Hugo Simberg | Symbolist painter

Hugo Simberg - Autoritratto, 1907

Hugo Gerhard Simberg (1873-1917) was a Finnish symbolist painter and graphic artist.

Life and career

Simberg was born at Hamina (original Swedish Fredrikshamn), the son of Colonel Nicolai Simberg and Ebba Matilda Simberg (born Widenius).

In 1891, at the age of 18, he enrolled at the Drawing School of the Viipuri Friends of Art, and he also studied at the Drawing School of the Finnish Art Association (fi) from 1893-1895, but in 1895 he decided to become the private pupil of Akseli Gallen-Kallela at his wilderness studio Kalela in Ruovesi.

He studied under Gallen-Kallela for three periods between 1895-1897.

August Hagborg | Naturalist painter

Vilhelm Nikolaus August Hagborg (26 May 1852, Gothenburg - 30 April 1921, Paris) was a Swedish painter who spent most of his life in France.

His father was an Associate Professor. Against the wishes of his parents, he decided on a career in art and, from 1872-1874, he studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm with Vicente Palmaroli.

In 1875, he went to Paris to complete his training, but ended by spending most of his life there. Initially, he focused on genre scenes🎨 and imagined historical scenes from 18th century France. Some of them were sent home and one was purchased by King Oscar II.

Paul Gauguin | Post-Impressionist painter | The portraits

The vogue for Paul Gauguin's🎨 work started soon after his death. Many of his later paintings were acquired by the Russian collector Sergei Shchukin.

A substantial part of his collection is displayed in the Pushkin Museum and the Hermitage. Gauguin🎨 paintings are rarely offered for sale; their price may be as high as $39.2 million US Dollars.

Saidov Aydemir / Айдемир Саидов, 1979 | Figurative painter

Saidov Aydemir /Айдемир Саидов was born in a family member of the Artists Union of Russia, Honored Art Worker of Kuban, Seyfullah Aydemirovicha Saidov.

In 2000 he graduated from Krasnodar Art College, and in 2006 St. Petersburg State Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after IE Repin - Academy of Fine Arts Painting workshop O.A.Eremeeva, qualification of a painter.

Paintings by Aydemir are now in museums in Russia as well as in private collections in Great Britain, the USA, Germany, China and several other countries.

Lauri Blank, 1969 | Romantic Figurative painter

Lauri Blank was destined to be a creative soul with a burning passion for art. Raised by an artistic mother who attended design school in NYC, and grandparents that are still performing musicians (well into their 80’s), Lauri was constantly engaged by creativity and artistic expression; the foundation of a future art career.

Her talents were immediately recognized by patrons in Washington D.C. and the Miami area, where she accepted numerous important commissions.

And then in 1999, Lauri’s career would take a different turn, one that resembled one of the masters she studied for most of her life.

Kathy Fincher, 1949 | Romantic realism painter

Kathy Fincher is one of the most licensed children's painters in America. Awarded "Life Time Achievement Award" by the Save the Arts Foundation at their Grammy Awards 2013.

Fincher was born in an artistic family. She entered in the world of drawing, painting and illustration at a very young age. She focuses on painting children using pastels.

She is the proud recipient of the Quintessence award which is given to the America’s best painter and which is organized by "Save the Arts Foundation".

Michael Cheval, 1966 | Absurdist painter

Michael Cheval, born Mikhail Khokhlachev / Михаил Хохлачев is a contemporary artist specializing in Absurdist paintings, drawings and portraits.

He is the co-founder of Cheval Fine Art Inc. and currently resides in New Jersey, United States.

His work is internationally acclaimed and has been exhibited regularly in galleries across the United States and Europe.

Michael Cheval was born in Kotelnikovo, a small town in southern Russia.

Paul Van Ginkel, 1960 | Figurative / Abstract painter

Born in St. Boniface, Manitoba, Canada, Van Ginkel moved with his family to Calgary in 1973. In search of change and new stimulation he then moved to Vancouver in 1996, however, returned to Calgary in 2001.

Prior to earning a Master of Fine Arts degree from Syracuse University in New York, he was educated at the Alberta College of Art in Calgary.

After working as an illustrator for 6 years, Van Ginkel has been a fine art painter specializing in western themes since 1990.

Some artists who inspire and influence him include John Singer Sargent, Diego Velázquez and Frans Hals. Part of Van Ginkel's growth as an artist has come from extended painting trips to major art centres including New York, Italy, Australia, Mexico and Santa Fe.

In addition to collecting endless and inspiring subject matter as a result of global travel, Van Ginkel also attends reference photo shoots in various parts of the Southwest.