Portraying Atlanta’s Artists

Lisa Gleim Portraiture

Lisa Gleim never doubted what her career would be. I have always been fascinated by people, and portraiture is my obvious subject of choice, she says. Even at a very young age, I wanted to paint portraits of people. This comes as no surprise, as she is one in a long line of artists. Though she graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, Gleim continues to seek out instruction, having most recently studied under Cedric and Joanette Egeli and Margaret C. Baumgaertner.

Gleims devotion to education is revealed in her paintings. I believe that I capture a likeness of my subject, but I also capture their essence or personality, she says. It takes an artist hours to study not only the subjects features, but also the mannerisms that make that person who they are.

Gleim also lends her skills to capturing beloved pets on canvas. With my pet portraits, I am able to meet people who share my same love for animals and am also able to help local animal shelters, foster groups and SPCAs raise much-needed funds by donating portraits to their fundraising efforts, she says.

To learn more about Gleim and her work, visit her Web site at www.lisagleim.com.

Karen Hollingsworth Interiors, portraiture and still life

When it comes to painting, Karen Hollingsworth loves light. I really try to capture the light of a building, she says. I really love getting that mood of lighting coming in. Shes been perfecting that technique for 15 years in interiors, portraiture and still life. Working almost exclusively in oils, Hollingsworth tries to express a sense of comfort and peacefulness in her work.

Art aficionados seem to appreciate her efforts. She took second place at the 2001 spring competition and an honorable mention in the 2001 fall competition of the Atlanta Portrait Society. You can see her in a two-woman show called Insideout with Elizabeth Stockton at Twinhouse Gallery in Atlanta November 6 through 29.

David Isenhour Sculpture

David Isenhour began his career as a teenager and went on to earn both a bachelors and masters degree in fine arts. Today, he focuses on sculpture using contemporary mixed media, primarily wood with polymer foams and automotive finishes. His favorite aspect of the process is the completion of a piece. I think [the best part] is the moment you see something finished after its existed in your imagination for a while, Isenhour says.

Since winning the Fulton County Forward Arts Foundation Emerging Artist Award in 2000, Isenhour has been quite busy. He has been featured in several solo and group exhibitions, as well as numerous publications. He hopes his work will leave a lasting impression on those who see it. I hope they walk away and question the world around them, he says.
Currently, Isenhour has pieces on display at the Spruill Gallery in Atlanta.

Rebecca Kunimoto Faux painting, murals, custom artwork

As co-owner of Wild Horse Studio, Rebecca Kunimoto is completely focused on painting. If its a surface that can be painted, well paint it, she says. We get really creative about where we can put paint. During the last 14 years, shes been able to find a lot of unique places to paint, most recently at the Cow Parade in Atlanta. Kunimoto and her sister, Lizbeth Harrison, designed and created the Moo-tropolis entry, which can be seen at www.cowparade.org.

Kunimoto has finally come full circle back to her original love. Worried that she would become a starving artist after she received a degree in fine arts and a minor in art history, her mother convinced her to pursue a career in animal and plant genetics. But after 15 years, she quit and started painting again which rekindled her love for the art. Her current projects include painting three large murals of an early American water scene in a grand salon and a fun motocross-themed mural in a boys room.

If youre interested in seeing more of Kunimotos work, call to schedule an appointment to visit her studio in Sandy Springs.

Donald Locke Painting, sculpture

Originally from Stewartville, Guyana, in South America, Donald Locke received his art education in England and Scotland. After many years studying around the world, he came to Atlanta for a one-year fellowship. Thirteen years later, Locke is still here because of the impact the city and its people have had on his art.

The most important thing for me is that a significant change in my work took place in Atlanta, he says. Though his work has always focused on the black female figure, since coming to Atlanta, his work has also reflected the folklore of Guyana. It starts with an idea, and then training and instinct take over, he says. This is not something I set out to do. Its something I discovered.
In turn, Lockes work has been discovered by countless others. His pieces can be found in collections throughout the world, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brasilia, Brazil and Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta. Some of his pieces can be seen at Solomon Projects in Atlanta.

Susan McCracken Stained glass

With a background in architecture, Susan McCracken first became acquainted with stained glass when clients asked her to design stained glass panels. However, she became so enamored with the work that she decided to not only design the pieces, but also produce them. After apprenticing in several studios, McCracken opened her own glass design and production business, Architectural Artworks.
McCrackens designs range from panels and fireplace screens to chandeliers and lamps based in the arts-and-crafts style. I create custom pieces according to the clients vision, she says. I try to match it to the homes style and fit it into its environment.

Though the actual production process is McCrackens favorite aspect to her craft, there is one other: Its really fun to see the customers faces at delivery, she says. Its always more than they expect.

McCrackens work can be seen at Cotswold Furniture Makers and www.architecturalartworks.net.

Thomas Prochnow Metal works

From a very young age, Thomas Prochnow always had an interest in art. He was always drawing and excelled in his art classes in school. One day, however, he decided to try something different: working with metals. They soon became his favorite medium. I started by welding pieces together, he says. Now, Ive developed the skill where I mold and shape my own elements.

Prochnow quickly developed a following. Most recently, he created a line of pieces for the Atlanta History Center, a collection of realistic, life-size animals that meander throughout the centers Quarry Garden. Prochnow hopes visitors connect with the pieces. I want them to look and see something beautiful, maybe see an inner soul, like its really alive, he says. And, based on their response, they have. Many art enthusiasts loved the pieces so much they bought them and donated them to the center.

If you want to see more of Prochnows work, visit the Atlanta History Center or make an appointment to visit his studio in the small town of Buckhead located near Athens.