C. Dawn Davis

A Moment of Grace

I was born in Atlanta, Ga. in i948 and have always lived in the South. The rich tradition of storytelling is in my blood and it is impossible to ignore its influence on my narrative paintings.I am the director of my own tale and must create the characters, the setting, and the poetic tensions implied between the characters and the viewer. My paintings are done on canvas or museum board in a realistic manner with much attention to detail. I have created a technique of layering oil paints and varnish that give the surface a unique technical aspect, one that visually reflects the many levels at which the narrative can be interpreted. The paintings begin with the seed of an idea and a strong fascination and empathy for the central character. One can rely on conscious judgements concerning composition, whether to paint the figure nude or elaborately costumed ,and the use of one's own personal symbols and icons. I believe that only when the artist moves into uncertain territory and listens to her own private language, can she move beyond mere painting. Artist Statement C.Dawn Davis

Helene and Eric Bess are a team who have been collaborating for over 20 years. Both are professional artists with extensive experience in both the commercial and fine art fields. They presently work out of their studio in Florida, creating original art for gallery display, fine art crafts and taking commissions for murals & embellishments. Helene was born in Canada in 1949. She studied art in Europe as a young adult and attended Phoenix Pratt School of Design in New York and St. Petersburg Community College in Florida. She worked for advertising agencies and freelance art projects such as theater design and t-shirt designs for several companies. She owned and operated an art studio (“Artistic Endeavors”) in Melbourne, Fl. for five years. She started doing murals and embellishments (residential and commercial) from 1992 till present. She considers her early life in Europe the major source of her artistic influence as well as the works of Modigliani. Eric was born in Missouri in 1950. He started drawing literally as an infant and has never stopped. He was taking commissions for book covers & wall designs in his teens and studied art at Auburn University and The University of Alabama. He taught art in public schools in Alabama in the ‘70s. He worked as art director at Huntsville Educational Television for 6 years, as art director at Southern Sportswear in Daytona for 9 years, at Creative Signs & Designs in Flagler, Fl. for 6 years, and as a freelance artist and co-owner (with his wife Helene) of “BessStudio” (formerly “Artistic Innovations Inc.”) since 1998. His artistic influences include Michelangelo, Vermeer, Blake, Maxfield Parish...

I was born in Atlanta, Ga. in i948 and have always lived in the South. The rich tradition of storytelling is in my blood and it is impossible to ignore its influence on my narrative paintings.I am the director of my own tale and must create the characters, the setting, and the poetic tensions implied between the characters and the viewer. My paintings are done on canvas or museum board in a realistic manner with much attention to detail. I have created a technique of layering oil paints and varnish that give the surface a unique technical aspect, one that visually reflects the many levels at which the narrative can be interpreted. The paintings begin with the seed of an idea and a strong fascination and empathy for the central character. One can rely on conscious judgements concerning composition, whether to paint the figure nude or elaborately costumed ,and the use of one's own personal symbols and icons. I believe that only when the artist moves into uncertain territory and listens to her own private language, can she move beyond mere painting. Artist Statement C.Dawn Davis

Carlos J. Tirado (born on April 3, 1964 in Caracas, Venezuela) is an artist, painter and sculptor who has developed a very personal and precise line of work linked to Neo-Pop art. Wi...

Enthralled with the lore and spirituality of American Indian cultures, his work often depicts these traditional subjects in nontraditional ways. Hawkins captures the raw sense of ele...

Original painting signed by the Artist on the lower left.

Mixed Media

Nirvana is a digital photograph on canvas, coated in paint and resin. The figure in the image is in fetal position, contrasting societal assumptions of the black male that is typical...