Angela Graefenhain
Lush, color-drenched fruit, checkered kings and queens, red horses and fanciful fish fill the mind and canvas of Naperville artist, Angela Graefenhain. Each piece shows unique attention to detail which often includes special effects such as, strips of painted canvas woven or hand-sewn into a piece, shaded areas to create subtle borders, or unexpected patterns to breathe color and life into the composition.
Growing up in Minneapolis, Angela began her passion for art as a child. She learned the art of Batik, a method of cloth dyeing and wax resist, as a young girl and has applied this early training to her art today. Although Angela mainly uses oil as her medium, her use of color and special effects categorizes her as a mixed media painter. “It gives me the freedom to use different materials in my work”, states the artist.
Angela studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison receiving a Bachelor of Art degree and later at Benedictine University, where she earned her Masters of Business Administration. Angela also attributes much of her art education to early opportunities for travel abroad. At sixteen, Angela lived with a family in Nice, France for 3 months; and at eighteen, her family moved to Seoul, Korea where they lived for a year seeing many culturally alive places in Asia. Her work shows these influences in the lively, pattern and color-rich subject matter.
Living with her husband, Fred, and four children in Naperville, Angela derives much inspiration from her family, her Italian heritage and the joy her family brings to her life.
I want to create happy paintings that make the viewer feel good”, Graefenhain says. Angela’s work was recently acquired for Edward Hospital’s permanent collection. The work is being displayed in the hospital’s Children’s Specialty Clinic.
Growing up in Minneapolis, Angela began her passion for art as a child. She learned the art of Batik, a method of cloth dyeing and wax resist, as a young girl and has applied this early training to her art today. Although Angela mainly uses oil as her medium, her use of color and special effects categorizes her as a mixed media painter. “It gives me the freedom to use different materials in my work”, states the artist.
Angela studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison receiving a Bachelor of Art degree and later at Benedictine University, where she earned her Masters of Business Administration. Angela also attributes much of her art education to early opportunities for travel abroad. At sixteen, Angela lived with a family in Nice, France for 3 months; and at eighteen, her family moved to Seoul, Korea where they lived for a year seeing many culturally alive places in Asia. Her work shows these influences in the lively, pattern and color-rich subject matter.
Living with her husband, Fred, and four children in Naperville, Angela derives much inspiration from her family, her Italian heritage and the joy her family brings to her life.
I want to create happy paintings that make the viewer feel good”, Graefenhain says. Angela’s work was recently acquired for Edward Hospital’s permanent collection. The work is being displayed in the hospital’s Children’s Specialty Clinic.
Laura Lein-Svencer
Laura Lein-Svencner, grew up in Downers Grove and resides in Darien Illinois; she graduated of Downers Grove North High School in 79'. Married with four grown children and a home full of loving creatures. She has continued with her personal studies in drawing, printmaking, sculpture, papermaking and collage. Seeking inspiration from one artist to another, Laura has pursued her love of paper. This steady pace of exploration has lead her to become a member of many local and international collage groups. She also co-founded the Midwest Collage Society which exhibits throughout the Midwest region. Currently Laura teaches her techniques of collage at LaGrange Art League, LaGrange IL and Naperville Art League, Naperville IL. Her collage work is represented by J2 Gallery, Chicago IL. and The Flying Pig, Algoma WI. During the summer months you will find her exhibiting in art fairs and teaching collage workshops all over the Midwest.
| Dianne Martia
Dianne Martia was born and raised in Chicago. While growing up she took classes at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the American Academy of Art. She attended Columbia College and graduated cum laude with a B.A. degree in Graphic/Fine/Craft Arts. During that time she studied under Ed Paschke, Phyllis Bramson, Fred Berger and Vera Burdich. She went on to earn an M.A.M.S. degree in Biocommunication Art from the University of Illinois. Over the years she has worked as a medical illustrator, graphic designer and computergraphics artist.
Dianne is a mixed media artist who works primarily with acrylic and collage. She has won many awards and has exhibited internationally. She actively promotes art through teaching classes and workshops, giving demonstrations and curating art exhibitions, and she currently facilitates an art studio for adults with developmental challenges. Dianne is past president of the Elmhurst Artists’ Guild and founder of the Presidents Circle of local art guild leaders through the Alliance of Fine Art. |
Jenny Pfanenstiel
Jenny Pfanenstiel, International Award Winning Couture Milliner and Owner of Formé Millinery, makes handmade hats for women, men and children.
Jenny created her company Formé Millinery in 2007, to showcase her art and love for hats. Since she had an impeccable talent for hand sewing costumes with the smallest detail as a former costumer, her craft for hand-sewn couture hats came naturally. Today, she creates all her hats by hand. Her one-of-a-kind hats are created using age old techniques of steaming and blocking over wooden hat blocks as a true Couture Milliner once did. She has become known for her dedication to quality and incorporating once admired embellishments and materials into the hats to truly make a one-of-a-kind piece. Jenny has a true passion for making hats and searching high and low for that perfect vintage material and finding a way to give it a new life and a new purpose. As a Couture Milliner, her goal is to make a person feel sensational in her hats. She wants them to look into the mirror and feel transformed, almost as if they are one with the creation of the hat.
Formé Millinery made news after being featured in the April 2011 issue of British Vogue. Now, the company is gaining increasing local and international recognition with a feature spread to be included in the July issue of Belle Armoire, a magazine featuring wearable art. Her exquisite hats will also be included in upcoming issues of Russian Vogue and Tatler Russia. On April 29, 2011, Formé Millinery hats were also featured on The Oprah Show’s Royal Wedding Party Episode.
Jenny offers a variety of collections including couture cocktail and wedding hats, women’s hats, gentlemen’s hats, headbands, and baby hats. You can find her hats in boutiques around the country. Jenny truly enjoys the art of millinery and welcomes you to try on a hat.
Formé Millinery
www.formemillinery.com
Jenny created her company Formé Millinery in 2007, to showcase her art and love for hats. Since she had an impeccable talent for hand sewing costumes with the smallest detail as a former costumer, her craft for hand-sewn couture hats came naturally. Today, she creates all her hats by hand. Her one-of-a-kind hats are created using age old techniques of steaming and blocking over wooden hat blocks as a true Couture Milliner once did. She has become known for her dedication to quality and incorporating once admired embellishments and materials into the hats to truly make a one-of-a-kind piece. Jenny has a true passion for making hats and searching high and low for that perfect vintage material and finding a way to give it a new life and a new purpose. As a Couture Milliner, her goal is to make a person feel sensational in her hats. She wants them to look into the mirror and feel transformed, almost as if they are one with the creation of the hat.
Formé Millinery made news after being featured in the April 2011 issue of British Vogue. Now, the company is gaining increasing local and international recognition with a feature spread to be included in the July issue of Belle Armoire, a magazine featuring wearable art. Her exquisite hats will also be included in upcoming issues of Russian Vogue and Tatler Russia. On April 29, 2011, Formé Millinery hats were also featured on The Oprah Show’s Royal Wedding Party Episode.
Jenny offers a variety of collections including couture cocktail and wedding hats, women’s hats, gentlemen’s hats, headbands, and baby hats. You can find her hats in boutiques around the country. Jenny truly enjoys the art of millinery and welcomes you to try on a hat.
Formé Millinery
www.formemillinery.com
Michelle LeBlanc
Michelle LeBlanc has been teaching art, music and creativity workshops since 1996. She enjoys mosaics, illustration, abstract art, comics, art journaling, photography and writing. In 2005, Michelle opened her own studio in order to conduct classes in world culture, art and music. She has now joined forces with the Naperville Art League coordinating their education program and offers classes in abstract art, creativity and mosaics. She also is an instructor at North Central College where she also earned her Bachelor of Art degree. Michelle attributes much of her love of art and expression to growing up in a multiracial family from Chicago where art and music seemed crossed all borders. She has found inspiration from travel coast to coast, abroad and through her visits and study of indigenous peoples’ cultures.
Tony Carnesecchi
Born in Chicago, IL, and moved to a suburb 30 miles west of Chicago, when I was 10 years old. Living in a large city such as Chicago, I never really got a chance to explore nature at that young age. When we moved to the suburbs, it was a whole new world, and many new experiences for me. I began to take notice of all the things around me, particularly nature!
Interested in art since childhood, I always loved to draw things. I was able to see something that peaked my interest, and drew it. Always encouraged by family members, I began to really love art.
After taking the standard high school classes, I entered the Navy, and became a Navy Medic during the years of 1970-1974. Interested in obtaining a degree after my tour of duty ended, I attended Triton Junior College, River Grove, Illinois in 1975, majoring in commercial art, while living in Chicago. Later, after moving to Streamwood, I transferred to Elgin Community College. After finishing two Associate degrees in Art and Business, I finished my schooling through Elmhurst College. I now am able to apply my Art & Business, by owning my own Studio in St. Charles, Il. I knew Art was my first love, and continued to practice it. I pursued art more diligently. Through the years, one thing lead to another, and I now own and operate a teaching art studio in St. Charles, Il., teaching adults and children. I love teaching art, it’s been 14 years now. It is most rewarding when you see the expression on a students face, after they complete a project. To take a person who has never painted before, and teach and help and encourage them to complete a project, is very gratifying. We have taught and do teach, many adult and children’s classes at my studio, as well as kids summer art camps, Spring Break kids workshops and Winter workshops, Birthday painting parties for both adults and children, Scout Badge art classes, etc. I have been teaching classes at Naperville Fine Art Center for 12 years now.
My love of art, nature, animals, and people, inspire me to paint, and to teach. The inspiration, to do what I do, comes from the fact that each new painting is a new challenge, and I approach them all differently. The fun thing is, I never stop learning. With each new painting, there is something new to learn, whether it’s new techniques, perspectives, or even mixing a new color I’ve never used before, there exists a learning process that never ends. I feel that when an artist thinks they know all there is to know, they may as well just stop painting, because they will become stagnant.
In my “Wings of Freedom” painting, I incorporated the two most powerful symbols of our nation. The US Flag, and the Bald Eagle. I had prints made of this painting, and there are prints at the White House, Pentagon, Ronald Reagan Library, Tony Blair, and James Lovell (Commander of Apollo 13), also have one. This is a painting I am most proud of, and I’m grateful for the fact that I can donate a portion of my profits from the sales of the prints to the Disabled American Veterans.
My website, www.tonyandfriendsartstudio.com, consists of all of the workshops we teach at my studio for a six month period at a time. All of the paintings I do, which are NOT workshop paintings, are not on my website at this time. I hope to someday be able to put my “for sale” paintings on a website.
It’s a great feeling to know that there are works of art, which I created, in other people’s homes and offices, and that I will leave a major part of myself behind. That those works of art have special meaning to those who have purchased them.
Interested in art since childhood, I always loved to draw things. I was able to see something that peaked my interest, and drew it. Always encouraged by family members, I began to really love art.
After taking the standard high school classes, I entered the Navy, and became a Navy Medic during the years of 1970-1974. Interested in obtaining a degree after my tour of duty ended, I attended Triton Junior College, River Grove, Illinois in 1975, majoring in commercial art, while living in Chicago. Later, after moving to Streamwood, I transferred to Elgin Community College. After finishing two Associate degrees in Art and Business, I finished my schooling through Elmhurst College. I now am able to apply my Art & Business, by owning my own Studio in St. Charles, Il. I knew Art was my first love, and continued to practice it. I pursued art more diligently. Through the years, one thing lead to another, and I now own and operate a teaching art studio in St. Charles, Il., teaching adults and children. I love teaching art, it’s been 14 years now. It is most rewarding when you see the expression on a students face, after they complete a project. To take a person who has never painted before, and teach and help and encourage them to complete a project, is very gratifying. We have taught and do teach, many adult and children’s classes at my studio, as well as kids summer art camps, Spring Break kids workshops and Winter workshops, Birthday painting parties for both adults and children, Scout Badge art classes, etc. I have been teaching classes at Naperville Fine Art Center for 12 years now.
My love of art, nature, animals, and people, inspire me to paint, and to teach. The inspiration, to do what I do, comes from the fact that each new painting is a new challenge, and I approach them all differently. The fun thing is, I never stop learning. With each new painting, there is something new to learn, whether it’s new techniques, perspectives, or even mixing a new color I’ve never used before, there exists a learning process that never ends. I feel that when an artist thinks they know all there is to know, they may as well just stop painting, because they will become stagnant.
In my “Wings of Freedom” painting, I incorporated the two most powerful symbols of our nation. The US Flag, and the Bald Eagle. I had prints made of this painting, and there are prints at the White House, Pentagon, Ronald Reagan Library, Tony Blair, and James Lovell (Commander of Apollo 13), also have one. This is a painting I am most proud of, and I’m grateful for the fact that I can donate a portion of my profits from the sales of the prints to the Disabled American Veterans.
My website, www.tonyandfriendsartstudio.com, consists of all of the workshops we teach at my studio for a six month period at a time. All of the paintings I do, which are NOT workshop paintings, are not on my website at this time. I hope to someday be able to put my “for sale” paintings on a website.
It’s a great feeling to know that there are works of art, which I created, in other people’s homes and offices, and that I will leave a major part of myself behind. That those works of art have special meaning to those who have purchased them.
Penny Coffman
Penny has been an NAL Fine Art Center & Gallery board member and teacher at the Naperville Art League for many years. Her talents and giving nature as an art instructor for the art league has been much appreciated. She offers open studio classes, drop in classes and a variety of children’s as well as adult workshops. (more on Penny coming soon!)
Lela Luetger
Lela has been an NAL Fine Art Center & Gallery board member, teacher and coordinator of the Holiday Show at the Naperville Art League for years. She offers classes in Needle Felting, Macrame and Landscape Felting. (more on Lela coming soon!)
Stephanie Fleming
Stephanie is a graduate of Columbia College in Chicago where she studied Art and Design/Illustration and she earned a degree in Art Education at the University of Southern Maine. She has taught both elementary and high school art, as well as to adults. She currently is studying and working towards certification in Botanica l Art and Illustration at the Morton Arboretum.
Debbie Hart
Debbie is a graduate of Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Fine Art in Illustration. Previous to this degree she earned an Associate in Applied Science in Graphic Design from Milwaukee in 1982. She has been commissioned by companies such as Coca-Cola, John Deere, IH, Blue Angels and Thunderbird Air Team to name a few. She has won numerous awards for her paintings.
Hiromi Kagawa
Hiromi Kagawa is a native speaker whose family is from the Tokyo area of Japan. Although born in New York, Japanese was Hiromi’s first language. Her father, being a Japanese diplomat, traveled with the family around the globe. Hiromi has her degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Architecture. She teaches conversational and academic styles of Japanese to both adult and children. She is currently raising her two girls in the Naperville area with her husband, Mark.
Maria Burggraf
Maria Burggraf holds her MBA in Public and Not For Profit Administration from Xavier University as well as an MS in Education from Sofia University in Sofia, Bulgaria. She has worked in educational and not for profit settings since 1994 and she is an active partner in the development of the Global Ambassadors program for Naperville. She speaks Bulgarian, Macedonian, Russian and English. She currently lives with her husband and children in Naperville, Illinois.
Yurij Vladimirovich Bogdanov
Graduate of RATI-GITIS (State Institute of Theater and Art) "Lunacharskogo", major in acting. Worked as an actor for "MosConcert" and Moscow Theater of Comedy. Stage Director of Children's Editorial Board "Smena" of Committee of State radio USSR/Russia.
Laima Broach
M.A., graduate of Kiev State University, major in Russian language and literature; experienced teacher of Russian language and literature as well as certified teacher in DUPAGE and WILL counties.
Olena Byelyankina
M.A., graduate of Volyn Lesya Ukrainka State University, major in Russian language and literature; experienced teacher of Russian language and literature as well as certified teacher of children of the preschool age.
Irina Chernyavskaya
M.S., graduate of Donetsk State University. Has 27 years of experience teaching math and physics in schools. Has music education and worked as a music teacher in preschool and kindergarden classes.
Lilia Yarin
M.A. in Russian Literature, St Petesburg Pedagogical Institute, teacher of Russian language and literature. Extensive experience working with students of all ages including Russian as Foreign Language.
Aleksandra Valisheva
Graduate of Novosibirsk Pedagogical University (Department of Art and Graphics), teacher of art and world art culture. Worked at art studio with children of 3-12 years old. Professional artist in ceramics.
Penny has been an NAL Fine Art Center & Gallery board member and teacher at the Naperville Art League for many years. Her talents and giving nature as an art instructor for the art league has been much appreciated. She offers open studio classes, drop in classes and a variety of children’s as well as adult workshops. (more on Penny coming soon!)
Lela Luetger
Lela has been an NAL Fine Art Center & Gallery board member, teacher and coordinator of the Holiday Show at the Naperville Art League for years. She offers classes in Needle Felting, Macrame and Landscape Felting. (more on Lela coming soon!)
Stephanie Fleming
Stephanie is a graduate of Columbia College in Chicago where she studied Art and Design/Illustration and she earned a degree in Art Education at the University of Southern Maine. She has taught both elementary and high school art, as well as to adults. She currently is studying and working towards certification in Botanica l Art and Illustration at the Morton Arboretum.
Debbie Hart
Debbie is a graduate of Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Fine Art in Illustration. Previous to this degree she earned an Associate in Applied Science in Graphic Design from Milwaukee in 1982. She has been commissioned by companies such as Coca-Cola, John Deere, IH, Blue Angels and Thunderbird Air Team to name a few. She has won numerous awards for her paintings.
Hiromi Kagawa
Hiromi Kagawa is a native speaker whose family is from the Tokyo area of Japan. Although born in New York, Japanese was Hiromi’s first language. Her father, being a Japanese diplomat, traveled with the family around the globe. Hiromi has her degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Architecture. She teaches conversational and academic styles of Japanese to both adult and children. She is currently raising her two girls in the Naperville area with her husband, Mark.
Maria Burggraf
Maria Burggraf holds her MBA in Public and Not For Profit Administration from Xavier University as well as an MS in Education from Sofia University in Sofia, Bulgaria. She has worked in educational and not for profit settings since 1994 and she is an active partner in the development of the Global Ambassadors program for Naperville. She speaks Bulgarian, Macedonian, Russian and English. She currently lives with her husband and children in Naperville, Illinois.
Yurij Vladimirovich Bogdanov
Graduate of RATI-GITIS (State Institute of Theater and Art) "Lunacharskogo", major in acting. Worked as an actor for "MosConcert" and Moscow Theater of Comedy. Stage Director of Children's Editorial Board "Smena" of Committee of State radio USSR/Russia.
Laima Broach
M.A., graduate of Kiev State University, major in Russian language and literature; experienced teacher of Russian language and literature as well as certified teacher in DUPAGE and WILL counties.
Olena Byelyankina
M.A., graduate of Volyn Lesya Ukrainka State University, major in Russian language and literature; experienced teacher of Russian language and literature as well as certified teacher of children of the preschool age.
Irina Chernyavskaya
M.S., graduate of Donetsk State University. Has 27 years of experience teaching math and physics in schools. Has music education and worked as a music teacher in preschool and kindergarden classes.
Lilia Yarin
M.A. in Russian Literature, St Petesburg Pedagogical Institute, teacher of Russian language and literature. Extensive experience working with students of all ages including Russian as Foreign Language.
Aleksandra Valisheva
Graduate of Novosibirsk Pedagogical University (Department of Art and Graphics), teacher of art and world art culture. Worked at art studio with children of 3-12 years old. Professional artist in ceramics.
