Born in Siberia, Elena Golberg attended an art school for gifted children. Influenced by talented painters in realistic Russian art traditions, she earned a fine arts degree and teaching license from a Soviet state university and taught drawing, painting, composition, sculpture, and art history for 14 years. Elena moved to America in 2004. She is quite at home sketching avidly in the desert, where she interprets “movements” of the Saguaros’ muscular forms. She likes to catch the early morning light to accent the Saguaros’ strong gestures as they tower toward the immense Arizona sky.

Energized by a vast spectrum of hues, Carol Estes’s images reflect an inner buoyancy and optimism – abstract painting is integral to her personality. Her early work was developed at the Stout-McCourt Gallery in Deep Ellum, Dallas, Texas, from the 1980s until 1993. Drawn by its unique light, she moved to New Mexico and found its varying tones and shadows inspiring. She cherishes the freedom and mystery of abstract art that emanates from the soul and has its own language and life.

Gabriela Aguiló’s lustrous encaustic paintings delve into dreamscapes in metaphysical self-discovery. A natural philosopher, her works are marked by restrained, dreamy colors and daring movement to articulate a search for an authentic voice. Gabriela shares realities she perceives beyond human sense perception – in incredible expressions of subconscious revelations. She seeks hidden truths within feelings, myths, mysteries, and innate wisdom, creating a personal, visual language that invites self-discovery.

Jessica Garrett’s life is rooted in the Southwest, where she is drawn irresistibly to painting the incomparable light of the Western landscape. Years of painting have lent her an understanding of the crucial role of color in capturing light. Her work pays homage to the natural world and aims to offer a fresh perspective on color and light. Color is the ultimate muse in diverse subjects and represents the amazing power of expression in her academic paintings. Jessica resides in Arizona with her husband and young daughter, aptly named Lavender.

A distinguished figure in fine art, Renea Menzies’ vibrant paintings transcend traditional boundaries. Her celebrated floral style is crafted in rich, jewel-toned colors. Her art is showcased in prestigious galleries nationwide. A former professional model, Renea Menzies transitioned to art, and established herself in Aspen, Colorado. Her intricate floral “sculptures,” meticulously detail luminosity and shadow, and evoke profound emotions that resonate deeply with viewers and cement her status as a leading contemporary artist.

Colorado artist Deidre Adams’ works in paint, textiles, paper, and found objects meticulously layer marks, stitches, scratches, and tears to create intricately textured surfaces. Her landscapes reflect origins in the Albuquerque region's vibrant light and harsh environment. Her diverse education includes a Denver Metropolitan State University BFA and degrees in computer information systems, management science and graphic design. Now full-time, her art explores shape, color, texture, and mark-making to capture the essence of time and transformation; it is acclaimed in prestigious collections like the Wichita Center for the Arts and the Ritz-Carlton Highlands resort.

Award-winning artist Harper Henry’s vibrant, abstract-realistic paintings focus mainly on animals and historic Western figures. Harper’s art aims to depict the realistic beauty of the subject matter and, at the same time, give the viewer fractal imagery, movement, and emotion. Her artistic influences are Nicolai Fechin, John Singer Sargent, Oleg Stavrowsky, and Gustav Klimt. Harper lives and paints in Arizona in the heart of the Sonoran Desert.

Artist Stacey Warnix is known for her lyrical abstraction. Her large, non-representational paintings use gestural techniques on raw textile. Her work is influenced by California’s light-filled coastal vistas, with nuanced colors, scale, and translucent layers of contrasting textures that evoke landscapes. Initially inspired by her representational oil painter grandmother, Stacey won numerous awards in her youth but pursued a career in law and finance before returning to painting in Texas. Her meditative approach explores positive and negative space that results in vibrant, color-centric art.

Daniela Pasqualini is an experienced Italian painter based in Texas. Her abstract works are exhibited internationally and held in private collections worldwide. Her passion for the arts developed in childhood when she expressed herself through drawing and sketching. Her vibrant colors, textures, and lines convey stories from her travels, and involve nature, places, people, and sounds, woven to represent a sculptural interpretation of accumulated and emotions that echo the essence of her surroundings.

Utah-based contemporary wildlife painter Nealy May Riley combines oil painting with gold and metal leafing to capture the spiritual essence of animals in ethereal, symbolic spaces. With a MFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design and a background in graphic design and collegiate teaching, Nealy developed her distinctive style through small works while balancing motherhood. Her distinctive, evocative body of work blends realism and expression, inspired by Mountain West wildlife, and harmonizes three-dimensional forms with graphic patterns.

Mexican-born Odilia Iaccarino is self-taught and now based in Texas. She specializes in abstract expressionism with acrylics, organic elements, and mixed media. Her work conveys deep emotions, and is marked by intense shades, dynamic colors, and dramatic brushstrokes. Her Mexican childhood and summers in California influenced her art that balances abstraction with figurative elements, as in her Meninas series, inspired by Madrid. Her pieces are exhibited and found in private collections in the USA, Spain, and Mexico.