John Freise

John is a self-taught artist who has worked in a variety of mediums over the past twenty plus years. He has done a number of exhibits and art shows throughout the country. For nearly a decade, he has worked as a mixed media, assemblage artist who works primarily with repurposed and recycled materials. Webster Arts was thrilled to work with John this year as one of our jurors for the 20th Webster Arts Fair - and his work is always a patron-favorite in our gallery shows!

David Hasty

David Hasty is a self taught photographer. His introduction to photography began as a child with the family camera - at the time, a Brownie Hawkeye. Primitive by today's standards David found a fascination with it. In earlier years David would pick up a film camera off and on and as he began traveling through the National Parks - the camera a constant companion. Over decades David has continued to grow more and more passionate about his work, evolving from a snap-and-shoot photographer to a focused artist, capturing the artwork in his mind through the lens.

David says, "Photography - and art in general - is a great form of self-expression and it lends itself well to my sense of curiosity and adventure. Along the way it has brought me on a path of numerous opportunities and the vivid stories are priceless. I often refer to my shooting style as being eclectic. The bulk of my work is in landscapes and nature with a wide range of subject matter. It's said every picture tells a story. I share my work and stories with you, many and varied. I am a mere observer, a recorder of nature. Borrowing from a moment in our time that which is for all to see and experience. My legacy comes with many rewards and responsibilities. In a glimpse the moment is gone never being photographed in the same light. It's not the destination but the journeys along the way."

Kathy LaRue

Today's Webster Arts Monday Member Spotlight is Kathy LaRue.

Kathy LaRue is a native of St. Louis but has lived in several states her husband Jim before moving back to the area in 2012.

Kathy has always had an interest in art & design, operating a custom embroidery business for many years and designing Hypertufa (faux concrete) planters before discovering Acrylic Fluid Art during the Covid pandemic. Kathy has recently started working in resin art as well.

Kathy's art has been exhibited in several local art galleries including Webster Arts (Small Works, Member Showcase, and Small Business Saturday),Missouri Athletic Club, St. Louis Artist Guild , a solo show at Webster Groves library, Soulard, and Framations.

Kathy's work can be seen now at the Lillian Yahn gallery in St. Peters, MO and will soon be available in the Maker's Market in Webster Groves. View her work on social media media at @stl_fluid_art on both Facebook and Instagram.

Susan Wehrman

Susan Wehrman did not set out to become an artist, but her passion for art began early on: in elementary school tempera paints, construction paper and ordinary glue represented a vision to be fulfilled. While other children longed for toys, her greatest excitement came from visits to the local hobby shop for paint-by-number kits – she would spend many marathon weekends working on these cardboard canvases. This is what inspired her current love of colored pencils and the development and evolution of her unique design process.

Though not formally educated as an artist she has had the incredible fortune to connect with an established artist who has mentored her for the past ten years. Through memberships in various societies and other venues she has also been able to meet with and learn from peers and contemporaries. Additionally, COVID provided unique opportunities to study online with several established colored pencil artists around the globe. She has earned the CPSA title (signature status) granted by the Colored Pencil Society of America, the UKCPSO title from the United Kingdom Colour Pencil Society and is a Signature Member of the Heartland Art Club. Susan also donates artwork to the Golden Retriever Foundation to raise money to further their research in understanding diseases and genetic disorders that afflict all dogs and Golden Retrievers in particular.

Susan specializes in pet and nature portraits; her artwork represents the special bond we share with the animals that share our world and those that have etched special places in our hearts. However diverse we may be, this love of our animals is universal and transcends all languages and borders. She works very hard to ensure that she portrays the spirit and essence of her subjects. By the time a piece is

complete -- having sculpted every curve of their faces and every nuance of their expression – she has come to know them intimately; and loves them all.

Susan has been in many of Webster Arts juried shows and has won Best in Show in recent exhibits, including Open Theme 2023 and Opposites Attract.

Jahna Kahrhoff

Dr. Jahna Kahrhoff (she/her) is a Webster Groves-based fiber artist. A self-taught sewer, Jahna works in her home studio to create unique bags, accessories, and quilts made from vintage, upcycled, and repurposed textiles. Each item grows organically from the textures, colors, and patterns of the repurposed textiles, conscientiously chosen to give new life to things that were once used to hold and cover something else.

In her professional life, Jahna has 30 years of experience as a distance learning administrator and instructor and is currently Assistant Dean of Curriculum at Purdue Global. Jahna has a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Art from Rutgers University, a Master’s degree in Information and Communication Sciences from Ball State University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Jahna also serves as a Board Member for Webster Arts, something for which we are greatly appreciative because of her insight and wisdom. You can see her piece Kissed by Sunshine in Webster Arts' Small Works XIX, showing now through March 29 at the Webster Groves Public Library.

Sarah Ball

Sarah began her art journey at a young age, encouraged by participating in her parent’s art endeavors in creative wood carving panels, sculptures, and metal sculptures. While her life took other directions in college, she studied most heavily in her small-town high school art classes, moving from pastels and acrylics to oil paints as she developed her skills. Along the way Sarah developed skillsets in clay sculpture, photography, weaving, and fiber arts, but on semi-retirement from her professional career more focus time has lent her skills to painting. While oils are in the forefront, multiple media of gauche, watercolor, and acrylics have entered the mix.

Sarah is focused on what it takes to create and to depict the process of making a painting ‘work’. Sarah states she enjoys using compositional frameworks of celebrated artists of the Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo eras to reflect contemporary subject matter taken from photographs and daily life, (but more to follow on that!).

Currently, Sarah has shown several paintings in Saint Louis based galleries with both regional and national juried shows over the past 3 years. She has displayed varied subject matter, evolving from Indigenous native American and world refugee topics to our natural environment. The goal of her work centers on creating an emotional connection with her audience through the two-dimensional canvas.

Sarah's piece, Oak Tree Wisdom, is currently showing in Webster Arts show Emerald and was awarded Best in Show. You can see this painting in the Webster Arts Gallery now through March 29.

Eve Bayer

"Eve Bayer is an artist living and creating in Ladue, Missouri. Having retired from a non-art professional career, she now devotes her time to both making art and actively supporting the visual arts in Saint Louis. Having formally studied visual art at Washington University in Saint Louis, and more recently at the School of Visual Arts in New York, her artwork practice has evolved from drawing and painting, to textured, expressionistic, layered compositions reflective of nature, myth, and human experience. Eve approaches her works purposefully, combining drawings and paintings, printmaking, encaustic and repurposed art materials, with organic

materials and fibers, which she then marks, layers, and adds to and subtracts from with studied intention. The resulting works, which are both highly expressionistic and deeply personal, serve as a visual diary of the artist’s consciousness and history; however, the artist prefers her works to be interpreted through viewers’ own experiences, histories and emotions. Bayer’s works have shown in galleries in New York, Detroit and her hometown of Saint Louis, and are currently held in private collections throughout the country.

Eve Bayer can be contacted at 4jedbayer@gmail.com and through her Instagram account: @eve_visualarts "

Bill Kambol

"Bill Kambol is an American artist residing in Saint Louis, Missouri. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts, concentrating in Industrial Design, from Purdue University. Away from his daytime role as a designer, Bill developed his artistic skills in several different mediums including oils, graphite and watercolor. Recently, Bill enjoyed a year-long sabbatical where he continued to hone his watercolor skills.

Bill’s art is influenced by the work of David Hockney and Wayne Theibaud and is currently mentoring with watercolorist Ali Cavanaugh. His subjects include, but not exclusive to, portraits, landscape and floral paintings.

Bill’s energetic portraits have the unique ability to use humor to embrace the human experience. “It’s those split second moments that I love to capture and make them last a lifetime. It is incredibly rewarding to see how happy my work makes my clients.”

Bill’s landscapes and florals are inspired from working at his family’s floral and garden shop as a teenager. Bill recently created a series of paintings from the photographs he took on one beautiful spring day at the Keukenhof Botanical Gardens in Lisse, Netherlands. These works convey the feeling of saturation and beauty of the meticulously tended flower beds. His paintings beautifully depict the many rivers of color flowing throughout the garden. Upon his return from his European trip, Bill discovered a wonderful surprise. Looking through some of the slides his father took when he was serving in the U.S. Army, Bill learned that he also visited the same town of Lisse.

These paintings can be viewed at Bill’s current solo show “The Colors of the Netherlands” at the Maryland Heights Community Center continuing until January 5th, 2024. All are welcome to the closing reception on that evening 5:30-7:30.

Bill has been a part three Webster Arts shows, most recently the 2023 Open Theme Annual. His work can be found on his website billkambol.com and on his Instagram page @wkambol ."

Amie Simmons

Amie Simmons, a painter, metalsmith, and animal lover creates pieces inspired by nature, humans, and found objects. She incorporates metals in her paintings and images in her metals. It is Amie’s hope that each piece of art inspires others to create, and brings a little joy to the world. Amie believes that more people creating, viewing, and enjoying art will make the world a better place. 

Connie J. Schmidt

Connie grew up in Crystal City, Missouri with her parents and seven sisters. Her art endeavors began in childhood with drawing and painting, leading to art class in high school. During college years she switched from oil painting to acrylics as a creative outlet without any further art education. But a career in finance took precedence during her adult years.

During their 10 years in Crestwood and 25 years in Webster Groves, she and her husband vacationed almost exclusively in Colorado. They now spend five months of the year in Estes Park, Colorado. After retirement, she returned to her love of art by attending several watercolor workshops, a new medium for her. The beauty of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) became her inspiration. Watercolor became her challenge and joy. Landscapes became her subject of choice. Plein air painting, particularly in RMNP, is her favorite occupation during the summer and fall months. Along with a group of like-minded artists of all mediums, she enjoys weekly plein air sessions in and around Estes Park and RMNP. Her favorite location is Sprague Lake which provides endless compositions, changes in light and color. She participated in plein air festivals in Boulder, CO and was juried into the Estes Valley Plein Air for two years. She continues to attend workshops throughout the year to improve her representational style.

She is a member of the Saint Louis Watercolor Society, the Colorado Watercolor Society, and the Plein Air Artists of Colorado and was juried into their annual exhibits in 2023. She is a member artist at two galleries in Estes Park. She has been juried into three “Small Works” exhibits and the 2022 “Seasonal Rhythms” exhibit of Webster Arts.

Gaye Gambell-Peterson

“Once upon a time a girl-child in western New York colored outside the lines and paid no attention to the numbers in her paint-by-numbers kits. She parlayed that proclivity into a degree in design (major: painting) from the University of Michigan. From there she wandered back and forth between the west coast and the Midwest, labeling herself every which way (wife, art teacher, mother, reporter, painter, sculptor, weaver, sales, special education assistant, divorcee, caregiver, grandmother, wife again, poet, retiree, artist/poet, great-grandmother).

In her ninth decade, gaye gambell-peterson has settled down to one artistic medium, that being collage—the layering of bits of paper and ephemera on canvas. In the 1970s, she was content to lug her art from outside fair to outside fair—now she's delighted to carry a piece or three to a juried exhibit right here in the St Louis area. 2023 was a banner year with her collages juried into 16 shows, and an Award of Excellence garnered. 

Poetry is a passion also—the layering of words. She is published often enough to keep her writing.  Her latest poetry award was in 2023. Her art and poetry are companioned in her two chapbooks, pale leaf  floating (Cherry Pie Press: Midwest Womens Poet Series) and mYnd mAp (Agog Press).”

A poem (with art) by gaye gambell-peterson, published online:  https://qarrtsiluni.com/2012/10/10/life-stuff/

                        Life Stuff

I gather dabs of life-stuff around me. They come in a drift,
or singly like snowflakes. Moments fall in my ears; their music, sometimes discordant,

although mostly remembered as harmony.
I trim each chance to one-inch squares, line them up on my canvas, seal them—
a portrait of self. My family admires my effort, or mocks it—
this impulse to control past and present. Yet, I persist. Translate half—
or twice as much—of every emotion into these small paper pieces.
Bright hues—purple, hot pink, mango, bitter green, azure—tangle in my hair,

in my art, blind my other eye. I edit images into these fragments,

rearrange, attempt to appreciate this life, this urge.

Ampersands, seashells, bird nest, rocking chair, moose,

spiral, moon. And words: The heart is the hub. Go there. Roam in it. I am.
So. Look at me now. A scrap-monger in a world of dots and words,
confetti of my life a swirl ’round my head, while the unremembered fall away—
fall upon my bare feet which tap and twirl without notice.

Heather Haymart

"My creative life began generations before me and continues through my children today. I made this love affair with art official when I earned my BFA and BSEd from the University of Missouri - Columbia. Being a high school art teacher and mural painter were my school of life stepping stones toward being the artist I was always called to be. Spending my days creating paintings for private, public and corporate collections is my great privilege and joy.

Art is my voice when I can’t find the words. It is my mission to combine colors and texture onto a surface in a way that emits an emotion into the space it inhabits and to the person who views it. My paintings are inspired by music, nature, human interaction and all things that make the world an interesting place. Although my paintings are abstract, it is a thrill for me to give a hint of something recognizable that people can connect with. I like to imagine interacting with my paintings is like going on a treasure hunt."

You can see Heather's painting, Don't Give Up on Me, in our Member's Showcase. And be sure to stop by Webster Arts on November 25 for Small Business Saturday to purchase some of your own artwork from Heather and other Members!

Karen Atkins

Art has always been a part of my life and has taken on many forms along the way. I decided to go into graphic design as a “safe choice” rather than fine arts. I always had a dream of becoming a professional artist, but I kept putting my art career dreams on the back burner. Then, a few things happened that opened the door for me to be able to stay home to homeschool and take care of my parents in our home. This year, I decided it was time to make this dream come true. In January I started Katkins Studio and started selling custom pet portraits. Most recently, though, I have started working on an art series named REM Intrusion.

Our pets give us so much joy and happiness, but sometimes one stands out from the rest. For us, that pet was Nibbler. Sadly, she left us last year, but her memory lives on through the portrait I painted. Every time we look at it, we're reminded of her playful spirit and the joy she brought to our lives. Through my commissioned pet portraits, I want to help others celebrate their pet’s memory whether their furry companion is still by their side or has crossed the rainbow bridge.

The REM Intrusion series follows my personal journey with narcolepsy, a chronic and rare disease. Through this ongoing project, I use each painting as a means to share a chapter of my story, each intertwined with my innermost thoughts and emotions. As a fellow narcoleptic, I know the frustration that comes with feeling misunderstood and isolated in this experience. As a result, my artwork serves as a comfort to those who share this path, reminding them that they are not alone.

My hope is that by exploring my art, you find a sense of shared experiences, pride in your strength and perseverance despite the challenges posed by this chronic disease, and an outlet to process the full range of emotions that come with this disorder."

Karen was awarded Second Place in Webster Arts summer show, Unsung, for her piece 'A Familiar Place' The REM Intrusion series.

Jay and Sherry Phillips

Jay and Sherry Phillips grew up in the St. Louis County area, were childhood sweethearts that lived across the street from each other and now live in Chesterfield, MO.  Their medium is primarily wood but they also weld metal to create functional art and use their laser machine to enhance, and make unique, a lot of their wood art. Jay owns his own IT consulting firm and has been a woodworker for almost 40 years, building furniture, remodeling their home and turning wood on the lathe. Sherry is a retired hospital social worker who has been turning wood on the lathe and using the other power tools in their shop for over 15 years. They have taken workshops, private lessons and network with other wood workers in order to evolve their style and work by experimenting with different creative methods to make their pieces artistically unique. Jay grew up watching, then working with his father building and creating things out of wood as a hobby. Sherry began woodworking watching Jay and having him teach her the art of woodworking. They are motivated by their appreciation of and respect for nature. The beauty of wood and how each piece is unique provides their incentive to create pieces that enhance that unique beauty within their finished pieces. They particularly enjoy upcycling local Missouri wood and are proud to create with it rather than have it discarded as worthless. Jay and Sherry are juried Best of Missouri Hands Artisans, juried members of the Greater St. Louis Artists Association and members of Webster Arts . They have been juried into numerous art shows over the past 9 years, including the MO Botanical Gardens Best of Missouri Market (for 9 years), Webster Arts Fair, Kirkwood Artists Boutique, Richmond Heights Art Fest, Art in the Park at Francis Park in St. Louis Hills, Art in the Park in Columbia, MO, Schlafly Art Outside, Old Capitol Art Fair in Springfield, IL,  Wildwood Art Festival, Queeny Park Art Fair, and Midwest Salute to the Arts just to name a few. They have 4 adult children, 6 grandchildren, a sweet goldendoodle dog and enjoy camping, hiking, fishing, bike riding and traveling the country in their motorhome.

Laura Bontty

Laura Bontty, a St. Louis native and lifelong artist, received her BFA from Lindenwood University in 1991. Her talents are best highlighted in her paintings and drawings, and her mediums include acrylics, pastels, watercolors, pencil and ink.  Her portfolio encompasses portraits, landscapes, architecture and pets. 

Her passion shines through in her portraits, capturing a striking likeness while revealing each subject’s unique personality, whether it's a person, pet or cherished home.  While portraits are her most popular, she also enjoys painting colorful landscapes and murals, like her recent work in the children’s area at Laurie’s Shoes in Glendale, MO.  She also had a fun phase of painting hundreds of custom canvas Toms and Converse shoes between 2012 and 2020. 

Laura enjoys the challenge of always exploring and learning new techniques. When she’s not creating art in her home studio, she works for “House of Paint & Design Co.” a boutique paint company specializing in interior/exterior paint, refinishing, wallpaper & lime wash applications.  

Her art has been displayed in the Webster Arts small works show in recent years and you can explore her creative journey at www.artbylaurabontty.com or follow her on Facebook and Instagram at “artbylaurabontty”.

After many years of juggling the art of raising two boys and working, she looks forward to the days she will be able to spend more time dedicated to creating art.

Robert Bolla

As a photographer, Robert considers himself a storyteller. That is, he wants his photos to be a story for the viewer to read through their imagination, notice what see in the photo and what lies behind what they see.  

Although Robert has had some mentoring in specific areas, he is primarily self-taught. During his career as a biologist, he used photography, including electron microscopy and image analysis, in his teaching and research. 

 After retirement, Robert moved into the digital world to continue as a photographic storyteller. He has two main interests; teaching the relationship of the arts and sciences and showing how people and cultures are different yet the same. While he has traveled extensively as a street photographer, he also photographs wildlife, nature, and landscape. Sometimes, he uses the digital darkroom to create digital paintings from digital photos to better tell the story he wants the viewer to read.  

Most recently, one of his goals is to use photography to show that even though cultures may differ, they also are much the same and that we should see this sameness as we address worldly issues. He tries to show this through the photography of indigenous peoples in their native culture, involved in their daily tasks of living. Inspired by the photographic technique used by Edward Curtis and his contemporaries to capture the story and history of Native Americans, Robert now uses the orotype or gold type photograph to bring the viewer’s eye to the main element of the photograph. This opens the imagination to the viewer's reading of the story being told.  

Robert competes in local, national, and international multimedia art juried competitions for on-line and physical gallery exhibitions, including the 2022 exhibit at the International Photographic Hall of Fame and Museum. His work has been in solo and curated exhibits at the St. Louis Artist Guild, Buder Library and Maryland Heights, Bradley University, Renaissance Hotel, Soulard Coffee Garden and EuroBiotech in Poznan, Poland.  He is a featured artist in Camelback Galleries, a solo artist at Fusion Art Galleries, and Artist of the Month at Gallery Ring online galleries.  He has also served on the Board of Directors for Manchester Arts.

Corissa Mantooth

Corissa’s artwork is heavily influenced by her experiences as a field Biologist, environmental educator, and nature enthusiast. Spending time in upstate New York and the St. Louis Metro area during her childhood, her work focuses on native wildlife and landscapes that aim to capture the bright colors, textures, and movements found in nature. Corissa’s art education has been largely informal through the direction of classes, workshops, and experimentation. She uses many tools to create her heavily textured acrylic pieces including piping bags, palette knives, and brushes. In addition to sculptural acrylics, Corissa also enjoys creating hand-pressed prints for mixed-media pieces and limited edition prints that highlight local wildlife species. Corissa has participated in Webster Arts Gazebo Markets and you can find her sharing her work with collectors at various local markets in the St. Louis area year-round.

Rosemary Werkmeister

This week we are highlighting Webster Arts Member Rosemary Werkmeister, operating under the business name of Annie Dell Designs - the name is a tribute to her mother and aunt, honoring them and the memory of their love for wearing jewelry... and a little bit of bling.

Rosemary writes of her work: "My jewelry is created from the combination of my love of the natural energy that comes from rocks and the peaceful focus needed to manipulate & form metal. Inspiration is all around me coming from something in nature such as a flower, branch, bug, or rock. I strive to build an elegant showcase with metal to create pleasing pieces of wearable art. Settings are hand fabricated by cutting, piercing, texturing, folding, and soldering various components together.

My journey into metal smithing began later in my life after a lengthy career working with retirement plans & programs. In 2014 I started with just one class at Craft Alliance and have been drawn to metal smithing from the moment I experienced the thrill of soldering two pieces of metal together. Since then, I have studied with the fine instructors at Craft Alliance and participated in various workshops led by Paulette Meyers, Jayne Redman, and John Heusler. I am proud to be a juried artist in both The Greater St. Louis Artists and Best of Missouri Hands organizations."

Rosemary participated in the 2023 Webster Arts Fair, and has been a part of the Webster Arts Gazebo Markets. Her work is currently on exhibit at The Green Door Gallery in Webster Groves, MO through October 28.

Judy Stroup

Judy spent her early childhood years on a small Missouri family farm before moving to the St. Louis area. The impressions from those early years fostered an appreciation and love of nature which eventually let her to pursue landscape as her main genre. Judy’s art education has been primarily self-directed with college classes and private study. She continues to learn through workshops from prominent artists. She has worked in watercolor, graphite and oil. The process of drawing and painting from life is important to her. “Working from direct observation enables me to see and be engaged in the world in a more intimate way. I always come away from the experience with indelible memories of that time and place.” Capturing that ‘sense of place’ and sharing that essence is the goal she strives for in her work.

You can see Judy's work in Webster Arts current exhibit, Opposites Attract.

Bob Thomas

Today's Monday Members Feature is Bob Thomas.

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Bob Thomas received his BFA from Washington University in 1981. He painted sporadically during his career as a graphic designer and art director and returned to the easel on a regular basis upon his retirement at the end of 2021. Throughout his 40+ years of painting he has been fascinated by the transient nature of life. His work attempts to capture the time, the place, and especially the changing light and atmosphere that will never be again. He currently works out of his home studio in Webster Groves, Missouri.

Bob has been in many Webster Arts shows and was awarded Best in Show for his piece American Falls (first slide).