Flying Star Juan Tabo
Paula Manning-Lewis

Artist Statement:

Art is my calling. It’s not just what I do, it’s who I am! Through 35 years of ups and downs art has been the one constant in my life. My professional Art career began in March 1991 shortly after the birth of my second son. My hope was to earn the part time paycheck I needed to be a stay at home mom. Fourteen years later, I’ve sold many drawings and paintings and thousands of prints all over the world! Thanks to all the wonderful people who have supported and purchased my art, my dream has become a reality! When I began 14 years ago, all sales happened on the road, there was no internet to connect me to the world. Although I still show in Galleries and sell prints in shops, most of my sales happen online. Welcome to the future! The best benefit to this outlet is that I get the privilege of dealing directly with the people who hang my art on their walls!

I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico only a couple hours from my hometown, Las Cruces. I live with my husband Aaron, youngest son Nate, middle son Jeff, and two dogs in a great house about half a mile from the Rio Grande River. You’ll find us walking along the Bosque (area of trees around the river) most sunny afternoons. I spend my days (and some nights) working in my home studio, connected to the world by internet. I am also an active member of the Albuquerque artist community. In 2004 I co-founded Seventh Mountain Artists, a group of Albuquerque artists that originally met as art studio tenants at the Harwood Art Center.

I currently work mainly in Water soluble Oils, but I have worked with a variety of mediums. I like to paint a fairly large variety of subject matter but stick mainly to southwest landscapes, portraits and my newest fascination, abstract expressionism! Recently, my main theme has been peace. I hope to make my mark on the world by spreading my message of Peace on Earth. I truly believe if everyone did their part, it could be a peaceful world for our children and grandchildren.

Flying Star Downtown
Alexandra Gjurasic

Artist Bio:

To call myself a self-taught artist feels misleading; I was born to make art. My creative process is intuitive and I can’t imagine life without it. Creating art brings balance to my life. I have been a professional working artist since my first exhibition over 17 years ago.

International folk art most inspires my work, specifically traditional Japanese Kokeshi dolls. I have played with the Kokeshi in my work for over 10 years, incorporating its lively and cheerful image in endless variety. I constantly find renewed inspiration from the vibrant and endearing Kokeshi. These dolls allow me to express my clandestine inner world by connecting folk influences of the past and a vivid hope for the future.

For more information about my art or to contact me please go to: www.alexandragjurasic.com.

Flying Star Bernalillo
Joy Conway
and the
Sandoval Community Arts Organization

Artist Statement:

This was a fun and rewarding project for me, as well as being educational. Most of my work is done with private homeowners or business owners, and involves making their imagined designs come to life, or me creating a design out of...again...imagination. The Flying Star Bernalillo project involved over 30 hours of research, to insure that we had dates, chronological order and historical details such as clothing style and design portrayed accurately. Also, most of my commercial work is with an eye toward the future and sales. I found this project especially compelling because we were honoring the past events that had taken place around a new business site. It makes me look at Bernalillo with new awe and appreciation.

Finally, the best part about this project were the people involved, every last one a volunteer. We had both "real" artists and those who had no artistic experience work on the mural. It lends a sense of whimsy and beautiful "not-perfect" results so when many hands are involved and so many different styles come together. Everyone had a positive attitude, even though there was an intense deadline, and I made several friends of the special women who helped out. It was especially rewarding to me to realize that we had people of Mexican, Indian, Irish, Polish, Russian, English etc., descent working side by side to get the job done, with respect and cooperation. Who says we haven't come a long way?

The Flying Star and Satellite restaurants have been my favorite since moving to the Albuquerque area eight years ago. I was thrilled to be a part of this project, and hope to work with the Sandoval Community Arts again!

Flying Star Bernalillo
Paula Manning-Lewis

Artist Statement:

Art is my calling. It’s not just what I do, it’s who I am! Through 35 years of ups and downs art has been the one constant in my life. My professional Art career began in March 1991 shortly after the birth of my second son. My hope was to earn the part time paycheck I needed to be a stay at home mom. Fourteen years later, I’ve sold many drawings and paintings and thousands of prints all over the world! Thanks to all the wonderful people who have supported and purchased my art, my dream has become a reality! When I began 14 years ago, all sales happened on the road, there was no internet to connect me to the world. Although I still show in Galleries and sell prints in shops, most of my sales happen online. Welcome to the future! The best benefit to this outlet is that I get the privilege of dealing directly with the people who hang my art on their walls!

I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico only a couple hours from my hometown, Las Cruces. I live with my husband Aaron, youngest son Nate, middle son Jeff, and two dogs in a great house about half a mile from the Rio Grande River. You’ll find us walking along the Bosque (area of trees around the river) most sunny afternoons. I spend my days (and some nights) working in my home studio, connected to the world by internet. I am also an active member of the Albuquerque artist community. In 2004 I co-founded Seventh Mountain Artists, a group of Albuquerque artists that originally met as art studio tenants at the Harwood Art Center.

I currently work mainly in Water soluble Oils, but I have worked with a variety of mediums. I like to paint a fairly large variety of subject matter but stick mainly to southwest landscapes, portraits and my newest fascination, abstract expressionism! Recently, my main theme has been peace. I hope to make my mark on the world by spreading my message of Peace on Earth. I truly believe if everyone did their part, it could be a peaceful world for our children and grandchildren.