Mark R. Pugh, 1979 | Figurative painter

Mark R. Pugh began creating art at a very young age but did not pursue a career as an artist until later in his adult life.

After earning a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Pugh decided to change course and develop his artistic skills with help from his mentor, Jeffrey Hein.

Despite his short time as a working artist he has already received awards in some of the top art competitions in the world.

Igor Raikhline, 1950 | Figurative Impressionism painter

Igor studied in Kiev Fine Art Academy, where he was awarded a Masters Degrees in Art and Architecture in 1974.

He moved to USA in 1990 and currently resides in suburbs of Atlanta.

Igor got his first International European Award For Outstanding And Gifted Children when he was 7 years old.

During his 55 years of professional career Igor participated in hundreds of solo and group Fine Art Exhibitions worldwide.

Tjalf Sparnaay, 1954 | Hyper Realistic paintings of food

Tjalf Sparnaay has been working on an innovative oeuvre since 1987, constantly seeking new images that had never been painted before.

His Megarealism is part of the contemporary international movement now known as Hyperrealism; he is now seen as one of the most important and trend-setting painters internationally in that style.

His artworks are displayed in collections all over the world and regularly exhibited outside the Netherlands, for instance in New York.

Valerie Palmer, 1950 | Figurative painter

Valerie Palmer was born in Toronto.

She completed her BFA Honours at the University of Manitoba in 1973.

Leaving both Toronto and Winnipeg after her studies, Valerie headed north to the far shore of Lake Superior.

Recognizing a profound love of the wilderness fostered by summers in her youth, she created a home and embraced the inspiration that has informed her paintings for the past 25 years.

Sylvia Gosse | Post-Impressionist painter

Laura Sylvia Gosse (1881-1968) was an English painter and printmaker.

She also ran an art school with the painter Walter Sickert.

Laura Sylvia Gosse, known as Sylvia, was the youngest of three children of Ellen (Epps) Gosse and English poet and critic Sir Edmund Gosse.

Her grandfather was the naturalist Philip Henry Gosse, and the painter Lawrence Alma-Tadema was her uncle by marriage.

Yuehua He, 1959 | Figurative painter

Yuehua was born in Beijing, China.

Yuehua’s mother was an art teacher and she taught him how to draw.

He participated in art activities in school.

His dream was to enter the Academy of Fine Arts.

However, at that time, students were not allowed to go to college unless they were chosen by someone in the government.

After high school Yuehua went to the army.

In the army, there were not many opportunities to draw, but when the chance arose he drew what he saw in his surroundings.

Four years later, Yuehua left the army and entered the cinema and drafted movie posters.

Each movie poster was 2 meters x 7 meters long, and it usually took one to two days to finish painting.

During this time Yuehua was admitted to the Central Academy of Arts and Design Night University (renamed the Tsinghua University Academy of Fine Arts).

The Secretary to the Minister of Electronics Industry invited Yuehua to work professionally.

He worked in the State Council and the NPC Standing Committee from 1982 until 1987, after which he worked as the curator of the Beijing Museum of Art and Design.

Yuehua worked there until 2000 when he immigrated to the United States to become a full-time painter.

Member of Portrait Society of America, Member of Allied Artists of America, Inc., 1997-2000 Curator of Beijing design Art Museum.

Portrait art work was selected for Art exhibition New York in 2009.

Art work "travel" won the award for the advancement of American Art from Allied Artists of America in 2010.

Yuehua è nato a Pechino, in Cina.

La madre di Yuehua era un'insegnante d'arte e gli ha insegnato a disegnare.

Ha partecipato ad attività artistiche a scuola.

Il suo sogno era entrare all'Accademia di Belle Arti.

Tuttavia, a quel tempo, agli studenti non era permesso andare al college a meno che non fossero stati scelti da qualcuno nel governo.

Dopo il liceo Yuehua andò nell'esercito.

Nell'esercito non c'erano molte opportunità di disegnare, ma quando si presentava l'occasione disegnava ciò che vedeva nei dintorni.

Quattro anni dopo, Yuehua lasciò l'esercito ed entrò nel cinema e disegnò manifesti cinematografici.

Ogni poster del film era lungo 2 metri x 7 metri e di solito ci volevano uno o due giorni per finire di dipingere.

Durante questo periodo Yuehua è stato ammesso alla Central Academy of Arts and Design Night University (ribattezzata Tsinghua University Academy of Fine Arts).

Il segretario del ministro dell'industria elettronica ha invitato Yuehua a lavorare professionalmente.

Ha lavorato nel Consiglio di Stato e nel Comitato permanente dell'NPC dal 1982 al 1987, dopodiché ha lavorato come curatore del Museo di arte e design di Pechino.

Yuehua ha lavorato lì fino al 2000 quando è emigrato negli Stati Uniti per diventare un pittore a tempo pieno.

Richard Eurich | Modern painter

Richard Ernst Eurich, OBE, RA (14 March 1903 - 6 June 1992) was an English painter who worked as a war artist to the Admiralty in the Second World War and was also known for his panoramic seascapes and narrative paintings.

These were often invested with a sense of mystery and wonder which have tended to set him apart from mainstream development of art in the twentieth century.

Mabel Alvarez | Impressionist painter

"I want to take all this beauty and pour it out on canvas with such radiance that all who are lost in the darkness may feel the wonder and lift to it" - Mabel Alvarez.

Mabel Alvarez (1891-1985) was one of the rare women artists of her day to receive encouragement at an early age to pursue her talents and passion as a painter.

She received training in Los Angeles from prominent artists Stanton MacDonald-Wright and Morgan Russell, whose synchromist compositions and color schemes would have a profound impact on the young Alvarez.