UGallery

Artist Comments
"Last spring, I picked up a little collection of succulents from the grocery store," says artist Tara Zalewsky-Nease. "I hesitated to buy them at first, as I’...

Artist Comments
"She seemed to be perfectly content in her thoughts," shares artist Sharon Sieben. A vibrant nude sits in an expressive pose with knees pulled up to her chest...

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An open porch welcomes the morning breeze and the warm sunrise. Artist Onelio Marrero recreates the setting from a bed and breakfast inn called "Angel of The Sea" in Cape May...

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A vibrant multi-layered mixed media abstract in black, yellow, red, and gold by artist Linda Shaffer. Embedded with hand-printed ...

Artist Comments
I was on a rooftop parking garage looking for the last space to park, in a hurry for a meeting with friends, when I saw this sky. Yes, I was late getting together with my friends, and my wife was patient while I recorded all the colors and shapes. After I painted this she was happy with the painting, and so was I, for it worked out as a balanced canvas of real and abstract. My friends were ok too after I bought a round. Enjoy!

About the Artist
Benjamin Thomas has been painting since the late seventies, however for most of this time he was not exhibiting his work. About twelve years ago, Benjamin and his wife were at a gallery show for a friend and as they were leaving Ben’s wife, aka “The Muse,” told him to go back in. “Your work is as good as that--maybe even better,” she said. That night, Benjamin obeyed The Muse (lucky for us!). The impressionistic sweeps of sky and cloud in Benjamin’s paintings capture more than just an atmospheric quality, but also a heavenly interpretation of the landscape. There is a classical, mature style to the paintings, reminiscent of J.M.W. Turner. Benjamin is often inspired while bicycling, walking or motorcycling, taking in the scenery of Pittsburgh, PA. He takes photos of the scene and then works out the concept back in his studio. The large scale of the work matches the impression and mood that each scene conveys, and the light and shadow are carefully balanced to capture something mercurial and nostalgic. The work feels very measured and contemplated, but also full of passion, as if each piece is in pursuit of the joy of painting and the representation of natural beauty.

Heaven on Earth...

Artist Comments
The dynamic duet of yin and yang makes everything happen. The white space represents all kinds of possibilities.

About the Artist
Painting is not m...

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Washington Square Park on a summer evening. Several pairs of figures sit, absorbed in their phones, books and computers. Warm, pinkish orange light illuminate...

Artist Comments
"The still life is simple, but the combination of red and gray gives it sophistication," says artist Nikolay Rizhankov. A well-worn table stands against a muted background with cracks on the wall. A basket, a few apples, and a red mug...

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Light slowly filters through branches and leaves as the sun gradually rises. "It was early morning, the birds were singing, the light falling on the road was ...

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In this vibrant abstract by artist Robin Okun, nudes radiate life in bright reds and pinks. They glow in luminescent golden accents, creating a striking contr...

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Inspired by nature's blooms, artist Lisa Elley rendered this piece solely with the use of a palette knife. She creates thick tangible textures, leaping off th...

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"The wolf loved to read and spent most of his time in the library," says artist Andrea Doss. A grey wolf contentedly sits on a tall s...

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"The forest of Crested Butte, Colorado, thick with blue spruce, Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine, cottonwood, and aspen perform a sile...

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Vibrant, expressive color and forms bringing to mind the petals of an intricate flower. Red, orange, deep blue and green. This work was created by pouring fluid acrylics on a flat canvas.

About the Artist
Krispen Spencer...

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Ripe blackberries glow in the summer sun. Golden yellow, purple, blue and green applied in painterly brushstrokes and brought into focus with fine line work.<...

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Two cardinals convene among delicate cherry blossoms. The bright red, pink and green of the scene lend dimensionality and a remi...

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This portrait depicts a woman looking back against a night sky and a sea of wildflowers. Wearing an ambivalent expression, there is an unknown quality to the ...

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Artist Nicole Lamothe says her focus in this soft, warm still life was the glowing sunlight streaming through her studio window. "I arranged the pair of yello...

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"I would describe this still life of tulips as uncommon, novel, and intriguing," says artist Nicole Lamothe. "I was initially attracted to the striped leaves ...

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A calm saturates the night while pleasant chatter fills the air. Artist Onelio Marrero finds inspiration from the burning light of the fire pit against the ba...

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Artist Yangzi Xu depicts an iconic view of LaSalle Street in Chicago, facing south from the bridge. She rendered this piece in a warm muted palette, setting the stage to highlight sporadic lights and reflections on wet concrete. "My focus was to convey the mood and feeling a rainy day brings to my beloved city," shares Yangzi.

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: Chicago, La Salle...

Artist Comments
Artist Melissa Gannon created this piece as her interpretation of High Rocks Canyon in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. "Thousands of wagons traveled through ...

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"This bird was painted as a part of a series after a huge catastrophic freeze in Texas," shares artist Scott Dykema. He depicts a thoughtful portrait of a blu...

Artist Comments
Glowing layers of orange, yellow, and pink depict three characters immersed in deep blues, creating a luminous electric scene. "These figures evoke happy memories of my childhood, collaging layers of painted papers to create vivid abstract pictures of much younger figures," shares artist Robin Okun.

About the Artist
Robin Okun's work is both intimate and highly relatable. Her paintings reflect an incredible understanding of how we express ourselves in deeply personal moments. By focusing almost exclusively on body language and an emotionally evocative color palette, Robin encourages us to think about each character's story. And in doing so, we often find our own stories in her paintings. She layers charcoal and acrylic paint with vibrant colors, bold shapes, and fluid lines to depict forms inspired by live models, photographs, and sculpture. Robin’s visual voice is unique and recognizable. Through her work, she strives to celebrate the varied human form.

Words that describe this painting: women, figures, abstract, abstract, people, acrylic painting, blue, orange

Take Two...

Artist Comments
"Why not enjoy all the different colors each season has to offer us?" asks artist Ronda Waiksnis. In this abstract landscape, Ronda uses loose brushwork and a...

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Waves roll in while the sun sits high in the sky. Inspired by a short winter visit to Florida, artist Judy Mackey creates a serene ...

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Emerald grasses sprawl into the distance of an open landscape. A peaceful scene as the sun rises. Trees stretch into the gradient sky drawing the eye to a flock of birds flying free. "I find that getting away to the country offers a quiet and peace that lends itself to times of reflection and meditation," shares artist Posey Gaines.

About the Artist
Using flowing watercolors, artist Posey Gaines creates atmospheric, high-contrast landscapes developed mostly from intuition. He often starts a piece by simply putting paint to paper and then decides on the elements to bring the composition together. He draws on memories of places he has lived and reference photos taken on road trips to arrive at the final serene and eye-catching view. Posey says that from a young age artistic inspiration has touched everything he's done in life. He plays the piano, the guitar and the bass guitar, writes poetry and wrote a book. Posey first discovered watercolor in the 1970s while auditing art classes at East Central College near his home. Over the years, he's honed his skills attending workshops and watching DVDs. Today, he enjoys painting from a tidy home studio while listening to music. True to his well-rounded personality, when he’s not making art, he works as a web developer.

Words that describe this painting: landscape, morning, sunrise, nature, quiet, hike, sky, clouds, desert...

Artist Comments
Cool air blows as the sun radiates warmth into the atmosphere. The early morning light glows from behind a stretch of mountains in the far distance. "I find t...

Artist Comments
"No matter where they are, a flower is a flower!" says artist Sharon Sieben. She offers an expressive portrait of a hummingbird attracted to a blooming flower...

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Deep blues flow across an abstract seascape, with scattered mirrors of light on the surface. This piece was inspired by the many times artist Kajal Zaveri has...

Artist Comments
A woman poses in a flowing dress of blooming geometric flowers. Her confident stance emits a powerful aura, lit by the radiant background. Part of artist Diana Elena Chelaru's ongoing series of women adorned with colorful flowers.

About the Artist
Romanian-born painter Diana Chelaru’s paintings are colorful and contemporary interpretations of human emotion. For Diana, art is a means of communication. “It is how I express my thoughts, hopes, regrets and joys,” she says. Though she gets great pleasure from applying paint to canvas, it is the expression of emotions that she finds to be most important. Diana’s style is influenced by Byzantine mosaics as well as Gustav Klimt’s subject matter and use of decorative patterns within his compositions. Each artwork is created intuitively, resulting in paintings that speak to the soul.

Words that describe this painting: pattern, figure, figurative, portrait, floral, geometric, fashion, dress, spring, Klimt, woman, people, fashion, modern , acrylic painting, blue

Woman in a Blue Dress...

Artist Comments
"This piece was inspired by the challenges that we all face at times," shares artist Cynthia Ligeros. "When the world changes for the worse overnight, it's no...

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Glowing rays of sunshine spread across the sky shattering onto the ocean's gentle crashing waves. Artist Jesse Aldana depicts a panoramic view between two jet...

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Artist Nicole Lamothe paints a charming pink peony framed by a neutral patterned background. Her distinct brushwork creates a delicate softness about the piec...

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Part of artist Terri Bell's Geometria Grid series. This piece incorporates geometric shapes into organic arrangements. The painting's color palette emphasizes...

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Vibrant red and pink circles figurately dominate the coast on a hot summer day. An abstracted view from above of colorful bucket hats and beach umbrellas, the...

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A luminous combination of red, blue, and white circles radiate from above, silhouetted by the bright morning sun. They cascade down like individual rays of li...

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Dainty happy orbs of blue, purple, and red transform from cool to warm. Illuminated from above by early winter sun, they fall unhurriedly to the soft pristine snow. Part of artist Natasha Tayles's signature Circle series.

About the Artist
Vibrant colors makes Natasha Tayles happy. She enjoys discovering new methods and techniques of painting and creativity. For her, art is an important form of self-expression. "It's about being in my own world where it feels free, fun, easy and enjoyable," she explains. She feels the most liberated when working in an abstract style and prefers everything bright and colorful.

Words that describe this painting: circles, abstract, sun, morning, kids, children, nursery, abstract, acrylic painting, purple, red

Blue, Purple and Orange...

Artist Comments
A grid-like pattern forms a golden wall, exemplifying artist M. Clark's expressive medium. The technique used to create this is one where gold foil is sculpted using an innovative process M. developed. "This work has a continuously shifting luminosity that is dependent on the viewer’s vantage point," says M. "This provides an infinitely evolving viewing experience. The edges are finished in gold foil creating a halo effect around the artwork as light reflects off the sides of the piece."

About the Artist
M. Clark manipulates metallic foil in order to create rich surfaces that are highly reactive to shifts in light. She strives to continually push the bounds of her gold foil medium, including working directly with a manufacturer to develop foil in specific sizes and colors that were not previously available...

Artist Comments
A gentle touch, a delicate figure, a woman glows under a warm dappled ray of sunlight. "I especially enjoyed painting all of the beautiful colors in this scene," artist Sherri Aldawood says about capturing her model Alana, posing in a garden one spring morning.

About the Artist
Sherri Aldawood didn't intend to always paint flowers, but over time her love of gardens started to permeate her art. She focuses on the light and color of the flowers on the canvas. Sherri prefers alla prima, working with wet layers of paint instead of letting them dry. She keeps the paint as wet as possible by using walnut and clove oil to extend the drying time.

Words that describe this painting: portrait, woman, figure, figurative, Arizona, southwest, garden, nature, outdoors, spring, flowers, floral, John Singer Sargent, Joaquin Sorolla, impressionism, female, romantic, impressionism, people, oil painting, green

Alana in the Flower Garden...

Artist Comments
A beam of light glimmers on the face of a mountain from the low setting sun. Fog forms above a blanket of snow interweaving tall dark trees. Artist Alana Clum...

Artist Comments
Gestural strokes of solid gold spread against a black surface. This energetic piece has a continuously shifting luminosity that is dependent on the viewer’s vantage point. "It provides an infinitely evolving viewing experience," says artist M. Clark. She rendered this piece using a technique where gold foil is sculpted using heat and varying pressure over the course of many weeks. The edges are finished in gold foil creating a halo effect around the artwork as light reflects off the sides of the piece.

About the Artist
M. Clark manipulates metallic foil in order to create rich surfaces that are highly reactive to shifts in light. She strives to continually push the bounds of her gold foil medium, including working directly with a manufacturer to develop foil in specific sizes and colors that were not previously available...

Artist Comments
Painterly strokes of gold move about on a black background. "The edges are finished in gold foil creating a halo effect around the artwork as light reflects off the sides of the piece," shares artist M. Clark. The technique used to create this is one where gold foil is sculpted using heat and varying pressure over the course of many weeks. "This work has a continuously shifting luminosity that is dependent on the viewer’s vantage point. This provides an infinitely evolving viewing experience."

About the Artist
M. Clark manipulates metallic foil in order to create rich surfaces that are highly reactive to shifts in light. She strives to continually push the bounds of her gold foil medium, including working directly with a manufacturer to develop foil in specific sizes and colors that were not previously available...

Artist Comments
In this painting, artist Kristen Brown paints an ethereal translucent shape of a pregnant woman standing at a window. "Overlapping nature imagery merges with ...

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"The Galapágos hawk (Buteo galapagoensis) is the same genus and size as the North American Red-tailed Hawk, but a little darker," explains artist Emil Morhard...

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A blaze of color warms sunset clouds. "It was early autumn and the leaves turned into yellow, orange, and pink, but some were still very green," explains arti...

Artist Comments
"Getting away to the country offers a quiet and peaceful moment," says artist Posey Gaines. "It lends itself to times of reflection and meditation." Posey pai...

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Light seeps between voluminous flowing clouds. A cool wind blows ruffling leaves from tall trees while birds fly away to the distance. "I find that getting aw...

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An autumn mountain meadow glows in evening light, presiding over a small town with a prominent chapel. "The Stowe Community Ch...

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Part of artist Terri Bell's grid series, this piece incorporates geometric shapes into organic arrangements. The painting's complex color palette and grid uni...

Artist Comments
"This ghostly portrait of a man represents a transitory experience and movement between places," says Kristen. Rendered with soft light, the painting mimics t...

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An expressive abstract in rich jewel tones of blue and green, with yellow and orange highlights. Paint flows outward in bursts, evoking joyful energy and tropical waters. For Courtney Jacobs...

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Painted from a photographic reference, artist Joanie Ford rendered this painting with contrasting soft tones. "I wanted to represen...

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"Everyone has a favorite place in nature to visit," says artist Joanie Ford. "This is reminiscent of one of my favorite places. I w...

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"I always love those wet snowfalls when the fresh snow clings to the evergreens," says artist Joanie Ford. "I wanted to capture tha...

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"I love waterfalls, and this painting was inspired by a similar waterfall, although this exact scene doesn’t exist," shares artist Joanie Ford...

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Artist Joanie Ford created this painting from her references of Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona. "I included the springtime trees from my imagination to add...

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Artist Margriet Hogue's process involves layering handmade papers and acrylic paint, which she then sands and scrapes giving the work a rich aged surface. In...

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"This piece was made in the spring and the colors are reminiscent of it, in particular the fresh greens," says artist Margriet Hogue...

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A dynamic modern abstract in natural browns, beiges, cream and white. "This piece is based on the sides of cliffs along a river valley close to where the dino...