Martin Clarke is fascinated by water. A native Australian, he has spent most of that time surfing, swimming, and soaking up his muse: the ocean. Although Martin came to painting late in life, he is driven by a constant strive to make each piece his best. When asked where his inspiration comes from, he talks of the beach on an early summer morning: how the surf pounds the sandy shore's back, how the sun glistens off towering wave faces, and the sea spray catches light, sparkling like diamonds. Based in Mandurah, Western Australia, Martin is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Peel Harvey Estuary, and the Dawesville Cut.Kevin Short (Capistrano Beach, CA) studied painting at the University of New Mexico and Pepperdine University at Malibu.Tom Swimm has felt an instinctive need to paint since his early childhood. Although he is self-taught, he has long been inspired by the work of Van Gogh, Monet, and Hopper, and he considers these masters his teachers. Tom's first one-man exhibition was at the Pacific Edge Gallery in Laguna Beach, California. His work has also been displayed in several other California galleries, at ArtExpo New York, and at the APPAF Exhibition in Paris, France. His paintings have also appeared on the cover of Skyward Marketing's in-flight magazine in 2001, as well as on the cover of Artist's Magazine in 1992. And Tom's work is currently featured in several Walter Foster Publishing titles Alan Sonneman's (Palo Alto, CA) murals are featured at the Riverside Hall of Justice in Riverside, California, and the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Michael Obermeyer's (Laguna Beach, CA) paintings are on display at the Smithsonian Institute, U.S. Air Force Historical Art Collection, and the Pentagon. Anita Hampton's (Arizona) work is featured in exhibitions across the U.S. and Europe. She teaches workshops at the Scottsdale Art School in Arizona.
