am a most unlikely person to have a career as an artist. My past and present includes a degree in Mathematics, a career in computer programming, and being a wife and stay at home mom. The most contrary detail is that I had no previous exposure to the world of Art. Now, in mid-life, I completely rely on my art to distill meaning and understanding from life's joys and, more often, its challenges. I'm a true example of how its never too late to let Art steal your heart - and renew your soul."

 Her painting Effloresence on the cover of the February 2010 edition of At Home Tennessee magazine.

Artist of the Week - Ann Tristani

Setting Sun

Juicy Fruit

Fresh from the Garden

Harvest

"Becoming an oil painter is my response to a lifetime of appreciating the wonder of creation.  Although my paintings vary greatly in subject matter, they all exude a sense of comfort and hope, and often reflect the simplicity of days gone by.  I find loveliness in sometimes ordinary pieces of life and strive to capture that on canvas, drawing viewers to ponder a moment of beauty they might not otherwise take time to notice.

As an artist I have grown from being mostly self-taught to an artist who has over the last few years made it a priority to study with, paint with, observe and listen to many of the greatest Master Artists of our time. 

I believe that my life as an artist is a journey of growth and discovery that never ends.  Yet there is no shortcut to growing as an artist.  It takes hard work, diligence, and determination.  One must simply put the time in and paint.  Because I have done this I can clearly see how my skill as an oil painter has evolved over the years.  It is as if the light has been turned on in my paintings…now there is a glow of light radiating from my canvas. I really feel that I am at a crossroads and about to enter “the next level”.  

Currently, I am an instructor at the White Bear Center for the Arts (WBCA) in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, sharing my enthusiasm and experience with beginning oil painters who are taking the leap into the life-changing world of painting."

Artist of the Week - Leo Stans 1953-2011

Leo William Stans was born on April 12th, 1953, to parents Paul and Blanche Stans. He was raised in the small town of Victoria in Minnesota, where he and his friends spent long hours outdoors fishing, hunting, and building tree houses. He assisted his parents with their paint and wallpaper business in Excelsior and helped build the beautiful Dahlgreen Golf Course, which his relatives constructed on his grandfather's farm land almost entirely by hand. He attended the elementary school in Victoria, and graduated from Chaska High School.

Being an avid outdoorsman, he decided to pursue a degree in forestry at the University of Minnesota, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree. After college he held various jobs, including selling insurance. As he had always had a talent for art, he became drawn to painting wildlife and landscapes, and in 1980 decided to become a professional artist.

He met a beautiful young woman named Janet Morgan in 1979, and on June 25 1983 they were married in the Catholic Church at St.Josephs in Hopkins Mn. They moved to Chaska and had a daughter, Lea, on May 2 1986. In 1991 Leo was commissioned to paint The National Park Series, which was sold as framed prints. These prints were wildly successful and 100,000s were sold throughout the U.S. and Canada.

His son Paul was born on November 23, 1992, and a year later Leo moved his family to a newly-built house in the countryside of Belle Plaine, situated along the lush Minnesota River valley. When not painting his free time was spent landscaping their yard and taking his family for hikes in the woods and on the river valley trails.

They took road trips to Arizona, one of Leo's favorite places, and to Las Vegas and Disney World. In 2002, seeking fresh artistic direction, Stans began to paint historical street scenes situated in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and to paint landscapes of the magnificent Southwest that he loved so well. In 2009 he had the honor of being chosen to be the official artist of the Minnesota State Fair. Leo passed away on March 22, 2011. He is survived by his wife Janet, daughter Lea, and son Paul, and by his mother Blanche, his older sister Carol Frey and brother-in-law Rich Frey, and his younger sister Terrie Brown and brother-in-law Dave Brown, as well as a large circle of relatives and friends.

Leo Stans was a man of great talent, integrity, and charisma, and had the rare gift of making friends wherever he went. He was sentimental and introspective, had a keen sense of humor, and his kids loved to make him laugh. He was a passionate and skilled hunter and fisherman, and had a deep appreciation for wildlife and natural areas. His great love of beauty was expressed through his many paintings, which were and will continue to be recognized for their rich colors and attention to fine detail. He had great faith in his own talents, and a drive to share those talents for the benefit of others. His family and friends are comforted by the fact that his legacy will continue on through his artwork.

Artist of the Week - Andrea Courchene

 I discovered the most charming artwork by a Florida artist, Andrea Courchene when I was looking for the perfect art for a pediatric clinic recently.  Just a little bit about the artist in her words:

"I grew up in England, but now I live in the Sunshine State. I have been playing cello for over 25 years! I started at age 3. I love music, art, crafting, diy, and vintage shopping.

In my free time, I love picnics, vegan donuts, taking road trips in my wagon and petting my cat Skittles.

My favorite animals are cats, sloths, foxes, deer, owl, narwhals and dogs."

Artist of the Week - Patty Evert

Growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, my family always nurtured my passion for art and the desire to paint. After graduating with my B.F.A. in painting from Carnegie Mellon University, I moved to Colorado and eventually to California, where I have been painting for 20 years.  At my first big art opening in 1987, then Mayor Federico Pena presented my work in the atrium of the innovative Silver Square in downtown Denver where I sold three quarters of the show. I went on to sell my paintings through galleries, interior design showrooms, designers and architects throughout Colorado as well as Santa Fe, Los Angeles and San Diego.  In 1989, I moved to Los Angeles where I painted numerous private and commercial commissions while also working as a sales representative for an interior design showroom. The added-value of my interior experience led to other interior design work, including the renovation of The Georgian Hotel, a beautiful art deco boutique hotel overlooking the Santa Monica Bay. This project helped launch my career as an interior designer and project manager for hotels throughout the U.S. and Asia, where I traveled and consulted for several years. A fine artist for the past eight years, I have worked as both a fine art consultant and as an artist for the hospitality, corporate, healthcare and residential markets.  My painting skills, combined with the opportunity to express color and materials through interior design, have allowed me to create art for a living. Combining my personal work with practical experience has given me an understanding of the functional and creative needs of interior design projects. As the world becomes more complex, and the life of an artist becomes more of a business, I strive for continued opportunities to combine the best of both worlds.

Artist of the Week

Hazel Belvo is an artist, master teacher and mentor. 

She has exhibited nationally and internationally for 46 years and her work is in many public collections including the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Bezalel Museum, the Dewitt Wallace Collection, MMM and General Mills. 

Hazel was a Radcliffe Institute Scholar and WARM Gallery member. She has retired as a Professor Emeritus at Minneapolis College of Art and Design after 34 years of teaching. 

She has taught and mentored at the Grand Marais Art Colony for 25 years. In appreciation of her long time commitment to the Art Colony her name was added to a plaque hung in the founder's studio in 2008.