Shades of Italy
Art and the Il Chiostro Experience 1995-2008
Biographies of the Artists
Cindy Bartosek
Cindy’s life-long fascination with photography began at a very early age when she spent hours in the basement darkroom watching her father work. She was totally mesmerized as images of familiar places appeared out of nowhere. She is still loves the magic. While her main work continues to be nature photography, she has begun exploring alternative printing processes and using photographs in mixed media collage and artist books. Her photographs have been exhibited in local and state juried shows and contests and published in newspapers and trade magazines. As a volunteer for South Florida enviromental organizations, she uses photography as a means to increase awareness of and appreciation for the need to protect the Florida Everglades. When not photographing, Cindy is a public health nutritionist where her focus is on nourishing the body. Through her photography she hopes to nourish the soul.
Contact Information:
Email: cbartosek@bellsouth.net
Anne Benvenuto
Anne is an enthusiastic-photographer who shoots in her leisure time. She studies photography at the International Center of Photography in New York City and also in Italy at Il Chiostro workshops. Anne specializes in photographing classic images. She rejects the notion that an image must portray social misery in order for it to be taken seriously. She enjoys shooting cinematic landscapes, architectural graphics, and environmental portraits that portray the spirit of life. She especially loves capturing the colors of twilight and the solace of a misty day. When others pack their cameras away, Anne packs a raincoat and a flashlight. And she never leaves her tripod at home. Anne’s photography has been published on the web, exhibited in New York City ; and her commissioned portraits are in private collection. Anne works in advertising, and currently lives in New York City with her two Nikons and three speed lights.
Contact Information:
201 West 74th St 9K, New York , NY 10023
212-787-3480
abenevenuto@aol.com
www.annebenvenuto.com
Carol Blann
Carol is a photographer and a psychotherapist. She feels that the work in both fields is complementary, each exploring the interaction of one`s internal and external worlds. Carol has studied photography at ICP and SVA, and had her first study-week at Il Chiostro in June, 2007. She has shown her work in galleries in New York and Canada, and her photographs are displayed in several institutions and hospitals. Carol, always with camera in tow, shoots everything from feet on a NYC sidewalk to Berber guides in Morocco.
Contact Information:
Carol can be reached at (212) 860-5534 or cwblann@gmail.com.
Her images can be seen on her website: CarolBlannPhotography.com
Melody Boggs
As a young girl, Melody’s grandmother set up a still life on her kitchen table, gave her brushes and oil paints and thus began her journey. She is mostly self-taught and has studied with several noted artists. Primarily a still life painter, Melody is represented by numerous galleries throughout the southeast and her work has been included in many juried shows. “It is the simple things that bring so much beauty to our lives. I am inspired by the changing seasons and the gifts they give us.” Melody lives on a farm called Walnut Grove in the mountains of North Carolina where she frequently paints the mountains around her and uses flowers, vegetables and fruits from her gardens as subjects of her still life paintings.
Contact Information:
770-861-6362 Cell
828-644-0603
www.melodyboggs.com
msboggs205@hotmail.com
Louise Bourne
Louise`s paintings are in public and private collections throughout the United States and London. Her "paintings offer a visceral response to the physical world. They are deeply emotive, felt responses to the artist`s immediate surroundings... wherever she turns her keen eye and probing brush, we are rewarded with paintings that reflect her deep intelligence and curiosity about the world...," says Suzette McAvoy, curator of the Farnsworth Art Museum. Louise holds a BFA from Portland School of Art (now Maine College of Art), and an MFA from the University of Michigan School of Art. She lives and paints on the Maine coast, where she teaches college courses and workshops for adults. To see her work on line, please go to www.louisebourne.com.
Contact Information:
By email: louise@louisebourne.com and by telephone: 207.326.4277
Jack Broderick
A plein air painter and a studio painter, Jack uses both image and feeling in developing his paintings. To him, painting is a collaboration of artist and subject whether the subject is a model, a landscape or a still life. - Art is a conversation. –
He has traveled and painted extensively in Ireland, Argentina, Spain, Cuba and Italy. He has exhibited internationally in Paris, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Palermo and Tilcara. Jack teaches painting and drawing at the Lyme Art Association and at the Glastonbury Art Guild. He is a graduate of Marist College, the University of Notre Dame and the University of Connecticut.
Contact Information:
phone (860) 872-6412
jack@jackbroderick.com
Jean Cauthen
Having spent her infancy in Naples, Italy, Jean has continues an ongoing love affair with ‘all things Italian’. Jean is a professor of Painting and Art History at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and conducts plein-air painting workshops in the North Carolina region and in Tuscany.
Contact information:
828-781-6682 (cell phone)/ jcauthen@conninc.com or JeanCauthen@uncc.edu
www.jeancauthen.blogspot.com
John Cook
John is an Emergency Medicine physician and Medical Director of the Emergency Department at Crossgates River Oaks Hospital in Brandon, Ms.
He is a veteran of numerous Il Chiostro adventures and attributes any photographic success to the their incredible instructors.
Tammy Oliver Cook
Tammy began her adventure in photography with Il Chiostro . Her introduction to the medium was with Nina Prantis at Il Dievole in Tuscany. She has also participated in Photographing People with Harvey Stein and Digital Photography with Dan Lipow in Venice. Tammy`s first artistic medium is painting. In photography, she is drawn to the same elements of color, texture & dramatic contrasts of light and dark that appear in her paintings. Her experiences with Il Chiostro have kindled a passion for the Visual Music that is Photography. Her image is entitled "Il Bassisto, San Marco, Venice."
Anne Pinkerton Davidson,
Anne, from Coldwater, Michigan, has been taking photographs for more than fifty years, making the switch to digital photography about ten years ago. She majored in art at the college level, and has delved into sculpture, carpentry, hand-thrown pottery, weaving and many other fiber arts, and iconography. Originally from Wisconsin, Anne has a love of remote places and beautiful vistas. Lake Garda is a perfect place in which to explore digital photography.
Contact Information:
22 Legg Court
Coldwater, MI 49036
outwardsigns@gmail.com
http://www.outwardsigns.com
Carol DeVito
Carol works with watercolor and acrylic. Carol is known locally for her acrylic on wood creations. Her watercolors and acrylics grace many homes in the Hamptons . Carol has exhibited in Tuscany and is currently showing on Long Island .
Contact Information:
cedevito@aol.com or 631-537-7629
John Faircloth
Heritage and tradition are intrinsic to my exploration of classical themes, techniques and motifs. I search for a purely cathartic narrative by attempting to form a deep relationship with a painting`s subjects, studying their essences with intentions of sharing the beautiful. It is through the reconnection with existing archetypes and the psycho-analytical modeling of the subjects that the visual interpretations produced hope to achieve understanding about their roles in nature and society.
Pat Fiorello
Pat is a professional artist known for her vibrant paintings inspired by nature. Her work has been exhibited in over 60 juried shows and more than a dozen solo exhibitions.Pat is a Signature Member and Past President of the Georgia Watercolor Society. She has taught painting since 1988 in the U.S. , Caribbean and Europe, including a recent workshop on location at Monet`s Gardens in Giverny , France . Pat will be teaching at Il Chiostro in Tuscany in May, 2009.
Pat’s family name “Fiorello” comes from an Italian lineage meaning “one who lives near a wall of flowers”, so it’s no accident that she is drawn to painting scenes which capture the essence and beauty of nature. Her work can be seen at www.patfiorello.com.
Contact Information:
Fiorello Art & Design, LLC
341 West Wieuca Road
Atlanta, GA 3034
(404) 531-4160
patfiorello@aol.com
www.patfiorello@aol.com
Seija Floderus
Seija, who resides between Finland and Rhode Island, finds motifs for her art in nature. Her media are wowen tapestries and paintings, and she uses a variety of materials and paints such as fibers, metal wires, glass, water, acrylic and oil paints, and egg tempura pigments. She has exhibited in several states and also in foreign countries such as Finland, France and Sweden. She teaches painting and weaving, and she also hold a certificate in reiki treatments which she also instructs in. She has graduated with art degrees from UMass Dartmouth and Rhode Island School of Design.
Contact Information:
Phone 401-245-2978
Mail 61 Orchard Ave., Barrington, RI 02806
email SeijaFloderus@Luukku.com
Anne Foley
For the past fourteen years the beauty of the Connecticut Shoreline has provided the inspiration and focus of Anne’s photography. She feels grateful to witness and photograph so much gorgeous scenery in and near her adopted home of Madison. She sees color and light transforming the local landscapes and seascapes, and was happy to have the opportunity to see and photograph the amazing sights of Tuscany during her week at Il Chiostro. She has also studied at the International Center of Photography in New York, Maine Photographic Workshops and Santa Fe Workshops.
She has exhibited at the North Oaks Center in Baltimore, Scranton Library in Madison, the Madison Arts Festival, The Brick Gallery in Essex, Soundscape Gallery in Madison, and ” Images,” a juried exhibit of the Shoreline Arts Alliance in Connecticut.
Contact Information:
203-245-0606 or anneufoley@yahoo.com.
Her images appear on her website: AnneFoleyPhotography.com.
Arthur Frank
Arthur is a practicing lawyer who has been actively involved in photography for the last 20 years, concentrating on athletic events, with particular emphasis on equine activities. He has had solo shows at Columbia University, Joyce Chasan Fine Arts and Soho Photo Gallery and has participated in many group shows, including the Museum of Modern Art and the 92nd Street Y. His works are in numerous corporate, governmental and private collections and have been extensively published, including in the New York Times. Cowboy U, his monograph of Rodeo photographs, was selected as one of the nine best black and white photo books of 2005 by B & W Magazine.
Contact Information:
alfranklaw@gmail.com
(212) 661-3381
Lisa French
Lisa has traveled to Italy several times, exploring the city of Rome, the northern city of Bergamo, and the region of Tuscany, including Florence and Siena. In Spring 2009, she will return to Tuscany (Cortona) to teach Drawing for the University of Georgia`s Studies Abroad Program and she will have the opportunity to do more pleine air painting.
Lisa`s primary interest is in drawing and painting wildlife imagery, particularly the flora and fauna of the sottobosco. For a series of allegorical works that make use of the hedgerow as a metaphorical motif, she regularly makes close studies of nature. Her work reflects her awareness that the character of an environment both reflects and impacts the community of inhabitants, human or otherwise.
Lisa`s landscape paintings are studies in pictorial style, recording the environment in a way that is suggested by the character of the scene itself - for instance a Barbizon landscape, an Impressionist landscape, a Renaissance landscape, etc. She is interested in the quality of natural light and color as an external impression of the psyche.
Contact Information:
lisafrench@mindspring.com
(941) 365-9199
Sal Fusaro
Sal has been working in mixed media for some time now. With the encouragement of Louise Freshman Brown & Harvey Stein, he sought to merge painting and photography. The work in this show represents his interest in this medium. He has also painted work from photographs that he has taken, and is currently working on large scale skyline series from his photographs. You can see his work in photography at www.salfusaro.com.
Ronnie Gardstein
Questions interest me more than answers so in my photographs and photo collages I hope to create a bit of mystery. Maybe you will wonder what is happening and connect with the image during the process of puzzling it out.
Contact Information:
Ronnie@sparkmybiz.com
908 513 4497
Sandra Granzow
In 2007, Sandra completed an MFA at the School of Visual Arts, and wrote and illustrated a children`s book, The Green World. Previously, at the Corcoran College of Art and Design, she earned a certificate in digital imaging. She also studied at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, the Washington Academy of Art and the Smithsonian. She has painted in Europe, California, New York and Washington, DC and the Caribbean, and has shown her work at the Visual Arts Gallery and E32 in Manhattan.
Contact Information:
sgranzow@mindspring.com, 202 271-0159, sandragranzow.com
Tina Moulder Halcomb
Tina is a photographer and elementary school teacher. She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and later received her teaching degree at the University of Georgia in Athens. While living in Ormond Beach, Florida Tina took time off from teaching to pursue a degree in photography and studies art history at the University of Central Florida. She was dedicated to the work she did for the Southeast Museum of Photography where she taught art therapy and literacy through photography in "at risk" schools. Tina`s images have been exhibited in public and private collections throughout the U.S. She and her husband now recide in Athens, Georgia where she continues her career in education and pursues her passion for photography.
Contact Information:
jeweltina@yahoo.com
Mike Henes
Mike has turned two of his life` s passions, love of animals and of photography, into successful careers as a veterinarian and professional photographer. His photo niche, Mike Henes Pet Photography, where he does shoots of pets and their people, in natural and familiar settings, has been extremely successful. Though happy with all aspects of photography, he finds both travel and nature photography (often combined), to be most satisfying. Throughout the years, Mike has traveled extensively and has collected much material for a planned photo book on Pets and Their People thruout the World. He resides in Westchester county, N.Y., with his wife, Karen, his yellow labs, Reggie and Harry, and his cats, Jack and Lola. Other important subjects of his camera include his three grandchildren, Sam , Ellie , and Charlotte.
Contact Information:
dvmmike@verizon.net
Phone: 914 271 6855
web site: www.mikehenesphotography.com
George Hodges
I strive to capture that instant of light that causes us to stop and wonder at the world.
I have studied at The International Center of Photography plus other travel workshops. Most recently I have been traveling to and photographing in Croatia plus building a Portrait Portfolio. I use film and do my own enlarging and printing.
Contact Information:
908-403-0374 or ghodgesphoto@yahoo.com
Andy Holtzman
Andy developed his eye for photography in college when he attended the NYU Film Studies program. From there, he worked at Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles, ran his own consulting firm and then managed the in-house advertising, marketing and events for the Discovery Networks. Currently Andy is Director of Global Marketing & Events for Citigroup in NY. "Photography reawakens in me a highly-personal perspective through which I see the world. Observing and capturing unique details, light and water interplay and those gone-in-a-second moments is a rich and rewarding place for me!"
Contact information:
andyholtzman@verizon.net
Leona Huff
Leona received her first camera at the age of 15, as a gift from her father. It was a Nikon FE. She enjoys photographing landscapes, people, and architecture. She now uses a digital camera, the Nikon D80. She lives near Atlanta, Georgia.
Contact information:
home: 770-622-0487
cell: 770-757-1967
email: huff3900@charter.net
Jaspar Hupert
Jaspar has been painting for the past couple years. His inspiration is derived from the works of Matisse, Hockney, and Picasso. He seeks to portray vibrant colors and a spirit of life in his painting. He is indebted to Louise Freshman Brown who has taught, mentored and encouraged him in his work.
Virginia Indelicato
I have always loved anything to do with the arts, including classical ballet, jazz as well as all kinds of music and all of God`s beauty in nature. This trip was the trip of a lifetime given to me by my best friend Brooke Folino to celebrate our 52 years of friendship and the icing on the cake was another long time friend of mine Nina Marra-Prantis, who was our photography professor. This was my first trip with Il Chiostro and this picture was taken on the train to Siena. God allowed me to capture a small glimpse of His beauty in nature in this photograph. It is an honor to have my photograph selected to be part of "Shades of Italy" art show.
Contact information:
ginny@princesstravelinc.com
Andrea Jakes
Andrea has been interested in color and design throughout her life. She studied at several schools in Florida prior to receiving her B.F.A. from the U. of North Florida, with majors in drawing and painting. Originally a figurative artist, her work has expanded to include mixed media and collage, landscape, and most recently, abstraction. Her work is in public and private collections throughout the United States, and she lives in Jacksonville.
Contact information:
catadaqui9@comcast.net
904-398-2714.
Almeda Kelley
South Carolina artist, Almeda Kelley is a graduate of Coker College. She started painting in oils after a long teaching career and has studied with Kevin Macpherson, Billyo OʼDonnell and Chris Groves. Almeda participated in Il Chiostroʼs 2008 workshop in Vagliagli, Italy with Charleston artists, Hilarie Lambert and Karen Hagan.
Contact information:
(843) 559-4721
almeda8@bellsouth.net
Veronica Kortz
Nine years into this world of art and I’m just barely tapping into the phenomenal and incredible aspects of what creativity is as a very special gift and an amazing calling in life. I have this wonderful passion for painting which is now essential to my existence. My plein air paintings are my studies providing practice and keeping in touch which the lessons of nature and life to be in the moment and to refine my observational skills. My studio works keep me in touch with my inspiration and intuition. I have this unquenchable thirst to learn and to grow in the intellectual understanding and the refinement of the principles and elements of art in my process of painting. I am also focused in mastering the skill and knowledge of technique with can give the artist more freedom yet complete control to manipulate the paint as desired. Art is a process it is a journey it is a way of life. There is so much to learn so much to explore.
Aside from my passion to paint there is the equal passion to travel and paint and in the past nine years I have painted in France, Italy, Egypt, Greece and London. I am barely seeing the significance to this travel and the impact this has on my life and the influence this will have upon me and my future works.
Contact Information:
(562)547-9002
VKortz@riohondo.edu
Peggy Larmore
Peggy began painting in 2003. She had an interest, but no formal training. That interest has blossomed into a passion as Peggy paints every day in her private studio. Her work has taken her from painting with The Plein Air Painters of the Southeast, to the villas, vineyards and café’s of Tuscany, Italy; to the canals, courtyards and markets of Venice. She has studied with notable plein air painters Roger Dale Brown, Dee Beard Dean, Perry Austin, Dawn Whitelaw, Vickie McMurry and Paula Frizbe. In 2006, she studied with Karen Hewitt Hagan and Hilarie Lambert in Tuscany and in 2008 with Jeanne Mackenzie in Venice, Italy. In her portfolio she captures the simple beauty of everyday activities in special, sometimes elegant settings. “Laundry Day” in Venice, “Gondolas at Rest”, “Shades of Burano”, “The Bread Bar” and “Sunday Brunch” are typical of her style. Her subjects also range from farm animals (cows, sheep, horses and goats) to jungle animals (zebras and elephants) to buildings (The Homestead, The Virginia Home, The Contessa’s Villa, The Cortona Café, The Stairway, and many more). Her works have been shown in galleries from Soho, New York to Richmond, Virginia. Peggy’s works can be found in retail shops in Richmond as well as in homes and institutions from New York to Florida to Sun Valley, Idaho.
Contact Information:
PeggyLarmore.com
peggy@peggylarmore.com
804-387-1250
Lori Lawrence
I first began drawing at the age of 20, while I was studying French in Paris. Graduating from Bennington College, I later received a Masters degree from SUNY Albany. I have been teaching since then at the college level, and then for many years as an artist-in-education working in the schools doing murals and collages with all ages. I take photos and use them as a source for my oil paintings, mixed-media collages, and etchings and block-prints. I have exhibited in the Capital District area, NYC, Florida, and other northeastern states.
Contact Information:
Phone: 518-477-8426
Jeanne Mackenzie
Jeanne Mackenzie’s style of painting is a blend of impressionism and realism. Her paintings are done in oil with rich warm tones and a painterly application. These reflect the bold light and striking contrasts of her favorite still lifes and western landscapes.
Jeanne Mackenzie is a Colorado resident living in the Fort Collins area where she is one of the founding members of the Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters. Graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Teaching Credential from San Diego State University she eventually fell in love with and devoted herself to oils. ‘I am continually learning new ways to make my paintings more expressive and spontaneous. The art of learning to ‘see’ is the foundation for a good painting and my constant lesson’. Her paintings are featured in several fine art galleries in Colorado, California and Arizona.
Her artwork has earned Merit Awards and shown at juried shows throughout the United States including the Oil Painters of America Show and Arts for the Parks-Top 100 (award of excellence). Jeanne has been featured in Southwest Art Magazine’s Best of the West, American Artist’s Workshop Magazine and International Artist Magazine-Master Artists. She was invited to be a part of the Richeson Art Series Book and she has been a finalist in the Artist Magazine Competition. Jeanne has a piece showing in the Houston Museum of Natural Science. She shares her love of art by teaching national and international painting workshops and has been on staff at the Denver Art Museum teaching color theory, composition and painting.
Contact Information:
970-215-9220
www.jeannemackenzie.com
Amy Mangano
Amy is a photographer focusing mainly on landscapes and cityscapes. She has studied at the International Center of Photography and resides in New York City.
Contact Information:
e-mail: ajmangano@gmail.com
phone: (646) 220-0784
Rhonda McCay
Contact Information:
5101 St Vrain Road
Longmont, CO 80503
303-823-8888
970-596-7055 Cell
Linda Mironti
Born and raised in Cortland New York Linda’s first voice teacher was her Grandmother Angelina, who taught her Italian folk songs at the same time showing her how to make homemade gnocchi and pasta. Her public singing career began in the 3rd grade with her solo debut in a music class concert and in high school she sang the national anthem every Friday night at the high school football games. She followed her passion for music through college and to New York City. In the 80’s she was invited to Italy for a month to sing, and she stayed for 10 years. She starred in TV shows, recordings and concert tours from Milan to Sicily. Following the recipe from her grandmother’s kitchen, food was love, and making good food was her passion. In 1991 she returned to the US and attended The Art Institute of New York formerly The New York Restaurant School where she became a chef and cooking became another form of artistic expression for her.
In 1995 Linda, and her business partner, Michael Mele, started Il Chiostro. Here she was able to combine both of her passions, and for the last 14 years has been organizing creative workshops in the arts in various places in Italy. Now Linda enjoys the best of both her worlds, sharing her love for Italy (the food, the wine, and the people), and in her spare time she performs a solo cabaret act in New York City . Recently added photography everywhere she goes!
Contact Information:
E-mail: linda@ilchiostro.com
Phone: 800-990-3506
Suzanne Morandi
For Suzanne, painting is a challenge and a continuous source of inspiration. Various techniques of the Plein Air and early 1940’s Abstract Expressionists influence her artwork. Traveling and having lived in several diverse set of locations, including Europe, Asia, Northern Africa, and various regions of the United States, shapes her perspective. Suzanne presently lives in the Tidewater area of Virginia where she has been painting and teaching art for over twenty years. Her formal education includes a Fine Arts Degree from the University of West Florida and numerous classes from Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia.
Contact Information:
smorandi@cox.net
757-481-2891
Debbie Orfino
Debbie has explored many passions in her life, but over the years she has come to find her LOVE of photography and Italy to be her greatest passion. Her photographs range in scope and ambition, tackling everything from weddings to portraits - and even celebrity photographs. Debbie’s photography is unique in that she takes great care to capture the natural elements of the each setting without the use of any special lighting or props. In taking portraits, she patiently waits until the right moment to connect with the person in front of her in order to create a photo that warms the soul and catches people at their most authentic.
Debbie born in New York now resides in California. She has earned BA in Art, and MA as an Marriage Family /Art Therapist, and has taught art classes in New York and California employing many mediums including clay, collage and printmaking.
Contact Information:
www.debbieorfinophotography.com
email: debbieorfino@sbcglobal.net
Phone: 626-840-7298
Jim Palmer
Jim has a passion for photography and has attended two Il Chiostro photography workshops, both under the instruction of Nina Prantis. Jim is particularly drawn to street photography and hopes to further his talents in this arena. By day, Jim is a clinical social worker with Visiting Nurse Service of New York Hospice Care and is developing a project whereby he will document on film the lives of his patients and families. Jim lives in Brooklyn, New York with his two cats !!
l Chiostro workshops have helped connect me with my passion for photography. Under the instruction of Nina Prantis in both Tuscany (2006) and Venice (2007), I have learned to view the camera as an extension of how my eyes see the world around me.
Contact Information:
jwpalmer@aol.com
917-414-1125
June Pollack
June studied to be and worked as a fashion illustrator and then years later went into interior design with rendering of rooms. After going to Il Chiostro, she was exposed to collage and developed an original technique which is a combination of collage and watercolors and mixed media.
Contact Information:
718-225-1985
Robin Glasser Sacknoff
A native new Yorker and an award-winning photographer, Robin has always been intoxicated with the visual world around her. Originally a painter, she discovered her medium to be photography and seriously began her career as a photographer in the 90’s. Robin received her undergraduate degree from Brooklyn College and her master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also holds a degree in photography from The Fashion Institute of Technology. Now permanently based in New York, Robin has lived in Texas, California, Michigan, Washington DC and London and her extensive travels have taken her through Europe and the Middle East. She has participated in the Maine Workshop in Cuba, and the Il Chiostro workshops in Italy which she has attended for the past 10+ years. Robin is a Teaching Assistant at the International Center of Photography and a member of Professional Women Photographers.
Contact Information:
Robin Glasser Sacknoff
77 Seventh Ave.
New York, NY 10011
212-242-5138
robinglassersacknoff@mac.com
www.robinsacknoff.com
Franklin Scheel
Franklin is a retired physician who has been interested in photography most of his life. He has done volunteer work and has traveled extensively in third world countries and Europe over the past two decades. His interests are travel and nature photography. He resides in Tiverton Rhode Island.
Contact Information:
fscheel@cox.net
401-624-6337
Sindi Schorr
Through her photography, Sindi strives to capture moments in time that offer an emotional resonance beyond the surface of the image. In her work she translates the serendipitous and poignant moments that passers by often take for granted. Schorr’s photography manages to elevate the artistry of both the natural and artificial synergy found in the world around her.
Sindi Schorr is an award winning freelance photographer. Her work has been exhibited at the State of the Art Gallery in Ithaca, NY, at UpstreamPeopleGallery.com, Manhattan Borough President Gallery, West Chelsea Arts Building and the Broome Street Gallery in New York City. Schorr’s work has also appeared in various newspapers and magazines. She is currently a member of Professional Women Photographers (PWP) and serves on their board.
For more information on Sindi Schorr visit her website at www.SindiSchorr.com
Contact Information:
email her directly at SindiSchorr@aol.com.
Carol Seefeldt
Growing up in a family of photographers, I got hooked on the “magic” of seeing images appear out of nowhere in my mother’s darkroom. I began taking photographs as a hobby in 1979. After winning several contests, I had my first home show in 1989. I began photographing weddings in 1990 and this business grew through word of mouth advertising. When I retired from Social Work in June 1999, I started branching into the portrait and nature artistry of photography and created my own business.
My training includes coursework completed at the New York Institute of Photography, the Rocky Mountain School of Photography and the Santa Fe Center for Photography. I have attended numerous workshops over the years and have blended this formal training with personal inspiration into Seefeldt Photography.
My work has been published in The Minnesota Monthly, the Wausau Daily Herald, five Blue Fin Bay Calendars and in numerous annual reports. I have produced three calendars and have artwork on display in several local businesses and at the Stillwater Art Guild Gallery in Stillwater , MN . I have recently published a book of photographs and poems called Listening with Your Eyes.
Contact Information:
email – deccarol@frontiernet.net,
Phone: 651-433-5999
Website: www:seefeldtphotography.com
Susan Morrison Sims
Susan is a mixed media artist, primarily a painter. A plein air painter and studio (hermit) artist, she is often described as an expressionist or post impressionist artist. Susan is a native Floridian having lived throughout the state during her lifetime. She now divides her time between Fleming Island and the isolated Drayton Island where she and her husband are working on an 1880 house. Her works are in private and corporate collections in the US and abroad.
"For me, it is all about the energies, so I draw, paint, and paste what I struggle to say."
Susan is a summa cum laude graduate of: University of North Florida (BFA) and Florida School of the Arts (fine art).
She has continued studies locally and abroad.
Web site: http://susanmorrisonsims.com/
Contact Information:
Email: susanmsims@aol.com
West Shore Studios: (904)-269-1999
Cell: (904) 864-7755
Marcella Smith
In the mid nineties I was a regular student at the ICP in NYC, so when Harvey Stein sent his students a letter inviting them to participate in a photography workshop in Italy, I called 10 seconds after I read the letter to sign up. I had been wanting to go to Italy for years, but had not been able to persuade any of my friends to go with me. I could not have imagined what wonderful freedom I found in taking photos all day long, and the life long friends I met there. Several years later I participated in another Il Chiostro photography workshop in Venice, and it was in that rainy October I found the pizza faces. In the late nineties, I visited the CinqueTerre, and in the week I was there walked from village to village and on one of those daily treks I got the shot of Vernazza from above.
When I`m not taking photos in Italy or on the streets of New York where I live, I enjoy my day job at Barnes & Noble
Lynn Travis Stender
Lynn, originally from the Northeast, received a Fine Arts Degree in Illustration and Design from Marymount University, Arlington, Virginia. She captures mood and light in her subject matter through her Plein Air approach to painting.
Lynn served as Vice President elect of the Palm Beach Watercolour Society, 2000-2003, is an Exhibiting Member of the Boca Raton Museum of Art, Professional Artists Guild, member of the Gold Coast Watercolour Society; Women in the Visual Arts and the High Mountain Watercolour Society, Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Lynn’s Collection can be seen on her website, www.watercolourgreetings.com.
As Resident-Artist of the Boca Raton Resort and Club, Boca Raton, Fl., Lynn has been teaching painting workshops for over 15 years. She has a limited collection of giclee prints, greeting cards, and gift items, which reflect the beautiful architecture and landscape of Historic resort properties such as The Boca Raton Resort and Club, the Registry Resort, Ritz Carlton Golf and Beach Resort, Naples, Florida, Don Ce Sar Beach Resort and Spa, St. Petersburg, Florida, The Richmond Hill Inn, Asheville, North Carolina, and The Cloister, Sea Island, Georgia. Her works are in private, public and corporate collections.
She has painted and collected subject matter from around the world, and is a staff teacher for Il Chiostro, teaching “Plein Air” painting Workshops in Italy. She is deeply committed to encouraging her students to fully explore their creativity and self-expression.
Contact Information:
561-394-5534
Anna Tomczak
Tomczak`s work has been featured in exhibitions at and collections of the Brooklyn Museum of Art, Florida Gulf Coast Museum of Art, Harn Museum of Art, McGraw-Hill, Museum of Florida Art, Norton Museum of Art, Polaroid Collections, Polk Museum of Art, Sony Latin-America and Tampa Museum of Art.
She has received several artist awards including the Florida Individual Artist Fellowship and Career Enhancement Grant; Polaroid Artist Support Program Grant; Loft Nota Bene Artist Residency, Spain; Escape to Create Artist Fellowship, FL; Visiting Artist, University of Kentucky; Penland School Artist Retreat, North Carolina; Distinguished Visiting Artist at the Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts, Florida; Southeast Museum of Photography, Florida; Atlantic Center for the Arts Cultural Exchange Fellowship, La Napoule Arts Foundation, France.
Her work has been featured in publications such as: Sanctuary, Anna Tomczak, Photography, curated with essay by Barbara Hitchcock, Polaroid Collections. 74 page Monograph, Fresco Fine Art Publications.
Also The Georgia Review, View Camera Magazine, Camera Arts, Studio Photography and Design, Florida History Magazine, Polaroid Manipulations by Kathleen Carr, Photo Portfolio Success by John Kaplan and Digital Photo Art by Theresa Airey. Several book covers have also featured the artist’s photographs: Superior Women, Medicine Men, and Almost Perfect, novels by Alice Adams; The Metamorphosis of Ovid, translation by Alan Mandelbaum and Cross-Pollination by Gary Nabhan have featured Tomczak’s photographs.
The artist resides in Lake Helen, Florida, with her husband Mark Shuttleworth, their dog Oatie, two cats and four birds.
Contact Information:
386-228-3404
cell 386-561-1601
www.annatomczak.com
annat@annatomczak.com
Michael Vignapiano
Michael is professionally trained chef, instructor and owner of his own catering company, Fresh Flavors. Learning and creating art has always been part of his life which includes photography, painting, mixed media, ceramics and of course, chocolate and sugar.
He thanks the instructors of Il Chiostro for their teaching and mentoring so he could develop his skills and vision.
This is the first time he has entered a juried show in fine art.
Contact Information:
933 73rd Street, Brooklyn NY 11228-1913
917-670-1261
mvig@aol.com
Karen Weihs
Karen is a native of Charleston, South Carolina, with a BFA from the University of Georgia. She began her professional career in 1972 as a graphic designer for the Sea Pines Corporation. She later married restaurateur Chris Weihs and assisted him in developing and operating seven restaurants in Charleston before retiring from the business in 1999. While raising their two sons, Weihs started showcasing her oil paintings in the family’s restaurants.
In 1994, Weihs opened her first gallery with partners in Charleston and later co-founded a second gallery, Weihs & Woods Fine Art, in Cashiers, North Carolina. Retired from ownerships of galleries and restaurants, she presently divides her time between her home in Asheville, North Carolina, and Skylight Farm, her second home and art studio in Cashiers. Every summer, Weihs hosts oil painting workshops at her Skylight Farm studio and conducts workshops throughout the US. In 1999, Weihs authored her first art book, “Out of My Mind: Life Lessons as an Oil Painter.” Now in its second edition, the book is a companion volume for her workshops, in which she teaches the foundations of fine art while motivating students to cultivate their inner creative spirit. Dubbed “Seminarts,” her workshops and teachings explore ways to harness intuitively the marvelous potential of human imagination. Says Weihs, “If you become confident in your own creativity, it will reward you. There is always risk involved, but the only failure is not trying.” The life-changing wisdom found in her book and teachings spring from her deep spirituality and dedication to her role as artist, teacher and seeker.
Weihs’ knowledge of the oil medium is especially apparent in her distinctive paintings, which integrate bold yet muted pigments and powerful compositions. One might describe her painting style as abstracted landscapes and figures composed with minimal detail yet rich in texture and controlled, harmonious color. With precise command of the oil pigment’s chemistry and texture, Weihs conjures an atmosphere of otherworldly light and fluid color. Her scenes are inspired by reality, yet radiate the feel of an imagined realm, as if rendered from a recollection or impression rooted in memory. She explains, “As a colorist, I use pigments to design an atmosphere of feeling, mood or essence within my scenes. By painting passages of light and color, I can invent my own reality on canvas. For me, making art is a state of ecstasy.”
To view her recent and retrospective works, visit www.weihs.com. For interested art students, her website posts information about available classes and Seminart schedule. Weihs’ book may be purchased through her website or at the various locations listed on her website such as museum stores and galleries representing her work.
Contact Information:
outofyourmind@earthlink.net
http://www.karenweihs.com/
828/226-4024
Patricia Mae Young
I grew up encouraged to paint at an early age. I particular enjoy plein-air painting. Pastels and watercolor and Oils are my mediums of choice.
I enjoy traveling and painting the wondrous variety on nature. Having lived in various parts of the world I translate natures art into my own.
Contact Information:
118 Hidden Ridge
Pittsburgh, PA 15238
412-406-7404
412-874-9630