Laura Robinson

Tea for Two

2016

Artist Comments
"Just off Brady Street, in Milwaukee’s East Side, there used to be a place with class and style," says artist Leroy Burt. The store was a treasure trove of vintage goodies that were as fun to dig through as to wear. The shop was full of clothing, shoes, jewelry, and bags, some dating back to the golden days of the 40s, 50s, and 60s. The ceiling was pink and covered with toys, trinkets, signs, and other captivating eye candy.

About the Artist
Artist Leroy Burt paints playful, offbeat landscapes and portraits based on his experiences living in Milwaukee, New York, Costa Rica, and currently Rochester, Minnesota. "I think of my paintings as short stories," he says. As a young child, Leroy faced a number of obstacles. His parents divorced when he was four years old and he was raised by his grandparents in a three-room shack without running water or electricity. Leroy worked hard to pull himself out of poverty. He studied graphic design and painting, which led to a 30-year career in graphic design - five years at WMVS, the PBS television station in Milwaukee, fifteen years at city hall in Milwaukee, and ten years at WNET, the PBS station in New York. In 2015, Leroy retired to focus his energy on painting. Today, he works from a tiny studio filled with half-finished paintings stacked against every wall. "There are photos and sketches for future paintings taped everywhere," says Leroy. "My windows are filled with orchids. There are books, films and music CDs in every corner. And the room is dominated by a black and silver Andy Warhol silkscreen...

Artist Comments
A colorful scene of a busy street in San Jose, Costa Rica on a hot January morning. "One of the fascinating things about San Jose is the contrasts between the old and the new," says artist Leroy Burt...

Artist Comments
"The moon and stars twinkle in the night sky while lights from windows create their own firmament," describes artist Pat Forbes. A charming cityscape created with marks, scratches, and drips of color. Irregularly built structures stack up to the starry night sky in a cool monochrome palette. The result is a quirky and captivating piece.

About the Artist
Pat Forbes is an abstract painter whose aesthetic is heavily influenced by her 20 years as a collector and dealer of Middle Eastern textiles. Pat, who lives on the west coast of Florida, uses a neutral palette to present her interpretation of the world around her– from marshes and mountains to stones and spiderwebs. She is drawn to pattern and design, both of which influence the use of balanced repetition in her work. Pat’s muted colors invite pensive meditation, while her deliberate use of line guides the eye through satisfyingly symmetrical compositions.

Words that describe this painting: architecture, night, buildings, moon, stars, windows, city, cityscape,, architecture, acrylic painting, blue

Good Night...

Artist Comments
"There is nothing better than welcoming a new day with the sun shining in a cloudless sky," says artist Pat Forbes. Topsy turvy monochrome structures in pale ...

Artist Comments
I have a succulent in a ceramic sugar skull pot in my kitchen and painted it from life. It has a wonderful expression on its face, and I enjoy the spikey succulent growing from the top like hair.

About the Artist
Kira Yustak paints fantastical scenes that come from her childhood memories, dreams, and the natural world. Each piece feels like part of a larger narrative of an alternative reality, rendered in a style she describes as comic realism. She feels art must trigger something inside the viewer’s soul.Kira currently lives in New Jersey and finds inspiration in the work of Lowbrow, Folk, and Surrealist artists.

Words that describe this painting: sugar skull, cactus, houseplant, garden, plants, day of the dead, succulent, still life, still life, representational, primitive, acrylic painting, green

Cactus Garden...

Artist Comments
Artist Pamela Hoke exhibits an alluring view of a blooming lotus flower. An expression of rising above adversity with gorgeous blos...