artists who inspire.

Encounter , 2008-09 Late Visitors , 2017 Lay-by , 2007 Theme Park Patron , 2014 Short Cut , 2006 Paul Fenniak is a Canadian artist born in 1965 whose eerie portrait scenes characterize his style. He skillfully uses lighting and expression to set this ambiguous mood--with these tactics, he can even make an amusement park scene look dark. I love his style and his muted palette and his ability to render. Check out more of his stuff on his website !

Jeffrey T. Larson is a Minnesota-born artist who specializes in realistic portrait paintings. I absolutely love his ability to paint light. I specifically chose pieces of his with light and fabric in them, because I think they are stunning! Light and fabric, I think are two of the most challenging things to make convincing when painting, so I applaud him. Learn more about him on his website, and check out the links to his art. 

2016 How to Hold Baby   In Their Image , 2017 Leaning on a Mother She Gave Him the Mountains and He Gave Her the City, 2018 Us With Them and Them With Us , 2017 Caitlin Connolly is a young, Utah-based artist, and she is one of my very all-time favorite artists. I love her concepts of womanhood, motherhood, religion, family, spousal love, fertility. Her figures are uniquely hers, with motifs like triangle dresses and large feet. Her color palettes and oil painting textures are beautiful. Basically, she is everything I want to be as an artist! I just included a few paintings that I love, but please check out all her work on her website!

Breath of Life (From the Dust) Every Knee Shall Bow , 2008 On Equal Pedestals , 2016 Angel of Empathy , 2013 Sanctuary , 2016 J. Kirk Richards is one of my favorite Latter-day Saint artists because of the way he uses texture and earth tones, and how he is able to portray so much emotion even when many, if not most of his figures are faceless. I really resonate with his themes and concepts, and I think all of his work is just beautiful. Please check out more of his art on his website .

Untitled (Study for Tondus enclosure zoo, Onomatopoeia) , 2016   Untitled (It Means it Means; Beuys, Square Gasket) , 2013-2015 Untitled (Kids Playing on Raft) , 2015  Untitled (Itinerants Waiting for Labour Exchange to be Open) , 2017 Charles Avery is a Scottish artist who, as part of his artistic endeavors, has created an imaginary place known as "The Island" and within it, the town "Onomatopoeia." This idea sets the stage for a lot of his art, which I think is such a fascinating concept! Apart from that, I love his limited palettes, the way he can portray expression using minimal marks, and how he can successfully include many, many figures in a single drawing without making it feel too busy or overwhelming. I will be taking some notes from him on how to accomplish group portraits! To learn more about him and to check out more of his art, check out this website .

Caelum 18 Quidam 11, Time Reveals Truth Caelum 52 Quidam 43, To Wander Through Caelum 2 Jylian Gustlin, native to California, simply blows me away with her figure art. Everything about her style I love! The bright colors, the carefully chosen palettes, the loose lines, the expressive figures, the beautiful textures in the paint. I would love to practice some figure art in her style to help me find my own way of using color/texture/line effectively. I only included a few from two of her series called "Quidam" and "Caelum" in this post, but she has many others that are just as stunning. Please, please check them out at her website !

Barry McGee, born in 1966, is a painter and graffiti artist who is characterized by his stylized, grotesque figures. I really love his bright colors and his line work. I also love his attitude about how graffiti is art--he finds beauty and purpose in things that people traditionally reject.To see more of his work and watch some videos about him, go to this website. To read this touching article about his late wife, Margaret Kilgallen, their daughter, and his second wife Clare Rojas, go here .

Margaret Kilgallen (1967-2001) specializes in printmaking, painting, and graffiti work. Her stylized figures, her ability to arrange multiple images together to create a cohesive whole, her creative mind, and her ability to find art in unlikely places are admirable. She is not only one of my favorite artists, but one of my favorite people as well. She died when she was just 33, because she decided to forego chemotherapy for her cancer in order to carry her unborn baby to full term. She's honestly one of my heroes. Please check out her work and some videos about her and her artist husband Barry McGee at this website . Margaret Kilgallen (photo from Art21 ) Margaret Kilgallen (photo from The New Yorker )

Something Split and New , 2013  Dwell: Aso Ebi , 2017  5 Umezebi St. New Haven Enugu , 2012 When the Going is Smooth and Good , 2017 "The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born" Might Not Hold True for Much Longer , 2013 Njideka Akunyili Crosby was born in 1983 in Nigeria, and explores themes of living in two worlds/cultures (Nigeria and America). She uses collage, paint, and photo-transfer to create her visually stunning images. I absolutely love her style! The color palettes are beautiful and engaging, and the photo/collage elements give it life without making it too busy. Her titles are ambiguous and intriguing, as well. Hers is a style I would love to emulate, and collage painting is something that has just recently sparked my interest in my own work. Please check out more of her work on her website !

Illegal Alien's Guide to the Theory of Surplus Value , 2009   Elvis Meets the Virgin of Guadalupe , 1994   100% Product Oriented Liberty Club #2 , 2006 Untitled Blue Man , 1996 Mexican-American artist Enrique Chagoya tackles concepts of corruption, politics, and controversy in his mixed-media paintings and prints. He has a distinct style and a way of mark-making that I love. His work all feels very charged and opinionated, which I love, because to me, one of the roles an artist assumes is bringing to light things in society that need to change. To check out more of Chagoya's work, check out this website .