Artists

Forty years ago I began to study and paint seriously.  After experimenting with various mediums, I fell in love with the challenge of watercolor.  Today, painting realism in an impressionistic way drives me to capture my subjects on location.  My love for the outdoors inspired me to become a plein air painter.  The beauty of nature continually provides me with an array of subject matter. 

Some of the leading artists I have studied with include Lucille Geiser, Tony Couch, Judy Wagner, Zoltan Szabo, Nita Engle and Betty L. Schlemm.

I am a native New Yorker who settled in Sarasota with my husband seeking a more laid back sunny lifestyle after many years of city life and snow.  My paintings are regularly featured in group, invitational and solo exhibitions throughout the West Coast of Florida and New Jersey.  My work can most often be seen at The Dancing Crane Gallery in Bradenton, FL, and The Guild of Creative Art in Shrewsbury, NJ.  The recipient of many awards, I am an active member of Art Center Manatee, Venice Art Center, Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society and Women Contemporary Artists.     

Cesar Medeiros

Abstract Painter

Cesar Medeiros is a Brazilian artist who is living in the United States since 2001.  He was always fascinated with colors and he chose abstract art because it allows him to unleash his creativity with no limits.  His work is guided by pure instinct and no logic whatsoever, where one brush stroke leads to the next.  Shapes, colors and lines happen as they do and feed off each other.

When asked what his abstract painting mean he tells them to simply look at the painting and take it in.  What does it make them feel? That’s what expresses its true meaning!

Some of his works have won awards at juried exhibitions in local galleries and at Manatee, Sarasota and Venice Art Centers.

Colleen White has been in the creative arts for over 40 years. Her father was her mentor for silversmithing, gem cutting, and wood working skills. She is also certified in Precious Metal Clay and has had her OOAK bronze beads published in Lark Books “1000 Beads”. As a bead embroidery artist, she won awards including 2 “Best of Show” in the Florida West Coast Bead Society competitions 2017-2019. Her creations have been shown in many art shows and galleries over the years.

In the early 90’s she went to Asia and studied under masters at the Open International University for Complementary Medicine in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and her formal education includes doctorates in Naturopathy, Homeopathy, Acupuncture, and M.D.M.A. She then spent 5 years working with World Health setting up free clinics, and helping build kitchens, sanitary facilities, and water purification systems for orphanages in Cambodia. She also trained doctors in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan in a homeopuncture technique she developed and in 1999 published a fully illustrated manual still in use today. Her work gave her the opportunity to visit local mines and collect stones to later use in her creations.

She has taught jewelry classes at her home studio and at Art Center Manatee, Longboat Key Center for the Arts, Art Center Sarasota, OLLI at USF, and SCTI, including beading, wirewrapping, silversmithing, kumihimo fiber weaving, metal clay, bead embroidery, and polymer clay. Colleen had Village Gem Shop inside the Dancing Crane Gallery 2008-2011 but closed due to teaching commitments. During the past 2 years Colleen has used her skills to create miniature dioramas, often adding precious stones from her collection. These highly detailed fantasy miniatures will transport you to another world within a tiny space. She hopes to return to teaching again next Fall as she is still recovering from spinal fusion. Although still available for one on one online instruction, she will be back with all new classes!

Helene Hirmes is an award winning artist who has taught sculpture and collage at ArtCenter Manatee in Bradenton, FL.  She has worked in oil, acrylic, sculpture, watercolor, Zentangle, pastel and collage.  Her commissioned watercolor portraits of dogs and cats capture her love of treasured pets and their soulful eyes. 

She studied art at Russell Sage College, spent summers at art schools in Mexico, (San Miguel de Allende and University of Guadalajara), and sculpture workshops in Loveland, Colorado.

She has exhibited in many juried shows here in Sarasota and in New Jersey. She had a one woman show of her sculpture at the Paterson Museum, Paterson , NJ, and several two person shows.

She spent many years on the board of Women Contemporary Artists in Florida and was juried into the National League of American Pen Women. In New Jersey she was a member of Salute to Women in the Arts.  She is represented by The Dancing Crane Gallery in Bradenton, FL.

Bio coming soon 

Originally from the Netherlands, art has always been a passion. Living in many different places has favoured my art, my goal is to bring the viewer to my art on an emotional level and stimulate the imagination.

Joan Schnuerch is originally from Berlin, Germany, where her nickname is Joschi
and pronounced in English as yo-shee. Joschi has a degree in Fashion Design,
which is where she discovered her talents with pencils. After graduating college,
she moved to the United States and discovered that art would continue to be an
active part of her life. While first moving to Queens, NY, she took an art course with
the Famous Artists School in Westport, CT under the tutelage of Norman Rockwell,
Robert Fawcett, Ben Stahl, and others.
It was years later, after raising a family on Long Island, NY, that Joschi moved to
the Bradenton/Sarasota area in Florida and started to paint more seriously with a heavy focus using
oil paints. While oils were becoming her passion, she also worked with watercolor and acrylics. She
further developed her style, influenced by the Impressionistic artists and concentrates on landscapes,
seascapes, portraits, and capturing movement in people, Joschi has been a member of the Women
Contemporary Artists (WCA) of Sarasota and has been exhibiting for 20+ years in the Manatee and
Sarasota Art Centers and local galleries.
Art is more than paint on a canvas. Art is an expression of a work that is appreciated for its beauty or
an emotional power touching a heart. In recent years, Joschi started to create prints combining
photography with the elements of nature that she discovers during her walks. Utilizing leaves, blades
of grass, small branches, and flowers has given her another way to introduce shapes, colors, light
and shadows to her art
Her most recent work was influenced by paintings with a 3D look. After painting on canvas for over
25 years, she is now doing glass sculpture paintings that make objects look alive in a virtual glass
cage. The wooden base gives a strong anchor with the illusion of objects floating in glass.
Painting is how Joschi expresses and shares joy using the views found throughout this beautiful world
that we share.
Member of
Manatee Art Center
Women Contemporary Artist
Sarasota Art Center

Please let me introduce myself, I am Joe Pierce. I live here in Pinellas County, Florida. I am looking forward to formally introducing myself along with my fossilized clamshell calcite crystal creations. These pieces have been harvested by me, my son, and occasional friends approximately 40 feet down into a gravel pit mine.

I am fortunate to have found myself with the gift of artistry using these natural crystals to create sculptures such as the iguana, dragonflies, butterflies along with the angry egret. I call him this because with every masterpiece there is a story connected to the piece. Due to certain incidences that present themselves.
 
Now in my retirement years I have found a passion with my artistry. What a blessing in disguise. I certainly hope you will enjoy what Florida and I have to offer you.
 
Thank you for your interest.
Joe Pierce

Born and raised in the Cleveland Ohio area. I attended 12 years of parochial school and then attended Ashland College where I obtained my BSBA.

From an early age I was very interested in art. Lacking the talent to be a fine artist, I directed my pursuits to various craft mediums. My first exploration was in sewing. Necessitated by a strict budget. My mother was an excellent seamstress and taught me the basics.

Ater sewing, I moved onto semi-precious gemstone beading. I participated in several craft shows and enjoyed meeting new people. I stopped beading in 2018.

I have two current passions. One is reflective mosaic glass creatures and the other is epoxy resin items. Both pursuits allow me to be creative in the way I see sea life. Mosaic glass is tricky to obtain the correct fit in the pieces. Epoxy resin is challenging because there are so many areas where it can go wrong. I keep an inventory of small to medium size pieces and allow special orders for larger pieces.

My work is currently on display at The Dancing Crane which is located in the Village of the Arts in Bradenton FL. I am so excited to be included in her team of artists. She has a wonderful location with a gorgeous tea garden behind it.

When you have time, please check it out. It’s a wonderful way to have a leisurely stroll, enjoy the artists’ work and take a break in the tea garden

Lena Grace Adams is an artist from the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Her active childhood - full of nature and travel - and her educational endeavors - in both a traditional collegiate and folk school setting - have informed her art to this day. It was at John C. Campbell Folk School when Lena began her work in metals. She was immediately drawn to the soldering process, the use of brass and copper, and incorporating natural elements into her art. After having a daughter in 2021, Lena decided to prioritize her jewelry making as a way to explore her biggest passions simultaneously: motherhood and artistic expression. Lena currently resides in Bradenton, Florida.
 

How I got here

As a child, I wanted to be a National Geographic photographer. I loved the colors, details and expansive two-page spreads depicting exotic adventures. Then, life happened; I grew up and chose a technical career that provided success on some levels, but without the satisfaction of artistic expression.

With the new century and the emergence of digital photography, I revisited photography as a hobby. I first strived for technical excellence, but once competent, there was still something missing.

While visiting Paris a pivotal awakening to Impressionism began to release me from a need for accuracy. My method shifted from pure photography to digital art - more the product of photoshop nuance than camera technique. Essentially, my camera became a tool to capture components that I could composite into integrated images on my computer.

Painting to me is a way of life. It's a combination of emotion and physical well-being. It carries me to a personal adventure of color and form. I was fortunate enough to work for an art distributing company for many years. Color combinations chosen for me broadened my color palette. I feel so fortunate to express my secret moments on canvas. I hope they bring fond memories to you.

Bio

• Represented by Art on Symmes Gallery , Fairfield, Ohio and Dancing Crane Gallery, Bradenton, Florida.

• Many Public Art Venues throughout the Southern States of Florida, Georgia and Tennesse.

• Traveling Art Show with partner, John Carollo, " Figure as Vehicle", exhibited 6 shows in Florida and Georgia.

• Yearly group art show at city arts Factory at Orlando, Florida.

• Solo Art Show at Thomasville Cultural Center representing both painting and sculpture.

• Recipient of United Art grants in 2007 and 2004.

• " The Hunt" is part of the permanent collection of The Crealde Sculpture Garden in Winter Park, Florida.

• Has both national and international collectors.

Max is a self-taught artist, Spoken Word performer, and published poet who grew up in Oregon and found her way to Florida in 2007 after living in Washington state, Hawaii, and Jamaica, West Indies. Max has a Master’s of Social Work and fully embraced her creativity and calling as an artist in the last 15 years. Max’s work has been exhibited in several galleries and shows in the Sarasota/Manatee area. Max believes that art should be accessible to everyone and teaches a number of classes, including Fearless Mixed Media, Creative Visioning, and Bookmaking. Among her most popular offerings is her Creative Journey© class which invites students to explore their creativity in unique ways as they seek to heal, tell stories, relay a message, or simply spend time having fun with art materials. Currently doing abstracts using acrylics, collage, and found objects, Max loves re-using materials that may otherwise be destined for a landfill. Max finds inspiration in nature and in the written word, which is often hidden in her work. She finds it fascinating to explore artistically what particular words mean to her and to viewers of her work, who are invited to more closely contemplate those meanings and her art. Max’s art challenges the status quo, asking “what if” and “why not.” Max is deeply committed to advocating for the power of the arts in healing and promoting social change.

Renee Schwadron Lewis – Bio & Artist Statement

A native of Brooklyn, NY, Renee always loved the combination of texture and color. The confluence of cultures in NYC was especially an influential part of her life. Lewis received a B.F.A. in Fabric Design from the School of Art at Syracuse University. As part of the University’s Foreign Studies Program, she studied Art History in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In her focus on Fabric Design (which included silk screening and weaving), Lewis developed an eye and proficiency with repetitive patterns – which continues to be a theme in her current work.

Her Post-Impressionist style paintings are created with a blend of oil crayons, color pencils and pastels on black paper or mat board – producing bold, stunning colors and creative themes capturing the colorful nature of women. At the core of her work are women – empowered, strong – yet vulnerable, linked to others, beautiful within while sustaining the universe.

Lewis is an award-winning artist and is represented by the A.T. Hun Gallery, Savannah, The Hub on Canal in New Smyrna Beach, Gallery 500 in Daytona Beach, and the Dancing Crane Gallery, Bradenton. She is a member of the Artist’s Registry, the Artist’s Workshop, Beaux Arts Central Florida, the Florida Artists Group, Florida Women’s Art Association and the Art League of Daytona Beach. She has taught classes for children at the Orlando Museum of Art and the Casselberry Art House. She lives in Winter Park, Florida.

Richard Knupp is a retired business executive living in Bradenton, Florida. After graduating from Millersville University, he taught art in the Pennsylvania public school system. While teaching, he worked diligently to develop his printmaking skills. Producing detailed etchings and engravings required a steady hand and unfortunately he began to lose coordination in his right hand. After being diagnosed with essential tremors, he completely gave up printmaking and teaching to pursue a business career. When he retired nearly half a century later, Richard began to experiment with acrylics which offered a much more forgiving alternative to the steady hand needed for etchings and engravings. He is now learning to use his left hand and exploit the more impressionistic qualities of paint. Even though his work is evolving toward more impressionistic qualities, the struggling desire to retain detail remains evident. His paintings of Florida wildlife along with the occasional abstract continues to develop as he grows more comfortable with the medium

Scylla Liscombe ~ Strangefire Art

Scylla is a visual artist as well as a poet and dancer. Her life is a dance between the three. Her art is known for its color, line, and playfulness. Her abstracts and photo art reveal a somewhat mystical and surreal adventure. Her work has been shown locally and in New York, in magazines, and as cover art for books and music albums.

Her visual art consists of: photo art, box art, mixed-media abstracts on paper, canvas, and board; original paper collages, and original necklaces inspired by tribal art using glass, stone, shell and ceramic beads.

She says of her work, “It’s a matter of seeing and feeling the movement and the mystical in this more than human world—the earth itself, her animals, sky, ocean, wind, trees, flowers –their colors and their rhythms. My poetry, art and dance simply represent me, feeling my way out.

Scylla loved to collaborate with other artists in any discipline. Born in Boston, Scylla moved to Sarasota in 1993

Bio coming soon

Creator

I’ve been making things my whole life. Starting with treehouses, forts, and fishponds as a kid to designing and building my house as an adult. Of the many careers I’ve explored, creating played a major role. Nothing scratches the creative itch better than making art. Whether in the studio or on a movie or photography set, there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing.

Curious

Give me a minute and I will ponder a variety of interesting subjects: astrophysics, architecture, philosophy, politics, nature, geology, clouds, sunsets, relationships, our universe, particle physics, conflict resolution, storytelling, movies, novels, and biographies. I enjoy digging into topics and seeing how they can inspire a wide range of artistic ideas and fantasies.

Mentor

I have been surrounded by mentors ever since I was a kid. These mentors helped me with understanding sports, careers and life itself. I value the gift of mentoring and strive to do the same for kids and adults alike whenever the opportunity arises. Whether in a school, on set, or in everyday life, helping others grow is an essential part of humanity.