Lukas Moll is a queer artist based in Cologne, Germany. His work is deeply rooted in the experiences and struggles of the LGBTQ+ community, aiming to bring visibility to themes like isolation, discrimination, and resilience. He also explores topics such as sexual violence and abuse, using art as a medium for healing and advocacy.
Read moreBIOPIC | Paola Charnet →
Paola Charnet is a talented figurative oil painter with Spanish and French roots, currently based in Barcelona. Her work is known for blending classical traditions with modern, geometric elements, creating a unique visual language that conveys emotions through color and form. She draws inspiration from her grandmother, Cachi Soler, a renowned Spanish painter and sculptor, and incorporates influences from her academic training in art and her background in the technological industry.
Paola Charnet employs a fascinating blend of classical and contemporary techniques in her paintings. She specializes in figurative oil painting, drawing inspiration from classical traditions while incorporating modern, geometric elements. Her work often features intricate geometric shapes and vibrant colors that interact with the human figure, creating a unique visual language to convey emotions.
She combines her academic training in classical art with influences from her background in the technological industry. This fusion results in elements reminiscent of digital aesthetics, adding a futuristic touch to her work. Her series, such as "Geometry of Emotions," exemplifies this approach, where geometric patterns and colors symbolize interconnected thoughts and emotions.
BIOPIC | Alexandra Manukyan →
Alexandra Manukyan is a talented artist known for her surreal and figurative oil paintings. Her work often explores themes of human connection, strength, and the impact of individuals on their surroundings. She portrays strong, almost god-like women in her art, blending imagination with reality to create evocative narratives.
Manukyan employs a blend of classical and contemporary techniques in her paintings. She primarily works with oil paints, which she appreciates for their rich texture and slow drying time, allowing her to create intricate details and subtle transitions. Her process often involves glazing and scumbling, techniques that add depth and luminosity to her work.
Her style is rooted in figurative art, showcasing her deep understanding of human anatomy and proportion. She draws inspiration from classical portraiture, reimagining it through a modern lens to create vivid, ethereal compositions. Her background in fashion design also influences her attention to fabrics, textures, and composition.
Alexandra Manukyan's artwork delves deeply into themes of resilience, human struggle, and the coexistence of strength and vulnerability. She often portrays figures--especially women--as powerful yet tender, wrapped in elaborate, symbolic costumes or surrounded by surreal elements. These motifs create a narrative about the complexities of life and the balance between inner strength and external challenges.
Her paintings frequently explore environmental and societal issues, such as the human impact on nature or the psychological toll of modern life. Through her striking visuals, she invites viewers to reflect on themes of identity, connection, and transformation.
BIOPIC | Viktoria Savenkova →
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Viktoria Savenkova is a talented artist known for her evocative and psychological portraits. Her work often explores themes of inner turmoil, human emotions, and societal expectations. She uses her art to delve into the complexities of the human experience, creating pieces that invite deep reflection and conversation.
Savenkova portrays the tension between an individual's inner thoughts and outward expressions. Her paintings often reflect the struggle between personal desires and societal expectations.
Many of her works highlight the fragility of human emotions. She captures raw, unfiltered moments of vulnerability, allowing viewers to connect on a deeply emotional level.
A recurring motif in her art is the metaphorical "mask" that people wear to conform or protect themselves. This idea symbolizes the dissonance between one's true self and the personas they project to the world.
Her work explores feelings of solitude and the longing for genuine human connection. Through her evocative use of colors and composition, she conveys both the pain of isolation and the hope for understanding.
Some of her artworks critique social behavior and collective norms, inviting reflection on how societal pressures shape individual lives.
Savenkova's art often uses contrasting elements--such as light and shadow or sharp and soft textures--to symbolize the complexity of these themes. Her ability to convey profound meaning through visual storytelling makes her work resonate deeply with viewers.
Like Savenkova, many contemporary artists explore themes of personal and collective identity, including race, gender, and cultural heritage. However, Savenkova's focus on the psychological depth of individual emotions sets her apart from artists who emphasize broader social narratives.
Savenkova's art resonates with universal themes but stands out for its deeply personal and emotional perspective.
New Arrival | Paola Charnet →
Paola Charnet is a figurative oil painter whose work delves into human emotions, employing geometry as a visual language that conveys feelings through the expressive use of color and form. Through abstract shapes and patterns, she captures the complexities of emotions, illustrating how they flow, shift, and intertwine in a delicate balance of clarity and chaos. The interplay of circles, curves, and angular forms reveals that emotions are rarely linear; they evolve through cycles of intensity and softness.
Charnet's practice embodies a fusion of ancient and contemporary aesthetics, reflecting the interconnectedness of time and emotion. As our world becomes increasingly interconnected, her geometric language articulates intricate experiences beyond the limitations of words. Her paintings invite viewers to explore their own emotional landscapes as intricate systems, uncovering the hidden architecture that shapes our lives.
New Arrival | Emma Foster →
The Poetess – They Shut me up in Prose, 2025
Oil on wood panel
20 × 20 × 1 in | 50.8 × 50.8 × 2.5 cm
33PA Showroom | Tim Okamura →
Tim Okamura investigates identity, the urban environment, metaphor, and cultural iconography through a unique method of painting. Urban life and hip-hop has greatly influenced Okamura's subject matter in his paintings - he often blends classical techniques of oil painting with the spontaneity of spray painted graffiti, combining the academic "realism" of his portrait and figure painting with modern graphics set in contemporary urban environments. The juxtaposition of the rawness and urgency of street art and academic ideals has created a visual language that acknowledges a traditional form of story-telling through portraiture, while infusing the work with resonant contemporary motifs.
Okamura has had several solo exhibitions in New York and Canada. His work has been shown in several prominent group exhibitions, including After Matisse/Picasso at the MOMA PS.1 in Queens, New York, as well as the BP Portrait Awards Exhibition at London's National Portrait Gallery. Okamura was invited to The White House in 2015 to honor artists whose work addresses issues of social justice, and received a letter of commendation from President Joe Biden. His 2020 portrait of Toni Morrison was chosen for the cover of Time Magazine and his portrait of Dr. Anthony Fauci was acquired by the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC. In 2021, the New York Historical Society acquired his 2021 painting Nurse Tracey, which was featured in the exhibition Dreaming Together.
Okamura - a recipient of the 2004 Fellowship in Painting from the New York Foundation for the Arts – has also had his paintings featured in several films including Pieces of April (InDiGent), School of Rock (Paramount), Jersey Girl (Miramax), and most prominently in Prime (Universal), a romantic comedy about a young New York painter starring Uma Thurman and Meryl Streep. Okamura's work is also notable in Ethan Hawke’s The Hottest State.
Aidamaris Román Tejera | Forgotten Hearts →
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One of a Kind BJD Dolls are made using the finest and silkiest porcelain. Fully articulated body with leather lining on every joint for a smoother rotation, extensive movement and posing. They feature delicate and detailed expressive hands. Industrial carbon steel springs mechanism. Doll is painted with permanent china colors and her body is all polished and blushed with the same paints that are used in ceramics and porcelains that resist scratches and will not fade. Hand painted face features detailed down to individual eyelashes and eyebrows. Includes a hand made candy like clear stand and hand made box.
Aidamaris Román Tejera creates works of art that blend realism and fantasy, exploring spirituality and emotional depth through luminous and ethereal imagery.
Junyi Liu | Sweet & Hellish →
Junyi Liu is a painter and performance artist based in New York City. She creates whimsical, vibrant scenes with characters in outfits evoking a different historical period, as a way to mirror the violence and oppression in the real world. Her artworks explore the pain, contradictions, and resistance experienced by ordinary people, especially women, under systemic oppression.
Read moreNew Arrival | Megan Elizabeth Read →
At the most basic level, the tensions, contradictions, and complexities of simply existing here, now… often seem too big, too dissonant, and too dreamlike for me to grasp. My attempts to paint them are my way tofind an order in things and often lead to these layered portraits of multiple selves. Subjective snapshots, reflecting the inside out.
Read moreNew Arrival | Pauline Aubey →
Paulina Aubey’s LEGO portraits ingeniously merge popular form with popular content in order to question our relationship to celebrity. Having begun her artistic career working with pastels, Aubey’s passion for pop culture inspired her to try her hand with a more popular medium: LEGO bricks. She has elevated this unusual medium to the status of fine art, creating expressive portrayals of contemporary icons and the idols of her 1980s childhood. Her portraits of religious figures, movie characters, and pop stars—including David Bowie and Marilyn Monroe—blur the distinction between figurative and abstract art. They appear highly detailed from a distance and become pixelated upon closer inspection; this viewing experience prompts audiences to reflect on how much we can ever truly understand our idols. In order to create her portraits, Aubey chooses a digital image of her subject and manipulates it to create the desired expression and color scheme before selecting appropriate blocks of LEGO to build the work.
New Arrival | Susan Grace →
Signs and Symbols – The Flashing of Tiny Meteors, 2024
Oil on canvas
8 × 8 in | 20.3 × 20.3 cm
ARTIST STATEMENT
With a large pink flower partially obscuring her face, the female figure gazes both outward and inward. Her right eye searches for signs in the sky, while the left one is turned inward, exploring her inner psychological or spiritual state. Although darkness surrounds her, she is illuminated from within, and a golden glow emanates from her. The flashing lights of tiny meteors surround her and seem gently to enfold her. The open flower serves as a trumpet, as she listens for whoever or whatever might desire to communicate with her, serving as her guide as she prepares for her journey.
New Arrival | Yunior Hurtado Torres →
New Arrival | Angelika Weinekötter →
"Listening to the Universe" opens a space for the search for the transcendent. The seashell, a symbol of cosmic resonance, becomes a bridge between the inner self and the infinite. The gentle composition and the intimate gesture of the figure capture the moment when the inaudible becomes palpable—a silent dialogue with the metaphysical order of being. In a world of constant noise, the work advocates for a return to the essential, subtle sounds of life and seeks to inspire a dialogue between humanity and the infinite.
Read moreAlexandra Telgmann | Water as the Inspiration
Alexandra Telgmann specializes in the natural interaction between the female form and the element of water. The deep connection between the artist and the sea is visible in many of her paintings. For her, the sea is a decelerating place of power that creates inner peace and at the same time reflects states of consciousness of one’s own life.
What is the purpose or goal of your work?
My art aims to forge a deep connection between nature and the view- er, inspiring awareness and conservation of our environment. I draw inspiration from the natural element of water, capturing the beauty, power, and adaptability of marine life and the female form in the ocean. Through my paintings, I hope to evoke a sense of serenity and strength, encouraging people to pause, reflect, and appreciate the world beneath the surface. By highlighting this connection, I aim to foster a deeper appreciation for the ocean and its protection.
Do you have a network of other artists, and how do they support you?
Connecting with artists worldwide is a significant part of my life. Through international exhibitions, workshops in Europe, a scholar- ship in Rome, and social media, I’ve met amazing artists who share my passion. This network provides valuable support and insights on techniques, galleries, and exhibitions. I especially appreciate the 33 Contemporary/Poet Artists community led by Didi Menendez, which offers unwavering support and fosters connections among artists. This community has been a source of encouragement and inspiration, helping me stay motivated and engaged in my work. It’s wonderful to connect with others, especially since we often work alone. I’m truly grateful for everyone’s support and the sense of camaraderie it brings to my personal and professional life.
What is the best advice you have received in your career?
To become what you want to be, you must be patient with yourself and others. Stay focused, and understand that time, combined with discipline and dedication, will reveal new directions to both yourself and those around you. The best advice I’ve received in my career is to remain focused on my goals despite obstacles or setbacks. Envision the goal and work toward it day by day.
Has the press or media ever mentioned your artwork?
I’m very grateful for the interest the press has shown in my art- work. Earlier this year, I was honored to be a finalist in the NTD International Figure Painting Competition, which included an ex-
hibition at the Salmagundi Art Club in New York, USA. This recog- nition led to interviews and features on platforms like the Epoch Times and on TV, where one of my statements was broadcast on the news. My work has also been showcased in magazines such as American Art Collector and Fine Art Connoisseur, and featured in various newspaper articles in northern and central Germany.
As my visibility in the media grows, I feel it’s essential to use my voice to engage the audience in a deeper conversation about our connec- tion with art, nature, and the importance of its conservation. Through my art, I aim to inspire a greater appreciation for the beauty and signif- icance of the natural world, encouraging viewers to reflect on their own relationship with the environment and to find a beautiful pause from the hustle and bustle of life through mindful observation.
Describe a piece of art you are most proud of. Why?
When starting a painting, we never know how it will resonate with the world; it begins as an idea brought to life on the canvas. One piece I’m particularly proud of is my shark series. For me, sharks symbolize strength, power, and focus. My second shark painting, titled Golden Ocean Reflection Shark, features a shark moving gracefully through the ocean waters. The sun’s reflection on the surface is depicted with 24-carat gold leaf, creating an intense and captivating shimmer. This reflection also forms a beautiful pattern on the shark’s body, which I love to paint and observe.
This painting holds special significance for me because it embodies personal strength and connection with the ocean’s beauty and its creatures. It was the first painting from my collection to be included in the Lunar Codex, stored on the Moon thanks to 33 Contemporary gallery. You can also find it for sale on Artsy. This painting is dear to me because it represents a journey from the depths of the ocean to the Moon, marking a significant milestone in my art career. It also invites viewers to connect with the wonders beneath the ocean’s surface.
Nerea Azanza | Visceral Art
Bio
Nerea Azanza is an emerging Spanish visual artist based in Paris. Due to her scientific background and experience in cultural heritage restoration, she is passionate about experimenting with diverse materials, investigating spatial patterns, and developing visual mutations and cloning.
She holds a Ph.D. in Fine Arts and an MFA in conservation-restoration of cultural heritage from the Fine Arts Faculty of the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM, Spain), where she studied with artist Antonio López García and worked as an art teacher. She has been a preventive conservator-restorer specializing in wax anatomical models at the Javier Puerta Museum (Faculty of Medicine of the UCM) and The Museum of Human Evolution (Burgos, Spain) in collaboration with Professor J. L. Arsuaga.
Back to making art in 2018, she stands as a finalist in the Clavecin en France art contest 2022, with Fabienne Verdier as jury president and a semi-finalist in the COCA PROJECT 2020. She has been part of group exhibitions in Europe and the USA. Her first solo show took place in Paris in 2021 with Galerie Estrella. She exhibited for the first time in a museum, the UNTERLINDEN (Colmar, France), in 2022 due to the Clavecin en France contest. In 2024, some of her works were selected for the Lunar Codex with 33 Contemporary Gallery. They will be launched to the moon in the Codex Polaris mission, part of NASA's Artemis Program, in September 2025.
Q&A
What is the purpose or goal of your work?
My work aims to establish human connections. I strive not only to be part of others' spaces but also to eventually meet people who resonate with my vision and become friends. I stopped painting due to a misdiagnosis that lasted two decades, and I felt disconnected. Although I had worked in the arts my whole life, I couldn't paint, sculpt, or draw because the medication I never needed shut down my creativity. In December 2018, after a long battle of self-recovery, I took a Moleskine and began making colorful line drawings. I had never painted lines flowing from portraits before. I realized that I aimed to connect with people. We all seek connection, whether it's with other human beings, animals, nature, spiritual elements, cultures, places, or traditions. We haven't been born to be alone. I felt lonely, and once my creativity was flourishing again, all I could do was paint to express myself in ways I never did. My work seeks to connect with you, the viewer, and I hope that you feel part of the connection I am exploring. My goal is to nourish our permanent human desire for connection.
Which art trends inspire your current work?
Four main elements inspire my work. Japanese aesthetics. I even work with two Japanese models.
Additionally, the lines of parametrical architectural design deeply influence the precision and movement of my work. My body movement marks and flows as I paint, creating precise freehand lines. In this regard, I am particularly drawn to Zaha Hadid's work.
Furthermore, the disrupted realism inspires the transformed features in my portraits. I paint the same faces repeatedly, from self-portraits to my Asian models, each time transforming them differently to convey new expressions and feelings based on the theme I am exploring in the painting.
Lastly, fabric art plays a significant role in my work. I sew lines on the portraits that I expand afterward, and my larger paintings hang as tapestries made of handcrafted, eco-friendly supports that I treat. Sewing is a mark-making process that reminds me of all the influential women in my life, from my grandmothers to my mom and aunts.
How has your education helped you in your career?
My education has freed me to achieve my aesthetics, mixed media techniques, singular eco-friendly supports and praxis, in a few years. Everything finally falls into place and makes sense. While I didn't initially plan to become an artist, it was inevitable. I felt like a puzzle, but now I feel complete.
I started studying chemistry in college because my parents are scientists and they didn't see me as an artist. I didn't come from an artistic background, except for my paternal grandmother, who was a jewelry designer. Despite the scientific environment at home, I always enjoyed drawing with her. I don't regret my years studying chemistry as it has greatly helped me in working with mixed media techniques and understanding the technical aspects of creating a stable artwork where the elements interact harmoniously.
Although I didn't complete my chemistry degree, I earned money as a professional art copyist, and I moved to Madrid and joined the Fine Arts Faculty of Complutense University. I hold a Ph.D. in Fine Arts and a Master's in Conservation-Restoration of Cultural Heritage. Before transitioning to a professional artist in 2019, I worked as a preventive conservator-restorer in university museums and foundations. Restoring art is a meticulous process, and my work reflects that. I am dedicated to creating art that endures the test of time. I understand the factors that can lead to the deterioration of my paintings and work in the studio to ensure their stability against temperature and humidity changes, UV exposure, and more. I refer to my studio as "the lab" because I conduct extensive research on materials and experiment with various techniques. In restoration studios, we prioritize eco-friendly practices and respect for nature, and I apply these principles in my Parisian studio.
What are your most valued skills as an artist?
I am a curious person and I love learning. I believe both are skills that I will continue to develop throughout my life. Growing up in different countries and being surrounded by people from diverse backgrounds due to my parents' work has given me an open-minded perspective.
I have excellent visual memory, a keen sense of color, and strong spatial skills. When I was a child, a school team informed my parents that I had a natural talent for understanding space. "She should be a pilot or an artist," they said, which made my parents laugh. People have always admired my steady hand when painting precise freehand lines without the use of sketching or masking techniques. Having a steady hand is a crucial skill in art restoration, and what people may not realize is that my eyes and brain constantly measure and study the space as I paint. This intuitive process allows me to precisely paint circles, lines, and geometric shapes and make the composition work within the space.
My memory operates in a visual manner; I struggle with memorizing data but can repeatedly reproduce the same color and create the perfect mixture. I remember lines, shapes, patterns, and even features. When I was 16, I worked as a professional copyist while still in school. The artist who trained me and invited me to join his team always considered it a plus. I can combine colors harmoniously without relying on color theory or creating samples.
Describe a piece of art you are most proud of. Why?
Origin is a series that establishes a dialogue between human identity concerning our current society, today's historical situations, and the digital age. These large format pieces are installations hung from the ceiling or the wall. The painting represents the current cultural disruptions with the aim of connection. Besides our differences and fights, the human race is a whole. The portrait of the artistic model, Anna Uchiyama, is printed on Japanese rice paper due to her Asian origin. Organic lines of sewn threads cross her features and extend with painted lines over the handcrafted support. This eco-friendly textile, treated with a golden leaf, acts as a cosmogony. Then, her roots find the place that reunites all human beings: the Universe.
I am incredibly proud of this piece because it is the seed of The Origin Series, which is my favorite. It has a beautiful story of connections. When I arrived in Paris, I had the pleasure of meeting Anna Uchiyama and being part of a book that an international team put together around her. She is a fantastic artistic model who works with remarkable artists worldwide. As an artist with a short career, I was surprised that they liked my work in 2020 and invited me to be part of the project. It was a "WOW" moment for me. Origin became the central point of an ongoing series. As Anna says, it is a work that connects me back to Japan through its lines and cosmic look. Thanks to this work, I developed a friendship with the model, and we continue working together and drinking green tea when possible.
Origin, 2022
Mixed Media on rice Japanese paper and handcrafted eco-friendly fabric with golden leaf
56 7/10 × 54 7/10 × 2/5 in | 144 × 138.9 × 1 cm
Nadia Ferrante | Emotional & Psychological Connection
Bio
Nadia Ferrante is an Italian artist, born and raised near Rome, where her love for beauty and art emerged early in life. Her favorite artists include the great Italian masters such as Caravaggio, Michelangelo, and Raphael, but over time she discovered and fell in love with Klimt, Degas, and the Pre-Raphaelites. Though her academic path led her away from art, her passion was reignited later in life, particularly after a difficult period marked by personal loss.
With a deepening mastery of soft pastels, oil paints, and graphite, Nadia’s work focuses on portraiture and figurative representation. The pandemic lockdown spurred her to test her skills in competitions and exhibitions, which led to recognition in local and international events. She was featured in catalogs such as Modportrait 2021 and the Leonardo Guide (2021, 2022, 2023), and became a finalist in the British Art Prize, with her work exhibited in London in 2024. She win the Grand Prize of International artist magazine ” people and figures” in 2023. She has also been published in prominent magazines like Fine Art Connoisseur, American Art Collector, International Artist Magazine, PoetsArtists, 365Art+, and more.
In her art, Nadia seeks to create an emotional and psychological connection with the viewer. Her imaginative realism explores human emotions through characters that engage directly with the audience. Combining classical themes with contemporary societal issues, her works invite viewers to confront contradictions while presenting her unique vision of beauty, drama, and sensuality.
Q&A
What are your most valued skills as an artist?
My skills I think are, on a technical level, the realism in rendering the sensation of the skin, the tones, and the hair, especially with pastels, where I think I have more ability. A dear artist friend once told me, your nudes give the sensation of being able to touch them, almost pinching the skin, well I think that’s a nice compliment. On an emotional level, I’m often told that my portraits have a soul in their eyes, and I really take pride in capturing the essence of the subject.
What is the best advice you have received in your career?
The best advice was to continue, not to give up, and to try to express what I feel and what makes me better, because if you make art to please others sooner or later you lose yourself.
What’s the purpose or goal of your work?
What I try to do with my art is to sensitize those who observe it, Especially for the themes dearest to me, women, their condition in society, the individual in their fragilities, weaknesses and how we are connected to each other. If I can touch even just one person with my works, I have already achieved my goal, obviously I would like to see my abilities recognized by the general public, but it is a goal that does not depend only on me. Instead, transmitting what I wanted with my works, that is important and depends only on me.
Has the press or media ever mentioned your artwork?
I have been published in several prestigious international magazines, particularly those focused on specialized topics abroad. My works and interviews have appeared in American Art Collector, International Artist, Fine Art Connoisseur, and PoetsArtists magazines in the U.S., as well as in 365 Art+ In Japan, I have been featured on the platform Realism Today, as part of a group of artists, and on websites dedicated to art archives. My works have been included in museum catalogs, such as the Red Tome of the Artelibre Gallery in Spain, marking its 25th anniversary, and have appeared in the Guia Leonardo for the past three years, as well as in the book Masterworks: Volume 1, published in Spain.
Describe an artwork you are most proud of. Why?
I like to think that my best work is always the next one, as it’s in my nature to challenge myself and push my boundaries. However, I must admit that I’m very attached to my latest series, which is still ongoing, and includes Tides of Inner Struggle. This piece surprised me with the expressive power I was able to convey, especially because it addresses a very contemporary and personal theme: the pressure of society, particularly on women.
Susan Lim | Fine Art
Bio
Susan Lim was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She moved to the United States for college and graduated with a Bachelor degree in Film Scoring at Berklee College of Music. The entertainment industry was not a good fit, she then ventured into an online clothing business, her first love, and it lasted for 15 years. A devastating miscarriage in 2018 led her to taking art classes to alleviate her sorrow. She has been obsessed with everything art ever since and thinks that art saved her from that deep dark place.The pandemic lockdown in the year 2020 helped jump start her art career when she offered to paint portraits for a donation to Feeding America on Instagram. She painted 9 portraits of people and pets for that campaign. Her painting “Lean On Me” was a finalist in the animal portrait category at the Portrait Society of America’s members only competition in 2021.
Her favorite subjects are people, as there are so many stories untold within our faces. She has been creating conceptual and figurative art. She completed an underwater and floral series and is in the middle of creating another series with flowers and beauty. She believes that the world needs more beautiful art as we all strive to make it a better place.
Q&A
What's the purpose or goal of your work?
The goal of my work is to make people happy and inspired. I have a painting of a girl pouting when 3 hummingbirds were messing with her and her crown. It was in an exhibition in Laguna Beach for 2 months. When I see people walk away with a big smile, I know my work is complete. I want my work to also evoke emotion and take their breath away. Ideally, art lovers who viewed my work, should walk feeling happier or more inspired than they were before entering the room. That to me is success.
How has your style changed over time?
I used to paint with very precise and tight brush strokes. My paintings looked like photographs with a hyper realistic style. Over time, I realized that the characteristic that sets a painting apart from photography is its textures, unique brush strokes and painterly quality. It should also have 3 dimensional quality to it as if you can almost touch the subjects and that it’s not flat. Moving away from painting hyper realistic art, I now prefer to paint with looser brush work with softer edges.
What are your favorite and least favorite parts of professional art?
My favorite part of professional art is that it allows me to create work that is uniquely me, with subjects I love and am inspired to paint. I’m in love with the process of coming up with something conceptually, and then to complete the process by making my vision a reality with props and models. Every step is a joy to me, be it the planning stage, the photo shoot, everything in between and the finished painting. I’m simply obsessed with art and its creation. My least favorite part of professional art is the business side of things. Every artist might agree with me on this. We are creators, not business people. Plus, I’m also the worst at marketing myself and getting myself out there. It takes just as much time managing the day to day non art side of the business as it is to paint. Sometimes we spend more time on business than painting itself! Tasks like managing my website, sending newsletters, accounting, taxes, shipping and the constant struggle with sourcing the cheapest possible top notch supplies and materials for my work in this economy, can be a challenge to balance. These things take me away from painting, which I much rather do.
Do you have a network of other artists, and how do they support you?
It’s so important to be surrounded by supportive and positive artist friends. Because being an artist could mean having the constant self doubt and insecurity within us. The ups and downs of not making ends meet or the frustration of a failed painting. These friends could provide views from a different angle and perhaps ways for us to solve problems. A network of supportive artist friends means people to commensurate with as they understand what it is like to be an artist. Many people think art is a glamorous job and that it’s easy and only artists will understand what we as artists go through mentally and physically. Lastly, you need one or two trusted artist confidants/advisors. When we are frustrated with our paintings, these are people I trust for their artistic eyes to point out things that I may have missed when I’m stuck with a painting. You might have advisors who are not artists but still have great eye for art, though for me, my advisors are my closest friends at the same level I’m at.
How do you manage a work-life balance as an artist?
I try to find the balance with work, self care and time with my family and friends. It’s so easy to forget to take care of ourselves when we are completely immersed in art. I have to remind myself to have my meals on time and take breaks in between painting and work, to stretch and hydrate. I also make it a point to take time off on the weekend to spend time with my husband and friends. Lastly, it is important to be active and keep myself healthy physically, and to have enough sleep and rest everyday. It’s not always possible since we get into so many things in life, but I always try my best to adhere to a balanced lifestyle and schedule. I’m still learning to say no to things.
Describe your ideal working environment.
My ideal working environment would be neat and tidy with lots of storage space and stations for every task I need to complete on a day to day basis. I will have a large north facing studio with floor length windows or skylights, getting the most constant source of lighting. I also dream of a decent size space for photo shoots and have it double as an area to teach small groups of students. At the moment, I’m making it work with a small space I have, but one can only dream and hopefully make it a reality someday.
How has your education helped you in your career?
I was classically trained and took weekly classes on and off for a year. Then, I attended workshops with artists I love and admire, learning how to paint alla prima (wet on wet). There are so many ways to start and finish a painting. During this time, I have tried painting many different subjects from different artists. You name it, I tried it, be it master copies, still life, painting people, animals, landscapes… Having tried everything helped me discover what I love painting the most, people. And having the foundation on how to create an archival painting has helped me create work that will last many lifetimes. There was a point in time, I was copying my teachers as closely as possible, painting the way they do. But over time, I was able to move away from copying and build my own style of painting. It’s important for me to not lose my voice as an artist but to apply everything good into my practice in the studio and on set. It is so easy to become the “mini me” of these artists. I learnt to not lose myself in the process. If it doesn’t feel comfortable, it’s not me, don’t do it.
What was your first experience of working as a professional artist?
It was during the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. I felt the pull and needed to do something to help. I painted 9 portrait commissions for a donation to Feeding America. It was a great experience and it jump started my professional art career.
Tell me about a time you received negative comments or harsh criticism. How did you handle it?
There was a time when a viewer of my Mother Teresa’s painting commented that she does not have enough wrinkles on her face. I just laughed it off replying that Mother Teresa was not always old and wrinkly. She was once young and vibrant but always charitable and loving. I have yet to feel offended when people give me criticism. You can’t please everyone.
Describe a piece of art you are most proud of. Why?
I am most proud of my work “Reality”. It is the largest painting I have ever painted. It was a little nerve wracking to create such a large piece of work. Everything is larger than life, the frame, the panel and the brushes I used to paint it. With a total measurement of 47” x 76” frame included, I had to rent a van to transport it from my studio to the Laguna Beach’s Art-A-Fair exhibition. It was also the largest painting ever exhibited there and was everyone’s favorite. It is also in the finals of the Richeson 75 Figurative Competition and a semi finalist of the Art Renewal Center. Since Art Renewal Center partnered with the Lunar Codex, an image of this painting will be launched through a Nasa mission CLPS-TO-20A, via the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket and the Astrobotic Griffin lunar lander, headed for the lunar south pole in September 2025. To say that I am proud is truly an understatement!
Patricia Schappler | Evocative Paintings →
American artist Patricia Schappler is best known for her evocative figurative drawings and paintings. She combines realist and expressive traditions of observation, memory, and imagination, creating sprawling narratives of family life. Her work is characterized by strong lighting and expressive surface. Rooted in home; themes of birth, childhood, motherhood, aging, and partnering, recur. She is inspired by the complexity of human relationships and the bonds that hold them. Schappler is a native of New Hampshire with her BFA in Drawing from the University of New Hampshire, and her MFA in Drawing and Painting from Brooklyn College. You may see her work published in magazines which include American Art Collector, Pastel Journal, American Artist, Strokes of Genius, Manifest INPA and INDA, PoetsArtists, and Studio Visit. Schappler has exhibited nationally and in Ireland, and her awarded works may be found in both public and private collections throughout the States, India and China.
What's the purpose or goal of your work?
Most of my work begins with the desire to share a meaningful image and in that sense, connect with the viewer. I want to create moments of recognition whether through a familiar gesture, a quality of light, or the passage of time which reaches the viewer in a way that remains, so we join within the space of the work as friends.
Which art trends inspire your current work?
I look at contemporary realism and work from centuries past equally, swayed by quality, mood, and conviction. I love pattern and look at textiles from around the world and have been thinking more about connecting the spaces I’m interested in: nature/our planet, animals and the figure.
How do you manage a work-life balance as an artist?
Sometimes managing a work life balance is messy. I teach drawing and painting, paint out of a home studio, have four adult children just beginning families, and an extended family with both spectrums of newly born and far into the aging process. I exhibit as regularly as possible and don’t when I can’t. At the moment, I have work at WMOCA, and at the Dunfey exhibit, as well as online with 33 Contemporary. Within the next month, I’ll be exhibiting with Great Bay Community College, New Hampton School, and St Anselms College. Work balances with family, tipping to and fro depending on human needs, but art is a way of living and never far from my thoughts and actions. I have a lot of good energy, prioritizing home and community and within that, finding many subjects and points of inspiration.
What are your favorite and least favorite parts of professional art?
I love the process of thinking and doing, creating something from ideas and observations, moving materials in my hand, watching work come to life through methods and processes until something that wasn’t much becomes something satisfying, engaging… shared. The same applies to seeing works and engaging with ideas, feeling enlightened through another persons’ choices. Demands of social media and marketing are time consuming activities and add to pressure over deadlines, time which I’d prefer to spend in the studio.
What are your most valued skills as an artist?
I see with empathy.
Do you have a network of other artists, and how do they support you?
I have a small local group of artist friends…we comment on imagery, let each other know when competitions are coming up, try to attend exhibits where we have work from the group, hurrah each others’ wins, and in general help each other to feel a part of something a bit bigger than ourselves. I am also part of several artist associations and groups like PoetsArtists where even if I’ve never met the members, we feel like we know each other from our posts, our art work, our general enthusiasm for each other.
How can your work affect societal issues?
I’m not making work that directly affects societal issues and yet I cannot make work that isn’t about society, how I am feeling within it, where my concerns lay. I’m a woman, a mother, daughter, wife, instructor, artist, so many labels, but it comes down to creating images as a window into my life giving voice to experiences both of joy and sorrow, and, in the process, discovering domestic and heroic scenes are not dissimilar. I present figures through the lens of wonder and respect, the sharing of stories around themes of family, friendship, home … I believe when we recognize loved ones in others, we remember the best of what it is to be human, so perhaps I’m working on my own quiet revolution that celebrates humanity, resiliency and possibility.
O'Neil Scott | Captivating Portraiture
O’Neil Scott is a Pennsylvania based representational oil painter. Captivated by portraiture and its capacity to impart complexities that comprise the human condition his work is designed to give a voice to marginalized communities. His paintings convey contemporary subject matter and look to give the viewer a way to understand and relate across social boundaries. He had his third solo show in 2022 and has been in numerous publications including Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, American Art Collector Magazine, and Artist Magazine. His work is in private collections across the United States and Internationally. He currently has a solo exhibition planed for Villanova University in 2022 and a Solo Museum Exhibition at the Zillman Art Museum in 2025.
