In her feature for Land and Longing, Rainey Straus shares The Old Growth Project, a multidisciplinary body of work that merges technology, ecology, and ritual. Through LiDAR scans of California’s redwoods and embodied observation, Straus paints the presence of trees beyond human-centered narratives, inviting us to consider new ways of relating to the natural world. Her work unearths beauty and urgency in the forest’s voice, resonating with themes of loss, reciprocity, and reverence.

Sharon Wensel’s art invites us into moments of stillness, healing, and reflection through vibrant scenes inspired by the natural world. Following a return to painting later in life, her work now appears in Create! Magazine’s Land and Longing exhibition, celebrating the deep emotional resonance found in nature’s beauty.

Elisha Enfield’s evocative paintings draw from the rich history of human rituals, blending themes of fire, funerary rites, and remembrance. In her works, she examines how we navigate grief, celebrate life, and honor those who are no longer with us. Featured in the Land and Longing virtual exhibition, Enfield’s paintings invite viewers to reflect on the interplay of memory and myth in the human experience.

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.

Painter Gillian Wainwright shares insight into her latest body of work, created over four years within the ever-changing microcosm of her backyard. Influenced by light, season, and her love for working from life, Wainwright's paintings have shifted from realism to gestural abstraction. Now on view as part of the Land and Longing exhibition, her work speaks to the intimate connection between observation, memory, and place.

Natalie Dunham’s studio practice is grounded in process, precision, and a reverence for craftsmanship. Working primarily in three-dimensional material studies composed of accumulated geometric forms, Dunham draws inspiration from the gridded rural landscapes of her childhood in Lancaster, PA. Her work invites viewers to pause, reflect, and rediscover the extraordinary within the everyday.

Kendra Dandy’s vibrant artwork mixes humor and deep emotion, using the cheetah as a personal symbol of her feelings and experiences. Her playful, mood-driven creations challenge the conventions of self-expression, inviting viewers to connect with their own emotions. Featured in collaborations with major brands like Marc Jacobs and Vans, Kendra’s unique style blends vintage design, nature, and post-impressionist art, creating a dynamic conversation in every piece.

Gabrielle Preziose is a commercial and editorial fashion photographer based in NJ/NYC known for her striking, avant-garde aesthetic. Drawing influence from vintage fashion and surrealist art, Gabrielle brings a distinctive vision to her lifestyle, portrait, and product photography. Her work is a celebration of color, pattern, and emotion—crafted with a meticulous eye and a passion for storytelling.

Lisa Wright’s multimedia practice is rooted in resistance, reinvention, and the power of unexpected materials. Raised in Littleton, Colorado, Wright first felt the urgency of storytelling during the Columbine shooting—an experience that continues to inform her politically charged work. From tampons to birthday candles, her unconventional materials speak volumes, disrupting expectations and inviting viewers to reconsider what art can say and how it says it. Through sculpture, photography, printmaking, and collage, Wright crafts striking visual commentaries that provoke thought, spark dialogue, and challenge the dominant narrative.

Step into the imaginative world of Bella Wattles, a self-taught artist whose maximalist still life paintings transform everyday objects into playful, symbolic characters. Inspired by nostalgia, storytelling, and the drama of stage lighting, Wattles creates emotional vignettes that blur the line between the ordinary and the fantastical. Her compositions invite viewers to rediscover wonder in the unexpected.

Lauren E. Peters’ work delves into the performance and construction of identity through the lens of self-portraiture. Drawing from both historical and personal influences, her art explores gender, the notion of “costumes” as armor, and the complex navigation of self-definition. In this feature, we explore how Peters combines vibrant colors and rich symbolism to challenge traditional narratives and invite a new visual language that exists beyond societal binaries. Explore her journey and upcoming work in the issue 51 of Create! Magazine.

In her multifaceted works, Moyan Wang combines ceramics, painting, and sculpture to create powerful metaphors for unspoken stories tied to China's collective memory and the experience of diaspora. As an MFA student at UNC-Chapel Hill, Wang explores the intersections of personal and societal trauma, evoking a deep sense of history through rich, culturally significant materials. Her work speaks to themes of gender, immigration, surveillance, and the weight of silence, as she creates a layered narrative of resistance and resilience.

Reno-based artist Beck Baumann transforms sequins and recycled materials into whimsical sculptures rooted in childhood memories and creative freedom. Her work reimagines discarded objects as vessels of beauty and wonder, radiating color, joy, and unexpected charm.

Claire Partington’s intricately detailed ceramic sculptures reinterpret the myth of the princess through a modern, critical lens—blending baroque aesthetics, fairy tale motifs, and luxury iconography. Based in London, her work challenges expectations of femininity and fantasy while drawing inspiration from art history, social trends, and personal identity. Discover how her ceramic figures embody both magical nostalgia and sharp cultural critique.

Jennifer Cronin’s work reveals a unique perspective on the mundane, finding magic in the overlooked corners of everyday life. Her latest collection, supported by prestigious grants from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation and Chicago DCASE, invites viewers to discover the extraordinary in ordinary moments. Delve into her artistic journey and how her paintings transform the mundane into something magical.

Chicago-based painter Sally Blair creates large-scale oil paintings that explore the intersection of the micro and macro. Her intricate, brightly colored compositions are rooted in themes of geometry, science, and the sublime. With a background shaped by the landscapes of New Mexico and West Texas, Blair brings a unique perspective to contemporary abstraction, evoking the grandeur of unseen worlds.

Chester-based fine artist Maria Natalie brings fresh energy to classical portraiture through her Unfinished Finished series—vivid oil paintings that capture women in bold, incomplete states. Balancing traditional techniques with striking contemporary color palettes, her work draws attention to both subject and process, offering a modern take on timeless composition.

Aya Ogasawara, a Tokyo-born painter now based in New York, creates strikingly surreal compositions that blend Northern Renaissance influence with a minimalist Japanese aesthetic. In her series Memory and Mirage, Ogasawara explores themes of femininity, growth, and the sublime, crafting dreamlike tableaus that reinterpret religious iconography through the lens of adolescence and personal myth.

Betsy Walton is a Portland-based painter and illustrator whose layered, luminous compositions investigate the spiritual dimensions of life through color, form, and intuition. Influenced by nature, science, and personal growth, Walton's practice draws viewers into imagined spaces where wonder, balance, and inner dialogue take shape. In this feature, we explore the ideas behind her creative process and her ever-evolving visual language.

In the "Land and Longing" exhibition, Taylor Pierce’s landscapes explore not just the beauty of the desert but the stories it holds within. Through her work, she brings forward the resilience and history of the land, asking what it has witnessed across time. With each painting, Pierce invites viewers to consider their own connection to nature and the powerful link between the past and present.