Contemporary representational artists have the unique ability to breathe life into familiar subjects. They do this in their own way and from their own points of view, allowing each composition, even if similar subjects, to be identifiable by their hand and techniques. Even more, how people identify themselves can shape their artwork since many rely on their experiences and the world around them to create new narratives. Women artists often have a distinctive perspective in their artwork, telling the stories they find to be important on their canvases or in clay. There is a range of subject matters and inspirations, providing robust offerings to collectors.33 Contemporary Gallery, Salome, oil on linen, 16 x 20", by Junyi Liu.

Some artists are drawn to the qualities of the paint itself, and the intricate shapes and forms that appear in the scene they are composing. Candice Bohannon’s newest painting The Light Within, which will be heading to Galerie Fledermaus in Chicago, depicts a woman who is covered by a shawl and the light and shadows created an image that is powerful and ethereal. 

“Once, I caught a glimpse of sunlight flooding her eyes and casting severe and interesting shadows on her face. There was always depth and sincerity in her countenance, but something about the light and the way it illuminated her features made her look positively regal. I had a beautiful traditional shawl with hanging tassels, and when she wore it, it transformed her into a queen…as though she were from another time and place entirely…a queen in mourning, wistful, patrician, strong and vulnerable, with the light of eternity falling on her wisened features; making her eyes to narrow from its unbearable brightness,” says Bohannon. “The strong verticals of the design formalized and further strengthened this quality, so I ran with it. The severe contrast between light and dark, of the veiled and the illuminated; the golden sun-kissed hue of the air around her, and the glimmers of copper that peek through the painted layers, all speak to the inherent beauty, strength and sanctity of the human soul. It can be felt in the eyes and face of those around us, and can stun us with its power and grace.”Galerie Fledermaus, The Light Within, oil and egg tempera on copper, 9 x 9½", by Candice Bohannon

Ann Korologos Gallery, Beauty in Red and White, oil, 22 x 20", by Sarah Lamb

There are artists who use outside sources as their inspiration in their artwork. In her painting Salome, artist Junyi Liu, whose work is available through 33 Contemporary Gallery, was inspired by Oscar Wilde’s play of the same name and the illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley. Describing the work, Liu says, “The young woman in this painting is mysterious, confident and dangerous, just like Salome depicted in the book. Her gaze is especially powerful. I shined blue light on my model, a color that reminds me of moonlight and the sea. I used a lot of glazing in this painting to create subtle forms and color transitions.”

Continuing to show the breadth of what artists are creating, Sarah Lamb is known for her beautiful still lifes of flowers fruits, and other objects, often placed within contemporary setups. Like many artists, she sometimes will receive commissions and her vision blends with the vision of a client. Such is the case with her work Amaryllis, featuring red flowers in a silver ewer, full of reflections and bright colors. The work was commissioned through Ann Korologos Gallery in Basalt, Colorado, by a couple who works with the gallery and a new artist every year for a new painting that then appears on their Christmas card. The couple says, “We have hung each of the original pieces in our home and have the opportunity to enjoy them throughout the year.”Clockwise from top left: Gladys Roldan-de-Moras, Untitled (Traje de Luces), oil on linen, 40 x 30"; Gladys Roldan-de-Moras, Tradition, oil on linen, 16 x 20" ; Rehs Contemporary, Day Off, oil on panel, 16 x 16", by Lucia Heffernan; SHOH Gallery, Vastness, oil on panel, 24 x 36", by Kanna Aoki.

In this special section is artwork from some of today’s most talented artists, showing a variety in styles and subject matter, as well as providing their insights and inspirations.

SHOH Gallery in Berkeley, California, represents artist Kanna Aoki, who paints the hues and shapes present in everyday life in California. She looks to capture the region’s ever-shifting nuances of atmosphere and light. Working from her studio in the San Francisco Bay Area, she depicts landscapes that are quietly inhabited—in some instances by a solitary figure or group and in others only implicitly by the viewer. 

“I’m intrigued by the way people interact with—or detach themselves from—one another and their environment; both the rural and urban landscape reveal remnants of the past and ironies of the present, providing a framework for exploring solitude, light and grace,” says Aoki when discussing the inspiration for her paintings. With their expressive brushstrokes and gently vibrant use of color, her paintings explore the human experience of the natural, as we shape the world around us and are shaped by it in turn.Rehs Contemporary, Traffic Jam, acrylic on aluminum panel, 24 x 30", by Kari Tirrell.

Gladys Roldan-de-Moras, At Davy Crockett’s Fountain (The Alamo), oil on linen, 36 x 24"

Artist Gladys Roldan-de-Moras, who is represented by InSight Gallery in Fredericksburg, Texas, and by Settlers West Galleries in Tucson, Arizona, will be participating in the Night of Artists show and sale at the Briscoe Western Art Museum this March 27 through May 9. The show is an exciting one for the artist, as she has lived in San Antonio for more than 30 years. She often represents her love of the Spanish culture, passed down by her maternal grandfather, a proud lifelong charro who decades ago helped promote Charreria as the national sport in Mexico.

Roldan-de-Moras’ art features Spanish traditions such as Mexican escaramuzas riding horses sidesaddle in a vivid rodeo-style festival, romantic Flamenco señoritas in vibrant Andalusian dresses and old-fashioned, delicate damsels in intimate poses.

The style that emerges in Monique Carr’s work bursts with energy as she combines expressive colors and intriguing textures. Her imaginative landscapes and her abstract florals are playful and refreshing. Lorraine Kovenz Bushek, Things Are Looking Up, oil on board, 11 x 14"

Chantel Lynn Barber, Whisper My Name, acrylic on panel, 9 x 12"

Carr says, “My contemporary paintings are a fusion of experience, experiment and emotion. Instead of painting what I see with my eyes, I want to depict my own interpretation of a scene with my soul. Simultaneously, I’m thinking about composition, harmony, colors, movement and texture.” She adds, “I want to leave the viewers of my work with feelings of surprise and joy, allowing them to interpret each work in a soulful way that is uniquely their visual experience.”

Art and animals are artist Lorraine Kovenz Bushek’s passion. She says, “My love of all animals and art weave together naturally to give me direction and enjoyment in my work. My fascination with animals, the role they play in the world and their relationship with humans began as a very young child. I studied scientific illustration in college and because of that training, my work tends toward realism.”Top row: Monique Carr, At Bay, oil on canvas, 30 x 40"; Monique Carr, Blushing, acrylic on canvas, 38 x 30" ; Center image: La Galeria @ The Shaffer, I Had A Dream, paper collage on board and framed, 24 x 26¼", by Rebecca Anthony; Bottom row: Diane Kent, Cornered, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 24"; Carolyn Mock, Summers End, oil, 30 x 40"

Rebecca Anthony is an artist and co-owner of La Galeria @ The Shaffer in Mountainair, New Mexico. She works in paper collage on board, and rarely used yellow papers were incorporated into her work I Had A Dream. Explaining the piece, she says, “As I laid my paper choices out on the wood panel, an initial step in my process, my idea began to morph into a piece rather different than my initial sketch. I added and subtracted paper designs, overlapped and overlaid creating an interesting New Mexico background. Ravens and trees, two oft-repeated symbols in my work, dictated the ultimate outcome of this piece, insinuating themselves into the design, usurping my role and becoming the storytellers.”

Art is an asset that includes a story, so Chantel Lynn Barber creates expressive work that seeks to entice the viewers’ imagination. She “captures life in acrylic” and her subjects are full of the human spirit that makes life enchanting. Her painting Whisper My Name, is done in her signature style, with lush and abstract brushstrokes surrounding the central figure that emerges seamlessly from its background.Left to right: SHOH Gallery, Octavia from Lafayette Park, oil on canvas, 48 x 36", by Kanna Aoki; Sandy Graves, Kindred, bronze, ed. of 50, 24 x 11 x 6";  Lorraine Kovenz Bushek, St. Nekhbet, Patron of Upper Egypt, oil on panel, 16 x 12"

Artist Carolyn Mock paints every day and finds that it is what makes her days have purpose. “How wonderful to be able to go to my studio each day, here in Oklahoma, greet my cat, Taz, and paint or sculpt all day,” she says. “The world is outside my door and only intrudes if I let it.”

In 2005, Phoenix-based artist Diane Kent felt it was time to explore abstraction in her artwork. “A design and collage with well-known artist Gerald Brommer opened the door,” she says. “To make my geometric styled acrylic canvas paintings, I use an entirely different approach that I personally developed. My goal is to create movement or directional flow by weaving colors and shapes. I favor bright and bold paint combinations to obtain eye-catching reactions from viewers.”Left to right: Diane Kent, The Other Half, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 24"; Julia Christian Gallery, Woman Reading, oil on canvas, 46½ x 39", by Julia Christian; Julia Christian Gallery, Otis on Chaise, oil on canvas, 13 x 16", by Julia Christian.

Julia Christian, of Savannah, Georgia, sees herself as a figurative expressionist and still life painter. Her artwork incorporates vibrant color with a loose, energetic style. “The drawings and paintings I create come from digging deep in the heart of someone who was lucky enough to recognize a gift she was born with,” says the artist. “When you truly know all you want to do is paint and draw, then you find artistic inspiration to create everywhere you are all the time.” —

Featured Artists & Galleries

33 Contemporary Gallery
Zhou B Art Center, 4th Floor
1029 W. 35th Street, Chicago, IL 60609
www.artsy.net/33-contemporary 

Ann Korologos Gallery
122 Midland Avenue, Basalt, CO 81621
(970) 927-9668
www.korologosgallery.com 

Carolyn Mock
(918) 333-0748
cmockart@aol.com
www.carolynmockart.com 

Chantel Lynn Barber
chantel@chantellynnbarber.com
www.chantellynnbarber.com 

Diane Kent
(623) 703-6178
waterinart@cox.net
www.dianekentart.com 

Galerie Fledermaus
2136 W. North Avenue, Chicago, IL 60647
(312) 617-8711
www.galeriefledermaus.com 

Gladys Roldan-de-Moras
www.roldandemoras.com 

Julia Christian Gallery
114 W. Taylor Street, Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 234-1960

La Galeria @ The Shaffer
103 W. Main Street, Mountainair, NM 87036
(505) 847-1137
lagaleriashaffer@gmail.com
www.lagaleria-theshaffer.com 

Lorraine Kovenz Bushek
lorbushek@gmail.com
www.lorrainebushek.com 

Monique Carr
moniquecarrfineart@gmail.com
www.moniquecarr.com 

Rehs Contemporary
5 E. 57th Street, 8th Floor, New York NY 10022
(212) 355-5710
info@rehscgi.com
www.rehscgi.com 

Sandy Graves
Steamboat Springs, CO, (970) 846-0201
sandy@sandygravesart.com
www.sandygravesart.com 

SHOH Gallery
1778 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 504-0011
www.shohgallery.com 

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