Best in Show
Traditional Art
John Guiseppi
John is a self-taught colored pencil artist and photographer. John’s specialty is photographing wildlife, nature, architecture, industrial and automotive subjects. He strives to capture activity, poses, situations and scenes that are considered outside the norm and familiar. In wildlife, it’s those unusual positions during grooming, mating ritual, breeding display, or just being silly. John waits patiently for just the right moment, one that is different but unique to his subject. He strives to capture the moment that others miss, don’t see or notice. He then uses his photography as reference to create, produce and share an art piece that allows others a glimpse into that secret world of wildlife, nature and the world that he sees.
If you are interested in seeing more of John’s work, please email him directly. Visit the 5th Annual Leaves & Petals here.
Best in Show
Photography & Digital Art
John Diephouse
What I seek to share through my photography are images with which I have a strong and instinctive personal connection. Images may be simply documentary, invoke a sense of time and place, or resonate as an abstract blend of color, shape or form. Others provoke an indefinable question that does not readily yield answers without further study and reflection.
Self-taught, my creative process follows an intuitive yet patterned path, from capturing a digital image through the process of interacting with and refining the image, searching for the combination of adjustments that produces the kind of instinctive connection I seek. Most often the images with which I have the strongest connection are those that do not produce an immediate reaction but provoke a response through repeated contact and consideration over time.
Please email John directly if you are interested in seeing more of his work. Visit the 5th Annual Leaves & Petals Art Exhibition here.
Best in Show
3-Dimensional Art
Evelyn Gottschall Baker
Evelyn Gottschall Baker works and resides in beautiful Buena Vista, Colorado. With over twenty years of professional experience in the arts, more than six of which has been dedicated to the field of glass fusing, she strives to capture the intricacies of nature through keen observation and attention to detail.
“I primarily experiment with techniques that add texture and dimension to paintings and sculptural work. My most recent work focuses on using Pate de Verre in non-traditional ways to produce three dimensional glass sculptures. My professional career began as a Graphic Artist and Illustrator. As Advertising Manager and Senior Illustrator for the Department of the Army, I created highly detailed, exacting paintings and drawings. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree I became a Test Engineer for a large U.S. defense contractor. During this time, I studied watercolor and oil painting, and took classes in stained glass, which allowed me to pursue a part-time career as a stained glass artist. I chose to work in stained glass, as I wanted to explore a style different from my painting style, which was detailed and realistic. I took my first fused glass class in 2011, primarily to create components to incorporate into stained glass pieces. My interest in fused glass grew into a passion, which I eagerly pursued by taking a number of classes, many of which were through D&L Art Glass in Denver. Now that I have retired, I am able to dedicate my time to following my passion.”
“Living in Colorado, I find it natural to try to capture the beauty of our local landscape into works of art using glass. My initial desire to simplify my style was well suited for stained glass, but as soon as I discovered glass fusing, I began re-introducing detail and realism into my art. During the several past years, I have embraced this realistic style, and have begun to use both traditional and non-traditional casting and mold techniques to create sculptures that depict the beauty around me.
“Recently, I began experimenting extensively with glass powders, developing a method of sculpting glass paste into dimensional forms that are fired without the use of molds. My experience as a Test Engineer has proved invaluable in shaping the discipline necessary for the methodical, detailed testing required to create the complex firing schedules for this method, which must account for shrinkage, varying thicknesses, and the way in which heat affects individual components. It is my pleasure to share this technique through teaching other artists, as well as through the display and sale of the resulting sculptures.”
In 2018, Evelyn began teaching her techniques in workshops in various studios throughout the US, Canada, and Scotland. Her work is currently displayed in the Emerge/Evolve 2018 exhibit at the Bellevue Art Museum.
To see more of Evelyn’s work, please visit her website. Visit the 5th Annual Leaves & Petals Art Exhibition here.