I am thrilled to introduce to you one of my favorite humans I've met on this planet.  She's beautiful inside and out and shares her amazing artistic eye through her photos Beverly Modloff.   Bev is someone I met while working at Wolf Camera in Skokie, IL for a short time.  Although I only worked with her less than a year we really bonded over art, photography, and life.   Bev is a self-taught photographer who sees beauty within  nature capturing colorful images of wild animals and her various outdoor adventures. 

Bev studied art in college before she was drawn to photography.  She is a self-taught photographer who learned to develop her own film.  Her father-in-law a former Chicago police officer built a darkroom for her in the basement of her home.  ​

Bev's career as a photographer began when she was hired by the Skokie News in 1973 a suburb just North of Chicago.   She also did work for the Chicago Leader Post another Northside Chicago newspaper.  She worked at the Skokie News until 1979 when the paper went out of business and she continued to do freelance work after that time. 

Taken from a Florida publication one of Bev's most embarrassing experiences happened while she was working a the Skokie News.  She was on assignment to photograph President Gerald Ford and at the time it was mostly men working in the industry.  She was pushed to the back during the event and wasn't able to get a good photo.  The Secret Service announced that the photo session was over.  Bev yelled out, "Wait, I didn't get to shoot him!"  She immediately was being escorted out by the security when Ford stopped them and said, "Come over here, honey, you can get all the shots you want."   

At the time she was taking photos she also photographed Ford's son Jack.  On Ford's next visit to Chicago, she presented the photographs to the President and received a "Thank You" note from the White House.   At future meetings Ford continued to recognize her, and call out to her , "Hi, Bev."

Bev has photographed Presidents Carter, Reagan, and George H.W. Bush as well as Mayer Richard Daly of Chicago.   She also photographed Prince Charles when he was attending a reception in Chicago.   On her list of celebrities is Marie and Donnie Osmond, Kris Kristofferson and his wife, Steve Allen, Don Rickles, Bob Newhart, Lanie Kazan, Dickie Smothers, and Kenny Rogers. 

For those Chicago Fans reading this she's also photographed the Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson, Bears coach Mike Ditka, along with players Jim McMahon, and Glae Sayer.   Cubs player Ernie Banks, and a Chicago Blackhawks player Stan Mikita.  ​

In 1978 Bev went on assignment in Cuba to do research for a book on Ernest Hemingway.   The book was a collaboration with Professor John Friend of the University of Illinois.  Unfortunately Fried died prior to the book being written.  Although the assignment was not completed this experience was one her greatest adventures of her career. 

Bev traveled with her four children to many National parks including Colorado where she climbed as high as 14,000 feet above sea level.   She was in danger at least two times once she was charged by an elk and on another, a she was face-to face with a grizzly bear.   

Bev is inspired by her love of traveling and people.   In general peoples lifestyles, nature, our National parks, and animals.   Life is inspiring to Bev which is why she's such a joy to be around and hopefully can inspire you to live out your dream.    She's definitely inspired me with her personality, outlook on life, and beautiful art that she creates.  

Bev continues to enjoy photography and produce coffee table books with her six grandchildren, birds and wildlife in Florida where she resides.   She also paints currently with watercolors which hang in her home.   She's always continuing to explore new techniques with artists in Avon Park and Lake Placid in Florida.  She has won numerous photography awards and her work on Cuba was displayed at the Skokie Library in Illinois. 

Every artist that I introduce I would like to inspire just one person.   

Tell me about your photography/art background?

I’ve just always done art for as long as I can remember. My mother was an artist, so I grew up creating things and had access to supplies. It was always just a part of life for me. I started getting into in photography in junior high. It was just another means of producing images and at some
point in my twenties, photography became a way of supplementing my income. I’ve always had a pretty strong separation between my professional work and my artistic work though.

​What kind of subjects do you shoot? What are you currently working on?

I’ll shoot just about anything. Landscapes, people, objects, moments in myown life. I may not use those images for anything right away, if ever though. Sometimes I have negatives that sit around for years before they ever become something tangible. A lot of my photographic work comes out of unconventional darkroom techniques. So, a negative that I’ve shot may only be a small part of the final image.

I’m always working on several things at once. It would probably be more efficient to simply work a single project from start to finish but I get so bored working that way. Lately, I’d say I’ve been more focused on illustrative work. I’m doing some drawings for a book called, "Republican
Jelly" that is a collection of absurd short stories and illustrations. I’ve also been working on a comic. I have some paintings in the works too.

Republican Jelly Sample
THE GREAT PENGUIN MIGRATION
Sample
BY MATT READ

It was in August of nineteen ninety-six, in the city of New York, when I personally witnessed the rare and unforgettable marvel of The Great Penguin Migration. It was early evening and I was looking out the window of my seventh story apartment and enjoying a glass of strong port when I first noticed an immense black spot blotting out the stars of the late summer sky. Within minutes I could make out thousands of tiny specks looming over the New York City skyline and when these mysterious forms finally came into focus, I could recognize the unmistakable pear shapes of penguins fluttering in hordes through the night.

What inspires you as an artist?

I get depressed if I go too long without making something new. So there’s that. Sometimes it’s an idea that I have or a specific image that I want to make. I might have a theory about how to use a medium in a particular way that I want to experiment with. Sometimes it’s as simple as wanting to
feel ink on paper or paint on canvas. The physical act in and of itself can be pretty gratifying.

Who is your biggest inspiration?  

Well, Van Gogh has always been a big one for me. Vince is my man. The Impressionists and Post-Impressionists really got me into painting. Marcel Duchamp is a big one too. I can have a pretty irreverent approach to making art sometimes so I really relate to artists like Duchamp, Ai Wei
Wei, Rauschenberg.

Matt's art is so diverse. Some of his work is playful, some beautiful, you can tell that he has reached of level of creativity that most artist take a lifetime to accomplish. His fine art photos use color to enhance the composition but there is simplistic beauty in which less is more. As far as his illustrations go his lines are clean and playful and there is this underlying sense of humor in it, both in his writing and in his illustrations. With each piece of his art you get a little piece of who Matt is but he never gives you the complete picture.

Matt is also and accomplished musician playing in bands locally since he was around 12 years old. He played in a band called Fighting 90, more recently a band called Duke. This is where he came up with the name for his comic book. If you would like to check out Matt's music please go to his website which is linked below and there is also a link to a music video he did with Duke.

Please check out more of Matt's work on his website here.

Or you can follow Matt on his Instagram

Matt's music video with his band Duke called The Cruiser.

Every artist that I introduce I would like to inspire just one person.

I would like to introduce you to Stephanie Warren an inspiring artist, activist, plant-lover, photographer, and painter. Stephanie grew up in a military family and was born in Ankorage, Alaska. She attended high school in Sacramento, CA and currently resides in Austin, TX,

I met Stephanie through Instagram. She liked one of my Instagram posts so I contacted her to thank her. I had checked out her photos previously and really loved the energy I felt when I looked at them. She definitely has a natural ability to capture the mood of each moment which you'll see in her photos. Her work is colorful, powerful, but there is this gentleness to them. It could be the light, colors, or just her way of seeing. She has a journalistic approach telling a story within each of her photographs. She also is a painter and you'll see the bright colors mirrored in her painting as well.

​

​For photography, I love candid shots. I love taking fleeting moments of life and at the risk of being completely cliché, capturing them. Memorializing them, in a sense, no matter how mundane or insignificant those moments may seem. For my paintings and charcoals, there is less of a solidified approach. Whatever feels good at the moment, I do. My favorite body part are eyes, so draw those quite often and I suppose the emotions that are conveyed through the eyes that I draw reflect what I am feeling at the moment. With that,  I’m in the process of conceptualizing a series of charcoal portraits, playing with different themes. ​

Stephanie attended H.S. in Sacramento, CA and was kind of a band nerd. She played cello, violin, clarinet, alto saxophone, and obo. Although she had this great musical talent and loved the arts she never saw it as a career option. She felt the pressure of going towards a career that would make her money instead of what she loved because of the color of her skin.

In 2004, Stephanie moved to Austin and studied the culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu. She started working at a Houston's which is now Bartlett's and quickly realized it just wasn't for her. She also attended Texas State where she was she was studying Art History with a minor in Studio.
​
Currently Stephanie spends a lot of her time volunteering by doing community outreach, policy, taking photos for The Austin Justice Coalition where she is the Creative Director. The Austin Justice Coalition is an organization that promotes racial equality. This topic is something that Stephanie feels very passionately about and you can see that in some of the photos below. Stephanie also volunteers for Soulciti as stated on their website is a grassroots phenomenon to disseminate news and entertainment information of interest to African Americans. Stephanie believes that all human experiences are the same and for her she is human first and then black.
​

Tell me about your photography/art background?

Started drawing as early as I can remember. Doodling mostly when I am bored. Enjoyed art classes in school and took art class when it was available. It was fun and easy to do. From elementary school to college to professional, I kept at it working on different medias, such as pencil, paint to computers.

I’ve always been a creative person. I’ve always doodled and had a camera around me. Although art never really seemed like a viable career path, art has always been apart of my life. In regards to education, I’m definitely on the self-taught end of the spectrum. Throughout the years I have taken many art classes for stress relief but never as a main focus and while I minored in Art History (which required me to take so many hours of Studio Art classes) I’ve only recently began exploring different techniques and learning to express myself via different styles.

What inspires you as an artist?  What inspires me most to create art is Life. In all of its complexities. Through failures and victories, ups and downs, etc. To show that no matter what socioeconomic status, “race,” belief system, we are all dealing with the underlying acceptance of existence. We are more similar than we are different. I suppose, I want to do my part to make those differences we focus on less important.  

Honestly, my biggest inspiration are people who have the courage to be exactly who they are and live their lives exactly how they want. That ranges from famous people to random people I see on the street. I love me some outliers, lol. As for  famous people? Albert Camus, Angela Davis, Friedrich Nietzsche, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Erykah Badu, Kendrick Lamar, Dave Brubeck, etc.
​​

What are your goals as an artist?  My main goal is to constantly grow. I can’t say that there is an end goal. I just want to keep exploring myself and my capabilities. ​ I’m in the process of really delving into the art scene so I am saying ‘Yes’ to any opportunities. Some of my pieces will be up at local coffee shops and as for shows, if you know of any, my answer is yes!

Check out more of Stephanie's work on her website at www.stephaniedwarren.com and follow her on Instagram at _double.consciousness_ 

Every artist that I introduce I would like to inspire just one person.

"Everything becomes a little different as soon as it is spoken out loud" - Herman Hesse

​I would like to introduce to you an inspiring mixed media artist Marty Lewis.  He currently has a 100 piece show hanging at The Flightpath Coffeehouse in Austin and will be one of two participants at the ART Showdown at Halcyon in Austin this evening January 18th from 7pm-9pm.  Please stop by if you're in Austin and you'll be able to check out his work and meet Marty as well as the artist on my previous blog post Jean-Pierre Verdijo.   

Marty is a Pastors Kid which he referred to as a  "PK."  I didn't know there was a slang way of saying it but now I know.  He is from a very religious family and he is the youngest of 7 kids from California.  He currently works as a nurse and has been for about 20 years.  

Marty loves symbolism in art and tries to put allot of that into his art.   He takes from the past and the present and merges it.  He talks about life, death, sin, resurrection, and color.  The process of cutting for him is almost like a meditation.

How did this art thing get started for you?

My sister Rachel was an amazing artist and she passed away  5 years ago in 2012. When I went back to California a few of years ago and I got into some of her art supplies in 2015.  That is really where things have taken off for me as an artist.  It was a conduit for my healing with her death and that's where the gates opened up for me.​

What is inspiring you to produce so much art? 

I'm a really passionate person and I might be a little OCD I think.  Once I find something I'm really passionate about I grab onto it and just fucking go with it.   

 What type of material do you use to create your art?  Acrylic, Watercolor, Gouache, Found paper and vintage magazines from the 1930's-1970's

Tell me more about how your sister Rachel and how she influences your art?  Rachel has been the biggest inspiration in my art.  I feel that I do bring her with me when I'm creating art although our styles were different we both do assemblage.  One of the first pieces that I did was an assemblage piece.  She worked with oil and acrylics.  

​Is there anyone else that inspires you?  It's so cliche to say your parents but without the foundation that they instilled which is a traditional foundation.  Art, literature, music.....They were the most inspiring because I was surrounded by that. 

Tell me more about what inspires you as an artist? The dadist are some of the most influential artists for me. It is said that Dadaism rejects reason and logic, prizing nonsense, irrationality and intuition. This type of art certainly intrigues me. Collage allows for the aforementioned and speaks loudly to how I feel about much of what are art has become.

Are there any specific artists that inspire or influence your art? Lance Letscherdoc who is a local artist in Austin has influenced my work. Last year there was a documentary released about him called The Secret Life of Lance Letscherdoc check out the trailer here.

"I am interested in as a means of living a life; not as making a living" - Robert Henri

I'm really new to understanding and writing about mixed media but there is definitely a specific skill set it takes to understand composition, shape, color, and story telling.  Each of Marty's pieces is dramatic and makes a statement.  Some are a little shocking but most are playful and humorous.  From what I've learned about Marty over the last few weeks is that his art does define who he is as person.  Most artist do express themselves through their art since they pour their heart and soul into it.  That is the case for Marty and why he is inspiring to me.  Please check out all of Marty's work on this blog and follow him on Instagram where he posts a new piece of artwork daily.

Please check out all of Marty's work on this blog and everything is for sale so please contact myself or you can follow Marty on Instagram here.  

Every artist that I introduce I would like to inspire just one person.

Jean-Pierre Verdijo was born December 29, 1973 in New York City during an exciting time in the arts, during the dawn of pop art, beginning of hip hop, disco, punk, there was also a huge underground party scene. It was when being an amazing artist was equivalent to being a rock star. A time period that Keith Haring was creating graffiti art all over New York City and right before Jean-Michel Basquiat started painting. When Jean-Pierre was just 2 days he was placed into foster care.

​After 4 1/2 years he was reunited with his mom and lived in New York until he was 10. Jean-Pierre’s time in New York continues to influence him as a person and artist. One of Jean-Pierre's fond memories was when he used to casually roller skate into galleries on Columbus and Broadway in New York to check out the art. During his childhood his only experience with creating art was in elementary school. After that he didn't pick up any kind of art again until he started painting skateboards with Paper Mate White Out when he was around 15 years old.

At 10 years old Jean-Pierre and his mom left New York and headed to Toronto where they became homeless. From Toronto they went to Chicago, Houston, and Miami all of which he experienced living life on the streets. In Miami his mother was finally able to get a disability check that she applied for many months earlier. The first thing she did was bought Jean-Pierre a skateboard. His mom also asked him where he wanted to live and he said California. This is what he was seeing in the Thrasher skateboard magazine. He read that if you wanted to become anything in skateboarding California was where it was at. This is where he pursued skateboarding a became an amateur competitive skateboarder. Skateboarding played a role in how he dealt with the difficulties he faced as an adolescent and he still skateboards today.

Jean-Pierre's best friend Mike Rafter who happened to be a professional skateboarder gave him his first paint set when he was 20. At 20 Jean-Pierre travelled to Arizona to meet his father for the first time. After this time is when Jean-Pierre really started focusing on developing into the artist he is today. He spent 8 years at Sacramento Community College taking every psychology and art class he could not to earn a degree but to work on himself and overcome his life struggles. This is something that most artist have in common is that they struggled through a life challenge at some point and through art it how they heal.

​Jean-Pierre has an extensive list of solo and group exhibitions in California, Texas, and New York. He also has a collaborative show coming up on Jan 18th at Halcyon in Austin. Please come out and experience Jean-Pierre's work in person. He curates the Soma Vida Gallery in Austin where has several of the pieces in this blog on display.

As cliché as it must be, one of my greatest inspirations of all time is nature, not just its aesthetic qualities like its expansiveness & layers, and penchant for geometry, but also in the way it moves in seasons, the diversity in which it promotes itself, how it just exists without judgment.  Maybe most powerful for me is it’s relentlessness. It keeps pushing constantly, it always wins. I’ve taken notes on modeling myself in that quality.  ​Human culture and individual beings are a constant reminder of our potential for expression and source of creativity.  The friction of humanities reach for it’s dignity in a atmosphere of deadly exploitative political theater, hypocritically divisive religious dogma, and the cooperate choke-hold on our culture is the most fascinating thing I’ve ever had the privilege to be apart of. ​

​Who inspires you as an artist?

​In music I find it in the freestyles of hip hop greats like Black Thought of The Roots and Kendrick Lamar, and also in underground artist like One Man Army and Supernatural. The production of J-Dilla and Kanye West, the old Jazz Masters, the  skateboarding of Mark Gonzales, Tom Penny or John Cardiel.   Honestly it’s everywhere now, It’s unlocked and so many devoted artist, athletes, musician, facilitators, chefs, parents are just taking living to a level that elevates us all.  I enter the state of flow in only a few circumstances.  Most often in my art studio, on the dance floor, in a moment of contemplative prayer or in service to my children or while volunteering with under privileged youth.

Jean-Pierre's work is bold yet soft, it's powerful while adding eloquent detail, it makes a statement while expressing beauty.   When I first observed Jean-Pierre's art I knew it was good but I needed to take a closer look.  He has so many pieces of art that it was overwhelming for me to completely get a grasp on the depth of his creations.   When you look at many of the pieces they have so many layers both in materials used and in meaning behind each piece.   

What is truly brilliant about Jean-Pierre's work is that it takes you as the viewer where you want to go.  He studies the complexity of the world through his art and brings attention to different powerful topics including feminism and racism.   He has may pieces of art that are in multiple pieces including his work called Inheritance which has 108 pieces each with a different religion displayed which is located in the slideshow below.  

​He is also an artist that focuses on sustainability where he uses discarded and up-cycled materials.  Please check out his artist statement to find out more info on this topic.

"The message in art is about creating your life.  Creating your myth, your rules, your community, your sacrifices, your ambitions, your goals, and ultimately your way, your path."-  Jean-Pierre Verdijo

What does being an artist mean to you?  The message is to create a structure to engineer your own freedom.  That structure being high and transparent enough for the public to witness your struggles and your victories.    It also means to take the stage in a sea of actors, and hold true to my authenticity, that's what being an artist means to me.  

The words BEAUTY and POWER are on repeat in my head currently.

​I would recommend looking at each piece of art I have on this blog post and check out his website as well. Pay attention to the detail of each and how elaborate they are. When I started checking out Jean-Pierre's work the geometric shapes the small squares, and big circles, nature, clouds, are what stood out. Many of his pieces include various texts from different languages behind the imagery. You really can't compare a previous piece of art to the next which means that as an artist Jean-Pierre continues to expand and grow.
​​

What's interesting to me is that by writing this blog about Jean-Pierre and his struggles that you can really feel his transformation.  He started off in the most difficult situation you could possibly be in when you're an infant entering this world and it didn't get easier for him.  He just persevered and worked harder to do what he loves which is make art.  If you like a piece of his art please consider purchasing one since he does make his entire living off of his beautiful creations.  

Check out Jean-Pierre's website here and follow him on Instagram here.   Check out up and coming collaborative Instagram account with exciting things to come called the artisofthebluerose 

By getting to know each artist it really helps me understand their work better but also myself better.  I'm so grateful for each artist that lets me in to understand what inspires them.   

Each artist that I introduce I would like to inspire just one person.  

An only child from Springfield, Missouri who was born with a natural talent to create.  Wiley is an accomplished musician who can play the piano, guitar, drums, harmonica, as effortlessly as he paints.  His parents played a huge role in his success by supporting him throughout his endeavors.  ​

​With the idea of creating a band called Street Light Suzie and an album pre-written, Wiley headed to Austin 13 years ago to make his dream of being a musician a reality.   Wiley joined the band which became Street Light Suzie.  Street Light Suzie became well-known for their 2013 album called the "Red Album" and they have two albums currently for sale on iTunes.  Wiley has also received credits for placing songs in film and television in shows such as CSI, Nikita, Ringer, VH1, and E! shows which it stated on his website.   You can check out some of his solo music hear (Link to Wiley's Solo Music).  He is also recognized for creating unique bleach t-shirts called Bleach T's by Wiley. 

Different than my previous blogposts I didn’t know Wiley prior to writing this. I briefly met him at an art show earlier this year but didn’t really know him or his art.  A mutual friend Chris Marinez  whom I did a previous blog post on  from Catatonic Arts recommended  I write a blog about Wiley.  It has been an eye opening experience to say the least.   I had a glimpse of Wiley's life and was able to check out his work which I am excited to introduce to you.  

​I spent a short time with Wiley but really learned to appreciate his art and who he is.   What I learned is that when you're in a room with Wiley his personality is all-encompassing, interactive, musical, distracting, and brilliant.  He knows exactly what he's doing but you'll never know what he's going to do next.   He could play a quick tune on his piano and then start a painting a few minutes later.  It's really hard to tell exactly what's going on in his head but he's definitely open to discussing anything.  

​                                     "Weird is normal and normal is fucking weird" - Wiley Ross

Wiley paints famous but is drawn to the ordinary.  He doesn’t want clients to purchase his paintings because of the subjects being famous.  It's about the art and the effort that went into making it.  Wiley is self taught in painting and has been creating art since he can remember.   

​When he was a young artist he would watch "Come Fly with Me" a documentary about Michael Jordan to find inspiration.   Standing at 6' 6" Wiley dreamed of being a basketball player and received a scholarship for both art and basketball to William Jewel College in Liberty, MO.   He felt that he never really fit in, packed up and headed to Austin to pursue his music career.      

During our interview Wiley had a Picasso documentary and Wiley pointed out how Picasso uses his entire arm to paint.   He frequently watches documentaries about his favorite artists to get inspired.   As mentioned previously Wiley is a giant guy and he doesn't see himself painting anything small in size.  Most of his paintings are measured in feet including his murals that he is well-known for all over Austin as well as a few located in Missouri and Dallas.    

Is there anyone that you know personally that is an inspiration to you?    Yes, Brad Noble who is an artist that Wiley met through a mutual friend and Instagram.   On Brad's website he states that he likes painting allegorical pieces from his imagination.   He likes story telling and is inspired by current events around the world.  His pieces are fairly large as well and refined, dreamlike, but so good that you can't stop staring at them.  

​"Brad is inspiration to me because he's an absolutely amazing artist, plus he's a hell of a guy and I can learn a lot from him." - Wiley Ross

I contacted Brad and this is what he had to say about Wiley's work. 

"Wiley is an all around talented, energetic renaissance man. We were introduced through a mutual friend but also went to the same high school-at different times. I saw his large scale murals and invited him out to NYC to partake in a live art project I was developing in Times Square.  As a visual artist, his work reflects the energy and spontaneity of his character as well as the underlying mastery he seems to appreciate."  - Brad Noble

"Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative" - Oscar Wilde

Name a few people that are inspiring to you?  Basquiat, Picasso, Devo,  Kurt Cobain, Johnny Cash, The Beatles, Jim Morrison.   All of his inspirations listed here have many things in common but the one that stands out to me is that they all they all had an impact on how art, music, paintings, poems, sculptures are viewed.  Many of these artists being relatable by the way they expressed themselves.  

​                              “It isn't about what they do, it's about who they are”. - Wiley Ross  

The quote following this was from someone that had met Wiley at one of many art shows he participates in around Austin.  It really stood out to me as to how on accurate it is.  ​

“I so enjoyed meeting you and hearing how you are so open-minded about creativity and techniques. There is a sort of semi controlled randomness about your pieces, but it is no happy accident you are purposeful and skilled. The risk of imperfection doesn't thwart you and is exactly why it is so relatable! As human beings imperfection is exactly what makes us beautiful... You are able to make relatable beautiful art and I am so grateful you are compelled to share it with the rest of us”.      - Mia Culpepper

Another inspiration to Wiley is his 6 year old daughter Veda Moon.     Being a dad is everything to Wiley and you can tell by the way he talks about is Doodie.   She's super cute and definitely has a fun-spirited dad that's willing to try or do anything to make her happy including singing, dancing, creating art, going to the movies, just about anything.   

Now that you know Wiley's background and how he got to Austin let's talk about him as a painter.  Several of his paintings reflect some of his favorite artists work but have a Wiley twist.   His style is fluid and progressive, he loves using every color you can imagine to create depth, emotion, and to help the viewer make sense of what they're viewing.  There were several moments when I was viewing his paintings in person that left me without any words to describe them.   

 Wiley's paintings are so undone but yet complete at the same time.   Even looking at his murals to me it is not just about technique but about bringing his subject to life.  He can make a tomato look interesting, but with the human face he portrays the emotion of his subjects in a way that makes you feel something.   The painting in the center above is of a women's face and I don't know the title since many of his paintings go without.   But I was drawn to this painting because of the warmth of the color, the sadness in the eyes, it just left an impression on me.   

It's now hanging in my stairway which I walk past everyday and it has brought an entirely different feel and energy to my house.   I believe the value of art is with the viewer and me as the viewer of Wiley's paintings I would consider them priceless.  His pieces are unique, powerful, and ever-changing.   

Please check out all of the work I posted here as well as on Wiley's website.   He has so much work that's he's completed that it has made it difficult for me to narrow down the best.   

"I don't know what's going to happen, man.  but I wanna have.  My kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames.  Alright!" - Jim Morrison

Check out Wiley's Website here to learn more about this inspiring artist.   All of the work shown is for sale unless already sold.     

​If you would like to be featured on my blog or you know someone that should please contact me.  

​Each artist that I introduce I would like to inspire just one person.

Ian Mapua is an artist that I have known for over 13 years and happens to be my husband.  At the time  that I met him he was a recent graduate with a B.A. in Graphic Design from The University of Texas at Arlington.   We connected immediately because of our mutual love and passion for the arts.   I chose Ian for my blog for two reasons.  The first is that he's a great painter and I would do anything to reignite is interest in painting.  The second is that I thought I might get to know the person that I've been married to for 10 years a little bit better.  There are many graphic designers out there that are good at what they do but they can only create with a computer.   He is not only excellent at graphic design but can bring his ideas to life with his large bold paintings on wood and canvas. 

Tell me about your art background?
I started drawing as early as I can remember. Doodling mostly when I am bored. I enjoyed art classes in school and took art class when it was available. It was fun and easy to do. From elementary school to college to professional, I kept at it working on different medias, such as pencil, paint to computers.

What inspires you as a photographer/artist?
Cartoons, comic books and Manga which are comics created in Japan.    I watched a lot of TV, movies and video games.  By being glued to the screen I started incorporating my comic book style into my art.   Anything from Disney cartoons in the afternoons to anime late at night.  I would even pay attention to commercials on TV for video editing, typography on magazine covers, and colors in advertising just to see what the current trend is.   The thing that I love the most about painting is you can take a single canvas to tell an entire story.

 Who is your biggest inspiration?
I am inspired by cartoons and comics and movies.  Also, Andy Warhol for his simple pop approach to Lichtenstein straight comic pop. Anime from Akira Toriryama to Hayao Miyazaki or basically anyone from Studio Ghibli and Madhouse Inc. Too many to list.  

What are your goals as an artist?
I do whatever is easy to do but is still enjoyable.  I love working on projects that I'm so into you lose track of time.  I'm passionate about doing graphic design for a living which I've been doing for over 15 years.  Although sometimes the work can be tedious I still find parts of the work gratifying.  I would like to teach my daughters and guide them into creating their own art.  My 7 year old Maddie is good at drawing and loves art.  

Below is a sample of drawings and paintings below that were from various projects from H.S.    

The language I choose is photography.  For me photography is constantly changing the way we view the life around us.  During the time that I took the photos below I was discovering who I was as a photographer and learning how to feel comfortable photographing the stories of others.  All of the photos were shot in Colorado and many of them were shot on the 16th Street Mall.  Some were on film and others were the very beginning of me shooting digital which was many years ago.  One belief that has stayed consistent throughout my time as a photographer is that every persons story deserves to be told.  Many of my portfolio shots are representative of that belief.  I love photographing people who rarely or never are photographed.

Chris is an Austin, Texas based artist who takes what he sees, believes, and feels and makes beautiful pieces.  Using bright colors and layers of texture to make you keep staring.  The longer you look at each piece you realize that they're constant in one thing and that is change.  This can be related to the way we see life.  Many people go through life without observing what makes it different.  In his work he forces you to see change by including metallic layers, among think paint, and acrylic.  He also incorporates other objects into his work which he writes about below.  The other thing I noticed was there's an element of self destruction and renewal within his work.

How would you describe your artistic style?  It is a mix of assemblage and mixed media art. I started creating art at an early age I loved to draw and make things I wanted to see, like sharks, and cool cars, and soldiers, whatever I felt like doing.  I see my youngest daughter is the same way and way more talented than I was at her age, she's 7 now and been drawing since she was about 3.  Anyways it carried into high school where I did a lot more drawing and ceramic sculpture was my favorite.  I was in the Air force in my late teens early 20's and all of my artistic ability went on hold for God and country and heavy drinking.  After the military I got right back into art, with drawing where I left off and went into community college taking art classes, life drawings, and starting at mixed media where an assignment was a challenge to my art and I wanted to make bigger and better.  From there I would sell some cool prints that I would frame, mostly to friends and family. Mixed media assemblage started off as my junk art, finding and ripping objects apart like stereos for the circuit boards etc.  I like using recycled canvas, people I met while working as a mover wouldn't want to haul off their awful paintings they did, but all I saw was "wow, that's a nice blank canvas" even though it was tagged up with their idea of patch quilt pattern art, the canvas had to have cost at least $100 I would turn it later into a work of art.

Chris's art history continued....Anyways I was broke when I really started making bigger pieces and I like to use layers with mixed media, canvas was out of my price range so I moved onto using wood panels, they were cheaper for the size and more durable. The first wood panel I made 10 years ago I won 1st prize in this 2 dimensional community college art contest and $200 woo hoo! I use clear coat resin coating with almost all the panels and canvas I make, I never saw it before I was doing it, now everyone is using wood panels and resin. I like the high gloss shine (because my soul isn't shiny) and layers you can create with enough time and money the layers are unlimited

What types of media do you use?  Sometimes I use photography, mainly from whatever phone camera I have at the time, sometimes I'll capture an image and change it up digitally, the colors, textures or whatever, I will get prints done to whatever size I feel like and transfer the image on wood and then add all kinds of extra paint and resin to it till I feel its done. Sometimes I'll get my created image printed on an acrylic mount, which is expensive but looks so bad ass. Sometimes I will just create mixed media abstract art on a wood panel with whatever I'm feeling or whatever color scheme comes to mind at the time.

What projects are you currently working on? I've started some projects almost 8-10 years ago, put them away and forget about them till later. Recently I just pulled out at least 3 pieces I started 8 years ago and finished them for some art contests, and within a few months sold them. I have several works not finished but on my long list of to do things. One of those pieces was a giant tree I drew with gorilla glue and gold leafed the entire thing on this 5x5 canvas, it came out amazing.

What inspires you as an artist? What inspires me as an artist is the ability to create from nothing, sometimes I have a plan and sketch and sometimes it works, and sometime sit doesn't but I always seem to make it work in the end. But to create something that invokes emotion in a person, when they look at a particular piece I want someone to feel the same emotion it gave me. I am inspired by nature a lot, trees are my favorite. Trees, mainly without leaves, fall winter trees. They look a lot like brain dendrites and shows that the outer world and inter world are closely related and have connection and relevance. I like that and to use repetition with slight changes, just like making a digital recreation or changes to one of my favorite artists paintings and then creating it my own style over and over again. I also like to put my wife's face in things to over and over repetitively, she's beautiful and my muse. So why not use her. Woman is creation, in a way God. When I imagine God sometimes it's hard not imagining her as a woman. They give life, man easily destroys it.

My biggest inspiration is probably like any artist from my generation who fell in love with 20th century artist like Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollok, Gustav Klimt, to name a few. Some further back as Edvard Munch and Georgia O'keeffe, Rembrandt.

A local artist who I was introduced to by a friend that really inspired me is Roi James of http://www.roijames.com I've never met the guy in person, but we communicated through email back and forth and I sent him some pictures of stuff I had done, he gave me feedback and told me to do a series of subject matter, like my trees. He said do them over and over again and I will evolve from there. I took his advice and I'm still doing trees sometimes and it is evolving. He would probably never remember me, but in this fast paced digital 21st century I guess this is how some meet. I still follow him and really really like his creations. I need to see them in person someday.

What is your main goal as an artist?  My main goal as an artist is to give that "wow" factor and evoke emotion. I think all artist are trying to evolve into the next new thing that hasn't been done yet, but with influences from all previous artistic eras. I want to finally get my art into the future we imagined as kids.  I want art on walls or sculptures that would correspond to flying cars and 22nd century technology. If I was from the future what art would I like, that's where I want to go, to create that art from the future.

Some exciting projects I have worked on were gifts. When I'm tasked with doing a friend a gift project those are exciting. My guy friends will ask for something special done for their spouse and sometimes I will actually use the image of their wife as the subject matter without them knowing till the final revealing. It might be a print, it might be mixed media, but when I'm tasked with a personal assignment I think of the person the whole time I'm doing it for them.  It was created with them in mind literally.

It started out with being too broke for Christmas presents to family so every year I would recycle framed art from maybe walmart that my mother in law handed down.  I would gut the art from the frames and paint the frames over and inject my own version of art into the frame as long as it was ready to hang, I would even include the nail so that there wouldn't be any excuse to not hang it up.  Now all I can do is think of the next big thing to do, I like creating big big pieces, 6ft and up.  I like doing mixed media abstract layers,and have so many ideas I havn't done yet. But it helps to keep a mental honey do list in my mind that I eventually get to when the idea is just right, and the budget.

Here's a link to my generic website studiomarinez.com next year it should be epic. My sister is a big motivation for me, she pushed me into my first exhibition in California and since that I've been nonstop. She even created my website, I don't like working on websites and things that I can't control by ripping them apart when frustrated and turning it to hanging art so she does that for me. 

Each artist that I introduce I would like to inspire just one person.

“Nothing is worth more than today”- Anonymous

Who is your biggest inspiration? 
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I really love the art of the old renaissance painters such as Rembrandt (my favorite). In many ways, I look at other photographer's work to see what they are doing, so I can do something different or something that is not being done. At the start of my college career, I saw many of my friends with makeup, though hardly ever without. Not being a fan of make up myself, I wanted to show other’s natural beauty in comparison to what their painted face would be. I called it the Naked series, as most of the gals I worked with felt naked without their makeup on. It was not more than three months after I finished the project, all the stars and make up companies started doing the “natural” look and posting images without makeup, or very little makeup at all. When this happened I discontinued the series, as I do not want to do what other people are doing if I can avoid it.   Other inspirations are just everyday objects, most of the time in nature, but sometimes it is inanimate objects that in my mind, come to life. Like Danny, my teddy bear, who was the subject of MANY of my school projects.

What are your goals as a photographer?

As far as goals, I would like to show my candle light work in a few galleries next year in the Seattle area. A few exciting projects I have worked on were my candle light photography series, in which I build a keylight system to light my subjects with candles, and my work with a few local hotels in Seattle for food photography. The cedar wood fire salmon was featured in Alaska Airlines Magazine.  

Advice, when and if you get a digital DLSR camera, read your manual and if you take one workshop or class do not expect everything to click right away, it can take months.  Never give up on your passion. 

“Photography is like golf, you never master it, but you can always get better.” - Anonymous

Check out more of Brittany's photos at ​brittanybaileyphotography.com

Each artist that I introduce I would like to inspire just one person.

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