I spent over a decade years working as a Cell Biologist and am fascinated by complex systems, both evolved and designed. On one level my work explores the variety of relationships between form and function and challenges well-known connections between familiar objects by using them to create new forms and new functions. On another level my work examines the matrix of connections between intention and adaptation. Some of the permutations and chimeras I create may echo known biological or man made systems while others may create entirely novel systems that invite careful study. My art is influenced by my experiences both as a biologist and as a landscape designer and makes extensive use of plants and textures. Like a living cell, an organism, or a garden, each piece I create is an individual unit of function. The pieces often begin with a general concept or an interest in juxtaposing certain materials and they evolve through a combination of deliberate decisions and the unique adaptive properties of the materials.

My art is about the power of people. Our resilience in the face of struggle. Our unity in the face of adversity.

Growing up in New Orleans and witnessing firsthand the catastrophic forces of Katrina and its aftermath has profoundly shaped the path of my artistry. I’m committed to the ways art transforms communities. Art, to me, is a way of life. I embrace creative expression for its ability to help us learn about one another, and feel empowered to make change. Art can bridge race, age, geography and language. Art is the power of people.

I mostly paint, but my art often has a sculptural quality and an element of craft. I use found objects when they have significance because I enjoy the idea of art as artifact, as historical record. In my manipulation of the paint medium, I use loose lines and free strokes of color but tightly render specific shapes, lines or edges. I cover paper with sticks and leaves, spray-paint over them, and remove the debris to leave amorphous shadows. I enjoy what chance brings to my artwork. I sharpen certain elements to create depth and draw attention to small details, but I like my art to remain as raw and vibrant as the world I see around me.

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.

Using the impermanent medium of Jell-O , Liz Hickok creates glowing, jellied scale models of urban sites. Hickok changes the massive and seemingly unmovable city structures into something unexpected and ephemeral, commenting on the fragile nature of our cities. While the photographs evoke strange imaginary landscapes, the installations introduce a physical and sensory experience. The sculptures eventually decay, leaving the photographs and videos as the only record of their existence.

Music is the main source of inspiration for my paintings. Music, forged by the composer from air and sound, has motion and shape, and incredible emotional substance. I listen over and over to grasp the essence of each work of orchestra music. I try to understand its particular beauty, its emotion, its unique character as well as architecture and form—then try to put that into paint on canvas.

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.

Hiking, photographing and sketching from the Rockies West is the best of nature and adventure visuals--texture, shape, sun, shadow, color. The endless geologic and natural images capture me. No recreated image approximates the scale and intricacies of rock, erosion, water, or weather in light and shadow. My effort in the studio to is to recapture a portion of that infinite magic. Additional paintings and photographs are visible on my flickr account at http://www.flickr.com/photos/et-highway/sets/

Robin L. Humphreys is a glass and mixed-media sculptor based in the San Francisco Bay area. Humphreys addresses concepts of growth, decay, duality and emotion in her sculptural work, through the combined use of form, texture and material language. Her work is informed by natural forms and processes, optics, play and meditation. Robin L. Humphreys received a BFA in Glass from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2009. Past exhibitions include the Glass Art Society's 2009 International Student Exhibition, the MassArt Annual Senior Show (2009) and Chappell Gallery's 2009 Friends of Glass Exhibition. Humphreys currently works for Public Glass of San Francisco as the part-time Studio Operations Coordinator and a glass flame working instructor. Humphreys also works part-time as a studio administrator for sculptor Oben Abright. She has a passion for teaching and working with people.