Tulsa-born James Andrew Smith has made his career as a painter, not a poet per se — but his visual creations speak volumes to the engaged viewer and he is thoughtful and eloquent about the nature and complexities of his craft. The artist, whose work can be viewed online at jamesandrewsmithart.com or in person at the Wally Workman Gallery in Austin, Joseph Gierek Fine Art in Tulsa or Oklahoma City’s Howell Gallery, spoke with us about cultural influences, his pursuit of precision and the beauty in mortality.

From famous influences in centuries past to plans for his current and future creative evolution, our conversation with the contemporary painter and printmaker — whose works can be seen at OKC’s Howell Gallery — covers quite a bit of ground.

Dennis Johnson, an extraordinary artist hailing from Oklahoma and displaying at the Howell Gallery, has ventured far beyond the traditional realms of canvas and brush, embarking on an enriching journey that encompasses abstract expressionism, a deep appreciation for impressionist landscapes and furniture design.

Creativity has been a driving force in Bennett Berry’s life since the moment he could pick up a crayon. Visitors touring his art at OKC’s Howell Gallery may prefer his more detailed figurative work or his forays into abstraction, but either way they’ll be struck by his paintings’ palpable energy and his affinity for vibrant color.

Tulsa artist Jay Exon’s first brush with creation, so to speak, came as an apprentice painting backdrops and scenery for stage productions. Less than a decade after leaving that craft to become a full-time artist, he is a celebrated and sought-after painter of abstract works, having nev-er lost his sense of theatricality.

Native Texan Robert Hamric has spent his life creating, from metal sculptures to mixed-media assemblages to massive oil-on-canvas landscapes — all inspired by an ongoing fascination with the imagery of the American Southwest. Hamric, who displays at The Howell Gallery in Nichols Hills, spoke with us about his love of nature, his affinity for large-scale projects and more.

Rick Brunner was introduced to woodworking by his father, to art by his mother and to the fascination with nature that would fuel his combination of those interests by his childhood wandering the woods and fields outside his native New Orleans.

Oklahoma City-based painter David Holland, born into an army family, had lived in Oklahoma, Kansas, Okinawa Japan, Idaho, Maryland, and Arkansas by the time he graduated from high school. When he was seven, his mother enrolled him in an art class that sparked his interest in creating art, while his family’s travels exposed him to a broad range of people and communities. Always the outsider, he became an observer of everything around him.

Linda Tuma Robertson won her first blue ribbon for art in kindergarten. She was an illustrator for her grade school newspaper and her high school yearbook. Gladys Whelihan, the Oklahoma City Public Schools Director of Art in the 1950s and 1960s, said, "Even in kindergarten, Linda's work showed an exceptional talent not often seen in someone so young.

Is it art, or is it science? Perhaps it is both. To say that Sandra Duran Wilson's art is out of this world is not a symbolic statement: An image of her work is currently onboard NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, as part of a project created for the public to have expressions of their creativity carried on an expedition to the asteroid Bennu.

In a recent conversation, contemporary abstract artist Joy Richardson, whose exuberant paintings may be seen at Oklahoma City’s Howell Gallery and Canyon Road Contemporary in Santa Fe, gave us insight into the essence of art, her career and what color means to her. (Hint: Color means everything to her!)

This is a love story. It’s one couple’s classic tale: They share a love for art and each other, for a new country, a new culture and a new life. Aleksey and Olga Ivanov are artists originally from Russia, and for the last 20 years, they have called the United States—specifically Colorado—their home.

We all have vivid memories of our childhood. Happy moments that we spent with our families and loved ones without realizing that these moments would remain imprinted in our memory, perhaps for the rest of our lives. For a few of us, such moments are the first memories of developing a skill which would be our profession.

Beatriz Mayorca understands what it is to have many layers that, in the end, combine to form an identity unique to each individual. Beatriz is an artist, immigrant, mother, wife, and above all, a persevering woman with an unparalleled passion for art.