Zachery Elletson. STUNNING work! Zachery was featured in Southwest Art Magazine back in 2015 as one of 21 Artists Under 31 to Watch. No kidding! His work is stellar, and he comes with quite a story! An inspiration for sure!

Isn’t this a stunning painting? Photographed at an angle to lessen the glare when wet – check out his Instagram page, it shows a few close ups. The lit candle, all these wonderful colors, the abstract background – the rich, fall like colors – all make this painting a winner. Every one of Zachery’s paintings is a stunner!

See more of Zachery’s work via these links:

Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Blog  | Press

Read a bit about Zachery, from his website:

From an early age Zac had a knack for creativity, always drawing and constructing on paper or building for hours with Legos. His aptitude for drawing blossomed when he started copying Calvin & Hobbes comic strips and drawing them from memory. His curiosity and independent nature grew with age, learning to play drums, guitar, skateboarding, and snowboarding. He didn’t start taking art seriously until his mid twenties.

From 2009 to 2012, he sacrificed all other interests to study intensely with representational painter Jonathan Hardesty in the 19^th century Atelier method of drawing & painting. Zac’s approach to painting is grounded in the principles of the late 19th century representational masters, while also being influenced by contemporary artists, techniques, and subjects. He constantly strives for excellence in his work, believing that art reaches its highest form with a combination of high skill, personal vision, and idealized form. Born and raised in Montana, he has always had a deep respect for nature, and seeks to show his appreciation for it through his work. Standing on a firm ground of time-tested techniques has enabled Zac to create proficient work while continuing evolve and grow as an artist.

Zac’s work has been featured in Southwest art Magazine’s “21 under 31” 2015 emerging artist feature. You can also find his work in national group shows for Oil Painters of America and American Impressionist Society. He is currently represented by Meyer Gallery in Park City, UT and Jack Meier Gallery in Houston, TX.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

All info/images via ElletsonFineArt.com  and the artist’s social media – used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

 

Lana Ballot. Whoa! Impressive pastel paintings – I found Lana while perusing Instagram. Wonderful paintings, each and every one. The wave paintings capture the very essence of the sea – and those gorgeous colors – I like how you can see the light coming right through… It’s easy to see why this painting won an award!

See more of Lana’s work via these links:

Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Blog  | Workshops

Read a bit about Lana, from her website:

I majored in Studio Arts at Stony Brook University, NY. After graduation I worked as a web designer, while studying painting further on my own. Always being fascinated by nature, I made landscape my main subject. After I discovered pastels as a perfect plein air medium, I often spent my free time painting outdoors. Although this early plein air work did not result in a lot of finished paintings, it proved to be an invaluable experience in developing the ability to see how color, light and atmosphere affect each other in different times of day or season. With this knowledge and feel for the landscape around me, I am trying to capture the beauty of nature whether it’s a magnificent display of colors in the sunset sky or a quiet winter scene…

I am happy to live on Long Island, NY where I can paint my favorite subjects – ocean, harbors, beaches and anything that provides me with inspiration.

I teach pastel painting in newly opened Atelier in Flowerfield, St James, NY.

I’m a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America.

Click HERE to read more!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

All images via LanaBallot.com, used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Steven S. Walker. An incredible artist that I featured back in 2014  (a brilliant nocturne that was also the winner of Plein Air Salon’s “Best Nocturne” – I couldn’t agree more). His paintings are so special – just look at this one above – how beautiful he captured the light, that magical light in the trees, grass, shrubs and a hint of it on the fabulous house in the distance.

I AM CRAZY about the trees he is painting, from a unique angle – LOOKING UP! Check out his FB/Instagram to see what I mean. Whoa! Nice guy, fabulous artist –

See more of Steven’s work via these links:

Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Book!

Read a bit about Steven, from his website:

“I didn’t come from a family of artists, I wasn’t top of my class or win a lot of awards but I’ve always had a strong work ethic and the passion to work on my craft.”

Born in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and raised in Richmond, Virginia he discovered his love for art at a very early age. With little interest in anything else, Steven took the next big step towards his pursuit of a career in art when he earned his bachelor’s degree in fine arts at Virginia Commonwealth University. He would later earn his masters in fine arts from Marywood University, where he also met his wife/ fellow artist Evelyn.

Instant success was not in the cards as Steven continued showing at a string of coffee shops, libraries and other businesses. Eventually his hard work paid off with a few local awards that soon caught the attention of two gallery owners. Since his venture into gallery life, his landscapes have been well received by collectors as his paintings are part of several private collections such as Airstream Inc., Hilton Hotels, the Boy Scouts of America, Dominion Resources, Virginia State Department, the National Parks Service, the Columbus Convention Center and the United States Air Force.

Since going full time as an artist in 2008, Steven has been included in several local and national juried competitions including the Richeson 75 Landscape Competition, Plein Air Salon, the International Salon Competition, the Oil Painters of America Salon and the Art Renewal Center. Steven also had the privilege of being a part of a statewide traveling exhibition with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

He has participated in several artist in residency programs in Michigan, Indiana, Iowa and Colorado. In 2014, he was selected to create the Ohio Governor’s Art Awards by the Ohio Arts Council and in 2015 he received honorable mention in the Southwest Art Magazine’s Artistic Excellence Competition.

Steven currently resides in Hahira, Georgia where he continues to work hard on the advancement of his career, with the assistance of his lovely wife Evelyn and studio assistant/daughter Poppy. Currently, his work is represented in Kentucky, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Oklahoma and Washington, D.C.

“I should have quit years ago but that would have proven so many people right.” – SW

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

All images via StevenWalkerStudios.com, used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Teddi Parker. This woman paints such fun and interesting paintings. I love her paintings of bees (as well as every other subject!). This painting has a fabulous abstract background – the bees are lively and bright – and Interesting! Be sure to read her bio – (It’s fabulous!) I usually try to feature available pieces but it looks like Teddi’s work sells pretty quickly on Daily Paintworks (check link below) – she paints often, so be sure to check today and check back often!

As a side note: This painting also gave me the chance to say how much we NEED to help save the bees! 🐝🐝🐝  SaveBees.org has some good ideas on how you can help!

See more of Teddi’s work via these links:

Instagram  |  Daily Paintworks

Read a bit about Teddi, from her website (I love this – you get a great sense of who Teddi is via this bio – great sense of humor):

Here’s what I hang on walls next to shows (well edited by my husband) :

My passion for painting started at a young age and was greatly encouraged by my family throughout my early life. With this foundation in place, I began to experiment and learn new techniques over the course of the semester I studied Spanish in Argentina. While living in Buenos Aires, I purchased canvasses and paints and then carried the finished paintings through the subway system by hand.  Just imagine that for a minute. ::wink::

 

Through the gracious advice and critique of my pen-pal mentor, I am now making up for the lack of formal artistic training in my past and am currently learning how to better evoke emotion through vibrant use of color.

What started out simply as a hobby (and a means to cover the empty walls of my friends’ apartments) has sprouted into a discovery of the power of beauty through painting. I love Jesus, and that is what gives me the confidence to approach a fresh, empty canvass and bring it to life. After all, he’s the real creator of beauty.

Here’s what I actually sound like:

My husband and I live in Fort Collins, CO.  I moved out here from Minnesota to go to school for Spanish, and still love everything about languages but have pursued expressing creativity and embracing the need to create more and more.  My whole family is creative and right-brained, so I really enjoy being married to a left-brained engineer to keep things organized and business-y.  Thanks Love.

I recently discovered the online community of artists at the Daily Paintworks website and have been floored with inspiration ever since.  The site is full of artists from everywhere and they are committed to doing a small painting everyday > and here’s my new conviction.  It hit me fresh how any skill is like learning to play an instrument, you need to practice.  So after all this hesitation and resistance I’m diving in.  Follow my adventure here as I post new paintings (almost) daily with hopefully a blurb of thoughts.  My hope through this daily painting venture is to improve my skills in capturing a unified piece using minimal and well placed brush strokes, better understand color theory through practice, and experiment with composition.  I admire the suggestive-ness of the many artists that inspire me lately, and hope to incorporate this into my work.

Enjoy!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

All images via TeddiParker.com (I couldn’t access this site, you may have better luck, or use her DailyPaintworks link), used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.

Links updated 2/7/25

Adam Clague. Wow. His paintings are so incredible – just look at the light coming through the grapefruit section! Is that not crazy good?  It looks like you can reach into the painting and pick it up. Adam paints pretty much everything – fabulous portraits, landscapes and still life’s. Beautiful website as well!

See more of Adam’s work via these links:

Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Blog

Read a bit about Adam, from his website:

Adam Clague has a passion for faithfully capturing the beauty of God’s creation in paint. Adam paints in an impressionistic manner and works from life as much as possible to produce the most life-like results.

The artist received a Master of Fine Arts degree from Pensacola Christian College. It was during his studies that Adam met his wife and fellow painter, Andrea Orr Clague. The couple now lives near Kansas City, Missouri and enjoys pursuing art together.

Adam is a Signature Member of the Oil Painters of America and a director for the Missouri Valley Impressionist Society. In 2012, he was included in Southwest Art Magazine’s annual “21 Under 31” feature. His work has also been published in Artists On Art and Pratique Des Arts magazines. Adam’s work has received national awards, including the Portraiture Award of Excellence at the 2013 OPA National Exhibition, 2nd Honor Award at the 2014 Portrait Society of America International Competition, and Best of Show at the 2016 American Impressionist Society National Exhibition. Adam enjoys sharing what he has learned by teaching regular workshops to a growing audience.

Adam’s goal is to create art that edifies his viewers and directs them upward. He strives to share the beauty he sees with others and seeks to glorify the Lord through his work and life.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

All images via AdamClague.com, used with permission…

Images are not for reproduction, they are property of the artist.