Gary Mesa-Gaido received his M.F.A. from Ohio University in 1992. Over the last decade, he has exhibited his work in over seventy solo, small group, and large group international, national and regional juried exhibitions from New York City to San Francisco.

His work has been supported through various grants and awards, including two Kentucky Arts Council grants. In addition, Mesa-Gaido's work is held in the permanent collections of individuals, as well as, organizations including the Pittsburgh Plate and Glass in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the Avampato Discovery Museum in Charleston, West Virginia. He is a tenured Associate Professor of Art at Morehead State University in Kentucky.

His most recent work consists of a body of digital panoramic photography's taken throughout the United States and Europe. Each photograph is made up of an average of eighteen individual images, which have been digitally "stitched" together to create a singular image. These un-doctored multiple shots or views are taken from the exact same location; the views and places exist, however the viewer could never see the singular image as it exists in the photograph. In reality, the human eye is incapable of viewing these multiple perspectives simultaneously as one image. The seamless "stitching" leads the viewer to perceive the image to be "true", while distortions and the juxtaposition of improbable angles provide evidence that what the viewer sees may not be possible.

Examples of Gary's Work: (click on image for detailed view)

 "Grand Tetons"

 "Trevie Fountain"

 "Piazza Del Campo"

This past year I has been focusing on botanical illustration work, using watercolors and pencil crayons. Playing with the idea of place and what types of vegetation are indicative of which part of the world, I have combined maps, stamps and  personal experts of writing within each image. These combinations have come about because of having moved so much in the past twenty years to the four compass points of North America.

Examples of Steffani's Work: (click image for larger view)

 "alta"

 "narcissis"

 "lily"

Born in Brooklyn, New York., Embry studied painting under Sergei Bongart in California where she worked with live models and learned color relationship as well as painting techniques.

She later began working in pastels which she uses as a painting medium and not a drawing medium. The difference between the two is that in a pastel painting the surface is virtually entirely covered with pigment like an oil painting would be. Embry builds her pastels using an underpainting technique which she then sprays with a fixative. She adds successive layers of color creating form using values, dark and light. When this is accomplished, she begins to create high rich impastos just as one does with oils. She never uses fixative on a finished work, as this would reduce the richness of the colors.

Embry feels the pastel medium is more appropriate for women and children since it is a softer medium which enhances the sensitivity of the subject and is much more spontaneous than any other medium. Once framed, pastels can outlast oils since no binder is used which can cause cracking or yellowing with time, but they are sensitive to moisture and care must be taken transporting and storing them.

The artist uses only quality materials whether painting in oils or pastels. For pastels she uses Wallis sanded archival paper and a variety of major pastel brands of whatever colors needed to complete the specific portrait. She uses find quality linen canvas for oil portraits.

Examples of Evelyn's Work: (click for larger image)

To see more of Evelyn's work visit her website.