LET'S FACE IT 2021 - ARTISTS/INSTRUCTORS
ANGELA KENNEDY
I love mixed media, watercolor and really any art. I have been doing it all of my life but really got inspired around 2007. Since then I have made it my career. I love teaching online and sharing with others who want to learn.
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CAREN GINSBERG
Henry David Thoreau once said, “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” My art seeks to engage in a way that encourages the viewer, both aesthetically and emotionally, to find something new. I have always been intrigued with people, faces, features and expressions, all so different and yet so extremely powerful. Using multiple layers of vibrant color and liberated brush strokes, I paint portraits that are raw and expressive. In creating these visual narratives I aim to infuse a particular energy and vibrancy that will awaken an awareness of the people who surround us.
As my work has developed, my perspective and execution of stroke and rhythm have become less defined and more fluid. Creating art, for me, has morphed from being a task of technical skill to an expressive act in itself, allowing me the privilege of transferring my ideas and feelings onto canvas. My hope is that you get to experience some of the cathartic adventure I undertake when painting. Initially I just painted for myself. Then, however, after some cajoling from my loving husband and children I began to show my work and teach classes. And now, I am glad to say, I have students all over the country.
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CHRISTA FORREST
Christa is a full-time artist specializing in pastel, oil, acrylic and mixed media art. After spending 20 years in a finance career, she decided to follow her true passion and become a full-time artist. Christa spends her time sharing her passion with others, teaching others to be creative and exploring the world's landscape recreating it onto canvas. Her work is a mixture of realism, exploration, experimentation and pure fun.
She recently began creating a detailed and expressive Goddess series where she incorporates the divine feminine and illustrates the strength many women struggle to connect with in their daily lives. “We remember to nourish our bodies with food and water but seem to forget to remember to nourish our souls.” Why do we find our inner selves starving and yearning for something more? Christa hopes to encourage everyone to unleash their inner Goddess through her artwork. A current project is in the works to help others unleash their creative soul through art, music and creative expression. Helping creatives learn to nourish the soul, Creative Souls Art will explore creating from within and intuitively without the pressure of perfection and judgement.
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CINDY PRESS
The work of Cindy Press celebrates women by exploring the connection between our physical bodies and personal identity. Inspired by fashion, photography and popular culture Press references personal issues, sexuality and gender as a central theme in her work.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Press is a graduate of Moore College Of Art And Design. Being a fashion illustration major at Moore prepared her for decades of success in the fashion design world. She went onto work with artists such as Peter Max, an iconic painter of the 60”s and 70’s, interpreting his artwork into wearable art.
By merging her knowledge of fashion, the human figure, her life as a woman, mother and artist Press’s artwork forms a narrative that speaks to both men and women. Her female characters are inspired with an array of human emotion that goes beyond gender or age. She does not objectify the subjects of her paintings and drawings but instead seeks to capture their drama, confidence, sex appeal and charm. Press likes to emphasize the provocative, challenging the viewer to think even if it makes them uncomfortable.
Her style is heavily influenced by contemporary fashion photography from the 60’s to present time. While her signature is the way she transforms black and white oil paint on canvas Press likes to surprise with the occasional sprinkling of color added to the mix. Her process is evolving as she photographs her own subjects, while also retaining professional photographers, and working with found images which she manipulates using applications like Photoshop.
Her work has been exhibited world wide and is in private collections around the globe in major hubs such as New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London, Sydney, Dubai and Hong Kong. Some of her clients include Bloomingdales, The Four Season’s Hotel, The Thompson Hotel Group and AIDA Cruise Line.
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DANIEL SEGROVE
Daniel Segrove's body of work is diverse in subject, medium and content. Daniel’s explorations of traditional subjects such as portraits and the human form are unconventional. Daniel explores the use of paper in an active role, as a concept and a way of self- expression, rather than as simply a passive surface on which to draw. Experimentation and intuition create dynamic figurative works of art, juxtaposing traditional figurative realism with abstraction and minimalism, in visual and psychological contrast.
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DANIELLE MACK
I'm a mixed media artist currently working out of Raleigh, North Carolina.
I was trained as a painter and have an illustrative and playful style.
I enjoy the process of connecting writing with my paintings. Recording the creative process leaves an open gate for me to return at some point to add on or reflect on my growth. Mixed media is my jam! I love trying to test what works well together.
Painting women of color is very important to me because when I went through art school there were not a lot of us in the art books. I'm hoping for change in the coming generations. I've already seen lots of progress in social media but the schools still need to change. I plan to be part of this movement in my own small way.
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DEB WEIERS
I am a mixed media artist living in the countryside of Alberta, Canada, along with my husband, multiple pets, and a huge vegetable garden. I am endlessly inspired by the human face and the emotions it can portray. I believe we all deal with some kind of hardship in our life and I try to have the viewer connect to my work through this shared struggle. I also love to use humour in my work, another shared human experience. I am always trying to push the envelope and grow as an artist.
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JENNY MANNO
In the 6th grade I had an art teacher, Mrs.Goddard, who saw a spark of talent in me. She ultimately took me under her wing, encouraging me to recognize it in myself.
It wasn’t uncommon for Mrs.Goddard to send another student to pull me from class to help with large school art projects. On one of the most memorable occasions she asked me to create a giant paper mache Charlie Brown for the school library. Being one of the taller girls in school I never really felt like I fit in, so when Mrs. Goddard would request my assistance with various art projects I always felt special. I knew at an early age that this was a once in a lifetime experience.
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JERNEY MARISHA
Hi, I'm Jerney!
I'm a Dutch Artist living in Antwerp and I love helping people to get in touch with their expressive side. I'm always thinking of new ways to inspire creatives to find joy in the process, to conquer fears and artist block, to dive within and to play and get loose. In my opinion these things are essential to find, and keep developing, your own unique style.
I'm an art therapy enthusiast. I studied it way back when, decided I didn't want to be a therapist, but I do apply a lot of the techniques in my lessons to help you to experience freedom in your creative process.
I hope you will have lots of fun with my lessons, I can't wait to create with you guys!
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JUNA BIAGIONI
My name is Juna Biagioni, I’m a mixed media artist and online art teacher, and I live in the beautiful historic heart of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Art is my biggest passion! Making art is such a wonderful way to express myself, and as an art teacher I love to help people discover their own creativity and become more confident in making art.
I work with various materials and supplies, such as acrylic paint, charcoal, pastel, oil paint sticks, oil pastels, collage, and more. Sometimes I combine these supplies in mixed media works, other times I use these materials on their own.
Some of my work is abstract, but most of my work is figurative – mainly portraits. I love to convey emotions and stories through faces! I try to capture some kind of ‘soul’ in my work – in an unpolished way. Soul can be soft, tender, and beautiful, but also difficult or raw. All these aspects are welcome in my work and interesting to explore.
Art for me is a means to connect with people. It’s my way to express my own inner worlds, but I also like to leave enough open space for people to see their own stories and meanings in my work. The greatest gift is when people are somehow touched by my art, because it means that the artwork has its own power, separate from me, able to move something in another person. That’s just pure magic.
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KASEY MORAN
I have been painting and drawing all my life. I was self taught until 2014 when I began online art classes. Later, I began attending workshops and doing independent study with other artists. I paint a variety of subjects but my first love is the figure. I live in Asheville, NC with my husband and our 2 sons.
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KELLYE FOWLKES
I’m so thankful to Kara for considering me, once again, to teach in Let’s Face It. It truly is an honor to be a part of this incredible group of artists, and to engage with all of you again. After a few rough years, I’m finally finding my way back to creating art again. ❤️
My family and I reside in Knoxville, Tennessee, and have for 15-ish years. My husband, Jason, and I have a 13 year old son, Logan. We enjoy kayaking, animals, video games, watching movies, and just being together. Yes, cheesy and sweet 😉
It wasn’t until my son, Logan, was 2 (2009) that I discovered I might have some sort of drawing talent. I created a few portraits for friends, and thought, what a fun way to make some extra money! That’s when I opened my Etsy shop, Portraits by Kellye in 2011.
After a few years of creating charcoal portraits here and there, I thought to myself...I need a change. My art just got super boring and laborious. That’s when I discovered Let’s Face It ‘17. It was exactly what I needed! The lessons exposed me to other mediums, different teacher’s processes, paper/canvases, everything! Brilliant!
Kara invited me to teach in Let’s Face It ‘19, and I jumped at the chance! What a great opportunity to get my feet wet as a teacher. I have a lot to learn, still, however, with experience comes improvement and confidence.
I’ve learned so much, and continue to absorb as much as I can, when I can. I pride myself as being a habitual student. Always open to learning new things to improve my life and my art. 😌
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LARA PROVOST
I first picked up the paintbrush in 2012, painting flora and fauna, and so far, it’s been quite a journey of evolution and discovery. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would end up making art full time and for a living. For me and for my audience, my work and the process therein echoes beauty, strength, femininity, joy and happiness, but also heartache and melancholy, whispered secrets and hidden meanings.
I am attracted by the creative possibilities of feminine strength and beauty, and I love exploring how to best capture that pure essence by using pigment and texture on a surface. Being of Russian origin, I had also rediscovered great contemporary painters of the country of my birth, and had the good fortune of developing further, my skills under their instruction. I now live and work in Canada. My work, in all its various media, underlines the sheer beauty of elegant simplicity through florals, and now increasingly, I’ve found a profound resonance with the greatest female element of all - Mother Nature - being so vulnerable today, more than any other time. And as such, I am drawn to depict many of my figures’ connection to the complex beauty of nature, to things like animals, flowers, butterflies, birds and the array of colours both bright and muted. I am intrigued by the juxtaposition of the feminine with the natural world.
I like where I stand at the moment in this journey. I strive to live fearlessly and participate in life wholeheartedly. I believe we all, each and every one of us, deserve to live in a world filled with love, joy, and beauty. The work I offer is my tiny contribution to better this world. I create my pieces in hope that they may empower, inspire and touch many hearts, and simply bring joy! And as my art continues to evolve, I invite you to join me on this wonderful, unpredictable and magical journey full of surprises.
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MARIA PACE-WYNTERS
Maria Pace-Wynters went to The University of Victoria(BFA honor program) and Victoria Film School before settling down in Edmonton, Alberta with her singer/songwriter/soulmate husband, Chris Wynters and their two daughters, Imogen and Scarlett. Maria has a studio/gallery in Edmonton where she sells her unique and colourful mixed media paintings. Maria’s paintings and reproductions are collected by her loyal fans worldwide. She also sells her work online through Etsy.
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MARTIN CAMPOS
Arcenio Martin Campos attended New Mexico State University for studio arts, the University of New Mexico for art history, and received a Certificate of Painting from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. He began drawing on his own as a child, and between schools acquired much of his fine art education from independent study and private instruction of the human figure.
“For nearly twenty years I studied the physical components of human beings – all of them; all components, all people, not just the pretty ones. Lately, all of these people I have been drawing, and many of their respective parts, have been stirring, growing restless. They are no longer content to simply be portrayed on paper, mylar, canvas or panel. They have urgent stories to tell. They strive to be part of a world.”
Mr. Campos began his teaching career conducting classes in cast drawing whilst still in New Mexico. He has given lectures on anatomy, figure drawing, and painting and has facilitated open figure drawing groups in both Albuquerque and Philadelphia. His work has received numerous awards and has been exhibited throughout the United States and abroad.
Mr. Campos currently teaches at the Fleisher Art Memorial and the Washington Studio School and has taught workshops in Spain, South Africa, France, New Zealand, and throughout the United States.
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MEG YATES
Meg is an interdisciplinary artist, professional musician and trained and ordained interfaith minister currently living in Washington State. Originally from Maine, she holds a BFA from Maine College of Art and has over 15 years of experience in creating curriculum and teaching art. Meg has always made art, and from an early age she developed a curiousity about Monasticism and began experimenting with applying monastic principles to her creative practices. This curiosity has in part expressed through an investigation into the principle of Stability through some form of a daily practice since she was 17 years old. For the last 5+ years, her daily practice has been to complete a 6x8" painting every day. Though she's willing to play and paint nearly anything in her daily practice, she has a deep love of portraiture, and faces tend to be central in her work. Inner mythology and dreams, prayerful mysticism, ancestral wisdom, fierce feminine strength, sensuality, the intimate and tender all pour out as she visits the blank page every day. Her artistic voice is expressive and fearlessly diverse, sometimes soft and sometimes quite bold - led by intuition, breath and her inner life. She holds a belief that how we make is as important as what we make, and this approach infuses her teaching style with permission and wonderment in the process.
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NATALIE ESLICK
Natalie is an artist, creatrix, and a serial imaginer from Australia. She creates original art celebrating the divine feminine, the fantastical, folk-stories, fairy-tales, forests and our non-human kin. Natalie believes in possibility, that upon the wind the whispered stories of the wild are carried, and can be captured in scribbles if you’re quick. She delights in meditative musings, meaningful narrative, listening, learning, and the magic of putting pencil to paper. Natalie is Chief of Staff to three spectacular rescue kitties, a strong believer in the power of strawberries and a good cup of tea, and her personal philosophy is “kindness, always”.
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RENEE MUELLER
I received a BFA from the University of Michigan in Dance and Choreography. I danced professionally and had the honor of teaching dance at the University of Michigan's Musical Theater and Theater Departments.
Growing up in the magical world of theater and dance I was exposed to so many gifted and talented artists. Collaborating with dancers, actors, choreographers, musicians, set, costume and lighting designers was an incredibly rich experience. It was fascinating to watch how a small idea would unfold into beautiful productions.
My love for theater and dance is a constant source of inspiration for my art. I hope that by sharing my techniques and creative practices, you will find something to spark your imagination.
I currently live in Ann Arbor, Michigan with my husband Marc, who continues support all my creative dreams, and our beautiful daughter Olivia.
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ROBERT KELLEY
I am Rob Kelley and I am a fine artist/illustrator with a focus on portraiture! I live in Stockton, California, and am a single dad to three children. I studied graphic design at UC Davis and then went on to study illustration at Academy of Art in San Francisco. Although I have had an extensive education in art, I abandoned art for most of my adult life. That changed, 4 years ago, when my life hit a dramatic shift. At this time, I began looking at why I was in a constant state of low-level unhappiness and discovered that I had abandoned my true and authentic self. I knew that the one thing I needed that had been missing was art! Since then, I have adopted a sink or swim mentality!
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ROSELYN PRATT
I am a professional violinist, playing from the age of five. Besides the violin, I play piano, guitar, banjo and viola. All instruments being taught over my 30+ years of teaching music. For over 12 seasons I’ve played with the Idaho State Civic Symphony. I’ve served the State of Idaho as an area director for the Old Time Fiddler’s Association. My husband and 3 children have always helped me as I successfully ran a private studio, sometimes seeing over 50 students a week. What does this have to do with art, you might ask. My answer? Everything!
George Bernard Shaw said, ‘ A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.’
To become the musician I have, to be the artist I strive to be, I have decided I LOVE to make mistakes! (Not really, but I’ve made a LOT!:) I love to draw and I love to paint. I make a real effort to create art daily. Whenever a new student starts lessons, they would always worry how to fit their ‘practice time’ in. I’d explain, ‘ No worries, I don’t expect you to practice everyday.’ The surprise on their faces still make me chuckle to remember. ‘Practice,’ I’d continue, ‘is only required on the days you eat!’ I’d always get told with some confusion that they eat everyday. ‘Uh, well I guess you WILL be practicing most days then.’ The student catches on pretty quick! But that is how we all progress. A little everyday. With A LOT of mistakes!!
I’m excited to create, practice and make our helpful mistakes in this years Let’s Face It. Happy to be here and looking forward to learning more about YOU!
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SHERRY WOODWARD
Sherry is self-taught artist, and art teacher living in the San Francisco Bay Area, with her husband and their dog. She loves to paint almost daily and never runs out of inspiration.
Although she works full time as a commercial insurance broker, she is a prolific painter devoted to her craft. Her work can be described as impressionistic, expressive, and impactful.
Sherry loves to share her process with her students, and encourage them to find the joy in painting and not to worry about making mistakes.
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TAYLOR RESTIVO
My work usually involves an element of love. Who doesn’t love, love? This movie like Crazy was very inspiring for me. The trailer was so intriguing. I got my wife to watch it saying it was a romantic comedy. Spoiler alert it is not. We watched the movie and it was so powerful that it stayed with me. The whole film is brilliant, it’s based off of a 16-page script, so the majority of the movie is pretty much improv and shot so damn beautifully. Everything about it is beautiful, it’s a must see. This movie I’m particularly drawn to the beginning where Jacob and Anna meet and fall in love, it reminds me so much of my own relationship with my wife when we met at college. There’s an independence that they have, and it reminds me very much of my college life. I think I’ve loved relationships ever since I was a little kid. Movies and books are so important to me for inspiration. As a man I do not usually feel empowered to be vulnerable or even to like relationships, so for me to paint about couples and love is something I’m reluctant to actually talk about in a meaningful way. Instead of “Yea this a beautiful couple”, end of story, it’s not that simple and it’s much more for me. I think people pick up on that and they are drawn to it. I’m a self-taught artist that generally works in acrylics, oils, as well as, digital art.
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TIARE SMITH
Tiare Smith is a mixed media artist and instructor. Born with art in her heart she has been creating since she could hold a crayon. Her preferred choice of mediums are ink, acrylics and pastels. Her art breathes color and love and creates a space where happiness, love and courage dwell.
“My art reflects the wonderful women (and sometimes men) who informed and continue to inform my life…my mom, neighbors, teachers, friends, 2nd and 3rd mom. Black women. Strong women. Smart women. Beautiful women. Loving women. Do you women.”
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TIFFANY NICOLE
Tiffany was born in central California. As a child she spent a lot of time doodling on any surface she could get her hands on. Her biggest art influence came to her at the early age of five. The museum scene in Tim Burton’s Batman, where Francis Bacon’s painting “Figure with Meat” was spared by the Joker, is still a vivid image in her mind. Her first love was Francis Bacon and his work heavily influenced her to grow up and follow her dream of being an artist.
Tiffany had to support herself at a young age and found herself in a high end management position in Louisiana. Not forgetting her dream of being an artist, she would stroll through the French Quarter and find inspiration everywhere. From the Jackson Square artists to the colorful locals, it was New Orleans that reminded Tiffany she ultimately wanted to be an artist.
Tiffany quit her position in management and moved back home to California to pursue her artwork full time. There, she taught herself how to paint and opened up her own studio.
Tiffany currently resides in Virginia Beach. This is her debut as an artist and she is excited to share her love of painting with you.
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TRACY VERDUGO
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VICTORIA KOURSAROS
Victoria Koursaros is a Philadelphia based artist. She received her Bachelor’s of Fine Art degree from the University of the Arts majoring in Illustration. Upon graduation, she worked in artist studios where she refined her technical skills and gained experience in oil painting, paper, and fabric conservation and preservation. She currently works as a graphic designer and digital archivist.
Her work is based on, or influenced by, art history, specifically the late Baroque and Rococo era: "I’ve always been drawn to the past. There was an unabashed embrace of beauty that I love and am fascinated by. The epitome of this for me is the late Baroque and Rococo era of the 18th Century. The music, painting, and architecture all culminated in, what is for me, the height of beauty and harmony. I try to merge the love I have for the time period with my own narratives.”
Her work is in private collections throughout the United States, Europe, and New Zealand.
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