Painting

Jimmy Navarro

Navarro Fine Art

Des Moines, IA

https://navarrofineart.com

2023 Booth #132

© Jimmy Navarro

I paint directly from life either in the field with Plein Air practice or as a still-life in the studio. I usually work off a small color study and then transfer that to a large canvas using ink washes and heavy bodied acrylics. I prefer to use a combination of brush work and palette knife concentrating on edge work, chroma and values. Right now my focus has been on Midwest landscapes preferably from the Driftless Area. I went to MCAD and am a member of the Outdoor Painters of Minnesota so I paint frequently on paint outs in the Twin Cities area and the North Shore. Loring Park and the Walker Art area are so nostalgic to me so I am excited to apply.

Marisa Ray

© Marisa Ray

2023 Booth #17

I have been painting for 15 years, and enjoy creating whimsical work that makes people laugh and smile. I live in Knoxville, TN with my husband, son and 7 pets. I love to travel around the country doing art shows and meeting new people. 

I work in acrylics and use multiple, thick layers of paint to create a 3 dimensional look for my bird feathers and animal fur. Hand painted patterns for background or clothing detail. Painterly approach for fluid or transparent subject matter.

© Marisa Ray

Most of my paintings are done as a series, usually with accompanying stories to bring life and laughter to the artwork. 

Steven Dragan

Kansas City, MO

https://www.sdragan.art

2023 Booth #46


© Steven Dragan

Repeated layers of watercolor applied to rough cold pressed paper become progressively richer, I focus on preserving the key moments of light to the very end by painting the light as negative space

Capturing people and place through the lens of an architect with a focus on negative space, high contrast, and atmospheric depth.

Open-frame display with archival UV seal applied to painting for direct, intimate viewing.

Kwame Boama Mensa-Aborampa

Bolingbrook, IL

https://www.kwaboama.com

2023 Booth #127/128


© Kwame Boama Mensa-Aborampa

My name is Kwame Boama Mensa-Aborampa. I create to portray how I see nature and exhibit the artistic gift in me. My works are easily identifiable not merely through my style but by the subjects I depict. In my mind and thoughts, nature abounds with the aesthetic fullness thereof and as an artist I only try to mimic what is already present in nature. I get the best out of me by using acrylic paint, brush, and knife.

Keri Jo

Grimes, IA

https://www.kerijofineart.com

2023 Booth #42

© Keri Jo

I was in a horrible car accident where I had a near death experience (NDE) and was in the love and peace of the White Light. I am very grateful to have come back and so I can share the experience with others. The White Light is my daily source of inspiration.

I use vibrant inks to reflect the transparent yet intense colors I experienced in the White Light. When creating a new piece of art, my intention is for my work to inspire centeredness, wholeness, peace, and love – a reflection of the White Light within all of us. I combine high pigment, transparent inks with various blending solutions and resin to create a plethora of colors and unique shapes which form abstract landscapes or whimsical images. On many occasions I embellish the art to create unique interest and emotion.

When people say, “oh, that is so peaceful,” “this piece makes me feel so happy,” or “I get lost in the emotion of your artwork,” I know my art has touched, even if for a moment, the White Light within them.


Rosa Chavez

Naples, FL

Emerald Art Studio

www.chavezartwork.com

2022 Booth #75

© Rosa Chavez

Like most contemporary artists, Rosa Chavez is inspired by multiple art styles and movements. Looking through her portfolios, collectors will find that she is influenced by a mixture of abstraction, minimalism and figurative painting styles. These sots of influences allow her to create the unique energy found in her work; from peaceful yet joyful marinas where boats are docked, to her energetic regattas where you feel the intensity of the race being portrayed by the long strokes of paint. She uses color, texture and basic shapes throughout her work to create the energy one feels while sailing out in the open water. Her color palette is mostly composed of blue hues, complemented by primary colors usually found on racing or docked boats. She uses these bright primary colors to bring in some joy in a canvas filled with blue hues, something that is commonly experienced while you ‘re out sailing in a large lake or ocean; where the water mass and the sky seem to be endless.



Donna Budzynski

Highland Woods Studio

St. Frances, MN

2022 Booth #47

© Donna Budzynski

I am a new emerging artist just starting to show my work. I have always done art, I have been published in magazines for my mixed media and sculpted work. I am now going back to my first medium, painting.

I consider myself to be on a creative journey. I have evolved over the years and I am ready to take this journey and see it soar.

I have been working with the explosion of vibrant colors on my palette and loving it. Wondering who or what will show up next on my canvas.

My hope is that the viewer enjoys the colors, emotions, and gives them a smile, thought, or sparks a memory.



Wenwen Liao

Wenwen Liao Art Studio

Minnetonka MN

www.wenwenliao.art/gallery

2023 Booth #81

© Wenwen Manfred

Wenwen learned to love painting from her father who was a local artist and teacher in her hometown of Zhuhai, China. She made art her passion when she went to study animation and film at the Central Academy of Beijing.

Eventually, this led her to the Minneapolis College of Art and Design where she got her Master of Fine Arts in Experimental Animation.

© Wenwen Liao

Wenwen modernizes traditional ink and wash painting techniques. She loves the imagery it produces but wants to give a personal connection to the audience that is not present in traditional themes. Her art uses colors to create tranquil moments of childhood innocence. The paintings create warm and loving scenes that are full of positive energy which enrich the viewer. Her experience with animation allows her to give the characters a sense of movement that creates a story in the imagination.

Christine Adele Moore

Bonita Springs FL

https://ChristineAdeleArts.com

2023 Booth #112/113

© Christine Adele Moore

My paintings are primarily acrylic on canvas, though I will frequently utilize various reflective media, such as gold, copper, or silver leaf, in my work to add light and life from within.
I work in a heavily textured, layering process. I find that the texture is very inviting and breaks the surface tension, bringing the viewer into the work to explore the depths. The complexity of the layers captures the imagination and gives the impression of active life that has paused for consideration.
My background before devoting myself full time to the art festival circuit includes 26 years of work a freelance artist to interior designers. In these years I learned to stretch myself beyond my comfort zones to make their various creative visions come to physical reality, thus giving me many ways to express myself today. Now, my ultimate goal with my art is to create paintings that evoke joy, gratitude and a sense well being, while also being a harmonious addition to my client’s decor.

Susan Bartel

Susan Bartel Art

North Newton, KS

https://susanbartelart.com/

2023 Booth #60

© Susan Bartel

I am a watercolor artist, using a limited palette to wonder at the beauty of the natural world. Through years of trial and error, I have found three colors that allow me to achieve nearly all the results I desire. I often work wet in wet, marveling at the miracles that happen in watercolor using this technique.

Lori Murphy Grafing

Minneapolis, MN

lorimurphygrafing.com

2023 Booth #119

© Lori Murphy Grafing

I paint with watercolor paints on Arches 140 lb. cold press paper. I often start a painting with a series of wet-on-wet transparent washes and transition to a wet brush on dry paper for the more controlled and detailed finish work. I use masking fluid sparingly to block out the white areas, if necessary. My subjects are varied and I paint in a realistic style. On occasion, I will paint watercolor onto Yupo medium. The technique for painting watercolor on Yupo is a totally different beast!
I also use Alcohol Ink on Yupo and on ceramic tiles to create vibrant works of art in a more abstract style.

© Lori Murphy Grafing

Creator of 2022 Loring Park Art Festival Postcard

Denise Bunkert

Savage, MN

https://Denisebunkert.com

2023 Booth #3

© Denise Bunkert

Denise developed a new style of painting called, "Crystal Impressionism" inspired by Gaudi's stained-glass windows in Barcelona, Spain. Working in layers of impasto oil paints like the impressionists, her paintings are infused with light and texture imitating nature. Both pallet knife and brushes are used to "carve" into the thick layered paints; painting strokes continue around the edges of each gallery-wrapped canvas, creating a 3-dimensional effect.

Karen Watson-Newlin

© Karen Watson-Newlin

2022 Booth #130

Created with knife and brush on gallery wrapped canvas, my acrylic paintings are grounded in my interpretations of nature. Color, with the interplay of light, along with the layering of textures is emphasized. Some works are painted over an application of metal leaf adding a unique surprise element.These works are challenging to photograph because of the reflective light.

Shane Anderson

Apple Valley, MN

https://www.shaneandersonart.com

2023 Booth # SA

© Shane Anderson

My technique juxtaposes realism with both urban and modern styles using acrylic paint, oil, pigments & ink on canvas or wood. The results are colorful and vibrant pieces brimming with interesting details that evoke thought and conversation. My newest series "Geometric Metamorphosis" brings a unique glimpse into the marvels of geometry found in nature.

Barret Lee

Minneapolis, MN

https://www.barretpaints.com

2023 Booth #53

© Barret Lee

My work encompasses the characters I've been illustrating since childhood and subject matters I've expanded upon since graduating from MCAD in 2016. Drawing from surrealism, graffiti and cartoons, I utilize a combination of acrylics, spray paint and occasional collage to express whimsical themes throughout my work. Personifying fantastical worlds that encourage the viewer to escape from the chaos of reality.