Where the Trees Stand Still, oil on board, 18 x 24" (45 x 60 cm)

Jared Brady

Inspiration
This is a painting of my girlfriend, Marisa. Lately I have been exploring how to bring figurative and landscape elements together, and this piece was a big step in that direction. It was a huge challenge, but I felt like I learned so much through the process. I tried not to stay too tied to the original reference, which was actually front lit by the sun in the fall. Instead, I invented the background and landscape, using my intuition and my experience of studying many similar forest scenes from life. I was also inspired by Gustav Klimt and other artists who use pattern and design as a prominent element in their work.

Process
For the process, I began on a sealed wooden board and drew in a few rough lines to get placement and general proportions. From there, I started massing in the values and colors for the portrait and figure. Once the figure was blocked in, I shifted to exploring the background. I spent a lot of time pushing and pulling the paint to create interesting design patterns, color and texture that would move the eye around. The moment when I added bold dusk light breaking through the trees really tied the whole painting together and gave it the mood I wanted.

Childhood, oil on canvas, 35 x 47" (88 x 119 cm)

James Hayes

Inspiration
This painting was inspired by the imaginative world of childhood, where toys are never just objects but companions, protectors and sometimes even extensions of the child’s inner life. I was drawn to the idea of capturing a moment when play feels completely real, when the line between imagination and reality blurs. The boy in this painting is shown in quiet connection with his dinosaurs, holding one close as if it were alive. His expression carries a seriousness that children often bring to play, reminding us that imagination is not frivolous but deeply meaningful. The dinosaurs, with their vibrant colors and exaggerated forms, speak to the way children transform small, plastic figures into vivid characters with personalities and stories of their own.

Process
My process began with sketches to determine the pose and arrangement, making sure the composition felt balanced while still dynamic. I worked from life for the boy and staged the toys around him to create a sense of both natural play and a slightly theatrical tableau. From there, I blocked in the large shapes and tonal values, allowing the overall mood to emerge before moving into finer details. I paid particular attention to the boy’s face, treating it as the emotional anchor of the piece. The dinosaurs were painted with loose, more playful brushstrokes to reflect their role as toys while still giving them weight and presence. The plain background serves to strip away distractions, focusing attention on the child and the vivid, imaginative world he inhabits.

Natalya, multi-colored chalk, 22 x 15" (55 x 38 cm) 

Dan Thompson

Inspiration
This drawing emerged from a multicolor in-person workshop that I taught at the Art League, in Alexandria, Virginia (I drew alongside my students at the profile position). Because nothing meaningful in the arts emerges from indifference, my preference is always to collaborate with models who express real conviction, a lesson-by-example that I hope each student will emulate. Our model here, Natalya, has endurance and resilience in spades; she always exhibits quiet, resolute strength. 

Process
I worked this drawing with more of a monochromatic approach, using exceedingly forgiving materials at first. White chalk punched the paper space in a way that charcoal (and later, black chalk) countered. One never wants to concoct a ground color without using a ground color. As things progressed, color was added: red and finally yellow. My goal was to make something worthy of both our striking model as well as the fleeting yet substantive discourse. Every drawing opportunity presents a unique context to comment on the extravagance of humanity.

Little Girl Wearing Greek Traditional Dress, watercolor and charcoal on paper, 30 x 22" (76 x 55 cm) 

Chung-Wei Chien

Inspiration
In April 2019, while strolling near Central Park in New York, I happened to encounter a Greek festival parade. Men, women and children were dressed in splendid traditional Greek costumes, endlessly chanting, “Victor! Victor!” in a procession that seemed to have no end. I quickly picked up my camera and shot continuously. I love photographing people during festivals, gathering material without having to worry about being seen as strange. Later, I selected one photo of a young girl in a red vest, walking with her head lowered. Her appearance reminded me of the works of the 19th-century master Bouguereau.

Process
I first sketched the basic form with pencil and charcoal on Arches hot-pressed paper, then brushed on a layer of warm gray watercolor as an underpainting (the white lace was preserved by leaving the paper untouched). While the surface was still damp, I allowed natural water stains and textures to form, creating a weathered, historical atmosphere. After letting it dry completely overnight, I continued refining the figure and details with charcoal and charcoal pencil.