Andy Kowalczyk is an
illustrator and fine artist who resides in San Francisco, CA. He graduated from
the San Francisco Academy of Arts University in the fall of 2005 where he earned
a BFA in Traditional Illustration. His work is influenced by Baroque and Spanish
Colonial decorative motifs as well as children’s’ book illustration, stencil
street art, and Abstract ｅxpressionism. Mexican Folk Art is also an inspiration
with its anti-western approach to the figure, and it plays an interesting role
concerning his work in both traditional and digital mediums. “Through my works I
try to show a sort of naive and playful perspective on everyday things both in
the world and around the city I live in.”
Brian Barneclo is an artist based in San Francisco,
CA. He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1972, and studied art at Indiana
University. Improvisation is the key to his artwork, finding shapes and color
combinations that are exciting. Brian often uses cityscapes as a theme because
the architectural and typographical elements juxtaposed with the more surreal
elements of the concrete jungle can be endlessly elaborated upon. Music is also
an inspiration, using painting to express the rhythm and tone of his
perceptions. Much of his vision stems from a skateboarder’s mindset, saying “If
you’re a skateboarder, a curb is not just something you step over; it’s an
entire playground unto itself.”
Damon Soule was spontaneously infused to the universe
in the magnolia state, 1974 and began expanding annually in what is sometimes
known as the Crescent City. At the age of four, he began work on his lifelong
pursuit concerning the application of homogenous forms to linear topography.
Exposure to such a wide range of sempiternity during his formative years
provided him with a unique vision: “singular entropics can produce highly
contagious effects during the rebounding of informal uniformed precedents ,” he
recalls, “until the horizon line began to retrocede and the effigies became
independent of the narrative." His work is included in the permanent collections
of nearly all of his friends, as well as many private collections.
David Franklin is a photographer living in San
Francisco, CA. He has been shooting photos of interesting people, places, and
things since he was a missionary child in Papua New Guinea. After some high
school photo classes in Oregon, David decided to go to college to be a
photojournalist. David dropped out of college to travel with friends and ride
his skateboard, documenting their adventures, and eventually settled in the Bay
area, where he continues to document life and contributes to: The Skateboard
Mag, Thrasher, Slap, the SF Bay Guardian, and other publications. David also
founded and produces the UnderSkatement film festival (www.underskatement.com).
David Verrecchia is a commercial designer and
entrepreneur living in North Oakland, CA. He grew up sketching logos and
cartoons as a means of passing time in the doldrums of suburban Philadelphia
while listening to hip-hop, playing guitar and dreaming of California. Art
school and music school were put aside in favor of business school where he
studied management. After a few years in the professional world, David knew art
was his true calling and started working in the commercial design industry.
Reborn as an artist, he finds his inspirations from Asia, Urban America and
Europe. His newest project, Vanderkitten, is a clothing line that features bold
designs and engaging characters mixed with inspiring colors to spread a message
of female empowerment, confidence and success.
Eric Bailey is an oil painter who lives in Los
Angeles, CA. His poignant images of transcendence from a fleeting and gritty
mortal world have drawn critical acclaim at exhibitions throughout the west
coast, in global print, and web publications. Influenced by a diversity of
elements including Russian painter Nicholai Fetchin, graphic designers All Your
Prey, Urban Glamour photography, skateboarding, graffiti, and classical art,
Eric's concept-rich and visually stunning work often depicts a world where
spirits ride the ledge between glory and destruction. Using a method of oil
painting dubbed "alla prima" (‘at first’), he captures these raw, imaginative
spirits through very little editing of his first application of paints. Coupling
this method with intense color combinations and his skill in both tight and
loose brushstrokes, Eric's compositions pay respect to the primal forces of
nature, and to humanity's inherent dreams of flight.
Ferris Plock is an artist living in the Western
Addition neighborhood of San Francisco. He grew up in the Bay Area, amusing
himself with comic books, graffiti, hip-hop, and Chevy Impalas. Surrealist and
seemingly childish, Ferris' work doesn't subscribe to any particular genre.
Based on sketches, his artwork more often than not incorporates animals or
monsters in everyday human conditions- going to work, dodging splashes from
cars, walking their pets, or being attacked by various creatures.
Hannah Stouffer is a painter and illustrator based in
San Francisco, CA. Hannah constantly strives to define "classic" and explores
how the term relates to our modern attractions. She draws inspiration from
traditional notions of elegance and always tries to engage them as the basis for
her work. With a list of recent clients including Dell, Nordstrom’s, Ortho Evra
and SOMA Magazine and with exhibitions at galleries nationwide, Stouffer stays
quite busy. More of her work can be seen online at: www.grandarray.com
John Trippe John Trippe is a phtogrpaher, filmmaker,
and curator. He grew up skateboarding in his native Ohio. once old enough
migrate, he moved to San Francisco to focus on skateboarding. He's filmed for
numerous skate companies and has also directed skate videos for a number of
years. He's worked at the Slap and Thrasher magazines as a graphic designer and
went to open Low Gallery which featured works by Paul Urich, Albert Reyes,
Jeremy Fish, Bigfoot, and many others. He closed the gallery in 2006 to focus on
Umbrella Market and his filmmaking and photography.
Joshua Silveria was born August 18, 1982 in
Sacramento, Ca. He attended CalArts in Los Angeles, where he was awarded the
highest scholarship offered to incoming Freshmen. In February 2003, Silveira was
invited to show in what would be his first art exhibition with artists Peter
Syravong and "PNUT" (Greg Galinsky & the Curators). After the February
exhibition, Galinsky offered Silveira a chance to move to San Francisco to
continue showing work in various city galleries. While in the Bay Area, Silveira
had the opportunity to work with artists such as Ferris Plock, Sam Flores,
BIGFOOT, Andy Howell, and Eric Bailey. He was included in a compilation book
titled, "Freedom" where he was accompanied by Doze, Jeremy Fish, Stash, Mars one
and many others. Some of Silveira’s most recent works includes illustrating the
cover of the Jan/Feb 2006 issue of “Synthesis Magazine”, and doing all the
photography for Planet Asia’s 2006 press kit (magazine appearances and DVD
design).
Kelly Tunstall is an artist and illustrator living in
San Francisco, CA. She was born in 1979, and received her BA from California
College of Arts and Crafts, San Francisco. She has held solo exhibitions in San
Francisco, Miami and London as well as group exhibitions in New York, Portland,
Tokyo, Detroit, and Los Angeles. Tunstall has been featured in Anthem, Flux,
Juxtapoz, Oyster, The San Francisco Examiner, and The San Francisco Chronicle.
Tunstall’s first music video, “Everything is OK,” for band Halou, is set to be
released this spring. Tunstall has also been recognized for her illustration
work for clients Papyrus, Bonfire Snowboarding, The LA Weekly. You can see her
permanent commissions on view at 111 Minna Gallery, The Art Hotel, a16
restaurant, and bar crudo, all in San Francisco, as well as Zuzu Nova in Los
Angeles.
Liza Oesterle is an artist and Montessori School
teacher in San Francisco, CA. She was born in 1979 and spent her childhood in
the mountains of upstate New York, surrounded by cows and tractors. She grew up
outside, in the snow and the grass and the ponds. After graduating with a BFA in
illustration from Syracuse University, she headed to Brooklyn to seek her
fortune. While living in New York City, Liza fount the perfect counterpoint to
all the nature she had grown up in. She became involved with several aspects of
urban street culture, including graffiti safaris, street hockey, and working at
an art store for minimum wage. After 23 years of life in the extreme rural and
urban regions of New York State, Liza packed up her things and moved to San
Francisco, California. Liza knew right away that San Francisco was the place for
her! The beautiful architecture, big parks, crazy neighborhoods, and long
beaches evoked the idea of urban nature that she considers integral to her life
and work. Liza continues to be inspired by her years spent living in the remote
countryside and as well as her time in the busy city. These divergent aspects of
Liza's experience have come together in her art, resulting in a colorful and
iconographic presentation of the natural and artificial objects that surround us
in daily life. Bold patterns and playful compositions typify Liza’s work and the
city around her. She enjoys drawing painting and printmaking.
Maria Gillespie is an artist in San Francisco, CA. A
California native, she has long been captivated by finding novel ways of fusing
visual art, fashion, music and culture. Maria works in many media: painting,
sculpture, collage, mural, installation, film & video, and she likes to
collaborate with friends, strangers and children. She credits Wasily Kandinski
as the inspiration for her multi-dimensional, self-lit explorations. "Art
history can be alternatively viewed as the history of subversion. The Modern
Degenerates really do it for me, and I'm doing it in turn, for them. Their
tribulations have fostered my public voice and I intend to use it in that same
positive, rebellious spirit."
Mike Maxwell is an artist living in El Cajon, CA. Art
has been a part of Maxwell's life for as long as he can remember. Although
self-taught he gained much of his inspiration from his Mother and Grandfather
both talented artists. Mikes work has been shown nation wide and over seas at
galleries in San Diego, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Japan, and
Australia. In 2005 Maxwell began curating exhibitions for the Voice1156 Gallery
in San Diego where he continues to promote local and national art.
Nate Hooper was born and raised by hippies in San
Francisco, CA. He has gone to lots of schools and lived all over. He currently
is a graphic designer for OrdinaryKids. Nate likes skateboarding, riding his
bike, painting, and other things too.
Nate VanDyke is an artist in San Francisco, CA. Nate
began drawing by the age of two with his trusty Crayons, and since then he has
been hard at work filling up countless sketchbooks and notepads. His mediums of
choice include: pencils (colored and otherwise), markers, watercolor, gouache,
acrylic paint and occasionally oil. Nate’s work can be found in the commercial
arena as well as in fine art galleries. He is fond of the color blue and peanut
M&M's. www.N8vandyke.com
Romanowski (AKA Roman Weingartner) is an artist, DJ
and producer from Switzerland. He came to the States when he was only eighteen
years old and settled in the Bay area in Northern California where he made quite
a name for himself in the DJ scene. DJing and producing was not enough, so he
began to make art. He prefers to make collages, use spray paint, photography and
found objects in his art, which has brought him around the world and back.
Romanowski is a founding member of The Curators Art Group.
Scott Barry is an artist and designer currently
working and living in San Francisco. Founder of Birdstand™, he works in a wide
variety of mediums, from Illustration to Sound Installation. More of his work
can be seen at thedrama.org, or Birdstand.com.
Sirron Norris is an artist, illustrator and designer
based in San Francisco, CA. Known for his signature style “Cartoon literalism”,
Sirron Norris is a fixture among the San Francisco art scene. Best known for his
numerous murals in the mission district and inside many local businesses
throughout San Francisco, Sirron has spent the last eight years developing his
work and establishing himself as a premier fine artist and commercial
illustrator. Receiving the Wattis artist in residence in 2003 from Yerba Buena
Center for the Arts, Sirron has gone on to receive residences from the De-Young
Memorial museum, Southern Exposure and California Collage of the Arts along with
having his work featured in the 2005 Bay Area Now show at Yerba Buena Center for
the Arts as part of the Gestalt collective. Sirron commercially has contributed
character designs for major companies including Comedy Central, Sun
Microsystems, and Bay Area Rapid Transit. Sirrons work can also be seen as far
as Shanghai,China where he has a prominent mural at the restaurant Element Fresh
inside the Shanghai Center. Currently Sirron is writing and illustrating a
series of children’s books based in San Francisco.
Vulcan was born and
raised in New York City, Vulcan has distinguished himself as a multi-dimensional
artist. Vulcan’s speaking engagements have included Yale, NYU, and the Rhode
Island School of Design. World renown for his street and subway murals, he is
also an emerging abstract painter. Vulcan is also an accomplished writer,
musician, singer, and songwriter.
