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Left Panel of Triptych: A Prayer
- for eyes to see, made visible in bark and flame, fearing the loss of our democracy.

Stephen Parlato is an Artist/ Author/Educator and Activist whose unique collage-illustrated books have earned him a devoted following around the world. His books (The World That Loved Books, 2008; Dragons Love, 2009; and Dragons Love Art, 2019) have been carried in many Art Museum shops including The National Gallery Of Art in Washington D.C., The Walters Art Museum, and The Baltimore Museum of Art. His books have been chosen as finalists for 'Best Illustrated Book Of The Year' by 'Foreword Magazine' in both 2008 and 2009. Stephen's Activism is well documented at 'forwarddems.org'. He is a graduate of both The Cooper Union For the Advancement Of Science and Art, 1976 and The Maryland Institutes Hoffberger Graduate School of Painting, 1978.

Right Panel: Premonition
- of civil/tribal war, with liars fomenting hate, preaching to oblivious hordes, to secure their oblivious fate. Chaos in the night, set ablaze, as pointless recompense for past slights and mistakes.

Stephen Parlato is an Artist/ Author/Educator and Activist whose unique collage-illustrated books have earned him a devoted following around the world. His books (The World That Loved Books, 2008; Dragons Love, 2009; and Dragons Love Art, 2019) have been carried in many Art Museum shops including The National Gallery Of Art in Washington D.C., The Walters Art Museum, and The Baltimore Museum of Art. His books have been chosen as finalists for 'Best Illustrated Book Of The Year' by 'Foreword Magazine' in both 2008 and 2009. Stephen's Activism is well documented at 'forwarddems.org'. He is a graduate of both The Cooper Union For the Advancement Of Science and Art, 1976 and The Maryland Institutes Hoffberger Graduate School of Painting, 1978.

Center Panel: A Vison
Before a troubled vista of a vast and star-filled sky, a two-headed eagle fixes its gaze both left and right. Historically a symbol of empire – here he is a symbol of choice. Which side will be chosen as America’s national voice? This totem eagle - determined, imploring unity – spreads its wings above the sea, as two sirens in the rising tide cast their trance-inducing songs. One, mournful with the setting sun inside her upturned mouth, issues warning and lament. The other, vengeful and shrill, comes bearing a spectral king in robes and crown, sinking into the sea – his heart of golden lust luring us toward rock and reef. The Grand Experiment of America faces a fateful choice – a path of love and hope, or one of hate and grief.

Stephen Parlato is an Artist/ Author/Educator and Activist whose unique collage-illustrated books have earned him a devoted following around the world. His books (The World That Loved Books, 2008; Dragons Love, 2009; and Dragons Love Art, 2019) have been carried in many Art Museum shops including The National Gallery Of Art in Washington D.C., The Walters Art Museum, and The Baltimore Museum of Art. His books have been chosen as finalists for 'Best Illustrated Book Of The Year' by 'Foreword Magazine' in both 2008 and 2009. Stephen's Activism is well documented at 'forwarddems.org'. He is a graduate of both The Cooper Union For the Advancement Of Science and Art, 1976 and The Maryland Institutes Hoffberger Graduate School of Painting, 1978.

Through the Looking Glass compares the career of singer Yma Sumac to the story of Alice in Wonderland in order to illustrate the power we have to create our own destiny.

Claiming to be a descendant of Incan Kings and having learned to sing by imitating birds while wandering Peruvian jungles as a girl, Miss Sumac gained fame exploiting her colorful heritage in a full four octave range. However, rumors persisted that she was born in Brooklyn purely of European descent with the name Amy Camus, which spelled backwards becomes Yma Sumac. My painting depicts the rumored young Amy gazing at her reflection as the mature Yma in her bathroom mirror. Elements of the bathroom are transformed into the Peruvian jungle in the mirror and even her name Amy is reflected backwards as Yma, demonstrating since we can create our own reality thus we create too our own reflection. So unlike Alice, we do not have to go through the looking glass to find another world, all we must do is invent it. Therefore anyone can be an Incan Princess, or anything else that they strive to be.

My formal education took me from Los Angeles to Rome, and back to Colorado to earn my MFA with life altering experiences in between. My portrait of Yma Sumac was featured on the cover of her biography. The bracelet she is seen wearing on the Peruvian stamp honoring the centenary of her birth now graces my own arm. I’ve authored some books and had numerous exhibitions of my paintings. The Library of Congress has preserved a digital archive of my work and career because of "its cultural and historic significance." My works and collaborations have been included in exhibitions at the Kinsey Institute and are in their permanent collection as well as belonging to the Museum of Boulder.

At benefit home concert I attended, the young promising contralto Makiko Narumi electrified the room when at one point she performed an animated, flirtatious vocal improvisation using only one vowel that shifted through the gamut of emotions. A curious and enchanted cat kept interrupting much to the amusement of Makiko. Makiko had flashing eyes, and a captivating star quality that was also had a strong visual component. It was a night I'd never forget and I knew right then I would have to paint her. I memorized her gesturing with one hand and occasionally leaning on the arm of the couch for support with the other. Little did anyone know then that her posture in her pose hinted at the illness in her foot that would soon take her life. The dress is similar to the lace collar and floral print she wore that magical night but with a nod to Ray Aghayan. In the background is the ever changing "ahhhh" of her playful vocalise.

My formal education took me from Los Angeles to Rome, and back to Colorado to earn my MFA with life altering experiences in between. My portrait of Yma Sumac was featured on the cover of her biography. The bracelet she is seen wearing on the Peruvian stamp honoring the centenary of her birth now graces my own arm. I’ve authored some books and had numerous exhibitions of my paintings. The Library of Congress has preserved a digital archive of my work and career because of "its cultural and historic significance." My works and collaborations have been included in exhibitions at the Kinsey Institute and are in their permanent collection as well as belonging to the Museum of Boulder.

Both women in the portrait above share the same name: Louisa Fletcher. Toward the end of the dock the elder Louisa is dropping her "shabby old coat" - a metaphor of her journey moving forward in her most famous poem written during her divorce from Booth Tarkington:

"I wish that there were some wonderful place
Called the Land of Beginning Again,
Where all our mistakes, and all our heartaches,
And all of our poor selfish griefs
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door,
And never be put on again."

She is seeking a new beginning as is her runaway niece seen in the foreground. The younger Louisa has just been expelled from a second school. This Bohemian Louisa is committing the then daring and shocking act of chopping off her hair and disguising herself as a man. It is 1920, she is about to steal a boat and ride the river to cast off the legacy of her name and wealthy family to live under the alias of Willie Sullivan. The building clouds symbolize the change and turbulence everyone faces when choosing a new course for their life to follow.

My formal education took me from Los Angeles to Rome, and back to Colorado to earn my MFA with life altering experiences in between. My portrait of Yma Sumac was featured on the cover of her biography. The bracelet she is seen wearing on the Peruvian stamp honoring the centenary of her birth now graces my own arm. I’ve authored some books and had numerous exhibitions of my paintings. The Library of Congress has preserved a digital archive of my work and career because of "its cultural and historic significance." My works and collaborations have been included in exhibitions at the Kinsey Institute and are in their permanent collection as well as belonging to the Museum of Boulder.

Most awestruck travelers do not know its sad history as the path on which the Jews were taken out of Italy to concentration camps and the meeting place of Hitler and Mussolini. The painting evokes the beauty with haunting echoes of the dark purpose the place had in our recent past. Simultaneous day and night reveal a collage of then and now. Transport trains departing the Ghetto of Venice are on the same tracks as the historic Brennerbahn and a modern Italian FS passenger train climbing the pass above golden fields that become a Nazi Swastika. Flags of Poland, Italy, Austria and contemporary Germany fly over the mountains of the far reaching landscape. The charming houses of Brennero morph into Auschwitz as they pass thru the chimney smoke. Faces representing a few of the transported Jewish people appear in the smoke of the Brennerbahn. Onion domes cap the churches as you journey northward and impressive highway bridges and tunnels dominate the valley but mimic in form the horrible ovens.

The legacy of the Holocaust still influences our world. It was a profound event full of countless stories. Knowing them, sad though they are, enriches my life in the same way that the arts and education do.

My formal education took me from Los Angeles to Rome, and back to Colorado to earn my MFA with life altering experiences in between. My portrait of Yma Sumac was featured on the cover of her biography. The bracelet she is seen wearing on the Peruvian stamp honoring the centenary of her birth now graces my own arm. I’ve authored some books and had numerous exhibitions of my paintings. The Library of Congress has preserved a digital archive of my work and career because of "its cultural and historic significance." My works and collaborations have been included in exhibitions at the Kinsey Institute and are in their permanent collection as well as belonging to the Museum of Boulder.

My formal education took me from Los Angeles to Rome, and back to Colorado to earn my MFA with life altering experiences in between. My portrait of Yma Sumac was featured on the cover of her biography. The bracelet she is seen wearing on the Peruvian stamp honoring the centenary of her birth now graces my own arm. I’ve authored some books and had numerous exhibitions of my paintings. The Library of Congress has preserved a digital archive of my work and career because of "its cultural and historic significance." My works and collaborations have been included in exhibitions at the Kinsey Institute and are in their permanent collection as well as belonging to the Museum of Boulder.

My work as a painter began a few years ago. I have been working as an architect for over 30 years. Although architecture has real-world constraints, including and not least, the budget one has to work with and the programmatic parameters set by the client, it also is an important art form. It is in our architectural spaces where we display and interact with our paintings and sculptures. This connection between architecture and art drew me into wanting to begin painting.

Like in my architectural work, I ‘design’ the artwork on my computer and then ‘build’ it when I plot out the shapes on a canvas and then paint it. As an artist I can explore the visual world in a more expansive way using the contrast and counterpoint of: Flat vs 3 dimensional. Opaque vs degrees of transparency. Abstract forms vs figurative.

I think of my work as feeling ‘musical’ when it works best, whereby musical terms such as counterpoint, harmony, dissonance, melody, chords, etc. describe the feelings it engenders. And unlike programmatic music and songs which usually have a story that they are conveying, my paintings are non-programmatic and therefore abstract, which one can say about most chamber music pieces and symphonies.

My formal education took me from Los Angeles to Rome, and back to Colorado to earn my MFA with life altering experiences in between. My portrait of Yma Sumac was featured on the cover of her biography. The bracelet she is seen wearing on the Peruvian stamp honoring the centenary of her birth now graces my own arm. I’ve authored some books and had numerous exhibitions of my paintings. The Library of Congress has preserved a digital archive of my work and career because of "its cultural and historic significance." My works and collaborations have been included in exhibitions at the Kinsey Institute and are in their permanent collection as well as belonging to the Museum of Boulder.

Annastagia whose voice once rang sweetly only in poet’s ears
As they searched for the forgotten lyrics to the Earth’s ancient songs - lost for all these years.
While the birds who tenderly attend her, under the ancient moon
Have no trouble at all humming those ancient tunes.

Stephen Parlato is an Artist/ Author/Educator and Activist whose unique collage-illustrated books have earned him a devoted following around the world. His books (The World That Loved Books, 2008; Dragons Love, 2009; and Dragons Love Art, 2019) have been carried in many Art Museum shops including The National Gallery Of Art in Washington D.C., The Walters Art Museum, and The Baltimore Museum of Art. His books have been chosen as finalists for 'Best Illustrated Book Of The Year' by 'Foreword Magazine' in both 2008 and 2009. Stephen's Activism is well documented at 'forwarddems.org'. He is a graduate of both The Cooper Union For the Advancement Of Science and Art, 1976 and The Maryland Institutes Hoffberger Graduate School of Painting, 1978.

In Haiti, drinking moonlight from a goblet the powerful fairy spirit Fonta speaks.
She whispers these powerful words in the children’s ears softly as they sleep.
“Love and Respect All Living Things
This One Lesson, whether born pauper of king,
Is
The one
We all
Must
Learn to
Keep."

Stephen Parlato is an Artist/ Author/Educator and Activist whose unique collage-illustrated books have earned him a devoted following around the world. His books (The World That Loved Books, 2008; Dragons Love, 2009; and Dragons Love Art, 2019) have been carried in many Art Museum shops including The National Gallery Of Art in Washington D.C., The Walters Art Museum, and The Baltimore Museum of Art. His books have been chosen as finalists for 'Best Illustrated Book Of The Year' by 'Foreword Magazine' in both 2008 and 2009. Stephen's Activism is well documented at 'forwarddems.org'. He is a graduate of both The Cooper Union For the Advancement Of Science and Art, 1976 and The Maryland Institutes Hoffberger Graduate School of Painting, 1978.

My formal education took me from Los Angeles to Rome, and back to Colorado to earn my MFA with life altering experiences in between. My portrait of Yma Sumac was featured on the cover of her biography. The bracelet she is seen wearing on the Peruvian stamp honoring the centenary of her birth now graces my own arm. I’ve authored some books and had numerous exhibitions of my paintings. The Library of Congress has preserved a digital archive of my work and career because of "its cultural and historic significance." My works and collaborations have been included in exhibitions at the Kinsey Institute and are in their permanent collection as well as belonging to the Museum of Boulder.

My formal education took me from Los Angeles to Rome, and back to Colorado to earn my MFA with life altering experiences in between. My portrait of Yma Sumac was featured on the cover of her biography. The bracelet she is seen wearing on the Peruvian stamp honoring the centenary of her birth now graces my own arm. I’ve authored some books and had numerous exhibitions of my paintings. The Library of Congress has preserved a digital archive of my work and career because of "its cultural and historic significance." My works and collaborations have been included in exhibitions at the Kinsey Institute and are in their permanent collection as well as belonging to the Museum of Boulder.

I love the intersection between my art and my life. Lately I’ve been thinking about bits and pieces of my past, my stories and experiences, what I’ve learned along the way. At the same time I’ve been pulling out unfinished projects and scraps of fabric, the left overs from older pieces of art.

Each process is characterized by sorting, organizing and making decisions about how to store what I want to keep.

My collection of fabric scraps is a rich source of memories for me. I open the box and immediately connect with an old project, the why and how I made it and what I learned from it.

Which project did this come from? When did I dye this piece? What did I learn from it? Was I with someone? What was happening in my life at the time? What patterns do I notice? What was unexpected? on and on.

I challenged myself to organize these leftovers in a fun and colorful way. I started by laying them out in two long strips. Then I painted layers of patterns to the base of scraps. These painted layers add complexity and interest, depth and richness.

I was so excited to be using up years of scraps and organizing into colors that I became more absorbed in the work as it grew and grew beyond anything I had imagined. I was so intrigued by what was happening that I kept going, not wanting to cut it up.

I am satisfied with this piece of art, it’s a completion, a bringing together of pieces into a whole. I hope you will enjoy it also.

Barbara has had a life time in fiber art by what she would call dabbling in fabric, thread, and yarns through sewing, quilting, and knitting. When she saw an art quilt in 1997, her passion for the art quilt form began.

She joined Front Range Contemporary Quilters and started taking art classes and participating in their juried member exhibits. Since then, she has been privileged to learn from many great national and international teachers. The techniques she learned include dyeing, painting, using resists, hand-piecing, free-motion machine embroidery, printing, silk screening, collaging, and book making.

Barbara has worked on a few series. One of those uses a dress shape to tell stories about healing. She painted or dyed the fabric, used a great deal of hand embroidery often incorporating beads. She hopes that by expressing her experiences those who look at her art will take something important away for themselves.

Ms. Olson belongs to Front Range Contemporary Quilters (FRCQ), North Boulder Arts District (NoBo), and Studio Art Quilts Associates (SAQA). She shows her work in these organizations’ exhibitions and in local galleries. She has participated in Open Studios of Boulder County and curates art exhibits at the Sanctuary Art Gallery, First United Methodist Church, Boulder.

Her work is in private and corporate collections.

My work as a painter began a few years ago. I have been working as an architect for over 30 years. Although architecture has real-world constraints, including and not least, the budget one has to work with and the programmatic parameters set by the client, it also is an important art form. It is in our architectural spaces where we display and interact with our paintings and sculptures. This connection between architecture and art drew me into wanting to begin painting.

Like in my architectural work, I ‘design’ the artwork on my computer and then ‘build’ it when I plot out the shapes on a canvas and then paint it. As an artist I can explore the visual world in a more expansive way using the contrast and counterpoint of: Flat vs 3 dimensional. Opaque vs degrees of transparency. Abstract forms vs figurative.

I think of my work as feeling ‘musical’ when it works best, whereby musical terms such as counterpoint, harmony, dissonance, melody, chords, etc. describe the feelings it engenders. And unlike programmatic music and songs which usually have a story that they are conveying, my paintings are non-programmatic and therefore abstract, which one can say about most chamber music pieces and symphonies.

Just as star trails reveal the rotation of the Earth in the night sky, the day time sky is spinning too, as sensed perhaps by the rooted, stable trees. Jet trails crisscross in the sky above.

The brushstrokes of the sky echoes the original painting beneath this new composition. The actual inspiration for this piece is taken from Art Nouveau peacock motifs. I am charmed by the stylized artifice of the natural world in Art Nouveau. Here pine needle clumps from my world substitute for the pattern of the gaudy tail feathers.

Off trail in Buckingham Park/Joder Ranch, what you see, not in a singular view, but if you too spin like the earth. The sky is north, the mountains are west, the foreground ridge is looking south and the white rocks are from the ridge east.

My formal education took me from Los Angeles to Rome, and back to Colorado to earn my MFA with life altering experiences in between. My portrait of Yma Sumac was featured on the cover of her biography. The bracelet she is seen wearing on the Peruvian stamp honoring the centenary of her birth now graces my own arm. I’ve authored some books and had numerous exhibitions of my paintings. The Library of Congress has preserved a digital archive of my work and career because of "its cultural and historic significance." My works and collaborations have been included in exhibitions at the Kinsey Institute and are in their permanent collection as well as belonging to the Museum of Boulder.

My formal education took me from Los Angeles to Rome, and back to Colorado to earn my MFA with life altering experiences in between. My portrait of Yma Sumac was featured on the cover of her biography. The bracelet she is seen wearing on the Peruvian stamp honoring the centenary of her birth now graces my own arm. I’ve authored some books and had numerous exhibitions of my paintings. The Library of Congress has preserved a digital archive of my work and career because of "its cultural and historic significance." My works and collaborations have been included in exhibitions at the Kinsey Institute and are in their permanent collection as well as belonging to the Museum of Boulder.

My paintings reflect my feelings of the moment. I select my colors as to how I feel and then let the paint flow onto the canvas. I do not have expectations and do not plan or judge. Thus I never know what is going to appear but accept it as that is what was to happen that particular day. Each person sees something different in an abstract painting. It is important to honor this. A title can lead the viewer to see a certain image in a certain way, and once seen it cannot be forgotten. By leaving a work of art “untitled,” it becomes possible for viewers to create their own titles and to see the painting uniquely, thus making a personal connection.

Why I don't title:
We live in a world of technology where we have learned to want answers immediately. In contrast to this instant gratification, it is possible for untitled art to be observed and contemplated at a slower pace and provide a greater and often multiple meanings.

(Betsy Cole was also featured in our “Journeys and Pathways” exhibit.) One of the most fascinating discoveries I’ve made as an artist is realizing just how much needed to be unlearned. To be sure, one must grapple with the history and techniques of art, but the real challenge for me has been undoing my rigid ways of seeing the world through fear and judgment and rediscovering long-lost joy.

That may sound rather cliché, for in art (as in life) each of us strives for a bit of originality, but for me, it has been a wonder, perhaps an epiphany, to discover at the innermost part of myself there wasn't emptiness or dread, but a genuine curiosity that soon had me eager to travel and explore. I began to take risks — and enjoy them.

It was in Bali where I began to understand what this meant for my art and life. I gained confidence and discovered that art is really play. Painting need not necessarily depict a “thing,” but can actually become a “dance of color” that expresses how I feel.

I once saw a de Kooning exhibit of his most famous paintings and was most drawn to the final simplistic pieces that he created after the onset of Alzheimer’s. I was completely mesmerized because these loose lines of bright color were joyous and free, as if released from all influences, expectations and judgments. I wanted to paint from this place.

Art heals, and it does so by bringing the inside out. It’s certainly no great insight to say that life isn’t always easy — but art can bring light and joy and color to the darkness, the pain, the fear. As I began to untangle my life and view it as a journey, I allowed my love of bright colors to be expressed and to acquire a new healing purpose.

I have been on a journey to define and visually present my personal vision of Still Life painting. I have experimented with composition, painterly technique, and color to modify space and form within my paintings. I came from a position of what I perceive as old school composition, and have been slowly progressing and becoming comfortable with a more contemporary view of this art form. I did not expect to enjoy the new variations of object and atmospheric composition in my paintings, but I do. I find the more contemporary compositions and painterly techniques can be whimsical in nature and reflective of my personal ideologies. My paintings explore my fascination with light, color, reflectivity in creating the form of objects and atmosphere in a still life. Discovering how to do this is an evolving and ongoing process.

My background is primarily as a teacher and educator in the visual arts. I have taught on the college and public school levels. I did not spend any dedicated time on the production of my own works of art until rather late in my working career. I have studied with different artists and have struggled to find my personal style within the various paintings I have created. I will continue to explore and challenge myself to continue to learn and grow through my painting until I can no longer hold a paint brush.

The path forward is never straight. A metaphor for all our dreams and ambitions for our country and planet.

My formal education took me from Los Angeles to Rome, and back to Colorado to earn my MFA with life altering experiences in between. My portrait of Yma Sumac was featured on the cover of her biography. The bracelet she is seen wearing on the Peruvian stamp honoring the centenary of her birth now graces my own arm. I’ve authored some books and had numerous exhibitions of my paintings. The Library of Congress has preserved a digital archive of my work and career because of "its cultural and historic significance." My works and collaborations have been included in exhibitions at the Kinsey Institute and are in their permanent collection as well as belonging to the Museum of Boulder.

My formal education took me from Los Angeles to Rome, and back to Colorado to earn my MFA with life altering experiences in between. My portrait of Yma Sumac was featured on the cover of her biography. The bracelet she is seen wearing on the Peruvian stamp honoring the centenary of her birth now graces my own arm. I’ve authored some books and had numerous exhibitions of my paintings. The Library of Congress has preserved a digital archive of my work and career because of "its cultural and historic significance." My works and collaborations have been included in exhibitions at the Kinsey Institute and are in their permanent collection as well as belonging to the Museum of Boulder.

My paintings reflect my feelings of the moment. I select my colors as to how I feel and then let the paint flow onto the canvas. I do not have expectations and do not plan or judge. Thus I never know what is going to appear but accept it as that is what was to happen that particular day. Each person sees something different in an abstract painting. It is important to honor this. A title can lead the viewer to see a certain image in a certain way, and once seen it cannot be forgotten. By leaving a work of art “untitled,” it becomes possible for viewers to create their own titles and to see the painting uniquely, thus making a personal connection.

Why I don't title:
We live in a world of technology where we have learned to want answers immediately. In contrast to this instant gratification, it is possible for untitled art to be observed and contemplated at a slower pace and provide a greater and often multiple meanings.

(Betsy Cole was also featured in our “Journeys and Pathways” exhibit.) One of the most fascinating discoveries I’ve made as an artist is realizing just how much needed to be unlearned. To be sure, one must grapple with the history and techniques of art, but the real challenge for me has been undoing my rigid ways of seeing the world through fear and judgment and rediscovering long-lost joy.

That may sound rather cliché, for in art (as in life) each of us strives for a bit of originality, but for me, it has been a wonder, perhaps an epiphany, to discover at the innermost part of myself there wasn't emptiness or dread, but a genuine curiosity that soon had me eager to travel and explore. I began to take risks — and enjoy them.

It was in Bali where I began to understand what this meant for my art and life. I gained confidence and discovered that art is really play. Painting need not necessarily depict a “thing,” but can actually become a “dance of color” that expresses how I feel.

I once saw a de Kooning exhibit of his most famous paintings and was most drawn to the final simplistic pieces that he created after the onset of Alzheimer’s. I was completely mesmerized because these loose lines of bright color were joyous and free, as if released from all influences, expectations and judgments. I wanted to paint from this place.

Art heals, and it does so by bringing the inside out. It’s certainly no great insight to say that life isn’t always easy — but art can bring light and joy and color to the darkness, the pain, the fear. As I began to untangle my life and view it as a journey, I allowed my love of bright colors to be expressed and to acquire a new healing purpose.

My paintings reflect my feelings of the moment. I select my colors as to how I feel and then let the paint flow onto the canvas. I do not have expectations and do not plan or judge. Thus I never know what is going to appear but accept it as that is what was to happen that particular day. Each person sees something different in an abstract painting. It is important to honor this. A title can lead the viewer to see a certain image in a certain way, and once seen it cannot be forgotten. By leaving a work of art “untitled,” it becomes possible for viewers to create their own titles and to see the painting uniquely, thus making a personal connection.

Why I don't title:
We live in a world of technology where we have learned to want answers immediately. In contrast to this instant gratification, it is possible for untitled art to be observed and contemplated at a slower pace and provide a greater and often multiple meanings.

(Betsy Cole was also featured in our “Journeys and Pathways” exhibit.) One of the most fascinating discoveries I’ve made as an artist is realizing just how much needed to be unlearned. To be sure, one must grapple with the history and techniques of art, but the real challenge for me has been undoing my rigid ways of seeing the world through fear and judgment and rediscovering long-lost joy.

That may sound rather cliché, for in art (as in life) each of us strives for a bit of originality, but for me, it has been a wonder, perhaps an epiphany, to discover at the innermost part of myself there wasn't emptiness or dread, but a genuine curiosity that soon had me eager to travel and explore. I began to take risks — and enjoy them.

It was in Bali where I began to understand what this meant for my art and life. I gained confidence and discovered that art is really play. Painting need not necessarily depict a “thing,” but can actually become a “dance of color” that expresses how I feel.

I once saw a de Kooning exhibit of his most famous paintings and was most drawn to the final simplistic pieces that he created after the onset of Alzheimer’s. I was completely mesmerized because these loose lines of bright color were joyous and free, as if released from all influences, expectations and judgments. I wanted to paint from this place.

Art heals, and it does so by bringing the inside out. It’s certainly no great insight to say that life isn’t always easy — but art can bring light and joy and color to the darkness, the pain, the fear. As I began to untangle my life and view it as a journey, I allowed my love of bright colors to be expressed and to acquire a new healing purpose.

My paintings reflect my feelings of the moment. I select my colors as to how I feel and then let the paint flow onto the canvas. I do not have expectations and do not plan or judge. Thus I never know what is going to appear but accept it as that is what was to happen that particular day. Each person sees something different in an abstract painting. It is important to honor this. A title can lead the viewer to see a certain image in a certain way, and once seen it cannot be forgotten. By leaving a work of art “untitled,” it becomes possible for viewers to create their own titles and to see the painting uniquely, thus making a personal connection.

Why I don't title:
We live in a world of technology where we have learned to want answers immediately. In contrast to this instant gratification, it is possible for untitled art to be observed and contemplated at a slower pace and provide a greater and often multiple meanings.

(Betsy Cole was also featured in our “Journeys and Pathways” exhibit.) One of the most fascinating discoveries I’ve made as an artist is realizing just how much needed to be unlearned. To be sure, one must grapple with the history and techniques of art, but the real challenge for me has been undoing my rigid ways of seeing the world through fear and judgment and rediscovering long-lost joy.

That may sound rather cliché, for in art (as in life) each of us strives for a bit of originality, but for me, it has been a wonder, perhaps an epiphany, to discover at the innermost part of myself there wasn't emptiness or dread, but a genuine curiosity that soon had me eager to travel and explore. I began to take risks — and enjoy them.

It was in Bali where I began to understand what this meant for my art and life. I gained confidence and discovered that art is really play. Painting need not necessarily depict a “thing,” but can actually become a “dance of color” that expresses how I feel.

I once saw a de Kooning exhibit of his most famous paintings and was most drawn to the final simplistic pieces that he created after the onset of Alzheimer’s. I was completely mesmerized because these loose lines of bright color were joyous and free, as if released from all influences, expectations and judgments. I wanted to paint from this place.

Art heals, and it does so by bringing the inside out. It’s certainly no great insight to say that life isn’t always easy — but art can bring light and joy and color to the darkness, the pain, the fear. As I began to untangle my life and view it as a journey, I allowed my love of bright colors to be expressed and to acquire a new healing purpose.

Women are rare blooms - flowering under the attention of care, abiding in resiliency in times of drought, and stirring hope of the spring to come.

Alexandria Hamm is a queer disabled mixed media artist specializing in abstract acrylic painting and collage. Alex desires to create work that inspires others to embrace, celebrate, and connect with themselves and one another, especially amid challenges. Her work translates the experiences of questioning identity and living with chronic illness while exploring themes of community, healing, and the joy of journeying.

My paintings reflect my feelings of the moment. I select my colors as to how I feel and then let the paint flow onto the canvas. I do not have expectations and do not plan or judge. Thus I never know what is going to appear but accept it as that is what was to happen that particular day. Each person sees something different in an abstract painting. It is important to honor this. A title can lead the viewer to see a certain image in a certain way, and once seen it cannot be forgotten. By leaving a work of art “untitled,” it becomes possible for viewers to create their own titles and to see the painting uniquely, thus making a personal connection.

Why I don't title:
We live in a world of technology where we have learned to want answers immediately. In contrast to this instant gratification, it is possible for untitled art to be observed and contemplated at a slower pace and provide a greater and often multiple meanings.

(Betsy Cole was also featured in our “Journeys and Pathways” exhibit.) One of the most fascinating discoveries I’ve made as an artist is realizing just how much needed to be unlearned. To be sure, one must grapple with the history and techniques of art, but the real challenge for me has been undoing my rigid ways of seeing the world through fear and judgment and rediscovering long-lost joy.

That may sound rather cliché, for in art (as in life) each of us strives for a bit of originality, but for me, it has been a wonder, perhaps an epiphany, to discover at the innermost part of myself there wasn't emptiness or dread, but a genuine curiosity that soon had me eager to travel and explore. I began to take risks — and enjoy them.

It was in Bali where I began to understand what this meant for my art and life. I gained confidence and discovered that art is really play. Painting need not necessarily depict a “thing,” but can actually become a “dance of color” that expresses how I feel.

I once saw a de Kooning exhibit of his most famous paintings and was most drawn to the final simplistic pieces that he created after the onset of Alzheimer’s. I was completely mesmerized because these loose lines of bright color were joyous and free, as if released from all influences, expectations and judgments. I wanted to paint from this place.

Art heals, and it does so by bringing the inside out. It’s certainly no great insight to say that life isn’t always easy — but art can bring light and joy and color to the darkness, the pain, the fear. As I began to untangle my life and view it as a journey, I allowed my love of bright colors to be expressed and to acquire a new healing purpose.

My paintings reflect my feelings of the moment. I select my colors as to how I feel and then let the paint flow onto the canvas. I do not have expectations and do not plan or judge. Thus I never know what is going to appear but accept it as that is what was to happen that particular day. Each person sees something different in an abstract painting. It is important to honor this. A title can lead the viewer to see a certain image in a certain way, and once seen it cannot be forgotten. By leaving a work of art “untitled,” it becomes possible for viewers to create their own titles and to see the painting uniquely, thus making a personal connection.

Why I don't title:
We live in a world of technology where we have learned to want answers immediately. In contrast to this instant gratification, it is possible for untitled art to be observed and contemplated at a slower pace and provide a greater and often multiple meanings.

(Betsy Cole was also featured in our “Journeys and Pathways” exhibit.) One of the most fascinating discoveries I’ve made as an artist is realizing just how much needed to be unlearned. To be sure, one must grapple with the history and techniques of art, but the real challenge for me has been undoing my rigid ways of seeing the world through fear and judgment and rediscovering long-lost joy.

That may sound rather cliché, for in art (as in life) each of us strives for a bit of originality, but for me, it has been a wonder, perhaps an epiphany, to discover at the innermost part of myself there wasn't emptiness or dread, but a genuine curiosity that soon had me eager to travel and explore. I began to take risks — and enjoy them.

It was in Bali where I began to understand what this meant for my art and life. I gained confidence and discovered that art is really play. Painting need not necessarily depict a “thing,” but can actually become a “dance of color” that expresses how I feel.

I once saw a de Kooning exhibit of his most famous paintings and was most drawn to the final simplistic pieces that he created after the onset of Alzheimer’s. I was completely mesmerized because these loose lines of bright color were joyous and free, as if released from all influences, expectations and judgments. I wanted to paint from this place.

Art heals, and it does so by bringing the inside out. It’s certainly no great insight to say that life isn’t always easy — but art can bring light and joy and color to the darkness, the pain, the fear. As I began to untangle my life and view it as a journey, I allowed my love of bright colors to be expressed and to acquire a new healing purpose.

“Equipoise” celebrates the grace, flexibility and beauty of women in dance as well as in concept. The piece is titled “Equipoise” as it reflects the perfect balance between opposing forces. Isn’t that what women often bring to the table-the ability to negotiate a path down the middle of the debate…

I restarted my painting career in 2000 after retiring from a 20 year run in the world of advertising and marketing. Managing my own agency equipped me well to deal with the business side of the art world. While celebrating color and form with various water media is my passion, I also enjoy the business and marketing of art. Over the years, I have managed a variety of galleries and exhibits, and shown my work in many venues around the country.

My paintings reflect my feelings of the moment. I select my colors as to how I feel and then let the paint flow onto the canvas. I do not have expectations and do not plan or judge. Thus I never know what is going to appear but accept it as that is what was to happen that particular day. Each person sees something different in an abstract painting. It is important to honor this. A title can lead the viewer to see a certain image in a certain way, and once seen it cannot be forgotten. By leaving a work of art “untitled,” it becomes possible for viewers to create their own titles and to see the painting uniquely, thus making a personal connection.

Why I don't title:
We live in a world of technology where we have learned to want answers immediately. In contrast to this instant gratification, it is possible for untitled art to be observed and contemplated at a slower pace and provide a greater and often multiple meanings.

(Betsy Cole was also featured in our “Journeys and Pathways” exhibit.) One of the most fascinating discoveries I’ve made as an artist is realizing just how much needed to be unlearned. To be sure, one must grapple with the history and techniques of art, but the real challenge for me has been undoing my rigid ways of seeing the world through fear and judgment and rediscovering long-lost joy.

That may sound rather cliché, for in art (as in life) each of us strives for a bit of originality, but for me, it has been a wonder, perhaps an epiphany, to discover at the innermost part of myself there wasn't emptiness or dread, but a genuine curiosity that soon had me eager to travel and explore. I began to take risks — and enjoy them.

It was in Bali where I began to understand what this meant for my art and life. I gained confidence and discovered that art is really play. Painting need not necessarily depict a “thing,” but can actually become a “dance of color” that expresses how I feel.

I once saw a de Kooning exhibit of his most famous paintings and was most drawn to the final simplistic pieces that he created after the onset of Alzheimer’s. I was completely mesmerized because these loose lines of bright color were joyous and free, as if released from all influences, expectations and judgments. I wanted to paint from this place.

Art heals, and it does so by bringing the inside out. It’s certainly no great insight to say that life isn’t always easy — but art can bring light and joy and color to the darkness, the pain, the fear. As I began to untangle my life and view it as a journey, I allowed my love of bright colors to be expressed and to acquire a new healing purpose.

A personal practice I have is to go on walks to observe nature. I love the first breath of fresh air when I leave the house, noticing colors, the weather, what’s growing in gardens, looking at trees, noticing native grasses and wildflowers, and always observing the changes throughout the seasons.

Barbara has had a life time in fiber art by what she would call dabbling in fabric, thread, and yarns through sewing, quilting, and knitting. When she saw an art quilt in 1997, her passion for the art quilt form began.

She joined Front Range Contemporary Quilters and started taking art classes and participating in their juried member exhibits. Since then, she has been privileged to learn from many great national and international teachers. The techniques she learned include dyeing, painting, using resists, hand-piecing, free-motion machine embroidery, printing, silk screening, collaging, and book making.

Barbara has worked on a few series. One of those uses a dress shape to tell stories about healing. She painted or dyed the fabric, used a great deal of hand embroidery often incorporating beads. She hopes that by expressing her experiences those who look at her art will take something important away for themselves.

Ms. Olson belongs to Front Range Contemporary Quilters (FRCQ), North Boulder Arts District (NoBo), and Studio Art Quilts Associates (SAQA). She shows her work in these organizations’ exhibitions and in local galleries. She has participated in Open Studios of Boulder County and curates art exhibits at the Sanctuary Art Gallery, First United Methodist Church, Boulder.

Her work is in private and corporate collections.

Linen, cotton, organa, acrylic paint, dyes. Direct application, marbling, wax resist, deconstructed screen printing; machine pieced and quilted.

I have been making fiber art for 35 years and have recently switched to oil painting. In dealing with the transition from one medium to another, I reviewed several different triptychs by laying them out, side-by-side and they began communicating with each other as if they were going down memory lane with me. I realized I could cut back certain pieces and add to others to create one long last salute to my time with fiber art.

Jo Fitsell has taught art and developed integrated art curriculum for all ages, from preschool to high school (and their teachers). Rewarding collaborations with young people have included installations in schools, offices, theatre performances, and hospitals.

She has worked for Think 360, Denver Public Schools, the Art Students League, Art Street, Denver Public Library’s Plaza Program, the Denver Art Museum and the Denver Women’s Correction Facility. Her art has been exhibited nationally and internationally and can be found in medical offices, public buildings and homes in Colorado.

She is one of the founders of the vital and exciting organization, Front Range Contemporary Quilters. Interweave Press has published her DVD on Surface Design. Jo contributed to The Denver Art Museum’s Thread Studio exhibit.

Her art leads her to ask questions of the workings of “Nature” as teacher and is interested in the profoundly beautiful and yet broken relationship humans have with the natural world. She works with fabric, paper and stitch creating art quilts, collage and paintings.

My paintings reflect my feelings of the moment. I select my colors as to how I feel and then let the paint flow onto the canvas. I do not have expectations and do not plan or judge. Thus I never know what is going to appear but accept it as that is what was to happen that particular day. Each person sees something different in an abstract painting. It is important to honor this. A title can lead the viewer to see a certain image in a certain way, and once seen it cannot be forgotten. By leaving a work of art “untitled,” it becomes possible for viewers to create their own titles and to see the painting uniquely, thus making a personal connection.

Why I don't title:
We live in a world of technology where we have learned to want answers immediately. In contrast to this instant gratification, it is possible for untitled art to be observed and contemplated at a slower pace and provide a greater and often multiple meanings.

(Betsy Cole was also featured in our “Journeys and Pathways” exhibit.) One of the most fascinating discoveries I’ve made as an artist is realizing just how much needed to be unlearned. To be sure, one must grapple with the history and techniques of art, but the real challenge for me has been undoing my rigid ways of seeing the world through fear and judgment and rediscovering long-lost joy.

That may sound rather cliché, for in art (as in life) each of us strives for a bit of originality, but for me, it has been a wonder, perhaps an epiphany, to discover at the innermost part of myself there wasn't emptiness or dread, but a genuine curiosity that soon had me eager to travel and explore. I began to take risks — and enjoy them.

It was in Bali where I began to understand what this meant for my art and life. I gained confidence and discovered that art is really play. Painting need not necessarily depict a “thing,” but can actually become a “dance of color” that expresses how I feel.

I once saw a de Kooning exhibit of his most famous paintings and was most drawn to the final simplistic pieces that he created after the onset of Alzheimer’s. I was completely mesmerized because these loose lines of bright color were joyous and free, as if released from all influences, expectations and judgments. I wanted to paint from this place.

Art heals, and it does so by bringing the inside out. It’s certainly no great insight to say that life isn’t always easy — but art can bring light and joy and color to the darkness, the pain, the fear. As I began to untangle my life and view it as a journey, I allowed my love of bright colors to be expressed and to acquire a new healing purpose.

My paintings reflect my feelings of the moment. I select my colors as to how I feel and then let the paint flow onto the canvas. I do not have expectations and do not plan or judge. Thus I never know what is going to appear but accept it as that is what was to happen that particular day. Each person sees something different in an abstract painting. It is important to honor this. A title can lead the viewer to see a certain image in a certain way, and once seen it cannot be forgotten. By leaving a work of art “untitled,” it becomes possible for viewers to create their own titles and to see the painting uniquely, thus making a personal connection.

Why I don't title: We live in a world of technology where we have learned to want answers immediately. In contrast to this instant gratification, it is possible for untitled art to be observed and contemplated at a slower pace and provide a greater and often multiple meanings.

(Betsy Cole was also featured in our “Journeys and Pathways” exhibit.) One of the most fascinating discoveries I’ve made as an artist is realizing just how much needed to be unlearned. To be sure, one must grapple with the history and techniques of art, but the real challenge for me has been undoing my rigid ways of seeing the world through fear and judgment and rediscovering long-lost joy.

That may sound rather cliché, for in art (as in life) each of us strives for a bit of originality, but for me, it has been a wonder, perhaps an epiphany, to discover at the innermost part of myself there wasn't emptiness or dread, but a genuine curiosity that soon had me eager to travel and explore. I began to take risks — and enjoy them.

It was in Bali where I began to understand what this meant for my art and life. I gained confidence and discovered that art is really play. Painting need not necessarily depict a “thing,” but can actually become a “dance of color” that expresses how I feel.

I once saw a de Kooning exhibit of his most famous paintings and was most drawn to the final simplistic pieces that he created after the onset of Alzheimer’s. I was completely mesmerized because these loose lines of bright color were joyous and free, as if released from all influences, expectations and judgments. I wanted to paint from this place.

Art heals, and it does so by bringing the inside out. It’s certainly no great insight to say that life isn’t always easy — but art can bring light and joy and color to the darkness, the pain, the fear. As I began to untangle my life and view it as a journey, I allowed my love of bright colors to be expressed and to acquire a new healing purpose.

My paintings reflect my feelings of the moment. I select my colors as to how I feel and then let the paint flow onto the canvas. I do not have expectations and do not plan or judge. Thus I never know what is going to appear but accept it as that is what was to happen that particular day. Each person sees something different in an abstract painting. It is important to honor this. A title can lead the viewer to see a certain image in a certain way, and once seen it cannot be forgotten. By leaving a work of art “untitled,” it becomes possible for viewers to create their own titles and to see the painting uniquely, thus making a personal connection.

Why I don't title: We live in a world of technology where we have learned to want answers immediately. In contrast to this instant gratification, it is possible for untitled art to be observed and contemplated at a slower pace and provide a greater and often multiple meanings.

(Betsy Cole was also featured in our “Journeys and Pathways” exhibit.) One of the most fascinating discoveries I’ve made as an artist is realizing just how much needed to be unlearned. To be sure, one must grapple with the history and techniques of art, but the real challenge for me has been undoing my rigid ways of seeing the world through fear and judgment and rediscovering long-lost joy.

That may sound rather cliché, for in art (as in life) each of us strives for a bit of originality, but for me, it has been a wonder, perhaps an epiphany, to discover at the innermost part of myself there wasn't emptiness or dread, but a genuine curiosity that soon had me eager to travel and explore. I began to take risks — and enjoy them.

It was in Bali where I began to understand what this meant for my art and life. I gained confidence and discovered that art is really play. Painting need not necessarily depict a “thing,” but can actually become a “dance of color” that expresses how I feel.

I once saw a de Kooning exhibit of his most famous paintings and was most drawn to the final simplistic pieces that he created after the onset of Alzheimer’s. I was completely mesmerized because these loose lines of bright color were joyous and free, as if released from all influences, expectations and judgments. I wanted to paint from this place.

Art heals, and it does so by bringing the inside out. It’s certainly no great insight to say that life isn’t always easy — but art can bring light and joy and color to the darkness, the pain, the fear. As I began to untangle my life and view it as a journey, I allowed my love of bright colors to be expressed and to acquire a new healing purpose.

My paintings reflect my feelings of the moment. I select my colors as to how I feel and then let the paint flow onto the canvas. I do not have expectations and do not plan or judge. Thus I never know what is going to appear but accept it as that is what was to happen that particular day. Each person sees something different in an abstract painting. It is important to honor this. A title can lead the viewer to see a certain image in a certain way, and once seen it cannot be forgotten. By leaving a work of art “untitled,” it becomes possible for viewers to create their own titles and to see the painting uniquely, thus making a personal connection.

Why I don't title:
We live in a world of technology where we have learned to want answers immediately. In contrast to this instant gratification, it is possible for untitled art to be observed and contemplated at a slower pace and provide a greater and often multiple meanings.

(Betsy Cole was also featured in our “Journeys and Pathways” exhibit.) One of the most fascinating discoveries I’ve made as an artist is realizing just how much needed to be unlearned. To be sure, one must grapple with the history and techniques of art, but the real challenge for me has been undoing my rigid ways of seeing the world through fear and judgment and rediscovering long-lost joy.

That may sound rather cliché, for in art (as in life) each of us strives for a bit of originality, but for me, it has been a wonder, perhaps an epiphany, to discover at the innermost part of myself there wasn't emptiness or dread, but a genuine curiosity that soon had me eager to travel and explore. I began to take risks — and enjoy them.

It was in Bali where I began to understand what this meant for my art and life. I gained confidence and discovered that art is really play. Painting need not necessarily depict a “thing,” but can actually become a “dance of color” that expresses how I feel.

I once saw a de Kooning exhibit of his most famous paintings and was most drawn to the final simplistic pieces that he created after the onset of Alzheimer’s. I was completely mesmerized because these loose lines of bright color were joyous and free, as if released from all influences, expectations and judgments. I wanted to paint from this place.

Art heals, and it does so by bringing the inside out. It’s certainly no great insight to say that life isn’t always easy — but art can bring light and joy and color to the darkness, the pain, the fear. As I began to untangle my life and view it as a journey, I allowed my love of bright colors to be expressed and to acquire a new healing purpose.

Layers of ultramarine brighten this seemingly unperturbed spherule.

I am a Denver-based painter who is largely self taught. I always loved drawing and took art classes all through high school, but my interests branched out. After college I picked up a lot of graphic arts jobs (including design, printing, and framing) before I picked up a paintbrush again and fell in love with oil painting. I like to play in various mediums and push my own boundaries.

I often work at the confluence of information and imagery. I seek beauty in things people might ordinarily look away from. A common theme is the juxtaposition of the individual with others and their relationships with the changing world around them.

This painting turned art quilt was created to capture the frustration of inequality for women in the workplace. The silent screams as we endure sexual harassment, unequal pay, and lower ceilings preventing promotion. Inspired by Picasso's Weeping Women, this is another portrait of perseverance.

Keri is a Colorado native and activist artist. She is a mother, daughter, wife and adventurer. She is a survivor whom Jesus saved to use her voice since others are no longer able. Art and creativity has been therapeutic, and allowed her to confront issues difficult to discuss. She explores themes of perseverance and inner strength, the best kind of beautiful!

My paintings reflect my feelings of the moment. I select my colors as to how I feel and then let the paint flow onto the canvas. I do not have expectations and do not plan or judge. Thus I never know what is going to appear but accept it as that is what was to happen that particular day. Each person sees something different in an abstract painting. It is important to honor this. A title can lead the viewer to see a certain image in a certain way, and once seen it cannot be forgotten. By leaving a work of art “untitled,” it becomes possible for viewers to create their own titles and to see the painting uniquely, thus making a personal connection.

Why I don't title:
We live in a world of technology where we have learned to want answers immediately. In contrast to this instant gratification, it is possible for untitled art to be observed and contemplated at a slower pace and provide a greater and often multiple meanings.

(Betsy Cole was also featured in our “Journeys and Pathways” exhibit.) One of the most fascinating discoveries I’ve made as an artist is realizing just how much needed to be unlearned. To be sure, one must grapple with the history and techniques of art, but the real challenge for me has been undoing my rigid ways of seeing the world through fear and judgment and rediscovering long-lost joy.

That may sound rather cliché, for in art (as in life) each of us strives for a bit of originality, but for me, it has been a wonder, perhaps an epiphany, to discover at the innermost part of myself there wasn't emptiness or dread, but a genuine curiosity that soon had me eager to travel and explore. I began to take risks — and enjoy them.

It was in Bali where I began to understand what this meant for my art and life. I gained confidence and discovered that art is really play. Painting need not necessarily depict a “thing,” but can actually become a “dance of color” that expresses how I feel.

I once saw a de Kooning exhibit of his most famous paintings and was most drawn to the final simplistic pieces that he created after the onset of Alzheimer’s. I was completely mesmerized because these loose lines of bright color were joyous and free, as if released from all influences, expectations and judgments. I wanted to paint from this place.

Art heals, and it does so by bringing the inside out. It’s certainly no great insight to say that life isn’t always easy — but art can bring light and joy and color to the darkness, the pain, the fear. As I began to untangle my life and view it as a journey, I allowed my love of bright colors to be expressed and to acquire a new healing purpose.

Woman are often so busy with life's expectations that they don't get the time to do much self reflection. It would be wonderful if we were all able to find a moment of quiet on a daily basis to reflect on our strengths and marvel at how incredible we all are.

Jeanne Gray is a self taught artist living in Colorado for over thirty years. She dabbles in mixed media by exploring the combinations of fiber and cloth, paint and paste, threads and embellishments. Her work table faces nature which influences her on many levels to feed her creativity.

My paintings reflect my feelings of the moment. I select my colors as to how I feel and then let the paint flow onto the canvas. I do not have expectations and do not plan or judge. Thus I never know what is going to appear but accept it as that is what was to happen that particular day. Each person sees something different in an abstract painting. It is important to honor this. A title can lead the viewer to see a certain image in a certain way, and once seen it cannot be forgotten. By leaving a work of art “untitled,” it becomes possible for viewers to create their own titles and to see the painting uniquely, thus making a personal connection.

Why I don't title:
We live in a world of technology where we have learned to want answers immediately. In contrast to this instant gratification, it is possible for untitled art to be observed and contemplated at a slower pace and provide a greater and often multiple meanings.

(Betsy Cole was also featured in our “Journeys and Pathways” exhibit.) One of the most fascinating discoveries I’ve made as an artist is realizing just how much needed to be unlearned. To be sure, one must grapple with the history and techniques of art, but the real challenge for me has been undoing my rigid ways of seeing the world through fear and judgment and rediscovering long-lost joy.

That may sound rather cliché, for in art (as in life) each of us strives for a bit of originality, but for me, it has been a wonder, perhaps an epiphany, to discover at the innermost part of myself there wasn't emptiness or dread, but a genuine curiosity that soon had me eager to travel and explore. I began to take risks — and enjoy them.

It was in Bali where I began to understand what this meant for my art and life. I gained confidence and discovered that art is really play. Painting need not necessarily depict a “thing,” but can actually become a “dance of color” that expresses how I feel.

I once saw a de Kooning exhibit of his most famous paintings and was most drawn to the final simplistic pieces that he created after the onset of Alzheimer’s. I was completely mesmerized because these loose lines of bright color were joyous and free, as if released from all influences, expectations and judgments. I wanted to paint from this place.

Art heals, and it does so by bringing the inside out. It’s certainly no great insight to say that life isn’t always easy — but art can bring light and joy and color to the darkness, the pain, the fear. As I began to untangle my life and view it as a journey, I allowed my love of bright colors to be expressed and to acquire a new healing purpose.

My paintings reflect my feelings of the moment. I select my colors as to how I feel and then let the paint flow onto the canvas. I do not have expectations and do not plan or judge. Thus I never know what is going to appear but accept it as that is what was to happen that particular day. Each person sees something different in an abstract painting. It is important to honor this. A title can lead the viewer to see a certain image in a certain way, and once seen it cannot be forgotten. By leaving a work of art “untitled,” it becomes possible for viewers to create their own titles and to see the painting uniquely, thus making a personal connection.

Why I don't title:
We live in a world of technology where we have learned to want answers immediately. In contrast to this instant gratification, it is possible for untitled art to be observed and contemplated at a slower pace and provide a greater and often multiple meanings.

(Betsy Cole was also featured in our “Journeys and Pathways” exhibit.) One of the most fascinating discoveries I’ve made as an artist is realizing just how much needed to be unlearned. To be sure, one must grapple with the history and techniques of art, but the real challenge for me has been undoing my rigid ways of seeing the world through fear and judgment and rediscovering long-lost joy.

That may sound rather cliché, for in art (as in life) each of us strives for a bit of originality, but for me, it has been a wonder, perhaps an epiphany, to discover at the innermost part of myself there wasn't emptiness or dread, but a genuine curiosity that soon had me eager to travel and explore. I began to take risks — and enjoy them.

It was in Bali where I began to understand what this meant for my art and life. I gained confidence and discovered that art is really play. Painting need not necessarily depict a “thing,” but can actually become a “dance of color” that expresses how I feel.

I once saw a de Kooning exhibit of his most famous paintings and was most drawn to the final simplistic pieces that he created after the onset of Alzheimer’s. I was completely mesmerized because these loose lines of bright color were joyous and free, as if released from all influences, expectations and judgments. I wanted to paint from this place.

Art heals, and it does so by bringing the inside out. It’s certainly no great insight to say that life isn’t always easy — but art can bring light and joy and color to the darkness, the pain, the fear. As I began to untangle my life and view it as a journey, I allowed my love of bright colors to be expressed and to acquire a new healing purpose.

My paintings reflect my feelings of the moment. I select my colors as to how I feel and then let the paint flow onto the canvas. I do not have expectations and do not plan or judge. Thus I never know what is going to appear but accept it as that is what was to happen that particular day. Each person sees something different in an abstract painting. It is important to honor this. A title can lead the viewer to see a certain image in a certain way, and once seen it cannot be forgotten. By leaving a work of art “untitled,” it becomes possible for viewers to create their own titles and to see the painting uniquely, thus making a personal connection.

Why I don't title:
We live in a world of technology where we have learned to want answers immediately. In contrast to this instant gratification, it is possible for untitled art to be observed and contemplated at a slower pace and provide a greater and often multiple meanings.

(Betsy Cole was also featured in our “Journeys and Pathways” exhibit.) One of the most fascinating discoveries I’ve made as an artist is realizing just how much needed to be unlearned. To be sure, one must grapple with the history and techniques of art, but the real challenge for me has been undoing my rigid ways of seeing the world through fear and judgment and rediscovering long-lost joy.

That may sound rather cliché, for in art (as in life) each of us strives for a bit of originality, but for me, it has been a wonder, perhaps an epiphany, to discover at the innermost part of myself there wasn't emptiness or dread, but a genuine curiosity that soon had me eager to travel and explore. I began to take risks — and enjoy them.

It was in Bali where I began to understand what this meant for my art and life. I gained confidence and discovered that art is really play. Painting need not necessarily depict a “thing,” but can actually become a “dance of color” that expresses how I feel.

I once saw a de Kooning exhibit of his most famous paintings and was most drawn to the final simplistic pieces that he created after the onset of Alzheimer’s. I was completely mesmerized because these loose lines of bright color were joyous and free, as if released from all influences, expectations and judgments. I wanted to paint from this place.

Art heals, and it does so by bringing the inside out. It’s certainly no great insight to say that life isn’t always easy — but art can bring light and joy and color to the darkness, the pain, the fear. As I began to untangle my life and view it as a journey, I allowed my love of bright colors to be expressed and to acquire a new healing purpose.

My paintings reflect my feelings of the moment. I select my colors as to how I feel and then let the paint flow onto the canvas. I do not have expectations and do not plan or judge. Thus I never know what is going to appear but accept it as that is what was to happen that particular day. Each person sees something different in an abstract painting. It is important to honor this. A title can lead the viewer to see a certain image in a certain way, and once seen it cannot be forgotten. By leaving a work of art “untitled,” it becomes possible for viewers to create their own titles and to see the painting uniquely, thus making a personal connection.

Why I don't title:
We live in a world of technology where we have learned to want answers immediately. In contrast to this instant gratification, it is possible for untitled art to be observed and contemplated at a slower pace and provide a greater and often multiple meanings.

(Betsy Cole was also featured in our “Journeys and Pathways” exhibit.) One of the most fascinating discoveries I’ve made as an artist is realizing just how much needed to be unlearned. To be sure, one must grapple with the history and techniques of art, but the real challenge for me has been undoing my rigid ways of seeing the world through fear and judgment and rediscovering long-lost joy.

That may sound rather cliché, for in art (as in life) each of us strives for a bit of originality, but for me, it has been a wonder, perhaps an epiphany, to discover at the innermost part of myself there wasn't emptiness or dread, but a genuine curiosity that soon had me eager to travel and explore. I began to take risks — and enjoy them.

It was in Bali where I began to understand what this meant for my art and life. I gained confidence and discovered that art is really play. Painting need not necessarily depict a “thing,” but can actually become a “dance of color” that expresses how I feel.

I once saw a de Kooning exhibit of his most famous paintings and was most drawn to the final simplistic pieces that he created after the onset of Alzheimer’s. I was completely mesmerized because these loose lines of bright color were joyous and free, as if released from all influences, expectations and judgments. I wanted to paint from this place.

Art heals, and it does so by bringing the inside out. It’s certainly no great insight to say that life isn’t always easy — but art can bring light and joy and color to the darkness, the pain, the fear. As I began to untangle my life and view it as a journey, I allowed my love of bright colors to be expressed and to acquire a new healing purpose.

"Three Corn Maidens" represents the glory of nature and the idea that we all live on "Mother Earth" - our home that is fragile and finite. Its degradation due to climate change denied by too many and perpetuated by corporations whose goal is to make the rich richer necessitates a different, more equitable, compassionate, and sustainable way of living by all of us.

After trying to match up corners and points in traditional quilt making – and failing miserably – Andra Stanton found her solution when Rayna Gilman published her book, Create Your Own Free-Form Quilts (C&T Publishing, 2011). Andra enjoyed creating these “wonky” art quilts until she stumbled on an art quilt magazine article describing how to form 3D houses from fabric, stiff interfacing, and stitching.

From there, this artist was hooked on 3D textile art. Finding only one other example in another magazine, she decided to seek out fiber artists here in the US and around the world who specialized in 3D art, and to compile them for a book ultimately published by Schiffer Publishing in 2018, Dimensional Cloth: Sculpture by Contemporary Textile Artists. Since then, Andra has been exploring a wide variety of techniques for her 2D and 3D art quilts such as felting, mono-printing, silk-screening, leaf-printing, eco-dyeing, and so on, on her own and with local art quilt groups.

Overcome with grief during the last couple of years because of the world’s political strife, Andra found herself turning to her art to express that grief. Realizing how profound an impact art can have in communicating her sorrow, and sometimes in ameliorating her grief, she decided to seek out other artists who use their work to explore their own pain and suffering. Ultimately, that art became a part of her most recent book, How Art Heals, published by Schiffer in 2021.

For the next while, Andra is writing her next book, Japanese Paper Yarn and Beyond, to be released by Schiffer in 2024.

Springtime is one of my favorite times of year. The potency and pregnancy of the Great Mother Earth springing up from the long dormancy once nestled deeply in the ground in the call and celebration to the changing light.

I’ve been painting for over 50 years in many modalities and mediums. I have studied with a number of different teachers, Paul Chidlaw and Roland Huston in Cincinnati. At the Atelier au Grand Chaumier in Paris and at the Cincinnati Art Academy. In Colorado with Chuck Ceraso.

My paintings often represent the powerful feminine Spirit that brings strength, courage, love and healing to our troubled world. "Listen to the Lost Voices" is a plea to pay attention to the voices of women who stand for justice, equality, and freedom. These voices of dissent and difference are often silenced by the rich and powerful in an effort to protect their power. It takes courage to speak out for the marginalized and oppressed in our society who often have no voice of their own. It is our call to listen to lost voices. To listen to the voices of black Americans, immigrants, Indigenous people, the poor, the transgender, and women, straining to be heard above the bombast of dominant voices. "Healing Mother Earth" No matter what issues we face, time spent in nature can help us heal and renew. Earth offers us grounding and an opportunity to become one with forests, mountains, plains, oceans and all that gives us a firm footing to move forward into the world with a new sense of self. In "Healing Mother Earth" the Earth Goddess is seen with outstretched arms communicating with her beloved trees and both being blessed by and offering a blessing to the forests that protect and rejuvenate our earthly home. As we attune with nature, there is an opportunity to heal oneself as well as the precious planet that supports our physical existence. Because many of us “stayed at home” during much of Covid, we provided a much-deserved opportunity for Mother Earth to rest and heal. Perhaps that experience will lead to a greater exploration of ways to ease the global crisis facing us and secure the health of our planet for future generations.

Pamela McKinnie is a painter and sculptor best known for her acrylic/mixed media paintings on canvas and multi-layered digital paintings printed on acrylic. She is a renowned artist, who has received multiple national and international awards for her mixed media paintings, which are multi-layered, brightly colored and intensely textured. She is an intuitive painter whose abstract, figurative style is influenced by the symbolic, dream-like quality of surrealism and the Fusionart movement, which makes subliminal images visible in unique ways. In describing her art she says, "My art is a reflection of what is felt rather than what is seen. I hope to create something that is alive with energy and invites each viewer to connect with life in new and meaningful ways."

I had a period of time where I loved to painting all the women of the market. The market symbolized for me the fullness of gathering, community, commerce, sharing and what women do best. It also shows the abundance of the earth and nourishment, gossip and the continuity of culture.

I’ve been painting for over 50 years in many modalities and mediums. I have studied with a number of different teachers, Paul Chidlaw and Roland Huston in Cincinnati. At the Atelier au Grand Chaumier in Paris and at the Cincinnati Art Academy. In Colorado with Chuck Ceraso.

A personal practice I have is to go on walks to observe nature. I love the first breath of fresh air when I leave the house, noticing colors, the weather, what’s growing in gardens, looking at trees, noticing native grasses and wildflowers, and always observing the changes throughout the seasons.

Barbara has had a life time in fiber art by what she would call dabbling in fabric, thread, and yarns through sewing, quilting, and knitting. When she saw an art quilt in 1997, her passion for the art quilt form began.

She joined Front Range Contemporary Quilters and started taking art classes and participating in their juried member exhibits. Since then, she has been privileged to learn from many great national and international teachers. The techniques she learned include dyeing, painting, using resists, hand-piecing, free-motion machine embroidery, printing, silk screening, collaging, and book making.

Barbara has worked on a few series. One of those uses a dress shape to tell stories about healing. She painted or dyed the fabric, used a great deal of hand embroidery often incorporating beads. She hopes that by expressing her experiences those who look at her art will take something important away for themselves.

Ms. Olson belongs to Front Range Contemporary Quilters (FRCQ), North Boulder Arts District (NoBo), and Studio Art Quilts Associates (SAQA). She shows her work in these organizations’ exhibitions and in local galleries. She has participated in Open Studios of Boulder County and curates art exhibits at the Sanctuary Art Gallery, First United Methodist Church, Boulder.

Her work is in private and corporate collections.

Using the smooth and bold pigmentation of Prisma colored pencils along with digital tools to create a mixed media experience, I draw to manifest goddess vibes, enjoy the beauty of vibrant flowers, celebrate the whimsy in fun creatures, and nerd out with fan art.

My art is a conduit to step into my power, to find my beauty, to celebrate my gifts, to embrace my whimsy, & to boldly take up space. I hope my art helps you find these things too.

For decades, I was afraid to take up space. I allowed others to define my value and worth. I could see everyone's hidden potential but failed to see the power inside of me. Not anymore.

My art exists to remind people that they are and always have been enough, even in their brokenness. There is beauty in the broken - it is how the light gets in.

My use of deep rich colors of Prisma color pencils combined with the unlimited creativity of digital and mixed media art reminds people of the graceful, beautiful, complicated power within.

I provide art for people who are looking to manifest their inner light, grow with purpose, and spark joy and playfulness in their lives.

Hi I'm Vicki Davis. I am an artist out of Boulder, CO. I am adorable, charming, and delightfully awkward. I am likely one of the most passionate and enthusiastic people you will ever meet. I have been drawing and painting for almost 15 years. I am now in the space to know and appreciate my value and worth. I am enough. Thank you for adding art and beauty to the world.

Using the smooth and bold pigmentation of Prisma colored pencils along with digital tools to create a mixed media experience, I draw to manifest goddess vibes, enjoy the beauty of vibrant flowers, celebrate the whimsy in fun creatures, and nerd out with fan art.

My art is a conduit to step into my power, to find my beauty, to celebrate my gifts, to embrace my whimsy, & to boldly take up space. I hope my art helps you find these things too.

For decades, I was afraid to take up space. I allowed others to define my value and worth. I could see everyone's hidden potential but failed to see the power inside of me. Not anymore.

My art exists to remind people that they are and always have been enough, even in their brokenness. There is beauty in the broken - it is how the light gets in.

My use of deep rich colors of Prisma color pencils combined with the unlimited creativity of digital and mixed media art reminds people of the graceful, beautiful, complicated power within.

I provide art for people who are looking to manifest their inner light, grow with purpose, and spark joy and playfulness in their lives.

Hi I'm Vicki Davis. I am an artist out of Boulder, CO. I am adorable, charming, and delightfully awkward. I am likely one of the most passionate and enthusiastic people you will ever meet. I have been drawing and painting for almost 15 years. I am now in the space to know and appreciate my value and worth. I am enough. Thank you for adding art and beauty to the world.

I do not have any formal training in art but when I experienced a sudden bereavement 8 years ago, I began to create. Time slowed and a profound intrapersonal transformation followed, sharpening my vision and influencing how I interacted with material objects. My art recognizes and highlights a tension in the disparate value our collective places on broken, mundane, and discarded objects. My art can be described as process art, as each piece speaks to a memory or an emotional experience. The fragmented objects make a whole, speak as a testament to healing, and offer an opportunity for the viewer to reflect on their own intrinsic wholeness.

I am a licensed clinical social worker and addiction counselor. I received my MSW from Boston College in 1995 and completed post graduate certificates in addiction counseling and clinical supervision. My clinical work has focused on the intersection of mental health struggles, addiction, and oppression and has been characterized by a commitment to advocacy and social justice.

I use natural objects because I find so much solace walking and I use what I see to tether me to the here and now. I invite you to the patterns within the patterns. Light illuminates my path, and natural objects leap into my field of awareness, the spiral of a snail’s shell or a pine cone, the whirl of a burl, the mirror of mica. If you love the world enough, it presents itself to you in resplendence. My love for the world deepens in response to every loss I have experienced.

I found my way, and I’ve called the widely scattered pieces of my soul back to me, and they’ve done as commanded, skittering and keening, rushing and leaping, to return my heart to me. I tuck them into these pieces of art.

I have always believed that it is an inherent fact that women are more connected to the earth. This is cause enough to celebrate women! Perhaps the deeper connection to nature that many women are in tune with will be pivotal for a more sustainable future for our planet!

I have painted for many years! I have been influenced by many wonderful and encouraging teachers including Robert Spellman, Jordan Wolfson, and more recently, Zoey Frank. Nature is my muse! My focus has been to be as "present" as I can when I paint. I enjoy working directly and deliberately while looking closely at my subject matter. My inquiry involves how my eye sees and what draws my attention. I thin my high quality paints with linseed oil and apply them to Arches cotton paper that has been sized for oils.

This painting turned art quilt was created as a portrait to remember Missing Murdered Indigenous Ancestors. A woman who is valued by her family, tribe and friends but seemingly unworthy of resources, media attention or a full investigation. Since 2016 over 5000 have gone missing, but the US Justice database has only recorded 116.

Keri is a Colorado native and activist artist. She is a mother, daughter, wife and adventurer. She is a survivor whom Jesus saved to use her voice since others are no longer able. Art and creativity has been therapeutic, and allowed her to confront issues difficult to discuss. She explores themes of perseverance and inner strength, the best kind of beautiful!

This quilt presents textiles representing the textures and colors of lichen and pods seen along the pathways I walk in my neighborhood. I am always looking for compositions formed in nature. Observing and recording the vast samplings seen on wood fences, sidewalks, front yards, trees and sometimes even mud puddles. Once at home, I review the images I have captured on my phone. Then begins the consideration of how best to interpret these samples in textiles, paint, and thread, as well as found objects: wire, feathers, paper, mica, twigs and clay. My intention is to connect with the viewer and draw them in for a closer look by presenting unusual imagery or materials.

This award winning artist’s work is largely inspired by surface designed fabric, words and the beauty of nature. She incorporates a wide variety of textiles, including vintage kimono silk, upholstery, hand-dyed fabric, hand painted canvas, heat distressed Tyvek, and organza. She incorporates found objects, wire, paper, feathers, mica as well as linens and papers preserved by her family. The artist’s intention is to evoke a mood or elicit a memory and push the image to the abstract by transparent layering and intuitive composition and color. Sue uses both machine and hand stitching on hand dyed, painted or eco-dyed fabric to honor natural beauty. Fiber bowls, spirit dolls and greeting cards fill out her creative efforts.

Sue has exhibited work in Aspen and Evergreen Gallery in Estes Park, The Art Center of Estes Park, Lakewood Art Gallery, Foothills Art Center, R Gallery in Boulder, CO, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Red Rocks Community College and in AAR River Gallery. She has been juried into Front Range Contemporary Quilter’s (www.artquilters.org) “Best of” Portfolio online exhibit for the last several years. Please visit her blog at http://sustudioblog@wordpress.com and her website at www.sustudiotextiles.weebly.cim, to view more of her quilts, vases and inspirations.

This award winning artist’s work is largely inspired by surface designed fabrics and nature. Sue has exhibited her textile work in Aspen and Evergreen Gallery, The Art Center of Estes Park, Lakewood Cultural Center, Foothills Art Center, R Gallery in Boulder, CO, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Red Rocks Community College and in AAR River Gallery. She has been juried into Front Range Contemporary Quilter’s (www.artquilters.org) “Best of” Portfolio online exhibit for the last several years.

Her intention is to connect with the viewer and to draw them in for a closer look by presenting unusual imagery or materials. The “hand of the artist” is evident in the brushstrokes of paint or in the incorporation of hand stitches.

My paintings often represent the powerful feminine Spirit that brings strength, courage, love and healing to our troubled world. "Listen to the Lost Voices" is a plea to pay attention to the voices of women who stand for justice, equality, and freedom. These voices of dissent and difference are often silenced by the rich and powerful in an effort to protect their power. It takes courage to speak out for the marginalized and oppressed in our society who often have no voice of their own. It is our call to listen to lost voices. To listen to the voices of black Americans, immigrants, Indigenous people, the poor, the transgender, and women, straining to be heard above the bombast of dominant voices. "Healing Mother Earth" No matter what issues we face, time spent in nature can help us heal and renew. Earth offers us grounding and an opportunity to become one with forests, mountains, plains, oceans and all that gives us a firm footing to move forward into the world with a new sense of self. In "Healing Mother Earth" the Earth Goddess is seen with outstretched arms communicating with her beloved trees and both being blessed by and offering a blessing to the forests that protect and rejuvenate our earthly home. As we attune with nature, there is an opportunity to heal oneself as well as the precious planet that supports our physical existence. Because many of us “stayed at home” during much of Covid, we provided a much-deserved opportunity for Mother Earth to rest and heal. Perhaps that experience will lead to a greater exploration of ways to ease the global crisis facing us and secure the health of our planet for future generations.

Pamela McKinnie is a painter and sculptor best known for her acrylic/mixed media paintings on canvas and multi-layered digital paintings printed on acrylic. She is a renowned artist, who has received multiple national and international awards for her mixed media paintings, which are multi-layered, brightly colored and intensely textured. She is an intuitive painter whose abstract, figurative style is influenced by the symbolic, dream-like quality of surrealism and the Fusionart movement, which makes subliminal images visible in unique ways. In describing her art she says, "My art is a reflection of what is felt rather than what is seen. I hope to create something that is alive with energy and invites each viewer to connect with life in new and meaningful ways."

Using an iconic image of Ruth Bader Ginsberg, a tea stained copy of The US Constitution for the Be Brave lettering, metal stars, “dream big” etching and mirrors, this piece both celebrates RBG as “hero” and challenges the viewer to step more into their own dreams and bravery. Dreams and bravery ever present in our daily lives, offer each of us an opportunity to become our best selves when we accept the challenges. In this piece, as RBG looks directly at the viewer, she serves as a reminder to participate however you can to create a more equal, just and thriving society for us all.

Millicent is a Boulder artist who works in mixed media. Using layers of acrylic paint with etching, paper, beads, collage and found objects, Millicent creates pieces that reflect her passion for encouraging others to step into the lives they want to live. Accepting that the only true constant in life is change, her pieces will evolve and shift over time until they resonate with a viewer and find a permanent new home.

Most days she is out hiking, skiing, enjoying small outdoor adventures and creating in her studio on Boulder Creek.

In “Dive in” the collaged lettering “it’s your life” serves as the entry for the woman who is diving straight down with confidence and no way to turn back. In the space below three women float along indicating that others are on the journey too, supporting her along the way. The best we can do for one another is encourage “diving in” to whatever life and experiences you want and supporting each other on the journey. This is what women do for one another and how our lives become richer and more meaningful.

Millicent is a Boulder artist who works in mixed media. Using layers of acrylic paint with etching, paper, beads, collage and found objects, Millicent creates pieces that reflect her passion for encouraging others to step into the lives they want to live. Accepting that the only true constant in life is change, her pieces will evolve and shift over time until they resonate with a viewer and find a permanent new home.

Most days she is out hiking, skiing, enjoying small outdoor adventures and creating in her studio on Boulder Creek.

My paintings reflect my feelings of the moment. I select my colors as to how I feel and then let the paint flow onto the canvas. I do not have expectations and do not plan or judge. Thus I never know what is going to appear but accept it as that is what was to happen that particular day. Each person sees something different in an abstract painting. It is important to honor this. A title can lead the viewer to see a certain image in a certain way, and once seen it cannot be forgotten. By leaving a work of art “untitled,” it becomes possible for viewers to create their own titles and to see the painting uniquely, thus making a personal connection.

Why I don't title:
We live in a world of technology where we have learned to want answers immediately. In contrast to this instant gratification, it is possible for untitled art to be observed and contemplated at a slower pace and provide a greater and often multiple meanings.

(Betsy Cole was also featured in our “Journeys and Pathways” exhibit.) One of the most fascinating discoveries I’ve made as an artist is realizing just how much needed to be unlearned. To be sure, one must grapple with the history and techniques of art, but the real challenge for me has been undoing my rigid ways of seeing the world through fear and judgment and rediscovering long-lost joy.

That may sound rather cliché, for in art (as in life) each of us strives for a bit of originality, but for me, it has been a wonder, perhaps an epiphany, to discover at the innermost part of myself there wasn't emptiness or dread, but a genuine curiosity that soon had me eager to travel and explore. I began to take risks — and enjoy them.

It was in Bali where I began to understand what this meant for my art and life. I gained confidence and discovered that art is really play. Painting need not necessarily depict a “thing,” but can actually become a “dance of color” that expresses how I feel.

I once saw a de Kooning exhibit of his most famous paintings and was most drawn to the final simplistic pieces that he created after the onset of Alzheimer’s. I was completely mesmerized because these loose lines of bright color were joyous and free, as if released from all influences, expectations and judgments. I wanted to paint from this place.

Art heals, and it does so by bringing the inside out. It’s certainly no great insight to say that life isn’t always easy — but art can bring light and joy and color to the darkness, the pain, the fear. As I began to untangle my life and view it as a journey, I allowed my love of bright colors to be expressed and to acquire a new healing purpose.

One day several years ago I was strolling down the west bank of the Willamette River in Portland, killing some time, and I happened on dragonboats racing. Of course I took out my phone - when I was looking at the pictures later, I realized the two lead boats in one heat both reached their flags at the same time.

This study of movement and color tries to capture the event.

I am a Denver-based painter who is largely self taught. I always loved drawing and took art classes all through high school, but my interests branched out. After college I picked up a lot of graphic arts jobs (including design, printing, and framing) before I picked up a paintbrush again and fell in love with oil painting. I like to play in various mediums and push my own boundaries.

I often work at the confluence of information and imagery. I seek beauty in things people might ordinarily look away from. A common theme is the juxtaposition of the individual with others and their relationships with the changing world around them.

This wall quilt is hand stitched and machine quilted. The woman portrayed here is my aunt, Dorothy. She raised 3 children and fostered 7 foreign exchange students over the years. She had a great sense of humor and did end up with Alzheimer’s disease. I created this quilt after taking a walk in the rain and thinking about the old photo I had found recently. I was wondering how I could use the image on a quilt and still have a sense of the rain falling. The photo was printed on organza and then fused on the fabric. I have added some gilt to give the surface a glint of golden rainfall.

This award winning artist’s work is largely inspired by surface designed fabric, words and the beauty of nature. She incorporates a wide variety of textiles, including vintage kimono silk, upholstery, hand-dyed fabric, hand painted canvas, heat distressed Tyvek, and organza. She incorporates found objects, wire, paper, feathers, mica as well as linens and papers preserved by her family. The artist’s intention is to evoke a mood or elicit a memory and push the image to the abstract by transparent layering and intuitive composition and color. Sue uses both machine and hand stitching on hand dyed, painted or eco-dyed fabric to honor natural beauty. Fiber bowls, spirit dolls and greeting cards fill out her creative efforts.

Sue has exhibited work in Aspen and Evergreen Gallery in Estes Park, The Art Center of Estes Park, Lakewood Art Gallery, Foothills Art Center, R Gallery in Boulder, CO, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Red Rocks Community College and in AAR River Gallery. She has been juried into Front Range Contemporary Quilter’s (www.artquilters.org) “Best of” Portfolio online exhibit for the last several years. Please visit her blog at http://sustudioblog@wordpress.com and her website at www.sustudiotextiles.weebly.cim, to view more of her quilts, vases and inspirations.

This award winning artist’s work is largely inspired by surface designed fabrics and nature. Sue has exhibited her textile work in Aspen and Evergreen Gallery, The Art Center of Estes Park, Lakewood Cultural Center, Foothills Art Center, R Gallery in Boulder, CO, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Red Rocks Community College and in AAR River Gallery. She has been juried into Front Range Contemporary Quilter’s (www.artquilters.org) “Best of” Portfolio online exhibit for the last several years.

Her intention is to connect with the viewer and to draw them in for a closer look by presenting unusual imagery or materials. The “hand of the artist” is evident in the brushstrokes of paint or in the incorporation of hand stitches.

My paintings reflect my feelings of the moment. I select my colors as to how I feel and then let the paint flow onto the canvas. I do not have expectations and do not plan or judge. Thus I never know what is going to appear but accept it as that is what was to happen that particular day. Each person sees something different in an abstract painting. It is important to honor this. A title can lead the viewer to see a certain image in a certain way, and once seen it cannot be forgotten. By leaving a work of art “untitled,” it becomes possible for viewers to create their own titles and to see the painting uniquely, thus making a personal connection.

Why I don't title:
We live in a world of technology where we have learned to want answers immediately. In contrast to this instant gratification, it is possible for untitled art to be observed and contemplated at a slower pace and provide a greater and often multiple meanings.

(Betsy Cole was also featured in our “Journeys and Pathways” exhibit.) One of the most fascinating discoveries I’ve made as an artist is realizing just how much needed to be unlearned. To be sure, one must grapple with the history and techniques of art, but the real challenge for me has been undoing my rigid ways of seeing the world through fear and judgment and rediscovering long-lost joy.

That may sound rather cliché, for in art (as in life) each of us strives for a bit of originality, but for me, it has been a wonder, perhaps an epiphany, to discover at the innermost part of myself there wasn't emptiness or dread, but a genuine curiosity that soon had me eager to travel and explore. I began to take risks — and enjoy them.

It was in Bali where I began to understand what this meant for my art and life. I gained confidence and discovered that art is really play. Painting need not necessarily depict a “thing,” but can actually become a “dance of color” that expresses how I feel.

I once saw a de Kooning exhibit of his most famous paintings and was most drawn to the final simplistic pieces that he created after the onset of Alzheimer’s. I was completely mesmerized because these loose lines of bright color were joyous and free, as if released from all influences, expectations and judgments. I wanted to paint from this place.

Art heals, and it does so by bringing the inside out. It’s certainly no great insight to say that life isn’t always easy — but art can bring light and joy and color to the darkness, the pain, the fear. As I began to untangle my life and view it as a journey, I allowed my love of bright colors to be expressed and to acquire a new healing purpose.

I do not have any formal training in art but when I experienced a sudden bereavement 8 years ago, I began to create. Time slowed and a profound intrapersonal transformation followed, sharpening my vision and influencing how I interacted with material objects. My art recognizes and highlights a tension in the disparate value our collective places on broken, mundane, and discarded objects. My art can be described as process art, as each piece speaks to a memory or an emotional experience. The fragmented objects make a whole, speak as a testament to healing, and offer an opportunity for the viewer to reflect on their own intrinsic wholeness.

I am a licensed clinical social worker and addiction counselor. I received my MSW from Boston College in 1995 and completed post graduate certificates in addiction counseling and clinical supervision. My clinical work has focused on the intersection of mental health struggles, addiction, and oppression and has been characterized by a commitment to advocacy and social justice.

I use natural objects because I find so much solace walking and I use what I see to tether me to the here and now. I invite you to the patterns within the patterns. Light illuminates my path, and natural objects leap into my field of awareness, the spiral of a snail’s shell or a pine cone, the whirl of a burl, the mirror of mica. If you love the world enough, it presents itself to you in resplendence. My love for the world deepens in response to every loss I have experienced.

I found my way, and I’ve called the widely scattered pieces of my soul back to me, and they’ve done as commanded, skittering and keening, rushing and leaping, to return my heart to me. I tuck them into these pieces of art.

I do not have any formal training in art but when I experienced a sudden bereavement 8 years ago, I began to create. Time slowed and a profound intrapersonal transformation followed, sharpening my vision and influencing how I interacted with material objects. My art recognizes and highlights a tension in the disparate value our collective places on broken, mundane, and discarded objects. My art can be described as process art, as each piece speaks to a memory or an emotional experience. The fragmented objects make a whole, speak as a testament to healing, and offer an opportunity for the viewer to reflect on their own intrinsic wholeness.

I am a licensed clinical social worker and addiction counselor. I received my MSW from Boston College in 1995 and completed post graduate certificates in addiction counseling and clinical supervision. My clinical work has focused on the intersection of mental health struggles, addiction, and oppression and has been characterized by a commitment to advocacy and social justice.

I use natural objects because I find so much solace walking and I use what I see to tether me to the here and now. I invite you to the patterns within the patterns. Light illuminates my path, and natural objects leap into my field of awareness, the spiral of a snail’s shell or a pine cone, the whirl of a burl, the mirror of mica. If you love the world enough, it presents itself to you in resplendence. My love for the world deepens in response to every loss I have experienced.

I found my way, and I’ve called the widely scattered pieces of my soul back to me, and they’ve done as commanded, skittering and keening, rushing and leaping, to return my heart to me. I tuck them into these pieces of art.

I have been on a journey to define and visually present my personal vision of Still Life painting. I have experimented with composition, painterly technique, and color to modify space and form within my paintings. I came from a position of what I perceive as old school composition, and have been slowly progressing and becoming comfortable with a more contemporary view of this art form. I did not expect to enjoy the new variations of object and atmospheric composition in my paintings, but I do. I find the more contemporary compositions and painterly techniques can be whimsical in nature and reflective of my personal ideologies. My paintings explore my fascination with light, color, reflectivity in creating the form of objects and atmosphere in a still life. Discovering how to do this is an evolving and ongoing process.

My background is primarily as a teacher and educator in the visual arts. I have taught on the college and public school levels. I did not spend any dedicated time on the production of my own works of art until rather late in my working career. I have studied with different artists and have struggled to find my personal style within the various paintings I have created. I will continue to explore and challenge myself to continue to learn and grow through my painting until I can no longer hold a paint brush.

During the Pandemic I concentrated on portraits of historically forgotten figures and marginalized people who were harmed by law enforcement or the legal system. During March 2021, for Women's History Month, I attempted to draw a significant woman in history every weekday.

I am forever pulled to the simplicity and complexity of the human figure. I attempt to capture a pose quickly and fluently. The figure is so personal, so close and I am so very aware of its image. I, therefore, feel that I must work within the confines of the figure again and again. I strive to draw the ideal figure and the perfect mood of the pose while conscientiously trying to create a well-designed work of art. Lately I've been consumed with just the drawing: lecturing on figure drawing, drawing in 2-4 workshops a week, choosing the colors, catching the gesture or movement, and exploiting the mood.

During the Pandemic I concentrated on portraits of historically forgotten figures and marginalized people who were harmed by law enforcement or the legal system. During March 2021, for Women's History Month, I attempted to draw a significant woman in history every weekday.

I am forever pulled to the simplicity and complexity of the human figure. I attempt to capture a pose quickly and fluently. The figure is so personal, so close and I am so very aware of its image. I, therefore, feel that I must work within the confines of the figure again and again. I strive to draw the ideal figure and the perfect mood of the pose while conscientiously trying to create a well-designed work of art. Lately I've been consumed with just the drawing: lecturing on figure drawing, drawing in 2-4 workshops a week, choosing the colors, catching the gesture or movement, and exploiting the mood.

The power in our containers, the fluidity of our sails and the grace of our movement, the ashes in our eyes, the steadiness of our gaze and the sweetness of our souls — this changes the world.

LeRoy was born in 1966, raised in the deep south and currently lives at the foot of the Rocky Mountains and edge of the great plains of Colorado. Both places influence, inform, and inspire her abstract landscape paintings. The continued imaginings of southern landscape have an important influence on her work to this day.

Over the last decade as an artist, LeRoy has come to recognize how much the simplicity of early experiences taught her the way to see the world and eventually create on the canvas. LeRoy uses acrylic paint on stretched canvas, mostly palette knife with some brush, large scrapers, water, and rags. She uses a lot of paint, pushing and pulling to form heavy texture and diffuse lines. She believes that art is integration of form and feeling, and that relying on too much of one or the other can come across confusing and leave the viewer unsatisfied. But when a balance and harmony of the two emerges the viewer experiences a vibration that is palpable and moving. To do this, LeRoy believes rather than paint a painting or create art she must show up and work, not think, and incorporate many, many intervals of stepping back and staring at the work in progress.

I have been a photographer as an amateur and professional for over 20 years. I have pursued a career in photography after I retired from the pharmacy profession 8 years ago. My camera has led me all over the world to places that provided stunning locations and endless memories. Besides travel photography, I enjoy all types of photography, including individual and family portraits, weddings, landscapes, and architectural photography. I have participated in most of the major photography shows in the Colorado Front Range region and have won numerous awards for my work. I’m also a member of the Louisville Art Association in Louisville, Colorado as well as the Gilpin County Arts Association located in Central City, Colorado.

I am celebrating older women, people who are often ignored. There is a beauty in older women that we don’t always stop to appreciate. I am fascinated by the geography of older faces. And there is so much going on beneath the surface: wisdom, contentment, looking back, looking forward.

Florence is having some quiet time with her elderly dog. I was drawn to the connection between the two of them, and imagine her contemplating what is next in their lives.

Nancy Sullo has been painting in watercolor for more than 20 years. She has been in numerous juried shows, received several awards, and is a signature member of the Colorado Watercolor Society. Nancy teaches a variety of beginner through advanced watercolor classes.

"Although I paint many different subjects in watercolor, I keep coming back to people. It is the human connection that draws me in. I am interested in expressions, moods, and emotions. I try to capture a moment in time where the subject speaks to me and hopefully to my viewers.

"I work from spontaneous photos, many of which I took decades ago before I started painting. I often work from black and white photos, which can convey mood even more powerfully. In addition to finding an emotional connection in the photos I choose, I look for strong lighting and interesting composition.

"I start with a careful drawing. Then I am able to let go and paint loosely in the early stages, knowing I won’t lose the likeness. I like to create a sense of energy about the subject. I often do this by starting out with completely abstract strokes and shapes that create movement in the painting and integrate the subject and background.

I use abstract backgrounds to keep the emphasis on the subject. These are either totally abstract or merely suggest the locale. I start working on the background early. For a dark background I use fairly heavy paint, combining colors on the paper while the paint is still wet. I go into dark areas of the subject at the same time, creating some lost edges.

"My next step is to work on light and shadow. For watercolor, this means painting the shadow shapes. Sometimes it is necessary to lift a little paint where the earlier shapes have impinged on a brightly lit area. At this point I am still mostly not thinking of the actual subject.

"Now I start painting more carefully, pulling the subject out of what sometimes started as chaos. I continue to paint subject and background together, little by little developing the painting until it is finished. "

Nancy Sullo has been painting in watercolor for more than 20 years. She has been in numerous juried shows, received several awards, and is a signature member of the Colorado Watercolor Society. Nancy teaches a variety of beginner through advanced watercolor classes.

"Although I paint many different subjects in watercolor, I keep coming back to people. It is the human connection that draws me in. I am interested in expressions, moods, and emotions. I try to capture a moment in time where the subject speaks to me and hopefully to my viewers.

"I work from spontaneous photos, many of which I took decades ago before I started painting. I often work from black and white photos, which can convey mood even more powerfully. In addition to finding an emotional connection in the photos I choose, I look for strong lighting and interesting composition.

"I start with a careful drawing. Then I am able to let go and paint loosely in the early stages, knowing I won’t lose the likeness. I like to create a sense of energy about the subject. I often do this by starting out with completely abstract strokes and shapes that create movement in the painting and integrate the subject and background.

I use abstract backgrounds to keep the emphasis on the subject. These are either totally abstract or merely suggest the locale. I start working on the background early. For a dark background I use fairly heavy paint, combining colors on the paper while the paint is still wet. I go into dark areas of the subject at the same time, creating some lost edges.

"My next step is to work on light and shadow. For watercolor, this means painting the shadow shapes. Sometimes it is necessary to lift a little paint where the earlier shapes have impinged on a brightly lit area. At this point I am still mostly not thinking of the actual subject.

"Now I start painting more carefully, pulling the subject out of what sometimes started as chaos. I continue to paint subject and background together, little by little developing the painting until it is finished. "

Nancy Sullo has been painting in watercolor for more than 20 years. She has been in numerous juried shows, received several awards, and is a signature member of the Colorado Watercolor Society. Nancy teaches a variety of beginner through advanced watercolor classes.

"Although I paint many different subjects in watercolor, I keep coming back to people. It is the human connection that draws me in. I am interested in expressions, moods, and emotions. I try to capture a moment in time where the subject speaks to me and hopefully to my viewers.

"I work from spontaneous photos, many of which I took decades ago before I started painting. I often work from black and white photos, which can convey mood even more powerfully. In addition to finding an emotional connection in the photos I choose, I look for strong lighting and interesting composition.

"I start with a careful drawing. Then I am able to let go and paint loosely in the early stages, knowing I won’t lose the likeness. I like to create a sense of energy about the subject. I often do this by starting out with completely abstract strokes and shapes that create movement in the painting and integrate the subject and background.

I use abstract backgrounds to keep the emphasis on the subject. These are either totally abstract or merely suggest the locale. I start working on the background early. For a dark background I use fairly heavy paint, combining colors on the paper while the paint is still wet. I go into dark areas of the subject at the same time, creating some lost edges.

"My next step is to work on light and shadow. For watercolor, this means painting the shadow shapes. Sometimes it is necessary to lift a little paint where the earlier shapes have impinged on a brightly lit area. At this point I am still mostly not thinking of the actual subject.

"Now I start painting more carefully, pulling the subject out of what sometimes started as chaos. I continue to paint subject and background together, little by little developing the painting until it is finished. "

Nancy Sullo has been painting in watercolor for more than 20 years. She has been in numerous juried shows, received several awards, and is a signature member of the Colorado Watercolor Society. Nancy teaches a variety of beginner through advanced watercolor classes.

"Although I paint many different subjects in watercolor, I keep coming back to people. It is the human connection that draws me in. I am interested in expressions, moods, and emotions. I try to capture a moment in time where the subject speaks to me and hopefully to my viewers.

"I work from spontaneous photos, many of which I took decades ago before I started painting. I often work from black and white photos, which can convey mood even more powerfully. In addition to finding an emotional connection in the photos I choose, I look for strong lighting and interesting composition.

"I start with a careful drawing. Then I am able to let go and paint loosely in the early stages, knowing I won’t lose the likeness. I like to create a sense of energy about the subject. I often do this by starting out with completely abstract strokes and shapes that create movement in the painting and integrate the subject and background.

I use abstract backgrounds to keep the emphasis on the subject. These are either totally abstract or merely suggest the locale. I start working on the background early. For a dark background I use fairly heavy paint, combining colors on the paper while the paint is still wet. I go into dark areas of the subject at the same time, creating some lost edges.

"My next step is to work on light and shadow. For watercolor, this means painting the shadow shapes. Sometimes it is necessary to lift a little paint where the earlier shapes have impinged on a brightly lit area. At this point I am still mostly not thinking of the actual subject.

"Now I start painting more carefully, pulling the subject out of what sometimes started as chaos. I continue to paint subject and background together, little by little developing the painting until it is finished. "

Nancy Sullo has been painting in watercolor for more than 20 years. She has been in numerous juried shows, received several awards, and is a signature member of the Colorado Watercolor Society. Nancy teaches a variety of beginner through advanced watercolor classes.

"Although I paint many different subjects in watercolor, I keep coming back to people. It is the human connection that draws me in. I am interested in expressions, moods, and emotions. I try to capture a moment in time where the subject speaks to me and hopefully to my viewers.

"I work from spontaneous photos, many of which I took decades ago before I started painting. I often work from black and white photos, which can convey mood even more powerfully. In addition to finding an emotional connection in the photos I choose, I look for strong lighting and interesting composition.

"I start with a careful drawing. Then I am able to let go and paint loosely in the early stages, knowing I won’t lose the likeness. I like to create a sense of energy about the subject. I often do this by starting out with completely abstract strokes and shapes that create movement in the painting and integrate the subject and background.

I use abstract backgrounds to keep the emphasis on the subject. These are either totally abstract or merely suggest the locale. I start working on the background early. For a dark background I use fairly heavy paint, combining colors on the paper while the paint is still wet. I go into dark areas of the subject at the same time, creating some lost edges.

"My next step is to work on light and shadow. For watercolor, this means painting the shadow shapes. Sometimes it is necessary to lift a little paint where the earlier shapes have impinged on a brightly lit area. At this point I am still mostly not thinking of the actual subject.

"Now I start painting more carefully, pulling the subject out of what sometimes started as chaos. I continue to paint subject and background together, little by little developing the painting until it is finished. "

Nancy Sullo has been painting in watercolor for more than 20 years. She has been in numerous juried shows, received several awards, and is a signature member of the Colorado Watercolor Society. Nancy teaches a variety of beginner through advanced watercolor classes.

"Although I paint many different subjects in watercolor, I keep coming back to people. It is the human connection that draws me in. I am interested in expressions, moods, and emotions. I try to capture a moment in time where the subject speaks to me and hopefully to my viewers.

"I work from spontaneous photos, many of which I took decades ago before I started painting. I often work from black and white photos, which can convey mood even more powerfully. In addition to finding an emotional connection in the photos I choose, I look for strong lighting and interesting composition.

"I start with a careful drawing. Then I am able to let go and paint loosely in the early stages, knowing I won’t lose the likeness. I like to create a sense of energy about the subject. I often do this by starting out with completely abstract strokes and shapes that create movement in the painting and integrate the subject and background.

I use abstract backgrounds to keep the emphasis on the subject. These are either totally abstract or merely suggest the locale. I start working on the background early. For a dark background I use fairly heavy paint, combining colors on the paper while the paint is still wet. I go into dark areas of the subject at the same time, creating some lost edges.

"My next step is to work on light and shadow. For watercolor, this means painting the shadow shapes. Sometimes it is necessary to lift a little paint where the earlier shapes have impinged on a brightly lit area. At this point I am still mostly not thinking of the actual subject.

"Now I start painting more carefully, pulling the subject out of what sometimes started as chaos. I continue to paint subject and background together, little by little developing the painting until it is finished. "

Nancy Sullo has been painting in watercolor for more than 20 years. She has been in numerous juried shows, received several awards, and is a signature member of the Colorado Watercolor Society. Nancy teaches a variety of beginner through advanced watercolor classes.

"Although I paint many different subjects in watercolor, I keep coming back to people. It is the human connection that draws me in. I am interested in expressions, moods, and emotions. I try to capture a moment in time where the subject speaks to me and hopefully to my viewers.

"I work from spontaneous photos, many of which I took decades ago before I started painting. I often work from black and white photos, which can convey mood even more powerfully. In addition to finding an emotional connection in the photos I choose, I look for strong lighting and interesting composition.

"I start with a careful drawing. Then I am able to let go and paint loosely in the early stages, knowing I won’t lose the likeness. I like to create a sense of energy about the subject. I often do this by starting out with completely abstract strokes and shapes that create movement in the painting and integrate the subject and background.

I use abstract backgrounds to keep the emphasis on the subject. These are either totally abstract or merely suggest the locale. I start working on the background early. For a dark background I use fairly heavy paint, combining colors on the paper while the paint is still wet. I go into dark areas of the subject at the same time, creating some lost edges.

"My next step is to work on light and shadow. For watercolor, this means painting the shadow shapes. Sometimes it is necessary to lift a little paint where the earlier shapes have impinged on a brightly lit area. At this point I am still mostly not thinking of the actual subject.

"Now I start painting more carefully, pulling the subject out of what sometimes started as chaos. I continue to paint subject and background together, little by little developing the painting until it is finished. "

12-piece installation.
Left to Right ->

Top Row
1. Laundry
2. Plowed fields
3. Baking
4. Moss

Middle Row
5. Crocheted doilies
6. Mother and infant
7. Gardening
8. Joy of Cooking

Bottom Row
9. Grandmother with grandson
10. Meditation stitching
11. Fancy embroidery
12. Home

Barbara has had a life time in fiber art by what she would call dabbling in fabric, thread, and yarns through sewing, quilting, and knitting. When she saw an art quilt in 1997, her passion for the art quilt form began.

She joined Front Range Contemporary Quilters and started taking art classes and participating in their juried member exhibits. Since then, she has been privileged to learn from many great national and international teachers. The techniques she learned include dyeing, painting, using resists, hand-piecing, free-motion machine embroidery, printing, silk screening, collaging, and book making.

Barbara has worked on a few series. One of those uses a dress shape to tell stories about healing. She painted or dyed the fabric, used a great deal of hand embroidery often incorporating beads. She hopes that by expressing her experiences those who look at her art will take something important away for themselves.

Ms. Olson belongs to Front Range Contemporary Quilters (FRCQ), North Boulder Arts District (NoBo), and Studio Art Quilts Associates (SAQA). She shows her work in these organizations’ exhibitions and in local galleries. She has participated in Open Studios of Boulder County and curates art exhibits at the Sanctuary Art Gallery, First United Methodist Church, Boulder.

Her work is in private and corporate collections.

A personal practice I have is to go on walks to observe nature. I love the first breath of fresh air when I leave the house, noticing colors, the weather, what’s growing in gardens, looking at trees, noticing native grasses and wildflowers, and always observing the changes throughout the seasons.

Barbara has had a life time in fiber art by what she would call dabbling in fabric, thread, and yarns through sewing, quilting, and knitting. When she saw an art quilt in 1997, her passion for the art quilt form began.

She joined Front Range Contemporary Quilters and started taking art classes and participating in their juried member exhibits. Since then, she has been privileged to learn from many great national and international teachers. The techniques she learned include dyeing, painting, using resists, hand-piecing, free-motion machine embroidery, printing, silk screening, collaging, and book making.

Barbara has worked on a few series. One of those uses a dress shape to tell stories about healing. She painted or dyed the fabric, used a great deal of hand embroidery often incorporating beads. She hopes that by expressing her experiences those who look at her art will take something important away for themselves.

Ms. Olson belongs to Front Range Contemporary Quilters (FRCQ), North Boulder Arts District (NoBo), and Studio Art Quilts Associates (SAQA). She shows her work in these organizations’ exhibitions and in local galleries. She has participated in Open Studios of Boulder County and curates art exhibits at the Sanctuary Art Gallery, First United Methodist Church, Boulder.

Her work is in private and corporate collections.

I have been on a journey to define and visually present my personal vision of Still Life painting. I have experimented with composition, painterly technique, and color to modify space and form within my paintings. I came from a position of what I perceive as old school composition, and have been slowly progressing and becoming comfortable with a more contemporary view of this art form. I did not expect to enjoy the new variations of object and atmospheric composition in my paintings, but I do. I find the more contemporary compositions and painterly techniques can be whimsical in nature and reflective of my personal ideologies. My paintings explore my fascination with light, color, reflectivity in creating the form of objects and atmosphere in a still life. Discovering how to do this is an evolving and ongoing process.

My background is primarily as a teacher and educator in the visual arts. I have taught on the college and public school levels. I did not spend any dedicated time on the production of my own works of art until rather late in my working career. I have studied with different artists and have struggled to find my personal style within the various paintings I have created. I will continue to explore and challenge myself to continue to learn and grow through my painting until I can no longer hold a paint brush.

The materials used include aluminum foil, acrylic paint, weather-distressed paper, mica, air-dried clay, washi tape, eco-dyed and other papers.

This award winning artist’s work is largely inspired by surface designed fabric, words and the beauty of nature. She incorporates a wide variety of textiles, including vintage kimono silk, upholstery, hand-dyed fabric, hand painted canvas, heat distressed Tyvek, and organza. She incorporates found objects, wire, paper, feathers, mica as well as linens and papers preserved by her family. The artist’s intention is to evoke a mood or elicit a memory and push the image to the abstract by transparent layering and intuitive composition and color. Sue uses both machine and hand stitching on hand dyed, painted or eco-dyed fabric to honor natural beauty. Fiber bowls, spirit dolls and greeting cards fill out her creative efforts.

Sue has exhibited work in Aspen and Evergreen Gallery in Estes Park, The Art Center of Estes Park, Lakewood Art Gallery, Foothills Art Center, R Gallery in Boulder, CO, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Red Rocks Community College and in AAR River Gallery. She has been juried into Front Range Contemporary Quilter’s (www.artquilters.org) “Best of” Portfolio online exhibit for the last several years. Please visit her blog at http://sustudioblog@wordpress.com and her website at www.sustudiotextiles.weebly.cim, to view more of her quilts, vases and inspirations.

This award winning artist’s work is largely inspired by surface designed fabrics and nature. Sue has exhibited her textile work in Aspen and Evergreen Gallery, The Art Center of Estes Park, Lakewood Cultural Center, Foothills Art Center, R Gallery in Boulder, CO, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Red Rocks Community College and in AAR River Gallery. She has been juried into Front Range Contemporary Quilter’s (www.artquilters.org) “Best of” Portfolio online exhibit for the last several years.

Her intention is to connect with the viewer and to draw them in for a closer look by presenting unusual imagery or materials. The “hand of the artist” is evident in the brushstrokes of paint or in the incorporation of hand stitches.

This piece represents my feelings resulting from a diagnosis of osteoporosis. The words "brittle bones" made me feel fragile and weakened. I used the fragile Lunaria seed pods and twigs to symbolize these feelings in a visual way.

This award winning artist’s work is largely inspired by surface designed fabric, words and the beauty of nature. She incorporates a wide variety of textiles, including vintage kimono silk, upholstery, hand-dyed fabric, hand painted canvas, heat distressed Tyvek, and organza. She incorporates found objects, wire, paper, feathers, mica as well as linens and papers preserved by her family. The artist’s intention is to evoke a mood or elicit a memory and push the image to the abstract by transparent layering and intuitive composition and color. Sue uses both machine and hand stitching on hand dyed, painted or eco-dyed fabric to honor natural beauty. Fiber bowls, spirit dolls and greeting cards fill out her creative efforts.

Sue has exhibited work in Aspen and Evergreen Gallery in Estes Park, The Art Center of Estes Park, Lakewood Art Gallery, Foothills Art Center, R Gallery in Boulder, CO, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Red Rocks Community College and in AAR River Gallery. She has been juried into Front Range Contemporary Quilter’s (www.artquilters.org) “Best of” Portfolio online exhibit for the last several years. Please visit her blog at http://sustudioblog@wordpress.com and her website at www.sustudiotextiles.weebly.cim, to view more of her quilts, vases and inspirations.

This award winning artist’s work is largely inspired by surface designed fabrics and nature. Sue has exhibited her textile work in Aspen and Evergreen Gallery, The Art Center of Estes Park, Lakewood Cultural Center, Foothills Art Center, R Gallery in Boulder, CO, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Red Rocks Community College and in AAR River Gallery. She has been juried into Front Range Contemporary Quilter’s (www.artquilters.org) “Best of” Portfolio online exhibit for the last several years.

Her intention is to connect with the viewer and to draw them in for a closer look by presenting unusual imagery or materials. The “hand of the artist” is evident in the brushstrokes of paint or in the incorporation of hand stitches.

These images are intended to express the power and confidence that comes with a woman believing in herself. My figure paintings grow out of experience with life drawing. Some use a photo as a starting point but more often the pose grows out of the process: an arm moves, a body twists. The underlying drawing shifts as I paint. It's important to me to capture movement with big strokes of the brush, and create mood through color choices.

I am a professional graphic designer and visual journalist, with a "side hustle" as a painter.

These images are intended to express the power and confidence that comes with a woman believing in herself. My figure paintings grow out of experience with life drawing. Some use a photo as a starting point but more often the pose grows out of the process: an arm moves, a body twists. The underlying drawing shifts as I paint. It's important to me to capture movement with big strokes of the brush, and create mood through color choices.

I am a professional graphic designer and visual journalist, with a "side hustle" as a painter.

These images are intended to express the power and confidence that comes with a woman believing in herself. My figure paintings grow out of experience with life drawing. Some use a photo as a starting point but more often the pose grows out of the process: an arm moves, a body twists. The underlying drawing shifts as I paint. It's important to me to capture movement with big strokes of the brush, and create mood through color choices.

I am a professional graphic designer and visual journalist, with a "side hustle" as a painter.

I am so grateful for the many women who made sacrifices for women’s rights. Here are just three of the countless heroines who have helped fight for the fundamental rights of women in our country. Ruth Bader Ginsburg who sat in our Supreme Court for many years speaking up for sexual equality, Bella Abzug, who led the women’s movement in the 1970’s and Ida B. Wells who spoke up for women’s right to vote as well as brought to light the mistreatment of blacks in our country.

As a society, we have much to talk about concerning women’s rights and equality. As an artist, I believe my role is to make observations and reflect them back to the viewer. With this series of encaustic portraits, I aim to stimulate thought and begin conversations about how we can make an even better nation. My artwork focuses on my experience as a woman, both in society and within my own skin. My creative process is central to my artwork. It starts when I become curious about a concept. Then I reflect or investigate the idea, and finally I take a creative action. The concept of the artwork, and the discovery of its meaning, is often more important to me than the media itself. And thus, I feel free to switch media to better express my meaning.

Recently I have been painting with wax, both encaustic and cold wax with oil paint. I love the experience of working with wax, both the feel and smell of it. I have discovered many layers of meaning hidden within this media. Wax is sensual and fragile, yet still durable, like my own skin. Like the experience of me as a woman.

My process of curiosity to creative action is evident within my series of suffrage portraits. I became curious about my own history as a woman. Then, I began to investigate the individual leaders involved in woman’s suffrage. From this research I created a series of almost fifty portraits and twenty assemblage pieces telling the story of women’s suffrage. Sometimes my creative action manifests with the actual artwork, but other times it comes in the form of social activism such as registering voters.

I am celebrating older women, people who are often ignored. There is a beauty in older women that we don’t always stop to appreciate. I am fascinated by the geography of older faces. And there is so much going on beneath the surface: wisdom, contentment, looking back, looking forward.

Barbara was enjoying her birthday celebration among friends. Always a happy and upbeat woman, she portrays here a contentment with a life well lived.

Nancy Sullo has been painting in watercolor for more than 20 years. She has been in numerous juried shows, received several awards, and is a signature member of the Colorado Watercolor Society. Nancy teaches a variety of beginner through advanced watercolor classes.

"Although I paint many different subjects in watercolor, I keep coming back to people. It is the human connection that draws me in. I am interested in expressions, moods, and emotions. I try to capture a moment in time where the subject speaks to me and hopefully to my viewers.

"I work from spontaneous photos, many of which I took decades ago before I started painting. I often work from black and white photos, which can convey mood even more powerfully. In addition to finding an emotional connection in the photos I choose, I look for strong lighting and interesting composition.

"I start with a careful drawing. Then I am able to let go and paint loosely in the early stages, knowing I won’t lose the likeness. I like to create a sense of energy about the subject. I often do this by starting out with completely abstract strokes and shapes that create movement in the painting and integrate the subject and background.

I use abstract backgrounds to keep the emphasis on the subject. These are either totally abstract or merely suggest the locale. I start working on the background early. For a dark background I use fairly heavy paint, combining colors on the paper while the paint is still wet. I go into dark areas of the subject at the same time, creating some lost edges.

"My next step is to work on light and shadow. For watercolor, this means painting the shadow shapes. Sometimes it is necessary to lift a little paint where the earlier shapes have impinged on a brightly lit area. At this point I am still mostly not thinking of the actual subject.

"Now I start painting more carefully, pulling the subject out of what sometimes started as chaos. I continue to paint subject and background together, little by little developing the painting until it is finished. "

I have been a photographer as an amateur and professional for over 20 years. I have pursued a career in photography after I retired from the pharmacy profession 8 years ago. My camera has led me all over the world to places that provided stunning locations and endless memories. Besides travel photography, I enjoy all types of photography, including individual and family portraits, weddings, landscapes, and architectural photography. I have participated in most of the major photography shows in the Colorado Front Range region and have won numerous awards for my work. I’m also a member of the Louisville Art Association in Louisville, Colorado as well as the Gilpin County Arts Association located in Central City, Colorado.

This is a painting of a woman I knew, Mary Moon, who made her living as a professional cook. The focus and attention she paid to her work came out as as great nourishment, artistry, and love. Her steadiness in the face of so much that is demanded of preparing a meal for many people always amazed me.

I’ve been painting for over 50 years in many modalities and mediums. I have studied with a number of different teachers, Paul Chidlaw and Roland Huston in Cincinnati. At the Atelier au Grand Chaumier in Paris and at the Cincinnati Art Academy. In Colorado with Chuck Ceraso.

I do not have any formal training in art but when I experienced a sudden bereavement 8 years ago, I began to create. Time slowed and a profound intrapersonal transformation followed, sharpening my vision and influencing how I interacted with material objects. My art recognizes and highlights a tension in the disparate value our collective places on broken, mundane, and discarded objects. My art can be described as process art, as each piece speaks to a memory or an emotional experience. The fragmented objects make a whole, speak as a testament to healing, and offer an opportunity for the viewer to reflect on their own intrinsic wholeness.

I am a licensed clinical social worker and addiction counselor. I received my MSW from Boston College in 1995 and completed post graduate certificates in addiction counseling and clinical supervision. My clinical work has focused on the intersection of mental health struggles, addiction, and oppression and has been characterized by a commitment to advocacy and social justice.

I use natural objects because I find so much solace walking and I use what I see to tether me to the here and now. I invite you to the patterns within the patterns. Light illuminates my path, and natural objects leap into my field of awareness, the spiral of a snail’s shell or a pine cone, the whirl of a burl, the mirror of mica. If you love the world enough, it presents itself to you in resplendence. My love for the world deepens in response to every loss I have experienced.

I found my way, and I’ve called the widely scattered pieces of my soul back to me, and they’ve done as commanded, skittering and keening, rushing and leaping, to return my heart to me. I tuck them into these pieces of art.

I do not have any formal training in art but when I experienced a sudden bereavement 8 years ago, I began to create. Time slowed and a profound intrapersonal transformation followed, sharpening my vision and influencing how I interacted with material objects. My art recognizes and highlights a tension in the disparate value our collective places on broken, mundane, and discarded objects. My art can be described as process art, as each piece speaks to a memory or an emotional experience. The fragmented objects make a whole, speak as a testament to healing, and offer an opportunity for the viewer to reflect on their own intrinsic wholeness.

I am a licensed clinical social worker and addiction counselor. I received my MSW from Boston College in 1995 and completed post graduate certificates in addiction counseling and clinical supervision. My clinical work has focused on the intersection of mental health struggles, addiction, and oppression and has been characterized by a commitment to advocacy and social justice.

I use natural objects because I find so much solace walking and I use what I see to tether me to the here and now. I invite you to the patterns within the patterns. Light illuminates my path, and natural objects leap into my field of awareness, the spiral of a snail’s shell or a pine cone, the whirl of a burl, the mirror of mica. If you love the world enough, it presents itself to you in resplendence. My love for the world deepens in response to every loss I have experienced.

I found my way, and I’ve called the widely scattered pieces of my soul back to me, and they’ve done as commanded, skittering and keening, rushing and leaping, to return my heart to me. I tuck them into these pieces of art.

Women connected to the earth and sky as they rise to the heavens.

Lisa Michot is an artist who creates public art murals, paper mache sculpture, paintings, drawings, photographs, and videos. She has been teaching Art courses at Front Range Community College in Westminster for over twenty years. You can view her most recent mural on the Emerald mural fence at 4949 N. Broadway in the NoBo Art District in Boulder.

I have been fortunate to have a life surrounded and influenced by many amazing women. One group of women who have become a core of my community, wellbeing, and inspiration are my Belly Dance Troupe, The Tribal Misfits. I have had the pleasure and privilege of dancing with these amazing women, led by the endlessly creative Ashanti Crystal, for a decade. This series of shrines is dedicated to my troupe who have always been champions of my growth as an artist and a dancer. I am eternally grateful for their friendship and support.

For this collection of shrines I used stills from performances of myself and other troupe members for the focal dancing figures. These figures are painted in watercolor on rice paper, and then integrated into the composition of the shrine. I captured the richness and fulfillment of our dance, music, and costumes with layered ephemera and brilliant colors. Each shrine is an expression of my love of dance, and especially my celebration of dancing with this constellation of women.

Artwitch and Creatrix Khiri Lee creates mixed-media paintings, magick-filled zines, and immersive performance art. Khiri’s greatest inspiration is the rich texture of the natural world and she seeks to capture this textural quality in her work, layering paper and color, paint and symbolism, to create a feast for the eyes. Being an artist and witch is a sacred calling to activate people's imagination, to communicate new stories into the world that serve our shifting communities, and to invoke a brighter future for us all. Learn more about Khiri and her studio at www.khirilee.com or through social media @magick_socks. Khiri streams live studio sessions weekly on Twitch.tv/magick_socks.

I have been a photographer as an amateur and professional for over 20 years. I have pursued a career in photography after I retired from the pharmacy profession 8 years ago. My camera has led me all over the world to places that provided stunning locations and endless memories. Besides travel photography, I enjoy all types of photography, including individual and family portraits, weddings, landscapes, and architectural photography. I have participated in most of the major photography shows in the Colorado Front Range region and have won numerous awards for my work. I’m also a member of the Louisville Art Association in Louisville, Colorado as well as the Gilpin County Arts Association located in Central City, Colorado.

I have been a photographer as an amateur and professional for over 20 years. I have pursued a career in photography after I retired from the pharmacy profession 8 years ago. My camera has led me all over the world to places that provided stunning locations and endless memories. Besides travel photography, I enjoy all types of photography, including individual and family portraits, weddings, landscapes, and architectural photography. I have participated in most of the major photography shows in the Colorado Front Range region and have won numerous awards for my work. I’m also a member of the Louisville Art Association in Louisville, Colorado as well as the Gilpin County Arts Association located in Central City, Colorado.

I have been a photographer as an amateur and professional for over 20 years. I have pursued a career in photography after I retired from the pharmacy profession 8 years ago. My camera has led me all over the world to places that provided stunning locations and endless memories. Besides travel photography, I enjoy all types of photography, including individual and family portraits, weddings, landscapes, and architectural photography. I have participated in most of the major photography shows in the Colorado Front Range region and have won numerous awards for my work. I’m also a member of the Louisville Art Association in Louisville, Colorado as well as the Gilpin County Arts Association located in Central City, Colorado.

I do not have any formal training in art but when I experienced a sudden bereavement 8 years ago, I began to create. Time slowed and a profound intrapersonal transformation followed, sharpening my vision and influencing how I interacted with material objects. My art recognizes and highlights a tension in the disparate value our collective places on broken, mundane, and discarded objects. My art can be described as process art, as each piece speaks to a memory or an emotional experience. The fragmented objects make a whole, speak as a testament to healing, and offer an opportunity for the viewer to reflect on their own intrinsic wholeness.

I am a licensed clinical social worker and addiction counselor. I received my MSW from Boston College in 1995 and completed post graduate certificates in addiction counseling and clinical supervision. My clinical work has focused on the intersection of mental health struggles, addiction, and oppression and has been characterized by a commitment to advocacy and social justice.

I use natural objects because I find so much solace walking and I use what I see to tether me to the here and now. I invite you to the patterns within the patterns. Light illuminates my path, and natural objects leap into my field of awareness, the spiral of a snail’s shell or a pine cone, the whirl of a burl, the mirror of mica. If you love the world enough, it presents itself to you in resplendence. My love for the world deepens in response to every loss I have experienced.

I found my way, and I’ve called the widely scattered pieces of my soul back to me, and they’ve done as commanded, skittering and keening, rushing and leaping, to return my heart to me. I tuck them into these pieces of art.

I believe that if women are to advance in the sciences that they need to be seen in those roles. That is why I wanted to paint an underrepresented female as a science professional.

Lisa Michot is an artist who creates public art murals, paper mache sculpture, paintings, drawings, photographs, and videos. She has been teaching Art courses at Front Range Community College in Westminster for over twenty years. You can view her most recent mural on the Emerald mural fence at 4949 N. Broadway in the NoBo Art District in Boulder.

This quilt shows eco-dyed and sun printed fabric onto cotton sateen and organza. The lunaria seed pods are placed on the fabric and either bound with string and boiled to eco-dye them or placed on fabric with wet paint to dry in the sun. The resulting imprints create unique fabric which I then can piece, machine quilt and hand stitch to emphasize the print. The lunaria seeds are gathered with the seed still intact as I walk with the intent to take some "nature" home in my pockets. It might be a rock, a twig or leaves that I can use to print fabric. I do ask permission of the homeowner to take leaves to work on an "art project". They always say "yes".

This award winning artist’s work is largely inspired by surface designed fabric, words and the beauty of nature. She incorporates a wide variety of textiles, including vintage kimono silk, upholstery, hand-dyed fabric, hand painted canvas, heat distressed Tyvek, and organza. She incorporates found objects, wire, paper, feathers, mica as well as linens and papers preserved by her family. The artist’s intention is to evoke a mood or elicit a memory and push the image to the abstract by transparent layering and intuitive composition and color. Sue uses both machine and hand stitching on hand dyed, painted or eco-dyed fabric to honor natural beauty. Fiber bowls, spirit dolls and greeting cards fill out her creative efforts.

Sue has exhibited work in Aspen and Evergreen Gallery in Estes Park, The Art Center of Estes Park, Lakewood Art Gallery, Foothills Art Center, R Gallery in Boulder, CO, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Red Rocks Community College and in AAR River Gallery. She has been juried into Front Range Contemporary Quilter’s (www.artquilters.org) “Best of” Portfolio online exhibit for the last several years. Please visit her blog at http://sustudioblog@wordpress.com and her website at www.sustudiotextiles.weebly.cim, to view more of her quilts, vases and inspirations.

This award winning artist’s work is largely inspired by surface designed fabrics and nature. Sue has exhibited her textile work in Aspen and Evergreen Gallery, The Art Center of Estes Park, Lakewood Cultural Center, Foothills Art Center, R Gallery in Boulder, CO, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Red Rocks Community College and in AAR River Gallery. She has been juried into Front Range Contemporary Quilter’s (www.artquilters.org) “Best of” Portfolio online exhibit for the last several years.

Her intention is to connect with the viewer and to draw them in for a closer look by presenting unusual imagery or materials. The “hand of the artist” is evident in the brushstrokes of paint or in the incorporation of hand stitches.

My textile work is largely inspired by words that resonate with me, surface designed fabric and the beauty of nature. I am intrigued by the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, highlighting the impermanence and imperfection of nature. I have used felt, wool, wire, organza and thread along with machine and hand-stitching to represent seed pods. Whenever I see the transparent lunaria seeds along my walk, I have to resist the urge to handle those individual seeds to release the seed so carefully encased in the pod!

This award winning artist’s work is largely inspired by surface designed fabric, words and the beauty of nature. She incorporates a wide variety of textiles, including vintage kimono silk, upholstery, hand-dyed fabric, hand painted canvas, heat distressed Tyvek, and organza. She incorporates found objects, wire, paper, feathers, mica as well as linens and papers preserved by her family. The artist’s intention is to evoke a mood or elicit a memory and push the image to the abstract by transparent layering and intuitive composition and color. Sue uses both machine and hand stitching on hand dyed, painted or eco-dyed fabric to honor natural beauty. Fiber bowls, spirit dolls and greeting cards fill out her creative efforts.

Sue has exhibited work in Aspen and Evergreen Gallery in Estes Park, The Art Center of Estes Park, Lakewood Art Gallery, Foothills Art Center, R Gallery in Boulder, CO, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Red Rocks Community College and in AAR River Gallery. She has been juried into Front Range Contemporary Quilter’s (www.artquilters.org) “Best of” Portfolio online exhibit for the last several years. Please visit her blog at http://sustudioblog@wordpress.com and her website at www.sustudiotextiles.weebly.cim, to view more of her quilts, vases and inspirations.

This award winning artist’s work is largely inspired by surface designed fabrics and nature. Sue has exhibited her textile work in Aspen and Evergreen Gallery, The Art Center of Estes Park, Lakewood Cultural Center, Foothills Art Center, R Gallery in Boulder, CO, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Red Rocks Community College and in AAR River Gallery. She has been juried into Front Range Contemporary Quilter’s (www.artquilters.org) “Best of” Portfolio online exhibit for the last several years.

Her intention is to connect with the viewer and to draw them in for a closer look by presenting unusual imagery or materials. The “hand of the artist” is evident in the brushstrokes of paint or in the incorporation of hand stitches.

The leaves seemed to be all lined up like a chorus line on the plum tree branch and with the morning light shining through the colors ignited!

This award winning artist’s work is largely inspired by surface designed fabric, words and the beauty of nature. She incorporates a wide variety of textiles, including vintage kimono silk, upholstery, hand-dyed fabric, hand painted canvas, heat distressed Tyvek, and organza. She incorporates found objects, wire, paper, feathers, mica as well as linens and papers preserved by her family. The artist’s intention is to evoke a mood or elicit a memory and push the image to the abstract by transparent layering and intuitive composition and color. Sue uses both machine and hand stitching on hand dyed, painted or eco-dyed fabric to honor natural beauty. Fiber bowls, spirit dolls and greeting cards fill out her creative efforts.

Sue has exhibited work in Aspen and Evergreen Gallery in Estes Park, The Art Center of Estes Park, Lakewood Art Gallery, Foothills Art Center, R Gallery in Boulder, CO, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Red Rocks Community College and in AAR River Gallery. She has been juried into Front Range Contemporary Quilter’s (www.artquilters.org) “Best of” Portfolio online exhibit for the last several years. Please visit her blog at http://sustudioblog@wordpress.com and her website at www.sustudiotextiles.weebly.cim, to view more of her quilts, vases and inspirations.

This award winning artist’s work is largely inspired by surface designed fabrics and nature. Sue has exhibited her textile work in Aspen and Evergreen Gallery, The Art Center of Estes Park, Lakewood Cultural Center, Foothills Art Center, R Gallery in Boulder, CO, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Red Rocks Community College and in AAR River Gallery. She has been juried into Front Range Contemporary Quilter’s (www.artquilters.org) “Best of” Portfolio online exhibit for the last several years.

Her intention is to connect with the viewer and to draw them in for a closer look by presenting unusual imagery or materials. The “hand of the artist” is evident in the brushstrokes of paint or in the incorporation of hand stitches.

I am so grateful for the many women who made sacrifices for women’s rights. Here are just three of the countless heroines who have helped fight for the fundamental rights of women in our country. Ruth Bader Ginsburg who sat in our Supreme Court for many years speaking up for sexual equality, Bella Abzug, who led the women’s movement in the 1970’s and Ida B. Wells who spoke up for women’s right to vote as well as brought to light the mistreatment of blacks in our country.

As a society, we have much to talk about concerning women’s rights and equality. As an artist, I believe my role is to make observations and reflect them back to the viewer. With this series of encaustic portraits, I aim to stimulate thought and begin conversations about how we can make an even better nation. My artwork focuses on my experience as a woman, both in society and within my own skin. My creative process is central to my artwork. It starts when I become curious about a concept. Then I reflect or investigate the idea, and finally I take a creative action. The concept of the artwork, and the discovery of its meaning, is often more important to me than the media itself. And thus, I feel free to switch media to better express my meaning.

Recently I have been painting with wax, both encaustic and cold wax with oil paint. I love the experience of working with wax, both the feel and smell of it. I have discovered many layers of meaning hidden within this media. Wax is sensual and fragile, yet still durable, like my own skin. Like the experience of me as a woman.

My process of curiosity to creative action is evident within my series of suffrage portraits. I became curious about my own history as a woman. Then, I began to investigate the individual leaders involved in woman’s suffrage. From this research I created a series of almost fifty portraits and twenty assemblage pieces telling the story of women’s suffrage. Sometimes my creative action manifests with the actual artwork, but other times it comes in the form of social activism such as registering voters.

I am so grateful for the many women who made sacrifices for women’s rights. Here are just three of the countless heroines who have helped fight for the fundamental rights of women in our country. Ruth Bader Ginsburg who sat in our Supreme Court for many years speaking up for sexual equality, Bella Abzug, who led the women’s movement in the 1970’s and Ida B. Wells who spoke up for women’s right to vote as well as brought to light the mistreatment of blacks in our country.

As a society, we have much to talk about concerning women’s rights and equality. As an artist, I believe my role is to make observations and reflect them back to the viewer. With this series of encaustic portraits, I aim to stimulate thought and begin conversations about how we can make an even better nation. My artwork focuses on my experience as a woman, both in society and within my own skin. My creative process is central to my artwork. It starts when I become curious about a concept. Then I reflect or investigate the idea, and finally I take a creative action. The concept of the artwork, and the discovery of its meaning, is often more important to me than the media itself. And thus, I feel free to switch media to better express my meaning.

Recently I have been painting with wax, both encaustic and cold wax with oil paint. I love the experience of working with wax, both the feel and smell of it. I have discovered many layers of meaning hidden within this media. Wax is sensual and fragile, yet still durable, like my own skin. Like the experience of me as a woman.

My process of curiosity to creative action is evident within my series of suffrage portraits. I became curious about my own history as a woman. Then, I began to investigate the individual leaders involved in woman’s suffrage. From this research I created a series of almost fifty portraits and twenty assemblage pieces telling the story of women’s suffrage. Sometimes my creative action manifests with the actual artwork, but other times it comes in the form of social activism such as registering voters.

This quilt is about a 104 year old woman who resided near me in Castle Rock. I loved her face, which was full of light and wisdom.

At over one hundred, she'd seen world wars, inventions like TV and computers, and the Great Depression. In other words she'd seen it all, and was unfazed. I admire that kind of tenacity accompanied by patience, kindness and the strength to endure.

I used deconstructed screen printing to imply an aged, timeless and yet beautiful feel.

Rose Legge is a former elementary art teacher and illustrator. She moved to Colorado in 2001, where she discovered textile art, and her creativity went in a whole new direction. She has written numerous articles for art magazines, and is the author of Art, Fabric and Stitch.

I am celebrating older women, people who are often ignored. There is a beauty in older women that we don’t always stop to appreciate. I am fascinated by the geography of older faces. And there is so much going on beneath the surface: wisdom, contentment, looking back, looking forward.

The sparkle in Bertha’s eyes and her lively features portray the wisdom that comes with age.

Nancy Sullo has been painting in watercolor for more than 20 years. She has been in numerous juried shows, received several awards, and is a signature member of the Colorado Watercolor Society. Nancy teaches a variety of beginner through advanced watercolor classes.

"Although I paint many different subjects in watercolor, I keep coming back to people. It is the human connection that draws me in. I am interested in expressions, moods, and emotions. I try to capture a moment in time where the subject speaks to me and hopefully to my viewers.

"I work from spontaneous photos, many of which I took decades ago before I started painting. I often work from black and white photos, which can convey mood even more powerfully. In addition to finding an emotional connection in the photos I choose, I look for strong lighting and interesting composition.

"I start with a careful drawing. Then I am able to let go and paint loosely in the early stages, knowing I won’t lose the likeness. I like to create a sense of energy about the subject. I often do this by starting out with completely abstract strokes and shapes that create movement in the painting and integrate the subject and background.

I use abstract backgrounds to keep the emphasis on the subject. These are either totally abstract or merely suggest the locale. I start working on the background early. For a dark background I use fairly heavy paint, combining colors on the paper while the paint is still wet. I go into dark areas of the subject at the same time, creating some lost edges.

"My next step is to work on light and shadow. For watercolor, this means painting the shadow shapes. Sometimes it is necessary to lift a little paint where the earlier shapes have impinged on a brightly lit area. At this point I am still mostly not thinking of the actual subject.

"Now I start painting more carefully, pulling the subject out of what sometimes started as chaos. I continue to paint subject and background together, little by little developing the painting until it is finished. "

I have been a photographer as an amateur and professional for over 20 years. I have pursued a career in photography after I retired from the pharmacy profession 8 years ago. My camera has led me all over the world to places that provided stunning locations and endless memories. Besides travel photography, I enjoy all types of photography, including individual and family portraits, weddings, landscapes, and architectural photography. I have participated in most of the major photography shows in the Colorado Front Range region and have won numerous awards for my work. I’m also a member of the Louisville Art Association in Louisville, Colorado as well as the Gilpin County Arts Association located in Central City, Colorado.

I do not have any formal training in art but when I experienced a sudden bereavement 8 years ago, I began to create. Time slowed and a profound intrapersonal transformation followed, sharpening my vision and influencing how I interacted with material objects. My art recognizes and highlights a tension in the disparate value our collective places on broken, mundane, and discarded objects. My art can be described as process art, as each piece speaks to a memory or an emotional experience. The fragmented objects make a whole, speak as a testament to healing, and offer an opportunity for the viewer to reflect on their own intrinsic wholeness.

I am a licensed clinical social worker and addiction counselor. I received my MSW from Boston College in 1995 and completed post graduate certificates in addiction counseling and clinical supervision. My clinical work has focused on the intersection of mental health struggles, addiction, and oppression and has been characterized by a commitment to advocacy and social justice.

I use natural objects because I find so much solace walking and I use what I see to tether me to the here and now. I invite you to the patterns within the patterns. Light illuminates my path, and natural objects leap into my field of awareness, the spiral of a snail’s shell or a pine cone, the whirl of a burl, the mirror of mica. If you love the world enough, it presents itself to you in resplendence. My love for the world deepens in response to every loss I have experienced.

I found my way, and I’ve called the widely scattered pieces of my soul back to me, and they’ve done as commanded, skittering and keening, rushing and leaping, to return my heart to me. I tuck them into these pieces of art.

I do not have any formal training in art but when I experienced a sudden bereavement 8 years ago, I began to create. Time slowed and a profound intrapersonal transformation followed, sharpening my vision and influencing how I interacted with material objects. My art recognizes and highlights a tension in the disparate value our collective places on broken, mundane, and discarded objects. My art can be described as process art, as each piece speaks to a memory or an emotional experience. The fragmented objects make a whole, speak as a testament to healing, and offer an opportunity for the viewer to reflect on their own intrinsic wholeness.

I am a licensed clinical social worker and addiction counselor. I received my MSW from Boston College in 1995 and completed post graduate certificates in addiction counseling and clinical supervision. My clinical work has focused on the intersection of mental health struggles, addiction, and oppression and has been characterized by a commitment to advocacy and social justice.

I use natural objects because I find so much solace walking and I use what I see to tether me to the here and now. I invite you to the patterns within the patterns. Light illuminates my path, and natural objects leap into my field of awareness, the spiral of a snail’s shell or a pine cone, the whirl of a burl, the mirror of mica. If you love the world enough, it presents itself to you in resplendence. My love for the world deepens in response to every loss I have experienced.

I found my way, and I’ve called the widely scattered pieces of my soul back to me, and they’ve done as commanded, skittering and keening, rushing and leaping, to return my heart to me. I tuck them into these pieces of art.

The sad reality is that many women's lives are marred by sexual abuse. This occurs within the context of our families of origin, our lovers, our marriages and by strangers. This experience is often shrouded with shame and survivors struggle to understand if they are to blame for this most intimate violation. These violations impact trust in all relationships and change the world from a place that is safe to a place where every interaction is fraught with danger. These pieces represent my experiences of childhood sexual abuse.

The Witnesses speaks to connection with the animals in my rural upbringing-- they brought me solace and companionship at a time when my soul was most bereft.

Tell The Truth speaks to the intergenerational nature of such abuse: how a child whose life is stunted by such an experience then passes along her pain and loss to the next generation. However, speaking the truth begins the process of healing that allows this painful cycle to end.

I do not have any formal training in art but when I experienced a sudden bereavement 8 years ago, I began to create. Time slowed and a profound intrapersonal transformation followed, sharpening my vision and influencing how I interacted with material objects. My art recognizes and highlights a tension in the disparate value our collective places on broken, mundane, and discarded objects. My art can be described as process art, as each piece speaks to a memory or an emotional experience. The fragmented objects make a whole, speak as a testament to healing, and offer an opportunity for the viewer to reflect on their own intrinsic wholeness.

I am a licensed clinical social worker and addiction counselor. I received my MSW from Boston College in 1995 and completed post graduate certificates in addiction counseling and clinical supervision. My clinical work has focused on the intersection of mental health struggles, addiction, and oppression and has been characterized by a commitment to advocacy and social justice.

I use natural objects because I find so much solace walking and I use what I see to tether me to the here and now. I invite you to the patterns within the patterns. Light illuminates my path, and natural objects leap into my field of awareness, the spiral of a snail’s shell or a pine cone, the whirl of a burl, the mirror of mica. If you love the world enough, it presents itself to you in resplendence. My love for the world deepens in response to every loss I have experienced.

I found my way, and I’ve called the widely scattered pieces of my soul back to me, and they’ve done as commanded, skittering and keening, rushing and leaping, to return my heart to me. I tuck them into these pieces of art.

The sad reality is that many women's lives are marred by sexual abuse. This occurs within the context of our families of origin, our lovers, our marriages and by strangers. This experience is often shrouded with shame and survivors struggle to understand if they are to blame for this most intimate violation. These violations impact trust in all relationships and change the world from a place that is safe to a place where every interaction is fraught with danger. These pieces represent my experiences of childhood sexual abuse.

The Witnesses speaks to connection with the animals in my rural upbringing-- they brought me solace and companionship at a time when my soul was most bereft.

Tell The Truth speaks to the intergenerational nature of such abuse: how a child whose life is stunted by such an experience then passes along her pain and loss to the next generation. However, speaking the truth begins the process of healing that allows this painful cycle to end.

I do not have any formal training in art but when I experienced a sudden bereavement 8 years ago, I began to create. Time slowed and a profound intrapersonal transformation followed, sharpening my vision and influencing how I interacted with material objects. My art recognizes and highlights a tension in the disparate value our collective places on broken, mundane, and discarded objects. My art can be described as process art, as each piece speaks to a memory or an emotional experience. The fragmented objects make a whole, speak as a testament to healing, and offer an opportunity for the viewer to reflect on their own intrinsic wholeness.

I am a licensed clinical social worker and addiction counselor. I received my MSW from Boston College in 1995 and completed post graduate certificates in addiction counseling and clinical supervision. My clinical work has focused on the intersection of mental health struggles, addiction, and oppression and has been characterized by a commitment to advocacy and social justice.

I use natural objects because I find so much solace walking and I use what I see to tether me to the here and now. I invite you to the patterns within the patterns. Light illuminates my path, and natural objects leap into my field of awareness, the spiral of a snail’s shell or a pine cone, the whirl of a burl, the mirror of mica. If you love the world enough, it presents itself to you in resplendence. My love for the world deepens in response to every loss I have experienced.

I found my way, and I’ve called the widely scattered pieces of my soul back to me, and they’ve done as commanded, skittering and keening, rushing and leaping, to return my heart to me. I tuck them into these pieces of art.

I’ve always been intrigued by pathways that offer an adventure. I often try the path not known just to see where it leads. Sometimes you look up and it beckons you in. So walk in with no expectations and let the story begin…

I live in the beautiful state of Colorado. As an artist and photographer, I am witness to the beauty around me and it inspires my work. Using my camera, I will photograph my composition and then play with it in several digital photo apps. I print them on canvas and sometimes acrylic paint is added to highlight areas of interest. I have been a professional artist since the early 80s and I have worked in over 13 different art mediums. Digital photo manipulation is my newest passion. What I like about photography is that I get to recognize the gift of the beauty in front of me, capture it and play with it! It’s all about capturing a moment in time. Sometimes you look up, and there it is!

I’ve always been intrigued by pathways that offer an adventure. I often try the path not known just to see where it leads. Sometimes you look up and it beckons you in. So walk in with no expectations and let the story begin…

I live in the beautiful state of Colorado. As an artist and photographer, I am witness to the beauty around me and it inspires my work. Using my camera, I will photograph my composition and then play with it in several digital photo apps. I print them on canvas and sometimes acrylic paint is added to highlight areas of interest. I have been a professional artist since the early 80s and I have worked in over 13 different art mediums. Digital photo manipulation is my newest passion. What I like about photography is that I get to recognize the gift of the beauty in front of me, capture it and play with it! It’s all about capturing a moment in time. Sometimes you look up, and there it is!

I’ve always been intrigued by pathways that offer an adventure. I often try the path not known just to see where it leads. Sometimes you look up and it beckons you in. So walk in with no expectations and let the story begin…

I live in the beautiful state of Colorado. As an artist and photographer, I am witness to the beauty around me and it inspires my work. Using my camera, I will photograph my composition and then play with it in several digital photo apps. I print them on canvas and sometimes acrylic paint is added to highlight areas of interest. I have been a professional artist since the early 80s and I have worked in over 13 different art mediums. Digital photo manipulation is my newest passion. What I like about photography is that I get to recognize the gift of the beauty in front of me, capture it and play with it! It’s all about capturing a moment in time. Sometimes you look up, and there it is!

The Divine Feminine

My inquiry in art and life is a continuous quest to live all movements completely in line with my spiritual essence. These oil paintings represent my journey and the cultivation of the divine feminine within myself and those around me. The true essence of the divine feminine is connection to source, creativity, intuition and love. This series depicts sacred spaces and practices that honored, healed and allowed my soul to grow and glow.

On a solo retreat to the Maine coast I lived in uniquely designed wooden yurts for a length of time. Deep in the woods, I peeled away societal layers and fears and embodied my truth. Community ceremony practices across the world provided healing spaces that nourished my soul, taught me valuable lessons and provided connection. When we support and love one another and ourselves our soul emits light from within and spreads like sacred fire to one another. I paint, drum, dance, plant seeds, immerse into nature, write poetry and follow my souls calling however that expresses itself. It all becomes one act of divine expression. A practice of living intentionally, mindfully and respectfully, lighting my soul fire and spreading love.

Kendra Moran is an oil painter and potter living and working in Colorado. She graduated with her Master of Fine Arts in painting, drawing and ceramics from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She recently established her art business Being Sacred LLC under which she teaches classes and sells her artwork. Her work explores the divine feminine with concepts of spirituality, sacredness and ceremony. You can follow her work on Instagram at @beingsacredart.

The Divine Feminine

My inquiry in art and life is a continuous quest to live all movements completely in line with my spiritual essence. These oil paintings represent my journey and the cultivation of the divine feminine within myself and those around me. The true essence of the divine feminine is connection to source, creativity, intuition and love. This series depicts sacred spaces and practices that honored, healed and allowed my soul to grow and glow.

On a solo retreat to the Maine coast I lived in uniquely designed wooden yurts for a length of time. Deep in the woods, I peeled away societal layers and fears and embodied my truth. Community ceremony practices across the world provided healing spaces that nourished my soul, taught me valuable lessons and provided connection. When we support and love one another and ourselves our soul emits light from within and spreads like sacred fire to one another. I paint, drum, dance, plant seeds, immerse into nature, write poetry and follow my souls calling however that expresses itself. It all becomes one act of divine expression. A practice of living intentionally, mindfully and respectfully, lighting my soul fire and spreading love.

Kendra Moran is an oil painter and potter living and working in Colorado. She graduated with her Master of Fine Arts in painting, drawing and ceramics from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She recently established her art business Being Sacred LLC under which she teaches classes and sells her artwork. Her work explores the divine feminine with concepts of spirituality, sacredness and ceremony. You can follow her work on Instagram at @beingsacredart.

The Divine Feminine

My inquiry in art and life is a continuous quest to live all movements completely in line with my spiritual essence. These oil paintings represent my journey and the cultivation of the divine feminine within myself and those around me. The true essence of the divine feminine is connection to source, creativity, intuition and love. This series depicts sacred spaces and practices that honored, healed and allowed my soul to grow and glow.

On a solo retreat to the Maine coast I lived in uniquely designed wooden yurts for a length of time. Deep in the woods, I peeled away societal layers and fears and embodied my truth. Community ceremony practices across the world provided healing spaces that nourished my soul, taught me valuable lessons and provided connection. When we support and love one another and ourselves our soul emits light from within and spreads like sacred fire to one another. I paint, drum, dance, plant seeds, immerse into nature, write poetry and follow my souls calling however that expresses itself. It all becomes one act of divine expression. A practice of living intentionally, mindfully and respectfully, lighting my soul fire and spreading love.

Kendra Moran is an oil painter and potter living and working in Colorado. She graduated with her Master of Fine Arts in painting, drawing and ceramics from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She recently established her art business Being Sacred LLC under which she teaches classes and sells her artwork. Her work explores the divine feminine with concepts of spirituality, sacredness and ceremony. You can follow her work on Instagram at @beingsacredart.

This wall hanging depicts pioneer women, living and working a hard life. My reference book was titled “Women of the West”, by Cathy Luchetti and Carol Olwell. The families lived in dugouts, soddies, teepees and log cabins. The book included minority women: such as natives, black and Chinese families building their lives with determination and grit. I greatly admire the women brave enough to leave their homes to come to the West . The book has diary and journal entries that are fascinating to read:

“Tuesday, April 24, 1838. Rested well on my ground bedstead and should feel much better if Mr. W. (her husband) would only treat me with more cordiality. I keep trying to please, but sometimes I feel it is no use. I feel that if I have strength to do anything it must come of God.. May God help me to walk discretely, do right and please my husband.” The writer is 1 month pregnant as she started the trip to Oregon from Missouri. The trip was 129 days of grueling travel.

This award winning artist’s work is largely inspired by surface designed fabric, words and the beauty of nature. She incorporates a wide variety of textiles, including vintage kimono silk, upholstery, hand-dyed fabric, hand painted canvas, heat distressed Tyvek, and organza. She incorporates found objects, wire, paper, feathers, mica as well as linens and papers preserved by her family. The artist’s intention is to evoke a mood or elicit a memory and push the image to the abstract by transparent layering and intuitive composition and color. Sue uses both machine and hand stitching on hand dyed, painted or eco-dyed fabric to honor natural beauty. Fiber bowls, spirit dolls and greeting cards fill out her creative efforts.

Sue has exhibited work in Aspen and Evergreen Gallery in Estes Park, The Art Center of Estes Park, Lakewood Art Gallery, Foothills Art Center, R Gallery in Boulder, CO, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Red Rocks Community College and in AAR River Gallery. She has been juried into Front Range Contemporary Quilter’s (www.artquilters.org) “Best of” Portfolio online exhibit for the last several years. Please visit her blog at http://sustudioblog@wordpress.com and her website at www.sustudiotextiles.weebly.cim, to view more of her quilts, vases and inspirations.

This award winning artist’s work is largely inspired by surface designed fabrics and nature. Sue has exhibited her textile work in Aspen and Evergreen Gallery, The Art Center of Estes Park, Lakewood Cultural Center, Foothills Art Center, R Gallery in Boulder, CO, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Red Rocks Community College and in AAR River Gallery. She has been juried into Front Range Contemporary Quilter’s (www.artquilters.org) “Best of” Portfolio online exhibit for the last several years.

Her intention is to connect with the viewer and to draw them in for a closer look by presenting unusual imagery or materials. The “hand of the artist” is evident in the brushstrokes of paint or in the incorporation of hand stitches.

It is important as much as possible to celebrate the unique strength, tenderness, wisdom, and compassion that women bring to our world, often in the face of overwhelming odds and barriers.

Disability Pride, LGBTQ+, and Multi-Racial Families Advocate In my art I work with wood, paint, graphite, ink, and collage to explore important stories from around the world as well as celebrate the beautiful things that make life worth living.

It is important as much as possible to celebrate the unique strength, tenderness, wisdom, and compassion that women bring to our world, often in the face of overwhelming odds and barriers.

Disability Pride, LGBTQ+, and Multi-Racial Families Advocate In my art I work with wood, paint, graphite, ink, and collage to explore important stories from around the world as well as celebrate the beautiful things that make life worth living.

It is important as much as possible to celebrate the unique strength, tenderness, wisdom, and compassion that women bring to our world, often in the face of overwhelming odds and barriers.

Disability Pride, LGBTQ+, and Multi-Racial Families Advocate In my art I work with wood, paint, graphite, ink, and collage to explore important stories from around the world as well as celebrate the beautiful things that make life worth living.

These vases are made of felted wool with hand and machine stitching.

This award winning artist’s work is largely inspired by surface designed fabric, words and the beauty of nature. She incorporates a wide variety of textiles, including vintage kimono silk, upholstery, hand-dyed fabric, hand painted canvas, heat distressed Tyvek, and organza. She incorporates found objects, wire, paper, feathers, mica as well as linens and papers preserved by her family. The artist’s intention is to evoke a mood or elicit a memory and push the image to the abstract by transparent layering and intuitive composition and color. Sue uses both machine and hand stitching on hand dyed, painted or eco-dyed fabric to honor natural beauty. Fiber bowls, spirit dolls and greeting cards fill out her creative efforts.

Sue has exhibited work in Aspen and Evergreen Gallery in Estes Park, The Art Center of Estes Park, Lakewood Art Gallery, Foothills Art Center, R Gallery in Boulder, CO, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Red Rocks Community College and in AAR River Gallery. She has been juried into Front Range Contemporary Quilter’s (www.artquilters.org) “Best of” Portfolio online exhibit for the last several years. Please visit her blog at http://sustudioblog@wordpress.com and her website at www.sustudiotextiles.weebly.cim, to view more of her quilts, vases and inspirations.

This award winning artist’s work is largely inspired by surface designed fabrics and nature. Sue has exhibited her textile work in Aspen and Evergreen Gallery, The Art Center of Estes Park, Lakewood Cultural Center, Foothills Art Center, R Gallery in Boulder, CO, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Red Rocks Community College and in AAR River Gallery. She has been juried into Front Range Contemporary Quilter’s (www.artquilters.org) “Best of” Portfolio online exhibit for the last several years.

Her intention is to connect with the viewer and to draw them in for a closer look by presenting unusual imagery or materials. The “hand of the artist” is evident in the brushstrokes of paint or in the incorporation of hand stitches.