When it comes to her Gullah-inspired paintings, Outsider Folk Artist Saundra “Renee” Smith is actually anything but. It’s her insider’s perspective, her deep and rich Gullah family legacy, gleaned from a lifetime of living on St. Helena’s Island that has earned our August cover artist a place among America’s great outsider folk artists, according to the National Advisory Board for the Folk Society of America. “My art is a testament of “grow-in up Gullah; it captures ladies with hats pulled low to cover secrets carried softly on the waters which run so deeply through the veins of the Gullah culture.”

One of the nation’s foremost recognized Pop artists, this month’s Pink cover artist Perry Milou is best known for creating pop culture contemporary art that frequently tributes global icons, Americana — like the striking Lady Liberty that graces our July cover—and celebrities such as Madonna, Sylvester Stallone, and his iconic painting of Pope Francis’ historic visit to America. In 2016, the spontaneous, non-commissioned portrait of the pontiff won Milou recognition as official licensed portrait artist by The World Meeting of Families.

Artist Candace Whittemore Lovely, an Impressionistic painter and Copley Master, is known for her pleasing views of American scenes, especially landscapes of treasured locales and people at play in idyllic locations. Her talents have served her well in creating an opportune place in time for Candace to paint a portrait of an American “treasure”—the official White House portrait of Former First Lady Barbara Bush.

There’s a world of playful pastels and a wise old soul in love with travel and nature living inside the imaginative mind of 18-year-old Emma Steuer.

From Pawleys Island, S.C., Emma is a Class of 2017 graduate of the Academy of Arts, Science and Technology High School in Myrtle Beach. She is currently carrying a full load of freshman classes at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, with plans for a fall transfer to the College of Charleston to pursue marine biology.

It’s a jungle out there…on this month’s cover. So much to see and discover—can you find the secret? The three enchanted birds each sharing a secret with “The Goddess,” inspired by artist Mira Scott’s daughter, are an African Grey, a White Bellied Caique and … what is the secret, you ask?
 
Alis Volat Propriis: She flies with her own wings. Surrounded by angels’ trumpets, brightly colored hibiscus, variegated ginger and monkey ball vines, can you find the motionless little observer?
A goddess has many facets, names and aspects. The worship of goddesses dates back to Paleolithic times. Evidence indicates most ancient tribes and cultures were matriarchal. Among the first human images discovered are the “Venus figures,” nude female figures dating back to the Cro-Magnons between 35,000 and 10,000 BC.

Jonathan Green, a Gardens Corner, SC native, is a nationally acclaimed and awarded professional artist, who graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1982.

“I never thought of life without art. I’ve done art all of my life and had tremendous support from the women of my family—my grandmother, my mother, aunts. I’ve always had the ability to do art within my family because it was looked upon as a special omen, if you will, the fact that someone could create something just based on looking at it. There was a tremendous sense of pride, but not from the prospective of Jonathan Green, the artist, but from the perspective of Jonathan Green having the ability and God-given talent to do these things,” said Jonathan.

Erisha Rubingh is a fashion and lifestyle illustrator. Inspired by style in every form—food, fashion and décor, her illustrations reflect her naturally effervescent and colorful personality. If Erisha had to describe her illustrations in one word, it would be, “Exuberant! Or Vivacious! It’s hard to pick just one!” she said.

Dabney Mahanes says, “I didn’t become a serious artist until my mid 50s.” Truth be told, she was a serious artist from childhood, it’s just the opportunity to fully focus on her talents didn’t present itself until later in life. She had a double dose of creativity from early on, majoring in graphic design and fashion illustration at college to divert her from her dream of being a dancer. Taking hints from society, she tried to persuade her artisanship into a practical package, which would come with the chance of a “real” career and steady salary.

In tune with the simple and sublime patterns of everyday life, such as birds, the female species, shapes and forms in nature, small and large-scale flowers, tall pointy houses and whimsical landscapes, our January cover artist is Jill Badonsky, M.Ed. Jill is one transcendent modern day “Wonder Woman”. Like the iconic comic and big screen character, Jill has the ability and wisdom to help others in finding their internal compass of truth in a variety of ways.
“’Poinsettia Dream Woman,’ the watercolor and ink medium artwork for Pink’s January cover, represents how the holidays can take us beyond the mundane and into the fabulousness available in
our imaginations.”

Internationally acclaimed musician Danny McBride is this month’s cover artist.  Being raised by a couple of artists who encouraged the arts, Danny recalls going to the symphony when he was young and being moved to tears. He grew up watching his dad sketch caricatures and his mom create watercolor and oil paintings. He and his brother both became musicians.

Danny always struggled in school, not realizing he was dyslexic. It was his English teacher who said, “Don’t you play guitar? Maybe you should be a musician.” That’s exactly what Danny did, dropping out of school at age 17, the beginning of his “invisible life in the fast lane.” That same year Toronto Star Newspaper labeled him as Canada’s No. 1 rock guitarist.

About the Cover Artist - Jimmy Lawlor

This month’s cover artist, Jimmy Lawlor, was born in Wexford, Ireland, in December 1967. He now lives in Westport, in the magnificent West of Ireland. Jimmy has been exhibiting for more than 20 years.

Like many artists, Jimmy has been drawing since he was a kid. When he was a teenager, he realized he wanted to become a full-time artist. It was a dream that seemed impossible. Ireland was in the middle of an economic depression, and art was the last thing on people’s minds.

About the Cover Artist
Tim Rees

This month’s cover artist, Tim Rees, is an emerging Novorealist painter, using his technical drawing skills to glorify the human figure. The beautiful piece on our cover entitled Vivification is the second in a series of three paintings describing the life cycle: The first symbolizes birth. The second (Vivification) symbolizes life, and Rees is currently working on the third, which symbolizes death.

Tim Rees grew up in Arizona with a love for drawing. He began studying animation at Collins College in Phoenix, but was disappointed by the heavy reliance on computers in contemporary animation. He preferred traditional drawing methods instead and moved on. Although he made strides to pursue a medical degree, his desire to create art was too overwhelming and kept calling him “home.” Rees painted with a small group of artists in downtown Scottsdale by day, and worked at the hospital by night. It was there someone told him about the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art in Chicago.

About the Cover Artist
Neva Campbell
 
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina native Neva Campbell is this month’s cover artist. It was Neva’s father who first taught her to draw a monkey using circles and ovals. Before long she graduated to unicorns and horses, her mediums expanding from pencils to chalk and paint. Neva knew one thing about herself from a young age: She was different.
Always busy creating or painting, she never quite fit in with everyone else. Only when she was in the process of creating something did she feel completely at home, eventually coming to accept that’s who she is—an artist.

About the Cover Artist
Jennifer Rocco Stone
 
Jennifer Rocco Stone, this month’s cover artist, was born in New York. After 29 years, her life’s journey took her to New Jersey for a time, then Massachusetts and most recently, landed her in Bluffton, S.C.

Jennifer’s career in art began with her Bachelor of Arts Degree and Teacher Certification from William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J.  For more than 20 years, Jennifer followed her lifelong passion—teaching art to children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Her favorite quote by Picasso says, “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Her teaching was deeply founded, as she helped give students the same inspiration that launched her love for art in fourth grade as a student herself, when she won an art contest with a piece her teacher titled “Jennifer’s Jungle.” While following her dream of teaching, she continued taking night classes at Montclair University in Montclair, N.J. to pursue a Masters of Art Degree.

About the Cover Artist
Scout Cuomo
 
This month’s cover artist is Scout Cuomo. Her light-infused work explores the intersection of the human and natural world. As an impressionistic and abstract impressionistic full-time artist, Scout works predominately in the mediums of painting and drawing. She is best known for her Swimmers series, which portrays people floating in and exploring life under water. By embedding pigment in thick coats of epoxy, she infuses her pieces with light to create a glass-like gloss. The end result is a surprisingly delicate, three-dimensional painting. Subjects range from underwater views to landscapes to animals painted on glass using the same process. An artist industriously producing new work, she’s sold more than 300 original paintings nationally and internationally. Scout is dedicated to supporting her local economy by collaborating with other community artists and makers, from blacksmiths to graphic designers.