Artist Profile: Paula Allen

Illustrator and poet Paula Allen, was born in Watertown, NY as the granddaughter of Italian and Russian Immigrants. Paula's early years were spent living on the St. Lawrence River in upstate New York. Paula moved to Florida 10 years ago from New York state. Her life has been dedicated to the education of children in the arts.

A former public and private school art and drama teacher, Paula has always worked with students while having her own professional career as an artist. Currently the director of the Children's Gallery at the Children's Board of Hillsborough County, Paula created an international mural exchange in 2008 with the Children's Museum in Amman Jordan. Paula's own illustrations and paintings were in international galleries in Tokyo and London in 2008. Additionally, she was nominated Woman of the Year in Community Service in 2008 by the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce.

Paula created Pollyzoom LLC in 2005 which is the name for her Art and her performance artworks. You can view her work at www.pollyzoom.com

Artist Profile: Dylan Marvin

Artist Dylan Marvin's life is a list of non-sequiturs. After growing up in Iowa, Maryland, and Florida, he studied music performance and composition in college, traveled abroad, worked at sea, jumped from planes, studied ikebana, made commercials and websites, fell in love with photography, and landed in St. Pete to play music again and create art, his very first love.

His goal is to draw from his range of interest and add a little absurdity to the world. Dylan is currently procrastinating with several projects, including a graphic novel.

Artist Statement:

I want to bring a smile to your face, sometimes with references to pop culture, oddities, sensuality, horror, or just plain silliness. The detailed approach comes from a background in digital illustration, and I'd like to think it creates a sense of familiarity--something that forces the viewer to put themselves in these worlds. I'm not comfortable with genre labels; "Daydreams" is the only word I've liked so far, since most of the art is born from them.

The final artwork is digital. All pieces start as pencil sketches and evolve from there with the help of magic pixies living inside my computer. The high-quality archival prints are limited runs on matte paper, signed and numbered. Canvas prints can be made to order.

Artist Profile: Bluelucy

Bluelucy is the creative partnership of Chad Mize and Phillip Clark. Together since 2001, we’ve infused our world and our art with love and positivity. Everyday we create toward a clean, vibrant and stylish aesthetic that mirrors our life. Which is why...“Our Life is Our Brand.” The Bluelucy Boys specialize in web development and design, building brands, print and multimedia.

Chad Mize
Born July 1974 · New Orleans, LA
My purpose for creating art is to inspire and uplift the viewer. I consistently saturate my work with colors and concepts that radiate happiness. This originates from my endless desire to produce optimistic imagery in various forms. I find great pleasure in sharing my vision and leaving my mark on modern culture.

Phillip Clark
Born December 1974 · Raleigh, NC
My inspiration for making art comes from an intense appreciation of all life. When I create, I project positive energy into my work. Through many styles and techniques I express ideas that reflect what I love. My message is always clear – Life is precious, dreams are powerful and imagination fuels the future.

Contact Bluelucy at info@bluelucy.net or view more of their work at:

http://www.bluelucy.net/

Artist Profile: Suzanne Williamson

Photographic artist Suzanne Williamson grew up in the northeast and lives in New York City and Tampa, Florida. She has received several fellowships to the pre-eminent artist colonies, MacDowell and Yaddo, and served on the Board of The MacDowell Colony.

Williamson received an award for her pictures of a Midwest drought, published in Ohio magazine. Her photographs, made primarily in black & white, are in museum and private collections, and have been published in American Archaeology, Harpers, Ohio Magazine and Texas Monthly. Currently Williamson is photographing remnants of early history in the Florida landscape for her series, Sacred Land and Shelter.

The Photo Editor of ARTnews magazine until early 2008, Williamson also worked at The New Yorker and Newsweek magazines. Williamson has managed photography galleries and collections in New York City, and was part of a collective that launched a photographic exhibition of the events and our response to 9/11. The show was entitled “Here is New York,” was installed in downtown SoHo, and traveled in the U.S. and overseas. The show came to Tampa and was exhibited at International Plaza. This year Williamson was Director of the 2009 Self Employment in the Arts Conference, a regional artist-led event supporting arts entrepreneurship, held at The University of Tampa.

Contact Suzanne Williamson at swilliamsonphoto@gmail.com or view more of her work at: http://www.suzannewilliamsonphoto.com/.

Artist Profile: Dino D'Taos

Dino on his work and method:

Impression of Surrealism. A street painter & café artist in the tradition of Vango & Pissarro. My interpretations under osmosis of an international peddler’s license. We sell prints and find art on these quaint avenues and sidewalks from Paris to St Pete. "On the curb is a step above the gutter." These are the honest labors of a Saint; a disciple of Dali on his way to bliss. Ever reaching towards that atavistic charm and romance of a poor but happy soul: Lost and in Love with beauty and the grace of here splendors. For angels truly guide my brush, and the good Lord touches my work. Paint Free. Maybe and perhaps the poorest artist in town, but I carry the finest brushes and the richest colors around. May God bless you always.

In addition, a dear friend of Dino published an article about him here.

Artist Profile: Brent Twit

Brent grew up in central Wisconsin and moved to Florida at the age of 18 where he studied Illustration at The Ringling School of Art and Design from 2000-2004. He took multiple illustration courses from which most were angled towards a commercial market. His focus slowly turned towards more of a traditional path, that of the old master painters. After graduation he moved to Florence, Italy where he attended The Florence Academy of Art for two years, and was familiarized with traditional methods of drawing and painting and the understanding of anatomy.

Through observation of nature I strive to capture accurate representation of form and expression, while creating a mood. I see life around us not only as people and objects, but how they are affected by light. It's my goal as an artist to capture these moments with paint.

You can contact Brent at btwit@hotmail.com or view more of his work at:

www.brenttwit.com

Artist Profile: Marina Williams

Born in Saint Petersburg, Florida Marina Williams grew and was inspired by a funky beautiful and smart parental team, Becky and Ken – she (Becky) was from the small town of De Smet of 1100 people and he (Ken) was a Pennsylvania boy who quickly migrated to the Big Apple. By the late 80's Marina was a goofy kid who was proficient in art both visually, and musically. When high school hit her interests in photography matured and by college she was photographing native tribes in Peru and beginning her quest with underwater documentation in places like the great barrier reef in Australia. The adventures and studies in obtaining her BA from New College of Sarasota took her to Valencia Spain for a duration of time and inspired her thesis which included back packing through 8 countries over 4 months pushing her studies in digital photography and photojournalistic style to a new level.

In the summers she lived in New York and interned at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan and assisted at CUE a non-profit gallery in Chelsea. Influenced by vintage style and modern aesthetics, she completed a modern yet classic line of 'Tie Attire' fashion, which was designed for woman out of retro men's neckties. This wearable art collection was presented in addition with her photography in the Fall of 2005 at the Isserman gallery in Sarasota and shown at the Dunedin Fine Art Centers fashion show in 2006 as well as at The Bombshell Gallery, Mirta's Gallery, The Bank and throughout the Tampa Bay area. In 2006 Williams moved to London England to begin her education at the University of East London. In October of 2007 Williams completed her MA in Film and Photography with a photographic video art installation.

She now works as a correspondent photojournalist for the Sarasota Herald Tribune and as a freelance artist. Between photographing weddings, events and live art projects she is currently focusing of celebrating her time in England with a new body of work to honor her time in the Queen's land. The hot bed of London life inspired her to create an eye opening clothing line influenced by the big city itself. Working as both clothing designer and photographer such work is focusing on music, the past, modern existence/the now, the future and love.

You can contact Marina at marina@marinawilliams.com or view more of her work at:

www.marinawilliams.com

Artist Profile: Eric Dodds

I have a Bachelor's in Fine Art from USF (Tampa, 1996) and currently reside in Largo, Florida. I work in oil paints on canvas and my current body of work incorporates my photography, collected and manipulated images, as well as figurative work. My subject matter varies and includes Florida landscape and human form. Three of my recent works were featured on the USA Network TV show "Burn Notice" (Season 1, episode 8 "Wanted Man").

You can contact Eric at http://www.esdodds@tampabay.rr.com or view more of his work at:

http://www.esdodds.com/

Artist Profile: Sara Anderson

Inspired by artists such as Munch, Van Gogh, and Picasso, I have always seen beauty in movement, abstract figures, and vivid colors. As a young girl, I remember watching my mother sit at her easel with endless patience, creating intricate masterpieces with a steady hand and pen. Growing up in an extremely creative household (my mother is an artist and my father is a musician), I was introduced to art and music at a very early age. I began painting as early as my memory serves, learned to play the guitar and viola by age 6, and began writing music by the time I was 12 years old.

I grew up in Northern Michigan, where I spent most of my childhood years. I attended Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI where I obtained my degree in Psychology. After college, I decided that my life needed a major change. My boyfriend returned home from his 4th and final tour to Iraq and we decided to move to paradise, St. Pete! Prior to his return, we spent nearly 8 months apart. Those months were filled with fear, sadness, and longing. You can see a lot of that longing and sadness expressed in my artwork. My work is full of love, but there are also elements of rage. I pour my emotion into every single piece I create. I do not hold back and see my artwork as an extension of myself.

As far as the future is concerned, I hope that my work is someday displayed in galleries across the Tampa Bay area. My advice to other artists? I can only reiterate the words of Rainer Maria Rilke which have inspired me to become the woman and artist I am today;

"Go into yourself and test the deeps in which your life takes rise; at its source you will find the answer to the question whether you must create. Accept it, just as it sounds, without inquiring into it. Perhaps it will turn out that you are called to be an artist. Then take that destiny upon yourself and bear it, its burden and its greatness, without ever asking what recompense might come from outside."

You can contact Sara at andersoncreatv@gmail.com or view more of her work at:

http://www.andersoncreatv.com/