Joy was born in Bordeaux, France. In 1967 she enrolled as a full time student for 5 years at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. Joy enjoys a variety of all media and all types of subject matter. She has received numerous awards for her paintings.
 
"In my contemporary impressionist oil paintings I combine strong composition and value with a spontaneous application of colorful pigments to produce the effects of natural light. My Landscapes and human subjects are revealed in their essence, their spirit and energy, when I paint them. It is this essential beauty that I seek to convey through my work. I look deeply within each subject to find some inner beauty or deeper humanity. I combine a casual spontaneity with my classical training to produce truly original pieces. My work does not tell the whole story, but leaves hints and suggestions, and room for imagination to create interpretation.

http://home.comcast.net/~joysolney

Ann Painter has had a life-long love affair with art that began at a early growing up near New York City's great art collections. The road to becoming an artist included; a BA and MA in fine art and 20 years working as an Art Director before focusing on her art full time.

"My work is not bound by any particular subject matter or medium, as they reflect my personal experience of the world I live in"

Over the years Ann's work has evolved from realism to pure abstraction and most recently, a kind of abstract-realism that strives to express the hidden essence of her subject. Ann's work is held in private collections in the US and Europe. In addition to painting, she teaches annual drawing and painting workshops at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico.

http://www.annpainter.com

Interpreting the beauty of a moment where you stop to appreciate all that surrounds you is what gives Alisa Raines the passion to paint.  Since childhood, she has always expressed herself through drawing and painting.  In 2004, Alisa began her professional career as a painter.  Primarily working in pastel and oil, she has found a love of the landscape that she conveys in her award winning work.

Most of Alisa’s more recent experience has come from plein air painting.  She enjoys the challenges of being on location and capturing the ever changing light. “I have always wanted to represent the beauty of this world thorough painting.  When I am on location absorbing all of the beauty surrounding me, I find that interaction between my senses and the subject literally takes my breathe away.  This is why I paint.” 

http://www.alisaraines.com

CAROLE RANNEY has been painting and teaching for more than 30 years. Her education has been self- directed utilizing books, workshops, classes and 100’s and 100’s of paintings over time. Her interest lies in the landscapes of her home state of Kansas and the varieties of landscapes she has seen in her travels throughout the United States and Europe.

Plein air painting is her favorite painting activity but when weather or time does not permit she also spends time in her studio working in several mediums including oil, watercolor, pastel and acrylics. Her interest in multiple mediums was acquired out of a need to constantly experiment and try new ways to create her personal vision of what she sees. Currently, Carole is working on painting a painting in every county (105) in her home state. She hopes to complete this project in 2010. When Carole is not painting she teaches private classes in her studio, workshops in the region and teaches classes for the local “ Center For The Arts”.

http://www.caroleranney.com

Almost without exception, fine artists insist on working from life whether they are painting still life, landscapes, or figures.  For Chuck there is no acceptable substitute.  When it became apparent that working from life was the best way to paint convincing landscapes, Chuck began painting outdoors at every opportunity.

Painting outdoors in most of the western states (including Hawaii), the Canadian Rockies, and Mexico almost everyday has been essential to his understanding of the natural world.  Nature is indeed the best teacher, and a demanding taskmaster.  When Chuck puts his brush to canvas, he wants the viewer to be transported with him to some of the world’s most magnificent scenery.  He hopes the viewer will feel the sun on his face, relax with the tranquility of placid waters, revere the majesty of towering mountains, sense the dampness of a muggy afternoon, or the clarity of clean mountain air.

http://www.chuckrawle.com

http://www.gerryeriffenburgh.com

Mary Ann Stafford has always been involved in art as teacher, student, and professional artist.  Although she often works with watercolor, ink, collage, and mixed media, her chosen medium is pastel.  The brilliancy, versatility,  and immediacy of the medium are the main reasons.  Her main subject matter is the Arkansas landscape.

Mary Ann attended the Kansas City Art Institute and  the University of Arkansas, where she earned an EdD in Education with an emphasis in art.  She taught English, humanities, and art in  high school level before becoming an administrator.  Since her retirement, she has studied with  nationally recognized artists, and teaches pastel painting and drawing workshops throughout Arkansas.

Stafford is a signature member of the Pastel Society of the Southwest, and a charter member of the Arkansas Pastel Society.  Her work has won awards in  state, regional, and national competitions.  Galleries include Cox Gallery, Eurekan Art, and The Gallery in Harrison, Arkansas.  

http://www.www.staffordart.com

Mary Stahl is an award-winnng painter who strives to capture the beauty of the landscape. Living in the San Francisco Bay area, she marvels at California's golden hills and blue skies, foggy days at the ocean, winter rain clouds over the Bay, and is inspired by the endless variety of subject matter nature has to offer. Mary creates her paintings in pastels and oils.

Mary earned a B.A. in Art from West Liberty State College in West Virginia. In addition, she has studied with Brigitte Curt, Jim Smyth, Ted Goerschner, Alexander Zimin, Kim Fancher-Lordier, and Van Waldron, among others. She has participated in a number of one-person and group shows and plein air painting competitions. Her paintings are in private collections throughout the US and Europe.

http://www.marystahl.com

http://www.kazukostern.com