Art Reflection – Thomas Mickalene Thomas (1971 –  ), an African American artist from Brooklyn, strives to paint black female identity in  extravagant works of acrylic and rhinestones like this one. Her painted “collages,” somewhat reminiscent of Braque and Picasso, are rich in detail and color. Her compositions focus on the figure as central. In Portrait of Mnonja, her subject lounges across …

Art Reflection – Bradford Mark Bradford is an African American artist who here shares a view of the 8th Amendment to the Constitution. This amendment is a prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. Some of the words are visible. Bradford is deeply interested in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights as pieces of paper that embody fundamental human rights. For Amendment …

Art Reflection – Monet Claude Monet (1840-1926) was fascinated by the combination of snow and light. He painted many snowscapes of his village from 1874-1875. This beautiful scene is an impressionistic image of this village and fascination. In tones of blue and grey, Monet paints the feeling of a cold day and the surrounding frost. In other features, Monet’s palette …

Art Reflection – Romero Diego Romero (1964 – ) was born and raised in Berkeley, California. He is member of the Cochiti Pueblo and currently lives and works in Santa Fe. He is a visual artist known for his pottery and ceramics. His work is part of many prominent collections. Romero’s pottery is narrative. Following the long traditions of Greek …

Art Reflection – Razdrogin Igor Razdrogin was born in 1923 in Leningrad. He became a prominent artist of the USSR. He was a member of the Union of Artists of the Russian Federation focusing on scenes and people of the Motherland and their productivity under the Communist system. This young girl is doing her job to support the ideology and …

Art Reflection – Sargent You may recognize the surname of this artist. Emily Sargent was the younger sister of John Singer Sargent. She was born in Italy to American parents. She painted in watercolors and travelled the world with her brother. Neither married and both focused solely on seeing and creating, though Emily, a woman of her times, did not …

Art Reflection – Turner Joseph Malford William Turner (1776-1851) was born in London and became an accomplished artist in watercolor and printmaking. He painted English Romanticism and often in open air settings. He seemed fascinated by weather and portrayed our human frailty in light of its turbulence and power. Figures in a Storm is a quick sketch that was done on …

Art Reflection – Tanner African American artist Henry Ossawa Tanner painted The Holy Family in 1910 and once again bathed Mary in light. May his image of detail and beautiful textures inspire us to deep gratitude for this tiny child of light born against the darkness so long ago. As we give thanks for this baby born, may we pray this …

Art Reflection – Stella Frank Stella (1936-2024) was an American artist of the Modern Art Movement. He gained acclaim in Minimalism and Abstract Expressionism in the 1960’s. At that time many emerging artists were painting without representation of anything they saw. Stella used geometric patterns, shapes and often symmetry to create without viewed references. Many of his pieces are quiet …

Art Reflection – Neilson Anne Neilson is a current artist in North Carolina. I became aware of her art through a gift from a friend. Anne has been painting with oils since 2003. She was in a time of creative discernment when a day of volunteering at a homeless shelter gave her inspiration, direction and the Angel Series. Anne paints …