My work is inspired by the things that inspire me personally, which are many and varied. As a geoscientist, rocks and stones are almost always my main source of inspiration, especially incredibly well-cut stones from independent lapidary artists.
However, design itself is another influence on my pieces. Bringing shapes, textures, and color together in unexpected ways and the desire to bring jewelry away from the body is, currently, a major influence. In addition to the many things and ideas that inspire me, I want my jewelry to evoke quiet refinement and sophistication while being interesting and wearable. To achieve this, I use minimal styling incorporating clean lines, subtle texturing, and careful attention to finish. My work is set apart by the use of tactile design and 3D elements, like texturing flat silver then manipulating it into domes and folds. It’s comfortable and wearable, but still different enough to incite questions like “Where did you get that?”
I create images of the wilderness embedded in our urban metroplex, letting light and shadow define my subjects. My photos document my walking journey, where I have slowed my pace to really look at my neighborhood in inner loop Houston and to capture moments of beauty that stir the soul.www.pennyraerobinson.com
My new book!
The Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary is a 17.5-acre wildlife preserve in west Houston, Texas. The sanctuary photographs, taken over a seven-month span, feature native birds and wildlife, and display colorful southern seasons. The pictures are accompanied by some of Edith’s writings selected from her small diary. Edith’s words describe her life in the woods, the land that she loved, and her log cabin home.
A look inside:
Title PageInside PageBack Cover
Bio:
I
grew up in a neighborhood that had been eked out of prairie grasslands
in North Dakota. Dramatic seasonal changes impacted all my senses, from brilliant sun-sparkles on crisply drifted snow,
to the soft sound of undulating prairie grasses in the evening breezes;
from the bitter taste of red rhubarb plucked from our garden to the
breathtakingly sharp smell of twenty below zero. I have touched the wind
and felt the immensity of the sky unrestricted by all except puffy
white clouds in azure summer skies and grey-blue bleary smudges of
winter’s early evenings. There is my heart home.
I have been away from home for over three
decades now. The gentler Houston winters provide grounds for lush
gardens; the soft springs invite long walks and camping trips; the
intensely humid summers force air conditioned hibernation from the
oppressive heat, and the autumns may revive us again with the brilliant
foliage of native trees if we are blessed with a cold kiss from the
north. These southern charms have lodged also in my heart.
It is in the four seasons where I begin to see the eternal creative thought of God. Days and weeks pass by, each one revealing new aspects of God’s wisdom, glory and love. No matter where I find my lodging, I will keep seeking the trails of His beauty to capture expressions of His likeness.
Angela’s abstracts take on a world of their own. Bright colors and happy vibes inspired by music and the world around her. A Native Houstonian and self-taught artist, Angela started painting in her late 20’s but didn’t start sharing her artwork until 2015. Her works have been exhibiting at varies galleries and art shows around Houston. Enjoy her heart and soul. angelarosewallingart.com
My art is often a way for me to make sense of the world, and my place in it. Even the physical act of drawing allows me to feel calmer and more at peace with my surroundings. I suppose my pieces are a way of creating a bridge that connects my world to reality. The subject matter fluctuates, ranging between my desire to purge some inner demon, to merely giving life to an idea I found amusing and wished to create. I often use symbolism to represent my concepts in a broad way, hoping to convey to the viewer a general idea of what I wish to express, without giving them a step-by-step guide of how to relate to my work. I have always found interest in “traditional” methods, such as drawing and painting, and often use both in my pieces. www.AnneByrdArt.com
Digital non-photography, bright happy graphic pop art CharlieHardwick.com 713-857-6274
After graduating from a Houston art college in 1992, Charlie had a 15-year career as a package designer in a Houston design company. While working on packaging for Minute Maid, Imperial Sugar and Hi-C, Charlie free-lanced as a rock poster artist on the side. After an illness in 2003 left him legally blind in 2007 and corporate downsizing in 2008 left him without a job, Charlie fell back on his love for creating rock posters as a way to earn a living. Now working out of his home studio, Charlie enjoys the time he dedicates to producing posters and exploring other areas of art including painting and print making.
I create remarkable jewelry from antique and vintage architectural elements, including hinges, keyholes, chandelier parts and doorbells. I also repurpose musical instruments, clock-parts, vintage tools and postage stamps. I search high and low for castoff pieces of the past, then reinvent them. I frame them in classical jewelry settings, to highlight their hidden and often unintended beauty. The result is a striking and adventurous synthesis of industrial strength, history and glamour.
Teresa L. Staley is a Multidisciplinary is a Houston based artist, she was born in Australia and grew up in the West Houston area.
Teresa has a degree from The Art Institute of Houston, graduating with honors with a degree in Visual Communications. She has many years of experience as a fine artist, faux finisher and muralist. She has had her decorative painting company for over 20 years and has worked for many of Houston’s elite.
The genre/style of Teresa Staley’s fine art could be described as eclectic; merging romantic fantasy and realism. She mainly works in acrylic, oil, digital and mixed media. Her favorite subject matter includes exotic and powerful women from different cultures, pop art and mixed media abstracts.
“My art is continually evolving found through life’s experiences, observations, and experimentation with many different mediums. My greatest joy is to paint, draw, design and create in many different forms without limits. My life’s work has been in the arts; this is what I know and love best.
I’m an old hippie whose jewelry making began 20 years ago when on a dare my wife signed me up for a beginner beading class at a local bead shop. I was hooked pretty quickly and began making women’s jewelry using silver, stone and crystal beads and constantly learning techniques to make better pieces. While beading is still a passion, most of my work now is with chain and wire wrap.
Five years ago on yet another dare, I began making rings from old silver coins. I don’t cut or solder the coins. One coin makes one ring and the detail from both sides of the coin is preserved and visible. I fell in love with working metal, and am constantly learning new techniques and exploring the boundaries of turning old coins into cool jewelry. Taking something like a 100-year-old coin and turning it into something it was never intended to be has been an unbelievably rewarding journey, and I love that the possibilities are endless.
Lauren Luna was born in Columbus, Ohio. After graduating from Kent State University’s School of Fine Arts with a focus in painting, she moved to New York City. She began teaching Special Education for New York City schools and entered a Masters program at Manhattan College. Upon graduation, she moved back to her hometown of Columbus along with her son and continued teaching. Later enrolling in the Academy of Art University for her second Master’s degree, in Fine Arts.
In 2011, Luna relocated to Houston, Texas, pursuing her new life as a full time artist and footwear designer.
Lauren Luna was named a Top 50 Entrepreneur by Scion Car Company, participated in Austin and Houston Fashion Week, was featured in British Vogue and Glamour Magazines, and had a shoe design in an exhibit in the Grassi Museum in Germany.She was honored to receive the Margot Siegel Award for Design by the Goldstein Museum of which two pairs of her hand painted shoes are a part of the museum’s permanent collection.
In 2015, after winning Best In Show at a juried art competition, she was commended by the Alvin Independent School District School Board, and was put into Congressional Record by the District’s State Representative.
She is a frequent participant to local art festivals, and also has a mural at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
Luna currently is an art professor at Lone Star and San Jacinto Colleges, and is Co-President of the D.R.E.A.M Affect Foundation, a non-profit organization that awards scholarships to minority art students pursuing Fine Arts, and grants for emerging artists to show their work.
