artist spotlight
As we discover and grow the gallery of contemporary art, you can learn more about our featured artists on this page. Watch this space!
Click here to learn about our Resident Artists, Genece Hamby (gallery owner & digital painter) and her sister, Trish Frederick, Acrylic Artist . The two sisters have made Shibui Studio Art Gallery possible.
"FALL IN LOVE" AUTUMN SHOW
All things we love about autumn!
photographers
sara way, photographer
central il
"I've been a photographer for most of my adult life. I’m married to a wonderful man, David, who is often my chauffeur on many adventures to capture imagery. I have four children, each of whom I’m immensely proud.
Aside from photography, I love and enjoy all things baseball, I suffer greatly from wanderlust. The world calls. I must answer.
On my travels, whether they be near or far, I can always be found with my camera in tow. You never know when an opportunity will present itself.
From landscapes to sunsets, from florals to architecture, capturing the world feeds me to the depths of my soul. Wandering the world with my camera, observing, is artistically inspiring. I am forever searching for
the visual essence of what we see around us. I hope that my imagery brings joy and peace to your heart
as it does mine."
layne knoche, photographer
dorchester, iL
A landscape designer from an early age, Layne Knoche learned to gather inspiration from natural settings. The rhythm and flow of native ecosystems translate to paper and eventually into built spaces. Photography helps him to document the energy, lighting, and landscape composition of those settings, whether the prairies of Illinois or the mountains of Colorado. While Layne’s core photography focus revolves around these landscapes, he also enjoys capturing the minute details that make those places special.
brad mcnaughton, photographer
staunton, iL
I am a self-taught photographer; a hobbyist with a great love for nature…being out in it and capturing the beauty through photography. Even during the pandemic, I didn’t let that keep me from traveling and taking photos. Actually, it was my love of nature that inspired me to first pick up a camera in the first place.
As a photographer, one of my greatest joys is finding inspiration in my own back yard. My wife and I live on a quiet, wooded area located next to a golf course which provides me the kind of inspiration that feeds my imagination. From sassafras to the deer and beautiful birds, I always have a camera ready to seize the moment.
TIM TIEMANN, photographer
LITCHFIELD, iL
Tim Tiemann is a photographer known for his award-winning scenic and nature photography. Seasonal landscapes, flower gardens, covered bridges, and historical American landmarks are his collections he makes available in different sizes, shapes, formats, and materials to suit a collector's needs.
Recently, Tim spent time in Santa Fe, NM which is a city that begs to be remembered with beautiful photographs. The earthy colors, the jeweled tones, the historic buildings, the abundance of art and architecture, all of these act as the perfect setting to capture the magic.
painting artists, oil & acrylic
larry robertson, oil painter
Mt. Olive, iL
I am a 72 year old retired coal miner who studied and produced artwork back in the early to mid-1970s. I first studied art at Hillsboro High School, class of 1968. I then went on to major in Fine Arts at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, IL, class of 1972. After college, I spent two years as an illustrator for the US Army in Washington, DC.
When I left the service, I then did a year of graduate work in Fine Arts at SIU, Edwardsville. Now, with time on my hands, I have decided to dust off some of the old artwork.
debbie zillen, acrylic artist
Gillespie, IL
My intent is to create art that is unpredictable. For a lot of my pieces, music is the inspiration like my portrait of The Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia. I am drawn to paint in bold colors and often using a lot of dots inside the image. Plus, occasionally, I like to add some sparkle for fun!
I prefer acrylic paints and also like to use a black sharpie marker. Drawn to a pop style of painting, I am also known for what I call my “hippie-trippy” art. The goal being to make someone happy when they view my art or that it makes them smile.
A finished painting for me can take four hours to a full day and I know it’s complete when it makes me smile. That’s when I know my job is done!
emily vandygriff, oil & pastels
jerseyville, IL
An Illinois native, professionally I work as an RN. However, for me, the creation of art helps me process my emotions. As an artist, I enjoy working in oils and pastels. When not working or creating, I enjoy spending time with my family and pets.
abstract artists
leroy binks, abstract digital artist
hillsboro, IL
Leroy Binks is an abstract artist and graphic designer exploring the effects of the eye and the mind of the viewer on their experience of his art through purposeful journeys into chromostereopsis and pareidolia, asking the viewer "what do you see?"
He has a long career in creative endeavors, ranging from landscape design and product design to game design and animation; all before obtaining his BFA with honors from The Illinois Institute of Art in 2016. That same year he co-founded Stray Cat Studios, an artist collective focused on cross promotion and artist support. Leroy has lived in the mountains, on a island, in big cities, rural towns and even a cabin in the woods.
Currently he is living in the greater St. Louis area where his abstract art made its gallery debut in 2019 and he has been featured in regional gallery exhibits every year since.
rebecca watson, fluid acrylic artist
gillespie, IL
I am a self-taught fluid artist. What started as a hobby soon became a passion, and I found myself emersed in the beauty and uniqueness of fluid art. I love to experiment with abstract acrylic pouring and fluid art techniques
