Team Category: Instructors

Mural and decorative artist, Erik Schlake has been influenced over the years by traditional decorative art as well as contemporary street art. Erik was elated to be invited to participate in 2017 and 2018 Salon. The Salon  is a world wide gathering of artist from different countries that exhibit their work, teach master classes and discuss old and new techniques.

Erik, a New York native, didn’t begin painting until he moved to St Louis at the age of 23. After studying fine art, he felt unsettled until discovering various forms of decorative arts.  Becoming fascinated with the work of European decorative painters, he quickly moved his work in that direction. Erik has worked with numerous private and commercial clients, developing one of a kind murals and a multitude of decorative arts in both residences and businesses locations.

“I didn’t want to simply paint on canvas. There is something powerful about changing an entire environment through murals or decorative arts. In creating a new environment, you are not only able to transform the space, but how people view themselves in that space.” 

 I like to combine different styles in my work, creating something that is unique and infuses familiar elements, such as a classic painting or historic scene.The use of trompe l’oeil, grisaille, and other traditional decorative art forms blend perfectly with the values of street art, which is to engage and interact with the viewer with a more informal form of communication. It’s a style I like to refer to as “modern traditionalist”.

After moving to Englewood, Florida, Erik was involved in several artistic endeavors.

As a resident artist of Hermitage Artist Retreat in Englewood, Erik coordinated with Hermitage to create a project to bring together 9 mural artists from all around the country to collaborate and educate.

From that experience, Erik found an inner calling and began working on small community murals and art projects. Working more with the Englewood community, he advised and demonstrated the process of creating a mural with 6 high school age participants. Under Erik’s direction, they painted a mural commemorating the work of Ken Mitchell, a local artist, whose work is in the Florida State collection.

Erik found that he enjoyed the interaction with the public and the collaborative element of other artists while participating multiple years in street art painting festivals like Sarasota Chalk Festival, Safety Harbor Bloomn’ Chalkfest, Ft Myers Art Fest, Lake Worth Street Painting Festival and Marietta Chalktoberfest, as well as participating in Naples Italy’s Corsico di Internazionalle de Madonnari in May.

During this time period, Erik began adding new elements to his work in an attempt to engage viewers in a new way. With attendance at festivals reaching tens of thousands of people per weekend, the interaction with the crowd gave insight to how people interacted with his art.

“People want to connect with art and through art. It’s not enough to just paint a pretty picture. People are looking to engage. There was a time when art was primarily about the artist and their ideas, but that time is passing. Art is now becoming more about finding ways for people to connect, not only with the art but each other. It’s our job as artists to become facilitators of those moments”

Erik works under the name Erik Schlake Murals LLC, a licensed and insured company in Florida.

Jan Ellen is a “contemporary impressionist” who often works directly from nature, emphasizing the effect of color and natural light in her work.  Some works are created “ala prima”; painting continuously without allowing the paint to dry between sessions.  Layers are built up, working from back to front, using different knives and strokes to create desired effects.

A professional artist with a Bachelor Degree in Art, Jan Ellen has exhibited for over 40 years and has an extensive list of collectors, both private and commercial.  Jan Ellen has judged local and national exhibits, is a published author and lecturer, and has been featured in print and on television. She is represented by Phil Fisher Gallery, Naples.  Jan’s work may be seen at www.jan-ellen.com

As a fine art photographer, I am always interested in the process of discovery, of finding a potential image with the power to hold my attention.  One may say this involves providence or coincidence, both passive actions.  However, I include another element, the action of “seeing”, which is active and receptive.

I speak of being present in the moment of taking the photograph, of being open to the subject as I let it reveal what else there is beyond my usual awareness. This allows for an intimate association with my subject.

The painter skillfully fabricates the image on canvas.  I recognize and capture impressions by being open to that action of seeing.  This is my technique.  My aim is to approach my subjects with that sense of intimacy that allows a connection to “see” artistically beyond the ordinary. In that state, I may find wonder, beauty and mystery to be shared.

My medium is presence, light, color and forms, which I skillfully employ to express my discoveries.   If you see some of what I saw, and feel some of what I felt during the time of exposure, then I succeeded and the circle is complete.

Carmen Crussard is the proud co-founder of the Alliance for the Arts Youth Theatre Program, producing shows with the purpose of developing young, raw talent into polished, young professional performers. In her spare time, she teaches Theater and Language Arts in Cape Coral. Her passion for children and the arts drives her to constantly create opportunities for children to shine, while also providing a safe environment where young artists are encouraged to take risks. Carmen also enjoys directing adult theater, with several credits at the Laboratory Theater of Florida. She believes that the arts are the heart of society, with the artists’ roles being to promote harmony, and provoke thought and change when necessary. She is so pleased to be a part of Alliance for the Arts and looks forward to pushing the organization into the future.

Jeff and Dale Ocasio are award winning, local artists who work collaboratively to create sculpted and digital art expressing an imaginative, storybook spirit.  Sculpting with paper masking tape over wire and reclaimed objects is where each piece of their artwork begins.  Masking tape is an uncommon medium and Jeff enjoys teaching everyone he can about its advantages, and why he chooses to stick with it!