International Artist December-January 2022/ No. 142

Welcome to the 142nd issue of International Artist magazine. We are in our 23rd year of publishing, and we have won many awards throughout the years for being the best magazine for artists. We will continue to be the light for artists globally as they rise in their success and creativity. We know from hearing from you (our artist subscribers) that every year an artist will evolve in style, influence and depth. This is our creative world; you are not alone in this and International Artist is here for you. Our goal in our artists’ demonstration is to provide insight and panache to support your next artistic evolution. We are most proud of our own International Art Competition. We know as you ascend to greatness your path will lead you…

If you haven’t heard, International Artist Publishing launched The American Art Collective podcast earlier this year. It’s your way to listen to stories from other artists like yourself, gallery owners, historians and scholars, as they share their techniques on the representational art market. We’ve had some big-name guests so far including our columnist Harley Brown, whose episode is the most listened to episode to date! Follow our show today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon to hear about Harley’s journey and those of our other guests. It’s your all-access pass to the world of art. In the last issue of International Artist, I teased our newest column—Art Industry Insider—written by Vanessa Rothe, who is an artist, gallery owner, curator, editor and more. This issue I’m excited to have the very…

Dreams and Duality A self-taught artist with a passion for art throughout her entire life, Iran-born Shohreh Abdolrahimi’s artwork is a direct reflection of her dreams. “My paintings start from a dream image formed in the state of hypnagogic or hypnopompic at a subconscious level. However, as I start working on a piece, I have an active conversation with it,” she says. “Not using words, [but rather] I read the life of the canvas, and the painting takes a life of its own and develops as I pour my heart into the painting… The resulting painting usually carries the same emotion experienced at the dream image, though it is a different image moving along the border between abstract and expressionism/impressionism.” Abdolrahimi, who has a Ph.D. in theoretical physics, describes her…

My Inspiration I’m inspired by the world around me. As a fisherman I’ve seen the most amazing sunrises reflected in the ocean, and this combined with my Indonesian heritage gives me my unique view of the world. There are so many colors, textures and shapes out there and I want my art to be a celebration of all these. I’m happiest when I’m expressing my creativity on the canvas. My inspiration comes from the natural world and life itself. There is so much beauty and joy that stems from the very act of existing. I want to replicate and capture this joy, excitement and passion in the works I create. My Design Strategy The nature of my design strategy is extremely abstract and experimental. I often let the colors and…

My Inspiration I started under an Italian master oil painter when I was 16 years old. For many years, I painted what I saw, but I felt something was missing. My work was technically fine but lacked creativity. I realized that most people are so distracted by the chaos of the world around them that they miss the simple beauty of individual objects from nature—flowers, animals, birds or insects. Since I believe God created everything out of chaos, I began to imitate the process by starting with an abstract chaotic background. When the paint is dry, I look at it from different directions to determine what animal or figure fits into the painting. This hummingbird flying in my garden was one of these beauties. My Design Strategy When I paint…

FINALISTS Each receives an Award Certificate and a one-year subscription to International Artist magazine PLUS having their work seen worldwide by international galleries looking for new talent. My Inspiration I paint abstracts because of the mystery they hold. I have a vision, an image in mind, but the viewer brings their own ideas and experiences, often seeing things I didn’t plan and don’t see. I dream in colors. Closing my eyes and listening to a symphony I see only colors. One Saturday morning I was feeling euphoric, free to express myself in color, shape and design. I began to paint and created Saturday’s Colors. My Design Strategy Color holds the most importance in my work, however other design elements are essential, especially in an abstract work. The eye should travel…