Sirima Sataman is an interdisciplinary artist primarily working in traditional media, principally printmaking and sculpture. She studied sculpture, printmaking and fiber arts at the Claremont Colleges, the American University in Rome, Italy and Temple/Tyler University in Rome, Italy. She works and resides in San Francisco, California.

In a world that is physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, I believe that Spirit is the ground of all being, the foundation from which all form arises. I tap into my own understanding of that ground when doing my collage paintings, trying to express the essense of things as I experience them. The Jewel Tree sculptures were inspired by a workshop with my teacher Isa Gucciard, Ph.d. and through Robert Thurman’s book "The Jewel Tree of Tibet." Each Jewel tree is a meditation to a magnificent and magical tree that grows spontaneously from a crystal clear lake, high in the mountains. On this very personal tree sits every teacher, every benevolent, angelic and mythical figure, every hero, every ancestor, every aspect of God that has ever looked upon you, loved you, taught you and wished you well. They smile upon you and send rays of wisdom, compassion and strength through the jewels that each wise being holds in their heart, body and mind. They transmit their energy to your heart, body and mind as you gaze upon them. They are so glad that you have come and what they radiate to you, you in turn radiate to all who come in contact with you. I try to transmit this through every little tree I create.

beauty,

art,

nature,

courage,

brilliant energy,

truth,

unexpected exchanges..

these things inspire me.

My process is stream of consciousness;
One color,
one form,
one line,
leading to the next.
I have no idea what the outcome will be.

This is fun.
It feels right.
I know that it is done.

~Sue Laurita

Hugi The Great Productions supports and encourages the artistic pursuits of funky little sisters around the world.

In learning to draw, one learns to see. An artist must become an accomplished observer of detail, then be brave and bold to put it to paper, pen sometimes quivering in hand. the rewards are much more than artwork, for the Universe not noticed before appears in your line of vision in all of its wonder and glory. It was there all the time, waiting for you to see it. Now, start drawing"
"To paint is to love, and to love is to live again." Henry Miller

Virginia Barrett is an artist drawn to capturing form and color in nature, landscapes and sculptural work from diverse cultures. Her series of mixed media painted poems celebrate a unique, spiritual relationship between the word and image. She is a published poet and author; her most recent books are Mbira Maker Blues—a healing journey to Zimbabwe and Radiance—poems from Mendocino. Her illustrations grace both books.

My curiosity and fascination with humanity has taken me all over the globe. These experiences are an integral part of who I am now the creative work that I produce. My paintings are a response to the state of the world, the manipulation of news we receive and our own interpretations of this information. My art reflects the world around me – the people I come in contact with, the relationships that I build and the state of the world as a whole. I am interested in the places where lives overlap, how people perceive and react to one another as human beings, and the different paths our lives take. Having chosen many different courses throughout my life I am always curious where the next road will lead me, both as an individual and as a global citizen living during this interesting historical moment. I am continuously amazed by the twists and turns of life, as well as the interesting people that I come in contact with. I use my art to help me interpret these experiences and grow from them.

For nearly 20 years I worked with professional artists devising marketing campaigns and helping companies launch new products. The truth is, I loved being a marketing consultant. I enjoyed the challenges and the rewards of the business world. But I especially enjoyed working with those talented and creative artists. As my career progressed, I secretly and increasingly imagined a life where I could spend my time creating art that wasn’t subject to unanimous team approval or validated by the number of units moved. I just wanted to create my own art. In the summer of 2007, when the urge to be a full-time artist was too strong, I took the leap and enrolled in the Academy of Art University’s graduate program for fine art painting. For me that was an exhilarating change. One of many moments in my life where I've been in the midst of making an important life decision and felt like I was on the edge of a steep cliff with my only choices being jump, fall, or dive. These critical times of life, whether it's leaving home for the first time, starting or ending a relationship, having a baby, or beginning and ending a job, contain a universal feeling of loss of control, time moving forward, and hurtling through space. My current series explores moments when we willingly and unwillingly dive into the next phase of our lives. I paint on a variety of surfaces and enjoy the process of finding the right support for my concept. My current surfaces are layered acrylic panels.  I love the transparent qualities and find it helps me to express movement  and emotional release. The concept and panels support one another, and the multiple layers offer this body of work many exciting future possibilities.