Artist Spotlight with Chip Freund

Peggy Van Arnam has been making jewelry since she found herself with a skirt with which she had “nothing to wear.”  During her career as a university administrator, she searched for unusual beads and stones as she traveled and made jewelry for herself and her family.  In retirement she began taking classes, selling her pieces and approaching jewelry making as a business. Thus Uniquely Yours! was born. In 2002 Peggy co-founded a still thriving cooperative gallery in Upstate New York and remained a member until moving to Cary in 2016.Uniquely Yours! specializes in sterling, glass and gemstone jewelry.  Using these materials, Peggy creates one-of-a-kind necklaces, bracelets and earrings.  She is perhaps best known for her sterling chains and her work with Venetian glass. Many pieces of jewelry have a story behind them; some are custom designed.  And making pieces longer or shorter to suit the customer is a common occurrence. After all, making it uniquely yours is what it’s all about! (source: carygalleryofartists.org)Peggy's work can be found at Cary Gallery of Artists in lovely downtown Cary, NC and at Cazenovia Artisans, Cazenovia, New York.Peggy's Artist Recommendations      Cary Gallery of Artists (a collection of 25 Triangle Area artists)      Cocoon Gallery, Apex NC Support the Show.

Theresa is an intuitive abstract artist, creating vibrant art for memorable spaces. She specializes in mixed media, using acrylics, spray paint, ink, adhesives, and paper. Her work refuses to be contained and often extends beyond the edges of the canvas.Theresa's process has her working on multiple pieces simultaneously, flowing from one canvas to the next with big athletic strokes.  She often incorporates fluid art techniques and decoupage for layered effects.  Preferring to work on a large scale, Theresa enjoys developing customized art for specific spaces and audiences.Theresa believes color and shapes can inspire and energize and her goal is to make happy art that will make a space come to life and radiate positive energy.    Born in Sweden and emigrated to the US, where she is now a naturalized US citizen. (Source: adapted from artbytheresaraines.com)Theresa's work can be found online and in several commercial buildings in the Triangle.Meet the Artist Reception           September 29, 2023 6:00pm - 8:00pm           Alliance Health Building          5200 Paramount Pkwy           Morrisville, NC 27560Website:  www.artbytheresaraines.comIG: @artbytheresarainesFB: @ArtByTheresaRainesTW: @theresaraines LkIn: @theresarainesTheresa's Artist Recommendations   Eduardo Kobra - www.eduardokobra.com    Marc Chagall - www.marcchagall.net    Fine Arts League of Cary - www.fineartsleagueofcary.org Support the Show.

Sarah Cawn’s mission is to design and create beautiful, unique, and functional glass objects.Initially using Tiffany stained glass techniques, Sarah has evolved into creating original fused glass works of art. Her innovative use of color, shapes and whimsical designs never fail to engage the viewer. She is fascinated by the captivating power of light’s interaction with glass, showing the beauty of the color spectrum. This quality has inspired her to explore many aspects of the glass medium and transform ordinary functional objects into unique innovative art treasures.Sarah’s beautiful art objects incorporate unique colors and create a dance of light that delights viewers and collectors nationwide. (Source:  sarahsglassart.com)Sarah's work can be found online and at Bel Air Art Center, Rocky Mount, NCWebsite:  sarahsglassart.comIG: @sarahs_glassartFB: @Sarahs-Glass-ArtSarah's Artist RecommendationsGlass Artists    Nathan Sandberg - nathansandberg.com    Ian Chadwick - ianchadwickglassart.co.ukPainters    Rocky Alexander - roxannalexanderartworks.com    Nicole White Kennedy - nicolestudio.com    Diana Coidan - dianacoidan.com             Diana was a guest on the Artist Spotlight listen to our conversation here. Support the Show.

Autumn Cobeland is a painter, muralist, triathlete, and Raleigh native. She holds a degree in Fine Arts and studied art in Florence, Italy. Her prints and paintings can be seen in galleries, shops, and private collections both nationally and internationally. Autumn has created a series of paintings devoted to the Triangle Greenway System, and she donates a percentage of the proceeds from print sales to the support of local greenways.  Her studio is located in Artspace in downtown Raleigh. As an artist, Autumn's medium is paint. There is a term in the Japanese language “wabi sabi”  it means (roughly) a celebration and appreciation for human-made objects that have imperfections.  In our digital, computerized world, it is possible to create images to near perfection, clean lines, bright colors, and clear edges.  Autumn is a painter, so the idea of spending hours in front of a computer to design her art is not nearly as appealing as playing with the color mixtures and placing brush to paper or canvas and developing some “wabi sabi” results. (Source: autumncobelandpaintings.com)You can find Autumn's work City Market Artist Collective in Raleigh, NC and online.web:  autumncobelandpaintings.comIG: @GreenwayArtistYear of the Trail - greattrailsnc.comDon't miss the Year of the Trail Meet the Artists Event                                   North Carolina Museum of Art                                 Museum Park Welcome Center                                  June 3, 2023  11:00a-1:00p                                  2110 Blue Ridge Road                                  Raleigh, NC 27607Autumn's Artist Recommendations:Check out the art in the NC MA Museum ParkEl Anatsui -  elanatsui.artDenise Hughes - denisehughes.com Support the Show.

Susan Hensel’s new innovative artwork, which blends commercial embroidery processes with sculptural concerns, is gaining attention and awards. Her knowledge of materials makes it possible for her to create small to large-scale hard-edge sculpture from soft fabrics that paradoxically keep their crisp form with minimal armatures. Her knowledge of the physics of color allows her to create shape-shifting displays employing the special reflective characteristics of embroidery thread with the goal to create opportunities to experience awe, rest and renewal in daily life.Susan Hensel received her BFA from University of Michigan with a double major in painting and sculpture and a concentration in ceramics. She has a history, to date, of more than 300 exhibitions, 35 of them solo, twenty + garnering awards. In the coming two years, Susan has solo and 2-person and group exhibitions scheduled in Ellicot, MD; Bloomington, MN ; Hopkins, MN; Duluth, MN and the Garrett Museum of Art, Garrett, Indiana. In recent years Hensel has been awarded multiple grants and residencies through the Jerome Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, Art to Change the World and Ragdale Foundation.(source: susanhenselprojects.com)Susan's art work can be found at her gallery,  Susan Hensel Gallery,  Minneapolis, MN and online:Web: susanhenselprojects.com FB: @SusanHenselProjectsIG: @susan_hensel_multimedia_artistTW: @hensel_susanYT: @susanhensel1Susan's Artist Recommendations:   Wangechi Mutu - Saatchi Gallery       New Museum Exhibition - “Wangechi Mutu: Intertwined”     Agnes Martin - MoMa      Guggenheim  Support the Show.

Diana Hrabosky is a self-taught artist who is most grateful to those gifted individuals who elected to share their knowledge and talents by writing books on colored pencil, acrylic, and abstract technique and related subjects. She was inspired by an artist whose work she at an art show in Chantilly, VA but couldn't identify the medium. When Diana learned it was colored pencil, she wanted to try it for herself.  She has no formal training and didn't even doodle or draw much as a child.  (Source: adapted from diana-hrabosky.pixels.com)Diana's work can be found on her website and  Cary Gallery of Artists, Cary, and the Cotton Company, Wake Forest, NC .Website:  diana-hrabosky.pixels.comDiana's artist recommendations:    Sergio Aranda - www.sergioaranda.shop                                        www.youtube.com/c/SergioArandaART    John Beckley - www.johnbeckley.com/en/                                      www.youtube.com/@JohnBeckleyArt Support the Show.

Kyle Wilson is a photographer from Selma NC. He is originally from southern Maryland where he became fascinated by Rural America. Kyle uses a technique called High Dynamic Range photography (HDR). It is an evolving form of art that enables the photographer to capture and display the full range of light that can be realized by the human eye. To Kyle art is a representation of the world we experience and all forms of photography fall within this sphere. He achieves his signature look by taking multiple exposures of the same scene and then blending the exposures to create the final photograph. His subjects feature chiefly, Rural Americana and all "lost" places.  Kyle presents his work on dye sublimated metal prints that give them incredible depth, clarity and luminescence. (Source: adapted from - leftbehind.zenfolio.com)Kyle's work can be find at art fairs through the Eastern US and online. Website: leftbehind.zenfolio.comIG: @leftbehindphotographyFB: @Left.Behind.photographyKyle's Artist Recommendations:Trey Radcliff - www.treyratcliff.com(3D light box HDR artist we could not recall the name of during recording)Scott Matyjaszek -  www.artephax.com  Support the Show.

Growing up in Catskill, NY, Jim was constantly drawing. This led to being the art editor of his high school yearbook, majoring in Fine Arts at SUNY Plattsburgh, and obtaining a BS in Art Education from Florida International University of Miami in December 1979. Jim dreamed of being an art instructor and artist, however, that was put on a 35 year hold! Jim went to work for IBM in September 1979 in Boca Raton, FL. Later he transferred to Raleigh, NC in 1999. He retired from IBM as a Vice President in September 2014 and worked at Lenovo through January 2015. Now retired, Jim pursues his life-long dream of being an artist. His oil  paintings include primarily landscapes, city scenes, and local Raleigh landmarks. He has also taught art (K - 5th grade and adult classes) part-time at Champion Learning Academy in Morrisville, N.C from October 2017 through June 2019Jim is an associate member of the American Impressionist Society, the Oil Painters of America, the Pastel Society of America, an Elected Associate Member of the American Artists Professional League, a member of the Pastel Society of Southern California, and a member of the Pastel Society of North Carolina.Jim’s Artist Statement:  My foundation is built from my early college years and most recently the instruction I have received in numerous workshops, most notably the workshops with my teacher, mentor, and friend Albert Handell.  I am on a journey, a road to discovery of the artist that I am and will become. I paint what I want to paint - what excites me, what motivates me, and what challenges me. I find myself seeking beauty in whatever subject is presented to me. Art is for keeps and I hope my paintings will spark an emotion or a memory with the viewer. (source: adapted from jimhallenbeckfineart.com)You can find Jim's work on his website, on social media, and the fine art galleries listed below.Web: jimhallenbeckfineart.comFB: @jimhallenbeckfineart IG: @jimhallenbeckjrJim's Galleries and Studio Space    Artspace - Raleigh, NC    Mattie King Davis Art Gallery - Beaufort, NC.  Jim's Artist Recommendations:   Albert Handell - www.alberthandellstudio.com   Nicole Kennedy - www.nicolestudio.com   J.J. Jiang - www.jjjiang.com                           (catch my conversation with JJ in Artist Spotlight  S2/E19)   Derek Penix - www.derekpenix.com Support the Show.

Maureen’s story as an artist started with her dad who was a commercial and fine artist. At an early age her father discovered that he had a talent for art (it runs in the family). He decided to pursue art as his career even though his family felt that this was a terrible mistake.In addition to taking art classes, Maureen spent countless hours learning from father about art. He began with perspective and seeing beyond what your mind tells you. He taught her about light and color. He was a master of light. And as part of her training, he handed her the three primary colors (cyan, magenta, and yellow) and said this is all you get. This taught her how to create the full spectrum of color. Along with color, he instilled in Maureen the love of art. Most of all he taught her perseverance. You need a lot of dedication in the journey to become an artist. It’s a wonderful voyage.   (Source: adapted from - mscullinfineart.com)You can find Maureen's work on her website and on social media.Web:  www.mscullinfineart.comFB: @maureen.scullin.14IG: @maureenscullinfineartTW: @portraits_bymsLI: @maureenscullinfineartMusero: @mscullinfineartMaureen's Recommendations:Book :    Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: The Definitive    By: Betty Edwards Artists:    John Singer Sargent - www.johnsingersargent.org   Richard Schmid - www.richardschmid.com   Tina Garrett - tinagarrett.com Support the Show.

Boots Quimby considers everything she has done in life a creative endeavor.  From teaching high school and college to raising children and designing experiments during her doctoral work and as a cell biologist, Boots explored her creativity. In 2016 she picked up a paintbrush and decided it was time to paint, something Boots had wanted to do since childhood.  The artist inside finally had the courage to express herself.  She self-taught and considers every painting an experiment, working and reworking it until she gets to were she wants to go. This has taught Boots perseverance, patience and self-forgiveness.  She is inspired by life in rural North Carolina and the outdoor spaces she visits in the world.Boot's Artist Recommendations:Georgia O'Keeffe - okeeffemuseum.orgVincent van Gogh - vangoghmuseum.nlSarah Graham - downagravelroad.com      Instagram: @downagravelroadAndrew Wilson - Boot Quimby's art can be found here:Boot's Website: theartistbb2.comYou can find some of Boot's work at the Smelt Gallery, Pittsboro, NCYou can also find Boot's on social media.Instagram: @bootsquimbyFacebook: @bootsquimby Support the Show.

Ann works in oil, encaustic (hot beeswax) and collage. Her work in oil focuses principally on landscapes, architecture, and still life. Growing up in rural Virginia she spent much of her free time outdoors and learned to know and love the natural world; this sense of place has stayed with her throughout her life and informs her work.  In landscapes she seeks to express the essence of places she has known and loved or places that she has visited and felt emotionally drawn to.Much of her work in encaustic also refers to landscapes of memory or imagination as she tries to convey some sense of the mystery that resides in the natural world. The fluidity of the hot wax makes this work freer and less controlled than her work in oil. Some of her work in encaustic is nonrepresentational, leaving the viewer free to attach his or her own meaning or emotional response to a piece. (Source: Cary Gallery of Artists)Make sure to catch Ann's exhibition, "Sea & Sky", at the Cary Gallery of Artists Feb 24, 2023 - Mar 28, 2023.           Cary Gallery of Artists           200 S. Academy Street           Cary, NC 27511           919-462-2035Ann's Artist Recommendations:           Paris Alexander - Sculptor            Diana Coidan - Pastel Artist           Sonia Kane - Oil Painter           Leslie Pruneau - Multidisciplinary Artist           Nancy Meadows Taylor- Watercolor Artist Support the Show.

Natacha's practice uses experiences, seeing, touch, smell, for ideas she creates. This practice helps her be intuitive while constructing an object. Natasha creates in the space of her studio, but the memory of the actual experience and her psychological response are incorporated into the work. There are ideas that use other experiences such as books, movies, music, foods (smell and taste can convey a state of being), and textiles (touch is very important and can convey an idea or feeling). Natasha's experiences as a Latina woman concerning social justice as well as the experience of others in society are important to her. References to being female, human, sister, wife, mother, healer, scientist, and multicultural, all influence her art objects. (source: adapted from natachasochat.com)Natacha's Artist RecommendationsJerry Uelsmann - www.uelsmann.netJoseph Cornell - americanart.si.eduCatherine Kernan - catherinekernan.comMichael Mazur - michaelmazur.netRobert Townsend - www.retownsendstudio.comKehinde Wiley - kehindewiley.comJohn Singer Sargent - www.johnsingersargent.orgAnders Zorn - www.wikiart.orgJoaquín Sorolla - www.nationalgallery.org.ukPierre Bonnard - www.tate.org.ukSculptors:Louise Bourgeois - www.moma.orgLee Bontecou - www.moma.orgYou can find Natacha's work on her websites natachasochat.comnatacha.netIG:  @natachasochat Support the Show.

Studio artist and instructor Jean Cheely has been working with fused glass techniques since 2001. She uses many approaches to transform “super cooled” liquid into art pieces. Jean is an award-winning artist who exhibits in juried glass competitions in the U.S and abroad. She has pursued her passion by studying under nationally known artists at numerous glass studios, including:  The Corning Museum of Glass Studio, Arrowmont School of Arts, Pittsburgh Glass and The Chrysler Museum Glass Studio. Currently she is an instructor at the NCSU Craft Center.Jean’s work can be found on her website and  Cary Gallery of Artists, Cary, and the Tacoma Museum of Glass Museum Store,  Tacoma, WA.Website:  www.jeancheely.comJean's artist recommendations:    Lino Tagliapietra  - www.linotagliapietra.com    Mary Ann Scherr - gregg.arts.ncsu.edu/exhibitions/all-is-possible/    Louis Comfort Tiffany - www.tiffany.com     Support the Show.

David Blevins is a nature photographer, author, and ecologist. He combines a sense of wonder with an artistic eye to create images that tell stories about the meaning and significance of the natural world. He received a Ph.D. in forest ecology from the University of British Columbia, as well as M.S. and B.S. degrees in forest science from North Carolina State University. His fourth book, "North Carolina's Barrier Islands," reveals the natural character of barrier islands, the forces that shape them, and the sense of wonder they inspire. His third book, "Wild North Carolina," is a visual journey to the best remaining natural communities across the state. David co-authored his first two books on Boundary Bay while completing his Ph.D (source: blevinsphoto.com)David's talk sponsored by the Fine Arts League of Cary    David Blevins Nature Photographer             January 25, 2023 -  7 – 8:30pm             Cary Arts Center             101 Dry Avenue             Cary, NC 27511             (919) 469-4069David's website: www.blevinsphoto.comFacebook: @davidblevinsphotographyInstagram: @david_blevinsDavid's Artist Recommendations:    Joe McNally - acclaimed photographer    Frans Lanting - acclaimed nature photographer    Caspar David Friedrich - landscape painter, 19th century German Romantic movement Support the Show.

Jim Aul is a pottery based in Vancouver WA. He draws inspiration for his functional pottery from his travels, the natural world, and music. Presently, Jim is a part-time craftsman with plans to devote more time to his craft once he retires.  You can find Jim’s work on Instagram and at local craft fairs in the Vancouver area.IG: @jimaulpottery  Jim's artist  recommendations:   Babette Harvey    Kim Murton    Hugh MacTavish   Support the Show.

Although it can sound a bit trite when someone says they have a real passion for something, Dan really does have a burning desire to capture on a canvas the things in our lives that make us feel more ALIVE.  Art has a way of making us slow down long enough to see and even experience something beautiful or poignant or precious about life.  He literally can’t wait to put paint (and a bit of his soul) on the canvas and for the next creative idea to materialize!Dan was attracted to art from an early age, inspired by the dramatic and colorful drawings in the comic books I collected (he especially loved The Flash and Batman). As a kid, Dan mowed yards so that he could buy my next comic book. That led him to drawing and painting. Dan started college as an art major and then moved into business and marketing.  Fortunately for him, after a successful business career (largely in the health and fitness industry), Dan found his way back to doing what he love…creating art! (Source: adapted from dancampbellart.com)Dan's Artist Recommendations  Edgar Degas - www.edgar-degas.org  Claude Monet - www.claudemonetgallery.org  Vincent van Gogh - www.vangoghmuseum.nl  Jacob Dhein - www.jacobdhein.com  Henry Asencio - asenciostudio.com  Curt Butler - cbutler.faso.comYou can find Dan's work on his website dancampbellart.comFB: @dancampbellartIG:  @dancampbellart99 Support the Show.

Bayou Gray is intrigued by the human form. The slump of a shoulder, the refraction of light in an iris. The subtle shifts that tell a tale far more than words ever could. The breadth of Bayou's work tries to capture the intimate meaning of those moments and pour it back upon you. In short, Bayou wants the viewer to feel the piece, and not just see it. To that end, his tools of choice all have some meaning. Beginning with panels primed with tempura, as a link to those before. Since life moments are varied, precious, shimmering, and easy to tear, Bayou paints on metal leaf with a palette  based heavily in warm tones and transparent color, the luminosity of which gives skin tones the showcase that they deserve.  (Source: adapted from www.bayougray.com)Bayou’s work can be found on his website and the .Website: www.bayougray.comIG: @bayougrayBayou's artist  recommendations:  Karen Offutt - karenoffutt.com  Stephanie Rew - www.stephanierew.co.uk  Alpay Efe - www.alpayefe.com Support the Show.

Born in Winston-Salem, NC, Jane D. Steelman worked toward a degree in Art at Appalachian State University. She studied under Bill Dunlap in drawing and painting as well as Clyde Owen in Ceramics. She is certified in art education for K-12 and taught high school Advanced Digital Photography and AP Art History. She now teaches private art lessons in her home studio. Dr. Steelman works in various media including pastels, charcoal, acrylic, oils, alcohol inks and stained glass. She enjoys the vibrant colors found in alcohol inks and stained glass and the blending qualities of pastel and oils. Her work varies from photorealistic charcoals and pastels to abstract landscapes in acrylics and alcohol inks. Dr. Steelman’s work can be found in a myriad of public and private art collections and has been seen in numerous exhibitions; local, state and international. (source: steelmanstudios.com)Jane’s work can be found on her website and the 123 Gallery in Wilson, NC.Website:  www.steelmanstudios.comJane's artist  recommendations:  Pastel Artists    Lana Ballot,  water and waves - www.lanaballot.com    Emma Colbert, animals - www.emmacolbertart.com    Lyn Diefenbach, flowers - www.ldief.com    Stephie Clark, flowers - www.stephieclark.net  Oil & Cold Wax Artist    Linda Banfalvi  - www.lindabanfalvi.net Oil Artist    Judith Dickinson  - www.judithdickinson.com Support the Show.

A Signature Member of  Pastel Society of America, and Signature Member of Pastel Society of North Carolina, award-winning pastelist, Diana Coidan, has been an accomplished and experienced full-time professional artist for over thirty years.  Although she works in many mediums, working in soft pastels is her most expressive, offering her the rich color, variety, and immediacy to paint her award-winning pastels.  A Business College graduate, Diana retired from an administrative position to pursue her love for art.  Self-taught and after many painting/pastel workshops with well-known instructors, she discovered her own pathway to expression in pastels and developed her own signature style with strikingly realistic results.  Diana's paintings focus on movement with various sky/cloud formations, rhythm of the sea in its many forms, and marine life, all evident of her unconscious attraction to blue.   (source: dianacoidan.com) Diana’s work can be found on her website and at Bev's Fine Art, Raleigh,  Cary Gallery of Artists, Cary, and Mattie King Davis Art Gallery in Beaufort, NC.Website:  www.dianacoidan.comDiana's artist & resource recommendations:    Sally Strand - sallystrand.com    Bob Rankin - www.bobrankin.com    Diana's Beginning Pastels workshop January 2023 @ Bev's Fine Art Support the Show.

An oil and watercolor painter, art workshop instructor, architectural illustrator,  life time ardent reader, and writer of the occasion when painting is not sufficient to express his feeling and thoughts...JJ’s childhood was spent in China during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966-1976).  During that era of madness, drawing, writing and reading poetry kept him safe and sane, and shielded him from the chaotic world outside.  Drawing and painting have become inseparable parts of JJ’s life.  They came to him naturally (and early) and have helped shape his view of the world and himself to a large degree.JJ was trained as an architect and architectural historian with professional degrees from both the US and China.  He practiced architecture as well as taught architectural design and history.. As a fine artist, JJ draws his inspiration from both his eastern and western cultural roots, as well as his inquisitive mind and inner poetry.  He excels in drawing, watercolor and oil painting, while exploring subjects such as: still life, landscape/cityscape, portrait and figure, Chinese calligraphy and brush painting. His work has been widely exhibited, and collected and has won numerous awards.  It has been featured in publications such as Watercolor Artist Magazine, SPLASH 21, The Art of Watercolour magazine, and Southwest Art Magazine.   (source: www.jjjiang.com)You can JJ's work on his website and follow him on Facebook & Instagram. To see his work in person please visit the Village Art Circle in lovely downtown Cary, NC.    Website:  www.jjjiang.com    Facebook: @jj.jiang.35   Instagram: @jj.jiang.artJJ's artist & resource recommendations:   Andrew Wyeth  - andrewwyeth.com   JJ's Blog Post - "Girl in a Red Scarf" Support the Show.