Bianca Paraschiv’s practice bridges painting and graphic expression, forming a refined visual language influenced by philosophy, movement, and human anatomy. With a strong international presence and participation in major global exhibitions, her work reflects a precise balance of structure, emotion, and conceptual depth.

Ornella Pocetti’s practice emerges from a deep engagement with time, memory, and perception, shaped through her studies in Buenos Aires and international residencies. Her work reflects a growing dialogue between personal experience and expanded visual language developed across South America, Europe, the United States, and Asia.

Minka Sicklinger transforms the everyday into the magical through hand-drawn illustrations, tattoos, and object-based work. Influenced by anthropology, ritual, and ancestral memory, her art navigates the spaces between figure, form, and symbolism. Every piece invites viewers to connect with fleeting moments, hidden gestures, and stories left behind by those who came before.

Nikki Painter’s mixed-media Garden works on paper transform observation and pattern into meditative, vibrant compositions. Combining drawing and collage, her Night Gardens explore depth, energy, and the quiet edge of beauty in nature. Through her work, she invites viewers to reflect on the fragility and astonishing richness of life.

Mexican-born, Lisbon-based artist Nayeli Lavanderos creates detailed drawings that bridge ancestral cosmology and contemporary minimalism. Through precise linework and sacred geometry, her work reflects the spiritual presence of animals and the Mesoamerican concept of the nahual, the belief that each person carries an animal spirit connected to their inner life. Her intuitive process transforms drawing into a quiet, meditative practice where observation, spirit, and form come together.

Based in Tkaronto, Dr. Ashley Snook is an interdisciplinary artist, researcher, and educator whose practice centers on drawing, sculpture, and immersive installation. Grounded in scientific research and ritual practices, her work explores cycles of growth, decay, and renewal, inviting audiences to reflect on interdependence, ecological responsibility, and our place within more-than-human networks of life.

Kate Hendrickson’s art intertwines faith, movement, and personal expression. Featured in AQ Volume 7, her recent series blends colored pencil drawings and pastel backgrounds to explore spirituality, joy, and the freedom to be fully seen, creating works that are both intimate and universally resonant.

Sophia Conroy Iglesias, a British-Spanish artist, creates intimate and psychologically charged works in oil, graphite, and hand-bound books. Featured in the upcoming Spirit World exhibition, her art blends historical figuration with contemporary perspectives, exploring mythology, touch, memory, and the feminine experience. Each canvas is paired with a handwritten poem, extending her visual narratives into an interior world where presence, absence, and the spectral intertwine. Her work invites viewers to encounter bodies, gestures, and spaces that hover between reality and the unseen.

Jessica Burke, who goes by J.B., is an award-winning artist and Associate Professor of Art based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her labor-intensive colored-pencil drawings use magical realism to explore memory, personal narratives, and the darker sides of human nature. JB’s work has been exhibited internationally, published in top art journals, and is held in private, public, and corporate collections. In this feature, learn more about her approach, inspirations, and the meticulous process behind her vibrant, thought-provoking art.

Cindy Phenix creates dense, collage-like paintings and installations where humans, animals, and natural elements intertwine in vivid, layered compositions. Her work examines ecological crises, societal tensions, and the delicate balance between humanity and the natural world, offering viewers a glimpse into a poetic, interconnected universe

In the Lightness of Being exhibition, Mary Porterfield presents intimate, life-sized drawings reflecting her mother’s care for her father during his battle with Parkinsonism. Layered and translucent, her work captures both the weight of loss and the quiet resilience of love, inviting viewers to witness transformation and reflection through her deeply personal lens.

Maya Rae Miller transforms intuition into art through her surrealist automatic drawings. Featured in the “Lightness of Being” exhibition, her work invites viewers to engage with the subconscious, discovering beauty, emotion, and shared human experience in each line and gesture

Michael Edwards, known as Lingua, is a pen-and-ink artist celebrated for his large-scale, intricately detailed portraits. Featured in Create! Magazine’s Lightness of Being virtual exhibition, his work transforms fine lines and abstract strokes into expressive faces and human figures. Using cold-pressed paper, vibrant gel pens, and glitter accents, Lingua creates compositions that invite viewers to explore every nuance, discovering depth, color, and emotion in every piece.

Brian R. Williams’s graphite drawings invite viewers into surreal worlds where nature and civilization collide. Using human figures, domestic objects, and dreamlike symbolism, his work explores themes of environmental fragility, transformation, and the mythic ties between humanity and the natural world. Each drawing becomes a quiet, intricate reflection on our place within a much older and wilder landscape.

Catherine LaPointe-Vollmer brings a deep reverence for nature to her soft pastel landscapes, highlighting the subtle patterns of light and shadow often overlooked in everyday scenes. Her impressionistic works, featured in the Land and Longing virtual exhibition, are rooted in the forests, rivers, and seasonal shifts of her native North Country. Through plein air sketches and intuitive composition, LaPointe-Vollmer reveals how the ordinary becomes extraordinary when viewed in just the right light.

Brooklyn-born artist Nora Wiley-Schwartz blends personal memories with artistic exploration, focusing on nostalgia and domesticity in her paintings. With works that evoke a sense of quiet reflection, Wiley-Schwartz invites viewers to appreciate the beauty in everyday life. Featured in the "Land and Longing" exhibition, her latest work draws from landscapes tied to her childhood and artistic retreats, bridging the gap between urban life and natural environments.

Steve Moors, a British/American artist based in New York, blends photography, painting, and graphic design in his work. His hand-drawn large-format digital prints evoke a sense of organic artistry while addressing complex, contemporary themes. Drawing on his diverse career, Moors seeks to create images that provoke thought and stimulate the viewer's sense of self, presenting them with visual sutras for contemplation.

Sommer Roman’s art draws us back to our wild, interconnected selves through an exploration of plant, animal, and human forms. Using mundane materials like post-consumer clothing and natural items, Roman creates work that dismantles disconnectedness and embraces the wild feminine. Read more about her recent exhibitions and how her art merges surrealism, craft, and feminism.

Carlotta Hey, a Melbourne-based artist with an extensive background in the fashion industry, creates evocative works that explore the feminine form and the emotional language of clothing. Her muted color palettes and minimalist compositions invite viewers to pause, reflect, and connect with her subjects in a profound way. With a career that bridges fashion illustration and fine art, Carlotta's work captures the essence of self-expression through texture, emotion, and stillness. Dive into her creative world and discover the beauty of her unique approach to art.

Hannah West’s art invites reflection on the simple yet profound moments found in daily life. With her delicate colored pencil drawings, she transforms ordinary scenes into contemplative works that evoke comfort and tranquility. Learn more about her process and how her art celebrates the beauty in the mundane.