Articles & Interviews

Here you’ll find art articles and art interviews on some of your favorite painters and sculptors of the West as well as upcoming artists. The editors of Southwest Art bring you in-depth art interviews and profiles, as well as behind-the-scenes tours of beautiful art studios and stories about current art events. Search for artists we’ve covered in the past, or discover new and emerging artists by checking back often to see the art articles we’ve added most recently!

21 Under 31 | Katie Melanson

CANADA ART EDUCATION: Academy of Realist Art, Toronto. STYLE: At the moment my style is best described as realist, but I love many different styles and believe that over time I will experiment with a range of them. INSPIRATION FOR YOUR WINNING PAINTING: The photograph in the background was my primary...

21 Under 31 | Kari Rajkumar

2nd Place ILLINOIS ART EDUCATION: Self-taught. I have only received 15 hours of instruction. STYLE: Realism. INSPIRATION FOR YOUR WINNING PIECE: Scott works as an engineer, and in his spare time he travels to many re-enactments across the Midwest. In late spring each year he sets up his own teepee and...

21 Under 31 | Chris S. Phillips

GEORGIA ART EDUCATION: Bachelor of fine arts from the Pensacola Christian College in Florida. STYLE: My work is primarily representational. MOST INTERESTING THING ABOUT THE WAY YOU WORK: I would say it is my brushwork. The application of paint can always say a great deal about an artist’s work. SECOND-CHOICE CAREER:...

21 Under 31 | Ian Marion

NEW YORK ART EDUCATION: Bachelor of fine arts in illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI. Master of fine arts from the New York Academy of Art. STYLE: Realism. INSPIRATION FOR YOUR WINNING PAINTING: COMING STORM was very much inspired by the fragmented memories of my travels across...

21 Under 31 | Eric Suchowesky

FLORIDA ART EDUCATION: I have two bachelor of fine arts degrees in commercial art and graphic design and also a master of fine arts from the Pensacola Christian College in Florida. STYLE: Representational. INSPIRATION FOR YOUR WINNING PAINTING: The painting stems from many childhood memories—memories of home, Michigan winters, and the...

21 Under 31 | Sara Scribner

OKLAHOMA ART EDUCATION: Bachelor of fine arts from the Academy of Art 
University, San Francisco, CA. STYLE: Realism. INSPIRATION FOR YOUR WINNING PAINTING: In Native American symbolism, the Plains tribes believe that robins are a sign to only present the truth when speaking. They associate the robin’s beak color with listening...

21 Under 31 | Jason Daniel Jackson

TENNESSEE ART EDUCATION: Associate’s degree in commercial art from the Nossi College of Art, Nashville, TN. I was Dawn Whitelaw’s studio assistant for four years. I have also studied with Michael Shane Neal, Anthony Ryder, and Roger Dale Brown. STYLE: Realism. INSPIRATION FOR YOUR WINNING PAINTING: Photographs from the first moon...

21 Under 31 | Katie Melanson

CANADA ART EDUCATION: Academy of Realist Art, Toronto. STYLE: At the moment my style is best described as realist, but I love many different styles and believe that over time I will experiment with a range of them. INSPIRATION FOR YOUR WINNING PAINTING: The photograph in the background was my primary...

21 Under 31 | Leo Bugel

3rd Place CALIFORNIA ART EDUCATION: Bachelor of fine arts from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA. STYLE: Industrial/urban contemporary. INSPIRATION FOR YOUR WINNING PAINTING: That big pointy building. SECOND-CHOICE CAREER: Musician. I play the drums. BEST ADVICE RECEIVED: Work hard. CREATIVE SPARK: Construction cranes, architecture, and the way light...

21 Under 31 | Taaron Parsons

FLORIDA ART EDUCATION: Bachelor and master of fine arts from the Pensacola Christian College, Pensacola, FL. STYLE: Representational, interpretative realism; contemporary impressionism. It depends somewhat on the subject matter. INSPIRATION FOR YOUR WINNING PAINTING: I’ve always been drawn to the movement of string performers. I find that everything from their hand...