Archives: Artists

Pablo Picasso stands as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, forever changing the course of modern art. Born in Malaga, Spain on October 25, 1881, he showed extraordinary talent from childhood. His father, an art teacher, gave him his first drawing lessons at age seven. By 1895, the young Picasso passed the entrance exam for Barcelona’s prestigious Academy of Arts in just one week—a test designed to take a month.

After early exhibitions in Barcelona, Picasso made his first trip to Paris in 1900 and permanently settled there in 1904. He co-founded the revolutionary Cubist movement with Georges Braque, a collaboration that lasted into the 1920s. His 1907 painting “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” essentially changed the direction of modern art. Throughout his career, Picasso worked in multiple styles—from his somber Blue Period to the brighter Rose Period, African-influenced works, Cubism, neoclassicism, and Surrealism. In 1937, he created “Guernica,” arguably his most famous masterpiece, in response to the bombing of a Spanish town during the Spanish Civil War.

Picasso remained productive until his death on April 8, 1973 in Mougins, France at age 91. His prolific output included more than 26,000 cataloged works—paintings, drawings, sculptures, original lithographs, etchings, linoleum cuts, and ceramics. Park West Gallery is honored to represent this legendary artist’s work.

Csaba Markus brings together the elegance of Renaissance art with contemporary vision, creating ethereal portraits that echo the Old Masters while speaking to modern audiences. Born in Budapest, Hungary in 1953, he grew up finding refuge in Europe’s art museums and baroque architecture, studying the works of Michelangelo, Caravaggio, and Botticelli. After a teacher recognized his talent at age 10, Markus trained as a sculptor under renowned Hungarian artist Mohácsi Regõs Ferenc. By age 14, his work appeared on international public television, though his artistic development was ultimately stifled by Communist party ideologies.

In 1978, Markus immigrated to the United States, settling in California where he experimented with glass, sculpture, ceramics, handmade papers, etchings, mono prints, and animation. Today, he is best known for his Modern Mona Lisas, portraits of confident young women created using sfumato, a technique of fine shading associated with Leonardo da Vinci that creates soft transitions between colors without defined lines.

Markus creates limited-edition works including etchings, stone lithographs, and serigraphs, often using over 100 colors and hand-embellishing with dried pigments, ground glass, platinum, and 24-karat gold. In 2017, he worked with Park West Gallery to create caldographs, a new medium using dye sublimation on wood panels that honors da Vinci’s original technique for the Mona Lisa.

Marcel Mouly created boldly colored, semi-abstract artwork that appeals to collectors worldwide, from still lifes and landscapes to port scenes and interiors. Born in Paris on February 6, 1918, he discovered his artistic talent in grade school when drawing classes, assigned as punishment, revealed his natural gift. After leaving school at 13, he worked various jobs before enrolling at the French Academies in 1935, studying until military duty began in 1938.

During World War II, Mouly was imprisoned for nearly four months as a suspected spy. This experience strengthened his resolve to become a famous artist. After his 1943 release, he rented the studio of modernist sculptor Jacques Lipchitz, where he learned Cubism. Mouly also became an accomplished ceramicist and master printmaker, creating lithographs from the mid-1950s until his death. He exhibited at prestigious salons alongside Picasso, Matisse, and Braque, and held his first solo show in 1949.

Studying under the tradition of modern masters, Mouly developed a unique style that art historians recognize as quintessentially French. He incorporated Matisse’s bold Fauvist colors and Picasso’s Cubist forms while maintaining his own unmistakable vision. An avid traveler who visited over 40 countries, Mouly sketched scenes that inspired his brilliantly colored, energetic works. He died on January 7, 2008, and is represented by Park West Gallery.

Janelle Marie Kelley is a self-taught visual artist from Florida who specializes in three-dimensional mixed media, using acrylic and resin as her primary mediums to create multidimensional works of art. What began as a hobby in September 2021 quickly evolved into a full-time career as demand for her bold creations soared. Working from her St. Petersburg, Florida studio, Kelley produces eye-catching pieces that are now collected by art enthusiasts around the world and represented by Park West Gallery.

In her striking works, Kelley features a diverse array of subjects including celebrities like Bettie Page, Biggie Smalls, and Britney Spears, alongside fictional characters from television and film, and evocative animals such as elephants and flamingos. Her mixed media pieces may incorporate ink, resin, porcelain, glass, metal, paint, and found objects like bullets, all rendered in vivid colors with remarkable depth. She has become particularly known for her imaginative combination of photo realism and fluid art, as well as exotic sea life artwork.

Kelley’s signature style involves integrating digitally manipulated images and merging them with tangible objects to create something entirely new that appears to leap off the canvas. Her three-dimensional perspective offers viewers an escape into spaces of wonder and beauty in an otherwise unpredictable world.

Patrick Guyton brings together his background in animation and sign painting with ancient leafing and glazing techniques to create contemporary masterpieces featuring mysterious women, hummingbirds, and moonlit landscapes. Born in Newcastle, Pennsylvania in 1964, he learned sign painting fundamentals from his father, a commercial artist, before studying fine arts, sculpture, and design theory at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, graduating in 1984 with an associate’s degree in visual communications.

After moving to Southern California in 1987, Guyton worked in commercial art while pursuing music. In 1997, he joined Linda Jones Enterprises/Warner Bros. as a background painter for legendary animator Chuck Jones, later working with Looney Tunes/McKimson Productions and Hanna-Barbera. During this period, he studied under Maurice Noble, who had worked on Disney classics including “Snow White” and “The Grinch That Stole Christmas.” Guyton’s diverse career also included designing milk caps during the “Pog” craze, creating vehicle graphics for Ford and Chevrolet, and serving as Head Art Director for West Entertainment Group Inc. in Minneapolis in 2006.

In 2008, a publisher discovered Guyton’s gold and silver leaf artwork, leading to his first exhibition where he sold every piece. He joined Park West Gallery in 2015, bringing his art to collectors worldwide. Guyton developed a style he calls “Gilded Modernism,” combining Japanese leafing from the 14th-century Kamakura period with 17th-century Flemish glazing techniques. Because his meticulous process—which can take over a month per piece—doesn’t allow for editions, every Guyton artwork is unique.

James Coleman is an animation legend who helped bring some of the most famous Disney films to life as a background painter before pursuing a career as a fine artist. Born in Hollywood, California in 1949, Coleman began working at Walt Disney Studios in 1969 when his mother got him a job in the mailroom. His big break came when Disney purchased one of his paintings for thirty dollars at an employee art show, leading senior artists to encourage him to pursue animation background painting.

Coleman’s first background work was for the 1974 film “Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too!” followed by his first full-length feature, “The Rescuers” in 1977. Disney promoted him to Background Department Supervisor, and for almost seventeen years he supervised hand-painted backgrounds for more than twelve feature films and over thirty short films, including “The Fox and the Hound,” “The Little Mermaid,” and the Academy Award-winning “Beauty and the Beast.”

After a twenty-two-year career with Disney, Coleman devoted himself entirely to fine art in 1991. Today his work is represented by Park West Gallery and other prominent galleries worldwide. A self-taught artist, naturalist, and five-year finalist in the Arts for the Parks competition, Coleman creates Impressionistic works in oil, watercolor, gouache, and pastel, incorporating leafing techniques to add extra dimensions. His luminous paintings of illuminated skies, lush forests, and sweeping deserts invite viewers to step into his magical world.

Kat Tatz is a self-made artist from Las Vegas whose whimsical, surrealistic creations have attracted worldwide attention. In 2021, she became the first-ever winner of Park West Gallery’s inaugural “Made in Vegas” artist competition, selected from nearly 500 artists who entered. The achievement earned her a contract offer from Park West Gallery and a three-month exhibition of her artwork.

Art runs in Tatz’s family—her father and grandfather were painters and sculptors, while her mother sculpted porcelain dolls. One of her earliest memories is her father teaching her how to draw a portrait at the kitchen table. She studied art at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and received additional formal training by attending artist workshops around the country. Her famous hometown provides endless inspiration, with entertainers like Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Wayne Newton, and the iconic Las Vegas showgirls influencing her imagery.

With over 25 years of experience, Tatz works in a variety of mediums including oils, acrylics, color pencils, and sculpture. Her artwork has appeared on HGTV’s DIY to the Rescue and can be found at numerous Las Vegas institutions including the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian, Tivoli Village, Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, and inside Allegiant Stadium, where she was hand-picked by famed artist Michael Godard.

Melanie Stimmell is an award-winning painter and illustrator from Las Vegas whose whimsical, surrealist creations have captivated fans worldwide. Her distinctive style brilliantly merges the fantastic with the ordinary, bringing to life a wholly original and imaginative personal vision. After earning an illustration degree from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Stimmell spent eight years as a technical director for the popular South Park television series and theatrical movie.

During her 20 years as a freelance street painter and muralist, Stimmell earned gold medals and first place awards at Europe’s most prestigious competitions, including the title of Maestra Madonnara (Master Street Painter) in both Italy and Germany. In 2012, she and her husband founded We Talk Chalk, a 3D street painting company in Los Angeles that has since created over 900 paintings throughout the world. Now based in Las Vegas, the company specializes in 3D trick-eye paintings, murals, and space transformations. Stimmell has also created 30 murals in Virginia’s Northern Neck as part of a statewide small town revitalization program.

In 2021, Stimmell was one of 10 semi-finalists for Park West Gallery’s inaugural Made in Vegas artist search competition. She is now represented by Park West Gallery, where she made her debut at their New Year’s weekend online auction in 2022 with a completely sold-out show.

Aprajita Lal is an accomplished artist based in Bridgewater, New Jersey, who creates vibrant works celebrating the beauty of the natural world. Born and raised in India, she discovered her artistic calling early, winning the All India Camel Color Contest in third grade. After years of painting and exhibiting in India, she fully embraced her identity as a professional artist in 2020 during a planned sabbatical from her corporate career.

Since then, Lal has participated in over 30 exhibitions, including prestigious events like Art Expo NYC, Affordable Art Fair NYC Spring 2023, and Red Dot Miami during Art Basel 2023. Working in watercolors, acrylics, inks, and oils, she has placed her artwork in homes across the USA, India, UK, Dubai, and Canada. A member of esteemed institutions including the American Watercolor Society and the Salmagundi Club, her work has been featured in various art magazines.

Beyond creating beautiful paintings, Lal is a passionate advocate for environmental conservation, viewing art as a powerful tool to raise awareness and inspire positive change. Represented by Park West Gallery, she works under the motto “Art that Brings Happiness,” reflecting her belief that art can evoke joy and help people reconnect with nature’s wonders.

Leslie Lew was born in New York City in 1953 and grew up in the suburbs of New Jersey and Chicago. Her father was a well-known advertising executive, and the commercial ads and products that surrounded her shaped her artistic vision. She explores childhood memories and American culture, examining how it reflects our tastes historically, both good and bad.

Lew received her B.F.A. and M.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where her signature “sculpted oils” technique first developed through her supermarket paintings. Inspired by her father’s advertising work, she found a wealth of inspiration in product labels and supermarket aisles. Pop-culture items like food packaging and comic books became the foundation of her art. Using icons like Wonder Woman and Dick and Jane, she reaches back through American culture to capture childlike moments many have forgotten. During graduate school, she participated in the SUNY Semester in New York City program and stayed to become part of the East Village Art Movement, having her first solo show at Sensory Evolution Gallery in 1985.

Lew’s work has been exhibited at prestigious venues including the Guggenheim Museum and in galleries alongside Warhol, Lichtenstein, and Man Ray. She received a grant for her children’s book “Buki’s Garden” and was named Artist of the Year by Liquitex Paint in 2009. Leslie Lew is represented by Park West Gallery and continues working near Peekskill, New York.