Richard Schmid was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1934 where he received his education. He was influenced by his grandfather, Julian Oates, an Architectural Sculptor, and began drawing, and anatomy began at the age of twelve and at fourteen, he studied under landscape painter Gianni Cilfone, who helped him refine his painting skills and introduced him to color theory.
A milestone in Schmid’s development came in 1952 when he entrolled at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. There he learned the classical techniques of the early Dutch, Flemish, and Spanish masters from William H. Mosby, who had studied at the Royal Academy in the 1920’s and later at the Superior Institute in Antwerp. Mosby was a technical expert on European and American realism and taught Schmid everything he knew about the late nineteenth century Italian, French, Slavic, Scandinavian, and American Painters. The emphasis in all periods was on Alla Prima or Direct Painting systems of the time. Fidelity to perception of the subject at the moment of painting was set as the goal of Direct Painting. Extreme accuracy and speed were developed and Schmid’s individual style and techniques emerged as a consequence.
Developed over many years, Schmid’s current methods can be identified technically by a characteristic precision of draftsmanship and lavish color. The content of his painting derives mainly from his personal experiences and convictions.  He views painting as a unique form of language. Very early in his career, Schmid rejected abstraction as an ineffective method of communication. He chose instead the symbolism inherent in realism to convey his ideas. Schmid draws upon his interest in music, history, philosophy, teaching, traveling, and personal relationships for his subject matter.
After military service, Schmid moved to New York in 1958 where he painted and exhibited for two years before moving his studio to western Connecticut. There he married, and settled down to raise a family, and pursue his creative ideas. During this time he traveled and painted extensively throughout the United States, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and parts of Europe.

Born in Meeker, Oklahoma, Lou Marak attended the University of Oklahoma, then after a stint in the army returned to the Kansas City Art Institute, where he graduated in 1958.
Marak worked at Hallmark Cards after graduation, then went freelance and worked for Hallmark and painted for the next thirty-five years. His commercial work can be found in many publications and his extensive exhibitions have included the Mulvane Museum, Washburn University, Topeka, KS., Kansas City Artists Coalition, Kansas City ,MO, and one man and group shows at the Jayne Gallery, Hallar Gallery and the Late Show Gallery in Kansas City MO, collections include Hallmark, Kansas City ,Mushnic Art Museum ,Atchison KS.

Born in 1935 in Lincoln, Nebraska, the painter/ ceramist/ printmaker, Bennett has had over 100 solo, two-person and group exhibitions of her work throughout the United States between 1956 and 2005, including her first Honorable Mention and Purchase Award at the Sixth Mid-America Exhibition, at the Nelson Atkins Museum, Kansas City, MO (1956); an award at “Women Artists,” University of Missouri, Kansas City, MO (1977); “Art from HELICON NINE,” Women’s Bank, New York City (1979); “Women in Art,” (National Exhibition), Suzanne Brown Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ (1981); “Solo Exhibition,” Topeka Library, Topeka, KS (1983); “Invitational:  Two Person Exhibition,” Wesleyan University, Lincoln, NE (1985); “Inaugural Exhibition: Group Show,” National Museum of Women in Arts, Washington, D.C. (1987); “Coast to Coast: Four Women,” Andrea Ross Gallery, Santa Monica, CA; and many others.
Bennett has executed many commissions, including Tornado-Emerald City, 1987, a sculpture for the Hickok-Dible Company; Celebration, 1983, a monotype suite for the Kansas City Arts Council; 10 x 12 foot abstract mural (1974) for the Westin Crown Center Hotel, Kansas City, MO; Thirteen Stained Glass Windows, 1975, for St. Charles’ Church, North Kansas City, MO;

The works of british artist Mark Briscoe are a culmination of years of experience working in a variety of artistic expressions. The gracefully flowing lines that run through his compositions are inspired from his knowledge of Indian miniature painting that he learned while studying under the master artist Ram Krishna Sharma in India. His experience in antique restoration and the painting techniques used by the old masters has paved way to a wonderful method that combines the old master’s classic technique and color palette with a little folk feeling and modern expressionism, though his pieces defy easy categorization.  The richly textured paint finish has a mild patina that is as delightful to look at close up as it is to look at from a distance.

His works have been bought by art collectors such as Lord Swraj Paul, Ramola Bachchan and Rajesh Shah (of Mukund steel) but only since he started exhibiting with galleries in the USA has his work begun to attract attention from a much broader audience,  his current style of composition has had an instant appeal with US collectors.

Born and raised in Kansas City, Annalisa was exposed to the arts at an early age.  She participated in classes at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art as soon as she could hold a paintbrush. Annalisa took a nomadic approach to her higher education, following her belief that learning is a product of environment not solely a reflection of institution. She chased her imagination through five universities and art institutes, beginning in California and ending in Washington State in 2008. When her Bachelor of Arts was awarded in Psychology and Studio Art from Antioch University, she had accumulated a diverse breadth of experience in disciplines of painting, illustration, photography, and psychology.

My work is a cumulative process made of my life experiences and my desire to sculpt the human form. I can see om each of my pieces the evolution of learning and the discovery that takes place when I develop the soul and likeness of my subject.

Award-winning sculptor/painter, Delmar Pettigrew’s works can be found in collections as far away as Kuwait, and as close as municipalities in Wyoming. Pettigrew has studied with numerous nationally known wildlife artists such as, Walter Matia, Chapel, and Floyd Tennyson Dewitt. Painting workshops include, Peggy Kroll Roberts, Kim English, Michelle Torrez, Dan Mieduch, Dan Robinson, and Ken Backhaus. He also credits his wife of 30 years, acclaimed sculptor Martha Pettigrew, for her insightful critiques.

Recently, his work was accepted in the prestigious, Art of the Animal Kingdom X, held

Cally Krallman was raised on a farm on the High Plains of northwest Kansas near Goodland.  She attended Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, where she received her BFA in 1981.  She worked in commercial art until 1992.

She has studied with Phil Starke, Kim English, Michael Albrechtson, and William Scott Jennings.  She has been featured in many one-person exhibits and her work is collected throughout the U.S.  She is a member of Oil Painters of America, American Women Artists and has exhibited in the Salon International.  She was also a guest artist in the “Art in the Embassies” program in Tblisi, Georgia.

“I have been painting in the Midwest, primarily Kansas for about 20 years,” says Krallman.  “I have traveled many places but I am still drawn to the simplistic beauty of the plains.  Many people think of the Midwest as just a flat agricultural state, but in fact it is full of wonderful rolling hills, tree-lined rivers and creeks, and other unique land formations.

Henry W. Dixon grew up in Chicago, Illinois, with his mother, an older brother and three sisters. While attending elementary school there, he occasionally got into trouble for drawing in class when he should have been finishing his class assignments.

At the age of 18, he and the rest of the family moved to Niles, Michigan, where he graduated from high school and later attended Western Michigan University and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in art and Master of Arts degree in graphic design.

After graduation, he was recruited by Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, Missouri. He now resides in KC with his wife, Rena, and three sons: Rodney, Reginald and Ryan. He now works out of his studio, but Dixon has also taught drawing and graphic design at one of the local universities.

Dixon paints predominately in watercolor. His figures are mainly those of children and the elderly, whose actions and demeanor seem unpretentious and natural. He enjoys capturing his figures as they really are. His landscapes are those of rocky terrain, such as the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Arches National Park.

When mixed with a strong light source, his still lifes take on an abstract quality. Depicting light on his subjects is what evokes the most pleasure in him from his paintings.

Ohio artist Linda Langhorst’s images often include musicians and musical craftsman in casual and intimate settings.  The focus of her work is not the individuals she paints, but rather the relationships between the individuals, their music making, and their environment.

Langhorst currently works primarily in oil.  The artist treats her canvas as though it is a kind of tapestry.  Bits and pieces of paint are woven together to create something that speaks of a real-life moment. Her goal is to let the paint tie the participants together in that place and at that moment.

In 2009, Langhorst moved part of her studio into The Guitar House Workshop, where she is now the shop’s artist-in-residence.

Barbara Frets Simmons is a painter who is represented in more than 35 public collections and has been honored with large numbers of prestigious awards, including an MAAA/NEA Fellowship Award and first place in the American Artist magazine contest. Simmons holds a Master of Arts degree.

I paint because I like to paint.  It is the easiest and most direct route of expressing feelings that I find difficult to verbalize.  Many of my works are landscapes, still lives, or figures.  But regardless of what the subject matter, I find that it is always the emotions that the image evokes in me that I am trying to capture. The shapes, textures, colors, lights, and shadows are the notes of melody and rhythm of a composition that exalts the senses and calms the soul.  The subtleties of emotions can be felt, not described.

Roberto Tommasi was born in Verona, Italy where he currently lives. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts of Verona, and he is a member of the Fine Art Society in Verona and Firenze (Florence).
 
In his work he believes that all subjects – whether landscape, still-life, figurative or architectural – must be treated equally. A truly great landscape painting, then, is no less important than a  portrait - because of how it is made.

Born in Los Angeles, California, in 1941, Stephen Gosnell studied in Texas and New York. He received a master’s degree in 1969 from State University of New York at Buffalo.

Primarily a painter and printmaker, Gosnell exhibited widely in national and regional juried exhibitions in major museums. He also had solo and group shows in other venues such as colleges, private galleries, and community art centers.

For over 30 years, he taught art at the University of Missouri – Kansas City. Since 2001, he has been professor emeritus of art at UMKC.

Born in Neosho, Missouri, Thomas Hart Benton is probably best known for his murals associated with the American Scene Painting movement of the 1930s. A leader of the Regionalism movement in American Art, his vivid style portrayed pre-industrial agrarian life.

In 1908, Benton went to Paris, France, to study art. He returned home to Missouri, but was sent off to New York where he struggled to find his artistic voice. Returning to Missouri in 1924 to care for his father, Benton discovered the “Americana” that would define his artistic style. 

Through his work, Benton made observations about the plight of the poor, rural American.

Pam Peffer has had a life-long interest in art. Over the past 18 years, she has pursued it through fine arts studies at Johnson County Community College and workshop studies with Philomene Bennett, Phil Starke, Charles Stegner as well as other painters and ceramists. 

Her love of color has found its way into low-fire ceramics, stone jewelry and paintings based on quick, “drive-by” views of scenery.  She paints glimpses of the scenery passed on the way to somewhere else.

Formerly an illustrator, Martha Pettigrew has established herself as one of the foremost contemporary sculptors.

Her work has been accepted in such prestigious and exclusive exhibitions as: Annual Exhibition of the American Academy of Equine Artists, Museum of the Horse, Lexington, Kentucky; Settlers West’s “The Great American West Show,” Tucson, Arizona; Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum’s “Birds in Art”; and Loveland High Plains Art Council’s “Sculpture in the Park.”

A breeder and owner of Thoroughbred horses for more than 20 years, Pettigrew is completely at ease with the horse as a subject for her sculpture. About her work, she says:

“I find the horse an endless source of inspiration in my art. I find it challenging to capture the essence of the animal in a manner in which the viewer will feel the power, grace, and intelligence that has made the horse a favorite subject of artists since early man painted on cave walls. It is my hope that the sculpture will become a source of inspiration to those viewing it.”

Kwan Wu ranks among the top sculptors in the world. His reputation was established very early, and it is fair to say that he was being groomed to become the state sculptor of China. A series of events brought him to the United States in 1988 and led to his U.S. citizenship in 1997.

Starting with nothing but determination, talent, and a dream, he has established himself among the top sculptors in the West. His quality is quickly recognized and covers work from heroic and monumental to miniature in a wide range of subjects.

Now in the fourth decade of his career, Dennis Smith has achieved international recognition as a figurative sculptor. He was raised in Alpine, Utah, graduated from Brigham Young University and attended the Royal Academy of Art in Copenhagen. Most widely known for his sculpture of children, he has overseen the installation of his work for permanent display throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

In addition to a large body of privately commissioned work, Dennis Smith sculptures are installed at the following public locations in the United States:

Arizona – Scottsdale, Mayusho Corporation
California – Mission Viejo, Public Park; Santa Fe Springs, civic center; Los Angeles, LDS Church temple grounds
Colorado – Vail, town center
Georgia – Columbus, 1996 Olympic softball venue
Illinois – Park Ridge, Lutheran General Hospital
Kentucky – Ft. Thomas, Highlands of St. Thomas Health Care
Louisiana – New Orleans, Children’s Hospital
Missouri – St. Louis, Traveler’s Life Insurance

Born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1937, Carol Gold grew up on a dairy farm in western Massachusetts.
Between 1956 and 1960, she studied art at Cornell University, and the museum school in Boston. Fourteen years later, her children old enough for her to return to sculpting full time, her work began develop in earnest.

Bronze casting techniques learned at the College of Martin in 1977-1978 enabled Gold to build and operate her own foundry. This intimacy with the entire casting process profoundly affected the evolution of her sculpture. She began to think in terms of the potential of the metal and started to use wax as her creative medium rather than the clay of her initials sculptures.

Hellen Wendlandt tries to convey the beauty of the land in her paintings.

“I am greatly influenced by the quality of the light falling upon the scene,” she says. “This varies over a wide range depending on such factors as time of day, the weather and season of the year.”

Chun Wang was born in Nanjing, China, and completed his formal studies in China.

He emigrated to the U.S. in 1992. He continued to study painting and earned an MFA at the University of Missouri. Later, he pursued a career in painting and illustration full-time.

He especially loves to paint from real life.

Miryam was born in Poland (near Krakow), where she spent her childhood.

She graduated from Krakow Business and Marketing College (her thesis focused on the influence of advertising on the human psyche). She continued her education on Jagiellonian University in Krakow in the Management and Interpersonal Communication Department.

Even though she doesn’t have a formal fine arts background, art was her deep passion through whole her life. Art expresses her sensitive nature and creative outlook on the world.

When you commission a fine quality portrait from Patrick Saunders, you are investing in a beautiful heirloom to be enjoyed for many generations. His attention to detail and ability to capture emotions make him one of the most sought after portrait artists.

Educated in Kansas City, Missouri, at the Kansas City Art Institute, Saunders has participated in numerous shows and galleries over the past ten years.

Beverly Nichols has been a full-time practicing artist and a professor at various colleges and small community organizations. She is presently teaching at the Kansas City Art Institute and working with children doing workshops for Kansas City Young Audiences.

Over the last 30 years, Nichols has acquired a BFA and a MFA, in addition to a one-year internship at the Boston Museum School in 1978. The BFA came from Stephens College and the MFA from University of California at Santa Barbara.

Nichols has shown her work in a variety of places all over the United States. She has numerous awards both for her watercolors, pastels and oils.

Jane Pronko was born in East St. Louis, Illinois. She has lived in the Kansas City area since earning her bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas. Her studio is located in the River Market District in Kansas City, Missouri.

Work by Pronko has been included in numerous solo and group exhibitions. Recent exhibitions include: “Ninth Annual Missouri Top 50,” juried by Elizabeth Dunbar, Whitney Museum of American Art, 1998; “The River Market Regional,” juried by Jeremy Strick Twentieth Century Curator at the Art Institute of Chicago; and The Kansas Triennial, juried by Janet Bishop, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. She also participated in “Wild Woman Salon,” an invitational exhibition at the Morgan Gallery, Kansas City, Missouri.

Commissioned by the Print Society of the Nelson Gallery she completed a limited-edition color lithograph in collaboration with the master printer Mike Sims at the Lawrence Lithography Workshop.

Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Helen Lea earned her undergraduate degree in art history at Smith College. After graduation, she studied Italian and classical painting in Perugia, Italy. Returning to Kansas City, she spent a year working as an artist for Hallmark Cards. She then moved to New York where she worked at the Frick Museum.

Lea returned to Kansas City in 1961, married and started a family while continuing to paint and study.

Alexander Herman was born in 1936, in Katowice, Poland. He graduated from Kracow Academy of Fine Arts with a graphics degree. He also has a Master of Fine Arts degree from Katowice Academy of Fine Arts.

Herman is a well-known and respectable artist in his country, as well as internationally. He had many solo exhibitions in London. He participated in group and individual shows in Paris, Vienna, Moscov, Sofia, Prague, Lipsk, Los Angeles and Kansas City.

Mark English refuses to be bored. An artist of exceptional gifts, he had achieved one remarkable success after another. Driven by a need for excellence and an unending attraction to challenge and change, he has created an unparalleled body of work.

English was born in Hubbard, Texas, in 1933. His first job was picking cotton, but he worked his way out of the fields when he learned how to paint signs for visiting rodeos. He attended the University of Texas and graduated from The Art Center College in Los Angeles in 1960.

English moved to Connecticut in 1964, and so began his meteoric rise as one of America’s top magazine illustrators. His first editorial assignment from The Saturday Evening Post led to nonstop work from most major publications including Reader’s Digest, The Ladies’ Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, Sports Illustrated, Redbook, McCall’s, and Time.

The recipient of over a hundred awards from arts organizations nationwide, English was named “Artist of the Year” by the Artists Guild of New York in 1967. His work was selected with astounding regularity for the Society of Illustrators annual exhibitions. The Society further honored him with the Hamilton King Award in 1967, and in 1983 elected him to the their prestigious Illustrators Hall of Fame.