Visual Language Magazine Contemporary Fine ARt Vol 4 No 3 March 2015

VL 

Visual Language 

VL 

March 2015 Volume 4 No. 3 

Mary Jane Q Cross 

maryjaneqcross.com 

Features: Robert Duncan . Mary Jane Q Cross . David Francis . Barbara Rudolph . Sabine Barbar 

contemporary fine art

VL 

visual language 

contemporary fine art 

VisualLanguageMagazine.com 

Subscribe Free Today. 

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March 2015 Vol 4 No 3 

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Classical and Realistic Fine Art 

New Hampshire artist Mary Jane Q Cross is emotionally and spiritually present in all 

of her paintings. Painting with her fingers became necessary after developing a tremor 

that made brushwork difficult. Good coping skills and an eye that sees beauty and truth 

in most everything she sees has given her work a broad scope of interests that develop 

not only into paintings but poems as well. We hope you take away a vision of paintings 

remembered and poems repeated. 

VL Cover Artist 

http://www.maryjaneqcross.com/ 

VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 3

Victoria Pendragon 

“Storm Tree” 

victoriapendragon.artspan.com

content VL 

Cover Artist Mary Jane Q Cross 3 

Realism 

Painter’s Keys - Sara Genn 11 

Robert Duncan 32 

Robert Duncan was born in Salt Lake City in 1952 and 

grew up in a large family of ten children. He spent the 

summers helping his grandparents on their 10,000 acre 

cattle ranch in Wyoming. 

Mary Jane Q Cross 50 

New Hampshire artist Mary Jane Q Cross 

is emotionally and spiritually present in 

all of her paintings. Painting with her fingers 

became necessary after developing a 

tremor that made brushwork difficult. 


David Francis 64 

When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be an 

artist 

It sounds cliché’, but it seems like I have always loved to draw. 

Once of my earliest memories is waiting for my father to finish 

the Sunday newspaper, so that I could sit down and start copying 

the funnies. 

Barbara Rudolph 94 

When did you realize you loved art and wanted 

to be an artist 

I have loved art for as long as I can remember. 

Even when I was a little girl I loved to draw. I 

didn’t make the full time jump into becoming an 

artist until I was in my mid 20’s.

content VL 

Sabine Barber 114 

I was born and raised in South Africa. Growing up on 

a beautiful farm in Mpumalanga, most of my childhood 

was spent outside in the sun, running barefoot through 

the dirt, climbing in trees and daydreaming in the garden. 

I also spent countless hours doodling, using any 

scraps of paper I could find, filling the pages with princesses, 

mermaids, unicorns, playing out my fantasies 

using pencil or ballpoint pen. In my early teens, I began 

taking private lessons in oil and pastel painting, which 

opened up a wonderful world to me. I found a new, colourful, 

way to express myself. Art was a part of my life, 

a part of my day-to-day. It helped me escape; it made 

me happy! 

Index Directory of Artists and Galleries 134 

In alphabetical order, you can easily find all featured artists 

and advertising artists, along with featured galleries in our 

index directory. 


“Phalaenopsis” Pastel 

Richard Levine 

Pastel Painter Landscape and Figurative 

www.richardlevine.net 

email: artisanrichard@gmail.com 

Davis & CO Fine Art 

dandcgallery.com

Mark Yearwood 

Fire and Rain 48’’x36’’ Mixed Media on Canvas 

MarkYearwood.com 

Select Prints available at Nuvango.com/markyearwood

VL 

visual language magazine 

Contemporary Fine Art 

Visual Language Magazine Staff 

Editorial 

Editor -in-Chief Laurie Pace 

Contributing Editor Lisa Neison-Smith 

Consulting Editor Nancy Medina 

Feature Contributor Sara Genn Painter’s Keys 

Feature Writer Dave Justus 

Feature Editor Art Reviews Hall Groat II 

Feature Contributer Barry Scharf 

VL Sponsor ARTSPAN Eric Sparre 

Advertising 

Contact: VisualLanguageMagazine@gmail.com 

Marketing and Development 

Executive Director Business/Management Stacey Hendren 

All Artwork is Copyrighted by the Individual Artists. 

Visual Language Magazine Vol 4 No 3 

defrancispastels.com/ 

robertduncanstudios.com 

10 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

The Painter’s Keys 

Robert and Sara Genn 

The limitations game 

January 23, 2015 

“I am good at only two things,” said Claude Monet, “and those are gardening and painting.” The son of a grocer, Monet 

knew he wanted to be an artist at age five. At forty-three he relocated to Giverny to build his garden. The cataracts 

Monet developed as he aged limited his colour vision at the warm end of the spectrum. In 1923 he underwent surgery 

to remove the cloudy lens of his right eye, leaving him aphakic -- a condition that allows a person to see normally 

blocked ultraviolet wavelengths. With his new eye Monet mixed electrifying, revelatory blues. 

I’m not recommending the removal of eye parts, but it’s worth exploring a limitation in search of its hidden edge. I remember 

plopping into an alpine meadow once while Dad set up a video camera nearby. He sat in his homemade easel 

and slipped into a familiar zone. I was noodling a few tuber-shaped glaciers onto the side of a battleship mountain in 

too many strokes. In the cabin that evening we reviewed the tape. 

“Would you look at those tight moves” Dad mused. What I saw were his relaxed, zen-like drags and dobs -- a floating 

meditation. Over at the edge of the scene my elbow fluttered up and down like a one-armed weaver at a loom. I cringed. 

He said, “I could use your dash and vigor -- And you should consider this: Look three times, think twice, paint once.” 

The Painter’s Keys - Sara Genn 

“Argue for your limitations and, sure enough, they’re yours,” wrote Richard Bach. We returned to the meadow the 

following day and swapped techniques. “Easy does it,” I whispered, loading the brush, letting the mountain offer her 

strokes and digging into a zone of special care. That evening Dad and I hung the day’s efforts and climbed under the 

covers of our single beds for a cabin crit. Thrillingly my potatoes had become recognizable patterns of nature. Dad 

praised the progress and I puffed like a lovebird, but then he motioned toward the paintings on his side of the room. 

There dazzled light and speedy poems -- and the magical hand of abstraction. 

Sincerely, 

Sara 

PS: “The vistas of possibility are only limited by the shortness of life.” (Winston Churchill) 

Esoterica: Consider this: Limitations are an access point for focus, discipline, resourcefulness and the development of 

voice. They’re clues to uniqueness and form-style and point of view -- requirements of all works of art to communicate 

and connect. “In abandoning the vagueness of the sketch,” wrote Eugene Delacroix, “the artist shows more of his personality 

by revealing the range but also the limitations of his talent.” We fear our limitations will define us, yet they’re 

the hurdles necessary for refinement and courage. They’re the builders of character, and paintings need character. “The 

greatest progress in life,” said Yogi Bhajan, “is when you know your limitations, and then you have the courage to drop 

them.” 


olorado Homes & Lifestyles 

BEST ART GALLERY, 2010 & 2012 

- 5280 

TOP 24 GALLERIES IN THE USA, 2012, 2013 & 

Artwork (l to r): Laurie Justus Pace, ‘The Gathering One’- Original Oil on Canvas, 3 

miradafineart.com 

Svetlana Shalygina, ‘Silhousettes De Versailles’ - Mixed Media on Canvas, 36” x 36” 

Bruce Marion, ‘The Adventure Begins’- Original Acrylic on Canvas, 36” x 48”; Allen

Magazine 

A ‘STYLE-MAKER’ 

- Luxe Magazine 

‘STUNNING’ 

2014 - American Art Awards ‘ART LOVER’S ESCAPE’ - Denver Life 

5490 Parmalee Gulch Rd. 

Indian Hills, CO 80454 

(only minutes from Denver) 

www.miradafineart.com 

303-697-9006 

info@miradafineart.com 

2” x 48”; Larisa Aukon, ‘Continental Divide’ - Original Oil on Panel 24” x 36”; 

; Dominique Samyn, ‘Sage’- Acryilc & Venetian Plaster on Panel, 40” x 32”; 

Wynn, ‘Joy Ride’ - Mixed Media Sculpture, 26” x 32” x 9”

f i n e a r t 

Life in Colors 

“Portrait of a Young Woman”, Oil Pastel, 9 x 11” 

Connie Chadwell 

www.conniechadwell.com

Abstract/Realistic Drawing and Pastels 

Elaine Vileria 

Lilacs in Abstract 

elainevileria.artspan.com/

Phyllis DeQuevedo 

“A Work in Progress” 

Katie 

JP Foucart

mantikstudio.com 

Joy Shared

Jonelle T. McCoy 

“Swirling Spiraling Snow” 20”x16”x1.5” Gallery Wrap 

Cool colors, coarse texture and whimsical spiraling lines all create a stunning 

visual equine portrait of cold and heavy layered snow. Nostalgia and the 

mysteries of nature’s frozen precipitation emanate from this painting. 

jonellemccoy.com

“The Guardian" 

Oil 16" x 20" 

www.caroljosmidt.com 

carol@caroljosmidt.com

michalsart.com 

Michal Ashkenasi

Michal Ashkenasi 

Abstract Figurative 

and Minimalistic Paintings and Photography 

Rain 

michalsart.com

Title: March Morning, Horseshoe Bay, Southampton, Bermuda 

Size: 30x36” 

Medium: Oil on Linen

John Whitton Bria 

JohnBria.com

Joyce Pihl 

http://joycebpihl.org/ 

Keepers of the Land Nature’s Glory Fall Splendor

Joyce Pihl 

Autumn 2 

http://joycebpihl.org/

Filomena Booth 

"Gemstone" 1 

12"x12"x1.5. 

filomenabooth.com

Energy . Color . Passion 

"Gemstone" 2 

12"x12"x1.5. 

filomenabooth.com filomenabooth.com

Corey 

Watson 

facebook.com/coreywatson.art 

coreywatson.art@gmail.com 

phone: 209-352-7943

Aspen S P A C E S 

Heart Path 40x30 (c) Lelija Roy 

Lelija Roy aspenspaces.com aspen.spaces@gmail.com

BAUER 

Logan Bauer 

Logan Bauer spent much of his elementary and secondary school years overseas. He took his first 

painting class in London, England at the age of 13 years old. Upon his return to Arizona, he continued 

to take art classes at Phoenix College, and it was not until recently that painting stopped 

being a part time endeavor or hobby, but it became a full time commitment. 

He presently paints out of his studio located in Northern Arizona near Prescott. 

LoganBauer.com

Landscapes, Life Drawings, Still Life, Figurative Portraits 

LoganBauer.com

Robert Duncan 

Painting the Joys in Life 

Playing with Molly © Robert Duncan A Welcome Fire © Robert Duncan December in the Country © 

http://www.robertduncanstudios.com/

Chicken Wranglers © Robert Duncan 

Robert Duncan An Evening in Paris © Robert Duncan The Goat Girl © Robert Duncan 

http://www.robertduncanstudios.com/ 


VL 

Robert Duncan 

Painting the joys in life. 

Robert Duncan was born in Salt Lake City in 1952 

and grew up in a large family of ten children. He 

spent the summers helping his grandparents on 

their 10,000 acre cattle ranch in Wyoming. The 

Green River ran through their land from its source 

high in the Rocky Mountains. It was surrounded 

by beautiful open country and he fell in love with 

the rural lifestyle. He drew constantly from the age 

of five, and when he was eleven, his grandmother 

gave him his first set of paints and paid for three 

oil painting lessons. He studied art at the University 

of Utah and had worked as a commercial artist 

before his full-time dedication to the fine art of the 

American West. 

Robert has traveled extensively throughout his career 

to visit museums and study the great artists 

he admires. His travels have included journeys to 

Russia, Scandanavia, many trips to Europe, and 

frequent trips to the East Coast and Canada. Robert 

was elected into the Cowboy Artists of America 

at 29 years of age and won two silver medals in 

their annual exhibition at the Phoenix Art Museum. 

The Cowboy Artists of America is the most respected 

organization in Western American Art. After five 

and half years with the Cowboy Artists, Robert 

decided to resign in order to put less emphasis 

on western art and devote more time to painting 

his family, friends and the beautiful countryside of 

Midway and the Heber Valley, UT. Duncan has 

shown his original paintings for over 30 years with 

Trailside Galleries in Scottsdale, Arizona and Jackson, 

Wyoming. He has been invited to numerous 

shows around the country including the Masters of 

the American West Exhibition at the Autry National 

Center, The Great American Artists Show in Cincinnati, 

and numerous others. Robert’s print and 

posters were carried for many years by New York 

Graphic Society in New York City. 

Wanting more control over his own work Robert 

created his publishing company Robert Duncan 

Studios, that now publishes and distributes all of 

his Limited Edition Prints, Posters, Art Cards, and 

Calendars. His work is carried in galleries, frame 

shops and gift stores across the US, Canada, Europe 

and New Zealand. Robert and his wife Linda 

have six children. They, along with a lively assortment 

of animals, live in the small town of Midway 

in northern Utah. 



Wishes in the Meadow © Robert Duncan 



VL 

Robert Duncan 

Good Times © Robert Duncan 

Evening at Port Clyde © Robert Duncan 



Time for Milking © Robert Duncan 

Pumpkins for Sale © Robert Duncan 



VL Robert Duncan 

Way Up North © Robert Duncan 

Winter’s Arrival © Robert Duncan 



Celebration © Robert Duncan 



VL 

Robert Duncan 

Follow Me Not © Robert Duncan 



Celebration © Robert Duncan 



discover art . inspire collectors 

Arturo Samaniego 

DAVIS&CO f i n e a r t g a l l e r y 

dandcgallery.com

engage discussion . celebrate life 

dandcgallery.com 

Kyle Wood 

Home is where the art is. 

dandcgallery.com

Bob Coonts 

COONTS 

Prancer 

Sugar 

www.bobcoonts.com

“Prancer II”, 36”x60”, Acryllic on Canvas 

Tetons 

www.bobcoonts.com

LauriePace.com

The Good People 

The Spirit of the Paint 

Viewing a Laurie Justus Pace painting is 

a rich experience that drips with color 

and emotion. Her passionate works are 

alive with movement, boldly created 

with a wide brush and a palette knife. 

She loves working with oils, dramatically 

carving out the paint and transferring 

her energy to the canvas and ultimately 

on to the viewer. 

Laurie Justus Pace 

The Good People Beach Walk 32 x 48 Oil on Canvas 

http://www.ellepace.com/paintings-for-sale/ 

The La Jolla Gallery 

TheLaJollaGallery.com 

LauriePace.com

Eric Bodtker 

Les Alpilles and Olive Trees in Saint Remy de Provence 

ericbodtker.com

Sanda Manuila 

sandamanuila.artspan.com 

Carpe Diem

VL 


“Now We See in a Mirror Darkly” 





VL Mary Jane Q Cross 

Born in 1951, Mary Jane Q. Cross’s life was a life full of questions and a yearning for order. This was 

the underpinning of Cross’s future career as a Classical Realism painter whose large body of work is 

marked by logic, cohesion, and an aura of storytelling that is poetic and consoling. 

As a Worcester Art Museum School art student in the 1970’s, Cross was a ‘closet Realist’ as she endured 

the era’s dominant mantle of Expressionism. Reading of formal artists with her shared realism 

vision – DaVinci, Sargent, Bouguereau, Godward, Mary Cassatt -- was a point of encouragement at 

this time. Studying such painters, among other Masters of earlier centuries, inspired Cross in her personal 

quest to acquire the skills of Classical painting. 

After 40-plus years of this visual journey, Cross continues to produce a body of work that presents a 

sense of needed and appreciated refreshment in the midst of modernity’s fast pace. Cross’s resonant 

theme is of respectfully uncovering the many complex layers of women. Appealing to both women and 

men alike, her work presents women’s beauty as a deep comfort and a restful joy, when idealistically 

and, perhaps, Biblically examined. In a contemporary culture that perceives the sexuality of women in 

an increasingly objectified manner, Cross’s work offers a breath of hope. Her work presents a delicate 

beauty that she believes young women, in particular, are actually striving for – a beauty that, in the 

artist’s opinion, reflects an image of women as God intended them to be: Creation’s crowning jewels. 

“If you do not have life, you cannot give life,” states Cross. “If my work has anything, it has an authentic 

response to life. My paintings are stories. They depict the quiet rest that comes to a soul only after 

it has determined to deal with circumstances head-on, with grace and tact instead of grumbling and 

complaining. My paintings reflect and inspire a determination to focus on beauty, even in the midst of 

ashes. This is something I have had to live.” 

For the past 21 years, a serious right-sided tremor has limited Cross’s ability to hold a brush. Thus, 

Cross paints with her fingers; whatever minimal brush strokes the artist employs are guided by a prosthetic 

device. A documentary titled Q. Cross: The Painter behind the Portraits, on youtube, details her 

journey back to painting in the after-years of the tremor’s on-set. The artist has also compiled a book, 

Poems of a Painter, Paintings of a Prayer, in which she speaks of how she has come to deal with this 

physical challenge that she cannot change and yet has witnessed a greater dream come out of what 

were initially tragic circumstance. 

The simultaneous heartache and joy that Cross experiences daily is seen in her paintings – and it is 

heard in the poems that she writes as an accompaniment to each of her works. The combined presentation 

of painted image and printed word has enriched the meaning of her work. 

The public is a telling barometer of the penetrating resonance of the artist’s work. Cross’s paintings 

are regularly displayed by the Art Renewal Center Salon Exhibitions (where Cross is an ARC Associate 

Living Master), click for ARC Masters Gallery the International Guild of Realism (where she was 

awarded Best of Show in 2013), the American Society of Traditional Artists, the Salmagundi Club, and 

the Allied Artists of America. 

RIght: Bad Moon Arising 






Imperishable Comfort 



Grace Wrapped in this Life of Many Colors 




Simply Speak No Evil 



Noah’s Daughter in Law in the Dovecote 




As many as 30,000 people a year also view Cross’s work at outdoor venues. Viewers who cannot afford 

the originals are still enthusiastically pleased to own limited edition prints. Collectors who can afford these 

multi-faceted jewels get to live with a palpable part of Cross’s personal vision, crafted with her personal touch. 

Mary Jane Q. Cross, www.maryjaneqcross.com, builds a body of memorable work in a studio, built by her 

husband and hugged by New England’s quiet countryside, as she threads the fabric that mirrors her own life 

into her work. Her quest is a worthy one. 



The Return of the Dove to the Ark 



Barbara Haviland 

Wildflowers 

Barb’s Garden Art 

https://barbara-haviland-art.squarespace.com/ 

www.BarbaraHavilandFineArt.com

Key Lime Tart - 12 x 12 

Vicki Rees 

Visit my website. 

vlrees.com 

TippingPaintGallery.com

LINCOLN 

Debbie Lincoln

NowOrNever-debbie.blogspot.com/

VL 

http://www.defrancispastels.com/

David Francis 

Master Pastelist 

http://www.defrancispastels.com/

VL David Francis, Master Pastelist Pastel Society of America 

When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be an artist 

It sounds cliché’, but it seems like I have always loved to draw. Once of my earliest memories is waiting for 

my father to finish the Sunday newspaper, so that I could sit down and start copying the funnies. 

Who has been your mentor, or greatest influence to date 

I was fortunate that when I started creating art (in my 30’s, kind of a late start) I met three people that were 

very influential in my early art career. The first person was Joan Reid who taught an adult educations art 

class, she introduced me to Ron Peer, a local portrait and landscape artist. He was always very patient with 

my early attempts, and managed to find something good in them while giving me constructive criticism. The 

third is Trudi Smith. She is a signature member with the Pastel Society of American and she pushed me to 

apply for membership with the group, even to the point of selecting the piece that I submitted for jurying. I 

was thrilled and surprised when I received signature status on that first application. 

Who is another living artist you admire and why 

I have several artists that I admire today and follow their work on social media sites. Anthony Waichulis for 

his tromp l’oeil still lifes, Robert C. Jackson for his incredible still life set-ups and the interplay of his subjects, 

Teresa Fishcher for the incredible still life paintings of old toys, my favorite subject matter. I also follow the 

work of Patricia Tribastone, a fellow pastel artist with incredible skills. All of these artist, along with being 

accomplished painters, have the ability to inject a sense of humor and fun into their work, along with telling a 

story. 

What is your favorite surface to create work on or to work with Describe it if you make it yourself. 

My favorite surface to work on is Pastelbord, made by Ampersand. It is a Masonite board with a surface of 

gesso and marble dust. This surface holds a lot of pastel and holds up well to blending, and multiple layering 

techniques. I love the fact that it comes in standard sizes from 5x7 to 24x36 and that when a pastel is 

finished, you can frame it immediately, using spacers between the artwork and the glass. 

What are your favorite materials to use 

I have been a pastel artist for the last 30 some years. As most pastellists, I am not brand loyal. I look for 

color, hardness/softness, and availability. So, currently on my work table are Rembrants, Giraults, Unisons, 

Terry Ludwigs, and Derwent and Conte pastel pencils. 

Do you have a favorite color palette 

I really don’t have a favorite palette. It really depends on the subject matter and it changes from painting to 

painting. I do tend to favor a lot of the earth tones for backgrounds and whatever my still lifes are sitting on. 

How often do you work on your artwork How many hours a week 

I try to work a little bit every day. Some days it might only be an hour, other days (and these are my favorites) 

it might be 7 or 8 hours in the studio. 

http://www.defrancispastels.com/ 


Out of the Bag 



VL 

David Francis, Master Pastelist Pastel Society of America 

Mouse Trap 



Clements Book Shelf 



VL 


Buck Rogers 

Mickey Mouse 



TIny Tim 



VL 


What is the one thing you would like to be remembered for 

I would like to be remembered as an artist that gave to younger beginning artists the same support and 

encouragement that I received when I was starting out. 

There are many culprits that can crush creativity, such as distractions, self-doubt and fear of failure. 

What tends to stand in the way of your creativity 

I find that the biggest obstacle for me is myself. Having a studio in my home is too easy to be distracted by 

things going on in the house. I have dealt with self-doubt and the fear of failing thing, too. 

How do you overcome these obstacles 

For the around the house stuff, I have tried to set a schedule that from when I get up, (usually around 6:00 

am) until noon is set aside for my studio time. My wife has gotten pretty good at accepting this. For the 

self-doubt and fear of failure, I’ve made a conscious decision to just keep submitting my work to shows and 

when the rejections come in, I glance at them and toss them out. 

What are your inspirations for your work 

The inspirations for my work are all around me. As I have been focusing on old toys and games, I go to 

a lot of garage sales looking for those little nuggets that get my interest going, but other people see it as 

something to get rid of. 

What is your favorite way to get your creative juices flowing 

I love to look at the new work by artists that I follow, I love going to shows and openings, and in general just 

looking at art gels gets me going. 

Which work of yours is your favorite 

The trite answer would be “the next one”, but I actually have a couple. One is called “In the Bag”, which 

I’ve entered in several shows, but has never been accepted, and another is my newest one, called “To The 

Rescue”. 


Space Race 


Getting to know you Q&A 

What is your favorite color in your closet N/A 

What book are you reading this week Game of Thones (second time) 

Do you have a favorite television show Several, CSI, Criminal Minds, Big Bang Theory, Walking Dead, 

Sixty Minutes 

What is your favorite food All of them, but true favorite Honey Glazed Ham 

What color sheets are on your bed right now N/A 

What are you most proud of in your life My wife of 44 years, Linda, our three kids, Lori, Dave, and Dan, 

and our six grandkids, Paige, Jared, Mina, Alexander, Asher, and Emma 

Who would you love to interview James Gurney, Anthony Waichulis 

Do you have a passion or hobby other than painting What is it 

Music, I used to play and perform; now I just love listening. 

Who would you love to paint Michelle Obama, any of my artist friends 

If you were an animal what would you be and why N/A 

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take three things, what would they be N/A 

Share something with us that few people know about you. 

That sometimes I dance in my studio when I’m working. 

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live 

Sedona, AZ. Beautiful part of the county and incredible colors. 



And So It Goes 22 x 28 

Roseanne Snyder 

roseannesnyder.blogspot.com

“Dennis” 

Suzy Pal Powell 

suzypal.blogspot.com 

Bluecanvas.com/suzypal

Dyan Newton 

Colors of Life 

Hill Country Living 

DyanNewton.com 

http://one-painting-a-day.blogspot.com 

Contact: dyansart1@yahoo.com

vanessa katz 

Coco #14 

www.VanessaKatzArt.com

Nancy Medina 

Painting Under the Tuscan Sun 

A Painting Dream Getaway 

During the Peak of Poppy Bloom Season 

June 6-13, 2015 

Tuscany, Italy 

www.nancymedina.com

“Celebrating the stories and legends of Texas and 

the Great Southwest through original art, prints and books.”

601 E Hwy. 82 - Nocona, Texas 76255 . 940-825-7226 

www.TexasTrailArtGallery.com . Facebook: Texas Trails Art Gallery 

Tuesday through Saturday 10 to 6 . Sunday 1 to 5 . Closed Mondays.

Judy Mackey 

“Patience” Oil on Canvas 

“Patience 2” Oil on Canvas 



www.JudyMackey.com

Judy Mackey 

“No Worries” Oil on Canvas 

www.JudyMackey.com

Roberta McGowan 

visualwestphotography.com

Visual West Photography 

VisualWestPhotography.com 

“Leader”

www.paradicranch.com

Jacquie McMullen 

Pastel Artist 

Stories in Landscape 

www.paradicranch.com

LADY L 

Colors Make Me Happy 

Small Blessings 24 x 30 inches 

Acrylic on Canvas 

ellepace.com/lady-l-artist 

ladylart.blogspot.com

She began painting at age 2 on small pieces and by age 3 moved up to 

full size canvas. Lady L is the granddaughter of Texas Artist Laurie Pace.

Red Earth Red 

ZoradArt.com

Mary Jo Zorad 

contemporary fine art 

ZoradArt.com 

Lyrical #122A Red

VL Lisa McKinney 

Had I Known 


Lisa-McKinney.com 

lisamckinneyartprints.com 


VL 

Interview 

Barbara Rudolph 

http://www.barbararudolphfineart.com/ 




VL Barbara Rudolph 

Interview 

When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be an artist 

I have loved art for as long as I can remember. Even when I was a little girl I loved to draw. I didn’t 

make the full time jump into becoming an artist until I was in my mid 20’s. 

Who has been your mentor, or greatest influence to date 

I had a couple of college professors that were very encouraging to me. They were also very honest 

about communicating the difficulties I would face when pursuing art as a full time career which made 

me work even harder. My late father was always encouraging of my artistic ventures. He was also 

“accidentally” the reason I made a major change in my painting theme. It was unfortunately not until 

after his passing that I pursued painting “birds in art” full time and gained success at it. 

Who is another living artist you admire and why 

I don’t have a specific mentor today but I know of a few well known wildlife artists that I like to follow that 

paint in a realistic style. I also have a few friends that are phenomenal artists that I can occasionally 

ask to critique my work. Here are a few artists that I truly admire but have never met: Carl Brenders, 

Nancy Howe, James Offeman, Grace Kim and Julia Hargreaves. They all do outstanding work. There 

are many others too. 

What is your favorite surface to create work on or to work with Describe it if you make it yourself. 

When I paint on canvas I prefer to have it custom stretched. The canvas quality is better and tighter. I 

sand it lightly to remove most of the texture if I can. I then almost always do 2-3 coats of black gesso. 

I let it dry a few days and then do an oil ground. I stock pile the primed and ready to go canvas in my 

studio so that when the ideas are flowing...I can begin to paint on them right away. I also sometimes use 

Ampersand panels, however I still find I have to prime them first. The reason is because they tend to 

absorb the paint up way to quickly if you don’t. They do not work well on large scale paintings because 

they warp. I do like to use them for 11x14” size and under. They are a time saver because I don’t have 

to sand them. I purchase the “smooth” surfaces, which usually have to be ordered online. The local 

art stores usually only carry the medium tooth surface, which would be great for people who paint with 

thick paint. 

What are your favorite materials to use 

My absolute favorite paints are the “Lukas 1862 Finest Artists Oil Paints” from Germany. They are rich 

and buttery. 



Molly 24 x 18 



VL 


Tell Me a Story 30 x 24 



Do you have a favorite color palette 

I tend to like a lot of variations of brown and other natural colors. 

How often do you work on your artwork How many hours a week 

I try to paint every day. Some days are spent on planning and getting ready to paint the still life by taking 

photographs etc. I never count the hours, but I spend a lot of time in the studio. 

What is the one thing you would like to be remembered for 

I would like to be remembered in some way….maybe for leaving behind some exceptional works in 

the future. Hopefully remembered as someone who is friendly, kind, funny and can also leave behind 

paintings that can bring joy to others. 

There are many culprits that can crush creativity, such as distractions, self-doubt and fear of 

failure. What tends to stand in the way of your creativity 

Stress! 

How do you overcome these obstacles 

Taking a break and getting outside to photograph. 

What are your inspirations for your work 

Nature, wildlife and also seeing other really great artists works can be very inspiring to me 

What is your favorite way to get your creative juices flowing 

Photographing birds and wildlife works for me. Also just about anything can inspire me if I am paying 

attention to light and color on an object. 

Which work of yours is your favorite 

I like to think that whatever painting is on my easel at the moment is my favorite because that helps me 

stay inspired to finish it. It does’t always work that way, but if I can get off to a great start and stay “inspired”, 

then I enjoy the process so much more. One of my past favorites was called “Tell Me A Story” 

with a little bird on an old antique typewriter. 



VL 


To Kill a Mockingbird 18 x 24 

Right Page: The Music Lesson 48 x 24 






Bluebird Watching 14 x 11 

Rigt Page: All That Jazz 24 x 18 



Steadfast 30” x 48” x 1.5” Canvas 






Getting to know you Q&A 

What is your favorite color in your closet 

That would be a toss up between red and fuchsia 

What book are you reading this week 

Orphan Train 

Do you have a favorite television show 

The Good Wife, Chicago Fire 

What is your favorite food 

Italian 

What color sheets are on your bed right now 

Ivory 

What are you most proud of in your life 

Making a living as an artist, and my daughter 

Who would you love to interview 

One of the artists that I mentioned earlier in the interview would be nice. 

Do you have a passion or hobby other than painting What is it 

Photography 

Who would you love to paint 

I would like to try to paint some figurative works in the future 

If you were an animal what would you be and why 

A bird. I would like to fly 

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take three things, what 

would they be 

A pocket knife, the bible and my reading glasses 

Share something with us that few people know about you. 

I spend way too much time alone 

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live 

Paris, France 



Palette 

Knife 

Painters 

Paletteknifepainters.blogspot.com

Paletteknifepainters.org

Kimberly Conrad 

“Pouring Color Into Your Life” 

Moving Metals Cerulean B-6 18” x 18” 

KimberlyConradFineArt.com

Moving Metals 

Moving Metals Cerulean B-5 18 “ x 18” 

KimberlyConradFineArt.com

DAILY PAINTERS ABSTRACT GALLERY 

DailyPaintersAbstract.blogspot.com 

Carol A. McIntyre 

“Floating Winds, “ 28x21, Oil on Canvas

DailyPaintersAbstract.blogspot.com 

DAILY PAINTERS ABSTRACT GALLERY

DianeWhitehead.com

Diane 

Whitehead 

“Animals are my muse. The scratch 

of the paw, pounce of a hoof, gesture 

of the head, alert ear, quiet stride, 

powerful shape, ancient wisdom. 

All come to play with the shapes I see 

as I paint.” 

DianeWhitehead.com

VL 

Sabine Barber 

http://www.sabinebarber.com/ 




VL Sabine Barber 

I was born and raised in South Africa. Growing up on a beautiful farm in Mpumalanga, most of my 

childhood was spent outside in the sun, running barefoot through the dirt, climbing in trees and daydreaming 

in the garden. I also spent countless hours doodling, using any scraps of paper I could 

find, filling the pages with princesses, mermaids, unicorns, playing out my fantasies using pencil 

or ballpoint pen. In my early teens, I began taking private lessons in oil and pastel painting, which 

opened up a wonderful world to me. I found a new, colourful, way to express myself. Art was a part 

of my life, a part of my day-to-day. It helped me escape, it made me happy! 

Then, as they say, life got in the way and before I knew it, I grew up, finished school and went to 

college. Afterwards, I found myself at a crossroad. Young, brave, and eager to experience the “real 

world” out there, I followed my family to Germany (I soon learnt it may as well have been the moon!). 

There, I ended up in some day job and earned money – the way the “real world” dictates. I rarely 

picked up a paintbrush anymore. It just didn’t “fit” into my serious grown-up world. And besides, it 

had only ever been a fruitless hobby anyway, so what was the point, right I didn’t leave myself much 

time to miss Africa, since I had convinced myself that I made the right decision emigrating - that life 

was better here than in my crime-ridden home country. I would just have to get used to it here and 

learn to deal with the homesickness and whatever other feelings of restlessness I had. So I soldiered 

on and kept myself busy. Eventually, I married my wonderful husband (also a South African) and in 

the years that followed, we became the proud parents of two beautiful children. I thought that finally 

I would have all I would ever need to feel “complete” again. 

After our son was born, I lost my day job, which I didn’t really mind, because being a mother was my 

new full-time job anyway, and I was happy to stay at home for him and, later, our daughter. When 

both my children were old enough to go to Kindergarten, I suddenly found myself alone for a few 

hours in the mornings. 

It was during that time that I started feeling more restless, bored, and really, really homesick! I needed 

an outlet, something to do. In an epiphanic moment, I put on some African music, dug out my old 

pastels and over the course of a few days painted a portrait of an African woman, carrying her child 

on her back. I remember looking at it for ages afterwards and thinking how much I MISSED this. And 

how much better I felt! And then I did another painting a few days later – another African portrait. 

Then another one…. I didn’t know what I was going to do with the paintings afterwards or where this 

was going, but I just couldn’t help myself. I dug out old photos, contacted friends in South Africa for 

some “holiday shots” from safaris, the Kruger National (wildlife) Park, or for just any photos capturing 

life in Africa. I poured over these references – some purely for inspiration and to reminisce. After 

completing a few portraits, I decided to try my hand at wildlife, for variety. At first, I worked primarily 

with pastels (because it is so much quicker to tidy up and store away before the kids returned home 

from Kindergarten). Then, as my confidence grew I braved the “big, white, scary canvas” to attempt 

an oil painting for the first time in years. It was exhilarating! Of course, oils take forever to dry, so I 

opted for the water-based variety. My children, in the meantime, were well-trained at keeping their 

inquisitive little fingers away from the easel and “mommy’s paintings”, while they dry. 

Right Page: Catch of the Day 





VL 

Sabine Barber 

Three years have passed since that “epiphanic moment”, and I haven‘t stopped painting! The more I 

painted and the more encouragement I got from friends and family, the more I WANTED to continue. 

Now, it fills a void in my life that I cannot explain and I don’t want to give it up anymore. I hadn’t dared to 

think of having a life as an artist, but for the first time I wondered if this could be more than “just a hobby”. 

I found a small, local gallery in Germany that hung up my art and offered me a small platform to get 

myself „out there“. I was also invited to display some of my work at various businesses around our area. 

While the feedback has always been good, the sales have much catching up to do (although this might 

be more a question of location and target audience). Nevertheless, to me it was a big step to “expose 

myself”, artistically. And it is only the beginning. 

I have recently started branching out to new themes that inspire me to paint. My children inspire me. 

The beautiful landscapes and season changes in Europe inspire me. People in history inspire me. While 

I don’t think I will ever stop painting “Africa” entirely, I must admit I get a particular rush from painting 

portraits. There’s something about painting a face that is so calming and gratifying to me: The beginning 

stages and outline of a face, a body, a look. Then comes the “ugly phase” where the whole painting looks 

a mess and I am almost tempted to throw the damn thing in the bin. But then there’s that redeeming 

moment where it actually starts to LOOK like someone again and I power through, slowly reaching the 

final stages of completion. 

At present, I live in England. (Yes, we moved again recently!). While I still don’t know where or how to 

best approach this new art venture, I feel like I am in a better location “artwise”. I hope to someday have 

my own studio, my own solo exhibition and one day make art my “day job”. While I may still be at the 

beginning of such a dream, I can say that with each “Africa” painting, the feeling of homesickness is 

becoming less and less and with every brush stroke, I feel my sense of self coming back. 

Burning Sky 





VL 

Sabine Barber 

Frangipani Plumeria 



San Girl 



VL 

Sabine Barber 

Ibhubesi 


122 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com 

Prismatica

Lalibela Boy 



Alejandro Castanon 

www.vinodipinte.com 

Vino Dipinte Art Gallery 

602 Orient St San Angelo, TX 76903

alejandrocastanon.com

KRISTINE KAINER 

www.kristinekainer.com 

www.kristinekainer.blogspot.com

Texas Art 

www.kristinekainer.com 

www.kristinekainer.blogspot.com

Artists of Texas 

artistsoftexas.org

NO WHERE BUT TEXAS 

artistsoftexas.blogspot.com 

dailypaintersoftexas.blogspot.com

Felicia Marshall 

“Dressed Up” 

“Alone” 

Left page: “Sunshine on Hope” 

FeliciaMarshall.blogspot.com

VL 

Index of Features and Advertisers 

Alejandro Castanon 124-125 

Artists of Texas 128-129 

Barbara Haviland 60 

Barbara Rudolph 94-105 

Bob Coonts 44-45 

Carol Jo Smidt 19 

Connie Chadwell 14 

Corey Watson 28 

Daily Painters Abstract Gallery 110-111 

Daily Painters Gallery 132-133 

David Francis 64-73 

Davis and CO Gallery 42-43 

Debbie Lincoln 62-63 

Diane Whitehead 112-113 

Dyan Newton 76 

Elaine Vileria 15 

Eric Bodtker 48 

Felicia Marshall 130-131 

Filomena Booth 26-27 

Index Features and Advertisers 134 

Jacquie McMullen 86-87 

John Whitton Bria 22-23 

Jonelle T McCoy 18 

Joyce Pihl 24-25 

Judy Mackey 62-63 

Kimberly Conrad 108-109 

Kristine Kainer 126-127 

Lady L 88-89 

Laurie Pace 46-47 

Lelija Roy 19 

Lisa McKinney 92-93 

Logan Bauer 30-31 

Mark Yearwood 9 

Mary Jane Q Cross 3, 50-59 

Mary Jo Zorad 90-91 

Michal Ashkenasi 20-21 

Mirada Fine Art Gallery 12-13 

Nancy Medina 78-79 

Natahlie Kelly 135 

Painters Keys Sara Genn 11 

Palette Knife Painters 106-107 

Phyllis De Quevedo 16-17 

Richard Levine 8 

Robert Duncan 32041 

Roberta McGowen 84-85 

Roseanne Snyder 74 

Sabine Barber 114-123 

Sanda Manuila 49 

Suzy Pal Powell 75 

Texas Trails Art Gallery 80-81 

Vanessa Katz 77 

Vicki Rees 61 

Victoria Pendragon 4

Nathalie Kelley 

“Christmas Candy” 8 x 10 

“Blowing Off Steam” 

nathaliekelleyart.com

VL 

visuallanguagemagazine.com

Visual Language Magazine Contemporary Fine ARt Vol 4 No 3 March 2015

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