Beloved South Florida "dog artist" Skip Hartzell creates unique art inspired by man’s best friend

Skip Hartzell creates canine-inspired artworks that are figments of his artistic imagination and creative vision. His inspiration comes in the form of a morning walk, accompanied by a furry friend.

The artist creates large paintings and works on paper that capture the essence of “dog”. He is best known for his unique sculptures recognized immediately by their distinct form and style that only Hartzell can produce.

All of the work is rich with intricacies of color and technique. His painterly expression captures each dog’s own personality with beautiful textures, line and brush strokes using mixed media to bring each dog to life.

Happy Skip Hartzell Collectors

Collectors, art aficionados and dog lovers alike can experience Skip Hartzell’s Dogs at CityPlace in West Palm Beach. The Satellite pop-up exhibition is presented by the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, the exhibit is called Reimagine at the WPB Collective at CityPlace and runs through the Spring 2019. Located at 701 S. Rosemary Avenue, Suite 116 in West Palm Beach, Florida (just off the main plaza).

Hartzell is a longtime supporter of no-kill animal rescues and donates proceeds from the sale of his artworks to animal-rescue, no kill shelters. For sales, commissions, general inquiries, or future show information, email skipperhartzell@yahoo.com and visit www.skiphartzell.com

Experience Marcus Jansen’s Exhibition 'Merchants Of Babylon’ At New River Fine Art In Ft. Lauderdale

Marcus Jansen’s socially critical paintings and installations have been exhibited in museums in Italy, Germany and the United States and now they will be in South Florida during a selling exhibition at New River Fine Art.

Marcus Jansen, ‘Grand Chessboard‘, Oil Enamels, Spray Paint and Oil Pastel on Canvas, 60 x 48 Inches.

New River Fine Art presents Merchants of Babylon, an exhibition featuring the art of Marcus Jansen on April 25th with the full exhibition running through May 25th, 2019. The opening reception for the artist will take place on April 25th at the gallery from 6 – 9pm. New River Fine Art is located at 822 East Las Olas Blvd in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Marcus Jansen, ‘Recon 1‘, Oil Enamels, Mixed Media on Canvas, 48 x 48 Inches.

With museum exhibition credits in Italy, Germany and the United States mounting, New River Fine Art proudly welcomes Marcus Jansen to South Florida for a selling exhibition. Jansen’s art responds to politically charged issues and their effects on the human condition with highly expressive, gritty, inescapable grace and beauty. The painterly complexity of his haunting post-apocalyptic style landscapes and still lifes has critics hailing Jansen as one of the most important American painter of his generation. Meet Marcus Jansen and see his socially critical works of art at the opening reception for Merchants of Babylon. Jansen’s art is rooted in the New York Graffiti scene, but years spent in Germany garnered influence from the Expressionists to develop a language that speaks of a world in turmoil with isolation, threat, war, surveillance and greed in competition with innocence, hope and humanity.

Marcus Jansen, ‘Faceless Jackass‘, Oil Enamels on Canvas, 74 x 50 Inches.

“Jansen has been called the cartographer of conflict” stated Lisa Burgess, owner of New River Fine Art. “His colors, textures and calligraphic marks imbue an intensity and power to his large-scale paintings that render the human figures seen in many of his works as humbled within the chaos of the surrounding imagery.” Jansen is no stranger to this type of chaos. A veteran of Desert Storm and Desert Shield, he has seen the ravages of war first hand and the experience left an indelible mark on the artist and informs his work.

Marcus Jansen, ‘The Desert and Its Tales‘, Oils and Mixed Media on Paper, 19 x 20 Inches.

Gallery Director Wissam Elghoul says “Jansen uses light and color to convey a sense of hope in his post-apocalyptic style landscapes. Despite the turmoil, there is a sense that humanity may prevail”. When asked about his own work, the artist comments, “A Painter’s conflict first takes place from within. What you see on canvas is the outcome of decisions based on an intellectual and visual combat. I don’t see my work as political paintings, rather as critical social commentary opposed to political rhetoric.” Political or not, critics are hailing Marcus Jansen as one of the most important American painters of our generation.

Marcus Jansen, ‘On Top Of Mountain‘, Oil Enamels, Mixed Media on Canvas, 48 x 36 Inches.

The exhibition includes 20 works of art created between 2011 – 2019. A full color exhibition catalog is available. The opening reception for the artist will take place on April 25th at the gallery from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm. New River Fine Art is located at 822 East Las Olas Blvd in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Marcus Jansen, 'Purple Heart ', Oil Enamels, Spray Paint and Oil Pastel on Canvas, 74 x 50 Inches.

New River Fine Art is a world class gallery filled with museum quality art. As South Florida’s oldest and most prestigious fine art gallery, New River Fine Art presents original works and fine prints from Impressionist, 20th Century, Post War and Contemporary Masters, Mid Career and Emerging Artists. Located in the heart of historic Las Olas Boulevard, the gallery infuses its impressive selection of Masterworks with fresh offerings from contemporary painters, sculptors and glass artists to create a collection that is both historically important and current with today’s art market. For more information visit www.newriverfineart.com.

Contemporary Artist Beatriz Ledesma Creates Art Inspired By Emotional, Spiritual, And Social Issues

Artist Beatriz Ledesma is a painter, curator, and psychotherapist whose work is deeply connected to the plight of the poor, vulnerable, and undeserved. She takes a closer look at the emotional impact of displacement in marginalized populations.

Artist Beatriz E. Ledesma is a painter, curator, and psychotherapist based in Chicago, Illinois. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she is deeply connected to the plight of the poor, vulnerable, and undeserved. Her work is about issues of emotional, spiritual and social construct, taking a closer look at the emotional impact of displacement in marginalized populations and to examine the symbolic language of indigenous peoples. Her interests involve the practical applications of psychoanalysis and art for the purpose of healing and empowerment, focusing on the use of art-making in the clinical treatment of adults. She attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC).

“Faithful to my Latin American roots my work takes the viewer into the world of magic realism and color. I am disengaged from conceptual constraints, instead I allow intuitive knowledge to creatively guide me when painting or when thinking about a painting series to embark on. Painting becomes a mystical experience woven with material reality, myth, and the free flow of my imagination. I intend to challenge the viewer into a contemplative dialogue with the artwork, hoping that it may evoke a feeling, an emotion, a memory.”

With her work, the artist attempts to take a closer look at memory, at the emotional impact of displacement in marginalized populations and to examine the symbolic language of indigenous peoples. She finds herself studying tribal symbols from both, Northern and Southern tribes from Argentina. Using symbols, along with realistic and primitive tribal imagery placed in a dreamlike composition with heavily saturated colors, Ledesma seeks to recreate the spiritual world of native populations and the emotional reality of marginalized peoples through her paintings. Ledesma’s art challenges the social issue of displacement on a human level of community within society through initiating a visual conversation using the power of art to convey the vibrant colors, imagery and symbols of Latin American culture.

Ledesma's art holds a powerful aura of tribal energy and represents a larger spiritual practice at play. She works purely within the depths of her intuitive creative energy and her native Latin American roots, connecting with the Earth, and respecting the planet as well as all the inhabitants of this beautiful world. Stay tuned for information about Beatriz Ledesma’s upcoming solo exhibition this October 2019 in Chicago, IL. To learn more about this fascinating artist, for sales information, commissions or general inquires, email beatriz@ledesmastudio.com and visit https://www.beatrizledesmastudio.com/