Portfolio | Celebrating Women Artists 2022

Meet 10 women who paint everything from landscapes to figures

SUE MARTIN

Where do you live and work? I live in South Jordan, UT, a suburb of Salt Lake City. I have a studio in my home, and I also share a studio in downtown Salt Lake City.
What are your favorite subjects to depict? My most frequent inspiration is the landscape, especially the mountains, canyons, and deserts of Utah. I also love painting florals, still lifes, figurative subjects, and pure abstracts.
How would you describe your style? “Abstracted” generally describes my style. My work usually has a recognizable subject but departs from realism in its emphasis on the formal elements of color, line, texture, or shape.
What is your creative process like? Almost every painting begins with abstract layers to build a surface of interesting texture and pattern. The layers incorporate mark-making, stamping, stencils, drips, and scrapes. The subject emerges in a push-pull dance of transparency and opacity. To avoid being seduced by small details, I paint with large brushes or use credit cards, bowl scrapers, and palette knives.
Where did you study art? I’ve taken many workshops from artists I admire: Willamarie Huelskamp, Scott Gellatly, Skip Lawrence, and Pamela Caughey, to name a few. After my mother died and I glimpsed my own mortality, I decided to “get serious” and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Utah in 2013.
What have been some of the highlights of your art career? In 2016 the Utah Division of Arts & Museums accepted a proposal from me and fellow artist Nancy Vorm for an exhibit called Iterations. Working from a single photograph I took in Zion National Park, I did about 30 paintings and exhibited 16 of them. Inspired by the work of Jasper Johns, I explored the essence of the subject, varying the focus on formal elements.
Where can collectors find your work? www.suemartinfineart.com.

YELENA LAMM

Where do you live and work? I’ve lived in Pittsburgh, PA, since 1995.
What are your favorite subjects to depict? I started painting pets about four years ago, when my cat, Rio, needed knee surgery. The first portrait of him I did as my own art therapy. Ever since, animals have become my favorite subjects to paint. I’m trying to show their wonderful personalities in my art.
How would you describe your style? I incorporate traditional painting techniques and describe myself as a representational artist.
What is your creative process like? First I spend time studying the subjects, trying to get a feel for their characters. I may do small sketches, but often the idea just forms in my head, and I use Photoshop to combine references and come up with the composition. After that, I sketch with oil directly onto canvas.
Where did you study art? I received formal art training in the 1980s from the N.K. Roerich Fine Arts School in my home city of St. Petersburg in Russia. In recent years, I have taken a few workshops from Michael Davis, Jennifer Gennari, Patricia Watwood, and Anna Rose Bain.
What have been some of the highlights of your art career? Being accepted into Oil Painters of America’s Eastern Regional show in 2020 was the first sign that I’m finally doing something right. Being selected as a finalist in the 15th annual Art Renewal Center Salon, and a recent Best of Show at the Westmoreland Art Nationals show, are also highlights.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? Traveling. Horseback riding. Playing the piano. And most importantly, cuddling with my cat Rio, who is solely responsible for a complete shift in my art career.
Where can collectors find your work? Reinert Fine Art, Charleston, SC; Main Exhibit Gallery, Ligonier, PA; www.yelenalamm.com.

JEAN GIDICH

Where do you live and work? Although my work is predominantly based on subjects out West, my studio is on an 1880s farmstead in the Midwest. Several times a year I travel to wild places and do my preliminary work in the field.
What are your favorite subjects to depict? I have always had a passion for the minute details in animals and people.
How would you describe your style? My style appears realistic but, on closer inspection, has abstraction in the use of active lines and hidden shapes and words. Many people don’t realize the large scale of my drawings—they range from 2 by 3 feet to 4 by 5 feet in dimension.
What is your creative process like? I take photographs and use them, along with line studies, as reference. I use layers of ink and graphite to create the feeling and texture of my subjects. My drawings are on mounted cotton rag paper, which I treat, so they do not have to be presented behind glass.
Where did you study art? I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ohio State University and started my professional career as an oil painter. A couple of years later I returned to school to pursue an art education degree and have since taught studio art for over 30 years.
What have been some of the highlights of your art career? Winning Best of Show in my last three exhibitions, and being chosen as a signature member of both Women Artists of the West and Cowgirl Artists of America, stand out as the most recent highlights.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? I most enjoy spending time outside. I run daily throughout all four seasons, and on special days I am hiking or trail riding on my horse, Rily.
Where can collectors find your work? www.jeanmakesart.com.

BONNIE ZAHN GRIFFITH

Where do you live and work? I live in Meridian, ID, near Boise. I work out of my Crooked Creek Art Studio and throughout the West doing plein-air events.
What are your favorite subjects to depict? The western landscape.
How would you describe your style? Impressionistic realism.
What is your creative process like? I do a lot of outdoor work in preparation for studio paintings—line drawings, notans, and small value studies in gouache and pastel. Because I compete in plein-air events, the larger plein-air works are included in those shows and sales.
Where did you study art? I took numerous art workshops with noted artists including Scott Christensen, Ned Mueller, and Robert Moore. I had a 20-year career in interventional radiology, during which time I painted and exhibited work in galleries. I made my art a full-time career in the mid-1990s and haven’t looked back!
What have been some of the highlights of your art career? One highlight was a monthlong artist residency at the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, where I spent time creating work en plein air and teaching workshops and classes. Other highlights include winning awards at plein-air events and gallery shows and teaching various workshops in pastel painting and plein-air techniques.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? I travel, not only for my plein-air events but for enjoyment. I’m also an avid reader and love cooking for family and friends.
If you weren’t an artist, what would you be? I would be a gallerist or develop a nonprofit for art education.
Where can collectors find your work? Cawdrey Gallery, Whitefish, MT; Combine Art Collective, Walla Walla, WA; Earthworks Gallery, Yachats, OR; Pendleton Art & Frame, Pendleton, OR; www.bonniegriffith.com.

GWEN MEYER ETHELBAH

Where do you live and work? I live in the mountains of New Mexico, off the Turquoise Trail.
What are your favorite subjects to depict? The easy answer is rocks, lakes, and forests. In fact, I’m in love with the whole Southwestern landscape, from the rocky cliffs and gorges to the high-mountain landscapes of lakes, skies, and that special light that comes streaming in through the trees in a forest.
How would you describe your style? One of my collectors called it “casual realism,” yet it’s also impressionistic.
What is your creative process like? I work from photographs and memory, make sketches, do a black-and-white quick sketch, and then go through the standard steps, including the “uglies,” where I don’t yet “see” on the canvas what the bones of the composition are telling me.
Where did you study art? I studied the American Impressionists, particularly the West Coast ones; took classes from the Miles-of-Canvas school; studied work I saw in galleries; and took a couple of workshops, the most influential of which was with Mary Bentz Gilkerson.
What have been some of the highlights of your art career? I had my own gallery for a number of years, selling work of my own and those I held shows for, and I loved the gallery business. Recent highlights have come from shows I have been juried into.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? I enjoy quilting, cooking, and fishing.
If you weren’t an artist, what would you be? A Unity minister. I am licensed and ordained, and I love being with congregations. But I had to make a choice, and painting won.
Where can collectors find your work? www.joyouslakestudios.com. I also show with the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico and was just juried into the Women Artists of the West national exhibition.

MICHELE POPE MELINA

Where do you live and work? My home and studio are in Winchester, VA.
What are your favorite subjects to depict? Beauty and calmness in nature provide me with endless subjects to paint. Lighting and atmosphere are important elements as I strive toward creating depth and feeling.
How would you describe your style? I have always admired the landscape painters of the late 1800s. My style may be similar, but I throw in color, adding to the drama and mood. Sometimes I work with a looser style using my palette knife.
What is your creative process like? My motto is: be happy (with the subject), have patience (to begin), and get lost in my work. I keep myself open to learning and don’t worry about going outside of my comfort zone.
Where did you study art? My artistic journey began in 1968 by attending art class in high school, painting my first piece. I am self-taught. There were very few schools or workshop opportunities then. I borrowed art books from the library and bought an art magazine to learn about the artists of the day and their work. Today, the tools to succeed as an artist are there. For women, it’s time to shine!
What have been the highlights of your career? I cherish the awards that I have won, especially an Honorable Mention I received from the Art Renewal Center. I earned signature status with the American Impressionist Society. I have had successful solo shows, most recently in 2019 at Shenandoah Valley Westminster-Canterbury, a senior-living community in Winchester, VA.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? Visiting my family, gardening, antiquing, and exploring new subjects.
If you weren’t an artist, what would you be? An interior designer.
Where can collectors find your work? www.michelemelinafineart.com.

LAUREN KNODE

Where do you live and work? I grew up in Portland, OR, and moved to sunny Phoenix, AZ, after falling in love with its sun-drenched landscape while participating in several Scottsdale fine-art shows.
What are your favorite subjects to depict? A sunset’s ever-changing brilliance in a desert landscape, the translucency of delicate flower petals, and the shimmering light in the ripples of a stream. Since childhood I have been seeking the light.
How would you describe your style? Contemporary realism—capturing nature’s light and color, the two most important elements in my artwork.
What is your creative process like? My inspiration comes from the vast number of photos I take, never just one, to create my own composition. DESERT AURORA, for instance, started with an Arizona sky that absolutely took my breath away, and every other element in the painting came from different photo resources I have taken.
Where did you study art? I attended Portland State University for two years, spent my junior year studying in Italy, received my Bachelor of Fine Arts from Oregon State University, and then earned a master’s degree from Lewis and Clark College.
What have been some of the highlights of your art career? The effect my paintings have on others. I have had people walk up to my work and break into tears, then tell me why a particular painting affected them so deeply.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? Anything involving working creatively with my hands and solving spatial problems: knitting, sewing, gardening, reading, and traveling.
Where can collectors find your work? Arizona Fine Art Expo—a 10-week fine-art show in Scottsdale, AZ—has been my premier art gallery for 18 years. My work is also on my website, www.laurenknodeart.com.

CAROL STROCK WASSON

Where do you live and work? I am fortunate to live and work in a rural area on the state line between Indiana and Ohio. I watch the sun rise in Ohio and the sun set in Indiana. Sometimes I get a little tired of the flatness, but it doesn’t take long to jump in my RV and travel to a different area.
What are your favorite subjects to depict? It varies from season to season. Lately I have been watching the sun rise over the fields where I live. I am fascinated by the color harmonies that each day will bring. During the winter my favorite subject always becomes snow in the landscape.
How would you describe your style? I like to think of myself as an impressionist with an abstract underlying compositional structure. I am also a colorist, working with a color harmony and value plan.
What is your creative process like? It usually begins with a trick of light that catches my eye. I will do several studies, either en plein air or in the studio from memory. I work on a design, then think about a color harmony and value plan to go with my initial idea.
Where did you study art? I am fortunate to have studied with some of the best: Albert Handell, Carolyn Anderson, William Schultz, Ken Auster, and many more.
What have been some of the highlights of your art career? Achieving Master Circle status with the International Association of Pastel Societies and signature membership in the Pastel Society of America.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? Traveling in my RV, reading, and teaching my grandkids to paint.
Where can collectors find your work? Strock Wasson Studio, Union City, IN; Gordy Fine Art & Framing, Muncie, IN; Brown County Art Guild, Nashville, IN; Brown County Art Gallery, Nashville, IN; www.carolstrockwasson.com.

KAREN CLARKSON

Where do you live and work? I currently live in Prescott, AZ, where I work in my home.
What are your favorite subjects to depict? I love to create portraits. At present, Native American women are my focus, allowing me to draw attention to their beauty and resiliency. I feel this is my way to change the current stereotype of Native women as invisible.
How would you describe your style? I strive for realism in my subjects, but I have also discovered the world of symbolism. This allows me to demonstrate my Choctaw heritage through illustrating tribal legends.
Where did you study art? Art has been a part of my life ever since I can remember. I was not able to attend classes or go to school, but I am an avid reader of books and fell in love with certain processes of realism, like those of the old masters.
What have been some of the highlights of your art career? This year my painting was chosen to be on the cover of Native American Art magazine for the 100th anniversary of Santa Fe Indian Market. Other achievements have been illustrating a book, collaborating with museums, and winning the first Indigenous Collections Grand Award from the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts in 2021.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? I love power walking every day and try to get in 4-6 miles. I also love sewing and quilting. I make my own Choctaw regalia as well.
Where can collectors find your work? Pottery of the Southwest Gallery, Santa Fe, NM; True West Gallery, Santa Fe, NM; Phippen Museum, Prescott, AZ; Choctaw Nation Museum, Tuskahoma, OK; Heard Museum, Phoenix, AZ; First Americans Museum, Oklahoma City, OK; Powder River Art Gallery, Cheyenne, WY; www.clarksonart.com.

ANN HANSON

Where do you live and work? I am blessed to live and work in Shell, WY, a rural community where I have lots of ranching neighbors and a panoramic view of the Bighorn Mountains.
What are your favorite subjects to depict? I love to paint people doing what they do every day. For the past few years I have been painting Native American children from the Crow Reservation, which is a couple of hours away from me. I admire the artwork involved in their regalia and hope to be able to honor them through my artwork.
What is your creative process like? I get an idea, and then I research photos and do lots of drawings. Eventually I transfer my drawing to a painting panel, and I finish the underpainting (which is like a detailed sketch) in oils. Then I apply color with oils in layers until I am satisfied with the result.
Where did you study art? I attended Northwest College in Powell, WY, for two years. As far as my fine-art training, I have been self-taught.
What have been some of the highlights of your art career? I still remember winning the Purchase Award at the Buffalo Bill Art Show the first time I was in the show. But one of the greatest highlights is the look on a kid’s face when they see a painting I have done of them.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? I am a creative junkie. I have done everything from embroidery to macramé to quilting to sewing clothes. At the moment, my hobby is building twig furniture.
Where can collectors find your work? Settlers West Galleries, Tucson, AZ; Big Horn Galleries, Cody, WY; www.artzline.com; www.annhanson.com.

This story appeared in the October/November 2022 issue of Southwest Art magazine.