Many people would prefer to forget their cancer experience, especially one that includes misdiagnoses, chemotherapy, radiation, and a terminal prognosis. But visual artist David Brady records — and redeems — his experience via sketchbook, imagination, and a ballpoint pen.  “In the Pain Cave” While going through stage 3 throat cancer, David chronicled his journey via ...

Rustic, Refined Buffalo check? Time to uncheck. Faux distressed furniture? Let’s get real. Even if a few traditional Farmhouse Chic elements are wearing out their welcome, this warm and cozy interior design style is still on the scene in a fresh, modern way.  Where Did Farmhouse Chic Decor Originate? Farmhouse architecture emerged from Germany and ...

First, it was showing horses. Later, it was raising kids. After several decades of deferring her classical art education, Diane Simmons now happily portrays pets, wildlife, and people with colored pencils. She even found a way to keep her new favorite medium from fading. “Pugs and Pencils” When Diane returned to creating art, she wasn’t ...

Exuberant Luxury The interior design style of Art Deco has been a timeless style for a century now, originating with an appreciation for geometric shapes, lines, color, sumptuous materials, and an unabashed sense of fun. Although most people don’t go full-on Art Deco in their homes today, you can express this maximalist aesthetic in small ...

One look at Alan Chimacoff’s photographs and it’s obvious that his architecture career shapes his work. Fascinated by everyday urban landscapes, this Princeton, New Jersey, photographer explores the real and illusory space of the manmade world — revealing humanity’s presence despite the absence of people in his photography.  Geometric Cohesion As Alan captures city life ...

I recently had my first solo exhibition at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts. The gallery’s policy is that all artwork must remain at the exhibit until after the show closes. One of the customers who purchased a framed artwork from me lives in another state and couldn’t make a return trip to pick ...

When John Chehak graduated with a degree in pharmacy, he couldn’t have guessed that 25 years later he would become a professional artist. Now, as he travels to juried fine art fairs throughout the Midwest, this acrylic artist blends playful, colorful creativity with sensible decisions around framing and production. Marshmallow Clouds One magazine editor described ...

Livable Desert If you’ve ever traveled to the American Southwest, you understand the allure of its wild, jagged, remote beauty. Southwestern Decor brings it all home, drawing inspiration from warm desert hues like terracotta reds, cactus greens, and cowhide browns — with bright blues, oranges, and yellows bursting into the scene. Bold patterns, rustic textures, ...

For Veronica Winters, the road from Russia to Naples, Florida, was rocky yet fruitful. This prolific artist studied classical art traditions at three schools (earning a BFA and an MFA), using art to process her emotional journey. Along the way, she learned how to handle creative blocks according to their root causes. Secrets of the ...

Essence of Elegance Over-the-top opulence isn’t anything new. When you consider the Taj Mahal, the Biltmore Estate, and assorted castles throughout Europe, you realize humans have been enamored with sumptuous luxury through the ages. These days, Glam Decor can be a style “umbrella” that includes subcategories such as Timeless Glamour, Vintage Glamour, Farmhouse Glam, Earthy ...

Have you ever felt the sting of a critical remark about your artwork?  When a fellow artist told Alison Thomas that her photography looked like everyone else’s, she was taken aback. But then the Louisa, Virginia, artist used that feedback as fuel, finding a way to differentiate her art and raise it to a new ...

Bringing the Outdoors In Have you ever spent time in a mountain cabin or ski lodge? If so, you can picture the scene in your mind. Simple or grand, your surroundings may have included rugged furnishings, thick plaid blankets, wood-paneled or log walls, a stone fireplace crackling with flames, and glorious views of nature just ...