Lydia Pépin is a Canadian oil painter and portraitist. She has exhibited at galleries and events across Ontario, and has paintings in private collections across the world.  Her oil painting depicts views of the everyday life, with a focus on natural light, warm colours and strong composition. Pépin’s portrait paintings demonstrate her gift at capturing both visual appearance and the unique personality of her subjects, bringing them to life on canvas. Her painting process is personal and engaged; she prefers to meet her subjects in person and lets their personalities inform her painting.  Her portraits include the painting of Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, on permanent display at City Hall, as well as members of the military, such as Brigadier-General Jennie Carignan

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An Artist Speaks Season 7 Episode 2 with Guest Artist Lydia Pepin

“Photography has always been very personal to me. I use it not just to document but also to explore the world around me and record those experiences to share with others. Interests shape my unique perspective as diverse as geology, drag racing, and steampunk. I don’t limit my photography to specific genres or styles. Instead, I let each experience speak to me in its own way. Topics I have covered extensively in the past include farm life, abstracts, musical performance and motorsports.  Photography is way of feeling with my eyes and my mind. Whether it's capturing a moment in time or creating a new one, the medium allows me to share that vision - and the feelings they evoke - with others.” “I never stop learning, experiencing, or doing – both in my life and with my photography. No matter how nice a finished image might be, there’s always the opportunity to create something even better.  Learn new techniques. Experiment. Push yourself. Grow. And never settle for “good enough”.”

An Artist Speaks Season 6 Episode 12 with Guest Artist Mitchell Speert

Stephanie Holznecht is originally from England.  She immigrated here with her family at the age of 19.  Stephanie began drawing at the age of 5 and by 12 years of age she could copy a photograph or drawing exactly. Stephanie continued to improve her artistic abilities through high school in England and into college in America, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and fine art. “For ten years I worked as a graphic designer and finally an art director. During this time I continued to draw and paint in the style of realism. I left the life of being an art director to raise a family, all the while perfecting my craft.  After my sons had left home and gone on to college, I began taking workshops on abstract art, just to broaden my artist horizons. I fell in love with the freedom abstract art released inside of me, allowing me to pour my emotions onto the canvas and leave behind something intimately personal. I have not looked back since. I continue to try new techniques and still take abstract painting workshops to broaden my knowledge and improve my abilities as an abstract artist.  On request I will still do realistic artwork, and of my own volition I enjoy painting the odd sunset, seen from the backyard overlooking the water at my home in northern Wisconsin.”

An Artist Speaks Season 6 Episode 11 with Guest Artist Stephanie Holznecht

After retiring from over 40 years in the scientific and management fields, Marcia became interested in exploring her creative side. During the subsequent years, Marcia began to write short stories, experimented with writing poetry, and learned the possibilities involved in drawing and painting. She rapidly discovered that no single material or set of techniques satisfied her completely, so she continues to explore several possibilities. Marcia’s goal in all her work is to convey, to the viewer, her reactions to the world and everything it contains. “I became a photographer at the age of 12, when, after saving for several years, I purchased my first camera - a Kodak 35mm SLR. Since then, every vacation, drive or flower was captured. My biggest problem was lack of funds to purchase enough film. As an engineering manager, I helped develop the CCD's that were the precursor to today's cameras. Finally, I could experiment and take as many pictures as I wanted - and no, I never throw out any of them, no matter how bad.”

An Artist Speaks Season 6 Episode 10 with Guest Artist Marcia Berg Haskell

Maria Bertolone, is an artist from Blackpool, United Kingdom.  She loves Landscape painting which is her main genre.  Bringing a scene to life by creating the mood and atmosphere, thus drawing the viewer in so that they feel part of the scene, gives her a real sense of achievement.  She is a realist and endeavors to convey that quality as much as possible in all her pieces.  This brings certain challenges, such as constructing the composition then playing around with tonal values adding these things together just like fitting a jigsaw puzzle, and adding all the details, essentially the time of day, where a shadow might fall or sunlight dappling a winding path.  Her philosophy is to capture all these aspects. “Art is my passion and always will be, ever since an early age I was always drawing and painting, winning many school competitions for the best painting. To this day, I've no idea how many drawing books and rubbers, pencils etc. I managed to get through. I work mainly from my vast collection of personal photos that I have taken over the many years when I've been on vacation.  I always have my camera at hand as it is my friend, and if I come across a certain scene or area of interest I like I take a photo.  Then when I'm at home, in my studio, I start working on it. I will always paint and produce art for as long as I possibly can.”

An Artist Speaks Season 6 Episode 9 with Guest Artist Maria Bertolone

Born and raised in Kingston, Massachusetts, James started a passion for art at an early age with drawing and painting. James ended up in San Diego, California for a few years painting houses, mixing paint, and helping with interior color designs. He ended back in Massachusetts in a small town called Westborough continuing construction and interior color design. From there he landed a job at the Art and Frame Emporium, under the owner Ed Turner, learning how to frame artwork, reigniting his passion for art and realizing he had an eye for photography. With having the great pleasure of helping other artists getting their career started by helping to host art shows for them and selling their work. After six years at the Art and Frame Emporium he took over management and saw a prime opportunity to express his self through his own photography. He mainly focuses on landscapes, enhancing the colors, HDR, or black and white, and he has dabbled in model photography. 

An Artist Speaks Season 6 Episode 8 with Guest Artist James McAlice

Listen in as host Sharon Hawkshawe shares tips and advice, for artist, who want to grow their business.  This is the ninth episode in the series.

The Business of Art Series Part 9

Listen as Published Author and Selling Artist Sharon Hawkshawe, gives tips and ideas for how artist should run their business.

The Business of Art Episode 8

Listen to artist and published author Sharon Hawkshawe and she gives tips and advice on how artists can grow their business

Business of Art Episode 7

Nicholas Teetelli has been an amateur photographer for more than 40 years and lives in New Jersey. He primarily uses Leica cameras and lenses, which for him, have delivered superior results. Nicholas processes his images using Adobe Light Room to bring out and emphasize elements in his photographs that "called" to him when taking the photograph.  His subject matter "speaks" to him, catching his eye in a particular way, the light play, composition... so when it all comes together he knows at that moment he has his shot. “There is much beauty to behold in this world, moments that the eye captures, the wonders it sees... moments that should be committed to perpetual memory, but sadly only to become fragments of a faded recollection, or more often, simply forgotten. I draw inspiration to record these timeless and special moments, to capture them in my mind's eye, and through my lens, transforming each image so that I can share them with others in hope they too may see what I see and find equal enjoyment.”

An Artist Speaks Season 6 Episode 7 with guest artist Nicholas Teetelli.

“My art philosophy is still in the works. I am still, and will always be, learning about what art is, is not, and what makes great art. I certainly believe that art is an essential aspect of being human due to the biblical idea of our Imago Dei (image of God). And since I’ve been viewing old and contemporary art, I come to the conclusion that great visual art tends to cause a sense of awe and wonderment in the viewer, immediately or delayed. Great art, for me, stops time for a moment, and reminds us that life, and this world we experience, is indeed intentionally special.  I am particularly drawn to the historical legacy of paint on canvas. The immaterial impact that colored pigment smeared on a surface has on a person fascinates me. My work deals with a deep commitment to aesthetic integrity using traditional painting techniques, and my current body of work continues my basic investigation of portraiture and its ability to present different ideas. Through intense observation and subtle decisions made during my creative process, I draw out my particular view of the world. When I paint a portrait, I aim to capture a truth about the subject’s life as well as mine, it is a search to discover ways to nourish the eyes and the soul. My subjects dominate the picture plane to create an intimate space with the viewer and initiate a casual confrontation. Lastly, I choose to paint people whose lives are characterized by a counter cultural view of the world, hoping to push it in a better direction through the arts.”

An Artist Speaks Season 6 Episode 6 with guest Artist Larry Madrigal

Yordy Sanchez found his art talent four years ago.  It was first sparked when he was allowed to paint Murals throughout his high school.  Yordy ended up painting a giant mural in the school auditorium, this was the first time that this had been allowed in the schools' history.  Yordy later became the President of the Art Club and he began to painting around his community.  Yordy has been a free-lance artist now for two years and he takes commissions for murals and requests.  He is looking forward to achieving more in his art career, as he continues to learn new styles and techniques.  “Art is the process of channeling your inner thoughts into something tangible and expressive. This can be done in many forms varying from a drawing, painting, pottery or sculptures. There is absolutely no limit to what can be accomplished when you reach deep into yourself and express anything from happiness to depression. Just as the ocean seems endless, so is the conception of creativity. Many things can instantly spark a sense of creativity in us, this might be a certain scene we see before us or a memory that makes us happy or haunts us.” 

An Artist Speaks Season 6 Episode 5 with Artist Yordy Sanchez

Janis Grau is thankful that she was born an artist...with an artist's eyes.  As an artist she is constantly surrounded by beauty, even in what would appear to others to be a mundane setting. Within a copse of summer trees she finds thirty different hues of green...and blues and purples where those without an artist's eyes see only a clump of trees.  Her artistic vision morphs the ordinary objects and entities seen by others into a world overflowing with patterns and textures, sunlight and shadow, shape and form, line and contour, hue, intensity, tint and shade. It  is her wish that non-artists may be able to share this world through her paintings...that they can, for a few minutes, step out of the banal and into beauty. “When I stepped into an art classroom my first year in high school, my life reached a turning point.  I had planned a career in nursing but my art teacher, Jim Laubheimer, would have none of it!  With his guidance, mentoring, and encouragement, I pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Maryland Institute, College of Art, graduating in 1966. For the next thirty-five years I taught middle and high school art students in Maryland, while continuing coursework to gain a Master's equivalency + 30. I loved every minute that I spent teaching art and would have done it even if I had not been paid for doing so. Upon retiring, I re-located to southwest Florida, set up a studio and pursued the love of working in watercolor first introduced to me by my teacher and mentor. The beautiful flowers and vegetation surrounding me in sunny Florida have been a constant source of inspiration for subject matter.”

An Artist Speaks Season 6 Episode 4 with Guest Artist Janis Grau

Jessica Manelis has been creating art since grade school.  At age 11, she began taking art classes every Saturday afternoon. Throughout high school, Jessica continued drawing and painting in a variety of mediums and ultimately settled at Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia, pursuing a career in the professional arts.  While at Moore, she received many accolades from her instructors and won competitions where her work was featured in magazines. Upon graduation, Jessica settled in to a career as a graphic designer. Finding that creatively stunting, she set out to pursue her true creative passion. “Self-taught, I fell in to photography as a means of generating reference photos for future art projects. However, I found the photo process was more fun. Embracing the medium, my work has been exhibited in several group shows in New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, California and Florida. My work has been described as "wonderful", "brilliant", "gorgeous color and detail", "great perspective".  Like most photographers, I am always looking for that unique perspective or “special something” in an image. My work embraces various styles from clean crisp well-defined images with an interesting and vital point of view to compelling composition and fresh simplicity. My aim is to entice the viewer to look at the details to become aware of the color and form of the subject. Even when using textures to enhance a photo, the viewer is drawn in and the subject maintains its focus and importance.”

An Artist Speaks Season 6 Episode 3 with Guest Artist Jessica Manelis

Episode 5 in a series of shows that teach artist how to grow their business with host Sharon Hawkshawe.  Sharon is a published author and selling painter.

Business of art Episode 5

Contemporary Art Gallery Online is your number 1 source for all original contemporary art. CAGOnline is proud to showcase Tomorrow's Art Giants, Today. To further expose these talented artists, CAGOnline has created CAGO Media. CAGO Media has two purposes. First is to share art business ideas, and secondly to introduce artists to the buying public. CAGO Media accomplishes both of these initiatives, by programming Radio and TV shows. The Business of Art Show airs bi-monthly, 15 to 20 minute episodes. Hosted by Sharon Belle Hawkshawe, each episode discusses everything pertaining to the Business of Art. The What is Art Show is a monthly 30 minute episode with hosts Michael Harris (art collector) and Sharon Hawkshawe (acclaimed artist), who discuss current art movements and art shows. Our hosts are occasionally joined by museum curators, gallery owners, art critics and art insiders. The third show is An Artist Speaks. These lively 30 minute episodes are in depth interviews with Artists; discussing their art process, philosophy and a candid look at their work. Finally; every month, a video is produced showcasing the monthly art participants. Other videos highlight gallery artist and art styles. To watch our videos, visit us a www.contemporaryartgalleryonline.com. To stay current with Contemporary Art Gallery Online and CAGO Media; follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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