Archives for 2026 July-August Issue

The Nostalgic West

The Nostalgic West

June 9, 2026 | by

  A trip to the principal’s office in first grade might have been the catalyst that pushed Dennis Ziemienski toward art. When he drew a full wine glass next to a bottle, his principal called his parents in for two reasons: One, he worried Ziemienski might be “imbibing” at home, given the adult subject matter. Two, the principal, who was also an artist, noticed that the child had correctly drawn the top of his wine glass as an ellipse. The kid could already render complex visual perspectives instead of simple outlines. “Let this kid go into art, because he has
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Ink, Oil, and Graphite

Ink, Oil, and Graphite

June 9, 2026 | by

  You would think that having parents who are successful artists would naturally set their offspring on a path leading directly to fine art. Not so if that offspring is Maia Chavez Larkin. “I was certain that I would never be an artist, because it seemed like a tough way to make a living,” she says. “I thought it also meant being nervous about finances. It seemed like a hard life and a tough way to make a living. I thought I’d have a real job.” After years of working as an illustrator, four years ago Larkin became what she
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Wildlife With a Twist

Wildlife With a Twist

June 9, 2026 | by

  About 10 years ago, after painting portraits for more than 20 years, Georgia-based artist Lisa Gleim needed a change. She found what she wanted when she and her oncologist husband Bill Jonas bought a vacation home in Big Sky, Montana. While there, she spent days photographing bears at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, a sanctuary for bears and wolves that for various reasons wouldn’t survive in the wild, and taking in the mountain scenery. That visit made a profound impression on her and kickstarted a change in her subject matter. “I was gobsmacked, being right there, not far
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Fresh Mind, Fresh Eyes

Fresh Mind, Fresh Eyes

June 9, 2026 | by

  You might not recognize Simon Lok’s name, but you have almost certainly seen his work. If you watched any of Disney’s animated feature films in the late 1990s and early 2000s—“Mulan,” “Atlantis: The Lost Empire,” “Brother Bear,” or “The Princess and the Frog” to name just a few—you’re familiar with his use of color, light, and landscape to create a vivid and memorable palette and setting for those films’ characters and their adventures. Lok, who is listed in those films’ credits as Sai Ping Lok, was freshly graduated from art school at California State Long Beach when Disney hired
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The Color Connection

The Color Connection

June 9, 2026 | by

Once the gate opened, Jessica Garrett-Lawrence ran through it like a wild bronco. Less than a year after she started to paint seriously, galleries began to take on—and sell—her work. One of those galleries was in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where almost a dozen of her paintings sold in just six weeks. It’s not surprising that her vibrant landscapes caught the attention of gallery owners and collectors so quickly. Garrett-Lawrence portrays nature in all its glory, from aspen trees, mountains, and streams to sunrises, sunsets, and moonrises. She paints flowers, up close and personal, as well as an occasional still
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The Studio of Susie Hyer

The Studio of Susie Hyer

June 9, 2026 | by

  Tucked amid a ponderosa pine forest in Evergreen, Colorado, Susie Hyer’s studio is nestled into the side of one of the forest’s prolific hills. Built next to her house, the 900-square-foot structure, she says, “is large enough to have a square dance in, if I moved everything else out. We built it so that, if we ever sell the property, it could be modified for a mother-in-law apartment, but for now it has no water or bathroom.” Hyer and her husband Jeff built the studio after she outgrew the renovated two-car garage where she had worked. In the past,
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Collaborating With Clay

Collaborating With Clay

June 9, 2026 | by

  The first time Chris Youngblood and Jennifer Tafoya collaborated on a piece of pottery, Youngblood finished his work two days before the art show that would feature it. That left Tafoya with fewer than 48 hours to complete her part of the project. Youngblood had created the clay vessel and then worked with Tafoya to create the design, which he carved into the clay before polishing it and firing it. “I didn’t fully understand what it would take for her to do her part,” he says somewhat sheepishly. Tafoya does most of her work after the firing is complete.
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Paying Tribute to the Statue of Liberty

Paying Tribute to the Statue of Liberty

June 9, 2026 | by

  Some works of art are immediately identifiable throughout the world. A few that come to mind are Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, Michelangelo’s David, Alexandros of Antioch’s Venus de Milo, and Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker. Another one we can add to that list is the Statue of Liberty, a magnificent work of art that is known throughout the world as a symbol of freedom and democracy. Designed by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, the Statue of Liberty took 10 years to create—from 1876 to 1886. It was assembled in Paris, then disassembled into 350 pieces, packed into 214
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