1. James W. Leslie

Artist Statement:
As a young boy I spent my summer days hiking through the woods, cooling off in the local swimming holes, working on the neighborhood farms, and taking in the beauty of the land. My painting seeks to capture the feeling I had from those care-free days. I am intrigued by the visual sensation that Mother Nature offers through color, light, and atmosphere. Here in Northeast Ohio, across the country, or abroad, I chase the elegance that is within each landscape I encounter. Paint on canvas has been my vehicle to capture this joy that has been with me since my youth. I love the feel and smell of oil paint applied to canvas and am intrigued by the endless possibilities to capture this beauty before my eyes. A beauty that still sparkles from the days of my youth.

Bio:
James W. Leslie began his artistic journey growing up along the Connecticut River Valley in the rural town of Glastonbury. At a young age, he fell in love exploring and working the fertile farmlands of livestock, tobacco, and corn in the lower valleys to the fruit orchards of the higher hills. His desire to capture and express how nature made him feel would become a life-long passion. Fueled by an early exposure of French Impressionism and American Landscape Painting, he began to express the rural images of his hometown through painting. Intrigued by the ever-changing light and color, he set out to create two-dimensional works that reflected the beauty of the landscapes he discovered. James earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and ceramics at Colorado State University and The Ohio State University. Upon graduation, he began his career in the gallery and art show circuit traveling nationwide and abroad teaching and conducting workshops. He furthered his studies at Kent State University, earning a Master of Fine Art. Residing in Northeast Ohio for the past twenty years, James continually seeks the beauty of the sunlit landscapes of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Metro Parks, surrounding areas, and beyond. His passion is always to capture the expression of his subjects with paint and canvas and continues to travel for inspiration creating daily on location and from his studio in Akron, Ohio.

2. Dan Lindner

Artist Statement:
After my first visit to see the Guardians I knew I had to do a painting of one.

Bio:
I took up painting relatively late, in my early 30s. I am an Emeritus member of the Akron Society of Artists. I have been a member for over 30 years, and also one of the early founding members of the Artists of Group Ten. My career as a design Engineer at Goodyear Tire helped to form my artistic point of view and you can see that influence in my work.

3. Judy Gaiser

Artist Statement:
This work was painted during a 3 hour portrait model session sponsored by Akron Society of Artists. The model was experiencing the start of a migraine headache.

Bio:
I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and was fortunate to have access to the Cleveland Museum of Art programs and exhibits. My formal training in the fine arts came through the Cleveland Institute of Art, Capital University( BA )and Case Western Reserve University(MA). I have been employed by various school systems teaching high school Art, Speech and English. I received the National Art Foundation award for Artist as Teacher. 1998. I think of my works as poetic expressions of my mental state. Art has been a lifetime outlet for my emotions and observations. I create the majority of my compositions in my mind and others are based on the manipulation of reality.

James W. Leslie began his artistic journey growing up along the Connecticut River Valley in the rural town of Glastonbury. At a young age, he fell in love exploring and working the fertile farmlands of livestock, tobacco, and corn in the lower valleys to the fruit orchards of the higher hills. His desire to capture and express how nature made him feel would become a life-long passion. Fueled by an early exposure of French Impressionism and American Landscape Painting, he began to express the rural images of his hometown through painting. Intrigued by the ever-changing light and color, he set out to create two-dimensional works that reflected the beauty of the landscapes he discovered. James earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and ceramics at Colorado State University and The Ohio State University. Upon graduation, he began his career in the gallery and art show circuit traveling nationwide and abroad teaching and conducting workshops. He furthered his studies at Kent State University, earning a Master of Fine Art. Residing in Northeast Ohio for the past twenty years, James continually seeks the beauty of the sunlit landscapes of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Metro Parks, surrounding areas, and beyond. His passion is always to capture the expression of his subjects with paint and canvas and continues to travel for inspiration creating daily on location and from his studio in Akron, Ohio.

11. Tina Grondin

Artist Statement:
Reaching Beyond is my newest painting. It is an exploration in finding new processes adapted to diminish my struggles with vision loss while still fulfilling my creative spirit. I constructed the painting one layer at a time, limiting the number of colors. I focused on using simple large shapes to create the structure and objects in the space. Warm and cool, dark and light color was alternated to push and pull figure ground relationships. Finally my scribbled gesture was added for its expressive qualities. I wanted the work to feel open and free. This landscape must have been inspired by places I’ve explored; dunes, mountains, waterways and vast open spaces. I wanted my process to reflect the act of seeking new places beyond what was familiar, beyond the horizon. It is an abstraction of landscape which has no specific named objects, only indications of what might be. It is a representation of obstacles encountered in a space. It also is an expression of the delicate beauty of a fragile world wanting to be seen and explored in one’s own way.

Bio:
I feel very fortunate to be able to make and share my art professionally. Prior to focusing on my own artmaking abilities, I worked as an art educator. I have been a member of several arts organizations including the Artists of Group Ten. I participate in selected and juried exhibitions throughout N.E. Ohio. I have been honored to receive recognition for my art, whether by a jury or grandchild. My work is inspired by the places I’ve been, real or imagined. It may also be intwined with current conditions; the intoxication of a new Spring, the disturbing climate of politics, a sense of peace or unrest of anxiety. These cannot be concealed from the spirit from where I create. My construction of place is purely abstract. Forms, line, color, pattern are manipulated to recall a feeling of my presence within a space. The specific representation is is dependent on the viewer’s reflection. As no two people see the world or experience their place in it in the same way, no two will arrive at the same interpretation of my vision of the places I create.

12. Marianne Hite

Artist Statement: 
Working with glass has kept my interest over the years, especially when I began incorporating dichroic glass, metal foils, and glass paints into my work. This allows me to express details I could not previously achieve within the medium. Through these techniques, I can make abstract images illuminated from within or take images of nature and animate them in my artwork. Introducing new materials into my creations often yields unexpected and fascinating results, which is a thrill of being a glass artist. My figurative pieces range from maquettes to life-size figures. When light is emitted through glass, it lends a certain quality to the piece that nothing else can duplicate. Moreover, the effects of heat, timing, and gravity ensure each piece its own identity. Dabbling with intriguing materials sparks my interest and imagination, which keeps me motivated. I love making art because I can connect directly with others in a visual manner, and I hope my work evokes the same inspiration I feel while I am creating it.

13. Gwen Waight

Artist Statement: 
This piece is a found object assemblage using complimentary materials to create a kind of volleying effect as in a tennis match. It also get it title from a Frank Turner song where he states ‘I’m love -40 down’ the next line say ‘ but I’m going to turn this thing around!’ So I see this piece as a way to express my feelings about being down but making a comeback.

Bio:
My studio is in Peninsula, Ohio in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. I have resided and worked in Ohio for 21years. I received my degree from the University of Iowa in sculpture and worked in my dad’s ceramic studio for ten years. It was in my father’s studio that I learned my appreciation of three-dimensional space. It was also my dad’s non-sentimental nature of tossing/ burning all things deemed unnecessary clutter that rooted my deep need to covet and collect almost everything. With found objects and assemblage I truly discovered my voice. The objects I lean towards always seem to have lived and have a story to tell….some objects are complete memories for me and just as a writer will string words together to create a work I assemble objects to create my art. I love the fact that like words, smells and colors; objects hold meaning and memories. The wonderful thing is that sometimes the viewer has similar or completely different ones than my own. I feel that found object assemblage is just like painting in 3D or perhaps, collaging. Often in my studio I will have three or four different pieces going at the same time. I start sometimes with an idea first and search for the objects that are going to express that idea or I start with an object or several objects that shout so loudly that they need to be together.

14. John P. Smolko

Artist Statement:
The Beast is an expressive portrait of a very talented and physical young man who is dedicated to his high school wrestling team. The energy and concentration of this athlete is portrayed in color and line. The expression on his face is serious and determined.

15. Carolyn Lewis

Bio:
The art of Carolyn Lewis is inspired by nature, wildlife, and people. It is sensitive without being overly sentimental. Her commissioned portraits of individuals and animals, and her powerful landscapes, are steadily gaining acclaim in national art circles. She has been teaching classes for over 30 years and frequently teaches plein air painting workshops in the Great Lakes region, other states, and in Italy. Carolyn’s portraits include benefactors, lawyers, CEOs and clergy. Along with several solo exhibitions, Carolyn Lewis has been selected to exhibit in many local, regional and national art competitions. Some of these include the Virtuosos of the OPA Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, New York, NY, Ohio Plein Air Society National Competitions, Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters , the Carmel Art Festival Invitational Competition, and the Plein Air Tucson Invitational. Carolyn also participated in the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club National Exhibition, New York, ViewPoint National, Cincinnati Art Club, the Akron Society of Artists’ Grand Exhibition, National Oil & Acrylic Painters Society Annual, Oil Painters of America Annual and the OPA Midwestern Regional; the American Impressionists Society as well as many other local exhibitions. She is the author of Land and Light Workshop, Painting Mood and Atmosphere in Oils by North Light Books, and an accompanying video/DVD entitled Painting Mood and Atmosphere in Oils by Teaching Art, Ltd.

16. Dan Lindner

Artist Statement:
I was asked to do a series of paintings for a commission for one of my collector friends. Her father owned the original truck and it was passed on to her and her family. They were selling the truck and wanted some paintings to commemorate it. Two of the three paintings I did for the commission sold. Although this painting was not selected I am pleased to have it as my memento of the pleasant experience.

Bio:
I took up painting relatively late, in my early 30s. I am an Emeritus member of the Akron Society of Artists. I have been a member for over 30 years, and also one of the early founding members of the Artists of Group Ten. My career as a design Engineer at Goodyear Tire helped to form my artistic point of view and you can see that influence in my work.

17. Mary Mosyjowsky

18. Jana Volkmer

Artist Statement:
The saying goes “There is nothing new under the Sun”. Therefore it’s a challenge to put your spin your insight into the piece.

Bio:
Compelled to create.

19. Mary Mosyjowsky

20. Jana Volkmer

Artist Statement:
The subjects we choose can require the artist to develop skills that enable us to capture quickly moments in time. In there lies the challenge and the fun.

Bio:
Compelled to create.

21. Helen Wilson

Artist Statement:
This mixed media piece utilized Yupo paper in order to create abstract mono-prints that I then cut up and created a piece that spoke to me of the freedom and wonder found in a botanical garden.

22. Helen Wilson

Artist Statement:
This piece, Winter Days, is a part of my current Winter into Spring series. Living on the edge of the woods I am always inspired by the dull and greyed colors of Winter. This collage attempts to show the glory to be found in an ordinary dark and cold Winter’s Day.

23. Carol Klingel

24. Dan Lindner

Artist Statement:
This is a river scene in western Vermont which I experienced on a one week bicycle trip through the Green Mountains of Vermont and the White Mountains of New Hampshire. This painting takes me back in time to that glorious morning and the wonderful feeling I had there that morning long ago.

Bio:
I took up painting relatively late, in my early 30s. I am an Emeritus member of the Akron Society of Artists. I have been a member for over 30 years, and also one of the early founding members of the Artists of Group Ten. My career as a design Engineer at Goodyear Tire helped to form my artistic point of view and you can see that influence in my work.

25. Carolyn Lewis

Artist Statement:
The moss on the rocks and trees caught my attention against the misty background from a scene in the northwestern US.

Bio:
The art of Carolyn Lewis is inspired by nature, wildlife, and people. It is sensitive without being overly sentimental. Her commissioned portraits of individuals and animals, and her powerful landscapes, are steadily gaining acclaim in national art circles. She has been teaching classes for over 30 years and frequently teaches plein air painting workshops in the Great Lakes region, other states, and in Italy. Carolyn’s portraits include benefactors, lawyers, CEOs and clergy. Along with several solo exhibitions, Carolyn Lewis has been selected to exhibit in many local, regional and national art competitions. Some of these include the Virtuosos of the OPA Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, New York, NY, Ohio Plein Air Society National Competitions, Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters , the Carmel Art Festival Invitational Competition, and the Plein Air Tucson Invitational. Carolyn also participated in the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club National Exhibition, New York, ViewPoint National, Cincinnati Art Club, the Akron Society of Artists’ Grand Exhibition, National Oil & Acrylic Painters Society Annual, Oil Painters of America Annual and the OPA Midwestern Regional; the American Impressionists Society as well as many other local exhibitions. She is the author of Land and Light Workshop, Painting Mood and Atmosphere in Oils by North Light Books, and an accompanying video/DVD entitled Painting Mood and Atmosphere in Oils by Teaching Art, Ltd.

26. Jana Volkmer

Artist Statement:
Compelled to capture the world through artistic representation.

Bio:
Compelled to create.

27. Tina Grondin

Artist Statement: 
The original artwork came from an earlier series inspired by war images which filled newspapers, and the media. It was created from graphite sticks and powder bound together. I wanted to add life and hope to this tall piece that was dominated by a hazy sky. The blue-green and yellow oil paint were applied as lines and forms of movement. The color adds life and and a feeling of playfulness. The image can be viewed in many ways as a landscape. It is both structured and chaotic. It looks powerful but fragile. Perhaps is some where suspended in time. It is a question of what is and what could be. It could be real, a dream or a nightmare.

Bio:
I feel very fortunate to be able to make and share my art professionally. Prior to focusing on my own artmaking abilities, I worked as an art educator. I have been a member of several arts organizations including the Artists of Group Ten. I participate in selected and juried exhibitions throughout N.E. Ohio. I have been honored to receive recognition for my art, whether by a jury or grandchild. My work is inspired by the places I’ve been, real or imagined. It may also be intwined with current conditions; the intoxication of a new Spring, the disturbing climate of politics, a sense of peace or unrest of anxiety. These cannot be concealed from the spirit from where I create. My construction of place is purely abstract. Forms, line, color, pattern are manipulated to recall a feeling of my presence within a space. The specific representation is is dependent on the viewer’s reflection. As no two people see the world or experience their place in it in the same way, no two will arrive at the same interpretation of my vision of the places I create.

28. Mary Mosyjowsky

29. William Peck

Artist Statement:
This work was inspired by the yard irrigation runoff patterns in a Texas neighborhood. The colors and flowing shapes were visually interesting. The texture underlying the paint (Geon 90) is a vinyl granular material that simulates sand without the weight factor.

Bio:
Bill Peck is a retired art teacher who continues to be involved in art education and art production. His paintings and drawings have been exhibited in juried art shows in the northern Ohio area. His work consists mainly of two types: paintings and colored pencil drawings. The paintings are almost exclusively landscapes and related still lifes in oil and acrylic. These paintings are responses to personal experiences and observations. The colored pencil drawings tend to be more intuitive and come from a wider range of stimuli. They are done on a plaster-like material that allows for a variety of levels, surfaces, textures, and finishes. It can be shaped, molded, sanded and tooled. In addition to his paintings and drawings, Bill is a volunteer docent at the Cleveland Museum of Art where he enjoys introducing visitors, young and old alike, to its exciting collection. He conducts school tours, general public tours and special exhibition tours.

30. Carol Klingel

31. Judy Gaiser

Artist Statement:
With the worry of world pollution and planet health constantly looming, I created this work. I posed myself in reflective mirrors, and painted my concerns for air ( the upper part of painting) and water ( lower portion). As the painting developed, I added equations, tubing, designs and critters. As in any mentally conceived composition, the brush is under its own control.

Bio:
I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and was fortunate to have access to the Cleveland Museum of Art programs and exhibits. My formal training in the fine arts came through the Cleveland Institute of Art, Capital University( BA )and Case Western Reserve University(MA). I have been employed by various school systems teaching high school Art, Speech and English. I received the National Art Foundation award for Artist as Teacher. 1998. I think of my works as poetic expressions of my mental state. Art has been a lifetime outlet for my emotions and observations. I create the majority of my compositions in my mind and others are based on the manipulation of reality.