Jennifer Wendt paints what she knows best—the animals and nature she enjoys every day operating her own small ranch.  Cattle, horses, dogs, barn cats and wildlife are favorite subjects for this self–taught artist.  She works from her home studio.  She can otherwise be found outdoors riding one of her horses, tending cattle, checking fences, choring, or doing any of the other myriad tasks around the ranch.  Wendt’s observant mind drinks in the surrounding inspiration and translates that into paintings that are exhibited in many of the top shows and exhibitions in the United States.  She has garnered many awards, including several "Best of Shows", "Artist's Choices", and "People's Choices" along the way.

Sharon Brown Standridge is a noted painter depicting the life of the American west and nostalgic figurative scenes with great light and energy.  Her western heritage runs deep.  Her grandfather, father, his four brothers and a sister were known as the world’s youngest rodeo performers, Tex Brown and His Little Buckaroos. This rich western heritage informs Standridge’s ability to render the people and places of the west with vivid authenticity.

Susan Temple Neumann is an oil painter who enjoys a more painterly style of realism, which helps keep the artwork fresh and "alive." Her art is born from a desire to capture the emotion or mood of a particular scene.  A life-long fascination with native Americans, cowboys, horses, wildlife and the western landscape has fueled Neumann's art over the years and been the inspiration for her western pieces.

Mary Lou Pape’s passion for nature has made wildlife and the western way of life the primary focus of her artistic practice.  Her primary mediums are oil, pastel and pencil.  Travels to national parks, nature preserves, rodeos and ranches in America continually provide her with inspiration for her paintings of life in our remarkable country.  

Nancy Harkins is a watercolorist and graphite artist from Oklahoma.  Her style is realist and her subjects are wide ranging.  Her award–winning works have been featured in the watercolor anthology, Splash 19:  The Illusion of Light, and featured in two books, Seasons of Life and Seasons of Love. Her paintings are avidly sought for private and corporate collections.

Lisa Rico loves the immediacy of pastels and richness of the color possibilities achievable with them.   The face is her favorite subject — specifically, the faces of people from other cultures and countries encountered on her travels.  Rico also enjoys featuring local flora and fauna in colorful paintings as well as doing sanguine sketches and quick studies.

Kristin Federchuk a self-taught artist.   She practiced drawing by studying the works of artists she admired. She feels that her art career is what she was created to do.   She experiences great joy and excitement as she brings each painting to its ultimate fruition.  Federchuk’s subjects are varied, preferring to be free to explore and paint the beauty around her.

 Sharon Grubbs finds inspiration in people and places throughout North Carolina’s Piedmont region. Her paintings range from traditional rural landscapes and images of local farmers, representing the area’s strong agricultural roots, to works featuring members of the many ethnic groups who have introduced new cultures to the area, even as they become an integral part of it. 

Barbara Nuss is an award–winning oil painter of landscapes and still life scenes.  She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree Syracuse University, the Schuler School of Fine Arts in Baltimore.  She began her art career at a graphic artist and illustrator. 

Nuss is the author of the book, Secrets to Composition.  She taught still life and landscape painting at her atelier from 1983 to 1996.  She continues to share her skills through plein air workshops and atelier teaching.

Ni Zhu turned to painting after studying law at Beijing University and pursuing graduate studies in the U.S. and Canada. Changing her career path, she honed her passion for the media by attending classes at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and taking workshops with master painters, ultimately earning a Master of Fine Arts degree in 2020.  Zhu’s academic and creative pursuits from law to art and personal transition from China to North America have informed her practice as an artist. 

Elizabeth Rouland O'Dell earned her B.A. in art from the University of California, Santa Cruz, graduating with honors in 1991.  She worked with printmaking techniques including intaglio etching, drypoint, and monotypes during her college years. More recently, she has returned to focus on oil painting, and she is ever enthralled with the challenge of interpreting the world around her through color and texture. 

Elizabeth Sage honed her self-taught ability to see and render the most difficult of images and precious of moments through a corporate career in graphic design for over 20 years.  In 2000 she changed her calling and passion to full time professional fine artist, creating powerful imagery and stories on canvas.

Dana Lombardo resides by the shores of Grand Lake in Northeast Oklahoma. There she draws endless inspiration from the picturesque surrounding landscape and the vibrant local culture. Her artistic works manifest a deep-rooted affection for the land.  She also depicts Native American themes in which she endeavors to preserve and share the depth of their heritage.

"Betty Jean Billups is a superb Impressionist painter, blessed with the talent to produce rich and colorful paintings of her everyday experiences.  She paints powerful works of visual delight and honest truth. 

Using a bold brush and solid colors, she paints from her heart and her soul."

—     (Mr.)Jean Stern, Director Emeritus, The Irvine Museum

It is the connection, the joy – the reluctance to leave the scene that inspires Jenifer Cline to paint.  She considers the sense of place, the effects of light and the linkage of heart and soul to the earth as the most important aspects of her work.  She paints exclusively in oils en plein air. 

Collette Claros feels a deep passion for painting people and conveying emotion through her art. She is especially drawn to painting the human face and form.  It is thrilling when that face becomes real and starts pushing through the canvas. 

Victoria Castillo is a figurative painter whose work focuses on women in light-infused settings, usually gardens and intimate interiors. She studied painting at Washington & Lee University and at the University of Maryland, graduating with honors.  After college, Victoria has lived and worked in both Europe and the US. Most recently, she completed an intensive, classical, live model painting and drawing program at Studio Escalier in France.

Judith Brunko loves the dramatic movement of the human figure and how it relates to the landscape of Colorado and Arizona, which she calls home. The people of the West and Southwest are what fuels her art.  She portrays the figure in dance or costume evoking an emotion of time and place. Utilizing color, form and delicate brush strokes she creates a story.

Yvonne was born and raised on a cattle ranch.  Horses and art have always been her passion.  It's no surprise horses and people are her favorite subject.  Many of her works are done on commission. She has taught workshops in the community for over 25 years.  She works in a variety of mediums, and has won many awards over the years.  Yvonne was inducted into the Elk Grove Community Hall of Fame for her accomplishments as an artist in 2020.  Her paintings have hung at the California State Capital and at Washington D.C.

Ashwini Bharathula (b.1984) is a representational fine artist specializing in oil painting based in Chandler, Arizona.  She paints primarily alla prima in oils and prefers to paint directly from life.  Her subjects span flowers, portraits, and landscapes.