Gifts For Him 2014

Artist Comments
A bright and fun still life showing a box of Cap'n Crunch cereal and toy by artist Karen Barton. Karen describes her paintings as being of a historical nature. ...

Artist Comments
Artist Suren Nersisyan paints a vibrant bouquet of yellow and pink roses surrounded by tropical foliage. Thick, textured brushstrokes and a deep violet backgrou...

Artist Comments
Artist Emil Morhardt depicts an Elegant Tern and a Forster’s Tern hanging together in the winter shallows of the Santa Barbara beach in California. Their evening reflections ripple above the water highlighted in gold, silver, and copper leaf. "While the Elegant Terns show up in huge flocks, the much smaller Forester’s tern is uncommon in Santa Barbara, and so a treat to see."

About the Artist
Emil Morhardt is an acrylic painter from Santa Barbara, California who expresses his passion for birds through realistic acrylic paintings. He paints at home in a studio room that has large windows and a north-facing view of the mountains. He observes the animals from this window, watching roadrunners, foxes, bobcats, deer, and coyote run by. Surrounded by this wildlife, Emil paints bird portraits reminiscent of those by artist John James Audubon. He bases his paintings off hundreds of photographs he takes of birds in the wild and at wildlife recovery centers. Emil captures the freedom and inquisitiveness that birds display in the natural world. Before painting birds, he painted landscapes of San Francisco and the Eastern Sierra. Emil was raised in the high desert of California and learned to paint from his father, who was one of the early California watercolorists...

Artist Comments
"I was inspired to paint a classical Polaroid camera, a photo album with two photos of me and a USB memory," shares artist Jose H. Alvarenga. "The two photos of me were from when I was a little kid and when I was 21 years old and went to Paris. I decided to paint them in a bit loose or impressionistic manner. The camera is the most iconic vintage Polaroid camera...

Artist Comments
"The plain and ordinary can also be great subject matter to paint," shares artist Brian McCarty. In this urban scene, Brian paints the side of an orange-painted...

Artist Comments
"The dance of soft color graces the twilight sky as the sun slowly slips behind the horizon," states artist Janet Triplett. Vibran...

Artist Comments
Artist George Peebles depicts a peaceful panoramic view of a lake with vibrant forests diverging in the middle. A golden glow bursts on the right while deeper hues of red, brown, and purple radiate on the left. Clear and calm waters mirror the skies and the tall colorful trees. George is known for his dramatic landscapes and panoramic ocean vistas. He enjoys painting brief, electric moments in nature. He draws on his surroundings in Michigan but ultimately paints entirely from his imagination.

About the Artist
George Peebles is an award-winning artist specializing in contemporary landscape oils. His paintings are characterized by their pleasing combination of brilliant hues and rich skies. He describes his art as a reflection of the place inside each of us where we connect to nature. Painted from memory, each stroke is an inward expression of his emotions. George views his work as a lifelong process that leads him to new concepts and ideas best expressed on his canvas.

Words that describe this painting: river, lake, shore, trees, water, reflection, sky, peaceful, nature, oilpaint, impressionism, nature, oil painting, blue

The River Walk...

Artist Comments
“The sky that evening was a mix of brilliant and subdued color with the fiery hues of red, coral, and gold," shares artist Janet Triplett...

Artist Comments
"Being a single father and working a full-time job limits the time I have to paint," shares artist Christopher Garvey. "This p...

Artist Comments
Artist Christopher Garvey presents a realistic display of glassware and ceramics set atop a wooden table joined by billiard balls....

Artist Comments
A thick green marshland shines from the bright reflections of the evening light in this expressionist landscape by artist George Peebles. Grasses fade away into...

Artist Comments
Artist Christopher Garvey presents a group of varying glassware in different colors, sizes, and shapes. Set against a tonal background, the focus is drawn to th...

Artist Comments
Artist Srinivas Kathoju takes inspiration from nature's vast open fields. Rolling mountains and broad horizons connect to endles...

Artist Comments
Artist Malia Pettit presents a vibrant still life with an attractive color combination. Using large, thoughtful brushstrokes the f...

Artist Comments
Artist Lisa Elley takes inspiration from the Dutch post-impressionist painter, Vincent van Gogh and combines it with Monterey Bay's vibrant color palette as the...

Artist Comments
A vibrant view of an open meadow filled with blooming flora by artist Kip Decker. Charming flowers dot the field with red, yellow, and white as it leads the way...

Artist Comments
In this impressionist seascape, artist Nancy Jadatz presents a meandering creek flowing into a bay. From the shoreline, the scene op...

Artist Comments
"When we rise above ourselves, our souls also rise and begin an arduous venture which leads to the fulfillment of our innate potential," states artist Shyun Son...

Artist Comments
"The setting is on the High Line, above West 22nd Street on a chilly October afternoon," says artist Nick Savides. A woman sits on a...

Artist Comments
A fiery autumnal landscape that opens up to reveal a glowing path by artist George Peebles. A stretch of dry pasture covers the foreground while distant trees g...

Artist Comments
A soft autumnal landscape unfolds in resplendent verdant hues by artist Vahe Yeremyan. Harmonious tones of green, olive, and ochre paint a hilly bucolic panoram...

Artist Comments
Artist Sharon Sieben depicts the tall giants of the Sonoran Desert. Swift brushstrokes reveal the hot and arid landscape with steep dunes and gentle slopes. Bra...

Artist Comments
Artist Faye Vander Veer paints a fine summer day in Tuscany. Figures emerge onto a sunlit alley making their way about the city....

Artist Comments
A stand of deep violet trees on the horizon in striking contrast to the bright blue sky. Using swift brushwork, artist George Peebles creates a calm and peaceful scenic view. George is known for his dramatic autumn landscapes and panoramic ocean vistas. He enjoys painting brief, electric moments in nature. George draws on his surroundings in Michigan but ultimately paints entirely from his imagination.

About the Artist
George Peebles is an award-winning artist specializing in contemporary landscape oils. His paintings are characterized by their pleasing combination of brilliant hues and rich skies. He describes his art as a reflection of the place inside each of us where we connect to nature. Painted from memory, each stroke is an inward expression of his emotions. George views his work as a lifelong process that leads him to new concepts and ideas best expressed on his canvas.

Words that describe this painting: fall, autumn, season, trees, horizon, field, ground, sky, clouds, expressionism, landscape, oilpaint, expressionism, landscape, oil painting, blue

August in Full Dress...

Artist Comments
"After a seemingly eternal summer, five little birds snug in their nest, silently enduring the chill and wind," describes artist Jessica JH Roller. The birds each carry a unique design, colored in similar hues of turquoise, black, beige, and brown. A bright band of orange and turquoise appears above the birds shifting into beige and dark green hues. A balanced composition painted in folk-art style with an energetic palette.

About the Artist
A few months after Jessica JH Roller and her husband were married, they adopted two young Siamese cats from a shelter -- Tony and Larry. Jessica quickly fell deeply in love with the kittens and says the cats changed her. "They opened my eyes - I started to notice birds, trees, water, color, everything. It was as if the artist inside had been unleashed.” Jessica uses bold colors and primitive linework to create whimsical, expressive portraits. She intends to capture real or imagined moments that are both common and extraordinary.

Words that describe this painting: birds, winter, folk art, animals, primitive, nursery, kids, acrylicpaint, small, animals, primitive, acrylic painting, green

Winter Birds...

Artist Comments
Artist Brian McCarty depicts a quiet rural home behind a red barn. Surrounded by a field of grass and autumnal trees, a car sits on the winding dirt path. "Everyday life is caught in a moment," says Brian. "Arriving home, or getting ready to leave home. A lazy afternoon." Just the type of subject Brian loves to paint.

About the Artist
Artist Brian McCarty paints idyllic landscapes and bucolic architecture. “Growing up in rural New Jersey, I’ve always found old houses, barns, and the countryside interesting subjects,” says Brian. Influenced by his mom who was a self-taught artist and art teacher, she encouraged Brian to pursue anything artistic. After graduating from Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art and earning his BA in Art from Thomas Edison State College, he worked professionally as a graphic designer in New York for the largest publishing houses in the country. A career that spanned thirty-six years. Brian has done comedy and sketch writing with the Groundling Theater, and worked in a few major feature films as an actor. To begin his process, Brian takes photos of his references with an iPad, crops the images to his liking, and paints directly on his canvas with a quick oil wash. Recently returning to painting full time, he converted a room in his house into a working studio. “I get lots of natural light, and listen to music and podcasts while I paint.”

Words that describe this painting: country, house, home, barn, farmhouse, farm life, country living, road, architecture, impressionism, autumn, oilpaint, architecture, impressionism, oil painting, green, brown

House and Barn...

Artist Comments
Artist James Hartman paints an expressionist still life of vibrant blooming tulips arranged in a teal and purple vase. James shows his love for street art influ...

Artist Comments
"Fall is a transitional time of year," says artist Brian McCarty. Golden leaves dot an evergreen yard and driveway of a quiet home. Strong trees stand tall as t...

Artist Comments
Artist Yangzi Xu offers an inviting scene on a rainy afternoon at the downtown market in Paris, France. Warm lights bring the streets aglow with vibrant colors as they shine through lights from establishments and a huge red awning. People walk on wet pavement under a stretched reflection of the muted sky. Structures recede into the distance that wanders deeper into the city.

About the Artist
Artist Yangzi Xu captures a nostalgia for Chicago and its dramatic seasonal changes in her expressionist cityscapes. Having a full-time job and being a wife and mother, Yangzi makes a habit of painting everyday to keep her passion exciting and fresh. She keeps a queue of ideas and reference photos that she takes throughout the year. She looks through her references, tweaks and adds elements to them. Once inspiration strikes, Yangzi draws several sketches and begins to work with oils on canvas on multiple pieces at once - to keep each painting spontaneous and new. "I try to capture the paradox of life in the city, where one can be in a crowd and yet feel alone," Yangzi says. "My main intent is not to capture the physical reality of a scene, but to express my own moods and feelings to my audience." In her free time, Yangzi enjoys reading, with her current favorite genres being biographies and memoirs. Yangzi is an alumnus of DePaul University in Chicago.

Words that describe this painting: France, market, travel, city, street light, Paris, Europe, cityscape, rain, rain rainy, mood, market, reflection, evening, dusk, buildings, road, pedestrians, umbrella, architecture, impressionism, travel, architecture, impressionism, travel, oil painting, brown

Rainy Day, Paris Market...