November 12, 2020 – February 13, 2021

PREVIOUS EXHIBITION

THE SALON

Curator

Sophie Bonet

Location

ArtServe

Tours (Discontinued)

Guided Tours with the Curator and
Self-Guided Tours are Available with RSVP:

Guided tours will be available
virtually during the exhibition period.
To book a guided tour please
press the button below
or email: sophieb@artserve.org

Events for this exhibition are now concluded.

*RSVP required via Eventbrite. Group limit is 10 people. Group minimum is 3 people.
*Mask wearing is mandatory inside the facility and 6ft distancing will be enforced.
ArtServe is operating under the Museum/Gallery Protocol for Broward County.

As we transition into the new decade, we turn the canvas over to our members and resident artists in a celebration of art, culture, and breathing testaments of transformation and growth.

The Salon exhibition features new works and series by artists of all backgrounds and paths of life, highlighting our commitment as one of the nation’s original arts incubators to foster and advocate for artists working in all disciplines.

Artworks

Artists

The chameleon series presents a set of vibrant, collage chameleons, each playing an instrument. The pieces, all jam-packed and whimsical, represent the intrinsic connection between different branches of art, and how artists at their root, are not bound to a medium but flow continuously using creative expression. The condition is best described not as an activity but a state of being. The term artist is often correlated with visual presentations, but art is much more fluid, and at its root is the expression and manifestation of the human experience, emulating emotion and significance. Chameleons are known for being able to adapt themselves to their surroundings, changing colors to keep up a clever display of camouflage. Artists tend to do quite the opposite, modifying their surroundings to their preference, more often than not emulating beauty in different contexts of life.

The chameleons for this reason are all a different color from their backgrounds, choosing not to blend in, but to stand out and “make music.” The connection between the chameleons and their instruments represents a bond of kindred spirits, tight-knit connections with members of the community capable of deciphering the message being transmitted through artistic expression.

Alissa Christine, Founder of LUVRworldwide is blending the boundaries of art, wellness, and technology with her pioneering 3D light sculpture paintings to be explored in XR. Her creations focus on positive change by inspiring inner growth, spirituality, and sustainability with love. In 2020, Alissa won First Place in 2 Live VR Painting Competitions: VR Art Live Tilt Brush PaintOff, and Miami Global VR Tournament. Florida International Magazine called her a “Power Player – one of 100 individuals pushing Florida into the future.” Alissa’s joy is sharing the magic of light, energy, and information, congruent with her wellness practices in the healing arts of over 11 years. She develops VR meditative story-telling Worlds through her paintings, created to guide her audience toward states of spiritual elevation and mind expansion, where they truly #journeywithin. Sessions are immersive multi-sensory experiences including Reiki, aromatherapy, sound healing, and culinary pleasures. Alissa Christine’s XR trailblazing began with a live VR painting performance in Costa Rica at Tamarindo Art Wave Fest 2018. Soon after, LUVRworldwide was founded – a Virtual Reality Arts & Services Resource serving as a catalyst of this infinite creative medium and connecting with the global progressive playground of the art, music, and wellness communities. Currently, her VR worlds are featured in immersive platforms/events in WaveXR, VRchat, and a few recognized Universes of the Burning Man Metaverse. Additional roles include Co-Curator of the Art XRperience Exhibit at Miami VR Expo; Founding Member and Immersive XR Design Director of XR LABS Miami; Founding Educator with Magic Innovation Academy, focusing on VR/AR video and photography; Facilitator of Conceptual Design+ Courses at Miami Ad School; Community Member of VR Art Live, Global Vision Conference, Worldwide Underground, and Moksha Family Visionary Arts Collective. Alissa is a professional multi-disciplinary Artist and Photographer for over 20 years, participating/spearheading exhibits during Art Basel Miami and beyond, for over 15 years. She also engages in art festivals and VR art competitions worldwide. In 2008 she authored and photographed her self-published, yearlong photo-a-day documentary book: “I love Miami 365”, soon to be activated in Augmented Reality (AR). Her photography portfolio includes some of Miami’s high profile personalities, global healers, musicians, models, and artists, published internationally. Recent XR activation clients/programs include Artserve Live, Spoken Soul Festival at the Arsht Center, Neiman Marcus, Reboot Wellness Cruise, Wendi Blum Self-Empowerment Workshops, Global Vision Conference, Love Crushed Velvet, and Karmic CBD. Alissa Christine is available for photoshoots, XR experience commissions and VR guided meditations for individuals, corporate groups, and events… in person, and virtually.
RESQ is a born and raised South Floridian pop-surrealistic painter that has experience in street art which is incorporated in his technique. He has a BFA in Illustration from SCAD in Savannah Georgia where he specialized in acrylics. The focal content usually consists of symbolism using objects to interpret global tropical anthropology and a few intellectual subjects like tropical psychology, science, and theology. Street Art and Graffiti are a part of his artistry background which has made an impact on the materials used in his work. Acrylics and spray paint are these usual mediums although he is experimenting with glow in the dark paint.
Fabio Arber is a film and television producer, who has a penchant for inventing abstract characters represented in his digital paintings.

After 35 years in the entertainment industry, Fabio is probing his current state of mind by creating digital art by manipulating digital photographs. He defines his artistic technique as Digital Origami. Though Fabio confesses, he is trying to guess what that means.

He thinks his “Fictional Portraits,” which appear in his pieces, might exist somewhere else in the universe. One day, Fabio plans to pick up a pencil, paintbrush, charcoal, and/or pen and make art the old-fashioned way.

My Roots 2018-2019

This Collection means a lot for me, each art piece attaches my feelings, my passions, and my beliefs…
In life, you have to get lost to get found again and remember how to sing like no one’s listening, love as you’ve
never been hurt, dance like nobody’s watching, and live like its heaven on earth…
Sometimes it’s more important to figure out where we are that decide where we are going. We forget that life is happiness and that Life it’s also a journey, not a destination…

I’m back to my roots to those things that define me as a unique person as we all are.

“Consider a tree for a moment. As beautiful as trees are to look at, we don’t see what goes on underground – as they grow roots. Trees must develop deep roots to grow strong and produce their beauty. But we don’t see the roots.
We just see and enjoy beauty. In much the same way, what goes on inside of us is like the roots of a tree…”

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. ”Happiness is the art of never holding in your mind the memory of any unpleasant thing that has passed. ”Don’t rely on someone else for your happiness and self-worth. Only you can be responsible for that. If you can’t love and respect yourself – no one else will be able to make that happen. Accept
who you are – completely, the good and the bad – and make changes as YOU see fit – not because you think someone else
wants you to be different.” That’s your way to happiness… Make your happy move!

My work is mainly inspired by tribal themes of ancient civilizations mixed with variegated backgrounds of the icons, vocabulary, or simply a kaleidoscopic mix of colors that emanate the vibrancy of a specific culture (i.e. festivities of Chinese New Year, the stoicism of African tribes, etc.). As one whose interests are rooted in storytelling and character design, capturing the colorful aura behind portraits with an onslaught of hues is the immediate goal as a show of their internal content. Social issues are also another subject I project through caricatures. For the past few months into the pandemic, I’ve been focused on Afro-female influencers starting from the 18th century to today as well as Floridian tribes lost to colonialism.
Over the last several months, while self-isolating, I’ve taken a bit more of an organic approach to my painting than what I typically do. I’m exploring aspects of abstract art and experimenting with color mixing, mixed media, mark, and composition. In some cases, I’ve integrated these components with my signature style. I’m on a journey of exploring color, values, composition, and the creative process. What I’m exploring with color is that rules are more like suggestions and while important to know, the possibilities are limitless. The series I’m currently working on encompasses the idea that creative freedom and in my studio ‘no one is the boss of me’.
International Artists born and raised in Lima Peru, I grew up surrounded by the rich culture of the Incas with their wonderful designs in architecture, pottery, and textiles. I graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Miami.

I create contemporary sculptures, installations, collages, and paintings. Utilizing recycled and reclaimed materials is my preferred medium.
During these times of social distancing due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, I have joined and organized Zoom events which are bringing artists from around the world together.

I started teaching children virtually for new non-profit Hugs and Smiles, this brings me much satisfaction when you can inspire young artists, not only through the creative process but by educating them about different artists.

Mentoring Artists is also what I enjoy doing, sharing my knowledge, experience, expertise, and guiding them along the path to a successful career. On the Board at Broward Art Guild I bring Art around town, connecting artists to display work in different institutions. Currently, that is challenging since many public places are not open yet.

Similarly, with Outreach in which I coordinated artists to teach at adult retirement communities and summer camp programs for kids, those can only take place remotely at present. On the Board at the National Association of Women Artists Florida, I organize virtual workshops, bringing a wealth of knowledge and networking amongst fellow artists.

Creating collages and 3D Installations is my passion and given the opportunity, I would expand the series of wood and mixed media assemblages to a large scale.

My work is focused on visceral responses and aesthetics in non-representational works, surrealism, and anything in-between. Color, flow, balance, and texture are subject matter. For me, creative breakthroughs occur with the right combination of passion, expression, and evolution. To express my powerful passion for movement and depth, I explore working with vibrant colors and textures, demonstrating a high level of energy and movement. I primarily use acrylic and mix-media. While originally trained in realism, I now work exclusively with abstracts. I enjoy experimenting with many techniques and different ways to apply paint. I use whatever technique is necessary to bring the painting to life and continue to work and layer the paint until the final version of the painting emerges.
As a multidisciplinary artist working across painting, textile, fiber arts, and jewelry making I make use of whatever media best fits the moment at hand. Mark making is the foundation of my work. Through my paintings, I try to represent and express movement and the many layers and textures of everything I see and hear. By using rhythmic movement or actions I attempt to evoke a sensory experience much like when listening to music.
Born out of the love of color and initial work in portrait, figurative, and landscape painting, my creativity grew into abstract by listening to the rhythms of my feelings and the beauty of nature. My art is both planned and intuitively created. I combine both the analytical and direct creative flow – often switching back and forth. Each medium dictates the process. I love to experiment with a spontaneous brush stroke, line, and color and I am inspired by the Abstract Expressionist artists and Sumi-E Masters. I feel that my life experiences and my expansion as an artist for over twenty-five years are woven through me like DNA. It is who I am. It’s always my intent that what I put on canvas and paper tells a story or evokes a feeling that touches everyone’s being, bringing a higher level of inspiration and joy into their lives. By sharing my vision and emotion in painting, I hope to draw viewers closer to their inner worlds.”
KWÈ means BELIEVE in my native language, Haitian Creole. Art of KWÈ, the art of believing, is a tribute to human expressions of resilience across all cultures. Abstract art, as a form of expression, allows me to explore without limitation through patterns and colors.

I paint when I find myself inhabited with words and feelings that must be communicated through shapes and shades. Sometimes, I paint with a specific person in mind, someone who needs to be comforted and cheered up. I strive to craft work that reminds us of beauty and strength. Hopefully, each piece compels us to embrace our abilities, our resilience, and to dive into our passion.

The “Small Worlds” project invites viewers to connect with the beauty and power of each small world, our world, captured in each 12 x 12-inch artwork. The project captures the soul of nature and wildlife as seen through the eyes of acclaimed conservation photographer Phoenix. From the majesty and frailty of the Florida Everglades to the haunting beauty of Ireland to the mystical wonder of Yosemite, each fine art photograph shares a story of our collective small world. Miami native and Fort Lauderdale resident Phoenix saw within many of her larger, collected works compositions that fit the currently popular square shape. Thus began her experiment with the “small worlds” 12 X 12-inch pieces so all could enjoy a piece of nature’s grandeur.

Phoenix established love of nature as a child during family vacations to national parks. Although she taught film-making and photography early in her career she left them for some twenty years. Returning to photography in the digital age, she developed an exceptional talent and a passion to help protect nature and wildlife. Today she is an internationally collected, award-winning conservation photographer who was the recipient of two Artist in Residence programs – Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Olive Stack Gallery in Ireland, two public art grants, four public art awards, and many prestigious art awards. The featured artist for the first Endangered Exhibit – United Kingdom, her works has been honored in numerous juried exhibits, showcased in 20 solo exhibits, featured in magazines and calendars worldwide, and can be found in private collections internationally. Professionally Phoenix serves as president of the National League of American Pen Women, Fort Lauderdale Branch.

Though Phoenix’s subjects differ widely – from birds to sacred trees and forests to the moon over marshes and the Milky Way over national parks to dramatic sunrises and sunsets – her photographs carry her signature style that inspires peace and serenity featuring subjects that are either endangered or threatened. Known for her painterly approach to photography, her great sense of oneness with the natural world and understanding of composition, light, and timing comes through.

“I love the sacred opportunity to commune with the divine, transcendent essence of nature. For me, the extraordinary beauty of nature and wilderness is a wonder. Attempting to fix them in time is my passion; photography is my art. “With each image, it’s always my intent to raise awareness of endangered and threatened species and habitats that we stand to lose in the natural world if we are not careful. I desire that viewers are inspired to love, cherish, and protect the fragile beauty and wonder that is nature as they reconnect with that inner peace of each of my images. “The importance of nature is more than a scientific necessity for creating air, clean water, and producing food. It is a sacred necessity for healing and bringing peace to the human soul. And, I, for one, am a beneficiary every time I step out into nature.”

Oxytocin Series

When we close our eyes when kissing or making love, it is the demonstration of our interest to concentrate on the sensation at the moment; it is to feel deeply. For scientists, it results from the drainage of a love hormone; for me, it is a symbol of surrender. And you, are you willing to blindly indulge yourself in oxytocin?

My medium in these pieces is paint. This group of 10 smaller paintings is rendered on wood. I love the feeling of painting on this surface: the quick adherence and absorbency and scratching the smoothness.
The landscapes of the Mideast draws me in. It is a place of my forefathers – yet exciting and modern in technology and the arts. A place that is close to my soul. Although not large these pieces are abundant in color and design. They are big pieces in a little format. Earlier such paintings included Hebrew font.

I am drawn to the movement and shape of these letters their mystical and historical roots (Kabbalah). These smaller paintings are void of these letters. The images alone convey my feelings. In other recent works, I needed to combine medium and font (“Psalm Series” and mixed media on fabric). These paintings make a statement lacking large size and mixed media.

My influences are from my youngest memories and abilities: drawing, painting, sewing, studies from my elementary education, and visits to the area. My belief in humanity, taking care of each other and our world is reflected in my love for nature and the landscape. I am amazed at what is before us. Artists that influenced me are Milton Avery, Pierre Bonnard, and Georgia O’Keeffe. These artists have a mastery of color and personal style in reinventing their surroundings.

Where will these paintings take me? One day I hope to paint large abstracts like sections of my small paintings. If you zoom into an area of these small paintings abstracts emerge. They are strong, energetic, and deserve visuals.

I have always seen this collection of images as a set. They were all shot over the same few days but more importantly, they share the same perspective and emotional trigger. The leading lines lead you into the images as if there is a destination. That is why they are part of the artist’s paths and portals collection. Individually they offer a journey to something unknown and together they represent Venice, Italy. If there is ever a city that could lead you to wander and follow paths to no end it is Venice. 3 days wandering the streets offered only a small fraction of the city’s attraction. It is the type of place you can visit again and again, finding new gems, new paths, and new portals to beauty every time.
This series is entitled “We Change the World” to commemorate and honor the many women in history who are living symbols of accomplishment, courage, and individuality. There are distinct societal contributions for each portrait painted, including Social Activism, Equality, Abolition, Women’s Rights, Black Civil Rights, and breaking through previous set limitations for women in literature, film, visual art, and more. I also select to paint historic visual portraits that capture the ideal of feminine beauty at the time they were made. I choose famous historic paintings that individually and together show the changing concept of feminine beauty, from the still, delicate and pristine to active, tough, and determined. Our contributions can be humorous, enjoyable, fun and uplifting as well as serious, demonstrated by Iconic actresses Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe, Paintings by Picasso and Vermeer, were.included, even though they were men, for creating such contrasting visions of women in different periods.. The Astronaut, with the unforgettable reflection of the technological spaceship, is included to honor and applaud the 65 women who have already traveled and explored outer space and deserve recognition.
I’ve been a lover of art, music & fashion since birth. Transforming materials and items that already exist open an amazing creative stratosphere. All of these fabrics become my ingredients for one of a kind garments. Upcycling is key.

Creating with purpose and promoting a greener more conscious garment feels good. Our planet is in crisis and the time is now for positive alternatives in fashion and life.

I continue to learn and live a Zero Waste philosophy to help make a difference.

Together we can heal the planet.

My creative process is consistently evolving to maintain a balance of technique and “the unlearned.” Simultaneously, it unravels like an onion and taps into basic human desires for acceptance, love, and protection. I often explore how these desires are defined. I’m fascinated and comforted by boundaries, finding the loopholes, and then breaking the rules.

My art consistently represents subject matter through many textures, layers, colors, and strokes that provide playful yet organized chaos.

While I use a variety of materials and processes in each series, my methodology is consistent. Although there may not always be material similarities between the different series, they are linked by recurring themes. The subject matter of each body of work drives my material selections and my approach.

Mati Series
Connection and protection are socially, emotionally, and culturally at an all-time focus nationally and internationally. As a Greek-American Jew, I’m inspired by symbols that ward off evil and provide protection. In past years I’ve focused greatly on hamsas and I’ve now transitioned my interest to eye-like symbols known as “Nazars” which are used to repel the evil eye, and are commonly used across many cultures, ethnicities, and religions.

The name “Mati”, is Greek in origin and refers to the “evil eye”. This series visually addresses the idea that protection comes from something greater than ourselves. During the pandemic, my curiosity about nature and wildlife has expanded. Particularly with the symbolism of animals and the simplistic needs they have for survival. I work with a common theme placing the Nazar within an abstract environmental setting or an animal to create a story, to ask a question, or to provide an answer.

The process is critical for me. I use many textures that require certain technicalities and timing. In some ways, it’s like a birthing ritual and I enjoy layering and treating the canvases like bodies. I ensure that every inch of the foreground is included and often wrap my work in fabric or paper to begin that process.

Currently, I have created over 40 works since May of 2020 and have sold 35 to date.

Alexandra Fields O’Neale is a visual artist based in Miami, Florida. Her work explores black identity, femininity, and ancestral trauma through photography, performance, and video. By reconstructing a world that feels familiar but eerily off, her work plays with the juxtaposition of reality, fantasy, and the extension of self. Using a variety of materials and processes in her projects, her work breaks down the layers of identity and the complexities they create.

Exploring the intersection of black hair and self-identity, Bundles is a reflection of the relationship black women have with hair. Bundles, a term used to describe virgin hair that is collected from a donor and sewn onto a weft, is a series of images and videos that challenge our reality and social norms of beauty and the value we put behind it.

Influenced by her personal and ongoing relationship with hair, the artist looks to her childhood and staples of black culture to create works that are an extension of self, inviting the viewer into a space of unfamiliarity and particular comfort.

Tedd Davis’s work celebrates life’s diversity by exploring its details. He defines the whimsical, the mundane, the erotic, the spiritual, and the hilarities that surround us.

The mixed media/found objects and collages represent our need to explore and dream. The use of recycled materials and in some cases abstract painting in my work is calculated, like assembling a giant puzzle. I am often looking for avenues of the unexpected: an ironic twist to putting objects together in a way that one may not expect. I love to take the viewer to new and unexplored territories.

Towers of Vulnerability Installation

The first time I touched clay, I knew I had found my calling. Since the early 1980s, my work has been defined by themes of ritual and ceremony, including exploration of the Japanese Tea Ceremony and primitive pit firing, in pieces like Coffee to Go, or my large-scale installation Celebration of Life, mirroring a funerary tomb. Influenced by years of international travel and living abroad, I realized that most cultures have more similarities than differences. Whether I am creating a vessel or working abstractly, the common denominator is marked by that which mankind has in common.

My art employs a controlled, yet random, manipulation of the clay in various states of plasticity that defines the form and reveals innate tactile traits. What happens when I slap a wet slab of clay on a thirsty plaster bat, or when my fingers pinch and prod the surface of an overly dry lump of terracotta? What can I do with the bits and pieces of clay salvaged from the work at large? Can they become an integral and creative part of the finished product? While symmetrical wheel thrown ceramics can be altered, the spontaneity of hand-building empowers me to explore and celebrate the “perfection of imperfection.”

Each piece is driven by the clay’s characteristic qualities. I stretch wet slabs to their limit, watching as the spontaneously embedded texture fuses with the shape. Sometimes these shapes are torqued or twisted to create abstract organic forms. Other times the long ribbons of textured slabs are utilized much like coils, building up an organic form or vessel, creating multiple layers of a textured surface, or simply using bare slabs as a canvas where applied textures come alive. The spiral motif is often repeated throughout my work representing the path leading from outer consciousness to the inner soul.

The Towers of Vulnerability Installation speaks to what humankind has in common and reveals the vulnerability of human beings and our society. Originating from the exploration of the soul and the passages that life experience reflects upon our being, each tower has its own unique set of entryways where life encounters flow in and out, leaving a distinctive impact upon both the individual and humankind. The precarious off-kilter appearance of the towers gives a nod to life’s unpredictability. Yet spiraling ever upward, the towers represent hope and prosperity.

The featured installation is only one of the ways the vessels can be installed. Another possibility that may be more suitable to the gallery is a pedestal based installation following the featured layout and staggering the heights of the pedestals.

There is a definite synergy between the process and the painter. My work is raw, multilayered, and authentic resulting in many of the traits that showcase my personality. It is my wish that my pieces transport the viewer to a place of contemplation and appreciation of my fine art philosophy, thought process, and discovery through self-expression.

My work is based on mathematics. It consists of subtracting, adding, and multiplying my mediums through tools, textures, and layers. My vision is to live life in a way that adds value to myself and others. This mindset is reflected in the way in which I choose to paint.

Art appreciation has been an important part of my life; I always felt the need to paint. As a film and television makeup artist, painting on actors’ faces inspires new explorations and ideas that help strengthen my abstract figurative compositions. Regardless of what platform I use; from barrels to vases, to canvases, my paintings demand vibrant colors. Also, by recycling an old guitar, vase, or one of my old paintings, I get the added joy of helping and beautifying the environment. My abstract figures merge past and present-day cultures, creating a unique language that promotes community and inclusivity. I draw spontaneously. I feel that I am channeling beings from different cultures that blend into the unique figurative abstracts I produce. Then black outlines enhance the colors to define the figures and produce sculptural illusions. I leave it to the viewer to find their meaning in the stories regarding my work.
My love for clay began in 1983 as a novice ceramic artist I was connected to a kiln and glazes, building nonfunctional vessels, always staying true to the authentic process. For me appreciating the transformation of clay, and being able to manipulate clay at different stages of the process, from cold damp workable clay, soft leather-hard to bone chalking dry is part of the challenge. With so many variables, challenges and heart ache going into completing a successful piece, opening the kiln after a firing is filled with anticipation, excitement, and sometimes disappointment.

Encouraged by my professor Elmer Graig and peers to exhibit my work in fine shops and organizations, namely the Bake House Complex in the Wynwood area, Clay Space on Lincoln Road, Balogh Jewelers, Jonny Boyd’s and numerous exhibits in the design district.

I have had the pleasure of donating several pieces for charity auctions and fundraisers such as Art for Aids bringing in some handsome bids for the cause.

After a long sabbatical to pursue my medical career, I have now returned with a new approach as my ideas have changed with time and experience, allowing myself to break out of being a purest working only with clay. Keeping an open mind, working with an array of materials, mosaics, glass, and acrylics has been somewhat of a rebirth. This revitalizing attitude of mixed media has expanded my world as an artist with unlimited restrictions.

My latest works are highly texturized elongated dysmorphic body forms made with some recycled materials to give them a second life. Some figures are genderless, curvy, colorful, and tipsy requiring somewhat of a MacGyver building.

The “freedom” of being able to integrate all materials at hand has rekindled my passion and love for creating art in all its forms. I would hope to inspire anyone that would like to create and try something new to break away and explore all possibilities to be resourceful to create outside the box.

“Solo” is an installation that explores the journey through isolation and physical distancing, inspired during the Covid-19 pandemic. I felt motivated to tell the story of my own experience as it brought such powerful realizations in its expression. It also marks a time in our history that is unprecedented. This inspired me to infuse my evolving creative approach into this installation- and generate an ongoing conversation around loneliness and self-exploration.

Through abstract forms and hues found in nature, I discover the symbolization of our physical and spiritual realm. Interpreting this view with photography, I use a macro lens to present my subjects larger than life, while revealing intricate details and textures. Balancing random movement provided by a windy day with multi-dimensional viewpoints-all while focusing on one single fuchsia bloom- allows the story of “Solo” to unfold.

My creative process involves revisiting the imagery captured on a specific shoot and reflecting on how I felt at that moment. Intuition guides my vision as I tap into the experience, and the scene materializes. With this collection, I rearranged the components focusing on shape, contrast, and flow to strengthen the composition. Presenting 12 separate, smaller pieces enabled me to experiment with several scenarios on this journey.

The 11 pieces grouped take you through the phases we fluctuate between as we cope with the reality of the world crisis: moments of connection with others, interweaved with solitary stages, and the symbolism of space and time throughout.

A 12th piece that is isolated-literally and figuratively- brings you back to yourself…alone…solo.
This is an inevitable lesson of life and is so profound-yet affirming- for me.
The positioning of this last piece 6 feet away, within physical distancing guidelines, designated by an actual floor decal, was intentional to reflect the captured emotions of this awareness and current practice in our world.

The Covid 19 pandemic caused the cancellation of a large mural event Girl Noticed had scheduled for April of 2020 to celebrate surviving women of the Holocaust. Several live painting events were also canceled or postponed. Lori Pratico saw this as an opportunity to get back in the studio and do some paintings on canvas. “Adele” and “Irene” were two of the women to be recognized in the Holocaust mural event, but instead, two portraits were painted on canvas that capture the experience Lori had when she sat and listened to them tell their stories.

Lori’s goal with Girl Noticed is often to paint girls and women who are underrepresented in society or highlight a female who empowers herself and others. Often both things apply. “Kamala” is a ballet dancer in New York City who has taken to the streets of New York to perform and express herself while theaters and dance halls remain closed.

“Wadley” is a young Haitian girl who was the inspiration for starting the nonprofit Girl Noticed. Her determination and resilience were what awakened Lori’s seven-year-old self and reminded her that often it takes only one person to “notice” and make a difference in another life.

The mural “Our Voice” was the result of six teenage girls who participated at an end of summer Girl Noticed workshop on zoom. All were taught how to scale drawings to create a mural. They were mailed supplies and assigned different sections of the painting designed by Lori Pratico called “Our Voice”. They were encouraged to use their creativity while keeping in mind their piece would have to scale correctly to fit the other artists, even though they would not see each other’s work. They would mail the pieces back to Lori to be fitted together. They did an amazing job. Their names are.
Gaby Lama, Age 15 from Aventura, FL
Lily Mitchell, Age 14 from Cooper City, Florida
Lucia Williams, Age 13 from Hollywood, FL
Olsmael Merisier, Age 17 from the Bronx, NY
Raegan Zalman, Age 13 from Hollywood, FL
Yana Danzig, Age 15 from Davie, FL

Miami Lights

Miami Light is a joyful celebration of the color, cultural richness, and diversity that makes South Florida unique. The combination of vibrant color, graphic and flowing lines is intended to suggest the energy and dynamism, the exuberance of life in South Florida.

Marilyn Johansen is an imaginative award-winning artist and painter who is driven by an incredible passion for self-expression through art. Her works are often noted for their unique style, elegance, and technique. Marilyn has developed an innovative style that blends precise realism with abstract expressionism. Her use of vibrant colors and strong lines make her work an excellent choice for a wide range of projects and purposes. Marilyn is accomplished in using traditional methods as well as modern technique. Her works have been featured in exhibitions across the United States. She is based in Florida and has signature status with numerous watercolor societies. She has been published in Watercolor Artist Magazine and in SPLASH 20., Creative Composition.