Natasha Lehrer
Fiber Artist

For Natasha, being a shepherd started her journey into fiber arts. Working with fibers for nearly ten years, she uses her own wool as well as other locally grown fibers to create unique fiber art pieces that speak from her heart. An award winning artist, she has exhibited, presented and taught at guilds and groups as well as at the Illinois Art Educator’s Association Conference, and is on staff at Waubonsee Community College. As well as being an artist, she owns and operates Esther’s Place in Big Rock, IL. Teaching is her greatest passion; it is her belief that everyone should have the opportunity to be involved in art, and she enjoys introducing people to fiber arts. Teaching art is like watching a caterpillar turn into a lovely butterfly, and the transformation is wonderful aspect to be a part of. Her work and her shop can be explored on the web at:

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Nancy L. Staszak
Etchings and Print Maker

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Kaneland High School Art Club
Face Painting

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Maureen Bardusk
Stitch Artist

Like nature itself, the hues in Maureen Bardusk's textile art range from bright to muted. Shapes play against one another in unexpected ways. Now and again, a startling element darts into the frame.   Her inspiration comes from the prairie skies, river-flanked woodlands, and gentle topography of her native Illinois.  "Earth and Sky," an exhibit of 35 works by Bardusk, is on display through Aug. 21 in the visitors center of Ryerson Woods, a Lake County forest preserve in Deerfield.  Bardusk created the pieces by backing her abstract landscape painting with a light fleece, sewing them by machine and adding sparse, abstract stitches of embroidery that turn the textiles into a visual canvas — and images that are open to interpretation.  So when studying the earth-tone reds, greens and golds of a piece such as "Relative Humidity," viewers must tap into the own experiences with nature.  "You don't really know if you're looking up or down or at a vast expanse of land," the artist said. "I hope that [viewers] recognize something in their own lives, so there's some connection that they make.  A veteran of the corporate world, Bardusk was for 30 years a docent for the Chicago Architecture Foundation. After nearly three decades in the western suburbs, she now splits her "dual lives" between a Galena studio and the apartment in Chicago's Greektown that she shares with her husband, Joe.

www.maureenbardusk.com

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Michael Shiroda
Caricatures

Michael has been drawing caricatures of people at live events for over a decade.  These sketches with an exaggerated likeness are unique to each person and always a crowd pleaser -- they are as much fun for the subject as they are for onlookers!  In addition to his caricature work, he also enjoys writing stories, illustrating comics, painting, graphic design, and writing/performing music, for which he has also recorded and released a CD.  Michael may be contacted directly at 847-705-4830.

Mary Beth Lies
Collage
KHS Alumna

Mary Beth began her lifelong interest in artistic creation at Kaneland High School, exhibiting in local venues.  After graduating from DePaul Law School and raising two children, she refocused on developing her craft through the LaGrange Art League.  Fascinated by the unlimited potential for self-expression in the collage genre, she has created works that both challenge the viewer’s imagination and provoke an emotional response.  Her pieces have attracted growing interest in regional and international exhibitions.

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Joe Hernandez
Pottery
      

Mr. Hernandez is an award winning artist and teacher actively supporting arts clubs and serving on various arts committees in our community.  He has also served as associate professor of Ceramics and Art and Design at Waubonsee Community College for over 25 years.  He graduated from Northern Illinois University with a BA, MA, and MFA in Ceramics.  Joe conducts workshops and demonstrations in many area schools of all levels and his work has been showcased in a variety of venues locally and overseas, including two-person shows at Marmion Academy in Aurora as well as a Korean/American clay workshop in Seoul, Korea.  Waubonsee CC named him “Teacher of the Year” in 1995.  Joe conducts RAKU workshops at Geneva H.S. and has been a wonderful addition to the art programs.

Gene Westerberg, of Sandwich, Il., Graduate of N.I.U.. Retired teacher of industrial and fine arts, has taught song bird carving through continuing education for over twenty years. He has, for the past 12 years, instructed 30 adult students each week in his Sandwich studio.  He carves and teaches life size wood sculptures of song birds and raptors.  His inspiration comes from nature: a first hand observation of the many species he has observed. He has won numerous awards at art shows and fairs, and his work has been purchased by collectors in several countries and the U.S. He exhibits  in several galleries, as well as in his studio. He may be reached at birdcarvergene@aol.com

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Robert’s art began with childhood crayons and expanded to other mediums like ceramics, painting and print making in high school where he received several school and state student art awards. In college he pursued a career in Landscape Architecture and while on a business trip to the Southwest in the 1970’s, he bought a book about silver smithing and decided to give it a try. Armed with a small propane torch, he melted some old spoons, made a string of silver beads and was hooked. He is self-taught in jewelry making and gem cutting. Cutting and shaping the gemstones and doing all the metal work allows for total responsibility of the design and creation of the finished piece of jewelry. His style and knowledge of gemstones and metal has evolved over 30 years through study, experimentation and practice. His designs exhibit clean lines with Art Deco and contemporary southwest influences. For the last nine years, jewelry making and exhibiting at shows has been his full time occupation.

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I was born Brian Michael Zapien in August of 1968, in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, to Enoc and Nancy Zapien. At the age of four, our family moved to Bridgeport, PA., about 20 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

I guess my life as an artist started when I was a child. My father worked for a paper mill, and he would bring home the irregular reams of paper for me. At first, I wasn’t too sure what to do with all the paper, but I quickly found a purpose for it. I began doodling, going through page after page of paper, drawing everything and anything I could.

I really didn’t think of art and design as a career until I was in high school. I went to a vocational–technical school for commercial art, not knowing if this is what I wanted to do with my life. My teacher was the main influence in my decision to go to college, telling me that if I decided not to go now, I probably never would.

After graduating from high school, I went to a community college to study art. I received a degree in 1991, and continued on with my education.

I was accepted to Temple University’s Tyler School of Art, where I would study Illustration and Graphic Design. The challenging work proved to be a major aspect in my development as an artist, but it was all well worth it in hindsight.

In May of 1998, I was married to my wife, Sue.  She has been my main influence in starting this business. In February of 1999, we moved to Chicago to explore new dreams and aspirations.

I have been doing freelance work since 1986. My personal thoughts about my work.  No matter what I do as an artist, I feel there is always room to learn and grow. You should never be completely satisfied with your work. There is always room for improvement.

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Bob Krajecki started his art studied with the Famous Artists Correspondence course from Westport, Conn. Drafted into the United States Army Aircorps during the Vietnam conflict, he became the staff artist for the "Army Flyer" newspaper. He continued his studies at the American Academy of Art and the Chicago Academy of Fine Art in Chicago, receiving his degree in watercolor painting.  Upon graduation, Bob pursued a fine art career and exhibited his paintings throughout the Chicagoland area. He started teaching classes in Downers Grove and in Lyons. Bob started teaching full time at the American Academy of Art in 1972, teaching classes in the fundamentals of art, watercolor painting, architectural illustration, cartooning and Adobe Photoshop. He was chosen as the first chairman of the Fundamentals program when the Academy introduced the Bachelor of Arts program.  Bob is currently teaching classes at the Palette and Chisel Academy, and at the Kaneville Community Center in the Fox Valley Area and does demonstration painting and workshops throughout the Chicagoland area. 

Don Brown
Watercolorist

D.L. Brown was born and raised in Central Illinois and his  work reflects the small town, semi-rural environment that has always been a part of his life. Drawing and painting since age 5, Don’s current work is the result of many years of observation and experience. During his teen years, Don lived next door to a soda shop/pharmacy (Krouse’s in Bloomington, IL) and the aura and flavors of that 40’s and 50’s commercial icon have stayed with him all of his life. Family-owned or “Mom-n-Pop” stores, gas stations, cafes and saloons have been his painting subjects for years, with recent extensions to antique junk, coke memorabilia, stone and brick walls, etc. Every painting is one-of-a-kind and is always based on personal knowledge of the subject. Skilled in all aspects of time-weather factors on building materials, Don tries to add toil, sweat and tears to his paintings. As he puts it: “I can paint bricks and weathered wood in my sleep, so I feel I must express the emotions of the place to make it real.”

www.dlbrownwatercolors.com

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Some art can exist only as glass.  For 26 years Donna Moore has been captivated by its color, texture, and brilliance. 
She has created stained glass Victorian windows with rich color 
and beveled glass.  Followed by a new group of windows she calls “Emergence”.  They are about emerging energy; as plants coming to life.  The colors are old and new.  The shapes are soft and intertwine to suggest our dependence one to another.  New work includes fused glass wall figures based on rock art.  The wall figures can be hung in a family or tribe or as a single person.  They are embellished with glass and stone.  She makes adornment for the person.  Using techniques of quilters to cut glass and realign it to create new patterns for earrings and pendants.  Glass with all its limits is an endless journey.

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Nancy Long
Oil Painting

Nancy Long of Sycamore is a painter and art teacher.  She has taught K-12 art since 1976.  She has a Bachelor Degree in Art Education from Northwest Missouri State University, a Master Degree in Art Education and 36 graduate hours in painting from NIU.  In the summer months she paints and teaches private lessons at her home.  Her work has been displayed at many locations, which include but are not limited to DeKalb Gallery, Norris Gallery in St. Charles, and The Campbell House in Geneva.  Recognitions and awards include:  Student Service Recognition Award from NIU for sharing her paintings with the Counseling Center since 1990, First Place award in the Electronic Art Gallery at the Illinois Art Education Association conference in Galena, Sycamore Arts Council award for contributing community artist, and guest artist at the Kaneland Community Fine Arts Festival.  Long has been involved in contributing art to community fundraisers such as painted violins for the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra, painted desks for Sycamore Education Association, and the Sycamore High School art scholarship auction.

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Angel Medina
Cartoonist

Angel Medina, Aurora IL., has been drawing from an early age.  He did the smart thing, and went to Northern Illinois University where he earned his BFA in Art. Mr. Medina learned some stuff about color, theory and art. Mr. Medina is always drawing.  Art takes dedication, and in order to following his dreams, he continued to attend comic book conventions, learned the business, and continued submitted work to comic book publishers.  Mr. Medina (c’mon call him Angel!) got his one of his first breaks with Megaton Comics, illustrating Beserker and Megaton.  In the 1980’s, he worked also for First Publishing on Dreadstar and Jodah the Hammer.  Things kept getting bigger for him and he worked for Marvel Comics illustrating The Incredible Hulk, Warlock and the Infinity Watch, Blackwulf, The Avengers and The Amazing Spider-Man and The Marvel Knights Spider Man.  And, let’s not forget, he drew the comic Spawn for five years and he isn’t stopping there!  What will Angel do next?

Interview at Fistfulofcomics

Pam Maxwell teaches ceramic hand building and wheel throwing skills to students ages 6 thru Adult.  In addition to teaching, she facilitates Collaborative Ceramic Tile & Mosaic Murals for area schools.  “Murals are a great way for an entire school to participate in the ceramic process while creating a permanent work of art.”  Two new murals are being created at Dundee Highlands-Dist. 300 and Creekside Middle School in Woodstock.  Ms. Maxwell feels that both teaching and facility art activities build community through the arts and educate the public about the importance of accessible art programs for all ages. Her latest project, Lakeside Legacy Arts Park in Crystal Lake, IL (a non-profit foundation) is developing a community art center. 

See more info at www.lakesidelegacy.org. 

Amy L. Jahr was born and raised in Sugar Grove, Illinois, with a purple crayon in her hand. She always loved to draw and make things. Growing up, Jahr looked forward to art day and the picture lady. During high school, she took many art classes and discovered her passion for 2D art. Out of all her extracurricular activities, Art Club was by far her favorite.