There is a lot of superb contemporary realism and figurative art being made these days; this article by Allison Malafronte shines light on a gifted individual.

Few artists have the gumption to explore such weighty topics as death, destitution, and decay, but these are concepts about which Georgia-based painter Miles Cleveland Goodwin (b. 1980) has much to say. With a B.F.A. in painting and printmaking from Portland’s Pacific Northwest College of Art, and many years of additional self-education and practice, Goodwin paints in a contemporary realist manner sometimes compared to Southern Gothic, the literary genre focused on the shadowy, scarred side of Southern culture and history. He brings a heightened level of awareness and philosophical pondering to subjects some artists are afraid to touch.

Born and raised in the South, Goodwin can also put pen to paper to create another kind of artistry; we can detect a preoccupation with darkness and death even in his poetic descriptions of his upbringing. “My painting was born in the cypress swamps of Mississippi, where I was conceived, under a white heron’s wing and a drunken parade,” his artist’s statement declares.

“The stories of slaves and farming, the seasons burning with colors and feelings, that resignation to the idea we were different. I found it later on the bottom of the Chattahoochee River, floating by a bible and a dream. Those brown waters against the warmth of fall leaves would ignite my love for expressionism and poetry.”

He continues, “The American South is hauntingly beautiful; it could supply a person novels, paintings, and songs for eternity. In winter the mountains were on fire with white. White against dark wiry cedars, against the black of my paint. And in the summer endless patches of Queen Anne’s lace, chimney swifts flying just below the old train bridges, the shimmer of brown trout at the surface of the cold river waters. In fall the maples melted between the old brick and wood of abandoned churches. I could start to hear mice in the walls, horses in their stalls fattening up, a whisper of death.”

One of Goodwin’s paintings is the eerily compelling “Beautiful Dying Man” (shown above). Many of his works explore old age and isolation, and here an elderly man figures prominently, this time — we gather from the title — on the brink of death. In Goodwin’s depictions, passing on is a struggle and strain, one that strips us of dignity and humanity.

The man here is naked, and his posture suggests resignation and dejection. To his left is a dog, likely a longtime companion, who seems to be sleeping or dead, and there is a shadowy man lurking in the mirror; one would assume the spirit of death. Why then does Goodwin call him a beautiful dying man if no indication of hope is entertained? As in many of his creations, there is thought-provoking irony in the dichotomy and parallels he sets up and asks us to consider.

Connect with the artist and see more of his figurative art at www.milesclevelandgoodwin.com.

Attention Art Collectors
May 20-22, 2025: Visit the Plein Air Convention & Expo’s robust pop-up art gallery at the Nugget Casino Resort in Reno, Nevada, where hundreds of artists, including our master faculty, will have studio and plein air works on display and ready to purchase. Register for the full event at PleinAirConvention.com now.

View more artist and collector profiles and figurative art here at FineArtConnoisseur.com.

How do you find inspiration?
Barbara Hack: As an artist, I have always held a deep passion for the figure, which is central to my work. My paintings serve as an ongoing exploration of people and their emotions, allowing me to connect with the essence of each individual I portray. I seek out a diverse array of figures, each representing a unique mood and context that resonates with my own experiences.
In every painting or drawing, I strive to capture an ephemeral moment—those fleeting expressions and gestures that tell a story. This relationship between myself and the figure is vital; it’s a dialogue that transcends the canvas, revealing the complexities of human connection. Through my art, I aim to make these moments last in time, inviting viewers to pause and reflect on the shared human experience.

What is the best thing about being an artist?
Barbara Hack: The best part of being an artist is the constant presence of inspiration all around you. It’s in the smallest details—the way light filters through trees or the the expressions on people’s faces. . Inspiration doesn’t have to be sought; it’s always there, waiting to be noticed. It’s in the quiet moments, in the unexpected, and in the mundane. As an artist, you’re always open to the world around you, finding beauty in the everyday, and turning it into something unique.

Inspiration and art are inseparable.

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

Wrapped in You, 2022
by Narelle Zeller
22.4 × 22.4 in
Oil on linen

Narelle Zeller is an Australian representational portrait and figurative oil painter. Her refined oil paintings explore the beauty of the human condition and our environment, drawing inspiration from the people around her and her own personal life experiences. She aims to capture an honest and authentic representation of her subject and stir the viewer to question and connect to the personal and individual story behind each painting. Her paintings are found in the permanent collection of the Art Renewal Center as well as private collections. She recently exhibited in Figurativas at the European Museum of Modern Art.

To see more of Narelle’s work, visit:
website

Richard Boyer: Richard Boyer, who began his artistic journey in high school and ​developed his skills under the mentorship of​ portrait and figurative painter Alvin Gittins at the University of Utah, will be showcasing new oil paintings at Cole Gallery in Edmonds, Washington. The exhibition will run from March 20 to April 29, 2025.​ Some of Boyer’s latest works capture intimate moments of humanity in ​familiar social settings such as hotel bars and sidewalk cafes.

To see more of Richard’s work, visit:
website
Cole Gallery 
Instagram-@richard_boyer370 

Bonnie Zahn Griffith: Bonnie Griffith’s “Simply Aglow” captivates with its warm, harmonious tones and impressionistic style. Inspired by the beauty of the western landscape, Griffith renders her vision in oils and pastels, inviting viewers to step into the scene and craft their own story. Her work showcases the timeless allure of nature through her mastery of light and texture. Griffith works both en plein air and in studio and has work represented in several galleries across the west

To see more of Bonnie’s work, visit:
website

There is a lot of superb contemporary realism being made these days; this article by Allison Malafronte shines light on a gifted individual.

For more than 15 years, Fan Yu (b. 1985) was a successful groomer and handler of show dogs in competitions and seminars around the world. In 2009, little did he know that his innate artistic talent was about to intersect with his current career and lead him on a new path of creating clay and bronze sculptures of dogs.

Fan grew up in China’s culturally rich Imperial City, Beijing, in a visually sophisticated family. His parents dedicated most of their lives to Chinese classical architecture and exposed Fan to aesthetics at an early age. As a child obsessed with animals, he often accompanied his father to the zoo with a sketchbook in hand, and he amassed a large collection of animal books to sketch from as well.

As he got older, Fan realized the pressures of the Chinese education system didn’t suit him, so he pursued other paths. When an injury kept him bedridden for half a year, he began learning about purebred dogs through a book his father had bought him. Once recovered, Fan took a dog show handling class in Beijing and slowly began entering the profession.

In 2009 Fan created his first sculpture of the striking Kerry Blue Terrier “Mick” — the winner of several Best in Show awards — to present to Mick’s professional handler, Bill McFadden, who has long inspired him. Fan’s intimate understanding of the canine spirit, attained through many years of grooming and handling, allowed his hands to sculpt with informed ease, and the results were not only eye-opening for him but also for the public.

He began receiving numerous inquiries and commissions from owners, breeders, and kennel clubs worldwide. Clearly Fan had found his niche and started dedicating more time to his new passion, finally leaving the world of professional dog handling in 2017. “The hustle and bustle, triumphs, and frustration of my dog show career inspired me to follow my intuition, and once that intuition was awakened, I just followed the momentum,” the artist says.

Today Fan resides in Claremont, California, with his wife, Amy, and his sculptures are celebrated both in the dog show community and in the field of fine art. Particularly rewarding is the fact that, every day, Fan gets to create art that is a culmination of his lifelong interests and passions.

“The loyalty, kindness, simplicity, and directness I see in dogs’ eyes has always moved me,” the artist explains. “Every time I finish a sculpture, I feel like it has also sculpted a piece of my inner soul. As time passes, the dogs have sculpted me into who I am. In a sense, we are one.”

Attention Art Collectors!
May 20-22, 2025: Visit the Plein Air Convention & Expo’s robust pop-up art gallery at the Nugget Casino Resort in Reno, Nevada, where hundreds of artists, including our master faculty, will have studio and plein air works on display and ready to purchase. Register for the full event at PleinAirConvention.com now.

View more artist and collector profiles here at FineArtConnoisseur.com.

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 

There is a lot of superb contemporary art being made these days; this article by Allison Malafronte shines light on a gifted individual.

Janell James (b. 1974) does not feel the need to define her subject matter in any particular way, nor to confine herself to a specific form of expression. Her portfolio includes multi-layered acrylic-on-glass works, representational oil paintings, abstract paintings, mixed-media three-dimensional pieces, and most recently large acrylic-glass hanging mobiles. This intellectually curious artist is constantly experimenting and pushing the boundaries of her capabilities to see how far she can go and what creative possibilities await.

James is classically trained, but, according to her artist’s statement, she “untrained herself through deconstruction of the formal art process, intentionally looking for a way to take what is old and make it new.” She continues, “My goal has always been to bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary art. Approaching my work from a modern and abstract perspective allows for endless possibilities.

“In ateliers in Paris and Belmont, California, I first learned to paint light and about the technique of luminescence through layering paint and glazes, as well as the suspension of paint in glazes, to create depth of field. Fifteen years into my career, I began layering painted sheets of acrylic glass to reveal the layers and create a 3-D depth. As I painted on the front and back of five sheets of acrylic glass, 10 separate layers of paint began to play with light, to cast shadows, and to come alive.”

The interconnectedness of these elements — layers of paint, light, color, shape, dimension — gives James’s work a surge of kinetic energy and vibrancy that is best experienced in person. Even remotely, however, viewers can get lost in the compelling mosaic-like construction. For “Punctuating the Blue,” James turned again to one of her greatest inspirations, nature, to create a kaleidoscope of shape, color, and design. The outdoors has long been the artist’s playground, and when she is not in her studio, she is hiking, walking her dog, and collecting visual stimuli in the mountains of her home state of Utah.

“Nature is a source of abstraction and color for my artist’s eye,” she says. “It is the muse that gives life to the work I do, regardless of the medium I choose for the expression. Seeing nature through this lens provides me endless opportunities to explore and create.”

Attention Art Collectors!
May 20-22, 2025: Visit the Plein Air Convention & Expo’s robust pop-up art gallery at the Nugget Casino Resort in Reno, Nevada, where hundreds of artists, including our master faculty, will have contemporary art, including plein air works, on display and ready to purchase. Register for the full event at PleinAirConvention.com now.

View more artist and collector profiles here at FineArtConnoisseur.com.

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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