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Lynne Rogers

Lynne Rogers

ABOUT THE ARTIST

I started participating in fine art shows at about 10 years old and continued through school and beyond until I switched over to craft festivals in my late 20s. After 40+ years in crafts, I have recently switched back to my fine art in a big way. Throughout the years, I’ve worked in many mediums such as pencil, charcoal, pastels, acrylics, pen and ink, ceramics, weaving, jewelry, personalized wood signs and children’s items. Whew!!! I know I’m probably forgetting some things because I’ve tried most mediums at one time or another.

My work is quite often considered a little (or maybe a lot) quirky. Perhaps even a little kooky and hopefully fun or thought provoking.

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Michael Schwerd
Michael Schwerd

Michael Schwerd

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Michael Schwerd is a digital photographer living in Peoria, who enjoys a variety of subject matter including landscape and candid photos. Photography has been his passion since early adulthood, and he has enjoyed membership of several local photography clubs over the past several years.

Michael also plans to further explore his pottery skills in the near future after completing a home art studio. Joining GFA will be an inspiration for him and he has also recently completed the Beginners Pottery class offered at GFA.

Michael has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Arizona, with an emphasis in Graphic Design.

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Diane Schwerd
Diane Schwerd

Diane Schwerd

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Diane has had a passion for art since childhood and in addition to many art classes, she attended Moore Institute of Art in Philadelphia after high school. Her studies included textile design, drawing and etching and lithography.

Her work career positions mainly focused on the printing industry and graphic design, working for several major corporations, such as Honeywell and Xerox Corporation, producing a vast amount of print materials, logos, publications, magazines and corporate communications.

Recently retired, she is working on returning to her fine art skills and looking for inspiration and community from other artists, while finding the creativity and joy in art that was put to the side during her work career.

Favorite mediums include pencil drawing, pen and ink, watercolor, gelli printing and wood carving.

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Lynn Blair, "Art as Therapy"
Lynn Blair, "Art as Therapy"

Lynn Blair, "Art as Therapy"

ABOUT THE ARTIST

I am Lynn Blair, a retired registered nurse and professional health care executive living in Scottsdale, Arizona. I am a lover of all types of art, especially mixed-media with an emphasis on: fibers, paper, found objects, vintage buttons and lace, metal, yarn, recycled items, beads and ephemera.

My interest in using my hands to create lovely objects started when I was very young. In order to keep me busy my grandmother used to give me a coffee can of buttons and a shoe string telling me to "string the buttons on the shoe string". This made me realize how you could take a variety of different items and turn them into something else to admire, wear, or gift to someone. The rest is history.

Now, I am a member involved with several artist groups and communities. I look forward to teaching classes in local community centers and at my personal studio located on the corner of Shea Blvd and Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd in Scottsdale.

I love combining many different types of items and mediums to create unique art and fiber journals.

I use fabric, thread, yarn, metal, buttons and beads to create jewelry.

I enjoy how things "feel" when you touch them, so texture and movement is an important component to my creations.

My artistic inspiration comes to me from: the Earth, color, shapes, traveling, forms, depth, nature, different cultures, memories, a vision, how my soul feels about something, imagination, inner feelings, other artists, and the area where I live.

I have an ETSY Shop where you can find a small sample of my work, or send me a message in my Shop requesting a custom order or a special one of a kind item created just for you: https://www.etsy.com/shop/lynnmariblair

Related to art inspiration, Auguste Rodin said, "The main thing is to be moved, to love, to hope, to tremble, to live."

My hope is my creations move people, have them feel love, create inspiration, feel hope, tremble with excitement and make them feel alive.

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Susie Smith
Susie Smith

Susie Smith

ABOUT THE ARTIST

I was born in Des Moines Iowa in 1950. I have been married 52 years. My husband is JD and he recently retired from FEMA. I also retired from owning my own business. We have one daughter named Lisa. We lived in Southern California for 50 years and moved to Surprise Arizona a little over a year ago. In creating my designs I love using all sorts of pots, vases, silk flowers and plants, wood, bark, rope, twine, artificial succulents, greenery along with branches of many different sizes and shapes. I started this business 5 months ago and have already sold many pieces. No two of my designs are ever alike.

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Karen Hoeft
Karen Hoeft

Karen Hoeft

ABOUT THE ARTIST

I was a graphic designer in my professional life. My husband and I lived on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. I started creating jewelry during the later part of my design career. A popular pastime on the North Shore is hunting for beach glass and agates. I created a line of jewelry called “Tumbled”. I polished glass and paired the glass with pounded silver. The line of jewelry was my way of hurrying mother nature along so it could be used in jewelry. It did very well.

My husband and I have both retired and live full time in Surprise AZ. I thought that living in the Southwest, it only seemed fitting to design and embellish the ever so popular cowboy and rancher hats. I have fallen in love with creating these hats. It seems I never run out of ideas and styles. I use fabric, paint, feathers, studs, rhinestones, leather, old broaches, worry dolls, and also burn in designs. All the hats are designed and created by me with love.

I am very excited to join as a member of the Ground Floor Artists. I hope you find your “Hattitude” and choose one of my hats.

Karen Hoeft

Prickly Pear

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Marilyn Jacobi Bealafeld
Marilyn Jacobi Bealafeld

Marilyn Jacobi Bealafeld

ABOUT THE ARTIST

My artistic journey is an ongoing progression, incorporating my art education fundamentals with exploration of color and light in my paintings.

My paintings are impressionistic in a defined style. My style is a simplification of complex subjects. Some are created from my imagination and some from photos that I take while hiking. My choice of colors expresses the effect of light and shadows on the rocks and mountains. My paintings have a traditional composition presented in a unique contemporary way.

Although my paintings are inspired by the Sedona landscape, where I live, it is my hope that each will evoke a viewers' memory of a hike or sunset that they have experienced anywhere.

I received a BFA degree in Printmaking from Washington University, St. Louis, MO. I enjoyed a twenty-year career as an account executive with an offset lithographer in Ann Arbor, MI. My concentration was fine art books and exhibition catalogs.

Mbealafeld@yahoo.com

Solo show September/October 2024 at Yavapai College, Sedona campus.

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Cyndi Hamilton
Cyndi Hamilton

Cyndi Hamilton 

ABOUT THE ARTIST

I have a background in interior design and I'm passionate about pottery. 

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Ivonne Reid-Borland
Ivonne Reid-Borland

Ivonne Reid-Borland

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Ivonne Reid-Borland

My love for Fine Arts and vibrant colors started at a very young age.

Pursuing art was put on the back burner to raise my family and work to make ends meet.

I work primarily with watercolors because of their color strength, transparency and beautiful results. A lifelong student of various painting mediums, substrates and techniques. I enjoy painting and the creative process.

I moved to Arizona after retiring from a successful career in Finance in Washington, DC.  Arizona provides that amazing nature feel with stunning deserts, colorful flowers, red rocks and amazing cacti. I paint from my collection of photographs. I'm blessed to have visited Canada, Europe, Africa, Central and South America; and have travelled extensively in the United States.

I have a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from Aspen University. To pay for my undergraduate degree I worked as a student artist and created art posters, calendars and various art announcements. 

In every moment, I find a reason to thank God for the gift of life, family, friends and art. 

I am a member of the Westbrook Village Fine Arts Association, and the Ground Floor Artists in Surprise, Arizona. Love being in a creative space to share ideas and create with other wonderful artists. 

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Landscape Painting, Paintings, MemberGround Floor Artists .R
Vicki De Werth
Vicki De Werth

Vicki De Werth

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Artist Name

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Colossians 3:23

I always loved art and making things. I had planned to become an architect and design long lasting structures, but God had a different plan for me so my legacy will be my family rather than tall buildings. I do believe God made us all to be creative. Although we may not all paint like Thomas Kinkaid or photograph like Ansel Adams,  we are all creative in our own ways and should have fun while we do it.

After I retired as a Legal Administrator, I became fascinated with painting on pottery. I learned and ultimately worked at The Mad Platter, a small studio in Surprise, AZ until it closed in 2018. In 2019, an unexpected opportunity came up and I soon became the owner of my own studio, Art on Fire in Peoria, AZ.  We offered not only paint-your-own-pottery but clay wheels, sculpting, canvas art, paint pours, Bible Journaling and many other types of creative art.

I have since retired from studio ownership but still serve on the Executive Board for Contemporary Ceramics Studio Association [CCSA] and keep in touch with other studio owners around the country. I enjoy traveling, reading, movies, gardening and, of course, spending time with my beloved husband, Fred, and my family.

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Mixed Media, MemberGround Floor Artists .D
Angel Tolentino
Angel Tolentino

Angel Tolentino

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Artist Angel Tolentino

Angel Tolentino is a Native Peruvian Leather & Jewelry Artist and musician. Outside of composing his own music he also works with metals, wood and does lapidary. He also accepts custom projects. All items are handmade by Angel and when he needs to sew he uses a Singer machine from the early 1900s. It is his passion to create beautiful unique pieces.

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Jewelry, MemberGround Floor Artists .T
Lynda Abare
Lynda Abare

LYNDA ABARE

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Artist Linda Abare

My heart says “yes” to techniques involving color, patterns, textures, and intricate details and they all fascinate me. I have to learn more, do more. Once I master a technique I incorporate it into my portfolio and move on.

Pewter has called my name for the last two decades and I have been primarily a Repujado Artist and teacher, but I am still curious, still learning. Most recently I have rediscovered weaving, bookbinding, calligraphy, and Kumihimo. What could be better than creating artwork to be handled, perused, and enjoyed? Beautiful AND functional.

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Jewelry, MemberGround Floor Artists .A
Dennis Sullivan
Dennis Sullivan

Dennis Sullivan

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Artist Dennis Sullivan

I am an artist who works in acrylics, oils, and pastels. I enjoy painting Southwest life, landscapes, still life, and abstracts, many of which are drawn from my imagination. As with many artists, I strive to develop new techniques and skills that will let me express my art in new ways. I studied art at Mesa Community College and ASU. I have attended numerousclasses and workshops with both international and national instructors.

I have been involved with several art groups here in Arizona and in Southern California. In addition to being a Ground Floor Artist member, I am also a member at WHAM Art Center where I have a studio. My work has been shown and awarded in art shows and galleries both here in Arizona and Southern California. 

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Paintings, MemberGround Floor Artists .S
Joanne & Mike Radtke
Joanne & Mike Radtke

Joanne & Mike Radtke

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Artists Mike and Joanne Radtke

Joanne spent years as a pediatric nurse, while Mike was an aircraft technician. In retirement, we discovered the wonderful world of glass fusing and now are addicts of the best kind. We've always loved doing things together, and this is just one more thing to do together!

All Kil’n It  items are handcrafted and unique and are made in our smoke-free studio in Arizona by my husband and me. We hope that you enjoy wearing our jewelry as much we enjoyed making it!

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Linda Risner
Linda Risner

linda risner

ABOUT THE ARTIST

I’m an Arizona native who has fallen in love with pottery. I am new to the pottery world having just started in 2022. Come watch me learn and grow. I’m obsessed.

Artist Linda Risner

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Ceramics, MemberGround Floor Artists .R
George Palovich
George Palovich

GEORGE PALOVICH

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Artist George Palovich

George Palovich began his art education by copying pages from Superman comics at an early age. He studied at the University of Toledo and the Toledo Art Museum School of Design where he received a Bachelor of Education in Art. His Master of Fine Arts degree was obtained at Kent State University.
Over the years he and his late wife, Jan, achieved a strong reputation as ceramic artists in Ohio, Texas, Colorado, and Arizona. The past twenty years, George divided his time between teaching drawing, serving as Curator at West Valley Art Museum and creating works in ceramics, drawing, printmaking, and painting. He now devotes full time to creating his own works and sometimes teaching drawing at four different venues around the West Valley and holds figure drawing sessions at his studio near Union Hills and 99th Avenue. George continues to make ceramic works, though Janet passed away in 2020.

Many years in developing, George paints now in four different series; the Cat Series (oils and drawings of their daughter’s two cats; The Flowered Figure Series, (mixed media nudes done in a decorative style); The Doll Series (a series of oils depicting a doll dressed like George acting as his avatar); and a totally abstract series with music as inspiration. George’s work with the human figure begins in the Life Drawing Studio. Working from the model, several drawings are done within the hour to two and a half hours doing one or several poses. Some drawings are developed more fully after the sessions are over. Many of these become the basis for the paintings.

George has never felt that he needed to adhere to a specific style or approach, though the discerning observer can determine that the different series are all by one artist. He has also created a series of cartoon books titled “Musings”, a wry commentary on language, life and living. As a Curator, he has judged many exhibitions around the Valley over the twenty years with the Museum.

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Paintings, Member, InstructorGround Floor Artists .P