Rockford Art Guild

Barbara Berney is an artist and arts advocate. By day, she is a graphic designer, art and creative director, writer, editor, copy editor, consultant and a bunch of other things. In her spare time, she creates digital art on her iMac, makes one-of-a-kind jewelry, directs and promotes art events, serves as VP to the Rockford Art Guild, consults to The Element Rockford (www.theelementrockford.com) and others, and runs a nonprofit patient advocacy organization for people with complications from LASIK and other refractive surgery. She gets a lot done in a day, but she doesn't sleep much.

My names is Bob Silletti. I am a semi-retired pastel and watercolor artist. I paint pet portraits from photos, paint wild life and paint landscapes. Each piece is painted by me and not created by computer manipulation. I have always had a flare for art and have been drawing since I was a young boy. I have always been a stickler for paying attention to the smallest detail in my work. I learned how to do animal and pet portraits by studying comparative anatomy at the University of Illinois as an undergraduated student. I aslo studied landscape architecture at the public library to each myself how to paint landscape scenes in pastel and watercolor. Working from my home studio, my "Precious Memories" project has given me the time to paint portraits of animals in soft pastels as well as paint landscapes in soft pastels and watercolors. I double matte and frame my work. I try to use colors and subjects to please the art enthusiast. I hope that you enjoy my work as mush as I enjoy creating it. You can check out my website: preciousmemoriesbyrjsilletti.com.

I'm an artiste who is devoted to bringing the mundane of midwestern life into the realm of aquatic theatrical clay drama.  Using Terra Cotta, Water, Heat, and a kiln.

Local born and raised, coming back of sorts after 23 years in Las Vegas... A master craftsman in many ways now producing various forms of metal art and sculptures...Plus designing and fabricating highend contemporary  metal stair and railing package using various materials, stone, steel, stainless, copper, bronze, woods and glass....

I have been a fiber artist most of my life.

   When the idea of the painting begins, color comes first. The color is what I use to start the story and what I want to expand first. Then the idea begins to fill in. I crop and tweak the pictures until they fit the forms and idea in my head, or at least help me gain the outline so I can fill in the rest as it comes together.

   As I explore more into my art, I find myself reaching into my memories for ideas. I move towards stripping down details and to work the idea in my head, almost a dream painting. Colors and shapes telling a story from my life. I have been lucky to have had a rich exposure to the world. The places and things I witnessed in my travels in the Army and in life have filled me with a well of inspiration to work from. The hardest part is pulling it out and getting it on the canvas. The actual act of the painting or drawing has always come easy to me. It has been the idea, starting point that has been my weakest part of art.

   I find that I do my art to see others smile. I like when someone looks at my work and they smile. I just made that one person feel good. They could be having a real bad day but for a moment they’re not. For me that is what art is. It takes someone out of the place they are and puts them for a split second someplace else. Kind of like time travel with a brush.