How did you develop your unique style?
Poppy Balser: It was when I began with watercolours that I started to make progress with my paintings. I started painting outside shortly after that. Having to work quickly at a pace to keep up with the changing light of the sun helped me develop what has become my way of painting. I was not consciously seeking a “style” I was simply painting things I like to look at: water, boats, the seashore of the Bay of Fundy. Over years and lots of practice I found what worked for me to make pictures that I like to look at. I have been blessed that viewers like what they see too.

What is the most interesting thing you have painted and why?
Poppy Balser: I did a number of paintings of herring weirs. These are fishing structures that once dotted the shores of the Bay of Fundy, made of tall poles strung with netting. As the tide rises and falls, the nets strung from pole to pole are a fascinating visual subject. Weirs have almost entirely disappeared now so I paint them to document an important part of the local history of where I am from.

To see more of Poppy’s work, visit:
Website 

Heather Arenas says: “Paved Roads” is a 40″x30″ oil painting on cradled birch that draws viewers into a dynamic scene within an art museum. It captures a shared experience of art appreciation, featuring an audience focused on a ‘Dot’ who is acting as docent. The gallery walls display two works honoring influential female artists: Mary Cassatt and Elizabeth Norse.

This work is part of the ongoing Museum Series, which explores the interactions and connections formed within art spaces. The artist’s unique approach to the series lies in the inclusion of the ‘Dot’ character, who serves as a conduit between the observed art and the observer, weaving a personal narrative through the lens of historical inspirations. This piece celebrates the pioneering spirit of female artists who have paved the way in a traditionally male-dominated field, offering a vibrant tapestry of art history and appreciation.

To see more of Heather’s work, visit:
Website 

Chelsie Nicole Murfee’s pastel portraits are intimate and emotional, capturing the essence of her subjects with remarkable detail. Blending realism with subtle character, her work goes beyond a journalistic approach, creating powerful, personal connections with the viewer.

To see more of Chelsie Nicole Murfee’s work, visit:
Website 
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Karen Ann Hitt’s “Hopes Thundering” began in the keys of Florida on location where Karen Ann went to give their 45′ RV a test run. Painting abruptly ended on the account of severe weather. Next, “Hopes Thundering” became the demo on Paint School Live with Eric Rhoades 3500 miles away in the Eastern Sierras. It withstood a construction zone during the demo, has traveled cross country and was finally able to be completed, surviving more severe weather. Its next journey was traveling from the Eastern Sierras back home in SW Florida. One of the more traveled paintings, its next stop is WOAW 55th Annual National Juried Exhibition.

Available through artist.

To see more of Karen Ann Hitt’s work, visit:
Website 

Angela Powers: In my art, no matter the subject, I am interested in capturing fleeting moments with an impressionistic, painterly touch, transforming everyday scenes into vibrant expressions of light, color and emotion.
Pet portraits by commission.

To see more of Angela’s work, visit:
Website 

What is the best thing about being an artist?
Cynthia Inson: The best thing about being an artist is the journey of learning, analysis, decision making and discovery that I so enjoy as I create. All these things truly fuel and run my engine.

Painting is much like writing to me. Instead of words I am using paint, color, brushstroke, lines, form to develop the story and create an impression of mood, light, distance, and three-dimensionality on a two-dimensional surface and space.

My goal, as an artist, is to captivate the viewer, to convince them to feel that sense of awe and joy that I felt seeing the sky that I painted or the mountains, roses, water, whatever. The goal is to stop them in their tracks and for them to respond and enjoy the impression the painting evokes.

The added challenge, for me as an artist, is also to create paintings that continue to draw the viewer in, to visually wander, to see parts or the whole of the painting differently over time. This worthy challenge also continues to fuel my growth as an artist.

Cynthia is represented by the Nedra Matteucci Galleries, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 505-982-4631

To see more of Cynthia’s work, visit:
Website