This is the first time Beaufort native and US Army veteran Sonja Griffin Evans’ work has appeared on our cover, but we doubt it will be the last. The self-taught artist started painting as a form of therapy and hopes her work will “continue to help encourage and inspire others.” Sonja often incorporates found objects into her art, which allows her to “see the figures embedded in the material—to unlock the beauty and the story that lies within.”

This month’s cover, “Long Road Home II,” was commissioned by a collector who inquired about purchasing a painting they loved. Unfortunately, the original had already sold, so they asked for something similar. Sonja discussed size, materials, colors and other details with them. Throughout the process of creation, Sonja “sent images of the painting at different stages to the collector so they could see the progress of their piece—the birth of their baby.”

We're excited to bring Erisha Rubingh's fabulous artwork to the cover of Pink Magazine for the fourth time. A fashion, lifestyle illustrator and watercolorist, Erisha is inspired by style in every form—food, fashion and décor, her illustrations reflect her naturally effervescent and colorful personality. If Erisha had to describe her illustrations in one word, it would be, “Exuberant! Or Vivacious! It’s hard to pick just one!” she said.

In 2012, her vision feverishly flourished when she launched a creativity blog. “That was when I realized illustration was what I loved to do.” Since then, she has developed a career as a freelance illustrator, as well as curating a paper product business called “A Thing Created Illustration.”

“I feel incredibly lucky that I am allowed to be an artist,” said Maggy-Pierre Pelissier. Born in Algeria and raised in France, Maggy found her niche and love for art, as she learned how to draw before she knew how to write  “As a little girl, I would stare at boxes of paint, and couldn’t even touch them, they were so beautiful,” she explained.

Advised by her parents to study business, Maggy followed directions, but eventually entered an art program in Grenoble. “Growing up, wanting to be an artist was like a bad word. Art was supposed to be a hobby, not a career, but I believe I am lucky it is my life.” Maggy added, “I have been given my license. You get a driver’s license to drive. I believe I was blessed with a license to paint.”

Artist Ali Leja of Johns Creek, Georgia, wants her audience to smile. Carefully weaving her personal story into modern, upbeat paintings, Ali is creating positivity and happiness. The many happy subjects in her art reflect hopefulness and laughter.

Our January cover is titled “Island Life”. “I love painting women and figures who look elegant and fun. I do a lot of women paintings in summery clothes or bathing suits with really big hats. I like that they don’t have faces so people can imagine them to be whoever they want,” Ali explained.

This month’s cover artist, Jimmy Lawlor, was born in Wexford, Ireland, in December 1967. He now lives in Westport, in the magnificent West of Ireland. Jimmy has been exhibiting for more than 20 years.

Like many artists, Jimmy has been drawing since he was a kid. When he was a teenager, he realized he wanted to become a full-time artist. It was a dream that seemed impossible. Ireland was in the middle of an economic depression, and art was the last thing on people’s minds.

Native Mississippian Kathryn Morris Trotter claims painting is her greatest passion. After graduating from the University of Texas with a degree in textiles and apparel design, Kathryn had an innate curiosity about life, travel and the world of creative art. All this propelled her into the corporate world of fashion, interiors and textile design, which highly influenced her choice of subjects and painting style.  

After enduring her artistic struggle to express her true self, Kathryn has settled into her love for the palette knife. The layering effect of brush strokes and the palette knife bring an “impasto” style to her paintings.

If you have ever experienced in the delights of a box of 64 crayons, magenta is particularly considered a top five pick. This month’s cover artist, Ashvin Harrison, of northern Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, incorporates one of his favorite pastimes of bike riding and the color, magenta, into his artwork “Quintessential Cycle.” Yes, magenta is one of Ashvin’s favorite colors, too.

But life hasn’t always been magenta and bike riding for Ashvin. He started what he calls his “mixed bag of lollies” vocations working in fast food, cabinet making and cleaning. Moving on to job titles such as gardener, website builder and musician, he was able to build upon his work ethic with each career. After college it was Google Maps Street View, a job he credits as an amazing experience in “seeing the great diversity in nature and people.” 

Hülya Ozdemir loves to focus her artworks on vibrant women. She says she does this “to express their inner worlds.” Each unique feminine subject is brought to brilliant life with a palate of enriched color and pattern.

Over several emails, we asked Hülya, whose village home is near Bodrum, Turkey, to share some of her life’s work and aspirations: “I intentionally use different patterns by design. In my portraits, I believe the woman and the pattern work are inseparable. My women are all strong, even though some seem weak at times.

Growing up in Placerville, a small northern California town, as a child Kelly Simpson Hagen learned to paint on weekend visits with her paternal grandmother. And, she has been creating art ever since.  
Moving to Portland, Oregon, after college graduation, Kelly started her first grade teaching career at the same time she started a self-described unhealthy romantic relationship. “It turned my world upside down, and after years of stress my body shut down, literally. At this time, I thought my teaching career and ability to paint were over. When I had a flare up, it affected my entire right side, rendering me unable to walk or move, so painting wasn’t an option, which made it that much more frustrating.”

Brazilian born and raised, Rio de Janeiro artist Georgia Lôbo is comfortably in tune with the natural world she gently expresses through her art. At age 55, she looks as if she could still be majoring in her chosen field of industrial design, “I graduated in 1987 but never worked with it.”  

Georgia always loved drawing and color, “but I had many relationship problems with my mother, so during a long time, the only thing I hoped for was to run away from my house. I started as a flight attendant with Varig Airlines in 1989, not liking the career but staying 10 years.”

Ladies, raise your wine glasses in salute to Jill Haney Neal, our June issue Cover Artist who’s whimsical, bodacious babes have graced a variety of artworks including paintings, wine labels, coffee mugs and Pink and Paisley’s October 2016 magazine covers: Welcome back, Jill!

Jill believes women were created in God’s image with a universal spirit and are equally loved regardless of size, ethnicity, or background. “There is an edginess to my art and from what I’ve been told, I’m still breaking barriers. When you get women together, they are funny and sexy, it’s just part of our essence.” 

About the Cover Artist
Ellen Brenneman

Ellen Brenneman For as long as she can remember, Ellen Brenneman of South Bend, Indiana has been in love with nature. As a child, Ellen could be found doodling and drawing animals under the cherry tree in her backyard, while carrying on lengthy conversations with the squirrels and birds. Her doodling turned into a vast love of art, which continued through her teen years and into college where she studied graphic design in Muncie, Indiana at Ball State University.

Artist Carolee Clark’s passion for what she creates is so profound it is invariably translated in one-of-a-kind pieces that are her own treasures. Born with a paintbrush in her hand, Carolee’s mother was her inspiration to become an artist from very early on.

“My mother always enjoyed painting and she would encourage me and my sisters to draw while she set up her easel. I’ve been drawing as far back as I can remember, but when I was 20, my mother gave me a small set of watercolors, and I was hooked. They unlocked a world of color for me,” she said.

Shawna Erback is a Canadian artist who has loyal collectors of her work from around the world. Her art is featured in galleries, gift shops and on the walls of celebrity clients. Her art works can be found on TV and movie sets, licensed products and in the homes and offices of tens of thousands of private collectors.

Shawna started painting when she was a child, but her journey to becoming a professional artist began during Christmas of 2003, a month after the death of her father. Her collectors have followed the journey of a little girl through fantastical fields and forests, past sad and lonely moons, on the backs of giant turtles and fairy peacocks. They have met her special friends, like her faithful heart pet, grand giraffes and majestic lions.

Trish Biddle

Trish Biddle grew up in Minnesota in the world of art, alongside her mother, who enrolled her in every art class and contest, in which she would usually come in second place. This made her work even harder. On her own, she moved to Dallas fresh out of high school, ultimately graduating from the Dallas Institute of Art.

Pursuing her artistic dream, Trish secured a job as a textile designer and a fashion illustrator for a clothing manufacturer. She later moved to the J.C. Penney home office in the design department. After several years in the corporate world, she decided it wasn’t for her, so she went to work as a freelance artist. She was signed by a textile agent in New York City and continued to freelance for several years.