Krzis Lorent

Lorent works with the human figure and typically handles nudes and portraits. His work is very expressionistic, and he uses material and mark making to add interest to his subjects. In my opinion, his work reflects upon his mission statement because he emphasizes the figure in an almost dream-like, fairy tale manner. Lorent is interested in bringing color and action to simple gestures and poses, which is the very reason his work appeals to me.

Belinda Eaton

Contemporary artist Belinda Eaton's work involves paintings and portraits. Her portraits convey interesting people, allowing her final pieces to be portraits that are actually interesting to look at. She places her figures in engaging viewpoints and uses lively color and contrast to bring visual appeal to her very realistic paintings. Eaton uses a lot of decorative print to also enhance her subjects. I'm interested in the way she captures the human figure and brings insight to each of her characters. Her work appeals to me because I become involved with who these figures are as people because of the way she handles her material, compostion, and execution.

Dion Archibald

Mission Statement: Archibald's work is "a personal exploration of the subject and the materials used to create the work." I enjoy Dion Archibald's portraits and other paintings because we have similiar taste in illustration. My work consists of portraits and other drawings involving the human subject, and I most enjoy using watercolor paint to emphasize media and mark making. Archibald's work stays true to his mission statement because his paintings of landscapes, people, and other subjects enhance color, line, composition, and other mark making elements. His work is based upon aesthetic quality.

http:www.dionarchibald.com

Barry McGee

McGee's work focuses on contemporary urban culture through his images and compositions. McGee is a painter, installionist, and graffiti artist that uses his work to communicate to his audience. He paints large scale and his most well known for his iconic image of a male figure with sagging eyes "and a bemused expression." His vibrant colors and patterns automatically draw me into his work. I love the combination of mixed media as well as his illustrative style. His work and process is a lot like his wife's- Margaret Kilgallen.

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Margaret Kilgallen

Like her husband's work, Kilgallen paints large murals directly on walls. I'm interested in her style of drawing and painting- her cartoonish, yet strong figures, the festive color schemes, and the incorporation of text. Kilgallen's work communicates well to the viewer and remains stunning through composition and scale.

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Ralph Steadman

Steadman's illustrations have a loose, sketchy quality with minimal color. His illustrations also sometimes reflect upon the drug-induced characters or settings as well as personal moments in his own life. In my opinion, he's an artist whose individual work stands out as well as the work that contributed to another artist or author's work (in this case Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas).

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Hellovon

The art of Hellovon is so elegant and timeless. His work is heavily influenced by the world of music, fashion and design and is executed with both traditional and contemporary (digital) mark making techniques. His images are "striking and seductive" that speak to the viewer to tell a narrative. His art is handled in a delicate and exquisite manner.

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Hannah Stouffer

Stouffer's illustrations usually depend on heavy line work and the use of contrast of pigment on dark colored paper. Her work is abstract in subject matter and is interesting in pattern, shape, line, and color. To me, her work emphasizes the physical properties of the piece and often will include small images that the viewer is able to recognize and place into a possible narrative.

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Nao Art

Nao Art is a Japanese artist whose style reminds me a lot of Stina Persson's. Her images, often of the female figure, appear to reflect upon fashion, graphic reduction, and patterns. I'm interested in the organic qualities of these figures as well as the vivid colors and sense of abstraction depicted in each composition.

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Simon Pemberton

Pemberton's interest in texture, space, and mark making shine through his illustrative work. Creating his art through paintings, drawing, and collage, Pemberton incorporates found objects and digital media to finalize his work. His subjects and compositions are sophisticated and abstract. They are interesting to me because the viewer is able to determine these works in their own way. The compositions are left to the viewer to make connections with and determine what exactly is being represented.

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Adrian Johnson

Adrian Johnson is a contemporary illustrator whose work emphasizes a cute, graphically reduced style. His subjects are basic in shape, form, and color. His work is identifiable through his use of economical, highly crafted, graphic images that reflect upon current trends and old fashions. His illustrations often include humor and sophistication. His work reminds me of the tv show Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.

http://www.adrianjohnson.org.uk/work

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Lisa Nola/Nathaniel Russel: Listography

I enjoy making lists and doodling images. Listography is a book I've had for a while now that is basically an autobiography in list form. What interests me most about this book though are the quirky, strange illustrations depicted to fit the theme of the page. The listography collection is by Lisa Nola, and the illustrations are drawn by Nathaniel Russell. The book is fabulous- the idea, the structure, and the images.

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Jenny Saville

Saville's idea of capturing a figure that is not within society's standards of beauty is intriguing to me. Her figures typically consist of overweight women, transsexuals, and transvestites. The way Saville handles her paint allows her figures to portray a real sense of flesh. Her paintings are usually of very large scale- emphasizing further the large features of the figure depicted. I admire her painting style and seriously love almost every work she has ever completed.

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Thierry Bisch

Thierry Bisch's drawings and paintings are mesmerizing in both imagery and color. I am very interested in animals so Bisch's work immediately caught my attention. His work is usually of a single portrait of an animal, focused in and cropped to capture the true physical characteristics of the animal. Bisch illustrates fine details within the species, emphasizing its texture. Bisch also provides a harsh but complimenting color to further push the eye appeal of his work.

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Leonid Afremov

I am into the rainbow color scheme that is always present in Afremov's work. He paints with a fine skill and is interested in water, reflection, and nature. Afremov also leaves evident brushstrokes, revealing his painting process. His paintings are so beautiful in color and style.

Walton Ford

Because I work in watercolor, I am drawn to the large scale watercolor paintings of Walton Ford. Ford's work "satirizes the history of colonialism and the impact of slavery and other forms of oppression on today's social and environmental landscape," (pbs.org). I'm interested in nature and animals, 2 subjects that Ford captures within his paintings. His drawing style and techniques are beautiful as well as his somber color palette.

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Mark Bradford

Mark Bradford

Mark Bradford takes objects and materials found on the streets and transforms them into wall-sized collages and installations. I heard about Bradford from the Art 21 series and was instantly drawn to his images and ideas of space and communities. Bradford also uses these materials to create sculptures and prints.

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Eric Fischl

Eric Fischl's paintings always underline something that's just not quite right. What engages me most to his work is the way he captures human beings in their most private moments- it's like being nosey and peeking in on somebody's business when you're just not supposed to.

For the most part, I'd say his paintings usually direct towards sex and teenage adolescence, -that awkward moment we all have at some point in our lives. He also captures the essence of suburban life. I love putting the pieces together to determine what has happened in the image Fischl paints. It makes you go "woah! hey now...wtf."

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Kara Walker

Walker creates massive silhouettes that tend to tell shocking narratives. I enjoy searching for the story and the absurd, uncomfortable representations within her work. Although her exhibit that was recently showed at the Cincinnati Art Museum didn't really impress me (they were more screen prints/drawings with a silhouette figure pasted on top) her style and concept amazes me.

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Jay Ryan

The prints of his that attract me most are the cutesy ones that involve animals. I love Jay's drawing style and his use of color. His work communicates well to the viewer.

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Peter Doig

Doig's paintings consist mostly of abstract landscapes, many reflecting upon his childhood in Canada. Using photographs for reference, his landscapes are known for the layering involved in making them. I am most into Doig's work because of his interesting color palette and because of the way he represents nature and the world around us. Each work of his is different from the others, and each painting is appealing.

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Zak Smith

Smith's work uses a variety of media and often includes collage. His subjects tend to follow the "punk" culture- Zak's use of color is usually set in specific areas, highlighting features of this culture. What I find interesting about his work his the clutter quality to it. I love his busy compositions and his edgy appearing figures. His pen and ink illustrations are also appealing in terms of subject and mark making.

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Banksy

Street art

His work tells such an interesting story and his skill level is incredible. I'm interested in his use of black and white with parts of color. His works are often satirical relating to issues such as politics and culture.

http://www.banksy.co.uk/

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Charley Harper

Charley Harper's work emphasizes simplification. I can admire this because the job is not as easy as it appears to be. He uses basic shapes and color to represent an animal and is guided by many principals to create interesting, patterned compositions. His work is so adorable and viewers of all ages are able to appreciate it.

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Stina Perrsson

Stina Persson's work involves watercolor, cut paper, acrylic and ink, and photo incorporated images. Her watercolor work relates to my own in the handling of the material.

http://www.stinapersson.com

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Swoon

Swoon's life sized prints and cutouts of figures (made from wheatpaste) are erected on the sides of buildings, doors, alleys... I love her approach to the human figure. Her subjects seem to tell their own story and give the viewer a history to who they are. Swoon's choice in placing these figures around the city is also key to this insight. I'm most interested in her handling of line and form. Her mark making and patterns also bring these figures to an eye-catching standpoint.

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Jason Thielke

All of Jason Thielke's work captures the figure in such an interesting and distinctive way- there is not one particular work of his that I could classify as a favorite. I love how he maps out the structure of the face and the human body and creates a sense of rhythem and fluidity with his architectual use of line.

http://www.davidbsmithgallery.com/artist/show/jason-thielke

Alex Pardee

Alex's work is very inspirational to my own illustrative work. I love his use of fine line contrasting with his heavier, solid elements. I also enjoy his minimal use of color in particular works. His color palette tends to be of bright, eye-catching colors and many times he will incorporate the use of black and white into it as well. The subjects seem to be imaginative to me; they have this cute/creepy quality to them- almost as if a child's toy came to life as a little monster. What is most influential to me about Alex's work is the boldness of his subjects and his mark-making.

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