REEKO is a visual artist whose interpretation and representation of classic themes have set him apart from the mainstream. REEKO's body of work represents his intuitive translation of the famous artists Calder, Mondrian, Miro and Pollock.
Largely abstract, his work encompasses three different media, in two-dimensional and three-dimensional formats. His sculptures made of metal and acrylic are designed as maquettes for large-scale outdoor sculpture installations in public and commercial environments. REEKO’s acrylic paintings on canvas are luminous and fluid, multi-layered with textured color.
REEKO has exhibited in numerous venues in Kentucky, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. A generous supporter of charitable organizations, he has donated his artwork to raise funds for organizations.

I've been an artist from my earliest childhood memory. Critcal as I am of my work, I've never had the courage to put myself out there, never thought it was good enough to show. Every year I go to Artomatic and walk around for hours, taking in all of the wonderful art from our amazing community. Through encouragement from friends and family, this year I am pleased to take a leap of faith and join the Artomatic artists I admire so much. Thanks for the push I needed, you know who you are.

Since a very young age, I have taken on a lot of hobbies: knitting, running, blogging, yoga - these are what my husband calls my "hobby of the moment." They've all been fleeting. Photography is different: it is the one "hobby" that has remained a part of me since the minute I picked up a camera. Simply put, photography is my therapy: it keeps me balanced and gives me an opportunity for creative expression. It challenges me to come out of my shell. It's more than a hobby - it's part of me.

I take photographs using film and digital cameras. I live in Washington DC.

The Slammer is a Hoola Hooping, Queer Shaking, Hybrid Kenyan, Below Average Roller Skating Gang Member, and Dance Floor Imperialist. You can catch her in the District of Columbia producing radio pieces with youth as well as reporting on the stories that make D.C. unique.

If you’re interested in acquiring a hoola hoop or a *Metro Secrets zine, email genderfatigue@gmail.com

* Metro Secrets is a self-published zine (an abbreviation of the word fanzine or magazine) about the over the shoulder conversations, drama, and eureka moments that characterize the slammer’s view of D.C.’s metro bus and rail system. Her first issue was illustrated by epic visual artist, J.C. Subsequent zines will be illustrated by the slammer as she tries out her cartooning hand courtesy of the educational mastery of the Torpedoe Factory.

Lately I have discovered a kind of kinship to those who some are referring to as “pop surrealists” or “lowbrow artists”. Likewise I have felt trapped between the realms of the illustrative and the abstract. I now no longer feel trapped but at home there. I can experience its malleability and endless potential for combining and developing disparate solutions. Not falling into the trap of fashion, but being regardful of current paradigms and our place in history.

Iam an Artist Educator in the areas of drawing ,painting ,printmaking and photography. My work could be defined as Social Surrealism ,in that the image and subject matter can exsist and be interpetated on multiple levels by the viewer.As I continue to explore the dignity and beauty of the African/African in America experience.

Zandra’s photographic eye was developed early in her teens and inspired by her favorite artists Georgia O’Keefe and Gordon Parks. Her love of photography was put on the shelf during her earlier years as a working wife/mother with children. The increasing costs of film and processing limited her ability to continue taking photographs. In addition to self-training, she has received formal training in techniques of digital photography. Zandra utilizes a Nikon DSLR with interchangeable zoom lenses and enjoys the simplicity of using multiple applications to enhance the viewer’s interpretation of her vision.

Zandra’s artwork was most recently displayed at Peace and a Cup of Joe Cafe in Baltimore, MD; MOCA Gallery in Georgetown, and the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum on Capitol Hill in DC, all juried events. She has participated in Artomatic 2008 in Washington, DC. Several of her works of art have been displayed at the Golden Flame Restaurant in Silver Spring, Md.; Annie’s Art Gallery in Camp Springs, Md.; and Huntington Center in Bowie, Md. Presently, Zandra is exhibiting her work at the Art Institute of Washington in Rosslyn, Virginia and the Sewell Belmont House and Museum. She also photographs special events and projects in her community.

Zandra is presently an active member of the Prince George’s Artists Association and the Exposure Group (African Americans Photographers Group in Washington, DC. After retiring two years ago, with 28 years of civil service as a U.S. Senate staffer, Zandra has re-entered the federal workforce. If you are interested in viewing more of Zandra’s artwork, please visit her website at http://zandrachestnutphotography.ifp3.com. Please feel free to contact her at 202-396-7340 or by email at zchestnut@gmail.com.

Growing up in suburban Maryland, particularly in the Jewish community, certain things are expected of a young Jewish woman. Marrying a non-Jewish man from Puerto Rico is not necessarily one of them. Falling in love with the right person is fun and effortless. The easiest decision I ever made in my life was to marry Luis Viera. But how do people from two diverging backgrounds – and their families – learn to understand each other? More than that: how do we learn to overcome our preconceived notions and embrace the other’s culture?

Please visit my space on the 6th floor or http://boricuabymarriage.wordpress.com to read the rest of my statement in English and Spanish.

I have begun to include surreal elements in my paintings. Although I generally plan out a piece of work before I begin, there is quite a bit of improvisation that occurs as I get into it. I enjoy finding unexpected things as I am painting.

Writing about my work is difficult because painting is a wordless language and if my intention is not visible in a painting then no amount of words will do.
The Portrait series isolates the inner features of the face which we address in conversation, looking for an empathic response. These isolated features, revealing an personality are intended to draw the viewer into silent intellectual, emotional conversation.
Sometimes this work leads to large paintings of a clearly spiritual nature, such as the Pieta, was installed in Durham Cathedral during Lent. A Crucifixion and Nativity have been gifted to the Whitburn Church. Great Christian feasts often provoke new work.
Current work is centred on dancers able to fuse intellectual, emotional and physical life into wordless expression. I make many drawings, often during rehearsals or from recorded material post- performance, allowing me to deconstruct the continuous movements of the dancer into a fluid form where the painting can move fluidly between figuration and abstraction.
This work complements continuing study of the human face where quiescence rather than motion reveals private concerns. The intention of my work is to reveal the personal life, the invisible life, so briefly visible in face and form.

I am a native of Germany but came to the States about thirty years ago. The gypsy genes I inherited from my Czech grandmother ensure that I am constantly on the go. At present, I am living in Washington, DC! My art has been featured, exhibited and sold in Europe, Chicago, Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, Georgia and here in DC. The most unusual piece I have done was "Meditating Over the World", an oil for a Buddist temple in West Virginia.
After years of self study that "formalized" my style, I studied with Norman Goodwin at Old Dominion University and Barclay Sheaks at Wesleyan University. I've served on the Board of Directors of the Chesapeake Bay Arts Association and am a charter member of the Ocean View Station Museum. I am also a memeber of the Douglasville, GA Art Guild.
Over the years I've participated in hundreds of juried art shows, and while the prizes and ribbons are nice, the real satisfaction comes from associating with fellow artists and sharing ideas.

my work to me changes very little but by the time a year passes it looks completely different. so this year i see more of an emphasis on the printmaking and the multimedia using recycled materials and handmade papers. some of the more spiritual being displaced by the idea of repeated shapes and triglyphs. SORRY BAOUT THE INCORRECT HOME PAGE IT'S FIXED NOW AND YOU CAN ALWAYS EMAIL ME WITH QUESTIONS

Betty has specialized in macro photography for years with a particular fascination for revealing the beauty in small things. Her photography brilliantly captures the colors and illusions of the macro world. She uses Nikon camera equipment, Nikon macro lenses and high speed photography to capture the stunning details from a close-up perspective. She also photographs nature and architecture especially in the glow of evening lights.

About “ Water Drop Reflections”
Many people have been intrigued by the process whereby a water drop falls, goes under water picking up more water, rising again and forming a stalk and a circular bulb. During approximately 4 milliseconds this amazing process of rising and falling and transformation from drop to stalk to drop occurs. Betty’s
water drop photography represents colliding two water drops and capturing the form made by the energy from the collision.

Photographing this phenomenon requires precisely timing the release of the drops, the distance between two drops, distance of the falling water, viscosity of the liquid, surface tension of the water and the depth of the water receptacle. Capturing this action requires using shutter speeds up to 1/8000 of a second.

Please enjoy my showcase of Water Drop Reflections.