The surrealist painter and poet Dorothea Tanning (1910-2012) wrote, “Art has always been the raft onto which we climb to save our sanity. I don’t see a different purpose for it now.”
Experiencing nature through the eyes of artists can open our eyes not only to its complex beauty but to its salubrious qualities. We are one with nature and benefit from shedding whatever separates us from it. Nature in art can also be a metaphor for ideas that defy the constructed intricacies of language.
Jonathan LeVine Projects, Artist (detail), oil on linen, 47¼ x 66 9⁄10", by Susannah Martin.
RJD Gallery, Spring Sprang Sprung, oil on canvas, 24 x 36", by Bryony Bensly.
Janice Anthony lives on a farm in rural Maine intimately aware of her environment. Her painting Balancing Rock illustrates the balance that exists among massive granite rocks and tree roots seeking nourishment. She says, “The natural world, as it transitions from woods into wilderness beyond me, has been my companion for most of my life. I feel it as a continuous presence, both familiar and friendly, and independent and unknown. Such multiplicity of life is happening in this world that surrounds me. We share this space; as I move in and out of it, it flows through me, replacing thought with awareness. In my studio this exchange continues, as I paint I still communicate with the land and waters as they live their lives, indifferent to me, but essential to my painting.”
Courthouse Gallery Fine Art, Balancing Rock, acrylic on canvas, 18 x 18", by Janice Anthony.
Judith Belzer, All That is Solid #2, oil on canvas, 80 x 56"
PoetsArtists, Initiate, oil on aluminum, 24 x 15", by Cheryl Kelley.
Judith Belzer responded to a change in environment with a flurry of new work when she and her family moved from New England to the Bay Area. She responded to a change in scale and became more aware of the conflict between the built and the natural environment. Lately, she has been exploring nature as metaphor. She says, “Using rocks as metaphors for all that we thought solid and lasting, I am painting my way through questions about the nature of permanence and equilibrium in human experience. Boulders and rocks placed in illogical and precarious piles allude to a growing sense of instability all around me. As the climate fluctuates wildly, democratic and cultural institutions show signs of structural strain and weakness, and the very idea of enduring truths wobble, I wonder aloud in my work where we are headed. Will we adhere to the ideals we once thought immutable or will we find ourselves in a time when, as Karl Marx observed, ‘all that is solid melts into air?’”
PoetsArtists, Promised to the Wild Unknown, acrylic, 40 x 30", by Mary Chiaramonte.
PoetsArtists, Soar Freely, oil on Dibond, 40 x 32", by Shana Levenson.
PoetsArtists, Red Thread, oil on canvas, 47¼ x 31½", by Viktoria Savenkova.
Bryony Bensly explains that her work explores “the preciousness of this planet and the life it sustains as we face environmental and political challenges. I wish to celebrate all the beauty that surrounds us —which in turn, reflects all that is within.” Born in Thailand and brought up in Hong Kong and England, she now lives in rural Massachusetts painting from the experience of different cultures, spiritual practices and natural environments. In Spring Sprang Sprung a deer wearing a floral necklace cavorts freely in a spring field with its fellow mammals, a young boy and other creatures from a pit bull to ducklings. In the distance, however, there is an ominous high wall. The air of camaraderie was such that the boy could adorn the deer before they all sprang into their dance. William Blake wrote, “We become what we behold.” In Bensly’s paintings we’re reminded to become again what we’ve forgotten we are.
Catherine Mamola, Divine Pasture, oil on linen panel, 12 x 16"
Catherine Mamola, Lonely Shore, oil on linen panel, 14 x 20"
Catherine Mamola, Morning Glory, oil on linen panel, 12 x 16"
Principle Gallery, Ganymede, oil on canvas, 36 x 30", by Maya Kulenovic.
If Bensly’s boy were unencumbered by modest clothing, he could have danced out of a painting by Susannah Martin. Martin’s nudes cavort in what she calls a “primordial connectedness” that is brief and more often becomes disconnected and fettered. In Artist, she addresses the artist’s and all humanity’s need to be psychologically unfettered. Martin is responding to her experiences of recent censorship. “I began to think of artists as a type of liberal army in the woods,” she says, “facing the elements in order to create work that is honest and free to take on socially critical themes. It has often been the case throughout history that artists have needed to work in hiding in order to make art that was deeply personal but possibly unpleasant to the general public.”
Principle Gallery, 2 Pears and 5 Figs, oil on canvas, 14 x 25", by Trish Coonrod.
Principle Gallery, Red, oil on canvas, 35½ x 27½", by Anna Wypych.
Stone Sparrow NYC, Don’t Speak, oil on Dibond, 28 x 40", by Shana Levenson.
Stone Sparrow NYC, Daniela II, oil on canvas, 60 x 48", by Daniela Kovacic.
Yvonne Mendez, Yellow Pears and Pink Flower, oil on cradled panel, 18 x 36"
The artist appears to be surrounded by a baroque drapery carrying antique porcelain figures. Martin explains, however, “My artist is working out of an abandoned shack in the woods. She is working with her medium of choice, Play-Doh. Play-Doh is a medium for children to explore their creative impulses through temporary sculpture, not a medium of professional or archival stability and therefore not market worthy. Encased within the Play-Doh sculpture which winds its way through the forest, are remnants of porcelain figurines which represent both a form of art which conforms aesthetically to bourgeois taste and an image of femininity which conforms to antiquated ideals. So that this work of art which she has made exists purely for self-fulfillment and liberation. The artists choice to work in the nude is based both on my insistence to not be intimidated by censorship and a further act of liberation.
Yvonne Mendez, Azovka, oil on linen, 19 x 23" 
Yvonne Mendez, Silence, oil on linen, 14 x 11"
Southwest Gallery, Game, oil on canvas, 37 x 57", by Olga Suvorava.
Southwest Gallery, Angel Symphony, oil on canvas, 38 x 58", by Olga Suvorava.
The artists remind us not only to stop and smell the roses, but also to stop and think.
This feature of artwork by women artists is diverse and daring, showing how they break expectations with unique subject matter and styles. Each work is a testament to the artists’ individual experiences and interests.
Anthony, who lives in Maine, also says, “The ongoing energy of life in a wild place, existing outside my experience, is fascinating to me. In wilderness I can just begin to perceive the complicated relationships in these mysterious communities, a message flowing through this hidden world and then flowing through my brush onto my canvas.”
The PoetsArtists group, headed by Didi Menendez, includes artists such as Cheryl Kelley, Viktoria Savenkova, Mary Chiaramonte and Shana Levenson. 
Maura Allen, 8MM | Blue Moon, acrylic on panel, 60 x 40"
Maura Allen, Scarlet Starlet, acrylic on panel, 96 x 72"
J.M. Brodrick, Lady with an Owl, acrylic on panel, 20 x 16"
Kelley says, “My new work seeks to explore the interaction between memory and dream. There is a confrontation, an uncomfortable intimacy that I aim to achieve. My hope is that the paintings create a portal, inspiring the viewer to go deeper into their own inner space.”
Daily life and the things that happen around us inspire Levenson’s artwork. “I try to create strong figures with some surrealistic elements to create a story that viewers can relate with,” she says. “Each painting is a personal story within my diary that I am creating with brushstrokes instead of words.”
Savenkova builds an emotional and psychological dialogue with the spectator by creating unfinished stories that allow her to immerse herself in her inner world while involving the viewer. She introduces her own concept of beauty and emotion, drama and sensuality.
J.M. Brodrick, Quiet Elegance, acrylic on panel, 24 x 18"
Nance Franklin, Bursting Poppies, oil on canvas, 48 x 36"
Janice Anthony, Rocky Stream, acrylic on linen, 22 x 28"
Cynthia Rosen, By the Inlet, oil on panel, 18 x 36"
Cynthia Rosen, Along the Ridge, oil on panel, 12 x 16"
New Jersey artist Catherine Mamola says, “I believe that if you speak from your heart and are truly faithful, honest and passionate about your subject and what you want to portray, then people will listen and respond. If you can capture a moment that touches your heart or stirs feelings within you, you will touch another’s heart. My goal as a visual artist is to create powerful awe-inspiring pieces that can bring someone to their knees.”
“Throughout my life I have always appreciated the warmth and connection I have to all things that make up my natural surroundings,” says artist Yvonne Mendez. “Today they include powerful and imposing mountains that gracefully penetrate the ever-changing sky and the diverse animal life with which we peacefully coexist. Admittedly, I am most inspired by the living creatures as they brush my soul and awaken my creative spirit. With an inclination towards realism I gently reach into the abstract as I build a foundation for my subject by combining the dramatic light, colors and shapes with the living. I strive to bring clarity to the viewer with a focus on my subject while permitting the surrounding noise to bleed off the canvas, almost unnoticed.”
Amy Welborn, After the Storm, oil on canvas, 18 x 24"
Amy Welborn, Sycamore Shadows, oil on canvas, 10 x 8"
Sandra Desrosiers, Blue Velvet Band, oil, 8 x 10"
Olga Suvorava, represented by Southwest Gallery in Dallas, was born in Russia and graduated from the noted Repin Art Academy for her classical training. Her talent and learning skill is reflected in her ability to eloquently create a narrative with her captivating portraits, while paying homage to familiar historical periods. Her compositions are punctuated by vivid color that begs the viewer to search for hidden treasures woven into each painting.
The focus of Maura Allen’s artwork is the American West, the “past and present, real and romanticized.” She says, “When it comes to the American West and collecting art, it’s not a battle of traditional versus contemporary or Old West versus new, instead it’s about the arc of time and how different styles tell stories past and present.”
Sandra Desrosiers, Copper & Pears, oil, 11 x 14"
Cindy Sorley-Keichinger, 10 or 20 Hippos, oil, 10 x 20"
Cindy Sorley-Keichinger, Seaweed Dance, acrylic, 9 x 13½"
J.M. Brodrick is a painter “working toward merging my need for realism with the beauty of pure abstract,” she says. “I strive to capture the spirit of my subject in some small way, to connect the viewer with an emotion.” When collecting art, she advises to choose pieces similar to how you choose your music, which is “an escape from reality for a moment, leaving you feeling better for having experienced it.”
As a contemporary post-impressionist using real subjects, including landscapes and figures, Cynthia Rosen takes liberties to create works exploring movement, colors and the ephemeral nature of life. She says, “My intent is to evoke wonderment and beg the viewer to pause and acknowledge the subject while being confronted with the intangible nature of life in its continuum. In this fast-moving life we often fail to take time to celebrate the world around us. My work’s intent is to do just that.”
Sandra Desrosiers, Shadows, oil, 11 x 11"
Cindy Sorley-Keichinger, Contested, acrylic, 24 x 18"
Modern impressionist landscape painter Amy Welborn creates scenes with vivid colors so viewers are connected to the beauty of the place and feel a positive energy that can refresh and nourish their souls.
“I enjoy painting in intense hues of oil paints to create the feelings I have when I am outdoors in the places that bring me peace and joy,” Welborn explains. “I also create in my studio from the plein air studies, photographs and sketches. The thick, buttery consistency of the oil medium satisfies my need to paint vibrant colors and ability to paint thick or thin layers.”
Corrigan Gallery, Along the Amazon, oil on linen, 46 x 54", by Corrie McCallum.
Corrigan Gallery, My Washer Woman, Jamaica, gouache, 12 x 9", by Elizabeth O’Neill Verner.
Corrigan Gallery, Yin Yang, oil on canvas, 30 x 36", by Lese Corrigan.
Inspired by classical heroes such as Bouguereau, Rembrandt, Vermeer and Da Vinci, Pennsylvania artist Sandra Desrosiers paints scenes staged in dramatic light and shadow. Touched by great personal tragedy, Desrosiers finds painting a source of healing and a way to reshape her world with beauty, one painting at a time. Her classical training with Hans Guerin of the Schuler School and Brandon Flye of Zoll Studio—both Baltimore-based art schools—has allowed her to learn many of the secretive techniques and skills of the Old Masters she admires. Her work encompasses still life, animal and human portraits and has been awarded numerous honors.
Shima Shanti, On Earth as in Heaven, encaustic, 36 x 36"
Jill Peckelun, The Workshop Still Life, oil with cold wax medium, 12 x 12"
Shima Shanti, Water-borne, encaustic, 36 x 36"
Deepali Kapatkar, Attitude, soft pastel, 18 x 12"
Canadian artist Cindy Sorley-Keichinger, who is represented by Picture This Gallery, says, “The world is getting so self-absorbed that showing work that showcases the beauty [around us], can make us have some sense of peace. For anyone thinking of purchasing artwork, decide if you love it and that it speaks to you. If it does, then you have chosen well.”
Located in Charleston, South Carolina, is Corrigan Gallery, which has artwork by a number of notable women artists. “Corrie McCallum was the bridge between the earlier artists and those of us today. Elizabeth O’Neill Verner represents the first half of the 20th century and Corrie the later. Charleston has been strong in women artists since 1708 with Henrietta Johnston the portrait pastelist. I am grateful to these women who forged the path for me,” says Lese Corrigan, an artist herself and the owner of the gallery. She adds, “I strongly believe collectors should purchase what they love, art that speaks to them. That being said I do believe in collecting artists whose work has weight and history and carries on a great conversation with the heart and soul.”
Jill Peckelun, The Workshop Still Life, oil with cold wax medium, 12 x 12"
Deepali Kapatkar, Reflection, soft panel, 26 x 20"
Susan Firestone, Steers in the Road, oil, 22 x 28"
Encaustic artist Shima Shanti explains, “In the ancient alchemy of encaustic, I paint the flow of water in motion and the deep sense of peace it conveys. Letting nature and my heart guide me, I am free to explore the mercurial nature of beeswax and fire. Adding the elements—layering, smoothing, fusing—watching the beeswax and pigment combine is my meditation. The horizon blurs and boundaries dissolve. One gives way to the other and reveals what lies beyond what appears to be. When I see what I feel in my heart I know my work is complete.”
Sandy Graves, Connect, bronze, ed. of 35, 10 x 7 x 3"
Rox Corbett, Mother’s Day, charcoal on archival cotton paper, 24 x 30"
Jill Peckelun considers herself a painter whose work continues to evolve. She says, “Most of my paintings are based upon direct observation. The process is about layers of depth, shapes of light and dark values, movement, mood and lively color. I spend a lot of time preparing sketches and working out compositions. I take a little bit from here, a little bit from there. Each piece is representative of a time and place, but not at all literal.”
Artist Deepali Kapatkar quotes Thomas Merton who said, “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” Kapatkar elaborates, “And thus I became involved with painting. It was a time in my life where I had become introspective and was looking for some peace of mind. Painting landscapes in plein air became a form of transcendental meditation to me. But as I was looking at landscapes I also started observing the people in it. It seemed to me that each person and place has a story to tell. One just needed to look beyond the obvious. It’s that ‘je ne sais quoi’ about a person or a place that draws me to paint it. Can everyone see what I see or maybe they see something completely different? No matter what, the ‘colorful’ story is there to be understood, interpreted and told.”
Lorraine Kovenz Bushek, Markham Kindergarten 1953, Morning Class, oil, 16 x 20"
Janet Grissom, By the River, oil on canvas, 36 x 60"
Beverly Endsley, Pensive Rockhopper, oil, 11 x 14"Susan Firestone has been painting landscapes in Crested Butte, Colorado, for many years. “As I was painting, cattle would surround me and I realized how good they looked in the landscape, so I started including them in my paintings,” she says. One such work is Steers in the Road, which shows cattle lined up along the edge of a grassy area.
“While going through a box of old black-and-white family photos I was inspired by their uniqueness in today’s world of digital/colored photos,” says artist Lorraine Kovenz Bushek. “These old photos are relics of the past and I hope to preserve them for the future generations to enjoy.” One of her newest works in the theme is Markham Kindergarten 1953, Morning Class, depicting the smiling faces of yesteryear.
“Art is an asset that includes a story,” says artist Chantel Lynn Barber, while Clint Watson, founder and CEO at BoldBrush, describes her portrait and figurative work as refreshing, revealing and intimate. Watson explains, “She brings her paintings to life with an expressive quality that allows the viewer to get a real sense of what her subjects are feeling at that moment without filling in every detail. I’m always excited to see her next painting.” 
Chantel Lynn Barber, Finding Her Lost Garden, acrylic on panel, 6 x 12"
Janet Grissom, In the Woods, oil on canvas, 48 x 60"
Janet Grissom, Wheat Field, oil on wood panel, 24 x 18"
Beverly Endsley says, “Whether painting penguins in the Antarctic, cats in Siem Reap or Bedouin nomads in Petra, I use an impressionistic style to capture the behaviors and personalities of the animals and people I encounter. It is important to me to let the uniqueness of each one’s individual spirit shine through.”
Janet Grissom, who is represented by Brandt-Roberts Galleries in Columbus, Ohio, and Northwood Gallery in Midland, Michigan, says, “I am called to paint daily, expressing on canvas what I feel in my heart.” She adds that collectors should, “Pinpoint what feelings my paintings may evoke for you, and when the painting resonates with you on a profound level, buy it and allow it to be a part of your life.” —
Featured Artists & Galleries
Amy Welborn
La Grange, KY, (502) 548-4569
amy@paintingsbyamywelborn.com
www.paintingsbyamywelborn.com
Beverly Endsley
(303) 588-1087
bev@beverlyendsley.com
www.beverlyendsley.com
Catherine Mamola
(201) 926-8261
www.catherinemamola.com
Chantel Lynn Barber
www.chantellynnbarber.com
Cindy Sorley-Keichinger
(780) 847-2294
goldfarm@telusplanet.net
www.goldenkstudio.com
Corrigan Gallery
7 Broad Street, Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 722-9868
art@lesecorrigan.com
www.corrigangallery.com
Courthouse Gallery Fine Art
6 Court Street, Ellsworth, ME 04605
(207) 667-661
www.courthousegallery.com
Cynthia Rosen
(802) 345-8863, cynthiarosenart@gmail.com
www.cynthiarosen.com
Deepali Kapatkar
(408) 718-5649, jo_deepali@yahoo.com
www.deepalikapatkar.com
Janet Grissom
paintingsbygrissom@gmail.com
Janice Anthony
(207) 722-3405
www.janiceanthony.com
Jill Peckelun
(717) 298-1046
www.jillpeckelun.com
J.M. Brodrick
www.jmbrodrick.com
Jonathan LeVine Projects
150 Bay Street, Fifth Floor, Jersey City, NJ 07302
(207) 763-6998
www.jonathanlevineprojects.com
Judith Belzer
judith@judithbelzer.com
www.judithbelzer.com
Lorraine Kovenz Bushek
Portland, OR
lorbushek@gmail.com
www.lorrainebushek.com
Maura Allen
Prescott, AZ
(415) 305-3149
www.mauraallen.com
Nance Franklin
P.O. Box 1067, Bouse, AZ 85325
(307) 690-2298
m.and.n.franklin@gmail.com
www.nancefranklinfineart.com
PoetsArtists
www.poetsandartists.com
Principle Gallery
208 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 739-9326
info@principlegallery.com
www.principlegallery.com
RJD Gallery
2385 Main Street, Bridgehampton, NY 11932
(631) 725-1161
www.rjdgallery.com
Rox Corbett
(307) 213-0166
rox@roxcorbettart.com
www.roxcorbettart.com
Sandra Desrosiers
www.desrosiersfineart.com
www.sandradesrosiers.com
Sandy Graves
(970) 846-0201
www.sandygravesart.com
Shima Shanti
(619) 920-1954
shima@peacewaters.com
www.shimashanti.com
Southwest Gallery
4500 Sigma Road, Dallas, TX 75244
(972) 960-8935
www.swgallery.com
Stone Sparrow NYC
45 Greenwich Avenue, New York, NY 10014
(646) 449-8004
www.stonesparrownyc.com
Susan Firestone
www.susanfirestone.com
Yvonne Mendez
(404) 434-2993
www.yvonnemendezfineart.com
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