#bloomartcenter

Well known in St. Petersburg, Florida for creating the Bloom Art Center and providing gallery and work space for artists of the region, James Oleson is an accomplished painter and sculptor represented in a number of permanent collections, and the recipient of many awards. Oleson calls himself a “modern day street alchemist” salvaging cast-off materials and “making beauty in the rubble.” While Oleson also teaches sculpture at nearby Morean Arts Center he says he is constantly drawing and many of his sculptures begin in his sketchbook. Exploring human and animal expressions to reveal magic and humor his work invites viewers on a journey of imagination. It seems only appropriate then that as visitors exit I-375 in St. Petersburg, Oleson’s prominent painting on the corner of the Bloom invites them to stop by the center and continue that journey. @olesonart @startbloomin @scenesfromthesidewalk

“I work the surface. I sand, layer, and scar, wanting to reproduce a piece that has a patina of age, and it is out of these surfaces that figures emerge” she says, painting faces that show the scars of life. Schultz has little formal art training but benefited from exposure to her mother’s painting from an early age. After several years of teaching math she found herself doing graphic design which ultimately led to an opportunity to do illustration. Encouraged by her mentor to quit and paint full-time that’s what she’s been doing since 1995. This beautiful work is not easy to find, tucked into an alcove toward the back of the Bloom Art Center in St. Petersburg, Florida, but is well worth the effort.  @suzyschultz11  @startbloomin  @scenesfromthesidewalk

New piece for #whigfest !!! "SEACRET SHIP" 24x36 aerosol and marker on canvas. #jellyfish #mermaid #ship #bloomartcenter #saintpaintarts #derekdonnelly