Archives: Artists

Alvar Suñol Munoz-Ramos was born on January 29, 1935, in Montgat, a Cataluñan city near Barcelona. He began painting at age twelve and was accepted into the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes de San Jorge in Barcelona at seventeen. Just a year later, his entry in a competition for the Young Painters Prize sponsored by the City of Barcelona won the grand prize. That painting now resides in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona. His first solo exhibition in Barcelona took place in 1957.

In 1959, while completing his military service, Alvar received a scholarship from the French Institute of Barcelona and began working in Paris. There he met Juan Fuentes, director of the Galerie Drouant, who sold Alvar’s oil paintings in less than a week. After signing with Gallery Drouant, his works gained recognition throughout Paris, and eminent critic Jacques Lassaigne invited him to participate in the Salon School of Paris in 1960. That same year, he married his childhood sweetheart, Rosella Berenguer, and settled in Paris for a decade. In 1962, his works were introduced in New York at the Monede Gallery, and he produced his first original lithographs for a solo show at Galerie Drouant in 1963.

Alvar is represented by Park West Gallery, continuing a distinguished career that spans painting, lithography, and public sculpture.

Robert Kipniss was born in New York City in 1931 to parents who were both artists, fostering his early love of art. He began studying at the acclaimed Art Students League in 1947 and later earned a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of Iowa in 1952, followed by a Master of Fine Arts in Painting and Art History from the same school in 1954.

Kipniss gained recognition early, winning a 1951 art competition in New York City that earned him his first one-person exhibition. In the 1960s, he began creating graphic works, producing numerous drypoints, lithographs and intaglio works, particularly mezzotints. His subjects include spare trees in autumn and winter, modest houses with simple shapes, rolling countryside, and shadowy interiors, all devoid of human figures. Working in muted tones of white, gray, pale yellow and dusty green, he explores the effects of light and shadow to capture what he describes as atmosphere and fleeting moments rather than merely depicting physical objects.

His work has earned numerous honors, including the 1976 Ralphi Fabri Prize from the National Academy of Design, the 1978 Charles M. Lea Prize from the Print Club of Philadelphia, and the 1999 Boston Printmakers’ Rembrandt Graphics Award. Museums exhibiting his work include The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Whitney Museum of Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, and The British Museum. Kipniss is represented by Park West Gallery.

Eric Dowdle brings the world’s most beloved destinations to life through his signature folk art style, capturing the personality and stories of each place he visits. Growing up as the tenth child in a twelve-child family on a rural Idaho farm, Dowdle moved to Wyoming at age ten and later to Massachusetts, where his passion for folk art and cultural exploration first took root.

In his early twenties, Dowdle left college to pursue art full-time, teaching himself to paint and embarking on adventures that would take him across Kenya, China, the South Pacific, Europe, and throughout the United States. Over more than twenty years, he has created a collection of over two hundred works that depict everything from national parks and cityscapes to holidays and sports venues, each filled with playful details and local customs. His artwork is represented by Park West Gallery and collected worldwide.

Dowdle transforms his paintings into limited-edition giclees and puzzles, having sold his second millionth puzzle in 2011. He shares his artistic journey through his PBS television show “Painting the Town” and his radio program “Traveling with Eric Dowdle.” Among his honors, Dowdle was named honorary artist for the 1997 Utah Sesquicentennial Celebration and was inducted into the Green River, Wyoming Hall of Fame in 2010.

Andrew Bone captures the wildlife and landscapes of his native Africa through photorealistic artwork based on his own firsthand experiences and photographs. Born in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1957, Bone’s deep connection to African wildlife began at age 13 when he attended Falcon College, a bush school in what was then southern Rhodesia. After completing mandatory service in the Rhodesian War, he worked as a canoe guide in Zimbabwe’s Zambezi Valley, home to lions, elephants, hippopotamuses, impalas, zebras, and buffalo. Following his marriage to his wife Kelly, Bone relocated to Zimbabwe’s Imire Game Ranch, where he began painting the flora and fauna around him as a completely self-taught artist.

Today, Bone and his family live in the mountains of southern Africa, where his studio serves as both creative refuge and expedition headquarters. As a conservationist first and artist second, he spends much of his time in the African bush, using his camera to photograph everything from dung beetles to elephant herds. His paintings, which can take up to four weeks to complete, build up layers of color to capture the precise anatomy and wild essence of each species. In 2014, he established The Forever Wild Foundation, where 100 percent of funds raised support wildlife protection charities. Bone is represented by Park West Gallery.

Steve Bloom has built an international reputation by masterfully blending ancient printmaking techniques with contemporary digital processes. Never content to work in just one medium, he continually explores traditional painting, printmaking, and digital imaging. Bloom earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art with an emphasis in illustration from California State Fullerton. During graduate studies, he was hired by an international art distribution company to produce limited edition etchings and serigraphs, and within six months had designed and set up their premier in-house printmaking studio.

Working with renowned master printmakers and famous artists provided Bloom with invaluable experience, from discussing embossing processes with Salvador Dali’s Atelier manager to learning a secret formula used by Picasso’s Atelier for copper plate etching. Creating a serigraph for David Hockney in the late eighties remains a career highlight. Years of professional experience have made him a master colorist who deeply understands pigments and their relationship with printmaking and painting.

A true pioneer of the digital art movement, Bloom is among the few artists to have digital creations hanging in galleries. His stylized imagery reflects emotions and movement, particularly inspired by his appreciation of music and the performing arts. An accomplished saxophone player, he follows in the footsteps of his renowned grandfather, jazz musician Jerry Salone, and his mother, a jazz singer. His compositions show billowing movement with figures dancing, singing, and playing instruments that ripple with color and seem to vibrate with sound. Also known for golf imagery, his paintings hang in numerous country clubs, and he recently received an award sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts for the city of Reno, Nevada. Bloom is represented by Park West Gallery.

Vladimir Mingar, known as Vova, was born in 1965 in the small Siberian town of Bodoebo. From an early age, he showed a passion for art, drawing and creating clay sculptures while participating in a special program for gifted students at art school. In 1980, he moved to Leningrad (later St. Petersburg), Russia’s capital of art and culture, where he completed his studies at the Leningrad Institute of Visual Arts and worked as a painter and graphic artist.

Vova immigrated to Israel in 1991, settling in Kibbutz Dan in the north near the Jordan River. Six years later, in 1997, he relocated to Tel Aviv to advance his career and artistic ambitions in Israel’s vibrant contemporary metropolis. His art style can be described as expressionist abstractivism influenced by the CoBrA artistic movement, combining figurative primitivism and naivety with a touch of humor. His work features warm, robust colors and figures bounded by black outlines that create strong contrast, drawing inspiration from artists such as Cornielle, Karel Appel, and Lithuanian artist Leo Ray.

Vova currently lives in Tel Aviv with his wife, also an artist, and their two children. He has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Israel and abroad, and is represented by Park West Gallery.

Misha Lenn was born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1962 and graduated with a Masters of Fine Arts degree in graphics and advertising from the prestigious Mukhina Vocational Art School in 1984. Though he initially studied music, he discovered his passion for drawing at an early age and, with his mother’s encouragement, devoted himself to art. After graduation, he became widely recognized in Russia, creating artwork for beauty pageants, music festivals, and ballroom competitions while participating in international events across Germany, Italy, and Finland.

In 1990, Lenn came to the United States and quickly made his mark in fashion design, graphic design, and fine art. His impressive client list includes the New York Times magazine, Sony, the Boston Ballet, Prudential Insurance Co, MIT, Bloomingdale’s, and Women’s Wear Daily. He created imagery for 11 Godiva Chocolate boxes and produced 75 illustrations for John Steinbeck novels. The Westminster Kennel Club selected him as their official artist for 2004 and 2005.

Lenn has developed a distinctive watercolor style featuring figures, still lifes, and city scenes, influenced by Klimt, Degas, Renoir, Monet, and Toulouse Lautrec. His artistic trademark involves collaging musical scores into his paintings, reflecting his ongoing love of jazz piano. His numerous awards include the American Graphic Design Award in 1995 and the Premiere 2005 ARTV Best Watercolor Artist Award. Represented by Park West Gallery, he continues teaching fashion illustration at Lasell College while supporting charitable causes.

Shafira Yablonski was born on June 8, 1938 in Dneprodzerzhinsk, Ukraine. When she was three years old, World War II began and her family was evacuated to Kazakhstan. After the war ended and Dneprodzerzhinsk was liberated, they returned to Ukraine, where she spent the rest of her childhood and finished high school.

Throughout her youth, Shafira was passionate about drawing. At fifteen, she joined the art studio at the House of Culture and began learning to paint. There, Dimitri Polak, a teacher at the studio, introduced her to various painting techniques. After graduating high school, she was accepted to the Art College and began working as an artist alongside Dimitri Polak, whom she later married.

In 1997, Shafira immigrated to Israel where she and Dimitri continued to paint together. Her art is inspired by her husband, who was a famous artist, and is greatly influenced by the Impressionist artists. Today, Shafira Yablonski is represented by Park West Gallery, where collectors can discover her beautifully crafted works that reflect her rich artistic heritage and lifelong dedication to painting.

Daniele Cambier was born in Paris in 1939 and grew up watching her father, an artist, paint and research his subjects. Though she appreciated his creative world, she found herself drawn to the energy of human connection rather than the solitude of studio work. This led her to pursue acting, and she spent years touring theatrical productions throughout France and abroad.

Eventually, painting began calling to her once again, gradually taking precedence over her theatrical career. She devoted herself entirely to the visual arts, initially exploring painting on silk before discovering her true passion in watercolor. She spent years mastering the medium’s demanding and unforgiving technique before committing to it completely.

Cambier’s work has been exhibited frequently at Les Palais des Congrès de Paris and in numerous shows presented by the Chambre des Metiers de Paris. She remains captivated by the beauty of nature, landscapes, and urban details, creating exceptional works that harmoniously blend all three elements. Her art reflects both her theatrical background and her deep appreciation for the world around her. Daniele Cambier is represented by Park West Gallery, where collectors can discover her masterful watercolor compositions.

Barbara A. Wood, an Ohio native who studied at the Traphagen School of Fashion in New York on scholarship, discovered her true calling when instructors recognized her creative talent and encouraged her to pursue fine arts. She completed her formal training at the renowned Art Students’ League in New York, then continued postgraduate studies at the Otis Art Institute and Pasadena School of Fine Arts after relocating to Southern California.

Wood’s paintings showcase an individualistic figurative style characterized by vibrant color, which she describes as “the music of painting.” Her subjects are primarily women who reflect the personalities and experiences of the strong women who raised her—her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. As an only child often bedridden with pneumonia, she spent countless hours painting alone, using her imagination to create friends on canvas, an experience that became the foundation for her artistic vision.

Her work has been featured in major solo exhibitions throughout the United States, Australia, Canada, and London. Wood’s paintings are held in prestigious collections worldwide, including those of His Majesty the King of Saudi Arabia’s Private Office, President George H. W. Bush, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue, and numerous celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor, Hugh Hefner, Jane Seymour, and Jerry Lewis. She is represented by Park West Gallery.