artist-of-the-week-perry-slade-of-aurora
top of page
Glancer Magazine
Glancer Magazine We Love Local

Chicago West

Featuring West Suburban Chicago...At a Glance!

Item List

by Mindy Kyle BEAUTIFUL WORK BY LOCAL ARTIST WITH MANY TALENTS Photography is Aurora artist Perry Slade’s favorite form of artistic expression.  He enjoys the ability to see a story and capture it right away, as some stories are fleeting. “I have a proclivity for black and white,” says Perry. “However, there are times when I cannot present the story in anything but color to convey my feelings.” Perry began as an artist at a very young age with an innate ability to draw. As an adult, he self-educated to hone his photography skills by reading and studying the works of others. When he realized the power of the camera and the capacity for photography to serve as a conduit to his creativity, he knew it was his artistic way forward. Perry’s photographic artwork has been exhibited at facilities such as the Water Street Studio galleries and the Fermilab Art Gallery. He sells his photos in several sizes from limited edition to photographic and poster format, and they are sold at the Cotton Seed Exchange in Aurora, the Aurora Historical Society, the Water Street Studios Online art gallery and various art fairs. To see more of Perry Slade’s photographs, visit his website at www.sladeimages.com  . FEATURED ARTISTS AURORA KANE

ARTIST OF THE WEEK | Perry Slade of Aurora

ARTIST OF THE WEEK | Beautiful Work by Local Artist with Many Talents

Read More
by Mindy Kyle LOCAL ARTIST HAS WATERCOLORS OF GENEVA HISTORICAL LANDMARKS ON DISPLAY Born and raised in Brazil, Geneva artist Fatima Figueiredo studied industrial design at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Her first two years of study included mandatory art classes, like drawing, painting and sculpting. “I graduated and worked in industrial design for over twenty years,” says Fatima, “but those two years of creating art never were forgotten as the best time I had.” A corporate relocation brought Fatima and her family to the United States and consequently they settled in Geneva. The move provided an opportunity for her to pursue her dream to be a painter. Fatima began painting watercolors as a means of expanding her techniques while studying with several Chicago-area artists. Many of her watercolors of Geneva historic landmarks are in public and private collections. Her mural, “Once Upon a Time”, can be viewed at the Geneva History Center, and she currently has paintings displayed at the Watercolor 2021 Show at the Norris Cultural Center Gallery in St. Charles. To view more of Fatima’s paintings, visit her website at www.figtreestudio.com , on Instagram @Fatimafig57 and on Facebook under Fatima Caratori Figueiredo. FEATURED ARTISTS GENEVA KANE

ARTIST OF THE WEEK | Fatima Figueiredo of Geneva

ARTIST OF THE WEEK | Fatima Figueiredo of Geneva

Read More
by Mindy Kyle HIS ART TEACHER SAW SOMETHING IN HIM & GAVE HIM OPPORTUNITIES TO SUCCEED Chicago artist Adam Michaels fell into art creation in high school with a push from a couple of his teachers. He kept getting in trouble and failing but when his drafting teacher saw a piece of Adam’s art, he saw success potential and instead of failing him, gave him a C to go on to art. The art teacher did so much more for him beyond just art. “She saw something in me and would vouch for me when I got in trouble to give me an opportunity to accomplish art and save me from myself,” says Adam. “Typically, and thankfully, others see it in ourselves even if we do not.” Currently, Adam considers himself fortunate to be working as a full-time artist while also juggling an acting and performing career. Ink and watercolor are the mediums he enjoys most but likes to dive into all types of mediums to experiment. “Honestly, the things that inspired me to be an artist was the incredibly bonkers pop-culture I grew up with – ninja turtles, heman, werewolves, dragons,” says Adam. Adam sells his art through galleries, art shows and online at www.adamsartbox.com  , but he’s most active on Instagram @adamsartbox. Photos Submitted FEATURED ARTISTS DUPAGE  KANE KENDALL

ARTIST OF THE WEEK | Adam Michaels of Chicago

by Mindy Kyle HIS ART TEACHER SAW SOMETHING IN HIM & GAVE HIM OPPORTUNITIES TO SUCCEED Chicago artist Adam Michaels fell into art...

Read More
THROUGH LOSS & MOURNING, LOCAL RESIDENT FOUND HER LOVE FOR ART Geneva artist Michele Norman picked up her paintbrush and created her first oil painting during a time of great loss in her life. “I found the need to find beauty in the midst of suffering,” says Michele. “I believe that beauty is hope, and I felt compelled to share it through my work.” That painting, “Mourning”, earned her a finalist award at “The Artist Magazine”, and after that accolade, she felt she had no other choice but to become a painter. Michele studied applied arts for two years in El Salvador and followed it with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design in Mexico City. Although she learned as a graphic designer the basics of drawing, balance, color theory and composition, she still considers herself self-taught when it comes to painting. “It’s only the daily studio work that will bring the growth skills,” she says. “I believe in showing up; it’s only by working hard that inspiration and beauty will be reached.” Working on commissioned art was mostly how Michele began creating her business, but now she also paints for 33contemporary in Chicago and Galeria123 in El Salvador. You can view more of Michele’s art on her website at www.mishanorman.com  and on her Instagram account @mishanorman. FEATURED ARTISTS ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT LOCAL WOMEN TO KNOW GENEVA KANE

ARTIST OF THE WEEK | Michele Norman of Geneva

THROUGH LOSS & MOURNING, LOCAL RESIDENT FOUND HER LOVE FOR ART Geneva artist Michele Norman picked up her paintbrush and created her...

Read More
by Mindy Kyle ARTISTS' WORK INCLUDES OIL PAINTINGS AND DIGITAL FRACTAL WORK Oswego artist Elisa Hill was not formally trained in art but was inspired at a young age by her great-grandmother and great-aunt, both prolific artists whose footsteps she wanted to follow. Although when she had a day job, she earned a living writing code to put databases together, she enjoyed expressing herself through art. “I realized that what we create is what we leave as our legacy,” says Elisa. “I want to leave something behind in this world that came from my soul.” A lot of Elisa’s favorite works include her oil paintings and the detail and fantasy of her digital fractal work. Fractals are a visual form of math that repeats indefinitely and always continue in the same, visual manner. “The digital manipulation I learned in my previous tech-oriented life was key,” says Elisa. “The fractals and kaleidoscopes are a beautiful combination of art and tech.” For years, Elisa was particular with accuracy in her art until one night she watched a show about artist Keith Haring that taught her how to let go and just create. That also resonates with something her great-grandmother once told her, “If you don’t like it, you can paint over it.” To view more of Elisa’s creations, you can find her on Facebook under Mona Elisa’s Designs, on Instagram with the handle “The Girl Who Plays with Rainbows” (id: elisaannhill), and her Society 6 shop named monaelisasdesigns . FEATURED ARTISTS OSWEGO KENDALL

ARTIST OF THE WEEK | Elisa Hill of Oswego

ARTIST OF THE WEEK | Elisa Hill of Oswego

Read More
by Mindy Kyle CREATING WHIMSICAL & ENGAGING LIGHT SCULPTURES Glen Ellyn artist George Berlin has the fascinating occupation of creating whimsical and engaging light sculptures, animation and immersive installations for light festivals and museums around the world, including several at the DuPage Children’s Museum. “The art I design is meant to be experienced more than just looked at,” says George. “Some you can touch, some you can climb on or play with and some you help create with me.” Currently working in Taiwan, George and his team recently created the “Tree of Light”, a 35-foot-tall light sculpture that took dozens of welders and acrylic installers. This sculpture and their “Open Your Heart” light sculpture were created to boost an entire region in the mountainous village of Laiji, which was hit hard by a typhoon in 2009. His large projection mapping projects have found much notoriety as well. “EarthRise Apollo: Moonbeams” debuted on the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, Romania, a monumental sight, nearly 1000 feet long. “Let’s Dance” was chosen Audience Favorite by 120,000 guests at Seattle’s Borealis Festival of Light in 2018. Closer to home, last summer George launched Monster:Impossible, a multi-state art scavenger hunt where he hid over 50 paintings of silly monsters in 4 cities around the country with tricky clues, challenges and puzzles on social media. “I wanted to get people outside for a safe adventure with their kids,” says George. “During this pandemic, it was a welcome diversion for so many.” You can discover more of George’s art on his website www.georgeberlin.com  on Instagram @georgeberlinart or on Facebook under George Berlin Studios. If you have interest in the stories and images detailing his adventures creating the light art in Taiwan, check out his blog at www.georgeberlin.com/blog  . FEATURED ARTISTS ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT DUPAGE KANE 
  KENDALL

ARTIST OF THE WEEK | George Berlin of Glen Ellyn

by Mindy Kyle CREATING WHIMSICAL & ENGAGING LIGHT SCULPTURES Glen Ellyn artist George Berlin has the fascinating occupation of creating...

Read More
by Mindy Kyle CAPTURING THE PERSONALITIES & UNIQUENESS OF LOCAL PETS Successful pet portrait artist and animal lover, Molly Walsh-Lorenzini, uses her watercolors and colored pencils to capture the personalities and uniqueness of her clients’ beloved pets. “Seeing the joy that a pet portrait envokes and knowing that they will enjoy it for years to come is my favorite part of creating this art,” says Molly. When not working on a pet project, she uses her love of animals to create realistic wildlife portraits. Molly explains that as a teenager, she had a fascination with drawing and painting eyes, which inspired her to start taking art classes outside of school from full-time artists. Her artistry guided her to a different earlier career as a cosmetologist and small business owner for 25 years in Los Angeles with a celebrity clientele that included Brooke Shields, Maria Sharapova and Jim Carrey. The Hollywood Reporter called her “The Facialist to the Stars”. When she moved to St. Charles, she sold her business and retired from that career to start her next chapter with her husband, Michael. Now along with creating artwork, Molly teaches watercolor and colored pencil at Fine Line Creative Art Center and helps students find the joy in art. You can view more of Molly’s art and contact her at www.mollysfineart.com , on Facebook (Molly’s Fine Art) and on Instagram @mollysfineart. FEATURED ARTISTS DUPAGE KANE 
  KENDALL CHICAGO

ARTIST OF THE WEEK | Molly Walsh-Lorenzini of St. Charles

by Mindy Kyle CAPTURING THE PERSONALITIES & UNIQUENESS OF LOCAL PETS Successful pet portrait artist and animal lover, Molly...

Read More
by Mindy Kyle FOUNDER OF THE ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM AT FERMILAB Geneva resident Georgia Schwender is an artist and a curator, seeped in science. In the 1990’s she was employed by Brookhaven National Laboratory, NY as a photographic specialist supporting science. This is where her interest in science bloomed. In 1995, Georgia was part of a three-person exhibit in the Fermilab Art Gallery in Batavia exhibiting “Stem” - large format black and white photographs from the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, Scotland. In 2001, she became Curator of the Fermilab Art Gallery. In 2014, she founded the Artist-in-Residence Program at Fermilab, which enables an artist to have access to places and experiences not usually open to the public in order to create a signature body of work that is displayed in the gallery. The development of this program inspired her to personally apply for other programs and was awarded Artist-in-Residence at Homestead National Monument in Nebraska. This gave Georgia time to work on her photography series, “Prairie Quadrat Study”, cyanotype photos of native tall-grass prairie plants from restored areas of the prairie at Fermilab. “This once vast tall-grass prairie is an endangered eco-system,” explains Georgia. “I hope that my work will bring light to the beauty and importance of the tall grass prairie in the Midwest.” To view more of Georgia’s artwork, visit her website at www.georgiaschwender.com  or on Instagram at @Tallgrassclay and @georgia5387. FEATURED ARTISTS DUPAGE KANE 
  KENDALL

ARTIST OF THE WEEK | Georgia Schwender of Geneva

by Mindy Kyle FOUNDER OF THE ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM AT FERMILAB Geneva resident Georgia Schwender is an artist and a curator, seeped...

Read More
by Mindy Kyle ARTIST REWRITES TOUCHING LIFE STORIES THROUGH HER ARTWORK  Much of Lisle artist Lisa Dzuriscsko’s subject matter comes from personal experience. She explains that the stories are from friends and family. Some of the stories are tragic. “I attempt rewrites of these stories, peopling the narration with animal characters as stand-ins,” says Lisa. “It is an attempt to work through grief and challenges in a respectful way.” Growing up, Lisa was introduced to art by watching her mother draw and still treasures a colored pencil portrait her mom made of her when she was in 2nd grade. In college, she took a few art classes and felt she had found her place. This eventually drew her to the School of the Art Institute in Chicago where she earned her Master in Fine Arts, and still works in a collaboration group formed by fellow graduates called MotherArt:Revisited. An art teacher for 21 years at Marmion Academy in Aurora, Lisa feels very fortunate to be able to expose her students to a variety of art styles. “There are so many forms of art to explore,” says Lisa. “It is important for them to see traditional work, but also be exposed to contemporary art, then pick the styles that call to them.” View more of Lisa’s art by following her on Instagram @mzlisadz. FEATURED ARTISTS DUPAGE KANE KENDALL

ARTIST OF THE WEEK | Lisa Dzuricsko of Lisle

by Mindy Kyle ARTIST REWRITES TOUCHING LIFE STORIES THROUGH HER ARTWORK Much of Lisle artist Lisa Dzuriscsko’s subject matter comes from...

Read More
by Mindy Kyle HER LARGE SCALE WORK CAN BE SEEN THROUGHOUT CHICAGOLAND Originally from Croatia, artist Ana Zanic moved to the U.S. eighteen years ago with her husband after they both earned their master degrees there – her husband in physics and Ana from the Academy of Fine Arts at the University of Zagreb. “Moving to the U.S. meant more opportunities to pursue our passions,” she says. “I have for years now been represented by several galleries across the country and have art in collections around the globe.” For the past six years, they have made Geneva their home. Having a dozen professional visual artists on both sides of her family, Ana was immersed in the art world since early childhood. Although watercolor has always been her passion and the medium she is most known for, she has also enjoyed drawing and working in ceramics and printmaking. Her large-scale work can be seen in public spaces around Chicago, including the Lowes Hotel where her commissioned watercolors are visible from the street. “It is fun to just drive by and see my work downtown,” says Ana. This past summer, one of her paintings was showcased over the entire two-story façade at the Chicago Art Source gallery featuring a summer exhibit. To view more of Ana’s artwork, visit her on her website, www.anazanic.com  or at www.artsy.net/artist/ana-zanic  , or follow her on Instagram @ anazanic_art. FEATURED ARTISTS DUPAGE KANE  KENDALL

ARTIST OF THE WEEK | Ana Zanic of Geneva

by Mindy Kyle HER LARGE SCALE WORK CAN BE SEEN THROUGHOUT CHICAGOLAND Originally from Croatia, artist Ana Zanic moved to the U.S....

Read More
by Mindy Kyle FOUNDER OF LOCAL ART STUDIO HAS A BEAUTIFUL LOVE FOR THE COMMUNITY Longtime Naperville resident, artist and muralist Sangeeta Pande has been painting since the age of four and won her first art contest at the age of five. Her bold and vibrant style permeates throughout her work, making a statement she hopes will make people think. “I love working on portraits and figurative forms,” says Sangeeta, “and weaving classical mythology into compelling contemporary art.” As founder of the Petite Picassos Art Studio, Sangeeta enjoys watching her students learn something new, and believing art has the power to change the brain, she is rewarded when she watches them heal through her art therapy. This past fall, Sangeeta joined the newly formed artist group, Art of Inclusion, and led the creation of the 76-by-28 foot “Naperville Together” mural painted in the Naperville Township parking lot at 139 Water Street. Each of the 18 letters was assigned to a local artist to paint a unique design. “The goal was to create a highly visible street mural that promotes a positive message of hope, change and inclusion,” she says. Sangeeta was also highly involved in the beautification and healing of downtown Naperville after this summer’s looting and unrest, painting 10 healing murals on the boarded-up storefronts. The murals have since been collected and stored by Naper Settlement. ALL FEATURED ARTISTS DUPAGE  KANE KENDALL

ARTIST OF THE WEEK | Sangeeta Pande of Naperville

by Mindy Kyle FOUNDER OF LOCAL ART STUDIO HAS A BEAUTIFUL LOVE FOR THE COMMUNITY Longtime Naperville resident, artist and muralist...

Read More
Jewelry artist Nancy Krahn focuses on detail, quality, form and function in her one-of-a-kind jewelry creations. As opposed to jewelry casting, the way a lot of jewelry is made, to be able to duplicate the pieces, she uses a process called hand fabricating, a technique she likens to carpentry. “I am actually building pieces with sterling silver and gold sheets, and adding precious, semi-precious and ornamental gemstones,” says Nancy. Ever since majoring in the Fine Arts program at University of Wisconsin, Nancy has been self-employed creating and selling her jewelry her entire adult life. Teaching her techniques at the Fine Line Creative Arts Center in St. Charles sparks a part of her that she didn’t know she was missing. “I didn’t know how much I would love it,” says Nancy. “Watching my students light-up when they have learned a technique and seeing their smiles when they’ve completed a project is so rewarding.” Nancy describes her designs as lyrical, an influence from her father, a classical musician and a nod to Art Nouveau and Art Deco, a tribute to her Grandmother. The flowery and organic lines reflect her feminine side. Staying true to her own vision, Nancy has developed a style that is recognizably her own. “I love it when someone recognizes a ‘Nancy piece’ on someone else.” To view and purchase Nancy’s jewelry, visit www.NancyKrahnJewelryDesign.com  . If you are interested in taking her jewelry classes, visit www.FineLine.org  . ALL FEATURED ARTISTS ALL LOCAL WOMEN TO KNOW ALL KANE COUNTY

ARTIST OF THE WEEK | Nancy Krahn of St. Charles/Algonquin

Jewelry artist Nancy Krahn focuses on detail, quality, form and function in her one-of-a-kind jewelry creations. As opposed to jewelry...

Read More

Latest Issue
March 2024

Glancer Magazine March 2024

Glance through the Pages

of Your Community Living Magazine Today! 

► March 2024 Issue, Western Suburbs

► DuPage Feature

► Kane Features

► Kendall Features

bottom of page