illustration – Circle Foundation for the Arts

Liyuan Liu

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Liu Liyuan graduated from the Department of Dyeing and Clothing department at Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. She loves painting and began to learn it during her childhood. Liyuan has completed research on classical and modern art and has excelled in studying figure painting. Now living in Vancouver, Liyuan has studied under the famous oil painter Xue Yanqun and the Chinese painting and calligraphy master Liang Zhaotang for many years.

Liyuan is also engaged in the application work of art advancement to famous schools in North America, helping students apply for prestigious schools in North America and Europe and has many years of experience with a 100% success! Her students have won many awards in the World Cup Art Drawing Competition and continuously published professional art guidance articles in the media such as Metropolis Daily, Global Chinese News, Afar, and Altitude, as well as accepted personal interviews.

In 2017, Liyuan did personal interviews with the columns of Canadian City TV "Elegance" and "Dating in the City." At the same time, she has been invited to give lectures on the Canadian Chinese Radio "Art Special Interview" and "Live Broadcast of the Guidance Series of Prestigious Art Schools".

In 2021 and 2022, she participated in the Vancouver artist group exhibition with five works. Liyuan's oil paintings have won awards in Switzerland; her watercolor works have also won awards on online exhibitions in the United States; her works have also been published in the well-known French artist magazine "Circle Quarterly Art Review."

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Ashima Kumar

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“Art can penetrate the deepest part of us where no words exist”.

Ashima Kumar is a visual artist from India living in the UK. After completing her BFA degree in applied arts, Ashima started to work at the cutting edge of Graphic Design and Fine Art. Her style is a unique fusion of doodle art, traditional art, and modern technology. Her creative works are a connection between humanity and the natural environment. Ashima juxtaposes geometric simplicity with painterly strokes, drawing inspiration from traditional folk-art forms and natural patterns.

Her work is often considered a fine example of what possibilities happen when you pair clean, strong forms with a powerful message. Her effort has been to showcase how, with the use of bold and rule-breaking visual language, visual art can inspire and be a vital element in the growth of businesses and also in nudging public perceptions in desirable ways. She describes her artistic technique as threefold: "dream, doodle, design." She is always seeking to transform the experiential into visible patterns and definite forms. Her creations are spontaneous. She translates her thoughts and narrates the story into patterns and composition using fine line drawings and colours.

Her passion for creating art and challenging moral themes have enabled her to become a regular contributor to multiple art fairs and exhibitions e.g., Focus Art - Louvre, The Swiss Art Fair, Art Basel Miami, Flux Exhibition etc. Her art has been featured in several publications like Aesthetica, Flux Review, Spotlight Magazine, 365 art+ Magazine, The New Art Book 2019, The Home and Gardens, Times of India, India Design World, etc. She is fast gaining a reputation as an international artist.

Her art has not only been displayed at art exhibitions but has also struck a chord with organizations seeking to build/extend their brand identity.

Ashima utilises elements from her art practice to impart tools for well-being. An absolute sensory and tactile delight, her therapy.

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Mina Moe

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Mina Moe, an American artist, graduated from UCLA with a major in Economics and has since worked in the finance and data science sectors. During her high school years, she was deeply fascinated by the connections between art, mathematics, science, and economics. Since then, her artworks have been influenced by elements from all four domains.

In August 2023, her passion for art led her to launch Kasine Studio based in California. Her artworks have received awards, are part of private collections, and have been featured in domestic and international exhibitions and publications.

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Shu Yu

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2017, Awarded in the 2017 American Art Awards, juried by America’s 25 Best Galleries & Museums (category 47, digital art – representational).

2018, Won the 1st place in the 28th latest Artavita Online Contest in the category of Digital Art.

2018, Became a 4X winner in the 2018 American Art Awards. Won the 1st place in both “Orientalism or Asian” subject and “digital art – representational” subject; Won the 4th place in futurism; Won the 6th place in surrealism.

2019,Won the contest Finalist Award exhibited in San Diego of Unite state.

2019,Artworks were published on spotlight contemporary art magazine in 2019.

2019，Was selected as one of the artist in the information of Contest Finalists, exhibition at spectrum Miami.

2019, Was invited to participate in the 12 th Florence Biennale of Italian in 2019.

2019， Was selected in the ArtGemini Prize, London& Singapore (London Global Art Prize).

2019 ,Was invited to participate in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Culture and Art Exhibition.

2019 ,In 2019 American Art Awards, won 8 prize and 1 masterpieces prize by the committee.

2019 , won the 1st prize in the Circle Quarterly art magazine art awards, artworks were published on the circle foundation art magazine for free.

2020， Was selected in the SCA2020 (Society of Canadian) International Open Juried Online Exhibition

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Toti Cuesta

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“I am a watercolor artist based in Madrid. I studied Law and Languages, and for many years I worked in the international field, but art has always been my great passion and the engine of my life. I am also trained as an Art Therapist because of the healing power that I feel art has.

Since I was a child, there was a creativity in me that grew more and more. This was understood and valued in my environment as a hobby, but I knew it was much more than that. I began an inner search that allowed me to discover who I was and what I had come here to do. It helped me free myself from everything that others had chosen, thinking that it was what was best for me, but that had nothing to do with my essence.

I define myself as a watercolorist, although I have done numerous works with other techniques such as oil and pastel. Watercolor is the most luminous and transparent technique, the one that can best represent the vibration of other dimensions and capture it in colors that transmit joy and light.”

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Daniella Batsheva

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What themes does your current work involve?

The themes often involve a blend of urban legends, symbolism from many different cultures, and femininity. The stylistic approach is a fusion between retro punk show posters and children's book illustration with a heavy Victorian flair. Being commissioned to illustrate pieces with completely different topics ends up being tons of fun because I get to process the subject matter through that mental lens. Lately I've been including a lot more humour in my pieces which adds a more relatable, human element that's received a lot of positive responses.

Describe your creative process.

My process is extremely traditional and it always starts with a massive amount of research. Depending on the topic, I might head to a library. Then lots of thumbnailing and sketching. Once I find the right imagery and composition, I roughly draw out the full-sized piece on bristol. This is where my friends say I'm a grandpa - I'll pull out tracing paper, redraw and refine certain elements, and transfer it to the paper, so everything is ready for me to begin inking. Sometimes I'll keep a drawing black and white, other times I'll scan it in and colour it digitally. Most of my work is commissioned, so the client usually only requires a file and I get to stash away the original like a happy little gremlin.

What influences your work? What inspires you? Why do you make art?

I've always felt obsessively compelled to make art. It was my chosen method of communication as an awkward child. I tell people that it's really all I know how to do! These days, I find myself drawing more in defiance of the alarming trends towards AI and the devaluation of artists, but my creations are mostly out of love and a need for mental clarity. My work is heavily influenced by illuminated manuscripts, Victorian era children's books, and horror films. I love taking the naivete and innocence of early illustrations and pairing it with a modern narrative. I generally choose to not rely on a shock-factor or fan-art. I want people to appreciate the artwork, not for its gore or nudity, but for its quality, character, and symbolism.

What are your goals and plans as an artist in 2023?

I'm currently working on an exhibition called "Skirting Spectres" with my friend Susan Slaughter (Ghost Hunters Int., Paranormal Caught on Camera). It's a week long supernatural pop-up show that's taking place at The Crypt Gallery in London from April 25-30. There will be never before seen illustrations on display, along with accompanying stories, lectures, a Q&A session with Susan and I, and live drawing sessions on the weekdays. I also have artwork on display at ArtExpo New York this weekend. I'm continuing to work with my clients, both as an illustrator and designer. Other than that, I'm trying to spend as much time in nature as possible. There's nothing I love more than walking around in the park or woods on a gloomy day.

How do recent advancements in technology affect your art practice? How may recent developments in Artificial Intelligence (image generator software) affect the definition of fine art?

AI hasn't affected my work on a personal level, but seeing artists attacked as "unnessecary" or "gatekeepers" is gaslighting of the worst degree. Artists are not privileged and we are not gatekeeping anything. Anyone is free to put in the work and develop the skills necessary to become an artist. Museums, galleries are free, and you can absolutely find tutorials on youtube. Scraping the internet and using the art of hard working people to create a database that generates derivative images is an insult to any skilled worker that has dedicated their lives to honing their skills. It's simply laziness. We have a culture of convenience and a need for instant gratification due to being perpetually connected to our gadgets and receiving an onslaught of information. We need to touch grass.

What is the role of the artist today?

I think the role is evolving. Artists have always defined their environments through fashion, product design, paintings, iconic imagery and logos, and I think that will continue to be true. However, we're in a place where technology is rapidly progressing, in an attempt to replace artists and, while I don't think it threatens the will to create, public perception of the arts appears to be at an all-time low. People are forgetting why art is important, schools are cutting funding to their arts programs, art is being politicised as something "liberal" rather than something human, and it's all very alarming. I think, as Henry Rollins said, "This is not a time to be dismayed. This is punk rock time." And maybe, right now, artists need to remind people how to be rebellious, critical thinkers.

What is good art? What makes a piece of art great?

A good piece involves striking a balance between skill and cleverness. A piece that is entirely skill, for example, a drawing that is photorealistic but drawn from an existing image, can be impressive, but that's all it is. A piece that has a brilliant concept, but is poorly executed, also misses the mark. Good art is able to communicate a message while being visually appealing in some way. Great artwork should capture the imagination of the viewer and hold it, inspire some emotion, keep them searching, or simply give them a new environment to inhabit for a moment. Great artwork should have a versatility to it. It should be able to be applied in a context outside of visual arts so that it can be enjoyed beyond a specific, exclusive place and the viewer can develop a relationship with it.

This is the time for artists to create a space for each other, outside of a digital umbrella. We're trendsetters, we're hard workers, and I think we're generally very interesting people. I suspect that if we build that community and space physically for each other, it'll inspire others to follow. Or maybe I'm just being idealistic and people really don't have the will to challenge the status quo. I think we're at an interesting social turning point and we have yet to see where it goes. I'm gonna stick around for the ride and if art becomes disliked, for whatever reason, I'll keep drawing out of spite.

Shan Ogdemli

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"I have been a working artist my entire life, wearing many hats that include fine artist, licensed artist, illustrator, product designer, graphic designer, creative director and entrepreneur. I've owned and co-owned several successful artistic business endeavors, including my graphic design and illustration studio, Ogdemli Feldman Design + Illustration; my art licensing business, Designs by Shan; and a worldwide licensed brand phenomenon called Pampered Girls.

After many years working in the commercial art and design fields in Los Angeles, my husband and I have recently relocated to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and I have finally been able to make the necessary life changes to be able to focus full-time on my true passion of creating my fine art.

I work in multiple styles and media that include large-scale paintings in acrylic mixed with diatomaceous earth, as well as in digital media. My acrylic paintings are heavily textured with expressive brush strokes that add movement and energy, with color harmonies meticulously built from several layers of translucent and opaque paint.

My digital images are what I call "digital drawings" because they all start as pencil drawings on paper, which are then scanned and redrawn by hand in Illustrator, then meticulously colored using Illustrator and Photoshop in much the same way as my layered acrylic paintings.

My subjects in both media include light and color, patterns from life, science and math, dots, spots, circles, particles, waves, energy, flowing lines, spirals, mandalas and abstract landscapes.

Inspirations include Op Art of the '60s and 70's, Victor Vasarely, Yaakov Agam, Mark Rothko, Vincent Van Gogh, Emilio Pucci, Alan Turing, biology, geometry, astronomy, physics, quantum physics and metaphysics."

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Codyan

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Jingfeng Li

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Chinese Artist, Jingfeng Li was born in 1965 in Anshan city, Liaoning Province, China and today lives in Beijing. His painstakingly realistic works are produced primarily with an ink pen. JingFeng Li graduated from Shenyang Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts and is a member of the American Portrait Society, a contractor of the Sena Art Gallery in France, and a representative painter of modern Chinese painting.

"I started drawing at the age of seven, perhaps a natural affinity; and have been long engaged with photography and painting. I began to work realistically with pen drawing in 2012. I have won many prizes in international drawing contests. Perhaps I was born like black and white and grey color, so choosing pen drawing is in line with my aesthetic. I like the real thing, it makes me really feel the sincerity and affinity of nature."

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Katya Dudnik

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"There are no "absolutely grown ups" and no “absolutely childish” people. We all come from the world of the fairy tale, where we see the brightest dreams and the air is soaked in them. The most important thing is not to lose this childishness when you grow up and get wiser, have a free spirit, be loving and always ready to meet fairy tales."

Katya Dudnik is a prominent Ukranian artist. Her first teacher was her father, while her mother was her inspiration.

Apart from an outstanding natural talent, Kate has a notable professional background, studied at the State School of Arts T.G.Shevchenko (1997-2000) and the National Art Academy (2001-2007). She is an honorable Member of the Izmail Art Union and National Youth Assembly of Artists of Ukraine. In 2010 the name of Katya Dudnik was included to the “United Art Rating” (which includes the names of the artists of Russian Empire, USSR, Russian Federation, Ukraine and all the ex-USSR Republics of 18th - 21st centuries, who formed their part of the world’s heritage).

The main characters of her paintings are her two sons, nieces, beloved sister and Katya herself. But each viewer sees himself or someone from his family, friends. Katya Dudnik took part in various exhibitions which helped her become confident, brought her acclaim and incentives for new creative works. She has actively exhibited since 2000, an entire list of her CV is visible on http://katyadudnik.gallery/about/

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Liyuan Liu

Ashima Kumar

Ashima Kumar is a visual artist working at the cutting edge of Fine Art and Graphic Design. Her style is a unique fusion of doodle art with traditional style and digital media. Ashima juxtaposes graphic simplicity with painterly strokes. Her artworks are symbolic of Beauty, Wonder and Serenity.

Mina Moe

Hope. Commitment. Resilience. This is what my art conveys - inspired by art, mathematics, science, and economics studies.

Shu Yu

Toti Cuesta

“Art arises from my spiritual need to create, to go beyond the senses. It is an expression of the soul and a magical experience. The use of symbols and color characterize my paintings. Symbols allow me to express and transmit the message of art. The color radiates the light of each human being.”

Daniella Batsheva

What themes does your current work involve?

Describe your creative process.

What influences your work? What inspires you? Why do you make art?

What are your goals and plans as an artist in 2023?

How do recent advancements in technology affect your art practice? How may recent developments in Artificial Intelligence (image generator software) affect the definition of fine art?

What is the role of the artist today?

What is good art? What makes a piece of art great?

Discover More Artists

Shan Ogdemli

"My work is inspired by light and color, patterns from biology, physics and geometry, by the Earth and Cosmos, by the interconnectedness of all things, by op art, pop art and the miracle of life."

Codyan

"I like comic culture, casual and no noise lifestyle. So I can focus on “Open your mind! Enjoy your life!” directly. I like the works of Toriyama Akira (Japanese comic artist.) Each of his comics is a piece of illustration art, which is more meaningful than comics as entertainment."

Jingfeng Li

"The beauty of realistic pen-and-ink painting is that it uses just a black line to paint a rich and delicate picture. It presents a beauty of vicissitudes. I like the color of black, white and gray. Its deep, quiet yet noble quality profoundly attracts me."

Katya Dudnik