Known professionally as the Serenading Songbird, Alaia Luna is a Florida-based musician, therapeutic artist, educator, and community creative whose work blends music, movement, storytelling, and connection. Through Songbird Studios and the growing vision of the Songbird Collective, she creates welcoming spaces where people can gather, express themselves, heal, and celebrate through creativity and community.
Rooted in the coastal rhythm of New Smyrna Beach, Alaia’s work spans intimate weddings and shoreline serenades, live performances, open mics, workshops, and collaborative arts programming. She serves as Music Chair and studio artist at The Hub on Canal, where she helps foster vibrant creative experiences for the local community.
With studies at Berklee College of Music and Naropa University, Alaia combines musical training with mindfulness-based and contemplative practices. She teaches voice, piano, and ukulele while designing experiences that emphasize emotional presence, creativity, and authentic expression over perfection.
As founder and host of community-centered events like Roots & Rhythm and Songs in the Shallows, Alaia is passionate about cultivating inclusive spaces for artists and audiences alike, using music as a way to deepen connection, self-expression, and belonging.
Songbird Collective | Songbird Studios | Alaia Luna | www.alaialuna.com
Amy Hutchinson is an oil painter whose work blends precision, intensity, and vivid visual storytelling through a style rooted in Pop Realism. Her paintings are grounded in realism while amplified by bold, saturated color and meticulous detail, creating images that feel heightened, immersive, and emotionally charged.
Over the past seven years of dedicated practice, Hutchinson has developed a technique that balances discipline with instinct. Her subjects — ranging from glossy confections to stylized portraits — draw viewers in through familiarity while revealing deeper themes of desire, identity, and perception. Influenced by retro Americana, pop culture, and the visual language of advertising, she transforms everyday imagery into something iconic and electric.
Color plays a central role in her work, pushing light, texture, and surface beyond naturalism to create paintings that feel “more real than real.” Rather than simply replicating her subjects, Hutchinson elevates them, encouraging viewers to pause, look closer, and consider the emotional and cultural power embedded within visual imagery.
Through her commitment to oil painting, Hutchinson continues to refine a bold and unmistakable artistic voice that celebrates both visual pleasure and deeper reflection.
Anne is a native of Alabama, and she earned both undergraduate and masters degrees from Auburn University. Her father instilled in her an appreciation of art history; and after formal education, she began painting in oils and studied under artists in Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, and New Smyrna Beach, Florida. She received blue ribbons from the Artist Workshop of New Smyrna Beach and sold her paintings through a local gallery.
She later changed to bright colored acrylics. Her paintings are inspired by her love of the carefree life of the tropics.
Her cheerful colors represent sunny beaches and beautiful fruits and flowers. She hopes her paintings bring happy thoughts of warm tropical breezes and sparkling aqua seas.
www.facebook.com/annehigginbothamart
@annehigginbothamart
Growing up in the coastal surf town of New Smyrna Beach, Becki Shiles has always been deeply inspired by the beauty and energy of the ocean. Surrounded by tropical landscapes, shifting tides, and endless skies, her work reflects a lifelong connection to the natural world and the calming yet powerful spirit of the sea.
Her artistic journey has explored many creative forms over the years. Early in her career, she developed a passion for decorative glass etching, creating custom designs for front doors, shower enclosures and other areas that brought artistry into everyday spaces. She also spent many years painting heartfelt watercolor portraits of children and beloved pets, capturing personality, emotion, and cherished memories through soft layers of color and detail.
Today, her work continues to evolve through resin art, mixed media, and ceramic creations inspired by coastal textures, botanical forms, and the fluid movement of water. Influenced by the vibrant colors and organic beauty of her tropical surroundings, she creates pieces that blend movement, texture, and emotion into a distinctly coastal aesthetic.
Whether through luminous resin paintings, expressive ceramics, or earlier portrait and etched-glass work, Becki invites viewers to experience the serenity, warmth, and natural beauty that have shaped her artistic vision throughout her life.
I have ADD. In the course of a minute, 100 thoughts will compete for my attention. Art allows me to connect seemingly disjointed thoughts into a cohesive representation. It allows me to hyperfocus.
My art adventure began when Aunt Alice gave me old ribbon and wrapping paper to play with. I’ve been playing ever since. My grandmother’s love of gardening serves as an inspiration for my floral renderings.
I am self-taught with much encouragement from family and friends.
I sign my work BAWG to acknowledge my birth mother, my adopted parents and my husband, Lee.
I grew up in New Jersey, close to NYC and Upstate NY. My husband and I moved to New Smyrna Beach via Lebanon Ohio where we had raised our two children, Sara and Walker.
Studied Special Education
Assistant director for residential services for adults with developmental disabilities and severe mental health issues
Art teacher in elementary school
Art teacher to high school students with severe behavioral issues
Retired from human services to work at Michael’s Crafts where I spent my paycheck.
Bill Colby & Patti Kendall-Colby
New Smyrna Beach, FL
Bill and Patti are ceramic artists whose handcrafted stoneware reflects a lifelong connection to coastal landscapes and the natural world. Growing up in Redondo Beach, California, they were shaped by the expansive skies, sandy beaches, and desert landscapes of the West Coast — influences that continue to inform their work today in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
Working collaboratively in their studio, the pair create pottery rooted in traditional methods and decades of craftsmanship. Their forms often echo the movement of surf and tides, while their custom-developed glazes evoke abstract seascapes and shoreline textures. Applied in overlapping layers and fired in their handmade 60-cubic-foot gas kiln at temperatures exceeding 2400°F, the glazes develop crystalline surfaces and atmospheric depth unique to their process.
After nearly 50 years as a full-time potter, Bill continues to throw every piece by wheel, while Patti incorporates slab work and the ancient hand-thumbing technique into their creations. Together, they produce every work entirely by hand without molds, presses, or assistants.
The couple now lives in New Smyrna Beach, where they raised their family and continue exhibiting their pottery at art shows throughout Florida and the Carolinas.
Colbyclayworks@gmail.com
Carolyn A. Land
“I believe that the most authentic experience one can have is with nature. I am fascinated by the intricate designs that are created within the small space of one’s vision. The lines, forms, colors, and textures, of the natural elements are what motivate my art. As an artist, I reach deep within myself to express an image inspired by nature, or man’s interaction with it, that will touch the viewer as it has me or causes the viewer to go on and look more closely at the wonders that surround us.”
Shewas born and grew up in the New York City metropolitan area and was exposed to the creative process at an early age. She has been a lifelong educator and is a multi-medium artist. She has a BA in Art Education and an MA in Education plus 30+ credits in Fine Arts and Administration. She has taught on all levels from pre-school through college. She is the recipient of many awards and has paintings in both private and corporate collections.
Process
Nature is my subject, because of a persistent emotional attachment to it. I try to thoughtfully execute my work to show a sense of the beauty and forces in nature and the natural elements. My abstracts are often a microcosm of something I have observed that has particularly fascinated me. When I work, I not only look carefully at the subject but feel its essence. It is that essence that I wish to impart to my viewers
I use various methods to create my mixed media and collage paintings. Some are made on textural surfaces, which I create by building up a surface and covering it with gesso before painting. Other times I use products that will produce a specific texture and then paint over them. When I add collage or do collage work alone, I use various papers which I dye, embellish, or that I have made. I frequently use natural fibers or elements found outdoors.
CHIP EVRA
Fine Art Photography
New Smyrna Beach, Fl
Rochester, NY
What is Fine Art? To me it is an artistic statement that when viewed, creates
an aesthetic response.
Photography has been a passion of mine for many years. I am always looking for
that one moment in time that creates that aesthetic response in me. It could be
the light, the composition, the beauty, the simple, the complex or sometimes
it’s just being in the right place at the right time. My goal is to transform that
one moment into an artistic statement.
I hope your viewing experience has created an aesthetic response in you.
Cynthia Yeats is a multidisciplinary artist and experienced bench jeweler whose professional career spans more than 45 years. Working primarily with gold, silver, precious stones, and mixed metals, she specializes in both hand fabrication and lost-wax casting techniques, creating one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces that balance fine craftsmanship with artistic expression. Her background as a graphic artist also informs her strong sense of design, composition, and detail.
In recent years, Cynthia has returned to ceramics, exploring both functional pottery and sculptural forms through an intuitive and organic creative process. Whether working with clay, metal, or stone, she approaches art as a collaboration with the material itself, allowing each piece to evolve naturally as it takes shape.
Her work is rooted in a deep love of making by hand and a belief that the creative process is as important as the finished piece. Cynthia embraces spontaneity and discovery, often letting the materials guide the direction of the work rather than forcing a predetermined outcome. Through both jewelry and ceramics, she continues to evolve as an artist, finding inspiration in the freedom, unpredictability, and connection that comes through creating with her hands.
My work has always dealt with memories. Collecting stones as a child, or shells at the beach as I have grown older, along with finding interesting driftwood and other found objects weave their way through my current medium of fine art vessels. They are literally the receptacles that carries these memories. Be it the linework that is an extension of the linework I utilized as a printmaker, to painting techniques reminiscent of my work as an abstract painter. Each object I incorporate into my work brings back the memory of where it was obtained . . . Montana de Oro, CA collecting stones with my husband and young daughter, Yosemite with friends that now live far away, a close friend’s yard in Williamsburg, VA, and branches from a relative’s garden whose memory now lives on in these works of art. They all have personal meaning to me and when I use them within my work it is an extension of myself and a part of who I am today.
dhildingerart@gmail.com
www.dhildingerart.com
facebook.com/dhildingerart
instagram.com/dhildingerart
“I paint not only what nature looks like, but what it feels like.” As an expressive artist, my paintings are inspired by the beauty, spirit, and joy found within the natural world. I combine animals, florals, and flowing color to create luminous scenes that feel both real and imagined.
Working intuitively, I build layers of movement and texture until each piece reveals its own personality. Whether painting a Fox among the Petals, or a Bunny Chasing Butterflies, my hope is to create art that lifts the heart and invites a sense of wonder.
Deborah Mongato grew up in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State, and moved to New Smyrna Beach in 1979. Besides painting, Deborah enjoys watching the local birds that come to her flower gardens. You can find her work at The Hub on Canal located in New Smyrna Beach and on Instagram.
Eliza Midgett’s paintings are vibrant celebrations of color, joy, and imagination, inviting viewers into whimsical worlds inspired by the coastal environment she grew up in. Working primarily in acrylic on canvas, she combines abstracted shapes, expressive lines, humorous black-and-white drawings, and collaged paper to create her signature “Unconventional Colorscapes.” Her work balances the familiar with the impossible, transforming everyday landscapes into playful, dreamlike escapes.
Eliza’s creative process begins with composition—often painting on upside-down canvases to focus on movement, balance, and storytelling through shape and line. The narratives emerge intuitively from family memories, humor, music, and daily life, while color serves as the emotional heartbeat of each piece.
She earned her BFA in Painting and Drawing from James Madison University and later studied art history in London. After careers in graphic design and teaching, Eliza returned to full-time painting. Her award-winning work has been exhibited in Florida, Virginia, and Hawaii, and she continues inspiring young artists through outreach programs and public art projects.
About the Author:
Elizabeth “Beth” Martinell, known fondly as Beth, is an energetic individual whose journey has been marked by diverse experiences and a profound love for creativity, people, and spirituality. From her roots in New Jersey to her current home in New Smyrna Beach, Beth’s life reflects spirit, flexibility, and unwavering dedication to her family and passions. After working as a bartender, Beth transitioned to the medical field, where she applied her compassionate nature and commitment to service. Her creative spirit finds expression in hobbies such as oil painting, furniture refurbishing, and crafts. Beth is the proud mother of two sons, Joseph and Matthew, who have been her pillars of support through life’s ups and downs. She also shares her life with two beloved dogs, Bravo and Buster, a cherished cat named Obie, and is engaged to a loving husband Joe. Her recent joy as a first-time grandparent adds another layer of fulfillment to her life, enriching her journey with happiness and love. Thanks Beth
Originally from Pennsylvania, Evy Okerstrom was born in Philadelphia. The family was very artistic. Her Mother introduced her to pen and ink drawing and watercolor at an early age. Her Grandmothers and Aunts took her to Museums and Galleries. They were always encouraging her to pursue her dream of being a watercolor artist. However, it was not until 2009 when she lived in Kentucky that she began to take lessons in watercolor. She moved to New Smyrna Beach in 2014 and joined the Hub on Canal as a Volunteer. Not long after that she became one of the Hub Artists. Her watercolor, pen and ink cards were very popular. She added paintings, a calendar and this past year tote bags and magnets to her art sales! In 2019 she began to teach watercolor, pen and ink classes at the Hub, and still does occasionally. Her display wall can be found in the Higginbotham Gallery.
Evy is currently is one of three Artist Liaisons at the Hub. The Liaison answers questions or concerns that the Hub artists might have.
Here is Evy’s statement on Art: Art is a special way of translating what you see about you into something that you can look at, touch, and remember for years to come.
FERRANTE graduated Rutgers University and Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts in New Jersey.
It was not until later in his career, in the 1980’s, that he spent over twenty years painting with master painter, John Phillip Osborne, at the Ridgewood Art Institute, Ridgewood, New Jersey. Osborne was influenced by the American Impressionist painter, Frank Vincent DuMond and his “prismatic” palette (originated in Paris, France 1880’s). It is this method and palette that Ferrante uses with all of his paintings. Ferrante devoted all of his efforts learning to capture the flow from light to shadow, atmosphere, weather and time of day…in his year- round Plein Air (painting outdoors) painting sketches. He has been a studio artist at The HUB on Canal, New Smyrna Beach for over ten years.
Ferrante regularly participates in many shows and has won many top awards. His paintings hang in many galleries through-out the United States, including The Daytona International Airport and New Smyrna Beach City Hall. He has been painting for over fifty years and has taught Plein Air and studio painting for over twenty-five years in and around New Smyrna Beach. He frequently gives oil painting demonstrations and workshops throughout the United States.
Fred Goldstein is a metal sculpturist. He uses welding and forging techniques to shape, construct and give his metal sculptures texture. Fred describes, “I like to design sculptures that have grace, movement or make a cultural or societal statement. I like to create using the concept of “wabisabi” in my sculptures, finding beauty in imperfection.” His work ranges in small table top sculptures to large outdoor installations. You can find some of Fred’s public installations such as “The Maestro” on the Riverwalk in Fort Lauderdale, FL; “Parents and Child” located in the State of Florida Office Building in Washington D.C.; “Returning Soldier” located in City Hall in Dania Beach, FL.
My art is a brutish mix of contemporary figuration and abstracted allegory. Using color and emotion, I hope to share with the viewer my own quirky world view; observational, left-footed and lyrical.
I have a BFA in fine art from the University of Southern Maine and a MS In clinical psychology from Auburn University. Both have contributed to my artistic worldview. Neither have done so exactly as intended. My work has appeared in a few jury shows in Maine, won some juried awards in Florida, and resides in a few private collections.
Born in Colombia, South America, I developed a fascination with color at an early age. My artistic inspiration began with my uncle, who designed stages and parade floats. Watching his creative process — and eventually helping paint and design the floats myself — sparked my passion for artistic expression.
During my school years, I studied drawing and painting privately and won my first National Art Contest at the age of 13. Although art later took a backseat to my professional career and motherhood, I returned to painting after retirement with renewed dedication.
Through workshops and studies in the United States, South America, Mexico, and Europe, I developed my skills in painting and papier-mâché, exploring a variety of techniques and materials. My work combines abstraction with touches of realism, using layered textures, color, and intuition to express emotion and movement.
Today, I enjoy teaching others to embrace creativity and experimentation. My artwork is represented in private collections throughout the United States and around the world.
Jill is a passionate metalsmith and jewelry artist whose designs are deeply rooted in everyday inspiration. Her creative process is organic—ideas form naturally from the world around her, translating into a fashion-forward eye for both style and design.
Her signature collection, Jm Classic Couture, features high-fashion, precious metal pieces–Glam meets Timeless. Each design is thoughtfully balanced. She describes the line as “Pretty with a Punch of Flavour.”
Recently, Jill launched a new line under the Jm umbrella: Guinnevere—a Boho Luxe collection inspired by the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song of the same name. The line captures a blend of “Femme meets Street,” a free-flowing bohemian style with a polished edge.
Jill’s background includes years in corporate buying and fashion design, having worked in merchandising and design for Gap Inc. in San Francisco. Her professional experience continues to inform her artistic vision and attention to detail.
Originally from the South, Jill reflects: “Turns out, I had to move from the South, to Cali, then back East, finally hitting the Atlantic Coast, to develop & embrace who I am. Growth is a journey. Sometimes painful, but there’s beauty on the other side of the pain. I finally feel comfortable in my skin.
@jillmasseyjewelry
I love the history of old things. I love the way age affects the look, feel, and even smell of them. I love to rummage and collect bits and pieces of cast-off items that have outgrown their usefulness. My grandmother Emma, mother of four in hard economic times, taught me the value of saving items others considered junk. She did not cast them off; instead she kept them in jars and bins, sometimes allowing me to rummage through them. I love to walk; it’s been my spiritual practice for over 20 years. I have found in nature a sure reminder that although I am very small, I am part of something big and I belong to it. I collect things of nature laid aside. To me, they are beautiful. I love the process of creating something with my hands and I especially like using old tools and old hardware when doing so. Assemblage making satisfies me; it brings joy. I don’t love change. I am not good at it, for it always feels like loss. I am learning to allow it, and even see the goodness in it through the process of making art. Each work I create is a like a word hidden inside myself, asking to be spoken. My building process is largely intuitive, often beginning with a container of either wood or metal, but sometimes just a single item attracts me and soon a thing made of beloved cast-offs begins to take shape.
My love of art became apparent when, at age five, I drew my first “masterpiece” with crayons under a window on the outside of my parents’ house. After attending Daemen College in Amherst, NY for Painting and Sculpture, I pursued graduate studies in painting at The State University of New York at Albany and then, years later, Interior Design at The Art Institute of Las Vegas. I have worked at art galleries, as an art teacher at a private elementary school and I also had privilege to work as an Interior Designer on Steve Wynn’s design team, opening up the hotel Wynn Las Vegas. After switching to the sales side of the hotel design world, I rounded out my sales career by becoming the National Hospitality Sales Manager for a renowned British luxury fabric company that sells fabric and wallpaper to Hotel Designers. But feeling my heart strings once again tugged by my love of making art, I find myself drawn back to being true to my first passion. My main focus is now back on painting, and mixed media.
www.jflloyd.com
FB: JF Lloyd Art Interiors
IG: jflloydartandinteriors
jfldesignandart@gmail.com
386-689-5254
Joni David was born and raised in South Florida, she is a natural-born artist with a deep love for flowers and plant life—especially vibrant tropical blooms. Born and raised near the ocean and beaches of Miami, the sea has always held a deep place in her life, becoming one of her favorite subjects to express through her art.
Over the years, she has cultivated and refined her practice, emerging with a distinct focus on the intricate art of paper quilling. Drawing upon her foundation in painting, topography, and graphic design, she has developed a sophisticated visual language defined by precision, depth, and nuance.
Each work originates as an original drawing and painting, subsequently elevated through her signature quilling technique. Utilizing an “on-edge” approach, each paper strip is meticulously placed upright at a 90-degree angle and spaced with exacting care, creating a rhythmic interplay of texture, shadow, and dimension.
Through this labor-intensive process, flat compositions are transformed into sculptural, multi-dimensional works. Integrating a range of quilling methods, she constructs each piece as a refined collage of color and form. The result is a contemporary and elevated interpretation of floral imagery, distinguished by its intricacy, movement, and tactile presence.
Judi Bradford has a degree in art and graduate study in experimental photography. Her early career included work as a resort illustrator and the publication of a long-running comic strip in Key West.
Her current practice encompasses two-dimensional work in a wide range of media, including watercolor, acrylic, ink, and mixed media. Bradford’s work has been exhibited throughout the eastern United States and is held in numerous private collections.
After four decades in Key West, she relocated to DeLand, Florida, and is active in the regional arts community, including five years on the board of the Fall Festival of the Arts. Her work is represented at The Hub on Canal in New Smyrna Beach. She is a member of multiple professional arts organizations, including Florida Women Artists Association, Central Florida Watercolor Society, and the International Society of Experimental Artists. She is currently President of Beaux Arts of Central Florida.
JudiBradford.com
Jules Silver is an abstract painter whose work is driven by experimentation, texture, and emotional freedom. Although he spent much of his professional life in the financial services industry, he always maintained a passion for art, studying through courses and independent exploration. His early works often featured political themes and double entendres, created with unconventional materials such as tar, cement, wood, glass, auto parts, and found objects inspired by worn roads, cracks, and urban surfaces.
Over time, Jules developed a style influenced by Abstract Expressionists including Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Robert Motherwell, and Clyfford Still. His current work explores color, texture, and layered compositions using acrylics, inks, pastels, and mixed media.
Jules believes abstract art invites viewers to experience emotion freely and personally. His philosophy is simple: “I paint to be free.”
finwestgrp@gmail.com
www.saatchiart.com/account/profile/650071
Julie was born in Ohio and moved to Florida in 2005. She has a BS in teaching and a PhD in School Psychology. She has always had a love for the arts and has taken many classes in painting and ceramics.
Her work is frequently inspired by nature as can be seen in both her design and glaze techniques. She likes to incorporate wheel throwing and hand building into her pieces with an emphasis on function.
She has worked as a teacher, psychologist, adjunct professor, and art therapist. She teaches beginning pottery wheel and also gives private lessons to children and adults.
Her work can be seen in Florida at The Hub on Canal and Jane’s Art Center, and in Ohio at Byrd & Co. Gallery.
For over 30 years, Julie Latayan has been an award winning Artist. Originally known for her paintings and working in acrylic with a menagerie of styles and subjects. Her early influences were the French Impressionists. Their use of color reflects in her style.
Julie was a high school art teacher, she traveled the art show circuit nationally, has art in Racine Art Museum’s (Wisconsin) permanent collection and has won numerous art awards.She has painted murals in public spaces including Children’s hospitals in California, and owned her own public studio teaching painting and selling art.
Always expanding her repertoire Julie is currently inspired by sculpting; her sculptures show the same dynamic movement and creativity as her paintings. You may have seen her creations in galleries located in Florida, Arkansas, New Orleans, Ohio, Alabama and Illinois.–
“When I work I use slabs and pinch pots building hollow. I like to tear the clay leaving trails where my fingers touch the surface. My sculptures have rough, uneven surfaces. I use a mottled color palette dominated by shades green, blue and red, with hints of black. I do a raw fire (one firing including glazes) to cone 5, completing the sculptures with a cold finish. Make Art!”
Kathy O’Meara is a Florida-based mixed media artist living in New Smyrna Beach whose work has been exhibited extensively throughout the Southeast and beyond. A Signature Member of the International Society of Experimental Artists, she has presented solo exhibitions at venues including the Rao Musunuru Art Gallery, Florida School of the Arts, and the Eustis Museum of Art. Her work is held in private collections across the United States and in the collection of Florida School of the Arts. O’Meara earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Cleveland State University and pursued additional postgraduate art studies. Her layered, expressive approach has earned numerous awards, including Best of Show honors, and her work was featured in The Art of Layering: Making Connections.
Kathy Parker is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill in Art Education. She taught in secondary schools in Cary, NC & Durham, NC for 10 years before moving to the coast of NC with her family. What came with that move was a focus on creating rather than teaching. She sold work in galleries, art exhibits & competitions, and participated in numerous outdoor & indoor art shows & festivals, winning awards in various media. A move to Florida in 2020 changed her focus again. Now Ms. Parker is a member artist at The Hub on Canal, the Artists Workshop, Inc., FLWAA and the Art League of Daytona Beach. She maintains a studio in her home.
Ms. Parker’s subject matter, style & medium have evolved over the years. She has enjoyed painting with oils, watercolors, & acrylics, drawing with materials of all types, printmaking, photography, collage, and a brief stint in quilt making because of her love for fabric. Currently she works in mixed media creating a background with fabric collage and painting with acrylics on that surface. Sometimes the collage is deemed complete without a painting. Ms. Parker loves the patterns & colors of the fabrics she sources from thrift shops, her closet and the closets of close friends who know her well. The fabrics are upcycled into her artwork giving them new life.
kathyparkerimages.com
Julie Kessler is a modern folk artist working in acrylic painting, ceramic sculpture, and mixed media, inspired by the ripple effect of kindness—the idea that even the smallest gesture can spark hope in an uncertain world. Her work is both a vessel and a call to action, combining vibrant color, texture, and meaningful words. Through her art, she explores themes of unity, peace, women’s rights, climate awareness, equality, and justice. Kessler invites viewers to reflect on our shared responsibility to one another and the planet, encouraging empathy, compassion, and positive change.
Liv was born and raised in Norway where she met her American husband who was in the Navy and stationed at the NATO base in Norway. Liv moved to the US when her husband had orders back to the US. In Norway, Liv painted in the decorative style of Rosemaling, using oil paint on wood (old style of Norwegian decorative painting). She was interested in art at an early age. Moving with her family several times due to husband’s military orders, art got placed in the background for several years, but she started up again after husband’s retirement from the Navy. Liv worked as a Draftsman first and then as Technical Illustrator and Technical writer for companies like Lockheed Martin and General Electrics. She painted in oil for many years but switched to watercolors years ago she was hooked. Liv has been an instructor at Artists’ Workshop Inc. since 2013 and has won several awards in our juried shows. She has attended workshops with several well-known watercolorists including Janet Rogers, Steve Rogers, John Salminen, Judy Betts, Sue Archer, Birgitte O’Connor and others. Her artwork can also be seen at The Hub on Canal.
Lynn Sposito is an award-winning mixed media artist originally from Long Island, New York, whose work is deeply inspired by nature, spirituality, and human connection. Summers spent in the Adirondack Mountains nurtured her love of painting and poetry, while reading illustrated children’s books to her children inspired her signature technique, “Painted Mâché,” created with hand-painted tissue paper and collage.
Now based in Central Florida, Lynn’s distinctive style has gained international recognition through exhibitions, interviews, and awards. Her work has been showcased worldwide, including in New York City, and her piece Against the Odds resides in a private museum collection in Athens, Greece. Her artwork Innocence Lost, honoring the victims of the 2018 Parkland school shooting, was featured at the “Live for Alyssa” gala supporting school safety initiatives.
Through layered textures, fragmented paper, and symbolic imagery, Lynn explores themes of love and loss, spirituality and humanity, blending abstraction and surrealism to create emotionally resonant works that invite reflection and connection.
LynnSpositoStudios@gmail.com
www.LynnSpositoStudios.com
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063572467504
M. G. Gerlach
Mary Grammateo Gerlach
Painting & Photography
● Early exposure to the arts was provided by a loving family that supported all forms of the
arts and fostered open thinking
● My passion and training for the arts began in college.
● Bachelors and Master Degrees in At Education from Central Connection State University
and University of Connecticut
● Thirty plus years of beaching experience as an art educator. secondary level and post
secondary- the west at Daytona State College
● Throughout my years as an art educator, my pursuit was the continual development of
personal skills in drawing, painting and photography. Today a strong sense of aesthetics,
good composition and artist skills support my goal of being a strong visual
Communicator.
mggerlachstudios@cfl.rr.com
MaryGerlach.com
instagram.com/MaryGGerlach
Mary Wentzel is a watercolor and ink painter whose work features bold colors and rhythmic detail. The vibrant flora and fauna of the state of Florida is a favorite theme in her work. Mary uses watercolor techniques with ink and acrylic ink to create her intricate pieces. She finishes off each piece with a custom painted upcycled frame.
Mary is a graduate of Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and has enjoyed a long successful career as a museum curator and educator at some of our area’s best art, science and history museums. She has held curator positions at the Museum of Arts and Sciences and the Ormond Memorial Art Museum.
Her paintings have been exhibited around the state and have won many awards. Mary published her second children’s book, “Crazy’s A to Z for Kids” in 2021. Mary recently finished illustrating a series of environmental books for children, by author, Robert Andrew Provan and published by Archway publishing company. Her illustrations have been published in books and magazines throughout the country and her work is included in private collections around the world.
museumary@aol.com
www.worldofwentzel.com
Molly Pearce has been a professional artist in Central Florida for over 15 years. Her time spent camping, hiking, and fishing provides inspiration for her work. Growing up she loved scientific illustrations which influences her artwork still today. Her preference for single subject wildlife illustrations that captures the essence of each subject is the result. It is her hope that the viewer’s interaction with her work is amplified through their own personal connection to the subjects within.
Nancy Connors is a pen and ink artist best known for free-hand drawing complex images giving special attention to intricate characteristics and pattern. Using fine point Micron pens, archival ink and aided by a jewelers loop for magnification, each piece is structured around Nancy’s trademark attention to detail. Color is added with acrylics or watercolor pencils, and soft graphite. Nancy’s favorite subject matter is the natural world: birds, fish, shells and underwater vistas are of particular interest. Nancy does extensive research for each image, as the details make the piece!
Nancy grew up in Maryland and graduated from Rollins College in Winter Park majoring in Art History with a minor in Studio Art. After a successful 35 year career in Arts Management, Nancy and her husband Thom retired to Florida and she began her second career as a full time artist. Nancy has exhibited in juried art shows throughout Florida for the last 12 years and has garnered more than 35 awards as well as recognition as a poster artist. Her work can be seen in New Smyrna Beach at The Hub Collective on Canal Street, the Coronado Community Center on Flagler Avenue, River Park Terrace Restaurant and the NSB Shark statue she painted can be seen at the City’s municipal golf course.
“I am obsessively driven to capture the minute detail of the earth’s most fascinating creations. It is my goal as an artist to inspire people to stop for a moment and observe closely the complexity, pattern and detail in the nature that surrounds us.”
Inkspotart.net
Nancy creates fused glass artwork by arranging compatible pieces of art glass and permanently joining them in a kiln through carefully controlled heating and cooling processes. Working with flat glass, frit (ground glass), stringers, and confetti glass, each piece is built through multiple firings, often with additional layers and shaping techniques that add depth, texture, and dimension. Some works are further slumped over handcrafted molds to create sculptural forms.
Experimentation is central to the artist’s process. Constantly exploring new techniques and combinations of materials allows for a wide variety of styles and effects, while deepening an intimate understanding of the medium itself. This hands-on approach results in pieces that are both technically refined and creatively expressive.
Nature serves as the primary inspiration, with artwork ranging from realistic interpretations to whimsical designs. Through color, movement, and form, the artist hopes viewers experience a sense of peace, joy, and humor while connecting with the beauty and wonder found in the natural world.
nwadelton@cfl.rr.com
Nicole Chambers is a muralist and painter based in Florida, recognized for her bold visual language that merges vintage aesthetics with contemporary themes of resilience, identity, and disability inclusion. Formerly a law enforcement officer, Chambers draws upon personal experience to create work that challenges conventional beauty standards and redefines strength. Her use of pin-up imagery, vibrant color, and symbolic elements such as canes and tattoos invites viewers to engage with narratives of empowerment, visibility, and transformation.
Born in Venezuela, designer Oralba Valera-Smith is a natural as well as a trained fine arts designer, photographer and exceptional craftswoman. Her formal artistic education began in Bogota, Colombia, where she studied at the Jorge Tadeo Lozano University and obtained a degree in Graphic Design. Her love for her profession and her passion for the arts have continued to flourish through continuous education in Drawing, Painting, Scenography, Photography, and Computer Graphics; including studies at the Oxford College of Further Education, England.
Oralba’s professional acumen includes positions such as Art Director, Graphic Designer, Art Teacher, Illustrator and Assistant of Animation at the Cinematography Department at the University of Los Andes, Merida-Venezuela. She has also served in varying artistic capacities at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas and the Orlando Museum of Art.
In 1987, Oralba opened her Design and Decoration factory, where she designed and fabricated unique designer wearable accessories in canvas for children. Eventually, her product line grew to accommodate the demand for adult men and women’s accessories, still focusing on eco-friendly materials and a dedication to originality and uniqueness in each of her wearable pieces of art.
Today, Oralba offers unique bio-friendly designer shoes that feature authenticity, comfort and originality in a long-lasting wearable art product.
oralbashoes@gmail.com
www.oralba.com
Pam is a Florida-based artist with a passion for paint and clay. She blends realism with a little whimsy in her creations. She is inspired by the ocean waves, bold tropical flowers, and local landmarks. She brings her paintings to life with vibrant colors in her florals and little birds in her seascapes. Her inspiration goes beyond coastal views when creating with clay. She sculpts animals with a little flair, Florida-inspired ornaments, and functional pottery. She hopes her work inspires people to find a little bit of joy and whimsy around them.
artsypam.com
instagram.com/pamthrowsclay
facebook.com/artsypam
Pamela Ramey Tatum is an award-winning artist known for her portraits, cityscapes, and expressive palette knife work. Her art spans vibrant urban scenes, seascapes, and mixed media collages often incorporating her own poetry. She is also highly sought after for commissioned work, creating deeply personal pieces for collectors. In addition, she has launched a clothing line featuring her artwork and is currently developing a book of her poetry and art. Pamela exhibits nationally and has been a studio artist at The Hub on Canal in New Smyrna Beach since its founding in 2012.
Influenced by her artist/writer mother, she studied commercial art before earning a degree in literature with a minor in theater, followed by a Master’s in English Literature. Her career has included teaching and program leadership at UCF, executive recruiting, and founding a yoga and arts center in Orlando.
An avid traveler and sailor, Pamela has lived and worked in India and Poland, and she has traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Middle East. Her work is held in private collections across the United States, Canada, and Europe.
prameytatum@gmail.com
https://www.pamelarameytatum.com/
Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico in the mid-1940s, Rafael began studying drawing and painting at age 10 in atelier-style workshops led by local artists. While earning a degree in electrical engineering, he continued developing his artistic skills alongside a professional career in research and development for U.S. defense contractors, corporate management, lighting design, and sales. Extensive travel throughout the United States, Central and South America, and Europe further shaped his artistic perspective.
After 2010, he dedicated himself more fully to the study of oil painting. His work focuses primarily on representational subjects, including still lifes, figures, and landscapes, created in oils, watercolor, and gouache.
A strong advocate for composition and design, he believes paintings should possess an unseen structure that evokes emotional responses such as nostalgia, wonder, or joy. His process often involves months of planning before the final rendering begins. Guided by the belief that art is an interpretation rather than a copy of nature, his work invites viewers to engage through their own experiences and imagination.
A native of Brooklyn, NY, Renee always loved the combination of texture and color. The confluence of cultures in NYC was especially an influential part of her life. Lewis received a B.F.A. in Fabric Design from the School of Art at Syracuse University. As part of the University’s Foreign Studies Program she studied Art History in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In her focus on Fabric Design (which included silk screening and weaving), Lewis developed an eye and proficiency with repetitive patterns – which continues to be a theme in her current work.
Her Post-Impressionist style drawings are created with a blend of oil crayons, color pencils and pastels on black paper or mat board – producing bold, stunning colors and creative themes capturing the colorful nature of women. At the core of her work are women – empowered, strong – yet vulnerable, linked to others, beautiful within while sustaining the universe.
Lewis is an award-winning artist and is represented by the A.T. Hun Gallery, Savannah, The Hub on Canal in New Smyrna Beach and the Dancing Crane Gallery, Bradenton. She is a member of the Artist’s Registry, the Artist’s Workshop, Beaux Arts Central Florida, the Florida Arts Group, Florida Womens’ Art Association, and the Art League of Daytona Beach. She has taught classes for children at the Orlando Museum of Art and the Casselberry Art House. She lives in Winter Park, Florida.
reneelewis23@gmail.com
www.reneeschwadronlewis.com
Robinson wishes to spark the common memories those of us fortunate enough to have been connected to the ocean possess. We know the feeling of a salt crusted sunburn, the rise and fall of a passing swell, the sound of seabirds, the cooling breeze of an approaching thunderstorm, and the big cold raindrops that follow.
He finds these simple recollections to be a true treasure and his work is merely an access point.
These are cave drawings to commemorate the breaking wave, the storms that create them, the coasts and creatures defined by the process.
Saulius Jankauskas, MD, is a glass artist whose work bridges scientific precision and expressive form. Working with hot glass since 1996, he brings a lifelong career in medicine into dialogue with the transformative nature of molten glass, developing a practice grounded in material discipline, attention, and time.
Trained as a plastic surgeon, Dr. Jankauskas approaches glass with a deep respect for structure, fragility, and balance. Molten glass responds to heat and motion, recording every decision; in this environment, precision and intuition function as partners rather than opposites. His work embraces glass for its paradoxical qualities – fluid yet rigid, transparent yet substantial, delicate yet enduring.
Working with hot glass requires timing, collaboration, and acceptance of uncertainty—qualities that mirror the rhythms of a plastic surgical practice. Jankauskas’s work is held in corporate, private, and public collections, where it offers moments of pause and reflection. Through glass, he continues to explore transformation as a sustained practice, where precision and poetry coexist.
My art represents universal connections to the whimsical, raw and all that lies within and beyond our physical world. Nature, animals and an organic way of life brings a primal energy to my work that can be seen through my paintings. Much of my vision is born from wolf conservations throughout the world, which I follow closely, and from participating in woman-empowering retreats deep in the jungles of Costa Rica and close to home on the Halifax River in Port Orange, Florida.
My work can be seen in shops around Florida, on my website yinyangspirit.com, Instagram, Facebook and in my studio at The Hub. I take commissions of pet portraits upon request and will work with you to capture that unique personality of your treasured companion.
sherizart@gmail.com
facebook.com/Sherizart-335024337146612/
www.instagram.com/sherizartzanosky/
Former Art Teacher Volusia County Schools. I am a realist who works in all mediums specializing in Murals, Wildlife, Landscaper, Historical Sites and Portraiture. I am a signature artist and award winner with the Florida Watercolor Society and my work has been selected several times for the Volusia County’s Art in Public Places program. i’ve garnished top awards in several major art shows and been selected 4 times as one of the top 100 Landscape artists in the National Arts for the Parks competition. I am also a Contract artist for the Hamilton Collection and Bradford Exchange with more then 40 Collectible plates and sculptures credited to me.
At 55, he was released into the world, seeking a new direction after retiring from his career as a globetrotting geologist. He felt the need to step out of his comfort zone and find a new life. Upon visiting a gallery, he was captivated by realistic bird carvings. Having dreamed of flying as a boy—not in a plane—birds naturally became his first artistic subject. The opportunity to observe them, take those mental images out of context, manipulate them in wood, decorate them with acrylic paint, and present this spark in a pleasing and coherent manner intrigued him, yet it also presented challenges.
Being dyslexic added to the complexity; while ideas flowed well in his mind, translating them into reality proved difficult, particularly from pattern to paint. Presentation became a challenge, but he persevered. He utilized dental tools, acrylic paint, and mini photos to bring his vision to life. Despite the struggles, he embraced the process of practice, practice, and more practice.
Eventually, he tackled composition, using habitat elements creatively yet minimally to enhance his work. This allowed him to observe his subjects more critically, distinguishing each bird by the traits that define its species. Although some characteristics could not be replicated in wood, paint, or composition, he understood that these must be conveyed to fully appreciate his art. To experience his work in its entirety, one must see and listen to a multimedia presentation.
beachfront6164@earthlink.net
I liked Seattle. Was taking bronze sculpture classes learning the lost wax process. Dad got transferred with the Shuttle Program in the mid 70’s so it was another change. We had moved quite a few times with the space program before Florida.
I would quickly adapt to the ocean life and carry it into my creativity. Got pretty good at surfing, sadly not good enough to make a living. 20 years I would manage supplies in a Boca Raton art market and as manager of a popular internet mail order for a national art supply chain. Here I’d learn different mediums and be influenced by many in the South Florida art scene.
I’ve grown to love mediums. Mediums for texture or effects. I’ve used oils since grade school and though I can be found using acrylics my first love will always be oil paint. There was something about dimensions, possibly from my sculpting days, that never left my painting.
Time would bring them together in a soup of waves, friends, fish and memories as touchable textures on canvas. There is a corrosion to my images. There is a childishness in my creativity. There are memories inside the characters and moments long gone except what remains etched in my thoughts. As the saying goes, “Old surfers never die …. they paint”. OK, I made that up.
terrencecope@yahoo.com
copetheartofterrencelcope.godaddysites.com
Tess Blum has been creating art in one form or another her entire life. Originally from Philadelphia, Tess received a BS and an MS inTextile Design at Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science and later, a BA in Studio Arts at Muhlenberg College. After successful careers in both textile design and teaching college art and design classes, Tess is focusing on her own original art style, including painting, mosaics, and stained glass. Offering a wide range of artistic media and techniques, Tess shows her art at various locations in northern and central Florida, including The Hub on Canal in New Smyrna Beach.
Her artwork combines precise planning with the surprise results made possible by letting the materials guide the way. In mosaics, the materials used are often cut to very defined shapes, but sometimes it is the “found” piece that guides the art to completion. The play of reflection vs. dullness and texture vs. sheen in each piece helps to create the perfect medium for exploring the natural beauty of her surroundings in Florida. Sometimes referred to as “mosaic paintings,” these works often fool the observer into thinking the piece is a painting from a distance, only to discover that intricately cut, tiny pieces of glass and other materials make up the detail in the work.
Tess is now offering classes in mosaics, stained glass and various painting methods in her beautiful downtown Deland studio.
To learn more about Tess, her artwork, and classes, follow her on instagram @tessblumart or check her website at www.tessblumart.com.
tessmarieblum@gmail.com
Dream Artglass: The Artistic Partnership of LC & Tommy Tobey
Formation of Dream Artglass
LC and Tommy, both accomplished glass artists, joined forces in 2009 to establish their collaborative studio, Dream Artglass. Their shared passion for glass artistry brought them together, laying the foundation for a creative partnership that continues to thrive.
LC’s Artistic Journey
LC began her artistic journey studying stained glass and glass restoration in Chicago, guided by the late Robert Cooper of Cooper Art Glass. Cooper’s expertise in restoration, particularly his work for the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, greatly influenced LC’s early development. She later expanded her skills by enrolling in kiln-formed glass classes at the Glass House of Kittrill and Rifkind in Dallas, Texas. Drawing from these experiences, LC eventually developed her own unique style and approach to glass design.
Tommy’s Artistic Journey
Tommy began his glass artistry career in Houston in 1989, creating copper foil and leaded glass panels and windows before transitioning to fused glass around 1990, which became his primary medium. Guided by mentors in Houston, Galveston, and Atlanta, he developed his artistic style and deepened his understanding of the craft. Tommy views glass as a unique and unpredictable medium that continually offers new challenges, discoveries, and opportunities for creative growth.
www.dreamartglass.com
www.facebook.com/lc.tobey
instagram.com/Thedreamartglass
Once my family moved on to the next step of life, I also moved on by continuing my education and getting my BA and MFA in Computer Graphics and Printmaking from Rochester Institute of Technology. Followed by a few years of teaching and tutoring Adobe software to traditional and non-traditional students.
After moving to Florida from western New York via Connecticut, I began exploring more non-traditional printmaking techniques including woodcut, linocut, mono-printing and gelli-plate printing and combining them with digital photography. Using local images, I developed my own “digital painting” technique for my photographs.
My work has received many awards and recognitions over the years. I have been a member of many art, photography clubs and organizations and currently I am a member of the Hub on Canal, the Artist Workshop, Inc. and The NSB Turtle Trackers.
I love living in New Smyrna Beach where I am always exploring new ideas and making new friends.
toni.hill@thehuboncanal.org
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BeachkarmaStudio
