b.1972 Dave Thompson’s creative practice is shaped by “a sense of humor, nature, science, and engineering.” This is evident in the complicated narratives Thompson weaves with strands of word play, puns, symbolism and irony. His messaging runs the gamut of personal, social and external. “I’ve created, at least in the time I’ve been going to […]
Ariée (also known as Aria Carter) was born in 1995 and currently resides in Evanston. With a singular vision and zeal for fashion, her artwork is rife with haute couture references interspersed with youthful, pop culture iconography. Her compositions construct narratives around this unexpected juxtaposition of high and low-brow cultural fixtures. Ariée works with complete
b.1994 Jessica Dilay works methodically, considering color interactions by laying different hues of watercolor medium on a variety of substrates. “I painted red and white for pink. I paint the flowers. I used red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.” Dilay vacillates between abstract and representational with subject matter that ranges from human, botanics and
Born in 1972, Brian Reed’s art practice is guided by his inquisitive nature. The contemplative quality of his artwork extends a feeling of intimacy to the viewer, as we observe the result of his exploration of the people who inspire him and the animals that intrigue him. Reed experiments fearlessly with materials and continually welcomes
Born in Ontario, Canada, Kelly spent a part of his childhood on a farm in Tennessee before settling into Chicago. Still a man of nature, Kelly enjoys writing songs and creating drawings embodying his love of plants and animals. Kelly has been a professional artist for more than twenty years at The Arts of Life
I love making art beautiful. I paint EVERYTHING! Like Christmas wreaths, shamrocks, pictures of the beach. Like Halloween pumpkins, ghosts that say boo and witches! Like a little flower garden. Pictures of mountains and hot tubs. Paint a beach, like a palm tree. I hate blood and hippopotamuses. I don’t make mummies. I do it
Chris Viau was born in 1977 and currently resides in the city of Evanston. Chris’ work straddles the line between abstract and representational. This is due to his planned, yet dynamic, brush and line work. Upon first glance one sees a blend of colors and textures that reveal themselves as lush landscapes or weathered coastlines.
Born in 1979, Danny Frownfelter continually maintains a zealous and independently driven art practice. Inspired by dramatic narratives, his subject matter often explores dichotomies of religion and the destructive forces of super villains. His flair for the theatrical is realized using high contrast, bold brushstrokes and subjects gazing directly at the viewer. Frownfelter’s sketching practice
My favorite thing about being an artist is getting to be creative. And earning a considerable amount of money for working as an artist. I make people like celebrities and criminals. I’m doing something I’ve never done before – a comic. It’s fun and challenging. Creating the storyline is the most fun. It’s hard thinking
Art inspires me to do nice work and that makes me happy. I like to make art because I think it’s interesting and it’s cool. When I’m at Arts of Life, I like to use paint, oil pastels, crayons and colored pencils. It’s interesting and fun to draw nature, animals, people and buildings. First, I
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