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4. Selected Artists

5. Patrick Atkinson
Patrick Atkinson was born
in Charlotte, N.C. in
November of 1978. As a
curious and expressive
baby, his hands were eager
to create from the
beginning. This developed
into an obsession with
painting and drawing, when
he was a very young child.
Patrick carried crayons and
paper with him everywhere.
In fact, his mother often had to pull them out of the tub during bath time.
Though Patrick was always responsive to the arts, it had yet to evolve into
something serious until his high school art teacher challenged Patrick to pursue
art with passion and discipline.
Patrick studied art at East Carolina University, as well as Queens College in N.C.
Shortly there after, he met and apprenticed under the late great artist T.L. Lange.
Over the next five years, Patrick refined the tone and virtuosity of his work.
According to Patrick, His paintings are derived from an inherent need to
generate an impression that will remain long after he is gone. This is evident in
his work. He constructs images that are perpetually organic, yet they coexist with
personal ideas and are influenced by society. This insures that Patrick’s work
will always remain timeless.
By age 24 Patrick’s paintings had been exhibited in numerous galleries including:
Hidell Brooks (NC), Mary Martin (SC), Hawthorne Gallery (AL), and Mary Bell
(IL). Patrick also completed an artist in residency at the McColl Center for Visual
Arts. His work can also be found in many private and corporate collections,
including the Davidson Art Museum and The Charlotte Bobcats.
Patrick now resides in Charlotte, N.C. with his wife and son.

6. Liana Pica Birt
Teodora Liana Pica developed a fascination
with space and the uses to which it can be put as
a medium of expression while still a young
child studying art in elementary school. It led
her to continue her education in painting and
drawing at Ontario Collage of Art in Toronto
and in time to a graduate degree in architecture
from the University of Toronto. As informative
as that academic experience may have been,
there is little direct evidence of it in her
paintings unless it is sought in her multi-layered
composition.
Her work instead is distinguished by a sensuous flow of colour,
almost liquid in its effect, and by the dense texture of the paintings’
surface. What remains of her time at the architect’s drafting table has
been absorbed into and now enhances her use of space. Pica applies
colour and texture in her chosen space with a force that threatens to
overwhelm the viewer.

7. John Baughman
Born in 1947 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, John Baughman attended the
University of Michigan, the University of California and the Otis Art Institute in Los
Angeles, California.
Mr. Baughman has developed a unique approach to painting, revealing generous
dimensions and thoughtful textures. John’s early works were directly affected
through relationships with various artists in the graphic and fine arts community.
His deep layering of paints, oils, crayons and gold leafing create forms and
planes expressive of the finest in contemporary design.
Mr. Baughman’s methodology is analytical. His “window” approach to landscapes
is a strategy for isolating the geometry of natural or man-made environments.
“It’s almost like in computer jargon where you cross reference an image with a
grid and blow that up. The people who react the strongest to my work are
architects and engineering oriented people”
Mr. Baughman’s art is simply and immediately beautiful. He compares the
creative process to “standing with my legs immersed in water,” an apt metaphor
since his pieces reflect an almost oceanic tranquility. Weightless structures that
evoke pure form over a velvety, deep surface of pure light.

8. Sharron Bliss
Sharron has had over 20 years of studio experience as an artist, a
full time professional for 9 of those years. During those years she
has had numerous one-on-one intensive seminars with skilled
professionals with a combined experience of scores of years
working in pastel, acrylic, photography, printmaking and other
media.
She begins her day with meditation and listens to music as she
creates her artwork. The titles of several of her series are named
for the music she listens to as she works. The Etta series was
inspired by the great Blues singer, Etta James; the Sarah’s Song
by Sarah Vaughan, Vivaldi by many of his beautiful
compositions. The Bebop, and Swing series all were done while being emotionally
moved by these fabulous musical works.
Several of her floral and abstract series are created on 100% archival cotton paper, using
gesso and oil pastel or acrylic. First she paints the blank paper with gesso; then the
imagery is drawn with oil pastel. she then places numerous layers of materials, often
obscuring (or destroying) the imagery completely. Scrapers and cloths are used to adjust
and remove some of the layers, and in the process the piece takes shape, allowing light
to come through the piece, creating dimensionality, texture and interesting abstractions
(even when the subject may be representational). This layering is often repeated several
times until the finished piece emerges.
She states, “I love color and the effect it has on me, and I appreciate that collectors often have a
strong emotional response, indicating to me that my artwork communicates something of what
I’m feeling and experiencing as I create it”. The Sarah’s Song and Vivaldi Suite series
consist of imagery created using only acrylic on 100% archival cotton paper. This series
began as an abstract visual response to the exquisite vocals of Sarah Vaughan. Then the
series evolved to include leaf or floral imagery and became the Vivaldi Suite series,
expressing nature and its myriad gifts of color and form. One of her galleries had a one-
person show of Sarah’s Songs, and the majority of the pieces on display were sold. A
review in a Philadelphia newspaper said, “Most often Bliss presents the viewer with a
color field and surface texture that represent the height of artistic manipulation to
demonstrate pure color or texture. The oeuvre Bliss presents in this indeed is handsome
in its lushness, the density of the colors, reference to gold leaf and faux marble finish in
some of the textures and the diptych and triptych arrangements of color evoke centuries
and volumes of knowledge. Bliss tempts us with the formal nature of learning here,
allowing the simplicity of natural forms and colors of the world around
us to lead us to the structure of observation.”

9. D ennis C am pay
M ixed-m edia artist,
D ennis C am pay, invites
us into his languorous,
richly colored w orlds of
reverie and reality,
intim acy and spiritual
journey. D raw ing on a
language of sym bols that
suggest rather than
shout, in hues that range
from m elancholic to
jubilant, C am pay’s
paintings com bine
vaguely European
cityscapes w ith distinctly
Southern im agery. H is kaleidoscopic scenes present a m esm erizing m ix of D oric
colum ns, porticos, slatted shutters, and balconies, gently coexisting w ith coastal
m arshes, w hite-w ashed churches, boats, and bridges. Silvery bodies of w ater,
w orn books, the solitary piano, and ubiquitous chairs take their place w here
interiors and exteriors blend and beckon, seducing the view er inside the setting –
to question, to seek connections, to dream .
A graduate of the A tlanta C ollege of A rt in 1992, C am pay has received num erous
prizes, including for his w ork on paper at the prestigious 2001 Florence Biennale.
H e has been featured in A rt & A ntiques m agazine, as w ell as N ew A m erican
Paintings. H e is the subject of John T. Spike’s book, C am pay: N ew Paintings
(2002). H is original m ixed m edia w orks and draw ings are hanging in private
collections across the U nited States, in corporate collections including U S
A irw ays and K ing & Spalding, LLP, in public collections including Brenau
U niversity, and in the perm anent collections of the H arn M useum of A rt, the
M orris M useum of A rt, and the Telfair M useum of A rt.

10. Josiane Childers
Josiane Childers Josiane Childers was born
in the smoky mountains of North Carolina
but mostly grew up in upstate New York.
After excellent training and encouragement
from her high school art teacher she
completed her formal education in Fine Art
at Purchase College, including a semester
spent abroad in Amsterdam. She now
resides in Phoenix, Arizona with her artist
boyfriend and three german shepherds.
“Every piece I do is an emotional journey
through color. I am continuously inspired
by the extraordinary world around me as
well as the exciting possibilities of infinite color relationships. Every color is
beautiful and has a place. There is not one color I can think of that I am not fond of.
There is always a reason to paint. I am in love with paint.”

11. Duarte
Donald Hamilton Fraser is of
Scottish descent and was
born in London in 1929. He
studied painting at St.
Martin's School of Art and
then in Paris with a French
Government Scholarship. He
taught at the Royal College
of Art as a tutor and then
Fellow from 1958 - 1983. He
is a Royal Academician and
has exhibited regularly there
since 1975.
In 1968 he published a book
on Paul Gauhlin's "Vision
after the Sermon" and in 1989 Phaidon Press published a book on his paintings of
dancers.
His chosen subject matter is predominantly landscape and geometric abstract, with the
emphasis upon color and surface texture reflecting the traditional affinity between
Scottish and French painting. His own early contacts with the post-war Ecole de Paris
continued this affinity for him, providing perhaps the most significant, formative
influence in the development of his work.
Donald's work is exhibited throughout the UK and around the world. His work is
represented in major public collections including the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston,
The National Gallery of Canada and the Arts Council of Great Britain. He is married with
grown up children and lives with his wife by the river in Henley on Thames.

12. David Dauncey
David Dauncey was born and raised in
the greenbelt surrounding the city of
Birmingham, England. He grew up in a
home that was noisy, large and full,
eventually welcoming two brothers and
two sisters. A somewhat tumultuous
childhood and home life led David into a
growing dependence on the outlet of
sports, specifically football (soccer) and
rugby.
Initially, David was entranced with sports
as a career choice, but was soon to realize
that this was not an option. Fortunately, a
teammate on his soccer team who was
studying Art & Design at the local college,
suggested to David that maybe he should apply. He did, and was accepted, marking the
beginning of the development of his artistic eye in a wide range of mediums, including
photography, design, ceramics, painting and creative thinking. Eventually, David
decided to work towards a degree in ceramics at Bristol University between 1989-1991,
but he still yearned to paint especially after becoming disillusioned with ceramics as a
creative material.
David met an American girl whilst at University, and they married in 1993. The
following year they relocated to the United States, having suffered enough poor weather
and barking coughs. After having a few menial jobs during his first few years in
Phoenix, David made the bold step of becoming a self-employed artist, working in
collaboration with both national and international clientele. He had been happily
broadening his spectrum of technique and experimentation ever since. David enjoys
spending time with his son Jack, watching European soccer in the early hours of the
morning, reading, traveling, playing with Edison the dog (named by Jack) and being
married to Judith.
Education
1998-1992 University of the West Of England
1987-1989 N.E. Worcestershire College
Professional Experience
2000-present Self Employed Artist
1996-2000: Designer/Artist with local art company.
Founding member of 3carpileup

13. Charles Dwyer
The works of Charles Dwyer, classically
rendered figures surrounded by abstracted,
surreal elements, thrive on their exciting,
visual duality. Dwyer’s languid women are
underpinned and overlapped by machinery,
animals and glimpses of a darkened, sensual,
and sometimes autobiographical world. Like
a film noir director, Dwyer spotlights the
timeless, female icons in his narrative,
cinematic works. The women who inhabit
Dwyer’s imagery are sometimes mysterious,
often seductive and always, undoubtedly
inviting.
Born in Wisconsin in 1961, Dwyer graduated
as Valedictorian with a Fine Arts Degree
from the Milwaukee School of Art and
Design in 1984. After traveling throughout
Europe, Dwyer’s talents then became focused
on the restoration and preservation of some
of America’s most prestigious decorative paintings and murals. While the
astounding results of his artistic efforts could be publicly seen by thousands, it
was his personal, more intimate creations that held his true passions. Dwyer’s
elegant, female forms can be found swimming amidst seas of personal and
universal imagery and like hieroglyphics awaiting their decoding, Dwyer’s
works demand endless exploration and interpretation.

14. Ken Elliott
"Landscape painting should make a
simple statement." Artist Ken Elliott
believes in the simplicity and purity
of portraying natural settings.
Utilizing a strong compositional
foundation, Elliott organizes
elements in his landscape to satisfy
and engage the viewer. The sky,
water, land and trees function as
pieces in a "compositional puzzle"
arranged to portray a variation in
perception, just one view in the
different experiences of life. Involved
in the art world for many years
before becoming an artist himself,
Ken Elliott began his career as an art
dealer and gallery director.
Soon he began producing his own works of art based on a desire to
create a simple and uncomplicated view of natural beauty. Utilizing
photographs as well as pastels, Elliott rearranges and manipulates
the elements in his scene to suit his mood, while still retaining the
overall essence of the scene. He explains, "If I can orchestrate the
variables I perceive and offer a view beyond our typical experiences,
then I have succeeded."

15. Gregory T. Groover
The idea of Man’s imposed
order on the organic reality
of Nature is one theme that
has been at the forefront of
Groover’s imagery since the
late 1970’s. Through paper,
canvas, encaustic and metal
he has explored the
juxtaposition of geometric
structures providing order
within organic compositions.
Greg Groover was born in
Birmingham Alabama in
1957. He studied Studio
Art/Painting under Edith
Frohock, among others, at
the University of Alabama at
Birmingham in the late
seventies. In 1982 he formed what is now Gallery Services, Inc. to become a
vehicle for presenting Artist’s work to the Architectural and Design Community.
Selected collections include:
Smith Engineering-Tuscaloosa, Al
Sales Sauces Corporate Offices-Birmingham, Al
OSE-Birmingham, Al
University of Alabama at Birmingham
PKA-Birmingham, Al
Baptist Health Systems
Brunos Corporate Offices
USX Corporation
Regions Bank
Lockheed Martin

16. Fiona Hoop
The paintings of Fiona Hoop are collaborative
works, which combine the talent and experience
of two professional artists, Michele Woodey and
Mary Kennedy.
Michele Woodey graduated with honors in Fine
Arts from Brighton School of Arts in England
1979. While working as an antique and art
restorer in London she continued her education
with university courses in English, teaching
English as a second language, printmaking and
photography. From 1981 – 1986 Michele was a
part-time tutor teaching foundation level
students in conceptual development, drawing
and painting while continuing to develop her
own artwork. In 1986 Michele spent some time in New York, then eventually
settled in Canada. She has had multi-disciplined experience as Joint Head of
Montessori School art programs, guest lecturer and artist in residence at, The
Aitlin School of Art and as Arts council artist in various other post-secondary
and graduate school programs. Michele Woodey has held solo exhibits of her
work at the prestigious Nexus Gallery in Brighton England, at Erindale College
within the University of Toronto, and multiple showings at the, Leo Kamen
Gallery in Toronto.
Mary Kennedy graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design in 1989 and
received OCAD’s Experimental Arts Award in Painting. Since then, she has been the
recipient of several Visual Arts Grants from the Ontario Arts Council, as well as from the
Sheila Dick Mackay Arts Foundation. Miss Kennedy has shown with such galleries as
Baux-Xi in Toronto and Lois Shayne Galleries in Montreal. Several group and solo
showings have been appointed by the esteemed Christopher Cutts Gallery in Toronto,
often selling out completed works on paper and canvas within a few days of opening. She
has juried the University of Toronto Students Exhibits & Grant Awards, been featured on
WTN Network’s “Bella” Productions, and has appeared in campaigns for Nokia
Cellular’s, “Connecting People” series.

17. Ron Kempton
The large acrylic
canvases of painter Ron
Kempton (1970-) are
filled with blocks of
pure color against
contrasting fields of a
more subdued yet
equally intense palette.
Rich hues dominate his
landscape oriented,
action-filled abstract
paintings, often
generating what
appears to be a light
glowing from deep
within the painting's
surface.
Born in Colorado,
Kempton received his education at the Rocky Mountain School of Design and
devotes all of his time to painting, reading and traveling.
Kempton is widely exhibited and his paintings are included in many prominent
corporate collections including AT&T, Bank of Boulder, Cellular One, Century
Bank, Citicorp, Hilton Hotels, Hyatt Hotels, IBM, Liberty Mutual, Marriott
Hotels, Omni Bank, Optioncare, Inc., SRTI, Inc., US West, United Airlines and
Xerox.

18. David Kessler
Born in Teaneck,
New Jersey in
1950, landscape
artist David
Kessler received
his Bachelor of
Arts from
Arizona State
University and
his graduate
degree from the
San Francisco Art
Institute. Noted
for his exquisite
use of light and a loving attention to detail, the work of Kessler follows a
long tradition of American landscape painting. Brilliant color is used to
highlight forms creating depth and movement in his romantic landscape
imagery. Furthermore, his use of atmospheric perspective echoes
techniques favored in the Italian Renaissance as well as in more recent 20th
century landscape traditions.
David Kessler has received numerous awards for his work and has been
honored with several solo exhibitions at museums and galleries
throughout the country. His paintings and prints are included in private,
corporate and museum collections across the world, such as those of Arco,
AT&T, Bank of America and Lloyd's Bank of London.

19. Michael Limbaugh
I paint landscapes because they
come naturally to me. I didn’t so
much choose them as they chose
me and I am happy to oblige
them. In the midst of this
world’s fallen-ness and rapidly
disappearing natural beauty, I
wish to create not only a thing
beautiful to look at, but also
calming to the soul. Many of my
visions are places of long ago but
their dreamlike serenity can still
be translated and absorbed.
As I long for a simpler time in life, my influences come largely from
painters and photographers long dead but whose messages I can
understand more clearly than many of those from my own time. The
Decorative Arts Movement appeals strongly to my sensibilities, as
does the California style. This world is changing so quickly with too
many stylistic fads coming and going and I feel the need to honor the
past rather than rebel against it or attempt to out do it. I live in this
modern world but I am not held under its thumb. My work reflects
not only the images of the past but hopes for the future.

20. John & Elli Milan
John and Elli Milan are young
professional artists, currently
living in the Phoenix area. They
have recently returned from a
six-month adventure in Greece,
where they expanded their
creative boundaries.
The couple met in Honolulu
Hawaii where they grew up
and married in 1995. John and
Elli both received portfolio
scholarships from Savannah
College of Art and Design
where they studied for two
years and received their
B.F.A.'s from the University of
Georgia. John Milan paints
mainly in oil with a rich fall palate. His landscape subjects are derived from his
traveling experience.
His landscape style is influenced by the works of Corot and the early California
impressionists. Elli Milan has an eclectic range of styles and subjects all bound by
a bright rich palette mixed with earth tones. She is attracted to subjects that have
a strong light quality. She also incorporates newspapers and paper scraps
collected from her travels abroad. Elli's artwork is often a diary of her life's
experiences.
John and Elli Milan have showed their work in various galleries in Atlanta,
Charlotte, Birmingham, New Orleans and many other cities in the Southeast.
They have also had many works displayed in the High Point shows in North
Carolina, and Art Expo in New York. The couple lives and works in Queen
Creek, Arizona. Their daughter, Dimitra is a constant source of motivation and
inspiration for them.

21. Nancy Ngo
Born in Chicago, IL, but transported to
Arizona as a young child, Nancy grew up
learning an appreciation for contrasting
landscapes. She developed an eye for the
difference in the way the light reflects on
various terrains in the country. She was
fascinated with the light and color and started
to experiment with painting and photography
in high school. Nancy returned to Chicago
after high school in order to be immersed in
the diverse art and culture of the city. Ngo
received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with
an emphasis on Painting and Art History from
the school of the Art Institute of Chicago in
2001. Once again, she has returned to Arizona
where she resides with her husband and two
dogs. Nancy and her husband often travel
abroad together for inspiration.
Her awareness of the play of light and shadow
and their effect on color play an important role
in her work today. The dichotomy of the
natural desert landscape of Arizona versus the
urban downtown environment of Chicago led
her to a certain "no rules" style of painting. Currently her paintings have a raw,
playful and sometimes unfinished quality in which the work holds a kind of
potential energy. She finds great excitement and freedom in creating problems
on the canvas, then solving them. With every painting there is an infinite number
of approaches and decisions to be made. She is fascinated by the discoveries
made while creating each new piece of art, and allows her style to change often
in order to keep her painterly freedom.

22. Michael Parker
Michael specializes in the fine art of architectural
photography. Working almost entirely in black
& white his signature style is making
otherwise recognizable locations into abstract
designs. His methods of combining photography
and digital book production are an industry first -
allowing him to print (by hand) two books of
architectural photography from the U.S. and
Europe. A Graduate of the Art Institute of Atlanta,
his early career was influenced by contemporary
masters such as Philip Bekker, Michael Kenna,
and Keith Carter. He is thirty-one years old and
lives in East Pilsen of Chicago, Illinois.
Artist Statement: Architecture begins on
paper. Photography is the method by which it returns. My goal as a photographer
is to create both a body of abstract works and a cohesive archive of domestic
and international architecture. With black & white film providing a neutral
platform, architecture becomes the medium of design. Without the distraction of
color, the viewer is attracted by the composition and texture of an image.
Because my photographs are of real-life structures and locations, they can be
viewed as puzzles. Satisfaction is gain from decoding the images without leaving
the viewer in the state of interpretation. My more traditional photographs are both
historical record of the world’s architecture and works of art in their own right.
Using black & white film helps to ensure the durability and longevity of these
images. As the world’s architectural landscape continues to evolve and grow,
documenting our surroundings through photography remains an important
tradition.

23. Dennis Sheehan
Dennis Sheehan, born in
Boston in 1950, is a
member of the Guild of
Boston Artists. His work is
in major public and private
collections, including the
White House. Sheehan
paints in the Barbizon
mode with remarkable
authority and faithful
adherence to his 19th
century precursors. In the
tradition of the Tonalist
painters, Sheehan creates
landscapes of mood, affected by nature's changing seasons.
"My goal is to have the painting emanate light, rather than be just a surface that
records the reflections of light. This is why the shadow areas are important; for it is
from them that this emanation proceeds. The light areas are focal points of this
effort, but the power comes from the shadows."

24. Sacha
Born in the Saguenay Lac St-Jean in 1965, Sacha
now lives and works in Montreal.
After obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic
Design from Université du Québec à Montréal in
1982, Sacha worked for a number of advertising
firms and taught private art classes. As his love for
painting evolved, he decided to devote himself
entirely to the pursuit of his passion.
Sacha’s travels throughout Canada, the United
States and Latin America greatly influenced his art
practice, transforming his palette to include an
impressive array of ochre, burnt orange, burgundy
and vibrant blue. The paint is applied generously to
the canvas and the colours are left pure in order to
give each subject its unique shape, texture and light.
The artist’s innate curiosity led him not only to journey through new lands and territories, but to
explore a variety of styles and themes. Whatever the subject, Sacha’s paintings are executed with
equal confidence and passion. Today, his work is exhibited in galleries throughout North
America.
EXHIBITIONS
2008 Harrison Galleries, Vancouver, Canada (solo exhibition)
The Village Gallery, Mississauga, Canada (duo with Alexandre Zerbé)
2007 State of the Arts Gallery, Toronto, Canada (solo exhibition)
Musée des maîtres et artisans du Québec, Montreal, Canada
2004-01 Pavillon des Arts de Ste-Adèle, Québec, Canada (solo exhibition)
Galerie Époque, Aylmer, Quebec, Canada (solo exhibition)
2002 State of the Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada
Art and Soul Gallery, Indianapolis, United States
2001 Art Expo New York, New York, United States
2000 State of the Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada
1999 Art Expo New York, New York, United States
1998 Exhibition in Mexico City
La Tournée des Vingt, presenting twenty artists of the Brome-Missisquoi region,
Quebec, Canada
Galerie Époque, Aylmer, Quebec, Canada (solo exhibition)
Le bateau lavoir, Centre d’art contemporain de Montréal, Canada
Le Belgo, Montreal, Canada

25. Anke Schofield
Anke, a native of Ithaca, New York, was apprenticed as a
professional photographer’s assistant when she was still in the
sixth grade. Her father, a professor of chemistry at Cornell
University and an amateur photographer, had introduced her to
the wonders of the camera early in life. Anke took to the form
readily and with enthusiasm.
During high school, Anke apprenticed with a number of artists
in the New York area and eventually won a scholoarship to the
Savannah College of Art and Design, where she earned a
Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art. Throughout this period, she
pursued her studies of color theory and painting, continuing to
find in these endeavors greater creative stimulus and inspiration
than she had known in her photographic work.
Anke became preoccupied early in life with matters of form and composition,
and these concerns actively shaped her interests and her expressions. However,
the duotone, black-and-white world of photojournalism could not compare in
her mind and heart with the expression of color, texture and feeling that she
found possible with the paintbrush.
“My work is inspired photographically,” says Anke, “but, I take it beyond ordinary
representation to create a harmonious blend of texture and composition.”

26. Nela Solomon
Nela Solomon was born into a rural, middle-income family
in Shiraz, Iran, in July of 1971. The first of three children,
Nela grew up in a creatively liberated environment wherein
her parents encouraged her innate talents in the visual arts by
providing her with sketching pads and watercolor sets at a
young age. With these tools, Nela spent much of her youth
sketching sunsets, landscapes, still-lifes, and even portraits
of her young friends. These early artistic endeavors climaxed
when Nela lived in Vienna for two years at the age of 21.
While her principle purpose was to improve her German, she was enraptured by the city’s artwork.
From the Austrian Secessionist figuratives such as those of Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele, to the
modern, avant-garde exhibits that seemed to exist without rules - Nela witnessed the energy and
innovation of Vienna and its artistic community. The exhilaration provided by that community
would stick with her forever.
While Nela’s parents fostered her art, they nonetheless ingrained in her a sense of financial rigidity,
due to which Nela allowed her artistic pursuits to fall by the wayside while she took up more
lucrative studies in science. Indeed, this drive for financial security - coupled with her newfound
love of travel prompted Nela to immigrate to the United States in 1996, where she went on to study
at Pierce College in Los Angeles, California.
In an attempt to keep in touch with her artistic pursuits, Nela took up work as the studio apprentice
to the well-known artist Emanuel, whose work had gained acclaim across the United States. Nela’s
deep talent and artistic confidence immediately became apparent to Emanuel, who quickly let the
younger painter work solely on her own art. Under Emanuel’s influence, Nela worked mostly with
mixed media on canvas, and was primarily drawn to paint the broad and vibrant abstracts of her
tutor. Not forsaking her rural and liberated upbringing, however, Nela introduced her own degree of
spontaneity - painting bold, vast, and vibrant spaces that are as much about nature as they are about
abstraction. Indeed, some of her paintings even seem to be a struggle between the two styles, as
Nela often blends sharp colors and impersonal geometrics with soft shades of organic, burgeoning
still life. The result is a uniquely tense artwork in which the organic and natural elements of the
paintings seem to struggle with the more modern, abstract concepts around them.

27. Select Client List
Corporate
Compass Bank
Epstein Becker & Green
First Capital
Lockheed Martin
Nokia
Regions Financial Corporation
Healthcare
Baptist Health Systems
Brookdale Senior Living
Childrens Hospital of Alabama
Community Health Systems
Haven Behavioral
HealthSouth
Surgical Care Affiliates
St. Vincents Hospital
Tenet Healthcare
UAB Medical Center
Architectural/Design Firms
Earl Swensson
Giattina Aycock Architecture
Gresham Smith & Partners
Goodwin Mills & Cawood
Hendon Huckstein
Heery International
Krumdieck A+I
Kidd Plosser Sprague
Smith Group
The Richie Organization
Selected Artists
Patrick Atkinson
Pica Birt
John Baughman
Sharron Bliss
Dennis Campay
Josiane Childers
Duarte
David Dauncey
Charles Dwyer
Ken Elliott
Greg Groover
Fiona Hoop
Ron Kempton
David Kessler
Michael Limbaugh
John Milan
Nancy Ngo
Michael Parker
Dennis Sheehan
Sacha
Anke Schofield
Nela Solomon