Artists
Marla Hoppenstedt
“I thought about how our world has become so fast-paced and media driven—constantly bombarded with information. How different are we today from the Old Masters? By dissecting familiar images of the past and reconstructing them into a new contemporary space, I wanted to create an illusion of the past converging with the present.” Her oil painting Aubade (“Dawn Serenade”) took first place in the Louisiana Art & Artists’ Guild’s annual River Road Show. “My idea for the painting came from a photo I took of the sun filtering through the windows onto orchids at Lance Hayes Flowers; as my work has evolved over the years, I still use many Old Masters techniques while exploring contemporary compositions. I start with a toned ground on canvas, then create a detailed drawing to give dimension. Then I build up the image gradually with thin layers of color. I also use strong contrasts of light and dark—a technique known as chiaroscuro.”
Harriet Blum
The ethereal landscapes of fine art photographer Harriet Blum are included in commercial and private collections nationally and internationally. Numerous regional awards include the highly-coveted Best of Show at the Bethesda Row Arts Festival in Bethesda, Maryland. Commercial Projects include small and large-scale works on paper, canvas, Plexiglass and murals. The timeless serenity of this work is particularly appropriate in medical and hospitality environments.
Joe Mustachia
Joe Mustachia, a native son of Louisiana, whose artistic journey intertwines with the rich cultural fabric of the New Orleans landscape. Delving into the realm of art during his time at the University of New Orleans in the late 1980s, Joe cultivated a passion that would endure the trials of time and life’s evolving paths. Though momentarily diverted by the demands of entrepreneurship and the loving embrace of a growing family, Joe’s artistic soul remained ever vigilant. Thirty years hence, amidst the tender ache of farewelling their cherished family companion, Bosco, Joe found solace in the graphite whispers of a pencil, etching his beloved pet’s likeness onto paper. Stirred by his wife’s warm reception of his creation, Joe’s dormant passion for art reignited, illuminating his path once more. A seemingly serendipitous request to immortalize a humble can of red beans marked the genesis of a remarkable artistic odyssey. Residing now in the serene enclave of Baton Rouge, Joe’s artistic voice resonates with newfound clarity and purpose. A seminal moment at a local festival saw Joe’s canvas transfigured into a vibrant tableau, drawing admirers into its kaleidoscopic allure. Amidst the buzz of appreciation, Joe’s art found a home, birthing a cascade of commissions and accolades.
Claudia Benton
Born in Guatemala City and now residing in Baton Rouge, Claudia E. Benton is a self-taught artist specializing in alcohol ink techniques, with a focus on Southern wildlife. She holds a graphic design degree from Rafael Landívar University since 2009 and has also worked as a professor of product and graphic design at the same institution. Claudia’s design background has enhaced her ability to master the fluidity and intricacy of alcohol ink technique over the last 5 years.
Her work has been exhibited in various venues, including the Spring Festival in Ocean Springs MS; the International Exhibition on Animals in Art at LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, where her painting Chirping received the People’s Choice Award; an exhibition at The Mallory in St. Francisville titled Art and Aperitifs; the Art Guild of the National Jury Exhibition at the Louisiana Archives Building Louisiana’s 54th Annual River Road Show, where her painting Blue Jay & Moon received an Honorable Mention; the Yellow Leaf Art Festival in St. Francisville; and the Three Rivers Art Festival in Covington, Louisiana.
Ann Warner
Ann Warner is an award-winning oil painter and a native of Franklinton, Louisiana. She has exhibited in regional and national shows, museums and galleries, and her work can be found in corporate and private collections across the United States. Ann concentrates her work in the landscape, still life, and portraiture. She loves to travel, and painting plein air (on location) has inspired much of her work. From Maine to Santa Fe, the Bahamas to the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, and Italy, each trip affords her “the opportunity to vary, stretch, and grow” her work. Ann has a Bachelor of Science degree from LSU, and was mentored by the late Carl Thorp, a noted oil colorist. Other artists who have influenced her development of artistic understanding and style are John Carlson, Charles Hawthorne, and Emile Gruppe. In past years, she has studied with such artists as Alfred Chadbourne, Charles Morvalli, Charles Sovek, John H. Sanden, Morgan Samuel Price, William White, Alice Williams, and Wolf Kahn.
William Guion
I make tree portraits. What began for me as a simple exercise in creating a photographic series of a subject matter that attracted me emotionally (Louisiana live oaks) has become a calling and a life’s work. Over the past 40-plus years, my relationship with oak trees has led to the creation of six books, numerous magazine articles, exhibits, and multiple commissioned projects. My images take the form of black-and-white film and color digital photographs printed on paper and canvas and often hand-painted. My work is grounded in the belief that if an oak, or any tree, can be seen as a unique individual, a living thing with a history and personality, it becomes harder to minimize its significance and easier to recognize its value to the average person. In today’s world, this is a crucial step toward protecting an elder oak from thoughtless and senseless removal.
Carolyn Biggio
Carolyn Biggio learned under the master painter, Henry Hensche, a man with 73 years of painting experience and the legacy of three generations of color teaching that reach as far back as William Merritt Chase. Carolyn remembers, ” Hensche was there at the studio shortly after I began to study. His works took me by surprise- I’d never imagined the colors he used and the beauty of his paintings were a revelation to me. I had to learn more and was so lucky to be able to spend individual time studying with him. I would go to the studio after work , in the early afternoon and work on a set up outside and then move it inside and work on a new piece. He would critique me and help me to see that learning to see color was the most important part of the lesson. I approached every painting as a learning tool towards a better understanding.”
“I took what I learned and paint from my heart. The colors are what I see and how I interpret the conditions of the objects in the light present. I don’t know how to explain the joy of bringing together all the shadow masses and light masses and creating on canvas the volume and color of the scene before me. Every painting is a learning adventure and a puzzle to figure out. I use a painting knife for my paintings because I was taught that way by Mr. Hensche and I grew to love the texture and the freshness of the oil colors when the knife is used. Occasionally I begin with a brush and then work with the knife. It is a spontaneous painting effort and I usually paint wet in wet. I paint outdoors mainly. I love the pure sunlight. Sometimes I paint by the natural light coming through a window. I paint what is interesting to me. I daydream about color combinations and then find things that I can use to form the composition. I always paint with natural light. Sometimes inside by a window but usually outside in my yard. I have occasionally done small light filled-portraits of my son, friends, etc. I don’t consider myself a portrait painter but I do enjoy painting the human figure in the sun and I am usually satisfied with the results. I don’t do landscapes except on occasion. I painted landscapes on painting retreats to New Mexico, for example, but not on any regular basis. I would consider myself primarily a still life painter who enjoys painting other forms occasionally. Happy to concentrate on color differences and painting beauty as I see and feel it.”
Cheri C. Fry
Working equally in watercolor and oil, Cheri’s work is an examination of art that is representational and creatively interesting; a painterly embrace of simplification and an exploration of space and tones in both landscape and figures. “Figure work is my people-journey of learning to simplify yet maintain the beauty of the human form.” Creativity thrives in though provoking choices that effect motifs, palette, design, and brush work. Removal of the unnecessary allows for space and simplification. Cheri was born in New Orleans, Louisiana where the influences of Louisiana food, music, and people have touched her art. Cheri has exhibited in regional, national, and international art competitions, and has won numerous awards. She is a member of the Art Student’s League of New York, an exhibiting and signature member of Louisiana Watercolor Society; an exhibiting member of Oil Painters of America, and Art Guild of Louisiana. Her art is found in private and corporate collections across the United States and has been published in three Splash watercolor books and the art magazine, the Best of Watercolor 2020. While pursuing an art career, she earned her master’s degree in Speech Pathology and has recently retired from her employment as a Speech Pathologist for over 35 years. Cheri is an art instructor teaching private students and workshops. St. Francisville, Louisiana is the home of Cheri and her husband.
Anne Crawford
Jovann Armstrong
Charlie Smith
