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Patricia Fortlage
patriciafortlage.com
@patricia.fortlage
I'm Patricia Fortlage, a documentary and fine art photographer who uses my lens to advocate for women and girls globally. For over 17 years, I've believed deeply in visual storytelling's power to raise awareness and inspire change, knowing that investing in women transforms entire communities.
My work spans global partnerships with nonprofits addressing poverty and inequality, aligning with my core values. Even my fine art photography carries narrative and purpose, creating images that move people emotionally and invite change. Projects like Wonder, girl!—breaking down stereotypes for young women—and Life Sentence, exploring sexual assault's long-term effects, have defined my career. When women tell me my images helped them feel seen or empowered, I know I'm doing my meant-to-do work.
My current series, Lemonade, is a personal love letter to women with chronic illness, shedding light on daily realities of gaslighting and resilience through fine art photography. My style blends realism with dreamlike edges, hoping viewers have immediate emotional reactions that inspire how they move through the world.
My work spans global partnerships with nonprofits addressing poverty and inequality, aligning with my core values. Even my fine art photography carries narrative and purpose, creating images that move people emotionally and invite change. Projects like Wonder, girl!—breaking down stereotypes for young women—and Life Sentence, exploring sexual assault's long-term effects, have defined my career. When women tell me my images helped them feel seen or empowered, I know I'm doing my meant-to-do work.
My current series, Lemonade, is a personal love letter to women with chronic illness, shedding light on daily realities of gaslighting and resilience through fine art photography. My style blends realism with dreamlike edges, hoping viewers have immediate emotional reactions that inspire how they move through the world.
Lynette K Henderson
lynettekhendersonart.com
@lynettekhenderson
As a multi-disciplinary artist, I work in painting, drawing, printmaking and mixed-media sculpture. In my early years, I spent considerable time exploring the outdoors in the upper Midwest, trying to catch glimpses of reptiles and small mammals. I fished and swam in Minnesota's abundant lakes, often hiking with friends along creeks and the Mississippi riverbanks. As an adult, I've explored southwestern parks and nature reserves, observing birds and wildlife wherever possible.
Over time, I've witnessed the devastating loss of species and habitats due to human intervention and climate change. Now an urban dweller in Los Angeles, I maintain a powerful interest in creating imagery focused on animals, nature, and environmental concerns. I find humans tend to project desired characteristics onto animals, viewing them as extraordinary, pests, or despised based on our perceptions.
Through depicting nature's beauty alongside contemporary environmental problems, I seek to challenge romantic notions about nature within myself and viewers, questioning how we assign value to different species. I hold a BFA from Minneapolis College of Art and Design, an MFA from the University of Minnesota, a Ph.D. in Art Education from Arizona State University, and serve as Professor Emeritus of Art Education.
Over time, I've witnessed the devastating loss of species and habitats due to human intervention and climate change. Now an urban dweller in Los Angeles, I maintain a powerful interest in creating imagery focused on animals, nature, and environmental concerns. I find humans tend to project desired characteristics onto animals, viewing them as extraordinary, pests, or despised based on our perceptions.
Through depicting nature's beauty alongside contemporary environmental problems, I seek to challenge romantic notions about nature within myself and viewers, questioning how we assign value to different species. I hold a BFA from Minneapolis College of Art and Design, an MFA from the University of Minnesota, a Ph.D. in Art Education from Arizona State University, and serve as Professor Emeritus of Art Education.
Dellis Frank
dellisfrank.com
@dellisFrank_theartist
I create fiber-based assemblages rooted in social justice, environmental advocacy, and cultural identity. Using repurposed materials, I've coined "The Greening of Fine Art" to describe my sustainable practice and "Vibrational Cooking" to reflect my intuitive, process-driven approach. Materials often guide each piece's direction, leading me into multidisciplinary work where symbolism and color invite viewers into self-reflection.
As a full-time artist passionate about visual art with a message, I focus on fiber sculptures that challenge societal norms while offering abstract pieces for aesthetic balance. My goal is transforming discarded elements into meaningful dialogue—one fiber at a time. Previously, I taught in the Los Angeles Unified School District, advocating for arts education and helping write media arts curriculum standards.
I currently serve on boards of several arts organizations and work with community groups focusing on arts advocacy. My work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including features on Peacock TV's Bel-Air. As a wife, mother of three, and grandmother of two residing in Lomita, California, I remain deeply committed to addressing social justice issues through my environmentally conscious art practice.
As a full-time artist passionate about visual art with a message, I focus on fiber sculptures that challenge societal norms while offering abstract pieces for aesthetic balance. My goal is transforming discarded elements into meaningful dialogue—one fiber at a time. Previously, I taught in the Los Angeles Unified School District, advocating for arts education and helping write media arts curriculum standards.
I currently serve on boards of several arts organizations and work with community groups focusing on arts advocacy. My work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including features on Peacock TV's Bel-Air. As a wife, mother of three, and grandmother of two residing in Lomita, California, I remain deeply committed to addressing social justice issues through my environmentally conscious art practice.
Kathleen Beltran
kathleenbeltran.com
@kathebeltranart
I am a visual anthropologist interested in people I meet everyday - often those who are overlooked or unseen by others. Through oil and paper collage, I capture their dignity. My figurative works portray groups we make easy assumptions about: cops, seniors, museum guards, housekeepers. My style is direct, open, and intimate.
I began with torn paper collages, creating life-size portraits of influential women from my mother to Anna Magnani, exploring the 1950's as the nadir of expectations for women. I've exhibited at LACMA, LA Art Association, and Gallery 825, and was a prize winner at the FHP/Take Care competition judged by Kent Twitchell.
I received my MFA from UCLA's Film Theater and Television Program and produced several short films. Painting has become my primary art. I live and work at my Los Angeles studio - my temple.
I began with torn paper collages, creating life-size portraits of influential women from my mother to Anna Magnani, exploring the 1950's as the nadir of expectations for women. I've exhibited at LACMA, LA Art Association, and Gallery 825, and was a prize winner at the FHP/Take Care competition judged by Kent Twitchell.
I received my MFA from UCLA's Film Theater and Television Program and produced several short films. Painting has become my primary art. I live and work at my Los Angeles studio - my temple.
Sharon Cannon
sharoncannonstudio.com
@sharoncannonstudio
I didn't start painting seriously until I retired. There was no plan—just a need to do something that felt free and alive. I work mostly in oils, using whatever gets me closer to that feeling: palette knives, rags, my hands. Rarely a brush. I'm drawn to color combinations that aren't supposed to work together—and that's exactly why I use them.
I don't sketch or plan things out. I just begin, and the painting takes over. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. I'm very self-critical, but I'm learning to leave space for accidents and surprises. That's where the truth often shows up.
Born into a farming family in South Dakota, I spent my first eight years in a single-room schoolhouse. After earning my Executive MBA from USC, I became Vice President of Unique Projects in high-end design furniture, collaborating with creative designers on projects for cruise ships, parks, and restaurants. Now living in Los Angeles, I've studied with Susan Manders and Kimberly Brooks, plus mentors in Scotland and Cornwall. I am also pursuing collaboration work with my friend, Don Saban who is a great photographer. Saban merges photos of my oil paintings with his photography, creating layered works that blend emotion and realism. Our pieces are really fun and well received.
I don't sketch or plan things out. I just begin, and the painting takes over. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. I'm very self-critical, but I'm learning to leave space for accidents and surprises. That's where the truth often shows up.
Born into a farming family in South Dakota, I spent my first eight years in a single-room schoolhouse. After earning my Executive MBA from USC, I became Vice President of Unique Projects in high-end design furniture, collaborating with creative designers on projects for cruise ships, parks, and restaurants. Now living in Los Angeles, I've studied with Susan Manders and Kimberly Brooks, plus mentors in Scotland and Cornwall. I am also pursuing collaboration work with my friend, Don Saban who is a great photographer. Saban merges photos of my oil paintings with his photography, creating layered works that blend emotion and realism. Our pieces are really fun and well received.
Aazam Irilian
aazamirilian.com
@aazamirilianstudio
I am an abstract artist exploring the beauty and complexity of the world around us through painting, installation, and digital imagery. Fascinated by the universe's visible and hidden mysteries, I investigate the interplay of color, light, and form, capturing unexpected beauty that emerges from their interaction. Using mineral solutions and fluid movement, I create depth and intricate textures that invite viewers to look beyond the immediate into the unknown.
Through layering translucent, flowing forms with structured elements, I explore the balance between order and chaos, clarity and obscurity—contrasts reflecting invisible forces connecting us to one another and our environment. Inspired by Helen Frankenthaler's fluid color fields, Agnes Pelton's luminous mysticism, and Georgia O'Keeffe's organic sensualism, I strive to give form to the unseen.
Originally from Iran, I've resided in Southern California for over forty years. As a Kipaipai Fellow and three-time grant recipient, I've exhibited nationally with works in private collections worldwide. After thirty years as an art educator, I continue bridging art and science to reveal nature's complexity and beauty.
Through layering translucent, flowing forms with structured elements, I explore the balance between order and chaos, clarity and obscurity—contrasts reflecting invisible forces connecting us to one another and our environment. Inspired by Helen Frankenthaler's fluid color fields, Agnes Pelton's luminous mysticism, and Georgia O'Keeffe's organic sensualism, I strive to give form to the unseen.
Originally from Iran, I've resided in Southern California for over forty years. As a Kipaipai Fellow and three-time grant recipient, I've exhibited nationally with works in private collections worldwide. After thirty years as an art educator, I continue bridging art and science to reveal nature's complexity and beauty.
Andrea Monroe
andreamonroe.com
@AndreaMonroeArt
My artworks focus on feminine and animal energy set in colorful, pattern-filled, dreamlike landscapes. I express my subjects' relationship with nature using symbolisms of power and physical movement captured in time. Through my art, I portray how feminine power addresses unseen forces in life.
Before creating a painting, deliberations between my consciousness and the universe begin to arise. No idea is ever forced out of me. The conversation with myself goes something like this: "I'm open now. Please show me the way."
Color is the extension of my very being. I surround myself with it, from pillows and paintings in my home to the glory of plants and flowers in my garden. My paintings are an expansion of myself—a kaleidoscope of forms and figures, a chaos of color I use to entice viewers to experience the spontaneity behind them. I wish to bring exhilaration with every hue I place on canvas.
I've been inspired by Fauvism, pointillism, and surrealism, along with patterns from Mexico, South America, Africa, and Japan. Every placement of paint is deliberate, though not specifically calculated.
Before creating a painting, deliberations between my consciousness and the universe begin to arise. No idea is ever forced out of me. The conversation with myself goes something like this: "I'm open now. Please show me the way."
Color is the extension of my very being. I surround myself with it, from pillows and paintings in my home to the glory of plants and flowers in my garden. My paintings are an expansion of myself—a kaleidoscope of forms and figures, a chaos of color I use to entice viewers to experience the spontaneity behind them. I wish to bring exhilaration with every hue I place on canvas.
I've been inspired by Fauvism, pointillism, and surrealism, along with patterns from Mexico, South America, Africa, and Japan. Every placement of paint is deliberate, though not specifically calculated.
Heather Waymouth
heywayart.com
@heyway.art
I'm a Los Angeles-based abstract artist who's all about color, nature, and good energy. I've always loved drawing and painting as a kid, but dropped out of art school feeling societal pressures to find a "real career." After an 8-year corporate detour, I found my way back to painting—and honestly, I've never felt more true and authentic to myself. My art is a reminder that it's never too late to start over.
I hand-mix most of my colors and create bold, textured pieces that typically relate back to nature. I specialize in big custom work but also create originals and prints for collectors who want to bring warmth and intention into their space.
Since returning to art, I've shown at galleries like Gallery of Hermosa and Blue Space Gallery, plus events including Culver City Art Walk & Roll Festival and Venice Art Crawl. I've also volunteered with the DTLA Art Commission and LA Art Club to foster connection among local artists.
For me, art isn't just self-expression—it's about building culture, connection, and belonging.
I hand-mix most of my colors and create bold, textured pieces that typically relate back to nature. I specialize in big custom work but also create originals and prints for collectors who want to bring warmth and intention into their space.
Since returning to art, I've shown at galleries like Gallery of Hermosa and Blue Space Gallery, plus events including Culver City Art Walk & Roll Festival and Venice Art Crawl. I've also volunteered with the DTLA Art Commission and LA Art Club to foster connection among local artists.
For me, art isn't just self-expression—it's about building culture, connection, and belonging.
Katie E Stubblefield
katiestubblefieldart.com
@katiestubblefieldart
Katie Stubblefield creates wood cut prints, oil paintings, sculptures, large-scale drawings, and site-specific installations that explore order, chaos, and entropy. Growing up in Tennessee's old-growth forests before relocating to Southern California, she developed a fascination with tracking wind through tree canopies—an experience that continues to inform her investigation of nature's overwhelming power.
Her imagery is informed by site visits, forensic photography, first-hand accounts, and evidence of changed environments caused by super-sized storm patterns and climate change. Working with both traditional materials and repurposed substrates like discarded plexiglass and sailcloth, Stubblefield transforms environmental debris into layered studies of ecological disruption and renewal.
Recent works examine dust devils and updrafts as real-time indicators of global warming, overlaying imagery from flood zones and earthquake fault lines with local infrastructure. Her sculptural installations incorporate fishing nets, concrete, rebar, and architectural debris, freezing moments of environmental onslaught while questioning what emerges in devastated landscapes.
Stubblefield holds an MFA from California State University, Long Beach, and teaches at Coastline College. She has received fellowships from the Long Beach Arts Council and a 2025 Kipaipai Artist Development Fellowship. Her works are exhibited nationally and held on consignment at galleries including K. Imperial Fine Arts, SCAPE, and SALT.
Her imagery is informed by site visits, forensic photography, first-hand accounts, and evidence of changed environments caused by super-sized storm patterns and climate change. Working with both traditional materials and repurposed substrates like discarded plexiglass and sailcloth, Stubblefield transforms environmental debris into layered studies of ecological disruption and renewal.
Recent works examine dust devils and updrafts as real-time indicators of global warming, overlaying imagery from flood zones and earthquake fault lines with local infrastructure. Her sculptural installations incorporate fishing nets, concrete, rebar, and architectural debris, freezing moments of environmental onslaught while questioning what emerges in devastated landscapes.
Stubblefield holds an MFA from California State University, Long Beach, and teaches at Coastline College. She has received fellowships from the Long Beach Arts Council and a 2025 Kipaipai Artist Development Fellowship. Her works are exhibited nationally and held on consignment at galleries including K. Imperial Fine Arts, SCAPE, and SALT.
Julie Green
juliegreen.net
@juliegreenfineart
I love to make something out of nothing. Throughout my career as a portrait photographer, I've explored the human psyche—transcending mere likeness to create concrete images from invisible essence. Yet within our hyper-saturated digital world, I felt a deep desire to return to using my hands, which has profoundly shaped my personal studio practice.
Growing up around artist Ruth Asawa and attending her arts education programs as a child, the satisfaction of making something by hand is not only rewarding and contemplative for me, but also enriched with poignant memories of my family and younger self. I understand that sculpture and photography share languages of light and shadow, positive and negative space, presence and absence.
My monochrome paintings on wood use intricate stacking of geometric shapes to interrupt the single plane of the photographic surface, pulling perspectives into a more sculptural realm and creating movement in static objects. Inspired by artists like Piet Mondrian and György Kepes, and engrossed in Cymatics—the study of how sound and vibration create visible patterns—I conceptualized Paper Ballet. This ongoing total work combines portraiture, performance, handmade paper objects, and constructed spaces, designed to pull viewers into coherence with the frequency of shapes and reverberating rhythms of shadows.
Growing up around artist Ruth Asawa and attending her arts education programs as a child, the satisfaction of making something by hand is not only rewarding and contemplative for me, but also enriched with poignant memories of my family and younger self. I understand that sculpture and photography share languages of light and shadow, positive and negative space, presence and absence.
My monochrome paintings on wood use intricate stacking of geometric shapes to interrupt the single plane of the photographic surface, pulling perspectives into a more sculptural realm and creating movement in static objects. Inspired by artists like Piet Mondrian and György Kepes, and engrossed in Cymatics—the study of how sound and vibration create visible patterns—I conceptualized Paper Ballet. This ongoing total work combines portraiture, performance, handmade paper objects, and constructed spaces, designed to pull viewers into coherence with the frequency of shapes and reverberating rhythms of shadows.
Lynn Heinz
lynnheinzart.com
@lynnheinzart
I work as an unreliable narrator in my art, telling stories that aren't complete, truthful, or entirely accurate. My mental state, biases, and personal purposes shape how I bend reality. I filter everything through my own perceptions and interpretations, never seeking to depict consensual or historical truth.
My sources are varied—found photos, family images, and ephemera I've collected over time. I interpret color and emotions freely, adding elements to amplify narratives while leaving out details lost to memory and time's decay. I always leave space for viewers to decide their own version of the story being told.
I'm Lynn Heinz, an artist living and working in Los Angeles. I received my Bachelor of Arts degrees from UCLA. My work has been included in shows at Coastline Community College, Lancaster Museum of Art and History/Cedar, Art Share LA, Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Avenue 50 Gallery, LA Artcorps, and Art Division.
My sources are varied—found photos, family images, and ephemera I've collected over time. I interpret color and emotions freely, adding elements to amplify narratives while leaving out details lost to memory and time's decay. I always leave space for viewers to decide their own version of the story being told.
I'm Lynn Heinz, an artist living and working in Los Angeles. I received my Bachelor of Arts degrees from UCLA. My work has been included in shows at Coastline Community College, Lancaster Museum of Art and History/Cedar, Art Share LA, Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Avenue 50 Gallery, LA Artcorps, and Art Division.
Adeola Davies-Aiyeloja
adeolastudio.org
@adeolastudio_art
My art practice is a spiritual and cultural offering—a visual language shaped by memory, ancestry, and the urgency to witness. I draw from my Yoruba heritage, personal migration story, and the collective experiences of Black and marginalized communities. Through vibrant color palettes, layered surfaces, and symbolic motifs, I navigate the complexities of joy, loss, resilience, and connection.
I work across media—painting, enamel on metal, sculpture, printmaking, and performance—letting the material speak. Some works, like those in my Mystic Series, emerge through intuitive mark-making and abstraction, creating organic forms that echo nature and spirit. Others, like Sacred Imprints, are deeply research-based, invoking ancestral DNA and reimagining narratives tied to slavery, migration, and survival.
As a curator, educator, and cultural bridge-builder, I believe in art's power to restore dignity, inspire reflection, and build community. My Menopause Art Project and cyanotype workshops create intergenerational dialogue around health and healing, while my recent installation work explores elemental forces as metaphors for transformation. I continue expanding my performance practice.
I work across media—painting, enamel on metal, sculpture, printmaking, and performance—letting the material speak. Some works, like those in my Mystic Series, emerge through intuitive mark-making and abstraction, creating organic forms that echo nature and spirit. Others, like Sacred Imprints, are deeply research-based, invoking ancestral DNA and reimagining narratives tied to slavery, migration, and survival.
As a curator, educator, and cultural bridge-builder, I believe in art's power to restore dignity, inspire reflection, and build community. My Menopause Art Project and cyanotype workshops create intergenerational dialogue around health and healing, while my recent installation work explores elemental forces as metaphors for transformation. I continue expanding my performance practice.
Kelly Clark
kellyclarkcreative.com
@kellyclarkcreative
I'm a painter and photographer whose work centers on the human figure, abstract form, and scenes from travel. In painting, I often start with the body or a gesture, then let texture and color guide the image into something more abstract. It's a process that balances structure with spontaneity.
My photography focuses on everyday moments and details I encounter while traveling—light, architecture, people in motion. It's less about the destination and more about noticing what's often overlooked.
As an educator, I've spent years helping others see more clearly through art. That same mindset shapes my own work: a quiet attention to form, place, and presence. I am a lifelong learner in art, constantly exploring how structure and spontaneity can work together.
Whether I'm capturing a fleeting gesture in paint or photographing an unexpected moment while traveling, my work is about finding beauty in the overlooked details. Teaching has taught me to approach my own practice with the same curiosity and attention I encourage in my students.
My photography focuses on everyday moments and details I encounter while traveling—light, architecture, people in motion. It's less about the destination and more about noticing what's often overlooked.
As an educator, I've spent years helping others see more clearly through art. That same mindset shapes my own work: a quiet attention to form, place, and presence. I am a lifelong learner in art, constantly exploring how structure and spontaneity can work together.
Whether I'm capturing a fleeting gesture in paint or photographing an unexpected moment while traveling, my work is about finding beauty in the overlooked details. Teaching has taught me to approach my own practice with the same curiosity and attention I encourage in my students.
Marianna Baker
mbfiberandclay.com
@mbfiberandclay
As a contemporary fiber artist, I harness the tactile nature of fabric, embroidery, and beading to convey powerful narratives that resonate on both emotional and societal levels. My work explores themes of identity, memory, and transformation, weaving together intricate textures and vibrant colors to create dialogue between viewer and material.
Through meticulous handwork and fabric manipulation, I elevate traditional techniques into contemporary statements, inviting audiences to reflect on their own experiences and connections. Each stitch, bead, and fold serves as both medium and storytelling form, celebrating resilience and the complexity of the human spirit.
I embrace experimental embroidery as a means to challenge tradition and explore new narratives. By merging unconventional materials and techniques, I create tactile pieces that invite curiosity and provoke thought. My work celebrates the beauty of imperfection and creativity's unpredictable nature.
My artistic journey testifies to craft's transformative power, where every piece becomes a visual and tactile exploration of what it means to be seen and heard in a world that often overlooks life's intricacies.
Through meticulous handwork and fabric manipulation, I elevate traditional techniques into contemporary statements, inviting audiences to reflect on their own experiences and connections. Each stitch, bead, and fold serves as both medium and storytelling form, celebrating resilience and the complexity of the human spirit.
I embrace experimental embroidery as a means to challenge tradition and explore new narratives. By merging unconventional materials and techniques, I create tactile pieces that invite curiosity and provoke thought. My work celebrates the beauty of imperfection and creativity's unpredictable nature.
My artistic journey testifies to craft's transformative power, where every piece becomes a visual and tactile exploration of what it means to be seen and heard in a world that often overlooks life's intricacies.
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