Summer Colors, now in its 11th year, was an idea born out of passion for both art and the patients of Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. Founded in 2009 by Jenny and Loren Koziol, this silent art auction raises awareness about the hospital, while also exposing the Dallas community to up and coming local artists. Each year, local artists donate original pieces of art to be featured in the auction, with all the proceeds benefiting our hospital. Over the next few weeks, we will be introducing you to all of the artists. This year’s event will be held on Thursday, July 25, at Scottish Rite for Children.
BRITTNEY WELLS
Background: I have been painting and drawing since I was 5 years old. I am a former patient of Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. I received my BFA in graphic design from Texas A&M University-Commerce in 2010. I will paint or draw on anything that will hold paint. The world is my canvas, from walls (murals) to shoes to printing t-shirts to paint on making my own canvases; I’m blessed to say I do it all!
Inspiration: I get my inspiration from everyday life and sometimes even my dreams. Most times I’ll let my imagination run wild on a canvas.
HEATHER GALLAGHER
I am a mom of three beautiful children, a wife, a sister, a daughter, and a friend to many. I have lived in Texas my whole life and North Texas for most of that. I work for locally based non-profit ambulance service Careflite. I am a paramedic and enjoy taking care of my patients and their families. I paint as a hobby. I never really considered myself and artist, but I truly enjoy creating art, so I guess that makes me one.
Inspiration: I love seeing what colors work together, and never really know what is going to end up on the canvas. I love abstract art, as it can mean many different things to many different people. I love blues and greens, and fluid movement. I take inspiration from my children’s drawings and paintings that they make because they are truly random and beautiful.
LAURA RUNGE
I am a Texas native and earned a BA in Journalism from Baylor University. After many years in the corporateworld, I took the leap of faith to pursue my lifelong passion as a self-taught artist. I am now a full time, working artist and dedicate my days to painting and searching for creative avenues in everything I do.
Inspiration: My passions are creating and inspiring, and I wake up each day in hopes of combining the two in every endeavor. I paint in acrylics, often combining stains and metallic leafs and powders into my pieces. I am drawn to objects that reflect movement, and this is incorporated into my works. Finding beauty in unusual objects and places, I use unconventional tools and techniques to create imaginative, one-of-a-kind works of art. My goal is to create a painting for the buyer that will add flair and a special dimension to the space where it will reside.
JOANNE “JOJO” HERDA
Rocket scientist turned self-taught abstract artist utilizing a blend of the analytical mind and artistic passion to create harmonious balance of color on canvas with compassion and diligence. Artwork is created for the individual collector, clients of leading interior design and non-profit organizations. JoJo was honored to be named a Fashion Group Internal of Dallas 2016Rising Star Nominee in Art.
Inspiration: Artwork inspiration is drawn from life experiences, 80’s flare, and the color found in everyday objects.
Jenn Thatcher
Jenn Thatcher has always has a love for color and design. After moving to Texas from Chicago 10 years ago, she was working for a Wall Street firm with a demanding travel schedule and long hours. Being a wife and mother of three, with two of the children being Scottish rite patients, she finally decided to leave her corporate career to pursue painting full time.
Jenn believes that creating art is a gift from God, and a blank canvas is a metaphor for life. It can be anything you want it to be. And if you don’t like the direction it’s going, it’s never too late to start over or change direction.
It’s so important to remember that everyone and everything can be beautiful at some point in time, it’s all a matter of how you look at it. Jenn’s work is featured in stores through the US and works directly with designers and clients in the Dallas area. Some of her work can be viewed on Instagram @Jenn_Thatcher_Art or on her website at www.jennthatcher.com
Michelle Elwazir
The interplay of natural and man-made geometric forms and textures is a unifying theme in Michelle Elwazir’s photographic work. She has always been amazed and surprised by the beauty of nature. The subjects of artistic observation, interpretation, and discipline surrounded her from an early age. Her fascination with color and texture as well as the urge to fix her observations artistically was informed by her childhood surrounded by the art and sculpture of her artist parents (her mother is a sculptor of exotic pottery and her father is a watercolorist and sculptor).
Michelle has a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s in education development. Her projects have included commercial fashion and product photography, portraiture, and abstract art photography. She has taught photography related workshops at the Dallas Center for Photography.
Lori Rayfield
After pouring her creativity into a career in Marketing & Non-Profit….Lori now pours those creative juices into her art! Originally from St. Louis, she settled in Dallas, Texas with her husband where they raised their 3 beautiful children and is now making a splash in the Dallas art scene! Although her works are abstract influenced, each piece maintains subtle personal and visual inspirations of blended color from the beautiful world we live in. She paints with no fear in this next stage of life and considers herself successful when someone loves a piece that she poured her heart into.
Taelor Fisher
Taelor Fisher is a Dallas based Fine Artist. She has studied at New York University in the Tisch School of the Arts in New York, NY, and Southern Methodist University in the Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas. From her days in school she has been significantly focused on the beauty of the flower, which has since become the major focus of inspiration in her work. She was commissioned to design a print for Neiman Marcus and The House of Creed on their new women’s fragrance, Floralie. This design can be seen in every Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and Creed Boutique across the United States and France. Her work has been featured in multiple publications and collected publicly and privately across the country.
Christina Mitchella
Dallas native, Christina Mitchella, is an accomplished and award-winning artist specializing in impressionistic drawings and abstract oil paintings. Her life-long zeal for the arts transitioned from passion to career. After graduating with a Bachelors in Fine Arts, Christina began actively showing her works in galleries, competing in art shows, auctions and completing commissioned pieces for her growing base of followers and supporters.
Christina’s art is remarkably inspired and contemplative, spanning many different artistic mediums. Whether she is creating a portrait, painting in still life, or transforming a canvas with abstract expressionism, her impeccable attention to detail and vibrant use of color breathes life into every stroke and sketch.
It is Christina’s hope that her works will emit joy, stir inspiration and spread enthusiasm for the arts in all who view them. Her works can be viewed in galleries throughout Texas, and she is currently available for commissioned work.
Carolyn Joe Daniel
Carolyn grew up in Dallas where her love for whimsical illustration began as a child. She earned a BA in Studio Art and Art History at Wake Forest University and was fortunate to experience art while traveling and working abroad as a curatorial assistant in galleries in Sydney, Australia. Painting has been a wonderful 20+ year long ribbon of color, tying together many of her memories.
Today she enjoys creating commissioned works for residential and commercial spaces while collaborating with designers and retailers. She is represented by Maestri Gallery in Dallas’ Deep Ellum. Her work has been adapted to fashion for Rosie + Belle, Roma rain boots, athleisure leggings, and home decor textiles, including custom wallcovering via Look Walls for commercial and residential use. Carolyn was recently commissioned to develop brand assets used in marketing for Bertolli’s new US line of organic Carapelli olive oil campaign, The Art of the Olive.
Carolyn paints in her home studio, alongside two mini muses / budding artists. She enjoys giving back to many wonderful causes including Dwell with Dignity, LECPTA and DISD schools, Texas 4000 for Cancer, West Dallas Community School, Scottish Rite’s Summer Colors, and Junior League of Dallas.
