Wild Apple is grateful to its talented artists from around the world who create decorative art that beautifully complements today's home furnishing styles and trends. Their artistic journeys are individual and inspiring, as you will see when you read their biographies.
To learn more about a Wild Apple artist, choose his/her name from the list below.
Abbott, Rebecca (1946 -2009)
Medium: Photography
After receiving her Master of Fine Arts from Columbia University, Rebecca Abbott lived and worked in New York City for twenty years as an actress and writer. After returning to the Midwest in 1998, she turned to photography, focusing her camera on nature. Until her death in 2009, she divided her time between Nebraska and Maine. Rebecca's goal was to convey the architectural elegance of botanicals and the natural world without getting in the way of their emotional content.
Adams, Sarah
Medium: Mixed media
Residence: Vermont
Sarah Adams has been creating art and design since she began drawing cartoons as a child in South Africa. After moving to the United States with her family in 1994, Sarah received her BFA in Graphic Design and Photography from Endicott College. Sarah's designs often begin with objects and backgrounds painted in black ink on wood, textured paper or canvas. She then compiles these design elements and adds her signature bold colors using digital magic. Now living with her husband and two cats at their home in Strafford, Vermont, Sarah draws inspiration from her childhood in South Africa, sports, nature and her energetic family.
Andrews, Lynne
Medium: Acrylics, pen & ink detailing
Residence: Rhode Island
Folk artist Lynne Andrews is a native of Rhode Island, where she has established herself as a professional artist for over 30 years. Lynne is primarily self-taught, working out of her studio at her home in Chepachet. Lynne's unique style features a 'softened' interpretation of American Folk Art, rendered in layers of acrylic wash, then detailed with pen and ink. Lynne has written and collaborated on five books, created an extensive line of pattern 'packets,' and seen her designs published in several magazines. She is an active member of the local arts community and enjoys traveling around the country, teaching and sharing her designs and techniques.
Audit, Lisa
Medium: Oils, acrylics, pen & ink
Residence: Canada
Canadian artist Lisa Audit loves the world of decorating, and her artwork has successfully appeared in print and on stationery, wallpaper, fabrics, and many other home products. Lisa paints mostly with oils on canvas with a loose, free brushstroke technique, but also works in acrylics and pen & ink for more precise imagery. She is an avid reader of current home décor magazines, and is also inspired by past masters Picasso, Cezanne, Rubens and Manet. Lisa has taken over a spacious studio in the basement of her home, where she lives with her two teenage children.
Baldassari, Donna
Medium: Oil
Residence: Massachusetts
Donna Baldassari is recognized for her spirited landscapes featuring thick, luscious oil paints, color on color, and brush stroke over brush stroke. Born and raised in eastern Massachusetts where she lives now, Donna received her education in fine arts at Monserrat College of Art, and is an award-winning member of the Cambridge and Newburyport Art Associations. She is married with two children and two grandchildren, and loves the summer and gardening.
Bell, Fara
Flowers are clearly Fara Bell's source of inspiration. A fresh bouquet adorns her worktable each day and her flower gardens are in easy view of her studio windows. When not busy painting flowers at home, she loves to travel to places with wonderful gardens and especially loves Holland for just that reason. A native of Tehran, Fara spent her formative years in Iran, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and France and then settled in the United States. She studied art in both Shiraz and California. Fara creates her stunning florals using oil and acrylic on paper and canvas. She describes her style as a "mixture of realism, impressionism and abstract." She is a master of form and design, creating a wonderful flow of color in her paintings. Her versatility of color composition allows for a wide range of treatments to her flowers.
Blum, Cheri (1969 - 2003)
Medium: Oils
Category: Floral & Still Life
In her brilliant but brief career, Cheri Blum created more than 400 original paintings. Cheri lived and worked in the Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland, where the coastal serenity influenced her decorative work. Cheri appreciated things with a feeling of age and history, and successfully achieved a similar patina in her paintings. The simple, graceful shapes she painted have a timeless quality and restful feeling that make them easy to live with and enjoy.
Bohn, Nicole
Medium: acrylic, mixed media
Residence: Salt Lake City, UT
Born in Bern, Switzerland, Nicole Bohn grew up in France, Austria, Switzerland and the United States. Though Nicole has an organized studio in her home, she still finds herself at the dining table surrounded by her girls in the natural light that fills her kitchen. Nicole relishes the time she spends painting, cutting and pasting with her three daughters. Nicole’s primary inspiration comes from her children. They embody bright colors, patterns, texture, energy and movement in the everyday. Nicole says, “Ask a six-year old to draw a bird, and she will create a bright, whimsical creature. I try to capture this in my artwork.”
Bradley, Rebecca
Medium: Watercolor dyes
Residence: Baltimore, Maryland
Rebecca Bradley always wanted to be an illustrator, using her mother as an ad hoc art director, and illustrating the stories she wrote in class. Now living in Baltimore, not her native England, Rebecca has illustrated her way around the world. She primarily works in watercolor dyes, using her favorite pen nibs and brushes on hot press paper. She also enjoys mixed media work with found papers. Travel, flowers, food and fashion remain an inspiration for her, and she finds new delights in the artwork of her children.
Brissonnet, Daphne
Medium: Acrylics, gouache, pen & ink, oils
Residence: Canada
Daphne Brissonnet has always been drawn to the beauty of nature. Her early studies in botany opened her eyes to the form, dimension and subtle colors of her natural subjects. As she discovered a universe of unexpected beauty in the flowers and plants she studied, painting these subjects became an important part of her life, while revealing her talents as an artist. Primarily self-taught, Daphne continues to refine her skills by attending workshops in France and the United States as well as closer to her home in Canada.
Brown, David Carter
Medium: Acrylics on Wood
Residence: New York
Categories: Birds & Animals, Music, Movies & Media
After attending Parsons School of Design, New York born David Carter Brown began his career producing hand-painted designs in the Folk Art tradition. Since then he has produced many licensed collections in wall coverings, china, and accessories. Working from his studio in the rolling hills of upstate New York, David is constantly inspired by his rural surroundings, rich in the traditions of farming and American country life.
Carluccio, Maria
Medium: Mixed media
Residence: New York
Maria Carluccio loves to mix things up. Her collages combine vintage appeal with a fresh, modern sensibility. Maria has enjoyed a seasoned career as a product & textile designer, editorial illustrator, and children’s book author and illustrator. She draws inspiration from nature and textural objects she collects. The level of detail in her work and the range of papers she incorporates lead to a unique and sophisticated artistic effect. Maria lives in Westchester, New York, with her daughter, dog, cat, and turtle.
Charron, Veronique
Medium: Mixed media
Residence: Canada
French Canadian artist Veronique Charron takes inspiration for her fresh, graphic designs from the environment that surrounds her country home near Montreal, Quebec. Veronique's formal study focused on graphic art and design, though the style of her artwork is uniquely her own. From fashion to flowers, Vero captures her subjects using a dynamic mix of texture, color and youthful flair.
Coffey, Tim
Medium: Acrylics
Residence: New Hampshire
Categories: Words and Inspiration, Natural Elements
Tim Coffey’s artwork invites people of all ages to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. He creates colorful artwork for children’s books, and wrote and illustrated his first book Christmas at the Top of the World in 2003. The majority of his paintings are either luminous landscapes or still lifes.
Dratfield, Jim
Medium: Photography
Residence: New York
Category: Birds & Animals
Originally from Princeton, New Jersey, Jim Dratfield spent many years acting. His career change to photography came about as a result of the fine art sepia-tone photo portraits he took of himself and his beloved dog, Kuma. Jim has nine published books and has had many photo exhibitions. He lives on a farm in New York with his wife, son, and Labrador Retriever.
D’Salusti
Medium: Mixed media
Residence: Vermont
D'Salusti is a studio line of artwork created by Cristina Salusti. Who lives and works from her studio in Vermont. Most of her professional life was spent in New York City. Initially a stone sculptor, Christina ventured into clay in the 1980s, creating vessels and designing a dinnerware line that echoed her stone textures. Later she began experimenting with earth, wood, beeswax, and glass. Her line of dinnerware "Fossilglass" became a huge sensation in the 1990s. After moving to Vermont in 2000, she began to create work in paper and fabric. Crediting Matisse as a major source of inspiration, she created collages with cut leaf and branch forms. From this experimentation emerged the D'Salusti studio line of designs for home décor. Cristina thrives on her daily time in the studio, as well as her time teaching art to children and individuals with special needs.
D’Schommer, Natasha
Medium: Photography
Residence: Minnesota
Natasha D'Schommer had her first professional photography job at age 16. She recently completed a seven-year project at Princeton University, where she was given the honor of photographing some of the rarest books and musical scores in the world, including the Gutenberg Bible and Beethoven's sketchbooks. She lives and works out of her home in Minnesota.
Gagnon, Anik
Anik Gagnon's art captures the simple moments of everyday life. She is inspired by everything around that touches her soul -- the joy and beauty of life itself, the beauty of nature and her surroundings and her pets. Born of French-speaking parents in North Bay, Ontario, Canada, Anik learned English at an early age by watching Sesame Street on television. Perhaps this is where she began her love of animals and characterizing them into the human situations that are the major subjects of her finished pieces.
Glass, Susan Eby
Media Acrylics, mixed media
Residence Vermont
Category Bath & Boudoir
Susan Eby Glass always thought that she would be a writer when she grew up. She earned a BA in Art with a focus on sculpture and painting from Goshen College in Indiana. “Song lyrics, poetry, essays and novels feed my imagination.” It was not until her 1999 visit to Charleston, the English home of Bloomsbury painters Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, that she was motivated to paint. Her studio is in a converted barn in Vermont.
Goggio, Kristy
Media: Acrylics, oils
Residence: Wisconsin
Categories: Floral & Still Life, Global
After earning her degree in fine art, Kristy Goggio owned and operated a frame shop where she continued to learn about the art industry. Kristy now dedicates herself to creating artwork full time. She works with both acrylic and oil paints to create the rich tones, gradations and transparencies that make her work so appealing. She lives with her husband and dog on a peaceful lake in Wisconsin.
Grbich, Eric
Growing up in Oakland, California, Eric was surrounded by art. Both of his parents are professional artists and art teachers.Eric and his artistically gifted siblings were first taught how to draw at their kitchen table. “We are all born with creative ability,” says Eric. Luckily for him, and for Wild Apple, artistic aspirations were encouraged in the Grbich family.
Erich believes in the power of art.To him, each piece of art, no matter the size, has a soul and possesses the ability to affect people’s lives. Every day Eric feels blessed to be able to create his art.
Eric resides in Northern California with his best friend and wife Jennifer and their three sons.
Goldstein, Ed
Medium: Photography
Residence: Hawaii
Category: Music, Movies & Media
Ed Goldstein’s passion is to capture the soul and character of his subjects, whether they are people, landscapes, hand tools or botanicals. He uses traditional photographic techniques. Ed’s studio is largely the back roads of the United States that he travels in his 1956 Chevy pickup. He was born in the west, but has worked and studied from Los Angeles to New York City, and presently lives in Hawaii.
Granter, Ellen
Medium: Oil on canvas or wood panels
Residence: Massachusetts
“My paintings express my passion for my favorite subjects, and my desire to create images that are beautiful and pure. I enjoy stripping away detail and balancing the composition over large fields of color, making small spaces between things, and overlooked everyday subjects come more clearly into focus.” And that is exactly what Ellen Granter does with oils on canvas or on wood panels. Her studio is a tiny spare bedroom in her house near Boston, with one wall completely filled with art books. Her artwork is shown in numerous galleries throughout New England.
Hageman, Marilyn
Medium: Acrylics
Residence: Illinois
Marilyn Hageman’s rich paintings capture mood and energy. Intrigued by their speed and motion, she began to paint horses at the early age of three. Now a painter of natural landscapes and botanicals, Marilyn still strives to capture the lyrical energy of the horses she drew in childhood. She also holds an MFA in painting. She now works and resides in Illinois, where larger-than-life canvases line the walls of her studio, depicting horses or wine or a villa on a hillside.
Horjus, Peter
Medium: Mixed media
Residence: California
Peter Horjus uses a myriad of materials to create his award-winning design and illustration. Peter’s work includes sophisticated cubism and fauvism, wonderful retrospective styles, graphic styles and playful youth artwork. His inspiration varies from fashion found at art openings to art found at hardware stores. Peter studied and taught graphic design at Point Loma College and has a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art. He currently lives in San Diego.
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Hristova, Albena
Media: Mixed media, oils
Residence: California
Categories: Floral & Still Life, Landscapes & Destinations, Global, Kitchen & Dining
Albena Hristova, an international artist with over twelve years of classical art training and a master’s in mural painting, is one of the most successful open edition artists on the market. She relentlessly searches for the perfect combination of form, color and texture. Her paintings exude elegance and timelessness. She was born and raised in a family of artists in Eastern Europe and presently resides in California. She possesses an incredible visual memory that fuels her avid artistic imagination.
Johnson, Victoria
Medium: Mixed media
Residence: Rome, Italy
Born in England, Victoria Johnson has been creating art since her childhood. For Victoria, daily inspiration may come from a pair of socks at the GAP, vintage tablecloths and fabric, a friend’s living room or a mid-20th century painting.
Victoria feels the challenge and excitement of artistic exploration and discovery by continually seeking new ways to create texture, depth and contrast. She feels that with the infinite selection of beautiful colors she is able to reflect current color trends in her artwork.
Spending hours playing with composition, texture and color which she is able to change instantly is almost as much fun as spending time with her young daughter and her photographer husband.
Kimble, Warren
Medium: Acrylics
Residence: Vermont
Categories: Folk Art, Birds & Animals
As “America’s Best Known Living Folk Artist,” Warren Kimble draws on more than 50 years of experience as a fine artist, teacher, collector, craftsman and antiques dealer to create a casual but sophisticated style of American Folk Art. His folk art features the animals, rural landscapes and buildings of Vermont. Warren says that his style is “reminiscent of something that surrounds a person every day…simplistic, yet abstract.”
Kinkead, Rebecca
Rebecca Kinkead captures vulnerability, tenderness, joy and human relationships in her large scale oil paintings. Applying the paint with palette knives, her technique includes layering, scraping, dripping and layering again. Color and texture rise from the canvas revealing dreamy and ambiguous figures that evoke memories and stories. Her rural Vermont studio "looks like someone put paint in a blender and left the lid off," and there are usually a few sleeping dogs in the room. She and her husband enjoy traveling and being active outdoors, but home and the studio always beckon.
Koehl, Aniesse
Medium: Mixed Media
Residence: France
Aniesse Koehl is an Iowa girl whose heart always belonged to the big city. With her Bachelor of Fine Arts from University of Iowa in hand, Aniesse bought a one-way ticket to New York. The city’s intense energy had a lasting influence on her artwork, dynamic urban compositions layering vibrant colors, textures, abstraction, and hand-drawn or photographic imagery. While her artwork is still in the city, Aniesse currently resides in the Lorraine region of France.
Lady, Lisa Snow
Medium: Mixed media
Residence: Washington
Born in Seattle, Washington, artist Lisa Snow Lady has been making art since she first drew the bowling alley where she went when she was just three years old. Lisa’s mother was a teacher who constantly involved Lisa in art projects to decorate their newly built house, thus setting Lisa off early toward a career and life study of art.
Inspired by the beauty that she sees around her, Lisa finds interesting color combinations in nature, local gardens and viewing other artists’ creativity. She has a BFA in Painting from the University of Washington, as well as a Bachelor of Art History, which has had a great impact on her.
Still living in Seattle, Lisa is happy to call herself a perpetual student.
Lee, Cheryl
Medium: Oils
Residence: Ohio
Category: Floral &Still Life
Lately, Cheryl Lee has been exploring the medium of oil paints as well as her passion for color and design. She is constantly finding new depths of appreciation for her life and career as an artist. Her enthusiasm for life is reflected in her paintings. Cheryl lives and paints in a wooded area of central Ohio with her husband Adam, several cats and a host of other critters.
Lovell, Katherine
Medium: Acrylics
Residence: Rhode Island
Categories: Florals & Still Life, Words & Inspiration, Coastal, Kitchen & Dining
Many elements make Kathrine Lovell’s paintings unique. Her work balances an ethereal view of the natural world with complex patterning. She combines individual small images into larger compositions, creating the effect of tile. Kathrine received her BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and teaches painting and works as a decorative painter. She lives in Rhode Island with her partner and two dogs.
Majchrowicz, Alan
Medium: Photography
Residence: Washington
Categories: Natural Elements, Landscapes & Destinations
Wilderness photographer Alan Majchrowicz is fortunate to be able to combine his passion for the outdoors with his profession. Born, raised and educated in the midwest, Alan felt the call of the Pacific Northwest and moved there in 1980. He travels widely with backpack and camera to find the out-of-the-way places that appear in his extraordinary photographs.
McBride, Naomi
Naomi McBride is a noted muralist from Northern Ireland who now lives and works in an idyllic cottage in the wild and dramatic countryside of western Ireland. Her extensive travels have had an enormous influence on her work, especially her trips to Central Asia and Outer Mongolia, where she feels her sense of color and pattern was greatly enriched. When not painting, traveling or tending to her flower garden, Naomi loves to welcome friends around a table filled with dishes prepared with her husband’s organic vegetables and the best of Ireland’s produce.
Morris, Leonard
Medium: Photography
Residence: New York
Category: Natural Elements
Leonard Morris’ training began as a teenager, painting landscapes and portraits at Pratt Institute. In his late teens, he was introduced to the 35mm camera and changed his medium to photography. At its core, Leonard’s work celebrates the symbolic beauty of objects that are part of our everyday lives, but are often regarded as utilitarian or insignificant.
Leonard wants his work not only to stimulate emotions, but also to bring a greater awareness of the value of items that are too often viewed as "ordinary." He feels that revealing the value in the ordinary opens a portal to viewing other aspects of life and relationships with greater appreciation.
Leonard's influences range from politics and the environment to the simple act of observing what is around him. Often he asks himself, "What am I not seeing?" Part of this way of seeing, he believes, is rooted in his interest in design rather than just the photographic process.
A partial list of Leonard's clients includes the Boca Raton Museum, Miyako Osaka Hotel in Japan, WNYC Radio in New York, and corporate and private collectors around the world.
Mullan, Mo
Medium: Mixed media
Residence: Vermont
Categories: Floral & Still Life, Natural Elements, Bath & Boudoir, Figurative & Fashion, Juvenile, Music, Movies & Media, Landscapes & Destinations, Kitchen & Dining, Contemporary & Abstract
Mo Mullan is an artist and illustrator who began his art career as a graphic designer. Following his passion for drawing, he returned to school in 2006 to get an MFA in Illustration at the Savannah College of Art & Design. With a deep appreciation for both design and illustration, his art reflects graphic and handmade qualities reminiscent of printmaking techniques and paying tribute to his hero, Andy Warhol. Mo lives and works in the hills of rural Vermont.
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Nai, Danhui
Media: Watercolors, Gouache, Acrylics and Oils
Residence: California
Categories: Floral & Still Life, Bath & Boudoir, Coastal, Birds & Animals, Landscapes & Destinations, Contemporary & Abstract
Danhui Nai was born in mainland China and raised in an artistic household with her sculptor father and painter mother. Her natural passion for art was guided through classical training which she applies in her California studio to create beautiful, on-trend artwork in a variety of media. She studied interior design later in Paris and New York City. She worked in the textile industry in Manhattan, where she continued her studies and artistic development.
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Novak, Shirley
Medium: Oils
Residence: Colorado
Category: Floral & Still Life
Shirley Novak is wild about poppies. She loves to paint them, to grow them and to share them with her fellow gardeners. Her childhood passions were growing, drawing and painting flowers, which she continues to do at her Colorado studio. Shirley paints in oils using a wet-on-wet technique. She paints en plein air whenever possible, either in her garden or on location when she travels.
O, Danny
Medium: Collage
Residence: New Hampshire
Categories: Birds & Animals, Juvenile, Music, Movies & Media
Danny O’s vibrant art is built upon inventive imagination. An instinctive recycler, he creates collage art using a range of media, from comic books to colorful magazine papers. A native of Lexington, Massa-chusetts, Danny served in the Navy before attending the prestigious Cooper Union School in New York. Danny’s New Hampshire studio, which he shares with his wife Jennifer, reflects his eclectic style with stacks of vintage magazines, piles of record albums, a healthy supply of glue, a small library and a playpen for frequent visits from his new daughter Riley.
Olivier, Marc
Medium: Digital photography
Residence: Utah
Marc Olivier has worked in digital photography ever since his analog equipment was burglarized from his Paris apartment. As a PhD in French Literature, Marc thinks of photographic technique as a form of research and writing. Beginning with an idea, Marc explores Paris photographically as if it were a library filled with books – some well-read classics (the Eiffel Tower, the view from Notre Dame) - and others as overlooked stories waiting to be discovered. Observing, shooting, editing, and refining the image, he brings a particular story to the viewer. He believes there is something magical and meditative about freezing a moment in time. Marc, his wife and three children love to travel, all with large SLR cameras.
Olsen, Jon
Medium: Photography
Residence: Vermont
Jon Olsen is a self-taught photographer who has been involved in photography since his high-school years in the 1970s. Although he earned a B.A. in Political Science, Jon pursued photography full-time right out of school.
Jon has explored many forms of photography. In the past several years, he has made the transition to digital recording, processing and printing, which allow him the greatest creative control over all aspects of his work. He finds that the digital process is essentially the same as in a conventional darkroom, in that he uses all the traditional tools of the photographer to create an image that will express his experience of the natural world.
Jon resides in Norwich, Vermont, with his wife and three children.
Paschke, Chris
Media: Black and colored Sumi stick inks, collage and gold leaf
Residence: California
Categories: Words & Inspiration, Global
Chris Paschke’s comfort with the Sumi brush and continuing study with Asian masters have brought her “lovingly into the world of passive, peaceful Zen concepts, and the simplicity of an Asian artist.” The minimalism she brings to Wild Apple in her soft grasses, florals, characters and handmade papers continues to flourish with new visions, colors and textural studies. Many trips to China have fueled her desire to learn more about the art form, and have led her to create a living environment in the mountains of central California.
Pelletier, Alain
Medium: Photography, mixed media
Residence: Canada
Montreal-based art director Alain Pelletier has been in the poster and licensing business for over 25 years. Alain started in the business as an owner of a stationery company with broad distribution throughout North America. Alain's keen eye for art direction helped launch his licensing business, Pela Concept. Alain loves to art-direct his team of artists to create new styles and images for the home and gift markets under Atelier & Company for Wild Apple Graphics.
Pertiet, Katie
Medium: Mixed media
Residence: Maryland
Categories: Floral & Still Life, Words & Inspiration
“Taking old art and making it new and fresh again is very rewarding,” says artist Katie Pertiet. Her home studio is a mix of old and new, just as is her art. Katie blends patterns, colors, textures and antique engravings to create something new. She has worked as a graphic designer for over twenty years. Her home studio is a mix of old and new, just like her art. Her vintage book library and paints and brushes occupy the same space as her prized Macintosh computer.
Richard, Ben
Photographer Ben Richard considers all outdoors to be his "studio." Ben has been capturing beauty with his camera for 25 years, while also teaching high school, building log homes, and doing carpentry. He has won several awards, and has recently collaborated with designer Alain Pelletier, who adapts Ben's striking photographs into unique compositions of subject and color. Ben is one of 12 siblings, and lives in Quebec with his artist wife and two children.
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Rowan, Carol
Medium: Pastels
Residence: Wisconsin
Categories: Floral & Still Life, Kitchen & Dining
For over a decade, Carol Rowan has made fine art her primary focus. Carol received her Master of Fine Arts from Cranbrook Academy of Art. She retired from teaching and now devotes all her time to creating art. Her artistic style centers upon color relationships, the presence of light, and a sense of energy. Her inspirations come from her immediate surroundings–her flower gardens and her home.
Schenck, Deborah
Residence: England
Categories: Floral & Still Life, Words & Inspiration, Coastal
Over her 20-year career as a professional photographer, artist Deborah Schenck has used Polaroid transfer, 4x5 format cameras and digital photography. Deborah recently returned to her native country of England after living in the United States and France. Settled in Devon, Deborah loves living near the sea where walks on the beach, working in the garden and spending time with her two children inspire her work. Deborah’s photography incorporates paper, wood, plaster, old documents, flowers and natural objects.
Schlabach, Sue
Medium: Oils, acrylics, multi media
Residence: Vermont
Sue Schlabach has worked for Wild Apple as a designer, art director and artist for 15 years. Her love of the arts began as a child in southeastern Pennsylvania where she grew up in a house filled with references to botany, towers of books, antique quilts, and the ticking and tocking of many heirloom clocks. In such a place you just start to make things, and thus began a lifelong obsession. Sue studied art at a small liberal arts college and ventured into the world of graphic design. She moved to Vermont. Wild Apple came into the picture, and things got interesting. Sue’s art includes painted works in acrylic and oil, multi-media collage and photographic collage. She is an avid collector of ephemera and has helped to acquire Wild Apple’s archive of botanical art and letters. She lives in central Vermont with her husband and her daughter, plus a few lambs and chickens. She chronicles about art and life at www.129twigandvine.com.
Sheehan, Penny H.
Medium: Mixed media collage
Residence: Vermont
After attending business school and working as a retail clothing buyer, Penny decided to follow her lifelong passion for art. She headed south to the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she received her bachelor’s degree in graphic design. Having worked in many facets of the graphic arts over the years, she now works full-time as a graphic designer. Working primarily with digital collage, her style ranges from elegant and decorative to vintage, with a focus on pattern for building layers of interest. Penny lives with her husband and two inspiring young children in an old farmhouse in Vermont. She enjoys working on her home as well as raising her children, gardening, sewing and crafting.
Shulman, Helen
The pleasure of viewing Helen Shulman's abstract paintings comes from uncovering the realistic images that rest beneath the surface. Each oil painting on linen incorporates layers of glazes which are applied and wiped off until the surface has obtained richness and luminosity. While maintaining her career as a psychotherapist, Helen studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, focusing on painting and drawing. In the late 1990s she began her full-time work as an artist. She resides in Vermont and Florida.
Tillmon, Avery
Media: Acrylics, Oils, Pencil and Ink
Residence: Vermont
Categories: Bath & Boudoir, Figurative & Fashion, Coastal, Birds & Animals, Music, Movies & Media, Landscapes & Destinations, Global, Kitchen & Dining, Contemporary & Abstract
Avery Tillmon has made creating art a lifelong passion. After graduating from college with a degree in sculpture, he has followed a career in art, including teaching and designing, as well as professional sculpting and painting. He likes to approach painting and drawing as very shallow sculpture, building and taking away until he has achieved what he originally envisioned.
Ulveczki, Gabor
Gabor Ulveczki was born in Budapest, Hungary. His early work was influenced by the Bauhaus school. His painting evolved toward a monochromatic color story and, after moving to France in the early 1980s, he began to experiment with metallics in his work. In 1998 Gabor developed the technique of using metal leafing (brass, copper, gold, silver) and oxidation that he is known for today. His studio, Ulgad’or, is located outside of Paris. Here, Gabor and his staff create large-scale metallic wallpapers, textiles and art installations.
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Silvia’s Website
Vassileva, Silvia
Medium: Acrylics
Residence: California
Categories: Floral &Still Life, Natural Elements, Bath & Boudoir, Coastal, Landscapes & Destinations, Global, Kitchen & Dining, Contemporary & Abstract
Silvia Vassileva pursued her love of art at the Academy of Fine Art in Bulgaria, where she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She spent six years painting and exhibiting her work in Japan before moving to the U.S. Silvia describes her style as very free and bold. She makes her paintings come alive by using contrast and unusual color palettes. Silvia’s home studio, which she designed herself, is bright, contemporary and minimalist.
Verbeek and Van den Broek
Chris Verbeek and Robert Van den Broek met as art teachers over 20 years ago and soon afterward started a design studio that has grown into the successful textile and art company it is today. Located in the Netherlands, Chris and Robert work with a group of painters and designers to create patterns, designs and art for stationery and home goods. The two artists collaborate on paintings, each contributing his particular skill to the final composition.
Whatmore, Nel
Medium: Pastels & Oils
Residence: England
Nel Whatmore has been a professional artist for over 20 years. She lives with her family in a quiet village in Yorkshire, England, surrounded by the myriad flowers and glowing landscapes that find their way into her imagination and onto the canvas. She recently moved her studio from the attic at home to nearby Leeds, where she is in the company of other artists, but free of any distractions. She works in pastels or oils, painting in stretches of five and six hours at a time. The other hours of the day are spent with staff and clients, developing her many collections of licensed products for the home. For the last few years she has exhibited at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show in London, and the experience gives her a wealth of inspiration for new flower paintings. Travels, strolls and a deep well of creativity inspire the rest.
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Wheeler, Winky
Winky began drawing before she was two and hasn’t stopped yet! When she was in the sixth grade her class was asked what they thought they would be in the year 2000. Her first thought was that she would be a very, very old artist. Since that time Winky graduated, cum laude, from the School of Visual Arts in NYC. Her studies included illustration, graphic design & production, communication arts & advertising.
Winky’s work starts in her sketchbook, loosely creating forms that begin to suggest a figure. As the character emerges, she refines the shape and adds specific details. She is always looking to incorporate whimsical aspects into the drawing. Winky works with the composition over time until she likes the drawing. Once satisfied with the pencil sketch, she redraws it with a technical pen on watercolor paper. She adds carefully applied colors in many individual layers, transforming the original black and white image into a finished piece of artwork.
Although Winky’s work comes from imagination, much time is spent drawing realistically from life. This allows a blend of reality, inspiration and memories in her art. Her images are intended to bring together the richness of nature in a fun way. Winky hopes her work will encourage people to see things a little differently and inspire change, so that the beauty of our world will be here to nurture future generations.
Wild Apple Portfolio
Wild Apple Portfolio is a diverse collection of textiles, etchings, paintings and documents sourced from around the world. From these treasures, Wild Apple's designers create art that complements the lifestyle of the 21st century, while being inspired by centuries past.