Table of contents for Issue 41 in Create! Magazine

Following the Mystery Dear Reader, Mystery and magic have always drawn us creatives in. Whether it is the strange ways ideas come to us in the studio or the hidden elements in our work, there is always room to explore the unknown and be in awe of life, art, and creativity. For this issue, we invited artists to share their work and stories that invite us to dive deeper into the sometimes witchy, sometimes truly magical elements of art. Explore interviews with Alex Garant, Alison Blickle, Cindy Bernhard, Rebecca Chaperon, Sarah Potter, and Michelle Avery Konczyk. For our curated section, we invited artist and founder of Visionary Art Collective, Victoria Fry, to handpick artists from all around the world. Grab your favorite cozy drink and discover your next favorite artist…

Alexis Herman (b. 1962) is a contemporary representational painter who explores the regulating and meditative qualities of water. Her paintings are characterized by simple organizing compositions and richly saturated colors capturing water's transfixing moments. Herman has been exhibited along the east coast including showcase artist at ArtFair 14C and featured at Kelly-McKenna Gallery. Her work has been featured in several publications including New Visionary Magazine and To the Shore Once More. Her work is held in private collections throughout the United States and Europe. She received her BFA from Rochester Institute of Technology and her MBA from NYU's Stern School of Business. Herman resides in Little Silver, New Jersey. Website: www.alexishermanstudio.com Instagram: @alexishermanstudio ARTIST STATEMENT Water has always been a grounding force in my life. My art explores the ocean's…

ARTIST STATEMENT My art is a journey of exploring and expressing the vibrant inner worlds of girls and young women. I seek to capture the delicate balance between innocence and maturity, vulnerability and strength. By exploring the duality of childhood, embracing both the moments of joy infused with fantasy, elements of the natural world and surrealism and sometimes darker themes, my portraits reflect on the profound impact that our childhood experiences have on shaping our identities. Autobiographical in nature, the visual vocabulary I utilize expresses an inner dialogue between the eyes of my unique childhood experiences and the universal nature of innocence and purity associated with childhood in general. A portal is presented to the viewer through which they may experience their own childhood memories and emotions. By expressing the…

Alycia Earhart is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Lawrence, KS, USA. Her work embraces the wonky, the whimsical, and the wonderful imperfections that come to life during the creation process. Her approach to painting is simple: she paints what makes her happy. ARTIST STATEMENT These paintings celebrate the deliciousness of idleness. The conversations around a plate of seasonal food, a vase of freshly picked flowers, a favorite chair. The small, everyday moments in between the big ones where we are simply existing and then finding joy in that simplicity. Website: www.alyciaearhart.com…

Mary Lacy is an emerging artist based primarily in New England and originally from Jericho, Vermont. She began her career as a muralist and in 2017 she did a nine-city mural tour, sponsored by Benjamin Moore, in her bucket truck, that took her everywhere from NYC to the Mississippi Delta and Gallup, New Mexico. Much of her mural work juxtaposes the natural with the man made, bringing a sense of imagination and wonder back into our concrete and physical surroundings. She has organized countless community art projects and has overtime expanded her art practice to incorporate ceramics, tiles, wood, and other mixed media materials. Recently, she has been spending more time in her studio where she explores more personal subject matter, looking inward at the beauty, strength, and fragility of…

Melanie is a Brooklyn, NY based artist who works primarily in abstract oil painting. Born and raised in Columbus, IN, she holds a Master's degree in Architecture from Indiana University. Throughout this program, she participated in duel architectural and visual art studios. Melanie has shown her work in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and New York. Currently, her work explores the relationships between the built environment and people. The city plays an integral role in how her works develop, reflecting her personal experiences through the lens of the urban fabric of Brooklyn. Website: www.melanie-brock.com ARTIST STATEMENT My work explores the effects of the built environment within Brooklyn on human experience and behavior; specifically, within the transitional zones between public and private spaces. These zones often manifest in my painting through energetic fluidity and…

Geraldina Khatchikian is an Italian abstract painter and jewelry designer, whose artistic journey has been a fusion of painting and goldsmithing. Based in Milan, Italy, Khatchikian honed her craft at the IED (European Institute of Design), where she delved into the intricate worlds of goldsmithing and metal coloring techniques. Following her passion for painting at the same time, she transformed her skill into a professional career while further enriching her artistic knowledge at the prestigious Sotheby's Institute of Art in New York, laying a strong foundation for her career. Having been surrounded by goldsmiths throughout her life, she also continued to refine her jewelry design skills. Today, Khatchikian's work graces international platforms, prestigious magazines, and various global exhibitions. She's earned recognition from international collectors who cherish her artistic vision. Currently,…

Marion Griese completed a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Toronto in 1992. After travelling and working in Europe, she studied jewellery art and design for two years at Vancouver Community College. These two art forms have allowed her to explore ideas and concepts from different angles. A found object may inspire a painting, which consequently may inspire a piece of jewellery. Other times, the jewellery may spark ideas for a painting. She has a deep appreciation for balance, proportion and colour and looks to both natural and urban forms for inspiration. She is currently focusing her time on a new series of abstract paintings. Marion Griese resides in the Niagara area of Southern Ontario with her family, where she teaches art to young children. Website: www.mariongriese.com ARTIST…

CURATED SECTION Karen Christie Fisher is an abstract painter and designer using the language of color and texture to explore the landscape of emotion. She is currently working in acrylic paint on wood panel, utilizing a variety of acrylic mediums and conventional and unconventional tools to explore texture and mark. Color is her favorite tool. Karen is influenced and inspired by her love of modern design which began while growing up in New York City, and further developed during her four years studying at Oregon College of Art and Craft in Portland. She continues to rely on the skills learned while receiving her first degree, a B.A. in Anthropology from the State University of New York at Oswego to facilitate her research of the human condition. This curiosity is often…

Tiffany Heng Hui Lee is a visual artist specializing in abstract, mixed media collages and paintings. At the impressionable age of eighteen, she immigrated to the United States from Taipei, Taiwan. As a student at the University of Houston she was mentored by her painting professor Richard Stout who pushed her to except nothing less than excellence in her work. As a graduate student she was a teaching assistant which allowed her to inspire and encourage others to incorporate her requirement for intimate detail into their work. Tiffany's art expresses movement and energy, reflecting the changing unstable characteristics of nature, as well as the fragmentation and uncertainty of life. Abstract creations allow the viewer to interpret each work based on their personal experiences and preferences. Layers mimic the order found…

Ellen Starr Lyon, b. 1974 in Columbus, Indiana. Lyon is a figurative painter focusing on modern portraiture that revolves around feminism, motherhood, and coming of age. Her naturalist painting style incorporates a colorful palette and multiple thin, luminous layers capturing her models in natural light. Lyon uses her own photography to catch unguarded moments that are translated into oil paintings showing glimpses of emotion on the faces of those around her. Lyon champions vulnerability as strength while showing it as our common language. Her Red Glove Series depicts her teenage daughter wearing bright red rubber gloves and a defiant expression to talk about the next generations’ fight for reproductive rights. She has work in the permanent collection of the Evansville Museum and Indiana University and has been invited to the…

Rachael Zur's expanded paintings blend sculptural physicality with traditional painting techniques to depict objects found in living rooms. Her work has been twice published in New American Paintings, as well as Friend of the Artist, Under The Bridge Magazine, and Stay Home by Stay Home Gallery and Residency. After 12 years as a stay-athome mom, Zur resumed her education and completed her MFA in 2019 from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Since then, she has exhibited her work locally and nationally is places such as Museum of Museums, Seattle, WA; CHART Gallery, New York, NY; SOIL Galley, Seattle, WA; Artworks Northwest Biennial at Umpqua Valley Arts Association, Roseburg, OR; Stone House Art Gallery, Charlotte, NC; and Young Space. Zur has worked as a Program Mentor in the…

“Magic is having an intention, putting yourself into an altered state of reverence and focus, and doing something physical that releases your intention out into the world. Alison Blickle…

ARTIST INTERVIEWS Cindy Bernhard's paintings are filled with mystery, darkness, intrigue, and a dash of humor. She describes her paintings as dreamlike with transcendent-like qualities. Each scene appears to on the cusp of something mystical, with dramatic magenta lighting and indigo shadows as if on the edge of dusk, on the brink of something supernatural. The artist beautifully and skillfully creates haunting interior scenes with an air of the gothic, with candles burning and smoke sifting through the night air. And in the air, it feels like anything is possible, like that moment just after midnight where suddenly the mood shifts to the unexpected and almost magical. Bernhard's stunning interiors often showcase wide-eyed cats (or dogs)—what she explains are stand-ins for people. Each object and animal are carefully placed, pulling…

ARTIST INTERVIEWS Michelle Avery Konczyk, a self-taught painter, delves into the macabre with her intricate yet unconventional artworks. Her approach to watercolors is distinctive, as she explores themes of dirt, decay, hands and ghosts, all masterfully intertwined with rich symbolism. In this exclusive interview, we embark on a journey through the enigmatic mind behind the paintbrush. We delve into Konczyk's career, exploring the captivating narratives she weaves through her hauntingly beautiful creations. Join us as we unveil the secrets concealed within her artwork, where each brushstroke reveals a world that is hauntingly familiar yet uniquely her own. What inspired you to start exploring the macabre themes in your artwork? I never set out with the intention to work in macabre themes. What's really funny is I didn't even realize my…

Born and raised in NYC, Tafy was always surrounded by diversity. It made her curious about other cultures and heritages. That upbringing prompted her to travel and meet all kinds of people. And made her passionate about showcasing that in her art. Being both Puerto Rican and Haitian, throughout her life people always tried to place Tafy in a box of one or the other. With her portraits, she showcases unique individuals who embrace both their culture and who they are. Using a range of mediums including charcoal, graphite, oil, and acrylic paint. Placing her portraits against graphic vibrant patterns inspired by murals she grew up around in Spanish Harlem. Through her art, Tafy celebrates the beauty of dual identity and how it can be an asset instead of a…

I am a Pennsylvania native who received bachelor's degrees in Painting and Art Education from Millersville University and MFA in Painting from Savannah College of Art and Design. I have exhibited my paintings in galleries and fairs in Philadelphia, Washington, DC, New York, San Francisco, Richmond, Savannah, Raleigh, Columbus, and Chicago. Media features have included Artist Talk Magazine, Art Seen Magazine, New American Paintings, Studio Visit Magazine, Studio Break Podcast, and Shockoe Artspeak Podcast. Formerly an art educator in the Washington DC and Chicago areas, I now live and work as a painter and visual designer in Wilmington, Delaware. Website: www.jensmallart.com ARTIST STATEMENT My art, initially abstract in appearance, records a journey of a day in the life—a practice that starts with documentation through the lens of a camera. I…

Ryan Horton is an artist from Atlanta, GA based in Boston, MA driven by curiosity of expression. As a Black man living in America, Ryan has always been taught to conform to survive in environments that were never meant for him. Because of this, throughout Ryan's professional career he strives to push the boundaries of acceptance and expectations. With his Master's in Architecture from Northeastern University, a Bachelor's of Fine Arts from Savannah College of Art & Design, and professional experiences in graphic design, Ryan has been exposed to a number of creative methods and mediums that have pushed his passion to not only create but breathe purpose into his works. Utilizing his structured architectural foundation and the raw understanding of aesthetic purity, he is continuously evolving his unique artistic…

Amy J. Dyck's work is a unique mix of representational and playful expressionism and strives to express something deeper in the human experience than can be observed by the eye. It references her struggles with a body that does not do as it should, and her journey toward acceptance, resistance, and resilience in the midst of suffering. Amy holds a certificate in design studies from KPU, has spent a decade practicing human anatomy and the techniques of the Old Masters and is always pushing her practice into new directions. Interviewed by CBC Arts Minute, she has also had her work featured in a handful of art magazines and has won awards and cash prizes in several international art exhibitions and competitions. Her work is in collections around North America and…

Sarah Verardo is a contemporary oil painter based in Providence, Rhode Island. Having grown up in coastal New England, the ocean has always been a familiar representation of home. After living in New York City for 14 years, Sarah returned to Rhode Island, connecting with the seaside New England environment in a different way as an adult. The idea of home, and in particular proximity to the ocean, changed from a pacifying comfort to become more of a spiritual and reflective touchstone. Through her work, Sarah pays homage to the role her environment has had in her personal evolution through both trying and celebratory times in her life. Sarah graduated from Georgetown University with a BA in Government and, when not painting, works in digital marketing. She is represented by…

ARTIST INTERVIEWS When the moment calls for it, I love getting to share a little backstory on my own personal connection to an artist and their work. When I first decided to try my hand at arts journalism, I realized that, in order to write for publications, you had to show them what you can do. In order to prove my skill and convince an editor to publish my writing, I first had to send links to my own published writing (a bit of a conundrum, right?). So, I started my own (now defunct) art blog. I admit, it wasn't very good, but it did the trick. It allowed me to showcase my writing to publications I wanted to write for, and (perhaps more importantly) gave me the motivation and…

“ I create art to connect to my own spirit and to transcribe experience in a way that can not only be understood, but felt, by others. Robin Adler Victoria J. Fry is a New York City-based painter, educator, curator, and the founder of Visionary Art Collective and New Visionary Magazine. Born in England, Fry lived in Singapore as a child before moving to the United States. The formative years spent in the English countryside continue to impact the paintings she creates today, as they're rooted in landscape, memory, perception, and experience. Fry's work has been featured in numerous publications, including Create! Magazine, Vanity Fair UK, Art Reveal Magazine, and Pif Magazine amongst others. Since launching Visionary Art Collective in 2020, Fry has worked with over 200+ artists to help…

My unique process begins with a drawing. Daily I gather sticks from the forest and debark the branch to reveal the shapes found within each branch. I then cut and joint small naturally formed shapes together. Next, all the open joints get filled with a putty, which once dried is then sanded till it's smooth. This putty and sanding process is repeated at least three times. I want the work to appear as if it grew in nature, when in fact each sculpture is composed of hundreds of small pieces of wood that are meticulously crafted together. My work can be called the ultimate recycling: taking the detritus of nature and giving it a new life. My current work is inspired by the illustrations found in the mysterious 15th century…

Anvi Stevens is a visual artist who works in painting, drawing, and fabric art. She grew up in Gujarat, India, and currently lives in Wakefield, Massachusetts, where she works with collections and archives at local historical societies. She received a Bachelor of Visual Arts from Maharaja Sayajiroa University of Vadodara, India and a Master of Fine Arts from Boston University. Anvi's work has been exhibited in two-person and group shows at galleries including Tiger Strikes Asteroid in Brooklyn, Commonwealth Gallery, and Multicultural Arts Center in Boston, as well as L. & P. Hutheesing Center and Kanoria Gallery in Ahmedabad, India. She is the recipient of several awards, including the Writer/Artist Book Project at B.U. and a 'notable recognition' by The Arts Society of India. Her paintings range from small handheld…

Gina Ariko is a Japanese-American figurative painter based in Seattle, WA. Growing up, she spent every other summer visiting family in Kitakyushu, Japan, where her ojichan and obaachan first taught her to paint. Despite the language and distance barriers between them, they learned to communicate through a shared love of painting. Her interest in art and storytelling overlapped at Santa Clara University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in both English and studio art. After graduation, Gina worked in marketing, events, and community development for mission-driven museums and educational organizations. She began pursuing her art fulltime in 2020. Website: www.ginaariko.com ARTIST STATEMENT I owe my lifelong love of painting to my ojichan and obaachan, who were both professional artists. Growing up biracial and second-generation American, I often felt caught in…

CURATED SECTION Sandra (Cho) Curitore, Korean American Artist/Art director, breast cancer survivor, Wife and Mother living in Los Angeles and is alumni to Otis College of Art and Design. She majored in Communication Arts - Graphic design and continued a professional career of 20+ years within the beauty industry reaching the level of Creative Director. In 2022, her role as CD came to an end. The lay off was a surprise, but it didn't consume her because a year prior to Covid she battled stage 3 breast cancer and survived. With her new perspective on life, she chose to pivot and dedicate most of her time to acrylic painting and collaborating with other artists. She's inspired by her family, nature's beauty, anything colorful, and applying the design skills from her…

Jacquelyn Strycker is a Brooklyn/Queens-based artist working primarily in printmaking, collage and fibers-based media. She is concerned with the relationship between decoration and function, and invested in material exploration and handicraft. Drawing from the languages of quiltmaking, geometric abstraction, and the 1970's Pattern and Decoration movement, she makes works that are an unrestrained layering of pattern on pattern. She uses mechanical processes like risograph to translate handmade processes, making prints from her drawings that she tiles, cuts up, reconfigures, collages and sews into larger pieces. The unabashedly maximalist, fluorescent works embody the pleasures of color, pattern, and craft. Strycker has a BA from Columbia University and an MFA from Tyler School of Art. She is presently a faculty member at Pratt Institute and a faculty member and the Director of…

Jen Bootwala is a graphic designer, fiber artist, and educator whose work explores the connection between fiber as a paper medium and fiber as a textile medium. Through research and process-based making, she uses handknitting and spinning to visually represent gendered labor. Her current work is concerned with contributions that are not equally rewarded or acknowledged due to differences in identity, background, and the systemic metrics for which work is valued. Through her own labor, she seeks to make visible the work of others. Centering an interdisciplinary approach in her practice, she looks to move beyond categorical boundaries and focus on moments of intersection and creative convergence. Website: www.thesoftgrid.net ARTIST INTERVIEW What initially sparked your interest in art? A love of reading and writing activated my interest in art and…

Mariell Guzman is a Mexican multidisciplinary artist based in Dallas, Texas, with a background in mixed media painting, mural art, and sculpture. Drawing inspiration from nature and her bi-cultural upbringing, she creates vibrant and surrealistic playgrounds that reflect her exploration of identity and the challenge of adaptation. Her artwork captures the essence of imagined ecosystems, driven by chaos and spontaneity, mirroring her experiences as an immigrant. Guzman's bold and colorful murals can be found throughout the United States and Mexico, and she has collaborated with renowned clients such as Dickies, Pepsi, and IBM. Instagram: @mariellguzman…

A graduate of Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Kirk Gower (1988) is a Vancouver based artist whose work explores themes of masculinity, gender constructs and queer identity in contemporary painting. Gower has participated in numerous shows across Canada. His work has been recently shown at the Seymour Art Gallery: New & Emerging, Kariton Art Gallery: Figures in Motion, and the Vancouver Mural Festival. Kirk's work has been featured in Suboart Magazine, Visionary Magazine, SAD Magazine, The Globe and Mail, Daily Hive, and Vancouver Sun, among others. In his practice, Kirk explores queer identity. The paintings he creates often begin as sumptuous, highly rendered portraits. He then adds decorative elements such as flowers to imply meanings and emotions he associates with the figure. After the base painting is completed,…

Jennifer Agricola Mojica is a contemporary painter, educator, and mother based in San Antonio, Texas. She has exhibited across the U.S. and internationally. Her paintings can be found in private collections and has been featured in multiple publications. Today she splits her time between her studio practice and teaching at St Philip's College. Website: www.jenniferagricolamojica.com Instagram: @jenniferagricolamojica ARTIST STATEMENT In my process, a painting begins with a disruptive start and ends with a harmonious stillness. Planes shift and shapes repeat, forms are portrayed at different vantage points, and figures become fragmented. The chaos then becomes a calm meditative process as I weave concepts and elements together. As an inevitable part of my process, disorderly perceptions of time and space reflect my lived experiences. I revisit childhood memories and moments of…

Paula Borsetti creates abstract paintings that reflect her love of family, friends and the natural environment of New England. Working primarily in acrylic she creates layered paintings meant to evoke personal moments and narrative. She loves the act of painting, how movement and materials become formal elements, how thoughts and feelings weave in and out and the dance between it all. Her PALS series is an ongoing body of work inspired by the battle her friend's son recently lost against ALS. Diagnosed at 25 he fought valiantly for 9 ½ years. Creating this series is a way for the artist to process witnessing what this disease does to people, those who are living with it as well as their family, friends, caregivers and community. For this series she states “I…

Sarah E. Boyle is a Chicago-based painter who studied fashion, theatrical design, and illustration at Syracuse University and Ringling School of Art and Design before receiving her BFA in Painting and Drawing at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Boyle uses oil on canvas and panel to convey place formally through landscape and introspectively through location, symbol, void and scale. Her work has been featured in Hyperallergic, Artnet News, My Modern Met, Office Space, Create! Magazine, Studio Visit Magazine, Vanity Fair UK, The Third Coast Review, and New Visionary Magazine. She has shown at galleries and spaces in Tribeca, NYC, Chicago, IL, Indianapolis and Carmel, IN. Boyle has been a resident of the Cornelia Arts Building (Chicago, IL) since 2015 and a directory artist with Visionary Art Collective…