Raffaello Sanzio ~ I sonetti

Sonetto I

Amor, tu m’envesscasti con doi lumi
de doi beli occhi dov’io me strugo e [s]face,
da bianca neve e da rosa vivace,
da un bel parlar in donnessi costumi.

Tal che tanto ardo, ch[e] né mar né fiumi
spegnar potrian quel foco; ma non mi spiace,
poiché ’l mio ardor tanto di ben mi face,
ch’ardendo onior più d’arder me consu[mi].

Quanto fu dolce el giogo e la catena
de’ toi candidi braci al col mio vòl[ti],
che, sogliendomi, io sento mortal pen[a].

D’altre cose io’ non dico, che fôr m[olti],
ché soperchia docenza a mo[r]te men[a],
e però tacio, a te i pens[e]r rivolti.

Heather Arenas ~ Plein air painter

Art has been a constant for me since I was very little. I studied art through high school but also took 3 years of Latin because my goal was to become an orthopedic surgeon. I took a few classes in college to create balance while I worked on my biology degree. It was not until I was in medical school that I decided I was not cut out for that line of work since it would mean I wouldn't have time to paint!
When I left school, I tried many different careers including veterinary technician, database architect and alpaca rancher and continued drawing and painting tributes to my experiences. Ultimately it didn't matter what I did to pay the bills, I still found time to paint. Although I have painted many different subjects, I particularly love figure painting. Anatomy is still my favorite subject. Now that I am older and more settled, I can paint everyday, sometimes on location and often with a live model to keep my skills sharp.
My goal as an artist is to make beautiful art. I study art and techniques constantly to try to make that happen.

Josep Teixido, 1956 | Abstract palette knife painter

Josep Teixido was born in Calella, Barcelona, and currently resides in Vilassar de Mar, also in the province of Barcelona, Spain. He has exhibited his work for over 25 years in Spain and France.

With warm colours, and his unique palette knife technique, his exotic paintings instantly capture the attention of the viewer, allowing them to dream and take a journey of the senses. Always playing with our perception, Josep subtly oscillates between the figurative and the abstract, while transporting us to gorgeous locations reminiscent of his homeland. 

Oleg Oprisco, 1987 ~ Surrealist photographer

Ukrainian Fine Art photographer Oleg Oprisco is born in 1987.
“Hi, my name is Oleg Oprisco and I live in Kiev, Ukraine. My motto is: “The photo - that feeling,” and every one of my picture tells a story and express my feelings and thoughts”.

Norma Mascellani

La pittrice Italiana Norma Mascellani (1909-2009), allieva di Giorgio Morandi, Alfredo Protti, Guglielmo Pizzirani e Giovanni Romagnoli, è stata una pittrice figurativa -ritratti, nature morte, paesaggi- con qualche risvolto metafisico.
Ha partecipato alla Biennale di Venezia XXII, 1939; XXV, 1950 ed alla Quadriennale di Roma III, 1939; VI, 1951; VII, 1955, e varie personali in Italia o nel 2005 al Parlamento Europeo di Bruxelles.
Ha ottenuto diversi riconoscimenti, sia artistici che per meriti sociali (ha fatto numerose opere di beneficenza), fra cui la "Stella d'oro della bontà" conferitale dal cardinale Giacomo Lercaro nel 1962, il titolo di Cavaliere ricevuto dal Presidente della Repubblica Italiana Giuseppe Saragat 1967, e altri. È morta, centenaria, il 7 dicembre 2009, dopo una breve malattia.

Marci Oleszkiewicz 1979 | Impressionist painter

American painter🎨 Marci Oleszkiewicz-Taylor has been studying art and painting for some time, it wasn't until 2007 when things started to move forward and she began to see what the future might hold for her as an artist.

Upon entering several art competitions Marci was not only accepted in two of the top shows, The Oil Painters of America's national show and the American Impressionist Society's national show, but also received very substantial awards from both.

She received an award🎨 of excellence from the OPA and the best of show award from the AIS. Not long after, she was included in Southwest Art Magazine's 21 under 31 and had her first two man show at Gallery Russia in Scottsdale, AZ.

Johann Wolfgang Goethe | Aforismi sull'Arte

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe by Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein

• L'opera d'arte può avere un effetto morale, ma richiedere ad un artista uno scopo morale significa fargli rovinare il suo lavoro.
• L'arte è lunga, la vita breve, il giudizio difficile, l'occasione buona passeggera.
• La tecnica, alleata al cattivo gusto, è la più temibile nemica dell'arte.
• Non c’è via più sicura per evadere dal mondo che l’arte, ma non c’è legame più sicuro con esso che l’arte.
• Nell’arte, abbastanza buono è l’ottimo.

Anna and Elena Balbusso ~ Italian Surrealist illustrator

Italian twins Anna and Elena Balbusso are internationally recognized award winning illustrators live and work in Milan. Since 1998 they have been working as a team freelance in Italy, France, United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Republic of Korea. Their works have been published by major publishers and companies through out the world on various media types such as book jackets, magazines, newspapers, in house corporate, ads, children’s books and classic novels. Their artwork has been exhibited in numerous exhibitions and galleries in Italy and abroad.
In 2013 They have been named the Winners of the V and A Illustration Awards - best book - by The Victorian and Albert Museum London [UK] for our illustrations "Eugene Onegin" by Alexander Pushkin, published by the Folio Society, London 2012.