Featured Artists

Artsy Shark presents the light-filled and ethereal portfolio of featured artist Victoria Veedell. Find out more about this fascinating artist and see more of her paintings by visiting her website.

I am a full time painter working in San Francisco, CA.  I have a BFA from Texas A & M University, Corpus Christi, TX and completed work towards an MA in painting at NYU.    I have been an artist in residence at the Vermont Studio Center, Vermont, Kamiyama Artist in Residence, Japan and the Chitraniketan Residency, India. Travel is an important component in my work, as it allows me to observe and compare gradients of color, light and atmosphere in different geographic areas.

My paintings are based on nature, fashioned from memory and imagination, and imply landscapes not necessarily seen, but felt.  I dissolve the landscape, leaving only what I consider to be the essence of nature.  I continually examine the effects of light and form in the natural world.  The dramatic effect of light that happens throughout the day sets the mood for each painting.  My work has been exhibited nationally and internationally in galleries and art centers and is a part of many corporate and private collections.

What are you working on now?

I am currently putting the finishing touches on 2 large paintings for a commission for a luxury condo building in Oakland, CA.   These are the last of 8 paintings to be installed in the public areas on several floors of the building.  I’m also creating paintings for “Atmospheric Conditions” an upcoming solo show at the Metro Gallery in Reno, NV.

What are your goals? 

I have several goals that I set for this year. My first is to continue painting and pushing the paintings to the next level.  Second is to expand my network and cultivate 10 new collectors. I’m already half way there.  I want to double the number of paintings I sold the previous year. Third is to step up my search for representation and find a gallery that has collectors for my work and promotes me at art fairs.  Finally I want to attend an artist in residence program.  I continually look for new opportunities by sending out proposals for exhibitions and updating art consultants who are interested in placing my work.

What is your artistic vision? 

A fun and challenging exercise that I recently completed was to write my vision as though it is a magazine article that is written about you at the pinnacle of your career.  Below is the article:

Victoria’s dreamlike landscapes illicit an emotional response to the effects of light in nature.  Light is used to draw in the viewer to connect to her work. The images are based on nature, fashioned from memory and imagination, and imply landscapes not necessarily seen, but felt.  Victoria is inspired by her travels as it allows her to observe and compare gradients of color, light and atmosphere in different geographic areas. The dramatic effect of light that happens throughout the day sets the mood for the painting and creates a meditative atmosphere.  Time of day holds emotional and spiritual possibilities.  Nature becomes the source of her artistic energy.

Victoria travels every year to different artist residency programs gathering inspiration for her work.  This summer she was an AIR at  the prestigious Yaddo in Saratoga Springs, NY.  She says the time spent in residence is the highlight of her art career.  She was able to create a whole new body of work from the experience.

When she is not traveling she creates her work in a beautiful 1000 sq. ft. light filled studio in San Francisco.  On the wall, where she paints is a custom-built wall easel that makes it easy for her to move her large paintings up and down while she paints.  There is ample storage space for her supplies and a large rack to safely store her finished paintings.  Her assistant keeps busy maintaining her inventory & mailing lists, correspondence with galleries and collectors, along with keeping track of Victoria’s exhibition schedule along with shipping and receiving so Victoria can focus on making her paintings.

You can find her work in several galleries.  She shows in  San Francisco,  Santa Fe,  Atlanta, Houston and New York.  She is a favorite at the art fairs In New York & Miami.  Her work is in many important public and private collections. There is a waiting list for her upcoming exhibition.

Artsy Shark presents the portfolio of talented painter Brennen McElhaney. See more of his impressive work by visiting his website.

Brennen McElhaney was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California. Looking for a change of scenery, he studied fine art and illustration 3000 miles away at the Rhode Island School of Design. After returning to California, Brennen married Sheila Springer in 1992, and as newlyweds they had the unique opportunity to run a fine art gallery for a time.

Pursuing his fine art, Brennen went on to have one-man art shows at a number of galleries on the West Coast, establishing collectors across the USA and Europe.

During that time he served on the board of directors of the Santa Barbara Art Association. For nearly 11 years, Brennen worked as graphic illustrator / manager at Big Dog Sportswear.

In 2005, Brennen, along with his wife and their three children, relocated from California to Western North Carolina (near Asheville) where he is currently working on a series of landscape paintings of the Blue Ridge Mountains and surrounding areas. He is a signature member of Western North Carolina Plein Air Painters, and is represented regionally by The Design Gallery, The Gallery at Studio B and Alta Vista Gallery.

In addition to painting, Brennen works as a freelance illustrator and as art director for Oodles World, an Asheville based entertainment and media company.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My paintings are a personal record, a visual journal of scenes that have caught my attention. My goal is to document the beauty that I see in the landscape, and create a record of my impression for others (and myself) to enjoy. My artistic process relies heavily on observation — that is to say I trust my eyes to “tell” me what to put on the canvas, how to paint it, what is important, and what is not.

Recurring subject matter in my landscapes are mountains, trees, rivers and lakes, cityscapes and architecture. My work is optimistic, reflecting a sense of contentment with my home in Western North Carolina and my appreciation of the breathtaking scenery of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Brennen authors an art-related blog entitled “ArtWorking”. He writes about his art and the stories behind various paintings, occasionally showing the development of works from start to finish. Some posts serve as a travel journal and include pages from his sketchbook. He also discusses self-promotion for artists, providing a detailed descriptions and examples of successful ways for artists to market their work, including portfolios and a gallery prospecting strategies.

He has been married for almost 20 years and he and his wife have three children. They don’t have a TV. They eat almost every meal together. They home-school their kids. Brennen appreciates the opportunities offered by living in the modern technological age. He enjoys discussing art and networking on Twitter and Facebook.

Artsy Shark presents featured artist Mako Fufu, who combines East and West graphical influences to create her unique style of art. See more by visiting her website.

I was born in Argentina in August 1st 1983, with a mix of Italian, German, Spanish and French blood. As if this mix wasn’t enough already, I was attracted by all things Japanese from an early age. I´m hyperactive and curious and cannot stay still, nor limit myself to a single media, style or theme: I´m always eager to explore new grounds.

Since words seems to be not enough to transmit my deepest feelings and switching moods, I canalize it all through my artworks. My signature style could be defined as sensual and full of life.

I´m a self-taught artist. Still, I’ve complemented this self-acquired knowledge by studying for a Graphic Design degree on the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), but quitting it after a while. It wasn’t what I’ve expected. I´m currently starting my studies for a degree on Visual Arts on the National Institute of Arts (IUNA).

My goals are:
-Being the best artist I can by learning new techniques, trying new media, practicing and improving my own style. And having fun while I do it!
-Inspiring people, beyond the fact they´re artists or not. I like to let everybody know that if you´re really passionate about something you can get to make your dreams come true. You just have to put your mind and heart into it.
-Making a good living from this, so I can keep on doing what I enjoy, reaching the most people I can . . . with the least stress possible!

Right now I´m making murals as often as I can (I really enjoy it), filling up my sketchbook for The Sketchbook Project 2011, and I´ve just started working on my own webcomic!. I always wanted to share stories about facts that happened to me, good or bad, but in an enjoyable humorous way. I think it´s important to be able to laugh about situations that have pissed you off in the past, that way you get the most of them. And if you get to laugh about them too, you´ve made the most of them!. They´re available here.

I´m inspired by art made by passionate people. It may be animation, murals, illustrations, movies, music… you can tell when the work came from the artist´s heart.